Dear Readers,
I know that most of you have read this story; however, I reread it, and decided there were a few details I wanted to change to make it a little more cohesive. As of now, I have removed the lead-up dates of the Tokyo Raid, only granting a few dates and time stamps because I intend to fully revise the story once it's completed. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul, that belongs to Ishida Sui, I also do not own Seraph of the End that belongs to Kagami Takaya, Yamato Yamamoto, and Furuya Daisuke.
Claimer: I do own a few details in this story.
Chapter 1: Crush
I'll be there hold on – they'll change you somehow.
In this shaken, twisted world, I gradually become transparent, unable to be seen.
So where are you now? I'll reach you by dawn – Before you can be turned – Illusions are torn.
Please don't bother looking for me; don't stare at me…I merely don't want to hurt you, inside a world, that came out of someone's imagination.
The fallen angels you run with don't know it is our pain that makes us all human after all.
So please remember me; as vivid as I was.
How many times did something play over in their heads as they thought about what had been happening? Here they were hour's maybe even days into hiding after something that had rattled them to the bone. None of them could forget it even if they tried – the bloodshed, the senselessness in it all – and still they questioned how it had begun and why – it was the end of all they loved and knew. Touka Kirishima sighed as she looked at the others huddled in the cellar of Anteiku with her. How had it become like this? She glanced at the figures not far from her in questioning.
Earlier that evening when the CCG had declared a raid on Anteiku Touka had known something bad was going to happen – but she hadn't expected what she'd seen when she arrived despite Yomo's efforts – in the middle of the street, covered in a thick sheet of white snow slowly soaking into crimson was none other than the Eye-Patch Ghoul himself Kaneki Ken looking more monster than what should have been possible for even a Ghoul. Her eyes had been wide when his ruby red Kagune had come lashing out like a whip and split a man in half without him even blinking. It had seemed horrific until her eyes landed on the person near him. Lying at his side almost on the side walk had been the manager of Anteiku Yoshimura, dead.
Tears burned in her eyes as she stared onward at the white haired ghoul whom she had grown to both love and hate. It was as she tried to go too him that a hand grabbed her and dragged her into an alley way. It was Nishiki and Kimi standing there with Hinami hiding behind the young woman. Touka had only paused momentarily when she realized the brown haired girl was present in the midst of this carnage but what scared her worse than everything she had just witnessed – was the wide eyes of one Hideyoshi Nagechika. He hadn't known then when he witnessed the white haired Ghoul lay into the CCG in rage and he still didn't know now well over what she was sure by the watch on her wrist – she had only now recalled having worn one – that six hours later he still didn't know who that white haired Ghoul really was.
"Touka? Hey! Touka!" she looked up at Hide who was holding out a bottle of water.
"Oh….thanks Hide….where did you find that?" she asked quietly.
"There's a bunch of them down here. I guess the manager stocked up on them in case something happened to the water system. Good for us that he did." The boy gave her a weak smile.
"Is everyone okay?" asked Nishiki as he looked at them.
"I'm alright…." Kimi nodded as Hinami sat near Touka and wrapped her arms around her.
"What about you Hinami? You okay?" asked Hide.
"I am – Mr. Hide….are you hurt?" he looked at the cut on his upper arm.
"Na I'm good – but I am a little shaken up still…." He sat down and the others looked to him.
"What do you mean?" asked Nishiki.
"I guess….I'm just shocked that Ghoul tossed us in here before the fight got worse. I barely felt it until he slung us in here…." Kimi nodded at that.
"We should just be thankful that he saved our lives," she said.
"Yea….but…why would he? Aren't most Ghouls really cruel?" Nishiki looked the blonde over.
"They can be, but I've never seen that one as exactly cruel," he stated.
"What do you mean? He sliced up those CCG members like they were nothing!" Touka felt a knot form in her chest.
"They killed someone he cared for right in front of him…." Hide paused.
"Do all of you know why that Ghoul saved us?" he asked.
"Not really…..I guess he didn't want to see anymore carnage brought on by the CCG who were taking down bystanders because they might be Ghouls…" Touka heard Hinami sniffle.
"Hinami?" questioned Kimi as she looked at the girl.
"Big brother is out there big sis….is he going to be okay?" the others tensed as Hide looked at her.
"Is your brother part of the CCG?" he asked as he leaned a little closer to the girl.
"No! He's…."
A sudden crunch of rubble caught their attention as they tensed. None of them knew if it was another Ghoul, a member of Anteiku, or a CCG member, but they hoped that it wasn't someone who would harm them more than they already had been. Nishiki and Touka tensed wondering if they would have to fight when the click of shoe soles caught their attention as they came down the stone staircase before pausing and glancing around the corner. Still in battle clothes, the gothic and frightening mask still in place was the white haired Ghoul that had been fighting on the street. Hide instantly went stiff as did Kimi who moved behind her boyfriend to stay clear of the Ghoul who stood watching the others.
"H-Hey….your…." Hide couldn't quite get his words out. The ghoul sighed and looked the others over as he tried to assess their current states of health. Tension drained as he looked at the group.
"Good…your all safe…" the voice was muffled, but the two humans found it familiar.
"What about the others?" asked Touka.
"No idea…..the CCG ran away from something…..there's sirens going off in the streets – fire started blooming everywhere….something is happening and it's not Ghoul or CCG related." The blue haired girl looked down.
"So do we leave?" asked Nishiki. The white haired Ghoul shook his head.
"No, if we do I have a feeling we're going to end up getting caught up in it and there's no telling what will happen." The ghoul sat down breathing a sigh of relief as he leaned against the wall.
"Are there any people still on the streets?" asked Touka.
"People in cloaks….I don't know what they're doing but I'd prefer to stay away from them….I didn't stick around to find out what they've got planned." Nishiki looked him over.
"Let me guess, gut feeling?" he said it almost with a sarcastic air and the white haired ghoul laughed a bit.
"You could say that…" Hide watched the Ghoul with questioning. Some of the mannerisms were similar to someone he knew.
"Mind taking off your mask?" he asked suddenly. Most in the room stilled.
"Why?" the one visible eye was what most ghoul's eyes looked like – a black sclera with a red pupil.
"You saved us – I want to know who saved us," he said with his heart pounding.
"Why? I'm a Ghoul – you'll put yourself in danger if…." A sound of something rambling through the upstairs came to them.
"Well I…" the white haired ghoul stood waiting while the others stood back in waiting.
Hide watched them – Touka going on guard and putting Hinami behind her – and Nishiki and Kimi standing close to one another. He was near Touka therefore he stepped back and watched the ghoul as the rambling thing came from upstairs and down the stairwell to them. In a matter of moments a white cloaked person turned and looked up – teeth baring in a wild hiss as fangs were flashed to them. Everyone panicked. The four ghouls in the room prepared for an attack as the creature charged at Hide – how was still slightly in the middle of the space between Touka and the white haired ghoul – and he felt his life flash before his eyes.
In a matter of seconds a red, gleaming object slammed the creature into a wall. Hide stared as once again the pulsing red Kagune of the white haired ghoul appeared and saved not only him but everyone. His eyes grew wide as the ghoul pressed not one but four of the pulse red and black hued tentacle like object against the creature that howled in pain. It wriggled, screaming and snapping at the ghoul before it attempted to bite down on his Kagune. Blood dripped from the wound in which the creature seemed gleeful until it tried to lap up the blood. The beast howled as it gagged and choked hissing in pain as the ghoul gave it an almost cynical look.
"So, what are you?" questioned Nishiki as he looked at the creature pinned by the white haired ghoul.
"I am of a superior race! You are all trash, you filth! You hapless sacks of blood, you livestock mean nothing to me!" a red flash was seen as the monster screamed as the end of the Kagune pinning him went from pliable and soft looking to sharp and pierced the man's side.
"Superior race? Please, there is no superior race really – we're all just monsters reveling in our own sins – so….what is yours?" the ghoul tilted his head and the creature bared its teeth.
"I am the servant of the Third Progenitor, and our Queen – Krul Tepes! I am of the eternal line!" a black and red eye locked onto him.
"Third Progenitor, Krul Tepes – she's the one leading this….raid upon humanity?" the others paused and the creature smiled.
"Yes and those who do not submit shall be destroyed! We have begun our Reign!" the people in the room looked at the creature once more and wondered if it was possible for them to learn more about who or what this thing was.
"What are you?" inquired Touka.
"We are what you pathetic livestock call vampires!" it sounded proud – worse than Tsukiyama Shuu on a rant – and they had decided upon hearing that from the creature that they needed to know one more thing.
"Why did the CCG and Aoigiri Tree run?" the white haired ghoul held up a single tentacle-like appendage at the vampire's heart.
"Those people in police clothes and those guys in red cloaks? They didn't know it….they couldn't have outran it even if they so wished – it is a miracle that you children survived! Come with us! We can take care of you where the virus is not able to reach you," the vampire stated. The others were beginning to think that the vampire had a serious bi-polar issue due to the flipping back and forth from being cocky to actually trying to persuade them.
"What's the catch?" the vampire looked at them.
"We have a fair trade – you give blood we give food, shelter, protection and…" a red appendage slashed into the side of the creature again.
"Why did you let out a virus?" the vampire looked at the person momentarily.
"To place Japan under our control. This virus has spread throughout the world… Tokyo as of this night, belongs to us… even you… Ghouls, will no longer have a hold upon this city. "
Anxiety filled the room. The entire world? And now, Japan had fallen into the clutches of the Vampires? It made some stare down at the ground with grim faces as the vampire laughed a bit despite the fact that the ghoul standing before him was growing less and less interested and twice as pissed. Today he had lost his family, his life with Anteiku as had everyone else in that room with him because of the CCG – Aogiri had little to do with that in fact thanks to Ayato they had been helping – but now they were being told that the vampires had been killing off areas of Japan. It didn't match up in his head because someone would have noticed entire towns and massive cities going dark in a single night. Unless something was missing.
"What are you talking about? Tokyo was the last strong hold?" the vampire laughed.
"You are foolish – it was because of you Ghouls that Tokyo remained intact and untouched by us…. but now, the Japan is ours. The city of Tokyo belongs to the vampires now!"
The others couldn't bear to hear anymore and by Hide's point of view neither could the white haired ghoul. The red Kagune sliced at the vampire like a whip causing it to lash out. The two blocked one another in the corner of the room at the stairwell until the vampire lashed out with its claws knocking the black mask to the side by pulling at the strap and dislodging it. The top of it slipped down to pool around the ghoul's throat before he let out a growl like sound and bit down on the struggling vampire's neck. The creature screamed in agony as a hole was tore through its jugular and the ghoul swallowed before it turned to ash. The group had felt themselves relax now that the vampire was gone and their information was gotten, but it had knocked the legs out from under Kimi and Hinami while Touka and Nishiki were ill looking and Hide was in mere shock.
However, that all changed when the now unmasked ghoul glanced their way and instead of merely pulling his mask back up before looking like he knew he should have he was met almost face to face with Hide who now stared in horror as he caught just enough of the ghoul's face to cause the black clad figure to race up the stairs and slam the door above shut. Hide dropped to the ground as he tried to fathom what he had seen moments ago – hoping he had just seen what he wanted to – while the others started to look at where the other had gone before looking at the blonde.
"This is all too much! What the hell! How did they manage that?" snapped Nishiki.
"Tokyo was being shielded by the Ghoul organizations….none of us knew it…." Hide looked at the others and saw Hinami begin to cry. This was confusing, it was maddening in fact. But they had to grasp reality right then and this was now reality.
"So Japan is…..what…..in the hands of blood suckers?" asked Hide as he tried to get his bearings.
"Probably the entire world….did you not hear what that vampire said? Tokyo was the last strong hold because of the Ghouls….but because the CCG got into the crosshairs with the major Ghoul Organizations like Aogiri Tokyo is probably in shambles." The group sat there for a moment.
"What are we gonna do? Yoshimura is gone, those CCG bastards killed him! They killed Koma! Irimi! Who even knows if Yomo or the others even survived?!" Hide stared wide eyed at Nishiki and Touka who were glaring daggers at the floor of the coffee shop's cellar.
"What do you mean the CCG killed them? They only hunt….." Hinami opened her eyes displaying black sclera and red irises. Hide jolted away as if he'd been burned.
"Ghouls? Three of the people in this room are Ghouls Hide….and we've never done anything more than what we had to in order to live," stated Touka as she looked at him.
"Three….then…who is….." Kimi raised her hand.
"I've known for a long time now that Nishiki was a Ghoul….I still love him…." Hide stared flabbergasted.
"Then…Anteiku was…." The group nodded.
"Our home, and our family….Yoshimura did all he could to help us and you too Hide," said Hinami as she wiped her eyes. What were they supposed to do? This was not how they planned on breaking this to the blonde boy.
"What? So then….how? Humans were here…..and….I came here with….but….wait….what about Kaneki? He worked here right? What happened to him? Where is he?" in his panic – not entirely for his own life but for the harsh reality he and the others were being forced to face – he had forgotten about the white haired ghoul hiding somewhere in the darkness upstairs.
"Kaneki is safe Hide – he's never been to far," said Touka.
"What are you talking about? I haven't seen him in months! Not since you all told me he was sick again and had gone on a short leave so he could get better! None of you…." Touka snarled at that as her eyes changed and her Kagune slipped out her shoulders.
"None of us here would ever and I repeat ever! Hurt Kaneki! He's family to us!" she snapped.
Hide stared at the girl. He had seen the white haired Ghoul's Kagune – and while eerie and strange – that one's and Touka's shared something similar. Despite what they were, and what they came from instead of feeling horror, terror and disgust his body relaxed as he looked at the girl and realized as he looked at her with the bright flush glow of fiery red, and elegant violet that sprang from her back like the wings of a phoenix that the female ghoul was not ghastly or anything of the sort – it was beautiful.
"That's stunning…." He didn't know why he used such a word but the girl stared at him.
"I told you your Kagune was beautiful Touka," said Kimi with a small smile.
"I….Hide…." the blonde stared in awe of it. His fear cast aside, he truthfully had never been scared of Ghouls – a little spooked from time to time yes, but did he hate them? Find them ugly and horrible? No – therefore he sat upon the ground and stared as Touka let her Kagune dissolve and stared at the boy.
"Then where is my friend? What happened to him? Is he safe?" he asked as he stood a bit shakily. Ghouls, he internally laughed – he should have known all along.
"He probably couldn't be safer….well if the damn brat is still in the building that is…." Hide felt as if his mind screeched to a flying halt.
"What…." Nishiki looked at him.
"Go upstairs and call out to him – see what happens," he said.
"Um I…." Touka nodded with a frown.
"You need to talk – both of you got it? Or I will kick both your sorry asses!" Touka said as she crossed her arms.
Hide was defeated without the use of fighting or Kagune as he sighed and marched with dread up the stairwell and into the backroom of Anteiku. What was he doing? Go upstairs and call out for Kaneki? What? Would he come running? He took a moment and looked at the dark area in hopes of not running into another vampire. It was so dark that he nearly would have thought it impossible to find his way into the front of the coffee shop, but he thankfully managed from all his time spent there. As he made it out to the front and towards the counter he stopped when he heard what sounded oddly like a faint sob. His body stilled as he saw the streetlights were still working and it gave the building a little light. In a corner he saw a figured huddled up and decided that it would do him good to call for his friend. Who knew maybe Nishiki was right.
What was he to think about all this though? Vampires, the end of the world, and all the people he'd considered friends were ghouls minus two and he didn't know what really make of it. Touka's Kagune flared in his mind and he sighed – submitting to the fact that he was safer with the group of people who normally would probably eat him wasn't that satisfying, but he had little choice – between Ghouls and Vampires he would take a Ghoul any day, besides most of the ones he'd encountered were nice – well, nice-ish – that white haired ghoul kind of spooked him. He looked ominous and threatening despite his best efforts to not be unsettled it just wouldn't work. He took a deep breath and looked around the area in the café once more.
"Kaneki? Are you here?" he called out in a slightly loud whisper. He didn't want to draw attention to who knew what outside. There was a shuffle and something moved from a corner and tried to hide itself. Hide had just managed to catch the figure's ankle – feeling soft but thin and strong fabric and what felt like a type of leather – he jerked the slim ankle and took the person's legs out from under them.
With a matter of moments Hide was kicked and groaned as he felt pain spread through him before the person scurried backwards. He sighed as he held his stomach in questioning of who had kicked him. It seemed like the person was Kaneki – judging by the weight he'd pulled and knowing it because he had always loved to scare the other boy by picking him up and swinging him, making fun of his small stature – he sighed knowing now wasn't the time to be reminiscing about silly practical jokes he'd pulled on his best friend. He looked at the figure now hiding just in the shadows away from the light sources that were flooding the front half of the shop with blue tinted light.
"Hey! Kaneki! Come on! Your kind of worrying me here – did those vamps get to you?" the figure stiffened.
"No…." Hide relaxed.
"That's good – you have Touka worried you know…." He slightly could make out the outline of his friend sitting curled against the wall.
"I know…" he sighed.
"Come on now Kaneki – you know not to make a nice girl like her wait – and besides her and Hinami, and Nishiki and his girlfriend Kimi are downstairs in the cellar and waiting on me to get you," he stated.
"I know…" Hide frowned.
"Did all this freak you out that badly? If I had known you were supposed to be coming here I would have gotten to you and come with you. I came because I was worried about the Anteiku raid and thought that well…you know…I'd make sure your girlfriend and the others were okay," he stated.
"Touka isn't my…..she hates me right now…" his voice sounded softer and more indifferent than he was used to hearing.
"And? Just kiss and make up!" Hide said smiling.
"Not that easy….I hurt her bad Hide…" the other boy was still against the wall, in the dark where Hide couldn't make out anything but his silhouette.
"How bad? You two haven't done something I should have known about did you?" he asked with a suggestive tone the other nearly sprang up from his spot but thought better of it.
"No nothing like that….I…..think I broke her heart…..I don't even know if it was that….she….kept telling me to come back, and I didn't listen to her so I…" Hide sighed.
"Kaneki? Can I ask you a question?" he inquired the other shifted.
"Okay…." Hide got a little closer to the edge of the shadows.
"Did you know Touka, Nishiki, and Hinami were Ghouls? That the manager and the workers here were also Ghouls?" he asked. Another shift.
"I did…." He frowned.
"Then why work here?" Kaneki sighed.
"I don't think you'd understand the reason…." Hide again frowned. He reached forward and heard a wet pat. Drawing his hand back he saw red and panicked.
"You're hurt! Kaneki!" Hide stood from his kneeled spot on the ground and the person tried to push further back but found they were against the wall.
"I'll be fine!"
"No that's too much blood!"
Hide darted towards him and Kaneki reacted by dodging him. The blonde moved, slipping on the blood on the floor before staring as he saw the person he had been friends with for most of his life scurry back as if he was a scared and trapped mouse. Brown eyes looked into apathetic silvery-brown and froze. Dressed in the same attire as the Ghoul who had saved them, who had killed the vampire, with the same white hair and the mask pooled around his throat was Hide's best friend. The blonde stared with his calm expression morphing into shock and horror as the other boy turned his head away and stayed still. Hide could only stare onward as the now white haired boy pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his head on his knees while putting his hands over his ears as if to block out everything that was happening.
"Kaneki? Is that…..really…." the boy grew stiff in what Hide could only describe as fear.
"Just go….back downstairs…please…" Hide sat up and slowly walked towards the boy before crouching in front of him gently and gradually so not to startle him.
"I just….want to talk…okay?" he asked slowly.
"Please…..just go back downstairs please….." the blonde sighed.
"Will you look at me please? I just want to…..no I need to know what happened to you…..what really is going on here are you really….."
As if to answer his question – or if he was getting angry he couldn't be sure – four pulsing red Kagune appeared behind him after a single moment of what sounded like tearing flesh. Hide jumped when one of the objects lashed at him and he stared wide eyed as his friend locked eyes with him – his right eye was identical to a ghoul's – the white sclera went black and his silvery-brown iris turned blood red.
"Do you really want to see this? Look at me…." The blond had turned away in horror.
"Your…. but…." something warm and soft wrapped around his waist and Hide was slung down onto the ground only to be pinned by the white-haired boy.
"Look at me Hide!" the boy shook.
"Don't…." as if to have only made him angry Hide felt the end of a Kagune slide across his cheek and leave a trail of blood.
"Don't what? Eat you? Please, I doubt you taste that good with all the crap you eat." The voice that spoke to him was not the one he was used to when he thought of his childhood friend. It was cold, indifferent, laced with distain and malice. Whatever this was – it was not his friend.
"How? You…." the weight pinning him let up and he didn't have to look at the boy who he knew was still watching him with the same indifferent gaze.
"Rize…. the accident…. Doctor Kannou…. half a year of being something I wasn't born as nor; did I wish to become…." the blonde kept his gaze down.
"So she….but…" the sensation of something sliding across his throat caught his attention and Hide jolted into a stiffened fear as the red, pulsing Kagune slid dangerously close to his jugular.
"You're such a hypocrite….you come to find me and what did you expect? Your friend would be waiting here for you to cheer up? You won't even look at me Hide! I'm your best friend! And you can't face me because all you see is some blood thirsty monster!" the blonde flinched. He was right, and he hated every second that the boy was correct. The Kagune around his waist – which he was certain would have slammed him into something again – let go and he looked at the boy.
Now kneeling just in front of him Hide finally got a look at his friend properly. He had changed a great deal – from the white hair, pallor to his complexion, his eyes lacking their once normal warmth, his fingernails were black and he knew it wasn't polish, his entire being didn't radiate the sensation of the shy bookworm he had known since grade school but a creature of darker origins, something dangerous and threatening but at the same time protective and oddly calming. He looked at the boy once more as the Kagune moved to a relaxed state and he took in a deep breath.
"Look at you….I find it hard to believe you're the same bookworm of a friend I've had most of my life," Hide said as he looked at him.
"I'm not….I'm not a human….I'm a ghoul Hide and you…." the other sighed.
"There's no denying what you are or that you've changed but….your still Kaneki to me….I can still tell when I look you in the eye that this has made you something different than what I've always seen but your still my best friend," he stated in a slightly shaky tone.
"You're scared…." Hide looked down.
"Yea well….its common now I guess – you heard that vampire….Kaneki….come on man don't push me away just because you're a Ghoul – I want to know about this," he said honestly.
"No you don't…..I am a monster Hide that hasn't changed in several months….take a good look at me…what do you see?" dark brown met the same silvery-brown he was used to seeing.
"My friend, who like I said was always much more hip than I am." Kaneki rolled his eyes – the right changed again and Hide flinched.
"What about now?" the blonde stood slowly as the other did.
"My friend, who's a Ghoul who I still see as a brother to me – let's go back downstairs okay? We can talk more with the others there…." The boy sighed as a slight crack met Hide's ears as he looked to see the boy doing something to his fingers.
"Don't even ask…." The blonde sighed and shrugged.
"I don't know what your issue is but you can tell me later – right now I'm sure the others are worried – Hinami kept asking if you were okay," Hide told him. The boy perked up a bit.
"Really? I guess some things don't change…okay…."
For now, Hide decided he was better not asking about his friend's white hair or his black nails nor his emotionless eyes. If he was told it would be when his friend was ready to tell him about whatever trauma had changed him – besides, right now they had an apocalypse to deal with – and Hide was keen to not only stick it out with the group but get his plans into action on getting Touka and Kaneki to admit what they felt for one another. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. But hey, what were friends for? Hide just merely smiled as he walked downstairs with the other boy in front of him and felt some contentment come over when Hinami hugged Kaneki with tears in her eyes.
{….}
Darkness falls on another day…
{…}
Author's Note: I don't know what to say, I've tried to fix up the details, but this is a rough clean-up, and I'm going to have to do some more rewriting. Also, I changed the ending song here because I felt this one works better.
