The Crying Planet
A Blood+ Sequel
By Michiyo Ichimaru
A/N: I don't own Blood+ or Into the Woods. Into the Woods belongs to Stephen Sondheim. Blood+ belongs to various people including Aniplex. I am not making money, it's really just for fun, so I hope you'll enjoy it and leave a review. Thanks.
Chapter One: Ever After
Kai was sitting on the couch with two very lovable nieces sitting on either side of him and a big book on his lap. Both sets of eyes were staring at him intently, and he smiled. It really made him feel important, even if his only purpose was to finish telling the story and send them both off to bed before Julia and David got back home from work.
"And it came to pass, all that that seemed wrong was now right, the kingdoms were filled with joy, and those who deserved to were certain to live a long and happy life." Kai said, looking back and forth between the two girls and grinning from ear to ear. "…ever after…" The blue eyed one named Ayame was the first to react to Kai's long pause.
She was definitely her mother's daughter. With a pout, she practically jumped on him. "Keep reading, keep reading!" she chanted, flinging the doll in her arm around carelessly, as if she forgot it was there. Ayame loved attention, just like her mother. The second daughter, Celis, also reacted. However, she was smiling from ear to ear and laughing joyfully.
"Watch out, Ayame! You're going to fall." Celis giggled, sticking out her tongue. Ayame returned the gesture, but gave her sister a tackling hug instead of fighting back verbally. Kai watched them both struggle for a bit and smiled. He was glad to see them growing up happily like young kids were supposed to. He wanted to do that for Saya, as she slept.
It had been five years since he had put Saya in her grave. Every year they visited the grave at least once. Usually it was a picnic, since Kai knew just how much it suited their aunt who was resting there. Once he was sure he heard her stomach growl and laughed. Five years seemed so long, but he had been having a lot of fun, and he knew that he would wait the other twenty five years until Saya awoke.
"Alright, kids. It's time for bed you two!" he said, grabbing both of them around the waists and practically dragging them back to their rooms. Both of them were laughing and playfully kicking and pretending to fight back. However, he had learned that they enjoyed it and did it for them often. Seeing them smile was like seeing Saya smiling down on him. And Riku, too…
He was about to start carrying them up the steps, when he heard the front door slam open and a deep voice yell his name. Ayame broke free from Kai's arms and ran towards the front door, laughing and singing playfully. "AYAME!" Kai shouted, afraid that someone might hurt her, and sat Celis down on the steps. "Stay there… I have to get your sister!" he shouted, running after her.
The front door was half closed and Kai couldn't tell if the perpetrator was inside, or still outside waiting for him to come out. Ayame was nowhere to be found, and that scared him. What if someone kidnapped her? "This is bad… AYAME!" Just as he was about to grab his gun from the table, the door opened the rest of the way, and Ayame was brought back, kicking and screaming in the man's arms.
"She tried to… you have to come quick!" the man was wrapped in a dark cloak and there was blood on him. But the voice didn't go unheard. Kai took Ayame from him and sighed heavily in relief. Celis was standing in the doorway, watching the scene with a frightened yet curious look on her cute young face.
"Stay here, Ayame! I know you want to get out… I'll take you somewhere tomorrow. Right now, there's something I have to… do…" Kai said, looking at the panting man. "It's you…" he said, slowly recognizing the voice that he had heard call to him. "What's wrong?!" he asked frantically. "Is she alright… Haji?"
Haji removed the hood and frowned. "Please just trust me." Pulling the hood back up, he ran back outside into the street, towards the place where Saya was resting. Kai ran after him, locking the door of the Omoro, just in case one of the kids would try to find out where he was going. Jumping on his bike, he raced to the place where Saya was.
There were a lot of strange people there, most of them mutated and part Chiropteran. All of them were idly clawing at the door to Saya's grave. While it seemed that they were weak and mindless, as soon as Haji and Kai came near, all eyes were on them. Each of them had red eyes that bore deep. Yet these weren't like the Chiropterans that Kai had seen before. Somehow, these were different.
"If I move them and the door, you have to get Saya out of here safely. Promise me." Haji said, pulling out a set of small daggers and throwing off the bothersome cloak that made it harder for him to move around. Nodding determinedly, Kai got ready to run through the first opening he got. 'For Saya…' he thought.
Ayame climbed up onto the large windowsill with a huge smile on her face. "Think he's a friend of Uncle Kai?" she asked swaying back and forth on her feet. Celis shrugged. Although she felt drawn to the man, she was also afraid of the expression she saw on his face. "I'm going too!" Ayame shouted, pulling the window open from the inside. Celis shrieked and ran to try and stop her.
"No! Don't do it! You heard Uncle Kai… we have to stay here!" she said, grabbing on to Ayame's left foot. Ayame jumped from the window and all Celis could do was hold on to her until her shoe fell off. Scowling at Celis for a second, Ayame pouted. But it was soon forgotten when she remembered the adventure she was on.
"Come ON! Can't you FEEL it? Can't you HEAR it?" Laughing, Ayame began to skip down the road, singing. "Journey over, all is mended, and it's not just for today. But tomorrow, and extended... ever after!" Celis curled up in a ball on the windowsill and began to cry. She had heard it once in her nightmare, but she never wanted to hear it again.
It was like an aria from a famous Opera… nothing like the song Ayame was singing. And yet Celis got a weird shiver whenever her sister sang. They never told Kai, but that had been one thing they agreed on. They promised that they would be good so that they would never have to leave this happy place.
'What if Kai kicks Ayame out for disobeying him?' Celis wondered, devastated. She couldn't be without her sister, especially in a world where they had no mother or father. Kai and this family was all they had. And Celis had been so looking forward to seeing her Aunt, whom Kai talked to them about often, usually when they asked about their mother…
Gathering all her courage, Celis decided to follow Ayame and protect her. "If anything, we must stick together." She sniffled, slowly climbing out the window. Outside, the song was even stronger than before and she shivered. "No…" she cried, collapsing to the ground and throwing her hands up over her ears to drown out the sound.
Pushing through the cloud of Chiropteran, Kai grabbed Saya's cocoon and quickly ran with it back to his motorcycle. Haji was fighting furiously to keep them all as far away from Saya as he could. Kai knew that Haji had visited Saya… he saw the rose. But Haji never stayed. Now it seemed like a weight had been lifted off his chest upon seeing Haji… 'Saya will always be safe, as long as she has him.'
"GO!" Haji shouted, pushing another Chiropteran up against the wall and slicing off his left arm in the process. "Take the kids too. Don't let them get out, especially not…" But it was too late, the little girl was standing in the middle of the road, and he saw her. Kai followed Haji's eyes and was shocked beyond all belief when he saw Ayame.
Her eyes began to glow the same eerie shade of blue that her mother's eyes had, and Kai quickly grabbed her away. Never ever would he let her become what Diva had once been. With Saya and Ayame, he returned back to the house. But when he got off of his motorcycle to carry the cocoon somewhere safe, he realized that it had been torn open and that Saya was beginning to thrash about with her hands up…
…over her ears. Cradling her as gently as he could without letting her get free, he dragged both her and Ayame into the house and locked all the windows and doors. "Saya!" he shouted, going down onto his knees to comfort her. "Please… it's alright… you're safe!" he said, holding both of her shoulders and gently rocking her back and forth. But her eyes were wild with pain and fear.
Suddenly, her eyes dilated and she stopped writhing. The door burst open again and was quickly slammed back shut. "… Is she alright?" Haji asked softly, not wanting to disturb her. Kai wasn't sure… he had never seen the process happen before, but he was scared… he didn't want anything to happen to Saya.
Reaching out suddenly, Saya grabbed Haji's arm and pulled him closer. Haji made a startled sort of gasp but he was smiling. "She's not going back to sleep, and she's definitely not reacting the way she had in Vietnam." This made Kai extremely happy. But then he remembered that she hadn't remembered anything before… would she have forgotten… everything?
Ayame stared at the woman and the man whose arm she was clinging to. "…Saya? This is… Auntie?" she asked, smiling widely. "I knew it! I'm so happy!" she said, hugging the young woman, who's eyes instantly flashed back open, unable to identify the identity of the one who was touching her.
Trying to pull away from the little girl, Saya tightened her hold on Haji's arm and started wiggling again. "…Diva…" Saya muttered softly, going rigid again, and falling back into her content sleep. Haji smiled and took her back to the room that was hers and laid her on the bed until she woke again… this time, of her own accord.
Startled by Saya's actions, Ayame began to cry. "Does she hate me? Why!?" she cried, hugging Kai's stomach. Patting the girl's head, he watched as Haji came back down the stairs. "What's going on?" she asked, frightened. "Who are you?" she asked, reaching out to touch Haji's right arm and gasping.
"A friend." Kai smiling. "A very good friend who's been gone for a long time, and someone your Aunt cares about very much. When Saya wakes up you'll understand. She's just grouchy when you wake her up. She'll be better in the morning." He said softly, patting her hair. And he did something that shocked Haji and would have shocked Saya as well… he began to sing.
Mother isn't here now… Who knows what she'd say?
Nothing's quite so clear now… Feel you've lost your way?
You are not alone, believe me… No one is alone.
You move just a finger… Say the slightest word…
Something's bound to linger… Be heard.
No one acts alone, careful… No one is alone.
People make mistakes… Fathers, Mothers… People make mistakes
Holding to their own… Thinking their alone.
Honor their mistakes… Fight for their mistakes, everybody makes
One another's
Terrible mistakes
Witches can be right, Giants can be good
You decide what's right, you decide what's good
Just remember… Someone is on your side… Our side
Someone else is not
While we're seeing out side… Maybe we forgot
They are not alone… No one is alone
Hard to see the light now… Just don't let it go
Things will come out right now… We can make it so.
Someone is on your side…
At some point or another, Ayame fell asleep and Haji agreed to take her up to her room. Finding his way, he noticed one blue eye was opened and looking at him with a smile. "Friend…" she said, closing her eyes again and yawning. Laying her down for bed, he tucked her in and wondered how someone so much like her mother could be so different with a little love from their family.
"Will we get a happily ever after?" Haji asked, sitting on the edge of Ayame's bed and watching her sleep. Kai, who slouched on the door frame, smiled and nodded.
"I think so…" Kai said, patting Haji on the shoulder. "Come on. After Julia and David left to get their own house on the block, we decided that we'd keep the room open in case you came back. It was Saya's idea." Kai smiled, showing him the elegant but very empty room. Haji sat his cello in the corner and sat on the bed.
Always polite, Haji bowed his head. "Thank you." Kai laughed at the old-fashioned gesture.
"What are you talking about? You're family. Haji… you're always welcome here. Not just when we… or Saya… needs you. It's not just her… we all decided that you belong here. You deserve to be happy too. That is something that you've proved already." Kai smiled. "Well, I'm going to call Julia and David and tell them what's happened. Lulu should be back soon, too. Don't let her wake Saya up."
Haji nodded, and moved to the windowsill to watch for the purple-haired Sif.
Pacing back and forth, Kai waited, however impatiently, for someone to pick up the phone while grumbling something about already having one baby. When David finally answered, Kai was ready to bite of his head, but decided that screaming would work just as well. "Saya's awake! There were strange Chiroptera at the door to the grave when we arrived. Luckily, Haji and I got her back home. We need your help!"
"She's WHAT? I can't believe she's been woken up prematurely. And she hasn't done anything strange or… violent yet anything short of going crazy?" David asked, already getting dressed and forcing Julia to follow him. "Alright, well… we're on our way. I'll explain everything to Julia on the way. Just keep Saya calm and relaxed."
Kai grumbled in irritation, but then just gave in to agreeing and hanging up. Suddenly, he panicked and realized that Celis was missing. He was just about to call Haji when the door opened and Lulu came bounding in with a crying Celis in her arms. "Kaiiiiiii!" She wailed. "Why did I find Celi-Saa-chan in the front yard crying!? You're a bad parent!" she said, calming the poor child.
He really hated that nickname, but Lulu had been the comforting mother figure that they needed, so he couldn't argue with it. Running up the stairs, he came to Haji's room. "HAJI! I thought you were watching for… Lulu…" Haji had a still very-asleep Saya attached to his arm but he really didn't seem too bothered by it.
"Don't let Julia find her like that." Kai laughed. "We're supposed to keep her calm and relaxed and of course not move her any more than need be. Have to follow doctor's orders… David seemed really worried. So…" Lulu tapped him on the shoulder just in time to point out the car coming to a stop in front of the restaurant "Oh well, too late." Kai sighed. "Go tuck in Celis for bed, Lulu and I'll take care of them."
Lulu smiled. "Okay Celi-Saa-chan. You can spend more time with me, auntie, Uncle Kai, and Haa-san tomorrow! Okay? Maybe we can go see a movie or go to the mall if Saa-chan is up to it!" Lulu cooed to the girl, taking her to the same room where Ayame was already sleeping.
At this time, Lulu was a miraculous wonder. Still living strong, the thorn hadn't appeared on her at all yet and she was living every day to the fullest. In the backyard she put a memorial for all of her friends, the Sif, and promised that she would remember them and tell lots of other people about all the great things they had done and all the good they fought for.
Julia came in first, rushing upstairs quickly, but with a light step, so as not to disturb anyone. Kai didn't even have time to tell her that she was in Haji's room or where that was. Dashing after her, he left David to shut the door and lock it. Following both of them, soon, everyone had gathered in Haji's room to see the sleeping girl.
"Hmm… she seems very content. If she was going back to sleep, the cocoon would already have begun forming. I think Saya is fighting to come back to us. Her sleep pattern seems to have stabilized and returned to that of human habit. By tomorrow morning, just in time for breakfast, if I know Saya, she should be awake. Now I only wonder how her memories have fared… It seems they are in tact…" she smiled, looking at Haji, who didn't seem to like all the sudden attention he was getting, and turned away.
David smiled knowingly and turned to Kai and Lulu. "And how are the children? I suspect you have been taking VERY good care of them." He said dangerously. Lulu opened her mouth to tell him about coming home to find Celis on the ground outside crying, but Kai covered it quickly and smiled sheepishly.
"Great! They're in the next room if you want to see them. But with all that's happened, they just got to sleep, so let's save any talking and testing for tomorrow morning." Julia and David exchanged glances, but both agreed that that would be a fair solution, as they had to run some tests on Saya in the morning anyway. "Sorry I just gave your room away. I can pull out the couch bed for you." Kai said, hurrying to get it ready. "Please get me the extra pillows and blankets Lulu." He said as he passed her.
Nodding, Lulu flew to the attic to get them some sleeping tools, as she liked to call them. "Okay! Got them!" She shouted flashing all the way down to the living room with the couch. Kai was still struggling to get it open so she threw all the stuff down and rushed to help him pull it out for Julia and David. "Let's have a sleepover. We can all get together down here on the floor… we have enough blankets…"
She was smiling like she always did, and it always worked. Kai sighed and smiled. "Yeah, alright. But you better go get some more." He said, setting up the couch and then starting to spread out a few of the others as she continued to bring more down. Seeing what they had done, David smiled and plopped down on the couch.
"Good thing, too, because I already called Louis, the photographer, and that annoying girl who seems to enjoy following Okamura around wherever he goes. She might be able to help do some investigating…" Kai sighed. It had been a while since he had seen Mao. He wondered how she was doing…
Loud as usual, he concluded, and decided to leave it there. But there was something exciting about sitting there with the rest of the group, talking about what to do next. It meant that they believed Saya really WAS going to wake up. Even if it meant fighting more, that was okay by him, because this kind of happiness was worth fighting for it.
Having heard all the commotion, Ayame and Celis tip-toed downstairs. Lulu saw both of them and grabbed them up into a big hug. "What are you two cuties doing down here so late? Can't you sleep? Don't you feel well? Is something wrong?" she asked, squeezing them tightly, as they laughed and shook their heads.
"We heard lots of noises and we wanted to be down here with everyone else having fun too!" Ayame said, leaping over to Kai and sitting on his lap. "Finish the story from earlier… pleaaaaaase." She begged. Celis crawled over to him as well and nodded in agreement. Mao plopped down next to them and smiled.
"Yeah! I wanna hear it too!" Mao laughed, picking Celis up and sitting her on her lap. Celis smiled, playing with Mao's hair that dangled over her shoulders. Nodding, Kai grabbed the book from the table next to the couch and continued reading for the girls as the rest of the group listened intently. Julia watched the girls and smiled, seeing for herself that everything was alright.
From upstairs, Haji also listened as he combed his hands through Saya's hair with a small smile on his face. He closed his eyes and imitated Saya simply because to sleep is to know the value of waking up alive each morning and seeing the sun in the sky… Next to him, Saya continued to hold on firmly, not letting go for an instant.
"'Maybe I just wasn't meant to have children', the Baker said. To which, the ghost of his wife replied, 'Don't say that! Of course you were meant to have children.' He frowned. 'But how will I go about being a father with no one to mother my child?' In his arms, the baby began to cry. 'Just calm the child.' The ghost of his beloved wife sang. Even though she cheated on him, he still loved her. 'Yes, calm the child.' He agreed, trying to do so."
"'Look, tell him the story of how it all happened. Be father and mother, you'll know what to do.' His wife told him, encouraging him to open up to his child. 'Alone…' He added, being quite frightened of the concept. The ghost shook her head and began to sing to him and release him from his fear."
Sometimes people leave you
Halfway through the wood
Do no let it grieve you
No one leaves for good
You are not alone… no one is alone.
Hold him to the light now
Let him see the glow.
Things will be all right now.
Tell him what you know…
"And as the baby began to cry again, the Baker began to tell his story as it had begun. 'Shhh. Once upon a time… in a far-off kingdom… lived a young maiden… a sad young lad… and a childless baker… with his wife.' The witch had also learned a lesson upon death. Her ghost rose and told everyone what she had learned, better than anything else…"
Careful the things you say, children will listen.
Careful the things you do, children will see… and learn.
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn,
To learn what to be.
Careful before you say, "Listen to me."
Children will listen
Careful the wish you make, Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true – not free.
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children.
Sometimes the spell may last past what you can see
And turn against you…
Careful the tale you tell - That is the spell.
Children will listen.
Though it's fearful, though it's deep, thought it's dark
And though you may lose the path
Though you may encounter wolves
You can't just act you have to listen
You can't just act you have to think
There are always wolves – there are always spells
There are always beans – or a giant dwells there
So into the woods you go again
You have to every now and then
Into the woods no telling when, be ready for the journey
Into the woods but not to fast or what you wish you lose at last
Into the woods but mind the past
Into the woods but mind the future
Into the woods but not to stray, or tempt the wolf or steal from the giant
The way is dark, the light is dim, but now there's you, me, her and him
The chances look small, the choices look grim
But everything you learn there will help when you return there.
The light is getting dimmer, I think I see a glimmer.
Into the woods you have to grope, but that's the way you learn to cope.
Into the woods to find there's hope of getting through the journey
Into the woods each time you go, there's more to learn of what you know
Into the woods but not too slow
Into the woods it's nearing midnight
Into the woods to mind the wolf, to heed the witch, to honor the giant
To mind, to heed, to find, to think, to teach, to join, to go to the festival
Into the woods
Into the woods
Into the woods
Then out of the woods…
And happy ever after!
"… I wish…" Kai finished, closing the book with a small thud. "The end." Both children looked at him expectantly. "What? That's the end, and you should be getting to bed young ladies! It really is nearing midnight…"
Exchanging glances, it was Celis who asked. "But… did they really live happily ever after?" Kai looked around the room at all his friends and the looked upwards, thinking of Saya and Haji as well as the future. Giving them both a hug and a kiss, Kai gathered them up with his strong arms.
Tucking them both in once he got them into their respective beds he gave them each a kiss. "I'm sure they did." He said to them. "Goodnight." Kai said, waiting for them to echo him and shut their eyes before he shut the door. Haji, having heard all of it, recalled where he heard it before.
Mao frowned. "Into the Woods? That's such a depressing musical… why couldn't you be like everyone else and read them Cats or something like that?!" she said, patting the spot next to her and sighing. "Even Phantom of the Opera's less depressing than that!" Julia sighed.
"Every time I hear Phantom of the Opera, I cry…" David tried rolling his eyes, but of course he got caught. "Still… who's to say that they didn't all live happily ever after? It's really up to you to decide what you think. It really is interesting though. These girls are so happy. I am proud of you Kai."
"Yeah… I guess you do make a pretty good dad." Mao laughed, ruffling up his hair. A long silence filled the room and Mao sighed. "Do you think we'll get a happily ever after, too?" she asked, looking around at everyone else. Kai's eyes widened and he smiled, remembering that Haji asked him the same question.
Thinking about it, he decided to keep his answer. "I think so… but even if not… maybe we can just have an "ever after", if not a happily ever after. At least, let's stay together." Everyone nodded and went to sleep in their respective space… until morning, when they would have to face tomorrow and a possibly very complicated future…
Aww, and I promised myself I would try to do only one multi-chaptered fic at a time. Oops. But I finished watching this series and knew that it couldn't be helped. I cried sooo hard. Anyway, I thought this was pretty good. I was also able to incorporate a musical I love very much… "Into the Woods" by Stephen Sondheim. All the songs used in this chapter came from it. I used the actual script and at least two songs, probably three. They aren't mine. Anyway, please review! and I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.
Michiyo Ichimaru