My Brother's Keeper
By Coco Gash Jirachi
Disclaimer: I don't own Hell Girl, or Sukisho
Claimer: I DO own Mookie Honjou
Summary: AU. After keeping this secret for so long, Matsuri tells his family he is not only gay, but in a relationship with Soushi Asaka. His mother and sister are thrilled, but his father... "Your grievance shall be avenged." Hell Girl crossover. One-shot.
Matsuri Honjou had always been a kind older brother. Smiling every day, laughing every day, hugging her and kissing her good night when he was home from boarding school... Matsuri loved not only his little sister very much, but also his family.
His mother was a kindly, open-minded woman whom he and his sister resembled to an absolute T. Blonde hair, green eyes, and skin that was milky-white and smooth.
His father, however, was rather distant. He kept his straight, brown hair short, not even caring as he aged that his hair turned gray. Often he was never around, but Matsuri and Mookie took to loving him just the same.
Mookie was an eleven year-old girl close to turning twelve. She wore her long blonde hair in pigtails with her bangs covering her forehead. Her green eyes would light up and sparkle every time she smiled, especially around her beloved older brother.
Matsuri was always just so happy by nature...
... That is, until around the time he started high school.
Around then, when he was just a still semi-prepubescent 15 year-old, he began to change. Not much, but it was enough for Mookie to notice. That was the year he had decided to enroll in boarding school; he could have stayed at home and not in the dorms since it wasn't too far away from their house, but he had declared that it was about time he started to branch out on his own. After all, after high school would come college, and he would need to stay in dorms there, depending on what school he decided to attend.
Every few weekends, when he had an open time slot in his schedule, Matsuri would kindly decline any and all offers to hang out with someone or do something at the last minute. Without his Student Council duties to attend to, or an assignment over the weekend for some class, or a Photography project to complete, he would gladly get out of bed early enough in the morning to just throw on his school uniform - so he could show his family - and run back home just in time for breakfast.
His mother, Keiko, would gladly greet him with open arms. His father would have left early for work, probably just around the time he had been waking up and getting ready. Mookie would smile and jump up to throw her arms around her tall brother's neck, giggling as he would spin her around for a moment or two before hugging her tightly.
As they would have breakfast, it was then that Mookie had noticed the little changes in Matsuri. The strangeness of them seemed minimal, however. Sometimes as Matsuri would spin out a story of what he and Sora - and old friend he was lucky enough to reunite with at Seishin Academy - he would move his hands in ways that Mookie had never seen him do before. His littlest gestures and mannerisms he had seemed to just develop while he was away at school were what she had picked up on.
During holiday vacations when Matsuri would come home and stay home, Mookie would notice things even more. The way he walked, the way he sat on the couch - crossing his legs in an almost lady-like fashion - how he would tuck his hair behind his ears, wave his hands... his openness seemed apparent, but there was also something that he seemed to be holding back. Like... he could only be so comfortable with his family now.
It was then that Mookie started begging Matsuri to start staying at home again. Her sparkling green eyes would tear up as she held onto the bottom of his uniform shirt, following him around the house as he helped out their mama with be it laundry or just tidying up. Matsuri would freeze for a moment to hang his head before turning around to look at his little sister.
"I'm sorry, Mookie-chan, but..." he begun the first time he responded to her behavior. He would then take in a deep breath and sigh it out. "I can't. I love being here; I really do. But I have expectations to fulfill at school. I'm the Vice President of Student Council, I'm in both Photography classes as well as the Photography Club, and I've made friends, too."
"But..." Mookie would sniffle as she let tears down her face. "Nii-san, I miss you!"
Matsuri placed down the laundry basket he held and knelt down to her level. Something in his eyes reflected a sadness; that alone had given Mookie a shocker. Gently, though, he placed one of his hands onto her small cheek, wiping her tears away with his other hand.
That had been also another something new he had done. Usually when he wanted to comfort her when she was crying, he would just hold her in his arms; hold her in his big, strong arms. All she wanted him to do was that. Just to prove he wasn't changing. Sure, of course, mannerisms were one thing, but... she needed that strong hold around her to assure he was still the same Matsuri she craved to be around; the same Matsuri she loved spending time with, even if they were just picking flowers in their backyard on a warm day, weaving them into crowns and bracelets.
"I'm sorry, Mookie..." Matsuri began. "I miss being here, too, but... you know, you will have to get used to this sooner or later. Because once I graduate from high school, I'll have to move on to college... and I have no idea how often I can be around during that time. I'm doing every thing I can right now to get my school assignments, council duties and club duties done every week so I can find the time I need to come home to you... to Mama."
Mookie sniffed, knowing now that she needed a tissue from the way her nose felt.
"Can you understand that?" he asked as gently as he could.
Even though she couldn't, she nodded anyways.
This past January, on the day Matsuri was leaving to go back to school to be able to settle down in his dorm room before classes would start up again in two days, Mookie didn't even look at him as she said good bye. She sat outside on the swing hanging from the tree in their backyard, keeping her back to the house. She held her hands on the ropes, staring down at the ground. She was bundled up warmly in her blue winter coat, light blue scarf and purple mittens with a fuzzy, pink hat and her light pink snow boots.
She heard Matsuri's feet walking in the snow, coming up behind her.
"Mookie, I'm leaving now..." he said, his voice a little quieter than usual. Almost like he knew she wasn't quite right as usual. "I'll come back and visit more this time, I promise. I love you."
As he took a single step forward, Mookie ducked her head down.
"Don't touch me." she growled.
At this, Matsuri's eyes widened. A small gasp made its way out of his mouth.
"What?..."
"I can't even look at you anymore without wondering why you're acting like this!" Mookie said, her tears dropping down and sliding down the front of her winter coat. "You've changed, Matsuri! You've changed so much and I know you keep on saying things have to change, but you're not even Nii-san anymore; you're just Matsuri! Mama and Father might not be noticing, but I sure am! You're not the same! You're not the same Nii-san I know and love! It feels like you're hiding something from me - hiding something from us!"
"Moo..." Matsuri shook. "Mookie-"
"Just go..." she whispered, not wanting to say any more hurtful things to her only brother. Upset with him or not, she still loved him all the same. He had to be there, somewhere... she just didn't know where. Maybe he didn't know, either.
Matsuri hung his head, feeling the hot stinging of tears in his eyes. He blinked his eyes shut, feeling the tears streak down his cheeks for a moment before he opened them again.
"I'm sorry..." was all he uttered. He shut his eyes tightly again. "I'm sorry!"
And with that, he turned around and ran back to the house. As he ran, Mookie picked her head up and looked over her shoulder at him as he did.
Crying... he was crying...
She had made him cry.
That was the last time any of the Honjous saw Matsuri before Spring Break came around in April.
This time, when he came home, Matsuri brought with him an aura that felt slightly like doom. His skin seemed like it had paled a good amount, and there was a darkness around his eyes that signified he hadn't been sleeping well for a while. When Mookie came down the stairs, her head hung, and approached him at the front door, Matsuri gripped his suit case in his hands tightly, becoming a little shocked when Mookie, with tears in her eyes, looked up at him before throwing her arms around his torso, crying into his chest.
"I'm sorry, Nii-san... I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, holding onto him tightly. He dropped his suit case from his hands, which landed in-between their feet. "I should never have said any of that to you! I just... I just..."
Matsuri pulled his arms free, wrapping his arms around her and holding onto her tightly; so tight it seemed to make up for all of the times he didn't hold onto her tight.
"Mookie... it's okay..." he said, one of his hands laying onto the back of her head. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you..."
"What do you have to apologize for, Nii-san?" Mookie asked as tears began to form in Matsuri's eyes as well. "What I said was so mean; so unforgivable! I'm sorry!"
"No, Mookie. You're right."
All of a sudden, Mookie popped her eyes open wide. She pulled her head back just enough to look at Matsuri's face. However, his head was hung, his blonde bangs covering his eyes.
"You're right, Mookie. There's no denying that. I... I have changed." Matsuri said, his voice growing quiet. "I... was hoping so badly that no one would notice. Especially not you..."
"Matsuri, of course you've changed." Keiko said, placing a hand onto his shoulder. "That's a part of growing up."
"No, Mama..." Matsuri shook his head. "This isn't just a part of growing up... I've... been hiding something from you for a long time, now..."
"... A..." Mookie's eyes widened in wonder. "A... long time?... How long?..."
Matsuri's arms unwound from Mookie, placing her back down onto her feet. His head turned to the side, eyes looking distant.
"I didn't figure it all out until I was sixteen..."
The conversation from that day was the reason why Mookie was sitting alone in the park during sunset.
After they moved into the living room and sat down, Matsuri spun out his entire story.
"The reason why I wanted to enroll in a boarding school was to get out on my own and figure out who I was..." Matsuri began, his hands folded on his knees. "I had a feeling that if I stayed here for the rest of my life, something in me was just going to make me burst. So that's why I left for Seishin Academy..."
Keiko and Mookie stayed quiet sitting and staring at him from across the coffee table from the other couch. Mookie didn't know why, but she almost felt scared. Whatever Matsuri would say... so long as she would be given answers to his strange behavior, she would be happy.
"In all honesty, there were some weekends I would wind up having free to myself... no projects, homework or duties to attend to. But those were weekends where I didn't have the courage to come home and face everybody..." Matsuri said. "I just stayed locked up in my dorm room, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. But... it wasn't until around May when I was sixteen that I finally figured out what I was..."
"What you were?..." Mookie asked.
"Mama, Mookie, I'm sorry I've kept this from you for so long, but..." Matsuri felt the back of his neck going hot now. "When I'm at school, I'm a whole other person. I'm open and happy there... but every time I come home, I feel like I have to bottle that up in order for you to accept me and love me." His shoulders shook. "But... what you said back in January, Mookie, it smacked me in the face. I thought I had been doing such a good job of keeping my two personae separate. But... you're a smarter kid than that. You know me too well..."
"Matsuri?..." Keiko questioned.
Matsuri's burning tears fell out of his closed eyelids, slowly streaking down his face.
"I can understand why you would be mad at me for this... but... if I don't say it, I'll feel like I'm always lying to you. I'm tired of living a double-life..."
Matsuri picked his head up, opening his eyes. He needed to look at them when he told them. He couldn't chicken out on himself; they deserved to look him in the eye to hear this.
"Mama... Mookie..." A small bit of confidence, with a slight hint of fright, rose into his chest. "I'm gay."
The room grew quiet. Keiko seemed to keep her neutral, calm face. Mookie, however, took in a breath that stayed caught in her throat. Her eyes widened.
Soon, the silence was broken.
"Is that all, Matsuri?" Keiko soon asked.
Matsuri's aura of doom began to dissipate.
"... What?" he asked.
"Is that all?" she repeated. "Or is there more you would like to say?"
"... What do you mean, Mama?..." he asked.
Keiko smiled, which helped ease his worries.
"Matsuri..." She rose to her feet, walking around the coffee table. He kept his eyes, which were in wonder, locked onto her, even when she sat down beside him. "I don't care who you choose to love, so long as you love someone who will treat you right. Male, female... all I want is for you to be happy." She wrapped her arms around him, laying his head on her shoulder. "Matsuri... you're my son. I love you. All any mother could ever ask for is for their children to be happy... and I'm happy that you're finally sharing who you are with me."
Matsuri slowly brought his arms up, hugging his mother tightly.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I've been hiding this for so long..." he whispered. "I've just been so afraid of what you would think of me... especially Father..."
"Don't you worry about what he thinks right now, okay?" Keiko asked, pulling away and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Matsuri... I'm just so happy." A few happy tears began to fall out of her eyes. "I feel like I have my son back. Thank you... thank you for coming back."
Matsuri gave her a smile back, and then looked over to Mookie. The look on her face gave him a bit of fear. She looked shocked, and tears were gathered in her eyes.
"Mookie?..." he asked. "... I can understand if you're mad at me... nothing I can say can ever make up for keeping this from you for so long."
Not even a moment later, Mookie got up and nearly ran over to him. She held her arms around his neck tightly, beginning to cry into his neck.
"My Nii-san..." she whispered. "I feel like I have my Nii-san back again!" she said before she smiled.
For once in four years, Mookie felt like she could finally have her brother back again. As soon as he came out to them, she could immediately tell he felt almost relieved.
And now, it was the evening of that same day. Sunset plastered against the sky in the park where Mookie sat upon a bench. The fight that broke out when their father arrived home that evening had not been expected at all.
Immediately when Nori Honjou heard that his son was gay, all hell broke loose. To keep Mookie safe from any danger, Keiko had asked her to go to her room. Mookie refused to do so, and when Nori took his first swing at Matsuri, her eyes widened and she screamed. A neighbor heard the scream, and soon there were knocks on the door. The more hits Nori took at Matsuri, the more Keiko tried to pull Nori off of him. It wasn't until Mookie pushed Matsuri out of the way, taking a hard hit on her right cheek from her father. Once he realized he hit is seemingly perfect daughter, he apologized immediately. Holding her cheek, crying, and angry as hell, Mookie shoved him over.
Nori suffered no injuries. The cops were called by the neighbors when no answers were given to all of the noise, and Nori was arrested. Matsuri was told by Keiko to find somewhere to stay for a few days, because when his father would return, he wouldn't be the only one in danger.
Before he left, Mookie asked him where he was going to go.
"I didn't get to mention this before..." Matsuri began, managing to give a small smile to her. "But, I do have a boyfriend."
Matsuri then had to, as briefly as he could, explain that Soushi Asaka was not only his lover, but also older than him. Keiko just smiled, giving Matsuri one last, tight hug before he would leave.
"He's a lucky man to have you..." she told him.
When Soushi was outside, he honked his car horn, deciding against going inside to meet Matsuri's mother and sister. He figured all of the craziness had been enough for them. However, Mookie walked Matsuri out to the car, asking her brother how he felt.
"A little beaten up, I guess..." he said. He then gave a little smile, making her giggle. "Don't worry about me... hopefully, Father will simmer down."
Mookie stopped walking. Matsuri stopped and turned around, looking back at her.
"Mookie-chan?..." he asked.
"I will never forgive Father for saying what he said and doing what he did." Mookie responded. "He hurt you bad, Nii-san... and Mama, too. And me. I never want to see him again!"
Matsuri averted his gaze for a second, turning around as Soushi rolled down the passenger seat window.
"Matsuri-chi? What's wrong?" he called.
As Matsuri placed down his suit case, he looked over his shoulder.
"Just a second!" he responded before turning back around and looking back at Mookie. Something in his eyes looked sad as he knelt down to her height. "Mookie-chan... Chisaii-Imoto..." He placed a hand on her bruised cheek, gently. His eyes stared into hers. "I know what Father did was a mean, bad thing, but, he is still our father. After a while, he could warm up to the idea of having a gay son."
"Nii-san, he verbally disowned you!" Mookie responded. "He beat you, he hit Mama, he hit me!" Her eyes watered. "Him and Mama are gonna get a divorce now..."
"Mookie, listen to me..." Matsuri began. "I know all of this... but he is still our father. You don't have to forgive him, but, just, never forget that..."
"I know he's our father, Nii-san..." Mookie looked down. "What I don't know is why he could have ever done that."
"He's... a different generation than we are." Matsuri responded. "We'll just have to accept the fact that... he may never be happy with my lifestyle."
"But that isn't fair to you... or to us..."
Matsuri lifted his other hand, beginning to wipe away Mookie's tears. Now that Mookie knew why he had begun wiping her tears away instead of just hugging her alone, she felt at peace with her brother and the tension from the past.
"Mookie... you're a strong girl. I know you are..." Matsuri began. "I love you..." He hugged her tightly now, just like he used to do. She closed her eyes, wanting to let the moment last. In that moment that seemed like eternity but was only, alas, a single moment, the sting on her cheek from the punch her father gave her faded away.
When Matsuri pulled away, placing his hands on her shoulders, she opened her eyes. The pain soon slowly faded back onto her cheek. However, she managed to smile when Matsuri smiled at her.
"Don't worry about things too much, okay?" Matsuri asked. "I'll be just fine. I may be gay, but I'm not weak. I can fend for myself. You just try to keep your chin up while I'm gone, okay? And I'll be back in a few days."
As Matsuri offered his only sibling a little smile and a wave as Soushi drove him away, Mookie offered a wave back. However, after the car disappeared out of sight down the street, her smile faded. She picked up her hand and laid it on her bruised cheek; where his hand had laid before. Delicately, she rubbed her pained cheek, the same thought from earlier running through her head.
I will never forgive him...
As Mookie stared at the ground in the park, her eyes narrowed.
"I will never forgive him..." she repeated like it was her personal mantra.
A gust of wind blew, slightly breaking down the silence of the park. Footsteps and laughing chattering was heard somewhere down the path that led through the serene area. In a town that was mostly rural with a hint of suburban, the one thing Mookie loved most about it were all of the calm, quiet areas with beautiful scenery. It wasn't odd for people to enjoy taking walks in the park.
"Hey, did you catch that special on the SyFy channel called Hell's Gates?" Mookie heard one girl saying to another.
"Yeah; it was like totally freaky!" the other responded. "Say, that reminds me. Have you ever heard of the Hell Correspondence?"
"You mean that website you can only access at midnight?"
As the two girls stopped their walk for a moment, one of them leaning down to tie her shoe, Mookie's ears caught onto them almost immediately. Her green eyes looked over to them.
"Yeah, that's the one!" the brunette said.
"Like the rumors say, supposedly, when you type a person's name in and submit it, then Hell Girl will appear and take revenge on them for you!" the blackette added.
"I met this girl at summer camp last year who said she actually tried it out!" the brunette said.
"Wow, that is super freaky!" the blackette said as she stood back up.
"And I've heard some kids have just disappeared without a single trace, too."
"Wow." the black-haired girl said as they passed Mookie by. "I wonder what kind of person would actually use it."
"Hell Correspondence..." Mookie uttered, staring after them as they walked away. "Hell Girl..." She looked down, digging her hand into her lady bug purse to pull out her cell phone. She checked the time. 6:35.
Only five and a half hours until midnight...
With the house dark, quiet and calm, Mookie felt somewhat cautious as she turned on her computer at 11:55 that night. Her mother had gone to bed a good few hours ago, but she was wide awake. Matsuri had called her on her cell phone about two hours before to check up on her, but Mookie feigned sleepiness out of the nervousness in her stomach from what she was about to do.
She searched "hell correspondence" on Google, and immediately, the lone link in the search list came up listed as a website called jigokutsushin(dot)com. A little shakily, she clicked it open. However, all that came up was a blank, white page that read Page Not Found.
Looking at her computer clock, she saw it read 11:59.
One minute until midnight...
After a painstakingly long minute, when she saw 11:59 change to 12:00, she refreshed the page.
The screen faded to black, and a small flame appeared. When the flame dissipated, the text I shall cleanse away thy bitterness appeared above a white text box. Beneath the text box was a submit button.
Mookie stared at the web page in aw for all of a moment.
"I found it..." she uttered. "The Hell Correspondence..."
With midnight only lasting for a minute, she closed her eyes and took in a breath through her nose. After she let it out, she gulped down the little knot in her throat before she opened her eyes again.
Her hands laid onto her keyboard, and she slowly typed Nori Honjou into the text box. Once the final letter was typed, she placed her hand on her computer mouse, moving the arrow on the screen over the submit button. Feeling a flutter of fear in her chest, she took in a breath and held it as she clicked the button.
The screen of the web page turned completely black. The arrow turned into an hourglass, as if waiting for a new page to load.
After a moment, Mookie let out her breath. Soon, the hourglass turned back into the arrow, and the web page turned white, once again reading Page Not Found.
"No..." she uttered. "That can't be it..."
She hung her head, closing her eyes.
Please... she prayed in her thoughts. For Nii-san's sake... Hell Girl... do something...
After a moment, she was interrupted by the sound of beeping coming from her cell phone. Her eyes opened, and she reached to the side of her desk, picking it up and opening it.
The screen of her cell phone turned red, making her eyes widen. She dropped her phone onto her desk, shaking a bit as black letters appeared within a text-message.
I have received your message.
-Hell Girl
Shaken, Mookie picked her phone up again. Feeling a bit of nervous sweat forming on her brow, she clicked the OK button on the cell phone key-pad, but then the message disappeared. Blinking, she went to where her text-messages were stored on her phone, finding it wasn't in her inbox.
"Hell Girl..." she whispered. "... Do you really exist?..."
As her eyelids began to droop, her head hung again; this time with sleepiness, not defeat.
Mookie flipped her cell phone closed and shut down her computer for the night. She let her damp from her shower hair down out of her two ponytails, letting a flow of golden hair cascade down her back and over her shoulders, just like how Matsuri's did. Having already changed into her night gown, she sat up from her desk and paced over to her bed. Placing her cell phone on her night table, she then climbed beneath her covers with her back to her door. Gazing out of her window, up to the moon and the stars of the night sky, her thoughts wandered to Matsuri's status. As she wondered how he was, if he was sleeping restlessly or not, her eyes slipped closed.
Slowly, as she hoped her brother would be okay, she fell asleep almost peacefully.
A few minutes later, Ai appeared, facing in the direction of Mookie's desk. She turned her head, her red eyes laying upon the sleeping body of Mookie. Quietly, she walked over to her bed, leaning over the blonde's sleeping body to see if she were conscious. She was, indeed, as snug as a bug in a rug.
Standing back up straight, Ai then paced the few steps to the foot of Mookie's bed. She sat down, pulling her legs up onto the soft mattress and warm blankets, crossing her legs. She held her hands in her lap, like a lady, keeping her ruby red optics laid onto Mookie's sleeping form.
She had time. She could wait for when the girl would awaken.
As Ai watched Mookie sleep, she mused a bit at just how young of a girl she seemed to be.
"Rest well, little child." Ai said in her normal, soft speaking voice. "I will be here when you awaken."
Matsuri stared up at the ceiling, simply unable to fall asleep. As soon as he had ended his brief phone call with Mookie earlier, Soushi had been sure to relax him and take his mind away from the craziness that had been bestowed upon him.
Naturally, now he was naked, save the pajama pants he was only just able to pull on before they fell completely asleep.
He sighed, slipping his eyes closed as he pulled the blankets up higher, to cover his chilly arms. A moment later, he heard the tired moans that signaled the movement had been only just movement enough to wake up the slumbering lawyer who held him around the waist tightly.
His vision naturally blurred a bit without his glasses to see, Soushi's eyes laid onto Matsuri just as his eyes opened halfway again, staring upwards still.
"Matsuri-chi? Is something the matter?" he asked, carefully unwinding his arms from the younger's waist and sitting up. He brushed the hair out of his face with one hand while the other reached behind him to one of the bed side tables, grasping his glasses and putting them on.
"I've just got this weird feeling about Mookie right now..." he responded, slowly and carefully sitting up as well. "She was acting kind of funny when I called her earlier..."
"Well," Soushi laid his elbow on one of his knees, laying his hand on his cheek. "I can't say I can blame her, really. This isn't just something you can forget about in a blink of an eye."
"You don't think she blames me for tearing the family apart... do you?" Matsuri asked, wrapping his arms around his knees in thought.
"That I can highly doubt." Soushi responded. "I may not have exactly met her yet, but when I saw her earlier, I got this feeling that she wants to be your protector of sorts." He offered a little smile. "It's kind of funny, isn't it? Especially since you're her older brother."
"I just hope she doesn't do anything stupid..." Matsuri sighed. "I love her, and I know she loves me, too, but I'm not worth the trouble. I put her through enough already..." He closed his eyes. "I never noticed how much pain my act was putting her through."
"Matsuri..." Soushi took his hand off of his own cheek and cupped Matsuri's with it, delicately careful of the bruise on his face. "You shouldn't dwell on it. You can't change it..."
Matsuri gave a single nod in response, his eyes still distant; deep in thought still.
"I just hope she won't dwell on what Father did today..."
Mookie mewled in her sleep, having rolled onto her back about an hour or two ago, according to Ai keeping track of time on the digital clock on her night table. Mookie's feet moved a little, her arms also twitching in a similar fashion. Ai continued watching her, feeling certain that she would soon awaken.
Soon after it approached 3:17 am, Mookie's back arched in a stretch. Consciousness was definitely taking over her mind. Mewling in her sleep again, she stretched her arms over her head. Her yawn made her sound still so much like a little kid.
"How was your rest?" Ai inquired to say.
Immediately, Mookie's comfortable state of mind disappeared. Her eyes popped open wide and she sat bolt upright, gasping at the sight of Ai sitting on the foot of her bed. The darkness of her room made only Ai's eyes seem to stand out; the red orbs seeming to almost glow in the dark.
As Mookie's eyes seemed entranced by Ai's, Ai slowly shut her eyes and Mookie's bedroom faded away, almost into black. Before another area appeared around them, they were standing.
Soon, the world of eternal twilight appeared around them. To Mookie's left was a lake that shimmered in its light, behind her a tree which shaded her. Behind Ai appeared an old man, Wanyudou; a woman dressed as a geisha, Hone Onna; a teenage boy with his hair parted to cover his left eye, Ren; and a young girl with wide, adorable bug-like eyes; Kikuri.
A wind blew, gusting Mookie's let down hair a bit as she eyed the group, feeling her light pink night gown fluttering a bit in the light breeze.
"Where... am I?..." Mookie questioned, entranced once again by Ai's eyes.
"You've summoned me." Ai spoke. "My name is Ai Emna."
Mookie's eyes widened a bit as she took in a short breath.
"It's you..." Mookie uttered. "Hell Girl..."
"Your name?" Wanyudou inquired.
Looking downwards, Mookie slightly fisted her hands against the sides of her legs.
"Mokiru 'Mookie' Honjou." she responded.
"Honjou?" Ren repeated.
"The name you have submitted to us bears the same surname as you." Hone Onna said. "You wish to take revenge upon a relative?"
"Upon my father." Mookie responded, still unable to possess the ability to look at them.
"Why do you wish revenge on him?" Kikuri asked.
Fisting her hands fully, Mookie felt tears gathering in her eyes.
"I will never forgive him for what he has done to Nii-san... what he did to us." she said, closing her eyes tightly as she began to shake. "He never bothered with our lives before, so why jump in now and act like he used to accept us?"
"He gave you that bruise, didn't he?" Ai asked. Either it was Mookie's ears hearing things, or it sounded like Ai held a little sympathy for her.
"Yes..." she responded. "Only by accident, but if I hadn't taken it, Nii-san would have been hurt more."
"You wish to protect your brother?" Wanyudou asked.
"Yes, I do..." Mookie responded. "He's been suffering for so long until he finally let it out today... but because of Father, things can't be okay."
"Your wish?" Wanyudou asked.
"... I want us to be avenged..." Mookie responded before she picked her head up. She looked at Ai, whom nodded once and then turned around.
"Wanyudou." she said.
Placing a hand atop of his straw hat and throwing his red scarf over his shoulder, Wanyudou bowed, and a in twirl-like wind he disappeared. Laying in the grass where he once stood was a black straw doll with a red thread tied around its neck. Ai leaned over and picked it up, turning back around and holding the doll in her out-stretched hands.
A little unsurely, Mookie slowly paced over to her.
"This is for you." Ai said.
Mookie looked down into Ai's hands, eying the doll before she picked her hands up. A bit shakily, her hands brushed against Ai's as she took the doll into her grasp. She picked her head up, looking back at Ai's eyes.
"If you truly wish revenge, just untie the scarlet thread from his neck." Ai told her. "Pulling the thread will bind you into a covenant with me; immediate and unbreakable." She picked her right hand up with her index finger sticking out. "The seal of the covenant will appear on your chest..." she said, placing the tip of her finger just about two inches down from the bottom of Mookie's neck. "And I will ferry the soul of your tormentor straight into the depths of Hell."
As Ai's hand retreated from her chest, Mookie looked down at the doll in her hands. She eyed the thread, lifting one of her hands to grasp onto the end of it.
"To Hell..." she uttered.
"However..." Ai began, just as she was about to pull the thread off. This caught Mookie's attention, and she lifted her head to turn her attention to Ai again. "Once vengeance has been served, you will have to deliver on your end of the bargain."
"My end?..." Mookie asked.
"There always has to be a price." Ai said. "And so, when you die, your soul will also belong to Hell."
At this, Mookie's eyes widened and her breathing halted; air caught in her throat. Her body began to tremble, feeling her knees weaken and nearly buckle beneath her.
"But not until you die." Kikuri said, though it did not matter that she said so, for Ai continued.
"You will never know the joys of Heaven..." Ai said as a wind blew around them, blowing her and Mookie's hair to the side. "Your soul will be left to wander through a world made of pain and agony, there to remain for all of eternity."
All of a sudden, Mookie found herself trapped within a pit of darkness with flames shooting up around her. She could almost feel her skin burning, her bones about to shatter... all she could do was shut her eyes tightly, an ear-splitting scream making its way up her vocal chords.
Mookie shook, feeling a cold sweat on her skin as she found herself shaking on her knees on her bed. Out of fright, she didn't react to seeing Ai standing outside of her window.
"And now... the decision rests... with you." Ai said before she disappeared with a gust of wind.
Mookie was left alone to fare out the rest of the night, scared shaken and crying.
"Mookie?"
Mookie picked her head up as she entered the kitchen, seeing not only her mother standing at the stove, but Matsuri and Soushi as well.
"Sweetie, you don't look so great. Did you sleep well last night?" Keiko asked with concern in her voice.
Mookie looked down, barely able to acknowledge the fact that their dog, a white and brown girl named Moku, barked and trotted over to her, sitting at her feet like a good dog.
"Not really..." she responded.
"You can go back to bed if you'd like; it is still rather early." Keiko said.
"That's okay, Mama..." Mookie responded, squatting down to pay attention to Moku. Immediately, the happy dog placed her paws on Mookie's knees, panting her tongue as she was pet behind her ears. "I don't mind taking morning walks with Moku-chan."
Moku gave a happy yip with the last pet she was given. Mookie then stood back up, heading to the table and pulling out the chair on Matsuri's right to sit beside him; Soushi sat on his left. Moku sat by the side of Mookie's feet, soon lying down beside the chair.
"Try not to fret over things for a while, okay, Chisaii-Imoto?" Matsuri asked, placing a hand atop of her head. With her hair still down from her ponytails, Mookie truly looked like she were just a little female Matsuri clone. "Things will get better before you know it."
Mookie managed to give a small smile when her hair was tousled a bit before Matsuri placed his hand back on the table, laying it beside his other one. Mookie then turned her attention to Soushi. She offered him a kind smile.
"Hi... I'm Mokiru Honjou." she greeted. "It's nice to meet you." She gave him a little bow for respect. "You can call me Mookie, though."
"I'm Soushi Asaka." Soushi responded, returning her smile with a kind smile.
"What do you do, Mr. Asaka?" Mookie asked, her feet kicking beneath the table like a little kid's.
"Sweetie, I don't think there's any reason to be so formal with him." Keiko said with a small laugh from the stove. "I'd just call him Soushi."
"... Okay." Mookie nodded. "What do you do, Soushi?" she rephrased her question.
"Do meaning as if my job?" Soushi responded.
"Yeah." she said with a nod.
"I'm a lawyer." Soushi responded. "I mostly deal with simple things, though, like divorce settlements. I've never really worked on murder cases or anything huge. I can be hired to do so in my spare time, though, so I might be working on a big case some day."
"Is it a tough job?"
"Not so much tough as time consuming." Soushi responded. "Some days I'm not home until well past ten o'clock. Depending on what I'm working on sometimes, I can even wind up staying at my office until about midnight or a so. I never work later than that, though, and I never go into work earlier than eight o'clock."
"He almost never had a chance to eat until I started babying him," Matsuri giggled into one of his hands. "If he worked late, I'd be there when he got home with hot food ready and cooked. Nanami-chan packs us all our bentos, though."
"That's kinda funny." Mookie giggled. "You're like a house wife already."
"Practice makes perfect, Imoto-chan." Matsuri responded with a giggle and a wink.
"Mookie, I have to say, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would." Keiko said.
"What do you mean, Mama?" Mookie asked, looking over her shoulder to her.
"It isn't every day you find out you have a gay relative; none the less a brother. Usually it takes a lot of time for it to sink in." Keiko said. "I guess I can sort of say I had that feeling; a mother's instinct. We always know."
"What you said yesterday, Mama, is the best answer." Mookie responded. "Whether Nii-san falls in love with a boy or a girl, all I think that matters is that he will be happy."
Before any response could be given, the sound of the front door slamming closed caught their ears.
"Keiko! Mookie! I'm home!" Nori's voice shouted... and it did not sound like he was tickle-me-happy. "Keiko-"
Nori's eyes narrowed when he stood in the kitchen doorway. Matsuri visibly flinched, his eyes wide and locked onto him.
"... Matsuri." Nori said.
"... Father." Matsuri responded.
"Are you willing to put yesterday's events behind us?" Nori asked.
"... Uhm..." Matsuri lowered his gaze, staring down at his hands. "Are you still upset with me?"
"Give it to me straight," Nori went on, emphasizing the "straight" in his sentence greatly. "Do you or do you not wish to take back that you said you are gay?"
"What?" Matsuri lifted his head up and looked at him again. "What do you mean 'take it back'?"
"If you want me to forget this ever happened, you will take it back."
Immediately and defiantly, Matsuri stood up.
"No." he responded with a glare.
"'No' what?" Nori retorted.
"No, I will not take it back." Matsuri said calmly. "I like what I like. It can't be helped anymore."
"Nori, I advise you leave. Lest you want me to call the cops." Keiko said sternly from the stove.
"You won't last a week without me, Keiko." Nori said. "Before long, you'll wind up kicking the faggot you call a son out on the street, just begging for me to come back."
"Shut up!"
Mookie stood up and slammed her fists down onto the table.
"Father, you're a God damned hypocrite!" Mookie shouted. "What you did to Nii-san yesterday is unforgivable! Why the hell should you care about Nii-san now? You never bothered with us in the past! You don't even love us!"
"Mokiru Honjou, don't you dare talk to your father like that-"
"And don't act like you're my father all of a sudden, either!" Mookie cut him off immediately. "If anyone here deserves to be kicked out onto the street, it's you! I wish you would just go away! I WISH YOU WOULD DISAPPEAR AND NEVER COME BACK!"
With that, Mookie ran past her father, nearly knocking him over as she raced to the stairs to go cry alone in her bedroom. Moku, concerned for her, barked and ran after her.
"Mookie..." Matsuri uttered, staring after her as she left.
"I hope you're happy with what you're doing to your mother and sister, Matsuri." Nori said. "Your happiness means their suffering."
"Nori, enough of this." Keiko said, turning around and glaring at her husband. "I suggest you get the hell out of here, before I call the police. If you want to be an unhappy bastard for the rest of your life, kindly do it while sitting in an apartment, divorced and alone."
"I only came back for two reasons." Nori said. "My things and my daughter."
"Nori Honjou," Keiko's eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you lay one finger on my daughter, or so much as harm a single hair on her head, I will press forward on the charges of assault."
"What assault?" Nori forced.
"On Matsuri and I, for one." Keiko said. "Matsuri is over eighteen years old now. He is nineteen, and therefore in the eyes of society no longer a child. Striking your wife can hold you accountable for domestic violence. And striking Mookie... you will be held accountable for child abuse as well." Her glare intensified. "I advise you leave before I call the police and file the charges."
Soushi, remaining quiet and uninvolved with the family conflict, had a feeling that by the end of breakfast this morning, he would be representing Keiko in her divorce dispute.
Upon entering middle school, Mookie began going through the same changes all girls were at her age. As a result, her mother had a lock installed on her bedroom door.
Now was such a time where she felt frightened enough to use that lock. With her father back in the house, all she should see was the rage on his face that she saw in the instance where she pushed Matsuri out of the way to protect him from another blow to his jaw. The way it looked like the blood in his bulging-out veins was boiling from the fire in his eyes was enough to frighten her.
Sitting on her bed with Moku's head in her lap, Mookie stared at the black staw doll in her hands.
"If you truly wish revenge, just untie the scarlet thread from his neck. Pulling the thread will bind you into a covenant with me; immediate and unbreakable. I will ferry the soul of your tormentor straight into the depths of Hell."
"There always has to be a price. When you die, your soul will also belong to Hell."
As Ai's words from the night before repeated through her ears, Mookie kept on staring at the red thread.
"All I have to do is pull it... and he'll be gone..." Shakily, she adjusted to holding the doll with one hand and grasped onto the end of the thread. "Nii-san will be safe... we'll all be safe..."
Just as she was about to pull her wrist back, the visions of her body on fire and her bones about near ready to burst and break beneath her skin ignited the pain in her nerves. Hanging her head down and feeling tears in her eyes, she felt shaking sobs coming up from her chest.
"I can't do it... I just can't..." she uttered. "I'm sorry, Nii-san... you've been in so much pain for so long, I know... but I just can't do it..."
Moku gave a puppy whine, nuzzling her face against Mookie's stomach.
"Moku..." Mookie held the doll in one hand, the other one petting the top of Moku's head. "What am I going to do?..."
All Moku could offer in response was another whine, her eyes nearly shining as she looked up at her owner. She was only a few months old, but in the time she had spent in the Honjou household, her and Mookie had already formed a very strong bond. It was almost like the dog always had her best interests at heart.
This was, however, the first instance where both Mookie and Moku wished that Moku had the ability to talk.
"So you and Father really are going to get a divorce?..."
"It's something we've both been putting off for a long while now, Matsuri..."
"I just pushed it over the edge, didn't I?"
"Matsu-chaaan..."
Keiko sigh-cooed her son's nickname before placing her hand atop of his head, ruffling his fluffy locks as he stared down at the wooden top of the table.
"I'd rather you not kick yourself over this. If anything, I want to thank you. As much as we used to love each other... Nori and I fell out of love a long time ago. He's most likely been having an affair for a while now, as well..." Keiko said. "Not that it matters. He was always so rough with delicate me..."
At her final comment, Matsuri found his eyes wide and blinking as his face flushed to red.
"I could have gone the rest of my life blissfully unaware of my parents' sex life..."
The sound of Moku's barking and the jingling of the tags on her collar were heard as her soft, running footsteps descended down the stairs. She rushed into the kitchen, nearly skidding on the floor as she headed for her water bowl. She somehow managed to not spill water onto the floor as she lapped up a few tongue-fulls.
"Mama!" Mookie called as she took her last step down the stairs. Breakfast had been over, and she had once again gone upstairs to change into her day clothes so she could take Moku out for her morning walk. She wore a pair of jean shorts with a light yellow T-shirt that had a light orange flower printed on the front. Her white socks reached a little beneath her knees, and around her shoulders was her lady bug purse. Inside of it she was able to fit her cell phone, wallet and the straw doll.
"In the kitchen, sweetheart!" Keiko called back as Moku finished her drink and barked again, running over to the table and nearly jumping up onto Soushi.
"Mama, have you seen where I left Moku's leash?" Mookie asked as she entered the kitchen.
"I think you left it by the front door, sweetie." Keiko responded.
"Okay." Mookie said with a nod. She turned her head to Moku, raising her eyebrows as she saw the happy dog attempting to lick Soushi's cheeks. "Moku-chan, come on girl! It's time for our walk!"
Moku barked once before she set all four paws back down onto the floor, running under the table to the doorway. She then proceeded to jump up and down by Mookie in a happy manner, her brown eyes lighting up happily.
"Moku, come on girl, down." Mookie giggled.
Like English were her native language, Moku then sat down calmly, like a good dog.
"You're not just going for a walk to avoid us, are you?" Keiko asked with a kidding smile and a kidding tone.
"Nah, if I wanted to avoid you, I'd lock myself up in my room all day." Mookie responded.
"Spoken like a true smart-ass." Matsuri said, cracking a grin.
"I think a little fresh air will do me some good," Mookie went on.
And give me some time to clear my head about Hell Girl...
"You've got that look on your face again, honey."
Mookie snapped out of her thought and blinked.
"It's nothing, Mama. I promise." she said before she turned. "I'll be back after I take Moku to the park to play for a while." She didn't wait for a response as she headed for the door. "Bye Mama, Nii-san, Soushi-sama!"
As Mookie picked up Moku's leash and hooked it onto her collar, the three in the kitchen couldn't help but stare at the space she had been standing in just before.
"She's emotional about this all, isn't she?" Matsuri asked.
"I would be more surprised if she wasn't," Keiko responded, leaning her chin on her interlocked fingers. "She's worked so hard all of her life, just longing for your father's approval... and now that she no longer wants it, victory is hollow and bittersweet."
Matsuri's eyes began to gleam over with a sheen of tears.
"The family is falling apart..." he uttered as he heard the front door open. "All because of me..."
"Matsuri, don't you dare say that." Keiko said in a harsh, stern tone.
Outside, Mookie took a moment to lean against the front door, rolling her head back to the sky.
The family is falling apart... she thought. All because of him...
She looked down at her purse. The doll was nestled inside... but Hell was burning her mind.
Because of that monster...
"There always has to be a price. When you die, your soul will also belong to Hell."
The words still echoed through Mookie's ears as she was sitting on a park bench. Moku sat by her feet, her head resting on her knees.
I wish I knew what I could do... Mookie felt tears brimming over in her eyelids. None of us are safe...
"The decisions rests solely with you."
Mookie gasped, picking her head up and looking to the person sitting beside her.
It was Ai. In disguise. She wore a hat on her head, a coat and a scarf.
"Hell Girl..." Mookie uttered as Moku picked her head up, staring at the enchanting girl next to her owner.
"If you do not wish to go to Hell when you die, don't untie the thread." Ai spoke. "All you have to do if you wish to return the doll to me is place it on your outside window sill when you go to bed at night. I will return for it while you are asleep."
Mookie looked down at her knees, fisting her hands on them.
"I... I don't know what I want to do yet..." she uttered, shaking and crying a bit. "I need time to think..."
"Very well." Ai responded. "As you wish."
Without needing to look back at her, Mookie knew that Ai had disappeared. As a few little tears dropped down her cheeks, she did her best to weight out her options.
If only she had any.
"He is still our father. You don't have to forgive him, but, just, never forget that..."
How can you say that, Nii-san? she asked her thoughts. He... he hurt you so bad... and me too... and Mama... She slipped her eyes closed. Why can't I be fearless enough to just untie a single thread?...
Moku gave a soft bark, giving a puppy whine as she gazed up at Mookie.
Nii-san...
A moment later, the sounds of her phone ringing reached her ears. Mookie picked her head up, opening her purse and taking out her cell phone.
"Nii-san..." she uttered. She flipped her phone open and put it to her ear. "Hello?..."
"Mookie, help, hurry! He's trying to kill me!"
The line went dead.
Mookie ran into the house, not bothering to take off Moku's leash as her shoes slipped off by themselves. She ran upstairs, shouting "Nii-san, Nii-san!" as she did.
In the hallway, she wound up finding Matsuri near unconscious. More bruises were littered on his milky skin, blotches of blood flecked in some spots.
"Nii-san!" she exclaimed, kneeling by his side.
"You're next,"
Mookie froze, picking her head up. Immediately, her eyes widened. She saw her father standing at the other end of the hallway with bloodied hands and a clean knife in his right hand.
"Father..." she uttered. "How could you do this to him? Matsuri is your son!"
"No son of mine will ever be a disgusting homosexual," Nori said, slowly taking steps toward his two children.
"No! Go away!" Mookie exclaimed, fumbling with her purse.
"He's brainwashed you, my pure little Mokiru,"
"Stay away from me!" Mookie screeched as she felt the doll in her purse, about ready to pull it out.
"I will untaint your mind."
Mookie pulled out the doll, grasping onto one end of the string.
"Father, you've torn this family apart because of your ignorance! You've hurt us for the last time!"
As Nori lifted up his arm to take a stab at her, her wrist jerked back, and the thread came undone. A wind blew from behind her, ushering the doll out of her hand as her father disappeared. The knife dropped down onto the carpet.
Mookie's eyes widened as she stared ahead. As the wind subsided, she heard a deep voice address her.
"Your grievance shall be avenged..."
"He's gone..." she uttered. However, as soon as Matsuri gave a pained groan and coughed, she turned her gaze down to him. "Nii-san! Don't worry! I'll call an ambulance! Please, just hang in there!"
The thread stayed between her index and middle finger as she pulled out her phone again, dialing for 911.
"Where are Mama and Soushi?..." she asked in a quiet voice.
"Paper... work..."
"Hello, 911. What is your emergency?" a voice on the phone asked.
"Yes, hello? Please, send help right away! My father just beat up my older brother really badly! I need an ambulance to come over! He's hurt really bad!" Mookie said, tears streaking down her face.
"We're sending help right away, ma'am. Stay on the line while I trace your call."
Mookie reached her other hand to hold Matsuri's, giving it a tight grip.
"Hang on, Nii-san... please... help is on the way..."
Mookie slipped her eyes closed, hearing the voice echoing again.
"Your grievance shall be avenged..."
Nori blinked, finding himself in the middle of a dark, barren wasteland. He held a knife in his hand still, which he lowered as he looked around to survey the area.
"Where the hell am I?..."
"You will never be forgiven, Father."
Suddenly, Nori found himself being surrounded by alternating Mookies and Matsuris. The Mookies kept on saying "You will never be forgiven, Father" as bruises and splotches of blood appeared on the Matsuris.
After a moment, tears of blood began to streak down the faces of the bruised Matsuris.
"You never loved us to begin with..." the Matsuris' rasping voices said.
All of a sudden, the blonde clones were all set aflame. Within the flames, Nori could see that all that remained were skeletons that wiggled and writhed free from the flames and began to encircle him.
"Stop this! Get away from me, you disgusting fiends!" he exclaimed.
"Father... Father... Father..." their voices, sounding demonic, uttered. "Father..."
"Get off of me! Keiko!"
The figure of Keiko appeared outside of the circle of skeletons. Anger, hatred and fire was in her eyes. Almost immediately, she was set aflame and turned into a skeleton. Her skeleton darted to the circle, where she began to multiply.
"Unfaithful... unloving... uncaring..." they said. "You've been having affairs with younger women for years..."
"That's a lie! You have no proof!"
"Actually,"
Ren's giant eye appeared above the circle of flaming skeletons.
"I see it in your eyes." Ren's voice spoke.
The boney hands of the skeletons dug into Nori's flesh, others grabbing him and holding him in place as the fire consumed him everywhere else.
"Are you ready to confess?" Hone Onna's voice asked before she appeared.
Nori found himself in a little bit of relief as he found the fire and skeletons gone, his wounds seeming to be gone as well. He looked around again. He saw Hone Onna, Wanyudou, Ren and Kikuri standing not far away from him.
"Well?" Wanyudou pressed.
"What do I have to confess to?" Nori growled.
"Cheating on your wife, for one." Ren said.
"And what you've done to your children." Wanyudou said, his voice serious and harsh.
Nori's eyebrows knitted together.
"Poor Matsuri and Mookie..." Hone Onne said, a tone of sympathy in her voice as the skin of her face turned transparent to show her skull before it lost transparency. "Do you have any idea how much you've made them suffer?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Nori stated.
"Ignoring your own wife and children and focusing on work," Ren said. "Only acting like you care about them. What a filthy man you are."
"Confess." Kikuri stated.
"What the hell do I have to confess to? If anything, Matsuri is the God damned faggot who deserves to be punished!" Nori exclaimed. "He's mentally sick and disgusting! I refuse to call him my son! Especially since he's brainwashed my perfect daughter into thinking there's nothing wrong with him!" He fisted his hands, finding his knife was gone. "I hope he burns and rots in Hell for all of eternity, as God will intend for him!"
Hone Onna smirked.
"Well, there you have it, my lady." she said.
In the blink of an eye, Ai appeared before Nori dressed in her floral kimono.
"Oh, pitiful shadow lost in the darkness... bringing torment and pain to others. Oh damned soul wallowing in your sin..." Ai's red eyes pierced through Nori's dark brown ones. "Perhaps... it is time to die."
With the flick of her wrist, flowers from her kimono enveloped Nori's vision, blackness overcoming him completely.
Nori's eyes snapped open. He heard water around him, and the sound of Ai ferrying the wooden boat he was currently laying in. He pushed himself up to sit, looking around. He saw paper lanterns floating in the foggy, dark water. He looked at Ai, seeing her staring ahead towards the gate ahead of them.
"Where do you think you're taking me?" Nori asked, turning around and looking towards the gate.
"Your destiny of eternal damnation."
"Eternal damnation?" Nori's eyes narrowed and he turned his head to her again, glaring daggers. "You little punk! You've got the wrong Honjou-"
Before Nori could continue, locks of long blonde hair whipped from the bottom of the boat, wrapping around his mouth to silence him. When they did, his eyes widened and he began struggling, pulling at the unbreakable hair. However, shackles of hair soon pulled down his ankles and his wrists, keeping him struggling against them on the bottom of the boat.
"This is vengeance..." Ai spoke. "So I am to ferry you to Hell."
The sounds of bells echoed through the dark fog, sentencing Nori Honjou to an eternity of damnation within Hell's gates.
Four Years Later...
"Be honest, Imoto... how do I look?"
It's Nii-san's wedding today.
Mookie smiled whole-heartedly at her older brother, whom wore a suit of white silk. In four years' time, her body had grown taller and filled out to a young woman's. No longer did she wear her hair up in pigtails; it hung down freely. Her pierced ears donned pearls, as opposed to the popular hoop earrings other girls wore. A set of strung pearls also hung around her neck, to match her earrings and white dress.
She was just as beautiful as her mother and brother.
I wish Mama could see him...
Four years' time had changed the family. Unfortunately, a year after Matsuri graduated high school, in the summer, Keiko wound up being struck by a car when out running errands. She died very shortly afterwards; an ambulance wouldn't make it until a few minutes later.
"I almost feel a little bad about asking you to give me away..." Matsuri said, his face saddened a bit. "You'd make such a pretty flower girl."
"Nii-san, it's an honor for me to." Mookie responded with a happy smile. "You look beautiful... I feel proud of you."
Matsuri didn't hesitate in embracing his sister in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Imoto-chan... for everything." he whispered. "I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere without you."
Nii-san doesn't remember what happened when Father attacked him. When we woke up in the hospital, his memory from that time was gone.
I suppose it's for the better, so there is no way for him to remember Father vanishing into thin air... or the straw doll.
After I pulled the thread... nothing about Father began to matter anymore.
Nii-san even started smiling again... that alone is enough for me.
Mookie felt the eyes of the wedding patrons on her and Matsuri as she walked him down the eisle to the traditional wedding march. However, she continued to smile brightly just for her brother as they made their way to the alter where Soushi waited, donned in black silk.
That's all I need to be happy right now; in fact, it's all I need to be happy for the rest of my life.
After having given her beautiful brother away to his soon-to-be husband, the ceremony commenced and Mookie sat down in the front pew.
Mama in Heaven... I'm sorry that we can't be together right now. But I'll do the best I can in my life on Earth. Please, watch over me as my guardian angel... but don't wait for me.
I've accepted my going to Hell. If God exists and if God can forgive me, then maybe I won't be there for all of eternity. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to be reborn into a new life one day.
"I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the bride."
Mookie felt tears of joy in her eyes at the end of the ceremony as she saw Matsuri lean up to kiss his new husband. She placed a hand on her chest, unaware that is was above the small, black, flame-like mark of the covenant she had entered.
Just keep smiling for me, Nii-san... that's all I need. Your happiness is my happiness. After few those years of keeping your identity a secret from us, as short as they were, I refuse to let you be in pain anymore. Your happiness means the world to me...
I will forever name myself as my brother's keeper.
Within a darkness filled entirely by candles, a new flame ignited, further brightening the nothingness just a little further. A small bit of wax began melting off of the top of the candle, and it streaked down the side of the candle like a teardrop of wax.
"Your grievance... shall be avenged."
The name inscribed onto the candle in black writing was Mokiru Honjou.
OWARI
Aki: ... Really, Gasshu? A second Sukisho/Hell Girl crossover?
Gash: With another one on the way as well. :3
Aki: ... You are obsessed, woman.
Gash: :3 Luff you too, Akks.
Zeon: So everyone, kindly review and wait for the next Sukisho/Hell Girl one-shot to come out.