The Ties That Bind

Character: Kai

Word: Blood

Rating: T

Kai was never by any means a person that could get lost in thought, but since Saya had gone to sleep and the twins were so little, he had a lot of quiet time on his hands while he got Omoro ready for the dinner crowd.

He thought of his sister that slept in the tomb. She would finally know peace when she awakened. The war was now over and she was free.

His mind went over the old days, before Riku was killed and his Dad passed away. He went back to before Mr. David came to take Saya and Hagi showed up. Saya, Riku, Dad, and he used to spend the day having fun or just doing nothing as a family. They weren't bound by blood, but they still remained a family.

Then Hagi showed up. He'd never forget that day- he was looking for Saya at the school only to find this- guy- nearly making out on the floor of the science lab. He noticed the monster in the corner. All he could remember was Saya and- so- much- blood and- him! What did he do to her? The present day Kai chuckled at the memory of how he couldn't stand the man that seemed to be taking his sister to a dark place where he had no way of protecting her.

His eyes teared up as he remembered his father's death. He recalled listening to his father's last bit of advice with tears streaming down his face as Saya cried openly while her blood dripped down Dad's arm and into the open wound, crystallizing him. His father put him in charge and wanted him to be the man of the house. The present day Kai looked around and he asked aloud, "What would you think, Dad? I'm now the only human in a house of chiropterans."

The Red Shield went to the Zoo, while searching for Saya, Kai came to the place where he had read about in the diary. The steep cliff seemed to almost jut from the ground straight upward. He thought, "Hagi climbed down that! He did that all for a lily?!" Hagi must have been loony at the time. The smell of blood still seemed to fill the air here- even after more than a century. This was where Hagi lost his life and Saya gave him her blood, making him her chevalier.

He remembered watching helplessly as Diva danced around with his nearly dead brother. She drained Riku completely and laughed as if she had merely eaten the last piece of chicken. She and Saya were blood sisters, but worlds apart. Saya chased her, but came back, unsuccessful in her pursuit to kill Diva. Her blood made his brother into a new creature.

She tried everything to include Kai into their little group, but he felt he no longer fit. They were chiropterans and he was more than a useless human child. He couldn't even use his gun properly. They were now blood and he was an outsider.

Riku's blood crystallized before his eyes and he was, yet again, helpless. Hagi and Saya missing- helpless.

He decided that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that he was no longer helpless. He learned to use his father's gun and hunt chiropterans with Lewis. If stupid David wanted to stay behind and get plastered that was his problem. Kai needed to learn to protect his family and friends- no more innocent blood would be spilled.

Saya and Hagi returned, but Saya was distant. She wanted to do this alone and not let anyone else get hurt, but he knew, she needed their support. It was when moved into the apartmant in New York that morning. He had finished showering and looked out the window to see Hagi on one knee in front of Saya, holding her hand as he spoke. It was then that he realized that Hagi was in love with Saya. It was why he was willing to go over a steep ledge just to get some stupid flowers.

That night at the Met, Hagi told Kai that he didn't know anything about him, but Kai knew better this time. Later on, he, Lewis, David and Lulu were battling with an overwhelming number of chiropterans when they suddenly began howling and seemed to have lost their will to fight. Kai knew something had happened. All he could think was, "I have to get to Saya."

He came through the aisle to see the ruined stage and Saya poised to kill the babies. Hagi tried to stop him from reaching his sister, but his words were getting to her. He knew this was no longer just blood- there was something deeper. She needed to know that her blood was not tainted and that she was his sister no matter what. She needed to live.

We can all be a family- all of us. The babies, Hagi- everyone! Hagi- he loved her! He asked him. "You think so, too. Don't you, Hagi?"

Kai couldn't remember the chevalier's response, but he remembered it was some stupid thing about Saya's wishes. He had enough. The present day Kai smirked as he remembered how good it felt to connect that punch to Hagi's face. He was just too perfect and too emotionless- he was just too- Hagi. Kai rode his anger for a while and demanded Hagi finally say what he wished.

He remembered the moment the adrenaline ran out. Hagi turned to him momentarily, and Kai thought he was a dead man on the spot. Hagi was going to kill him. They won't find Kai's remains here, just a mess of crushed bone, blood, and guts. But Hagi's gaze turned to Saya and Kai heard him say, "I have always loved you, Saya."

It was beyond blood now. He looked out the window and wondered, "When is that stone-faced stubborn chevalier gonna finally show up anyway?"