Chap.9 Rehab
~ Soft sobbing echoed through the alley, the moon hung somewhere above and behind a thick layer of smoke that billowed from many burned homes… the child's whimpers unanswered as he hid beneath the straw of what was once an overhang to a home; no comfort would be given to him now… a cruel fact that even his young mind could comprehend.
The images of men and women, strong and weak, young and old, as they were dragged or threatened at spearpoint to a fiery death in a cauldron of molten metal still burned visibly in his mind. His own mother and father among them… both still fighting to die by their fatal wounds rather than the fate that awaited them… The last look his grief stricken father gave him as he glimpsed his son hiding in the shadows, given away by his god marked white hair, pleaded him to run, run and live….. and he did.
Akefia sobbed fresh tears as his father's agonize scream haunted his ears once more…. Forever burned into his mind…
{{Don't cry young one…}}
Akefia's head jerked up in fear… who was there?
{{There now… don't fear me….}} the voice was soft, comforting…. And yet menacing as a serpents hiss, {{I am here to help you... Don't cry…}}
Akefia withdrew into himself, still weeping pitifully, yet silently.
{{There now…. Such a tragedy, to lose everyone you loved like this… It's cruel. And because of such a disgrace. I want to help you little one.}} the voice said soothingly.
Akefia shivered as he held his knees to himself, "H-help me?"
{{That's right. I can help you, if you help me.}}
Akefia sniffled as he looked about for the source of the voice, "Who are you…? Where are you?"
A chuckle sounded around the child as he carefully crept out of his hiding place, the once often noisy street as silent as death itself, {{I am a Ka… a very powerful Ka little one. And I am wherever you are if you allow me a home with you.}}
"A home? Where?" Akefia asked shifting slowly, uncertain of this strange sensation that crept up to him, like a snake about his ankles.
{{Why, in your soul room… you are still small… but it is very nice…. Allow me a home with you, and I will help you to make right of this horrible night.}}
Akefia's head jerked up and looked down the alley where he once played with his friends, "Make it right?"
{{Yes. I will help you, protect you, and I will help you make it all right.}} it said slowly, then hissed almost mournfully, {{Please….. I am alone.}}
Akefia blinked and felt himself sniffle…. Being alone…. It hurt, "You're alone too…?"
{{Yes… follow me, little one.}} At first Akefia had no idea what to do, but a shadow moving out the corner of his eye caught his attention and he followed the shadow, running to keep up with the entity.
When he approached the town square however… Akefia skidded to a halt, his eyes wide in fear, his little body shaking as he began crying, biting his lip so hard it bled to keep himself quiet… were they still there?
{{They are gone. Come.}}
Akefia, still paralyzed by fear, was then urged rather gently forward and into the open as if by a hand, and stood in the darkened area… the stench of the area making his stomach threaten to heave up anything he had left in it. But as he stood there, he felt his heart wrench as he began dwelling on the fact that this was where they were all slaughtered…. Fresh sobs and tears fell and the young Akefia sank to his knees and began to sob loudly again.
{{Do you feel that pain, little one? Feel how it carves deep?}} the Ka asked venomously, {{What right had those men to do this to them… and to you? And I can assure you that your loved ones feel it too….}}
Suddenly, the air around Akefia felt cold… colder than the night should be… he shivered and held himself…. but the cold was nothing to the sensation he got as he heard a haunting wail echo through the empty street and the frantic entity that weaved about like a dying serpent straight into a still smoldering home, only to emerge again out the wall. The sight made Akefia fall back, terrified.
More wails began to arise, and Akefia found himself twisting frantically in all directions in the direction of each new howl… phantoms with terrifying features began streaking through the air, walls and fires around him, wailing and screaming… so many. So many voices… so many familiar voices….
Akefia curled up in a fetal position gripping his blood streaked white hair as it all too soon became too much, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! PLEASE! I'm sorry, please stop it I'm sorry!" he wailed in fear.
All at once it seemed… the wailing calmed. Still panting and crying, Akefia remained lying there weeping in pain and fear.
{{It's alright, little one. Look…they are not angry at you… they are suffering with you.}}
Akefia, slowly opened his teary lavender eyes and looked towards the sky, where the phantoms still danced, slower now, above him…. two lingered near him sadly… almost protectively. These creatures… were these…. Ghosts?
"Mom….? Dad…?" Akefia asked slowly, his voice weak and cracking. His heart twisted and his hand touched where the two phantoms gently stroked him as they passed in response, tears running down his face, "Mommy….? Daddy….?!"
The two spirits lingered about him in an attempt to sooth the crying child to little avail, unable to touch him as they had many times before, {{They are here, little one. And I am here for all of them.}} Akefia looked up towards the shadows as the entity moved about, {{I can feel their sadness… their anger…. Their need to pass on… but they cannot for this cruelty. But as they are, I cannot help them… I need a host to survive, little one. And you are the only one that can give me a home, and the only one that can get back at the people who did this to your home.}}
Akefia looked up at the spirits, their already indistinctive forms further blurred by what little tears he had left as he continued to listen, {{Don't you see? We are meant to be together. I can help you make all of this right. All of those who made you cry and those who made your home a graveyard will learn what this feels like… and they will never do it again.}}
Akefia felt his tears lessen slowly, his body numb; either from tiredness or how good that sounded he didn't know… but nonetheless, making the men who did this hurt for this crime? It was only right…. Was it not?
"You can help me help mom and dad?" Akefia asked slowly as the shadow approached, the souls of his parents still circling protectively.
{{I can…}} the entity replied.
Akefia felt a smile tug at his lips, "You can make me strong?"
{{I can.}}
Akefia slowly reached out his blood caked hand, "Then help me… if you can…"
The entity seemed to shiver excitedly and met Akefia's hand; The spirits of not only his parents but the entire whole of the freshly slaughtered village suddenly began dancing wildly, almost excitedly around the last living soul in Kul Elna, "Who are you? What's your name?" Akefia asked as the shadow merged with his own and a strange sensation in his chest began to be felt.
{{Call me…..Diabound.}}
"Akefia!"
Ryou watched as Ishizu carefully shook Akefia again, her eyes fearful when he did not respond.
Akefia had fallen asleep after his soup meal, leaving Ishizu and Ryou to talk with one another, catching up on the current situation when Ryou had suddenly become distressed. His reason for so was sudden and unprovoked scaring the both of them…. It wasn't until Ryou looked up at Akefia that he noticed that Akefia seemed just as distressed, prompting a rather unnerving realization to come over him…. The emotions he was feeling were not his at all… they were Akefia's. Ryou gulped in fear…. did that mean…. They were still somehow connected?
'Please no…' Ryou begged weakly to whomever may be listening to his silent prayer.
Ryou gripped his chest tightly as tears began seeping through Akefia's tightly closed eyes as he talked in his sleep, his words muddled so that even Ishizu couldn't really understand… the pain in his chest… Ryou knew this pain was not his, and yet he was familiar with it…. it was the pain of loss. Was Akefia dreaming of someone he lost? Did he have someone that close to him once?
Ryou barely had time to process that thought when a whirlwind of strange emotions swept through him, and slowly, very slowly… let up, "Ah… I think he might be waking up." Ryou managed softly.
Ishizu looked to Ryou a moment and then back to Akefia's pain stricken face which was slowly shifting to a calmer look, "Akefia? Akefia wake up. Please…"
Slowly, Akefia's eyes opened, a not so restful haze in them as he looked towards the sound of the voice and the hand on his shoulder, "ngh…Mo..ther…?"
Ishizu blinked in surprise as Akefia looked towards her, his gaze unusually soft before shifting to surprise as he registered the fact that he was looking at her, to which his eyes hardened and turned somewhat angry that it wasn't who he thought, "what are you-? Get off me!" he growled as he shifted to sit up, Ishizu backing away and sighing in something of relief despite his reaction,
"I'm sorry Akefia… you just got us worried was all…." Ishizu explained, Akefia narrowing his eyes to her then to Ryou who was staring.
Ryou blinked and looked away as Akefia glared at him… it wasn't until he reached to relieve an itch on his cheek that his eyes widened in furious shock when he felt moisture… he had been crying! Crying in his sleep…. And they had seen it!
Anger shaking his frail frame he looked away angrily in humiliation, "Get out of here! BOTH of you!" he hissed, his throat tight in rage.
Ishizu blinked, "Ah? Akefia…are you-?"
"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" he snapped forcefully, startling Ryou significantly and making Ishizu recoil from the force of his words as if they had been a strike. Seeing him trembling as he attempted to hide his face and resist visibly wiping away his tears, a sight that made her wish he'd allow her to help; but, considering his current disposition, She could only bring herself to sigh in defeat and looked to Ryou,
"Let's go… He's best left alone for a while until he settles down." She explained calmly to Ryou who looked at her wide eyed but then calmed some as she motioned him to follow her out the door, leaving Akefia to himself, who, as the door closed, roughly shoved the irritating streaks away.
'Dammit…. How could that have happened?' Akefia thought furiously as he erased his tears angrily as if it was their fault… He had been asleep. That was the only way that could have happened, that much he knew…but... Clenching the bed sheets, he replayed what was not simply a dream but a memory and felt everything again… and found himself greatly troubled by it.
'What is this….?' he thought as he felt his chest tighten as the image of his disembodied parents stroked him in their vain attempt to reassure their son, 'Why do I feel this way…?' his teeth clenched and he squeezed his eyes closed as they burned threatening to shed tears again, 'This memory… it… I shouldn't feel like this! I should feel angry! Shouldn't I….?'
Akefia found himself baffled…. The only time he'd ever felt genuinely hurt and sad like that was that night alone, any day after that when he thought of it, which was virtually every waking moment, he felt an insatiable anger and a thirst for revenge… why was it now that he was being affected like this?
Glaring down at his frail arms, a comforting mix between a wave of anger and realization hit, 'My body… my body is weaker now… It must be affecting my reactions… yes. That's it….' looking to the desk beside him he found his ankle brace and made use of it once more, 'As soon as I get myself back to normal…. Everything will be….normal…'
Even though he said it to himself… why did he somehow not believe that?
He stopped as he found himself replaying the voice in his dream… a voice that only he would ever know, and the only voice that had ever brought him… not comfort… but confidence. A feeling of power…. A feeling of what best could be described as hope.
"Diabound…. Where are you?" Akefia asked aloud shallowly….. The place where his Ka once rested was now as silent as the Village he once knew….
Ishizu handed Ryou a soda, which he gratefully drank and smiled as he seemed to have calmed down… but she couldn't help but notice a look of deep thought about him,"Is there something on your mind Ryou?"
Ryou stared into his soda for a few moments before humming slowly, "No… no it's nothing…"
Ishizu blinked in some surprise; she had expected him to be a little more open to her, "Are you certain? You had me worried earlier. You seemed very upset…."
Ryou shifted as he sat on the bench outside the door, Ishizu soon next to him, "No it was nothing really… I was just…." He paused and felt his chest tighten with an old pain, "I just suddenly found myself thinking of my mother and sister was all…. I don't know why… I just…. My mind wandered, I guess…"
Ishizu's eyes softened sadly and nodded, "Oh… I'm sorry…"
Ryou looked to her and gave a small smile, "It's ok… I… I came to terms a long time ago… but I guess I just needed to let something out…" he said slowly. That was putting it lightly, he thought to himself.
Ryou had not just been thinking of his mother and sister… no. He had been feeling those dreadful feelings from that day… The day he lost them both. He shuddered… why had his mind wandered to that? He had just been talking to Ishizu when it just…. Happened.
As he replayed the odd moment, he had started thinking about it just about the same time that... that Akefia had started... Ryou shook his head slowly in disbelief despite having seen it, but his eyes did not deny him the truth; Akefia had been crying.
'How can a heartless monster like him cry?' he thought bitterly. It made no sense…
Ishizu took a drink of her water and sighed, "He's going to want to be alone for some few hours I can imagine..."
Ryou looked to her as she stared at what remained in her water bottle, "Akefia's a very proud man… he sees it as weakness to show any form of emotion." She sighed exasperatedly, "He's going to be so difficult for a while…"
"How so?" Ryou asked reluctantly.
Ishizu smiled awkwardly, "By being more assertive and aggressive than usual I think… He's going to be near unbearable."
Ryou sweatdropped and laughed nervously, "More aggressive….? Ehe…. Maybe we should find a way to burn off that energy…"
Ishizu stalled as Ryou took a drink of his soda and brightened, "That's it! That's a brilliant idea Ryou!"
Ryou stared back at Ishizu in confusion, "eh…?"
"The only way to calm him down is to help him burn off that energy and blow off steam! I'm going to go talk to the doctor if he's able to begin beginner rehab!"
With that, Ishizu left a very dumbfounded Ryou on the bench, mouth agape in surprise, "But… I …."
As expected, Akefia was not in the least bit enthralled when Ishizu walked in something of an hour later, still frustrated with his humiliating slip up…
"Get out of here…" he snapped, looking away angrily.
Ishizu sighed, "You don't even know why I came back Akefia…."
"I don't care." He hissed, still unwilling to look at her… he was almost sure she was imagining him to be a weak mind and looking to baby him like a nursemaid… he would have none of that…
"Oh. So you don't want to get out of the room?" Ishizu replied with a hint of surprise.
"Wait… What?!" Akefia asked immediately, his head snapping around a little too fast causing a momentary dizzy spell; his anger replaced with surprised excitement. They were letting him out of the room!?
Ishizu smiled at Akefia, which caused him to withdraw slightly with a scowl thinking she had taunted him, "The doctor has given me the ok to allow you to leave the room via wheelchair; which in turn will also help you regain lost strength in your arms a little more efficiently. Just so long as you don't overexert yourself."
Akefia blinked in surprise, "Ah… that… That does sound good." He said slowly as he looked around, "anything to get the hell out of this god forsaken room!"
Ishizu smiled and nodded, "Ok... but before I get the chair… I must ask that you behave yourself; No intimidating the nurses or the other patients like you seem to enjoy…," Akefia smirked, "They are working to help you Akefia… it's not fair to scare them."
Akefia huffed impatiently, "Fine…. Anything else?"
Ishizu nodded, "Yes… If I see you struggling, I ask that you stop and rest, or allow me to wheel you around until it's time to return to the room. The doctor says no more than thirty minutes of exertion as a start. Are we clear?"
Akefia frowned and was about to protest her rules as if it had been a direct challenge to his independence… but thinking on it, it was best not to push this small stroke of lucky freedom and held it back... for the time being,
"Fine… I'll take it." he muttered, "But if anyone looks at me funny…"
Ishizu shook her head, "No one will do that Akefia… No one can think less of you in a hospital…"
Akefia frowned and huffed when he saw Ishizu look to the door and she suddenly spoke up, "Bring it in, Ryou."
Akefia blinked in surprise when he heard the name and even more so as Ryou reluctantly entered the room with the curious chair, "What is this…?"
Ishizu smiled, "This was more or less Ryou's idea for you to get out a bit more… and as such, He'll be accompanying us."
Akefia blinked in surprise in that light and watched the two carefully; 'this does play to many benefits,' he thought, 'I'll not only be regaining strength… but I might get a few answers from this boy…'
Akefia smirked at his options, his prior irritations shelved and sat up, "Very well….seeing as I have no problems with this little arrangement…let's get going. I want out of this damn room!"
Ishizu smiled brightly at Akefia's change in demeanor and nodded, "Alright then… Then let's get started."
An old memory... is Akefia remembering? We shall see...
In the meantime... Akefia finally gets out of the room:D Hopefully this will help calm him... and hopefully Ishizu and Ryou can handle him. We can only hope for the best...
comments appreciated, Thanks for Reading:D
