Elfen Lied bonus chapter: "Childhood Festival Revisited"

Scene 1: Breakfast

This takes place roughly 8 months after "A Disastrous First Date". It's now early July and the Kamakura Fireworks Festival is about to begin.

It's 10 AM and Kouta is making onigiri for Mayu and Nana. Mayu is on summer break and is teaching Nana to read since she's never been able to attend school.

Nyuu: "Good morning everyone! RICEBALLS! Those are my favorites! I'll just take the rest of them!

Kouta: "Good to see you up so early Nyuu…that's a rarity. Also there's no need to be greedy! Nana and Mayu are growing girls. Remember when Nana first came here and you shared without question?"

Nyuu: "That was before Nana got job down the street at the grocer. She can buy her own riceballs!

Mayu: "She could buy even more if she hadn't set 3 million yen on fire."

Kouta and Nyuu: "WHAT!?"

Nana: "That's not fair! I didn't know what money was! Why are you being so mean Mayu!?"

Mayu: "Aww, calm down Nana. I'm only teasing!"

Kouta: "Seriously though Nyuu, you've been eating a lot this year. None of your clothes fit well anymore!"

Nyuu: "How does it feel to be the first man in history to complain that his girl went from a C cup to a D cup? Since you complain about my new body, how about I cut off all access? You're not allowed to look at them or touch them!"

Kouta: "Nyuu, I'm only trying to think of your health!

Nyuu: "I know Kouta, (she smiles warmly), you're easier to tease than Nana!"

Mayu: "The fireworks festival is tonight! I'm going to take Nana since she's never seen any before."

Nana: "Papa once showed me pictures of fireworks, but I never thought I would get to see them in real life!"

Nyuu looks sad and distant. The only summer festival she had ever attended was that horrible night 9 years ago. She knew it would be too traumatic for Kouta, so she didn't dare ask him. "There's no way he would ever agree to take me" Nyuu thought sadly. "Not that I would deserve it anyways."

Kouta noticed the sudden change in Nyuu's expression and immediately tried to comfort his beloved.

Kouta: "Hey Nyuu! Would you do me the honor? That is if you aren't busy tonight with something else."

Nyuu: (stunned silence) "I…I…really?! You would do that for me?"

Kouta: "Of course Nyuu! I'll do anything that makes you happy!

Nyuu embraces Kouta as Mayu takes Nana into the other room. The 2 younger girls knew the lovebirds were extremely affectionate and prone to obnoxious levels of PDA.

Scene 2: New Clothes

A few hours later. Kouta has just come back from the clothing shop with some surprises.

Kouta: "Well… we're going to be eating a lot of ramen and somen noodles, but I managed to get some clothes for the festival! Kouta takes out 3 beautiful new Yukata. I still have one from a few years ago, but I figured you 3 all need one for the festival.

Mayu, Nana, and Nyuu all thank Kouta and rush off to the bath to try on their new clothes. Mayu's and Nana's fit perfectly, but Nyuu's is a little snug.

Nana: "This is a funny dress. I can barely walk in this! I'm glad Arakawa sensei gave me some new limbs last month! These ones are super flexible! She asked if I wanted robotic limbs like that beach soldier, but I'm quite used to prosthetics at this point."

Nyuu: (clearly struggling). "Does the belt really need to worn so tight? Whoever invented Yukatas should be beaten to a pulp!" Note: Whenever Nyuu gets angry, elements of her more masculine Lucy persona resurface.

Kouta: "I found some in Mayu's size and Nana's size. With you I did the best I could. It's the final day of the sale and the shop honestly doesn't carry many for curvaceous gaijin that eat all the rice cakes.

Nyuu: "Oh, so you think I'm too big!? Just wait until I manage to waddle over there. You'll find out if my fists are too big!"

Kouta: "Hey! Easy there! No need to turn into Yuka! I don't know if you realize this, but that was a Yuka statement!"

Nyuu: (starts laughing. She could never stay mad at Kouta). "So, do I look ok?"

Kouta: (hugs her and kisses her on the forehead) "You look absolutely beautiful! You'll be the prettiest one there by far!"

Nyuu: (blushes intensely) "You don't need to lie like that Kouta. I've been told I'm a hideous freak my entire life. I'm well aware of how I look.

Kouta: "I don't ever want to hear you say that again! I'm telling you that you're beautiful. If anyone else says differently than they're the ones lying!"

Nyuu: (still blushing). "I've always told myself that I don't care about what others think…but that actually means a lot to me. Thanks Kouta! (Nyuu hugs him back tightly).

Nyuu: "So what about my little problem? My horns have grown back as large as ever. Arakawa doesn't like me going out without cover, but I don't want to wear a ski cap with a yukata in the middle of summer!"

Kouta: "Oh don't you worry about that! I've got it all covered. (pulls out nekomimi). Just slip these over your horns and people will just think you and Nana are otaku girls!"

Nyuu: "Um…I really appreciate the thought, but I'm not even a big anime fan! That's more Arakawa's thing. If I have to watch TV when you're at school, I'm more into my Korean soaps.

Kouta: "Oh come on Nyuu! There isn't a single anime that you liked growing up?

Nyuu: "Ok, that's not entirely true. When I was at the orphanage, it was the early 1990s and there was a show called Yu Yu Hakusho that I loved! I woke up every Sunday at 5 AM to sneak into the TV room and watch the reruns before anyone else was up. That was usually the highlight of my entire week. I couldn't watch anime or Kamen Rider or anything with the other kids. They always declared me the Monster of the Week and started punching and kicking me, which the adults made no attempt to stop! Great, now I've made myself sad.

Kouta: (starts singing the Hakusho OP) "Running in a crowd. In a faceless town. I need to feel the touch of a friend!"

Nyuu: In the countryside, I wander far and wide. The isolation gets me again!

Both: I don't where to gooooo, when I feel liking crying, Oh Myyyyy! It's time to open myself! Do something new! It's time to stop, and grow up a bit!

Kouta: "See? I knew you had in in you!"

Nyuu: "Oh ok, I'll wear the damn kitty ears! (pause) Thanks for cheering me up Kouta! You're the sweetest! (kisses him on cheek)

Scene 3: The Fireworks festival

All 4 head out to the festival. The train is packed and it's a bit hot, but Nyuu is bursting with pride. For the first time in her entire life, she feels confident in her appearance. Nana is just enjoying the sites, sounds, and smells. Everything is new and wonderful for her. Mayu finds herself staring at Nana and her form fitting yukata before quickly averting her gaze. She's starting to develop feelings for the slightly older girl, but she doesn't know how to express them quite yet.

Kouta: "Alright, so is anyone else up for some festival games? There's actually a game I'm quite good at. You have to cut little animals out of sheets of rice paper. I used to beat Yuka every time and she would get SO mad!"

Nyuu: "You haven't played me yet! My vectors can cut with surgical precision down to the millimeter!"

Kouta: "That's cheating! I'm not psychic, so you'll have to beat me using your hands.

Nyuu: "Oh come on! They're a natural part of my body. (grins mischievously) So whenever we become one, they're a part of your body too!"

Kouta: "An interesting point…but the answer is still no!

Nyuu pretends to pout as Kouta utterly dominates the cut-out game. Mayu and Nana have wandered off to try win some goldfish. The fireworks finally start, and everyone finds a good place to sit. Nyuu squeezes Kouta's hand. Nana is utterly enraptured as she gazes upon these wonderful, loud lights in the sky. Mayu almost kisses Nana, but holds back. She fears it would still be too soon. After the show, Mayu takes Nana home early, leaving Kouta and Nyuu alone for a bit longer.

Nyuu: "That was one of the best nights of my entire life! Everything has been perfect! Remember our first date with Arakawa tagging along?"

Kouta: "Oh I remember alright. I'd rather not take her on ANY future dates. I also learned to never let you drink that much booze before bed.

Nyuu: "Oh ha-ha! You're never going to stop bringing that up are you?"

Kouta: "The first time I brought you home it happened. Then our first time together it happened! You're a naughty girl Nyuu! I don't know what I should do with you. (Nyuu playfully punches his arm)

The two finally prepare to go home. At this point it's late and most people have already left. In the back of his mind, Kouta realized that this was just like the last festival he attended 9 years ago. He had tried so hard not to think about that and simply enjoy the moment. He had even distracted Nyuu from seeing the festival's memorial created for the victims of 9 years ago. Kouta knew she had visited the cemetery to light incense and pay penance dozens of times. She didn't need to think of that tonight.

Finally, the train pulls into the station and suddenly the emotions and memories from that night all come back. It's simply too much for poor Kouta. He falls to his knees and makes a terrible groan. Nyuu quickly realizes what's happening, but she doesn't know how to stop it. She tries holding him and trying to calm him down, but his PTSD episode continues. He thrashes and screams. Nyuu became overwhelmed and started to sob as she held Kouta.

When Kouta came back to his senses a few minutes later, he heard Nyuu crying and saw that she was in deepest despair. Kouta hugged her back and tried his best to comfort her. Each of them was deeply damaged, but they did an incredible job supporting each other.

Kouta: "Please don't cry Nyuu! I'm ok now!"

Nyuu's eyes lit up as she realized that Kouta had come back to reality. Kouta gazed into the crimson eyes of his soul mate. Those beautiful eyes were so filled with love and concern. He still couldn't quite reconcile the fact that these were once the same eyes so filled with rage and hatred. The cold eyes that looked upon the murder of little Kanai without a shred of mercy or compassion. Kouta was aware of how absurd and impossible his situation was. She had once been a terrifying and callous murderer, but he still loved her with all his heart and deeply believed that she was a good person. He knew for certain that she had an unusually warm heart and loved him completely.

Kouta: "I'll be ok now…I just need to rest my eyes on the way back.

Kouta slept with his head on Nyuu's shoulder for the whole train ride back. Nyuu cursed herself for being selfish. She had been having so much fun and experiencing so much joy that it didn't occur to her what Kouta had been going through for her sake.

Scene 4: Later that night

Kouta and Nyuu arrived home late. Both were drained from that heart wrenching experience and just wanted to go straight to bed. It was hardly the time for their usual lovemaking. They undressed and Kouta snuggled up to Nyuu, spooning her shapely breasts.

For Nyuu, falling asleep securely in Kouta's arms like this had once been an impossible dream. It had been one of her heart's deepest desires ever since that day at the zoo when she first fell in love with him. For most of the last 9 years, it had been a repressed desire that she didn't dare think about consciously. She knew it would never happen and that hurt too much to bear. For the last 8 months it had happened every night and she still couldn't believe how unbelievably good it felt. Suddenly her guilt and self-loathing reached a boiling point.

Nyuu: "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of this! I don't deserve you!

Nyuu turned around to look at Kouta, but he was already staring at her intensely.

Kouta: "Do you still think that people get what they deserve in life?! My little sister didn't do anything to deserve what she got, but you didn't deserve to be abandoned by your parents! Nor did you deserve the hellish treatment you got in that orphanage! If there is a God, He doesn't see fit to give us what we deserve while we're alive. All we can do is try be the best people that we're capable of being!"

Nyuu didn't have words that could express her gratitude. All she could do was hug Kouta as hard as she could. The two embraced until they each fell into a deep sleep.