Death of an Angel
By, Shinova
Chapter 2
The morning of New Year's Day would typically be a festive one. Whether it was one filled with new resolutions or simply a day to look forward to a whole new year, it would be happy in some way. And it had been this way for generations, throughout the world. A day to leave the pain of past wrongs behind and to start anew. A day for people to get up, pick up the pieces of their lives, and spend the rest of time putting the pieces back together, usually to create a new picture--hopefully one that would be better than the previous.
The residents of Hinatasou seemed to be getting this done. They no longer seemed as despondent and listless as before. Old routines and habits were slowly being regained, but each of them knew that the truly good times were forever out of their reach, and that the future held no equal. With that in mind, time seemed like a gentle current carrying each Hinatasou resident to the next hour. So surreal, everything seemed, that they often could not recall what they had been doing just a moment ago. Everything was like a dream...a dream born from a week-old tragedy, sitting in the back of everyone's mind like a jagged tree in the middle of a desert. A tree shredded by a malevolent lightning strike into a lifeless husk. One sore spot in a plane of emptiness.
Everything was like a dream. One could only wish that the dreadful event had been the same. Sadly, fate seemed to enjoy playing arbiter to what was dream and what was reality. And most of the time, the worst things were reality. And now the wake of that reality's passing carried everyone along.
Towards where? Who knows? That's for the future to tell.
* * * * *
"Breakfast's ready! Sorry it took so long."
"It's no problem, Shinobu. We just got here."
Shinobu set the dishes while the rest of the tenants took their seats around the table. There were no sad faces, no sluggish dragging of feet as one sat down at the table. Everyone seemed to have gotten out of their individual phases of depression. Life had taken its first step toward a return to normalcy.
"There, everyone," Shinobu said after setting down the last plate.
"Well then, let's eat!" Su added.
And so the first breakfast of the new year began. After a minute had passed, each resident realized that none of them had spoken a word since. This discovery was unnerving, but its cause was identifiable. Normally Naru would've sent Keitaro on a flight over Hinata--most likely due to another of Keitaro's accidental groping of Naru's breasts or a similarly male-forbidden part of her body. Now, with the table devoid of their presence, all that was left was a feeling of emptiness, of something missing.
None of them had ever really stopped to consider how much of an impact their former kanrinin had on their everyday lives. Exactly what difference he made, that was unknown. But the gaping hole, that missing essential element, spoke volumes about the size of that difference.
"By the way, how's Naru?" Kitsune asked.
"I brought her dinner yesterday, and she ate it so I guess she's still with us," Shinobu said.
"She shouldn't stay in her room for so long. It's unhealthy," Motoko added.
"Maybe we should do a Cheer-Up-Naru party!" Su piped up.
"Should we try to talk to her again?"
In the uncomfortable silence that followed, all thoughts turned back to that frightening day. Flying furniture....The screams of fury....
"Nah," Kitsune said. "I think we should give her some time to simmer down first."
"Good idea, Kitsune-san," Motoko agreed.
"Well, I have to say that even though everything's been real hard on us, and I mean all of us," Kitsune said, directing the last part toward Motoko, who nodded slightly, "we still have to live on. I know this sounds really corny, but I think Keitaro would've wanted us to live on with our lives, and not mope around forever."
"That's right!" Su spoke up. "We shouldn't be so sad all the time! Instead, we should have parties every night, go to Kyoto again, watch movies, play games, eat bananas--"
"Calm down, Su-chan. We can't do all that every day, no matter how much we'd like to," Kitsune interjected. "But yeah, we shouldn't mope around, that's for sure."
Shinobu, who had been quiet for the whole time, spoke up.
"I think so too. I mean, Sempai was always so nice to us, even though he sometimes was a pervert...sometimes. So I think we should, you know, not make his death..." she said, struggling to find something to fill the last part.
"Taste bad?" Su spoke up.
"Uh, yeah, not taste bad. I think." Strangely enough, Su's sudden suggestion actually fit well.
"I have always considered Urashima a weakling. And he still was one, all the way to his passing," Motoko spoke up. "But what redeeming qualities he had are enough for him to deserve a peaceful journey to the afterlife. We should honor that. Find strength and live on."
"Whatever the reason, we're still alive, so let's enjoy that. Right?" Kitsune stated.
"Right!" Everyone agreed.
"Awfully cheery this morning, are we?"
The new voice halted everyone in their actions. Five pairs of eyes drifted slowly across the room to land on the figure standing in the doorway.
"N-Naru-sempai!"
"Heya Naru! Finally bored of staying in your room all the time?"
Indeed it was Naru. She was dressed in simple pants and long-sleeved shirt, both black. Her prolonged isolation had taken its toll on her. Naru's hair had an unhealthy look to it and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was paler than usual and her figure had thinned a bit as well.
"Damn! It's a good thing you got out of that room!" Kitsune exclaimed, eyes surveying Naru's haggard appearance. "You really need to get out more often, you know."
"Nah. I've been out for way too long in my life," Naru replied dryly. She took her place at the table but saw that she had no breakfast.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry Naru-sempai! I'll get you something right away!" Shinobu exclaimed, jumping from her seat and dashing toward the kitchen.
"It's okay, Shinobu-chan; no harm done. We've got plenty of time anyway."
No one touched any more of their food until Naru had gotten hers. They all remembered the day Naru had gone nuts and destroyed everything in her room. A few, such as Kitsune, actually found themselves holding their breaths as Shinobu made her way from the kitchen with the plate in her hands. When Naru finally picked up her chopsticks and started on her food, the room's other occupants visibly relaxed--considerably--and resumed eating.
"Um, this might be a sensitive subject, but are you still going for Toudai?" Kitsune asked.
Naru thought about this for a moment then answered, "I don't know."
This response had an immediate effect. A clatter of chopsticks was followed by a collective, "WHAAT!!?"
Motoko recovered first and asked, "But Sempai, I thought you made a promise with--"
"Seta-san? Keitaro? Both?" Naru replied without looking up from her food.
"Uh, that is--"
"Like I said, I don't know. I might decide to go for Toudai, or I might not. I might decide to go home, or I might just stay here. Whatever the choice, it won't be easy. Besides, no one likes to make a decision they'll later regret," Naru said. Then quietly she mumbled, "Or regret not doing something..."
"What was that?" Kitsune asked.
"Nothing Kitsune," Naru replied. "Simply, absolutely, completely nothing at all."
The Hinatasou household continued eating, and went through the rest of breakfast in silence.
* * * * *
Kitsune walked briskly down the hallway, Motoko and Su following a few steps behind her. The whole week had glided rather than passed by. Alone, floating on her back in the center of a swimming pool, drifting aimlessly, nudged gently by the soft currents, the water lapping lightly against her sides. Those experiences at swimming pools were what the week's passing had seemed like to Kitsune. Just slow and gentle...alone in the pool with nothing from the outside world to bother her, to remind her that like everyone else she had to keep up with the pace of the world...or fall behind.
And now suddenly, walking briskly down the hallway, followed by Motoko and Su, Kitsune felt an overwhelming sense of urgency. She had plenty of time. Everyone had plenty of time. The whole world had plenty of time. And yet, this feeling of urgency was compelling her, driving her to go faster.
"Kitsune-san," Motoko called out from behind her.
Kitsune halted and turned to face the other, who pointed to a door to her right and said, "This is your room."
"Oh, whoops. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Kitsune apologized and led the two into her room, closing the door tightly behind her. Motoko spoke up first.
"So, Kitsune-san, why are we here?"
"Remember what we saw last night?" Kitsune replied.
"You mean the ghost?" Su asked.
"Yep. Now then...what should we do about it?"
"I would normally suggest exorcism, but since it is the ghost of Keitaro..." Motoko said.
"Exactly. What about you, Su-chan?"
Su thought for a while then replied, "Like Motoko said. It's Keitaro."
"Alright. Now I have an idea..."
The other two leaned forward with curiosity. Kitsune took a breath before speaking.
"I think we should tell Naru."
"Naru-sempai? Why?"
"I think Keitaro was trying to tell us something that night, and who better than Naru, who's been the closest to him out of all of us."
The other two thought about it for a few moments.
"Kitsune-san," Motoko spoke up. "May I remind you that Naru-sempai has not exactly been herself this past week."
"Yeah, I know," Kitsune agreed, shivering at the memory. "But there's a good side to this also, you know. Maybe what Keitaro tells her might help her be her normal self again."
Motoko nodded, a hand to her chin. "That is also true."
"So then, are we in or not?"
Motoko and Su each slowly raised a hand and nodded.
* * * * *
As soon as she had finished her breakfast, Naru had headed back to her room. She closed the door behind her and turned around to view the room before her.
Naru had been quite thorough in her "efforts" to lay waste to her room. This was the first time she was able to look at her room with a relatively clear mind. The destruction fazed her not one bit.
The pale walls, their blankness staring back at her emptily; the broken and disorganized furniture, arranged around the room like a symphony; the shredded books, their pages rendered meaningless. The whole room was obviously in disarray--Naru knew that of course. She had committed this act of wrecking her room in an aimless manner, but now, as she looked at its results, they seemed almost as if some higher fate had guided the destruction without Naru's consent--into a form that, even in such a state, reflected something about the world that Naru could not quite pinpoint.
But no matter. Her room was destroyed, and she had no remorse over that. She walked a bit further into the room, calmly kicking a piece of furniture aside. She reached over and picked up the Liddo-kun doll, gazing at deeply.
"Ten years...ten years I've had this doll. What are you to me now?" Naru murmured. She then put down the doll and walked up to the closed windows. With one hand she flung them open, letting in air and sunlight that the room had not seen for a long time.
Perhaps the room could now enjoy the light and air. But for Naru all still seemed the same. The grounds outside Hinatasou still looked the same as it always had. Yes, a shadow could be said to be hovering over Hinatasou, but for everything else things were still like normal--as if nothing wrong had happened at all. As it always had been, no matter where, or when.
Naru walked away from the window and abruptly came face to face with herself, reflected in the mirror leaning against the wall. She kneeled in front of it and reached out with a finger, tracing the reflection's face.
"Who are you?" she whispered, staring at a face she did not recognize--one she had just met for the first time. Anger suddenly filled her and she turned away from the mirror. She stood up and gazed around the room again--the room that had been hers for years but now seemed alien to her.
There was only one thing worthwhile to do right now. Naru lowered herself down through the hole in the floor and into the room below this one. Upon entering the room she was struck with a sense of reverence for this room she had never had before.
"Keitaro..." she whispered into the air, gazing around the room with unwavering precision, taking in every detail, sometimes spotting one or two things she had never really noticed before. She walked over to the dresser and opened it, fishing around inside until she pulled out a blue sweater, one that Keitaro often wore. She gazed at it deeply, holding it close to her.
"Keitaro," she said softly. "Why did you have to..."
Naru looked away as a tear threatened to roll down her cheek. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then turned her eyes upon the sweater again.
"Keitaro, I'm so sorry. I...think I took you for granted, and now look what happens. God, I'm such an idiot....Anyway, everyone's doing fine, I think. We haven't chosen the next kanrinin yet but Haruka-san is subbing for a while.
"Keitaro, I don't think I would ever have thought of saying this before, but things are so different now. Everything's not the same, it's all weird."
Naru thought about what she had been saying so far and saw that she had been making little sense at all. She giggled softly and said, "Listen to me, I'm making no sense at all. Maybe if you were here I wouldn't be so...so...I don't know....I don't think I know anything anymore."
Naru clutched the sweater closer to her and closed her eyes, sighing.
"How could the world do this to you? You did nothing, just stumbling your way to Toudai and being a pervert sometimes. But why? Why did...everything do this to you?" Naru said, her body trembling. Her eyes suddenly shot open, a vehement look in them. "Well who cares about the world anymore. Everyone's just skipping through their lives, just fine and dandy, like the blind idiots they are. They just don't..."
Naru paused, sighing. She swallowed down a lump in her throat and went on, talking to Keitaro's sweater.
"Everyone truly is blind, Keitaro. They're just fine and happy with everything the world has given them, and they can't see through their blindfold...or whatever it is they've put over themselves or whatever rock it is they've hid themselves under.
"The point, Keitaro, is that I was like those stupid people, so single-minded, always talking about getting into Toudai. And now you're gone and the world just seems so...empty now. People...heh...if they're that content with nothing, then they're nothing. To hell with them. I don't care. I just..."
Naru shut her eyes and hung her head, sighing deeply. There was an aching in her heart. It was dull, but it was like a stonecutter chipping away at a mountain. Slow and steady, but always there and wearing her inner being down bit by bit with every chip. How she wished it would just consume her like a raging firestorm and end everything right there and then...but no, the world didn't work that way--and it loved every stab the stonecutter made into the mountain.
Naru opened her eyes and stared at the sweater in her hands. She then hugged the sweater tightly, breathing in the scent. She closed her eyes.
"I just wish that you were here," she whispered. "I would let the world burn if that's what it takes to bring you back. I miss you, Keitaro....Please come back..."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Naru's eyes opened slowly and she put the sweater down. "Who is it?" she called out.
"It's me, Kitsune. Can we come in?" the voice from outside the door said.
"Who's we?"
"Me, Motoko, and Su-chan."
Naru thought for a moment, then got up from where she had been kneeling on the floor.
"Alright, come in," she said.
The door opened and Kitsune, Motoko, and Su entered the room. Su closed the door while Kitsune approached Naru, looking like a child about to break some bad news to a parent.
"Naru, there's something I want to tell you about," Kitsune said.
"Really?" Naru replied, gazing at her friend with a calm, detached demeanor as the latter spoke.
"Yeah, it's about something the three of us saw last night."
"Last night, I see. If I remember correctly, it was New Year's Eve, right?"
"Yeah it was."
"Hmm..."
"Naru, about the New Year's party we held last night--I'm sorry that we left you out."
"It's alright. I think I've lost all taste for New Year's Day. Or for any holiday for that matter."
Naru turned around and walked up to the window.
"Kitsune," Naru said as she gazed out at the scenery outside. "Did you know that twenty percent of the world's people have eighty percent of all the wealth in the world?"
Kitsune stopped for a moment, a bit surprised at the sudden change in topic. "Yeah, I know--"
"Yep," Naru interrupted. "One happy family--big brother looking out for little brother, never mind that little brother's toys all belong to big brother. Yep. One nice, happy, loving family."
Kitsune scratched her head, wondering what the hell Naru could've meant by that. Su looked on with slight interest. Motoko stood rigidly, eyes fixed on the figure standing at the window, a dark silhouette bathed in sunlight.
Naru suddenly seemed to remember something and turned around. "Oh I'm sorry," she said. "You were here to tell me something?"
"Right," Kitsune said. "Now I'm going to tell you something that you might not believe, but you've got to trust us, okay?"
"Sure."
"Alright, here it is." Kitsune took a deep breath, then let loose. "We saw Keitaro's ghost last night."
For a full five seconds Naru stood there, frozen, her eyes wide open, staring into space. Kitsune was about to wave a hand in front of the other's eyes when two hands shot out and grabbed her by the shirt, pulling her close to the hands' owner.
"Where? Where? Tell me!" Naru exclaimed, holding Kitsune closer to her.
"H-Hey! Naru, I--"
"Tell me!!"
"Okay, okay, but calm down first!" Kitsune stammered, silently hoping Naru didn't become violent toward her.
Naru's trembling hands stayed in their positions, locked onto Kitsune's shirt, for a few more seconds before gradually relaxing. Naru shuffled backwards a couple of steps and hung her head.
"Where did you see him?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"We saw him outside, at the patio. At midnight," Kitsune replied.
Naru stood there, head hung low. Then she spoke again in a quiet voice. "So he'll be there again tonight?"
"I don't know for sure, but...yeah I think so."
Naru nodded and waved at the door. "Thanks for the news. You can go now."
"Are you sure you don't need anything? Or maybe it might be nice if you--"
"You can go now," Naru repeated in a firmer tone of voice.
"Okay, Naru, we're going." Kitsune and the others quietly but hastily left, closing the door behind them, leaving Naru alone in the room. She waited until she could no longer hear the three's footsteps in the hallway outside. Naru walked over and picked up the blue sweater, holding it to her chest.
She was going to see Keitaro tonight.
And yet, even as the prospect of meeting him again filled her with joy, as if a shining light had pierced the walls of her heart and filled it with its warmth, a sad shadow reawoke from its week-long slumber and dampened her spirits, crushing them under the weight of memory and reality.
The last time she had taken anything for granted had been from one week ago. She could not, absolutely could not, make that same mistake again.
* * * * *
Kitsune, Motoko, and Su each held a pair of binoculars to their eyes, watching the black figure standing alone on the patio, gazing out at the near-midnight sky.
"So..."
"Yes, Kitsune-san?"
"Any of you two think this'll go well?"
"I would hope so."
"Yeah...me too."
I wish you luck, Naru, Kitsune thought. Out of all of us, you deserve it the most.
* * * * *
Naru sighed deeply and gazed out at the starry sky above. She could see, in her mind's eye, a boy and a girl studying together in a room...a boy and a girl walking home together...a boy and a girl drinking through a party together...always a boy and a girl...always together...the boy stumbling into the bath and getting hit by the g--
"No..." Naru whispered, shutting her eyes and clenching her fists, trying to keep those memories down. In the deep, dark waters of her soul she tried to drown them, keep their pain away. But the memories would not give up. They learned to swim and broke through the surface, assaulting her heart and cutting another deep swath on its tender surface.
Naru sank to her knees, her eyes welling up with tears, a trembling hand over her gaping mouth.
How could she...why did she...wasn't his fault...accident...why...
Of course, the girl was Naru and the boy was Keitaro. Back then it had seemed only right to smash Keitaro through walls or dropkick him into the atmosphere. But that had been in the past...when Keitaro was still alive...
Now he was gone...gone forever. Naru had heard the word regret before but had never known what it truly meant until now. The meaning she could see within the dark, murky waters of her soul, waters churning and bubbling with the pain of missed opportunities and wrong choices. All this was her fault--and in the shadow of the event from one week ago she could now see the truth, unblinded by light. That it had never been his fault. Never.
But tonight she was going to see him.
That thought compelled Naru to wipe her tears away and stand up straight once more. Tonight she was going to apologize--apologize for all the times she had acted without thinking--for all the times she had pushed him away--for all the times she had thought of him as nothing but a pervert and a bumbling idiot, when in reality he was a much better person than she could ever be.
I'm the real idiot here. Not him. Never was him. Always me...
"Narusegawa..."
The voice jolted Naru back to reality. She looked up...and there he was. Keitaro. A bit pale and faded out--and floating in the air--but looking the same as he had when he was alive.
Naru's mouth hung open and her arms went limp. After a few seconds, during which Keitaro hovered in the air, scratching his head sheepishly, Naru finally raised a trembling hand and pointed a finger at the ghost.
"Ke...Ke...Ke..." Naru tried to say.
"Yeah, it's me. Urashima Keitaro, former third-year ronin and now a ghost. And we have to talk, but not here," Keitaro said. He then began backing away, motioning for Naru to follow. "Come'on. Follow me," he called out.
Naru saw Keitaro gliding away toward the forest and panicked.
"Wha? Keitaro, wait! Wait!!" Naru yelled. Her first impulse was to jump over the patio railing to follow him but stopped herself. Wouldn't do any good for her to die before speaking with Keitaro.
Instead, she turned around and ran down the patio stairs, taking several steps per leap. She ran down the hallway, went down another flight of stairs, then jumped off the second story and onto the ground. She looked up and saw Keitaro flying farther and farther into the distance.
"Wait!! Keitaro, please! Wait!!" Naru yelled desperately, getting to her feet and running toward the forest, never loosing sight of Keitaro as he flew on.
The cold wind whipped past her face and the shadows around her seemed to want to leap and smother Naru with their darkness. She paid them no attention, the same way she ignored the growing pain in her legs and lungs.
Now in the forest, she ran on. Like a beacon of light, Keitaro flew deeper into the woods, a figure of light surrounded by darkness. One beacon of light, standing tall in the middle of a desert of shadows, under a sky of darkness. One beacon, all alone, in the midst of everything. And Naru ran on, despite the pain in her legs and her lungs dying for air.
Several minutes into the forest, Naru saw that Keitaro had stopped and she stopped as well, collapsing onto her knees, chest heaving for breath. Perspiration dripped from her face and her breath came out in puffs of white, visible in the cold air.
"Sorry about the long run," Keitaro said, floating down until his feet touched the forest floor.
Eventually, after a minute, Naru regained her breath and got up to her feet. She saw Keitaro walking toward her and prepared to give her apology speech. She did not expect Keitaro to trip over a tree root and end up with a hand on her breast.
Immediately the anger emerged inside Naru. She closed her eyes, her face scrunched up in fury. She raised a fist and said, "Keitaro....You die and you still act like this!!"
She lashed out and smashed her fist into Keitaro's face, sending him crashing into a tree. Naru stood there, breathing heavily from anger, then suddenly stopped, her eyes snapping wide open. She gasped at the realization of what she had just done.
"Oh no...I did it again..." she whispered. Her wide eyes fell to the forest floor, a hand over her gaping mouth. The memories surfaced again as her thoughts ran rampant.
Oh God, it was just like all those times before...
Keitaro slid down from his man-shaped crater in the side of the tree.
I got angry again. And I was supposed to apologize to him, not...oh God, why...
Keitaro got to his feet and approached Naru.
I'm such an idiot! I saw him trip over the root and I still blame it all on him! It was an accident--an ACCIDENT!! And still, I lose control! Why! Why, why, why, WHY!!!?
"Uh, Narusegawa?"
Keitaro came all this way from the afterlife to speak to me--a worthless, stupid, violent girl. He was so right about me being a violent girl. Stupid, worthless me...
"Hello?"
I don't deserve this. I don't deserve him coming all this way just for an idiot like me. I should just stay cooped up in my room, drowning myself in self-pity and depression. Yep, that's what's best for me...
"Hey!"
Naru snapped out of her trance at Keitaro's voice. "Oh, uh, umm...yeah?" she stammered.
"I was wondering when you'd snap out of it," Keitaro said. "Good thing that you're back. Oh, and I'm sorry for--"
"No! You've got nothing to be sorry for! I'm the one at fault!"
"Uh, what?"
"Keitaro, I..." Naru's throat constricted and she shuffled around nervously. This was going to be harder than she thought. "I, um....I'm sorry...for everything..."
"Eh?" Keitaro could not believe it. Naru was apologizing to him of all people? "Sorry? For what?"
"For hitting you all those times!" Naru almost shouted out, making Keitaro jump a little. She hung her head, choked back a sob, and went on. "It wasn't your fault--just accidents. But I still hit you all those times when you deserved none of it. I kept thinking of you as a pervert and an idiot, but I had no right to!
"And I'm sorry that I wasn't at least a friend to you." Naru sighed, her body trembling. The walls of her heart cracking. "I'm sorry. I hope that you can forgive me."
Keitaro gazed at Naru, almost taken back by the difference of personality. The old Naru would have given him no slack in dealing out punishment for what he had just done a while ago. Sure, she had punched him into a tree, but to apologize like this afterwards? It was difficult for him to take in.
"Narusegawa...you don't have to apologize," he said.
"B-But I--"
"Really. Yeah, I was a little annoyed in the beginning but afterwards it was just...it was okay."
"Okay?"
"Yeah. I got used to it. After it happening every day," Naru cringed at this, "it was just...like something I go through daily."
"That's exactly it!!" Naru suddenly exclaimed, grabbing Keitaro's shirt and pulling his face up to hers. "I made it an everyday thing when I shouldn't have!! I had no right to do that to you! I..." Naru lowered her head. "I really am at fault, Keitaro. Believe me, I am."
Keitaro looked at his former study partner, and saw a person totally different from before, when he had been alive. He smiled softly and laid a hand on Naru's shoulder, gripping it gently. "In that case, I forgive you," he said.
"What? You...you forgive me?"
"Yes, and I'm being honest when I say that it's really nothing. I didn't mind it at all during the few months before I died. Since a long time ago, in fact. So it's alright. I'm just glad to see you."
"You're..." Naru slowly lifted her head to look at Keitaro with tear-filled eyes. "You're really happy to see me?"
"Yep. Happiest thing that's happened to me all week."
Naru's expression went from sad to super-sad. She began sobbing and the tears ran freely.
"Waaaahh!!" she wailed as she buried her face in Keitaro's chest, wrapping her arms around his torso, startling him. "Why are you being so nice to me!!?"
Keitaro stood there dumbstruck as Naru cried her heart out, wailing and sobbing. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and held her gently.
"Shh...it's okay. Everything's going to be okay," he said softly, doing his best to comfort Naru.
In the middle of the forest, surrounded by darkness, a boy from the afterlife held a girl of the living in his arms. The walls of the girl's heart had broken and all the sadness and regret from the past few days came rushing out. The boy did his best to make the event as smooth as possible for the girl.
Naru had found the beacon of light--and now, crying her heart out, she let go of all the dams holding the dark and murky waters back, letting the lake drain out. In the arms of Keitaro she cried her soul out, in tears and sobs, in a beacon of light in the middle of a world of darkness.
Eventually her sobs died out, the hurt in her heart having been drained more or less fully. She separated from Keitaro and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"Thanks, Keitaro," she said, a small smile on her face.
"You're welcome," Keitaro replied, his spirits lifting at the sight of the smile.
"So how's the afterlife?"
"Well, I've gone to heaven, and it's...pretty good I guess. It's not like temples in the clouds or anything but...well, it's alright."
"Just alright? It's heaven, you know!"
"I know it's heaven, but it won't be all heaven for me until all the rest of you are with me."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah." Keitaro nodded. "That's how much I miss you."
"I see." Naru looked down, smiling. Just making small talk in the forest with Keitaro was like salvation for Naru, after all the hell she had gone through before.
"Oh and I--please don't get mad--but you know how I tend to have...'accidents?' "
Naru thought about it for a while then realized what the "accidents" were. She nodded and replied, "You mean like how you peek or grope me all the time?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry, by the way."
"No, it's alright."
"What? You mean you don't mind anymore?"
"I never said that," Naru said, quickly turning around to hide her face, which was blushing fiercly. "So, go on."
"Oh yeah. I ended up accidentally stumbling into a women's bath for angels. You can imagine how that ended up." Keitaro grimaced upon remembering a few of the things the angels had unleashed upon him in retribution. Like divine versions of Naru's punches.
Suddenly he remembered why he was here.
"Whoops! Narusegawa, I came here to tell you something and the sooner I get it out the better."
"Sure, what is it?" Naru asked, turning around to face Keitaro again.
Keitaro sighed then spoke. "I just wanted to tell you the truth, nothing more. It's gonna be a bit alarming, so are you ready?"
Naru took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay," Keitaro said. "I didn't just die. I was murdered."
All color drained from Naru's face. "Oh my God," she gasped.
"Poison, through my right ear. And it was by someone living in Hinatasou. That's the scary part."
The word murdered rang through Naru's mind over and over again. She fell to her knees, her head lowered, hair covering her face.
How...how...
"Hey, Narusegawa, are you okay?" Keitaro asked.
How dare they...
The dark lake was gone from Naru's soul. Instead, a raging firestorm took its place. A fire that burned brigher than the brightest star--a great and roaring fire. Naru wasn't just mad....She was furious. All the hatred of the world could not compare to the fire in her heart.
Yes, she was quite pissed off tonight. The fire within her heart--the hellish inferno--wanted to burn something, incinerate something--someone--to the very bones.
"Hey, Narusegawa!" Keitaro said, raising his voice a little.
"Oh, yes?" Naru replied, standing up and facing Keitaro. The fire was dulled for the moment.
"Well, I just want to tell you that I'm finished here, so I have to go."
"What? W-Why?"
"Cause spirits like me can't stay in the normal world for too long. Something about soul energies disrupting the flow of something...aw hell, the angel who explained it to me had half of his mind elsewhere."
"B-But, you just came here! Can't you stay a little longer? Can't you work something out?"
"Sorry, I can't."
"No! You can't go! You just can't!!" Naru cried, grabbing onto Keitaro as if her life depended on it.
"Narusegawa, I--"
"Please!!" Naru latched onto Keitaro in a full hug. "Please...please don't leave me..."
"Narusegawa..."
Keitaro slowly wrapped his arms around Naru again, the latter sobbing slightly. He rocked her gently from side to side.
"I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to come back to life if I could. I really miss you all...and you most of all. You're the most important person in my life. I want you to know that."
Naru's eyes snapped open at the last statement and she weakly replied, "Yes." Did Keitaro really mean it? Could he be implying that he...
Suddenly Keitaro started levitating off the ground, as if he was being carried away by some kind of wind.
"Keitaro! Wait!!" Naru shouted as Keitaro was lifted away into the air.
"My time's up, Narusegawa! I'm sorry!"
"Please!! Wait!!"
Naru began running after the flying figure, calling out to him above the wind that was picking up strength around them. She ran through the forest, jumping over logs, dodging trees, never loosing sight of the figure in the air, before finally breaking out of the edge of the forest and into a clearing overlooking the city. Keitaro was high in the sky.
"Keitaro, wait!! Don't leave me!!" she cried out, a hand reaching out towards the sky.
"Narusegawa!" Keitaro yelled back. "I'm sorry...and I love you!!"
Naru dropped to her knees, her hand still outstretched. Keitaro's body faded farther and farther into the distance before disappearing from view.
The forest became peaceful again as the wind died down. A few crickets began chirping and everything became normal again.
Naru knelt there in the clearing, gazing up at the sky wistfully.
"Keitaro..."
Author's Note
Whew, got this chapter finished! Sorry for taking this long; I had a bunch of school-related stuff to do also. I really hope this chapter meets your expectations. Thanks again for reading!