Drops of Blood
The Golden Ostrich
Disclaimer: I do not own Kikaider *sniffle* but he's so cute, why can't I have him?!
Mitsuko sat quietly in her room, staring out the window at the falling snow. In her lap lay a book, but her mind was elsewhere...she kept remembering what Jiro had said the night of her mother's death...about how human lives were not like snowflakes. They were not meant to fall into the world and quickly melt away. Jiro understood the importance of human life, despite not having one.
But they know the Gemini system could evolve...was it complex enough that it might be able to turn Jiro human? Her eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit room at this thought...if Jiro could become human, then all his pain and suffering would end, and maybe theirs would too. But only if he could keep his rage at bay and harbor softer emotions...if he could learn to love Mitsuko...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door slowly opening, it's ancient hinges squeaking. Mitsuko turned and saw her younger brother Masatu standing innocently in the doorway.
"I'm hungry...are we gonna eat soon?" he asked. "It's almost six o'clock."
Mitsuko glanced up at the clock on her wall and realized that she had lost track of time. She smiled sympathetically at Masatu and nodded.
"We need to run out and buy something to cook with first," she said, rising from her chair. "Why don't you go find Jiro and see if he's like to come with us."
Masatu grinned and darted off down the hall, calling out Jiro's name as he ran. Mitsuko smiled at his ever-lively spirit and laced up her boots. By the time she had taken her coat from the closet and slipped her arm through one sleeve, Masatu had return with Jiro at his side.
"We want spaghetti!" the former announced happily, pulling on his own coat as he spoke.
Mitsko laughed and paused to look up at Jiro. His eyes reflected the snowdrops like two perfect little mirrors...Mitsuko's thoughts flashed back to that night and she remembered the tears that had fallen from those eyes. Maybe he was on his way to becoming fully human...
Outside their boots shuffled soundlessly through the fresh snow. The sun was setting in a sky hued with golds and vermillions. It looked as though the colours ought to melt away the snow, but they only slowly faded into the deeper shades of night.
Inside the store, they filled their little basket with enough food for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast...there was no point in buying more as the walk to the store was short and it got them out of the house. Mitsuko found it dreary to be there constantly...it allowed her thoughts to wander between unpleasant topics, but outside there were distractions.
They paid the man at the register for the food and started back home. Masatu hopped back and forth between the sets of footprints they had made before...already they were filling with the still-falling snow.
Back in the house, Jiro began slicing onions, garlic, and zucchini to put in the sauce while Mitsuko filled a pot with water and waited for it to boil. Masatu sat at the table impatiently, trying to amuse himself with a fork while he waited.
"Is it almost done yet?" he asked, setting the utensil back on the table.
"Be patient, Masatu," said Mitsuko, snapping the spaghetti and dropping it into the pot. "It'll be done soon."
"Good," he said, "because I'm really hungry. I think I could eat all that spaghetti by myself!"
Mitsuko smiled. "Except you have to share with Jiro an I...after all, we're cook-"
"Ah!" cried Jiro suddenly, dropping the knife and clutching his hand.
"What is it?" asked Mitsuko. "Jiro, what's wrong?"
"My hand..." he pulled his other one away and stared at the blood seeping from his palm.
"You're...you're bleeding!" exclaimed Mitsuko. "The Gemini...oh, Jiro, this is wonderful!"
"I'm human," he said slowly, as though he didn't dare speak those words together. "I'm actually..." He looked down at Mitsuko and threw his arms around her. "I can't believe it; I'm bleeding!" he laughed.
"Why are you happy that you're bleeding?" asked Masatu.
"Because I'm a human now!" Jiro exclaimed, letting go of Mitsko and scooping Masatu up. "I won't have to feel that pain anymore...we can just disappear into the world and live together forever and forget this nightmare!"
"Can we eat first though?" asked Masatu, causing Jiro to laugh again.
"Of course, of course...the spaghetti is done anyway. Just let me put a bandage on this. Oh, I get to use a bandage!" Jiro's face shone as brightly as his eyes.
* * *
A week later, Jiro, Mitsuko, and Masatu stood waiting outside the train station. Their packed suitcases sat on the snowy ground at their feet as they watched the trains gliding in and out of the depot.
They had decided that they would indeed disappear into the world and try to forget the horrible nightmare they'd been living in. There were numerous small towns to choose from, so they decided on one near the ocean and prepared to leave.
Their train pulled in at last, the final scene to end the nightmare. But as they were climbing onboard, a single gunshot reverberated through the station. Mitsko turned and saw that Jiro had fallen to his knees, the snow scarlet in front of him.
"Jiro!" she cried as he fell backwards. "No, Jiro, you can't die! You just came to life!" She looked up and saw a man holding a gun standing in the crowd.
"Oh no...not...not you," she sobbed. His yellow scarf fluttered in the breeze as he tucked the gun into his jacket and calmly walked away.
"Mitsko," Jiro said quietly. "I thought this would finally end."
"Oh, please don't die, Jiro," she wept, laying her head against his bloodied chest.
"I love you, Mitsuko," he said weakly, stroking her head gently. "You helped free me from my rage. I'll die in happiness at the very least..." His hand slipped away from her head and landed softly in the crimson snow.
"Jiro," she whispered. "I love you." She lifted her head, and stared down at the blood spreading through the snow around him...blood she had been so happy to see once, now brought her tears falling down...
Author's Note: Well? What did you think? Shall I write another one with a happier ending? Or are you all prepared to shoot me now for my horrible writing? Please review!
The Golden Ostrich
Disclaimer: I do not own Kikaider *sniffle* but he's so cute, why can't I have him?!
Mitsuko sat quietly in her room, staring out the window at the falling snow. In her lap lay a book, but her mind was elsewhere...she kept remembering what Jiro had said the night of her mother's death...about how human lives were not like snowflakes. They were not meant to fall into the world and quickly melt away. Jiro understood the importance of human life, despite not having one.
But they know the Gemini system could evolve...was it complex enough that it might be able to turn Jiro human? Her eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit room at this thought...if Jiro could become human, then all his pain and suffering would end, and maybe theirs would too. But only if he could keep his rage at bay and harbor softer emotions...if he could learn to love Mitsuko...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door slowly opening, it's ancient hinges squeaking. Mitsuko turned and saw her younger brother Masatu standing innocently in the doorway.
"I'm hungry...are we gonna eat soon?" he asked. "It's almost six o'clock."
Mitsuko glanced up at the clock on her wall and realized that she had lost track of time. She smiled sympathetically at Masatu and nodded.
"We need to run out and buy something to cook with first," she said, rising from her chair. "Why don't you go find Jiro and see if he's like to come with us."
Masatu grinned and darted off down the hall, calling out Jiro's name as he ran. Mitsuko smiled at his ever-lively spirit and laced up her boots. By the time she had taken her coat from the closet and slipped her arm through one sleeve, Masatu had return with Jiro at his side.
"We want spaghetti!" the former announced happily, pulling on his own coat as he spoke.
Mitsko laughed and paused to look up at Jiro. His eyes reflected the snowdrops like two perfect little mirrors...Mitsuko's thoughts flashed back to that night and she remembered the tears that had fallen from those eyes. Maybe he was on his way to becoming fully human...
Outside their boots shuffled soundlessly through the fresh snow. The sun was setting in a sky hued with golds and vermillions. It looked as though the colours ought to melt away the snow, but they only slowly faded into the deeper shades of night.
Inside the store, they filled their little basket with enough food for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast...there was no point in buying more as the walk to the store was short and it got them out of the house. Mitsuko found it dreary to be there constantly...it allowed her thoughts to wander between unpleasant topics, but outside there were distractions.
They paid the man at the register for the food and started back home. Masatu hopped back and forth between the sets of footprints they had made before...already they were filling with the still-falling snow.
Back in the house, Jiro began slicing onions, garlic, and zucchini to put in the sauce while Mitsuko filled a pot with water and waited for it to boil. Masatu sat at the table impatiently, trying to amuse himself with a fork while he waited.
"Is it almost done yet?" he asked, setting the utensil back on the table.
"Be patient, Masatu," said Mitsuko, snapping the spaghetti and dropping it into the pot. "It'll be done soon."
"Good," he said, "because I'm really hungry. I think I could eat all that spaghetti by myself!"
Mitsuko smiled. "Except you have to share with Jiro an I...after all, we're cook-"
"Ah!" cried Jiro suddenly, dropping the knife and clutching his hand.
"What is it?" asked Mitsuko. "Jiro, what's wrong?"
"My hand..." he pulled his other one away and stared at the blood seeping from his palm.
"You're...you're bleeding!" exclaimed Mitsuko. "The Gemini...oh, Jiro, this is wonderful!"
"I'm human," he said slowly, as though he didn't dare speak those words together. "I'm actually..." He looked down at Mitsuko and threw his arms around her. "I can't believe it; I'm bleeding!" he laughed.
"Why are you happy that you're bleeding?" asked Masatu.
"Because I'm a human now!" Jiro exclaimed, letting go of Mitsko and scooping Masatu up. "I won't have to feel that pain anymore...we can just disappear into the world and live together forever and forget this nightmare!"
"Can we eat first though?" asked Masatu, causing Jiro to laugh again.
"Of course, of course...the spaghetti is done anyway. Just let me put a bandage on this. Oh, I get to use a bandage!" Jiro's face shone as brightly as his eyes.
* * *
A week later, Jiro, Mitsuko, and Masatu stood waiting outside the train station. Their packed suitcases sat on the snowy ground at their feet as they watched the trains gliding in and out of the depot.
They had decided that they would indeed disappear into the world and try to forget the horrible nightmare they'd been living in. There were numerous small towns to choose from, so they decided on one near the ocean and prepared to leave.
Their train pulled in at last, the final scene to end the nightmare. But as they were climbing onboard, a single gunshot reverberated through the station. Mitsko turned and saw that Jiro had fallen to his knees, the snow scarlet in front of him.
"Jiro!" she cried as he fell backwards. "No, Jiro, you can't die! You just came to life!" She looked up and saw a man holding a gun standing in the crowd.
"Oh no...not...not you," she sobbed. His yellow scarf fluttered in the breeze as he tucked the gun into his jacket and calmly walked away.
"Mitsko," Jiro said quietly. "I thought this would finally end."
"Oh, please don't die, Jiro," she wept, laying her head against his bloodied chest.
"I love you, Mitsuko," he said weakly, stroking her head gently. "You helped free me from my rage. I'll die in happiness at the very least..." His hand slipped away from her head and landed softly in the crimson snow.
"Jiro," she whispered. "I love you." She lifted her head, and stared down at the blood spreading through the snow around him...blood she had been so happy to see once, now brought her tears falling down...
Author's Note: Well? What did you think? Shall I write another one with a happier ending? Or are you all prepared to shoot me now for my horrible writing? Please review!