Okay, I really have to say something, because I never did before, and it's about time I did. I want to thank all the people who have reviewed this fic, whether you still do, or you stopped, or if you ever just thought about it and never got around to it. Seriously, thank you. I'm thankful for each and every review I get. I want to reply to them all, but sometimes I just don't know what to say. It would be a little impersonal to just say "Thanks for reading!" every time, right? But even if I don't reply, I do pay attention to what you say. Heck, Rong wouldn't even be alive unless one reviewer had spoken up and said they liked her. So, no matter what you say, good or bad, I love hearing it. I actually like being told I'm doing something wrong, which has happened, and I've happily gone and changed it. Even the ones that just say "Good job!" or "Yay!" or "Update!" mean a lot to me. All of them do. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed up to this point; for taking the time to, since I know you don't have to. Reviews are a privilege, not a right, and I feel very privileged to have readers like all of you.
And to those who have added this story to your favorites and/or alerts, thank you as well. That means just as much to me as the reviews. I'm not exactly sure how many stories can fit into each slot, but I don't think it's unlimited, so I'm honored that some of you have added me to your lists (I would be even if it was unlimited).
Really, I appreciate everything you do when it comes to this fic. I'm really sorry and rather embarrassed that I haven't said anything at length about this sooner. I look forward to finishing this story and hopefully giving you an ending everyone can be happy with.
Oh, and the short story I did for one of my finals is on my deviantart account. I ended up having to use Ren and Pin-Mei because the story was due in about 12 hours, and I still hadn't started any of the ten pages I was supposed to be writing. It made it easier, at least. I don't think it counts as fanfiction, so that's why I didn't post it here.
Notes: Yukari Tamura is the voice I've chosen for Xue, due to her incredible range and ability to go from childish to serious almost instantly. She has played Rika Furude in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Mai Kawasumi in Kanon, and Mei Sunohara in Clannad, just to name a few. I chose Kappei Yamaguchi to play Seta, who is best known as Shinichi Kudo from Detective Conan.
In Japan, girls will sometimes refer to themselves in third person in order to sound childish or cute.
A Gift of Love – Chapter Seventy-Nine: A Warm Welcome
Ren stared at him, his eyes wide.
"J...Join you?"
"That's right," Tadashi said with a nod, his arm still outstretched. "Hao-sama wants you to join him and lend him your power to help create a new world...Just for shamans."
"Just for shamans..." Ren whispered.
"That's right. No humans to persecute you or harass you for being true to your family's heritage and tradition. That incident with Suōshǐ? Nothing like that would ever happen again. Lien would be safe from all that. Ren, she could be truly happy in Hao-sama's world."
Ren looked away. "No. I won't let you pin me like this. My father and HoroHoro and Yoh and everyone else sacrificed so much in order to defeat Hao and save humanity. I won't make that all be for nothing. I won't forget their pain and suffering. I refuse to." He cringed as another scream came from his twin.
"So, you'd rather listen to your only sister scream in terror?"
He squeezed his eyes shut. "She would want that. She wouldn't ignore what our father did."
"Nii...Niisama...help me...it hurts so much..."
He turned to her. "HOLD ON, LIEN! I'LL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT!" he yelled as loud as he could, hoping she would hear him.
She twitched. "O...kay..." Slowly, she wrapped her arms around her body, embracing herself, presumably as a comfort mechanism.
Tadashi raised his eyebrows. "Huh! How about that! She heard you!" He gave a few mocking claps, then smirked again. "You know, with just one glance, I can make her dream whatever I want."
Ren glared at him. "You mean you can torment her as much as you like!"
He shook his head. "No. I can weave pleasant dreams as well. Success, love, fame, passion, happiness...I can make her dreams come true, Ren. I can fulfill any wish she has. Once she's under my spell, I can do anything I want to her.
"Wouldn't you like her to dream of her art being treated like masterpieces? Being displayed in museums and earning the respect and admiration of people around the world? What about being popular at school? Having a crowd of people around her desk each morning, offering to hang out with her? Wouldn't you like her to be happy?...To dream of you loving her like she wants?"
Ren looked away from him, guilt apparent on his face.
"Tada-Darling," Suo called over. "It's still a bit rainy out here, so I'm going back under the umbrella. Let me know when you're done."
Her 'son' turned to her. "Alright, Kaasan. Feel free to take a nap. I'll try to get this over with soon."
Ren stared at them. "You know she isn't your real mother."
Tadashi turned back to him. "Believe what you want. She's all I need in a mother. Just like I thought Lien was all I needed in a wife." He gave a low chuckle. "Her happiness is in my hands, Ren. And despite how touching it is that she's dreaming of you..."
He glanced at her once more as his eyes flashed. Her body tensed, then started shaking.
"What...what are you doing...no...not again...no, please don't..."
Ren snapped his head over to glare at him. "You bastard...playing with her like that!" He raised a fist, but Tadashi shook a finger at him.
"Uh-uh-uh...I don't advise that, Ren. I'm prone to concussions, and who knows what will happen to Lien during that time?"
Reluctantly, he obeyed, choosing to instead glare at him with angry yellow eyes. "You said you loved her, but if you had ever truly cared about her, you wouldn't be causing her so much pain!"
Tadashi chortled with a knowing grin. "I may have started the pain, but you can end it. All you have to do..." He stretched out his arm again. "...is take my hand. It really is that simple."
Ren shut his eyes as the war of conflicting feelings raged on inside him. This had to be the worst night of his life. Never before had he felt so confused, so unsure, so...weak.
Finally, he looked up at him. "You mean it? The minute I agree, you'll free Lien?"
"Of course," the pusher said with a fleer. "I'm a man of my word. The absolute second you agree and take my hand, she'll wake up. Of course, when you do that, you'll immediately become a loyal servant of Hao-sama. His will becomes yours. Your powers are to his benefit. Not a single thought of betrayal will enter your mind. You will give your life in order to fulfill his noble wish of wanting to create an Eden for shamans. In return for your services, you will gain immeasurable power. You'll learn more than that outdated Chou Senji Ryakketsu could ever teach you; enough to surpass even your father."
"And what about my family?"
Tadashi smiled. "With you out of the way, I'll take care of Lien and bring her happiness, that I can promise. I'll take care of her until she dies. What happens to the rest of your family depends on how well they cooperate with Hao-sama."
Ren's fists clenched. If he wanted to save Lien, he would have to become a pawn of the very demon his father loathed. He, himself, would gain nothing that would benefit him in the way he liked.
Maybe I can get him to rethink his loyalty to Hao. It was a long shot, but he was desperate. "Why did you join him, Tadashi? What's in it for you? How are you benefiting from anything by giving up your free will to someone who only sees you as his tool?"
The tool smirked. "What am I gaining? I thought it was obvious." He held up his hand, making it into a fist. "I have more power than I know what to do with. I finally have a mother figure I can look up to. He was kind enough to allow me to live here with you and Lien for as long as I did, allowed me to feel love and happiness again. Most of all, he's given me a second chance. He's allowing me to fulfill my selfish wish to get revenge.
"He knows our pain, Ren. He knows what it's like to be scorned and despised by humans. Even to me, he can pity and show sympathy. He knows what it's like growing up without a mother. Your family can't see it, but Hao-sama is our savior."
"All of that is in your mind. He's a master in that he can make you believe almost anything he says," Ren said in a low voice. "Once you're no longer deemed useful to him, he'll kill you, leave your body to rot in a ditch somewhere without so much as a proper burial."
"I have confidence that if he killed me, he would be respectful enough to cremate my corpse."
"You're so blind!"
"At least I'm not a foolish idiot like you. Personally, I can't understand why you wouldn't want to side with Hao-sama. I mean, you've been told all about his background and such, right?"
"What are you getting at?"
"He's a twin, just like you, Ren. The eldest of the two, no less. Don't you feel a connection to him? He can feel for you, as well."
"He knows nothing about being an older brother, what a big responsibility it is on top of being the heir to such a powerful family. Hao threw those things away when he chose the path of death and destruction."
"But he also chose power, right? I think that in this corrupt world, power is all that matters."
Ren stared at the ground. That conversation had gotten him nowhere. His friend was utterly committed to Hao's cause, as if he honestly believed in it. He was back where he started; his dilemma was still there. He still had to choose between betraying his family or continuing to allow his sister to be tormented by a chimerical hell.
"This is a limited time offer, Ren. If you don't accept, I can't guarantee that Lien's nightmares won't get worse." Even just by shifting his eyes, he instantly made the nightmare become intense.
Ren wanted to cover his ears as his sister let out more blood curdling screams at the boorish, lustfully evil version of himself. Her cries were becoming more than he could bear. Once the screams dropped in volume, Tadashi reached out to him once again.
"It doesn't seem like she'll last much longer. She may lose her sanity soon if those nightmares don't subside. It's your decision."
Ren swore he could feel his own sanity slipping away. Now, it seemed as though he had to make his decision. He closed his eyes.
Father...I've stalled as long as I could. I was hoping you would be here by now to help us. I'm sorry. But I can't watch Lien suffer anymore. Hopefully, you'll arrive soon so you can kill me before Hao makes me do anything destructive.
Tadashi moved his hand to prod him. "Well?"
Ren was seemingly kicking at the ground, a pile of mud forming at his feet. The dealer squinted his eyes at it. Was this an action of deep thought?
"Ten seconds to decide..."
Ren looked up. My life ends here.
"Three seconds..."
He lifted his hand. "I acc-"
"T...Tadashi...kun..."
The two boys froze, Ren's hand mere inches above Tadashi's. But Meihou dropped his hand, his eyes wide with surprise. He walked over and knelt down next to Lien's body. She was sobbing, still murmuring to herself.
"Please...help me...I...I need you..."
He looked nervous for a moment, then scoffed at her. "What an idiot. It's like she doesn't remember that I'm the one who put her in that state." He stood up and turned away from her.
"You...promised you would hold me...and let me cry if I needed to...You promised to pick up the pieces...You promised..."
Tadashi's eyes were wide as he stared at the ground. He obviously hadn't expected to have a role in her dreams, especially not to be called out to for help. He was the enemy now. He wasn't the same person who had offered that help. She couldn't count on him to comfort her anymore.
I don't understand! How can she still want me when I've betrayed her? Is she really that stupid?
"See how much you meant to her?"
Tadashi looked up see Ren staring at him with hardened eyes.
"Even though you've hurt her so much, she still believes that the real you is in there."
He began to look agitated. "You're wrong! You're both wrong! THIS IS THE REAL ME! This is who I was supposed to come here as! Not as some hopeless romantic who saw himself as some Prince Charming or a knight in shining armor!"
"But that doesn't mean that the real you is this angry, vengeful person," Ren said as he took a step forward. "I think Hao distilled that in you. I think you really ARE that heroic prince that did his best to treat the girl he cared about like a princess. As disgusting as I initially felt about it, Lien was happy when you were like that. You hear me? SHE WAS HAPPY WITH THE WAY YOU WERE!"
"No! You're wrong! You don't know anything about what I was like before I met you and Lien! YOU'RE WRONG!"
"Am I? Then where did that personality come from? I understand that this past girlfriend of yours may have treated you badly, but she must have been initially attracted to your personality. I think that personality is the one Lien and I saw."
The boy shook his head furiously, then stomped his foot. "NO! STOP IT! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"
Ren shrugged. "I may not know what it's like to have my heart broken, but I'm confident about one thing."
Tadashi looked up at him nervously.
"If you had waited until after I turned Lien down, I know she would have eventually returned your feelings. I guarantee that by the time her hair had grown back, she would have told you she loved you."
"Sh...shut up...You don't know that for sure!"
Ren grinned. "She's my sister. My twin. I know everything about her. More than my parents do. More than she herself knows sometimes. I'm confident in what I'm saying."
Tadashi wrapped his arms around his head, covering his ears. "Just SHUT UP! You're trying to trick me!"
Ren shrugged again. "I'd say 'Ask her yourself,' but after this, she may not respond the same way. Even though the other person who wants her affection is my best friend, I can't choose for her. I honestly think she could have learned to love you, Tadashi, if you had just waited."
"That's...That's...NO! I'm not letting you trick me!"
"If I could...I'd love you with all my heart and soul and make your loneliness go away..."
He froze. That was what she had said to him, even after he had made the mistake of reminding her of what Suōshǐ had tried to do to her. Was that the truth? Had she meant that?
He let his arms drop and hang at his sides as he slowly looked over at Lien. Ren followed his gaze.
She had stopped squirming around, now seemingly in a peaceful slumber. Tadashi turned away for a few moments, seemingly thinking. He looked at the girl from over his shoulder, his eyes sad.
After glancing at him, Ren turned his attention back to his sister. Sure enough, her eyes opened, and she slowly sat up.
"Eww...I got mud in my mouth..." she whined, sticking her tongue out. She blinked as her brother ran over and knelt down next to her, hugging her close to him. "Niisama? What's this for?"
"It's nothing," he whispered. "Don't worry about it."
"I...I had a dream..."
"Forget about it...it wasn't real, so it can't hurt you..."
"No, it wasn't that. It was a good dream."
He stopped. "A...good dream?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I dreamed that we were sitting on a blanket, for a picnic, then Seta and Xue came...and Tadashi came, too. We were all smiling and laughing. Tadashi fit right in, like he'd known Xue and Seta for years. It made me so happy." She looked up, her smile fading as she saw him before her. "Tadashi…"
Ren shook his head, telling her before she asked that no, he still wasn't the knight she knew. Lien bowed her head, biting her lip in an attempt to control her emotions.
"That name…"
She looked up at Tadashi again. "What?"
He stood mere feet from her with crazed eyes and bleeding fists. "That name…I hate hearing it."
She clutched her brother's arm. "W-Which one?"
Ren pulled her up and moved her behind him. "I think he's finally snapped." Dammit…I thought I was finally getting through to him. What the hell did Lien say that got to him so much? He took a step back, only to have the disturbed youth take a step closer.
"Don't ever say it again…" he said in a dark voice.
"But what is it? What did I say?"
Ren pushed her back as Tadashi slowly raised a red glowing fist above his head.
"Now's REALLY not the time, Lien!"
"I'll kill her, I swear it. I'll make sure she and her family suffer for what she did to me…" He opened the fist, his fingers bent almost like claws. A small flame appeared in it before he clenched it closed again.
Ren picked up his sister, holding her sideways in his arms. "This is REALLY bad."
"WITH HAO-SAMA'S POWER, I'LL CRUSH THEM ALL AND SEND THEM TO THE BURNING DEPTHS OF HELL!"
He swung the fist around as if he were holding a whip. Fire left his hands and flew to the outskirts of the clearing, trapping them inside.
Tadashi had a maniacal grin on his face. "See, Ren? I wasn't lying when I said I have more power than I know what to do with. It was a gift from Hao-sama – are you jealous?"
"You wish, you crazy bastard."
He frowned, then swiftly appeared in front of them. Before Ren could do anything, he was given a swift backhand to the cheek and sent to the ground, dropping Lien in the process. He had to prevent from howling as he held the cheek in pain.
"You feel that? It feels as if I just slapped you with a hot iron, ne? That's just one of the abilities Hao-sama bestowed upon me," he said with a sneered. "Don't worry, you'll get to see them all before I decide to kill you." He laughed.
"Niisama!" Lien cried as she got up to run to her brother, but she was grabbed by her hair and pulled back. She let out a cry, her eyes suddenly becoming frantic.
"Still too long, eh Lien?" he chortled in her ear. Her body was shaking uncontrollably, fearing a repeat of the events from the last time her hair pulled. "You're so easy. Easy to trick, easy to scare...easy to excite…" He used two fingers to trace her spine up towards her neck.
When his fingertips ran over the strap hidden under her shirt, she went completely stiff for a moment. Without warning, she let out a small scream and backfisted his nose. Tadashi clasped his hands over it, letting go of her, and she wasted no time in running to her brother. Ren slowly stood up, holding his cheek until Lien threw her arms around him. As he comforted her, he gave Tadashi a death glare.
"And here I thought Hao would teach you more honorable ways of tormenting people than that. You're disgusting."
The minion shrugged. "He taught me to play on people's fears. All I did was run a couple fingers up her back. The rest was her own doing." A smile of malicious satisfaction was on his face. "I guess I should be thanking Suōshǐ and his gang of flunkies. Because of them, I have plenty of ammunition to take Lien down with. Of course, Ren, if you just pledge your loyalty to Hao-sama, Lien will absolutely, without a doubt, be spared."
Ren shook his head. "Not a chance in hell. Hao would never spare anyone unless he knew he could use them, and I won't let him use my sister so he can realize his sick ideals. I can protect her myself."
Tadashi frowned. "Suit yourself. Just don't say I didn't give you a chance to save yourselves."
Ren looked behind him as he felt the barrier of fire die down. He looked at his former friend, who was now smirking.
"I feel like playing a game," the boy said, amusing himself by watching the sparks that flew every time he snapped his fingers. He finally looked up at them. "I've changed the location of the firewall so you can run around the trees like the vermin that you are. I'll give you some time to hide and come up with a plan, but not too long. Then I'll come find you. Whoever doesn't die wins. Sound like fun?"
Like a fucking barrel of monkeys, Ren thought. He looked down at Lien, who had attached herself to his arm, still shaking. He looked around. I have to get Lien out of here.
"Oh, I hope those horses weren't expensive, because I accidentally made them the guideline for the barrier. They're kind of dead now."
Well, there goes that plan.
"Go on, run into the woods like scared little mice. I'll come find you soon enough." He flopped a hand in front of him, fingertips pointed at the ground, and waved them off. "Go have fun, you two. Go on." When they didn't move, he turned his hand palm up, a small fire engulfing it. "I know what you need..."
Damn it...
"You two just need a little motivation, that's all!" He pulled back and pitched the fireball at them.
Ren grabbed his sister and hit the ground, allowing the fiery attack to whiz above them. Once he knew they had cleared it, He hurried to his feet, taking Lien and shoving her in front of him.
"Run!" he commanded. She nodded and dashed into the woods, refusing to let go of his hand. There were times when she would slow down, only to have him urge her on.
Ren soon looked over her head and saw a large rock. Per his instructions, Lien stopped there, bending over and touching her knees as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Of course, being so worked up didn't help. She whimpered and crouched down, hugging her knees and wiping her eyes.
"Why is Tadashi doing this, Niisama?"
He lowered his head. "I don't know. But we can't hold back against him, Lien. We'll die if we do."
She looked over her shoulder at him. "What does that mean?"
"I may have to kill him if we all want to survive."
Her eyes widened as she quickly stood and began pounding his chest. "NO! Please don't, Niisama! Please don't! He's not himself! The real Tadashi wouldn't do this to us! We can't just kill him – then we'll never see the real one ever again if we do that!"
Her brother's wet bangs were covering his eyes. "Father never went into detail about Hao with you, did he?"
She stopped, becoming hesitant. "He...told me that he was evil, and related to Yoh...and that if he hadn't helped kill him, we probably wouldn't be here."
Her brother scoffed at her words. "He really has gone soft, using such a vague description..."
She looked uneasy. "W-Why? What's he really like?"
Ren looked at the ground. "He's the type of person who finds Hell 'boring'. Someone who can pretend to have empathy for others, but ultimately only cares about himself. He has no respect for human lives; killing means nothing to him. As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care about the methods. Even…Father admitted that there were times when he was afraid, though he never made it apparent to anyone else." He looked up at her. "He had a massive amount of furyoku, Lien. And if he were to be resurrected now, I'm not sure if we'd be able to defeat him."
"But what about Papa? Can't he-?"
"I meant even with Father. We'd have to round up all five of the elemental spirits to have a chance."
Her eyes widened in horror. The prospect that there was someone who her father couldn't beat was unfathomable. All she could do was sit against the rock and stare at the ground. Her twin soon joined her, and there was silence.
"Oh Tao twiiiiiiiiiins! Where arrrrrrrrrrrre yoooooou?"
They both tensed. Tadashi had already started his hunt, and they were still without a plan.
"What are we going to do, Niisama?" she whispered frantically, shaking his arm.
Ren just stared at the ground for a few more moments. Then, he reached into his pants and pulled out an Ace bandage. She blinked at it curiously.
"Niisama? What's that fo—"
"Take off your shirt."
She recoiled, crossing her arms over her torso. "W-WHAT? N-Niisama, how can you think about that right now?.!"
He frowned at her. "How can YOU think of that?" He held up the bandage. "I'm going to bind your chest."
She blinked at him. "W-Why are you going to do that?"
"We're going to use our appearance to our advantage. It's dark, so he won't be able to tell the minor details between us."
"Minor…meaning you have pieces that I don't?"
"I'm serious. He won't be able to discriminate who's who unless we stand beside each other. Trust me on this. We don't have many other choices here. This might be our best bet. If we can just incapacitate him, I bet the firewall will disappear, and we can escape. I know you don't feel comfortable doing this, but I wouldn't ask you to unless I believed that it was necessary for the both of us to survive."
She looked away from him, her face red. "But I…I don't want you to see me…"
He sighed in frustration. "Listen, take it off or I'm ripping it off. I'm not going to let either of us die because you're self-conscious. I can hardly see you anyway."
"Still, can I do it myself?"
"No. You won't be able to tighten it enough for it to make a noticeable difference since you'd be doing it on your own body, so I have to do it." His eyes softened. "I won't touch you or do anything other than put the bandage around you. I promise. I won't hurt you."
She looked fearful, then slowly lowered her arms. "Just do it quickly," she said softly.
"Hn, not like I have a choice."
"Olly olly oxen free!"
Lien froze, looking in the direction of the voice, then at her brother. She quickly turned and began undoing the fasteners that kept her white top closed, folding it and placing it on her lap. No sooner had she unhooked her brassiere was Ren in front of her, slipping the bandage under the nylon fabric so it could cover her before he had the chance to see anything. He threw it off when it impeded his operation, and she was slightly stunned by how fast and artful his hands were as he moved it behind her neck every so often like a halter. He finally tugged on it, tightening it before settling the strap on her waist.
"Can you breathe well?" he asked. She nodded, and he pinned it in place. Then he produced some medical tape and taped it to her skin in order to make sure it wouldn't come undone. "There, that should do for now."
She touched her chest, amazed by how well her curves were hidden. "How did you know to put it behind my neck?"
"Sheng walked into the bathroom once while I was getting ready, probably about to take a shower, since her shirt was already off. I found out then."
"I never heard about this…"
"I think she was too embarrassed, since she apologized and then quietly left."
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
The twins looked at each other again.
"Are you ready, Lien?"
She hesitated, then lunged and hugged him. "I'm scared," she whispered.
He wrapped his arms around her, patting her head. "We're not going to die in this place. We're going to die many, many years from now, surrounded by our children and grandchildren. Father will be here soon and make short work of Suo, then maybe we can try to save Tadashi."
She blinked at him. "Suo?"
"Our not-so-great grandmother; the one Tadashi thinks is his mother."
"Mama never talked about her..."
"She has her reasons. Suo is someone Mother killed a long time ago, before either of us were born. We have to stay away from her. She's more dangerous than Tadashi." He grabbed her shoulders. "Promise me that if she says ANYTHING to you, you won't listen to her, okay? Whatever she says, she's lying." Lien nodded dumbly. He let go of her shoulders and grasped her hand. "Let's go."
He pulled her to the right, going around the clearing in an attempt to get behind their foe. Lien crouched in the bushes as Ren peered through the leaves. He was glad that his tongari had been felled by the rain, seeing as how he now didn't have to worry about it giving away their position in a Jaws-like fashion.
Where is he? He turned to his sister. "I'm going to take Bason and sneak around to that side." He pointed across the clearing. "When I give the signal, I want you to charge in using the seventh form, alright?"
She looked petrified. "But I…I can't do this on my own…"
He gave her left cheek a harsh tap. "Get a hold of yourself. If anything goes wrong, I'll rush in with Bason and save you. Tadashi won't be able to compete with an over soul."
Her eyes lowered. "I don't want him to get hurt."
"I don't want you to get hurt. I'm not concerned about Tadashi right now. All that matters to me is staying alive and getting out of here. For now, trust me and just do what I tell you. You have to put some faith in this, Lien, or we're not going to succeed. Just trust me, okay?"
She stared at him, as if to say, "…After what you did?" Despite this, she nodded.
"Thank you. Now, just stay here."
He got up and started creeping away. She watched him go around the edge of the clearing, hidden by trees and bushes until he was opposite her. Their eyes met, and he nodded at her, then mouthed, "Wait." Lien nodded, shivering. It was only sprinkling now, hence why Tadashi's fire was able to keep itself from burning out.
Finally, Tadashi emerged from behind the trees, disgruntled. "Darn...Where'd they go? I wasn't planning on looking for them this much."
Ren looked at his spirit out of the corner of his eye. "Alright, Bason - Hyoi Gattai." He kept his weapon low, trying to prevent the shine from being noticeable.
Tadashi spit at the ground. "This sucks...Hm?" He looked up to see a shadow in the air, quickly descending toward him. He leaped out of the way as Ren's oversouled Kwan Dao stabbed the ground. He grinned, thrilled that his prey had come out of hiding. "Wohoho! Looks like somebody's about to get serious!"
Ren silently looked past him at his sister, who slowly nodded. He suddenly vanished from Tadashi's sight. The boy turned, only to get a kick in the jaw that knocked him to the ground. He slowly got up, wiping the mud from his face.
"You're a fast one aren't you, Ren?" he murmured, an annoyed smile on his lips. Yellow eyes appeared in front of him just as a blade cut across his chest. Before he could retaliate, his head was trapped between a pair of legs, then hurled him forward, slamming him face-down in the mud.
Lien clutched the Kwan Dao tightly as she inched over to her brother, who was in the middle of standing up after his attack. They stood still for a moment, but when Tadashi's body started moving again, Ren took the weapon and motioned for her to hide so they could continue their assault.
"Don't bother sending her away, Ren. I know it's the both of you."
The twins tensed as he slowly stood. When he looked up at them, his red eyes were practically glowing. He grinned at them.
"It seems the two of you want to play a little. Hide and seek wasn't good enough for you, eh? You want a more exciting game? Don't worry, I have one. I vote we play a little 'matanage'."
Ren could feel Lien's eyes watching him in confusion. She obviously didn't know what he was talking about. He readied himself.
"Dodgeball? What are you – seven?"
Tadashi ignored him. "I'll be the Oni first." He opened his right hand, a ball of fire appearing in it. "Game on," he said with a sneer before pitching spherical flame at the young scion.
Ren hopped to the right, avoiding it. But when his opponent's devilish grin didn't diminish, he slowly looked over his shoulder just before the attack struck him in the back. He let out a hoarse cry as he fell to the ground, twitching in pain. He gasped and flipped himself onto his back, allowing it to touch the mud.
"Niisama!"
Tadashi snapped his head over to the bushes, readying another ball. "Oh, Lien...Come out, sweetheart, and join the fun." He tossed it at her hiding place, watching the leaves disintegrate. His smile faded. "Where'd she go?"
Some mud was flung at him, hitting his eyes and blinding him. Lien ran and leaped at him, landing a hard kick to his solars. The blow sent him onto his back, and she used the opportunity to do some rapid stomps on his midsection before bouncing off and running to her brother. Ren used his Kwan Dao to pull himself up as she approached him.
"Niisama, is your back okay?" she asked fearfully.
"I'm fine," he replied in a gruff voice. "The mud was able to cool it off a little."
She glanced at his back, the glow from his oversoul allowing her to faintly see the welts that were developing. I wish Mama were here so she could heal Niisama. Even if he won't admit it, I can still tell it hurts.
"Damn twins..."
They looked to see Tadashi standing up, seething with anger. The mud melted off his blazer as he wiped some off his face, shaking his hand to quickly rid himself of the grimy substance. He glared at them, his eyes glowing.
"So that's how you wanna play, huh?" he said darkly. "Well, then, I won't hold back against you parasites anymore. I can't have you beating me in front of Kaasan. And to think I was going to spare you, Lien. Now you can die like the bitch you are along with your brother." He laughed as flames formed in his hands. They traveled up his arms and engulfed his body, making it impossible for the twins to see him.
Lien's eyes widened. "Tadashi!" She tried to run to him, but Ren held her back.
"Don't. He's not playing around anymore, Lien. If you get in his way now, he'll kill you."
She shook herself from his grasp. "No he won't! Tadashi's in there – I know it!" She defiantly ran toward the growing flame, hope in her eyes. "Tadashi! Are you in there? Tada-!"
A hand reached out from within the fire and backhanded her into the mud. Ren grit his teeth as the flames seemed to be carried away by the wind, exposing the cursed boy to him.
Tadashi looked at a puddle as lightning flashed, his reflection staring back at him. "So this is what I would have looked like," he said quietly. He opened his hand. The flames that came from it were brighter than before; so hot that Ren swore he could feel them from how far away he was. But he couldn't allow it to phase him.
"You bastard...Don't you dare touch my sister like that!" the heir yelled at him. He readied his Kwan Dao and charged at him.
Tadashi gently blew on the small inferno in his hand. The blaze flew toward the scion, swirling around him before subduing him, leaving him to taste the ground once again. Slushing sounds could be heard from behind him, and Tadashi smirked as a flared barrier appeared, preventing Lien from executing another surprise attack. He quickly grabbed her by the neck and pulled her in front of him. She defiantly tried to shake free from him, but her efforts proved useless.
"Well, well, well...What's this? Have I caught a little Tao in my grasp? Aww, how horribly cute." He sneered at her, bringing his face close to hers.
It wasn't until then that noticed how different he looked. His baby face had given way to a more mature one. He had grown a few inches. He didn't look like he belonged in a high school classroom.
"Tadashi? What happened to you?"
He pulled away, laughing. "Thanks to Hao-sama, I can have the body I would've had if I were still alive."
Her eyes widened. "Still alive...? B-But you are alive! You can talk to me, you can hear me, you...you even kissed me! You ARE alive!"
He scoffed at her. "I mean if I had been living up until now. If I hadn't lost those precious years of my life thanks to her." He grinned, then touched her chin. "I quite like it. Do you? Do I turn you on, Lien? How does it make you feel to know that someone five years older than you is intrigued by you, hm?"
Without waiting for a reply, he kissed her. Her eyes widened again, almost happily, but then the light they possessed faded away. She was like a drone once again.
"Dammit, Tadashi! What did you do to her?" Ren cried, trying to get up.
The man blew on his finger, sending small rings of fire at him. Ren's limbs were bound to the ground. When he struggled, his wrists and ankles were burned by the charring shackles.
"That's better. Now, just be quiet. I have some business with Lien. I still need her to bring back Hao-sama, you know," Tadashi said calmly.
"What the hell do you need her for?"
"Oh, you'll see, you'll see." He turned back to the doll in his arms. "That's right, you need to finish your prayer, Lien. The parts you chanted before you were so rudely interrupted freed some of Hao-sama's power. Soon, he'll be able to break free of the prison the Great Spirits put him in after trying to lure your mother all those years ago. But you'll help me, won't you, Lien?"
She leaned against him, a brainwashed smile on her face. "Of course, Tadashi..."
He cocked his head at her in a teasing fashion. "Tadashi...?"
"...kun...Tadashi-kun..." she whispered.
He smirked. "That's right." He looked up at Ren. "You know, there's just something about her I can't ignore, Ren. I can't understand why you wouldn't just accept her feelings. She's so adorable when she's my little doll, don't you think?"
Ren just glared at him, helpless to save his twin.
"Don't worry. Despite what I said, I've decided to spare her. I just can't let go of the cute little virgin." He stroked her hair, a devilish look in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. She'll forget all about you and your family." When Ren didn't reply, he looked down at young heiress. "Well, then. No use in wasting time. Lien, why don't you go back over there and-"
"HELLOOOOOOOOO!"
Ren saw Tadashi tense, his eyes becoming small.
"Hola! Bonjour! Guten tag! Szervusz! Konnichiwa! Nihaooooo!"
He turned slowly as skipping could be heard from the edge of the woods.
"And now, the moment you've been waiting for-"
His eyes hardened.
"Usui Xue is here! Yay!"
Xue jumped, making a victory sign with her fingers. She giggled, then pouted when no one seemed particularly happy to see her.
"What's up with you guys? Xue came all the way to see you, and you can't even say hello," she said in a hurt voice. She looked around, then her face lit up. "OhEmGees! Tadashi! Xue hasn't seen you in, like, forever! OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh!"
He forced a smile at her. "Yeah. Four years."
"Xue was so sad when you moved away! Xue missed you so much! Xue tried to send you letters, but you never wrote back!" she cried.
The smile broke. Tadashi eyed her with rage. "Moved away?"
She nodded. "Yeah-huh! Mommy and Daddy said that you moved away without telling Xue where you were going." She smiled. "But you're here now! Now we can be friends again! Yay!"
She giggled and ran to him, most likely for a glomp. Tadashi released Lien, telling her to stay there, and opened his arms to receive her.
When she was close enough, he landed a swift kick to her stomach, sending her backwards, near where Ren was. She lay on the ground for a few moments, motionless, before sitting up. She was silent.
Ren stared at her. What the hell is she doing here? And how do they even know each other?
He heard a few sniffles. Xue whimpered, then began bawling like a toddler that had just bumped its head on a table. Tadashi just stared at her, seemingly dumbfounded.
"Th-That was mean! Why did you kick Xue like that? What did Xue do?" she howled.
Tadashi's rage returned. He marched over to her, his eyes fierce. Ren fidgeted, then winced in pain from his bindings.
"Tadashi, leave her alone. She has nothing to do with this! She's too naïve to know what's going on!"
The minion glared at him, then kicked mud in his face. "Shut up, rapist. You have no idea just how involved this bitch is in all of this."
Xue was covering her ears. "Grown-up words! Xue can't hear them! Lalala..."
Tadashi turned to her and punched her nose, then grabbed her blue bangs, using them to yank her head back as he knelt down to her level. She whimpered again.
"Owwww! You're hurting Xue!"
He seethed, yanking her head back again. "You think this is a game, you little whore? You honestly think you can act like a toddler, saying your name over and over again? I bet you think you're cute, don't you?"
She opened one eye to look at him. "Daddy says Xue's very cute..."
"Cut the shit, Xue! I know this is just an act! You know what happened four years ago! What you did to me!" he yelled.
She was shaking. "W-What did Xue do? Did Xue make Tadashi leave? Is that why you never played with Xue again?"
"Why you little-!"
"It's not an act, Tadashi."
Tadashi stopped, then looked at Ren. "What do you mean? She was never like this when I was with her!"
"She suddenly started acting like this a few years ago. I can't remember when exactly, or why," Ren continued. "Her parents were stunned. We all were. This is who Xue is now. She's like a naïve five year-old. She honestly doesn't understand why you're so angry."
Furious, Tadashi looked at Xue. "So, you've forgotten all of it, hm? Forgotten what you did to me? Forgotten all ways you made me suffer?"
The girl was still crying. "Xu-Xue's really sorry...Please don't be mad...Xue missed you so much!"
Her attacker spit in her face. "You're such a miserable, pathetic wretch. No matter." He released her hair, his hand sliding down to cover her eyes. "I'll just make you remember it all."
June 14, 2021
"...And so then she says, 'I think we should go get promise rings to prove how much we love each other!' Give me a break. I dumped her the next day."
The circle of boys laughed.
"God, Zegen. That girl didn't last long. What was that, a week?"
"Yeah. I have to move on. Set my sights on a new girl."
"Did you at least have sex with her?"
"'Course I did. Girls these days are so easy. Just a promise that you'll always be there for them, and they become your lap dog."
There was a sigh. The three boys, Zegen, Himo, and Gyuu, looked down the table to see Tadashi poking at his rice. They looked at each other, then at him.
"Dude, Tadashi, why don't you take the floor and tell us about the girl you were with a few days ago?" Gyuu suggested.
Tadashi glanced at them, then put down his chopsticks. "Sashi and I went to the movies. Saw a boring one. Went out to eat. I paid. Went to my house, fooled around, then I dumped her yesterday." He seemed bored.
The guys gave him a thumbs up. "Nice going, Tadashi!" Himo cheered. "That girl was stacked! You HAD to have fucked her, right?"
Silence.
"Right?"
He glared at them. "Shut the hell up."
They blinked. "Dude...you're saying you didn't?"
"No. I'm not as much of a douche bag as you guys."
They frowned. It was always like this.
"Tadashi, man," Zegen said, putting his arm around his friend. "You gotta understand that women were made to have sex with. They're here for us to enjoy. And we're here to give them a purpose and to make sure there's more of them in the years to come. It's just the way the world works."
"Uh-Huh..." the boy sighed, turning back to his food.
This was his group of friends – a team of play boys who would go out with girls, or rather, go through them, like they were toilet paper, and they seemed to think of them as such. In the beginning, it had been fun. But gradually, Tadashi was finding less and less enjoyment out of these temporary companions. He suddenly found himself wanting a real relationship; someone he could connect with, someone he could love.
Suddenly, he was choosing girls that weren't as popular or preppy as the ones his cohorts were. Girls who were proving Zegen wrong. Girls who actually seemed to value their bodies. He was the only virgin in the group at this point, but it wasn't something he necessarily regretted. In fact, it was because of these girls that he was becoming bored with using people, breaking their hearts. The ones that cried when things got too intense, who were honest about not feeling ready to be touched by him. Now, he just wanted to end the vicious cycle that he had gotten himself into.
"Tadashi...You were with that Sashi girl for a while. What was it, three weeks? Come on, man. Don't tell me you're getting attached."
He sighed. "I'm not."
Zegen grinned. "Dude, just find a new girl. I'll help this time. We'll find a babe good enough for you, promise."
"Oh, you're too kind."
As they walked out toward the gates some hours later, there was a cry from behind them.
"STOP RIGHT THERE YOU BASTARDS!"
The four boys turned around just as Zegen got a shoe to the face. He was knocked backward onto the cement as his friends stared at his attacker.
"You assholes have a lot of nerve, using girls like they're your play toys. Show some respect, why don't you?"
Tadashi's eyes widened. It wasn't a boy that had knocked his comrade to the ground, but a girl. Her dark eyes glared at them, her short blue hair blew with the wind, her bangs momentarily in her eyes. Squinting, he thought he could see some black hair hidden on the bottom half of her head. She stomped over to him and grabbed his collar.
"Are you Zegen?" she demanded.
Tadashi shook his head. "N-No...the guy you just kicked is."
She released him. "Well, that starts things off right." She shooed Himo and Gyuu away from her target and sat on his chest. "You've got a lot of nerve, thoughtlessly taking Chuuko's virginity like that, you scum."
"What's it to you?" the boy snapped at her.
She grabbed his forehead and slammed his head on the ground. "It's everything to me. It's everything to all the girls you've used up until now. I usually don't do anything, but when you fuck my best friend and leave her only days later, it becomes my business. Men like you make me sick."
Tadashi heard some crying and looked behind him to see the girl in question being consoled by a few other female students. He looked at the girl who was preying on her ex-boyfriend. He hadn't noticed her before. No one had ever confronted them about their lustful ways.
The girl glared at Zegen. "Now, you listen, and you listen GOOD. You men owe us women more than we owe you. We suffered through life as lesser beings, your slaves. We're the ones who carry your children, who go through the pain of childbirth, who take care of the children, sacrificing our youth in the process. Your pain can't possibly compare to ours. Yeah, we need you to get the process started, but I can't see why anyone would want a chauvinist pig like you. Nothing would make me happier than to rid the gene pool of all the indecent, insupportable assholes of the world. " She got off him and beckoned her friend over. "Now, apologize to Chuuko for using her, and robbing her of something she told me was supposed to be for that one guy she feels a real connection with. SAY IT!"
By now, the boy was petrified. "I-I'M SORRY CHUUKO - I'M REALLY SORRY!"
The girl smirked. "Good. Now, treat women with respect from now on." She smiled innocently and cocked her head. "'Kay?" She turned away, putting her arm around her friend as they walked back toward the group of girls.
Tadashi watched her intently. This girl had reduced his pimp of a friend to tears. What was she? He flinched as she stopped and studied him.
"Sashi said that you broke up with her; is she correct?" she said finally.
He tensed. Was he going to get a beating, too? "Y-Yeah...I...I did..."
To his surprise, she gave him a half-smile. "She said you were nice about it, that you said you'd still be there if she needed you. Thanks. She really needs someone to lean on." With that, she went on her way, rubbing Chuuko's back.
He stared after her. "Who was that...?"
"Oh, that was Xue. Usui Xue"
He whipped around to see a red-haired boy with a headband in his hair. "Her name is Xue...? But that sounds Chinese..."
"That's because she IS Chinese. Well, half anyway. Me too. Actually, she's my-"
"And the way she looks. She's an Ainu...but she's so popular, it seems like. Usually, Ainu get berated a lot."
"Well, yeah...But..."
"Man...Chinese AND an Ainu. What a mix. I wonder how her parents met..."
The boy raised his hand. "Um, Senpai..."
Tadashi touched his chin in thought. "I love exotic women..." he said whistfully.
His kohai gave up, sighing.
"Yo, Tadashi!" Himo called over. "Come help us with Zegen, alright?"
"Yeah, I'm coming." He looked behind him at the junior high student. "You know a lot about her?"
He nodded. "Yeah! Like I was trying to say, she's-"
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, kid," Meihou said. "You're going to tell me all about that Xue girl."
His friends walked over to him. "Tadashi, what the hell are you doing? We gotta get Zegen to the nurse!"
But he was just staring at the blue-haired girl in the distance.
"What's up, dude? Have you found your next girl?" Gyuu asked excitedly.
Tadashi smirked. "Yeah, I have."
The redhead went over to him. "What? Who?"
Tadashi leaned down and wrapped his arm around Seta's neck, pointing straight in front of him.
"Usui Xue, by the bonfire festival, you're going to be mine!"