School's back in session. Our first lesson is a review: Jezzy is made of update fail. Class dismissed.
It's so bad that the times when I feel like writing the most are the times when I should be either, a. paying attention in class, or b. sleeping. My mind is a cruel thing.
Notes: Xue talks awkwardly in the first part of this chapter since she's still just a toddler :3
Xue makes use of the fact that Hana's name means both "nose" and "flower", just in case you don't know those words.
Hana acts a lot different than how I first portrayed him due to Takei giving him a "bawww mommy and daddy didn't love me enough" personality/temperament.
A Gift of Love – Chapter Eighty-Seven: Fate and Time Are Never Kind
"Hey, Tamao!" HoroHoro called as he and Rong approached the Funbari Onsen.
The pink-haired woman waved to them gracefully, a large knife in her right hand. The couple looked slight worried, but remained calm as they reached the doorstep.
Rong and Tamao shook hands, it being their first meeting, and then the faux mother looked past them. "Where is your daughter?"
"Oh, she's right...Gah!" The Ainu looked around frantically for the toddler, but Rong grabbed him by the collar.
"You said you'd watch her while I carried the bags in, Aokun, and now you've lost her?!"
He whipped his head from side to side, then finally spotted her. "O-Oh! There she is! Hey, Snowflake!"
Xue peeked her head out from behind a fence. She smiled, then came running up to them dragging a bokken behind her. She looked very proud of herself.
"Look what Xue found!" she cried. She tried holding the bokken up vertically, but it tipped to the side and landed on her father's foot. When he gave a small yelp of pain, she cocked her head at him. "What's wong, Daddy?"
Rong gave him a hard slap on the back. "Daddy's just fine! Aren't you, Daddy?" She gave him a menacing grin.
"Y-Yeah," he whimpered, tears in his eyes. "I'm perfectly fine, Xue."
"Those be happy tears?" the little girl asked.
"Correctamundo!" Rong cried.
"Yay! Xue got it wight!" She danced.
After watching their skit, Tamao smiled. "How old is she?"
"Dis many!" the toddler cried, holding three fingers up. "But soon, Xue will be...DIS MANY!" She held up four fingers as dramatically as she could.
"Oh how exciting! You'll be a big girl then, won't you?"
"Yeah-huh!" She beamed.
The adults smiled at her before getting down to the reason they had come in the first place.
"Are those two still not back yet?" HoroHoro asked.
Tamao looked at the ground sadly and shook her head. "No. I haven't heard from them in a while, either. I hate to have to keep lying to Hana, but really, what else can I do?"
They were silent before Rong hit her left palm with her right fist. "Those two really pi-- er, make me mad!" she said glancing down at her daughter, careful of any new vocabulary she might learn. "I mean, leaving all the time for some unknown reason! Leaving their son here...Anna had to slap me so to make me come to my senses, and I'm beginning to think I should return the favor."
The other two adults looked at her nervously, the vision of a slapping contest forming in their minds.
"Nee, Daddyyy," Xue whined pulling on her father's arm. "You said dere'd be a new fwend for Xue here!"
He bent down to her level. "Of course there is, Snowflake. I bet he's in the backyard. Why don't you go find him?"
She threw her arms up. "Wai! Hide and seek! Hide and seek! Xue likes to play hide and seeeeek!" she cried as she ran around the corner.
Tamao watched her run. "Hana...he's become quite bitter and angry over his parents. I hope they get along well."
Rong waved her off. "I wouldn't worry too much. Xue's a sweetheart. She can wiggle her way into just about anyone's heart. She even gets a smile out of Ren every now and then."
"I hope so...It'd be nice for Hana to have a friend..."
Xue skipped along the side of the house, humming to herself. She abruptly stopped when she saw a boy about three years older than her sitting near the koi pond, hugging his knees. He stared into water, watching the few fish that dwelt in it swim about.
She studied him for a few moments. He looks so sad... But then she smiled brightly. She knew that her parents often went from gloomy to happy as long as she brought a bit of sunshine over. If she could brighten up their days, then she didn't see any reason why her charm wouldn't work on the boy in front of her. She giggled and ran over to him.
"Hiya!" she cried, jumping in front of him.
He flinched out of surprise, but then resumed his position. "Hi..." he grumbled.
She blinked. Her first try, and there had been next to no reaction from her target.
Xue will twy again!
"What's your name?" she asked leaning over him, her hands on his wrists.
He flailed to get her to let go, but she held on tight.
"What's your name?" she asked again.
"It's Hana – NOW LET GO!!"
She happily complied, then took a moment to digest the name. "Hana..." she said softly. She pointed to her nose. "Hana..."
The boy frowned.
She looked around, then picked a flower and looked it over. "Hana," she said thoughtfully, pointing at it.
He turned away from her. He hated the meanings of his name. It only showed him just how egotistical his parents were, simply meshing their names instead of picking out one with a stronger meaning.
Before he knew it, the flower was practically being stuffed up his nose. Xue was giggling innocently.
"Hana-Hana-Hana!"
He finally brushed the flower away and shoved her away before he started sneezing. The pollen had gotten up his nose, no doubt. Xue smiled and tossed the flower to the side.
"Hi, Hana! My name's Xue!" She smiled and cocked her head. "Let's be fwends, 'kay?"
"Not a chance. No way!"
She pouted her bottom lip. "Why not? Do...Do you hate Xue?"
He glowered at her. "You're annoying me. Get lost."
Xue looked at him in shock. She couldn't remember the last time someone had treated her like she was a bother. Adults, particularly the relatives in her tribe, had always seemed to enjoy her company. The boy's dismissive attitude was eating away at her resolve. Not wanting to fail at her duty, she frantically tried to come up with another plan.
"N-Ne, Hana," she said with a shaky smile, "let's go play a ga--"
The boy finally stood up, his hands clenched and his teeth grit in rage. "What, are you stupid or something?! I told you to get lost!"
"B-But Xue just wants to be fwends with Hana!"
"Well, I don't wanna be friends with a girl! You're not even cute!"
Her eyes widened, devastated. She had been told she was cute for as long as she could remember. No one had ever told her otherwise – that is, before now.
"Xue...isn't cute?" she whispered slowly.
"No! You're not cute at all! The way you talk is so annoying! And you do annoying things!"
She tried to shake it off. "B-But Daddy said Xue and Hana could be fwends! Daddy said that no one at school liked Hana and that he was lonely! Xue just wants to make Hana unlonely!"
He stared at her. That's why she's here?! But as he took in her words, they only called to mind the teasing he had to endure everyday at school. He didn't want to be reminded that his classmates ostracized him and called him a freak. Most of all, he didn't want to be reminded of how his parents had abandoned him and run off when he was younger, and how he hadn't seen them since.
"What do you know, huh?! Don't act like you know me!" he yelled.
"B-But Xue wants to make Hana unlonely!"
"SHUT UP!!"
He shoved her backward forcefully. Losing her footing, she tumbled into the koi pond. Hana watched as she flailed before grabbing the edge and slowly pulling herself out. On her hands and knees, she panted as she tried to calm herself down.
"Why did you push Xue into the water?" she asked finally.
"Because you wouldn't leave me alone."
"Me...Meanie..." she said as she stood up, sopping wet. "Xue was being weally nice to you 'cause Daddy said to, but you're just a big, fat meanie!" She looked up at him, about to cry.
Hana had resumed sitting, his legs folded. He didn't look the least bit remorseful. "Whatever. It's your own fault, dummy."
Xue shook with anger before wiping her eyes and charging at him.
"YOU MEANIE BUTT DUMB STUPID POO FACE!"
Before he could evade her, she made a shoving motion with her arms. He closed his eyes.
"BOM!"
He flinched. When no shove actually came, he opened his eyes. Her arms had extended on either side of his head above his shoulders. Despite her not even brushing against him, he fell backward anyway. Xue lowered her arms and looked down at him.
"Ne...Hana...Are you sad?"
He froze. "Whaddaya mean?"
"Do you think I painted my hair?" she asked slowly.
He sat up, mildly curious as to why she wasn't referring to herself in third person. "I dunno..."
Xue stared at the ground, then touched her two-toned hair. "I've got this hair 'cause of Daddy. It makes all the kids know that I'm diffwent. I get made fun of for it. I din't do anything wong, though. That's what Mommy said. I'm speshul. That's why Daddy calls me Snowfwake. They tell me to be happy, so I smile when they're sad...so they won't cwy. But ya know..."
She looked up at him with red, puffy eyes.
"I'm sad. I get sad when the other kids call me mean names. It's doesn't make me feel good. Evwyone's cold and pwickly instead of warm and fuzzy." She wiped her eyes, then smiled at him. "Daddy said they do the same stuff to you too. That's why he brung me here, so we could be fwends. We might fight sometimes, but I won't ever call you a mean name, Hana." She put out her pinky finger. "I pwomise."
He stared at her. Even after he had pushed her around, even into the koi pond, she wasn't mad. She was just standing there, soaking wet, smiling at him, and offering him what few children her age could – understanding.
He wanted to be treated like a person for once. Someone with feelings. He wasn't going to find that kind of acceptance at school – he understood that from an early age.
Right now, it seemed as though he was only going to get that kind of everlasting friendship from one source.
Slowly, he grasped the pinky finger with his own.
"Well, well, look who's back! Ready for an Okaeri Kick?"
"I'll pass, thanks," Xue said with a smirk. "And aren't you a little old for that?"
"Whatever. I'm fifteen and I'll do what I want." Hana folded his arms in a bratty fashion.
She giggled, then smiled brightly. "It's nice to see you again. I'm really glad I could come."
He gave her a half smile. "Yeah..."
Xue wasn't referring to herself in third person anymore, a change that had occurred in the six months since they last met.
Whatever. She's twelve. She shouldn't be doing that stuff anymore anyways.
He squinted, then poked at a piece of gauze taped to her left cheek. "How'd you get that?"
She froze, the smile vanishing for a moment, then beamed again. "Hehe, I fell off my bike! BAM! And I got a cut, so Mommy patched me up, and now I'm all better!"
He sighed. "You're such a klutz."
She lightly punched the side of her head and stuck her tongue out. "Hehe! That's me!"
He grinned, then looked around. "Where's Seta?"
"Over at Ren and Auntie Pin-Mei's house. He wanted to be with Lien and Ren instead."
"Humph. Brat." He glanced up at her. She was staring at him mindlessly. "Hellooo!" he said waving a hand in front of her.
She just smiled, her eyes shining. Without warning, she lunged and hugged him. "I missed you."
He stiffened. It always made him feel uncomfortable when she did this.
"Yeah...M...Me too..."
This hug was tighter than the last she had given him. It felt like it would take the Jaws of Life to pry her off of him. He was about to push her off when he felt his shirt get slightly damp. He decided to let her hold on for a little bit longer.
Later that night, after he and Xue had said good night and gone to their separate rooms, Hana walked to the kitchen for a glass of water. The voices of their parents could be heard from the TV room.
"How'd you even get Seta over to China? Doesn't he hate planes?"
"Pin-Mei brought the twins over and then they brought him back on the 'Tao Express'."
"Ah...to be rich with disposable income," HoroHoro said, leaning back.
Rong sighed. "It's good that she doesn't have to worry about money. She's already dealing with the inevitable, and I don't think she really knows what to do."
Yoh's smile became faint. "I see."
"She called me sobbing the other night, saying that little Ren had come home with a bloody nose and a black eye. She was hysterical, screaming that she didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her baby, and that she was going to march to school and show those stupid kids what happens when someone lays a hand on a child of hers. Ren wouldn't have any of that, of course. His solution is to teach the kid to defend himself." She sighed again and massaged her temple.
It was quiet for a few moments. Yoh tried to move away from the subject.
"Xue's grown up a bit, I can tell."
The Usui couple looked at each other, then away again.
"Yeah...We were kind of surprised ourselves," HoroHoro said with a nervous smile.
"Yes," Rong said. "She's suddenly gotten more mature. We're not really sure why, but it might have to do with her school."
"How so?"
Another glance. "Hey, I was working when she came home, but you were there. You know the story best."
Rong stared into her sake, then took a deep breath.
"She came home with that bandage on her cheek, and some others on her chin and arms and such, so of course I asked her what happened. At first, she said that she crashed into those stackable vault things during gym class, but after I wore her down, she finally admitted that some kids had cornered Seta, calling him things like 'Ghost Boy', you know, the stupid ones we've all heard. Well, with Xue, her hair makes her a double target, so they started on her too when she tried to get them to lay off Seta. They beat the crap out of her basically, but she did her best to protect her brother.
"Seta...he said that Xue was hurt really badly, that she was in so much pain she was crying while those stupid kids told her...that she was a mistake..."
Hana looked into his glass of water. He and Xue had been trading stories of being harassed by their classmates since they were younger. Now, she was lying to him. She was shutting him out. She wouldn't speak of an event that could have very well caused a significant change in her.
She's always been stupid, acting like everyone's depending on her to be happy so they can be too. Still, why the hell would she keep all this from me? Yeah, I'm older than her, but our moms were still teens when they had us, so this would have been something we could've talked about together. I just don't fucking get it!
As he made his way back to his room, he paused and looked into Xue's, the sliding door open ajar. She was sleeping peacefully, free from the anxiety of wearing a sometimes heavy mask day after day. It was as if, even in slumber, she knew that she was safe in this place.
She let out a small, "hee", before flopping onto her stomach and hugging her pillow. With her mouth muffled, she mumbled a few things before her body relaxed again.
Carefully, he shut the slider and went to bed.
"You're...getting kinda tall, you know that?"
"Yeah? So?" Xue puffed her cheeks.
"I dunno. Not that many guys want to be with someone who's taller than them."
"T-There are a few guys taller than me! Plus, if they like me, my height doesn't matter."
"I guess..."
They strolled down the dirt road, occasionally looking up at the cherry blossoms.
"So you're in high school now, right?"
"Yup. Are you going to college or anything like that, Hana?"
"Nah, not right now - if ever. I don't even know what I'd go for. Besides, it's more fun to just fuck around and stuff. You going to go to college?"
Her nose turned up slightly. "Yes, of course."
"'Of course!' What, do you like school or something?"
"Not really. I just have goals, that's all."
"What, to make more money than the guy who marries you?" he laughed.
"Not...really..."
"Eh? Are you not planning on getting married?"
"Of course I am!"
"That was a quick response. Already got the hots for someone? Big plans for the wedding already?"
Xue lowered her head and stopped walking, allowing him to take a few steps before he noticed her absence. With a look of confusion, Hana turned to face her.
"What's up? Why'd you stop?"
She didn't reply. When he tired of the silence, he sighed and turned back around.
"Whatever. You're so weird sometimes."
Before he could take a step, she finally spoke.
"I love you!!"
He stopped, his feet rooted to the ground. He didn't turn around. He didn't reply.
"I have for a few years now," she went on. "You were the first real friend I ever made, and you're still the best and dearest one I have."
She grabbed at her heart. "I tried to stop myself and just smile, but my feelings wouldn't go away. My chest feels so tight when I'm with you, but I feel so happy at the same time." She breathed. "I know this is sudden, and I've probably caught you off-guard, but please accept my feelings, Hana. I...I really do love you."
Now it was his own chest that hurt. It was hard to reflect on her words knowing that she was staring at him intently. Despite himself, he let out a small chuckle.
"Thanks, but...don't you think it's more fun to just be friends?"
Her eyes widened. Rejection.
He scratched his head. "I mean, long distance relationships suck, really. And plus, then we'd have to be all mushy and stuff...I dunno, just seems like it'd be weird and just a drag. I mean, don't me wrong - you're kind of cute, and you're nice and not high-maintenance, but I just don't think it's a good idea. I don't really think you're what I'm looking for, sorry."
After some silence, a quivering voice met his ears.
"Y-Yeah...I guess you're right...Sorry I brought it up."
It was obvious that she was crying.
"I'm feeling a little nauseous...I think I'm going to go back to the inn and lay down for a while. S-See you...la..."
She covered her mouth, muffling the last syllable. Trying to keep it together, she turned and bolted back toward to onsen, leaving Hana standing in the shade of a cherry blossom tree. His eyes lowered slightly as her hurried footsteps faded.
"My bad."
That night at dinner, Xue was all smiles again. She gleefully passed the dishes around the table and told stories from school. But whenever she and Hana made eye contact, her smile would fade, and her eyes would dull. Fortunately, all it took was for someone to ask her to pass the rice, though, and she would perk up again.
A few days later, after an awkward handshake and promise to call the other when they had the time, Xue left with her parents. Hana waved slowly and stiffly, lowering the hand as she got further and further away.
It was then, when she gave a single backwards glance with forced happiness and eyes filled with tears that he realized something.
...Dammit...
But I didn't get the chance to tell her how I felt. By the time I got the balls to, she got together with that Tamagotchi guy. And after he was gone, she really wasn't in any condition for me to tell her, even though I tried. And now...
"I love you t--"
I might be too late again. He grit his teeth. "DAMMIT!!"
But before Hana got too caught up in his down feelings, he glanced to his left at Seta, who was running alongside him. He had a look of disbelief on his face. With the prospect of his sister being killed while they listened over the phone, the usually cheerful Ainu was silent. Though he had the mindset to continue running, the desperate desire to reach his sister was all he could think about.
It was just a bad connection, right? That's why the call was dropped...Neesan couldn't really be dead...right?
He quickly brushed an anxious tear from his eye as his legs continued carrying him as swiftly as they could.
Nessan, please don't die!
As the flames dispersed and disappeared, Xue's charred body stood for a few moments, then fell forward. It landed on the ground with a thump, a few ashes rising up before settling again.
Tadashi strolled over to the body and used his foot to turn her head over. Eyes closed. He bent down and touched her arm. Burnt to a crisp.
A nervous laugh escaped, but he found the ability to turn it into a menacing cackle.
"I did it...I finally did it! I got my revenge!" His voice was quivering. "See! I told you I'd kill you! Serves you right! Ahahaha...ha...ha...ha......" She's really dead…
"LIEN!!"
He looked to Ren, whose eyes were, for once, wide with concern. "What's eating you?"
"Tadashi, you fool!"
He whipped around to see Suo glaring at him, panic visible on her face. She used her closed fan to point to the prayer circle.
"The sacrifice!"
He looked past her. Lien had collapsed within the circle, interrupting the chant and setting it back. Frantic, he stumbled to his feet and bolted over to her. He picked her up and turned her over in his lap, checking for a pulse. Her shallow breathing told him she wasn't dead, but if she couldn't stay conscious long enough to complete the ritual, he was going to have to stabilize her. He eyed the Ace bandage that bound her chest.
"What the hell...? Was this all part of that stupid twin attack they tried to pull? Dammit..."
"She collapsed because the binding made it too hard for her to breathe," Ren called over.
"What?" Tadashi looked up at him. "So now what, smart ass?!"
"You'll... have to rip it off," the heir answered, each word painful. "She won't be able to breathe otherwise." He fell silent, his head drooping into the mud in shame for suggesting that his precious sister's body be exposed to a fiend like him.
"Rip it off...?" Tadashi whispered, knowing the feast his eyes were going to have.
"But I'm warning you..." Ren's voice came with demonic aura. "If you touch her, I don't care if I have to burn my wrists off, I WILL come over there and kill you, Tadashi."
He would have laughed off this threat like all the others if the look in Ren's eyes hadn't truly terrified him. "Y-Yeah...'course..." He found the strip of bandage that was folded under a few layers and loosened it. With a strong pull, the bindings fell to her waist.
Lien gasped a few times, collapsing against him. After a minute or so, she gingerly gripped the cuffs of his blazer.
"Tadashi-kun..."
He stiffened slightly. "H-Hey there, Princess," he said finally. "Feeling better?"
She simply mewed and laid her head on his chest. "Tadashi-kun..." Lien was topless, but she didn't seem to notice, a near impossible feat considering the cool weather brought on by the rain.
Ren watched his sister cling to the man who was no doubt going to be responsible for any disaster that befell her. Part of him wished he had just accepted her feelings so they could have gone back home and sorted it out later.
That bastard doesn't even deserve to hold her like that.
"What the hell did you do with her shirt, Ren?" Tadashi called to him.
Ren glared back, not appreciating the puppet's attitude. "In the bushes, along with her brassiere."
"Fucking annoying..." Tadashi mumbled. He removed his blazer and put it on her, buttoning it just enough to cover her chest. "Go find your shirt, Lien, and do it fast. We don't have time for this bullshit."
The doll gave him a sweet smile. "Okay." She daintily stood and walked past her brother toward their former hiding place. He didn't bother trying to say anything to her. He knew that he presently didn't exist in her mind.
Tadashi watched her, heaving a heavy sigh when she was out of sight. He shook his head, then half covered it with his right hand.
"What's wrong, Meihou?" Ren taunted. "Tired of your own game? Is her behavior finally getting to you? Could you possibly be, oh I don't know, feeling guilty?"
The fiend glared at him nervously and turned away slightly. "Of course not! That bitch deserved to die!"
"So it's you, you bastard!"
Tadashi spun to see Hana and Seta standing near the burnt body. Seta darted to it and fell to his knees. He reached out to touch her, but couldn't find it in him to do so. She didn't even look like herself. She was near unrecognizable.
"Neesan..." he whispered. "Oi...Neesan..." He finally put his hand on her cheek. "It's warm...so that means you aren't dead, right? You wouldn't let some ghost kill you, right?" He paused, as if waiting for her to chime in with an, 'Of course not, silly!' But she didn't. She no longer had the ability to.
Her brother's hand left her, then clenched into a fist as tears flooded his eyes.
"Neesan...Why..." He looked up at Tadashi. "Tadashi-senpai, were you the one who killed her? WHY?! If you're really back from the dead, shouldn't you and Neesan be making up so you can go back to Japan and be happily together again?! Why would you KILL her?! WHY?!"
Tadashi gave him an uneasy look and took another step back. Dammit...Seta never did anything but try to help me after Xue left. How can I even--?
"Tadashi-kun!"
Lien seemingly appeared out of nowhere, now dressed, and carried his blazer over to him. He gingerly took it from her.
"Th-Thanks, Princess." She responded by throwing her arms around him and cooing his name.
Seta sat and stared at them, both horrified and dumbfounded. "L-Lien..." He almost seemed to be reaching out to take her, not wanting to entertain the notion that her love belonged to someone else.
"He came to us as a second-year transfer student," Ren said finally. "That person who I told you was trying to win Lien's affections was him. But it's not what it looks like – Lien doesn't love him. He's just manipulating her like the sick and twisted bastard he is."
Seta stared at the ground, trying to take in all these new developments. His only sister was dead. His senpai, whom he had looked up to, admired, and sought advice from was the one who killed her, and the girl he loved was hanging on him as if she couldn't possibly be more smitten. Inside, the world he knew was falling apart. He grabbed at his hair.
"I don't understand what's going on! Why did you kill Neesan?! Why are you taking away the one person I've ever had strong feelings for?!" he yelled.
Ren's eyes shifted to the ground before closing. His friend's wails were almost too much to bear. As cruel as the thought was, he was glad that he couldn't see him from where he was tied down.
Hana, who had been staring at Xue's lifeless body the whole time, bowed his head. "Are you going to answer him, you fucking murderer?" he growled.
Tadashi remained silent, but began slowly inching Lien back to her prayer circle.
"WELL?!"
He flinched, then quickly forced the girl to her knees. With one quick pat on the head, she was back to chanting.
Hana stood up. "What's the matter, Tadashi? Not going to try to bullshit your way out of this? Not going to tell us how slutty Xue was, and that she cheated on you, and that it's her fault you killed yourself in the first place? HUH?!"
Tadashi clenched his fists. "That's right! All of this is her fault! If she hadn't left me for you, then I wouldn't have killed myself!"
The Asakura gave an angry grin. "You're full of it. Xue and I were NEVER together, no thanks to you. Do you really believe all that crap? Or are you just saying what you think I'm expecting to hear?"
"I don't need to make anything up! I think it's clear to everyone that she's the one who messed everything up! She went crazy after I died because of how guilty she felt! She KNEW it was all her fault!"
"Xue went crazy because you decided to be a cowardly, selfish dipshit and kill yourself!" Hana yelled.
Tadashi flinched.
"I'm not badmouthing people who commit suicide because they have depression, or people who really felt that they were alone, and there really, truly wasn't anyone who could possibly be there for them." His arm whipped out and pointed at him threateningly. "But you...you still had people! Xue still worried about you! She mentioned how worried she was several times! But she was still confused and didn't feel like she could be with you again at that time! And Seta--!"
The redheaded boy looked up, his anguished eyes meeting his senpai's muddled ones.
"HoroHoro said that Seta went to your house almost every day after school to see you and talk to you, but you wouldn't even come to the goddamn door! And I know you must have had another group of friends! You had plenty of people reaching out to you, but you chose to ignore all of them! Instead, you put them through HELL by killing yourself to get back at Xue for breaking up with you!"
He panted, then lowered both his arm and his head. "Damn you...you bastard...It wasn't enough for you to hurt Xue like you did. You, for whatever shitty reason you have, just HAD to kill her." His fist tightened as his eyes burned. "Dammit...Dammit...If only we'd gotten here sooner! DAMN IT ALL!"
The men were silent. Tadashi watched Seta clutch his sister's corpse tightly and grieve.
Was...Was all of this a big mistake? Was taking revenge on her wrong? I mean...I shouldn't be in pain anymore, she's dead and gone. She's...
"Dead..." he whispered.
Ren silently contemplated if he should try to make Hana carry out his objective of stopping the ritual and saving Lien. Unlike his father, Hana was very headstrong. If he didn't like the plan, there was little chance that he would help out. He knew that on a personal front, Hana had never concerned himself with Lien, mostly due to their difference in ages. It wasn't so much that Hana wouldn't care if she died or not, but with Xue's death fresh in his mind, she arguably wouldn't be his biggest concern.
Seta was completely out of the question. The boy hated fighting in the first place, and although having Lien on the line would make him abandon his pacifism, it would be unthinkably cruel to ask for his assistance. He needed this time to mourn.
So Hana it is, then.
He turned his head as much as he could so he could be heard. "Hana."
"What," came a brisk, curt reply.
"Tadashi's planning to bring Hao back with that ritual that he's forcing Lien to perform. She's also the sacrifice. I need you to get her out of there for me. If you don't, only the GS knows what will happen if the ritual succeeds."
Hana listened to the Tao heir's plea in silence. Ren tensed as he waited, hoping that he would hear the words he so desperately needed to momentarily ease his mind. Seta had looked up at the mention of Lien, and was now staring at her in horror. He looked at Hana, not knowing what he could do if he refused.
Hana looked up slightly. "Alright. I'll save her. I'm not going to let anyone else die because of this asshole."
Ren breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
"Yeah, I'll save her – after I'm done with this son of a bitch."
His eyes widened. "No, Hana! Wait! Don't take him head on! He has the Spirit of Fire!"
Hana didn't look concerned. "Whatever. We're not going to use spirits anyway. I'd rather beat the shit out of him with my fists."
"And you think he's going to just sit there and not use the Spirit of Fire?!"
"If he's a man and not a coward, then yeah. I mean, look at him." He gestured to Tadashi. "He's a space cadet right now. I think he's starting to realize what he did, so it'll be easy to knock him out."
Ren grit his teeth. This was what he had been afraid of – Hana's focus being to avenge Xue, rather than seeing if he stopped the ritual, he could use Tadashi as a punching bag for all eternity afterward.
Father, where are you? If you were here, this whole thing would be over!
He was nearly splashed with mud as Hana ran by him, his fist ready to land the first blow. Despite himself, Ren almost felt sorry for Tadashi as Hana give him a strong right hook – the guy never saw it coming. He was launched into the air, landing face-down in the mud.
"Come on! Get up! I'm not done with you yet!"
Tadashi slowly got to his feet, his legs shaky. Just as he turned to face his attacker, Hana tackled him. He used one hand to force the demon's shoulder into the ground, and used the other to mercilessly assault him. Tadashi finally threw him off and quickly got up, hoping it would prevent him from being helplessly pinned to the ground again. Unfortunately, this didn't stop Hana from charging and kicking him in the stomach. In the mud again.
Tadashi coughed, blood dripping from his mouth onto his hands as he supported himself. Dammit...This kills. Why isn't the pain going away? Why aren't I healing? DAMMIT!
Suo noticed this as well. Hao-sama must be taking back his energy for when he arrives, which would explain why Tadashi's power is weakening. This must mean that the ritual is nearly complete. She glanced at Lien, a wicked, sadistic smile on her face. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize that their only precious daughter is gone forever. It will most certainly be worth waiting for.
Ren saw her grin. He could only assume the worst.
"Hana! Hurry up! You're running out of time!"
"Don't worry, I'm almost done." Hana yanked Tadashi up by the collar. "So, are you sorry yet? Do you regret killing her yet?"
The killer was nearly in tears. "I-I didn't think she'd actually die! I thought she was stronger than that!"
Hana paused, then slammed his prey to the ground in rage. "YOU DIDN'T THINK SHE'D DIE?!" he yelled. "Over 2000 degrees of fire, and you thought she'd just bounce back?! Are you fucking serious?!"
Tadashi didn't reply, simply turning his head away as blood dripped down his face. After spitting on the ground near him, Hana walked over to Seta's carry-on bag. He silently removed some tied up packaging from it and untied it, revealing the antiquity he had stealthily borrowed from his father. He stood again.
"I wasn't going to fight you like this, but you've really pissed me off." He turned, his eyes like daggers. "I think you're the one who should die in a fire."
Hana called for Amidamaru, who instantly appeared.
"Xue's dead because of this son of a bitch," he murmured. "We're taking him down."
Amidamaru looked as though he was going to make a slight protest, most likely against the notion of killing again, but his master oversouled him before he had the chance to speak.
Tadashi's eyes quivered as he looked at the large glow from the oversoul. Then he remembered that he wasn't defenseless. "S-Spirit of Fire!"
Nothing happened. He looked dumbfounded.
"SPIRIT OF FIRE!"
Again, the spirit failed to appear. He finally looked at Hana, who was wearing a slightly interested grin.
"What's the matter Tadashi? Not as confident without Hao's power as your crutch?"
Meihou shrank away from him. Hao-sama's power really is leaving me, he thought. He opened his palm. A small fire flickered. I barely have anything left! Why is he abandoning me at a time like this?!
"I think now you're beginning to understand Hao's true nature," Hana said. "Don't you get it? He never cared about you. If he did, he'd give you the SoF one last time so you could blow me and Seta away. Looks like you're on your own."
With that, he charged, Spirit of Sword raised. He brought it down at Tadashi, who barely stumbled away. He crashed into the ground, but quickly rose and spied his prey. Tadashi flinched as Hana rushed at him again, ready to unleash a more agile attack.
He slashed once, hitting Tadashi's arm. Tadashi miss-stepped and slid in the mud, causing him to fall backwards.
Ren was getting agitated and impatient. "HANA. JUST SAVE LIEN. WE KNOW THAT TADASHI ISN'T A THREAT ANYMORE, SO JUST IGNORE HIM FOR NOW."
Hana scowled back at him. "How can you say that when I'm just one or two shots away from killing him? Give me a few more minutes."
The heir's body shook in rage, wishing he could walk over and beat the crap out of him. He couldn't even bang his fists on the ground to get the feelings out. "FUCKING--- WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE HAVE UNTIL LIEN'S DONE."
"Just hold on. One Buddha-giri should do it." He looked forward again to see that Tadashi had stumbled over to the edge of the forest. "O-ho! Looks like someone's trying to run away."
Tadashi whirled around to face him, but fell back against the tree he had been clinging to for support. A wave of furyoku rushed at him, splitting in two and hitting him on both sides. The attack and the pain that came with it left him wondering how his arms were still attached as he slumped to the ground.
Blood was pouring out of him. The metallic taste inside his mouth was nauseating, almost like a sadistic way of giving him an idea of how close he was to dying. His breathing came in deep gasps, the terror of the situation finally overwhelming him. He had been expecting Hao to be the one to kill him, not this hippie.
I can't die! Hao-sama needs my body so he can be brought back! I can't let this guy kill me!
He looked up at Hana, who was getting ready to unleash one last attack, one that he was expecting to tear him apart and dissolve every part of him. Once again, he was going to disappear. Not wanting to look, he shut his eyes and grit his teeth. His right hand shifted - he felt a cold metal beside him.
Ren's Kwan Dao.
Hana was already rushing at him. There was no time to think. He took the weapon into his aching hands.
I don't want to die!
Hana didn't seem to notice any of this. He was too preoccupied with the thought of killing the person who had taken away his best friend.
"Go to hell, you bastard!!"
"IIYAAAHH!"
"Hana-dono! Look out!!"
But it was too late for him to stop. Before he even knew what had happened, he'd run right into the blade, effectively impaling himself through the chest.
Tadashi was still shaking as Hana stared at him in disbelief. He thought he had won. He thought that his revenge, in the name of the girl he cared for most, would be carried out and satisfy him. He had been all too close to realizing it. The Asakura heir sneered as he dropped his weapon, the oversoul dissolving.
"Hana-dono!" Amidamaru cried. But in the end, he didn't know what to say aside from a string of apologies for his "weakness".
"No…It's okay, Amidamaru. I wasn't paying enough attention," Hana said in as little breath as possible. "Just…go tell my parents, alright?"
"I refuse! I cannot possibly leave my master at such a time!" his partner yelled.
"Do it. I'm ordering you."
"Pardon my insolence, but I must still refuse!"
Hana finally gave up, knowing that Amidamaru's loyalty would never be overcome. His eyes shifted toward the sky.
Yeah, that's right, Dad. Who knows when you'll find out now. Who cares? You probably don't.
His vision was going blurry.
You were never there when I needed you anyway. Neither of you were.
In his mind he thought of Yoh patting his five year-old son on the head before he and Anna took a bag and walked out the door, leaving him behind. When the kids made fun of him, Tamao was the one he cried to. His parents weren't there. Even when they came back, they would just leave again a short time later. Any happiness he had felt at that time would be short-lived, and he would be alone again.
Xue...
He looked at Tadashi, who shivered and let out a small whimper. "Heh...I guess once you've killed one person, it's easy to kill another, you murderer."
"N-No! I didn't want to! I just didn't know what else to do!"
"I'll...make sure a special place in hell is reserved just for you...don't you worry." He closed his eyes. "At least...I'm the one who gets to be with Xue in the end...I win…"
His smirk faded, and his body went limp. The Kwan Dao was the only support holding him up. Horrified, Tadashi dropped the murder weapon, sending the corpse to the ground. He watched the body hoping for movement. There was none.
I-I didn't mean to kill him! I just wanted to fend him off so he didn't do the same to me! I didn't mean to!
"Why...?"
His eyes shifted to Seta. Aside from Ren, who was of course unable to fight whilst pinned to the ground, he was the only one left who could stand in the way of the ritual succeeding. Seta, from the look in his eyes, was aware of the position he was in. Unless of the adults showed up, it would be entirely up to him to save everyone.
"I don't want this..." he whispered, holding his sister even tighter. "I don't want any of this!" He looked to his senpai desperately. "T-Tadashi-senpai! Please make it all stop! Don't kill anyone else! Please!!" He squeezed his eyes shut. "Especially not Ren and Lien...especially not Lien...They're the only real friends I have!"
Tadashi couldn't rationalize the situation to him. He couldn't lie like he had before.
Dammit...why did he have to come?! I didn't mean for him to get involved! It was just about Xue and that hippie!
"You seem to be losing your resolve, Tada-darling. How disappointing."
He looked up to see Suo standing next to him, her eyes locking on the Ainu like crosshairs.
"K-Kaasan, I..."
She scoffed at him. "Hao-sama was kind enough to give you the opportunity to exact revenge on those who scorned and abandoned you. And now, on the eve of his return, you are regretting his blessing?"
Tadashi jumped up. "No! Not at all! It's just – just that I don't want anyone else to die when they never did anything to me! Seta's innocent! I can't kill him just because he's in the wrong place at the wrong time!!"
"Of course you can," she replied nonchalantly. "You have already killed two – no, make that three, hm, four if you want to take credit for the sacrifice – what's one more?"
He just stared at her. "But...Kaasan, he's-!"
Her eyes flared as she pushed him out of the way. "If you are going to become a sniveling crybaby then make yourself useful and watch the sacrifice." She smiled at her prey. "I will take care of Rong's precious son."
Seta tensed. He wasn't being given the choice to watch or fight anymore. His emotions were understandably conflicted. How could someone in his state of mind find it in him to fight – especially with his life on the line? But all the same, he went over to his knapsack and took out a wooden cylinder. He clutched it before hesitantly turning back to meet his fate. He had brought the weapon in an effort to impress Lien by showing her some moves he had learned, but it was beginning to look as though that chance would never come.
"Silly boy," Suo said with a cackle. "Something like that won't help you against me. I would suggest a long-range weapon if you want a fraction of a chance at survival." She pulled the fan back.
"Leave him alone, Suo," Ren said in a commanding tone. "Any score you want to settle will be with my family. Leave him out of this. If you don't heed my warning, I promise you that when my father arrives--"
"Oh, won't you be quiet about your father?" she said, turning to him angrily. "It really is quite tiresome to have to listen to you gush about him over and over as if he were a saint. It's like you've forgotten the way he treated you this week. You probably want to, and I could not possibly blame you after how utterly abusive your "loving" father was." She sneered. "I know that your father thinks nothing of you now. If he comes at all, it will be only for the sake of your sister. Furthermore, Pin-Mei is not here, so I would not be able to watch the horror on her face as she watched you suffer and die. Most importantly, Hao-sama forbade me to kill either of the Tao twins." She sighed wistfully. "I couldn't get him to reconsider, either." Her eyes narrowed.
"You know nothing. I have every right to kill this eyesore. He is, after all, Wei Rong's son, is he not? That alone is reason enough." She used the fan to cover the angry wrinkles on her face. "Her constant doting on Pin-Mei...yes, that maternal behavior she exhibited every chance she got...the way she would shield her from my beatings until she was bruised..." She clenched the handle. "Her ignorance of my wishes during the Shaman Fight – making all the decisions herself and disobeying me...This whelp deserves to suffer!"
Seta watched her pull the fan back, and then swing it at him. Tags flew from it, various illnesses and physical afflictions written on them. He slid a panel, and the cylinder expanded into a bo staff.
All the same, sweat was pouring down his face. But how do I block all of them?! He shut his eyes tight. Mom! Dad!
Just as they were about to hit him, the tags were encased in ice. They fell to the ground, most breaking as they landed.
"If you have something to take up with me, Suo, I'd rather you speak to me directly instead of dragging my children into it."
"And if it involves Rong, as her wonderful, loving, sexy, and just plain awesome husband, I'll be there to support her."
Seta whirled around to see his parents coming out of the shadows of the woods. He stared at them, wondering if he was dreaming. Were they really here?
There was a chirp. The small koropokkuru appeared, a determined look on her face.
"Yes, Kiro. Thank you for leading us here," Rong said with the faintest of smiles.
HoroHoro turned to their son. "Sorry we sent you and Hana here by yourselves. If we had known any of this was going to happen..."
But at that moment, Seta didn't care. Tears already streaming down his face, he ran to them and landed in his mother's arms like a child. It had all been too much for him, but he knew that now he could relax; his parents, the strongest people he knew, were going to save the day
Rong squeezed him tightly, her own eyes beginning to burn, as HoroHoro got his own embrace soon after. The moment of happiness was short-lived.
Rong stared at the blackened body a few meters away. HoroHoro glanced at her, knowing exactly what she was seeing without even looking himself. Both parents stared in silence. Rong finally ran to her daughter and looked at her more closely. She fell to her knees as she realized that there was no possibility that she was still alive. She held the body gently and sobbed into the shoulder, the nauseating smell of burning flesh apparent.
Her anguished scream was what finally brought her husband to her side. He knelt down next to her and grazed a hand over Xue's face. It was rough, nothing like the soft skin he was used to. A great deal of her hair had been burned away. Her arm warmers were gone.
Rong's eyes were wide in disbelief. Her body twitched with every choke that came with her tears. Battling his own sorrow, he barely had the emotional strength to hug her, but he managed to all the same. As Seta joined them, Rong turned disjointedly to her husband.
"Horokeu...Xue...She's..."
"Yeah...I know..." he cut in, not wanting to hear the last word. His voice was airy, as if he was already exhausted. He closed his eyes.
"But Xue...she brought us together," Rong continued. "We...We suffered through so much to give birth to her and give her the best life we could..."
The tears came harder as she remembered being nineteen; holding up the test that told her Xue was on the way. She remembered how terrified she had been standing on the snowy mountain, about to break the news to her lover. The relief she had felt when he didn't push her away. The pain of her family disowning her...but the immeasurable joy she had felt when the nurses handed Xue to her for the first time – made even more wonderful by the first time Xue had opened her eyes and given her a gummy smile.
"All of...that...Why? Why couldn't her life have been easier? Why did she have to be alone when she died?! WHY?!"
HoroHoro held her tighter, Xue's body falling to her mother's lap. "I don't know, Rong, I don't know. But what I do know is that I have absolutely no regrets as a father. We did the best we could with what little we had. For the most part, I think Xue live a happy life, one with few regrets of her own. For as much as that's worth, I don't think we failed as parents."
She nodded as she pulled Seta into the circle where she and her husband hugged him.
Suo watched them, an entertained gleam in her eyes. "I must say, you did this beautifully, Tada-Darling. They really are just too precious for words."
Tadashi had been examining the scene as well, but with horror and guilt in mind. He hadn't given much thought to their reactions, but now he saw just how devastated two loving parents could be.
...What the hell have I done?
She shifted and fanned herself. "You're not regretting your revenge are you, Tada-darling? I'm sure Hao-sama would be most upset if he knew."
Before he could reply, Rong was on her feet. "So, is that how you came back?" she asked in a dark whisper. "You made a deal with the likes of him just so you could have your petty revenge, when you could have just come to Xue when she called you in the first place and settled things with words instead of killing her?" She silently produced a chained whip from her pocket. "I hope you won't mind if I have a little revenge of my own. You've taken away one of the lights of my family, and for that, I'm going to give you such a beating that you'll be begging for the gentle hell that awaits you."
But before she could run blindly into battle, HoroHoro grabbed her wrist and held her in place. "Rong, stop." He sighed. "Believe me, I want to give this ungrateful son of a bitch a piece of my mind, too, but we can't just rush in like a couple of wild boars. If we want to avenge Xue, we have to do it right."
Her body trembled, and she cradled her elbows. "Yeah...I know...Thanks…"
Suo cackled. "Once again, Rong, your hot-headedness almost got you into trouble. What a pitiful person you are!"
"I'll have my revenge, don't doubt that for a second." She looked up. "But I now realize that you have my best friend's precious children over there, and I'd like to concentrate on keeping them alive." She hugged her arms tighter. "I'll die before I let Pin-Mei and Ren feel the pain Horokeu and I are feeling right now. We couldn't save Xue...but we won't fail again."
"'Fail again'? HA! You have failed twice before even arriving!" They looked at her, perplexed. She chortled. "You are only proving me correct, you fools. You have even failed to notice the corpse of that Asakura boy over there."
Rong and HoroHoro snapped their heads around, spying Hana lying on the ground. HoroHoro ran to him and turned him over. His eyes were closed, and his body was cold. Knowing it was futile, he checked for a pulse anyway. Nothing.
He clenched his fist, then slammed it against the ground. "DAMN!!"
"Hana..." she whispered.
Ren grit his teeth, feeling the guilt of knowing that it was his weapon that killed an otherwise innocent party. He cursed his own helplessness. Dammit...Father where are you?!
Something caught his eye. His shackles were steadily fading. It must be because Tadashi's power has weakened so much...The timing is impeccable. When they were gone, he quickly stood.
Suo saw this and pulled out a tag she had prepared and slammed it against his forehead. It glowed, then Ren's body flashed like millions of volts of electricity had just surged through him. When he wobbled, she closed her fan and used it to club him in such a way that he landed near his sister in her circle.
"We're not done with you yet. Just wait there patiently." She turned back to the Usui family. "Come now. You don't have much time."
They were still trying to come up with a plan. "Damn. I'm not good with this time limit thing," HoroHoro said with a nervous grin.
"We just need to make use of what we have," Rong said. She looked back at Seta. "You can just stay back there. We'll take care of this. It'll be over soon."
The boy nodded. "O-Okay, Mom."
"Alright."
The couple turned to each other.
"You ready, Aokun? Once more, with feeling?"
"For old times' sake?"
"Exactly."
"Of course." He sighed. "This brings back memories of working with a certain macho chick."
"Heh, I'll let that slide – this time."
"Let's do this."
"Just try to keep up, old man."
"That's funny coming from someone older than me."
"Details, details." She took out the whip again and let it loose. She bowed her head.
"For Xue."
He smiled faintly. "Yeah, for Xu--"
"I now call to you and urge you to haste
Please come with your power and cleanse this place..."
Lien was now standing, eyes still empty, her hands folded in prayer.
"Fuck it all...We're too late!" Rong cried biting her thumb.
HoroHoro looked around frantically. "Does this mean that Hao's on his way back?! Dammit Rong, we won't stand a chance on our own like this - even with the Spirit of Rain!"
She looked at him dumbly. "But it's the two of us together, I don't see why we should worry that much..."
"YOU IDIOT!!" he yelled, causing her to flinch. "You have no idea how strong Hao is! You weren't there when we fought him at the Shaman Fight! You were back with Pin-Mei in China so you have no idea just how hard that battle was for all of us! Unless Ren gets here, we won't stand a fucking chance!"
Rong glanced at the ground with a muddled expression, not knowing what to say. She closed her eyes. Xue...we won't let your sacrifice be in vain. I promise. We'll find some way around this!
Tadashi watched as flames encircled Lien. They glowed and began to consume her. Different streams of furyoku swirled, clashed, and crashed around her, making visible flashes and sparks.
"In return I offer my pure soul
Take both it and my body, swallow them whole
"I offer this vessel to house my master.
Take it as a gift from this humble caster.
I give all to you..."
Seta stood and ran at her. "Lien! Stop it!" His parents weren't able to stop him from crashing into the storm of furyoku that surrounded her. The surges captured him temporarily, then spat him back out, sending him flying back to his parents.
They ran and helped him up, but his eyes never left Lien. Nothing could ease the worry and dread he so rightfully felt.
"Lien...What are you doing? What's going to happen to you? You're...You're not going to die and leave me too, are you?"
A small smile formed on the doll's face.
"Lead us to your Utopian land
Free us from the hatred of humans
Come give us your blessing, o Sovereign!"
She reached out, as if asking for a loving embrace.
"Hao-sama!"
Her body, amongst the flames, instantly went cold.