I've never liked human children. Besides the obvious pitfalls of the creatures, with the constant crying, the fact that you constantly have to clean them, and the never ending attention that they need to make sure that they don't die. Besides all of that, they symbolize the one thing that I am against.
Life.
I'm not saying all life should be snuffed out, that would end my existence as well. No, I need life to continually be made so that I may further live myself. And I very much enjoy my life. Hell, I enjoy everything about it.
My job is amazing, it takes me wherever I wish to go on Earth. And since I have been at this for a long time, I only take the jobs that I want. So only jobs that catch my attention, which is becoming increasingly more rare with each passing year.
Like right now, for instance, my job is bringing me to the capital of Japan, the great city of Tokyo. Well, from what I hear, the name has been changed. It's been a while since I have visited here, but the last time I was here, it was named Tokyo. Now, it's called Shinto Teito, some company bought the city basically and changed the name of the city.
But in order to get to said city, I have to travel there. And since I am in the human realm, I choose to live like one, for the majority of the time anyways. Which means I fly by airplane. And this flight just so happens to have a fucking crying baby in the row of seats in front of me. The headphones I am wearing, with the music I am blaring, are doing nothing to lessen the noise coming from the squabbling creature.
After not being able to hear the same song on the fifth repeat, I finally have enough. I unbuckle the belt that is securing me to my seat, standing up just enough to peer over the seats. I take the sunglasses I am wearing off of my face, and look at the bane of my entire existence, waiting for it to shut up long enough to look at me. When it finally does turn it red puffy eyes upon me, I strike.
The sclera and irises of my eyes turning to a deep black for just a brief moment as we stare at one another, enough time to silence the child. Draining its energy, forcing it to sleep. The parents of the creature appear startled at the sudden change of their ward's behavior, but I ignore them.
My eyes revert back to the icy blue that they originally were. Sitting back down, I look to my left and spot a small child staring at me. She must have witnessed my little trick, if the look that is on her face is any indication. As she stares at me with wide and fearful eyes, I slowly pull my hand in front of my face and raise a finger to my lips. She nods, and I can only smirk slightly.
Fear is a wonderful thing.
Putting the glasses back over my eyes, I click the song to start again. Hearing it clearly for the first time in an hour and a half, I lean back in my seat contentedly. Listening to the melody of the song, lulls my body to a peaceful slumber, resting for what remaining time I have left on this flight.
XxX
Paying the driver for taking to my home for the next few weeks, I look towards my humble abode. Walking inside, I almost walk into the main part of the house with my shoes on. It has been a while since I have stayed for an extended period of time here in Japan. Leaving my shoes in the genkan, I walk into the living room.
Looking around, I spot many pieces of furniture covered in sheets. A new flat screen adorns the wall. Good, I had people come over last week to deliver new furniture and all the appliances I should need. I'm glad the services I paid for was actually completed. I'd hate to have to kill a group of humans that I did not come for on my first day in the city.
The only issue throughout the entire house, was the lack of food. That problem has to be fixed, but it can wait until tomorrow. For now, I want to study the file I have on my target and rest. I slept on the plane but after sitting and listening to that crying baby, I need to refresh myself. Tomorrow is a busy day for me. Having to buy food and then meeting my target afterwards. Breathing heavily as I lay on the bed in the master bedroom, I flip the file open and begin reading.
XxX
I have to wait until the room is empty, before I walk into it. When I see the woman who visits my target almost daily, I know that soon the room will be cleared of people. After a few minutes, all of the staff and visitors have left, so it is just me and my young target.
I open the door and walk inside he room. As I close the door, I notice that my target is peering at me. I smile at her, as I walk to the foot of the bed she is currently laying in. She blushes at my smile, looking away shyly.
"Hello, by any chance, would you happen to be Hidaka Chiho?" I ask the gown covered girl in a gentle tone.
She turns to me, blush still evident on her face, and nods her head at me. "I am. What is your name?" She asks in a gentle voice.
I bow my head to the young girl. "My apologies, Chiho. May I call you, Chiho? I'm not from here, so I'm not completely sure which honorific should be used, and I do not want to say the wrong one." The girl nods her head at my question. "Well, Chiho," I smile as I say her name, her blush darkening, "my name is Pearlous Damon. I am the world's leading expert on incurable diseases." She sits up in her bed immediately.
"Was a cure discovered?" She asks excitedly. I almost feel bad for being the one that will crush her spirit.
I sit down in the chair that is next to the bed. "Not exactly." She deflates and sinks into the bed, but I notice that I still hold her attention. "The world has not developed a treatment to cure your condition, yet. But that is why I'm here." Her brow furrows as I speak. "You see, you are one of seven people in the world at this moment in time to suffer from this condition, and on top of that, you are also the youngest. The next person in age to have it is already fifty five, so I decided to come to the girl with the least amount of life experience, so that I may help you live to do extraordinary things."
Her eyes brightened up as I continued. "You can help me?" She asks in a whisper, as if this is a dream that will shatter if she speaks too loud.
I nod my head. "I can, Chiho. I can cure your disease," if possible her bright brown eyes got even brighter, "but it comes at a price."
Her eyes lose some of their spark. "All of my family's money have went into treatment here." Tears begin to well in her eyes.
"Money is not the payment I meant, Chiho." I rush my words out in a soft spoken voice. "The payment that I need is you." She blinks and stares at me for a few moments, before something dawns in her eyes.
She begins to pull the sheet of the bed up to her neck. "I... umm... have a girlfriend."
I stare into her eyes as she speaks, inwardly I smile. "I didn't mean sex either." She slowly releases her grip on the sheet. "No, what I meant, my dear Chiho, is that if I cure you, I need you to become like me. To follow in my footsteps, if you will."
She blinks confusedly at me. "You want me to become a doctor?" She begins twirling her hair in her hand.
I chuckle at her adorable expression. "Not exactly. You see, while I do in fact help people with their pain, and I do end their suffering, I am not a doctor."
She stares at me. "What are you then?" I look out the window, towards the clear sky of the day.
I look back to the sickly girl with a quizzical expression on her face. "When humans die, their souls remain here, floating around in this plane. I attend to these lost souls, helping them move on. I am what you would call a reaper."
Her eyes show how skeptical she is about this. "I'm supposed to believe that you are a grim reaper?" She stares at me with a disbelieving look.
I smile. "I know that I do not look like I am supposed to, but not many people want to see a skeleton in their last moments. It is not my job to scare people to death, I am supposed to ease them into their next life. I help to make them feel safe, feel secure. I do not need to frighten the already scared humans anymore than they are."
The disbelief hasn't left her eyes. I can only sigh. "Tell me how I can get you to believe me, and I will do it." I speak kindly to the girl.
She ponders the thought for a minute before she looks back at me. "Do you have a skeletal form?" I nod my head once at the question. "Show me it then. If you can become a skeleton, then I will believe you." A smug look on her face, as she believes that I won't be able to do it.
Oh, how wrong she is.
I don't move from my seat. I look at her smug expression for a moment or two, before I begin to move. I bring my hand up to face level, so that she may see. I remove the leather glove that covers it. Showing her the pale flesh underneath the glove. Flexing my fingers, I look back at her and smile at her. Her smug smile has all but disappeared. Especially when the flesh began to disintegrate in front of her eyes. Her eyes widened in horror as my fingers elongated into just bones. Skin melting all the way down my forearm as Chiho begins to squirm at the sight.
She turns away from my skinless hand. "Please stop, that's enough." The sweet girl begs me.
I comply instantly, there is no need to scare her more. "I apologize, but you asked me to do it." She doesn't look at me, for a while.
She whispers lightly, "You're a monster."
"That is one way to view me." I speak in my soft voice. "And if you view me that way, it is fine. But I ask that you view me more as a necessary evil. People need to die, Chiho." A small smile upon my lips. "And when it's their time, I show up and take them to their next life, one that is far from the usual pain and suffering that this life has provided them."
Her head whips around to me after another few minutes of silence, eyes wide and brimmed with tears. "Is that why you are here? Am I supposed to die today?" I shake my head at her statement.
"No, not today, Chiho. But you do have an incurable disease riddled within your system. And while the medicine that is treating you now is delaying the date, your day is fast approaching. With the medicine, you have three months at best." Her watery eyes fill up even more. "With the technology that this MBI company possesses, you can have a year, maybe two, but eventually I will be back for you." I sigh as her tears are streaming down her face. "But I don't want to do to you, so that's why I have offered you the chance to escape that fate."
"I have a choice?" She asks. Her puffy eyes staring at me.
"Of course you do. I would never force this upon you. No, you have a choice. You can say no, and I will leave until your time comes, as I said earlier, roughly three months from now. You would use that time to spend with friends or your soul bond mate. Or you could say yes to my offer, and I shall take your pain away. I will eradicate your disease from your body and leave healthier than you have ever been. Say yes to my offer so that you will become like me, and I will make you into an immortal being." I say simply.
She wipes her tears away, but more soon follow. "Why me?" She asks in a shaky voice.
"For a few reasons, actually. Firstly, because you're a kind hearted individual who fate dealt a bad hand to. Secondly, because when you thought that I wanted sex as payment for a cure, you immediately shut the idea down, showing loyalty to those that you believe to deserve it. And thirdly, because for the first time in over 400 years, you have a soul bond with another, and that interests me." I say directly.
She wipes the tears from her eyes once again. "A soul bond?" She looks at me strangely before her eyes pop. "You mean Uzume?" I nod to her.
"Yes, Uzume." I answer.
"What happens to her if I say yes?" She asks with no small amount of fear in her eyes.
I sigh, and tilt my head to the side. "Usually, if a human becomes a reaper, they must leave all earthly ties behind." Her face quickly forms a frown. "But you are different, and I have never had a progeny before. Since, for all intents and purposes you will be my daughter, and I do not want you to be sad, I will make her immortal as well. If you accept, that is."
Her eyes not leaving my form as I spoke. She whispers lightly. "Daughter?"
I forgot that she lost her parents at a young age. "That came out wrong. What I meant..." I trail off after the young crying girl grips my hand.
Tears still in her eyes, but a gentle smile on her face. "I accept." She says simply.
"Are you sure, little dove?" I ask the adorable girl.
Tears began to spill from her eyes at a rapid pace. "I am... papa." She added after a moment of hesitation.
I smile at her fully, and wipe her tears away with the pads of my thumbs. She smiles back at me. "Okay, my dear sweet Chiho, are you ready to begin?" I ask my future progeny.
Her eyes widen monumentally. "Now?"
I chuckle at her response. "Yes, now. I mean I can turn you right now. We can leave after the ritual, and go find Uzume. Turn her as well, if she wants to that is. And then we can go to my house, to our home. But if you wish we can wait for a day or two, but no later than that." I say gently.
She shakes her head. "No, we can do it now. I want to surprise Uzume." She says with excitement laced in her voice.
I grab her by the shoulders and put her at arm's length. "This is going to hurt, little dove. But, you're strong so it won't be too bad."
I try to ease her worries a little bit. I think I succeed in doing so, but it matters very little. It isn't a long ritual to convert a human. The pain is very overpowering for a mortal. A burning sensation will occur throughout their entire body as if being set on fire from the inside. I hate that I have to do this, but it must be done for Chiho to become like me.
XxX
He was the most handsome man I have ever seen. He was tall, and thin but not overly so. His hair was long and snow white, but his face showed youth. Not as young as me, but too young to be an expert on something. After he stands at the foot of my bed for a moment, the scent of vanilla hits me. It makes me feel like a little girl again, shrouded in safety. But his eyes were what made my mind go blank. They were so light, they looked almost translucent, with only the barest hint of blue being able to be seen.
When this handsome pale skinned man walked into my room, I had no idea that my life was about to change. I just assumed he was a doctor coming to give me more false hope. But, I was wrong on so many levels. I should've been more believing of what he claimed to be, especially after everything that Uzume has told me recently. But it doesn't matter anymore. Soon I will be like him, immortal and free of this pain.
It startles me when he conjures a knife from out of nowhere. "The ritual is simple, Chiho. I cut my hand, then yours. We will grasp each other's hand, and then my blood will enter your body. It will then modify the cells in your veins, and destroy those that are harming you. It will bring you extreme torment, and I apologize for this ahead of time." He speaks in his soft voice.
I nod my head in understanding and reach my hand out for him to cut. He has a gentle smile on his face putting me at ease, somewhat anyways. He glides the blade across his palm in a quick movement, no pain etched into his face as he does so. That makes me believe this won't be so bad.
He slices my palm with the knife and I can't help the wince that follows. The reaper frowns at my movements, but does not stop his actions. He grabs my bleeding hand with his own, and my world turns black.
When my vision returns, it is because of the pain coursing through my body. It feels like my heart is a volcano that just erupted, and I have lava spreading through my veins. I try to scream out, but a cool hand presses against my mouth.
"I'm sorry, little dove, no screaming. People will come in and they can not know about this." I barely understand his words as the pain controls my entire attention. "It will be over soon, I promise." I feel a arm cross my chest, in an attempt to stop my thrashing. "Just hold a little longer. It is about to get so good." I shouldn't have done this, it was a huge mistake.
I just want this end. I'm so stupid, why did I agree to this? The pain is unbearable, I want to die. I'll live with the sickness, I don't care anymore.
As that thought entered my mind, the pain slowly began to subside. The burning lessened throughout my entire body until it stopped completely. It was soon replaced with what I can only describe as pure bliss. The pain that once dominated my thoughts and nerves is substituted for this feeling of pleasure.
The hand that covered my mouth, as well as the arm that was across my chest, was pulled away from me. I ignored it, in favor of feeling this newfound strength in my body. I can actually move my legs for the first time in two years. I just haven't had the strength to do it, but now I can. It's light movements at first. A twitch in my knee, a flex of my thigh. Damon gets my attention.
"Try wiggling your toes, little dove. Focus all you can on just moving your toes." I follow his instructions, focusing on moving my little toes.
After a few minutes of concentration, I can wiggle them all I want. I have complete control over them for the first time in a long time. "Good job, Chiho. Excellent work." I beam at the praise. "After years of inactivity, your muscles have grown weak and deteriorated. But my blood is strengthening them as we speak, in a few minutes you will as good as new. You will have to walk and exercise to help regain your balance and reflexes, but you can do that easily." I smile at his words, he believes in me. "So keep working on moving your legs, and we will be out of here today. I'm gonna go get you discharged, I'll be back in a few minutes and then we'll go surprise Uzume. Sound good to you?"
"Yes, it does. I'll be here when you get back, but please hurry, papa." His mesmerizing eyes soften at my words. A soft smile playing at his lips.
I surprised myself at how easy it feels to call him that, how right it feels as the word falls from my lips. I ponder the thought, as I wait for my release from this bed I have called home for years.
After an hour of being alone, long since gained the strength to stand and walk, I almost think that my new family member isn't coming back. I stand at the window in my room, peering at the people walking by outside, wondering if i will join them soon. Or maybe this is a very vivid dream, or perhaps, the disease I have has finally made me go insane. But that thought is erased from my mind, when the door to my room opens and in walks my father. A strained smile on his face as he looks at me. A nurse follows behind him, rolling in a wheelchair.
"Are you ready, little dove?" I nod and smile widely at my saviour. "Good, I have cleared you to leave, but the hospital requires you to be discharged in a wheelchair." A frown tugs at his lips as he says the words.
I nod glumly at his words. I just got my legs back and now I can't even use them to leave this place of unhappiness. Luckily, I am used to being led in a wheelchair. I sit with a small sigh. As I am being led down the hall to the elevator, I look towards my father, who now has his jaw set firmly. He is staring ahead as he walks beside me.
I reach out and grip his hand, which startles him slightly, as he almost pulls away from me. But he notices it is me doing it and smiles down at me. He grips my hand tightly, as he looks back ahead towards the elevator. I can only think about how my life has changed so drastically in just a few weeks. I went from an orphaned girl with an incurable disease, life was bleak for a while, but then it all changed. First Uzume, and now Damon, my life is pretty good right now. And that brings a big smile to my face.
XxX
I am half tempted to go back inside the hospital and kill Higa, the weasel looking fuck. What a waste of air. The only reason I decide not to go and end his pathetic life, is because killing him would end a number of other lives that I have no issue with. So he lives, for now.
I have to push that thought to the back of my mind as I walk through he city with a amazingly energetic girl tugging me in multiple directions for multiple reasons. Sometimes to look at things inside of store windows, sometimes for food, sometimes just to look at the scenery. I enjoy her enthusiasm, but I doubt it lasts too long. Immortality has a way of lessening the enjoyment of seeing flowers. But she seems to enjoy looking at the flowers and trees of the park as we pass it.
The eager girl shows her strength that is hidden inside her petite body, as she pulls into an alleyway. She checks to make sure that no one is listening to us.
"I have a thought that has been bothering me for a while now." She stares at me with her large light brown eyes, I nod my head for her to continue. "If the ritual to become a reaper is as easy as a transfer of blood, what happens if someone cuts you as they pass you on he street and takes your blood and, you know, turns themself into one of us?" Genuine curiosity littered in her eyes, as she whispers her question.
"A human can push us, punch us, stab us, burn us, or whatever else they want, but it doesn't matter. No mortal can make a reaper bleed, only other reapers can." I respond back to her.
She nods at my words, showing her understanding of my explanation. She looks adorable when she learns new things. As I stare down at my heiress, I feel a pull in my chest towards the park. Strange. Chiho sees the distant look on my face, as she questions why I have it.
"Nothing to worry about, little dove. You should head on towards your bond mate, do you know the way?"
She nods at me, but a look of uncertainty crosses her sweet face. "What if something happens on my way there though? What if I get lost? What if..." I grip her shoulder and stop her from rambling on. The pull in my chest is becoming stronger.
She looks up at me with her large eyes. "Nothing will happen, and even if something was going to happen, I have complete faith that you will be able to handle yourself in any situation." I smile gently at her, as she responds the same. "And, if it will help put you at ease, with my blood in your body, and vice versa, I will be able to feel if you become distressed or feel like you're in danger. And should you feel like that, I will be able to find you quickly and help you."
"We can do that? Will you teach me how to do that?" She asks anxiously, gripping my arm in an amazingly tight grasp. It is almost an uncomfortable grasp.
I smile at her enthusiasm. "Of course I will. We can start tonight, if you'd like, little dove." She nods at me with wide eyes. "Then we will, but I have to go now, and so do you. Go to Uzume, and I will find you later tonight and take you back to our home."
I kiss her forehead as she heads to the northern sector of the city. When she turns the corner of a building, I turn towards the park and walk towards the pull in my chest. I have to find the reason for this feeling in my chest.
XxX
The lab coat I took from the adjuster that broke me, is doing very little to block the wind. If I were a human, I would probably catch a chill. But, the wind is easy to ignore as I stare aimlessly ahead of my spot on the bench. Most people that pass by would say that I am staring off into space, but they are wrong. I am staring at nothing, nothing other than my future.
Because there is no purpose in this life anymore. My fate has been sealed, my future taken from me in a just a matter of seconds. Ruined by an arrogant man, who thought he was better than he actually was. And now, I can't be winged by my ashikabi anymore.
My ashikabi.
The thought makes me sigh sadly. I will never get to enjoy the warmth of my destined one as they hold me through the night. I will never be able to feel my wings emerge due to their kiss. I will never know how the love of an ashikabi is supposed to feel for a sekirei.
I feel a single tear slide down my face at the thoughts.
Closing my eyes, in an attempt to regain my composure. Because of this, I fail to see a person pass by me. I fail to hear their steps on the pavement. I fail to feel their weight as they sit on the bench beside of me. With my eyes closed, I fail to see a strong hand coming towards my face. But I do feel a surprisingly cool hand wipe the tear from my face.
It startled me, although I show no emotion, so I jump away from the hand. Opening my eyes and twisting to look at the person beside me, my eyes widen slightly. He was not who I was expecting to see.
He is easily the most attractive person I have ever laid my eyes on. His body is long, if we were standing, he would easily tower over me. He is lean, but not unhealthy. The wind is blowing his long white hair towards me, and I smell his scent for the first time. Cinnamon fills my nostrils, my favorite scent in the world. But his eyes gain my attention, they are so unusual. And then he speaks for the first time.
"Sorry, for touching you. I have to ask though, are you okay? I mean, are you hurt?" The kindest tone that has ever been directed to me run through my ears.
He places the gloves he was wearing in his pockets, to show the pale skin of his hands. As I look at his hands, I wonder what they would feel like wrapped around my hips.
I break from my stupor, as I realize that I haven't responded to the man. "Ah... I am fine." I respond simply, turning away from the stranger who smells so sweet.
"Excuse me for prying, but I had to ask. It's not everyday that you pass a woman wearing a bloody lab coat, and not much else." He says with his kind voice.
"Ah... I understand." Not looking at him as I speak. Hoping he just leaves, so that I may just be alone with my future.
"May I ask what your name is? Mine is Damon." The name fits him.
"Ah... Akitsu." I respond to him.
I see him nod out of the corner of my eye. "Well, where are you staying, Akitsu? I would like to walk you home."
I look at him fully. "Ah... Why?" I ask him.
"Because I would feel terrible if I left and something happened to you, and I had an opportunity to not let that happen." I felt my face heat up as he finishes speaking.
Am I reacting? I can't be, I am broken. But, maybe I am reacting to this kind man. As I continue to look at this man, I can only think that maybe he is my ashikabi. I stare at the handsome stranger, as I feel my face continue to rise in heat.
Looking away from this man, and turning back to my future, I respond. "Ah...I have nowhere to go." I can feel a tear brimming in my eyes.
"You're homeless?" His tone changes from gentle to surprised. "Well, this will sound weird, but why don't you come stay with me until you get on your feet?" I look at him as he speaks.
A kind smile is on his face as I look at him. "Ah... Why?" I ask him, as I stare at him.
His brow furrows in confusion. "Why what? Why did I offer you a room?" He asks me.
"Ah... Why help someone who is broken?" I respond with no emotion in my voice.
He scoffs at me. "Broken people tend to be more interesting than whole people. You can help rebuild broken people, but all you can do with whole people is tear them down, and that is not my business." He says in his kind voice. The blush returning full force as he spoke. "Besides, I feel like we can help each other."
"Ah... How can we help?"
He smiles at me very gently, with a small amount of regret in his eyes. I then feel a small itch behind one of my eyes. It stops after a few moments, and the man begins to speak again.
"As it turns out, my daughter is bonded to one of your kind and I would like to know about her people. Your people. And, should you follow me, I will promise to never leave you. To never abandon you. To show you that you are wanted."
He... wants me? Even though he knows I'm broken?
The man stands up from the bench, and offers his hand to me. I barely notice anything else other than his hand. I grab his hand, and he pulls me off the bench. When I am standing, he stands a respectable distance away from me. Far enough away to make me feel safe from harm from him, but close enough to catch me if I fall.
He is too far away for my liking. His smile makes my breath hitch in my throat. It makes his young face look so much more youthful than usual. I enjoy it, I need to make him smile more.
I stop walking as I realize something. He is my ashikabi. I may not be able to emerge, but I can stay by his side until he eventually decides to send me away. It's inevitable, it's what people do with broken things. Throw them away when they no longer have need of them. Well, I will stay until he doesn't want me.
Damon stops walking when he realizes I am not beside him. He walks back to me, with confusion on his face.
I strike when he is in arm's reach. I grab his shoulders and lean in close to his body. I realize how right I was earlier when I said he would tower over me. I only come up to his chest.
"My ashikabi." His confused face stays prominently in place on his face, as I whisper these words close to his face.
"What?" He asks, but I respond with a kiss on his lips.
Closing my eyes to bask in what should be the moment my wings would emerge. I had hoped for a moment they would, but my hopes are crushed after a few seconds of nothing. But then, my ashikabi starts kissing me back.
I feel his hands in my hair, as his tongue invades my mouth. My mind goes blank at the feeling. I forget all my failures, all of my worries. This must be what paradise feels like. Everything melts away, except for the feel of his lips on mine. I feel a pulse coming from his hands massaging my scalp, and a tingle on my forehead.
He pulls away slightly, and kisses my forehead before wrapping me in a hug. "I told you I wanted to help you, and I will help you." His arms wrap tighter around me. "But now we have to go. We will talk later at my house, but we have to go meet somebody."
He grabs my hand and leads me towards the north. It doesn't matter where we go, so long as I am with him, I will follow him anywhere. He is my life now. My life has purpose now, and that thouht brings a small smile to my face.