Yes another short chapter but this story is nearing its end. I give my brother a little cameo in this chapter so he better give me one in his fanfiction next time. Anyway on with the story...

Impressions

A HOSPITAL IN KAMAKURA:

"I...saved you three?"

"Yes you did exactly that." Arakawa chirps as she checks over the rest of my body. It aches terribly.

"Ah! Why does it hurt so much?" I complain like a child who has scraped his knee.

"Well you're actually lucky to be alive yourself." Arakawa says in a stern tone.

"What I nearly died!? Holy shit and my life would have been left unaccomplished."

"Your healing ability expelled so much energy that your internal organs were slowly cooking. If we didn't all stop you when we did you would have literally melted away."

That would have really sucked...

"But how can my vectors heal? All I know is that they are good at ending lives not replenishing lives."

"Well when I analysed the archives back at the research facility it mentioned that some of the most advanced vectors can manipulate objects on the microscopic scale and therefore can repair and move cells and body tissue."

"So how bad do I look then?"

"Oh it's all internal so you won't look like a burn ward patient."

"Oh what a relief there...But I'm still amazed I could heal you guys."

Kouta finally opens his mouth. "Yeah well the paramedics were having a hard time stemming my bleeding and they said I was close to death until you did that...so thanks." He mumbles on 'thanks'.

"I'm just happy I saved everyone." I smile past the pain in my flowing body. It does feel a bit like sunburn but inverse.

"Well..." Yuka looked down. So did everyone else.

"Well what?" I say wanting to know the sudden juxtaposed emotion.

Mayu spoke solemnly. "Not everyone survived. Nana, Bando, Kurama and Nyu died that night."

"What?" I sit up all of a sudden but the pain spikes up again. The others place me back down again.

"Please Ben you must rest...we shouldn't have mentioned it."

"But I need to know...why I couldn't save everyone."

"Kurama was killed by Lucy and Bando died from blood loss." Kouta tried to explain.

"But Lucy I mean Nyu? What about her? How did she die?"

"Should we tell him?" Yuka whispered to the others but it wasn't very good as I could still hear.

"Tell me what? Don't hide the truth from me...no matter how horrible."

Kouta sat up and showed a very serious face as his mouth barely moved when he talked. "Ben...you were the one who killed Lucy..."

"No..." I feel another part of my soul die away from the news. I had killed Lucy.

Yuka tried to comfort me. "You had to Ben...she was no longer herself...she was already killed by her instinct...you merely saved her from herself."

"But I am a murderer. I cannot forgive myself..." I wish they just let me melt away with all my guilt.

Mayu rushes over to give me a hug. "Please don't put yourself down like this...you did the only thing we could do...she would've killed more people if you hadn't stopped her."

"Did she suffer?" I ask bluntly. I feel a curtain of darkness take over my vision.

Nozomi answers. "You killed her in the most humane way possible."

Arakawa interjects. "The paramedics conducted an autopsy and found she died of a brain haemorrhage. I can imagine she would have passed away instantly."

"I still feel terrible about all of this...I never should have came here. If I just died on that plane like everyone else-" I feel a firm slap across my cheek. "Ow what was that for Mayu?"

She starts sobbing for some reason I cannot comprehend. "Stop doing this...stop taking all the guilt on your own...you can't blame all of this on yourself..." She keeps hiccupping between phrases. "If you died on that plane I would never have met you on that beach...if you died on that plane...you never would have made me smile all those times...if you died on that plane...you never would have came to rescue me from the scary man (referring to Man I assume)...if you died on that plane...Nyu would have killed us all..."

Yuka supports her speech with her caring motherly tone "And if you're still not satisfied, we forgive you for all those that you had to fight along the way."

Arakawa also contributes. "Yeah Ben; if it wasn't for your quick thinking I would have died in that research facility and never had the chance to develop a vaccine."

Mayu speaks again. "We don't want you to keep taking the guilt for others...we all make mistakes in our lives...it's what makes us human...but if you keep burdening yourself with regrets you will end up killing yourself and hurting those who care about you..."

"Okay...Well thanks for trying to make me feel better...I love you guys..."

Everyone (except Kouta) huddles around me for a hug. "Ow-ow..." I feel the pain inside again and they start to retreat. "No it's okay...I'm enjoying all this affection." They come back for another big hug and I feel my salesman knocking on the front door (if you know what I mean) but it even hurts to get a boner now. Alas I will need to settle down for a while until my injuries heal.

I look over to Kouta – the only one not in the happy circle. He looks melancholy and its bugging me. "Hey Kouta come over here and give us a hug."

"No thanks I'm alright."

"Your upset aren't you?"

"Well yes...I still care alot about Lucy...And now that I'm remembering Kanae and father..."

"What did they just say about keeping your guilt and emotions to yourself? Come over here."

Yuka backs me up. "Yeah Kouta stop being a sorry-sod."

Kouta groans and finally walks over to the mass hugging session. I feel that warm feeling again from before. I feel like I truly belong somewhere in this world...and now that my family was gone it helped me get past my grief.

-----

THE NEXT DAY

I was able to check out of the hospital much sooner than I thought now that my internal injuries completely recovered. I felt relieved and saddened at the prospect of not being able to use vectors anymore. That healing thing was the last deed I ever did with those things and I guess it was good to know I finished them on a good note.

As I walked out of the hospital I noticed a familiar figure down the stairs. He brushed back his short black curls and adjusted his square glasses as he looked down the street.

No way? Is this guy for real?

"Hey jerk! Where do you get off imitating my brother!?" I am now shaking the boy violently and he tries to form words as his head rocks.

"What...are...you...doing...Ben?"

"Huh?" I stop and feel tears welling up at the corners of my eyes. "No it can't be you..."

"Settle down Ben...I know you've been caught up in holiday mode for a few days now but..."

He's surprised when I jump over and give him a massive hug..."Hey stop that! What's wrong? You've only been away for five days."

"I thought you were dead Alex." I sob.

"Yeah I was hoping you would have perished as well..." He says jokingly but after nearly dying in a plane crash I don't see the humour.

"But Man told me he went to Australia and killed you?"

He looks at me like as if I'm crazy. "Um...no...I'm pretty sure we're all alive..."

"So he didn't kill you guys?"

"Who?"

"The man with the crossbow?"

"I have no idea who you're talking about but I want to know what drugs the nurses gave you."

"No a freaking man with long black hair and a black coat told me he killed you guys and analysed your corpses."

"Oh there was a freaky looking man that knocked on our door a few days ago but we told him the McMullen's lived up a few houses." He speaks sadistically. "The news said the Dan's were murdered the very next day..."

"You sick bastard I wouldn't even wish death on the Dan's."

"Nah I'm just joshing' I never saw a man of that description."

"So Man was just messing with me all along..." I say under my breath.

"So I didn't come here to talk about an imaginary man – how the hell have you been?"

"Well I was the sole survivor of a plane crash, I slept two nights amongst fishnets, attained telekinetic abilities for a few days, was kidnapped and held naked in an underground swamp before escaping and killed whole bunch of naked ladies with veils..."

"Uh-huh..." He showed his sceptic reaction as always.

"So you don't believe me?" I sigh.

"No I do...in fact I also got telekinetic abilities and stripped down for some Japanese ladies."

"Really?"

"No...Your nuts..."

I should have known...of course noone would believe such a wild story – especially my younger brother. "Oh well I've been fine. So why are you here anyways?"

"Well Dad didn't want me to feel left out so I got some travelling money as well."

"For here?"

"Actually I wanted to go see Karakura but the guy at the airport misspelt so I'm now stuck here for a day. I'll be going there for a big adventure much like yours....but that's another story..."

"Well I'm glad you're all okay and it was good to see you again."

"Yeah you too - even if you're insane."

"So where will you go?"

"Oh I'm just hanging around the city till my flight leaves what about you? Staying with someone?"

I remember the place I felt most welcome. "Yes actually...I'm heading back there now...I may even live here!"

"Well good luck with that" He turns his back. "Well see ya later!"

"Yep have fun Alex."

I decide now's the time to return to my second family...

The next chapter will be the final one. How will have things turned out in the end as I contributed with my influence to the Elfen Lied plot? What does the future have in store and how are things going with me and Mayu? Are we a couple or not? The final chapter will reveal all and hopefully leave fans a little happier.