Mist: Act 23
Kio was in the dark about many things, so many things that it seemed like a curse. It had always been like that, even when he was a child with all the adults in the house whispering around him, he always seemed like the only one left in the dark. He didn't even know the extent of people keeping things from him around him, his 'family', Soubi, the strange girl who claimed to be his sister. Secrets all around him.
When he had made the trip to his family home, his daughter may have been quite aware of some things that were relevant to what Kio asked her. Even she may have kept things from him.
Things like the shadow war between the families Chouma and Kaido.
x
Ritsuka had left for school, Youji and Natsuo went as well, and Soubi left for school lesson makeups. Kio hung out at Soubi's house while everyone else was off. He had been spending a lot of time there lately. He had been spending a lot of time thinking lately.
Kio sighed and ruffled a hand through his messy hair. He was thinking about taking a bath. He figured Soubi wouldn't mind as long as he didn't make a mess, so he headed over to the tub and turned on the faucet.
A knock came to the door, and thinking Soubi came back for something he forgot, Kio swung it open with relish, "Hello!"
His cheery expression was replaced with confusion when he saw that it wasn't Soubi at the door.
An adult woman a few years older than him with stony eyes glared at him with disinterest. "'Lo." she greeted.
"Uh.. Can I help you?" Kio asked.
A child peaked out from behind her long skirts. "It's him, that brute, Anee!"* The kid exclaimed, pointing rudely at Kio.
Kio frowned in confusion. He knelt down to get a better look at the girl. "Who you callin' a brute!" He laughed.
The child hid back between the woman's legs.
The lady sniffed. "You aren't Agatsuma-kun" she stated obviously. "Kaido, then?"
"Uhmmm. That's right.. Do you need something from Soubi?"
She gave a cruel, short laugh. "Yeah, but you, Kaido-kun, could pass on our message much better." Her glare was beginning to intimidate him.
When she suddenly pushed him inside, slung him against the inner wall and pinned him back with one hand he was even more intimidated. The child followed suit, and silently tackled Kio's legs.
"..Woah, you-"
She ignored him and pushed his chest. "Tell your buddy."
"Tell 'im"." the child echoed.
The fierce lady continued. "We'll be waiting behind this building for him tomorrow night."
"Uhmm. Uhmm." Kio stuttered.
"Kaido?" she questioned.
"Uhm. I'll tell him."
Kio wasn't weak so he probably could've gotten away from this lady, who had intruded Soubi's house and pushed him down, but he didn't think he should start any fights. She hadn't actually hurt or threatened him and he had no clue what her connection to Soubi was. Kio didn't want to pathetically give into her demands like this, but he was going to tell Soubi about her no matter what so there was no issue in agreeing.
She shook her head with a grin. "No. No. Not that. I know you'll tell him. There's something else I'm going to say." She seemed joyful about his fear and confusion.
Kio interrupted her. "Don't hurt Soubi." he said with all the strength he could.
"Humph. Agatsuma-kun can take care of himself, he's a grown boy now isn't he?" She was irritated and didn't wait for Kio's reply. She glanced toward the door nervously. Gritting her teeth she said, "D'ju hear me? I said there's something else. So don't innerupt me 'gain." Her speech grew street accented and improper as she tried rushing and threatening at once. Merely because she felt she had stuck around too long.
Kio nodded, his whole face drawn into a deep frown.
The child at their feet growled with her lips drawn back, despite the situation Kio thought that the kid looked awfully cute.
The woman continued. "You're wondering aren't you? About Chouma, your sister? I'll tell you Kaido, I know quite a lot about your circumstances. Just send Agatsuma to us. I don't think he'll come if we don't make this deal. Our info will benefit him as well"
"What are you after him for?" Kio asked urgently.
She laughed again, cruelty seeping through her peals. "See you!" She let go of Kio and briskly walked out the door with the child following her.
"Wait!" Kio called, "Who are you?" He had only heard the child refer to the lady as 'big sister' and nothing else. He was so confused, such strange people, and they had gone as quickly as they came.
She turned on the staircase and looked beyond Kio's eyes. "Nightless." she said plainly.
And then she whispered. "Sleep, Baby."
x
Ritsuka that morning had entered class calmly but was immediately met with an exuberant force. He was pounced upon by Yukio.
"Oh! Ritsuka! We were worried, are you okay?" His friend drew back and looked at him with a worried expression.
The rest of the class seemed not to notice but Shinonome-sensei gave him a concerned look.
He pushed Yukio off of him gently. "Yeah, yeah.. I'm fine Yuiko. I.. fell and got a little hurt." He didn't want to lie so he only told Yukio that much. She didn't need to know right now that he had been beaten, kicked out, and fell. "I have to talk to Sensei."
Yuiko nodded sadly and retreated to her seat.
"Aoyagi-kun, Aoyagi-kun? Could I talk to you a moment?"
Ritsuka sighed. "Yes Sensei." Class hadn't begun yet. They walked into the hallway where private talks were held.
She looked at him with concern. "A-are you all right?"
Ritsuka looked at her calmly.
"Y-you see, you were absent and I got that call from Agatsuma-san... Your classmates were worried about you as well."
Ritsuka doubted that, except for Yuiko, they wouldn't be. "S-Soubi.. called you?" He asked in surprise. Of course... that's what Soubi had meant when he said 'I'll take care of it.' Ritsuka wondered if Soubi had only made things worse.
He reassured his teacher that things were fine but she looked extremely doubtful.
x
"Kio!" Ritsuka walked into Soubi's apartment, feeling saddened that it wasn't his home that he was walking into like it should be. "I'm h- back!"
Kio didn't answer.
Ritsuka shrugged to himself figuring he went out somewhere or home. And then..
He looked at the floor.
"Wah!" Ritsuka ran over to the tub trying not to slip. Water was pooling on the floors of Soubi's apartment. "Kio!" he yelled out the man's name in futile anguish. 'He left the tap running!' Ritsuka reached the tub faucet and quickly stopped it. Then he plunged his hand into the full tub, spilling out more water, to pull out the stopper. Water slowly whirpooled down the drain and Ritsuka slowly stood begging to examine the damage. Half of Soubi's room was covered in massive puddles of water. It would be an issue if he didn't clean it quickly. Ritsuka felt panicky and decided it would be best to just clean it all up himself before anyone else got back.
He realized that in his panic the front door was left open and made his way over to close it. And then walking closer, he saw something sticking out from behind it. Soubi's room was generally clean so it seemed odd that he would have something lying behind his front door like that. Upon closer inspection Ritsuka discovered that what was lying behind the door was certainly not remnants of a messy occupant. Feet were poking out. Kio's feet. In a hurry Ritsuka slammed the front door and hurried to Kio's limp side. "Kio!" He was worried now, what on earth was going on? Ritsuka started shaking Kio and his eyes opened as if from sleep.
"Ri… chan?"
"Are you hurt!" Ritsuka practically screamed in the man's face.
He sat up abruptly in surprise at his situation only to be hit with a massive headache. A headache exactly like the one he got when he 'collapsed'. When Soubi spelled him to sleep. "I think there's something wrong with me.." he muttered to himself.
"What?" Ritsuka said. "Kio what are you doing there? You got hurt? How?" Ritsuka was massively confused and really wished Soubi was home.
"Uhh.." Kio paused and looked around him, fully taking in what had happened. Last he remembered that lady had been there.. He felt like she had left before or around when he collapsed but that part was foggy. "You remember last time, Ricchan?"
"Last time- what?"
Kio corrected. "Last time I fell, passed out I mean."
"Passed out.." Ritsuka repeated slowly, searching his memory. 'Kio 'passed out' when Soubi spelled him before.. yeah that must have been it. But what is he going on about then for?'
"Yeah I remember. Why?" Ritsuka said.
"I.. did it again. I guess. I should probably go to a doctor or something…" Kio looked distressed and unsure of his words.
Alarmed Ritsuka started to protest, "But last time was-!" He stopped himself, not about to make the mistake of revealing something like that without Soubi to explain.. More quietly he said, "What I mean is… Uh, yeah. But maybe you should tell Soubi first.. Wait 'till he gets home or something..?"
"Mmmn." Kio agreed not even noticing Ritsuka's blundering.
Ritsuka helped Kio get into bed and went back to mopping up the floor. Kio repeatedly apologized for the mess. Both of their minds were complete turmoil whilst waiting for Soubi's return.
'Soubi and me… Maybe we should tell Kio. About the Fighter thing… But he probably wouldn't be too happy if he knew Soubi spelled him. And Soubi did say that he wanted to keep it a secret from Kio for his own protection. But what protection? I'm almost sure someone outside of the Units and Septimal Moon must know about it, so why not Kio? In what way would that be dangerous?'
'That lady.. and the kid.. She said something before they left didn't she.' Kio pooled all of his effort into trying to remember the few minutes before his collapse. 'Ah!' He remembered something. 'I asked for her name. She said.. Something that didn't make sense. Nightless, was it? …What is going on...'
They were both surprised out of their thoughts when Soubi came home. One quick look around his apartment and he knew something was wrong. For one his love was cleaning the floors and his exuberant best friend was lying in bed. Both looked pain. "…I'm back." He immediately went over to Ritsuka. Not feeling up to the distance of hovering behind the boy while they talked he came behind Ritsuka and picked him up.
"Soubi!" Ritsuka exclaimed. Soubi hugged him close.
"What's up, kitten?" He asked, concerned.
"…" Ritsuka paused. "Uhmm. Well, Kio collapsed. A-again."
He scrutinized his friend with a furrowed brow, still hugging Ritsuka who had melted into his arms willingly. "Kio?"
Kio looked up with his expression pained because of a raging headache. "Ah.. it's fine Sou-chan, I guess I need to see a doctor sometime…" He seriously doubted his own words. Kio nervously smoothed back his hair.
"Kio." Soubi said sternly. He set Ritsuka down and walked over to the bed Kio was laying in. Soubi's eyes widened slightly. "You passed out?" He asked almost disbelievingly. He had never known Kio to be in poor health, Soubi didn't know of any reason for Kio to suddenly faint. Unless he was hiding something. "What happened, why did you pass out?"
"Awh.. Sou-chan.." Kio gave in quickly, he really, really needed to just tell Soubi what had happened. He beckoned Soubi closer and reluctantly Soubi bent his head down. "Someone came." He whispered plainly but continued. "You want Ricchan to hear this?"
Soubi heaved a great sigh. "Regretfully it may have as much to do with him as us."
Ritsuka abandoned the wet floors for Soubi's arms as soon as Soubi called him over. He was acting really childish and he knew it but he somehow didn't care enough to stop. He was alone, but he had Soubi, he even had Kio too.
"I turned on the tub and the door rang.." Kio turned to Ritsuka, "Sorry, it's my fault for the little flood.."
Soubi silently promised himself to mop the rest of the water without little Ritsuka's help.
"So this lady answered… She was asking for you, Soubi. She wanted to talk to you, Soubi and then she let herself in and pushed me against the wall."
Soubi's expression became severe.
"Oh," he added quickly. "There was this little kid with her too. They both seemed really thuggish."
Kio paused to collect his thoughts.
"So.. um- She said.. she said something about…" A pause. "Awh Soubi! I have- I have… a sister!"
"Huh?" Soubi looked at him with confusion, wondering why he had suddenly shouted a seeming irrelevant thing out.