Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Yami no Matsuei
Chapter 7: Truth and Return (part 3)
Sighing, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellow crystal. "Do you know what this is?"
Tsuzuki frowned as he stared at the crystal. "Isn't that a spirit crystal?"
"A spirit crystal? What's that?" asked Hisoka.
"It's a crystal that comes from the plains between heaven and earth," said Alicia staring into the crystal. "This crystal is used to draw out and imprison evil spirits."
"You must have had great trouble getting this," said Tsuzuki.
She snorted. "You have no idea. I thought those damn Tengus were going to kill me when they caused a lightning storm. It wasn't easy but I was able to get one. Take a look." She tossed the crystal to Tsuzuki and he caught it.
The older guardian stared into the yellow crystal until a face appeared. "There's a . . ." He frowned as he stared at the enraged spirit beating against his crystal prison. "I've seen him before."
"Really," said Hisoka, the boy coming to stand beside him. He looked at the entrapped spirit. "Where did you see him?"
"Kyoto." Tsuzuki looked at the crystal and then at Alicia. "Although I was in a catatonic state, I remember seeing a head floating in a tube or something."
"Correct." She stared down at the inky water swinging her legs back and forth. "That was Kai's older brother, Saki Shidou. Well his half brother. When I became old enough, I did a little research on the bastard." She glared in anger. "Turns out he was institutionalized after he killed his own mother at the age of ten. and once he made fourteen, his father had the boy released. Now I know what you are thinking. Shouldn't Shidou's doctor be the one to say if the boy should be released or not? Well, when you have money and the judge in your back pocket you can do anything."
"Anyway, after he got his bastard son released from the mental hospital, he decided to bring him home to meet his legitimate family." She fell silent.
After she was silent for five minutes, Tsuzuki placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please continue."
"Now, some of this was told to me by Oriya, Ukyou and Saikai my brother's manservant. When Saki arrived, the boy seemed nice. He always smiled and was very charming. At least for the first few weeks, after that everything went to hell."
"Saki began to show Kai his true colors. Like I said this comes from the others so I have no reason to doubt them. What happened next is a tale of terror, torture and murder all done by Saki." Tears began to fall from her eyes. "One day when their father went to one of those medical seminars out of the country for two weeks and Kai's mother went with him. She sort of had a thing for collecting those creepy antique porcelain dolls. You know the ones, with those glass eyes that look like their following you. Anyway, that . . . that bastard decided he would have some 'fun' with Kai. When he was asleep in bed, Saki slipped into his room and tied my brother up. He placed a gag in Kai's mouth so no one could hear him scream and he brutally raped my brother repeatedly through the night."
"As you may know, a rape victim begins to show extreme behavior problems. Oriya noticed the change in his friend and asked him about it. Of course Kai being Kai, he didn't tell. It took Oriya four days to pry out what was happening to his friend. When he found out, he tried to get Kai to go to the police or to at least tell his parents about the abuse when they returned home. He wouldn't. He figured he could handle Saki himself. But it only made matters worse when Saki found out Kai had told Oriya what the older boy had been doing to his younger brother. Saki broke two of Kai's fingers and threatened to break all of them if he says anything to anyone."
"When their father came home, the bastard lied and said Kai got into a fight. And after everything he went through, his so-called father had the gall to punish him and told him he should be more like his elder brother." Filled with rage Alicia slammed her fist against the steel frame leaving a sizeable dent in it.
Tsuzuki and Hisoka stared in shock. Alicia closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm her anger. After a minute of deep breathing she was finally calm enough to continue. "Saki was a cruel, evil beast that enjoyed torturing people but he enjoyed torturing his younger brother more. He even tormented Oriya and Ukyou. If it was me, I would have ganged up on the little psycho and beat the hell out of him. But as I said, he was a psycho and he had all of them frightened of him. Oriya did confront him one day and nearly paid with his life. The boy attacked him with a katana seriously wounding him. It took fifty stitches to close the wound to his stomach. When he told the police, they did nothing to punish the boy. And you want to know why? Because Oriya was the son of a brothel owner and the person he was accusing was the son of a prominent doctor. Whom would you believe?"
"The doctor's son," said Hisoka.
"Exactly, after that Kai was forbidden to see his friend and the raping of my brother's mind, body and soul continued for an entire year. Finally Kai had had enough and decided to tell his father what has been happening. And of course, his father did not believe him. He slapped Kai and told him if he spread such lies about his own brother he would be thrown out of the house. So what is a young teenager suppose to do when threaten like that. He remained silent and continued to endure the abuse. The only partially good thing about the situation was that Saki kept his nightly visits down to twice a week."
"What about his mother?" asked Tsuzuki.
"During all this, she mysteriously became ill and was confined to her bed. He couldn't tell her. She was sick and her condition was getting worse with each day that passed. Until finally, she died. About three or four months later, their father died of mysterious causes also. With both parents out of the way, Saki saw no need to hide his sadism any longer. That night after they buried their father. Saki dragged Kai into his parents' room and . . . and . . ." Alicia wrapped her arms tightly around herself shivering from what was told to her. "He . . . he had their father's scalpel and he . . . he sliced my brother across his chest, down his stomach on his arms and across his throat. He didn't cut deep to penetrate the jugular vein but it did bleed. Then he buried the blade into Kai's shoulders. And would you believe that while he was doing this that sick bastard was buried deep inside my brother."
Both guardians gasped in disgust and horror.
"While he was literally slicing my brother open, he was fucking him like it was the most natural thing to do. And as he reached his climax, he plunged the scalpel into Kai's right eye." She clutched the side of her head and sobbed helplessly. "When he was taken to the hospital, Saki told them Kai was depressed because of his parents' death and tried to kill himself. One of the doctor's was a friend of the Muraki family and so did not contact the police."
"While Kai was healing from his wounds, he began to think about everything that happened especially at the funeral for their father. He remembered how Saki was actually smiling and that's when he began to wonder if Saki was the one that did something to his parents. After he was healed, he confronted the sick little freak and asked him if he killed his parents. Of course, the monster attacked my brother with a katana and all the while he wore this creepy smile on his face. As he was preparing to kill Kai, Saikai killed him."
"Kai was traumatize as the body of his hated half brother fell on top of him. So, he didn't see what happened next, but Saikai saw."
"What did he see?" asked Tsuzuki.
"A black mist rose from Saki's body and entered Kai's body."
"A demon," said Hisoka.
"He should be so lucky," snorted Alicia angrily. "No, that was no demon, what entered my brother was that sick twisted half brother of his, Saki."
"What!" both guardians said shocked. "He was possessed," said Tsuzuki.
Alicia nodded her head. "According to Ukyou and Oriya, everything was fine once Saki was out of the picture. Kai was fitted with his fake eye and although he was sullen and quiet. He began to slowly come out of his shell until one day it all changed. They were doing something, I've forgotten what it was but one thing led to another and when Kai answered a question they had asked. He answered in Saki's voice. You can imagine the fear that went through them at hearing that accursed voice. And according to Oriya when Kai spoke to them again, he seemed to be struggling trying to get his words out. He wasn't completely possessed but he didn't know how long he could hold Saki off. That's when he started dabbling in the black arts. He was trying to find a way to get Saki out of him."
"Why didn't he go to a priest or monk to have Saki exorcized?" asked Hisoka.
Alicia snorted. "He did. They only made it worse. Saki absorbed the monks powers and used it to tighten his grip on Kai. It turns out that Saki was trying to merge his soul with that of my brother's soul. That is why at times he would be calm and almost normal and at other times he would be this insane killer. So once he began to dabble in the occult that had kept Saki at bay. At first he thought maybe he did get rid of Saki because it was years before the bastard resurfaced. By that time, Kai had took me in and when Ukyou, Oriya and Saikai told me of Saki I swore that I would do whatever I could to save my big brother."
"So, when my own powers manifested, he sent me to be trained by the Kurenai monks in Hokkaido. Saki was the one to make the contract. In order for him to gain supernatural powers he would have to offer a sacrifice. When I found out what he was doing I went to try and stop him but that bastard did something to me and I couldn't move. He sat me down against a tree and all I could do was watch in horror as he used my brother's hands to kill that poor woman." Then she looked at Hisoka with sad silver eyes. "I was there also when he . . ." she turned away not being able to go on.
Hisoka's eyes widened at her meaning. She was there when he raped and cursed him.
Tears poured from her eyes as she remembered that horrible night. "Once Saki gain his powers, he decided to show me what my brother's life was like when he was young. He showed me everything from their meeting up until Saki's death. He made me feel every ounce of the pain he put Kai through. Sometimes I still wake up at night screaming in pain that is not mine." She closed her eyes and raked her fingers through her hair and then clutched a handful. She wanted so much to scream, to rant and rage at the injustice of it all. But nothing she do now will ever bring back her brother. "I wanted to close my eyes and block out the horror of seeing my beloved big bother turn into a vile monster but that bastard made sure I could see everything. I felt my heart wither in my chest when I witness my brother's descent. I knew that I had to save him and when I returned to the monastery I threw myself into my studies. I told Master Takakura everything about what was happening to my brother. It was him that told me that Saki's soul was slowly merging with that of Kai's soul."
"In my studies I found out about the soul crystals and what they are used for, and where to find them. I learned all about those disgusting Tengus that protects the crystals. And I also found out everything about Meifu and the shinigamis and the purpose of the Ministry of Hades. And that's when I realized that it was their fault my brother turned into that monster." She turned to the two guardians with angry wet eyes. "You were suppose to come and retrieve Saki's soul when he didn't come in to be judged but yet no one came. My brother suffered and a lot of innocent people were condemned to death because the ministry didn't see fit to send one of their guardians of death to bring in the soul of a psychotic killer. It's their fault I lost my brother and I will never see him again."
They were silent for a few minutes when Tsuzuki spoke. "Why didn't he use you for the sacrifice?"
"Saki was sadistic. One, he enjoyed torturing people that were close to my brother and since I was his sister. I could witness all his crimes and the bastard knew I would never be able to turn my brother over to the police. He thrilled at desecrating my brother's body making him do all sorts of unforgivable things." She sighed. "But I believe the reason he did not use me as the sacrifice was because he hadn't merged completely with Kai yet. When it came to me and his friends, Kai fought him tooth and nail to make sure we were safe. But I believe that Saki's madness was seeping into my brother's soul which is why he came after you, Mr. Tsuzuki the way that he did. Kai was beginning to think like Saki. In attaching Saki's head to your body, Kai would be free and Saki would have a body to possess. But Kai was going to kill the bastard the second after he open his eyes." Alicia watched the two guardians from the corner of her eyes. Their expressions were one of disbelief or shock. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "As I said, Saki's insanity was polluting my brother's soul."
"I had tried many times to free Kai from Saki but I never could until the day he appeared at the monastery badly wounded after his fight with you. I knew that this was my chance to free my brother. Because they were becoming one, the injury you inflicted had weakened Saki and I was able to use the soul crystal to seal him inside it freeing my brother." She sighed as she stared up at the stars twinkling overhead. "But like you, Mr. Tsuzuki, my brother has a kind heart. It tore him to pieces when he remembered all the people that were murdered by his hands. Do you know what that is like? He was a doctor. A person who has dedicated his life to saving life but yet for the pass eight years he has ended life. I tried to get him to see that it was not his fault. I thought maybe he had believed me and was going back to start his life over again. It never dawned on me that he was going to throw his life away by turning himself over to a bunch of hypocrites."
"Now you know why I say it is the ministry's fault. They should have sent someone," she sighed and lowered her head. "Just . . . just leave me alone, okay. Take that sick bastard and toss him into the lowest depths of hell. It no longer matters anymore. Go away. I'm not going to do anything that will make you have to get off your lazy asses and work. I just want to forget that evil spirits, shinigamis, the ministry and whatever else existed."
xxxxx
Suddenly Tatsumi, Watari and Kazutaka appeared on the bridge behind them. "Miss Muraki," said Tatsumi.
"God! What is it now?" she sighed in anger closing her eyes. "Can't a person wallow in misery without being interrupted?"
"And why would you be wallowing in misery, little one," came a silky familiar voice.
Her eyes snapped opened and she slowly turned to see her brother standing behind her. Alicia stood up and walked over to him. "How . . ." she raised a hand and touched his cheek. "You're . . . dead." Tears trickled down her face. "We buried you. How can you . . ." She threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. She didn't know what was happening but she was so very happy to see her brother. "Kai." She buried her wet face against the crook of his neck. "Are you alive?"
Muraki kissed his sister on the top of her head and pulled her away. "No, I'm not alive," he said smiling at her. "I am a shinigami."
Suddenly her tears stop and she just looked at him. Alicia took a few steps away from him. She raised her right hand and pointed a finger at him, "You're a grim reaper," she said shocked and then burst out laughing. And she laughed even harder when a dark crimson color stained his cheeks.
"That's not funny." He grumped out.
After few minutes of laughing herself silly, Alicia finally calmed herself. "I know it's not funny." She held him in her arms again. "I'm just so glad I got to see you again." Then she had a thought. She turned to Tatsumi and latched onto his arm. "Please, can I come to visit my brother some time. I know it's not permitted but can't I. I promise I won't cause any more damage. I'll even be nice to that jerk Terazuma and the body building chick."
"I'm sure Kazuma would like for you to use her name," said Tatsumi. He was pleased that his voice did not crack. He stared into her beautiful silver eyes and felt himself being consumed into their depth.
"Tatsumi," said Watari snapping the secretary out of his trance.
"Oh, sorry." He cleared his throat. "Of course you can."
"Hurray!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Then she went to talk with her brother.
Tsuzuki and Watari were giggling at Tatsumi. "What is it?" asked the secretary.
"You're blushing," said Tsuzuki pinching the blue eye guardian's crimson cheeks.
"How sweet," said Watari laughing. "You're like a teenager in love."
"Seems like we need to have the talk with Tatsumi," said Tsuzuki.
"Our little Tatsumi is all grown up." Watari took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his eyes dramatically. Then the two guardians laughed again.
"Keep it up and two knuckle headed guardians will find themselves going hungry for the next two weeks," Tatsumi said icily as he pushed his glasses back up his nose and glared at the two idiots. Both Tsuzuki and Watari cringed in fear at that steely glare that sends even Chief Konoe hiding in fear.
Tatsumi cleared his throat and turned back to the white hair brother and sister.
"Anyway Miss Muraki, you can see him every day."
"Eeeewwww, I don't want to see him that much," she said sarcastically. "Once or twice a week will do."
"You see Miss Muraki, shinigamis work in pairs and . . ."
"In pairs, huh, so who's the sucker that will be working with him?" she smiled teasingly at his brother.
"Well, Lord Enma wants you to be his partner."
Everyone gasped in shock. A surprising silence fell over the group. This was the first time anything like this has been suggested. A mortal working as a shinigami. It has never been heard of.
Suddenly Alicia burst out laughing. "Whoever said the dead isn't funny obviously don't know you. That was a great joke. I've heard that you were a stuff shirt."
"I assure you, Miss Muraki that this is not a joke," huffed Tatsumi pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. A stuff shirt! The nerve of some people. Tatsumi maybe called a lot of things but he is no stuff shirt. Again, silence fell over the group. The only sound heard was the gentle flow of the river beneath the bridge.
"Oh, okay, then your lord was joking with you. Surely he knows that there is no way in hell a living person will work for him. I have no intentions of taking anybody's life. So I suggest you find him another partner."
Watari cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. "Well, I don't mind him being my partner," said the blonde hair guardian. "So you don't have to worry about putting him with Tsuzuki and Hisoka."
"And you don't mind?" asked Tatsumi.
"Of course not," said Watari. "And I'm sure with the doctor's assisstance, he could help me perfect my formulas." He smiled at his friends. Tatsumi stared at the man as though he was mad. Hisoka just shook his head. While Tsuzuki turned pale.
"You know you guys should actually have your 'lord' checked out because I truly believe the man has lost all his marbles. Anyway, now that that is settled," said Alicia. "Can I still come to see my brother or did I have to accept Enma's insane proposal? I mean it's the least you can do for wrongly taking the life of an innocent person."
"Oh, I uh . . ."
"You may as well say yes because she will come even if you say no," said Muraki yanking her hair. "And as for you, I thought I told you not to worry about that."
She poked her tongue out at him and pinched him on the shoulder. "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow." She kissed his cheek and went to pick up her stuff. She wrote some numbers down in her sketch pad, tore it from her pad and handed it to Tatsumi.
"What's this?" the secretary asked frowning.
"That is the exact measurement of Kai's estate," said Alicia gathering his things.
"What am I to do with this?"
"I don't care what you do but I suggest you find some space because I am sending my brother his mansion along with his rose garden."
"But we supply our shinigamis with a place to stay," said Tatsumi.
"Yeah right," she snorted. "I know all about those one room dumps you keep your people in and I will not have my brother living in such squalid conditions." She stepped away from the men. "I have my own penthouse. I don't need the mansion which is why I will be sending it to him. I'm sure my brother will be safe with Mr. Tsuzuki for tonight," She winked an eye at the blushing purple eye guardian, "but I will be back tomorrow. If you have not found a location for the mansion." She smiled evilly at the secretary. "I will find one myself. Well gentlemen, it has been a blast but now, I am going home to get things ready for tomorrow. I bid you all, good night." She was surrounded in a flurry of white feathers and disappeared.
"Hey, I didn't know she could do that too," said Tsuzuki.
"Do what?" asked Kazutaka.
"Teleport using the feathers like you."
"She could always do that. In fact, she was the first to do it. I learned it from her."
"I see."
"It's getting late. So, I suggest we go home," said Tatsumi. "It seems we're going to have a long day tomorrow." Then all five men disappeared.
