Chapter 23: "Sweet Home"

My classes for the rest of the day progress steadily and as expected. At least, they do until I receive a note at approximately 2:30 PM from the office.

It says "Call home immediately - Hisui."

Hisui would never interrupt me during my class duties unless something very important happened, so I quietly excuse myself and head to the bathroom to take my call in a measure of privacy. Even though they can be used for a lot of distracting purposes, cell phones are becoming increasingly a necessity item, and so the academy has begun to slacken its policies on cell phone use, as long as they are not used in class.

I call home. Hisui answers after a single ring. She has been waiting by the phone.

"It is me, Hisui," I inform her. "What has happened that would make you call me?"

"Akiha-sama..." Hisui's voice shakes a little. "...Shiki-sama just returned home..."

...I nearly drop the phone.

Nii-san...

"...Ah... s-send the limousine immediately, Hisui. I will excuse myself from classes..." My own voice, too, has taken on a shaky tone.

"It's been on its way since Shiki-sama arrived home, Akiha-sama..." Hisui already knew what I would want.

"Good. I'll be there shortly..." It has also lost all emotional intonation.

I hang up. I already know what the rest of today, tonight, and possibly tomorrow will bring.

I feel breathless, a little faint. My head swims slightly.

Nii-san nearly always comes home in bad shape. With the enemies he fights alongside Ciel-san and Arcueid-san...

I sigh. I hate that aspect of him sometimes. He has abilities, yes... some of them inherent to him, some of them he gained later... but... he is still mostly human. One good tactical flaw is all it would take for him to lose, and if he loses–

No! Don't think that, Akiha.

I look in the mirror. A faint tinge of red is in my hair. I am getting myself worked up, as I seemingly always do, whenever Nii-san returns from these sorts of requests that Ciel-san or Arcueid-san occasionally ask him to help them on.

I take a few deep breaths and wash my face so as to calm myself.

For the better part of a week, Nii-san has been away. After celebrating Inui-san's birthday, he and Ciel-san left for some kind of mission, at her request. It must have been quick for him to be home so soon, but...

…...No matter how quick he returns, danger is danger. Nii-san always puts himself in danger like that. I do not like it. I do not like it at all, but if I tell him not to... he will just leave anyway.

And so every time he mentions it, I instead make him promise to return home to me. To return home alive. I will settle for that.

…...But some day, he may not. And if he does not... then... I do not wish to think about what my life will become...

Heading back to my classroom, I explain there is an emergency I have to attend to, and excuse myself from class. As my instructor knows I am a hard worker, they have little objection to my occasional leaving, and after I note the homework assignments through Friday, I leave the campus, waiting for my limousine.

It is not even ten minutes later when it pulls up. I do not even wait for Ishizaki to open the door. I run up to it, open it myself, and leap right in, and he even begins driving off before I can fully close the door.

He knows what I want. He immediately hits the back roads and pushes the car as fast as he is capable of doing while maintaining control. A trip that takes an hour and a half at normal speed is thus cut down to 45 minutes this way.

Featureless, gray scenery flies outside the windows, scarcely catching my attention, as the car races down back roads, at speeds that are obviously not very legal. Fortunately, there are never police along this desolate, almost forgotten road.

I race inside the mansion, throwing my bag at the chair, and I race to Nii-san's room, flinging open the door with a loud slam, panting for air.

Hisui is standing there, attending to him as she always does. He lies in his bed, unconscious, bandaged somewhat clumsily, fresh blood soaking through some of his bandages. She looks to me, simultaneously surprised and yet completely expecting my current condition.

"Thank you, Hisui. I will take over from here," I manage to gasp out.

"Yes, Akiha-sama. I will get what you need." She quickly bows and rushes off towards our medical supplies.

I walk over to Nii-san and carefully begin to undo the bandages. Hisui, despite her lack of medical training, did a good job of at least slowing Nii-san's blood loss. She does not know how to stitch as Kohaku or myself do, but she did wrap the bandages firmly to stem the flow. They are not hugely stained, so the pressure she wrapped them with has done well to slow it, at least.

I apply extra pressure with my hands to delay it even more until Hisui returns. I can feel Nii-san's blood smear and coat my palms and fingers. I try to absorb as little heat from it as I possibly can, but it is impossible to fully stop my body's natural abilities. Mere skin contact, especially with bodily fluids, activates them. I apply as much pressure as I can with as little of me contacting his bare skin directly as possible.

...The urge to taste his blood, to feel it coat my throat, wells up from deep inside, and I force it down with sheer willpower. No! I will not drink from Nii-san! I will never drink from Nii-san...!

Hisui returns some minutes later with a tray full of what I need. Fresh bandages. Medicinal herbs. Medicines Kohaku had prepared over the weekend. Stitch thread. Painkillers. Needles. All of the things I need... except solitude and time.

"Thank you, Hisui," I tell her. "Please order dinner tonight. I am afraid I will be too busy to cook, I do not think you are in a mental state to attempt it, and I do not know if Yumizuka-san feels comfortable cooking for four."

...Truth be told, I am not even sure if Yumizuka-san can cook, but now is not exactly the time to ask.

"...Yes, Akiha-sama." Hisui bows and exits the room.

Ordering dinner is... well... not something we do very often, but sometimes - especially when Nii-san arrives home in a condition such as this - none of us are able to cook. Those are the rare times when we order out. The food, obviously, is far less healthy, but we all need to eat, and so we will eat and deal with the consequences later. Occasional delivered food, such as this, will not kill me or make me overweight.

I roll up the sleeves on my uniform, and I get to work.

Most of Nii-san's injuries are various scrapes, cuts, and lacerations. I also believe he has sprained his ankle, for the foot rests at a slightly unusual angle, but fortunately, he does not seem to have broken bones.

For a human, Nii-san is very resilient. He has come home in considerably worse condition than this before, and thankfully, this seems to be of only moderate seriousness.

…However, even moderate seriousness is very serious to me.

I do not like to see him hurt at all. I would much rather take the injuries than he. I can heal faster. I am more resilient to damage. I would be a lot harder to kill, in theory, than he would, given that unlike Nii-san, I do not need to be touching my target to attack.

...Yet he would much rather defend me.

I am the the one with the unnatural body, with genes that are a mix of human and... something less than that. But the simple fact is... Nii-san does not look at me like that. Sometimes, it is as if he scarcely remembers that I have such a "healing curse" as it were.

Instead... I am simply Tohno Akiha, his younger sister. And it is the job of an older brother to protect his younger sister, from all troubles and pains.

…Why does he insist on this? I can defend myself perfectly fine. It is not too hard to do so, especially against mortal enemies. Against the sorts of things Ciel-san and Arcueid-san are sent to kill, that may be a problem, but usually when those sorts of hellspawn show up, one or the other will warn me. It is only right that they do, after all, for I oversee this city.

And yet... I want to shelter him from it. From this all. I would rather die in his stead, if it came down to it...

…...I realize this is a weird thought, for a younger sister to want to protect her older brother. But I do not care. I do not need a reason to protect those who I love, and I love Nii-san. I love him completely. I love him even more than he will allow me to love him, but if he wanted that sort of love from me, he would have it. He, and no other.

I would not be alive now, were it not for him. I would have died nine years ago, at the hands of "him." But Nii-san dashed in front of me and took the killing blow meant to kill me.

...Is that why?

Is that why I would be perfectly okay with dying for him? To repay some sort of life debt with my own life...?

...I sigh. I do not have time to dwell over this yet. Nii-san has wounds to attend to, and he is unable to do so himself. Therefore, I will do it for him, gladly.

I disinfect and apply medicines to the cuts, then carefully stitch the still-bleeding ones closed. I wrap them in bandages, checking after an hour to see if the blood flow to them has decreased, and they have, signifying I am stitching them properly.

It takes the better part of two hours, but I tend to each of Nii-san's wounds. Carefully cleaning, stitching if necessary, and wrapping in gauze and applying pressure and ice to stop the bleeding.

Exhausted, I sigh and sit in a chair in Nii-san's room, mentally drained. Kohaku is used to treating Nii-san in these conditions so this would be no problem for her, but I am nowhere near as disciplined as she is. What I have done should be good enough, provided we keep him sedated, until she can get a good look at him on Friday.

I look down at my uniform. It is spattered and smeared with Nii-san's blood all over the place.

...Well, this one will definitely need a heavy dose of cleaning. It is possible some parts, such as the skirt, are ruined for good - Nii-san was bleeding somewhat freely, and for one or two, I used my knees and body weight to apply as much pressure as I could to the wound.

...Then again, I am not exactly a heavy girl. 45 kilograms is not all that much, although Souka likes to tease me about it sometimes, seeing as out of myself, Hanei, Souka, and Seo, I am the second heaviest, only a kilogram lighter than Hanei.

...How can Hanei weigh only 46 kilograms with a chest like hers? Surely her breasts must be a few kilograms themselves, each...

Impulsively, I lift the bottom of my uniform's top up a little. No, my stomach is fine. There is no extraneous fat.

I shake my head. "Really... getting worried about something as vain as that at a time like this... what has gotten into you, Akiha...?"

The condition of my clothing or how my physical appearance is should be the furthest thing from my mind. Right now, I should be focusing on Nii-san, and ensuring that he is okay.

He is hooked up to the monitors I have wired him to, of course, and his vital signs, while somewhat lower than I would like them to be, do appear to be stable. The bleeding seems to have mostly staunched, and his signs, while somewhat low, are stable, and slowly improving.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

A knock on the door interrupts the song of life.

"Akiha-sama, Dinner arrived over an hour ago, but you didn't respond when I asked..." The voice of a concerned Hisui, coming to check on me.

"Ah... sorry, Hisui... I never even heard it. I must have been focusing on Nii-san... Ehm, what did you order?" I inquire.

"Pizza, Akiha-sama. Yumizuka-san saw me leafing through menus and she suggested a good place," she states. "According to Yumizuka-san, the slices are very filling, and the price wasn't too expensive. She figured you would like it."

...Funny, I did not think Yumizuka-san would have a knowledge of pizzerias. It is also, admittedly, not particularly "high-class" food. Indeed, it is, well... greasy and high in fats and oils. A person who dined on such a thing regularly would be quite seriously ill.

But my stomach will be hearing none of that. It growls so loudly it sounds like a rabid dog. It needs nourishment, and it needs it now.

I blush in embarrassment at its arrogant, brash demand.

"...Bring me two slices and something to drink, please," I ask of Hisui. "I am too exhausted to get out of this chair so quickly, and I wish to keep an eye on Nii-san."

"...As you wish, Akiha-sama." I hear her footsteps walk off.

…...Well, it is not like I do not enjoy pizza from time to time. And, admittedly, it is a rather satisfying, if calorie-laden, meal. However, I try to ensure that I have it, at most, only once or twice a month, especially if it is from an order out. If Kohaku makes it, it is a fair bit healthier, and I will allow myself to indulge in it a little more... although it then means that I will increase my exercise routine for a few days to compensate for the extra calories I have eaten.

I look over to Nii-san, his song playing in the background. His wrapped chest rises and falls.

Rise. Fall. With the very essence of life itself.

Rise.

Fall.

A soft knock and the door opening ends my slight daydream. I look to see Yumizuka-san having brought in my meal. She is wearing some new clothing, a red blouse with a cream-colored skirt that reaches down to about the middle of her thighs, and black stockings that go just up to above her knees.

Looking them for a second, I wonder how she obtained them, before remembering that Hisui was to go shopping for them today. This must have been one of the outfits she selected, then.

I must say... Hisui picked something that looks very good on Yumizuka-san.

"...Akiha-san? Is something wrong?" Yumizuka-san's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, no, Yumizuka-san. I was just thinking that the outfit you were wearing suits you, is all," I inform her.

"Heh, really? I like it too. I got a yellow coat and a pair of light blue-colored shoes that go with it, too." She smiles happily.

"Well, I am glad Hisui picked things you like to wear. It is much more natural to see you in something other than a school uniform or one of Kohaku's kimonos all the time," I tell her.

With a slight nod and a "Mmm-hmm" of agreement, She sets my dinner down on a small end-table near my seat, which she pulls over. She must see my exhaustion. Afterward, she looks over to Nii-san, and sighs softly. The smile she has but a moment ago has since faded.

"…...I would've never guessed Tohno-kun's life was so difficult." She then turns to me. "And yours too, Akiha-san."

"I can manage it," I say mutedly. "It is Nii-san's life that I worry about more than my own." I carefully lift one of the slices to my mouth and bite. It is still slightly warm, and the layers of flavors mix on my tongue as I chew. I am not sure if it is my mental state or my hunger, but I find it quite appealing, although I cannot help but think that if I ate this all, my uniform's top will suddenly be too small to fit.

Yumizuka-san sits down carefully on the edge of the bed, and hugs Nii-san very carefully. She lays her head on his chest and simply closes her eyes while she listens to him breathe.

For just several minutes, I watch as Yumizuka-san embraces him closely, holding Nii-san like he was made of pure gold. Her fingers trace carefully on his shoulders, and she does not appear to want to let him go.

…...I do not really mind. We are both out of the running for potential lovers. He loves Kohaku in that way, not me, or Yumizuka-san. Plus, Nii-san is obviously in too poor a condition to be doing anything sexual anyway, and I know neither Yumizuka-san nor myself would even dare to try such a thing with the sorts of wounds he has.

"Hey... Tohno-kun... get better soon, okay? I want to talk to you..." She sighs and pulls herself away from him, wiping her eyes. I note the light amount of moisture that is on the backs of her hands from such an action.

I lay back in my chair. I feel exhausted. Making up with Seo took a great deal of mental strength, and now this has taken most of what was left along with my physical strength. I have enough left to finish this meal, I think, but then I must rest.

"Hey, Yumizuka-san... do me a favor... watch over the place extra carefully tonight. I have a feeling that it is going to be rough going for the next few days..." I inform her.

...Well, I have more than a feeling that it will be rough. I KNOW it will be rough. Because tomorrow is...

"Eh? Of course, Akiha-san. Don't worry." She smiles and bows slightly.

"Good. Then, please leave me alone with Nii-san," I request. "I will watch him while I am able, but if you hear anything suspicious, investigate at once."

Yumizuka-san pouts very slightly. I can tell she does not want to leave Nii-san's room.

I cannot blame her. For even though she, too, knows that Nii-san has found someone to love, a girl's heart just cannot truly accept that result, not when they want it so badly themselves.

For Yumizuka Satsuki, like myself, is someone who was saved by Nii-san. He may well have saved her life, as he had mine, for cold temperatures when one is dressed merely in a gym outfit for a long period of time will eventually bring on hypothermia. Yumizuka Satsuki, along with her friends, may have died that day had it not been for Nii-san.

...Is it little wonder, then, that she desires to be with him so?

...Well, I cannot just magically make him give his heart to her... or to me. But I can definitely ensure that she gets some time with him.

Yes. That would be wise, and a nice reward for the extra trouble. Perhaps tomorrow I will allow her to watch over him.

I will be pre-occupied, anyway, with the day that will be following it...

"...Understood, Akiha-san." With a bit of displeasure, Yumizuka-san nonetheless acquiesces to my request. She bows once more, heads for the door, takes one more look at Nii-san, and then exits the room.

I look over to Nii-san. His chest continues to rise and fall, shallowly but regularly. He will live. I have ensured he will live, and Kohaku will be able to take far better care of him when she arrives on Friday.

Having finished up my meal and my drink, I walk over and crawl carefully onto his bed beside him.

"Nii-san... you idiot. You keep making me worry like this..." I say with a sigh of displeasure.

Yet, I cannot help but hug him. Hold him close to me. Cherish this moment of time that I have with him, with the one whom I secretly, to all but a few, desire the most, and can be with no other.

This body, that had protected mine nine years ago. The body that ensured Tohno Akiha would live.

This heat, that comes from the very depth of his soul. The heat of life that Tohno Akiha helps provide.

This smell, even though it is of blood and sweat. The odor that Tohno Akiha finds strangely appealing.

This breathing, soft and yet determined. The breath that Tohno Akiha has restored to his frame.

This heartbeat, strong and resolute. The life that Tohno Akiha shares with him since he saved hers.

It... It is like a lullaby to me. My grip tightens a little firmly on him, as I lay my head on his undamaged left chest.

I close my eyes, and just listen.

Thump. Thump. Thump.
Before long, I have tuned out the beeping of the monitor.

Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heartbeat resonates with his. Before long, two hearts beat as one.

I feel like I could stay this way with him, forever, without a single care in the world...

I awaken to find myself in the back alley downtown where Yumizuka-san and I had met some nights earlier. How I got here... is of little significance.

...But I am not alone this time, either.

There is a young woman, perhaps in her late twenties. Calmly, she sits against the wall, her left arm detached from her body, laying next to her legs. Her light blue shirt is more of a purple near where the arm used to be, and a red puddle is underneath the severed arm, which still occasionally twitches, and the fingers flex every now and again.

Just a little further along, by a post, is a man in his early thirties, whose leg has been bent in half twice, folding over upon itself. He ran, but not very far, it seems. There are scratch marks in the ground, and his fingernails are chipped, cracked, and covered in blood from him using them to try to stave off his inevitable fate.

A female child, no older than seven or eight years, lies down in the far end of the alley near its end, in two pieces approximately six feet apart, with only a long strand of bright, pink, slimy intestine connecting both halves. The expression on her face is one of pure horror, and her body occasionally shudders and spasms, the muscles not quite understanding that the signals they are receiving are from a confused brain that is refusing to acknowledge that it is dead. Two small red pools under her torso and legs have begun to merge, flowing towards a nearby drain.

The smell of red iron is thick in the air.

I do not feel horrified at this scene. I have seen it many times before.

Cleanup is a breeze, too. All I have to do is look at them.

One by one, they vanish as my abilities plunder their heat. Soon the man, woman, and child are but memories.

I sigh happily. I feel refreshed. Energized.

I feel like I could take on... the whole world.

As I walk out of the alley and look at my reflection in a nearby window, I lick my lips as I watch my red hair blow strongly in the wind.

What a fine meal...

I feel so alive. So alive, amongst this death.
For after all... the strong survive, and the weak must perish.
It is not my fault I am stronger... it is simply fate - theirs, and mine.

Next Chapter (11/14/10) – Chapter 24: "Through the Dreamscape, Black Nightmare Reality"