Bakemonogatari – 'A Thousand Miles, A Thousand Days'

That day was supposed to be the best day ever. At least for Senjougahara Hitagi. However, the sight of father and son fighting against each other was far from bliss. Her son was such a gentleman, and a good son to her. She might not be able to call him the 'perfect' son, but he was her only son, and she treasured him so much.

Yet Senjougahara Kuzuki becames a monster at the sight of his father.

She should have known this long ago; people who had events with an aberration would found herself surrounded by various other aberration, just like what her husband said. Just like what her husband experienced. Just like how he met her.

Her son was not an exception.

Until that moment, Senjougahara Hitagi had never known how much pain and suffering her only son bore. She had always seen him with a smile; never had he shown a slight of unhappiness, regret or anger. She thought their lives were a normal one, but there wasn't a single normal thing when you are related to Araragi Koyomi.

Senjougahara Kuzuki, like his father, was a pseudo-human, partly vampire.

The two pseudo-human were now fighting against each other; Kuzuki being the more aggressive side. Little did she know about what made her son so infuriated after finding his father before. However, everything was crystal clear then. She then discovered that her son had matured much faster than his father. And Senjougahara Hitagi blamed herself for everything. For not knowing everything.

"Why!"

The loud scream of Kuzuki had started another fist barrage on Araragi's stomach. That father of his might have actually surrendered and let his only son hit him as much as he wanted, if not for the legendary vampire protesting the pain. At the very least, he had to defend. But even after he defended, Oshino Shinobu told him to fight back. He simply couldn't.

He understood what he had done. He understood what he had brought to his only son's life; pain and sufferings. He understood that, because he himself had led an aberration life. But in truth, life of Kuzuki was much harder. While it was true that his vampirism was way weaker than his father's, somehow the sun burnt his skin. It did not burn as fast as real vampire's skin, but it pains him everyday, ever since he was born. Even then he had been accustomed to the pain.

Weak against silver, weak against garlic, many of a vampire's weakness were within him. But what he hated the most was the fact that he left him and his mother the day he was born. For that, he had to see her mother lonely everytime he was about to go somewhere. Everytime she saw him, a flicker of sadness was visible to Kuzuki in his mother's eyes.

"You resembled your father so much that I remembered of him whenever I see you.."

It was because he left them without reason.

Araragi ran out of energy, and he was lying on the scorched road. Beaten by his own son. He just wished that later, he would have some energy left that he could apologize and beg for forgiveness appropriately. However, Kuzuki showed no sign of stopping. He could then barely feel the pain, or barely saw his son's face. Even Shinobu was worried about him. It was as if... as if he was about to die.

"Muraragi-san?"

It was, to Araragi, as if the time had stopped. He remembered that name, and how he greeted her everytime he met her. At least, when he was in Japan. She was known to be always mispronouncing his name, and that time she did not get it correct yet again. The so-called earthbound spirit was then a high school student with a fine body. She was not carrying her bags like how Araragi remembered her. He could not help but smile.

"Geez, I thought you haven't forgotten our jokes.."

"At time like this you still think about that?"

"Don't worry. I can give you as many times as you need."

The high school girl named Hachikuji Mayoi then held his hand, and pulled it as if it was nothing. Araragi was then having a fuzzy feeling, but when he regained his sense he could see his body being beaten by his son. He glared at Mayoi, who only gave smile in return. Only a moment later it occured to him that Mayoi was an earthbound spirit no longer.

She was a grim reaper.

Dying at the hands of one's son, no one had ever wanted such ending. But Araragi Koyomi was then a unique person. No, a unique being. He hesitated, but then he turned to Mayoi and dropped on his knees, surrendering his life. However, taking this pseudo-human soul was not the real intention of Hachikuji Mayoi. She shook her head.

"After all the time you were away, I have not heard of you. Maybe we can have a little chat."

So there they were, a grim reaper and a soul away from its body, walking along the sideroad, chatting about trivial things as well as joking around together. Araragi consulted about his problem with his son. And in turn, Mayoi told him all she had gone through. She had seen many death, and most of them were terrible and painful. Such pity had transformed her into a grim reaper, so that she could end the pain quickly. She did not grow into a high school girl; she simply transformed, since a grim reaper had to be mature. Mentally and physically.

Mayoi then offered to help, but the time she gave him was more than enough help to think about a solution for his problem. While he pondered over all the trouble his son had gone through, she was wandering around, like she used to be when she was still an earthbound spirit. Old habits are hard to get rid of, he guessed.

"Can't I just die?"

These words shocked the grim reaper Mayoi the most. She then bit her lips, and sat beside Araragi. It was as if she wanted to comfort Araragi, and in the same time discourages his will to die for his son. It was not because she pitied him for his troubles, the whole idea just could never appeal her. She did not, at most, want Araragi to die.

Mayoi leaned her head on his shoulder, and hug his right hand. He was a bit shocked about how bold the grim reaper beside him could be, but decided to go with the flow. That was how Hachikuji Mayoi see Araragi Koyomi; she adored him, for such a long time. She seemed to hate the fact that he acted like a pedo whenever they met, but that was never the case.

Hachikuji Mayoi had always liked the man named Araragi Koyomi.

So here it is, the second chapter. I was not planning for the plot for the first and second chapter, but maybe it will come out naturally. Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it.