Keitaro was alone again. That was the best he could describe it, he was alone. The rain had began to beat down slowly like some kinda sad part in a cheesy movie. He let the rain drip on his hair and run down his glasses. Every step he took towards nowhere seemed to only make the rain fall harder. Very soon, the rain had turned into a downpour. However, none of this bothered him. The events of the last hour were what bothered him the most.
Keitaro and Naru stood outside of the Veterinarian building. He cradled Skinny in one arm, and held Naru's hand in the other. As the three approached, Han, Tokui, Shirai, Nentou, and Haitani waited at the door. They stood at both sides of the entrance, fully dressed in uniform, waiting for Skinny, Keitaro, and Naru to pass. As they walked between their rows, each one of them saluted Skinny as he passed by. Their captain Tokui opened the door for them and saluted Skinny as well. No one said a word, none were needed. They knew why they were here, and no one needed to be reminded again.
Once inside, they were immediately in the waiting room. However, the room was not empty. All of Hinata Sou's residents were there. Some extra faces such as Avianna, Haruka, and even Seta were there.
"Avianna", Keitaro instinctively saluted with Skinny.
"At ease you two", Avianna waved them off. "I'm not here for business. I came here to see you two."
"Th-Thank you General Avianna", Keitaro accidentally saluted her again.
Avianna and Keitaro stood there in awkward silence. She looked to Naru who held onto Keitaro's arm.
"Miss Narusegawa, would you please take Skinny to sit down", Avianna asked. "Keitaro and I need to sign him in."
Naru questioned why Avianna wanted to sign Skinny in alone with Keitaro. After a quick glance to Skinny and Keitaro, Naru got the picture. She helped take the small martin into her arms. Keitaro watched as she sat down next to everyone else. Skinny was greeted happily by the Hinata Sou residents.
"Keitaro", A voice woke him up from his trance.
Avianna and the remainder of the ERT were standing around Keitaro.
"Are you okay", Shirai asked.
"Yeah I'm fine", Keitaro responded. "Just a little sore still from..."
"No Keitaro, are you OKAY", Haitani told him with emphasis on the word.
Keitaro sighed, now understanding what his friend said.
"My friend is dying", Keitaro muttered. "My little buddy who helped pull me through my worse times. How okay do you think I am?"
His captain Tokui pulled Keitaro into a deep hug.
"It's alright Keitaro", Tokui told him. "I know this is a hard thing to go through. He's gonna be okay Keitaro. The man upstairs is gonna take care of him now."
Keitaro was on the edge of tears. He sucked it up before they could fall, but not before hugging his commander back first.
"Hey Boss", Skinny called to his master, "Come sit with us. We got fortune cookies."
Tokui let Keitaro go have a seat with his friends. The soldier set Skinny comfortable on his lap to enjoy what would very well be his last snack. Technically these weren't fortune cookies, but rather a type of moon pie with small words of wisdom. Since Skinny was too lazy to ever figure out what they were, he chose to call them fortune cookies. The name stuck, and Keitaro went along with it. The tiny animal cracked open the moon pie and ate around the paper with delight.
"Is there a poem in there", Keitaro asked as his furry friend opened the moon pie."
Skinny opened up the tiny scroll and read, "Extract, from Thoughts on a Clock by Eric Ritchie Junior."
"Is it a knock knock joke, those ones are great", Keitaro asked.
"I don't think so Boss", Skinny said as he made himself more comfortable against Keitaro's stomach.
"Well don't just leave us hanging, read it", Naru said petting Skinny's head."
"And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves", Keitaro and everyone else began to slightly frown as Skinny read on, "The eleventh's hour is over now, the clock is striking twelve's."
"I don't get it", Keitaro lied with a shrug.
"No one's supposed to get these", Skinny told him, "Not even the writers."
It took a little bit more silence to before the ERT joined them in conversation.
"I don't think we've been this silent together since our first dinner at Hinata Sou", Nentou spoke to try and break the ice.
"Yeah", Keitaro agreed, "We had Angel back then."
"Had Angel", Shirai interrupted, "The boy was chasing Kitsune that night."
This got everyone to laugh, but it didn't stop there.
"Me gettin chased by him", Kitsune defended, "I remember it the other way around honey!"
"Yeah, he was always the cinnamon roll of he group", Shirai went on.
"I think in our group we had both Shinobu and Keitaro", Sarah cleverly added.
Everyone went about laughing, not just because it was mostly true, but because they could also snowball the conversation in good nature. The laughs died down to chuckles and small giggles before dying completely. The silence was there again until Skinny spoke.
"Thanks everyone", Skinny told them all.
"For what", Keitaro asked.
"For everything."
Any last traces of happy laughs disappeared after that. Keitaro's face turned into a combination of bitter and sour. He hurt everywhere inside. So did everyone else, but no one hurt more than Keitaro. Skinny sat up slightly and spoke his heart.
"I don't want any of you to feel angry or sad", Skinny told both Hinata Sou and the ERT gang. "You all changed my life. You're gonna change a lot of people's lives."
Skinny took a look at everyone before looking back to his master and friend, Keitaro.
"Promise me you'll never give up?"
After a solemn smile, Keitaro wrapped an arm around Skinny, "I promise."
Without any hesitation, Skinny stood up and hugged Keitaro's chest for as far as his arms could stretch. Keitaro hugged him back leaning his cheek against the top of Skinny's head. As their hug lasted for some time, the clock mounted on the wall made a beeping noise. Midnight had approached, and it was now time to say goodbye. Right on the dot, a young veterinarian walked into the room.
"Keitaro", She asked, "Are you ready?"
"Just, just give us a few more minutes", Keitaro told her.
With a nod, the veterinarian left them for the time they needed. Once gone, Ketiaro looked back to Skinny.
"Skinny, you don't have to do this", He told his little friend, "We can see other vets, we can try more..."
"Boss", Skinny interrupted, "We've been over this. I wouldn't last for long. Life would be a painful struggle for me."
"Life is a painful struggle anyways", Keitaro started to get mad that Skinny was stubbornly accepting death. "You have to be strong to live on! You're strong Skinny, I know you are! You have to keep going Skinny! You have to live for as long as you can."
Keitaro was now having tears shed from his eyes as his head hung low.
"Boss, I'm not that strong. You're stronger than I am. You're going to live a long life after I'm gone. Martins don't have that long of a lifespan anyways. It was shorter than yours, but it was one worth living.
Everyone wanted so badly to save the pine martin they called Skinny. However, he was making new points and purpose to the approaching event, as well as making everyone cry or tear up.
"What's happening today, isn't cutting a life short, it's knowing that I've lived a good life, and granting mercy to a life worth living. We've had our ups and downs Boss, but it was all worth it. It was worth being your friend. It was worth going on all those adventures together. It was worth struggling through the mud with you. It was worth watching you learn to love again."
Skinny turned his attention back to everyone else.
"I want to thank you all for everything you've done for me, and Keitaro. It was an adventure and an honor getting to be a part of your lives."
Skinny was passed around as everyone said their own thanks and goodbyes. There were tears shed and some crying, but Keitaro remained in the chair with his head still hung low. Again, the veterinarian returned, ready for Skinny.
He was passed along into the vet's arms before saying, "Goodbye everyone, thanks again. Goodbye Keitaro."
In spite of what the pine martin said, Keitaro didn't budge from his spot or even acknowledge what he said. It was heart wrenching to see this lack of friendship from Keitaro's side. Everyone wanted to yell t Keitaro for not giving a response, but they were all so sad from having to say goodbye to their friend. Skinny let it go as he disappeared with the vet behind the heavy steel mechanical sliding door. On the other side, Skinny watched the door shut and stared at it for a few more seconds.
"I hope you'll be alright Keitaro", Skinny thought.
With a sigh Skinny told her, "Take me away Doc."
The vet carried skinny down the long white hallway to the back room. The moment they were six feet from the door ahead, a loud bang came from the door that led to the waiting room. Looking back, Keitaro had forced the heavy sliding door open bare handedly.
He struggled with its retracting force as he shouted, "Skinny! Don't worry about me! I'm going to be alright!"
Skinny was shocked that Keitaro knew exactly what he was thinking only moments before. In truth, he knew how Skinny worked, and how he functioned. And Keitaro knew that there were only a few occasions when Skinny called Keitaro by his real name. When he said Keitaro's name in the waiting room sparked something back into Keitaro. Perhaps a final gift for him.
"You just worry about getting to paradise! I'll meet you there one day, I promise! I'll live for the both of us", Keitaro said as the door began to win against his strength. "I'll live the best life I can until my clock strikes twelve. Just wait until my clock strikes twelve!"
The door began to close alarming fast over Keitaro. It took the combined strength of Han, Naru, Seta and Shinobu to pull him back through the door way. They all stumbled and Kaitaro landed on his butt as the door slid closed in a kick of time for him to escape. Once everyone made sure that no one was injured, Keitaro was left in a daze. His focus was on the door where his friend had walked through, never to come back again.
"Keitaro", Naru asked to see if he was ok.
He didn't hear what she said. He didn't hear what anyone else said. All he could do was stare back at the door.
And that's where Keitaro ended up here and now. He didn't know how or when he left the vet. It was all after images and tunnel vision after that. Keitaro ran out of the building at some point, leaving everyone behind. Naru and Shinobu tried to stop him, but Haruka and Avianna said to let him go, at least for the time being. Keitaro forgot how long he had been wandering, or when it started raining for that matter.
The rain didn't bother him in the least. He felt so dead inside that the rain's cold dampness didn't phase him at all. Once he had gained some of his thoughts back, three things went through his head. The first was that maybe he'd go and kill Masuka. Then he thought maybe he'd kill himself instead. The third thought was that he remembered he' live for both Skinny and himself. Those words alone were enough to keep grounded to earth. Despite what different path he took, he always seemed to end up back here, at Hinata Sou.
Looking up past the rain, Keitaro traced the stairs that would eventually lead him back to Hinata Sou. A fourth thought came to his mind, and that was sleep. It was a long day with an early morning and a late night. There were too many thoughts and emotions going through Keitaro now. He just needed to shut down for now. Sleep was the only escape he wanted from this day's end. One step at a time, Keitaro trudged up the stairs and eventually to his room.
Keitaro didn't open his room for days. Whenever he DID need to leave his room, he'd leave at night. His depression started to eat away at his sleeping schedule, leaving him to mourn nocturnally. Every now and then Keitaro'a friends from the ERT would drop by to check up on him, often times more than once a day.
"How is he doing", Tokui asked entering the kitchen of Hinata Sou.
"Still nothing", Motoko told her. "He's eating the food we leave at the door for him, but he's not talking to us."
"He did the same thing when we all thought Masuka died", Tokui told them.
Keitaro had locked himself away in his room. He leaned against the wall, looking out through the window to his right. He didn't budge once, just continuing to sit there and stare out.
"How long did he do this", Mutsumi asked
"A long time", Han answered, "He took that one pretty hard, and I can't tell if this is just as bad, or even worse than before."
"How did he snap out of it last time", Naru asked the ERT.
"Avianna doused him in a bucket of ice cold water", Tokui told her.
"So what? We need to go and get a bucket of cold water to splash him with", Naru asked.
"No, we just need to give him some time", Haitani interrupted.
"But the exams are tomorrow", Naru argued, "This could be his last chance to get into Tokyo U!"
"I know! I know", Tokui told her, "But we can't push him too hard. He's been pushed around hard enough. All we can do now is wait for him to get back up on his feet again. If we all believe in him, he'll be there at those exams before the final hour is over."
In spite of what their captain told them, Naru still worried. She looked out the window at the midday sun, as if she could tell the hour of the day by looking at it.
No one knew that Keitaro was looking out the window at exactly what Naru stared at. He didn't look directly into the sun, but rather he watched everything projected right under the earth's closest star. Keitaro stared out through that window unbudged until the sun had long but set. Sometime within the dark, Keitaro moved from his spot. He stretched slightly as he went straight for the door. There was a plate of food prepared for him on the floor.
He skipped out on dinner again today. Instead of eating it, Keitaro brought the plate to his desk. He didn't really feel like eating right now, and he needed to use the restroom before anything else.
Keitaro wasn't he only one awake. The occupied room not far from his belonged to Kitsune, who was also awake at the time. She had opened a bottle of wine while watching the television. However, a noise outside had caught her attention. Peeking through her door, Kitsune watched Keitaro leave his room for the first time in days.
Why his body kept moving was a mystery to him. Why his body kept moving towards the attic was an even bigger mystery. There was nothing there anyways. Dust, boxes, and a few bits of furniture were present, but nothing else. Maybe it was the sense of nothing that brought Keitaro here. It was better to feel nothing than sorrow and pain. The Urashima leaned his back against the wall before sliding down to the floor. The thud of his bottom collapsing on the floor ruptured some dust, but he didn't care. Keitaro sat alone as he stared out into the dark. However, he didn't stay alone for long.
"Keitaro", A familiar and slightly western voice spoke in the dark.
Near the stairway to the attic stood Kitsune in her pajamas, holding a bottle of wine.
"Kitsune", Keitaro asked in surprise that she was awake, "What are you doing up?"
"I heard ya open up the attic", She said walked towards Kietaro before taking a seat right next to him.
The pair sat in silence while Kitsune took a swig from the wine bottle.
"Mind if I get some of that", Keitaro asked and pointed to the wine.
"Not at all sugar", Kitsune passed the bottom.
The bottle drifted off to Keitaro before he started drinking at an alarmingly fast rate.
"Hey, easy there Keitaro", Kitsune warned, "You don't wanna drown yourself."
Keitaro removed the bottle from his lips, "Sorry. It's just a coping method I guess...I've never been good at this whole loss thing, and it hurts...Just, everything hurts..."
Kitsune took the bottle before drinking from it herself, "I know the feelin sugar..."
Keitaro looked to Kitsune and realized just what she meant. Angel was very close to Kietaro and the ERT, but Kitsune was especially close to Angel.
"Oh Kitsune, I'm sorry", He apologized to the woman as she removed the bottle from her lips, "I didn't mean to open old wounds. Here I am complaining about my loss when you and Angel..."
"It's okay Keitaro", She assured him, "I know ya didn't mean it. You're in a state of mournin, it's natural. Angel was a good person, one of the best people I've ever known. I'm gonna to miss him, and I'm gonna love him forever. The same with ya and Skinny. It's okay to miss him, because that shows that ya loved him."
"I did love him", Keitaro told her, "I still do, but that love that I had for him, is killing me. I don't regret loving him, but I regret that I needed to say goodbye to him. He deserved better. He deserved to live till he was old. And he deserved to be happy."
Kitsune watched Keitaro spill his words and spill his tears. He was finally letting everything out. Everything he had bottled up, every thing he denied, and everything he hid from the rest of the world, he was letting out.
"Keitaro he was happy", Kitsune told Keitaro.
This made him cease his crying. The tears still rained down, but he had some sense of control listening to her.
"He was happy Keitaro, because he had ya in his life."
"But it wasn't fair", Keitaro told her, "He had so much more time to live, and it was all taken from him. I took it from him."
"Keitaro", Kitsune placed the bottle at her side before wrapping an arm around his head and bringing him close to her chest, "Now, ya listen to me and ya good. It is NOT ya fault darlin. Skinny made his choice. He did what he thought was right because ya were important to him. He didn't give his life up for nothin, he gave it up so ya didn't have to give up ya own life."
Keitaro only felt guilty by what she said. The small strokes from Kitsune's hand within his hair stopped him from speaking.
Kitsune continued to talk, "Skinny knew what he was doin Keitaro. He knew the possible price, and he took the chance. He was a warrior, and he died like a warrior. It's better to remember him with a smile knowin that he was happy, instead a frown of depression that he's gone..."
He knew Kitsune was right. Skinny's death took a real toll on him, and he couldn't get out of the depression. Still, he needed to remember what Skinny meant to him. He was his friend, his wingman, and his warrior. It would be an insult to remember only the sorrows and not the good times of being with Skinny. It didn't make it any easier, but memories were always there. Happy and sad memories were known to being tears, and this was no different. Keitaro's shoulders shivered as he began to sob in Kitsune's arm.
"It's okay Keitaro", Kistune said as she turned to him and embraced her friend fully, "It's okay."
Kitsune pulled him deeper into her embrace as Keitaro wrapped his arms around her. He continued to sob into while Kitsune rubbed his hair. Coincidentally, it was now midnight as she hugged Keitaro. At the stroke of midnight, Skinny left them. When it came again, Keitaro had started to rebuild his himself once more...
Long time no see everyone. This chapter has taken especially wrong for me to write. It was my most devastating chapter to write for me. I looked to doctor who for the fortune cookie part. Smallville helped me write Skinny's goodbye to everyone. I got an idea from Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood for the part where Keitaro rushed through the door to say goodbye to Skinny. But more specifically, I watched the season finale of RWBY season 3. THAT HURT! Ten hours later, and I still hurt from hurt. I think that's what gave me the final push to post this part.
A lot of music inspire me to write this part, "Angels or Devils", by "Dishwalla", "Landslide" by "Fleetwood Mac", "I'll Be Missing You" by "P. Diddy", "The Time Has Come/ Pikachu's Goodbye" from "Pokemon", "Story Of My Life" by "One Direction", "Follow Me" by "Eiffel 65", "Wake Me Up" by "Avicii", "Don't Dream It's Over" by "Sixpence None The Richer","Sullivan Street" by "The Counting Crows", and "Let It Out", by "Miho Fukuhara" from Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.
Well, that's all for now. I'm gonna continue to cry about the season finale of RWBY. I'll end this by saying thank you for sticking around so long, even though I don't update often. I promise, I'll end this July Second, the four year anniversary. Thank you all again everyone!