Ephemeral

Aiko who was now an old woman suffering from deadly illness was lying down as immortal, teenage Mikaela sat on a chair next to her bed. As much as he didn't want to acknowledge it, he knew the end was near for her. He kept his composure but, on the inside, he felt as unwell as Aiko looked. It was almost like watching his family be slaughtered again. The flashbacks of decades ago, the time he first met her ran through Mikaela's mind. In fact, he couldn't really remember the first time they met, it was rather, the second time they had actually spoken and got to know each other.

They walked together in silence, the physical distance they put between each other and lack of verbal communication spoke louder than words how uncomfortable they felt in each other's presence. Mikaela especially was suffering from bloodlust for his blood supply he carried with him was gone from the time he woke up here. His only source of nutrition was the human who walked ahead of him. He ached from the temptation of pinning her to the floor and drinking the blood flowing in her veins at this moment as they walked along this underground tunnel.

"Let's take a break for a moment." Aiko suggested as she sat down.

Mikaela did the same except it was more like he fell to the ground and shaking from thirst.

Aiko noticed how much he was suffering and was confused. He didn't appear to be hurt and don't vampires have incredible healing capabilities from injuries anyways? She quickly caught on that it was probably blood that he needed. Aiko almost wondered if this was her perfect chance to escape from this potential enemy but…As she watched, she could not help but feel a surge of pity, in this world that was crumbling to pieces since her early childhood, she knew what it was like to not have enough to eat. She knew it was crazy for a prey to feel sorry for her predator, but somehow it was as though she could not ignore all the sympathy that ran through her body as she watched him suffer.

Even though she knew she was going to hate herself for it, Aiko stood up and undid part of her top to expose her neck and she walked towards the suffering vampire.

"Here. You can drink from me," she said trying to keep her voice devoid of emotion. She absolutely did not want to offer her blood like this to her enemy but…she also thought, Can I simply walk away with a clean conscience when I know I abandoned someone I could have saved? Even if that person was a bloodsucker?

Mikaela shook his head and looked away from her.

"I could easily kill you if I did that, human."

Aiko's pity began to be replaced with annoyance as she answered, "I didn't need you to tell me that. But if we never find a way out both of us are good as dead. If I go first, I end up your meal anyway."

Aiko did however wonder though, Why does he refuse? Was it because of his pride or did he have an ounce of respect for human life?

Mikaela's teeth clenched in anger at her words, but knew there was potential truth to what she had said to him…No, I would not drink from this human. I'm strong enough to resist her blood. I would do it for him, for Yuu-chan…

Aiko kept her expression stoic as she put her top back together, and turned her back to him and said, "Fine. Suit yourself."

As she walked further away and a few moments passed, Mikaela without thinking and no longer able to resist his thirst, grabbed Aiko and bit into her neck.

Aiko gasped as they both fell to the floor and Mikaela drank from her no longer able to restrain himself. He felt a mixture of shame and pleasure as he tasted her blood. He was like a human who was on the verge of dehydration finally drinking water. However, as soon as he came back to his senses, he stopped.

Without second thought, Aiko punched him in the face and yelled, "How dare you attack me when my back was turned! Why didn't you drink from me when I first offered to you?! Is this your idea of a joke? You bastard!"

Her voice held all the condemnation and her eyes began to tear up in anger and frustration. Humans had always suffered at the hands of his kind. Hell, she had even lost her parents because vampires existed. If she wasn't sure about it before, she knew she hated vampires now, every single stinking one of them. Number one, the one who killed her parents, number two, the other one who stood before her now.

"I hate you!" She cried. "Why don't all of you just go die!"

Mikaela couldn't say anything for he knew her anger was completely justified and he hated himself as much as the passion that raged in her words. He could hardly accept after 4 years of self-denial and keeping himself pure, all of that effort went down the drain in a moment of weakness. He was unable to face her from all of his shame. And he couldn't believe what he was about to say this to a humanbut in a quiet voice, he answered,

"I'm sorry, Aihara."

That one phrase briefly subsided her outrage and she was silenced for a moment before saying,

"How…why… did you call me 'Aihara?'"

"Isn't that your name?"

"Yes but…I didn't know that you knew it was my name. I thought you only knew me as 'human.'"

Mikaela had heard one of members of JIDA call her "Aihara," though he couldn't remember the context of the situation precisely. He finally faced her, his expression was still rough, but responded in a tone softer towards her than it had been before,

"I didn't plan to attack you while your back was turned. I lost control of my thirst. It was still wrong though and you're right to be angry."

Aiko's anger faded now because she was able to believe him. Since this arrogant vampire had apologized to her owned up to his mistake. This is something she wouldn't have foreseen. Furthermore, if he was not truly sorry, he wouldn't have bothered to stop but drink her until she died. She was able to believe it more now, that perhaps he was an unusual vampire who had a degree of respect for human life.

Her expression became softer as she really looked at Mikaela's face carefully for the first time. His appearance definitely could never be one of a human's. Yet he did not look like a vampire either. He was too ethereal and blazing; he looked more like an angel. Although she'd never seen one, but if she was asked to imagine an angel's appearance, it would have been a face that resembled his. She didn't want to admit it to herself but in this broken-down world he was the most beautiful thing she ever saw. And she wondered if being trapped in this dark, damp hole was slowly driving her mad.

Mikaela also watched Aiko's face more thoroughly. He hadn't thought about her looks before. Her features were sharp and mature. She had long, dark, billowing hair. Her burgundy eyes were warm and reminded him of the leaves in autumn. He found her pretty, maybe even beautiful, in a subtle kind of way. Something about her aura was tender, peaceful, it was strange coming from a woman who must have been trained to kill his kind her whole life.

Although Mikaela felt no camaraderie with either the vampires or the humans. He still couldn't trust this woman because her affiliation are the ones who put the only one who mattered to him most, his one and only family left, Yuu-chan, in danger. And he couldn't believe he finally lost all control and his humanity drinking this random person's blood. He knew he can only blame himself for that and from now on he was a pure, ugly bloodsucker.

He was already on his feet while Aiko was still on the floor. He offered his hand to her.

For a moment, the thought of slapping his hand and telling him to 'piss off' ran though Aiko's mind, but she remembered she chose to forgive him, so she accepted and let him help her get up from the ground. She dropped eye contact with him and they continued to walk in the uncomfortable silence together.

He couldn't remember how they got to it, but at some point, they ended up speaking to each other about their past. Aiko tells him about how she lost her parents during a vampire attack and only she survived because the members of JIDA came to her rescue killed the vampire in time. Mikaela did not know how to respond to that, but let it show on his face he did pity her, because he knew all too well what it was like to lose family.

She asks him what happened to him during that time, Mikaela tells her his past in a vague way and revealing no specific details. Aiko is in shock to learn he was once a human kept as livestock. She manages to figure out the "one person who managed to escape" when his family was slaughtered is Yuichiro and she asks him if that is so.

Mikaela does not answer her question but Aiko is convinced by his silence it must have been. Mikaela wonders if Aiko is aware of the Seraph of the End experiment, but he draws the conclusion that is perhaps not the case, it wouldn't make sense for someone who was not necessarily one of the most high-ranking officers like her to know so much, most likely she figured it out by having Yuu-chan in her midst.

Aiko goes on to say, "I want you to be reunited with him again."

Mikaela asks, "Why do you care?"

He stopped for a moment and continued, "Did Yuu-chan say something about me?"

Aiko then answers, "I don't know Private Yuichiro Hyakuya particularly well, or what your relationship to him was like, but if you feel that strongly about it, he must return those feelings."

"Don't act so familiar, you don't know anything about me."

But Aiko goes on, "I sense it, though. That the way you feel about him is similar to the way I feel about the members of my squad." She begins to tear up.

"Have they eaten? Have they slept? Are they still..."

She could not bring herself to say the word, alive.

Aiko began to tear up and put her arm over her eyes.

"I was supposed to protect them...yet I got separated from them and I can't even remember how I ended up here...I'm nothing but a failure."

She ends up crying. To which Mikaela thinks, pathetic. However, he was weak to her tears. He wanted her to stop. Aiko was right, her desperation mirrored the way he felt about Yuu-chan. He had shed his first tears in four years after the last time he had encountered Yuu-chan in Ikebukuro. And it disturbingly reminded him of how he felt upon the deaths of his family members: Akane, Kota, Chihiro, Ako, Fumie, Taichi...He knew he cannot openly show Aiko sympathy so instead, he tries to comfort her by patting her back. Something about her triggered his protective instinct. He knew for sure he hated the JIDA but he did not feel the same kind of contempt and aversion towards this girl. Maybe it was because if the world had been different, he could see himself being cordial with her...almost.

But he knew he couldn't be protective towards someone who could end up his enemy on the battlefield. Although when he looked at her, he could see was someone who as heartbroken by the thought of losing those who were important to her.

A truly cruel person wouldn't cry over the suffering of others. He was starting to see this Aihara as someone who had her heart in the right place, who was probably being used by Guren and most likely unaware of the human experimentation. He started to think it was possible a lot of JIDA members were puppets who didn't know what was really going on behind the scenes, in a large organization like that, it would be too much of a security risk, for everybody to know everything. However, he reminds himself he cannot let himself become vulnerable to this girl. She was still a stranger, after all.

He pat her back and said, "You don't know that. If you have time to cry, you have time to find your squad alive."

Aiko wiped her tears and said, "You seem like an arrogant jerk at first but you're...actually nice for a vampire." She sniffed.

Mikaela stops touching her immediately and gets up and walks a few feet away from her and replies, "Hmph. Don't get so comfortable with me, human."

Aiko smirked and chuckled as she watched him.

"You claim to have no interest in humans, yet you're obsessed with Yuu-chan."

"..."

Mikaela began to recall a different time in their past, long after they got out of the underground. The first time they had kissed. Aiko had stroked his face and asked him if she could try something. Mikaela sensed she might try to kiss him, he felt reluctant but did not turn her down or resist her attempt. When she put her lips to his and breathed, he froze up because he inevitably remembered Krul locking lips with him and forcing her blood down his throat. There was nothing amorous about his first kiss, he had almost forgotten this was supposed to be a romantic gesture done between humans. But he knew this was not fair to Aiko. She had no knowledge about how his first time had traumatized him and she did ask for permission.

Aiko, noticing how Mikaela froze up upon her kissing him, stopped. She stares at him confused, surprised, and saddened. After seeing her expression, Mikaela comes back to the present. He takes her shoulders, and without really knowing what he was doing, he kissed her back. Though he was careful so his teeth would not stab inside of her mouth. Mikaela holds her close, having her rest against him.

After he stopped, Aiko asked, "Did I do something you didn't want?"

"No. It's...I forgot that's how humans show affection." But he was unable to meet her eyes as he said this.

At some point, Mikaela had explained the mechanics of becoming a vampire to Aiko, because she was so desperate to know. He took this as an opportunity to persuade her to leave him once again, stating he used her blood to become a full vampire, which led to her telling Mikaela she doesn't care if he used her, if it saved his life, she didn't regret it. She goes on to say he can drink her dry if he has to. Mikaela is saddened by this and asks her,

"Has being stuck with me for too long made you suicidal?"

"I'm not suicidal." She said, somewhat annoyed. "But if it's between you and my life; I would choose you every time."

"This is all wrong. You shouldn't be so willing to throw your life away for me. Your full lifespan is less than a millisecond in the history of time compared to the eternity I have."

"So what if I'll die someday? Who cares about that? My death was warranted from the moment I was born. You're different from me because you overcame death. Unlike me, you were always meant for more."

In the past, Aiko could never have fathomed acknowledging, even indirectly, how the vampires were a superior species. But who was she kidding?

"Everyone is supposed to die someday, it's the way the world should be! I may have escaped death in the human sense of the word, but not in the eternal sense. I cannot die a normal death anymore. I am either a vampire for the rest of time, or a demon. But you're different. Your time is infinitely more precious, because it'll run out. That's why you shouldn't waste it on me! I'm stuck here. I'm an ugly bloodsucker, I shouldn't exist."

"Do you know how bizarre it sounds when YOU of all people call yourself "ugly?""

"..."

Aiko then says, "If you're ugly what does that make everybody else?"

"Aiko, you should see me for what I am. I am a monster who got my own family killed a long time ago.

His eyes flicker to hers and he gazes at her intensely. "I'm a monster who survives on the blood of a woman who loves me and I can't stop doing it even now. I'm a monster who, probably in some parallel universe, extracted information about my friend I needed from you and killed you soon afterwards!"

Aiko blinks and says, "What? What are you talking about?"

Mikaela then answers her, "I don't know." Even he was unsure why that random example came out of his mouth.

"But the main idea is, I'm a monster and you should leave me."

That argument had taken place many years ago, yet, he was never able to convince Aiko to leave him. Mikaela knew for sure Aiko must love him, but sometimes he wondered if she knew he returned her feelings in full.

He had watched Aiko go from an 18-year-old to a 60-year-old woman and he was now a 58-year-old man trapped in a 16-year old's body. To him, Aiko was always Aiko, the most beautiful girl in the world. If only he had been able to remain a human, he could have followed her to the afterlife. Her death would not have equated eternal separation. But Mikaela knew he did not want to act as though she was going to die so soon. He wanted to hold on to the possibility she might just survive if she can overcome her illness through willpower although he could not count on it.

He was suffering from not only the sorrow of possibly losing her, but from bloodlust as well. From the first time they found out Aiko was ill; he had stopped drinking her blood and began to rely on the blood of animals in the woods. But it never fully quenched his thirst. It was something like a human trying to survive on junk food alone. It cannot sustain him forever. But he absolutely refused to drink Aiko's blood, he was not going to speed up the process of her death. He needed her to live, not because of her blood, but because if she died, he had no reason to go on anymore.

And as he watched Aiko weak and dying, an uncomfortable thought creeped up on him he had the power to save her life by making her drink his blood. But he knew he couldn't, no, he would never do that to his precious Aiko.

Before he noticed, his tears dropped down on the blanket draped over Aiko's body. Aiko turned to Mikaela, she was so weak she could not speak in a normal voice, but in a whisper. She had said,

"Don't forget that you promised me many years ago if I were to die you won't do anything reckless or self-destructive."

"Stop acting like you'll definitely die!" He growled.

"It is over for me, you know it as well as I do, Mika."

Mikaela looked ahead not knowing what to say, Aiko watched him. It hurt her to see him cry, in fact, this was the first time for her to ever see it. She was used to him being stoic all the time.

"I didn't know vampires can cry." She stated, trying to light up the mood. It of course did not work. Mikaela's expression remained sullen and he did not answer her.

Aiko continued to watch him, thinking back to the early time in her life before she had met him and afterwards. She was able to feel his love for her more as time passed. As she spent this lifetime with him, he would do everything he could to make her life as comfortable as could be. Yet, he was always convinced he couldn't do enough for her. He made countless attempts to persuade her to leave him, so she could live like a normal person. He told her to "learn to love a different man" because he could never give her, her best possible life. However, she vehemently rejected the idea each time he brought it up.

While she grew old, he stayed young forever, he could have left her a long time ago for a different girl, someone who was young and beautiful. He could abandon her right now to find a new source of human blood but instead he was here with her trying to take care of her. He just cried for her, something she did not even know was possible for his kind. She wanted him to know, all of this plus the decades she got to spend with him was enough for her. She may be facing death, but she had no regrets.

Abruptly, Aiko's eyes widened as this time, the memory her whole life flashed before her, slowly being replaced by a skeleton with a sickle and a dark hood. She knew her time was up. Aiko turned to Mikaela and gathered the last of her strength and said,

"I love you more than anything in the world. You did enough for me. Thank you."

And she was no more. Mikaela watched as his only reason for living vanished before his eyes. For the moment Aiko had died, Mikaela had died as well.