Ch. 9 I Will Myself to
Serah's grandfather, the wise Akio, has a serious but soft expression, a face that is accented by his heavily masculine features and a thick silver-white mustache. Serah is unable to determine what his answer is as he stares for a few seconds in almost dread-inducing contemplation. His body appears relaxed, his gets sandals keeping his stance even, with his arms replaced on his sides.
Akio walks out to the street with a 'follow me' hand nation, in which Serah follows in slight surprise with Legoshi right behind her. Grandma requests with concern "Don't stay out too late, the weatherman says it's going to get hotter later in the day!"
Legoshi looks up as he can see the sun almost reach it's zenith, the waves of heat getting stronger. But he decides to power through it, yet Serah can't help but glance back at him in concern.
It was only a short walk before they all reached a cemetery with a view of the ocean and of a tall cliff face. The cliff top holds a barely visible patch of flowers, yet the cliff emits a somber aura, which is added when viewed from the cemetery. Yet the beauty of the flowers and thin trees give it a semblance of beauty. Serah looks at the cliff with trepidation, takes a deep breath and forces herself to take a step forward.
A gentle breeze flows by to give a short reprieve as the small group washes their hands before Akio takes a pail and ladle from a priest that oversees the cemetery.
There are a few other visitors visiting the graves as the group walk down the pathways towards a corner area with a section of the graves lying in front of a marble plaque with a family name chiseled on it. One of the graves on the front row has a plaque that reads:
Kiary Seikatsu
Beloved Wife and Mother
On the base of the grave, Legoshi can see a picture of a woman on the edge of the base. The image shows a woman of shining beauty with shoulder length light blue hair that frames the feminine features of the woman. She is wearing a white blouse while standing in front of what appears to be the wall in front of Akio's dojo.
Serah's heartbeat reaches her ears in intensity as shadows edge on her vision, her breathing becoming shallower as the seconds pass. Her legs tingle as it feels like something dark is crawling up her body and trying to claw inside her head, sharp claws scratching her scalp.
Serah tries to look, but is unable to turn away as the memory of Kiary's death flashes in images into her mind.
The shadows surrounding her body.
The blood pouring out of her neck and stomach, leaking from her mouth.
The dead eyes staring at her, and the wild eyes peering at her soul.
The shadow revealed in a flash of light. Large, unnatural, strange horns.
Akio's voice stops her thinking in her tracks by saying "I'm not sure what changed, but if you're willing to be here, then I don't think I can question it." He places the wooden pale of water next to the ground and holds out the ladle to Serah and states "I think Kiary would prefer you to wash it."
Serah takes the ladle with trepidation and proceeds to pour water over the grave, being careful to not get the photo and other items wet. Akio looks towards Legoshi with a stern glare and commands "Follow me." Legoshi follows with an unsure glance as they move to an open garden area of the cemetery, under a large willow tree that hangs over the large square area.
Standing in the middle area, Legoshi asks with concern "Is there something wrong si-!" Legoshi instinctively blocks an incoming strike from Akio that pushes him back a meter away. Legoshi asks with a surprised tone "Hey! What are you doing?!" He quickly rolls to the side as a fist aiming for his head hits the ground and causes cracks to form from the impact with a little shaking.
Akio then stares towards Legoshi with a hateful glare, stunning Legoshi, a face filled with rage and a tinge of malice. A fire burning in his eyes as he prepares for battle.
Opening song: Prism by AmPm ft. Miyuna (TV Version)
(0:00-0:10)
The letters of the title 'Beastars' appear with every accented note of the piano as the blue background starts showing small ripples of water matching the accents. It then shifts into a scene of Serah wearing her hair down and wearing a loose-fitting long-sleeved white button-up and a calf-length brown skirt on a rocky shore of the ocean with a town in the background.
(0:10-0:21)
A wave splashes and sprays in front of her as a flashback in the background shows behind her of her younger self and a woman with medium-length bright blue hair wearing a pink sundress and a male wolf with a bodybuilder body wearing a tank top and shorts as they play in the shallow part of a beach. A small tear falls down the teenage Serah's cheek as the wind blows her hair back with white petals blown in the wind
(0:21-0:30)
The scene changes to Legoshi wearing a red short sleeve hoodie and black shorts looking at his right paw while standing in a graveyard with vibrant flowers on the tombstone in front of him. A flashback in the background shows the first time he met Serah in his almost devouring with the moon glowing in the sky. The current Legoshi now faces forward with a look of determination as the wind blows his fur with blue petals in the wind.
(0:30-0:34)
A quick scene of Cherryton Academy with the silhouettes of Jack, Haru, Bill, and Juno, who are all smiling, appears before a quick shadow overcast like a train passing by an electrical pole changes the scene.
(0:34-0:39)
The scene changes to a small town next to the ocean with the silhouettes of an elderly human, wearing a white martial arts gi, with a stern expression, and an elderly woman, wearing a yellow kimono, with a gentle warm smile, the same shadow appears again to change the scene.
(0:39-0:44)
A final scene change shows the Black Market with the silhouettes of Gouhin and Louis appearing, with Louis facing away with a small side glance, as a lion's shadow starts to appear behind Louis, almost like a phantom ready to consume him. A slide transition switches the scene to a water-painted version of the crossroads of the city.
(0:44-1:04)
Serah and Legoshi are walking side by side in a casual stride down the middle of the road as the many characters are standing and waving at the two including Legoshi's roommates and club mates, Haru, Louis, Gouhin, and Serah's father. It ends with the two walking past spectral silhouettes of Leano, Serah's mother, and a white-cloaked woman with long flowing white hair peeking out and a small smile peeking under her hood.
(1:04-1:24)
A wipe transition changes Serah into a bright yellow ball gown with shoulder-length yellow gloves and Legoshi wearing a blue and white with yellow accents 3-piece suit as they both dance a ballroom dance to the music. They are in space on an invisible floor with brilliant stars and cosmic colors dancing around them as they twirl and spin around with the Earth in the distance.
(1:24-1:30)
They both stop as they turn back to their regular clothes with a beach sunset behind them, their faces close together as they stare lovingly into each other's eyes. They lean in closer, getting ready to kiss as small blushes appear on their cheeks. The screen fades to black with a bright shooting star flying in an arc across the screen as the music ends.
Legoshi gets on the defensive as he thinks 'Okay, for some reason, Serah's grandfather is trying to kill me. I don't want to hurt him, but I don't think he's going to hold back or let me run.' The menacing aura emanating from Akio sets off every alarm in Legoshi's head and his instincts scream at him to run.
Akio tenses his hand and charges with a burst of speed and hits Legoshi on the stomach which pushes the air out of his lunges. The shock is a wide enough opening for Akio to land a high kick on Legoshi's shoulder which pushes him to the ground. In a state of dizziness and confusion, Legoshi tries to regain his bearings before he could get hit again.
Legoshi pauses when Akio states "I know that I can't stop my daughter from dating when she's ready. But the least I can do is make sure that the guy is man enough." Legoshi was able to regain some of his senses to dodge a foot stomp that would have hit his chest as Akio continues "I've seen too many teenagers be all flimsy with their dates and lack any commitment. Then only to treat marriage as an obligation when they reach of age or to continue some species purity."
Akio tenses his forearm as the veins pulse and unleashes a chop on Legoshi's right arm. The impact causes Legoshi immediate pain with a burning numbness that follows, almost losing full feeling. Legoshi tries to shake it off but the pain becomes hard to ignore, he tries to shake his arm to lose the numbness.
Akio then begins to tense his biceps and back and starts to unleash a barrage of punches on a defensive Legoshi and finishes with almost a raging yell "There's no thought or care put into anything resembling love, only flimsy dates and thoughtless sex!"
A surge of electricity courses through Legoshi's body as he lowers his head and takes a direct punch to the face, a small trickle of blood pours down. With determination in his eyes and voice, he declares "I don't care what you say now, I won't change my mind." Legoshi tries to push back but can only do so much against Akio.
Legoshi continues "I promised to become strong for her. I can't afford to fail when I barely just started, no matter what you say!" His eyes almost turn red as his muscles tense and his inner beast almost reveals itself.
Legoshi finishes in declaration "I love Serah, and I would gladly risk my life to make sure she's safe and happy! I refuse to run!" Akio charges with a punch as Legoshi blocks with his left forearm and retaliates by punching Akio.
The speeding fist stops by Akio's left hand as they stare down each other, refusing to give in. Legoshi's determination and will against Akio's. The fires in their eyes refuse to give way as if an inferno is swirling around them.
The tension between them is as if electricity is sparking between them, almost as if their nerve signals are creating a battle of storms. A wind almost swirls around them as they start to push against each other, their teeth baring out in clench. The veins pulse on their arms and faces as their growing fierce and angry expressions might unleash the tension in a dangerous bloodbath.
Akio closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he relaxes and lets Legoshi push past him, his stance now showing no signs of the desire to fight. Legoshi tumbled in surprise till he regained his bearings and turns to face Akio in confusion. Akio turns to Legoshiwith a even expression and states "You and him are alike in some ways, I'm still not completely convinced about you. Yet I can still see that your determination is growing, I wanna see what it will become."
Akio begins to walk away back to Kairy's grave when Legoshi asks "You know Serah's father didn't kill her mother…right?" Akio stops and he stays still for a few seconds until he turns to give Legoshi a side glance. They stare each other in the eyes for almost a full minute, another form of tension seems to grow.
Nothing was said between them, yet it feels as if Legoshi could tell what Akio's answer was. Akio's red eyes meet Legoshi's black with melancholy in them, and they both said nothing after that one moment. They both start walking together back where Serah was, an almost calm silence sitting between them as the tree leaves rustle in the wind.
Legoshi explains on the way back "I want to get stronger, I've always been told who I should date or what I shouldn't do. I don't want my feelings to be a lie, or an impulse. I refuse to follow what society says." Akio looks towards Legoshi's eyes and finds a small fire of determination mixed in with a tinge of doubt.
Akio looks straight and stares in a matter-of-fact tone "You sure love to talk, don't you? It matters not what you say, rather to take action when necessary. There is a time for talking, then there's a time to make a choice and act on that. That's what it means to be a man." Legoshi looks towards Akio with an awed stare with contemplation on his face. They eventually reached back to the grave where Serah is talking to the grave.
Serah asks with nearly monotone concern "What was wrong, did you two have a fight?"
Legoshi develops a nervous sweat until Akio heavily pats his right shoulder, eliciting a gasp from the sudden release of air from his lungs, and answers with a big smile "It's nothing, I thought I saw a centipede and almost squashed it when the pup moved it out of the way." Akio chuckles in an almost haughty laugh, which makes Legoshi a bit nervous.
Serah stares at them with a glare of suspicion, only to say "Okay."
After staring at the grave in an almost awkward silence, a feeling of awkwardness lies in the pit of his stomach, Legoshi asks "Why does the cemetery face that cliff over there?" He points to the cliff edge that appears to have flowers growing in abundance, distant colors of purple and blue cover the topside.
Akio explains while facing the cliff with a somber expression "The cliff side is a place where we hold a special ceremony for the dead here. When we cremate their bodies, we take their ashes and let them be blown away by the wind and fly off as far as they can into the distance. When we die, our bodies return to the Earth. So we thought, why not have their bodies return to the Earth with a bit of ceremony, to honor their life."
Legoshi stares off towards the distance as the wind blows through his fur, a thoughtful gaze as he wonders 'Was there enough of her to fly away? Is her soul at peace or is she…'
Akio looks at Legoshi, noticing his thoughtful expression, and asks "Do you know how to pray, do you wanna try it?" Legoshi looks back to Akio and shakes his head, in which Akio shows Legoshi the posture for prayer. Legoshi puts his hands together, palm to palm, and bows his head with closed eyes. The silence ensues with Serah looking down towards the ground and the two men standing behind her praying in front of the grave. The light almost seems to shine a little as the trees shift and sway from a soft breeze, brushing the human's skin and Legoshi's fur.
Something welled up inside Serah, a question inside her from her childhood, comes out almost subconsciously "Why…why couldn't I do anything to save her?" Her voice was hollow, yet there were signs of pleading as the moment continued to replay in her mind.
"You were a child, you couldn't do a thing even if you tried." Akio stated factly that surprises Legoshi as he holds onto Serah's shoulders.
Legoshi turns to face Akio and asks in confusion "Is it okay to be that honest with her?" Serah is unresponsive as she breaks her sitting posture and covers her face with her hands, shaking with grief.
Akio looks towards Serah with an even expression, but something in his eyes couldn't betray the pain and hurt as his eyes narrow. He faces Legoshi with a stern, almost fierce, expression and explains "I can't always coddle her, especially when she needs to face the truth. The world can't always be fixed with kind words alone." Akio then adopts a soft expression and explains to Serah "You need to accept it Serah…Kiary's death is holding you back. You need to let her go."
On the inside, Legoshi knows the truth, he knows it very well. Yet there is a part of himself that regrets knowing that truth, that he still asks himself the same question that Serah is asking. He doesn't even know if he truly has moved on from his own mother's death.
Serah looks at Akio with a frenzied expression and yells in a broken sob "I don't know how, I'm scared…that I might forget about her if I move on! Just like he said, I don't want her to disappear!" The look on Akio's face was that of a stunned shock, yet it was not from the sudden yelling. It was from a deep and overwhelming surprise as he tried to process the words his ears are receiving.
Legoshi was stunned silent as he never has seen Serah look like this before, her eyes pouring tears. The broken light in her eyes appears almost as dark swirls that threaten to envelop the color.
Akio asks in a deeply surprised tone "Who…who told you that lie?"
Serah looks down, almost in shame, and answers in a broken voice "Back then, a man walked up to me at the wake. He told me that…"
*Flashback*
A young Serah sits on a chair as the formal visits are ongoing. Only a small handful of friends and relatives are visiting. Serah grips the photo of her mother tighter on the frame in fear, the shadows seem to move in the corners of her eyes.
"Finally, the bitch is dead. One less nuisance to remember." A deep and quiet gruff voice declares. Serah looks to where the voice is to find a man who appears as a large and dangerous mountain of muscles. His skin was a deep tan that seems to match his crimson eyes, a fury masked by joy in those flaming orbs.
A deep chuckle can be heard from his chest as he brushes away a lock of his shoulder length obsidian hair. With a gleeful smile, he says in a sadistic tone "She was nothing more than a pathetic speck, worthless. I bet in a few days, they'll forget her name, maybe even her face. Just a slab of meat for a hungry animal, right?"
His stare seems to glow as he gets closer to the young Serah, sweat and fear are pouring through her. Her stomach drops as she feels an evil and malevolent force crawl up her back. She doesn't realize as her eyes glow purple for a moment, then her world became gray…
Silent gray…
*Flashback ends*
"That was the day…when everything felt wrong. Like something inside me was…trapped." Serah finishes as she sits on her knees, with Legoshi holding her in comfort.
Akio looks away in deep concentration, he thinks 'Could it be possible, have they made their move that early? Is it possible Serah's…' His musings are interrupted as a deep and malicious laugh cuts through the atmosphere as heavy steps almost shake the ground the closer the sound gets.
Heavy combat boots almost stomp the ground, slightly shaking the items and flowers on the graves. A mountainous and muscular thug walks forward while tightening the belts on his forearms and the black fingerless gloves. The man moves a lock of obsidian hair and asks in a mocking tone "Aww, are you talking about me?"
A cocky smirk is plastered over his face as shock and surprise all 3 of them from the sudden introduction. Serah has the most surprise as the image of the man before her and the man from before align detail for detail until the image almost becomes one. Stunned silence, that is all that's left for her as the man continues forward, until Akio stands in front of the teenagers.
Akio demands with a fierce expression "What business do you have here Testa?!"
The man called Testa replies as he points at Serah "I come for the prize. I don't think we should be waiting any longer, to take back what we're owed." He then holds his hand out and commands "Come Maiden, return what you have destroyed. Make us whole!"
What surprised Serah and Akio was when Legoshi's gauntlets appear and, with an expression of pure fury, punches the man in the face. Even if the man doesn't seem to budge at all, Legoshi continues to push forward with everything he has. He declares "How dare you…How dare you fill Serah's heart with pain and lies!"
Wild, yet empty, crimson eyes meet furious black eyes as the wolf faces what seems to be a mountain. Legoshi remains undaunted even as he recklessly charges headfirst into a seemingly unwinnable fight. Yet there are questions that have still yet to be answered, with new questions coming to form.
What is the Maiden, and why does this person need one?
Ending song: Sugar Song to Bitter Step (tv version)
(0:00-0:07)
With a red curtain backdrop and a spotlight on Legoshi in a suit is bobbing to the beat as he starts to dance to the swinging music.
(0:07-0:14)
The spotlight switches to Serah as she starts dancing to the beat while wearing a white dress in heels, swinging her hips in rhythm before ending in a twirl.
(0:14-0:29)
A collage of characters get a spotlight to dance including the large and imposing Gouhin, the serious and suave Louis, the graceful Juno, and fun loving Jack as they all wear suits and dance to the music of the song before ending with Ibuki on a fancy chair drinking tea.
(0:29-0:37)
Grainy images of Legoshi standing in front of the park terrace with the bottom left corner of the moon on his right. The image changes to Serah in her kimono on the park terrace with the bottom right corner of the moon on her left. The whole image is shown with Legoshi and Serah holding hands on the terrace, facing the full moon in front of them with the city lights shining.
(0:37-0:42)
The scene changes to an empty white void with a single white lily, sitting on the ground which ripples like water. A pair of feminine hands pick up the flower and hold it close to her face which is partially obscured by a white veil that acts as a hood over her white dress. She smiles as a white lock of her hair moves between her face and the lily.
(0:42-0:44)
In the same white void, Kairy and Tem are in the void playing with a tambourine and triangle respectively with smiles on their faces.
(0:44-0:59)
The cast dances to the music as they party out in their own style with the Shishigumi drinking alcohol together like a party ending with Legoshi and Serah dancing a waltz in rhythm to the song.
(0:59-1:02)
Still images of the cast together are shown ending with Legoshi doing a short tap dance with his dress shoes.
(1:02-1:06)
The city is shown with the lights shining like stars as if looking through glass, a collage of colors that are vibrant and bright.
(1:06-1:13)
The main cast dances in a makeshift line dance that transitions to them dancing wildly together with various colorful stage lights shining with confetti falling down. The energy of the music makes them dance with abundant energy, not caring much about synchronization.
(1:13-1:21)
The spotlight only shows Legoshi and Serah dancing which eventually changes to the white haired girl replacing Serah in an instant and then Legoshi changes to a white haired man in a similar tux until it ends with their bow. It then changes to Legoshi dancing with energy by himself until he finishes with a disco finish.
(1:21-1:24)
The scene changes to the two white haired humans in front of a beach on a sunset before a black hooded person is eating at a dining table and laughing maniacally.
(1:24-1:30)
Images pass by that show a yellow bracelet on a desk and then Serah's mother and father in a photo. It then changes to still images of Legoshi and Serah in front of a white background then adds more characters as they get closer to the camera. It then finishes with Legoshi and Serah up close as they look at each other with warm smiles.
Beastars
AN: Sorry for the delay, I'm trying to fight against my own procrastination problem as I want to continue writing this project of mine. Especially with the third season coming up.
Feel free to review.