"I"m not quite sure how to actually categorize your recovery. In less than three weeks, you went from being one of the worst cases of malnutrition and emaciation that the world has ever seen, to the point that I think you should be able to walk," the doctor was looking at the chart in her hand with confusion.
"Madam, I am a Shinso vampire. Were it not for the fact that I was so severely malnourished, I would have been healthy almost instantly. So, do you think it possible for me to attempt to," Akasha held Issa's hand as the other woman looked up.
The doctor grimaced, "I, honestly don't know. Dr. Wong had the most knowledge of Shinso Vampires of anyone in the world, and from what I understand..."
"She is no longer practicing. I am aware. She is very close to-," her words were cut off as the door was thrown open.
"Screw that, there has been a major change of plans," the exact subject of the conversation stood there.
"Yukari," Akasha looked at her with a tilted head.
"Dr. Huang," Issa said, preferring to use the more proper pronunciation of the name.
From behind her another voice was heard, "Yukari, I don't care about you suddenly barging into Tsukune's office saying you were back, but you know better than to act like this in a hospital wing," Ruby was trailing behind her, moving as fast as she could on the crutches she was using that day.
"Ruby, shut up. You, chart. Akasha, it is really nice to finally meet you as you, and not a constructed personality acting as a shield for Moka. Mr. Shuzen, is there going to be a problem, or will you need to leave," Yukari in full work mode, was a sight so opposite to the girl that she had been in school.
Issa seemed very uncomfortable with the situation, and no one seemed to know why, "Of course there will be no problem, Dr. Huang. How is your husband and newborn daughter?"
"Currently sitting in Tsukune's office. You, chart, now. Do I need to repeat myself," Yukari turned to the doctor again, who decided that the wrath of the woman was something she didn't want to see.
The witch started looking through the chart. She didn't say anything, and the look on her face was unreadable. Akasha didn't have as many clear memories as she would have liked from her time as part of Moka, but she did know that when there was something that was going to give her a challenge, the witch was going to attack it with all she had. It also seemed like she had not lost any of that as she aged.
"This is incredible. Your body is truly less than a month old, and has been able to progress like this. I wish I could have been there for your resurrection. You only weighed in at around 34 kilo's, and are up to a fairly stable weight of 52. They haven't done any kind of x-ray or anything. No ultrasounds. What were they doing? Nothing apparently but taking your vital signs. Ok, yeah, I am definitely not leaving now. You weren't able to speak, and now you have even been able to sing. I don't even know where to start try-," Yukari's eyes were wide with wonder and intrigue.
Her thoughts were interrupted by two more arrivals,"Yukari. While I am glad to have you back, would you not hammer my mother with your inane ramblings. Get your thoughts in order before you start any examinations. Also, hug."
Yukari hugged the vampiress as Tekeshi, being the second person that arrived, walked over to Akasha and Issa, "So, regret being alive again yet?"
"Not a chance. She may be a little hard to handle, but I do love her dearly. I have many wild and , interesting, memories with her. I didn't expect her to suddenly just come busting in like that out of nowhere. Thankfully, she had enough control over her curiosity to put on proper clothing," Akasha smiled as she looked at the two women who were still embracing.
"I'm not wearing any underwear if that helps make things normal. Oh god, I have been half tempted to burn every bra I own. I swear, even Machiko didn't leave my nipples this sore when she was nursing. She also didn't drink like she was dying of thirst. Not important. You are back from the dead. I wish someone would have told me when it happened. How can I be retired, when something this monumental occurs. I am literally the only Shinso Vampire medical expert in existence. Not even vampiric doctors have as much knowledge on the subject that I do," the smile on her face almost seemed like sexual satisfaction, which given who it was, wasn't completely impossible.
"Aunt Yukari, take a breath, and calm down. Remember, if you let yourself get too worked up over a medical mystery, you tend to pass out from a very embarrassing reaction. But, yes, I was able to utilize a magical stone that was created by Shinso himself, that its entire purpose is to resurrect people. Either heal fatal damage and return a soul to its body, or create a body from corpses for a disembodied soul that was trapped on this side of existence," Tekeshi explained.
Yukari looked at him for a second before she spoke again, "Right, it isn't considered socially acceptable to randomly squirt in public. So, she was a disembodied soul I'm guessing."
Tekeshi and Issa gave each other a pained look, but it was an unlikely savior that distracted the woman from making anymore, lewd, comments, "WOULD ALL OF YOU QUIETEN DOWN SO I CAN TRY TO GET SOME EXTRA REST. That therapy is going to be the death of me, and I need all the sleep I can get."
"Sorry Akui, we will try to keep things down," Akasha gave her an understanding smile.
"Thank you. My legs are killing me. My snatch is killing me. My lower back is killing me. Everything below the waist. Sleep is the only thing that is keeping me sane. Now, good whenever it is, and keep it down," the woman said from her bed.
"Was that Utsuki," Yukari asked after looking away from the woman.
"No, I'll explain later. However, yes. Mother was somehow bound to Tekeshi, and had been, I'm not sure how to explain this. Tekeshi, Mother?"
Tekeshi and Akasha looked at each other, and Akasha finally answered, "We don't know either. Apparently though, an annihilation spell, didn't completely destroy me. Something about a law or something."
"The laws of conservation. Matter nor energy can be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. I have published research papers on the subject while I was completing other course work for some of my degrees. Obviously only circulated in witch circles until now, but it will most likely be a few years before it hit the shelves of human academics. It does explain why there was a remnant of you left, but not the connection to Tekeshi," Yukari seemed to be regaining her professionalism, but that was a question of how long it lasted.
Tekeshi made a couple of faces as he thought, "Possibly the fact I came very close to death when I was an infant put me close enough to create some type of resonance?"
"That was extremely dumb. Ruby, in all of the books that your Mistress left you, did you see anything like this mentioned anywhere," Yukari focused on the other witch in the room, who had taken to a chair having been ignored for so long.
"Nothing that I can remember. Though, not everything has a cut and dry answer. That said, what does it have to do with her medical condition," Ruby looked over at Akasha as she spoke.
"I would very much like to know if I am healthy enough to be on my feet. I enjoy the being waited on for my food and such, but I find other parts more embarrassing, than enjoyable. I would also like some time to have with my husband in a more intimate setting. I haven't had the chance to have that in several decades," Akasha kept her head about her, despite all the weirdness that had entered the room.
"Yes, yes, you want to jump his bones the first chance you get. I'm married, I understand. Have you tried to stand yet, or have they had you restricted to bed and wheelchair.? Nevermind, they did, they have it in the charts. Idiots. With humans attending, there needs to be a change up in the staffing. Alright, everyone but me, her, and the other chick in the bed, out. Now," there wasn't much room for argument.
When everyone had left but the three Yukari returned her attention to the chart. The hospital wing of the school was not primitive. She had made sure of that over the last year, before she had thought she was leaving medicine altogether. The nitwits that Tsukune seemed to want to employ acted like they had no technology. It was infuriating to her.
"Well, there isn't any point in not trying. I want you to swing your legs over, and try to stand. In most other cases I would be worried about injury if you fell, but we know that won't be an issue. So, let's do it," she stepped back from the bed to give Akasha room.
The vampiress seemed a little hesitant, but she steeled herself. Once her feet were hanging over the side, she scooted over until they were on the floor. It felt cold on her bare feet, but that felt good to her right now. She pressed down on the bed as she worked to stand, but her legs refused to support her. She quickly found her whole body on the ground.
"I think I see the issue, and partially expected it," Yukari knelt down to help Akasha up.
Akasha wasn't the most happy about the event, "See what issue, and I think you are soaking through your shirt."
"Again, these pads are useless. I swear, I have been changing them every couple of hours, and nothing. I keep lactating through like they aren't even there. Back to you, your body doesn't know how to walk. I'm actually amazed at the fine motor skills you have demonstrated in just the last few minutes, but you have been having to use your arms continuously. Now, I don't understand exactly why you have been able to relearn so much already, but not a gross motor skill like walking, but I think you will be able to regain the ability quickly with minimal therapy. I would doubt more than three or four days. I'm going to personally oversee it. I have to admit it, something this major is what it took to make me reconsider being a housewife, congratulations, you are the biggest deal in the world," Yukari continued to chatter on as the vampire managed to settle on the edge of the bed.
"I appreciate that, but, what about your daughter and Fang-fang? Don't they need you right now," Akasha was concerned that her workaholic nature would hurt her family.
"I'll adapt. Despite her ravenous nature, I will adapt. I kept working while Machiko was still nursing, so I can do it again. I was able to get by without Fang-fang for almost a year, and he was able to do without me. Of course that is also why I ended up pregnant with Danielle. Akasha, believe it or not, I was suffering thinking I was doing the right thing, giving up my work. I really thought it was the best thing, but, I was going crazy lounging around the house half naked, being little more than a milk dispenser. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I love my children, but I need to be me, as much as I need to be a mother and a wife," Yukari sat down next to Akasha, tears threatening her eyes.
Akasha reached an arm around the witch, and gave her a firm hug. The younger woman, as far as chronological age went, melted into the contact. The Moka they had known on the outside, this woman, Akasha, had always been warm and welcoming. She always cared for her friends, and hated to see them sad, or hurt. Even Moka herself, had never been able to fully take on that same demeanor.
"Yukari, the woman over there, that is Utsuki's cousin. The, one that shot Tekeshi. She, she's been through a lot since then. Not just physically," Akasha wasn't sure how the witch would take that information.
"How bad?"
She took a breath before she responded, "In addition to what Utsuki did to her, she made her practically immortal. She doesn't have to eat, even though she will become emaciated, and they did things to her, that should have killed her."
"Akasha, how bad?"
"They had her for nine months. Three of them, they, used her," she couldn't bring herself to say the words themselves.
Yukari grimaced, "They raped her? I know the word is hard to use, but tiptoeing around it, is more disrespectful to those who have suffered it, than saying it. Acknowledge what they went through, and help them get through it. Has she spoke much on it?"
"She hasn't. She, becomes despondent a lot. Just out of nowhere. Utsuki did what she could to heal her body, and the doctors and therapists have done what they could. I'm just worried, what her mind is doing to her. I know I shouldn't like her, for what she did to the children, but she actually has changed, and, even what she did, and who she was, she didn't deserve what happened to her," now tears started coming to the vampire's eyes.
Yukari returned the hug now, "I will see what I can do to help her. I can tell by how you say she has acted, she isn't as strong as Ruby is. She didn't have anything to give her that strength, like Amethyst. More than anything though, if you truly see her as a friend, that will do more to help her, than anything I can do."
Simona was really enjoying the plane. The fact that the seats would fold down into a functional bed, was something she hadn't experienced before. She hadn't ever flown private before, only commercial, so this kind of luxury was something she had never experienced before.
"I have to say, now that I had a chance to calm down, and go through it all again, flying isn't that bad. It's rather fun," Candace was looking out the window.
They were about five hours from Tokyo, so they had a chance to get some sleep before they landed. Candace didn't seem to sleep that much, but Simona remembered that she had been asleep for centuries, so she probably didn't need it. A question did come up though.
"My Lady, can I ask you something," she sat up on the edge of the seat-bed.
Candace looked over, "Of course. What do you want to know?"
"You said that there were several men that tried to sleep with you. You never said how you knew that, or could understand them," the girl asked.
"I'm not only mute, but I am deaf," she said simply.
"You're, deaf?"
Candace nodded, "Yes. I was born like this. A few people could always hear me, and I could, somewhat understand the world. I could never hear it as you do. I could never talk to people like you can. The one person though, that always seemed to know what I wanted to say, and I always could understand, is my Husband. He was the master of the estate when I was born, and had been long before then. At one point though, I was killed. My body was ravaged by a band of mercenaries that were passing through, and I made the mistake of being out of sight of the manor."
"You were murdered," Simona's eyes went wide.
"I was raped first. Repeatably. I might have wished that I had remained dead. It has been so long that I can't remember how I felt that day that my Husband brought me back. His, was the first face I saw, and he promised that no one would ever harm me again. No man ever did, but sickness, was another story," the ancient vampire turned to look at the clouds as they passed.
Simona had to take a second to think what this woman meant. She had always been rather safe living on the estate. They had a security force that kept the peace, and would take anyone they had to into the nearest town to turn into the authorities. Maybe that was why.
"No, we had such even back then. They couldn't be everywhere though. One certainty, is that no one, can stop all the harm in the world."
Suddenly, Simona realized, "You can read minds"
Candace looked over, "Yes. I thought that would have been obvious once I mentioned I was deaf. I only became able to do so after I became this. I hear almost everyone around me, and it took decades for me to be able to control it so that it didn't drive me completely mad. Very few though, could ever hear me. Strangely enough, they usually shared your name. Maybe there is a connection. It doesn't matter though. I hope that my Husband, is still well. He is not always in complete control of his mind."
Simona laid back down. She wasn't the most courageous person in the world, but she wasn't a coward. This whole situation had her mostly freaked out though. She decided not to thin...
"If you would like, I will get some sleep so you can be more alone with your thoughts. I know that it can be somewhat invasive for someone to be able to hear even the most intimate thoughts you have. Please wake me when we get closer to landing," Candace said as she fiddled with the controls of the seat until it laid back.
Simona cried a little inside, knowing she would never be truly alone with her thoughts anymore.
A/N: I think most have figured out that this story is not going to be as action filled as Reliquae was. However it will have it's moments. I just wonder, and please leave a review telling me if you may have figured out just how Candace fits into things. I will do something special for whoever gets the closest to it. I appreciate everyone who has followed me through this journey, and I have no plans to end it too soon.