Death and Dying
Bitter tears run down my face
Your soul has left this world.
Your death has left me dying
There's nothing in this void.
Quietly thanking the shopkeeper, Kai walked out of the shop and began making his way back to the house. It had been a whole year now since he'd abandoned the Blade Breakers to find his long-lost family. The letter from his mother had been grim and full of things he would rather not have to know and once he had read the letter he had realised that his mother had given him a terrible obligation.
The letter had revealed that his mother and sister, neither of whom he had seen for over ten years, were both in the city. From the hotel, where the Blade Breakers (mainly Rei) had been recuperating from the tournament, Kai had made his way to the other end of Moscow where his mother was wasting away in a small, dingy hospital.
Shivering slightly, Kai shifted the shopping bags to his other hand as he remembered that sorry day.
Flashback
Kai stopped outside one of the private wards. They had told him that Elaine Hiwatari was resting inside. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and pushed open the door. The first thing he saw was a fading middle aged woman, tucked away in a large hospital bed that seemed like it was about to swallow her whole. She was small, and the bright turquoise hair that Kai barely remembered from his childhood, had faded to a dull blue-grey.
It was only when she opened her bright, stormy eyes that Kai finally connected her with his own scattered memory.
'Kai?' she said hesitantly, 'It is you isn't it?' her voice was quiet and sad.
'Mother.' Said Kai as he moved closer to her. Although he tried to hide the bitterness he felt, some of it still showed in his voice. She heard and winced slightly.
'Oh Kai, I'm so sorry. I've ruined everything in your life. I…I don't blame you if you hate me. I just wish I could go back and take away all those terrible choices that I made. I'm sorry Kai.' Kai glared at her for a few seconds before lowering his gaze. His anger turned to sorrow.
'What's done can't be changed.' He said. 'I know you did what you thought best at the time.' A silence grew between them. Suddenly there was a short knock on the door before a girl, about fourteen years old, walked in.
She had long dark, blue hair and her eyes were a strange grey-blue colour. She stopped in the doorway, staring at Kai in curiosity.
'Kai. This is… your sister, Kira.' Said Elaine Hiwatari, gesturing. 'Kira, your brother, Kai.' There was a moment of silence as the two siblings stared at each other before Kira smiled sadly and said in a soft voice,
'Hey.' With a shy smile, Kai returned her greeting.
'I guess you got my letter Kai?' asked his mother.' I didn't want to ask this of you but I have no more choices left to me.' Kira walked over to the bed and sat down on one of the hospital chairs. Finally Kai sat down carefully balanced on the edge of another chair.
'Kai.' Elaine began hesitantly, 'I'm asking you to protect your sister. You know from my letter what the circumstances are. I know this puts you in a difficult position. So far in Kira's life…I have taken the blows meant for her. Now I am too weak to do so and I will soon be dead anyway. I wish you didn't have to be hurt, Kai, but I have to ask. Will you do it, Kai…no, son. Will you protect Kira from the hurt that you have suffered all your life? Protect her from your father?'
End Flashback
Kai turned off the footpath and walked slowly towards the front door of his father's house. He had, of course, answered yes. He had promised himself a long time ago that if he could stop someone going through the hurt that had been his life, he would. So here he was a year later, with a fresh bruise every day and, perversely, he was almost happy. Having his sister in his life made any pain worth it.
Putting the heavy shopping bag down on the front step, Kai began searching his pockets for the house key. He had had to get it copied secretly because his drunken father refused point blank to give him a spare. Luckily the evil lout spent most of his afternoons in the pub (as he was today) so the two were spared most of his brutality.
Finally he found his keys. He was about to open the door when he paused for a second, frowning heavily. He thought he'd heard something, a muffled scream? It must have been the telly. He pushed open the door and carried the shopping bags inside. As he closed the door behind him he heard it. A scream, his sister's scream. Kai dropped his bag in shock.
It couldn't be. He thought, sprinting towards the sound. His father had never come home early before.
Kai burst through the kitchen door and came to a horrified standstill. His father had come home early. He stood at the other end of the kitchen, pressing himself against Kira, who whimpered and screamed against the filthy hand pressed over her mouth. Her face was wet with tears and her eyes were wide with fright and shame.
With a roar of pure rage, Kai flung himself at the monster, ready and willing at that moment to do murder. Pulling away from Kira, at the sound, the man turned in drunken surprise, lifting his arms to defend against the attack.
Kira sank to the floor where she cowered, watching fearfully as the two struggled around the room.
Despite having the advantage of surprise, Kai was smaller and lighter than his opponent and was driven to dodging a lot of blows that could have crushed him. Ducking about, Kai managed to land only a few hits.
The end came when Kai finally got a proper punch in, a loud crack rang through the room and his father shouted with a roar of pain as he clutched his bleeding nose and stumbled back blindly against the counter. Thinking he had won, Kai moved forward to knock him out. What he couldn't see was his father's hand gripping a sharp knife in his hand on the counter-top behind him.
Raising his arm to strike, Kai's only warning was a sudden movement before pain ripped through him and he sank to the floor, clutching his bleeding stomach.
Kai looked down, shocked at the amount of blood, spilling on the floor. His father also stared at the blood with blank confusion. He stepped back slightly looking from Kai to the knife and back to Kai again. He cursed.
'Look what you made me do, boy. This mess had better be gone when I get back.' He shouted half-heartedly before stumbling drunkenly from the room, frowning heavily.
As soon as he was gone, Kira crawled over to Kai. He gazed at her with confused eyes.
'Kai! Kai, are you okay?' ripping up her already destroyed top, Kira tried to stem the bleeding. 'Just hold on Kai, it'll be okay. Kai grimaced, shaking his head to clear it.
'I'll be fine.' He whispered painfully as he tried to push himself up.
Despite his efforts, the room began to spin and his sister's anxious face became blurred.
'Kira...' he gasped, before falling unconscious to the ground.
Dream
Kai was walking along a wooden boardwalk, built above the sea. No…Not a Boardwalk, it was an entire wooden maze made of walkways, stretching into the distance across the ocean. In the distance, the sun is setting and behind him is the distant shore with wooded hills rising up from it. Two people walk beside him. On one side, Kira, his sister. She smiles at him joyfully. Walking on the other side is a stranger…and yet, it feels like he has always known her. She's…beautiful. She smiles at him and he feels a delicious warmth spreading through him.
Kai smiles softly back and puts his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She snuggles into him, wrapping her arms around his body as they continue walking.
He puts his other hand around Kira and they walk like that, together, wandering peacefully at random through the wooden maze.
And then?
There is a dangerous hint of smoke in the air, the flicker and spark of flames. In the near distance There is an old wooden boathouse and as Kai stares across at it, fire burst from the roof and black smoke rolls from the broken windows.
All around them more boathouses and walkways are bursting into flames, slowly surrounding the three of them. Kai swung around in shock, pulling the two girls with him.
'We have to get out!' He shouted over the roar of the inferno. His sister Kira answered, shoving the others forward and pointing,
'Look there, a way out! Quick!' Kai and the girl ran towards the flames, Kira right behind them, and then Kai was running, dodging this way and that to avoid the searing flames.
In some places he had to leap across the burning sea, where the boardwalk had collapsed into ashes, but he kept on running.
Running from the flames, from the fear and simply running from panic…until Kai finally stopped and looked around to find himself standing on a wooded hill, overlooking the conflagration. He had escaped.
But what about the others? Where were they?
Then behind him, a call. Someone shouting his name. He spun around then sagged in relief as he spotted the girl. She was safe…but she was alone. Kira wasn't with her. Kai spun back to the fire, it was burning fiercely now, and he searched desperately through the distant flames. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her.
Caught on one of the farthest piers, Kira was gazing up at the faraway hill, Kai could make out every detail of her face and he watched helplessly as she smiled one last smile before disappearing behind a roaring wall of flames.
End Dream
Kai opened his eyes to an empty silence. It was night-time and he was alone in the small room assigned to him on his first arrival. His stomach burned with unchecked pain and Kai winced, biting back a small whimper of alarm. His stomach had been bandaged but strangely he had been laid on top of the sheets rather than in them. Almost as you would for one who was dead.
Kai sat up in shock. Did they think he was dead? A feeling of dread settled upon him and Kai swung his legs off the bed and stood up shakily, trying to suppress the pain ripping through his abdomen.
'Kira?' he called softly, warily. His abusive father might be awake and ready to finish him off if he heard. Who had brought him up here? Who had taken the care of laying him out in state? It could only be Kira. If she believes I'm dead…what will she do? worry in his heart, Kai limped agonisingly slowly from his room and made his way to Kira's bedroom door.
'Kira?' there was no reply. Of course, thought Kai, trying to reassure himself, it's the middle of the night. She's most likely to be asleep, or else she just didn't hear…still. With a deep breath, that made his wound ache, Kai reached out and pushed open the door, stepping into the room.
Kai's fear caught up with him as his gaze fell on the empty bed. Barely noticeable, sticking up on the far side of the bed from Kai, he could see the outline of her head in the moonlight, it was slumped forward.
Moving as fast as possible, Kai stumbled across the room. He slumped down in shock in front of his sister, gasping from the effort.
'Kira.' He whispered, staring at her bloodstained top in dismay. In her hand was a sharp knife, dripping with her blood. Her eyes fluttered weakly open and then widened in surprise.
'Kai?' she gasped. She coughed, blood spilling down her chin. 'Kai, I thought…I thought you were dead. I…I, what have I done?' her voice was just a trembling whisper but he heard each word.
'Kira, don't give up yet, you'll be okay. Just hold on.' Kai made to stand up, wincing in spite himself, he could feel the gash in his stomach had begun bleeding again.
'Wait…' she grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to sit in front of her. 'I wish you didn't have to see this Kai…I know…I know you only came here for ...for my sake…' her hand clutched at his arm, gripping tight as she shuddered from a sudden spasm of pain.
'Kira, don't talk, it'll be okay. Please.' Kai whispered to his sister, pleading for her to hold on though they both knew there was no hope of survival. 'Kira…'
'Kai…I thought you were dead…I couldn't have gone on without you…but…now your alive…I don't want…don't do what I did Kai…save yourself…' Kai shook his head, even though he was older, it seemed like Kira was wiser. She knew what he was thinking. He had no purpose without her…and though he only knew her for a single year, it seemed as if she had been a part of his whole life. She was the only proper family he had left, and she was leaving him.
'I can't Kira,' he whispered desperately, 'there's nothing for me without…'
'NO!' she gasped. 'Don't say that Kai, there's always something worth living for…I just wish I had…seen that sooner…don't give up Kai…you still have friends, they care about you…they still remember you…even if you don't…save yourself Kai…don't let him get you…get out of here…free yourself…from the Hiwatari's…I …I'll always be…grateful…for …your …sacrifice…' Her voice trailed off and her hand went limp on his arm.
Leaning forward, Kai closed her glazed eyes and stood up painfully. Calling on his last reserve of energy, Kai picked up her fragile body and laid it gently upon the bed. Then, for the first time since he was just a child, Kai wept.
His life was meaningless. His Mother and sister were dead, and his father might as well have been. All he could do now was follow his sisters dying wish, and free himself from the Hiwatari family. Forever.
