• CHAPTER 193 - DO ME A FAVOR

    There is no escape from the guilt; you unintentionally killed your lover. Even though you knew it would happen all along, you two were both weak enough to fall in love, and the pain was worse than expected for both. Could have it been easier if you hadn't fallen in love? Where do you go once one dies?

    .:{{Kai's Perspective}}:.

    Ever since that day, I was telling myself it was a dream. I didn't want to believe the reality of what was happening to me; the worst event to occur in all of my one hundred seventy-eight years of living. My world was spinning and turning upside down.

    Arisa was dead.

    Minoru and Kaiba succeeded; they murdered her with the desire to gain immortality. They had no intention to spare her life in the least bit. She was attacked with no clemency right in front of my very being. There are no words to describe the feeling of watching your lover being eaten alive in front of you and all you can do is sit and watch. That whole time I was watching, I wanted to retch. I had never been so horrified in my life.

    The smell of her blood draining out of her body and onto the floor was overwhelming; I was border-line ready to feed off of her blood myself because I had been starved while at the prison. Arisa was tricked into believing that I was no longer attending her death in order for her to want to perish. I was in the prison the whole time; I endured torture as well. But my torture was more of a physical aspect, rather than a mental and emotional aspect that Arisa had to live through.

    Even though I was in a prison cell on the opposite side of the prison as Arisa, I could still clearly hear her suffering--both in her head and verbally. I heard every slap Minoru and Kaiba brushed across her cheek, I heard both times Minoru forced himself on my precious Arisa, I heard the breakage of her ribs, I heard the thoughts in her head; I heard everything. The contract forbade me from any protesting; I could only speak whenever spoken to. Arisa's torture had been too much for me; I had no greater wish than to die with her.

    The wake was a small one; only our family, Chi, and a few of Arisa's classmates attended the visitation. We didn't invite any more than that; we didn't desire any media attention with a large crowd. Everywhere we looked, the tabloids read "Survivor of the Kurabashi Family Murder: Dead." The media had been trying to hunt Arisa down since the murder of her own parents. It would be the top story for weeks, knowing that a survivor was murdered in the end. It was Minoru and Kaiba who told the media about what happened, and we had been victims of their flashing cameras and demanding questions.

    As Arisa's classmates were all standing at her casket, I was seated on a chair several feet away next to Kira and Orihime. My arms were crossed and my face was apathetic with just a hint of anger. Most of the family was apathetic; most of us already wore ourselves out with our grieving and sobbing. Miku and Chi were still emotional; they took longer and slower to drain their emotions.

    As I observed everybody taking turns at the casket, I noticed her classmates sobbing silently. They were constantly spilling apologies and regretting ever treating her so rancid. It turned out that most of them were unaware of her parents being murdered, but they were aware of her sister's death before then. Even though they were apologizing, it was too late; they had already pressed on the emotional damage and it could not be reversed.

    Once Matsuda dismissed the classmates, it was my turn to pay Arisa a visit. Hesitantly, I stood up from my chair and made my way to the casket. As soon as I saw Arisa's lifeless face, my heart sunk dramatically. I grasped the edge of the coffin and only stared at her.

    "You were always a tired girl..." I barely chuckled to myself while touching her firm cheek. "You no longer have to worry about that."

    I took a moment to observe her; the makeup was caked on her face to cover the wounds she endured on her beautiful face. Her dress was one her and her twin both had, except that we requested a turtleneck be added on to cover her multifarious neck wounds. She appeared as a porcelain doll, even more fragile than she had been while she was alive.

    Her casket was decorated with many printed pictures that had been taken over the course of her whole life. Her cell phone had been opened up to the picture she took of us while babysitting Toshihiro. There were even a few pictures sneaked of her and I sharing a kiss or two. I pulled the ultrasound picture out of my pocket, unfolded it, and placed it next to a picture of her and Aya as toddler twins. As soon as I put that picture up, I reached down to press my hand against Arisa's stomach; her stomach was flat. The babies had been removed after she passed away.

    "She doesn't even look like herself," I heard Kira speak up quietly.

    "No..." I agreed, glancing at Arisa's face once more.

    "I don't know what we're going to do now," Kira lightly grasped her right hand. "We all failed at our duties; what's in store for us?"

    I never answered him; instead, I pulled out Arisa's engagement ring that the doctors had given to me after they confirmed her death. I gripped her left hand and slipped the fastidious ring on her ring finger. Even though our "marriage" wasn't legitimate, I still considered her my new wife. It was her wish to marry before her death and there was never time; I had to go out of my way to make time as her dying wish.

    Kira and I both turned around as we heard sniffling coming from somebody. We turned around to see Chi with tears spilling down her red cheeks. Her tissue was soaked and her eyes were red and exhausted. Without a second thought, Kira pulled her into a tight embrace and allowed her to sob on his shoulder. She mumbled incomprehensible words and soaked Kira's shirt with her tears. Kira continued to hold her and stroke her head while whispering to her that everything was going to be okay.

    I turned my attention back to Arisa and sighed while holding onto her left hand. It was my greatest wish for her to wake up and tell everybody she was okay. I knew she was okay, but I wasn't. The guilt was eating me alive; it was becoming too much.

    I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to be suddenly embraced by Chi. She wrapped her arms around me tightly and continued to sob, "I'm so sorry, Kai,"

    I pat her back softly and sighed, "I apologize as well; you were very close to Arisa."

    "I'm sorry I judged you so harshly," she sniffed. "You were perfect for Arisa."

    "Thank you," I smiled weakly as she pulled back.

    Chi turned back to Kira and he cupped her face and continued to whisper healing words to her. I turned back to Arisa and continued to stare at her. She was so young and beautiful; she had the potential to live a full life, but she had to be cursed with the coveted blood. Neither her nor her twin deserved what happened. From the corner of my eye, I observed Kira kissing Chi feather-like on her forehead and he dismissed her.

    "You seem like a good candidate for Arisa's friend," I mumbled as Kira stood next to me.

    "She's so traumatized..." he mumbled as well. "It's my desire to assist her though this."

    "Will you take good care of her?" I asked and glanced over at Kira.

    Kira nodded, "Of course,"

    I moved over a few feet so that Kira could have a turn standing in front of Arisa. He moved over and glanced down at her face and his complexion fell. He leaned over and kissed her forehead a couple of times and pulled away.

    "I still love you, Arisa," he whispered. "I always have."

    After a moment, I gripped Kira's shoulder lightly and he looked over at me. I stared at him confidently, "I need you to promise me something, Kira,"

    "What would that be?" he furrowed his eyebrows together.

    "Don't tell anybody of my whereabouts for the next few days," I closed my eyes. "And take care of Chi for Arisa's sake."

    I glanced at Kira again and his eyes widened. He shook his head lightly, "No, Kai...you can't be serious,"

    "You're not aware of how I feel, Kira," I clenched my jaw and looked down at my deceased wife. "I brought my lover to hear death--and my children. I can't survive with this guilt."

    "Kai, don't, you're my baby brother..."

    "It's what's best, Kira," I shook my head. "What makes you think that I won't be forced to do the same thing again with the next girl with Arisa's blood? What makes you assume Hisao won't want to torture me again? That Vampire group is one I cannot simply escape."

    "Kai, you need to pull though for Arisa," Kira pleaded.

    "I know. I hate to admit I failed her, but I want to be with her." I looked down at Arisa. "What has happened was all because of me; I couldn't fulfill a simple duty and it all ended up like this. Not even the purest of souls could live with this burden."

    "You need to think about the rest of the family," Kira lectured. "I'm pulling through for Arisa's sake and for the family's sake. You need to do the same."

    "You don't understand, Kira," I hissed silently. "Trust me...I'm doing what should rightfully be done; I'm not being selfish."

    Before Kira could protest anymore, I pulled him into a brotherly embrace. I could still hear the quiet sobbing of the family sitting in the chairs. After a few prolonged minutes, I pulled away from Kira and showed him a sentimental smile.

    "We will be alright," I promised.

    "I love you, baby brother," Kira tried to smile though the pain on his complexion. "Remember that."

    "I love you too, Kira," I returned the favor.

    Without saying goodbye to the family, I left the visitation hall. Just as I had walked out of the doors, I could tract the subtle scent of tears rolling down Kira's cheeks, and, in return, I wiped away a tear of my own. Once I was about a block away from the building, I took off in a sprint to the only one I knew who would do my favor for me.

    Once I arrived at the run-down apartment, I teleported into the living room and looked around the dim room. I walked into the bedroom to see Akatsuki sitting on his bed, twirling a wilted rose in his hand that we had sent him with the announcement of Arisa's passing. Akatsuki glanced up at me with his starving red eyes in slight surprise. He ceased twirling the rose and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

    "What are you doing here?" he hissed. "Don't you have a funeral to attend?"

    "The wake proved to be more than I could tolerate," I mumbled. "I'm surprised to see you're still alive."

    "Not for much longer," Akatsuki sighed in defeat. "The Society finally figured it out. What are you doing here?"

    After a long moment of silence, I glanced over at Akatsuki's metallic pistol, "I have a favor to ask of you..."

    END