Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Summer ❯ Chapter Fourteen ( Chapter 14 )

It was dark, except for the sliver of natural light that tried to break through the closed curtains of the windows. The house that was once organized was in disarray. It looked like a tornado blew past the place: books were scattered all over the hardwood flooring, the paintings that once happily rested on the walls were now damaged and on the ground, and the dining room chairs were on their sides. In the windowless room, Aric stood there, shrouded in the shadows, his eyes wide with mania. His chest heavily rose up and down while his eyes targeted the man in front of him.

The other man stood where he was, looking at the crazed man before him pathetically. “Aric,” he whispered. The heavy breaths that his older brother was taking echoed within the room. “You need to seek help. This isn’t normal behavior. Please… I can’t do this anymore. I-I’m done.”

“Are you going to disobey me, too?!” Aric accused, pointing a shaky index finger at his younger brother. “That skank went and disobeyed me when I told her to come home! I will regain order of this family!”

Listening to his brother talk about his niece in such a way, made Tim’s insides twist in an uncomfortable way. “Listen to yourself. You pushed away your own daughter and drove your own wife into depression. I was happy that she fell ill only because it saved her from you.”

As bad as it sounded, it was the truth. Tim never told anyone that he was happy when Mai fell ill. He knew that she was suffering internally and that she couldn’t escape Aric’s hold on her. She obeyed the man, yes, but only because she was taught to obey the male figure, just like her mother.

She saw Aric as a smart, strong man, and answered to his every beck and call. At one point she was happy, but then she accidently got pregnant. She begged Aric to have her keep the child. Aric’s refusal hurt Mai deeply and there were times when she would cry to Tim. He eventually came around and agreed to her request. Oh, how happy she was when she found out that she was having a girl.

However, he didn’t want to deal with Natsumi when she was born. Tim was the one who was there when Mai delivered because his older brother was on a business trip and refused to cancel. Tim even developed feelings toward Mai but never said anything. Aric would kill him if he found out that he had feelings toward his wife. Plus Tim wasn’t completely right in the head, either.

Mai tried to stay positive and happy, but down the road she was diagnosed with cancer. Tim had no doubt that Aric loved his wife; he just didn’t know how to show it because of his sick, twisted mind. He was devastated when he heard the bad news. The one thing he couldn’t put his finger on was how Aric viewed his daughter. He knew that Aric was trying to make Natsumi be like her mother. It was a complete mess.

Before Tim knew it, rough hands were wrapped tightly around his neck. His hands flew to Aric’s wrists, trying desperately to push the man away.

“I dare you to say that one more time,” Aric spat, increasing his hold on his young brother’s neck, his fingers digging into the neck. “Say it!”

After gasping for what little air he could get into his lungs, Tim looked at his brother straight in the eyes. “Y… you destroyed… this family…”

A growl emanated from the older man’s throat as he tossed his brother aside like a bag of garbage. He watched intently as the younger man coughed, gasping for air and holding his now red throat. This man, who obeyed every command since they were kids, was now mustering all the courage and strength that he had to stand against his insane brother. Was it Natsumi who inspired him? He didn’t know the answer. All he knew was that he couldn’t keep things the way they were going. He made up his mind after Aric tried to kill his niece. Aric had been driven over the edge and was now out of control.

With heavy footsteps, Aric marched over to his brother, spitting on his face, his nose scrunched up in disgust. “You think you can overthrow me? You must be even more stupid than I thought.”

Tim used the back of his hand to wipe away the saliva from his face. “All these years I was a fool. You killed our mother!” With teeth clenched tightly together, he got up from his spot on the floor. “I won’t tell anyone, but I am no longer serving you like some sort of animal.” With a shaky step, Tim started for the exit of the dark room, his heart racing inside his chest.

Aric stood where he was, almost as if he was in a daze. His eyes moved with his brother as he completely left him alone. “W… where do you think you’re going?!”

Drawing in a deep, long breath, Tim looked back at his brother, his face full of determination. It was a look that Aric never saw before on his brother’s face. “I’m leaving. I’m no longer staying in this depressing house. Goodbye, brother. I wish you well.”

And with that, his younger brother left the house, leaving Aric alone. In a fit of rage, Aric took his fist and punched through the wall, screaming at the top of his lungs. His manic eyes wandered rapidly around the room. All he could see was the color red as his blood boiled within his veins. It felt like his body was on fire. No one ever disobeyed him and got away with it. It was his daughter’s fault. She was the one who started all of this. That whore. He pounded his fist onto the hard wooden floor until it bled.

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.”

The older man stopped what he was doing and looked to his right by where the fireplace was. There, sitting in the armchair, was a tall, thin man who had pale skin, his silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his yellow eyes were glowing like light bulbs. The corners of his lips were pulled up into a smirk as he watched the show, amused.

“W… who… how did you get in here?” Aric demanded as he got to his feet. His hand was throbbing as blood dripped to the floor below. “You are trespassing!”

The stranger looked at his long, pale fingers and shook his head. “I knew humans were emotional, but this takes the cake.” He smiled wickedly at Aric as if he was a new play thing for a kid to destroy. “I hear you have a daughter, my friend. A daughter who doesn’t obey orders and is frolicking with a man, yes?”

“A man?” The blood that was boiling was now threatening to burst each vessel within him. “I didn’t know about a boy! Who are you and how do you know Natsumi?” At this point, Aric’s body was trembling with rage. Veins could be seen popping out of his forehead. “Answer me, damn it!”

“I, like yourself, like order and power. The ones who defy us must be punished. I am here to help you, Aric. I am no enemy and I can help you get your daughter back and in control again,” the stranger said in a voice that was smooth as silk. “My name is Taikoku. Join me, Aric, and we can put people in their place.” The lord of the Nether Realm extended his hand out. As if he were under some kind of spell, Aric stepped forward and took the hand that was presented to him. A feeling of satisfaction washed over him as he gripped the other man’s hand tightly. “Excellent. From this day forth, you will be part of the team. We will have our victories.”

Some kind of fog surrounded the two of them and just like that, they were gone from the area.

Cye examined each fin of the orca. Nodding in approval, he raised to the surface for some much needed air. Umi clicked her tongue and nudged her head against Cye’s body. With a hearty laugh, he rubbed the rubbery nose of his friend. “Everything looks good, my friend. You have recovered splendidly. I’m sure you are just itching to get back to your family.”

The killer whale shook her head and made more clicking noises. The water warrior looked at his aqua buddy with sad eyes. She couldn’t stay at the facility for much longer. It was best that she was free and out in her natural environment. He was going to miss her terribly, but he was happy that she was healthy again. She wasn’t the sickly whale he once knew. After kissing her on the tip of her nose, he dove back into the water to continue his examination.

Sitting on one of the metal benches, Hana watched as Cye did his job. Her heart was breaking, as well, just knowing that her time with the water creature was coming to an end. She met Umi on one of their first dates. Cye took her to the aquarium when no one was around. She loved that whale very much. After sighing heavily, she tried to focus on other things. Lately her thoughts were drifting elsewhere and it mainly had to do with her finding out that her sister was still alive.

It had been a couple of days since their first encounter in years. When Hana got back to the house, she went straight to her room. She explained things to Cye and he could see that there was much more going on. Hana had hoped that she would hear something from Aika by now, but nothing came through. Was it foolish to think that it was taking so long? She closed her eyes and she could see her sister behind her eyelids, the uncertainty and fear that presented itself in those young eyes. Yes. It was foolish of her to think it was taking too long. She had to give her sister time to think things through.

She jumped when she felt cold, wet hands on her shoulders. Hana opened her eyes to find Cye standing in front of her, a concern look on his features.

“What?” she asked as she felt him wipe away the moisture that was building under her eyes. She had no idea that she was crying.

After plopping himself down next to her on the bench, he looked at his girlfriend again. “What were you thinking about?”

Hana averted her gaze and stared at the wet concrete underneath her feet. “Nothing really. I was just… thinking about Aika again.” Cye pulled her close to him, rubbing her back with his hand. She could feel her tank top absorb the water from his wet body. Luckily it was a dark-green tank, so nothing would see through it. “I’m okay, Cye. I’m just going through one of my things…”

“I know,” he whispered. “But just like Mia, I have faith that she will reach out to you. Just give her some time to collect her thoughts.”

A small smile formed on Hana’s lips as she picked up her head. She leaned in and gently kissed Cye on the lips, feeling the warmth spread throughout her body. He placed both hands gently on either side of her head and deepened the kiss, yearning for her taste. Hana moaned into his mouth before reluctantly pulling away. With her cheeks sporting a hint of pink, she got up from her seat.

“Are you done for today?” she asked with her back facing Cye.

He got up and wrapped his strong arms around her small frame. “Yes, I am,” he whispered into her ear. “Umi is going back into the wild on Friday. Do you want to come and say goodbye?”

“I didn’t think it was that soon,” Hana said sadly. “I wish there was a different way, so we can still visit her. I know it sounds selfish.”

“No. I think the same way, but she has to be in her own habitat in order for her to thrive. You know that.”

Hana nodded, sniffling as tears tried to break loose again. “Let me think about it. I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“I’m not going to pressure you, love.”

“Thanks.” Hana chuckled and leaned into the embrace. “I guess it’s driving you guys crazy, having me and Natsumi around. If it’s not her and her problems, it’s me and my issues. Go figure, right?”

She could feel the vibration of Cye’s laugh on her back. “Everyone has issues that they have to deal with. Look at Sage and his family. Right now things are going kind of smoothly, but I’m sure Yayoi is going to drive him crazy at some point. That’s why he’s staying with us. He doesn’t want to be living back at home. Let’s just say that it’s better dealing with everyday, normal issues than dealing with the supernatural.”

That’s right. Hana almost forgot about the evils of the world. Cye was probably right, then. All the problems that had arisen as of late were all normal problems, sort of. That made her feel a little bit better knowing that things had returned to normal, to some degree.

Her face turned red as she heard a rumble emanating from her mid-section. “I guess my stomach is not happy right now. I didn’t really eat anything today except for toast.”

“And why not?” Cye asked, still holding onto her. “You could have asked me to make you something. I made Kento’s breakfast.”

A smirk appeared on Hana’s pink lips. “You only made him breakfast because he wouldn’t stop annoying you. He wanted your famous French toast with cereal crumbs. I just wasn’t that hungry when I got up this morning. I don’t know why.”

“True. He really needs to learn how to make that dish himself,” Cye commented. “If you want, we can go to that soup spot you love so much and you can get your noodles.” The mention of her favorite restaurant made her stomach make more noise. “I’ll take that as a yes. Let me just change real fast and we’ll go.”

The warmth that Hana was feeling left abruptly when Cye pulled himself away from her. He picked up the gray towel from the bench and headed inside the building. The dark-haired woman walked slowly against the edge of the tank. Umi poked her head out and swam toward the edge. Hana bent down to pet her friend on the nose.

“You must be happy that you get to go back. Maybe you’ll find your family. I’m sure they’re waiting for you.” The sea creature clicked her tongue as if in agreement. Hana choked as she tried to hold back the tears. “I found my little sister. I’m going to make sure that I hold onto her. Root for me, okay?” Umi nodded her head, causing small waves within the tank she was in. “I’m going to miss you, but I’m happy for you.” The whale made a high-pitched sound as the two of them stood where they were, facing each other one last time.

The atmosphere was damp and cold, too cold to the point one would think they were in an ice box. There was so much negative energy flowing through the space that if any bit of happiness showed itself, it would instantly rot away. At least that’s what Sage thought as he wandered aimlessly through the abyss, clad in his armor and equipped with his sword. Why was he there? Where were the others? He had a sickening feeling in his gut. Something wasn’t right.

As he walked on further, his steps became heavier, as if invisible weights were put on top of his feet. “What is this?” he asked himself as he continued on. He didn’t even know why he kept walking. Maybe it was to find the answers to his questions.

He finally stopped in his tracks when he saw an iron door just ahead of him. Like a magnet, he was drawn toward the door. His armored hand gripped the doorknob and slowly turned it. The room was pitch-black inside. The warrior of light couldn’t even see his hands in front of him. He stayed close to the entryway. Sage could feel his armor weaken against the darkness of the room. It was as if the darkness itself was absorbing all of his light, like a dangerous kiss that sucked all the happiness dry.

Fear was slowly climbing up his spine as his heart started to pump rapidly against his ribcage. He hated the dark, and for a good reason. He was the Warrior of Light, and, of course, the darkness was his downfall. A heavy wind came from behind him and pushed him fully inside the room. The iron door slammed shut, leaving the warrior alone in the black void.

“No…” he said, his voice shaking as he got to his feet. Where was the door? He needed to get out of this horrible place. His calm demeanor was slipping through his fingers like sand, making the fear climb even faster. Sage’s breathing started to pick up in an alarming rate as panic started to settle in. “Let me out! Please!” The sword he once carried clamored to the floor. He fell to his knees with his hands covering his face. This was crazy. Where were his friends? An evil chuckle echoed throughout the room, making the Bearer of Halo look rapidly around the area. “Who’s there?”

The laughter grew louder as glowing yellow eyes appeared before him. A strangled scream emanated from his throat as he fell to the floor. The eyes grinned back in pleasure, not moving an inch.

“Sage?”

The blonde-haired man turned his head toward the voice, panic in full swing. “H-hello? Help me!”

“Sage!”

Lavender eyes flew wide open as Sage sat up straight. His eyes scanned the room in a maddening manner. His breaths were pants and his heart was beating so hard that it felt as if it was about to break free from his ribcage. Cold sweat covered the shirt he was wearing, along with the bed sheets. He looked at Natsumi, who was staring at him, concerned and afraid. He was at the house and in the room that he was sharing with Rowen. He was at the dojo late last night and hardly got any sleep. Sunlight was coming through the window, making him feel a little better knowing that he wasn’t in complete darkness. He brushed some wet strands of hair from his face. How embarrassing.

Something cool was pressed against his forehead. He looked at Natsumi as she held the wet washcloth in place. “Are you okay? I heard screaming and I saw you thrashing in bed,” she said softly. “I tried to wake you, but you were so deep into your dream… nightmare…”

It was a nightmare. He hadn’t had one in such a long time. This one, though, seemed to cling to him with its grimy claws. After swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he took the towel from the girl in front of him. “Thank you, Natsumi. I’m okay now.”

Natsumi looked at Sage shyly. “Your face is still pale.”

Sage wiped his face with the damp cloth. “I’m okay, really. Is anyone else home?”

The timid girl shook her head. “No. Ryo and Kento went out with Rowen somewhere. Cye and Hana went to the aquarium that he works at to say goodbye to a whale. It’s only us.”

Good. No one else had heard him yelling for his life. Then again, having Natsumi hear him wasn’t any better. He could still feel the blood in his cheeks due to the embarrassing scene that had ensued. “I’ll be okay. I just need some time alone. Thank you.”

Natsumi didn’t say anything and just nodded her head. A sense of relief actually washed over her as she got up from her spot on the bed. She felt nervous when she was around Sage and, for whatever reason, the blonde-haired man didn’t really strike up any conversation. She closed the bedroom door after she took her leave and headed down the stairs. She didn’t know why, but the sense of not belonging smacked her. She felt out of place. Natsumi wasn’t as close to Sage and Rowen as she was with the other three guys. Maybe it was because the other two had left to go to school instead of staying in the area. Rowen was approachable, but Sage – he intimidated her a bit. She was grateful to him for healing her when she was injured, and she wanted to get to know him, but she was scared.

After drawing in a long, much needed breath, she entered the kitchen and turned on the faucet to the sink. Holding the green sponge in her right hand and the ceramic white plate in the left, she started scrubbing the old food off the dish. She placed the dish on the drying rack when she heard a knock on the front door. After wiping her hands dry with the dish towel, she headed over to see who the visitor was. When she opened the door, she saw a teenager standing before her in blue jeans and a simple orange top.

The girl had her head down, and the hands at her sides were fidgeting like crazy. “Hello?” Natsumi said in her normal soft tone of voice. She didn’t want to scare the poor girl. The older woman could tell that she was a nervous wreck.

She picked up her head and looked at Natsumi. The brunette was taken aback when she saw the familiar eye color staring back at her. “I-I’m sorry… I’m looking for someone by the name of Hana. Does she… live here?”

“Yes. She’s out right now, but she’ll be home soon,” Natsumi replied. “Who are you?”

The teen’s body twisted a bit at the question. “I’m her sister, Aika.”

Natsumi’s Persian-blue eyes widened at the response. Hana, herself, had told her that her entire family was wiped out because of Kurushimi’s father. A tingling sensation ran through her body as her pink lips formed into a smile. Did Hana know that her younger sister was alive? Natsumi stepped aside and extended her arm into the house. “Please, come in. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

Aika walked slowly into the kitchen. “She gave me her address,” she mentioned as she took a seat on one of the island stools.

“So you met up with her already?” Natsumi inquired as she shut the front door. “She didn’t mention anything to me. Then again, I haven’t really seen her as of late.”

Aika looked around the area. “She shares this house with you?” She was happy to know that her sister was living comfortably.

After taking out two glasses from the cupboard, Natsumi nodded. “Yeah. There’s a bunch of us. She shares a room with her boyfriend and the other guys have rooms upstairs. My room is across from Hana’s. Do you want tea? Water?”

“Water is fine. I’m not a big tea drinker,” Aika said. “So, she has a boyfriend?”

Natsumi filled the glass with iced cold water and handed it to her guest. “Yes. He’s a very nice guy. I’m sure you’ll like him when you meet him. It’s hard not to.”

A small smile formed on Aika’s lips. She still had uncertainty about the whole incident revolving around her older sister and the stories behind it. “I’m guessing you and Hana are close?” There was something about Natsumi that made Aika feel at ease.

“I guess you can say that,” the brunette answered. “We didn’t get off at a good start, but she has been my support system.” She looked down at the transparent glass in her hand. Ryo was always there for her, but Hana was the one who forgave her after she stole Cye away from her. She still didn’t understand why Hana did what she did. All she knew was that Hana had a good heart and was lucky enough to have her as a friend. “A lot has happened and I am grateful that she is there for me.”

The two ladies turned their heads toward the living area when they heard footsteps. Sage emerged wearing light blue jeans and a green tee. He stopped mid-stride and looked at the newcomer. “Hello,” he greeted. “Are you a friend of Natsumi?”

Aika stared at the blonde that was standing a few feet away from her. He was very handsome indeed, but what caught her attention were his beautiful lavender eyes. Normally his bangs covered one eye, but this time his bangs were pushed more to the side, exposing both eyes. “N-No… I’m Hana’s sister.” She could feel the blood racing to her cheeks.

“Hana’s sister, huh?” Sage said in amusement. His eyes moved toward Natsumi. The brunette just smiled at him. “My name’s Sage. It’s nice to meet you…”

“My name’s Aika. It’s nice to meet you, Sage,” Aika said softly, averting her gaze so she wouldn’t keep staring at him.

Sage turned his attention to Natsumi. “I’m guessing Hana and Cye haven’t returned.”

“Not yet. I hope you are feeling better,” Natsumi said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Your complexion is a lot better. I’m glad.”

Sage looked at Natsumi and simply nodded his head. He looked toward the adolescent who was now staring at her glass of water in silence. Hana did act strange that day after she and Mia had their girls’ day together. As if his thoughts were heard, the front door opened and in walked Cye with Hana on his tail. “Speak of the devil.”

Cye smiled wide at his two friends and then at the teen sitting at the island. “Are we having a party? How come we weren’t invited?” A chuckle erupted from Cye’s throat as he hung up his light blue windbreaker on the coat rack. He turned around and saw Hana standing in the doorway, her eyes wide in shock.

She couldn’t speak because it felt as if all the words were stuck in her throat. Were her prayers answered? Aika looked at her older sister, her fingers moving about on the glass she was holding. “I’m… so glad to see you,” Hana said almost in a whisper. “I didn’t think you would show up.” At that moment, it felt as if it was just the two of them in the kitchen. Everyone seemed to vanish from Hana’s sight.

“I wanted to see you again,” Aika admitted.

Hana jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Cye standing next to her. “I’m Cye. It’s nice to finally meet you, Aika,” he smiled warmly. He was excited for Hana that her sister came on her own free will to see her. His hand gently squeezed the top of her shoulder in encouragement.

“Aika… why don’t we go take a walk?” Hana suggested. She wanted as much alone time with Aika as possible. She wanted to learn more about her and her days at school. She wanted to fill in the gap that had separated them for so many years.

“Sure,” Aika said and finished her glass of water before hopping off the stool. The two sisters left the house side by side.

Natsumi didn’t realize that she was holding her breath. She exhaled and looked at Cye who was watching the girls from the front door window. “I’m sure they have a lot of catching up to do,” she said.

Cye nodded in agreement and pulled himself away from the door’s window, a look of relief on his face. “She was so worried that her sister wouldn’t come. She still blames herself for everything and it’s hard for her knowing that her aunt still has the reins.”

“Her aunt?” Sage asked curiously. He was now leaning up against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. “The same woman who rejected Hana?”

“The one and only,” Cye said with a nod. “Apparently, her sister is staying with her aunt and uncle. Her aunt told her things to keep her away from Hana or at least told her that Hana died.” It was an endless battle with the woman and Hana was struggling internally because of it. Cye’s heart wept for his girlfriend when he saw the pain in those beautiful eyes of hers.

Sage closed his eyes. “She’s strong. I’m sure she’ll overcome this,” he said with confidence.

Natsumi nodded her head in agreement. She had her own issues to deal with, but she vowed to be there for Hana just like she was for her.

The sisters strolled down the road, side by side, heads down. Both their nerves rattled within their bodies along with their hearts in their chests. Hana wanted to say something, anything, but her throat suddenly felt like sandpaper. This was her opportunity and she was wasting it. She heard her sister clear her throat beside her and turned to look at her.

“So… that was your boyfriend? That man who came through the door with you?” Aika inquired. “He seems nice.”

Hana’s ears perked up at the mention of Cye’s name and seized the moment with an iron grip. She smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yep. That’s Cye. He’s a great guy. We’ve been dating for over a year.” She wasn’t sure if adding the months when he was under Natsumi’s spell counted or not. The both of them had gone through so much together, so many events that she couldn’t tell her little sister about that saddened her.

“That Natsumi woman is really nice, too,” Aika mentioned.

“Yeah. She can be a little shy, but once you get to know her, she can be really cool to be around,” Hana commented. Again, there were things she couldn’t tell Aika about her relationship between her and Natsumi. It was driving her insane to the point she was getting a headache. Hana stopped in her tracks and turned her body to face Aika. She gently placed both hands on her sister’s arms and looked into those same colored eyes. “Listen, Aika. I know I was horrible to you in the past. I regret it every day and I don’t… I don’t want us to grow further apart. I want… I want to know more about you and be there for you like I should be.” All the tension that Hana felt on her shoulders slowly evaporated. “Please… give me a chance.”

Aika didn’t say anything, but look at her sister. Hana wasn’t sure if Aika was happy or sad. Then she felt arms wrap around Hana’s waist in a hug. “Okay.” Hana wrapped her arms around her little sister’s tiny frame and hugged her back tightly.

“Thank you,” Hana whispered as the two of them embraced each other.