The sun was rising. The dawn air was cool. Birds had begun to sing their morning songs. It was peaceful as the lone pattering of hooves against the dirt was carried off into the cool breeze.
A low whinny had Neru shifting as he looked at the dewy, high grass adorning the sides of the road. He looked towards the sky ahead, seeing the purples and blues of night giving way to the warm orange and red of the approaching sun.
Light…
It was the light Ashita was meant to stay in. A breeze had the demon lowering his gaze. This weather was something the teen was supposed to experience for years to come.
A snort pulled the man from his thoughts to see the silhouette of a cabin in the approaching daylight. Neru stiffened considerably as the horse neared the structure though he took a deep breath, glancing at the article of clothing hiding away the black mist.
He looked up once the mare came to a complete stop, hooves pawing at the ground. Setting the reigns aside, Neru got down from his post and eyed the façade of the building for a few seconds. He then walked to the carriage door, opening it to stare at the seemingly sleeping Ashita. When he went to touch the greenette, he pulled his hand away.
Why was he so hesitant?
Maybe he could just set the teen down outside and leave. He was there simply to drop the greenette off.
The man kicked himself mentally.
That sounded like running away and Neru Kimura did not do that.
Stepping inside, the demon leaned down, collecting Ashita's body before stepping out. He was relieved that Coegi had decided to wrap the teen's body. The material of the bandages ensured that the corpse wouldn't go stiff, making movement much easier though it left the greenette rather limp.
"Ashita…" the one with white hair murmured as he approached the front door.
He eyed the wooden barrier for a time, his own body rigid in comparison to the one in his arms. To knock was simple. To face the one that would open the door was not and the longer he stood there, the more uneasy he felt. The feeling was highly unwelcome and the longer he stood there, the quicker he wished for it to end.
As soon as that thought past through his head, his ears picked up on the sound of footsteps. His eyes then focused on his tail that had fell away from the door so it could hide itself once more. His body was too honest at times and, frankly, it sickened and astonished him.
"Coming," came a sleepy reply.
That voice accompanied with the sound of the lock being undone had Neru taking a step back though he stopped as he was greeted by a pair of sleepy emerald eyes. Frowning inwardly, the golden-green eyed demon stared at the woman's pale complexion, exhaustion evident.
"Ms. Kurotake," Neru began prior to watching her gaze fall upon the one in his arms.
"You found him?" the woman asked softly, smiling creeping onto her tired face. "You found him!" She reached a hand out to caress a cheek though she pulled it away as she beamed at the man. "You brought him home! Thank you so much!"
"Ms. Kurotake, I-"
"Ashita!" Lana chimed, looking down at her bundled brother. When she didn't get an answer, she looked towards the demon then at him once more. "Come on, Ash. It's time to wake up." Nothing. "It's your turn to make breakfast. Don't think because you were gone, you got out of the duty." Neru shifted uncomfortably. "Ash?"
"Ms. Kurotake, I-"
"Lana."
"Ms. Lana, can I place him in his bed, please?" Neru asked, doing his best to maintain the eye contact.
The blunette led the way, pushing the door open as the white-haired man walked by. She watched as he set her sibling down prior to walking over to sit on the bed when he didn't stir. In the growing light, green eyes noted the paler complexion.
"Lana…I…I'm sorry, but-"
"Ashita," the woman cooed, placing a hand gently on the greenette's cheek. She pulled away soon after as she felt how cold it was. "Ash?" Two of her fingers went to his neck, finding nothing. "Ash?" she called, panic in her voice. Placing her head on his chest, she strained her hearing. Nothing. "A-Ash?" Her gaze then shot towards the man looking elsewhere. "He's sleeping, right?" Neru remained silent. "He's j-just sleeping…right?"
"Lana, I-"
"T-tell me he's sleeping, Neru." The man hung his head. "N-Neru!"
"I'm…sorry, Ms. Kurotake."
Lana shook her head slowly, staring with wide, trembling eyes. Feeling water prick in the corners, she turned her attention to her sibling's still form.
"No, no, no, no, no…" she murmured, placing a hand on one pale cheek. Her fingers trembled as she rested her hand on his chest. "No…" As she pressed her hand down more, trying to find a sign of life in his chest, she felt the broken bones, making her jerk her hand away. "A-Ashita?"
Neru's gaze shifted to see the tears running down the blunette's face. He had seen many people cry before. Countless even, and that never bothered him, yet this was upsetting. The calling of the greenette's name had his chest hurting, the gas seeping through though dispersing much too quickly to be seen clearly.
"A-Ash!" The man looked elsewhere again. "What did you do?" Lana cried angrily, face red. "What did you do to my brother?" Neru looked towards her. Anger was common. He was used to that though hers managed to intimidate him. "What did you do to him, you demon!" The demon jumped at the outburst. "What did you do?" she cried.
"M-Ms. Kurotake, I-"
"No excuses!" she yelled. "What did you do to my little brother?"
"N-Nothing," Neru stammered, easing away.
"What did you do?" she yelled, glancing at her sibling. "Tell me!" She slid off the bed and barred his way. "What happened to my brother? What did you do, Neru! What have you done?"
"I'm sorry," he murmured, eyes glued to his lap. "I-"
"Demon!" He flinched at the name. That was what he was though he never thought to be called it by her. "That's what you are," she yelled, glaring at the man with tear-filled eyes. "Tell me what you did to him!"
"I…I'm sorry," Neru said quietly, glancing at the greenette as he reached out to stroke a pale cheek.
His hand was swatted away quickly, leaving him to look up at the woman. "Don't touch him!" Lana ordered. "You're not allowed to lay a finger on my brother! Never!" Her thin frame trembled, leaving Neru to frown openly as she balled her hands into fists. "I don't know why he liked a demon like you!"
"Lana-"
"That day he showed up, ten years ago…you made him cry!"
"I'm sorry."
"You made him cry!" Lana shouted brokenly. "His wrists looked chafed. He looked scared. He would hardly eat anything. He wouldn't laugh as much and he just stood by the window as if he was waiting. He didn't smile as much! What did you do to my little brother!"
"Lana…" Neru said, trailing off.
He felt guilty, but why? He was a demon. So what if she was pissed off? That was any normal emotion for a human.
"You haven't changed your looks at all." Golden-green eyes blinked before focusing on the woman. "I've noticed the tail, you know?" she questioned angrily. "The last time you were here and you led my brother to his room, I seen it. He didn't get that sick until you showed up! Ashita was fine and healthy and…and…"
"I'm sorry!"
"Just shut up!" Lana ordered, tears flowing freely as she dropped to her knees, face buried in her hands.
"L-"
"He was all I had left." She raised her head a bit. "And you took him from me! You took my little brother away from me over and over again in the past. This time, you took him away forever. This is your fault!" she screamed. "I want Ashita back!" Neru kept his head down as the woman got to her feet. "Give him back to me, demon! Give him back! Give him back!"
"I didn't take him," Neru said. "If I could give him back, I surely would have. I promise y-"
"How can I trust your words?" The white-haired man shifted uncomfortably. "Demons lie. You lie. You lie. You lie! I just want my brother back!" she shouted, standing before the man. "Give him back!"
"I c-"
The sound of a slap echoed against the walls while the outside world seemed to quiet down. Stunned at first, Neru then reached up to touch his stinging cheek though his hand fell to his side.
"I deserved that," he replied softly, keeping his eyes focused on the teen's body. I did…
When he looked towards the woman, he watched her shiver, anger and sorrow flashing in her eyes as she kept her fists balled up at her sides. As more tears streamed down her face, he stood up as the blunette went to slap him again.
He allowed it and, for the first time in a long time, he paid close attention to the pain it brought on. The third slap brought on a more potent sting though his tail wrapped around her wrist to hold off the fourth.
"Demon!" she cried, pulling her wrist away quickly. "You killed my brother!"
I did contribute. The man grimaced. "His boyfriend did that."
Lana dropped down onto her knees, eyes wide yet glued to the floor. There had been things about that raven-haired man that had always been just a bit off. The way he was always hurrying off. The way he would leave, leaving her brother to wait for days sometimes. The way he brushed things off or changed the subject.
"He…you…you both killed my brother!" she bawled. "I want my brother back, Neru!"
The aforementioned man knelt before the woman, ignoring the lingering pain that dwelled on his face and the rest of his body.
"Lana, I'm sorry," Neru said quietly, watching as the woman cried louder, her blue hair falling before her face. "I tried to find him-"
"You didn't try to find him quick enough!" she countered, rubbing her eyes. "You could've saved my brother, Neru! You killed him the most! From when he was a kid 'til now! You killed my Ashita!" She pulled away when he eased forward. "He liked you! He liked you, you monster!"
"I'm sorry…"
"Stop apologizing! It won't bring him back to me!" Lana cried, moving to rest her head on the bedspread. She buried her face in the covers soon after, trying to find comfort she knew she couldn't. "You killed him."
"Lana, please, h-"
"Leave me alone," she ordered weakly. "Just go away."
"Please, l-"
"I said to go away, Kimura!" The woman raised her head to glare at him though it faltered once she hiccupped. "Please," she said, putting her head back down, "you've done enough."
Watching and listening as the blunette continued to lament, Neru turned his attention to the still greenette. Restraining his body's want to be close for a moment, he turned around and walked out, closing the bedroom door. Walking down the hall, his mind wandered aimless, the throb in his cheek subsiding. Exiting the front entrance, the man closed the door behind him and leaned against it, closing his eyes as he felt the sun's light fall upon his face.
The light.
It seemed to mock him. This warmth wasn't supposed to be for him. Hell didn't have this so he surely didn't need it.
His eyes soon opened to the dejected cry coming from the woman as she called for her brother.
Walking over to the awaiting carriage, Neru got back into the driver's seat, looking at the cottage one more time. He then looked up at the clear sky, watching as a few birds flew off, their songs being carried on the wind.
Hell didn't have such things. That being said, he did not need them.
With that logic, he picked up the reigns and with a quick flick of the wrist, the coach darted away.
The funeral had been moving. There were people there that the young, white-haired demon had seen around town. Mrs. Rumehi was there to give her condolences to the grieving blunette as well as several others that the man had not known of. Friends had come. The once potential suitors that had taken a fancy to the green-haired teen were there as well to show their respects.
The number of which left Neru out of place as he had watched then place rose after white rose on the open casket that housed Ashita's still form. The bandages were still in place, none of which had been moved when the greenette had been placed in newer clothes for his burial.
The lips that had once formed a smile were pale, lifeless things that formed a slight frown on the teen's otherwise peaceful yet pallid face. Eyes that rivaled sapphires were closed forever. The once vivid, emerald green hair had become a more faded shade of its former self, leaving half to cover the teen's face that had been on the delivery end of Okinawa's onslaught.
Words spoken fell on deaf ears of the snow-haired man while others expressed themselves openly, letting their cries and silent prayers be known. The time that past had seemed to crawl by and the numbers of the attendees only appeared to be growing, leaving the demon to see exactly how much of an impact Ashita had had in the decade he had spent on the surface.
Not a bad word was spoken.
Golden-green eyes flitted amongst the crowd in black, passing over the younger women crying their eyes out while the men bowed their heads. Spotting a head of blue, Neru backed down, almost looking elsewhere as a pair of watery, green eyes looked towards him. The contempt they had showed the day Ash's body had been returned was gone to be replaced by complete grief. A sliver of indifference flashed in the pools though Neru concluded that was due to his presence.
Bowing his own head, the demon turned away and made his way to the back of the crowd, watching and finally listening the solemn sounds the of funeral procession.
He watched as several men marched by carrying the lidded coffin across the grassy field and towards the open plot that had been prepared for the occasion. Leaning up against his carriage, Neru's ears fell deaf once more as he watched the coffin get lowered. He only registered the sound of one particular crying, Lana's, before finally getting into his coach to watch the rest.
The memorial service had started at noon and had continued way off into the early hours of the evening. Many had stayed, which dragged the service on, until the sound of crickets began. As the attendees left, they all gave one last prayer and regarded the candles that had been placed around the freshly made grave.
When the last of the groups left, Neru stepped down and quietly made his way over. His eyes wandered over the candles burning before finally settling upon the woman in black.
"Why are you here?" Golden-green eyes drifted towards the headstone. "What else could you possibly want?" Lana asked, not bothering to leave the spot she had knelt down in.
The demon's gaze shifted over to stare at the back of the woman's head. "I didn't come here to trouble you," he said, kneeling down hesitantly to be at her side. "I'm only here to pay my respects. Nothing more, Ms. Kuro-" He looked towards her as she stood up. "-take."
"Just go home, Mr. Kimura," Lana murmured, pulling her hair free from its band. "You've done enough after you brought him home."
"I'm sorry about…this," the man said, glancing back at the covered plot.
Lana merely ran a hand through the blue strands of hair that had matched the color of her brother's eyes. "I'm tired of everyone telling me sorry." The demon looked up at her. "Sorry isn't going to bring my little brother back to me, Neru."
"Ms. K-"
"It's not," she pressed, turning to wipe away the fresh tears. "H-He's gone now."
Neru looked back down at the splay left atop the freshly piled dirt. "I'm s-"
"Stop telling me sorry!" The one with white hair hung his head. "If you tell me sorry, it better bring my brother back." Neru said nothing. "Will it bring Ashita back if you said it a hundred times?" The man remained silent. "It won't, will it, Neru?" Lana stated.
"Lana, I'm-"
"Wherever you go, I wish you the best in your life," she said, glancing back to see the demon toying with rose between his fingers. "Goodbye, Mr. Kimura."
Hearing the sound of fading footsteps amongst the grass, Neru looked over his shoulder to see the woman being escorted away by one of the townspeople that had helped set up such a lovely funeral. After losing sight of the blunette as she had gotten into a carriage, the man listened to the departing sounds of hooves along the dirt path before turning his attention towards the grave that now housed the green-haired angel.
"I'm sorry," Neru muttered half to himself as he eyed the delicate white petals of the flower he was holding.
Running his fingers down the trimmed stem, he stopped as his digits brushed against the soft petals of the bloom. Looking towards the white floral display present, the demon ran his tongue over his tooth until the canine had came to a point. Biting on his own tongue to make sure the incisor was sharp enough; he then bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw a thin stream of blood.
Eyeing the snowy petals of the flower he was holding for a while longer, Neru brought it up to his mouth. Pressing the rose to his lips, he soon pulled it away to watch the red coloring seep into the petals, staining them pink before finally settling upon a deep claret After staring at the new color for a few minutes, the man sat it down upon the splay of white and tilted his head at a slight angle as he viewed his work.
He would've sat there a bit longer if a shadowy tendril hadn't crept into the corner of his eye. As more appeared, the white-haired demon got to his feet slowly and began to walk over to his awaiting carriage.
Coegi had been present during the time of the procession though he had decided to remain close to the man's ride in case he decided he wanted to go suddenly. Of course, the younger man was hesitant upon arrival though the coachman simply stood by, waiting for the latch to unhook itself so that he could open the door. And the smaller man had been there ever since.
"Sir."
Neru turned his attention away from the blackened mist that had been lurking in his peripheral to focus on the one who had called him. When Coegi said nothing else, only opening the door to show what he was hinting at, the white-haired demon stepped inside his means of transportation and listened as the door closed behind him.
He hardly registered the moving scenery until he saw the town sign passing by the window. That soon faded from sight as he closed his eyes, thinking back on how the long day had been spent.
He had seen funerals before. Countless really. After all, he had caused nearly more than half the ones he had known of in his lifetime and he didn't bat an eye to any of them. Human lives were short ones. In comparison to his, theirs were mere moments of time, quickly ended by the smallest of things. Yet, with that knowledge, this memorial service was practically unbearable.
Yes, he had held a straight face through it though; not being able to even look Lana in the eyes was a new low for one such as himself.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
