Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ The Prodigal Child ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

The Prodigal Child
by Lady Dragon

Chapter 3

"Ne ni-sama, can I have these?"

A pair of bright blue eyes turned in his direction, where he had been standing watching with amusement as the young girl cooed and gushed over the various merchandise laid out on the tables and stands around them. Her obvious pleasure brought a small smile to his face. He hated loud and crowded places, but it was her birthday, and he'd be sure she had a great time.

"They're impractical, besides you already chose your birthday present."

The blue eyes drifted once more to the display and then swung back around to him once again as the raven haired girl before him squared her shoulders and prepared the age old tradition of coaxing her brother out of his stuffy mood.

"Feh, but I love these!! They're so beautiful Ni, onegaishimasu? It's my birthday. . ."

Bright shining cerulean eyes stared up at him pleadingly, tears already making their crystal depths sparkle with the light of the paper lanterns overhead.

He sighed then, he knew he'd lost and so did she. Ran could never resist his younger sister, especially not when she turned those shinning and beautiful eyes on him, begging for something that he could easily grant her. A slight pout touched the rose hued lips, adding to the overall effect, and Ran was doomed. What was a few yen if it brought a smile to his imouto's lovely and cherubic face?

"Alright, just don't say I never did anything nice for you on you're birthday."

"WAI!! Arigatou Ran-nichan"

"Dou itashimashite Aya-chan." He whispered quietly as he handed the seller some money and received in return a pair of elegant gold earrings, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. Aya reached her hand out to take them, but he stubbornly held them out of reach.

"You'll just have to wait till we get home Aya," Ran said sticking out his tongue at his sister's eagerness. "Okaasan and otousan wanted us to eat dinner with them remember? I'll give them to you then."

The girl's eyes seemed to dim momentarily at the thought of a prolonged wait for her gift, then lighted happily as an idea sprang to mind.

"Okkei, then I can show them off to kaasan and tousan!"

Before Ran could even comment on his sister's swift mood change he felt a tug on his arm moments before he was being dragged along, across the festival grounds and back towards home.

"Ne, ni-san did I tell you 'thank you' already?"

"Yes Aya, you did.¡± A smile stole its way to his lips at his sisters actions.

"Ma, then I'll tell you again, domo arigatou Ran-nisan!"

"Dou itashimashite Aya." Ran replied rolling his eyes, even as a faint blush stole across his pale cheeks.

Rain begin to pour down from the sky above them, and the two siblings quickened their pace, all the while being pelted with rain. Somewhere between the festival grounds and the street that their large home was located on the duo's dash became a race, a race that Aya was certain to win. It would be her last race with her brother for years to come.

"Dou itashimashite Aya."

Those words, they rang in my mind now. Continuously they bounce and reverberate throughout my cerebrum, dancing and pounding to their unique and different drums, never once repeating an old note, instead finding new and more hurtful cords to pluck. They were one of the last things I ever said to her. Thinking back now I wish I had formed some sort of eloquent response, something that somehow conveyed my admiration and love for her. But I've never been good with words.

"Domo arigatou Aya-san."

A female voice repeats once again, breaking me out of my melancholy reverie. The memory was wrong, altered somehow now. Why would Aya-chan be thanking herself?

"Aya-san, daijoubu ka?"

Opening my eyes, my startled and dazed gaze is immediately arrested by the sight of a young girl before me. How did I get here, on the floor with some girl looking at me in the weirdest and strangest way?

Standing up from where I was kneeling on the floor, a fallen notebook now clutched in my hand a wave of confusion washes over me. Blinking rapidly, attempting to clear my thoughts doesn't help much.

I was here, in the Koneko surrounded by loud and insane fangirls, not at the summer festival. I hadn¡¯t been to the summer festival in two years now; this upcoming summer would make it three in fact.

"Aya-san, is everything um, okay?"

The nameless girl, whose notebook I had retrieved after Ken had carelessly crashed into her, stood before me now, no longer kneeling on the ground, a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Hn."

I manage to grunt belying my confusion and masking my thoughts effectively as well. With one last glance and the notebook I hand it back to her rather quickly. The notebook really was a scary thing indeed. Too many hearts with the names of my fellow co-workers and myself scrawled across it, and not necessarily next to her name nor her friend's either.

"Oh, I see. Well thank you so much Aya-san!"

The girl is over her confusion and moves to latch herself onto my arm, a move I easily predict and evade. She, Midori, actually purchases arrangements from time to time, which is why I bothered to retrieve her notebook, but she also seems to be the one responsible for the flood of 'I Love Aya-san!' buttons adorning far too many school blazers, backpacks and blouses in this shop. And to add insult to injury, once Yohji recovered from the shock, and disappointment that his admirers hadn't thought to do the same for him, immediately donned a button as well.

Omi placed one on as well after being persuaded to do so by two of the more aggressive girls that frequent the shop. Ken, I believe has thus far managed to elude the evil buttons. I'm quite frankly too afraid to look however.

The noise of the shop manages to erode the lingering effects of the memory from the forefront of my thoughts, but still even as the senseless and brainless girls continue clamoring about the shop, striving to be the one that catches their favorite florist's eye, it lingers still; a reminder of what was lost, and possibly, forever lost to me.

"Omi-kun, do you think I look pretty in this?"

"Ah, of course you do!"

"Yohji-sama, I turn eighteen this Thursday. . . you do like blondes ne Yohji?"

"Sa-"

"Iie, Yohji promised to take me out this Thursday! Didn't you Yohji-sama?"

"Ken-san do you have a girlfriend?"

"Can I be your girlfriend Omi-kun?"

"Ano-"

"Craddle robber, Omi's MINE!"

Endless and pointless chatter floated around him. The noise was rising in pitch and their was nothing he could do, except one thing.

"Urusai desu! If you're not going to buy anything than GET OUT!!"

And with that the noise came to a sudden halt with several of the noisy girls vacating the shop immediately. No one dared to cross his path when he was upset. That was definitely a good thing, at least the grateful looks his shop mates were tossing his way said so anyway.

It was several hours later that the rush of customers had died down, and at least another half hour of standing and listening to Yohji attempt to wheedle him into staying before he was able to escape to the hospital. The blonde was wasting his breathe, he was late as it was; not to mention that a sixth sense was screaming at him to hurry to the hospital. Could something have gone wrong with Aya-chan? No nothing could have happened to her, she was fine and someday soon she would even open those beautiful blue eyes to the world around her again.

That's what I keep telling myself anyway, over and over I mentally chant the mantra as I hurry from the Koneko to my car; Yohji still following me, pleading for me to stop and listen to him. Something is wrong, and although a part of me denies it has to do with Aya, a part still demands that I hurry. If its not Aya, then who or what is making my sixth sense scream bloody murder?

Vaguely I realize Yohji has given up the futile attempt to dump his shift on me, and instead has turned his attention to the most gullible of our team, Hidaka Ken. Twelve steps away from my car, two and three quarters of a mile away from the hospital, forty-two steps from the parking lot to the doors, seventy-eight paces from stairway door to the nurse's station, and then from there twenty-four paces to Aya-chan's room. I can be by her side in nineteen minutes and forty-two seconds. That's to long! Still nothing will keep me from her side, I won't let anything happen to her again, no matter what.

The next thing I realize I'm stepping through the door on the seventh floor and briskly passing the milling patients and family members by. The nurse's station stands apart from the noisy occupants, a lone figuring occupying the post. Normally I'd stop by and ask about Aya's progress, but paranoia demands I see her now, not three minutes from now.

"Fujimiya-san! Chotto matte kudasai."

It takes a moment for the words to catch my attention and even longer for my brain to register the fact that I am being paged, and asked to stop. I would have probably continued on down the hall had a delicate and slender hand not gripped my arm in a firm grip, belying the owner of the hand's delicateness.

"Fujimiya-san, is everything alright?"

Atsuko, my mind whispers to me in relief. As her identity registers a tension slowly seeps from me, a tension I had not even realized was there.

"My imouto-"

"Fujimiya-chan? She's just fine, I was just in her room checking her vitals and everything is fine."

The last of my worries ease away, yet still something remains. A tightness to my heart, and a cold clammy feeling that refuses to dissipate at the words of Aya's nurse.

"Atsuko, is everything alright then?"

My mind refuses to believe that the 'big brother radar', as Aya-chan affectionately dubbed it long ago, was wrong. I have a sort of sixth sense for when things go wrong, or about to; and its never been wrong, never. Like the time I had to hurry home from a meeting with one of Omi's teachers, my senses screaming that something was amiss at the Koneko.

Rushing the meeting I floored it home, managing not to scratch the fine paint job of the Porsche, and somehow managing to obey most of the traffic laws, thus saving Tsukiyono from ruining the upholstery and finding out what a katana through the stomache feels like.

The minute I had walked into the Koneko I had seen immediately what was wrong. Yohji, the baka, had managed to get himself arrested. Outstanding driving citations and had resulted in a warrant being issued for the lanky blonde. A warrant a male police officer was quite happy to deliver to the wiry assassin who had dated the man's, then seventeen year old daughter.

Money I had saved in one of my various accounts had gotten Yohji out on bail, while a quick plan and a night with two very stressed, tired and put out assassins sitting in front of the computer hacking though the police files; Omi eliminating the numerous files the keikan had gathered on Kudoh while I attempted to find something to use against the judge ruling on Yohji's case.

The end result; judge Yohkomura ruling that there were not a sufficient amount of violations necessary for a warrant to be issued, let alone an arrest to be made. He also decided to toss the charges of Yohji molesting a minor out on the grounds of 'ridiculous folly'. What could have possibly caused this? Some judges truly get scared and will do whatever you wish when you bring to light the fact that the reason they made the banister was due to the influence of Tokyo's largest yukaza ring.

No sadly my sixth sense was never wrong. Something was amiss, but if it wasn't Aya-chan, non of Weiß were injured or in trouble, Mamoe-san was well, and I was fairly sure the Koneko was still standing. Nothing appeared to be amiss, so who or what had my skin breaking out in a cold sweat, not that I'd ever admit that last part aloud though.

"Oh Fujimiya-san I'm so glad you're here now!"

The relief in Atsuko's eyes was apparent, and I almost expected her to latch onto my arm like some certain fan girls I knew when I saw the starry eyed look she was giving me.

'Why would Atsuko be relieved to see me; unless something was wrong, but Aya-chan is fine so who else could it be?' I mused silently, and then a name came to my mind. Naoe Nagi.

"Is something wrong with Nagi? Is Nagi okay?"

I frowned at the worry evident in my voice. How is it possible that someone I haven't even known a full day, let alone a week could possibly worry me so?

"He's a child, a child in need of protection."

Perhaps that was it, yes in fact I'm sure that's it. I'm just protective of the young boy as any person who knows what it is like to have younger siblings would.

"The poor boy seems to lonesome Fujimiya-san, could you stop in to visit him for a few minutes? I don't mean to ask so many favors of you, but his guardian still hasn't visited and he really could use come company."

I blink, and then nod slowly. Visiting Naoe is not beyond reason; I had considered stopping by again anyway.

"Subarashi" she says smiling before hurrying along to run whatever errands she had been up to previously.

"Nothing is wrong with Aya-chan" I whisper to myself as I walk down the hall to Aya's room, still I can not dismiss the wave of utter and complete relief flooding through me as I see her laying calmly within her bed.

In my haste I had forgotten to bring with me a fresh arrangement so I busy myself with fixing up the previous ones situated around the room. Two arrangements are dying and can not be saved, there are though some blooms from both that can be salvaged. Throwing away the unsalvageable pieces and one of the pots, I then begin to work on a new arrangement for Aya. I feel guilty that it completely slipped my mind to make a fresh new one at the shop. What kind of onisan am I?

As my fingers deftly maneuver the blooms of violets and daisies into an aesthetically pleasing sight, I find myself spilling out the entire day's events to her. From my early morning visit to her, Atsuko's valiant attempts at feeding Naoe his medication, my eventual conversation with him, and his insistence that I stay till he fell asleep. Here I cannot help but pause and wonder over the enigma that was Naoe Nagi.

I am not the sort of person that gives reassurances to others. My mere presence is enough to intimidate others, not to mention my personality is hardly that inviting or charming. In my attempt to put my past behind me, to grow up and become someone strong, someone that could protect his loved ones and teammates, someone that Shion would be able to look down on with some small measure of pride I have lost what small measure of humanity a killer could ever have.

Omi, Ken, even Yoji have retained their humanity. The people that flock to them, the beautiful and real smiles they show to the world are proof enough of that. I have no humanity left in me, and I wonder what Aya will think when she wakes up to see the cold and frozen Abyssinian the killer in place of her laughing and shy onichan Ran. People do not gravitate to me, rather they run. So what had made Naoe take comfort in my presence? What made him ask that I stay with him?

"Why did Nagi ask for me to keep him company?" I ask the silent room, but no response, except for the continuous beeping of the machines, is forthcoming.

I look down at my hands and see the arrangement already finished. How long had I been standing here staring off into space?

I half expect to hear Aya-chan begin scolding me for being a dreamer, daydreaming while speaking to her. She's silent of course; no words ever leave her pale lips anymore. Why I continue to speak to her is questionable; a part of me believes that deep down, somewhere in there she can still hear me. But a more selfish part of me continues to speak with her in hope that her mere presence will bring some measure of peace and comfort to me; she usually does. Even sleeping Aya's presence is a soothing thing. She speaks no words, answers no questions and yet all the same whenever I leave this room all my questions answered and my fears laid to rest; I feel calmer and reassured that I can continue on living this blood soaked life.

Almost as if she has asked me to continue, I pick up right where I left off; words tumbling out of my mouth at a rate that would alarm and scare my teammates. I do believe I have spoke more to Aya in a single day than I have my entire time with Weiß.

As the events of my day come to a finish I'm left with one question that still has not been answered, not by Aya, not by myself. Why me, why did Nagi ask for me to stay? Aya has no answer, and neither do I but she does have a solution for me. It's almost as if I can hear her whispering in my mind, telling me what I should do. For once I hesitate at her advice for just a moment before nodding and kissing her cheek in parting.

"Your right, I should visit him."

Aya just lays there, but deep within my heart I can feel her smiling.

"I'm your onisan Aya-chan, yet you always take care of me."

No response just the knowledge that she is smiling and laughing with me in joy.

TBC

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Okay so how was that? Pretty bad ne? ;_; review please?