Chapter 31: Yaki’s home

Aku laid in bed after what felt like a bad headache.

'What was that?'

Aku laid in bed.

'It was like what The Boss did but on a completely different level.'

Aku thought back to when he lost consciousness as Tarin somehow forced Aku down to the ground.

'Ugh…that doesn't matter right now. She should be coming here soon..'

He thought back to what she said when he tried visiting her in the hospital.

'She seems to hate me, and it's well deserved.'

He thought back to the state she was in after she had awoken her powers that night.

'I made her that way.'

He turned over looking at the clock on his nightstand.

'I need to get ready earlier.'

He stared up at the ceiling.

'What do I do…'

-20 Minutes later-

*Knock*

*Knock*

Aku looked over at the door in dismay as he drank his coffee. He put his glasses up and closed his book.

'It must be them.'

He walked over towards the door.

"There isn't a familiar scent behind this door…am I ready for this?"

He opened the door as an unpleasant memory shot into his head looking at his younger sister's face with an eyepatch on her right eye. Her hair had grown, and the streak of white hair had grown longer as well. A spitting image of their mother..as her body lay cold on the ground in Aku's head. The same day he held Yaki in his hands, running away.

"Hello…Akuma correct?"

Ms. Ezzy held a hand on Yaki's back.

"Yes sorry, just…it's been a long day."

"I see…well, I was told that Yaki was ready to be placed in her housing. If you don't mind I'd like to come in and do some paperwork with you, just on some things like checkups and physicals."

"Yes, of course, come in and I can do that for you."

They all walked in as Aku sat down with Ms. Ezzy at the counter but Yaki walked towards the living room. It was vaguely similar to their old one, with the kitchen right next to it, the same with the front door. Yaki wasn't thinking about that, however. She sat down on the couch nearly emotionless; she couldn't hear the discussion between Ms. Ezzy and Aku.

'What is going on?'

She sat there staring at the floor.

'...I'm supposed to live here with him?'

She scratched the top of her hand slightly.

'...'

*Door closes*

She hadn't moved for 10 minutes straight, everything around her was faint, so faint she didn't even hear Ms. Ezzy leaving. Even though Aku was in the room next to her it didn't seem like it.

'His presence doesn't feel the same. I sense him like the other demons out there.'

***

Aku stared at what was left of his younger sister in their new living room.

'How did this happen…even now as I see her I sense nothing.'

Aku started to walk towards her slowly. He hesitated.

"Aku…"

Yaki looked over at him in tears.

"I don't want to be here anymore."

Aku's heart was sucked to the floor as his eyes became glossy. He went to her quickly.

"Ya…yaki."

He kneeled to her, holding her close to his chest as her tears fell.

"I'm…I'm sorry..."

He thought of Natsuki, every time Natsuki was around; he had never sensed so much happiness and love from his sister. Yaki cried even harder.

"For everything, I will never let you be hurt again and I will protect everything you love with all of my power."

She cried harder.

"I want to go home, Aku."

A stream of memories hit Aku as a tear went down his face.

"I know…me too."

They hug tightly. The siblings have found each other again.

***

Yaki laid in her new bed after Aku had taken her there. She had been there for hours now. She looked up to the roof where there was no poster of her celebrity crush. She looked over at the window as it didn't share a similar scenery as before.

'I have no humanity left in my life, I'm just like them now, aren't I…Vermin among men.'

She cried silently.

She thought of Natsuki and a range of thoughts drove through her head.

'No Natsuki, No love, No humanity, No posters, No music, No school, No bullies, No walks home, No talks, No people, No graduation, No graffiti, No shopping, Nothing..'

She felt like she couldn't breathe. She curled up into a ball.

'NOTHING!'

Suddenly that mindset was shattered.

"You have a brother."

Natsuki's voice said in her head.

"Natsuki..?"

She cried softly now.

'Aku is hurting even though he's hiding it. I can feel his sadness now too. Yet he feels sorry…I have a brother…a brother that is all I am left with and supposedly…'

She looked past the ceiling into the skies as tears ran down her face silently.

'It is all I was given.'