Return of the Fallen Volume 4 Chapter 104
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch104
Kimi gnashed and ground her teeth. Nunully stayed on the ground, deeply bowing before her apologizing to her and everyone else. Nunully blamed herself and no one else. If it weren’t for her, none of them would have left Tresta. If not for her, they would have stayed in the capital, relatively safe from harm. They wouldn’t be wanted by king Garn, Danny may still be alive and Kimi might even have her arm even now.
Kimi gripped her shoulder, her face twisted up in anger and at the same time pity. Anger at Kazuki, anger at herself but staring down at Nunully, she couldn’t get angry at her. She couldn’t blame her and it made her even angrier at herself. She wanted to continue blaming Kazuki for everything but Nunully was forcing her to question that. She thought about Abura and the fear and pain she experienced as he tore her arm off and ate it in front of her. The terror she felt but even then her blame pointed at Kazuki.
Kazuki tried to pull Nunully up again but again she pushed him away.
“I need to apologize to them. The way they look at you as though you are the most vile thing in the world but I can’t recognize that. The image they have of you versus the one I have, the two can’t be reconciled. They saw your memories, so they already know deep inside they can’t put everything on you yet they do. To me, you are my savior. Not just because you rescued me that day. Not just because you got me away grom Tresta but because before that day, I was already dead. I was already a prisoner in life. Maybe not in an actual way but it minus well have been so. My mother, while her intentions were to keep me safe because of my half-blood, it also kept me from truly living. Trapped in that brothel, all I ever really did was read about others living their lives while I was kept away to slowly rot. All because the people of this country can’t stand a creature like me, they can’t allow me to live. After I was captured, I thought it was over, I thought I was truly going to die. Inside for a split moment, a thought occurred, finally I can be done with it all. If I can’t be free maybe death would be better. For that split moment, I wanted to die and thought it would be better for my mother and for me if I no longer existed but then Kazuki took me out of the sky prison. Not only that, he then got me out of the city and for once in my life, I actually felt genuinely happy. I no longer wished for the embrace of death and I wanted to live. I wanted to be free of that brothel of that city. Nearly every day since has been hard, heavy. I’ve never been more exhausted in my entire life on some of those days but I thought I had no right to complain, no right to object. Even then though, when we had a few days of peace and quiet. The days we all sat around a campfire eating a meal together, smiling and laughing with one another, laying beneath the beautiful stars at night. Those were the happiest days of my life and made it all worth it.”
Kimi felt her heart sting hearing all of this.
“That’s enough.”
Kimi tried to help Nunully up but Nunully wasn’t finished.
“I have sinned against you greatly, against all of you. While everyone was suffering through misery, I thought it was still fine as long as we still had those small special moments between us. I now know how selfish my thinking truly was and how much my decisions or rather how much of a burden you all had to carry when you accepted to escort me to the Rin mountain range. I just wanted to live…I just wanted a chance to live but I see it all now. Because of me, you all had to go through the fires of torment, and the resentment you have because of it is justified, all of it. But do not direct it at Kazuki. I beg you, pour it all, every single bit of it on me. Scorn me, beat me, curse me to one of the 7 realms of hell, I do not care but please be done with Kazuki…Please.”
Nunully had cried throughout all of this but still managed to speak clearly through all of the pain. She truly did feel as though all of this were her fault but Kazuki didn’t agree. Kazuki knelt down next to her and bowed as well.
“I’m sorry. Nunully you can not be blamed for any of this. I came to you first to buy something illegal. It was my initiating for those items which began it all. I dragged you into my shit and that started the domino effect. I have to apologize to everyone right now because in truth had I to do everything all over again, I would have.”
Kazuki’s last sentence struck everyone like a bolt of lightning.
“I still would have rescued Nunully and I still would have escorted her away from Tresta. The only difference is I would have never have taken you all along no matter what. I would have found an opportune time and I would have taken Nunully away before any of you all would have noticed and given you no time to catch up. I realize that saying this now won’t make any difference and won’t change what’s already happened but it was my dishonesty in the first place that helped lead us down this path. It’s only right that I am honest with you all. So don’t blame Nunully, not for my mistakes.”
At this time Mei couldn’t stand this anymore and ran over while crying.
“Big sis, big bro.”
Mei jumped at Nunully and Kazuki and Kazuki swiftly caught her in his arms. Mei buried her head in between them and wailed.
“I don’t want that! If you didn’t all leave Tresta, me and mama would have never have met all of you big sisters and big brothers. After papa died, me and mama would have been killed as well. You all saved us but if you didn’t come to the forest, we’d be buried in the forest. We’d never get to travel with everyone and eat the red fluffy sweet clouds and I would never have gotten to meet that nice inn lady who drew me the big bird picture. I wouldn’t have met Hina in that village and gotten to play with all the children. Me and mama wouldn’t be alive and would be super super sad in a dark place. I don’t like it, I don’t like all of the sad.”
Tsura came over and wrapped her arms around Kazuki, Nunully, and Mei all at once. She couldn’t help but think about what she’s lived through up to this point. Her husband, tragic death, followed by Danny’s. She also thought about all of the happy memories she’s had with everyone. The fun talks she had with the ladies, the comforting moments with Danny. The smile she thought she’d never see on Mei’s little face returning. Tsura couldn’t imagine a world where she didn’t meet Danny and the others. To her, such a world didn’t make sense, or rather it couldn’t make sense. all of these she’s felt up until now, what she’s experienced, the bad and the good, she could never give those up.
Kimi stood over top of them all and felt so confused. Her mind was a mess with both anger and sadness. How could she discount meeting little Mei and Tsura? She couldn’t. The times they all spent together were also some of the best she’s experienced. Even Danny at times wasn’t so bad. That’s one of the reasons it hurt so much. Him dying, her arm being ripped from her, these were things that just didn’t add up.
She had simply come from a world where these things didn’t happen or rather she didn’t perceive them or even believe they could happen because such tragedies had never occurred around her but deep down she knew that was naive thinking. A world without pain and calamities, such a place simply didn’t exist. She knew this, she really did but never in a million years could she believe such awful things could befall her and those around her.
“I get it, I really do but then why…Why do I still feel such anger, such rage right now? I heard everything you two have said, it makes sense, and yet this hatred boiling away in my chest, just what am I supposed to do with it all. I don’t think it’s something I can just throw away or let go and I don’t even know if I want to let it go. Why should I, it’s not fair. Terrible things happen to me and yet there are just no consequences, there is no one to blame, no one gets to feel my wrath. Do I have to keep these feelings buried for the rest of my days?… Why?”
Kazuki and Nunully went silent. How could either of them answer such a question? Nothing they could say would ever make things right. If she doesn’t blame either of them then who does she forgive and if there’s no one to forgive, how would one ever get over such resentment?
The silence in itself was painful…it was fuel, fuel for Kimi’s rage that sat in her heart and she could no longer contain such emotion with and screamed.
“ANSWER ME!”
Kazuki and Nunully looked at Kimi but still found no words. Kimi shook and grabbed whatever was nearest her and just threw it at them.
*Fwop*
A large plate of meat flew at the two and several slices of meat rained down on them, covering the four in meat and sauce.
The entire room became quiet and Kimi realized she had acted brashly. Kazuki looked up at her and his eyes were cold. Kimi instinctively took a step back. Reaching behind her, she was trying to find Sam. Before she could say anything, Kazuki opened his mouth but before even he could speak.
*Cquek*
Sam had grabbed a piece of cake off of the table and squished it on top of Kimi’s head. Once more everyone became quiet and Kimi slowly looked up above her at Sam in shock.
“You…You…”
*Bwahahahaha!*
Mei broke out in wild laughter and pointed at Both Kimi as well as Nunully, Kazuki and her mother.
“You guys are like babies, can’t keep food in your mouths.”
Tsura grabbed a handful of potatoes and mushed it in Mei’s face. Mei’s eyes went wide before she broke out into laughter once more.
*BWAHAHAHA!*
She pointed at her own face and then the others again.
“We’re all babies!”
At this time Asuna couldn’t help but lightly chuckle.
*Hah*
It wasn’t much but that small laugh, that tiny catalyst caused Shin to grab a plate full of food and he shouted at the top of his.
“FOOD FIGHT!”
All at once, hands flashed forward at such a speed that after images were left behind as people grabbed one handful of food after the other and chaos erupted. Left-right over and under, food both soft and hard sweet and spicy, anything and everything that was food went flying all over the room. At this speed, most of them could dodge the incoming food but for some reason no one did. The food hit everyone and covered them from top to bottom. Maybe there was anger at the beginning from Kimi but soon she got into it and all that was heard was laughing and food cutting through the air.
—————————————————————————-
“Mr. Manager, what should I do. I heard screaming coming from the VIP room a few minutes ago but now it’s become deafly quiet. I wanted to check on them but I was too afraid I’d see a dead body. What should we do?”
“Dammit woman, why didn’t you speak up sooner!? Those people in the VIP room are all guests of boss Degra. If something unfortunate accident occurred under our watch, that’s all of our necks!”
The manager and the waitress both shared a worried look before they bolted for the VIP room.
The two stopped in front of the sliding door and the two leaned their ears close to the door.
Quiet. Far too quiet.
The manager and the waitress shared a concerned look before the manager gently knocked on the door.
*Tok tok*
“Yes, come in.”
The manager heard a man’s voice and it seemed calm.
(Things seem to be fine and I’ve already been told to enter.)
The manager then proceeded to slowly slide the door open but after opening it only a few inches his eyes widened and he threw the sliding door all the way open in one go.
“What! What in the 7 realms of hell has happened!?”
The waitress as well took a look inside and when she saw the inside, her eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted on the spot.
Inside the room, all four walls were painted entirely in food, even the ceiling and floor were caked in layers of food. Not only that, Kazuki and everyone else was covered head to toe in pieces of food but out of all of that, that wasn’t the strangest part. No, in fact, the truly strange thing was that Kazuki and everyone else was eating whatever was leftover on the table. Not only were they eating but they were all smiles and they were calmly talking casually.
Kazuki grabbed a cup and put it near the edge of the table where an overturned picture was still spilling out its contents and he filled his cup like that before draining it. He calmly sat it on the table and pointed at his table before telling the manager.
“Were gonna need an extra helping of everything.”
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