A and K Chapter 64: Meet the Arai's

Nick, Kei, Shigure, Josh, and Saori stand in front of a house. The house was in slight disrepair. It was a dull red house, the windows were closed and all seemed quiet. A dirt path had led up to the house.
Kei: Are you sure this is the house, Nick?
Nick: Records don’t lie. This is the house of the Arais.
Saori: Hmph.
Josh: Huh… home sweet home.
Kei: Its certainly a humble home.
Shigure: Nothing wrong with that.
They walk up to the house and Nick knocks on the door. Nicole is the one who answers.
Nick: Good day, Mrs. Arai.
Nicole: Oh, Nick, its a pleasure to see you. And you brought friends, please come in.
The gang quietly walks into their living room, and each finds a respectable place to sit. Kei, Shigure, and Nick sit on the couch. Saori respectfully sits on the floor. Josh finds a place to lean against preferring to stand. Nicole comes in and sit down in a single chair.
Nicole: So what can I do for you and your friends?
Nick: Mrs. Arai, I’d first like to ask about this man over here.
Nicole: (Pointing to Josh) Him?
Nick: Yes ma’am. Does he look familiar to you at all?
Nicole looks at Josh.
Nicole: (To Josh) What is your name, child?
Josh: Joshiel.
Nicole: (Eyes wide) Joshiel?
Josh: Yes.
She stands up and walks over to him. She stares a few seconds.
Nicole: (Mumbling, to herself) It couldn’t be…
She looks at him a little longer.
Nicole: (seriously) What is your favorite color?
Josh: (Scratches the back of his head) Um… blue. And green.
Nicole: (seriously) What do you want to be when you were a child?
Josh: I don’t know… I guess I wanted to be a police officer.
Nicole: (seriously) And what was your favorite thing to do as a child?
Josh: I loved swimming.
Nicole: (Tears forming in her eyes) Yes...yes you did...
Nicole wiping tears from her eyes, looks at him with soft eyes.
Nicole: Its been such a long time, little Josh…
Josh: Whoa… so you know me.
Nicole: I do. (smiles) My nephew, in fact. We were so saddened to hear when my sister and her husband passed. We were so very worried about you and your sister.
Josh: Yeah, I see.
Nicole: We wanted to take the both of you in, my husband and I, but…
Josh: But you had something else to worry about. I understand.
Nicole: No, that wasn’t it. We would never put anything above your lives, but we weren’t allowed to take both of you in. You both were deemed ‘wards of the state’ and sent to live in an orphanage.
Josh: Huh… I didn’t know.
Nicole: We went to court multiple times just to try to adopt the two of you, to bring you both back home, but we were denied each time.
Josh: I wonder why…
Nicole: So the only thing I could do was watch you two from a distance. And now, fate has brought us back together. You look so much like your mother...
She lifts her hand to his cheek, and hesitates before finally placing it on his face.
Josh lowers his gaze and holds Nicole’s arm.
Josh: Maybe… I’ve never been told this.
Nicole: You are still family. And should you wish, you may call this your home.
Josh: Thanks… I really appreciate it.
Nicole lowers her hand.
Nicole: So how is your sister doing?
Nick: (Clearing his throat) That’s why we’re here ma’am.
Josh: She’s missing.
Nicole: Oh dear…
Nick: You sound like you followed both Josh and Kana closely, while they were in the orphanage, what happened to her?
Nicole: She was adopted, and if I followed, the family that adopted her refused to let me see her. I couldn’t see little Kana again...
Josh: I’m sorry…
Nicole turns back to Josh.
Nicole: I’m not blaming you. None of this is your fault.
Josh: But I could do something about it.
Nicole: You were only children. Shocked and afraid over my sister and her husband’s passing. If there is anyone you want to blame, blame me. For my inability to bring either of you home, or for not working harder to take care of my sister’s children.
Josh: It’s not your fault, Aunt Nicole. You did what you could do.
Nicole smiles.
Nicole: Still as forgiving as you always were, just like when you were little.
Josh: Huh… guess some things never change.
Nicole turns to the stairs and shouts up the stairs.
Nicole: Rin! Come downstairs, please!
Rin: Alright!
Nicole turns back to Josh.
Nicole: I suppose I should introduce you to your extended family.
Josh: Okay.
Rin comes down the stairs sporting a whole new look from when the group last saw her. She wore jean shorts, and was wearing a bright red top. Her hair now free flowing down to her hips instead of tied up as it had once been.
Rin: Oh, its you guys?
Kei: Sorry for the intrusion.
Rin: (shakes her head) Not at all.
Rin makes her way to the bottom of the stairs and walks over to her mother.
Nicole: Rin, this is Josh, he’s your cousin, my sister’s child.
Rin looks at Josh.
Rin: So you’re Josh, huh? Pleasure to meet you.
Josh: (Nods) Rin, eh? Pleased to meet you.
Nicole: Karin is out shopping for food, and should be back sometime soon.
Nick: I’m afraid we can’t wait that long.
Nicole: Oh that’s a disappointment.
Nick: Mrs. Arai, do you know if Kana joined the NOL?
Nicole: (shocked) I’m afraid not. If she did, I probably wouldn’t even been told.
Rin: (clears her throat) I think I can clear up something.
Kei: Please.
Rin: You all, well, most of you anyway, are probably aware of the Branch. (To Josh) The Branch is a group of people who decided to continue keeping the NOL going after the MOR began to take over everything.
Josh: I am aware of the Branch. I have some… unfortunate encounters with their mooks.
Rin: All the same, listed as one of their members, was a name ‘Kana’.
Josh: Wait… so she is with them… that explains why she was spotted here not too long ago. She visited the orphanage.
Rin: I can’t speak to that. And I never thought too much of her, but now that I know that she was my cousin, I can, for sure, say that my cousin, your sister, is part of that group. She’s number eleven in their ranks.
Josh: So she is one of them. I see. But why?
Rin: That, I don’t know…
Josh: Then I guess I’ll have to find out myself.
Nick: Guess we’ll just have to keep looking.
Josh: Kana is able to come here again. We have to make sure she won’t escape this time.
Kei: Woah now, she’s still your sister. We have to give her a chance to explain herself.
Josh: She is with them. The Branch deserves no mercy from me.
Rin: And what if she had no choice but to join them, as in my case.
Josh: I will just ask her about it. Don’t worry, I’m not going to do any harm to Kana.
Rin: (sighing) You’re family now. I have to worry just as much about you as much as her.
Josh: (Sighs) Right.
Kei: Since we’re not sure where to go, we might as well stay the night.
Nicole: That’s a wonderful idea!
Nick: No we couldn’t possibly…
Nicole: I won’t hear any of it. You will all be our guests tonight.
The day quietly turned to night, and Shigure found herself sitting outside on a nearby bench, that had been sitting in the front yard. She looked at the stars and quietly watched. It wasn’t long before Rin joined her.
Shigure: Oh, hello, Rin.
Rin: I hope you don’t mind my joining you.
Shigure: Not at all.
Rin quietly takes a seat next to her.
Rin: I am...um...well, I’m sorry for…
Shigure: (Interrupting) Don’t worry about it, its not your fault.
Rin: Thank you.
Shigure: The stars are very beautiful.
Rin: I used to come out here when I was a child and look at the stars, and just stare, sometimes I would just fall asleep and my mother would carry me inside.
Shigure: That’s very cute, Rin.
Rin: (blushes) I...suppose so…
Shigure: Did you have fun when you were a child?
Rin: I guess I did. I had a relatively normal childhood.
Shigure: And you were cute little girl from what your mother showed me.
Rin: (embarrassed) Hopefully, nothing too revealing.
Shigure: (playfully) Oh, but you were so cute as a baby!
Rin: (Sighs) As much as I want to be mad, I can’t. I’m just happy she’s still around.
Shigure: I understand.
Rin: (Seriously) It seems like you and Kei have gotten closer since I last saw him.
Shigure: I suppose you could say that.
Rin: I’m glad.
Shigure: Huh?
Rin: You two seem like you enjoy yourselves around each other.
Shigure: (Blushing) W-we do?
Rin: Seems like you’re happier together now.
Shigure: Well, Kei did go through a lot…
Rin: But can you really handle this?
Shigure: (Seriously) Handle what?
Rin: You unlocked your power. Its healing, right?
Shigure: (Nodding) Yeah.
Rin: You understand that healing him means you’re just sending him out to get hurt again.
Shigure: I know.
Rin: And you’re okay with that?
Shigure: I can’t stop him from doing what he wants.
Rin: And what if he gets hurt again?
Shigure: I’ll heal him.
Rin: But…
Shigure: It doesn’t matter to me. Whether he gets hurt physically, emotionally, or anything else, I’ll heal it all. Sure, I get that he’s going to get hurt, there’s no way around it. (Her hands clench up, grabbing her skirt) But I’ll be right there to heal him. I promise that much.
Rin: …(smiles) You’re certainly a strong woman, Shigure.
Shigure: (releasing her skirt) You think so?
Rin: (nodding) I wish I had known you before all this happened.
Shigure: But then none of this would’ve ever happened.
Rin: I suppose so.
There is a small moment of silence between the two as the stars shine.
Shigure: Aria misses you, you know.
Rin: I bet. I helped train her. To her, I’m still her sensei.
Shigure: And why does that ever have to change?
Rin: I don’t know if I want to fight anymore, Shigure.
Shigure: With all that you’ve been through, I don’t blame you.
Rin: (Sighs) Since we came home, I trained Karin and my mother in self-defense. They’re only supposed to use it if they’re attacked, but…
Shigure: You don’t want what happened before to happen again.
Rin: (Nodding) Right.
Shigure: Well, I’ll give you some advice my brother gave me. ‘You can complain and moan over something you don’t want to do. To be truly strong, you must face all adversity head-on, and show that you are not afraid.’
Rin: (Contemplating) Hmmm…
Shigure: I need to get some sleep, so good night.
Rin: (Nods) Night.
Shigure gets up from the bench and quietly leaves, heading back into the house. Rin decides to sit a little longer, as she thinks.
Category:A and K
Category:Novel Chapter