Chapter 2 - The past revisited

The Pyro Bike's engines stopped singing as the power was cut, the two beams of light were slowly swallowed by the darkness. Taku typed in the lockdown code on the small pad under the seat and the bike suddenly became totally secure. It would take a grade-A hacker to crack the custom-made codes. He got off the saddle and glanced back, it gleamed. Taku smiled the Flare-Tread was one of the two good things in his life.
He walked over to the Yukai-Yukai flats and made his way up the staircase. Being a fugitive meant that he could never stay in the same place for long. He arrived at the door to his apartment, it was gritty and looked like it was made of plastic. Unknown to anyone else it was reinforced with G-type steel, a substance like ordinary steel but three times as strong. Only recently invented, the stuff cost a fortune but Taku spared no expense on defending his home. If the Authorities found him then every bit of defence would help.
He keyed in the four digit code 3174 and the door slid open, Taku strode in. The apartment was a mess as usual. He looked around, the apartment was small and uncomfortable but he was used to it. He kicked his shoes off and wandered to the fridge. The door clicked open and looked inside, his face was bathed an a golden light as he checked what was edible…nothing. Everything was out of date. He took a beer and prepared a cup ramen.
A voice like tinkling china said, ``looks like we're out of food again, you should take better care of yourself brother.''
Taku grunted, he was busy pulling off the top of the cup ramen, it soon tore of and he threw it aside. He waited for the kettle to boil and said, ``Don't worry Asya I'm fine….are you okay?''
Asya appeared before him. She was a spirit of a 24 year old girl, she wore a white dress with a permanent bloodstain on the right side. Her long blond hair hung down over her dress, she smiled, ``I'm fine, I think I'm getting stronger! I'm not as tired as last time! We sure showed that Iki-Yashi huh?
The kettle rattled and soon steam enveloped Taku, he picked up the kettle and poured the piping hot water into the cup ramen. He stirred it gently and said, ``I don't want you getting any stronger! I don't want you to fight! The Iki-Yashi are my problem, you shouldn't endanger yourself for me…why haven't you gone to the Celestial Plain yet?''
Asya complained, ``But brother I want to help you! You can't fight on your own!! Besides I'm in your debt! I won't leave you ever not after how you helped me!''
Taku slurped down the cup ramen and remembered the day he first met Asya…..

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It was an all too common scene but that didn't make it any less horrifying. There it was, the car that had swerved to a fast halt, the little girl lying on the street not moving and the blood. It covered the car and formed a little puddle by the body. There were people rushing and screaming, people frantically calling the emergency services, people crying and one person simply leaning on a nearby tree calmly watching the scene.
Taku was 15 and watched the scene with disgust, such a pointless death…the future that could have been but now never will, people never learn. He looked to the left and saw her, the poor spirit of the girl, she was terrified. Taku sighed, walked forward and said lightly, ``Calm down….please calm down.'' The girl looked at him with a mixture of horror and curiosity, how could he see her? He sighed and said, ``listen carefully, I don't really know how to say this….but….well…you just… died….I'm sorry…''
Tears welled in the girl's eyes and she sniffed, ``What should…I do?''
The sun beat down on them, Taku hesitated for a second then patted her shoulder, an action no one other than him could do. He said calmly, ``The Joutsu will be here soon, they will guide you to the celestial plain, you'll be happy there.''
She looked at him curiously and said, ``Jostu?''
Taku shook his head and said, ``The Joutsu. They are spirit guides, they guide spirits of the dead to the Celestial Plain, the final resting place of all spirits. I've heard it's nice, you'll enjoy it.''
The girl sat down on the grass and deeply regretted that she could not feel the soft, prickly touch. She stopped crying and said, ``You look a lot like my brother…he was 15 when he died. He had a coat a bit like that but it was blue…please…could you wait with me, until they come?''
Taku laughed and sat next to her, he said, ``You know I've never met anyone else with a jacket like mine! I'll bet your brother has a great fashion sense!''
The girl laughed lightly and said, ``My brother always dressed strangely! He was like you….his hair was brown though and he had a ponytail…my name's Asya! What's yours?'' She looked at him curiously.
Taku looked at her, he smiled and said, ``My name's Taku.''
So the pair talked, for the next hour they shared stories, told jokes, they had instantly taken to each other. Asya was like the sister he never had and Taku was like the brother Asya had lost. So the bond had been formed and Asya decided that she wouldn't go to the Celestial Plain just yet and that if Taku refused then she'd haunt him, so Taku agreed.

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Taku finished the last of the cup Ramen and threw the empty container in the trash. He stopped, turned to face Asya and said, ``Wait a minute how did I help you? I didn't do anything''
Asya looked at him and whispered, ``You talked to me….you became my brother…when I was alone you were there to help…''
Taku held Asya's hand and said, ``No problem sis! Now catch some Z's! Who knows maybe tomorrow will be a normal day!

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