• CHAPTER 63 - A SUDDEN ACT OF INSANE BRAVERY

    When you're in love with a Vampire or a Werewolf, would they be willing to change you into one of them for the sake of your life? If your life was on edge, would they do it, despite their pessimism about it?

    Shaking my head lightly, I couldn't rip my eyes off of Kai's face, "Kai, are you serious?"

    He sighed and looked down and nodded. Would Takeuchi really turn Miku into a Werewolf if the time came? Have they ever considered it during the pregnancy? I could hear more screaming from Miku and I pressed my face into Kai's chest again and he wrapped his arms around me.

    "I'm sorry, but changing her into a Werewolf is the only way we would be able to save her," he sighed.

    "But Kai," I choked on my words and had to regretfully bring up the memories of the time I almost became a Werewolf, "she won't be able to take on all of that pain from the venom! It will kill her!"

    Kai shook his head, "No, the venom doesn't kill you. It saves you, but it's incredibly painful."

    "Exactly! She can't go through that pain!" I squeezed my eyes shut. "It's bad enough that all of her bones are being broken!"

    "Yes, but if Takeuchi infects her, she will be healed." he kept trying to console me, but it was of no use.

    After another second of listening to Miku's screaming and crying, it hit me. How is it that Takeuchi is willing to change Miku on her deathbed, but Kai wouldn't be willing to change me on my deathbed? I know that Takeuchi and Miku have been together for years, but Kai and I were actually engaged and he still wasn't willing. Maybe that only proves that he doesn't want me for another six hundred years.

    Kai pulled me back and stared at me in disbelief, "I can't believe you're still assuming such frivolous thoughts,"

    "But Takeuchi is--" I was silenced by Kai pressing his thumb against my lips.

    "I didn't say I wouldn't change you," he pursed his lips together again. "I just said it wouldn't be my favorite election. Maybe it would be different if the situation were actually occurring."

    I was frustrated by his subtle arrogance. Would he hold back on changing me just so he won't have to suffer at the thought of me becoming a killer? I would get over it, I knew I would. Why would he hold back for his own benefit? No, he's not selfish, he's not selfish at all. But why was I still willing to put up such a fight if I didn't even want to become a Vampire quite yet?

    "I'm..." I sighed and looked down while shaking my head in disappointment, "I'm acting like such a spoiled brat, I'm sorry. I don't know what's coming over me."

    And after another split second, the sound of sudden teleportation entered the room. I looked up and found that Kai was still in front of me but his face showed a little bit of shock as he was looking past me. I turned around and in the doorway stood Takeuchi, his shirt and hands coated in blood...Miku's blood. His complexion was hopeless, fatigued, scared.

    "Takeuchi!" I called out to him. I jumped off of the bed and shook him by his shirt collar. "Is Miku okay?!"

    Takeuchi dropped his shoulders and sighed, "I-I can't do this. I panicked; I freaked out and left."

    "You need to get back down there!" I abruptly lectured him. "That's Miku, your girlfriend! You'll need to infect her if her life is on edge and that won't happen if you're not down there!"

    "I--" I interrupted Takeuchi by suddenly rushing out of the bedroom door.

    I didn't know where my legs were carrying me, but I was somehow full of determination and adrenaline. I sped down the stairs and wound up in the study room again. I gagged once I got in there; Miku's body was still dyed in crimson, as was the floor around her now. Orihime was still holding onto Miku's hand, only much harder and both pairs of hands were blood-coated. Matsuda looked as though he were still having troubles with getting the baby out. My body and mind were not my own anymore. I sprinted to where Matsuda was and landed myself on my knees next to him.

    "Matsuda, what's wrong?!"

    "The umbilical cord is wrapped too many times around its neck. If I move it the wrong way, its neck will snap with the force of its thrashing." Matsuda confirmed.

    I pursed my lips together and felt more determination come along, "What can I do to help?"

    Matsuda turned his head and looked at me in what almost seemed like disbelief, "You want to help?"

    I nodded, internally confused at my own choice, "Yes,"

    Matsuda nodded, "Arisa, I know how you are with blood,"

    That's what Kai said before. I shook my head and flinched after hearing Miku groan. I looked back at her and she was squirming and trying to hold in her crying. I looked back at Matsuda, "I know you can't do this alone, Matsuda,"

    Matsuda nodded and we both turned our attention to Miku's still swollen and cut open belly, "Arisa, you might want to put some gloves on,"

    "No, time is a factor, Matsuda," I wasn't understanding myself and how I could suddenly become so brave as to help give birth.

    "Okay," Matsuda sighed. "You are going to have to hold onto the baby firmly while I try to figure out the umbilical cord."

    I nodded and allowed Matsuda to move my hands to where they needed to be. He helped me reach into Miku's open womb for the baby. I held my breath as my hands entered her blood-soaked and cut open womb. I instantly felt something abruptly nudge my hand; the baby. I felt around and cupped one hand on the back of the baby's head and cupped my other hand on the baby's side and held it in a firm position in Miku's exposed womb.

    "How many times is the cord wrapped around?" I asked Matsuda, looking for an excuse to look away from Miku's stomach for a moment.

    "About five times," he pointed out. "Not even average babies could have the cord wrapped that many times. That's why it's so dangerous for this one right now since its thrashing is so violent. One wrong tug of the cord could agitate him and he would thrash again, snapping his neck."

    "No, don't kill it," Miku groaned again and arched her back upwards once more.

    "Just please get this out," I shook my head. "I can't stand what this thing is doing to Miku."

    Matsuda nodded and reached his hands into Miku's womb as well. He lightly grabbed onto the umbilical cord and with the slowest movements, unwrapped once around the baby's neck and I moved my hand from the baby's head when it was necessary. Now I definitely knew Matsuda couldn't do this by himself. Matsuda took another few seconds before he started unwrapping a second time. Miku squirmed around a little more, causing me to move the baby and the baby grew agitated again. I felt a thrust come from the baby, followed by the loudest and most grotesque pop yet and Miku's right leg went limp. I flinched and screamed, scarred by the noise and the shriek of Miku that followed right after.

    "Matsuda, what was that?!" I panicked, my hands starting to shake.

    "The baby snapped her pelvis," he sighed in disbelief. "We need to get this baby out now."

    "I can't--I can't breathe," Miku gasped while Orihime brushed her bangs around.

    "Miku, just hold on a little longer, sweetie," Orihime tried to sooth her, sounding a little panicked herself. I wouldn't blame Orihime for panicking because she could only hear Miku suffer through this.

    "Miku, you can't take deep breaths, okay? You have too many broken ribs." Matsuda ordered.

    The baby was thrashing even more and I knew that at the rate it was going now, the baby could possibly snap Miku's spine. Matsuda was rushing now; he unwrapped the cord even faster for another three times and finally got to cutting the cord from the baby. I instantly yanked the baby out of Miku's womb and cradled it to my chest to try to calm down its thrashing. From what I could tell past my tear-blurred eyes, it was a boy. The baby was finally out, done with causing Miku any more pain.

    "Miku, it's over," Matsuda reached over and stroked Miku's forearm. "The baby is out."

    "My...baby..." Miku said between gasps. She did the stupidest thing she could do at the moment; she made a failed attempt to sit up but was stopped short by the splitting pain in her ribs and pelvis. She laid back down and screamed again.

    I continued to look down and stare into the new life I cradled in my arms as Matsuda attended to Miku. The baby continued to thrash and I had to use more strength than required for a human baby to hold his baby in my arms. Several tears dropped onto the baby's blood-covered body and without needing a pat on on the back, the baby already started crying. I couldn't rip my eyes off of him; he was so precious. I had never seen a newborn baby once in my life and now I was holding one in my arms and I had never felt so uplifted by the feeling of cradling a newborn. I felt an instant connection with the offspring of Takeuchi and Miku but knew that this baby is what could possibly kill Miku right now. After the feeling of awe overwhelming me, I was overcome by sudden shock. The sight of the blood, the pop of Miku's bones echoing in my head, her screaming and suffering, Takeuchi's panic. But the thought that panicked me the most was the thought of Miku's intolerance to Werewolf venom if Takeuchi had to infect her. I heard two more run into the study room. I turned around with silent tears streaming down my face and the sight of Kai and and still panicked Takeuchi came into play.

    "It's a boy," my voice cracked.

    Matsuda looked over at Takeuchi and Kai and gently grabbed the baby from me. Takeuchi was planted where he was, most likely not knowing what to do; attend to the withering Miku or attend to his newborn. Kai instantly rushed to me and helped me up on my feet. He tried to carry me but I only shrugged him off and power-walked out of the study room with my head down and tears continuing to stain my cheeks. I needed to escape the crying, the pain, the blood, everything. I stood in front of the fireplace and noticed my hands were shaking violently now that the baby was out of them. I was hyperventilating as well, probably causing part of my lightheadedness.

    "Arisa?" Kai reached out to me and barely touched my arm before I shrugged away from him once more.

    I didn't know how to speak. I couldn't remember the meanings of any words; I was in too much shock to comprehend anything. I looked down and observed my hands and arms and clothes that were dyed in Miku's blood. It wasn't much of a surprise that I was slipping into shock, however, because I had never done something so brave and so gruesome in my life before. I had never dealt with so much blood of somebody else's. I couldn't think back far enough to remember if I had ever bled that much before or not. My body was soon feeling feather-like and the ground approached my face abruptly until Kai caught me swiftly and immediately. He lay me down on my back on the ground and brushed my bangs around.

    "Arisa," Kai whispered. "Arisa, can you say something to me? Anything, please. I need to know if you're okay."

    I moaned and closed my eyes, "It's a boy," I mumbled, barely comprehendable.

    "You stupid girl," he breathed out a small, halfhearted laugh, "jumping into something so gruesome and grotesque, knowing you're intolerable to blood."

    I didn't know how to talk anymore. I looked around and everywhere I looked, my vision was dictated by a red tint. I continued to hyperventilate and my ears automatically shut off any outside noises and the only thing I could hear was my racing heartbeat. I couldn't hear if Takeuchi was making Miku into a Werewolf or not, I could see Kai's lips move but no words were audible. He burrowed his eyebrows together in slight confusion and after another two seconds, he rolled me over onto my side. It took me another five seconds to realize why he rolled me over and it was when I noticed my vomit on the floor that I somewhat knew why he did what he did. My whole body was numb, my brain was much, I had taken in too much all at once and I was paying for it now. I felt Kai's slender and cool fingers run through my hair and his cold lips compressed against my flushed cheek. My body had already shut down and my brain was still within the process of shutting down as well. Kai continued to stroke my shoulder and he kissed my temple.

    Inside, I was still debatable whether or not to believe that Miku would become a Werewolf with Takeuchi or stay strong enough to continue her life as a human girl.