#not cast its like that bandage splint thing. I FORGOT

[misterradio]

boris karloff is always doing some gay shjt with lugosi when fhey role tgether

[braveskyered]

Knights Part 15

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

Please be aware that there may be some topics from here on out that you as a reader will find uncomfortable. Elaborating what they are in the beginning will be considered spoilers.

Do remember that this story is a work of fiction. Any similarities between characters or events to persons - living or dead - in our real world are purely coincidental.

Only those that have understood and thus agreed to the above have the privilege of continuing to read Knights to the very end with a clear head.

Do you agree?

Yes ←

No

Should you fail, then it would be wise if you hold yourself back and confront what hurts you.

Part 15: Tear Me Upside Down

- - - - - - - -

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

And Arthur knew he deserved it.

It was his arm that did the killing, after all.

He waited a few minutes after the wraith left and phased through the wall of his bedroom. He has to before he could start treating the wounds from the punishment right before. Thankfully, there aren’t any Dead Beats to keep an eye on him, so he has a little freedom. The wraith hasn't bothered to send its little helpers to watch Arthur for the past two weeks, and he made sure not to show his relief, lest it thinks to send them out again.

He assessed his injuries. They're on his shoulders and right arm this time, so it shouldn't be too difficult to tend to...

Grunting somewhat painfully, Arthur pulled himself off the floor somewhat and crawled down next to his bed. His right arm became too sore to move and twist, and Arthur wouldn't be surprised if there's a fracture or two at this point. Not enough for a cast, he thinks, but it hurt more than usual when the wraith's hand roughly grasped it, and thought he felt something crack.

He has no choice but to use his damned prosthetic left arm to pull the medium-sized box out from beneath. The forbidden box, he came to call it, because the wraith didn't like it whenever the box entered its line of sight. Otherwise, it would mean that Arthur hasn't suffered enough in this damned manor. Or worse, take the box and burn it to cinders like it did one time when Arthur first started collecting.

After some struggle, Arthur got himself into a sitting position, took off his shirt, and started to sift through the medical supplies he gradually smuggled in while ignoring the rest of the scars. The burn salve has always been his savior from the worst of it, so he took a somewhat filthy cotton ball and started applying the salve on his shoulders, careful not to let any of it get into his hair when he moved his head.

He must hurry before Vivi or Mystery come home, before the wraith would notice.

It took a while, but soon, Arthur was able to wrap some bandages around his shoulders, although the area around his left shoulder was rather sloppy in its wrapping. It's not like he can ask for help, so he did what he could. He then started to work on his right forearm. He took out the thin arm guard inside to use as a poor makeshift splint for what he hoped isn’t a broken bone, but it’ll have to do.

If anything, he could play it off as a mishap while working on the van. Or pretend he did it himself because he's a so-called masochist or something.

...Yeah, not happening. Arthur rolled his eyes. He never understood how that kink or whatever worked, and he knew no one would believe him if he used that excuse.

He dug into the medicine bottle and took out a few pills. The dose is probably more than what's typically directed for a person to take, but Arthur needed to reduce the pain soon or else there will be problems. Taking a small water bottle from the box, he swallowed the painkillers.

His self-treatment finished, Arthur put his shirt back on and tugged on the long sleeves to hide the wrapping. He placed the medical supplies back into the box and slipped it back under his bed, then quickly yet carefully gathered the few wrappers of the bandages from earlier and stuffed them into an empty potato chip bag. No one here ever bothers to check the trash. Arthur could only feel relieved somewhat as he tosses the chip bag into the nearby wastebasket. The Dead Beats are typically not smart enough to look through them, and the wraith has forbidden them to dig through trash like animals, so it works.

He then checked himself by looking into a small round mirror roughly the size of his palm he keeps on his desk. He could sigh in relief. Good. No one should be able to tell that he has bandages on.

Again.

Arthur isn't sure how much longer he'll be able to take the punishments he's been sentenced to have, but he must hold out for as long as he can. It meant that Vivi would be happy, since she loved Lewis so much, loved the wraith so much. It was like Lewis's death by his hand never even happened.

...If only it were that simple.

He could never see the wraith as a friend.

Lewis would be disgusted.

Arthur gripped at his stomach. It hurt. He hasn’t had a proper meal in two days.

He wondered if he could sneak to the van and eat that energy bar in the glove compartment. Vivi would just think either Mystery ate it or ate it herself and just forgot.

She always is a little scatterbrained like that here and there.

- - - - - - -

“Hey, Mom! Dad! Welcome back!”

Arthur blinked and gave an exasperated but amused smile upon seeing both Gwen and Percy grinning like little children in front of the cars, a funny sight considering that they have oil stains on their arms and faces.

“You should've seen the damage on this one!” Gwen was laughing as she spoke while gesturing to a large black pick-up truck, on one of the work stations, “The owner thought his truck's engine was constantly overheating since it kept giving out light smoke, but it's actually because there was an oil leak at the engine block. When we opened it, there was so much oil cooked on it, it was like removing a brick!”

“And that the tire alert kept turning on because the device itself was malfunctioning. All the tires were at the pressure they were supposed to be,” Percy made no attempt to hide his grin, although he seemed humbler about it, “But thankfully, our grand uncle had the parts needed to fix it.”

These were kids that were actively enjoying themselves. They weren't making fun of the owners, they were having fun just talking about the craziest and sometimes the most mundane problems a car could have. Arthur couldn’t help but feel proud of his little mechanics, especially once he noticed that they’re acknowledging Lance as family. He then saw Elaine walking over to the twins, no doubt to ask them how they’ve been since she and Arthur were gone.

He noticed that Belle is missing. He’s not sure if that’s a good thing. She often liked to blab about many things when she was a child.

“Where’s Aunt Morgan?”

“… to get lunch for us,” Gwen replied. Arthur didn’t hear the first part.

“They should be back in a bit,” Percy nodded along.

Food… does sounds good around this time. Arthur drifted off in his thoughts. He feels he’s forgetting something important. His brow furrowed at the thought, and he didn’t know why he has the feeling in the first place.

“They're active ones, I'll have to say,” Lance suddenly walked up, and to Arthur's surprise, is holding Vivian, “This one here, especially.”

How is Lance holding Vivian? She almost never lets anyone besides her family hold her! ...Then again, Lance is family. The little girl reached out to Arthur, and so he took her out of his uncle’s hold and into his own before sitting down to a nearby chair.

Arthur isn’t sure how to feel when he now knows that Lance is taking the fact that he is married with a family of his own… somewhat well.

“Your aunt-in-law explained everything about your family to me,” Lance glanced away for a moment, no doubt feeling awkward, “I can see why you didn’t want to tell me about them in your letters. But I must ask,” he turned back to Arthur, “Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you just leave? Why didn’t you at least tell me where you went? You know I would’ve helped you. I would’ve visited you, even.”

Arthur didn’t reply and kept his focus on Vivian, who reached up to grasp at his right shoulder. He somewhat smiled back at her while trying to keep his emotions in check and held his daughter’s hand.

Lance sighed and rubbed a hand against his neck, “Then again, if I’m not mistaken on why you left, I probably would’ve done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”

Arthur rose a brow slightly at Lance. Last he checked, his uncle is usually more gung-ho about life, a “move it or lose it” type of guy. Lance often thought that running away from things is a cowardly thing to do, which Arthur very well is and has done. It’s no secret that Arthur is afraid of many things and ran away from just as many horrors.

“I mean, even though they deeply regret it now, I still haven’t forgiven Joe and Lokia for what they said about you. They’ve never been in your shoes when... that happened.”

…If it was just that, Arthur knew he would have forced himself to grin and bear it.

“I really do wish that I was there for you, y’know. For you and your kids,” Lance turned his attention back to Elaine and the twins, who were somewhat debating over a certain part that needed replacing, “I would’ve loved to see them grow up over the years.”

Arthur could barely hold back a grimace so Vivian wouldn’t notice, “So would I.”

“What?

“I always knew you’d want to be there for them, but I couldn’t allow that,” Arthur tried not to tighten his grip on Vivian’s hand, “If I did, everyone here would know. If they knew, so would--”

Whatever anyone here in Tempo would know, so would that damn wraith, the monster that wore Lewis’s face and made his life hell after everything went wrong. The same monster that wanted him to suffer, wanted him dead, wanted everything he has.

Wanted him gone.

“Who else knows I’m here?” He had to know, if only to protect his three children. Vivian leaned closer against him.

“So far, it’s just me, Belle, Nobuhiro, and his wife Jolene. I'd count his mother, Fuyuko, but she's been more forgetful than usual ever since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years back,” Lance counted them with his fingers, “After we found out where you were, we all agreed to keep quiet about your whereabouts from everyone. I also asked Belle to not say anything to her family since she’s my main assistant despite… things. So as far as I know, no one else but us four know that you’re here. Regarding your children, we knew about Gwen and Percy from that article that led us to you, but we didn’t know about little Vivian here since it didn’t mention her.”

So Vivi and Mystery, and thus the wraith, do not know that he is here. Arthur could only give a slow breath of relief, but he isn’t fully relaxed, “I see.”

It’s only a matter of time until the monsters catch wind of him. Either he remains hidden or he takes his family and runs away again.

The conversation ended at that, and while Arthur took the time to let Vivian play with his hand, he listened to Elaine talking with Gwen and Percy about something. He isn’t sure what, but it sounded a little serious. He thought about joining in the conversation, but ultimately decided against it. It didn’t look like they’re being scolded, so he felt that Elaine is handling it fine.

“Um… Arthur? One more thing I should add. You see, the Yuki—”

The sound of a bell from the entrance door cut off Lance’s words.

“Hey, Lance, we’re back with lunch!”

Arthur glanced in Belle’s direction and saw her with Morgan following, both carrying multiple brown paper bags as the smell of food filled the air. It smells familiar.

Lance apparently kept the policy of closing the shop for an hour for lunch, as Arthur could tell when he saw his uncle place up a sign saying such. He didn’t see any other employee leaving or coming out, so maybe it’s only just Lance and Belle for now? It would make sense, since it’s just before Thanksgiving week, so many people would be out visiting family.

“Arthur, are you coming?”

Looking up, Arthur saw Elaine waiting for him. Before standing up, he gently let Vivian down from his hold, took her hand, and followed his family into Lance’s home.

He feels he has forgotten something.

…

- - - - - - -

YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW.

- - - - - - -

…

He coughed.

He gagged as he shoved one his fingers into his throat. He must get it out of his system before it becomes a part of him. Let the toilet take it instead. Let anyone take it! He can’t take it! He can’t have it!

How could I have forgotten?!

He didn't know. No one told him where the food came from. He was only told by Morgan that it was something she knew he would like. He should have known. Morgan wouldn't have – couldn’t have known. Belle is the daughter of chefs that own the restaurant that made the food she brought back with Morgan, so of course she would get something to eat from her family's restaurant! It was in typical paper bags instead of bearing the family logo of a pepper.

Who gave you the right to eat that?

The wraith didn’t like it whenever Arthur ate food from the Pepper Paradiso, or any food in general while in its sight, even when it was Vivi who provided it for him. He could only eat in the few times he was alone, and that was few and far in between. He never dared touch any food from the Pepper Paradiso ever since the wraith had beaten him the first few times he did, especially after one meal it made caused him to vomit.

"What happened?!" Elaine… Mystery?

"I-I don't know! He was fine and all of a sudden he just ran off and--," Belle… Vivi?

The pain was unbearable when that happened, and Arthur could only feel dread and outright betrayal the following day after stumbling across a tiny bottle tucked away into a corner of the counter when the wraith wasn't looking, only focused on Vivi. It wasn’t labeled, but it didn’t take a genius on Arthur’s end to learn what it was.

Arsenic. Tasteless and odorless. Poison.

A lesson.

The wraith would not only hurt him physically and emotionally, but also poison him to keep him in line.

Ever since then, any food from the Mystery Skulls was met with scrutiny. If Arthur found any flaw on the packaging of energy bars, he would refuse to eat it, saying he doesn’t have the appetite even though it would result in painful hunger later. He would only "play it safe" when no one was watching. The multitude of snacks Vivi packed in the van for everyone in the Mystery Skulls to consume, Arthur would gradually sneak one extra for himself when no one was looking. Considering how much both Vivi and Mystery consume, no one, not even the wraith, would notice if he sneaked away one or two more snacks that are mixed up within Vivi's “Mighty Snack Stash” pile.

Arthur felt awful for going so far as to steal food from Vivi, even though she had already offered him to take whatever he needed and whenever he needed it.  Because of the guilt, Arthur would go without food for days at a time, relying only on water or energy drinks, or even on the wildflowers outside of the manor for sustenance. He gradually started losing weight despite his efforts, and he knew with dread that he had to do something before his weight loss became obvious.

Shortly after, Vivi, with the wraith next to her, had asked Arthur that question, for the only thing he has left. He may have wanted to give it at one point, he isn’t too sure, and often questioned it to himself relentlessly since it was wrong for as long as he could remember. In the end, however, the punishments from the wraith and the persecution from everyone else that he had suffered – and would have suffered from had he accepted – made him refuse. The burns he received right after he refused were the proof.

And that question became the final straw.

It's just wrong, wrong, wrong!

Well… it’s pointless now, since he has Elaine, but that might not dissuade them from getting what they want.

When Arthur left Tempo seventeen years ago, he didn't dare pack any food. He couldn't bring any possible poison with him, only opting to get food somewhere where the Mystery Skulls or the wraith or anyone he knew did not have any influence. No one had any justifiable reason to poison a stranger.

Soon, Arthur couldn’t cough up anything else other than a dry heave, and soon scooted away from the toilet. Even though his throat burned, and his hands felt clammy, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. He got the food made by Pepper Paradiso out of him before his stomach fully digested it. The wraith won’t try to force him this time, it won’t punish him as harshly.

Or at least, he hoped so.

He knew the lesson already, he was just tricked into eating it this time.

That's all.

“Arthur, my star,” a quiet and shaking voice, “Are you okay?”

Upon hearing a hand gently rub circles onto his back, Arthur looked behind him and saw Elaine kneeling behind him. He gave out a weak whimper before turning away.

“My knight,” Elaine didn’t stop with the rubbing motions, “My knight, please, talk to me. Are you feeling better now, at least?”

His trembling didn’t stop. He sensed Elaine doing some movements, but he couldn't fully focus on what exactly his beloved light is doing. The tears from vomiting blurred his sight.

“Here, do you need this?”

Wiping away a tear, Arthur looked up slightly upon seeing Elaine’s hand enter his line of sight. She’s holding some toilet paper out to him. Slowly, he took it from her and wiped his mouth of any remaining fluids.

“Did the food not agree with you?”

He didn’t dare answer her, not when the others could hear. He didn’t want Lance or Morgan to fly into a rage at Belle. He didn’t want Belle to receive the end of their wrath. He didn’t want his children to become more confused and worried more than they already are. He didn’t want to admit to Elaine that for a brief moment, he thought he had consumed poison, even though the meal Morgan got him was actually one of his favorites from the menu…

“Do you want to go back to the camper for a while?” Elaine gripped at his shoulder.

She caught on. Arthur gave a weak nod, and within moments, he heard Elaine say something to the others waiting outside. He then heard the sound of the toilet flushing, felt her slowly pull him up, had him wash his hands, before finally taking him out of the bathroom. He tried to not give anyone eye contact, especially not to his children.

He felt too ashamed to look at them, especially upon hearing his younger daughter wanting to reach out to him.

"No, Vivian. Daddy just needs some alone time. You can hug him after he's done, okay?"

Gwen, Percy, Vivian… I'm so sorry.

Moment later, Elaine escorted Arthur into the camper and had him sit on the small bed in the back. He heard her lock the door before sitting next to him. With the same tender kindness he always knew, Arthur felt Elaine take his right hand with her left, wrap her right arm behind his back, and leaned close to him. In turn, he wrapped his left arm around her, and held her close. Neither of them said anything, only letting the faint sounds of the desert nature outside to be heard.

And it’s only midday…

A part of him wished it would rain, but because Tempo is a desert town, Arthur knew that there will not be any kind of precipitation to keep the fire away. Rainfall is rare in desert towns, where it can be fairly hot to scorching during the day, and somewhat chilly to downright frigid at night, neither of which would keep the wraith at bay.

Arthur isn’t sure whether Elaine could protect him from the wraith, but their children have higher priority. Unlike him, those children had nothing to do with Lewis dying so long ago; thus bearing no sin. Gwen, Percy, and Vivian deserve to live happy lives, and not be imprisoned by an obsessive wraith that would want to hold them captive like toys to play with like it wanted to do with him. If being taken by the wraith is what it will take for them to be safe, so be—

“We won’t let anyone here hurt you or our family,” Elaine whispered with a tone of finality, “I promised that, as did my mother, as did Aunt Morgan, and as did Nana Niniane. I will make that promise again and again, my star, ever since the day we married.”

Arthur whispered into her ear, “Do you remember your other promise to me?”

Elaine went stiff, “How can I not. You wouldn’t marry me until I did.”

He looked down at his feet, “Elaine, you know that there’s—"

“I won’t let that happen, Arthur,” she held him tighter, “You know that. I refuse to let it happen.”

Arthur could only smile sadly. He knew that it’s only a matter of time until his happiness is taken away. And like him, Elaine didn’t want that happiness to end.

“If by some chance it does, Elaine,” he buried his face against his light’s hair, “The safety of the children comes first. That’s all I ask.”

Elaine gave out a low hum, then pulled away from his hold. Arthur watched her stand up and kneel down to reach into a small cabinet nearby. If Arthur remembered right, that cabinet held the mini-fridge.

“I have a small deli sandwich left from our grocery run on the way down here yesterday. It’s got turkey, lettuce, cheese, and a little bacon in it. Do you think you can stomach it since this isn’t from that Pepper place?”

She held out the sandwich wrapped in plastic in front of him.

Arthur thought about it. They’re in the camper, which is full of protections and wards that prevent any malicious entities from coming in. The food he has in his hands was made somewhere around the Texas and Arkansas border, which is hours away from Tempo. Anyone related to the Peppers or the Yukino family are nowhere near nor could they see him. Sure, there’s Belle, but he made it a point to stay away from her.

It... should be fine. Right?

He nodded, and Elaine removed most of the wrapping before handing the food over to him, which he took and sampled a bite. It didn’t feel like poison, nor did he see or hear any sign of the wraith. He took another bite, and only then did he realize how hungry he was.

“I’m not sure how to feel about this ‘Lewis Pepper’ now,” Elaine sighed, “If he had hurt you so badly back then that you couldn’t even eat in peace—”

Arthur furrowed his brow upon hearing Elaine’s mumbling. He’ll let her assume what she wants. Lewis is dead, after all. The wraith is the one that hurt him. That he knows.

He briefly wondered where Niniane went for her investigation, since he knew that the old woman has a low opinion on people who would vandalize graves, which are meant to be the final resting places of the deceased.

And an even lower opinion of the deceased in question.

- - - - - - -

This can't be right.

The last time he was here, Arthur could easily recall the details of the tombstone that used to be at the very same spot in front of him. It was one that held an engraving of a simple angel holding a cake in one hand and a pepper in another. The words engraved next to the angel was the name of Lewis Pepper, some memoirs that showed that he was a loving son and brother, the numbers that showed that he had only lived a mere twenty-one years, and that his life had been tragically cut short.

But now the tombstone is gone, with only a simple stone slab that held the dead's name and vandalized beyond belief.

Arthur could barely make out the word “disappear” made in faded red spray paint. The hateful words carved against the stone that basically damn the dead with sheer hatred. Arthur thought he recognized one of the kanji, based from the few times Vivi had taken the time to show him the ofuda her grandmother had taught her, and he could only tremble in apprehension.

Arthur isn't sure what to feel when he looked at the crack that was almost split in the middle. It looks too straight for it to be a natural crack.

“It looks like someone stabbed a blade of some sort against this grave,” Elaine muttered incredulously as she kneeled down and traced her finger around the large hole and crack in the middle of the stone slab, “Nana Niniane, this kanji here...”

“The first one can be read as 'hate,'” Niniane said grimly with narrowed eyes, “The other is 'eternity.' Whoever painted that with a stencil has developed quite a hatred against this individual, enough that they wish for this one to suffer even in death until the end of time.”

So why--

“Why would someone do this?!” Arthur gasped; the words barely audible even to himself.

Niniane gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, her arms not leaving their crossed position, speaking nonchalantly, “The hatred runs deep, I guess.”

He didn't understand. Why would someone desecrate Lewis's grave like this? Who would hate him enough to--

“Hm?” Niniane knelt down and looked closer at the engravings, and from what Arthur saw, noticed that something was amiss, “Arthur. I have one question to ask you. All I need is a yes or a no.”

It better not be about--

“This man is the one who hurt you, isn't it?” Elaine suddenly asked, “You said that he was your best friend.”

Lewis isn't--

“But on a case, a demon took control of you, and killed him,” Niniane continued after, “If he saw you in his last moments, he must have thought that you did it on purpose.”

LEWIS ISN’T--

“Rather temperamental, I take it. Either way, it’s obvious that he didn’t get away with it,” Niniane stood up and moved closer to Arthur, gently tracing a somewhat long fingernail around the burn scar around the front of his neck, “Little good it does to you, though.”

Arthur shivered upon feeling Niniane’s motion, which the old woman took as a cue to pull her hand away.

“My apologies,” Niniane turned to Elaine, “Well, it’s for the best that the two of you don’t dawdle here for too long. The hatred from the person who vandalized this, as childish as it is, is not something to be trifled with since this person used a rather awful magic to crack the stone."

"Anything else we should know about?" Elaine asked, "I haven't sensed anything to be wary of so far, but I wanted to ask you."

"Hmm… I have yet to sense anything paranormal in this city, myself," the old woman rubbed her chin in thought, "Now that you've brought it to my attention, I will investigate this matter, and maybe also find out who vandalized this fool’s grave. I will contact you or Morgan once I find any results.”

She gave them a minor curtsy, then walked away

Arthur turned his attention back to Lewis’s grave. A part of him wanted to clean the spray paint off to give Lewis a little dignity after the loss of the original tombstone, but when he knelt down and brushed two fingers against the red, he noticed that it was dry. His chest ached somewhat upon seeing again that only Lewis’s name remained legible. No date of birth, no date of death, not even a little epitaph to describe him. Everything else had either been scratched off or wasn’t engraved in the first place.

No matter what, this meager slab is a lost cause.

He felt a small tug on his shoulder.

“We should head back, my star,” Elaine whispered, “We shouldn’t keep the kids waiting.”

“…Right.”

He turned his back to the pathetic sight and walked back the way he came with his light.

- - - - - - -

Arthur managed to finish the small meal without any further issue, which made him feel both relieved and disgusted at the same time.

“I’m sorry you had to see me in such a state, Elaine.”

“Don’t be. You didn’t want to come back here, after all,” Elaine took the sandwich wrapping from him and tossed it into a small trash can, then sat down next to him again, “If not for the fact that you said you trust your uncle, I wouldn’t have tried to convince you to come here in the first place."

Arthur looked down at his left hand, then slowly clenched it into a loose fist. Everything went wrong because of this arm, and that even now, he is so weak.

"If anything, I'm just more worried about how the kids are handling this," Elaine sighed, "They need to have their little 'exercise' soon. Do you know of any places they should stay away from?"

To Arthur, he wanted his children, his precious reasons to live, to stay away from his past home, stay away from his past acquaintances, stay away from the past monsters. Stay away from Tempo. Away from everything Arthur once knew, so they wouldn’t be poisoned, or beaten, or broken, or trapped like mice in a cage…!

But if there are some places to stay away from at the very least…

He stood up, " Elaine, I need to apologize for ruining… you know.”

She looked up at him, “Do you want me to go instead?”

Arthur didn’t answer.

A knock was heard, which made Arthur’s legs feel weak and sat back down on the bed. He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. Someone’s behind the door leading outside the camper. Why did he have to feel such fear? If he opened that door, he could get hurt again.

But then he remembered that his children are out there.

Before he made a move, Elaine stood up to answer whoever was outside. Arthur saw her raise a finger up to her lips to the guest he couldn’t see, then watched her step outside and close the door behind her, leaving him in the safety of the camper’s protections. He closed his eyes in despair at the thought of his life with Elaine and the kids ending. He didn’t want it to end. He wanted to live. He wanted to see his children grow up. He wanted to protect them, but he couldn’t because he’s so weak.

…Am I really that weak?

He opened his eyes and clutched at the moon pin near his heart in a dark realization.

I… I am weak. I know how weak I am. I know I don’t stand a chance against the monsters and demons.

He gritted his teeth.

But if I remain here, Gwen, Percy, and Vivian won’t be safe from them.

Arthur shook his head furiously before standing up, all traces of fear leaving him. If it were just him, he would keep cowering in the safety of wherever he could hide. But ever since he became a father, he couldn’t hide anymore. His past eventually found him after all.

Elaine can only do so much. I promised her that I would do whatever I can to ensure their futures.

Taking a deep breath, he walked to the exist of the camper to see Elaine talking to Gwen and Percy through the window. Arthur briefly wondered where Vivian is, but that question was quickly answered when he opened the camper door to step out when he saw his youngest child clinging to her brother’s leg. All four of them turned their attention to them, the children all showing concern, but none of them dared to speak out.

“Hey, guys. Sorry about earlier,” Arthur tried to keep his words steady as he breathed out a smile, “I hope I didn’t scare you that badly.”

That got Gwen to start. Arthur watched his eldest daughter out her hands against her hips and lean towards his direction, “Of course you scared us, Daddy! We were worried!”

Arthur could only smile as he brushed a hand against Gwen’s hair, “Your mother told me that the three of you need to go out and let loose with your power for a while.” Upon seeing that he has the attention of his family, he continued, “As I’ve told you before we left home, this place is known to have paranormal elements, so whatever you guys do, please be careful.”

The twins and Elaine looked at each other with uncertainty.

“Dad, about this place. So far, our grand uncle has been amazing to hang out with, but…” Percy began to ask uneasily, “Why did you leave? What made you leave?”

“Percy!” Elaine scolded.

It was an inevitable topic, and Arthur knew it as he let out a breath with a half-smile without one feeling of happiness.

The true reason he left Tempo.

Contrary to what most would think, it wasn’t because of the wraith hurting him. Arthur could endure those, or at least as much as he could until his body gave out and he would die. The punishments were something he knew he deserved, but it wasn’t the reason he ran away.

How can he tell them, children that are twins just barely in their teens and a little girl, the true cause of his misery? His heart began to ache painfully at the thought.

Arthur smiled at them while trying to hide the emotions threatening to spill.

"Stay away from the southern area."

"What?"

"Stay away from the outskirts south of here that lead to a dark forest, and you should be fine," he moved closer to the twins, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders, "However, if you come across any threat, especially if you encounter a kitsune, or a flaming wraith,” he took a breath to hammer the warning into them, “You are to run away as fast as you can and return to the camper. Do you understand? Do whatever it takes to get away."

Gwen tilted her head in confusion, "Why those specif--"

"There's a possibility that those two monsters are still in that area. Stay out of their territory, and you should be fine. Do you understand?" Arthur tightened his grip to make sure that there isn't any room for discussion.

The twins glanced at his hands on their shoulders, then at each other, before finally nodding at him.

"Good," Arthur gave a smile of relief and released his son and daughter from his hold, "Remember all the lessons your mother taught you, and Vivian?"

"Daddy?"

"No poofing away from Gwen and Percy unless they tell you to," he knelt down and playfully tapped a finger against his youngest daughter’s nose, “You need to do your part to help your big brother and sister, too. Okay, Vivian?”

 “Yes!” Vivian laughed and hugged him, which he returned.

Once the preparations were made, in which Gwen and Percy quickly packed a few water bottles, some charms, and their phones from the camper, Arthur and Elaine watched the twins start to leave.

“Wait.”

The children stopped to look at their father.

“There’s one last thing I need to tell you,” Arthur took Gwen and Percy’s hands, and watched with a hint of amusement at Vivian’s attempt at joining in, “No matter what, stay away from the Pepper Paradiso.”

“The restaurant of Ms. Belle’s family?” Percy furrowed his brow, no doubt confused, “But their food is good?”

Arthur nodded, “I doubt her parents will do anything since Lance said they don’t know about you three, but please, stay away from the restaurant itself. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me. Okay?”

The twins looked at each other, no doubt wanting to know more, but they soon nodded. Arthur made sure to embrace his three children a moment longer than usual, then he released them from his hold. Watching the twins run off north with Vivian flying after them.

Arthur reached out for his children upon seeing them disappear from his sight, a part of him wanting to chase after them, but he curled his hand into a loose fist and lowered his arm. Upon feeling a hand take his fist, he looked over at Elaine, who smiled at him.

“They’ll be fine, my star,” Elaine said gently with confidence, “I made sure they can take care of themselves. I even went through the trouble of making those protection charms for them.”

Arthur wasn't convinced, but he chose to believe in her and their children, "Okay."

"…I know you don't want the kids to get involved in this, so I waited until after they left,” Elaine said with an unsure expression, “I have to meet with Mr. Yukino soon. He specifically requested that I bring you with me. Of course, I told him that you're free to decline, but he insisted that I ask you.”

"Oh…” Arthur felt fortunate that Elaine is so thoughtful about his feelings, "Did he say why he wanted me?"

"He only said there was someone he wanted you to see. He didn't say who, though."

Arthur really didn't want to see Vivi, or her family for that matter. The wraith hated it whenever he spoke to them, even when they were the ones that came to him for something. He didn’t want to see Mystery, either. For all he knows, the kitsune that remained with the Yukino family might still want to hurt him because of the demon’s influence, or some other reason that’s beyond his understanding.

But above all else, seeing Vivi is out of the question. Back then, Arthur had refused to give her what she had asked from him. Arthur may have wanted to hand it over at one point, but after learning the truth of what happened in the cave that resulted in Lewis’s death, combined with the hatred and punishments he suffered through, he left Tempo.

And now, years later, Vivi will never get it.

He looked down at Elaine’s hand still holding his. Slowly, he moved his other hand to put over hers, “Okay. I’ll meet him. But only on the condition that it’s only him. If the person he wants me to meet is who I think it is, I will leave immediately and let you finish the job he hired you for.”

Arthur could tell that Elaine wanted to know more, but he saw her nod in response.

“Before we go, we should probably head back to Lance to let him know you’re okay. I know he’s worried. I’ll also apologize to Belle for what happened in your place, because I know talking to her is one of… your triggers, so to speak.”

Arthur didn’t say a word in response.

- - - - - - -

Thankfully, Lance has a car as a spare vehicle whenever his truck needed repair, so he had no issue lending it to Elaine and Arthur to use for the time being. Elaine made sure to lace the interior with stringed protective charms that could be removed later for Arthur’s peace of mind.

As Elaine drove through the town, Arthur watched the surroundings while in the passenger seat. Although he didn’t find it surprising that Tempo almost looked the same ever since he left seventeen years ago, he saw that the town did change in a few areas while he was away.

The small shopping strip that was in the middle of the town has expanded a bit, judging from the four – or was it five? He couldn’t tell - stores that were built on what were previously empty fields. The old shambling movie theater that was said to be haunted years ago had been demolished with a new one in its place, although it’s still under the same name. Another gas station was added on the same road as that small convenience store, too.

Arthur isn’t sure how to feel about these changes and more.

“You okay, my knight?” Elaine asked once they reached a red light.

“I’m fine,” Arthur smiled at her, “It’s just… It’s been so long, you know?”

Unlike Cantabile, Tempo has not been his home for the past seventeen years ever since he had cut all ties to this small town. It’s been so long that he doesn’t even recognize it as his old home even though Lance and everyone else remained.

Once the light turned green, Elaine kept driving, her attention focused on the road while listening to the directions of the GPS that was preinstalled in the vehicle. Upon passing a certain building, Arthur did a double take as he and Elaine drove past it.

“What’s up, Arthur?”

“…Nothing important. Let’s just get this thing with Mr. Yukino over with.”

Elaine shrugged and let the matter drop, much to Arthur’s relief. Meanwhile, conflicting thoughts kept swirling through his mind upon seeing the sight he just witnessed. The Pepper Paradiso shouldn’t look so… run down.

Well, it’s nothing for him to be concerned about.

…Right?

- - - - - - -

“Is this the place?”

“The address matches the one on the mailbox, so it has to be.”

“But haven’t you been in the Yukino residence before?”

“Yes, but it’s not the same house from before I left, so they must have moved while I was gone.”

“I see.”

Instead of a two-story house from what Arthur remembered, the house he and Elaine have driven up the driveway to is only an old yet modest ranch style home, which is a bit of a far cry from the elder Yukino’s taste. On the front porch were a few paper lanterns left hanging by the front doors, and just outside the sidewalk is a small Japanese rock garden with a tall stone lantern close to the middle (a “tōrō” if memory serves him right).

Other than the lanterns and the garden, there isn’t anything to indicate that Vivi might be living there. From what Arthur can recall, Vivi is the type of woman that would leave the pumpkins or other Halloween decorations well after the holiday itself for Thanksgiving.

“Halloween and Thanksgiving both use pumpkins! This is recycling!” …Or something like that, Arthur recalled while imagining it in Vivi’s voice and everything. As a result, he sincerely hoped that Vivi isn’t in the house, or anywhere really. It would just mean that the wraith or Mystery would be nearby.

He couldn’t bring himself to be hurt by them. Not again.

Elaine pulled herself out of the car and started to make her way to the front door of the Yukino family residence, while Arthur waited in the car. It was agreed between the two of them that Elaine is to be the one that would meet with them first, and then decide from there at whether or not Arthur should come out. He watched his beloved light press the doorbell, and within moments an older blonde woman in yellow answered.

Vivi’s mother, Jolene Yukino.

Arthur watched Elaine and Mrs. Yukino talk, and soon after Mr. Yukino quickly came outside, looking out of breath. A chill went up Arthur’s spine once he made eye contact with Vivi’s father, but instead of anger like he expected, Mr. Yukino instead looked… relieved?

Elaine exchanged a few more words to them with a stern expression, and upon seeing them nod to her, turned to Arthur and made the gesture to come to her.

It’s safe.

After trying to steady himself with a few deep breaths, Arthur stepped out of the car to approach the three, only focusing his attention to Elaine the entire time.

“Arthur, you really came,” Mr. Yukino gave a relieved chuckle, “You have no idea how much this means to us.”

“What do you want?” Arthur struggled to keep his voice steady as he held Elaine’s hand. Even now, he still can’t bring himself to look at Vivi’s parents. Not after what he did.

“A-ano… I mean, ah…”

“If it’s about your daughter, I’m not interested,” Arthur furrowed his brow, still focusing on his hold with Elaine, “I know that—”

“No, it’s not Vivi. She’s not even here,” Mr. Yukino glanced at the front door before turning his attention back to him, “It’s my mother I need you to see.”

That caught Arthur’s attention. From the few times he remembered interacting with Grandma Yukino, all Arthur can recall is her speaking at low volumes in Japanese with a rather condescending tone with some broken English (or Engrish?) mixed in whenever he entered their previous home for whatever reason, from picking up Vivi or dropping her off, and would sometimes give him handmade ofuda for some reason. She also did the same thing to Lewis and may or may not have approved of Vivi’s relationship with her late boyfriend when he was alive. Arthur didn’t even need to get started about Grandma Yukino’s attitude towards Mystery. She never trusted “that yako mutt,” or however she says it, before and after the cave incident.

In short, Mr. Yukino’s mother, the old and cranky Fuyuko Yukino, isn’t someone Arthur interacted with unless he absolutely needed to. So why did she want to see him now, of all times? Last he remembered, he didn’t have any sort of connection to her whatsoever besides the one through her granddaughter.

“I know I’m asking a lot from you, but we really do need your help,” Mr. Yukino started to look desperate, “Did Lance explain anything to you?”

Arthur rose a brow as he tried to recall Lance’s words

“Um… Arthur? One more thing I should add. You see, the Yuki—”

The sound of a bell from the entrance door cut off Lance’s words.

“Hey, Lance, we’re back with lunch!”

That might have been it, but he knew better than to blame Belle Pepper for interrupting. There’s a possibility that she didn’t know.

“No, he didn’t have the chance.”

“Oh, well, how should I put this?”

Mrs. Yukino held a hand over her husband’s shoulder in concern, but Mr. Yukino took a deep breath before explaining, “Ever since you left, Arthur, nothing has ever been the same.”

…What?

“The truth is, in the few times I saw you after… well, the truck incident, I couldn’t help but notice your condition. At first, I thought it was because it you were still recovering from your injuries, but as weeks passed, I noticed you weren’t getting any better, if not actually getting worse. When I heard from Lance that you left for a solo vacation, I thought that you were finally starting to. But then…”

Mr. Yukino looked pained, his wife trying to comfort him as silently as she could as he kept talking.

“When you hadn’t returned, things fell apart, one by one. I often blamed myself for not saying anything sooner, especially once we all found out what happened!”

Both Arthur and Elaine took a step back at the sudden outburst. The latter giving the former the look that they will leave if they have to.

“And the Peppers—"

“Hiro, darling,” Mrs. Yukino finally spoke, her voice quiet, “We don’t want to scare him off.”

“R-Right, sorry,” Mr. Yukino straightened his posture, “I’m sorry, Arthur, but it’ll be easier if I just take you to Kaa-sa-- er, Mother. Maybe then all this misery would stop.”

Arthur and Elaine glanced at each other, the latter curious, the former confused. The same question going through both their minds: What exactly happened after Arthur left for good?

Reluctantly, Arthur followed the Yukino couple inside their home with Elaine by his side.

You aren’t to step foot in here.

Arthur made the move to leave immediately, but Elaine pulled him back and gave him a hard nod, tightening her grip at his hand.

“I won’t let anything happen,” she whispered, her voice almost inaudible, “You’re with me.”

What gave you the right to ignore your boundaries?

“That person isn’t here, Arthur,” Mr. Yukino suddenly spoke, not looking at him, “I’m inviting you in here. If anyone complains, they can take it up with me.”

Elaine rose a brow at Arthur, and he shook his head. Not now. Please. She nodded, and finally, Arthur stepped inside with her.

The interior is what Arthur somewhat expected it to be. Various paintings and decorations of Japanese origin were laid out throughout the house, and from what he could see, were items from their previous home. Tucked into a corner in the living room, Arthur spotted a small shrine, likes the ones that are used to honor deceased family members.

But the picture on the shrine wasn’t Grandma Yukino, it was a tall and somewhat muscular man of American or English origin that appeared to be in his late forties. The man’s features, dark blue, almost black hair that partially obscured his dark colored eyes, and a bright grin with slightly crooked teeth, didn’t look like they stand out much, but…

“Who is this?” Elaine asked the question, “A family member?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Yukino sadly nodded, “He was our son-in-law, our daughter’s husband. He died in an incident at work on Monday, October 13th just last month, so we’re still on our forty-nine days of mourning.”

This man was Vivi’s husband? So whatever happened to Vivi? Was her son from this man? If so, then whatever happened to her relationship with--

Arthur and Elaine looked at each other, both suddenly realizing the implication of the death date Mrs. Yukino mentioned. While they were happily celebrating the birthday of their three children, the Yukino family had a death in the family. It wasn’t something they could control, but it did leave a sour taste in their mouths.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Elaine bowed down her head slightly.

Neither the husband or wife said anything and made a gesture to keep following them. Soon, the four of them reach a small bedroom, and when Mr. Yukino knocked on the door, the one who answered wasn’t Grandma Yukino, but a little boy.

The boy looked young, not even ten years old. Blue hair in a shade Arthur knew all too well shaped the child’s round face, wearing a sweater of a similar shade, dark blue pants, and a familiar blue scarf.

“Jason,” Mr. Yukino knelt down to ruffle the boy’s hair, “Some guests and I need to talk to Baa-chan for a while. How about you go play in the living room with Grandma in the meantime?”

“O-Okay,” the boy looked up at Arthur nervously for a moment, then took Mrs. Yukino’s hand and left the area.

Arthur noticed that Jason looks so much like his mother, Vivi. Did that child not take any traits from his father?

Whatever happened to--?

“Kaa-sama?” Mr. Yukino gently called out to the person in the bedroom from the hallway outside, “I’ve brought some guests.”

Upon being led inside, Arthur immediately spotted a small old woman sitting in a wheelchair next to the window. Her white hair with vague shades of blue, long at the sides and short on the back, were bound together. A white shawl with blue trim is wrapped around her shoulders, a dark blue blanket tucked against her legs. The woman’s face and general appearance gave the impression that she is withering away, little by little, enough to where her eyes appear to be always closed. The violet-colored glasses she always wore even before Arthur left didn’t make her look any younger.

From what Arthur could recall, Grandma Yukino was someone in her mid-seventies, if not in her early eighties from before he left. Wouldn’t that mean that’s she’s somewhere in her nineties, if not already one hundred years old by now?

“Kaa-sama?”

The old woman didn’t make a response, only staring out into space.

“Arthur, will you greet her? Just talk to her for a bit, she probably still remembers you. I hope.”

He glanced at Elaine, and while she looked unsure, she nodded. Slowly, Arthur and Elaine approached Grandma Yukino so as not to startle her. Then he started to speak, “…Yukino-sa--…?!”

A thin, bony hand quickly grabbed his wrist. It took every bit of restraint Arthur had to not jump away, and Elaine held his shoulders in an attempt to keep him calm.

“Ā… Āaaaa… sssssā…! Āsā…!”

Grandma Yukino’s eyes were wide open, looking at Arthur in shock.

“Āsā… You… safe,” she shook her head in disbelief and mumbled something in Japanese.

"Kaa-sama," Mr. Yukino said something to his mother in Japanese with a pleading tone. In response, Granny Yukino released Arthur from her grasp and spat out some angry words at her son.

While Arthur didn’t know Japanese very well, he could make out the words “onryō,” "yako," “kitsune,” “yōkai,” “yūrei,” and his own name a few times as she gestured furiously at the window and Arthur. Then Mr. Yukino started arguing back in Japanese.

As soon as she said “ruisu,” Arthur gritted his teeth in apprehension.

From the way Grandma Yukino is talking, she’s insulting Lewis from beyond his grave.

Arthur glanced down at Elaine, and he saw that she has her eyes wide and brow furrowed in disbelief at the sight of the elderly mother and son arguing. Before he could ask her what’s wrong, Elaine took something out of her back pocket and slipped what felt like paper into Arthur’s right hand, then held his hand like they always did to keep the object between them.

"--told you time and again that onryō is no good! You should've let me exorcise it long ago, and now we have to do it before it finds out Arthur is here and harm the little ones again!"

"Mother, we can't do that! We promised Vivi that we would try to fix--"

"That onryō already sapped the life out of Cayenne's--"

"MOTHER!" Mr. Yukino cut her off, looking offended, "You know that's impossible! It was only misfortune that happened! You already sealed Lewis long ago down at--"

"Don’t talk back to me, Nobuhiro! I told Vivi that we should have eliminated that damned onryō long ago. Everything has gone to hell ever since that thing manifested! Even more so after you and those Peppers drove Arthur away!"

Arthur started trembling as a feeling of apprehension went up his spine. Once he took a moment to process Grandma Yukino's words, a horrible thought entered his train of thought and...

Did I make a mistake?

Mr. Yukino sighed roughly, then turned to Arthur and Elaine, "I'm really sorry about all this, you two. I need to convince my mother, so you should wait outside. Could you tell my wife that I’m sorry if Jason gets scared?”

Elaine agreed, and soon, Arthur followed her out of Grandma Yukino’s room.

Another argument in Japanese sprang up once they left. After seeing that the living room is empty, they checked the door that led to the backyard and reached a small wooden deck. They finally found Mrs. Yukino sitting on a patio sofa with a cellphone in hand, speaking to whoever it is on the other line. Next to her is Jason, who is busy reading what looked like a children’s book. It doesn’t take much to figure out that they came outside so they wouldn’t hear Mr. Yukino and Grandma Yukino arguing.

When Arthur and Elaine approached, Mrs. Yukino’s eyes widened upon noticing the two of them and spoke a few hushed words to Jason before handing the phone to him. The young boy started to talk excitedly.

“Mom, when will you be coming home?”

Immediately, Arthur realized who Jason is talking to with dread.

Vivi is…!

Mrs. Yukino stood up to speak to them, “My daughter called while you were inside. I didn’t tell her that you’re here, Arthur, but I want to let you know that she’s on her way back from a job in Oklahoma. She’s really looking forward to seeing her son, since she’s been away for over two weeks. She said she’ll be home at around dinner time.”

“What was she doing?” Elaine rose a brow. Arthur glanced at her nervously.

“She is still in the paranormal business as the Mystery Skulls, even though the group itself has all but disbanded after Arthur left,” Mrs. Yukino sighed, “Ever since we realized what Lewis had done, Vivi had… well…”

A searing heat crawled into the beck of Arthur’s neck, “…What happened?”

“Vivi and Mystery have been mercilessly hunting and exorcising anything related to the paranormal left and right. No matter how much of a nuisance they are, malicious beings causing trouble to harmless spirits peacefully inhabiting somewhere, Vivi just eliminates them. She doesn’t take any chances anymore, saying that she doesn’t want a repeat of what happened to you. In other words…”

He could only hope that Vivi doesn’t run into his children.

“Ever since you left, Vivi snapped.”

 - - - - - -

Y'all about to learn a lesson,

It’s coming straight from the top!

Part 16: 555