Tokyo Ghoul - NEST

The Fake Kings Ideal

" With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaneki POV

Being back at Re without having done much really made me uncomfortable. I felt like we were just being played with, like we were being controlled in a much bigger game.

Was this all of V's plan? Where they using us for something or was that orchestrated by Furuta himself? Sitting at a table in the break room I contemplate about it.

A cup of coffee is set next to me, I glance to my side to find Touka with a half smile. "You seem out of it. I thought you'd be happy. Tsukiyama seemed grateful." She offered up.

"Yeah, he was happy." I said, cracking a small smile, then staring at the coffee. There was some art in it, shaped as a rabbit. I've always wondered how to do latte art. I take the cup and take a small sip.

Still the best stuff I've ever tasted. Touka sat across of me and drank her own coffee. I've always missed this feeling of drinking coffee with someone from my past... someone from Anteiku.

"Now what's with that look?" Touka asked, a small smirk on her face. I blink and snap out of it, was I staring at her too long? In my small panic I chug down my coffee. As I set the cup down I feel a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to enjoy that whole cup.

Touka sighed. "Idiot, you drank it too fast." She said, reached across the table with a napkin. She wiped away at my mouth, cleaning it. I froze on the spot, yet she didn't seem to notice how close she was getting.

She sat back down and threw the napkin in the trash.

Touka was silent for another moment, then smiled. "So what now? You haven't really planned on telling us." She said.

I frowned. "I guess... I'll just live on. I want to live peacefully." I said.

Touka squinted at me. "Weren't you planning on being the One Eyed King?" She asked.

I felt a twinge of guilt run over me. Arima had told me to follow whatever path I wanted to, and I don't think I'll take up the throne. I don't seem suited for it. I've found something that I'm planning on devoting my life to...

I think that as I look at Touka in the eyes. She makes a confused look as I do this. She doesn't see me like that, though. But, being close to her is enough to make me happy. I can live like this, grow old and die normally, it would be nice.

But this world isn't like that, there will be more obstacles for me to hurdle, I know it. But right now it seems so peaceful that I think that nothing will come.

Suddenly, I hear a knock at the door and turn to find Levin standing there, leaning on the door frame. "Can we talk... in private?" He asked, giving Touka look to ask for her to leave.

Touka sighed and took our two cups to the kitchen silently, not complaining. Levin stepped in and closed the door, and came to sit where Touka had once been.

"I heard what you said... about not becoming the next king." He said, folding his hands on the table calmly. He looked at his hands, I couldn't read him at all. Out of everyone here, he was someone no one could read, even Kurona had trouble doing that nowadays.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I don't think I'm right for the part anyway." I exclaimed.

"Your great for the part. But your holding yourself back, Kaneki." He said, looking me in the eye with a blank look. Was he not pleased with my decision? What was this all the sudden?

At the time, I thought I could become a king, but now I'm not too sure. Levin leaned back into his chair and glanced at me. "If you were to become king, what would be your goal?" He asked.

I thought silently, then let out a small smile. "I'd want a world where humans and ghouls can understand each other." I said naively.

I waited for him to laugh or mock me, but he rubbed his chin and thought, then he looked at the ceiling. "I'd help you, you know." He said.

"That's alright. I don't need to become king." I said, which made him look back down at me and stare. What was he trying to do? After awhile of staring, he stood and headed for the door.

"Levin? Are you okay?" I asked, he was acting differently ever since we got back from rescuing Chie Hori.

He stopped at the door, and glanced back. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn't, and left without another word.

Levin POV

I walked into my room, only to find Rize and Nashiro there. I had asked them to. Nashiro was sitting on my bed while Rize in the desk chair.

Closing the door silently I stood there for a moment, staring at the floor. So that's your answer, Kaneki? After all of this that we've done, even after you pledged to become king?

I grit my teeth and punched the wall, making the other two flinch, Nashiro looked over with worry. "Are you okay, Lev?" She asked.

Again noticing my rage I calmed down and nodded, walking to the desk past Rize. She looked up at me blazingly. "Why did you call us here?" Rize asked.

I look down at her then point at the map that was on the desk. "I want your twos help. I'm going to attack another V base that we think might be here." I said.

Rize smiled. "Oh~, you know I'm up for it." She said.

Nashiro nodded, but bit her lip. "What about Kuro? Shouldn't we bring her along?" She asked.

Freezing, I stared at the map with anxiety. If I ask Kurona for help, I'll be putting her in arms length of Furuta. I can't let that happen, never. I'll die before he touches her again.

"No. It's fine if she stays here, right?" I asked, my voice coming off a little desperate. Nashiro smiled at this and nodded.

"Your worried for her, and I think that's good. So yeah, let's go, just us three." She agreed, seemingly liking my attitude towards her sister. I'm glad that Nashiro is so supportive, without her I would've still been attacking Aogiri back then, and never have gotten Chie Hori's message.

I'm tired of losing all of my friends. I'll take down V once and for all, piece by piece. I'll make that bitch crawl on her knees and beg for mercy.

(And so the final arc officially begins. Get ready for a hardcore storyline and a lot of sadness. Cause tragedy is coming. A lot of it. Just warning you. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day!) - MnMs171