A New Family

Reunion

"Mika."

His eyes were still the same sapphire blue that I remembered, but perhaps a bit sadder than before. His blond hair was longer than the last time I had seen him, and he had definitely grown taller.

But no, this couldn't be him. This couldn't be my Mika. Mika had been killed by Ferid Bathory back in Sanguinem.

"Are you- you can't be- but-" I stuttered stupidly.

Possibly-Mika glared at me for a moment before his eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. "Sachi," he whispered.

Tears immediately flooded my eyes and blurred my view of the man in front of me. This really was my best friend, but whole again. His right arm was attached. He was alive. But how?

Before I could think to voice any of my questions, Mika's head whipped around to look at the other noble, who must have chosen to stay behind.

"I'm leaving," Mika told him in a no-nonsense tone. The noble chuckled lightly in response. Mika turned to face me again.

"We're leaving," he told me in a kinder, quieter tone. I was about to ask what he meant, but he interrupted me by marching towards me and sweeping me into his arms.

"Wait, what-" I started. Mika - again - prevented me from finishing my thought and leapt onto the roof of a nearby building.

I frantically wrapped my arms around his neck for fear of falling from our precarious perch. I couldn't help but notice how much muscle he had gained over the years.

"I'm sorry, Sachi-chan. We need to get out of here. It's too dangerous for you," he explained in the same voice he had always used when talking to me - kind, gentle, but not condescendingly so. Despite that, I was a bit indignant that he thought I was incapable of taking care of myself.

"Hey! I'm a trained soldier. I can fight a few vampires," I argued. Mika looked at me incredulously.

"Those humans made you fight for them?!"

I froze. "Why did you say 'humans' like that, Mika?"

He paused and shook his head, blond waves bouncing as he did so. "I'll explain later. We need to get out of here." He took another huge bound to the roof of another building and hopped to the ground, sprinting for a minute or so before stopping in an abandoned park. He gently set me on my feet but kept a hold of my upper arms. He stared me straight in the eyes.

"I thought you were dead," I whispered with lingering tears in my voice.

"I didn't know if you had survived," he replied just as softly. "You lost so much blood..."

"Are you kidding me? Your arm, your chest..." I ran my fingers over his right arm and peered at his chest. "You shouldn't have survived that." My voice broke.

Mika pulled me to his chest and held me tightly, one hand around my waist and the other on the back of my head. I stiffened for a moment, not allowing myself to believe that this was actually happening, but I finally melted into his grasp. I rested my forehead on his collarbone and wrapped my arms around him, holding him as if my very life depended on it. Sobs wracked my body.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you, Sachi," Mika whispered. I cried harder, and my knees gave out. Mika held me up and slowly lowered us to our knees while keeping me in his embrace. I glanced up at him to see tears sliding down his cheeks. Mika had never been one to hide his emotions, but I was still a bit surprised. Every action of his made me realize that this was in fact the kind boy who saved me, grew up with me, helped me raise the children at the orphanage, had late-night conversations with me.