Memories

XXII

FALLING

'Forget what I said
It's not what I meant
And I can't take it back'

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Neil pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Thalia. "We're all about sharing things today, aren't we?" she said lowly and sarcastically, though she took the paper. It was a newspaper clipping.

'Nathalia Wesninski's death thought to be suicide. Police officials not sure why, but it is thought that her death is due to her brother and mother's disappearance three years ago. Wesninski, aged twelve, had lived with Riko Moriyama and Kevin Day under Tetsuji Moriyama's care for three years. Nathalia was one of the best offensive dealers known in the world of little league Exy.'

"Suicide?" Thalia said, as if saying what she'd read would force it to make more sense. "I don't understand," she looked between the two men for answers and Neil eventually sighed.

"We had to get you out of there. The only way she could think of doing it was a suicide note. She made you write one and then we took you in the night." he said.

"That sounds very wrong in so many ways," Thalia said. "Also, who is this 'she' that you keep referring to?"

"Your mother," Kevin answered. "Mary Hatford. Which brings me to my questions of the day - first, how did the two of you get split up? and second, I can't believe your mother agreed to this. Why did she agree to this?"

"She's dead," Thalia said, realising something. She looked at Neil, who had his mouth open to answer, and was looking at her in surprise. "I'm right, aren't I?" Neil nodded slowly. Thalia had smelled burning flesh from the first thing she remembered. On the beach. The burning car. Someone hovering over her. Neil hovering over her.

"She died last year, and I buried her on the West Coast." Neil said, looking at Kevin with almost no emotion in his eyes. "It's where I left Thalia. She was injured badly, and would slow me down."

"Wow, thanks to know what you really think of me," Thalia muttered. "You care enough to 'beg her for three years to go back for me' but not enough to take me with you years later because I would 'slow you down'? Thanks for that." she was upset at Neil's words. She had trusted him, and those few words had cracked it a little.

"I figured the chances of you remembering me were slim, so I signed the contract. I was gambling on the fact that you didn't know the truth about my family." Neil argued. Thalia scoffed.

"How could he not? With me being there for what, three years?" she looked at Kevin for confirmation, and when he nodded, she turned back to Neil. "Why would they not have known, Neil?"

"I didn't know that the Moriyamas and my father were business partners." Neil shook his head. Kevin winced.

"They were not partners." he said definitively. That sounded just like Riko had yesterday, Thalia realised, and knew that they'd been taught to know that everyone was below the Moriyamas, and there were no such things as 'business partners'.

"I didn't know," Neil repeated. "It's why I suggested Thalia. It had taken me a few months to find her, or I would have suggested her the first time you came to see me." Thalia was very confused by the whole situation, but listened nonetheless. It was giving her background information, and that was something she desperately needed and clung to as much as she possibly could.

"Until coach told me about the Moriyamas this May I didn't know anything about Riko's family. After that I thought maybe that was why we met back then. I thought Riko's father and ours were discussing territories or something. But last night Riko said our father belongs to the Moriyamas. Why did he say he bought me. Bought us." Neil looked at Thalia for a split second at the end before turning back to Kevin. She did the same, not knowing either.

"Don't lie to me," Kevin said. "We are in enough trouble as it is." Neil shook his head.

"Our mother didn't tell us why were were running. I never asked because I knew what would happen if I did. I'd seen the consequences of questions like those," Neil looked at Thalia again and she frowned at him. He sighed and explained. "You asked. All the damn time when you first joined us. At that point, we'd already been running for three years, and I knew better than to ask questions. You were quiet a lot of the time, but apparently you asked too many questions."

"The Master always hated you for that too," Kevin said, looking down. Thalia sighed with frustration. 

"We never really talked about anything real. Always the weather, or the language we were learning, or the local language. The only time she ever said anything meaningful to me was when she was dying. Even then she didn't mention the Moriyamas. If I knew anything, neither me nor Thalia would be here right now. So tell me the truth."

"Okay, first of all, just because I lived there for three years, doesn't mean I remember it." Thalia interjected. She was feeling ignored, and wondered why she was even there, but then Kevin nodded at her, showing slight understanding.

"Your father was Lord Kengo's right-hand man." Kevin started. "The most trusted weapon in his arsenal. The territory he held was for the Moriyamas. If the government caught on, he'd be the one to take the blame and the force that kept the empire in line. But your existence made you loose ends."

"So we met you, and then what? they decided to take me in but not Neil?" Thalia asked. Kevin shook his head and continued.

"Kengo could have easily killed you and had it over and done with. But he decided to let the two of you earn your place." Kevin said. "Yes, only one of you would have lived at Evermore, but the day we met was your audition, of sorts. Whoever did better would live, and the other would be killed by your father." Thalia looked to Neil, who was staring at Kevin in shock.

"What?" Neil asked as if he hadn't heard Kevin at all. "What do you mean, audition?"

"You were just another player for the Master to train. There was two days for you to win him over. A scrimmage, first, to prove your skills and potential, and then the second day was to go over his instructions and criticisms. Whoever was the better player would live. The other would die." Thalia's breath caught in her throat.

"Yet here we both are." She said. "So what the fuck happened, Kevin?" it was like a child being read a bedtime story. She didn't want it to be over. Thalia needed to know what happened in the end.

"Neil and your mother ran away on the first night, and the Master took you in." Kevin said and then sighed. "From what I've heard and been told, he was going to pick you anyway." Thalia looked at Neil who was looking at the floor. She wanted to say something. She didn't think 'I'm sorry' would cut it. Neil would be dead if he'd stayed. But instead they were both here, after a thousand things going wrong and worlds being pulled apart, put together, and ripped to pieces again.