Bound by Blood
Track Ten: The Last Song, Final Track
Background for the Story: Yoshiki and Shinya are cousins. Shinya is present day 17 years old and Yoshiki is 19. ^__^
ummm... here:
"..." - dialogue, what is really said
'...' - television dialogue, what's on tv
//...// - thoughts, what the people think
Aah, this is the end. I'm so glad I was able to draw out this fanfic to the farthest it would stretch. I hope this has been as satisfactory to you as the readers as it is to me being the author. I really enjoyed writing this fic and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much. I would like to address a special thank you to Shayneko-san. You've always been cheering me on since the beginning of this fic and you've always supported the growth of it. I thank you so very much for reading! ^___^ And also, I would like to thank Kyoshi-san, Miss J-san, sarah-san, Sage-san, the elfie-san, and DrachenSmile-san. Thank you for your helpful comments and other criticisms and comments! Thank you all so very much! Domo! Domo arigatou gozaimashita!
Special Dedication to: Aya and Myaku.
Special Thanks to: Aya.
Much Gratitude Sent to All Readers with a Box of Pocky: Shayneko, Kyoshi, Miss J, sarah, Sage, the elfie, and DrachenSmile.
Now, onto the fic...
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The white flashing by him like clouds on earth, everything was blurry from the tears which were swiftly forming in his eyes. Kyo was explaining as they ran towards the emergency room. "So you see... just now... someone found... hide-san in... his apartment. He... apparently drunk... doing guitarist's stretches... on the doorknob... and he... fell asleep. He suff... ocated... to... but they found... him so he's... in the... emergency... room! Quick!"
They arrived at the emergency room, both breathless. Yoshiki couldn't quite stop his feet from running and so he slammed into Taiji, who stood watching the red 'IN SESSION' light. He was so absorbed in watching that he hadn't even noticed that the drummer he disliked so much had just rammed into him flying at full speed. Shinya and Sakito arrived, just as Kiyonobu-sensei walked over to Yoshiki and helped him up off the floor. "Are you okay Yoshiki-san?" The weak drummer nodded.
"Is he... going to be... okay?" Yoshiki stammered. Kiyonobu-sensei looked up to the red light. "I can't really tell. By the time he was found, he was already half gone." Yoshiki choked. "But there's still a chance. I mean, we could still save him even at that stage of suffocation. There's hope, but not too much." Everyone looked horrified - Taiji, Yoshiki, Heath, Pata, Kaoru, Die, Kyo, Toshiya, Shinya, and Sakito. All of them looked as if they had just seen a ghost or something. Yoshiki was especially pale as he looked around the corridor. //Toshi... Toshi isn't here for hide!//
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//I can't... die like... this...// hide thought to himself, watching as the doctors ran around yelling things. //This can't... be the way... I'm going to leave. We haven't... even had... our last concert... yet. I have... to be there... for Yoshiki... for the fans... for everyone! I can't... I can't...// The pink haired guitarist rolled up into a ball in his mind. //But it's... it's so warm here. I don't want to leave, I don't want to wake up anymore.// He closed his eyes, but remembered someone, a blonde, who still needed him. By this time, it was too late, he couldn't open his eyes anymore. //Yoshiki... aishiteru...//
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The light extinguished.
Everyone inhaled.
The doctors slowly walked out, one by one.
Yoshiki looked at each one in the eyes, desperately searching for that small hope Inoran spoke of.
Finally, the nurse Miyabi walked out of of the emergency room.
Yoshiki peeked behind him, trying to see inside.
Miyabi shut the door.
"What happened?" His voice was a whisper, but you could hear him.
Everyone also heard the fear in his shaking voice.
Miyabi looked up at Yoshiki, then locked eyes with Sakito.
He glanced around the room with a look that everyone understood, but didn't want to accept.
They wanted to hear it from his own mouth.
They wanted to hear the news themselves.
They didn't just want Miyabi to look at them.
"He... hide-san... Matsumoto Hideto-san is proclaiming deceased..."
The tension let out from everyone, the feeling of numbness and unreality began to settle in.
Everything seemed so far away, so alien.
It was like they were dreaming.
Or they were falling down a very far pit.
Spiraling into the darkness, a place of cold without love.
Yoshiki collapsed onto the floor.
Everyone else slumped backwards, whether into chairs or on walls, everyone slumped.
The feeling was heavy. Painful. Almost as if they themselves had passed away.
Yoshiki broke down and cried, his cousin supporting him.
Die came over and wiped Shinya's tears for him.
Whether gay or homophobic, each band member found a partner to hold and comfort.
The feeling they all shared was the need to run away.
Run away from sharp reality, telling them that hide just died.
They just needed to be near someone, it didn't matter who.
Yoshiki, Shinya, Die...
Taiji, Heath, Pata...
Kyo, Kaoru, Toshiya...
They were all united, together in the feeling of emptiness.
Could they make it through like Yoshiki said?
Was it really that easy when you had someone's shoulder to cry on?
Would death tear them apart again?
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'Just yesterday, two major events have occured in the Japanese rock scene. This is Kawamura Ryuichi with the latest developments of the large headlines which cover today's news and possibly the front cover pages of the many newspapers to come. Yesterday, the controversy between the bands X Japan and Dir en Grey has finally come to an end. X Japan has decided on official disbandment and had a last live date scheduled. Dir en Grey's drummer, Terachi Shinya, has been discharged from the mental ward. Unfortunately, a drinking problem has brought X Japan down before its scheduled final concert. The death of guitarist Matsumoto Hideto, aka. hide, has been news to many people, bands and fans alike. Apparently after drinking too much alcohol, hide had proceeded to attempt a famous guitarist stretch. This stretch involves a towel and a low place. What professional guitarists do is tie a towel around their neck enough to breathe and tie the other end to a low place, in hide's case a doorknob. Then, they pull their bodies forward to stretch muscles in their necks which became quite stiff after concerts and such from supporting the guitar strap. While doing this excersize, hide being drunk fell asleep. Thus, he suffocated. He was found on the doorknob still, by a woman who lived with him. Their relationship will not be disclosed. hide was rushed to a hospital, but it was too late. This breaking news has not only broken the hearts of fans and family, but also the faith of the members of X. We can only hope that we all can pull through this terrible tragedy.
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"You've always been there for us." Kaoru.
"Now we'll be here for you." Kyo.
"You were the one who picked us up and helped us." Toshiya.
"We want to help in anyway we can." Die.
"Please let us try." Shinya. "We care, we really do."
"Thank you all, but I don't think there's anything you can do." Yoshiki sighed.
"Kaoru? Kyo? Toshiya?" Shinya looked at the three named. "Can you please leave us for a while?" He finally turned to his newest love and asked, "Can you leave too? I need some family time with my cousin."
They nodded and left the room.
"Look, Yoshiki, things between us never were so sweet. Life wasn't a bucket of honey for us." The younger drummer sat down next to the elder.
"I know. Things have always proven themselves as eyesores." Yoshiki pulled out a cigarette and lit it, placing the burning tobacco stick between his lips. He offered one to Shinya. Shinya shook his head and added a whispered, "No thanks."
"Anyway, throughout all the years I've spent envying you and hating you, I never realized that you were always there for me. Even if you always were and still are better and more skilled than me, you were always trying to support me and help me whenever I needed it. I can't say that I don't feel jealous anymore, but I can say that I don't hate you as much. And well, since all that time I've been misinterpreting your actions, I want to help you. Even if it's just a little, I want to be here for you."
"You can't replace hide, Shinya. No one can."
"And I don't intend to." Yoshiki looked at his cousin. A couple ashes fell onto the floor. "I just want to help you just like you tried to help me. I won't necessarily be able to lend any assistance, but I want to make up for all the years that I hurt you. I hurt you so much by not talking, I know I did. I hurt everyone and I want to make up for that. I want to redeem myself, if it's possible. The world did some terrible things to me, but I've done some terrible things to the people closest to me. I can't go living on like this. I need to help you, I want to help you."
Yoshiki crushed the cigarette into an ashtray. For a while, the two sat merely acknowledging the other's presence. //There's something about him. Something sincere, something so truthful. I want Shinya to help me, but I'm not sure if he can...//
"Please, Yoshiki, let me help." ~Yoshiki, I just want to help you!~ "Even if it's something small, I want you to know I'll always be here if you need me." ~I'll never leave you alone! I'll make you tell me all your problems and I'll help you find solutions!~ "We need to help each other, after all, we're cousins." ~We gotta stick together, if we're going to be in a successful band, ne?~ "I will help you... I will." ~I'll find a way! Because I'm the great hide-sama! Ha HAHahahAHAhaHAA!!!~
Finally, the weaker drummer collapsed into the arms of the younger. The long-haired drummer held Yoshiki's head to his chest gently and rocked him back and forth, humming the tune of hide's solo work 'Goodbye'. X's leader listened closely to the heartbeat of his cousin and he cried.
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On later news...
Toshi and Kaori got married. The ex-vocalist sold every remembrance of X he owned and claimed to not have any ties or relationship with Hayashi Yoshiki. He continued to release solo singles and other such which hit high on Oricon charts, but not as high as his works with X. Later on, he commit suicide by hanging himself. His suicide note claimed that he was responsible for hide's death and that he regretted it. It also included a note which said that he would attempt to make up for it with hide in Heaven. The news of his death was kept confidential to make sure that the suicide death rate which occurred right after hide's death did not repeat itself. Also, his wife and parents requested a simple burial, a private ceremony.
hide's funeral took place in May 1998. Because of his untimely death, X Japan was unable to hold their final concert. As a last result, Yoshiki released an X Japan version of the Dir en Grey's [a knot] video to help console fans concerning hide's death and also the disbandment of X. X will forever live on in our hearts.
It took a couple years, but Yoshiki was able to move on. He and Dir en Grey separated ways, as he turned producer and traveled to Los Angeles, United States. Dir en Grey continued to prosper in the Japanese rock music industry and soon became Japan's most popular visual rock band.
Dir en Grey continued to accredit X and Yoshiki for his help in their gaining popularity. Every May since, the two bands have reunited in Japan to hold a remembrance. Every December since, the two bands have reunited in Japan to hold hide's birthday parties.
Even though they're miles apart, this red thread connects them together. Even though there are oceans in between and continents in the way, the same blood flows through them, binding them in one heart.
As our pink angel looks down on earth, hide smiles.
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Bound by Blood
Hidden Track: Hill of Acropolis
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"How long has it been already?" Die.
"Four years." Yoshiki.
"Are you feeling better now?" Shinya.
"Yeah. I can cope." Yoshiki.
"We'll see him again, won't we?" Toshiya.
"Yeah, someday in jrock heaven." Kaoru.
"I wonder how far we are from there..." Pata.
"Not that far I don't think." Taiji. All eyes turn to him. "Sorry."
"What ever happened to Toshi?" Heath.
"Don't. Please, don't mention him." Yoshiki.
"Sorry." Heath.
"Isn't he doing solo works with Kaori?" Kyo.
"I said, drop the topic Kyo." Yoshiki.
"Sorry." Kyo.
"We haven't forgotten, have we? About everything?" Shinya.
"Not at all." Die.
"The memories are still alive." Kaoru.
"It's quiet here, isn't it?" Kyo.
"Yeah..." Heath.
"Hmm... it's good for sleeping." Kyo.
"I wouldn't sleep in a graveyard unless it was six feet deep." Die.
"Die, please." Shinya.
"Sorry." Die.
"How come we can't ever just shut up?" Taiji.
"That's not on our job description." Die.
"Urusai, baka!" Shinya. Slaps Die.
"Hai hai, gomen nasai!" Die.
"We've come to visit, hide." Yoshiki
"Are you watching us right now?" Heath.
"We miss you." Taiji.
"Everyone does. Even Toshi I think." Pata.
"PATA! DROP THE SUBJECT!" Yoshiki.
"Sorry." Pata.
"We just released a new album." Toshiya.
"We called it Kisou!" Kyo.
"Aren't you proud?" Kaoru.
"Arigatou." Shinya.
"Arigatou." Everyone.
"You guys are funny!" ???.
"???" Everyone.
"Ha ha ha ha!" ???.
"???" Everyone.
"hide?" Yoshiki.
"Ha ha ha ha!" ???.
"hide!" Everyone.
"Were we just imagining something?" Kaoru.
"I think we've drunk too much." Pata.
"You're the only one who drunk before coming here." Taiji.
"Damn." Pata.
"Can we have some time alone?" Yoshiki.
"Sure." Everyone. Everyone walks away, all clad in black leather.
Shinya looks unsure to whether or not he should really leave.
Die grabs the drummer by his waist and hoists him up into the air.
"Come on! Let's go my little underweight candy!" Die.
"What the hell are you talking about?!?" Shinya.
"AHAHAHahhashahah;aHAHahahAHhahAAA!!!!" Die. Runs away with Shinya.
"You've always been there for me, haven't you?" Yoshiki.
"Just you've always been there for him and him for you." ???.
"You're not alone are you?" Yoshiki.
"Nope - Toshi's real nice up here. Kaori was just a bitch." ???.
"I'm really glad we could make it through." Yoshiki.
"I'm really glad that you two are finally getting along." ???.
"Arigatou, hide." Yoshiki.
"Doitashimashite, Yoshiki." hide.
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For every dark, there is a light.
For every hurt, there is a dream.
For every cry, there is a hope.
For every tear, there is an angel.
Once again, with utmost fervor--
Let's meet again, when dreams come true.
Follow this red thread together.
When we're together, we'll make it through.
The End