Souls In Hiding

Immortal Banishment

"I wish I could comfort her... why does she have to suffer because her sister was one of us?"

"Shuichi, you know you can't talk to her."

"But why not?! There are two or three innocent people murdered every week now! Why can't we just live peacefully like we used to?!" Shuichi raised his voice as he grew more and more furious.

"I know Shuichi. I know." His uncle sighed, pulling his nephew into a hug. "It was easier before the hunt began, I'll admit and the entirety of the supernatural world all thought that the queen before King Monokuma would abolish it."

"We were wrong though! We put too much trust in the queen and now we've put too much trust in King Monokuma. This hatred towards us isn't going to change is it?"

"Not from the way it looks Shuichi... I'm sor-"

"Then let me make a change." Shuichi pushed his uncle off as he stomped back over to the window, looking down at the burnt stake as the witch's corpse was taken away for disposal. "We don't even get burials anymore, they just dump our bodies in the river so they become fish food in the ocean, or they just fucking burn us like we're coal."

"It's sad, but it's reality and there's nothing we can do. You know what happens if they catch you Shuichi."

"If a non-human is found inside the town walls they shall be banished for the rest of their life. If they are found to be inside the town during their banishment then they shall be sentenced to death by appropriate means.
If a non-human is found to be breaking any law, they shall be sentenced to death via any appropriate means immediately." Shuichi recited the two new laws he had been forced to remember for three half-centuries. 

"Don't get that attitude with me. You know that you aren't even supposed to be in this town right now. You're only here because of your immortality Shuichi."

Unfortunately, Shuichi's uncle was correct. A century ago the boy had been caught accidentally revealing his fangs to a human who instantly screamed out for help. Luckily he had his cloak on to protect from sunlight as two nearby knights took him in front of the previous monarch, Queen Monomi, who sentenced Shuichi to the customary lifetime banishment from the town. He spent almost ninety lonely years in the dangerous woods surrounding the town, laying low so he could wait out the queen and most of the townsfolk until they all passed away or forgot who he was so he could merge back into society. 

After a century it seemed that Shuichi wasn't recognised or approached by anyone so he and his uncle eventually came to the realisation that there is no record as to which creature was banished from the town except for the royal family, their guard's and the noblemen's memory. This created an extremely dangerous but worthwhile side job for the Saihara's when they decided to start sneaking in banished creatures once the victims were able to get away with being inside the town again. Considering both Saihara's were immortal vampires, they were, therefore, able to keep records of when someone was banished and sneak the outsiders in accordingly. Due to this service, the Saihara name was extremely well known amongst supernatural beings.

"I just wish I could help the Akamatsu girl..."

"What if you could?" A familiar voice to Shuichi sounded from beside him. He turned and yelled in surprise as he took notice of the boy squatting on the windowsill.

"State your name and business!" Shuichi's uncle grabbed a bat leaning against the wall and swung it over his shoulder, ready to attack.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mister~" Kokichi chuckled, flying out of the way of the bat that swung towards his head.

"Uncle stop!" Shuichi used his ultra-speed and strength to rip the bat from his uncle's hands and keep it out of reach from the other. "He's one of us!" The vampire turned to face his new friend. "Kokichi what are you doing here?"

"Oh? I've been here the entire time~ Nice backstory you have there, care to explain Shuichi Saihara?" Kokichi was grinning ear to ear, ecstatic that he was face to face with two of the most famous supernatural beings in their town. The two had very good disguises, no one would suspect the two of being powerful people.

"How did you get in here?" Shuchi's uncle no longer felt a need to attack Kokichi but was still on edge.

"He's a phantom, right Kokichi?" The small boy proudly nodded.

"You've put your trust in a ghost?!" The uncle was outraged. Phantoms had caused nothing but problems for the two during their lives, being stereotyped as mischievous or dumb and always getting in trouble, riling up the humans. Being referred to as ghosts was offensive for phantoms, as they saw ghosts as less intelligent or shunned forms of phantoms.

"Actually I'm a phantom." Kokichi pointed out, sick of the insult.

"I don't remember asking you to speak." The elder vampire spat.

"Uncle!" Shuichi yelled, standing in between the two to prevent a fight. "I know him, not really well, but he isn't going to hurt us he's not like the others." He tried desperately to protect his new friend.

"Fine, a friend of Shuichi's is a friend of mine." He reached out a hand which Kokichi shook. "I'm Himawari, don't refer to either of us as Saihara unless we say you can for our own safety, alright?"

"All good, I'm Kokichi. Himawari... isn't that like a sunflower?" Kokichi tilted his head, slightly confused at the name choice.

"It was my sister's favourite flower..." Himawari looked down, depressed at the memory of Shuichi's mother.

Kokichi raised his eyebrow at Shuichi, who took the invitation to explain. "My mother was a vampire as well, but my father was a human. They were caught breaking into someone's house because something was stolen from us, but Queen Monomi didn't listen. She sentenced them to death, hanging my father for theft and protecting a vampire and burning my mother by sunlight for theft." 

"Oh... I'm- I'm sorry for your loss..."

"Don't be, they lived good lives." Himawari smiled, trying to bring up the mood again.

"Wait, Kokichi what did you say earlier?" Shuichi had a light bulb go off in his head.

"Earlier? You'll have to be more specific Shuichi." 

"You know... when you first showed yourself?"

"Oh right! I said you might be able to help Kaede." 

"How?" The Saihara's stared at Kokichi in confusion and desperation. 

"Simple. Go visit her, after all the hunted should help each other, right~?" The phantom winked.

"What do you mean by that? The girl is just a human." Himawari questioned, annoyed that the phantom didn't seem to know the obvious.

Kokichi just laughed and jumped in the hole in the wall that acted as a window, turning his head behind to look at the vampires. "Kaede Akamatsu... is a witch." He then jumped to the roof below the window and disappearing from the vampire's sight.