Twisted Wishes

Wishing Upon A Star

Kaneki carefully cradled his precious bundle close to his chest. He ran through dark alleyways and empty streets. Behind him, Kaneki could hear voices growing fainter as they searched for him. The white haired man shifted his arms, being mindful to not wake her up. He had no clue how the CCG had found them so quickly. Unless they had a traitor... It wasn't farfetched.

With Anteiku scattered or dead, trustworthy allies and acquaintances were hard to come by. Especially now. Everything was in an uproar and everyone was taking sides. Aogiri Tree... CCG... So few true neutrals left. His status as a S-Ranked ghoul only made evading them harder. Kaneki wanted no part in the pending war. Besides, he needed to keep Hinami safe.

She shifted restlessly for a moment, and Kaneki held her close to his chest. Hinami... had been seriously hurt by the Aogiri Tree in an attempt to get at him. He had already failed to protect her, but he wouldn't let her down again.

Kaneki slowed to a stop in a shadowed corner between buildings, chest heaving. He had been running for so long. He slumped against the wall, sliding down as his legs gave out underneath him. Sweat beaded his brow and his eyes slipped closed. Kaneki curled his body around Hinami before exhaustion took him.

...

The sun shone brightly down at him, piercing through the fog of sleep. Kaneki blinked his eyes open, and sat up. Hinami was still tucked in her thin blanket, still unconscious. Just as she had been for the last few days. He stood up, careful not to jostle her, and walked further into the sunlight. Kaneki surveyed their surroundings with a practiced eye. They were on the outskirts of the city, with ramshackled buildings on both sides of the empty street. It was nearly noon, the sun high in the sky.

He sighed and turned back to Hinami. Bending down, sore muscles screaming, Kaneki lifted his little sister into his arms once more. He turned towards the street, and began walking.

...

Kaneki leaned against the thin wall of the shabby apartment. Next to him Hinami lay peacefully on a threadbare mat. He had been walking all day, prowling through empty streets. A few kilometers away from their shaded corner, Kaneki had found an empty apartment, more of a closet really, on the edge of the city. It had long since been abandoned by its occupant, who had conveniently left behind a small plastic clock and a thin sleeping mat. It would serve well for the night.

Shifting to get a better position, Kaneki let his mind wander. So few of his friends remained... The first attack on Anteiku had taken the lives of Koma and Irimi and Yoshimura had been captured, if not killed. Yomo had long since disappeared, but Kaneki had a feeling he knew where the man might have gone. Nishiki managed to escape with his life, and his identity. He was living with his girlfriend, Kimi. Kaneki dared not contact him, for risk of putting the pair in danger.

And Touka... Touka had given her life to protect Hinami. When Aogiri Tree had tracked down Kaneki, they had taken Hinami and injured Touka in the process. She had refused to "sit back and relax" as she put it. She had gone charging in right alongside him. She had been doing so well before the found Hinami. Standing over the beaten form of their precious little sister, the pair had confronted Touka's brother. He had offered them a choice, and they refused.

He had lashed out at Hinami, intending to strike a killing blow, but Touka was too fast. She had thrown herself between them, protecting Hinami. Kaneki and Touka worked together to bring down her brother, and succeeded. But in the end she had succumbed to her wounds. Her last breath was spent asking him to keep their sister safe.

Kaneki blinking as warm liquid slipped down his cheeks. He blinked harshly, as he looked up. Kaneki stared out the dirty window, at the twinkling stars beyond. Weary and grief stricken, he watched as a shooting star streaked across the night sky. Nostalgic, he made a wish.

"I wish Hinami and I will be able to fit in and live," His voice was husky from disuse and it sliced through the silence of the night. Absently he glanced around the room, resting his eyes on Hinami and the clock. Blinking tiredly, he let his heavy eyelids close.

Blinking softly in the dark night, the clock read 11:11 pm.