Case #8-The Harvester’s Genocide, Part 1

"Dad, am I…adopted…?" I ask.

"Why would you ask that?" My dad answers.

I don't answer. I just frown.

My dad sighs.

"The leader of the Twelve Zodiacs, Sagittarius," I explain. "He has black hair, and eyes the same color as yours. He also…used abilities that looked similar to Soul Techniques. One of the Twelve Zodiacs said his name was Ezra."

My dad's eyes widen as his body tenses up.

"Sagittarius also told me that my eyes are the eyes of no Reaper, and knew that I can't use Soul Energy," I continue. "He also knew that you are my dad. So dad, I'm begging you, tell me, please…just who is Ezra Reaper?"

"And who am I?"

My dad doesn't say anything.

Instead, he just drops to his knees and buries his face in his hands, sobbing to himself. "Ezra…Ezra…" he sobs. "He's alive…"

My eyes widen. "The Hell are you crying for?!" I cry.

"Zach…" my dad sobs as he peers up at me, tears streaming out of his eyes. I recoil. I've never seen my dad cry before, or even look emotional. "You're right, Zach, you've figured it out.

"You're adopted."

My eyes widen.

"Just who…am I…?" I ask him.

"The truth is, Zach, that you…are a Harvester," my dad answers as he stands up to face me again, and rubs his eyes. "Harvesters are a species that are distantly related to Reapers. Out of every last Supernatural Creature in existence, Reapers and Harvesters are the two that are most closely related. Thousands and thousands of years ago, there were two main branches of the Reaper clan. The main branch had the last name 'Reaper,' and the secondary branch, 'Spyridon.' The difference was that while the Reaper Branch could reap souls as well as control their Soul Energy to use Soul Techniques, the Spyridon branch couldn't, and served as assistants to the Reaper Branch. The differentiation between Reapers and Harvesters, the Reaper Branch and the Spyridon branch started after a few hundred years of the Spyridon working under the Reaper Branch. Tired of being secondary to the Reaper Branch, the Spyridon branch eventually broke away from the Reaper Branch. And then after a few years, the Spyridon branch began to change. They developed the ability to harvest souls. Whereas Reapers work alongside God and Satan to reap souls and store them in Purgatory until the souls are ready to be judged then moved to the afterlife, Harvesters harvest souls, stowing them away until they need to consume the soul for power, just like you do. Your powers to harvest a soul, stow it away in your messenger bag then pull the soul back out and consume it, taking on the appearance and powers of that soul, those are all abilities of Harvesters."

My eyes widened. And for a moment, I'm speechless.

"No wonder I can't use Soul Techniques…" I softly say to myself. "And no wonder I don't have the same eyes that you do…"

"Your purple and yellow eyes…every Harvester has them," my dad explains. "Though we do have the same black hair, you and I."

"But…if I'm a Harvester and if Harvesters are related to Reapers, then even though I'm not your son, we're still related, right?" I ask.

"Reapers and Harvesters may be closely related, but after generations of separation, you wouldn't be able to call you and I related," my dad explains. "Well…in usual scenarios, at least. But you and I are still related."

"What…do you mean…?" I ask. "And what about Ezra?!"

"Ever since the dawn of time there has existed a clan known as the Reapers," my dad begins to explain. "This clan works alongside God and the Devil. Their purpose is to reap the souls of expired humans and bring those souls to Purgatory to await judgment from God and the Devil to determine whether the soul goes to Heaven or to Hell."

"What does this have to do with anything?" I ask, interrupting my dad.

"We're getting there," my dad replies. "Reapers are stationed all across the globe, each patrolling their own area. The Head Reaper stays in a Nestant Town, watching over Purgatory and reaping the souls of that area. Secondary Reapers patrol other areas, and when they reap souls, they are sent to Purgatory so that the Primary Reaper can watch over them. Zach, as you know, Reapers always tend to have one child who will become the Head Reaper after them. The Secondary Reapers do the same. This practice was put into place a few thousands years ago in order to keep the Reaper bloodline from spreading too far and mingling with too many others."

"So my grandfather was the Head Reaper before you?" I ask.

"No," my dad answers, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him. "Eighteen years ago, I had a child with that woman whose picture is on your bedside, Clarabell. We named our son…Ezra."

My eyes widen. "Ezra…Sagittarius…is your son?!"

"Yes," my dad answers. "But when Ezra was three years old, both he and Clarabella were murdered."

"By who?!" I cry.

"I…I don't know…" my dad answers, as he looks away in shame. "And then…the entire Spyridon Clan was wiped out that very same day. You see, Clarabella was a Harvester, which made Ezra half-Harvester as well. But…there was one survivor of the Harvesters' genocide, a baby boy, not even one years old. That baby…was you, Zach."

My eyes widen.

"Distraught by the death of my wife and son, I took you in, hoping that I could teach you to become the next Head Reaper," my dad finishes. "I thought that if you were the Head Reaper after me, that you, a Harvester, would be able to lead the Reapers into a better place."

"So...Sagitarius is your son, Ezra Reaper?" I ask.

"He is," my dad trembles. "But…I don't know how he's still alive…"

"But then why did Ezra form the Twelve Zodiacs?!" I cry. "And why would he go around killing Reapers?!"

"I…don't know…" my dad sadly answers. "I only knew Ezra for three years, and then after that, he grew up without me. I never got to truly talk to my son. I never got to, truly meet him, or learn anything about him. All I did was...change his diapers and comfort him when he cried…"

My dad looks down to his feet, tears forming at the edges of his eyes.

"But…what about me…?" I softly ask, causing my dad to perk up.

"What…about you…?" My dad asks as he turns to face me.

"You changed my diapers, you comforted me when I cried, and we got to talk and learn about each other…" I sadly answer. "So why…why are you still hung up on Ezra…?"

My dad quivers.

"Zach…" he sobs. "ZACH!" He then cries as he throws his arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder. I awkwardly raise an arm and pat my dad's back, tears forming at the edges of my eyes as well. I've never seen my dad cry, much less show much emotion in general.

"I just wished...that you told me all of this sooner…" I say as my dad breaks our embrace. "You waited until you had to tell me to tell me, I just feel...betrayed, you know? You knew how much I despised being a Reaper and how much I wanted to not take up the family job, but yet...you didn't tell me a thing…"

"Zach, I...I just...I couldn't tell you," my dad replies. "The world needs a Reaper, and my Soul Energy was running out. I just…couldn't trust any of the other Reapers to become the Head Reaper after me…not after what they've done…"

"But you could have told me!" I shout. "I mean…what about then you adopted me, what about then?! You could have told me the truth when I was little, and maybe I would have accepted having to become the Head Reaper!"

"I couldn't tell you…" my dad answers. "HOW COULD I TELL A CHILD THAT I ADOPTED HIM BECAUSE HIS ENTIRE CLAN WAS GENOCIDED!"

I flinch then frown from my dad's shouts.

 "And no one knows how the Harvesters died?" I ask.

"No," my dad answers. "One day, while I was out, my wife and son were killed…and then…the entire Spyridon Clan, as well."

"So I have to learn about all of these powers and abilities and the new physiology I have without anyone to help me?!" I cry. "My family was killed and no one knows why?! How does that happen?!"

I'm sorry Zach, I'm sorry!" My dad cries back.

"Why didn't you just bang another Reaper chick and make a new son?!" I shout. "Why did you have to torture me?!"

"I loved my wife, Zach, and I couldn't bear to marry anyone else!" My dad pleads.

"Dad…" I softly and sadly say. "Grim…do you think…that you could teach me how to live as a Harvester…?"

My dad shakes his head. "No…" he sadly answers. "Harvesters have completely different skill sets than Reapers do. I truly don't know anything about their abilities."

"Oh…" I sadly replied.

"Zach…?" My dad begins to ask.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Are you…okay…?" My dad finally asks.

I don't answer.

"I…I…" I then finally begin to say, but my voice catches in my throat. "I don't know what to think, I don't know what to feel," I answer. "I just…don't know how to process all this…I need some time to think…"

"Okay…" my dad gulps as he sadly nods.

And then, I slowly stand out of bed, still barely able to move thanks to injuries sustained in my multiple fights against Ezra, Sniper, and Cancer. I slowly yet weakly limp to the door.

"Zach…?" My dad asks before I exit my room.

"Yeah…?" I reply, pausing in the door frame.

"Take your time," my dad replies. "We can talk…when you're ready. In the meantime, is there anything that I can help you with."

"Yeah," I answer as I turn and peer over my shoulder at my dad, while a hopeful look lights up in his face.

"What can I do for you?" My dad hopefully asks.

"Just…leave me alone…" I sigh. My dad's hopeful glow falters as his frown returns, and then, I hobble out of my room, leaving my dad sitting at my bedside alone.

***

With a sad look on my face, I slump down the stairs, where I meet my friends in the living room.

"Zach!" Evelyn cries as she jumps out of her seat, but when she sees my sad expression, she falters. "Zach…?" She sadly asks. "Are you…okay?"

"Yeah…" I answer as I peer up at my friends and wipe my eyes, before flashing them a sad smile. "Of course I am…I have you guys!"

"Sit down, guys…" I say. "I have something to tell you."

Evelyn takes a seat, and the rest of my friends perk up.

"I…am not a Reaper," I began to explain, causing their eyes to widen. "I'm a Harvester, a distant relative of Reapers. But I'm the final Harvester remaining, the rest were killed right before my dad adopted me, sixteen years ago. But that's not all. Sagittarius, the leader of the Twelve Zodiacs, Ezra Reaper…is my da-er, Grim Reaper's Son."

My friends are silent.

"WHAT'S A HARVESTER?!"

"SO YOU'RE ADOPTED?!"

"WHY WOULD A REAPER KILL OTHER REAPERS?!"

"WHO KILLED THEM?!"

Raiden, Circe, Crimson, and Koga all cry.

"What about…me…?" Evelyn sadly asks. "You said that you would figure out what I am from Sagittarius…?"

"I'm sorry," I sadly apologize. "I was just…too caught up in my own thing."

"Don't worry," Evelyn smiles. "That's alright, we'll figure it out another time. Together."

"So what about Evelyn?" Circe asks.

"Cancer, one of the Twelve Zodiacs, told me…that I might be a Fairy," Evelyn answers. "Whatever that may be. You guys know?"

"No."

"No."

"No."

 "No."

"Well then," I begin to say as I turn to face Evelyn with a smile. "It looks like we're in this together."

"Right!"

***

That night, I couldn't sleep.

I stared at the ceiling for silence for a while, hundreds of thoughts racing through my head. Me being a Harvester...this is a good thing, is it not? Isn't this a dream come true, me learning that I am not a Reaper and because of that, I don't have to become the Primary Reaper and instead can live a normal life? No, my dad won't want to have another child. And as for Sagittarius, Ezra, big brother, whatever I should call him, it doesn't seem like he will become the Primary Reaper anytime soon. And if someone doesn't become the next Primary Reaper, then the laws by which all of the four worlds operate together will be destroyed and everything will get messed up, so I really am stuck with having to become the next Primary Reaper still, aren't I?

If only I had a fellow Harvester to talk to. Even if I can talk to some random ass Harvester who I've never met just for a MINUTE I would feel so much better. My new abilities…my new body…my new heritage…my new family, their murder

It's all just too overwhelming…