Disclaimer- I don't own any characters from Elfen Lied. They're copy right to whoever the heck made them up. I don't own the original plot, but I made up this new plot. I don't own any places or anything, etc. Don't sue me. I have no money. You'll get nothing...Well, you can take my dog...If you're that desperate.

Warnings- SPOILERS. Dear GOD, the SPOILERS.

-Chapter One- Memories

Kouta stared out the door of his home, looking at the gate that was shaded and barely seen because of the trees. He stepped out of his shoes, but didn't close the door.

"Kouta? Is that you?"

"Mmm? Oh! I'm home, Mayu, Yuka, Nana," he called to the women in the home, brought out of his thoughts.

He slid the door closed and walked into the main room, where two girls were seated around a low table, talking about something. As always, Kouta scanned for that extra face, that extra girl that he had hoped would be there. As always, Kouta was disappointed.

"Welcome home!" the three cried out in unison to the black-haired boy.

"Is something wrong, Kouta," asked Mayu, the seemingly youngest of the two. Her short black hair barely passed her jaw and her dark eyes watched Kouta was intrest and concern. Still wearing her school uniform, it was obvious that she had only recently arrived home.

"Mm. I'm fine," he replied.

"How was that place that you and Yuka go to," asked the pink haired girl. Small horns appeared from the temples and poked out of her short cropped hair. Her large pink-red eyes were filled with curiosity.

"You mean the university?" Kouta smiled.

"Yeah! That place! Nana wants to know how that was," she answered, smiling brightly.

"It was fine, I had an exam," he replied.

"I hope it went well," said Mayu.

"Mm...How's Yuka?"

Mayu glanced at Nana, who looked a bit concerned. Nana only fidgeted a bit, glancing down at her lap. She was looking for the right words, but couldn't really find them. It was hard to say what was going on, for she didn't completely understand what was wrong with Yuka.

"I think she's still sleeping," she answered after a few moments.

Kouta nodded and told them he was going to check on her and exited the room. Before walking to Yuka's room, he stopped at his own and dropped his book bag inside of it. Glancing at the music box on a shelf, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Nyuu..," he said quietly. "...No, Lucy..."

Shaking his head, he closed the door and walked down the hallway. Opening the door slightly, he glanced in at Yuka, sleeping in her futon bed. Her cheeks were red with fever and she breathed heavily in her sleep. Stepping inside, he kneeled beside her.

"Yuka..."

He received what he expected – nothing. The brunette didn't answer him, only continued to sleep. Kouta felt so helpless in this situation, unable to think of something to do. They had tried so hard to make her better, but it was difficult...Difficult to say when she would recover. She insisted on not needing to go to the hospital, especially after all of the trouble the authorities gave Kouta the night Bando attacked him at the beach.

Suddenly, Kouta was reminded of the time when Lucy fell 'ill' once. She had been lying there almost the same way Yuka was now. Her pink hair had been slightly messy around her, her horns poking out of her hair, and her skin had been so pale.

Kouta reached out his hand to touch Yuka's cheek, getting caught up in his memories of Lucy. Yuka's eyes opened and she watched him and he placed his hand on her cheek. Her breathing came out in gasps from her terrible cold and she kept silent.

"Nyuu..," Kouta said quietly, his eyes closed. His hand trembled slightly and he didn't want to let go of the memories.

"Kouta..."

"Y-Yuka!" His eyes snapped out and he looked at her, hoping that she hadn't heard him.

"Kouta...Are you still..." she trailed off, looking to the side.

"How are you feeling?" He sounded so embarrassed, maybe even ashamed.

She answered him with a small coughing fit. After reclaiming her breath, she looked at him again. There was so much pain in her eyes, though it fell unseen to Kouta, as he was lost in his own painful memories.

"I wish you'd just go see a doctor, Yuka," Kouta finally said after a few moments.

"After what happened with you?"

"That was the police, not the hospital. You know that," he responded, even though he felt the same way about it as she did.

"My fever's gone down...I think," Yuka said to break the silence.

Kouta didn't respond, he was staring at his knees. A distant look was in his eyes and he couldn't hide it even if he tried. He wasn't there, with her, he was somewhere else. He was off somewhere in his memories, new ones and old, regained ones and remade ones. It was something he had been doing a lot, getting lost within these memories and not wanting anyone to rip him out from that world, no matter how painful it was.

"You're thinking about Nyuu," Yuka said quietly.

He looked at her, a bit surprised. Kouta hadn't expected her to say anything, or even guess what he would say.

"Like I said about Kanae, Kouta...If you're sad every time you think about Nyuu, then she'll be sad, too..."

"...But,"

"You know it's true...You wouldn't want to see Nyuu sad, would you? I can't imagine her sad...She was always so..."

"Happy," he finished for her. "Blissfully...happy."

Yuka coughed a bit more and nodded, to show she agreed. While she wasn't threatened anymore by Nyuu's presence, she was a bit threatened by the memory of her. She still haunted Kouta's mind, even though it had been well over a year since Nyuu left and never returned. Yuka still wasn't sure what had happened, as no one dared explain it to her.

"Lucy."

"What?" Yuka looked at Kouta again.

"Nyuu's name...Was Lucy. Remember what Professor Kazukawa said? Her name was Lucy."

"I thought you said he was lying," Yuka responded.

"...He was...Just not about her name. Her name was Lucy. " Kouta clenched his hands into fists at the memory of the young Lucy. His eyes closed and he inhaled and exhaled deeply and shakily. The bloody images wouldn't leave his mind's eye no matter how hard he tried.

"Kouta?"

"It's nothing," he said. Standing, he walked over to the door. "Get some more rest, then you'll be even better tomorrow, Yuka."

"...Eh?...Right...," she said and turned onto her side, trying not to look at him. When she heard the door slide closed, she let the tears slip down her cheeks. "Idiot..," she muttered quietly.

--+--+--+

I hope you liked this first chapter. 3 Review if you want, though it's much appreciated. This is the first fanfic I've written in a long time, and I decided to write one on my recent favorite anime, Elfen Lied. I've never read the manga, so for those who are hell-bent on it being manga related, I don't know how different the two are. This is based upon the anime. Any differences in the original plot and characters of the manga to the anime, I'm unaware of. Please don't yell at me. XP

Astrid.