Part Two:

It had been months now since Takatori had been destroyed and Weiss dissolved. Youji, at first, felt adrift. It wasn't long until he found a few freelance detective cases, small things like cheating spouses and crooked business owners. He didn't really want to move on to any larger projects for a while until he got Weiss totally out of his system.

Today was a nice summer's day. He gave himself the day off and offered to take a girl he had just met on a date for ice cream. The girl went to the stand when a woman in a red dress passed him. Her face chilled him. It was Asuka. He bolted after Asuka through the crowded streets and leaped in front of her path. The woman seemed surprised, she gave him a questioning look so he asked, "Asuka?"

"Kyoko," she said indicating herself while taking off her sunglasses. No, this woman was certainly Asuka, but he had to approach her slowly. She obviously didn't recognize him. He explained that she looked like someone he knew and that it wasn't a pick up line. Eventually, he talked her into going to a coffee shop.

After some initial awkwardness, she seemed to relax. It was a noisy bunch of teen girls Youji wanted to thank. They seemed to grate on Kyoko's nerves and she suggested going somewhere private. He suggested a weekend trip to the cabin and she was agreeable.

There was a glimmer of hope on the car ride when she rested her head on his shoulder and said that she felt a sense of déjà vu. He remembered a long time ago the words that the woman at the wish shop said. This was the real Asuka, but this Asuka was more refined, not as spunky. So the memory loss had made a difference, and he would have to treat her like a new woman if he were to woo her again.

He noticed he was being followed on the car trip to the cabin after they had stopped for groceries and wine. He easily lost the other car, worried his old life in Weiss was coming to rear its ugly head.

She seemed suitably impressed with the cabin. He cooked them a wonderful meal while she showered. They ate on the deck and watched the stars come out. He actually couldn't think of any other name but Asuka as he took her to the bedroom. After making love to her, she drifted off to sleep in his arms. His bliss and joy at having Asuka again started to get tainted with guilt as he recalled the name Kyoko.

He quietly left the bed and walked out onto the deck, pondering the bullet wound he had noticed on her back. He leaned on the railing and tried to talk himself into accepting the name change. He said to himself, "Kyoko. That's right, she's Kyoko... not Asuka... Asuka was trying to save my life, then..."

A wire wrapped around his throat, taking him totally off guard. He never pictured being in danger from Asuka. He was choking, losing air and she tightened the wire. A paper airplane distracted Asuka enough for him to push her back. She jumped from the deck and he could now see it was Neu that had snuck up behind him. A jolt hit him as he realized his instincts were right; Asuka was somehow Neu. All he could do was ask, "You...?"

She bolted off into the woods when a strange man appeared in the clearing. Yuuko's haunting words came back to Youji's memory, 'She won't remember you. That is the price for your wish. Even if you try to convince her, she'll never know you again as anything but a stranger. She's living a different life now.'

That's when he knew he had to defend himself until he could have another chance alone with her, to convince her to leave Schreient. He quickly went back to the old, abandoned flower shop for his wires. He wasn't surprised to see Aya and Ken already there, looking for protection as well. 'I guess Yuuko-san was right. Asuka.. Neu... sent me running back to Weiss.'


Youji woke up from the dream very disturbed. At first, it was a morning he remembered spending with Asuka. They had decided to go on a seaside vacation. She was trying to wake him early so they could watch the boats going out to sea together. He rolled over, and rather than Asuka, it was Neu trying to kill him.

He woke in a sweat and got out of bed reluctantly. He puffed on a cigarette to steady his nerves as he watched three crows on the electrical wires outside the apartment window. He wasn't at peace any more knowing for a certainty she was with Schreient and didn't remember him at all. He wondered what had happened to her after they were shot.

He had fallen unconscious and woken in a hospital with Manx by his side. At the time, Manx was a stranger that gave him news of Asuka's death, and indeed, she had pictures of Asuka in the morgue. That's when Manx made the offer for him to join Weiss, and he did so out of his pain and his quest to get back at the Liott Club. Now he wondered if Manx had lied to him, but it was too late to worry about that.

"Leave me alone, Asuka. It's my day off," he said, addressing Neu more than anything. Now that Weiss was active again, things seemed more chaotic and dangerous. He needed some peaceful down time. Later that night, Birman came to them with news of spines being ripped out people.

He was baffled, since there were really no obvious clues, but Birman informed them about something called Kundalini. It seemed that a group was out to steal spines for the life force, or Kundalini, contained in the spine. She provided a list of research laboratories that could be a front for the body mutilators.

Birman then informed Weiss that four women had been sighted at each place a spineless body was found. He felt a shiver and his skin grew hot; she said it was possibly Schreient. Asuka appeared in his mind's eye, and he just knew he'd have a chance to rescue her from the horrible life she was living. Yuuko's word's echoed in his mind, '...she'll not be the same no matter how much you try to make her Asuka again...'

He gritted his teeth and thought, 'I'll show you, you bitch. Asuka will remember me and I'll get her back, safe and sound!'


He and Ken broke into the first Kundalini research lab. Omi and Aya were at a distance, covering their backs. Ken was busy hacking into the computer and downloading information. A red whip cracked out of the dark and shattered the computer Ken was working on.

Youji jumped back and prepared himself for a fight. Ken leaped out of the window and he lost track of him in an effort to escape. Asuka jumped in front of him before he could follow Ken, and she started punching at him rapidly.

"Asuka? You're Asuka, right?" He was in disbelief that she would ever attack him like this. There had to be a fragment of memory somewhere to jar her back to reality. After all, the trip up to the cabin she had remembered leaning against someone like him.

"I don't need you to tell me who I am!" She landed her fist on his jaw, knocking him on his backside. A red whip flared out at his face.

Schön lashed at him and shouted, "Hey handsome, would you like to play around with me now?"

He looked over to Neu who stood back with a smile on her face, eyes unreadable behind her dark glasses. "Asuka? Don't you recognize me? It's me Youji!"

He held up a stool to keep the whip from hitting his face. Schön snarled, "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

He took the pause as a chance to leap up. He headed right to Neu. "Asuka!"

She readied herself and slammed a knee into his stomach, winding him. Then she landed a blinding set of punches and kicks all over Youji's body. He was too shocked to defend himself. Schön was cackling and Hell said, "Not yet. Beat him to a pulp first, then kill him. Make him regret ever being born."

She continued her onslaught, as per Hell's instructions. In his mind's eye he saw Asuka, as she once was. She cried out to him, "Youji!"

His mind engaged in the one-sided fight as Neu pulled back her hand with a growl. He grabbed it, swung her around, and clenched her in his arms.

"Let go."

"No."

"Let go!"

"I won't."

Her body slackened in his arms. Schön screamed, "Neu, what are you doing?"

Ken came smashing back into the lab through a window. He shouted at Schön, "I will be your date!"

Aya came charging in through the door. "Schreient!"

He took a slash at Hell, but she and Schön leaped out the smashed window. There were some squealing car tires. That's when Neu landed two elbows on Youji's stomach and tried to leave with the rest of Schreient.

Ken ran over to Youji, who was on the ground. "Youji!"

They stood in time to see Hell behind the wheel of their pink VW Bug. Schön and Tot were inside already. Hell was trying to run Aya over, however, one of Omi's crossbow bolts hit the roof and startled Hell. She swerved and hit Neu instead. Youji watched in horror as she lay motionless on the ground.

"Asuka!"

The pink VW Bug sped off into the night without retrieving Neu. Youji scrambled over to Neu and felt a wave a relief sweep him when could see she was still breathing.


He was helping her put on one of his shirts when Ken came knocking on his door, announcing "Youji, I'm coming in." No doubt the ex-soccer player was too used to living with three other men. Ken barged in, unaware there was any reason to suspect he could embarrass himself or the occupants.

The shocked and embarrassed expression on Ken's face was priceless. Youji finished helping Asuka put on one of his shirts and asked, "What is it?" to Ken.

A flustered Ken was blushing profusely before slamming the door shut. He could heard Omi out in the hallway call Ken weird, and Ken trying to franticly stop him from coming into Youji's room. Youji helped Asuka settle on his bed; then he went over to the door. They paused and looked up at him.

Omi asked, "What did the doctor's say?"

He reported her condition and sat beside her, laying his hand on her shoulder as she drifted off to sleep. He couldn't take his eyes off of her or stop smiling at her. This was good fortune. He would have lots of time to help her remember what they once had. He was going to prove Yuuko wrong. He'd go find that shop once Asuka was recovered and tell Yuuko to take all of her talk of Hitsuzen and shove it.

Omi laid some medicine for Asuka on the the nightstand, and Youji gave him a sincere thanks. It wasn't long before Omi and Ken were out to check out more labs. Youji stayed by Asuka's side, gazing at the full moon, daring the night sky to snatch away his happiness.

A soft touch on his bruised check startled him. He turned to see Asuka. She had a distressed expression. "Did I do that?"

He grabbed her shoulders, hope was bubbling up inside of him. "Asuka, did you remember something?"

"Ouch!" she said, pulling away from him and crawled to the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm just... My head hurts when I try to remember."

He laid his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, don't try so hard. You can remember a little bit at a time."

Her smile was warm and her eyes were so trusting. No, she had hadn't changed from the person he had fallen in love with, not deep inside.

"Youji..."

Aya came into Youji's room, uninvited, with a dour face. He addressed Asuka with a flat tone. "Tell me where my sister is."

Youji knew he should be understanding towards Aya, but this wasn't the time. "I don't know," Asuka said, standing from the bed. Aya lunged at her and started shaking her shoulders. His eyes were smoldering in anger.

"Where is my sister!"

"Hold it!" Youji got in between Asuka and Aya. He was about to take a swing on the redhead when Omi and Ken came charging in to break things up. "Please leave her alone for a little while! I'll ask her about your sister."

Ken was struggling to hold Aya back when Omi said, "That's fine, isn't it, Aya!"

Aya marched out, certainly not mollified. Youji knew if he had any hope of reaching Asuka, he'd have to do it without the rest of Weiss around.


"Ah... Watanuki, that full moon is particularly lovely," Yuuko declared before polishing off her cup of sake. She waved the cup at her part-timer and he scowled at her.

"I just filled it up! More! All ready? Mokona, you better pace yourself better! You're as bad as she is," Watanuki griped at the little black, ball curled up on Yuuko's lap in a buzzed state.

"Tonight is surely a night for complaints," she said with a small frown. "You and an unhappy customer are sure a wet blanket on this moon gazing party."

"Unhappy customer?" Watanuki asked, looking back into the house to see if someone had shown up. He turned to look at her when she didn't answer right away. She looked up at the moon and then turned her head to give him a serene smile.

"When a wish is granted there is always a chance that the results won't please the customer. People think they're wishing for happiness, they think they're getting their way, but eventually Hitsuzen will have its way and they get what they wished for, not the happiness they thought it would bring. It's unbreakable. Alway keep that in mind, Watanuki." He nodded somberly pondering what she said. "Just like it's inevitably that you'll fill my sake cup," she said in a sing-song way with a cheery smile.

"I swear you are the biggest lush in all of Japan!"


She couldn't walk around in his clothing, so he naturally thought to take Asuka to her favorite boutique. He had accompanied her plenty of times, always happy to lend his opinion on what looked best on her. Asuka picked some outfits and went to go change.

He chatted with the sales clerk he used to see quite frequently. His eyes lit on a hat that was the same style Asuka used to have. He was about to get it for her again, but she stepped from the changing room in an elegant dress, rather than her normal, casual attire. He was stunned at her her new appearance, but it wasn't in an unpleasant way. He got a little uneasy when she didn't remember shopping there.

He thought another way to jog her memory was to take her to her favorite restaurant. He decided to test her, let her pick where she wanted to eat in the ocean view restaurant. His heart sank when she picked a dark corner rather than a window seat. He wasn't going to let that deter him.

She explained that she was afraid of well lit places. He kicked himself mentally. It was too soon to treat this as if it were old times. He had to accept that loosing her memories had changed her some. He had to learn to accept those changes right now and gently coax her back to old self. He had to remain persistent, but he was disturbed about what dark things she'd been through while they had been apart.

He brushed aside that dark train of thought and lofted his wine glass. He'd remain upbeat for her. He christened the day the anniversary of their new life together and was pleased to see a soft smile on her dark lips.


After lunch he took Asuka to an obscure hotel, he headed back to Weiss. He had to straighten things out with Aya. He overheard them grumbling about not turning up anything at the rest of the Kundalini research labs. He waited until Aya grilled Ken about Youji's whereabouts.

Aya then spotted him in the shadows. He marched over and demanded, "Where is Aya-chan?"

"I haven't asked her yet."

"Then I'll ask."

"Go ahead. But I won't tell you where she is."

Aya clutched the front of his shirt. He was in a murderous rage. Omi grabbed Aya from behind and pulled him back from Youji. "Calm down! Both of you!"

Ken got in Youji's face. "You know how Aya feels, why don't you help him out?"

"Fine, but if she has no memories what good is it to harass her?" He felt as though that question should be something he needed to ask himself. He pushed that thought aside and decided to take another verbal poke at Aya. "Or will you torture her until she confesses?"

"But what if you're being fooled?" Ken's logical question shot anger through him, and he landed a punch right on Ken's jaw in reflex. Had he made a foolish wish with Yuuko? Ken's question cruelly mocked his failure to get Asuka anywhere close to her old self. This was Asuka, but once again, he was taunted with the price for his wish. 'Your peace will be short lived and you'll have to go back to doing your night work again because of her.'

Youji turned to leave. Ken got to his feet and asked calmly, "You're coming back, right?"

He turned and left before anything further was said. He was going to be persistent and win her back. The way to do that was to get Asuka to remember which Kundalini research lab was harvesting spines from innocent people, so he could be done with Weiss and take her away to some place private.

It was time for him to do something drastic so that her mind would latch onto any memory. He picked her up from the hotel and drove her in silence to the warehouse by the dock where they were shot. He walked her towards the spot and said, "Here it is."

She grabbed her head, eyes wide in distress. "I... that's right... I was..."

"That's right. You're Asuka!" he said, grabbing her upper arms. Hope coursed through him. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"And then I was Neu."

"Yes! You have to remembered where that lab is or I can't finish this mission and leave Weiss. I need to create a life with you free of Weiss and Schreient. Tell me so we can leave it all behind and regain our happiness."

Her eyes dropped to one side and she nodded. "Yes... it was that first one you searched. The one we fought at."

"But we didn't find anything."

"That's because the real Kundalini lab is located in the basement. Also, the girl we kidnapped is there."

"That's it! Come on, Asuka." He pulled her along with him, anxious to leave this place behind and start new.


"Yeap, it seems like it." Youji was grateful to see Ken smiling at him rather than holding a grudge. He had left Asuka in his room at the apartment he shared with Weiss. They'd all agreed to this mission. After some assurances they broke into the basement laboratory with several spines encased in glass.

Youji said, "They certainly have bad taste."

"Aya-chan where are you?" Aya called out.

"She's not here," Tot's childish voice called out from above. The ladies of Schreient were standing on a balcony above them without Neu.

"Welcome, foolish men of Weiss," Hell said.

"Poor things fell right into our trap," Tot said. Dread stabbed at Youji's heart; what if Ken were right and he had been played for a fool. What if Yuuko were correct and Asuka was a stranger to him?

"How does it feel to be betrayed by one of your own?" Schön asked, looking right at Youji.

"Betrayed?" Ken asked, not putting it together as quickly.

"Here goes," Tot said, yanking a rope. The room rumbled.

"What's this?" Ken asked

"An earthquake?" Omi asked, before the floor fell out from underneath him.

"Omi!" Ken shouted just as spikes dropped from the ceiling, everyone scattering from the chaos.

"Ken?" Youji called out, unable to see his teammate through the thick smoke.

"I'm okay, but Omi is hurt," he called out.

"You better pay attention or we'll kill you," Tot said. With that, Tot, Hell, and Schön leaped down at them. Youji watch Hell knock Aya to the ground, and he went to the redhead's defense. He got out his wire, about attacked Hell, when Asuka jumped in the way. He was surprised to see her, dressed as Neu once again.

He paused. "Asuka?"

"Cut it out, that gives me the creeps," she said coolly. She had a sly smile now. "It was all an act, and you didn't doubt it for a second." There was some commotion going on behind him, but he was fixated on this new, horrid Asuka. "You're just clinging to stupid memories..."

"No! You're..." He paused, realizing the full horror of his wish coming true and the price he had paid for it.

"No, I'm Neu. I'm Takatori Masafumi's assistant, body guard, and his..."

Youji's stomach turned sour, and he couldn't bear the next word she was about to say. The crack of Schön's whip sounded in his ears behind him. 'I wish she would have really died that day!'

He could hear Ken's frantic yelling for help in the background. It brought him around again to his persistence. "Asuka, try to remember."

She now had a gloating smirk. "Ha! Asuka, Asuka, what a pathetic man. Every time you call me Asuka, it makes me sick."

"Asuka..."

"How pitiful, you really don't get it, do you?"

"No, you are Asuka."

"You and your simple ambitions, are you really a man?" she mocked. "Not like my dear Masafumi..."

"Your Masafumi..." The breath left him as he realized this Asuka was twisted into something that was a filthy perversion of the one he knew and loved.

"Die!" she shouted and lunged at him with her fist. He flung himself backwards to avoid her. "But killing you doesn't avenge him! I'm going to torture you and you'll die slowly in pain!"

She landed on his body and pinned him to the ground. She grinned and chuckled maniacally. "What a fool." She wrapped her hands around his throat. His mind went to some of his fond memories of Asuka as the reality of the situation hit. It was either fight her or die.

His hands quickly got a hold of several strand of wire and he looped it around her throat before she realized what he was doing. He pulled it tight. She grasped at it and let go of Youji's throat, flinching back to get away from him. In a flash he had them on their feet and he was able to flip her over onto his back, where she was thrashing around, her feet unable to reach the ground to get out of the hold.

He kept the wires tight and put on even more pressure, he was blinded by his rage at her betrayal with Masafumi. Known or unknown, the idea of her loving another man was too much. His persistence came to its end as he realized the old Asuka was truly dead and this new one was hellbent on killing him.

She struggled to get air and thrashed. Youji held her tight as he forced himself to stay hardened against her. If she would have begged for mercy, he would have granted it. Instead, she did the one thing to seal her doom.

"Masafumi..." she gasped. "I love you."

The scream ripped itself from his chest as he pulled the wires tighter, snuffing out Asuka's twisted existence as Neu.

To be continued.