Chapter 10: The Forgotten Taste (WARNING: DARK MATERIAL)

The kid gloves are off. Albus and I fought each other at full speed and strength while the others are doing the same against his clones. During our fight Albus tries to dig into my head as he said, "Do you remember how your companion died?!"

"Shut up!"

I whip my Rinkaku towards him as he jump in the air to dodge. He got up in the trees so I had to follow.

"Do you remember her screams as I feast upon her flesh?!"

"I SAID SHUT THE HELL UP!"

I sent all four of my Shining Scales at him but he stop them with his own black tentacles. He's going into his second stage of transformation.

"I bet you're wondering about the taste of her flesh? Shall I remind you on that very day?"

I brought myself to charge at him and use my Rinkaku to hit him across the trees. "Miss me." said Albus right close to my ear and he grabbed me to throw me to the ground. It was only an illusion that I've hit. Before I could get up his tentacles pinned my Shinning Scales against the earth's soil. I punch him in the face but he stop me from doing it again by wrapping my wrists with one of his tails to pin them above my head.

He took off my mask as he said, "Now that's the face I know. Not this demonic jester."

"Get off of me!"

"Do you remember? Do you remember the taste of her flesh?"

"Stop it!"

"You have forgotten. Well I can't have that. I want a Doctor that remembers every single second of that beautiful moment."

"What are you doing?! STOP!"

He place his hand on my forehead and dig his claws into the skin. I screamed in agonizing pain as the memory I tried so hard to lock away came back to me.

... (The Lost Memory)

I watched him torture and butchered my companion. While I couldn't do nothing. My wrists are chained above me and my ankles shackled to the ground that forces me on my knees. I couldn't even tell him to stop. My mouth is shut by this black strap that's fasten around my head. I scream and tried my hardest to beg him to stop, but he just kept on going.

When my companion was pierced through the stomach by one of his tentacles. She looked towards me with those pleading eyes. She wants me to stop this, she can't even say the words help from all the screaming she's making. These chains are chaffing my skin so much from trying to get out of them. I'm pulling them as hard as I can to get out but the shackles aren't going to allow that.

The worst of it has arrived. When I see him eating her flesh from the stomach area. He moved his way up to her shoulder. Right now he's just toying with her. He loves how my companion screams. He loves every minute of pain she's feeling.

My hearts broke when she tried to reach out to me. Her one hand outstretch to me and I can't even reach out to her. I cried so much I can barely see her through my tears. Her hand dropped as she grew quiet. But I saw a smile spreading across her face. She then spoke the words I'll ever hear for the last time, "Don't worry Doctor... I'll be okay... Don't think this is your fault... I've had the most wonderful time with you... I love... you."

The life left her eyes as I screamed out her name even though it can't be heard. I've lost a companion who died in the most gruesome and painful way possible. He stopped when she became quiet. Anger, sadness, and anguish consumed my very being. I couldn't stop this from happening. I couldn't prevent this fate from befalling upon her.

The Chernabog stand up and walk towards me. He took the gag off as I shouted at him, "YOU BASTARD! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Pay? Or thanked?"

He walk back over to her body. I shouted, "DON'T TOUCH HER! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

"Relax. I'm just going to share my meal with you."

"What did you say?!"

He rip her heart out and began tearing it into pieces. "I bet you're dying for a taste. Do you know what humans taste like?"

"Stop it!"

"No of course you don't. You love humans. So it's only right that you should know what the people you've been trying to protect taste like."

"You're not going to make me eat my friend!"

"Shhh. Not make, help. I swear to you now, Doctor. Once you get a taste you won't stop eating it. The taste is not like anything in this universe. Let me help you eat your beloved companion."

"No no no no! Please don't!"

He shoved pieces of her heart into my mouth and made sure I didn't spit it out. It was vile and disgusting. My tongue was rejecting the taste of blood. He tilted my head to make the meat slid down my throat. When it gotten into my stomach I wanted to throw up but all of a sudden... I've found it satisfying.

What the hell am I thinking?! He's forcing me to eat my friend!

"She says she loves you." he said, "Were you two more than just friends?"

When he removed his hand from my mouth I spat upon his face. "GO TO HELL!" I shouted. He wiped it off and simply laughed.

"Cute. I'm going to make you eat every bit of her heart. It's only right that you eat the best part of her. What was her name again? You said something earlier but I couldn't hear it. I bet it was her name. What was it now?"

"... -,"

... (Back to Aokigahara Forest)

"...Echo." I struggled out her name from my lips. Tears over flooded from my eyes. "Echo..." I said her name again. Remembering every moment I've spent with her. Every memory, all the adventures we've shared, and all the emotions we've felt. After Donna I couldn't take it anymore. That's when I've found her, my Echo. "Echo!" I said it again.

"Now you remember, don't you Doctor?" said Albus, "You remember the taste of your precious Echo?"

"ECHO!"

I use my Rinkaku to rip from his hold and stab him through the gut with all four of my Shining Scales. The moment my hands were free I run my right arm straight through his chest. "SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME! AND YOU TOOK YOU AWAY!"

I threw him across the woods as he crashed into a tree. "Echo... I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. If I wasn't so damn weak you've wouldn't been eaten by him. Nor by me."

I remember what she tasted like. What her heart tasted like. A part of her is now inside me.

"Do you enjoy it now?!" called out Albus as he walk back towards me, "Do you enjoy feasting upon the flesh of Humans?"

"No I don't. It pains me everyday to eat their flesh. That's why I locked away the memory of her to forget the taste. Now that can't be helped."

I took out a bottle of Sudin from my coat's pocket. I popped it open and drank the substance to boost my RC cells so I can heal my damaged Rinkaku. It was hard to push them through Albus's tentacles since I had to rip them to get out. Now that I'm energized I can perform at a faster level. It will give me enough time to take him out.

I pick up my mask and put it back on. I run towards him and attack with my fully healed Rinkaku. He tried to block it with his own tentacles but I slice them right through. "You know I'm getting a little tired playing with you. I think it's about time I end this."

He finally transformed into his final stage. As more shadows emit from his body his winds spread from the back and the pair of horns grew from the head. As the tentacles grew back he attack me at full force. I blocked it but the impact sent me flying and broke through a large tree. He flew fast to bring in another attack. I had to jump high to dodge it.

When I thought I was out of the way he rushed in another hit as his claws run through my stomach. "GET OFF ME!" I hit him away with my Rinkaku. Except without him taking any damage he suddenly appeared right in front of me and grab me by the throat. I dug my Shining Scales into his torso and arm, but he wasn't letting go.

"I wonder how many times is it going to take to break you?"

Before I could even blink all six of his tentacles pierced through my torso. I've coughed up so much amount of blood it knock my mask off. He thrown me against the ground so hard I could barely get back up. Albus came down to claw at my stomach and began eating chunks from my Rinkaku. I was screaming so much from the pain I tried to get him off, but my strength is failing me.

"Doesn't this take you back Doctor?!" he said, "You now know the pain that your beloved Echo went through! Though I gotta say, you taste way better than that pathetic Human!"

"GET OFF OF HIM!" he was suddenly hit off me by a Ukaku. I looked to see that I was saved by Donna.

"Doctor can you stand?!" she said.

"Donna get out of here!" I choked out the words, but now Albus has his eyes on her.

"Well this is something I've haven't seen before." He said, "Looks like you've beaten my clone. Now let's see what you can do against me!"

The two attack each other while I'm stuck in the ground. I can't get up. My healing factor has slowed down. He's damaged my body so much I can't do anything now. No this can't be happening! He's going to do the same thing to Donna what he did to Echo!

Get up dammit! GET THE FUCK UP!

Suddenly I've felt tired. I can't feel anything in my body anymore. Am I dying? What's happening to me?

"Doctor?"

"... Echo?"