Forbidden Memories

The garden that Miku had mentioned was beautiful, if not slightly creepy. It was a little far ways from the school, behind an old dump. No one could have expected to see it there.

Flowers bloomed around a small gazebo in the center. The hedges looked like they had been trimmed recently. Still, Len couldn't shake the feeling of it being a bit… haunting.

"I thought you said it was abandoned…?" Len asked, looking around.

"Well, not exactly, I guess. I've never seen anyone besides myself come here, but someone is taking care of this place. Pretty, isn't it?" Miku sighed and gazed around.

"Yeah…" Len took a seat next to Miku. He rubbed the back of his head. "So, I'm sorry… if I scared you yesterday…"

Miku looked at him, a bit surprised. She giggled softly. "Silly, why are you apologizing? You're the one that saved me." She looked away again. "Len-kun, do you remember anything from America?"

Len stayed silent for a second, then answered slowly, "Not much. My last days there are a blur." He touched the scar on his forehead. "This is the only thing that I have to go on."

"Your scar…" Miku mused. She reached out her hand. "May I?"

Len nodded, and shivered slightly when Miku's slender fingers touched his scar. Miku withdrew her hand and stared sadly at him. "I knew it…"

"Knew what…?"

Miku put both her hands on her mouth, gasping slightly. "You're the one. The one that helped me so many years ago."

Len grew instantly even more confused. "Miku-chan, what're you talking about?"

"You really don't remember?"

"Remember what?" Len asked again, feeling frustrated. The pieces were all there; his recurring nightmare, his scar, Miku… but how did they all fit? "Miku-chan," Len said sternly but gently, softly gripping her shoulders. "What happened?"

Miku swallowed and took a deep breath. "Seven years ago… I was attacked by a man," she began in a quivering voice…

Seven Years Ago…

America

Miku had gotten lost. She wasn't sure how; one minute, she was playing by the swings, the next, near an old, deteriorating school in a dark alleyway. She stumbled through, crying, "Mommy? Daddy?"

Suddenly, she felt something wet hit her nose. Miku tilted her head up and flinched as rain droplets sprinkled her face. It started to pour, and Miku was momentarily blinded by the downpour. She fell onto the ground, crying even harder, her salty tears mixing with the rain.

"Hello, little girl, do you need help?"

Miku saw someone offer their hand. She looked up into the face of a man. She sniffed and asked, "Can you help me find my mommy?"

The man smiled, and Miku suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "Sure, little girl," the man said, licking his lips. His hand slipped into his back pocket. "If you help me with something first…"

Miku backed up against the wall, shivering slightly. "W-what are you doing-"

The man pulled out a knife, and Miku screamed. He slapped a hand over her mouth roughly and let the knife's blade rest against her cheek. "Don't move. Don't scream. Just enjoy this…" the man whispered. He let the blade run down her face.

Miku sobbed as she writhed under the man's grasp. The rain made it worse, obscuring her vision. All she really had was her sense of touch, and that was all it took for her to realize what was going to happen.

She was going to die.

This man was going to do horrible things to her.

And then he would kill her.

Miku felt blood dripping from her cheek, and her head spun at the smell of blood.

'Mommy…?'

The man started to slide her left sleeve off her shoulder…

'Daddy…?'

'Help me.'

"Mister?"

Miku opened her eyes a little. The man whirled around, baring his teeth. "The hell do you want, little boy?"

A small boy around Miku's age stood in front of the man. His blonde hair was pulled into a small ponytail. However, she couldn't see his face very well, except for his eyes.

The boy's bright blue eyes pierced the man's own. "Why is that little girl bleeding?" he asked.

The man looked slightly taken back. He let go of Miku, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. "You brat, get away from here!" the man cried, brandishing the knife. He lunged for the boy, but the child easily dodged the man's pathetic attempt. The man fell face-first onto the ground and got a mouth full of water and dirt.

The small boy stepped over the man's body and grabbed Miku's hand. "C'mon, let's go!"

Miku nodded and let the boy lead her away, rubbing her face so that maybe she could see her hero clearly.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Miku suddenly felt herself being pulled back by her skirt, and she toppled backward, losing grip on the boy's hand.

When she looked up, Miku screamed. The man held the knife above her, ready to plunge it deep into her head.

She screamed even louder as she watched the knife move, and it seemed as if time had began slow down, everything was in slow motion, and she covered her face with her trembling hands-

Blood.

Blood hit her face.

But it wasn't her own.

The little boy had shielded her from the attack, and now there was a huge slash across the middle of his forehead. Blood gushed from the wound, splashing onto the ground, mixing with the rainwater.

The boy raised his head, looking pale. His blue eyes had turned dark.

The man paused, almost terrified, then raised his hand with the knife again.

Before he could do anything, the blonde boy lunged forward and grabbed the knife from the man's hand. The man stumbled back, horrified, his whole body shaking terribly.

The child didn't miss a beat; he spun in a circle and threw the knife.

Right into the man's chest.

Miku's vocal chords were struck as she watched the man fall to the ground, his body twitching rapidly, his hands shaking as they tried to remove the knife. Blood spurted from his chest and stained his clothes a deep red.

The boy fell to the ground too, feeling faint from loss of blood.

Miku tried to get up to help him, but was startled by the sound of footsteps and urgent voices.

Her green pigtails swung as she got up and reached for the boy.

"Go."

Miku stared at the back of the boy's head. "W-what?" she asked.

"Go." The boy still hadn't turned his head.

She hesitated. "But, I just can't leave you here-"

Finally, he turned his head.

What Miku saw made her freeze.

The boy was smiling. Even with blood pouring down his face, even with the fact that he might have just killed someone, he was smiling. But, it was a kind smile. Not crazy, but kind. And warm.

Though the rain soaked her clothing and left her cold, Miku felt something warm when she saw his smile.

The boy's eyes turned back to a light blue as he said for the third time, "Go."

Miku did not hesitate this time.

She merely nodded and started running away. As she ran, she could hear the screams and gasps. But, she didn't stop. She just kept running.

It was all she could do.

Silence.

Just like how it had been in the classroom, Len was at a loss for words as he finally remembered why he had been sent back to Japan, why he had been forced to leave America.

He had hurt a man. Maybe even killed.

Without meaning to.

No wonder his own parents hated him.

No wonder they wanted to keep Rin away from him.

It was his fault.

All his damned fault.

"L-Len-kun?" Miku began, reaching out her hand. She quickly withdrew it, though, and lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry. I know this must be a lot to take in…but… the man didn't die." She smiled a little. "He was in the hospital for awhile, though… it was in the news… "

Len blew out his breath. "He… didn't die…?" he repeated. He buried his face in his hands. "Thank god…"

Now that he knew what had exactly happened so long ago… how could Len say it?

He felt whole again.

At peace with himself.

After a minute of quiet, Len looked at Miku. "Miku-chan… I want to thank you."

"F-for what?"

"For telling me," he said, taking Miku's hand. "It's been haunting me for awhile. Now that I know," he said, breathing in, "I feel like a huge weight has been lifted."

"Really?" Miku said, blushing. Her hand that Len held shook a little. She felt like she was going a little crazy… he was so close to her.

"Yes," Len said, still smiling. "I don't regret what happened either. I was able to save you, after all."

Miku's heart jumped a little. She smiled too. "… Len-kun. Thank you. So much. Thank… thank you…" she said, crying.

Len put an arm around her, pulling her close, forgetting about Rin for a moment. "Miku, don't cry. Please."

Miku laughed a little. "God, look at me! Even now, I need your help…" She shifted her weight a little, and the little box she was holding fell out of her hands and crashed to the ground, the contents spilling out. There were numerous pictures.

"O-oh no!" Miku said, aghast.

"I'll get them," Len said courteously, bending down.

"N-no!" Miku reached for one picture, but Len beat her to it.

"What do you mean, no?" Len half-laughed, glancing at the picture.

His eyes widened.

Miku started to cry harder when Len looked at her. "Don't look at me like that, please…" she sobbed. "Don't look at me…"

Len looked back at the picture to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Miku… in a simple black bra and underwear… alchohol… chains…

Len searched through the rest of the pictures and found them to all be similar.

He could only ask one thing:

"…why, Miku?"