Authors note: I would like to apologize once again for the late update. I won't waste your time with excuses, but I honestly was really busy so I hope you can forgive me. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was a challenge to write because I couldn't make up my mind on how I wanted things to go, but I decided that I shouldn't make you wait any longer. Hope it isn't as bad as I think it is haha :)
"You can?" My voice cracked as I slowly lifted my head up to look him in the eyes. To my surprise there was no smug look on his face, but instead a serious one. One that reassured me he meant what he said. Those terrifying white eyes looked so inviting and warm when I finally met them with my own.
"Yes I can. I can take it all away for you." His voice was smooth and low drawing me in. "No longer would you ever remember that day. I can make you forget it all."
For a moment I felt lost again. Like I was alone and no one was coming for me. My only company and the only person that was willing to save me from my own darkness were right here in front of me. His words swirling around my mind making my head throb. Memories replaying over and over again despite how much I cried from them to stop.
"They're never coming back." I whispered more to myself than the demon in front of me. I've told myself this before and every time it burned, but for some reason I always believed I deserved the torture.
"No they never are, but I can make you forget that they ever existed, dear." His cold hand was resting on my shoulder in a comforting manner. It was strange, but I could have sworn somewhere in the back on my mind I could hear a growl.
"Make me forget…?"
He smiled warmly at me before moving his hand from my shoulder to my cheek. Again I could hear a faint growl in the distance that somehow sounded familiar. "Forget everything. None of your past memories will ever exist. You will have no recollection of anything. Nothing up until this point will matter anymore."
He continued smiling at me and kept his hand on my cheek. The warm tears that had been building in my eyes started to roll down my cheeks. The dark world around me only appeared to be getting darker the more I felt myself slip away inside. The barrier against my back and the man in front of me seemed to be the only solid things I could come in contact with. This world I was trapped in was like a mirror into my mind. The only thing in it…was me.
My eyes fell back on Akumu's and I contemplated what he had said. He could take all of this pain away. He could remove all of the darkness that rested in my heart. He could bring light back into this world for me. I would never remember anything. None of the horrid beatings I'd received. None of the humiliating seizures that would attack me in public. No longer would the deaths of my parents plague my mind. I could forget it all…
"YUUKI!" My eyes widened at the emotion filled shriek of my name. Kagome? I looked around and ignored the shocked and annoyed look on Akumu's face. Was she here? How could she be here?
In that moment other memories began playing out before me in this world replacing the dark ones.
"What's your name?" The little bright and bubbly seven year old with the black bob asked. The yellow sundress seemed to compliment her personality perfectly. Her Brown eyes were full of life as she smiled down at the younger version of myself.
"I'm Yuuki." I spoke shyly looking down at my worn out white sneakers.
"I'm Kagome! Come on it's no fun to be alone! Come play with me and my friends!" She held her hand out to me and slowly that scared little girl reached out her tiny hand and placed it in the others and together they walked away.
"Kagome." I said her name aloud and suddenly it was like she was there right next to me. I could almost feel her presence on my right as though she were hiding just beyond this barrier.
"Yuuki! Can you hear us?" Another voice caught me and Akumu off guard as it floated through the darkness. Was that Inuyasha? Same as last time a new memory was beginning to act itself out before me.
"Ya know you're really strange." Inuyasha said off handedly as we strolled around the village together. This was the day right after Sesshomaru left to find Akumu and Kagome had returned home.
"You sure know how to compliment someone." I sarcastically replied to him. "What do you mean by that anyway?"
"You and Kagome both are weird. You guys always seem happy. Every time I look over at you, you got a dumb smile on your face."
"Hahaha is that it? So what I like to be happy. Being negative is boring!" I skipped up ahead of him and did a handstand, or at least attempted too. The whole time I laughed whole heartedly and enjoyed the feeling of freedom.
"See! How in the world can you be so happy? Even when you're making a fool of yourself!" He was trying to be serious but you could see the corners of his mouth beginning to turn up into a smile at my shenanigans.
"Because it's fun!" I yelled while twirling around. I barely caught the serious look through my spins that made its way on his face.
"Ya know…whatever it is that's going on with that cursed eye…you don't have to face it alone." I put a halt on my spinning and tuned to face him. Normally I would have asked if he was sick for looking so thoughtful at the moment, but what he said actually warmed my heart.
"Thanks Inuyasha. I didn't know you could be so kind." I lightheartedly added at the end with a huge smile.
"Keh, don't get used to it Cyclopes."
The walls of the black prison began to fade away as a smile stretched on my face at the warm memories that were coming back to me. They filled up the darkness and engulfed the other terrifying memories of my past. Almost as though the more happy thoughts that made their way into my mind the more of the dark ones were consumed and drowned out.
"Grrr listen girl! You can't go on with those memories! You'll be tormented for the rest of your miserable life if you hold onto them! Let me take them away from you!" Akumu shouted forcefully grabbing my head and moving it to face him. He looked to be losing his confidence.
"Yuuki." My eyes widened at the new voice that traveled to my ears. At the same time my heart picked up its pace as my mind registered who the owner of the deep voice was.
"Sesshomaru?" I called out into the darkness. I ignored Akumu as he continued to try and pry my attention away from anything else and onto him. My eyes searched for Sesshomaru through the black abyss, but came up empty. The only thing that seemed to appear was the beginning of yet another memory. This one I remembered all too well. There we were under that tree by the river behind the village. I watched how in the blink of an eye we were standing apart and then he closed the distance between us and captured my lips. This perfect moment that would soon be interrupted by the monstrous nightmare demon. The demon that was trying to take away all of these memories and destroy me.
Looking back in front of me I saw Akumu standing looking out toward the memory as well with a look of frustration. The moment my eyes fell on him I remembered all of the horrible things he'd done. How he almost attacked Rin, how he killed that women out in the woods. The damn curse he placed on my eye! My anger was rapidly building as I rose from my sitting position to face him. My fury only grew as I thought about how for a moment I was about to let him beat me.
"NO."
"What was that?" He bit out looking my way once again.
"I said no. I'm keeping my memories. All of them." The world around me seemed to be falling apart as I faced the man. It felt like he was losing control and I was gaining it.
"You won't be able to live with them! You have no one you can trust!" He yelled out desperately.
"I have plenty people I can trust!" I shouted back at him. "So what I'll have to live with my past! I'm not the only one in the world who's had a difficult time! I'm going to move on with my life and I absolutely refuse to let my past get the better of me. Forgetting is too easy! I've decided to forgive myself instead! I will not let you WIN!" I screamed at the top of my lungs at him. My hands shot to my head as I fought against the power of the curse. Battling it out with the darkness in my mind with the light that had been hiding there all along. I could hear Akumu curse as I pushed him out successfully at last.
Both eyes soon shot open and no longer was I lost in pitch black, but instead I lay on the floor of kaede's hut breathing heavily with Rin at my side. I lay quietly for a moment in confusion as I remembered I had blacked out in a pile of snow outside a cave. It only meant that instead of chasing after Akumu, Sesshomaru had carried me safely here. I couldn't help the smile that played on my lips.
"Yuuki-chan!" Rin screamed as black mist poured in through the door of the hut. Rin threw herself on top of me unaware that I was awake in an attempt to protect me. The wind was knocked out of me as her little body struggled to hide me from the mist.
"Rin! Hurry get up!" I shouted grabbing her and pulling her to the farthest corner from the door. She looked surprised at my sudden movement, but soon her face shone brightly with happiness.
"Yuuki you're awake!" She exclaimed grabbing onto my leg in a hug. I smiled down to her, but quickly remembered the predicament we were in. The mist crept toward us and began building itself up. It began to form in the shape of a man and I knew all too well who it would be. I also knew that he wouldn't be in a good mood to see me at the moment. Scanning he room for means of escape I came up empty and pushed Rin behind me. I called out for help as Akumu fully stood before me with a very unpleasant look on his face.
"I don't need your permission girl. It will be just as satisfying taking your nightmares by force!" He growled out and lunged toward us. I screamed and brought my arms up to shield my face clenching my eyes shut in the process.
"Gahuuh…" A gasp pf pain made its way to my ears, but it wasn't me who made the sound. Nervously I slowly peeked open my eyes to investigate. In front of me was a broad back clothed in white and shielded with armor.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin yelled excitedly. He was standing right before us with his right hand inside Akumu's chest where his heart should be. Those milky eyes were wide open with pain as they stared at the powerful and fuming demon before him. Sesshomaru's aura filled up the hut, surrounding Rin and I in a protective manner.
"Stay behind me." He commanded without even looking over his shoulder at us. It was obvious he wasn't removing his eyes from his prey. I couldn't see his face from where I stood, but I could imagine the look that could kill he was most likely portraying. I had after all been on the receiving end of it once before.
Akumu moved back yanking the hand from his chest. "I hope you know it will take a lot more than that to kill me." He breathed out as black mist formed healing the wound in his chest.
"You're not gonna get away Akumu!" Inuyasha shouted jumping in through the door way. Sango and Miroku stood battle ready right outside it and I could see Kagome pull out an arrow and ready it in her bow behind them. There was no chance that he could escape now and I had so much confidence that this was it. This would be the last time we ever had to deal with this living nightmare.
"Hehe…Oh really?" He smirked gathering his power. He was trying to fade away like he did every other time before. This time felt different, however. It felt as though something in my mind was slipping away as well. It was as if a part of him still resided in my mind from the curse. My eyes widened at the realization and I quickly closed my eyes to concentrate. He was not getting away this time.
"AhhEhh!" I moaned in pain as I fought to keep the power in my mind from slipping away. I fell to my knees holding my head while concerned looks were thrown my way. "HURRY AND KILL HIM!" I screamed out hoping they wouldn't stop to ask questions.
"She still has some of the curse on her!" Miroku understood, thankfully, enlightening the others to my current struggle. "She is keeping him from escaping! This is our last chance!"
"Don't have to tell me twice." Inuyasha said raising his unsheathed sword. It was hard to pay attention to anything else any longer as my face made hard contact with the floor. I could hear the scuffle that took place and the shouts that rang through the small hut. Soon the pressure from my head was released and I struggled to catch my breath.
My heart was racing and things were blurry for a moment, but I could still see him kneel down next to me. I could still feel his hand as it cupped my cheek making me smile. I could still feel the warmth it left behind as he rose and walked away taking that previous smile and pulling it into a sad frown.