Note: Christmas is coming, and so is the end of this story! :)
How?
Why...?
His chest was tight as he watched Yui scurry between the three seats across the table.
Laito pulled Yui into his lap. "Feed me, Bitch-chan~"
Her smile was a little awkward. "Say, 'ahh'..."
Azusa watched Laiyo lick Yui's fingers with disbelief.
Yui wiggled free and received a slap on her butt for it, but it made her sigh instead of grow angry. She turned to her left and beamed. "You too, Kanato-kun~"
"Shut up, you're so annoying." Kanato snapped, but nevertheless allowed Yui to feed him a creampuff.
"Titless, I want takoyaki!"
Yui darted around Laito— but noticeably didn't dodge Laito's wandering hands— and chirped, "Of course!" Yui fed him one, but then giggled and grabbed a napkin. "Your face…"
His hand stopped her. "No… use your lips."
"Ayato-kun!" She blushed, but obediently did as she was told by licking a bit of sauce off Ayato's cheek. The way she ducked her head, her cheeks rosy, was so familiar that it hurt.
Because Yui's eyes flickered past Azusa like he didn't exist.
Because when Azusa reached out to her in joy, she flinched back and asked who he was.
Unable to think very well, Azusa picked up a knife and gazed at its reflection. The familiar weight in his hand was comforting, the sharp edge a friendly sight...
Across the table, something clattered.
Someone screamed.
He was a little too numb when he finally looked up and found Kanato pouring boiling tea onto Yui, but he moved to her side instantly. "Stop it…!"
The tea scalded pink spots onto the skin of her legs, but Yui still glared at him. "Leave me alone!"
Kanato smiled sweetly at Azusa. He held out his hands, and Yui darted into them in that quick way she often did, almost like she felt scared the offer will be taken back.
Getting out of his seat, Laito feigned concern. "Let me see your legs, Bitch-chan~"
"Oh!"
Azusa could only watch in horror as Yui allowed the brothers to touch her.
"What the fuck happened, " Yuma started their meeting with a growl.
The four Mukami brothers gathered in their living room in the same way they used to discuss the Apple of Adam plan.
Kou toyed with his bracelets and stretched his legs out on a couch. "M Neko-chan got brainwashed."
Ruki didn't scold Kou for putting shoes on the fabric, and his face was calm. "It's only been a week since her disappearance. It is highly unlikely to be psychological trauma and conditioning that made her this way." Ruki folded his hands together. "This has to be an enchantment."
"Kanato could do it. He's always been a magical little creep." Shu's sudden interjection sounded very dull and bored… he was abruptly in the room, sprawled across the couch shared by Yuma. His head was in Yuma's lap, in fact.
Yuma squawked and shoved him onto the floor. Again, he shouted, "What the fuck!"
"That's my usual spot."
"Fuck you, you shitty aristocrat—"
"Restrain yourself, Yuma." To Shu, Ruki demanded clarification: "You believe this is Kanato Sakamaki's doing?"
Azusa gripped his bandaged arm. Kanato, who poured tea on Yui and almost killed her… Azusa could imagine how it felt to have him in your head, and he didn't like the thought.
Poor Yui-san suffered...
"Yeah." Still splayed out on the floor like a log, Shu added. "His mother was a crazy magical bitch, too."
Another smooth voice cut in: "His mother, Cordelia, had first blood—that is, the blood of the ancestors, who were pursuing us not so long ago. You may know that her heart was given to Komori-san." Reiji appeared on the edge of the room. He pushed back his glasses. "Their blood connection could have been used to influence her as well."
"Magic, huh… Ahh, that's not so bad." Kou grinned. "If it's magic, we might be able to break the spell on the princess~"
Azusa touched his mouth. "I see. Would it help... if I gave her a kiss?"
Reiji shot him a glare. "That would be highly unrealistic. Are you a child who believes in fairy tales?"
Azusa lowered his eyes.
"Well, why are you here, anyway?" Yuma, who refused to move from the couch, glared at Shu, who was still sprawled out by his feet.
It was Reiji, however, who explained: "Komori-san's memories have been so thoroughly altered that she cannot remember anyone but the triplets. This is deeply inconvenient, as she no longer respects any other authority or protocol. Her recent behavior has been deplorable."
He understood. Reiji-san was angry, too. Azusa nodded and turned to the window seat. "What about you…. Subaru-san?"
Subaru, who had been hiding over there, now jumped. "Creepy!" He ran his hand through his hair and muttered, "Why is she so into such a creepy dude, I don't get it…"
Azusa blinked. Had he surprised Subaru-san…? But he just came in...
Kou leaned over the edge of his couch and called, "Nice of you to come, Subaru-kun~!"
"Whatever." Subaru leaned towards the open window as if he might disappear again. "Do you have a plan or what?"
"I do." Ruki stated cooly, commanding the attention of the room. "Emotion. That woman is ruled by it, for better or worse." Ruki looked away. "If I interrogate her thoroughly, I may be able to pierce through the illusion."
"Hm. It's not implausible." Reiji said. "I believe you'd need power of my Father's caliber to entirely rewrite a mind in one week. There ought to be some contradictions within her memories to exploit."
Ruki nodded. "However, the triplets will be on their guard against us."
Yuma cracked his knuckles. "So it's seven-vs-three?"
"There will be no brawling in Eden." Reiji's tone was icy. He glanced at Ruki with cool red eyes. "You need a distraction."
"Guess I can take the tiny magic one. I'm pretty sturdy." Yuma rolled his shoulders.
"I'll help him," Shu said. He was smiling, just a little.
"I don't want your help!"
"He might set you on fire with magic," Shu pointed out.
"Don't be stupid… Wait, really?"
Reiji took responsibility of distracting Ayato, declaring he may still fear his authority— and household chores— yet, while Kou roped Subaru into tackling the problem with Laito.
Azusa touched the bandages hiding Justin and the others. "Ruki, I… want to be there… with you. Even if she forgot me, I… promised..."
He wouldn't leave her. He promised. He promised he wouldn't leave her all alone.
Ruki met his eyes. "I intend for you to be with me. You may not have noticed the timing, but she dropped the dessert on Kanato when you picked up a knife."
"...Really?" Azusa looked around the room.
"Yep. Her eyes bugged out, I saw it too." Yuma wrinkled his nose.
Kou snorted. "So, you mean… we are going to save M-neko-chan with the power of love?"
Azusa closed his eyes. The conflict inside Yui...was his last hope.
According to the familiars, the triplets split up by themselves.
Kanato would be waylaid in the kitchen - Shu promised there would be a lot of screaming about pudding, but they'd be alright.
Laito would be roped into a game of pool with Subaru and Kou.
Ayato and Yui were in his room, and Reiji would flush Ayato out. Azusa and Ruki waited a good distance away - enough that their scents wouldn't be picked up when Ayato came running out, but close enough that Azusa could hear the signal.
Reiji promised it would sound like—
"Dammit, Reiji!"
"Ayato! You will not escape your responsibilities today!"
It was time to go.
Yui was chained to a dartboard in Ayato's room. Despite this, she frowned and shifted away from them when they entered.
Ruki lifted one sardonic brow. "How convenient."
"Ah… I'll get you down—"
"No, leave her there. This works."
Yui glared. "Who are you?"
"We'd like to ask you a few questions about your masters, livestock."
Yui blinked at them before splitting into a big grin. "Okay!"
"I suppose they would be your favorite subject..."
Azusa stepped away from the two of them and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth.
Ruki gave him a sharp look of reproach, before directing his intense gaze towards Yui. "How do you feel about them?"
"I love them," Yui said with a soft sigh. "I would do anything, anything they wanted…"
"Do you know why that is?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Yui tilted her head. "They're...so kind and good to me…"
"Are they now. Tell me more."
"They're...gentle. They're..." Her strange gaze turned dark, almost puzzled. "They… told me I wouldn't be alone anymore… that they wouldn't do anything I didn't want, and… that it's okay for me to be who I am..."
Strange. This was strange. Why is she talking about… moments she'd shared with him?
Ruki didn't glance at him, honing in on the specifics like a hawk. "Was that Kanato or Ayato? Or Laito, who told you he wouldn't do anything bad to you?" A contemptuous smirk tugged his mouth.
"Laito-kun…" She shuddered and closed her eyes. "He… He's the only one who understands me…"
"Is that so." Ruki's face was intentionally bland and cold. "What about Kanato?"
"He's been so nice to me!" She cheered up immediately, smiling in serene delusion. "He brought me books and tea and roses… he took care of me when I was sick…"
"That wasn't… Kanato-kun," Azusa choked out. His entire body trembled. "That wasn't." Ruki's eyes narrowed in displeasure when he interrupted, so he bit into the hand that covered his mouth.
With a frown, Yui's eyes fixed on the blood dribbling down his chin.
Azusa wiped it away as Ruki pressed the sore spot of Laito again: "Tell me more about Laito, again."
She lifted her chin. "Why? What are you trying to do?"
"Laito... seems to be the button to push." Ruki looked to Azusa and nodded almost imperceptibly—his turn.
Azusa stepped forward. "U-um. The rooftop..." He paused. "It was Laito... wasn't it? Who did something to you…?" He felt guilty about using that experience against her - even now, he could imagine how it felt when she clung to him, stubbornly not crying - but this was the path Ruki insisted upon using...
Yui froze, her eyes growing wide with horror. "I-I… the roof… but, but- after that, I went to the church… with Ayato-kun… and I was able to pray, finally..."
Ruki's eyebrows shot up. He looked to Azusa and stated, "You're quite permissive." He'd figured it out— Yui's memories hadn't been erased, after all. They'd only been edited.
Azusa's eyes skittered away. "...I don't care… if it makes Yui-san happy…"
"In this situation, it is to your benefit." Ruki returned his cool gaze to Yui and observed her tremble. "Recall what else happened in the church. Can you describe what happened?"
Yui faltered. "I don't want to!" Yui broke. "What are you trying to do?"
Ruki sighed. He leaned over and put his face just above her eye level. "Livestock, we want you to consider the possibility that Sakamaki Kanato used magic to rewrite your memories."
She gasped. "What are you saying?"
"Think about this rationally and look into your memories. Are they congruent with what you know about the men you have spoken about? You speak of gentleness and understanding."
"Kanato-kun is kind!"
"Are you sure? Are you sure Kanato didn't call you annoying and shameful? Are you sure Ayato didn't rip you away from someone you cared about to make you his possession? Or that Laito didn't torment you?"
"Stop it! Stop it!"
"I know you can recall this: You remember being with someone in the garden with the sun out? A pureblood vampire would be more sensitive to the sun than impure vampires like us, you know." Ruki paused to let that information hit her.
Her eyes shimmered with fear...and recognition.
"...Puppy," Azusa added awkwardly. "Do you remember a puppy?"
"How…"
Ruki's brows drew together again, but he didn't voice his puzzlement. Instead, he dove back in: "Those three are spoiled aristocrats who monopolize your attention and treat you poorly when you pay attention to anything but them… Do you really think one of those three would be happy to sit quietly and listen to you read? If not one of them, then who?" He glanced at Azusa.
Yui looked horribly shaken. "That was… Kanato-kun? No, Ayato-kun...?"
"Was it? You used to know someone who cared a lot about making you feel better. Who was that?"
"Stop! Leave me alone!" She screamed. She began to kick and twist violently, chanting "stop" over and over.
Ruki remained cool and unaffected by her tantrum. "Who was it? Think about it, Livestock."
"I-I….don't know…!" Her head fell.
Azusa wanted to add more onto what Ruki had said, but it hurt to attack her. It felt...wrong, to do it like this. Yui looked devastated, lost and confused and twisting in the wind. He desperately wanted to put his arms around her and stroke her back, but… she probably wouldn't let him touch her.
When Yui lifted her head again, her expression was totally blank. "Why do you care so much?"
Ruki paused for a moment that stretched out awkwardly. "Someone who is very dear to me needs you."
Azusa bit his lip and crushed his hands against his chest. "Ruki…"
Suddenly, the room was pierced with a growl. "That damn four eyes…" Ayato appeared in a moment of vampiric speed. "Hey, what the fuck are you doing in my room?"
Ayato tried to fight, but Ruki strategically chose to retreat.
Azusa felt awful for leaving Yui chained up there with an angry Ayato.
Ruki stopped outside of Azusa's—no, their bedroom. It was still hers, even if she wasn't using it.
"We may not have pierced the illusion entirely, but the idea is planted in her mind." Ruki folded his arms and leaned against their door. "For now, we just need to let her work through it. Do you understand?"
Azusa got the message: Ruki didn't want him to mess with Yui yet, but… "She's so sad…" He looked up at his big brother and bit a fingernail.
"She wouldn't be so frantic if her faith was unshakable." Ruki's expression grew unfocused with melancholy for a moment. Then he blinked, and the sharp clarity returned to his eyes. "After all, she is Eve. We will not underestimate her again."
Ruki was smart, but… Azusa couldn't quite voice that he knew Ruki could make mistakes, too. Instead, Azusa tried, "I think we need to do more…"