Dispel

By: Teno Hikari

email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com

* Disclaimers: All fictional characters belong to me ... I mean the ones I made up of course. All the YnM characters belong to .... um .... think brain, think!

* Summary: Based on the 'Two Daddies' Story Arc - Muraki Ruka's peaceful world is suddenly torn apart and she must journey to the past to save her present.

* Warning: violence ... not to gory but not for minors, and yaoi (m/m) pairings ... of course

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'For your happiness, I would do it all over again ...'

The sound of shattering glass rang in her ears as she slowly regained consciousness. Fire ... fire blazed all around, burning away everything that ever meant anything, and left nothing but ash. Ashes, that was all she had left now ... along with her memories. If she didn't move soon, that same fire would consume her as well. Slowly, she tried to pull herself up from the floor and the movement caused her to cough blood onto the floor that was already covered with it.

Her joints screamed at her when she tried to sit up. With a shaking and bleeding hand, she brushed a silver lock of hair from her face and violet eyes gazed through the fire in search for the exit. What they found was that menacing figure that had started it all ... and her lips twisted into a snarl. Angry tears spilled down her cheeks as she reached into the pocket of her pleated skirt and pulled out a rectangular piece of paper.

She cast the barrier quickly to save herself from the blow for a few moments before a reinforced magic attack sent her slamming into the wall behind. The teenager let a cry escape her lips at the impact before sliding down the wall and onto the ground. There was a laugh and she could hear footsteps approach until ...

"Ruka!"

The sound of her name brought the girl to awareness and cold winds whipped around to extinguish the flames. Only the fires were gone for the moment and only the ashes remained along with her tears. A voice called out her name again and she felt arms quickly haul her up to her feet as another torrent of flames was being summoned.

Her savior quickly pulled them behind a large slab of concrete, the remainder of her home as the foundation was still burning to the ground. Looking up she saw stormy blue eyes gaze down at her. Blue eyes which for once were not seen through lenses.

"Un ... Uncle Tatsumi?" she whispered his name.

He nodded and quickly pulled something from his worn brown suit and placed it into her blistered hands. "You have to go quickly, Ruka," he said hurriedly, glancing past their hiding place at the battle behind. "We'll cover you."

"Go?" it hurt to speak as she glanced at the pocket watch in her hand. "Go where?"

"Anywhere you wish," he told her. "Anywhere you will be safe."

Before she could inquire further, he backed away as another familiar face rushed up to her. Along with a large white tiger with crimson eyes. The other man helped slip a backpack on her before pulling the girl into an embrace.

"Ru-chan," the man spoke gently although tears glimmered in his golden eyes. "I'm so sorry ... please take care of yourself ..."

"Wa ... Uncle Watari," she starred up at him in shock as he scooped her into his arms. He placed the silver-haired onto the large white cat and her eyes widened as she tried to struggle. "No-no! Don't send me away! Please!"

"This is for the best, Ruka," said Tatsumi as he began to summon his shadows as the fires got closer. In the background, she could hear screaming.

"NO!" she yelled as Byakko refused to let her climb down. "Please, Uncle Tatsumi, please let me stay! Please!"

The secretary bit back his own tears and starred at the white tiger, "I have selected a time for you both. Byakko, White Tiger God of West, protect your mistress at all costs... if we survive this ... we will summon you both back. Understand?"

The tiger nodded before he took off with Ruka. The girl was tugging insistently on his fur as she kept looking back, trying to get him to stop. The fires were well behind them now ... so far behind that they looked like mere reddish blurs against the night sky.

"Bya-chan!" she cried out again. "Where are we going?! Stop, please, stop! Uncle Tatsumi, Watari, and the other Shinigami ... we have to go back to help them!"

Byakko continued to run, shutting out his mistress' command as they neared their destination. Finally he stopped, much to the girl's relief and starred at the sky as misty clouds began to part, slowing uncovering a full moon. Ruka blinked then followed the White Tiger God's gaze and looked up as well. Gasping, she looked at the pocket watch that had been clenched tightly in her hands, and noticed the top had opened as the hands of the watch began to move frantically. It kept spinning backwards, making Ruka dizzy until finally both hour and minute hand was on the twelve. The Roman numerals were no longer visible as an eerie blow glow filled her vision. The girl closed her eyes from getting blinded as that light intensified while Byakko stood patiently.

Finally, neither light, girl and Shikigami were present. All that remained were the tiger's paw prints on the dirt, which were erased by a cool summer night's breeze. Above, the clouds covered the moon once again, blocking all light and leaving nothing but darkness.

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Chapter One: First Meeting

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The sound of birds chirping brought Ruka awake with a smile. What a horrible dream she just had and all she could remember was the inferno that burned everything she loved. But that was just a dream, something she would forget later as the day progressed. Yes, just a horrible nightmare that could easily be brushed away like a cobweb as soon as she got up and started her daily routine.

A smile formed on her lips as she pictured it now: breakfast with her parents always cheered her up from these kinds of nightmares. She would tell them that she was going on another date with Ryu and then laugh at her dad who had a homicidal glare in his mismatched eyes. Then it was off to school where she loved baking in home economics, giggled with friends about boys, and dreaded chemistry with her boring thousand year old teacher. Okay he wasn't a thousand years old, she knew people who were that old and were a lot livelier than her chemistry teacher.

So, she was ready to start a brand new day and the first sight she would welcome in was being inside her bedroom. She opened her violet eyes, looked around, and stopped smiling. Bolting up from the bed she was laying on, Ruka looked around wildly at this unfamiliar room. Slowly, she gazed down at herself to see she wasn't wearing her pajamas ... just an unfamiliar lavender yukata. There were also bandages around her hands and she couldn't remember why they were there ...

'Where am I?' she wondered as she continued to look around saw nothing familiar in this place at all.

The bedroom door opened and an elderly woman stepped inside, carrying a tray of food. She smiled gently at Ruka's shocked expression as she placed the tray on the bed in front of the girl. Continuing to smile, she sat down at the foot of the, reached for something on the floor and laid it on to the bed. Ruka blinked. It was the backpack Watari had placed around her they sent her away.

"Please eat," the older woman spoke softly. She gestured to the tray of food that consisted of a bowl of mixed fresh fruit, another bowl of steaming oatmeal, a tall glass of milk, and some triangular slices of toast. "You'll need your strength if you want to get better, dear."

The smell was making her stomach grumble and she quickly grabbed a spoon. Adding a little milk to cool the oatmeal down she helped herself to the fresh fruit. The sweet taste made her want to drool very much like her daddy did whenever she baked him a cake. As she continued to eat, the older woman waited patiently, still smiling with hands folded across her lap. After devouring the oatmeal, the fruit, and the toast, Ruka finished off her milk and sighed happily.

The older woman chuckled as Ruka wiped her mouth with a napkin, "I knew that was what you needed to get better, dear. Would you like more?"

"Oh, no ... I'm full!" Ruka bowed her head. "Thank you!"

"My husband found you at the park near our home while he was walking the dog," she explained. "We were about to call the police but decided to wait until you awoke."

The teenager was relieved at that, because she didn't know what to tell the authorities since she could really believe it herself. She smiled and shook her head, "I got into a little accident on my way home from school. But I'm okay now! So please don't call the police ... I'm sure I must have worried my family enough for not coming home last night ..."

"All right dear," the woman picked up the food tray and stood up. "There's a bathroom down the hallway if you want freshen up. Would you like me to call your parents?"

"No, thank you," Ruka reached for her backpack. "I don't want to burden you further ... I'll just walk home and tell them myself."

Relieved to see the older woman walk out, Ruka sighed. 'Real nice, Ru-chan,' she hissed to herself. 'Lying to a nice old woman like that ... what now? Start Kicking puppies and kittens?'

She opened the backpack, and gasped, the blank expression of her face quickly faded away. Smiling widely, she reached inside and pulled out the familiar doll and hugged it to her chest. This antique doll had been her most beloved one since it had once belonged to her dad. Now, after the fire, it was the only thing she had left of him ... of them.

"Ronnie, thank goodness you didn't burn up like the others," she whispered as she brushed through the dolls golden locks of hair. Placing Veronica on her lap, she sifted through the bag and laid it's contents on the bed. A spare school uniform, a hair brush, and a picture frame. It was a picture of her and ... her parents. Unaware that she was crying she took the frame and held it close to her chest.

"Dad ... daddy ...," she breathed as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I miss you both so much .... Why? Why can't this all be just a bad dream?"

Fire ...

She remembered flames and burning corpses ... both human and Shinigami. Why did this have to happen right out of the blue? Why? Why? WHY?!

"Dear ..."

Remembering where she was, Ruka quickly stuffed everything back into the bag but the clothes. As she began to wipe the tears from her face, the door opened and the older woman took in her puffy eyes with concern.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Y-Yes," Ruka stammered. "Just got a little emotional ... is something wrong?"

"Oh ... no," the woman smiled again quickly. "There's a nice young man outside who says he is ... your brother?"

'Brother?!'

Ruka blinked as a young man a few years older than her, stepped inside. He was tall, dressed in black and white rocker clothes, and had white spiky hair. She never saw anyone quite like him before ... wait .... red eyes? She blinked again before realization hit and nearly set her falling off the bed.

"Bya ...." she began. "Bya-chan?!"

The tiger God gave her a smile, barring fangs.

"So you two do know each other," the old woman's smile widened. "Why don't I just leave you both alone. Give a shout if you need anything ..."

"Uh ...," Ruka stuttered, her eyes locked on her Shikigami. "O-Okay ... T-Thanks ..."

The door once again closed shut and Byakko sighed before approaching her. "Feeling better, Ru-chan?"

"Bya-chan!" the violet-eyed girl gasped as she got up to study him. "You're ... you're human!"

"Yes, and I don't like it too much," he told her with a half pout. "I'm not use to walking on two paws."

"Feet," Ruka corrected and giggled as she played with his soft spikes. "Wow ... you look ... really different. Cool ... but different. How come I haven't seen you in this form before?"

"Well, as your Shikigami guardian, I had to remain in a form close to my original one," Byakko explained as he toyed with the collar around his neck. "My original form is a lot bigger than the one you're used to seeing me in. Besides, I don't think your father would approve of a man living in his daughter's bed room. At least not living anyway ..."

Ruka winced and the Shikigami cursed himself, "I'm sorry, Ru-chan. We really have to go..."

"Go?" she looked down at the backpack on the bed. "Go where? Where are we?"

"Nagasaki," he answered and then pulled a pouch from his white trench coat and handed it to her.

"Nagasaki?" Ruka repeated. "Why are we in Nagasaki and not at Tokyo?"

"I'll explain everything later," said the young man, his smile forgotten as he turned to head out. "Please get dressed, I'll meet you outside."

****

She thanked the elder couple and bid them farewell before following her 'brother'. They walked in complete silence for several moments. Side by side as they passed by unfamiliar stores and the girl wondered if her Shikigami knew where they were going. Looking up, she cleared her throat making the white-haired young man look at her.

"My parents," she breathed. "They're dead ... both of them ..."

"Yes," he whispered, bowing his head. "I'm so sorry."

"How? Why?" why did it feel like she had just swallowed sand?

"I'm afraid I do not know those answers," Byakko looked at her with sad crimson eyes. "Tatsumi simply told me to hide and protect you ... with this ..."

Ruka looked down and starred at that familiar pocket watch. She remembered light, the spinning watch hands hand, and the full moon ... but how was that supposed to protect ... wait. "You said we were in Nagasaki ...," she pointed out. "What time?"

"We're twenty years in the past," Byakko answered her as he handed the watch over to his mistress. "Two years before you were born."

She felt like fainting suddenly but the guardian's arms were already holding her steady. Dazed she remembered the pouch Byakko had given her and reached down to open it.

"Watari gave it to me before we rescued you last night," he told her.

Opening the pouch she pulled out a bundle of ofuda wrapped together with a piece of thread, a wad of folded papers, and a small plastic card that fell into her hand. A credit card? Why would Tatsumi give her a credit card? She placed it into her pocket and sat down at a nearby bench to read the folded papers. Byakko remained standing, looking around to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary.

"These are mission files," Ruka noticed upon skimming the documents. "They all involve the encounters Daddy and Uncle Hisoka had with Dad ... why did Uncle Tatsumi give them to me?"

"We're in the past to hide from those people who murdered your parents in the future," said Byakko as he put on a pair of sunglasses as group of children starred at his red eyes. "And hope they don't come looking for us along with changing our history."

"Those people," the violet-girl shuddered as she remembered dark figures standing among the flames. "Do you really think they'll come looking for me?"

"I don't know, Ru-chan, I'm sorry," the Shikigami then nodded looked at the pocket watch. "From what Tatsumi told me, this time travel device is top secret in Ju-Oh Cho, a personal belonging to the Hakushaku ..."

"Hakushaku?" Ruka faintly remembered the invisible man with the mask. Blinking, she absorbed the rest of the information and scanned the papers again. The first document on top was titled 'The Vampire Case' which had taken place in Nagasaki around ... Her eyes looked at the pocket watch and starred at the date that was written in tiny letters. "My parents ... they met here in Nagasaki? They ... they're meeting here today!"

"Yes, and I think we should keep an eye on them each time they meet," he said, offering her a hand to stand up. "But we must not interfere for history's sake, do you understand Ru-chan?"

She nodded and took his hand as hope surged through her. If she could save her parents here in the past, then there was a chance for her to save them in the future. Ruka smiled as she looked at the papers again before tucking them and the ofudas away.

"Let's go."

****

An hour later, Ruka wished they could have called a cab because she was starting to get tired of walking. To her side, Byakko was humming to himself, hands in his pockets and looking straight ahead. She almost wanted to laugh as girls her age past them by, giving the Shikigami curious and admiring looks. Curious, she saw a big crowd not to far away ad stopped to look.

"Ru-chan?" Byakko paused and looked back to see what his mistress was starring at.

"Do you know what's going on over there?" she asked a passing group of teenagers before pointing to the crowd.

"Over there?" a girl looked at the crowd and back at Ruka. "They're setting up for they're setting up the party before the Nagasaki Sea God Fair."

Byakko and Ruka blinked, "Sea God Fair?"

"You must be a tourist, right?"

"Yes..."

As they parted, she could hear Byakko mutter sadly under his breath, "Why does Seiryu get a Fair, and not me?"

She giggled and looped an arm around his, "Don't be like that. Plenty of people worship you! Remember when I was little, every weekend a month dad and daddy and I went to Kyoto to visit Uncle Oriya and Uncle Hisoka? Well, on one trip, Uncle Oriya took me to a shrine built in 1895, called Heian Jingu. It's scaled down as a replica of the Daigoku-den, you know the original capital.

Anyway, there was this Chinese pavilion styled tower known as the Byakko-ro! And then, in the garden they have a Byako-ike, a pond surrounded by irises that come into full bloom in the summer, it was so pretty!"

The white-haired man continued to have a mopey expression on his face as he mumbled, "The irises I can understand ... but a pond? I hate water..."

Ruka sighed and tightened her grip on his arm as they entered a park, "Now, now. If you stop moping, I'll buy you an ice cream with gummy worms."

"Ice cream is no substitution for worship, but ... it'll have to do," he said as his characteristic friendly smile returned. As soon as the smile appeared it quickly faded away as Byakko whirled and began to look around frantically.

"What is it?" she whispered.

His crimson eyes darted to the right and narrowed, "I heard a scream not to far from here ... a man's scream ..."

"What?!" Ruka gasped, beginning to look horrified. "Was it ... daddy? Dad? Did we come to late?!"

"Shhh...," he silenced her and quickly pulled Ruka underneath a shade of trees.

A man dressed in a dark suit suddenly entered the park. Ruka's violet eyes widened and watered as she recognized that familiar face. The man had dark brown hair, warm colored skin, and violet eyes .... painfully familiar violet eyes. Byakko quickly pulled her away from starring to face him.

"Be careful," he warned her. "You musn't look either of them in the eye ... remember your violet eyes are unnatural and will arouse their suspicion."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just that ... he looks exactly the same, the same as he did yesterday ... I couldn't help ..."

The God pulled her into an embrace, "I know, Ru-chan. I know ... but for history's sake we can't let them know who we are."

The violet-eyed girl nodded and flushed as she was brought so close to his chest. Gazing up, she saw his crimson eyes move under the sun glasses. Her pulse quickened as she wanted so badly to look over her shoulder. "Is he ... is he gone?"

"Yes," he said finally, releasing her from his grip. "He ran into that church over there."

"A church ...?" her eyes widened. "That's where he's going to meet daddy! We have to follow him!"

"All right ... just remember, we can't be seen."

With that said, the two ran off in pursuit of the Shinigami. From behind, a young woman watched the teenagers before looking away. Red eyes quickly became brown once again, and Maria Wong, turned on her heel and left.

****

"How embarrassing ..."

Ruka's heart hammered in her chest when she heard that voice. From their hiding place behind the wide open church doors, Byakko was able to see and hear everything clearly. His mistress remained at his side, silently listening to the conversation.

"No ... not at all," replied the voice of Tsuzuki Asato.

"Is there something you wanted to ask?"

"Uh ... oh ..."

The girl held back a giggle at the sound of the Shinigami stuttering. It reminded her of how nervous he was and she could easily tell he was nervous now.

"Did a girl come here? With long hair?"

"No," answered Muraki Kazutaka. "I haven't seen anyone."

"Oh, I see... Thank you."

Byakko turned his head away as the sound of Tsuzuki's footsteps got closer. The Shinigami didn't noticed them as he left and Ruka was about to let out a sigh of relief until she heard another sound of foot steps ... and then another. Her Shikigami narrowed his eyes and quickly pulled them away from the church doors and onto the grassy hill on the side. She scrambled up to her feet as he gripped onto her wrist, yanking her to the side of the building. Before she could ask why, the doctor stepped out of the church ... followed by a pretty young woman with long brown hair.

"More Shinigami, you say?" asked Muraki as he lighted up a cigarette.

"Yes, doctor," the woman answered in a dull monotone.

"Not how I planned this, I had hoped Tsuzuki would be sent alone," the doctor took a drag of his cigarette before heading down the church steps. "Oh, well ... come, Maria."

"Yes, doctor."

Suddenly the two people were no longer there in front of the church and Byakko growled. He had forgotten that the pale warlock could teleport, which made it impossible to keep tabs on him. Ruka, knew this as well before looking up at him.

"Bya-chan, what do we do if we can't follow? Especially daddy since he currently lives in Meifuu? Do you think those people can get there?"

"I wish I knew, Ru-chan," The Shikigami sighed, raking his hand through white spikes. "Tsuzuki Asato ... I'm not worried about when he's in Meifuu. Other Shinigami are there and he has all twelve gods to protect him."

Ruka wanted to point out that Shinigami in their time was slaughtered with ease but held her tongue. 'Positive,' she told herself. 'I need to think positive!'

"What about dad?" she asked, brushing the grass of her skirt.

"From what Suzaku and Touda had both told me, Muraki doesn't die easily," Byakko then nodded to the pouch in her hands. "We'll just have to work with information we have."

The teenager nodded before she remembered the credit card in her pocket and smiled, "Ne, Bya-chan, are you hungry?"

[ Author's Note ]

Like it? Hate it? Want me to hurry up and finish Devil's Thrill? Please review ... it'll get me to write a lot faster - promise!