'The Third Soul'
by Mikim (mikim@multimania.com)
Chapter 2: Memory
Standards Disclaimers apply: RK: Watsuki's, RK: not mine.
"He wants.....you?" Okita was shocked....
What the hell these people are talking about?
The young Captain glanced at his chief and at his friend. If the former was, as usual, expressionless, the latter was, oddly, ... shocked too. Strange.... Usually, Saito-san didn't even bother to raise an eyebrow about girls, but that one seemed to...... Naaaah. Okita, firmly, pushed that thought aside. It wasn't possible for the wolf attracted to a woman...Ridiculous!
"Magami-san, are you telling us that somebody is killing girls in Kyoto streets using magic? Forgive me, but it's a bit hard to swallow." snarled Saito.
He hated wasting his time.
"Hmpf! Kondo! Hadn't you taught yours Captains anything?" the old woman replied.
"You have to consider, Atsuko-sama, that for people like us, it's a bit hard to understand your ways," Kondo simply answered, a small smile playing on his lips. "Reiji-san, maybe an example will be needed to convince my strong-headed captains."
Reiji Magami smiled back "Maybe, Kondo-san, if you tell them the truth, it will be easier."
Saito raised an eyebrow at his chief, while Okita looked at him with expectant eyes, and Kondo didn't miss the broad smile on Atsuko's lips.
"Reiji-san and I are from the same Sword School. We've been friends since that day."
"Saito-san," the girl began, "if I gave you some informations about the girl killed two nights ago and the one killed last night, would you trust me?"
Saito smiled and replied, "'I'd rather think that you are my killer, Magami- san."
The girl blinked, startled, and then, smiled, but her smile would have made a small child cry, by its sadness.
"I can't be your killer, Saito-san, because I can't go outside. He would be able to find me if I dared to put a foot beyond these walls."
"Find you?" Okita asked, confused.
"There are spells cast upon me to protect me, but they only work inside the Magami Domain, where the Elders' aito powers are the more powerful. If I leave this area, he'd be able to sense me and catch me."
Saito raised a eyebrow at her comment but let the matter drop. After all, he had already meet a guy who thought he was God himself.
"What can you tell me about the girl found two nights ago?"
"She was.... a pretty girl, with long black hair and brown eyes, around 17. Her name was Tomoyo. She..." she bit her lip, and took a deep breath, "she was murdered, that's for sure, but...there's a reason why...you didn't find any wounds on her body...Her face....By the look of her face, you'd tell she was killed by....fear....She was wearing a red kimono, with purple birds. She had a red ribbon in her hair...and she...."
Saito, amazed, watched as the girl opened her shaking hands and covered her face.
She was about to cry.
The man, Tatsumi, was about to comfort her, when Toya stopped him, with a sake of his head.
"And, what about the girl found last night?"
"She... her name was Aï and...."
"Howcome you know all this details, Magami-san?" Okita was trying to ease the girl's mind. I cannot stay here and watch that girl suffering!
"I saw him killing them..." She removed her hands, her head still lowered.
"Nani?"
"I told you,' Toya said,annoyed," he cursed my sister! He linked her soul to his, and he shows her anything he wants."
"So, you witnessed him killing these girls." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.
"Yes. And he knows he cannot touch me as long as I remain in the Magami Domain."
"So, that's why he's killing girls who look like you."
The girl's head snapped up to look in Saito's eyes, hers were huge and she was ready to burst in tears...
"They look like me?"
Saito nodded. "Long black hair, pale skin,around your built...I know that description would fit almost any girl in Kyoto but....Do you always wear that red ribbon in your hair?"
"Yes, it was one of my mother's..." came the shaking answer.
"Both victims had a red ribbon or string in their hair, and maybe that's how he chose them. I bet that his next victim will have long raven hair, pale skin and a red ribbon or string in her hair."
Saito's words dug deeply in her heart, Tokio closed her eyes. 'They looked like me. Oh, dear spirits, please, forgive me....'
"That's enough!" snapped Atsuko. "Stop confusing that child."
"As you wish, but tonight, another family will cry the loss af a daughter or wife because, tonight, another girl will be murdered!"
Saito was angry. Oh, so angry! They knew from the very beggining, no, they could have prevent it. And hell no! They waited till the second, no the third murder to call them.
Reiji Magami looked at him with calm eyes and said "I'm afraid this is my fault, Saito-san, my daughter wanted to call you before, but I refused because what she was asking, what she's still asking, is far too dangerous." Reiji Magami said, looking at his daughter, who stared him back.
"What does that mean?" Okita asked
"Magami-san" he said looking at Tokio, "you don't mean going out of the Magami Domain to Kyoto?"
The young woman tuned her attention back to Okita, leaving the battle of wills between her father and she unsettled.
"But I do, Okita-san," she answered "I have to go against him, and I'd rather kill myself than being Muraki's puppet again...And if I stay here, I know I'll turn insane, and Muraki will win."
"But how can I protect you against something I don't even believe in?" Saito saw the Magami boy ready to beat him up but his father raised a hand, without turning to him, making him stop as Atsuko said:
"He's here by your request, Tokio, you have to convince him, that was part of our pact." After a moment of silence and hesitation, Tokio declared:
"Then, Saito-san, let me show you something."
The girl held out a white hand to him, as white as a ghost, as white as death. "I cannot harm you, because I need you against Muraki, if it's what stopping you...." Tokio added softly, since Saito was just looking at her hand, unmoving.
Okita smiled. She may be in troubles, but she has a strong spirit...
Saito ignored the implicit sarcasm of him being afraid of a girl and firmly placed his hand in hers. "What I want to show you is one of my dreams," she said. "it will just be my memories, so you won't be able to stop whatever you'll see."
She, then, closed her eyes and Saito felt dizzy, as if the world was spinning....
He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, he was standing next to her, in a street of Kyoto, and the sun was setting.... He turned to her, but her gaze was focused on the scene before them.
He turned his eyes back, just in time to see a young girl, who was almost running, a red ribbon in the hair, smiling. "What are you smiling at, little girl?" asked a voice. Startled, the girl stopped as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, but for an unknown reason, Saito couldn't see his face.
Tokio closed her eyes, trying to block the tears that were coming, but in vain.
The man stepped closer to the girl who seemed frozen. "Do you like her, Tokio-chan? What's your name, girl? Oh, yes, that's true, you cannot speak, I've forgotten that my spell had frozen you...." Muraki then laughed. "Well, you're pretty, but my Tokio-chan is prettier. Now, sleep."
The girl's eyes widened and she tried to move but it looked like she was caught into a giant web, her breath became laboured, and slowly, she lacked air, her face was turning blue, when Muraki suddenly released her. His prey fell on the ground, hardly breathing.
"This isn't fun, Tokio-chan. You don't scream loud enough." Saito heard Tokio's crying, but he couldn't face her. His eyes were glued to the scene that was playing in front of him....
He could almost feel the killer's joy as he drew out a sword from anywhere, Muraki was about to stab his victim when he stopped, murmuring something about new clothes he didn't want to get spoiled.
Saito watched as Muraki released a spell, he felt it, he felt the girl's pain as Fear took upon her, devouring her heart, killing her soul, and it felt good, it was honey, oh so good.......
Tokio's scream took him back to reality and his eyes snapped open and he realized he was in Okita's arms, who was worriedly looking down at him. He was still holding her hand, he could feel her hand which was slowly turning into ice as she slowly opened her eyes, colour of the night. She was in her guardian's arms, her brother at her left.
Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks....
"How is she?" a concerned Okita asked the Guardian, who had just stepped out of Tokio's room.
"She's sleeping."
Saito was silent. Since, the 'dream' he had rarely spoken, only a few, rather colds, 'no' or 'yes' and shortly, Okita had left him alone with his thoughts, none of the Magami had talked to him, they all fussed around the girl after what happened in the Ceremony Room, Saito had seen the thoughtful look of Kondo on him but on the moment, that was nothing after what he had felt during the 'dream'.
The Guardian turned to him. 'She only showed you a little of what she truly felt. What you felt was even absorb by her, because she doesn't allow herself to think again about... that." Disgust clearly heard in his voice, Saito almost felt the man's hatred for him.
"To convince you, she let herself go, she played Muraki's rules, only for a moment but, now, I'm damn sure Muraki knows about what happened, and so he'd be able to touch her where it hurts the most. Exactly where to make her dive in the darkness, because of you!"
The Guardian sent a last disgusted look to Saito and turned on his heels and walked away, leaving the two Captain by themselves, outside Tokio's room.
"What happened when you took her hand?"
"It was like..." the older man began and stopped and for the first time of his life, Saito found himself hesistating. What happened, himself, he didn't really know but it had felt as if somebody else took possession of his soul and heart, imposing one's feeling, crushing the other under one's will.
"It was like....a rape. Muraki took possesion of her heart and he crushed her feelings, imposing his. I felt his joy, he was glad to kill that girl..."
"The sun is about to set." Okita remarked.
"Another girl will die tonight."
"How can you be so sure?"
Saito had a feral smile as he looked at the sunset, "Tell me, Okita, do you really believe a puppet master will stop playing with his favorite toy before the latter's broken?"
Well, that's all. For those who have read 'Favorite toy' from Anonym, i did it on purpose, because i simply adore that fic! (well, i love every fic from Anonym! Even those who haven't been written, yet!!)
by Mikim (mikim@multimania.com)
Chapter 2: Memory
Standards Disclaimers apply: RK: Watsuki's, RK: not mine.
"He wants.....you?" Okita was shocked....
What the hell these people are talking about?
The young Captain glanced at his chief and at his friend. If the former was, as usual, expressionless, the latter was, oddly, ... shocked too. Strange.... Usually, Saito-san didn't even bother to raise an eyebrow about girls, but that one seemed to...... Naaaah. Okita, firmly, pushed that thought aside. It wasn't possible for the wolf attracted to a woman...Ridiculous!
"Magami-san, are you telling us that somebody is killing girls in Kyoto streets using magic? Forgive me, but it's a bit hard to swallow." snarled Saito.
He hated wasting his time.
"Hmpf! Kondo! Hadn't you taught yours Captains anything?" the old woman replied.
"You have to consider, Atsuko-sama, that for people like us, it's a bit hard to understand your ways," Kondo simply answered, a small smile playing on his lips. "Reiji-san, maybe an example will be needed to convince my strong-headed captains."
Reiji Magami smiled back "Maybe, Kondo-san, if you tell them the truth, it will be easier."
Saito raised an eyebrow at his chief, while Okita looked at him with expectant eyes, and Kondo didn't miss the broad smile on Atsuko's lips.
"Reiji-san and I are from the same Sword School. We've been friends since that day."
"Saito-san," the girl began, "if I gave you some informations about the girl killed two nights ago and the one killed last night, would you trust me?"
Saito smiled and replied, "'I'd rather think that you are my killer, Magami- san."
The girl blinked, startled, and then, smiled, but her smile would have made a small child cry, by its sadness.
"I can't be your killer, Saito-san, because I can't go outside. He would be able to find me if I dared to put a foot beyond these walls."
"Find you?" Okita asked, confused.
"There are spells cast upon me to protect me, but they only work inside the Magami Domain, where the Elders' aito powers are the more powerful. If I leave this area, he'd be able to sense me and catch me."
Saito raised a eyebrow at her comment but let the matter drop. After all, he had already meet a guy who thought he was God himself.
"What can you tell me about the girl found two nights ago?"
"She was.... a pretty girl, with long black hair and brown eyes, around 17. Her name was Tomoyo. She..." she bit her lip, and took a deep breath, "she was murdered, that's for sure, but...there's a reason why...you didn't find any wounds on her body...Her face....By the look of her face, you'd tell she was killed by....fear....She was wearing a red kimono, with purple birds. She had a red ribbon in her hair...and she...."
Saito, amazed, watched as the girl opened her shaking hands and covered her face.
She was about to cry.
The man, Tatsumi, was about to comfort her, when Toya stopped him, with a sake of his head.
"And, what about the girl found last night?"
"She... her name was Aï and...."
"Howcome you know all this details, Magami-san?" Okita was trying to ease the girl's mind. I cannot stay here and watch that girl suffering!
"I saw him killing them..." She removed her hands, her head still lowered.
"Nani?"
"I told you,' Toya said,annoyed," he cursed my sister! He linked her soul to his, and he shows her anything he wants."
"So, you witnessed him killing these girls." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.
"Yes. And he knows he cannot touch me as long as I remain in the Magami Domain."
"So, that's why he's killing girls who look like you."
The girl's head snapped up to look in Saito's eyes, hers were huge and she was ready to burst in tears...
"They look like me?"
Saito nodded. "Long black hair, pale skin,around your built...I know that description would fit almost any girl in Kyoto but....Do you always wear that red ribbon in your hair?"
"Yes, it was one of my mother's..." came the shaking answer.
"Both victims had a red ribbon or string in their hair, and maybe that's how he chose them. I bet that his next victim will have long raven hair, pale skin and a red ribbon or string in her hair."
Saito's words dug deeply in her heart, Tokio closed her eyes. 'They looked like me. Oh, dear spirits, please, forgive me....'
"That's enough!" snapped Atsuko. "Stop confusing that child."
"As you wish, but tonight, another family will cry the loss af a daughter or wife because, tonight, another girl will be murdered!"
Saito was angry. Oh, so angry! They knew from the very beggining, no, they could have prevent it. And hell no! They waited till the second, no the third murder to call them.
Reiji Magami looked at him with calm eyes and said "I'm afraid this is my fault, Saito-san, my daughter wanted to call you before, but I refused because what she was asking, what she's still asking, is far too dangerous." Reiji Magami said, looking at his daughter, who stared him back.
"What does that mean?" Okita asked
"Magami-san" he said looking at Tokio, "you don't mean going out of the Magami Domain to Kyoto?"
The young woman tuned her attention back to Okita, leaving the battle of wills between her father and she unsettled.
"But I do, Okita-san," she answered "I have to go against him, and I'd rather kill myself than being Muraki's puppet again...And if I stay here, I know I'll turn insane, and Muraki will win."
"But how can I protect you against something I don't even believe in?" Saito saw the Magami boy ready to beat him up but his father raised a hand, without turning to him, making him stop as Atsuko said:
"He's here by your request, Tokio, you have to convince him, that was part of our pact." After a moment of silence and hesitation, Tokio declared:
"Then, Saito-san, let me show you something."
The girl held out a white hand to him, as white as a ghost, as white as death. "I cannot harm you, because I need you against Muraki, if it's what stopping you...." Tokio added softly, since Saito was just looking at her hand, unmoving.
Okita smiled. She may be in troubles, but she has a strong spirit...
Saito ignored the implicit sarcasm of him being afraid of a girl and firmly placed his hand in hers. "What I want to show you is one of my dreams," she said. "it will just be my memories, so you won't be able to stop whatever you'll see."
She, then, closed her eyes and Saito felt dizzy, as if the world was spinning....
He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, he was standing next to her, in a street of Kyoto, and the sun was setting.... He turned to her, but her gaze was focused on the scene before them.
He turned his eyes back, just in time to see a young girl, who was almost running, a red ribbon in the hair, smiling. "What are you smiling at, little girl?" asked a voice. Startled, the girl stopped as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, but for an unknown reason, Saito couldn't see his face.
Tokio closed her eyes, trying to block the tears that were coming, but in vain.
The man stepped closer to the girl who seemed frozen. "Do you like her, Tokio-chan? What's your name, girl? Oh, yes, that's true, you cannot speak, I've forgotten that my spell had frozen you...." Muraki then laughed. "Well, you're pretty, but my Tokio-chan is prettier. Now, sleep."
The girl's eyes widened and she tried to move but it looked like she was caught into a giant web, her breath became laboured, and slowly, she lacked air, her face was turning blue, when Muraki suddenly released her. His prey fell on the ground, hardly breathing.
"This isn't fun, Tokio-chan. You don't scream loud enough." Saito heard Tokio's crying, but he couldn't face her. His eyes were glued to the scene that was playing in front of him....
He could almost feel the killer's joy as he drew out a sword from anywhere, Muraki was about to stab his victim when he stopped, murmuring something about new clothes he didn't want to get spoiled.
Saito watched as Muraki released a spell, he felt it, he felt the girl's pain as Fear took upon her, devouring her heart, killing her soul, and it felt good, it was honey, oh so good.......
Tokio's scream took him back to reality and his eyes snapped open and he realized he was in Okita's arms, who was worriedly looking down at him. He was still holding her hand, he could feel her hand which was slowly turning into ice as she slowly opened her eyes, colour of the night. She was in her guardian's arms, her brother at her left.
Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks....
"How is she?" a concerned Okita asked the Guardian, who had just stepped out of Tokio's room.
"She's sleeping."
Saito was silent. Since, the 'dream' he had rarely spoken, only a few, rather colds, 'no' or 'yes' and shortly, Okita had left him alone with his thoughts, none of the Magami had talked to him, they all fussed around the girl after what happened in the Ceremony Room, Saito had seen the thoughtful look of Kondo on him but on the moment, that was nothing after what he had felt during the 'dream'.
The Guardian turned to him. 'She only showed you a little of what she truly felt. What you felt was even absorb by her, because she doesn't allow herself to think again about... that." Disgust clearly heard in his voice, Saito almost felt the man's hatred for him.
"To convince you, she let herself go, she played Muraki's rules, only for a moment but, now, I'm damn sure Muraki knows about what happened, and so he'd be able to touch her where it hurts the most. Exactly where to make her dive in the darkness, because of you!"
The Guardian sent a last disgusted look to Saito and turned on his heels and walked away, leaving the two Captain by themselves, outside Tokio's room.
"What happened when you took her hand?"
"It was like..." the older man began and stopped and for the first time of his life, Saito found himself hesistating. What happened, himself, he didn't really know but it had felt as if somebody else took possession of his soul and heart, imposing one's feeling, crushing the other under one's will.
"It was like....a rape. Muraki took possesion of her heart and he crushed her feelings, imposing his. I felt his joy, he was glad to kill that girl..."
"The sun is about to set." Okita remarked.
"Another girl will die tonight."
"How can you be so sure?"
Saito had a feral smile as he looked at the sunset, "Tell me, Okita, do you really believe a puppet master will stop playing with his favorite toy before the latter's broken?"
Well, that's all. For those who have read 'Favorite toy' from Anonym, i did it on purpose, because i simply adore that fic! (well, i love every fic from Anonym! Even those who haven't been written, yet!!)