standard disclaimer applied
warnings: Muraki x Tsuzuki, OC, angst, dark, supernatural, PG-13
special thanks: Tiggy for beta effort, could never finish it without ya! ^__^


Daughter of The Darkness Part 3
by Kaz (kazutaka@otakumail.com)


Tsuzuki was bored. Hisoka had left him to go to the hotel where Gushoushin should've waited for them and made the room arrangements for a week long job. But it seemed like he was duty bound to wait for Watari's report on the DNA test. Yawning, Tsuzuki flopped onto a chair nearby, eyeing every pedestrian that crossed the street before him. It was damn hot that day and he couldn't be more baked than he was now. And the black coat wasn't helping either...

If he weren't already dead, he was certain that he would be killed by the heat. It wasn't even summer... So unfair!

Something caught his eye then. A little girl with a red dress was walking limply through the crowds. She didn't look too well for she was clutching her chest with a tight grasp. Sweat fell from her forehead and her skin looked unhealthy. More than that, the thing that attracted his attention was the hair...

The silver hair... Long silver hair... But that couldn't be possible, right? It was impossible that the hair that was found at the murder scene was hers. For God's sake, she was just a little girl. Not more than six or seven years old...

His eyes followed her as she leaned her palm against the nearest tree. She clutched her chest more tightly before she finally fell to the ground. Tsuzuki stood up from where he sat, almost running to the fallen figure. The girl had fainted.

"Are you okay?" he asked warily, patting her arm with one hand while the other arm supported her head.

She opened her eyes slightly, and Tsuzuki thought she looked surprised for one second. He was surprised himself, for he had seen a pair of amethyst looking back into his. Her hand lifted up to touch him, her lips trembling. "Little girl, are you okay?!"

She closed her eyes again, and now Tsuzuki was in a panic. "Is there a doctor around here?" He shouted frantically to the crowd that started to surround him and the fainted little girl.

"I am a doctor." A voice startled him. Tsuzuki looked up and gasped in complete shock. He could feel his blood sucked dry as he stared into the silver depths as the man knelt before him. He remembered the smile on those smirking lips, he remembered the cold breath that tickled his neck some time ago.

"Long time no see, Tsuzuki san."

Tsuzuki swallowed hard, lips trembling. So the man was indeed in Tokyo…

"Muraki."

* * * * * * *

The bright light of the sun hurt her eyes. She tried to cover them, but it was useless. She could still feel the heat burning her skin. But this was her chance; she could finally run away from Saki and then she was free. She could only do this when Himeko was unconscious. She was strong when Himeko was weak. She remembered Himeko's body that lay in that cold dungeon. Himeko would be awake soon, and that was the time when she would disappear. That's the time when she would be swallowed back into the darkness, to the corner of the other's mind.

She ran to the open area, trying to protect her head and face from the sun. She didn't notice that someone was walking towards her, and suddenly she bumped into that man.

"Gomennasai." She said softly, almost like a whisper. She didn't want to see who that person was, she just wanted to run away.

"Are you okay, little girl?" The calm voice startled her and she could only nod for answer.

"I'm sorry, Sir," she repeated, trying to assure the man that she was okay. Yet again she tried to run, but a strong hand caught her wrist and spun her lightly to face the stranger. She yelped in surprise and looked up. Her gaze met mismatched eyes, one hidden under silvery bangs that matched her own. She gasped, knowing who he was.

No. it's too fast... And in a totally wrong time! She tried to struggle free when the only thing she wanted was to run to the man's embrace. To cry on his shoulder and hold him tight.

Himeko...

She yanked harder and felt the grip loosen around her hand. It was as if the man didn't want to hurt her much more. He let her go and she took the chance to run away. A part of her wanted to cry as he let go of her, a part of her wanted to look back and see the person she had missed so badly.

She felt the world spinning around her, her vision getting blurred. No, not now... she thought dimly. She mustn't disappear now... not in public like this. Something struck her heart and she sank to the ground, small fingers balled to her chest as she fell.

"Are you okay?!" A voice startled her, the tone filled with concern.

She looked up to see the person who now knelt before her. He was a man with a dark suit, and his eyes... Her vision was getting worse as she lifted her hand to touch the man's face. She could feel an arm supporting her as she started to doze. It was warm... just the way she remembered it would be...

"Is there a doctor around here?" The man looked completely worried now as she started to close her eyes. She could see people surrounding them. Her heart beat faster and faster, her breath becoming frantic. It hurts... it hurts so much...

Her eyes opened slightly, just in time to see a figure in a white coat show up through the crowds. Everything about him looked so divine, so angelic...

"I am a doctor." She saw him kneel at her side, right in front of the man with dark coat. "Long time no see, Tsuzuki san."

She closed her eyes then, could barely hear or see her surroundings, falling into a deep sleep.

Otousan... Otousama...

* * * * * * *

"So, you're alive," Tsuzuki hissed between his teeth, eyeing the man standing before him. The girl's body lay weakly on the small bed in the nearest rest house. "And you've been here in Tokyo all this time..."

Muraki chuckled lightly and smiled to the shinigami. "You're not looking for me, are you, Tsuzuki san? Do you miss me?"

The amethyst-eyed shinigami stood up abruptly and his chair almost fell to the floor. "You! You're the one behind all these murders, aren't you?! It was another trick, your scheme to get me here!"

The doctor made a gesture for him to speak more softly, inclining his head towards the small figure on the bed. Tsuzuki snarled and sat on his seat, eyes glaring. "What do you want this time, Muraki?"

"My, my, Tsuzuki san..." He shook his head, a smile playing across his thin lips. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about. What crimes have I committed? I didn't do anything to bring you here… Maybe it was..." he paused for a long minute, "...destiny?"

"Destiny, my ass!" Tsuzuki snapped.

The doctor smirked a little, "Such a nice ass, though."

The shinigami turned bright pink at the remark and glared. "Cut the crap, Muraki! Just tell me the truth. Was it you who planned all these murders?! Who did you manipulate this time?!"

"I've heard about the serial murders, Tsuzuki san." Muraki leaned back to his chair, lips curved into a sad smile. "But it hurts to know that you think that I'm behind all that..."

Tsuzuki rolled his eyes, "Quit the chatter. I don't have time for this. I'll be watching you!"

"That is so nice of you, Tsuzuki san. It's a pleasure for me to have you around. Tell me, do you intend to visit me at my house too? I can serve you the best wine and dinner, or would you prefer to go out to a restaurant?" Muraki's eyes brightened. The shinigami muttered under his breath about Muraki being a pervert doctor and made an exasperated sigh.

"O... Otousan..."

The two men stood up almost at the same time and turned their attention to the small figure on the small bed. The girl opened her eyes slowly and almost immediately closed them again when she felt the light burst in from the small window. Tsuzuki saw that and stood before her, shielding the light with his back. The girl parted her lips and pressed them back together. Her eyes studied the two figures before her and she gave a small smile, a thankful smile, but in some way, Tsuzuki saw, that smile looked so regretful.

"Now, now, little girl, how are you feeling?" Muraki smiled sweetly to the girl and checked for her pulse. Tsuzuki couldn't believe that he was the same mad doctor who had slain so many people in the past -- and perhaps was still doing it.

"What is your name?" Muraki asked again as the girl hadn't answered his previous question.

Tsuzuki took her hand and smiled; the girl looked startled and jerked away from the touch. Tsuzuki felt a little disappointed, watching the other's violet eyes glinting with fear and hesitancy. "What's your name?" Tsuzuki repeated the doctor's question.

The girl took a glance towards the doctor and then to the dark-haired shinigami. She bit her bottom lip and then, "Himeko."

"Himeko? That is such a wonderful name," Muraki smiled and put his hand on her forehead, "...How are you feeling now, Himeko chan? Do you still feel dizzy?"

Himeko shook her head, "No. Thank you..."

"You looked so pale and weak before. Are you sick?" Tsuzuki asked her warily.

"Yes," she nodded, "...but I'm okay now, after I met you two..."

The two men traded glances. Muraki helped her to sit up on the small bed. She took his hand thankfully and grasped it strongly as she sat. "Arigatou." She smiled weakly.

"You were the one who bumped into me at the parking lot, do you remember?" The doctor chuckled, "I guess you were in a hurry back then. Were you looking for your parents?"

"Hai." The girl smiled enigmatically, eyes cast to the open window. "But I've found them now..."

Tsuzuki frowned. "Oh? Where? Do you want me to take you to them?" He touched the girl's arm and eyed her warily.

Again, she shook her head and gave that strange smile. She climbed down from the bed. "I better go back now, I..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I was grateful that I could meet you two here today, at first I..." She shook her head and took the doctor's hand in hers.

"Himeko chan?" The doctor started a bit as she took his hand. Vaguely, he could feel that strange aura in her again. But the pain inside had somehow been subdued by something else; he still couldn't understand what it was, but it wasn't loneliness anymore.

The girl took one of Tsuzuki's hands in hers and gently placed it over Muraki's hand. The two men were more than startled, but the tears on the girl's cheeks made them freeze. "Yokatta..." The girl sniffed, "...yokatta ne..."

"Himeko chan?" Tsuzuki touched the trembling shoulder while Muraki started to soothe her back gently. "What's the matter, Himeko chan?"

"Iie, nothing..." The girl wiped her tears and with that the two hands parted once again. Tsuzuki's eyes met the doctor's and saw the same puzzled expression there. "I have to go..."

"Wait, I'll take you home..." Muraki started to follow her to the door. The girl smiled from the doorway, "Daijoubu, sensei. Arigatou..." The door closed afterwards. The two men followed her, but they couldn't find anyone outside the door. The street was empty. There was no sign of the little girl who called herself Himeko.

She was nowhere to be found. As if she was never there in the first place.

"You know..." Muraki started, "...I forgot to ask her about her eye color." He stared into Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes and tilted his head dramatically. "It's so beautiful. Just like yours, Tsuzuki san."

Tsuzuki started. The truth was, he had noticed that himself but wasn't really paying attention. For he was more attracted to the beautiful long slivery hair she had.

"I have to go," he said coldly. "...I'll see you again, Muraki."

"Of course." Muraki nodded and followed the shinigami with his eyes as he made his way along the street. As soon as Tsuzuki's figure disappeared into the crowd, he started to walk back to the parking lot. Sighing, he could only think about the girl with beautiful violet eyes and silvery hair.

* * * * * * *

Himeko, listen to my story...

You won't believe who I met today. I met the two of them. I was afraid at first, I hesitated. But they were so kind to me, so warm... so loving... I think it would be easy for them to love me if they knew who I am, Himeko...

You should've seen them... Otousan has the most beautiful amethyst eyes in the world. He is so kind to me, he smells wonderful too... Like a mix of sweets and cinnamon. Otousama has silver hair just like me... He was so tall and handsome. He is so warm and smart. Did you know that he's a doctor? Of course you do, ne?

I was so happy I thought I would die because of it. But I was also afraid...

But you don't have to be worried, Himeko. I have more strength than you think...

The strength to protect the two of us

Even from Saki...

-tbc-

=kaz misaki=