Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Matsushita Youko. I don't own it
and make no claim to.
Thank you very much to the people who have read this story! It gladdens me that at least someone besides me is reading what I wrote. This story is loosely based on the manga and the anime, taking components from both.
Again, hopefully I don't scare peoples away with this.
Oh yeah, Hikaru and the demon (Chymos) are my own demented little characters. My property, mine. Got that? Everyone else is the property of Matsushita kay?
So on with the show!
Desires
Chapter Five - Down the Rabbit Hole
by Lockeheart
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It was cold.
That one thought pierced the fog that was Hisoka's consciousness. Brilliant green eyes beheld the star filled sky, and Hisoka took a deep breath. He lay for a moment, his thoughts disoriented and scattered. The Soul Binding spell . . . had it worked?
The light . . . it had been so bright . . .
Hisoka stared at the pale full moon suspended above him. The magic circle had strengthened his spell, but something had gone wrong, Hisoka was sure of it. The clearing, the shadow demon, Muraki and Tsuzuki, they were all gone. He curled his hands into fists, and was surprised when he grabbed handfuls of sand.
Sitting up cautiously, Hisoka winced as his body made known that it was hurting. In mild shock, Hisoka saw multiple wounds lightly bleeding upon his person. The magic . . . had it injured him? He touched one of the wounds gingerly and pulled his fingers back to find his blood glistening on their tips. While not very serious, the number of injuries is what concerned Hisoka, never mind the fact that they did not seem to be healing up. Why was he not regenerating? Surely his shinigami ability to restore should have stopped the wounds from bleeding - shouldn't they?[1]
A lonely expanse of beach swept out from where he sat to disappear into the horizon. Hisoka looked down at the sand and frowned. Had something interfered in his spell and teleported him somewhere far away? Hisoka raised his hand to his head and closed his eyes. Where was Tsuzuki? Was he all right? Dark water lapped up the length of the beach, threatening to soak Hisoka if he didn't move soon.
Raking his cold fingers through his hair, Hisoka climbed shakily to his feet; fighting off a wave of nausea as he righted himself. If he didn't stop bleeding, it wouldn't matter where he was. Hisoka took a shuddering breath and winced in pain. He needed to find Tsuzuki. He needed to get help.
Shivering slightly from the chill night air and blood loss, Hisoka focussed his energies to teleport - and was disturbed when nothing happened. The lonely beach was still around him, the moon high in the night sky. Hisoka frowned and tried to teleport a shorter distance, the span of a couple feet and was greeted with the same result. Dizziness swept through Hisoka as he stumbled slightly from his effort. What was wrong with his powers? It was at that point that an expanse of white feathers entered his field of vision and Hisoka nearly fell over in surprise. There were wings . . . correction. HE had wings on his back. [2]
It might have been amusing at another time, the way Hisoka strained to see the unnatural appendages sprouting from between his shoulder blades; yet for Hisoka it was anything but. His vision was swimming and it was hard to focus. Hisoka stilled in his struggle to see the wings and closed his eyes, flexing muscles just a moment ago he did not have.
The motion was awkward, and painful because of his injuries, but Hisoka struggled with the action. Why was he injured, and why did he have wings? It seemed to Hisoka that all he had were questions and not enough answers. The light dimmed slightly and Hisoka opened his eyes to see the ivory wings spread out behind and above him, the feathers glowing in the pale moonlight.
What had happened to him? Hisoka looked up to the feathery appendages with slight apprehension. As astonishing as this development was, his newfound wings could do nothing to stop his bleeding. Where was he? He looked around to the starlit beach surrounding him. There was nothing he could recognize, nothing to indicate where he was, save for the beach itself.
Clutching the larger of his wounds tightly, Hisoka fluttered his new wings experimentally. The feathery appendages were quite beautiful, and had Hisoka been in a better condition, he might have appreciated that fact. As it was, the wings were just another sign of something terribly wrong.
Putting pressure on what wounds he could, Hisoka stumbled a little ways down the shoreline, hoping to find a house or a building. If he could find a phone or even a person, he could go get help. Even with all his powers, Hisoka knew that his body was still human, and bound to human weaknesses. Had whatever happened to him when he cast the soul bind spell also warped his shinigami powers?
Hisoka eyed the murky waves in doubt. It was either the Pacific Ocean, or the Sea of Japan . . . even at full powers the shinigami's power to teleport only worked within a limited distance. He still had to be in Japan . . . didn't he? Hisoka frowned and pressed down harder on his wounds. He had wings, his wounds were not healing, and he could not teleport. Something had definitely gone wrong. Hisoka was beyond doubt of that.
He should be more worried, Hisoka frowned as he concentrated in placing one foot in front of another. He was so cold, even though the night air was cool. Hisoka was sure he was suffering from the beginnings of shock [3]. Shaking his head angrily, Hisoka forced himself to push on. He needed to find his partner. Tsuzuki was left alone with Muraki and perhaps even that demon.
How far Hisoka walked, he wasn't sure. The weight of his unfamiliar wings slowed him down, their tips dragging in the sand. Along with his slow but steady blood loss, Hisoka was not sure how much longer he would be able to keep going. He turned around shakily to eye his path, and saw how erratic his footprints were.
The unchanging scenery did nothing to convey to Hisoka how far he had travelled, but in his state he was sure he had not gotten far. His shirt was becoming red with blood and Hisoka looked down at the blossoming colour with unnatural calm. He knew he should be more worried, but somehow, it didn't seem to matter much. Staggering, Hisoka fell to his knees, his body sluggish and unresponsive.
"Let me help you . . ."
The voice was gentle, a welcome sound amidst the lonely landscape. Hisoka raised his eyes, trying to find the person who had spoken. Had someone found him? Blood trickled slowly down to mix with the white sand, Hisoka's hands having fallen to his sides.
There in the dark waves, a child stood miraculously above the water, her eyes staring sadly at Hisoka. She was a pale wisp of a girl, clad in a white nightgown. Black hair framed her heart-shaped face, her green eyes bright in the moonlight. With his wings askew, Hisoka knelt in the sand, his body exhausted and unresponsive. The girl had materialized like a spirit, and Hisoka could not help but notice the loose silver chains looping around her wrists and ankles.
"Please . . ." The child stepped forward, the chains clinking softly in the muted roar of the waves. "You're hurt . . . let me help." Her arms were raised upward, as if to give Hisoka a hug.
Hisoka knew he should stand up, that he should be demanding answers, do something . . . anything besides just kneel there in the sand. Yet it was taking all his power just to stay upright and watch the girl walk toward him. "Who are you?" Hisoka eyed the approaching child with detached curiosity.
The girl stopped in front of Hisoka and gently reached out her hands to cup Hisoka's face. "I am . . . a friend." Hisoka looked up into the child's vivid green eyes and shuddered as a surge of emotions slammed into his psyche. Had he the strength Hisoka would have screamed, but instead Hisoka could do little than slump forward into the child's embrace. The chill silver chains strained against Hisoka's throat as the girl's arms encircled his head.
Despair . . . Anger . . . Sorrow . . . Those emotions and more invaded Hisoka's mind and it felt as if he were drowning in their presence. He struggled weakly in the girl's hold but could nothing to escape her firm grip. The cold chain pressed against Hisoka's neck, cutting off his ability to breath.
"N-No . . ." Hisoka strained against the girl's embrace, the chain crushing his windpipe. While she did nothing to worsen the constriction administered from chain against Hisoka's skin, she did not let go. The maelstrom of emotions flowing from the girl into Hisoka was overwhelming, and Hisoka felt as if he were drowning in their depths.
"Don't be afraid." The girl whispered into Hisoka's ear, and suddenly she let go. Hisoka fell over onto his back, his new wings spreading out almost instinctively to avoid being crushed. His mind reeling, Hisoka struggled just to take deep calming breaths. The child stood before him unperturbed, her gaze sorrowful.
What had just happened? Hisoka shut his eyes, willing for his heart to slow down. It was at that point that Hisoka realized that aside from his reeling mind, his body did not hurt anymore. Cracking his eyes open, Hisoka eyed the calm girl standing before him. Without the physical touch of the child, Hisoka felt his empathy gaining a semblance of control.
Hisoka gingerly touched the skin where one of his wounds had been, his hand shaking slightly. There was no scar, no irritation, nothing to indicate that just a minute ago he had been bleeding to death. "How did you -?" Hisoka looked up to the little girl, carefully hauling himself to his knees.
The delicate girl's face gained a look of fear and she abruptly vanished. Hisoka reached out to the space where the child had stood, his confusion mounting. Kneeling there in the damp sand, Hisoka shook his head in disbelief. He looked behind to check if his other new development was still attached to his back, and was rewarded with a feathery expanse of white wings.
Hisoka looked down to his shirt, and was amazed to find the cloth free of any bloodstains, but was disturbed instead to see a glowing design flare up beneath the fabric. Perplexed, Hisoka reached down to gently touch the reddening marks when a scathing wave of pain nearly paralysed him. Clawing at his shirt, Hisoka painfully undid the buttons holding the fabric closed and almost died of a second shock.
His curse marks were 'burning' for the lack of a better term, their appearance deepening to a bloodlike colour. Hisoka carefully touched the blazing runes, and winced as a new wave of emotion filled the area, the feeling's dark and evil. Etched in black, the curse marks had gained a more sinister look than before, the marks flaring brightly in the pale moonlight.
Hugging his arms tightly around himself, and Hisoka rode through the waves of agony, both physical and mental. Was it possible for something to hurt this much? It would have almost been better to still be wounded and bleeding as he had been just moments before. Hisoka closed his eyes and doubled over, his forehead almost touching the damp sand beneath him.
It felt as if he was going to ignite, his curse marks almost hot to the touch. Staggering to his feet, Hisoka kept his arms curled protectively around his chest. His newly acquired wings throwing him off balance. Gods . . . why did the marks hurt so?
"Foolish boy."
Hisoka froze in his motions at the sound of that voice. It was not the voice of the girl and seemed to be full of hatred and loathing. The agony from the curse marks, if possible, seemed to increase and it took Hisoka great willpower not to cry out from the pain of it. Putting on a brave face to hide the fear he felt, Hisoka scanned the beach, attempting to find the keeper of that grotesque voice.
"Do you realize what you have done?"
There was no one around. The floating voice was cold and harsh, and did nothing to calm Hisoka's rapidly beating heart. His wings folded unconsciously into a protective cloak behind him, and Hisoka eyed the starry sky in apprehension. "Who are you?" The question seemed to be quickly becoming a favourite of Hisoka's.
The alarming speed at which darkness seemed to envelop Hisoka was the least of his worries. It was the glowing red eyes and the frightful visage that swam into Hisoka's field of vision that garnered his full attention. Tendrils of shadow pulled at Hisoka's body as if to ensnare him, and he took a couple of intimidated steps backward. The pain of his curse marks was quickly dismissed in the face of this new threat.
"Who am I?" The crimson eyes narrowed and Hisoka felt a flood of water pool around his calves. The tide was coming in, and Hisoka had nowhere to run. The starry sky was barely visible, obscured by the monstrous creature before him. "Your death."
Hisoka barely had time to let out a cry before the creature lunged forward, gleaming white claws appearing amidst the darkness that was it's form. Hisoka's wings extended behind him in a feathery display and he closed his eyes as a radiant light appeared between him and the creature.
Perhaps the creature screamed, Hisoka was uncertain. He pitched backwards, both from the shock of the sudden light, and from a wall of force that pushed him away from it. Hisoka's vision wavered as his sight lurched from the struggle between the light and the shadow creature, to the starry sky above him.
The cold water embraced him, but instead of landing upon the sandy bottom beneath the water, Hisoka continued to fall. He looked up to see the surface of the water above him, fading rapidly as he plummeted. The chill of the water had disappeared, replaced instead by shadows, a void that led to nowhere. He closed his eyes as gravity tugged at him, his wings trailing aside his body like streamers.
Wait . . . wings . . . Hisoka opened his eyes and attempted to right his rapidly descending form. He stretched out his wings and cried out at the pain. The force of the rushing air was too much, and his wings strained futilely in an effort to fly. Whether or not it was because his wings were not meant for flying or if he just did not know how to move them, Hisoka was uncertain.
Shimmering white feathers fluttered about him as he fell, their decent much slower than his own. A whirlwind of white feathers surrounded Hisoka and he reached out to them desperately. Nothing existed, save for Hisoka himself, and the dazzling display of feathers molting from his wings. There was nothing above him anymore, and nothing below him, but still Hisoka fell.
He reached out to catch one of the swirling feathers, tears spilling from his eyes. The darkness was everywhere, and somehow, Hisoka knew that if he did not catch one of the feathers, the darkness would consume him. It was not something he could explain, or truly understand; it was just something he knew deep down to be true.
An evil presence surrounded him as he fell, and Hisoka reached out desperately to seize a single white feather. It was hot in his hand, almost burning, but Hisoka did not let go. Blinding light emanated from the connection and the darkness backed off, the light shielding Hisoka from the shadows grasp. Everything that had happened to him, and was happening to him, all of it felt surreal. Hisoka closed his eyes as his consciousness faded, his body refusing to cooperate any longer with the hallucination Hisoka had tumbled into. The feather remained clenched in his grasp, a shield against the darkness.
And Hisoka continued to fall down the 'rabbit hole' [4].
********************
There was still no reply.
GuShoShin tapped the keyboard of his laptop impatiently. Even in an overload the divisions system never went totally offline. To do so was to endanger those agents working in the field. Not being able to communicate was one thing, but to not be able to proceed between Meifu and ChiJou was almost unheard of. A lock down of such severity . . . well something had to be terribly wrong, and it bothered GuShoShin that when they needed to get through the most, they were conveniently denied access.
He glanced over his shoulder to look at Hisoka, who still lay unconscious upon the bed. GuShoShin was a librarian, not a doctor, but even he knew that Hisoka needed professional aid. Blood showed slightly through some of the wounds that Hisoka had sustained, and from the edge of the blanket, GuShoShin could see the outlines of Hisoka's new wings. Wounds that should have been taken care of by shinigami powers were still there. Things unnatural and alarming were happening to Hisoka, and there was nothing they could do about it trapped here in the world of the living. GuShoShin frowned and gently reached out to touch Hisoka's unresponsive hand.
"Please Hisoka . . . you have got to wake up." GuShoShin patted the youth's hand and sighed. Bad enough that something like this had happened to Hisoka. The circumstances surrounding the 'accident' were disturbing enough. It was the fact that it had driven Tsuzuki into a frenzy was what worried GuShoShin.
He looked over to the cell phone which lay beside him on the bed's edge. It was silent, and had been so for all of GuShoShin's vigil over Hisoka. GuShoShin wished it would ring. Even if it was just Tsuzuki checking in, he wished it would ring. Not knowing what was going on was bad enough. There was already one shinigami down for the count, and GuShoShin would not tolerate another happening while he was on watch.
Sitting and worrying would do nothing to help either Hisoka or Tsuzuki. GuShoShin gently patted Hisoka's limp hand one more time and turned his attention back to his laptop. He may not have access to the division's mainframe, but as a head librarian, GuShoShin was not without resources.
He pulled up the backed up data on the demon that he and Hisoka had been working on before the two shinigami had abandoned him to pursue the lead that had incapacitated Hisoka. GuShoShin had meant what he said to Tsuzuki about the demon being a lower level denizen of Hell. An image of a shadow creature filled the computer screen. GuShoShin scratched his head thoughtfully. The lower level of demons were considered the grunts so to speak. Those demons was often designated tasks deemed unwanted by the upper beings. Working in conjunction with a human would potentially be designated an undesirable job.
Such beings, while considered dangerous, were still rather tame compared to the higher level denizens. Not to say that they were harmless kittens by any means. GuShoShin peered closer at the shadowy demon's image. The grunt work of working with Muraki 'could' be considered a chore beneath other demons. The fact that it had 'played' with Tsuzuki and Hisoka could show just how bored it had been at doing such a menial task. GuShoShin shuddered slightly. How the task of mutilating and killing a young girl and subjugating her soul was considered a menial task was beyond him, but he was a librarian not a demon.
What was the connection between Muraki and the demons? GuShoShin frowned and pulled up an old data file on the demented doctor. The activities attributed to Muraki were heinous and there were more than a couple people in Meifu who would be glad to help Muraki die so to speak, but Enma's law forbids the premature ending of a soul by shinigami. While sometimes it is in the best interest for such monsters to be stopped with such drastic measures, for some reason Enma had forbid the active pursuit and end of Muraki.
GuShoShin glanced back to Hisoka's pale form and felt a wave of sympathy. Hisoka was just one of many souls tainted by Muraki, and sadly Hikaru was just the latest in the doctor's pursuits. Clicking on an icon, GuShoShin pulled up the case file of Hikaru. The girl had been more than just a random killing, GuShoShin was sure of it. The trap laid by Muraki and the demon to catch Tsuzuki and Hisoka was evidence of that. Muraki had spoke to Tsuzuki of keeping the child's soul, that meant that somewhere, somehow Hikaru's soul was alive, trapped presumably in Muraki's clutches.
GuShoShin rubbed at his temples lightly, feeling the onset of a headache forming. All this speculation was getting him nowhere fast. He needed Tsuzuki back, he needed Hisoka to wake up. There was so much GuShoShin just did not know, and the vacant shinigami were key to gaining that information. He glanced over to Hisoka and smiled sadly. "Right now your partner is running God knows where trying to find the man who did that to you." GuShoShin floated up to hover near Hisoka's head. "I just hope that Tsuzuki comes back . . . for both our sakes."
A knock at the door jolted GuShoShin out of his reverie. He glanced over to the door and frowned slightly. They had paid their bill, and Tsuzuki would just unlock the door . . . who could it be? GuShoShin hovered slightly over to the door, his form unconsciously protecting Hisoka's form from whomever was behind the door. Anyone that would know they were there was from division, but division was locked down at the moment.
The knock sounded once again and GuShoShin shook his head. Even if it was just a human, he couldn't answer the door, cause he was a mythical being, not a human. It was best to just ignore the door. The person would go away soon, there was nothing to worry about. Right?
GuShoShin flew slowly back over to Hisoka and landed gently beside his prone form. The door knocked once again and GuShoShin frowned at the door in annoyance. Whomever it was at the door, they sure were persistent. He turned back to Hisoka and touched Hisoka's arm.
"I know you are in there."
GuShoShin's blood froze as that familiar, unsettling voice spoke. Fear filled his being, but GuShoShin laboured to not let his emotions get the better of him. He turned around slowly to face the door once again. Streaks of crimson energy fractured the length of the door. The sight was unnatural and unsettling, and GuShoShin pressed against Hisoka's side.
Suddenly the door blew in, exploding from the fierce bolts of energy worked upon it. GuShoShin shielded his eyes as smoke and debris filled the room. A figure stepped through the door and stopped in the frame. GuShoShin's eyes widened as he beheld the man in the doorway. "Gods . . . it's you!"
Muraki smiled, and GuShoShin felt fear fill his being. The doctor stepped through the shattered doorway, debris crunching under his feet. "Another Meifu puppet. How quaint. Is this what Tsuzuki left to protect his partner from me?" Muraki crossed the room slowly to stand in front of GuShoShin.
The cell phone suddenly rang, piercing the quiet tension of the room. Both GuShoShin and Muraki looked to the phone, the former with hope, the later with annoyance. GuShoShin put on a brave front and stood in front of Hisoka, his diminutive form the only shield between Hisoka and Muraki. "Get away Muraki! I won't let you take him!"
Muraki laughed, and GuShoShin quailed under the doctor's gaze. The cell phone continued to ring, the sound shrill. "You won't let me?" Muraki abruptly reached out and grabbed GuShoShin by the throat, raising the librarian up by his neck. GuShoShin strained under Muraki's grasp, his breath cut off with Muraki's hand. "I don't need your permission." [5]
GuShoShin clawed futilely at Muraki's hold, his vision swimming as Muraki lifted him into the air. "N- No - " GuShoShin's sight wavered from the cruel doctor's face, down to Hisoka's unconscious form, and lastly to the ringing cell phone on the bed. As darkness filled his senses, GuShoShin's last thought was of how sorry he was, to both Tsuzuki and Hisoka.
The cell phone's ring sent GuShoShin off to oblivion.
********************
Hisoka opened his eyes to find himself standing upon the edge of a very tall grey building. Cold wind bit into his clothing, threatening his precarious balance upon the narrow ledge. The sky was overcast and dark, adding to the lonely mood inspired. Hisoka looked down, and immediately regretted it, as a wave of vertigo washed over his frame. He crouched down, closed his eyes and attempted to calm his rapidly beating heart.
He attempted to curl his new formed wings about himself in an effort to center his balance, and was surprised to find the wings mysteriously absent. Hisoka opened his eyes to look behind him, and saw tears in his shirt corresponding to where his wings would have joined to his body. Hisoka blinked in confusion and turned his gaze upon the stormy clouds surrounding him.
This was an unexpected development. Hisoka narrowed his eyes as he peered over the edge of the ledge he was standing on, and paled when he saw nothing but cloud beneath his narrow perch. How high up was he, and where had his wings gone?
He looked down at his hand and saw a solitary white feather grasped in his fist. That . . . had been real? Hisoka shuddered and clenched the feather tighter. The darkness was not here, but it has not been near him before on the beach. Cold wind tore at his clothing, and Hisoka grasped the stone ledge with his free hand.
"I told you before, don't be afraid . . ."
Hisoka looked over his shoulder to find the same girl from before standing in the middle of the rooftop. She stood there, unaffected by the chilly wind, and looked up at Hisoka expectantly. Stunned, Hisoka could not help but see how closely she resembled the likeness of Hikaru, the soul that he and Tsuzuki were searching for.
"It's you . . ." Amazement flittered across Hisoka's face as he stared into the girl's large sorrowful eyes. Carefully, Hisoka turned around, his form still hunched down and looked closer at the girl. She wore a pale white nightgown, almost like a dress, and was barefoot. Her long black hair cascaded down her body, ending just below her waist. Her piercing green eyes bore into Hisoka's own, and he couldn't help but shiver at the effect. The same loosely fitting silver chains confined her wrists and ankles, giving the child the impression of a prisoner. "You're Hikaru . . . aren't you?" Hisoka looked to the girl in confusion. Where was he?
The girl smiled sadly and stepped forward. "I suppose you can call me Hikaru . . . or at least I believe that is what I was known by before." Hikaru fingered the chains around one of her wrists. "You're Hisoka Kurosaki . . . aren't you?"
"How do you know my name?" Hisoka continued to crouch upon the narrow form, unsure of what was real or not.
Hikaru smiled sadly up to Hisoka once again, and the intense need to protect her flowed through Hisoka anew. "I have . . . powers. I guess you could say I have profound spiritual abilities." Hikaru clasped her hands in front of her and Hisoka frowned slightly. "I've always been different, I've known that since I was very young." She blinked and Hisoka watched as a tear fell down her cheek. "I knew who you were because of that."
She was empathic? Hisoka frowned and cautiously looked around to the building they were standing on. But she had healed his wounds from before - Hisoka was sure that he could not achieve such a feat with his empathy. "You healed me . . . how?"
Wide green eyes stared into his own, and Hisoka felt a shiver, different from one caused by the cold wind. "The wounds I healed were not physical ones, but spiritual ones. I can heal such injuries as long as it is soon after the infliction." She tapped her head gently. "You were dying Hisoka, dying from wounds inflicted on your soul." Hikaru rubbed at her arms as if she were cold, but Hisoka could tell that it was not the weather that affected her. "Everything was dark, I was so afraid. But then there was light, and I found you -- but you were also succumbing to the darkness. I had to do something . . ."
Hisoka frowned as he stared at Hikaru. Darkness, and then light. Could it be? "The spell . . ." Hisoka cautiously lowered himself to sit upon the edge of the ledge he had been crouching on. "I used the magic circle left behind at the site of your . . ." Hisoka promptly quieted as he realized what he was about to say. How could he tell Hikaru that she was dead?
Outrage flitted across Hikaru's face as she fingered the chains around her wrists. "Because of my abilities . . . I was shackled like this." Hikaru looked up to Hisoka. "You saw what was left of my body . . . didn't you? You saw what they did to me . . ."
"You know you are dead?" Hisoka eyed Hikaru in a new light. To be so young, and yet so calm about such a fact . . . She looked up into Hisoka's eyes and Hisoka felt as if his heart would break. Hisoka tore his gaze from Hikaru for a moment and looked around. The biting wind tore into him, and he could not help but shiver from it. Why was he atop of a building in the middle of a brewing storm? For that matter, why was Hikaru here? He looked back to Hikaru and was mildly shocked to find that she was untouched by the wind or the cold. Her clothing remained still, and her hair hung quietly. "Where are we?"
Hikaru raised an arm to sweep out to indicate the rooftop of the building. "All of this, it isn't real. Everything is an illusion, created by you." She raised her shackled arms in front of her. Hisoka could see that even though there was space between her arms and legs, they still were bound close enough by the chains to imprison her. "Everything, that is except me . . . and HIM."
"Created by me?" Hisoka frowned and gingerly stepped off the edge of the building to join Hikaru on the rooftop. "How do you know? And who is HIM?"
Hikaru frowned, her delicate eyebrows furrowed. "There are just some things . . . I know. I don't know why or how . . . just that I do." The wave of fear, sadness and loneliness that emanated from the child floored Hisoka where he crouched. "When I woke up, HE was also there. I ran." Hikaru looked into Hisoka's eyes. "I don't know what HE is, all I know is that HE is bound like I am here in this place." Hikaru gestured to their surroundings. "I also don't know why they killed me, or why they wanted me to be used against you." Her green eyes were shining, and Hisoka felt an intense need to shelter the frail waif of a child in front of him. Hikaru hugged her arms around herself. "You need to wake up Hisoka . . ."
Hikaru was somehow bound to . . . to him? Hisoka frowned as he pondered that thought. The magic circle, it must have had a transient spell on it, triggered when he had crossed it's boundaries. Hikaru's soul . . . had been chained to the circle. Hisoka looked to the little girl in front of him. Despite her grown-up attitude, Hikaru was still just a child. He fingered the feather in his hands. The creature . . . HIM as Hikaru had called it . . . could it be the demon that Hisoka had fought before?
Hisoka reached out a hand to Hikaru. The pain that flowed from the girl was intense but he kept the effort he was exerting to block her emotions from his face. Why was his empathy so weak when he needed it to be strong? Hisoka looked down again to the feather clenched in his hand. Hikaru reached forward to take Hisoka's other hand. "What do you mean wake up?"
"I mean exactly that." Hikaru squeezed Hisoka's hand tightly. "I healed your wounds and managed to protect you already once before from HIM, but my powers are weak now from the effort. I cannot guarantee your safety." Hikaru looked into Hisoka's eyes, her own eyes brimming with tears. "If you perish, so will I."
How many times was he going to be jolted by the frail wisp of a girl in front of him? Hisoka gently pulled his hand away from Hikaru's and looked at her intently. "You're powers? Is that why you were killed?" He gestured to the building the two of them were standing upon and the rolling clouds beyond.
"I don't remember much of what they did to me, except that it was painful, and I was always in the dark." Hikaru fingered the shackles around her limbs. "They tried to strip me of all awareness, a soul trapped without consciousness." Her tears were falling freely now and Hisoka knew he could do nothing for her. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?"
Bastards. Hisoka clenched his fists in anger and looked up to the cloudy sky. Muraki would pay for what he had done. But first he had to wake up, as Hikaru had put it. "That creature . . . you said he is real?"
"As real as you and I are in this place." Hikaru tugged on a strand of her hair anxiously. Hikaru looked up to Hisoka, fear apparent in her wide green eyes. For a moment, Hisoka could see the young girl that Hikaru should have been. "I'm scared."
God. All he had were questions, and not enough answers.
Hisoka twirled the feather lightly and gave Hikaru a faint smile. The girl wiped at her tears and hesitantly smiled back. "I really don't know what to say Hikaru . . . I really don't. I don't know what is going on . . . but I swear to you that if it is in my powers, I will protect you."
He had warned Tsuzuki of making promises that he could not keep. And Hisoka thought he was finally beginning to understand what drove his partner to make such promises. It gave hope when there was none, it was a start. Hisoka tucked the feather into his pocket and held out his hand again to Hikaru. Hikaru looked at Hisoka's hand hesitantly and then carefully took a hold of it.
Hisoka squeezed Hikaru's hand lightly and looked around to the rooftop about them. All of this, everything around them was a byproduct of his unconsciousness. Hisoka frowned and wondered why his mind had produced this landscape. The conscious mind was a tricky thing at best. To understand the unconsciousness, well that was a whole other problem.
"How did you find me Hikaru?" Hisoka looked down to the girl. That fact did not dawn upon him until that moment. How had both Hikaru and the creature found him so easily?
Hikaru furrowed her eyebrows, and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I don't really know, I just did. I mean, everything is like darkness here . . . but you . . . you are like a beacon of light in the night. It's kind of hard not to notice you." She gestured to the surrounding area. "It is only when I am near you that I can actually see anything. When I was alone, everything was just fog and darkness."
Pondering Hikaru's words, Hisoka frowned slightly. A beacon . . . If this was his mind, than he was the primary occupant of this place. Hikaru and the demon, were like passengers along for the ride. Was it that only to Hisoka the environment shifted to form something that could be perceived? Such thoughts were mind-boggling and while interesting, did nothing to help Hisoka 'wake-up' as Hikaru had put it.
"Wait a minute." Hisoka turned to face Hikaru. "If I wake up - what happens to you?"
"I don't know . . . perhaps the darkness from before will be all around me. But if you aren't here, that means that HE cannot get to you. It means that you are safe." Hikaru's eyes shown with unshed tears. "I'm scared to be alone. But I am more scared to have you hunted by HIM. All that emanates from his is death and destruction. If you die . . . I die as well."
Damn it. He wanted to protect Hikaru, but Hisoka was unsure of how to do so, he was unsure of how to even protect himself at this point. The demon had almost killed him before at the beach. Hell, his own wounds had almost killed him, never mind the demon. Leaving Hikaru alone with the demon . . . well that was unthinkable. "Won't he come after you without me here?"
Hikaru paled at Hisoka's words, and Hisoka immediately regretted speaking them. Hikaru squared her shoulders, and put on a brave face. "Perhaps. But I know ways to hide. You are the beacon in this darkness remember? I can hide, but you cannot."
"The only way to protect me, is to wake up and find a way to disperse the spell that was wrought on me. Also you need to find a way to separate yourself from HIM. As long as he is here, you will never be safe." Hikaru smiled grimly and squeezed Hisoka's hand tightly. "This is your world, your mind. As long as you are awake you will not be here, and HE cannot find you. So you need to wake up."
Hisoka shook his head in amazement at Hikaru. How could a young girl be so brave? He knelt down in front of Hikaru to look into her eyes at her eye level. "There are so many things that I just don't know. How do I know that you aren't just a hallucination of my brain?" Hisoka reached out to gently touch Hikaru's arm. "I was so desperate to find you, before Tsuzuki and I encountered Muraki and the demon. How can I know that what you say is real? How do I know you are real?"
Hikaru enclosed Hisoka's hand in-between her own. "I really don't know. I am just as confused as you are. But we have to trust in something . . . right? I mean, if we don't, than what will happen to either one of us?" She smiled slightly and Hisoka felt his emotions lighten. "The line between reality and fantasy is a rather thin line . . . don't you think? Somewhere one has to make a stand."
Hisoka looked at Hikaru and shook his head. "You're right. I'm sorry . . . I just don't know what to make of all of this . . ." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Things weren't suppose to go like this."
Hikaru smiled sadly at Hisoka. "I didn't want to die . . . not the way I did. Life is kind of cruel that way. How it gives you the unexpected."
The wisdom of a child. Hisoka stood up and looked around once more. There was nothing he could do to solve any of this. The idea of having both Hikaru's soul and the demon adjoined to him was a little frightening. God only knows what had gone wrong when he cast the soul binding spell. Hisoka shook his head. He needed to move forward, not backwards.
Waking up was his priority. But just how was he suppose to do that? Hisoka fingered the feather in his pocket lightly. His wings were another anomaly. What were they a product of? And were they a help or a hindrance to him? Not that they were there at the moment. He pulled out the white feather to look upon it.
"Oh no . . ."
Hisoka turned around to find Hikaru huddling on the rooftop, her arms tight around her legs. Apprehension filled Hisoka as he crossed the distance between him and Hikaru quickly. "What's wrong?"
Hikaru turned her head to Hisoka, her eyes wide with fear. "Can't you feel it?" She shivered and Hisoka's dread rose another notch. "HE's coming . . ."
Turning desperately, Hisoka eyed the rooftop in anxiety. There was nothing to suggest anything was happening, the same grey clouds rolled in the sky, and the same wind blew. "How do you know?"
"I just know. You have to get out of here . . . NOW!" Hikaru abruptly leapt to her feet and pushed at Hisoka, herding him to the edge of the rooftop. "You're going to have to jump."
Hisoka looked down to Hikaru in confusion. "No! If he is coming that means you are in danger! I won't leave."
"I'm not giving you a choice!" Hikaru backed away slightly from Hisoka and a pale glow formed around her body. "I'm not ready for this, but HE is giving me no alternative."
The sky suddenly seemed to darken, and the same evil presence from before filled the area. Hisoka shuddered at the emotions and looked over the edge of the building in apprehension. There was nothing below, just swirling clouds. He glanced over to Hikaru who was now hovering slightly and glowing even more brightly. What was happening?
Pain lanced through his body as the curse marks on his chest flared brightly once again. Hisoka clenched his fists as the sky darkened. A pair of red eyes formed above him, sheathed in darkness. Hikaru's form was shining brightly now, a beacon of light in the approaching shadows.
"Hikaru!" Hisoka reached out a hand to the girl, ignoring the beast forming above his head. She was an innocent, she could not be left at the mercy of the demon. Hisoka tried to take a step toward Hikaru and was suddenly thrown off balance by a weight at his back.
Pristine snowy wings blossomed from his back, a whirlwind of feathers appearing around Hisoka as the wings reformed. Gravity was taking over and Hisoka was beginning to fall over the edge of the building. "Hikaru!!" Hisoka scrambled for purchase but could not find any.
A menacing laugh reverberated in the area and Hisoka looked up in the sky to the demon who had formed there. "Stupid shinigami. Don't you realize that you can run but never hide from me? I am a part of you now!" Red eyes narrowed and Hisoka felt his curse marks flare up in pain. "The girl is nothing but a bother. I will hunt you down and kill you. Then I will be free, and your soul will be mine!"
Hisoka flapped his wings desperately, trying to stop his fall. The demon sneered and abruptly dropped, crashing into Hisoka's form and plummeting the both of them down into the rolling clouds. It's claws scratched deep marks into Hisoka's chest, and Hisoka screamed.
"Hisoka!!" Hikaru's voice was full of fear and fading away fast as Hisoka fell.
The air roared in his ears as he plunged, Hisoka himself locked in a deadly embrace with the shadow demon. It was laughing once again, the sound shrill and unsettling. "I will kill you little shinigami. Your soul is succulent, and I want all of it." The demon's crimson eyes narrowed and Hisoka pushed at the demon's form above him, desperate to pull those deadly claws out from his flesh. "I understand now why Muraki plays with you so! I wonder if your partner's soul tastes just as sweet?"
Anger filled Hisoka as the demon spoke, overriding the fear he felt. "You will NEVER taste his soul! I guarantee it!!" Hisoka gripped the wrists of the demon and yanked hard, pulling the sharp claws out of his flesh in one fluid motion. "Get the hell away from me!!" His blood spilled from the open wounds, staining his shirt crimson once again. His eyes flashed with fury and Hisoka kicked the demon in the chest, driving the creature apart from him.
The windows of the building rushed past at a furious pace, and Hisoka flapped his angel-like wings heedlessly. The motion aggravated his wounds, but Hisoka did not care, only wishing to pull away from the vile creature falling with him. This time, his wings responded, and Hisoka's descent slowed then stopped. He hovered in place for a moment, trying earnestly to steady his stance.
A dazzling light slowly formed from the feathers, illuminating Hisoka in a holy light. Hisoka looked down to the demon falling below him and pressed a hand against the wounds in his chest. Power emanated from the wings and an idea formed in Hisoka's head. Just like before, it wasn't something that he could logically explain, it was just something he knew with the strength of his heart. He reached for the solitary feather stored in his pocket from before, it's own form burning just as radiantly as his new formed wings.
The demon growled, and beat it's batlike wings furiously rising toward Hisoka, irritation clear on it's face. "Angel trying to fly? You make me laugh boy." It's eyes narrowed as it looked to the single glowing feather in Hisoka's hand. "What are you going to do? Tickle me to death?"
Hisoka glared down to the demon coming up at him from below, and narrowed his green eyes. He hung there in the air, held aloft by dazzling bright white wings. Perhaps the demon felt a twinge of fear, Hisoka was not sure. All he knew was that he would not let the demon win this round.
"You wish." [6]
Hisoka threw the feather towards the demon, it's path straight and true. It dropped like a sword, and the demon's eyes widened slightly as the feather pierced it's flesh [7]. Blinding light met smouldering dark, and Hisoka watched as the demon's body fractured, cracks of light forming all along the demon's skin. Comprehension filled the crimson eyes as it glared angrily up to Hisoka. "Stupid child! I will flay her for helping you!!"
"Do so and you will endure a fate worse than death." Hisoka glared in contempt down to the demon. Adrenaline kept him going, despite his wounds. He flapped his wings lightly. "Get out of here demon."
Crimson eyes narrowed in anger but the demon complied, it's shadowy form vaporizing from sight. Hisoka hovered for a minute or two, surveying the area carefully. His curse marks stopped burning, their appearance listless and dull [8]. It was only then that Hisoka relaxed slightly.
As the anger left his system, Hisoka felt his body shake with fear. What in the world had possessed him to do something so reckless? The wounds in his chest throbbed, and Hisoka pressed at them heavily. His wings had dimmed as well, fading back to their original white colour. Hisoka flapped his wings wearily and slowly rose back up to the top of the grey building.
Hikaru's face peered worriedly over the edge of the building and Hisoka grabbed her hand and let her help pull him up to the top of the building. As soon as his feet touched the rooftop Hisoka's wings faded, pulling back up into his back and disappearing from view. Not that Hisoka really paid attention as he dropped to his knees, his body exhausted. Hikaru knelt beside him, her face awash in concern.
"Of all the foolish, stupid things . . . I told you to run!" Her voice was harsh, but Hisoka could feel the underlying concern and fear in it. Her face was pale and Hisoka reached out to take Hikaru's shaking hand in his own. "He could have killed you!"
"But he didn't." Hisoka's voice sounded tired to him, and he looked at Hikaru critically. "That was you . . . wasn't it Hikaru?" He gestured to his back. "The wings . . . they are a part of you."
Hikaru tilted her head, and squeezed Hisoka's hand tightly. "Yes and no." She pressed her hands to the wounds on Hisoka's chest and closed her eyes. Hisoka watched as a light seemed to pass from Hikaru into himself, and the wounds disappeared, healed with her touch. "They are just - "
"Something you just know to be." Hisoka finished her words and they looked at each other intently. Hisoka pondered that thought and slowly rose to his feet. "Another byproduct of our souls being bound I suppose."
"If you keep doing things like that . . ." Hikaru looked up to Hisoka from her seat on the roof. "You are going to wear me out faster than that demon will." She shook the silver chains around her limbs. "You need to wake up."
Hisoka looked to Hikaru, astounded by her maturity and her humour. He shook his head and wondered idly why it was so easy to be with Hikaru. Was it because they were bound to one another at the moment? It was like having a little sister. Hisoka wished it could have been under other circumstances, but he liked the feeling. "I know."
Hikaru smiled and gracefully stood up. "Get out of here Hisoka, and hurry up and rescue me already." She laughed lightly, and Hisoka could not help but feel better. "I'll be okay."
He looked down at Hikaru and looked into her eyes. They mirrored his own. They held hope.
He looked up to the sky and watched as a shaft of light suddenly appeared from the swirling grey clouds to center on him. He had little control over this world, it being a product of his unconsciousness, but it seemed to know that he needed to wake up. He would awaken, and he would save Hikaru. Hisoka clenched his fists and looked to Hikaru. "I promise I will be back."
Hikaru laughed and grasped the chains between her wrists. "I'm counting on that."
Hisoka looked up the sky and the shaft of light. A way out, a way back to Tsuzuki. He would awaken, and he would make Muraki pay for the damage he had caused. Hisoka closed his eyes, and warmth enveloped him.
********************
Consciousness did not come back to GuShoShin gently, but rather slapped him in the face in a torrent. He coughed as his throat burned for air. Concerned violet eyes hovered above him and GuShoShin blinked incoherently. What had happened?
"GuShoShin . . . GuShoShin!" Tsuzuki called out his name and the librarian shook his head. Tsuzuki looked horrible and GuShoShin noted that the man was breathing heavily, as if he had just exerted himself strenuously. "I tried to phone you but you wouldn't answer! Are you okay? Where is he? Where is Hisoka?!"
Memory flooded back to him and GuShoShin abruptly sat up, almost knocking Tsuzuki in the head. He looked over to the shattered doorway and felt dread fill his being. He did not have to look to the bed to know that Hisoka was not there. Muraki had come . . . and had taken Hisoka away.
GuShoShin looked up to Tsuzuki, and shook his head. "I'm sorry Tsuzuki . . ."
"No . . ." Tsuzuki stood up and walked over to the empty bed. A solitary feather lay in the center of the bed, pinning a piece of paper to the sheet. GuShoShin feebly flew over, and pressed his hand onto Tsuzuki's shoulder. He peered over Tsuzuki's shoulder to read the note.
The writing was scrawled in blood, and GuShoShin had a feeling that it was Hisoka's. He could feel Tsuzuki trembling in anger under his hand. GuShoShin could not blame Tsuzuki as he read the note.
I have told you once . . .
And I will tell you again.
You are all just stepping stones to a greater ideal.
Blood will pave the way to my dreams . . . be ready for it.
"That bastard . . ." Tsuzuki crumpled the bloody note in his hands. GuShoShin looked at Tsuzuki in apprehension. Enma's command or not, GuShoShin was not sure that Muraki would be escaping unscathed in their next encounter. "He will not get away with this."
There would be hell to pay.
********************
Author's Notes: (Long winded I know)
Well I hope I haven't confused everyone with everything. I needed to cover both the waking world and Hisoka's world, and that just couldn't be done with just one perspective. So I hope it wasn't too bad.
1. The powers that a shinigami have are a little confusing to me. Tatsumi has the power to wield shadows and Watari has the power to bring drawings to life (and the ability to wreck havoc in the division's laboratory). Tsuzuki seems to have a high spiritual power, and a kinship with the shikigami (think Suzaku). Hisoka has his empathic abilities. It seems that one can 'learn' some of these skills, but others are solely inherited (I don't think Hisoka's empathy can be taught to anyone). But there seems to be a similar vein of 'powers' that all the shinigami have, such as regeneration, invisibility, teleportation and flying? The flying one I am not sure of, so I have decided to ignore that ability for now. Yeah writer's prerogative.
2. I know it seems that Hisoka is a little slow on the uptake. I mean you would think that if you suddenly had wings on your back you would notice. But Hisoka is obviously a little distracted, and he is wounded. There are some other pressing concerns than the wings on his back - although they are still a major matter.
3. Usually with blood loss the human body goes into shock, a circumstance that can soon lead to death if not dealt with. Even though Hisoka and Co. are shinigami, they were given the forms of humans once again from what I understand. They have similar weaknesses of the human body - despite their shinigami gained powers. This goes along the similar lines that it is possible for them to 'die'.
4. In case people do not understand, this is a reference to the classic, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. The main character Alice falls down a rabbit hole, and it is the beginning of her adventures in a strange and deviant world apart from her own. Hisoka is in a kind of wonderland of his own - don't you think? Shadowy monsters and disappearing / reappearing girls. Falling through water and suddenly appearing in free fall in air?
5. Go Muraki the rat-bastard! Being a villain must be so rewarding sometimes, don't you think?
6. It reminded me of those action movies where the hero says the cool one liner and then everything explodes.
7. I know it seems like a DNAngel rip off, but it isn't quite like that. The feather Hisoka used though do have power. Duh, the demon fractured from being hit by a feather. Also one has to keep in mind that this is Hisoka's mind, not the physical world. Power is different here.
8. In case people haven't figured it out, the altered curse marks are attuned to the demon. And the angel wings are attuned to Hikaru. Both of them are moderately a part of Hisoka as well. Yay twisted up spells.
Whew . . . my notes were a little long, sorry about that. I hope those who are still reading my story are enjoying it. I'm sorry about the haphazard updating, but my muse has the power, not me. Either way I am writing this to indulge myself, but it is nice to get reviews from people. Thank you once again to those who are still following my story, and to those who review. They really do help me get inspired.
Also I just have to thank Matsushita for creating such wonderful characters and a wonderful world. Humor, darkness, romance - all the fun stuff rolled into one! Thank you!
Thank you very much to the people who have read this story! It gladdens me that at least someone besides me is reading what I wrote. This story is loosely based on the manga and the anime, taking components from both.
Again, hopefully I don't scare peoples away with this.
Oh yeah, Hikaru and the demon (Chymos) are my own demented little characters. My property, mine. Got that? Everyone else is the property of Matsushita kay?
So on with the show!
Desires
Chapter Five - Down the Rabbit Hole
by Lockeheart
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It was cold.
That one thought pierced the fog that was Hisoka's consciousness. Brilliant green eyes beheld the star filled sky, and Hisoka took a deep breath. He lay for a moment, his thoughts disoriented and scattered. The Soul Binding spell . . . had it worked?
The light . . . it had been so bright . . .
Hisoka stared at the pale full moon suspended above him. The magic circle had strengthened his spell, but something had gone wrong, Hisoka was sure of it. The clearing, the shadow demon, Muraki and Tsuzuki, they were all gone. He curled his hands into fists, and was surprised when he grabbed handfuls of sand.
Sitting up cautiously, Hisoka winced as his body made known that it was hurting. In mild shock, Hisoka saw multiple wounds lightly bleeding upon his person. The magic . . . had it injured him? He touched one of the wounds gingerly and pulled his fingers back to find his blood glistening on their tips. While not very serious, the number of injuries is what concerned Hisoka, never mind the fact that they did not seem to be healing up. Why was he not regenerating? Surely his shinigami ability to restore should have stopped the wounds from bleeding - shouldn't they?[1]
A lonely expanse of beach swept out from where he sat to disappear into the horizon. Hisoka looked down at the sand and frowned. Had something interfered in his spell and teleported him somewhere far away? Hisoka raised his hand to his head and closed his eyes. Where was Tsuzuki? Was he all right? Dark water lapped up the length of the beach, threatening to soak Hisoka if he didn't move soon.
Raking his cold fingers through his hair, Hisoka climbed shakily to his feet; fighting off a wave of nausea as he righted himself. If he didn't stop bleeding, it wouldn't matter where he was. Hisoka took a shuddering breath and winced in pain. He needed to find Tsuzuki. He needed to get help.
Shivering slightly from the chill night air and blood loss, Hisoka focussed his energies to teleport - and was disturbed when nothing happened. The lonely beach was still around him, the moon high in the night sky. Hisoka frowned and tried to teleport a shorter distance, the span of a couple feet and was greeted with the same result. Dizziness swept through Hisoka as he stumbled slightly from his effort. What was wrong with his powers? It was at that point that an expanse of white feathers entered his field of vision and Hisoka nearly fell over in surprise. There were wings . . . correction. HE had wings on his back. [2]
It might have been amusing at another time, the way Hisoka strained to see the unnatural appendages sprouting from between his shoulder blades; yet for Hisoka it was anything but. His vision was swimming and it was hard to focus. Hisoka stilled in his struggle to see the wings and closed his eyes, flexing muscles just a moment ago he did not have.
The motion was awkward, and painful because of his injuries, but Hisoka struggled with the action. Why was he injured, and why did he have wings? It seemed to Hisoka that all he had were questions and not enough answers. The light dimmed slightly and Hisoka opened his eyes to see the ivory wings spread out behind and above him, the feathers glowing in the pale moonlight.
What had happened to him? Hisoka looked up to the feathery appendages with slight apprehension. As astonishing as this development was, his newfound wings could do nothing to stop his bleeding. Where was he? He looked around to the starlit beach surrounding him. There was nothing he could recognize, nothing to indicate where he was, save for the beach itself.
Clutching the larger of his wounds tightly, Hisoka fluttered his new wings experimentally. The feathery appendages were quite beautiful, and had Hisoka been in a better condition, he might have appreciated that fact. As it was, the wings were just another sign of something terribly wrong.
Putting pressure on what wounds he could, Hisoka stumbled a little ways down the shoreline, hoping to find a house or a building. If he could find a phone or even a person, he could go get help. Even with all his powers, Hisoka knew that his body was still human, and bound to human weaknesses. Had whatever happened to him when he cast the soul bind spell also warped his shinigami powers?
Hisoka eyed the murky waves in doubt. It was either the Pacific Ocean, or the Sea of Japan . . . even at full powers the shinigami's power to teleport only worked within a limited distance. He still had to be in Japan . . . didn't he? Hisoka frowned and pressed down harder on his wounds. He had wings, his wounds were not healing, and he could not teleport. Something had definitely gone wrong. Hisoka was beyond doubt of that.
He should be more worried, Hisoka frowned as he concentrated in placing one foot in front of another. He was so cold, even though the night air was cool. Hisoka was sure he was suffering from the beginnings of shock [3]. Shaking his head angrily, Hisoka forced himself to push on. He needed to find his partner. Tsuzuki was left alone with Muraki and perhaps even that demon.
How far Hisoka walked, he wasn't sure. The weight of his unfamiliar wings slowed him down, their tips dragging in the sand. Along with his slow but steady blood loss, Hisoka was not sure how much longer he would be able to keep going. He turned around shakily to eye his path, and saw how erratic his footprints were.
The unchanging scenery did nothing to convey to Hisoka how far he had travelled, but in his state he was sure he had not gotten far. His shirt was becoming red with blood and Hisoka looked down at the blossoming colour with unnatural calm. He knew he should be more worried, but somehow, it didn't seem to matter much. Staggering, Hisoka fell to his knees, his body sluggish and unresponsive.
"Let me help you . . ."
The voice was gentle, a welcome sound amidst the lonely landscape. Hisoka raised his eyes, trying to find the person who had spoken. Had someone found him? Blood trickled slowly down to mix with the white sand, Hisoka's hands having fallen to his sides.
There in the dark waves, a child stood miraculously above the water, her eyes staring sadly at Hisoka. She was a pale wisp of a girl, clad in a white nightgown. Black hair framed her heart-shaped face, her green eyes bright in the moonlight. With his wings askew, Hisoka knelt in the sand, his body exhausted and unresponsive. The girl had materialized like a spirit, and Hisoka could not help but notice the loose silver chains looping around her wrists and ankles.
"Please . . ." The child stepped forward, the chains clinking softly in the muted roar of the waves. "You're hurt . . . let me help." Her arms were raised upward, as if to give Hisoka a hug.
Hisoka knew he should stand up, that he should be demanding answers, do something . . . anything besides just kneel there in the sand. Yet it was taking all his power just to stay upright and watch the girl walk toward him. "Who are you?" Hisoka eyed the approaching child with detached curiosity.
The girl stopped in front of Hisoka and gently reached out her hands to cup Hisoka's face. "I am . . . a friend." Hisoka looked up into the child's vivid green eyes and shuddered as a surge of emotions slammed into his psyche. Had he the strength Hisoka would have screamed, but instead Hisoka could do little than slump forward into the child's embrace. The chill silver chains strained against Hisoka's throat as the girl's arms encircled his head.
Despair . . . Anger . . . Sorrow . . . Those emotions and more invaded Hisoka's mind and it felt as if he were drowning in their presence. He struggled weakly in the girl's hold but could nothing to escape her firm grip. The cold chain pressed against Hisoka's neck, cutting off his ability to breath.
"N-No . . ." Hisoka strained against the girl's embrace, the chain crushing his windpipe. While she did nothing to worsen the constriction administered from chain against Hisoka's skin, she did not let go. The maelstrom of emotions flowing from the girl into Hisoka was overwhelming, and Hisoka felt as if he were drowning in their depths.
"Don't be afraid." The girl whispered into Hisoka's ear, and suddenly she let go. Hisoka fell over onto his back, his new wings spreading out almost instinctively to avoid being crushed. His mind reeling, Hisoka struggled just to take deep calming breaths. The child stood before him unperturbed, her gaze sorrowful.
What had just happened? Hisoka shut his eyes, willing for his heart to slow down. It was at that point that Hisoka realized that aside from his reeling mind, his body did not hurt anymore. Cracking his eyes open, Hisoka eyed the calm girl standing before him. Without the physical touch of the child, Hisoka felt his empathy gaining a semblance of control.
Hisoka gingerly touched the skin where one of his wounds had been, his hand shaking slightly. There was no scar, no irritation, nothing to indicate that just a minute ago he had been bleeding to death. "How did you -?" Hisoka looked up to the little girl, carefully hauling himself to his knees.
The delicate girl's face gained a look of fear and she abruptly vanished. Hisoka reached out to the space where the child had stood, his confusion mounting. Kneeling there in the damp sand, Hisoka shook his head in disbelief. He looked behind to check if his other new development was still attached to his back, and was rewarded with a feathery expanse of white wings.
Hisoka looked down to his shirt, and was amazed to find the cloth free of any bloodstains, but was disturbed instead to see a glowing design flare up beneath the fabric. Perplexed, Hisoka reached down to gently touch the reddening marks when a scathing wave of pain nearly paralysed him. Clawing at his shirt, Hisoka painfully undid the buttons holding the fabric closed and almost died of a second shock.
His curse marks were 'burning' for the lack of a better term, their appearance deepening to a bloodlike colour. Hisoka carefully touched the blazing runes, and winced as a new wave of emotion filled the area, the feeling's dark and evil. Etched in black, the curse marks had gained a more sinister look than before, the marks flaring brightly in the pale moonlight.
Hugging his arms tightly around himself, and Hisoka rode through the waves of agony, both physical and mental. Was it possible for something to hurt this much? It would have almost been better to still be wounded and bleeding as he had been just moments before. Hisoka closed his eyes and doubled over, his forehead almost touching the damp sand beneath him.
It felt as if he was going to ignite, his curse marks almost hot to the touch. Staggering to his feet, Hisoka kept his arms curled protectively around his chest. His newly acquired wings throwing him off balance. Gods . . . why did the marks hurt so?
"Foolish boy."
Hisoka froze in his motions at the sound of that voice. It was not the voice of the girl and seemed to be full of hatred and loathing. The agony from the curse marks, if possible, seemed to increase and it took Hisoka great willpower not to cry out from the pain of it. Putting on a brave face to hide the fear he felt, Hisoka scanned the beach, attempting to find the keeper of that grotesque voice.
"Do you realize what you have done?"
There was no one around. The floating voice was cold and harsh, and did nothing to calm Hisoka's rapidly beating heart. His wings folded unconsciously into a protective cloak behind him, and Hisoka eyed the starry sky in apprehension. "Who are you?" The question seemed to be quickly becoming a favourite of Hisoka's.
The alarming speed at which darkness seemed to envelop Hisoka was the least of his worries. It was the glowing red eyes and the frightful visage that swam into Hisoka's field of vision that garnered his full attention. Tendrils of shadow pulled at Hisoka's body as if to ensnare him, and he took a couple of intimidated steps backward. The pain of his curse marks was quickly dismissed in the face of this new threat.
"Who am I?" The crimson eyes narrowed and Hisoka felt a flood of water pool around his calves. The tide was coming in, and Hisoka had nowhere to run. The starry sky was barely visible, obscured by the monstrous creature before him. "Your death."
Hisoka barely had time to let out a cry before the creature lunged forward, gleaming white claws appearing amidst the darkness that was it's form. Hisoka's wings extended behind him in a feathery display and he closed his eyes as a radiant light appeared between him and the creature.
Perhaps the creature screamed, Hisoka was uncertain. He pitched backwards, both from the shock of the sudden light, and from a wall of force that pushed him away from it. Hisoka's vision wavered as his sight lurched from the struggle between the light and the shadow creature, to the starry sky above him.
The cold water embraced him, but instead of landing upon the sandy bottom beneath the water, Hisoka continued to fall. He looked up to see the surface of the water above him, fading rapidly as he plummeted. The chill of the water had disappeared, replaced instead by shadows, a void that led to nowhere. He closed his eyes as gravity tugged at him, his wings trailing aside his body like streamers.
Wait . . . wings . . . Hisoka opened his eyes and attempted to right his rapidly descending form. He stretched out his wings and cried out at the pain. The force of the rushing air was too much, and his wings strained futilely in an effort to fly. Whether or not it was because his wings were not meant for flying or if he just did not know how to move them, Hisoka was uncertain.
Shimmering white feathers fluttered about him as he fell, their decent much slower than his own. A whirlwind of white feathers surrounded Hisoka and he reached out to them desperately. Nothing existed, save for Hisoka himself, and the dazzling display of feathers molting from his wings. There was nothing above him anymore, and nothing below him, but still Hisoka fell.
He reached out to catch one of the swirling feathers, tears spilling from his eyes. The darkness was everywhere, and somehow, Hisoka knew that if he did not catch one of the feathers, the darkness would consume him. It was not something he could explain, or truly understand; it was just something he knew deep down to be true.
An evil presence surrounded him as he fell, and Hisoka reached out desperately to seize a single white feather. It was hot in his hand, almost burning, but Hisoka did not let go. Blinding light emanated from the connection and the darkness backed off, the light shielding Hisoka from the shadows grasp. Everything that had happened to him, and was happening to him, all of it felt surreal. Hisoka closed his eyes as his consciousness faded, his body refusing to cooperate any longer with the hallucination Hisoka had tumbled into. The feather remained clenched in his grasp, a shield against the darkness.
And Hisoka continued to fall down the 'rabbit hole' [4].
********************
There was still no reply.
GuShoShin tapped the keyboard of his laptop impatiently. Even in an overload the divisions system never went totally offline. To do so was to endanger those agents working in the field. Not being able to communicate was one thing, but to not be able to proceed between Meifu and ChiJou was almost unheard of. A lock down of such severity . . . well something had to be terribly wrong, and it bothered GuShoShin that when they needed to get through the most, they were conveniently denied access.
He glanced over his shoulder to look at Hisoka, who still lay unconscious upon the bed. GuShoShin was a librarian, not a doctor, but even he knew that Hisoka needed professional aid. Blood showed slightly through some of the wounds that Hisoka had sustained, and from the edge of the blanket, GuShoShin could see the outlines of Hisoka's new wings. Wounds that should have been taken care of by shinigami powers were still there. Things unnatural and alarming were happening to Hisoka, and there was nothing they could do about it trapped here in the world of the living. GuShoShin frowned and gently reached out to touch Hisoka's unresponsive hand.
"Please Hisoka . . . you have got to wake up." GuShoShin patted the youth's hand and sighed. Bad enough that something like this had happened to Hisoka. The circumstances surrounding the 'accident' were disturbing enough. It was the fact that it had driven Tsuzuki into a frenzy was what worried GuShoShin.
He looked over to the cell phone which lay beside him on the bed's edge. It was silent, and had been so for all of GuShoShin's vigil over Hisoka. GuShoShin wished it would ring. Even if it was just Tsuzuki checking in, he wished it would ring. Not knowing what was going on was bad enough. There was already one shinigami down for the count, and GuShoShin would not tolerate another happening while he was on watch.
Sitting and worrying would do nothing to help either Hisoka or Tsuzuki. GuShoShin gently patted Hisoka's limp hand one more time and turned his attention back to his laptop. He may not have access to the division's mainframe, but as a head librarian, GuShoShin was not without resources.
He pulled up the backed up data on the demon that he and Hisoka had been working on before the two shinigami had abandoned him to pursue the lead that had incapacitated Hisoka. GuShoShin had meant what he said to Tsuzuki about the demon being a lower level denizen of Hell. An image of a shadow creature filled the computer screen. GuShoShin scratched his head thoughtfully. The lower level of demons were considered the grunts so to speak. Those demons was often designated tasks deemed unwanted by the upper beings. Working in conjunction with a human would potentially be designated an undesirable job.
Such beings, while considered dangerous, were still rather tame compared to the higher level denizens. Not to say that they were harmless kittens by any means. GuShoShin peered closer at the shadowy demon's image. The grunt work of working with Muraki 'could' be considered a chore beneath other demons. The fact that it had 'played' with Tsuzuki and Hisoka could show just how bored it had been at doing such a menial task. GuShoShin shuddered slightly. How the task of mutilating and killing a young girl and subjugating her soul was considered a menial task was beyond him, but he was a librarian not a demon.
What was the connection between Muraki and the demons? GuShoShin frowned and pulled up an old data file on the demented doctor. The activities attributed to Muraki were heinous and there were more than a couple people in Meifu who would be glad to help Muraki die so to speak, but Enma's law forbids the premature ending of a soul by shinigami. While sometimes it is in the best interest for such monsters to be stopped with such drastic measures, for some reason Enma had forbid the active pursuit and end of Muraki.
GuShoShin glanced back to Hisoka's pale form and felt a wave of sympathy. Hisoka was just one of many souls tainted by Muraki, and sadly Hikaru was just the latest in the doctor's pursuits. Clicking on an icon, GuShoShin pulled up the case file of Hikaru. The girl had been more than just a random killing, GuShoShin was sure of it. The trap laid by Muraki and the demon to catch Tsuzuki and Hisoka was evidence of that. Muraki had spoke to Tsuzuki of keeping the child's soul, that meant that somewhere, somehow Hikaru's soul was alive, trapped presumably in Muraki's clutches.
GuShoShin rubbed at his temples lightly, feeling the onset of a headache forming. All this speculation was getting him nowhere fast. He needed Tsuzuki back, he needed Hisoka to wake up. There was so much GuShoShin just did not know, and the vacant shinigami were key to gaining that information. He glanced over to Hisoka and smiled sadly. "Right now your partner is running God knows where trying to find the man who did that to you." GuShoShin floated up to hover near Hisoka's head. "I just hope that Tsuzuki comes back . . . for both our sakes."
A knock at the door jolted GuShoShin out of his reverie. He glanced over to the door and frowned slightly. They had paid their bill, and Tsuzuki would just unlock the door . . . who could it be? GuShoShin hovered slightly over to the door, his form unconsciously protecting Hisoka's form from whomever was behind the door. Anyone that would know they were there was from division, but division was locked down at the moment.
The knock sounded once again and GuShoShin shook his head. Even if it was just a human, he couldn't answer the door, cause he was a mythical being, not a human. It was best to just ignore the door. The person would go away soon, there was nothing to worry about. Right?
GuShoShin flew slowly back over to Hisoka and landed gently beside his prone form. The door knocked once again and GuShoShin frowned at the door in annoyance. Whomever it was at the door, they sure were persistent. He turned back to Hisoka and touched Hisoka's arm.
"I know you are in there."
GuShoShin's blood froze as that familiar, unsettling voice spoke. Fear filled his being, but GuShoShin laboured to not let his emotions get the better of him. He turned around slowly to face the door once again. Streaks of crimson energy fractured the length of the door. The sight was unnatural and unsettling, and GuShoShin pressed against Hisoka's side.
Suddenly the door blew in, exploding from the fierce bolts of energy worked upon it. GuShoShin shielded his eyes as smoke and debris filled the room. A figure stepped through the door and stopped in the frame. GuShoShin's eyes widened as he beheld the man in the doorway. "Gods . . . it's you!"
Muraki smiled, and GuShoShin felt fear fill his being. The doctor stepped through the shattered doorway, debris crunching under his feet. "Another Meifu puppet. How quaint. Is this what Tsuzuki left to protect his partner from me?" Muraki crossed the room slowly to stand in front of GuShoShin.
The cell phone suddenly rang, piercing the quiet tension of the room. Both GuShoShin and Muraki looked to the phone, the former with hope, the later with annoyance. GuShoShin put on a brave front and stood in front of Hisoka, his diminutive form the only shield between Hisoka and Muraki. "Get away Muraki! I won't let you take him!"
Muraki laughed, and GuShoShin quailed under the doctor's gaze. The cell phone continued to ring, the sound shrill. "You won't let me?" Muraki abruptly reached out and grabbed GuShoShin by the throat, raising the librarian up by his neck. GuShoShin strained under Muraki's grasp, his breath cut off with Muraki's hand. "I don't need your permission." [5]
GuShoShin clawed futilely at Muraki's hold, his vision swimming as Muraki lifted him into the air. "N- No - " GuShoShin's sight wavered from the cruel doctor's face, down to Hisoka's unconscious form, and lastly to the ringing cell phone on the bed. As darkness filled his senses, GuShoShin's last thought was of how sorry he was, to both Tsuzuki and Hisoka.
The cell phone's ring sent GuShoShin off to oblivion.
********************
Hisoka opened his eyes to find himself standing upon the edge of a very tall grey building. Cold wind bit into his clothing, threatening his precarious balance upon the narrow ledge. The sky was overcast and dark, adding to the lonely mood inspired. Hisoka looked down, and immediately regretted it, as a wave of vertigo washed over his frame. He crouched down, closed his eyes and attempted to calm his rapidly beating heart.
He attempted to curl his new formed wings about himself in an effort to center his balance, and was surprised to find the wings mysteriously absent. Hisoka opened his eyes to look behind him, and saw tears in his shirt corresponding to where his wings would have joined to his body. Hisoka blinked in confusion and turned his gaze upon the stormy clouds surrounding him.
This was an unexpected development. Hisoka narrowed his eyes as he peered over the edge of the ledge he was standing on, and paled when he saw nothing but cloud beneath his narrow perch. How high up was he, and where had his wings gone?
He looked down at his hand and saw a solitary white feather grasped in his fist. That . . . had been real? Hisoka shuddered and clenched the feather tighter. The darkness was not here, but it has not been near him before on the beach. Cold wind tore at his clothing, and Hisoka grasped the stone ledge with his free hand.
"I told you before, don't be afraid . . ."
Hisoka looked over his shoulder to find the same girl from before standing in the middle of the rooftop. She stood there, unaffected by the chilly wind, and looked up at Hisoka expectantly. Stunned, Hisoka could not help but see how closely she resembled the likeness of Hikaru, the soul that he and Tsuzuki were searching for.
"It's you . . ." Amazement flittered across Hisoka's face as he stared into the girl's large sorrowful eyes. Carefully, Hisoka turned around, his form still hunched down and looked closer at the girl. She wore a pale white nightgown, almost like a dress, and was barefoot. Her long black hair cascaded down her body, ending just below her waist. Her piercing green eyes bore into Hisoka's own, and he couldn't help but shiver at the effect. The same loosely fitting silver chains confined her wrists and ankles, giving the child the impression of a prisoner. "You're Hikaru . . . aren't you?" Hisoka looked to the girl in confusion. Where was he?
The girl smiled sadly and stepped forward. "I suppose you can call me Hikaru . . . or at least I believe that is what I was known by before." Hikaru fingered the chains around one of her wrists. "You're Hisoka Kurosaki . . . aren't you?"
"How do you know my name?" Hisoka continued to crouch upon the narrow form, unsure of what was real or not.
Hikaru smiled sadly up to Hisoka once again, and the intense need to protect her flowed through Hisoka anew. "I have . . . powers. I guess you could say I have profound spiritual abilities." Hikaru clasped her hands in front of her and Hisoka frowned slightly. "I've always been different, I've known that since I was very young." She blinked and Hisoka watched as a tear fell down her cheek. "I knew who you were because of that."
She was empathic? Hisoka frowned and cautiously looked around to the building they were standing on. But she had healed his wounds from before - Hisoka was sure that he could not achieve such a feat with his empathy. "You healed me . . . how?"
Wide green eyes stared into his own, and Hisoka felt a shiver, different from one caused by the cold wind. "The wounds I healed were not physical ones, but spiritual ones. I can heal such injuries as long as it is soon after the infliction." She tapped her head gently. "You were dying Hisoka, dying from wounds inflicted on your soul." Hikaru rubbed at her arms as if she were cold, but Hisoka could tell that it was not the weather that affected her. "Everything was dark, I was so afraid. But then there was light, and I found you -- but you were also succumbing to the darkness. I had to do something . . ."
Hisoka frowned as he stared at Hikaru. Darkness, and then light. Could it be? "The spell . . ." Hisoka cautiously lowered himself to sit upon the edge of the ledge he had been crouching on. "I used the magic circle left behind at the site of your . . ." Hisoka promptly quieted as he realized what he was about to say. How could he tell Hikaru that she was dead?
Outrage flitted across Hikaru's face as she fingered the chains around her wrists. "Because of my abilities . . . I was shackled like this." Hikaru looked up to Hisoka. "You saw what was left of my body . . . didn't you? You saw what they did to me . . ."
"You know you are dead?" Hisoka eyed Hikaru in a new light. To be so young, and yet so calm about such a fact . . . She looked up into Hisoka's eyes and Hisoka felt as if his heart would break. Hisoka tore his gaze from Hikaru for a moment and looked around. The biting wind tore into him, and he could not help but shiver from it. Why was he atop of a building in the middle of a brewing storm? For that matter, why was Hikaru here? He looked back to Hikaru and was mildly shocked to find that she was untouched by the wind or the cold. Her clothing remained still, and her hair hung quietly. "Where are we?"
Hikaru raised an arm to sweep out to indicate the rooftop of the building. "All of this, it isn't real. Everything is an illusion, created by you." She raised her shackled arms in front of her. Hisoka could see that even though there was space between her arms and legs, they still were bound close enough by the chains to imprison her. "Everything, that is except me . . . and HIM."
"Created by me?" Hisoka frowned and gingerly stepped off the edge of the building to join Hikaru on the rooftop. "How do you know? And who is HIM?"
Hikaru frowned, her delicate eyebrows furrowed. "There are just some things . . . I know. I don't know why or how . . . just that I do." The wave of fear, sadness and loneliness that emanated from the child floored Hisoka where he crouched. "When I woke up, HE was also there. I ran." Hikaru looked into Hisoka's eyes. "I don't know what HE is, all I know is that HE is bound like I am here in this place." Hikaru gestured to their surroundings. "I also don't know why they killed me, or why they wanted me to be used against you." Her green eyes were shining, and Hisoka felt an intense need to shelter the frail waif of a child in front of him. Hikaru hugged her arms around herself. "You need to wake up Hisoka . . ."
Hikaru was somehow bound to . . . to him? Hisoka frowned as he pondered that thought. The magic circle, it must have had a transient spell on it, triggered when he had crossed it's boundaries. Hikaru's soul . . . had been chained to the circle. Hisoka looked to the little girl in front of him. Despite her grown-up attitude, Hikaru was still just a child. He fingered the feather in his hands. The creature . . . HIM as Hikaru had called it . . . could it be the demon that Hisoka had fought before?
Hisoka reached out a hand to Hikaru. The pain that flowed from the girl was intense but he kept the effort he was exerting to block her emotions from his face. Why was his empathy so weak when he needed it to be strong? Hisoka looked down again to the feather clenched in his hand. Hikaru reached forward to take Hisoka's other hand. "What do you mean wake up?"
"I mean exactly that." Hikaru squeezed Hisoka's hand tightly. "I healed your wounds and managed to protect you already once before from HIM, but my powers are weak now from the effort. I cannot guarantee your safety." Hikaru looked into Hisoka's eyes, her own eyes brimming with tears. "If you perish, so will I."
How many times was he going to be jolted by the frail wisp of a girl in front of him? Hisoka gently pulled his hand away from Hikaru's and looked at her intently. "You're powers? Is that why you were killed?" He gestured to the building the two of them were standing upon and the rolling clouds beyond.
"I don't remember much of what they did to me, except that it was painful, and I was always in the dark." Hikaru fingered the shackles around her limbs. "They tried to strip me of all awareness, a soul trapped without consciousness." Her tears were falling freely now and Hisoka knew he could do nothing for her. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?"
Bastards. Hisoka clenched his fists in anger and looked up to the cloudy sky. Muraki would pay for what he had done. But first he had to wake up, as Hikaru had put it. "That creature . . . you said he is real?"
"As real as you and I are in this place." Hikaru tugged on a strand of her hair anxiously. Hikaru looked up to Hisoka, fear apparent in her wide green eyes. For a moment, Hisoka could see the young girl that Hikaru should have been. "I'm scared."
God. All he had were questions, and not enough answers.
Hisoka twirled the feather lightly and gave Hikaru a faint smile. The girl wiped at her tears and hesitantly smiled back. "I really don't know what to say Hikaru . . . I really don't. I don't know what is going on . . . but I swear to you that if it is in my powers, I will protect you."
He had warned Tsuzuki of making promises that he could not keep. And Hisoka thought he was finally beginning to understand what drove his partner to make such promises. It gave hope when there was none, it was a start. Hisoka tucked the feather into his pocket and held out his hand again to Hikaru. Hikaru looked at Hisoka's hand hesitantly and then carefully took a hold of it.
Hisoka squeezed Hikaru's hand lightly and looked around to the rooftop about them. All of this, everything around them was a byproduct of his unconsciousness. Hisoka frowned and wondered why his mind had produced this landscape. The conscious mind was a tricky thing at best. To understand the unconsciousness, well that was a whole other problem.
"How did you find me Hikaru?" Hisoka looked down to the girl. That fact did not dawn upon him until that moment. How had both Hikaru and the creature found him so easily?
Hikaru furrowed her eyebrows, and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I don't really know, I just did. I mean, everything is like darkness here . . . but you . . . you are like a beacon of light in the night. It's kind of hard not to notice you." She gestured to the surrounding area. "It is only when I am near you that I can actually see anything. When I was alone, everything was just fog and darkness."
Pondering Hikaru's words, Hisoka frowned slightly. A beacon . . . If this was his mind, than he was the primary occupant of this place. Hikaru and the demon, were like passengers along for the ride. Was it that only to Hisoka the environment shifted to form something that could be perceived? Such thoughts were mind-boggling and while interesting, did nothing to help Hisoka 'wake-up' as Hikaru had put it.
"Wait a minute." Hisoka turned to face Hikaru. "If I wake up - what happens to you?"
"I don't know . . . perhaps the darkness from before will be all around me. But if you aren't here, that means that HE cannot get to you. It means that you are safe." Hikaru's eyes shown with unshed tears. "I'm scared to be alone. But I am more scared to have you hunted by HIM. All that emanates from his is death and destruction. If you die . . . I die as well."
Damn it. He wanted to protect Hikaru, but Hisoka was unsure of how to do so, he was unsure of how to even protect himself at this point. The demon had almost killed him before at the beach. Hell, his own wounds had almost killed him, never mind the demon. Leaving Hikaru alone with the demon . . . well that was unthinkable. "Won't he come after you without me here?"
Hikaru paled at Hisoka's words, and Hisoka immediately regretted speaking them. Hikaru squared her shoulders, and put on a brave face. "Perhaps. But I know ways to hide. You are the beacon in this darkness remember? I can hide, but you cannot."
"The only way to protect me, is to wake up and find a way to disperse the spell that was wrought on me. Also you need to find a way to separate yourself from HIM. As long as he is here, you will never be safe." Hikaru smiled grimly and squeezed Hisoka's hand tightly. "This is your world, your mind. As long as you are awake you will not be here, and HE cannot find you. So you need to wake up."
Hisoka shook his head in amazement at Hikaru. How could a young girl be so brave? He knelt down in front of Hikaru to look into her eyes at her eye level. "There are so many things that I just don't know. How do I know that you aren't just a hallucination of my brain?" Hisoka reached out to gently touch Hikaru's arm. "I was so desperate to find you, before Tsuzuki and I encountered Muraki and the demon. How can I know that what you say is real? How do I know you are real?"
Hikaru enclosed Hisoka's hand in-between her own. "I really don't know. I am just as confused as you are. But we have to trust in something . . . right? I mean, if we don't, than what will happen to either one of us?" She smiled slightly and Hisoka felt his emotions lighten. "The line between reality and fantasy is a rather thin line . . . don't you think? Somewhere one has to make a stand."
Hisoka looked at Hikaru and shook his head. "You're right. I'm sorry . . . I just don't know what to make of all of this . . ." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Things weren't suppose to go like this."
Hikaru smiled sadly at Hisoka. "I didn't want to die . . . not the way I did. Life is kind of cruel that way. How it gives you the unexpected."
The wisdom of a child. Hisoka stood up and looked around once more. There was nothing he could do to solve any of this. The idea of having both Hikaru's soul and the demon adjoined to him was a little frightening. God only knows what had gone wrong when he cast the soul binding spell. Hisoka shook his head. He needed to move forward, not backwards.
Waking up was his priority. But just how was he suppose to do that? Hisoka fingered the feather in his pocket lightly. His wings were another anomaly. What were they a product of? And were they a help or a hindrance to him? Not that they were there at the moment. He pulled out the white feather to look upon it.
"Oh no . . ."
Hisoka turned around to find Hikaru huddling on the rooftop, her arms tight around her legs. Apprehension filled Hisoka as he crossed the distance between him and Hikaru quickly. "What's wrong?"
Hikaru turned her head to Hisoka, her eyes wide with fear. "Can't you feel it?" She shivered and Hisoka's dread rose another notch. "HE's coming . . ."
Turning desperately, Hisoka eyed the rooftop in anxiety. There was nothing to suggest anything was happening, the same grey clouds rolled in the sky, and the same wind blew. "How do you know?"
"I just know. You have to get out of here . . . NOW!" Hikaru abruptly leapt to her feet and pushed at Hisoka, herding him to the edge of the rooftop. "You're going to have to jump."
Hisoka looked down to Hikaru in confusion. "No! If he is coming that means you are in danger! I won't leave."
"I'm not giving you a choice!" Hikaru backed away slightly from Hisoka and a pale glow formed around her body. "I'm not ready for this, but HE is giving me no alternative."
The sky suddenly seemed to darken, and the same evil presence from before filled the area. Hisoka shuddered at the emotions and looked over the edge of the building in apprehension. There was nothing below, just swirling clouds. He glanced over to Hikaru who was now hovering slightly and glowing even more brightly. What was happening?
Pain lanced through his body as the curse marks on his chest flared brightly once again. Hisoka clenched his fists as the sky darkened. A pair of red eyes formed above him, sheathed in darkness. Hikaru's form was shining brightly now, a beacon of light in the approaching shadows.
"Hikaru!" Hisoka reached out a hand to the girl, ignoring the beast forming above his head. She was an innocent, she could not be left at the mercy of the demon. Hisoka tried to take a step toward Hikaru and was suddenly thrown off balance by a weight at his back.
Pristine snowy wings blossomed from his back, a whirlwind of feathers appearing around Hisoka as the wings reformed. Gravity was taking over and Hisoka was beginning to fall over the edge of the building. "Hikaru!!" Hisoka scrambled for purchase but could not find any.
A menacing laugh reverberated in the area and Hisoka looked up in the sky to the demon who had formed there. "Stupid shinigami. Don't you realize that you can run but never hide from me? I am a part of you now!" Red eyes narrowed and Hisoka felt his curse marks flare up in pain. "The girl is nothing but a bother. I will hunt you down and kill you. Then I will be free, and your soul will be mine!"
Hisoka flapped his wings desperately, trying to stop his fall. The demon sneered and abruptly dropped, crashing into Hisoka's form and plummeting the both of them down into the rolling clouds. It's claws scratched deep marks into Hisoka's chest, and Hisoka screamed.
"Hisoka!!" Hikaru's voice was full of fear and fading away fast as Hisoka fell.
The air roared in his ears as he plunged, Hisoka himself locked in a deadly embrace with the shadow demon. It was laughing once again, the sound shrill and unsettling. "I will kill you little shinigami. Your soul is succulent, and I want all of it." The demon's crimson eyes narrowed and Hisoka pushed at the demon's form above him, desperate to pull those deadly claws out from his flesh. "I understand now why Muraki plays with you so! I wonder if your partner's soul tastes just as sweet?"
Anger filled Hisoka as the demon spoke, overriding the fear he felt. "You will NEVER taste his soul! I guarantee it!!" Hisoka gripped the wrists of the demon and yanked hard, pulling the sharp claws out of his flesh in one fluid motion. "Get the hell away from me!!" His blood spilled from the open wounds, staining his shirt crimson once again. His eyes flashed with fury and Hisoka kicked the demon in the chest, driving the creature apart from him.
The windows of the building rushed past at a furious pace, and Hisoka flapped his angel-like wings heedlessly. The motion aggravated his wounds, but Hisoka did not care, only wishing to pull away from the vile creature falling with him. This time, his wings responded, and Hisoka's descent slowed then stopped. He hovered in place for a moment, trying earnestly to steady his stance.
A dazzling light slowly formed from the feathers, illuminating Hisoka in a holy light. Hisoka looked down to the demon falling below him and pressed a hand against the wounds in his chest. Power emanated from the wings and an idea formed in Hisoka's head. Just like before, it wasn't something that he could logically explain, it was just something he knew with the strength of his heart. He reached for the solitary feather stored in his pocket from before, it's own form burning just as radiantly as his new formed wings.
The demon growled, and beat it's batlike wings furiously rising toward Hisoka, irritation clear on it's face. "Angel trying to fly? You make me laugh boy." It's eyes narrowed as it looked to the single glowing feather in Hisoka's hand. "What are you going to do? Tickle me to death?"
Hisoka glared down to the demon coming up at him from below, and narrowed his green eyes. He hung there in the air, held aloft by dazzling bright white wings. Perhaps the demon felt a twinge of fear, Hisoka was not sure. All he knew was that he would not let the demon win this round.
"You wish." [6]
Hisoka threw the feather towards the demon, it's path straight and true. It dropped like a sword, and the demon's eyes widened slightly as the feather pierced it's flesh [7]. Blinding light met smouldering dark, and Hisoka watched as the demon's body fractured, cracks of light forming all along the demon's skin. Comprehension filled the crimson eyes as it glared angrily up to Hisoka. "Stupid child! I will flay her for helping you!!"
"Do so and you will endure a fate worse than death." Hisoka glared in contempt down to the demon. Adrenaline kept him going, despite his wounds. He flapped his wings lightly. "Get out of here demon."
Crimson eyes narrowed in anger but the demon complied, it's shadowy form vaporizing from sight. Hisoka hovered for a minute or two, surveying the area carefully. His curse marks stopped burning, their appearance listless and dull [8]. It was only then that Hisoka relaxed slightly.
As the anger left his system, Hisoka felt his body shake with fear. What in the world had possessed him to do something so reckless? The wounds in his chest throbbed, and Hisoka pressed at them heavily. His wings had dimmed as well, fading back to their original white colour. Hisoka flapped his wings wearily and slowly rose back up to the top of the grey building.
Hikaru's face peered worriedly over the edge of the building and Hisoka grabbed her hand and let her help pull him up to the top of the building. As soon as his feet touched the rooftop Hisoka's wings faded, pulling back up into his back and disappearing from view. Not that Hisoka really paid attention as he dropped to his knees, his body exhausted. Hikaru knelt beside him, her face awash in concern.
"Of all the foolish, stupid things . . . I told you to run!" Her voice was harsh, but Hisoka could feel the underlying concern and fear in it. Her face was pale and Hisoka reached out to take Hikaru's shaking hand in his own. "He could have killed you!"
"But he didn't." Hisoka's voice sounded tired to him, and he looked at Hikaru critically. "That was you . . . wasn't it Hikaru?" He gestured to his back. "The wings . . . they are a part of you."
Hikaru tilted her head, and squeezed Hisoka's hand tightly. "Yes and no." She pressed her hands to the wounds on Hisoka's chest and closed her eyes. Hisoka watched as a light seemed to pass from Hikaru into himself, and the wounds disappeared, healed with her touch. "They are just - "
"Something you just know to be." Hisoka finished her words and they looked at each other intently. Hisoka pondered that thought and slowly rose to his feet. "Another byproduct of our souls being bound I suppose."
"If you keep doing things like that . . ." Hikaru looked up to Hisoka from her seat on the roof. "You are going to wear me out faster than that demon will." She shook the silver chains around her limbs. "You need to wake up."
Hisoka looked to Hikaru, astounded by her maturity and her humour. He shook his head and wondered idly why it was so easy to be with Hikaru. Was it because they were bound to one another at the moment? It was like having a little sister. Hisoka wished it could have been under other circumstances, but he liked the feeling. "I know."
Hikaru smiled and gracefully stood up. "Get out of here Hisoka, and hurry up and rescue me already." She laughed lightly, and Hisoka could not help but feel better. "I'll be okay."
He looked down at Hikaru and looked into her eyes. They mirrored his own. They held hope.
He looked up to the sky and watched as a shaft of light suddenly appeared from the swirling grey clouds to center on him. He had little control over this world, it being a product of his unconsciousness, but it seemed to know that he needed to wake up. He would awaken, and he would save Hikaru. Hisoka clenched his fists and looked to Hikaru. "I promise I will be back."
Hikaru laughed and grasped the chains between her wrists. "I'm counting on that."
Hisoka looked up the sky and the shaft of light. A way out, a way back to Tsuzuki. He would awaken, and he would make Muraki pay for the damage he had caused. Hisoka closed his eyes, and warmth enveloped him.
********************
Consciousness did not come back to GuShoShin gently, but rather slapped him in the face in a torrent. He coughed as his throat burned for air. Concerned violet eyes hovered above him and GuShoShin blinked incoherently. What had happened?
"GuShoShin . . . GuShoShin!" Tsuzuki called out his name and the librarian shook his head. Tsuzuki looked horrible and GuShoShin noted that the man was breathing heavily, as if he had just exerted himself strenuously. "I tried to phone you but you wouldn't answer! Are you okay? Where is he? Where is Hisoka?!"
Memory flooded back to him and GuShoShin abruptly sat up, almost knocking Tsuzuki in the head. He looked over to the shattered doorway and felt dread fill his being. He did not have to look to the bed to know that Hisoka was not there. Muraki had come . . . and had taken Hisoka away.
GuShoShin looked up to Tsuzuki, and shook his head. "I'm sorry Tsuzuki . . ."
"No . . ." Tsuzuki stood up and walked over to the empty bed. A solitary feather lay in the center of the bed, pinning a piece of paper to the sheet. GuShoShin feebly flew over, and pressed his hand onto Tsuzuki's shoulder. He peered over Tsuzuki's shoulder to read the note.
The writing was scrawled in blood, and GuShoShin had a feeling that it was Hisoka's. He could feel Tsuzuki trembling in anger under his hand. GuShoShin could not blame Tsuzuki as he read the note.
I have told you once . . .
And I will tell you again.
You are all just stepping stones to a greater ideal.
Blood will pave the way to my dreams . . . be ready for it.
"That bastard . . ." Tsuzuki crumpled the bloody note in his hands. GuShoShin looked at Tsuzuki in apprehension. Enma's command or not, GuShoShin was not sure that Muraki would be escaping unscathed in their next encounter. "He will not get away with this."
There would be hell to pay.
********************
Author's Notes: (Long winded I know)
Well I hope I haven't confused everyone with everything. I needed to cover both the waking world and Hisoka's world, and that just couldn't be done with just one perspective. So I hope it wasn't too bad.
1. The powers that a shinigami have are a little confusing to me. Tatsumi has the power to wield shadows and Watari has the power to bring drawings to life (and the ability to wreck havoc in the division's laboratory). Tsuzuki seems to have a high spiritual power, and a kinship with the shikigami (think Suzaku). Hisoka has his empathic abilities. It seems that one can 'learn' some of these skills, but others are solely inherited (I don't think Hisoka's empathy can be taught to anyone). But there seems to be a similar vein of 'powers' that all the shinigami have, such as regeneration, invisibility, teleportation and flying? The flying one I am not sure of, so I have decided to ignore that ability for now. Yeah writer's prerogative.
2. I know it seems that Hisoka is a little slow on the uptake. I mean you would think that if you suddenly had wings on your back you would notice. But Hisoka is obviously a little distracted, and he is wounded. There are some other pressing concerns than the wings on his back - although they are still a major matter.
3. Usually with blood loss the human body goes into shock, a circumstance that can soon lead to death if not dealt with. Even though Hisoka and Co. are shinigami, they were given the forms of humans once again from what I understand. They have similar weaknesses of the human body - despite their shinigami gained powers. This goes along the similar lines that it is possible for them to 'die'.
4. In case people do not understand, this is a reference to the classic, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. The main character Alice falls down a rabbit hole, and it is the beginning of her adventures in a strange and deviant world apart from her own. Hisoka is in a kind of wonderland of his own - don't you think? Shadowy monsters and disappearing / reappearing girls. Falling through water and suddenly appearing in free fall in air?
5. Go Muraki the rat-bastard! Being a villain must be so rewarding sometimes, don't you think?
6. It reminded me of those action movies where the hero says the cool one liner and then everything explodes.
7. I know it seems like a DNAngel rip off, but it isn't quite like that. The feather Hisoka used though do have power. Duh, the demon fractured from being hit by a feather. Also one has to keep in mind that this is Hisoka's mind, not the physical world. Power is different here.
8. In case people haven't figured it out, the altered curse marks are attuned to the demon. And the angel wings are attuned to Hikaru. Both of them are moderately a part of Hisoka as well. Yay twisted up spells.
Whew . . . my notes were a little long, sorry about that. I hope those who are still reading my story are enjoying it. I'm sorry about the haphazard updating, but my muse has the power, not me. Either way I am writing this to indulge myself, but it is nice to get reviews from people. Thank you once again to those who are still following my story, and to those who review. They really do help me get inspired.
Also I just have to thank Matsushita for creating such wonderful characters and a wonderful world. Humor, darkness, romance - all the fun stuff rolled into one! Thank you!