Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Matsushita Youko. I don't own it
and make no claim to.
Just a quick note: I am SO SORRY for the huge delay in my updating. I was so inspired before, but then my muse suddenly left me. It has taken me a while, but I finally got what I wanted in written form. For those who have been wondering where I went, thanks for wondering. For those who don't really care . . . well I'm writing this anyway so raspberries to you!
This story is loosely based on the manga and the anime, taking components from both. Some liberalizations taken by me to suit my plot. Hope I don't offend or confuse.
So on with the show!
Chapter Six - That Which is Precious
By Lockeheart
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The weight of reality didn't so much as crash into Hisoka but advanced upon him like an unrelenting snowstorm. Hisoka gasped and opened his eyes, unable to focus on anything around him, except for the fact that this time he was truly awake. He blinked slowly and tried to move his arms - and that is when Hisoka realized that he was tied up.
Like a flashback to a time before, Hisoka was once again bound to a bed, an array of wire binding him and his powers. The only difference was this time the bed was upon its legs rather than upon its end as it has been in the past. He lifted his head and winced as one of the wires pressed against the width of his neck. Hisoka stilled in his motions and closed his eyes momentarily. He could feel the unnatural burden of his wings behind him, spreading out slightly to accommodate his position. They were real . . . Hisoka opened his eyes and blinked them rapidly. Maybe he had been better off in his dream.
Wounds across his chest and limbs suddenly sprang to life in throbbing pain, aggravated by Hisoka's own awakening. Angling his head slightly, Hisoka looked over to one of his bound arms and saw the crisscrossing of bandages and blood. His shirt was gone, but Hisoka was relieved to note that he did indeed have pants on. The wounds . . . the wounds in his dream had been similar. Had the wounds in his dream been a reflection of his injuries in reality? Hikaru . . . and the demon . . . Hisoka frowned as he remembered his company, and his eyes widened in horror at the thought. Gods . . . 'they' were inside of him. Had they been real too?
"Welcome to hell Doll."
Hisoka jerked his head to look across the room and his green eyes widen in horror. The monster was out of focus and blurry, but a monster was still a monster; it was Muraki. Hisoka bit back a scathing reply to Muraki's comment and opted instead to glare ominously at his captor. There was no doubt in Hisoka's mind that Muraki was the one who had bound him to the bed, like a sick parody of the past. Muraki smiled down at Hisoka, and it took every ounce of Hisoka's strength not to shudder at the hungry look in the doctor's eyes.
Muraki paced around the berth of the broken bed, stopping only when he reached the foot of the bed to stand in front of Hisoka. Hisoka watched the man's slow progress with wide eyes, the wires pressing firmly into his skin. Fading sunlight spilt through the broken window panes, reflecting off the run-down walls of the huge space Hisoka was imprisoned in. It was probably an abandoned warehouse of some sorts, and to Hisoka, it looked like no one had been in there for quite some time. Muraki's footsteps were slow and it sounded to Hisoka as if the man was walking upon broken glass, which considering the state of the place, Muraki probably was. The paint on the walls was faded and stripped, and water stains covered the surface.
Hisoka had woken up to a nightmare.
"I trust you are well rested, yes?" Muraki spoke to Hisoka as if he was a patient, instead of a prisoner. Hisoka refused to grace Muraki with an answer, instead he tried to use his powers and found himself unable to reach any of his shinigami abilities. Muraki smiled at the expression upon Hisoka's face and shook his head. "Stupid Doll. Don't you realize that they don't work?" Hisoka watched as Muraki raked his finger's through his silver hair. "And because of your meddling, they may not work for quite some time." Muraki reached out to trace one of the wires binding Hisoka. "These are here to bind . . . other things."
The calm, calculated smile appeared once again upon Muraki's face and Hisoka felt his stomach drop. What did Muraki mean by that? Hisoka frowned and tried once again to reach his powers, but grasped at nothing. He blinked and looked to the wires crisscrossing his frame. It had to be the wire. The hair was binding his powers. Hisoka shuddered slightly as Muraki trailed his hand along the length of Hisoka's body, moving upwards toward his head. "Oh dear boy, if only that were the case. I'm afraid you really have done a number on yourself."
Eyes widening slightly, Hisoka looked to Muraki in shock. There it was once again . . . somehow . . . Somehow it seemed as if Muraki could read his thoughts. Muraki's next action confirmed it when the doctor leaned down close to Hisoka's face and winked. "I'm surprised you haven't felt something out of place yet. I suppose though that you have been rather senseless for a while now, so just this once I will forgive you for being so slow on the uptake." Hisoka watched a smile form upon Muraki's face and Hisoka shuddered.
It may be reality, but to Hisoka it was seeming more and more like a waking nightmare. He reached deep within himself to try to even find his shinigami powers, but grasped at nothing. Hisoka looked to his wounds which should have at least begun regenerating by now, and shuddered. Gods . . . Muraki was right . . . His regenerative ability was gone. Hisoka took a deep breath and closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of Muraki. No, there had to be a logical explanation for all of this. Muraki was just toying with him, just like before. The doctor was just messing with his head. It had to be the wire binding his powers, not anything Hisoka had done to himself. Hisoka opened his eyes to look at the wires binding his frame. Maybe disbelief would work?
Muraki moved to stand at the edge of the bed and grasped Hisoka's chin forcefully, forcing Hisoka to look up into the doctor's eyes. "I suggest that you stop trying to ignore reality boy." Hisoka fought the urge to spit up into his captor's face, opting for the theory that doing so would probably not be in his favour. "I went to a lot of trouble to get you here and we have the whole night together, just you and I." Hisoka's eyes widened at Muraki's loaded statement and Muraki chuckled at Hisoka's expression. Hisoka wretched his chin out from Muraki's grasp and continued with his silent treatment to the doctor, he would be damned if he gave Muraki the time of day. Hisoka took a deep shuddering breath. He was a strong person, he could and would endure this.
Muraki pressed down on some of the wires binding Hisoka and Hisoka bit back a choked cry. Blood welled from the points the wires pressed down upon and Muraki smiled coldly. "Even the strongest person has a breaking point and I do hope you are not intending to test that theory out." The hungry look appeared once again in Muraki's eyes and Hisoka trembled slightly. "Or wait, maybe I want you to."
"Get the hell away from me you monster." Hisoka's voice was low and quiet, but the menace within it was quite clear. Hisoka noted that Muraki's hand lifted away from him slightly at the sound of his voice. This waking nightmare may be grim, but Hisoka needed to be strong. He had been in worse situations, and he had always made it through. Tsuzuki was probably searching for him right now, and would come to him. He had to.
Muraki laughed and Hisoka cringed at the horrible sound. "Well now, aren't you the spirited one? Do you really think that your precious Tsuzuki will come charging in to rescue you like before?" Muraki leaned in close as if he were imparting a deep secret. "Well you see my boy. I am counting on that fact."
"How . . . are you doing that?" Hisoka glared up at Muraki with a look of loathing and curiosity. As much as he hated to admit it, Muraki's abnormal second sight was starting to freak Hisoka out. He was the empath . . . not Muraki . . . right? So how was Muraki picking up on his thoughts?
The burst of laughter that erupted from Muraki startled Hisoka, and for a fleeting second, Hisoka was concerned that Muraki was perhaps even more deranged than he previously thought. "I honestly don't know . . . but it is rather intriguing. I told you before dear boy, that all of this is your incompetence. Things weren't supposed to go this way, but well one must deal with the hand one is dealt." Muraki traced his finger along the length of Hisoka's cheek, causing Hisoka to shy away from the touch. "You shouldn't have messed up my spell, boy. I must say though, this was rather unexpected, but a wonderful diversion. You can't hide anything from me Doll, not now." Muraki roughly grabbed Hisoka's chin once again and leaned in, pressing his mouth firmly down against Hisoka's own.
The act caught Hisoka off guard and the feel of Muraki's lips against his goaded Hisoka into action. Just like his nightmare from before, Hisoka fought back the only way he could, he bit. The tangy taste of blood entered Hisoka's mouth, but he was rewarded by a stifled outburst and the withdrawal of the offending lips from his own. Hisoka looked up defiantly as Muraki wiped at the trickle of blood coming from his wounded lip. "You still taste just as sweet as that night so long ago . . . but it is a shame you have gained an attitude in the time that has passed."
Anger was apparent from Muraki's face along with shock and Hisoka could feel the emotions reverberating off of the doctor. Although his empathy was unnecessary to identify the emotions flowing from Muraki as the man's anger was quite apparent upon his face. Hisoka smiled inwardly and the choking hold of fear loosened slightly. At least his empathy was still able to function, if only partially. "Touch me again Muraki and I will do much worse than bite."
The sharp laugh that answered Hisoka's threat was loud in the silence of the deserted warehouse. "Well it seems your charming manners are still intact." Muraki wiped the last of the blood from his lips and leaned down close into Hisoka's face once again. "Pity, I was hoping your essence was destroyed in the entwining of the spells. Ah well, sanity is a fragile thing, and yours is going to be put to the test very soon. Please tell me you are not so dense that you can't sense what has happened . . . you are the empath after all." Muraki pulled back and stood there watching Hisoka's expression.
"I am an empath . . ." Hisoka echoed Muraki's comment and frowned. Sure he was susceptible to certain things because of his powers . . . but . . . Hisoka tried to reach out with his empathy to Muraki, and was rewarded with the equivalent of a mental slap. Hisoka closed his eyes in pain and a low chuckle reverberated from across the room. Hisoka shook his head vehemently. "That can't be . . . you can't be merged with me!"
"Why not?" Muraki paced around the length of the bed, stopping to admire something beyond Hisoka's range of vision. "I modified my spell to let me gain access to . . . certain elements. Your inept attempt to protect your partner and yourself changed things. I get the added bonus of being connected to you as well as my 'key'."
"Your key?" Hisoka frowned and wished that he could move. If he could, he would have grasped Muraki's collar and shake him. "The spell you cast, the child you murdered . . . what does all of it have to do with me?"
Muraki shook his head and smiled the smile of someone who knows something others don't. "Here I thought you had some intelligence." Muraki began to slowly pace around the area of the bed, as if interrogating Hisoka. Hisoka frowned and watched Muraki's progress with increasing anger and confusion. "Think carefully my doll."
Hisoka glared at Muraki but took the man's snide advice to heart. Muraki was constantly meddling with lives, and Hikaru was just another innocent pulled into his darkness. Wasn't she? Hisoka remembered the tear filled face of Hikaru when he had found her in his vision. But Hikaru had powers too . . . she was more than just a simple girl. Hisoka closed his eyes, wanting to block out the infuriating look Muraki was giving him. Hikaru was another one of Muraki's dolls. She was a victim. There was also the demon to contend with. Both of them were real, they did, or had existed in reality. Hisoka followed that train of thought. So if they were real, why had they been with him when he was unconscious? Was his mind playing tricks on him? "I was dreaming . . ."
"Ah, dreams can actually be quite real." Muraki pulled sharply upon one of Hisoka's wings, bringing a jolt of pain to Hisoka. "They can reflect one's innermost thoughts, fears and desires. Reality is just perception taken at face value to be true, and a dream can be just as 'real' to a person as their waking reality. With your empathy you should understand that my Doll." Hisoka cringed as Muraki pulled upon the wing once again, pulling a couple of feathers out in the process. "You see these boy? This is a physical manifestation of my key."
Muraki flung the feathers away and leaned in close to Hisoka's face. "You still don't get it boy? How amusing this is!" Muraki leaned down close and traced his fingers down Hisoka's cheek once again. "So beautiful, and so ignorant. I suppose that is what drew me to you in the first place."
Hisoka watched as Muraki straightened up and began to pace, and he once again wondered at just how intact Muraki's sanity was. Oh the man pacing in front of him was still the same diabolical doctor from before, but there was something . . . more to him. Hisoka couldn't quite place it.
"I assure you dear Doll that I am still quite sane, and I would appreciate it if you would quit thinking that I am not." Hisoka watched as Muraki rubbed at his temples. "I must admit though, that this sudden contact with your thoughts surprised me. You were supposed to be gone." Muraki reached out to gently caress Hisoka's chest, a mock parody of the touch of a lover.
Hisoka looked sharply up to Muraki. Gone? What did he mean by that? "Get your hands off of me." Hisoka clung to those words, knowing full well that there was nothing he could do to stop Muraki, but needing to still protest. Hisoka glared up in anger at Muraki and at the same time chided himself for rising to the man's bait. "You Bastard." Hisoka watched as Muraki smiled and moved to grab something beyond Hisoka's sight. Had Muraki been close to him, Hisoka would have been sorely tempted to try to spit upon the doctor as he had wanted to before. Everything that had happened, Hikaru's death, all the pain, all the fear, everything was because of the monster standing before him. Hisoka tried to strike out once again with his empathy. Even bound as he was, he was far from helpless. It was like striking at a brick wall, and Muraki laughed at Hisoka's attempts to attack him psychically.
"Do you really think I wouldn't be prepared for your trick's boy?" Muraki turned around to face Hisoka. "I have gone through too much pain, abandoned too many dreams to have you mess things up more." Muraki twisted the object in his hand slowly, letting Hisoka see it clearly. It was a scalpel, and Hisoka eyed the blade in apprehension.
"What are you going to do?" Hisoka caved in and asked the question he had wanted to ask from the moment he had realized whom he had been imprisoned by. Fear was slowly becoming a constant companion for him, and Hisoka could not help but let the emotion take a hold of him. "Killing me won't solve anything."
Muraki eyed the blade in his hand almost lovingly and Hisoka felt the eerie calm from Muraki quite clearly. "On the contrary, killing you would provide me much pleasure, but that is not what I am after at the moment." Muraki turned his gaze upon Hisoka and Hisoka shivered at the intensity of the stare. "There are bigger things at stake at the moment, and you my Doll are pivotal to the grander scheme of things."
Hisoka shuddered at the loud footsteps of Muraki as the man crossed the distance between them slowly. "You were always in the wrong place at the wrong time." Muraki pressed the edge of the blade against Hisoka's cheek, cutting slightly into his flesh. "I am just going to make sure my desires are attained."
Hisoka leaned back into the musty mattress beneath him, his newly formed wings twitching slightly with his movement. Muraki's eyes were cold and harsh, and Hisoka fought the urge to close his eyes. Bound as he was with his powers dampened, there was little he could do. Hisoka eyed the mad man warily as the pressure of the blade against his cheek disappeared. Muraki's attention moved from Hisoka's face to his chest, and as if Hisoka was not even there, Muraki cut through the bloody bandages binding Hisoka's chest.
Biting back a pained cry, Hisoka watched as Muraki peeled back the bloody bandages, the scalpel unnaturally cutting through the fabric like butter. The wires binding him to the bed remained unscathed from the blade of the scalpel, unnatural in their ability. Just how sharp the blade was, Hisoka did not want to know. Someone must have placed those bandages there, and Hisoka was quite sure it had not been Muraki. Had Tsuzuki tried to mend him? The thought of Tsuzuki brought both comfort and fear to Hisoka. What had happened to his partner?
Flaring red curse marks etched in black appeared beneath the torn bandages, and Hisoka let loose a strangled cry. Muraki looked up into Hisoka's eyes and smiled. "Does it hurt my Doll?" Muraki smiled even wider and delicately trailed the edge of the scalpel along the line of one of the curse marks, drawing blood. "Good."
Just like his dream, his curse marks were flaring brightly and the pain was almost unbearable. Hisoka closed his eyes and tears fell from his eyes. It felt as if he was being scratched over and over with a barbed wire, and with Muraki's administrations, it wasn't far from the truth. Hikaru . . . and the demon . . . his encounter with them when he had been unconscious had been real. They really were inside of him, or at least his mind. The pain, the light, it was just like before, just before the demon found him.
The soul bind spell, it had gone beyond its original intention. Hisoka watched as Muraki poked and prodded at the markings upon his chest in fascination. Hisoka tried to blink back his tears of pain with little success. Without his ability to regenerate, the pain continued to linger, and Muraki cared little for his comfort. The marks had changed, altered by the spell that Muraki had cast, and the combination of the soul bind spell.
Somehow . . . somehow both Hikaru and the demon were both a part of him, and the wings and the altered marks upon his chest confirmed that. Just like his dream, they had been linked to Hikaru and the demon respectively. Muraki's words were indeed correct. They were real, but they were a part of him now. "She wasn't just a diversion . . ."
"Finally beginning to understand some things are you?" Muraki paused in his examinations of the curse marks to look Hisoka in the eye. "The child and the demon are a part of you." Muraki prodded at one of the curse marks and smiled as the mark lit up. "Although it really wasn't supposed to happen this way. Poor pathetic Chymos. Good help really is hard to find these days, and now he's all tied up in you. This really puts a kink in things."
Muraki traced the outline of one of the marks with the edge of the scalpel, cutting a thin line through Hisoka's flesh to mirror the marks. "It seems that somehow the stupid fool got himself drawn into my spell . . . what a pathetic demon." Muraki looked up to Hisoka and smiled slightly. "Mind you he wouldn't have gotten tangled up in things if you hadn't chanted that spell . . . what was it again?"
Hisoka looked up at Muraki defiantly, if Muraki could just read his mind he would make the doctor work for the answer. "Really boy you are going to have to do better if you don't want me to read what is going on in that pretty little head of yours." Muraki tapped Hisoka on the nose almost playfully, and Hisoka just scowled at the man. "Ah yes, the Soul Bind spell. Isn't that what you used to stop that demon that had possessed dear Tsuzuki before?"
Hisoka shook his head in disbelief. How had Muraki known of Saagatanasu's possession of Tsuzuki? The confusion must have been apparent in his mind and face because Muraki leaned up from his examinations to laugh at Hisoka. "Dear boy, who do you think I'm working with? You do remember Chymos don't you? The charming fellow that you mangled with that stupid spell of yours?" Muraki bent down to examine the white wings of Hisoka's closer. "Besides, even without the demons, I would know because of this link between the two of us that you so unexpectedly provided." Muraki leaned in close to nibble at Hisoka's ear lobe and Hisoka's breath caught at the touch. "Being like this, you are like an open book to me."
The length of the wires grew taunt across Hisoka's frame as he struggled against the bonds. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND!!" New blood formed from his struggles, but Hisoka did not feel it, his anger inflaming him. Hisoka grappled with the foreign presence in his mind, the essence that Hisoka knew to be the doctor, and pushed at it hard with his empathy. Just as if Muraki himself had been pushed, the doctor fell over backwards physically, the scalpel flying from his hand.
As he had done in the past, Hisoka hurriedly built up his mental shields, and pulled them tight around his psychic self. Mental barriers hastily formed now that Hisoka was more conscious and aware helped him get his bearings. Muraki may have him imprisoned physically, but he would be damned if he would continue to let the man rifle through his memories and thoughts with abandon.
"I'm glad to see that you can hold a simple boy under your control."
Hisoka turned his head to the new voice. It was a woman, or what should have been one. She sat straddling a chair, an amused look upon her face. It took Hisoka only a moment to realize that the woman was indeed a demon, and she confirmed it when she winked back at him and revealed inhuman golden orbs. A rustling noise came from the floor and Muraki came back into Hisoka's field of vision. With mild pleasure, Hisoka was pleased to see that Muraki was looking a little dishevelled. Even bound as he was, Hisoka would show Muraki that the man did not have complete control.
The demon woman turned to Hisoka and smiled, and even without his empathy, Hisoka would have been able to feel the emptiness behind her look. She may have a personality, and a form, but she was still soulless, still a demon. "Hello there little jewel. Is the deranged doctor giving you the treatment you deserve?" Hisoka frowned ever so slightly at her mocking question, but held his tongue.
"Shut up Kiiyue." Muraki glared at the demon, and Hisoka turned his attention back to Muraki. He dusted his pants lightly and knelt down to pick up the fallen scalpel. "Really Kiiyue, do you have nothing better to do than to bother me?" Hisoka looked to the newcomer with apprehension. "Why are you here demon? I told you to go back to your Master."
"You are delaying our plans." Kiiyue leaned forward against the back of the chair, resting her arms across the back of the rickety furniture. "What is the point of catching this little annoyance? The spell did work and so what if there are a couple of unexpected side effects?" She pulled sharply on one of Hisoka's wings, pulling a couple of feathers from them. Hisoka grimaced at the contact, and idly he wondered if everyone was going to keep pulling feathers from his newly minted wings. "Let his stupid partner take him back, and let us get on with our business."
Muraki glared over to Kiiyue, and Hisoka knew that even though the two of them were working together, they were not friends. "I have told you this before, I am a perfectionist. I don't do things 'half-assed'." Muraki walked over to look out one of the broken windows of the warehouse. He looked down at Hisoka and smiled a slight smile that only Hisoka could see. "Spells are fickle things, and this little 'annoyance' as you put it has put a wrench into my plans."
"You are just wasting my Master's time."
He stood up and walked over to the foot of the bed that held Hisoka. Hisoka kept his mouth shut, hoping that perhaps he might learn something from the dialogue. "I do not have the luxury of doing this 'again', so I must make sure that things are done right." Muraki turned to look at Kiiyue who leaned over her chair in disgust. "I don't care about your Master's time. I will not let this mess up before it even starts."
"You worry too much." Kiiyue pulled back from the back of the chair and flapped her bat wings slightly. "The spell is there, and things are in place. So what if the boy cast a spell at the same time. He does not have the power to alter things." Her eyes widened, and she turned her look back to Hisoka, who couldn't help but shudder slightly at the gaze. "Or is it just because you want to play Muraki? You really are like us you know . . ."
"Do not lump me with trash." Muraki waved his arm to emphasize that point. "Unlike you, I have the power to open the door, while without me all your kind would be doing is staring at the gate with longing." Muraki walked over to stand beside the bed and trailed his fingers through Hisoka's hair, making Hisoka flinch. "Your kind is rather pathetic in that respect, you know that Kiiyue?" Muraki stood calmly as a razor sharp whip end whistled past his head. He looked to Kiiyue and tilted his head. "Did I just hit a sore spot?"
Hisoka felt as if he were a fly on the table between two squabbling people, and he hoped that they would not turn their anger upon him. Everything that had happened, and everything that was happening, it was an ordeal that Hisoka would not wish upon anyone. He lifted his arm slightly to press against the pressure of the wires and slowly shook his head. It was useless. Without his shinigami abilities he could not escape, and his empathy could do little to free him.
"If you did not have the protection of the Master . . ." Kiiyue coiled up her whip and glared at Muraki menacingly. "You would not be alive right now." Her eyes glowed and Hisoka could see that Muraki eyed her with the same indulgence one would a performing pet.
Muraki leaned over Hisoka and eyed the wire pinning the youth to the rickety bed. "Your Master's 'protection'? Don't make me laugh." He turned to Hisoka and sighed. "Do you see what I have to put up with? This infuriating woman . . ." Hisoka could hear Kiiyue take a sharp intake of breath and he tensed up. It wasn't smart to anger a woman normally, but to anger a demon woman . . . Muraki turned to Kiiyue and shook his head. "Why does everyone underestimate my capabilities so?"
"Perhaps it is because people don't expect something special from something worthless." Muraki glared at Kiiyue with mild anger and she smirked. Hisoka eyed the verbal contest between the two of them warily. Distantly in the background, Hisoka could have sworn he heard something from beyond the rickety walls of his prison, but it may have been just his wishful thinking. "Oh . . . did 'I' just hit a sore spot now?" Kiiyue batted her eyelashes innocently. "For some unknown reason, my Master finds something useful in the bag of flesh that's you . . . what that is though is beyond me."
Muraki looked down to his watch as if to check the time, and Hisoka knew that Muraki did it to infuriate the demon woman. "It is often true that those of low breeding cannot comprehend value." He looked back down to Hisoka once again. "Really now though, I need to do my examination, and I need quiet." Muraki waved his hand distractedly toward Kiiyue, his attention focussed on his patient. "I am sure Tsuzuki will show up to come claim his missing partner. Since you are here, you can go distract Tsuzuki when he comes."
As if on a cue, flaming balls of fire crashed through multiple windows of the warehouse, and Hisoka looked up to see shards of glass and bits of fire fly wildly through the air. Kiiyue screamed and Hisoka could see Muraki lunge away from him as the walls of the warehouse began to crumble. Unable to protect himself from the falling debris, Hisoka tensed and closed his eyes as a large piece of ceiling rushed toward him, threatening to crush him. Even with his natural healing abilities, without the power of his shinigami capabilities, Hisoka was sure that the combination of injures to him would indeed kill him. A sudden rush of heat encircled him, and Hisoka felt the air being drawn from his lungs. The fact that no huge chunk of concrete had flattened Hisoka yet gave him hope, and he opened his eyes.
The colossal form of Suzaku hovered protectively over Hisoka, and he could see now that the bird had shielded him from the collapsing debris of the warehouse. Numerous blasts ricocheted across the warehouse, bringing attention to the fact that the building had not been empty, and had probably been storing flammable materials. The bed beneath Hisoka trembled violently and Hisoka struggled futilely at the wires binding him.
"HISOKA!!!"
That voice, it was one that Hisoka had been hoping to hear for quite a while now. He looked out from the protective circle of Suzaku's wings to see a figure running up toward him. The trench coat was unmistakable, and those violet eyes were beyond a doubt. It was Tsuzuki . . . Tsuzuki had come for him. "Tsuzuki!" Hisoka cried out to his partner, and he struggled against the wires binding him. Piles of rubble and flame separated the two of them, and Hisoka knew that somehow, he had to free himself. The intense relief that flooded Hisoka could not push out the fear he also felt. He was still bound, and there was Muraki and a demon to contend with.
A deadly razor-edged whip flew between the distance separating Hisoka and Tsuzuki, and Hisoka trailed his gaze up the length of the intrusion to see the demon woman Kiiyue hovering in the air. Tsuzuki skidded to a halt and he turned to face the demon. Kiiyue flicked her weapon back to her casually and smiled. "Well that was rather rude of you Shinigami? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Kiiyue smiled, showing off her fanged teeth. "Ah! How wonderful! We can continue where we left off before!" Kiiyue let loose her razor whip once more and she and Tsuzuki engaged in a deadly dance.
Hisoka watched the two of them in apprehension, and strained against the restraining wires across his frame. Suzaku let loose a deafening cry, and she leaned down to touch one of the wires binding Hisoka with her beak. The deceptively strong strand burst into flame, quickly igniting the rest of the wire binding Hisoka to the broken bed. The wire burned swiftly, yet did not harm Hisoka in the slightest. Labouring to sit up, Hisoka righted himself, the unusual weight of his wings threatening to pull him over. A booming shriek from above startled Hisoka and he looked up to see Suzaku peering down at him worriedly. Hisoka blinked up at Suzaku and nodded his thanks, and watched as she lifted off to aid her master. Hisoka watched the shikigami leave with approval and fear. Hisoka wanted Tsuzuki to be safe, and with Suzaku aiding him, Hisoka was sure that Tsuzuki would be okay. But where did that leave him?
Waves of heat brushed at Hisoka from the fires that had erupted upon Tsuzuki's arrival. Choking smoke began to permeate the ruins of the warehouse and Hisoka's eyes began to water at the acrid fumes. There had definitely been some flammable materials stored in the building. Coughing heavily, Hisoka grasped the rusted iron bars of the head of the bed feebly with his one hand, clutching his bleeding chest awkwardly with his free hand. The fact that Muraki had not announced his presence yet to Tsuzuki unsettled Hisoka, and he knew he was not safe yet.
When a hand abruptly reached out from behind him to seize Hisoka's chin, it was very hard for Hisoka not to let loose a cry. His wings were pinned between his body and the iron frame of the bed, and the unnatural position brought wetness to Hisoka's eyes. Muraki curled up close against Hisoka's back, his mouth close to Hisoka's ear. "I see Tsuzuki has come to save you. It seems that all he does is save you from me." Muraki brushed his lips against Hisoka's cut cheek, his grasp firmly holding Hisoka's head immobile. "You will never escape me Doll. I will always be a shadow haunting your every move, threatening your very sanity."
Muraki reached his other arm over the headboard to reveal the fallen scalpel from before. "I will use you once again to fulfill my desires, and I will laugh as you struggle futilely against the fate I have placed upon you." The blade of the scalpel pressed heavily against Hisoka's neck, threatening to break his already damaged skin. "You can't hold your mental shields forever, and sooner or later you need to sleep. And that is when your sanity will begin to crumble." Weakly Hisoka struggled, desperate to escape Muraki's hold. "I warned you that dreams can indeed be almost too real."
"Let him go!" A blurry figure crashed into Muraki's scalpel holding hand, forcing the doctor to drop the deadly instrument. Muraki let go of Hisoka's hair and swatted heavily at the intruder. Hisoka blinked and looked over to the one who had saved him. It was GuShoShin. The feathered librarian was armed with nothing except for sheer determination, and Hisoka instantly feared for his friend's life. GuShoShin briefly looked over to Hisoka, intense concern and relief filling the librarian's eyes. "Gods Hisoka! Are you okay?"
Hisoka was about to reply when Muraki pointed his hand to GuShoShin and let loose a deadly bolt of energy. Nearby Hisoka could hear the raging battle between Tsuzuki and the demon Kiiyue, and Hisoka watched in horror as GuShoShin looked back to Muraki too late. The crimson bolt of energy slammed into GuShoShin with near deadly force. Blood welled from opening wounds as Hisoka lurched forward toward the fallen form of GuShoShin.
He had to defend himself, he had to help his friends. Dragging himself off the bed, Hisoka steadied his balance with his new formed wings. Why had GuShoShin been so reckless? Muraki laughed behind him and Hisoka looked over to Muraki who stood smiling irrationally.
"Stupid feathered pest. I should have killed him when I had the chance." Raging fires haloed Muraki's frame as he smiled. Hisoka glowered at the deranged man and turned to fully face Muraki, his one arm clutching his bleeding chest feebly. With Muraki's uncanny bond to Hisoka's mind, Hisoka didn't dare use his empathy as a weapon, rather he used it to maintain his thick mental shields. Muraki shook his head. "It doesn't matter though, I have acquired what I needed and you my dear Doll will be my instrument of destruction."
Hisoka glared at Muraki with intense loathing. The sounds of battle raged behind him, and Hisoka knew that no matter how much Tsuzuki wanted to save him, Hisoka was going to have to save himself. GuShoShin lay unnaturally still upon the warehouse floor and billowing clouds of smoke and heat filled the air. It was unlikely that the abandoned warehouse would remain unnoticed for much longer, as it was a flaming wreckage at the moment.
With a strength that lay deep within himself, Hisoka steadied his stance and unconsciously spread out his new wings in a display of courage. The feathery appendages began to glow slightly with untapped power and Hisoka narrowed his eyes. It was something that Hisoka could not explain, but something that he knew to be true. Power beyond his own, but yet a part of him now. Just like in his dream from before, Hisoka stood defiantly before his opponent. Hisoka was pleased to see Muraki take an unsteady step backwards, the smug look on his face vanishing at Hisoka's sudden strength. "Get out of here Muraki." Hisoka swept one of his arms in front of him in a display of defiance.
Muraki concentrated momentarily and let loose a large blast of scarlet energy toward Hisoka, the smug look back on the doctor's face. "It is a little late to be fighting back, don't you think Doll?" The angelic wings spread out behind Hisoka began to shine brightly and he closed his eyes as power flowed from the feathery appendages to encase Hisoka in a pale radiance. A radiant light spilled forth from the feathers and pure white energy seeped from the wings to form an etched glass dome consisting of feathers around Hisoka. The deadly projectile slammed into the shield and defused along the feathery lines of the etched feathers.
Hisoka briefly looked over to Muraki and then knelt down beside his fallen comrade. Another bolt of energy flew toward Hisoka, and then another, and another. Each dissipating as they struck the sculpted feather shield. Hisoka ignored Muraki's outraged cries and gently picked up GuShoShin to cradle the librarian in his arms. "Thank you Hikaru . . ." Hisoka whispered quietly to himself and he turned to face Muraki once again.
From behind the glass-like barrier Hisoka watched as Muraki took a hesitant step backwards. The tattered form of Kiiyue flew up behind the doctor, her body scored with burns. "Damn it Muraki! I thought you said the shinigami's powers were dampened!" The demon woman looked behind her and Hisoka followed her line of sight to the sight of Tsuzuki standing before a defiant Suzaku. The phoenix's wings were spread out and the raging fires in the warehouse seemed to bow before the shikigami.
"Stupid demon! Only under special circumstances can a shinigami's powers be fully muted." Muraki looked back to Hisoka who stood quietly behind the protection of the shield, his wings still outstretched. "My dear Tsuzuki has seemed to have shaken off the effects of my spell." Muraki encased himself in his crimson aura and lifted off the ground to hover. "It also seems that our 'key' has some different ideas on how to proceed."
Kiiyue looked over to Hisoka in apprehension and then back to the slowly advancing Tsuzuki. Kiiyue flapped her battered black wings in annoyance and leapt into the air. "Leave it to a human to leave chaotic factors in charge of something so important." She smiled malevolently at Hisoka as she flew toward the now revealed dusk sky. "I guess you have some fight left in you little jewel! I wonder how well you will uphold in the days to come?" She laughed and sped off toward the heavens, her deadly whip trailing slightly behind her.
"Muraki!!" Tsuzuki shouted out defiantly at the hovering doctor, and Hisoka could see the intense rage in Tsuzuki's violet eyes. Suzaku hovered protectively above her master, her body brilliant compared to the pale forms of the fires raging throughout the warehouse. Hisoka could feel Tsuzuki's sight flitter momentarily to him and then back to Muraki. Hisoka tightened his hold on the still form of GuShoShin in his arms. Tsuzuki closed the distance between them and Hisoka watched as Muraki calmly calculated his odds.
Muraki bowed mockingly toward Tsuzuki, his smug smile back upon his face. "Why hello dear Tsuzuki. I didn't think you would react so violently to the lovely message I had left behind for you." Muraki turned to Hisoka. "Do you know I left dear Tsuzuki a little message scrawled in your blood for him to find?"
"BASTARD!" Tsuzuki swept forward, his fist upraised to punch Muraki forcefully in the face. Muraki laughed and flew out of Tsuzuki's reach, leaving the violet-eyed man swinging at air. Tsuzuki righted himself and looked back to Hisoka with deep concern. "Hisoka! Are you okay?"
"Again with the name calling!" Muraki clicked his tongue and looked over to Hisoka. "Well it seems that for now you are free." Muraki turned in the air to Hisoka and Hisoka just stared back at the hovering man. "What really is the difference between a dream and reality dear boy?" Muraki mock bowed to Hisoka as he hovered in the air. "I want you to think of that in the days to come as your body and mind slowly begin to breakdown under the stress of maintaining three entities within their fragile confines."
Hisoka looked up at the rapidly disappearing form of Muraki through the distorted view of the shield and he frowned. How indeed was he going to survive with the burden of another soul and an entity which devours souls, within his form? Tsuzuki was yelling something up toward the rapidly departing Muraki, and Hisoka was sure it was some sort of insult, but to Hisoka it was little more than white noise. Hisoka clutched GuShoShin's form close to himself and dropped to his knees, prompting Tsuzuki to forget about the rapidly escaping Muraki.
The stained glass-like shield wavered and disappeared, and Hisoka's wings drooped to his sides in exhaustion. Hisoka held out one of his bloody hands and looked at the appendage in quiet consideration. Without his ability to regenerate, and his newfound strength rapidly leaving him, Hisoka began to tremble. The roar of the fires raging throughout the warehouse filled his senses, and Hisoka's weary body trembled with the effort to remain somewhat upright.
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki closed the distance between the two of them and knelt down to peer worriedly into Hisoka's downcast eyes. Tsuzuki gently reached out and took the still form of GuShoShin from Hisoka's arms and laid the librarian upon the rubble strewn ground. After checking briefly that GuShoShin was indeed breathing and had no apparent wounds, Tsuzuki reached out carefully and gently tilted Hisoka's chin to look him in the eyes.
Hisoka could tell that Tsuzuki was muting his emotions, but the relief he felt at feeling a warm presence was overwhelming. Tsuzuki paused for a moment to look Hisoka over and then the older man carefully embraced Hisoka in a fierce hug. Concern, fear, joy . . . all of these and more were radiating from Tsuzuki, and Hisoka let himself bask in the comfortable familiarity. Hisoka slowly raised his arms to wind them tightly around Tsuzuki's waist and hugged the other man back. It was an action unnatural to Hisoka, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, it brought him comfort instead of pain.
"Oh Gods . . . Hisoka . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was muffled in the crook of Hisoka's neck, but Hisoka knew what Tsuzuki was trying to say with his unspoken words. He knew that they needed to move, that the flaming warehouse was not a safe place for them to remain, but Hisoka let himself linger in the soothing hold of Tsuzuki. The last time he had actually seen Tsuzuki, the man had been engaged in a fierce battle with Muraki. In the back of his mind, Hisoka had feared he would never see Tsuzuki again.
A muffled groan brought the two of them back to reality and Tsuzuki and Hisoka reluctantly parted. GuShoShin half lay, half sat upon the ground, his feathery arm holding his head in pain. "Ohhhh . . ." GuShoShin blinked and looked over to Hisoka and Tsuzuki. "Hisoka . . . are you okay?"
Had the situation been different, Hisoka might have been tempted to almost laugh at GuShoShin's concern for him, when the librarian himself was in need of attention. Hisoka unsteadily got to his feet, and Tsuzuki rose beside him, the man's hand upon Hisoka's shoulder in a secure hold. "GuShoShin . . ." Hisoka let an ever so small smile ghost across his face. "Thank you." Hisoka turned to Tsuzuki and briefly clasped the hand that was holding him up. "And Tsuzuki . . ."
Tsuzuki looked around the area and a no nonsense look came upon his face. "We can leave the niceties for later. We need to get out of here." Tsuzuki turned to Suzaku who stood amidst the flaming wreckage of the warehouse and nodded. The magnificent bird nodded her head once and then promptly vanished, gone back to her world. Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka and frowned slightly as he took in the numerous wounds upon Hisoka's body. Hisoka unconsciously wrapped his arms around his chest, uncomfortable to have his curse marks so freely displayed. "Are you well enough to teleport Hisoka?"
Hisoka sighed and closed his eyes momentarily at Tsuzuki's question. "I can't."
Tsuzuki's frown deepened and Hisoka could feel the man's worry increase, despite the large mental shields Hisoka had erected. "What do you mean?" Tsuzuki reached out to gently grasp Hisoka's shoulder. "What did that man do to you?!"
Leave it Tsuzuki to assume the worst, although considering things, it might have been better if Muraki had just taken him. Hisoka looked over his shoulder to his wings, and then down to his altered curse marks. "I . . . I honestly don't know. But my powers don't work anymore." Hisoka trembled slightly, and he hated himself for showing how weak he was, but his battered body would not let Hisoka get away with hiding it anymore. Hisoka took a step forward and nearly fell over, and Tsuzuki carefully reached out and held Hisoka up. GuShoShin shakily got to his feet, and hovered up to eye level with Hisoka. "Please . . . just get us out of here Tsuzuki." Hisoka curled his new wings about him protectively and shuddered.
Had Hisoka looked over to Tsuzuki, he would have seen profound worry and fear in Tsuzuki's eyes. As it was, Hisoka only felt the slight touch of Tsuzuki's arms around him as the man gently embraced Hisoka. GuShoShin hovered close to touch Hisoka's shoulder, and Hisoka remained in the middle, clutching at his wounds in pain. The flaming devastation of the warehouse wavered, and then disappeared from Hisoka's eyes as the trio of them teleported with Tsuzuki's shinigami abilities.
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The roughness of the bandages against Hisoka's skin was uncomfortable, but at the same time comforting. The new wounds that Muraki had made on him had been slight, but the stress that had been placed on the wounds from before had aggravated the injuries. Hisoka sighed as Tsuzuki finished the last of the dressings along Hisoka's frame. "So you are telling me that we cannot get back to division?"
"Yeah . . . that's about it at the moment." Tsuzuki's administrations were gentle, but Hisoka could not help but feel the pain of his wounds. "GuShoShin has been trying to get through, but apparently the entire system is in lock down, and we can't contact anyone. So we're on our own." Tsuzuki held his hand out in front of Hisoka, and opened it to reveal some aspirin. "You should take these . . . they will help with the pain." Hisoka reached out to take the pills, and he swallowed them quickly without any water.
The idea that the shinigami powers that had been granted to him were somehow absent, frightened Hisoka more than he initially realized. He himself had high healing abilities, and that was probably the only reason why his wounds hadn't taken him down earlier, but to not be able to regenerate, or to teleport . . . Hisoka curled his knees close to his body and hugged his arms around them. His wings curved around him to almost envelop him. As alien as the wings were, they were comforting in their own way. They were a part of Hikaru, and they told Hisoka that the child still existed; even if only within his own mind and soul.
Hisoka could feel Tsuzuki's eyes upon him, but he feigned disinterest and instead opted to stare out the window of their motel room. The photos were still scattered from before, and Hisoka could see a wadded bundle of bloodstained sheets thrown in the far corner of the room. GuShoShin was upon Tsuzuki's bed, a bandage around his head and his left arm in a sling. The feathered creature was sleeping, his breathing the only sound permeating the room. At least the librarian hadn't been as severely hurt as Hisoka had first thought.
"Talk to me Hisoka." Tsuzuki's voice was small and quiet behind Hisoka, but he chose to continue to stare out the window to the night sky beyond. The bed indented slightly as Tsuzuki sat down gently behind Hisoka and he felt Tsuzuki's hand press lightly against the middle of his back. Hisoka shuddered at the touch and Tsuzuki's hand lifted quickly away. "Sorry." Tsuzuki's voice was soft, but the worry interlaced in it was loud and clear. There was more shuffling as Tsuzuki settled himself behind Hisoka and inwardly Hisoka sighed. "Please Hisoka . . . I can't read your mind."
At those words, Hisoka trembled slightly as he remembered how Muraki had invaded his mind. Reading his innermost thoughts before Hisoka had gotten the strength to push the man out with his empathy. His voice was muffled by the blanket over his knees, but Hisoka didn't care "I can't read yours either . . . but 'he' could. Only if your thoughts are laced with emotion, can I even sense them, but he . . ." Hisoka hugged his knees and he could feel the worry from Tsuzuki heighten.
"What do you mean?"
Hisoka shook his head and finally looked over his shoulder to Tsuzuki. How could he explain what was happening to him, when he was not sure what was occurring himself? Hisoka sighed and looked Tsuzuki in the eyes. "Do you know what it feels like to have your very essence torn by someone who cares nothing for your well-being?" Hisoka saw the look in Tsuzuki's eyes and immediately regretted his choice of words. It sounded too much like how Muraki had taken his innocence, and his life. "Muraki . . . somehow . . ." Hisoka tightened his hold on his knees, and if possible, drew himself into a smaller ball. "There is a link between Muraki and I now."
Tsuzuki frowned and Hisoka could feel anger emanating from his partner. The fact that Tsuzuki felt such emotion for him both angered and comforted Hisoka. No one had cared when he was alive if he had been hurt. Funny how it was that only when he had died, had he found a life worth living. "I don't understand . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was calm, despite the emotion Hisoka could feel from the man, even with his shields raise up high.
Hisoka shrugged and fluttered his wings slightly, alarming Tsuzuki momentarily. "There were two spells cast at the same time, do you remember?" Hisoka leaned his head slightly to one side, and stared across the room to the scattered photos and papers. "My Soul Bind spell, and the one Muraki had placed upon the magic circle I stupidly used." Hisoka uncurled himself just enough so that he could tap his chest with his hand. "The demon I was fighting, he is in me, linked to my curse marks." He reached out to gently brush one of the white wings enveloping his small frame. "And Hikaru, the girl we were looking for, she is also within me. She is the reason I have wings."
The silence from Tsuzuki unnerved Hisoka and he closed his eyes. "I think Muraki had intended to only fuse Hikaru and me together. The demon Chymos' fusion was an accident created by me when I cast the spell." The blank wall on the other side of the room had become quite fascinating to Hisoka, and he continued to stare out to it. "Somehow, the spells entwined, and corrupted one another. The Soul Bind spell did immobilize Chymos, but he was also drawn into the spell binding Hikaru to me." He leaned forward to hug his knees close to his body once again. "Apparently Hikaru was supposed to become the dominant soul, herself a senseless puppet for Muraki's control. That is why her physical body was found so mutilated."
"No . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was very quiet, but Hisoka could feel the disbelief and anger within it.
Pressing his eyes against his knees, Hisoka blocked out everything he could see and instead focussed on his words. He wanted to get what he knew out of his system; he wanted to stop thinking. "But that also messed up somehow when I used the magic circle." Hisoka lifted his head up to look back at Tsuzuki, and was surprised to see tears shimmering in the man's eyes. "She is aware Tsuzuki . . . she is within me, and she is scared." He pressed against one of the altered curse marks. "Chymos, the demon . . . he is aware as well, and being trapped with two souls when one is soulless . . ." Hisoka let his words trail off.
"That still doesn't explain Muraki's link with you . . ." Tsuzuki's voice sounded pained, and Hisoka knew that it was a difficult question for Tsuzuki to ask, just as it was difficult for Hisoka to answer. Tsuzuki's hand reached out once again to tentatively touch Hisoka's back, and this time Hisoka did not flinch. The warmth of Tsuzuki's hand against him felt right. "Why would Muraki do something like that?"
Hisoka shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself once again. "Apparently Muraki's spell was to have placed Hikaru within me, a puppet for Muraki to manipulate. And with her in my body . . . I . . ." Hisoka's voiced choked slightly. "I was to be eliminated . . . destroyed." He closed his eyes and felt Tsuzuki's hand begin to move slightly along his back. An attempt to soothe him Hisoka supposed. "Muraki was to have control of Hikaru . . . I think. But with Hikaru actually aware, and me still existing . . . somehow Muraki gained a link with me instead."
Hisoka shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. "I have no idea what Muraki is up to Tsuzuki, or why he decided to use me. Hasn't he taken enough from me as is?" Hisoka's hand curled up in his hair, and he pulled on the strands lightly. "But Muraki kept calling her 'the key'." Hisoka knew his voice was muffled, but he continued to talk.
"He . . . was in my mind Tsuzuki. He could have easily torn through everything that I am . . . everything that is me. I managed to push him out . . . but for how long? I can't maintain my shields forever . . . and I have to sleep. But when I sleep is when I can 'talk' to Hikaru and Chymos . . . and be attacked by the demon." Hisoka's voice trembled, and he could feel tears begin to form in his eyes, which is why Hisoka kept his face down. "I'm attacked when I am awake, and I am attacked when I sleep. Muraki was right . . . How long can I stay sane . . . stay me . . . when I have to maintain two other individuals within me?"
"Hisoka . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was rough, and Hisoka lifted his head to find that Tsuzuki had moved around to sit in front of Hisoka instead of behind him. Tears were falling from Tsuzuki's face, and Hisoka marvelled at the range of emotion his partner could feel and express. The fact that Hisoka was even letting himself be this vulnerable was a testament to the bond between the two of them. Seeing Tsuzuki there, feeling the man's emotions, and knowing that Hisoka himself could be weak in front of Tsuzuki and not lose face, made Hisoka even more confused. Why did Tsuzuki care so much for him? Yeah he was in a bad state . . . but it came with the job. Tsuzuki reached out to tentatively brush Hisoka's bangs out of his eyes. "I'll help you Hisoka . . . if you let me."
Frustration welled within Hisoka. "How? You aren't empathic Tsuzuki I know you can do shields, but you can't project them!" Hisoka uncurled himself and plucked at his bandages angrily. "You can't make my body heal, and without my shinigami powers it will be a while before I am healthy once again." Hisoka threw the blanket covering him to stand up, and immediately regretted it.
Vertigo and pain overpowered Hisoka, and he nearly fell flat on his face, had Tsuzuki not caught him before he fell. Hisoka hung there in Tsuzuki's arms, his own body too weak to hold itself up for much longer. Anger filled Hisoka, making him lash out at anything and anyone around him, and that meant Tsuzuki. "I'm going to slowly fade, my soul consumed by the demon within me, my mind broken from the stress of maintaining Hikaru and Chymos, my body decimated by the strain and there isn't anything YOU can do about it!" Hisoka was just raging now, and in the back of his mind, he was thankful that GuShoShin was passed out. Everything that had happened to him, everything that was going to happen to him . . . it was so unfair.
"Muraki can toy with my mind at any time, and if I let down my shields he can get in. He'll take what is left of me, everything that is me . . . and . . . and . . ." Hisoka's voice caught as the emotions building in him finally burst through his control completely and his tears fell.
Hisoka hung in Tsuzuki's arms, sobbing like there was no tomorrow, and perhaps for Hisoka, there wouldn't be one. Tsuzuki's arms encircled Hisoka tightly, and the violet-eyed man rode out Hisoka's emotional outburst with uncanny silence. Hisoka pushed at Tsuzuki, trying to break free of the man's embrace, but Tsuzuki would not let go. With tears falling down his face, Hisoka gave up with his struggles and let himself be held by his partner. His sobs filled the room, and in the recesses of his mind, Hisoka felt ashamed at his outburst of emotion.
For how long the two of them stood there, Hisoka was not sure, but it felt like forever. His tears finally stopped, and in the dead silence that followed, Hisoka felt more and more humiliated. How could he have let himself go like that? He was supposed to be the rational one, he was supposed to be the collected one. At what point had he and Tsuzuki switched roles? Tsuzuki's arms were tight but comforting around him, and Hisoka carefully brought his arms up to finally complete the embrace that Tsuzuki gave to him so freely. "Finally . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was quiet, but the emotion within them was profound. Hisoka smiled softly and leaned in against Tsuzuki's chest.
Tsuzuki sighed softly as Hisoka's arms lifted up and Hisoka knew that it had been the right thing to do. They stood there for a moment, just comfortable in the silence. Hisoka had thought of moments like this for a while now, of Tsuzuki holding him, of actually caring for him. It was a shame that such emotions were finally coming out now when Hisoka wasn't sure if he would survive long enough to actually enjoy them. Tsuzuki murmured something against Hisoka's neck, and Hisoka closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry . . ." Hisoka's voice was very quiet in the immense silence. His wings drooped slightly and Hisoka felt exhausted.
"Don't be." Tsuzuki pulled back enough that Hisoka could see his face, and Hisoka could see a gentle smile grace Tsuzuki's face. "Don't ever be sorry for feeling. I was beginning to think you were going to let yourself implode rather than let your emotions out." Tsuzuki grasped Hisoka firmly around the waist and lifted his free arm to softly brush at the tear stains upon Hisoka's face.
"You're not alone Hisoka. I won't let you vanish from my life without a fight." Hisoka looked into Tsuzuki's eyes and he could feel the intensity of emotions welling from the violet-eyed man. "You told me that your place was by my side . . . are you going to break your word now?" Tsuzuki gently caressed Hisoka's cheek. "If you go . . . you know I will follow you."
Hisoka blinked at Tsuzuki, his voice lost. His entire world, everything he understood had been tossed upside down in the matter of twenty-four hours. They stood there in the pale light of the moon, and Hisoka knew that his old self would have brushed Tsuzuki's words off as a joke. Hisoka's old self would have not been caught dead in the arms of Tsuzuki, having this conversation. Hisoka looked into Tsuzuki's eyes, and he could see the love he could feel with his empathy. Tsuzuki loved him . . . and Hisoka loved him back. His world was crumbling around him, but there was one thing that remained constant.
Tsuzuki.
Hisoka pressed his cheek against Tsuzuki's chest, and pulled his arms tight around the older man. Why did it have to happen now? Hisoka's body trembled, and Tsuzuki's arms tightened around him. In a swift fluid motion, Tsuzuki whisked Hisoka off his feet and Hisoka was cradled gently in Tsuzuki's arms. His wings cascaded down to lightly touch the floor. Hisoka stared up at Tsuzuki, giving Tsuzuki complete control. It was something that was so against everything Hisoka was . . . but it felt right.
Tsuzuki carefully walked over to Hisoka's bed and laid Hisoka down into its softness. The loss of contact was almost unbearable to Hisoka, and for a moment he thought he had mistaken the emotions that Tsuzuki had projected, but then Tsuzuki dashed those doubts away. Ever so careful, Tsuzuki gently pulled the blanket over Hisoka, and climbed into the narrow bed with him.
Hisoka could feel a blush flaming over his face, and he was almost overwhelmed by the extent of emotions he had gone through in the past little while. Tsuzuki silently beckoned Hisoka to pull up against him, and Hisoka half lay on top, half lay beside Tsuzuki, his white wings extending comfortably behind him. The action was unfamiliar, but felt oh so good. Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around Hisoka, and Hisoka's one wing draped itself across the two of them, the other one folding up against his back.
"I can help you sleep." Tsuzuki's voice was rough with emotion, and Hisoka looked up from his perch aside Tsuzuki to the man's face. "Like we did before, when Muraki first found you after you became a shinigami. Synchronize with me. It isn't hard to do, not when we are this close to one another." Tsuzuki looked down to Hisoka, and Hisoka nodded. It was so simple, and something that Hisoka would not have thought of. "I'll protect you while you rest from Muraki." Tsuzuki grazed his fingers across Hisoka's cheek. "I'll keep watch. If you show signs of distress, I will wake you up. If you are awake, the demon can't get you."
"Tsuzuki . . ." Hisoka's voice was muffled, there against Tsuzuki's chest. It was all so overwhelming and so new. His wounds still hurt, his mind still ached, but for some reason Hisoka felt as if he would be all right. Tsuzuki was so warm there against him, so right. He knew he should be all embarrassed, that he should protest this new found intimacy between the two of them, but Hisoka knew he wouldn't. Even if he perished tomorrow . . . Hisoka knew he would not protest this. Hisoka reached out timidly to touch Tsuzuki's cheek. It was an unfamiliar action, but Hisoka knew it was what he wanted to do. "Tsuzuki, I . . ."
"Shh. Don't talk anymore Hisoka. Just try to sleep. I know you are exhausted." Tsuzuki smiled and tightened his hold on Hisoka. "What kind of partner would I be if I let my partner die?" Tsuzuki chuckled quietly and rested his chin atop of Hisoka's head. "What kind of person would I be, if I let the one I love perish?"
Hisoka pulled his head back slightly at Tsuzuki's words, but Tsuzuki gently pressed Hisoka's head back down to rest against his chest. Hisoka lay there for a moment, contemplating Tsuzuki's words. Love . . . is this what this is? Hisoka closed his eyes and let the feelings permeate through him. If this was love, than Hisoka wanted more. He relaxed and let the subtle motions of Tsuzuki's fingers against his back lull him to sleep. His world was crumbling, but at least now Hisoka had something to fight for . . . someone to live for. Muraki would not win, Hisoka would not let him.
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Author's Note:
I am a little unsure of this one. As you may know it took me a while to get this chapter out. I haven't abandoned this story, and I am going to see this through to the end. But I was a little stumped for a while over some plot. I think I have it all fixed now though.
I hope that characters weren't too OOC. I wanted to get Tsuzuki and Hisoka's feelings for one another out there. And if you can't tell, Hisoka is under just a wee bit of stress . . . so he isn't totally acting like his stereotypical moody self. I hope it came across realistic. Aren't Tsuzuki and Hisoka just cute together though? *sparkles*
Reviews on this chapter and the story in general would be most appreciated. It would be nice to know if anyone is still bothering to read this story or if I am just spewing words out for my own selfish desires?
Once again, I want to thank everyone who has read and those who have reviewed my humble chicken scratches. Thank you very much! Also I just have to thank Matsushita for creating such wonderful characters! Humor, darkness, romance - all the fun stuff rolled into one! Thank you!
Just a quick note: I am SO SORRY for the huge delay in my updating. I was so inspired before, but then my muse suddenly left me. It has taken me a while, but I finally got what I wanted in written form. For those who have been wondering where I went, thanks for wondering. For those who don't really care . . . well I'm writing this anyway so raspberries to you!
This story is loosely based on the manga and the anime, taking components from both. Some liberalizations taken by me to suit my plot. Hope I don't offend or confuse.
So on with the show!
Chapter Six - That Which is Precious
By Lockeheart
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The weight of reality didn't so much as crash into Hisoka but advanced upon him like an unrelenting snowstorm. Hisoka gasped and opened his eyes, unable to focus on anything around him, except for the fact that this time he was truly awake. He blinked slowly and tried to move his arms - and that is when Hisoka realized that he was tied up.
Like a flashback to a time before, Hisoka was once again bound to a bed, an array of wire binding him and his powers. The only difference was this time the bed was upon its legs rather than upon its end as it has been in the past. He lifted his head and winced as one of the wires pressed against the width of his neck. Hisoka stilled in his motions and closed his eyes momentarily. He could feel the unnatural burden of his wings behind him, spreading out slightly to accommodate his position. They were real . . . Hisoka opened his eyes and blinked them rapidly. Maybe he had been better off in his dream.
Wounds across his chest and limbs suddenly sprang to life in throbbing pain, aggravated by Hisoka's own awakening. Angling his head slightly, Hisoka looked over to one of his bound arms and saw the crisscrossing of bandages and blood. His shirt was gone, but Hisoka was relieved to note that he did indeed have pants on. The wounds . . . the wounds in his dream had been similar. Had the wounds in his dream been a reflection of his injuries in reality? Hikaru . . . and the demon . . . Hisoka frowned as he remembered his company, and his eyes widened in horror at the thought. Gods . . . 'they' were inside of him. Had they been real too?
"Welcome to hell Doll."
Hisoka jerked his head to look across the room and his green eyes widen in horror. The monster was out of focus and blurry, but a monster was still a monster; it was Muraki. Hisoka bit back a scathing reply to Muraki's comment and opted instead to glare ominously at his captor. There was no doubt in Hisoka's mind that Muraki was the one who had bound him to the bed, like a sick parody of the past. Muraki smiled down at Hisoka, and it took every ounce of Hisoka's strength not to shudder at the hungry look in the doctor's eyes.
Muraki paced around the berth of the broken bed, stopping only when he reached the foot of the bed to stand in front of Hisoka. Hisoka watched the man's slow progress with wide eyes, the wires pressing firmly into his skin. Fading sunlight spilt through the broken window panes, reflecting off the run-down walls of the huge space Hisoka was imprisoned in. It was probably an abandoned warehouse of some sorts, and to Hisoka, it looked like no one had been in there for quite some time. Muraki's footsteps were slow and it sounded to Hisoka as if the man was walking upon broken glass, which considering the state of the place, Muraki probably was. The paint on the walls was faded and stripped, and water stains covered the surface.
Hisoka had woken up to a nightmare.
"I trust you are well rested, yes?" Muraki spoke to Hisoka as if he was a patient, instead of a prisoner. Hisoka refused to grace Muraki with an answer, instead he tried to use his powers and found himself unable to reach any of his shinigami abilities. Muraki smiled at the expression upon Hisoka's face and shook his head. "Stupid Doll. Don't you realize that they don't work?" Hisoka watched as Muraki raked his finger's through his silver hair. "And because of your meddling, they may not work for quite some time." Muraki reached out to trace one of the wires binding Hisoka. "These are here to bind . . . other things."
The calm, calculated smile appeared once again upon Muraki's face and Hisoka felt his stomach drop. What did Muraki mean by that? Hisoka frowned and tried once again to reach his powers, but grasped at nothing. He blinked and looked to the wires crisscrossing his frame. It had to be the wire. The hair was binding his powers. Hisoka shuddered slightly as Muraki trailed his hand along the length of Hisoka's body, moving upwards toward his head. "Oh dear boy, if only that were the case. I'm afraid you really have done a number on yourself."
Eyes widening slightly, Hisoka looked to Muraki in shock. There it was once again . . . somehow . . . Somehow it seemed as if Muraki could read his thoughts. Muraki's next action confirmed it when the doctor leaned down close to Hisoka's face and winked. "I'm surprised you haven't felt something out of place yet. I suppose though that you have been rather senseless for a while now, so just this once I will forgive you for being so slow on the uptake." Hisoka watched a smile form upon Muraki's face and Hisoka shuddered.
It may be reality, but to Hisoka it was seeming more and more like a waking nightmare. He reached deep within himself to try to even find his shinigami powers, but grasped at nothing. Hisoka looked to his wounds which should have at least begun regenerating by now, and shuddered. Gods . . . Muraki was right . . . His regenerative ability was gone. Hisoka took a deep breath and closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of Muraki. No, there had to be a logical explanation for all of this. Muraki was just toying with him, just like before. The doctor was just messing with his head. It had to be the wire binding his powers, not anything Hisoka had done to himself. Hisoka opened his eyes to look at the wires binding his frame. Maybe disbelief would work?
Muraki moved to stand at the edge of the bed and grasped Hisoka's chin forcefully, forcing Hisoka to look up into the doctor's eyes. "I suggest that you stop trying to ignore reality boy." Hisoka fought the urge to spit up into his captor's face, opting for the theory that doing so would probably not be in his favour. "I went to a lot of trouble to get you here and we have the whole night together, just you and I." Hisoka's eyes widened at Muraki's loaded statement and Muraki chuckled at Hisoka's expression. Hisoka wretched his chin out from Muraki's grasp and continued with his silent treatment to the doctor, he would be damned if he gave Muraki the time of day. Hisoka took a deep shuddering breath. He was a strong person, he could and would endure this.
Muraki pressed down on some of the wires binding Hisoka and Hisoka bit back a choked cry. Blood welled from the points the wires pressed down upon and Muraki smiled coldly. "Even the strongest person has a breaking point and I do hope you are not intending to test that theory out." The hungry look appeared once again in Muraki's eyes and Hisoka trembled slightly. "Or wait, maybe I want you to."
"Get the hell away from me you monster." Hisoka's voice was low and quiet, but the menace within it was quite clear. Hisoka noted that Muraki's hand lifted away from him slightly at the sound of his voice. This waking nightmare may be grim, but Hisoka needed to be strong. He had been in worse situations, and he had always made it through. Tsuzuki was probably searching for him right now, and would come to him. He had to.
Muraki laughed and Hisoka cringed at the horrible sound. "Well now, aren't you the spirited one? Do you really think that your precious Tsuzuki will come charging in to rescue you like before?" Muraki leaned in close as if he were imparting a deep secret. "Well you see my boy. I am counting on that fact."
"How . . . are you doing that?" Hisoka glared up at Muraki with a look of loathing and curiosity. As much as he hated to admit it, Muraki's abnormal second sight was starting to freak Hisoka out. He was the empath . . . not Muraki . . . right? So how was Muraki picking up on his thoughts?
The burst of laughter that erupted from Muraki startled Hisoka, and for a fleeting second, Hisoka was concerned that Muraki was perhaps even more deranged than he previously thought. "I honestly don't know . . . but it is rather intriguing. I told you before dear boy, that all of this is your incompetence. Things weren't supposed to go this way, but well one must deal with the hand one is dealt." Muraki traced his finger along the length of Hisoka's cheek, causing Hisoka to shy away from the touch. "You shouldn't have messed up my spell, boy. I must say though, this was rather unexpected, but a wonderful diversion. You can't hide anything from me Doll, not now." Muraki roughly grabbed Hisoka's chin once again and leaned in, pressing his mouth firmly down against Hisoka's own.
The act caught Hisoka off guard and the feel of Muraki's lips against his goaded Hisoka into action. Just like his nightmare from before, Hisoka fought back the only way he could, he bit. The tangy taste of blood entered Hisoka's mouth, but he was rewarded by a stifled outburst and the withdrawal of the offending lips from his own. Hisoka looked up defiantly as Muraki wiped at the trickle of blood coming from his wounded lip. "You still taste just as sweet as that night so long ago . . . but it is a shame you have gained an attitude in the time that has passed."
Anger was apparent from Muraki's face along with shock and Hisoka could feel the emotions reverberating off of the doctor. Although his empathy was unnecessary to identify the emotions flowing from Muraki as the man's anger was quite apparent upon his face. Hisoka smiled inwardly and the choking hold of fear loosened slightly. At least his empathy was still able to function, if only partially. "Touch me again Muraki and I will do much worse than bite."
The sharp laugh that answered Hisoka's threat was loud in the silence of the deserted warehouse. "Well it seems your charming manners are still intact." Muraki wiped the last of the blood from his lips and leaned down close into Hisoka's face once again. "Pity, I was hoping your essence was destroyed in the entwining of the spells. Ah well, sanity is a fragile thing, and yours is going to be put to the test very soon. Please tell me you are not so dense that you can't sense what has happened . . . you are the empath after all." Muraki pulled back and stood there watching Hisoka's expression.
"I am an empath . . ." Hisoka echoed Muraki's comment and frowned. Sure he was susceptible to certain things because of his powers . . . but . . . Hisoka tried to reach out with his empathy to Muraki, and was rewarded with the equivalent of a mental slap. Hisoka closed his eyes in pain and a low chuckle reverberated from across the room. Hisoka shook his head vehemently. "That can't be . . . you can't be merged with me!"
"Why not?" Muraki paced around the length of the bed, stopping to admire something beyond Hisoka's range of vision. "I modified my spell to let me gain access to . . . certain elements. Your inept attempt to protect your partner and yourself changed things. I get the added bonus of being connected to you as well as my 'key'."
"Your key?" Hisoka frowned and wished that he could move. If he could, he would have grasped Muraki's collar and shake him. "The spell you cast, the child you murdered . . . what does all of it have to do with me?"
Muraki shook his head and smiled the smile of someone who knows something others don't. "Here I thought you had some intelligence." Muraki began to slowly pace around the area of the bed, as if interrogating Hisoka. Hisoka frowned and watched Muraki's progress with increasing anger and confusion. "Think carefully my doll."
Hisoka glared at Muraki but took the man's snide advice to heart. Muraki was constantly meddling with lives, and Hikaru was just another innocent pulled into his darkness. Wasn't she? Hisoka remembered the tear filled face of Hikaru when he had found her in his vision. But Hikaru had powers too . . . she was more than just a simple girl. Hisoka closed his eyes, wanting to block out the infuriating look Muraki was giving him. Hikaru was another one of Muraki's dolls. She was a victim. There was also the demon to contend with. Both of them were real, they did, or had existed in reality. Hisoka followed that train of thought. So if they were real, why had they been with him when he was unconscious? Was his mind playing tricks on him? "I was dreaming . . ."
"Ah, dreams can actually be quite real." Muraki pulled sharply upon one of Hisoka's wings, bringing a jolt of pain to Hisoka. "They can reflect one's innermost thoughts, fears and desires. Reality is just perception taken at face value to be true, and a dream can be just as 'real' to a person as their waking reality. With your empathy you should understand that my Doll." Hisoka cringed as Muraki pulled upon the wing once again, pulling a couple of feathers out in the process. "You see these boy? This is a physical manifestation of my key."
Muraki flung the feathers away and leaned in close to Hisoka's face. "You still don't get it boy? How amusing this is!" Muraki leaned down close and traced his fingers down Hisoka's cheek once again. "So beautiful, and so ignorant. I suppose that is what drew me to you in the first place."
Hisoka watched as Muraki straightened up and began to pace, and he once again wondered at just how intact Muraki's sanity was. Oh the man pacing in front of him was still the same diabolical doctor from before, but there was something . . . more to him. Hisoka couldn't quite place it.
"I assure you dear Doll that I am still quite sane, and I would appreciate it if you would quit thinking that I am not." Hisoka watched as Muraki rubbed at his temples. "I must admit though, that this sudden contact with your thoughts surprised me. You were supposed to be gone." Muraki reached out to gently caress Hisoka's chest, a mock parody of the touch of a lover.
Hisoka looked sharply up to Muraki. Gone? What did he mean by that? "Get your hands off of me." Hisoka clung to those words, knowing full well that there was nothing he could do to stop Muraki, but needing to still protest. Hisoka glared up in anger at Muraki and at the same time chided himself for rising to the man's bait. "You Bastard." Hisoka watched as Muraki smiled and moved to grab something beyond Hisoka's sight. Had Muraki been close to him, Hisoka would have been sorely tempted to try to spit upon the doctor as he had wanted to before. Everything that had happened, Hikaru's death, all the pain, all the fear, everything was because of the monster standing before him. Hisoka tried to strike out once again with his empathy. Even bound as he was, he was far from helpless. It was like striking at a brick wall, and Muraki laughed at Hisoka's attempts to attack him psychically.
"Do you really think I wouldn't be prepared for your trick's boy?" Muraki turned around to face Hisoka. "I have gone through too much pain, abandoned too many dreams to have you mess things up more." Muraki twisted the object in his hand slowly, letting Hisoka see it clearly. It was a scalpel, and Hisoka eyed the blade in apprehension.
"What are you going to do?" Hisoka caved in and asked the question he had wanted to ask from the moment he had realized whom he had been imprisoned by. Fear was slowly becoming a constant companion for him, and Hisoka could not help but let the emotion take a hold of him. "Killing me won't solve anything."
Muraki eyed the blade in his hand almost lovingly and Hisoka felt the eerie calm from Muraki quite clearly. "On the contrary, killing you would provide me much pleasure, but that is not what I am after at the moment." Muraki turned his gaze upon Hisoka and Hisoka shivered at the intensity of the stare. "There are bigger things at stake at the moment, and you my Doll are pivotal to the grander scheme of things."
Hisoka shuddered at the loud footsteps of Muraki as the man crossed the distance between them slowly. "You were always in the wrong place at the wrong time." Muraki pressed the edge of the blade against Hisoka's cheek, cutting slightly into his flesh. "I am just going to make sure my desires are attained."
Hisoka leaned back into the musty mattress beneath him, his newly formed wings twitching slightly with his movement. Muraki's eyes were cold and harsh, and Hisoka fought the urge to close his eyes. Bound as he was with his powers dampened, there was little he could do. Hisoka eyed the mad man warily as the pressure of the blade against his cheek disappeared. Muraki's attention moved from Hisoka's face to his chest, and as if Hisoka was not even there, Muraki cut through the bloody bandages binding Hisoka's chest.
Biting back a pained cry, Hisoka watched as Muraki peeled back the bloody bandages, the scalpel unnaturally cutting through the fabric like butter. The wires binding him to the bed remained unscathed from the blade of the scalpel, unnatural in their ability. Just how sharp the blade was, Hisoka did not want to know. Someone must have placed those bandages there, and Hisoka was quite sure it had not been Muraki. Had Tsuzuki tried to mend him? The thought of Tsuzuki brought both comfort and fear to Hisoka. What had happened to his partner?
Flaring red curse marks etched in black appeared beneath the torn bandages, and Hisoka let loose a strangled cry. Muraki looked up into Hisoka's eyes and smiled. "Does it hurt my Doll?" Muraki smiled even wider and delicately trailed the edge of the scalpel along the line of one of the curse marks, drawing blood. "Good."
Just like his dream, his curse marks were flaring brightly and the pain was almost unbearable. Hisoka closed his eyes and tears fell from his eyes. It felt as if he was being scratched over and over with a barbed wire, and with Muraki's administrations, it wasn't far from the truth. Hikaru . . . and the demon . . . his encounter with them when he had been unconscious had been real. They really were inside of him, or at least his mind. The pain, the light, it was just like before, just before the demon found him.
The soul bind spell, it had gone beyond its original intention. Hisoka watched as Muraki poked and prodded at the markings upon his chest in fascination. Hisoka tried to blink back his tears of pain with little success. Without his ability to regenerate, the pain continued to linger, and Muraki cared little for his comfort. The marks had changed, altered by the spell that Muraki had cast, and the combination of the soul bind spell.
Somehow . . . somehow both Hikaru and the demon were both a part of him, and the wings and the altered marks upon his chest confirmed that. Just like his dream, they had been linked to Hikaru and the demon respectively. Muraki's words were indeed correct. They were real, but they were a part of him now. "She wasn't just a diversion . . ."
"Finally beginning to understand some things are you?" Muraki paused in his examinations of the curse marks to look Hisoka in the eye. "The child and the demon are a part of you." Muraki prodded at one of the curse marks and smiled as the mark lit up. "Although it really wasn't supposed to happen this way. Poor pathetic Chymos. Good help really is hard to find these days, and now he's all tied up in you. This really puts a kink in things."
Muraki traced the outline of one of the marks with the edge of the scalpel, cutting a thin line through Hisoka's flesh to mirror the marks. "It seems that somehow the stupid fool got himself drawn into my spell . . . what a pathetic demon." Muraki looked up to Hisoka and smiled slightly. "Mind you he wouldn't have gotten tangled up in things if you hadn't chanted that spell . . . what was it again?"
Hisoka looked up at Muraki defiantly, if Muraki could just read his mind he would make the doctor work for the answer. "Really boy you are going to have to do better if you don't want me to read what is going on in that pretty little head of yours." Muraki tapped Hisoka on the nose almost playfully, and Hisoka just scowled at the man. "Ah yes, the Soul Bind spell. Isn't that what you used to stop that demon that had possessed dear Tsuzuki before?"
Hisoka shook his head in disbelief. How had Muraki known of Saagatanasu's possession of Tsuzuki? The confusion must have been apparent in his mind and face because Muraki leaned up from his examinations to laugh at Hisoka. "Dear boy, who do you think I'm working with? You do remember Chymos don't you? The charming fellow that you mangled with that stupid spell of yours?" Muraki bent down to examine the white wings of Hisoka's closer. "Besides, even without the demons, I would know because of this link between the two of us that you so unexpectedly provided." Muraki leaned in close to nibble at Hisoka's ear lobe and Hisoka's breath caught at the touch. "Being like this, you are like an open book to me."
The length of the wires grew taunt across Hisoka's frame as he struggled against the bonds. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND!!" New blood formed from his struggles, but Hisoka did not feel it, his anger inflaming him. Hisoka grappled with the foreign presence in his mind, the essence that Hisoka knew to be the doctor, and pushed at it hard with his empathy. Just as if Muraki himself had been pushed, the doctor fell over backwards physically, the scalpel flying from his hand.
As he had done in the past, Hisoka hurriedly built up his mental shields, and pulled them tight around his psychic self. Mental barriers hastily formed now that Hisoka was more conscious and aware helped him get his bearings. Muraki may have him imprisoned physically, but he would be damned if he would continue to let the man rifle through his memories and thoughts with abandon.
"I'm glad to see that you can hold a simple boy under your control."
Hisoka turned his head to the new voice. It was a woman, or what should have been one. She sat straddling a chair, an amused look upon her face. It took Hisoka only a moment to realize that the woman was indeed a demon, and she confirmed it when she winked back at him and revealed inhuman golden orbs. A rustling noise came from the floor and Muraki came back into Hisoka's field of vision. With mild pleasure, Hisoka was pleased to see that Muraki was looking a little dishevelled. Even bound as he was, Hisoka would show Muraki that the man did not have complete control.
The demon woman turned to Hisoka and smiled, and even without his empathy, Hisoka would have been able to feel the emptiness behind her look. She may have a personality, and a form, but she was still soulless, still a demon. "Hello there little jewel. Is the deranged doctor giving you the treatment you deserve?" Hisoka frowned ever so slightly at her mocking question, but held his tongue.
"Shut up Kiiyue." Muraki glared at the demon, and Hisoka turned his attention back to Muraki. He dusted his pants lightly and knelt down to pick up the fallen scalpel. "Really Kiiyue, do you have nothing better to do than to bother me?" Hisoka looked to the newcomer with apprehension. "Why are you here demon? I told you to go back to your Master."
"You are delaying our plans." Kiiyue leaned forward against the back of the chair, resting her arms across the back of the rickety furniture. "What is the point of catching this little annoyance? The spell did work and so what if there are a couple of unexpected side effects?" She pulled sharply on one of Hisoka's wings, pulling a couple of feathers from them. Hisoka grimaced at the contact, and idly he wondered if everyone was going to keep pulling feathers from his newly minted wings. "Let his stupid partner take him back, and let us get on with our business."
Muraki glared over to Kiiyue, and Hisoka knew that even though the two of them were working together, they were not friends. "I have told you this before, I am a perfectionist. I don't do things 'half-assed'." Muraki walked over to look out one of the broken windows of the warehouse. He looked down at Hisoka and smiled a slight smile that only Hisoka could see. "Spells are fickle things, and this little 'annoyance' as you put it has put a wrench into my plans."
"You are just wasting my Master's time."
He stood up and walked over to the foot of the bed that held Hisoka. Hisoka kept his mouth shut, hoping that perhaps he might learn something from the dialogue. "I do not have the luxury of doing this 'again', so I must make sure that things are done right." Muraki turned to look at Kiiyue who leaned over her chair in disgust. "I don't care about your Master's time. I will not let this mess up before it even starts."
"You worry too much." Kiiyue pulled back from the back of the chair and flapped her bat wings slightly. "The spell is there, and things are in place. So what if the boy cast a spell at the same time. He does not have the power to alter things." Her eyes widened, and she turned her look back to Hisoka, who couldn't help but shudder slightly at the gaze. "Or is it just because you want to play Muraki? You really are like us you know . . ."
"Do not lump me with trash." Muraki waved his arm to emphasize that point. "Unlike you, I have the power to open the door, while without me all your kind would be doing is staring at the gate with longing." Muraki walked over to stand beside the bed and trailed his fingers through Hisoka's hair, making Hisoka flinch. "Your kind is rather pathetic in that respect, you know that Kiiyue?" Muraki stood calmly as a razor sharp whip end whistled past his head. He looked to Kiiyue and tilted his head. "Did I just hit a sore spot?"
Hisoka felt as if he were a fly on the table between two squabbling people, and he hoped that they would not turn their anger upon him. Everything that had happened, and everything that was happening, it was an ordeal that Hisoka would not wish upon anyone. He lifted his arm slightly to press against the pressure of the wires and slowly shook his head. It was useless. Without his shinigami abilities he could not escape, and his empathy could do little to free him.
"If you did not have the protection of the Master . . ." Kiiyue coiled up her whip and glared at Muraki menacingly. "You would not be alive right now." Her eyes glowed and Hisoka could see that Muraki eyed her with the same indulgence one would a performing pet.
Muraki leaned over Hisoka and eyed the wire pinning the youth to the rickety bed. "Your Master's 'protection'? Don't make me laugh." He turned to Hisoka and sighed. "Do you see what I have to put up with? This infuriating woman . . ." Hisoka could hear Kiiyue take a sharp intake of breath and he tensed up. It wasn't smart to anger a woman normally, but to anger a demon woman . . . Muraki turned to Kiiyue and shook his head. "Why does everyone underestimate my capabilities so?"
"Perhaps it is because people don't expect something special from something worthless." Muraki glared at Kiiyue with mild anger and she smirked. Hisoka eyed the verbal contest between the two of them warily. Distantly in the background, Hisoka could have sworn he heard something from beyond the rickety walls of his prison, but it may have been just his wishful thinking. "Oh . . . did 'I' just hit a sore spot now?" Kiiyue batted her eyelashes innocently. "For some unknown reason, my Master finds something useful in the bag of flesh that's you . . . what that is though is beyond me."
Muraki looked down to his watch as if to check the time, and Hisoka knew that Muraki did it to infuriate the demon woman. "It is often true that those of low breeding cannot comprehend value." He looked back down to Hisoka once again. "Really now though, I need to do my examination, and I need quiet." Muraki waved his hand distractedly toward Kiiyue, his attention focussed on his patient. "I am sure Tsuzuki will show up to come claim his missing partner. Since you are here, you can go distract Tsuzuki when he comes."
As if on a cue, flaming balls of fire crashed through multiple windows of the warehouse, and Hisoka looked up to see shards of glass and bits of fire fly wildly through the air. Kiiyue screamed and Hisoka could see Muraki lunge away from him as the walls of the warehouse began to crumble. Unable to protect himself from the falling debris, Hisoka tensed and closed his eyes as a large piece of ceiling rushed toward him, threatening to crush him. Even with his natural healing abilities, without the power of his shinigami capabilities, Hisoka was sure that the combination of injures to him would indeed kill him. A sudden rush of heat encircled him, and Hisoka felt the air being drawn from his lungs. The fact that no huge chunk of concrete had flattened Hisoka yet gave him hope, and he opened his eyes.
The colossal form of Suzaku hovered protectively over Hisoka, and he could see now that the bird had shielded him from the collapsing debris of the warehouse. Numerous blasts ricocheted across the warehouse, bringing attention to the fact that the building had not been empty, and had probably been storing flammable materials. The bed beneath Hisoka trembled violently and Hisoka struggled futilely at the wires binding him.
"HISOKA!!!"
That voice, it was one that Hisoka had been hoping to hear for quite a while now. He looked out from the protective circle of Suzaku's wings to see a figure running up toward him. The trench coat was unmistakable, and those violet eyes were beyond a doubt. It was Tsuzuki . . . Tsuzuki had come for him. "Tsuzuki!" Hisoka cried out to his partner, and he struggled against the wires binding him. Piles of rubble and flame separated the two of them, and Hisoka knew that somehow, he had to free himself. The intense relief that flooded Hisoka could not push out the fear he also felt. He was still bound, and there was Muraki and a demon to contend with.
A deadly razor-edged whip flew between the distance separating Hisoka and Tsuzuki, and Hisoka trailed his gaze up the length of the intrusion to see the demon woman Kiiyue hovering in the air. Tsuzuki skidded to a halt and he turned to face the demon. Kiiyue flicked her weapon back to her casually and smiled. "Well that was rather rude of you Shinigami? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Kiiyue smiled, showing off her fanged teeth. "Ah! How wonderful! We can continue where we left off before!" Kiiyue let loose her razor whip once more and she and Tsuzuki engaged in a deadly dance.
Hisoka watched the two of them in apprehension, and strained against the restraining wires across his frame. Suzaku let loose a deafening cry, and she leaned down to touch one of the wires binding Hisoka with her beak. The deceptively strong strand burst into flame, quickly igniting the rest of the wire binding Hisoka to the broken bed. The wire burned swiftly, yet did not harm Hisoka in the slightest. Labouring to sit up, Hisoka righted himself, the unusual weight of his wings threatening to pull him over. A booming shriek from above startled Hisoka and he looked up to see Suzaku peering down at him worriedly. Hisoka blinked up at Suzaku and nodded his thanks, and watched as she lifted off to aid her master. Hisoka watched the shikigami leave with approval and fear. Hisoka wanted Tsuzuki to be safe, and with Suzaku aiding him, Hisoka was sure that Tsuzuki would be okay. But where did that leave him?
Waves of heat brushed at Hisoka from the fires that had erupted upon Tsuzuki's arrival. Choking smoke began to permeate the ruins of the warehouse and Hisoka's eyes began to water at the acrid fumes. There had definitely been some flammable materials stored in the building. Coughing heavily, Hisoka grasped the rusted iron bars of the head of the bed feebly with his one hand, clutching his bleeding chest awkwardly with his free hand. The fact that Muraki had not announced his presence yet to Tsuzuki unsettled Hisoka, and he knew he was not safe yet.
When a hand abruptly reached out from behind him to seize Hisoka's chin, it was very hard for Hisoka not to let loose a cry. His wings were pinned between his body and the iron frame of the bed, and the unnatural position brought wetness to Hisoka's eyes. Muraki curled up close against Hisoka's back, his mouth close to Hisoka's ear. "I see Tsuzuki has come to save you. It seems that all he does is save you from me." Muraki brushed his lips against Hisoka's cut cheek, his grasp firmly holding Hisoka's head immobile. "You will never escape me Doll. I will always be a shadow haunting your every move, threatening your very sanity."
Muraki reached his other arm over the headboard to reveal the fallen scalpel from before. "I will use you once again to fulfill my desires, and I will laugh as you struggle futilely against the fate I have placed upon you." The blade of the scalpel pressed heavily against Hisoka's neck, threatening to break his already damaged skin. "You can't hold your mental shields forever, and sooner or later you need to sleep. And that is when your sanity will begin to crumble." Weakly Hisoka struggled, desperate to escape Muraki's hold. "I warned you that dreams can indeed be almost too real."
"Let him go!" A blurry figure crashed into Muraki's scalpel holding hand, forcing the doctor to drop the deadly instrument. Muraki let go of Hisoka's hair and swatted heavily at the intruder. Hisoka blinked and looked over to the one who had saved him. It was GuShoShin. The feathered librarian was armed with nothing except for sheer determination, and Hisoka instantly feared for his friend's life. GuShoShin briefly looked over to Hisoka, intense concern and relief filling the librarian's eyes. "Gods Hisoka! Are you okay?"
Hisoka was about to reply when Muraki pointed his hand to GuShoShin and let loose a deadly bolt of energy. Nearby Hisoka could hear the raging battle between Tsuzuki and the demon Kiiyue, and Hisoka watched in horror as GuShoShin looked back to Muraki too late. The crimson bolt of energy slammed into GuShoShin with near deadly force. Blood welled from opening wounds as Hisoka lurched forward toward the fallen form of GuShoShin.
He had to defend himself, he had to help his friends. Dragging himself off the bed, Hisoka steadied his balance with his new formed wings. Why had GuShoShin been so reckless? Muraki laughed behind him and Hisoka looked over to Muraki who stood smiling irrationally.
"Stupid feathered pest. I should have killed him when I had the chance." Raging fires haloed Muraki's frame as he smiled. Hisoka glowered at the deranged man and turned to fully face Muraki, his one arm clutching his bleeding chest feebly. With Muraki's uncanny bond to Hisoka's mind, Hisoka didn't dare use his empathy as a weapon, rather he used it to maintain his thick mental shields. Muraki shook his head. "It doesn't matter though, I have acquired what I needed and you my dear Doll will be my instrument of destruction."
Hisoka glared at Muraki with intense loathing. The sounds of battle raged behind him, and Hisoka knew that no matter how much Tsuzuki wanted to save him, Hisoka was going to have to save himself. GuShoShin lay unnaturally still upon the warehouse floor and billowing clouds of smoke and heat filled the air. It was unlikely that the abandoned warehouse would remain unnoticed for much longer, as it was a flaming wreckage at the moment.
With a strength that lay deep within himself, Hisoka steadied his stance and unconsciously spread out his new wings in a display of courage. The feathery appendages began to glow slightly with untapped power and Hisoka narrowed his eyes. It was something that Hisoka could not explain, but something that he knew to be true. Power beyond his own, but yet a part of him now. Just like in his dream from before, Hisoka stood defiantly before his opponent. Hisoka was pleased to see Muraki take an unsteady step backwards, the smug look on his face vanishing at Hisoka's sudden strength. "Get out of here Muraki." Hisoka swept one of his arms in front of him in a display of defiance.
Muraki concentrated momentarily and let loose a large blast of scarlet energy toward Hisoka, the smug look back on the doctor's face. "It is a little late to be fighting back, don't you think Doll?" The angelic wings spread out behind Hisoka began to shine brightly and he closed his eyes as power flowed from the feathery appendages to encase Hisoka in a pale radiance. A radiant light spilled forth from the feathers and pure white energy seeped from the wings to form an etched glass dome consisting of feathers around Hisoka. The deadly projectile slammed into the shield and defused along the feathery lines of the etched feathers.
Hisoka briefly looked over to Muraki and then knelt down beside his fallen comrade. Another bolt of energy flew toward Hisoka, and then another, and another. Each dissipating as they struck the sculpted feather shield. Hisoka ignored Muraki's outraged cries and gently picked up GuShoShin to cradle the librarian in his arms. "Thank you Hikaru . . ." Hisoka whispered quietly to himself and he turned to face Muraki once again.
From behind the glass-like barrier Hisoka watched as Muraki took a hesitant step backwards. The tattered form of Kiiyue flew up behind the doctor, her body scored with burns. "Damn it Muraki! I thought you said the shinigami's powers were dampened!" The demon woman looked behind her and Hisoka followed her line of sight to the sight of Tsuzuki standing before a defiant Suzaku. The phoenix's wings were spread out and the raging fires in the warehouse seemed to bow before the shikigami.
"Stupid demon! Only under special circumstances can a shinigami's powers be fully muted." Muraki looked back to Hisoka who stood quietly behind the protection of the shield, his wings still outstretched. "My dear Tsuzuki has seemed to have shaken off the effects of my spell." Muraki encased himself in his crimson aura and lifted off the ground to hover. "It also seems that our 'key' has some different ideas on how to proceed."
Kiiyue looked over to Hisoka in apprehension and then back to the slowly advancing Tsuzuki. Kiiyue flapped her battered black wings in annoyance and leapt into the air. "Leave it to a human to leave chaotic factors in charge of something so important." She smiled malevolently at Hisoka as she flew toward the now revealed dusk sky. "I guess you have some fight left in you little jewel! I wonder how well you will uphold in the days to come?" She laughed and sped off toward the heavens, her deadly whip trailing slightly behind her.
"Muraki!!" Tsuzuki shouted out defiantly at the hovering doctor, and Hisoka could see the intense rage in Tsuzuki's violet eyes. Suzaku hovered protectively above her master, her body brilliant compared to the pale forms of the fires raging throughout the warehouse. Hisoka could feel Tsuzuki's sight flitter momentarily to him and then back to Muraki. Hisoka tightened his hold on the still form of GuShoShin in his arms. Tsuzuki closed the distance between them and Hisoka watched as Muraki calmly calculated his odds.
Muraki bowed mockingly toward Tsuzuki, his smug smile back upon his face. "Why hello dear Tsuzuki. I didn't think you would react so violently to the lovely message I had left behind for you." Muraki turned to Hisoka. "Do you know I left dear Tsuzuki a little message scrawled in your blood for him to find?"
"BASTARD!" Tsuzuki swept forward, his fist upraised to punch Muraki forcefully in the face. Muraki laughed and flew out of Tsuzuki's reach, leaving the violet-eyed man swinging at air. Tsuzuki righted himself and looked back to Hisoka with deep concern. "Hisoka! Are you okay?"
"Again with the name calling!" Muraki clicked his tongue and looked over to Hisoka. "Well it seems that for now you are free." Muraki turned in the air to Hisoka and Hisoka just stared back at the hovering man. "What really is the difference between a dream and reality dear boy?" Muraki mock bowed to Hisoka as he hovered in the air. "I want you to think of that in the days to come as your body and mind slowly begin to breakdown under the stress of maintaining three entities within their fragile confines."
Hisoka looked up at the rapidly disappearing form of Muraki through the distorted view of the shield and he frowned. How indeed was he going to survive with the burden of another soul and an entity which devours souls, within his form? Tsuzuki was yelling something up toward the rapidly departing Muraki, and Hisoka was sure it was some sort of insult, but to Hisoka it was little more than white noise. Hisoka clutched GuShoShin's form close to himself and dropped to his knees, prompting Tsuzuki to forget about the rapidly escaping Muraki.
The stained glass-like shield wavered and disappeared, and Hisoka's wings drooped to his sides in exhaustion. Hisoka held out one of his bloody hands and looked at the appendage in quiet consideration. Without his ability to regenerate, and his newfound strength rapidly leaving him, Hisoka began to tremble. The roar of the fires raging throughout the warehouse filled his senses, and Hisoka's weary body trembled with the effort to remain somewhat upright.
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki closed the distance between the two of them and knelt down to peer worriedly into Hisoka's downcast eyes. Tsuzuki gently reached out and took the still form of GuShoShin from Hisoka's arms and laid the librarian upon the rubble strewn ground. After checking briefly that GuShoShin was indeed breathing and had no apparent wounds, Tsuzuki reached out carefully and gently tilted Hisoka's chin to look him in the eyes.
Hisoka could tell that Tsuzuki was muting his emotions, but the relief he felt at feeling a warm presence was overwhelming. Tsuzuki paused for a moment to look Hisoka over and then the older man carefully embraced Hisoka in a fierce hug. Concern, fear, joy . . . all of these and more were radiating from Tsuzuki, and Hisoka let himself bask in the comfortable familiarity. Hisoka slowly raised his arms to wind them tightly around Tsuzuki's waist and hugged the other man back. It was an action unnatural to Hisoka, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, it brought him comfort instead of pain.
"Oh Gods . . . Hisoka . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was muffled in the crook of Hisoka's neck, but Hisoka knew what Tsuzuki was trying to say with his unspoken words. He knew that they needed to move, that the flaming warehouse was not a safe place for them to remain, but Hisoka let himself linger in the soothing hold of Tsuzuki. The last time he had actually seen Tsuzuki, the man had been engaged in a fierce battle with Muraki. In the back of his mind, Hisoka had feared he would never see Tsuzuki again.
A muffled groan brought the two of them back to reality and Tsuzuki and Hisoka reluctantly parted. GuShoShin half lay, half sat upon the ground, his feathery arm holding his head in pain. "Ohhhh . . ." GuShoShin blinked and looked over to Hisoka and Tsuzuki. "Hisoka . . . are you okay?"
Had the situation been different, Hisoka might have been tempted to almost laugh at GuShoShin's concern for him, when the librarian himself was in need of attention. Hisoka unsteadily got to his feet, and Tsuzuki rose beside him, the man's hand upon Hisoka's shoulder in a secure hold. "GuShoShin . . ." Hisoka let an ever so small smile ghost across his face. "Thank you." Hisoka turned to Tsuzuki and briefly clasped the hand that was holding him up. "And Tsuzuki . . ."
Tsuzuki looked around the area and a no nonsense look came upon his face. "We can leave the niceties for later. We need to get out of here." Tsuzuki turned to Suzaku who stood amidst the flaming wreckage of the warehouse and nodded. The magnificent bird nodded her head once and then promptly vanished, gone back to her world. Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka and frowned slightly as he took in the numerous wounds upon Hisoka's body. Hisoka unconsciously wrapped his arms around his chest, uncomfortable to have his curse marks so freely displayed. "Are you well enough to teleport Hisoka?"
Hisoka sighed and closed his eyes momentarily at Tsuzuki's question. "I can't."
Tsuzuki's frown deepened and Hisoka could feel the man's worry increase, despite the large mental shields Hisoka had erected. "What do you mean?" Tsuzuki reached out to gently grasp Hisoka's shoulder. "What did that man do to you?!"
Leave it Tsuzuki to assume the worst, although considering things, it might have been better if Muraki had just taken him. Hisoka looked over his shoulder to his wings, and then down to his altered curse marks. "I . . . I honestly don't know. But my powers don't work anymore." Hisoka trembled slightly, and he hated himself for showing how weak he was, but his battered body would not let Hisoka get away with hiding it anymore. Hisoka took a step forward and nearly fell over, and Tsuzuki carefully reached out and held Hisoka up. GuShoShin shakily got to his feet, and hovered up to eye level with Hisoka. "Please . . . just get us out of here Tsuzuki." Hisoka curled his new wings about him protectively and shuddered.
Had Hisoka looked over to Tsuzuki, he would have seen profound worry and fear in Tsuzuki's eyes. As it was, Hisoka only felt the slight touch of Tsuzuki's arms around him as the man gently embraced Hisoka. GuShoShin hovered close to touch Hisoka's shoulder, and Hisoka remained in the middle, clutching at his wounds in pain. The flaming devastation of the warehouse wavered, and then disappeared from Hisoka's eyes as the trio of them teleported with Tsuzuki's shinigami abilities.
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The roughness of the bandages against Hisoka's skin was uncomfortable, but at the same time comforting. The new wounds that Muraki had made on him had been slight, but the stress that had been placed on the wounds from before had aggravated the injuries. Hisoka sighed as Tsuzuki finished the last of the dressings along Hisoka's frame. "So you are telling me that we cannot get back to division?"
"Yeah . . . that's about it at the moment." Tsuzuki's administrations were gentle, but Hisoka could not help but feel the pain of his wounds. "GuShoShin has been trying to get through, but apparently the entire system is in lock down, and we can't contact anyone. So we're on our own." Tsuzuki held his hand out in front of Hisoka, and opened it to reveal some aspirin. "You should take these . . . they will help with the pain." Hisoka reached out to take the pills, and he swallowed them quickly without any water.
The idea that the shinigami powers that had been granted to him were somehow absent, frightened Hisoka more than he initially realized. He himself had high healing abilities, and that was probably the only reason why his wounds hadn't taken him down earlier, but to not be able to regenerate, or to teleport . . . Hisoka curled his knees close to his body and hugged his arms around them. His wings curved around him to almost envelop him. As alien as the wings were, they were comforting in their own way. They were a part of Hikaru, and they told Hisoka that the child still existed; even if only within his own mind and soul.
Hisoka could feel Tsuzuki's eyes upon him, but he feigned disinterest and instead opted to stare out the window of their motel room. The photos were still scattered from before, and Hisoka could see a wadded bundle of bloodstained sheets thrown in the far corner of the room. GuShoShin was upon Tsuzuki's bed, a bandage around his head and his left arm in a sling. The feathered creature was sleeping, his breathing the only sound permeating the room. At least the librarian hadn't been as severely hurt as Hisoka had first thought.
"Talk to me Hisoka." Tsuzuki's voice was small and quiet behind Hisoka, but he chose to continue to stare out the window to the night sky beyond. The bed indented slightly as Tsuzuki sat down gently behind Hisoka and he felt Tsuzuki's hand press lightly against the middle of his back. Hisoka shuddered at the touch and Tsuzuki's hand lifted quickly away. "Sorry." Tsuzuki's voice was soft, but the worry interlaced in it was loud and clear. There was more shuffling as Tsuzuki settled himself behind Hisoka and inwardly Hisoka sighed. "Please Hisoka . . . I can't read your mind."
At those words, Hisoka trembled slightly as he remembered how Muraki had invaded his mind. Reading his innermost thoughts before Hisoka had gotten the strength to push the man out with his empathy. His voice was muffled by the blanket over his knees, but Hisoka didn't care "I can't read yours either . . . but 'he' could. Only if your thoughts are laced with emotion, can I even sense them, but he . . ." Hisoka hugged his knees and he could feel the worry from Tsuzuki heighten.
"What do you mean?"
Hisoka shook his head and finally looked over his shoulder to Tsuzuki. How could he explain what was happening to him, when he was not sure what was occurring himself? Hisoka sighed and looked Tsuzuki in the eyes. "Do you know what it feels like to have your very essence torn by someone who cares nothing for your well-being?" Hisoka saw the look in Tsuzuki's eyes and immediately regretted his choice of words. It sounded too much like how Muraki had taken his innocence, and his life. "Muraki . . . somehow . . ." Hisoka tightened his hold on his knees, and if possible, drew himself into a smaller ball. "There is a link between Muraki and I now."
Tsuzuki frowned and Hisoka could feel anger emanating from his partner. The fact that Tsuzuki felt such emotion for him both angered and comforted Hisoka. No one had cared when he was alive if he had been hurt. Funny how it was that only when he had died, had he found a life worth living. "I don't understand . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was calm, despite the emotion Hisoka could feel from the man, even with his shields raise up high.
Hisoka shrugged and fluttered his wings slightly, alarming Tsuzuki momentarily. "There were two spells cast at the same time, do you remember?" Hisoka leaned his head slightly to one side, and stared across the room to the scattered photos and papers. "My Soul Bind spell, and the one Muraki had placed upon the magic circle I stupidly used." Hisoka uncurled himself just enough so that he could tap his chest with his hand. "The demon I was fighting, he is in me, linked to my curse marks." He reached out to gently brush one of the white wings enveloping his small frame. "And Hikaru, the girl we were looking for, she is also within me. She is the reason I have wings."
The silence from Tsuzuki unnerved Hisoka and he closed his eyes. "I think Muraki had intended to only fuse Hikaru and me together. The demon Chymos' fusion was an accident created by me when I cast the spell." The blank wall on the other side of the room had become quite fascinating to Hisoka, and he continued to stare out to it. "Somehow, the spells entwined, and corrupted one another. The Soul Bind spell did immobilize Chymos, but he was also drawn into the spell binding Hikaru to me." He leaned forward to hug his knees close to his body once again. "Apparently Hikaru was supposed to become the dominant soul, herself a senseless puppet for Muraki's control. That is why her physical body was found so mutilated."
"No . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was very quiet, but Hisoka could feel the disbelief and anger within it.
Pressing his eyes against his knees, Hisoka blocked out everything he could see and instead focussed on his words. He wanted to get what he knew out of his system; he wanted to stop thinking. "But that also messed up somehow when I used the magic circle." Hisoka lifted his head up to look back at Tsuzuki, and was surprised to see tears shimmering in the man's eyes. "She is aware Tsuzuki . . . she is within me, and she is scared." He pressed against one of the altered curse marks. "Chymos, the demon . . . he is aware as well, and being trapped with two souls when one is soulless . . ." Hisoka let his words trail off.
"That still doesn't explain Muraki's link with you . . ." Tsuzuki's voice sounded pained, and Hisoka knew that it was a difficult question for Tsuzuki to ask, just as it was difficult for Hisoka to answer. Tsuzuki's hand reached out once again to tentatively touch Hisoka's back, and this time Hisoka did not flinch. The warmth of Tsuzuki's hand against him felt right. "Why would Muraki do something like that?"
Hisoka shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself once again. "Apparently Muraki's spell was to have placed Hikaru within me, a puppet for Muraki to manipulate. And with her in my body . . . I . . ." Hisoka's voiced choked slightly. "I was to be eliminated . . . destroyed." He closed his eyes and felt Tsuzuki's hand begin to move slightly along his back. An attempt to soothe him Hisoka supposed. "Muraki was to have control of Hikaru . . . I think. But with Hikaru actually aware, and me still existing . . . somehow Muraki gained a link with me instead."
Hisoka shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. "I have no idea what Muraki is up to Tsuzuki, or why he decided to use me. Hasn't he taken enough from me as is?" Hisoka's hand curled up in his hair, and he pulled on the strands lightly. "But Muraki kept calling her 'the key'." Hisoka knew his voice was muffled, but he continued to talk.
"He . . . was in my mind Tsuzuki. He could have easily torn through everything that I am . . . everything that is me. I managed to push him out . . . but for how long? I can't maintain my shields forever . . . and I have to sleep. But when I sleep is when I can 'talk' to Hikaru and Chymos . . . and be attacked by the demon." Hisoka's voice trembled, and he could feel tears begin to form in his eyes, which is why Hisoka kept his face down. "I'm attacked when I am awake, and I am attacked when I sleep. Muraki was right . . . How long can I stay sane . . . stay me . . . when I have to maintain two other individuals within me?"
"Hisoka . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was rough, and Hisoka lifted his head to find that Tsuzuki had moved around to sit in front of Hisoka instead of behind him. Tears were falling from Tsuzuki's face, and Hisoka marvelled at the range of emotion his partner could feel and express. The fact that Hisoka was even letting himself be this vulnerable was a testament to the bond between the two of them. Seeing Tsuzuki there, feeling the man's emotions, and knowing that Hisoka himself could be weak in front of Tsuzuki and not lose face, made Hisoka even more confused. Why did Tsuzuki care so much for him? Yeah he was in a bad state . . . but it came with the job. Tsuzuki reached out to tentatively brush Hisoka's bangs out of his eyes. "I'll help you Hisoka . . . if you let me."
Frustration welled within Hisoka. "How? You aren't empathic Tsuzuki I know you can do shields, but you can't project them!" Hisoka uncurled himself and plucked at his bandages angrily. "You can't make my body heal, and without my shinigami powers it will be a while before I am healthy once again." Hisoka threw the blanket covering him to stand up, and immediately regretted it.
Vertigo and pain overpowered Hisoka, and he nearly fell flat on his face, had Tsuzuki not caught him before he fell. Hisoka hung there in Tsuzuki's arms, his own body too weak to hold itself up for much longer. Anger filled Hisoka, making him lash out at anything and anyone around him, and that meant Tsuzuki. "I'm going to slowly fade, my soul consumed by the demon within me, my mind broken from the stress of maintaining Hikaru and Chymos, my body decimated by the strain and there isn't anything YOU can do about it!" Hisoka was just raging now, and in the back of his mind, he was thankful that GuShoShin was passed out. Everything that had happened to him, everything that was going to happen to him . . . it was so unfair.
"Muraki can toy with my mind at any time, and if I let down my shields he can get in. He'll take what is left of me, everything that is me . . . and . . . and . . ." Hisoka's voice caught as the emotions building in him finally burst through his control completely and his tears fell.
Hisoka hung in Tsuzuki's arms, sobbing like there was no tomorrow, and perhaps for Hisoka, there wouldn't be one. Tsuzuki's arms encircled Hisoka tightly, and the violet-eyed man rode out Hisoka's emotional outburst with uncanny silence. Hisoka pushed at Tsuzuki, trying to break free of the man's embrace, but Tsuzuki would not let go. With tears falling down his face, Hisoka gave up with his struggles and let himself be held by his partner. His sobs filled the room, and in the recesses of his mind, Hisoka felt ashamed at his outburst of emotion.
For how long the two of them stood there, Hisoka was not sure, but it felt like forever. His tears finally stopped, and in the dead silence that followed, Hisoka felt more and more humiliated. How could he have let himself go like that? He was supposed to be the rational one, he was supposed to be the collected one. At what point had he and Tsuzuki switched roles? Tsuzuki's arms were tight but comforting around him, and Hisoka carefully brought his arms up to finally complete the embrace that Tsuzuki gave to him so freely. "Finally . . ." Tsuzuki's voice was quiet, but the emotion within them was profound. Hisoka smiled softly and leaned in against Tsuzuki's chest.
Tsuzuki sighed softly as Hisoka's arms lifted up and Hisoka knew that it had been the right thing to do. They stood there for a moment, just comfortable in the silence. Hisoka had thought of moments like this for a while now, of Tsuzuki holding him, of actually caring for him. It was a shame that such emotions were finally coming out now when Hisoka wasn't sure if he would survive long enough to actually enjoy them. Tsuzuki murmured something against Hisoka's neck, and Hisoka closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry . . ." Hisoka's voice was very quiet in the immense silence. His wings drooped slightly and Hisoka felt exhausted.
"Don't be." Tsuzuki pulled back enough that Hisoka could see his face, and Hisoka could see a gentle smile grace Tsuzuki's face. "Don't ever be sorry for feeling. I was beginning to think you were going to let yourself implode rather than let your emotions out." Tsuzuki grasped Hisoka firmly around the waist and lifted his free arm to softly brush at the tear stains upon Hisoka's face.
"You're not alone Hisoka. I won't let you vanish from my life without a fight." Hisoka looked into Tsuzuki's eyes and he could feel the intensity of emotions welling from the violet-eyed man. "You told me that your place was by my side . . . are you going to break your word now?" Tsuzuki gently caressed Hisoka's cheek. "If you go . . . you know I will follow you."
Hisoka blinked at Tsuzuki, his voice lost. His entire world, everything he understood had been tossed upside down in the matter of twenty-four hours. They stood there in the pale light of the moon, and Hisoka knew that his old self would have brushed Tsuzuki's words off as a joke. Hisoka's old self would have not been caught dead in the arms of Tsuzuki, having this conversation. Hisoka looked into Tsuzuki's eyes, and he could see the love he could feel with his empathy. Tsuzuki loved him . . . and Hisoka loved him back. His world was crumbling around him, but there was one thing that remained constant.
Tsuzuki.
Hisoka pressed his cheek against Tsuzuki's chest, and pulled his arms tight around the older man. Why did it have to happen now? Hisoka's body trembled, and Tsuzuki's arms tightened around him. In a swift fluid motion, Tsuzuki whisked Hisoka off his feet and Hisoka was cradled gently in Tsuzuki's arms. His wings cascaded down to lightly touch the floor. Hisoka stared up at Tsuzuki, giving Tsuzuki complete control. It was something that was so against everything Hisoka was . . . but it felt right.
Tsuzuki carefully walked over to Hisoka's bed and laid Hisoka down into its softness. The loss of contact was almost unbearable to Hisoka, and for a moment he thought he had mistaken the emotions that Tsuzuki had projected, but then Tsuzuki dashed those doubts away. Ever so careful, Tsuzuki gently pulled the blanket over Hisoka, and climbed into the narrow bed with him.
Hisoka could feel a blush flaming over his face, and he was almost overwhelmed by the extent of emotions he had gone through in the past little while. Tsuzuki silently beckoned Hisoka to pull up against him, and Hisoka half lay on top, half lay beside Tsuzuki, his white wings extending comfortably behind him. The action was unfamiliar, but felt oh so good. Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around Hisoka, and Hisoka's one wing draped itself across the two of them, the other one folding up against his back.
"I can help you sleep." Tsuzuki's voice was rough with emotion, and Hisoka looked up from his perch aside Tsuzuki to the man's face. "Like we did before, when Muraki first found you after you became a shinigami. Synchronize with me. It isn't hard to do, not when we are this close to one another." Tsuzuki looked down to Hisoka, and Hisoka nodded. It was so simple, and something that Hisoka would not have thought of. "I'll protect you while you rest from Muraki." Tsuzuki grazed his fingers across Hisoka's cheek. "I'll keep watch. If you show signs of distress, I will wake you up. If you are awake, the demon can't get you."
"Tsuzuki . . ." Hisoka's voice was muffled, there against Tsuzuki's chest. It was all so overwhelming and so new. His wounds still hurt, his mind still ached, but for some reason Hisoka felt as if he would be all right. Tsuzuki was so warm there against him, so right. He knew he should be all embarrassed, that he should protest this new found intimacy between the two of them, but Hisoka knew he wouldn't. Even if he perished tomorrow . . . Hisoka knew he would not protest this. Hisoka reached out timidly to touch Tsuzuki's cheek. It was an unfamiliar action, but Hisoka knew it was what he wanted to do. "Tsuzuki, I . . ."
"Shh. Don't talk anymore Hisoka. Just try to sleep. I know you are exhausted." Tsuzuki smiled and tightened his hold on Hisoka. "What kind of partner would I be if I let my partner die?" Tsuzuki chuckled quietly and rested his chin atop of Hisoka's head. "What kind of person would I be, if I let the one I love perish?"
Hisoka pulled his head back slightly at Tsuzuki's words, but Tsuzuki gently pressed Hisoka's head back down to rest against his chest. Hisoka lay there for a moment, contemplating Tsuzuki's words. Love . . . is this what this is? Hisoka closed his eyes and let the feelings permeate through him. If this was love, than Hisoka wanted more. He relaxed and let the subtle motions of Tsuzuki's fingers against his back lull him to sleep. His world was crumbling, but at least now Hisoka had something to fight for . . . someone to live for. Muraki would not win, Hisoka would not let him.
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Author's Note:
I am a little unsure of this one. As you may know it took me a while to get this chapter out. I haven't abandoned this story, and I am going to see this through to the end. But I was a little stumped for a while over some plot. I think I have it all fixed now though.
I hope that characters weren't too OOC. I wanted to get Tsuzuki and Hisoka's feelings for one another out there. And if you can't tell, Hisoka is under just a wee bit of stress . . . so he isn't totally acting like his stereotypical moody self. I hope it came across realistic. Aren't Tsuzuki and Hisoka just cute together though? *sparkles*
Reviews on this chapter and the story in general would be most appreciated. It would be nice to know if anyone is still bothering to read this story or if I am just spewing words out for my own selfish desires?
Once again, I want to thank everyone who has read and those who have reviewed my humble chicken scratches. Thank you very much! Also I just have to thank Matsushita for creating such wonderful characters! Humor, darkness, romance - all the fun stuff rolled into one! Thank you!