Disclaimer: I do not and will never own YnM, all the characters are the sole property of Yoko Matsushita. I'm merely borrowing them.

Sped up the updating because my comp is gonna get a makeover . . . Until this is done this will be the last chapter I'll post for a bit. Here's the next piece. Enjoy! And sorry about cliffhangers, I tend to write my fic like that but not all chapters have cliffhangers. This one doesn't. Bear with me. P

Pieces of Me

Chapter 2: It Hurts Deep Down Inside

By: LadyYuina

Hisoka placed his ear against the cellar door located right by the side of the kitchen. He could hear a conversation his mother and her friends were having.

"Where's your son?" one of them asked.

"He's in bed, his illness is really getting to him, he might have to be placed in the hospital soon."

"Oh, is it that bad?" another one of her friends asked.

"Taeko, he's doing fine, but yes he isn't in the best of shape."

"Can we go see him?" Taeko asked.

"It'd be better if we let him sleep. He's very tired," Ms. Kurosaki said. Hisoka was sick of it so he went away from the cold door.

"Mamoru, where are you?" he asked. A pair of yellowish-green orbs stared back at him in the dim-lit room.

"Meow . . . meooowww."

"Oh, there you are, come here. I want to tell you something." To Hisoka's surprise he jumped upon his lap and sat down; staring up at him intently. "I hate the way mother talks about me to her friends. I don't need all their sympathy, I need no one's consideration for my well-being . . . I need no one but you, Mamoru."

"Meow."

"I know you don't pity me. You're in the same boat as I am, we can ride through the storm together, right?" Hisoka looked out the window and down the street to where children were merrily playing. A pained expression crossed over his features as he saw his friends cross the street to the candy shop. He used to do that with them but that was no longer possible. His parents had locked him away from the world, from it's prying eyes.

Six years later

Dusk blanketed the entire planet. Hisoka was let out of his hell-hole. Now that he was older he was let outside at night; his parents didn't really care where he wandered off to as long as he returned home at the appointed time they set for him.

Tonight, he made it the time that he went to visit each of his friends. It was rather strange but he felt like his life was going to end soon . . . Hisoka softly chuckled at his own demented thoughts . . . My life ending soon? It seems like it had already faded long ago . . .

The first person on his list was Mariko who immediately opened up her window to him. "Hisoka!" she gasped. "I thought . . ." Her brown eyes looked him over with uncertainty, they reminded Hisoka of the day when he told his friends to leave . . .

Faking a smile, he said, "don't worry, my intensive care unit program has ended. The doctor said I could stay home but I can't overexert myself."

"Oh, I'm glad." Mariko placed her arms around her sand colored haired friend in a gentle embrace. A moment of silence passed between the two. "So . . . what brought you here?"

"I, uh, this may sound strange but . . . I came to say goodbye."

Brown eyes widened. "Why?"

"I feel the need to, I feel as if something bad is going to happen to me," Hisoka poured out his thoughts to his only female friend. His usually dull green orbs dulled even further if it were even possible.

"You shouldn't think that way, after all, we haven't seen each other for six years. Was your intensive care program end some time ago?" Hisoka nodded. "Then . . . how come I never saw you outside?"

It hurts deep down inside . . .

"I can't explain it . . . it's much too complicated."

"You know, I still remember that day. Very clearly in fact." Mariko hugged her legs towards herself letting her chin rest lightly on her knees. Her eyes were downcast.

"Me too."

"I understood," Mariko replied. "I mean, afterwards, I understood."

"Huh?"

"Your head hurting, it was from the illness and all our shouting, wasn't it?" She cocked her head to the side; staring at him.

Hisoka was slightly startled but regained his usual posture quickly. He was going to lie. "Uh, yeah, I guess; I can't really remember." Mariko let out a soft giggle. That alone warmed up Hisoka's heart but yet it made it ache too. "Well, I gotta be going, bye." Before he even moved from his spot beside his female companion, he added, "tell the others goodbye for me too, in case I don't see them."

"But . . ." Mariko paused, nodding her head slowly. "Okay."

Without looking back at Mariko's house he walked down the street. His next stop was Oto's house; peering through his bedroom window he saw him slouched over his work desk. Oto bolted upright and looked around him until his eyes landed on the window as Hisoka quietly tapped on it. Hisoka could see movement of his mouth saying his name. Oto came over to his window allowing Hisoka access.

"Hisoka, you're . . . here," he said uneasily.

"It's okay if you feel uneasy. Hehe, we haven't seen each other for six years." Hisoka ran a hand through his short bangs momentarily.

"Has it really been that long?" Oto asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Oto stared over at his desk, Hisoka's eyes followed suit. "What are those papers for?"

"Research . . . my dad, you see, we're really into the planets, stars and whatnot," Oto explained. "The universe basically."

"I see."

"So, how has life been treating you?"

Hisoka thought about it and realized that it was painful. "Meh, I doing all right," he lied.

"Cool."

"Hey, what time is it?"

"Eleven forty-five, why?"

"Damn, I gotta be home by twelve," Hisoka said, exasperated.

"Curfew, huh?" Oto teased.

"Yeah. I want to tell you something before I go though, this is rushing it a bit but I'm running out of time." Oto looked at him quizzically. "I want to say goodbye, I believe this will be the last time that we'll meet."

"Huh? Why?" Oto uttered. "We see each other again and now you're saying goodbye?"

Heh, he sounds just like Mariko. "I just feel like my time is coming . . ."

"That's crazy! You want to commit suicide!"

Hisoka blinked several times, that thought had never occurred to him. "No."

"Good, but then why are you saying goodbye to me?"

"I can't really explain it, god damn it, Oto! I'm already going to be late!" Hisoka crawled out the window, not bothering to check if Oto was angry with him or not with his pitiful crying. There was no need to though; he felt it . . . it wasn't anger he was feeling but shock. Quickly he jogged back into his house. He was one minute late.

"You're late," his mother told him, standing tall like a castle wall that was about to collapse at any second.

Cowering before her Hisoka could only mumble, "I'm sorry."

"You know what this means right?"

"Yes . . ."

"Masahiko!" she called.

"Yes, dear?" came his reply.

Eyeing her son viciously, she scoffed, "come show your son what happens when he breaks the time that he was allotted to." Deep down the green eyed boy's chest was hurting, not physically but emotionally.

"Come on," his father ordered as he lead him to the dojo.

Hisoka got down on his hands and knees, he knew what he was in store for. A beating. Hisoka hated this since his father showed him no mercy when he whipped him. In the end his rear would become swollen and red, the worst part was he was given no medication or ice packs.

The sand colored haired boy's wails rung around the dojo; a deadly echo. He felt so detached, his chest hurt like nothing he had ever felt before. Far more worse than the beating could provide, slowly, he knew he was becoming sour from the inside out.

Resentment . . .?

Hisoka's rear end was stinging and it only became utterly unbearable when his father landed another blow. Tears blurred his vision, Mamoru's soft meowing came to mind.

He'll protect me . . .

The beating finally ended when Hisoka fell in a heap on the dojo floor. He knew the next day he would have to clean up the fifthly mess that he created before himself. Sweat mingled with tears.

The only words he heard from his father was, "take it easy."

The boy didn't know whether to laugh in self pity or cry out in anguish. He took the second choice, letting his voice be heard around inside the dojo; he made sure of it. He laid in the spot where he had fallen, not having the strength to move, neither caring to do so. Thoughts of his early childhood came onto him like a uplifting plight.

--Flashback--

"That's it, slow easy steps. There you go!" his mother cheered.

"Mommy!" Hisoka chirped as he fell into his mother's loving embrace.

"Good job, you got farther today. Mommy is proud." She planted a big, fat kiss on her rosy son's cheek.

"How's our little man doing?" his father asked, watching his wife and child as he entered the house. His eyes glowed with delight and warmth.

"Hisoka is progressing nicely, he got a lot farther today. He's a fast learner," his mother explained.

"Excellent, just like the son I had a vision he'd be," his father beamed. He scooped his son up over his shoulders; Hisoka squealed. "How about daddy give you a ride?"

"Yay! Ride! Ride! Ride!" Hisoka repeated. These were one of the funniest things Hisoka enjoyed doing with his father.

Walking out into the backyard his father cautioned, "hang on because here we go!"

Voices of laughter could be heard. Hisoka's mother came by the door and watched her son and husband enjoy each other's company.

--Flashback (END)--

Mother's love, Father's love . . . All gone.

It pained him so as he reveled in his past memories. His family used to be so happy, at that time Hisoka never bothered to think anything of his powers. It never hurt him until the day his mother was sad, that day made him really hurt; all over.

That day changed my life . . .

He now regretted speaking the words that he had said that day to his mother. After that, he was deemed a demon's child; not fit to be his parent's child any longer. He was placed inside the cellar, soon after, a scrawny, little kitten joined him.

Mamoru.

Hisoka stared off to the far wall where the rows of bokken were placed. His eyes flared up momentarily as he stared at them intently. The thought of beating his mother to death with it sickened him.

I don't want to be like her. Not ever . . .

Not long after his world faded to nothingness as his mind ceased to function. Sleep overrode him. Everything was silent save the soft sound of the crickets chirping outside.