Unforeseen Tragedy

Part 3

Tsuzuki's yell hurt my ears more than they already hurt. I was shaking as I watched Tsuzuki stand up and stepped towards Muraki and I, leaving Tatsumi to bleed out. It was then that I began to feel a deep darkness breaking the surface of Tsuzuki's consciousness.

"Tsuzuki… w-what's wrong with you?"

"…"

"Yes, Mr. Tsuzuki, is it too much for you to take? You're breaking now… is that it?"

"Muraki… that's quite enough. I can't let this continue any longer!"

Then, he looked up from the ground. His eyes…they weren't normal. They burned with a dark hatred that ran deep down into his soul. He rose his hand out front, and then, I knew exactly what he was going to do. The idiot, I remember thinking. Didn't he even realize that I was there, also? I wouldn't be able to get away if…

"I REFUSE to let this go on any longer!"

he released his energy in a paper thin wave, like a razor blade. Muraki quickly moved to avoid the attack, and I was free too. I ducked down behind a hedge to my right and braced for the explosion that came seconds later. I coughed, and then looked down to my shirtsleeve. The cloth was cut almost all the way around, and it was burnt around the edges, but I wasn't cut and bleeding. I made it out in time. Tsuzuki can be very frightful when he looses control, and that time was no exception. But, it gave me an opening in time. While he was dealing with Muraki, I stealthily made my way over to Tatsumi. I was sure to stay out of sight as I did so, for I knew, in this fuzzy state, Tsuzuki would lash out at anyone.

Mr. Tatsumi was in worse shape than I thought, now that I got a closer look. His eyes were still closed, but he was shaking slightly, and his breathing was sporadic. I took off my tattered blue jacket and held it firmly over his wound. There was so much blood, I felt somewhat ill. The scent of it on him, and now on myself, was so strong… and sickening…

"H-hang in there, Mr. Tatsumi… you're going to be okay…!"

I gasped as his hand shot out and grabbed onto my wrist. His eyes opened suddenly, but then they closed as he took in a deep, pained breath. I tried to calm him as best I could, but I was never very good at such things.

"Kuro…saki!"

"You shouldn't talk now! Please, save your strength!"

"T-Tsuzuki… he needs your help…"

"YOU need my help right now! You're bleeding badly, and if I can't stop the bleeding somehow…"

He tightened his hold on my wrist. He was still surprisingly strong, despite his injuries, or maybe because of them. Tatsumi has always cared about Tsuzuki, even after he stopped being his partner.

"No, Kurosaki. I will be fine… If you don't stop your partner soon…he'll not only damage this area, but he will deeply wound his heart as well…!"

I looked into his eyes and nodded in understanding. I took my jacket off of his chest and folded it up slightly, placing it under his head for support. Then, I rose… to face my rampaging partner.

Muraki had already made his exit, but Tsuzuki was still mindlessly destroying things out of his anger and grief. I called his name, but a wave of energy streaked towards me as a result, and tore the front of my shirt. I was too quick for it to cut my skin, thankfully. I rose again, standing far to his right side, and letting him see my cautious but determined glare. I had to get him to see past his delusions and see ME standing there.

"It's time to stop this, Tsuzuki! Muraki already left the area, so you can calm down now!"

I watched his eyes, as he looked me over, as if trying to slowly dig away at my soul, as he searched himself for recognition of my face. I softened my eyes, my head pounding less than before, and Tsuzuki finally stood up strait, seemingly returning to normal. I thought it was strange, however, as he started walking towards me with his head down like that. I didn't move. His long bangs were covering his eyes, but the rest of his facial expressions were calm and relaxed, so I figured I had no reason to worry…until I took note of my empathy.

For only a moment, I had forgotten about my accursed ability, which was a fatal mistake. I stumbled back a half step as Tsuzuki drew dangerously near. But as soon as I had, his hand reached out and wrapped around my thin neck. My much-needed air supply had been cut off, and I kicked and clawed at his arm as he slowly lifted me off the ground.

"Tsu-Tsuzuki…! Let me go!"

"This is for all you have done to us, Muraki… this is your punishment."

"I-I'm not Muraki!"

"You're lying. You are Muraki."

'He has… gone completely insane…! Tsuzuki, can't you see that it's me?'

The grip on my neck grew tighter, and I could feel my eyes watering. He just wasn't letting up! My vision became even blurrier, and I threw him a weak glare as I used the last breath I had in me the best way I could think.

"Stupid… idiot Tsuzu…ki…"

At that moment, the proper color returned to his eyes, if not still a little dark, and he gasped. What I said must have made him see what he had not before. He quickly let me go and pulled his hand back as if he had been badly burned. I fell hard onto the concrete, trying desperately to get air back into my lungs.

"O-oh-no… I….Did I… This…"

I looked up, holding my neck delicately. He was crying and holding his head as if it were about to explode. I reached out to him, but he stepped away, looking a fright.

"I did this… I-I'm sorry….! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Tsuzuki…? Hey…"

But he didn't hear me, I guess. He turned away, yelling like he had before, but he had not changed that time, thankfully. He again released powerful waves of energy, though, and it was just as painful a thing to watch. He was knocking down parts of the building that he had left standing before, but more than that, I noticed…he was roughly clawing at his face, making blood seep from his cuts, and letting them to fall in streams down his face and onto his coat and white shirt.

"Tsuzuki! H-hey!"

I stumbled to my feet and ran to him, wrapping my arms about his torso in the hopes of calming him down. I had to hold on tightly. His strength was, and always will be, greater than my own. For all eternity, but I could live with that, I guess. He was thrashing about, murmuring nonsense, most of which was completely inaudible or not even in our language. I tightened my hold and called his name once more, this time, more frighteningly. No good. My voice cracked, and I sounded like I was about to cry, which, in reality, wasn't too far from the truth. Nevertheless, it was enough to get his attention. Finally… I felt it as he took in a deep breath, in a gasp, maybe; I couldn't see from behind him. His normal, calm consciousness filtered back in through my empathy, and his breathing soon evened out, and he let out a few tired sobs as leaned back some. I let him lean against me as we fell to the ground. He had exhausted most all of his energy, as did I. I noticed as he started to cry, and I set my hand over his eyes so he could not see what he had done.

"Hisoka… did I do… all of this?"

"You're not completely responsible."

"…Are you really okay, then…?"

"Yeah, I'm fine… big idiot…"

"And…"

"Hm?"

"Tatsumi… how is Tatsumi?"

"Mr. Tatsumi…"