Forgotten Memories Chapter Four

Chrono Crusade

Date Started: November 9th 2004

Sora Kazuma

I was just about glowing when I got back to the grounds. Yugo and I took a taxi back to the church and made it just in time for evening mass. The sun was setting and the bell in the steeple was ringing ushering us into the chapel.

"I've got to go." I told him, dashing through the green.

"Hey." He grabbed my arm, pulling me back to him. I blushed at the strength of his body. "I'll be waiting out here for you." He told me, his eyes burning with the desire to lean down and kiss me again.

I smiled. "Alright then." Playfully I hopped up, dropping a kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened, but he smiled as I turned and fled his arms, running to the chapel.

I slipped into the service just as it started, stealing a seat next to Mia and Rosette. "Evening." I grinned at them.

"Hey," Rosette smiled.

"You're in a good mood." Mia whispered. "What's going on?"

"I bet ya she and Yugo made up." Rosette replied.

"He did." I blushed, dropping my voice. "He kissed me."

"What!" The three of us looked up to see one of the younger girls a row behind me, look at me with surprise. She had long reddish-brown hair and blue eyes, but I recognized her voice as one of the girls at the bathhouse last night.

"Sister Molly." Within seconds, Sister Kate had grabbed her by the arm and yanked her from her seat, dragging her outside with her. I had to keep from breaking out into giggles.

Once attention had been adverted back to Father Robert and Father Remington, Mia looked over at me. "So, sounds like things are working out better then you had hoped."

I blushed, but nodded.

When mass let out, we were supposed to head over to the dining hall. But the second I stepped out of the back door into the cool night air I was grabbed and pulled into a pair of strong arms. "Hey, how'd it go?"

"One of Andrea's little followers got taken out during the mass for overhearing me and Mia's conversation." I told him with a grin. When he blinked, I smiled. "Oh that's right. I didn't tell you about Andrea and her friends and what they did last night."

"You can tell me on our way to the dining hall. I'm starving." He replied, locking his fingers with mine and dragging me off towards the smell of dinner.

"Last night I went to get a bath, but when I got there, I found Andrea with a couple of her friends. They were cooking up this plan of stealing you away from me. That's when I heard Andrea call me Dog-eyes. It used to be my nickname when I was little. How'd they heard about it, I don't know."

"So, where'd you go all that time when you told me you were taking a bath?" he asked after a minute, his voice growing colder. He was angry, not at me, but at them.

"I was out on the green." I admitted after a moment. "Crying."

He stopped dead, turning to look at me. Without another second, he pulled me into his arms. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause you such pain."

"I know. It's all right Yugo. I'm okay." I pulled away. We were getting closer to the hall and my stomach was beginning to rumble. "Come on. Food is calling."

We had just entered the hall, when I caught Andrea looking for us. Yugo slipped his hand in mine as she approached.

"Yugo," she smiled. "Please, will you come have dinner with me this evening?"

"Sorry Andrea," he smiled back faintly, his voice dripping with the same charm from last evening, but his eyes weren't even really watching her. "But I've got plans. If you're hoping for something between us, it's not going to happen."

She gasped, taking a step back, her eyes widening. "Yugo… but I-"

"I'm already in a relationship." He explained. "A very complicated one. And I'm not giving up on it anytime soon." He turned, looking down on me lovingly. "Isn't that right?"

I swallowed, blushing at the emotions dancing in his eyes.

She huffed, her patience wearing thin and her jealousy evident. "But Yugo," she pouted again. "What could you see in old Dog-eyes anyway?"

I was hiding my anger. Old? I was eighteen. Who'd she think she was anyways?

"I see her beauty, her heart, her pain, sorrow and grief." He told her, not taking his eyes off me. He was doing it again, using those soft warm golden eyes of his to see straight through me. "In truth," he glanced back over at her. "I'm the one not deserving of her." He tugged on my arm. "Well," he smiled at her. "We have to be getting to our food before it gets cold. See you around Andrea." And before she could reply, he had had walked past her, taking me with him.

'That was beautiful Yugo.' I told him as we walked through the busy hall. 'You were straight to the point, as always.'

'I didn't want her getting the wrong idea about us.'

'Yeah?' I looked at him. 'And what was that?'

'That there is not us. I will never like Andrea. The more she opens her loud mouth, the more I want to strangle her.'

I giggled. 'Believe it or not, me too.'

We walked over, joining our friends at the table. "Evening everyone." I smiled.

"Hey guys." Chrono looked up, his scarlet eyes dancing. "Nice to see you patched things up."

"Me too." Yugo nodded, taking one of the two seats they had left open for us.

"So," Remington started, setting down his fork in his pasta plate. "How is Lena's date going?"

"Lena's out on a date?" Mia asked, looking between Remington and me in surprise.

"She's doing well. The guy she's with is rich. I have a feeling she's going to be spoiled." I explained without giving to much away. "They were going to the opera tonight."

"Sounds like my kinda man." Rosette grinned. "Is he handsome?"

"H-Hey!" Chrono glanced over at her, his cheeks flushing.

I swallowed. "He's gorgeous." I admitted, leaning my head on Yugo's arm for a minute. 'But not nearly as gorgeous as you.'

'If you think flattery is going to save you from my wrath, you're lucky. It just might.' He ran a hand over my cheek.

"When did you two become quite the couple?" Chrono asked, his eyes widening.

"Haven't we always been?" I replied with a smile.

"Yes, but you're seem more in a serious relationship now then before." Remington explained.

"We do?" I lifted my head from Yugo's shoulder to look up at him. 'You used magic on me when you kissed me. You made me fall in love with you.'

'If kissing you was all I had to do to make you love me, I'll have to do it more often.' He teased. 'Like right now.' Before I could move away, he dropped his head, his lips locking with mine.

'Not while everyone's around!'

'And why not? We live with these people. They'll see us sooner or later.' He pulled away, looking down on me satisfied while my cheeks went completely crimson and I hid behind my long red hair.

"Wow, that puts the definite in their relationship." Rosette blinked.

"Come on you two, not at the dinner table." Mia rolled her brown eyes.

"Oh, Mia like you have room to talk. Must I mention you and the good father in the bathhouse?" I grinned wickedly at her.

She gasped, turning to look at me while Remington almost choked on his spaghetti, his face turning a bright red. "You were never supposed to mention that!" she hissed, her face bright red.

"Wow, secrets all around. This is interesting." Rosette laughed, while Chrono put a hand over his face to hide his crimson cheeks.

After dinner I left Yugo to walk the grounds while I took a bath. Ever since our first time in the bath together here, I had been reluctant to let him join me again, and now that our relationship was become what it was, it was bothering me even more.

"I'll go over to the men's bathhouse and get my bath while you're getting yours, alright love?" he explained, combing his fingers through my hair.

I smiled. "Thanks Yugo."

Disappearing inside the bathhouse, I made sure I was the only one there before locking the front door. A nice relaxing soak would probably do me some good. I left the lanterns lit in the corners of the bathroom, leaving the rest out. Casting just an amber glow on the bathhouse made the place look different, serene. I undressed, letting the tub fill with hot steaming water. Jumping in I let my body adjust to the heat before laying my head back on the side of the tub, letting my eyes flicker closed. I wanted to know what Yugo was up to.

Suddenly an image flickered in my head and was gone. It came again a few seconds later and stayed longer this time. Yugo was standing under a showerhead, steaming water falling down and around his naked form. His hair was shining in the dull amber glow of a lantern hung overhead, falling in silky dark green strands, sticking to his neck, his face and his lower back. He had his back to me, his face upturned, eyes closed as he let the water pour over his head and down his face and chest. Water droplets ran down his back, over the ridges of his shoulder blades, over his firm behind and down his thick powerful legs to his feet.

My eyes snapped open as I jerked up. My heart was pounding in my chest a million times a minute and my body ached to be in his arms. I had never felt quite like this before. I tried to catch my ragged breath and calm myself down.

'Did you like what you saw, little one?' It was his amused voice, dancing in my head, whispering in my ear.

'YOU!' I cried, leaning back against the tub wall. 'What did you do!'

'I did nothing. You're body just started reacting to the thought of mine, love.' I could tell he was trying to keep from laughing and he was pleased with himself. I blushed.

'You devil. You must have put a spell on me. I've never wanted you this badly before.'

He chuckled. 'You wanted me before?'

My face got even redder. 'So what if I did?'

'The feeling's mutual. I've wanted you ever since I met you.' His voice was sincere, even if it was still filled with laughter.

I smiled. He sounded so happy, so carefree… I liked him this way. Laying my head back, I closed my eyes, trying to relax, but my mind was still was still wandering to what I had seen minutes earlier. I was getting a growing temptation to kiss away all the water droplets covering his tan skin and I shook my head. Why in the world was I thinking this way?

Yugo let out a small moan then that somehow took my breath away. 'Yugo?'

'Yeah.' He responded, his voice calm and relaxed. 'The hot water feels so good. And your thoughts aren't helping matters.'

I blushed hotly, turning my head down towards the water. I dove underneath it, coming up moments later. 'I'm sorry. I'm trying to get them out of my head.'

'Don't worry about it.' He said a moment later. 'It's cute. I'm touched you think about me that way.'

'Well you are the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on.' I admitted looking around the bathhouse. I blinked. Somehow I hadn't noticed that the place was quickly covering with fog.

'Sora? Is something wrong?'

'I'm not sure. The door might have gotten opened. It sometimes happens when the front door is opened and it's colder outside then it is in here.' I told him, grabbing the side of the tub to get out. But I could have sworn I had locked it…

"That will not be necessary." I let go of the tub at the sound of that voice. It was beautiful, dark and deep and somehow magical. I backed off into the middle of the pool as a figure appeared from the fog banks. He was dressed in a long black trench coat, left open in the front of expose his khaki paints and his simple gold-colored tunic. He had piercing red eyes, different from any other devils I'd ever seen. They were hungry, thirsty for anything and everything they laid they're glance on and at the same time cold and devoid of life. His face was like a chiseled sculpture and he had long raven hair that spilled down to his waist and was cute around his face in the front. He was tall, taller then Yugo and probably more built, I couldn't tell in the dim light.

"Pardon me for interfering. I know I was ruining a private moment between you and your contracted. I am Aidan. Lord Aion sent me to entertain you." He spoke up with a beautiful wicked smile.

Aion? My heart skipped a beat. "Did Joshua send you?" I asked, hoping and praying the answer was no. The only other person I knew of who had known Lord AIon was Lena's new lover.

Aidan's eyes widened. "Joshua? You know Lord Joshua?"

"He's a newly made friend of mine." I said after a moment.

"Sora!" There was a harsh sound of metal giving away as the bathroom door shot open and Yugo ran in, bare-chested and only in a pair of damp pants. He was still dripping wet, and how he had gotten across the campus so fast I had not known. But he growled at the man standing on the pool's edge. "Get away from her." He demanded, his fangs showing.

"Ah," the man smirked. "Yugo. The Fanged Raven. The Wanderer. The devil searching for his true love. Aion has been looking for you. Have you found your beloved yet?"

"I have, and I won't let her be harmed by any of you." He barked. "Get out of here."

"I have no wish of fighting right now, so I will withdraw. Goodbye fair lady." He smiled over at me, disappearing with the fog.

"Sora," Yugo looked down on me. "Are you alright?"

I came over to the side of the tub, getting out in front of him. I watched as his eyes widened and a hot blush spread over his face as I wrapped my arms tightly around him. "Yugo… thank you."

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "It's no problem."

There was a flash of light and an amber glow filled the room. "Yugo! Sora! You guys alright?"

We glanced over, seeing the shadowed figures of Sister Kate and Father Remington in the doorway as well as a handful of young students. I blushed at my nudity, edging closer to Yugo.

Sister Kate's eyes widened, and she turned. "Go get towels, now!" she shouted to the people around her. "Find Rosette or Mia immediately!"

Remington came in to us, careful not to slip on the drenched tile floor. "She was attacked Father." Yugo explained, his voice pleading for understanding.

"I know." He said softly, compassionate as always. "Sora, you're going to freeze outside. Here." He undid the latch on his thick blue and gold jacket, shrugging it off and sliding it around my shoulders. "Do you know where your clothes are?"

"I left them on the floor." I was trying to keep my voice level and not let it known how badly I was shivering.

"That's no good. The entire floor is drenched." Remington told us. "Yugo, you mine as well carry her out of here."

I pulled the father's coat around me, which went down to my knees as Yugo hoisted me up into his strong arms. "You'll be alright." He assured me, stepping lightly out of the bathhouse.

I shuddered as the cool night air hit me. Sister Kate was beside us immediately. "Are you both alright?"

"I'm cold Sister Kate." I managed to say between my quivering lips.

"Yes of course." She responded. "Let's get you inside."

When we entered the main building, there was a group of sisters with warm tea and towels, and Mia, Rosette and Chrono we're all there, Mia with a fresh set of dry clothes and Rosette with my warm velvet black robes. Chrono had brought Yugo clean clothing as well and we were given Sister's Kate's private offices to change into before we were to meet in her and Remington's private study.

I had never been so happy for clean clothing. Dressing quickly, two of the young nine-year-old girls fussed over my crimson hair, brushing out the tangles and patting it dry with a towel. I slipped on my robe, hooking it closed. It was probably the most expensive thing I owned, a velvet soft thin robe that fell to the floor and trimmed with gold embroidery. It went easily over my cotton nightgown and I pulled up my pair of warm socks.

"That's a pretty pendant."

I blinked, looking over at the young girl who was staring back at my chest. Looking down I picked up the large white crystal, caged in a wrapping of silver. The rock was so clear you could see straight through it, and the chain was thick, roped silver that hung around my neck. I never took it off, so half the time I didn't even know it was there. The girl looked up at me with a tooth-less grin, her two front baby teeth gone and I smiled back. "Did a boy give it to you?"

I blinked, surprised and then ruffled her short shaggy chestnut hair. "Actually yep, he did."

"Was it your friend with the green hair?" the other asked, jumping in on the conversation.

"Yep, it was." I nodded at her with a smile.

They looked at each other, bursting into giggles. "I want a boy to give me presents like that someday." The first replied.

"We're done with your hair Miss Sora." The second didn't supply her input, blushing.

I stood up, checking out their work. They had done an amazing job on the tangles. "Thanks girls."

"It was no problem." The first grinned as I headed for the door. Smiling back at them I left, shutting it behind me.

I exited out into the large cozy room full of bookcases the same time Yugo did from the opposite direction. We stared at each other for a moment, him taking in my clothes and I taking in his dark black pants and white shirt. His hair had been pulled back and braided, probably Chrono's doing since he found it the easiest way to keep it out of his face, the long bangs still framing his face. He looked handsome, ungodly so, and I swallowed.

"Sora?" I turned, noticing for the first time that Sister Kate and Father Remington were present in the room, Kate settled in a comfy English-style chair and Remington leaning up against the large desk. It had been his voice that had snapped me back into reality. I blushed. "Yes sir."

He held out a hand, motioning to the two chairs they had gathered around the coffee table. There was steaming tea waiting for us on the tray and the fireplace just to our right was roaring with a tremendous blaze, lighting the whole room with its warmth. I silently took a seat, Yugo doing the same.

"I want to know what happened this evening." Sister Kate started, her voice to calm for its own good. "And I want every explanation of why Yugo was found in the woman's bathhouse this late at night."

"I was-" he started and I cut him off with a glare. He looked back at me and then looked at Sister Kate. "I don't know if Sora told you or Father Remington," he started, his voice level, and I let him go. If he rushed into this with a rage, the only thing he would gain would be a place on the street outside the church grounds. "But Sora and I can speak psychically to one another."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, her voice still calm.

"She can talk to me just by thinking of talking to me, and I can do the same. We can speak through our minds, not just out loud." He explained.

"I've heard of it before." Remington nodded. "Do you know what causes it?"

"Some high-level devils can do it. Contracted devils can do it if it involves their contractor's price." He said quickly. "But that's beside the point. I can pick up on Sora's feelings, her emotions. I was in the shower when I felt her grow uneasy. And then she suddenly became frightened. I left the bathhouse immediately, heading to where I knew she was." He was severely restraining himself from raising his voice or showing his irritation and I smiled over at him, proud. "You have to understand. It is my right to protect her at all costs. I felt she was in danger, and my assumption was correct."

"Sora," Remington looked at me. "You were attacked, correct?"

"I probably would have been if Yugo had not shown up. He told me his name was Aidan. He was no ordinary demon. He used the power of fog and water to creep through security, I'm pretty sure."

"A water demon?" Kate looked back on Remington who nodded.

"Probably." He told her.

"Alright." Sister Kate stood up. "You two are dismissed. We are grateful for your help Yugo. It seems this has been the second time you have saved Sora's life."

He stood and I followed as well. "It's my job mam. I am her contracted."

"Goodnight you two. Get some rest." Remington told us.

"Sora," there was a catch in Kate's voice that I didn't like. "One last thing. Where is Sister Hirelena?"

I swallowed. "She wanted to go to the movies, but I grew tired, so I came back before her. She should be home soon." I explained.

"I see." She said after a moment. "Very well. Goodnight."

Yugo and I left the room, glad to be out of interrogation. "Whew," Yugo sighed, resting on the door a moment before joining me at the end of the corridor. "She's scary."

"Now you know why I don't like making her mad." I replied with a smile.

"And you had to wear that," he continued. "That had to be the hardest meeting I've ever sat through."

"Excuse me? I like this robe." I retorted.

"Yeah me too." He glanced at me. "Black velvet against your pale skin." He huffed. " You don't know how tempted I was to rip all the clothing off you."

"I don't think you could have handled it. You were getting all blushy just by me getting out of the tub earlier." I snapped back, fighting the urge to blush myself.

"And you're the one who almost passed out at the pictures of me in the shower." He replied.

My cheeks went crimson despite the fact I was trying to hide it. "You were tricking me with those pictures." I told him though I totally believed they were actually him.

"I'll tell you what. I'll strip naked and you can believe what is real and what's not, okay?" he said, stopping at the door. He had swung me into his arms before I could reply.

"Hey!" I cried as he pushed open the door and closed it behind him.

"It's cold out here. You don't need to be out here in your sock feet." He replied, moving easily across the grass.

"You're out here in your bare feet. You're going to get sick, walking around like that. And your hair's still wet!" I told him. "I'll be fine."

"Your health comes before mine." He told me simply, sealing the argument.

It was then that the clouds moved with the breeze, unmasking the full moon up in the sky. I gasped. "How beautiful."

He stopped in the green, looking up at the sky. "I miss the forests…" his eyes closed and he let out an audible sigh that sounded in my head like the soft whimper of a dog.

I leaned my head against his shoulder comfortingly. "But you have me." I said lightly after a moment.

"You more then make up for it." He smiled, not opening his eyes as the breeze blew locks of hair into his face.

I ducked my head. "I…was only lying when I said you had tricked me with the thoughts of you in my head. I know that you wouldn't have opened such a strong mental link, unless you truly wanted me to see you. I was just a little shocked because we've always kept a little bit of privacy to ourselves."

"I know you were only keeping up the argument. That's why I said what I did. I have no attention of forcing anything on you, but I do want you to know that I am all yours, and I give myself willingly to you. I do not mind you wanting to see me or touch me, in fact I encourage it. You will have to be patient with me, I do not have experience with this, only instinct. I do want you to know that one day, when and if you are ever accepting of the fact, I do intend to make you completely mine."

My eyes blinked wide, a hot blush spreading over my face. I knew what he was getting at. The thought excited me and then fear took over second, I shook my head. Now was not the time for this. Our relationship was just starting to come together. I didn't need to be worrying about that yet.

He looked down, smiling at me. "I agree." Leaning in, he kissed my forehead. "Come on, it's cold out here. Let's get you inside."

Entering our room, I found the place quiet, my roommates all asleep. Yugo tucked me in under the covers and laid down beside me on top of them. I ran my head over his face, finding his hair extremely cold and still damp. Sitting up, I looked over at him. Yugo sat up, looking at me. "What is it?"

"You're going to freeze. Come on, get underneath the covers with me." I told him, holding them up.

His eyes widened. "Sora…"

"Come on," I told him, not letting him argue. He slipped beneath the sheets with me hesitantly, lying back down I snuggled my face into his shirt. "That's better. Night Yugo."

"Goodnight."