Tohru felt like time was sped up between their apprehension and when they arrived in a large marble room with a man standing in the centre of it. She never had seen someone look so breathtakingly beautiful and hideous at the same time. The smile he had upon his features was enough to make some scream in fear yet make others fall to their feet in submission. His eyes sent shivers down the spines to anyone who dared to look at him. She didn't want to be in that room now, and wished she didn't have to see the fear in the eyes of the others that stood with her. The two dead strangers she just met were trembling, while hearing the small brunette make small crying sounds. Chiyo was staring at the floor all this time, refusing to look at the foreboding man in front of her. Tohru couldn't see her eyes but could see her shake. Yuki, or Katsu, she didn't know who was who at the moment, though no matter who it was, they were just staring at him; frozen.
Kyo was the only one who seemed calmer than anyone else, and Tohru silently worried about it.
"My, my, my." Said Azrael while he shook his head. "When I think I've gotten rid of my trouble," He shot a glare at Chiyo, "Trouble comes back to haunt me."
There was no reply as the woman just stared downward.
"So, do tell me why you have decided to visit me, and with guests no less!" He looked at Tohru and Yuki. "Did you befriend these mortals? I thought I told you before that crossing paths with those sort of…people…isn't good for your well being. Ah, in speaking of mortals," Azrael crept over to Chiyo, "Has Akito broken you yet? Is your soul now something that you wished you didn't want now? How is your lover…surely he must be gone by this time."
"Shut up."
Azrael's eyebrow rose at the reply from the woman. He narrowed his eyes and smacked her so hard that she fell back. "You know better than to speak that way to me!" He shouted. "Did you really think I don't know why you're here; so you can save your pathetic mortal? You may have been able to defy me before but you will never succeed now!"
"Leave her alone!" Zeru was the first of the others to speak up. "You keep saying you're someone who should be respected, yet I see nothing that you should be respected for! Striking a woman, that is something that is unacceptable. It doesn't matter who you are!"
All eyes turned to the green haired man as the proverbial spotlight was put on him. Zeru gulped but stood his ground as Azrael turned his sights on him. "I will not let you treat Miss Chiyo like that." He told him.
Waiting for a strike, that was what Chiyo was doing as she watched the two stare at each other with a building tension. Kyo was also staring at the two, knowing how well the God of Death's temper was.
The tension was broken abruptly as laughter filled the whole room. A darkened cackle that sounded full of amusement. Yuki stared at Azrael, reminded of Akito as the laugh had reached his ears. It sent a shiver down his spine and he backed away from Zeru, hoping that the laughter he was hearing didn't hold a foreboding trouble attached to it.
The laughter died out and was replaced by an icy glare directed at Zeru. The red eyed Death summoned an object out of thin air and held it in his grasp. It was a pocket watch, though its centre was glowing. "It is funny that you think you can judge me, Zeru." Azrael began, idly fingering the watch, "You think you can judge me on how I treat her when in your past life, you were a womanizer. You didn't even care about a woman if they were hurt."
Tohru looked up at Zeru just in time to see the shocked look on the man's face. Was it true? The girl was confused, at first meeting with this man, he was so much different than what he was claimed to be.
Azrael continued, "You wouldn't remember this…you sold your soul to me so you could become successful at your life. Yes, when I found you – you were nothing but a dirty homeless boy willing to do anything to rise to the top. Once you did, you let pride and greed consume you and by that time, you were destroyed by your own ambitions. You shouldn't have trusted your fellow co-workers, because they had you killed out of their own greed." Azrael shook his head, "And now, here you are – being the opposite of what you used to be and thinking that you have a say…when I knew who you really were."
"That is not true!" Zeru shouted, "This is just a lie. Like the lie you told to keep your followers from knowing what really happened to Miss Chiyo!"
The man suddenly clutched his chest and dropped to the floor. Azrael cackled again, the pocket watch in his hand was being crushed.
"No!" Laylah shouted, running over to Zeru and clinging to him. "Please—"
"Too late." Azrael said with a yawn as he dropped the pocket watch to the floor. It landed with the glass part shattering, and was destroyed further as his foot crushed it.
Laylah cried as Zeru screamed, his eyes wide open with shock as he watched the glow from the watch rise up from the broken pieces and fade away. Zeru started to age rapidly and then disintegrate into a pile of ash.
Everyone around Laylah, besides Chiyo, stood staring at the ash pile with looks of shock and on their face. Laylah sat there with ash flowing through the cracks of her fingers, another hand clutching the shirt that had once been around Zeru's whole body.
Azrael looked bored at the sight, and Tohru was silently crying and catching looks at the red eyed Death. How—how can he just do that? Doesn't he feel anything at all?
"Really now Laylah…" Azrael rolled his eyes, "I also find it amusing to see that you've actually gave a damn about him. Where…in your last life, you used to slaughter thousands."
"SHUT UP!" Laylah shouted with her eyes full of tears, "SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!" She stood up with the shirt still in her grasp, "How can you be so heartless? HOW? I LOVED HIM!"
Tohru was slowly breaking down from everything that she was hearing, she didn't notice the looks that she was getting from Chiyo and Kyo, worry plastered on their faces.
Stay quiet Tohru-san…please.
"You loved him? Ha!" Azrael grinned, "You sold your soul to me because you wanted to destroy everyone you knew; you were practically a shell when I met you…used and beaten by many, and then you had enough. Yes Laylah…you were a murderer in your past life, and I helped you become it. You had no heart, and you sold your talents to those so you could kill. You profited from your killings…you sick woman. Now you say you loved him? Really pathetic, even from a former assassin like you." He summoned another object out of thin air, a glowing dagger that still had dried blood on the blade. "If you love him so much, then you can join him."
Just like Zeru's watch, Azrael used his strength to destroy the dagger. It broke easily.
Chiyo ran up to Tohru and covered her mouth before the girl cried out a choked sob, falling to her knees as Laylah screamed in agony, rapidly aging and also falling next to Zeru in a pile of ash.
The spirit of Katsu within Yuki tried to force himself out and run to Chiyo, but was kept down by Yuki and his rising fear. He could only watch as the woman tried to keep the girl quiet before Azrael would turn his sights on Tohru.
Tohru then pulled herself away. "How…how could you do that to them?" She asked quietly before the woman beside her could cover her mouth. Tohru just pushed Chiyo's raised hand out of the way, "Please, Death-sama…they didn't do anything to you, why? Why kill them like that?"
Kyo clenched his teeth as the red eyes trailed over to the small brunette that stared at him with wide green eyes, so full of fear and sadness. He prayed that nothing bad would happen to her.
"You ask me like I should care about them." Azrael replied simply. "You look at me as if I should have remorse."
Chiyo took Tohru's hand and tried to pull her back; so she could get her far enough from her former lover and employer, but Tohru wouldn't move.
"This is the girl you foolishly saved that day?" Red eyes looked at the raven haired woman, "You risked your life to keep this little child from dying? Such a pathetic creature."
Time stood still as Azrael lashed out at Tohru and the hand of Death revealed itself as it went to touch the young woman. Eyes widened and a scream echoed through the halls as Kyo tore Tohru away from the God of Death just in time. The hand, though, hooked around Chiyo's necklace and pulled it away.
Green eyes became catlike and stared as the necklace clattered to the floor, they then stared over to Yuki, though trying to find the person that was inside of him. "No, don't look at me!" Chiyo cried as her hands flew over her face. She could feel the morphing of her body and cracking of bones, it was agony.
"Chiyo-san—" Tohru couldn't take her eyes off of the transformation, as she had seen it before. She unconsciously squeezed Kyo's hand while he was staring as well. The image of someone screaming while changing into a horrid monster was something familiar, though he had no idea what it was about.
"KATSU LOOK AWAY PLEASE!" Chiyo screamed in pain as her final change took place and she collapsed to the floor, her claw-like hands covering her face as she cowered.
Silent laughter filled the room.
Chiyo looked up as the laughter became louder, her eyes narrowed at Azrael while he stood there with her necklace in his hand and a sadistic merriment in his eyes.
"What a monster." He finally said.
Kyo's eye twitched. Monster…
"You despicable monster! You killed your own mother and now you think you have the right to fall in love!"
Kyo looked over at Yuki, who started to smell the scent of rotting flesh and doubled over. He could see Katsu's spirit inside of him, doing the same thing and trying to look at the Cat in front of him – but failing to say anything.
"I guess your dearest Katsu is sickened at the sight of you, my dear." Azrael grinned at the beast before him. "How could anyone love that though? It would take a complete fool…"
"YOU THINK YOU'D BE ALLOWED SUCH A THING?"
Something inside Kyo snapped. He pushed Tohru aside and ran up to Azrael, slamming his fist in the side of his face.
Tohru and Yuki seemed to freeze as Death fell to the ground. Kyo took the necklace out of Azrael's hand and went over to Chiyo, cautiously kneeling down beside her and hooking it around her head.
The smell soon faded away as Chiyo reverted back to being human again. Tohru ran over to the woman and covered her up the best she could with her coat, looking down at the sullen green eyes as they stared up past Tohru and at Kyo. "It makes you wonder…who is truly cursed…" She said to him.
Kyo didn't answer, just nodded and went back to the fallen Death. "Give me my soul back." He demanded. "Don't try that memory thing again or there will be Hell to pay!" He growled while kicking him in the side.
Katsu took over Yuki's body and took Kyo to where Azrael kept all of his charge's souls. It was a large storeroom full of glowing artefacts that was hidden behind the wall of the room. Kyo found his inside a glowing wooden box. As soon as he slipped the bracelet on, the rest of his memories flooded back into him and he could feel almost alive once more.
They all fled the Underground before Azrael came to.
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"Thank you for letting us in Hatori-san." Tohru bowed to Hatori as the four of them were escorted into the main building. Kyo looked around, making a fist and grinning; "Hey, take me to see Akito."
"No." Hatori answered, already knowing what Kyo was thinking of doing.
"You better keep me away from him once I die again, then…" Chiyo mumbled to herself as she led the way to where Katsu's body was being kept. "Now, Neko-bozu, I want you to reap Katsu out of Yuki and plant the soul back into Katsu's body. Katsu can help us get back to normal."
"Oi, stop calling me that."
"I'm so happy you remembered my pet name for you." Chiyo smiled sardonically; Yuki chuckled.
"Quiet, all of you." Hatori warned, "I'm taking a big risk going against Akito's orders. Do you realise how mad he became when he discovered that you were gone?" He looked at Chiyo sternly. "I was questioned." He held up his hand, where there was a white bandage securely wrapped.
"Hatori-san was hurt!" Tohru gasped and took his hand into hers, "Oh Hatori-san, I'm so sorry—if I knew you were going to be hurt I would have—"
"Quiet you." Kyo covered her mouth as Hatori shook his head.
"Don't apologize, Tohru-san. It wasn't that bad." He looked over at Chiyo, "I treated worse."
Chiyo looked away, shivering from the look that Hatori was still giving her. Yuki decided to walk in between the two at that point and lay a hand on Chiyo's shoulder in a comforting manner. "It's alright," Katsu said for him, "Everything will get back to normal."
"I like normal." Tohru tightened her hand around Kyo's and squeezed it tight, looking up at him and smiling.
"Yeah…so do I."
Eventually, after all the twists and turns though the main house, they all stepped inside a room that was dark save for a blue glow that came from a sleeping body. Yuki stopped dead in his tracks as the soul within him saw his own body for the first time in weeks. "It's me…"
"Katsu-san looks like he's sleeping." Tohru whispered.
"Let's get this over with please." Chiyo spoke up, killing any sentimental mood and staring at Kyo with a heated gaze. "You know what to do; it's in your nature."
Kyo nodded, looking over at Yuki and grinning inwardly. The boy in front of him was too fixated on the body lying in the centre of the room than on the task at hand; the moment was just too good to pass up.
"HYAAA!"
"GYAA—" Yuki yelped as Kyo's battle cry shocked him out of his reverie and the scythe in Kyo's hand spun into his chest, taking out Katsu's soul in one clean swipe. Yuki stumbled back and fell against Hatori after the scare, and watched as Kyo separated the soul from the blade and tossed it over at Katsu's body.
The soul sank into the body and the glow faded away.
Everyone was in a hypnotic silence as they watched the body. Chiyo sat beside him and took his hand into hers. "It's warm…" She said quietly.
"Ugh…hey, do me a favour and stop gawking, I can't move." Katsu murmured from his rightful body and tried to wiggle his fingers. "Damnit…" His eyes opened and looked up at the gawking faces, save for Hatori, who seemed to think the corner of the room was more interesting. "Hey Doc, get over here and do something would ya?"
"Why is it that he was more polite when he was trapped in Yuki?" Kyo grumbled as Tohru blinked. Yuki just stared and Chiyo sighed. "Katsu…"
"Chi, be a dear and help me up…maybe if I stand I can walk." He looked at her and smiled sweetly, which made Kyo gag.
Tohru ran over to help Chiyo lift Katsu up to his feet. They carefully let go of him and he wobbled before taking a step forward. "Chiyo!" He grinned and clung to her, forgetting about her problem. He fell back to the floor as she poofed into a cat and stared as the feline swatted his nose with annoyance. "Sorry."
Tohru giggled and picked kitty Chiyo up, looking down at Katsu. "Are you feeling well Katsu-san?"
"Just dandy!" He replied back with a bright smile, "Oh and Yuki, I won't tell anyone about that secret." He winked over at the Rat, who was still reeling from the attack from Kyo.
Yuki's head shot up and he turned red as Katsu was smirking, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm guessing his personality was more controlled when he was sharing mine."
"Well, your mind was the dominant of the two. You had influence on Katsu more than he had on you." Hatori commented while checking Katsu's pulse with his stethoscope. "Imagine Yuki if Katsu was the dominant personality."
Everyone's face became blank as they tried to imagine the situation, only to be brought back to reality when Chiyo poofed back into human form. Hatori immediately swept his white doctors coat off and covered her before Katsu could stare and make a comment.
He made a comment anyway.
"You gained some weight."
WHAM.
Chiyo buttoned up the coat as Yuki walked over to her and smiled. Katsu was behind him, lying on the floor in a dazed heap. "Does he have any decency?" Yuki asked her.
Chiyo sighed, "He may be careless at times, but he's not really bad."
"Can we get with the curse switching now? I want to start breathing within the next year!"
"Yes, I would like for this to be over so I can get back to work." Hatori added.
"Aren't we all having fun though? What's the rush?" A silent voice spoke up and the door opened. Akito stood facing the seven others with a disappointed look on his face. "My dear Hatori, I thought I could trust you…but here you are, assisting that monster and her pitiful friends." He glared at Hatori and walked over to Chiyo. "As for you—" He grinned maliciously as he grabbed her by the arm and she yelped in shock. "You were sold to me. I will not let you die unless you kill yourself."
"Stay away from her!" Katsu shouted, trying to lunge at him but Hatori pulled him back. Yuki held back Kyo as he also tried to go at him, with one hand uncovered.
"It's lovely to see that my Juunishi still know their place." Akito was doing his best to avoid looking at Kyo, as if disgusted by his very presence. "Now, be good children and escort yourselves out…after Hatori erases your memories."
"WHAT?" Katsu struggled himself away from Hatori, who stared at Akito with an unreadable face.
"Yes Hatori, I want you to erase their memories. Be a good Dragon and do as your God says." Akito said warningly.
"Ryuu-san…" Chiyo whispered, whimpering after Akito tugged her back.
"Hatori-san…" Tohru looked at the doctor and then at Akito. "You don't have to do as he says Hatori-san."
"Yes he does! He lives to obey me! DO IT!" He walked over to Hatori and whipped Chiyo in front of him, "Starting with this one."
Everyone was now staring at Hatori, waiting for what he would do. He stared at the raven haired woman's face, silently trying to avoid thinking about the painful grip that Akito had on her arm. If he was one to hold a grudge, he would think of this as a way to repay the woman for almost killing him the very first time they met each other.
But…that wasn't the first time he had met her.
Hatori's eyes widened as he remembered. It was always around the time that a Sohma family member had died; he was always there to call the time of death. He was just an intern at the time, and he never really took note of everyone there; many were just the grieving friends and relatives. Though, there would always be the same woman there. She was around every time someone had died. She would come in with a look of indifference on her face, a look that highly contrasted with the grieving looks on the faces of the others around him.
Did she have any idea of a curse that had a handful of Sohmas bound by invisible chains when she had entered their realm? Did she care? No; she was only there for the souls of the departed. He had heard of her stories of her life underground while she fought to stray from sleep in his office. The first time he had actually seen her must have been when she had no idea of the weight she was about of carry when she had decided to fall in love with a living person.
In a way, he felt tied to her. They both fell into a forbidden design called love, and they both had lost their loves because of their own curse. Though, she was the only one strong enough to go after what she wanted and fight for what was right in her heart.
And now Akito wanted him to take that away from her. He wanted him to take away what she fought for.
Hatori nodded and stood up, his arm extending to hold Katsu back as he tried to reach Chiyo. He looked at Akito and reached his hand out towards her, but stopped. "Forgive me." He said quietly, before taking Chiyo's other arm and pulling her away from Akito. Chiyo yelped as Katsu caught her.
The two could hear Akito shouting obscenities, and they looked back to see Hatori holding Akito by his wrist as his other hand fell on his forehead. A flash of light blinded all of them temporarily, and when they could see again, Akito fell to the floor unconscious.
"Hatori-san!" Tohru ran over, "What did you do?"
"I erased his memories of the banquet and everything afterwards." Hatori looked at Chiyo and Katsu, "When he awakes, he won't remember you both."
"You just did the impossible." Yuki said in awe, "You know if he realises what you did, you might just become blind in both eyes."
"It's about time someone stuck it to Akito." Kyo snorted in reply.
"I hope Hatori-san won't get hurt because of this." Tohru said in concern.
"Don't worry about me." Hatori said, picking Akito up and walking to the door, "Hurry up and get out before he awakes. Good luck."
The doctor left and shut the door behind him. Kyo tossed the scythe over to Katsu and pulled Chiyo to her feet, "Let's get this over with."
Katsu stood up and looked at the two, "Okay, stand in front of Chiyo and link hands. Kyo, repeat after me:"
"With this action I decree, let the dead become alive and the alive become dead. Let the fates switch bodies and bodies switch souls. I request the magic of the Underworld – Grant my wish!"
Katsu took the scythe into his hands and swung it at the two, the blade hitting them in their chests and passing though both of them.
Both bodies fell to the floor and Katsu rushed over to Kyo, touching his bare hand and feeling a pulse. "Okay, no one touch Chi. She's dead now."
Such a statement that should have made people sombre created excitement from everyone who was living. When Kyo came to, Tohru was so excited that she flung herself at him and soon he was back to being a small orange cat. He didn't mind though, the first time in forever he felt like it was the best feeling in the world. Though, he wouldn't admit it with Yuki there.
Chiyo kept herself away from everyone as she had no gloves or clothing with sleeves. She acknowledged everyone with a shy smile and inwardly laughed. To her, it was better to be dead than to be one of the Juunishi.
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Afterwards, everything seemed to go back into its normal flow. Akito had successfully forgotten everything about Death and his transaction, believing Hatori when the doctor had told him that he had suffered from an illness that would mess with his mind.
Chiyo and Katsu had left Japan after there was an attack. The couple were spending some quality time with each other at a temple, observing the tranquillity, when Junko showed up and tried to destroy them both under Azrael's orders. They got away safely, but the temple was beyond repair. It was then that Chiyo had decided that they should take the ongoing battle away from the Sohmas and they returned back to their home in New York.
Tohru was left with their address and phone number, and was reassured by Katsu after she wondered if they'd be okay.
"This won't stop, Tohru-san. Don't worry though, we know how to survive."
"They shouldn't be surviving…they should be living." Tohru looked up at Kyo after she read the letter to him. "I want them to have all the happiness that we have."
"Oi, stop worrying about those two." Kyo said, looking at the sunset from his spot on the roof. Tohru sat next to him, the letter in her hand and a plate of onigiri in her lap. One of them was shaped like a cat.
"I'm happy that you're Kyo again." Tohru said while holding his hand, threading her fingers in between his. It was the warmest touch that Kyo had received from her; and even though he couldn't embrace her, it was what he had always wanted.
"I'm happy too." He replied, and kissed her on the cheek.
Tohru blushed and leaned against his shoulder, and the two sat like that the entire night.
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A/N: There ya have it. Over, done. I came up with the rest of the chapter last night and it was fun.
Entire document: 58 pages! Wow!
I'm also creating an optional sequel to this fanfic, just for my own amusement. Review for hugs!