A/N: Ah, who am I kidding. A written chapter is going to be posted, I can't wait a couple days. Also, I've already made you all wait long enough. The end is nigh, and I hope you are all still reading and enjoying.
Natsuki glared at the dark haired man who stepped out, her anger only feeding the darkness surrounding her. "What have you done!"
He stepped further into the clearing, glancing at the tall woman beside her, his eyes growing wide in surprise. "Oh, is that you! The Hydra back in full reincarnation." He chuckled darkly to himself. "I didn't know your sick bond ran that deep."
He watched as the light haired woman moved to stand beside Natsuki, her arm resting on a clenched fist. He felt anger boil up at seeing the contact. She was supposed to be his, not the little Reaper. The one he saved. Stepping up beside Takeda, "you know, Natsuki, I found it quite amusing that you lost your abilities, but still retained the souls. But, I'm surprised you haven't figured out what they are yet"
Natsuki, looked at him confused. Shizuru kept her eyes trained on both men. She felt her grip tighten on the smaller hand. She detested this man; she still could not grasp the one memory she knew was important about him, It kept slipping away.
"You know what they are?" Natsuki questioned
He smirked, "of course I do. I was the one who put them there"
"What!?" She cried out
"They are lost souls," he chuckled to himself, "the ones that were not supposed to die. I seem to have a habit of killing those that aren't supposed to die; messing with fate is what they call it. You're familiar with it, I believe." He said, looking up into the sky as if in deep thought. "I am a Reaper, similar to yourself. But, I did not always follow the laws. It was fun to watch completely un-expected things happen, take the souls from the healthy, sick, young old... I don't discriminate. It's quite enjoyable Natsuki. Though the one thing I never understood is how the Hydra's soul escaped." He said this looking at Shizuru directly.
Natsuki starred at him, then glanced at the woman beside her. 'What was he talking about. Shizuru's soul had to go, it's what the gods wanted… wasn't it?'
"W-what" Natsuki stopped, and cleared her throat. "What do you mean? Shizuru died because I chose to forsake my duty. It was fate balancing out" She said. He couldn't have taken something so important to her. Left her in the dark alone for so long… could he?
Shizuru felt herself falling into a memory. These moments were coming more frequently than what happened first.
Shizuru stood behind as Natsuki left, her dark cloak swishing behind her. Shizuru felt her heart sink. Something wasn't right. Shizuru started to pace. Her steps fast and long, she kept running her fingers along the red cloth draped on her shoulders. 'Is Natsuki in danger?'
Shizuru couldn't figure out what was nagging at her. She stopped pacing, turning toward the entrance to her great cavern, staring at the opening. Could she do it? Suffer the claustrophobic tunnel just to be thrust out into an unknown world? Would she do it… for Natsuki?
"For Natsuki!" She said firmly.
She walked over to a pile of clothes. Things Natsuki left behind, taking off the cloak she stepped into a pair of black pants, pulling them up, she realized they were a lot tighter on her than her dear one. Turning back, she took a loose fitted black top slipping it on over her head. Placing the cloak back on her shoulders. She walked over to the entrance, staring hard at the tunnel beyond; she took a shaky breath and stepped through.
"Yes, that is what I told you wasn't it" Reito said, as if just remembering.
"You lied!" Natsuki cried out. "You told me it was my fault!" She felt tears spring to her eyes, her anger was mounting and she was struggling to contain her outward reactions.
"Natsuki..." A soft voice spoke beside her. Natsuki glance over, sorrow was etched across the other woman's face. "Please, I came back, it was never your fault." She lifted her hand, wiping a single tear off her cheek.
Shizuru watched as Natsuki realized, that her guilt and anguish that she had carried with her for centuries were based off a lie. "You were never meant to die…" Natsuki said, trailing off.
Retio laughed "oh, sweet Natsuki. So trusting"
Shizuru turned to him, growling low in her throat. How dare he speak her name after what he'd done to her.
"You know, Hydra. If you had met me first, Natsuki would not have been on your mind at all. You see, my love would have been so much greater, I could have brought you back from the dead" He said smiling at the tawny haired woman.
Shizuru stepped forward "I would never have loved you, and to even think for a moment that my love for Natsuki could be surpassed by something for someone as lowly as you is appalling"
Reito's face-hardened in anger "how dare you!" He spat.
Natsuki glanced over noticing Takeda again. He was glaring at her. His anger palpable, "Natsuki, you love this creature?" He said, taking a step closer. "You are mine and you always will be, I shouldn't have let you go, now I'll finish where I left off," he said sneering at the dark haired woman.
Natsuki felt the anger, the fear being taken over by years of hurt and regret.
Natsuki, stepped into her new home. Takeda smiling as he stepped in behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing his hands to run along her sides.
Natsuki stiffened in his arms. She knew as his wife that he had every right to touch her, but it felt wrong. His fingers should have brought warmth, but instead it brought discomfort. She quickly stepped away from him, pretending to be looking at the room around them.
"It's lovely," She spoke, not daring to look at him.
"Thank you, please come this way, I'll show you your room."
He moved to the right, down a large hall. Passing many doors before coming to the last one. He stepped forward, sliding the door open. "Here you are, I hope you like it. My room is down the hall, but you won't need to ever go there. I'll always come to you" He said, giving her a smirk.
Natsuki, suppressed a shudder, She didn't want him near her, but what could she possibly do?
He stepped out of the room, "I'll leave you for now, it has been a along day." He shut the door and left.
Natsuki, slumped down. Her legs finally giving out on her, her whole body was trembling. 'What am I to do?' She cried out in her head, she was trapped.
That night Takeda came to her. She was unprepared for what happened, never having the knowledge.
She lay still as he grunted above her. She felt tears well up in her eyes, her body being violated without her consent.
Takeda must have noticed her lack of response. "What is wrong? You don't like this?" He said angrily. "You are my wife, please me. That is how it is!"
Natsuki didn't know what he wanted, how he wanted her to make it better. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a hand came down hard on her cheek. Followed again by another slap. Natsuki cried out, her body shaking in fear. Takeda seemed to be enjoying her cries, because he continued.
Finally Takeda left, she heard him walk down the hall. When she was finally sure she was alone, she broke down in tears. Sobbing, she buried her face in the pillows hoping to avoid rousing Takeda's attention.
Natsuki remembered the first night, the first of many awful nights. She hated him; he took from her and abused her. She was a young girl. "I never deserved that" She spoke softly.
Takeda and Reito, both looked at her confused.
"She lifted her head, looking at both men. "I never deserved that!" She cried, running at Takeda with her fists raised.
Shizuru, gasped as she watched Natsuki fling herself on her long dead husband. She knocked him to the ground and started punching with everything she had. Shizuru quickly stepped forward, when Reito moved toward her. She growled at his movement. Her red eyes flashing.
"It seems, you and I are left to ourselves my love." Reito said darkly.
He moved toward her, is dark sword materializing in his hands. He swung it down at her. She raised her harm, blocking the move. The sword sliced through her skin. She hissed in pain, pulling her arm back. Looking at the skin, she saw dark purple scales grow over the top of the wound, covering her whole arm and spreading to the rest of her body. Looking back at Reito, she smiled at him. The Hydra was back, and 'no one will hurt Natsuki ever again' she thought.