Song playlist: Out Of My Mind by James Blunt

Chapter 6

Amnesia

/amˈniːzɪə/

1. partial or total loss of memory, usually resulting from shock, psychological disturbance, brain injury, or illness.

The world was being destroyed.

Buildings were collapsing, rubble falling, concrete pavements splitting wide open.

In New York, the Statue of Liberty's head was decapitated as the rest of its body crumbled apart. Across the globe, the Leaning Tower of Pisa lived up to its namesake as it finally gave in to gravity and toppled over. Similarly like a giant's toy, the London Eye was snapped free of its infrastructure and began to roll in terrifying cartwheels.

The death count- impossible to even attempt to estimate.

The cause of the end of the world, as the catastrophe would come to be dubbed, was an earthquake. It was unlike any earthquake seen by humankind in thousands of years for the fact that it was not caused by tectonic plates. Rather, the fatal tremors were pounding out in circular waves from a single location on the map.

Asia. Japan. Tokyo. The Hyakuya Orphanage.

And in the eye of the storm was Yuuichiro Hyakuya.

"Sssssslaughter….allll…sisisisinnersssss..."

His left arm was spread wide with the blood red stone embedded in the back of his hand pulsing out waves of heavy, corrupted magic. His veins had completely transformed to black strung wires on his skin and equally black blood was oozing thickly from out of the stone.

His eyes were a raging, unseeing, demonic red.

Everyone in the building was unconscious, suffocated from the thickness of the darkness.

Somewhere in a faint far away part of his mind, Yuu was screaming himself insane. Visions were flashing in front of him of each and every city as they fell, like once mighty towers of playing cards collapsing. The splattered blood of innocent people being crushed to death, their excruciating dying screams, the hysterical sobbing and panic that unified the globe in its despair. It was too much, he couldn't take it, what had he done, make it stop please please please-

The last thing Yuu saw was the ceiling giving in and plunging down to Mika's helpless body below. Yuu was hysterical as he begged with all his soul for his family to be saved, please let them be live, please let them get out alive-

Then a thick iron wall slammed down in Yuu's mind, shutting out the unbearable torture.

As Yuu's mind jumbled up and blacked out, his black wing burst into growth. It broke through metal walls, obliterating all obstacles in its way until it had reached out to envelope every single one of the Hyakuya children in its embrace. Then there was a swirl of magic as they were teleported outside.

The Orphanage folded in itself barely seconds later. Its inhabitants would not breathe again.

The sky was on fire. That was Mika's first thought as he gradually shifted into awareness. Crimson, ruby, burnt orange and torn apart white clouds were streaked across the horizon, criss-crossing in a vivid bloody portrait of nature.

Also, something in the corner of his eye was actually on fire.

Mika shot up, then winced. It was like his forehead was being used as an anvil by a clumsy, bruteful blacksmith.

He reached up to grab his head only to have his wrist arrested in a tight grip. There, curled protectively over Mika, lay an unconscious Yuu.

Mika would forever hate himself for the violent flinch that ran through his body. That darkness, the shaking ground, those terrifying red eyes- the memories burst through his mind. That…that had been Yuu…

Quickly averting his eyes, Mika's thoughts multiplied in confusion. They were outside in the street with the other children sprawled out close by like a flock of nestless chicks. Behind them the Hyakuya Orphanage was in rubble and ruins- how on earth did they get out alive? The street looked like a disaster scene with collided cars burning up in flames and chunks of buildings scattered everywhere. Mika was pretty sure he could spot an airplane in the far distance smoking in a crashed heap.

This…Yuu had done this…

No. No.

Mika berated himself, wanting to slap himself. It wasn't Yuu's fault at all. He had done nothingwrong. What had the scientist called it…his bloodstream had become "corrupted." Those adults had cruelly experimented on and hurt his precious Yuu and now they all must have died in the aftermath.

Good. They deserved nothing less.

"Mmm…Mi…ka…?"

"Yuu!" Mika cried, leaning closely over Yuu to peer at his face. Green eyes, not red, squinted open. "I'm so glad you're okay! Are you in pain? How do you feel?"

"Hey, slow down there…" Yuu mumbled, looking disorientated. "What's going on? Why are we outside?"

"You don't remember?" Mika asked slowly.

"What are you talking about?" Yuu's eyebrows furrowed. "You were acting weird, then we went to bed, and…and then…I…ouch!"

Yuu abruptly doubled over, clutching his head.

"Yuu!"

"I-I'm okay," Yuu gasped. "My head just hurt all of a sudden, like a really sharp pain."

"So you don't remember then," Mika stated more than asked. Amnesia, he realised with dawning understanding. Yuu had gotten amnesia from the shock or trauma.

"No, I don't- oh my god!" Yuu finally had taken a look around him, gaping at the devastation that was their new world. "What- fuck- the hell- what happened?!"

This was his chance. Mika would explain everything to Yuu, how he had- no, they all had been manipulated and abused by the very people who had supposedly rescued them from their abuse. He felt for his hidden recorder, miraculously intact and the perfect evidence to prove he was right. After all, it had been recording from the moment he had laid in bed at night.

"You see…" the words died in his throat at Yuu's bewildered but naive eyes. "There was thismassive earthquake, it was unbelievable Yuu! It was crazy and everyone got knocked around loads but we managed to get outside safely. You must have hit your head pretty hard, like everyone else."

"Seriously?! This is insane man, like some wild dream."

"I know right?" How could Mika be cruel enough to destroy Yuu's innocence? To tell him he had been betrayed and that he was, however guiltless, linked to all this destruction? There was no way Yuu would take it well.

Mika would be the only one to remember. He would bear the burden to keep his family smiling.

So he pulled Yuu into a sudden hug, ignoring Yuu's protests, and tucked the recorder into his pyjama pocket behind Yuu's back.

"I'm glad you're safe," Mika repeated again, hoping that the tremor didn't show in his voice.

"Yeah," Yuu replied. Me too, both of them knew he was saying.

In a surge of inhuman strength he didn't know he possessed, Mika tightened his fist in his pocket and crushed the recorder into smithereens.

Soon with their combined efforts, Mika and Yuu had shaken the other kids awake and patched up their cuts and scratches as best as they could. They looked scared, most on the verge of tears, and it took all of Mika's projected confidence to calm them down.

"It'll be alright, don't worry-"

"Hey! Are you kids okay?" a middle aged man called out, turning the corner of the street.

"It's the principal from my school!" Mika nudged Yuu in surprise. "So there are survivors out there. We're okay, Mr Takeshi!"

"That's great! I was so worried when I remembered the kids from the orphanage so I came as soon as my wife and kids got to the shelter safely. Everyone's grouping there now, you need to come-"

Without warning the principal choked. He clutched at his heart, mouth foaming. The whites of his eyes were rolling like a spooked horse. As he staggered forward, the children fearfully stepped back in return. They clutched at Mika and Yuu's back, Mika shifting forward to shield their vision. Time trickled to a halt as the principal crumpled to the floor and didn't move again.

The children screamed.

"What the hell…" Yuu was shaking, his face pale and drawn. Tears were streaming down the toddlers' faces as they clung to him.

"Yuu," Mika grabbed his shoulders. "Yuu, snap out of it! There were more screams coming from the other street- we have to find out what's going on."

"Y-yeah."

"We need to carry the youngest ones, come on."

Yuu let Mika pass Ken over to him, who wrapped himself around Yuu like a koala bear. Mika bundled Jun in his arms, motioning for Akane and Kagame to do the same with Rika and Sora, and then they began to run.

"Don't look!" Mika ordered as they passed the principal. He covered Jun's face with his hand, protecting him from those sightless eyes that seemed to bore into them

Three streets away, the cause of the screams became horrifyingly clear. A makeshift tent had been pitched up in the rubble cleared square, with food supplies and water bottles beginning to be piled up in a corner. Children were wailing with red puffy faces as they huddled in unsure groups, or tried to shake awake the slumped adults that littered the ground like flies.

"The adults are all dead," Mika said blankly. "Just like the principal. Why are they…we can't stay here, it's bad for the young kids. We need to leave."

"But what about all these kids? What's going to happen to them?" Kagame asked in a small voice.

Mika clenched his teeth. Would they be able to look after all these neighbourhood kids? There had to be at least twenty or thirty in front of him now. If it came down to protecting his family and protecting a group of outsiders then Mika didn't have to stop to think what his choice would be.

Before he could open his mouth the wind began to blow in strong waves. Mika covered his eyes against the grit and dust that rose in clouds, peering up in shock at the massive helicopters that were circling down on them.

He gripped Yuu's hand tightly.

"Mika?!"

"I'm not letting you get taken away from me."

"This is a warning," a gleeful female voice announced from a megaphone. "We have spread a deadly virus to the adults of this earth. If you do not obey, you will perish along with them."

Krul Tepes jumped down from the royal helicopter causing a shock wave of air and a small crater to sink beneath her feet. She smirked wide enough to reveal her sharp canines at the frightened young faces that greeted her. Her royal attendants floated down to join her, standing respectfully at her sides with their hooded heads lowered.

"Secure the Eye of Lucifer as instructed. Do not single him out or draw attention to him- take the humans in as livestock in a group. Damage my treasure and I'll rip your heads off."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As her loyal dogs marched up to the livestock, their hooded cloaks billowing in the wind, Krul fixed her vision on the small boy with black hair and wide green eyes.

Checkmate.

Author's notes: Update! This fic will now have a song for each chapter which fits the mood or has lyrics which are relevant. The song and artist will be included in the start of each chapter (chapters 1-5 have had songs added too if you want to check them out). For songs marked with an asterisk (*) I couldn't find a better fit- if you think another song would suit that chapter better, leave a review and I'll check it out. I can't guarantee I'll choose your song but I would certainly appreciate the help :)