[Fanfic] Remember [Chapter 11]
Title: Remember [Chapter 11]
Rating: T
Fandom: Eyeshield 21/CLAMP (Crossover)
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely Riichiro Inagaki and Yuusuke Murata for Eyeshield 21 and CLAMP.
Summary: In a volatile world where even his black book holds no power, Hiruma must help Mamori fight and recover her lost memories before he loses her forever. AU. Crossover. HiruMamo.
Notes: And here is the last chapter written this year for this fic. If all goes well, I have 3 more chapters to work until this fic is done! I'm really quite excited to write the next few chapters as it was planning this particular ending that led me to even plan the beginning and what goes in between. I can only hope that it is a satisfactory end for you all.
In this chapter, my biggest fear is that Hiruma is too OOC for most of you to handle. I do hope the situation he's going through comes out stronger here, and you appreciate my intent on making him this way. If you have any issues at all, don't hesitate to leave me a comment and let me know.
Until my next chapter... enjoy!!
~*~
They walked up three flights of stairs before Cerberus led them down the alleyway, passing by a number of apartments. Mamori looked around her in fascination, wondering how this was linked to her past and what memories resided here. Did someone she knew live here?
Maybe her important person?
The possibility that this could finally lead her to remembering her important person made Mamori pick up her pace, although Hiruma seemed to be dragging his feet, lagging behind. "Hiruma, come on," Mamori urged him on, but Hiruma merely shrugged and walked at his usual pace.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mamori asked as he caught up with her.
"I..." Hiruma hesitated, as he looked away at the scenery before them. At the height of the level they were on, they had a view of the rest of the world around them, though Mamori could tell that it was limited. Other than a few buildings around, there was nothing beyond but an orange lit sky.
"Come on, Hiruma," Mamori urged him on. "If you have something to say, you should say it."
He looked at her, clearly struggling with his own emotions. The mask he had on before was crumbling, and there was this constant worry in his eyes that wouldn't leave. "I just think this doesn't feel right..." he finally said.
Mamori could sense there was more to it than what he had said, but he had no intention of saying anymore. She gently reached out and held Hiruma's hand, smiling assuringly as she slowly pulled him towards Cerberus, who was now sitting in front one of the doors. "It'll be all right..." she told him. "Everything will be all right."
Hiruma gripped Mamori's hand tightly at those words, to which Mamori responded instinctively by holding his just as tight. Pulling her gaze away from his face, Mamorimoved to stand in front of the door Cerberus was looking at and released her grip on Hiruma. Looking at the door carefully, she noticed that it was slightly ajar. She then looked at the other doors that were locked tightly, and wondered why this particular one was open.
"I suppose we have to go in here..." said Mamori. She pushed the door open and took a good look inside. As it had gotten darker, she could barely see anything but outlines of furniture and decorations around the apartment. "It's really dark..."
Cerberus had walked before her and was scratching the wall beside her. Mamori was confused at first until she noticed there was a switch. She flipped it up and light instantly washed over the apartment, revealing a small yet comfortable home. Mamori walked further inside, although Hiruma seemed to be rooted at the door, obviously reluctant to set even a foot into the apartment.
Mamori turned towards him. Seeing him like this filled Mamori with dread. If this place could affect Hiruma this badly... then how would it affect her too?
But for now, she knew she had to press on. "Hiruma, come in, it's all right. We're together... we'll find the answers together, right?"
Hiruma inhaled sharply, then took a step in. He also looked around the place curiously, though he seemed to be in pain. "Keh, what a tiny looking place," he spoke up. "Are you sure you have memories built around here? You must have had bad taste."
Mamori frowned, though she supposed it was a childish reaction. "Hiruma, that's not nice. I think the place looks quaint and lovely. I really like it here..." Mamori looked around and noticed the place was almost bare with just the basic necessities needed. Couches and a carpet in the hall, a simple curtain by the balcony, a small kitchen by the side with a dining table...
Papers littered the dining table alongside two mugs. Mamori approached it curiously, wondering what papers would be doing there. She picked one up and there was a name she didn't recognise, a player from Zokutou College and written were his statistics on speed, strength, even agility, and other information such as his tactics on the field. Mamori was confused and picked up other papers, some similar to the one she initially picked up, others were circles and lines with notes added to them. "These are plans... for a game?"
Then her eyes were drawn to the mugs that sat comfortably by the side, papers surrounding them. One was a plain black mug, but the other was white with bear motifs on it. "Two people..." Mamori whispered. "Two people lived here..."
Mamori felt as if she was on the verge of something important. She looked around her some more, and then noticed the trophies on a cabinet near one of the rooms. She read what was written on them... all of them were trophies for games on American Football.
Just a bit more... She knew she was close to something. Hiruma stood still in the hall, refusing to move, merely watching her. But Mamori didn't care, she knew she could figure this out on her own. One of the trophies caught her eye. It was silver and had a life sized shape football on it. She looked at what was written on the plaque... "The Christmas Bowl..." Mamori almost gasped.
Then she heard a loud thud, and she turned to see that Cerberus had fallen right in front of the room beside her. "Cerberus!" Mamori cried as she bent down and picked the now limp dog, whining and looking disoriented. "Cerberus! What's wrong?"
That was when she noticed Cerberus was disappearing,her hands showing through his translucent body. "Oh Cerberus," Mamori’s eyes began to tear up. "Not you too..."
Cerberus looked at her, his usual evil eyes replaced with sadness. The dog pointed with his nose inside the room, as though to urge her on, and with that he disappeared right before Mamori.
The dread inside Mamori seemed to grow tenfold. She allowed two tears to fall before quickly rubbing them away, and steadying herself with one long breath.
"I think you should stop..." Hiruma spoke up in the silence. While he said it softly, his words felt harsh to her.
"No," Mamori insisted, though her voice was shaky. "No, there's got to be something here. Something important... even Cerberus knew it."
"He's just a fucking mutt, I wouldn't trust him," said Hiruma as he approached her. He reached out to her, but Mamori evaded him, standing abruptly and glaring at him.
"He's not just some mutt!" Mamori cried. "He was someone important to me too! Why else would I have recalled him? He was linked to something bigger, something incredibly precious to me and I won't stop until I find it!"
"You're just wasting your fucking time," Hiruma replied as calmly as possible.
"Why are you so against this, Hiruma?!" Mamori was practically shouting at this point, but she didn't care. "I thought you were going to help and support me in order to gain back my memories, but you seem to be against this one!"
"Because you're not meant to fucking remember this!" Hiruma shouted back, although he seemed shaken by his words. "I mean... you already remembered that fucking mutt, there shouldn't be anything else!"
"Then why am I still here, Hiruma? Why am I still awake? Why do I still feel as if there's something I need to find? You told me to trust my instincts, didn't you? Why do you doubt me now?" Mamori struggled to stop the rush of questions bursting to come out at that point.
"Because..." Hiruma bit his lip, revealing a sharp pointy tooth that triggered Mamori’s desire to find the truth even more. Then she saw his eyes wander into the room behind her, staring directly at something. She turned to see that it was a picture on top of a dressing table, but because it was too dark, she couldn't see what it was of. Without speaking any further, Mamori marched into the room and searched for a switch.
"Stop..." Hiruma seemed to have lost his voice. Mamori found the switch and flipped it on to reveal the contents of the picture. Mamori walked in further and picked up the picture, studying the image.
"Damn it, stop!" Hiruma felt like he was choking on his own saliva.
The image was a group photo of the Deimon Devil Bats. She recognised every single one of them, except for one whose image was shrouded by a shadow. Mamori cursed inwardly, obviously feeling very frustrated at this point, until she noticed that in this picture she was standing very close to the mystery person, and looked almost embarrassed to be standing next to him. The person that she loved was someone from the Deimon Devil Bats? A Football player? As she mentally cut off the role of each player she knew, she figured out that this mystery person played Quarterback.
Almost there... She looked at the dressing table and found another picture. This time it was just her and the mystery person, and she looked a little older here, with longer hair and a very content smile on her face. It was someone whom she followed until college? And judging by the different uniform and the fact that it had the same number as his high school jersey, he was a Quarterback too, Mamori was sure of it.
She looked around the room and noticed the bed. A queen sized bed, with cream coloured quilts and pillows. Mamori inhaled sharply, as though she was being stabbed. Something important had happened here... right in this very room.
And then she felt it, in the drawers of one of the dressing table. What she was looking for was right in there...
But as she reached out to it, another thought crossed her mind...
Football...
Judging by the plans and strategies scattered across the table, the person important to her was someone who was a good tactician, especially in Football. And hadn't the person beside her in this world played football when they had to fight against the mannequin football players? And he was good? He had a good grasp of the tactics needed for Football. If Mamori remembered correctly, his style of play was similar to that...
Of a Quarterback.
Mamori let out a terrified gasp as she turned to look at Hiruma, who was still by the door, struggling to breathe. "It... can't be..." she whispered.
"Don't open that!" Hiruma reached out to her, pleading.
No, she was so close... But she could feel all the energy within her draining as she turned to pull the drawer out and see the content... Her time was up.
Mamori began to cry as she felt her body give out, though she kept her grip on the handle of the drawer. She fell straight to the floor and heard the contents in the drawer fall before her. Her eyes were closing now, and her sight was blurred by the tears in her eyes. A velveteen box sat right before her, and as exhaustion claimed her, Mamori let out a sob.
"MAMORI!"
Her most important person was...
Hiruma felt as if his heart was being ripped out there and then. He continued to choke, struggling to breathe, and watched in horror as the world he was in was now shrouded in darkness. "Fuck..." he cursed, slowly regaining his breath. "Fuck!"
No matter where he looked, all he could see was darkness. "God damn it," he cursed as he got up. "Not this shit again..."
A blurry image appeared before her. A sight Hiruma had seen many times before this, and one that continued to haunt him.
"Ah, you're up! Good morning!"
"No... Shit!" Hiruma took a step back, but the image drew closer instead.
A woman with long brown hair wrapped tightly on a chopstick on the back of her head had her back towards him, washing the dishes in a kitchen he had just seen a few minutes ago. "Your breakfast is on the table. It's a big day for you, isn't it? I really hope it goes well for you. I'll get your coffee soon, hold on."
Hiruma watched as the woman reached out for two mugs, one black and one white with a bear motif on it, and filled it with coffee she had brewed earlier. He could see her face now, smiling though worn and tired.
"There we go!" she placed the black mug on the table before him. "Call me and let me know how it goes, okay? Whatever it is, I'm here to support you."
Hiruma stared at the mug before him, resisting the urge to throw it off the table.
"Eh? What do you mean? Oh... you've noticed." He watched her push loose strands of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I've been having some trouble at the kindergarten. Oh, it really isn't a big deal! It's just that I'm really worried about one of my students... I don't know what to do anymore." Then she laughed and proceeded to pick up a cloth to wipe the tables. "But you don't have to worry about that, you have the NFL to look forward to! ... What? Are you sure you still want to know? I mean you have more important things to do..." She smiled as she washed her hands. "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't be keeping it in. I'll tell it to you tonight, okay? Yes, it can wait! Stop worrying about me!"
The woman was approaching him now, wiping her hands on her apron and then outstretching one towards him. Hiruma wanted to take a step back, but his feet were frozen to where he was. A ghostly hand touched his face, keeping his eyes locked on the ghostly figure before him. "I'll see you tonight, okay?
I love you."
Hiruma shut his eyes and let out a shout of anger, "FUCK!" he cursed out loud, for he knew what was going to happen next.
The woman's voice was becoming distorted. Darkness closed in and the woman was engulfed in it, and she seemed to be choking, gasping, her eyes milky white. "Why did this happen to me?" the woman cried out, screaming as her arms reached out, desperate to grab anything as the darkness continued to swallow her. "What did I do to deserve this? Please, help me! I can't... I can't... someone... anyone...!"
Hiruma gasped, trying to breathe. He could feel hot tears trailing down his face. "No, don't make me...!"
The woman had now grabbed Hiruma's wrist, her hair flowing wildly behind her, only to be fully swallowed by the darkness. She lifted Hiruma's wrist until his palm cradled her neck. Hiruma stared at the milky white eyes that had no expression, but it had the face of someone he loved so dearly.
And watched as she uttered the words, "Please... kill me."
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" Hiruma screamed as he pulled out one of his guns and shot straight into the face of the ghostly figure, leaving holes until there was nothing left. An anguished scream filled his ears as the darkness finally dissolved to reveal the apartment he was in earlier.
Hiruma fell on his knees and crawled his way towards Mamori, feeling weak. She was still unconscious and her face was stained with tears, but Hiruma grabbed her and held her close, struggling to breathe as he could not hold his tears anymore.
Sakura had just appeared before him. "Hiruma-san..."
"Don't come any closer..." Hiruma growled, struggling to regain his senses.
"It's all right, what you saw was just a dream..."
"I KNOW!" Hiruma barked back, though he refused to look up as he didn't want her to see his tear stained face. "I've had that dream countless times! Ever since... ever since..."
Sakura fought back her own tears as she watched Hiruma pull Mamori closer to him, as if he was afraid she would disappear right before him. "The darkness took advantage of you the moment Anezaki-san almost found out about you. They knew you were going to be weak... It's not your fault."
"Then whose is it, Fucking Magician?!" Hiruma couldn't control the anger in his voice, nor the harsh loud tone he said it in.
Sakura took a deep breath. "It is mine. I saw this being possible, yet I couldn't stop it. Anezaki-san's will to find you was too strong for me to break through. I should have stepped in the moment she remembered your dog, Cerberus. I didn't know the dog was strong enough to try and lead her to you, the real you, and that mistake was mine alone."
Hiruma's breathing grew calmer upon hearing her words. "No... it wasn't your fucking fault alone. I just stood and watched as she put the pieces together... Didn't do a fucking thing. Because a part of me..." Sakura saw tears fall off his chin as he hid his face further from her. "A part of me really did want her to remember me..."
Sakura stepped forward and knelt down. She wrapped her arms around Hiruma's head and held him close, assuring him that she had no intention of looking at his face. "Your pain and sorrow is just as severe as hers. I'm sorry that you both have to go through all this, but you bear the heavier burden, because you know... because you remember... and that knowledge will haunt you forever..."
"Think I'm fucking foolish to want her to remember it all?"
"Not at all. She must know, if you want her to live."
"What if she doesn't want to live? What if she'd rather die, forgetting?"
Sakura pulled away from Hiruma and looked straight at Mamori, gently stroking the side of her face. "When you came to me, do you remember what you said? That there was no way she was too weak to withstand what she should be facing. Well, you said it with a lot more curse words..." Sakura smiled. "But you believed in her. You had faith in her. And right now, she needs you to have that faith for a little longer..."
"A little...?" Hiruma didn't look up, though he was undoubtedly curious.
"Yes, I saw it. You have your last challenge to face. I cannot see what happens next but... I do bring bad news... for you. Hiru-"
Hiruma quickly placed one palm on Sakura's mouth, not wanting to hear anymore. "I don't need your fucking fortune telling right now, Fucking Magician. I paid my price, didn't I? I know what's to come. In fact..."
Pulling his hand away, he picked up a velveteen box lying just beside him and held it out to Sakura. "Here. I believe this is also part of the price, isn't it?"
Sakura resisted the urge to laugh, so she smiled as she held Hiruma's palm and forced his fingers to close around the velveteen box. "I've already received your payment. I do not need anymore."
"You mean this isn't part of my payment?"
"No, this belongs to Anezaki-san. If it is necessary for me to take it, I will. But only when the two of us strike a deal. With her in this state, that isn't currently possible. So I suggest you hold on to it, because I think it'll be important for what's going to happen next."
Hiruma took a deep breath as he pocketed the velveteen box. His tears had finally stopped, though he still refused to raise his head. "I admire you, Hiruma-san," said Sakura.
"What the fuck for?"
"Because you're one of the strongest people I know. You may claim to be physically weak, but you have a strong heart and mind, and that's what's pulling you through. Anezaki-san is blessed to have you. Just as she was a blessing to you."
Hiruma heard her get up and walk away, disappearing as the world around them began to disappear to the colourful mess it was. Hiruma looked at the bed beside them for a moment before it disappeared, knowing full well the significance of that bed, before pulling Mamori's face closer to his and whispered, "Just a little more..."
Chapter 10 | Chapter 12
Rating: T
Fandom: Eyeshield 21/CLAMP (Crossover)
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely Riichiro Inagaki and Yuusuke Murata for Eyeshield 21 and CLAMP.
Summary: In a volatile world where even his black book holds no power, Hiruma must help Mamori fight and recover her lost memories before he loses her forever. AU. Crossover. HiruMamo.
Notes: And here is the last chapter written this year for this fic. If all goes well, I have 3 more chapters to work until this fic is done! I'm really quite excited to write the next few chapters as it was planning this particular ending that led me to even plan the beginning and what goes in between. I can only hope that it is a satisfactory end for you all.
In this chapter, my biggest fear is that Hiruma is too OOC for most of you to handle. I do hope the situation he's going through comes out stronger here, and you appreciate my intent on making him this way. If you have any issues at all, don't hesitate to leave me a comment and let me know.
Until my next chapter... enjoy!!
~*~
They walked up three flights of stairs before Cerberus led them down the alleyway, passing by a number of apartments. Mamori looked around her in fascination, wondering how this was linked to her past and what memories resided here. Did someone she knew live here?
Maybe her important person?
The possibility that this could finally lead her to remembering her important person made Mamori pick up her pace, although Hiruma seemed to be dragging his feet, lagging behind. "Hiruma, come on," Mamori urged him on, but Hiruma merely shrugged and walked at his usual pace.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mamori asked as he caught up with her.
"I..." Hiruma hesitated, as he looked away at the scenery before them. At the height of the level they were on, they had a view of the rest of the world around them, though Mamori could tell that it was limited. Other than a few buildings around, there was nothing beyond but an orange lit sky.
"Come on, Hiruma," Mamori urged him on. "If you have something to say, you should say it."
He looked at her, clearly struggling with his own emotions. The mask he had on before was crumbling, and there was this constant worry in his eyes that wouldn't leave. "I just think this doesn't feel right..." he finally said.
Mamori could sense there was more to it than what he had said, but he had no intention of saying anymore. She gently reached out and held Hiruma's hand, smiling assuringly as she slowly pulled him towards Cerberus, who was now sitting in front one of the doors. "It'll be all right..." she told him. "Everything will be all right."
Hiruma gripped Mamori's hand tightly at those words, to which Mamori responded instinctively by holding his just as tight. Pulling her gaze away from his face, Mamorimoved to stand in front of the door Cerberus was looking at and released her grip on Hiruma. Looking at the door carefully, she noticed that it was slightly ajar. She then looked at the other doors that were locked tightly, and wondered why this particular one was open.
"I suppose we have to go in here..." said Mamori. She pushed the door open and took a good look inside. As it had gotten darker, she could barely see anything but outlines of furniture and decorations around the apartment. "It's really dark..."
Cerberus had walked before her and was scratching the wall beside her. Mamori was confused at first until she noticed there was a switch. She flipped it up and light instantly washed over the apartment, revealing a small yet comfortable home. Mamori walked further inside, although Hiruma seemed to be rooted at the door, obviously reluctant to set even a foot into the apartment.
Mamori turned towards him. Seeing him like this filled Mamori with dread. If this place could affect Hiruma this badly... then how would it affect her too?
But for now, she knew she had to press on. "Hiruma, come in, it's all right. We're together... we'll find the answers together, right?"
Hiruma inhaled sharply, then took a step in. He also looked around the place curiously, though he seemed to be in pain. "Keh, what a tiny looking place," he spoke up. "Are you sure you have memories built around here? You must have had bad taste."
Mamori frowned, though she supposed it was a childish reaction. "Hiruma, that's not nice. I think the place looks quaint and lovely. I really like it here..." Mamori looked around and noticed the place was almost bare with just the basic necessities needed. Couches and a carpet in the hall, a simple curtain by the balcony, a small kitchen by the side with a dining table...
Papers littered the dining table alongside two mugs. Mamori approached it curiously, wondering what papers would be doing there. She picked one up and there was a name she didn't recognise, a player from Zokutou College and written were his statistics on speed, strength, even agility, and other information such as his tactics on the field. Mamori was confused and picked up other papers, some similar to the one she initially picked up, others were circles and lines with notes added to them. "These are plans... for a game?"
Then her eyes were drawn to the mugs that sat comfortably by the side, papers surrounding them. One was a plain black mug, but the other was white with bear motifs on it. "Two people..." Mamori whispered. "Two people lived here..."
Mamori felt as if she was on the verge of something important. She looked around her some more, and then noticed the trophies on a cabinet near one of the rooms. She read what was written on them... all of them were trophies for games on American Football.
Just a bit more... She knew she was close to something. Hiruma stood still in the hall, refusing to move, merely watching her. But Mamori didn't care, she knew she could figure this out on her own. One of the trophies caught her eye. It was silver and had a life sized shape football on it. She looked at what was written on the plaque... "The Christmas Bowl..." Mamori almost gasped.
Then she heard a loud thud, and she turned to see that Cerberus had fallen right in front of the room beside her. "Cerberus!" Mamori cried as she bent down and picked the now limp dog, whining and looking disoriented. "Cerberus! What's wrong?"
That was when she noticed Cerberus was disappearing,her hands showing through his translucent body. "Oh Cerberus," Mamori’s eyes began to tear up. "Not you too..."
Cerberus looked at her, his usual evil eyes replaced with sadness. The dog pointed with his nose inside the room, as though to urge her on, and with that he disappeared right before Mamori.
The dread inside Mamori seemed to grow tenfold. She allowed two tears to fall before quickly rubbing them away, and steadying herself with one long breath.
"I think you should stop..." Hiruma spoke up in the silence. While he said it softly, his words felt harsh to her.
"No," Mamori insisted, though her voice was shaky. "No, there's got to be something here. Something important... even Cerberus knew it."
"He's just a fucking mutt, I wouldn't trust him," said Hiruma as he approached her. He reached out to her, but Mamori evaded him, standing abruptly and glaring at him.
"He's not just some mutt!" Mamori cried. "He was someone important to me too! Why else would I have recalled him? He was linked to something bigger, something incredibly precious to me and I won't stop until I find it!"
"You're just wasting your fucking time," Hiruma replied as calmly as possible.
"Why are you so against this, Hiruma?!" Mamori was practically shouting at this point, but she didn't care. "I thought you were going to help and support me in order to gain back my memories, but you seem to be against this one!"
"Because you're not meant to fucking remember this!" Hiruma shouted back, although he seemed shaken by his words. "I mean... you already remembered that fucking mutt, there shouldn't be anything else!"
"Then why am I still here, Hiruma? Why am I still awake? Why do I still feel as if there's something I need to find? You told me to trust my instincts, didn't you? Why do you doubt me now?" Mamori struggled to stop the rush of questions bursting to come out at that point.
"Because..." Hiruma bit his lip, revealing a sharp pointy tooth that triggered Mamori’s desire to find the truth even more. Then she saw his eyes wander into the room behind her, staring directly at something. She turned to see that it was a picture on top of a dressing table, but because it was too dark, she couldn't see what it was of. Without speaking any further, Mamori marched into the room and searched for a switch.
"Stop..." Hiruma seemed to have lost his voice. Mamori found the switch and flipped it on to reveal the contents of the picture. Mamori walked in further and picked up the picture, studying the image.
"Damn it, stop!" Hiruma felt like he was choking on his own saliva.
The image was a group photo of the Deimon Devil Bats. She recognised every single one of them, except for one whose image was shrouded by a shadow. Mamori cursed inwardly, obviously feeling very frustrated at this point, until she noticed that in this picture she was standing very close to the mystery person, and looked almost embarrassed to be standing next to him. The person that she loved was someone from the Deimon Devil Bats? A Football player? As she mentally cut off the role of each player she knew, she figured out that this mystery person played Quarterback.
Almost there... She looked at the dressing table and found another picture. This time it was just her and the mystery person, and she looked a little older here, with longer hair and a very content smile on her face. It was someone whom she followed until college? And judging by the different uniform and the fact that it had the same number as his high school jersey, he was a Quarterback too, Mamori was sure of it.
She looked around the room and noticed the bed. A queen sized bed, with cream coloured quilts and pillows. Mamori inhaled sharply, as though she was being stabbed. Something important had happened here... right in this very room.
And then she felt it, in the drawers of one of the dressing table. What she was looking for was right in there...
But as she reached out to it, another thought crossed her mind...
Football...
Judging by the plans and strategies scattered across the table, the person important to her was someone who was a good tactician, especially in Football. And hadn't the person beside her in this world played football when they had to fight against the mannequin football players? And he was good? He had a good grasp of the tactics needed for Football. If Mamori remembered correctly, his style of play was similar to that...
Of a Quarterback.
Mamori let out a terrified gasp as she turned to look at Hiruma, who was still by the door, struggling to breathe. "It... can't be..." she whispered.
"Don't open that!" Hiruma reached out to her, pleading.
No, she was so close... But she could feel all the energy within her draining as she turned to pull the drawer out and see the content... Her time was up.
Mamori began to cry as she felt her body give out, though she kept her grip on the handle of the drawer. She fell straight to the floor and heard the contents in the drawer fall before her. Her eyes were closing now, and her sight was blurred by the tears in her eyes. A velveteen box sat right before her, and as exhaustion claimed her, Mamori let out a sob.
"MAMORI!"
Her most important person was...
Hiruma felt as if his heart was being ripped out there and then. He continued to choke, struggling to breathe, and watched in horror as the world he was in was now shrouded in darkness. "Fuck..." he cursed, slowly regaining his breath. "Fuck!"
No matter where he looked, all he could see was darkness. "God damn it," he cursed as he got up. "Not this shit again..."
A blurry image appeared before her. A sight Hiruma had seen many times before this, and one that continued to haunt him.
"Ah, you're up! Good morning!"
"No... Shit!" Hiruma took a step back, but the image drew closer instead.
A woman with long brown hair wrapped tightly on a chopstick on the back of her head had her back towards him, washing the dishes in a kitchen he had just seen a few minutes ago. "Your breakfast is on the table. It's a big day for you, isn't it? I really hope it goes well for you. I'll get your coffee soon, hold on."
Hiruma watched as the woman reached out for two mugs, one black and one white with a bear motif on it, and filled it with coffee she had brewed earlier. He could see her face now, smiling though worn and tired.
"There we go!" she placed the black mug on the table before him. "Call me and let me know how it goes, okay? Whatever it is, I'm here to support you."
Hiruma stared at the mug before him, resisting the urge to throw it off the table.
"Eh? What do you mean? Oh... you've noticed." He watched her push loose strands of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I've been having some trouble at the kindergarten. Oh, it really isn't a big deal! It's just that I'm really worried about one of my students... I don't know what to do anymore." Then she laughed and proceeded to pick up a cloth to wipe the tables. "But you don't have to worry about that, you have the NFL to look forward to! ... What? Are you sure you still want to know? I mean you have more important things to do..." She smiled as she washed her hands. "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't be keeping it in. I'll tell it to you tonight, okay? Yes, it can wait! Stop worrying about me!"
The woman was approaching him now, wiping her hands on her apron and then outstretching one towards him. Hiruma wanted to take a step back, but his feet were frozen to where he was. A ghostly hand touched his face, keeping his eyes locked on the ghostly figure before him. "I'll see you tonight, okay?
I love you."
Hiruma shut his eyes and let out a shout of anger, "FUCK!" he cursed out loud, for he knew what was going to happen next.
The woman's voice was becoming distorted. Darkness closed in and the woman was engulfed in it, and she seemed to be choking, gasping, her eyes milky white. "Why did this happen to me?" the woman cried out, screaming as her arms reached out, desperate to grab anything as the darkness continued to swallow her. "What did I do to deserve this? Please, help me! I can't... I can't... someone... anyone...!"
Hiruma gasped, trying to breathe. He could feel hot tears trailing down his face. "No, don't make me...!"
The woman had now grabbed Hiruma's wrist, her hair flowing wildly behind her, only to be fully swallowed by the darkness. She lifted Hiruma's wrist until his palm cradled her neck. Hiruma stared at the milky white eyes that had no expression, but it had the face of someone he loved so dearly.
And watched as she uttered the words, "Please... kill me."
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" Hiruma screamed as he pulled out one of his guns and shot straight into the face of the ghostly figure, leaving holes until there was nothing left. An anguished scream filled his ears as the darkness finally dissolved to reveal the apartment he was in earlier.
Hiruma fell on his knees and crawled his way towards Mamori, feeling weak. She was still unconscious and her face was stained with tears, but Hiruma grabbed her and held her close, struggling to breathe as he could not hold his tears anymore.
Sakura had just appeared before him. "Hiruma-san..."
"Don't come any closer..." Hiruma growled, struggling to regain his senses.
"It's all right, what you saw was just a dream..."
"I KNOW!" Hiruma barked back, though he refused to look up as he didn't want her to see his tear stained face. "I've had that dream countless times! Ever since... ever since..."
Sakura fought back her own tears as she watched Hiruma pull Mamori closer to him, as if he was afraid she would disappear right before him. "The darkness took advantage of you the moment Anezaki-san almost found out about you. They knew you were going to be weak... It's not your fault."
"Then whose is it, Fucking Magician?!" Hiruma couldn't control the anger in his voice, nor the harsh loud tone he said it in.
Sakura took a deep breath. "It is mine. I saw this being possible, yet I couldn't stop it. Anezaki-san's will to find you was too strong for me to break through. I should have stepped in the moment she remembered your dog, Cerberus. I didn't know the dog was strong enough to try and lead her to you, the real you, and that mistake was mine alone."
Hiruma's breathing grew calmer upon hearing her words. "No... it wasn't your fucking fault alone. I just stood and watched as she put the pieces together... Didn't do a fucking thing. Because a part of me..." Sakura saw tears fall off his chin as he hid his face further from her. "A part of me really did want her to remember me..."
Sakura stepped forward and knelt down. She wrapped her arms around Hiruma's head and held him close, assuring him that she had no intention of looking at his face. "Your pain and sorrow is just as severe as hers. I'm sorry that you both have to go through all this, but you bear the heavier burden, because you know... because you remember... and that knowledge will haunt you forever..."
"Think I'm fucking foolish to want her to remember it all?"
"Not at all. She must know, if you want her to live."
"What if she doesn't want to live? What if she'd rather die, forgetting?"
Sakura pulled away from Hiruma and looked straight at Mamori, gently stroking the side of her face. "When you came to me, do you remember what you said? That there was no way she was too weak to withstand what she should be facing. Well, you said it with a lot more curse words..." Sakura smiled. "But you believed in her. You had faith in her. And right now, she needs you to have that faith for a little longer..."
"A little...?" Hiruma didn't look up, though he was undoubtedly curious.
"Yes, I saw it. You have your last challenge to face. I cannot see what happens next but... I do bring bad news... for you. Hiru-"
Hiruma quickly placed one palm on Sakura's mouth, not wanting to hear anymore. "I don't need your fucking fortune telling right now, Fucking Magician. I paid my price, didn't I? I know what's to come. In fact..."
Pulling his hand away, he picked up a velveteen box lying just beside him and held it out to Sakura. "Here. I believe this is also part of the price, isn't it?"
Sakura resisted the urge to laugh, so she smiled as she held Hiruma's palm and forced his fingers to close around the velveteen box. "I've already received your payment. I do not need anymore."
"You mean this isn't part of my payment?"
"No, this belongs to Anezaki-san. If it is necessary for me to take it, I will. But only when the two of us strike a deal. With her in this state, that isn't currently possible. So I suggest you hold on to it, because I think it'll be important for what's going to happen next."
Hiruma took a deep breath as he pocketed the velveteen box. His tears had finally stopped, though he still refused to raise his head. "I admire you, Hiruma-san," said Sakura.
"What the fuck for?"
"Because you're one of the strongest people I know. You may claim to be physically weak, but you have a strong heart and mind, and that's what's pulling you through. Anezaki-san is blessed to have you. Just as she was a blessing to you."
Hiruma heard her get up and walk away, disappearing as the world around them began to disappear to the colourful mess it was. Hiruma looked at the bed beside them for a moment before it disappeared, knowing full well the significance of that bed, before pulling Mamori's face closer to his and whispered, "Just a little more..."
Chapter 10 | Chapter 12