[Fanfic] Remember [Chapter 9]
Title: Remember [Chapter 9]
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: I changed the summary of this fic after being told by one reviewer that my original summary is pretty misleading and doesn't really capture the true essence of this fic. Seeing as I have a limit on the summary words in FF.net, I discussed this with moodylollipop and we came up with a new summary that showed more of Hiruma's side of the story. I wasn't sure of this at first, but she told me that Hiruma plays a bigger role in this fic than Mamori as he keeps the story going, so it makes sense. Do let me know if you think the summary isn't quite right either... I realize that it lacks mentioning Sakura's role, but I think her role was established well enough in the first few chapters.
In the meantime, enjoy this chapter. We finally leave the usual way of Mamori recovering her memories after this one as things get darker from here. I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know if something about it isn't right. Thank you so much for the continued support of this fic!
~*~
Mamori ran deeper into the park with Hiruma following right behind her as they chased what she was sure was the shadow of a little girl. The park grew darker the further in they ran, and the shadows began to blend in with the darkness.
The pathway they were on was suddenly lit by streetlamps and in that flickering moment, Mamori lost sight of the shadow. She stopped, looking around in confusion. "Oi," Hiruma spoke up as he calmly walked to her side. "Did you lose sight of it?"
Mamori continued to look around some more as darkness completely settled upon the park, shadows cast in every corner she could see. "I think so... but that's strange..." she looked at the pathway before them, "I definitely sense something over there, but I felt sure the girl was running more towards the left..."
Hiruma looked at her, suddenly alert. "A girl?"
"Didn't you see her?"
Hiruma shook his head. "All I saw was you running, couldn't figure out what the fuck you were chasing."
Mamori was even more confused at this point. The sakura trees around them shifted, a slight breeze passing through. "Oi, stop fucking worrying about it," Hiruma assured her. "Whatever it was that you were chasing would appear at some point if it has some significance to your condition..."
"My condition?"
Hiruma suddenly turned away and cursed softly. "Fuck, I mean in terms of getting your memories back. Look," he sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair, "I don't have the answers to everything. But we can't solve anything either just standing here questioning this world."
Mamori pressed her lips together. The sight of Hiruma looking so uneasy bothered her. She felt herself doubting and questioning Hiruma’s existence again, so she took a deep breath to calm herself. There's no use asking, there's no use doubting, the answers will come... she was sure of it. "You're right," said Mamori. "I'm sorry..."
"Why the fuck are you apologising now?"
Mamori smiled softly and shrugged. "I just felt as if it was necessary. Let's get going."
They moved forward slowly as the breeze continued to caress them, rustling the sakura trees and bringing petals down softly onto the pathway before them. The street lights offered very little vision, but Mamori couldn't help but stare at the pink petals on the ground, scattered like confetti, a cause for celebration.
As the breeze continued to pick up, Mamori could hear whispers blended in with it. They were barely audible and she couldn't figure out what they were saying, but a thought suddenly occurred to Mamori. "Hiruma..."
"What?"
"It's really vague to me, but... there's a story related to sakura trees, right?" Mamori looked at the sides of the pathway, where the sakura trees lined in a row. While they usually looked beautiful and majestic, something about them was sending shivers down her spine at that moment, especially with the shadows cast ominously upon them.
Hiruma kept his eyes forward, unnerved by her question. "... And which story is that? Do you know?"
"I don't really recall the contents but..." Mamori stopped as she looked forward, and saw the outline of a big sakura tree before them, blocking their pathway, dark yet looming in trepidation. "It was about why sakura trees are pink."
Hiruma grinned. "I see," was all he said as he pulled out his guns. "Do you want to remember the story?"
Mamori took a shaky breath, unable to tear her eyes away from the dark sakura tree before them. They hadn’t moved a single step forward but the tree appeared to loom closer. Her right hand tightly wound on the sword's handle, Mamori braced herself. "... If it'll help me."
"It might not."
"Tell me anyways."
The breeze had now become a strong wind causing the sakura petals to fly all around them. The whispers turned into a howling, filling Mamori's ears, causing her heart to race. Something was coming, she wondered if the dark sakura tree could be the cause of it. It was coming closer...
"A long time ago," said Hiruma, his fingers placed on the trigger of his guns. "It was said that sakura trees were originally white. But one day people discovered pink sakura trees and they wondered how they gained such a lovely shade of pink. After some time, they discovered... that it was because..."
The wind stopped instantly, the dead silence rang in Mamori's ears as she held her breath, heart pounding.
"... There were dead bodies buried beneath them."
A bright light suddenly blinded them as the wind came back, stronger than before, threatening to blow them away. Then Mamori could hear screams in every direction but before she could figure it out, she felt something grab both her ankles.
Gunshots rang through the air, prompting Mamori to open her eyes. The bright light had dimmed, but she could barely comprehend the sight before her. Both of them were suddenly under the dark sakura tree, its petals flying everywhere with the wind that seemed to be blowing in every direction. Mamori felt sure she would have been thrown off the ground by the sheer strength of this wind, but something was keeping her down, something cold and stiff, digging into her skin...
Hands. Off coloured and skin like leather, they sprouted like flowers all over the ground underneath the sakura tree. The ones nearby her and Hiruma grabbed their ankles, refusing to let go, until Hiruma shot them and they released him momentarily. Hiruma would move forward for a moment before more hands grabbed onto him, causing him to curse even more.
"Hiruma!" Mamori shouted, but she felt a shift in the wind that made her turn to her right. It was gone now, lost in the wind, but she was sure that someone, or something, had just passed by her.
"Oi!" Hiruma called out to her, the wind carrying his voice. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine!" Mamori looked at him and noticed the dead hands’ fingers didn’t merely grip his ankles now but were digging deeply into his flesh. "I don't know what's going on! I can't find a source, it seems to be everywhere!"
"Focus! The wind and petals are a distraction! It has to be nearby!"
Mamori looked around in panic, the dead hands from the ground, the flying petals, the wind, the dark sakura tree, none of them were the source. "I don't know where it is! And I can't move!"
"Just stab it with your sword!"
"Eh?!"
Hiruma aimed his guns at the hands on his ankle and shot right at the back of their palms. The hands quickly let go, letting Hiruma free for a moment before he ran closer towards Mamori and was caught again. Hiruma turned to Mamori, "You better do it quick!"
Mamori opened her mouth to ask why, but she suddenly understood. As she looked down, she realised almost her entire foot was sinking into the ground. She gave a sharp short scream before quickly stabbing the hands with her sword and freeing her ankles. She struggled to pull out her feet until Hiruma, who was close enough, grabbed her arm and yanked her out.
Mamori took a few steps before finally getting caught once more by those hands. She was terrified by the feeling of the dead hands latching on to her ankle and she was desperate to put an end to this. Mamori looked around her once more, searching for something, anything that could lead her to the source of this.
"Help... right here... help..."
The voices in the wind were getting louder until Mamori could clearly hear the words. The wind shifted, the voices grew louder...
And then she saw it.
A figure running past her at breakneck speed. She could barely see the outline but she was sure something was there. And that was the source.
"I think I saw it!" cried Mamori. "But it's moving so fast, I don't know if I can catch it in time! Especially with my legs caught like this!"
Hiruma growled in annoyance. "Do you think you'll know when it comes again?"
Mamori pondered for a moment before she heard the faint voices once more.
"Help... I'm... here... help..."
She gasped. "The voices! Of course! Once they grow louder, it'll come!"
"Good," Hiruma grinned. "Here's the plan then... the moment you think that thing is coming, let me know. Don't look back, don't worry about those hands, just run and aim straight at it."
"Hiruma?" Mamori wasn't sure what he was planning, as he didn't even bother to explain himself and merely grinned at her. She noticed he was twirling one of the guns around his fingers though, and for a moment that move felt familiar to her. Again, the memory of it slipped away from her, but it was replaced with a feeling of trust. She nodded at him and listened carefully to the voices...
"I'm... right here... help me..."
The voice was pleading as it grew louder. The winds shifted once more and Mamori set herself ready, sword in hand. Her feet were being pulled steadily into the ground, she had to move soon. But she held on, just a few more seconds...
The rapid shift in the wind signalled it was coming. "NOW!" she shouted.
Gunshots rang in the air and the hands instantly released their grip on Mamori. She ran as fast as she could urged on by the hands she knew were reaching out to grab her, but just before they could even lay their cold fingers on her, they would be shot making them shrink back into the ground. Mamori then stood her ground as the figure rushed towards her and she held her sword ready...
But the wind around her shifted and she noticed the figure was now spinning before her, in that moment of confusion she panicked and wondered if it was going to knock her away so she aimed her sword forward.
But as it drew nearer, she knew she was wrong. It wasn't going straight towards her... it was going...
She quickly held her sword out to her left with both hands, and to her surprise the figure had actually spun to her left side and was hit by the sword. Mamori gasped, wondering how she knew it would happen. But now wasn't the time...
She could see the figure clearly now, it had stumbled and the wind instantly died as it stood still, looking confused. Mamori could see he was in the Devil Bats uniform with his helmet on and a visor covering his face. Without any hesitation, Mamori rushed forward, raised her sword and slashed at the helmet and visor.
The bright light burst through the scenery once more and Mamori closed her eyes instantly.
"CONGRATULATIONS!!!"
Sounds of party poppers and happy cheers filled the air, prompting Mamori to open her eyes and look around. She was still in the park, but the sakura trees looked friendlier now, and there were no dead hands sprouting from the ground. The place was filled with familiar people instead, and there were food and drinks spread out on mats on the ground.
"Oh, Sena!" she heard her own voice gasp behind her. Mamori turned to see herself looking slightly older than she could even remember. Her hair was longer, and her face looked more mature. "Sena, don't tell me you..."
Mamori saw the boy next to her other self scratch his head sheepishly. For some reason, she felt as if the boy was also a lot taller than she had expected, almost surpassing her height. Was he supposed to be shorter? "Everyone from the Devil Bats wanted to see you again. We thought it'd be pretty symbolic, considering you both kind of got together during that time..."
"MAMO-NEE!"
A petite girl with dark blue hair was running up to Mamori's older self and hugged her tightly. "Suzuna-chan! It's been so long! I can't believe you and everyone from the Devil Bats are here!"
"Wait, I don't get it..." one boy with black hair and thick lips spoke up, “What are we celebrating for again?"
Suzuna giggled and whispered to the other Mamori, "We didn't tell them the big news cause we wanted to see their reaction."
"Suzuna-chan..." Older Mamori shook her head though she laughed.
"Ahaha~! I have the upper hand now!" a flamboyant boy with blonde hair and a short beard appeared, twirling on one leg. "I will tell you, because I am awesome 100%!"
"Urgh, no," said another blonde boy with short hair and a scar on his face. "For some reason, I'm not keen to hear it from you."
"We'll let Mamo-nee say it then!" cried Suzuna as she nudged Older Mamori to come forward. "Go on... say it!"
Mamori watched as her older self blushed and hesitated quite a bit. The crowd before her listened eagerly in anticipation. She clasped her hands together, took a deep breath, then lifted her left hand to show a ring on her fourth finger. "I'm engaged."
"Huh?"
"Huh?!"
"HUUUUUUUUUH?!"
But soon loud cheers and applause were heard and even a big, fat boy was crying happily as he approached Older Mamori to give her a big hug. One man which looked a lot older than her approached her older self with a hand shake and a quick hug. "I wish you both lots of happiness... but let me know if he gets out of line. I'll give him a good punch for you."
Her older self giggled and shook her head. "I can handle him just fine, Musashi, but I’ll take up that offer when the time comes... Oh, Monta!"
Another boy was approaching her, he had monkey like features yet Mamori couldn’t help but think he looked so much more mature than she remembered. Though he looked rather distraught, he gave her the biggest smile. "You'll always be my favourite Angel, Mamori-san. Congratulations, and I wish you all the happiness...."
Mamori's older self quickly enveloped Monta in a hug. "Monta, I hope you'll find your happiness too... I hear you're doing so well in the local X-League team. Your talents will bring you far."
"Thank you, Mamori-san..." tears filled Monta's eyes, but he continued to smile.
"Let's drink to Mamori's happiness!" said a short man with a beard. He already looked pretty red as he passed around cans of beers.
One tall, skinny boy with a large forehead took the can from him and slowly led him away to sit in a corner. "By the way," he spoke up. "Where is the man of the hour?"
"I see him there..." said a darker blonde boy with thick black rimmed glasses.
Mamori quickly turned to see him, finding the scene before her fascinating. So she was engaged? To whom? Was this her future? Has it already happened?
Everyone was shouting and calling out to the figure, but for some reason, Mamori couldn't make out his name, it sounded distorted for some reason. She held her breath as the figure drew closer, but soon Mamori felt her heart sink.
It was a shadow. She couldn't see who it was.
But everyone around her was excited to see him. "He's heeeere!" the fat boy shouted in glee.
"Kurita, calm down! Don't run up to him!" cried Musashi.
"Hugo!" cried a smaller, sturdy boy as he rushed after Kurita. A gun shot was heard and everyone went silent.
"Are you sure you want to marry him?" the short, older man suddenly spoke up. For a while, nobody said anything, but soon everyone burst into laughter.
"Well, I guess angels need their share of devils," said the darker blonde in glasses. "See, there's this manga I'm working on now and this aspect of opposites attract..."
"Stop cursing so loud!" Mamori heard her older self say as she approached the shadow. "Come on, try to be in a good mood for a bit, everyone's here to congratulate us... are you tired? You should eat something."
Mamori could only watch as her older self suddenly smiled, a beautiful, radiant smile that beamed of happiness and comfort. Does she really smile like that? Who was she smiling to? Mamori felt nauseous as she tried to figure it out...
"Mamo... nee?"
The scene was shifting away as Mamori turned to be greeted with Suzuna and Sena, only this time they were dressed differently and looked incredibly worried. "I-Is it really you?" asked Suzuna, tears filling her eyes.
Mamori blinked. They were definitely looking at her and not her older self. "Suzuna... chan?"
"MAMO-NEE!" Suzuna cried out as she made a move to run towards Mamori, but Sena held her back. He looked down and though his eyes were dry, he seemed to be in a lot of pain.
"Mamori... nee-chan," he finally spoke up. "I... I'm so glad to see you're all right."
"Sena..." Mamori could barely breathe at the sight of them.
"Mamori-nee-chan," Sena did his best to give her a warm, comforting smile. "You'll come back to us, right?"
Suddenly Mamori could see them all behind Sena and Suzuna. The Devil Bats. "Kurita..." Mamori began to cry, their faces now a blur. "Musashi... Monta... The Ha-Ha brothers, Jumonji, Kuroki, Togano... Yukimitsu... Taki... Komusubi... Doburoku-sensei..." Mamori broke down. "Everyone... Everyone!"
She heard them calling out to her. "Mamori! Mamori-san! Anezaki!"
"Mamo-nee..." Suzuna was crying just as badly as Sena held her close. "Mamo-nee, please... please..."
"Come back," Sena finished her sentence as he looked at Mamori with steady, calm eyes.
The Devil Bats chorused in agreement. "Yeah! Come back to us! We're waiting for you! Your most important person is waiting for you too."
"My... important person?" Mamori whispered as she rubbed her tears away, but fresh ones kept pouring down her face. The image of the shadow flashed through her mind, then she noticed everyone before her were beginning to disappear. "Wait, everyone!"
"I believe in you, Anezaki! Stop making us all sad and come back! We’ll be right here, waiting for your return!"
"Mamori-nee-chan," Sena spoke up as he began to disappear too. "I believe in you. I miss you so much..." his voice cracked at the end. "So come home, and let's all be happy again."
Mamori swallowed the sob threatening to break from her. "I'll come back! Please wait for me! Don't worry, everything will be all right! Don't cry, Suzuna-chan, everything will be fine!"
"Mamo-nee... come back!" Suzuna sobbed as she stretched out her hand towards Mamori. Mamori held hers out too, even though she knew it was futile... and watched as everyone before her disappeared...
She fell on her knees, feeling the world around her shift. Holding herself tightly, Mamori finally allowed herself to sob out loud and cry. She felt Hiruma touch her shoulder lightly. "You saw them...?" she heard him ask.
Mamori could only nod. "I saw everyone... from the Devil Bats... everyone...," she struggled to keep herself calm. "I've been hearing their voices all this while... I saw them just now... they miss me... and I miss them all so much... I miss my family, I miss my friends... and I miss..."
Mamori suddenly took a deep breath and fell forward, Hiruma quickly caught her before she hit the ground. He laid her down slowly and noticed her eyes were still wide open. "You should rest..." he told her.
But she wouldn't tear her eyes away from him. "I can't remember my most important person," she told him. "But there's something about him that feels strangely familiar when I see you."
Hiruma frowned. "You're just tired. Get some rest..."
But Mamori grabbed Hiruma's sleeve as her eyes began to close. "... You'll tell me the truth, right...?" she said as her eyes finally shut and she began to breathe slowly. "Please..."
The world finally returned to its colourful blur as Hiruma pulled out his jacket and placed it on Mamori. As he expected, Sakura appeared, smiling sadly as she approached them. "You don't have to keep checking on me, Fucking Magician."
"As I'm aiding you in your quest to save her, it's important that I check up on the both of you," said Sakura. "It wasn't so bad today, was it?"
"No, she saw the girl so I think we’re getting close... but I'm worried of what will happen when she wakes up."
Sakura looked at Hiruma with interest. "What do you mean?"
Hiruma stared at Mamori's calm, sleeping face. "She's noticed someone's missing. Someone... important."
Sakura nodded. "She'll struggle over that for a while... Because according to the order of how she's recovering her memories... that important person should be next."
Hiruma was glaring at Sakura, but she didn't seem to mind. "Tell me, Fucking Magician... considering the price I paid, what would happen if she finally remembers that important person?"
"She won't," Sakura did her best to smile, but she couldn’t hide her sadness.
"She showed signs of being close to remembering everything now, just what if... what if she figures it out?" The tone of worry in his voice was too obvious. "She's smart after all, and the signs would all be there, it would be impossible to deny it."
"Hiruma-san..." Sakura bent down next to Hiruma and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hate to do this but... if Anezaki-san does recall who you are, then I must warn you that it'd be the most painful moment. Not for her, but for you. Whatever it is, she will never recall who you are, no matter how hard she tries. She won't... not until..."
"I get it," Hiruma's words came out steadfast and certain, though Sakura heard his voice waver at the end. "I just... needed to be sure."
Sakura nodded in understanding. "Get some rest... I may not be able to offer you any words of comfort, but stay strong. There is still hope..."
With those words, Hiruma watched her disappear into the scenery.
~*~
Extra Notes: Fun fact time! So skip if you wish. ^^ The story of dead bodies buried under cherry blossom trees was actually started by a really old story by Motojirou Kajii, and his phrase of "Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees!" is commonly recited during Hanami, a spring occasion where people sit under the cherry blossom trees during its full bloom to eat, drink and enjoy the scenery. The part of why cherry blossom trees are pink, though, was from a scene in Tokyo Babylon from CLAMP. It's been a while since I've watched that moment, but I remember being really fascinated by that belief, and while planning this chapter I thought it'd be good to put it in here.
Also, the dead hands sprouting from the garden is (if you haven't guessed it yet) supposed to represent the Devil Bats. But the idea of hands sprouting like flowers from the ground was not only influenced by an episode from xxxHolic, but the idea also reminded me a lot of a Vocaloid song called Fear Garden. I hope I could capture the creepiness of those hands, at least for a moment.
Lastly, I actually have a fanmix in mind for this particular fic. Which is weird, considering that this is my least popular fic, but I had a lot of songs influence the creation of this story, or songs that helped me picture the chapters better. So as to share my love for music and because I don't want to spoil anyone, I'll probably only put it up on the last chapter. But do let me know if you like this idea or even interested in suggesting songs! I would love that a lot!
Thank you again for all your support and I'll see you in the next chapter!
Chapter 8 | Chapter 10
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: I changed the summary of this fic after being told by one reviewer that my original summary is pretty misleading and doesn't really capture the true essence of this fic. Seeing as I have a limit on the summary words in FF.net, I discussed this with moodylollipop and we came up with a new summary that showed more of Hiruma's side of the story. I wasn't sure of this at first, but she told me that Hiruma plays a bigger role in this fic than Mamori as he keeps the story going, so it makes sense. Do let me know if you think the summary isn't quite right either... I realize that it lacks mentioning Sakura's role, but I think her role was established well enough in the first few chapters.
In the meantime, enjoy this chapter. We finally leave the usual way of Mamori recovering her memories after this one as things get darker from here. I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know if something about it isn't right. Thank you so much for the continued support of this fic!
~*~
Mamori ran deeper into the park with Hiruma following right behind her as they chased what she was sure was the shadow of a little girl. The park grew darker the further in they ran, and the shadows began to blend in with the darkness.
The pathway they were on was suddenly lit by streetlamps and in that flickering moment, Mamori lost sight of the shadow. She stopped, looking around in confusion. "Oi," Hiruma spoke up as he calmly walked to her side. "Did you lose sight of it?"
Mamori continued to look around some more as darkness completely settled upon the park, shadows cast in every corner she could see. "I think so... but that's strange..." she looked at the pathway before them, "I definitely sense something over there, but I felt sure the girl was running more towards the left..."
Hiruma looked at her, suddenly alert. "A girl?"
"Didn't you see her?"
Hiruma shook his head. "All I saw was you running, couldn't figure out what the fuck you were chasing."
Mamori was even more confused at this point. The sakura trees around them shifted, a slight breeze passing through. "Oi, stop fucking worrying about it," Hiruma assured her. "Whatever it was that you were chasing would appear at some point if it has some significance to your condition..."
"My condition?"
Hiruma suddenly turned away and cursed softly. "Fuck, I mean in terms of getting your memories back. Look," he sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair, "I don't have the answers to everything. But we can't solve anything either just standing here questioning this world."
Mamori pressed her lips together. The sight of Hiruma looking so uneasy bothered her. She felt herself doubting and questioning Hiruma’s existence again, so she took a deep breath to calm herself. There's no use asking, there's no use doubting, the answers will come... she was sure of it. "You're right," said Mamori. "I'm sorry..."
"Why the fuck are you apologising now?"
Mamori smiled softly and shrugged. "I just felt as if it was necessary. Let's get going."
They moved forward slowly as the breeze continued to caress them, rustling the sakura trees and bringing petals down softly onto the pathway before them. The street lights offered very little vision, but Mamori couldn't help but stare at the pink petals on the ground, scattered like confetti, a cause for celebration.
As the breeze continued to pick up, Mamori could hear whispers blended in with it. They were barely audible and she couldn't figure out what they were saying, but a thought suddenly occurred to Mamori. "Hiruma..."
"What?"
"It's really vague to me, but... there's a story related to sakura trees, right?" Mamori looked at the sides of the pathway, where the sakura trees lined in a row. While they usually looked beautiful and majestic, something about them was sending shivers down her spine at that moment, especially with the shadows cast ominously upon them.
Hiruma kept his eyes forward, unnerved by her question. "... And which story is that? Do you know?"
"I don't really recall the contents but..." Mamori stopped as she looked forward, and saw the outline of a big sakura tree before them, blocking their pathway, dark yet looming in trepidation. "It was about why sakura trees are pink."
Hiruma grinned. "I see," was all he said as he pulled out his guns. "Do you want to remember the story?"
Mamori took a shaky breath, unable to tear her eyes away from the dark sakura tree before them. They hadn’t moved a single step forward but the tree appeared to loom closer. Her right hand tightly wound on the sword's handle, Mamori braced herself. "... If it'll help me."
"It might not."
"Tell me anyways."
The breeze had now become a strong wind causing the sakura petals to fly all around them. The whispers turned into a howling, filling Mamori's ears, causing her heart to race. Something was coming, she wondered if the dark sakura tree could be the cause of it. It was coming closer...
"A long time ago," said Hiruma, his fingers placed on the trigger of his guns. "It was said that sakura trees were originally white. But one day people discovered pink sakura trees and they wondered how they gained such a lovely shade of pink. After some time, they discovered... that it was because..."
The wind stopped instantly, the dead silence rang in Mamori's ears as she held her breath, heart pounding.
"... There were dead bodies buried beneath them."
A bright light suddenly blinded them as the wind came back, stronger than before, threatening to blow them away. Then Mamori could hear screams in every direction but before she could figure it out, she felt something grab both her ankles.
Gunshots rang through the air, prompting Mamori to open her eyes. The bright light had dimmed, but she could barely comprehend the sight before her. Both of them were suddenly under the dark sakura tree, its petals flying everywhere with the wind that seemed to be blowing in every direction. Mamori felt sure she would have been thrown off the ground by the sheer strength of this wind, but something was keeping her down, something cold and stiff, digging into her skin...
Hands. Off coloured and skin like leather, they sprouted like flowers all over the ground underneath the sakura tree. The ones nearby her and Hiruma grabbed their ankles, refusing to let go, until Hiruma shot them and they released him momentarily. Hiruma would move forward for a moment before more hands grabbed onto him, causing him to curse even more.
"Hiruma!" Mamori shouted, but she felt a shift in the wind that made her turn to her right. It was gone now, lost in the wind, but she was sure that someone, or something, had just passed by her.
"Oi!" Hiruma called out to her, the wind carrying his voice. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine!" Mamori looked at him and noticed the dead hands’ fingers didn’t merely grip his ankles now but were digging deeply into his flesh. "I don't know what's going on! I can't find a source, it seems to be everywhere!"
"Focus! The wind and petals are a distraction! It has to be nearby!"
Mamori looked around in panic, the dead hands from the ground, the flying petals, the wind, the dark sakura tree, none of them were the source. "I don't know where it is! And I can't move!"
"Just stab it with your sword!"
"Eh?!"
Hiruma aimed his guns at the hands on his ankle and shot right at the back of their palms. The hands quickly let go, letting Hiruma free for a moment before he ran closer towards Mamori and was caught again. Hiruma turned to Mamori, "You better do it quick!"
Mamori opened her mouth to ask why, but she suddenly understood. As she looked down, she realised almost her entire foot was sinking into the ground. She gave a sharp short scream before quickly stabbing the hands with her sword and freeing her ankles. She struggled to pull out her feet until Hiruma, who was close enough, grabbed her arm and yanked her out.
Mamori took a few steps before finally getting caught once more by those hands. She was terrified by the feeling of the dead hands latching on to her ankle and she was desperate to put an end to this. Mamori looked around her once more, searching for something, anything that could lead her to the source of this.
"Help... right here... help..."
The voices in the wind were getting louder until Mamori could clearly hear the words. The wind shifted, the voices grew louder...
And then she saw it.
A figure running past her at breakneck speed. She could barely see the outline but she was sure something was there. And that was the source.
"I think I saw it!" cried Mamori. "But it's moving so fast, I don't know if I can catch it in time! Especially with my legs caught like this!"
Hiruma growled in annoyance. "Do you think you'll know when it comes again?"
Mamori pondered for a moment before she heard the faint voices once more.
"Help... I'm... here... help..."
She gasped. "The voices! Of course! Once they grow louder, it'll come!"
"Good," Hiruma grinned. "Here's the plan then... the moment you think that thing is coming, let me know. Don't look back, don't worry about those hands, just run and aim straight at it."
"Hiruma?" Mamori wasn't sure what he was planning, as he didn't even bother to explain himself and merely grinned at her. She noticed he was twirling one of the guns around his fingers though, and for a moment that move felt familiar to her. Again, the memory of it slipped away from her, but it was replaced with a feeling of trust. She nodded at him and listened carefully to the voices...
"I'm... right here... help me..."
The voice was pleading as it grew louder. The winds shifted once more and Mamori set herself ready, sword in hand. Her feet were being pulled steadily into the ground, she had to move soon. But she held on, just a few more seconds...
The rapid shift in the wind signalled it was coming. "NOW!" she shouted.
Gunshots rang in the air and the hands instantly released their grip on Mamori. She ran as fast as she could urged on by the hands she knew were reaching out to grab her, but just before they could even lay their cold fingers on her, they would be shot making them shrink back into the ground. Mamori then stood her ground as the figure rushed towards her and she held her sword ready...
But the wind around her shifted and she noticed the figure was now spinning before her, in that moment of confusion she panicked and wondered if it was going to knock her away so she aimed her sword forward.
But as it drew nearer, she knew she was wrong. It wasn't going straight towards her... it was going...
She quickly held her sword out to her left with both hands, and to her surprise the figure had actually spun to her left side and was hit by the sword. Mamori gasped, wondering how she knew it would happen. But now wasn't the time...
She could see the figure clearly now, it had stumbled and the wind instantly died as it stood still, looking confused. Mamori could see he was in the Devil Bats uniform with his helmet on and a visor covering his face. Without any hesitation, Mamori rushed forward, raised her sword and slashed at the helmet and visor.
The bright light burst through the scenery once more and Mamori closed her eyes instantly.
"CONGRATULATIONS!!!"
Sounds of party poppers and happy cheers filled the air, prompting Mamori to open her eyes and look around. She was still in the park, but the sakura trees looked friendlier now, and there were no dead hands sprouting from the ground. The place was filled with familiar people instead, and there were food and drinks spread out on mats on the ground.
"Oh, Sena!" she heard her own voice gasp behind her. Mamori turned to see herself looking slightly older than she could even remember. Her hair was longer, and her face looked more mature. "Sena, don't tell me you..."
Mamori saw the boy next to her other self scratch his head sheepishly. For some reason, she felt as if the boy was also a lot taller than she had expected, almost surpassing her height. Was he supposed to be shorter? "Everyone from the Devil Bats wanted to see you again. We thought it'd be pretty symbolic, considering you both kind of got together during that time..."
"MAMO-NEE!"
A petite girl with dark blue hair was running up to Mamori's older self and hugged her tightly. "Suzuna-chan! It's been so long! I can't believe you and everyone from the Devil Bats are here!"
"Wait, I don't get it..." one boy with black hair and thick lips spoke up, “What are we celebrating for again?"
Suzuna giggled and whispered to the other Mamori, "We didn't tell them the big news cause we wanted to see their reaction."
"Suzuna-chan..." Older Mamori shook her head though she laughed.
"Ahaha~! I have the upper hand now!" a flamboyant boy with blonde hair and a short beard appeared, twirling on one leg. "I will tell you, because I am awesome 100%!"
"Urgh, no," said another blonde boy with short hair and a scar on his face. "For some reason, I'm not keen to hear it from you."
"We'll let Mamo-nee say it then!" cried Suzuna as she nudged Older Mamori to come forward. "Go on... say it!"
Mamori watched as her older self blushed and hesitated quite a bit. The crowd before her listened eagerly in anticipation. She clasped her hands together, took a deep breath, then lifted her left hand to show a ring on her fourth finger. "I'm engaged."
"Huh?"
"Huh?!"
"HUUUUUUUUUH?!"
But soon loud cheers and applause were heard and even a big, fat boy was crying happily as he approached Older Mamori to give her a big hug. One man which looked a lot older than her approached her older self with a hand shake and a quick hug. "I wish you both lots of happiness... but let me know if he gets out of line. I'll give him a good punch for you."
Her older self giggled and shook her head. "I can handle him just fine, Musashi, but I’ll take up that offer when the time comes... Oh, Monta!"
Another boy was approaching her, he had monkey like features yet Mamori couldn’t help but think he looked so much more mature than she remembered. Though he looked rather distraught, he gave her the biggest smile. "You'll always be my favourite Angel, Mamori-san. Congratulations, and I wish you all the happiness...."
Mamori's older self quickly enveloped Monta in a hug. "Monta, I hope you'll find your happiness too... I hear you're doing so well in the local X-League team. Your talents will bring you far."
"Thank you, Mamori-san..." tears filled Monta's eyes, but he continued to smile.
"Let's drink to Mamori's happiness!" said a short man with a beard. He already looked pretty red as he passed around cans of beers.
One tall, skinny boy with a large forehead took the can from him and slowly led him away to sit in a corner. "By the way," he spoke up. "Where is the man of the hour?"
"I see him there..." said a darker blonde boy with thick black rimmed glasses.
Mamori quickly turned to see him, finding the scene before her fascinating. So she was engaged? To whom? Was this her future? Has it already happened?
Everyone was shouting and calling out to the figure, but for some reason, Mamori couldn't make out his name, it sounded distorted for some reason. She held her breath as the figure drew closer, but soon Mamori felt her heart sink.
It was a shadow. She couldn't see who it was.
But everyone around her was excited to see him. "He's heeeere!" the fat boy shouted in glee.
"Kurita, calm down! Don't run up to him!" cried Musashi.
"Hugo!" cried a smaller, sturdy boy as he rushed after Kurita. A gun shot was heard and everyone went silent.
"Are you sure you want to marry him?" the short, older man suddenly spoke up. For a while, nobody said anything, but soon everyone burst into laughter.
"Well, I guess angels need their share of devils," said the darker blonde in glasses. "See, there's this manga I'm working on now and this aspect of opposites attract..."
"Stop cursing so loud!" Mamori heard her older self say as she approached the shadow. "Come on, try to be in a good mood for a bit, everyone's here to congratulate us... are you tired? You should eat something."
Mamori could only watch as her older self suddenly smiled, a beautiful, radiant smile that beamed of happiness and comfort. Does she really smile like that? Who was she smiling to? Mamori felt nauseous as she tried to figure it out...
"Mamo... nee?"
The scene was shifting away as Mamori turned to be greeted with Suzuna and Sena, only this time they were dressed differently and looked incredibly worried. "I-Is it really you?" asked Suzuna, tears filling her eyes.
Mamori blinked. They were definitely looking at her and not her older self. "Suzuna... chan?"
"MAMO-NEE!" Suzuna cried out as she made a move to run towards Mamori, but Sena held her back. He looked down and though his eyes were dry, he seemed to be in a lot of pain.
"Mamori... nee-chan," he finally spoke up. "I... I'm so glad to see you're all right."
"Sena..." Mamori could barely breathe at the sight of them.
"Mamori-nee-chan," Sena did his best to give her a warm, comforting smile. "You'll come back to us, right?"
Suddenly Mamori could see them all behind Sena and Suzuna. The Devil Bats. "Kurita..." Mamori began to cry, their faces now a blur. "Musashi... Monta... The Ha-Ha brothers, Jumonji, Kuroki, Togano... Yukimitsu... Taki... Komusubi... Doburoku-sensei..." Mamori broke down. "Everyone... Everyone!"
She heard them calling out to her. "Mamori! Mamori-san! Anezaki!"
"Mamo-nee..." Suzuna was crying just as badly as Sena held her close. "Mamo-nee, please... please..."
"Come back," Sena finished her sentence as he looked at Mamori with steady, calm eyes.
The Devil Bats chorused in agreement. "Yeah! Come back to us! We're waiting for you! Your most important person is waiting for you too."
"My... important person?" Mamori whispered as she rubbed her tears away, but fresh ones kept pouring down her face. The image of the shadow flashed through her mind, then she noticed everyone before her were beginning to disappear. "Wait, everyone!"
"I believe in you, Anezaki! Stop making us all sad and come back! We’ll be right here, waiting for your return!"
"Mamori-nee-chan," Sena spoke up as he began to disappear too. "I believe in you. I miss you so much..." his voice cracked at the end. "So come home, and let's all be happy again."
Mamori swallowed the sob threatening to break from her. "I'll come back! Please wait for me! Don't worry, everything will be all right! Don't cry, Suzuna-chan, everything will be fine!"
"Mamo-nee... come back!" Suzuna sobbed as she stretched out her hand towards Mamori. Mamori held hers out too, even though she knew it was futile... and watched as everyone before her disappeared...
She fell on her knees, feeling the world around her shift. Holding herself tightly, Mamori finally allowed herself to sob out loud and cry. She felt Hiruma touch her shoulder lightly. "You saw them...?" she heard him ask.
Mamori could only nod. "I saw everyone... from the Devil Bats... everyone...," she struggled to keep herself calm. "I've been hearing their voices all this while... I saw them just now... they miss me... and I miss them all so much... I miss my family, I miss my friends... and I miss..."
Mamori suddenly took a deep breath and fell forward, Hiruma quickly caught her before she hit the ground. He laid her down slowly and noticed her eyes were still wide open. "You should rest..." he told her.
But she wouldn't tear her eyes away from him. "I can't remember my most important person," she told him. "But there's something about him that feels strangely familiar when I see you."
Hiruma frowned. "You're just tired. Get some rest..."
But Mamori grabbed Hiruma's sleeve as her eyes began to close. "... You'll tell me the truth, right...?" she said as her eyes finally shut and she began to breathe slowly. "Please..."
The world finally returned to its colourful blur as Hiruma pulled out his jacket and placed it on Mamori. As he expected, Sakura appeared, smiling sadly as she approached them. "You don't have to keep checking on me, Fucking Magician."
"As I'm aiding you in your quest to save her, it's important that I check up on the both of you," said Sakura. "It wasn't so bad today, was it?"
"No, she saw the girl so I think we’re getting close... but I'm worried of what will happen when she wakes up."
Sakura looked at Hiruma with interest. "What do you mean?"
Hiruma stared at Mamori's calm, sleeping face. "She's noticed someone's missing. Someone... important."
Sakura nodded. "She'll struggle over that for a while... Because according to the order of how she's recovering her memories... that important person should be next."
Hiruma was glaring at Sakura, but she didn't seem to mind. "Tell me, Fucking Magician... considering the price I paid, what would happen if she finally remembers that important person?"
"She won't," Sakura did her best to smile, but she couldn’t hide her sadness.
"She showed signs of being close to remembering everything now, just what if... what if she figures it out?" The tone of worry in his voice was too obvious. "She's smart after all, and the signs would all be there, it would be impossible to deny it."
"Hiruma-san..." Sakura bent down next to Hiruma and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hate to do this but... if Anezaki-san does recall who you are, then I must warn you that it'd be the most painful moment. Not for her, but for you. Whatever it is, she will never recall who you are, no matter how hard she tries. She won't... not until..."
"I get it," Hiruma's words came out steadfast and certain, though Sakura heard his voice waver at the end. "I just... needed to be sure."
Sakura nodded in understanding. "Get some rest... I may not be able to offer you any words of comfort, but stay strong. There is still hope..."
With those words, Hiruma watched her disappear into the scenery.
~*~
Extra Notes: Fun fact time! So skip if you wish. ^^ The story of dead bodies buried under cherry blossom trees was actually started by a really old story by Motojirou Kajii, and his phrase of "Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees!" is commonly recited during Hanami, a spring occasion where people sit under the cherry blossom trees during its full bloom to eat, drink and enjoy the scenery. The part of why cherry blossom trees are pink, though, was from a scene in Tokyo Babylon from CLAMP. It's been a while since I've watched that moment, but I remember being really fascinated by that belief, and while planning this chapter I thought it'd be good to put it in here.
Also, the dead hands sprouting from the garden is (if you haven't guessed it yet) supposed to represent the Devil Bats. But the idea of hands sprouting like flowers from the ground was not only influenced by an episode from xxxHolic, but the idea also reminded me a lot of a Vocaloid song called Fear Garden. I hope I could capture the creepiness of those hands, at least for a moment.
Lastly, I actually have a fanmix in mind for this particular fic. Which is weird, considering that this is my least popular fic, but I had a lot of songs influence the creation of this story, or songs that helped me picture the chapters better. So as to share my love for music and because I don't want to spoil anyone, I'll probably only put it up on the last chapter. But do let me know if you like this idea or even interested in suggesting songs! I would love that a lot!
Thank you again for all your support and I'll see you in the next chapter!
Chapter 8 | Chapter 10