No Return to Innocence

Chapter Twelve: Core.


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Hisoka takes in a deep breath. It was difficult enough to know that his partner had feelings for Muraki. But to have had...

He closes his eyes shaking the thought out of his mind.

"How could Tsuzuki? That baka!"

Hisoka begins to drive his fist into the wall in anger.

"WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO STUPID! Muraki of all people!? It could of been anybody but him."

He stops punching the wall.

"It could have been me!"

Hisoka presses his body against the wall, breathing hard.

"I was spending a lot of time with Tsubaki. Maybe he felt I was ignoring him."

The green-eyed boy feels an overwhelming sadness rush through him.

"Tsuzuki?"

He sees the older Shinigami standing by the window, looking out to the ocean. His face blankly staring out in deep thought.

"I know, Tsuzuki-san. I know everything."

He walks to the guardian's side. "I know what happened between you and Muraki."

"I..."

Tsuzuki turn to him, eyes red and swollen from crying.

"I never thought something could hurt so much, that your heart could ache so much for one person," Tsuzuki whispers brokenly.

Suddenly, the brunette grabs onto his shirt, clutching his heart.

"Then feel it crush inside of you when they walk away. Leaving you behind without a reason."

"Why does it have to hurt so much Hisoka?" Tsuzuki's violet eyes swim with tears as he looks imporingly at Hisoka.

"Because you are weak, Tsuzuki."

The clear voice of a young girl comes from behind them. Both turn to see Tsubaki walking toward them, pointing a gun.

"Tsubaki!" Hisoka shouts.

She chuckles, amused.

"No. Not Tsubaki, she is dead. I am Irene. Her otherself.

Hisoka stares, agape.

"What do you mean by otherself?"

"What? Tsubaki never told you about me? I am crushed. And after all that time you spent with her, Hisoka. It is truly sad."

"But not as sad as what is going to happen to your little friend here."

She cocked the gun back. But Tsuzuki didn't flinch. He was immortal after all. What would a bullet do to a man who tried to kill himself several times before?

"What is this about, Irene?"

She smiles at Tsuzuki.

"I am glad you asked. I'm sure you didn't want to die without an explination first."

She continues, still pointing the revolver.

"Tsubaki was a sick girl. Her heart was failing and she needed a transplant. Her father had went to great lengths to find his precious daughter a heart, but there was never a matching donor. That was until he found Doctor Muraki who dealt with him in the black market. I am the girl whose heart replaced her own. Muraki was the doctor who did the surgery. More to the point, it was my heart that saved Tsubaki's life. My life!"

"When the deed was done. I asked Doctor Muraki if he could put Tsubaki under hypnosis. Make her believe she was still sick. Only so that I could get closer to the ones she loved. I wanted to kill them all. Espeically her father. My murderer! He was the one I wanted to destroy the most and the doctor was going to help me."

tsuzuki looks at her as though she were crazy.

"Why would Muraki help you?"

"For the pure fun of it, I'm sure. The doctor is truly insane. Playing with peoples lives is like a great hobby for him. That is what I allowed him to do with me. That is what I fell in love with him for. His will of evil. The enjoyment of watching people suffer."

Tsuzuki cringes at the thought, was he like that with him?

"What a delicious power one person could have. A power that made me want to taste it even more. Enough to become jealous when it was taken from me. So very jealous."

"Tsuzuki it was you who took that desire away from me! My Muraki AWAY!"

"MURAKI IS MINE!"

She fires the gun at Tsuzuki. But he is pushed hard to the ground hitting the hard floor.

"Was Tsuzuki hit?" Hisoka thought as he looked over toward his partner. But he sees Tsuzuki is all right, only a little dazed from the impact.

Hisoka looks over to the girl. He sees Tsubaki fall to her knees with the gun. Tears streaming down her face as she puts the gun to her own head.

"No! Why did you do it?" Were her only words as she pulled the trigger.

BAMM!!

"NO!" Hisoka screams as he runs to her.

"Tsubaki! Tsubaki!"

She smiles at him as he heard her last thought.

"I loved him...and now he will be with me always!"

Tsuzuki heard her as well. Understanding her words, his heart begins to pound. He gets up looking over toward where it was he was pushed from.

There on the floor, painted with blood, Muraki lay gasping for air.

Tsuzuki crawled over to him, his voice hoarse.

"Katzu...Katzutaka!"

Tsuzuki grabs for Muraki, the doctor tries to staunch the wound, but it's too deep and the blood pours through the cracks of his fingers.

"Why did you do it? I would have survived the blow. I would have..."

Muraki touches his lips with blood-stained fingers. He forces a smile.

"I couldn't have that, Asato. You are so perfect. I didn't want to see it ruined...I really do love you."

Blood drips from the corner of his mouth, his breathing stills.

Tsuzuki's violet eyes widen in fear.

"Kazutaka? KAZUTAKA! NOOOOO! Don't do this to me! Don't leave me! Wake up!"

Tsuzuki shakes him, hoping that, somehow, Muraki would open his eyes.

"Come on! Please!"

Frantic, Tsuzuki clutches Muraki to him, breathing in the scent of his hair,
knowing that the doctor is gone. His mind going into shock.

"Oh, god! Nooo!"

Hisoka gets up seeing Tsuzuki holding Muraki tightly against his body, rocking back and forth like an isolated child with his favorite stuffed animal.

The sight saddened the green-eyed boy.

Even though he couldn't understand Tsuzuki's feelings for Muraki, he could see that there was something there. Not just a vision, but right in front of his eyes. Tsuzuki cradling his murderer. His partner, the man he had worked closly with, the man he had grown feelings for, was in love with his murderer. Realizing this made Hisoka jealous and even if it hurt Tsuzuki's heart more than any bullet could, Hisoka was happy his murderer was dead.

It was finally over.

"Come on, Tsuzuki. It's time to go."

But Tsuzuki just held on tighter to Muraki. He didn't want anything but to hold Muraki. To feel and touch the pale man one last time.

"Go..." Tsuzuki murmured as he held tighter to Muraki's limp body, blood soaking his clothes, feeling the warm liquid coat his body.

Hisoka sighed and walked away.

"I'm sorry. He was my murderer, Tsuzuki. I'm not sorry he's dead."


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The scene played out like it had yesterday. Yesterday, when the brunette Shinigami leaned against the railing of the ship, breathing in the fresh air and thinking he and Hisoka needed to work out things. It was better that way. No one got hurt and feelings were not mixed.

Everything happened so suddenly. His hands still carried Muraki's scent. Tsuzuki looks over to his side hoping to see that white figure of Muraki, smiling at him, telling him the ocean was nowhere near as beautiful as the brunette was.

But, instead, nothing. He looks back at the ocean sighing, the silence killing him inside.

He feels the breeze of the wind shift as it sounded like a voice whispering in his ear.

"Forever mine."

He could smell the sweet scent of roses and turns around quickly.

He couldn't have been mistaken.

"Muraki...?"

FIN