If Life Followed to Death

Jani_chan · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2685 Location: Enma's bed

Chapter 4

“What?” Hisoka’s mind fogged.

“They chose her mostly because she could shield you from her emotions using her powers,” said Tsuzuki, “that and the fact that she’s extremely loyal to your family.” Hisoka wasn’t listening. His mind was still stuck on the word ‘wife’.

“My wife?” he repeated, staring at Tsuzuki with wide eyes. Tsuzuki visually cringed. He’d known that his parents had emotionally abused Hisoka, but he’d had no idea that they’d decide on a wife for him without him being informed. Well…they were an old Japanese family. But he tried not to think about it.

“So,” he said, “what do you know about her?” Hisoka didn’t answer at first. All of the missing elements were falling together in his mind, like pieces of a puzzle suddenly found. “Hisoka?” Tsuzuki said.

“Um…” Hisoka hook his head, “not much, really,” he said, “we were friends while we were young. And she was only able to visit me every once in a while. Even less once I got sick.” He raised his head to look at Tsuzuki. “So, if she can shield herself from my empthy, why did I see what she was remembering?” he wondered aloud.

“What?” asked Tsuzuki, “what do you mean?”

“After she was fried by the helmet, I went to see if she was okay and the next thing I knew, I was seeing memories that weren’t my own.”

“What did you see?” Tsuzuki asked. Hisoka shook his head.

“That’s another thing,” he said, “I can’t remember. Normally, when I sleep one of these things off, the memory becomes clearer, but this time, it’s completely gone. All I remember is someone screaming.” Tsuzuki thought about this, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Watari walked into the room, running his hand through his hair tiredly.

“Is she okay?” Tsuzuki asked.

“She’ll be fine,” he said, “her healing powers have begun to work again and she’s stopped fighting us.” He plopped into a chair, 003 resting on his shoulder, “are you okay?”

“Yeah,” said Hisoka, “I’m fine. But what caused the helmet to short circuit? Was it because I said something?”

“No,” said Watari, “that was my fault. I’d underestimated her powers. They’re stronger than we originally thought.”

“Why did you underestimate them?” Hisoka asked, thinking of how unlike the ministry this was.

“You see, Bon,” Watari said, “we have scales to test such things, and we base those scales and tests on averages that we’ve already researched. Putting it simply, our charts indicated that for her to have been able to control her powers at such a young age, they must not have been very strong. We were wrong.”

“How strong is she?” Tsuzuki asked.

“We’re not sure,” said Watari, “we’ll have to run tests to find out.” He looked at Hisoka. “So you never knew about her, huh?” he said. Hisoka looked at him with suspicious eyes. Nothing about him indicated teasing.

“No,” he said, “how did you know?”

“I heard about your reaction when you first saw her,” said Watari, “I’m surprised nobody else came to the conclusion.” He looked pointedly at Tsuzuki, who blushed.

“So I’m having an off day,” he said. Watari shook his head.

“Anyway, I figured I should ask if you saw anything from Michi-san’s memory,” he said.

“I did,” said Hisoka, “but I can’t remember it.” Watari nodded knowingly.

“Ah,” Hisoka grimaced.

“What are you ‘ah’ing about?” he demanded.

“Nothing big,” Watari offered a small smile to calm him down, “I just had the feeling she’d do that.”

“‘She’?” said Hisoka in surprise, “you mean to say that Michiru-san made it so I wouldn’t remember?”

“Most likely,” said Watari, “she probably wants to protect you.”

“What on earth could she be protecting me from?” Hisoka asked. Watari looked at the boy, his face drooping slightly with sadness. Hisoka felt something that was close to pity from the man as the next words slipped off his tongue and past his lips.

“Her murder.”

“Murder,” Hisoka muttered. He hadn’t thought about it, but it made sense. To be a shinigami, one had to die with regrets; and to have died so young. It couldn’t have been natural. Hisoka almost smacked himself in the head. He’d seen the damn scars, what had he thought about it then? He hadn’t. He’d practically been in shock hen he’d seen her and it had barely registered. Suddenly a thought struck him.

“Wait,” he said, “if she was under the protection of my family, then why was she murdered? The father of her appointed husband is the one who is to protect her until the marriage. Even though I’m dead, she should still be respected as a possible bride for a future heir or in case something happens to the current mistress of the household. Meaning she’d still be under my father’s protection. Not many people could get by my father.” Hisoka clenched his fists at the thought of the man he hated so much. He was gritting his teeth in thought. Tsuzuki gave his partner a piteous look.

“Remember, Bon,” Watari said, “how someone died is a very personal matter.”

“I know,” Hisoka said with a sigh.

Rhea-sama · Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:26 am Post subject:

Hmm I wonder if the families decided to dissolve the contract?
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Paurie · Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:21 am Post subject:

I'm getting more into this now. @@ You make it so that I want to know what happened to that girl! D:

Good job. :3 *sits and waits for update*
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Now look 'ere as the blond doesn't notice the secretary there checking out 'is bum.

Jani_chan · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2685 Location: Enma's bed

A few days later, Michiru was allowed out of the ECW and set to work again. She was still being tested for a potential partner, so she was just running around the office for now and doing errands as she was told. Hisoka often found himself watching her. She’d never come up to him or looked at him lately. He was getting tired of her treating him like he was a delicate doll. No matter how she died, it couldn’t have been worse than how he died. He’d been raped and cursed and then, after three years of agony, finally died, still being loathed by the family around him. How could her death have been any worse? Or was she afraid of what he’d think about her death? He didn’t know why he wanted to know so much, but it something was nagging him at the back of his mind that he should know. He shook his head and looked back down at his paper.

With a grin, Watari entered the office with 003 on his shoulder. He touched Michiru on the shoulder.

“Are you ready for more tests?” he asked her. She nodded and looked up at him with wide eyes. He stood for a moments as though listening to something that she as saying, though her mouth never opened. “No,” he said, “don’t worry. I’ll be there the whole time. The helmet was an accident that won’t happen again. You trust me, don’t you?” She gave him a look and he laughed. “Well that’s good, but you shouldn’t contradict yourself. The look you just gave me says something completely different.” Hisoka looked at him as though he was insane, though he wouldn’t put it passed the sunny shinigami. Michiru looked at Hisoka as Watari was about to leave the office. She saw the look and grabbed Watari’s arm. He stopped and looked at Hisoka in surprise. “Oh!” he then said, slapping himself in the head. The two walked over to his desk. Hisoka sat up straight from his former position of leaning on his desk.

“Wha-?” he started.

“I forgot to tell you, Bon,” said Watari, “we found a way to communicate with Michi-chan. It seems that her telekinetic powers reacted to the helmet in multiple ways that were unexpected. The first was the short circuit that you witnessed. That was the one that we didn’t like. But it also gave Mi-chan the ability to send others images and ideas through touch. If you keep in contact with her, you can have a long and quite pleasant conversation, despite the fact that she can’t give actual words to anything. You sort of have to guess what she’s trying to say.” Hisoka looked up at him in confusion.

“Why is it important for me to know?” he asked. Watari grinned.

“Michi-chan thought it was something that she should tell you,” he said, then wrapped an arm around Michiru’s shoulders and steered her to the door, thrusting his pointer finger into the air and shouting “now, for science!” Michiru peeked over her shoulder at Hisoka, her blue eyes focusing only on him. He stared back, seeing longing in her eyes. He’d never had someone look at him that way. It was the look that one would see between lovers walking down the street hand in hand. It was the look that said in every way shape and form ‘I love you’.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later, Hisoka couldn’t stop thinking about that look she’d given him. Why had it stood out from all of the other times she’d looked at him? Why did it keep returning to his mind and practically haunting him? Those wide eyes and soft, barely parted lips called to him in a way nothing ever had before. Even his body reacted to that look.

It had to be that smile. It was almost the same as the one she’d given him when they were children, but now it was different. It was almost…..forced. That smile was definitely not genuine, or he’d willingly eat and enjoy one of Tsuzuki’s pies. And why didn’t she want him to know how she died? His thoughts were infuriating. Nothing made sense. He’d have to go talk to her himself. And he probably wouldn’t be able to get any work done until he did, so he tossed down the papers he’d been looking at and left the room. Wondering where she was, he realized after a moment that he had no idea what she did in the ministry. From what he knew, there were still many tests being run every day to see how strong her telekinesis was. He guessed that she was probably in the lab with Watari and began to walk that way. But as he passed another office, he saw her out of the corner of his eye. Turning and almost running into the door of the room, he found that she was leaning on the window frame and staring into the sky. Her hair was loosely falling around her shoulders, its feathery ends flitting around at face as a slight breeze blew by her. She obviously didn’t think that there was anybody nearby because her powers weren’t being used. It was as though she was saving them for a different time. Hisoka could feel something from her. What was it? His heart began to beat quickly and he needed to lean against the door to support himself. His mind began to reel and he clutched at his temples, moaning with slight pain. Suddenly there was a gasp and the emotions subsided. He looked back at Michiru and found that she was staring at him with wide eyes, filled with concern. She hurried forward and touched his shoulder. He sensed her worry, but judging from the sudden lack of overwhelming emotion, she was meaning that she hoped he was okay.

“What was that?” he asked, still unable to stand. She cocked her head to the side, giving him an innocent look. He shook his head. “Don’t play dumb! Why were you thinking about him!?” Surprise covered her face. “Why were you thinking about my father!?”

Rhea-sama · Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 5:37 am Post subject:

o:

DUN DUN DUNNNN

Trouble in Paradise--er Purgatory it seems.

What fickle, foreign, fancies frollic in Michiru's mind!?

(Yes! Alliteration FTW!)

Stay tuned ficcers!

Same YnM time! Same YnM channel!
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Paurie · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:16 am Post subject:

*giggles at Rhea*

Of course, I loved the "For science" part with Watari. X3

Where's the next piece! :O I want to know why she was thinking about his daddeh! D<
_________________

Now look 'ere as the blond doesn't notice the secretary there checking out 'is bum.

laustic · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 660 Location: Florida

How on earth did I miss this fic? It's so wonderful and I want more darn it! I need to know what happens next.

Jani_chan · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2685 Location: Enma's bed

The last chapter

Later, Hisoka found himself laying on the floor, staring up at the worried eyes of Tsuzuki, Watari, and one of the gushoshin. For a moment he wondered what had happened. Thinking hard as he stared up at the faces over him, he remembered that it had something to do with Michiru.

“Are you okay, Bon?” Watari asked. Hisoka sat up slowly, holding his head.

“I think so,” he said, “what happened?” Tsuzuki seemed almost angry at that.

“We were hoping you could tell us,” said Watari, looking at Tsuzuki and patting his shoulder. “All we know is that we heard you shout and when we got here, Michiru was kneeling over you. You were unconscious.” Hisoka shook his head.

“I have no idea,” he said. Tsuzuki stood quickly.

“I’m going to go find her,” he said, “she has to start explaining some things.” Watari stopped him by grabbing his sleeve.

“You can’t force her to tell you,” he said, “it’s---” Tsuzuki pulled his arm away from Watari.

“Don’t start with me,” he said, “she can’t just go and erase his memories every time he finds out something she doesn’t like.” With that, he left the room. Hisoka was surprised at the anger he felt radiating from the man.

“What happened?” he said more to himself than to Watari or the gushoshin.

“We think that you caught some of her emotions and saw some images that you shouldn’t have,” said Watari, knowing full well that the question wasn’t directed at him but deciding to answer anyway, “multiple people said that they heard you yelling at her. Something about your father…” Watari let his voice trail off here. Hisoka’s eyes were wide and he grabbed his head as though in pain. He’d seen his father in her mind. The memory was painful. It hurt in a way he hadn’t imagined. But what he didn’t expect, was the feeling of love that came with it.

Without warning, he threw himself to his feet and ran out of the room, leaving a very surprised Watari behind. He ran past Tsuzuki in hopes of getting to Michiru before him. He ran, though he really didn’t know where he was running to. Something told his feet where to move and that was where he went. He ran out of the building, past the lakes that surrounded the road up to the Ministry. He ran until he had no idea where he was, moving faster than he ever remembered moving. Why was he running so fast? Why did he care what happened to her now that he knew? Was it because he feared for her? A song echoed through his mind. One she’d sung to him years ago when they were children. Hisoka had a nightmare one night soon before he became sick. It was one night after Muraki had found him, though he didn’t know it. She’d sung to him in a voice that he’d almost believed could be from an angel. Now that he remembered it, he knew why she was so sad. Even with her loyalty to his family so strong, her voice had been what kept her going when everything else seemed ready to swallow her. The knowledge that she could no longer sing was threatening her very sanity.

It wasn’t until Hisoka was about ready to pass out again that he finally found Michiru. Her emotions were nearly overwhelming. She was leaned against a tree with her knees pulls against herself and her head bowed, sobbing in a way that Hisoka imagined would have been screaming if she had a voice. As he got closer, she finally noticed him and looked up, her usually pale face flushed and wet from tears. Her eyes were wide and she backed away from him, her mind screaming warnings.

“Mi-chan,” he said, stopping where he was, “I understand now… Why you didn’t want to tell me…” Michiru’s eyes widened at the sound of his childhood nickname for her. And then her mouth dropped open when he said he understood. She forgot her warnings and threw herself in front of him, clutching his shirt and crying. Her mind was crying at him to forgive her, as though she’d done something wrong. This tore at Hisoka’s heart.

“Why are you apologizing?” he asked, “you didn’t do anything wrong.” Images flashed into his mind and he leaned against her to support himself as he went through the memories as thought they were his own.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
His father, walking forward and placing his hand on the small child’s shoulder.

“You are loyal to this family,” he said, “are you not?”

“Yes,” came the small female voice that he recognized as Michiru’s. The huge man had no expression on his face.

“And you are my son’s future wife, no?”

“Yes,” said the small voice again.

“Then you have no worries as long as you are faithful to him,” Nagare’s voice became more harsh, “and you will never betray my son.”

“No,” the small Michiru sounded ready to cry, “never…I’d never.” There was a pause in the conversation.

“Good,” said Nagare, “then you have nothing to fear.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

More memories came flooding into Hisoka, clear as day. Michiru had been mentally tortured and led to believe from a young age that she could never fall in love with anybody other than Hisoka. Her psyche was molded so that she would love only him and be loyal to him and his family in a way where she would give her life were it necessary.

Hisoka took her hand slowly. He wasn’t used to touching people still, but she’d been his friend for many years. Surely he could simply take her hand. He sighed and looked down at her.

“Don’t love me yet,” he said, “only love me when you feel honestly and completely that it’s what’s right. Don’t love me just because my father and family told you to. I never expected you to love me. But I was always glad you were there. For now, let’s just be friends until you really get to know me. Find yourself, away from my family, and then see what you really feel.” Michiru sniffled and clung to his hand, looking up at him. The longing he’d seen earlier was still there and seemed to burn too brightly to ever fade. He hoped it would. He didn’t think that kind of devotion was healthy. They sat there together for a long while, contemplating their own thoughts. Then, when he thought she was ready, he stood and helped her to her feet.

“Let’s go back before we get too cold, okay?” he said. She nodded and stood and they slowly walked back to the ministry, cloaked by the slowly surrounding darkness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ta da^^ This portion of the fanfic is finally finished^^

The next portion of the fanfic is entitled "Voice of the Past" and is continued some time into the future. It's been a while since Michiru first appeared on the scene and she's changed in her attempts to find herself. New surprises await and adventures surround. But will we ever find out how she died? Perhaps yes, perhaps no... Ag, I sound like a bad sitcom commercial xDD Go on, read it^^

But one warning, it's definitely not going to be rated PG13 in some parts. So, if you wanna read, read with caution, as I believe that some parts will be closer to R rated.... ^^;;

laustic · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 660 Location: Florida

That was excellant. I'm looking forward to the next part of this fic.

Jani_chan · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2685 Location: Enma's bed

I'm just posting here because it seems poor Coco missed this part. This way, the sequel wont be so confusing for her. plx don't be annoyed with me XD;;;