4Hi, sorry it took so long for the update guys. I feel really bad about it. The story is nearly over I'm afraid, now that I remember roughtly what I was going to do with it. I hope those of you who have waited so long for the continuation of this fic enjoy this chapter that I wrote just for you! As always, I don't own LD. Please enjoy my humble fic ^^
Rikuo found it difficult to speak. She was here, holding him, the woman he loved so deeply - who he had been searching for so earnestly. He had forgotten all about the pain that he had previously been suffering, his mind focused only on the overwhelming love that was flooding him. Tears had started to form in his dark eyes, tears that he had so desperately wanted to shed for so very long. "I knew you were still alive, Tsukiko. I knew I would find you again." Rikuo sobbed, holding her closer an tighter than before, afraid that if he loosened his grip even a little she would vanish into the air and he would be left alone all over again. The dark haired teenager couldn't see her face morph into a cruel and twisted smile, for he could not tell that the woman who was embracing him with such love was actually a dark monster who had merely taken her human form. Tsukiko's soul had not awakened yet, she had not yet entered the world of darkness. They needed Rikuo to awaken her, the two of them were all that was needed for 'IT' to occur, for the event that all creatures of the darkness had waited to witness.
"Oh my darling, Rikuo," The monster echoed the sweet and soothing voice of Tsukiko. "you must forgive me for what I have to do."
"What must you do?" Rikuo's voice was distant, as though he were lost in some sort of trance.
"You want us to be together, don't you?"
"Of course I do."
"Then I must take you to where we can always be together. Forever. It will hurt,but I promise the pain will not last." She brushed her lips against the soft skin of Rikuo's forehead, informing him that it was alright.
"I-I understand." The dark haired teen nodded in agreement as Tsukiko broke herself from his grip.
"Don't look so afraid," Tsukiko brushed the hair from his eyes comfortingly. "I promised you we would escape the world of thought after all. This is how we will get out."
"It..was..you." Rikuo smiled. He was feeling drowsy, his limbs were growing heavy and his body begged for sleep. He felt his eyelids droop under a non-existant pressure and slowly unconsciousness ruled his mind. It would only last a short while.
Kakei sat quietly beside Rikuo as the young man lay silently and motionlessly on the bed, sweat pouring from his brow. The Drug store owner frowned as his long legs swung back and forth under and back out from the wooden chair on which he sat. Rikuo was incredibly quiet, he hadn't moved once in the whole time that Kakei had been watching, and so he wondered if perhaps something was wrong. a short while ago he had lost the future of the teenager who lay before him, causing him to become increasingly concerned with what was happening inside his mind. Calmly, he placed a hand on Rikuo's forehead, and without a thermometre he could tell he had an incredibly high fever. Frowning, the pretty store owner began to pace the room tensely, his mind deep in unbreakable thought as he tried to figure out why the young man wasn't moving - in a fevered state such as his there should be at least a little restlessness. His thoughts, however, were indeed broken when the screaming began. Rikuo arched his body in pain, his limbs contorting, muscles tensing. It was now that Kakei was unsure as to what he should be doing with the young man, there seemed to be nothing he could do to calm him or stop the pain. All he did was watch as sweat poured down his face and neck, soaking the sheets as it came from his back,arms and legs. Rikuo's jaw was clenched, his teeth grinding as he tried to bear the pain, tried to keep his soul. Kakei had to think fast, had to place all the pieces of the puzzle together before it was too late. He could see that Rikuo was obviously in a great deal of pain, and he had to do something to prevent that for he knew just by looking at the dark haired man that when this was over it was doubtful he would awaken. Slowly, the store owner sat on the wooden floor and began to think carefully, noting how Rikuo's condition was changing - blood was now starting to drip from his shoulders - as he thought about the previous events of the day. A woman had been in his mind, a woman had taken control, that's what Kazahaya had told him. They had come to the conclusion that the woman was Tsukiko, she had repelled Kazahaya when he tried to enter Rikuo's thoughts...for reasons that Kakei had not yet discovered. Kakei had seen into the future, yes. He had seen Rikuo as he is now, writhing and twisting uncontrollably in bed, but he hadn't been able to see why, he couldn't see what was happening or what would happen once the pain stopped, all the he had was a terrible feeling that this was Rikuo's end...his death. Kakei cursed himself for not being stronger, for being unable to see further. He had told Saiga to hurry to the world of Darkness, but even then he was unsure as to exactly what they would find. He knew Tsukiko's soul had been taken, that was made clear by the take-over of Rikuo's mind. There had been a connection between Tsukiko and the darkness, of that Saiga had seemed sure... Kakei's thoughts were a mess. They were making little sense, even to him. All he could do was pray that Saiga had an idea of what he was doing and that he hurried home with the answers. Rikuo's time was running out rapidly. The sheets were turning red. Hurriedly, Kakei went down to the store to take some heavy duty bandages out of stock and at least try to stop the steady flow of blood.
"Please hurry, Saiga...Kazahaya." Kakei whispered quietly as he filled his arms with painkillers and bandages.
A/N: Yes, I know there's a little bit in the middle that seems confused and fast - paced. That's Kakei's panicked thought process as he tries to figure out what's happening. Just to let you know. I think I made it clear enough. I'm writing the next chapter now, so I really do promise it won;t be too long until the next update. By that I mean less than a week ^^