~ Light Of Hope ~ (A Toushiro Hitsugaya Fanfic)

33. " Visions of the Past and Future "

Toushirou clenched his fists in frustration. Even if he still thinks that this was all just an illusion, he still couldn't bear to see Yuuki die right in front of him.

Haruka didn't know how long she wallowed in grief. But suddenly, she looks up with renewed determination. She wipes her tears and takes the dagger out, the one that Riku gave her. "The one who kills with this dagger shall forget everything.", she mumbled as she instills her will into it. The dagger glows in green light. She cuts her palm with it then places the dagger in Yuuki's cold hands. (This dagger has a paralyzing poison. By the time I get possesed by a Shadow, my body will be paralyzed and I won't be able to hurt Yuuki. If that won't be the case then, Yuuki will kill the Shadow in me. Now, show me what you have learned from your father.... protect yourself.), Haruka places her bleeding palms on Yuuki's chest and chants a spell that Toushirou couldn't understand. "I... will thee, Shinohara Yuuki my life......"

White light envelopes both Yuuki form and Haruka. It looked like time was being reverted for the two. Yuuki's wound healed in no time. Though there's a heavy price for such a spell.

Tears stream down Haruka's face. "Even if I won't be there to see you grow, I want you..... to live...... a normal, human life..... I love you..... Yuuki, Haru..... Shinjo..... I'm sorry....." she weakly said as she falls to the floor, lifeless.

The exchange was complete.

"When will this end....", Toushirou mumbled as he clenched his fists.

Michiru laughed in delight, clearly enjoying the young captain's suffering. "Ohh, we're just gettting to the good part! This is so much fun.... ohhh how much I enjoy the face you're making right now!!! You took Tsubaki away from me!! So I'll take the person you value the most away from you... quid pro quo..."

"Come out and face me you coward!!! You won't kill me with these illusion of yours!!", Toushirou angrily yelled. Physically anyways but he was already dying inside.

"Who said I'm going to kill you?", Michiru prompted.

Toushirou gritted his teeth in rage. "Then what do you want from me?!!"

"First I'm gonna make you suffer until you reach the point that you want to kill yourself. I know how important Yuuki-sama and this person called Hinamori Momo to you. You will watch them in despair! And once I'm done, I will kill them in front of you and you'll feel how helpless you are unable to save them!", Michiru declared. "Feel the pain I felt!"

Toushirou clenched his fists until they turned white. "IF YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON EITHER ONE OF THEM, I WILL RIP YOU APART!!!"

"Your empty threats weigh nothing.", Michiru's voice declared flatly.

"It's not a threat, it's a promise.", Toushirou said in a cold and even tone.

Any response to this died down as Yuuki's eyes flutter open. The first thing she saw was Haruka lying on the floor beside her. This caught Toushirou's attention. As Yuuki remembers what happened, she searches her entire body for injuries. But there's none and a dagger was in her hands. Then Haruka's fingers twitched incadating she was waking up.

"Mommy! When did you get back? What just happened?", Yuuki asked.

Haruka didn't respond and turns her attention to Yuuki upon hearing her voice. Just then, Yuuki noticed that something was wrong with her.

Yuuki felt fear. "Mommy?", it was wrong on so many ways. It should have been the other way around.

Haruka slowly reaches her hands to Yuuki's neck. By the time it registered to her that she was being strangled, she swung the dagger in panic. It managed to to free herself but cut her mother in the arm in the process. Haruka didn't even flinch from the wound, instead, continues to approach the frightened little girl. Yuuki finally noticed that her mother's once beautiful green eyes were now color of blood with black sclera. A Shadow has fully taken over. Dread washed over Yuuki. Haruka jumped onto her, pinning Yuuki to the floor. However at the same time, Yuuki shut her eyes and unknowingly pointed the dagger at Haruka which stabbed her at the chest as a result. Haruka removes the dagger without feeling any ounce of pain. The dagger clattered to the floor slick with blood. Even as her wound bleeds, Haruka still continued to strangle the little girl. Trapped underneath her mother's larger form, Yuuki was unable to move. Just as Yuuki was about to lose consciousness, Haruka's grip loosens and falls on top of her. The poison was finally taking effect, paralyzing her. As the poison spreads, she was already unable to move. It was until it reached her heart that it finally stopped beating. The moment Haruka's heart stopped, green light envelops Yuuki thus sealing away all of her memories and lose consciousness.