Chapter Thirty-Three: End Game:

Kohaku�s whole body went stiff.

�Mama?� it asked. The Mother narrowed her eyes at her child.

�So, this is where you ran off to,� she said sternly. �Having fun with your little vessel, huh?�

�How did you find me?� Kohaku asked. The Mother smirked and chuckled.

�It took a lot,� she answered. �I must say, that was rather clever of you hiding in a shinigami�s subconscious. Feeding of his negativity from his partner and his wife,� she let off a loud whistle. �I must admit, well done.� Hisoka gave her a long blank stare.

Kimoto-san? However, he looked closer and shook his head. No, that�s not her. The shinigami tried to understand the scene unfolding before him.

�What do you want?� Kohaku asked. �Are you going to take me back?�

�Of course,� the mother said with a grin. Kohaku shook its head.

�I won�t!� the child hissed.

�But I must,� she told him. �You had your fun.�

�No!� Kohaku snapped. �I won�t go back!� The mother raised an eyebrow at him.

�Are you telling me no?� she asked. �Are you really telling your mother no?�

�Yes!� the child barked. The Mother shook her head with a twisted smile.

�I�m curious,� she spoke. �Your tsukai is dead; why do you linger around here?� Kohaku put its arms around Hisoka�s shoulders.

�Because I love him!� the child declared. Its mother all but laughed at such a confession.

�You, in love?� she asked.

�Well, yes,� Kohaku replied.

�Since when?� the Mother challenged. �You don�t what love is, you�re a parasite.�

�Parasite?� the child asked.

�That�s right,� the Mother said. �You are a parasite.� Hisoka watched Mother and child argue back and forth. He noticed something rather strange. Kohaku�s body became less visible in his eyes. The shinigami blinked and rubbed his. What�s happening to Kohaku?

The child took a step backwards.

�I�m a� parasite?� it asked.

�That�s right,� the Mother cooed. Kohaku trembled as it shook its head.

�But I love him,� it whimpered. The Mother took slow steps towards her prey.

�How can you?� she asked. �You don�t even have a physical body anymore.�

�What?� Kohaku asked.

�Haven�t you noticed it?� the Mother asked. She pointed over at Hisoka. �Why do you think only he can see you?� she asked. Kohaku tried to think of the answer.

�I will tell you!� she said loud enough to reach the sky, �Your soul attached itself to his subconscious!� The shinigami and the kitsune looked at her in shock.

What?! Hisoka thought. Kohaku shook its head beside of him.

�That can�t be!� it muttered, �I� I�.� The Mother turned her attention to Hisoka.

�I apologize for the inconvenience my son had caused,� she said. Hisoka blinked at her uncertain of how to respond.

�Here,� the Mother addressed him. �Let me cut the tie between you two. You would want that, wouldn�t you?� Hisoka gave her a blank stare.

�Heh,� the Mother said. �I�ll take that as a maybe.� She turned back to her child. �You don�t get it, do you?� she asked. �Fine by me.� The Mother held up her right hand. �I�ll have to make you see the truth,� she declared. The Mother forced her right hand onto Kohaku�s forehead. Its heart went into shock when the truth unloaded in its mind.

That�s right, the child thought. I did die. Kohaku saw the moment Haruka cut open Shichiro�s chest and ripped out his heart. A chill ran through the kitsune�s body as its former master fell dead at his mother�s feet. Kohaku gasps as it felt a rip to its chest. The child looked down to see blood seeping through its white and gold clothes.

�Don�t you see?� the Mother asked. �There is no point to hang around this world anymore.� Kohaku looked up at her with big, shocked eyes. She removed her hand from its forehead. �Stop this game,� she ordered it. Kohaku shook its head as it huddled into a ball on the ground. The Mother sighed and rolled her eyes.

�What�s the point?� she asked. �I already severed your tie to the shinigami. You will die again in five days if you don�t feed.�

�Then let me stay until then,� Kohaku pleaded. The Mother gritted her teeth.

�Oh come on!� she snapped. �Stop delaying the inevitable!�

�Please?� Kohaku pleaded. Its child-like grin always annoyed her so much. The Mother sighed and rolled her eyes.

�Fine,� she grumbled. �But I am taking your powers.� The Mother Kitsune placed her hand to her child�s chest and chanted an incantation. Kohaku gasped as it felt all of its youth and power drained from its body. The child collapsed to the ground as a withered old person. The Mother smirked at her work.

�Goodbye,� she cooed. Hisoka watched really pale-faced as she vanished into thin air. He couldn�t be sure it he imagined the whole thing in those early morning hours.