DHY:  FANFIC: All My Sins Remembered
By Neal Richardson
(nrscribe@aol.com)

Based on characters by  Masao Maruyama and Juzo Mutsuki
This story takes place after Volume 1 of the Anime.  C & C is encouraged.

Osamu stared at the setting sun from his vantage point on top of the concrete
steps.  From here he could see his school and the girl stepping lightly on the
path toward him.

The girl was Yohko Mano, a childhood friend and unrequited crush object.  

He ran his hand through his dark hair and stood up slowly.  He knew he was
stalling.  It amazed him that after all he'd seen in the last few weeks,
admitting the truth was still so damn terrifying.

He got halfway down the steps before he started to bristle.  A young man half a
head taller than Osamu and devastatingly handsome had crossed paths with Yohko.
 He couldn't hear the conversation though he wished he could.  Perhaps he
didn't though.  Why would he want to be reminded just how low he was in her
eyes anyway?

Yohko mooned over the man for a bit before he managed to extract himself from
her.  The blush was visible from this distance.

Osamu resolutely put one foot forward in front of the other approaching from
the side.  He remembered everything on the way--the kiss, her warm body in his
hands and the schizoid actions of wanting fulfillment and repression.  

"Hey Yohko!" he called.  "Got a minute?"  The young man looked at him
gratefully for a moment and used that time to vanish around a corner.  Yohko
looked disappointed.  

"Osamu!" she said.  "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk," he said.  "I need to apologize."

She looked at him strangely.  "What the heck for?"

Osamu looked down for a moment.  He'd definitely matured in the last few weeks.
 Normally by now his nose would be bleeding.  "For nearly forcing myself on
you."

Yohko's breath caught and she fingered her serpent ring.  She looked like she
wanted to rip it off her hand.  "That's okay," she said after a moment.  "It
wasn't your fault."

Osamu shook his head.  "You're wrong.  I've been doing some reading.  Demons
like that don't have power over you unless those desires already exist.  I
didn't put up much of a fight."

Yohko bit her lip.  For the millionth time she wished she'd never heard of the
Devil Hunters.  Ever since this started, they're relationship had changed. 
There was no going back now.

"Look, I can't imagine how you feel over your new responsibilities and such but
I needed to tell you this.   Events like that should be mutual.  That's why I'm
sorry."

This boy had definitely come a long way in a short time.  Just last week it
looked like he was ready to respond to her grandmother's charge to give her
grandchildren.  He'd passed out in her lap as she recalled.

"Osamu?"  She forced herself to look in his eyes.  "I forgive you."  Osamu
bowed quickly and began backing away.

As he turned to leave he said, over his shoulder, "Please be careful Yohko."  

Soon she was alone.  She didn't move for perhaps thirty seconds and then
screamed at the moon,  "ALL I WANT IS A  NORMAL LIFE!"

---------------

Osamu smiled to himself.  He probably shouldn't have heard that.  He wished
that as well.  For her if not for himself.  

Passing an alley, something in the air stirred and the atmosphere turned
electric.  It was so acrid he could actually smell the ozone.  He'd smelled
this once before.  Before that demon ripped into his mind.  He tightened his
grip on his back pack and stepped quickly passed the alley.

Some movement to his right caught his attention.  The brick wall appeared to
ripple and black streaks blazed in the concrete seams.  Osamu turned away to
sprint but something tripped him up.  

Before he lost consciousness he saw what looked like black sludge push off the
wall and envelope his legs.  He felt his back slide across the sidewalk and
then he knew no more.

------
Chigusa and Yohko stood under a tree in the middle of a park as the sun was
going down.  She was also one of the ones who shared her secret.  She'd
listened to her friend relate what just happened between her and Osamu.  She
thought, "It's about time that boy made a move!"

Chigusa looked over at her morose companion and lightly punched her on the arm.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked her friend.  "The boy is in love with you,
dammit!"

Chi pulled her glasses closer to her face and put on her teacher look.  Her
look seemed to say, "The doctor is in, take a seat and unburden your soul."

"That's just my problem, Chi.  I've never seen him in that way at all."

She leaned back against the tree and looked heavenward, as if beseeching
someone to help.  She looked down at her friend and smiled a long smile.  "That
almost sounded convincing."

"Chi!  Really!  I've never.."

She held up a hand and Yohko bit her lip.  "Yohko.  Please.  You and I both
know you'll never have a chance with that other guy.  You wanted my advice. 
Here it is.  Start chasing someone you know will respond."

Yohko looked away.  Tears were starting to form.  "I know you're right."  She
let him kiss her before she fell under the spell.  Everything turned out all
right in the end.  No one got hurt.  But now she and Osamu were growing up
because of it.  That hurt even more.

Chi smiled reassuringly at her.  She said, "You needn't worry about anything. 
He won't try anything without your permission.  He's too much of a coward for
anything else.  That's what makes him safe."

Yohko smiled and wiped her eyes.  "How do you know so much about him?"

Chigusa laughed.  She wouldn't tell her.  

------------------------
When Osamu woke he could smell the earth under his feet.  White blocks of light
swam in front of his vision as the room he was in came into focus.  He appeared
to be in a large basement.  The walls were concrete and the windows were
smashed.  The last light of day filtered inside.

He was lashed to a support poll and his back ached.  Then that smell hit him
and he suddenly wasn't alone anymore.  

Osamu suddenly thought he was in Hell.  It could be the only explanation for
what stood before him.  It was solid for it cast a shadow.

He was looking at himself.  Identical down to the stubble of facial hair.  Deep
black pits stared out from the doppleganger's face.  It studied him for a
moment and then threw back his head and laughed.  Osamu prayed he would never
hear the sound again.

This was the demon who possessed him before.  How it was able to walk around
without the aid of a body?

"Miss me?" It asked.

Osamu thrashed against his bonds.  He wanted to set this thing on fire.  He
wanted to kill it in the worst way.  "I haven't missed you," said Osamu.  "Cut
me loose and we'll chat some more."

The doppleganger cracked a smile.  "I have someone to kill first.  I'll cut you
loose after I've done so.  I want you to see what I'll do to her."

"Touch her and I'll kill you," Osamu hissed.

The doppleganger backed away and said, "Think of it this way, my friend. 
You'll finally get to have her.  Everything I do to her you'll be able to
feel."

Osamu turned chalk white and thrashed some more.  It was suddenly gone.  Osamu
screamed.  "Oh, Yohko!  Forgive me."

------------------------
Mom and Grandma were out for the evening.  Chigusa had just gone home.  Yohko
had just put away the TV remote when there was a knock at the door.

She opened the door and Osamu stood there.  Almost immediately the room felt
deathly cold.  Yohko unconciously fingered the ring on her finger.  She smiled
for Osamu and let him inside.

He was across the room and at her throat faster than than she could see.  Her
body slammed into the coat closet door so hard she couldn't breathe.  "Hello,
lover!" it said.

Mentally she cursed herself.  The demon had him again.  And Grandma couldn't
help her now.  

She broke his hold and shoved with all her might.  Then she dropped to her
knees and delivered a punch to his groin.  It howled and fell backward.  

Yohko scrambled away and dropped into a fighting stance.  "Come, demon.  Let go
of him.  Let's dance!"

It laughed and Yohko shuddered.  "I like it here."  It feinted then attacked. 
Yohko countered and then flipped away onto the stairs.  The demon mounted the
bottom of the steps and Yohko vaulted the railing, kicking it in the chest on
the way down.  She crossed the foyer and leaped outside.

---------------------------
Osamu felt the demon tussle with Yohko and took a deep breath.  He managed to
work one hand free before coming up short.  He knew what he needed to do to
free himself and it scared him.  

He wrenched as hard and as fast as he could before he lost his nerve.  He could
hear and feel the pop and he screamed.  

His trick worked.  The dislocated shoulder provided the necessary slack to get
him out.  He managed not to fall on it.  

Then, ignoring the pain, he scrambled up the stairs.  
-------------------------
Yohko was getting tired.  No matter how many blows she landed, the demon
wouldn't let go.  If she touched the demon with the soul sword it would kill
Osamu.  She couldn't let that happen.  She had to get it out of him first.
------------------------------------
Osamu made one stop on the way to Yohko's house.  He stopped in front of
Chigusa's house and banged on the door until his knuckles bled.

Seeing Osamu Chi cried out in horror.  "What the hell happened to you?"

"Never mind that.  Yohko's in trouble.  I need your Dad's gun.  Now!"

Any other person and Chi would've said he was crazy.  But this was Osamu.  "All
right.  Wait here."  She disappeared for a moment and came back with a colt 45
and a full clip.  She slammed it home and racked it.  

Osamu took it and Chi came out and slammed the door in one motion.  Osamu
didn't argue.

------------------------
Yohko's face was bleeding from the nose and mouth.  But Osamu's double looked
even worse.  He had one broken wrist and a dislocated jaw.

"Soul Sword!" cried Yohko.  "To me!"  The sword ripped into place and fell into
her outstretched hand.  Tears sprung up in her eyes as she did so.  "Forgive
me, Osamu!"  She swept the sword in an arc and cut Osamu under the ribs.

At that moment Osamu and Chi appeared around the corner.  Yohko turned to look
and was struck across the jaw.  

Chi went to Yohko and helped her sit up.  Yohko watched what happened next in
mute horror.  Osamu leveled the gun at the other Osamu.  The sword hung limply
from its gut.  Osamu pulled the trigger and the face disappeared in a puff of
red mist.  

Osamu advanced on it and pumped round after round into its face and neck.  He
seemed to be screaming.  Yohko could occasionally hear the words, "Get out of
my life."

The thing crumpled to the ground and turned to black goo.  Soon that too was
gone.

Osamu limply held the gun and then trudged over to Chi and Yohko.  Osamu
dropped to his knees in front of them.  He was crying.  "Forgive me, Yohko. 
It's all my fault."  The gun dropped into the grass and Osamu knelt so far his
face was in front of her lap.  He was sobbing now.

Yohko looked at the sword in her hand and willed it away.  She couldn't see
because of the tears.  "I was ready to kill you to save you.  And for a moment
I thought I did."  She leaned forward and forced him to sit up.  "I'm glad I
didn't," she said, looking him full in the face.

  
"I love you, Yohko."

That left the air out of everything.  The last time he said this, she'd
believed him.  That had been under the demon's influence.  Since then, she'd
shrugged it off.  Now it couldn't be denied.

"I know," she whispered.  "I know."  She touched his face and then kissed his
cheek. A promise was made even though it was unspoken.  Two people who would
protect one another, even if sometimes it was from themselves.