hello readers...I have been MIA for awhile...too much going on in my life recently.. I recently got crazy obsessed with this series again. I do want to say, updating frequently as I would like may not happen. I want to try and follow this original story line, some things may change but because I'm starting so close to more recent chapters...yeah. But it'll also give me much more freedom to make each chapter longer and more interesting. thanks for reading. I apologize in advance...but this chapter is a prelude...an will be short. enjoy~

A key. Rose gold in colour, that never seemed to tarnish or fade. Some might say it had value above any other- and it did...but only could it be used by its creator. To a human, it could bring forth there greatest wants, or it could be their greatest downfall.

"Kirigakure-san, I would really appreciate it if you would pay attention to me when I'm trying to have a conversation with you."

In a daze, beer in hand, Shura gave him a confused and pouty look.

"Hmm...? What exactly was it you were saying, Yukio?"

His hands slowly balled up into annoyed fists, as his eyebrow twitched, at her lackadaisical response.

She smiles childishly at him, give him a smartass kind of apology, when she noticed her phone vibrating in her pants pocket. Tilting her can back, gulping down the rest of her drink, before digging it out to see what was so important.

'hello'

Her eyes narrowed slightly at such a vague message, but there was only one person she knew that did something like that.

With a lazy stretch of her arms and legs, Shura got up from her spot on the ground, before turning to the kid.

"Well, I'll see see ya later, Yukio. There's somethin' I gotta take care of."

Outside Mephisto's city, a quiet person stood, just a breath away from the barrier. A bare hand, with long nails, touched the invisible hold around the city. Experimenting. Wondering. Curious. The complexity of why it was used for such a place was interesting enough, but...maybe...

It crackled, at his curious touch, wavering ever so slightly, as he managed to get his hand through.

'How interesting...'

And if that was the case...

A hand. Arm.

"Shit...that burns!!"

Torso. Leg.

His body started to deteriorate at every single moment the barrier touched his skin. Human skin...

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?! Are you an idiot?!"

He turned to the familiar voice, with a shine in his eyes- retracting his torn apart limbs with ease.

"Little Shura...How have you been? It feels like years have gone by."

Arms folded angrily across her scantily clad chest, and a frown on her face- walking towards the idiot trying to 'break in' to True Cross.

"Cut the crap, why are you here of all places?"

Pondering the moment, mockingly, he looked down at the flesh regenerating back on his body. Good as new.

"Mm..I had not much else to do..I've heard some interesting things about this place recently...and from you some years back. That's all."

They may have been friends...if the term, 'friends', was used loosely enough. Acquaintances, was more like it. But this wasn't exactly the place for 'someone' the likes of him.

She sighed, leaning against the stone wall behind her. Knowing well, he wouldn't listen, even if she deterred him...it would just make him all the more curious.

"I don't have long, so I'm gonna say this... what you just did...that barrier... He's going to track you down."

"Oh...hmm...Faust or something? Thats fine, I kind of always found it odd...that he..." His voice trailed off darkly, almost as if he had noticed something.

"...what's that? "

"Oh..nothing."

"That 'body' of yours won't be able to hold up completely going through it."

"Let me worry about that..."

He definitely sensed something before...coming in their direction. More specifically, his.

"It looks like our time together is done. I will see you again."

She's watched him tear his body apart, forcing himself through Mephisto's barrier; before with just a small flick of his wrist, he disappeared behind a door.

His black abyss. His alone. So quiet, it was ominous, and just the way he liked it.

Laying there looking down at the muscle exposed on the hands of his human body, he cringed. Not out of pain, more of annoyance with himself ignoring the consequences of his actions.

Healing was never really a problem...ever. Not in the last few hundred years. But the barrier was more than just strong.. Nevertheless... it wasn't enough to kill someone like him.

Timeskip~

After what seemed like a horrendous amount of time...

"Ah! Humans make sure cute things!"

Snowy white hair, blew in the breeze, with a scarf in tow. Shopping bags full of ridiculous amounts of things, almost overweighing it's new owner carrying them.

"I'm starting to remember why I liked this country ."

"Hey."

The shadow of a figure covered the form sitting on a bench, next to their things.

"hmm...? Oh! Little Shura! So nice to see you. How are things?"

In truth she didn't have much reason besides wanting to take a break from those brats in the cram school for awhile.

"Why are you still here?"

"Hm..? I wonder..."

"Also...what's with that face?"

"This..? But it's my 'real' face..~"

Shura gave her friend an unreadable expression. She was not impressed, or buying whatever shit was pouring from Vass' mouth.

"I guess I can tell you a little something...See, awhile back...years ago, I had a vision...the bastard child of Satan.."

'Rin..'

Shura's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. And noticing that small and very subtle change in her demeanor, meant she had to know something.

"Oh...so you know of him?"

"That's none of your business Vass."

"Why?"

"We may be friends...but if you kill anyone...I will not hesitate to kill you."

An ominous smile played at Vass' lips.

"My...oh, my..Little Shura. You know that I bear no ill will to the child...though I do love the thought of it~"

Watching Shura walk away, annoyed...well almost more annoyed than before she got there, a memory resurfaced.

'She doesn't have much time left...and yet...'

Another dark smile surfaced.

'Humans are so ... interesting...'

The two Okumura brothers had been called into the Headmasters...office. Again. It was never really a good thing when it happened. Never...especially with everything that had happened recently...

Yukio was already standing in front of Mephisto's desk, when Rin walked in through the door with a surprised look on his face.

"Yukio?"

Yukio looked sternly over his shoulder at his brother, as he stood in the doorway.

"'Rin...come here."

Standing with his brother in front of the elder demon, waiting for whatever ridiculous...because more often than not, it was something ridiculous, answer as to why they had both been called there.

"Miss Kirigakure has been missing since yesterday."

"Shura?"

"Do you have any idea where she is?"

"No."

They replied in unison.

"Oh! Well I do~"Annoyed at the nonchalant response, Rin decided to shout back.

"Then why did youcall us?!"

The demons eyes narrowed before he spoke again.

"Because...I want you to go to Aomori to find her!"

~...Shura...~

'Even when I was younger...all I wanted to do was leave as soon as possible... Even when it's not winter, the mountains and water freeze over...'

Cold, sparkling white, tundra crunched under the soles of her boots with every step she took.

"Tch...I hate the snow."