Sinking into his usual seat, Jianyi marveled at how eerily quiet the laboratory was this morning. He flicked on the computer monitor, watching as the screen crackled to life, casting the only silvery-blue light into the dark room. His youkai assistant was still asleep in the corner, the metallic wires and head plates glinting in the faint glare of the screen. A whining hum filled the still air as the hard drive booted itself to life, still not having completely cooled down from its marathon usage only a few hours before. Jianyi leaned back in his cozy chair, reveling in the absolute quiet and the odd sense of freedom that came with it. Here in the dark, he could confess anything, do anything, be anything, with only the shadows to bear witness. It was the darkness that people entrusted their deepest secrets to, liberated from the scrutiny of others, freed by the sense that there were no walls or limits; just infinite black that faded into nothing, awaiting the guilty pleas of the world. The ultimate closet full of skeletons.

With a smug grin creasing his lips, Jianyi's dark eyes slid over to the stuffed rabbit sitting beside the monitor.

"Do you think it's because no one's awake this morning?" he mused. "Or is it that they are awake, and don't want to admit it?"

The bunny stared back with that curly smile and beady little eyes that were too small for its round head. The scientist let out a theatrical sigh.

"It's so boring around here. But that's what happens when everything goes 'according to plan.' Because without the occasional stumbling block, life becomes tedious and dull. And, to top it all off, lady Gyokumen has been in such a foul mood lately. Pity."

The stuffed toy watched lifelessly as Jianyi pulled a cigarette from his lab coat and lit it, the soft click of the lighter seeming to echo for miles in the vast darkness of the room. After the first lungful of sweet nicotine, Jianyi deviously eyed the rabbit, the dark thoughts in his mind reflected in the lenses of his glasses.

"So…"

He gently reached for the stuffed animal, holding it delicately as though it were made of glass instead of cotton. "What shall we do today?"

He took the cigarette from his lips and pressed the smoldering tip into the bunny's forehead, just between the eyes. Pleased with himself, Jianyi set the toy back on the desk and grinned at his makeshift black chakra.


Dokugakuji buried his face in his massive hands in an effort to hide his tormented expression from the world. He had come here to the outdoor balcony in hopes that fresh air and watching the dawning sun would help to calm his racing mind. Instead, he'd discovered that there was no way to escape the troubled thoughts that plagued him night and day. Unlike every other foe he had ever faced, he could neither defeat nor flee from himself and it was beginning to take its toll. He rarely ate and hardly ever slept these days, consumed by the onslaught of questions that swirled around in his head; what had they done with Kougaiji? Would he be all right? What was Gyokumen planning now? Why had Ni's team chosen to act now? What if they—

"Here." He peeked between his fingers. Someone had set down a cup of steaming tea on the table. "It'll help."

Of course it will. Doku let his hands slip away from his face and gratefully grabbed the small cup, sparing Yaone a muted grin. There wasn't an ailment out there that Yaone couldn't cure, even when the illness had nothing to do with the body.

"What's it supposed to do?" he asked.

She sat down across from him, resting her chin in a cupped hand. "It calms the nervous system. Should help you to relax."

Peering down into the tea, Doku closed his eyes and grinned. "Thanks, Yaone." The golden-orange of the sunrise cast an electrifying light on her deep violet hair, making her big, amber eyes stand out even more, if that was possible. "How are you holding up?"

She shrugged. "I've been better. I wish they would let me see Lady Lirin. Just so I could know she's all right."

"I'm sure she is. She's Lady Koushou's daughter, after all."

Yaone snorted. "That doesn't mean much. All that woman thinks about is Gyumaoh and reviving Gyumaoh and obtaining the scriptures for Gyumaoh. She'd probably eat Lirin if the experiments called for it." Doku winced. "Well, it's true!"

Whatever Yaone said after that was lost to Doku, though he thought he heard her mutter something that rhymed with "witch."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…it's all so confusing," Doku mumbled and kept his gaze in the depths of his tea, away from his comrade's pitiful eyes. "I mean, I know we're supposed to help Kou but…what if Kou isn't Kou anymore? If they've made him a slave to Lady Koushou, then where does that leave us?"

Yaone's eyes fell to the tabletop and her voice was barely a whisper. "We become expendable."

"I agree with you, Yaone. I don't want to become just another mindless minion of theirs. Not Ni's, not Koushou, not anyone. I'm here for Kougaiji."

"And what did Lord Kougaiji want us to do?" Those droplets of amber hardened into fierce stones. "If he were still with us, he'd try to find a way to revive his mother. He'd keep us all together as a team and he'd track down the other scriptures. Wouldn't he?"

Doku nodded, feeling like a small child in school. "But Yaone—"

"He'll come back to us." Doku froze. Her voice was trembling. "He has to come back to us. Lord Kougaiji would never abandon us like this. And I refuse to abandon him."

The silence that engulfed the air was oppressive, weighing down on them both like an iron cloak. Doku ran a hand over his face again. How was it possible that such things like words and thoughts and silence could be so debilitating?

The stomping of boots brought his attention back to the terrestrial realm. Looking down the ramp that led up to the balcony, he saw a small squad of six or so men marching towards them, faces as blank as if they were carved from stone. He exchanged a quick glance with Yaone and they both stood.

"Can we help you gentlemen?" Whatever wavering had been in her tone earlier had vanished completely, replaced by a venomous sting that clipped her words.

The leader of the group motioned for the others to continue forward. "Forgive the intrusion, but Dr. Ni has requested your presence."

Doku saw one of the guards raise a fist. "Hey! Wait!"

Before either of them had time to react, the detachment had swarmed the alchemist, subduing her with a few well-placed punches before tying her hands in a strangely beautiful tape.

"Bastards!" Doku hissed. "What the hell is all this about? All you had to do was ask!"

Yaone looked up at her friend with calm eyes, blood dripping from the corner of her lips. "It's all right, Dokugakuji. Knowing Ni, it's just another one of his games."

Doku frowned, his giant hands clenched into fists. "And how the hell does that make it 'all right?'"

The men ushered her away with newfound urgency, leaving Doku to answer his own question as he watched the violet tails of her hair blow in the wind until she faded from view


A/N: Ah, this is going to be fun ^_^ I personally enjoy writing out Ni's contemplative moments. They're so profound, it's a challenge to describe what goes on inside that man's head with only as many words are allowed in a cohesive sentence.

Hope you enjoy! More to come! =)