Author's Note: Hmm, I don't know if I'm too pleased in how this is turning out so far...But I'll keep writing when I have time for nows, and we'll see how things turn out. Sounds like a plan.


The next day, at around five o'clock, Ren hurried to Faust's side with a request. He had considered it for a while, and he had finally decided that spending a little time with the intruiging blue-haired boy wouldn't hurt.

"Doctor?" he inquired hopefully. "May I be excused for the day?"

Faust looked up from the medical papers he was filling out at the moment, setting his pen down. He rubbed his temples before answering, "What for?"

Ren hesitated before answering, "It's just that I...I was invited somewhere..."

Faust blinked. His subordinate medic had a short temper, so he was surprised he had been invited anywhere. But he did seem lonely all the time. And it wasn't as if he was trying to skive off on his medical duties or anything like that. In fact, despite his hemophobia, Faust did notice that Ren worked particularly hard.

"Tao, you do realize that we're filling up quickly with patients."

Ren looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Doctor. I won't mention it again-"

"Hold on there, Tao," Faust continued, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't say 'no,' did I?"

"I don't believe you did."

Faust smiled his usual tired smile before answering, "Go ahead. I'll finish things up by myself, you go and enjoy yourself for once, alright? Have fun, and see you tomorrow morning, Tao."

Ren blinked in surprise, scarcely believing his ears. "I will, Doctor," he answered, bowing, but concealing the elation that suddenly began to swell within him. "Thank you." With that, he hurried off, untying his apron and hanging it up on its respective rack before leaving the clinic for his apartment.

Once he had arrived in his apartment, Ren glanced at the clock Half past five. Hurriedly, he searched through his closet, selecting a nice pair of black pants and a navy blue coat. After dressing himself and running a comb quickly through his inky hair, he took a final survey in the mirror. It would have to do.

He left his apartment at a quarter 'til six, leaving hismelf ample time to make his way from his dwellings to the waterfront. The chill of dusk was already beginning to set around the area, and he pulled his coat tightly around himself, continuing on at a brisk pace.

Ren arrived at his destination at a minute past six, surprised to see a few figures silhouetted against the rapidly setting sun already there. One he recognized instantly by the all-too-familiar blue hair and obsidian eyes. Swallowing nervously, he wondered how he should act around these people - He had never really had the chance to improve his social life in between the busy hours in the clinic.

"Erm, Horo-"

"Hey, sweetheart, glad you could make it," Horohoro called out cheerfully as Ren cautiously approached the group. Taking his hand, Horohoro gently pulled Ren into the group.

"Ren, let me introduce my pals, alright? Here we go...Asakura Yoh, Lyserg Diethel, and Chocolove McDaniel. All of you, meet Tao Ren. Works at the clinic, he does."

Much to Ren's relief, the group greeted him in what seemed to be a pleased fashion, each of them shaking his hand vigorously and announcing how good it was to meet him, and so on and so forth. So this was what it was like to make friends...?

"Where're your folks?" the chestnut-haired boy, Yoh asked.

Ren hesitated, reluctant to answer. "They no longer have anything to do with me," he answered plainly.

"That's alright, I haven't seen mine in ages." Yoh answered in a carefree tone. "If you haven't got folks, then we're your family."

"Mine're dead," the green-haired boy chimed in, "If that makes you feel any better."

"Mine are long gone," Chocolove, the peculiar boy, offered.

"My parents are dead, too," Horhoro finally said, cheerfully putting an arm around Ren. "Don't you worry, sweetheart, we're all each other's family now, alright?"

Ren drew away from Horohoro's touch, uncertain whether or not he could trust him, or any of these people, for that matter. They hadn't met too long ago, and yet, they were so friendly and kind to him that he was starting to think that it was highly unlikely they really did care about him at all. It all seemed to unreal.

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing," Ren answered quickly, shaking his head. "I was just...thinking."

The dark descended upon the group shortly, enveloping the whole area in a peaceful, calm, tranquil silence. It felt nice, Ren noted to himself, to, for once, be able to sit there and not have to force himself to look at blood, to not have to worry about stress and panic and responsibility. He glanced at the others, all of whom also seemed to be savoring the precious silence. And, for some reason, everything seemed right with the world.

"Hey, sweetheart," Horohoro whispered, leaning closer to Ren and causally placing an arm around his shoulders. "Wanna look up?"

Ren gave him a look of confusion, but he looked up anyway, into the sky. To his surprise, the darkness seemed to be decorated with thousands of little lights, the stars that hung in the sky, seeming to be within reach, but yet, so far away.

"Pretty, huh?"

Ren had to agree.

Horohoro grinned, leaning slightly closer, before adding, "But nowhere near as pretty as you."

At this, a mad blush began to crawl across Ren's cheeks, and he turned away to hide this from the Ainu, who laughed, insisting, "Don't be shy about it, it's the truth."

As Ren's eyes drifted back up towards the sky, a streak of pale light flickered across the dark canvas of the night. A shooting star. It felt silly, but anyway, just to himself, Ren mentally made the wish that this moment would last forever.

Though he knew that nothing lasts forever.

And he who stands amongst the flames watched the group from afar, reading absently through their thoughts, a smile across his sinister face, silently acknowledging this.

"How right you are, Tao Ren. Nothing lasts forever...especially the lives of yourself and all those beside you."


Author's Note: Yeah, I'm going to give something away, so if you don't want any spoilers, don't read the next couple sentences.

Anyways, I was kind of worried that I made it a little to vague that the figure watching them is Hao, hence the part about the flames...Just making that a little clearer for you all. Thanks.