A/N: A special thank you to all of you who are still out there supporting this story. You have no idea what your love and support means to me. Your loyalty is something that continues to deeply humble me, and something that I truly cherish. Thank you.
"When (the Lamb) broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature cry out, "Come forward." I looked, and there was a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades accompanied him."
-Revelation 6:7-8
Trailing behind the sultry, gothic succubus, Yuki continued to view this strange woman in silent contemplation. His amethyst gaze couldn't avoid drinking in her unabashed, shameless attire that left little to one's imagination. Long, sinfully provocative legs came clad in dramatic, black, thigh-high stiletto heels. A skin-tight black leather mini skirt wrapped itself around the woman's waist...just long enough to barely cover her shapely back-end which was further accentuated by the gun strapped to the small of her back by a leather studded belt. And what he could see of her corset through her straight, waist-length raven hair was barely laced together to expose her spine which came decorated in intricate Japanese calligraphy. Through the pendulum swing of her hair, Yuki could make the details of the script running down the length of her spine; the kanji coming to form the words 'Chaos, War, Revolution, Peace.' And he began to wonder what these words had meant to this woman, and what type of person she had been in life. Haru's words continued to resonate through the depths of Yuki's mind.
'I depend on her to keep me out of Hell. Or send me there herself.'
These words. These words had held something so much deeper and more significant than love and adoration for this woman. They seemed to convey a reliance upon her build on the foundations of absolute and unconditional trust. An unshakable trust only forged in the very fires of Hell itself...between two people who had bared witness to evil in its truest forms, and had pulled each other through to the other side.
A bond. One Yuki thought he'd had...once. One he had believed to be absolutely indestructible. Funny how a single act of betrayal could so easily tear that bond down to its very foundation and reduce it into the rubble of smoke, ash, and bitter resentment.
One single act of betrayal... Yuki doubted that he had the resolve to seek out that bond again. To trust. And as voluptuous hips swayed in time and rhythm to the dance of Isuzu's stiletto boots, Yuki found his heart begin to harden against Haru's words and this notion of trust. And his gaze drifted to the floor with the heavy bitterness of his heart.
It didn't matter to Yuki that his new partner didn't care enough to look into the significance of the ancient artifact that had been discovered and brought back from the world of the living. He knew without a doubt that Akito had been up to something when the two of them had brought down that Yakuza drug ring. Only one of many they had managed to find and disassemble during their partnership on the Kyoto task force. One too many for its discovery to have merely been coincidence. And yet again...Akito's final words whispered through the depths of Yuki's mind.
'You know...you've always been just a little too nosy for your own damn good...'
No...it was no coincidence that Akito had simply 'stumbled' upon the abandoned warehouse stronghold. Akito was far too smart for that, and Yuki could see now that Akito's hunt had most likely been intentional in its focus. But why? And...for what? What had he been looking for?
Yuki sensed that the artifact he had seen on the day of his death...and the identical ancient tablet that had been collected from the hands of a demon by Shigure...were significant puzzle pieces that he hoped would lead him to some much needed answers. And if Providence had seen fit to utilize his talents in life in order to gather intelligence and information from the great beyond...then that was exactly what Yuki would do.
With...or without his new partner's support.
As Yuki sensed the woman slow to a stop, his amethyst gaze lifted up from the floor and out of his dark musing to once again take notice of the souls around him. Coming to stand at yet another bland desk filled with a myriad of files and reports, Yuki absorbed the odd sense of normalcy as he watched the two men converse casually with one another...without the threat or actual use of violence... And as the woman disturbed this peaceable conversation rich, warm, soft brown eyes drifted towards her voice.
"Shigure..." This name came lowly murmured from the woman's lips as a playful smile began to spread and grow along the man's lips as he sat at his desk.
" Ah, Isuzu!" The man chirped happily, his warm gaze dancing under the woman's attention. "Mon cher! What brings you to see me? Finally thinking about leaving Haru for an older man?" His voice came shamelessly flirtatious as he managed to pair his winning smile with the arch of his brow.
"Spare me your silver tongue, you lecherous dog...before I rip it from your mouth and shove it down your throat..." And Yuki watched as the man seemed almost undaunted in his efforts in the face of this threat.
"You wound me, Isuzu." The man placed his hand along his heart, feigning a dismal expression as an exasperated sigh forced its way from the man standing beside him that he had been speaking with moments before. "Here you come all the way just to look for me, only to tease me with the promise of such sweet torture from your fingertips."
"Shigure..." The man standing near the desk finally murmured through his disapproval of the conversation. " Isuzu is an A-Class soul. She as full authority from Providence to dispatch you at any point she sees fit." The man continued in monotone, his words as blunt as they were cold. "It's unwise to antagonize her."
"Ha'ri..." Shigure's voice came smooth and unaffected in his chastisement of the man. "...if there's one thing I don't need it's your 'it's-unwise-to-antagonize-her' attitude."
"Please give me a reason to shoot you." The man muttered, his expression one of stone as he stared Shigure down where he sat.
"Now that's just hurtful, Ha'ri." Shigure murmured, having momentarily forgotten the woman's presence. "You're still just getting to know me, partner. I promise you'll like me a lot more once you do."
"I find that highly unlikely..." The man spoke lowly before his cold gaze drifted away in mild contempt.
"Just keep in mind that if my contract is revoked, then it will be you who has to go before Providence and Uotani with an explanation. I very much doubt I'm worth the paperwork or headache." Warm, soft brown eyes shown with a mischievous light as his smile widened. "It's better just to be my friend." And another huff of disapproval manifested from the man standing next to the desk.
"Why would Uo be concerned over his contract...?" Yuki whispered discreetly to the woman next to him, inadvertently gaining that soft warm gaze.
"And who are you?" Shigure murmured through his smile, his eyes burrowing deeply into Yuki, moving him to stillness under that penetrating gaze.
"This is the probie working with Kyo." The woman murmured on Yuki's behalf, leaving him to choke on the response he might have given had he not been silenced, and a sharp snort of amusement pushed itself from Shigure's body as he began to laugh.
"Kyo's new partner? No way?!" Shigure barked through his amusement. "Uotani's idea?" And the woman simply offered a silent not of concession before warm brown eyes drifted towards Yuki once more. "How's that working out for you?" The man's smile widened with this question, causing Yuki's expression to furrow in discontent.
"It's working out great..." Yuki deadpanned in the face of this man's amusement, and he finally understood why Kyo had been so reluctant to seek this man's advice.
"To answer your question...why Uotani would have special interest in my contact with Providence." The man murmured, his fingers coming to trail along his chin in thoughtful contemplation. "I assume you've already met our delightful little friend, Hastuharu?" He questioned, and Yuki gave a slow, somewhat confused nod. "Well...besides Haru and Kureno, who's sadly no longer with us..." Shigure spoke lowly, his soft brown gaze coming mischievous under his growing smirk. "I'm the only other S-Class Berserker currently on the side of Providence." And his eyes shown with something like malicious intent, dangerously warring with the more jovial and playful nature as he continued. "We're the souls least often recruited by Providence...and who's contracts are most often revoked." The grin turned completely playful as Shigure finally averted his attention back to the woman next to Yuki. "Usually revoked by our own partners. Isn't that about right, mon chéri?" Shigure's tone came inappropriately suggestive with the waggle of his eyebrows as a scowl of complete disdain etched itself along the woman's exotic features.
"We didn't come here to listen to your self-important rhetoric!" Isuzu snapped in frustration as the man began to chuckle under her fury.
"Then what is it you need from me, my love? The flame of my heart. My flower. The source of my longing and desire. The burning ache in my-" In the breath of a heartbeat Shigure's words were silenced as the woman retrieved the strange sidearm from the small of her back, closing the distance to press the gun to Shigure's forehead as a low hiss ripped itself from her body.
"Keep running your mouth, dog..." Her voice came but a brutal whisper as the gun remained poised along Shigure's forehead, the man standing at his desk coming strangely unmoved in his partner's defense. "...I know Hell will gladly embrace you." And with the flash of a smile and impish chortle of laughter, Shigure finally threw his hands up in defeat and surrender to this woman's rage.
"Okay." Shigure chuckled. "I'll play nice. Honestly." His smile softened as the gun finally drifted away from his head, his gaze peering into the woman as his words came laced with a level of sobering seriousness. "How exactly can I help you, Isuzu?" This question came murmured with a lack of playfulness as the woman gave a resounding huff of irritation.
"The probie needs to ask you about the artifact you came in with. He thinks it might be of some importance..." And Yuki didn't miss the tone of incredulity along the woman's tongue before her dark gaze drifted to Yuki, the attention of the group now falling upon him.
"It's..." Yuki stammered under the weight of the eyes upon him. "I just...I saw something that looked almost exactly like a piece of that tablet you found..." He murmured, his voice growing faint through the constant memories waging war in his mind. "...just before I died..." His gaze met that of soft brown as the man stared at him intently, his expression unreadable as he listened. "I was hoping you could tell me what you know about the fragment you found."
"Well..." Shigure's tone and expression came in earnest consideration as he mulled over this request. "Lucky for you, I just so happen to know a little something about that artifact." His voice delved just a little lower, drawing Yuki in as he listened. "I was in academia once. A writer and researcher. History, mostly." A strange little smile twisted the corner of his lips at this memory. "Though academics never paid as well as my little side projects." His voice came laced with a hint of amusement. "Too bad it all had to end so soon with a simple dispute. There were so many romantic tails I had left unwritten." The man lamented almost comically. "But my editor didn't appreciate my...methods...of research for these particular novels." The smile along his lips lingered with these memories as he continued to indulge himself in his new audience. "You know...I never fully understood the phrase 'hell hath no furry like a woman scorned' until my editor walked in on me screwing another woman." Shigure's soft warm gaze met Yuki's once more as he continued. "Being stabbed over forty seven times allows a man to really reflect over his life as it ends." And those soft brown eyes didn't miss the look of shock along Yuki's face as that smile swept further along his lips. "Believe me..." His voice murmured softly to Yuki now. "...that hateful bitch gave me exactly what I deserved." And with this he gave another comically doleful sigh. "It's just a shame that I didn't survive that little domestic spat." A smile twitched along his lips as he finished. "It would have made one hell of a story."
"You had better be making your point..." The woman to Yuki's side muttered darkly as Shigure simply flashed her a debonair smile in response.
"But of course, dearest!" Shigure chirped happily, his smile turning cheeky before his gaze drifted towards Yuki once more.
"How much do you know about Revelations?" He questioned seriously.
"Revelations?" Yuki asked, his expression gently shaped in confusion with the small shake of his head.
"The foretelling of the end of the world." Shigure clarified. "The four horsemen of the apocalypse." He murmured lightly, coming entranced in his own words. "The tabled I found held a small part of this myth. Of the fourth rider, mostly. It spoke of Death, and his annihilation of the world, from what little I could make of it." And those warm brown eyes peered into Yuki as the man fell into silence.
"Why would a demon be interested in something like that?" Yuki whispered with the gentle furrow of his brow.
"Hm... Why would a demon be interested in the destruction of the world...?" Shigure almost scoffed as Yuki's furrow deepened into a scowl of discontent at the man's mocking.
"So this demon wanted to destroy the world? With this fragment?" And at this Shigure let out a small snort of laughter before sobering himself in the face of this question.
"Honestly...?" Shigure asked softly, that same gaze intently questioning Yuki. "Demons tend to be sentimental bastards." He mused to himself somberly. "I imagine that the demon I apprehended was holding onto that thing as a momento. A keepsake." The man offered this opinion with a shrug of dismissal. "If I were you, kid, I wouldn't put a whole lot of stalk into a myth like this. It's probably nothing."
But this didn't set at all well with Yuki. Not one bit. Because...in the ten years that he had known the man, Yuki knew one thing for certain about his treacherous partner. Akito would have never wasted his time and risked his life over something that was worthless to him. The piece of tablet Shigure had found might have held only sentimental value to the demon. But Yuki remained convinced that if something like these fragments sparked Akito's interest...they were anything but meaningless.
"No..." Yuki whispered to himself, catching the attention of the man sitting at his desk. "It's not 'nothing'." He murmured, his amethyst gaze drifting to meet soft brown. "Akito wouldn't want something like this if it was 'nothing'."
"Akito?" Shigure murmured lightly, his interest peeked, and the woman to Yuki's side gave him a subtle glance that spoke volumes...cautioning him against speaking further to this man.
"You have your answers, probie..." She murmured lightly to him. "We need to go now." And a small nod of concession followed the movements of Yuki's body as he dutifully trailed after the woman.
As they walked in silence, Yuki thought over this woman's actions. How she had silenced him into saying anything further about his partner. And Yuki couldn't help but wonder why...
"...you don't trust him..." Yuki murmured softly as they walked in tandem.
"No." The woman deadpanned bluntly. "And it's best if you don't, either."
A/N: For a moment I thought about apologizing for the lateness of this chapter. Only for a moment...until I remembered that it is, in fact, completely someone else's fault. Always. And this time...I blame Fandom Angst. I know, I know, you are all probably thinking '...but...you are doing this story FOR Fandom Angst.' And you would all be right. But that doesn't change the fact that it is their fault.
And on another note pertaining to the quote above. When I searched for it, I found it a little odd that the description of the horse was not just 'pale' but 'pale green.' When I looked further, there was a specific note on this description. And I found out that this specificity of pale green was intentionally pointing to the color of death and decay.
