Kiseki no Hoshi
Teil Eins: Der Krieg von Tränen

Kapitel 12: Genesung
As the sun shone down on her back, Sakura wandered through the park. It was such a lovely day, but she found that she was unable to enjoy it. It had only been two days since that fateful talk with Aya. The bruise had almost completely faded away, but it was still there. She could barely stand to look at her own reflection until that bruise was gone forever.

She sat down on the wooden bench and gazed up at the clear blue sky. Aya-san… she thought, touching her brown hair. How would you see me if I grew my hair out?

"Anyone sitting here?" asked a friendly male voice next to Sakura.

Sakura jumped at the sound of the voice. "Sekai-san!" she exclaimed, moving over to the other side of the bench, away from Kage.

Kage laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kidnap you this time," he explained, sitting down on the opposite end of the bench. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Oh, and, you don't have to call me Sekai-san. Just Kage is fine, or Kage-kun if you really need to be polite."

Sakura was still nervous. She then noticed that, since Kage was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, there was a long, shallow cut on his right arm. "Kage-kun, your arm…"

Kage hastily covered the cut with his left hand. "Um, it's nothing," he lied. "Anyway, how's that redhead doing? What was his name?"

"Fujimiya Aya," Sakura answered. "He's okay now…"

Kage could tell that the girl did not want to carry the conversation any further. "So have you decided to take my suggestion?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sakura confessed. "Even if I did grow my hair out long, I don't think Aya-san will notice me…" She quickly covered her mouth, realizing what she just said.

"So Fujimiya's your crush?" Kage figured, his gray eyes filled with amusement. "You know, I could kinda tell by how you were reacting to when he was being tortured."

Sakura remained silent. She appeared rather depressed.

She's not comfortable with this, Kage noticed. "Is something wrong?" he wondered, laying his hand on Sakura's head. "You're not comfortable with talking about Fujimiya, are you?"

Sakura shook her head in response. "It's just that he doesn't see me in the way I want him to," she admitted. "I mean, I know I'm six years younger than him, but still…"

"Sakura," Kage said gently. "Talk to him. You don't have to tell him how you feel. Just try to make conversation with him."

"Kage-kun…I feel like there's some really big gap between us," Sakura continued. "That's why I have trouble talking to him these days. I don't understand him anymore."

Kage stood up and turned his back to Sakura. "Remember, communication is important in a good relationship," he reminded. "If you don't have that, then your relationship's doomed. You may want to learn who he really is before getting into one with him. Think about it. Well, see ya later." With that, he left, leaving the depressed and confused girl alone.

Aya-san, who are you really? Sakura wondered, recalling the ugly scar around Aya's neck and how suddenly his wounds had healed after he was tortured. Are you even human? She pushed the thought from her mind. Of course he is! What else could he be? She smiled weakly and went back to walking through the park.

ο ο ο ο ο ο

Omi picked up the "Nakayoshi Deluxe" magazine and began flipping through it for the sixth time, just like with all the other magazines in the hospital waiting room. Ken was also in the waiting room, but Jehovah was not. He had gone back to the Kitty in the House to keep his promise to Yoji as well as to return the blond playboy's car and would return to Heaven afterwards.

The young blond laid his head back. He was bored of magazines, but simply because he could not concentrate on them. It had been two hours since he and Ken had brought Aya to the hospital, and he was very worried about Aya. The horrified looks on the doctors' faces when they had seen Aya, all drenched in that vividly colored blood, did not help much either. He was also cursing himself for not asking Jehovah the one question that was burning in his heart. Omi was so absorbed in his thoughts that he actually let out a yelp of surprise when Ken put the Weiß Kreuz, which was quite cold, up against his cheek.

"Calm down, it's just me," Ken reassured, a tiny smile on his lips.

"Ken-kun, this isn't the time for childish pranks!" Omi scolded. "Aya-kun could be in the emergency room, almost dead!"

Ken was taken back by Omi's sudden outburst. "Hey, I was only trying to lighten the mood," he explained. "I didn't hold the Weiß Kreuz in front of the air vent for an half-hour for nothing."

Omi let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "But I'm really worried about Aya-kun." He looked up at Ken. "Ken-kun, this is off topic, but can I ask you something?"

Ken was puzzled by this request. "Sure, go ahead," he allowed.

Omi inhaled a deep breath. "Those cuts on your arms," he began. "Why are you cutting yourself? Are you depressed?" He asked the two questions very, very quickly. He really did not want to have to ask Ken those questions, but it was not healthy for the brown-haired soccer player to be cutting himself.

Ken narrowed his dull green eyes. "Why are you so uncomfortable around Jehovah?" he snapped back. He was being cruel, but he did not want Omi meddling in his personal business.

"I…" Omi hesitated. Before Ken could push for an answer, one of the doctors that had taken Aya to the emergency room stepped into the waiting room.

Omi jumped out of his seat and ran up to the doctor. "So how's Aya-kun?" he wanted to know.

"Fujimiya-san is currently in intensive care, but only as a precaution," the doctor explained. "He is actually doing quite well. We have stopped the bleeding and given him a proper blood transfusion. If he continues to do this well, he will be moved to a normal hospital room late tomorrow."

"That's reassuring," Ken commented. "Can we visit him?"

"Yes, but only for an hour," the doctor decided. "He still needs plenty of rest."

ο ο ο ο ο ο

Yoji reached up and laid his hand on the clear window. He stared at his reflection, but it was not himself he was thinking about. Instead, he was thinking about what Jehovah had told him about Aoi.

"Yoji, Aoi is an angel," Jehovah started. "She was sent to the Surface World so that demons would not be able to possess you or any of your friends if she was anywhere near you."

"I kinda figured she was an angel myself," Yoji mumbled in a depressed tone.

"That is not all," Jehovah continued. "You see, she was not supposed to fall in love with you or any other human. It is just not meant to be that way. Because of that, she must return to Heaven. You must try to forget about her. I am truly sorry about all of this."

Yoji let out a light sigh and forced a weak smile. "I see…" he replied. "Don't worry 'bout it. I'll eventually get over Aoi. I mean, there are other girls out there just waiting for a sexy guy like me to come along."

"Remember, lust is one of the seven deadly sins," Jehovah reminded with a small smile, standing up. "I must return to Heaven myself now. Good luck." He left the flower shop after that.

Yoji pounded the window with his fist. I lied to God, he told himself. I won't ever get over Aoi. I never even got over Asuka. He reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and his lighter. He then pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and put it in his mouth.

There was a knock on the door. "Coming!" Yoji yelled. He went over to the door and opened it, revealing Sakura. "Oh, hey Sakura!" he greeted as cheerfully as he could. "What brings you here?"

"I came to see Aya-san," Sakura answered, looking down at her feet.

"Oh, well, he's not here, but you couldn't have wanted to see him at a better time!" the jade-eyed blond explained. "He's in the hospital right now, and he could really use a girl like you at his side."

"Wait, why's Aya-san in the hospital?" Sakura wanted to know, concerned.

"He got into a fight and got seriously injured. C'mon, let's go!" Yoji grabbed Sakura by her arm and dragged her with him to his car.

ο ο ο ο ο ο

"How are you feeling, Aya-kun?" Omi asked Aya as he and Ken stepped in the amethyst-eyed florist's room.

"Fine, I guess," Aya answered. He was lying in a hospital bed with clean white sleets, and he was clothed in a pale blue hospital gown with IV tubes in both his left hand and throat. He also had a tube up his nose to keep him from starving because he would not be able to eat solid foods for about two days.

"That's nice, even though you don't look too pleasant with that tube jammed into your nose," Ken added, sitting down on the chair next to Aya's bed.

There was a clouded look in the redhead's pale violet eyes. "Omi, I need to talk to Ken alone," he told the younger blond. "Can you leave?"

Omi was baffled by Aya's sudden order. "Wait, what can't I hear that Ken-kun can?" he demanded to know.

"Omi, just take my word for it and leave!" Aya commanded in a harsh voice. "Call Yoji and have him come over to pick you and Ken up. Wait for him in the parking lot after you call him."

There was a long silence. "Fine, I'll go call Yoji-kun now," Omi complied, his large blue eyes also holding a clouded look. He left the hospital room.

"Aya, that was harsh," Ken told the red-haired florist.

"I know," Aya agreed. "But I just didn't want Omi to hear what I'm about to tell you. He wouldn't be able to handle it. Whatever I say now does not leave this room, got it?"

The former soccer player nodded his head in reply.

"Listen, Resurgere is a very powerful angel," Aya reminded. "So powerful that only half his power is needed to completely annihilate the entire world. I felt that power back when I being tortured by Dr. Korosu and Lucifer. It was too much for me to handle. I can't control that much power." He paused before going on. He was hesitant to force Ken to promise what he wanted. "Ken, I want you to promise me something. No matter what happens, if I ever start to even slightly lose control of Resurgere, I want you to kill me."

Ken almost choked on his own saliva. "What?" he exclaimed. "You're kidding, right? I can't promise that!"

"Promise me!" Aya ordered sternly. "My life is unimportant compared to the lives of others. If you don't promise me, I will kill myself here and now!"

Ken said nothing for a while. Promising Aya to kill him if he began to lose control of Resurgere was not very encouraging for the brunette, but if he did not, the redhead had sworn he would kill himself. So in reality, Ken really had no choice. "I promise," he finally decided. He now understood why Aya did not want Omi around at this moment.

"Don't tell Yoji, Omi, or anyone else about this promise," Aya requested. "Especially Sakura. I'm sorry for making you promise this, but you're the only one I can trust. I shouldn't have made a threat like that."

"I won't tell anyone," Ken assured, unable to look Aya in the eyes. "I just hope that I won't have to keep that promise." He stood up and was about to walk out the door, but he almost bumped into Yoji and Sakura.

"Hey Ken," Yoji greeted. "Leaving so soon? Well, I met up with Omi just as he was about to call me. Said that I was supposed to pick up you and Omi. I guess it was a waste of my time to bring Sakura, huh?"

"Sakura can stay for a little bit," Aya said. "You can take her home after you drop off Ken and Omi."

"Uh, sure," Yoji responded, rather surprised at the unusual request. "C'mon, Ken." He left the hospital room and Ken followed.

Sakura sat down on the chair near the bed Aya was resting in. "So, uh, how are you feeling?" she asked nervously, trying not to stare at the ugly scar around Aya's neck.

"I'm fine," Aya answered emotionlessly. "Why are you here? I thought I told you to stay away from me for your own sake."

"Um…" Sakura laid her hands on Aya's right hand. Surprisingly, he did not pull his hand away. "You're acting like you're gonna die," Sakura noticed, trying to change the subject. "You shouldn't act that way."

Aya reached out with his other hand and touched Sakura's face. "You're right, I shouldn't," he agreed. "But if you knew even half of what happens in my life, you would understand."

"I already understand," Sakura said, pressing Aya's hand between her jaw and her shoulder.

"I need some sleep now, so please be quiet." Aya pulled his hand back and closed his pale eyes. He immediately fell into a deep sleep.

"Good night, Aya-san," Sakura whispered softly. After a few minutes had passed, when she was certain Aya was asleep, she bent over him and lightly kissed his forehead. She felt like she could watch him for hours, and perhaps an hour did pass, as when she looked up from Aya again, she saw Yoji's shadow outside the door, and she then went out to join him.

ο ο ο ο ο ο

Meanwhile, Lucifer was sitting in a large tree near the window to Aya's hospital room, spying on the amethyst-eyed assassin and the others. Hmm…maybe Ran really does have some true feelings for Sakura-san, he thought. Perhaps if I kidnap her, Ran will force Resurgere to awaken. He shook his head in disbelief of the strange and cliché plan. What am I thinking? That idea is SO overdone! But it does seem fitting for me, the Prince of Darkness… His thought was interrupted by the loud chipping of a squirrel next to him.

"What do you want?" Lucifer wondered, quite annoyed at the noisy squirrel. "I'm not moving, even if this is your spot."

The squirrel opened its mouth and clomped its fangs on Lucifer's hand. He manically shook his hand to shake the squirrel off, but the small rodent had a strong grip.

"Hey, let go, you stupid animal!" Lucifer ordered. "Do you not realize who I am? I am Satan, Lord of Hell, and the Prince of Darkness! I will steal your worthless soul and torment you forever in Hell!"

Finally he fell out of the tree and landed on his back, uninjured. The squirrel released his hand and made a noise that sounded like snickering before scurrying back up the tree.

Lucifer ran his fingers through his dark hair. "This is way I don't come to the Surface World more often," he mumbled to himself.

ο ο ο ο ο ο

One week later.

Yoji parked his car in front of the Kitty in the House. He had picked Aya up from the hospital because the red-haired florist was recovered enough to leave, although he was warned not to overexert himself. Afterwards, Aya had to jab his elbow really hard into Yoji's ribs to get the blond to stop laughing.

Aya stepped out of Yoji's car and was rather surprised at what he saw. Above the entrance to the flower shop hung a large white banner that read "Welcome back, Aya-sama!" in huge, red Japanese kana. Eager high school girls waited to greet Aya.

"Hey, where's the guest of honor?" Yoji asked, also getting out of the car.

"Right here!" Omi called out, pointing at Sakura, who was next to him. He gave her a little nudge forward. "Go on," he urged.

Sakura quickly walked up to Aya. "Welcome back, Aya-san," she greeted with a small bow.

Aya returned Sakura's bow. "What's going on?" he wanted to know of Yoji.

"Well, we thought that, since you didn't get to see a whole lot of pretty girls for a week, we should have a welcoming party," Yoji explained. "We also decided to make your girlfriend the guest of honor."

Aya rolled his purple eyes in annoyance. "She's not my girlfriend," he corrected in a dry voice.

"At least not yet," Yoji added with a smirk.

During all this, Lucifer had been attempting to get through the mob of girls with absolutely no success. "Excuse me," he requested in his unnaturally cold voice. No one even tried to move as to allow him to get through.

"That guy's hot," whispered one of the girls, "but there's something about him I don't like."

"I know what you mean," agreed another girl. "He seems too evil."

Finally Lucifer was able to get through the deadly mob without losing any vital body parts. He removed his sunglasses and then death-glared the crowd, and the girls were away from the flower shop faster than anyone could say, "Go away."

Aya was not one to like having all his shop's customers scared away. "What do you want?" he coldly asked Lucifer.

Lucifer put his sunglasses back on and stepped up to Aya. "I just wanted to see how you were doing," he answered. "Is there anything so wrong with that?" He turned to face Sakura and took her hands into his. "Ah, Sakura-san. You grow lovelier every time I see you." He pulled some money out of the breast pocket of his jacket and shoved it into Aya's hands. He then reached for a blooming red rose and gave it to Sakura. "For you, my dear Sakura-san," he presented.

"Uh, thank you," Sakura accepted, taking the rose from Lucifer.

Aya threw the money Lucifer had given him to the ground. "What do you want with Sakura?" he demanded to know.

"Oh, not much," Lucifer admitted. "I just want her to come to Hell with me."

Sakura took a few steps backward. "Wha-what do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Ken, get Sakura out of here!" Aya ordered Ken.

Ken grabbed Sakura's wrist. "C'mon, this way," he said, pulling the brown-haired girl to the back room. Yoji and Omi followed.

Aya charged for Lucifer and threw a punch, but Lucifer caught the redhead's fist and sent his own fist into Aya's stomach. Blood flew out of Aya's mouth as Lucifer tossed him into a wall. "You're way too reckless, just like Resurgere was," Lucifer insulted. He disappeared and almost instantly reappeared with Sakura. He had his arm around her throat.

"Sakura!" Aya exclaimed, getting back up on his feet.

"…help…me…" Sakura pleaded in a choked voice, trying to pry Lucifer's arm from her throat.

"If you want to rescue Sakura-san, come to Hell," Lucifer told Aya. "I'll be waiting." He vanished, along with Sakura.

"No…" Aya protested. "SAKURA!"