"Rui! Shizuku!"

I could see them from a mile away, two bloodied forms standing on the hill top by an old house. Rui was stumbling badly, unable to hold himself up. Even so, he had a very protective hold of the frightened toddler, a hand over Shizuku's eyes so as to hide the sight of blood. Upon hearing my voice, Rui turned to face us, a weak smile disappearing from his lips. He looked so... at peace.

"Rui..." I murmured, leaning forward in my seat to get a better view.

"He's dying, Zero-kun," Kaname said as he pulled the car to a stop and opened his door. "If you want to say good bye, you had better get over there quickly. I'll be waiting for you."

I scrambled out of the car, running up the grassy slope. My heart skipped a beat as I watched my friend take a step towards me and then collapse.

No... you bastard, you had better not die...

My pace quickened, but no matter how fast I ran, it never felt like I was getting anywhere. I felt as if I were in a dream that dragged me slowly away from reality. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally fell to my knees at Rui's side, my pants stained with the bloody grass. Shizuku was wimpering as he lightly touched his small fingers on Rui's unmoving chest. "Kiryuu-ojisan, Rui-ojisan isn't moving," he said.

Rui's hold was still tight on the boy, but I managed to pry him away and set him on his feet. "Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked shakily.

He shook his head. "No, but I think Rui-ojisan is. Will... will he be okay?" his tiny voice asked.

"... go see your father; he's waiting for you," I said, ignoring his question.

There was so much blood. So much. It was a wonder Rui was still alive when we first drove up. I placed my open hand on his chest, feeling the blood gush against my palm from the deep wound. "Rui... why didn't you wait for us?" I asked myself, lowering my head.

"... I... had an old debt... to pay..."

His golden eyes, once so full of life, were now dull and hollow. Rui didn't even attempt to smile; he was much to weak for that now. I grasped his hand tightly in mine, his blood warm between our stained fingers. "Hey, you're going to be okay. We're going to help you out of this like last time."

Rui's expression didn't change. Although he must have been in agonizing pain, he managed to cover it up with a blank expression. "Zero, let it go," he rasped. "I... I want this..."

"I don't!" My fingers fumbled together as I opened up his palm and pointed to a line on his hand. "This means you'll have four kids. Four to carry on your name! I am going to live to see you do that, and so are you."

"But... I'm the last-"

"Screw that! I'm just trying to say you'll make it throught this, damn it!"

Rui calmly shook his head. "I lied so... so many times... even about my palm reading... Zero, according to that... I would neve any family... nor would I live... a long life."

I smiled weakly and brushed the bloodsoaked hair from his face. "You've lived for almost three hundred years... that's long enough, neh?"

"Really?" he asked in return. "It all happened... too quickly... Hey, d'ya mind lightin' a dyin' man... one last smoke...?" He rigidly reached into his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes; there was a bullet hole in it. "Well... shit..."

"Don't push yourself, you little bastard," I said with a choked chuckle. "Even if I could, I wouldn't let the last thing you do be smoking away your final breaths."

Rui scoffed, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. "Heh... some friend you are... How's the kid?"

"He's fine, thanks to you."

"Nah... I brought this on him..."

I leaned down to wipe away the blood that dripped from his lips; there was something about him that seemed so... at peace. So calm. So carefree. If anyone could have chosen an ideal way to die, this was it: knowing that your regrets and mistakes are all behind you.

"Zero... you're cryin'..."

"Shut up," I mumbled, wiping the tears from my face. "It's your fault."

"I'm sorry... I never meant... to hurt you..."

I closed my eyes to blot out the tears, saying, "I know... I know..." When I looked down on him again, Rui's faint and pained breaths had ceased and his golden eyes stared up at me half-open. Even up to the moment he died, he managed to wear a smile on his face. I sat there for a long while, expecting him to suddenly sit up and yell 'ha, you've been punk'd!', but he didn't.

My colleague... my roommate...

My friend... was dead. Through blurred tears, I placed my hand over his dead eyes and gently closed them to the light of the world. I didn't want him staring up at me like that... I didn't want him to see me cry.