Hi everyone! So I'd like to say thank you for being patient. 'The Exile' has reached a total of over 100 favorites! Yay!

Along with the main story, I'm also going to be posting bonus chapters! They'll mainly take place between the arcs. If you guys have any suggestions don't be afraid to let me know! Review and critique but I do not tolerate flames! I'm writing out the next chapter for the dark tournament arc so be on the look out for that next update!

I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho just OCs!

Bonus chapter 1: The pain of loss

The hotel room was silent. Kuwabara, Yusuke, Kurama, and the masked fighter had all turned in for the night after patching up wounds from their first victory in the tournament. Hiei on the other hand was nowhere to be found, as per usual. As for Nobunaga? The 'Exile of Worlds' was currently situated by the window staring into the sky. Sitting on the table nearest to him was an opened jar of liquor. The stars above glittered through the night, dotted about like a celestial blanket against the dull canvas. Though it was a beautiful sight despite the current location, its beauty could not compare to the stars that could be seen in his home realm.

Home... The word echoed in his mind.

Memories that he had buried long ago made themselves known again as if taunting him with what he'd lost.

The wind playfully rushed through his dark hair as laughter escaped his lips. Small legs kept carrying him, jumping over tree roots and stones until he could see the tower he called home in the clearing. In front of him sat who he thought was the most beautiful woman ever created. Long jet black hair that nearly touched the ground, and pearl skin identical to his own. She was perched under one of the many trees with a tome in her hands, brows furrowed in concentration, wrapped in a silken kimono of navy blue decorated with violet birds of paradise and emerald leaves. To many beings she was ruthless, cunning, and a powerful ruler.

He on the other hand, knew her by only one title:

"MAMA!" His childish voice called out to her. At the title, she peered from the writing and a lovely smile stretched across the red painted lips of her heart shaped face. Mismatched eyes watched as he ran. The equivalents to rich Earthen soil and the depths of an ocean. He raced towards her bubbling with excitement careful not to trip on his black yukata with golden spider lilies decorating his sleeves. Bones shifted and his body decreased in size. He could feel his tail bone elongating and dark fur grow from his skin as his senses heightened. Before the panther cub could pounce, strong arms wrapped themselves around his form and a low chuckle vibrated in his ears.

"Beware little panther." His father whispered. "The lovely witch in front of you will brew quite the storm if you knock that tome of hers out of her hands." The panther became a child in his arms once more and burst into a fit of giggles as he tried to escape. Asano looked from his wife back to the little boy in his arms. "You know sometimes I think she loves her books more than she does us." The rogue shinigami stage whispered causing young Nobunaga to snort and tug at his father's ponytail.

Nataku raised a brow in amusement. "Let me tell you a something in return my dear cub." She spoke to her child and set the tome down. "Sometimes it feels more like I have two children around instead of just one."

Asano set his son down and placed a hand over his heart, urging him to do the same. "Oh Nataku! So cruel!" He fake wept.

"So cruel!" The child giggled copying his father, a chubby hand placed over his heart.

Nataku gave Asano a look and he put his hands up in defense. Amber eyes twinkled with mirth as he reached for the Witch Queen and kissed the snowy shoulder peeking from her kimono. They both watched their son as he sat down and picked up his mother's fallen literature trying and failing to make sense of the words inked into its many pages.

"He looks so much like you..." He mumbled to his wife. "He has your looks... even has your grace when we train with our deathscythes."

"He has your qualities too you know." The queen reassured him. "Your eyes, nose, hands..." She looked at the honey depths lovingly. Then she made a humored face. "He also has your curiosity and your unfortunate habit of making quips at unnecessary times."

The shinigami's face scrunched up humored by his wife's banter. "Hey now… If there's one thing I know he's definitely going to develop, it's your snark." They turned to look at their precious child and Nataku frowned seeing Nobunaga's left eye. While it was true he inherited most of her looks, his right eye was just like his father's, mirroring the hue of rich honey. His left eye on the other hand was a result of his powers as both a witch and shinigami. Black sclera instead of white. His iris, unlike her own ocean blue, was instead so light, it was almost like looking at fresh ice.

"He's going to go through hell and back when he grows up Asano..." She whispered clutching his hand. Power and control were what had driven her to become the current queen of her kind. Emotions were once meaningless to her. Only to experience love with a kind shinigami who was too curious for his own good.

Asano smiled sadly and held her close. "No one can tell you who to fall in love with Nataku. He will fight on knowing that there will be those who care about him. Just as there will be those who despise him. He'll be okay. After all, we've taught him almost everything that he knows."

Nobunaga would in fact grow knowing that he had been loved. But the circumstances surrounding that would destroy the happy child they had once known as their son.

One fateful night, changed everything.

At first it was the sounds beyond the forests of the realm that woke him from his slumber. "Papa…?" The child mumbled, voice heavy with sleep. He left the comfort of his futon and wandered the corridor searchng for the source. Footsteps rushed up the stairs and Nobunaga was met with the distraught state of his mother.

"Mama…?" Was all he was able to say before she scooped him up and raced down the spiraling stairs near the entrance. Distress appeared on his face when he saw the dangerous look in his mother's eyes. He followed her line of sight and his own hues widened as his father stood with an expression he'd never seen before. Asano was usually so cheerful, seriousness appearing when they were training or if there were signs of danger. There was no emotion on the father's face though. In his tight grip was his deathscythe. The darkness of the blade foreboding under the moonlit night.

Facing him off were seven figures. Three men and a woman were all dressed in white shitagi, hakama-himo, waraji and black hakama. Hanging from the side of each of their heads was a mask. The other four, two men and women, were dressed in robes of navy and light blue with gold trim on their jackets and a red orb on the left side of their chests.

"It's been a long time Asano…" One of the males in black spoke softly.

One of the women in blue was next. "I'm sure you are aware of why we are here traitor. Betraying the Reikai by defecting with the Witch Queen Nataku, harming your fellow shinigami…" Her eyes narrowed as she spat the last part out. "And breeding a freak of nature. A forbidden child."

Amber eyes glanced at all of them coldly. "Say what you will about my wife and I. We know what we have done, but we would do it again. However…" He lifted his scythe above his head twirling it. "Never will you address my son the way you have." His eyes spoke of bloodshed.

One of the males in blue stepped up. "Asano, bring your… wife and… child here." He hesitated at those words. "We will not harm him. You and the Witch Queen will be brought before Lord Enma and the spiritual court for trial." Asano noticed the gleam in this one's eyes as did Nataku who's free hand glowed purple.

He was lying.

Asano leaped into the air with scythe in hand. The Shinigami followed suit with their own weapons and the symphony of metal against metal rang through the night as creatures of the avian sort flew from the trees startled.

"Find them! Either we bring them back for judgement or we eliminate all three!" One of the men ordered. They charged towards the tower only to be blasted back by wind and fire. Nataku ran out with Nobunaga in her arms.

Asano glanced down at them and saw a member of the defense force at her heels. "No you don't!" The rogue Shinigami knocked one of his opponents from him and flung another into the stones of the tower. He swung his scythe against the defense member watching as blood spurted and the other's eyes gazed at him in horror.

"PAPA!" Nobunaga cried out of fear as his mother held him tightly. The Shinigami and other defense soldiers came running towards him with energy and weapons ready to strike. Tne child could feel his mother's power flow from her and the tell tale sound of a portal ripping through the dimension rang in his ears. Asano looked towards them covered in blood. Amber met Nobunaga's mismatched orbs. The Shinigami gave his son a smile though it did not reach his sorrowful eyes. They raked over the face of his child one last time before the others charged towards him. Just before the portal closed he mouthed eight final words.

'I love you. Be strong my little panther.'

Nobunaga continued to survey the dark sky, unaware of the wetness that trailed down the right side of his face. How long had it been since that fateful night? Since he recalled his father's last words before jumping into the battle that would eventually lead to his demise as well as the death of his mother?

As the portal closed, the child could be heard whimpering in his mother's embrace. He looked up only to watch as tears ran down her lovely face. "Mama…?" He rasped.

She gazed at him and responded with a shaky smile at best, whispering sweet nothings as she stroked his midnight locks. "My sweet cub…"

Heavy mist cloaked the land, making it difficult to see beyond the steps she took. The chill of the air quickly rattled through their bones as the scent of moist earth and rain surrounded them.

"Futen no hōkō." Nataku's voice whispered. Harsh wind suddenly blew from behind them as it rolled the mist away. When the last of it disappeared, they were met with the sight of numerous fallen statues lying among the trees and fauna. They all ranged from birds to strange people with masks covering their faces and wings on their backs. Some were broken in places whereas others remained in tact. However, one could also see signs of where a great fire took place if the scorch marks on the ground and fallen fauna were anything to go by. As Nataku walked, Nobunaga felt as though they had wandered into a different space. Several caws could be heard above them. Mother and son both looked up to see monstrous shapes flying overhead. Nobunaga clutched at his mother's kimono as the shadows grew closer to the ground. Nataku immediately ducked under one of the massive statues that teetered against a dead tree.

The child in her arms blinked in surprise at what lay before them. Under the statue was some sort of room. Strange men in robes were currently kneeling with their torsos and foreheads touching the floor as if praying to a deity. Suddenly one of them appeared before him and his mother. Nobunaga yelped clutching her tightly. Nataku hushed him and turned to the strange man. Near black eyes set into a bird-like face glanced from his mother to him. Behind the male, two enormous glossy black wings spread behind him almost lazily. "It has been many years… Nataku…" He stepped forward not taking his eyes off of either of them.

"It has Yoshihiro... I am afraid I have not come for pleasantries though." She spoke gravely. The man nodded and glanced towards Nobunaga who returned the stare with unease.

"We know of the forbidden child. That is why you have arrived. Time has run out for you and the Shinigami. Lady Mebuki foretold this." Yoshihiro spoke as she set Nobunaga onto the ground. Nataku nodded solemnly and spoke, her face carefully blank. "What has the oracle foretold regarding my son?"

The Tengu continued. "The child of two worlds, though hunted, he will prosper. A force to be reckoned. Yet he will dance with madness. He will know pain for centuries to come. His existence will be one woven of sorrows and hardship. The daughter of Susumu will arrive when the mist is heaviest with the mountain's sorrow. The Tengu of the Forest of Tears shall have one more join their ranks." He gazed at her. "These were her exact words. She foresaw that you would come to us desperate to protect him. Are you willing to put everything on the line just to protect a single child?"

Nataku glared dangerously at him and snarled. Eyes sparking with light and energy pulsing from her body. Nobunaga squeezed her hand. Worry and fear danced in his orbs as he clutched her fingers. His own energies slightly sparked purple and white in response to her rage. Nataku could feel his terror and confusion. The Witch Queen traded anger for sorrow as she bent down to hold her son one last time. She kissed the top of his head, his forehead, both eyes, cheeks, and his nose. "Of course I am willing. Asano was my sun, moon, and stars... Nobunaga is my world."

She pressed her forehead against his and looked her son in the eyes for what she knew would be the last time she'd see him. "We love you my son. No matter what happens, never forget." Tears trailed down her cheeks staining the fabric of her kimono.

Yoshihiro nodded. "Then we will protect him as you wish, daughter of Susumu."

"Mama? You're leaving? Where? Where's Papa?" Nobunaga clutched her sleeve tightly as his eyes pleaded for her not to leave. Where was she going?.

Nataku placed a kiss on his forehead. "Remember all that we have taught you my cub. Be strong my joy." She whispered and with that she disappeared in a gust of wind.

The Tengu watched as Nobunaga stood distraught, hand still reaching out to the spot where Nataku once stood. "Come child. You have a long journey ahead of you."

"How long will he remain there?" A female Tengu asked her companion as they watched the young boy kneeling in place. Three long days passed since the Witch Queen Nataku left her child in their care. The Tengu were wary of this new addition to their tribe. He was the offspring of a soul-born witch and a shinigami. A combination of energy that should have killed him upon birth but he'd miraculously survived the ordeal.

In addition the Reikai was currently trying to track his whereabouts. Just the very thought of the spirit realm filled their faces with bitter disgust. Their favoritism towards the humans who'd driven them out of the spacious mountain forests that they'd called home. Now they were confined to this single forest forced to shift in order to take to the skies once more. They were lucky they had escaped being stuck in Makai by the Kekkai barrier. Their species was above the endless power struggles and bloodshed that demons subjugated themselves to constantly.

"Who knows?" the other shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose no one has told him that it's unlikely the Witch Queen will return for him."

"Haruka, Katsumi? Have you finished your duties?" A male spoke from behind startling the two females. They turned to find Yoshihiro standing behind them eyes narrowed into a pointed glare. "If you have, Kazuya is currently searching for sparring partners. Perhaps you would both like to fill in that position?"

The females paled at the thought. Kazuya was one of their strongest warriors. Only few Tengu had ever taken him down. Those who chose to be his sparring partners often ended up with more than just bruising and cracked bones.

"Our apologies for dawdling Sōjōbō-Yoshihiro!" The one called Haruka bowed before grabbing the jug placed by her feet.

"We still have duties to carry out!" Katsumi finished and the two of them disappeared in a frantic rush.

Yoshihiro pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Many in the tribe had stopped their duties to gawk at his new charge and questioned whether it was right to house the child of fugitives among them. Whether they liked it or not, Lady Mebuki had foreseen that the boy would be raised among their numbers. She was the oracle of the tribe. If this was what the elder tengu had seen then they had no choice but to follow the path fate set out for them.

His sharp gaze lingered on Nobunaga's small form. The child had not eaten since he'd arrived, nor had he slept. He remained frozen in place within the entryway, eyes unwavering from the spot where his mother vanished. The Tengu male could see the dark circles under the boy's eyes. Mismatched orbs were haunted. He could only imagine what the boy had seen before he'd been brought to them.

"She's not coming back is she..." The voice that spoke was raspy from disuse and so quiet that the Sōjōbō's ears strained to even hear it. He gazed at Nobunaga. The boy finally turned toward him, eyes hollow and face expressionless. The male wouldn't admit it but it hurt to see the reaction from such a young boy.

"My mama won't return." He rasped once again and small fingers toyed with the edge of his black yukata. He turned his gaze towards Yoshihiro once more. "They took her and my papa... They're gone..."

Yoshihiro slowly edged toward Nobunaga. "Unfortunately yes... The Reikai has taken many things in what they proclaim is in the name of righteousness." He began. "Your family and the freedom of my tribe to name a few. We once protected this mountain and the humans who lived here from the clutches of demons who wished to rule. In turn however, the humans began to fear us and our power. Reikai believed they needed to be shielded from demons and spirits. They created a barrier that sealed demons in their realm whereas humans could no longer visit the realm of spirits and we could no longer take to the skies in our truest form. Here we remain unable to leave the Forest of Tears. We are no longer the Tengu who protected our mountain and those who live upon it. We have been reduced to caged birds."

The Tengu male watched as a tear ran down the child's face. Another followed suit. Then another, and another. He nearly jumped away from Nobunaga when white and purple energy immediately surged from the tiny body, stronger than the small sparks from the days before. This time the energy roared to life. Tears continued to rush down the boy's face and though he remained expressionless, mismatched eyes bore pain for all the world to see. Anguish, despair...

Hatred.

His emotions pulsated within the rush of power. The Sōjōbō felt like he was drowning. Other tribe members in the area froze feeling the hairs on their necks stand. Just as fast as the energy emerged, it retreated back into Nobunaga just as quickly. Yoshihiro gasped for air as he stared at the child in wonder. Indeed he held much power inside of him, yet he lacked true control over it, especially given how badly it reacted to his emotional state. As the rest of the tribe came to investigate the source, he placed a hand on Nobunaga's shoulders, urging the boy to stand.

"Though you possess a great strength child of Nataku, you lack any real control. There is much we must teach you." He led the boy out of the room and into the open where members congregated and stared at the two with uncertainty and curiosity.

"Tomorrow we shall begin training him in our ways." The ruler announced. "He will learn discipline, the art of our magic, and he will learn control."

Nobunaga gazed at the rest. The child proceeded to regard them with a mix of eagerness and hesitance. A welcome change from the earlier anguish but all the same, Nobunaga would have to learn to let go of his mourning. The wounds in his heart would remain, but they would heal into scars with time.

Phantom pains made their way through Nobunaga's body as old scars throbbed in memory of his training with the Tengu. He chuckled to himself though it lacked any humor. Tirelessly, they trained him to the point of his bones close to breaking, teaching him their magic and techniques.

*Whack*

The young boy remained stone faced as the pain in his back and sides sizzled. Three warrior Tengu stood on both sides and behind him in one of the various buildings in the Tengu village meant for training. In this room they each wielded a bokken, striking his back and sides rhythmically. It was a test of mental strength. Even as his robes slowly dyed crimson and droplets of sweat and blood fell to the floor, he did not make a sound, nor did his face betray its emotionless facade.

Everyday that he remained with them, he was trained in their ways. They pushed him beyond his limits physically, mentally, and spiritually. Soon he was able to limit shape-shifting to parts of his body such as morphing black feathered wings similar to those of his caretaker. His agility and endurance rose immensely. He'd become stronger and still his strength grew.

The Tengu may have been wary of him, the members of the tribe slowly grew to accept him as one of them. One in particular stood out.

He pouted heavily at the older Tengu who had morphed into a dragon once more in order to scare him. Mafuku did this to everyone in the tribe at least a few times every month, and each time he managed to spook even some of the toughest of their warriors.

"That's not funny Mafuku! I nearly blasted you!" He whined. The young hybrid had been in the middle of practicing more of his magic. Lady Mebuki the oracle, had recently taken him under her wing and was in the process of teaching him one of the most challenging aspects of the art that he'd yet to perfect.

Summoning.

Mafuku chuckled as he shifted back to his original form. His black wings tucked themselves comfortably into the expanse of his back as he perched himself in the tree above Nobunaga. "Why don't you take a break?" He spoke to the child watching as he sunk his small fangs into his arm once more and attempted to draw a bloody symbol. He leaned back as a cloud of black smoke and a loud explosion burst from the petite hybrid.

*BOOM!*

"Now I really think you ought to take a break." The Tengu mumbled as Nobunaga sputtered and wheezed. "Anymore and you're going to die of blood loss at this rate." He commented offhandedly earning a scathing glare. The child chose to ignore his words in favor of gathering what blood still leaked from his self-inflicted wounds and try again.

Mafuku decided he didn't like being ignored and ended up swooping down and grabbing him before Nobunaga could harm himself any further.

Nobunaga smiled slightly recalling the red-brown eyes of who he'd come to see as an older brother figure. "If only you could see me now Mafuku..." He spoke to the air fondly. "I've come a pretty damn long way..." A frown slowly took over his face. He'd left the Tengu centuries ago, yet the circumstances regarding his departure haunted him still. His shoulders trembled slightly as the image of fire flashed in his mind. For a moment he swore the air suddenly became thick with the scent of smoke and freshly spilled blood.

Screams of agony rang in his ears.

"Get away!"

"They killed Lady Mebuki!?"

"They're burning everything!"

Tengu, young and old, flying as fast as they could to find sanctuary. Warriors fighting with their lives only to fall in puddles of their crimson lifeblood.

"Nobu get out of here!" Mafuku's pleas seemed to echo throughout the room. Nobunaga trembled like a leaf in the middle of a storm as he felt his lungs constrict. He covered his ears trying to block out the noise but to no avail. It did not work if the noise was in his mind after all.

Robes of navy with that familiar red gem in the chest. He grit his teeth as the image haunted him once more.

"Find the child!" One of the men in navy yelled above the screams of Tengu as they fell before the rest of the Reikai's Special Defense force. Homes and trees blazed, bathed in the light of red, orange, and yellow. Blood stained the rich earth as the Forest of Tears witnessed the massacre of the spirits who once protected its borders.

Nobunaga crouched under the remains of a statue frozen in place. He could not move no matter how much he willed his legs. He watched Tengu fly from the carnage that enveloped what had once been their home. Smoke climbed towards the sky as ash rained to the ground below clumping together as if pretending it were falling snow. He struggled to breath through the heavy scent of blood and smog. It smelled of destruction.

It was the scent of death.

"Here you you are, frozen like a deer hunted." A familiar voice cut through his panicked state. Mismatched eyes shot up to meet the familiar orbs of his caretaker.

"Yoshihiro!" He gasped. Although the Sōjōbō was battered, bloody, and bruised, he stood tall and proud as a warrior should have. His black wings folded behind him although Nobunaga noticed that he seemed to be having trouble trying to fold one back.

"You're hurt..." His voice croaked as a frigid chill seemed to spread throughout him. "This is all my fault..." He could feel hot tears building up in his eyes. The defense force wanted him and were willing to go as far as to attempt annihilating an entire race of spirits just to give him an end similar to that of what they bestowed upon his parents.

Execution.

Yoshihiro bent down and held the young hybrid's shoulders. "We need to leave now. Our livelihood may have been thrown into turmoil but I swore that I would protect you Child of Nataku. I will not break that promise."

"Then maybe you should rethink that Sōjōbō-san." A cold voice spoke up. They turned to find one of the special defense force soldiers gazing at them without remorse. His uniform was stained with blood. Nobunaga swallowed back a cry. That blood did not belong to the man before him. "Hand over the forbidden child and we will leave the rest of your kind to live another day."

Yoshihiro sneered curling his lips back to reveal razor sharp teeth. He gently tugged his charge behind him. In his palms, fire danced. "'Leave the rest of us to live another day' you say? How can you tell me that when you've killed half of my people! Taking away our freedom wasn't enough for the likes of your realm was it? Instead you come and destroy everything to get to a single child." His voice snarled and raised in volume as other soldiers joined. "Tell me... is the bloodshed worth the death of a single child? One who has done nothing but live? You have exiled him for it!"

"He is the result of two powers that shouldn't be able to exist! Do you not understand that beings of that sort topple the balance of power?!" The defense member roared as reiki flowed into his fists.

Yoshihiro only looked him in the eye and gave a twisted grin. "You mean your spirit king doesn't want any power to override his... If Nobunaga were the offspring of demon and human, you would be waiting for the moment he breaks a rule and destroy any evidence of him existing. This isn't him breaking those rules though is it? Your king just wants you to destroy him if he ever desires to avenge the family that was taken from him!"

Nobunaga stared at his hands. At recalling the memory, they balled up with his nails digging into his skin to the point that blood beaded to the surface. Deep crescent moons in his palms welled with the crimson substance dripping into the crevices of old scars.

"I'm sorry Yoshihiro..." He whispered to the room. "I'm sorry... all of you..." Years of sorrow that had been bottled up, now overflowed with no way to stop. Hot tears trailed down the planes of his pale face. The room, once silent, filled with quiet hiccups and muffled sobs as he covered his mouth trying to silence the noise. He was uncaring of the blood now smeared across his face.

Yoshihiro's battered body lay before him. Nobunaga collapsed onto his knees as his small hands grasped the robes of the fallen ruler. His caretaker's eyes stared at nothing but the child did not pay attention to that. Instead, his focus was turned to the gaping hole in the middle of the corpse. They killed him without mercy. Gone were the glossy wings that he once compared to the night sky. Gone was the scent of incense and rain he associated with the spirit. Gone, was the sound of his beating heart.

All because of him.

"And then there was one." One of the soldiers spoke as they walked towards him. "I have to admit, it was a pain in the ass trying to locate you. We looked into all sorts of leads and kept meeting dead ends. When we looked deeper into Nataku's file though, it brought us right here. The barrier that was set up was impressive but no match for us." His hand went to reach for Nobunaga. "Now if you stay still, I promise this won't hurt a bit."

What happened next was always a blur to Nobunaga. He could only remember his anger welling inside as that hand reached for him. The sound of someone laughing, only it wasn't the jovial kind. Demented laughter coupled by a screaming voice that he later recognized as both belonging to him. Everything else blacked out except for the sounds of terrified screams and his own manic guffaws. The scent of blood that repeatedly permeated the air of what had once been his second home. The sweet relief of succumbing to the dark in the midst of his own madness.

When he came to, the first thing he saw were the bodies sprawled on the earth. Those of the Spirit World's defense force looked to the sky with blank eyes, their expressions forever twisted in horror at what'd been the last thing they would ever see. Limbs strewn across the soil and bodies slashed open to reveal soft insides. Nobunaga gazed down at himself to find blood splattered all over his robes. White and purple energy slowly fizzled out from his body and in his hands, a double edged scythe of the same power instead of his knuckle blades. It too, faded from his grasp into a mere wisp.

Nobunaga fell to his knees, face void of emotion, and began to paw at the earth. He did not flinch when his nails peeled back or when his fingers bled. Soon, a large hole was visible in the ground. As if in a trance, he rose dragging with him the body of a fallen Tengu. He repeated the process. Again, and again, and again. Row upon row of graves littered the landscape with only stone to mark them. With his knuckle scythe, the hybrid child scratched a name on each one.

Mebuki

Katsumi

Haruka

Kazuya

Shinji

Kazehiko

Yanagi

Kousuke

Ichijou

Minato

Hideaki

Yoshihiro...

Countless others joined the growing number.

As for the bodies of the fallen defense force, he set to work dragging away and piling the corpses high. In his eyes, they did not deserve a burial. They had lost the right of remembrance the minute the first Tengu had been slain. There would be no one to honor them. Only the Forest of Tears as a silent witness to their cremation and he as their executioner. Nobunaga inhaled deeply and let loose a cloud of blue flames. He watched skin melt and tissue bubble black. He did not flinch at the crackle of bone as it transformed to ash. The scent of burning flesh nauseated him but still he did not move.

He rose once more as the flames enveloped the corpses completely. As soon as the flames dissipated, he dragged his feet. Looking towards the rising sun, he left all that he'd once known behind with destruction in the wake of the new dawn.

He supposed Yoshihiro was right.

He had been exiled from living.

Tear tracks dried as did the blood that stained his mouth and cheeks. Nobunaga glanced at his reflection in the window. Lips and cheeks as red as blood. He mused. Just like Snow White. Or a demented version at least. He chuckled weakly and chided himself for even thinking of the fairy-tale. His gaze turned back to the stars that shone in the night sky. A song played in his head as he watched the night and he began to hum. It was something he heard decades ago. Something about Lucifer and his fall from grace.

Cellophane flowers of yellow and green...

"I wonder..." he said as he walked back to the room he shared with the masked fighter. "If you could see me now..."

Towering over your head...

"Would you be proud of what I've become?"

Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes...

Even Lucifer who fell from grace, rose from the broken remains of what he once was. After all, in his place, the devil came forth.

And she's gone...

Author's Note: I am so sorry that this took me so long to type! You see I've been wanting to do some bonus chapters for a while now but I just didn't know when to start them! My cousin was actually reading this story on my account a while ago and she asked me why Nobunaga left the Tengu in the first chapter so I figured this bonus chapter would be the perfect way to probe deeper into my OC.

You all know by now that Nobunaga despises the Reikai, but this is what fuels that hatred. He loved the Tengu like a second family and Yoshihiro had been a father figure to him. Yoshihiro protected him until the bitter end and wanted to give Nobunaga enough time to escape although his sacrifice ended in vain. His death was also the last straw for Nobunaga who's mind finally cracked in the face madness that caused him to decimate the Defense force. As we've seen with Yusuke again and again, anger and suffering can fuel spirit energy like never before. First was the loss of his parents and though the tribe couldn't necessarily fill the gap left behind, Nobunaga was able to regain happiness because slowly but surely, they accepted him. When that happiness was torn away from him once more, he cracked. In previous interactions with Yusuke and the rest of the team that is also why he tried to maintain distance from them. He is afraid of letting people grow close to him only to lose them. I hope that this bonus chapter was both good and informative on that. As for the next chapter of the Dark tournament Arc I am currently working on that as well. Please remember to review and critique! Remember I do not accept flames whatsoever! See you in the next chapter.

Futen no hoko- Roar of Futen. Futen or Fujin is the Shinto god of wind and one of the oldest of the gods. This spell calls for violent winds and can be utilized to slice through solid objects if the spell caster wishes it.

Sojobo- The ruler of the Tengu. I like to think that there are different tribes other than those of Mount Kurama where most of the legends are. In this story, Nataku knew Yoshihiro as a warrior and Lady Mebuki, the foreteller of the tribe, foresaw that he would become the next Sojobo.

If you didn't know in the end, the song Nobunaga was humming was 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds' by the Beatles. It's about Lucifer's fall from grace. The bold italics were lyrics he was humming from the second verse.

Ja'ne- Kitsune to Tenshi-chan