So this is it. The story I had left undone for so many years is now finished.

The answer.

"You shouldn't think. It's bad for you." Joe shouted over his shoulder worriedly as he and Kuo prepared to carry Jenna down the side of the mountain.

"Shuichi don't do it!" Todd yelled, "You don't stand a chance against that thing!"

But Shuichi didn't listen; he knew he had to face the beast alone. His whole body began to shimmer with an eerie light as he approached the Id. The Id watched with vacant eyes as the one lone man approached and stood before it and Shuichi calmly returned its gaze. The two regarded each other for a second and it was as if the world held its breath. Then the thing roared at Shuichi, who did not flinch. Shuichi stood his ground with a placid look on his face as he began to hum, it wasn't much of a song. Just bits of notes and words strung together and has he did so he began to glow brighter. The sound of the singing seemed to incense the Id to no end. It snarled at Shuichi, but Shuichi stayed put and began to sing louder as he did so he glowed even stronger. The Id began to flail as if wounded; it screeched and roared then lunged at Shuichi ready to slaughter him as Shuichi began to sing with every fiber of his being. This time without anger, without fear or frustration, Shuichi let his light brake free of its boundaries and it exploded engulfing the top of the mountain, Shuichi, and the Id.

Yuki who had been making his way up the mountain side with Byakko saw the light. It immediately and it gave Yuki a really bad feeling. "Shuichi." He whispered while staring nervously at the top of the mountain.

Inside the light Shuichi found himself looking at a small child who sat curled in a ball with his chin tucked between his knees. Shuichi looked down at the child who did not move. This was the soul of the beast. Shuichi's hand was gripped the hilt of Byakko's dagger. He drew the blade out of its sheath slowly it slid out smoothly like a serpent eager for the strike. As he did so, the child looked up at Shuichi. Shuichi froze when he saw the eyes of the child. They were black, empty eyes, empty as the most remote corner of space.

"Who are you?" Shuichi asked gently.

The child did not move. "You know who I am.", came the tiny but defiant voice.

"You're the Id?"

"Monster, Id, thing, call me whatever you want. I don't have a name."

"So that's how it is?" Shuichi asked puzzled.

"That's the way it's always been."

"Why do you look like a little human boy?"

"This is the form your heart chose for me. You have broken through. Those that make it this far get to choose how they see me, I have no real form. Then again nobody's ever broken through before either." The boy said almost bored as he studied the back of his hand, as if seeing it for the first time. A nameless thing with no real face, name, or home, drifting endlessly, a painful existence that Shuichi could now put to rest.

Shuichi felt his hand shaking, the blade felt so heavy and foreign in his hand, it felt wrong.

"I'm sorry." Shuichi whispered.

With a start the boy suddenly seemed to recognize Shuichi and tears began to form in his eyes. He jumped to his feet and started to yell, "You're the voice! You shouldn't have come here. There's no way back." The tiny voice cracked half crying half yelling, "I was alone for so long. Every time I wake up there is nothing but death around me. I go back to sleep when it gets dark, only to wake up again, but it's always the same. I thought this time was going to be different because I heard you singing. Your voice called to me. For the first time when I woke up, I thought just maybe I didn't have to be alone. Maybe I could be something else, if I could just find you. But I should have stayed asleep everything I touch dies!"

Shuichi took a step closer, but the boy backed away, "There is nothing but death all around me! Now you'll die too! Now I have to watch you die! I hate you! You are going to leave and I will be left to watch your body rot!" The boy was shaking.

"It doesn't have to be that way." Shuichi said as he took a step closer to the boy.

"It's always been this way! I can't stand it!" The little boy was still shaking whether out of fear or rage Shuichi couldn't tell, but seemed to be afraid of Shuichi. For all his storming Shuichi noticed that child was actually petrified to even come near him.

The boy's eyes went wide as he noticed the dagger in Shuichi's hand, but quickly turned away, as if he had just resigned himself to his fate. "So you brought that thing with you. You have come to kill me just like Siafu said you would." He said sounding utterly defeated. "What are you waiting for?" Shuichi looked at the dagger in his hand and immediately felt guilty.

"Is that what you want?"

"Yes. Kill me or I will kill everything you love. My pain will end here and then you die here in peace."

This was his chance. Shuichi could end it all here and now and everything would be ok. His friends would all be safe. He looked down at the boy before him, and the dagger dropped from his hand.

The boy turned and roared, "What are you doing? Stop playing games!".

Up until now Shuichi's real power had gone untapped. It was not the light, or the storms. You see, when all else fails there is one force Shuichi could always count on. Shuichi has a very big heart so big that there was room in it for everyone, and this wounded lonely creature before him was no exception.

Shuichi caught the child and held him. The child struggled screaming with tears of rage and pain, but Shuichi held on. He whispered to the boy. "I will not let you be alone, for as long as I can do anything about it. I promise I will not let you be alone, anymore"

"Don't make promises you can't keep!" The boy screamed, but Shuichi held on. Darkness flowed swirling around them Shuichi's light began to falter. He his strength was failing fast. As the boy raged in his arms there was only one thing Shuichi could think of to do, and that was to follow his heart.

Yuki and others looked on in horror as Shuichi's light died away leaving and empty mountaintop, neither the Id or Shuichi were anywhere to be seen. Byakko nudged Yuki with his paw, "Get on my back, if there's any way to save Shuichi, this will be our only chance." Yuki didn't ask questions. He just climbed on and prayed Shuichi was safe.

Shuichi couldn't take much more of the swirling maelstrom. He was losing what little strength he had left. Yet the swirling darkness around him did not cease. Shuichi felt his muscles begin to shake with the strain of just staying put. It seemed like an eternity in just a few moments. The pulling stretching feeling was getting to him he was losing his grip. This was it he had failed completely. Shuichi didn't want to give up, but there seemed to be nothing left to do accept hang on until the bitter end.

The little boy shuttered in his arms he looked up at Shuichi sadly, "I am so sorry, I don't want you to die."

Shuichi whispered to the boy, "It will be alright. It will be all right, your not alone, and your not nameless anymore, Tsuzuki."

That's when everything, stopped. A name… Shuichi had just given him a name.

The winds may have stopped but Shuichi was exhausted, too exhausted to think. It was over but now what? He his mind felt like it was sitting on the shore of a vast black ocean. In all directions there was no sign of home. There was no sign of anything he was lost clutching the now unconscious child in his arms. There was only one thought left on his mind. Yuki. He thought he could hear Yuki's voice somewhere. It felt so distant, he would never be able to reach him, never see those golden eyes again. "Yuki. I'm so sorry. I love you." Shuichi whispered into Tsuzuki's hair and with that Shuichi slipped away from the shores of the light and into the abyss. Thoughts of his lover now filling his mind.

"Reach out your hand Yuki and call him again." Byakko insisted.

Yuki was petrified there was no sign of Shuichi anywhere, but he did as he was instructed and out of nowhere Shuichi's had suddenly grabbed his. He could feel Shuichi's grip was week he made a quick move to grab the rest of Shuichi that seemed to materialize in his lap.

Shuichi had to be dreaming when he Yuki riding Byakko and calling his name. That was impossible, yes very impossible, but he reached out for the dream Yuki anyway, even if it was a dream, what a sweet dream. The feel of soft fur and warmth of Yuki's arms seemed to wrap Shuichi tightly made Shuichi smile he lost the last shred of consciousness he had left.

Yuki panicked had they been too late? "Hey Shu, Shu wake up. Hey."

"He'll be okay. Let's get him back" Yuki noticed the child with blond hair nestled against Shuichi's chest and was more than a little surprised, where the hell did he pick up a kid?

Shuichi could feel the warm light next to him. He still clutching Tsuzuki tightly in his arms, he opened his eyes and found himself back on earth safely nestled between Byakko's front paws. They were back at the dojo. The garden still looked a wreck but there were hints of green shoots in the beds of the gardens. Shuichi noticed that Byakko himself looked sleek and strong again as well. His fur now radiated a wonderful warm white glow.

"Shuichi, oh good your awake, finally. Everybody is waiting for you." Byakko said softly.

"Huh, for what?" Shuichi started to move and found he still had Tsuzuki in his lap.

"You've been out for a few hours."

"Really? Oooh ow." Shuichi started to move and found his shoulder was in terrible shape.

"Shuichi."

"What is it Byakko?"

"Thank you." Byakko purred.

"T-Thank you? Shuichi stammered, "For what?"

"For being you. You found a way to save everybody. You gave him a name and tamed his spirit he has a true form and heart now."

Shuichi leaned back further into Byakko's chest fur. "Byakko, I like you but I never understand half of the things you say."

Byakko snorted in exasperation, don't mortals ever think for themselves anymore, "The instant you gave Tsuzuki his name he was born as this boy."

"He's going to be okay now, isn't he?" Shuichi started playing with Tsuzuki's hair, "Is he going to wake up soon?"

"He will, hopefully have no memory of his dark past. For the first time since this creature had come into being, he seems is happy. That's thanks to you."

"What now?"

"He's your responsibility now. He will listen to no one else but you little hero. Don't worry though we will be around to guide you if you need it."

Tsuzuki started to stir sleepily. He opened his eyes, Shuichi was surprised to see that instead of the empty eyes of the Id, Tsuzuki's were now the same color as Shuichi's.

Shuichi looked up a Byakko questioningly, "We?"

"This child will have many guardian spirits as he grows. Take good care of him for us. Raise him well."

"I-I will. I promise." Shuichi assured as Tsuzuki began to wake fully.

He looked up into Shuichi's face blinking with wide purple eyes, "Momma?"

Shuichi beamed at his son, "Yes, I guess I am your momma."

"Oh wait Yuki! Where's Yuki I could have sworn I saw him, before."

"Ah, that one, he's in the house fighting with your grandfather."

Shuichi lit up, "He's here?" Byakko nodded and thumped his tail with amusement.

Shuichi started to yell, "Yuki, hey Yuki!"

Yuki burst through the door at the sound of Shuichi's voice and rushed over to him. He hugged Shuichi tight, eliciting a yelp of pain as he grabbed Shuich's band shoulder.

"Shu, hopeless brat, you had me so worried."

"Never mind that Yuki", Shuichi interrupted, "I need you to meet somebody. Look! We have a kid! Isn't that so cool!"

"Uh what?" Yuki paled as he looked over to the small boy clinging to Shuichi's side.

"See? Shuichi scooped up the child and plopped him on Yuki's lap, "His name is Tsuzuki and he's from hell er space, er spacehell!"

Tsuzuki looked up at Yuki, who looked like he was about to throw up, and said happily, "DADDY!"

Then Yuki passed out cold.

THE END.

Now just how do two men raise an ancient powerful creature born around the beginning of time… well you start with lots of love and one really well stocked first aid kit.

. I am not doing the whole two men and a god, child, thing.