Hi everyone!! Sorry if there are any mistakes; kindly let me know if there are. Remember, let me know your thoughts :)

JasLine, alectera, cain aidan, and lilgurlanima - Thank YOU for reviewing Intermission 02A.

min-min, huggable, The Lady Caroline Muze, and RiverSakina - Thank YOU for responding to my author's note. Since the powers that be won't remove dhh's review, I'm not removing my author note.

IchikoKitsuneKoumori, ichika7walkure, Geminirose, EmInArEvOl, lilgurlanima and RiverSakina - Thank YOU for reviewing Intermission 02B.

I'm sorry that I haven't responded to all of your reviews. I do apologize but I want you all to know that I appreciate everything you write, I do. It brings me such joy and relief to know what you guys think of my story. All of you have such distinct, pleasant voices and it comes in out in the way you all review. I was going back through all of them to see who had voted for baby names and just reading all your words made my spirit smile. Please continue to review!!

Just in case you don't feel like reading my message at the bottom, here are my highlights:

1. If you paid close attention while reading the last Intermission and watched Definitely Maybe, then you should be able to figure out the secret in this chapter.

2. There's a poll on my profile about Hiroshi's daughter. Vote on my profile or by review if you want! If you don't vote, that's fine, just don't complain about the whichever name wins. I will be adding all previous votes from reviews plus the profile votes together to calculate the winner. So far, Dahlia is winning. Don't like it? Vote lol!

3. Don't expect another update from me until after June 24th. Why? I'm doing study abroad in Japan from May 19th - June 24th. Sayonara!!!!!!!!!

Twenty pages of insanity... ready? Go!!!!!!!!


CHAPTER 39:

AU REVOIR


The sky was lightening by the time Suzu finished speaking. For once, Tiril didn't feel paranoid and put up his barrier. After all, what was out there that they couldn't defeat? They had defeated Horobosu. Sure, it had taken a damn long time… but the demon was gone. He was gone forever… because Persephone wasn't going to let him go.

"Best story ever!!!! That was awesome…" Tiril breathed out. "Your life is SO much cooler than you let on."

"Yeah, seriously." Shuichi grinned. "So, you and Zion have been married for almost seven hundred years? That's awesome. Got any kids?"

"Sixty-five." Tiril said cheekily, earning an affectionate pat on the head from Suzu.

"The brat is right. They neutered me after and by neuter, I mean some kind of contraceptive spell. Well, I don't really understand it but I guess it's like demon birth control. So I can't have any more kids. It kinda sucks, because I love-" Suzu babbled on.

"Sixty-five?!? And you wanted more???" Shuichi's jaw dropped open. "Do you have grandkids?"

"Of course I do… I think I have forty-two… could be wrong… I think my eldest is pregnant again. I always get confused because my kids matured a lot faster than I did." Suzu frowned, putting her finger on her chin. "Anyways, it's so stupid they won't let me have more kids. Gamma thinks that it's bad luck, sixty-six and all. But I don't care! I mean, what if I had twins? Then it'd skip sixty-six and go straight to sixty-seven!"

"How old are you?" Shuichi was still shocked.

"I'm over four thousand years old… pretty sure I am. I don't know, after a while you lose track." Suzu shrugged. "Sorry I didn't remember more… but after a while, everything just starts to blur together. A lot of my old memories were pushed out by the new ones. There's only so much I can fit in this damn head of mine."

"No, no, are you kidding?? It was awesome!" Shuichi laughed. "One of the best presents I ever received. There's one thing that seemed kinda off, though." Actually there were a couple things about Suzu's tale that had bothered him, but he pushed those thoughts away.

"What's that?" Suzu replied, scratching her ear.

"Tiril. Did you ever meet him in Heaven?" Shuichi cocked his head to one side. "And you never found out about what happened that day…"

"No to both questions… I think. But you're right… that is weird. Either Tiril's older than me and got banished from Heaven before I was born… or-" She trailed off uncertainly. Shuichi brought up a very good point…

"None but the Archangels and a few, select High Angels remember Tiril." Apollyon spoke up. "I was one of the lucky ones. My memory wasn't erased."

Shuichi's jaw dropped and he looked at Suzu. She looked just as surprised as he did. But then Suzu's purple eye narrowed in anger. And Shuichi could feel righteous rage flowing through him. How dare they erase everyone's memory of Tiril?

"Erased?" Tears filled Tiril's eyes. He was too shocked to wipe them away.

"So you mean… I could've met Tiril… but I don't remember? But why would they do that? It doesn't make sense. He's still alive! Why don't they want us to know about him?" Suzu demanded. "How is that EVEN legal?!?"

"Because of the crimes he committed. Raphael made sure your punishment wasn't too severe. Normally Fallen Angels don't even have wings… but if everyone else knew about this special treatment, there'd be uproar. So they erased everyone's memories of Tiril. They also wanted to keep Raphael's reputation intact." Apollyon sighed. So many sins… perhaps the Fallen were right…

"I'm gonna be sick." Tiril stood up and backed away. His mind was going in a million different directions. There was a myriad of facts in his brain, whizzing around; waiting for him to notice them. But he couldn't concentrate. "They don't know… I exist?"

Shuichi ran and grabbed Tiril, holding the tiny boy to his chest. "We know you exist, Tiril. We know. And we will never abandon you. We will never disown you." He held Tiril as the boy finally cracked. "You're with us now. Suzu and I are going to take care of you."

"B-but Suzu's l-leaving." Tiril sobbed into Shuichi's shirt. "W-who am I g-gonna f-fight with?"

Shuichi's heart nearly broke.

"Hey you idiot." Suzu reached over and knocked on Tiril's green head. "Look at me!"

Tiril poked his head up from Shuichi's shirt, tears staining his cheeks.

"I'll always be in here." Suzu put her hand over her heart. "And whenever you need me, call. And since our hearts are connected, I'll come… no matter what."

"How?" Tiril croaked out.

"Yeah how?" Shuichi chimed in. He hadn't the faintest idea.

"Well, since Shuichi and I are twins and all, I'm going to assume that we can Soul Summon each other." Suzu put her finger on her chin.

"Soul Summon?" Shuichi repeated, confused.

"Basically you can summon my soul out of my body and bring me to you." She explained. "I'm not sure how it happens but I think it's a Type Zero."

"So no matter what, we won't be apart." Tiril grinned widely, letting go of Shuichi.

"No matter what." The half-demon repeated softly, turning to his twin. His purple eyes widened as he felt confusion and underlying sadness emitting from her. "Suzu?"

"You know, thinking about my past has reminded me of how much I hate that there's a blank spot in my memories…" Suzu frowned, hugging her knees to her chest. "I know someone tampered with my memory. I wish there was a way to prevent it."

"There probably is." Shuichi smiled reassuringly. "We just haven't found it yet."

"In the meantime, you have me!" Tiril giggled. "I'll tell you everything!"

"Psh… who says we want you?" Suzu shot back, her eyes twinkling.

"None of that talk, you mangy mutt." Tiril stuck his tongue out at Suzu. Shuichi rolled his eyes, but he was glad that Suzu wasn't sad anymore.

"I'm too tired for this…" Shuichi stretched out on the sand and used his arms to prop his head up. "Wake me up in a million years."

"Yeah… time for the nap of the century!" Suzu plopped down on her tummy right next to the half-demon.

"Snuggle-time!!!" Tiril wriggled his way in between the two of them, curled up into a little ball, and instantly closed his eyes.

Apollyon stared down at them and frowned. "I'm afraid you won't be getting any sleep right now." He said, nearly wincing at the force of Suzu's glare.

"Why the hell not?" She demanded. "We're tired! We just participated in the most epic battle ever! Why can't we sleep?"

"Because… I need to talk to Shuichi." A firm voice uttered from behind them. Shuichi, Suzu, and Tiril were on their feet in an instant, facing the new threat. The voice belonged to a tall male with red hair that fell in spikes, dressed in a black robe. His bangs were streaked with yellow and orange. His blue eyes were fixated on Shuichi. A flaming sword was in his left hand. Huge, white, birdlike wings extended out of his back but the edges were streaked with red. The redhead's presence was frightening at best.

Tiril's body froze and he back up. He didn't know why he was so scared… but he was. Tiril knew this Angel… from where, the boy didn't know. But obviously, this Michael had done something to him. Something bad. How else could he explain the sinking feeling in his gut?

"Mikey? What the hell are you doing here?" Suzu almost laughed out loud as the winged male narrowed his eyes. "Ok, ok, fine… Michael. And since when did you get highlights on your wings?"

"Michael?" Shuichi repeated, stealing a look at his Twin Flame.

"It's been a while, Michael." Apollyon inwardly groaned as he greeted his superior. He could practically feel the girl's temper rising as every second passed. And for good reason… if Michael was here, something was going on.

"Yeah, the Archangel Michael… the one who bears the flaming sword, commands the heavenly army, yadda, yadda, yadda." Suzu wove her hand flippantly.

"Oh… that Michael." Shuichi trailed off, his face paling. The force of the male's title started to become a bit too overwhelming. Why isn't she terrified of him?!? The teen looked over at Tiril and the poor boy looked just as scared… if not more than him.

"In twenty-four hours, a portal will open up. This portal will take you to Nihilo, where your boat will be waiting for you." The redheaded Angel informed the group.

"You came all this way just to tell us that?" Suzu narrowed her eye at the Archangel. "Any other good news?"

Tiril stared at the dog demon in shock.

"Hold your tongue for once." Michael snarled at her.

"No, I won't! You're just going along with my STUPID Grandmother! Just like you always do! Don't you have a damn backbone?" Suzu's hands became fists and her eye turned red.

"Suzu!" Shuichi put his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" He nearly jumped as he felt angry, hot heat rising up into his palm. He stared at his twin's shoulder.

"Don't you get it, Shuichi?" Suzu laughed bitterly. "Sure, he came over here to play messenger boy… but the real message is this: We ARE being forced apart. And if we try to resist, he'll just wave that damn sword of his around and kick the shit out of us. It's hopeless. It's fucking hopeless!"

"I'm glad we understand each other." Michael's voice was strangely calmer. His sword vanished from his fingertips. "She's doing this for your own good. The boy is still unstable."

"The boy is right here!" Shuichi shouted out hotly and then covered his mouth with a squeak. "Dammit, Suzu, now you've got me all riled up!" He cursed into his hands.

Michael raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about? Why would she have any effect on you?" He already knew the answer to that question… but if Shuichi did too… that made things complicated.

"Well duh. She's my twin." Shuichi uttered before anyone could stop him. Suzu smacked her hand into Shuichi's forehead. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You idiot! You can't just tell anyone that!" Suzu growled.

"You told them." Michael finally fixed his gaze on Tiril.

The Fallen Angel began sweating profusely. He tried to breathe in, but nothing worked. He felt like he couldn't breathe. The fear was choking him, paralyzing him. He couldn't move.

Suzu looked at the tiny boy. His face was turning blue. "What the fuck are you doing to him, Michael?" Suzu's voice turned deadly. She knelt down so that she was staring directly into Tiril's eyes. "Tiril? Tiril? What's wrong?" Shuichi dropped to the ground instantly and started to rub Tiril's back.

"We won't let him hurt you. Promise." Shuichi whispered into the boy's ear.

"It hurts… it hurts…" The boy finally spoke, no louder than a whisper. Michael's eyes widened slightly, but Apollyon still noticed it.

"I did not come here to harm-" Michael started.

"Yeah, well you did! Anything else you'd like to accomplish during your little visit?" Suzu snapped out. She was a bit confused though… did Tiril know Michael back when he was in Heaven?

"You've done enough damage already." Shuichi shook his head. He wasn't scared of Michael anymore. It was amazing… but he could feel Suzu's anger and courage and it spurred him on. If she wasn't afraid, then he wouldn't be either.

"I will take my leave then. Tomorrow, I will return to see you off." Michael's eyes strayed over to Apollyon's face. "You have been oddly silent. Why?"

"Just thinking." Apollyon replied. "About how Suzu was right about us… we aren't angelic at all. Perhaps the Fallen were right to mock us."

"Interesting." Michael snorted. "We will talk tomorrow, Shuichi." The male turned around, his huge wings drifting with his body as he moved.

Tiril tried to take deep breaths but he couldn't look anywhere but at Michael. There was a phrase pressing on his brain… an important phrase. The pressure was immeasurable. He needed to know what it was… but he couldn't see past the pain or his fear.

Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid… Tiril inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He could feel his heart calm down… his lungs relaxing... everything was slowing down… the adrenalin was being washed out of his system… his mind was still. And then, like a flower petal on a summer day, it drifted to him; the phrase that, by its nature, made Michael a friend and not an enemy. A foreign fluid filled the boy's mouth, but he didn't even notice it.

Tiril's eyes opened in shock and he pushed away from Shuichi. He took a step towards Michael, pointed at the winged redhead. "You're Suzu's-" Tiril broke off as he choked on something. He felt a sharp, stinging sensation on his tongue and he fell to the ground. Black ink dripped from the boy's mouth and he spat multiple times.

Michael whirled around, staring at Tiril for a few seconds. And so… another learns the truth and is cursed. Gabriel, you will have to work hard to keep this one quiet. He inwardly snorted. It served his brother right for creating the curse in the first place.

"TIRIL!!!" Suzu ran to Tiril and felt the boy's forehead. He didn't have a fever. What was that black substance and why was it in his mouth?

"What happened to him?" Shuichi demanded, glaring at Michael.

"Tiril, come with me. We have much to talk about." Michael turned around and started walking. Tiril rose to his feet unsteadily, but made his way over towards the Archangel.

"W-wait! Why are you going with him? I thought you were afraid of him?" Suzu didn't understand. She looked at her twin and he looked just as confused as she.

"It's okay… he won't hurt me." Tiril looked back at them. Then he turned back and spat on the ground again, painting the desert floor black.

Michael took off into the air, beating his wings. They needed to be far, far away from Suzu's hearing range. Tiril released his wing and followed the redhead.


"Open your mouth." Michael instructed Tiril. The two of them were currently sitting at a table in a safe house that was miles away. Demons bustled around them but not one of them seemed to notice Michael's wings. But Tiril could see them just fine.

Tiril cautiously opened his mouth. He had gulped down three glasses of water just to get the weird taste out. The Fallen couldn't see it, but there was a black "X" on the underside of this tongue. It was glowing slightly. Michael handed the boy a shiny spoon and he looked into it. Tiril gasped out loud and leaned even closer to the spoon.

Tiril ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth several times. Then he traced the mark with his finger. It didn't hurt, but he could feel it. "What is that?" Tiril asked after finally closing his mouth.

"A curse… that permits you from ever verbalizing the information you discovered." Michael replied. He knew they were being watched by someone. He could feel their energy.

"I don't understand. You didn't put the curse on me." Tiril frowned. Was it Kizura?

"No… my older brother, Gabriel, created this curse. The crime I committed was so wicked that he literally forbade everyone and anyone from speaking of it."

"So it's his powers that are keeping me from saying it? What happens if I try?"

"Eventually… you will lose the ability to speak. It is better not to try at all."

"Suzu doesn't know, does she?"

"The curse is amplified for them. The thought literally never crossed her mind… and probably never will."

"But Kizura knows!" Tiril liked his brain sometimes. It told him all kinds of useful information. But now it had gotten him cursed. Nevertheless, he was glad to know the truth, because the truth meant he no longer needed to fear Michael. It was kind of sad, though, that Suzu had no idea.

"It was the confirmation of her existence that caused my brother to create the curse in the first place."

"How can you break the curse? Or stop it?"

"The curse will not die until I do."

"That's not good. If you died…"

"Search your thoughts, Tiril. You already know."

"… … You're going to be killed by him?"

"Many things can happen in a decade. Besides, I would not mind seeing her again."

"Well, wait a minute… who h…" Tiril smacked his hand with the table. "It's Lilith! It all makes sense now!"

"I trust I do not need to remind you to keep this to yourself."

"Of course! I won't tell… but I'm sorry that I can't."

Michael smiled but didn't respond further. He waited for Tiril to finish his fourth drink and then stood up. As he led the Fallen out, the Archangel felt malicious eyes on his back. The redhead casually turned his head to the side and locked eyes with a dark-haired demon that was standing against the wall. The demon's red eyes bored into his blue ones.

This demon had been spying on them ever since they arrived. What he would do with the cursed information was his own business. Michael didn't care... he could not escape the reach of Fate. "What is the name of Shuichi's brother? I've forgotten." Michael asked as they neared the door, breaking eye contact with the demon.

"Manchu." Tiril replied easily. "Can you teleport us? I don't feel like flying."


"Why'd you have to go all the way to a safe house?" Suzu grumbled, glaring at the two Angels. Michael and Tiril had arrived a few moments ago. "What the hell were you talking about?" Shuichi was wondering the same thing. Apollyon… didn't want to speculate, lest he end up spouting black ink like Tiril.

"Just a family affair." Michael smiled slightly and Tiril couldn't help but grin.

"You'd better believe it!" The green-haired boy piped up. He wasn't afraid of Michael anymore. How could he be?

"Alright, whatever, onto more important things that you can actually tell me… did I ever meet Tiril?" Suzu pointed at the Fallen Angel.

Michael gave her an annoyed look for a moment and then, to Shuichi's surprise, sat down on the ground. Everyone followed suit, waiting for the Archangel to speak.

"Tiril was asleep in Hell for approximately 850 years, making you about 3150 years old when he was sentenced. I believe you are roughly 1450 years older than Tiril, Suzu. You probably did pass by him a few times, but I would assume that your children had more contact with him than you did. I can't recall if the two of you were ever formally introduced." Michael rambled off easily. "But remember, all of these numbers are approximations."

"Not like I can ask any of my kids because their memories were probably erased." The dog demon rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous…"

"They probably were introduced." Apollyon commented lightly. "Considering who Tiril is, Raphael most likely brought him to some kind of social function."

"I suppose it's possible." Michael's tone became slightly impatient.

"How old am I?" Tiril asked hopefully, changing the subject.

"If we keep using the same numbers and if you weren't reverted back to your seventh year, you'd be 2550 years old." The Archangel replied.

"You're seven years old. Who cares about the other number?" Suzu grinned wolfishly, ruffling Tiril's green hair.

"I care…" Tiril trailed off, letting out a sigh. "I want to be back to normal, whatever that is." I'm almost three-thousand years old? I'm old but I feel young. It's weird…

"Who wants to be normal?" Shuichi offered with a wry smirk on his face. "Do you see anyone here that's normal?"

Tiril frowned for a second and looked at Suzu. She stuck her tongue out at him and winked. The Fallen giggled. "Nope, I don't see anyone!" The boy shouted out happily.

"Damn straight, ya little bugger!" Suzu picked Tiril up and tossed him into the air.

Tiril let out a scream of joy and Shuichi jumped up in the air to catch him. The half-demon swirled around in the air before he landed on the sand. The two males and Suzu laughed for a few moments and then regained their composure.

"Anything else you'd like to ask me?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Nah, I think we're good for now. You can go back to my Grandma and squeal on us. I don't care." Suzu shrugged.

"Don't mind her, she's just a brat." Tiril laughed out loud as Suzu tickled him.

"I will see you all tomorrow then." Michael's body shimmered for a second and then he disappeared right in front of their eyes.

"He's not half as scary as the stories made him seem." Shuichi remarked a few minutes later. And Tiril certainly wasn't afraid of him anymore. That was good.

"Duh, you just gotta know which buttons to push." Suzu smirked back. "So, we've got a whole day left. What do you want to do?" She plopped down onto her back, using her arms to support her head.

"Sleep for half of it. I'm exhausted!" Tiril exclaimed.

"Not half, Tiril." Shuichi rolled his eyes. "Let's take five hours. Then we can get up and do whatever we want." The teen laid down on his tummy, feeling infinitesimal grains of sand creeping up his shirt.

Tiril was just about to lie down, when Apollyon put a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?" The boy cocked his head to one side.

"What did you and Michael talk about?" The Angel of Hell asked in what appeared to be a calm tone, but his hazel eye said something else entirely. It was darker than normal.

Tiril shrugged, opened his mouth, and stuck out his tongue. "Can't talk about it… it's a curse." He stared back at the Angel until the latter removed his hand. "I'm sleeping for the next thousand years!!!"

"Then you'll be like 35… hello mid-life crisis." Suzu snickered.

"Oh shut up!" The Fallen rolled his eyes, but made his way over to her. He didn't like the vibes he was getting from Apollyon.

Shuichi watched the exchange between the two Angels with shrewd eyes.


Suzu was lying on her back, staring up at the sky. They were under the protection of Tiril's barrier, so it wasn't unbearably hot although it was in the middle of the day. The Fallen was fast asleep, lightly snoring. Apollyon was away getting their lunch. "Hey Shuichi?" The dog demon asked, reaching her hand down to scratch her stomach.

"Mm?" Shuichi answered, half-mumbling.

"Remember when we first met?"

"Of course!"

"I thought you were some kind of cross-dressing, lost puppy."

"I thought you were crazy, bizarre, psycho… eccentric, if you will."

"I've been called worse. I'll take what I can get at this point."

"Ditto."

"We've been through a lot in a short amount of time, haven't we?"

"Yeah… from those demons at the safe house to Sasayaku to Horobosu…"

"Then those demons Ma-kun and Ken-chan."

"You sure wiped the desert floor with them."

"Do you two ever shut up?" Tiril grumbled, turning over and glaring at the two of them. "And finishing each other's sentences? You're both absurd!"

Suzu leaned her head back to look at Shuichi. The moment their eyes met they burst out laughing. "Well, you're certainly starting to act your age, Tiril! You're grumbling like an old man!" Shuichi hooted.

"I am NOT an old man! I just want my sleep! And who can possibly get any rest with two parrots jabbering away?" Tiril pouted, sitting up and brushing sand out of his hair.

"Aw, come on, don't be mean. He just needs his beauty sleep." Suzu snickered, trying to stop herself from laughing any louder. "It keeps the gray hair away!"

"Whatever. You both suck." Tiril rolled his eyes… but then a mischievous look passed over his face. In an instant, the barrier around them disappeared and the desert heat immediately overwhelmed them.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! HOT HOT HOT!!" Shuichi leapt to his feet and started running around. "TIRIL, WHAT THE HELL?"

Suzu lost herself in a fit of giggles and started rolling around on the ground. Then a gust of wind blew her twenty feet in the air. "What the blazes?" Suzu looked down at Tiril, who had a rather satisfied look on his face. The dog demon twirled through the air and landed on her feet. "And I was comfy in that position, too. Jeez."

"Well, I was comfortable, too. But you guys ruined it." The tiny boy snorted.

"Tiril, damn you, I think I'm getting sunburned!!!" Shuichi ran back over to them. His face was covered in white lotion.

"What is that?" Suzu wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Well, I needed sunscreen so I-" Shuichi put his hands on his hips.

"You look like a fucking alien! Get that shit off your face!"

"Language, Suzu!"

"You're not the boss of me!"

Tiril smacked his forehead in annoyance. "When is the food getting here? I'm hungry." The boy sighed, looking around for any sign of Apollyon.

"Yeah, seriously, if he takes any longer, let's just go get it ourselves." Suzu crossed her arms over her chest. He's been gone for a while… how long does it take to get some chicken parm? Jesus!

"Why don't we play a game while we wait?" Shuichi sat down. "I'll tell you something you don't know about me… and you tell me something I don't know about you."

"What about me?" Tiril whined. "I wanna play!!"

"Well since you basically know everything and never say it until the last moment, now's a good time to practice taking shit outta that brain of yours." Suzu snorted.

"I'll go first!" Shuichi put his finger on his chin. "Hmm… I used to sing with Ryuichi for money."

"When I had nightmares, sometimes Michael used to sing me to sleep. Or more like hum I guess." The dog demon rubbed her eyes.

Let the thoughts drift in, drift in, drift in… "Umm… my turn… Apollyon wants to quit his job." Tiril frowned. Why did his brain tell him that? Was it even important?

"Really … hmmm… I think had sex for the first time when I was ten years old. To be honest... I've lost track."

"You little slut you… I fucked Zion on top of a cloud once. Beat that."

"Ew… you guys are gross. I'm still a kid! Well anyways, I'm going to meet a girl with purple hair."

"That's Saki. She's really nice, just bossy sometimes. I guess that makes sense, because if you're coming with me to Ichiban then you're probably coming back to the Demon Realm too." Shuichi couldn't think of anything else to say. He felt homesick for a moment. But then he remembered… he was close to returning, so close.

"Suzu's going to have another baby." Tiril said flippantly.

Now that caused Suzu to sit up right. "FUCK YEA!!!" She started dancing around. "I knew they couldn't tie my tubes! Take that you old hag! I'll show you!" She was hollering to everyone and no one. "I'ma have me a baby, ima have me a baby, baby, baby!"

"The old hag is Kizura, right?" Shuichi whispered to Tiril, who nodded. The half-demon grinned and started laughing.

"Sixty-six, sixty-six, sixty-six, sixty-six, sixty-six, sixty-six, sixty-six!" The female was still chanting and bobbing from left to right. Needless to say, the game was over.


Shuichi, Suzu, and Tiril were currently digging into their food. Apollyon hadn't gotten any for himself. In fact, he had returned to the safe house after dropping their food off. It was a feast for kings… well as kingly as any feast could look being devoured in the middle of a desert.

"Say, this sucks, doesn't it?" Suzu asked between bites.

"Whataya mean?" Shuichi responded, slurping more ramen into his mouth.

"Waiting for that damn portal to appear… it's like a bad omen. You will die in twenty-four hours!" Suzu hissed in her best horror flick voice.

"Yeah… I guess it does. How many more hours do we have?" Tiril stabbed his fork into his fruit salad and successfully pulled out a strawberry. "We definitely slept for longer than five hours."

"I think we have like fourteen hours left." Shuichi muttered.

"Why should we have to find shit to do for the next fourteen hours?" Suzu snapped out. "This is so stupid!"

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" The half-demon retorted. "Since you always seem to have an answer for-"

"Don't get sassy with me, ya slut." Suzu rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't know about you, but waiting for fourteen hours seems pretty pathetic, doesn't it? Couldn't we all be doing something more productive with our time?"

"Like what?" Tiril questioned curiously.

"Well, I'd like to finish my training. Training you two hasn't made me any stronger. I got sent here to prove that I could survive on my own, but I've been with you guys for so long that I don't even know if I managed to do it or if this has all been a long sidetrack-"

"Sorry we wasted your precious time!" Shuichi interrupted hotly.

"Would you let me finish?" Suzu shouted back at him. "And you didn't waste my time, you idiot! I'm over four-thousand years old! Do you really think I give a damn about time? ANYWAYS… time is something that's more precious to you. Like the time you could be spending with-"

"My Mother…" Shuichi finished softly, the words floating in the desert sky.

"Okay… so what are you saying?" Tiril frowned. "Get to the point, bush-beater."

"Let's just say bon voyage now!" Suzu threw her hands in the air. "What the hell are we waiting for? We've got things to do, right? Shuichi needs to reunite with Seki and I've got to finish my training and you're getting on my nerves, so you've got to go, too!"

"I guess that's okay… I mean, we did say goodbye already." Shuichi said carefully, avoiding Suzu's gaze.

"Shuichi, it'll just make it harder if we wait until the twenty-four hours are up. It's like an execution or something." Suzu put a hand on her Twin Flame's shoulder. "And besides, you're already getting sick of me, right? We'll have plenty of time to annoy each other later. Just think… you could see your Mom again in less than twenty-four hours for the first time in a decade!"

"She's right." Tiril piped up. "So, what do we do?"

"This." Suzu giggled and her eye turned red. Shuichi grinned in anticipation. His twin let out a fearsome, guttural howl that the wind carried near and far, high and low.

Less than five minutes later, the Archangel Michael appeared in the desert sand before them. "Yes?" The redheaded male raised an eyebrow at Suzu. "What is it?"

"You heard her?" Shuichi spoke disbelievingly. "How is that possible?"

"Where is Apollyon?" Michael looked at Tiril, completely ignoring the teen.

"Safe house… he's been acting weird lately." The Fallen replied.

"Yo, can we move this departure date up a little bit?" Suzu drank some more of her strawberry smoothie. "And by a little bit, I mean now."

"Now?" Michael furrowed his brow. "The portal is scheduled to open-"

"If you can hear me howling from another dimension then you can speed up this process, don't cha think?" Suzu pointed out, with a smirk on her face.

"Shuichi, we need to talk before you leave. Get up." Michael turned in response and started walking away.

"Umm… okay." The half-demon rose to his feet and followed after the Archangel. He had a bad feeling about this…


The Archangel kept walking until he knew that Suzu would have to fully concentrate her energy in order to hear them. If he felt her doing so, he would just teleport the two of them away. The redhead finally turned his attention to the pink-haired teenager standing in front of him.

"I've decided not to kill you because you're Suzu's twin." Michael crossed his arms over his chest. "Once again, she's saved your life."

Shuichi's eyes widened in shock. The mood around them changed rapidly. He could practically feel the Archangel's aura threatening to choke him. He felt the fear crash back into him and he backed up a few steps. The desert sun was hot, very hot on his head and the fact that he was nervous wasn't helping. Every breath Shuichi took was painful and scorching. In a way, it reminded him of Kizura's technique… but it was stronger, more deliberate, and yet, more controlled.

"You nearly caused her death through your cowardice." The redhead continued on as if Shuichi wasn't moving away from him. "As much as I disagreed with Kizura's tactics, her actions certainly seemed to finally steer you in the right direction."

"It wasn't her." Shuichi found himself replying defiantly. "It wasn't her! All she did was scare the shit out of me and make me realize how right Suzu was about her! I steered myself in the right direction! When I finally realized how much I was hurting my friends, when I finally realized that I had been running away… I knew I needed to change."

"Another thing we need to talk about." Michael's eyes narrowed. "You're too vulnerable without your memories. You snap the moment someone mentions Seki or your former occupation. The past is the past for the reason. Do not let it consume you."

"Well, I can't forget about it either!" Shuichi shouted back. "I know that I'm weak without my memories! If I could change it all, I could! It would certainly make everything easier, but that's not the way things are. And I'm about to get my memories back, so then I'll finally know what happened." I'll finally know what went wrong…

"Even now, you haven't come to terms with your past. I can see it in your eyes." The Archangel frowned slightly, but the air around them calmed down; became less heated. "However, you are ten times as strong as you are weak… and every warrior has an Achilles heel. You must do better to conceal yours, lest all your enemies learn from Horobosu."

Shuichi's jaw dropped open. Did… did an Archangel actually complement him? "T-thanks, I will." He found himself nodding. "I'm a bit confused. So you don't hate me?"

"Long ago, I was told that you would be an unbalanced, unstable being." Michael stated lightly, holding his hand out. A purple light materialized into his hand, taking the form of a small orb, shimmying and swirling around. "I believe my source was wrong." Michael lifted his hand, as if beckoning to Shuichi.

The half-demon obeyed, taking a step closer to the redhead. The teen carefully took the purple shining orb out of Michael's hand. It was warm and almost… soft. It was about the size of an eyeball. "What is this?" Shuichi covered the orb with both hands. He could feel tiny vibrations coming off of the orb. He lifted his hand up and stared closely at the orb. It was still moving around in his hands, as if it was alive.

"Keep it safe within your blade… and when it the time is right, submerge it into a body of water." The Archangel replied enigmatically.

Shuichi summoned the Blade of Lamentations and watched as the purple orb grew at least ten times in size, right in his hand. But it didn't get any heavier… it was just big as a basketball now. Then, with a flash of light, the once purple orb turned indigo, with greenish swirls going all around it.

The puzzling eye on the Blade of Lamentations was completely fixated on the indigo object in Shuichi's palm. The eye almost seemed to widen in excitement. Cocking his head to the side, Shuichi held the hilt right up to the orb in his hands. The eye began flashing, shining light onto the orb. Then, the orb flew straight into the Blade of Lamentations, a blue orb with green swirls taking the place of where Persephone's golden orb once was.

"What is it? And why was my sword so… happy to get it?" Shuichi asked, holding his sword up to the sun.

"It's an egg." Michael said over his shoulder as he started trekking back towards the group.

An egg? Shuichi thought as he followed Michael. Why the heck did he give me that?

Michael and Shuichi walked through the sand, their footprints rapidly disappearing due to the hot wind. Shuichi noted with curiosity that Apollyon was now inside the barrier. Suzu ran outside of the barrier to meet them, but the other two stayed behind.

"There's another thing that bothered me… ever since Suzu told us that story you told her." The half-demon confessed, looking straight at Michael.

"Yes?" Michael raised a bright red eyebrow.

"If Naytievanol is so powerful that she can't be put inside of a cross… and if she actually is female… then what is Crimson?" Shuichi asked frankly.

Michael held out an outstretched hand. A black hole appeared a few inches away from his fingertips. The hole started swirling around and growing larger in diameter. "This will take you to Nihilo." The Archangel stated, dropping his arm to his side. "Suzu, it's time-"

"Wait, what about my question?" Shuichi interrupted. "What is Crimson??" Crimson was one of the most important beings in Shuichi's life. So he had to know why, because it didn't make sense. It was another inconsistency that needed to be solved.

He's still a part of me, no matter what. But if he's not who he's supposed to be… I just don't understand anymore! Crimson was like a brother to him. Crimson would always be a brother to him; was there for him during the hard times. Crimson had taken care of him. But now, Shuichi was worried. Who had been inside of him for all these years?

"Shit… I never even thought about that." Suzu cocked her head to one side.

"Crimson's been a part of you for a long time, right?" Tiril offered up. "So of course you want to know. Because if what Michael says is true… then Crimson certainly isn't the Angel of Vanity. But they're similar. At least, that's what I think."

"Well, whatever you think is probably close to the truth." Suzu shrugged, stealing a suspicious look at Michael. "Why aren't you answering his question?"

"I can't." Michael said simply and moved to avoid the rapidly growing black hole.

"I'm not going in until you answer my question." Shuichi crossed his arms over his chest and glared defiantly at the redheaded Angel.

"That is not your decision to make." The Archangel narrowed his blue eyes.

"Crimson was inside of me! What right do you have to keep that from me?" The half-demon protested.

"Does that mean you have more right than Crimson to learn of his origins?" Michael retorted.

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. "His, his origins? What does that mean? What does that mean?" He sputtered out, taking a step back.

"Stop toying with him, Michael." Suzu growled, her visible eye flashing red. "If you're not going to tell him, then don't fucking bait him."

Michael smirked and didn't reply. Shuichi stared him down, but didn't say anything more. Nobody else said anything either. The black hole expanded at least three times in size. Suzu let out an angry sigh and started pacing. Tiril gazed up at the sky, as if he was daydreaming.

"Shuichi, I think we need to go." Apollyon spoke up a few minutes later. He took a step towards the black hole that threatened to encompass them all.

"I'm not moving from this spot until-" Shuichi uttered stubbornly.

"Why? Does it even matter to you, what Crimson is?" Michael interjected, his eyes locked onto the pink-haired boy's face.

"How can you even ask me that?" Shuichi threw his hands into the air. "Crimson is like a brother to me! He's protected me all these years! He's a part of me! Even though we've been separated, he's still in here!" He put a hand over his heart.

"Everyone always judges him and calls him a murderer and a monster… but he's not. And then finally, finally, I thought that people would have to respect Crimson because I was told he was an Angel… and not just any Angel, the Angel of Vanity. It made perfect sense to me at first.

"Crimson has his downsides… he's crude and violent and bloodthirsty he's definitely conceited and with good reason, because he's so strong and powerful. I used to envy him for being the strong one. He was the one that took care of us and carried both our burdens. I was the weak one that forgot everything and had to be protected. But I love him; I love him because he's as much a part of me as I'm a part of him. And we're different, very different, like oil and water. He has a dark, hostile personality and I'm more optimistic and trusting. But we fit together, literally and figuratively.

"The other demons, they always pitied and belittled me, and I know they think I'm useless, parasitic… but they fear him. They fear him and hate and disgust him. So I thought that finally, finally, they couldn't hate him anymore." Shuichi ran a hand through his pink hair. "I don't care what they think of me. I just don't want him to go back to being treated like that."

Michael looked long and hard at Shuichi with piercing eyes. Then he walked over to Tiril and put a hand on the boy's head. The redhead went still for a moment, as if he was focusing on something.

"Hey! What're you doing?" Tiril tried to wriggle out of the Archangel's grasp.

Michael released the boy's green locks and walked back towards Suzu. "We're leaving. Let's go." He said to Suzu. Tiril shook his head a few times, as if he was confused.

"Okay." Suzu shrugged. She ran over to Shuichi and squeezed the teen tightly. "I'm sorry Michael's such a jerk. Au revoir, right?"

"Yeah." Shuichi forced himself to smile weakly. "Au revoir." He rubbed Suzu's back as tenderly as he could. If Crimson was his brother, then Suzu was his sister. And it hurt having to leave her, especially when he was already so emotional. He was going to miss her so much. He couldn't believe this was goodbye… He couldn't believe that after everything he said, Michael was still going to leave without telling him anything.

Suzu released Shuichi and knelt down so that she was at eye level with Tiril. "Take care of Shuichi, alright? We both know how much of an idiot he is. He needs someone with half a brain by his side. Plus with your psychic abilities, even he can't fuck up too much. So whataya say?"

"Okay, I'll do my best…" Tiril sniffled and buried his head in her neck. "I wish you were my mother, MM." It was too soon… but it was time.

"I practically am already, PB. All we have to do is convince Zion to sign the adoption papers." Suzu muttered back softly, combing her fingers through Tiril's soft hair. "Au revoir, my love."

"Bye… I'll miss you… everyday." The Fallen Angel let go of Suzu's neck and wiped his tears away.

Shuichi's eyes saddened. Michael still hadn't said a word. He's really not going to tell me... The teen stared into the black hole that hovered before them, massive and daunting.

Suzu turned to Apollyon and smirked slightly. "It was nice meeting you. Sorry we never seemed to get along. But you took good care of Shuichi." Her eye softened. "So I guess you're not that bad. Take care of my twin, kay?"

"I will do my best." Apollyon nodded back at Suzu, a half-smile on his face.

Suzu strolled over to Michael and grabbed onto his outstretched hand. Their bodies began to vanish gradually, from their feet up.

"I guess we gotta go in the black hole." Tiril frowned slightly. "Not that I want to."

"To Nihilo we go…" Shuichi murmured, turning his head sideways to look in Suzu's direction. She stuck her tongue out at him and he couldn't help but laugh. Michael avoided his gaze. From the waist down, both of their bodies were gone.

"I will go first." Apollyon looked at Shuichi for a moment. Without turning back, he walked straight into the black hole. Neither Shuichi nor Tiril could see him. The black hole shrunk in size, but continued to hover about.

"That looks promising…" Tiril muttered darkly. Shuichi shook his head and grabbed onto the tiny boy's hand.

"I'll see you when I see you!!!!" Suzu shouted out. Shuichi and Tiril looked in her direction, just in time to see her head vanish right before their eyes. Michael was still visible from the neck up, as he was taller than her.

Michael looked right at Tiril and their eyes locked. Just before Michael's head faded away, he winked right at the Fallen Angel.

"Crimson is a partial clone of Naytievanol who was created millennia ago, under the orders of the Archangel Uriel." Tiril recited instantaneously.

"A clone?" Shuichi repeated dumbly, staring at Tiril in shock. He looked back to where Michael and Suzu were standing a minute ago. Only empty space greeted his eyes. Michael was gone. "A clone?"

"I guess he heard you loud and clear." Tiril looked up at Shuichi. "He really wasn't allowed to tell you. He had to use me to do it." The Fallen frowned when Shuichi didn't respond. "Shuichi? Shuichi!"

Shuichi stood still; he was in shock. He couldn't move. Crimson… is a clone? Memories of Crimson flooded into his brain. First he was a demonic personality to be sealed away, then the dormant form of an Angel… and now this? Weren't clones supposed to be mindless things that couldn't think for themselves? That didn't sound like him. It wasn't fair! Hadn't they been through enough? And if he was only a partial clone… what else was he? What else was Crimson? Who was Crimson?

Most importantly… why had Crimson been created in the first place?

"Shuichi, come on, let's go." Tiril tugged on Shuichi's hand and together, they walked into the black hole. Darkness swallowed them both.


Haha we all know I like to leave little hints in my chapters. So if you've seen Definitely, Maybe, you should know that Suzu asked something last chapter that came from the movie. That being said, it takes a smidgen of insight to figure out what Tiril did. But if not, you've got to wait until the sequel for it to be revealed.

What's up next? Why, we finally get to see Nihilo!! That famed city we've been waiting to arrive at for about... ten million years now? Shuichi, Tiril, and Apollyon walk the streets of this strange city. But why is Apollyon acting so weird? And why is the Blade of Lamentations going beserk? Is it... the egg?!?

Well, in all seriousness, Chapter 40 won't be up for a while. I have my finals and then from May 19 - June 24 I'm going to be in (*drumroll*) JAPAN!! I'm so excited because I've never been there!! Perhaps I'll get inspired about how to describe Nihilo while I'm there tee hee. I think I do need inspiration, my creative juices haven't been flowing like they used to. Things just haven't been the same for me this semester, with all the stress and whatnot. Lol the fact that this chapter is mostly conversation is testament to that. I need to get back into the grove of things. I still have plenty of battle scenes to write and the caliber of my writing needs to either stay the same or get better, but not worse.

P.s. Please continue to vote on names for Ayaka & Hiroshi's daughter! Here's what we have so far:

A. Delphine - 2

B. Audrina - 3

C. Dahlia - 5

D. Aki/Autumn – 2

E. Lorelei - 2

F. Minaka - 1

G. Devi - 1

I think that I'm just going to stick with these names. I did appreciate all the other suggestions, but there were too many other names flying around and I was starting to get overwhelmed. So yes, if you like one of the names, vote. If you don't I am sorry, but it just go to be too complicated and I should have foreseen that, but unfortunately I'm not psychic.

*** There is a poll on my profile. You can either vote by reviewing or go to my page and vote there, whichever you want. *** There's plenty of time to vote, since our bun in the oven won't be born until closer to the end of Prediction. I'm going to go back through all my reviewers that voted and continue keeping track. Once the poll is closed, I will add up all the previous reviews that were voted and the poll results in order to calculate the winning name!