Chapter Fifty-Three: Idle Words

Okita blinked at the sudden tenderness of Kaori. He was in her arms, nervously returning the hug while he tried to figure out what she was on. "A lot has happened Kaori...As crazy as it sounds, it all has to do with the end of the world and how I'm somehow a part of it." He ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "You ok?"

Noroku smiled at Kaori and Okita, kicking his newly acquired car's door shut. He walked back to the car O women and handed the keys to Arashi, smiling softly. "Tell her when she wakes up, these are for her new car...after it's detailed." He looked back to Okita and Kaori. "Hey we need to take off...You know how to get to the Clamp Campus?"

Okita blinked and nodded slowly in response. It was kind of hard to miss.

Noroku smirked and jumped into the driver's seat. "See 'ya there then." He shifted the car into gear and sped off, leaving Okita and his lady friend.

Kaori's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wait, repeat that? End of the world? And you're part of it?" She ruffled his hair slightly, discreetly checking for a knock on the head that may have caused him to say such a weird thing.

She took a deep breath. Oh my God, this was confusing! What was up with the city lately? Tokyo had been crumbling, for no apparent reason.

Kaori dropped the heeled shoes she had been holding. She had no use for broken shoes.

"Okita, there's something I've got to tell you."


The kekkai raised above the hotel and encompassed the surrounding area, cutting off Seishirou's path. He cursed himself. Maybe he should have taken the long route. Now he would have to fight Subaru. Again. And that other boy, who looked so much like Subaru. This was not turning out to be his day.

"Seishirou-san!"

He glanced down behind him, casting his gaze to the ground. Subaru was already waiting for him. The young Sumeragi was still terribly injured, much more so than Seishirou, anyway.

But before he could even think of how to go about this unexpected encounter, he sensed the all too familiar presence enter the barrier field, racing directly for the motel. Seishirou jerked his head around just in time to see Fuuma slip through one of the windows as casually as if he were taking a daily stroll through the park.

Seishirou smirked. Fuuma must have sensed Hokuto's revived aura and come to investigate for himself. Nevertheless, at least the Angels' Kamui-sama was here now, and Seishirou perhaps would not have to fight so long or so hard. And this saved him time since Fuuma had already discovered Hokuto's resurrection on his own.

Finally, now that he had a bit more time to spare, he leaped down from the rooftop and landed on the pavement below, nearly thirty feet away from where Subaru stood. "You know," he said darkly, "if we keep running into each other like this, one of us is liable to get killed." Then his guileful simper broadened. "Oh, and I hear Hokuto lives again now. What a shame...that you'll lose her so soon again. I'm sure our Kamui-sama has...interesting plans for her...to say the least."

Yes. He knew exactly what buttons to push to get Subaru to react. And he reveled in every moment of it.

Subaru flinched; No. No. NO, this COULDN'T BE HAPPENING. IT COULDN'T.

Either way, Seishirou couldn't leave. And he wasn't about to leave Shouri alone, either. Grabbing the cuff of the young boy's shirt, he pulled him in after the same window as Fuuma.

"What do you think you're doing?!" His voice was loud and demanding as he glared at Fuuma, holding an ofuda between his fingers. He'd kill him if he touched his sister.

Subaru leaped up to confront Fuuma, pulling the smaller boy along with him. But Seishirou was not about to let the young Onmyouji interfere with Fuuma's affairs, so nimbly he followed suit, vaulting high into the air, just enough to reach the window.

The younger boy was already inside, shoved in ahead by Subaru. But just as the young Sumeragi shouted his impudent words, Seishirou caught up to him. Grabbing easily the young man's ankle before he could get all the way inside the room, Seishirou yanked Subaru back outside and slung him downward, casting Subaru's already beaten, bloodied body brutally down, crashing into the pavement far below.

Then, glancing back up and throwing a quick wave and a pleasant grin to Fuuma, Seishirou reversed directions and descended back to Earth. Walking over to Subaru's trembling body, he gave a dark smirk as he stared into the young man's cold, distant eyes. "I was under the impression you wanted to fight me," he mused with a sinister chuckle. "Now don't tell me you went to all that trouble of getting my attention, only to turn your back on me for some other cause." He shook his head. "That's not how we play the game, Subaru-kun."

But in the midst of his cruel treatment, it was as though an iron fist had clutched his heart and was squeezing the life out of his soul. No. No emotion. No love. Not now. Not ever. As if to emphasize his detestation of this uncomfortable sensation that tried to overwhelm him at the sight of Subaru's pain, Seishirou drew back a foot and them promptly swung it forward again, planting it into Subaru's ribs with a low grunt.

"Get up," he spat. "You have my attention. Now fight me."


He blinked at Sorata as the Kouya monk and the Kamui of the Dragons of Earth exchanged bits of the story that had transpired while Yuuto had been more or less...preoccupied. And then suddenly Fuuma was gone, vaulting across the building tops, and Sorata was ready to follow. And he wanted Yuuto to come along for the fight...looking and smelling like THIS?

He chuckled and held up his hands in front of him, backing away slowly. "I think I'll catch up with you in a few," he said a bit nervously. "Right now, I'm going to go home and indulge in a nice hot shower."

And then, suddenly itching and aching to get out of these vial, putrid, tattered clothes, Yuuto forgot to wait for Sorata's reply before leaping briskly into the air. Racing through the city across the rooftops, the wind in his face was a much needed relief from the pungent odor of the dumpster in which Kusanagi must have abandoned him. The traitor. But that was irrelevant now.

Reaching his apartment, Yuuto fumbled with the key under the mattress, desperate to get inside and into the bathroom. At last the doorknob clicked, and he broke through into the entryway. Not even wasting a moment to remove his shoes, he dashed for the bathroom, stripped himself of the sticky, smelly, sweaty suit and coat, and stepped into the shower.

And as the hot water sprayed in torrents down his grimy skin, scrubbing at every inch of his flesh with a lathery washcloth, the only thought that played across his mind was that of where he might be able to burn those filthy clothes.


Kamui could already feel his eyes begin to burn and swell with tears, but he simply shook his head and smiled gently. "I'll be ok..." he said softly. But some how, a stray tear fell loose from his eyes and slowly trickled down his cheek.

He didn't care though...

Kamui could already feel himself becoming weaker and weaker. His wounds hadn't fully healed yet and rushing back and forth from the city was taking a toll on him. He rested himself against the bottom of the couch, still holding Kotori's hand. He was to afraid to let go. Afraid that she would suffer more if he lost sight of her again.

"Are you cold?" Kamui asked her. "I can get you a blanket of you need one..."

Kotori opened her eyes slowly. Her hand reached out, and her index finger slipped across Kamui's cheek, catching the tear. She hadn't seen Kamui cry in years. In fact, she was almost sure that he COULDN'T cry anymore.

She looked over at her own body. The dress Yuzuriha had lent her was ruined. She would have to repay her... Where was Yuzuriha anyway? And Uo? And Arashi?

She started at her bruised, cut feet. One day everything was okay, and the next, her world came crashing down on top of her. "I'm fine. But if you are..." her voice trailed off.

Even if she was hurt, Kotori was still kind to everyone before herself. She watched Kamui's back, leaning against the couch in front of her. She grasped his hand tighter. She wouldn't sleep, and she knew it. But Kamui, he looked like he was about to fall over and die. She pushed herself up and placed her legs under her body, sitting on one side of the couch. She was feeling a bit better now, though her head felt heavy for a moment.

"You don't have to stay on the...ground.." she said sheepishly.

Kamui could feel her gentle hand come across his face and wipe away his tear. He was a bit embarrassed that she saw that, but it didn't matter really. He could feel the grip on his hand becoming tighter. His heart felt relieved for a moment.

He looked up at her for a moment. The soft cushions of the couch seemed inviting, and he was so tired. Standing up slowly he sat down on the open space Kotori made for him and rested his head back.

Looking back at Kotori he asked "You feeling any better?"

Kotori nodded. "I am." She left off the 'for now'. No reason to worry Kamui any more.

She glanced at him a few times from the corner of her eye. Here she was, her arm tangled trying to grasp his hand as tightly as she could. With the boy that she loved.

She sighed and leaned against him. She didn't care if anyone saw them, and she didn't care if Kamui didn't like it, she wanted to be near him. And god damn it! She was going to be.


Kaze's yellow eyes flashed slightly as it stared upon the scene. A dragon of Earth. Great. Wonderful. Just what he NEEDED. He was more likely to get his feathers singed now by some spell. And then it caught his attention. Another one. A stronger one. Many coming, too.

His eyes suddenly flew to the side, towards the window near where Hokuto was. Instead, it stopped on a tree and peered at the window a bit more. He froze. Oh.. this was NOT good..

The bird's eyes flashed again. This time it was just a bit too much. While he was tempted to call to his comrades, Taer and Anzu, he did not. He would be fine on his own. He was capable of making a shift to protect should it be required... of course, the fact that the boy had already summoned one of his attacks in a liquid form bothered him.

It was true. Shouri's abilities had grown in the past few days. His ki's sudden reactions proved that, but the boy still wasn't strong enough. Of course, who knew WHAT to expect out of him... of course, the answer became evident within seconds...

Shouri knew that Hokuto was in danger, and didn't bother to waste his time trying to find her. He had thought that Subaru was behind him after he had been pushed into the motel... but he was not. His thoughts directed the hovering water bird rather suddenly.

Even after being pushed inside, the water bird was ready to go, ready to do what it could. It reacted to Shouri's thoughts, beginning to panic and flail, screeching like a banshee.. which was quite odd, considering it was made of water.

The young boy paused as he turned a corner in the motel. He couldn't go back for Subaru, not yet... but Subaru wasn't strong enough to hold up against Seishirou! His feet seemed to do more than his mind. Another dash another zip. He was heading back to the room where they had been, back to Hokuto.

"Hokuto-sama! Hokuto-sama!" Shouri called frantically.

What if he couldn't find her? He'd have to help Subaru, whether he did or not. He just hoped things would turn out for the better. Hokuto had to be okay! She had to! And he had to get her out of there... and then he would deal with Seishirou.

Great. More trouble brought about by that man! By Seishirou!

"I swear, if anything happens to Hokuto," Shouri said through gritted teeth as he ran, "I'm holding you responsible, Seishirou."

Shouri hadn't noticed the negative energy propelling from him in every direction. It was as if the purity that he usually gave off was being cancelled out by his desire for revenge, his hate, and his anger. He really did just want to protect his friends, but in doing so, he had let his anger get a little bit out of control. His adjusting to the void within him was not going very well, and apparently it was taking advantage of him.

That was fine with him. He would worry about it later. If he had to, he would use it against Seishirou. Even though Matsuko would disapprove of it, he would. He OWED him that much.

Hokuto had to be okay!!! After all, he still had to play the flute for her, right? He had said he would. It was a promise.

Kaze frowned, shaking his head. Too much anger. Too much hate. Too much negativity in Shouri. He didn't like it... and the worst part was that Shisa was still watching through Kaze's eyes.

The bird knew that it was not wise to use negative energy often... And while he knew the boy could handle it, he still worried, but he could only watch, and step in should he be required.


Sorata watched the blonde man run to be clean. He sighed and slapped a hand over his face. Oh well, if it was just him, the other one in the barrier and Fuuma.

Yes, this would be quite a battle especially if the cloth boy decided to follow. Before he left, Sorata gave Nataku a nod, leaping into the air and flipping onto a building.

He waited one moment to see which direction the Kekkai was and then dashed off to get in on the action.


Arashi was lost. It had to be obvious. She hadn't paid much attention as to why the car had stopped. She didn't really care why Noroku had pointed the gun at that stranger.

But that girl...knew Okita right? Well, that was his problem, not hers. And as much as she would like to care and help someone who seemed to be friends with Yuzuriha, she couldn't. Not right now.

She took the keys, and shoved them into her skirt pocket with Sorata's hat. All she could do was nod numbly. Whatever. She would do as she was told.

She sank down into the seat, next to Yuzuriha. "She needs medical attention right away." Arashi muttered. But, she wasn't sure if he had heard her, because the car was in gear now, and speeding off.


Hokuto watched Subaru run after Shouri in shock, frozen from his words. She would never have thought... Seishirou had hurt more people.

Gritting her teeth together, she shook her head for thinking such foolish thoughts. Of course he would have hurt other people even after being done with Subaru. But still.

Hokuto started as something flew through the window and landed next to her, tapping her shoulder. Flipping around, she immediately recognized the one standing before her, grinning jovially.

She knew who he was. She knew he was the Chi no Ryu's Kamui. She could feel it. But she also knew he had been in Kakyou's dream. He could take her to him.

As she had no idea where her yume-mi was, she needed guidance. And she needed to go to see Kakyou.

"Excuse me...I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" The words reached her just as the last thought had registered. Yes, she would go with him. If he would take her to Kakyou.

She felt his arms around her yet frail shoulders and a sense of peace overwhelmed her. Starting, she widened her eyes and looked at him, barely hearing his next words.

"I see my friend is having trouble with your brother...Any idea why?" She frowned, trying to collect her thoughts, to get free of his grip on her, but she was still too weak. Her muscles were new and unused, the sinew and bone still frail.

"No... I mean, yes... It's Seishirou..." She shook her head, wanting nothing more than to be free of that peaceful feeling. He was evil. He was friends with Seishirou. He wanted Seishirou to kill Subaru.

But the feeling remained.

"How did you know he was my brother...?" Her words were interrupted. Footsteps could be heard outside the door. It was Shouri. She could feel his aura pouring off of him, a mixture of fear, anger and hate.

But still, when she looked at the man holding her, she felt nothing but peace.

Strange. Yet oddly familiar.

Like when she had died.

Her eyes widened even more and she grasped at the man's coat, burying her face in his neckline. "Can you take me to Kakyou?"

Fuuma eyes Subaru with cold eyes and then smiled down at Hokuto, she seemed at peace with him. This fact caused him to pressed her to him much like a lover, leaning to her ear.

"I will take you to him if that is your wish." He breathed on her ear softly, knowing his actions would allow Subaru to lose control. He looked to the new comer with a smile, raising his eyes to the ceiling just as it began to shake violently as if it were being torn off.

He looked back at Shouri with a smirk, and then suddenly leaned down to kiss Hokuto passionately. Her heart wanted the love of the dream seer...while he couldn't change the direction of another heart, he could offer his as consolation.

The roof began to shake more violently as cracks began to form in it's surface.

"Seishirou...Injury the boy called Subaru, he doesn't get to die just yet...I can see you want this as well so you have my permission. Just make sure he doesn't follow. As for you..."

His eyes hadn't left Shouri. "I suggest you leave before you harm the girl...I know I won't but what about you if try to attack us? The same is true if Subaru attacks. I may have total control of my powers but do you have control over yours."

His eyes narrowed as his smile darkened.

Shouri's eyes grew cold, almost as if he were possessed by another force. This force was drawn from within him, completely different from the usual calming energy that he possessed. Was the man bluffing? ... Certainly not. Shouri had never relied upon negative energy, at least not so great, to do his bidding. He was shaking, furious!

"And who is to say that you won't hurt her later on?" he snapped back, eyes narrowing. "The feel about you... it's cold. Dark. Deceiving. You're like a wolf, obsessed with the scent of blood, and hunting for the source. You may not harm Hokuto-sama directly, but you will indirectly- I can feel it."

... And that kiss to Hokuto was all that was needed to set. Him. Off.

The negative energy pulsed, ripping the air around him. He had noticed the ceiling some time ago... and while the pure energy and calm thoughts tried to cancel out the darkness, it seemed to have some difficulty as he grew more angry.

The dark expression upon Shouri's face suddenly shifted. The energies were battling, as were his thoughts. He could feel himself trying to get rid of that dark energy. He was in pain again, gasping for air as he fell to one knee. Too much for him.

"Shimatta." He cursed.
His stomach shifted again. The pain doubled. He frowned slightly... closing his eyes momentarily. Another flash. He felt as though his wounds were reopening and he was reliving the past few days, the incidents that were shaking him. Why couldn't he let it go?

"... Ho.. ku .. to.. sa.. ma..."

Kaze squirmed, squealing about as loud as the water bird was. He couldn't STAND it! And his orders were... NOT TO INTEREFERE!? NO! The wind beast held back its screeching again, yellow eyes flickering a bit more. Why? WHY couldn't he help! He wanted to help so badly!

Again, Shouri forced himself to stand. It was apparent that he was having trouble harnessing that negative energy. Still, he stood up. He had to try... he couldn't lose her. Subaru wouldn't forgive him if he lost her.

"... Let her go.." Shouri pleaded.

He dare not get too close. The man was right. The negative energy would probably be too much for Hokuto. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to leave her with that man, either. And for once in his life, he truly felt that he could do absolutely nothing, though he knew he could...

'I can't lose another person.' He thought to himself. The darkness was too much for him. He was soon to lose it... lose control...


Kamui would stare back at Kotori from time to time. His eyes met hers for a second, but he quickly turned away. A slight blush crept across his face.

He started to remember back when they kids, she would give him the same look back then and it would always make him blush.

"(Some things never change...)" he thought.

It was just then that Kotori sat up word and fell against him. His eyes widened a bit in shock. It was unexpected, but slowly, Kamui wrapped his arms around her. Pulling Kotori closer to his chest.

He didn't care if anyone saw them, nothing mattered anymore except her. "Kotori..." he whispered softly.

She kept their fingers intertwined together as she leaned into him. She was expecting to be pushed away. She was waiting for him to just reach out and move her back to her side of the couch.

But he didn't. And instead, he pulled her closer. She leaned into him, breathing softly.

"Hai...Kamui-chan?" she asked.

Kamui's heart began to beat faster as he felt Kotori's warm breath against his skin. He pulled her closer, his eyes locked on to hers. "Kotori.." he whispered again, his lips etching closer .

"I love you..." he said softly and pressed his lips upon hers.

"Kotori, I love you..."
"Kotori, I love you..."

She replayed the message over and over in her head. She raised an eyebrow at him, in disbelief. How long she had waited for this...more than half of her life was spent on her saying these words, pretending they would come from Kamui's lips.

Never in a thousand years had she imagined this would be real.

"Kotori, I love you..."

'I love you too, Kamui.' she told herself. She wanted to say it out loud, but her mouth was busy at the moment. This was her first kiss. Fuuma had never taken the time to kiss her, to make her feel special during that horrid event. She returned the kiss with the up most feeling. She wanted more of Kamui.

He was the only person who could make her heart beat faster and slower at the same time.

The feeling in Kamui's heart was indescribable. It was just pure bliss. In a single kiss, Kamui could fell all of Kotori's love him. It made happy. An emotion that he hadn't felt in ages.

He deepened his kiss and tightened his grip on Kotori's hand. Her lips were soft and delicate like the petals of a rose. He didn't want this moment to end.

A part him wanted more than just a simple kiss. To take a step further and fully express his love for her. But he was afraid at the same time. Afraid that he might hurt her...

Pulling back he stared into Kotori's eyes lovingly and placed hand on her cheek, stroking it gently. "Kotori..." he said softly. "I...I want you..."


From his place, asleep within the sphere of light in the office of the old warehouse, Shisa could still see and hear and feel what was going on. He could feel the frustration of Kaze, the agitation of Taer and Anzu, and worst of all, the pain that was coming from Shouri.

The boy had over done it. His energies were fighting between negative and positive. His emotions were playing tag. His mind... it was becoming unstable. His body wasn't ready for such negative energy. Shisa knew this. Shouri was just realizing it... and what it would cost him if he continued.

From the eyes of the bird, Kaze, Shisa saw everything. He commanded the wind beast to hold its ground, not to attack or protect. Shouri had to protect himself for the moment. He did not need protection as of yet, even in the face of the Dragon... of Earth.

Shisa's mind shifted uneasily as the sphere sparkled. Indeed. The Dragon of Earth. He did not like Shouri being so close. He was too close. He didn't like it...

And again, he felt the pain of the earth torment his mind. He blocked it out so that it would not reach him- one of the few perks that he got from his special form of 'rejuvenation'. While the guardian wanted to protect the boy, he still needed to restore himself to his full power. He knew that he could count on his guardian beasts to protect Shouri, and to help him see without expending his energies.

While he kept a close eye upon Shouri, he summoned Anzu to stay near Kaze's area, but to keep an eye on the Dragons of Earth. What was he to do...

He could only rest...


Taer's blue eyes flitted slightly at the Watcher as he tilted his head to the side in a comforting way. It wasn't abnormal for him to show emotions, not for any of them. Really, he wanted to be of more help, but couldn't... of course, through his eyes, Shisa also felt it...


Aoki walked up to Uo with the tickets.

"Alright, I've got the tickets for the closest station to the DIET Building. Now we just have to wait for the subway train to get here." he said to her with a smile.

Uo paused and nodded. She was still worried. Was Kotori okay? Was Kamui okay? What about Okita? She sighed lightly before smiling again.

"Alright then! So long as it comes soon..." she said with a nod.


The clone's eyes moved from Sorata's face to Yuuto's fleeing form. He returned the monk's nod before the young man leapt after his new leader, towards the kekkai. Nataku took a step in that direction, his foot kicking a shiny object, which skidded across the pavement and landed several feet in front of him. Several more steps brought him to the object's resting place, revealing it to be the sword that the seal had left behind.

Nataku reached down to retrieve the glinting object, but pulled back before touching the hilt. He recalled the girl's dog and, instead, wrapped the sword in the floating fabric, heaving it into the air to float beside him. He could just make out Sorata's retreating form heading towards the giant star-shaped kekkai. Nataku leapt to the nearest rooftop, intent on following the Kamui of Earth and the young monk. But... His gaze turned in the opposite direction, where Yuuto had fled.

Hadn't Fuuma told them ALL to go to the kekkai?

Nataku turned. If Fuuma wanted all three of them to go with him, then it only made sense for them all to do so. His jump took him to the next rooftop, and he continued in succession, as if internally aware of Yuuto's route. The wind tugged at both his white hair and equally white ribbons of cloth. The city flew past, and he reached Yuuto's apartment quickly.

The door had been left open, the key still in the lock.

Nataku stepped through the doorway and proceeded into the apartment, determined to bring Yuuto with him to the kekkai.


Subaru wasn't sure he could get up. While he had only fallen a story, the force and velocity with which he was swung to the ground caused him to leave a slight imprint of his small-framed body in the street below him.

His eyes filled with fear for a fraction of a second before furrowing his eyebrows, half in pain, half in determination. Even if Seishirou was stronger, he had no reason to fight.

Subaru did. He would fight for Shouri, he would fight for Hokuto.

He pushed himself up, amidst the pain, and on trembling legs, pulled himself up.

"Namah samanta buddhanam Indraya svaha...!" Subaru chants, sending ofuda flying towards Seishirou.

Subaru was right about one thing. Seishirou did not want to fight. As Subaru got to his trembling legs and began to chant, Seishirou rolled his eyes in aggravation. This routine was getting old.

Before the younger man even had time to finish his incantation, Seishirou let the air around him spark and rise with energy, and a junk of the gravel debris lifted from the earth and settled into his open palm. All of this transpired in a matter of seconds, as Subaru continued chanting doggedly.

He stepped forward, smirking darkly as Subaru refused to budge. Then, with the flick of a wrist, he smashed the chunk of concrete against Subaru's jaw, nodding once in satisfaction when he heard the familiar crunching of bones. The blow was strong enough to render Subaru almost instantaneously unconscious.

Casually he tossed the now bloodstained piece of debris back to the rubble. "Perhaps this will be a lesson that silence is golden," he chuckled sinisterly, turning his back and leaping up the building to enter the window and rejoin Fuuma as the area around began to crumble...


Hokuto didn't object to the kiss, though she was quite startled. When he broke it and spoke to Shouri, she looked up at him puzzled, touching her lips. There had been something there.

She didn't know quite what it was, but there had been something. She looked to Shouri, watching as he grew more and more agitated. "Shouri- chan... Please.. Don't. It's alright. He will take me to Kakyou."

Fuuma looked down to her with a smile and then to the ceiling which began to collapse above them...a large piece of debris fell toward the two locked in embrace, suddenly shattering. The plaster flakes fell around them like sakura petals, dancing in the new open air. Fuuma stared again at Hokuto, sensing her peace. He softly put his finger to her lips.

Shouri shook his head, still fighting with himself. He looked at Hokuto, frowning heavily. "... Are you sure? Subaru... wouldn't forgive me if.. if anything happened to you.. and I really.. don't trust him.."

He felt the light shaking. Indeed. He did not trust him. He frowned at the light pulse energy again. It was shaking him. He shook his head again.

"... He'll hurt everyone." The boy wasn't happy with any of this. The ceiling was going to collapse, and he needed to calm down so that he could at least protect himself from it.

"He grants wishes." She stated simply. "This is my wish. So it's alright." She smiled at Shouri, more a maternal smile than anything else, trying to make him understand. She needed to see Kakyou.

He was what mattered now. She needed to see him, to let him know. But when gazing up at the man, the man she didn't even knew the name of, the certain part of her heart wavered and she became fearful.

Fearful of letting the yume-mi go.

Seishirou leaped through the window just as the ceiling began to cave. The rocks crumbled with the effect of sakura blossoms around Fuuma and Hokuto. He smirked at Kamui-sama as he folded his arms across his chest. "Stealing my calling card, now, are we?"

Fuuma took a glance at Hokuto and smiled at Seishirou. "It's a good calling card but I learned from the best." He looked down to Hokuto and answered. "Kamui...I am Kamui."

That voice-! Images traveled through his head. Scents traveled through his mind. Voices traveled through his ears. All of it was distant. All of it was enough to create a charge of negative energy that began to shake the boy beyond the point of frightening. He slowly stood up, turning instantly to face Seishirou. "Y-you..."

His voice was filled with anger, something very uncommon in Shouri. The negative energy was thriving now. Memories of all that had happened wouldn't allow him to remain calm. He couldn't.

"... Gomen, Hokuto-sama, but.. if you're going, I suggest you go now." His voice was somewhat shaky. "I'm losing control and I can't stop it... understand.. if you are hurt.. "

If anything happened to Hokuto, he wouldn't forgive himself. He had no doubt that Subaru was going to kill him as it was for letting her go. His fists were clenched tightly as he stared at Seishirou. Blood. He wanted to see blood flow.

Sorata suddenly leapt from his perch and landed beside Fuuma. He glared at Shouri and looked to Fuuma.

Seishirou blinked as his gaze turned from Fuuma to Shouri. "Oh, yes, I remember you," he said with a more pleasant chuckle. "You shouldn't get so worked up over such little things."

Then suddenly his single useful eye shifted to Sorata. "You..." His tone became dangerous. "I also remember you. You nearly killed me..." He took a step closer, now ignoring Shouri.

"I think it's high time I returned the favor..."

Fuuma eyed Seishirou with a smile. "He's with us now."

"Stop it, all of you!" Her voice rang out and freeing herself from Fuuma, with power she didn't know she had in her limp muscles, she glared at them Seishirou. "Don't ignore him."

She pointed to Shouri, her eyes blazing. "But you will not fight him either. For one, he is outnumbered by far. Even if he is Shouri-kun, he will not win against three Chi no Ryu."

She turned to Shouri, her eyes no softer than they had been when she spoke to Seishirou. "Not now." She said simply, turning back to face Fuuma. "Take me away from here. Make them come with." She pointed to Sorata and Seishirou.

Taking the Kamui's hand, she didn't look back, but her next words were directed at Shouri. "Take care of Subaru."

Looking over her shoulder, she watched Shouri through sad eyes. "Please. For me."

For the first time that night, hesitance flickered through Seishirou's left eye. His smirk faltered. And then he frowned. His ears were almost deaf to Hokuto's words as he continued to glare at Sorata.

"I don't like it. I certainly don't believe it," he spat, never looking into Fuuma's face. "One false move and you're dead, kid," he added with contempt in his voice, something rather unusual for one so suave and deceitful.

Fuuma smiled at Hokuto's speech and then shook his head. "You misunderstand, they just have arrived for my safety. No one will die today, after all I'm a revolutionary after I'm a gentleman"

Fuuma took her hand in his and suddenly lifted her off the ground. "It will be easier to travel this way, I apologize if you feel odd like this." His attention turns to Seishirou and chuckled. "You have a right to warn him Seishirou ..after all his predecessor will die a horrible death when I find him." He took one more glance at Shouri and smiled much to bright for the situation. "You better not follow if you want me to stay true to my words..."

Snapping out of his fury temporarily, Seishirou nodded almost obediently to Fuuma, glancing back at Shouri. "I'll make certain he doesn't, Kamui-sama."

The boy fumed. He heard every word said. His eyes narrowed. He knew it. He couldn't trust them. What was more was Seishirou's words. "...L-little?" His voice cracked.

He glared at Fuuma, eyes narrowing. His thoughts were jumbled. He kept seeing things replay in his mind. His eyes fell on Hokuto, a mixture of worry, uncertainty, and obvious sadness within... and then he looked to Seishirou.

For a moment, he stared... and then it came out. "YOU MURDERED MY OLDER SISTER RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND YOU CALL THAT LITTLE!?" Shouri's voice was filled with pain.

He stared hard, the ground beneath him beginning to tear slightly from the negative energy. If his wounds hadn't healed, they would have torn, as well. "... Perhaps.. someone should introduce you to this... to this hell that I am now subjected to... sad thing is, I can't share half as much as I want to." The energy was becoming visible. ".. And this.. this isn't even comparable..." Tears were coming, red tears...

Hokuto shook her head at Fuuma, murmuring into the cloth. "I'm not uncomfortable. It's alright."

Fuuma leapt into the air out of the large open roof. "Hold on then."

Sorata shrugged and leapt out after Fuuma.

Seishirou stayed behind now, glaring at Shouri. "Well, then, if you don't want to hurt anyone, maybe I can help you with that." Then his own aura began to emanate a powerful glow, and the debris around him started to lift, much like it had been with Subaru. This time, however, he chuckled darkly and let the chunks of the ceiling and walls fly all directly in Shouri's direction.

"You should learn to control your temper."

Shouri gasped, eyes narrowing suddenly at the sight of the flying debris. He suddenly shifted, throwing himself to the side. A large stream of negative energy was left for the debris to collide with.

Needless to say, when Shouri stood up... he was not happy.


Settling instead on throwing the clothes into the nearest trash disposal, Yuuto felt only faint bitter memories of what had happened to him not an hour before. Toweling himself dry, he tossed the soppy rag in with the clothes and opened the bathroom door to make his way to his bedroom in nothing but his birthday suit. Not that it was so unnatural. After all, there was no one else in the apartment...

That was when he stopped. And stared. Before him stood the genetic doll--one of the angels. As emotionless as ever. But that was beside the point. Behind Nataku, Yuuto's front door was still open.

Instantly--instinctively, rather--Yuuto's hands flew to cover himself as he shouted out in a furious flush of embarrassment, "YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST SHUT THE DOOR! AND STOP STARING AT ME!!!"

Nataku blinked, partially due to the sudden appearance of his fellow angel, but mostly due to the sudden appearance of his fellow angel sans clothes. The other's sudden shift from his normal mood was puzzling, but Nataku humored him and turned to shut the door. "Kamui said for us to join him at the kekkai," the clone said, as if that explained the entire situation.

Yuuto, face still flaming, gave the clone a dangerous glare. "I know perfectly well what 'Kamui-sama' said," he replied, his voice still sounding somewhat strained. "However, it was in my better interest to come here first to clean up. I was planning to return to the kekkai site as soon as I was done here."

Nataku answered with an impassive stare. "You're wasting time being here. There is at least one seal in the area of the kekkai, and Kamui only has the former seal with him for support. He told us to follow, so we should follow." The fabric whipped about his body, revealing the wrapped sword among its white folds. "I will drag you there, if it seems necessary."

A sweat drop formed along the back of Yuuto's head. "That's fine, that's fine... Would you mind if...I got dressed first?" Secretively he began to gather his aura about him, in case the clone should advance menacingly any further.

"Such things are unnecessary," Nataku replied, his voice even. He stepped towards the man, the fabric slashing figure-eights with the sword held in its grasp. "Come now." He reached out to grab Yuuto by the shoulder and make good on his threat to drag the angel to the battlefield.

Flinching at the hand that came down on his shoulder, Yuuto finally rolled his eyes and shrugged, standing up almost shamelessly before the sound of a burst pipe shattered the momentary silence and sprayed in a direct line toward Nataku.

Nataku stumbled to one side, pushed away from Yuuto by the sheer force of the water. Struggling against the water that shoved at him from the right, he continued to reach out and managed to grab onto Yuuto's shoulder. It seemed if one of them was to be plastered against the wall by the blast of water, they both were.

In his efforts to bend the water as Nataku stumbled around off- balance, Yuuto miscalculated and was momentarily blasted by the stream of water himself, knocking him nearly off of his feet and into the genetic doll, throwing them both against the wall. Already embarrassed by having the clone discover him in such a...vulnerable...state...Yuuto's face boiled with humiliation as he found his abdomen pressed against Nataku's back. And that was not the only part of him pressed against the soft...velvety...body of the living doll...

As soon as his mind was clear enough, he instantly called off the attack and jumped backward, his entire body now flushed. It really should have been no big deal, he figured quietly to himself. After all, Kanoe saw him naked all the time. But...still...this was quite different. And before Nataku had the chance to fully recover, Yuuto turned abruptly and made a mad dash for his room, slamming the door behind him.

Nataku pulled himself to his feet, stunned once again by the sudden shift in the other's emotions. The bedroom door slammed, drawing the clone's attention. He proceeded over to the door and knocked. There was no answer.

Calmly, he raised the sword trapped in the floating ribbons, dashing it through the door. He punched through the gash created by the weapon and stepped through the resulting hole. "I said I would drag you from this building, if need be. You'll come with me. Now." He crossed the doorway to where Yuuto stood.

Yuuto stood at the opposite end of the room, just having succeeded in pulling on his boxers, with his tan-colored slacks pulled halfway up to his knees. He frowned at Nataku and proceeded to pull his pants the rest of the way up. Finally, with a little dignity restored to his stature, he managed to smirk. "You're very rude, you know that?"

Nataku refrained from replying, the comment lost on him. The hovering sword moved between them, the point close to Yuuto's neck. "We're leaving now." The clone watched Yuuto with some disinterest. "Kamui is waiting." He motioned towards the wreckage of the door.

Yuuto grimaced. He was still not wholly recovered. Nataku would overpower him eventually. Finally, sacrificing his will to pull on the rest of his suit, he stepped toward the window compliantly, keeping both eyes on Nataku at all times. "Fine. We're going. I'll not fight you anymore." But that did not mean he did not plan to get even with the clone eventually...

Nataku nodded, the ribbons swirling about his body in soothing patterns. He followed Yuuto out the window and directed him towards the still-standing kekkai. "Let's go, then."


In the inky darkness of the night, a figure could be seen walking along the streets of Tokyo. Yatouji Satsuki strolled idly through the mostly empty streets, casually observing the items in the windows of the shops lining the streets. After Yuuto had left with the captive Dragon of Heaven and the participants of that afternoon's fight had dispersed, Satsuki had remained behind. She felt confident that Yuuto would be able to take the hostage back to the headquarters of the Dragons of Earth without problems, and she felt no need to follow.

And so she had wandered the streets of Tokyo until nightfall, window- shopping and casually observing the people who passed her by. It had been a while since she had gone out, and much longer since she had been out by herself; she took advantage of her situation to enjoy her solitude to its full extent.

As the girl walked slowly along the street, the crowd flowed and merged around her, like the waters of a river flowing around a boulder in its path. Though she was dressed rather conspicuously in her bright yellow jacket, the people who passed her hardly seemed to notice her presence, caught up in their own affairs. Satsuki watched the people pass her by with a mixture of amusement and contempt. Humans were so self-absorbed, so egotistical, caring about nothing except themselves… probably the only thing that could drag them out of their little hole would be the end of the world as they knew it.

Of course, that was what Satsuki was destined to bring about.

As night fell upon the city and the streets grew silent, the girl finally stopped in her wanderings, satisfied with her day. Satsuki leaned against the wall of a nearby store and stretched her arms above her head, sighing lightly. As enjoyable as her break had been, it was about time for her to return back to her duties. Namely, destroying the world. She smiled sardonically to herself. Not that her duties were any less enjoyable than her free time. It was about time that someone rid the Earth of those that so polluted and damaged it.

The young Dragon of Earth lifted her eyes and idly scanned the horizon for the telltale green glow that would tell her the direction in which she should now go. Sure enough, her eyes found what she was looking for: the Kekkai of a Dragon of Heaven, not far off in the distance. The barrier was already crumbling; her assistance would most likely not be needed. But even so, she supposed that she should meet up with her comrades. She had been away from them long enough.

The girl nimbly leaped from her spot on the sidewalk, landing atop the building that she had been leaning on. She swiftly sprang from rooftop to rooftop until she had reached her destination, the immediate area surrounding the crumbling Kekkai. As she glanced around the area for a familiar face, Satsuki's eyes fell upon a small group of people not far away. She recognized two faces immediately: Fuuma, the Kamui of the Dragons of Earth, and the young man called Arisugawa Sorata, a Dragon of Heaven who she had often observed from her supercomputer in the old headquarters of the Dragons of Earth. The girl raised an eyebrow. Why was a Dragon of Heaven in the company of the Kamui of the Dragons of Earth? He was obviously not a hostage; Sorata seemed to be following Fuuma of his own free will.

And there was another person there, a young woman cradled in Fuuma's arms. She had long black hair and startlingly green eyes… eyes that looked oddly familiar. Satsuki suddenly felt distinctly uncomfortable. Perhaps she was only imagining it, but there seemed to be something wrong in the aura of that green-eyed girl… as if she shouldn't be here, didn't belong to world…

The girl sternly shook off her thoughts. It was useless to be wondering such things; she was sure that Fuuma would know the answers. She would just have to ask him about them later. For now, she would simply join them without asking any questions. She was sure that the situation would be explained to her in time.

Having collected her thoughts, Satsuki leaped over towards the group, landing on the rooftop on which they were. She put her hands in the pockets of her jacket and idly strolled over to them, walking over to stand next to her comrade. "Seishirou." The girl nodded her head towards him in respectful greeting. "Good evening."


It wasn't long before the subway train arrived. Smiling, Aoki took Uo to it and walked on.

"So why don't you tell me more about yourself miss, seeing as how we're in this trip together for the time being." Aoki said to her.

He carefully pushed his glasses up on his face.


Shouri's eyes narrowed lightly as he glanced to the window. He would have to get out if he hoped to have enough room to move. Trading attacks could cause the building to collapse. and neither were superman. Giving him a glare, he suddenly dodged back to the open window. He jumped up, kicking off and easily going right through. He turned himself right-side-up and landed, breaking into a quick run to get away from the building, though not out of the kekkai. He stopped just a bit outside of the motel and turned, raising a hand to summon the water bird from earlier to his side. It's screeching stopped as he turned to wait for the man. He had grown a bit more used to the negative energy... but he had no doubt that he would feel better after it was expelled... but not before he got even with Seishirou.

Seishirou instantly followed Shouri's movements out the window, leaping down the building to land on the ground about twenty paces away. He performed no fancy tricks in midair and only shoved his hands in his pockets when he landed. For a moment he closed his eyes and smiled guilefully. "You have a lot of outside forces protecting you," he noted observatively. "You must be important to the End of the World. But...don't overestimate yourself. I don't tend to die easily."

"Who said I was trying to kill you?" Shouri suddenly paused, the angry look dying down a little. "...Your life isn't mine to take, no matter what you've done to me..." A bit of the negative energy faded, but not enough to change the aches and pains that he felt. He kept his eyes focused on Seishirou ad he patted the watery neck of the bird that he had created. He was still unaware of Kaze, if that was who Seishirou was talking about. Glancing off for the moment, he looked at him again. "I'm tired of not knowing who I am. Sasori-chan is all that I have ever had...and now that she's gone, I don't have anyone. It's too much for me to handle. I'm not like you. I can't hold my own. I have to have support or I crumble. But you...could honestly care less, so long as you know who you are, have what is yours, and have your cards in line." His eyes narrowed. "Sasori-chan didn't deserve to die. I want you to know just how much pain she felt, and the hell that I'm going through."

Seishirou chuckled deeply. "You're so weak when left on your own, Shouri. You can't even fend for yourself. It's your fault your sister died. She had to stand up for you because you weren't strong enough." He left it at that. No more needed to be said. A dark smile covered his lips as he lowered his eyes to stare into Shouri's face.

The softness left him completely and was replaced with a hard, almost accusing stare in response. He stared back, forcing himself not to look away. He was shaking with anger. "You..." Shouri's eyes narrowed. His promise to Subaru was not forgotten...but where was Subaru? "...You dirty piece of filth..." The red water bird began to hiss.

With a smirk, Seishirou revealed three Ofudas from nowhere, held between his fingers. "Enough idle chat," he said dryly. "I'm tired of all your talking." With that, he flung his arm forward, casting the pieces of paper at Shouri. Instantly they transformed into the shikigami of screeching hawks, headed directly at Shouri and his little water spirit protector.

Shouri gasped, taking a step back and then stopped. Determination was written all over his face. It was too bad that he wasn't at his strongest. He glanced at the bird and suddenly paused, summoning a red wave of water using negative energy, and forced the bird to combine, creating a larger bird that flew ahead for the hawks, ready to consume. Shouri stepped back, pausing as he began to charge again.

Seishirou chuckled. Perfect. Lifting his hand like the conductor of a hellish orchestra, he summoned the energy to mentally command his shikigami to form the crimson lines of blazing laser-like beams between them, creating a shield in the shape of an inverted pentagram that could sear almost any weaker enchantment back to the dust.

His eyes widened slightly. Well.. there went Nami no Kioku. He should have summoned a dragon, not a phoenix. He shrank back, frowning. He couldn't let Seishirou beat him without giving him some trouble. He wasn't weak. Shouri paused, seeing the shikigami still coming. Only one thing to do. He paused a moment and suddenly went to one knee, placing both hands on the ground. The ground beneath shook violently...until a wave of red flew up from the ground, destroying the concrete as it shot upwards, obviously causing a few pipe problems. It was like a geyser... and all of the energy was pure negativity.

Staggering back as the energy erupted the ground, Seishirou watched in hesitating aggravation as the negative energy consumed and destroyed his Ofuda curse creatures. Brow furrowing into creases, he leaped back to regain his balance, then instantly retaliated by uttering a steady stream of enchantments under his breath.

Suddenly the landscape melted--or seemed to--into a void of gray nothingness, with only sharp protrusions of rock and cliffs emerging out of the bleak abyss, as if originating nowhere, drifting aimlessly through the distorted continuum of space. Illusions. Seishirou's forte. In a shower of sakura blossoms, the entire interior of the psychic barrier had become his playing field. And, with one more enchanted breath, he veiled himself in the stark oblivion, disappearing from Shouri's sight...though Seishirou could still see the boy perfectly...

Shouri frowned, stumbling backwards. Where was he? He couldn't tell. It certainly wasn't Tokyo, or was it? He glanced around in frustration. "...I should've paid more attention...," he murmured to himself. "Matsuko should've taught me more on ofudas...like how to use them," he muttered. He was rather in shock from just being in such a place. He didn't like it one bit. He suddenly shifted back to one knee, placing a hand upon the ground. Was this real or not? The ground could tell him, or rather the water running through. It didn't matter. He didn't need to bring water from the earth, but simply summon it as he chose. Water beneath the ground could tell him where he was though. Shouri furrowed his brows. He should've listened to Subaru...and so what if he was weak? He needed to get used to it. No one would wrap their arms around him in that sweet embrace that he secretly longed for. Closing his eyes, he listened. He had to focus on everything around him if he was to find Seishirou. '...For onee-chan...'

Seishirou watched as the boy concentrated. Such futile efforts. With his power over the territory now, Seishirou could make the sounds he made come from anywhere in the vicinity. Like some sort of warped ventriloquist. Dashing back and forth at the speed at which a human blinks, he cast the noise of his footsteps off into some far corner of the territory as he approached Shouri from behind. With movements as swift and clean as his illusory skills, he lifted his knee and chuckled huskily as he directed the blow squarely toward Shouri's spine.

Shouri felt the air leave him, and rather felt himself fly right towards the ground. Something had hit him in his spine. Why hadn't he heard anything near him? He coughed a little. Something was wrong with all of this. He suddenly scrambled forward a few feet, turning over so that he could face up. Instantly he flipped back up. His body ached. He really was tired and hungry and his powers were out of balance. 'Where did it come from?' he thought, glancing this way and that as he took a defensive position. 'Where? ...I didn't see anyone...and I didn't hear...so...?'

Pleased that his attack had left the boy stunned, Seishirou came at him again, this time from the front, throwing the sounds of his breathing and his sprinting and his very heartbeat into a montage of noise that had the effect of a surround-sound system. Powered by a rush of adrenaline at the thought of his superiority over the child, he lunged past Shouri, maneuvering his arm closest to the boy back as he passed as time itself seemed to slow for a moment. He aimed his straight-edged hand for the back of the boy's neck...and projected it outward to perfect the blow.

Again, the boy hit the ground hard, though this time he was becoming a bit more aware of these sudden attacks. The sounds... they were real, but not precisely.. true in a way. He felt almost paralyzed from the last attack, and almost didn't want to get up. The pain was catching up to him. While negative energy might feel good, it was like certain drugs. A person feels good, but the after affects catch up quickly. His eyes flashed. That blow.. it should have knocked him out. He HAD become stronger, hadn't he? He allowed himself to stay still for a moment. It would cost a headache, but his next move would surely be unexpected...

Shouri was on the ground. At last Seishirou slowed his movements to a halt. Standing at the boy's side, he chuckled as he looked down at him, folding his arms across his chest. "Is that all you have left in you, for all that energy?" he spat, his voice echoing all around from every direction. Then his expression turned cold. "Get up!" he commanded with a swift kick to Shouri's ribs. "I said, get up! You're as pathetic as Subaru."

And Shouri suddenly released the mental blast, allowing it to flow in every direction. The kick had prompted the telekinetic blast, and the addition of the negative energy, it was twice as powerful as usual. The boy pulled himself up from the ground, allowing the blast to continue. He knew his limits. His voice was harsh. "Subaru is NOT pathetic. He just doesn't want to hurt YOU!" He snapped.

Shouri frowned as he released his telekinetic attack. He glared at Seishirou. "Don't call me that." At least he wasn't doing that tone and that look from when he had first been discovered in the closet. He shuddered. Bad memory.

"I'm just getting warmed up." Shouri stated, pausing as he drew his hands together. Aka Submerge, or Kanashimi no Ame? Hard choice. As long as the shield was up, he couldn't do anything. He had to get closer. His attack had to be direct or he'd never get at him and he'd end up tiring himself out. He suddenly shifted back into a defensive stance. "Don't underestimate me, Seishirou." He stated simply. He really didn't have much, save his normal attacks. How the hell was he supposed to get closer?


Subaru cried out in pain; the slab of concrete smashed in his jaw, dislocating it. He spat up crimson blood through wind-chapped lips.

He stumbled, struggling to maintain both his life-force and the quivering kekkai.
It was time to make a choice.

While he was almost useless in this state, he couldn't afford to keep the Chi no Ryu captured within the kekkai. It would only put Shouri and Hokuto in danger.

Subaru's heart stopped; Shouri and Hokuto! What had happened to them?!

Subaru sputtered blood as he raised his hand to the heavens, pulling the kekkai inside his frail body before leaping into the window after Seishirou.

Subaru attempted to cry out upon seeing his sister within the clutches of the leader of the Chi no Ryu; his dislocated jaw prevented him from saying as much.

His eyes flickered to Shouri, who was encased in battle with Seishirou; Subaru brought his hand to his forehead, his head was aching with indecision.

Subaru knew that in this condition, he was utterly useless, but he would not allow that to stop him from protecting his beloved sama-sama.

Screaming as he did so, he lurched toward Seishirou, in a desperate attempt to head-butt the fiend in the stomach.


Mayouko awoke with a splitting headache, her heart pounding in her chest. Forcing her eyes to open to mere slivers, the light harsh against her lids. So much for that idea... She noted that she was lying flat out on the floor, a few feet away from the bed, which she was grateful to see still occupied by Kakyou. Forcing herself to her knees, she took a few deep breaths trying to get air into her lungs.

Fuuma leapt from building to building, nearing the apartment of that girl he had met awhile ago. He looked to Hokuto in the corner of his eyes. "You don't feel afraid around me...Why?"

She looked up at him and frowned. Yes, why was that...? She wasn't afraid of him. Not really. She knew she should be afraid but she wasn't. "I... don't know." She stated simply, shrugging. "I just feel safe."

"I see...You realize I can see all your wishes and desires." Fuuma smiled in a very friendly way. "It makes my job all the more easy...I can grant the wishes of the ones who shall be removed from the planet."

"Yes, I know." She couldn't help but smile back at him. She was so unguarded, she realized, but she didn't care.

Fuuma smiled even brighter and suddenly stopped. He looked back and noticed Sorata was gone. He smiled and shook his head.

"What is it?" She inquired, trying to look over his shoulder, but she was still way to short.

"It seems we are alone." Fuuma shook his head and laughed.

"Oh." She looked down, avoiding his eyes. It took a few seconds before she had composed herself, the faint blush disappearing and she looked ahead. "How far is it?"

"Not that far...You don't have to hide your blush you know." Fuuma started off again.

Fuuma landed softly on the balcony. He let Hokuto down, smiling at her.

She blushed even deeper, realizing how unlike herself she was acting. She thanked Fuuma as he put her down, still keeping her eyes low. Turning around, her eyes fell upon dark windows. Knocking slightly on the glass door, she saw a light being lit.

Fuuma looked down to his clothing. It was his white robes, bloody from his fight with Kamui. He groaned since he would need some new clothes soon.

Mayouko blinked as she heard a knock. A knock? Her hand paused in midair the match still lit. Keeping as still as possible she listened to see if it would come again. It didn't. She yelped as the match burned her finger. Cursing she lurched forward, and started to head for the kitchen. Her throat was on fire and it didn't help that her fingers were now a bit singed. And that's when she saw it…movement on her balcony. Squinting she stepped closer and then recognizing at least one of the figures standing there, she smirked. Undoing the lock with a flick of her wrist she opened the glass door. "I see you found it here just fine..."

Fuuma stood in the dim light, smiling as he dusted off his clothes. "Yes but I'm a little under dressed for the occasion." He stretched and waited for Hokuto to enter so he could follow.

Hokuto looked upon the dark-haired woman, smiling uncertainly at her. She stepped inside the door, at once spotting Kakyou in the large bed. Fleeing to him, not caring about introductions, she flung herself on top of him, wrapping her arms around his unconscious body.

Fuuma watched the display of affection with a slight grin. "She said she had to see him so I apologize for coming without a call or anything."

Mayouko raises an eyebrow as the young woman flew by her and flung herself on to Kakyou. Observing her for a few moments she turned to Fuuma, her eyes glowing with amusement. "Not a problem I assure...just one question. Is that who I think it is?"

"Hokuto Sumeragi?"

Mayouko smirked and murmured to herself. "So he did actually do it. What an idiot."

"Kakyou...?" Hokuto asked uncertainly, brushing a few strands of hair away from his face. "Can you hear me?"

The real world started to fade as her words echoed around her... To be replaced by almost total and utter darkness...

Fuuma moved toward the bed casually. He stared down at the dream seer as he approached.

At first it seemed to be nothing but a breeze...but as Kakyou listened closer he could hear words...some one was...calling out…for him...
He looked up his eyes puffy and red to see two people walking toward him...

The room flickered and Hokuto found herself not on Kakyou's bed, but in a black dreamscape. Scrambling to her feet, she saw Fuuma next to her, smiling at her. Letting her eyes wander, she spotted the one she was searching for. Taking a step towards the figure sitting against the frail paper-wall, she let in a breath before running towards him. She stopped in front of him and fell to her knees, embracing him, nothing but joy in her heart.

Fuuma watched the couple with a smile. He walked a little close but kept his distance.

Kakyou bowed his head again, not wanting to see anyone...and was thoroughly surprised when a pair of arms wrapped around him... He looked up and blinking away his tears, and found himself staring into a pair of soft green eyes. "Hokuto.."

She nodded, smiling at him, trying not to cry. "I'm... alive, Kakyou."

Fuuma continued to lurk in the background, sitting down and enjoying the sweet dream air...assuming that was air.

Kakyou blinked and then shook his head. "No you're not...how could you be...I watched you die..."

"She was resurrected." Fuuma announced from his place.

"Yuurei." She said simply, a stab in her heart when he looked at her in shock.

Kakyou started at their words. "Yuurei resurrected you..." His voice was soft and quavering. "I..I don't understand..."

She drew away from him, nodding, keeping her head down, the tears finally coming. "He did..." She gulped, trying to make the tears go away. Because they weren't of happiness.