*****

Subaru paced slowly down one of the paved walkways that laced Ueno Park. The sakura trees, not blooming at this time of the year, waved softly in the wind. There was one tree that was flowering; no one knew quite why. He spotted a jogger resting on a bench and quickened his pace without picking up his head. Black non-light swirled around his hands and the maboroshi flashed into existence. He didn't have the will to toy with his victim tonight; a flick of his wrist, a splatter of blood, an ancient incantation, and the Sakura was satisfied.

*****

Hisoka fell to his knees, one hand clutching his head, the other his heart. A painful groan leapt unbidden from his lips, and Tsuzuki knelt nearby his stricken friend. Hisoka swore passionately and got up. "Over there!" He pointed through a thicket of trees and got up. Tsuzuki tried to help him up, but Hisoka threw off Tsuzuki's arms. "I'm fine. Let's go!" He dashed into the suffocating night.

Tsuzuki, after a heartbeat of wonder, followed his friend.

*****

Subaru paced slowly down one of the paved walkways that laced Ueno Park. His right hand was in his pocket, so as not to disturb anyone with the bloodstains. As always, dark sunglasses covered up his inert eye. Reaching up with his left hand, he fished a cigarette from his pocket. Without looking up, he held it out in front of him. Snick-fwoosh. The cigarette was lit, but not by him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a pair of figures standing in front of him, their outlines clear but their features obscured by the darkness. "Arigatou" he said softly, and walked on.

"Konbanwa, it's a nice evening, isn't it?" A genki voice, roughly the same age as his own. Subaru continued walking.

Tsuzuki suppressed a sigh. Why did the cute ones always have to be so quiet? He glanced over at Hisoka before scrutinizing the back of the white-clad stranger. He tried again. "Why are you wearing sunglasses right now? It's after dark Ueno Park is one of the few places where Tokyo isn't as bright as day during the night. Can you see?" He trotted up gaily and matched the speed of the other character. Hisoka followed in his steps, not saying anything. The smaller boy didn't risk using his empathetic powers; at this close proximity any intrusion might be noticed.

"I'm quite alright, just out for an evening walk. Sometimes it's good to wear sunglasses at night. When you can't see, your mind is free to roam." Subaru didn't feel like talking, but understood that he had to appease this newcomer with at least half an answer, or would risk a longer conversation. Kusooo leave me alone!

The taller figure continued on talking. "Oh, I completely agree. I'm glad that you can appreciate the darkness and the silence. Isn't that great, eh, *pause* Hisoka-kun?"

"Aa." A bland acknowledgement from the smaller one; clearly younger than the other.

"Do you know Nekoi Yuzuriha, by any chance?" Subaru tried hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, but the comparison just had to be made.

*sweatdrop* "No why?"

"No reason."

*sweatdrops again* "Well, umm. Sir, we were wondering if you could help us find someone." Did that genki attitude ever stop? It was late, didn't he have school tomorrow or something?

"Soka. Who might this person be?" Anything to get them away. Human contact was threatening. Subaru didn't want to talk, he didn't want to reveal anything to anyone; his shell of indifference was created out of painstaking isolation.

"Well." The tone of that word caught Subaru's ears the pair was more than what they seemed. "We were looking for the Sakurazukamori. Do you know where we might find him?" Subaru walked for three more steps. One. Two. Three. Then stopped for a moment. Dropped his cigarette to the ground, stepped on it lightly with the toe of his left boot. He pivoted to the right on one foot slowly, and pulled his sanguine right hand out of his pocket. Closing his eyes, he took off his sunglasses and gazed placidly at the two boys with the full force of his blind eye. You're so cute, Subaru-kun. He smiled in mockery and amusement, something that Seishirou had done often enough.

Tsuzuki staggered back a few steps in spite of his resolve. What was it with all of the bad guys?!?!?! Did they ALL have one eye missing or cursed or somehow made unnatural?!?!? The blood on his hand, though dark, was unmistakable. The Sakurazukamori was young, much younger than Tsuzuki thought he would be, but the chilling smile fit perfectly. The man's shikifuku stirred slightly as he altered his standing position. "Well, well, I wonder what will come of this, now." His voice was cool and modulated. At least it didn't have the seductive undertones of Muraki in it "Suppose I was the Sakurazukamori. Wouldn't it be dangerous for you to approach me?"

Hisoka couldn't help but be afraid the young man's voice and face and stance didn't speak of any peril, but there was an unmistakable aura of sheer power around him. Getting no response from the Shinigami, the Sakurazukamori put his sunglasses away. "If you're policemen, I'm afraid that I seem to have killed someone this night. Now I'll have to wash my coat again" Hisoka tensed, and watched Tsuzuki slip his hand into his pocket for an ofuda. "Oh? What's that? I'm sure you don't want to try any of that." The blind eye seemed to flare to life. Raising his clean hand, the Sakurazukamori pointed to the sky, and sakura petals began to fall gently. Hisoka edged closer to Tsuzuki, and then darkness fell all around them. Pure blackness then strangely the two of them were illuminated, as if in a spotlight, but he couldn't find the light source A large sakura tree shimmered into existence a short distance away, and then the Sakurazukamori walked out from behind the tree.

"We mean no offense, Sakurazukamori-san, we just wanted to ask you some questions." Tsuzuki was practically abasing himself before the dark onmyouji, Hisoka noticed, not wanting to arouse the ire of the man.

"Oh really? I might be nice enough tonight to spare your lives if the question is interesting."

"Ah, well, um, *cough*." Tsuzuki cleared his throat, and stopped faking his frightened state. "There recently was an occurrence here in Tokyo. One which interests my partner and I."

"Oh?" He couldn't have sounded less interested.

"Yes something having to do with the end of the world." Finally, a reaction. His eyes glazed over for a few seconds, the smirk disappeared, and that beautiful face hardened into a frown.

"Soka."

"Yes, well um would you happen to know anything about it?"

"I would, yes. But I don't feel like talking about it." His hand went to his right pocket, and Hisoka nudged Tsuzuki softly, indicating that something was about to happen.

"Well, we were trying to get into contact with the Sumeragi, who was involved, and figured that maybe the Sakurazukamori would be of some help" Tsuzuki trailed off as the Sakurazukamori's face twisted in anger.

"I said I don't feel like talking about it!" The Sakurazukamori leapt into the air, and a red pentagram flashed before him. Scarlet energy beams creased the maboroshi and Tsuzuki and Hisoka dove away. "Why didn't you leave me alone?" he shouted, but the Shinigami didn't respond. Tsuzuki whipped an ofuda out of his pocket, and the Sakurazukamori clasped his hands together and pointed his finger at Tsuzuki like a gun. The air distorted as the dark energies tore through it, and impacted on the protection aura that Tsuzuki had summoned.

The ofuda shattered after a brief struggle, and Tsuzuki was thrown backwards, clothes smoking. Hisoka got up from the ground and saw the white-clad assassin land nimbly on the ground nearby. But somehow he couldn't move

Tsuzuki recovered quickly, stunned at the power of his attacker. Leaping to one side, he called up his summoning powers. "I pray to the twelve gods who protect me"

Subaru saw the man chanting softly to himself, felt the orange waves of power rippling out of his body. So, a Shikigami. He waved his hand and began casting a counterspell. "On asanmagini unhatta On asanmagini unhatta On asanmagini unhatta"

" show yourself before me" Flames arced around Tsuzuki

"Onbazalatoshikoku!!!" Subaru finished the spell, closed his fist, and a cylinder of energy sprung from the ground around the summoner. His purple eyes widened in surprise as he found that his spell couldn't be finished, and the flames died down. Subaru kept channeling his spell, draining the other's energy

Hisoka sprinted towards the onmyoujitsu and tackled him. The assassin was surprisingly light, and his concentration wavered. Hisoka felt Tsuzuki's power begin to return, and then the Sakurazukamori twisted out of Hisoka's grip faster than thought.

Time slowed.

There was a flip of the white coat, a silent twist of his body, and then the assassin buried his hand into Hisoka's chest, right beneath the shoulder. Hisoka screamed and fell forward, watched his blood spatter like water against the white coat, and collapsed into unsympathetic arms. In this moment of pain, there was also a moment of clarity. He reached out with his powers and immersed himself in the spirit of the Sakurazukamori.

Another man is walking down the road, his back turned. Strange, he looks almost exactly like the Sakurazukamori Subaru finally, a name. He turns around slowly and takes off his sunglasses, and his blind right eye burns into me. "Seishirou." I falls to my knees, stricken by the memory, the internal torture threatening the break through that hard shell that he faces the world with. Hisoka slowly droops his head, the pain overwhelming him. I reach out towards the receding figure, and when that image fades, I fall to my knees, unable to bear the loneliness, the guilt, and so I fall unconscious I buried him underneath the Sakura I killed him, I became him I am him

Time speeded up.

Subaru looked down at the youth, whose bright green eyes were brimming with tears. He wanted to comfort the boy, tell him Yes, I know what you're feeling, but nothing came forward with luck the boy would live. Subaru didn't have the will to kill the boy, not tonight. He pulled his hand out with a sickening sound, and a stream of blood gushed from the wound. The boy let out a groan and collapsed to the ground.

"I pray to the twelve gods that protect me, show yourself! Come, Suzaku! Suzaku is the phoenix, the firebird of death and rebirth." A bright light bathed the maboroshi and the phoenix simmered with a flame that mirrored the eyes of his summoner. A Shikigami of that strength! But that's impossible, unless they are Shinigami no, impossible!

Tsuzuki was about to attack when the assassin stood up from the stricken Hisoka, pointed his finger to the sky, and dissolved into a cloud of sakura, which began to fall from the sky. "Soka-chan," he whispered, and the phoenix died along with the mirage. He ran to help his friend, picked him up, caressed him, and carried him the long miles back to the hotel.

*****