*****
An Inn in the Countryside: 9:45 that evening
Kurosaki Hisoka lay in bed with his eyes wide open, staring blindly at the ceiling. The half-moon shone brightly in through the open window, and the fragrant scent of the verdant orchards rested on his blanket. He and Tsuzuki had found this place after Tsuzuki had smelled tempura roasting in the restaurant then Tsuzuki had gotten a little drunk on sake and was now dozing fitfully on the couch.
"So let me get this straight, Soka-chan. You went into the Sakurazukamori's head and figured out who he was? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wasn't sure. And the emotions were too powerful to be properly interpreted. But now we know what really happened. Or at least what the result of that is. The Sumeragi and the Sakurazukamori are the same person."
"So then our job is finished. I called the Boss. We're due back in two days."
"Kusooo we still need to find out more about this situation!"
"No, we don't. We found out why the balance is being upset. The Sakurazukamori and the Sumeragi became the same person. It's not going to destroy the magical grid. Only shift it to accommodate this new stress. Nothing we have any control over, or jurisdiction for that matter. Why do you want to stay longer, Soka-chan?"
"I I don't. But it's important to find out why the two of the most powerful onmyouji are the same person."
"No, it's not. We're going home, Hisoka."
Hisoka sighed. Why was Tsuzuki being so defensive about figuring out more about Subaru? Surely Tsuzuki wasn't jealous of the Sumeragi Hisoka could never tell about the other's romantic inclinations. Those were closed books to him and apparently with Tsuzuki they were locked and burned books as well.
"I want to go to see the Sumeragi one more time."
"What?!?! Nande?"
"To I need to find out one thing."
"And what's that? Hmmm??"
"It's personal, Tsuzuki-san."
"Personal? What could you possible not want to share with me? I'm your lov I'm your partner!"
"Tsuzuki-san. I need to do this."
"No, you can't. I won't let you. That's an order!"
"Bullshit"
And with that, Tsuzuki had hurled the final shot of sake at the wall and stomped off. Hisoka had gone out for a walk, come back to find the Shini sprawled on the couch, wasted. He had put a blanket on his friend, touched his forehead fondly, and crawled into bed.
Hisoka sighed again, rolled over, and went to sleep.
*****
"So you are an empath. That's how you knew my name. That's how you told me you wanted to talk" Sumeragi Subaru stood before Hisoka as he sat on a gray stone bench in a completely blank universe. Sakura petals began to fall softly. Hisoka looked up, recognized this as a dream, and looked at Subaru.
"How did you enter my dream? Shinigami don't dream" He looked up into the Sumeragi's eyes, was surprised to see them soften and his face look less like an onmyouji and more like the young adult he was.
"I have some old acquaintances who do me some favors every now and then. One of them is a Dreamgazer." Hisoka nodded, didn't press the issue. "Why did you want to see me?"
Hisoka paused, unsure of himself now that he was actually face to face with the Sumeragi. "Sumeragi-san I want to know a few things."
Subaru laughed softly. "That seems to be your standard greeting for me."
Hisoka blushed. "Who was the Sakurazukamori before you?"
Subaru looked at the white ground, and sat down on a spontaneously created bench. "He was a man named Sakurazuka Seishirou. I had known him before I was an onmyouji. I didn't know that he was the Sakurazukamori until he killed my sister."
"And yet you loved him. You love him still."
Subaru looked at him. "Is it that obvious?"
Hisoka didn't laugh at the small joke. He stared straight into the living eye. "I looked into your emotions once, when we first met. You were running to him and away from him at the same time. If you loved him, why did you kill him? Why were you forced to fight him?"
Subaru didn't look up, sat still on the bench as he had done so much in his lifetime. But now he spoke. "Seishirou-san and I never really wanted to fight each other. I was fun for him, kept him amused in a fashion, and I thought I wanted him to kill me. At least I wouldn't have to put up with it. But fate intervened. He was part of the Chi no Ryuu in the Battle of the Apocalypse, and I was a Seal."
Hisoka goggled at that admission. "The Sakurazukamori and the Sumeragi were fighting the Battle? No wonder the balance was screwed up. So you had to kill him?"
Subaru was silent for a long time.
"No. But he died. And I became the Sakurazukamori."
Hisoka waited for Subaru to elaborate on the cryptic statement, but no response came. "That must have been hard."
"You have no idea. I have nobody now. My grandmother passed away a few weeks after Seishirou did, so now I have nobody."
"Nobody? That's sad not even friends?"
"Nobody."
"That's bullshit. I can tell you're lying."
Subaru looked up, then looked down again with a sad smile on his face. "Well, there was one person who I cared for at least a little. But the part that I knew of him died on the Promised Day. I don't know who he is anymore, because I didn't know him before the Battle."
"You should go talk to him. Nobody should be without friends."
"Maybe I should. What about you? I sense loneliness about you. You carry a lot of pain inside of that heart of yours."
"Is it that obvious?"
"No. But I'm the Sakurazukamori. I have to know what my victim is feeling. Sometimes it's useful in other ways."
*sweatdrop* "Umm Sumeragi-san. I want you to do something for me."
"Possibly."
"It's not a personal favor. It's business." Hisoka unbuttoned his shirt and opened it to reveal his embossed chest and arms. Subaru started the sight of Muraki's intricate carvings and woven spells manifested on the skin of the young boy. Subaru moved, took Hisoka's arm and traced a finger down one of the markings. Hisoka shivered at the delicate touch
"This is very powerful I don't know if I'll be able to break it. You're a Shinigami too that complicates things." Subaru's face was grave. Hisoka's heart fell when he saw that expression was there no hope for him? "I'll need some time to prepare for this. Can you come back in two days?"
"I can't We need to do it tomorrow."
Subaru paused. "Fine. Leave now and come back to the estate. We'll begin at midnight." He got up to leave. Hisoka put his shirt back on.
"Sumeragi-san?" The receding figure paused, but didn't look back. "You shouldn't hold your feelings back so much. It only hurts you." Subaru nodded, then faded out of the dream.
Hisoka stared at the empty space for awhile, thinking about how similar Tsuzuki and Subaru were at this point in time, then faded out.
*****
Hisoka stirred from sleep, looked at the clock. It was only eleven fifteen enough time to get back without too much trouble. He grabbed his shoes and jeans, and slipped noiselessly out the door to meet the Sumeragi.
Tsuzuki peeked out from underneath his blanket, knowing that Hisoka thought he were still asleep, and stalked him carefully from behind.
