Chapter 13: Death

Hakkai lost his mind and screamed with mixed emotions. Kouryuu was dead; his body cut in half, his eyelids open, exposing the eyeballs facing the back of his head. He couldn't bring him back.

"And it's all your fault." He looked at the youngest immortal with vengeance. She was huddled on the ground screaming. She couldn't bear to witness death anymore, "You're to blame…"

"Hakkai… Dame… You could use that power to bring Kouryuu back to life…" Quietus pleaded as he ran to his brother's reincarnation.

"But she killed him…" Hakkai growled in pure hatred, "I'll kill her even if it takes an eternity!!"

"She didn't want to do it… Please… Don't be so hateful… Please be the forgiving brother who I've always known…" Tears streamed from the older immortals eyes, "You can bring Kouryuu back to life… I'll help you…"

By now, the younger immortal's screaming died down to sobs.

"Let him go, Qui-niichan… I deserve to die…" Hibiemi sobbed, "What's the point… I can't die anyway…"

"Stop that! We'll bring Kouryuu back to life… It wasn't completely your fault!" Quietus resented, "Kouryuu loved Hakkai so much… And I failed to kill Hakkai. Let's just say it's all our faults and just bring him back to life! I didn't want him to die either. Hakkai…" He turned to the mortal in weeping, "We never wanted to hurt you in the first place, but the Silver Apocalypse was within you… We'll spare your life tonight and bring Kouryuu back, but I am sure we will plot to kill you again. But I will promise… Even if it takes me another century… I will find the other sutras and ask Kouryuu to seal the Silver Apocalypse so that we won't have to hunt you down…"

Hibiemi faded away during Quietus' speech. She couldn't bear staying there in that awful temple in front of Kouryuu's corpse. She reappeared in her room. Porcelain dolls standing lifeless on the shelves, staring at her as if she was a criminal.

"Go ahead and condemn me, oh lifeless jury… I am a criminal…" She whispered looking up at the stony faces of the dolls on their shelves.

The rain started to fall. Hakkai looked at the immortal as he came closer and wrapped his arms around him.

"Aniki… Let's bring him back together…" Quietus pleaded once more, his black coat drenched with demon blood and rain, "I'll be here to help you…"

Hakkai nodded against the immortal's cheek.

"Good…" The immortal clasped his hands around Hakkai's and closed his eyes, "Just close your eyes and wish…"

Hakkai followed the immortal's lead and closed his eyes.

A bright white aura shone around the two as they used their combined power.

"Spirits of life return to us!" Quietus finally called out. A blast of white magic came down upon Kouryuu's corpse. His body mended and color was restored to his body. But something more powerful came forth. Quietus looked at Hakkai. He was wishing Kouryuu to be immortal.

"Hakkai… Are you serious?" Quietus asked with concern.

"Onegai… I don't want him to die again…" Hakkai replied with all emotion.

"Very well, I'll help you…" Quietus closed his eyes once again and chanted with Hakkai. The white magic surrounding Kouryuu began to burn a mark under his right eye. The two brunettes took a deep breath and chanted, "Immortality, forbidden to give… Reaper's blade, never to touch the skin… Spare death on the one we love!"

The white magic surrounding Kouryuu exploded in bright balls of light. Quietus shielded Hakkai with his black cloak and as the light died down, they both looked at Kouryuu's body. It was floating in the air.

"Levitation. One of an immortal's innate abilities." Quietus murmured, "Be aware Kouryuu, you can do more than this now that you are an immortal…"

Kouryuu slowly opened his eyes. Looking down, he saw nothing holding him.

"Am I dead?" He asked.

"You're immortal now, Kouryuu…" Hakkai approached his lover and traced the black mark of immortality under his right eye, "I wished you'd never die again…"

"Hakkai… But what about you? What if you die?" Kouryuu got up and looked at Hakkai with concern, "I can't let you die…"

"Sorry to spoil your happy moment, gentlemen…" Komyo Sanzo entered the scene from behind the bushes. He had let Nii run away by himself and stayed behind to watch what would happen, "But Hakkai mustn't become an immortal. Kouryuu, you know what will happen once he becomes one of us…"

"The Silver Apocalypse… You said there was a way to seal it!" Kouryuu blurted out, "The sutras. What if we find the other sutras?"

"That was exactly what I've said to Hakkai while you were dead." Quietus cheerfully pointed out, "Why don't we search for them now?"

"The three of us alone, are you serious?" Komyo nervously smiled, "Two demon hunters and a monk from heaven can't find all the other sutras right away! Why don't we gather the other two of the council?"

"Hibiemi's locked herself in her room. She won't be any use to us for now…" Nii said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Let me go see this for myself… Kouryuu, you're coming with me! You'll have to get used to your innate abilities…" Quietus said, slightly annoyed with Hibiemi's act of depression.

"Oi! Hanase!!" Kouryuu growled as the immortal clamped his hand on his wrist tightly but before he could get free, he felt himself teleporting to another place.

Later, Kouryuu landed on the floor of the Hoshizora Manor on his rump, "Oi! What did you just do to me?"

"I've showed you how we immortals quickly travel. Teleportation. It's what Hibiemi did after the first time she stabbed you." Quietus smiled, "It's quick, but don't do it in public places. It's too risky."

"Oh… That disappearing act…" Kouryuu grumbled, "So where's Hibiemi?"

"Go try to read her aura…" Quietus smiled, "Look for the cold and windy type."

Kouryuu closed his eyes and tried to sense the youngest immortal's aura, "She's up on the second floor, third door to the right."

"Correct! You've just learned how to identify auras!" Quietus clapped his hands in glee, "Time for the fun part, Levitation!" He smiled as he levitated into the air with ease. Kouryuu followed suit.

"Good…" Quietus smiled again as he floated all the way to Hibiemi's room. Kouryuu followed. When the two immortals got to the room, Quietus took a deep breath and tried to unlock the door. As soon as he opened it, a chair came flying out to hit the two of them and the door was relocked. The chair missed its targets but it was still floating in the air.

"Lemme guess… Telekinesis." Kouryuu grumbled as he reached for his gun and shot the chair until it was completely broken.

"True." Quietus nodded, "Hibi-chan! Get out of that room! Kouryuu's okay! We'll be searching for the other three sutras."

No answer came from the room.

"Oi! Hebi onna! Are you going to help us seal that Apocalypse thing or are you just gonna sulk there?!" Kouryuu growled at the door.

"Leave me alone… I don't want to live anymore… I don't want to see anymore dying…" The wind howled through the windows of the manor.

"What was that?" Kouryuu asked the experienced immortal.

"Wind control. Hibiemi's innate ability. Every immortal's got one. I've got shape shifting. I'm not sure about Nii and Komyo's yet…" Quietus smiled, "Anyway, sooner or later, she'll come out of that room… Perhaps it'll be like it was one hundred years ago."

"What happened one hundred years ago?"

"She locked herself in that room for two days. No food, no drink. But starvation and dehydration don't kill us…" Quietus cheerfully said as if there wasn't a problem.

"Saa… Let's just leave to find the sutras tomorrow… Teleport yourself back to the temple. Hakkai's waiting for you…"