A/N: Argh!! Toki+Qui up in this chapter! Don't look at me… It's Hakkai's fault… He picked the play!! (Qui: Yeah, and you didn't direct this…) Ah! To heck with that… Just enjoy the sap. Don't worry, Sanzo and Hakkai get their turn somewhere around chapter 5 and 7 onwards.
Dear Diary,
I've just thought of something I can do to bring those two together… This is perfect for our little plot… I know it's not like me to laugh like this, but for the meantime, let me vent out what I wanna say… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
~Hakkai
The next day, Toki awoke in the guest room. There was nothing intimate that was shared between him and Quietus. The only thing shared between them was a scheme to surprise Hakkai on his birthday.
"Breakfast is served!" Hakkai's voice rang from the lobby. Soon, all of the immortals in the manor had either walked down the stairs or teleported to the dining room. The lavish room was filled with the scent of freshly made pancakes and warmed jams and croissants sent from France.
"To the Astra council of Immortals, with love, your elder, from France, Hoshizora Hibiemi." The label of the package from France read. At the bottom of the package was a note and it read, "Don't you ever think about trespassing into my room!"
"Mou!" Quietus sighed as he plopped down beside his brother who looked over Sanzo's shoulder at the note from Hibiemi he was reading, "You've outdone yourself today, aniki…"
"Ah… How ironic…" Sanzo grumbled as he finished reading the note, "First she says, 'With love' then the note threatens us. I bet she really doesn't care about us at all…"
"Maa, maa, Sanzo… She's just a child… It's normal for her to be protective of her own property…" Hakkai timidly said to his lover.
"Protective? I believe she's just being the snake that she always is. First she's all sweet-looking and timid, but at the bottom of it is a tubful of venom ready to be squirted on your face." Sanzo said, annoyed with the constant snake-like behavior his elder possessed, "Her snakiness even reaches us here…"
"Anyway, since our birthday comes next week, then why don't I do my best dishes today?" Hakkai smiled as he piled his plate with three pancakes and two croissants. Sanzo only focused on the pancakes, suspicious of whatever is in the croissants and jams. Quietus ate the same items his brother ate and Toki just went for whatever was on his mind. Two pancakes and three croissants. Pass the strawberry jam, please.
"So, what's our agenda for today, Sanzo-san?" Quietus asked the purple-eyed blonde sitting beside Toki.
"The usual day at the Classico." Sanzo yawned, "Oi, Toki, if you're gonna stay here for the meantime, you'd better help out with the performances."
"I'd rather bartend…" Toki scowled as he spread the jam over his pancakes. Quietus asked for the blueberry jam as Toki screwed the lid back on the strawberry jam he had just used.
"Actually, we were supposed to do a romantic skit three days from now." Hakkai tapped his chin, "Ah… I've worked for a whole week on this skit. Not to worry, it's quite easy to memorize. Anyway, let me tell you all about the skit…
"The story is about a man named Setsuna who is madly infatuated with another man named Tatsumi. Unfortunately, Setsuna already had a male lover named Midori. But anyway, Setsuna continues to hound the man. Midori, being forever faithful, follows Setsuna wherever he goes. Setsuna doesn't mind him. Unfortunately again, Tatsumi has a lover named Shigure who tries to get rid of Setsuna. They duel and before Shigure gives Setsuna the deathblow, Midori intervenes and gets killed instead. In sorrow, Setsuna hears his lover's last words and kisses him tenderly before killing himself."
"Ah… The plot sounds so tragic…" Quietus sighed, "So, aniki, who's playing who?"
"Toki's playing Setsuna," Sanzo began.
"I didn't ask you…" Quietus sweatdropped.
"Don't worry, I told Sanzo to decide who's playing who this time around…" Hakkai smiled at his twin.
Sanzo cleared his throat and continued, "I'll be playing Shigure. Hakkai's playing Tatsumi."
"And I'm… Midori?" Quietus gulped as he realized.
"Yes you." Hakkai and Sanzo said in unison. Toki almost choked on his food and Quietus nearly fell of his chair in shock.
"Why do I get to play the lead?" Toki asked the two with a slightly annoyed tone.
"It's the easiest role in the story," Hakkai began, "Setsuna only has a few lines and one dramatic scene. Sanzo and I get all the love scenes. Fortunately, you only have one. Anyway, let's get to rehearsal! We've only got three days 'till the big night!"
"But what about the other acts?" Quietus asked his twin.
"Don't worry, Sanzo has already hired a few mortals to act while we're busy." Hakkai smiled as if nothing was wrong.
The two immortals sweatdropped at Hakkai's nonchalant behavior.
So rehearsals began. The four slowly worked on their lines until perfection on the first day and on the second day, they worked on the first part of the skit which was mainly composed of Setsuna's pledge of love unheard by Tatsumi, Midori's silent pledge of loyalty and a pledge of undying love Shigure says to Tatsumi which was abruptly followed by a passionate kissing scene.
The third day was everyone's problem…
"I can't do this!!" Toki complained as Sanzo announced that they were going to rehearse Shigure's face-off with Setsuna, "I definitely can't kiss Quietus!"
"Toki!?" Hakkai and Sanzo whined as the blonde-haired immortal began to walk away from the bar but before he could reach the doors, he felt a weak ball of ki hit the back of his head. As he turned around to see who was creating it, another one hit his face.
"If you're really as strong as I say you were, you'd finish the play, Amida Toki…" Hakkai smiled cheerfully as another ball of ki materialized in his hand, "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Too bad, you don't have the guts to hurt me…"
"Hakkai, you're one bad demon…" Sanzo muttered under his breath.
"I know how to get my way…" Hakkai muttered back cheerfully.
"I challenge you to finish the play, Amida Toki! If you don't finish it, then you'll have to pay for dinner tonight!"
"You're on!" Toki said with a determined look on his face. Quietus had a blank expression after hearing how harsh his brother can get.
Finally, night washed over the town. Classico Eterno was opened and like all days with a huge performance, it was a full house.
"Shit… There are so many people tonight…" Toki cursed.
"There always are…" He spun around to see Quietus in the white and gray robes of Midori. His gentle features were further softened by the make-up on his face. The mark of the immortal was perfectly concealed. Hakkai appeared beside his twin wearing the midnight blue robes of Tatsumi topped with a powder blue haori. His face was made-up in the same way with the mark of the immortal also concealed.
"Toki, you'd better put on your costume now." Hakkai admonished the blue-eyed immortal, "You'll be entering after the intro as rehearsed."
"Aa…" Toki nodded as he put on the fiery gi and hakama of his character. The curtains went up and the audience had gone into applause, Hakkai had appeared onstage as Tatsumi, delivering the introduction of the play.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Our story tonight is a story of love in a way uncommon to most of us. It is a story of men adoring men but as you look beneath the surface, you will see that it is, after all, a classic love story… I present to you, Green Fields!"
And so the play began. All was going well. Setsuna hounded Tatsumi and gave his unheard pledge of love. Midori watched the infatuated Setsuna and sang to the crowd his pledge of loyalty, which he knew that Setsuna could never hear. And as Toki and Quietus went offstage, the love scene between Shigure and Tatsumi commenced.
"I will stay here, protect you and love you. My love will never die, my sweet Tatsumi, for I will be the fool who forever follows the radiant moon in the sky and that is you, my love, my love…" Sanzo said as he played his role.
"Shigure! Sweet Shigure who is my sun in the sky… Love me forever as you have pledged. Take me in your arms and let us be bonded forever. Never to be torn apart for I am yours, my Shigure." Hakkai said passionately as he embraced his lover and felt Sanzo's breath nearing his, "Keep me close to thee forever, Shigure…" And the distance was finally sealed. The audience was struck with awe at the passion that was alive on the stage. Many open-minded people gave standing obviations at this point and a few drunk people at one end of the bar demanded that they do something hot on the stage. Thankfully, they were greeted by Gojyo's fist in their mouths before they could get even more demanding.
And so the next part began. The stage went dark and slowly became illuminated with dark blue and purple that imitated the night sky. Toki and Sanzo were onstage, ready to act the face-off.
Sanzo and Toki drew out both their swords and charged at each other. They both fought vying for the love of Tatsumi and finally, Shigure won the battle. Toki, playing Setsuna, was pushed to the ground and Sanzo got into the position to execute him.
"You have hounded my lover long enough! I shall put an end to all you have done! Die, worthless fool!" Sanzo said dramatically. Quietus leaped into the stage to protect Setsuna but it was too late and Toki had made a grim revelation.
The blade was real…The blade passed right through the green-eyed immortal. A shrill cry of pain escaped from his mouth as the blade was pulled away from his body. He fell into Toki's arms and with his dying breath; he delivered Midori's lines…
"What fate has befallen me, my love? Is this the price of my own loyalty? If so, I shall accept it… Because I… I…" Tears rolled down Quietus' paling face.
"Say no more, Midori…" Toki said, holding back his own tears as he captured Quietus' mouth with his own. The kiss was strong and sorrowful. And as Toki broke away, he heard lines that were never in the script…
"I love you, Toki…"
Quietus had fallen into temporary death, his blood spread out in all directions, staining Toki's clothing. With full sorrow, Toki drove his sword into his own heart making himself die, too.
"Why didn't you say it earlier, Quietus? Why?" With these last words, he fell into a temporary death, his hand still clasped around Quietus' own.
The audience was sobbing heavily. The death scene touched them all. The curtain fell.
There was no curtain call.