A/n: Ayashi no Ceres. Quotes taken from manga, may be a little twisted. Also a lot of spoilers.

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

Mechanically the red headed male fought. There was too much at risk not to fight, even if it was something he detested. But for her, he'd walk to hell and back barefoot. Ducking and blocking a blow, Toya couldn't help but think of the woman waiting at home for him. They just had to get Chidori and her brother; he couldn't remember his name.

Time went as a blur as soon as he cornered Wei, a gun pointed at his head. Aki showed his face soon after, his slitted eyes cold and calculating; he was the Mikage ancestor. He had the boy, Shouta that's his name. Toya swore silently, narrowing his green eyes as he took in the impossible situation before him.

"Let the kid go. Shouta has nothing to do with this… Let him go!" Toya snarled as he threw the gun down.

"Agreed. In exchange for you." Shiso, the ancestor controlling Aki's body growled as someone from behind shot Toya in the legs. One shot in each leg, missing his knees by inches.

"You should learn to finish your enemies off." Wei said as he strode up from behind Toya's crippled form, blood running off his wounds in rivulets.

"Sensei! Sensei!" Shouta cried, trying to free himself from Shiso's grip. "Don't give up!"

"Let Shouta go!" Toya demanded again, falling to one knee as the crimson blood stained his pants. "I won't run away! I wont! Let him go!" Shiso seemed to hesitate slightly before releasing the boy.  The moments dragged on as Toya urged the boy along as Shiso idly threatened to change his mind.

"Go!" Toya ordered.

"Sensei. Please come back, all right?" Shouta begged, his eyes sparkling with tears of fright. "Promise me!" The door shut and Shouta was gone. The smile faded off of Toya's lips and he turned his face back to Shiso.

"In a heartbeat you targeted everyone's weak points, Toya. And accurately at that." Shiso commented, cradling a gun in his hands as if it were a toy. "Guns. I've never used them, but they seem to have considerable power. I think I want to try it out for myself now. Stand up, Toya." He ordered. Toya's headset crackled and Yuhi informed him of his position, but Toya was barely listening.

"Don't bother. Shouta's been freed just fine." Toya murmured through the microphone as he was dragged to his feet, his bulletproof vest stripped off. 

Toya couldn't help but call out for Aki, angering Shiso more in the process. He was already on edge by the realization that Kagami had gone behind his back to recreate the hagoromo. Shiso had opened fire on Toya numerous times already, splattering his blood on the floor.

"Aki." Toya demanded. "Stop retreating inside of Shiso, Aya has been waiting for you." Shiso snarled and kept his deadly aim on Toya.

"Shut up!" Shiso screamed, firing into Toya's shoulder.

"Come back to her –Aki! Come back to your sister!" Toya yelled, steeling himself against the pain.

"I said shut the fuck up!" Shiso ordered, firing into Toya's other shoulder. He was shaking with fury.

"Aki! Give the hagoromo back to Aya!" Toya yelled, he'd accepted his fate and had no intention to beg for his life. "Now only you can save Aya."

"All right! You want to die so badly Toya!" Shiso fumed, his eyes burning with rage as he shoved Toya to the ground and pressed the end of the gun against his forehead. "I was going to let you live so you could lure Aya here!"

"Aya!" Toya murmured.

You used to captivate me by your resonating mind

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

"Toya." Aya whispered as her hands fell to caress her stomach protectively. "Toya!" Aya's anguished voice echoed through the thin walls of the Aogiri School of Dance before she passed out, her stomach flaring in pain.

Yuhi flinched but didn't go to her his own pain was overwhelming. Chidori was gone, as in never coming back. The scene kept playing through his mind. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her face as she took the bullet for him and her voice rang in his ears.

"Don't! Yuhi you're not the kind of person who'd do this!" As much as he'd wanted to, he'd been unable to resist her words and shoot her shooter. She was still with him then, he'd known he had to get her to help. But he'd failed and she'd died. Died while he carried her to safety.

"Chidori." Yuhi stood up and scrubbed his face with his palms. Her strong nature, her cheery disposition and her unbending will had been broken and stolen from him while he'd done nothing. Trembling hands picked up a creased photograph. Pale smiling eyes stared at him and a smiling mouth made his heart ache dully as he longed to tug on one of her long golden ponytails.  He paused as a thought struck him and he couldn't help but wonder what the golden haired imp had really meant to him.  After all, it was common knowledge she was older than she looked.

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time can not erase

Aya curled up as far as her body would permit as her thoughts whirled; Life without Toya, a baby without Toya and a future where he only existed in her memories. Soft sobs wracked her body as the feeling of numbness that had taken her over fled. A single tear slid down her cheek, signalling a flood of hot salty tears to follow suit.

"You told me you'd be back." Aya chocked, her hand reaching up to cover the fading mark. "You promised you'd be back before it faded." Her body shook as more sobs escaped her. The sterile smell of the hospital choked her, making her feel suffocated. She was cold through the thin cotton sheets and she was hot with anger at the same time; Angry at the world, angry with her relatives and angry with Toya for leaving.

Back at the Dance School, she was silent during the funeral of Chidori and the others; silent through the half month passing it and silent to her friends. She barely ate and she knew it was worrying Suzumi and Yuhi, but she couldn't find it in her heart to care anymore. She couldn't understand life without Toya.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

Toya felt the cold hard steel as Shiso pressed the gun to his forehead. An image of Aya flashed through his mind and time seemed to freeze as Shiso's finger twitched against the trigger.

Aya. He thought silently. I never wanted to make you cry again but I have no choice. My biggest regret is that I wont be there wipe away the tears I make you cry. Instead of protecting you from your fears, I've left you wide open to them. I wont be there to hold your hand and tell you it's okay. Aya, I'm truly sorry.  Toya closed his emerald eyes on last time before Shiso pulled the trigger.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

Aya was sitting outside, her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared blankly into the bushes. Yuhi touched her gently on the shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie as he sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry about Chidori." Aya whispered hoarsely, meaning her words. Yuhi flinched slightly.

"She was your friend too." He pointed out harshly, before softening and tugging on her short golden locks apologetically. He wished it were Chidori's hair he was pulling and swallowed, releasing her hair. "I'm really sorry about Toya." Aya just shrugged half-heartedly and tugged her knees closer to her chest.

"Every time I think I can feel him near, It fades and I realize how along I really am." Aya's voice was thick with emotion as she spoke softly.

"I know." Yuhi whispered, not looking at her as he pulled her close for comfort and security. "I know."