FACES

~+~

"I am sorry, Shinigami, for whatever pain you have had . . . but let me help you."

Shinigami closed his eyes tightly. He felt his old pain washing over him, submerging him in his old misery, his old anger. His old life. The one he had abandoned.

"You can't help me. No one can help me."

"Let me." Hermione/Ran looked at him deeply. "Watch me."

Shinigami felt tears rise. This girl . . . this girl wanted to help him . . . to know him.

Shinigami gazed at her then took her into his arms. "I want you to help me. But you can't. I can't let you help me."

"Yes you can, Shinigami. Yes you can."

-----

Nyx glided through the hallways to Duat's room. She saw him, bent over his work. She could sense his tired eyes skimming through the many papers cluttering up his desk. She knocked softly on the door.

Duat looked up. "Ah, Nyx. Come in, daughter."

Nyx strode into the room gracefully, head held high, black robes falling elegantly to the floor. "Duat? Who was that girl who came here?"

"Oh, Ran?"

"Yes."

Duat looked at Nyx harshly. "You, of all people, Nyx, should know that I am not permitted to reveal identities or difficulties. You know I cannot tell you."

"I am sorry, Duat; but I must know."

"You do not need to know, Nyx."

"She is familiar to us all, Duat. Who is she?"

"I cannot ---" Duat hesitated. "Us all?"

Nyx bowed her head. "We all know her. We have all felt it. Honir has recognized her. Shinigami refuses to feel it. Who is she?"

"I did not recognize her."

"She has changed greatly in appearance, Duat, that is to be expected. But I, for one, recognize her soul."

-----

Honir ran his hands through his hair. This girl . . . she was Hermione! But . . . how would she be one of them? She wasn't betrayed. Not like he had been

Honir narrowed his eyes at the memories that came rushing back. Shaking his head, he forced himself to remember: he had forsaken that identity. That was not his past anymore. He was not that person anymore. He was different.

'Yeah, different,' he thought. 'But how . . . ?'

-----

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at the clock. "Holy crap!" she exclaimed, feeling the black fabric covering her face. It was already early in the morning, and she had to go to her job. 'Yeah, and what a wonderful job it is,' she thought, grabbing her things.

'I --- I fell asleep in Shinigami's arms,' she realized. 'Wow . . .'

"Ran?"

Hermione looked up to see Shinigami watching her from beneath his hood. 'Honir was right, I am getting used to being called Ran.'

"Thank you." Shinigami stood up and quietly walked out of the door.

Hermione was confused. She had spent all night in a guy's arms, and he just walks out the door? And . . . all night in a guy's arms . . . and this was Shinigami. Not somebody else she would have expected.

Pushing it to the back of her mind, Hermione went off to work. When she came home, she flipped to an empty page in her notebook.

I can feel his heart beating

I can feel him thinking

He lies next to me

And I wait for him to speak

But he never does

And I wait for him to unmask himself

To reveal himself

Who he really is

But he never does

And never will

Forever, he will remain

Faceless.

I wish I could help him see

I wish he would let me near him

To hold him

To help him

To be with him through the storm

But he won't

Let anyone in

Even if they try to help him

But they will never help him

Or even see his face

Forever, he will remain

Faceless.

~+~

LAHAK

Serenity