Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei is not mine, it will never be mine. The
characters are the sole property of Matsushita Youko. This story and
concept are the property of Lockeheart (that's me!) - So please don't
steal. I have been working hard on this!
This story is loosely based on the manga and the anime, taking components from both, but not necessarily all points. Some liberalization taken by me to suit my plot. Hope I don't offend or confuse.
Original Characters are the property of Lockeheart.
So on with the Show!
Chapter Ten - Dancing At the End of Strings
By Lockeheart
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"No . . ." Tsuzuki sat upon the ground where Hisoka had pushed him, unable to do little more than stare in shock at Hisoka's actions. Muraki raised his hand up to caress Hisoka's compliant cheek and the rage within Tsuzuki exploded. What in Enma's name had happened to Hisoka? The presence of Oriya had fallen into the background as Tsuzuki watched in horror. The sight of Hisoka holding the man who had killed him, the man who had taken away his innocence, brought forth something within Tsuzuki he didn't realize he had. "Hisoka!" Tsuzuki surged to his feet and clenched his fists in frustration. "Please Hisoka! Answer me!"
It was not unusual for Hisoka to be silent, and Tsuzuki had often found himself trying to prod more than a couple words out of his moody partner. But for Hisoka to be this unnaturally calm in the presence of Muraki, hell to even touch Muraki brought intense fear to Tsuzuki. He stood there, desperately pleading for Hisoka to answer him, fearing what he would find.
Hisoka released Muraki and turned to face Tsuzuki and by happenstance, Oriya. The vibrant green eyes that Tsuzuki had found himself falling for held almost nothing of their prior emotion. Tsuzuki lived to see Hisoka glare at him in annoyance, to look at him with longing, to just look at him. Everything that had made Hisoka had always been apparent in the boy's eyes, even if Hisoka would not speak, but the void within the emerald orbs was frightening.
"Do you like what I have done?" Muraki traced his finger down Hisoka's cheek, and Tsuzuki shuddered at the lack of response Hisoka gave to the vile man's touch. "When I had you alone with me back in Kyoto, you were so compliant Tsuzuki; just like the boy now, yes? The haunted, vacant look in your eyes was sinfully delicious." Muraki smiled to Tsuzuki and looked to Hisoka. "Don't you think the boy's eyes look the same now? The same broken look." Tsuzuki fought the urge to shudder as Muraki slipped his arm around Hisoka's waist and held the boy close.
"Muraki . . ." Oriya's voice was quiet in the tension, but it broke the vile spell Muraki was weaving around Tsuzuki with his words. Tsuzuki shook his head as if clearing cobwebs and gave Muraki a death glare. Oriya stepped toward Muraki and Hisoka, his stance tall and proud. "You really have gone too far. Release the boy from your spell!"
"I told you once before Oriya, I can't help but act the way I have been programmed." Muraki gave a small shrug and tightened his possessive grip around Hisoka's waist. "I am just fulfilling my role, that's all." The shadow of a cloud darkened the clearing, bringing a chill to the area. "Besides, I can't return what is no longer there." Muraki looked to Tsuzuki and smiled coldly. "I warned you before not to lose the one important to you. It seems you failed to take my words to heart once again Tsuzuki."
Muraki's cryptic words chilled Tsuzuki to his core and he felt as if he had betrayed Hisoka's trust. He had promised Hisoka . . . hadn't he? Tsuzuki shook his head and closed his eyes. Hisoka had warned him about making promises he couldn't keep . . . and if Tsuzuki couldn't keep this promise . . . Tsuzuki raised his eyes to look to Hisoka. It would not end like this . . . Tsuzuki clenched his fist. He would keep his promise to Hisoka.
"There is always a choice . . ." Oriya's voice was firm, almost quiet, but Tsuzuki found it hard to pay attention to the banter between the two men.
"Oh yes, there is always a choice." Muraki waved his free hand into the air and smiled a charming smile, but to Tsuzuki it was an empty expression. "Some people choose to lie down and die after their life long goals and dreams go up in flames - literally I might add." Tsuzuki ignored the cold humour in Muraki's eyes as the man looked at him. "I chose to reach out and make use of the few puppets I had left. I will reach my desires."
Muraki tilted Hisoka's head lightly with his index finger, and Tsuzuki wanted to break that hand. "A pretty shell, don't you agree? He is much better this way, none of his arrogance or anger." Muraki grazed his lips across Hisoka's cheek, and Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes in anger. "Mind you, I would have never been able to achieve this without the help of a dear soul." Muraki raised his eyes to Oriya's. "I found my key though you my friend."
Tsuzuki heard Oriya's sudden intake of breath, but kept his attention focused on Muraki. Oriya stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What do you mean Muraki?" Oriya's confusion was evident, and Tsuzuki watched as the smile on Muraki's face widened.
"Of course, you would know nothing about what has happened, especially since the Takahashi household has kept things quiet . . . more or less." Muraki waved his hand as if emphasizing a point. "Do you remember the Takahashi residence Oriya? You visited there once, you brought me along." Muraki sighed, and lowered his hand to Hisoka's shoulder. "Such a vibrant woman, you are a good man Oriya, to give your girls such a chance to start a new life."
"I don't understand . . ." Oriya frowned and Tsuzuki just eyed Muraki, torn between wanting to know what was going on, and wanting to kill the man. "How am I even remotely related to the madness you are plotting Muraki?" Oriya shook his head, and stepped another step closer to Muraki. "I am not like one of your puppets whom you can play with at will!"
Muraki sighed and shook his head. "Then you truly do not understand me Oriya." Muraki released Hisoka from his possessive hold, and Tsuzuki eyed the doctor with mistrust. "Time is running short here, and I do so want to have an informed audience."
"Hikaru Takahashi is the daughter of Naomi . . . a girl whom your family once employed Oriya. You took me with you once a long time ago to visit their household, and I knew then that the child was . . . 'special'." Muraki looked to Hisoka, who continued to stand still. "Her power is quite remarkable, and without you Oriya, I would have never known about her, at least not in time to fulfill my desires." The shock on Oriya's face was undeniable, and a small part of Tsuzuki pitied Oriya. "She is the owner of this lovely body now, but I still pull the strings."
"You monster . . ." Oriya's voice was quiet, but Tsuzuki could hear the underlying anger in his voice. "I read about the Takahashi household in the papers . . . all of them dead! Did you kill them Muraki? Is it your bloodstained hands that took their lives?!" Oriya's hands shook, and Tsuzuki took a step forward.
Tsuzuki watched Muraki cautiously as the man stepped out in front of Hisoka. "I did not kill any of them." Muraki smiled and looked to Tsuzuki, who raised his eyes to meet Muraki's own. "Hikaru murdered her parents all on her own, without any intervention from me. In fact, I found her standing amidst the bodies, drenched in their blood, the knife in her hands. I just gave her a way out of a horrible situation, a chance to live."
"Liar." Tsuzuki took a step forward, unable to keep quiet for any more of the demented discussion. "Hikaru is an innocent." He looked to Oriya, who just stood in shock at Muraki's words. Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Why do you need Hikaru?"
Muraki's laughter filled the air, and Tsuzuki resisted the urge to scream at Muraki. Losing his calm now would do nothing to fix the situation. "Being a child does not stop one from committing heinous deeds. Hikaru possesses a power quite unique from most, and with her ability, I will open the gate and obtain my desires. Combined with the boy's empathic abilities, I have a very powerful puppet at my hand." Muraki reached back to gently caress Hisoka's wings, and trailed his hand down to where the wings joined the body. "Besides, Hikaru is not really a child."
"Not a child?" Oriya shook his head in confusion and Tsuzuki looked to the man. "But you just said she was the child of Naomi?"
"Hikaru is born from the woman, but she is not human. Did you not even question the wings upon my doll's back dear Tsuzuki?" Muraki laughed once again and Tsuzuki fought the urge to rush up to the man and smack the smile off of his face. "To explain all this will take all night, and unfortunately," Muraki looked to the watch on his wrist. "I am expecting company any minute now."
"Like hell you are!" Tsuzuki shook his fist in anger and he flicked his gaze to Hisoka's blank face. "What has happened to Hisoka? Release him Muraki!" As much as Hikaru was important, Tsuzuki could not help but place Hisoka's safety first and foremost. "So help me Muraki, if he is hurt . . ." The menace in Tsuzuki's voice was clear, and he clenched his fists in anger.
The humour in Muraki's eyes left as he regarded Tsuzuki. "What makes you think your precious partner is still within this shell?" Muraki trailed his hand up Hisoka's chest, and Tsuzuki shuddered at the sight. "I of all people should know, considering the link I had to his mind." Muraki fingered a couple feathers from Hisoka's wings. "I can find no trace of him there is only my wonderful key now." Muraki frowned a little and grasped Hisoka's chin, jerking the boy's face to face his own. "Unfortunately, because of the mess your boy made to my spell, her control is tenacious at best. This wooden-like response is probably the best we can hope for, isn't it Hikaru?"
Hisoka nodded in agreement to Muraki's question, and Tsuzuki physically started at the motion. The sudden animation from a boy who had stood so silently before was unsettling, and Tsuzuki feared for his partner. Hisoka's eyes looked to Tsuzuki, but somehow, Tsuzuki knew that it was not actually Hisoka behind them. The vacant eyes looked back to Muraki, Hisoka's chin still cupped within Muraki's hand.
Muraki let lose a curt laugh and trailed his fingers up Hisoka's cheek. "My key, my Hikaru . . . you took an awful long time to assert your control." Muraki let the smile leave his face and he grasped Hisoka's chin forcefully. "Was the spell messed up that badly?" Hisoka nodded yes and Tsuzuki smiled ever so slightly. At least Muraki's plan had been disrupted, but that still did not answer the question that Tsuzuki needed to know. Did Hisoka still exist?
"This is unbelievable." Oriya's voice pierced moment, and Tsuzuki looked to the kimono wearing man. "Let's just set aside for the moment just how chilling your actions thus far have been Muraki." Oriya looked to Hikaru in the guise of Hisoka and frowned. "What is the purpose of joining Hikaru to Hisoka? What can you possibly gain from doing all of this?"
Muraki raised his eyes and Tsuzuki saw the raw hunger in the doctor's eyes. "What indeed?" Muraki looked to Hisoka and smiled, then looked to the sky, which had begun to darken as they had talked. "As always, my partners insist on making flashy entrances . . . but I suppose it cannot be helped." Tsuzuki looked to the darkening sky in apprehension because he knew what Muraki spoke of. The demons were coming.
Oriya unsheathed his sword and Muraki just shook his head. "I warned you Oriya, I told you to stay out of this, but you would not listen." The trees within the garden began to sway in the sudden wind, and eddies of petals flew past Tsuzuki in a maddening dance. Muraki raked his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "I told you to let go of me Oriya . . . you are a stubborn fool."
"Maybe I am." Oriya's eyes were bright, and Tsuzuki looked to the man in disbelief. "I don't abandon what is important to me, and I cannot let your continue to walk this dark path Muraki." Oriya narrowed his eyes and fingered the hilt of his sword. "If your actions mean my death, then so be it. I will not back down."
"Then you may die Oriya." Muraki's voice was dead calm, but Tsuzuki noted the look in Muraki's eyes did not mirror his voice. Perhaps Muraki did care for Oriya, but that feeling paled to whatever Muraki was attempting to accomplish. An ear piercing wail filled the air, and Tsuzuki cringed at the unholy noise. He raised his hands defensively and looked to Muraki who stood unconcerned.
Muraki smiled and tilted his head in acknowledgement to Tsuzuki. "Your pathetic partner will finally have a real use to me dear Tsuzuki." Hisoka raised his arms to the darkened sky, and a faint pillar of light encircled his form. Tsuzuki edged towards Oriya, who had suddenly become his unlikely ally. Muraki laughed as he surveyed the area, and looked to Hisoka's lethargic form. "Let us show them what I will be gaining . . . shall we Hikaru?"
In the blink of an eye, a sudden swarm of demonic creatures filled the area, descending from the sky, emerging from the ground, and some just appearing in a haze of smoke. Tsuzuki pulled a fuda from his coat, and looked at the horde of demons with dismay. Numerous horrendous faces leered at him, the malice clear in their expressions. "Get out of here Oriya! This is beyond your ability to handle now!" The swirling pink petals lent a surreal quality to what was happening, and Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes. There were too many demons, but Tsuzuki was not considered one of the best Shinigami without reason.
"I will not leave."
Tsuzuki looked to Oriya as if he had gone insane, and perhaps the man had. "Muraki cares little for you, you heard him! Staying here will only get you killed!" Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka with fear, the swirling orbs of light around his partner's form worrying him. "This is my fight. That is my partner . . . my friend . . . my heart . . . in danger." Hisoka spread his wings out in a dramatic display, and Tsuzuki could see Hisoka's lips moving, as if chanting.
"And Muraki is my friend."
Tsuzuki shook his head in frustration. "The man is little more than a monster in human form! Open your eyes Oriya!" The shouts of damnation and curses coming from the surrounding demons were unnerving, and Tsuzuki was torn between keeping his eyes on the demons, and watching what was happening to Hisoka. The wind was in a furious state now, and combined with the horde of demons surrounding him, Tsuzuki felt trapped. Hisoka's form was small in the whirling vortex of light, his arms raised along with his wings towards the swirling clouds above. Lightening arched blindingly across the sky, and the wind grabbed at Tsuzuki's coat, threatening to pull it away.
Muraki's laughter echoed above the voices of the surrounding demons, and Tsuzuki looked to the demented doctor in frustration. "Take a look Tsuzuki! Watch as my key unlocks the gate! What will your God do when a horde of demons swarms his precious Meifu?" Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka body, which had risen into the air, propelled by his wings. Hisoka's eyes were wide open and his lips continued to move, chanting what Tsuzuki presumed to be a spell.
Tendrils of light looped around Hisoka like snakes, and the dread within Tsuzuki multiplied. It didn't matter, none of it mattered, save for Hisoka. Hisoka turned his head to look at Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki found it hard to not close his eyes at the blank look his partner gave him. It was like the spark that made Hisoka who he was, was gone.
The dark sky opened above them in a dazzling display of light, but Tsuzuki's eyes remained upon Hisoka, who stared back at Tsuzuki with the same vacant look. The calls of the demons surrounding him increased in intensity, and Tsuzuki could hear Oriya's voice answering back defiantly. Tsuzuki knew he should be focusing on the demons surrounding them, or on the portal of light that was opening above them, but he found it hard to do anything else but look to the boy who was his reason to live.
"Hisoka . . ."
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Death was not what Hisoka thought it would be. He blinked his eyes once again and sat up. The bed beneath him was immensely soft, and the furnishings surrounding him resembled a faint memory. He remembered the bright light, a sharp intense pain, and Hikaru . . . Hisoka raised his hand to his forehead as he recalled his last moments with Hikaru.
The sudden entrance of a kimono clad woman startled Hisoka, and he looked at the woman as if he had seen a ghost. She hummed a familiar song, and from Hisoka's position on the bed, she looked like someone Hisoka only remembered in his dreams. The woman was fussing with something across the room, and then she turned around and Hisoka's stopped breathing. It was his mother.
"Good morning my son . . . you slept in today." Hisoka's mother smiled and reached out to lovingly touch Hisoka's cheek. "If you don't get out of bed, the day is going to pass you by!" Hisoka looked to the woman, who claimed to be his mother in absolute shock.
"Mother . . ." Hisoka looked to the woman with wide eyes. It was impossible . . . She had NEVER spoken a kind word to him . . . not since his empathy had manifested. "Is it really you?"
Hisoka's mother frowned momentarily and then laughed. Her laughter was like tiny bells, and Hisoka's eyes just widened even further. "Or course it is me? Who else would I be?" She reached out to touch Hisoka's forehead, as if checking a fever. Hisoka looked at the wide smile across her face, and shook his head in disbelief.
"You're touching me . . ." Hisoka's voice was quiet, and he looked into the woman's eyes. "You never touched me . . . not after . . ." The woman frowned, and sat upon the edge of the bed. Hisoka looked to the woman who was his mother with uncertainty. "Who are you?"
The woman frowned and tapped her chin in thought. "Oh dear . . . my Hisoka . . . are you alright?"
Hisoka lowered his head, his eyes hidden by the fringe of his bangs. The woman reached out to touch Hisoka's arm, and Hisoka pulled his arm away from her touch with sudden abruptness. "What's wrong my son?"
"Stop it . . ." Hisoka's voice was quiet, and he continued to stare at the blanket atop his form. "Please . . . stop pretending."
"Stop what?" Hisoka's mother stood up and raised her hand to her lips. "What do you mean my Hisoka? You are scaring me . . ."
Hisoka clenched his fists in an effort to stop the trembling that had begun as he struggled to contain his emotions. "Stop that . . . you never called me 'my Hisoka' . . . I was always the monster! You said I was not your child!" Hisoka raised his eyes to the woman's own. "What are you?"
"I don't understand . . . Hisoka?" Hisoka shook his head in frustration and gripped the blanket atop of him tightly. The room, the bed, everything was a memory . . . a memory of the past, and perhaps a longing of his heart. The woman reached out to him, and he shied away from her touch as if burned. "Hisoka?"
"You are not my mother . . ."
"What? I . . ."
Hisoka scrambled out of the bed and stood with his back against the wall. It was a farce, an illusion . . . there was no way his real mother would ever show such kindness to him. "YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!!!"
The room shattered like glass into a million pieces, and Hisoka found himself falling into darkness. Away from his bedroom, and the woman who claimed to be his mother. Hisoka trailed his hands upward, trying to desperately grab at the shards of what was a distant memory. "Mother . . ." Hisoka closed his eyes as the darkness claimed him.
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The scent of cherry petals assaulted Hisoka's senses, and he opened his eyes to a scene familiar to his nightmares. He looked down to his body, and found himself dressed in that same kimono. He looked around, and the all too familiar wind swept grasses and the night sky filled his vision.
A sense of urgency filled Hisoka, and he turned around to look upon a disturbing scene. Muraki stood with his back toward him, the handle of a sharp blade held in his hand as he plunged the metal downwards again and again. The woman hung lifeless in Muraki's arms, and Hisoka looked upon the scene of his nightmares with physical shock.
The woman made no sound as she was ruthlessly stabbed again and again, and the look upon Muraki's face as he committed his crime was frightening. A hunger, and a joy filled the air, and Hisoka found himself cringing at the flood of ugly emotions. Just like history repeating, Muraki turned around and looked to Hisoka, as if sensing another presence. Hisoka looked into the man's eyes and saw the lust in the doctor's eyes.
As if time stopped, Muraki was suddenly upon Hisoka, and he felt the doctor's cool hands encircling his wrists. Hisoka leaned away from Muraki, but found himself unable to free himself from the man's grip, just as he had been unable to escape as before.
"Witnesses have to disappear . . . That is the rule . . ."
Muraki's voice was calm and quiet in the chill night air, but Hisoka could sense the desire coming from Muraki as the man looked Hisoka's body over. Hisoka looked up into Muraki's cold eyes and narrowed his own in anger. It was what he had been unable to do that night so long ago. Hisoka pulled hard against Muraki's grip, and with a sudden show of power, he blasted Muraki with a violent blast of psychic energies . . . toppling the cruel doctor over in a howl of fury and pain.
Hisoka ran away from Muraki, and that damned cherry tree, but found a grim joy in the pain he had caused Muraki. The vivid scene shattered into a million pieces as before, and Hisoka found himself falling once again. But this time, he did not long for that memory to stay.
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"Heeh . . . you don't like those memories?"
Hisoka raised his head from the ground to gaze into ruby red eyes set into a shadowy form. He pulled himself to his feet in a swift motion, and backed away from Chymos. The demon looked at Hisoka's haste and just laughed. Hisoka narrowed his eyes and looked about his new surroundings. There were no memories, no nightmares . . . just darkness and Chymos. Perhaps it was as just a bad combination.
"What do you want Chymos?" Hisoka looked about in confusion. His wings were gone, as was Hikaru. The last moments he had with Hikaru came back to him and Hisoka shook his head in frustration. "She used me . . . Hikaru."
"I warned you, didn't I?" Chymos smiled a fanged smile and flapped his shadowy wings. "I may be a demon, but at least you can deduce what to expect from me, but her . . . A fallen angel like her follows no stereotypes. She had you fooled quite well little Shinigami."
"Fallen angel . . ." Hisoka raised his hands up to his temples and closed his eyes momentarily. "And what makes you anymore trustworthy? You are a demon."
Chymos shrugged, and smirked at Hisoka. "Believe me or not, it is your choice. But right now I am all you got." Chymos laughed, and to Hisoka it sounded like nails down a chalkboard. "Oh this is rich indeed!" Hisoka glared at the demon and the demon had enough sense to at least stop laughing.
"Where is Hikaru?"
"Why do you care Shinigami? She has used you through and through! That little bitch has taken control of your body, and she has left me to rot in here with you, even though she has the power to separate me from this boring prison." Chymos sneered at Hisoka, and Hisoka found Chymos' words hard to swallow. "A little weak for a villain though, she should have eliminated you, but instead she imprisoned you here, trapped among your memories." Chymos spat upon the invisible ground and growled in anger. "She sure used her current incarnation to her full advantage though; I didn't think the woman had it in her to play the role of a scared little girl. But it sure fooled you, stupid Shinigami."
"That can't be . . ." Hisoka frowned and looked to Chymos with questions in his eyes. "She was sorry . . . I heard her, I know I did." Hisoka shook his head and clenched his fists. "Does this mean that she was working in tandem with Muraki all this time?"
"Bingo."
Hisoka took a deep breath and looked to Chymos. "So why are you here demon? Just wanting to gloat?" Hisoka took a couple of steps toward Chymos, his frustration at the situation getting the better of his judgment. "I would have thought you would want to watch the devastation she and Muraki have planned . . . that is what you told me you would do before."
Chymos shrugged once again, and raised his blood red eyes to Hisoka's once again. "Well I was going to, but when I realized she left you alive, if you call this alive, I just had to come for another taste." Chymos smiled a cold smile and Hisoka backed up a couple steps. "Your soul is still sweet Shinigami . . . and seeing as your soul will slowly burn up anyways I figured I could speed up the process and get myself a meal and a ticket out of here."
"What do you mean?" Hisoka raised his hands defensively in front of him and eyed Chymos warily. "I am not defenseless here demon."
Chymos shook his head in laughter and Hisoka found himself frowning at the demon. "You are a riot Shinigami! Don't you realize what Hikaru is doing with your body? She has always been trapped on earth, away from Meifu and unable to get revenge upon Enma for what He had done to her. Muraki was aware of her existence and he is obviously quite aware of you." Chymos raised his eyebrows suggestively and Hisoka shuddered. "With Muraki's knowledge, our magics, and her abilities, a plan was formed."
"Right now that bitch is using your body to break the barrier that seals Meifu away from ChiJou and from the demons. Without the barrier, all those defenceless souls in Meifu will be ripe for our taking." Chymos' laughed as Hisoka's eyes widened in disbelief. "Your empathy was the key though. In her altered form, Hikaru did not have the focus to be able to wield her bound powers effectively. Hikaru gets to exact her revenge upon your precious Enma, us demons get a huge feast and potentially control over the entire realm of the dead."
Hisoka clenched his fists in an attempt to stop himself from shaking in anger. "And what does Muraki get from all of this?" Hisoka was reeling from what Chymos had said, and if he could take the demon's words as truth . . . He just couldn't believe that Hikaru, the delicate girl that Hisoka had promised to protect, was evil. The picture it painted was a horrible one indeed. "That man has never done something for nothing; he has always had a motive."
"Of course. That arrogant human made a deal with us. You Shinigami apparently torched all of his life works, along with his . . . brother? In exchange for his abilities and knowledge, we healed him from near death, and he would gain us a key into Meifu." Chymos smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Upon entering Meifu, not only does he gain a revenge of sorts upon you and your partner, but he will be able to bring his brother back to life. So he can kill him."
"WHAT?" Hisoka shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you . . . I won't! It is insane!" Hisoka waved his fist in front of him in a wide arc. "How can I believe what a demon says? Why are you telling me all this anyways?"
Chymos raked his gaze up and down Hisoka's body, making Hisoka curl in slightly upon himself to protect himself from Chymos' lecherous gaze. "Why?" Chymos raised his eyes back up to Hisoka's own. "I'm bored Shinigami. Seeing your reaction amuses me." He trailed his eyes back down Hisoka's body. "There is also the prospect of a little fun. My brethren are out there, having all of the fun, while I am stuck here with you. I can see why Muraki toys with you. For a human body your form is quite . . . delicious."
Hisoka recoiled in disgust at Chymos' words, and he raised his hands in front of him protectively once again. "Come near me demon, and you will be sorry."
Chymos leered at Hisoka, and extended his wings. "I doubt so. I do like playing with my prey."
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The Hall of Candles was a strange place, filled with the light of the living, and the burned down remains of those who had died. A candle for every life, a flame for every soul, the caretaker of them a single man. Known as an executioner, a deliverer and perhaps a little unbalanced, the Earl lived and worked among the candles, his form unseen and hidden. It was both a good and bad job, as one does not mourn the loss of life so much, if all they see is a candle going out; a very different perspective than those such as the Shinigami, those who see the actual remains of those dead or dying. Along the same thread, it could be argued that he had less appreciation of life because of his job.
Hakushaku contemplated the candle before him, and watched the tiny flame flicker slightly as he approached. Death was just a part of the cycle, without death there could not be any life. It was one thing to put out the light of a soul; it was another thing to assure that that soul would come to Meifu.
Often the dead do not realize they are dead. The Earl lifted his gloved hands to gently cup the top of the candle, the flame flickering within the tiny confines of his hands. He watched as it struggled for oxygen, for the right to live. Perhaps Hakushaku had been within the Castle walls for too long, as a candle could not gain human characteristics, even if they represented human life. Hakushaku sighed and released the flame from his gentle embrace, and watched, as the flame grew brighter.
"You know you must."
The Earl raised his head as the voice spoke, but refrained from turning around to face the owner of the voice. "I know Enma." The silver mask tilted slightly as if looking to the ground. "I have seen to the ending of mortal life for millennia, and I have often wondered if the soul knows, even if the mortal life does not." Hakushaku stood and listened as the soft swish of cloth against cloth came closer to him. "Must it really come to this?"
"There are few options left to us."
Hakushaku frowned and shook his head, knowing that few beside himself could actually read his facial expressions. "You knew that it would come to this . . . didn't you Enma? That is why you let things go as they have for so long." He looked to the tiny flame before him once again. "This is a dangerous game you are playing."
"Perhaps." The Earl listened as Enma moved behind him, and Hakushaku could have sworn he heard a soft sigh. "As much as I love my children, I have a responsibility to preserve the status quo." The Earl lowered his head as he listened to Enma's words. "It isn't a position I relish, but it is the demand set upon my station. The High Council has seized Trinity from me and they have managed to fool my angels to believe that their command is actually MY command. I can play games just as well as they can."
"Are they in place then?"
The soft swish of Enma's robes signaled his approach. "The pieces are in place, but at what cost? Not all of my children will make it Hakushaku . . . and I fear for both those who survive and those who fall. The High Council has really made a mess of things . . . and it is up to me to stop it." The Earl turned his head slightly, but kept his eyes away from Enma. Enma's hand reached out to gently touch the side of the candle. "Was the High Council so prideful that they forgot who gave them such power in the first place? Just as I gave it to them, I can also take it away."
"You are treading deep waters Enma . . . they think you are a fool." The Earl continued to stare at the candle and fought the urge to turn around. It was unthinkable to even consider looking upon Enma's figure. "To most of the High Council, you have become little more than a figure head, a being with little power. Tied up in red tape, they forget who actually runs things."
A soft sigh sounded from behind him, and the Earl shook his head. "I have been here a long time, haven't I Enma? I have seen many souls depart for the next world and the final decision has always rested in your hands." Hakushaku wrung his gloved hands together. "I know you formed the High Council to deal with the growing number of souls, but I think that you have forgotten that all of them were once human, they have flaws."
"You were once as well Hakushaku . . . or do you forget?"
"Aye . . ." The Earl clenched his fists and dropped them to his sides. Hakushaku pondered Enma's words as he watched the candle's flame dance. "What will happen to those who have betrayed you?"
"They will be judged."
"The same as you judged 'her'?"
The silence that filled the room was stifling, and for a moment, the Earl feared that he had overstepped the boundaries between him and his Lord. "There are some things that I regret doing, but as Lord, I cannot let such betrayal go by unpunished. To allow the demons into this sacred place, bypassing the barrier I have in place to protect us against demonic threats, it is inconceivable. The demons may be more powerful, but at what cost is that power? Did they think nothing of the consequences of their actions in their quest for power?"
"Their crime is no less that what Hikaru's was." Enma's voice was devoid of emotion, even though the Earl knew that the neutrality was a lie. "I cannot allow her to come here Hakushaku . . . I cannot. It was wrong to seal her away so long ago, but I cannot fix the past. Hikaru . . . had she just done as she was told . . ."
Silence filled the room once again, and Hakushaku looked to the floor uncomfortably. Enma spoke up once again, and the emotion in His normally calm voice was heartbreaking. "She nearly destroyed everything! Not just this world, but the next, and also that of the living. It was not an accident; Hikaru knew exactly what she was doing. I couldn't let such insolence go unpunished. And those idiots I deemed the High Council are trying to repeat her mistakes." Hakushaku stared at the flickering flame as Enma spoke. "Just as I cannot let it go by now."
Hakushaku sighed and shook his head, the flame from the candle glinting off of his silver mask. "I'm not sure if she is wholly herself anymore. It has been a very long time. Living from person to person; existing, but not existing . . . Was such a punishment really necessary my Lord?" Hakushaku looked to the vaulted ceiling of the room; the arches alit with the light of numerous candles. "Her coming back . . . opening the gate . . . you knew this would happen, didn't you?"
"They say that God works in mysterious ways."
Hakushaku laughed at the cryptic remark, and then stifled the noise. "I still think that this is a very dangerous game you are playing. Had you spoken to the Shokan division plainly, I am sure that they would have gone along with you willingly. As it is, they seriously doubt your actions."
Enma sighed behind him, and Hakushaku eyed the flickering flame of the candle solemnly. "If I would have told them, do you think they would have gone along willingly? The High Council would have also looked at such action suspiciously, and I need this to succeed at all costs." The Earl cocked his head as footfalls paced behind him as Enma began to pace. "Konoe is a strong man, as is his staff. As Shinigami they deal with difficult problems all the time, I can trust in them to be able to pull this one off as well. The seal on information has been broken and the GuShoShin twins will relay the truth to them. I only hope that in the end they will forgive me for my deception."
"If Tsuzuki and Hisoka do not survive this deadly game you have thrown them into, I am not sure if they will." Hakushaku shook his head in frustration. "You demand too much from those two."
"They have power beyond measure when they are together." Enma was close and Hakushaku could feel the figure's presence, like a vibrating hum. "Within Tsuzuki lays phenomenal power that he fears, and the High Council fears it and him. Hisoka is the key to unlocking that power, but also to controlling it. You saw the report from their first case together. Such an ability to combine power is rare." The Earl could hear the smile on Enma's face through his words. "I will need such power, if I am to clean up this mess that has been made."
Enma must have stepped forward, because suddenly Hakushaku could feel the presence of his Lord directly behind him. "'People change by encounters' . . . I believe you said that Konoe had said this to you about Tsuzuki and Hisoka." Enma sighed and the Earl sighed as well. "I know I am asking a lot of them, but it is because I believe in the two of them. I want my people to be happy as well . . . and I believe that Tsuzuki and Hisoka are good for one another. Together they will pull one another through this mess."
"I always believed that there was another reason for you to keep Tsuzuki as a Shinigami for so long." The Earl smiled, and tilted his head slightly. You had better hope that Tsuzuki and Hisoka are strong enough to survive all of this. Or you may be losing more than your High Council."
"I have thought about this for quite some time, and I believe my actions are correct." Enma's robes swished softly in the silence of the room. "In one swift stroke, I will weed out the betrayers within my High Council. I will gain back my lost Hikaru . . . and allow her to undergo the judgment she should have gone through before. I will teach the demons not to underestimate my power and their arrogance will be their undoing." The anger in Enma's voice was cold. "As for Muraki, I will finally show him just how his path has led him away from his true desire . . . and he will be judged."
"But to resort to this . . . Hisoka's soul is already wounded quite badly, and I fear he will not survive this. There must be another way to separate Hikaru's soul from Hisoka's own . . . one that does not jeopardize both Tsuzuki and Hisoka's well being." Hakushaku shook his head and sighed. "The gate has already been opened; doing this will not undo that." The Earl looked down to his gloves and clenched them into fists as he spoke. "You will be taking more than her soul Enma, and I fear that the boy's death will drag Tsuzuki's soul in tow."
Hakushaku jumped slightly as a hand rested itself upon his invisible shoulder. "The actual death need only be long enough to separate the souls, and that of the demon. I trust in your skill Hakushaku, that you will be able to bring his flame back." The hand upon the Earl's shoulder tightened ever so slightly, and Hakushaku closed his eyes. "You forget that I need this to happen, for Tsuzuki to embrace his untapped powers."
"I hope you know what you are doing my Lord."
"I do." Enma's voice was calm, and His hand upon the Earl's shoulder was solid. "Carry out my command."
The Earl took a deep breath and raised his hands to the candle once more. "Forgive me." He spoke to the candle, as if the soul it represented could hear his words. The tiny flame flickered defiantly within the confines of his hands, and Hakushaku narrowed the gap between his two hands.
The tiny flame struggled to survive, and the Earl closed his eyes as he closed his hands around the spark of life. "You have struggled through so much . . . be strong enough to survive this as well Hisoka; for your sake as well as Tsuzuki's."
The flame extinguished.
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The screeches of the demons increased as the light intensified. Tsuzuki tore his gaze from Hisoka long enough to see a portal open above them. Oriya bumped into him slightly, and Tsuzuki steadied Oriya's stance. Muraki's form came into view, his body aflame in the same evil red aura from before. The maniacal glint in the doctor's eyes was disturbingly familiar, and Tsuzuki clenched the fuda in his hand even tighter. "Stop this Muraki!!"
The doctor looked down to Tsuzuki and laughed. "Why should I? The gate is opening, the time has come, and I will attain my desires." Tsuzuki's body lurched as gravity itself seemed to disappear. He scrambled desperately to find purchase, but the only thing nearby was the arm of Oriya, who was also struggling in the sudden weightlessness. The demons surrounding them also began to float, and those who could fly began to ascend even faster to the shining portal above them. Muraki hovered above the two of them, his aura holding him in place. "Isn't this wonderful Tsuzuki? The end of the world as we know it is happening now! You are a part of history in the making!"
Tsuzuki looked to the multitude of fangs, claws and inhuman forms that swirled about them, reaching out to Tsuzuki like a cat playfully swiping at its prey. They were all being drawn forward, toward the glowing portal and the world of Meifu beyond. Muraki's form along with Hisoka's was the only stationary beings within the strange vortex Tsuzuki found himself in.
"Tsuzuki . . ." Oriya's voice was strained, and Tsuzuki saw the man was struggling with some of the demons who had decided that the mortal was easy prey. With the barrier between Meifu and them gone, did they not have enough helpless souls waiting for them on the other side? Tsuzuki outstretched his hand and was about to unleash the spell held within the fuda when a bolt of ruby energy arced downwards and separated the demons from Oriya. It gave Oriya a chance to get to Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki looked up to where the bolt had come from.
"I warned you Oriya." Muraki's eyes were hard as he stared down to Oriya, and Tsuzuki shook his head in confusion. The man was alternately threatening Oriya and then showing acts of kindness. "Get away from here now!" The portal crackled with energy and Tsuzuki looked to the crack in the barrier surrounding Meifu with concern. Hisoka remained hovering, his wings outstretched, arms raised to the sky and the portal.
Oriya pulled his sword defensively in front of him, despite the lack of gravity and glared up to Muraki defiantly. "And I told you I don't give up on someone that is important to me!" Oriya shook his head and pointed his sword to Muraki. "I will not leave!" The blinding light shone down upon the multitude of figures beneath it.
Muraki was about to reply when Hisoka's voice suddenly screamed, it's piercing tone echoing above the screeches and cries of the demons rising toward the portal. Tsuzuki looked to his partner in fear, and watched as Hisoka curled in upon himself, his wings enveloping him. "Hisoka!" Tsuzuki surged forward, propelling himself by pushing off of Oriya. The scream, whether it was from Hikaru or not, was still Hisoka's, it was Hisoka's body . . . and the sound sent waves of fear through Tsuzuki.
"NO!" Muraki's voice was shrill but Tsuzuki ignored the man's outcries. Hisoka was shuddering, a thin keening wail emanating from his curled form. Tsuzuki reached forward desperately, needing to feel Hisoka's form under his fingers, needing to find Hisoka behind the vacant eyes that were Hikaru's.
The wind whipped around, pulling everyone beneath the portal forward, save for Hisoka, and Tsuzuki reached out to pull Hisoka's form against him as he flew by. Hisoka's body was cool to the touch, and the cries did not cease even when Tsuzuki held his partner's form close to him. "Hisoka . . . Hisoka!" Tsuzuki leaned his head in close to Hisoka's, wanting and needing Hisoka to look up at him. With Hisoka embraced in his arms, Tsuzuki found himself and his partner being drawn upwards toward the portal. It was a terrible thing, the portal being opened, but it also meant that Tsuzuki and Hisoka could get back home, get back to Tatsumi and the others. He could find help for Hisoka.
The demons lashed out in hatred at Tsuzuki and Hisoka, and Tsuzuki endured the pain, keeping Hisoka's body away from the demons grasp. A bolt of energy slammed into his back and Tsuzuki bit down hard on his sleeve to not scream out in pain. He turned around slowly to find Muraki bearing 'down' on him, Muraki's arms outstretched with another deadly ball of energy in hand. Muraki's eyes were wide, and a snarl was upon his normally handsome face. Tsuzuki raised his fuda and held it between him and Muraki in defense.
It was a swift metallic blade that stopped things from evolving further, and Tsuzuki looked down in horror to Oriya who hovered beneath Muraki, his sword having cut a deep slash down Muraki's chest. Muraki's eyes were wide, and Tsuzuki watched as the doctor looked down to Oriya in shock. Oriya's face was grim, and Tsuzuki could see the conflicting emotions in Oriya's eyes. "I warned you Muraki! I cannot let you continue this path!" Oriya raised his sword once again, ready to receive the retaliation that was sure to come from Muraki.
Tsuzuki wished to hear what was said between Oriya and Muraki, but it was at that moment that he entered the portal, his back bleeding heavily with Hisoka in his arms. The battle cries of the demons deafened, and Tsuzuki raised his free hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light of the rift. It was not how Tsuzuki had wished to come home, but it would have to do. A war had come to Meifu, and Tsuzuki feared how it would end.
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"GuShoShin! You're alright!"
Wakaba's delight was apparent in her voice, and Tatsumi smiled slightly behind his clasped hands in front of him. He had known that the others were worried about their fellow co-workers trapped in ChiJou, even if some of them were less forthcoming about their feelings than others. Tatsumi looked to Terazuma who glanced over to him, and then pointedly looked away. Despite their differences, the people of Shokan division were really a close group, and it was that bond that Tatsumi was depending upon, especially in the storm to come.
The librarian struggled half heartedly in the girl's hug, and Tatsumi knew that GuShoShin did not mind the affections of the energetic girl. Watari sat down beside Tatsumi, and looked to him fretfully. Tatsumi sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Dark times were upon them, and they would soon be put to the test.
"I do hope the two of you have a very good explanation for all of this." Konoe's voice was dead calm, and he glared at Tatsumi and Watari in turn. "Undoubtedly Trinity has reported your arrogance to the High Council by now. I would like to at least know why I will be kissing my ass goodbye when they come back in force."
"That's a rather colourful description chief." Watari shook his head and frowned. "But I think once you understand what is going on, I am sure you will agree with the actions Tatsumi and I took."
"I was wondering why the two of you were acting all secretive." Terazuma frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "You have really stirred up a hornet's nest Mr. Secretary. I hope you are sure of your findings, or else you are going to have to answer to me as well as Trinity." He smirked and raised an eyebrow to Watari. "I knew the explosions coming from your lab were too regular in interval."
Watari grinned and looked to Tatsumi. "I told you the explosions wouldn't cover up what we were up to."
"No. It was the regular timings of the explosions that gave it away, not the explosions themselves. There isn't really anything orderly when it comes to you Watari." Wakaba laughed and flipped her hair back behind her shoulder. "But Terazuma is right . . . what are we going to do? If High Council bears its force against us . . ."
"That's a little unfair." Watari pouted. He straightened in his chair and smiled a beaming smile. "Those winged dolts will have to do much more before they will get in here to take GuShoShin away."
"Ahem." Konoe cleared his throat and looked to each one of his employees in turn. "If you please, we have a growing crisis on our hands remember?"
Tatsumi cleared his throat and motioned to GuShoShin who had finally extracted himself from Wakaba's embrace, and was now setting up his laptop. "Everything about all of this has been fishy from the start. It wasn't anything I could come up with evidence to prove, just something I knew." Tatsumi gestured to GuShoShin and an image of the girl Hikaru appeared on the wall. "This is Hikaru, the girl whose soul Tsuzuki and Hisoka were ordered to find. What wasn't known until just recently though, is that Hikaru is not what she seems."
"What do you mean?" Konoe eyed Tatsumi with a raised eyebrow.
"Watari, GuShoShin and I came across some discrepancies in the case. Along with Enma's bizarre orders and then the lockdown, I knew that we had to get to the bottom of things and fast." Tatsumi raked his fingers though his hair and looked to GuShoShin. "We have been kept in the dark about many things."
"Enma has set us up." GuShoShin tapped a couple keys upon the laptop and another image appeared beside Hikaru's image. It was of an angel, a woman with glorious white wings, raven black hair, and green eyes. Tatsumi waited a moment for everyone to see the resemblance between the girl and the woman. "Hikaru Takahashi, the girl who was presumably murdered, is actually just the latest incarnation of Hikaru the angel. One of Enma's first angels, Hikaru the angel sought to destroy the boundaries between the living and the dead, between the souls and the soulless; or the demons."
Tatsumi shook his head and looked to his fellow co-workers. "Why she tried such a thing is not in records, apparently that is still being sealed. Such an act should have warranted immediate annihilation of the soul, but Enma chose a different punishment. She was cast to ChiJou, forced to exist along side the souls of those she incarnated with. Like a person trapped within a room, looking through a window to reality."
"Enma's punishment was exceptionally cruel if you think about it." Watari looked up to Tatsumi and frowned. "I still can't believe it, even though I found this information along with GuShoShin." Watari leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "To exist, but not exist, to live, but not to live; Hikaru's crime was great, but perhaps Enma's punishment was even worse."
"How come we have never heard of it?" Terazuma frowned and raised his legs to prop up on the table before him. "If this angel, this Hikaru did something so terrible, why was her existence and what she did hidden? And what of Hikaru the human girl? Who, what and why was she killed?"
"It seems that there is a sort of war occurring in the upper ranks, and we are the unfortunate souls who get to deal with the clean up." Watari looked to Terazuma and frowned. "But it cannot be a coincidence that Enma personally assigned Tsuzuki and Hisoka to a case that involved a fallen angel." He slammed his fist upon the desk, startling those present. "Damn it! And what of the man hunt against Tsuzuki? Is this somehow connected to all of this?"
Tatsumi pushed his glasses back up his nose and frowned. That was the one thing that did not make sense. Even Konoe had hinted at something darker within Tsuzuki, and during the short while that Tatsumi had been partnered with Tsuzuki, he too had sensed something different. Tsuzuki had remained with the division for years, and the High Council had done nothing to hinder Tsuzuki. Why was he suddenly a target?
"We're under attack!!" A man's voice rang through the corridors of the Shokan division and Tatsumi looked up in shock from his fellow Shinigami. Not everyone in the division was a shinigami, some worked within the building as messengers or researchers, and upon hearing that cry Tatusumi feared the worst. The man rushed into the conference room, he was short of breath and was very pale.
"Have Trinity come back in force?" Konoe rose swiftly from his chair, overturning it in his haste. "Those damned idiots! Don't they know when to back down?"
Terazuma leapt from his chair with grace and cracked his knuckles. "Good! All this talk is boring. If they want to rumble let them. I will show them the wrath of a Shinigami!"
"No . . . it . . . it isn't Trinity." The man gulped in a breath of air and looked to Konoe and Tatsumi in turn. "It's . . . demons! The barrier around . . . Meifu has . . . been breached! Hordes of demons . . . are swarming Meifu!"
"Oh my God . . ." Wakaba held her hand to her mouth in shock and Tatsumi privately agreed with her. As if to confirm the man's words, the Division building shuddered as if struck by a heavy blow.
"Where are the civilians?" Konoe was already moving, and the group of Shinigami rose to follow him. "Our first priority is to protect those within Meifu from the demons. We are the first line of defense here; the Angels will be slow in getting down here." Konoe turned around to look at everyone. "I don't have to remind you what the multitude of souls residing here in Meifu is to the demons."
"A buffet table!" Watari's voice was loud, and everyone glared at him with disbelief. He wiped his hands upon his lab coat and shook his head. "What? You know it is true! Demons devour souls, and Meifu is full of defenseless souls just waiting to be taken."
Terazuma shook his head and punched his fist into his open hand. "If we weren't in a hurry right now, I would have to smack you for that one Watari." He looked to the chief who nodded grimly back. "I take it we are going on the offensive?"
"No." Tatsumi pushed forward, leading the lot of them back to the general workspace. "First is defense. We need to protect those within Meifu. When everyone has reached the designated safety zones, then we go on the offensive."
"Who knew that our evacuation drills were going to come into use?" Wakaba wrung her hands nervously and rushed ahead, pulling Terazuma with her. "I am going to sound the alarm!"
Tatsumi watched the two of them leave and clenched his fists. Watari leaned over as they ran forward, his hair coming free of his hair tie. "I don't think we have to worry about Trinity at the moment, but just to be sure, GuShoShin should hide with his twin somewhere safe." Tatsumi nodded in agreement to Watari, and watched as the scientist turned to talk to GuShoShin.
Konoe entered his office and came back out a moment later with stacks of fudas in his hands and overflowing from a side satchel. "I hope I don't need to use all of these." He looked to Tatsumi who nodded grimly back. "This day is going from bad to worse really fast."
Tatsumi was about to reply when the doors to the work area exploded inward in a sudden show of force. Both Tatsumi and Konoe raised their respective powers in defense, but quickly lowered them as they recognized what had plowed through the doors. Tsuzuki stood in the doorway, blood pooling at his feet from a wound Tatsumi could not see. It was what was cradled in Tsuzuki's arms that froze Tatsumi to the core. Hisoka hung limp in Tsuzuki's arms, pale white wings trailing down to the floor. The boy was crying aloud, and Tatsumi could hear Watari's shout of dismay from behind him.
"Please . . . you have to help him!" Tsuzuki was on the point of babbling, but Tatsumi could not blame him. Tatsumi rushed forward along with Konoe and Watari. Hisoka had no apparent wounds that Tatsumi could see, unlike Tsuzuki, but the cries of pain coming from Hisoka's throat was unmistakable. The emotions in Tsuzuki's eyes were equally disturbing, and Tatsumi feared the worst.
Watari tried to pry Hisoka out of Tsuzuki's arms, but the man would not let go. Tatsumi nodded once to Watari and gently prodded Tsuzuki in the back urging the man to follow Watari; careful to avoid the bleeding wounds. Things were happening too fast and Tatsumi looked to Watari. "We have our jobs to do. You stick with Tsuzuki and Hisoka Watari. Help them!" Tatsumi looked to Konoe who was torn between wanting to speak with Tsuzuki and the obvious demand on them to head outside to combat the threat to Meifu. "Come on Chief! We have to get out there now!"
"Wait! Who will protect them?" Konoe gestured to the retreating forms of Tsuzuki, Hisoka and Watari.
"Don't worry about them. They will be fine." Tatsumi pulled his glasses off his face and wiped them distractedly. "They are Shinigami, those in Meifu are not. The demons will go after easy prey first." Tatsumi grimaced and pushed his glasses back into his face. He raised his fist and the nearby shadows danced in anticipation. "Come on Chief. We have to deal with one crisis at a time."
Tatsumi stepped with purpose with Konoe at his side. There was no need to teleport, as the demons were undoubtedly right at their doorstep. Tsuzuki and Hisoka's sudden appearance along with the demons worried Tatsumi immensely. It was equally likely that Muraki was also within the realm of the dead. Tatsumi was torn between wanting to be with Tsuzuki, worrying for Hisoka, his responsibilities as a Shinigami and the Secretary of Shokan division, and his intense desire to hunt Muraki down and crush the doctor in a veil of shadow - slowly.
With any luck, Tatsumi would have the chance to fulfill all his desires.
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Author's Notes:
First off, I want to apologize profusely for the lateness of this chapter. I have always intended to get this story out as quick as I could, but unfortunately some things got in the way. If you remember my computer was having problems . . . well it decided to finally die. I had to go and build a new computer and cannibalize what I could from the old one. So the story was a little delayed as my notes for the chapter were trapped on the computer and couldn't be rescued until the new one was in the process of being built.
Note 1: The concept of a candle for each Shinigami is one of my own. We all know that the Earl oversees the snuffing of candles (i.e. the ending of life), as seen especially in the manga. I know that the Shinigami are dead already, but like I had stated before, they are in a sort of second life. Also I figured that the higher ups would have some sort of control over the Shinigami. I mean think about it, a Shinigami is a tanked up individual. What would happen if they suddenly went insane or something.
Having control over them, such as a candle representing their life, at least I thought was applicable. It doesn't mean that death instantly occurs, but it does mean that said person, Shinigami or otherwise will be dying very soon. What would the point of snuffing candles be otherwise? Obviously, the extinguishing of a candle for a Shinigami is not light matter, as powerful and useful Shinigami are hard to come by. If you don't like the idea of a failsafe over the Shinigami's . . . well tough luck for you. As a writer, I am prone to making things up on the fly, and to me at least, this does have a plausible reason for actually existing in the Yami no Matsuei world.
Note 2: I have Konoe call the people in Meifu civilians, because in essence, from what I can tell, there aren't many within Meifu that actually have power like the Shinigami. Also from what I can tell, Meifu isn't exactly holding all of the dead, just those who have not found want / need to pass on. So like the Shinigami they work to keep the bureaucracy of JuChoOh running smoothly; workers for Enma so to speak. Aside from perhaps Angels, the Shinigami are the only ones that I can infer having any sort of offensive or defensive powers. So in essence, everyone else in Meifu is a civilian, and the Shinigami and the Angels the defenders / soldiers so to speak.
Note 3: I came up with the concept of a 'barrier' or sorts surrounding Meifu. I mean, demons are scary, not doubts about that. So what has there been to stop them from overwhelming Meifu and kicking spiritual butt? The idea of a barrier around Meifu also shows a definite divide between Meifu and ChiJou. An idea I wanted to emphasize. Hikaru's opening of the gate, or breaking the barrier, is the idea that a spiritual being could force their way back into Meifu, even if Enma forbid it, if they have the right tools and abilities.
Blah, blah, blah. My notes are too damn long. I just wanted to explain some stuff, even though I am sure people are more confused about things than just that. Reviews and comments on my story thus far would be most appreciated. Those who have reviewed already, I want to thank you for your input! It really does encourage me and helps me get these chapters out. And well, even if you don't, I will still keep writing, but it is nice to hear from those who are reading. I want to apologize once again for the lateness of this chapter.
Also I just have to thank Matsushita for creating such wonderful characters! Humour, darkness, romance - all the fun stuff rolled into one! Thank you!
This story is loosely based on the manga and the anime, taking components from both, but not necessarily all points. Some liberalization taken by me to suit my plot. Hope I don't offend or confuse.
Original Characters are the property of Lockeheart.
So on with the Show!
Chapter Ten - Dancing At the End of Strings
By Lockeheart
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"No . . ." Tsuzuki sat upon the ground where Hisoka had pushed him, unable to do little more than stare in shock at Hisoka's actions. Muraki raised his hand up to caress Hisoka's compliant cheek and the rage within Tsuzuki exploded. What in Enma's name had happened to Hisoka? The presence of Oriya had fallen into the background as Tsuzuki watched in horror. The sight of Hisoka holding the man who had killed him, the man who had taken away his innocence, brought forth something within Tsuzuki he didn't realize he had. "Hisoka!" Tsuzuki surged to his feet and clenched his fists in frustration. "Please Hisoka! Answer me!"
It was not unusual for Hisoka to be silent, and Tsuzuki had often found himself trying to prod more than a couple words out of his moody partner. But for Hisoka to be this unnaturally calm in the presence of Muraki, hell to even touch Muraki brought intense fear to Tsuzuki. He stood there, desperately pleading for Hisoka to answer him, fearing what he would find.
Hisoka released Muraki and turned to face Tsuzuki and by happenstance, Oriya. The vibrant green eyes that Tsuzuki had found himself falling for held almost nothing of their prior emotion. Tsuzuki lived to see Hisoka glare at him in annoyance, to look at him with longing, to just look at him. Everything that had made Hisoka had always been apparent in the boy's eyes, even if Hisoka would not speak, but the void within the emerald orbs was frightening.
"Do you like what I have done?" Muraki traced his finger down Hisoka's cheek, and Tsuzuki shuddered at the lack of response Hisoka gave to the vile man's touch. "When I had you alone with me back in Kyoto, you were so compliant Tsuzuki; just like the boy now, yes? The haunted, vacant look in your eyes was sinfully delicious." Muraki smiled to Tsuzuki and looked to Hisoka. "Don't you think the boy's eyes look the same now? The same broken look." Tsuzuki fought the urge to shudder as Muraki slipped his arm around Hisoka's waist and held the boy close.
"Muraki . . ." Oriya's voice was quiet in the tension, but it broke the vile spell Muraki was weaving around Tsuzuki with his words. Tsuzuki shook his head as if clearing cobwebs and gave Muraki a death glare. Oriya stepped toward Muraki and Hisoka, his stance tall and proud. "You really have gone too far. Release the boy from your spell!"
"I told you once before Oriya, I can't help but act the way I have been programmed." Muraki gave a small shrug and tightened his possessive grip around Hisoka's waist. "I am just fulfilling my role, that's all." The shadow of a cloud darkened the clearing, bringing a chill to the area. "Besides, I can't return what is no longer there." Muraki looked to Tsuzuki and smiled coldly. "I warned you before not to lose the one important to you. It seems you failed to take my words to heart once again Tsuzuki."
Muraki's cryptic words chilled Tsuzuki to his core and he felt as if he had betrayed Hisoka's trust. He had promised Hisoka . . . hadn't he? Tsuzuki shook his head and closed his eyes. Hisoka had warned him about making promises he couldn't keep . . . and if Tsuzuki couldn't keep this promise . . . Tsuzuki raised his eyes to look to Hisoka. It would not end like this . . . Tsuzuki clenched his fist. He would keep his promise to Hisoka.
"There is always a choice . . ." Oriya's voice was firm, almost quiet, but Tsuzuki found it hard to pay attention to the banter between the two men.
"Oh yes, there is always a choice." Muraki waved his free hand into the air and smiled a charming smile, but to Tsuzuki it was an empty expression. "Some people choose to lie down and die after their life long goals and dreams go up in flames - literally I might add." Tsuzuki ignored the cold humour in Muraki's eyes as the man looked at him. "I chose to reach out and make use of the few puppets I had left. I will reach my desires."
Muraki tilted Hisoka's head lightly with his index finger, and Tsuzuki wanted to break that hand. "A pretty shell, don't you agree? He is much better this way, none of his arrogance or anger." Muraki grazed his lips across Hisoka's cheek, and Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes in anger. "Mind you, I would have never been able to achieve this without the help of a dear soul." Muraki raised his eyes to Oriya's. "I found my key though you my friend."
Tsuzuki heard Oriya's sudden intake of breath, but kept his attention focused on Muraki. Oriya stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What do you mean Muraki?" Oriya's confusion was evident, and Tsuzuki watched as the smile on Muraki's face widened.
"Of course, you would know nothing about what has happened, especially since the Takahashi household has kept things quiet . . . more or less." Muraki waved his hand as if emphasizing a point. "Do you remember the Takahashi residence Oriya? You visited there once, you brought me along." Muraki sighed, and lowered his hand to Hisoka's shoulder. "Such a vibrant woman, you are a good man Oriya, to give your girls such a chance to start a new life."
"I don't understand . . ." Oriya frowned and Tsuzuki just eyed Muraki, torn between wanting to know what was going on, and wanting to kill the man. "How am I even remotely related to the madness you are plotting Muraki?" Oriya shook his head, and stepped another step closer to Muraki. "I am not like one of your puppets whom you can play with at will!"
Muraki sighed and shook his head. "Then you truly do not understand me Oriya." Muraki released Hisoka from his possessive hold, and Tsuzuki eyed the doctor with mistrust. "Time is running short here, and I do so want to have an informed audience."
"Hikaru Takahashi is the daughter of Naomi . . . a girl whom your family once employed Oriya. You took me with you once a long time ago to visit their household, and I knew then that the child was . . . 'special'." Muraki looked to Hisoka, who continued to stand still. "Her power is quite remarkable, and without you Oriya, I would have never known about her, at least not in time to fulfill my desires." The shock on Oriya's face was undeniable, and a small part of Tsuzuki pitied Oriya. "She is the owner of this lovely body now, but I still pull the strings."
"You monster . . ." Oriya's voice was quiet, but Tsuzuki could hear the underlying anger in his voice. "I read about the Takahashi household in the papers . . . all of them dead! Did you kill them Muraki? Is it your bloodstained hands that took their lives?!" Oriya's hands shook, and Tsuzuki took a step forward.
Tsuzuki watched Muraki cautiously as the man stepped out in front of Hisoka. "I did not kill any of them." Muraki smiled and looked to Tsuzuki, who raised his eyes to meet Muraki's own. "Hikaru murdered her parents all on her own, without any intervention from me. In fact, I found her standing amidst the bodies, drenched in their blood, the knife in her hands. I just gave her a way out of a horrible situation, a chance to live."
"Liar." Tsuzuki took a step forward, unable to keep quiet for any more of the demented discussion. "Hikaru is an innocent." He looked to Oriya, who just stood in shock at Muraki's words. Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Why do you need Hikaru?"
Muraki's laughter filled the air, and Tsuzuki resisted the urge to scream at Muraki. Losing his calm now would do nothing to fix the situation. "Being a child does not stop one from committing heinous deeds. Hikaru possesses a power quite unique from most, and with her ability, I will open the gate and obtain my desires. Combined with the boy's empathic abilities, I have a very powerful puppet at my hand." Muraki reached back to gently caress Hisoka's wings, and trailed his hand down to where the wings joined the body. "Besides, Hikaru is not really a child."
"Not a child?" Oriya shook his head in confusion and Tsuzuki looked to the man. "But you just said she was the child of Naomi?"
"Hikaru is born from the woman, but she is not human. Did you not even question the wings upon my doll's back dear Tsuzuki?" Muraki laughed once again and Tsuzuki fought the urge to rush up to the man and smack the smile off of his face. "To explain all this will take all night, and unfortunately," Muraki looked to the watch on his wrist. "I am expecting company any minute now."
"Like hell you are!" Tsuzuki shook his fist in anger and he flicked his gaze to Hisoka's blank face. "What has happened to Hisoka? Release him Muraki!" As much as Hikaru was important, Tsuzuki could not help but place Hisoka's safety first and foremost. "So help me Muraki, if he is hurt . . ." The menace in Tsuzuki's voice was clear, and he clenched his fists in anger.
The humour in Muraki's eyes left as he regarded Tsuzuki. "What makes you think your precious partner is still within this shell?" Muraki trailed his hand up Hisoka's chest, and Tsuzuki shuddered at the sight. "I of all people should know, considering the link I had to his mind." Muraki fingered a couple feathers from Hisoka's wings. "I can find no trace of him there is only my wonderful key now." Muraki frowned a little and grasped Hisoka's chin, jerking the boy's face to face his own. "Unfortunately, because of the mess your boy made to my spell, her control is tenacious at best. This wooden-like response is probably the best we can hope for, isn't it Hikaru?"
Hisoka nodded in agreement to Muraki's question, and Tsuzuki physically started at the motion. The sudden animation from a boy who had stood so silently before was unsettling, and Tsuzuki feared for his partner. Hisoka's eyes looked to Tsuzuki, but somehow, Tsuzuki knew that it was not actually Hisoka behind them. The vacant eyes looked back to Muraki, Hisoka's chin still cupped within Muraki's hand.
Muraki let lose a curt laugh and trailed his fingers up Hisoka's cheek. "My key, my Hikaru . . . you took an awful long time to assert your control." Muraki let the smile leave his face and he grasped Hisoka's chin forcefully. "Was the spell messed up that badly?" Hisoka nodded yes and Tsuzuki smiled ever so slightly. At least Muraki's plan had been disrupted, but that still did not answer the question that Tsuzuki needed to know. Did Hisoka still exist?
"This is unbelievable." Oriya's voice pierced moment, and Tsuzuki looked to the kimono wearing man. "Let's just set aside for the moment just how chilling your actions thus far have been Muraki." Oriya looked to Hikaru in the guise of Hisoka and frowned. "What is the purpose of joining Hikaru to Hisoka? What can you possibly gain from doing all of this?"
Muraki raised his eyes and Tsuzuki saw the raw hunger in the doctor's eyes. "What indeed?" Muraki looked to Hisoka and smiled, then looked to the sky, which had begun to darken as they had talked. "As always, my partners insist on making flashy entrances . . . but I suppose it cannot be helped." Tsuzuki looked to the darkening sky in apprehension because he knew what Muraki spoke of. The demons were coming.
Oriya unsheathed his sword and Muraki just shook his head. "I warned you Oriya, I told you to stay out of this, but you would not listen." The trees within the garden began to sway in the sudden wind, and eddies of petals flew past Tsuzuki in a maddening dance. Muraki raked his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "I told you to let go of me Oriya . . . you are a stubborn fool."
"Maybe I am." Oriya's eyes were bright, and Tsuzuki looked to the man in disbelief. "I don't abandon what is important to me, and I cannot let your continue to walk this dark path Muraki." Oriya narrowed his eyes and fingered the hilt of his sword. "If your actions mean my death, then so be it. I will not back down."
"Then you may die Oriya." Muraki's voice was dead calm, but Tsuzuki noted the look in Muraki's eyes did not mirror his voice. Perhaps Muraki did care for Oriya, but that feeling paled to whatever Muraki was attempting to accomplish. An ear piercing wail filled the air, and Tsuzuki cringed at the unholy noise. He raised his hands defensively and looked to Muraki who stood unconcerned.
Muraki smiled and tilted his head in acknowledgement to Tsuzuki. "Your pathetic partner will finally have a real use to me dear Tsuzuki." Hisoka raised his arms to the darkened sky, and a faint pillar of light encircled his form. Tsuzuki edged towards Oriya, who had suddenly become his unlikely ally. Muraki laughed as he surveyed the area, and looked to Hisoka's lethargic form. "Let us show them what I will be gaining . . . shall we Hikaru?"
In the blink of an eye, a sudden swarm of demonic creatures filled the area, descending from the sky, emerging from the ground, and some just appearing in a haze of smoke. Tsuzuki pulled a fuda from his coat, and looked at the horde of demons with dismay. Numerous horrendous faces leered at him, the malice clear in their expressions. "Get out of here Oriya! This is beyond your ability to handle now!" The swirling pink petals lent a surreal quality to what was happening, and Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes. There were too many demons, but Tsuzuki was not considered one of the best Shinigami without reason.
"I will not leave."
Tsuzuki looked to Oriya as if he had gone insane, and perhaps the man had. "Muraki cares little for you, you heard him! Staying here will only get you killed!" Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka with fear, the swirling orbs of light around his partner's form worrying him. "This is my fight. That is my partner . . . my friend . . . my heart . . . in danger." Hisoka spread his wings out in a dramatic display, and Tsuzuki could see Hisoka's lips moving, as if chanting.
"And Muraki is my friend."
Tsuzuki shook his head in frustration. "The man is little more than a monster in human form! Open your eyes Oriya!" The shouts of damnation and curses coming from the surrounding demons were unnerving, and Tsuzuki was torn between keeping his eyes on the demons, and watching what was happening to Hisoka. The wind was in a furious state now, and combined with the horde of demons surrounding him, Tsuzuki felt trapped. Hisoka's form was small in the whirling vortex of light, his arms raised along with his wings towards the swirling clouds above. Lightening arched blindingly across the sky, and the wind grabbed at Tsuzuki's coat, threatening to pull it away.
Muraki's laughter echoed above the voices of the surrounding demons, and Tsuzuki looked to the demented doctor in frustration. "Take a look Tsuzuki! Watch as my key unlocks the gate! What will your God do when a horde of demons swarms his precious Meifu?" Tsuzuki looked to Hisoka body, which had risen into the air, propelled by his wings. Hisoka's eyes were wide open and his lips continued to move, chanting what Tsuzuki presumed to be a spell.
Tendrils of light looped around Hisoka like snakes, and the dread within Tsuzuki multiplied. It didn't matter, none of it mattered, save for Hisoka. Hisoka turned his head to look at Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki found it hard to not close his eyes at the blank look his partner gave him. It was like the spark that made Hisoka who he was, was gone.
The dark sky opened above them in a dazzling display of light, but Tsuzuki's eyes remained upon Hisoka, who stared back at Tsuzuki with the same vacant look. The calls of the demons surrounding him increased in intensity, and Tsuzuki could hear Oriya's voice answering back defiantly. Tsuzuki knew he should be focusing on the demons surrounding them, or on the portal of light that was opening above them, but he found it hard to do anything else but look to the boy who was his reason to live.
"Hisoka . . ."
********************
Death was not what Hisoka thought it would be. He blinked his eyes once again and sat up. The bed beneath him was immensely soft, and the furnishings surrounding him resembled a faint memory. He remembered the bright light, a sharp intense pain, and Hikaru . . . Hisoka raised his hand to his forehead as he recalled his last moments with Hikaru.
The sudden entrance of a kimono clad woman startled Hisoka, and he looked at the woman as if he had seen a ghost. She hummed a familiar song, and from Hisoka's position on the bed, she looked like someone Hisoka only remembered in his dreams. The woman was fussing with something across the room, and then she turned around and Hisoka's stopped breathing. It was his mother.
"Good morning my son . . . you slept in today." Hisoka's mother smiled and reached out to lovingly touch Hisoka's cheek. "If you don't get out of bed, the day is going to pass you by!" Hisoka looked to the woman, who claimed to be his mother in absolute shock.
"Mother . . ." Hisoka looked to the woman with wide eyes. It was impossible . . . She had NEVER spoken a kind word to him . . . not since his empathy had manifested. "Is it really you?"
Hisoka's mother frowned momentarily and then laughed. Her laughter was like tiny bells, and Hisoka's eyes just widened even further. "Or course it is me? Who else would I be?" She reached out to touch Hisoka's forehead, as if checking a fever. Hisoka looked at the wide smile across her face, and shook his head in disbelief.
"You're touching me . . ." Hisoka's voice was quiet, and he looked into the woman's eyes. "You never touched me . . . not after . . ." The woman frowned, and sat upon the edge of the bed. Hisoka looked to the woman who was his mother with uncertainty. "Who are you?"
The woman frowned and tapped her chin in thought. "Oh dear . . . my Hisoka . . . are you alright?"
Hisoka lowered his head, his eyes hidden by the fringe of his bangs. The woman reached out to touch Hisoka's arm, and Hisoka pulled his arm away from her touch with sudden abruptness. "What's wrong my son?"
"Stop it . . ." Hisoka's voice was quiet, and he continued to stare at the blanket atop his form. "Please . . . stop pretending."
"Stop what?" Hisoka's mother stood up and raised her hand to her lips. "What do you mean my Hisoka? You are scaring me . . ."
Hisoka clenched his fists in an effort to stop the trembling that had begun as he struggled to contain his emotions. "Stop that . . . you never called me 'my Hisoka' . . . I was always the monster! You said I was not your child!" Hisoka raised his eyes to the woman's own. "What are you?"
"I don't understand . . . Hisoka?" Hisoka shook his head in frustration and gripped the blanket atop of him tightly. The room, the bed, everything was a memory . . . a memory of the past, and perhaps a longing of his heart. The woman reached out to him, and he shied away from her touch as if burned. "Hisoka?"
"You are not my mother . . ."
"What? I . . ."
Hisoka scrambled out of the bed and stood with his back against the wall. It was a farce, an illusion . . . there was no way his real mother would ever show such kindness to him. "YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER!!!"
The room shattered like glass into a million pieces, and Hisoka found himself falling into darkness. Away from his bedroom, and the woman who claimed to be his mother. Hisoka trailed his hands upward, trying to desperately grab at the shards of what was a distant memory. "Mother . . ." Hisoka closed his eyes as the darkness claimed him.
********************
The scent of cherry petals assaulted Hisoka's senses, and he opened his eyes to a scene familiar to his nightmares. He looked down to his body, and found himself dressed in that same kimono. He looked around, and the all too familiar wind swept grasses and the night sky filled his vision.
A sense of urgency filled Hisoka, and he turned around to look upon a disturbing scene. Muraki stood with his back toward him, the handle of a sharp blade held in his hand as he plunged the metal downwards again and again. The woman hung lifeless in Muraki's arms, and Hisoka looked upon the scene of his nightmares with physical shock.
The woman made no sound as she was ruthlessly stabbed again and again, and the look upon Muraki's face as he committed his crime was frightening. A hunger, and a joy filled the air, and Hisoka found himself cringing at the flood of ugly emotions. Just like history repeating, Muraki turned around and looked to Hisoka, as if sensing another presence. Hisoka looked into the man's eyes and saw the lust in the doctor's eyes.
As if time stopped, Muraki was suddenly upon Hisoka, and he felt the doctor's cool hands encircling his wrists. Hisoka leaned away from Muraki, but found himself unable to free himself from the man's grip, just as he had been unable to escape as before.
"Witnesses have to disappear . . . That is the rule . . ."
Muraki's voice was calm and quiet in the chill night air, but Hisoka could sense the desire coming from Muraki as the man looked Hisoka's body over. Hisoka looked up into Muraki's cold eyes and narrowed his own in anger. It was what he had been unable to do that night so long ago. Hisoka pulled hard against Muraki's grip, and with a sudden show of power, he blasted Muraki with a violent blast of psychic energies . . . toppling the cruel doctor over in a howl of fury and pain.
Hisoka ran away from Muraki, and that damned cherry tree, but found a grim joy in the pain he had caused Muraki. The vivid scene shattered into a million pieces as before, and Hisoka found himself falling once again. But this time, he did not long for that memory to stay.
********************
"Heeh . . . you don't like those memories?"
Hisoka raised his head from the ground to gaze into ruby red eyes set into a shadowy form. He pulled himself to his feet in a swift motion, and backed away from Chymos. The demon looked at Hisoka's haste and just laughed. Hisoka narrowed his eyes and looked about his new surroundings. There were no memories, no nightmares . . . just darkness and Chymos. Perhaps it was as just a bad combination.
"What do you want Chymos?" Hisoka looked about in confusion. His wings were gone, as was Hikaru. The last moments he had with Hikaru came back to him and Hisoka shook his head in frustration. "She used me . . . Hikaru."
"I warned you, didn't I?" Chymos smiled a fanged smile and flapped his shadowy wings. "I may be a demon, but at least you can deduce what to expect from me, but her . . . A fallen angel like her follows no stereotypes. She had you fooled quite well little Shinigami."
"Fallen angel . . ." Hisoka raised his hands up to his temples and closed his eyes momentarily. "And what makes you anymore trustworthy? You are a demon."
Chymos shrugged, and smirked at Hisoka. "Believe me or not, it is your choice. But right now I am all you got." Chymos laughed, and to Hisoka it sounded like nails down a chalkboard. "Oh this is rich indeed!" Hisoka glared at the demon and the demon had enough sense to at least stop laughing.
"Where is Hikaru?"
"Why do you care Shinigami? She has used you through and through! That little bitch has taken control of your body, and she has left me to rot in here with you, even though she has the power to separate me from this boring prison." Chymos sneered at Hisoka, and Hisoka found Chymos' words hard to swallow. "A little weak for a villain though, she should have eliminated you, but instead she imprisoned you here, trapped among your memories." Chymos spat upon the invisible ground and growled in anger. "She sure used her current incarnation to her full advantage though; I didn't think the woman had it in her to play the role of a scared little girl. But it sure fooled you, stupid Shinigami."
"That can't be . . ." Hisoka frowned and looked to Chymos with questions in his eyes. "She was sorry . . . I heard her, I know I did." Hisoka shook his head and clenched his fists. "Does this mean that she was working in tandem with Muraki all this time?"
"Bingo."
Hisoka took a deep breath and looked to Chymos. "So why are you here demon? Just wanting to gloat?" Hisoka took a couple of steps toward Chymos, his frustration at the situation getting the better of his judgment. "I would have thought you would want to watch the devastation she and Muraki have planned . . . that is what you told me you would do before."
Chymos shrugged once again, and raised his blood red eyes to Hisoka's once again. "Well I was going to, but when I realized she left you alive, if you call this alive, I just had to come for another taste." Chymos smiled a cold smile and Hisoka backed up a couple steps. "Your soul is still sweet Shinigami . . . and seeing as your soul will slowly burn up anyways I figured I could speed up the process and get myself a meal and a ticket out of here."
"What do you mean?" Hisoka raised his hands defensively in front of him and eyed Chymos warily. "I am not defenseless here demon."
Chymos shook his head in laughter and Hisoka found himself frowning at the demon. "You are a riot Shinigami! Don't you realize what Hikaru is doing with your body? She has always been trapped on earth, away from Meifu and unable to get revenge upon Enma for what He had done to her. Muraki was aware of her existence and he is obviously quite aware of you." Chymos raised his eyebrows suggestively and Hisoka shuddered. "With Muraki's knowledge, our magics, and her abilities, a plan was formed."
"Right now that bitch is using your body to break the barrier that seals Meifu away from ChiJou and from the demons. Without the barrier, all those defenceless souls in Meifu will be ripe for our taking." Chymos' laughed as Hisoka's eyes widened in disbelief. "Your empathy was the key though. In her altered form, Hikaru did not have the focus to be able to wield her bound powers effectively. Hikaru gets to exact her revenge upon your precious Enma, us demons get a huge feast and potentially control over the entire realm of the dead."
Hisoka clenched his fists in an attempt to stop himself from shaking in anger. "And what does Muraki get from all of this?" Hisoka was reeling from what Chymos had said, and if he could take the demon's words as truth . . . He just couldn't believe that Hikaru, the delicate girl that Hisoka had promised to protect, was evil. The picture it painted was a horrible one indeed. "That man has never done something for nothing; he has always had a motive."
"Of course. That arrogant human made a deal with us. You Shinigami apparently torched all of his life works, along with his . . . brother? In exchange for his abilities and knowledge, we healed him from near death, and he would gain us a key into Meifu." Chymos smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Upon entering Meifu, not only does he gain a revenge of sorts upon you and your partner, but he will be able to bring his brother back to life. So he can kill him."
"WHAT?" Hisoka shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you . . . I won't! It is insane!" Hisoka waved his fist in front of him in a wide arc. "How can I believe what a demon says? Why are you telling me all this anyways?"
Chymos raked his gaze up and down Hisoka's body, making Hisoka curl in slightly upon himself to protect himself from Chymos' lecherous gaze. "Why?" Chymos raised his eyes back up to Hisoka's own. "I'm bored Shinigami. Seeing your reaction amuses me." He trailed his eyes back down Hisoka's body. "There is also the prospect of a little fun. My brethren are out there, having all of the fun, while I am stuck here with you. I can see why Muraki toys with you. For a human body your form is quite . . . delicious."
Hisoka recoiled in disgust at Chymos' words, and he raised his hands in front of him protectively once again. "Come near me demon, and you will be sorry."
Chymos leered at Hisoka, and extended his wings. "I doubt so. I do like playing with my prey."
********************
The Hall of Candles was a strange place, filled with the light of the living, and the burned down remains of those who had died. A candle for every life, a flame for every soul, the caretaker of them a single man. Known as an executioner, a deliverer and perhaps a little unbalanced, the Earl lived and worked among the candles, his form unseen and hidden. It was both a good and bad job, as one does not mourn the loss of life so much, if all they see is a candle going out; a very different perspective than those such as the Shinigami, those who see the actual remains of those dead or dying. Along the same thread, it could be argued that he had less appreciation of life because of his job.
Hakushaku contemplated the candle before him, and watched the tiny flame flicker slightly as he approached. Death was just a part of the cycle, without death there could not be any life. It was one thing to put out the light of a soul; it was another thing to assure that that soul would come to Meifu.
Often the dead do not realize they are dead. The Earl lifted his gloved hands to gently cup the top of the candle, the flame flickering within the tiny confines of his hands. He watched as it struggled for oxygen, for the right to live. Perhaps Hakushaku had been within the Castle walls for too long, as a candle could not gain human characteristics, even if they represented human life. Hakushaku sighed and released the flame from his gentle embrace, and watched, as the flame grew brighter.
"You know you must."
The Earl raised his head as the voice spoke, but refrained from turning around to face the owner of the voice. "I know Enma." The silver mask tilted slightly as if looking to the ground. "I have seen to the ending of mortal life for millennia, and I have often wondered if the soul knows, even if the mortal life does not." Hakushaku stood and listened as the soft swish of cloth against cloth came closer to him. "Must it really come to this?"
"There are few options left to us."
Hakushaku frowned and shook his head, knowing that few beside himself could actually read his facial expressions. "You knew that it would come to this . . . didn't you Enma? That is why you let things go as they have for so long." He looked to the tiny flame before him once again. "This is a dangerous game you are playing."
"Perhaps." The Earl listened as Enma moved behind him, and Hakushaku could have sworn he heard a soft sigh. "As much as I love my children, I have a responsibility to preserve the status quo." The Earl lowered his head as he listened to Enma's words. "It isn't a position I relish, but it is the demand set upon my station. The High Council has seized Trinity from me and they have managed to fool my angels to believe that their command is actually MY command. I can play games just as well as they can."
"Are they in place then?"
The soft swish of Enma's robes signaled his approach. "The pieces are in place, but at what cost? Not all of my children will make it Hakushaku . . . and I fear for both those who survive and those who fall. The High Council has really made a mess of things . . . and it is up to me to stop it." The Earl turned his head slightly, but kept his eyes away from Enma. Enma's hand reached out to gently touch the side of the candle. "Was the High Council so prideful that they forgot who gave them such power in the first place? Just as I gave it to them, I can also take it away."
"You are treading deep waters Enma . . . they think you are a fool." The Earl continued to stare at the candle and fought the urge to turn around. It was unthinkable to even consider looking upon Enma's figure. "To most of the High Council, you have become little more than a figure head, a being with little power. Tied up in red tape, they forget who actually runs things."
A soft sigh sounded from behind him, and the Earl shook his head. "I have been here a long time, haven't I Enma? I have seen many souls depart for the next world and the final decision has always rested in your hands." Hakushaku wrung his gloved hands together. "I know you formed the High Council to deal with the growing number of souls, but I think that you have forgotten that all of them were once human, they have flaws."
"You were once as well Hakushaku . . . or do you forget?"
"Aye . . ." The Earl clenched his fists and dropped them to his sides. Hakushaku pondered Enma's words as he watched the candle's flame dance. "What will happen to those who have betrayed you?"
"They will be judged."
"The same as you judged 'her'?"
The silence that filled the room was stifling, and for a moment, the Earl feared that he had overstepped the boundaries between him and his Lord. "There are some things that I regret doing, but as Lord, I cannot let such betrayal go by unpunished. To allow the demons into this sacred place, bypassing the barrier I have in place to protect us against demonic threats, it is inconceivable. The demons may be more powerful, but at what cost is that power? Did they think nothing of the consequences of their actions in their quest for power?"
"Their crime is no less that what Hikaru's was." Enma's voice was devoid of emotion, even though the Earl knew that the neutrality was a lie. "I cannot allow her to come here Hakushaku . . . I cannot. It was wrong to seal her away so long ago, but I cannot fix the past. Hikaru . . . had she just done as she was told . . ."
Silence filled the room once again, and Hakushaku looked to the floor uncomfortably. Enma spoke up once again, and the emotion in His normally calm voice was heartbreaking. "She nearly destroyed everything! Not just this world, but the next, and also that of the living. It was not an accident; Hikaru knew exactly what she was doing. I couldn't let such insolence go unpunished. And those idiots I deemed the High Council are trying to repeat her mistakes." Hakushaku stared at the flickering flame as Enma spoke. "Just as I cannot let it go by now."
Hakushaku sighed and shook his head, the flame from the candle glinting off of his silver mask. "I'm not sure if she is wholly herself anymore. It has been a very long time. Living from person to person; existing, but not existing . . . Was such a punishment really necessary my Lord?" Hakushaku looked to the vaulted ceiling of the room; the arches alit with the light of numerous candles. "Her coming back . . . opening the gate . . . you knew this would happen, didn't you?"
"They say that God works in mysterious ways."
Hakushaku laughed at the cryptic remark, and then stifled the noise. "I still think that this is a very dangerous game you are playing. Had you spoken to the Shokan division plainly, I am sure that they would have gone along with you willingly. As it is, they seriously doubt your actions."
Enma sighed behind him, and Hakushaku eyed the flickering flame of the candle solemnly. "If I would have told them, do you think they would have gone along willingly? The High Council would have also looked at such action suspiciously, and I need this to succeed at all costs." The Earl cocked his head as footfalls paced behind him as Enma began to pace. "Konoe is a strong man, as is his staff. As Shinigami they deal with difficult problems all the time, I can trust in them to be able to pull this one off as well. The seal on information has been broken and the GuShoShin twins will relay the truth to them. I only hope that in the end they will forgive me for my deception."
"If Tsuzuki and Hisoka do not survive this deadly game you have thrown them into, I am not sure if they will." Hakushaku shook his head in frustration. "You demand too much from those two."
"They have power beyond measure when they are together." Enma was close and Hakushaku could feel the figure's presence, like a vibrating hum. "Within Tsuzuki lays phenomenal power that he fears, and the High Council fears it and him. Hisoka is the key to unlocking that power, but also to controlling it. You saw the report from their first case together. Such an ability to combine power is rare." The Earl could hear the smile on Enma's face through his words. "I will need such power, if I am to clean up this mess that has been made."
Enma must have stepped forward, because suddenly Hakushaku could feel the presence of his Lord directly behind him. "'People change by encounters' . . . I believe you said that Konoe had said this to you about Tsuzuki and Hisoka." Enma sighed and the Earl sighed as well. "I know I am asking a lot of them, but it is because I believe in the two of them. I want my people to be happy as well . . . and I believe that Tsuzuki and Hisoka are good for one another. Together they will pull one another through this mess."
"I always believed that there was another reason for you to keep Tsuzuki as a Shinigami for so long." The Earl smiled, and tilted his head slightly. You had better hope that Tsuzuki and Hisoka are strong enough to survive all of this. Or you may be losing more than your High Council."
"I have thought about this for quite some time, and I believe my actions are correct." Enma's robes swished softly in the silence of the room. "In one swift stroke, I will weed out the betrayers within my High Council. I will gain back my lost Hikaru . . . and allow her to undergo the judgment she should have gone through before. I will teach the demons not to underestimate my power and their arrogance will be their undoing." The anger in Enma's voice was cold. "As for Muraki, I will finally show him just how his path has led him away from his true desire . . . and he will be judged."
"But to resort to this . . . Hisoka's soul is already wounded quite badly, and I fear he will not survive this. There must be another way to separate Hikaru's soul from Hisoka's own . . . one that does not jeopardize both Tsuzuki and Hisoka's well being." Hakushaku shook his head and sighed. "The gate has already been opened; doing this will not undo that." The Earl looked down to his gloves and clenched them into fists as he spoke. "You will be taking more than her soul Enma, and I fear that the boy's death will drag Tsuzuki's soul in tow."
Hakushaku jumped slightly as a hand rested itself upon his invisible shoulder. "The actual death need only be long enough to separate the souls, and that of the demon. I trust in your skill Hakushaku, that you will be able to bring his flame back." The hand upon the Earl's shoulder tightened ever so slightly, and Hakushaku closed his eyes. "You forget that I need this to happen, for Tsuzuki to embrace his untapped powers."
"I hope you know what you are doing my Lord."
"I do." Enma's voice was calm, and His hand upon the Earl's shoulder was solid. "Carry out my command."
The Earl took a deep breath and raised his hands to the candle once more. "Forgive me." He spoke to the candle, as if the soul it represented could hear his words. The tiny flame flickered defiantly within the confines of his hands, and Hakushaku narrowed the gap between his two hands.
The tiny flame struggled to survive, and the Earl closed his eyes as he closed his hands around the spark of life. "You have struggled through so much . . . be strong enough to survive this as well Hisoka; for your sake as well as Tsuzuki's."
The flame extinguished.
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The screeches of the demons increased as the light intensified. Tsuzuki tore his gaze from Hisoka long enough to see a portal open above them. Oriya bumped into him slightly, and Tsuzuki steadied Oriya's stance. Muraki's form came into view, his body aflame in the same evil red aura from before. The maniacal glint in the doctor's eyes was disturbingly familiar, and Tsuzuki clenched the fuda in his hand even tighter. "Stop this Muraki!!"
The doctor looked down to Tsuzuki and laughed. "Why should I? The gate is opening, the time has come, and I will attain my desires." Tsuzuki's body lurched as gravity itself seemed to disappear. He scrambled desperately to find purchase, but the only thing nearby was the arm of Oriya, who was also struggling in the sudden weightlessness. The demons surrounding them also began to float, and those who could fly began to ascend even faster to the shining portal above them. Muraki hovered above the two of them, his aura holding him in place. "Isn't this wonderful Tsuzuki? The end of the world as we know it is happening now! You are a part of history in the making!"
Tsuzuki looked to the multitude of fangs, claws and inhuman forms that swirled about them, reaching out to Tsuzuki like a cat playfully swiping at its prey. They were all being drawn forward, toward the glowing portal and the world of Meifu beyond. Muraki's form along with Hisoka's was the only stationary beings within the strange vortex Tsuzuki found himself in.
"Tsuzuki . . ." Oriya's voice was strained, and Tsuzuki saw the man was struggling with some of the demons who had decided that the mortal was easy prey. With the barrier between Meifu and them gone, did they not have enough helpless souls waiting for them on the other side? Tsuzuki outstretched his hand and was about to unleash the spell held within the fuda when a bolt of ruby energy arced downwards and separated the demons from Oriya. It gave Oriya a chance to get to Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki looked up to where the bolt had come from.
"I warned you Oriya." Muraki's eyes were hard as he stared down to Oriya, and Tsuzuki shook his head in confusion. The man was alternately threatening Oriya and then showing acts of kindness. "Get away from here now!" The portal crackled with energy and Tsuzuki looked to the crack in the barrier surrounding Meifu with concern. Hisoka remained hovering, his wings outstretched, arms raised to the sky and the portal.
Oriya pulled his sword defensively in front of him, despite the lack of gravity and glared up to Muraki defiantly. "And I told you I don't give up on someone that is important to me!" Oriya shook his head and pointed his sword to Muraki. "I will not leave!" The blinding light shone down upon the multitude of figures beneath it.
Muraki was about to reply when Hisoka's voice suddenly screamed, it's piercing tone echoing above the screeches and cries of the demons rising toward the portal. Tsuzuki looked to his partner in fear, and watched as Hisoka curled in upon himself, his wings enveloping him. "Hisoka!" Tsuzuki surged forward, propelling himself by pushing off of Oriya. The scream, whether it was from Hikaru or not, was still Hisoka's, it was Hisoka's body . . . and the sound sent waves of fear through Tsuzuki.
"NO!" Muraki's voice was shrill but Tsuzuki ignored the man's outcries. Hisoka was shuddering, a thin keening wail emanating from his curled form. Tsuzuki reached forward desperately, needing to feel Hisoka's form under his fingers, needing to find Hisoka behind the vacant eyes that were Hikaru's.
The wind whipped around, pulling everyone beneath the portal forward, save for Hisoka, and Tsuzuki reached out to pull Hisoka's form against him as he flew by. Hisoka's body was cool to the touch, and the cries did not cease even when Tsuzuki held his partner's form close to him. "Hisoka . . . Hisoka!" Tsuzuki leaned his head in close to Hisoka's, wanting and needing Hisoka to look up at him. With Hisoka embraced in his arms, Tsuzuki found himself and his partner being drawn upwards toward the portal. It was a terrible thing, the portal being opened, but it also meant that Tsuzuki and Hisoka could get back home, get back to Tatsumi and the others. He could find help for Hisoka.
The demons lashed out in hatred at Tsuzuki and Hisoka, and Tsuzuki endured the pain, keeping Hisoka's body away from the demons grasp. A bolt of energy slammed into his back and Tsuzuki bit down hard on his sleeve to not scream out in pain. He turned around slowly to find Muraki bearing 'down' on him, Muraki's arms outstretched with another deadly ball of energy in hand. Muraki's eyes were wide, and a snarl was upon his normally handsome face. Tsuzuki raised his fuda and held it between him and Muraki in defense.
It was a swift metallic blade that stopped things from evolving further, and Tsuzuki looked down in horror to Oriya who hovered beneath Muraki, his sword having cut a deep slash down Muraki's chest. Muraki's eyes were wide, and Tsuzuki watched as the doctor looked down to Oriya in shock. Oriya's face was grim, and Tsuzuki could see the conflicting emotions in Oriya's eyes. "I warned you Muraki! I cannot let you continue this path!" Oriya raised his sword once again, ready to receive the retaliation that was sure to come from Muraki.
Tsuzuki wished to hear what was said between Oriya and Muraki, but it was at that moment that he entered the portal, his back bleeding heavily with Hisoka in his arms. The battle cries of the demons deafened, and Tsuzuki raised his free hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light of the rift. It was not how Tsuzuki had wished to come home, but it would have to do. A war had come to Meifu, and Tsuzuki feared how it would end.
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"GuShoShin! You're alright!"
Wakaba's delight was apparent in her voice, and Tatsumi smiled slightly behind his clasped hands in front of him. He had known that the others were worried about their fellow co-workers trapped in ChiJou, even if some of them were less forthcoming about their feelings than others. Tatsumi looked to Terazuma who glanced over to him, and then pointedly looked away. Despite their differences, the people of Shokan division were really a close group, and it was that bond that Tatsumi was depending upon, especially in the storm to come.
The librarian struggled half heartedly in the girl's hug, and Tatsumi knew that GuShoShin did not mind the affections of the energetic girl. Watari sat down beside Tatsumi, and looked to him fretfully. Tatsumi sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Dark times were upon them, and they would soon be put to the test.
"I do hope the two of you have a very good explanation for all of this." Konoe's voice was dead calm, and he glared at Tatsumi and Watari in turn. "Undoubtedly Trinity has reported your arrogance to the High Council by now. I would like to at least know why I will be kissing my ass goodbye when they come back in force."
"That's a rather colourful description chief." Watari shook his head and frowned. "But I think once you understand what is going on, I am sure you will agree with the actions Tatsumi and I took."
"I was wondering why the two of you were acting all secretive." Terazuma frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "You have really stirred up a hornet's nest Mr. Secretary. I hope you are sure of your findings, or else you are going to have to answer to me as well as Trinity." He smirked and raised an eyebrow to Watari. "I knew the explosions coming from your lab were too regular in interval."
Watari grinned and looked to Tatsumi. "I told you the explosions wouldn't cover up what we were up to."
"No. It was the regular timings of the explosions that gave it away, not the explosions themselves. There isn't really anything orderly when it comes to you Watari." Wakaba laughed and flipped her hair back behind her shoulder. "But Terazuma is right . . . what are we going to do? If High Council bears its force against us . . ."
"That's a little unfair." Watari pouted. He straightened in his chair and smiled a beaming smile. "Those winged dolts will have to do much more before they will get in here to take GuShoShin away."
"Ahem." Konoe cleared his throat and looked to each one of his employees in turn. "If you please, we have a growing crisis on our hands remember?"
Tatsumi cleared his throat and motioned to GuShoShin who had finally extracted himself from Wakaba's embrace, and was now setting up his laptop. "Everything about all of this has been fishy from the start. It wasn't anything I could come up with evidence to prove, just something I knew." Tatsumi gestured to GuShoShin and an image of the girl Hikaru appeared on the wall. "This is Hikaru, the girl whose soul Tsuzuki and Hisoka were ordered to find. What wasn't known until just recently though, is that Hikaru is not what she seems."
"What do you mean?" Konoe eyed Tatsumi with a raised eyebrow.
"Watari, GuShoShin and I came across some discrepancies in the case. Along with Enma's bizarre orders and then the lockdown, I knew that we had to get to the bottom of things and fast." Tatsumi raked his fingers though his hair and looked to GuShoShin. "We have been kept in the dark about many things."
"Enma has set us up." GuShoShin tapped a couple keys upon the laptop and another image appeared beside Hikaru's image. It was of an angel, a woman with glorious white wings, raven black hair, and green eyes. Tatsumi waited a moment for everyone to see the resemblance between the girl and the woman. "Hikaru Takahashi, the girl who was presumably murdered, is actually just the latest incarnation of Hikaru the angel. One of Enma's first angels, Hikaru the angel sought to destroy the boundaries between the living and the dead, between the souls and the soulless; or the demons."
Tatsumi shook his head and looked to his fellow co-workers. "Why she tried such a thing is not in records, apparently that is still being sealed. Such an act should have warranted immediate annihilation of the soul, but Enma chose a different punishment. She was cast to ChiJou, forced to exist along side the souls of those she incarnated with. Like a person trapped within a room, looking through a window to reality."
"Enma's punishment was exceptionally cruel if you think about it." Watari looked up to Tatsumi and frowned. "I still can't believe it, even though I found this information along with GuShoShin." Watari leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "To exist, but not exist, to live, but not to live; Hikaru's crime was great, but perhaps Enma's punishment was even worse."
"How come we have never heard of it?" Terazuma frowned and raised his legs to prop up on the table before him. "If this angel, this Hikaru did something so terrible, why was her existence and what she did hidden? And what of Hikaru the human girl? Who, what and why was she killed?"
"It seems that there is a sort of war occurring in the upper ranks, and we are the unfortunate souls who get to deal with the clean up." Watari looked to Terazuma and frowned. "But it cannot be a coincidence that Enma personally assigned Tsuzuki and Hisoka to a case that involved a fallen angel." He slammed his fist upon the desk, startling those present. "Damn it! And what of the man hunt against Tsuzuki? Is this somehow connected to all of this?"
Tatsumi pushed his glasses back up his nose and frowned. That was the one thing that did not make sense. Even Konoe had hinted at something darker within Tsuzuki, and during the short while that Tatsumi had been partnered with Tsuzuki, he too had sensed something different. Tsuzuki had remained with the division for years, and the High Council had done nothing to hinder Tsuzuki. Why was he suddenly a target?
"We're under attack!!" A man's voice rang through the corridors of the Shokan division and Tatsumi looked up in shock from his fellow Shinigami. Not everyone in the division was a shinigami, some worked within the building as messengers or researchers, and upon hearing that cry Tatusumi feared the worst. The man rushed into the conference room, he was short of breath and was very pale.
"Have Trinity come back in force?" Konoe rose swiftly from his chair, overturning it in his haste. "Those damned idiots! Don't they know when to back down?"
Terazuma leapt from his chair with grace and cracked his knuckles. "Good! All this talk is boring. If they want to rumble let them. I will show them the wrath of a Shinigami!"
"No . . . it . . . it isn't Trinity." The man gulped in a breath of air and looked to Konoe and Tatsumi in turn. "It's . . . demons! The barrier around . . . Meifu has . . . been breached! Hordes of demons . . . are swarming Meifu!"
"Oh my God . . ." Wakaba held her hand to her mouth in shock and Tatsumi privately agreed with her. As if to confirm the man's words, the Division building shuddered as if struck by a heavy blow.
"Where are the civilians?" Konoe was already moving, and the group of Shinigami rose to follow him. "Our first priority is to protect those within Meifu from the demons. We are the first line of defense here; the Angels will be slow in getting down here." Konoe turned around to look at everyone. "I don't have to remind you what the multitude of souls residing here in Meifu is to the demons."
"A buffet table!" Watari's voice was loud, and everyone glared at him with disbelief. He wiped his hands upon his lab coat and shook his head. "What? You know it is true! Demons devour souls, and Meifu is full of defenseless souls just waiting to be taken."
Terazuma shook his head and punched his fist into his open hand. "If we weren't in a hurry right now, I would have to smack you for that one Watari." He looked to the chief who nodded grimly back. "I take it we are going on the offensive?"
"No." Tatsumi pushed forward, leading the lot of them back to the general workspace. "First is defense. We need to protect those within Meifu. When everyone has reached the designated safety zones, then we go on the offensive."
"Who knew that our evacuation drills were going to come into use?" Wakaba wrung her hands nervously and rushed ahead, pulling Terazuma with her. "I am going to sound the alarm!"
Tatsumi watched the two of them leave and clenched his fists. Watari leaned over as they ran forward, his hair coming free of his hair tie. "I don't think we have to worry about Trinity at the moment, but just to be sure, GuShoShin should hide with his twin somewhere safe." Tatsumi nodded in agreement to Watari, and watched as the scientist turned to talk to GuShoShin.
Konoe entered his office and came back out a moment later with stacks of fudas in his hands and overflowing from a side satchel. "I hope I don't need to use all of these." He looked to Tatsumi who nodded grimly back. "This day is going from bad to worse really fast."
Tatsumi was about to reply when the doors to the work area exploded inward in a sudden show of force. Both Tatsumi and Konoe raised their respective powers in defense, but quickly lowered them as they recognized what had plowed through the doors. Tsuzuki stood in the doorway, blood pooling at his feet from a wound Tatsumi could not see. It was what was cradled in Tsuzuki's arms that froze Tatsumi to the core. Hisoka hung limp in Tsuzuki's arms, pale white wings trailing down to the floor. The boy was crying aloud, and Tatsumi could hear Watari's shout of dismay from behind him.
"Please . . . you have to help him!" Tsuzuki was on the point of babbling, but Tatsumi could not blame him. Tatsumi rushed forward along with Konoe and Watari. Hisoka had no apparent wounds that Tatsumi could see, unlike Tsuzuki, but the cries of pain coming from Hisoka's throat was unmistakable. The emotions in Tsuzuki's eyes were equally disturbing, and Tatsumi feared the worst.
Watari tried to pry Hisoka out of Tsuzuki's arms, but the man would not let go. Tatsumi nodded once to Watari and gently prodded Tsuzuki in the back urging the man to follow Watari; careful to avoid the bleeding wounds. Things were happening too fast and Tatsumi looked to Watari. "We have our jobs to do. You stick with Tsuzuki and Hisoka Watari. Help them!" Tatsumi looked to Konoe who was torn between wanting to speak with Tsuzuki and the obvious demand on them to head outside to combat the threat to Meifu. "Come on Chief! We have to get out there now!"
"Wait! Who will protect them?" Konoe gestured to the retreating forms of Tsuzuki, Hisoka and Watari.
"Don't worry about them. They will be fine." Tatsumi pulled his glasses off his face and wiped them distractedly. "They are Shinigami, those in Meifu are not. The demons will go after easy prey first." Tatsumi grimaced and pushed his glasses back into his face. He raised his fist and the nearby shadows danced in anticipation. "Come on Chief. We have to deal with one crisis at a time."
Tatsumi stepped with purpose with Konoe at his side. There was no need to teleport, as the demons were undoubtedly right at their doorstep. Tsuzuki and Hisoka's sudden appearance along with the demons worried Tatsumi immensely. It was equally likely that Muraki was also within the realm of the dead. Tatsumi was torn between wanting to be with Tsuzuki, worrying for Hisoka, his responsibilities as a Shinigami and the Secretary of Shokan division, and his intense desire to hunt Muraki down and crush the doctor in a veil of shadow - slowly.
With any luck, Tatsumi would have the chance to fulfill all his desires.
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Author's Notes:
First off, I want to apologize profusely for the lateness of this chapter. I have always intended to get this story out as quick as I could, but unfortunately some things got in the way. If you remember my computer was having problems . . . well it decided to finally die. I had to go and build a new computer and cannibalize what I could from the old one. So the story was a little delayed as my notes for the chapter were trapped on the computer and couldn't be rescued until the new one was in the process of being built.
Note 1: The concept of a candle for each Shinigami is one of my own. We all know that the Earl oversees the snuffing of candles (i.e. the ending of life), as seen especially in the manga. I know that the Shinigami are dead already, but like I had stated before, they are in a sort of second life. Also I figured that the higher ups would have some sort of control over the Shinigami. I mean think about it, a Shinigami is a tanked up individual. What would happen if they suddenly went insane or something.
Having control over them, such as a candle representing their life, at least I thought was applicable. It doesn't mean that death instantly occurs, but it does mean that said person, Shinigami or otherwise will be dying very soon. What would the point of snuffing candles be otherwise? Obviously, the extinguishing of a candle for a Shinigami is not light matter, as powerful and useful Shinigami are hard to come by. If you don't like the idea of a failsafe over the Shinigami's . . . well tough luck for you. As a writer, I am prone to making things up on the fly, and to me at least, this does have a plausible reason for actually existing in the Yami no Matsuei world.
Note 2: I have Konoe call the people in Meifu civilians, because in essence, from what I can tell, there aren't many within Meifu that actually have power like the Shinigami. Also from what I can tell, Meifu isn't exactly holding all of the dead, just those who have not found want / need to pass on. So like the Shinigami they work to keep the bureaucracy of JuChoOh running smoothly; workers for Enma so to speak. Aside from perhaps Angels, the Shinigami are the only ones that I can infer having any sort of offensive or defensive powers. So in essence, everyone else in Meifu is a civilian, and the Shinigami and the Angels the defenders / soldiers so to speak.
Note 3: I came up with the concept of a 'barrier' or sorts surrounding Meifu. I mean, demons are scary, not doubts about that. So what has there been to stop them from overwhelming Meifu and kicking spiritual butt? The idea of a barrier around Meifu also shows a definite divide between Meifu and ChiJou. An idea I wanted to emphasize. Hikaru's opening of the gate, or breaking the barrier, is the idea that a spiritual being could force their way back into Meifu, even if Enma forbid it, if they have the right tools and abilities.
Blah, blah, blah. My notes are too damn long. I just wanted to explain some stuff, even though I am sure people are more confused about things than just that. Reviews and comments on my story thus far would be most appreciated. Those who have reviewed already, I want to thank you for your input! It really does encourage me and helps me get these chapters out. And well, even if you don't, I will still keep writing, but it is nice to hear from those who are reading. I want to apologize once again for the lateness of this chapter.
Also I just have to thank Matsushita for creating such wonderful characters! Humour, darkness, romance - all the fun stuff rolled into one! Thank you!