Okay--here's what happened. While I was proofreading, I remembered that Muraki had killed the little Hijiri angel boy thing, and the thought occurred to me that he isn't one to do something for only one reason, and also that he's usually very well prepared. Therefore, the death of the angel became much more significant, and ended up here. Also, it's very short--more of a teaser chapter than anything--but once I noticed it, I couldn't just leave it be.
THIS DOES NOT RESOLVE THE STORY. It IS the end of this story, just like the YnoM arcs ended with Muraki still alive and lurking. If enough people are interested enough to wait however long it would take me to write a sequel, I may try, otherwise I'm not going to bother. This is like the ultimate proof that I'm horrible at endings.
Chapter 10 is the omake chapter. It's just a light thingy I added because I was half asleep when I first wrote it, thought the idea was funny, and promised I would post it. :P
That's all, folks. Good night, good luck, and don't forget to CRITICISE! =D
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.
})({
Gasping for air, Hisoka bolted upright, flinging the covers halfway across the room in an effort to rid himself of the weight holding him down. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated to take advantage of light that wasn't there, and they stung as droplets of sweat trickled into them. He shivered, nightshirt soaked through with cold fear sweat. The air was too thick to breathe.... He clutched his chest, fighting to draw air into his heaving lungs. The room spun. His heart was beating far too fast, like hummingbird wings.
"Tsuzuki," he croaked. The sound was barely audible even in the dead stillness of night. "Tsuzuki...he's coming back!"
His voice worked the second time, provoking a response. They had returned to Tsuzuki's cottage, and though he had refused to share a bed, Tsuzuki had convinced him to share a room until his strength was better. Now, Hisoka was thankful for the mage's persistence. Across the room, he could just make out Tsuzuki's form against the gloom as he tumbled out of bed and crossed the short distance to Hisoka's side.
"'Soka? What's going on?" As soon as he was within reach, before he could even sit down, Hisoka had grabbed his arm, yanking him down onto the mattress. Bewildered, Tsuzuki pulled his apprentice closer, smoothing down damp hair and murmuring what comforts he could.
Still caught in the horrors of the nightmare, Hisoka shook and babbled, fingers clenched painfully into Tsuzuki's arm, as his sight locked on something far away.
"It hurts! Hurts...he ripped off my wings! Tore them off slowly and I could feel them come loose! My family let him cage me-father watched! So much blood...how could there be so much blood and it hurts!"
"Hush. Calm down and breathe, Hisoka. He didn't rip off your wings--he couldn't have."
"Tore them off in pieces!"
"No, Hisoka, he didn't. It was a nightmare. He's gone. He's gone, I promise." Gently, he kissed Hisoka's brow and temple, trailing kisses lower until he reached his lips. To his surprise, Hisoka responded not only willingly, but desperately, as if the kiss was his only link to life.
Slowly, the fit subsided. Hisoka's breathing slowed, he stopped shaking and relaxed his grip. With a last, shuddering sigh, he rested his head limply against Tsuzuki's chest.
"I saw Muraki. He was...I was the angel...Muraki...he...." Hisoka swallowed hard. "I'm gonna be sick." He lunged away from Tsuzuki, grabbing up an empty dinner bowl the mage had left on the bedside table.
When Hisoka was finished, Tsuzuki took the bowl and set it on the floor off to the side. "Hand me that cup," he said softly, gesturing to the table. The cup trembled in Hisoka's hand, and Tsuzuki steadied his grip and filled it with water, then helped him drink. Again, he waited until he was done, then asked, "Any better?"
Hisoka shook his head.
"What happened?"
"I was in his mind again." There was no question who's mind Hisoka meant. Tsuzuki rested a hand lightly on his back and Hisoka continued. "I saw what happened to the angel. I felt it." He shuddered.
Tsuzuki pulled him into a hug. "It was only a nightmare."
"No it wasn't. He killed that angel at a Gateway." The words cut right through any reassurances Tsuzuki could have offered. He tensed, holding Hisoka tighter as if to prevent him from being taken away as the meaning sank in.
"Where?"
"I don't know. In the mountains."
"The other angels. They would find him first...they would--"
"No, Tsuzuki. They won't find him. Unless we close the Gateway he is going to come back." There was terrible inevitability in Hisoka's voice, but it was a thin layer over equally strong determination.
"We don't even know where to look. I don't even know if a Gateway like that can be closed."
"There's a chance--a very slim one. Otherwise he wouldn't have challenged me."
"Us."
Green eyes, faintly luminescent in the darkness, fixed on Tsuzuki. "He sent the dream to me."
"Because he could. Do you think I'm just going to let you go wandering around the mountains alone looking for him?" Tsuzuki nuzzled his hair affectionately. "Besides, your apprenticeship isn't up yet."
Hisoka's eyes stopped glowing, and Tsuzuki stood up. He stepped carefully to the dresser, and pulled a bundle out of one of the drawers.
"Let's get you into a dry shirt and a dry bed. Tomorrow we can work out how we're going to do this."
Hisoka nodded assent, and Tsuzuki sat back down beside him and reached to help unbutton his shirt. "Quicker this way," he said, then sat back to let Hisoka shrug his good arm out of one sleeve and ease off the other. They repeated the process in reverse for the dry shirt, and slid off the icy sheets.
Halfway across the room, Hisoka stopped and put a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder. When the mage turned to look at him, he stretched up to give him a brief kiss, just barely catching the corner of his mouth.
Tsuzuki smiled. "You're welcome."
As he crawled between the blankets and rearranged them and himself around Hisoka, Tsuzuki felt a sense of peace returning. He yawned and snuggled into the pillows.
"Tomorrow we'll check the library and see what we can do. For right now, though...I just want to be comfortable a little longer."
"If you try to leave me behind again I won't forgive you."
"I won't, I promise. I'm stronger when I'm with you."
Hisoka snorted. "You're an idiot."
"I love you too."
THIS DOES NOT RESOLVE THE STORY. It IS the end of this story, just like the YnoM arcs ended with Muraki still alive and lurking. If enough people are interested enough to wait however long it would take me to write a sequel, I may try, otherwise I'm not going to bother. This is like the ultimate proof that I'm horrible at endings.
Chapter 10 is the omake chapter. It's just a light thingy I added because I was half asleep when I first wrote it, thought the idea was funny, and promised I would post it. :P
That's all, folks. Good night, good luck, and don't forget to CRITICISE! =D
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.
})({
Gasping for air, Hisoka bolted upright, flinging the covers halfway across the room in an effort to rid himself of the weight holding him down. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated to take advantage of light that wasn't there, and they stung as droplets of sweat trickled into them. He shivered, nightshirt soaked through with cold fear sweat. The air was too thick to breathe.... He clutched his chest, fighting to draw air into his heaving lungs. The room spun. His heart was beating far too fast, like hummingbird wings.
"Tsuzuki," he croaked. The sound was barely audible even in the dead stillness of night. "Tsuzuki...he's coming back!"
His voice worked the second time, provoking a response. They had returned to Tsuzuki's cottage, and though he had refused to share a bed, Tsuzuki had convinced him to share a room until his strength was better. Now, Hisoka was thankful for the mage's persistence. Across the room, he could just make out Tsuzuki's form against the gloom as he tumbled out of bed and crossed the short distance to Hisoka's side.
"'Soka? What's going on?" As soon as he was within reach, before he could even sit down, Hisoka had grabbed his arm, yanking him down onto the mattress. Bewildered, Tsuzuki pulled his apprentice closer, smoothing down damp hair and murmuring what comforts he could.
Still caught in the horrors of the nightmare, Hisoka shook and babbled, fingers clenched painfully into Tsuzuki's arm, as his sight locked on something far away.
"It hurts! Hurts...he ripped off my wings! Tore them off slowly and I could feel them come loose! My family let him cage me-father watched! So much blood...how could there be so much blood and it hurts!"
"Hush. Calm down and breathe, Hisoka. He didn't rip off your wings--he couldn't have."
"Tore them off in pieces!"
"No, Hisoka, he didn't. It was a nightmare. He's gone. He's gone, I promise." Gently, he kissed Hisoka's brow and temple, trailing kisses lower until he reached his lips. To his surprise, Hisoka responded not only willingly, but desperately, as if the kiss was his only link to life.
Slowly, the fit subsided. Hisoka's breathing slowed, he stopped shaking and relaxed his grip. With a last, shuddering sigh, he rested his head limply against Tsuzuki's chest.
"I saw Muraki. He was...I was the angel...Muraki...he...." Hisoka swallowed hard. "I'm gonna be sick." He lunged away from Tsuzuki, grabbing up an empty dinner bowl the mage had left on the bedside table.
When Hisoka was finished, Tsuzuki took the bowl and set it on the floor off to the side. "Hand me that cup," he said softly, gesturing to the table. The cup trembled in Hisoka's hand, and Tsuzuki steadied his grip and filled it with water, then helped him drink. Again, he waited until he was done, then asked, "Any better?"
Hisoka shook his head.
"What happened?"
"I was in his mind again." There was no question who's mind Hisoka meant. Tsuzuki rested a hand lightly on his back and Hisoka continued. "I saw what happened to the angel. I felt it." He shuddered.
Tsuzuki pulled him into a hug. "It was only a nightmare."
"No it wasn't. He killed that angel at a Gateway." The words cut right through any reassurances Tsuzuki could have offered. He tensed, holding Hisoka tighter as if to prevent him from being taken away as the meaning sank in.
"Where?"
"I don't know. In the mountains."
"The other angels. They would find him first...they would--"
"No, Tsuzuki. They won't find him. Unless we close the Gateway he is going to come back." There was terrible inevitability in Hisoka's voice, but it was a thin layer over equally strong determination.
"We don't even know where to look. I don't even know if a Gateway like that can be closed."
"There's a chance--a very slim one. Otherwise he wouldn't have challenged me."
"Us."
Green eyes, faintly luminescent in the darkness, fixed on Tsuzuki. "He sent the dream to me."
"Because he could. Do you think I'm just going to let you go wandering around the mountains alone looking for him?" Tsuzuki nuzzled his hair affectionately. "Besides, your apprenticeship isn't up yet."
Hisoka's eyes stopped glowing, and Tsuzuki stood up. He stepped carefully to the dresser, and pulled a bundle out of one of the drawers.
"Let's get you into a dry shirt and a dry bed. Tomorrow we can work out how we're going to do this."
Hisoka nodded assent, and Tsuzuki sat back down beside him and reached to help unbutton his shirt. "Quicker this way," he said, then sat back to let Hisoka shrug his good arm out of one sleeve and ease off the other. They repeated the process in reverse for the dry shirt, and slid off the icy sheets.
Halfway across the room, Hisoka stopped and put a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder. When the mage turned to look at him, he stretched up to give him a brief kiss, just barely catching the corner of his mouth.
Tsuzuki smiled. "You're welcome."
As he crawled between the blankets and rearranged them and himself around Hisoka, Tsuzuki felt a sense of peace returning. He yawned and snuggled into the pillows.
"Tomorrow we'll check the library and see what we can do. For right now, though...I just want to be comfortable a little longer."
"If you try to leave me behind again I won't forgive you."
"I won't, I promise. I'm stronger when I'm with you."
Hisoka snorted. "You're an idiot."
"I love you too."