Disclaimer: If I said it once I've said it a thousand times, I don't own anything but the original character. Everything else is the property of CLAMP and their affiliates, so please don't sue me. You won't get any money....

A special thank you goes out to all those who have reviewed since I last updated, Mandy R, Jackie a.k.a Kuneho-chan, Kuroi Akuryou, and last but not least Kiyoshi. I just want to let you know that without your support this story would be dead in the water. Thank you! : ) For everything.

Since this is bothering me beyond compare I'm compelled to respond:

Dear PunkJunky,

 I hate to break it to you but both Hisui and Kohaku are sexless. They are neither boy, nor girl. Depending on the version of the manga you are reading this point can be confusing. Although I have not seen TokyoPop's translation,  I assume that they are probably calling Kohaku a girl which is simply put, not true. I imagine that for translation and simplicity purposes, they gave Kohaku, as well as the other characters of Wish, a gender so that their audience would be better able to identify with them, not to mention that the idea of homosexuality is still a hot button for many people. The translation process in any language is not perfect, imperfections can and often due arise. In this case, if I'm not mistaken within the Japanese language there are words that can be used in place of one's name that has no gender connotation; this is used often in Wish but also within the cross-dressing manga, Hanazakari no Kimitachi E by Hisaya Nakjou. These words would translate into something like "it", which sounds weird and is almost never used in English when referencing people, unless to be demeaning. So again, Hisui and Kohaku are not members of any sex, but are in fact androgynous. They simply possess traits that we perceive to be either male or female, thus placing our own biases on them. If you are looking for further clarification, here are a few sites that exemplify my point further if you care to take a gander, simply read the character profiles. (These links are located in my profile, since they refuse to show up on this page!)

And as far as Kouryuu names goes I have consulted several dictionaries online and otherwise, and found that both spellings are used and, therefore it's simply boils down to the writer's prerogative. As the saying goes, "I say tomato, you tomatoe." Now if you wish to continue this further please do so through email and not on in my reviews page. You can contact me at akuma09@lycos.com

*****

A WISH Fanficton

Heaven and Hell

(Chapter Four: Interval)

Kouryuu and Amejisuto met frequently in the months that followed. They became so casual with the other that Kouryuu no longer needed to request her company from that day forward. It was just assumed. There was no set schedule, just tentative plans. Sometimes one would miss the other by mere minutes or if nothing conflicted with other activities, one would wait the entire day. There were time however when at the end of the day the other failed to show at all. It was rare but it did happen. But despite all this, it would always be the same once they were in the presence of the other.

They would talk. They would talk about anything and nothing, anything that same to mind, anything that had invoked a memory, sweet or painful. Nothing was off limits or out of bounds. It was in this way that they became familiar with one another. So much so that even with the slightest of moods swings the other would know, assessing it in an instant, and seeking a remedy at the same time, whether it be through talk therapy, or simple providing a warm body to sit next to.  There were some days where nothing was even said at all. Kouryuu and Amejisuto were simply there at the Bridge, together.

It was on one of these days that Kouryuu and Amejisuto sat, near the very stream they had met barely a few months earlier. Sitting in silence with so much still left unsaid but neither willing to break the comfortable silence they had fallen into. 

"Kouryuu? Do you mind if I ask you something?" Amejisuto broke the silence in a soft voice, barely audible even to Kouryuu's sensitive ears. She didn't even bother to look up, as she asked. She didn't need to.

"Anything. You can ask me anything you desire to know and I will tell you."

"I'm curious to know why did you asked me to meet you?"

            Kouryuu shifted slightly at the sound of his name, as he always did. She smiled to herself, inwardly commenting on this involuntary behavior she observed in him over time. It was amazing how much he relaxed around her. The shields that wore around Hell to survive instantly melted in her presence and perhaps the same could be said about her. Amejisuto, only recently had become aware of that fact. Even in herself, she noticed the peace that seemed overwhelmed her during their frequent meetings. She couldn't explain it, and maybe it was best to leave it that way, unexplored and raw. Finding the truth of the matter could cause unanticipated complications neither of them were prepared to recognize.

"Kouryuu? Did you hear me?" It had been several minutes since he poised him with her question and still no reply. Time enough for Amejisuto to become lost in her own torrent of thoughts. It was only now that she bothered to look at him, rolling over on her side, her head resting on her palm.

Kouryuu continued to stare in the distance, even under her intense gaze. " I...", he began, " I don't know. When I saw you there in the stream laughing, playing something possessed me. And all I wanted right then, right now was to meet you. I suppose requesting your companionship was just an excuse to see you again." Her question had caught him by surprise that it took him a time to compose his thoughts. Out of everything she could have possible asked him, this single question was the only one that he as completely unprepared for, yet he answered with the same honestly and sincerity as countless other times. As he thought further into the matter, the answer became more and more unclear. Yes. Why? Was it supposed to turn out like this?  He sweep his eyes in her direction. Was it supposed to be like this?

Luckily before he could analyze any further, Kouryuu was interrupted.

"Would you like to know what I think?" Her question didn't require an answer so she continued. "When I first meet you, besides being practically terrified beyond belief, I knew there was something different about you. I mean, look at us now, any other demon that would sooner rip my heart out without so much as a word. I think that says something about your character. "

She continued, " I saw it there in your eyes that day and many times after that. My suspicions were all confirmed when you told me about Hell and your life up to this point. Maybe you don't even see it yourself. You're lonely. You are so desperately alone that you can't stand it. Hell brings you no joy. There is no one that you can safely confide in. You are isolated and alone. So I think that's why you're here. It's hard to say really where loneliness stems from, but for you I bet it began when you lost someone, a loved one perhaps.

Kohaku. As soon as Amejisuto mentioned loved one, Kohaku was the first name that came to mind. Yes, indeed he had loved Kohaku as much as he could those days. He loved tormenting the angel at every opportunity that came to pass, he loved it as his eyes glossed over with tears, and he especially loved the thought of taking Seichirou away from him. Yes all these things he loved about the entombed angel, but was it fair to say that he actually felt true love for him? No, definitely not. What he found he missed most about him he'd discovered anew in another angel, Amejisuto. His compassion, love and tenderness all was present in her, but there was something more that he couldn't quite put his finger on....

"Listen to me Kouryuu, you can't keep living you life in the past. It will eventually destroy you. You will continue to dwell on it until it is the only reality that you see. Do you understand? You will drown in your sorrow, a slow and painful progress. You can't keep living a life of regret. All these negative emotions will consume you, your soul, everything."

He grinned. Soul? When was the last time I was accused of having one of those? "Didn't you know? Demons don't have souls. We consume them, as well as those dark emotions as you call them."  He hadn't meant to say that, especially as sadistic and sarcastic as it came out.

"Don't" Amejisuto quickly came to a sitting position with his last remark. Why did he say something like that? He sounded so cruel and uncaring then.  Could it be that even after all the time they spent together was a waste? Her mouth has gone dry then and the words poised to be said, but frozen in her throat.

"Don't what? Tell the truth. All I've said is the truth." He turned toward her then eyes gleaming with mischief, above a broad smile.

It made her sick to listen to his words. Shock was the only emotion that she could register on her face and he knew it. It only encouraged him. The very sight of him then made her so sick she couldn't stand it. I don't believe this. She sprung up hastily in an effort to escape, but a strong hand caught her wrist and pulled her violently back to the ground.  Before she had time to regain her balance, Amejisuto was immobile. Kouryuu's legs straddled her own and his hands were locked on her arms, rendering her body useless.

She was scared now as reality came crashing into her. She was one of the most remote areas of the Bridge with a high ranking demon. He overpowered her physically and magically. If anything was going to happen there would be nothing to stop it from happening. She trembled in fear.

"Kouryuu. Stop. Please" Her words didn't reach him though. He was someplace else now, someplace dark. At the sounds of her voice he only dug his nails deeper into her arms. Amejisuto winced in pain.

"Kouryuu…" she stopped short. He was moving now, but not away from her but towards. He was leaning in closer. His features were shadowed as he did so and only served to frighten her even more. She closed her eyes to whatever was coming. She could feel him ease in closer and closer, his body heat mingling with that of her own, until finally he nestled his face between her shoulder and neck. He remained there motionless for a second before caressing her up and down her neck with his head. Every hair on her body stood up then as they were tickled with his silky black hair. With his head still cast downward he positioned his mouth near her ear and breathed into it, "This is what demons do. We cause pain, suffering and grief. So it is only fitting that I fell those things now, wouldn't you agree?" Kouryuu smiled. He did something even more unexpected then. He lowered his head slightly and bit into the tender flesh of the earlobe.   

During this whole time, Amejisuto was as stiff as a board, unwilling to make any sudden movements, keenly aware that he was too close for comfort, and then he bit her. She gasp, but not in pain but in surprise. It didn't hurt at all. His teeth never actually punctured her skin. Instead, he only grazed her with his fangs, letting her know that she that he was dangerous, a small fact that she was all too aware of now. He remained that way for a minute or two before swinging to one side and plopping on the grass, head still down.

"So you see demons are only good at one thing. I am only good for one thing. Inflicting pain."

The fear that she once felt was gone now. So that's what that was all about. His sudden actions all made since now. She moved towards him now, wrapping her arms about his frame from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. "You are wrong, Kouryuu." His head shot up. "You, like all others creatures, have a choice. You have the choice to become more than you are now, to become better than you are now if you so chose it. You are no lost. I won't let you go without a fight. Do you hear me? Never." She remained silent trying to sense his feelings when he relaxed into her embrace, leaning his head atop her own. "You can't do this to yourself. You can't continue to beat yourself up over things that cant possible be changed. You must raise above all that and learn for you mistakes to make a future. If you don't, the pain will worsen until you close yourself off from the outside world. Your heart will cease to feel anything. And I know you don't want that." She pleaded with him now, urgency depended on it.

Even though she continued on, Kouryuu was no longer listening. Once again he as absorbed in this own thoughts, pondering the validity for her words spoken moments ago. Change? Is it possible to change now? Am I capable of changing? Despite all that had occurred to them, he never really had given much thought to the notion. But he knew that it was true, he had changed. He'd changed significantly since then those far off days.  Change partly inspired by the events revolving around the disappearance of Hisui and Kokuyo, and fully realized under the delicate attentions of his angel, his friend, Amejisuto. Friend? He'd never really had someone until now deserving for the title of friend. It was something new to him, carrying a whole new of set of connotations with it. Friend? Is that what she is to me, a friend...Is this what friends feel for one another? She still embraced him although he noticed that she had stopped talking. There was nothing but the relative silence of the Bridge surrounding them.

At their present closeness he could hear her heart beat, no, it was more than that he could feel it. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders as she drew breath, slow and steady. This is what life should be like. Gentle and calm spent with the ones you love. Love? It slipped into his thoughts so easily. Is this what this is? These feelings of attachment, completeness when she's around. How could it be? We are so different. My existence is the opposite of hers. Demons and angels have been at war since the beginning of time, in spite of this though; even love can blossom between our two races. Kokuyo and Hisui had managed to bridge the gap, millennia of war and death. It's possible that love was not too far fetched.

"Kouryuu. Our time together has taught me so much and I wish that it could continue like this forever, but this...this will be the last time that we met.", Amejisuto let her arms slip to the side as she said this, her voice somber. He turned to face her, surprised. He was confused. How can it be that he fallen in love with this angel only to have her ripped away, like so many other things in his life. She refused to look him in the face, so he drew it up gently, cupping her chin.

"Why?"

Amejisuto shrugged off his touch and stood up, keeping her back to him momentarily. When she turned around again, her solemn attitude was replaced with delight. "Heaven is about to undergo change, a change that places more duties and responsibility, on only on me, but of everyone. There will simply be no time. Besides, you are improving. Shadows are all that's left of what I felt before, sure signs that you're healing. The numbness is gone from you eyes." She reached out then, brushing his mop of black hair out of his eyes, staring into them intently, as if she wasn't sure, before dropping her hand, "I wish you the best of luck, Kouryuu. I pray that you will find something that truly makes you happy."

Idiot. How could she say such things?! It's you! You! He screamed it internally. It couldn't be anything or anyone else. It's you! He reached out to tell her so....

"Amejisuto! Amejisuto! Where are you?" A voice called out from in the distance, nearing their meeting place.

"Huh?" She turned away from him scanning the skies. "I must go. Someone is searching for me." She smiled brilliantly at him, as walked inches away from him, reaching up on her toes to place a feathery light kiss on his brow. "Kouryuu, you will remain in my heart until the end of time. Don't forget that life is a precious gift one worth living to the fullest." She leapt in the air; wings outstretched flying in the direction the voice originated. All Kouryuu could do was stand there and watch her leave, never see her again.

*****

Author's Notes: I was inspired to put this chapter out as soon as possible after the wonderful reviews I received. So what do you think? Things are finally getting somewhere. This chapter turned out a little different than I thought it would, but I am pleased with the result. I hoped that you like it.

In other news, I do have some fan art of Amejisuto and Kouryuu but I have no way of getting them on the web as of yet. However, once I do I will be sure to share the link. I think Chapter 5 will be ready within two weeks so check back then!

Akuma