Empyrean Rose
by Capella A. Morningside

VI: Ma-kun: Snowflake Obsidian

I spent so much of my short-lived career trailing behind him, picking up his messes and assuring whomever he had shocked, upset, or made angry that he didn't really mean it, that deep down he was harmless, wouldn't ever hurt anyone. I was proven wrong once and only once before, and it cost me. For him, I was beaten within an inch of my life. For him I did everything I could to ensure that the impact of his foolish actions was as minimal as possible. Moreover, as soon as I let myself get too distanced...

Oh, I knew he had a problem. I suppose I didn't think there was anything Ken or I could do about it, it was something out of our control, and I reasoned to myself that trying to get involved would only make things worse in the long run. He was intelligent, we both knew it... how could he not see he has a problem, we asked each other, and wasted our time, waiting for the day he'd finally come to us or go and ask for help himself.

Since then I've had to attend two funerals.

So what was I supposed to do for damage control this time? Try to tell the wife of a murdered man while she stands faithfully beside his coffin, cradling in her arms a child that willnever truly know its father, that there was something I could have possibly done to stop this, but didn't? Look into the eyes of a man who feels his completely fragile world collapsing around him and tell him 'it'll be alright'? Watch a man of greater status than I could have ever hoped to be give up his most treasured stuffed rabbit so it may accompany his friend into the ground, and say 'I'm sorry'? It just doesn't work that way. So I just wandered about, paid my respects silently and didn't say a word to anyone. Consequently, no one spoke to me. I felt their eyes on me, the ones that were not completely consumed by what was happening, and those that remembered who I was wondered what I was even doing there. I'm glad no one asked... I didn't have an answer. But I will never forget walking away from that ceremony, and looking over my shoulder one last time to see the ones that grieved the most just standing there like they couldn't leave. Mika-san with her baby, her two brothers Eiri and Tatsuha at her side, with Ryuichi Sakuma and Noriko Ukai... and last but not least, the meek Sakano-san; I would end up attending his humble funeral after his quiet suicide a little more than two weeks later.

Beautiful people create the ugliest messes.

It was over a month after these dismal events that I was finally to be allowed to see Tachi again, in the prison. I called to ask Ken if he wanted to come with me, but his tone turned flat as soon as I brought it up, and he told me he wasn't interested. I haven't spoken with him since.

I visited Tachi several times, and it was only on the fourth time that he finally spoke to me. By then, he had been off drugs for several months and looked healthier, but his mind suffered. I had no idea how much, until the day he finally spoke.

"Ma-kun," he softly inquired into the black phone. His once clear-cut voice had grown frail, his tone wavering like someone on the edge of tears.

My eyes finally went up from where they had been fixed on the bright white of the table before me, hand fumbling somewhat with my own phone. "H-hai, Tachi?"

"D-did I really do it?" he stumbled.

I didn't respond. His glazed eyes met with my own. Even in this state, they were able to hold my gaze; whether I liked it or not.

"Did I r-really... shoot Seguchi-i?" Tachi shivered. I could barely stand to see him like this, but it was now at least apparent he felt remorse for what he'd done. "Did-d I kill him? Just l-like they say? Ma-kun?"

I jumped as he slammed his hand against the plastic separating us, head lowering so that his hair hid his eyes and I could no longer try to read his expression; at least I no longer had to stare into those hollow orbs that once held so much beauty. The guards fidgeted nervously. Slowly, pensively, as if I actually thought he'd feel it my own hand reached the plastic, putting my slightly larger hand against his own if it hadn't been for the barrier.

He knew the truth. He knew exactly what he had done, but nonetheless, here he was asking me. It was not as if he had slain a saint, we both knew that Tohma Seguchi had been anything but, even though the attendance numbers and atmosphere of his funeral got close to convincing even me otherwise. But Tachi wasn't asking for assurance or confirmation. Not this time. He wanted a reminiscence of a better time, a time that would never be ours again... he needed me to play the good lackey, tell him what he wanted to hear... one final time.

"No," I shook my head slowly, and he raised his head just enough to see me trying to hide my eyes before he could witness my tears. "No, Tachi. You didn't... it was just a bad dream."

"Th-thank you, Ma-kun." Tachi muttered into his end of the line, the last of the words becoming faint as he was already in the process of hanging it back on the metal cradle. His hand left mine, the guards led him away; I never came to see him after that.

I went home, and wept until every muscle ached.

Author's Notes: I'd written this about two weeks ago today, not long after I finished Sleepsong, and just gave it it's place in the chronology, sat back, and waited until it was time to post it.

Even though he only has one chapter (the poor dear), Ma-kun's theme is 'stones'. Snowflake Obsidian is a stone meant to bring out truth and alleviate anger... just so you know I didn't just pick a random rock, hee hee.

Issue with Taki/Tachi: Taki's his real given name. Tachi is a nickname, a softening of the 'k' that almost makes it sound almost cute, in accordance with ASK's effeminate little names for each other. (Awww.) I see this confused a lot, even this site itself has him listed as 'Tachi' in the character filters.

Additionally, (and I imagine Heide's still amused by this) I got an excuse to use a pairing I used to be somewhat repulsed by. I guess I... got used to it or something, now I find it cute. But a lot of things that happen in this piece seem to be weird excuses to do things. Uh, oh well. Thanks to Heidedevries and Miroku's Priestess for the reviews.