Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

Japanese to Know:

Sou desu ka - Is that so?
Dare(da-de) desu ka - Who?
Gomen nasai - I'm sorry

Chapter 27

Love and Death

"Nanashi!"

Hokage and Hiei stopped dancing as she looked around at her new name. Spotting Sugisaki making his way through the crowd, she smiled warmly.

"Sugisaki-san," she greeted, bowing slightly.

He bowed back, a man coming up behind him. "This"—he laid a hand on the stocky gentleman—"is Kato."

Kato bowed his head. "Pleasure to meet you."

"I'm sure," she smiled, gripping Hiei's arm.

"Nanashi, Sugisaki has informed me of your plot to take over the worlds."

"Did he now? What do you think?"

"He thought it was marvelous!" Sugisaki beamed.

Hokage turned a hateful gaze upon him. "I didn't ask you. I wasn't talking to you. I asked Kato-san what he thought. Not what you think he thought."

The demon humbled himself, giving a Cheshire cat grin. "You're completely right. Please, forgive me."

Kato shifted and answered, "At first, I thought he was joking. And then the idea sank in. Nanashi, you're a damned genius!"

"Merely a vision." Her smile was gentle and appealing, but her morbid thought would have given her away. "Takashi shares my vision."

"Does he now?" Sugisaki purred.

"I do," Hiei replied smoothly.

Kato looked the fire apparition over carefully. "You seem familiar. Like a certain thief who disappeared from the Makai."

"Sou desu ka. Dare desu ka," he questioned, though fairly certain of the answer.

"Hiei-sama."

"Must be the hair," Hokage joked.

"Such respect for a thief," Hiei mused.

"A great demon. Shame he disappeared. Of course, he turned up as an aide for the Reikai. It is my hope that he will return when the Reikai is destroyed."

Hiei smirked inwardly, admiring and despising this man at the same time. "Yes, that would be something."

"Nanashi, I do hope you come," Kato beamed, grasping the girl's hands. "And you, Takashi, you come, too."

"Well, forgive me, Kato, if I say that your idol is a traitor," Sugisaki sniffed, eyes gleaming. "He isn't just cooped up in come cell…he's helping Urameshi destroy demons." He pulled out a small photograph. "And this human killed my brother-in-law."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Hokage, taking the photo. Staring back her was herself with long hair. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face.

"She will regret ever hearing of demons." Though his voice was saturated with deadly venom, a Cheshire cat face made him look mysteriously innocent. It sent chills down Hokage's spine.

"At least," she thought nervously, "he hasn't discovered this human is me. The shadow demon with the picks…that must be who he's talking about."

"Nanashi?" Hiei said, touching her arm.

She handed the picture back and held her head. "Please, excuse me. I…I need some fresh air." Jumping into the air, she glided over the crowd. As she landed, she bolted out the door into the warm night air. The doors slammed shut behind her, shutting out the sound.

A boy donned in white robes stood at the Gates to Heaven. One wing was a clean white, an angel's wing; the other was black and leathery, a demon's wing. His soft blue eyes stared into Heaven, longing to pass beyond the Gate. But he was half demon. A half-breed. Guardian of Purgatory, Anthony.

"Darkfire!" he called, seeing a familiar face.

The gray-winged angel, dressed in jeans and a black tank top, followed the voice and her eyes hardened. "What?"

"Come here…please."

Sighing, Darkfire complied and stood before him, divided by the Gate. "What do you want this time?"

"Did you talk to God? Did He say anything?"

"No, I haven't talked to him. And I wouldn't hold your breath because I don't ever plan on talking to Him."

"What? Why not?"

She glared at him. "Because you're a half-breed."

Anthony faltered and averted his gaze. "Why can't you love me?"

Grinning malevolently, she answered, "You tricked Adam and Eve. Who could love a conniving snake? And a half-breed, no less."

"Hokage, what's wrong?" Darkfire questioned worriedly.

A smile slid onto her face. "I figured out how to save them. Darkfire…do you still love Lucifer?"

"Well…yea…I suppose."

"Would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"If we can convince Lucifer to lend us an army—one that can't die, you see—no one would have to die. Just one life in exchange for all of the Spirit World."

"Just what exactly is your bargaining chip?"

"Us."

"Us?"

"My dead body and you beside him in Hell." Hokage looked up at the bright full moon. "Sugisaki will get his revenge, I get to know my destiny, the ones I love get to live on, Koenma will be rid of thousands of demons, and you and Lucifer finally can love as you've wanted. Everyone's happy."

"Do you know how crazy you sound?"

Hokage laughed, "You bet!"

Music blared out into the night for a moment before being shut back inside. She turned to see who was there.

"Hey, Osa," she smiled, wings fluttering restlessly.

"Hey yourself. You ok?" inquired the pure angel.

"Never been better." She wasn't completely lying…she just wasn't being completely truthful.

"You know you can talk to me, right? Our friendship hasn't changed over all these years. Has it?"

Hokage smiled softly, taking her friend's hands. "Yes, Osa, it has. It has changed over these years."

Osadyro's face fell, but before she could say anything, Hokage continued:

"But…it has changed for the better. You've made my life worth living."

"Please, tell me what's wrong. I can help you shoulder the load."

"Osadyro, if you have something to say, say it. Don't speak through your host," Darkfire commanded, frowning.

"Dar—I mean—Nanashi, I know I hurt you all those years ago, but let me help you this time."

"You can't. She has to do this alone."

"You're her soul, you can sway her mind."

"I have no control over her mind."

"Don't make her die because you desire war!"

"'Make her?' I'm not making her do anything. She's calling all the shots."

"We both know she'll die!"

"She wants to die!"

"She doesn't have a soul; she can't know what she wants…unless you tell her!"

"Just because she doesn't have a soul doesn't mean she can't think. She sill has her own mind."

"Only a soul can decide what the body wants, you know that." Osadyro glared from behind her mask.

"You think a child who's lived almost all her life with a foreign soul hasn't learned to rely on her own mind?" Darkfire let out a hollow laugh. "Just like me, this girl doesn't always play by the rules. Besides, it's not like she has to worry about going to Heaven or Hell."

"You can't play with her life like that!"

"I thought she didn't have a life." She shook her head and smiled gently. "I don't want to fight with you, Osadyro."

The angel sighed. "What happened to us? We used to be the best of friends."

"Well, I distinctly remember that you betrayed me."

"That was two thousand years ago. Can't you forgive and forget?"

Darkfire laughed. "Forgiven, dear friend, but not forgotten. I'm not angry, I was just answering your question." She looked at her hands. "Just as I was designed to break rules, you were designed to follow them. I never blamed you."

"Hokage," Yuusuke called, coming out of the mansion. "Hiei told me you two got into the meeting."

"Yes."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" His face was hard and angry.

"Wasn't—" But she was cut off by Yuusuke's sharp jab to her stomach. Gasping, she fell into him.

"Baka!" he snarled, shoving the girl to the ground. "We're a team! Teammates tell each other things! Anything and everything. We aren't supposed to have secrets."

"I don't want you to die," she gasped. "Sugisaki is out to kill me because I killed his brother-in-law. If you get caught up in that, too, you're sure to die."

"That doesn't matter—!"

"No, Yuusuke, it matters a great deal! If you die, everyone else dies, and then the Spirit World falls! If you die…I betray the rest…and live with that guilt…the blood staining my memories."

The half demon knelt down in the grass and took Hokage's chin in his thumb and index finger. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes avoided him.

"Hey, look at me."

Her gaze skirted around his face.

"Look at me."

Their eyes met.

"Gomen nasai."

Hokage nodded.

The door opened, and Hiei called into the dark, "Dar—Nanashi, it's time."

"Yes." She stood and ran to him, both disappearing inside.

"Sometimes I think she hides things even from herself," Yuusuke sighed, sitting back in the grass.

"It happens when two different people are thinking inside your head," said Osadyro sadly.

Ok, this is the last chapter I have written, not the last chapter of the story. So I may not update tomorrow. Ok? Not that it matters whether it's ok with you or not.