9. Farewell.
T: One more to go and yes this one does, yet again, finish on a cliff hanger…am attempting to curb the habit I promise! Warnings remain the same; though Tsuzuki could be construed as OOC later on…it's not mine, something that I don't really wish to be reminded of!!
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His sister hesitates upon the threshold of the bedroom and, unable to quell his curiosity, he gently eases himself past her.
The room beyond is empty, only the faint lingering trace of Hisoka's scent as sign that anyone had recently occupied the space.
"It seems that they've gone out for a while."
"I'm afraid that they've been taken ototo."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because there is magic in the air, dark, powerful magic." There is only one logical conclusion to be drawn from this assessment and, the dark fire of his anger burning hot in his stomach, he says,
"This is Muraki's doing."
"You believe this is for your sake."
"How can I not?" She sets a hand to his shoulder and, her expression suddenly serious, she says,
"He has done this for Asato, for the raw power that exists within him."
"Then why take Hisoka?"
"My son would rather die than submit himself to one such as Muraki and it is more than likely that Kurosaki-kun has been taken as leverage." He has no want to ask the question that springs instantly to mine, nor to contemplate how he would deal with how his sister might respond to this enquiry, thus he asks instead,
"How is it that you know of Muraki, of what he has done to me and of what a Shinigami does?" She hesitates a moment in her reply, this most likely because she understands the question for what it truly is, then, a smile blooming onto her face, she says,
"I have promised that story to Kurosaki-kun, ototo, though you are welcome to listen as I give it to him."
"What if I can not find him, neesan, or if I reach him after it has become too late? I could not cope with loosing him, not when…" He catches himself before he can say too much and, the heat of a blush strong upon his cheeks, he says, "Forgive me, neesan."
"Have you no idea of where he might run to?"
"No, but I do know where I can find one who might hold such information."
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Miuba Oriya had learned, at a very young age, that keeping the company of one such as Muraki Kazutaka held an interesting array of drawbacks. One such 'drawback' was currently pounding on the doorway of the 'restaurant' and making his customers 'uncomfortable'.
His business is recovering still from the slump that the fire had caused and, though he has no real wish to again involve himself in Muraki's affairs, he has little choice other than to respond to this 'drawback'.
This is the first that he has met the object of Muraki's unremitting lust and, though it irks him to admit as such, he finds himself fascinated. It is an intoxication that the other permits for only the briefest of moments then, his unique eyes tinged a deep azure for the anger within them, he enquires,
"Where the hell is he?" He thinks to deny all knowledge of who the other is talking, an idea that is quickly erased by the displeasure clear in the other's expression.
"He's somewhere in the city, I can't tell you precisely where but its close."
"Did you save him that night?" The question is unexpected, yet not all that surprising and he responds to it by both with a bitter smile and by informing the other,
"No, nor could I inform you of who was responsible for that 'salvation'…the last that I saw Muraki he promised that he would not bother me again and he has kept that pledge well enough that I only know of his presence here because of my 'position' as manager of this establishment." There is pity now in the other's eyes, that emotion softening his features and snuffing the threatening edge that had surrounding him.
"You would do well to forget him, miyuba –san, for there is nothing left within him that is worth your care."
"That is true enough, Tsuzuki-san and yet still I can not quite seem to let him go." The other leaves him but a little after that, the pity in his eyes, as well as the terrible emptiness of the truth that emotion had plied from him, lingering in his memory well into the night.
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"Then my grandfather transferred his gift to my uncle?"
"That is correct."
"And the nature of the spell meant that that magic strengthened with this transference?"
"Correct."
"And somehow a little of that gift was passed to me when I was born, this transference further strengthened the magic and making it even more potent than that which my uncle claims. Yet if such a gift exists within me then why is it that I have aged as any other and that I have, many times, come close to death?"
"Your gift remains dormant within you, Myagi-san, for it has passed to you merely by co-incidence than design. Indeed the unnatural hue of your eyes is as the only detectable sign that this gift exists within you."
"That being the case the magic shall be wild and thus I shall not be able to use it."
"Thankfully I have a solution to that issue, though it is a solution that, rather unfortunately, requires your co-operation."
"If I agree, if I co-operate, what shall become of us afterwards?"
"I shall leave both yourself and the boy unharmed." He is aware that the other shall not keep this pledge, that once he has plundered him of this 'hidden' well of power he shall kill both Kurosaki-san and himself. He is about to make this knowledge evident to the other when he senses the familiar feel of a tracing spell seeping into the building.
Given such clear hope of rescue he releases a little of the hold he has on his emotions, this enough to allow the boy to know the 'development', then he enquires,
"How can I be assured that you shall keep this promise? You have not, after all, proved yourself the worthiest of men."
"Bouya?"
"He is sincere in his word, Myagi-san." He can se the doubt in Hisoka's eyes and knows that, if not for their previous 'communication', the boy would not have made this statement.
"Then I shall consent to your will, Muraki-san."
"Follow me." The other pulls him towards the doorway in which they had both entered, his grip softer now in its ferocity and yet strong enough to assure him that, should he attempt escape, the other shall break the limb.
They have just reached the threshold of the room when the door shatters into a thousand pieces.
The next he is aware Muraki's grip has been leased from his arm and the other has been pinned to the floor by the imposing form of his uncle.
"I have allowed you to harm one that I care for the final time, Muraki." The man remarks before he strikes Muraki about the head.
"I should strike you again and be done with you forever, but I am not a killer and your life has value still to one person." The man remarks before he stands free of the other.
"That was a foolish risk to take, Asato-san, if Tsuzuki had been but a moment longer…"
"All that mattered was that you were saved, Kurosaki-kun." The boy flinches away from those words and he takes the opportunity to draw close to the other's side. "Having you within my life has been a…unique…experience, Kurosaki-san, one that must now come to a close and to that end I release you from our 'bond'." He pulls the boy to him, savouring the softness of his skin and the unique edge of his scent then, with a whispered, "goodbye" he captures the other's lips into a kiss.
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T: Fairly sure that in the anime Tsuzuki never meets Oriya, please tell me if I'm wrong! Skittering away before anyone yells at me for the cliff hanger! Last chapter up Sunday.