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"So he's gone then," Yuko said in a nearly emotionless voice that rivaled Doumeki's. The strong boy nodded curtly. Besides the slight slant to his eyebrows and the clench of his teeth there was no obvious emotion written on the stoic man's face, in his eyes however, there was a torrent of pain and self-loathing as well as strong stormy fury that burned deep in the blue pools. He was supposed to be Watanuki's protector dammit, and he had failed. Not only that, he had failed horribly, and now Watanuki was gone but, he'd be damned before he let anything stop him from saving his secret crush.
"Where did she take him?" He said with impatience. He hated how this woman seemed unconcerned with the fact that Watanuki had just been kidnapped by a blood drinking monster. She had even seemed to know that something like this would happen. She had warned him after all. 'Lot of good that did,' Doumeki thought bitterly.
Yuko seemed to pause, almost uncertainly, "To the Spirit world." Doumeki's stomach dropped through the floor and his heart jumped into his throat. How the hell was he going to get Watanuki back from the Spirit world? How was he even going to get there? Guilt rose in his throat, if he had protected Watanuki like he had promised then he wouldn't have to go save him. As if reading his mind Yuko sighed, "This is not your fault Doumeki, it was Hitsuzan, inevitable," she said with a slight hint of concern, almost unnoticeable. The time witch took a draught from her pipe and blew rings into the air. "But there is a way to get into the spirit world," Doumeki straightened at this in excitement and, though he wouldn't admit it, hope. "But it can only be done at the next full moon." Doumeki slouched visibly in disappointment. The stoic boy opened his mouth to speak but Yuko cut him off, "No, there is no way to get to him sooner. The only hope you have is to wait until the full moon," she took another long drag and blew harshly, and looked at Doumeki with a sly glint in her eye, "But there is, of course, a price."
"I will pay anything that is within my power to give," Doumeki said without hesitation. The woman sighed, "If that is what you wish," she gestured to the door, "Go to the store house and pick the first item to look back at you." Doumeki frowned in confusion but got up anyway and left for the store house.
Mokona bounced in and flopped down in Doumeki's seat, "So do you think he can get Watanuki back?" He asked taking a swig of wine.
Yuko paused, "He has the potential but his suffering will not stop, even if he gets his other half back."
?
The storage room was dark but the sliver of a moon lit it with a soft silver glow from the single window in the large room. The silence was almost disturbing. The only other time he had been back here had been with Watanuki and at the time the boy with glasses had been giving him a piece of his mind, as per usual. Gingerly, Doumeki walked across the floor, studying each item in turn but saw nothing "Look back at him." Finally he reached the far back of the room and stopped. Propped against the wall was a dark dirty mirror. He looked at it and it looked back at him or more so he did at himself. Could this be it? Doumeki leaned in closer to study it further. It was smooth glass in a gilded silver frame with a crescent moon imprinted in the silver on the top. Gingerly and with great care he picked up the mirror and carried out with him, careful not to hit anything.
Finally he returned to the room and gently laid the mirror on the floor in between Yuko and him. "Is this it?"
Yuko nodded, "But remember you must wait until the full moon to travel to the spirit world." Doumeki sighed heavily through his nose in frustration. "You must not tell anyone of what has happened, not even Himaware. If she asks, simply tell him he is on an errand for me." He nodded and stood to leave. "I will tell you the price for this when the time comes to leave," She said. He thanked the witch and left. The outside was dark and quiet without his normally loud and sound breaking companion, Doumeki shuttered minutely. He would be walking alone.
?
The first thing Watanuki felt was that his face was freezing. The second was that his glasses were missing. He slowly sat up, rubbing his head. The room spun and he fell back against a wall of cold hard glass. He remembered everything from the night before, assuming it was the next day. He gingerly felt his neck and was surprised to find that only two small pin pricks remained. He looked up and saw the moon slightly distorted through the thick glass. "So still night then," he mumbled. He stood slowly and carefully, pausing only to allow time for his head to clear. He walked forward as far as he could until he reached another wall of thick glass. He turned every which way but only found more glass. He turned to his left and saw that there was another chamber of glass just like his, only separated by a thin strip of glass. Panic swelled in his mind. He pounded on the glass until his hands throbbed, but it did no good. He made no cracks and the glass remained undamaged.
"So you are awake then," A calm cool voice said suddenly. Watanuki jumped and turned to the voice. It belonged to a tall strapping man with long wavy, black hair and grey skin. His eyes were red and dark. Watanuki shivered at the hunger within the crimson pools. The man smiled to reveal long pointed teeth.
"Who-Who are you? Where am I," Watanuki stuttered.
"My name is Count Von Rain," the man said smoothly.
"Why am I here," Watanuki demanded bravely.
The Count laughed cruelly and walked up to the glass, studying Watanuki hungrily. He placed his hand lightly on the glass but this small contact made the glass container seem ten degrees colder. He leaned foreward and that caused Watanuki to back pedal as far as the glass wall would allow. The gray skinned man laughed, "You are very special Kimihiro Watanuki, very special. You have great power that I need."
"S-So what are you…. What are you going to do to me," Watatnuki asked petrified under the monster's hungry gaze.
Count Von Rain's visage darkened, "We will know at the full moon," he said with dark excitement. Watanuki shrank further from the monster. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he glanced to his left, "So what is that for," he asked with some courage shakily pointing to the container opposite him.
"That is for your friend when he comes," The Count said smugly. Watanuki's eyes widened and he glanced at the glass container again and when he looked back the frightening man was gone.
Watanuki shivered in fear and worry and drew his knees up to his chest. He couldn't get out, he couldn't warn his friend. Doumeki was walking straight into a trap.
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