-Chapter Ten- Night of the Stars

By the time he and Flonne had gotten back to Atsu, he was less cautious around Flonne. He let his guard down and didn't force himself to hold in his tears when they got there.

She took one look at the old woman on the bed and shook her head, turning to Laharl.

"No…" he took a step back, shaking his head defiantly; not wanting to hear what she had to say though he already knew what was coming. He coaxed the word over and over as if it would shield his ears from the truth.

"Laharl…"

"No…no…"

"I'm sorry…"

"No…"

"But she's gone."

Of course he had heard her anyway. He sank to his knees, clutching the side of the bed letting his head down, shoulders heaving weakly.

And that was all. He felt cruelly weak… Flonne settled beside him, cooing softly. "There… hush now…" her words and tine together made her sound more like Atsu rather than Flonne. "…but we need to put her to rest, Laharl… let me help you."

It would be a sizable amount of time before he would even so much as attempt to stand again.

Flonne had gone off somewhere in town, leaving Laharl to himself for about an hour or so now. He knew she had intended this, but what she could never know, was he took this time to do it all himself.

By now night had fallen and he was left in the cold silver moonlight to dig her grave himself. He was hand digging it.

Not a problem.

Or so he thought; though with her for only a few days, he couldn't help but stop and think about how well she had treated him, and his mind was still full of memories of her. They were, after all, most recent.

He tried to continually convince himself he was alright.

Full night had fallen and he still had seen no sight of Flonne. Well... what is there to see when you are half blinded by tears? She'd been there almost the whole time, offering him help softly every now and then without his knowing.

It was like he was in his own little world.

By now he'd finished digging her grave; the troublesome task gratefully over.

Now came the hardest part; carving her headstone.

It took him a moment to think of what to write. He hardly knew a thing about her… when she was born… where… he only knew these vague things; she was a sister, at least, died 00 month XX year, and that she had meant a lot to him. Not much to go off of, and it nearly tore him in half.

This wonderful person he trusted and loved so much and even spent nearly a week with had just passed away, and he knew nothing about her whatsoever.

He began again, wondering just where to start in the hazy inscription he'd be responsible to carve.

Atsu

Born --, died 00 month XX year.

A caring sister and a like a mother to me. Always there when I needed her; always helpful and never angry even after all I

put her through.

Rest in piece,

My heart will always be with you.

He glanced away, a sob catching in his chest and he pushed the stone away. He'd left the date for her birth blank hoping that if someone ever came by, they would know who it was and maybe take the time to stop and carve it in for him. Otherwise, the main reason hew felt so terrible in a sense, was because of the last line he fashioned.

They had always, of course, been talking about the heart… and now, writing it on her grave like this… it was just too much. He'd even gone to the trouble of trying to make the headstone in the shape of a heart.

One thing he did not fully recognize the trouble of, however, was where he had to carry not only this heavy stone marker, but also Atsu's body. He'd dug the grave at the top of the hill beside her house, where only hours ago she had taken him to go underneath and show him her collection of mourning doves. Where he's once dreamt of, other than the epic background it had held in the fantasy.

He knew all too well he would be unable to carry such a burden after he'd finally gotten the marker to the top. Something that would have never given him trouble before, now felt like it weighed over a ton, no sarcasm or exaggeration intended. He had forced himself to sit after he'd properly placed the headstone, feeling winded in any case. He wondered just how exactly he could manage carrying her himself being in such a weakened state.

Preparing, more or less stalling himself, he rubbed his hands together slowly and bent to touch the body's covered shoulders. As if it had sent him a shock, he jolted away and Flonne came to settle beside him.

"Laharl…"

His small sobs were weak and he could almost literally and honestly say he was getting tired of crying. It didn't suit him at all, and he didn't want it to.

This was not the way he wanted to be seen; especially by Flonne.

Only now had he come to realise he'd been right the entire time. If he had let Etna see, she would never shut up. Let Flonne see, and neither would she.

Atsu was always perfect.

Just this once he wanted a reprieve… but it seemed the only reprieve he's ever gotten was lying dead in his hands.

He sat there, staring up at the starry sky, her limp head in his lap.

The stars were so pure… so scintillating... so brightly lit that they seemed to give off their own light that seemed to nearly drown him as he reminisced over the short time he'd had with her.

One of the stars flickered more brightly and his attention was slowly pulled to it. He wondered if it was just Atsu waving goodbye… or if she was just saying hello.

"You know, Laharl…" Flonne began slowly, taking his shoulder. He jolted slightly and turned half-way to look at her. "Seraph Lamington always told me… that for humans… and sometimes demons, that if you are really sad after someone leaves and passes on… they will become a star… wanting to let you know that it's okay to cry… but also to not be sad for them…"

He gazed back up at the superlative sky, thinking back to his mother… and how she had taken on the form of the Red Prinny… her tears shattering as ice as they hit the ground…

Oh, how brightly the stars shone that night…

And then he thought of Vyers. At first, Laharl had wondered why the man had been taking it all so hard… until he realised Vyers- no. not 'Vyers'. Krichevskoy.

His father.

Of course he would cry. He was watching his wife die.

Again.

"Laharl…?"

He gave a stifled sob and threw himself in her arms, burying his face in her safe arms. "Of course he was crying… he was… my father…" he muttered softly, his frail arms shaking. Flonne nudged his arm lightly, and when he looked at her, she pointed upward.

Two altered coloured stars seemed to wink at him as a third joined the couple.

Atsu.

"You see, Laharl…?" Flonne said quietly, getting him to look at her. "She doesn't want you to be sad…"

"Well tell her I'm sorry then…! I just lost a good friend! What else am I supposed to do? Laugh?" he sobbed, shaking his head.

She took him into a tight embrace and held him there. "Don't forget, Laharl… I'm your friend too… I can help you…"

He hated when she did things like this… it made him feel… She was being so kind… so gentle… so much like…

His mother.

He glanced up at her and met her in the face, nearly staring. He saw the same eyes… the same caring expression… the same smile.

That smile didn't belong to her; her arms were too comfortable…

It was like having a second mother.

After another moment or so of what seemed like small pep-talks, Flonne managed to get Laharl up and helped him carry the body and placed her inside the grave.

"…why are you helping me?" he asked at last, after all was said and done and the grave was covered. He stared off into the distance, sitting next to the tomb, watching over the cascading hills that took the place of the epic background he once knew from his dream.

"Laharl…" Flonne was standing a ways behind him. "I already told you… I'm your friend-- I want to be your friend… I want you to trust me."

A small hesitation and he turned to look at her slyly, almost cautiously. "…I trust you."

There was a sudden sparkle in her eyes and it made him stop himself from continuing on any further. The sombre look on her ashen face made him turn and see for himself the moment after there was a slight flutter before him.

A golden mourning dove had perched herself on the stone marker and stood before a Red Moon.

The moon, full in all its scintillating glory was red. Darker to one side; a trail of greenish-teal leading down from it. Small pinpoints of light danced around it and upwards to the red moon, and Laharl stood, turning to face it. Two small words slipped from his mouth; "Akai… Tsuki,"

"Oh, look, Laharl!" Flonne said excitedly, coming to stand beside him. "Look what the dove brought with it!" she held her hand out to the golden bird and it dropped a pale blue flower in her palm. "What is it called?" she held it to her face, taking in the wonderful scent. "It smells beautiful!"

"…a Harusame flower."

Distant singing could be heard, yet no source could be found in sight as a single snowflake fell and drifted down, mingling and dancing in his face.

Snow? And the Prinnies rang out,

Akai Tsuki, Akai Tsuki…

Tsumi wo okashita mono do mono…

Kegare-o kiyomeru, Akai Tsuki...

Koyoi wa darega umare kawaru…?

Koyoi was darega… umare kawaru…?

The stars were brighter than ever.

;-; i'm so sorry to you all! ...well, those who like the story and his fluffiness at least. xD and here i say; if you didn't like it to start with , why come all this way to finish? lololz, i hoped whoever everone is, and whatever you support or don't, you all liked it. it's my first NOT one-shot that's finished-- YAY!