Disclaimer: I do not own HYD or any of its characters or Back at One preformed by Brian McKinght.


Moe had done his job and before they knew it Doumyouji found himself a little confused, but happily walking up the stairway to heaven. Each step seemed like a journey in itself. It was curios, he thought, that it would be so much work to get to eternal bliss and so easy to drop to damnation, an elevator or the stairs? 'Remind me to walk,' he mused.

Step by step he climbed to his final destination, happiness. He closed his eyes and a quick flash of a face graced his memory for a second. He tried to close his eyes and concentrate on the face but he couldn't remember if it was male or female. Ignoring the momentary train of thought he continued his ascent only to trip on the next step. His arms flew in front of him to brace his fall and as he lingered on the steps on all fours the same face flashed through his mind.

"What the hell?" He took a seat on the steps and tried to recollect his composure. He sat there a few minutes with his hand to his head. "What's going on?" He closed his eyes again and was greeted by the same results as before, darkness. "What am I trying to remember?"

Doumyouji got up when he felt better and continued up the white and gold staircase. The climb seemed endless and his mind started to wander. First he started to think about colors. Blue, green, yellow…a flash of a girl in a yellow blazer invaded his thoughts. 'What?' Gray, black, brown…another glimpse of the girl with big brown eyes and long flat brown hair sat in front of him with bandages on her face and hands.

That memory stopped him in his tracks. His heart felt as heavy as lead in his chest and he didn't know why. Instinctively his hand grabbed for the pain but there was no relief. "Who are you?" He asked, but he received no response.

He fought against the void in his mind. There were answers in his head; he just needed to find them. One, two three, four… three young men sat on the grass. Two of them seemed involved in a conversation laughing with one another and the other seemed bored, almost lonely, sitting by himself. "Who are you people? Get out of my head!" He yelled grabbing at his hair.

"I hate your stupidity. I hate your weird hair. I hate how you strut around campus in regular clothes. I hate your arrogance. I hate your snake-like eyes. I hate everything about you."

The voice sounded like it was coming from behind him, so he spun around only to be greeted by more stairs. 'I'm going crazy.' He hung his head and started up the stairs again. Fall, spring, summer, winter…the snow stung his face as he search frantically. 'What am I looking for?' He thought. A red light shone through the snow grabbing his attention. Quickly he fell to the ground digging to uncover the light only to find a leg. His heart was beating out of his chest, but he ignored it because a feeling of anxiety had replaced the doubt in his mind.

He didn't know who was under the drift of snow, but he knew he cared for her more than anything in the world. 'Why do I feel like I love her?' He started CPR on the lifeless girl under him and didn't know why. His chest burned with fear that he was too late. His hands moved on their own, and when she began to cough he felt the weight of the world roll off his shoulders only to be replaced by an obligation to protect her and get her to safety.

Doumyouji shook his head and made a mad dash up the stairs towards the light that crowned over the eventual landing. He ran jumping two and three steps at a time trying to get away from his memories. He couldn't remember who they were, but he could feel his heart filling with doubt.

It's undeniable that we should be together.

It's unbelievable how I used to say that I thought never.

The basis you need to know if you don't know just how I feel,

then let me show you now that I'm for real.

If all things in time, time will reveal. Yeah

Doumyouji stood in front of a naked girl. The young lady's light kimono lay on the ground by her feet and she was spouting something about wanting him to want her, but all he could think about was the girl with the big brown eyes. Why had she been in the café with that guy? What were they doing now that he was in this room with this girl? A part of him wanted to go storming down the hall to where those two were and find out the answers to these questions, but how could he? He felt his duty to this girl, but he definitely didn't feel any love?

"I can't love you." As he heard the sound of the words flowing out of his mouth he could feel the sharpness of their meaning. He didn't remember why, but even though he felt bad for hurting this girl before him, his heart yearned to be with the girl down the hall.

One, you're like a dream come true.

Two, just wanna be with you.

Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me and,

Four repeat steps one thru three.

Five, make you fall in love with me.

If ever I believe my work is done, then I'll start back at one. Yeah

When the initial shock of her standing in his hallway wearing a maid's uniform had worn off he realized that having her under his roof could be beneficial to them getting another chance at a normal relationship. He had a special piece of jewelry made just for her and he went out and got one of the best telescopes in the country just to show her how much she meant to him. He loved her more than life itself, and even though she hadn't returned his affections he didn't let it detour him from his initial plan because he knew that they were meant to be together.

So incredible, the way things work themselves out.

And all emotional, once you know what it's all about yeah.

And undesirable for us to be apart, never would've made it very far,

'cause you know you've got the keys to my heart. 'Cause…

Doumyouji ran as fast as he could and he could feel his chest burning, whether it was from the lack of oxygen or the fear of loosing her he didn't know, all he knew was that he had to catch up to that bus. All of a sudden he felt the ground missing under his feet and within seconds had tumbled down to the ground. He cursed his feet, his life and himself for not getting to her sooner, for not keeping up with her, and for letting her walk out of his like at all. He watched as the children made faces at him as they passed his motionless shell sitting on the ground. Unable to cry, unable to think or just overwhelmed by fatigue he couldn't help but stare off past the children in the direction the bus had gone. He barely had time to recognize the figure running toward him before he released a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. There she stood in all her penniless glory. The hardest woman in the world to live with, but the only one he never wanted to be without.

One, you're like a dream come true.

Two, just wanna be with you.

Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me and,

Four repeat steps one thru three.

Five, make you fall in love with me.

If ever I believe my work is done, then I'll start back at one. Yeah

Alone he stood by the window aimlessly staring into the gardens that bordered his Long Island home. How long was she planning to keep him locked in this room without any human interaction outside of the one maid that came in and out to bring him his food? He listened as a knock came at the door. Slowly he heard the key turn unlocking his prison. It wasn't too much longer before his warden stepped in with a rather grim look on her face. "You do understand why you're here, right?" She began in her dry and cold voice. He shrugged trying to ignore her. "Tsukasa, you are the heir of this corporation, and as that heir it is your responsibility to prepare yourself for that step in your life." She moved over to the window and followed his line of sight. "I have decided that if you do everything that I ask, if you stay here for four years and learn all that is expected of you, then I will allow you to do as you wish about this &$# thing."

That caught his attention. He could see the distain in her eyes at having to compromise, but it was something that he could do. He could get through four years. He could do anything to be with her. "I accept." He said giving her his full attention.

"Good." She sighed as she walked toward the only other exit. "Because she's here now in the study, and if you want be to keep my end of the deal you'll make her go away." He didn't believe her at first, what would she be doing here? Now? He ran to as fast as he could down the hall, almost jumping the stairs in one leap, to the study that held his beloved. He straightened his clothes and walked into the room with an expression that could freeze magma. "What are you doing here?" He said, his tone frightening even himself. He couldn't believe he could be so rude to her when all he wanted was to pull her into his arms and hug her as hard as possible. How his lips yearned to meet hers. His fingers wishing they could dance over her pale skin.

But as fast as the conversation had started, it was ended and he was leaving to get her a car to drive her to the airport. He closed the door behind him and rested his back against it. 'I should just grab her and run away. We can be together without this bitch's consent.' But, that was no way to live. If the old hag had conceded to letting them get married after four years, then he could wait four years. He had given his word as a man.

Say farewell to the dark night, I see the coming of the sun.

I feel like a little child whose life has just begun.

You came and breathed new life into this lonely heart of mine.

You threw out the life line just in the nick of time.

Doumyouji sat surrounded by his friends when the girl with the brown eyes came marching up to him. She gave him a bag with a few things in it. He didn't recognize any of it, a ball, a teddy bear, and a necklace. Baffled he looked up at her and asked why she was giving it to him and she got frustrated. No, angry. Angry enough to throw the baseball as hard as she could hurling it towards his head.

One, you're like a dream come true.

Two, just wanna be with you.

Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me and,

Four repeat steps one thru three.

Five, make you fall in love with me.

If ever I believe my work is done, then I'll start back at one.

"Tsukushi." Doumyouji stopped at the top of the stairs. 'How could I have forgotten her twice in one lifetime?' He made his way to the large golden gates to the man standing in front of them with a little book.

"Mr. Doumyouji." He smiled brightly closing his book. "I've heard that you had quite an adventure coming here."

"I'm sorry I wasted your time." He paused. "But I won't be able to stay."

The little man didn't seem taking aback, instead he nodded his head and walked over to Doumyouji with his hand out. "I didn't expect you to."

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, you are dead and you do belong in heaven, but you are an extremely rare case." He put his hand on Doumyouji's shoulder and ushered him into a small door on the side of the gate. "I don't know why, but Kami likes you. He likes both of you."

"God loves all his creatures." He rolled his eyes.

"You're correct." The little man stood before yet another door. This one was ten times bigger than the gates were. Doumyouji imagined himself standing on his own shoulders, and he would still need nine or ten more to touch the top of the door. "But he doesn't like all of his creatures."

The guardian of the gate pushed one of the doors open with his stubby arms and guided Doumyouji inside. "You deserve to be happy, you've earned that in the past few years, but you have a few dark moments in your life that are still haunting your soul." He reached for the door knob and paused. "You want to get back to Tsukushi, right?" The man peered into his eyes searching his heart.

"More than anything." He said, confidence unwavering.

"Good. Then you'll have no problem facing and destroying this demon, to take your rightful place beside her." The man opened the door and pushed Doumyouji into the black room.

The door was closed behind him enveloping him with darkness. He could hear the sound of something moving around in the shadows. Silence, followed by footsteps, leading to a clatter and an angry grumble filling the room only serving to make Doumyouji's heart start beating faster.

"Who are you?" A male voice brimming with annoyance finally broke threw heart pounding sound in Doumyouji's head.

"I'm Doumyouji Tsukasa." His voice was full of pride, even if he felt a little apprehensive about the situation. He was never one to be afraid of any challenge, but a demon was a demon and he didn't know what type of danger he would be facing.

His announcement earned a 'tsk' from the voice in the eerie dark. Doumyouji blinked as a blinding light took over. When his eyes had adjusted to the brightness Doumyouji stood face to face with a younger red eyed version of himself.


A/N: Tsukasa's battle with death is finally coming to a head and in the next chapter we see if he has what it takes to defeat the demon he called himself. Thank you for reading the final chapter is almost here. Yay! Please review!