Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei

Shout-outs:

Chrono21: Be nice to your Muse; he gives you ideas. Oh, and I have a male muse, too. He's my humor muse, so he's not good for anything.

Regarding death…there will be deaths. I will not tell you who will die, though.

Originally Kushinada was supposed to have gone with Shizonai immediately. Her soul would be split much later on. I changed that plan to make the scene's pacing better. Now I've got to work out the relevance of the scene Kushinada was originally supposed to split in. Hmm…

What is the present equivalent to precognitive abilities? Just plain cognitive? Then that's the ability Yoshiro has. It's not very developed, seeing as the boy is only five and a half years old, but it'll come back into play later on…I think.

Wakaba and Terazuma do have children, but they weren't the couple I was talking about. You'll see…

laustic: Here's the chapter for you!

AnimeAngelRin: I'll go and fix that soon. Read on to see what Nagare does.

Amethyst-eyed Koneko: I can't predict authors, either, so don't worry. (Except Shakespeare. Then the formula is: random sexing, and then people die).

We will see more of Kushinada-jin (the good one, as opposed to Kushinada-youkai), but she's a long way off yet. To be honest, I don't know how long this one is going to be, since it's not in complete outline form yet.

Do you know how odd it is to write Hisoka raising a child? He seems like the kind of person who would hate children. What's funny is that during the Devil's Trill arc, he spends a lot of time looking after Kazusa. I find that little paradox cute. Not as cute as Yoshiro of course. I hope I'm writing a five-year-old realistically.

The Count wins at life (death?) because of that scene. Regarding Nagare being a "Shinigami", I'm simply using it as a term applying to all those who live in Meifu. It doesn't really have any "official" capacity.

Kiko812: Welcome back to fanfiction!

Eternity's Heir: I'm glad you enjoyed both chapters. Please continue to like the story!

Off-Topic Rambling #1: New song for the T/H Jukebox: "Moonfall" from The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It fits perfectly with the honeymoon chapter from Second Death or chapter 14 from Eden ("Before the cloak of night reveals the morn/Time holds its breath while it conceals the dawn/And in the moonfall, all sound is frozen still/Yet warm against me/Your skin will warm the chill/Of Moonfall … Betwixt our hearts, let nothing intervene/Between our eyes, the only sight I've seen/Is lust'rous moonfall as it blinds my view/So that soon I only see but you").

Oddly enough, the reprise to that song, "The Name of Love", sounds like an exchange between Tsuzuki and Muraki ("You call it love/I call it rude/I call it lust/I call it lewd/I call it cruel/I cannot bear/To call it love/I think it foul/I think it vile/No more I'll take/Of cunning guile/You're worse than bad/You give to sin/The name of love" and "You have no choice/Is it so much/For me to ask?/I only seek/The name of love/I love to hear/The angry bite/Of your fair voice/One blazing night/You will submit/And give your fate/The name of love", respectively).

Family Reunion

"Tsu-baachan!"

"Yoshiro-kun!"

Tsubaki crouched down in time to catch Yoshiro in her arms.

"Thanks again, Tsubaki-hime," Hisoka said, fixing his sleeve.

"Hey, I'm just thankful not to be working with Terazuma anymore," Tsubaki said. During Wakaba's second pregnancy she had taken the woman's job as a Shinigami. The pair had eagerly exchanged spots after Wakaba's son was born and Wakaba began letting Kaneko baby-sit (chemical-free, of course); she was tired of sitting at home no matter how much she enjoyed being doted on by her husband, and Tsubaki was terrified of working with that husband anymore. "Baby-sitting is better than being hollered at for talking on a mission."

"I bet you'll be working with him again soon enough; they seem even more keen on popping out babies than Kaneko is," Tsuzuki said, smiling at the jibe he was sending Terazuma's way.

"Well, you started a trend," Tsubaki said, standing up. "You brought Yoshiro home, and then everybody started having kids. Even the Shiki."

"Well, Suzaku and Touda weren't really planning on Hiko," Tsuzuki corrected. "He just kinda happened. But Seiryuu and Kouchin haven't had any kids yet."

"I give them a year," Hisoka muttered.

"Watch, Eileen will want one soon enough," Tsubaki said, twisting her three-years-worn wedding band around her finger.

"How's she dealing with you coming all the way out here?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Oh, she's fine."

"Even when you work here?"

"We can stand a long-distance arrangement. Besides, Hong Kong keeps her busy."

"Tsu-baachan, I wan' play outside!" Yoshiro said impatiently, tugging at her skirt.

"Yoshiro, behave yourself," Hisoka said warningly.

"We'll go play in the garden today, okay, Yoshiro-kun?" Tsubaki said, picking the boy up. "You two better go. You'll be late."

"Don't be fooled: she's kicking us out to get Yoshiro for herself," Tsuzuki said.

"Well, maybe," Tsubaki said, smiling. "Say good-bye to your brothers, okay?"

Yoshiro outstretched his arms to hug Tsuzuki's neck, and then Hisoka's.

"We'll be back at six if we don't have to go topside," Hisoka said. "We'll call if something comes up and we need you to stay overnight. He's in bed by seven-thirty. Feed him something healthy," he added, eyeing Tsuzuki, who looked sheepish, "when he gets hungry."

"I will," Tsubaki said, laughing.

"Bye-bye!" Yoshiro crowed, waving enthusiastically.

The warm sun woke Nagare from a surprisingly sound sleep leaning against the trunk of a sakura tree. He thought it odd that one could sleep like a rock after being stabbed in a modern day spin-off of hara-kiri.

He rose and glanced around. The place bore a striking resemblance to portraits of Tokyo before industrialization. In the distance he saw rooftops of what looked like residential houses.

"I suppose I should start there."

"Kurosaki, Tsuzuki, could you step into my office?"

The pair stopped and turned towards where Konoe had called them. "What's the matter?" Hisoka asked.

"I've got a double whammy for you," Konoe said, gritting his teeth.

"Oh great…" A dark cloud hung over their heads as they entered Konoe's office.

"First off, Kira called. You remember that Kushinada woman she was harboring?"

"Yeah," Tsuzuki said, an anxious knot forming in his stomach at the thought of his ancestor.

"She was attacked by one of the demons that escaped Hell and survived the obliteration."

"Is she still alive?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Yes, but the demon did something to her. Kushinada says the demon—Shizonai, she called him—split her soul."

"He what?" Hisoka demanded.

"Split her soul. He transmuted a body from the earth with power he had stolen from her, and sucked half her soul—the repressed demon queen half—into it."

"So we've got a demon queen on our hands again," Hisoka said, ready to spit. "I knew crap would happen today."

"That's not all," Konoe continued, chewing his lip. "She's made her first action against you. Apparently she doesn't know you're on bad terms with your family…"

"What?"

"Last night Kurosaki Iwao stabbed his brother to death. He's pled insanity. With your family's history I would normally say that he's lying, but given that the soul-splitting and the murder coincide, I'd bet my –ss she's responsible for the death."

"It's just like Yoshiro's dream," Tsuzuki whispered in Hisoka's ear.

"That's not the end of it," Konoe said.

"What else?" Hisoka asked, fearing the answer.

"The Count contacted me earlier today. He said…"

"Tsu-baachan, look! A worm!"

"How cute!" Tsubaki said brightly, astoundingly good-natured with all manner of creepy-crawlies despite growing up as a sheltered debutante. "Why don't you put a little hole in the ground for it to slide into? Did you know worms let the earth breathe?"

"Th' earth can't breathe!" Yoshiro exclaimed. "It don't have a nose!"

"Excuse me."

Tsubaki nearly jumped at the unfamiliar masculine voice that seemed barely an inch behind her. She turned around and stood, brushing dirt off her skirt and trying to regain composure and dignity. Yoshiro sprung up from his hands and knees and hid his face in Tsubaki's shirt, his hands clutching the fabric as he peeked his large green eyes around her legs.

"Can I help you?" Tsubaki asked.

"Is that child Kurosaki Yoshiro?" Nagare asked, glancing down at Yoshiro, who pulled back fearfully.

"Yes," Tsubaki said, folding her arm behind her to cover Yoshiro's head.

"Good." His hand reached out for Yoshiro.

"What are you doing?" Tsubaki yelped, stepping backwards and taking Yoshiro with her.

"I'm Kurosaki Nagare. This boy is my child."

"You're crazy," Tsubaki accused. "And even if you were Nagare, I wouldn't let you anywhere near Yoshiro, not with his track record."

Tsubaki let out a sudden startled cry as Nagare's palm slapped against her cheek, nearly knocking her off-balance. Her free wrist was suddenly caught in Nagare's grasp. He bent it backwards, silently threatening it with breaking point.

"Tsu-baachan!" Yoshiro cried.

"Let go of me," Tsubaki said, weakly aggressive.

"Young lady, I could snap you in half in an instant if I wanted," Nagare said bluntly. "Move out of the way before I get the chance."

"Tsu-baachan!"

"Take your filthy hands off her, you ugly animal!"

A large black purse collided solidly with Nagare's head, forcing him to stumble to the side.

"Eileen-chan!" Tsubaki gasped alongside Yoshiro's "Eileen-baachan!"

"Woman, what do you keep in there?" Nagare growled, holding his throbbing head.

"Bricks. Three of them." The Queen Camellia had taught her well. "What are you doing, harassing my wife?"

"He wants Yoshiro," Tsubaki said, scooping her sobbing charge into her arms protectively.

"Oh, a child molester, eh?" Eileen said, cocking her eyebrow with a sneer. "Well, I've had my share of perverts before, and I know exactly what to do with them." She brandished her purse, eyeing vulnerable parts.

"Eileen-baachan, that's my papa!" Yoshiro yelled out, tears running down his face.

"He's your…what?"

"Yoshiro!"

Nagare turned around and the half-familiar screech. Tsuzuki and Hisoka, nearly out of breath from panic, stopped just a few feet short of Nagare.

"Hisoka-niisan!" Yoshiro reached forward, waving his arms, still crying. "Tsuzu-nii!"

Tsuzuki broke out of the trance-like state first and went forward, skirting around Nagare as if expecting the man to suddenly attack him, to Yoshiro. Tsubaki huddled with Tsuzuki, unwilling to relinquish her hold on the toddler.

"What the hell happened here?" Hisoka threw out like a challenge, fury begging to escape with his voice.

"This man showed up demanding to take Yoshiro," Tsubaki said, sending a venomous glare at Nagare. "I wouldn't let him."

"Hisoka-niisan, he hitted Tsu-baachan!" Yoshiro yelled. Tsuzuki began wiping away Yoshiro's tears.

"I came here for a visit since it's been slow today," Eileen said steely. "When I got here he was near to breaking Camille's wrist. I hit him with my purse."

"Had the bricks in it?" Tsuzuki asked, finally managing to pull Yoshiro out of Tsubaki's arms.

"Of course. And then you two showed up."

Hisoka nodded his acknowledgment. "Is your wrist okay, Tsubaki-hime?"

"Yeah," Tsubaki said, cupping her hand in her other one as Eileen came around beside her to inspect the almost-injury for herself.

"Good. Thanks for holding him off. You…you can go home now. Tsuzuki and I have the rest of the day off. We'll deal with this."

"Hisoka, is this man really your father?" Tsubaki questioned.

"Unfortunately," Hisoka said shortly. "Please…go home now."

"Sure…" Tsubaki said uncertainly, allowing Eileen to take her hand and pull her away.

"Tsuzuki, take Yoshiro inside, please," Hisoka said as the pair disappeareed, not looking at anyone but his father.

"Yeah," Tsuzuki said, staring at Nagare before turning his entire concentration to Yoshiro. "Hey, don't cry, okay? Hisoka-niisan is going to get rid of your scary papa." He lightly kissed Yoshiro's forehead and bore him away into the house, shutting the door behind him. Both Hisoka and Nagare heard the click of the lock.

"What are you doing here?" Hisoka asked, still fighting to control himself. "That's some fine nerve you have," he said before Nagare could reply. "Even after death, your only thought is to screw up my life. You were seriously going to break her wrist, weren't you?"

"If she didn't give him to me, yes, I would have."

"What in hell were you going to do with Yoshiro if you'd taken him?"

"I'd like you to know the pain of having a child disappear right from under you," Nagare said coolly.

"Oh, like you give a sh-t," Hisoka spat.

"I am the boy's father."

"Yoshiro doesn't have a father," and both Hisoka and Nagare looked to where Tsuzuki was now standing on the porch. "Yoshiro has two brothers who have raised him since he was two days old."

Nagare cocked an eyebrow. "Really. I wouldn't think you two would be mentally stable enough to raise a child."

"Yeah, we're two pretty f-cked up individuals, partly in thanks to you," Hisoka said poisonously. "But we got over ourselves long enough to realize that he is far more important than we are. That's something you can never accomplish, and that's exactly why you're not fit to raise a plant, let alone a kid."

"Yoshiro has powers like Hisoka does," Tsuzuki said informatively. "He saw your death in his dreams last night."

"And he'll never see the inside of a basement for it," Hisoka added acidly. "Because unlike you, we actually love him."

"Get out of here, Nagare," Tsuzuki said flatly. "There's no reason for you to be here."

"Really?" Nagare said amusedly. "Well, I'm not leaving Meifu. I have some "pressing regret" that I need to take care of, apparently."

"Then get it over with and leave us alone," Hisoka said through clenched teeth.

"And if this regret should involve you?"

"I don't give one damn if it does," Hisoka snarled, grabbing Tsuzuki's wrist. "I don't have the time to listen to your crap in any case. I have a little boy who you just terrified who needs to know that there's someone in his family who isn't a piece of sh-t."

The door slammed behind Hisoka and Tsuzuki, leaving Nagare standing like a stone on the road, unknowing that Yoshiro rushed to hug his shaking elder brother who had sat down hard on the couch, trying to give as well as receive comfort from the action.