Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei

Shout-outs:

Kiko812: There's nothing wrong wishing for quick updates! Hope this one was quick enough for you!

Kaouri18: I don't even remember how I dreamed up Rui and Kasane as Shiki. Originally, Kasane was supposed to have still been Nagare's drowned first wife, who was awoken in the lake by his murder. Everything got changed around when I made it so Kushinada's soul was split in the beginning of the story instead of later on. I guess Kasane's plotline got shuffled and eventually just kinda morphed into that.

I think it's interesting that Nagare is the calm and collected asshole, while Rui is the crazy raving bitch. Given his family and his young life, Hisoka should be a flippin' psychopath, not just slightly unhinged.

laustic: Glad you think the idea is cool! And I'm sorry about your cat, too. (Hugs)

AnimeAngelRin: Kasane kicks ass. I love her much. What disturbs you about Hisoka being half-Shiki? I think that'd make an excellent plot in the actual manga.

Amethyst-eyed Koneko: Punitz squares are what you do to get a rough sketch of the future generation. Example: I was trying to come up with what Kyoko looks like. Her dad has brown hair ("B", a dominant gene), and her mom has blonde hair ("b", a recessive gene). For easiness' sake, let's say both Tatsumi's parents had brown hair, making him BB, and both Kaneko's had blonde hair, making her bb. I can't show you the actual sqaure, but I can tell you that BB dominates over bb in all cases. So if Kyoko had been born with blonde hair, there are only two alternatives: One of Tatsumi's parents had blonde hair, making him Bb and giving Kyoko a fifty percent chance of having blonde hair, or Kaneko was cheating on Tatsumi with a blond man. And I know there are some Watari/Hisoka fans out there, but I'm not one of them.

In the case of Ayame and Daichi, their mother has red hair ("r") and their dad has blue hair ("b"). Since both those genes are recessive, we go into something called—I think—co-dominance, where the colors combine. That's why the Terazuma-lings have purple hair.

Moving on…don't beat yourself up for asking questions. They make authors think. I enjoy being showered with praise, but I don't want simple yes-men.

I remembered that you mentioned your own kitty died awhile ago. (Hugs)

I figured you would love it when Kasane hit Rui. Sisterly catfights are always fun. Byakko vs Nagare is something I want to see, but probably won't write. And there are no words to describe how flipping adorable Yoshiro is. I wanted to smack Rui when she denounced her son, and I'm the one who wrote her saying that!

To be honest, I didn't really give much thought as to what Hisoka's Shiki form would be. My train of thought roughly went like this: "Okay, so Kasane and Rui are Shiki. That makes Yoshiro and Hisoka half-Shiki. Oh crap…Hisoka would have figured that out by now. Um…WAIT! He was possessed! That killed off his powers! Like antibodies! Or something! (Happy dance)". Did I mention that this story is completely random? I was so not planning this when I was writing Eden. I'm scared the work might suffer for it. But then, Eden wasn't planned during Second Death, so maybe…

And when you visit my LJ…please comment! It's like getting reviews.

Eternity's Heir: Thank you!

CrazyYnMLoverxD: Yes, they're not nice people, are they?

FaerieRikki: Hope you enjoy!

kagehime: Newbie! (Glomps)

anon (last chapter of Second Death): Finally, someone else who likes TsuLeen!

Those plot elements were introduced because I had the ideas for them but simply did nto have the inspiration to explain them out in their own stories. Also, I'm no canon-thumper, so Kazusa remaining alive due to plot holes is no problem for me.

Muraki got plenty of time in Eden to make up for Second Death. As for the swearing, I was sharing a compter with my parents then, and I didn't trust them not to go snooping.

Bonds Unbreakable

"Oomph—! Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm incredibly lost and…oh."

Kushinada's aimless wanderings around the unfamiliar territory of Juohcho cubicles were abruptly cut short as she distractedly bumped into the last person she wanted to: her ancestor.

"Hi," she said, trying to control her jaw muscles.

"…Hi," Tsuzuki answered, taking a step back, avoiding making eye contact. "Um…you said you were lost?"

"I don't know where Kira-san went. I…I think she might have let me wander on purpose."

"Really," Tsuzuki said lamely, severely regretting that Hisoka had left with Yoshiro—meeting one's long-lost ancestor who six years ago had been in on a plot to brainwash you is not something one wants to face alone. "I guess I could show you where—what?"

Kushinada turned her face away quickly. She had been trying to evade looking into Tsuzuki's face for this exact reason.

"Kushinada-…san? What was it?"

"Y-your eyes," she mumbled.

"My…?"

"They're just like his…like my husband's," she said hesitantly.

"…Oh."

"I'll tell you something, those eyes…they catch people's attention."

"I know," Tsuzuki said, bitterness seeping into his voice.

"People can fall for someone because of those eyes," Kushinada continued, her mind wandering back centuries.

"Or in spite of them," Tsuzuki muttered, turning away.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." He took a step away. "Come on, I'll show you to—"

"A…Asato?"

He halted. "I…prefer to be called by my…family name. Even Hisoka calls me that."

"Oh." Kushinada's half-outstretched hand faltered and began nervously fiddling with the collar of her kimono.

"What was it?"

"Huh?" Her head, cast down, looked up.

"What were you going to say?" He had turned back towards her.

"I…I don't know, really. What can I say?"

"I don't know." He gave a tight, half-shrug.

"I just want you to—six years ago…that was someone else."

"What?"

"I'm…there's three of me," she said, helplessly casting her mind to put an explanation into words. "There's who you met in Hell, there's who…was in that little boy's nightmare, and then there's me…right here, right now…talking to you. You…understand?"

"Y-yes."

"Just please know…I—the one right here and now—would never have done that to you, back there in Hell. Please know that."

Tsuzuki nodded, mutely, with difficulty. His mouth was the moistness equivalent of the Sahara.

Kushinada looked away, clutching her kimono nervously.

"So I guess…you're my real ancestor?" Tsuzuki blurted out.

"The other one would have nothing to do with you, I know that," Kushinada said, allowing a small laugh into her wavering voice. "She's too bent on revenge on her…my…on Susano."

An uncomfortable silence.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Kushinada asked, surprised that he had broken the silence even though she knew she probably wouldn't have.

"Why…how could you have ever…? With him?"

"I don't know," Kushinada said. "I just did."

"He was thrown out of Heaven for rebelling against God!" Tsuzuki yelped, a little louder than he meant to. Kushinada flinched.

"I didn't know that when I met him," she said, feebly defensive. "I only knew that I was going to be eaten, like all my sisters, and he was the only one who would oppose that dragon on my behalf."

"And why?" Tsuzuki demanded.

"I didn't care."

"You didn't…" Tsuzuki found himself out of fresh incredulous remarks. His desk chair was calling to him and he responded, flopping down into it heavily.

"Tsuzuki?"

"Why did you love him?" he asked, looking up into her eyes.

"Why do you love Hisoka?"

"Because of who he is," Tsuzuki said readily.

"But if that were the case, everyone would be in love with him. No, you…you love him for what he is to you. And it's the same with me."

"There's gotta be a difference there, though."

"I'm sure there is," Kushinada said, with a frail smile. "But that's the root of it, Tsuzuki. Believe me. I've had six years to mull it over. That's the only conclusion I can come to."

"I guess all the intelligence got left up at your end of the gene pool," Tsuzuki said, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling.

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Just how far apart are we?" he asked, bringing his head down to look at her.

"Not very much. Demons live for thousands of years, even half-demons. I think we're only five generations apart…that makes you my great-great-great-grandson."

"What…what was the rest of my family like?"

"Reckless," Kushinada said, casting her mind back. "And bloodthirsty. I think your…father, yes, your father participated in both the American and our own civil war. He had quite a fetish for human girls, too…I saw your mother once. She was quite a beautiful woman."

"Prettiest in the village," Tsuzuki said, remembering one of the few good things about his childhood.

"In so many ways, you are nothing like the rest of our family, Tsuzuki."

"Will you be hurt if I say that's a good thing?"

She smiled faintly. "No. You're like me…before I was married. I changed so much…"

"I know."

"I'm not ashamed of falling in love with Susano, but I am ashamed of who I became. I wonder if my children would have been different had I not…but that can't be changed now."

"Guess so."

"Bonding?" an amused voice asked.

"Kira-san," Kushinada said, turning around as Kira approached her charge.

"Glad to see you two getting along," Kira said, smiling lightly. "Considering what we just left an hour ago."

"Hey, Ru-chan," Kasane said guardedly, testing the water with the baby nickname she had always applied to Rui.

"What do you want?" Rui asked, nearly in a hiss.

""What do you want"?" Kasane mimicked nasally. "Well, I was going to apologize for hitting you, but if you're going to be a bitch about it…"

"I accept your apology," Rui said, chilled.

"Man, you're something else, you know that?" Kasane said, flopping down on a chair. "Where's the mister?"

"I don't know; I think he went to go see those boys."

"You mean your children?" Kasane asked pointedly.

"I mean those abominations."

"Are you aware of the capacity you have for being a total asshole?" Kasane asked disbelievingly. "Our parents would be ashamed of you. Hell, I'm ashamed of you for them."

"Ha, our parents, who left Gensoukai?"

"For our safety, not for being ashamed of who they were!" Kasane yelled, jumping up.

"Then why did we take such great pains to hide ourselves, Kasane?" Rui shot back. "Why was I never allowed into my Shiki form, even when no one was near the house? Why were you punished when you defied that order? Why did we never find out what forms our parents took? Why were we told that we should regard our Shiki forms as monsters never to be revealed to anybody, not even those we married?"

"They were afraid, Rui!"

"They were ashamed!" Rui countered, flinging the word like a projectile. "And I am, too."

"Of yourself? Of your own children?"

Rui glared at her defiantly, eyes answering affirmatively.

"You're pathetic," Kasane stated bluntly, tears stinging at her eyes. "You hate Mom and Dad, your sons, yourself…and me."

"I don't hate you."

"Oh, that makes me feel so special," Kasane said, her voice clipping into a sort of suppressed wail as she turned away. "And why don't you hate me, Rui?"

"The same reason you don't hate me. Because we're sisters."

Kasane had nearly forgotten Rui's frightening ability to be quite insightful at random, unexpected intervals.

"You can't hate me because of over two decades of growing up together," Rui continued, and in a breath illustrating twenty years of laughter and tears, fun and work, fights and playtimes.

"Does that make you feel powerful, Rui?" Kasane asked sarcastically.

"No. It makes me feel weak, because I am just like you." It was her time to turn away.

"Me, and not your children?"

"My children…bah, "my" children. I barely knew either of them. Nagare had the first one locked up when he was four. I only saw the second one once."

"I saw your face when you saw Yoshiro, Rui," Kasane argued. "One sure wouldn't know you only had him for a day."

"Shut up, Kasane," Rui spat.

"You're only mad because you know I'm right."

"Shut up, Kasane!" Rui screeched.

Kasane fell silent, as did Rui. Both sisters regarded each other suspiciously for a few silent seconds.

"Your husband didn't seem too perturbed to learn that you were a Shiki," Kasane finally said.

"My husband is a good man."

"I don't think Hisoka would agree."

"I'm not particularly interested in what that monster would think."

"If he's a monster, then you are a demon."

"Don't I know it."

"Rui!"

"You and I both," Rui pressed on.

"All right then, fine, say we're demons," Kasane said darkly. "At least I accept what I am and manage to like myself despite it—hell, I like myself because it's contributed to who I am, and I think I turned out pretty damn good. I take it back, Rui. I'm not ashamed of you. I pity you—pity you for the self-loathing you put yourself through and the motherhood you missed out on because you were too busy hating something that didn't need to be hated."

"Kasane?" a male voice called from several feet away.

"That's Byakko," Kasane said, still looking at Rui. "I can at least pride myself in saying I never lied to him…and he's only my boyfriend. Not my husband, and not my child."

She walked briskly away, Rui refusing to look after her.

Hisoka felt Nagare coming before he saw him, but the feeling of panic from before did not rise again. As much as he loathed the man, he was not about to say that Nagare was a fool, and he knew his father fully understood that a repeat of the previous mishap would land him in serious shit with the whole of Meifu.

"What do you want?" Hisoka demanded petulantly. He was sitting on the porch swing, Yoshiro dozing lightly in his lap.

"As much as you loathe to admit it, that boy is my son. Since what you did constitutes nothing short of kidnapping, I still have certain rights to him, you know. Not only that, what he said earlier makes things crystal clear—he considers me his father."

"Of course he does," Hisoka said, protectively cradling Yoshiro and turning away. "He's always known that I'm his brother."

"Why bother with that? So you could fill him up with hatred of me?"

"That's only a benefit. I just think it's wrong to lie to and hide things from a child," Hisoka explained, glaring. "Especially when it comes to his family tree."

Nagare crossed his arm and leaned against a post. "Still gnawing at that bone, eh?"

"Considering "that bone" is what killed me, I think I've got the right to gnaw on it."

"You weren't named that as a guarantee that Akuko would come to you."

"No, it was a crapshoot, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Nagare said. At the half-surprised, half-disgusted look on Hisoka face he continued, "I at least have always done you the courtesy of never lying to your face."

"I feel honored," Hisoka said sarcastically.

"You'd rather I be like your mother?"

"I hope you're using that term loosely," Hisoka muttered. "And you seem to have no problem with the fact that she's been lying to you for your entire married life."

"I knew what she was already," Nagare said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"What?"

"I heard her and Kasane bickering about it before you were born."

"And that didn't bother you?"

"Not especially," Nagare admitted. "Rui's always been a vain thing."

"And yet, when something abnormal turned up in me, I became a monstrosity," Hisoka said, eyebrows raised skeptically. "Inconsistent, much?"

"There's quite a difference between a Shiki and a demon. Especially, as I keep informing you, when that demon is a danger to the well-being of Kamakura."

"You're full of shit."

"No, you just refuse to believe me."

"And you've given me so many reasons to trust you in the past," Hisoka spat, adjusting Yoshiro. Nagare's eyes fell upon the snoozing child.

"You seem to think yourself a fit guardian for the boy," Nagare commented.

"Better than you."

"Let's say that your husband…Tsuzuki, his name is?…somehow became a danger to Yoshiro. And suppose that it came down to Tsuzuki or Yoshiro…who would you choose?"

"Looking to trap me, are you?" Hisoka asked, smiling, letting a bitter laugh out. "You have no idea what goes through our minds. You have no idea what's affecting us, what we've been through…in other words, we already discussed that. It would always be Yoshiro, no matter what."

"Then you understand what I did."

"No. Because when we made that decision, it was just that. Our decision. What you did to me was all you. And that's why I took Yoshiro. You have such little regard for your children."

"Was I supposed to haggle with a five-year-old?"

"No, you were supposed to love and raise a five-year-old. And you failed."

Silence. Father and son did not look each other in the eye.

"And for God's sake, if you were going to kill me, why did you let me suffer for three years? Appearances?"

"Yes. I am a leader. If I came across as someone who gave up on his son without a fight, I wouldn't be able to keep my leadership position and continue protecting Kamakura."

"You let me go through basically the equivalent of dying of AIDS, for appearances."

A nod.

"You're a pathetic bastard," Hisoka said plainly, with no venom, only the same resignation Nagare felt.

Nagare shrugged. "If you like."

"Well, I don't," Hisoka said with a sudden surge of emotion.

Yoshiro grimaced.

"You think I enjoy knowing that my father—my father would rather his own child die than lose face…"

"The entire village was my child. An amputation is better than gangrene, isn't it?"

Yoshiro turned.

"Go to Hell."

A whimper caught both Nagare's and Hisoka's attention. Hisoka didn't even notice that Nagare had advanced as he gently shook Yoshiro into wakefulness.

"What's wrong, otoutou?" Hisoka asked gently, focused entirely on his brother as their father knelt down to get a better view of Yoshiro. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"Scary lady," Yoshiro intoned, sleep and fear mingling with each other. "Saying "Gen-sou-kai"."

"Gensou—…oh my God."

He stood quickly, Yoshiro still in his arms.

"She's after Suzaku and Touda, too."