A/N- Thanks for the reviews, Catorrina and Balverine! :D

Disclaimer- :P

I opened my eyes. Dang it. Durn dat Lee.

I rubbed the back of my head, frowning. He had whacked me on the back of the head when I was out in my own little world, thinking about how I should buy a BACK-ON album when I get back home. Then again, what does that have to do with anything?

I sat up, now rubbing my eyes. Now I was tired. Why did the stinkin' beach have to be so bright...

"Well... he didn't kill me... guess that's a plus," I said, staring up at the big blue sky. "But now I have to kill him for even looking at Miuri, gosh dang it. Stupid head."

Miuri was my BFF. Sounds gay? Yeah. But it's true. She was and is my best friend forever. We swore upon the grave of my mother(?) the day that she died. I'm not even kidding you. I'm honestly stuck with Miuri being my BFF for the rest of my life.

Oh, gosh, that's a long time since I'm immortal. I'm not sure how long that is, but it's a flipping long time.

I stood up and brushed the sand off my pants. I glanced at the sun and judged that it was about nine in the morning. Then my powers came up, telling me that it was precisely nine-seventeen. Which is kind of nice to know. I like having a digital watch inside of my brain.

And if that's not a weird sentence, maybe you should reread it.

Anyways, I decided that it was best that I go find Larka. Larka and Dravis might not forgive me, but Yuuki might have a crush on me, so she'd probably forgive me. Gin probably didn't give a crap, and Rosco... well, he's an unpredictable sort, so I'm not exactly sure what he would do.

Be careful, Kouin. I don't want you getting hurt...

Yeah, okay, Amaterasu. I'll be careful.

I don't know about the rest of you who have the sun goddess talking to you in your head, but I was getting kind of bugged by it. I actually did a paper on this in my first year of junior high. Ya know, I hope it doesn't decrease my life by ten-to-twelve years. That's a 'lil bit scary.

Do not take what I say so lightly, Amaterasu said sternly, like I was a five-year-old. Be careful. And go through that bamboo. Yuuki's close to there.

I nodded to her, completely forgetting that there was no way that she could see me. I walked towards the bamboo, anyway.

The bamboo was nice. It was a nice shade of green... and it kept hitting my face... again... and again... and again... and again... and again. You know, I'm wondering now if I did something to offend the God of Bamboo or something since it seems to hate me more than heck.

I got to a clearing and fell over, breathing hard. I seriously needed to work out more. I was completely worn out.

"... in!" I heard.

I sat up and listened. It sounded like... like Yuuki. Shouting my name. That felt kind of nice.

I sat there for a moment, not really comprehending that I should probably call back to her and apologize for what I've done.

Kouin! Amaterasu snapped in my brain.

Gah! Right, right...

I shouted loudly, "HEY! YUUKI! I'M OVER HERE!!"

"Jin... ?" I heard her shout back.

"NO, IT'S THE CHINESE FOOD DELIVERY GUY! OF COURSE IT'S ME!"

Although I had been considering taking that job before I was taken to the past...

"Keep shouting!" she cried, sounding a bit closer. "I have no clue where you are!"

So, I started shouting about nothing that would particularly interest you. I basically was shouting how I was mad that I was missing new Bleach manga and how I wanted a banana right then and how Japan was awesome and how I had two weird hairs on top of my head, one that was curly and another that stuck straight up...

Well, I said it wouldn't really interest you. Do you believe me now?

After about three minutes of my shouting, Yuuki burst into the clearing. She was breathing hard, just as I had, but the difference was that she didn't fall down. I guess that I should have guessed that even Yuuki was stronger than me.

Yuuki looked up at me and I was struck, once again, at how beautiful of a girl she was. Just a few months into being a fourteen-year-old and she was already gorgeous enough to be the envy of any model in those fashion magazines. And she didn't need make-up to cover anything up. It was natural on her.

I was probably drooling so I blinked and grinned. "Hey."

Yuuki's entire face turned red and she looked into my eyes. She walked up to me and pulled me down by my shirt. One arm sneaked around my neck and she brought her face up to me.

My mind, at the moment was in about a million places at once. Firstly, I was trying to figure out what in the crap she was doing. Secondly, I had noticed that my heart was beating like a bird's. And, lastly, I noticed that she smelled very sweet. Not sure what, exactly, but she smelled... nice...

I felt somewhat dizzy and/or lightheaded.

Of course, not nearly as much as when Yuuki's lips met my own. Then I felt like I was about to die or something along those lines. It felt like... heaven and hell had decided to have a tea party, or something. I really don't know how to describe it.

Warm. Sweet. Honey-flavored. Different. I liked it.

The kiss felt like it lasted about an hour, but I later figured out that it lasted more like thirteen seconds. Either way, I'm pretty sure that it was something that would change my life, even if I didn't know the true reason... at the time.

Yuuki released me, her golden eyes slightly lowered. She pulled her arm to her chest, holding onto her hand with her other. Her face was bright red, and I supposed that mine was probably about the same color as her's.

I hesitantly straightened myself. "W... well... I guess I know whether you like me or... or not, now..."

She looked away, blinking. My heart was still pounding, and I swear that I could hear her's as well. Either that or it was mine echoing.

"Ah-" I began.

Larka, just then, decided to burst in and shout, "A-ha! I found you, you lying piece of crap!"

She looked at me, then at Yuuki, then at me again. It took her all of two seconds to figure out what happened. "Oh. I just ruined your guys' moment. Sorry."

For some odd reason, I was seriously pissed at Larka for doing that. How could she ruin the moment between me and Yuuki? And it being my first (maybe, knowing what I was like in the past...) kiss! At least in this lifetime...

I frowned. Yuuki wanted to add drama to my life, didn't she?


Kyoufu stared forward, frowning in annoyance. After all, it wasn't like he wanted to go to see where he would be executed. That wasn't actually his idea of fun.

"It'll be okay," one of the demons that was escorting him assured him. "I promise."

Kyoufu stopped, his eyes suddenly glazed over. There it was. The torture system that they used. The bed that he would be chained to soon.

Three days in the Cell of Hell, the place that no human could live through. Then, they used a very slow and awful way of killing you: firstly, they would cut off the tips of your fingers and toes; then they would cut open your stomach and put a slow-killing type of venom inside your intestines; and, finally and lastly, they would force you to drink your own blood.

Kyoufu had seen it happen to his best friend, Kyisuki. Back when the war was just beginning... back when he was still with Lee. The way they did it was the most awful thing he had ever seen. Or done.

"You know how it's done, don't you?" the demon asked. "You've seen it before, right?"

Kyoufu nodded. The demon turned away and spoke quietly with another, the one who would probably be torturing and killing Kyoufu.

"We were just about to take someone out," the second demon said to Kyoufu. "I hope you don't mind waiting and watching for about an hour. We need to allow the Darkness of Yami to reform and such. Do you mind waiting?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Kyoufu murmured.

The second demon shook its head, then walked over to the cell doors. It opened them, and a tall, thin imp-like demon fell out, its eyes wide with absolute terror. It was immediately fell into the fetal position, clutching its head tight enough to make blood flow.

Kyoufu slightly tilted his head, a tight and sad frown upon his face. He had seen it so many times, but it had never hurt like it did now. Was this because he was scared now?

The second demon grabbed the prisoner and threw it upon the bed. It then chained the still fear-stricken creature to the bed. The poor beast was still shaking from absolute fear of whatever the Darkness of Yami did to you. Would do to him.

The second demon took from a drawer a large kitchen knife. However, it was obvious that it wouldn't be used for chopping up fish.

"Don't touch me!" The prisoner screamed, its eyes widening even more now. "My name is Semi Higasachi! I am from a rich family! I will have my legions of demons kill you with their frightening powers! You will look at them once and commit suicide for you are so scared of them! You will pay!"

Kyoufu clenched his small fists. "Don't... don't hurt him..."

"No one can help him. He went insane and tried to kill our king," the demon that took Kyoufu in said. "There is nothing we could do to help him. He's just like you in the way that you are destined to die a terrible death. Treason is against the law."

"D-don't touch me, damn it!" Semi screeched. "Don't! No!"

Kyoufu felt tears come to his eyes, much against his will. There was nothing he could do now.

He would die.


Hitorigami looked down, its eyes somewhat glazed over. The knife was bloody. What should it do? What now?

Ninetails held the bloody stump that had once been where one of its arms been. Its eyes were flashing bright red and blood trickled through its fingers. It panted tiredly, obviously feeling the pain that came from the wound.

"You forced my hand," Hitorigami murmured, holding up the knife in slight wonder. "I told you to leave me alone. No one listens. No one ever listens to me."

"My God will kill you!" Ninetails growled, turning away. "Kill you! The Key to Death is withing your grasp, but you're too scared to admit it. You will die, along with the God of Time! Do you hear me, you damned Hitorigami? You will die!"

Hitorigami lifted its chin, its eyes somewhat angry. "No one will die. I will not fulfill the prophecy. I will not."

Ninetails growled something under its breath that Hitorigami couldn't quite understand, then stalked away. At this, Hitorigami breathed out a sigh of relief. Finally. Alone again.

Hitorigami threw the knife away, dark circles forming under its eyes. Blood spattered the ground as the knife skidded across the ground. Hitorigami then wiped the blood that had gotten all over its left hand onto its shirt. The color was the same, so no difference was truly made.

"Hitori-sama," a soft voice murmured.

Hitorigami turned and saw a woman standing there. Her hair was long and white, slowing fading into black. Markings were all over her body, indicating that she was a god. Her entire coutanance seemed to give off a slight shine. Her eyes showed wisdom much beyond the young adult age that she seemed.

"My name is Amaterasu," she said, her voice just as soft, but demanding attention.

"Goddess of the Sun," Hitorigami answered, pushing a strand of hair back. "Am I right?"

Amaterasu nodded, her eye-lids somewhat lowering. "I am."

Hitorigami looked up in annoyance, turning away. It didn't have time for this. The God of Loneliness and Nothingness should be left alone, shouldn't it? So why was it that Hitorigami was being bothered more and more as the day went on? A mystery to it, that was.

"Perhaps you should be the God of Grumpiness. Or, perhaps, the God of Stuborn-ness," Amaterasu said slyly.

"Leave me be, Amaterasu." Hitorigami felt exhausted.

Amaterasu placed a hand upon the other god's shoulder softly. "I cannot. Kouin is my son. I cannot allow anything to happen to him. And nor can I allow anything to happen to the rest of the world. You must find a way to help him, Hotori-sama."

"And why do I want to?" Hitorigami asked sourly. "It seems like a waste of my life."

Hitorigami brushed Amaterasu's hand off it, and took a few steps forward. It could feel Amaterasu's stare still upon it, but it did not care. There was much that the God had to do.

"I know what you desire," Amaterasu said.

Hitorigami stopped, the echoes of its footsteps still bouncing back at them. Hitorigami stood for a moment, staring forward. It clenched and unclenched its hands, unsure of how to reply. How to say. What to say. What to do. How to react.

"I can give it to you, Hitori-sama. I can give you what you have always craved."

Hitorigami bit its bottom lip and whispered, "And what is it that I want, Amaterasu? What is it?"

Amaterasu leaned in closely, her breath tickling Hitorigami's ear. "You want your own identity. You don't want to be alone."

Hitorigami's eyes widened and it took in a deep and shuddering breath before asking, "How did you know? How could you have found out that the God of Loneliness does not wish to be alone anymore? I have not told anyone... never..."

No. No, it had told one person. One person. But... but... !

"Except my son, isn't that right?" Amaterasu murmured, drawing back. "My son knew."

Hitorigami looked upward, fear. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, Hitori-sama. You are the one that he trusted the key to his temple with. He trusted you with that. As did the Priestess. You must accept that this has happened and now you are in this adventure. You must figure out who you are, Hitori-sama. It's something only you can know."

Hitorigami felt tears of anger fill its eyes. "I... I won't do it! I can't... I can't do it!"

"Kouin trusted you," Amaterasu insisted. "He would not have done so otherwise. You must help. You must save him. He'll die. You have to help someone named Kyoufu. He has the key to the Oracle's heart. He knows it! You must help."

"Kyoufu... is he the Keyholder? He knows all of the keys? He knows how to make it leave me?" Hitorigami asked. "He knows... how to release me?"

"... yes..." Amaterasu murmured. "The Keyholder."

Hitorigami glanced downwards. It was the promise of becoming a true someone that was truely getting to it. It wanted so terribly to become a true God, to be able to see the Celestial Plains. To be able to have a name. Not a title.

To have its own gender, not just to falsely pretend. To fall in love. To become stronger. To be... not alone. To be known. To be kind. To be strong.

Hitorigami closed its eyes. "Where is this Kyoufu?"


If this place was called the Cell of Hell, then what could the real hell be like? Was it just as bad, or was it much worse? If it was worse, Kyoufu would make sure that he would end up in heaven.

You see, there is no true description of a place like that. One instant, Kyoufu was being pulled in two, the next moment he was being burned in the hottest fire that anywhere had ever seen. And then sometimes it would feel like he was drowning. Others, like he was falling to his death.

Imagine dying a hundred times within a hundred seconds. Each time you die it's painful, its hurting. That might be how you can describe it.

Kyoufu gasped as light filtered into the Cell of Hell. He crawled out on his hands and knees, gasping for air. He was now unable to see due to the fact that he had been in the deep darkness so long that it had seeped into his eyes.

"It's okay," a girl's soft voice murmured. Whoever this girl was, she couldn't have been much more than thirteen.

"Wh-who... wh..." Kyoufu tried to spurt out, but it felt too painful.

"I'm going to save you, Kyoufu," the girl said softly. "My name is Hitorigami, and I am the God of Loneliness and Nothingness."

Kyoufu blinked in confusion. "What... what do you want?"

"To find Kouin's temple and shrine. To find the Oracle. To become a true God. And you're going to help me."

A/N- :0 Oh. This was a really fun chapter to write. I've been watching enough Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (which is an awesome, but freaky anime) that it's been making me feel bloody. OH WELLS. Read and review, or whatever! Just please don't flame! Tell me how to improve.