Hey I'm back! The chapter before this one I think was pretty disappointing. I hurried to get it out to you guys and didn't take much time on it- kinda a filler in kind of thing I guess. So I decided to post this one early for you guys. Hope you'll like it better than that other crappy one!

DISCLAIMER: I wonder how many people get sick of writing this- I know I am! Once again I do not own kekkaishi or it's characters!

"You're back. Why am I not surprised?" The voice broke the deadly silence that Yoshimori recided in. He was able to turn his head slightly towards the voice but could not see him. "W-Who a-are you?" He asked, stumbling over his words, his foggy brain trying to remember how to speak.

"I am everyone and no one. I am the darkness in peoples hearts and the light. I know every thought, memory, and word that has ever come off your tongue. I go by many names, so many I care not to tell you them, but you may call me whatever you like. I am a part of you, kekkaishi."

Yoshi's mind was working overtime to process what the man was saying. It seemed this world made him so sluggish that it took nearly all his strength to understand a couple of sentences. The shadow eyed him knowingly and suddenly a voice spoke in his head,

"I see that I must communicate like this. You've been in my world far too long, Yoshimori."

"How do you know my name?" He asked in his head, finding it was much easier to understand and talk here.

The man chuckled and replied,

"As I said before, I am a part of you. I know you struggle with your relationship with your brother. I know you fall asleep in class. I know you still feel guilty over the death of your friend, Gin. I also know you love and cherish a girl, even if she doesn't return the feeling."

"What do you want of me?"

"You must leave my world, Yoshimori. You have been here too long. It is not yet your time to depart from the world, Earth. You still have a duty to follow through on."

Yoshi furrowed his eyebrows.

"Have we met?"

The shadow nodded and suddenly a light illuminated the figure and he gasped. Standing infront of him was none other than him as a little kid. But he was slightly different. His eyes seemed cold, devoid of life, but also shone with more wisdom than any small child could possibly have.

"I am you and you are me. I've lived many lives with you. I am your greatest source of power, the power of the legimate heir.

We have met like this many times. You, who always was killed off protecting the girl you loved who is also your soul mate. I believe her name in this cycle is Tokine?

Yoshimori tried to smother a gasp of suprise. There was that name. The name that made his heart flutter and sing. A beautiful name, but the only problem was he couldn't match the beautul name with a beautiful face. He couldn't remember and that made his heart ache.

The child watched him with sympathy in his eyes. "Together, you two have been together since this world was born, always seeming to find each other in every cycle. You and she are what my kind call 'Old Ones' But always there is a tragedy that breaks the two of you apart. It almost always deals with Death, another name bestowed on me. We could be called by what the humans say in this time period 'best friends' You have always come to me from some accident or murder. There has never been a happy ending for you two. But I've grown tired over the millinias that seem to roll into one with the same story. This cycle, there will be a twist! You will rise, very much alive, Yoshimori!"

What seemed in an instant, there seemed that gravity exploded onto the world, Yoshimori's feet resting on the invisible ground. He stood and hesitantly raised his head to the child. "Yes."

"Yoshimori," the voice seemed to magnify, "This time you two will have a happy ending in this cycle!"

Yoshi smirked as he bowed his head to his childlike reflection and said in his own voice, "I hope, Death, that we shall not meet for a very long time, then."

The replica reflected back the mischievous grin. "And as do I. Goodbye for now, Yoshimori." And with that he disappeared, leaving Yoshimori alone in a world claimed by the evil darkness. It pressed in on his skull, trying to wipe clear his memories completely.

Tokine, I want to come back! How do I return to you?

"Yoshi..." A voice carried on the dead wind. He swiveled his face in it's direction.

"Yoshi you have to wake up!"

A small hand appeared in the darkness and Yoshimori smiled at the familiar voice.

"Come back to me,Yoshimori. I will not let you die in a place like this. Come home." His smile turned into a full blown grin as he clasped his hand with hers. It's hard to describe what happened next. Let's just say what Yoshi experienced was like breaking the surface of a pool, the water parting as you come up for air.

His wounds returned full force but that's not what caught his attention. It was the scent of cherry blossoms in the air. Apparently he wasn't alone.

He had yet to open his eyes.

"Yoshimori, you have to wake up!" The voice startled him for a moment before he realized it was Tokine, but something was wrong. It sounded like she was crying. Yoshimori inwardly frowned at this.

Tokine...

He felt a hand caress his cheek and cool breath fanned over his flushed skin. The hand gently brushed at his forhead, combing back the messy sweaty bangs that covered his eyes. Yoshimori felt like he should hold his breath, but decided she'd probably noticed.

Tokine's POV

She brushed her hand across his cheek, frowning as she realized he still had a fever.

"Yoshi, please wake up soon. I don't know how much longer I can keep going without you!"

She wanted to see those closed eyes that were hidden by his hair, so she pushed the offending bangs away. To say she was startled is an understatement as someone grabbed her hand.

She stared as the eyes that she thought she'd never see again opened to smile softly at her.

"Yoshimori..."

"Tokine..."

So what'd you think? Much better I think : ) Anyway REVIEW!