Awaking in places with no recollection of how he got there seemed to have become the norm for Tatsumi.

While he was shocked that he seemed to be in a dark, cold room, the first thing he thought of was her;

Mine.

"No,no,no,no,no..." he muttered.

He needed help from Stylish, not to become his guinea pig. Tatsumi had really hoped the doctor would somehow agree to secretly heal Mine's injuries, despite the fact he never met the man before.

"I had no one else to go to" Tatsumi reminded himself.

Dread set over his shoulders, his heart sinking.

"Mine's gonna die" he reflected worriedly. "...and I'm in the middle of nowhere."

Tatsumi took a deep breath; back home he learned panic led to an early grave, and he wasn't going to forsake what the villagers taught him, not in a time like this.

He looked around, taking in the dim candlelight and the surroundings made visible, shadows dancing across the round rock walls; he was in a cave. A large candle in the center showed there was a note in front of him. Because of the scarcity of light, he squinted and read it repeatedly. Around the eighth read he realized what it said.

Good job! Excellent job! Tatsumi, I can say you give the best first impression out of any of my lab rats; the rest have either died from this drug or refused to make the deal. Of course, I knew Scar's Extract wouldn't let you die, but as they say, there's risk in everything. Anyway, you definitely deserve to know why you're in this cave. While I was out and about some weeks ago, I came across this plant; a plant that the locals claimed to help with sensory deprivation. I want to see how this plant affects one with a demon extract. Testing on myself revealed a dose ten times larger than what the locals recommended allowed extreme clarity in vision, and a terrible hangover.

Tatsumi took a moment to look at his hands; colors were abnormally vivid, and the creeks and crevices of his skin seemed to jut out to him as if they were under a microscope.

However, I'm not an icicle-shooting badass with tentacles, perhaps the same dose would suit you better than little old me. So, go nuts! You'll find me at the lake, sunbathing with some friends and (hopefully) Wave.

-Stylish

P.S. I took your sword, it's somewhere in my lab; you'll need it for getting to the lake.

Tatsumi wondered why he needed a sword just to get to the beach, but not used to being without it, he resolved to get it anyway.

His mind again strayed to Mine, but he quickly suppressed any regrets; he needed to find a way out of the cave, or else she was definitely going to die.

The candles lit the way for him, the path never dividing. The whole time he couldn't help but look at his surroundings, taking interest in even the smallest of pebbles. Frequently he would stop to study a spot on the wall, or the slow drop of wax from a candle. Even in the dim light, everything seemed so magnified. His vision seemed to zoom on the tiniest of objects and at the same time focus on everything around him. Spiders and insects squirmed in crevices that he would never have seen before and every bump in the cave rock did not go unnoticed. While he turned a rock over in his palm, his thoughts found something new to dwell on- Dr. Stylish, and how angry Tatsumi needed to be at him.

But to his surprise, not only did he feel unwilling to become angry, he also felt himself completely separated from his thoughts; as if he were standing on a bridge and watching his mind flow in the river below.

It wasn't long before the low echo of the cave dissipated to the dull roar of the surface's ambience. Crouching at the exit he scrutinized his new surroundings. Again, his new sense of observation had come into effect.

Below him rows of hazel-brown benches and white tile lay across the ground. The shrine ahead of him on the farthest wall and the building's grandiose structure showed that he was in a church. Luckily for him, the church seemed to be closed, as no one was inside. The tip of a ladder leaned against the entrance of the cave. Hoping it wouldn't fall, he carefully mounted it and slowly began his way down.

His eyes strayed to the bottom, and he realized it was a long drop from the cave. About fifty meters, he estimated. His eyes strayed further and his fears were confirmed; nothing was securing the ladder's bottom.

Suddenly every shake of the ladder was an earthquake.

Despite his new calmness survival instinct made him jerk, and the ladder was on its way down with Tatsumi. He yelled in surprise and wondered if he could catch his fall from this height.

The clatter of wood on tile erupted in his ears but he felt no pain. Weightlessness filled his middle momentarily and the breeze through his hair had stopped.

What-

When he looked down he was able to see four long fluctuations in the air, and the church was suddenly cold despite the spring heat. They disappeared as suddenly as they came, and he was able to land properly; on his feet and hands.

He realized with dread that Scar had scored a small victory against him; after keeping quiet for so long the teigu was finally awakening again.

Dammit...

As he moved to leave, his hand strayed to his chest. Esdeath had told him he'd die if Scar was removed from his body, but he often wondered if there was any way he could do so without it killing him.

He had seen Scar's mark on him only twice, when Esdeath showed him and in a reluctant glance in the mirror. Ever since then he had kept his eyes from it, careful to keep that star from penetrating his peripheral vision.

A gentle breeze caressed his face as he stepped out the church; thankfully it was locked from the inside. He would have enjoyed the breeze more if it didn't carry the must of old leather and sweat with it.

"-eyes, brown hair. Medium build. Usually has a sword on his back..."

Leisurely footfalls and a voice sounded from behind the church. Next to the doors was a bush, and he quickly hid behind it, resisting a groan as thorns pricked his arms.

Through the leaves he saw a group of soldiers stroll past, their black boots and caps revealing they were military police. He couldn't hear much, but it sounded like this team was checking every hotel and inn in the city for him.

"They've got to be kidding" thought Tatsumi. "I'm gone for a while, and Esdeath sends the military police after me?"

He waited until he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore before standing. The scent of leather had faded, but still remained in his nostrils.

A new scent fluttered into his senses; the acidic burn of alcohol. He peeked next to the church stairway and saw, at the end of the dirt road, a figure's ungainly stagger. At this Tatsumi realized the drug not only affected sight, but smell as well.

...

Sneaking into the Imperial Palace wasn't hard; all he had to do was hide until the scent of smoke and steel faded, then move to hide when the smell of guards appeared again. He repeated this process carefully, until he finally reached Stylish's lab. No one was inside, and he managed to find his short sword inside a locker on the wall. A crude doodle of an angry ice cream cone with tentacles was taped to the metal door.

A familiar sharp murmur sounded beyond the lab door, urging him to hide in the locker. He shut it with him inside, the sword strapped to his back banging against the back of the locker right as the lab door opened. The smallest of movement would have made noise; he couldn't stoop to look through the slits in the locker door.

He didn't have to smell her to know who she was.

Esdeath's scent was strange; it was nothing like he had smelled before, reminding him of cloth and flesh. It held warmth to it; a sensual energy that aroused the senses yet refused to replicate any superficially pleasant scents.

Tatsumi had been accustomed to her smell by the nights he spent with her, and the magnification by the drug had made him feel like he was in bed, her arms tightly around his middle and chin on his hair...

"No" he thought. "...no, I can't think like that about her, not after what she did to Mine..."

Her presence felt heavier than normal, showing she was not in a good mood. Boots clacked on the tile floor, not stopping until she was in front of the locker.

All he could hear was the buzz of electricity and his own stifled breathing.

A bang, followed by a grip on his shirt, invaded his ears. His nose smashed into the door as he screamed. Immediately after his back slammed to the floor a weight smashed onto his waist with deliberate force. The pressure on the middle of his shirt released before he let out a dry sneeze, Esdeath's hand sending the locker door skidding over the lab table.

They stared at each other for some moments, her eyes unsmiling gazing down and his on hers with defiance. Against his will, his mind thought about how he loved those sharp blues, and the way their pupils grew and shrink in the lab light.

Esdeath spoke first.

"One of these days I'm going to take you, like it or not."

Breaking her gaze for a moment, she picked a scalpel from the lab table, then her eyes were back to his.

"...I'll have you on the ground, like this; all doors and windows will be frozen shut..."

She slowly traced the blade down his shirt.

"You'll say you love me, then I'll say the same. I'm still unsure if I'll ravage you for our first time or if I'll do it slowly, like a feather..."

"I love you Esdeath."

Her eyes widened, clearly taken aback.

"I love you and I didn't mean to go missing for so long..."

He needed her off of him, quick.

"...but there's something I need to do. It's for Stylish."

The scalpel had reached his belt buckle

"Stylish needs me for his research" finished Tatsumi.

Tatsumi cursed inside as her head tilted in contemplation; not knowing what she was thinking was a nuisance at times like this.

A giggle arose in his ears.

"So you met Stylish!" she exclaimed, still laughing. "I know he can be a bit persuasive sometimes..."

He wanted to get angry, to hurt her for what she did to Mine, but his rationality took over. Even as she gripped his neck and leaned in he refused to let all his efforts go to waste.

Esdeath chuckled as Tatsumi returned the kiss, and then got off of him.

"I'll be sure to tell Stylish not to keep you for so long next time; I'm sure it gets very uncomfortable around him, injecting whatever he wants into you..."

"I'm fine" he answered blankly, standing up.

"Be back soon" she sang. "...I want you to be there when I share the good news."

"Yes."

"Now go."

"Yes."

He sighed deeply when the heavy click of the door finally sounded behind him; being around Esdeath had suddenly made him feel guilty, as if he was performing a great betrayal.

"I'm not betraying her" he told himself. "...just doing what's right, that's all."

...

"Call off the search; orders from the top..."

An imperial messenger proclaimed all search units were being sent back to the palace, getting a black-leather search party out of Tatsumi's way. He found a tattered cloak in an alley, and thanks to that he hadn't been stopped on his way to Lake West.

The breeze carried a fruity smell, before the stench of dung suddenly hung over his nostrils. Wave had dragged him on a fishing trip with him once at Lake West; Tatsumi remembered how to get there. He remembered the dense forest that surrounded the lake, and not trusting Stylish, he wondered if there were any booby-traps set along the path to test how well Tatsumi could see them.

A line of hemp across the shadowy path confirmed his suspicions, and he easily stepped over it.

He could begin to see the water through the dark leaves; he was getting close. He wondered why he needed to bring his sword when the warmth of graham soothed his nostrils; someone was nearby, and waiting. The smell's depth was narrowed, and suddenly he became very wary of the path's left side.

Minuscule patches of red seeped through dark bush, and Tatsumi drew his sword, a playful grin on his face. If his assailant was who he thought she was, his gladius would give him an advantage.

Kurome darted toward him, their blades clashing.

His grin faltered; instead of the usual katana she held a short blade of her own; a tanto, meaning she was just as suited to close-quarters combat as he was.

With the flat of her dagger she blocked his right swing before upper cutting with her left fist. Tatsumi saw it coming and weaved his upper body out of the way, her blade leaving his. Gladius in his right, he chopped to her left, hoping to make her retreat with the threat of a cut to the neck. However the clatter of their blades sounded again, and Kurome set him on the defensive with her own attacks.

It wasn't long before Tatsumi's footing began to fall back, and he cursed inside.

His eyes glanced to the side; there was a thick branch lying beside him. If he could just get an opening in her attacks so he could reach it...

Yes!

With the branch in his left, he smashed toward her head, only for her to block it. Grinning, the flat of his blade swept into her side; he won.

However, Kurome only met his grin with one of her own.

There was no time to react when her foot pushed him into the trap behind him, the one he had stepped over before.

Tatsumi wondered how stupid he must have looked; hanging upside down in front of his opponent, his dirty cloak fluttering to the ground.

Suddenly his eyes watered; something powdery was in his eyes. To make things worse, he thought Kurome was smirking at him.

"What the hell was that?" he snapped, rubbing his eyes.

"My ultimate, super-secret trump card..."

she stalked closer to him, before leaning in, knuckles on her hips and face still.

"...cookie crumb attack."

"Well for god sakes, cut him down K-girl!"

Her face blank, she slashed the rope, Tatsumi grunting from the impact on his back.

"Tatsumi, that was quite the show."

His eyes still wet, he looked to see Stylish stooped above him, his hand out.

"Well come on" Stylish prodded; "take my hand."

"I don't like what you're doing, Stylish" grunted Tatsumi, taking his hand and standing. "We better be done with this."

Stylish's face was suddenly in his, intentionally emotionless.

"I appreciate your honesty Tatsumi..."

Tatsumi jerked back and Stylish paced back with a smile.

"You've done a good job Mr. Demon; you managed to get here despite everything and everyone I put in your way-"

A gloved finger gestured toward the rope.

"-except, you know, that thing..."

Tatsumi's mind had slowly become less controlled since he entered the woods; he was beginning to get impatient.

"...twenty pedals and a booster seems to have done the trick, but there's only one way to know for sure; are you feeling okay Tatsumi?"

"Yes."

"No...nausea I presume?"

"Yes."

"So you're fine."

"Yes, I'm fucking okay."

The doctor held up his hands in mock surrender.

"I see..."

He knocked on his own head as if it were a door.

"You've got a hard head; twenty petals and you still need a booster; and no hangover! Wow."

Stylish nodded to Kurome, who sheathed her blade and moved back toward the Capitol.

"Now...let's get one thing straight, I mean no ill will" started Stylish. "I drugged you with force because I know from experience asking for permission never works. But I need research, and you need favors; fair trade. And as a bonus, if the experiment's a success..."

He raised his arms to the air, looking up to the branches above.

"I give you some when you ask, gratis!"

Stylish's demeanor reminded Tatsumi of the preachers who stood in the Capitol's streets, their voices fluctuating so often like a singer's.

Stylish's hands clasped together, his voice a hushed tone.

"Those eyes have been begging to ask something for a long time, what is it?"

"There's a young woman, and she needs help."

"The general has definitely needed help for a long time."

"No- I mean someone else. There's a girl at Mount Fake; she's terribly injured and starving."

Tatsumi emphasized the urgency in his voice.

"I need you to heal her."

"Absolutely not."

"Wha-"

"There are plenty of normal doctors that can do that, why-"

"She's an enemy."

Tatsumi cursed inside; he expected Stylish to slap him at those words. But instead, the doctor only smirked.

"Oh? Interesting... still, you can easily find someone else to do the job, and they'd be none the wiser."

Tatsumi knew he shouldn't say it, but he spoke before he could think.

"She's Night Raid, people would know who she is on the spot."

Stylish's eyebrows lifted, but his smirk returned again.

"Describe her for me."

"Angry face, pink hair-"

"No one would have known her, Tatsumi" Stylish sighed. "We don't know what every member looks like; as is usually the case, the younger mind has thought things through too quickly."

Tatsumi's face went pale, he wondered if it was too late.

"Please..." he rasped. "please, don't tell her; don't tell Esde-"

A gloved finger silenced him.

"It's my duty to kill Night Raid members whenever I have the chance. But in my eyes, a greater duty lies elsewhere..."

He watched with amusement as Tatsumi's face grew from frightened to confused.

"I believe advancing humankind in any way possible is more important than whatever you or Esdeath tell me. So..."

He waved his hands and shrugged.

"...if you help me with that pursuit, I promise I'll overlook the...nuances."

Tatsumi couldn't help but smile; he almost wanted to kiss the man.

"...but if at any time you stop, I'll squeal."

"Yes, yes! I'll do anything!"

The doctor grinned.

"I know."

...

He felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders and into a fire, so that it would never bother him again.

"Mine!" he called. "Mine, I have good news!"

Tatsumi moved around a boulder and froze.

Other than a few dried bloodstains and pieces of tattered cloth, Mine was gone.