A/N: Hey all,

January 28, 2022: Who Knows What Fate Holds For You is finally back in publication! Contrary to popular belief, I'm not dead and neither is this story. I am so sorry for the obscenely long periods of time between chapters for this story. If I no longer have any readers left I wouldn't blame any of you. I really have no worthy excuse to give. But hopefully this will have been the last hiatus this story will see. My goal is to finish this story by years end, so expect a lot of chapters in the coming months. We are moving into the climax of the story, so things should start picking up speed from here. I know it has taken years to make it this far, but I promise that I will never give up on this story. For anyone who is waiting to see the end of the game, please know that it is coming and that I will do the very best that I can to give you something you can enjoy. Moving forward, I will be including the date that I'm publishing each chapter so that if readers are unsure of whether a new chapter has been released or not, they can simply check the publication date at the top of each chapter to know when each was released.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and sticking with me. I wish there was a better way than this for me to let everyone know that I am publishing again, but unfortunately this is the only way. I hope to see you all in the next chapter and hope that you enjoy Chapter 35 of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You.

Thank you all for keeping this story and this fandom alive! You're the greatest!

Until next time,

Spiral of Destiny

Chapter 35: Unforeseen Events

It wasn't until early morning that Naoki made his way back to the apartment. He had spent the majority of the night drinking heavily and could still feel the effects of the alcohol despite his high tolerance. At that moment he welcomed the numbness that clouded his mind.

He let himself into the apartment, sober enough to keep from needing to use the wall for support as he entered, and made his way into the kitchen. He didn't bother removing his coat as he slumped down at the kitchen table and buried his head in his arms. His evening at the bar had served as a brief distraction, but even inebriation couldn't completely free him from the issues plaguing his mind and emotions.

His anger was unfounded. He knew that. But he couldn't managed to cool it for more than a few moments at a time when his mind was not impaired. Sighing heavily, he tried to monopolize on the lingering numbing effects of the alcohol to calmly process why he was angry and who he was really angry at.

It just didn't make sense. Why was Akito defending the Blade Children? It was one thing to not want to kill them. Naoki understood that. It was hard determining when killing was the right thing to do. Akito had never taken a life before. He knew it would be hard for him. It had been the same for Naoki his first time. But to practically plead the Blade Children's case was foolish. The "Hunters" were right! How did Akito not see that?

Naoki ran his hand roughly through his hair, not bothering to raise his head. Hot tears pricked at his eyes and he closed his eyes against them. His nails dug painfully into his skull.

When he stopped to think about it, it really wasn't such a surprise. Akito was still a mystery to Naoki in a lot of ways. While they were bonded by blood they hadn't grown up together, nor had they even known of each other's existence more than two years ago. There was still a lot that they didn't know about one another. But one thing Naoki did know was that Akito was good. He cared about people, which was why he had originally agreed to join the "Hunters'" cause. He saw the Blade Children as Sai intended; dangerous individuals that were destined to follow in the footprints of their progenitor. He wanted to protect the majority and was willing to accept sacrificing a few to achieve that goal. But his convictions were never strong.

Naoki pulled at his hair, wrapping his arms tighter around his lowered head. He had tried. In the past year he had spent countless hours trying to reinforce Akito's understanding of the importance of eliminating the Blade Children; to make him see the need for them to die in order to protect the larger population. But it never worked. Instead of breeding conviction, all his efforts had achieved was muted acceptance and redirected topics. He would agree with Naoki and follow Sai, but his will to fight never flared in regards to the Blade Children. In all honesty, it wasn't surprising to Naoki that Akito was so quick to sympathize with the Blade Children. Though he didn't seem to realize it, Akito had always looked for ways for both sides to win in any situation. It was his nature. It was part of what Naoki liked most about his half-sibling… So then why was he still so frustrated?

Slowly he raised his head from his arms. Half-lidded eyes fell on the black coat hanging on the back of the chair standing opposite him. It was a simple object that showed him Akito was still there. But at the same time he wasn't. It wasn't his roommate sat across from him; just an empty coat where Akito should be. Naoki's eyes widened and he sat up slowly, his arms laid out on the table before him.

That was it, wasn't it? That was why. He couldn't believe it was so simple. It wasn't Akito he was angry at, but at the entire situation. He was angry that things had to change. He was angry at himself for feeling; for not wanting to let Akito go. He normally acted indifferent toward the black haired man but in truth he had come to rely on Akito. He counted on him to be there; to have his back. He had grown to need Akito there. He'd never had family before. So when that changed he had unconsciously become possessive of it. He didn't want to lose that again.

He slammed his fist down on the table, uttering a string of repeated curses. He grit his teeth so tightly it was painful. Slamming his hands open palm onto the table he stood, digging his fingers along the tabletop.

"Damn him!" Turning quickly he stormed out of the kitchen and down the hall. With rage, he rushed into his room, slamming the door with enough force to ensure a rude awakening for his roommate.

oOoOoOo

It wasn't until mid-day that Shinu ran into Asura. The two had passed each other in classes, but had not been able to speak. Now, as Asura stood in line to purchase food Shinu slipped in behind him.

"Hey." Asura glanced back at him.

"Hey..."

"Sorry about yesterday." Asura nodded, looking forward.

"What happened? You never came back."

"Yeah… Those guys kept me busy until classes started again." Asura nodded a second time, making his selection and paying before breaking out of line and heading for a nearby table. Shinu did the same.

"So what did they want to talk to you about?" Asura didn't look up, poking with little interest at his food.

"You actually." This earned his companion's attention.

"Me?" Asura looked confused. Shinu nodded, taking a bite before continuing.

"Mhm. Apparently you haven't spent much time watching them since they cornered you the other day. Guess they were concerned they scared you off. I told them I didn't know if that was what happened or not." Asura shrugged, disinterested once more. Shinu smirked. "So is true?" An annoyed glare was turned on him.

"No!" Shinu stifled a laugh.

"Then what? They're not wrong. You have been less interested in them lately."

"Maybe I don't have time with you always following me around." Shinu laughed at the irritation directed at him. Asura rolled his eyes, focusing on his food once more. Shinu grinned and rested his arms leisurely on the table top, cupping his elbows in his hands.

"Well, if you ever want to hang out with them instead just let me know. It'd be good for you to have more friends and they seem interested."

"No thanks." His response came a little too quickly, earning another laugh from Shinu. He glared at him.

"Alright fine. Not like it's my business either way." He waved a dismissive hand at Asura. Asura shook his head and looked back at his food.

Silence followed and it was several minutes before Shinu spoke again.

"So what was it that made you so interested in those guys?" Asura shrugged.

"I don't know. They just give off a weird feeling."

"Really?" Asura nodded absently. "Hm, I don't notice anything like that." Another shrug. Shinu seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment before continuing. "You must be really good at reading people." Asura didn't respond. Shinu leaned closer. "So come on. Tell me. What sort of vibe do I give off?"

"An annoying one." Asura looked up as Shinu laughed off the insult and couldn't help joining in. Once the two had quieted Shinu spoke again.

"You're a really interesting guy, Noragami. It makes me wonder what made you?"

"What?" Asura's face showed confusion.

"What made you. You know, what sort of things you've experienced in life, how you were raised, what sort of family you came from. It all helps make a person who they are."

"Oh."

"But you're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Probably not." Shinu sighed dramatically, pushing himself back away from the table and looking up at the ceiling.

"Well…maybe someday?"

"Maybe." The way Asura said the word made Shinu doubt the likelihood of ever getting answers. He just smirked and went back to eating his lunch.

oOoOoOo

The following afternoon found Hiroshume welcoming the existence of school. Despite his hatred for anything that kept him away from his computer or other technology, he was finding the change in scenery welcoming after spending the past week sitting in a hospital. While irritating Ryoko was amusing, he hated the fluorescent lights and the antiseptic smell that seemed to permeate the entire hospital. He felt bad for Ryoko for having to be cooped up there without any escape. He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Having some time in between classes, the hacker had opted to camp out in the old newspaper club room that Kousuke had informed him they were now using. The setup was nice enough and it came with a decent, albeit outdated, computer that he could use for infiltrating the school system if he chose to. What was best about the place was the privacy, though. Here he could rest without having people constantly around. It was better than sitting in the classroom bored, at least.

Reclining further, he stretched his arms over his head before resting them in his lap. His back was to the door, so he had to glance over his shoulder when he heard the click of someone entering.

"Hey Eyes." He greeted when he saw the pianist. He was given a nod in return.

"So this is where you've been hiding." Hiroshume set the front feet of his chair back on the floor and turned to look at the performer.

"Did you need me for something?" Again he was given a nod and the hacker couldn't help smirking. "How can I be of service?"

"I need you to look into someone for me." Hiroshume watched him curiously, waiting for a name. Seeing this, Eyes complied. "His name is Shinu Hachima. He is a second year student here, though he is only sixteen."

"Okay…" Hiroshume said slowly as he ripped a piece of paper from his schoolbag and jotted down the name. Eyes smiled inwardly at Hiroshume's less than impressive handwriting. "What's so special about this guy?" He tossed the pencil across the table in disgust once his need of it was concluded. He hated having to write anything without the aid of a keyboard or keypad. He glanced at Eyes as he spoke.

"He's revealed himself to be another of the Blade Children."

"Oh!" The surprise could be heard in the hacker's voice as an interested glint came into his eye. "Should be fun, then. Finding information about you guys is always a challenge." Eyes shook his head slightly at the younger teen's eagerness.

"We'll need anything you can find about him."

"You got it." Hiroshume had already removed his laptop from his backpack and was waiting for it to start. His gaze didn't break from the screen as he spoke. "So what have the rest of you been up to while I've been playing baby sitter?" Eyes' silence caused Hiroshume to look up. The pianist was looking thoughtfully at the ground. "Eyes?"

"Hm?" Eyes looked back at him.

"You seem distracted."

"A lot has happened recently." Hiroshume nodded in understanding, reclining in his chair once more in order to balance his laptop on the top of his knee and the tabletop.

"Everything alright between you and your companions? I know there's been a bit of a rift between you guys lately." Again the silence pulled his attention from the screen. The performer was looking out the window. Hiroshume sighed. "Speaking of division, I've been meaning to apologize to you." Eyes looked away from the window curiously. Hiroshume was focused on his computer once more. "It seems like you all started having problems when I got involved and I have a feeling it's because of the way I went about things with the others. I'm sorry for going behind your back and getting involved when you didn't want me to, Eyes. I'm happy I get to help you now, but I should have respected your request to stay out of things until you were willing to involve me yourself." Eyes looked at Hiroshume incredulously. The last thing he had expected was for the hacker to apologize for conspiring with Kanone and Kisame behind his back. He swallowed hard.

"I still don't know the full extent of your involvement before." His voice was low. Hiroshume halted his typing.

"Well... let's see. I went to see Kanone Hilbert when he first landed in Japan. Kisame Hosagi showed up while I was with Hilbert, so I made the same offer to help to him. After that Hosagi contacted me and asked me to look into an Akito Soichi, who I now assume is a "Hunter". I gave him that information and he asked me to find information on a Naoki Sato, who was affiliated with Soichi. Then Hilbert approached me with Hosagi and they asked me to look into Asura Noragami. After that I started asking questions about the Blade Children and you eventually gave in and told me." He glanced up at Eyes who was watching him thoughtfully.

"May I ask why you did it?" Hiroshume looked down thoughtfully.

"Initially it was just because I was bored. But I really did want to be helpful to you, Eyes. You just wouldn't let me so I had to find an alternative means of doing it." Eyes nodded slowly, taking in his answer.

"I see." Hiroshume still looked at the ground, having straightened his chair once more and placed his laptop on the table again.

"But in the end it seems like I only made things worse for you." Eyes watched him. "If I'd just done as you'd asked then I wouldn't have caused whatever's gone wrong between you and the rest of the Blade Children." Eyes sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily.

"You may have had a hand in it, but the current problems that exist among the Blade Children are not your fault. This goes back much farther than your involvement." Hiroshume looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" Eyes sighed again, rising to his feet from where he had seated himself near the window at the start of their conversation.

"It's not something I'd like to discuss." He replied wearily. Hiroshume nodded.

"Alright, then I won't poke around." Eyes smiled gratefully. "But Eyes," he traced the track pad on his computer with his fingertip. "if there's anything I can do to help, all you have to do is ask." Eyes nodded, placing his hand on Hiroshume's shoulder as he walked past him toward the door.

"I appreciate that. For now, see what you can find on Shinu Hachima. This business with the Blade Children is something I have to resolve with myself. It's not something you can help with, I'm afraid." Hiroshume placed his hand over Eyes' and gave it a quick, gentle squeeze.

"Good luck then." Eyes nodded and pulled away, opening the door and leaving the room.

oOoOoOo

By the time the school day came to a close Eyes was emotionally drained. His conversation with Hiroshume had been so jarring and unexpected that he didn't know how to feel. In one way he felt happy that the hacker had been willing to apologize for breaking his trust and going behind his back. The act was so far outside Eyes' realm of expectation that he found himself having difficulty believing it had actually happened. Still, the gesture was not lost on the performer and he appreciated it greatly.

But this apology also made things more difficult for Eyes to deal with. While he appreciated the hacker making the effort, it hurt terribly that Kanone hadn't. Why was someone who he by all accounts barely knew able to see when he'd wronged the pianist and be willing to own up to it, while his best friend, who was supposed to be able to read the Englishman better than anyone, could not? He wanted so badly to forgive Kanone; to forget what had happened. It shouldn't be a big deal. He should be able to move forward and return things to how they were. Things even seemed to be moving closer to how things were with the rising threat offering distraction. But something inside him would not allow it to be altogether forgotten.

The more the matter bothered Eyes, the harder he tried to determine why. Kanone was his closest friend; the equivalent of a brother. He'd nearly been killed by the man and had still managed to forgive him without a second thought. He'd watched him betray the Blade Children and try to take the lives of the people he cared about. He'd still forgiven him. He'd even threatened to take his own life. Still he'd managed to forgive him. All of these things were so much worse than simply disregarding his wishes and asking Hiroshume for some harmless information. So why? Why was this action the catalyst that broke down his trust and ability to forgive the German teen? Why couldn't he move forward?

All these thoughts ran through the performer's mind as he stood by the lockers preparing to go home. He stood alone today, Kousuke and Rio having tagged along with Hiroshume on his obligatory trip to the hospital to stay with Ryoko. Even Kisame had elected to join them that day. Eyes had been invited, but his emotional state placed him in a position where he preferred to be alone.

The sound of rustling caught his attention and he glanced to his left to ascertain the source. Kanone stood at the other end of the row, getting his things together before heading home as well. He noticed Eyes and cast him a friendly smile, but didn't speak, inviting the blue-eyed teen to make the first move. Eyes didn't oblige. He didn't want to talk to Kanone right now. He didn't want to face him. His very presence beat into Eyes' nerves to the point where he wanted to break. He looked away and quickly stepped off the deck onto the ground, heading toward the exit. He had made it halfway before an almost desperate call caused him to stop.

"Eyes, wait." The performer didn't turn around. His grip tightened on the strap of his school bag. He could hear footsteps approaching behind him. For a brief moment his mind entertained the possibility of running, but he pushed it away as childish and held his ground. He heard Kanone stop a few feet behind him. "Eyes, can we talk?"

"I'd rather not." He couldn't see the hurt in Kanone's eyes. Behind him the older teen shifted uncomfortably.

"Eyes…" He paused as if unsure whether to speak or not. "Eyes,is something the matter?" He could hear the confusion in Kanone's voice. A weight settled in his chest painfully. He turned to look solemnly at the older teen.

"When was it that we grew apart, Kanone?"

"What are you talking about, Eyes?" The confusion persisted on his features. Eyes' expression hardened and he turned his back once more.

"Forget it. I suppose things have been this way for a long time." He began walking again.

"Eyes. Hold on a moment." Footsteps sounded hurriedly behind him. A hand fell onto his shoulder, arresting his movement. "Eyes, please, tell me what's bothering you." Concern had taken the place of confusion. The pain intensified. The performer's eyes narrowed in discomfort.

"If it was important you would know." The dismissive answer left the German teen with more questions than answers as the younger performer shrugged off his grip and began walking down the street once more. Kanone moved to follow him, but only made it a few steps before coming to a hesitant halt.

"Eyes…" Confusion evident on his features, Kanone remained where he was, watching Eyes fading into the distance and the soft flakes of falling snow.

oOoOoOo

The sun had set for the day, causing the streets to be bathed in the artificial lamplight that cascaded over the ground below. Hibari sat quietly in the darkened interior of an idling car, watching as two students left a nearby cafe. They were chatting with one another and gave no notice as Hibari slipped out of the vehicle, giving quick instruction to the driver. The boys walked calmly until they exited the city and entered into a small neighborhood. Their conversation was too quiet for Hibari to hear at the distance he was following, but he could catch the sound of laughter every so often. His eyes narrowed.

Once sufficiently away from the eyes of the city, Hibari moved closer to the two teens who had stopped at an intersection to say farewells before heading their separate ways. Hibari hurried to intercept.

"Excuse me." Both boys looked curiously in his direction. "I seem to have gotten a bit turned around. Are you boys from this neighborhood?" The boys nodded, looking from him to each other. Hibari sighed openly in relief. "Wonderful. Would you be willing to point me in the right direction?" He withdrew a small map from his pocket as he came to a stop in front of the boys. "I'm trying to get here." he placed a finger on the map to illustrate the location. Both boys bent over the map to better see in the dim street light.

Before either could speak, Hibari lunged the map forward, impaling the chest of the closer boy with the knife he held concealed beneath the paper. The boy's eyes widened as he let out a choked cry, gasping for air as the knife was withdrawn from his chest. He collapsed to his knees as the other boy caught on to what was going on and took off running down the left side street. He tried to scream for help, hoping to force the "Hunter into a retreat, but he barely got ten feet before Hibari was upon him, burying the blade into his back. The Blade Child cried out in pain, a much softer and weaker sound than previously resounded through the neighborhood. Hibari grinned from above him. "Thank you for your help. I really appreciate your willingness to assist a stranger." Staring into the terrified eyes of the trapped Blade Child, Hibari slid the knife sharply across the back of his neck and the frightened eyes fluttered closed.

Rising from the back of the fallen teen, he returned to the first. The boy was lying curled up on the ground by this point, grasping his chest and trying in vain to will any air into his body and any sound out in an attempt to cry for help. He was still conscious, but Hibari was sure that wouldn't last long. Another few minutes and the boy would suffocate to death. Turning the boy onto his back, he looked into the frightened eyes and frowned. "It's nothing personal. Just necessary." With that, he plunged his knife into the boy's heart.

Slowly standing, he wiped his knife on the boy's coat and returned it to his pocket. Without looking back, he walked out of the neighborhood to rejoin with his fellow "Hunter" waiting at the edge of the city.

oOoOoOo

Sai sat quietly in the small waiting room of the hospital. He had been there for the better part of three hours, but aside from the curious glances from a select number of nursing staff members, no one had bothered him. He lazily flipped through a magazine, glancing from time to time at the clock hanging on the opposite wall. His attention shifted from the clock to the hall as he heard the sounds of voices approaching. He lowered his head and allowed himself to settle further into the corner chair where he sat.

In his peripheral he watched as Rio, Kousuke, and Kisame passed through the waiting room and exited his line of sight. Sai frowned lightly.

"There was one more." He commented softly, settling more comfortably in his chair to continue his vigil. When another hour had passed and the final member had yet to appear, Sai rose and placed the magazine back in its designated location. Stretching lightly, he turned and walked to the reception desk that stood at the far end of the room.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, may I help you?" The receptionist regarded him curiously, having noticed the amount of time he had remained in the waiting room.

"I was wondering if you could tell me which room Takamachi Ryoko is in?"

"Are you a family member?"

"A family friend." The receptionist nodded as she scanned the log to find the information he requested. After a moment she frowned. "Miss Takamachi currently has another visitor." Sai smiled.

"I know. I was waiting for them to leave, but they seem to be outlasting me. I only wish to speak with her for a moment; just to wish a quick recovery." The receptionist smiled and nodded, falling for Sai's gentle tone.

"Alright, but don't stay too long. Visiting hours will be over shortly. Here's her room number." She handed Sai a slip of paper with a number written on it and he thanked her. Turning away from the reception desk, he double checked the number and moved further into the hospital.

Hiroshume sat scrolling slowly through a list of articles on his computer. The rest of the Blade Children had left about an hour prior and Ryoko had fallen asleep soon after. While she was recovering quickly, it was obvious how far she still had to go. Hiroshume respected the girl for trying so hard.

He clicked on a link and began reading, choosing to do research on one of the many topics that held his interest in order to give his injured classmate peace and quiet to rest. He made it through a few sentences before the sound of the door opening caused him to look up.

Before him stood a tall man with black hair and hazel eyes. He was looking at Ryoko when he entered but redirected his attention to Hiroshume immediately.

"Can I help you?" Hiroshume questioned, trying to keep the lump of nerves that had settled in his chest from showing in his voice.

"I thought it was you." The way he spoke immediately shot Hiroshume onto the defensive. He dove for the anesthetic gun hidden in his backpack, but the intruder was faster. Before he could close his fingers around the weapon he felt himself forced backward in the chair. His laptop crashed to the ground, landing on the corner and flickering before going black. A cloth was pressed firmly over his mouth and nose despite his best efforts to fight against his much larger attacker. A strangely sweet smell colored his senses and he felt his strength gradually weaken against the stronger man and his mind begin to fade. Within minutes, his vision blurred and his senses turned fuzzy. He caught a final statement from the stranger. "Relax. We're just going to have a little chat." Feeling his hands fall uselessly away from the man's arms, his mind went black and his body went limp.

Sai slowly pushed himself off of Hiroshume once he felt the younger male fall limp. Exhaling heavily, he placed his hand gently on Hiroshume's cheek, repositioning the hacker's head against the back of the chair to ensure there was no discomfort and turned his attention to the other occupant of the room. The commotion hadn't managed to stir Ryoko from her sleep. She still lay blissfully unaware of what had just occurred, her face turned away from him toward the window. Slowly rising fully, Sai moved across the room to stand before the bed. Bending forward, he lay a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently.

"Wake up, my dear. We need to have a little talk."

Groggily Ryoko's eyes fluttered open. She started at the sight of an unfamiliar man standing over her and she quickly scanned his person to determine who he was. He was definitely not part of the medical staff. She stared at Sai with confusion. Having only awoken, it took her a moment to gather her thoughts enough to speak. When her mind cleared, she scanned the room and noted Hiroshume lying unmoving in the chair a short distance from the bed. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at the man who had taken a step back from her.

"What did you do to him?" She accused, hoping the man would refute her accusation and tell her the hacker was merely sleeping. A soft, introspective smile crossed his face.

"I didn't hurt him. I simply ensured that he didn't disturb us." If looks could kill then Sai would be dead. He couldn't help letting an amused smile cross his lips at the amount of hate she currently directed at him. He turned to face her fully, having been facing the wall in the same direction as the bed up to this point. The anger melted and she scooted away as far as the bed would allow.

"Stay away from me!" Ryoko couldn't escape the feeling of danger that surrounded the mysterious stranger and she fought against the restriction of her IV drip as she tried to move further. She fought to keep the fear down as she looked at the man standing before her. A chill ran up her spine as he suddenly moved toward her. Her eyes closed tightly, waiting for the inevitable. Calmly, Sai placed his hand around her forearm, fighting against her resistance, and pulled her center in the bed again. He looked calmly into the confused eyes that met his own.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear."