Just as a disclaimer, everything mentioned in this chapter is fanon and my speculations. I have no idea what CLAMP's ideas are about this series.

Chapter Seven

They hadn't come back yet. They weren't going to come back. Kei knew that.

They're scared that I would kill them once they returned empty-handed…and they were right. She idly brushed her hair out of her face as she approached the door. Because it was a new moon night, the area was shrouded with darkness. They weren't even that many stars in the sky. She rested her hand on the doorframe and giggled to herself. How foolish. They thought they could replace me with my Kazahaya, and kill me. Fools. They cannot kill me. I will kill everyone in this wretched place if I must. I will burn down the world if I must. The world can die for all I care…just so long as Kazahaya returns to me.

"...I love you, too."

"Tsh." Kei's lip rose in a snarl and she clenched her hand into a fist. No. I won't think of it. It was a vision of the future, but the future can be changed. Kazahaya betrayed me by leaving me…but he would NOT betray me with some boy. There is no one that he loves more than me. He CANNOT love anyone more than me. We entered this world together, and we will leave this world together.

Kei did a few breathing exercises to calm herself. It took longer than she wanted to cool her emotions, but after a few minutes she felt the smile rising to her lips. Her hand was still in a fist, but it wasn't clenched and her fingernails were no longer digging into her palm. When she was fully calm, she knocked on the doorframe. "Himura Tsukiko-san?" she called out.

Silence greeted her. She knew that Tsukiko wouldn't be able to come to the door and answer her anyways. "Are you still angry with me?" Kei asked. "It must have surprised you greatly when you saw me earlier—wearing a kimono stained with your precious little brother's blood."

Tsukiko still did not respond to her. "I want you to know that I never wanted this," Kei continued. "All you needed to do was help me find my twin brother. Not only did you refuse to help me, but then I was greeted with a horrific vision of your brother with my—" the words choked in her throat. She thought she would vomit.

No. Do not think about it. It's a vision of the future that doesn't deserve my attention, because it is a vision of the future that is NOT going to happen.

It several more moments to compose herself. "But I will give you kindness this one time," Kei said. "Ri—that boy is still alive." she couldn't even say Himura Rikuou's name out loud. "He is alive…and he will most likely be coming here."

Kei thought she heard a response from Tsukiko then. A gasp. But not a gasp of relief. No…it sounded more like a gasp of horror.

Kei smiled more brightly at the door. "Maybe we will both be lucky and he will leave here with you, and leave Kazahaya with me…forever."

She turned to leave then, humming to herself and tilting her head towards the night sky once more. I have killed to reunite with Kazahaya again. If I must continue to kill to keep him by my side forever…then I will.

"It's a joke, right? Right?! Kudo Kazahaya, he—he's a son of Kaguya-hime! Right?! We know he is! He's the son of the princess of the Moon! Right?! He's not a demon!"

Hisui and Kokuyo told Kazahaya and Rikuou to wait outside while the cult member started having a breakdown. Kazahaya's mind was still reeling from what he had heard, and he stumbled as he walked. "Hey," Rikuou said, grabbing his arm. "Lean on me, okay?"

"I'm fine," Kazahaya said, but the words slurred on his lips. He was having trouble breathing. The same two words rattled in his mind over and over again. Karasu-Tengu. Karasu-Tengu. Karasu-Tengu. Karasu-Tengu.

Kokuyo had said that about him, and Kazahaya knew that Kokuyo would not have said that if it wasn't true. His vision blurred and he leaned more heavily on Rikuou for support. The other young man didn't complain. I'm not human. I'm not human. I'm not human…

They exited the main doors of the Green Drugstore, and to Kazahaya's shock he saw a white passenger van waiting there for them. He quickly looked up and down the street, but he saw no other people around. "W…Where did this come from?" he asked mutely.

"I don't know," Rikuou said. He was keeping his tone soothing and calm. He led Kazahaya to the passenger van and tested the sliding door. It opened with ease. There was a driver's seat, front passenger seat, and two rows of backseats. "Get in, Kazahaya."

Kazahaya shook his head. "I-I…I can't—they have to—"

"They'll tell us everything," Rikuou reassured him. "Sai—Kokuyo wouldn't have said that you were a—" he stopped when Kazahaya flinched. "He won't leave us hanging," Rikuou deflected. "Now, get in and get comfortable. I have a feeling that they will want to leave as soon as they come out."

Kazahaya nodded with resignation and climbed into the very back row of seats, huddling close to the far window. Rikuou tossed their duffle bags into the first back row seat and then climbed into the last row with Kazahaya. Kazahaya didn't want to talk; not until the angel and demon came out. Rikuou understood this though, and sat beside him in silence.

Two figures emerged from the main doors, and Kazahaya blinked with shock when he saw Kakei and Saiga standing there. Saiga pulled down the shutter for the front of the shop and Kazahaya glanced at Rikuou. Rikuou also looked surrpised. What…they're taking their human forms now?

Kakei climbed into the front passenger seat. "We'll be traveling by car for now," he announced. "But don't worry; we don't intend to scale the mountain in this car."

"You're human again," Rikuou pointed.

"I'm wearing my human disguise, yes," Kakei said. "It would look quite strange for a fallen angel and demon to be driving a passenger van with two human males, wouldn't it?"

Kazahaya didn't respond. "What happened to that guy?" Rikuou asked.

Kakei smiled blithely. "That isn't something for you to worry about."

"But—"

Saiga quickly climbed into the driver's seat. "We'll be there in roughly an hour," he announced. "Buckle up, kids!"

"…'There'?" Kazahaya asked.

"We're going to fly a helicopter to the mountain," Kakei said. "We're driving to pick up the helicopter."

"Why a helicopter?" Rikuou asked.

"We were intending to fly anyways," Saiga said. "But it's not plausible for us to fly and carry you both in our arms, is it?"

"Why did you say that I'm a Karasu-Tengu?!" Kazahaya blurted out, sitting up in his seat.

Saiga flinched in his seat, and Kakei gave him a disapproving glare. "Sorry, boy," Saiga said, looking at Kazahaya through the rearview mirror. "We—ah—I meant to break the news to you better than that."

"But you said it because you meant it, right?" Rikuou demanded.

Saiga said nothing, but turned the ignition on the van. Kakei unbuckled his seat and moved backwards to sit on the front back row seats. He rested his arms on the back of the seats and looked at Kazahaya. "Yes," he said. His tone was low and gentle.

Kazahaya gaped at Kakei. A cold sensation filled his body and tears filled his eyes. But when he stared into Kakei's eyes, he felt his emotions calm. His body still trembled, but he didn't burst into tears. His teeth chattered as he struggled to speak. "K-Kakei-san. Karasu-Tengu…those are demons."

"Earth demons," Saiga clarified from the front seat. "But yes, they are demons."

Kazahaya sputtered and stammered, and gestured wildly with his hands. "I-I—I'M A DEMON?!" he shrieked. "Is THAT what you're telling me?!"

"Kazahaya-kun…you are not a Karasu-Tengu," Kakei quickly reassured him "You are a human. But the ancestor who started the Kudo bloodline…it was in fact a Karasu-Tengu."

A warm hand slid into his and squeezed reassuringly. Kazahaya glanced to his left and saw that Rikuou was holding his hand and looking at him silently. Kazahaya managed a smile and squeezed his hand back before looking at Kakei. "So…that's where Kei and I get our powers from?" he asked. "Our bloodline as descendants of a Karasu-Tengu?"

Kakei nodded. "That is correct. This is why cats are naturally drawn to you, Kazahaya-kun. Karasu-Tengu, as their name implies, are "crow demons". Cats are attracted to the crow scent that is in your blood, and so they attach themselves to you."

"A-And Kei," Kazahaya stammered. "Crows, they—they literally flock to her! W-Was it because of our blood, then?!"

Kakei nodded. "Your Karasu-Tengu ancestor mated with a human woman, thus the start of the Kudo bloodline. Kazahaya-kun…" he looked away briefly, and a look of sadness crossed his face before he looked back at Kazahaya. "Kazahaya-kun, you had a distant cousin. Perhaps you know his name…?"

"S-Shuuichirou-san!" Kazahaya shouted. "I-I saw him! Kohaku—"

Kakei flinched violently. "Kohaku?" Rikuou asked, glancing at Kazahaya. "Who is Kohaku?"

"H-He's another angel," Kazahaya said. "I met him this morning." He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "It feels like it happened a decade ago, though. Shuuichirou-san though, he…" he swallowed thickly before continuing. "He…died, didn't he?"

Kakei nodded sadly. "Shuuichirou-san did die young. And he was in fact your cousin, Kazahaya-kun. He did not possess your abilities, however we have discovered in the years since he died that his blood contained a high concentration of Karasu-Tengu blood. Highly unusual for someone with such a concentration so high to not have any natural abilities."

"I sensed something different about him," Saiga said from the front seat. They came to a red light. "Demons, we…when a human is dying, they give off a particular scent. It's the smell of their soul leaking out of their body, and the scent is very pleasant to demons. Shuuichirou emitted such a scent so powerful that most demons were attracted to it, but I was familiar with the scent. It was…different though, from what I had smelled from dying humans before. It was because of his powerful Karasu-Tengu blood.

"But Kudo Shuuichirou was a human, and the power of his Karasu-Tengu blood was too much for his human body," Saiga continued. "His body labored on, but by the time he was twenty-eight years old the power of the blood overwhelmed his heart and he suffered a heart attack."

"You probably saw from Kohaku's memory, but Kohaku and Shuuichirou-san fell in love," Kakei told Kazahaya. "For the crime of abandoning Heaven and falling in love with a human, Kohaku was banished to Earth and he was sentenced to a 100-year slumber. But God did this for a reason."

"…A reason?" Kazahaya said.

"If Shuuichirou-san were a regular person, then he would have gone to Heaven when he died," Kakei said. "But because of his Karasu-Tengu bloodline…he cannot enter Heaven."

"WHAT?!" Kazahaya screamed.

Saiga pressed the button for the hazard lights and pulled over to the curb. He climbed into the back and sat beside Kakei. "That was part of what we didn't understand," he said. "If Kudo Shuuichirou was meant to die, then why did God even banish Kohaku to Earth? Would the couple not reunite in Heaven when Shuuichirou died? But…yes. Kudo Shuuichirou had been a great man, but as his blood was tainted by the Karasu-Tengu, no matter how good he was he could not enter Heaven."

Kazahaya wanted to ask why, but he couldn't get the words to form. It was Rikuou who spoke. "I think I understand why."

He quickly looked at Rikuou. "I read about it in a philosophy class in school," Rikuou told him. "Tengu…they are demons, but they are not wholly evil. This is because they are practitioners of Buddhism."

"That's correct," Saiga said. "Because all Tengu practice and follow the teachings of Buddhism, they cannot enter Hell when they die. They are too good for the damnation of Hell."

"But Tengu are still demons," Kakei said quietly. "And because of this, they are too bad for the salvation of Heaven."

"So…does this mean then," Rikuou said. "That because this Kudo Shuuichirou could not enter Heaven or Hell, but because Tengu are Buddhists, that he is bound to the laws of Buddhism and thus will reincarnate?"

"Correct!" Saiga said cheerfully, pointing to Rikuou triumphantly.

"Kohaku said that," Kazahaya said. "That Shuuichirou-san…my c-cousin will reincarnate in 100 years."

"That is correct," Kakei said.

Kazahaya's eyes widened very slightly. "…You said I have Karasu-Tengu blood in me."

"Yes you do, Kazahaya-kun."

"T-Then…Then that means I won't be able to enter Heaven either when I die, will I?"

Kakei reached out and stroked his cheek. "I'm sorry, my child. But this is true. As with all Kudo, you are bound to the cycle of reincarnation, and will reincarnate after you die."

Kazahaya didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. "S-So…So because of something beyond my control, t-that wasn't my fault…I'm locked in a cycle of reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation isn't so bad—" Saiga began.

"What about Rikuou?!" Kazahaya demanded, gesturing to the other young man with their clasped hands. "I-Is he a human?!"

"Yes, he is," Kakei said, glancing towards Rikuou.

"S-So when Rikuou dies he'll go to Heaven, right?! Meanwhile I'll be stuck here on Earth for eternity in a reincarnation loop! Meaning I'll never see him again when we die! Is THAT what you're telling me, Kakei-san?!"

Kakei reached out and cupped Kazahaya's face in his hands. "Be calm, my child."

Kazahaya did calm down, and his stomach stopped churning and his tears dried. Guilt swept over him and he ducked his head forward as Kakei released him. "…I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm not important right now. We need to get to Tsukiko-san—"

"It's fine," Rikuou told him. Kazahaya glanced at him. Rikuou didn't look irritated at him but instead looked worried. "Everything you just found out…it's a lot for someone to take in at once, Kazahaya."

Kazahaya nodded stiffly and smiled. "Thank you, Rikuou."

"We have to get to the helicopter," Saiga announced, climbing back towards the driver's seat.

"We can discuss this further at length later," Kakei said, moving back towards the front.

Kazahaya rubbed a hand over his face as the van started moving again. Focus. Get it together, Kazahaya! You can't be worrying about this now!

"Here."

"Eh?" Kazahaya was startled when Rikuou let go of his hand, but then wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. Kazahaya found his head underneath Rikuou's chin. "You've had a hell of a day, Kazahaya. Relax and take a quick nap. A twenty-minute power nap will make you feel better."

"But—" Kazahaya protested.

"It's fine," Rikuou reassured him. "I'll wake you up when we arrive."

Kazahaya was exhausted, both mentally and physically. When he had fainted earlier in the evening he had only felt a little rested afterwards. He closed his eyes, and his body and mind relaxed against Rikuou. He was reminded of how safe he felt in Rikuou's arms, and sleep came to him quickly.

I wish I knew more. But I also wish I didn't know all of this. But…But I'm glad Rikuou is here with me.

Rikuou fell asleep along with Kazahaya. Kakei looked over his shoulder at them. "We should let them rest until we arrive," he said.

"I agree," Saiga said. He was focused on the road. "However…"

"However?"

"We haven't told them everything."

Kakei shook his head. "No…we haven't."

"Are we going to tell them?"

"I believe what we have done so far has been best," Kakei said. "It has allowed things to grow organically, hasn't it?"

"Oh, but that boarding school job gave them a necessary nudge," Saiga said with a smirk.

"It did," Kakei said. "But whether or not we should tell them…now is not the best time."

"You're right."