You guys sick of the drama and angst yet? Me too. Don't worry, from hereon out the mood of the fanfic is a LOT more mellow.


Chapter Sixteen

On Sunday, Kazahaya and Rikuou entered the Green Drugstore before the store opened. Kakei hurried out from behind the counter towards them, his hands raised. "Boys," he said, his tone gentle. "We agreed. No returning to work until tomorrow."

"I know," Kazahaya said, smiling slightly. "I-I was just stopping by to let you know I wanted Rikuou to meet someone. So we were going to head out shortly."

Kakei's smile relaxed and he lowered his hands. "Oh, I see. You are going to see Kohaku, aren't you?"

"Yes," Kazahaya confirmed, nodding.

"I really need to get out and do something," Rikuou said. "Meeting a chibi-angel is something to do. So long as we don't face any probelms."

"You have nothing to worry about," Kakei said. "I can't say for certain that Ship of the Moon is completely gone right now, but those who are still alive will never be able to hurt you again. Did you both eat breakfast?"

Kazahaya nodded. "Can you tell Saiga-san thank you for cooking for us again?"

"Actually, I cooked your breakfast this morning," Kakei said cheerfully.

"Eh?!"

"Since you mentioned if we ate, does this mean we're not going to be eating for awhile?" Rikuou asked.

"I…would just advise against eating in front of Kohaku," Kakei said. "Angels don't need to eat food, and Kohaku has always been very sensitive to loss of life. Whether it be animals or plants. Shuuichirou-san used to prepare them warm milk with honey when he was—"

Kakei's voice broke off softly, but he continued. "But Kohaku couldn't be in the same room with us during mealtime," he said. "It hurt them to see a dead animal, especially cooked on a plate."

"But you can eat food," Rikuou pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm a fallen angel," Kakei reminded them.

Saiga emerged from the back of the store, yawning loudly. "Oh, are you kids going on a date? Here, have fun!" he pulled something out of his coat and tossed it to them.

"I-It's not a date!" Kazahaya sputtered as Rikuou caught the object. It was a black wallet. "We're just going to go see Kohaku!"

"Oh, even better! Tell them we said hi!"

"You could always come with us and say hi yourself," Rikuou said.

"We can't…not at this time," Kakei said. "But we will be able to say hi to them when the right time comes."

"…When Shuuichirou-san reincarnates, right?" Kazahaya asked.

"That's right."

Kazahaya fidgeted where he stood. A lump formed in his throat as the question he dreaded rose in his mind once more. He swallowed thickly and looked ay Kakei and Saiga. "I—!"

The demon and former Archangel stared back at him patiently. Rikuou reached out and took Kazahaya's elbow. "You don't need to force yourself," he said quietly.

The reassurance was comforting to Kazahaya, but Kazahaya felt that he couldn't back down. "Kei," he said finally. "Kei had the blood of a Karasu-Tengu. Tengu reincarnate after they die because they can't go to Heaven. So…" he swallowed again and forced the question. "Is Kei going to reincarnate?"

It was a question that…subconsciously…he knew the answer to. He almost didn't want to know, but he knew that he needed to know. Thankfully, Saiga did not leave him hanging.

"No."

But his blunt answer that all of them already knew didn't hurt any less.

"Karasu-Tengu and Tengu in general only reincarnate if they keep to the teachings of Buddhism," Kakei said quietly. "I'm sorry to say this Kazahaya-kun, but we all know that Kei-kun did not keep to the teachings. She killed people. She hurt people. But more than that she enjoyed killing people. She enjoyed hurting people. She regressed to a state akin to what the Tengu were without Buddha. So when Tengu who violate the laws of Buddhism die, they don't reincarnate. They go to Hell."

Tears immediately stung Kazahaya's eyes, but he remained frozen where he stood in silence.

"According to the Buddhist faith, there is a special hell for Tengu called Tengu Hell," Saiga said soberly. "But really, they just go to Hell-Hell, like the rest of the damned. For the crimes that she committed in life…her soul must pay in damnation."

"S…So there will not be a next life for her," Kazahaya whispered. "I-I…I'll never see my twin sister again."

"Not unless you want to go to Hell, kid," Saiga said.

"I think that's enough," Rikuou interjected sharply. He reached around Kazahaya's front and grabbed his opposite shoulder. He gently turned him away from Kakei and Saiga. "We'll be back later," he called over his shoulder. "Thank you for the money."

"We'll see you both when you come back!" Kakei called after them.


They watched the boys walk down the sidewalk and disappear out of sight. It did not go unnoticed by them that Rikuou kept his arm around Kazahaya's shoulders the entire time they walked away.

It is finally coming together, Kakei thought with a smile. Then the smile dipped into a slight frown. However…

"Rikuou," he said when they re-entered the store. "He is hostile towards us."

"I noticed," Saiga said. "When I dropped off their dinner last night he answered the door. He didn't say a word to me but just glared. Not even a "thank you"."

"He blames us," Kakei said somberly. They entered the back room and he slowly sat down on one of the couches. "I do not blame him. Despite our abilities we were severely limited in our capabilities. Those two suffered traumatic experiences that no one should suffer." He sighed sadly. "Was…Was there really nothing that we could have been done to prevent this?"

Saiga slid down beside him on the couch and wrapped his arms around Kakei. "If there was anything we could really do in such circumstances, then Shuuichirou-san would still be alive," he murmured. He brushed his lips against Kakei's neck. "Please, don't be sad. Those two boys are sad enough for the both of us as it is."

"I wish I could have done more, though. I wish…" Kakei shook his head and turned his head to claim Saiga's lips. "I'm sorry. You have shouldered so much of my pain recently. I haven't let you feel pain."

"I'm a demon. These things affect me differently." He brushed Kakei's bangs out of his face and took his glasses off. "I don't want Rikuou to hate you. He can hate me all he wants, but no one is allowed to hate you."

Kakei choked on a laugh and hugged him. "I don't mind if Rikuou hates me for now. Or blames me for everything that happened to him. The most important thing is that he's not blaming Kazahaya."

"That's right," Saiga agreed, smirking back. "He doesn't hate or blame Kazahaya. In fact his protective streak is really coming out."

Kakei leaned into him and buried his face in his neck. "It's a rare but beautiful sight, isn't it? Seeing two people who were born to be together fall in love?"

"Yeah. But we still need to tease them about it."

"Of course."


"You okay?" Rikuou asked.

"It was my fault," Kazahaya said quietly, rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve. "I knew what the answer would be, but I still asked."

Rikuou looked away. He would lie if he said he wasn't satisfied that the girl who killed Tsukiko went to Hell. But it was a heavily conflicting satisfaction because that same girl was Kazahaya's twin sister.

There was no winner in this. Ship of the Moon was stopped, and we even inadvertently saved the world. But…it feels like we lost everything, doesn't it?

He glanced at Kazahaya. Well…not everything. I don't know how I feel about the fact that Kakei and Saiga went looking for me just because I'm Kazahaya's soulmate. Like they wouldn't have helped me if I hadn't been. A demon and an angel…so much happened that they did nothing to prevent.

Rikuou shook his head and looked away. He was angry with Kakei and Saiga. Deep down he knew that they had tried their best, and they were still recovering from their injuries. But he couldn't shake the feeling that…they could have done MORE. More for him, and more for Kazahaya.

Kazahaya has suffered the worst of all of us. At least I know that Tsukiko is in Heaven with my parents. Kei, though…Kazahaya really WILL never see her again. Her soul will be confined to Hell, and Kazahaya will be here on Earth in a reincarnation cycle, like other people in his family who didn't give in to their demonic blood. As for me…

Rikuou inhaled, and he was stunned by the perfumy fragrance in the air. He could feel the dark feelings inside of him start to subside. He looked upwards and saw flowery trees, vibrant colors in full bloom. "Whoa," he breathed. "Since when do trees look like this in Tokyo?"

"We're almost there," Kazahaya said. The excitement in his voice made Rikuou's heart thump a little harder. His eyes were still red from crying, but he had managed a smile. He suddenly hurried on ahead of Rikuou. "There!"

Rikuou realized then that they had been walking along a long wall with no other houses in sight. He saw a set of large, dark double doors in the break from the wall and came up beside Kazahaya. There was name engraved beside the door. Kudo.

"That's your family name," he pointed out.

"I know," Kazahaya said. The cheerfulness started seeping back into his tone, and Rikuou smiled reflexively. "This is Shuichirou-san's house. This is where Kohaku is."

The doors were unlocked, which surprised Rikuou greatly. Not as much thought as seeing the grounds of what was very apparent to be a large property. He saw a traditional style home north of their position, but Kazhaya took him by the hand and guided him away from the house. "We're going into the back garden," he said.

"Wow," Rikuou breathed, still staring at the house. The condition was absolutely pristine. "That's not an abandoned home, is it? It looks like it's on display."

"It'll probably stay that way until Shuuichirou-san returns," Kazahaya said.

"Lucky him," Rikuou mused. Kazahaya pulled him towards the back of the house, and when they reached the backs Rikuou stopped in his tracks and gaped in shock. It was a wisteria tree. Quite possibly the largest and most beautiful wisteria tree he had ever seen in his entire life. The flowers were fully in bloom and looked perfect. The branches swayed in the breeze, and…it was strange. Rikuou thought he could hear a whisper on the wind.

"Kohaku!" Kazahaya called out, waving with his free arm as he drew them closer to the tree. "Kohaku, I've returned!"

There was a sudden burst of light from the center of the wisteria tree. From the center of the light, a small body emerge. It looked like a cherub with honey blonde hair, wearing small white robes and a pair of white wings from their back. The cherub opened their eyes, revealing big innocent amber eyes that just by staring into them Rikuou…felt relaxed. And at peace.

This must be Kohaku. The angel Kakei and Saiga promised God they would protect. And everyone Kohaku holds dear.

Kohaku blinked, and clarity came to their face when their eyes settled upon Kazahaya. "Kazahaya!" they cried out. They flew towards Kazahaya with open arms. "You came back, Kazahaya! You—"

Kohaku stopped shortly suddenly. The joy left their face. "Oh." Their cherub face suddenly scrunched up in pain. "Oh, Kazahaya…you are hurting so terribly! What happened to you? I—"

Kohaku glanced towards Rikuou, and the sorrow in their expression was so profound that Rikuou suddenly felt the urge to burst into tears himself. "You are in pain too. Are you the one who Kazahaya wanted to grant the wish of?"

"What?" Rikuou asked.

"This is Himura Rikuou," Kazahaya said to Kohaku. "I brought him, like I promised I would."

Promised? Before Rikuou could ask though, Kohaku gave them a smile. "I am so happy to see you, Rikuou. I am happy…that you are both here." Kohaku floated over to hover between them. They leaned down to rest their hands on Kazahaya and Rikuou's hands. "Won't you tell me what's hurting you? I would like to listen and help you."

Rikuou looked down. He realized that Kazahaya and him were still holding hands. Neither of them though made a move to pull away. He looked at Kazahaya, and the other young man looked relaxed. Rikuou looked down back at Kohaku. "…Okay," he said.


"…I see," Kohaku whispered, their hands clasped tight. "You both witnessed the deaths of your sisters."

Kazahaya and Rikuou were sitting side by side in the garden before the tree, and Kohaku floated before them. Rikuou didn't think it would be easy to talk about Tsukiko, and how she had died in his arms. How she had died using…some wish…to save his life.

But when he looked at Kohaku, he was at ease, and it was easy to vocalize the pain that was inside of him. Having Kazahaya sitting beside him also helped him. He had been able to explain the trauma he had experienced without shedding tears, but Kazahaya had cried when he relayed Kei's death, and the general horrors and guilt he felt. Rikuou sat beside him and didn't interrupt him, though he hated that Kazahaya still carried guilt that he had no business carrying.

None of this was his fault.

"It is…very tragic," Kohaku said. "That all three of us share the commonality of witnessing someone we love die right before our eyes."

Rikuou looked at them. "You…witnessed the death of Shuuichirou-san?"

Kohaku nodded. "It was a pain I would never wish upon anyone, but yet it is a pain many people experience. But…you are familiar with Shuuichirou-san?"

"I discovered," Kazahaya said, wiping away his tears. His handkerchief was soaked. Rikuou pulled his own handkerchief out and hand it to him. "Shuuichirou-san…it turns out we were related after all. He was my cousin."

"Oh!" Kohaku cried out, hovering their hands over their cheeks. "That is wonderful!"

"And," Kazahaya continued. "Kohaku…it turns out that we knew Hisui-san and Kokuyo-san all along."

Kohaku squealed and lunged forward, throwing their arms around Kazahaya. "Hisui! And Kokuyo! They are looking out for you! I am so happy to hear that! But they could not come with you, could they?"

"No," Rikuou said. "They said they can't re-enter this house until Kudo Shuuichirou returns."

Kohaku nodded and smiled, and Rikuou was surprised to see them accept this news so nonchalantly. "It's better this way, anyway. I would prefer to see them again when I can stay awake, then to meet them now and then go back to sleep and not meet them again for another century. That would be too cruel to them."

That's a very good point, Rikuou thought.

"But you have both suffered tremendously," Kohaku said sadly, pulling away from Kazahaya. "More than anyone should have to suffer. I am happy that you have found each other, but I am heartbroken that you have both lost so much. Even if you were meant to be, you shouldn't have found each other when you have no one else."

Rikuou's eyes widened and he gestured to Kohaku. "Then…you know?"

"I can read your souls and I can read your hearts," Kohaku said. "You both are very different people. Your personalities clash and when you talk more often than not you use raised voices instead of hushed tones. But your hearts know each other; the heart cannot lie. Your souls know each other; the soul cannot lie. You are soulmates, and you have found each other. It is truly a beautiful blessing; one that does not happen often."

Rikuou saw Kazahaya's face turn bright red out of the corner of his eyes and he snorted involuntarily. "W-What are you laughing at?!" Kazahaya snapped at him.

"You, who else?" Rikuou said with a smirk.

"I swear I—"

Kohaku burst into laughter. Somehow, the pure and harmonious sound caused all negative emotions between them. Both relaxed and settled back down.

"Let me do something for you both," Kohaku said softly. They pointed to the shoji screen behind them. "You are a Kudo, Kazahaya, so you may be able to go into the house. Give it a try."

"Okay," Kazahaya said, standing up. Rikuou followed suit and they stepped up onto the walkway and walked over to the shoji screen. Kazahaya tested the door, and it slid open to reveal an empty tatami room. Rikuou was surprised to not see any dust in the room, nor was there an unpleasant odor of must.

"Both of you lay down and relax on the floor," Kohaku said. "It's very comfy."

Rikuou raised his brow, but they removed their shoes and laid down side by side on the tatami floor. It was very comfortable underneath them.

"Before I go back to sleep, I'm going to sing to you," Kohaku said. "I want you both to relax and let yourselves drift off to sleep. For a little while, let go of everything. When you wake up, you will be rested and your bodies and minds rejuvenated. Does that sound okay?"

Kazahaya rolled over onto his side to face Kohaku, facing away from Rikuou. "Kohaku, won't you come in here as well?"

Kohaku shook their head. "I cannot. But even if I could, I could not bear to enter this house again. Not without Shuuichirou-san. Now, both of you close your eyes and empty your minds."

Rikuou remained on his back and Kazahaya remained on his side. Kohaku floated in the garden and began to sing. Their voice was beautiful, ethereal, and it washed over them. Rikuou felt slight tremors in his body as the meldy forced his muscles to relax. Though his body relaxed his mind was in slight disarray. With his eyes closed he could not help but think about Tsukiko. His big sister's gentle smiling face. He had only wanted her to be happy and safe. Now that was impossible.

He felt the tears leaking out of his eyes and he was afraid to open them. Kohaku continued to sing as he rolled over, and suddenly found his face pressed against the back of Kazahaya's head. He inhaled, and the familiar scent put him at ease.

Rikuou realized that he was spooning with Kazahaya, but the other boy didn't move away. They had fallen asleep the last few night clinging to each other, but they hadn't spooned before. After a moment Rikuou relaxed even more, and his legs curled so that his knees touched the back of Kazahaya's knees. He rested his arm over Kazahaya's waist and Kazahaya grabbed his arm and pulled it on tighter. Kohaku's voice seemed to fade away, but Kazahaya felt solid in his arms. Rikuou couldn't remember the last time he wasn't on edge, but the peace he felt in that moment was…nice.

As the sleep claimed him, he remembered what Kohaku had said; "Are you the one who Kazahaya wanted to grant the wish of?" and the warmth he felt in his chest felt…nice.


"Is everything all set?" Kakei asked as he entered the back room.

Saiga smirked at him as he showed Kakei his cell phone screen. "Everyone is in order for them."

Kakei read the confirmation on the screen and nodded with a smile. "This next mission for the boys will be their most important one yet."


Omake

SPLAT!

SPLAT!

SPLAT!

Outside of the Kudo house, two black cats were sitting lounging across from the double doors. In front of them a small demonic cherub with black hair and black wings floated slightly above the ground. He shoved a piece of gum into his mouth, chewed it for a few seconds, then crudely spat it out onto the ground. The chewed gum impacted the ground with a loud SPLAT!

Kouryuu rose high into the air and observed his work. Twenty pieces of partially chewed gum littered the ground. "HA!" he shouted, pointing towards the ground in triumph. "That's what I think of your singing, Kohaku! Your guests can have fun picking gum out of their shoes!"

"Poor Kouryuu-sama," Ruri sighed.

"Yes, poor Kouryuu-sama," Hari agreed.

"He loves Kohaku so much, but will never be able to be with them."

"It's such a shame Kouryuu-sama will never get Kohaku to love him back."

"Yes, I know—"

"OI!" Kouyruu shouted, spinning around. The cats jumped in fright. "Stop spouting crap!"

"Sorry!" Ruri and Hari squeaked.


Don't worry the story isn't over. But I figured we needed a light-hearted Omake after the last few chapters.