Part 8: Denouement (literary term of tying all the loose ends up.)

Parts of this fic was heavily inspired by the book Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey..it was changed for obvious reasons.

(Careful this is a long one)

9:10 am

"Shinya," Manami said, gently as she helped the sobbing drummer stand. "We must go. The others--"

Shinya stopped crying for a second the angel's words sinked in. "Oh, my God! You're right!"

He grabbed Manami's hand and ran up the steps into the studio. The burst open the studio door and they both gasped. Crew members and staff had been bound, gagged and blindfolded. Most of them were sobbing with fear. Human and angel moved past them hurriedly, into the practice room.

Shinya's drums were scattered across the room, Toshiya's bass lay facedown on the floor, Kaoru's guitar lay behind Shinya's drumstool half-wrecked, Kyo's mic stand was found halfway across the room from where the microphone was and amps were overturned as feedback echoed throughout the room only punctuating the silence. Shinya bit his lip. At least, they hadn't gone without a fight.

"He has your friends," Manami said, quietly.

"How do you know it's a he?" Shinya asked. Manami looked at him. "Oh, yeah. You're an angel." Shinya's eyes narrowed as he realized this. He grabbed her by the collar, roughly. "Dooshite?! Why didn't you listen to me? I told you I wanted to do it alone! Why didn't you stay behind? Why didn't you protect them? You're an angel, aren't you?"

"I was sent for you! I would only risk my life for you!" The angel yelled back.

"Hounto desu ka?!" Shinya's voice rose. Manami's eyes widened. He usually never yelled. "Not even for Kyo?!" He knew he had said something wrong as he saw her eyes turn from shock to icy anger and sadness.

Manami punched him in the face. Hard. Shinya fell to the ground, stunned, but got over it quickly. He jumped up and pushed Manami against the wall. He hit her against it once but then stopped when he realized what he was doing. They both sank to the floor gasping as Manami managed to say, "We shouldn't be fighting."

He dabbed blood off his lip, just as he heard a voice, "What the hell happened here?"

"Yoshiki!" Shinya breathed as the producer stepped into view. A few of the crew members were babbling to him but apparently he wasn't listening. He walked over to Shinya and Manami, expecting an answer.

"Did you two do this?"

"Of course not, Yoshiki-san!" Shinya said as both he and Manami scrambled to their feet.

"Where are the others?"

"Let me explain," Manami began, thought about it then shook her head. "No, let me sum it up. There's a serial killer after Shinya. Shinya was supposed to meet him in the park at 8:55 but got a little tied up at the bank. He remembered just as it was 8:58 but it was already too late. We got here just as we heard Die scream, found a lock of his hair, got in here and saw this." She tactfully left out the fight they just had.

Shinya nodded as Yoshiki turned to him for confirmation, "Manami thinks that he has the rest of them."

"Great. I'll have to call the police."

Shinya looked at Manami in a panic. She shook her head. "There's no time for that. This is way too serious. The last thing we need is the police stringing out a long investigation. We need to find them now. Who knows what that yahoo'll do to your friends?"

Yoshiki looked at Manami, just as Shinya did when he first met her, "They're experts. They'll find them immediately. I know you two are concerned with your boyfriends--"

Manami clenched her fists, "He's not my boyfriend!"

Yoshiki went on, "But we're dealing with a true psychopath here. We should leave it to the police."

"No." Manami and Shinya said at the same time. Yoshiki's jaw dropped and Manami went on before he could raise an argument. "This is important!" She stressed, "You would not believe how important this is! This isn't a matter of just a psychopath out to kill someone's friends just because he didn't meet him for coffee or something. This is a matter of life and death. Of being an angel or just someone in limbo!"

"Nani?" Shinya asked her softly.

Manami turned to him. "You passed your final task. This is mine. I may not have a time limit or die at certain time or anything but I know this is my last task." He nodded as they both turned to Yoshiki. "Are you with us or against us?"

Yoshiki stood there and stared at them, not knowing what to think. After a long while, he nodded. "I'll drive."

*******

--elsewhere--

"Do you have any idea where the hell we are?" Kyo asked. He, like Toshiya and Kaoru, was blindfolded and his hands and feet were tied. They sat in the back of a van, driving endlessly to God knew where. They had been gagged, too, but they had managed to get it out of their mouths. Screaming would've been his first option except that Kaoru threatened to do something awful to him if he tried.

"We-ell," Kaoru said, dryly, "It seems we're in the back of a van, Kyo." He sounded like he was in front of Kyo and to his left. He also sounded very irritated.

Kyo didn't have to take that. He was in the same predicament, dammit, and he was trying to be as nice as he could, "I know that, idiot! Do you have any idea where we are? As in what street? Where are we going?"

"I'd tell you but I can't see," Toshiya replied. At least, Toshiya was trying to be polite. Unlike his boyfriend.

"It felt like we were going to the park for a second but he turned and now I have no idea where we are!" Kyo exclaimed. He stretched out his legs and hit something. No one replied. "Hey, sore wa nan desuka?" He hit it again.

"What's what?" Toshiya asked.

"Stretch out your legs a little. You'll feel it."

"What is that?"

"I don't know."

"What are you two doing?" Kaoru wondered. Kyo heard him struggling for a second then Kaoru said, "What is that?"

"Stop..kicking..me." came a tortured voice. The others jumped. "I hurt...enough as...it is. Let..me be..unconscious...in peace!"

They gasped. "Die?"

"Leave me alone."

"What happened to you?"

"Can you move your hands?"

"Not really," Kyo admitted.

"Too bad. I was going...to let you feel...the blood trickling beautifully...down my back." There was a long pause. "Toshiya--stop shuddering. I wasn't going...to do it, really."

There was silence. "Oh, no, Die!" Toshiya's voice said, squeakily.

"I'll be fine, Totchi. Just need to rest a little," Die's voice began to fade away.

"Oi, Die! You shouldn't go to sleep," Kaoru told him.

"Well, it seems I can. And I am." Die said. "G'night."

******

"So, let me get this straight," Yoshiki said, slowly. "You had to do these tasks which almost get you killed to get your life back into order?" Shinya nodded. Yoshiki went on, "And your guardian angel is sitting in the back of my car at this very instant?" Manami smiled. Yoshiki shook his head. "It's been quite an interesting morning." They were in his convertible (well, if he didn't have one before now he does) with the top down, with no thought to the cold. Cold be damned, Manami had said, there are people out there who need us.

"Turn left," Manami instructed. Her powers had returned and now she was using them to their full extent.

"Do you have any idea where he's going?" Shinya asked.

"Hai. And I don't intend to let him do what he's intending to do there." Manami replied, determinedly. "Turn right." She paused, "Then go straight until I say otherwise." She closed her eyes, "Switch to the right lane. Now to the left. Back to the right."

"Will you make up your mind?"

"Only when he does."

********

"If I were a psychopath, where I would I be taking us?" Kyo wondered out loud.

"If you didn't already know," Kaoru spoke up, "You are a psychopath."

Kyo grit his teeth. "Kaoru?"

"Nani?"

"When we get out of this, I am going to absolutely kick your ass."

"Bring it on, cutie."

Kyo growled just as Toshiya interrupted, "Will you two knock it off? Fighting is not going to get us anywhere! We're still tied up and we're still in the back of a van! And Die's still wounded." His voice rose to a shriek, "So, will you just shut up already?!"

********

"This is not going well," Manami said, cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Shinya asked. Just a minute ago, she said that she had everything under control and now--

"It's not that. It's that--well, Die's not dead but he's been shifting back and forth into separate states of consciousness and your band mates are arguing. Your murderer friend seems amused by all this and wants to know how long it would take before they crack. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't know that he picked the wrong band to mess with." Manami explained. "Switch to the right lane, pass the two cars in front of you and switch back," she ordered Yoshiki. He did so. "Do you see a white van?"

"Hai!!" Yoshiki and Shinya said.

"That's the guy."

Yoshiki sped up so that his car and the van was almost parallel to each other. Shinya took off his seatbelt and stood to try and peek into the little back window. "Sit down, Shinya!" Yoshiki shouted up at him. Manami grabbed him by the legs and pulled, trying not to pants him at the same time.

"Matte! I think I can see them!!" Shinya strained his neck to catch a peek of all of them. "Toshiya's sitting on the right with Kaoru, Kyo's on the left but--but I can't see Die!" He looked down at Manami who was still holding on to his legs. "You said he was in there, right?"

"Hai! Now, get back down here!"

Shinya ignored her and strained again to catch a glimpse. He barely saw a black form on the floor of the van and--a sudden yank made him fall back into the passenger seat. "Hey!"

"Do you want to get killed?" Yoshiki and Manami demanded.

"No but--"

"Then sit down!" They snapped.

*******

Oh, so they finally found him, eh? The stranger thought as he maneuvered the van into another lane. it would take much more than that to stop him...

*********

"Damn you!! You're nothing but a--" Manami swore descriptively in five different languages,"--bloody bastard!!" She finished. Yoshiki and Shinya eyed her with fear in their eyes. this time she stood up in the car and was yelling at the van. "If you think that running away is going to keep you save, you have another thing coming!!"

Shinya scrambled over the passenger seat and fell into the backseat. He grabbed Manami by the back straps of her plaid pants and yanked. She collapsed next to him and glared at him. "Do you want to get killed?" He asked her, using the same argument they had used on him.

"This psycho's going down!!" She snapped. "Yoshiki-san! To the park!"

"I'm not your slave, you know! And that's not the direction he's driving in," Yoshiki replied, a little angry and shocked.

"True but that's where he's inevitably going!!" Manami pushed Shinya away from her irritated.

"Don't you think using your powers like that is kind of--I don't know--against some kind of rules or something?" Shinya asked, a little timidly.

She nodded, "Yeah, but only if my subject knows about it." She gave him a feral grin. "And he doesn't."

The van turned left and Yoshiki continued to go straight. He drove to the pakr as Manami requested and parked there. All three scrambled out of the car. Yoshiki and Shinya ran after Manami to a secluded section of the park. It was that way due to the fact that too many trees grew there, making it look dark and dangerous. The branches of some of the trees hung low and scraped Shinya's arms and tangled themselves in Yoshiki's and Shinya's hair, but Manami ran thought them as if it didn't even touch her. She stopped in the middle of a clearing. "Where are they?" Shinya asked.

"Oh, they'll come. All we have to do is wait." Manami said. "I suggest you two hide."

"Demo--"

"Don't argue with me. Or if you don't want to hide, keep out of the way. This could get messy." Yoshiki and Shinya stepped to the side and waited near a tree. Manami sat against the another tree, pulled her blue shades down and fell asleep. Or looked like she did.

********

"What the hell is happening?!" Kyo yelled out as the van began to drive backwards, rapidly. It flet like it was driving over every single bump on the road but Kyo somehow knew they weren't on a road anymore. He clenched his jaw as one bump sent him straight up into the air and landing hard on his rump. "Itai!!"

There was a noise that sounded like something hitting metal and a slight whimper. "Toshiya?" Kaoru called out, "Daijyobu?"

"Mn...." Toshiya moaned. Then said nothing else as the van continued its strange journey backwards.

There was another groan. "Die?" Kaoru and Kyo called out.

"I can't--I thought I...told you...to let me...sleep?"

"You shouldn't go to sleep!!" Kaoru told him urgently, "It's not good for you!"

Die didn't reply and Kyo bit his lip. This wasn't good. The van braked and spun then began to roll. Kaoru and Kyo yelled out in fright, but Kyo's shout was cut off as Kaoru fell on him. Toshiya managed to fall on Die then on Kyo and Kaoru as Die moaned a little but said nothing again. The van finally stopped on its side as the two remaining men who were conscious gave a sigh of relief. Then Kyo whimpered.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked.

"He's stopped. What is he going to do to us now?"

"What if he's dead? Or unconscious?" Kaoru countered.

"Then how are we going to get out of here? What if the van explodes?" Kyo asked, then fell silent as he heard the back door open.

They were lifted out silently one by one and placed on the gorund, against a few trees. Kyo thought it strange that he didn't feel like anyone was carrying him. The terror was beginning to increase in him by the minute just as he heard footsteps come near him. Someone grabbed his chin with a gloved hand. Suddenly, the blindfold was whipped off of his eyes. he gasped as it did so and blinked to adjust to the light. The man wore all black and nothing could be seen but his eyes. There was something inhuman about those eyes. The man turned Kyo's face to the left and then to the right and snorted. He did the same to Die and the came back to Kyo. "And what's so special about you, may I ask?" The man said in a strange voice. Kyo shivered. There was something inhuman about that voice, too.

"N-nani?" he asked, stunned.

"Why does she love you? You're nothing. Not someone I would consider breaking the rules over."

"N-nani?"

The man didn't answer and turned away just as something detached itself from the shadows of another tree and stepped into the light. "You've gone far enough, Tendo." It was Manami and Shinya and Yoshiki stood behind her.

"Manami! Nani o suru?!" Kyo yelled, "Go home! Get away! This is too dangerous!"

*******

Manami ignored him. She focused on the man she had called Tendo, just as he turned to her. "Hounto ni? I don't think I've gone far enough with what you've been doing." His voice made her skinc crawl. She hated when he used that voice. "You shouldn't be concerned with what's going here. You've saved your human. Why do you bother with these four?"

Shinya spotted Die and was about to run to him but Manami held him back just as Tendo's eyes lit hungrily upon him. "Don't, Shinya." She told him, "That's what he wants you to do."

Shinya looked at her pleadingly. "He's--he's hurt--he might--"

"No. He'll be fine. I won't let him die."

"Touching." Tendo said, gaining her attention once more, "I repeat, why do you bother with these four?"

"They are Shinya's friends. And it's kind of my fault that they were dragged into this." Manami replied, evenly.

"Oh?" Tendo moved back twoards the other members of Dir en Grey. Manami felt Shinya tense. "I can understand why you'd protect the red haired one. He is after all your human's lover. And maybe the blued haired one--he's almost like a surrogate angel for him, isn't he? But the rose haired one, he is unimportant. And this blonde one," he said with an amused smile and wagged his finger at her, "Tch, tch, Manami. You know the rules. You can't have him. He can't have you. You still have to face the punishment for breaking that rule."

"Manami, what is he talking about?" Kyo asked. Manami looked at him and bit her lip. You can't have him. The words echoed through her mind. He can't have you. She stared at him and summoned a breeze to kiss him lightly on the lips for her. Kyo shivered and sighed as Manami turned back to Tendo.

"I know. That's not why I'm protecting him."

"Oh?"

"I protect them because Shinya isn't my only responsibility. They all are. Now, Tendo, get lost."

"Ah, but I have been sent her to punish you." Tendo stepped forward and the black clothes fell away. Manami bit her lip again and trembled slightly but refused to back down. Tendo was dressed in white and his skin was so pale, it almost glowed. His wings unfolded and Manami gulped. This was the difference. Tendo was a full blown angel. Manami was not. Anything he did, she would not be able to stand against. He raised one hand, directed it Manami, Shinya and Yoshiki and the other was directed towards the rest of Dir en Grey.

Blue fire shot from his hands and Manami raised her arms and whimpered. White light surrounded her hands and formed a shiled around everyone. "Tendo!! Yamete!!" She snapped. He stared at her, completely startled. "Not him. Not them!" She yelled back. She stepped forward and blue fire emerged from her, surrounding him as he screamed.

"You can't do this!!"

"Well, apparently I can. And I did!" She told him. The fire burned fast and bright, so much so that it almost hurt the eyes and it disappeared with Tendo.

Manami slumped to the ground with exhaustion. Yoshiki saw this as a chance to release the others from their bonds and Shinya touched Manami. "Where'd he go?"

"Back to heaven. Hopefully with his ass on fire."

Kyo pushed him away and Shinya took this as an opportunity to tend to Die. "Manami, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just take Die to the hospital and Toshiya,too, ne? I don't think I'll be able to help them anytime soon." She replied, wearily. So what if Kyo knew, it didn't matter, she'd have to leave him anyway. He pulled her into an embrace and Manami didn't resist. She sagged against him and began to cry. I want this. Why can't I have him? Why do I have to go back and suffer for eternity? I want him. Kyo tightened his hold on her as if he thought the same thing.

"Ne, Manami, what was all that?" Shinya asked, from where he was. "Why did he look so surprised that you could do those things?"

"Because I'm not supposed to be able to do them," she replied, her voice slightly muffled since her head was buried in Kyo's chest. "Only full angels can do that. Ones who have proved themselves."

"I think you have." Shinya told her, "Arigato, Manami."

"They really weren't kidding about that angel stuff, huh?" Kyo asked, a little shocked.

Manami began to laugh, weakly.

********

Monday, April 17 9:00 am

"Okay, wierd," Die said, slowly shuffling back into the kitchen. His back required seventeen stitches and doing the simplest things were almost like torture. He saw slowly in the dining room chair and handed the envelope to Shinya.

"Nani?" The drummer asked as he took it.

"Yeah, exactly. I thought that last week was your last task."

Shinya opened it and gasped. "Oh."

"Nani?"

"Dir en Grey must say farewell to the seraphim Manami by Thursday, 12:00 am, April 20--or all of them die."

"Oh, no. At midnight, she's leaving?"

"We all knew this was coming." Shinya said, sadly. "It says not to tell her."

"Wonder why?"

"Probably to make it easier to leave or maybe she'd try to do something stupid."

"Where is she now?"

"I haven't seen her since Friday. She hasn't been her since then."

"Kyo, maybe?"

"Probably, I haven't seen him since Friday, either."

********

--elsewhere--

"But it's freezing!" He whined. Manami turned and smiled at him. "No! It's cold and you don't look so well--you're already pale enough as it is and we could get sick--"

"But I feel fine!" Manami replied. "It's raining! It's fun! Just take off your shoes and run in the rain with me! I don't do this for everyone, you know." She said. Kyo took her hand and looked out at the rain again.

"But it's so cold."

"It's the best feeling in the world," she whispered and placed her head on his shoulder. He sighed,took off his shoes, opened up an umbrella and let her lead him out into the rain. She stopped and looked at him fondly. She reached for the umbrella with her left hand, her right still intwined with Kyo's. "Kyo, get rid of that umbrella."

"But--"

She took it away, closed it and held it in her left. Rain fell on the both of them and she began to giggle at him. "Nani?" he demanded, already irritated that he had to do what he was about to do.

"Nothing. You don't like to be called cute and I never called you cute so I'm not starting now." She said and stopped laughing. "'Kay, ready?"

He nodded.

"'Kay, ready, ready...go!!" She yelled and began to run. He trailed after her for a second before gaining enough speed to match her stride for stride. She began to laugh again as they ran though puddles, splashing a few innocent bystanders and gaining a few shouts of indignation. Kyo began to laugh, too, after seeing the looks on some of them. They jumped over a few dead leaves, slugs and snails after Kyo shouted that he didn't want to step on them with bare feet. She laughed again as they slowed down. "Isn't this neat?"

He nodded just as she released his hand and began to pirouhette in the rain. He watched her with a smile on his face, easily ignoring the icy cold rain that fell.

She came back to stand in front of him slightly breathless with a worried expression on her face. "Ara? Kyo, what's wrong?"

"Nan demo arimasen." He replied.

"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself too much." She gave him back his umbrella, "I'm sorry I dragged you into the rain."

"No, no!" he said, hurriedly. He took her hand again and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I like it."

"O-okay." she said, doubtfully.

"Hmm. Manami, do you want to dance?"

"Nani?"

"Shinya taught me how to dance a while ago and I never got to try it on a girl before."

"So, you mean, you let Shinya be the girl while were the guy?" Manami asked, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She began to laugh again, "Oh, I see how it is now! You better not tell Die!"

"It's not like that!" Kyo snapped and Manami stopped laughing.

"I'm only kidding. I would like to dance but there's no music."

"I could sing. You've always said you loved my voice."

"Mm. But what song could you possibly sing that would be a nice waltz?"

Kyo glared at her. "Oh, you're nice," He said, sarcastically, "I thought you were supposed to be an angel?"

"Not all angels are nice. Except me. I'm nice. I am absolutely perfect!" Manami said, with a grin and was about to say more until a brief flash of pain crossed her face. She gasped.

"Manami?"

"I--" she fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. He fell to the ground with her. Kyo put up the umbrella and cradled her in his arms. Another look of pain tore at his heart as she closed her eyes and went unconscious in his arms. As calmly as he could, Kyo took out his cell phone and called Shinya and Die.

*******

"You don't have to carry me, you know, I'm a big girl! I can tie my own boots and everything!!" Manami said, indignantly as she woke up to find herself being carried by Kyo into the bathroom. He took off her sweater for her and she kicked him away. "You can damn well wait outside. I'll do this for myself!" She said, blushing furiously. The first sign of color he had seen on her face for awhile.

He smiled and walked out of the bathroom to wait for her. Five minutes later she emerged in a robe and he picked her up again. "Put me down!!" He ignored her and turned to Shinya.

"Where do you want her?"

"In the bedroom."

Kyo carried her into Shinya's bedroom and placed her gently on his bed. "I thought you said you felt fine?" Kyo demanded with worry in his eyes. He knelt near the bed, playing with her hand. "We should've never gone running out into the rain like that!"

"You're no fun," Manami muttered.

He ignored that comment. "What wrong with you? Everyday you start to look a little paler and you fall unconscious sometimes. Other times you complain of pains and then you're okay. Manami, do you like scaring us?"

"That depends on what the situation is."

"Baka!" Kyo scolded her, softly, "This is not time for jokes. There's something wrong with you!"

"Kyo?" Shinya's voice called out. "Can we speak with you for a minute?"

Kyo turned and gave an impatient sigh. "Yeah. Coming." He turned back to Manami. "Stay here and if you do anything foolish, I'll kill you." She stuck her tonuge out at him just as he left for the kitchen.

"What is it?" He asked. Shinya handed him the letter. He read it, looked at Shinya then read it again. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Die asked, "You have no choice."

"I meant what I said. No." Kyo turned back to the bedroom just as Die said.

"Don't be selfish, Kyo! If you can't say goodbye to her than we all get killed."

Kyo glared at him, "So be it! I don't want to say goodbye to her."

"But you have to!" Shinya hissed.

"I don't have to do anything I don't want to." Kyo replied, and left it at that as he went back to Manami.

*******

Tuesday, April 18

"How are you doing?" Shinya asked, as he slid a tray onto Manami's lap as she sat up. The angel looked paler than yesterday.

"I'm feeling a little cold," she told him and shivered on cue. He reached out to feel her forehead and bit his lip.

"You've got a fever now." he told her. "What wrong with you?"

The angel shrugged and smiled tiredly. "I've got the flu?"

"No, I don't think that's it." Shinya said, with a sad smile.

"No, I don't so either." Manami took a sip of the ocha that Shinya gave her. He saw her scars again but this time they were bright pink and not the faded healed look they once had. She saw his gaze and looked at them, too. "Yeah, that's been happening. I don't know why. Kyo's been worrying over them. I don't why, though. They're not his scars."

Things fell quiet as Manami began to drink again until Shinya said, "Are you ever going to tell me about that?"

"Oh. You mean about these scars?" She asked, as if she didn't know. Shinya didn't reply. He didn't have to. "I guess. I owe it to you, don't I? It wouldn't hurt. I'm supposed to leave soon, I just don't know when."

The doorbell rang and Shinya got up to answer it. Kyo and Toshiya bounced into the room as Kaoru followed behind.

"What is this?" Manami demanded. "Gawk at the sick angel week?" She sounded angry but still smiled at them. She began to sip her ocha again.

"So?" Shinya asked.

"So what?"

"Aren't you gona tell me about those scars?" Kyo took a look at Shinya then crawled onto the bed to take Manami's right hand.

"Oh, yeah." She said, blankly. She placed the tea down on the tray but didn't let fo of it. She stared at it but it didn't seem like she really saw it. It looked she was staring through it and she began to speak as if she was elsewhere. "Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was pretty, I guess. that's what her mother told her. That's what her best friend told her. That's what her beloved told her, too. She was silent much like yourself. Avoided talk of love. She prided herself on keeping her promises. She had a heart capable of deep love. Then one day she forgot about the most important promise of all. She promised that she would never ever do something foolish for someone else. Even if she loved them. She promised this to her best friend. But she also made another promise. She promised her love that she would do anything for him.

"Then one day, something happened. Her love's family was killed. And he wanted revenge. He asked for her help. Said that if she loved him like she claimed, she'd prove it and help him. So, with her father's connections, they got in touch with some--bad people," she said diplomatically, "And they went together to the home of the family who killed her beloved's family. They were celebrating." Her voice was like ice. Kyo's hand tightened on hers but if she noticed, she gave no sign. "His family--his mother, his father, his older brothers and his little baby twin sister were murdered and they were celebrating their death. They say that pain shared is pain halved but when the young couple heard this, the pain was doubled. They raided thieir home. The other family was killed by the assassins the young couple had hired. Men, women, children--it didn't matter. Dogs were probably killed. Who the hell knows?" Tears slipped silently down Manami's cheeks. She didn't even acknowledge that they were there.

"After it was all over, his grandfater came to him. He said he was worthless. He was nothing. He didn't even know him, he was so honorless. Honor! Who the fuck cares about honor!? Her beloved was disowned. Something inside him snapped that night. His eyes went cold, emotionless and they went black as if seeing nothing. She tried everything to shake this mood of his, trying to use her lobe to bring him back. There was nothing. It makes you wonder if he felt anything for her at all? It didn't matter in the end. She went to run an errand on enihgt. She came back and he was gone. she ran to the chapel because she knew he visited it often. It rained as thick as black oil that night, almost like the look in his eyes. She stopped outside of the chapel and something made her look up. There, silhouetted against that rainy evening sky, was that beautiful boy, standing on the tower belfry, his arms spread to the sky as if hugging it." She smiled humorlessly. "He jumped."

Shinya and the other stared at her in shock.

She went on, "For a minute, he hung there like he defied gravity and learned how to fly. Then he fell. Fast. Someone screamed. Must've been her, because his mouth never opened. After an eternity, she made her way to his body and held it gently, rocking back and forth, all the while calling his name like it was a litany to bring him back.

"The priest found her in the morning. Sent her home. Took charge of the body. She laid in bed for three days. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. And to top it all off she caught a flu. Her friends tried to comfort her but it was no use. She pretended to go to sleep of fool them so they wouldn't worry anymore. What a joke. They never cared anyway. One asshole came in and said out loud, 'Why should we look after this one? She's a cold bitch, just like an iceberg. I don't know what Takayuki ever saw in her anyway.' he left. She burst into tears after that and somehow managed to fool her best friend that night and went to the chapel. She made it insdie, locked the door and went to the body lying on the funeral bier. He was so beautiful, he looked like he was sleeping. She gave him a kiss, hoped that the guesture would be forgiven and stood on the steps. 'Gomenasai. I hope you'll forgive me everything I've done and all the things that i've failed to do. I hope that you'll forgive me this, too.' She took out the knife."

Toshiya sobbed, quietly, and Kyo brought Manami's hand to his cheek.

"You should've seen the way it gleamed. She cut herself. Both sides. She never thought it would hurt so much. Blood on white marble. It was so pretty but she was alarmed at the amount of blood. She didn't get to think much about that, though. She went unconscious and then she was gone. She got into heaven by the barest sliver. She was given a second chance because--" Manami stopped and came back to herself for a minute, "I have no idea why. Anyway, she would become a seraphim--a full angel--if she could do a certain task. That is to prevent a similar tragedy from happening. Until then she was wingless and haloless. And her scars were the evidence of what she had done. They were bright pink and made every other angel either laguh at her or shrink away in disgust. Other angels hate the wingless and they also hate those who take certain measures." Finally, Manami sighed and began to drink her tea again. "And here she is. Drinking her tea and sitting in a bed, relatively alive."

Kyo snuggled up to her and brushed the last of her tears away. Kaoru did the same to Toshiya and Shinya made do on his own.

"It's a long time ago," she said, "It's easier not to think about it."

She shoved the tray off her lap and stood, breaking the emotional tension. Shinya gasped, "Manami! You're not--"

"I'm fine! Check my forehead!!" She said. He did so and was surprised.

"No fever."

"Mmhm. So, I can do whatever I want now!"

"No, you don't! You're staying here! You're not going out!" Kyo and Shinya snapped, "Who knows what might happen next?!"

"Bah! I'm an angel, what could happen to me?!" She said, airily.

********

Wednesday, 7:00 am

"You're an angel, what could possibly happen to you, huh?"

"Oh, shut it, Shinya. The last person I need this from is you!" She replied, snappishly and turned over in the d bed to avoid him.

He went on oblivious to her. "A fever of 104 degrees. Very good, Manami!!" (sorry, I'm American--farenheit's all I know--Matrim)

"I thought I told you to shut it!!"

"And a temper to match!" Die added.

"Which one should I kill first? My twin or the pretty one?"

"Manami, we're trying to take care of you!!" Shinya scolded. "The least you can do is stop complaining. You don't have to like it. Just keep everything to yourself."

"Now, you're starting to sound like Kaoru!"

"Dammit, Manami! I thought I told you not to leave the house yesterday? you left!! You used your powers against all of us and left the apartment to do heaven knows what! And then you come back and now you're sicker than ever! Don't you ever think of other people sometimes!?"

"Hey, it's not my fault you're easily tricked." Manami muttered.

Kaoru appeared in the doorway with a tray. "Sometimes, I don't know why we even bother. Hopefully this will make you think better of pulling something like that."

Die stared at the cup on the tray. "Nani sore?"

"Something laced with sedatives that tastes terrible."

Manami glared at him, "You're so going to hell for that!!"

"Maybe but I think heaven will agree with me when I tell them the reason." He approached the bed and she gave him a look of utter disgust. "Now open up."

"I wish I had the words to tell you to politely go fu--"

"Manami!" Shinya said sharply before she could finish the curse.

"She's been hanging around Kyo too much." Die observed with a grin.

Toshiya poked his head in, "How's she holding up?"

"That depends on what you mean," Die replied.

"If you expect her to be like usual, meaning that she's stubborn, foolish, irresponsible and perhaps crazy," Shinya said, looking pointedly at Manami, "Then she's fine."

Manami sat up, her hair disarrayed. She pulled on the lower lide of her eye and stuck her tongue out at him. Then she laid back down. Kaorua nd Die began laughing and Shinya shook his head. Kaoru held her nose until she opened up her mouth to breath and poured the mixture down her throat. She swallowed it and made a face after he ws done. "Ye Gods, what the hell are you trying to do, kill me a second time?!" She was about to add more until she yawned. And yawned again. Again. And fell asleep.

"That worked faster than I expected," Kaoru observed.

"She's an angel. I think chemicals have an accelerated reaction when it comes to that sort of thing." Shinya said.

"How long is that gonna keep her out?" Toshiya asked.

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't know. For humans, maybe six hours. She'll probably be out to ten."

"AM?" Die asked.

"PM."

"What the hell was in that drink?!!" They all demanded.

"I can't tell you, if I did, I'd have to kill you."

They edged away from him. "Ne, Kaoru, you sure you're just a musician?"

"Why are you acting so funny? And what makes you say that?"

"The computer to unlock the lock in the bank, the way you easily avoided the cameras, that drink you gave Manami, the way you deal with our manager...." Die listed all of the strange things Kaoru could do.

Kaoru laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Don't worry about it!! I'm not a yakuza or anything!"

"Hounto? Then where did you learn about that computer stuff?"

"School..."

"You said you never studied." Shinya said.

Kaoru laughed again. "It's nothing really! Stop acting so scared."

"Who's acting?" Die asked. No one answered.

Kaoru sighed, "Toshiya, you can trust me right? You're not afraid of me!"

"Go away, Kaoru--if that is your real name! Don't start poisoning me too!" Toshiy, Shinya and Die left him alone in the bedroom and Kaoru hung his head.

"You try to help a person and this is the grief you get..." he muttered.

*********

5:00 pm

"Okay, somebody had to bring it up eventually." Kaoru said. He finally managed to convince everyone that he was innocent and that he was only a guitarist. They still looked at him kind of funny from time to time but otherwise treated him like normal. "We have to convince Kyo to say goodbye to Manami."

"Nope. No good." Die said, from his place on the couch. "He's stubborn. More so than usual. Trust me I've tried to convince him."

"Hanging him over the balcony is not what I call trying to convince him. Taking away his cigarettes is also not what I call trying to convince him." Toshiya replied, staring at Die as if he were insane.

"You're only bitter because you stole yours."

"Of course I am!! you know how much he smokes!" Toshiya went on, "Anyway, what you're doing, Die--that's threatening. Not convincing."

"Somebody has to bring him around or we'll all die!" Kaoru said, as he stood to stare out of Shinya's window. "By the way, where is he?"

"Hell if I know," Shinya said, wearily. "I haven't seen him since yesterday."

"Somebody call him. He has to do his share of taking care of the angel. Besides, he's the one in love with her!"

"Why don't you be the somebody?" Die asked, annoyed at Kaoru's ranting.

"I've been the somebody who's given her the drink! I've done my share of the work!!"

"Ha! I've provided the apartment, the bed and the cup you gave that drink to her in!" Shinya retorted, "Beat that!"

"Urusai!" Toshiya called out. "I'll call him!" He took Shinya's phone and dialed Kyo's mobile. "Kyo. Come to Shinya's apartment. Manami's getting worse." Then he hung up.

"That's not entirely true, Totchi." Die said.

"Whatever gets him here the fastest."

7:45 pm

"What the hell did you give her?" Kyo demanded, after looking in on the angel.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine." Kaoru soothed, "It's only a sedative."

"That's knocked her out since seven this morning!" Die added.

"NANI?!!!" Kyo advanced on the two guitarists who backed up as quickly as they could without tripping over each other in the hall. The look in his eyes could set damp wood on fire.

"Take it easy, Kyo!!" Kaoru said, nervously.

"Remember it was him who did it, not me!" Die added.

"Thanks a lot," Kaoru snapped.

"You're welcome!"

He backed them up against the far end of the hall. The guitarists clutched at each other in panic. "What are you trying to do to her? I thought we were supposed to help her get better not kill her again?!"

"It won't kill her! Promise!!"

Kyo backed off a little with a tiny sadistic smile on his face. "Fine. I hope you're not just saying that for me."

"No, no!!"

"In fact, we're doing it for us, too!" Die added and Kaoru kicked him. Kyo left them to go to the kitchen and they followed him.

"Now, we're all here." Shinya observed.

"Okay, who's going to be the someone to convince him?" Toshiya asked.

"Not me," Die said, "You didn't like my methods."

"Not me. He's still angry at me for sedating her," Kaoru replied and Kyo gave him a look that could take bark off of trees.

"Not me. I've done enough as it is," Shinya pointed out.

Toshiya sighed, "I don't want to do it! I called him!" No one said anything and he gave another sigh. "Fine. Kyo, you'll have to say goodbye to Manami."

"No."

"See, I told you he wouldn't do it!" Die said.

"I'm not done yet," Toshiya snapped at Die. "Why not, Kyo?"

"I can't just say goodbye to her like it's nothing, you know!! It may be easy for you to say goodbye to Kaoru because you know you're going to see him the next day but I can't do that. When I say goodbye to her, it'll be forever!! I'll never see her again! And then it's back to normal. Kyo's all alone again!" He yelled and sat down heavily in the chair.

"But you know the rules--"

"Fuck the rules! That's what she practically did. And when I tried to forget her before, I couldn't. And it's impossible to ask me to do that now. She's the first thing I think of in the morning, the last thing I think of at night. I want to be with her the way you guys are with each other. I want someone like that."

"But you can't have her." Shinya said, sad and soft.

"You have to say goodbye, Kyo, or we'll die. And I know that's not something she wants. She doesn't want you to die for her." Toshiya told him, slipping into his surrogate guardian angel role. "She loves you very much and that's the value of your life. Her love for you is priceless."

"She's never said she loved me."

"If she did, she'd be in deep trouble." Toshiya told him.

"I can't--"

"Kyo, an angel fell in love with you. That's the most amazing thing ever!! If you love her, let her go. She doesn't want us to die because of her."

It was silent until Kyo stood up and left for the bedroom. He refused to give an answer. They followed him silently down the hall to see him climb on the bed and lay next to Manami. They heard a soft sob as he caressed her face gently. "No. No. I will never let you go."

*********

11:30 pm

Shit. He must've fallen asleep. Kyo rose himself up on his elbow and took a look at the bed. Manami was missing. Crap. He thought as he jumped off the bed and ran to the kitchen, in a panic. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Manami sitting at the dining room table, shooting Kaoru murderous looks. She looked up and smiled at him. "What's the matter? Were you worried about me?"

"Always," He returned and walked over to her. The rest of the members of Dir en Grey caught his gaze and then directed it to the clock. He tried not to growl. "How are you?"

Manami sniffed. "Cold. I was a little tired but now I'm fine. No thanks to you," she told Kaoru who ignored her. "If I was your guardian angel I would've pushed you off of a pier long ago."

Kaoru choked and coughed as he took a drag from the cigarette he had just lit up. Shinya took the cigarette from him and put it out. Then he threw it off the balcony.

"Are you sure, Manami?" Kyo asked, "You look so pale and you just don't look like yourself."

"I'm fine. I feel better than I ever did but I'm just cold, that's all. I'm hungry." She said.

"Hungry?!!" Shinya exclaimed.

"You ate two buckets of chicken!! How can you be hungry?!!" Die demanded.

"I'm hungry." The angel snapped and gave them a look.

She stood and walked into the kitchen. She gave a slight gasp and fell. "Manami!" Kyo yelled out and ran to her. He took her in his arms and tried not to cry at the look of complete pain she had on her face. "Oh, God, tell me what's wrong! Why is this happening to you?"

"This--this hurts like--it shouldn't." Manami began crying. "I think that I've done something wrong. I think that maybe I'm not going back to heaven. They're killing me!"

"But that can't be," Die said but Shinya hushed him.

"We're not supposed to tell her," he whispered.

"Take me out on the balcony," Manami said, softly. "If I'm going to die a second time, I want to see the stars before I go."

Kyo lifted her and she seemed so light. This couldn't be right. She was dying? She couldn't die again, could she? She didn't do anything wrong...but...I don't want to say goodbye. He took onto the balcony and placed her on the cement.

She sighed, "Arigato, Kyo."

"Dooitashimate."

She was about to say something again but instead she screamed. Her hands clenched into fists on Kyo's shirt and something began to happen. A column of white light surrounded her and he heard something rip. The light faded and Manami sat there, in a silver white dress. Her hair was unbraided and a gold ribbon was wrapped around her forehead. A golden bracelet was on her right hand and she didn't look so sickly pale anymore. She glowed. She looked almost like Tendo. But Manami's wings were bigger and each tip was tinged with gold. She looked at her hands and flexed her wings experimentally. A soft breeze touched stirred Kyo's hair. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" She began to sob but this time with relief. "Shinya!! I'm an angel--a real angel! A seraphim! I've even got gold on the wingtips! Not everyone gets that!!"

Shinya smiled and ran to her for a hug. "See? I told you we'd get through this! Omedetou Gozaimasu, Manami-sama!"

She returned it then her smile faded, "Oh, no, that means...I have to say goodbye to you, soon. Like now." Shinya nodded, "You knew about this? You bastard, you knew about this and you didn't tell me?! And I thought I was dying!" She hit him softly. "You're terrible. You've been hanging around me too long."

He gave her another hug. "Have I been a good human?"

"Yes. You have. But that's a little biased since you're the only human I've been assigned to."

"I'll miss you."

"Ah, yes. You'll miss the teasing, the eating of all of your food, the angel sleeping on your couch, and picking on your dog."

"Yeah, that's right. Just rub it in why don't you?"

"Sayonara, Shin-chan."

"Manami-sama--sayonara." They stepped away from each other as Die came forward.

"Ah, you." She said and laughing. "Behave yourself."

"I always do."

"According to you. If I catch you doing crap like you did on that tv show, I'll kick you. And this time you won't be able to see me." Manami teased. She gave him a hug, "Oi. Help me take care of Shinya, ne?"

"Of course."

"Sayonara, Manami-sama."

"Sayonara, Die-kun."

Manami turned to Toshiya and both of them began laughing at each other. "You look so kawaii, Manami-sama!"

"You, too, Toshiya. You, too." She stopped laughing and said, "You'll help me take care of Shinya, ne?"

"Always. I'm going to be a guardian angel when I'm older, remember?"

Manami began to laugh again. "Oh, I pity the girl who gets you!!"

"It'll be a girl?" Toshiya asked, perking up.

"Oi, don't look so happy!" Kaoru said, jealously. Manami and Toshiya began laughing again.

"Sayonara, Manami-sama!"

"Sayonara, Toshiya-kun." Manami crossed her arms and looked at Kaoru. "Now, I have message for you."

"What is it?" Kaoru asked suspiciously.

"God said lighten up. That's what he sent Toshiya for." She smiled. "Sayonara, Kaoru-kun, and remember to have some fun once in a while, ne?"

"Sayonara, Manami-sama, and remember that there are other things besides fun once in a while, ne?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and he moved to the side next to Toshiya. She turned her attention back to Kyo, every second hurting her heart. "Kyo?"

He was turned away from her. Looking out through the bars of the balcony. In a voice like glass, he replied. "Don't, okay? Just don't."

"Kyo, this isn't easy for me..."

"What makes you think that it's any easier for me?"

"Why are making this so hard, dammit?!!" Manami screamed and Kyo stood and turned to face her, tears in his eyes.

"Good!! I don't want this to be easy!! Just like that? You're going to go? Forget all about this?!! Forget me? You're--amazing. And you were the first person I could truly talk to, tell anything to and truly love. And now, you're going. I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to go."

"Then don't.."

"We don't have a choice." Kyo turned away from her again. "Kyo...please, before I go...hold me, one last time?" She sobbed, "Please?"

Kyo turned and embraced her. "Where do I go from here?" he asked her.

"You live."

"I don't want to. Not without you."

"You'll have to. There'll be someone else. Someone prettier than me--"

"I don't want anyone prettier than you--"

"Someone who would care better for you--"

"I don't need to be cared for. I just want you!"

"Someone else will hold you in her arms, someone else will love you more than I ever could. You'll learn to love her, too."

"How can you say that so easily?!!" He demanded.

"I..can't!" She sobbed and tightened her hold on him. "I don't want to ever let you go, I don't want another girl to hold you, I don't want another girl to taste your lips, I don't want another girl to hold your hand, I don't want another girl to play video games with you! I don't want to say goodbye."

"But we have to," he said, quietly.

"It's 11:58 pm, guys," Shinya said, softly.

They ignored him. Kyo wiped her tears away even as they fell and Manami moved to do the same. She looked at him for a long time then kissed him. The first time she ever initiated it herself. Kyo closed his eyes but tears still slipped from them. This was heaven. This was bliss, but he knew that this would be the first and last time ever....It ended too soon. Kyo gazed at her just as column of soft white light surrounded Manami again. "Manami...no..."

"Kyo..." She gripped his hands and kissed the tear trails on his cheeks. "Don't do anything foolish for me, ne? Stay safe. Live."

"Manami--"

She began to fade and her voice sounded far away, "Promise me?"

"I promise."

"Sayonara, Kyo. I love you..." And then she was gone.

"I love you, too," he whispered and wept silently.

After an long moment, two roses dropped down. One red and one white. The white one bore a label in beautiful caligraphy for Shinya and the red one for Kyo. Then a note fell down, hitting Die on the nose. "Itai!"

They opened it up and this what it said:

CUT!! And you had 2 seconds left! (Don't complain about the note hitting you, Die, you've suffered worse.) You guys really like to push the envelope, don't you? Behave yourselves--don't think this is the end. I'll always be looking out for you.
Love, Manami

++

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