Wish My name is Kagami. I had another name once, a human one, but that was a long time ago… in another lifetime. You would think that time would heal all wounds, but some hurts run too deep to ever be forgotten… or forgiven. I have dedicated the rest of my half-youkai life to one thing, the only thing that will ever bring me peace - the death of Urameshi Yuusuke. Hero, Reikai Tantei, friend… … the one who murdered those I held dearest to my heart.
Tokyo was burning. Hopelessly out of breath, Shuuichi stumbled to a halt outside a ransacked appliances store. Ever since Miyomi had started her campaign to take over the Three Worlds, everything had been reduced to total chaos. Once an unheard of occurrence, youkai roaming the streets of his home were now so commonplace that they didn't even bother to announce it on the news anymore. What was left of the news anyway. Blood splattered his clothing; some of it youkai, some of it his own. He was so tired - exhausted from battling the renegade demons, the rioting humans and generally, just from trying stay alive. He didn't even remember the last time he gone to sleep at night and not be awaken in the early hours of the morning by his stepbrother telling him that another one of their strongholds had fallen to Miyomi… And to Yuusuke who led her forces into the bloodiest war ever in the Ningenkai. Ironically, Keiko had been the first human to die among the thousands who would later follow. The war had divided the Makai and looked set to destroy most of the Ningenkai. Among Yuusuke's lieutenants, he had recognized a few familiar faces from his previous reincarnation - all of them lured into Miyomi's web by the promise of power. And there were others, one in particular, that had been drawn in by the assurance of Death, perhaps the strongest addiction of all. In the first few days of the beginning of the end, he had seen sights that were so terrible he was pretty sure when this was over, he would require copious amounts of therapy. However, nothing had seared his soul more than the death of his best friend, and the fact the one who had dealt him Death's hand was the one he had loved for two incarnations. With his laughing amber eyes, Tenni had quite calmly sliced Akira's body in half while he watched, being held back by two grinning youkai guards. Even after the deed was done, and they had left him kneeling on the ground before the carnage - Shuuichi hadn't been able to comprehend what was happening… until Tenni grasped his chin with his bloody fingers and told him coldly. " He was only human." Only human. " Shuuichi!" Hearing Botan's voice, he stopped dead in his tracks. The spirit guide was balanced precariously on her oar, waving frantically to catch his attention. As always, he felt the rush of fear - what had gone wrong? Was it Kurama, or any of the others? After losing his parents in the first wave, he wasn't sure that he could stand losing his half-youko brother as well. " It's Kurama," she gasped out, confirming his worst fears. " Yuusuke found the shelter near the park…" He didn't bother with questions, but just hopped on her oar. Please, to whoever is listening out there, don't let me be too late…please.
It would haunt him the rest of his life. " No." Not Kurama too… " You bastard!" he screamed as he watched his brother's tall, slender body slide to the ground - twisted, broken… lifeless. At the sound of his voice, Yuusuke lifted his head up to look up at him, and then, very deliberately, turned his back. Like he was nothing more than a negligible threat - an insect that wasn't worthy of the attention required to squash it. It was the height of stupidity - throwing everything he had into a single ki attack, draining every last drop of energy from his body so that he could make that smirking, gloating bastard pay! The wind surged around him like a primitive force of nature, twisting like a wild creature that clawed and ripped into the ground with each breath. Shuuichi brought the full force of the twister down on him. Then, he slowly slid to the ground. It was over - he was a dead man. There was no way he would be able to defend himself against Yuusuke's counterattack, no way he could even summon the energy to get to his feet. It didn't matter anymore - Kurama was dead, so were his parents. Everything he held dear in this world was gone - he might as well pass with it. Lifting his eyes, he found Yuusuke staring down at him. Two barely visible lines marked his cheek; and as he watched, a drop of blood welled up from the scratch and ran down his jaw. Inexplicably, Shuuichi grinned. The former Reikai Tantei's face darkened. " Kill him," he ordered to someone who had been watching from the sidelines. The crunch of footsteps. Shuuichi barely paid any attention to it - he was trying to get to his feet. He refused to die like some vagrant on his knees. Still staggering slightly, he straightened to his full height… and stared into the eyes of the one who was going to be the death of him. Tenni. " Sad, isn't it?" he spoke in a deceptively gentle voice. " That after everything you tried to do, you're going to die now." " I'm ready." Defiant to the end. " Good, because I think I'll have some fun with you first…" He heard Yuusuke's chuckle in the background. That bastard… Tenni's fist shot out, catching him in the jaw. His head snapping backwards, Shuuichi crumbled to the ground. So much for trying to die with some dignity - it seemed that Tenni was determined to humiliate and torture him to the very end. There was a blinding burst of pain in the back of his neck as he struck something… …and then darkness.
To his surprise, he awakened to the sound of raindrops on the roof. Taking a quick look around, Shuuichi saw that he was in an abandoned warehouse, lying under some blankets. He winced and touched his sore head; someone had bandaged it for him, crudely, but it was sufficient. A lone candle burned a few feet away from him, throwing the shadows of his movements against the empty, scarred walls. " You're awake," a faint whisper of a voice came from somewhere beyond the circle of light. " Tenni?" The glimmer of amber soon confirmed his suspicions. The youkai was seated on an overturned crate, watching him with an inscrutable expression on his face. " What happened? What am I doing here? What are *you* doing here?" " I saved you." He said it like he betrayed his comrades every day of the week. For a long, silent moment, Shuuichi could only stare at him. Then he got to his feet and looked around the otherwise deserted warehouse again. " Where's Botan? " " Botan… didn't make it." Something snapped inside of Shuuichi. In an instant, he had grabbed the youkai by the front of his shirt and was shaking him furiously. " Why? Why did you save me if you were going to leave Botan behind? Why did you spare my life when you could have saved Kurama instead?" He was crying, tears streaming down his face. " Why, dammit…" his voice broke. " I wanted to die with them." " I know, but… I love you too much. Human or not." His finger trailed the path of his tears, gently. " And I could only save one of you." He started to cough - Shuuichi realized that his face was too pale, the eyes too bright… " What - ?" " Yuusuke hit me with a Blood spell." He tried to muster a weak grin. " It's not as bad as it looks." " You need a healer." " No healer in the Three Worlds can save me," Tenni told him. " It's eating me from the inside out." Smiling, he burrowed into Shuuichi's embrace. " Just hold me. I've been waiting a long time for you to hold me again…" " Tenni…" Closing his eyes, he held the dying youkai close to his heart. I wish… When the first rays of the new morning streamed through the broken windows, he felt the whisper of life leave the body of his deadliest enemy… greatest love… Touching his lips to the pale cheek, he pressed his face against the cooling form and wept… For his parents, his brother, his friends, for Tenni… and for all those who would perish before this insanity was over…
I stand over the river, looking in the murky depths, trying to see where the path of Fate will lead me. To my death, or to *his*. But in the deepest recesses of my heart, I know it doesn't matter any more - what would one more death mean? They are gone… killing Yuusuke might bring me some peace, but it will not bring them back, and that is what I wish for every day of my life. For everything to be back to the way it was... Bowing my head, I pray that they have found the peace which continues to elude me. Wherever they are, waiting for me. |