Beautiful Shinigami
Chapter Seven
by Ina-chan
First Posted Online:  December 1, 2004
History: Inspired by Bryan Fuller's "DEAD LIKE ME" series

            “TA-KU-MI!! TA-KU-MI!! TA-KU-MI!!”

             The roar of screaming girls was deafening. Then again, what would you expect from a concert by a super star idol like Takumi-san?

             “’Let Me Fly Like an Angel’ is next! Are the hoists ready?”

             I’ve never been to a concert before. So to say that suddenly finding myself backstage, within reach of a super star idol like Takumi-san was almost a dream come true!

             “This is so unfair. Why does he always get the VIP assignments?”

             “Well, I suppose if you don’t screw up half the time...”

             “SHUT UP! NOBODY ASKED YOU!”

             “Anou... Kyou-kun... Shigure-san...”

             Well... okay. Takumi-san’s not really at hand’s reach. I was a good ten meters away backstage with Shigure-san and Kyou-san, as we watched Yuki-kun and the backstage crew help with the harness that would hoist Takumi-san into the air for his spectacular final song in the concert.

             “Now watch carefully, Tooru-kun. Knowing Yuki-kun’s style, he would make his move any second now.”

             Takumi-san really was a wonderful entertainer, always ending his concerts with a death-defying stunt. In fact, half of his fans came to his concerts just to watch him perform his grand finale.

             “Are you ready, Takumi-san?”

             “I’m ALWAYS ready! Let’s FLY!”

             Too bad this one was going to be his last.

             “Anytime now...”

             All three of us stood together and watched Yuki-kun standing there impassively with his hands clasped behind his back as Takumi-san was hoisted in the air and flew out of reach and sailed over the noise of his screaming fans and the blare of instruments of his band.

             “SHIT! THE DAMNED RAT DIDN’T TOUCH HIM!!!”

             “Don’t be silly, Kyou-kun, of course Yuki-kun touched him.”

             I don’t know if it was a trick of the light or if I was really seeing things. I could have sworn I saw a small shadow over Takumi-san’s figure just seconds before the harness broke and sent him falling down to the crowd below. All at once the, the entire place was engulfed by deafening silence. I couldn’t help holding my own breath at what we just witnessed. It was as if time stood still. When all of the sudden...

             “It’s all right everyone! I’m okay!”

             Takumi-san’s cheerful figure yelled out reassuringly as he stood up with hands raised in the air, completely unscathed. A collective sigh of relief ran through the entire building... that suddenly turned into shrieks of complete chaos when the fans around him suddenly realized what just happened. I could only gape in horror from where we were standing as we watched poor Takumi-san suddenly get engulfed by the masses of bodies clawing to get at him...

             “Death by fangirls... what a way to go...”

             You’d probably think it was rather strange to find myself witnessing something horrendous like this first hand, but to tell you the truth... this was actually just another regular day in my new job.

             It’s really very strange! A week ago, I was just Tooru Honda, high school student. Then I died and suddenly became... Tooru Honda, novice Shinigami... Now, aside from learning the tricks of the trade from my seniors, I’m also quickly realizing that... there really isn’t much difference from being alive and being “undead” when the Shinigami walk among the living.

******

            “You jerk!” Kyou-kun growled angrily at Yuki-san, as we sat together for supper back at Shigure-san’s house much later, “Why the hell didn’t you pop that guy’s soul before he took off?”

             “I don’t need a lecture from you,” Yuki-san continued dismissively, “I got his soul fine, and I sent him on his way as I was supposed to.”

             “Not until after he was mauled to death by those rabid fan girls!” Kyou-kun protested          

            “He deserved it,” Yuki-san replied flatly as he sipped his cup of tea, “The pervert grabbed my ass.”

             I almost dropped the tray I was holding at what Yuki-san said. Even Shigure-san choked on his tea with surprise at the revelation.

             “Needless to say,” Shigure-san finally managed to say, gaining his composure after a round of violent coughing, “Even though we’re not obligated to take souls moments before their deaths so that they don’t feel the trauma of dying... it’s not right to take on that vindictive attitude of yours when you should be setting a good example for Tooru-kun.”  

            “He’s becoming more and more like Akito everyday,” Kyou-kun added with huff.  

            “You want me to set a good example? Very well,” Yuki stated as he turned towards my direction and gave me a smile so charming and sweet that it would have probably attracted ants... if the venom dripping from it didn’t kill them first that is, “Rookie, never ever let other people tell you what to do when you know you’re right. And when fourth-rate, good for nothing failures try to force their wills on you, make sure you do this.”

             Without missing a beat, Yuki-san calmly flipped a middle finger at Kyou-kun and Shigure-san’s direction.

             “WHY YOU---!!!” Kyou-kun sputtered angrily as he rose from his seat and towered over Yuki-san.

            “AAAH---ANOU...!!!” I instinctively put myself between them and put Kyou-kun’s meal in front of him, “I thought I would try a Western dish today from Kagura-san’s recipe book... Why don’t we all eat it together before it gets cold?”

             Shigure-san grinned at the meal in front of him, “AH! To sample another one of Tooru-kun’s wonderful cooking! We truly are blessed! Who needs to go to heaven, when paradise is already here? Why don’t you two postpone your little tiff and allow us to enjoy this. Tooru-kun worked so hard on this for us, afterall.”

             Kyou-kun stayed where he was about to say something in protest, when his stomach growled loudly. He instantly turned a bright shade of red and sat back to face his food huffily. I couldn’t help taking a small inward breath of relief. For some strange reason during the past week, I managed to find a few ways on trying to avert a fight from happening between Yuki-san and Kyou-kun. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t... though I did notice that the subject of food oftentimes calmed down Kyou-kun’s frayed nerves.

             But Yuki-san was another story...

             For the past week, not once did I see him even touch any of my cooking... or any food for that matter. Other than the occasional glass of water or cup of tea, not once have I seen Yuki-san eat. None of the other Shinigami seemed to take much heed out of it. I’ve somewhat taken it as a personal challenge, to Kagura-san and Shigure-san’s amusement, to somehow manage to get Yuki-san to eat one of my meals. Not that there was anything to worry about Yuki’s reluctance to eat, that is, since there was no way a Shinigami can starve to death.

             But still, being a Shinigami was not that different from being a normal living mortal being. Except from the fact that we’re already dead... like mortals, we get tired and irritable in the morning if we don’t get enough sleep, we bleed when we get injured... and yes... we also feel hunger if we don’t eat.

             “Anou... Yuki-san? Would you---” I called out uncertainly

             “I’m fine,” Yuki-san replied before I could finish my sentence as he stood up, completely ignoring the meal in front of him, and sat at the edge of the open engawa, hiding behind the paper screen door.

             “You’re just wasting your time,” Kyou-kun stated through mouthfuls of his meal, “I don’t know why you even bother with an ungrateful jerk like him.”

             “But—“I started in protest.

             “Tooru-kun, Yuki-kun is very... complicated,” Shigure-san said quietly, in an uncharacteristically serious tone, “He’s not a bad person, but you have to understand that there are limits to up to how close he will allow you to get near him. It’s for the best if you respect his wishes on not to cross those boundaries until he lets you.”

             I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand it at all. It must be lonely to be like that. I can’t imagine why anyone would choose to be lonely.

             “Well, putting that aside,” Shigure-san interrupted, “I certainly hope you don’t imitate Yuki-kun’s obvious personality flaws. It’s important to give the touch a few minutes before or just before the appointed time, especially with violent deaths. That way, their soul pops right out of their body at the moment of their death so they don’t experience the trauma of dying violently. It’s the least we can do to let them keep their dignity. Think of it as a public service.”    

            I never really thought of it that way, to be quite honest. I’m slowly learning that being a Shinigami was a lot more complicated than giving them that fatal touch to take souls and send them off towards where they’re supposed to go.

             “Anou... Shigure-san, just before Takumi-san fell... did you notice something strange?” I asked curiously, “Just before Takumi-san’s harness broke I thought I saw this thing up there with him.”

             Kyou-kun froze at my comment as he and Shigure-san stared at each other in surprise. Shigure-san let out a low whistle before breaking into a smile, “No wonder Akito-san chose Yuki-kun to be your mentor. Very few people can see a Shinojaki in its true form. If you’re lucky, you could see a shadow of them dart by out from the corner of your eye.”

             “Shinojaki?” I couldn’t help echoing. I’ve never heard of such creatures even existing.

             “Contrary to popular belief, we Shinigami are not the ones who drop the antique cabinets that kill people. We Shinigami just guide souls,” Shigure-san explained, “Shinojaki are mischievous imps that cause the accidents. Like us, they’re everywhere and imitate the shape of any living creature that you can think of. Though their favourite form are usually...”

             “Cats,” Kyou-kun interrupted with a grim tone.

             “Cats?” I blinked in surprise. Never in my life have I ever imagined cats as being creatures associated with Death

             “Is that the reason why Yuki-san is not particularly fond of cats?” I wondered aloud, remembering an earlier conversation with Kagura-san.

             “Ah, well... it’s more complicated than that...” Shigure-san replied, making a nervous glance at the direction to where Yuki-san disappeared to, “That’s a question that only Yuki-kun can answer, I suppose.”

             Kyou-kun made a visible frown at that but said nothing as he made that unconscious habit of playing with the beads on the bracelet he wore on his right hand.

             “Mind you, not all cats are Shinojaki. It’s true that cats have always been plagued with mysterious folktales from different cultures throughout history... especially regarding luck and death. Needless to say, the shinojaki contributed to a lot of that. But even though cats seem to be their favourite form...” Shigure-san added, “Shinojaki can take whatever forms convenient for them in order to finish their job... cat, dog, rat and even people.”

             “People?” I can’t help but gasp in surprise. It was rather unexpected to find out that not only can the person sitting next to you in a bus could be a Shinigami, there’s also the possibility that he or she could be an imp that causes accidents and death.

             Kyou-kun scowled and looked as if he was about to say something once again.

             “Shut up Shigure!” Yuki-san’s voice rang loudly from behind the screen of the slightly opened engawa, “Don’t make it sound like the Shinojaki is responsible for all the evils that mortals willingly commit to each other. Shinojaki cause accidents and deaths because it’s their job. Mortals hurt and murder each other because they’re stupid. Blaming that on the Shinojaki is not only unfair, but also insulting.”

             Shigure raised an eyebrow. Even Kyou-kun looked surprised at Yuki-san’s sudden outburst.

             “Heeeeh?” Shigure-san intoned with a playful grin, “Don’t tell me that Yuki-kun is having a change of heart about the Shinojaki.”

             Yuki-san let out a harsh laugh at the comment as re-appeared in the room, with a spiteful expression on his face that made him look like a different person all together. He’s heated glare stared intensely at Kyou-san and Shigure-san as he clutched his left shoulder, “Just because I’m stating the truth doesn’t mean that my feelings toward the Shinojaki has changed. Shinojaki are disgusting leeches. It doesn’t matter to me what they are or what they used to be... I won’t hesitate on performing a Sending if one insomuch makes a single move in violating the pact.”

             With that, Yuki-san turned on his heels and left the room. I waited until his footsteps echoed up the stairs and disappeared with the loud bang of his door, before I even dared to release my breath. I turned to Shigure-san, who had a pensive expression on his face, and Kyou-kun who had on an unreadable look, “Anou... Shigure-san... what did he mean by that? What exactly are the Shinojaki, anyway?”

             “They were human,” Kyou-kun suddenly stated, “Despite their appearance now, and despite the fact that they no longer have memories of their past lives, they used to be human.”

             “Eh?” Now I was really completely baffled by this whole thing.

             “Shinojaki are souls that refused to leave this world or souls that Shinigami failed to send off,” Shigure-san explained patiently, “In a way, they’re the same as us.”

             That was all Shigure-san would say. Even Kyou-kun seemed to have withdrawn into himself after that. The uncomfortable atmosphere that fell in the room made me feel reluctant to prod any further.

             “Am I interrupting something?” Hatori-san’s voice suddenly called out from the hallway.

             “AH! Not at all Ha-san!” Shigure-san called back cheerfully as he motioned Hatori-san to sit at Yuki-san’s vacated seat, “We were just starting dinner. Why don’t you join us?”

             “Before that, where’s Yuki?” Hatori-san asked as he made his way to the table.

             “Sulking,” Kyou replied making a knowing glance upstairs.

             Hatori-san sighed and dropped two envelopes with familiar memo paper pieces attached to it onto the space in the middle of the common room table.

             Shigure let out a sigh at the sight of it himself, “Yuki-kun is not going to be happy with this.”

             “It’s last minute. You know how Akito loves to pull stuff like this,” Hatori-san stated before continuing in that brisk business-like monotone of his, “It’s a small 24-seater domestic plane, eight passengers, pilot, and one flight attendant.”

             “Everyone dies?” Shigure-san asked as he eyed the number of memo paper pieces.

             “In a big fiery ball,” Hatori-san replied with a small nod, as he tapped the envelopes that now obviously contained boarding passes, “Akito only wants two to go in.”

             “NO WAY!” Kyou-kun protested indignantly, “That damned Yuki is in a psychotic mood right now. There is no way in hell I’m letting myself be trapped within a confined space with that damned Rat!”

             “I never said anything about you going with Yuki on this assignment,” Hatori-san retorted impassively.

             “Heh?” Shigure-san stared at the older man in surprise, “Kyou’s not going with Yuki? Is Akito changing protocol?”

             It was rather a surprising turn of events. With the exception of the days when Yuki-san was given time off from taking souls in order to help me adjust to my new life during the first couple of days, I did find it a little odd that whenever Yuki-san was to go on an assignment,  Kyou-kun seems to be always at hand. Either as a partner in a group effort, or just being around in the background... to borrow Hatori-san’s term... ‘to ride shotgun’. I was too busy trying to find ways to figure out how stop them from fighting to stop and ask the reason behind it.

              “For this particular job, Akito wants someone else to go with him,” Hatori-san stated as he pushed one of the envelopes toward my direction, “Go and fetch Yuki, and get yourself ready as well. I’ll drive you to the airport. Your plane leaves in three hours.”

             “EH!?!?”

==(@)==

            “Hey... is this really okay? Do you think she’s ready for this?”

             “Worried about Tooru-kun? That’s completely uncharacteristic of you, Kyou-kun!  Don’t tell me you’re starting to fall for our little flower?”

             “SHUT UP! IT’S NOTHING LIKE THAT!!!”

             “That’s good though. If Kyou-kun’s responding to her, then we know there’s hope.”

             “I suppose.”

             “DAMMIT!!! STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I’M SOME KIND OF GUAGE!!! I’M GOING OUT!!!”

             “Get some takoyaki for me while you’re out, neeee? Kyou-kun?”

             “GET THEM YOURSELF!” <SLAM>

             “.........”

             “Ne... Ha-san. About Tooru-kun, it seems like she could see them too.”

             “Hmmm... that’s an interesting development.”

             “Do you have any idea what Akito is up to?”

             “No one ever knows what Akito is up to.”

             “If it turns out that Tooru-kun does have the ability, then it could only mean that Akito is really trying to help, right?”

             “Either that... or Honda-kun is actually being trained to be a replacement.”

             “.........”

             “.........”

             “You just like raining on other people’s parade, don’t you Ha-san?”

==(@)==

            I suppose, if you were to ask a random person off the street, the image of a terrified teen-aged girl would be the least thing that would come to your mind when you think of death. Like most people, I always believed that death was this dark mysterious creature that slinked in the night and snatched you away just like that in an instant. After all, I have encountered it enough times to be fearful of it. Death was very cruel. It leaves behind destruction tenfold of a summer typhoon and a sense of loss deeper than the Pacific.       But to K. Souma who will be sitting on Seat 5A on 2330 this night... that completely non-threatening teen-aged girl will be that dark mysterious creature.  

            “How do I know that I’m getting the right person?” I whispered to Yuki-san once again for the hundredth time as the small airplane came to view.  

            The fact that the vital information in the memo paper for my appointment only contained the person’s family name and initial, location and estimated time of death was not very reassuring at all! Yuki-san explained that the reason behind that was because the less you know a person, the easier it was to accept their deaths. It made total sense... but to tell you the truth, to me, it doesn’t feel much easier at all.  

            “Your target will be the only one I’m not touching,” Yuki-san whispered back blandly for the hundred and first time.  

            “But what if it’s the wrong person,” I whispered back frantically.  

            I may not know K.Souma personally, but K.Souma must have a family who will be deeply hurt at the news of his or her death. K.Souma may have a young son or daughter, who he or she will never see grow up, graduate from school, get married, and have children of their own. K.Souma will have friends who will mourn and feel guilty about not doing anything to prevent his or her death, even though they know that there was nothing they could do about it.  

            “Look,” Yuki-san whispered back in strained patience, “It doesn’t really matter. Save for the two of us, before midnight, every single person in the plane will be dead. There is very little margin for error.”  

            “But---“  

            “Rookie, heaven help me, if you ask me that same question one more time...” Yuki-san interrupted in that and low dangerous tone of his that lets you know he means business, “You will go in that aircraft,  you take your seat, and you wait for the person who will sit on 5A, then you will march over, do your job and make sure your target does not leave the seat until it’s all over. Is that clear?”  

            I could only nod my head meekly in reply.  

            “Good,” Yuki-san stated with great finality, that all I could really do was to follow him timidly into the plane and wait for my appointment.  

            Yuki-san started almost immediately with the flight attendant and the passengers already seated on his way to our seat. It was actually quite simple. It was just a gentle caress or an accidental brush on the arm... half of the time, they didn’t even notice him. Yuki-san had to turn on his charm in order to get the pilot, who was already inside the cockpit. But even with that, Yuki-san managed to finish his task before the airplane even took off the ground.  

            I, in the meantime, sat nervously in my seat, staring at the empty where K.Souma was supposed to sit. A lot of things ran through my mind during that short period of time. I remembered wishing for something to happen to K.Souma to keep him or her from getting in that plane and taking that seat. I remembered sitting there and wishing that K.Souma was this mean old man whom nobody likes, or that annoying nosy fat woman who lives at the corner and puts her nose in everyone’s business, or a serial killer, a wife-beater, the worst scum in society... anything bad! But knowing me, none of my wishes ever comes through. I felt my heart fall down to the pit of my stomach as the flight attendant ushered K.Souma to sit down on 5A.  

            Kisa Souma was a very cute, sweet, soft spoken, 12-year-old. She was a first year junior high school student who likes art, home economics and social studies. She dreamed of becoming a lawyer for the poor someday because she wants to help people who can’t defend themselves.  

            And at 2330 on seat 5A, she has an appointment with me... to die.  

            I don’t know how long I sat there staring at her uncertainly as the plane took off and as we flew halfway through our flight path. Ten minutes before the appointment, I felt Yuki-san’s knee nudging me impatiently. I turned to give Yuki-san a pleading ‘I-don-want-to-do-this’ look, but he simply shook his head and gave me a ‘go-over-there-now-or-else’ glare in reply.  

            Somehow, I managed to saunter my way to the seat behind her. But as I reached out to give her that fatal touch, I found my hand hesitating at the last minute. Sensing my presence, Kisa-san looked up and gave me a questioning look.  

            “Ah...anou... heh--hello!” I uttered uncertainly with a nervous grin, “Anou... etou... ah... I just noticed that you’re alone. Is this your first trip?”  

            Kisa-san gave me a thoughtful look, as if debating with her self if she should talk to me or not, before shaking her head shyly, “I’m not supposed to be talking to strangers.”  

            AH! She was just so cute! It was breaking my heart knowing what was going to happen in a few minutes.  

            “Tooru,” I said automatically without thinking,  but it was too late to take that back now, “My name is Tooru. If we introduce each other, we won’t be strangers anymore, right?”  

            Kisa-san made another cute thoughtful look before nodding her head and breaking into a very cute smile, “Kisa. My name is Kisa. It’s very nice to meet you Oneechan.”  

            As much as my heart leapt with joy at Kisa-san’s reception, I immediately felt a great sense of dread. I just disobeyed two of the Ten Commandments that a Shinigami should always follow. First is to never reaveal your old identity to a mortal and the second is not to get close or friendly with a mortal.  I felt beads of sweat forming on my head as I literally felt Yuki-san’s stare boring a hole at the back of my head.  

            “I always visit my grandmother this way to watch the light festival,” She explained in that cute and quiet voice of hers.  

            “That must be fun,” I commented idly.  

            “I’ve gone to see it with my grandmother and my mother for as long as I can remember! It’s my favourite festival in the whole world,” Kisa-san nodded with a big smile, though her smile started to falter, “But this is the first time I’m going ahead without my mother. She couldn’t get off work in time for this year. But she’s going to catch up later.”  

            A pang of pain instantly stabbed me on the chest upon hearing that as I remembered my own memories of my mother, who was snatched away from me in the same manner... an accident that happened from something that we do as a routine.  

            All of a sudden, a movement caught the corner of my eye. While trying to look as discreet as possible, I inched closer to the empty window seat behind Kisa-san’s row and took a peek outside. Sure enough, sitting unabashedly on the airplane wing was one of those creatures I saw on Takumi-san’s harness.  

            It was a scene from this scary American movie I saw once... about this man who saw a creature destroying the engine from the wing of a plane.  

            Up close, it looked as hideous as Yuki-san described it to be. It was a small creature, probably no bigger than a school-aged child. As if sensing me watching it, it suddenly turned around to face me. All at once, I found myself staring at a pair of inhumanly red eyes. Upon realizing that I was looking at it directly, the creature grimaced and hissed at me angrily, its razor sharp teeth seemed to be glinting dangerously in the moonlight, then is started to run off to the edge of the wing before swinging effortlessly under it, out of sight. The way its long knobby arms and legs moved fluid agility reminded me of a monkey. A monkey with rough snakelike scaly skin and spiky hedgehog-like hair that stood on end and bristled angrily, standing up to the ends like a spooked out cat.  

            It was then that I realized that there was no way I could do this. It wasn’t fair! Kisa-san was too young to die like this. If someone is going to take her soul, it’s not going to be me!  

            “Ne, Kisa-san,” I quickly maneuvered myself to the aisle and grabbed her arm, “You seemed so lonely sitting alone here, why don’t you come over and sit with me over there?”  

            “Eh?” Kisa-san gave me a bewildered look but offered no resistance.   

            Commandment number three: Never interfere with an event or environment that can alter the course of a person’s death.  

            “What are you doing?” Yuki-san’s harsh whisper suddenly hissed in my ear, “You’re not supposed to interfere. She has to sit there at the appointed time, or you’ll screw everything up.”

             I instinctively clutched Kisa-san protectively in my arms and shook my head stubbornly. Yuki-san looked as if he was going to say something in reply when the seatbelt light turned on.

             “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are about to enter a small field of air pockets. We might experience a series of turbulence. Please take your seat and buckle your seatbelts until further instruction.”

             “Put her back,” Yuki-san whispered firmly as he held my shoulders and nudged me to let Kisa-san go back to her seat.

             Instead I pulled away and pushed Kisa-san further forward down the aisle and toward the front of the plane... to anywhere... to any way possible in keeping her as far away from her fate as possible. 

             “You’re making a scene, just let her sit back on her seat, and finish what you’re supposed to do,” Yuki-san stated clearly in that authoritative tone that Hatori-san occasionally uses when someone in the group was being particularly stubborn.

             I could feel my eyes burning, and tears were pooling at the corner of my eyes. But I just couldn’t get myself to do it, “I’m sorry Yuki-san to do this but...” With a deep breath, I held out my trembling right hand and nervously raised my middle finger at him.

             Yuki-san stared at me with this stunned expression on his face. I know that Kisa-san has no idea what was going, I could tell from the tense way she stood against me that she was getting scared at being stuck in the middle of this. The other passengers of the plane were already anxious of the announcement were watching us, caught between amusement with annoyance.

             Finally, flight attendant approached us with strained patience in her voice, “Please take your seats.”          

            But before anyone can react, there was a loud explosion that shuddered through the entire plane, the power cutting off instantly. Yuki-san swore under his breath, and tackled myself and Kisa-san to the ground amidst the screams and confusion from the other passengers.

             It was surreal how everything happened so fast.

             I remembered lying stunned on the plane’s floor, holding on to Kisa-san as if my life depended on it and catching a glimpse of airplane’s dim ceiling over Yuki-san’s shoulder. Then suddenly the next moment, the ceiling was literally ripped off in front of my eyes. We found ourselves surrounded by a ball of fire. Though for some strange reason, the fire didn’t seem to touch us. I didn’t even feel the heat. The only thing that idly passed through my mind was how warm and safe it felt to be in Yuki-san’s arms. It felt almost exactly just like that time... when I first met you.         

            Next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground, in the woods somewhere near a warm campfire with Yuki-san’s coat covering me like a blanket. I sat up automatically to find Kisa-san tearfully sitting by my side, and a woman I’ve never met tending to the fire.

             “Oneechan! Thank goodness you’re alright!” Kisa-san whispered, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

             I sat there gaping at her speechless, not quite believing that Kisa-san was still alive, before grabbing her and holding her in a tight hug, “Kisa-san! I’m so glad! I’m so glad!”

             “I hate to break this touching moment,” The woman interrupted stoically from where she was seated by the fire, as she looked across to me to give me a meaningful glance to the side, “But now that you’re awake, you have other matters to attend to.”

             I followed her gaze and felt my heart sink as I saw Yuki-san’s lone figure, sitting a short distance away from us with his back to us. Not too far to be completely isolative, but far enough to be away from hearing distance. All at once, I knew that I was in big trouble. But I know that I made a big mistake by disobeying orders. Mom always told me to take responsibility for things that were my fault, so I wrapped his coat around me instinctively as I walked towards Yuki-san to face my punishment.

             He didn’t turn around when I was finally standing behind him, but he patted the seat beside him, acknowledging my presence. Not wanting to make things worse than it already is, I sat down obediently, squishing my feelings of reluctance to the far corners of my mind.

             “What are you doing?” Yuki-san asked in a quiet tone that I’m not quite familiar with. It didn’t have that authoritative quality that he usually acquires when he gives instructions, or that condescending sarcastic tone that he uses when Kyou-kun makes a mistake. It was a simple and neutral question. To be quite honest, it took me a little bit by surprise.

             “I just saved a life,” I replied with a little bit more conviction than I intended, surprising myself as well, “Kisa-san will live until she’s an adult, she’ll get married, have children, grow old and die peacefully surrounded by her family.”

             “Rookie, we’re just Shinigami. We take souls and send them off to where they need to go,” Yuki-san stated gently, “It’s not us to decide who or how a person will die.”

             “I can’t do it,” I whispered almost inaudibly.

             “I know this is hard for you, but you have a job to do,” Yuki-san replied, “You need to send her off.”

             Yuki-san was only stated the truth. But you know, for some strange reason, I just felt this uncharacteristic... rage inside of me. Why was I suddenly given this responsibility? I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t even want be a part of death. I hated death.

             I HATED DEATH.

             My earliest childhood memories of Death were visions of my mother, the strongest person I have ever known in my entire life, crumple as if she were a mere paper doll under the mercy of my father’s death. And I saw myself fall into a deep and endless abyss of despair when I found myself in the same position under the weight of her death. If it weren’t for the gentle touch of the people who loved me, I probably would have never been coaxed to come out from that dark pit.

             I can’t do it. I can’t bring this despair to people. There’s just no way!

             “If it’s so important, why can’t anyone else do it?” I demanded, my anger starting to get the best of me, “Why can’t YOU do it?”

             “Because she’s your mark. Her appointment was with you,” Yuki-san stated simply, “She’s your responsibility. If someone else does this for you, it will have serious consequences.”

             “I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t make that appointment. Why do I have to be the one to do this?” I protested loudly, “She’s just a little girl!”

             As soon as the words flew from my mouth, Yuki-san turned to look at me directly with this look of understanding in his face that made me suddenly realize that this was more than just Kisa-san dying. It was also as much about me as it was with her.

             “It sucks,” Yuki-san began simply, “She’ll never grow up and grow old. She’ll never fall in love and have children and grandchildren. She’ll never finish school and have a career.”

             He then gave me a small sad smile, and it was only then that I realized that he wasn’t just talking about Kisa-san or about me... he knew exactly what I was feeling. The circumstance of his death was exactly like ours.

             He was also talking about himself.

             “But even though it’s short, she still lived a lifetime,” Yuki-san continued, “And she’ll have all those happy memories with her friends and her family that will stay with her as she passes on.”

             I bowed my head, feeling pacified by the wisdom of his words. I couldn’t do anything else but allow the tears I’ve held back for so long to flow down freely from my face.

             “I never believed in Fate when I was alive,” Yuki-san affirmed, “But I do believe that the decisions we make in our lives affect how circumstances flow. Right now, you still have a choice on whether or not to keep your appointment with her. But before you make your decision, I only proper that you be informed on the choices that you make... there are consequences for souls who refuse to leave or whom Shinigami fail to send off to where they need to go when it is time for them to go.”

             I instantly looked up to meet Yuki-san’s serious gaze, suddenly remembering that Shigure-san told me the same thing earlier that day.

             “Are you ready to take responsibility for what can happen to her?”

             The image of that creature I saw on Takumi-san’s harness... and the hideous thing that hissed angrily at me as it glared at me with its glowing red eyes from the plane flashed before my eyes. I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought that this was what was in store for Kisa-san if I don’t send her off. I bowed down my head in despair, realizing that despite what Yuki-san says... I really don’t have a choice.

             “Oneechan?” Kisa-san called out softly.

             I looked up and saw her standing uncertainly a few steps away. She looked visibly upset and worried, but looked completely unsure if she should interrupt us or not. Yuki-san nudged me in encouragement so I wiped the tears from my face and gave her a reassuring smile.  I stood up and walked closer to where she was standing. I crouched down until I was at her level before and hoped that my voice wouldn’t crack, before attempting to speak.

             “Anou, Kisa-san... there’s some place that you need to go,” I whispered gently.

             “Are you taking me home?” Kisa-san asked hopefully, “I have to let my Mom and my Grandmother know that I’m okay. They’ll be worried when they hear about the crash in the news.”

             I bit my lip and shook my head, “I can’t take you home, but I’m sending you to a place where you need to be first. I don’t know when, but someday you’ll see your Mom and your Grandmother there as well. All I can promise is that it’s a nice place, and it won’t hurt one bit to get there.”

             Kisa-san looked at me as if she didn’t quite understand what I was saying, but nodded in agreement anyway.

             “Anou... it’ll be better if you close your eyes for a bit,” I instructed, “And then think of the first place that comes into your mind where you felt the happiest.”

             Kisa-san nodded and closed her eyes. With trembling hands, I reached out and caressed her cheek. There was a warm tingle from where I touched her, and almost immediately, she slumped forward and tumbled into my arms.  She lay still, not breathing, in a deep unwakable sleep.

             “Oneechan?”

             I looked up and saw Kisa-san staring at me and at her sleeping body, confusion evident in her face. I simply gave her another reassuring smile. That’s all I can really do at this point, “Its okay Kisa-san. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

             Kisa-san looked as if she was about to say something, but a bright burst of blinding light flashed from behind her and dimmed a little bit, forming an incredible image made entirely out of light. Kisa-san let out a loud gasp, a look of complete astonishment crossing her face as she stared excitedly at the scene before her, “Oneechan! It’s the Light Festival!”  With that, Kisa-san broke into a sprint and headed towards the light.

             “K-Kisa-san! Wait!” I called out as I struggled to go after her.

             But before I could do anything, I felt a hand hold on to my shoulder to keep me back, “You can’t follow where she’s going.”

             “What is that?” I turned around and saw that woman who was tending to us from earlier

             “It’s not for us to know,” she said with finality as she shook her head. Without another word, she helped me carry Kisa-san’s lifeless body closer to the fire, to keep wild animals away and hopefully to help search and rescuers find her faster. I took Yuki-san’s coat from my shoulders and started to draped it over her, when the woman stopped me and shook her head, “Don’t leave any obvious evidences. Besides she doesn’t need it anymore.”

             Death is really mysterious. I’ve always seen it as something horrible and painful to bear.  And Shinigami were mysterious creatures of the dark that you should fear. As difficult and painful my first time experience on taking someone’s soul... somehow, I can’t help feeling comforted.

             After all, how bad can it be when one’s soul is taken by caress of a gentle touch?  

End of Part Seven
Return to Chapter Six  
Continued on Chapter Eight 

AUTHOR’S SQUAWK:   

             Thank you very much to RJunkie for her feedback and beta-ing this chapter! This chapter obviously has a lot more info (as well as questions) about this strange alternate universe Tooru and company has found themselves in.  If you’re curious about the reference to cats and death, here’s an interesting website about cats and the folktales and myths about them.

Cat folktales and Myths:

http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm

Ja!
Ina-chan