"A-are you sure about this, Koenma-sama?" George asked, fear evident in his voice. Ayame turned to him and slapped him on the forehead.

"Now, now, we promised to help Koenma-sama in any way can, baka!" she scolded.

"B-but going down there-"

"Well if you are too afraid then don't come with us at all." Ayame said nastily as she got her oar ready. "You will be just in the way." She added.

"Look, nobody is forcing anybody understand?" Koenma said as he shoved his cloak away. "The two of you need not trouble yourself on my account."

"Iie." Ayame replied sensing her employer's sadness. "I will help you." She vowed as she sullenly remembered that she actually caused this in the first place.

Although Koenma assured her that it was not her fault, still she couldn't help but feel guilty. The more she thinks about it, the more her desire to help him increased. She would do anything just do get that downhearted look on her employer's face, as if all the problems of the three worlds crashed on him all at once. She would do anything not just because she is not used to seeing him like that, but because of what her heart chose to do.

Although it pains her greatly, she now fully understood that there is only and only one person who could make Koenma happy and sad to say, she is not the one. Now, looking at the forlorn expression on his face, his eyes tired and sad, his lips set in a grim line made her heart bleed with pity and pain. With a heavy heart, she vowed to do anything just to see him smile once again- even though she knows it would really hurt like hell.

"Coming, George?" she heard Koenma said. She took a deep calming breath as she felt his warm body pressed against her back.

"Are you- are you sure that thing won't break apart?" the oni asked uncertainly as Koenma positioned himself comfortably on Ayame's oar.

"Would you rather walk?" she asked. With that, George shook his head and settled himself beside his boss.

"Let's go." Koenma said. Ayame nodded her head as they flew down from Rei Kai, savoring the feel of him close to her for the last time.

=======

"Are we there yet?" George asked as he tried his best balancing himself as the oar swooped down.

"Almost." Ayame replied as the River Styx came to view. She gently settled the oar down and hopped off from it.

Koenma stood there momentarily as he studied the black water flowing from the vast mountaintop. The hateful Styx, one of the rivers separating the underworld from the world above, loomed at him eerily. His eyes then trailed downwards only to find a cave on its side, no doubt the entrance to the dark underworld. He then turned towards his two companions gravely.

"Wait here." He ordered as he prepared himself to walk towards the cave. Ayame immediately followed suit.

"No, I shall go with you." She declared stubbornly.

"Don't worry about me, I should stay here and wait." George called out

Koenma, ignoring the silly tatter of George, stopped and turned to her. He studied her face and saw determination on it. Nevertheless, he shook his head.

"No, it is dangerous out there and-"

"I know." She cut in bravely.

"You could get hurt."

"I don't care."

"Why are you doing this? I told you it is not your fault."

"I know." She replied. "But not ensuring your success would hurt me even more." She added walking past him quickly.

Although Koenma didn't quite fully understand what she had meant by that statement, he nevertheless decided to let her have her way. Trudging on behind her, they entered the cave's mouth. Instantly darkness covered them, an eerie silence ringing through the walls.

Koenma felt Ayame's breathing becoming ragged as they walked further away from the cave's mouth. Shadows of sorrows greeted them and the ghastly sounds of man's misery echoed through their ears. The place is nothing but a deep dark abode, completely wrapped in shadows. It painted a miserable path entirely in black.

After the long and fearful walk, they finally reached the dark chamber where the Fates dwell. Taking a deep breath, Koenma and Ayame walked past the entrance.

"And what do we have here?"

Koenma straightened himself as he bravely marched towards the three old women.

"Who dares enter the abode of the Fates…" Clotho, the spinner of life, asked.

"And cunningly passed the fearful gates?" Lachesis, the disposer of lots, continued with a whimsical cackle.

"It is I." Koenma replied the sight of the three women making his skin crawl. "Son of Enma Daiou, ruler of the dead."

With that, the three laughed eerily. Ayame nearly fainted with fear upon hearing their scary mirth.

"Ah, the one who replaced Hades… banished from the throne,

And royalty here you stand, why suddenly in this abode?"

"You are to do something for me." Koenma replied his eyes fleeting from Clotho, to Lachesis and then to Atropos who was holding a thread of life in her left hand and a pair of shears on her right. When he met her eyes, she immediately brought the shears against the thread, creating an awful snipping sound. No sooner, Ayame gave a soft fearful cry as she felt a ghost wheezed against her. Koenma drew a deep relieved breath upon realizing its not Yuki's.

"Here, here, the Prince of Rei Kai… from his very lips,

Came his command with a sour tip…

The Fates who never listens to anyone up till now,

Why, do you think you can make us bow?"

"I am asking for your kind indulgence." Koenma began as he fell to his knees humbly. "Please, spare the only person-"

With that three women cackled even more. Koenma kept his eyes on the ground as he humbly prostrated himself before them.

"You know very well it is against the rules,

To defy everything, even the thread of life.

Doing so would make you lesser than a fool,

The Higher Mighty will let on you his smite."

"I don't care." Koenma answered. "Please I beg of you, you are my only hope." He added softly as a single tear trickled from his eye.

The three women fell silent as they saw his tear falling on the ground like a clear liquid gem. Instantly, pity filled them as they turned and consulted each other. After several moments, they faced him.

"Oh pity, pity… young Prince of Rei Kai,

How wretched you make us feel.

For the love of a girl beyond your kind,

Your tears have brought us to submit and yield

 Now we oblige, we tell you this,

Nothing is wrong, nothing is amiss.

The girl your heart burns for gently sleeps,

She will awaken but not from the shear's snip.

But a word of caution to this tale,

For you have made us ladies sorely fail,

To keep the future locked and sealed tightly,

To all even to you who belongs to royalty.

Now you must humbly pay the price,

And listen to what we demand with strife.

Your immortal thread we think will do,

All in all for you to pay your due."

With that, Koenma felt his body tense. His breathing became rugged as cold bits of sweat trickled down his forehead. He was about to open his mouth when suddenly Ayame stood beside him.

"But you can't do that! It's impossible!" She cried. "You cannot possibly strip him off of his immortality! There is just no way!"

Koenma violated the golden rule

Now he must pay, the lowly fool…

"No!" Ayame cried. "Then take mine instead! I know I'm not immortal yet but I will gladly give you anything I have just spare him please!" She pleaded, near to crying. "What he did-- what he did is only for love… only for love…"

We will not accept so you must halt,

It is he and not you who's at fault!

Koenma stood up and faced Ayame, a tender smile on his face. Ayame looked at him and lost the battle since she found light sobs wracking her body. Koenma gently lifted her chin up to his.

"Arigato Gozaimasu for the generous offer, Ayame" He said softly. "But I just can't accept that. If I have to secure Yuki's life, then I want it to be mine and not somebody else's, wakatta?"

Ayame cried as she pressed her face against his chest. Koenma smiled as he patted her shoulders fondly.

"No tears Ayame please." He said. "You know very well that I'm ready to accept everything before we came here, right?"

"But- "

"Shh, enough." He cut in softly. Then he held her in arm's length. "It was a pleasure working with you, Ayame." Then after granting her with a soft smile, wiping her tears away from her eyes, he turned to the three old women, his face turning serious

"So be it." He declared. The three women nodded their heads.

Now you go back, make your farewells,

And on the seventh, you shall with us dwell.

"I will gladly do what you want me to do." Koenma said. "I will give you my word for it." He added thinking about how terrible staying in here. But then just thinking about the fact that he won't see his father anymore somehow brought him a strange comfort.

"But then Yuki's all worth it." He silently added to himself.

Now that Yuki's safety is assured, the only problem now is facing his father and explaining to him why he must suddenly go down and stay with the awful Fates.

"Is it worth your trouble, Koenma?" Clotho asked as he prepared to go out the cave. He turned and faced her.

"Hai." He answered. "Even if you had asked for my life, I would gladly give it all up for her." He added as he took a step away from their chamber.