As Hanamichi and Rukawa were walking back from the police station towards Rukawa's old apartment, it was nearly sunset. The street was unusually quiet. Even the birds were silent.

"It was our dream that destroyed her," Hanamichi spoke up. He turned towards the young man beside him, "What do we do now?"

Rukawa did not answer but kept on walking.

"When you died in the past, I followed you to death. When you were born, I followed you back to life."

Hanamichi's low voice filled the silence in the empty room of the apartment as he sat with Rukawa on the floor. The redhead's back was leaning against Rukawa's chest as the brunette's chin rested on his shoulder. Hanamichi caressed Rukawa's fingers which was clasped on his front as he mused out loud, "Hey, do you think that babies could 'see' on their first day of life?"

Rukawa shrugged.

"If babies can see, then we saw each other on our first day," said Hanamichi.
"I am the only child in my family. I dream of having lots of kids."

"So do I," said Rukawa.

"I'm glad that at least we have no children," said the dark-haired man, his voice muffled by his lover's neck.

"But back then, we didn't want children," said Hanamichi

The redhead stroked his lover's unbound long black hair as he spoke, "If we had a son, he had to fight for the Emperor or build a chang cheng* or his own tomb. If we had a daughter her job is to bury her man."

The dark-haired man closed his eyes as he remembered the people he had killed by orders of the Emperor. The way they looked at him before they died made his blood run cold. It was as if they were cursing him as they pleaded for mercy.

Hanamichi continued, "We were like before, eating and drinking after making love.... only one day you were executed..."

The redhead walked back towards his home after closing up the inn that night. He tended the house as usual. Looking at him no-one would've guessed he would kill himself that night.

He lit up the candles and put new sheets on the bed before he went to clean himself. He shed off his three layers of clothing, revealing his broad back and standing bare in the room, not feeling the chill of the night.
Alone without his lover.

Before him were a white linen, a bucket of water, a comb, new restraints to tie up his hair, the new dagger his lover had bought for him, a mirror and a set of fresh clothes.

The redhead dipped the white linen in the water and proceeded to wash himself, first washing his neck where his lover loved to kiss him. After he was done he put on his clothes, combed his hair and tied them, using the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. Then, he stood by the window and waited.

Four of his lover's friends brought the body back. They were special soldiers - like his lover - put in charge of the craftsmen who had come from six different kingdoms.

The craftsmen were press-ganged by the Qin Emperor to build his tomb. Fearing that the craftsmen might divulge the secrets of the tomb, he had them executed one by one. When feeling paranoid, the emperor would then have any of the soldiers who knew about the location of tomb to be killed as well.

The redhead had the body brought into the house. While the four soldiers waited outside, he washed his lover's body and put some clean clothes on him.
Later, the the soldiers carried the body back outside near the river where the redhead cut the body up into pieces and mixed them with clay. He moulded the clay into his lover's likeness and fired it in a makeshift burner to harden the mould.

The statue was then put to lay on the ground in front of the redhead before the three soldiers sat behind the young man with their other friend in silence.
Two fires burned at the sides of the small group, lighting on the statue in front of them. The red locks of the man sitting in the front seemed to shine like fire in the firelight, awing the soldiers for a moment in the solemn occassion. If there was a reason why anyone would be attracted to the redhead, it was because of his beautiful red hair but they have also heard from their late fox-eyed friend-in-arms speak of beauty in the redhead's soul.

The redhead sat still as his eyes rested on the statue in front of him, his hands clasped on his lap. Then he bowed in a final show of respect. The soldiers followed suit.
The soldiers kept their heads down as the redhead lifted his and opened the front of his clothes a little, baring his neck. Then he unwrapped the dagger beside him from its silk wrap and picked it up. The dagger's blade glinted in the firelight and its ivory hilt seemed to glow in the night.
He brought the dagger up and slowly brought the sharp edge to cut across his neck - the place where his lover loved to kiss him.
The blood flowed thickly from his throat, down his neck, seeping under his clothes across his chest and managing to flow along his hand which was still holding the tool which had done the deed. The dagger was soon covered in blood as he laid his body against the statue of his lover, pressing his cheek to the stone's one. He continued to embrace the statue as his blood ebbed out and dried, covering them both.

Hanamichi had gently broken himself out of Rukawa's embrace as he told the story and he was now leaning on his back against the wall beside the other man.
"We would've been a pair of beautiful spirits together," said Hanamichi.

"I don't want to be a beautiful spirit," said Rukawa in a hard voice, "I like flesh and blood."

Hanamichi closed his eyes and sighed. "We are flesh and blood. And Ming Mei..."

Rukawa turned his head away.

"If we hadn't lived our former lives, you'd still be with her, right?" asked Hanamichi.

"Hai," Rukawa reluctantly answered.

Hanamichi took a deep breath as he rubbed his face with his hands, knowing that Rukawa was feeling as guilty as he was.

"The past was like a dream. The present is a nightmare," the redhead commented sadly. He sighed again and stood up. He knew which direction in their lives they have to take next. Away from each other.

Away from the pain.

It was already midnight as the two stood under the awning of the building. It was raining and the wind blew random drops of water on them as they hugged their coats tighter around their body.

They looked at each other for a moment before Rukawa asked, "Will we see each other again?"

"Perhaps," replied Hanamichi.
"If I do see you in a concert or anywhere from afar, I know that we've shared a deep love," he said with a sad smile.

Rukawa's blue eyes gazed deeply into his brown ones. "Yes, a deep love."

Then Hanamichi stepped away from him and into the rain. Rukawa's eyes followed the redhead's slowly retreating form when it suddenly stopped. The brunette did not know who had begun but they were both running towards each others arms, holding onto the other tightly. Their lips touched they kissed passionately. Desperately. Then they broke off and looked at each other, their faces coursed with rain and tears. For the first time in his adult life, Rukawa cried.

Slowly they parted and Rukawa watched with sorrow as Hanamichi climbed inside a taxi and left. The raven-haired man's eyes slid shut as he tilted his face to the dark sky, letting the rain mix with his salty tears.

Hanamichi leaned back on the taxi's seat and rubbed at his wet eyes. Already he was feeling empty inside.

We'll be a pair of beautiful spirits....

The End

*chang cheng means great wall - I think. Right?

Epilogue