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By Rae (Yume68 @ hotmail.com) -<>-<>-<>- When he had first come to the Mortal Plane, Gabriel had been fascinated. The world the Almighty had created was so… flawed. After he had admonished Mary of her giving birth to the Messiah as a virgin, he had taken the liberty of "touring" the world. But, what truly called to him was the island that would soon be called Japan. He waited a thousand-something years before returning to that Isle during the Meiji Restoration Era, learning the customs and culture, trying to appease his hunger for more knowledge of this society so different from that in Heaven. And so, with permission from the Father, Gabriel was allowed to stay in the mortal realm, with the imperfect race that needed his guidance. He fixed himself, as no other divine being had done, so that he aged. He had made himself mortal. Attending high school in 1982 (AN: ::singing:: I'm SO making this uuuuuuupppp…), he met a fellow student named Kazutaka Muraki. Throughout the years in which they had gotten to know each other, Gabriel -- now Mibu Oriya -- began to understand how deep the perversions of a human being ran. But he never strayed from the man's side, never left him, even when the neurosis became too much. Muraki needed him, and who was he to deprive the man of the redemption the angel could bring? Of course, he had trouble staying with him, for Muraki had blood in him that belonged to his once-greatest enemy. He had trouble remaining, as his own mortal feelings began to weave their webs around his heart. He fell in love with that twisted man, the doctor that subjected all those around him to torture and pain. And his punishment… was that as all this was going on, as Muraki became more and more like "Saki"… all he could do was watch. -<>-<>-<>- Three: Redemption "Hello, Gabriel." Oriya's eyes widened momentarily, and then strayed to his guest, whom was gazing at the girl in interest. The slitted, silver eyes squinted at her curiously, trying to place her, as if he had seen her before. "You look like…" The man smiled cruelly. "That pretty scientist of the Shinigami. The one that makes eyes at the secretary.” Shit. He knew about her brother and his feelings for Tatsumi. But who was this man, and how did he know about what he spoke of? “Kazutaka Muraki,” he introduced, slitted silver eyes gazing at her with cold calculation. He held out an amicable hand, and she cautiously reciprocated the gesture. Her eyes went wide. // Sakura falling… Cruel pleasure… Screaming… A curse… Blood moon… Sakura falling… // With a shuddering gasp, she snatched her hand away, as if it had been burned, turning wide and wild eyes upon the brothel owner. Oriya took a calm sip of his tea. “Muraki?” “Hm?” “Would you excuse us? This shouldn’t take that long.” The doctor got to his feet gracefully, tossing a glare at the girl, before making his exit. Behind the paper door, a dark shadow rested against the adjacent wall. A silence settled over the room. Then, she exploded. “ARE YOU COMPLETELY MAD?! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!” Oriya sipped quietly at his tea, and then lifted chocolate eyes up to meet hers. “Don’t get angry over things that you do not understand.” She let out a laugh of angered disbelief. “What I don’t understand?! What I don’t UNDERSTAND?! I understand that you were just having tea with the rapist-slash-murderer of Kurosaki Hisoka! I understand that you were just conversing with the grandson of--" The brothel owner shrugged, pouring himself some more tea. Seolfer watched him for a moment, then two, then three, until… her eyes went wide. "You love him!!" He stiffened, and the shadow outside the room twitched. She laughed derisively, but Oriya could see how this revelation pained her. "Oh! This is too good, it just has to be fattening!" (AN: I lay no claim to that line. It's from Family Guy.) Seolfer sneered, clenching her hands into fists. "It was like you were conversing with Lucifer, more than that, Lucifer's grandson (AN: Dum dum DUMMMM!!!). You've committed so many acts of treason… I can't even count that high!" "Don't," Oriya hissed, slamming his cup down. The liquid splashed over the sides, falling onto the table. "I know exactly who I was having tea with! So what? Did that stop your precious brother from falling in love with that mortal?" Pain flashed through her eyes at the remembrance, and then hardened with fury. "How dare you! Seiichirou-kun was pure! And that man…" She flapped her hand toward the door a few times, emphasizing her disgust of the silhouette that hung outside, listening. "… You have NO right to patronize aniki." Oriya hung his head, saying nothing. Two fingers slid softly under his chin, lifting it up so he was gazing into golden eyes. "You thought you could redeem him," she said gently, and he nodded miserably, pulling back to cover his face with his hand, silent sobs wracking his larger frame. "I did," he whimpered, a tear trailing down his cheek. "I did. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, he still did those… horrible things. And I couldn't help him… I couldn't save him. And then, Tsuzuki Asato came into the scene, and suddenly, I was a burden. He didn't need me anymore. I was a convenient place where he could rest, but nothing beyond that." On the other side of the wall, Muraki closed his eyes. Stop it, Oriya. "G… Oriya…" Seolfer whispered, standing up, sympathy laced throughout her tone. He shook his head, like a child. "Iie. I don't want to be Oriya anymore… I want to go home." That wasn't what she had been expecting. He wanted to go home; he had spent so long working to become one of these humans, and when he finally did and had a taste of the imperfection and sin, he didn't want it. "Seolfer…?" Golden pity stared back at him, and he wilted. "Will you kill me, Seolfer?" "No," declared the girl stonily. "No, I refuse to let you take the easy way out. And don't even try to do it yourself; you kill yourself, you die with a mortal sin on you, and I know you don't want to go to Hell. As for… him… maybe he doesn't wish to be saved." He nodded with a heavy sigh. "I know. But it was easier to think that I could help." She shrugged. "Maybe you have. Just think: he might have become like Lucifer had you not've been there. Just think of the horrible things he could have accomplished. You're his anchor, Oriya." "… Perhaps." Outside, the silhouette was becoming restless, and she smiled resignedly. "Maybe I should go, then." "Will they need help?" He inquired as she turned to leave out the balcony. She turned, pondered it for a moment, and then smiled. "I'm sure they will, but you don't have to jump in. You've already got your hands full. However, should we need help, I won't hesitate to call you." This won a small smile from him. "Well then… oyasumi nasai," she bid him, turning and taking off into the night, leaving the balcony doors open. The cool, nocturne breeze rustled his hair, and he watched as she faded into the stars. "Oriya? … I think we need to have a little… chat," Muraki mumbled upon entering the room again. The brothel owner sighed, irritation mixing with his melancholy. It was going to be a rather eventful night. -<>-<>-<>- "Bon…?" His vision, hazy and unfocused, tried to lock on the golden blob that wobbled in front of him, waves of worry and fear crashing upon them, as if the wave was raging and tossing people onto the beach. "Hisoka…?" That voice… "Tsuzuki…" Hisoka whispered, unconsciously reaching out for the source of the tidal wave of emotion that rode over the small wave from before. Worry/fear/confusion/allmyfault/Hisokawhathappenedtoyou/whatdidyoudotoyourself/itwasmyfault/ Don'tsuccumb/don'tleaveme/stayawake/don'tgobacktosleep/warmth/caring/compassion/patience/ And there was something in the center of all that, but Tsuzuki's shields slammed down around it. "Bon, how are you feeling? Can you move? More importantly, can you remember what happened?" Watari inquired, now the role of the serious doctor. Hisoka thought back, trying to figure out what he was supposed to recall. Then it all came flooding into him. He was… "Michael…" Tsuzuki, who had been holding his hand, tightened his grip. Watari bit his lip, then nodded, scribbling something onto a clipboard. "All right, Bon. Why don't you go home and get some rest? You deserve it. However, this is not a vacation. I've got strict orders to let you go home today, but you're expected back in tomorrow. The case we're working on is too important for you to leave now," the scientist told him, turning his back so he could fetch a beaker on a Bunsen burner. If Tsuzuki was here and unharmed, why not have him give the newest batch of the Sex-Changing Potion a taste? He had an entire beaker. Waste not, want not. "What about… Tatsumi…?" The glass jar slipped from the blonde's hands and shattered on the ground upon impact. He sighed, kneeling down to gather the shards. "I don't think… I'll be seeing too much of Tatsumi for a while." And not that I would blame him, either, he added silently, but his additional thoughts did not escape the empath. "Talk… to him." "… Go to sleep, Bon." -<>-<>-<>- The breeze was warm, rustling caramel locks of hair. Blue eyes closed behind glass frames, taking in the sun, casting a heated glow upon his face. A white and pink maelstrom kicked up as departed blossoms from the sakura trees stirred. The sky held not one cloud, just a vast stretch of blue. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Tatsumi started, and then turned around. Seolfer stood there, hands clasped behind her back, golden curls blowing in the wind. She was smiling, admiring their surroundings with curious sun-created eyes. “The Meifu, I mean.” He gazed around, and then shrugged minutely. “I suppose… did you need something?” She shook her head, smiling still. “Besides aniki’s happiness? No.” His eye twitched. Seolfer smiled, walking close to stand by his side, gazing into the pink trees. “You know that you’re over Tsuzuki-san. Now he’s just like a little brother to you, isn’t he?” Tatsumi said nothing, just watched her with guarded eyes as she spoke. “Did you know… that a long time ago… a really long time ago, I broke the rules and befriended a mortal?” His eyes widened. “Her name was Aresa, and she had been traveling with a pack of nomads. This is way before time had concept for you humans. I had saved her from being attacked by a wolf… and I was accepted into her world for my deed. “Aresa taught me to hunt, how to use a bow and arrow, how to fight with a sword. I taught her our ways, how to breathe with the wind and speak to the earth. She was so kind… so smart and so kind." Her eyes fell. "But, those in the Kingdom learned of my unauthorized visits to the planet, and I was to be punished. Since I was one of the most important celestials then, it was Aresa that felt the blow." Seolfer lifted her gaze, shining with unshed tears, smiling brilliantly. Her golden eyes fell to the trees. "Aresa died, but her soul lived on. I made sure that it wasn't sent to Heaven, but was given back to the earth that she loved so much. She became the sakura trees." She turned to him, eyes hard and serious, full of knowledge and wisdom. He found himself shrinking under that stare. "… Aniki did the exact same thing, only he was the one punished. Twice. First with your suicide, then with becoming human and losing all his memories. He's a Shinigami, the ultimate punishment. Do me a favor, Seiichirou -- no, Tatsumi-san -- do not lead aniki on. If you feel something, anything, for him, don't let it slip away. If you feel nothing…" She lifted a cupped hand slightly, allowing a lone pink petal to fall into her open palm, fingers curling over it protectively. Her eyes grew sad. "… Then… then tell him now… before he can have his heart broken again." "Seolfer-san…" Her fingers unfurled and the petal fluttered away, golden eyes watching it leave with traces of hurt in them. "Just grant me that… please." -<>-<>-<>- You know what you have to do were the words that rang through her mind as she walked through the GenSouKai, searching for the one her brother had suggested she find. The warm wind, not so different from that of the Meifu, rustled her long hair, blowing leaves across the ground. Such an oddity, this world inside the internet. She made it a note to ask Wakaba all about it when she returned. “TASUKETE YO!!” A high-pitched shriek rang through the air, jolting her out of her enjoyment of the scenery. Breaking out into a run, she came to a Gazebo-type structure as it was in the process of being torn down by what looked like a very, very pissed-off demon. “Daemeon!” In the creature’s grasp was a struggling, little girl, screeching for her father and anybody else to help her. “OTOUSAMA!! IF YOU HIT THE BEAST, YOU’LL HIT TENKOU!!” A boy shouted, preventing a blue-haired man from completing an attack. The others that stood around him watched helplessly, fire raging around two, water around one, power around the rest. “DAMMIT, DAEMEON!! LET HER GO!!” All eyes turned to her, and she flushed. Oops. Wasn’t supposed to reveal herself until later. Oh, hell with it. “Seolfer… you are not supposed to be here in GenSouKai. Let me alone,” The demon hissed at her, squeezing the child in its grip. Tenkou let out a pained cry. Golden eyes hardened, and she stepped forward once, lifting one hand toward the sky. Suddenly, a holographic map of space spun out from her body, revolving around her as she manipulated the stars and celestial bodies to her will. From the sidelines, eyes were open and shocked behind a dark visor, cheeks tinted red as he watched such a sight. “O mighty Lord, I am here, skin as milky as the moon. A power has been released from me, and the only thing I fear… bound by the contract, by the oath -- and I have lost all common sense, have lost myself to consequence, and so have been left cold (©me, 2003).” She rose into the air, lifted by her hold on gravity, wings unfurling from their seclusion, letting fly hundreds of feathers, a blinding white maelstrom. “ANGEL!!” A blonde and braided being below her exclaimed in shock, and she winked at them before launching herself at the giant. Her hands joined at the bottom of her palms, cupping energy that made itself into stars and nebulae, rotating as fast as the speed of light, before she fired it at the demon. “PRAY WITH ME, TENKOU!!” If she didn’t, she would surely die. (AN: This next prayer is not mine) “Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.” The impact slammed into Daemeon with full force, tearing into his body, eliciting a pained shriek from the beast. In its surprise, he dropped Tenkou, who fell into Seolfer’s waiting arms. The demon let out a groan, and the angel jumped backwards quickly as the dead carcass dropped to the ground with a giant thud. "Sugoi…" Tenkou gasped, gazing up at Seolfer with idolizing eyes, a large grin breaking out on her face. The blonde smiled, then gave an exhausted sigh, sinking to her knees. Strong arms caught her before she could topple over, and she looked up into the worried face of Suzaku. "Suzaku…" "Angel of Those Higher than Here, you should not have ventured into GenSouKai. Things that aren't supposed to be in this land are coming here, looking to cause problems," the Shikigami warned her, and Seolfer nodded weakly. "Yes… I know. A War of Sides is starting… that's why I'm here. My brother, once an angel and now a Shinigami, suggested I come to give you a proposition." "What kind of "proposition"?" Demanded the blue-haired man cautiously, crossing his arms, gazing down at her with piercing eyes. She flashed him a wan smile. "You all love Tsuzuki-san… but he is your master. What I can offer you is a chance to fight at his side… as equals," were her tired words. This caused much commotion among those that stood around her and one dared to kneel next to her fallen form. "You could… grant us this?" A dark-haired being wearing a shaded visor asked softly, uncharacteristically gentle. She beamed up at him, yawned, and nodded. "Yes." "We will… discuss it. Rest now, champion of Tenkou," another told her with a kind smile, and she reciprocated the gesture, closing her eyes when she found that she couldn't hold them open anymore. "Sorry… I used too much energy… trying to defeat a demon outside its intended domain takes a lot…" She murmured, nestling deep into the arms that held her. Suzaku stood and looked at each of her brothers and sisters, and when they smiled reassuringly at her, the Shikigami knew she had her answer. With great care, she passed the sleeping girl into Touda's arms. The fire snake looked at her in a mixture of confusion and shock. "What do I…?" "You spoke to her with such affection. Put her down in your bed for now, Touda. Let her sleep." Biting his lip, the black-haired Shikigami nodded and left them. "You are beautiful in battle," he told the slumbering angel quietly. The only reply he got was a whispering sigh that was lost on the wind. -<>-<>-<>- |