Chapter 6

Kaoru stepped lethargically down the stairs and glanced into the living room. His familiar, his soul, lay asleep on the couch, black rabbit under his chin and raven perched asleep on its back. Kaoru’s heart bled, the raven, Ryutaro’s soul, Ryutaro. Fighting his emotions he made for the kitchen. The basement door stood ajar and quiet music echoed up the stairs along with sounds of movement and struggle. Kaoru moved more quickly down this set of stairs and into Toshiya’s room. He found the younger vampire attempting to move the four poster bed.

"Toshiya? What are you doing?" Kaoru could already see the distinct changes in his guestroom. Posters and pictures on the walls, closet stuffed to the breaking point, boxes in every corner.

"What does it look like?" Toshiya stopped and sat on the edge of the bed. "I’m trying to distract myself."

"Yoshiki is not going to kill Mana." Kaoru said for the hundredth time.

"Yet." was Toshiya’s reply. "Mana won’t stop till he gets what he wants."

"So we just need to find out what he wants. We have to find him first…" Kaoru had a seat next to Toshiya. "If Yoshiki did kill Mana he’d have to feel him die. Death echoes back upon each sire down the line."

"Does death echo forwards?" Toshiya asked quietly. "To the sired? Did Mana feel Gackt die?"

Kaoru gave a tiny shrug. "Only Mana really knows, I guess."

"Why does everything have to end in death? Why did Mana choose this way? Sure there were better ways." Toshiya fell back onto the bed to stare angrily at the roof for a moment. "After Taro died, what would you have done to get him back?"

Kaoru’s heart constricted but he answered any ways. "I was so angry. I’d been planning to hunt down every last human responsible then join Ryutaro in death. Yoshiki wouldn’t let it happen. He actually sent J to look after me. He could hold his own against me and not let me blame myself. Then you came. I wasn’t even paying attention when Yoshiki told me what had happened to you. I thought you were there to give J a rest."

Toshiya thought about that. "You thought I was another babysitter?"

Kaoru nodded. "I decided J had cured me, I didn’t need someone 24/7."

Toshiya nodded. "That explains it."

"I am sorry Toshiya."

Toshiya sat up and shook his head. "We were all lost. Blind and bumping into each other. Just have to give it time."

Kaoru nodded and they sat in silence for a moment. "Now why are you moving the bed? It’s fine as it is."

"No it isn’t." he protested. "I need more floor space! I’d be happy if it wasn’t here at all. All I really need is a couch but there’s no room for it!"

"How can you sleep on a couch Toshiya?"

"Very easily thank you."

"But you can’t stretch out!"

"Can so! Length wise!"

Laughing the two began rearranging Toshiya’s furniture.

*

When Levin awoke it was to the smell of a breakfast he usually made. Kyo tended to be a late sleeper, if he awoke at all, so Levin had taken to making his own breakfast. Thinking on this Levin realized for the first time that he’d basically moved in with Kyo.

A cup of coffee was set on the coffee table in front of him and he sleepily looked up into the smiling face of Sheena. "Waitin’ for you in the kitchen." She said quietly and disappeared from sight. Pulling out of the tangle of sheets he didn’t remember grabbing he got off the couch to join the demon in the kitchen.

"Ohayo." Levin muttered as he had a seat.

"Ohayo." Sheena ste down a plate in front of him and went to grab his quickly forgotten coffee from the living room. He nodded his thanks and she sat across from him, both eating in silence for a while. "What did you say to Kyo last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"Unless I hide it from him he knows when I’m coming to see him. He knew but didn’t leave his room."

"Maybe he’s sleeping." Levin replied lamely.

"Uh-uh. You said something to him. What was it?"

Levin played unhappily with his breakfast. "That I was ungrateful for his saving me. And if I didn’t have a job to do I wouldn’t be here."

The same clouded expression Kyo had worn flashed through Sheena’s eyes and her mood visibly wilted. "Yes well, all demons are a little touchy when it comes to suicide."

"Why? What does it have to do with anything?" Levin demanded.

"Well you did know that humans who commit suicide don’t get into heaven?" Sheena answered with a question.

"Of course."

"Well when they can’t get into heaven they only have on other place to go."

"Hell."

Sheena nodded and waited for him to figure it out but he still looked perplexed. "Levin, just because they committed suicide doesn’t mean they’re bad people. It means they got very lost on the path of life." Levin still looked confused. "Okay, look at it this way. Lucifer grew proud and tried to take over upstairs, yes?" Levin nodded. "Arrogant, yes, but some of his ideas weren’t necessarily bad. One of his ideas concerned suicide. He believed that those who commit suicide are the most in need of the Big Guy’s care and it wasn’t right to deny them entry. Well since Lucifer thought up the idea it must be wrong so it still stands that suicide victim end up in hell."

Hoping Levin was still following she continued. "Seeing as Lucifer is sympathetic to the plight of those that commit suicide he found a special place for them where they might have a chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Lord." Sitting back she allowed him to figure it out. Seeing as he still wasn’t quick enough for her she added. "Therefore, demons are against suicide."

Levin’s brow furrowed. "So demons are humans who committed suicide?"

Sheena nodded.

"But I thought Lucifer just made you to assist him."

"He did, in a way. He sorted us out of the other souls and gave us jobs to do. When he thinks we’re ready he send us back up to Earth to start redeeming ourselves."

"So both you and Kyo…?" Sheena nodded. "And if I’d done it I would have become a demon too?"

"Yes, that’s probably why Kyo was so mad."

"I never even thought of it. We never question His way."

"So now you know."

Kyo’s door flew open with a slam and he ran to the kitchen window. "Do you hear that?" he asked, eyes wide with surprise and fear.

Outside the sound of a bell ringing in a deep tone echoed inside. Sheena grew rigid and Levin looked at them both strangely.

"He’s here." Sheena whispered.

"And he’s calling us." Kyo agreed.

"The Maker?" Levin questioned warily.

"Worse." Sheena put a hand to her forehead.

"But if you want to see the Maker, he’s the one you’ll want to meet." Kyo went to grab a coat.

"He’s waiting."

*

The bed was on it’s third relocation when the phone began to ring and Kaoru dashed up the stairs. "Moshi moshi?" Kaoru panted.

"Kaoru? I’d like you and Toshiya to come over." Yoshiki announced calmly.

"All right." Kaoru’s good mood dissipated with the seriousness in Yoshiki’s voice. "We’ll be over as soon as we can." Kaoru hung up and turned to find Toshiya leaning by the door to the basment.

"Time to figure out what we’re going to do?"

Kaoru nodded. "Grab your coat."

Traffic was heavy and Toshiya complained that he should be driving Kaoru around on his cycle, which would have gotten them there faster. Despite the set back they made it to Yoshiki’s before the sun fell and stepped inside.

Still taking off their shoes they paused to watch a black dashound scamper past and up the stairs followed clumsily by Yoshiki’s black wolf. Toshiya smiled but Kaoru’s brow furrowed as he wondered why Yoshiki seemed to have two soul familiars.

Yoshiki met them in the hall and lead them into the living room, sitting across his coffee table from them. They sat in silence for a moment while Yoshiki gathered his thoughts. "Before we do anything we need to find Mana. I know where Mana’s second child is but I can only assume he’s riding transit. When he does stop moving it’s only for a little while before he’s off again. That or his familiar is riding transit. I have no idea." Yoshiki sat forwards in his seat and opened his mouth to speak before abruptly curling over himself. A strangled scream escaped his throat and he struggled blindly against the pain. Kaoru and Toshiya tried to stop him from hurting himself while wondering what the hell was happening. The pain slowly faded and Yoshiki lay panting half in Kaoru’s arms with Toshiya joining them on the couch off the floor.

"He made another." Yoshiki whispered at last. "But it wasn’t just fear, there was actual pain. I don’t understand…perhaps it’s a side effect of loosing his soul."

Kaoru worriedly looked up at Toshiya who had closed his eyes tightly and chewed on his bottom lip.

Abruptly the pain lashed at Yoshiki’s heart again and his Children struggled to hold him still, eyes wide with shock at the implications of the second painful change.

When the pain passed again Yoshiki didn’t speak, he lay across the couch back against Kaoru’s chest. Toshiya slipped his hand into Yoshiki’s and squeezed.

The phone began to ring and Toshiya slipped off the couch to get it. "Moshi Moshi?"

"May I speak with Yoshiki?"

Toshiya sort of recognized the voice as he handed the phone to Yoshiki. Eyes still closed Yoshiki held the receiver to his ear. "What?"

"Yoshiki? It’s J. You need to get down here."

Yoshiki’s brow furrowed at the tone J used. "Why? What’s wrong?"

"He’s here."

Yoshiki sat straight up, eyes open. "The Maker?"

"Worse."

"Oh no." he covered his eyes with one hand.

"He wants to talk to you."

"Of course he does."

"I have to go. Get down here!"

"Go! Go save Ino. I’ll be right there." He turned off the phone and handed it back to Toshiya. "We need to go to Dark Notes. Kaoru can you drive? I don’t think I can."

Kaoru nodded and they helped him to his feet. As the three vampires moved towards the front door the two canines sped past and up the stairs at full speed, no sense of happiness in their step only urgency. Yoshiki waved his two Sons towards the door, not answering their questioning faces.

*

When they parked at Dark Notes the sky looked like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to rain or not. The parking lot was nearly full and Kaoru was glad they’d decided to take one vehicle or he’d have had to park blocks away. Toshiya attached himself to Yoshiki who refused to explain who was waiting for them.

The moment Kaoru walked in he wondered if there was a convention going on. Every demon in town was there for reasons unknown. J was serving drinks with Ino behind the bar.

"C’mon J! Just one night!" someone announced over the quietly murmuring crowd. "I’ll lend you Chirolyn and Kiyoshi!"

"Fuck you!" was J’s reply before he spotted Yoshiki and sighed with relief, making his way over. "He’s in the corner booth."

Yoshiki nodded. "How’s Ino?"

J let out a growl. "Fine." He cast a glare at the corner booth and went back behind the bar to stand over Ino protectively.

The corner booth contained three men who stood as Yoshiki, Kaoru and Toshiya approached.

"Yoshiki! It’s been a long time." Announced the taller of the three with semi-long dull pink hair. He practically oozed self-confidence, pride and sexuality and Toshiya recognized his voice to be the one bargaining for a night with Ino.

"Sugihara." Yoshiki replied politely, shaking the man’s hand.

"That hurts Yoshiki! Sugizo! Please!" He smiled ferally and motioned for Yoshiki to sit before turning to Toshiya. "Toshiya." He practically purred. "Although I have every intention of speaking with you personally…" he lightly kissed the back of the vampire’s hand. "…My companions get the pleasure of doing so first."

Kaoru noticed Toshiya’s cheeks turn pink as Sugizo relinquished him to the two other men, their hands lingering slightly before the younger vampire was lead away. Unexpected jealousy rose into his throat as Sugizo turned to him.

Smirking at the anger in Kaoru’s eyes Sugizo shook his hand. "You were able to keep Ryutaro to yourself Kaoru. Toshiya isn’t yours yet and from what I hear you aren’t interested any ways so don’t worry. I won’t hurt him too much." His smirk grew as Kaoru’s eyes narrowed. "There’s a free seat with Kyo and the angel, why don’t you take it?" Turning away Sugizo sat down with Yoshiki while Kaoru controlled his anger long enough to join the angel and the demon.

Sugizo's companions lead Toshiya to an empty booth and sat down before introducing themselves.

"Chirolyn. Nice to meet you." Said the first, his blue topknot braided.

"Kiyoshi." Smiled the other, shaking Toshiya's hand.

"Toshiya." He smiled right back, hoping his blush had faded.

"Awfully weird weather we've been having." Kiyoshi announced conversationally. "You wake up thinking it'll be a beautiful day then someone upsets you and it's a down pour."

Chirolyn nodded. "I think you're killing the plants Toshiya."

Toshiya raised a brow. "What?"

"All that rain you've been making. You're drowning the whole city." Chirolyn waved for J to come over.

"I don't make it rain." Toshiya was bewildered.

"Yes you do. Whenever you get upset or angry the weather changes, haven't you noticed?" Kiyoshi asked while Chirolyn made his order.

"They don't teach you much, do they?" Chirolyn sighed. "When Die and Shinya came about they were lighting things on fire everyday until someone thought to call us."

Kiyoshi nodded. "Toshiya, when you become a vampire you're given a gift that sets you apart from demons. Vampires aren't humans but they aren't exactly demons either. Now besides being especially in tune with the physical and spiritual bodies of others you're a storm caller."

"I've been making it rain?" Toshiya asked quietly, suddenly realizing what Mana had been trying to tell him.

Both demons nodded. "Now, seeing as we're sick of rain we're going to teach you how to separate your gift from your emotions." Chirolyn explained and they began.

Levin glanced suspiciously at Sugizo while Kaoru sulked in the corner. "Even he committed suicide?" he asked Sheena.

Sheena nodded. "Doesn't look the type does he?"

"And he's a sort of second in command?"

Kyo answered him this time. "That and he some times acts as a stand-in. When someone who we think is just going to try something stupid, like try and kill the Maker, Sugizo goes and pretends he's the Maker."

"So will he talk to me or will I get to see the Maker?"

"Depends. If Sugizo's here this whole Mana ordeal means a lot to the Maker. He may come to deal with Mana Himself." Sheena shrugged.

"What happens to Mana then?" Kaoru spoke up, abruptly entering the conversation.

"The Maker's a fair guy. He often knows more than any of us do concerning a give situation. Mana will probably get what he needs and what he deserves all at once." Kyo played with his empty glass.

"Then shouldn't He just come rather then letting Yoshiki deal with it?" Kaoru frowned.

"He doesn't like to interfere. He gave us our freedom once He set us loose on the Earth. He's a little like the Big Guy I suppose. The humans run around destroying things and He doesn't get involved. But there are times when He'd rather put in an entrance if it's worth his while." Sheena grinned. "He still has an ego."

Once J had put down a drink in front of Yoshiki Sugizo's face and manner turned serious. "An hour ago I would have told you that He's worried about all this and we would have discussed how you were planning on handling it. Now, I have to tell you that He's on his way."

Yoshiki paled. "Right now?"

Sugizo nodded. "First class. He doesn't want Mana changing anyone else, not like that."

"I think it's a side effect of loosing his soul."

"So does He. You still have till He arrives to try and stop Mana yourself and I'm here to help you as best I can. But, as soon as he gets off that plane there's no telling what He'll do."

"I know, I know." Yoshiki groaned. "I can't find him now that he's killed his soul though."

"What about Toshiya?"

"Just mentioning Mana puts him on edge. It's nearly impossible to get anything of use from him. Plus he's afraid I'll just kill Mana outright without finding out why Mana did all this."

"Which was probably your plan, which Toshiya happily dismantled. I'll take him home tonight and talk to him."

"Don't play with him Sugizo." Yoshiki's eyes narrowed. "He's been screwed around enough so stick to your own harem."

Sugizo looked offended. "Why does everything come down to sex with you Yoshiki?"

"Sugizo…" he put a touch of warning into his tone.

"All right. All right. I'll go all fatherly on him okay? Party pooper."

Yoshiki rolled his eyes. "Listen, have you ever heard the name Kozi?"

"Maybe, why?" Sugizo raised a brow.

"Toshiya said that was who Mana's looking for. I was thinking maybe Kozi was a dead lover."

"I'll check the records but no guarantees." Sugizo nodded. "By the way…" His eyes narrowed. "How long are you planning on keeping him locked in your room?"

Yoshiki's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You're as bad as Mana, keeping him hidden like that." He waved away any heated reply he might have received. "Just know that He thinks you're being stupid."

Toshiya slid into the booth next to Levin and smiled. "Kaoru, I'm going with Chirolyn and Kiyoshi. Don't worry about having to pick me up, they said they'd get me home or I'd spend the night."

Kaoru glanced suspiciously at Chirolyn and Kiyoshi who waited by the door, shortly joined by Sugizo. "That's fine, you're a big boy now." He replied sourly.

"Chirolyn and Kiyoshi are good guys." Kyo announced. "But watch you back around Sugizo." And he winked. Suddenly blushing again Toshiya retreated after nodding goodbye to Sheena and Levin.

"Don't encourage him." Hissed Kaoru.

"Why not?" Kyo asked in slight confusion. "Sugizo won't really hurt him." Kaoru just glared at Kyo who suddenly raised a brow and flashed a smirk. "You aren't jealous are you?"

"No." Kaoru replied with such venom that Kyo cringed. "He's been screwed around enough, and I don't trust Sugizo. Yoshiki asked me to look after Toshiya."

"Sugizo won't really hurt him." Sheena smiled knowingly at Kaoru, trying to diffuse the situation. "He's surprisingly gentle." The group turned to look at her suspiciously. "What?" She blinked.

*

The music boomed through the concrete walls of the dance club and abruptly raised in volume as the back door opened. A shy looking man with green hair parted in the middle hopped out and quickly closed the door. The sound once again contained he pulled on his flowered shirt over his black DJ wear and moved towards his car with a duffle bag in one hand.

"Ina." Purred the figure leaning against the back of his car, umbrella hiding its face.

"That's me. Do I know you?" he asked, a touch shyly, slowing his approach.

"I'm one of Pata's friends. He wanted me to pick you up. Yoshiki's having another party." The voice replied and Ina recognized it to be male.

"Again?" Ina raised an eyebrow. "Where's Pata? Why would he send you?"

The umbrella raised so Ina could see the effeminate face and blond hair. "Well that's the big question, isn't it?" and he was suddenly upon him.