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Phoenix	By : Macx Category: Descendents of Darkness/Yami No Matsuei > General Views: 2184 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants of Darkness (Yami no Matsuei), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Phoenix
- 2-part 2
- 3-part 3
- 4-part 4
- 5-part 5
- 6-part 6
- 7-part 7
- 8-part 8
- 9-part 9
- 10-part 10
- 11-part 11
- 12-part 12
- 13-part 13
- 14-part 14
- 15-part 15
- 16-part 16
- 1
- 2
- 3
It was like a niggling feeling that hadn't left him alone for two
days now. Tsuzuki had spent a week in the world of the living, tracking
down a group of souls that had gotten lost, and while it hadn't been a
difficult task, it had been time consuming and tiring. Hisoka had been
at his side the whole time, a guide, a friend, a partner, and so much more.
They had truly grown into a team, both in body and mind and spirit.
Tsuzuki trusted his partner implicitly, had for a very long time, but now
that trust was finally sealed. Too much had happened, too much had rattled
their foundations, but they had only grown stronger, persevered, had come
out changed.
So it was after the second day he had been home that his senses were
finally bothering him so much that he took some time off to do something
he had rarely done in the past before � he sought a calm place and sank
into what others might call a meditative state. For Tsuzuki it meant tuning
out the outside world and following his senses. It didn't so much include
employing the powers of his demonic heritage but to follow the magic his
shinigami body held.
What he found was surprisingly a familiar aura. A shikigami aura. Not
as strong and powerful as he knew it from his countless visits to GensouKai,
but it was unmistakable.
"Rikugo?" he murmured, stunned.
What was his shikigami doing here? And why did he come across so weakly?
Why hadn't he come to Tsuzuki upon arrival?
Questions spinning in his mind, Tsuzuki followed the echo of the aura,
homing in on it with some difficulty.
What he found shocked him deeply.
Tsuzuki looked at the huge, bronze-colored dragon, taking in the red,
reptilian eyes, the large wings � folded at his side � the sharp claws
digging into the ground, and the pain-filled aura surrounding the mythical
being.
"Rikugo," he whispered, aghast, coming closer.
The dragon seemed to wince, drawing back. He was a magnificent being,
just like all dragons, and Tsuzuki felt the pride to call him his friend
swell again. But it was dampened by his worry as to why Rikugo had chosen
this remote area, this unpopulated and wild landscape, as a hiding place.
"Change?" he requested.
Looking up the huge being gave him a crick in the neck.
"Please?" he added.
There was a soft rumble coming from the shikigami, then the dragon form
wavered, shimmered, and finally turned into the well-known human appearance
of his friend.
Tsuzuki was shocked to look at the man he had always seen as strong,
tall, proud and invincible. Now Rikugo looked like the slightest breeze
could topple him over. His face was pale, the eyes dull, his expression
haggard. He was no longer dressed in his wide, expensive robes but a simple
sweater and jeans that only enhanced how thin he had become. Not that he
had been very heavy to begin with, despite his size.
And his hair...
The hair was... gone. The long braid had been cut off, leaving him with
a barely mid-back length. The hair fell listlessly, looked as dull as his
eyes, and was bound back in a loose tail.
"Oh dear Gods... Rikugo..." Tsuzuki whispered, aghast. "Who did this
to you?!" he demanded.
The onyx eyes evaded him. "No one," was the whisper-soft answer.
"No one...? You... you did this yourself?!" Tsuzuki couldn't but stare
open-mouthed at his friend. "You cut off your own hair? Why? Rikugo...
why?!"
He stepped closer to the suffering shikigami and suddenly the taller
man's knees gave way. There was a soft gasp and the blond collapsed. Tsuzuki
was just fast enough to catch him, going to his knees with the weight in
his arms that was no real weight at all. He wrapped his arms around the
thin shoulders, heard the sobbed whimper, and just held him close.
"Oh Rikugo..." he murmured, stroking over the formerly so wonderfully
long and heavy strands.
Rikugo was a dragon; his power lay in his hair. For him to cut it off...
he had taken his own power down, had reduced his aura, his endurance, his
abilities in a fight. He was still a Divine Commander, no doubt. Like Touda
he belonged to the most powerful and dangerous, but he had... crippled
himself. Badly.
"Why?" he repeated softly.
Rikugo seemed to bury himself deeper into the protective embrace, shivering.
"For his protection," he answered roughly, voice sounding like sandpaper.
"His? Who?"
"Byakko."
Another tremor and the hands clenched into Tsuzuki's coat.
"He can't take this. He can't be around me. I'm the enemy. I never wanted
this, Tsuzuki. I would never do this!" The last was a desperate cry.
Tsuzuki held on, held him tightly, one hand stroking over the curved
back.
"I would never hurt him... he was a child..." Rikugo sobbed. "How...
how can this thing do that to him?! How can it... violate him and use me?
I never laid a finger on him, Tsuzuki! Believe me!"
"I believe you," Tsuzuki answered calmly, though he had no idea what
was going on.
Tears ran down the pale cheeks and the shinigami was shocked by the
complete breakdown. Rikugo was so strong, had always been there, had been
his anchor, had been his rock. Rikugo had given him a hiding place, a warm
spot to collect himself, to calm his frazzled nerves, but he had never
thought what all of this could do to the man who had done so much for them
all. Rikugo had never complained, had willingly served, had poured his
energy into this.
No one had asked him if he was okay. No one had cared.
No, wrong.
Tsuzuki cared. About each and every single one of his shikigami, but
Rikugo had hidden his pain so well.
He pressed a little kiss on the white-blond head.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured. "So sorry... I should have been there.
I never considered... I never thought about it..."
Rikugo held him tightly. "Not your fault."
Tsuzuki chuckled weakly. "You're always so strong. Like Sohryu. I never
considered what this would do to you." He cupped the pale face, looked
into the black eyes, smiling tear-fully. "You're all so strong..."
Rikugo blinked, the pain and the horror quite visible in his eyes.
"We should leave," the shinigami continued. "Go home."
"No!"
He stopped, surprised.
"No, please... I would like to... stay, Tsuzuki. I ask nothing else
of you but let me stay here."
"Here? In this place?"
"Meifu."
"You want to remain in Meifu?"
A shaky nod, coupled with a pleading look. "Please..." Rikugo begged.
"I never had any intention to send you to GensouKai. I just wanted to
take you to my place. I have a little apartment here..."
The astrologer gave him a watery smile. "Oh. I thought..."
"You can stay as long as you want," Tsuzuki said, caressing the cool
skin, repeating the words Rikugo always said when he sought shelter with
him.
° ° °
He got him to the small apartment he had in Meifu when he didn't or
couldn't return to his place in the world of the living. Rikugo was a dead
weight in his arms as he materialized in his bedroom, and he put the slender
form down on the bed, never stopping his gentle caress. Rikugo's eyes were
closed, his breathing shallow, and he still looked pale.
"Rikugo?" he said softly.
Onyx eyes cracked open and Tsuzuki smiled reassuringly.
"Where...?"
"My home. You can stay here as long as you want and need. Just... relax...
sleep."
Rikugo nodded slowly, his whole aura still radiating need, and Tsuzuki
stroked over the blond head until his shikigami closed his eyes again,
dozing off. Tsuzuki let his fingers trail over the long strands; shorter
than before. Cut off. It was like cutting off a limb. Rikugo sighed softly,
curling up, and Tsuzuki smiled. He remained until the breathing pattern
indicated that he was asleep, then he walked into the kitchen and made
some food. He knew he had to call someone to check on the man, and finally
Tsuzuki decided to send one of the ofuda birds for Watari. The little magical
creature flew away in a hurry and Tsuzuki returned to the bedroom, carrying
light food and water.
The moment he entered once more, Rikugo woke. The light sleep had been
interrupted once more and Tsuzuki realized how bad off the shikigami had
been lately if he couldn't even sleep deeply.
"It's me," Tsuzuki said and sat down on the mattress, immediately touching
the other man again, calmly stroking over the cool skin. "It's okay."
Rikugo closed his eyes once more, instinctively burying closer to Tsuzuki
as his master caressed him, enveloped him in his aura.
It was how Watari found his soon-to-be patient. Tsuzuki had felt the
other shinigami and had lowered the guards around the apartment, letting
him in. Watari took one look and his expression changed from curious to
worried.
"That's..." he started.
"Rikugo," Tsuzuki nodded. "He came here a few days ago. I didn't sense
him; only now. Please... take a look at him...?"
Watari approached carefully, gazed at the curled up form of a normally
so self-assured and powerful earth shikigami, and set to work.

"He's drained of energy, Tsuzuki. Dehydrated, malnourished, his system
is under a lot of stress, and I doubt he has slept for more than an hour
or two lately." Watari pushed back a strand of blond hair. "He's in a bad
shape and what he needs is rest."
"I'll make sure he does."
"I know." Watari smiled a little. "But I'm also worried about his psyche.
Something happened and it's eating away at him; worse than anything else."
"He said a few things," Tsuzuki murmured. "It's got something to do
with what happened in GensouKai."
And maybe he would find out. For now it was enough to know Rikugo was
okay, would be okay, and that nothing was seriously wrong with him on a
physical level.
You're always there for me, he thought. Let me be there for
you now.

tbc...
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