Touma opened his eyes and blinked. Vast darkness that was neither warm nor cold surrounded him. Pinpricks of light caught his eye as he scanned the horizon.

He couldn�t tell at first if he was breathing. As he ascended higher and higher his breath came in puffs of white vapor. The cold was growing around him but he didn�t really care about the biting sting.

Finally after minutes that seemed hours long he came to rest. Hovering in the void, miles from the earth, the sea, the fires and the light. They appeared small to him from his throne in the heavens.

::Touma �:: a voice whispered. It came from all around him. Not from one place and point in the sky but from everywhere and nowhere. Touma turned his head searching.

Blackness flecked with light greeted his eyes. Glancing down at his own body he saw crimson painting his skin and clothes. Wounds weeped, sad at the life-force pouring from their existence but unable to stop it. Shivering Touma wrapped his arms about his body.

::Touma �::

Touma looked up tears washing down his face. �Who are you? Why won�t you leave me alone?�

Silence was his only reply. Touma dropped his head and closed his eyes, waiting for death to take him to his final home. A prayer for salvation slipped through his lips as he waited.

::Tenku no Touma �::

A warmth drew close to his face. Opening his eyes he saw a ball of light resting in front of him. Curiously he lifted his hand to touch it. It floated closer. Bringing his other hand up Touma cupped the ball carefully and drew it to his body. Slowly he opened his hands and looked inside.

�Hoshi � a star �� he whispered. The light flashed brightly, like a supernova, burning his hands. Then it faded away into blackness. Touma watched in horror it the small star died in his hands. �No!!!� he screamed into the void.

::Tenku no Touma � shi � death awaits �::

Looking up Touma saw the stars around him blinking out of existence one by one. Each a brilliant burst of light and life before death took them away. Shaking with rage Touma could do nothing as stars died around him. He could feel their pain.

Soon there was nothing but the blackness.

::One more star must died � Tenku no Touma �::

Touma looked up in a panic. He felt the bubble that Tenku had encased around him waver. Pressing his hands against it, he peered out. �Why are you doing this?� he screamed.

::Because you willed it �::

�I never ��

::Goodbye my love �::

Touma gasped as his soul recognized the voice. A voice that had called to him since before he could remember. Disbelief washed over his face.

�Tenku no � please ��

::Goodbye �::

The bubble gave way. Touma felt himself falling rapidly back towards the Earth. He screamed as pain shot through his body. After landing hard in a meadow Touma curled into a ball and cried.

�What sins I have committed to be cast from the heavens Tenku?� he whispered hoarsely.

Sitting up he looked around his Hell. Soft grasses brushed up against him but he recoiled away from them. The sound of a trickling river reached his ears. He shunned the peaceful meadow and gazed mournfully at the sky.

A light moved through the trees growing closer. It moved gracefully, never waving as it came to him. Touma tried to crawl away from it but his body was too abused.

�Touma?�

The light spoke. Touma�s breath caught in his throat. �Seiji?�

�You don�t belong here Touma.�

Touma reached his hand out and touched Seiji�s cheek. Dropping it, Touma saw Seiji�s fair skin was now smeared with blood.

Taking Touma�s hand, Seiji turned it over and looked at the slit wrist. Gently Seiji ran his thumb over the wound. Touma hissed in pain.

�Why?� Seiji whispered.

�I don�t know,� Touma reply looking down at the ground.

Seiji grabbed his other hand. He squeezed both wrists until Touma cried out in pain.

�Why Touma?�

�Because no one loves me!� Touma turned his head unable to look at Seiji. �I don�t even love me,� he said quietly.

Seiji loosened his grip but didn�t let go. �How do you know that no one loves you?�

�No one has ever said that they did.�

Seiji looked at him thoughtfully. He brushed back blue locks of hair and pressed a kiss to Touma�s forehead.

�You don�t belong here Touma.�

Touma gasped as everything around him flickered. He grasped at Seiji desperately. �Seiji no � please don�t leave me here alone �� His fingers slipped through Seiji. �Seiji no!!!�

Everything around him was melting into nothingness. The trees � the grass � Seiji � all began to disappear. �Seiji please don�t leave me,� Touma pleaded.

Soon there was nothing. Heaven and Earth gave way to the void. Touma sat alone in the dark weeping.

�Why have you forsaken me Tenku?� he screamed.

::Come back Touma �::

�Seiji? Where are you?�

::Come back �::

�Seiji I can�t find you. Don�t leave me alone here.�

::Come back Touma �::

Touma gasped as the voice was suddenly loud and strong above him.

Seiji felt a wave of relief wash over him when Touma suddenly sat up and opened his eyes. He put his arm around Touma�s back supporting him.

�I knew you�d come back,� Seiji whispered to him.

�Seiji �� Touma said shakily.

�I�m here Touma.� He let the smaller warrior collapse against him. Rubbing his hand lightly over Touma�s back, Seiji rocked him gently. Finally Touma pushed away from Seiji and looked at the blonde.

�I thought I was dead,� Touma whispered.

�I thought you were too. There was so much blood �� Seiji trailed off stomach clenching at the memory of finding Touma.

They sat in silence uncomfortably. Finally Touma cleared his throat. �You should get inside. Ryo�s probably worried about you.�

�I don�t care about Ryo right now.� Seiji looked back at the mansion, knowing that Shuu and Shin were probably worried about the archer. He looked back at Touma.

�Why Touma?�

to be continued �

*yume = dream