Winter is Coming, the Snow Will Soon Fall...

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Disclaimer; None of these characters belong to me with the exception of Dot, Kim, and the angels that appear at the beginning. They are my characters and cannot be used without my permission. (Don’t be afraid to ask though, I don’t bite, at least if you don’t want me to^_^) All others are property of Yun Kouga and a bunch of other people. I’m not doing this for any profit, only for the fun of writing it.

Small note; I’ve made up most of the weird facts and stuff to fit this story, some even goes against the anime, everything else, well, it could be true, I don’t know.

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"Chihaya, I was sent here to speak to you because, Eden has found an explanation for the color of your wings and hair," A large angel with white hair that neither Kagetsuya or Chihaya had seen before explained.

"Really?" Chihaya exclaimed, his face lighting up.

"I shouldn’t even be around you now if not for the fact that I was sent here on special orders," the angel looked away as if ashamed.

"Please tell me..."

"Do you remember your parents?"

"A little, but they disappeared when I was very young."

"Both, or at least one of them had the cancer before you were born, but both were also angels. This explains why you still have full angelic powers."

"What...?" Kagetsuya interrupted.

"This does not effect you yet. Anyway, Chihaya, you were born immune to the effects of the cancer because of that."

"Then I really don’t have it?"

"Technically, you do, only, the symptoms and death do not effect you. The fact remains, though, that you have it. You are a Lucifer and so, you must be banished from our world."

"What?! Why?!!" Kagetsuya again interrupted.

"He has the cancer, even though there are no symptoms or death for him, it would still be a felon for any of us to come in contact with him. Because of our newly advanced technology and knowledge of the cancer, new laws have been passed since you were last in Eden. If an angel comes in contact with a Lucifer, they will be infected with the disease and become Lucifers as well. We will inject the cancer into that person at a time when they least expect it. This is why I needed to talk to you. You are to return to Eden in 24 hours or you will become a Lucifer. You would die within a year or maybe more, of your fall."

The white haired angel walked to the door then turned to face Chihaya.

"You must leave the apartment for 24 hours to allow Kagetsuya time to pack his things and return. Gather a few necessities and meet me downstairs. I am responsible for you on special orders for this time period. I leave you alone for a moment because, though I am a strict, law abiding angel, I am also fair and merciful to those who show true love. I leave you alone, against my orders, to say good bye. Hurry down and show me this was not a bad decision," he turned to Kagetsuya, "We hope to see you in 24 hours, you will be given a telepathic warning when your time is almost up. If you are not back by this time tomorrow, you will become a Lucifer. Use your opportunity wisely, for you should not even be given it for helping the Earthians against our attack. Know that if you return though, you have already been stripped of all of your titles and reduced to common citizen."

The angel stepped out the door and seemed to vanish.

"K-Kagetsuya?"

The blonde man turned to Chihaya.

"You must go back to Eden, you must leave me..."

Kagetsuya looked to the floor not knowing what to pick out from the millions of thoughts racing through his mind. "I should go, he doesn’t seem to love me anymore, but why would he tell me to go if he doesn’t care? Besides that, I still love him, how could I desert him like this? I don’t want to.....to die, but I don’t want to leave him either, I couldn’t stand to live without him. I’d rather stay here and die than leave him. If I die, though, it’s the same thing as leaving him....but if I could help him find someone else and care for him as long as I can....." His mind screamed at these thoughts, especially the thought of leaving Chihaya forever.

He finally managed to harness his thoughts into only one reply, "Chihaya, I don’t want to leave you..."

"It’s not really a matter of wanting....if you don’t you’ll die. I don’t want you to die."

"I know, it’s just..."

"Stop, if you stay, you’ll die, and death is the same thing as leaving me, only, if you truly do leave, then I’ll know that you’re safe and ALIVE." He dashed away tears before they fell.

"You mean more to me than my life or safety."

"He was rough with me, and it worked," Chihaya thought, "I’ll be rough with him."

"I’m leaving," Chihaya stated, trying to keep his voice from shaking as he threw some clothes and other essentials into a large bag, "Don’t try to find me and you’d better be gone by the time I get back."

"Right...and what do you plan to do if I’m still here?"

"I’ll never forgive you.....look, just go! Just get out of here, I didn’t want to tell you this but I no longer love you. I thought you’d figure it out when I never wanted to be with you. Just get out of here and go back to Eden!!" with that, he walked out the door and slammed it behind.

"I hope he doesn’t take that too rough... I got carried away, I shouldn’t have said I no longer love him. I’ll go back and apologize and tell him I didn’t mean it....but if I do...he may not go back..." Chihaya slid down the wall in the middle of the hallway and cupped his hands over his face. Before the tears came, the white haired angel startled him with a tap on the shoulder.

Chihaya gazed up at him as a single tear spilled over his cheek.

"Chihaya, what’s wrong?"

"This is the last time I shall see him, and I yelled at him..." more tears streaked his face, "I told him I don’t l-love him...I want to go back. I want to tell him that I didn’t mean it..."

"No...we must go now. I cannot allow this. I have already gone against my orders by letting you see each other alone one last time. Now, come, Chihaya," the larger angel extended his hand to Chihaya.

Chihaya took the man’s hand in both of his and lifted himself from the floor with the angel’s help. He sniffled slightly as he rubbed away the wetness from his eyes and cheeks then grabbed his bag and walked out of the complex with the white haired angel. As they walked, Chihaya kept looking back as if he was the one who could never return there, as though he was walking to his death sentence and the angel was the prison guard.

"Do not look back, Chihaya, it only adds to the pain."

****

Kagetsuya collapsed onto the sofa just after the loud crash of the door hitting the frame, and the sound of the decorative vase that once sat on the table by the door hitting the ground and shattering. He rubbed absently at the arm still in the sling from the fight with Messiah.

"He didn’t mean it, he couldn’t have, could he? He no longer loves me, is it true? He sure acted like it was when Messiah was around. Is it true that he’d been dropping hints that I just didn’t catch?" Thoughts like these ran through his head for nearly an hour. He finally stood, slammed his fist to the arm of the sofa and cursed under his breath.

He walked to the kitchen to find any kind of alcoholic beverage that happened to be in the house. He found nothing. He, then grabbed his coat and left the house, heading toward a local bar. Once there, he made his way through the smoke filled room, past the pool tables surrounded by gamblers and bums, he even spotted an illegal group of gamblers, playing a craps game. He found himself a seat near the end of the bar and slid onto the stool.

"What’ll ya’ have," a thin blonde woman asked

"Surprise me, import beer of some sorts."

"How’s Labatts sound?"

"Fine"

The bar tender shoved a mug under the tap and filled it, then slammed it down in front of Kagetsuya.

"So what brings a good lookin’ guy like you to a dump like this?"

"A good friend of mine and I had a fight," Kagetsuya answered not truly knowing why he was compelled to tell this woman his story. He thought that it must be because he craved advice desperately.

"Oh, the old fight with a loved one, huh? I hear that story ten times a day. So, tell me the truth, it wasn’t a FRIEND now, was it?"

".....No."

"Girlfriend?"

"No."

"Wife?"

"You’re really on the wrong track."

"Who, then?"

"....my-my uh boyfriend," he said under his breath

"Your- That would figure. Every cute, sweet guy is either married, acting, gay, or crazy."

"You think I’m cute?!!"

The woman blushed through matted strands of the slightly dirty hair that hung out of the pony tail that bound it on the top of her head, her large breasts resting on the counter.

"Yeah," she finally managed to answer.

"And nice?"

"Uh-huh"

"At least someone does then."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Chihaya...he was my-"

"I know, go on."

"He told me that he no longer loves me. We weren’t supposed to see each other anyway, and I think it may have been only a plot to get me out so I wouldn’t be in any trouble."

"Well, I don’t know him ...or you that much, but it seems to me that he loves you beyond compare, why else would he have told such a painful lie to keep you from trouble?"

"That could be....Hey how’d you know so much about this anyway?"

"I guess I should tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"I’m a humanoid."

"But I thought they were all destroyed."

"I’m the last one. I was meant to be a killer machine."

"You!!! But you’re so sweet looking, you look as though you’re only a teenager."

"That was the point. I was built to be inconspicuous. Unlike the others, I don’t have a nuclear heart or a guard system. My heart is much less dangerous, though I don’t quite understand the way it functions. But, the problem was that, when I was built, I was given emotions. A killer could not have emotion, emotion means a conscience. I can kill, hurt, or destroy anyone who threatens an innocent, but I cannot mass murder men women and children who have done nothing wrong. I cannot hurt the precious plants and animals of this Earth that are needed to sustain life. It is too beautiful. Though I agree in some part that the human race has destroyed much of the beauty, yet, this is no reason to kill them all for only those few that ruin things for everyone."

"You should talk to Chihaya some time, you would probably get along well. He loves the Earth and the Earthians. Could I have another beer, please?"

She fetched a refill for Kagetsuya and resumed the conversation.

"I have heard of Chihaya."

"How?"

"Before I escaped the horrible destruction they had planned for me, I heard them speak of you and Chihaya. They planned to track you down and kill you both."

"What!!?"

"The few men left that worked on Taki, Takako, myself, and finally, Messiah, are after you. They are angry that you destroyed their creations. And their master."

"We did nothing of the sorts. Messiah committed suicide, as did Takako. Taki-"

"I know. I knew all of this. I wanted to tell them that you were not responsible, but it would mean my death and the world’s destruction. At least once a week, someone comes after me, they want to, for lack of a better word, dissect me. They want to find information to build another like me or to strip me of my emotion.

"But why? Dr. Ashiya is gone...why would anyone want to continue his terror?"

"His workers. He had programmed them...brainwashed them. They serve only him. Even after his death. Now they are like zombies without a master. They have much anger at the loss of their master and no where to direct it other that the destruction of this world and carrying out his commands or wants, in other words, your death. They have no idea of how to do this without one of Ashiya’s creations to copy."

"Will you do me a favor please Miss...."

"Just call me Dot. And yes, I will do you a favor."

"Stay with Chihaya until the danger is past. I can no longer directly protect him, so someone else must. He is sweet. You will like him. If you begin to love him, don’t be afraid to, he needs it. Just please stay with him. I’ll give you the address and phone number. Just tell him that I sent you. Will you do this for me please?"

"Yes, we would be safer together anyway, right?"

"Thank you, here’s the address," Kagetsuya handed her a small square of paper with the apartment address and phone number."

"What will become of you, Kagetsuya?"

"I will disappear. I must. Chihaya will explain it to you."

"Want another refill?"

Nine more refills and a long detailed conversation about Chihaya later:

"Hey, I’m sorry hun, but I’ve got to close up now."

"Will you go to see Chihaya?"

"Yes, I will go tomorrow evening."

"Would you please give him this note?" Kagetsuya asked handing her a folded piece of paper he’d been writing on earlier.

"Yes, I will, I promise. Mind if I read it?"

"That’s up to Chihaya."

"Well, good luck to ya, hun."

"Thanks," He mumbled through his now drunken sounding voice.

With that, Kagetsuya walked to the door, or at least tried to as he nearly tripped over chairs and ran into tables.

"Hey-yo, don’t drive in that condition or I’ll be forced to kill you," Dot giggled.

"I don’t own a car," he smiled at her before leaving.

He stepped out the door and began to wonder around, not really knowing where to go. He finally found a convenience store and purchased a bottle of sleeping pills, a two-four of beer, a tooth brush, and a few other necessities. He, then, checked into a "budget" hotel to decide on what he should do.

He found his way to the room he was assigned and fumbled with the key until he managed to get the door unlocked. He stepped into the room through the tacky yellow door and shoved the key into his pocket. He turned on the light to find that only one of the bulbs in the fixture actually worked. He found, also, that the room was of perfect tastelessness match the tacky door, no lying facades here. The walls had lost their color to become a faded yellow from years of sun beating down on it and peeling from guests picking at it. The ceiling showed signs of leaks by a brown discoloration spotted along it.

The room was small with a twin sized bed on the north wall and a small beaten, beyond antique, night table pushed up beside it. A ragged arm chair, the only chair in the room, rested in the corner on the opposite side of the bed. The south wall had only the door to the bathroom, which was surpassingly clean, and a dresser whose drawer’s knobs didn’t match, along with mold and moss growing up the wall (north side of the south wall...I guess that’s how it would work.) The west wall contained only a huge window with no screen to keep out the moths. Lastly, the east wall supported only the door, a small fridge, which barely worked, and a hot plate, which could never be trusted to cook something that would enter a human mouth.

Besides all of this, Kagetsuya found the room to be somewhat clean, aside from the mold and stains from the leaky ceiling. The sheets were almost new, and still had the smell of the fabric softener in them. The bathroom emitted the strong smell of bleach, which, though it wasn’t a pleasant smell, was reassuring that the room was sterile.

Before actually going to sleep, Kagetsuya drank three of the cans of beer from the large box, now sitting in the refrigerator. Once finished, he crawled into the bed after shedding all of his clothes other than his underwear and leaving them sprawled out on the chair and floor, even though he would normally have folded them and put them away neatly.

The next morning, he awoke with what had to be the worst hangover of his life. He stood, nearly passing out in the process, and walked to the bathroom. The smell of the bleach immediately added insult to injury, causing his severe headache to grow even worse. He felt as though the room were spinning and he was falling. After a moment, he gained control, and stepped into the shower after removing the last of his clothing. He stood for quite some time, letting the warm water fall over his worn out body. After a somewhat thorough washing, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself.

"Damn hotel towels, never big enough to cover what they are supposed to," he mumbled.

After realizing that he had no fresh change of clothes, he decided to just use the outfit from the day before, that being his only option, besides walking around nude all day.

****

Later that night, Chihaya returned to the apartment with the white haired angel. Once he was safe in the apartment, the larger angel left him to return to Eden.

****

"Do you think Kagetsuya will come back?" The white haired angel asked a female angel with light pink hair.

"I don’t know, but I don’t blame him if he doesn’t."

"Why’s that, love?"

"He’s been stripped of all of his titles and, no matter what, he’ll always be referred to as a criminal."

"I see what you mean..."

****

"I wonder if he left," Chihaya thought as he settled into the apartment after a night away.

Chihaya looked around to find all of Kagetsuya’s things still there but the blonde man was no where to be found. Only his trench coat was missing from it’s normal place in the closet. Chihaya was glad to know that at least he’d brought that.

"Winter is coming, the snow will soon fall," Chihaya thought, "I guess he went back to Eden. I’m glad he did, I suppose.... I’ll miss him though. I already do. I find myself wishing that he would return, even though it would mean his death... but to have him die in my arms...I could not bear that. I hope he did go...and I hope he knows that I didn’t mean what I said. Why must I still feel as though he has deserted me? He hasn’t, he had no choice..."

Chihaya’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He walked over to answer it.

"Who’s there?" he asked before opening it.

"My name’s Dot. You don’t know me but Kagetsuya sent me to see you."

"Kagetsuya?" he mouthed, then scrambled to open the door.

The beautiful blonde woman from the bar stepped through the door. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders much cleaner than earlier, to the point where it shone in the dim light of the main room of the apartment.

Chihaya gestured for her to enter the elaborately decorated living room. She stared at the fabulous Japanese prints which hung on the walls, corresponding wonderfully with the off white walls illuminated by the blue theatrical lights that hung from the ceiling. She sat on the exceedingly comfortable light sea green sofa, positioning the off white pillows to her comfort. Chihaya sat in the matching chair across from her, and placed a soda can he’d been caring around on the table next to him.

"Oh, I’m sorry, would you like a drink?"

"No thanks," Dot purred "Kagetsuya was right, he is sweet, and cute too.," she thought, staring at the dark haired man sitting across from her.

"I’d ask you if you wanted something to eat, but I’m not a good cook, Kagetsuya always did all the cooking," Chihaya stuttered as he too stared at the beauty of the woman sitting across from him. "Wow, she’s gorgeous. She seems nice enough too, she must be if Kagetsuya sent her."

"That’s all right," she answered timidly.

"You said that Kagetsuya sent you, right"

"Yes, he gave me this to give to you," she said, presenting the folded piece of paper.

Chihaya reached over and took it from her. He slowly opened it, then began to read the words written there.

Chihaya,

I sent you this so you would know that, even if you truly no longer love, or care about me, I still love you, I always will, to the end of time. The Winter grows colder each moment without you at my side. I’ll miss you, Chihaya, no one could ever take your place in my heart, but I know you were serious about never forgiving me if I did not go. I did not want to upset you in any way, but I guess there’s no way around this; We won’t be seeing each other for a long time, if ever. I’m eternally sorry for leaving you...but it’s best for us. Just know that you will be loved by me forever, even if it means nothing to you. You must find yourself a new love, though, someone to replace me. You need love, if I cannot supply it, then someone else must. Trust the woman who gave you this note. She is a friend who will help you greatly. I must go now, dear Chihaya. I will miss you.

Love always,

Kagetsya

Tears threatened to fall from Chihaya’s eyes by the time he finished reading the letter.

"I didn’t mean it," Chihaya whispered. "I do love you."

Chihaya pushed the note aside and pretended that he was all right as he spoke to the woman sitting across from him.

After a detailed description of the woman’s past and Chihaya’s, the two decided that, for safety reasons, they should become roommates.

****

Chihaya sat on the sofa watching TV but not actually paying attention to it. He didn’t have a single thought in his head at the moment until a crashing sound rang through his head. He turned to look behind him at the source of the noise. A figure laid on the floor struggling to get up. His wings appeared to be black, but so did the rest of his body from the bright sunlight behind him.

Chihaya ran to the prone figure’s side.

"What happened, why did you crash through the glass like that? Let me help you with your injuries."

Chihaya ran to the kitchen and brought back a bowl of cool water and a cloth, then started to absorb the blood from numerous cuts on the angel’s back with the soft material. The angel did indeed have black hair and wings as Chihaya thought.

"Who are you? Are...are you a Lucifer?"

"Chihaya," the angel gasped in a pained voice.

"How do you know my name?!! Who are you?! Tell me!"

"Don’t you recognize me, dear Chihaya?"

"Who..." Chihaya stuttered as the angel turned his face to look up at him, "K-Kagetsuya...You...what happened to you?! Why didn’t you go back to Eden?! Kagetsuya, damn it, why didn’t you go back?!!"

"I couldn’t desert you like that...Chihaya..." he choked, falling into the smaller angel’s arms, his wings dragging on the ground.

"I-I love you...I-" he coughed, bringing up blood, his skin cooling as his body grew heavier in Chihaya’s arms, "I couldn’t leave you," he whispered this time, not having the strength to do much more.

"Kagetsuya..." Chihaya mouthed, tears streaming over his cheeks.

"I’m sorry I displeased you before, I-I just want you to...to know that I care about you... even if ...if you no longer love me..." his voice faded with that last word as he closed his eyes, never to re-open them again.

"I do still love you, more than anything..." Chihaya whispered even though he knew Kagetsuya could no longer hear him, "Kagetsuya," he moaned, his voice filled with the agony of his lost love.

****

"Kagetsuya!!!" Chihaya screamed jumping up from his bed, "A dream...only a dream...thank God. Oh, I hope he is all right."

The rest of Chihaya’s night was pretty much the same, horrible dreams plagued otherwise peaceful sleep. He couldn’t forget the heart sinking feeling that possessed him during the first dream-the feeling of Kagetsuya dying in his arms. He finally just got out of bed and turned on the TV to watch re-runs of some old shows. The rest of the night, he spent in the arm chair in his pajamas, thinking of nothing to try to clear his mind.

****

Dot spent that night at home and the next day moving her things to the second bedroom of the apartment. Chihaya spent it packing Kagetsuya’s things in boxes and hiding them in the hall closet.

It was a painful task for him to do this. He kept remembering his dream and the photo box he came across didn’t help much.

There were pictures of them together in Paris and some from when they came to America. Pictures of Chihaya in the apartment he now lived in before it was furnished, and some of him when he had just gotten up in the morning and hadn’t had his coffee yet.

"And to think I wanted to kill him when he flashed that camera in my face first thing in the morning..."

He couldn’t help but laugh at one he snapped of Kagetsuya in the morning, with (giggle) curlers in his bangs and a face mask on.

"He was mad at me because he didn’t even get a chance to put eyeliner on yet..."

Chihaya couldn’t help but show the photos to his new room mate. That actually helped him to get over loosing Kagetsuya, remembering their good times together.

****

Kagetsuya, in the meantime, spent the night once again in the hotel room.

He slouched in the chair with a bottle of beer in his hand, suffering from not eating and having the only substance in his body be alcohol.

"Kagetsuya, you have one hour, return now or never come back," a voice warned him.

"Screw you!" he called out and threw the bottle against the wall where it shattered into tiny shards of glass mixed with the alcohol. "Screw you all." his voice, this time, was only a whimper.

"I won’t leave you, Chihaya, not yet. You’re in too much danger. I must know that you’re safe. I will not, however, show myself to you, I know it will upset you too much. I will not leave until I know that you’re safe, I’ll silently watch until I can stay no longer."

He stared at the alcohol dripping down the wall where the bottle hit, realizing that he had just thrown his last bottle there.

"Kagetsuya, this is your last warning, get over here now or never return."

"Leave me alone! I’m not coming back!" he yelled. "I have no life without Chihaya, no reason for being."

He finally found the strength to get out of the chair. He walked to the bathroom and found the bottle of sleeping pills. He swallowed two with some water from the tap, then crawled into the unmade bed fully clothed.

****

"It’s been 24 hours now," the white haired angel stated.

"It is official then. Kagetsuya is now banned from our world. No angel is to come in contact with him, for, as of now, he is considered a Lucifer," A high up, authorative angel announced.

"Poor Kagetsuya, he chose his fate though, but if he would have come back, he’d have been worse off than if he dies," the angel who had grown close to Chihaya over the past night whispered.

****

Kagetsuya spent the next day and night in bed because of the headache pounding through his head. He finally woke up, for the most part, sober. He walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror to discover what a mess he was. His hair was greasy and matted and he hadn’t shaved in days. He also discovered the alcohol smell that covered his clothes along with the smoke smell from the occasional cigarette. He took off the old clothes and stepped into the shower. After he washed his hair twice along with the rest of his body, he stepped out and wrapped a towel around himself. He combed his hair and shaved, then, tried to figure out what to do for clothes.

He decided that he would just have to wear the old clothes out to buy some new ones.

"How embarrassing," he thought out loud.

The cold air hit him hard when he stepped outside, he didn’t realize how cold it actually was. He left the room for a few hours and returned wearing a new outfit, consisting of a dark green turtle neck and black pants, along with a black designer coat that tied around his waist and hanging about a foot below it and a few bags of clothes mainly from thrift stores and the sale racks of department stores in his hands. He had decided that he should just throw his old clothes away.

Once he returned to his room, he cleaned up a bit and threw his belongings into some bags and checked out.

He walked the short distance to an apartment complex that he saw was advertising a room for rent when he was out shopping earlier. He spent the rest of the morning working out the contracts and moving in to his apartment. He found that the cheap price matched the room. The white paint was almost completely peeled off, exposing patches of yellow, green and brown paint. An open futon, that was to be his bed, laid on the floor in one of the corners with a faded wooden coffee table next to it. Other than that, the room was empty, except for four doors, one leading outside, one-to a small closet, another-to the kitchen, and the last-to the bathroom.

He placed the bags of clothes in the closet and took the bag filled with his shampoo, tooth brush and other things like that to the incredibly small bathroom. He put his things away with great difficulty because of barely having only enough room to turn around. He discovered that the walls and floor were missing tiles and that the shower leaked.

He decided to check the kitchen next. It was as bad as the other rooms. There were no appliances and the floor’s linoleum was torn and peeling away. The wallpaper, which once had a design of cat-tails and other types of grasses was faded almost beyond recognition. He opened a cupboard causing the bugs inside to run and hide.

"Ugh, how disgusting," he thought, cringing from the ammonia smell inside. "this place needs help. I’m going to have to do some serious cleaning up here."

His thoughts were interrupted by his stomach reminding him that he hadn’t eaten in days. He decided to just order a pizza. He picked up the phone to find that it was another thing to add to the list of things that didn’t work there. He was relieved to find that the phone problem was only a split wire, easily replaced.

He left the apartment a few moments later to get something to eat and do some shopping for things in the apartment. When he stepped outside, he discovered that the snow was beginning to fall.

"At least the heater still works in there," he thought

Nearly a month later, he had finally gotten the place semi-cleaned up. He corrected the bug problem and cleaned the dust out. He left everything else as it was, even though the constantly running shower faucet annoyed him to no end during the night.

As the days past, he seemed to realize, more and more what he had done. He became withdrawn and depressed at realising that he only had a year of life left.

He noticed, also, that each day, a sort of pain became more and more apparent in his chest. One morning in particular, he awoke way too early, the sun hadn’t even come up yet. He staggered to the bathroom and pulled the string to turn on the light, unfortunately, the light bulb blew as it tried to come on.

"Damn, one more thing that doesn’t work around here."

He rummaged around in the dark until he found a new bulb in the drawer. He replaced the old one and, again, attempted to turn on the light. This time, he succeeded. He glanced at the mirror from the corner of his eye, but what he saw caught his attention immediately. His hair, once golden blonde, was darkest black and no longer held the beautiful shine it once possessed. He let his wings arch out to discover that they, too, had turned a dull black color, the feathers, though still soft and silky, were so dull and lifeless, they held no shine, only the cancerous black.

"I-I never thought I would become that which I once hated and feared..."

That morning, he left his apartment and ran into his neighbor, Kim, a collage art student who had turned to prostitution to pay her tuition. She wore her characteristic fishnet stockings and spiked collar along with a long silver skirt that had been torn to shreds and a black tank top.

"Hi, Kagetsuya...hey, you colored your hair, very cool...are you turning gothic on me?" she fondled the long curls which he decided to keep at all times, even in his human form, as a sort of disguise.

"No...I-I just had some spare time and six bucks and got some dye."

"Oh well, I like it anyway, especially with your eye make up. Hey, I have to go now, I have an art project to finish and a job after my sculpture class. Bye."

"See ya, Kim. I hope the critique of you painting goes well tomorrow."

****

He spent the next months watching silently over Chihaya. He only came back to his apartment to eat, shower and, every once and a while, sleep. People from his complex were generally good to him, being either poor and kind, or stoned beyond thinking. Especially Kim, who had, by now, formed a huge crush on him.

Other than the short amounts of time he spent in his apartment, his days and nights consisted of following Chihaya and Dot where ever they went. Almost half a year went by before one of Dr. Ashiya’s followers found and came after the two.

Kagetsya watched from the balcony to see him capture Dot after much fighting on her part. He had to inject her with a tranquilizer to manage that much. Chihaya tried to save her but the man warned him that if he tried anything, he was to be killed. The dark haired invader reminded him that part of his mission was to murder him as well as capture Dot.

Kagetsuya decided it was time for him to help out. He used his key to open the glass doors without being heard. By the time he was able to sneak up behind the man who held Chihaya, he had pulled out a knife and was about to slice the small man’s throat. Kagetsuya stopped the knife by catching the blade in his hand. The man tried to yank it away but, the harder he tried, the stronger Kagetsuya’s hold became. His blood dripped down the blade and stained the sleeve of his shirt before he finally managed to pull the knife away and drive it through the man’s heart. He, then ran to the balcony, and flew away.

Chihaya saw only the back of the black angel who saved his life and killed the man who threatened him and Dot before he flew away through the open glass doors.

"Who was that?" Chihaya whispered, "He saved our lives...Dot!"

He rushed over to Dot who was still out. He managed to wake her after a few moments.

"What happened?" she asked as she sat up, "Oh my God!! How did you manage to kill him?!"

"I didn’t"

"but..."

"A black angel, like myself, saved me. I didn’t see where he came from but he flew out through the open glass doors."

"Weren’t they closed before?"

"I don’t know...they were probably open because it is summer."

"Oh well."

****

Kagetsuya flew back to his apartment to patch up the deep furrow cut into his hand.

"I can heal others, too bad I can’t heal myself," He thought as he wrapped a piece of gauze around the injured hand.

Later that night as he was leaving for Chihaya’s apartment, Kim stopped him for a second.

"Kagetsuya, what happened to your hand?!" she asked seeing the large piece of gauze wrapped around it, the palm side soaked in blood.

"It was...a kitchen accident, I’m a bit clumsy." he lied.

"Come with me," she commanded dragging him into her apartment.

She sat him down on the small sofa and ran to the bathroom for her first aid kit. He couldn’t help but stare at how the entire apartment looked like one of her art projects. There were tropical plants everywhere, and table fountains used for decoration. The walls had been drawn on in many places and the carpet was covered with splotches of oil paint. One corner supported all of her art supplies in organized drawers and cupboards. Her paintings and anime posters also hung all over the walls that were not drawn on. The lighting came solely from green and blue Christmas lights hung on the walls near the ceiling.

Kagetsuya tore his attention away from the artistic decor as she returned and removed the old gauze from his hand.

"You should go to the hospital and get stitches for this."

"No, I’m all right. I don’t care much for hospitals."

"Well, this is the best I can do for you," she said as she finished re-wrapping his wound, "The blood won’t soak through this way, the bandages will stop it from coming."

He stood up from his seat on the sofa and bent slightly to kiss her forehead. "You take such good care of me," he whispered, "Thank you, Kim. I have to go now but I’ll talk to you later."

"All right."

Kagetsuya walked to the door and opened it.

"Hey, Kagetsuya, if you ever...uh, want my services, it’s free for you."

"Uh...thanks..I think...but I probably won’t require that, no offense or anything, there certainly isn’t anything wrong with you, it’s me."

"I know, you’re still upset about your lost relationship, but I’m here if you need me."

"Thanks," he sighed as he stepped out the door and closed it behind.

****

Kagetsuya flew to Chihaya’s apartment, wanting his love more than ever after what Kim was saying to him.

"I’ve been watching silently for almost a year now. I can stand it no longer, I must see him again. I must be near him. I want to be able kiss him and hold him as I used to. I can’t though. I can’t show myself to him..."

He waited that night on the balcony until both Dot and Chihaya had gone to their separate rooms and fallen asleep. He opened the door using his old key and crept into the living room and to the

bedroom door. He eased it open then stepped in, shutting it softly behind.

"Chihaya," he whispered to be sure the smaller man was asleep.

No answer. Chihaya was in a deep sleep.

Kagetsuya walked over to the bed and knelt next to it. He examined Chihaya’s face with great difficulty because of the dark. He saw a tear fall down his cheek, shimmering in the dim light from the window. It hurt him to see Chihaya cry. He gently brushed away the tears along with strands of dark hair hanging in the smaller man’s face, then kissed his middle and fore fingers and placed them over Chihaya’s lips. He bent to kiss him but Chihaya woke up completely startled.

" What’s going on? Who’s there?"

"This is a dream, sweet Chihaya, nothing more," Kagetsuya lied.

"Kagetsuya....?"

"Yes, I am in your dream."

Chihaya tried to sit up but Kagetsuya stopped him.

"Don’t get up, stay here."

"Can I turn on the light so that I may see your face?"

"No, it’s better this way."

He leaned down, this time actually getting to kiss Chihaya’s eagerly waiting lips.

Chihaya placed his hand on Kagetsuya’s cheek, feeling a slight streak of wetness.

"Tears....Why do you cry?"

"You tell me, it’s your dream," Kagetsuya lied, brushing away his silently shed tears.

"Why do I dream of you?"

".....Have I been on your mind?"

"Yes...I wanted to tell you that I didn’t mean what I said about not loving you. I want so badly to tell you I’m sorry. I only said that because I wanted you to go back and be safe."

"That’s why you dream of me."

"Did you go back?"

"I wouldn’t know if Kagetsuya went or not, I am only a part of your imagination."

"You really aren’t Kagetsuya?"

"I am you. I am part of your mind. I am your image of Kagetsuya," he continued to masterfully lie.

"What happens next?"

"You tell me, I am like your slave, you are controlling the dream. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to love me--the way you used to."

Kagetsuya wanted so badly to comply but he knew he could not, no matter how badly he wanted to. It would harm Chihaya more than it would help. It would make him want his Kagetsuya more than ever, especially thinking that this man was not him. He had to find a new love. He couldn’t depend on the memories to survive.

"I cannot do what you ask."

"Why not?!! You just said that you would do anything I wanted!"

"You do not want this."

"Are you kidding, I want your love more than anything on this Earth."

"In your mind, somewhere deep in your sub-conscience, you know that you must move on. You know that what Kagetsuya wrote in that letter is true. You must find someone to replace him."

"I don’t want to replace him, I... I just want him back," Chihaya began to cry.

It pained Kagetsuya to see his sweet Chihaya cry, he wanted so badly to take him into his arms and take his tears away. He had to be strong though. He couldn’t give in to his emotions for if he did, the tears would be much worse later on.

"Chihaya, I...You know I’m not him. I could never love you as he could."

"I just need one more night, even if you aren’t him, you’re close enough. I could move on if I only had one more night."

"Your sub-conscious wants you to move on, maybe one night is what it will take, even if it is only a dream."

"Will you love me then? Just for tonight?"

"I will hold you until your dream ends."

Kagetsuya reluctantly climbed into the bed next to him and embraced the sobbing man. He kissed him, making sure that the kiss was empty as it would seem in a dream.

****

Kagetsuya crept out of the room at around five a.m. making sure, first, that Chihaya was sound asleep. He stepped out on the balcony and locked the glass doors behind him. "That will have to be enough, dear Chihaya, for another trip would be too risky. It would ruin everything that I’ve planned. I didn’t want to lie to you, but if you knew the truth..." He thought, dashing away unshed tears. He took up his usual hiding place, behind the large plants that were clustered in the corner, and fell asleep.

****

A few days later, Kagetsuya was on his normal watch on the balcony and saw Dot leave for her work at the bar.

Only a half hour later, one of Dr. Ashiya’s followers attacked. He was a dark haired man strongly resembling Messiah, only, with no wings.

He crashed through the door startling Chihaya, who has just taken a sip of his morning coffee. He spat the mouthful across the room at the surprise of the intrusion as his cup fell to the linoleum floor and shattered.

"M-Messiah?" Chihaya stuttered, his eyes growing wide from the likeness of this man to his former friend.

"No...I am meant to destroy you. I was designed to be a likeness of the failed project, Messiah. I was programmed to destroy, except, I don’t have the ability to contain a soul as Messiah did, but why am I telling you this, I am meant to destroy you. "

The man closed the space between himself and Chihaya with a horrible scowl on his face.

"Get out of here you-you abomination...leave me alone!! Something so evil should not be in the form of one so good and beautiful."

The man gripped Chihaya and held him roughly, drawing a knife from his belt.

Chihaya found himself unable to fight this man who so resembled his sweet Messiah, no matter how evil he truly was. He was trapped in a trance. He wanted to get away and run or find some way to defeat this man who dared to steal the identity of Messiah, but he couldn’t move his gaze from the man’s eyes, so like his precious friend’s.

The ear shattering sound of glass breaking stopped the man from plunging the knife into Chihaya’s chest. He looked behind him at the source of the sound. Kagetsuya stood, his body cut up badly from the glass he had broken through to distract the man. He lunged at the new humanoid bringing him to the ground, Chihaya managed to scamper out from the fight with only one deep cut on his left arm, nothing serious, though.

The humanoid managed to push Kagetsuya off of him after nearly slicing his side, the knife was so close that it cut the black fabric of his shirt. The dark haired humanoid ran out the door screaming something about getting him next time they met.

"Thank you mister. You saved my life," Chihaya gasped in relief and ran to the black angel’s side. He reached out to touch the angel’s wings, but Kagetsuya shrank back under his hand.

"Who are you, anyway? Why do you keep saving me? Oh, I’m sorry, you’re hurt, I’ll get some bandages to help your wounds."

While Chihaya ran to the bathroom to get the first aid kit, Kagetsuya took the opportunity to escape before Chihaya found out who he was. He also took a moment to find a few things in his photo box hidden in the closet. He took a few photos, one of Chihaya smiling, one of them together and another of Chihaya, when he just woke up in the morning with his hair all matted and his mouth wide open from a yawn. He then closed the box and left.

Chihaya returned to the room to find the black angel gone.

"Who could that be? Where did he go? Why does he keep saving me?"

Chihaya picked up a feather that his black angel had shed. "One of his feathers, it’s so silky, but there is no luster to it, no shine at all. Could this angel be a Lucifer? What does he want with me?" After examining the feather, he put it away in a small drawer of his dresser for safe keeping.

****

The days were getting shorter and a strong chill was in the air. Winter was coming. It would soon snow.

Chihaya was untangling lights for the Christmas tree when Dot came home from work that day.

"Hi baby, how’re the lights coming?" Dot asked plopping down beside him and wrapping her arms around him gently, mussing his hair playfully with one hand and holding a small paper bag in the other.

"Don’t even ask," Chihaya growled, "What’s in the package?"

"I snatched it from the bar, its for my time off for the holidays."

"Alcohol?"

"Yes, if you’d like, I’ll serve some with dinner tonight."

"..."

Later on, Dot had prepared a small but filling dinner of spaghetti and bread along with the gin she got from work.

"Would you like to try some?"

"I- sure, why not?"

She poured him a shot and drank her own.

Chihaya ate his meal then slowly drank the alcohol. Dot poured him another shot, but before he got a chance to drink that, he had to race to the bathroom.

He came out later with one hand wrapped around his stomach and looking somewhat pale from loosing all he had just eaten.

"I’m sorry Chihaya, I shouldn’t have given you that alcohol. I didn’t know you couldn’t hold it."

"It’s o-kay," he whispered.

"I got the lights untangled, dear."

Chihaya glared at her then began to laugh, "You only managed that because of the head start I gave you."

"Yeah, sure, that’s what they all say."

After putting all of the lights on the tree along with garland, they decided it was time to get some sleep.

"Chihaya, there’s something I wanted to tell you, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for almost a year now but I’ve been afraid."

"Of what?"

"Rejection. I- Chihaya, you’re the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. I- I guess I sort of, well love you. I didn’t want to say anything at first because of your pain of loosing Kagetsuya..."

"Dot, you’re so cute, very beautiful. I guess I feel the same way...Come with me," Chihaya purred and walked to the bedroom with Dot in tow.

****

Kagetsuya walked up to his apartment, the scars from the glass cuts still showing on his face and covered by his clothes even after nearly half a year’s time to heal. In His right hand, he held a bag of Chinese take out, in the left, a small paper bag.

"Hi, Kagatsuya," the brown haired prostitute charmed.

"Hi, Kim," he mumbled as he walked up the stairs.

He entered his room and placed the paper bag beneath his bed and ate the food from the cardboard containers of the Chinese take out.

Just as he threw away the last container, he heard a knock at his door.

"Who would want to see me," he wondered as he opened the door.

"Kim, why are you here?"

"I’m worried about you."

"Why?"

"I don’t know you very well, but I can tell something is wrong. You’re always so withdrawn."

"I’m all right," he lied.

"No, let me in, I want to talk to you," the small woman commanded.

Kagetsuya let her in and sat down on the futon with her following after.

"Please tell me what’s wrong."

"...I-I have a strange cancer, you wouldn’t know of it, not many do."

"Doctors have medicine for that don’t they?"

Kagetsuya shook his head, "Not for this. Sometimes, the pain is so unbearably intense and pain killers only tone it down a bit."

All the woman could say to answer when she looked into his blue eyes so full of pain, emotional and physical was, "That must be awful."

"Mmm."

"Are you going to be all right eventually?"

"...No. I- I will soon die."

The young brunette let a look of horror cross her face.

"My God, you- I’m so sorry, Kagetsuya...I-I don’t know what to say."

"Don’t worry about it. It is not your problem to get upset over."

"Oh, great, I didn’t realize the time. I have to go. I’m sorry. I wish you luck."

Kim rushed to the door and let herself out leaving Kagetsuya alone.

Kagetsuya pulled out the old photo of Chihaya and himself. He first stared at the beauty of his love. He then turned his attention to his own image.

"Blonde hair. White wings," he thought his emotions growing to their peak, "I can’t believe it. Black hair. Black wings. I am not worthy of having a place next to him. I treated him so badly..."

Kagetsuya let out an anguished cry crumpling the photo slightly. He grabbed a black marker and took out his pain by scribbling over his image violently but leaving Chihaya’s in tact.

After a few moments, Kagetsuya tamed his emotions, walked to the roof and changed to his angel form, pushing strands of black hair from his face and leapt into flight.

"The chill in the air is growing. Winter is coming, it will soon snow. The cold grows unbearable in the winter months without you, Chihaya."

He flew to Chihaya’s apartment to work his usual vigil. He hovered by the window to check on the small man, hoping to see him sleeping safely. What he saw instead could have knocked him out of the sky. Chihaya was safe and sleeping, all right, but he wasn’t alone. He was lying on his stomach completely nude with the small female figure of Dot next to him, also without clothing, only the blanket.

Kagetsuya swiftly mastered his emotions and glided to his place on the balcony on his newly black wings.

"I...I don’t believe it... he-" Kagetsuya tried to set things straight in his mind, "I can’t be jealous, I just can’t. I can’t be sad...I must be happy that he’s happy. It’s what he deserves. Happiness. He’s done just as I wanted him to. He found someone else. He’ll forget me now. It is as it should be. He needs her love. Oh-but why must I feel like a part of me just died."

He shuttered, pain engulfing his body like a great wave. A shower of his black feathers fell to the floor of the balcony. If he didn’t fear being discovered, he would have cried out in agony, both mental and physical.

He leapt from the balcony falling several feet before he was able to flap his wings and take flight. He fluttered to his apartment, his regularly smooth flight faltering. The strain on his wings was so incredible that he felt that if a strong updraft came, they would tear away from his back.

He finally landed on the roof of his apartment complex and hid his wings. He staggered to his apartment relying heavily on the walls for support. Once inside he swallowed some pain killers to discover that they would no longer work.

"This is hopeless," He cried, "I’m of no use in this condition!"

He finally resorted to pulling the small paper bag out from beneath the futon.

"I hope this bloody works, I’ve never done this before."

He pulled out the items from the bag, a syringe and a small bag of white powder, Heroine.

He cursed as he prepared the syringe, his hands shaking from fear and agony which threatened to consume him.

After finishing the injection, he shoved the illegal items back under his futon.

The high kicked in a short while later, not affecting him the way it would for a human. He did not hallucinate, the only thing the drug did was to completely kill the pain.

"Sapphire had something going there. It really did work."

****

Chihaya and Dot had been captured and brought to an unfamiliar place. Dot fought her way through the men that threatened them down to one man. This man was the unkillable copy of Messiah. He raised his gun, aimed at Chihaya. Dot jumped in the way only to be shot down in a display of blood and anguished screams.

Chihaya gathered the small woman into his arms to find that she was already dead.

"NO!" He cried in an ear shattering, shrill scream.

The man raised his gun once more aimed at Chihaya’s now unprotected figure.

"I have nothing left in this world, so I must move on to another," he whispered before the man pulled the trigger. "I will join you, my love," his voice faded with his final breath as the bullet pierced his heart.

****

Kagetsuya awoke screaming his love’s name and jumping from his bed.

"Oh thank God that was only a dream."

He Hastily shed his old clothes and put on a blue shirt and black jeans and his usual black coat.

"Kagetsuya, why are you in such a hurry?" Kim asked seeing him dash out of his apartment.

"A friend of mine is in danger."

"Well You’d better go then. I’ll talk to you later."

"No you won’t."

"What!?"

"I won’t be coming back this time. Could you tell the landlord that the apartment is his to rent out again, please?"

"Yes, but, why will you not be coming back?"

"I- Today will be my last."

"Oh-no! Kagetsuya! I-I’m sorry."

"Don’t be, sweet Kim. I’ll be all right."

"What are you talking about you’re dying!"

"I-I took something to help the pain and-"

"What? What did you take? You said the painkillers no longer worked."

"Heroin. I took heroin, Kim."

"I-I never imagined that you-I mean, you’re not the type to-"

"Use drugs? I only did it to ease the pain. I wasn’t trying to get a high off of it or anything."

"Kagetsuya, you can’t go out like this."

"I will be fine. Could you do me a favor though?"

"What?"

"The heroin, or at least what’s left of it, is in a paper bag under my futon, will you get it out of there please? You may do whatever you like with it but will you get it out of there?"

"Sure, anything for you, Kagetsuya."

"I really must go Kim. I thank you for all that you’ve done for me. Take this," he handed her a small package containing enough money to pay her rent and tuition for the rest of her collage years.

"But I never did anything to earn this..."

"You helped me in my time of need, that’s enough. Good-bye, now, Kim," he sighed and went on his way.

He raced to the roof of the apartment complex and leapt off, his wings spreading from his back. He flew to Chihaya’s apartment, still not as well as he once could, but better than the night before.

"That dream was a prophecy. I’ve heard of these things happening when we take any kind of Earth drug."

He looked into the glass doors of the apartment. No one was there. He searched the rest of the apartment through the windows to find that it was deserted.

"No. It’s like my dream."

He continued his flight to find the place in his dream. He recognized it as an old building down town. He searched frantically until he finally found the place.

Once there, he looked into one of the windows to see Dot showing just what a killer machine she actually was, exactly like in his dream. She killed each man and woman who threatened her newly found love with great skill and rather messily. Each man who tried to attack fell in a display of bright red blood and agonizing cries. Chihaya watched in awe, not quite knowing what to do. He’d never seen Dot like this. He knew what she was meant to be but he never expected her to be such a strong warrior.

Just as in Kagetsuya’s dream, she killed them all down to one man. The humanoid that resembled Messiah. He was the unkillable one. No knife or bullet could cause him harm, only certain pressure points around his neck, as he overheard Dot explain to Chihaya.

Dot snatched up Chihaya and fled the building. The man followed as well as Kagetsuya who perched on a nearby fire escape as the humanoid caught up to them. He raised his gun in aim to Chihaya, and, just as in the vision, Dot leapt in the way.

"I can’t let this happen. It isn’t right. They need each other to be happy. She is willing to give her life for him. She really does care for him. She must live. Both must live."

With that, Kagetsuya leapt from his perch landing on top of the humanoid, bringing him to the ground. He searched for the perfect pressure point on the man’s neck to kill him. The humanoid tried to escape, firing the gun once. This shot sailed harmlessly into the air. A second shot rang out from the man’s gun, this time, the bullet pierced Kagetsuya’s shoulder and embedded itself into the tender flesh of his wing. Kagetsuya’s blood dripped into the humanoid’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. Even though his left shoulder hurt like Hell, Kagetsuya found the spot and put every bit of his strength into applying the needed pressure to it. Before the man fell to the ground, the sound of a last shot filled the air. The man’s body became limp. He was dead. Kagetsuya pressed his hand to the wound in his right side that the last shot had caused. This shot had formed a thumb sized hole in his side.

The whole time, all Chihaya and Dot could do was stare.

"Mister," Chihaya finally managed to call out, "Who are you. Are you hurt badly? Let me help you as you’ve helped me."

Kagetsuya lifted his aching body from the ground and directed his energy into running so that Chihaya would never know the identity of the man who saved his life.

A small photo fluttered to the ground from his pocket. Chihaya carefully picked it up and looked at it with Dot gazing from behind.

"It’s me...and Kagetsuya...but, why is his image scribbled over in black marker?"

"Perhaps this angel is jealous?" Dot offered as a solution.

"I don’t know but I’m going to find out."

Chihaya ran after his black angel following the small splotches of blood left by the wound in his shoulder.

"Chihaya-don’t, he might be after you."

"Why would he always be saving me if he were out to kill me?"

"Chihaya," Dot screamed, running after him, "Damn it, Chihaya! stop!"

Chihaya stopped and looked back at her.

"Maybe he doesn’t want you to know who he is."

"But..."

"Shh."

****

Kagetsuya leaned heavily against a wall in a small alley at a distance where he could see and hear the couple but they could not see him. He slid down, the wounds on his shoulder and side streaking blood behind. His hand was tightly clasped over the injury in his right side thickly coated with his own blood.

His agony was almost unbearable, but still he sat, watching silently, listening, though his breath came in shallow, torturous gasps.

"I want to know who he is," Chihaya whispered embracing the small woman.

"I know but I don’t think it’s any of our business."

"Why not?"

"I- I just have a feeling about it."

"I don’t understand..."

"I don’t want you to be hurt in any way."

"You’re so sweet. Always caring."

"You are too, that’s why I don’t want you to be hurt."

"I love you, Dot."

Chihaya leaned over to kiss her.

"Wait! What about Kagetsuya?"

Kagetsuya nearly jumped at the mentioning of his name.

"NO," He thought, "Don’t worry about me you stupid humanoid. He loves you. He wants you. If you can sleep with him without thinking of me, surely you can kiss him."

"Kagetsuya would have wanted me to do this. He wanted me to find a new love, to go on with my life."

Chihaya leaned down and kissed his newly found love. She responded with as much passion as a warrior like her could.

The emotions that exploded in Kagetsuya’s mind could have killed him right then. He was happy that Chihaya found his love, but at the same time, he felt his heart sink at the loss of his own love. "You found love, you’re safe from evil, you no longer need me. I am ready for my fate in whatever hell I am to go to now."

He watched helplessly as the two walked off to their apartment.

He managed to stand a few moments later with great difficulty. He staggered out of the alley thinking to himself, "It won’t be long now, I can feel it coming. The cancer will be the end of me before the wounds even get a chance."

He walked through back alleys and streets until he found himself in an old graveyard, filled with elaborate tombstones and statues made of stone and marble, aged by years of wind and rainfall. He didn’t quite know where he was going or what he would do when he got there. He just kept walking, trying to keep the pain from consuming him. He finally collapsed, unable to take another step, his energy completely spent. His wings, which by now had lost most of their feathers and were dirty and bloody, fell to the ground with a great cracking sound.

Kagetsuya looked up to see his surroundings.

"How ironic...that I would die beneath a statue of an angel...." He whispered, looking up at the stone angel with white marble wings and blue gem-stone eyes which seemed to stare right back at him. His gaze then met the first snowflake of the season falling from the sky from above the forest of twigs belonging to the hibernating trees.

He, somehow, found the strength to pick himself up and lean against the statue’s massive base. The snow was falling harder, a thin blanket covered the ground. It made him shiver from the wet coldness of it. He gazed down at the blood which flowed onto the white snow along with the black feathers that had fallen as well, thinking of how his feathers were once the color of that snow, and that now they looked so out of place lying there like a weed in a bed of roses.

"Was this how you felt, Chihaya...?" he whispered, realizing that tears had stained his cheeks and were still coming.

He pulled a small photo from his shirt pocket, the one of Chihaya smiling.

"Good-bye, Chihaya, I’ll always love you..."

He stared at it for a moment, then kissed his middle and fore fingers, as he did when he faked the dream with Chihaya, and placed them over the image. Pain suddenly struck him in his vulnerable state. He cried out, his hand crumpling the photo, before it fell to the ground.

His cry faded to silence. His body became limp, his eyes holding only a blank stare, a thread of blood streaked on his chin from between his lips.

A slight zephyr blew by taking the photo with it, leaving him truly alone.

The feathers shed from his wings along with the ones still attached, withered and turned to nothing more than black dust, leaving no trace of his once beautiful, white wings.

****

Epilogue-The Feather

Chihaya opened the small drawer of his dresser in search of something special. He was distracted by the black feather which laid there. He lifted it up in the palm of his hand slowly. Dot watched from behind as the feather disintegrated before their eyes.

"I’ve never seen a feather do that..." Dot whispered.

"That angel was a Lucifer."

"What would cause his feather to do that?"

"It happens when the Lucifer dies..."

"Then your black angel is....

"Dead."

"I’m sorry, Chihaya."

Chihaya walked to the window, opened it and blew the dust into the cold breeze.

"Dot? Do you think... no it couldn’t have been, could it?"

"What?"

"That angel...I think...oh forget it."

"No, really, what is it?"

"I think that angel was Kagetsuya."

"Chihaya..."

"Dot...you said you had a feeling that I shouldn’t follow him...did you know it was Kagetsuya?"

"Chihaya...I...yes. I knew, for most of the year... I knew. I saw him once, on the balcony. I thought him to be one of Ashiya’s men so I used my powers to check what he was thinking. I found out that it was him, and that he wanted only to protect us. He didn’t want you to know that he stayed, though. He thought it would hurt you too much after what you said about never forgiving him if he stayed. I could feel his pain when I read his mind. It was like someone tearing at your heart from the inside. He wanted you to be safe, even if it meant his own death."

"Why did you never tell me?"

"I didn’t want you to be hurt."

"I-I’m not really hurt...I mean, I’m sad that he died, but...he really did love me. I sometimes doubted his love because he was so rough...For a while, I even felt as though he had deserted me. Now I know the truth. He truly loved me. He didn’t desert me...he-oh, Dot, he gave his life for me...." Chihaya stopped the tears before they came this time, "There have been too many tears, no more. Kagetsuya wouldn’t want me to cry," he thought.

"Are you all right, Chihiya?"

"I’ll be fine. I will not be upset. Too many tears and too much sadness has plagued me for these years. Maybe, he has set me free from it."

"I’m glad you have decided to not be upset. I hate to see you so sad."

"Well, that feather wasn’t really what I was looking for."

"What then?"

"This," He charmed pulling out a small box from the drawer and handing it to Dot.

"What is this?"

"Here," he opened the box and pulled out the small golden ring from inside and slipped it on her finger.

"Chihaya...it’s beautiful..."

"I-uh-would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Her face lit up as she kissed him passionately, "Of course I will be your wife, sweet Chihaya."