"Y-You're kidding, right? I-I mean, it ain't funny, man. It isn't funny at all. I mean, there's no way, right? No way. You can't just… You…You can't. No really, I mean, you can't just go off and die like that, Jyuu. I-It's not allowed. It's just… Goddamnit, what are you trying to pull?"

"I'm not trying to do anything. Believe me, I would rather not tell anyone at all."

"Alright. This is bullshit. How the heck would you know? There's no way! It's not like one day your lungs would just go up to you. 'Hello there, young master, we've decided to give up on you, so you're going to die in five days.' No freaking way. What are you trying to do, Jyuu? What are you going to do?"

"As I thought, you would become irrational…"

"Damn straight I'm irrational! Goddamnit! What the hell are you supposed to say when your best friend comes up to you and tells you he's going to die in five days, and that hey, guess what, he's completely prepared to go. What the hell am I supposed to say, eh?"

"Well, for starters, you could…"

"Oh, so I'm supposed to say, 'Yeah, okay, I'll support you through all the hard times and make you nice and comfortable when you die.' Hell no! I'm not that kind of person, Jyuu! There's no way I would do that, and you know it! There's no way I'd just sit around and let you just die like that! No freaking way"

"Stop it, alright. It's not like I want to die either. You think I have a choice, Shun? You think I want to die?"

"Stop it? Stop it? You're telling me to STOP IT? Stop what? Stop arguing with you, Jyuu? Stop trying to tell you that you're not going to die? Stop what? NO! I CANNOT STOP! I WILL NOT STOP! I refuse to accept this. I absolutely refuse. You don't even know for sure that you're going to die, Jyuu! This is nonsense! Utter nonsense! I refuse to listen to this any longer!"

"I DO KNOW! I can tell. I've always been able to tell. It's my body, so I know best. I can feel it. I'm not going to last very long. The lungs, they will give up soon. It's been far too long, it's been far too long that they've been struggling under such a burden. How old are you, Shun? How old am I? How many years has it been? It's been too many years, that's how many. I've been alive for much longer than I should have already."

"So they've been working for many years. So what? They'll hold on for a couple more. You don't have to worry about that. You've been saying for months that you've been under the weather, but it's not like it hasn't been like that before…"

"It hasn't."

"Is there something you haven't told me, Jyuu? Because if there is, and if that's what's giving you this I'm-going-to-die impression, then I want to know it, and I want to know it now."

"It's the blood."

"What do you mean? What about the blood?"

"Haven't you noticed… I'm sure that you of all people would have. It's not so dark anymore. It's getting brighter and brighter, and I can feel it. Do you know how tiring it was to drag myself here from my room? I don't have many days left, and that makes me sound so pathetic, but it's true. And you know it."

"Yeah. So? This isn't… This… This is nonsense! It…"

"It can't be happening? Listen to yourself, Shun. Where's the logical witty person I know? You're not making sense. You've always been the first one to get the evidence and put it together. This… This… You should be able to see this. You, of all people, should be able to see this."

"So? So what if I can see it? I refuse! I refuse to accept this! It cannot be happening! It's ridiculous! I will not allow it!"

"What are you saying? What do you think you can do?"

"I will do the only thing I can do."

"What do you mean? S-Shun? Shun! What are you doing? Shun! No! No! No! What are you…NO! DON'T!"

"Why are you stopping me? Why are you stopping me?"

"Are you out of your mind? What are you doing? W-Why? Why? Y-You have so much… still… ahead… of… you. NO! Stop! Stop! Please stop! STOP! DON'T! KYOURAKU SHUNSUI, DON'T YOU DARE RAISE THAT SWORD!"

"It's too late, Jyuu-chan."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! I-I can't possibly carry you to… Shun… W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING! NO! STOP! STOP IT! L-LET ME…"

Crash.

The flaring of reiatsu.

And then silence.

Happy Birthday to PND! I know this isn't the most appropriate kind of birthday story, but Marvin refused to let me write something nice and fluffy, so here you go. [And I apologize for killing them off in the end.]

Cheers,
Tan