I don't own shikabane hime in anyway at all

"Why is it you just you that is alive?"

His question still haunts me to this day. Its only been a year since then since the battle against the seven stars. Yet I still can't get his words out of my head. I lay awake my eyes staring at the ceiling as his words keep replaying in my head.

"Why is it you just you that is alive?"

I looked to the sleeping form beside me, she looked innocent, she was innocent of this. Unlike me, I was a monster's child the reason so many kids died. I knelt and kissed my sleeping love's forehead.

"Good bye." I whispered, and carefully and quietly I slipped out of bed. I knew I wouldn't find the answers here, lying in bed and starring up at my ceiling. I slipped on some clothes and froze when I heard her make a noise, but she rolled over still asleep. The cat hasn't been around since the seven stars, that is what she thinks I haven't lied to her when I told her everything she just assumed, and I didn't correct. While the cat hasn't approached me, I knew it was nearby I could feel its presence. Maybe it would be better If I went to find the cat and confront it. But could I handle it, honestly, I wasn't sure besides the cat never does things without reason. I looked back to the sleeping form in my bed. Trying to immortalize this moment of her before I closed the bedroom door and turned to go downstairs.

Ouri made his way to the front door after grabbing something from a drawer and shoving it in his pocket. He then put his shoes on and slipped out into the night. The only witness was a black cat which shook its head at its young wards actions. The cat went to fetch his ward's wife from her bed. He passed through the locked window on the second floor and hopped onto the bed.

"Get up, get up." He pawed the women.

"five more minutes she whined. The rolled his eyes at the women in front of him.

"In five minutes Ouri might not be alive." He cooed and then the women's eyes snapped open and glared at the feline.

"You, I'm gonna kill you for what you did to Ouri." She snarled.

"I'm trying to protect Ouri, still am." Purred the spirit cat.

The women whipped her head to where Ouri usually slept. Seeing that it was empty she whipped her head back to glare and glared daggers at the spirit feline.

"What did you do to Ouri." She seethed.

"Look here you silly little girl I came to tell you Ouri is haunted by something and has left not wanting you to be involved but he is blind. Because your already involved, let me remind you that if it wasn't for me you and Ouri would have never met. Now stop lying there, get up and find your husband." With a huff the spirit cat vanished deciding to find it's ward itself and talk some sense inti him. Something it should have done sooner but though staying away from Ouri was for the best. It just goes to show that even spirits can make mistakes.

Ouri found himself by the riverside the same place one year ago where that question was asked to him.

He walked over to a grave stone that he had made. To honor the death of the shikabane that held his as family, as his brother. He knelt in front of the grave placing the incense he brought from home in it's place and lit it. He waited a moment before he started to speak.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't give you the burial you and the others who died because of mother deserve. I didn't bring you anything to eat this time because of how late it is or early. Your question still haunts me and for the past year I have struggled to find an answer the answer you so rightly deserve. But I failed I can't answer it. Maybe that year ago I should have let you kill me, it would probably have been able to give you some peace. It seems that those who call me brother always wined up dead. Perhaps like shikabane I am cursed." Ouri hung his head.

"Ouri do you really believe that you are cursed?" asked a voice from behind causing Ouri to turn around and face the feline specter.

"W-w-what are you…" Ouri begin to ask.

"I worried for your life Ouri. Is this why you have been having trouble sleeping lately because of that silly question? Or is it because you feel guilt for our and his death?" Posed the spirit opening its multiple eyes.

"It seems that me living is causing pain to the dead. Is me living preventing you from moving on?" screamed Ouri has he broke down.

"Ah so that is what has been bothering you. I should've talked to you sooner then maybe you would have not felt like this. Ouri you were so young before we died we were alive. We interacted with you, we are not ones who despise you rather we choose to be of use to you." The cat cooed circling Ouri's crotched form before jumping on his knees to look the young boy in the eyes. "You tried to show your mother you were there, you tried to protect us. How could we not leave you alone? We chose to stay behind because we knew that you couldn't not be a part of the world. It wouldn't be right. You deserved to fight for not just the living but the dead as well, you are what contracted monks should be. You don't see things as dead or alive, you treat everyone like they still are a person." Purred the cat.

"but…" tried Ouri.

"No, but you are alive because you need to be. You're our Ouri to protect your stuck with living and your stuck forever with us by your side." Warned the cat.

"Despite learning the truth about what you really are, to be honest I missed having you around." Admitted Ouri petting the spirits head.

"sadly, I believe that this moment has a price to be paid." Sagged the cat before Ouri could question it he saw behind the cat a female leg. Ouri raised his head his eyes meeting the fury burning eyes of his wife.

"M-m-m-Makina..." gulped Ouri.

"YOU MISSED THAT TRAITORIUOS SPIRTUAL FLEA BAG, YOU LOOK FOR ANSWERS AT A GRAVE YOU MADE FOR A MEMBER OF THE SEVEN STARS THAT KILLED ME AND KESIE! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND! HOW COULD YOU NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS? DID YOU THINK THAT IT WASN'T MY PROBLEM?" screamed a furious Makina Kagami.

"Well I..."

"NO, JUST BECAUSE I'M ALIVE AGAIN DO YOU THINK I FORGOT EVERYTHINH THAT HAPPENED AS A SHIKABANE." Makina's yelling stirred up Ouri.

"NO, MAKINA I DON'T I WISH YOU WOULD THOUGH I WISH YOU'D FORGET THE PAIN YOUR WERE SERVED, I DIDN'T WANT TO BURDEN YOU WITH THIS BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT THERE WHEN MY MOTHER KILLED THOSE KIDS, IT WASN'T YOUR MOTHER WHO DID WHAT MY MOTHER DID. I WANTED TO SPARE YOU THE PAIN OF THAT BECAUSE MAKINA I LOVE YOU!" Ouri screamed back only to receive a slap as tears fell from Makina's eyes.

"Idiot, whether as your shikabane hime or your wife, I still am your partner you don't have to deal with this alone not anymore." She sniffled, Ouri wrapped his arms around his wife.

"I'm sorry Makina I just wanted you to be safe from this, just like what brother did to me." Comforted Ouri.

"Now that this is settled I believe I should receive an apology from a certain female." Interrupted the spirit feline.

"go to hell you flea bitten specter." Hissed Makina.

"Already did with the first time you two slept together."