Inside

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Reikai. 10 years in the past.

The footsteps of all of them resounded as they walked in direction of the Hall of Judgment and Koenma behind the two guards couldn't feel more frustrated than he was at that moment as he watched his crooked and deformed wrist and clenched his teeth with discomfort.

He knew that after the little spectacle with the detective (or former detective because he doubted that he would be allowed to continue at his work) it was going to be almost impossible to escape King Enma's call of attention about the null power he had to control him; and it was true, the panic had won him and all he could think about was on let things calm down and that the human wouldn't be altered any more, without knowing exactly what had happened.

It covered his face with one hand and grunted.

In order to avoid such things it was that existed that order of not have any sentimental relationship with their subordinates, not only for the sake of keeping the line of succession of the regent onis as much as possible, but also so that efficiency wouldn't become compromised by bringing personal interests into their activities; situation that by that time Koenma had already just jumped and although he had sent Sensui to each of the missions that belonged him, if there was some strange situation or some detail that didn't liked him, it simply shut up and moved forward with the rest.

And situations like the one that just happened…

If there had been no witnesses and everything had been taken inside his offices, how would have reacted?

Smiled into his annoyance for a second with a tormented look.

Of course, he wouldn't have said anything, he would have kept it to himself and then it would tried to find a way to calm things before trying to reach his partner again to try to support him a little; he was such an imbecile that surely and even with the death of those humans, he would have been more concerned about Sensui's emotional state than the fact that the murder of a human being was something serious and with weight that should already be marked in all the little Enma books.

A chill ran through him and his stomach turned.

Had he changed so badly that he thought he'd miss that sort of things? He was so deviant from his own thoughts and ideas that from the bottom of his mind he tried to find the words that would justify the boy for what he had done in the name of that blessed justice of his that was so rigid that it clashed with what he had just seen?

And besides, that look of disappointment and anger that Sensui had directed at him…

It closed his eyes and pressed his left hand a little more on the fractured one although it had hurt, but it didn't matter, the pain in those moments was a palliative to everything that was happening in those moments.

And then…

-I can't transform…

-Excuse me? -one of the guards turned over his shoulder to see the young prince who walked behind them and who looked very pale, almost frightened and impacted and he didn't blame him, after all he was just a kid who were going to have to face his father's wrath for having made a big mistake in that matter.

And King Enma was terrible and everyone feared him.

-No, nothing -sighed Koenma shaking his head a couple of times, but as soon as that guy turned again, the spirit clenched his teeth in rage and looked at his wounded hand.

He wasn't being able to carry out his transformation into the little oni with which he could keep control of his reflected emotions.

It swallowed hard and tried again.

Nothing.

He was going to have to face his father in that way so it gonna be very possible that he would enter into great difficulties to make him believe anything but he would have to try it in the best way; a strong pain prick born inside his stomach with his last attempt and he decided to leave it for now. Feeling sicker wouldn't help at all. The guards stopped and the young Enma straightened up to face the enormous doors that interrupted the gigantic walls around him and that were adorned by enormous paintings of his father and his ancestors while they struggled to maintain the order and power over the other two kingdoms that were part of those realms.

His brown eyes rose to the symbols that opened in relief over the surface of wood and that kept various spells of protection and security for that king who decided the way of the humans that arrived at that palace.

Silence surrounded him for a few seconds until a creak broke through it as the huge doors began to open and allow him the passage.

Koenma only waited a second before advancing alone inside that gigantic room: that meeting would only be between him and his father and the guards would stay outside because for situations like that no witness were allowed.

He didn't even dare to look his father at his eyes, who remained in the shadows of his mat curtain, sitting on that gigantic throne that seemed to fill everything. He stopped a few feet away where it seemed prudent to be and where at least he calculate (or he think so) that the hands of that enormous being couldn't catch up him so soon and then he let go of his wounded hand to doubt for a second and then, it use the healthy one to place it on his chest as a sign of respect.

-Father…

-STUPID BOY!

The roar had been more powerful than he had imagined and trembled again from the chills that ran through him; the wrath of the great Enma Daiyo filled every corner of the chamber, letting the young man know that if he was still alive it was because his father couldn't get a substitute as quickly as he would need.

-IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ONLY BORN FOR THE HUMILIATION AND SHAME OF YOUR HOUSE! -the eyes of the aforesaid half-closed hurt and clenched his teeth even more- to let a human… ONE OF YOUR DETECTIVES! Treat you like if you were nothing and like garbage, it is unforgivable… THAT'S THE IMAGE THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE ABOUT US NOW, THE GOVERNORS OF HELL? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

A loud, tired grunt came from the creature on the other side of the curtain and the prince's head bowed a little more in respect but his eyelids had descended, still in fear.

He knew that he owed many things to his father, he knew that as his son he had many obligations and the truth was that up to that moment he hadn't done them so badly (at least as far as he knew); it had too much pressure because the work that he taken from the king but anyway he tried to carry out with everything to not give space to complaints. And the punishment for his mistakes was very harsh. But that screams burned too much, not only because they implied the affair of his uncontrolled boyfriend, but because it meant that the word had actually spread and at that time, rumors must have begun to circulate in the surrounding governments.

It swallowed hard and took a breath.

-Father…

-Came closer Enma and I want you to look me at the eyes -suddenly the curtain of mat was raised, letting see the terrible black eyes of that huge oni who looked at him hard through the small square glasses.

A new tremor crossed the body of the minor but obedient as always, advanced the meters that were his limit of security until it was within reach of that king and looked up to see his father, striving to maintain a serious and firm gesture despite everything that pushed him from inside.

It shouldn't, he couldn't reflect to King Enma how tormented and guilty he felt, he couldn't know…

They remained in that exchange for several seconds, the heart of the smallest beating forcefully against his chest as he distinguished the cold rage that filled everything in those black orbs; in the past less than that meant a beating rebuke to him, therefore in those moments it meant that what he saw had to be worse.

Much worse.

-Aghhh!

-What is this Enma?

In a quick movement the giant hand of the ogre had taken his son's fractured wrist with two fingers and lifted it up as he leaned from his throne to see it more closely; the brown-haired couldn't silence the exclamation of pain and tensed himself with his eyelids closed hard by the infernal pain that crossed him from the wound in all directions. He couldn't free his arm but anyway he keeps the tension on his body and stayed almost on his toes because the way he was rose.

A minute later the king released him and a gasp sprouted from the mouth of his son who again pressed his hand against his body trying to pass over the pain.

It took him a few moments but finally he was able to straighten up again though a slight blush now appeared on his cheeks, turning away again his sight from the oni that saw him tense upon his throne.

-I want you to tell me everything that has happened and why -ordered the king in a powerful voice and Koenma nodded slowly with his eyes twisted in pain.

He begun to talk.

First slow but with the passing of time it began to gain speed and a little more security, more than anything giving report about what Shinobu Sensui had found on his record of that village and how him had been able to seal that portal between the Makai and the Ningenkai; he hesitated a moment but finally it ended up talking in the same way about the murders committed by that detective over those who were in charge of the traffic of the yokais towards that universe, causing the king to half-close his eyes in a dark way.

Koenma closed his eyes as he finished and bowed his head, waiting for what would come after that: the punishment.

His progenitor remained thoughtful and silent what seemed to the other to be centuries passing tortuously slowly. All that time make that terrible images appeared on his mind about what could happen and what it could mean that the king of hell meditate silent so long; the worst thing he could think at that moment was that he asked for Sensui's hunt because his authority wouldn't have enough weight to stop him from that decision.

He even thought that it was preferable for him to be beaten again and again by his father to the point of losing consciousness if necessary but bear that they killed the boy for such a thing.

Finally when his father spoke again, he did it in a slow, low voice, as if still meditating.

-And the son you're waiting for, I assume it's from him too…

There wasn't enough terror in the world to reach the degree of what at that moment crossed the expression of the prince who almost fell on the ground over his knees; if any color were left in his face it was gone now and his eyes were opened so much in disbelief and fear that his brown orbs seemed even smaller. His lower lip began to tremble as hard as the rest of his body and in a first impulse, he began to walk backwards slowly.

Pregnant.

His father had just told him he was pregnant. From Shinobu.

If he already were feeling nausea by the anxiety caused by that matter they were now worse and it covered his mouth with one hand, enduring the desire of scream in dread and immediately run out of the Hall of Judgment; if his father didn't kill him at least the beating he was now absolutely sure he would receive, it would murder the baby.

The baby.

Gods, a baby with Shinobu.

He didn't realize when finally the giant oni had stood and walked in front of him until it was too late and his shadow covered him; the slap he received had threw him to the border of one of the walls and yet it was evident that somehow his father had retained himself: Enma Daio was conscious enough to know that the difference of forces was enough to kill his son if he went to far, even if a couple of times he left him grievous bodily harmed.

But that was one of those times when the great oni realized that was impossible don't touch the face of his beloved son. His sin had been too great, too serious, too dishonorable.

-I don't care that Shinobu Sensui murdered those humans -said the giant in a low, low voice, looking at the place where his son began to straighten up from the floor and shook his head a little to clarify it -they were vile creatures who surely are waiting for their trial in the other room: bringing them in promptly was a wise decision from your detective and that's why we normally trusted his judgment to do things…

Koenma looked at him sideways with disbelief and seriousness.

His father justifying Sensui? Now he had heard everything, that didn't make any sense. Never before had he forgiven any subordinate or even the detectives that choose himself before Koenma started to take that duty, if they touched a person no matter how terrible it was; simply killing a human being without a direct order previously justified before the Reikai's king was a sin of the highest rank, so the punishment for it carried the severity commensurate with the crime.

So… his father now saying that Sensui hadn't acted wrongly…

It shook his head again and struggled to raise over his feet.

-I don't understand…

-But what I cannot forgive… - now King Enma spoke harshly and coldly as if he hadn't listened the voice of his son who put the shoulder of his wounded arm against the wall to avoid to fall because of the dizziness of the hit- what I cannot justify or understand… is that my son… MY OWN SON AND SUCCESSOR! Have disgraced our people and what we represent by rolling around like an ordinary whore with a human and even more!... a subordinate…

The prince closed his eyes breathing fast and the other stopped in front of him with his arms crossed behind his back.

His son was still fearful and rightly so, his actions meant a thousand decisions and many explanations that he would have to give because he was sure that his immediate sacred superiors would want to know what was happening. They were going to ORDER a detailed explanation of why and why such a hybrid was going to appear in his family; the last time such a thing happened, a great commotion had been made as it had passed in higher positions than his and the king knew that he didn't wanted something similar on his house.

He never imagined… that it would be Enma Jr who would bring that cloud over his head.

To say that he was disappointed was nothing because so he inhale hard through his nose as he looked how his son seemed to cover his belly with his arms in an attempt to protect it; he squinted his eyes, being able to detect the spiritual energy that his son was imposing in that area in case of more blows.

-I'm not going to kill your son Enma… -said that giant oni slowly making the minor open his eyes wide again, with his face bowed -not yet. I can't kill a creature inside its mother…

A couple of tears fell to the ground from the prince who had understood the meaning of it.

-However… -the oni's tone of voice hardened again - that creature must disappear, it's a sin that we cannot afford among ourselves. That creature represents the humiliation and dishonor to which you subjected us and therefore, you have to pay a sacrifice for it. Both have to pay a sacrifice to be able to cleanse in something our honor…

-Father… I beg you… -the prince finally wept not being able to endure anymore- I understand and accept your punishment, but…

-And since it was a human being who committed this insult and this sacrilege against us, as spiritual beings… it will be the human beings who will pay with it a sacrifice to cleanse what happened…

Koenma froze.

His lips spread slowly and he straightened the same until he saw his father again with a panicked expression.

-What… what do you mean by that?

-Come here -his father lowered one hand and dragged him from the back of his neck to a giant window from which one could see a wide area of the Sanzu River road in the distance and even further away, the gateway to the Makai.

King Enma moved one of his hands broadly and the scene changed until a mountain covered with trees and thick foliage appeared before them; because the height they could saw many miles below, being above a small city and at a distance, what seemed to be a space full of evil energy. Koenma half-closed his eyes a little trying to understand until a glance sidelong to his father and from there, to the city, making the understanding came to him with the speed of lightning and the weight of what was being placed on him.

-No… -moaned losing his breath and king Enma clenched his right fist where he hoisted his gold seal.

-It is necessary to do a little damage repair… -the oni growled

His son shook his head and turned to grab his trousers in an action that he didn't dare to do normally since it wasn't allowed but at that time he didn't care anymore, he dropped over his own knees and shouted

-Father, I beg you –said again the youngest, who was beginning to sweat cold and being out of his mind again -THEY AREN'T GUILTY OF WHAT I HAVE DONE! IT'S TRUE, I HAVE FAILED AND I DESERVE THE PUNISHMENT, BUT DON'T DO IT OVER THEM!

-SILENCE! -roared King Enma and, taking him again pressed him to turn towards the window to make him see everything without withdrawing -THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO REMEMBER YOUR PLACE AND WHAT THE WEIGHT OF YOUR ACTIONS CAN DO TO OTHERS! THIS WILL GROUND YOU ON YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT!

-I beg you, they haven't done anything, THEY ARE INOCENT!

However… King Enma's word was law. And if a proper punishment had to far outweigh the value of the sin in order to cleanse it, then that would be what would be done no matter how much the younger begged; his father raised his arm, the ring shining with the force of his power and then, made it descend making his judgement: if a human had committed such heresy, mankind itself was guilty. And mankind would be punished. A pious one from king's point of view as it was a medium sized community but for his son that was just to live one of the hells in his own flesh:

The earthquake that followed king's order had taken everything.

From the village where those atrocities had taken place, to the bottom of those green forests… as the small town beneath them which in less than a few minutes had become nothing more than dust and debris; the power of the tremor had been of such magnitude that it had even split the ground in two, swallowing some of the contents on its surface to the jaws of nothingness. Koenma was more dizzy than ever and a loud whistle appeared in his ears, probably due to the fact that he was about to faint.

He didn't even imagine… he didn't want to think…

-Take him away. Lock him on his room until new orders.

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The days that followed had been a total chaos.

A disaster in the few words that he crossed with Ayame through the door of his bedroom, that had been closed so firmly that there was no chance for him to escaping, although the truth was that he didn't feel even the strength to do so or to try.

Anything before in his life, he'd lost interest.

That day after the "natural disaster" caused by the deep wrath of the king of hell on the Ningenkai, the souls of the deceased arrived in large and numerous groups lined up in front of the main register where they were numbered and sent to a waiting room before their trial where they would be until it proceeded and they were sent to heaven or hell; Koenma had been forced to watch while he was escorted by a guard on each side, how these souls lamented their misfortune and wondered what might have caused such a disgrace upon them, since many of them were decent and hardworking people.

Innocent people who were paying with their lives for the mistakes he had made.

A sacrifice.

And he only could watch grieved and guilty, unable to say or do anything to repair in any way the pain he caused them. If that was the lesson, it had worked.

Even worse was being forced to sit at his desk to pass judgment on each and every one of them, sending them to where they belonged according to the life they had led or to reincarnation if that was what corresponded; he felt prickly pain and agony when each person stood before him with confusion in his eyes, asking him for some reason for the wrath of the heavens without being able to see them in the eyes and tell them that the reason for their stay in that place was because he had foolishly fallen in love with someone like them.

A human.

And everything was worse when it was the turn of pregnant women and children.

Yet he complied fully with his work and one by one he dispatched them, at least softening as much as possible the punishments that corresponded to those humans who committed sins… at least, those that he could; he was of the firm belief that humans could change their hearts even in their last moments and many of those who were generally of questionable behavior had tried to rescue others during the disaster.

Therefore, he tried to highlight the good points before to send punishment or rest for those souls.

But that didn't taken away the fact that the size of his actions was a heavy ballast which impeded him from sleeping at night and which resounded in the depths of his soul with each passing moment; his father hadn't been satisfied with his punishment until he taken care of each and every one of the dead and forbidden him to say anything about why: he would wished so much… SO MUCH!... to apologize with each one of them for their deaths but even that had been forbidden for him to doing so.

It was like being a simple puppet trapped by a thick necklace that was forced to move according to the plans and intentions of his father who orchestrated everything in his life.

And if he taken a detour or a different decision…

…

A tear slipped down his face and lost on the surface of the sheets covering the bed on which he was lying over his side.

Now he was locked up like in a dungeon, only having the sight of Sanzu river through his window and the desire to vanish from everything, that time just pass and everyone forget who he was and what he was or what he had been…

The only thing left for him was to endure and get comfort on the perfume that wasn't lost yet from the sheets of his bed and reminded him of better times, luminous times in which he wasn't alone and received the nights with the hope of his arrival. The arrival of Sensui and his voice, his aroma and the way in which he hugged him to let him know that he was at his side, with a promise he now knew it was false and empty, that he would never leave him and he gonna protect him from all things; those were now mere memories that he clung with despair to not went crazy.

His life had changed for a few moments and he had been happy.

It was a dream he could perhaps, afford as long as he lived and which would accompany him through eternity if he could resist as much like that.

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A few months later, the prince's life seemed to have returned to the course of what was normal for him, all things considered.

Not so much into the bearable, though.

No matter how much he tried to hide it and how much his father ordered some looser clothes so that his pregnancy wouldn't be noticeable, it had been impossible to hide it at all so he had had to endure in silence the murmurings and indiscreet glances of everyone around him; despite his father's rigidity and harshness, rumors had continued to spread and the baby continued its natural growth, starting to move even in ways that sometimes frightened the prince who returned to the apathy of remembering, that each day that passed was one closer to the sentence that his father had pronounced over the creature.

And that only made the stress and anxiety boil inside him like a pressure cooker without him being able to reflect it in the eyes that were slowly losing their brightness.

And about Sensui…

Well, he was still missing and by how Koenma knew him he knew they would never find him. He was exaggeratedly skillful when something make him feel obsessed and none of the members of the Special Squadron reached him in terms of skill; in terms of powers he couldn't say much but about intelligence and planning, well… Shinobu was a master on such things so those special guards were only going to be wasting time trying to catch something they couldn't.

Moreover, time to time news came saying that Sensui had slipped back onto the Gates of Judgment in search of something. Nothing difficult to guess since he was asking different spirits and creatures about the location of the Black Chapter, something that his father had already taken care of, immediately hiding the video in an unknown area of the palace so nobody had the slightest idea of where it was; that only caused that the man and his visits become a little more continuous and his obsession with that video reached sickening degrees.

He couldn't understand it.

And to top it off, the worst had come when King Ashura showed up at the palace to have a meeting with his father and with him, his son supposedly to make him a "visit".

That had been the height of it all.

The doors of his office cracked as they were opened and Koenma from his seat snarled, his eyes glued on the report he was quickly filling in about the latest events of attacks on the human world caused by yokais.

Another of the "little" wonders caused by Sensui's acts and that they now have been left without a Spiritual Detective: the demons who had been fearing the young teenager were now going around freely and without fear of being killed; no matter how much he rubbed his head, the prince didn't understand what was going on or why these creatures didn't seem to understand, it was just as Sensui used to say, some of them had survived the hunts and it was for them to already grasp the idea that they should stay on their land but not.

They were back again and even seemed to have taken a boost on their evil deeds.

He was definitely not in a good mood and the hot flashes of his condition caused him to order three fans in his direction to try to cool down a little.

-Jorge Saotome… - the spirit grunted reluctantly, frowning more without taking his eyes off from his papers as he wrote -I already told you that you cannot enter my office without knocking on the door first…

-Ahem, ahem…

That was definitely not Jorge or his voice had become thinner for some reason; the sheer surprise of it made him look up with wide open eyes and blink for a few moments, observing his office that seemed as empty as always.

He was going to settle back into his seat when, again, a throat clearing caused him to suddenly stand up and try to find where that voice came from.

-Down here, you piece of moron! It's not possible that you can't see me!

The brown eyes descended this time to the area in front of his desk and he leaned a little forward to see the creature with pink hair that crossed its arms with discomfort and struck the floor with one foot; Koenma frowned irritably, on one side it was too strange to see the other boy in that form and on the other, if there was anything else that could only make his situation worse, it was the presence of the little god.

-Get out

Blurted curtness which caused a malignant smile on the other creature who placed his hands on his hip with satisfaction.

-Oh come on, what a way to greet an old friend… -crooned the boy who swayed on his heels while still seeing the prince whose gaze narrowed making it more dangerous –even that I came to see how you were! I was told your Spiritual Detective just took off…

-That matter is confidential and strictly for treatment of this area -Koenma cut increasingly cold, tense still standing without move his eyes from the other boy -you are not allowed to be in my office, Koashura…

The other just smiled even more showing his fangs with that, and a slight tremor traveled through King Enma's son while his gaze followed the path of the other boy who now placed his hands on the nape and walked raising his feet very high in a comical manner; there was nothing that could be worse than the presence of that creature just when he needed more tranquility and his stomach turned as Koenma devised a way to get rid of the other little boy.

-It's so strange to see you like that… -said slowly the one with the pink hair looking over his shoulder at the Junior -what's going on? Your baby form lost its charm?

-Again, it's an issue you-don't-care-about-at-all… -pointed in a cold tone -besides, everyone including you, can take this form -blurted with his hands resting on the table in front of him without ceasing to see him seriously; his head was starting to hurt -now, do something right for once in your life and get out, that some of us do have work to do…

-I'm sure you do… -the boy chuckled at the distance and near the window of that office, his hands now crossed on his back, while he gave an obvious look to the belly which protruded slightly above the top of the suit which covered the other and smiled with satisfaction -one can see the result of that…

Koenma was no longer able to bear it. It took a deep breath trying to find patience and spoke.

-Go. Now.

-I can't imagine how you could have ended up lying with a human at your age -the other boy began to laugh cruelly, turning to the window in front of him while the Reikai prince was beginning to feel sick -it's so absurd and hilarious! With one of those inferior beings!... tell me, when you two had sex it made you bark like the bitch everybody say you are? -Koashura turned to the other with malice shining in his eyes while the young prince only felt as if the temperature of the room had plummeted to zero and his face become so white that it almost shone -I mean, I don't know, I've never had such experiences… and besides…

-Stop… -Koenma muttered a little surprised by the low tone of his own voice.

-People say humans are first-rate perverts. Tell me, did he make you fulfill all the fantasies he had? -the boy seemed even more enthusiastic if he could and clenched his little fists near his chin as a gesture of emotion as he turned to see the other- did you do dirty things? For a moment I thought he touched you with your baby form, because you know, humans don't care about that and the more child you look, better… but then you would be dead, right? I don't think you can fit one of those up your ass but maybe and you asked him for, hahaha.

-Shut up Koashura, I warn you…

Koashura laughed and Koenma's tremors became more violent as he clenched his fists and scratched his nails against the surface of his desk hurting himself. His fracture had long since healed but was still stinging with certain movements and in those moments it was like a cruel memory of the whole thing; he was beginning to get dizzy again but in the middle of the mist that obscured his sight, the figure of the other child seemed enhanced and his voice, even higher.

-You should be fired by now, what a shame and dishonor to your family, for real -the boy with pink hair tilted his face to emphasize how much he enjoyed that moment and despised the other -I always considered you my rival Enma, perhaps not as powerful as me but at least with a different category -his eyes flashed in pleasure -but I must say, I never imagined that at the bottom of all this you were nothing more than a sad and needy cunt…

The sound of the slap resonated like the thunder of a gunshot.

Koenma wasn't sure at what moment it happened or how it changed from being in front of his desk to now stand in front of Koashura who had fallen on the floor, with one side of his face beginning to swell and redden and his eyes opened by the impact of the cheek and disbelief at what happened; the young man with brown hair and whose eyes couldn't be seen by the shadow over them was still shaking violently and kept his right hand raised to one side in front, where it had remained at the end of the impulse of his attack.

It hurt all the way to the root of his shoulder because that hand was the wounded one, but he didn't care.

He had refused to hit his schoolmate out until that moment for respect to the fact that at that moment, he had the advantage of height and therefore a little more weight in his hand but now he didn't care.

He didn't damn care anymore.

-You…

-You're gonna get your damn ass off my floor and get the hell out of my office right now -he began to say in a low, slow tone of voice, causing the other kid to stand up and jump up defiantly.

-You can't do this!

-I'm going to give you up to the count of three… -murmured Koenma with his eyes gleaming rabidly in the shadow of his anger and his pain, lowering his raised arm and looking at the other -one…

-Y… y… you can't do this, your father will punish you! -Koashura shrieked but the tallest were still stiff on his position.

-Two…

-At this moment my honor is above yours! -exclaimed the other boy in a shrill voice, with a tear appearing out of one of his eyes -you should be begging me to do something to clear your name among the rest of princes and princesses!

Said

-When Kotennyo and Komarishita find out all this about… -added cruelly

-Three

What he would have yelled him was no longer of interest. Even what he had thrown away to the little god, he didn't remember, because he had had to really scare the other prince to make him literally pee on his pants and stumble out of his office, calling his father out loud, which of course ended with King Ashura's claiming while his son cried many nonsenses about Koenma beating and insulting him; the sad and sickly pleasure of having done that filled everything and didn't even tremble when again, two of the guards of the Special Forces, with a gesture of resignation rather than of desire, let him know that his presence was required as urgent and obligatory in front of his father.

Of course he had had to explain everything calmly but still neutral he had had to keep the most indecent parts of the story and Koashura's swearword; as much as he would have enjoyed seeing the other punished until the end of time, his credibility was less than on the ground and this time, questioning his schoolmate's honor was virtually standing in the crosshairs.

Anyway both kings had argued about it, since King Ashura wasn't willing to believe that his son deserved such treatment by the Reikai's prince and that he lied about what his little prince had supposedly said.

Between one thing and another, King Enma had to put many points on the table securing punishment for his son but also assuring that he had no reason to lie about the problem and that any question of honor thereafter would be dealt directly with him which was enough to calm the mood momentarily; Koenma would have loved to think that his father was defending him but with bitterness, he knew enough to understand that he was doing it for himself: the honor of his family and the delicacy of his position in those moments as the king of hell had to be protected no matter the cost.

Anyway, the young prince managed to see out of the corner of his eye as the other child left but not before stop and turn a little to move his lips in his direction.

"Whore"

The child laughed and disappeared from his sight.

And of course, the punishment. It was punishment's turn.

Only because of his father's refusal to kill the baby inside him, he continued to avoid touching any area of his body where it might affect his belly but that only meant that once again his face was the one punished; one of the disadvantages of having such a clear skin was that it was immediately marked by what for that night, as he went to his room with the firm decision to get an enchantment that would disguise his stomach to normal size, he were displaying the various bruises and contusions that his father's hand had left behind.

With a warning that as soon as all that was over, he would receive the proper punishment as it should be.

Hooray.

Koenma entered his room and slammed it shut, then sat on the floor and tiringly rested his face between his arms on the bed; he was too sore to sit in a chair but wanted to be straight for a few moments.

He ran a hand through his hair and moaned.

-Then that's what everyone think about me -said in a low tone to himself as his eyes moistened and then laughed faintly -that I am an easy one and that I was desperate…

He shivered again and squeezed both hands on his head in sheer desperation, ending up screaming in pain.

All that was missing was the grace shot. That's all need to end up kicking him when he was already on the floor.

…

And this one didn't take long…

A month later he was walking absently through the dark corridors of one of the most abandoned and deepest libraries in the palace, crossing the way of a couple of spiritual guides on the road which didn't pay attention to him.

Sometimes, getting a little away from others was necessary and gave him a few moments of calm on the middle of so much work.

And anyway, at that moment he needed to go and check some records in the corresponding section to get the data about an area of the Ningenkai with frequent floods and deaths, so still thoughtful and without expressions, he began to walk towards that place; everything was dark and there was almost no light, as he advanced it was more and more difficult to see and everything was silent but it didn't bother him: actually, the more lonely and far away everything was, the better for him.

Already when he needed to read the documents, he'll create a couple of lights for his convenience.

It stopped suddenly.

He thought he heard the sound of light footsteps of someone running through the corridors of those huge shelves but… he shook his head for a few moments and emitted a tiresome groan, lowering his eyelids.

-Now hallucinations… -grimaced moving his pacifier from one side of his mouth to another -as if I didn't have already enough problems, now I'm going to go crazy too.

He tensed up and went back in the direction he wanted.

At least he couldn't allow himself to go mad at that moment, as he was in charge of so many things in the Reikai, his work was too important to remain distracted and besides, there was the baby who would surely be harmed as he began with erratic behavior; his gesture changed to a neutral and empty one, resisting with all his strength the dark claws that were once again present in his soul and that were delighted with the opportunity to continue dragging him down again and again.

The more depressed they had him, the easier it was for the dark to take him away.

He continued walking and ended up arriving near the shelves that contained the information he was interested in, although to his strangeness, a kind of faint glow seemed to sprout from the corridors so that the visibility was much better; at another time those things would have confused him and even worried him, but at that moment he couldn't care less about the phenomenon.

He was determined not to get into strange things from then on and preferably, until death take him far, far away.

Some murmurs reached him and he frowned very slightly, blinking a couple of times at what they were saying.

-I can't believe that finally…

-It was obvious in that case that we hadn't been able to come up with this before. He was very clever, no one ever comes to this section but at the end he left too many traces where he walked

-Then… I suppose this can be called a small prize for victory…

Koenma shook his head and sighed heavily with a slight annoyance; whoever was reviewing the documents in that section was going to be quite annoying, although if they were a couple of oni he could still kick them off the site until he finished working himself. With that in mind he turned in that corridor still with a neutral look but hoping to find a couple of members of the spiritual world… however and instead he only could stop suddenly and silent, opening his eyes a millimeter more.

Just when he thought he never gonna see them again. Just when in his mind he had already refused both of them, when he had closed himself to know nothing more or to want to know about the investigations in order to find them…

He must have recognized the voices, but he imagined that it was precisely the result of his refusal to remind them again…

And there they were.

Sensui and Itsuki.

The demon taking carefully the face of the youngest to kiss him with affection and care, being reciprocated by the tanned man who held something rectangular in one hand and the waist of his companion with the other.

None without noticing, apparently, that they were being quietly observed by the same person they left stuck up to his neck with all the problems caused and who was paying the consequences of their lack of firmness and vision; the same person who in those moments was too shocked to end up finding those two stuck back in the Reikai's palace as if they were still welcome in it, by accident.

He wanted to retreat silently and leave, but he couldn't. His body simply didn't react to what it was seeing and sank into the silence of being a mere spectator.

It even started to feel a little indecent about seeing them.

How stupid.

Then, when they finally have cut with that, it seemed to Koenma that it would be a good time for them to leave or to see him and murder him for discovering them. Did it really matter? His eyelids came back down slightly without any expression while he was trying to understand what he was feeling inside; well, he knew that for months he had been feeling pain, a lot of pain, unbearable and merciless… but at that moment he thought that perhaps it had already overflowed.

That's probably what it was.

He was freezing, he was aware that he felt too much cold but not even his body had the strength to tremble; he was even surprised to find that he couldn't even open his mouth.

If only a little sigh.

And then he could detect the insidious look and the soft mocking smile of Itsuki who saw him sideways while he was still embracing Sensui and how this one seemed suddenly tense and turned to see him. For a moment, the prince was aware that his eyes were the same as those of the person with whom he had fallen in love and believed for a second that something similar to joy appeared on his soul but it was wrong: he didn't feel happy. Not even angry.

In fact in that moment, it seemed like he wasn't feeling anything.

The former detective took a step towards him, with an almost repentant look and a hint of fear that made little Enma raise an eyebrow slightly, looking into his eyes for the last time.

Because he was sure of that, the look they just crossed was the definitive farewell and was the cut-off point for both.

One where he was no longer for Sensui and where Itsuki entered, who had the courage and strength to always risk his safety at his side and to flee with Sensui in that moments; although he acknowledged his defeat meekly, he found curious to think that he continued considering that demon as a sick one and that he should have ordered to kill him as soon as his detective introduced him. It laughed internally without wanting to. It really wasn't very different from his father if he had those thoughts about kill someone just because he had been an obstacle in something he wanted.

What a selfish being he was.

Finally the yokai pulled Sensui's hand as a pair of dark arms seemed to open the air and form a strange, dark path into nothingness; the young man continued looking Koenma as if he wanted to say something but the movement of his mission partner was firmer.

-Come on, let's go -Itsuki whispered softly, smiling back at Koenma with malice.

The human separated his lips again… and then he closed his eyes denying a couple of times before turn around and ran away with the other to jump through that dimensional opening and disappear into nothing, leaving alone the other at the beginning of that corridor that only resounded with a slight echo of the footsteps of a person who no longer existed in that plane.

He only took some air for a second before start walking.

Step after step he advanced, still stunned as if he were in a strange dream where everything moved slowly and calmly until he stopped in an area of the shelf where there were several ancient books that spoke about the history and growth of humanity and where an empty space indicated that something had been taken from it; right at the side, just a small white cover stood alone, making Koenma realize that only an imbecile wouldn't were notice that those two things would be out of tune in the middle of a thousand dusty books when what was in front of him was obviously new and technically clean.

"So you finally found the Black Chapter"

Koenma thought as he took the White Chapter box off the shelf and looked it for a second. He knew perfectly well the consequences of observing all those images and all those hours of cruelty and evil because he had done it only once too many centuries ago in secret and had sworn never to watch it again; but of course, he had also had enough judgment to immediately look at the luminous counterpart and be able to return the balance to his psyche.

This time his body shivered softly and he let himself sit on the floor, too tired and sore for anything else, dropping his head forward with his eyes closed.

And he pressed that cassette against his chest, letting out a little sob that no one was to hear.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::TBC

Author Notes: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! This chapter is dedicated to "Shunjun" who asked about each every day. Sorry for the delay sweetheart, I hope do you like it (insert heart)