The palace was deathly silent when they arrived and as Shuichi stepped out of the carriage, he noted the absence of the soldiers stationed at the front gate. Gone where the sounds of joyful partying and music. The sound of laughter was completely absent in the air and, as he stretched his mind forth in search of something – anything – he found nothing.

Nothing.

He turned to the tall blonde beside him and gave him a look which the man returned with a firm nod. Hiro, who was just behind them, drew his katana and fell into step beside him while he fingered the hidden weapons in his long sleeves nervously. K readied his guns, his fingers ready to pull the trigger at any time.

Cautiously, they advanced into the palace a single file, very much aware of their surroundings. The walls were untouched, it seemed, but Shuichi felt the shadow cast upon them and the way they seemed to weep blackened tears.

He closed his eyes when the huge wooden doors that led to the main hall came to view. When he had left earlier that night and stopped right where he was standing right now to give one last look back, the joyful sounds of festivities filled his ears instead of a deafening silence that filled the place now. His aides looked at him, noticing the dread that clouded his eyes.

"I'm okay…" he breathed before putting on a smile. He shook his head, "No, really, I'm okay… let's… enter."

He closed his eyes. "K, Hiro… open the doors for me," he ordered quietly and both of his aides walked towards the doors, standing in front of each door, a hand pressed on its thick wood.

A loud creak marked the opening of the doors and he dreaded the moment he opened his eyes. He held his breath and felt as if time had stopped when his eyes fell on the dozens of bodies that strewn the marble floors, staining its pristine white marble pink. They entered the main hall in silence and Shuichi kept his head up, not wanting to see anyone he knew in the heap of bodies, not wanting to see the way their eyes opened in death, staring at nothing with fear and pain.

Death scared him and he knew it forever would with its mystery and morbid beauty.

"Took your time to get here, didn't you? Shindou Shuichi?" an ominous voice said and Shuichi narrowed his eyes dangerously as he turned to its source.

There, hovering above the throne, was a massive figure cloaked in shadows and darkness. A tattered cape billowed against an invisible wind behind him and his surrounding area seemed to grow darker as the shadows that radiated from him seemed to eat more and more of the light that lit the room.

"Who are you and why have you done this?" Shuichi whispered slowly, his voice smooth and free of fear. K and Hiro, who flanked him, tensed visibly though, and their grip on their weapons tightened.

"Me…?" the figure questioned in a slightly humored voice, "Me…? You forget me?"

"I don't know you in the first place." Shuichi muttered under his breath, knowing the dark figure would hear him even if he spoke in a quiet whisper.

A dark laugh sounded in the dead silence and Shuichi watched as the figure slowly descended towards the ground. He noted the fact that the figure was wearing an armor of heavy metal beneath those robes of black when the sound of chinking metal filled the hall and watched with unblinking eyes as the figure, the man, seemed to call upon the darkness around him.

"I am the demon your ancestors sealed five hundred years ago, in case you have forgotten." The man moved to gather his cape, to wrap it around his body. Glowing red eyes stood out from his darkened face and Shuichi noticed the number of horns jutting out of the man's head. He lowered his gaze and gasped when he recognized the sleeping figure on the throne beside the man.

"Maiko!" Shuichi yelled and was about to bolt into a run towards his sister when his aides caught him by both of his arms, stopping his movements effectively.

"Shuichi, no!" Hiro cried beside him, using a hand to tilt his lord's head towards him. He stared hard into the prince's amethyst's gaze before shaking his head. "We'll save her, don't worry… we'll get rid of the guy… but not now. Get a hold of yourse—"

"NO! That's Maiko! He's going to kill her! He's going to—!" Shuichi exclaimed, struggling to break free from their grasp. The demon watched on, ruby-red eyes seemingly narrowing as they watched the prince struggle helplessly.

"You'll find a way so he doesn't kill her, now, won't you?" K's voice sounded in his mind and he stopped struggling, realization hitting him. He nodded slowly and bit his lower lip.

"Yes…" he whispered and both Hiro and K let go of him once it became clear he would not rush against the man unprepared anymore. The Sen prince shot the demon a hard look which only seemed to fuel the demon's amusement.

"What do you want?" Shuichi asked slowly and tried not to be distracted when he saw his beloved sister move slightly at the edge of his eyesight. No, that was what the demon wanted exactly – him to be distracted, so he would become easy-kill. What did the demon have against his family, he wondered? Moreover, how did it know about his weakness when it came to his sister?

How?

"I want your life, your blood." The demon said, slowly in a mocking voice, delighting in the tiny squirm Shuichi failed to keep in. "I want your blood to stain these floors, for you to join your clan in the depths of hell."

Shuichi swallowed before gathering enough strength to scream his response. He would not let his sister die along with them. He would not die either, would live on. He had left something important in Eiri's hands and he would make sure to get it back.

"I won't let you kill Maiko!"

Ironic how only hours ago he was urging Eiri to live and here he was… pitted into what could be a battle to the death.

The demon laughed, "Then fight, Shindou. Fight for your life and all that you believe in."

"I will…" Shuichi whispered as he locked gazes with the demon. Hiro and K took their places beside him and readied their weapons, easing into their battle stances. He, on the other hand, took a deep breath before, in a graceful movement that looked like a part of a dance, produced a pair of small fans from his sleeves. He tilted his head slightly to the left to give Hiro one last look before turning to his right and giving K a hard look.

"When you see an opening, go for Maiko then take her out… we'll follow you shortly."

The blonde Outsider gave no nod to confirm his order but Shuichi knew K understood and knew how to do just that. "I will fight…" he whispered as he spun around, both fans in hand. A small smile crept on his lips as he closed his eyes and opened both fans. "…and you'll find yourself in hell very soon, where you belong."

"We'll see who finds who in hell very soon." The demon said with a laugh before forming a long, massive sword from nothing but shadows.

He closed his eyes and spread both of his arms before, with a flick of his wrist, opening his fans and then beginning an intricate dance. When his eyes opened, they revealed a pair of glowing amethysts, like the jewels themselves polished to perfection, burning with unspoken determination.

He spun around, his magenta hair whipping about him, shadowing his visage and he kept his eyes fixed on the demon before him. With mesmerizing movements, he opened his mouth and began a quiet song which seemed to wrap his very body with pure power. "I summon…" he whispered, his eyes lidded as he lifted his right hand up and then sent it down in a graceful arc. The fan seemed to burn in the air as it finished the arc and when it was done, what was left of it in Shuichi's hand was a slender knife, its blade sharp and clear. He did the same his left hand and once both of his hands held knives, he began another dance, this time a deadlier dance with a purpose that became clear when the ground beneath him began to glow and turn hot white.

A glowing rune, one that represented water in an ancient and forgotten language, formed on the floor and he crouched down and reached a hand down to the solid floor, which turned liquid suddenly as his hand entered in, fishing for something.

"You… spirit of water..." he sang as he began pulling at the creature within the floor, the spell, that had taken hold of his knife. The demon watched in silence, eagerly awaiting the official beginning of the duel. K and Hiro stood motionless, yet ready to strike should the enemy make a move on their vulnerable prince.

A creature cloaked in a dress of diamond white stepped out of the spell, long, silver-white hair flowing down her shoulders as she took her place beside Shuichi. Her skin was pure white, like fresh snow and her eyes like glowing sapphires. It was a contrast; Shuichi with his magenta hair, and clear amethyst eyes, the summoned creature with her long silver-white hair and sapphire blue eyes.

"Done?" The demon questioned and Shuichi nodded wordlessly even as the summoned creature standing beside him began chanting the beginnings of a spell.

With a smirk, the demon charged at the summoned creature, his sword ready to cut down the creature's slender body. Shuichi sang, strengthening and controlling the creature with his voice while he danced.

The creature let out a sharp cry when her arms to block the massive blade, designed to cut down and not to be stopped in such a way, and pushed the demon away before unleashing a barrage of crystal-like ice shards towards the demon from his back. Two found themselves deep into the demon's body and Shuichi, upon noticing this, sang louder, fiercer, calling upon every strength reserves in his body as he urged the creature, urged himself to fight harder.

The demon leapt away from the summoned creature before, with a feral howl, reaching for the shards on his back and pulling them out. He shot Shuichi a venomous glare before angrily throwing them away, allowing them to crush several lifeless bodies about him, and then unleashing the shadows which wrapped about him. Shuichi watched as the shadows spread, eating away at the walls of the room, and he let out a sharp cry, sending his summoned creature after the demon. The creature complied, leaping at the demon, taking a hold of the demon's horns before, crying just as sharply as her master and calling upon shards of ice which formed about her before, as one, cutting through the air and then through the demon's flesh.

The demon let a sharp cry and Shuichi turned to K sharply, sending an urgent mental message.

"Now! Grab Maiko and make a run for it, okay? Hiro and I will take care of this!"

K nodded at him before breaking into a run towards the throne. The demon, noticing this, laughed. "Being naughty, aren't we, Shindou?"

"Yes, being naughty—" Shuichi breathed, spinning on his heels to face him. "—You're awfully weak for a five-hundred-year-old demon. I've seen demons fare better than you have with my summon here."

The summoned creature let out a triumphant cry which made Shuichi grin. "See, she agrees!"

"I've got her, Shuichi." K said in his mind and he nodded. "I'm going to make my way out through the windows, OK?"

"Okay.." Shuichi whispered and then gave the demon his full attention once more. "It's time I sealed you and sent you off to hell, demon. You deserve more than measly sending off for what you did to my family though…." He paused and narrowed his eyes, his voice taking a dangerous tone. The demon had killed his whole family, basically everyone he knew, and quite possibly almost succeeded in the extinction of the whole Shindou Clan. "…but I'll let the people in charge there deal with you." He spat as he made the knives in his hands disappear. "I've lost many people tonight… first Eiri… then this… wow… just.. nice." He thought bitterly as he began a spell that would vanquish the demon from the physical plane completely.

This demon was not normal, he was supposed to be harder to defeat than that… but… but he was easy and it troubled Shuichi, only a bit. He had succeeded, didn't he? Wasn't he alive? Wasn't Maiko safe? He was just making things complicated.

He closed his eyes and as soon as the spell began, tendrils of white light began emanating from his body, stretching out to wrap themselves around the demon's body. His summoned creature stepped away, disappearing into nothing with a proud smile that was not unnoticed by both him and Hiro.

Slowly, he lost awareness of the physical plane and was soon immersed in the spell he was casting. His voice was soft and clear as he sang the spell, remembering what Ryuichi had said about his voice, his songs. They were different, without a doubt. They were like sirens, able to call upon powers with just their voices. Each song was different, Ryuichi had said. They may have the same words but the emotion with which they were sung, imbued with, would never be the same thus making them different.

And now… he wondered, what was he singing for?

"Yuki…" he thought quietly, without breaking his concentration. Yes, he was thinking about Eiri. After this, he would go back, would see if they could work things out. He may have given up tonight but he was ready to give it a try again, after all, that was him, wasn't it? He was always persistent, never really giving up on anything. And he knew there was no real finality except death.

He remembered the charm he left in Eiri's hands, he smiled inwardly, thinking of how that was the perfect opening. He would come to his mansion under the pretense of his 'unclaimed trinket' and then… he would talk, reason, argue, pester… and he would win. He would make Eiri fall in love with him this time!

Shuichi!

He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if it had just been him.

Shuichi! Beh--!

His eyes shot open, not because the voice sounded terribly panicked, but because of the sharp pain in his mid-section. He let out a strangled cry as he stared up at the demon, noticing how far away he looked suddenly. He whipped his head to his side, searching for Hiro frantically only to find him on the floor beside him, struggling to stay upright while he used his katana to support his weight. His left leg was bleeding, that much Shuichi could see and he would have said something, anything to his friend if not for the hand that suddenly grabbed his chin and tilted his head farther to the left.

The face he last expected to see filled his sight and he let the man's name roll of his tongue with disgust. "Aizawa Tachi…"

The dark-haired prince grinned as he released his hold of his chin before placing his hand over his cheek. "Missed me, Shu-chan-sama?"

Shuichi opened his mouth to say something when he felt the pain in his mid-section intensify, blinding him for a few seconds. He took the time to look down then and could not help but break into tears when he saw the sword impaling him, stained with his own blood.

No, he would not be able to go back to Eiri now. Not anymore. He was going to die, from the looks of it…

"I was wondering…. wondering when you'd come…. I was waiting…" Aizawa's breath was hot upon his skin as the dark-haired prince leaned forward and planted a seemingly innocent kiss on his forehead. "He said—" Tachi turned to the demon who was watching them with pure amusement, "—you'd come, come back no matter what. So I waited…."

Shuichi let out a bitter laugh, and blood trickled down his lips, "So you decided to kill my relatives out of boredom, ne? That's nice, Tachi. You never run out of things to hurt me with, don't you?"

Aizawa Tachi smiled, seeming innocent for a few seconds, before breaking into a smirk and darting his tongue out to lick at the blood trailing down Shuichi's lips. "I don't like hurting you…. I don't want to…"

"You're hurting me…" the magenta-haired boy whispered bitterly before letting out a sharp cry when Tachi pushed the sword farther into his wound.

"I want you… to stay with me... forever… and ever… and ever…" Tachi whispered into his ear, and Shuichi's eyes widened when the man began nibbling at his ear, "…perfection and perfection. The best of the best…. together for all eternity. No more Yuki Eiri… no more Maiko... no more anyone."

"Just you and me…"

The last thing Shuichi's mind registered hearing was Hiro's agonized scream of hopelessness and, perhaps, his own. But he was not screaming because of the pain of it all, he screamed because he wanted to call out for his Eiri, his Yuki one last time.

Then, there was nothing.

---

Eiri rose up finally, gathering enough strength to do so. He had come with a conclusion after long hours of thinking. His Shuichi would never truly give up and when the boy came for his precious pendant, he would tell him just how much he loved him, how much he mattered to him.

"Shuichi, just you wait." He told the silence and the wall listened intently to his revelation. "I won't just live… I'll come back, for you…" He let his lips curve into what could only be a smile and he realized suddenly how good he felt suddenly, to be rid of the burden he'd kept inside him for months.

Yes, he loved Shuichi more than anything. It wasn't his hair, or the way his unique eyes shone in the dark. It wasn't his voice either that many would kill for to hear. It wasn't the power he possessed.

It was because Shuichi was Shuichi and Shuichi loved him and had always been willing to give everything for him. He marched towards the door and slowly, in a dignified silence, made his way out of the room. So many thoughts came through his mind, so many ideas of how to make it up to his lover – yes, his lover, his Shu-chan.

He would take him out to a restaurant some time, even come to one of his concerts. He would be gentler to him, be nicer, dedicate books to him. He would love him above all and would never stop reminding the boy just as the young prince did so for him….

There was just so many things he was dying to do…. So many wonderful things and…. and…

… he couldn't wait.

"YUKI!"

His legs collapsed underneath him as a white-hot pain blinded him. Fear suddenly filled his every senses and a few moments later he realized whose voice it was that had just invaded his senses. He picked himself up and broke into a run outside the house. He was just in time to see the line of bright white light in the distant horizon, reaching towards the darkened clouds before disappearing into nothing.

Amber eyes widened. He did not need to be told what it was. He knew.

"Shuichi…. Shuichi…" He whispered under his breath, before taking a few steps forward and then collapsing into the cold ground in a heap.

He was too late.

~end

A/N: Now how was that?

^__^