The Sun Will Rise

Author: Trans

Pairing: TsuzukixHisoka

Warning: This will be a lot of angst, conflicting love, shounen-ai. All the usual good stuff. This will also contain SPOILERS for the Gensoukai arc

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei

AN: This is one of my first fics for this fandom, but I have a good idea where it is going, and hope that everyone enjoys it.

Prologue

The night air was thick, and even the moon was blocked out. No stars. No light. They were truly blind, or at least Hisoka was. Hoping that Tsuzuki was having a better time at seeing the path than he was, he moved closer to his partner's side. Even in the dead of the night it wasn't cold. The air was strangely stifling, hot and sticky on his skin. Hisoka's neck was damp, hair plastered annoyingly to his forehead. Something in the distance was beginning to prickle at his senses.

A hand curled around his wrist and Hisoka had to quell the impulse to flinch away. Tsuzuki was halting their progress suddenly. He couldn't see the brunette's face, only a foot or so away from his own, but he could feel his sweat-slick fingers and the fear emanating from the tight grasp. The muscles of Tsuzuki's arm were tense and unsure. He was worried.

"There, do you feel that?" The prickling along the tops of Hisoka's arms intensified at the same rate as the ache in the back of his skull. Power was gathering ahead of them in the grounds of an old temple, now just a few pieces of grown-over rubble. They'd already passed a few crumbling tori gates. This was definitely the right spot. Why this place of any, Hisoka still couldn't figure out.

This case hadn't been what they'd expected from the start. First it had been one soul, Kira Shinose, and they'd been assigned to retrieve it. It was standard: a run down hotel room, Tsuzuki going over budget on desserts, and of course the incurable whininess. Then it was two souls.

Two, then ten, then fifty--people would die and their souls wouldn't arrive in Meifu. In the span of a month, the total was over one hundred. None of the deaths were suspicious in themselves. Souls…simply disappeared.

It had been more than frustrating trying to find some kind of connection or clue, anything as to why everyone dying in the area young or old would just go missing--some way to stop it from happening yet another time. On top of that, having to share a room with Tsuzuki for a month…wasn't enjoyable to say the least.

A happy puppy Tsuzuki could be dealt with. A lazy, messy, Tsuzuki could be taught a lesson or two. A depressed and guilt-ridden Tsuzuki…that was when Hisoka was at a loss. They hadn't had many cases since Kyoto, and all of them had been simple retrieval cases, nothing to work Tsuzuki too hard. Everyone, most of all Tatsumi and Hisoka, were still concerned with his mental stability. They didn't want him hurt again. Hisoka should have known that with their job it was impossible. This had turned into their first big case since then, and he knew it had come too soon.

As more souls vanished into thin air, and with nothing new to go on, Tsuzuki became more cheerful (false of course) and seemed even more distracted. A number of times Hisoka had found him sitting by their hotel window absently rubbing his thumb over his wristband, radiating uncertainly, case papers slipping from his lap. It was unnerving and really Hisoka was no good at comforting people. He just didn't know what to do…

It was too early for Tsuzuki to be working a hard case, but the purple-eyed shinigami seemed determined to finish it. Hisoka thought that in a way he needed to know he could still do it--that even after Kyoto everything would work itself out and that he wasn't broken. It was hard for him to watch.

So Hisoka worked even harder. If that was the only way he could help Tsuzuki then so be it. It was amazing how many people really died each day, and so the number of souls increased exponentially. Deciding it was the best way to figure out just where all the souls were going, they went to the local hospital yet again. They'd spent numerous evenings investigating there, but with no results. It was difficult to predict just when a person was going to die, and even harder to catch the soul in the time between departing and mysteriously disappearing--finally they found someone. They held vigil in the shadows until the old man died, only then placing the tracking spell on the soul. It had to be timed precisely.

Now Hisoka had never like hiking, usually it being too hot or too cold, uncomfortable, and seemingly pointless, but he hated it even more when he was forced to do it past midnight. The dark hid things. What hideousness could be waiting while one was blind? He could feel the gathering power now, like claws ready to strike while he was unaware. A lot of power. The moon should have been full that night--the strongest time for magic. Whatever spell or ritual the souls had been gathered for, was apparently going to commence shortly. Leave it to them to get there just in time.

Tsuzuki's breathing was loud with everything else so silent and he finally let go of Hisoka's hand. "What would require that much energy…?" The younger shinigami knew he was just as worried as himself. Spells always needed an exchange. The greater the magic (the affect wanted), the more energy (sacrifice) it needed to be cast. He shifted uneasily. The energy at the top of the hill was a shining beacon in his mind, almost like a red burning that couldn't be seen by ordinary eyes. It was more than just the souls they'd been searching for--how could someone amass that much energy? Regardless of how, with that much energy, they could cast a spell with devastating affects.

Tsuzuki was summoning one of his messenger birds, like the one he had used on the Queen Camella. Hisoka couldn't see it but he could hear Tsuzuki muttering the spell quietly. Releasing it into the air, he wondered if even it would be able to navigate in the starless sky. "I sent a warning to Tatsumi. We need back-up." Hisoka nodded in agreement even if he couldn't be seen.

A faint light began to shimmer through the trees up ahead, catching their attention. "Tsuzuki I don't think we have time to wait. The spell could be cast while we wait here, and then we won't be able to save any of the souls." To his left Tsuzuki shifted uneasily.

"Alright," he said reluctantly as they continued their ascent. "But we don't know what we are walking into. Please be careful." His emotions were so turbulent that it was hard for Hisoka to ignore them. Worry, some anger at whoever was doing this, but mostly fear fizzled in the air between them. There was a fear of failure, or the fear of possibly having to kill whomever the caster was to stop the spell. It was so deep that Hisoka opened his mouth to say something, anything to make his partner feel more confident and assured, but he couldn't get himself to say it. He couldn't say the simple truth: that he would be by his side.

"Idiot, I'm the one who should be saying that." He was surprise to hear a nervous edge in his voice. "Just hurry up," he amended, his tone a bit stronger. Now wasn't the time for Tsuzuki to doubt himself. He was strong, stronger than anyone, and even the wounds Muraki had inflicted to his spirit couldn't change that.

The path turned steep as they reached the crest of the hill, the air so thick now that Hisoka could choke on it. His empathy was becoming unbearably acute with all the excess energy, a headache forming between his eyes. He pinched them shut, trying not to show his distress to Tsuzuki. Hisoka followed him closely, concentrating on tolerating it. Suddenly the path became lost in the thick brush, and they walked carefully so as not to attract any attention.

Hate, he realized, was the emotion that pressed in on him, and was what made the haze so thick. It was almost like a grey matter that soaked in through his pores. The caster was just so…angry. He must have made a sound of pain because Tsuzuki was holding his arm again, ducking his head to whisper against his ear. "Are you alright?" There was a bit of panic there, in his voice and touch. Hisoka took a deep breath but it did nothing to push the suffocating feeling away. His stomach turned.

Ignoring Tsuzuki's question, he pushed him away. "Keep moving." Without them touching, The brunet's emotions were drowned out by the hate and power. Hisoka wasn't sure if he should have been relieved to get away from that incessant worry, but he wasn't. It made him feel even more lost, like he might be swallowed up by the other's emotions, and lose everything, becoming just as senseless as they must have been.

It was so hard to continue walking, getting closer, feeling that digging sensation grown in the pit of his stomach. By the time they reached the edge of the clearing, it was all he could do to sway into the trunk of a conifer, breath coming in sharp pants. It was always that way. He could never be strong enough to hold his own, protect Tsuzuki, or be his equal. He would always be overwhelmed--always be useless. It just made him feel so, so….angry.

No, he reminded himself as he turned his head to see what Tsuzuki was staring at. That wasn't his emotion. Not his. Not his. He had to remember that it wasn't his but--it was hers. There was a woman standing on the foundation of what must have once been a building. She was only visible because of the light glowing from the stone basin at her feet. Malevolence was painted on her face like heavy make-up; eyes like steel being tempered by flames. Her hair must have been blonde, but the limp strands appeared red in this light. She was scrutinizing them, his slowly processing mind realized.

Tsuzuki stance was defensive, a fuda already at the ready, and Hisoka really wished he could keep his knees from buckling. It was just too much, but even shaking, he dug his nails into the bark of the tree to keep himself from sliding down any further. "Why are you doing this?!" he shouted before he could stop himself. Why are you so angry? Tsuzuki didn't move, but his eyes darted to the blond, surprised that he'd spoken. After seeing the condition of his partner, he could nearly feel Tsuzuki's muscles twitch as he fought the urge to go to his side.

"It's the only way!" Her voice was cracked but sharp. "Don't try and stop me!!" Hisoka could see the gleam of red symbols painted on the ground and over her skin, probably from the blood of some kind of sacrificial animal. The light in the basin bubbled at the edges straining to be free. The souls…that was why they hadn't been able to detect the gathering energy--she'd found a way to contain the souls.

"You don't have to do anything!" Tsuzuki said pleadingly. He always wanted to try and save everyone, even the enemy. If it weren't for the pounding in Hisoka's head, he would have yelled at him for being an idiot. There was no way Tsuzuki could persuade her, but then again, he couldn't feel what he could with his empathy. He didn't know how powerful her hate was. "Just let the souls go and you won't have done anything wrong!"

"NO! It doesn't matter! I'm so close, and then everything will be better!" Her voice was hysterically shrill, loud in the dense air. She still hadn't finished the spell, which must have been long and complicated (no telling how far she was already into it), so if they could keep her distracted…then she shouldn't have time to complete it. If they could just get enough time, then Tsuzuki or even Tatsumi could dispel the gathered energy and release the souls.

"What are you trying to do? What will killing all these people do?" Stop, Tsuzuki, Hisoka thought tiredly, just end it. She couldn't be reasoned with…

"You wouldn't understand what I've had to live with. How horrible my life's been. Hell would have been better!" She pulled her sleeve back exposing the scars over her wrist. "But why should I have to wipe myself out?! It is all their fault! They did this to me! Why should I have to be the one to die, and I HATE them so much!"

"Ah!" Hisoka gasped against the renewed emotions flooding him. A part of himself echoed what he could feel in her. The hate, it was for the people who hurt her, who made her the way she was. He too hated, mostly his parents and Muraki, and he could never forgive them. He could no more forget his hate than she could.

"Hisoka?!" Tsuzuki called, then quickly, "no, dying wouldn't have helped, but destroying all these innocent souls won't either. You have to stop! Killing doesn't make anything better! You'll regret it forever it you do…"

"But I won't! Don't you see? Killing them wouldn't take away my suffering. Revenge would change nothing! That's why I need to wipe them out. It will be as if they never existed! I won't ever have to remember, no one will know their names! Even you!!" Oh. Hisoka could finally see why she needed so much energy. For a spell to be powerful enough to change time itself…but she would need a catalyst…a more powerful being to carry off something like that.

"Tsuzuki…" Hisoka tried to warn him. Using all his strength he forced himself to stand. He could handle hate…he felt it almost every day, so he should be able to handle hers too. Her reasoning didn't matter, because it was their job to stop her. She'd included herself in the spell's energy by painting the incantation on her flesh. If they wanted to stop it, they would have to kill her. As long as she didn't summon whatever being she was attributing the spell to, and make the wish itself, then it was possible to stop this madness. "Tsuzuki…we have to…"

Purple eyes were so unguarded as they met his. The pain there, the near plea that they didn't have to kill her, the hope that if wouldn't be more blood on his hands, was too great for Hisoka to take. He looked away. He knew that Tsuzuki must have known her pain as well. He too had experience a life with little more than despair, but he knew that Tsuzuki would rather die himself than take out the ones tormenting him. That was where Hisoka knew they were different. He would, had, survived at any cost. "We have to…," he repeated. But it was really he had to, because only Tsuzuki was strong enough. Hisoka wasn't…never would be…and he hated it so much. He was only a burden to Tsuzuki.

Then it was too late. The woman was speaking again, this time muttering the spell with a fast tongue. "Tsuzuki! Now! You have to stop her now before--" But he would only stand there with the fuda clenched in his fist, and it was too late. The symbols were bubbling and hissing, the stones cracking underneath her feet. They split and shot upwards, massing together in clumps like clay. "Damn it!"

Running forward, Hisoka stumbled into the clearing, trying to keep a footing on the shaking ground. "Hisoka!" Tsuzuki seemed to come to himself and was running after him. If they could just stop her from making the request…then maybe they could still salvage the souls. Tsuzuki would have to deal with whatever demon the girl had summoned.

She was kneeling at the foot of the mass of moving boulders, hands shaking as they clutched her own arms. Under the hate was a tinge of fright. "You have no idea what you've done! This isn't something to mess around with!" Hisoka reached her side and grabbed her by the arms. She looked at him stricken. "Come on! Move!"

"No! I want to make it stop! This is the only way! I just want it to stop…" She was babbling. Great. Hisoka tugged again, but she only unwrapped her arms, not budging at all.

Hisoka turned and looked at the writhing mass of rocks. They were beginning to smooth out into what appeared like a statue of a large man. The expression was fearsome with long shaggy hair surrounding his face. Bulging muscles drew out of the sharp rocks, shaping the man into something that resembled a sumo wrestler. He could feel the girl's fear increasing behind him, but he watched Tsuzuki instead, who was readying to summon a shikigami.

When the ground stopped moving, they all held their breath. He had to get the girl away from there! "You can't control that thing, get out of here now!" he shouted at her as the stone fingers began to flex, and granite eyes blinked open. Whether she believed him or not, she seemed scared enough to scramble backwards off the foundation and onto the grass.

Taking a thundering step forward, the stone man peered down at him, making Hisoka realize he was standing were the girl had been just seconds before. Next to him was basin containing the souls, and he thought hastily that they should have thought to move or protect it, because now he didn't see how they could do either. "Tsuzuki!" he shouted as the demon reached a hand the size of a small care down to scoop it up.

Tsuzuki's shikigami was already being summoned, but the demon didn't seem to care that a threat was on its way. He downed the contents of the basin in one swallow, the souls beyond retrieval. No! No, no, no NO! The empty basin fell from the giants palm, crashing to the ground, forcing Tsuzuki to dodge out of the way. The broken pieces scattered over the floor and grass. "Your sacrifice is sufficient," a voice rumbled from stiff stone lips. Hisoka took a defensive step back as granite eyes focused on him.

Sparing a hopeful glance Tsuzuki's direction, he was alarmed to find he couldn't see anything. The temple ruins had vanished, making him alone in pitch black. The dark squeezed in close, and he hoped that it was all an illusion. If Tsuzuki wasn't there then he would have to fend for himself. "Make your request," it continued.

Hisoka pressed his lips firmly together. He wouldn't say a word. He hadn't cast the summoning spell! He refused to have anyone's soul be used for his benefit, and hardly trusted the demon for a 'wish' anyway. Internally he pleaded for Tsuzuki to somehow find a way to get him out of the situation. He highly doubted that jitsu, or at least his jitsu would have much affect. He hated it! Why was it always like this?! He was only every a hindrance to Tsuzuki, never his equal, and only seen as a kid. He would never…if only he wasn't so weak. Hisoka could understand why the girl thought it would be better to forget everyone. If he could forget Muraki…if that man had never existed, then maybe he wouldn't have suffered the way he had. If only his parents had shown him one ounce of love--if he hadn't been born with this damn empathy… Maybe his life could have been different. Maybe his life would have been better, made him less messed up than he was, and then he could have been better (for him)…In a way he wished--

"Your request is accepted." What?! NO!!

"I--I didn't say anything! I didn't request--" The air was stolen from his lungs instantly. It felt like a pillow was being pressed to his face and covering his ears. He couldn't draw in any air, his lungs burning longingly, nor could he see. It was only darkness that traveled up his spine and spun in his head. No, he hadn't meant to…he didn't want…

But he couldn't breathe and he couldn't think. The night was pressing in from all around, and finally, finally he gave in and let himself slip away.

AN: for those that might be a little confused about anything that happened in this chapter, rest assured, I kind of meant that to happen. I want people to have to figure things out with the characters.