I'm between computers yet again, but this time at least, I do have this finished, so as long as I can get to any computer at all, I can upload it on time.

Warning, conclusion of Tokyo Babylon within!

I've hidden the heartrending
Throbs that are in this chest

Last night, Good night
Last night, Good night
This night, I'll hold your
Hand tight and go to sleep
Good night

She had never met anyone as beautiful as her twin. And as narcissistic as that sounded, it wasn't his body she found beautiful.

Sumeragi Hokuto knelt next to her brother, watching his chest rise and fall in sweet slumber, his face pulled into a quiet frown of a dream that bothered him only till she reached out, lay her hand on his cheek.

She had dreamed, dreamed of an end, of losing him. Losing him to love, losing him to obsession, and the death of another, to where he fell like the angels of myths and, although still as heartbreakingly beautiful, was destroyed.

And she wasn't there to stop it.

His gloved hand strayed to hers, rested there in his sleep, so innocently that she wanted to cry. But instead she smiled, because because it was so Subaru to do something like that.

She let her legs fold a little, to a more comfortable slouch, and sat there, watching him breathe, over and over again, every inhalation and exhalation proof that he still lived, still wanted to live.

Yet there was a stutter of breath, and his hand tightened on her.

Green eyes opened sleepily and he stared at her, a moment's surprise before a smile crept over his lips. "Good morning Hokuto-chan," he whispered, sleep adding a husky quality to his voice.

There were so many things she wanted to say to him, so many things that for some reason, she thought he should know right now, like 'I love you Subaru' and 'I need you more than anyone else' and 'Don't leave me alone', but what she said was; "How do you know it's morning? It's still dark out."

Subaru laughed softly, more a stuttered breath than any real sound. "Because I was up making more ofuda until after midnight." he explained.

She bonked him very lightly on the head. "Subaru, you can wait till morning to do work, can't you? You'll get sick if you stay up too late and don't get enough sleep."

He laughed again. "But I have to do it, there isn't anyone else who can."

Hokuto ran her thumb across his cheek, feeling the fine curves of bone underneath, and her flashes of dream snapped back to her mind. "That's why I'm here to take care of you." she said, and couldn't say more, because it was all too strong to even think of.

Perceptive as always to everyone who wasn't him, he looked at her with new concern in the pre-dawn light. "What's wrong Hokuto-chan?"

She shook her head at him, "Nothing, just a dream." When he looked unconvinced, she found her smile, grinned at him impishly. "But I've decided that you aren't getting out of bed until after nine. You don't have a job until four and so I'm making sure you sleep. And eat." The determination of her words filled her and chased away the images for a darker time, brought her back to now.

Subaru laughed as she climbed onto the bed, flopping down with reckless care for where her body ended up. "You're going to lie on me until it's nine?" he said as she stole the second pillow from under his head, plopping her head on it so she could see his face from the same angle.

She smirked. "If that's what it takes. We have five hours to go, so start sleeping!"

Subaru smiled at her, one of his rare ones for her alone, that brought all the emotions he didn't seem to know he had to the surface of his eyes, glowing in the dark. Then he closed them, eyelashes fluttering as he resisted the temptation to stay awake.

Within moments, his breath evened out to the soft rhythm of sleep, and he curled up against her in searching for something to be there, even in his dreams, head pillowed between her neck and breasts as he breathed evenly.

She ran a hand over his hair, feeling the silky strands slip between her fingers, and let her smile drop. Here in the darkness, she could be his guardian from all that would destroy him, but for how much longer?

"I love you Subaru, and I'll keep you safe from anything." she whispered, her dark promise.

She never fell asleep, watching him change from dawn to sunrise, to nine when he stirred and woke up, all affection and sweetness and Subaru.

That day after his job, Subaru went chasing after his shikigami, into a train station, and brought back a veterinarian with him. And Hokuto knew that the end had begun.

It'd be wonderful if I could
Spend morning with you once more
I just wish even such a small
Hope can be made a miracle

As it is, I can't convey anything
So I can't say goodbye

As many bad days as she'd had, horrible ones filled with fear of what may have happened in the future, Hokuto felt like she hadn't known what pain felt like until she'd seen her brother after Seishirou had utterly trampled him, left him as nothing.

She hadn't known true pain, or true anger.

She knelt in front of Subaru, who stared beyond her, lost in his mind. His eyes, green and lifeless, looked dull as a rainy day.

He couldn't see her at all.

"Oh Subaru." she said softly, reaching up to touch his face. "Why are you hiding even from me?"

But she already knew the answer to why. And it hurt.

Because not only had she been replaced in his affections, but she wasn't enough for him to want to live after Seishirou's betrayal.

And she had encouraged it, even when the ending began to look more and more like this one, because more than wanting Subaru, she wanted him to be happy.

And Hokuto couldn't give him everything he needed, not anymore.

But she could give him one last thing.

She hugged him, wanting to cry even when she had nothing left to cry with. She buried her face in his unresponding shoulder and breathed, drinking in what was suddenly infinitely more precious now that she'd chosen.

"I'm sorry Subaru." she whispered for him alone. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You'll hate me for this, I know, but I can't let you stay like this."

Her voice caught and choked on nothing. "I love you Subaru, that's why I can't let you stay like this."

She kissed him, one last time, even though he didn't respond, and she felt horrible for taking advantage of him like that, before standing up with a determination that filled her veins. "That's why I'm doing this."

His shikifuku fit her as well as it had fit him, and she walked out of the room with purpose, with determination.

She would not fail, not here.

Never again.

As it is, I can't convey anything
So I can't say goodbye

Last night, Good night
Last night, Good night
Even if this voice dies
The melody won't fade

Boxes stacked up in the entryway of an empty apartment, each neatly filled with as much as it could hold, and each taped neatly shut so that the one occupied in packing did not have to see.

Subaru rubbed at his eyes with an ungloved hand, more from the soreness of spending nights grieving than because there might be any tears now. Then he shut another box, on packages of tea, of dishes and memories of laughter while she attempted not to burn anything from getting distracted by whatever he told her of, sitting in the same room with her vibrant self that outshone the sun.

Most all of the apartment had been cleared of its contents, and all of them put into boxes until he was strong enough to deal with the memories, the feelings behind them.

He missed her, more than his smile, more than his happiness, more than anything. He missed her with everything that he was, and everything that he had yet to be.

There was no way to fill up the gaping hole that she used to fill with her love.

The box of dishes went next to the ones full of clothes, of photos with laughter, and remained there dully, as if they too had lost their vibrancy when she died.

Subaru opened up her bedroom door, and even though he'd already gone through it, packed away everything that she'd brought, he still walked through it, into the patchy sunlight of her windows.

"Come on Subaru! If you're going to sleep in my bed, then you're going to wake up when I do!" she laughed, poking him in the side till he rolled away from her questing fingers. "Do I need to kiss you into submission?"

"I don't think that would have the desired effect of me getting up Hokuto-chan." He'd said, smiling at her.

Hokuto put her hands on her hips, grinning back at him. "Well at least we'd be doing something instead of lying around all day with nothing to do!"

A thrum of pain shot through his heart and he stepped away from the sunlight quickly.

For a moment, he thought he saw her, flash of green, green eyes and dark hair, omnipresent smile gracing her mouth, holding her hand out to him for him to follow.

But he couldn't follow her, not anymore.

Subaru turned away from the sunlight, and shut the door on her remembered laughter.

Then, leaning against the door, he buried his face in his hands, and did not weep, but shuddered with tears nevertheless.

Because he'd lost both sides of himself and there wasn't anything good left any more.

Last night, Good night
Last night, Good night
When I think that the end
Will arrive someday
That's when I hope that the
Night sky will keep your smile

Good night