Hello, and thank you for stopping by to read this story. This is my first fanfiction, or rather, the first I dare to post. Because I'm still an amateur, the characters will probably going in and out of character.

Disclaimer: Tactics belongs to Kinoshita Sakura and Higashiyama Kazuko, xxxHolic belongs to CLAMP. To quote another author; I don't own the characters, I'm just abusing them.

Higanbana

Higanbana is an equinox flower that symbolizes bewitching, unluckiness, grief, parting, and death.

He used to like its small and soft petals, twirling it in his fingers gently, admiring its red, spidery beauty.

It's always nice to feel the wind on his wings.

Onikui-Tengu (not Haruka, never Haruka, if there's no Kantarou by his side—) lands on a nearby branch, folding his wings away. He watches with keen eyes- a weird house surrounded by tall buildings. Humanity had grown over the years but somehow, the house has an old aura on itself.

He hesitantly walks towards the house. He feels an uncontrollable attraction to it and decides to just sate the desire. There is a kekkai surrounding it but he doesn't have any problem on entering. The front door opens by itself, revealing two little girls on the genkan.

"Welcome, Guest." The little girls greet him curtly.

"Guest?" he asks.

Instead of answering, the girls pull him inside, to a sitting room with a full view of the garden.

There is a person, a young man wearing a kimono, kneeling with perfect posture, a shamisen on his hands. Strangely, the person doesn't use a bachi.

"Welcome, Guest." The young man smiles. "My name is Watanuki, and I'm the owner of this Shop. Please, have a seat."

He sits cross-legged on the readied seat. "What kind of shop has a strong barrier around it?" he asks.

Watanuki chuckles; deep and rich. "This is no normal shop. We grant wishes, of course, with an equal price. The fact that you're here means that you also have a wish. Although, I have to say that I'm quite surprised to have Onikui-Tengu visit."

"So you can grant my wish?"

"If you can pay the price."

"I want to meet Kantarou."

Watanuki shakes his head. "I don't know if I could grant that wish."

"But you can grant any wish."

He stares at Watanuki defiantly, making the young man sigh.

"Kantarou-san is already gone from this world," Watanuki says, "I could grant that wish if you're willing to give up your own soul to meet him in the next world."

"So… you're telling me to die?"

"No, not die. You will lose your soul, and you will still continue to exist as Onikui-Tengu. Only exist, unable to do anything else."

"Then I will pay the price."

Watanuki shakes his head again. "You can only meet Kantarou-san in a brief period of time, and the time of waiting him will be very long, even for an ayakashi like you."

"What waiting time?"

"You have to find Kantarou-san yourself in the next world, so you have to wait."

"But I will lose my soul forever?"

"Yes," Watanuki pauses. "I think you do understand that Kantarou-san would not want that to happen to you."

He falls silent. Watanuki is right. Kantarou would smack his head if they were to meet. A small smile appears involuntarily on his face.

"You are very pretty when smiling like that, Tengu-san."

He throws an irritated glare to Watanuki. The young man only chuckles.

"So what is your decision?" Watanuki asks.

His smile fades. "I…"

"You don't need to decide right now," Watanuki says mercifully. "I will give you two days to think, then you can ask me to grant that wish, or to change it to another wish."

"I can… change the wish?"

"Of course." Watanuki smiles serenely. "You always could."

When he lands in Watanuki's garden the next day, it isn't Watanuki himself who greets him.

Instead, there's another man, still considerably young but apparently older than Watanuki, sitting on the veranda.

"Are you… a guest?" The stranger asks.

"Yes," he answers. "Is Watanuki home?"

"He's always here," the other man replies.

"Oh, you're already here, Tengu-san." Watanuki emerges with a tray of sake and three glasses, smiling. Then, he points at the other man. "This fellow here is called Doumeki."

Doumeki only nods in acknowledgement while Watanuki sets down the tray.

"You're already at drinking age?" he asks.

"Don't mind my appearance." Watanuki smiles mysteriously.

Remembering Kantarou's also rather deceiving appearance, he tries not to regret his question.

Within the next hour, he is regretting his decision to come to the shop. Seeing Watanuki and Domeki's banter makes him remember Kantarou. Behind his tactician nature, Kantarou was a good man, and he truly cared for him and Youko.

He misses Kantarou so dearly, so badly.

"Leaving, Tengu-san?"

Watanuki's voice startles him from his reverie. He looks down to the young man, then to his own spreading wings. He scowls.

"What about your wish?" Watanuki asks.

"I don't care anymore," he growls.

"If you leave now, you'll never find this shop again," Watanuki says.

The Onikui-Tengu takes off to the night sky.

"Don't say that I never gave you a fair warning!" Watanuki shouts.

Higanbana is an equinox flower that symbolizes bewitching, unluckiness, grief, parting, and death. Haruka nearly laughed at the irony.

Kantarou was bleeding profusely, and Haruka could do nothing but to hold him close.

Haruka… grant me one wish.

Not now, Kantarou. We're getting away first.

Haruka, please, remember me.

Kantarou…?

Kantarou smiled. Not his usual cheery smile, but a much, much more wistful smile. But, somehow, the smile still looked beautiful on Kantarou's features.

I'm sorry. This wouldn't last for long. You could get away soon enough.

Kantarou pulled out the sealing charms. Haruka's eyes widened.

What… Kantarou… are you serious…?

Kantarou nodded, the wistful smile still on his lips.

This is the only way.

Kantarou coughed out blood. Haruka flinched, reaching out for Kantarou. Kantarou shook his head, calling out a restraint.

I, Ichinomiya Kantarou, hereby release you of your name-binding.

Haruka, no, he was back to the unnamed Onikui-Tengu, felt his strength, his true Koushingan, coming back. But the freedom didn't last for long. Kantarou finished his seal, binding the Onikui-Tengu to his second prison.

Farewell, Haruka…

As the darkness engulfed him, Onikui-Tengu thought that he saw tears gleamed on Ichinomiya Kantarou's bloody face.

Blood red that reminded him so much of the crimson flowers around them.

The higanbana fluttered along with the breeze.

Onikui-Tengu never finds Watanuki's shop again, no matter how hard he tries to.

Higanbana is an equinox flower that symbolizes bewitching, unluckiness, grief, parting, and death.

Onikui-Tengu hates higanbana.

He covers his eyes when the breeze blows some of the higanbana petals to him. He whirls his gaze and finds small fields of higanbana near the river.

In the middle of those red petals, a figure stands. It is a female figure, petite and lean, with long, straight ebony hair.

She carries a violin and bow in hand. A soft, sad melody resounds with the breeze.

His heart clenches.

Kantarou, what's that?

Kantarou smiled, and opened the case.

It's a violin, Haruka. A musical instrument.

Violin? Music?

Kantarou nodded, still smiling like a little kid.

See, we play it like this.

A melody resounded, soft and gentle. Haruka nearly gaped. He didn't know that Kantarou could play such a beautiful music like that.

Enjoying the music, Haruka?

"Enjoying the music?"

Onikui-Tengu nearly jumps to the air. The girl smiles in amusement, looking straight at him with a pair of blazing, deep crimson eyes.

"Kantarou…?"

"Do I look like a boy to you?" The girl purses her lips in annoyance.

He blinks. Once. Twice.

"Sorry," he says. "It's… your eyes..."

The girl seems embarrassed. "Uh, I know my eye color isn't normal…"

"I think they're beautiful."

The girl huffs a laugh. "You're an interesting man. My name's Ichinomiya Arata."

"Arata from the Kanji 'kakumei'?" he asks.

"Yes." Arata smiles a bit. "What about yours?" she asks back. "Do you even have a name, Onikui-Tengu?"

He stares into Arata's red eyes. "You know what I am?"

The girl shrugs. "I have a talent in that particular field. So, do you have a name?"

The moon's so pretty tonight. Be my company to drink?

Kantarou waved a bottle of sake with a smile. Haruka nodded wordlessly and Kantarou settled down beside him, pouring the sake for both of them.

Do you like the name I gave to you?

Huh? What're you talking about now?

'Haruka'. Yes, 'Haruka', the strongest ayakashi in the world.

"Once, I had a pretty nice name," he replies. "But now I don't have any."

"That's sad," Arata says.

"You can give me one."

Arata's eyes twinkled with amusement. "You're willing to let me become your Master?"

He shrugs nonchalantly. "If you wish. I've taken quite a liking to you, Little Girl."

Arata puffs her cheek. "It's 'Arata'," she says. "And I'll give you the name 'Haruka', written in the Kanji 'haru' and 'kaori'. Be grateful!"

He can't help but smile at Arata's attitude. Again, he is named 'Haruka'.

Haruka bows on his waist. "It's a pleasure to have you as my Master, Arata."

Arata actually laughs at that. "What are you, a knight in shining armor?" she asks playfully.

Haruka laughs with her.

Higanbana is an equinox flower symbolizes bewitching, unluckiness, grief, parting, and death.

Haruka definitely loves higanbana.

"Watanuki."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you put a kekkai to ward off that Tengu?"

"It's his Price."

"Did you grant the wish, then?"

"Not quite. But still, he meets 'Kantarou', so his wish is granted."

Watanuki smiles gently.

"I hope they will be happy this time."

Please review