“Matsu!” the voice yelled in the white haired man’s ears, and yet he didn’t bring his eyes up to meet Ryuu, the voice who had shouted it. Instead, he shook his head somewhat feeling a cold presence entering the room. “Are you alright?” Ryuu’s voice continued, and after a moment, Matsu felt a hand on his shoulder. Forcing himself to stand up, the white haired man finally chose to look into the face of the slate haired man before him. Forcing a pained smile at best, Matsu breathed out.
“I’m fine thank you.” Matsu forced such a smile onto his own visage that he wondered if Ryuu would notice the fakeness of it. However, at that point in time, the façade appeared to take form and work as well as it could. Ryuu’s head turned, and once again Matsu found his eyes move to Nino’s unmoving body. A sudden rush ran through the white haired man, and he had to force himself to keep his frozen face.
“Don’t touch him.” Ryuu’s voice yelled as Asa Yuki appeared to be peering down at the dark haired man that seemed more than happy to lay on the floor as his death bed. Matsu felt his eyes widen with such a sharp death glare that as the Demon Lord of Twilight viewed this, a smile curled upon his lips.
“I’m not going to hurt him.” Asa answered back, and yet Matsu was so tense through the situation that all he could do was stare sharply. However, the Demon Lord placed an index finger upon Nino’s forehead.
~*~
Nino’s dreams were a torrent of conflicting emotions. Yet there was a key to it all that resolved itself into the back of his psyche. A light blue flower shimmered for a moment within his dreams and was then wiped away as though it were a stain. Turning his head, Nino stared into the darkness that was before him. The ghost who had clasped his shoulder before was now standing before him.
“Why did you not execute the trap? Were you afraid of death, human?” the ghost all but glared back at Nino. “Noiren was right before you, yet you made no move.”
“Enough,” Nino glared back. “I am not longer part of the Order, and I have no use for your criticism.”
“It matters little if you believe such a thing. My existence will remain within you for an eternity,” the ghost smiled back. “As will the Others remain within their prescribed vessels as well… until the day… until the day….”
“Silence,” Nino glared sharply.
“Says the one who summoned me,” the ghost all but sighed back at the dark haired man. “Do you wish to end up like.......?”
"Shut up," Nino glared back suddenly.
"Heh..." was all that came from the ghost.
Nino was about to answer the comment when something twitched within him. Turning his head and staring blankly, Nino heard the remnants of the spirit leave as the Demon Lord of Twilight appeared before him.
“You’re a very interesting person.” The Demon Lord half smiled. Shall I speak like this? I’d rather not have my son being confused any time soon.
“What are you doing in my mind?” Nino glared back as he stared at the almost translucent form before him.
It seems the War may begin…..And before the question could be raised out of Nino, the Demon Lord had vanished into nothingness.
~*~
“Matsu stared at Nino’s healed form, and before half a second passed, Matsu had seized the still unconscious dark haired man and embraced him. “Thank God you’re not dead,” Matsu breathed as he continued to hold Nino. The dark haired man let out breath and opened one dark eye somewhat unsure of the hug that he was receiving.
“God fails,” Nino breathed out after a moment as Matsu released him once more.
Nino breathed out again as his hand moved to the hole that had been previously in his chest. It appeared as though the wound had completely been sealed over, and after another moment, the dark haired man forced himself into a standing position. Staring directly at Ryuu, Nino stared darkly at him.
“We need to talk,” Matsu said somewhat quietly acting more as an intermediary between the two staring men than anything else.
“There are Seven Demon Lords,” Nino began sharply as he continued to direct a stare at Ryuu. “That the shamans have known to be in existence. They reflect the sins of humanity and exist to cause torment and pain.”
“My father….” Ryuu stared as the slate haired man appeared to be forcing himself into understanding. “Is one of them….”
Matsu looked from Nino to Ryuu and then back to Nino. After breathing outwards, the light haired man forced yet another half ambiguous smile upon his face. “Demons eat spirits,” Matsu stated after a moment causing Nino’s eye to shift over to the yellow eyed man. “Which is why shamans send them on their way before they can be eaten… The strongest of the demons are known as the Seven Demon Lords. They are compared throughout time as devils as well as the original sins of man.”
Suddenly Ryuu’s face appeared to take on a sharp defensive look. “And what exactly does that make me?” he demanded.
“Actually…” Matsu began, but Nino stepped forwards.
“Children of demons are demons themselves,” Nino glared causing Ryuu to glare as well. However, Nino’s eyes took on more of a somber look. “A Moratorium* is a child born of a demon and a human. They are stuck between the spiritual world and the physical one much like shamans are.”
“Indeed,” Matsu sighed aloud.
Both men stared at Ryuu waiting for a response.
____________________________________________
*I took the word Moratorium which means a standstill or suspension and made it to mean children that are 'suspended' between being a human with a pure soul and demon who lacks soul altogether.
