-a night of shadows, tears and waiting; part d-
(read a-c first. duh. XD)

“I shape-shifted into the lead doctor in charge of the medical research department,” he stated calmly, his smirk widening. “It hardly takes any energy for me to do and it’s basically undetectable. It’s pretty handy,” the demon added, his tone amused. “I walked right out of the building with him in a wheelchair. No one said a word. The woman I shape-shifted into? Is one nasty person. No one was brave enough to ask where ‘she’ was taking ‘subject 342.’ It was actually pretty funny,” he admitted with a dry laugh.

“You can shape-shift? Whoa... That’s like, so beyond cool,” Rae responded with a blink of her aqua eyes, her tone impressed. “So is it just an illusion?”

“No. Unlike Malba’s or Kopaka’s, my shape-shifting is real, not an illusion. I take on the person’s complete physical form, which comes in handy when unlocking doors that are fingerprint coded,” he commented, meeting the girl’s gaze, a small smirk still on his lips.

“So... You can shape-shift into a girl?” Rae questioned, raising an eyebrow. Hah... That’s kind of funny, actually... Heh... A small smile formed on her lips, a bit of a teasing look appearing on her face. “So you can be a girl, neh?”

“Yes, I can shift into a girl. And no words can describe how weird it is,” the purple haired demon admitted with a small sheepish grin. “But it would have been nearly impossible to get him out without that. I’m glad I got the chance to absorb the bitch’s shadow...” he added, his gaze focusing again on the water sprite held in his arms.

Rae blinked, suddenly feeling quite confused. Wait, absorb her shadow? What? “Uh... Absorb a shadow?” she inquired, her facial expression showing her bewilderment. How do you ‘absorb a shadow?’ What does that even mean? But... Whoa... He can really shape-shift? That is so cool... Heh, he can even shift into a chick... the girl thought, thoroughly impressed. Not sure what the hell he’s talking about with the whole ‘shadow’ thing, but still, I’m entirely impressed...

“It’s not as weird as it sounds,” Ryuuji remarked, amusement in his smooth voice. “Every living thing emits energies. I just steal a little from a person’s shadow, and I’m able to shift into that person’s physical characteristics. It’s not really complicated. It practically takes no energy to do and it doesn’t drain any of my energy while I’m in the shift. It’s one of my best tricks actually,” he added with a small wry grin, a mischievous expression flashing across his attractive features. “Energy sensors don’t pick it up. It’s practically untraceable.”

“Wait... Energy from a shadow? A shadow is just a shadow... How can you get energy from a shadow?” Rae inquired, bafflement clear in her aqua eyes. Okay, I’m just getting more and more confused here... “Exactly what kind of demon are you, anyway? You can steal energy from a shadow?” Yeah, she really didn’t get it.

“You cast off energy in your shadow, in the air, in everything. Every person has an energy field. Even humans. It doesn’t take much energy for me to be able to read it,” Ryuuji explained, seeming rather amused by the girl’s puzzlement. “As far as what kind of demon I am? I’m a kokuei. A shadow demon,” he stated with a shrug of his shoulders. “So. What kind of human are you?” he inquired, a teasing tone in his voice. “I told you what kind of demon I am, so it’s only fair you tell me what type of human you are,” he added, shooting the girl a grin.

Rae rolled her eyes at the man, a small smile appearing on her lips. “I don’t think there are really different types of humans. We’re all pretty much lame with no real power,” she replied dryly. “Does being a witch count as being different?” the girl then questioned, her smile slightly widening. Yes I am a special human. With witchy powers. Fear me. Riiight... Heh.

“Lame with no real power? Well that’s a little harsh. Entirely true, but harsh,” the purple haired demon responded, a playful look appearing on his pale features. “And no, I don’t think being a witch counts. Sorry. Though at least that means you work with some magick. Better than nothing I guess,” he went on to say, his tone teasing. “Well, better than nothing for a human, anyway.”

“Aw. I changed my mind, you are a jerk,” the girl responded, narrowing her eyes. She then let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “You demons and your egos...” Hah... What a jerk. Heh. I like him, he’s funny. Honestly, she really didn’t take any offense to the man’s words. After all, she could tell he was basically kidding (sort of anyway) by the teasing smirk on his split lips. Ryuuji can make fun of me all he wants. He’s easy to talk to and... It’s better than just sitting here in silence or something. Heh...

“Hey, it’s not my fault that demons are better than humans,” Ryuuji responded innocently, his tone light and nonchalant.

“Yep. You are definitely a jerk.”

“See? I told you.”

“Heh...”

Rae let out another small laugh, making sure to keep quiet enough not to wake Kitsune or Malba. She then shook her head, her loose pink hair swishing about her face at the movement. “So... If you’re finished making fun of the pathetic lame human, let’s move on with the story, neh?” she inquired teasingly, her aqua eyes meeting his red gaze. “Oh... Hey, wait a sec...” the girl suddenly stated, a spark of realization flickering through her thoughts. Kokuei... That... Why does that sound familiar? It almost... “You said kokeui, right? Uh... Am I just crazy or is that Japanese?” Rae questioned, a puzzled frown replacing her smile. And... Er, isn’t the name Ryuuji Japanese? And Kouji? And Tatsuki? And... Uh Kitsune... I’ve always wondered why the hell they all use Japanese... Druu even uses honorifics... she thought, a bit perplexed.

“Yes, you’re crazy and yes it’s ‘Japanese.’ In your world. Our worlds share a lot of the same languages for the most part. A few differences, but actually pretty eerily similar. I mean after all, you and I are speaking the same language right now, aren’t we?” the spiky haired demon questioned calmly, a small smile on his purple lips.

“So... Do Tevrrans speak Japanese?” she inquired curiously, ignoring the ‘you’re crazy’ comment.

“No. The official languages of Tevrra are basically equivalent to your world’s English and your world’s Latin. ‘Latin’ is practically a dead language though in this world, isn’t it? Oh, and there’s a third official language in Tevrra. It’s an older demon language. You don’t have it here,” he replied evenly, his gaze briefly moving down to Druuvbin as the psychic let out a small pained moan. “It’s okay, Druu.”

Well... If Tevrra doesn’t use Japanese... Rae blinked, raising an eyebrow. “Okay, you said you’re Tevrran. You have a Japanese name and you’re a kokuei demon. Isn’t that... Shadow in Japanese? Or something like that?” the girl inquired, chewing her sore lip in thought. If he’s Tevrran, what’s up with the non-Tevrran stuff?

“Well, that’s because my family isn’t originally from Tevrra. I was born in Tevrra, but my family is originally from Xzutai. They sided with Tevrra and immigrated. Tevrra and Xzutai don’t exactly get along,” he explained calmly, running his thumb gently over Druuvbin’s cheekbone. A small frown formed on his lips and he shook his head. “Tevrra and Xzutai are both terrible places, so far as their governments go,” he commented softly, a sigh escaping him.

“Oh... So you and Kitsune both have Xzutai blood in ya, neh?” she inquired softly, her gaze briefly moving to rest on the ice/fox demon. The woman still sat on the hardwood floor, leaning against the couch. Her head resting on the cushion, her icy-pale hand gently clutching Malba’s.... They look really cute sleeping like that. I can’t believe they are actually holding hands... “So I take it Japanese is a Xzutai language.”

“Yeah, that, English and a couple of older languages you don’t have. It’s strange however. Even though ‘Japanese’ isn’t spoken in all parts of the world, the honorifics are pretty common. Like Druu. He uses them and he’s definitely not from Xzutai. I think it’s kind of spread throughout our world partly due to the influence the Xzutai military has. They are stationed in pretty much every country. Plus the honorifics are sort of similar to ones used in an older demon language that used to be really common, so... They’ve kind of just stuck over the years I suppose,” he commented thoughtfully, his red gaze focused on the psychic resting in his toned arms.

“Oh, that explains a lot. I always wondered why Druu-chan uses honorifics. I use them because I’m a dorky, obsessed Japanese wannabe or something, but yeah. So that’s why Druu calls me Rae-chan most of the time,” Rae remarked with a small smile, turning her gaze to the water elemental as well. She lightly squeezed the man’s hand, a sudden wave of sadness washing over her. Druu-chan... She blinked a few times, tearing her gaze away from the sprite, returning her attention to Ryuuji. “Um, so anyway... I guess I’ve gotten the story all off track with my random questions. I’m so ADD. Sorry. So um... What happened after you got Druu out of the facility?” the girl inquired softly. And why was he there to begin with? ...Why do I somehow get the feeling you aren’t going to tell me?

“It’s no problem, I don’t mind. After I got Druu out of there, I stole a car parked near the building and took off. Drove outside of Tevrra, to this little run down country, Inanai. I found a payphone and called Malba,” Ryuuji explained calmly, his gaze moving to briefly rest on the sleeping darkness sprite.

“Wait, how did you know to call Malba?” Rae questioned, a touch of surprise in her voice. “Did Druu tell you?”

“No. Druu was basically out of it. He was somewhat conscious but... He wasn’t in real good shape. No, I knew to call Malba because... Well. At that point I knew who Druuvbin was, the so called -‘monster.’- It’s common knowledge in Tevrra that Malba Nuiwa is friends with Druuvbin ‘the monster.’ Malba is... Hm. Let’s just say Malba is well known in Tevrra. Hated, but well known,” Ryuuji replied with a small bitter smile. “I had a few contacts that were able to get me his cell number,” he added, again turning his gaze to Malba.

“Malba Nuiwa? Nuiwa? Is that his last name?” the girl questioned with a blink, a small smile forming on her lips. Nuiwa? What the heck kind of name is that? Hah. Malba Nuiwa. That’s kind of cute...

“Uh, yeah. I probably shouldn’t have said that, but yes. Anyway, I called Malba and convinced him to meet me in Inanai. He was positive it was a trap, but he came anyway. Mals wasn’t going to take a chance on missing out on any info about Druu’s whereabouts,” Ryuuji stated softly, taking in a breath. “He didn’t tell Kitsune or Kopaka about it either. I’m sure Kitsune kicked his ass over that. Mals has always been reckless. It’s going to get him killed one of these days,” the man went on to say with a dry, humorless laugh. “Malba really doesn’t think sometimes...”

Malba just went? He didn’t even tell Kitsune or Kopaka? Whoa. Malba that wasn’t exactly smart... If it had really been a trap, you would have been so beyond fucked... The girl’s thought’s trailed off and she frowned, turning her gaze to the slumbering darkness sprite. Rae remained in silence for a few moments, simply taking in his tense face and the deep frown on his lips. Malba... Big reckless idiot. “That wasn’t smart. If you had been setting him up, he would have been in trouble,” she commented quietly, the frown on her lips deepening.

“Yeah. If it really had been a set up, he would have been screwed. Luckily for him, I was telling the truth. All I told him on the phone was I had ‘info on his missing friend.’ I didn’t want to be too specific over the phone in case someone was listening in. Imagine his surprise when he meets me and finds that I actually have Druu sleeping in the backseat of the car,” Ryuuji stated with a small smirk.

“I bet he about flipped,” Rae replied, imagining how surprised the sprite must have been. To randomly get some mysterious phone call with some guy claiming to know about Druu. Then to meet this mysterious person and find he actually has Druu. Heh. That had to be a shock. It really wasn’t a trap. Surprise.

“He ‘flipped’ alright. He pulled a dagger on me. Oh, and threatened to ‘burn’ me,” Ryuuji remarked wryly, a look of amusement playing on his pale face. “It took a few minutes to get him to calm down enough to even listen to me. Not that I really blamed him. Druu had been missing for over a year. Mals was stressed over the whole situation to put it mildly,” he added with a small smile. “Once he realized I was on his side, he calmed down and put away the dagger. So... The rest is history. I started working with them, though it took Malba and Kitsune a long time to fully trust me. They were pretty wary of me. The former Tevrran who had been in charge of keeping their friend held against his will for over a year.”

“Heh... Malba really likes to burn people, doesn’t he? So... Anyway, I guess you’re wanted in Tevrra now, right?” the pink haired girl inquired, her gaze moving to the unconscious water elemental. “For breaking Druu out of there...”

“Yeah. If they ever find me, I’m a dead man,” the demon stated with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, obviously not worried about his outlaw status. “You have no idea how happy I am that I got away from that life, away from being a soldier. I might still kill people now, but at least I get to decide who I kill, not just obey orders like a trained dog for the government,” Ryuuji commented firmly, a smile forming on his lips. “Plus the pay is better,” he added, a mischievous tone in his smooth voice. “Mercenaries make a lot more money than mere soldiers.”

“So... What about this story makes Kitsune not trust you? Hell. You gave up your whole life in Tevrra and risked your life to get Druu out of there. Doesn’t that make you, uh, very trustworthy?” Rae inquired with a small frown, glancing first at Kitsune, then moving her gaze back to the purple haired demon’s face. This story just... Proves how much Ryuuji likes Druu, so... What’s with the lack of trust for the poor guy? Geez... The girl still didn’t quite get it. Why was the ice demon so angry with Ryuuji?

“Well. I’ve already betrayed one group I claimed loyalty to, so for all she knows I might decide to betray them too. Plus... Well, you see... It’s actually a little more complicated than that anyway,” he admitted with a small sheepish smile, his red gaze moving to rest on the sleeping woman. “Kitsune and I already... We knew each other. We had a few run ins. Like I said, Tevrra and Xzutai? Don’t get along. At all. Kitsune and I had fought a few times. She wasn’t real fond of me,” he added, his tone somewhat awkward. “In a raid one time, I killed a few of her fellow officers and... I kind of... Well, I nearly killed her too... So...”

Rae blinked, startled by the man’s confession. “Oh...” Okay, well she hadn’t exactly expected that... Whoa... He nearly killed Kitsune? Damn... Well, uh... That still doesn’t explain why she got so mad about whatever he was saying to Druu in that weird language...

“Needless to say, it took her quite awhile to learn to like me. I don’t blame her for her wariness over me. I used to be a real bastard, so I get it. I do. I just... I would never betray them. These people are... I care about them more than our stupid world and its problems. I guess in some ways I can still be apathetic, but not over them. Druu, Kitsune, Malba and Kopaka... I’ve only known them for a little over a decade, but... They just kind of draw you in. I wouldn’t betray them,” the demon commented quietly, his voice firm, resolute. He turned his gaze again to Druuvbin, a soft, bittersweet smile forming on his lips. “I should have listened to him. He told me not to go...”

“Go where?” Rae questioned, her tone low, soft. This guy is cool. He really is. So he had some issues when he was in the military. He’s still a cool guy. He cares about Druu, Kits, Mals and Kopaka a lot. You can tell just by the look in his... Uh, eye... Man. Poor guy. I wonder what the hell happened to his eye? she thought with a small frown, her gaze moving to the demon’s patched right eye. Hope it isn’t permanent...

“...I probably shouldn’t say. Undercover, I can tell you that much. It’s my specialty, being their ‘shadow.’ I can get in places no one else can because of my shape-shifting. I’m one of the few kokuei left in the world, and I’m really good at shifting. I thought I could handle it...” the man trailed off, an agitated expression appearing on his pale face. He then cleared his throat, shaking his head a bit.

“Handle it?” Honestly, the girl was quite surprised Ryuuji had divulged as much as he had. Even if he didn’t tell her anything more... Well, it was kind of nice the guy had actually told her things, not pulled the whole ‘it’s not your concern’ attitude...That’s pretty cool of him... Especially considering I’m a ‘dumb human’ and all... Heh...

“I had an opportunity to get into an ‘organization’... That was extremely dangerous to infiltrate, but the information I could have gathered would have been helpful. Very helpful. Druu practically begged me not to do it, said he had a bad feeling about it, but... Like an idiot I ignored the psychic’s bad feeling and went anyway. The end result? Me fucking up and getting caught,” the demon stated ruefully, a low bitter laugh escaping him. “Another reason why Kitsune is mad. I should have listened to Druu and I didn’t,” he admitted quietly, a self-reproachful tone in his smooth voice.

“So... I guess... when you got caught... They....” the girl trailed off, her gaze moving to the man’s patched eye, a frown on her lips. So all this time he’s been missing... Has he been getting tortured or something? That was a terrible thought. Rae’s frown deepened and she glanced over the man’s body, taking in his numerous injuries. Cuts and bruises, burns and scars... Kitsune, I... I still don’t think he deserves to get yelled at. So he made a mistake, it’s not... It’s not like he meant to mess up... He... He obviously paid dearly for it...

“I wasn’t exactly an honored guest,” Ryuuji responded wryly, a bitter smile on his split lips. “It took me awhile to finally get a chance to break out. So I had to deal with a few... Unpleasant things while being held,” he added with a shrug of his shoulders, running his hand along Druuvbin’s forehead. The water elemental let out a low moan and twitched, a spasm rocking his frame. “Druu, it’s okay, I know it hurts, I know. Just hang on, okay?” he inquired softly, lowering his head, drawing a bit closer to the unconscious psychic held in his arms.

“I love you, Druu-chan,” Rae whispered softly, her worried aqua eyes briefly moving to rest on the psychic’s pale face, a small shudder coursing up her spine. Hearing the man moan, seeing him in so much pain... It was hard. Very hard. “...What kind of ‘unpleasant’ things? What did they do to you? You look like you’ve been tortured. Not to mention your eye...” the girl stated, sympathy in her voice. It was definitely an awful thought, thinking of Ryuuji being... Tortured and... Poor guy. I just wonder where the hell he even was?

“I was a lot more concerned for everyone else than I was for myself. I was completely cut off. I had no way to know if they were okay, if Druu was still alive, if Malba had done something stupid and got himself into trouble again or... I didn’t know anything. That was the worst thing about it. Not knowing was a lot worse than what any of those fools at that place could possibly do to me,” Ryuuji admitted quietly, a small sigh escaping him. He pulled his hand away from Druuvbin’s pale forehead long enough to slightly adjust the white blanket, the frown on his lips deepening. “He’s... Man, he’s cold,” Ryuuji muttered quietly, his voice concerned. The demon once again touched Druu’s pallid face, gently caressing his white skin. “Those damn drugs don’t exactly help matters. It almost seems like they make him even colder... He just keeps getting colder and colder and I can’t really... I can’t get him very warm... I wish I could get him a little warmer.”

“I know,” the girl replied softly, gently squeezing the unconscious psychic’s cool hand. “...I’m glad you were able to get away from wherever it was you were. I’m glad you’re here. Not just because you can help Druu, but because I like you. I’m glad I got the chance to finally meet you,” Rae commented with a small smile, turning her focus to the spiky haired demon. He really is cool. He’s.... Yeah. “Druu wanted to find you so badly and I was so curious about who you were and what you were like. I’m really glad you’re alive,” she admitted, taking in Ryuuji’s pale face and concerned expression. Evil callous bastard, huh? Yeah... Right. I like ya Ryuuji, I think we’re going to get along just fine. Assuming you don’t hate me and think I’m lame and don’t want to have anything to do with me, that is...

Ryuuji closed his visible eye for a moment, a soft sigh escaping his lips. He then shook his head, opening his eye to meet the girl’s gaze. “Druu... He didn’t blame himself did he? He’s so damn bad about that... He... It wasn’t his fault. He tried to stop me. I should have listened,” he stated softly, moving his gaze down to the psychic resting in his toned arms. “I’m sorry, Druu.”

Crap. I think I just said something stupid... I didn’t mean to make him guilt trip... Damn it. Ugh, I’m such a baka. The girl bit her lip, watching the demon’s face, taking in his troubled expression. What should she say? Had Druu blamed himself? Well... Er, well... He was pretty upset that he couldn’t see anything about Ryuuji, but I probably shouldn’t tell him that... “Um... Well, he was worried about you, but...” Rae trailed off, nervously chewing her sore lip.

“You don’t have to spare my feelings,” Ryuuji replied with a small smirk, his tone amused. “It’s okay, Rae. And by the way, I’m glad I got to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you, so it’s good to finally meet you. Even if you are a human,” he quipped, a teasing tone to his smooth voice.

“Heh... Thanks. I think,” the girl responded, a warm smile forming on her lips. He wanted to meet me? Wow... That’s so nice... And um yeah. Well. Except for the whole ‘human’ comment. But yeah.

“So... Did he?” the man questioned quietly, moving his red gaze back to Druuvbin, taking in his pale face. “Did he blame himself?”

Rae let out a small sigh, her aqua eyes focusing on the white comforter. She wasn’t sure what to say... The girl gently squeezed Druuvbin’s cool hand, a frown forming on her lips. “You want me to be honest?” she finally questioned, her tone troubled. I don’t want to make Ryuuji feel worse, but if he really wants me to tell him...

“Yeah. Tell me,” Ryuuji responded firmly, moving his gaze to the girl.

“...I don’t know if he blamed himself per say, but... He was pretty frustrated that he couldn’t find you. That he couldn’t see anything. He tried to play it down, but I could tell how upset he was about it. He... He was afraid you were dead. We even went to see Hanneke and everything, but she couldn’t really see much either. She just said you were in danger,” Rae stated quietly, raising her gaze from the comforter, meeting the demon’s gaze. The girl didn’t want to make the man feel bad, but he asked for the truth, so... Should I have really said all of that? Man...

“I... I thought so. Damn it. I knew he’d take it out on himself. He always does,” the purple haired demon commented softly, a small rueful smile playing on his lips. “The guy blames himself for everything,” he added, shaking his head. The demon then let out a sigh, again moving to adjust the white comforter around the psychic’s slender frame. “Druu, you can be a real idiot sometimes,” he stated softly, his tone gentle.

“Yeah. He can,” the girl agreed with a smile, releasing the psychic’s hand, instead placing her hand on Druuvbin’s shoulder. “He... I still can’t believe he didn’t even tell me about any of this. How did he manage to keep this a secret for three years? He... He’s dying and he didn’t even tell me,” she went on to say, her voice growing a bit uneven. Rae took in a breath, moving her free hand to massage her aching temple. You really are an idiot, Druu. Keeping secrets, blaming yourself for everything... Calling yourself a monster...

“He hates making people worry. Druuvbin didn’t want to upset you. He likes you and he just... I don’t know. He didn’t want to scare you,” the demon responded quietly, running a hand over the psychic’s forehead. “He talks about you humans a lot. You, your family, that Yuki and Sanosuke. He really likes all of you,” Ryuuji added, a small bittersweet smile forming on his split lips. “He’s afraid of upsetting you.”

Rae shook her head at this, letting out a deep breath. “Druu-chan... You big baka,” she whispered softly, moving to once again clasp his pale, lifeless hand. Of course I’m worried about you. You’re my friend, you idiot. Friends are supposed to worry and care about each other... She... She wanted so very badly to talk to the man, for him to open his eyes and... To... To be okay... “I wish I had paid more attention... I wish I had noticed... I knew he... I knew he had trouble with his visions but...” the girl trailed off, thinking back to the nightclub, the trip to Tokyo... He had that weird little mini-seizure thing... And he... God I wish he would have just told somebody he was feeling bad...

“He’s good at hiding things,” Ryuuji responded evenly, giving the girl a small smile. “I didn’t notice how sick he was at the facility until he almost died... He’s good at hiding it,” he added, his red gaze moving to focus once again on the psychic. “Really good at it.”

“I wish... Last night.... Kopaka took us all to Tokyo and... Druu kind of collapsed and started shaking and his eyes went blue... He told me it was just a vision and not to worry about it... I wish I had told someone, but I... I don’t know. I didn’t know,” she admitted softly, a guilt-ridden tone entering her voice. “I wish it had happened when someone was around besides just me, I... I don’t know,” she went on to say with a small frustrated sigh, her aqua eyes locked on the psychic’s pale trembling lips... I just... You should have told someone, Druu-chan... If only he had... Had said something...

“Where was Kopaka? Or Mals or Kitsune?” the demon questioned curiously, turning his gaze to the girl. “When did he have the collapse? Where were you two?”

“Actually we were in the alley behind the nightclub we went to. Malba had already left and Kitsune had just gone back in to get Kouji and go. Kopaka was inside raving it up, traumatizing poor Yuki. Malba, Kitsune and Druu had just given me the Jump and... Druu and I were getting ready to go back inside when he fell over and started shaking,” Rae explained, again lightly squeezing Druuvbin’s hand in a comforting gesture. “I caught him and held him until it stopped... He said it was nothing...” she added with a frown, her tone regretful. “Yeah... Nothing... Right. One day later he has an attack and is currently lying here half dead. God, if he had just... If I had... Ugh. I don’t know,” she trailed off, her eyes troubled, her voice weary. I just wish... I don’t know...

“So, they had just given you the Jump?” Ryuuji questioned casually, his tone nonchalant as he focused his gaze to the tattoo on the girl’s hand.

“Yeah. Why?” Rae responded, raising an eyebrow.

“...Hm. Can I ask you something?” the man inquired, his tone still holding that casual, even tone.

The girl raised her eyebrow further, a sudden spark of suspicion flowing through her at the kokuei demon’s demeanor. What... What about the ‘Jump?’ “Um... Yeah, of course. What?”

“Who actually put it on you?” Ryuuji questioned, his red gaze locked on the girl’s hand, a thoughtful look on his pale face.

“Druu... Druu-chan did. Why? You don’t think...” the girl trailed off, her eyes widening. Why... Why did he ask that? Is... Is it possible the Jump had something to do with Druu getting sick? That... That doesn’t make any sense, right? That... her thoughts trailed off and she bit down on her sore lower lip, unease flowing through her.

“Tell me what it felt like when he put it on you,” the demon requested calmly, his tone smooth, his gaze still focused on the girl’s marked left hand.

“It um... It hurt when he put it on, but once it did the weird sink into my skin thing it stopped hurting. I just felt numb and dizzy for a few minutes. Why?” she inquired uneasily, her blue-green eyes moving to focus on the purple haired demon’s face, trying to read his facial expression. Why? Why does he want to know what it felt like?

“...I see,” was the man’s only response, a look of realization flashing across his attractive features. The demon moved his gaze away from the girl’s hand, instead focusing on the psychic in his arms.

“Why?” she questioned again, her tone uneven. Why? What... What is that look? What about the Jump? Is... her thoughts trailed off and the frown on her lips deepened. Please tell me this isn’t somehow my fault...

“I... I probably shouldn’t say. You’ll get upset,” Ryuuji responded quietly, a small frown forming on his lips. He gently ran a hand over the water sprite’s cheek as Druuvbin suddenly let out a low moan, a tremor wracking his lean body. “You’re going to be okay, Druu. Na lanei sa...” he stated softly, his smooth voice tinted with a concerned tenor.

Druu-chan... He... “Why will I get upset? What... What are you talking about?” Rae inquired anxiously, her aqua eyes moving to Druuvbin, taking in his pained, deathly pallid face... Upset? Is... her thoughts trailed off and a shiver coursed up her spine. Why will I be upset?

“Malba, Kopaka and Kitsune don’t remember what it feels like to have the Jump implanted. They don’t have any memories of when or how they got it. But... I know what it feels like,” he stated quietly, a troubled look appearing on his face. “Rae, it doesn’t stop hurting once it gets in your skin. That’s when it really starts hurting. It feels like something is tearing your insides out,” the kokuei demon added, a small sigh escaping his light purple lips. Ryuuji moved to hold up his left hand for a moment, showing Rae the jump tattoo marking on his palm... “It... It doesn’t make you numb. It hurts. A lot.”

What? What the fuck? It... That’s not what it felt like with me... She didn’t understand. Why... Why would it not have hurt for her? “What? But... It didn’t hurt. It was just this numb feeling. Why would it not hurt for me? That...” she trailed off, a wave of suspicion suddenly flowing over her. The girl turned her gaze to Druuvbin, her grasp on his hand slightly tightening. Druu, what did you do?

“Druuvbin knows it hurts because he’s the one who gave me mine. He saw what it did to me. So... I suppose he knew that the pain would probably be almost unbearable for a human,” the purple haired demon admitted, his smooth voice holding a soft tone. “So...”

Rae took in a deep breath, dread flooding her. What did you do, Druuvbin? “Well? Why... Why did it not hurt for me?” she questioned shakily, not sure she even wanted to know.

“...Druu has an ability... An ability where he can... He can link to a person and... He can take the person’s pain. He’s able to make you just feel a numb, cool sensation while he feels the pain instead. It doesn’t affect what’s causing the pain, the Jump was still implanting itself in your blood, but you couldn’t feel it... Because Druuvbin was feeling it instead,” he explained quietly, turning his gaze to the girl.

“Oh... Oh God....” she mumbled, her eyes widening, a shudder coursing through her at the demon’s words. “He... He...” she couldn’t finish her sentence, she... He... Druu, you... The girl blinked rapidly, her eyes growing watery. “He... Is that why he’s sick now? Did that cause him to have an attack? Is this... Druu you... You fucking idiot...” Again the girl trailed off, taking in a deep shaking breath. He collapsed a few minutes after he put it on me and a day later he... He... Was it her fault? Was that why the man was now dying, so ill and... Druu... You...

“See, I told you it would upset you,” Ryuuji commented with a small sigh, his gaze focused on the girl’s face. “It isn’t your fault. Druu chose to do it. And I’m not saying it’s the sole reason he had an attack. It’s just... That takes quite a bit of energy for him to do. It’s possible he might have used too much energy, but that isn’t your fault. It’s his fault for pushing himself too much,” he stated softly, giving the girl a small comforting smile. “Don’t get upset,” he added soothingly, his smooth voice soft and reassuring.

“Don’t get upset? He... He took some awful, horrible pain for me and then he.... God damn it! I... He should have just let me feel the pain, I could have managed. I’d rather have felt the pain than have him get sick and die! This... Damn it... He didn’t blink an eye. He didn’t act like...” the girl trailed off, closing her eyes tightly. The water elemental hadn’t acted as if... He hadn’t shown any signs of pain while... He... He didn’t act like he was hurting at all. He was just smiling and... Druu... Why did you do that? You... You idiot... The girl let out a shuddering sigh, her grip on the psychic’s hand once again tightening. As if I didn’t feel guilty enough before... Now... I... He had taken the pain for her? He... Druu-chan... “So... if it weren’t for me, Druu may have still been okay, he may not have had this attack. That’s...That’s just fucking wonderful,” she bit out, her voice agitated, another shiver shuddering up her spine. I can’t believe this. Even if it was Druu’s ‘choice,’ he still did it for me and... Ugh.

“No. I didn’t say that. See, I told you. I shouldn’t have said anything. Look, even if it did speed up the timing of the attack by a few days, it doesn’t really matter. He still would have had it. Nothing stops them,” Ryuuji commented softly, the frown on his lips deepening as a look of guilt flickered across his pale face. “Don’t be upset, okay?”

“Druu wasn’t expecting to have it and he almost died because no one knew it was getting ready to happen. Not only that, but Malba got shot and tortured trying to get the fucking medicine and... Kopaka is really sick now because... This... God damn it!” Rae lowered her head, fighting to keep her tone low as to not wake Kitsune and Malba... It... It was difficult. The girl practically felt like screaming at this point. I can’t believe he did that! He... Damn it! Idiot! she shook her head, biting down on her lip as her head throbbed, guilt flooding her. “If they hadn’t given me the damn thing this may not have happened. And want to know what’s fucking ironic? I can’t even get the god damn thing to work,” she commented hollowly, a bitter, humorless laugh escaping her lips.

Ryuuji let out a frustrated breath, his facial expression exasperated. “You’re blowing this out of proportion. Besides, it was Druu’s choice. You didn’t even know. How is that your fault? Just calm down, okay?” he questioned evenly, trying to meet the girl’s gaze. “As for the Jump, It’ll take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it. It’s not easy, and for a human it’s going to be hard. You’ll get it though,” he added with a small smile, his tone reassuring and calm.

Rae met the demon’s red gaze, a shaky smile briefly forming on her lips. “See... You are a nice guy...” she stated softly, taking in a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but... God. If... Druu-chan, you complete idiot,” she whispered, tightly clutching the psychic’s motionless hand. Wake up, Druu. Please wake up and don’t die... I... Why did you do that? I can’t believe you would risk using that much energy just to... Damn... This day... Was getting entirely too stressful. Almost unbearable, actually. Damn...

“Druu’s going to be so pissed at me for telling you he did it...” Ryuuji muttered dryly, a wry smirk forming on his lips. “I should have just kept my mouth shut,” he added, his gaze moving back to Druuvbin.

“No, you shouldn’t have. I’m glad you told me. When Druu wakes up I’m so... So getting on to him for doing that. He risked using that much energy just for me? Big baka,” Rae commented softly, releasing the psychic’s hand, instead moving to tenderly caress his cool cheek. “You big idiot. I love you, Druu-chan.”

“Ngh..Sana...Sana nai...” Druuvbin mumbled softly, his eyelids slightly twitching. “I...Ngh...” the man trailed off, a cough wracking his lean frame.

“Druu?” Rae inquired softly, again running her hand across the psychic’s cheek. The girl took in a deep breath, closely watching the water elemental’s pallid face. Wake up Druu-chan...

The psychic did not respond however and Rae let out a sigh, a frown forming on her lips. Damn it... She wanted to speak with the man... She... She wanted to... I want to talk to you... I love you so much and you’re like my best friend and I... The girl closed her eyes for a moment, pushing away her weary overwhelming emotions. Weariness and worry, guilt and fear...

“Druu. Just hang in there. Na lanei sa. Na tenea ta dira, okay? Okay Druuvbin?” Ryuuji inquired softly, mixing English with the mysterious language the psychic seemed to be rather stuck in... Druu’s not using much English at all when he talks... A few words, but for the most part it’s that weird language... Rae thought sadly, moving to again clasp the sprite’s hand. I just wonder what it is...

“Kan...Fenai... Na kan fenai sa...” Druuvbin mumbled softly, his tone far off and weak. “Sana nai sa...” he then whispered, his soft voice sounding so very lost, so sad. It was enough to break the girl’s heart, watching the psychic suffer, hurting and... If he hadn’t given me the Jump... Would he still be okay right now? Ugh... Guilt...

“...What did he say?” she questioned quietly, her tone soft, sympathetic.

“He... ‘I can’t find you.’ That’s what he said,” Ryuuji mumbled with a sigh, a look of guilt washing over his facial features, his smooth voice holding a hint of agitation. “I’m right here, Druu. I’m right here,” he then stated softly, reassuringly running a hand over the sprite’s forehead. “It’s okay, Druu.”

“Poor Druu...” Rae commented with a shake of her head, gently squeezing the man’s hand in a consoling movement. “I’m sorry, Druu-chan. Just hang on, okay?” she whispered, her lips set in a melancholy frown. I hate this... “So... Can he usually tell when he’s going to have an attack? You know if he doesn’t do something stupid like waste all of his energy taking a stupid human girl’s pain? He said he thought he could hold it off... Does that mean he can usually tell when he’s going to have one?” Rae questioned quietly, turning her gaze to Ryuuji. If he hadn’t wasted all of his energy... I wonder how long he could have held it off? I...

“Sometimes. He can tell when he’s getting sicker, but there have been times that he’s not known. This isn’t the first time, Rae. Like I said, it isn’t your fault. Sometimes he can tell, sometimes he can’t,” Ryuuji responded, his tone even, though his face held a look of concern as he continued to watch the unconscious water elemental.

The girl frowned at this, contemplating the demons words. But... if the psychic couldn’t always accurately gauge when his attacks would come... What if he... “Hey, but... What if he has an attack when no one is around? Does he live alone? If so, how do you know he won’t have one and die before anyone finds him?” Rae inquired uneasily, an anxious expression flickering through her aqua colored eyes. That... That would be really bad if he had an attack and no one even knew... He could die before anyone even... Her thoughts trailed off and she shivered, unnerved.

“Mn, he does technically live alone, but Malba lives in the same apartment building. He checks on Druu a lot. Mals is kind of neurotic about it actually,” Ryuuji replied with a small smile, his gaze moving to the sleeping darkness elemental. “When I’m not off being their ‘shadow’ I check in on him too,” he added, focusing again on the psychic. “No one’s going to let him die alone in his apartment... We all check in on him. And Malba’s there, so... I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Ryuuji stated, his tone quiet, his concerned gaze locked on the water elemental.

“Malba lives in the same apartment building?” Rae inquired with a blink, turning her attention to the darkness sprite. “That’s pretty cool. I’m glad someone’s nearby, just in case Druu... You know...” she trailed off with a sigh, moving to rub at her temple for a moment. Malba’s neurotic, huh? Heh...

“Like I said earlier, Malba isn’t nearly the jerk he wants people to think he is. When Druu’s not feeling good, Malba drops the jerk act around him pretty fast,” the purple haired kokuei demon commented with a smirk, again moving his red gaze to watch the sleeping darkness elemental. “He is a girlish, immature little brat, but he’s also a good guy,” the man added, the smirk on his lips slightly widening.

Rae felt a minute grin form on her lips and she shook her head, amused by the ‘girlish, immature little brat’ comment. Aw, poor Mals. “...He is pretty girly, isn’t he,” she commented quietly, making sure to keep her voice low. The last thing she needed was for Malba to hear her call him ‘girly.’ That would be bad. I’d probably end up with my hair on fire or something...

“Yeah. He is.”

“Heh... Makeup and pretty, girly hair...”

“That would be Malba.”

The girl grinned a bit, watching the sleeping darkness sprite. Her smile faded however as she took in the ill at ease expression playing on his pale face. He really is so pretty... Poor guy. He still has that restless, tense look on his face... I wonder what the hell he’s dreaming? she thought as Malba twitched, uneasily shifting in his sleep. “Looks like he’s not sleeping so good...” she observed softly, sympathy in her voice.

“That’s not too surprising. He hasn’t exactly had the greatest day,” Ryuuji replied, his tone dry, a small sigh escaping his lips.

“Yeah... And.... I know he’s really not a jerk. He acts like a big whiny ass a lot, but when it really counts... He’s a nice guy. Even if he does occasionally try to kill me,” Rae commented with a small smile, her tone soft. She knew the man had... Issues and she... Well. She worried about the guy, honestly. Those red eyes and...You’re a good guy, Malba. Even if you are whiny and bitchy sometimes....

“Obnoxious and bratty, but yes, a nice guy. Even if he does wear more makeup than most women,” Ryuuji replied with a teasing tone in his smooth voice, his gaze moving to once again focus on the sleeping dark haired elemental. “I like Malba. Even if we don’t always get along so well,” he added with a soft smirk, a trace of amusement in his voice.

“Aw, come on, he doesn’t wear that much makeup,” the girl responded with a small grin, continuing to watch Malba’s tense sleeping face. “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a guy wearing a little eyeliner. I happen to think it’s sexy,” she added, her tone light. Makeup looks good on pretty guys like Malba... And hey... “What about you, Ryuuji? Your lips are purple... Is that a demon thing or are you just wearing makeup too?” Rae questioned teasingly, turning her gaze to the man’s light purple lips.

“Me? Makeup? I wouldn’t even know how the hell to put makeup on. I’ll just leave looking ‘pretty’ to Mals. He can pull it off better than me,” Ryuuji remarked with a dry laugh, his tone joking, obviously meaning no real offense to the darkness sprite. “The purple lips are just part of being a kokuei. All kokuei demons share three traits. Red eyes, purple hair and purple lips,” he went on to explain, a small smile on his said purple lips.

“Well it’s cool. The red and purple. Plus you don’t look scary with the red eye thing going on, unlike Malba... Now he looks pretty freaky when his eyes go red...” Rae stated softly, her sentence trailing off. She let out a small sigh, her thoughts drifting back to those eerie red eyes and the... I’m not afraid of you, Malba. I know it isn’t your fault....

“Yeah... Yeah, Malba.... He....” Ryuuji trailed off and a frustrated look briefly passed over his pale features, as if he wished to say something, yet.... The demon glanced at Malba once more, letting out an agitated breath. “He should really tell you humans,” he mumbled quietly, turning his gaze away from the darkness sprite, instead refocusing on Druuvbin.

Rae frowned at this, a small chill coursing through her. I... I wish he would tell me... I... What’s going on with you, Malba? She really didn’t even know what to think. Red eyes and.... That thing Kaine said... “I wish he would tell me,” she admitted softly, her concern filled eyes focused on the darkness sprite, taking in his uneasy slumbering expression, his troubled frown...

“I wish he would too.”

The two fell into silence and Rae closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the sounds of the quiet room. Druuvbin’s shallow wheezing breaths, soft raindrops gently tapping against the windows.... I’m getting kind of tired.... She was so weary and worried, full of fear and...Guilt. I still can’t believe Druu did that... Ugh... Despite her weariness, the girl knew there was no chance in hell she would be able to rest. I’m too worried to sleep. No way.... I’m too worried about everyone to even think about sleeping...

“Ngh...R...Ryuuji?” Druuvbin mumbled softly, cutting into the girl’s thoughts. She opened her eyes; taking in the water elemental’s pale face, his trembling lips and chattering teeth. Druu...

“That’s right, Druu. It’s me. Can you hear me?” the purple haired demon inquired softly, moving his hand to gently caress the psychic’s pale cheek. “Can you wake up for me?”

“...Ry-Ryuuji? I...” the blue haired elemental whispered, his soft voice pained and so very weak. “...N--ngh...I...Is that... Re--..Really you?”

Rae blinked in surprise at the psychic’s words, her heart rate increasing. Is he waking up? The girl scooted a bit closer to Druuvbin, gently squeezing his hand. Please wake up...

“Yeah, it’s me, Druu. Wake up and talk to me. I know you’re hurting, but try to wake up, okay?” Ryuuji requested softly, running his hand over the elemental’s forehead. “Druu?”

“...I... Ryuuji? You...You’re...Al--...alive?” Druu questioned haltingly, his soft voice hoarse, his closed eyelids twitching. “Ryuuji...”

“I’m alive, Druu. I know it’s hard, but try to wake up,” the demon stated gently, soothingly caressing the sprite’s pallid forehead, brushing back his silky blue hair. “Wake up, Druu.”

“Druu-chan? Can you hear us? Wake up, okay, Druu-chan? Please?” Rae added, her tone growing a touch unsteady as she gave the psychic’s hand another tender, supportive squeeze. “Druu-chan?”

“Ryuuji... I... I thought you were...I was so... Afraid that... You w-were dead... I...” the water sprite responded softly, his weak voice uneven. “I... Are...You alright? I...” Druuvbin was abruptly cut off as a harsh cough erupted from his lips, his body shuddering from the force.

“Druu. Calm down and breathe. I’m okay. You’re the one that’s not ‘alright’ right now. You need to stay calm,” Ryuuji replied softly, gently cradling the deathly ill psychic. “I’m right here and I’m fine. I’m sorry that I’ve been gone for so long, Druu,” he added quietly, running his bruised hand soothingly across the elemental’s forehead.

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(next page, neh.)