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The rabbit's eyes travelled to Hanari skeptically as she handed over the large blade. With Lumine accepting, the shinigami could only smile wanly,"Rubuke... she will carry it well. I just know she will. She was always so talented." Not that Hanari knew so personally but at this point, she had stopped questioning what she knew.

Ochiba looked to Lumine as the ex-celestial asked that she take the sword to the broke crow tengu inside. She had one eye closed out of the broken lens on her glasses, but her other intelligengt eye gave a leer to Hanari before she took the blade in her hands, bracing the Kenkaku's Nodachi to her body,"Of course, Lumine, I will go give her this and make suree Michiko's leg is being looked after, okay? We will all be inside." The last of her statement was a threat to Hanari. It was obvious no one in doors would let Hanari hurt Lumine again. With that she went inside.

Hanari looked after the rabbit, and then to Lumine wondering what was in their fate.

Hanari felt like when Akira was readying to lecture her over something important. With the rabbit away, her pinkish-red eyes fell on Lumine's fading frame and her softly worn smile. It tugged at her heart to see the celestial like this. She looked almost.....

Had Tebiki really done so?

Peering into Lumine, it was the only explanation the shinigami could phantom. The thought was buried by the sudden forgiveness she received from her victim along with the remorse for the blue-haired girl's remorse. "No; Lumine, it was my fault. I was warned, I was curious, I did this to you," she spoke so sure, as if she knew what Lumine's situation was, taking a few cautious steps closer,"I spent alot of time thinking after-...."

"It is too much to carry. Two memory lines, two mentalities, but ... There isn't much I can do about it, I will just live with it, because death isn't a way out for me," Hanari muttered to the floor not matching Lumine's gaze," ... You didn't change anything. Not me, not her. We are still separate people. The only difference is that I have small connections to things she holds dear: Rubuke, Samuro, Master Kazuko, Toomura, Kamuko, Hidenka, Hakazi, Master Jurou, and of course ..... You."

"I really messed up Lumine."

"I am sorry if it wasn't what you wanted Lumine, I really am, ... -" The shinigami sighed but she was quiet when The blue-haired girl continued.

As Lumine started to speak and explain the situation, Hanari listened grimly, a sort of shocked-frigth coming to her face. Such words she never thought she'd hear from the celestial who used to irradiate hope and bliss, and to hear them made her tense in her place. "D-....Don't talk like that!" Hanari said finally finding her voice,"You are Lumine Mayflower the greatest hero in Gensokyo, and now you give in?! Being a hero isn't easy, Lumine, but you have gotten this far, don't take the stab like a weak being because you aren't like that-!" The black haired spirit bellowed out, unable to tell what she should say.

"You came back because you loved your family, right? You think they'd be happy to see you so defeated? People die Lumine, all the time. When you took my hand that day in Sorina's cave, you knew I was mortal. That I was always at the length of the blade. We both knew we wouldn't be able to be together forever like we wanted," Hanari continued trying to relax the shaking in her body,"... and the chance we had I screwed up. "

"Accepting death willingly is not a good thing, even as warriors we knew better than to do that, because to accept it was to let it through our door," The shinigami looked past Lumine, at the door of the house, looking for the young crow tengu,"... It always scared me to hear Rubuke say she wasn't scared of dying. Even Master Kazuko feared death, but you know why right? Why she feared it?"

"Master Kazuko was afraid of this happening. Of us going astray once she wasn't here, of not being able to guide us, of not being able to correct her errors before time was up," Now she looked up at the darkening sky," Master Kazuko never was content with the idea of death even when Master Rouki passed in her bed and with his hand in hers. Do you know how loyal she was to him? She loved him so much, Lumine, and then her love was gone, ripped from her slowly and painfully. She had to sit through his seizures and forgetting who he was and his pain and his body giving out, but even in her grief, Master Kazuko never spoke of death like you are right now."

Hanari tried to keep her gaze even with Lumine's,"Yes, your time is counted, and yes, you will never have Maemi back as you wanted, but that shouldn't kill your hopes for life." Her shaking returned and tears gathered at her eyes,"Please don't do that!"

In a rush the Shinigami ran and hugged Lumine clinging to her for dear life, "Please, Lumine... I never wanted to give in to the dark when you had me in your arms. I did my best, but I was too weak to fight my wound-... I never wanted any of this to happen. I didn't. Please, Lumine! I-...

I love you!"

Hanari held onto Lumine, holding her close. "I don't care if you are fading, I won't let them. I won't let them come and get you. I won't let go again....." Of course she knew she couldn't fight her masters. She wouldn't be able to fend off many like herself much less should Tebiki come to see her own promise through. The shinigami wanted to believe she could.

"You were always a hero to me, Lumine," she rubbed at the ex-celestial's back soothingly,"No matter what. You always were noble and loving, maybe a bit naive but always true to your heart." Hanari begun to pet Lumine's head trying to comfort her,"You know Master Kazuko always admired that in you, just like me. We weren't brave, our fear of losing what we worked for kept us strong, but you, you didn't fear it like we did. You made our world yours and we never wanted to imagine it without you."

She took Lumine's cheeks in her hands forcing her to look into the pinkish red eyes,"I will wait for you till Samsara itself ceases to exists, I don't care how long it'll take. I'll wait and wait. " She leaned her forehead to Lumine's trying to sooth her,"The world could stop spinning and I'd be waiting for you. "

She smiled wanly,peering into the blue-haired girl's eyes," And if you don't remember, I will watch from a distance, and make sure you are safe; I'll be your guardian angel."

Hanari's denial was refuted; even Lumine knew she couldn't keep to her mockery of strength. "Don't be scared Lumine, it isn't unknown what is after this plane. You will be fine, and you won't have to--... To worry about me not being Maemi. You will have a chance at being free of my mistakes..."

The kiss felt natural. It didn't surprise her, and Hanari returned to gesture just as softly. "... but this... love isn't gone."

"... Lumine, I will do anything to make the end of this journey perfect for you," The shinigami said,"I won't let you worry about something you didn't do. Let me be here with you, for as long as you want me here. Please. I don't want to leave you again." The black haired girl brushed Lumine's stray bangs out of the way gently,"I want to be here for you like I wasn't in the last few years."

"Is there anything you want, Lumine, that I can give you?"

"Don't be scared, I will be here with you till they take me out," Hanari hugged Lumine tightly,"Mh? Whatever you want, I will make sure to do it."

"I can take you to the tengu village in a flash," Hanari nodded. The request seemed simple enough and meaningful enough that the shinigami could complete it in a heart beat for her,"You tell me when and I will get you there." Hanari nodded again, and took Lumine's hand. "Come on, we will go back inside."

---

Inside, Michiko was asleep in the chair, her leg was bandaged and up on the coffee table. Ochiba was up on a stool dressing Rubuke's broken wing. Once more, the crow was stripped to her tank top usually kept under her armor. The rabbit still wore her glasses, simply closing her eye behind the cracked lens. "Stop squirming Rubuke, I am almost done."
"Sorry... I don't mean to. Hey Ochiba, shouldn't I take care of your wounds?"
"I just got scrapes, nothing to worry about." The little vermin smiled as she continued to work.

"Its not like I can see with this one anyway!" Ochiba laughed, removing her glasses and letting Lumine see the cracked lens on the left. It had a few chips on the once smooth surface. Carefully taking them back, the rabbit placed them on, once more closing the eyes behind the now useless lens. "... Master's glasses have broken...." she mumbled turning to finish up with Rubuke.

"Thank you Ochiba..." the tengu stood as Ochiba hopped off her stool and walked to check if Michiko had worked up a fever. "Hey...'Ochiba. There is some good lens workers in the tengu village. If you lend them to me, I will have them fixed for you."
"What... ?"
"Yeah. They would leave it like new. If you keep using them broke , your eyesight will get worse, like Lumine said," Rubuke said, standing to see the little rabbit, curiously keeping an eye on the shinigami that stood somewhat awkwardly and then moved towards Lumine to whisper.

"I don't remember seeing Ruby openly admitting her concern before..." Hanari whispered over Lumine's shouldr," What did you do to my sister, uh~?"

"Yes, I am sure our crafts men could fix it," the tengu smiled, back at Lumine,"I wouldn't mind taking you there, or your glasses. As Lumine said, I have to deliver the Nodachi to my father, when I am better I could fly you there in a short time!"
"Some other time," Ochiba rested her hands on Lumine's arms," I don't want to leave for a while, Rubuke, thank you."

The silence was broken by a small whimper-snore from Michiko who shifted enough for her tail to drape over the armrest. Hanari turned to the tengu moving and snuggling in her spot without moving her leg. "Excuse me..." Hanari moved to Michiko and resting a hand behind her back poofed in the pink sakura blossoms. A second passed and she opened the door of Michiko's room,"What is the plan for now...?"
"You must be the master in violating people's privacy..."
Ochiba still holding onto Lumine's arm tweaked an ear,"Thank you for putting Michiko in bed. She really needs to rest. Ah, but you make a good point. What should we do now? We still need Rubuke to heal and now Michiko too... But We do have an instant transporter here..."