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Ochiba blinked with big eyes from behind her re-adjusted glasses. The rabbit smiled,"Yes Happiness is part of the balance, as is any emotion."

She smiled a bit more for Lumine as the celestial thanked her. Ochiba once more took Lumine's face in her hands, though this time a bit lower and a bit more tenderly,"That's the spirit, there is the spark most celestials have and mortal lack." Removing her hand the old rabbit stood a bit slowly, she felt tired from the day's length now. With a grunt she stretched,"I think it is time to head home now. It has been an long day, my dear, and we could both use some rest."

The night wasn't so young any more, and as Ochiba pointed out, the two had spent morning collecting, eve working, and night dealing with other issues.

The rabbit smiled, and nodded,"Much better."

She too turned home, and headed deeper into the forest,waving after the celestial before disappearing into the Forest of Magic. The rabbit made a last stop; Michiko's home.

After taking some water from the spring there, she made a small note sitting on the stone Michiko usually occupied. She set it down at the steps, and knocked.

When the tengu opened the door, the rabbit was gone, and she saw the parchment neatly rolled and tied with a small string.

"You know the celestial? Please be nice to her. She is a nice and pure being..."

Michiko took the note inside. When she returned, she hesitantly left it at her own doorstep and closed the door. The rabbit jumped down from the roof soundlessly. Took the note and responded.

"Yes, she was a friend of my now deceased Mother. I can say the same to you Rabbit; she is in much pain, companionship is what she needs. "

" Since when are you one to take other's pain into consideration, wolf?
"Since someone is deserving of it."

The rabbit and the wolf exchanged a couple more messages, talking of the celestial, the nodachi, and of what the girl was looking for now. It seemed that both had grown fond of the girl, in their own ways.

Michiko, on one hand, saw a certain defiance to what tengu traditions where; stealing a relic nodachi from the Kenkaku Household. Not only that, but it was a connection to her parted mother, perhaps a way to apologize for all the errors the young tengu committed.

Ochiba, on the other, saw the celestial as a lost girl who needed guiding, much like her old master's daughter had been when her master passed away. The blue haired girl brought back those feelings ("Call them motherly if you wish") that made her wish nothing but well on her.

It seemed the rabbit and the wolf, despite the rift made between them, had found a common person that may perhaps unite them in a much later date

---

When morning came, more than light arrived at the humble home framed by the Human Village to on side and the Forest of Magic to the other. The old owner of the house arrived at the steps, but stopped upon putting a hand to the burnt mark next to the door frame.

In reality, thinking of the mark made her smile... Her ever present, insidious and ambiguous smile. She had waved her servant and creation to the Forest of Magic, assuring the other demon that there would be no need for her to loom over her shoulder as she visited her old home.

She had expected the home to be empty, but from inside, someone's desires could be heard. Perhaps this visit to retrieve her cloak would not be so dull after all, she pulled out her spellcard. Probably the most harmless yet most dangerous of her deck, she silently called its name with childish delight: "Izanagi's Lament~ Fake Love."

Outside the door there was a small flash as the figure with the flowing black hair changed. The hair still black up on a ponytail, power black wings, and, just for that extra touch, the obvious lack of the armor. This vision, of the Celestial deepest surge of desire and hence temptation, was of her departed crow tengu, wearing a kimono type shirt and a longer red skirt, the necklace of the tengu trainee badge still hanging from her neck.

The demon gave her hands a look, and pleased with her handy work, opened the door much less fearlessly. "Hello...?"

"Ah-! Be careful-!" She was good as acting. 'Maemi' quickly moved to the poor celestial that had falled all tangled. The tengu, knelt on one knee, trying to carefully move the chair apart from Lumine without hurting her." Here...." She stood the chair a little bit away, before putting a hand on Lumine's back and helping her sit,"Are you okay?"

The black wings extended a bit back as the tengu hugged her. Her grasp was cold, yes, Fuzen could not hide her own morbidness. She was a cold being in body, and it passed any of her illusions. "I missed you so much," 'Maemi' still clung to Lumine. The demon had some idea of their story; the tengu's and celestial's, small facts that disclosed some of Lumine's reasons to have such trust in the now deseased swordswoman.

She pulled back with a smile, though it was not perhaps Maemi's exact smile, and put a hand to Lumine's face,"You are so warm..." She once more hugged Lumine, and nuzzled into the celestials,"How have you been? How's everything worked with you? ... ... Am I asking for too much too quick?" It appeared that this Maemi had many questions about her time in absence, but for now she let a few questions lose, and turned to enjoy or cherish the touch she had with Lumine. "I am sorry I left so Suddenly... "

Fuzen was good at what she does.

Maemi hugged Lumine as the celestial buried in her chest. "No, it's real. It was actually all real." The tengu's wings retracted, feeling them somewhat intrusive. How was it Livid managed to deal with them? They felt bulky and troublesome.

"I didn't want to leave... I was taken." Maemi rubbed Lumine's back,"You know I would never leave you!" The celestial was really making it too easy.

"Mh?" Maemi blinked as she was asked why she was so cold; under usual circumstances, it was tough to explain why her illusion was cold. In this situation, her mirage was of a dead person, so it'd not be too difficult. "Ah... I came from some dark places, Lumine...," She shook her head, seemingly wanting to cling to the celestial (part of the act, as the temptress had experienced hell already it was easier.) She sighed, "I don't think I will ever be as warm as I was where I was all this time..."

She shook her head, pretending to clear it of bad thoughts, and smiled,"But that doesn't matter! I finally came back, at long last free of that burden!"

Once more Maemi hugged Lumine, before sorrowfully adding,"... But if my coldness bothers you.... I-I can always leave... I'd Understand--... ... I really would.. ... I bet you found a new life while I was gone... " She nuzzled to Lumine,"I want you to be happy."

"You are really warm though..."

'Maemi' smiled to despite almost falling back; not from the hug, but from how desperate and fragile this poor girl was.

As Lumine pulled away, and told her of the death of someone, Fuzen was unsure what face to put. With quick thinking, she put on a hurt face, a hand moving over her cheek. The demon sighed, as if pained,"Poor Master Kazuko..." She really had no idea who Seijin was,"I am glad to be able to say she is probably some place better, and that , hopefully, she is being rewarded for what she did in life...."

"A couple of days ago, you say...?" The tengu looked to the side, pensive,before muttering to herself,"She probably hasn't been judge then..." Maybe Katrina and herself should stop by the banks of the Sanzu and steal some souls, that'd be fun.



Unbeknownst to the higher demon, her little creation was in a bit of trouble.

Previous to being waved off to collect material from the Forest of Magic, Fuzen-mara had told her not to catch anyone's attention, and to avoid trouble; even if she was challenged to a fight, she could not retaliate, since Fuzen did not want to catch the attention of anyone and risk someone from Higan showing up to whip them for something.

The little demon had trailed a little too far, and been spotted by Michiko, who was taking one of Ochiba's response. Something about the demon not ten meters from her home made her skeptical, and completely ditching the note, the wolf hurried after the demon to interrogate her.

Ochiba still sat on the ledge of the hermit's home, and seeing Michiko pursue the demon gave her the worst feeling. She quickly jumped down and rushed towards Lumine's home.

The run seemed of an impossible length...

Oh perfect, an escape route. Maemi put a hand to Lumine's, saying a bit sadly,"I do... Vaguely. I think my memory has been shrouded from the trip... "

"Yes by the judges, but if all that you say applies to perfection, we have nothing to worry about," Maemi smiled,"Master Kazuko will surely see heaven then, no question about it. I bet she'll be much luckier than I was!"

The tengu-Demon shifted and rested her head on Lumine's lap,"I am really happy to be back." She smile gleefully... Of course the demon underneath was happy not about "being back" but about how easy it was to trick this girl.



Ochiba was drawing closer at last, but the rabbit was very tired.

Meanwhile, behind her, Michiko was pursuing Livid, the demon heading the same way the rabbit though she would most definitely not plan on anything like a rendezvous to ruin her master's fun....

Maemi snickered,"No I didn't. I am neither of those, but I am not entirely sure of what I am." It was an empty enough question, she could answer as shallowly.

As Lumine stroked her hair, Fuzen Could just hear the twist in the celestial's words. "We don't have to risk it you know~? With you by my side, any place is our 'special place.' " The temptation of that place in Lumine's head was enough to disclose most of their story anyway.

Deceit was going to continue, had the door not come down. The door swung open as Ochiba kicked it open. "Lumine--! Uh... " The rabbit stared. She could see the demon on the celestial's lap without any of her disguises. "Wait-- You!"

The rabbit pointed at 'Maemi', who was nothing else in Lumine's eyes. "Whose this rabbit....? Why is she pointing at me~~?" She complained as she sat up, leaning on Lumine as she did so.

"Hey! Get away from her!" Ochiba jumped and stomped where she landed.
"Is that little thing okay...?" Maemi continued to innocently inquiry, pretending to be somewhat worried about the mental sanity of the vermin youkai infront of them.