"...475... y-years!?"

Duo nodded. "It may seem quite a bit to you guys, but I'm still considered young. Almost like an adolescent."

"Hn. By the way you acted, more like a child."

Duo pouted at Hiei's words, but said nothing.

"Then... you're not human... and you said you're not a... youkai... what are you?"

Kurama smiled at Wufei. "If there are humans, youkai and gods, and he's not the first two... what leaves?"

Even Heero's eyes widened at the realization. "A... a..."

Duo smiled sheepishly, and scratched his head. "Well, yeah... Huh, why do you guys think they call me 'Shi-chan'?"

Hiei chuckled. "Because you're too damn stubborn to use your real name."

Duo gave him a snort. "Not only that, but who in his right mind would like to be called 'Koenma-the-Second-sama' all around? It's sooooo uncool! Besides, Shinigami sounds better!"

Quatre blinked. "Shinigami... You... you never lied, even when you claimed to be the God of Death..."

Duo turned his attention to the gaping pilots in front of him. "Well, if you really want to know... I'm not the actual God of Death... yet."

"What... what do you mean, yet?"

"I mean, the real God of Death is Enma-Daioh *snort* even though he's not the one who does all the work.... and I'll only have the title when I take his place..."

At the confused look on his friends' faces: "Let me explain it better... Enma-Daioh is my grandfather. While at the beginning he was the one responsible for the judgement of souls, he gave this task to his son Koenma - that's my otousan's name - as soon as he was able to read and sign his name on the documents. I think that's why otousan sent me to be fostered away... I think he wanted me to have a 'normal' childhood... like the one he hadn't been able to enjoy.

"Otousan became responsible for the judgements, as well as the Reikai Tantei department. The Tantei were responsible for keeping youkai from disturbing the humans, but since the barrier was rebuilt and kept in place they had little to do, and were dismissed until further notice. When I said I worked part-time in the office, I did mainly paperwork, like organizing archives and filing processed souls."

Kurama interrupted him. "But Koenma told us you were already judging souls..."

Four pilots looked at each other, the last statement slowly sinking in. Duo the-chatterbox-with-a-devil-may-care-attitude Maxwell not only a god, but a god who had the power to judge and send souls to Heaven or Hell?

Duo sighed, and the pilots turned their attention back to him. Too shocked to have any kind of reaction, all they could do was listen to his story. Running a hand through his bangs, Duo suddenly looked tired. "I was. But every time I judged a soul, something was not right, and otousan would get mad at me. Sometimes he said I was too severe, others I was too lenient. Okaasan stood by my side every time he yelled at me, but things were getting a bit too hard to handle.

"The last straw happened one week before I ran away. I judged a soul and, instead of sentencing it to ten years in the seventh hell, I sent it to four years in the fifth, with immediate reincarnation after that.

"Otousan was called by Enma-Daioh. I don't know what they told each other, but when we met outside his chambers otousan was royally pissed. We had a big argument this time. Otousan said I was being too naive and driven by emotions and compassion to make a serious judgement. He said I still had much to learn about human nature, and until then I would no longer judge any more souls.

"Then he grounded me. Can you believe it? He gave me some books on Reikai laws and said I was to study them until I was allowed to leave my room... and that would be four months later!

"I paced around the room for about a week. Then I decided to leave. I went to the Makai and hid there for about two or three years. I admit it, I was brooding. Then I came to the Ningenkai. I wandered around, trying to understand what I was missing, or what I still had to learn about them. Then it hit me. If I had to learn about human nature, what would be the most efficient way? Becoming a human, of course."

Duo paused for a moment and looked around. His friends seemed mesmerized by his story and there was no sign of questions from them. His fathers waited patiently for him to continue, and so he did. "It took me some more time to find the perfect chance. While I was wandering, I happened to find a sick, dying child. He looked a lot like me... When I checked on the Book of Souls, I saw he was scheduled to be judged just once more, and not reincarnate again.

"I showed myself to him, and he wasn't scared. He even seemed glad to see me... I found out he knew all about his past incarnations, and how things worked in the Reikai. I started visiting him regularly, and soon we became good friends. We talked about many things, and even though he knew he was dying, he still wasn't afraid. Until I told him he would not come back to the Ningenkai anymore.

"He became terrified. The prospect of never living on Earth again frightened him more than anything. At the time, I didn't understand why such fear; but I think I may be starting to now. Anyway, he asked if there wasn't anything I could do to let him stay... so we made a deal."

Kurama's eyes widened. "Shi-chan... You didn't... did you?"

Duo turned to him. "Yes, I did. I could have let him die and take up his body before it collapsed... take up his identity, and live his life. But that wouldn't have been the right thing to do. I asked his permission instead. I explained my situation, and what I wanted. And he let me."

Silence hung for a moment, then Quatre spoke up. "Duo... Permission to what? What... what did you do?"

Duo's eyes softened, and he looked distant. "I told him I couldn't let him live more than what he was supposed to. I don't have that much power yet. But I could let him live as much as I did. In exchange for that, he would give himself to me... completely."

Kurama groaned. "You merged with him. That's why his soul never returned to the Reikai when it was supposed to."

Duo nodded. Hiei gave his mate a sideways glance: "I told you shouldn't have explained the merging process so detailed to him, Kurama." Kurama gave back a sour look and replied, "Well, I'd never have imagined he would try it himself, koi"

Before their little bickering escalated, Wufei interrupted them. "What do you mean, merged?"

Duo smiled. "It means just as it sounds. I transferred my life-force to his body and started living in it. But," he raised a finger "before any of you get any weird ideas, let me assure you: I don't have two souls living in the same body, no multiple personalities and I definitely haven't just disposed of him. We merged, simple as that. Our souls became one.

"He was very special. When we merged, I received all his memories, and since he remembered all his previous incarnations - something that isn't supposed to happen - they became part of my memories as well, just as my original ones. And we both changed. I changed his body, and he changed my soul."

Hiei snorted. "Just as I thought. So that's why even if you look a bit like before, your eyes aren't pink anymore."

Duo widened his eyes comically, and gave Hiei a puppy-eyed look. "You noticed! I'm touched!"

"P-pink!?" The pilots tried to imagine Duo... with pink eyes... and even with the shock of revelation, they started snickering. Even Heero had a suspicious quirk in his lips.

Duo blew them a raspberry. "Yeah, pink. Okaasan's eyes are pink, and I took after her. Anyway, we changed. He was, physically, extremely like me, except for his eyes. His eyes were black... that's why I think mine became darker after the merging. On the other hand, much of my personality was altered by his own. I became louder, more playful and much more confident."

Turning to Kurama, Duo gave him a funny look. "You were right, Kurama. The merging is a strange thing. I forgot simply everything, and only after some time started remembering who I was and what I did. By that time, his parents and I had already left Earth to a business travel to some of the colonies. We got caught in the middle of an attack in L2, and both of them died." Duo gave Heero a pointed look and added, "That's how I ended up in the streets of L2, Heero. From then on, it happened just like you said. I hope you're satisfied now."

Heero gave him an indecipherable look, but before anyone could say anything, Duo jumped up, rubbing his stomach. "Saa, look at this! It's lunch time already! I'm hungry, let's do something to eat!" He dashed to the kitchen, shouting over his shoulder "Hey, Kurama! I'm sure you miss human food, what do you want to eat? I'm cooking!"

Kurama chuckled at the obvious look of impending doom on the pilots' faces. It seemed they doubted Duo's cooking skills, and were afraid he might burn down the house. "Don't worry about him. Most of the times he doesn't want anyone to know it, but he's the best cook I've ever seen." With that, Kurama followed his son and Hiei (who had already followed Duo) into the kitchen, to tell Duo just some ramen would do.

Kurama turned out to be right. Duo's ramen might have been very simple, but it was delicious. The four pilots were surprised Duo could cook so well, and at the same time a bit angry he deceived them. After all, since the last time Duo was told to cook for them (and nearly blew the oven) he never touched any pots and pans again.

Heero and Wufei seemed a bit wary with Hiei and Kurama. It turned out to be quite a good thing, really. They sat on the counter, leaving the chairs to the youkai. The meal passed evenly, with small talk between Duo and his fathers (and a very unusual and uncomfortable silence among the other pilots). After helping cleaning up, Kurama turned to Duo. "Shi-chan?"

"Yes?"

"You said you spent some time in the Makai, before coming to the Ningenkai. Where?"

Duo fidgeted a bit. "Well, I couldn't go to your den... it would be the first place otousan or okaasan would look for me."

Hiei snorted. "It was. Botan came barging in the day after you disappeared, demanding we sent you back." At that, Duo looked surprised. "Really? I thought they would find me gone only after my ground time was up."

"I think Koenma had reconsidered your punishment and was about to talk to you about it... but you still haven't answered my question."

Duo scratched his head and looked somewhat flustered. "Well... I didn't know where to go... so I went to Gandara."

Kurama's eyes widened. "Gandara!? You went to Yomi's palace?"

Duo nodded.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "You spent almost three years in horny-boy's place? How many times did he try to bed you this time?"

Both Kurama and Duo became red... one out of anger, and the other out of embarrassment. The first one sputtered "WHAAAAT!?" while the other cried out "Hiei, you promised to never tell Kurama!"

Duo turned to his fuming father, completely ignoring the show the three of them were putting up to the four stunned boys now standing in the corner of the kitchen (away from any form of physical reach). Holding his hands in front of him, Duo babbled apologetically "It's not what you think, Kurama! We didn't do anything, I swear!"

"Not for lacking of trying, at least on Yomi's part. Come on Kurama, you never noticed Yomi started showing up too much after he caught... sight of Duo?" (author's note: sorry, I don't know if 'caught sight' is plausible here... after all, Yomi is blind!)

A small tick formed on Kurama's, ...Heero's!? and Duo's foreheads. The latter cried in exasperation, "Hiei! You're not helping here!"

"Shi-chan... Why have you never told me?"

Duo waved his hands. "You know I'd never go with him, Kurama... I don't like horns, and Yomi has a lot of them! Besides, I think he was hitting on me just to try and piss you off for saying no in the first place. In all the time I spent in his palace, he never hinted anything." Then he muttered to himself, "Shura, on the other hand..."

But everybody heard that. "Shura!? Come here boy, I have some things to tell you in private!" Kurama dragged a flailing Duo back to the living room. While some muffled shouts and conversation flowed between them, Quatre turned to Hiei again. "Anou... what was all that about?"

Hiei shrugged. "Yomi is an old acquaintance of Kurama's, and tried to bed him for centuries. When we mated, he apparently gave up. Seems he found Shi-chan interesting enough. Shura is Yomi's son."

At that instant, Kurama's voice was heard, shouting. "...and Shura I can even understand, he's only some centuries older than you. But Yomi!? He's older than me!"

Duo shouted back something that sounded suspiciously like "he's still good looking, if it weren't for those horns" and "why are you so worried? Nothing happened!" After that, no more shouting, just some more muffled conversation. Judging it was safe to join them back, the group returned to the living room and found both standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed and finality in their expressions.

Kurama saw the group settle again in the room, and turned back to Duo. "I had another reason for coming, Shi-chan. It's only a matter of time for Koenma and Botan to find you. Perhaps you should be prepared."

Duo stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"Your files were in George's desk; he's in charge of investigating why they are incorrect. It was because of them that I found out who and where you were, so I presume they will get here, eventually."

"Incorrect?"

Kurama nodded. Taking a wad of papers from his overcoat pockets, he handed them to Duo. "Each and every one of your friends have some sort of error in their files. At first I didn't know which one of you was the real Shi-chan... so I took all them. I even thought that one" he looked pointedly at Heero, "was you, because of his file... Until I saw the picture in yours."

Duo paled. "These... these are our files? Kurama, you know it's a crime stealing from the Reikai! What do you think otousan will do when he finds out?"

Kurama smirked. "Nothing. I haven't stolen anything, Shi-chan. I took the files for a walk, then returned them to George's desk. Oh, by the way, did you know Koenma put a copying machine in the office? It's very old, but does the job nicely."

Both snickered a little, until Heero asked suspiciously, "Duo. What are these?" Duo sobered up. "These are your files. Everything about you is recorded here: who and how your past lives were, results of each judgment you went through and its sentences, estimatives for your current life, when and how you're supposed to die and who will be responsible for your..." he trailed off at the look on his friend's faces. "Forget it, guys. It's confidential, and I won't let you see it."

"Why are there more than five folders?"

Duo looked down. "I don't know. Let's see... current name: Quatre, Trowa, Duo, Wufei, Heero... hey! Relena!? And... these ones don't have a name!"

At the mention of Relena's name, Heero sprung forward. Duo caught the movement in time and dodged him, while tsking at the Japanese boy. "Hey, I told you these files are confidential! Hands off, Heero! If you're so interested in learning more about Relena, go ask her!"

After a cold glare, Heero sat back. Duo grinned and headed for the doorway. "Since only the Reikai office workers are allowed to see these folders, I'd better put them somewhere safe... You never know when some curious hands will try to take them! Be back in a minute!"

The two youkai examined the clearly uncomfortable boys in front of them. After some time of hearing Duo's cursing for not finding a suitable hiding place, Kurama broke the silence with a soft sigh. "You seem to be taking all this pretty well."

Trowa was the one to answer back, and his answer amused the youkai. "We are still too shocked to be screaming around in hysterics. Give us some more time."

Kurama smiled sadly. "You should all be very proud of yourselves." At the boys' confused look, he elaborated. "Just like Shi-chan, I merged with a human once, and lived a human's life. I had many human friends... and outlived each and every one of them. Well, except for Yuusuke..." A small chuckle. "But that's another story.

"What I mean is that I know how much it hurts when you know someone you care for will die before you, even when you know they can reincarnate. Or someone you love deeply. Yuusuke's and" he nodded at Hiei, "his sister's soulmates were human. We saw how much they hurt when their loved ones died, and how they still hope to find their reincarnated souls. They've been searching them for more than five hundred years, but not only once met them again. Reikai laws forbid Koenma to tell where they are reincarnated."

Hiei grunted something, but Kurama paid no attention to him. "I must confess one of the main reasons Hiei and I kept our distance from humans is because we were afraid... afraid to befriend them and see them dying before us again. Although that never happened to Shi-chan while he was with us or his real parents, in his short period of time living as a human he saw people he loved dying before his eyes, and being unable to do anything to stop it."

"If he's really the God of Death, he could stop it."

The cold glare Kurama sent Heero could have made him wet his pants (if he weren't Heero, that is). "I think you're a bit too slow to truly understand what you're saying." (author's note: ouch! That hurt!) "Even if Koenma does have the power to resurrect people, Shi- chan doesn't. And even if he did, he couldn't break the Reikai laws and go around resurrecting people scheduled to leave."

Ignoring the look Heero gave him back, Kurama turned to the other three pilots. "He learned how much it hurts... and yet I see him befriending the four of you. The circumstances may make it seem like you're only temporary companions, but I can see and feel he considers each and every one of you as a good, real friend. He knows he'll outlive you, but even then he thinks you are worth the pain he'll go through once you leave him behind. That's something to be proud of."

Standing up, Kurama put on his overcoat and hat. At the same time Duo came bouncing down the stairs, the two youkai were making their way to the front door. "Hey, where you going?"

This time, Hiei was the one to answer. "Back. Botan thinks we're in Tokyo, and will meet us there to 'remember things'. Then we'll return to the Makai."

With a sigh, Duo gave his fathers a big hug. "Even if I never really expected it, thanks for coming. I've missed you a lot..."

Kurama smiled back. "We too. Come visit us as soon as you can, Shi- chan."

With a brief glance in his friends' direction and a sad smile, Duo nodded. "Sure. But you know I won't be able to do this for quite some time... I think --"

Hiei interrupted him. "You'll do exactly the same thing Kurama did, we know that. We'll wait." With a mock frown, he added, "You two are too much alike for my taste..."

Both Duo and Kurama said at the same time, "But that's exactly why you love us so much!"

Hiei scowled. Before following his mate outside, he glared once more at the four pilots still seated and said, "Remember what Kurama said. If any of you hurts him any more than necessary, I'll kill you!"

Duo shooed him away, laughing. "Hey, you're too much like Heero! That's his line!" Closing the door, he sighed and turned around, only to meet said pilot glaring at him. Again.

He scratched his head. "Don't mind Hiei, guys. That's just the way he is." Plastering a huge grin on his face (and trying to mask the wistful look on his eyes) he exclaimed, "Saa, is there anything interesting to do now?"

• Email Author
• On to Part 7
• Back to fic page