*Sakura.* Subaru looked down at the delicate blossoms on the ground. They were clumped into little drifts of pink, and pervaded almost every inch of the grass under the trees. Looking at them, he sighed. Taking out a cigarette, he considered lighting up, but decided against it. "It's not as if it matters... or helps."

"Talking to yourself, Subaru?" Subaru jumped up in shock, and turned to find Duncan behind him. "How-" Duncan smiled. "A little bird told me- that's all I'm probably allowed to say." Duncan's smile dropped from his face, and was replaced with a serious look. Sitting down at the grass, he asked, "What are you doing here?" The question seemed simple enough, but it was one that Subaru didn't want to answer.

"I'm here to admire the sakura... and perhaps to find out something." Subaru looked back at Duncan, expecting a challenge, a demand for more information. But to his surprise, Duncan only nodded, and then stretched out into the grass. "Ok, as long as you're not about to do anything stupid."

Subaru looked up at the almost too-blue sky, and couldn't answer. He started to pull at the grass, loosing the blades to dance in the breeze. While doing so, he replied, "Duncan-san, please don't try to stop me. This isn't just for me... I don't think it ever was. It's for all those people who have felt pain because of him, all those people who will suffer as I did... And for you and Richie-san, too."

Duncan chuckled. "Don't worry about me or Richie. We can take care of ourselves- don't let that affect your judgment." Subaru was silent for a moment, not answering. He gave Duncan a sad smile. "Duncan-san. I am sorry to say that if Sakurazukamori finds out about you two, about what you are, no immortal will be truly safe."

Subaru gestured at the space around Duncan. "I never mentioned it, but I really don't need the 'buzz' to tell me who's an immortal. I think that it's because of the Quickenings- immortals' auras are very strange and beautiful to look at- and they are also very distinctive. Seishirou-san probably knows what to look for."

Duncan had sat up, shock on his face. He knew that if a person like that knew... It would be worse than Horton and his bunch. "Subaru, that's even more reason for you not to fight, if you don't think that you can win. If you die, and come back to life, he'll be instantly suspicious- and then, the cat's really out of the bag."

Subaru looked at the ground, and nodded. "I know- but if I don't fight, you two, and a lot of other people are going to be in danger. I may not be much against him, but I'm the only one that even stands a chance. No one else... they wouldn't even come close." He gave a bitter smile, staring at the backs of his hands. "After all, I am the most interesting prey that he's ever hunted. That should mean something..."

Duncan looked at his melancholy expression, and also saw the steel underneath it. "So, you really have decided. All right. I'm not going to try to stop you, but I am going to stick around." He held up a hand, forestalling any objection from Subaru. "I'm not going to go, so don't even try to argue." Subaru nodded, and then stood up.

In a wistful voice, Subaru asked, "Duncan-san... I'd like to know something. Do you think that immortality makes a person very different? I've always been different... It would be nice to think that I was at least mortal- that I was not so apart from everyone else."

Duncan closed his eyes, and tried to articulate his thoughts. "Different? Of course we're different- we do come back to life after we die. But we're still human, even if we're not mortal... we feel, and love, and hate- we make all the idiotic mistakes that regular people do, and suffer the consequences. It's when we believe ourselves more than human that we become something terrible."

Remembering Mary, remembering Immortals who believed in their divine mission, Duncan couldn't help but feel sadness for them. "Those people- their grip on reality is so loose that something like immortality can knock them over the edge. We always have to remember that no matter what we are, we aren't gods... We need to use our strengths to survive, instead of letting our weaknesses push us down."

Subaru nodded, and stood up also. "Thank you, Duncan-san. My mind is clearer now... Say farewell to Richie-san for me, if I do not return." Turning to a clump of trees a distance away from a single, solitary cherry tree, Subaru asked, "Would you please stay there? I think that it would be best if Sakurazukamori did not see you."

Duncan clapped Subaru on the shoulder. "Be well, and win for yourself- I don't need another sword. All right?" Subaru nodded, and then turned to face the tree, and the darkening sky.

/Food!/
/Yes... very soon./

Seishirou shook his head a little as the sending from his partner rang in his mind for a moment. One of the things he kept forgetting was how strong its voice got when he got within visual range of it. *Ah, and there is Subaru-kun...* He had never been one to neglect his own protections, so Seishirou did a quick scan of the surrounding area.

*Others? An ordinary person... and the protector. And a few in the perimeter- none to be concerned about.* Seishirou gave a cold smile. *Does he think that he can sneak up on me after Subaru-kun is dead? I was going to eliminate him anyway- how convenient it is to have both prey congregate to the same place.* Taking his sunglasses off in anticipation of the fight, he gazed on his tree for a moment.

*Subaru-kun... you will hold off the hunger for longer than any other...* For a moment, he allowed himself to indulge in what would happen if he were free of the tree's incessant hunger. Shaking his head a little at his impossible wonderings, he focused on the business at hand.

"Subaru-kun." Subaru heard the soft voice from behind him, and slowly turned to face his enemy... his love. "Hello, Seishirou-san." Subaru saw the smile, the deceitful smile that made Sakurazukamori seem human, and couldn't help feeling pain in his heart. Even to this day, there was the slight, insidious hope that...

"Still so polite?" Subaru nodded. "What else do I have left, besides that? All other traces of Hokuto's little brother were destroyed when you killed her. The facade of living was all that was left... and even that was deceitful. After all, I have no life except for hunting you."

Subaru looked at his hunter with a whimsical expression, and then bowed to him with exaggerated respect. "Now, if we may get started- I do have to eat dinner soon..." Seishirou gazed at him for a moment, wondering what had prompted this new arrogance. "Subaru-kun... are you that frightened of dying? I would have thought that you would have gotten used to the idea by now..."

Subaru couldn't help himself. In almost a fit of hysteria, he started to laugh. "Oh- oh yes- I- I'm so scared- scared of death-" Subaru gave up trying to fit words between the laughs that wracked his body, and laughed on for a few more moments. Then, wiping his eyes, he smiled at Seishirou. "Seishirou-san, don't worry about it. You wouldn't understand." His expression was almost triumphant, proclaiming that he had a secret- one that Seishirou would not be told of...

Seishirou looked at all of this with a little contempt. *You're that scared, Subaru-kun... I had thought that you would be able to face your death with a little dignity...* Seeing that his prey had gotten a hold of himself, Seishirou asked, "Are you ready?" His question asked many, many things at once, and made Subaru pause. Quietly, all levity forgotten, Subaru replied, "Yes. I have been ready for this for too long. It is time to finish it."

At an unspoken signal, both of them readied their powers. But right before the start of the battle, Subaru felt compelled to whisper something. "Seishirou-san... someone told me that those who lose their humanity are those who believe themselves greater than people. I tell you this- if I do not win, someone else will step in. Monsters like Sakurazukamori will be destroyed."

Seishirou nodded his understanding in an indulgent manner, and smiled. "Very good, Subaru-kun. I was wondering where your self-righteousness had gone. Still alive and well, I see- that is, until after this fight." Seishirou lifted his hand slowly, readying himself to launch his first attack. "Goodbye, Subaru-kun." The quiet reply. "Farewell, Seishirou-san."

Duncan looked through the cover of the foliage to see the two standing, talking. Subaru looked unusually calm... *I wonder what that little discussion on immortality was about. I hope it helped.* Looking around his little area, Duncan noticed someone else trying to hide a few yards away. *Who-*

"Of course- you would be Subaru's watcher. Am I correct?" At these words, the person who had been trying to hide came out from the concealing brush. The Watcher brushed himself off and looked at Duncan with assessing eyes. "You are Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. Am I correct?" Duncan nodded, and invited the Watcher next to him with a gesture.

"What's your name?" Duncan asked. The blond man answered, "Imonoyama Nokoru- and you are mistaken if you believe that I am one of the Watchers. I am merely serving in the capacity as one for this particular case... Sumeragi's assigned watcher is one of us, of course, and he believed that I would notice more..."

"So... you're part of the organization that is subverting the watchers?" Nokoru shook his head, while watching the unfolding drama between the two onmyoujis. "Subverting? What do you mean? We just make sure that Japan is safe, and the rest of the world as well. Some facts just should not be disseminated for the safety of all. We merely try to guide this country in the right direction..."

"Why is Sumeragi so important?" Nokoru paused, considering. Finally, he replied, "As a head of such a clan, he is bound to be both different and special... but his involvement with Sakurazukamori is what makes him notable. That, and a few interesting prophecies that doesn't seem to be coming true- that's good for us, in general. After all, foretellings of the apocalypse never leave the world in very good shape.

//Kaichou!//

As Duncan gazed at him with curiosity, Nokoru took out a head-set, placing it on his head.

//What is it, Suoh?//
//Are you sure that it's all right for you to be there? Considering your lack of -//
//Suoh- I'm not going to be fighting- don't worry about me!//
//It's just that we're not close enough to protect you-//
//Tell Akira not to worry, either. I've got an Immortal to protect me if all else fails.//
//What?!//
//Don't worry about it, Suoh. Nokoru out.//

Nokoru gave him a rueful grin. "I'm sorry I used you as a shield, but Suoh does worry about me too much." Duncan decided not to say a word, and went back to watching the standoff. He forgot all about the strange young man as the actual combat started...

"Is Kaichou all right?" Suoh nodded at his younger friend. "He sounds like his usual self, Akira. But still, how can we not worry about him?" Akira nodded, and sighed. "The only reason we're not with him is because it would draw unnecessary attention to him... I don't know- I was so surprised when he took this mission for himself. He seems very interested in this Sumeragi- is it because of the prophecies about the end of the world?"

Suoh nodded solemnly. "Kaichou knows something that he's not telling us." Then he smiled at Akira. "But we should trust Kaichou, right? He'll tell us if we need to know... I just wnat to know what he's doing with an Immortal..." Akira looked at him in confusion. "Another Immortal? This is getting confused..." Suoh sighed, putting one hand behind his neck. "Still, Kaichou is there, so he'll tell us what happened later..."

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