Caught forever between light and darkness

He walked headphones on music blaring in his ears through the streets on the way home he lived at the castle, where it was safe. Where he would not dare go to get to him although that didn't mean he was safe walking the streets.

He paused his teal blue eyes that looked as if they were the earth themselves from the sky traveling over the horizon above his head scanning and pausing as if seeing something there that no one else could see. His silvery white hair blowing in the wind as he reached up and pulled the headphones down the presence didn't feel evil.....it didn't really feel like anything but it did feel like something or someone was there and for Shu that was never wrong. "I know your there." He said for a human he was unafraid unmoving.

Whatever was there was supernatural he knew that it was certainly not human although it wasn't vampire either......or demon he knew them well enough. "Although whatever interest you have in me I do not know." Since this one was skilled enough to hide his thoughts at least for the moment.

"Amusing as hell...even your soul screams to live...yet you're a living, breathing being..." he mused lowly as he finally came down far enough for the boy to see him. "Seems you're quite the skilled one...even for a...human..." he said lowly as he came down, seeming to just float down to the ground and landed on his feet, the clacking of the wood against the pavement the only indication that he was really even there.

"But you know...you're not going to hear my thoughts...my magic blocks out your ability..."

Shu looked at him and tipped his head. "An interesting ability then." His magic and looked away closing his eyes someone who didn't add into the chaos that was in his head daily. "I don't know if I'd call it skilled.......more like........cursed." He said shrugging and sighing. "Although that doesn't answer my question what is it you want?"

Shukumei looked at Mujo this one screamed danger and death. Screamed the end was to come everything about him. "You yourself are interesting......death walks with you like a lover.....it seems to embrace you....I can't hear your thoughts but your aura your presence is still clear. What I feel what I precieve......." He didn't know what to make of this at all.

Mujo chuckled lowly and licked his lips. "Death is my lord and master...I work for him and am his best friend and right hand man," he explained happily. Zero was indeed his best friend, but he was also his lord and master. Without Zero, Mujo would have no job.

"As for your curse...well, that is up for debate. You may see it as a curse, but Aoi would not...Aoi carries this earth on his shoulders because he is it's father, it's creator. All of the magical and non-magical creatures are his children...even you. It would sadden him greatly if a child such as yourself saw the abilities you've been given as a curse," he explained lowly.

Shrugging, Mujo titled his head a little, letting his shoulder length, shaggy red hair fall over a small portion of his face. "As for what I want...well, that's not important..."

Shu sighed. "I see them as a curse not because of the gifts I was given but because I listened to someone I nearly destroyed everything." he closed his eyes. "The father of this world.......although his thoughts and presence is always sad they are gentle and warm." He shrugged and turned slightly looking out at everyone and everything. "There a curse because I nearly destroyed everything that he cares about he was willing to die to end my suffering." Shu sighed and shook his head before looking over at Mujo again.

"Death is your lord and master. So then you are a Reaper. That explains why you feel so very different to me." Shu said and sighed again to have to keep himself light hearted at all times one sour mood one bad thing and things shook and quaked there was no reducing his power it was simply Shu he was fated to be the child that determined wither or not this world lived or died. "It's a hard weight to carry........I can hear all of them always there thoughts and desires everything everyone........but you it seems. I guess I just.........I don't want to be the cause of this world's destruction."

Mujo sighed and closed his cold, cold gray eyes and shook his head. "For such a smart child, you're very dumb..." he said lowly, blunt as always. "Your curse is indeed a gift...without you, Aoi would be shouldering things all on his own...at least with you here, he can never force all of the blame onto himself," he explained lowly as he opened those dull gray eyes of his to look back at Shu.

"Without you, Aoi would not be able to survive...he has nearly broken so many countless times...but because you just simply exist, you keep his soul tethered here, so that it can no longer be broken into the fragments that it once was...without you, Aoi himself would no longer exist..." he explained lowly, but rather coldly. Despite his wise and gentle words, he still sounded harsh and dark, as if somehow scolding Shu.

"As for me...it's true that I'm a reaper, but more than that, I am someone who can understand...I can hear the cries of every soul on this planet...the sadness, the hate, the anger, the pain, the joy...every single cry and plea for help and every single sin...I can hear it all, yet I myself am bound to keep silent as I listen and simply reap...my job is to kill and cast sinners into the gates of hell...I am death and destruction the same as you can be..." he explained as he stared at Shu.

Shu listened to him and took a deep breath nodding as he spoke. Without him Aoi would. Because he simply existed Aoi's burden was not so heavy to carry because Shu carried it with him. He really could be stupid it was just that until now no one had even understood what it was like to be in his position. He looked over at Mujo and sighed. "It would seem I can be rather dense." he said lightly as if not taking any offense at all and then looked out at the distance again taking in the sight of the people mulling about. "But in the end I'm only human."

Mujo tilted his head and looked at Shu, his shaggy red hair always seeming to get in his face when he moved his head the wrong way, but he always ignored it, as if it wasn't even there. "Everyone can be dense at times, it just takes the right person to make us understand," he told Shu lowly as he looked at him.

"As for the human part...well...I doubt you'd believe me if I told you this...but there is a way to end that part without upsetting the balance..." he mused lowly, shifting his scythe on his shoulder as he spoke. It was of course, a suggestion that he was certain had been heard before, but never quite the way he had in mind.

Shu looked over at Mujo and took a deep breath as he nodded. Someone to show him the way to help him understand. Shu looked at him and blinked.

"A way to become something other then human without upsetting the balance?" He asked a bit curious since Mujo already routed the whole concern about the balance by mentioning that it would not upset it at all this way..........it had Shu a bit curious.

"I found and ancient reaper's text that describes a spell that temporarily links a human's soul with a vampire's soul so that the human's powers can be shifted to them until their transition is complete...so technically you would be faking out your abilities..." he began to explain lowly. "It would mean you could transition safely without ever technically dying..." he finished lowly, shrugging.

"However, that's just assuming you'd be willing to participate, and that's also assuming I can find a vampire willing to link with you long enough for the transition to take place..."

Shu listened to him speak and took a deep breath. "How long....would the link last..." To be without his 'curse' he had been born with it and the idea of it being gone was unsettling. But if it was for a short time he could handle it.

Shu shifted and closed his eyes. "And is there even a vampire out there who would?" Who would willingly link up with a human without having to be bribed? Without getting angry over even indicating it for a moment oh he was well aware that vampires changed there human lovers all the time but this was different he wouldn't be the vampires lover.

Mujo chuckled and licked his lips. "The link would last as long as the transition, which would only be a few hours..." he mused lowly, already getting that devious grin splayed across his features and in his eyes.

"As for finding a vampire willing...well, Aoi would indeed be willing, as would a few others...it's just a matter of talking to them..." he said, shrugging as if he was indifferent. Honestly, he was tickled pink. This meant he got to use reaper magic on a living human without reaping his soul...and...he got to play with vampires...so amusing...

Shu looked at him his voice and manner spoke of one thing his eyes had this wicked look of delight though which made him a touch nervous although because he could not sense and hear his thoughts had no idea it was just the fact that he got to use magic on a living being got to do something for the living for a change instead of the dead and dying.

Shu looked at him and took a deep breath and then nodded. "Alright..........it's been troubling Aoi." He said lowly softly. "My humanity, he said.....this world is connected to my life if I die it will die with me....I don't want that constantly troubling him he's been very kind to me..." he said he'd go through with it if they could find a vampire willing....."I don't....if at all possible though want it to be Aoi. He's aware of the level of burden I carry but....I don't want the weight on him to increase if even for a moment if at all possible........he's already handling so much.....I don't honestly despite my gripping mind carrying my powers." Shu said lightly but firmly and he didn't. That sorrow in Aoi's eyes he didn't want it even for a moment to increase in them.

Mujo chuckled lowly at Shu's words. "Always worried about hurting Aoi...too bad Aoi isn't as fragile as everyone believes..." he mused lowly as he closed his eyes. So excited and amused. This was certainly a highlight of his life. "But if it can be avoided, I will avoid asking Aoi to link his soul with yours..." he said and opened his eyes to look at Shu, the excited, yet wicked gleam in his eyes fully present, as was the wicked grin that seemed to be a permanent thing.

"As for a vampire that would be willing...well...I can always ask Kyoki...Kyoki seems to always be looking for a son..." he mused lowly. Of course, no one would ever expect such a thing from Kyoki, since the man himself was so crazy and unpredictable. That, and the giant dog held little to no compassion or gentleness in his body. Mujo himself had more compassion that Kyoki.

Shu nodded. "I know he's not that fragile, it's more the weight of sorrow. He knows of the burden I carry but I don't need him feeling that weight even for a moment ontop of his own, so I thank you." Shu said nodding in truth Shu was a sweet guy. He took a deep breath and tipped his head. "Kyoki was looking for a son? "

He took a deep breath and looked at him. "I would never have imagined Kyoki wanting a son but then again I don't deal much with him in general.......other then to know.....he's very strict and tough." He said which might amuse Kyoki to know that much. "And that despite that strictness Jigoku and Yasei are eternally loyal to him."

Sighing, Mujo shook his head. Always protecting the protector it seemed. Even vampires like Kyoki who were once feral, dire, spiteful creatures are now loyally protecting the eternally sad king. "It seems that there are many who desire to help protect the king of all vampires...even Sarubia has joined forces with Aoi to help protect him and keep him happy..." Mujo stated lowly. He respected Aoi greatly, and perhaps, even if he would never admit it aloud, slightly afraid of the powerful god.

Mujo chuckled at Shu's words about Kyoki and spoke lowly, "He always seems eager to turn a human, but all who ask desire to be turned by Aoi. Kyoki has been eager for quiet some time now though..." He sighed and looked up at the sky for a few moments, gazing off in silence as he thought about Jigoku and Yasei.

"Kyoki is all those two have. They are a dying breed sadly. The Inu clan, thanks to Kyoki, has all but been destroyed. Kyoki killed his own family to save those two pups...all because he didn't want them to end up as fucked up as he himself was...unfortunately, he wasn't able to protect them from everything...Jigoku is seemingly gentle, but with a little coaxing from Kyoki, his true colors will shine through and reveal that he is just as crazy and violent as Kyoki. Yasei faired the worst out of them both it seems though..." he began to explain after a few more moments of silence. "Yasei is the youngest, and without Jigoku or Kyoki at home to teach him, he became feral and will attack and play with anything that moves or so much as smells interesting...without Kyoki, there would be no one to control him I'm afraid..."

Shu looked at him and then closed his eyes listening to him as he spoke about the Inu's. Kyoki was dangerous but that was well known he didn't hide it. Jigoku did indeed seem quiet gentle and nice but hearing that all it took was a little coaxing from Kyoki and Jigoku was just as crazy and violent as his elder brother. Then blinked and sighed softly at hearing about Yasei.

"It sounds like they had it rough." He said lowly taking a deep breath and nodding. "I'd still prefer to ask him and not Aoi it may come across wrong to Aoi but......I don't want to see him cast into more sorrow or to look at me even more sorrowfully then he does." Shu said softly.

Mujo chuckled and nodded. "I will ask Kyoki when I get a spare moment..." he told Shu lowly. He was a reaper, and had little time to spare. Unless he got to talk to Zero soon, he'd have to make his own time to spare and have Zero on his ass for not having enough work to do.
"As for the Inu brothers, it's why they're so close to one another, and why Kyoki is so horribly strict on them. He loves them in his own way, and works hard to make a better life for them than what he had..."

Shu nodded as he looked at him and took a deep breath. "It all makes sense and thank you." He said softly lowly since it would take Mujo's magic in order to make it work he just hoped it didn't hurt Aoi that Shu didn't want him holding Shu's burden if even for a moment if he could help it.

He sighed softly and closed his eyes. Especially since things seemed so tense between Aoi and Kira as of late.