By the time Sakura returned home at last, Hisoka again hung heavily on her thoughts, only she felt slightly more distressed by the ominous sight of the little animal in the road. Could that possibly foretell something yet to come in the future? Or was it just her mind going wild on her? She was anxious to find her brother and ask him exactly what happened that day in seventh grade. Maybe she could find out what was bothering Hisoka now and why she felt so connected to it all, too.

Sakura's family lived in a small yet pleasant house in the outskirts of Tokyo, neither a busy or vacant part of town. Trees of all kinds lined the roadside and a nice sized park lie only two blocks down from her home. It looked very similar to the small park in which she found Hisoka earlier today. She often enjoyed going to that park in the spring. It seemed that in almost every park in this country, there was at least one cherry tree in the center, as if it was a sacred or holy tree of some sort. It is true that the people of this area revere the tree for its beauty, but there are so many other beautiful trees that Sakura often wondered why this particular tree was viewed so highly. Perhaps something in past history paved the way for setting the cherry tree on his high pedestal.

As she approached the white house on a lavishing hill side, she peeked into the mailbox, but alas, there was nothing inside. Her mother's white sardine car, as she called it for its tiny figure, sat in the driveway. Walking past the little car, she noticed a slight indent in the frame near the front left side. What did her mother do now? If she wasn't loosing her keys or purse, it was running into stationary objects! She knew how her father would react when he sees the damaged vehicle, and she shook her head as she could almost hear his words echoing in her memory. She’d have to make note not to be home at that time…

She walked to the front door and stepped in. It was relatively quiet and dark inside; most of the lights were turned off to save electricity when it's not necessary. Sakura threw her bag and jacket down on the worn out sofa in the corner of the closed in living room and removed her shoes. Turning on a light to see her way into the next room, she peered down the hallway to her mother's room, to the left. She must have been taking a nap or went out for a walk since all the lights were off. Then glancing the other direction, she noticed a small light flickering in the distance, down the stairs. Kataki must be watching TV down there…

Walking down the hallway a short distance, past her bedroom, she descended the narrow staircase leading into the family room. It was significantly colder in the lower levels of her home, and she could feel a cold breeze already begin to nip at her bare arms. Lined with dark colored wood and forest green carpeting, the entire feeling of this room seemed naturally warm and down to earth, and yet it also had its dark side, too. When she was a little girl, she remembered being frightened out of her mind when she thought she had seen a skeletal hand crawl up the side of her chair one night when she defiantly stayed up past midnight. It was more than likely just her imagination, but she had always felt a little odd in this room and she normally stayed away because of it. In this case, she was determined to talk with her brother, wherever it took her.

Stepping into the darkness of the family room, she saw Kataki resting comfortably in the plaid, gray couch against the wall. His gaze never left the TV screen as Sakura walked up and sat on the floor beside him.

"What's up, sis?" He said without much enthusiasm. He continued staring at the TV, changing the channels with the remote in his left hand.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to talk with you a little bit," she said a little awkwardly.

Finally finding something worthwhile on the tube, Kataki set the remote down on his chest and began rubbing his immobile right arm with his left. "Well, whatever it is, you'd might as well spit it out, kid. I'm really tired today."

Her glance fell to her brother's injured arm and she suddenly felt uneasy to bring up the discussion about Hisoka. She wanted to brownie him up as much as possible before jumping into that first. "How was your walk from school? You make it here all right?"

"Oh, same old trek around town. Nothing much different about it." At last taking his eyes off the TV, he looked over at his sister and said, "Why? What's up with you?"

Looking away, Sakura twiddled with her hands. "I saw the most disturbing thing on the way home. I ran into a couple friends from school--"

"--That would disturb anybody," Kataki added in.

Half laughing and frowning at the same time, Sakura glared at him. "No, no! That's not what I meant…" She sighed and continued after a moment of silence. "After I saw my friends and continued on my way home, I saw this adorable little squirrel…"

"Oh, no… Not the nature expert again…"

Sakura playfully slammed her hands down on the side of the sofa. "Would you stop interrupting me!? Now, just as I was about to cross the road, this car comes speeding by, right, and runs over the squirrel! It was so discussing!"

Returning his gaze to the TV screen, Kataki mumbled, "Hm, well I guess it was better it than you."

In deep thought, Sakura glanced at the TV, "…Yeah… I guess so."

Several moments went by in silence, both of them glued to the TV screen. The program that Kataki had turned to wasn't even all that interesting. It was an old movie about two men, fighting over a girl that both of them wanted. They ended up killing each other because of their fierce rivalry. Neither of them would get what they wanted…

How pathetic men are, Sakura thought. They are willing to fight for what they desire even if there's a possibility of losing everything. Why take that risk? In any case, the movie did prove to be entertaining no matter how disturbing it was with its range of violence and vulgarity.

Once the film was finished, after about an hour of idle tube watching, Sakura regained her thoughts and remembered why she came down here: Hisoka! Turning to her brother once again, she said, "Kataki, I've been meaning to ask you something…"

Taking the remote in his good hand again, he began searching for something new to watch. "Yeah, what is it?" he said plainly uninterested.

"It's about Hisoka."

Instantly Kataki stopped flipping through the channels and looked at his sister. "What about him?" he frowned as he spoke, images of what Hisoka had done to him flashing through his mind.

Slightly nervous to speak more of the subject by Kataki's reaction, Sakura stumbled upon her words, "I-I just wondered… what you were thinking… when you saw us in the park earlier today."

What a thing to say! Didn't she know what he thought of that brat by now? After everything that's happened? Kataki couldn't understand why she would bring this subject up nor could he grasp the importance of it to her. Unless…

"What I thought? You really want to know what I thought about that…" he refrained from calling Hisoka by one of his many vulgar names due to his sister's look of concern. He sighed and continued angrily, "I don't know why you're asking me this. Is he somehow special to you now? You don't even know the kid."

"No, it's nothing really. He was just in a couple of my classes today. I never noticed that it was him," she stressed the last word to refer to the time back in 7^th grade, when she saw Hisoka for the first time. "I was just curious to hear how you felt."

Looking away, Kataki repeated Sakura's words more calmly, "Curious, huh? Fine. I'll let you in on my personal feelings toward…Hisoka," he dreaded speaking that boy's name again… "You know what I thought of him ever since the accident; a low-down-dirty-sneak that no one can trust. No, I haven't always thought that of him, but ever since that day… God, Sakura, you should have seen him. I haven't told this to anyone just because it scared me so much…and you know how I've gotta look macho, but… When I was hanging on to the side of the cliff, Hisoka didn't immediately attempt to help me back over the ledge. I looked up at him and yelled at him to help me, but he just grinned back at me, his eyes glowing a weird red color. He looked like a demon! I-I had never seen such a thing before…but the next thing I knew, he was like a totally different person. He reached down for my hand as he held on to a tree branch. But the branch broke and we both fell. And the rest you know."

Kataki quietly looked away, his crippled arm beginning to throb painfully in remembrance to the fall so long ago. How much more time had to go by until he felt normal again, as if he was himself again? Never. Nothing would be the same again. He’d never play sports again, he’d never live a normal life again, he’d never be able to use his right arm again, ever. He was a cripple now and he hated the idea. Way back in elementary school he remembered how much he used to tease other kids with unpleasant physical conditions much like what he must deal with now. He remembered how much he hated them, not for who they were, but because they were useless, helpless, weak. The weak have no right to live, just like what his father always preach to him, day in, day out. He almost wished his father had been successful with doing him away back two years ago… If Sakura hadn’t gotten in the way, Kataki wouldn’t have any problems to worry about; he wouldn’t have a single care. But that was in the past, as was everything else. All there was left to do was look forward and hope for a brighter future.

All this time as Kataki sat in deep thought, Sakura was slowly gaining up the courage to ask more about Hisoka. Just as Kataki was beginning to forget what they had been talking about, Sakura spoke up again. "Kataki, do you really believe… that Hisoka’s some kind of monster? I just don’t see that…"

"Why do you care?" her brother spat at her, irritably. "I don’t give a shit about that little twerp. He can go jump off a cliff for all I care; and without me, this time!"

Sakura didn’t know what to say or do. She knew she wanted to argue her way, but with her brother’s current position on the matter, it seemed impossible to dissuade him. Was what he said about Hisoka true? That he looked like a monster just before they fell? She had never seen anything like that before, why would such a drastic personality evade her judgment and first impressions? But then she thought back to the first time she had seen him, in the hospital just after the accident and she remembered hearing the voice… the voice! It must have been Hisoka back then, calling for her help! But why? How? Why her? She was beginning to ask more questions than she found answers for. Her orderly, peaceful world was suddenly starting to crash down all around her. And she didn’t know how to put it together again.

Just then, she was saved by her mother, calling down the stairs for her. "Sakura? You have a telephone call. I’m not exactly sure who it is."

Standing back up, thankful to be saved from this awkward situation with her brother, she quickly ran up the stairs, skipping every other one to reach the top. Her mother had turned on the light in the hallway, which lit the whole area with bright, artificial light. Her mother stood holding the brownish phone in the kitchen down the hall and to the left. Smiling, she handed the receiver over to Sakura.

"Thanks," she said, looking back to her mother, who must have just awoken from a nap by the way her hair looked. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was that of a very distraught female, not much older than she. "Sakura? This is Kaori, a doctor and friend of Hisoka’s family. Listen, you’ve got to get over here. There’s some kind of problem…"

Before she could think, the words were already out of her mouth. "Is it Hisoka? Is there something wrong?"

"I-I don’t really know, but I have a feeling you might. Please, just get here as soon as you can. I don’t know what else I can do…"

"Ahh, right. Okay, I’ll be right there." Quickly tossing the phone at her mother to hang it up, she ran to the living room, put on her coat and shoes, and dashed out the door, calling back to her mother, "I won’t be gone long, mom! Bye!" And the door closed with a slam.

Still holding the phone, Sakura’s mother listened to the other end, which was still connected and heard the cries of a desperate mother in the background. Without much to say at all, she said, "Uhh, hello? Who is this?"

She could not hear the voice directly, but it was more in the background. "Here, you talk to her and tell her what’s going on. I’ll keep an eye out for Sakura."

Then another voice, the same one she heard crying in the background, came on the line. "Hello… Is this…Sakura’s mother?"

Beginning to feel uneasy and worried about what her daughter was getting involved with, she said, "Yes… What’s going on? Where has Sakura gone?"

"It’s my son… He-he’s dying!"

**********

Back in Hisoka’s dream world, he continued to fall from the ledge the demon so eagerly dropped him from. With not much time left, he tried to think of something that could save him, something that he could use to escape the monster above him now. The first thing that came to his mind were a pair of wings, giant, angelic wings. The instant the idea entered his mind, two great white wings exploded from his back, allowing him to glide on the wind until he safely reached the ground below. This was the only time he could actually begin to calm his spirit.

The ride down was such a peaceful one, he nearly forgot about the pending danger that loomed just above him. He needed a plan, something more than these wings to defend himself from that beast. But before he could ponder that option any further, his feet touched down roughly and instantly fell to his knees, again feeling the pain from the various dagger wounds. Again he found his breath far from his body, and as he grasped the remaining dagger still gouging from his chest, another wave of agony swept through him. How much more of this could he take? Just as he was beginning to turn the tide, it only returned to torture him all the more. Still it had to come out…

Using both of his hands, one already bloodied by the demon’s grip high above, Hisoka wrenched the blade from him in one swift motion. Nearly collapsing entirely onto the dusty ground on which he knelt, he looked at the blade again. It was the same! The exact same dagger as the demon used to attack him before! But how? It was unmistakable with its curvy dragon head for the hilt and spread out golden wings for the cross bars. The blade itself was formed by the dragon’s body and tail. This was by far a magnificent blade, if it weren’t for his dark, crimson blood tainting its wondrous luster. As Hisoka held the blade, it almost appeared as if the weapon’s jeweled eyes flashed in response to his pain.

"This must end soon," Hisoka thought, "or else… there’s not going to be much left of me soon…"

Calling down in a deep, booming voice, the demon high above on the ledge said, "What’s the matter down there, boy? Think you’ve just learned something new and in turn forgotten something that took you so long to learn? What a pity you must die before you can grasp them both!"

Without much time as to react to the demon’s voice, Hisoka turned around to face the ledge as quickly as he could, and saw the beast form his own grotesquely huge wings upon his back; only these were in the shape of bat wings as black as midnight, the wings of a devil. Stretching them out as if he hadn’t used them in quite a while, he flexed the muscles in the wings and his upper arms. "Ahhh, that’s better…" Then looking down, over the edge, he caught sight of Hisoka, helplessly trying to stand and defend himself. And before he knew it, the demon plunged off the side of the cliff in a wild dive for his prey.

**********

After running clear across town without a single stop for a breather, Sakura finally made her way back to Hisoka’s house. Panting uncontrollably as she walked up to the front door, she feebly knocked on the door. A few shattering moments passed until Kaori at last came to open the door.

"Oh, Sakura. Come on in." She stepped aside to let the girl in. The look on her face wasn’t too distressful, and yet she could see the look of helplessness deep within. "Follow me, he’s over here."

Sakura simply nodded as Kaori went off down the hallway to Hisoka’s room. As they neared the room, again Sakura saw an odd glow emanating from a room a short distance away. Why did she always see this light whenever something was wrong with Hisoka? And the voice…? Just as she began thinking about it, she swore she heard it faintly calling to her.

As they entered the room, the light was pouring forth from Hisoka’s limp body, lying on the bed in the center of the room. Sakura couldn’t believe how intense the light was nor could she come to understand it. It wasn’t the kind of harsh light that one must squint to see past or has a difficult time seeing anything other than the blinding white light. It was far more warm and comforting, almost like water comforting a small child. The light within the room filled her with warmth and she could easily see ahead of her.

Beside the small bed sat Aiko, Hisoka’s distraught mother, who sat cradling his hand close to her face. All that pain in his mother’s eyes was almost too much to handle. Looking back to Kaori, Sakura’s eyes softened. "What’s going on here?"

Kaori shook her head, "We don’t know. I don’t know… I’ve tried everything I know to do to wake him, but nothing works. And look," she walks to the bed and pulls down the covers slightly to see the blood stains on the sheets. "I really don’t want to know where this is coming from…"

Approaching closer to the side of the bed, Sakura frowned at the horrific sight. "…So much blood… How…?"

"I haven’t got a clue…other than this guy." She held up the spherical Dreambomb in her hand. "This is called a Dreambomb. It’s meant to help arouse people from deep sleep, but it seems to have a much different effect with Hisoka…" Looking back to the unconscious boy, she added, "It must have connected this world—reality—with is dream world."

"So then, you mean this is actually happening to him there?" Sakura asked in a horrified tone. Aiko’s mouth nearly dropped to the floor as she listened into the two girl’s conversation.

"That’s the only thing that I can conclude from this," she motions to the covers with her hands. Then looking back to Sakura, flinging her hair slyly to the side, she said, "That’s where you come in."

Confused, Sakura replied, "Me? What can I do? I hardly know him yet."

"Maybe, maybe not, but I've got a feeling that you can help him, somehow."

Growing excitingly anxious over feeling needed, Sakura spoke, "How? What do you want me to do?"

Turning her head away in shame, Kaori said quietly, "I don't really know…" Then returning her glance back to Sakura, she added with a twinkle in her eye, "But I think you're about to find out…"

She was right. The voice she had heard so faintly before now cried out with all its might. What did it want? Who was it? Why did she feel so familiar with this feeling, the light, the voice? This was far too much to grasp in this amount of time, but Sakura felt somehow familiar with it all, as if she was playing her part in a distant dream that she had forgotten long ago. In the next instant that flashed by her without much warning of its arrival, the Dreambomb flashed brilliantly in Kaori's hands, then dashed out toward Sakura. Hovering in front of her like a giant insect, the sphere glittered with apparent life as she gazed at the sight. Then she heard the voice louder than ever, almost as if it was coming from the Dreambomb itself.

"Sakura… Please… help me……… help me…………"