Author's notes:

For all intents and purposes, god's of death from Britain are technically called 'Reapers' instead of 'Shinigami' (makes sense, different culture... different language, hence different name). This fic is a continuation of 'Enter the Reaper' and 'The Reaper's Journey'.

Disclaimer: Yanagi-sen and I are only borrowing the characters from Yami no Matsuei and Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter books to torment for a while... Don't look for Harry to be appearing at any time in this fanfiction. Weiss Kreuz also seems to be making an appearance. Look for Schwarz, and don't expect the flower shop boys to be making any lengthy appearances... hmmm, is it obvious that the authors like the 'bad guys'? We claim no ownership over any character that does not belong to us... Itami Korin and Ishida Nanjiro are mine... those I claim and abuse at will.

The Reaper's Ascent.

Chapter eight.

After Watari had walked out of sight, the young reaper had started running... away from his lover, away from his shikis... away from everything that he knew. It would hurt too much to be rejected again like that. The older blonde had been the first person to make him feel truly wanted... truly loved... truly needed. Now he had thrown it all away for what? Was he that pathetic and weak-willed that a little attention erased any choice he had over his actions? Tears started to blur his vision as he tripped over an exposed tree root. He scrambled back to his feet, running again through the dense jungle. He just had to get away. Watari deserved better than him. Puss should find a better master. Kano... Kano could just go back to his river.

It would have been better if Watari had never saved him when his father attacked... He was his father's son... as much as he tried not to be. Draco sobbed, he tripped again and ended up sprawled headlong on the jungle floor.

Behind him, he heard a hissing sound.

The boy curled into as tight a ball as he could. He hoped if whatever he tripped over was dangerous, that it would just eat him quickly. Something curled around him and chuckled. Draco gasped, out of breath from his run, falling, and crying. He whimpered.

The creature gently patted his head. The teen turned his head, cautiously. Maybe this was a creature that liked to go for the throat... It took Draco a few moments to realize that whatever had him, didn't seem to have any intentions of eating him... at least for the moment.

He carefully opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed were the scales, then brilliantly colored feathers. He followed the curving, sinuous body till he looked into the jewel eyes of a large serpent.

---

Sitting at the edge of the stream, Watari shivered. He shouldn't have spoken like that to Draco. At the very least, he should have let the teen know that kappas are very capable of producing strong pheromones... He knew the boy was very physical. With awareness lulled by the warm water, once the kappa got his hands on the teen... Draco hadn't stood a chance.

Pulling his hair back, the shinigami knelt over the water and splashed some on his face.

In all honesty, the kappa himself can't even be held entirely accountable. Shikigami simply didn't have the same concerns or problems with sex. However, Kano was old enough that he should have given them some consideration. He had to get back and apologize to Draco... it hadn't been his fault, and knowing his partner, he was probably blaming himself for everything. Giving his face one more splash, Watari dried it off on his sleeve. He turned to head back to where they had spent the night. If Draco had decided to start moving, he would meet him along the way.

---

Staring up at the serpent, Draco tried to make sense of what had just happened... did that thing just, challenge him? "I'm very sorry... I've had a... stressful morning. Could you repeat yourself?"

"I do not appreciate having to repeat myself... but in this case, I will. I said that I challenge you."

This morning was going from difficult to surreal. "You're challenging me? Why?"

The serpent sniffed, "seems that you may be able to handle at least one more."

"But... I'm nothing special." A part of him was flattered though... and a bit hopeful. Here was a snake... well, kind of. He still had his affinity for serpents; he was a Slytherin after all.

Tsking, the shiki looked him straight in the eye, "Such little confidence from one with such potential... "

"May I ask... what are you?"

"I am a coatl."

"Ah... my name is Draco... Draco Malfoy."

"Little Dragon, I am Citlalcóatl."

The teen nodded his head politely. "It is an honor to meet you."

"My challenge to you is a simple one..." the coatl started.

Draco shivered inside. His last two challenges hadn't been the most pleasant... or easy.

Large wings fluttered, "retrieve the feather that I lost."

"You lost a feather?" The teen looked around at the dense undergowth. Even with as bright as the feathers were... it would be nearly impossible to find a single feather.

Shifting position, the serpent glided up into the air. "To the south there is a temple... it is in the highest tower."

"South..." Draco tried to guage direction... and failed. "Um... which way is south?"

Citlalcóatl turned to face the direction that the teen had originally been running towards, "that way."

"Thank you. You wish me to retrieve this feather for you?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"I would only suggest that you try not to get yourself killed..."

"Gee... thanks." Draco sighed and started to head back into the jungle.

---

Unlocking the door, Nanjiro let Nagi into his apartment for the first time... "Sorry it's a little small, but it's all I can afford for the moment.," he apologized.

The brunette smiled shyly. "I don't have anything so..."

The shinigami stretched. "I need to get changed and then I have to go check up on a friend's house, feed the pets, water the plants..."

"Okay..." Nagi just looked around the room.

The furniture in the apartment looked like it might be that cheap pressed wood... something that Brad would never have allowed to even pass through the door of their penthouse. Here and there were items that repairs had been made on, he could only imagine that those had been salvaged from the street. The other thing that the telekinetic noticed was that there was an absurd number of framed photographs and plants scattered around the place.

Still... it was obvious that this was a home. Sometimes Nagi felt like he was living in a museum. Even his own room didn't feel like HIS. In reality, Nagi didn't own anything. Everything that he possessed had been given to him.

Sitting on one shelf, the teen's attention was drawn to the photos displayed there. In all of them there were four people, and in all, Nanjiro was present... In each photo, one person changed, Akito, then a girl with pink hair (he didn't want to recall her body lying on that table filled with blood and fear forever stamped across her features), finally Wakaba... everyone in the same position, facing the direction of their gate.

They obviously had known each other for a long time... he was an outsider.

Moments later the shinigami came back out looking somewhat refreshed and dressed in fresh clothes. "Quit being so negative... you're not an outsider anymore."

Nagi ducked his head, embarrassed at being caught thinking such thoughts. "i'm sorry... you just all look so... together."

"We've all seen the worst that life has to offer," Nanjiro explained, "you've also seen and experienced horrible things... you're going to fit in with us just fine."

Nagi looked up, still a little uncertainty in his eyes. "You're sure?"

The blue haired teen picked up a set of keys, "Positive... though, if you want to get in good with Wakaba-chan... there is a temple that you could photograph for her... last person I sent there had no idea how to use a digital camera and all the photos came out blurry."

"I'd be happy to help."

They walked out the door and the teen locked his apartment up, "You remember the guy that was killed... as well as his kids and that we were messing around with the legal guardianship of the youngest son?"

"Yeah... how did that all turn out?"

Nanjiro jingled the keys, "it turned out cool... though, I don't think that Taka is all too happy about not being able to come back for the funerals."

"Oh."

"The place that I'm looking after is Taka's uncle's house..."

"Ah... his uncle... I thought he had no family... oooooh... I understand."

The blue haired teen grinned at Nagi and continued ushering the telekinetic down the hallway and out of the building. "Watari is in charge of the medicenter... really nice guy. So there was no way that I could leave his nephew to be prey to the evil incarnate that is his stepmom..."

"I'm glad it worked out then."

---

Watari glared at the Kappa... "Where is Draco?"

The shiki shrugged. He continued to wring out his green hair. "I don't know... last time I saw him, he was following you from the bathing pool."

"I... needed some time to think..." The shingami blushed.

"Hmmm... well, I went for a swim."

Watari crossed his arms, "and Puss is also gone..."

"Probably went hunting." The kappa stood and stretched.

The shinigami snorted. Puss was also missing... so it was probable that the feline shiki was with Draco. At least he hoped that was the case.

The kappa's eyes lit up suddenly. "So... if both of them are gone... do you want to keep moving or wait here?"

"Wait here... this is the place that it makes the most sense for them to come back to."

"You look tense..."

"I am."

The shikigami stepped up to the blond. "Sit and relax... this journey will be harder if you're tied up in knots."

"Wakatta..." Surprisingly enough, the shinigami didn't jerk away, and for the most part seemed to be trying to ignore the kappa.

"Come here... the grass is softer." Kano led him to the side of the stream. Sitting behind the blond, he started to gently rub the tense muscles of Watari's neck.

Relaxing slightly, the shinigami let his head drop forward with a small sigh.

The kappa dug a little deeper into the muscles, finding the knots and tension and trying to work them away. He concentrated on keeping his movements soothing and gentle.

"how can you seem so unconcerned about dray-chan?" Watari asked, already starting to sound a little drowsy.

"he'll be fine... he's stronger than he thinks... and that cat is probably with him..."

The shinigami nodded his head, "sou desu..."

Kano leaned closer, his breath ghosting across the back of the shinigami's neck.

Shivering at the sensation, the blond gave a half hearted attempt to turn and face the shiki. Before he could twist fully, the kappa dropped a quick kiss to the back of the shinigami's neck.

"dame," the blond whispered...

Kano pulled away entirely. "very well." The blond looked back at the shiki with large hazel eyes.

"What do you want?" His tone was surprisingly gentle.

"i don't know..."

"may I kiss you?"

He knew that he shouldn't... "hei..." Kano leaned closer again and lightly kissed the blond on the cheek. Tilting his head slightly, the shinigami let himself study the shiki's features. Kano just sat there, waiting. Hazel eyes blinked for a moment, but the blond didn't make a move to put any distance between them.

"I ask again... what do you want?"

The shinigami trembled slightly, "i don't know..." his voice came out hesitantly.

The shikigami smiled kindly. His hand came up to cup the side of the blonde's face. He pulled him close enough to kiss the scientist full on the lips.

Closing his eyes, the blond slowly started to respond.

Kano kept the kiss light, breaking it off to slide his lips along the pale neck. He nuzzled gently.

"why..." the shinigami started, but the rest of what he was going to say was lost in a gasp.

"Hmm?" He licked a spot just behind the blonde's jaw.

Watari shook his head, "i don't know anymore..."

"then stop thinking..." The kappa wrapped his free arm around the shinigami's back, drawing him closer.

---

Stumbling through the dense jungle, Draco was almost surprised when he finally arrived at the temple that CitlalcÛatl had indicated. Now all he had to do was avoid getting killed as he got that feather from the highest tower... He was astonished by the appearance of the structure. It wasn't like the 'towers' in England, or even like the Asian buildings he had seen. There were several structures that looked more like flattened pyramids than anything else. They rose out of the jungle almost as if they had grown there.

There was a broad avenue between the buildings, leading to the farthest temple. It looked to be the tallest. Draco headed between the other pyramids, looking about warily. On several of the buildings he could see intricate wall carvings as well as a few serpent sculptures.

He jumped, hearing something scream in the jungle. He sighed with a bit of relief, monkeys. A whole troop of them where watching him from one of the trees. He closed his eyes for a moment, breath... just breath...

The reaper almost didn't feel the small sharp prick in his side. He jumped, thinking some annoying insect had stung him. Twisting, he could see a small shaft and feather sticking out of his clothing. Frowning, he reached down and pulled it out. A dart! A dart with a very slender, dark tip, looked like stone. He looked forward to all the steps he'd have to climb. This wasn't good... not good at all.

---

Watari shivered in Kano's arms... at some point he had lost most of his clothes. In the back of his mind a small voice was screaming at him that he shouldn't be here, that he shouldn't let the kappa be touching him like this...

-Censored, insert sex between Kano and Watari here.-

Watari nearly collapsed on top of Kano. Rolling to the side, he curled up against the shikigami and sighed sleepily.

The kappa smiled and tugged the robes up over the blond. This could be a fun period of service...

---

Draco felt hot and sticky as he climbed the last of the steps. Even the breeze that had cooled him off before wasn't helping him now. The final step felt like he'd climbed a mountain. At the top there was a small building, partially open to the elements. Inside he could see what appeared to be a stone altar... and floating above it, suspended in the air, was what looked like a single feather.

The teen wasn't sure, but he thought that he could see a young man watching him...

It hadn't hurt much initially, but now the place where the dart had scratched him was starting to ache. Hand to his side, he started forward, casting his eyes about for more traps. While searching for traps, he tripped over a broken tile. Draco caught himself heavily on his hands, swearing in English. This was the last time he let Watari pick the vacation spot.

Sluggishly, he pulled himself back to his feet.

The feather... he had to get the feather... then... he couldn't remember what was supposed to happen next. The feather... that was his goal. He blinked rapidly, he must have gotten dust in his eyes, they didn't want to focus right. Draco stumbled into the room...

The feather hung before him, shimmering in the low light. He stepped up to the altar, reaching for the talisman. As his fingers touched the shaft, the enchantment holding it in the air broke. Numb fingers were somehow able to grab the feather as it fell. Draco smiled and staggered back a couple steps.

Strong arms caught the lithe teen before he managed to hit the floor.

Hazy silver eyes looked up at the person who had grabbed him. All he could see was white hair... and red... and the most intense emerald eyes

"Shhh... rest now little shinigami... you have earned it."

"watari... where..."

Hair plastered to his forehead was brushed back by a cool hand. "just rest for now..."

He was worried and wanted to demand where his partner was... But his body just wouldn't listen. Draco fell into a restless sleep.