A week goes by and there is sill no sign of Jikan. Hoshi begins to wonder if something has happened to him in that dark world. The young man's days have been so dull without the cloaked man. This only makes him more worried and longs to see him again.
If only Hoshi knew what was happening, Jikan had discovered it was Tsuki who had opened a portal in the world of darkness. A world were only giants roamed, all because he wanted one of them to crush him flat. The cloaked man had to take him back to their world, where he made it clear Tsuki must be kept under lock and key. Even Jikan felt sorry for the man, he knows this was the only to stop him from trying to end his life. Then it got him thinking, would it really matter if he did die?
The cloaked man shakes his head. "What am I thinking? Death is not the answer. There has to be a reason why he wants to die."
He decides to spend some time with Tsuki to see if he can uncover the truth. The only problem is the man refuses to tell him until one day they are alone in a garden.
"You are not going to like it," stresses Tsuki.
"Just tell me," demands Jikan with a sigh.
The trouble maker moves closer so he can whisper in the cloaked man's ear, "We are being lied to. There is no end to people from other worlds appearing in the one you like. No matter how many gates or doors you close they will keep coming."
"Why do you think that?
"Think about it, Jikan, this is why you are always busy. Never have time to take a breath, because we are being used, Jikan. Used to do our elders dirty work. They are the reason it keeps happening. They are responsible for us being trapped in an endless loop."
The cloaked man shakes his head for he cannot believe what Tsuki is saying. It all sounds like the ramblings of a bed man. All he can do is agree with him and hope he gets the right treatment now he is finally in the right place. Jikan decides to tell what Tsuki had said to the doctor who also agrees it is nothing more than ramblings of an ill man.
However, when he mentions it to Taiyō he is not so quick to judge and starts to suggest there could be some truth in what Tsuki was saying.
Jikan becomes confused and questions, "Wait, you are saying they are not just ramblings of an ill mind something really happened?"
Taiyō takes a deep breath and answers, "Long ago on our world there was a man like you… he grew angry with us because some of did not accept him. They would teat him badly. It is written he used his abilities to send them to another plain of existence. It was this action that brought about our current situation. There does not seem to… Hold on, there might be a way with you… Only if you are willing to give it ago?"
"You are not making much sense. What do you mean, one like me?"
The leader takes down his hood to reveal he has white hair and rich blue eyes.
"See I am not the same as you. Also you can perform spells the likes of which none us have witnessed before. You have to understand, none of us know what happened to the one like you, he vanished, leaving behind a mess that is yet to be undone. All because we did not embrace him or accept there is nothing wrong with being different. Some elders said he was just a child from the frozen mountains that lie far to the South. Other believed he was just a lost form of our race. Either way he did not deserve to be treated badly."
Jikan takes hold of a piece of Taiyō's fringe and takes down his own hood.
The leader is shocked to see there is no difference other than the young one's skin is covered in marks, odd symbols and his eyes seem to change from blue to green.
"What? I do not understand?… All the elders say the one who caused the rift had black hair, dark skin and gold eyes."
Jikan looks at his hands and shakes his head. "It makes you wonder if any of them really saw him, giving the fact we all hide ourselves. Well, until now."
"You make a good point. Anyway, let me take you to the rift."
The cloaked man nods and follows him out in to a wide open field that is covered in light blue almost white flowers. Jikan soon becomes aware of a deep rumbling that can even be felt through the ground. They soon come to a stop outside a ring of stones, each one must stand between eleven to twelve feet tall. It is clear from the deep scars across their surface something terrible happened here. Even the ground that can be seen through the gaps is covered in deep groves. The cloaked man sees right in the centre of the stones is an open gate, a portal that is as black as the night with a pinkish purple to white border.
"This is what he opened. No one has been able to close it," informs Taiyō watching the young one hold out his left-hand.
To Jikan this place is becoming awfully familiar even though he had never been there before. He can feel the gate is a rip not only space but time and he knows how to close it. The question what would happen if he does? Will he still be able to visit Hoshi's world? All this time not once had Jikan thought about the lad he was falling in love with. Now he is facing an unknown task, an image of the boys sweet face comes clearly in to his mind. The cloaked man also knows this rift cannot be allowed to remain open. Jikan steps inside the circle he takes a deep breath and begins to chant.
Taiyō watches the young ones robes begins to flap from an unnatural wind and all of his symbols upon his skin start to glow an eery light green.
There is a suddenly a bight flash and rift begins to disappear as though the odd wind was wiping it out from the bottom to the top.
Jikan closes his eyes and slowly the symbols upon his person return to normal. All he can do is hope he is still able to portal in to Hoshi's world.
Taiyō quickly rushes to the young one's side to catch him, black blood appears to be seeping from his nose and mouth.
"What has happed to you? Should we not have closed this rift? Jikan… Jikan! Can you hear me?"
The leader quickly pulls up his and the cloaked man's hoods before he portals to a medial bay. One he knows he can trust the doctors to keep what Jikan really is a secret.
After a while a doctor comes to ask, "How old do you think Jikan is?"
"I guess a few centuries? That is not the case is it?"
The doctor shakes his head and tells him, "Jikan is an elder. All of his marks tells us he is a powerful summoner, from a place that is called, Lost Mountains. It is clear, he has stuffed a blow to the head which would cause him to loose his memory. Whoever found him, gave him a new identity and a new life. The thing is the damage is repairing itself, so eventually he might be able to tell us who he really is. For now though let him continue to be the child you know."
Taiyō nods and asks, "What was with the black blood?"
"That is normal for a summoner, it changes the colour depending on what he summons. Taking his markings in to account he mainly summon creatures, right?"
"Correct."
"Then that is why it is black. The reason it started to come out of him is because of the spell he used to closed the rift, it causes damage to the throat. Luckily with him having off the chart retentive capabilities, by the time you had got him here he was already healed. That is why he fell to sleep his body rushed to heal the damaged area."
"Amazing. So, he can come home?"
The doctor nods and tells him, "He needs to rest."
"I will make sure he does."
The doctor leads Taiyō in to the room where they have been treating Jikan. Two of them help him on with his robe and make sure the deep hood hides most of his handsome face.
"You gave me quite a scare, lad. I am pleased though you are all right," expresses Taiyō patting him on the arm.
Jikan rises off the bed and apologises, "Sorry, I will try not let happen again."
The leader gives him a pat on the arm. "Come, let's get you home."
The cloaked man nods and follows him out of the room.
"Taiyō, I have to know, I am still able to get to my partner's home?"
The leader can hear there is a hint of worry within in the young one's voice.
"I would say so. I recommend you portal there tomorrow after you have had a good nights rest."
Jikan nods and carries on home. However, once Taiyō is gone he opens a portal to Hoshi's world and makes his way to the young man's house.
Hoshi is sitting by his balcony window when he sees something appear in the shadows on the right and the next thing he sees is Jikan. The young man scrambles to feet and slides open the door to be warmly embraced by the cloaked man.
"I am so sorry I have been away such a long time. I just had to find out why Tsuki wanted to ended his life."
Hoshi holds him close and enquires, "Were you able to find that out?"
Jikan takes a step back, folds his arms and roughly goes on to tell him what Tsuki had told him about being used by the elders to the rift. He makes sure not to mention he has been in hospital and is still recovering.
Hoshi is a little concerned about the rift and tells him, "I do not blame you making sure you can get here… I think I would have done the same thing."
Jikan rests himself against the rail and says, "The thing is, the place where the rift was, it felt like I had been there before, even though I had not. It was a really odd feeling."
"Oh I have had that before a real sense I had been somewhere before. It was because it was very similar to another place I had visited. One of which I had completely forgotten about. Perhaps that is what has happened to you?"
The cloaked man has a think and responds with a few nods. "Perhaps you are right. Anyway, enough about me. How has your week been?"
"Dull without you. Every night I hoped you would appear like this and we would go on another mission together to send another creature back to their world."
Jikan likes the way the young man's eyes sparkle with excitement, it makes him stroke the lad's face and give him a long kiss.
"I'm afraid I am not detecting anything tonight," he whispers a moment later. "What would you like to do?"
Hoshi helps him to remove his boots and takes him over to the bed.
"Let's watch more anime or you have to go?"
The cloaked man shakes his head and tells him, "I am all yours tonight. Unless you think it is too soon?"
The young man's face lights up and replies, "No, it is not too soon. I want you to be with me. I have missed you so much."
They go on to watch anime long in to the night, until Hoshi starts to fall asleep. Jikan uses his abilities to switch everything whilst he puts the young man to bed. He goes on to give him a kiss upon the forehead and leaves him to sleep. The cloaked man snuggles up beside him and soon drifts off to sleep.
Hoshi slowly becomes aware of a warm breath near his neck, he looks over to see it is the man he loves on his side with a hand upon the young's chest. The slender flex and move down Hoshi's body to his abdomen. The lad is not bothered if the hand goes lover with him missing him so much.
Jikan pulls him close and whispers, "You're awake."
"I am… is there something wrong?"
The cloaked man sits up and answers, "I am not sure… oh no it is you. You are from another world, a place that is full of rainbows."
Hoshi giggles and plays along, "Yeah and unicorns. Where the sky is pink and the grass is blue."
The cloaked man strokes the side of his face. "Little fries fly around granting wishes. What would your wish be?"
"My wish?"
"Yeah, if you could wish for something what would it be?"
Hoshi has a think and answers, "You have already answered it by coming into my life."
The young man goes on to give him a kiss and moves his hand down over Jikan's body. He can feel the cloaked man has muscles that get bigger when moves.
Then the bedside lamp comes on, Jikan sits up and his hands grip the edge of his hood.