Alright guys!

Sorry, I got this up a little later than intended, but it's still up on Sunday, so it counts!

Some of you were probably brought here from my story "Wild", but if not, I shall explain!

This story is basically and origin story. It's the story behind the Angel and Demon in my Soulmates!verse. This is how everything started, why they are there and why they are reborn. I don't know about you, but personally, this is something I've wanted to explore for a while now.

However, since this is a backstory that takes place WAY before the events of One Piece, none of the One Piece characters are actually in it. Sorry if that upsets you. Still, I think it's a pretty awesome story, but I might be a little biased because I wrote it. Whatever.

I'm warning you guys now: HAVE TISSUES READY.

I cried some when I wrote this, which usually means that you guys cry to. A least, that's been my experience. So I'm warning you now. THERE WILL BE FEELS.

Also, for those of you who don't know/may be curious:

"Tenshi" means angel in Japanese.

"Oni" means demon in Japanese.

Disclaimer: I OWN THIS WHOLE FREAKING THING. I MADE EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT UP SO IF YOU COPY IT, THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY FOR YOU TO HIDE BEHIND THE "I got it from canon, not you" EXCUSE.

Warnings: FEELS SO MANY FEELS, also some mild gore (really mild), two characters that are gender neutral

Edit: I reread it after I posted it and the spelling errors I found bothered me. So I fixed them.

ONWARD!

~Beginning~

Every story has a start, no matter how long ago it was.

Many things are lost to history. This story is no different. After all, there is no one left to remember.

And when there is no one left who knows what really happened, people tend to try and fill in the blanks themselves. They spin tale after tale, the words changing after each telling until the story no longer holds its original meaning. And no matter how many times the words change or how many different stories there are, people believe them. Even though they are no longer true.

Eventually, all truth bleeds into lie.

The truth becomes lost, buried, and forgotten. And time continues to move as it always has. Those who remember grow old and die and the last tie to the truth disappears. There are hints of it, little slivers of fact hidden within a sea of myth, but the story will never be what it once was.

But that will never change how the story really happens.

They walk through the garden, garbed in white. They are colorless, yet at the same time all the colors. There is a brightness, a glow, around their skin that never fades, never dims. Their wings are the pure white of fallen snow, innocent and good.

"Tenshi-sama! Tenshi-sama!"

The Angel turns just in time to feel a small body collide with their legs. They look down and see a wide, bright smile that never seemed to dim. They smile down at the child, kneeling down to her level.

"Hello, Hoshi," they greet with a wide smile of their own, "What can I do for you today?"

"Up!" the little girl cries, raising her arms to the sky, "Go fly!"

Tenshi's head tilts sideways in mock confusion. "Fly?" they ask, "With what?"

Hoshi giggles. "With wings, silly!" she says pointing to the pure white wings sprouting from their back.

They turn to look over their shoulder at the bright feathers. "Wings? Well what do you know? How long have I had these?"

"Forever!" the girl chirps with a laugh.

Tenshi grins. "Well then," they say, scooping the girl up into their arms and lifting off the ground with a flap of their wings.

Hoshi squeals in surprise, wrapping her thin arms around the Angel's neck. Her smile is wide and bright as she takes everything in, reaching a hand out as if to catch the wind. "Flying!" she cries, "Higher!"

They laugh. "How much higher would you go if you could, Little Star?"

"High 'nough to see everywhere! Go high 'nough see everywhere!"

"Maybe not that high," they say softly, smiling slightly at Hoshi's protests, silver eyes gleaming, "Not yet. You wouldn't understand yet."

Hoshi tilts her head to the side, confusion in her brown eyes as her dark hair whips around behind her. "Understand?"

"You'll know one day," is all the Angel says. She pouts and Tenshi glides just a little higher over the trees before rolling over the wind. Hoshi shrieks in their arms before laughing in delight. They smile. "Hold on!" they call as white wings spread wider and they climb higher, looping through the sky and dancing across the wind.

That's fun! Do again!" Hoshi says when they are on the ground again.

Tenshi laughs. "Maybe tomorrow."

"You spoil her."

The girl and the Angel turn towards the familiar voice. Where the Angel is light and white, they are dark and black. Where Tenshi has a halo, they have horns; where Tenshi is pure, they are tainted.

"Oni-sama!" Hoshi cries, leaping forward and latching onto the Demon's legs, before blinking up at them and pouting. "Not spoiled."

They chuckle. "Just keep telling yourself that kid."

"Oni-sama!" Hoshi whines, tugging at their pants.

Tenshi smiles and intervenes, knowing full well that these two can go on for days without stopping thanks to Hoshi's stubborn pride and Oni's mischief. "What brings you to my garden?" they ask.

The Demon's eyebrow rises. "Can I not visit the home of my other half?"

"No," Hoshi deadpans, "You're not 'llowed 'cause you bully me."

Oni snorts. "Well it's a good thing you not in charge isn't it?"

"Meeeeeeeean!"

Tenshi just rolls their eyes. "Honestly, you two."

Oni smirks. "You love us," they say.

"Love us!" Hoshi parrots.

"You," Tenshi says pointing as Hoshi, "Are a sly little devil. And you," they say, pointing at Oni, who just smirks, "Are a bad influence."

Oni smirks, head tilting to the side almost innocently, before they reach out and grab the Angel's wrist, pulling them close. "Did you expect something different, love?" they breathe into Tenshi's ear.

A shiver runs up the Angel's spine. "Not really," they murmur in response, "But maybe I think you corrupt Hoshi too soon for her own good."

Oni hums, leaning closer. "Is that so?" they purr, voice dark with promise.

Tenshi sighs fondly. "Not in front of the child."

"You're no fun," Oni mumbles, nipping at the Angel's ear.

"Are you guys gonna kiss 'gain?" Hoshi asks, face twisted in a grimace, "Cause you'll get cooties an' that's gross."

The Demon pulls back. "Who told you that?"

"Alex," she says matter-of-factly.

"And why did he tell you that?" Tenshi asks.

"Cause there was this boy who was tryin' ta kiss me," she says, her face twisting at the thought, "An' then Alex got mad at 'im and tol' me he was tryin' ta get me sick."

"And who was this boy?" Oni asks neutrally.

Hoshi shrugs. "Dunno. Never seen him afore and he didn' say his name."

"That's fine," the Demon says blankly, "I'll find him anyway."

"Oni…" Tenshi starts warningly.

"Relax!" they say, waving their hand in casual dismissal, "It'll be fine. I won't traumatize him…too much."

"Oni!"

"What? She's six! No one's touching her until she's at least twenty-five!"

Tenshi rolls their eyes. "And then you'll disembowel them anyway for touching your little girl."

"Our little girl," the Demon corrects, crossing their arms, "Besides, I thought you were all for protecting her innocence."

"What're you talkin' 'bout?" Hoshi asks before Tenshi can answer.

The pair glance at each other, then glance back at the girl. "Nothing," they say in unison.

In the beginning, there is peace.

The two opposing sides, the Demon and the Angel, are in balance. A balance that is constant. Steady. The World is peaceful, content. Everything works and flows as it should. And the Divine Ones live freely among their mortals, watching and guiding them.

But then something shifts right under their noses.

The mortals they so love grow greedy and prideful. They begin to slip out of balance and closer to the Dark. And try as they might, the Demon cannot rein them in.

So the World goes silent.

Oni snarls, crimson eyes flashing dangerously.

These mortals dare oppose them? Threaten them and theirs?

"But this is what you want, isn't it Oni-sama?" the leader says, "We only want to give you what you deserve."

"What I deserve?" the Demon sneers, "You care not what I want. You want power. You've grown arrogant. You've delved too far, too deep into something you do not understand."

They do not like this. It's too quiet. The World does not speak to them anymore. It's too different, too unnatural. Something is happening, something has been set in motion, and Oni does not understand what it is or what it means. What can it mean? This unnaturally still silence?

"It is you who does not understand," the mortal says, "Oni-sama, it is time for change. Too long have we hid away, letting the Angel dictate our lives. Surely, being it's natural enemy, you can see this."

Rage pools in Oni's gut. Tenshi is not an it. They are so much more than a horrible, degrading it.

"Fool," the Demon hisses, because the mortals have never understood – neither they nor Tenshi expected them to – but they had never been so blatantly ignorant. "You understand nothing. There is no enemy, we are two halves of the same whole, one cannot exist without the other."

Even as the words leave their lips, Oni knows the argument is useless. They can see it in the mortals' eyes. The decision has been made and the Demon cannot stop it.

"You can," the leader says in a way that makes it seem like he is trying to reassure Oni. It does nothing but make them feel ill. "We can free you from the Angel; it is weak and too gentle to withstand the ways of the world."

Oni wants to laugh because their Angel is thousands of times older than this mortal; has seen more than he can possible imagine and he sits there and calls them weak? Calls them gentle? He has clearly never seen Tenshi angry then, because he would not have lived to spout the stupidity that is now dripping from his lips like poison.

"You are barely four decades old and you think you understand the way the world works?" they ask, a low rumble of warning in their voice.

"I have seen it," he says so confidently that the Demon wants to retch, "I know what the world should be. Do not worry Oni-sama, we shall free you."

"Tenshi-sama!"

Tenshi looks away from Hoshi towards the woman running towards them with fear and panic on her face. They rise to their feet and meet her halfway there, Hoshi trailing after them, small fingers gripping their mantle tightly. She has grown during these quiet years, now a young woman of seventeen. Oni still does not let anyone touch her, much to Tenshi's amusement. She is stubborn and kind and gentle and rough; she is a series of contradictions so vast that they often wonder if she is somehow a mixture of them and the Demon. She has been raised by them, taught by them. And she has been just as uneasy as they have been as of late though she cannot possibly know that something is wrong. Not in the way they can.

"What is it, child? What's happened?" they ask, placing a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder as she catches her breath.

"The village in the west," she starts, eyes wide, "It's burning! The people have been slaughtered, even the children!"

Tenshi feels the air leave them. How could this happen? Why would this happen?

When they try to find the answer the World will not answer. It is quiet. Why is it quiet?

"Tenshi-sama?" Hoshi whispers, tugging lightly on their mantle.

They bend down to her level and paint a smile on their face and reach out to ruffle her hair. "Stay in the garden," they say, "You will be safe here."

"But I can help!" she protests.

They smile, more genuinely this time. "I know you can. But the World will not answer me, so I do not know what is wrong."

Hoshi stills and looks at them with wide eyes. "The World is silent?" she asks breathlessly.

Tenshi nods gravely. "It is," they whisper, "And I do not like it."

She is silent for a moment. "I will stay," she says eventually.

"I will return," they promise before taking to the sky.

Whatever Tenshi expected to find, it was not this. Not such mindless destruction.

What was once a village is now nothing more than a pile of ashes. None of the buildings remain, there are barely even a glimpse of the timbers that once made them. Nor are there bodies, just bones scattered across the ground. Cast aside like the life that used to hum through them is worthless, like it never mattered.

Tenshi feels numb. All they can think is why. Why would anyone want this? What could they possibly gain from this?

They walk through the smoking remains, silent tears streaming from silver eyes.

And they see them.

Their other half.

And they ache in confusion and anger and pain.

Because their Demon is completely drenched in blood.

Their voice comes out a croak, almost lost in the ash filled wind. "Oni…?"

"Tenshi," they say.

And they sound so, so tired.

"Why?" the Angel asks.

For a long moment, the Demon doesn't answer. "I failed," they say at last.

"Failed what?" Tenshi asks breathlessly, their heart ponding in their chest.

"The balance is slipping," Oni says softly, "You hear it, don't you, Tenshi? It's quiet."

"The World will not answer me," Tenshi whispers solemnly.

Oni's eyes slide shut and a look of pain crosses their features. Tenshi reaches out to take their hand, but is shocked when they pull away. The Angel looks at their Demon, eyes full of hurt and confusion.

"I will not taint you," they whisper, reaching out as if to touch the Angel's face, fingertips stopping just before reaching pale skin.

"You have never tainted me," Tenshi says fiercely, reaching up to clasp the hand and press it to their cheek before Oni can pull it away.

Oni's eyes are sad, so very, very sad that Tenshi aches from it. They allow themselves a brief moment, thumb brushing across porcelain skin. The Demon's finger leaves a trail of red on the Angel's skin and Oni's crimson eyes follow the trail.

"I fear I already am," they whisper, pulling away.

"Oni," Tenshi starts.

"I've failed," Oni interrupts, "A storm is coming and the World cannot help us. The balance is failing."

"Oni, please," Tenshi begs.

The Demon's eyes soften and their shields fall away, allowing Tenshi to see all of their pain. "There will be war, Tenshi. The ground will burn and the sky will rain blood. You know what will come. I've failed. I let things slip to far."

"We can stop it!" Tenshi protests, voice growing desperate.

"I'm sorry," Oni whispers, backing away.

"Oni!"

"I'm sorry."

And then the peace ends.

The balance fails. And there is nothing the Angel or Demon can do to stop it. Blood paints the ground and ashes fill the sky. The scent of death lingers in the air. The mortals grow bitter and, slowly, they begin to succumb to the Dark. They continue to fall even as the Angel clings to them, even as the Demon pushes them away.

Still they fall.

So the World waits.

It's been two years.

Two long, bloody years since Oni has seen their Angel.

It hurts.

The Demon wants to see the Angel. The World is still silent. They are tired. There is so much death. Too much. There is not supposed to be this much death. The balance has failed. There is war. The mortals fight. They fight each other, they fight the Demon, they fight the Angel. They fight those they blame, those they hate. They fight because they want to, because they can.

It hurts.

As they enter their Angel's garden, they relax. Tenshi's garden is still safe. It is okay to be weak here.

"Oni-sama…?"

Oni turns to see a stunned young woman staring at them in shock. They smile. "Hello, Little Star," they say, "You've grown since I last saw you."

Hoshi smiles, tears gathering in her eyes. "Oni-sama!" she cries, launching herself at them and wrapping her arms around them.

Oni grunts in surprise and refuses to wince, locking away the pain behind a mask. "I need to breathe, Hoshi," they drawl teasingly.

"No you don't," Hoshi counters, pulling away regardless.

They ruffle her hair, ignoring her squawk of protest. "Still as cheeky as ever, I see," they say with a smirk.

"Of course!" she beams proudly.

Oni shakes their head with a fond sigh. "How are they?" the Demon asks softly after a moment.

Hoshi sobers. "Tenshi-sama is…tired," she says, voice just as soft, "They miss you."

"I miss them too," Oni says.

"Will you see them?"

Oni smiles then, but Hoshi can see something lingering behind it, something sad. It's not quite the same sadness she sees growing in Tenshi's eyes every day. It worries her.

"Of course I will," the Demon says, turning to walk towards the inner garden, "Walk with me, won't you , Little Star?"

Hoshi falls in step next to the Demon, but she stays silent. Something doesn't sit right with her. Her eyes trail over the curve of their crimson horns and the ridges of their black wings. They look fine. So why doesn't it feel like it?

"Is something wrong, Hoshi?"

She startles, not even realizing she had been staring. Oni does not look at her, their eyes staring straight ahead, voice soft. She is not used to them being so quiet.

"You and Tenshi-sama never tell me anything," she says at last.

"Because we do not need to," Oni says without pause, "You understand far more than any mortal, Little Star."

"Only because you took me in after my parents died," she points out.

They hum in acknowledgement. "We did," they agree, "But even if we had not cared for you, you would still have seen more than your peers. It is in your nature."

"In my blood," Hoshi sighs.

"Indeed," Oni says. Upon seeing her pout, they chuckle, stopping and turning to look at her. "What do you hear?"

Hoshi blinks. "Birds…?"

"No, Little Star," they say, "What do you hear?"

Hoshi pauses a moment, her eyes sliding shut. Oni waits, listening to her breathe.

"…Nothing," she says eventually, "I hear nothing."

Oni hums, continuing to walk. "And why is that?"

"Because the World has gone silent," she breaths, "It's been silent since the war started."

"It has," the Demon agrees softly, "You can hear what others cannot. You can hear the Voice of All Things. It is a rare gift for a mortal."

"…Did you really fight Tenshi-sama?" she asks after a moment.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Oni hesitates for a moment. It's hard to find the right words; mortals have never understood. But then again, Hoshi has always been different.

"It's…in our nature," they say at last.

"But you love each other!" Hoshi protests, making Oni smile softly, "Why would you fight like that? Why would you try to kill each other?"

The Demon places a calming hand on her shoulder. "We are opposites," they explain gently, "We are opposing forces, yet two halves of the same whole. We cannot exist without each other."

"There can be no Dark without any Light and no Light without any Dark," Hoshi murmurs.

"Correct."

"But why?" Hoshi presses.

Oni sighs. "Mortals are…tricky creatures. We are entwined with you and your desires; they feed and sustain us. This war is…stifling."

Hoshi is quiet for a moment. "Oni-sama? Does…does the hatred in the air hurt you?"

The Demon turns to her, visibly startled. Even after all of these years, this girl can still manage to surprise them. "It doesn't hurt per se," they explain, "But there is too much. It makes it hard to breathe."

"I'll fix it," Hoshi says, eyes blazing with determination, "I'll fix the World so that it's not quiet anymore and so that you and Tenshi-sama won't hurt anymore. I'll make the war stop."

That gets a laugh out of the Demon, a true, genuine laugh. It has been so long since they laughed. "I know you will," they say, a fond smile on their lips.

Something in the air has shifted.

But Tenshi waits. Rushing when they know nothing will in turn accomplish nothing. So they wait.

And it pays off. But it's bittersweet. Oh how they've ached to see them again. Wanted to see them again with every fiber in their being. But not like this. Never like this. They think their heart will break. It must be a trick. Please let it be a trick. A sick joke is better than this being reality. The war continuing for another thousand years is better than this reality.

"Tenshi."

"Oni."

Tears are streaming down their cheeks.

"What's wrong, Tenshi-sama?" Hoshi asks, brow furrowed in concern.

Tenshi cannot look at her, cannot tear their eyes away from their Demon. "Why do you appear before me in that false form?" they ask softly, ignoring the way their voice threatens to break.

Oni gives them a smile, such a sweet smile. "You always could see through my little tricks."

"Take it off," the Angel croaks, "Let me see you."

And Oni keeps smiling gently, crimson eyes sad. "I'm sorry," they say.

That's what they always say. After every fight, every death, every drop of blood spilt. Sorry, sorry, sorry. And every time, every single time, they have forgiven their Demon. But they will never be able to forgive them this.

"I don't understand," Hoshi starts, "What's -?"

Before she can finish, Oni's appearance changes. Now she understands why something felt so wrong before. She hears Tenshi's sharp intake of breath, but she can't tear her eyes away. She doesn't think Tenshi can either.

Oni's once perfect black wings are now torn and broken, hanging limply from their back. One of their horns is broken and part of their tail is missing. And the Demon is covered in silver. It drips down their skin, staining their clothes. Their lifeblood is draining out of them, and they make no effort to stop it. The silver is streaked with the crimson blood of mortals and the black of death.

A strangled cry passes Tenshi's lips as they run towards their Demon. Oni's knees give out just as they reach them.

"Oni. Oni, please!" Tenshi is begging through their tears, tears that Oni has seen during every battle they've fought in together, during every battle where they've been forced to fight each other. "Please let me heal you!"

Oni smiles. "You know it's too late for that," they say sadly.

"Oni-sama," Hoshi breaths, sinking to the ground next to them, opposite of Tenshi, "Why?"

"I failed."

"Stop saying that!" Tenshi cries, silver eyes blazing, "Stop laying blame and pointing fingers! It's my fault as much as yours!"

The Demon chuckles. "Alright," they say, "Alright. It's both of our faults. But I still should have been more careful."

"What happened?" Hoshi asks, tears gathering in her own eyes.

Oni hums softly. "Hate…fear…greed…they can all be very dangerous things, Little Star. Especially when handled by someone who cannot See or Hear."

"You can't leave me," Tenshi whispers holding the Demon tightly to their chest.

Oni sighs, triggering a series of wet coughs that make Hoshi wince and Tenshi pull them that much closer.

"I'm sorry," the Demon says.

Tenshi makes a strangled sound in the back of their throat. "Stop saying that," they choke out, "Stop apologizing. I hate it."

Oni's eyes soften as they reach up and cup their Angel's cheek. Silver blood stains pale skin, but Tenshi doesn't care, their own hand coming up to hold Oni's in place as they lean into the touch.

"You've been so brave, my love," the Demon whispers, "So very brave."

Tenshi is trembling, squeezing their eyes shut to try and force back the tears, to make the burning pressure behind their eyes disappear. It doesn't work. Oni traces their thumb across their Angel's pale cheek, catching the tears as they fall.

"Please don't cry," they say, "You know I hate it when you cry."

"I'm sorry," Tenshi chokes, voice cracking, as they struggle to stop the tears.

Oni's eyes are soft. "Why are you apologizing, silly?"

"Because! You – you're – "

They can't say it. Their throat locks tightly around the words, forbidding them from passing through their lips, preventing them from being said aloud. Saying it out loud is acknowledging it, making it real. Tenshi does not want to make this real.

"It's okay," Oni whispers gently, "It's alright."

Tenshi presses their foreheads together. "It's not," they say back just as softly, "This will never be alright."

"It will," Oni says firmly, reassuringly, "I promise it will."

Tenshi doesn't say anything. They can't. They want to believe Oni, they want to think that everything will be okay. But part of their soul is being ripped away and all they can do is watch. They want to hope that everything will work out, but the World still refuses to answer them and the silence is so loud that echoes in their ears.

"You're being very quiet, Little Star," Oni says quietly.

Hoshi jumps, startled. She doesn't want to intrude on their moment; she knows how important they are to each other. They are two halves of the same whole. They are one soul split into two forms. This is something she has known all her life, known since she first saw the two of them together, known since she first looked into their eyes. She knows what they mean to each other. Knows that she should let them be. But she can't make herself leave. They are her family. They are all she has left. And she is losing them.

She knows.

To lose one, is to lose the other.

This will change everything.

"…I don't know what to say," she whispers.

Oni's eyebrows rise at that. "You always have something to say."

Hoshi reaches out and takes the hand that Tenshi is not holding and squeezes tight. She feels the Demon's fingers curl around hers weakly in response. It makes her want to cry.

"Will you be upset with me if I'm mad about this?" she asks meekly, suddenly feeling like she's five all over again and Tenshi and Oni caught her trying to sneak out of the garden so that she could find her dead parents. She had screamed at them.

"Of course not," Oni soothes gently, "It's fine to be upset. But you must promise me that you will not dwell on it, Hoshi."

She takes a shuddering breath. "I'll try," she says, because she doesn't want to make a promise she doesn't know she'll be able to keep. She brings their hand to her lips and kisses their knuckles, loving and lingering.

Oni smiles. "You've grown so much, Little Star," they say, making her heart clench, "I remember when you were just a cheeky little brat, always causing mischief. Now you're a strong, beautiful, young woman. Still pretty cheeky though."

And the Demon's grin startles a choked laugh out of her and a wobbly grin out of Tenshi.

"I learned from the best," she says with a watery smile.

Oni pulls their hand from her grip and runs their fingers through the silver blood seeping from their wounds. They hold the bloodied hand out to her.

"Come here," they whisper.

Hoshi glances at Tenshi, but the Angel gives nothing away, their soft, silver eyes watching Oni with so much pain and love. So she leans closer and startles when Oni presses their thumb to her forehead, sliver blood warm on her skin. She blinks, looking down at the Demon in confusion.

"I trust you," they say, "I know you'll stop the fighting. Carry on for me."

Hoshi swallows, biting back tears and taking their hand in both of hers. "I will," she says, eyes blazing with determination. She will keep this promise. She will bring peace again. For Oni. For Tenshi. For her family.

"That's my girl," Oni whispers, giving her fingers a weak squeeze. The Demon turns back to Tenshi. "You have to let me go," they say softly.

Tenshi shakes their head. "I-I can't. I can't, Oni. Don't. Don't ask me. Please. Please."

"Shhhh," Oni soothes, "Shhh, love. I know. I know. But it's alright."

"It's not," Tenshi practically yells, making Hoshi's eyes go wide. She's never heard Tenshi yell before. "It's not okay, and don't try to pretend it is! You're leaving me! They're taking you from me! I need you! I can't let you go! I won't. I – "

"Tenshi," Oni says softly, cutting through the Angel's rant, "You have to let me go," they say gently, but firmly.

Tenshi makes a choked sound and seems to collapse inward. They lean over Oni and crash their lips together.

"I'm sorry," Tenshi whispers between gentle, but frantic, kisses, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't be angry. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorrysorrysorry – "

"Tenshi," Oni breaths, "Tenshi."

Tenshi stops, but doesn't pull away. "I love you," they whisper brokenly.

Oni smiles. "And I you, my Light."

And then they both breathe. Just breathe.

Hoshi feels the hand in hers tighten its grip ever so slightly, and she knows that this is Oni's way of telling her the same. She squeezes back and knows that they will understand. Then the fingers go slack and the hand that has always been so much warmer than hers goes slowly colder. She squeezes Oni's hand harder, wishing more than anything that those fingers will squeeze hers back.

They don't.

Fresh tears fall from her eyes and she doesn't have the will to try and stop them anymore.

Oni is gone.

But when she looks at their face, she sees a smile. A soft, gentle, loving smile.

Tenshi's hand comes up and closes the Demon's eyes, but the smile remains. The Angel doesn't think they will ever smile again. Part of them is gone. They are no longer whole. They are broken. Shattered.

And they cannot be fixed.

The Angel tilts their head back and screams.

The balance shatters.

The World is no longer silent. It's screaming, howling, crying, in despair. But there is no one left to listen. The mortals have never heard the World and the Angel is too lost to listen. The mortals know not what they have done.

Light and Dark exist in the same space at the same time. They balance each other, fight each other, protect each other, love each other, hate each other. That is the way it has always been. There has always been Light and there has always been Dark. They are one and the same; two pieces of the same part.

But now, the Dark has been ripped away.

Now, there is no balance.

There is nothing to keep the Light safe. Nothing to protect it. But there is also nothing to contain it.

Light and Dark were never meant to be separate.

And now that they are, the World starts to break.

Tenshi stares blankly at the men before them.

"What have you done?" the leader asks in horror and anger.

The Angel's eyes bore into his, cold and hard. "I have done nothing," they say calmly.

"Nothing?! You killed Oni-sama!" the leader spits.

Tenshi's blank expression shifts at that, rage beginning to cloud their features. "I killed them? I did? You know nothing," they hiss, voice deadly as they advance on the man, the fool, who put this whole agonizing disaster in motion, "I cannot kill them, I could never kill them. Oni is dead because of your arrogant stupidity!"

"We only ever did what he wanted!" the man shouts, refusing to back down, though his followers have begun to edge away, "We only ever strove to make him happy!"

Tenshi sneers and some of the men wonder how such a dark expression can exist on the Angel's face. Him. What a mortal concept, binding oneself to a single form. Oni is not he or she. Nor an it. Such lesser, confining labels do not apply to them. They can't even understand that minuscule fact. They truly are ignorant.

"Fool," Tenshi's voice is calm, but dark, and the leader must finally see that he's done something because his eyes widen in fear, "You know nothing of us! Do not stand there and preach to me, mortal. You have ruined everything! The World is crumbling around you and you are too blind to see it!"

"W-we are building it anew!" the man exclaims, trying and failing to keep his voice steady.

"You have sent it to ruin," the Angel condemns, silver eyes gleaming darkly as gold bleeds into them, consuming white, "You killed my Demon. Oni's blood is on your hands," they say calmly, "Now your blood shall be on mine."

Hoshi runs, heart pounding in her chest.

She sprints over fallen rubble and through searing hot flames.

This needs to end. Today. She promised Oni she would end the war. And it is a promise she intends to keep. No matter how much it will hurt her.

She hears screaming. She's too late.

She knows that when she finally reaches them, she will find a pile of bodies. There have been so many bodies. So many. She's been following the trail of blood for days and this is the closest she's ever been. She steels her heart, trying not to think of the way Oni's would be breaking.

"Tenshi-sama!" she screams.

The Angel turns to her and Hoshi freezes. Those are not her Angel's eyes, they are so cold. Too cold. Those silver on gold eyes do not falter, not even in the face of the carnage around them. Tenshi is covered head to toe in crimson, even their wings are stained red.

They pull their hand from the chest of the man before them, his face a mask of pain and terror, mouth forever open in his dying scream. Tenshi tosses the corpse aside like it is nothing and Hoshi fights down the urge to flinch because her Tenshi would never be so careless with life.

"Tenshi-sama, this needs to stop," she says softly, proud that her distress doesn't break through and that her voice doesn't crack, "You've avenged Oni-sama. Enough."

Tenshi grins then, but it's not the bright smile she's used to; it's warped and malevolent. "And if I don't are you going to try and stop me, little mortal?" they ask in a voice that is the same as their smile.

Hoshi fights back the shiver that crawls up her spine, fights back the urge to run and cry, to fling herself forward at their feet and beg. Because she knows it will not work. With a level of calm she does not feel, she draws her sword. The one Oni gave her. The one Tenshi never wanted her to have.

"I will not try," she says, taking her stance, "I simply will."

Tenshi laughs. "Interesting. Maybe you'll be more fun than them," they say, head tilting toward the fallen bodies.

"Only one way to find out."

The Angel grins a grin so bright that it's black as the darkest shadow, the lines of the World blurred beyond recognition. They charge forward and Hoshi meets their attack with one of her own.

She is forced back.

Tenshi is stronger than her. Of course they are. They are the Angel and she is nothing more than human.

Breathe, Little Star.

Hoshi's eyes go wide as her arms come up to block Tenshi's attack on their own.

Oni-sama…?

She feels hands on her own and a familiar warmth at her back. She grins.

When Tenshi attacks again, she's ready. She brings up her sword, Oni's hands guiding hers, and throws herself forward.

The Angel freezes, eyes blown wide. For a long moment, everything is still. Quiet. Then Tenshi blinks and she sees the gold in their eyes begin to fade, leaving behind that silver she so loves.

"Hoshi…?" the Angel breathes, a look of confusion on their face.

She chokes on a sob, tears running down her cheeks. She feels a pair of lips brush across her forehead before the warmth surrounding her is gone.

"Tenshi-sama," she whispers, "I'm sorry."

The Angel looks down. There is silver dripping down their chest, washing away the red and staining their clothes.

Hoshi's sword through their heart.

Tenshi's knees give out and they fall forward. But Hoshi is there to catch them and she lowers them both to the ground, cradling the Angel in her arms.

"I'm sorry," she says again, voice breaking, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had too. Please don't hate me. Please don't."

"Hoshi," they call softly, gently, pulling her out of her growing hysteria, reaching up and cupping her cheek in their hand, "Hoshi."

She sniffs, lips trembling. Trying not to collapse.

"You kept your promise," they breathe, smiling up at her.

And it's Tenshi's smile. The one she grew up with. The one full of so much warmth and love. The one that always made her feel safe. She whines low in her throat, trying to push back her growing distress. She knew this would happen; knew that she would have to do this the moment Tenshi stormed off after Oni's death. She knew. That does not mean she is ready for it.

"You," she chokes on her words, throat closing around them, but she forces herself to push on, "You always told me that you should never break a promise."

Tenshi's eyes are soft. Proud. "That's my girl."

"Do you hate me?" she can't help but ask.

"Of course not," Tenshi says softly without an ounce of hesitation. She cries then, pulling Tenshi closer as she sobs her heart out. The Angel's arms are loose around her, but they hold her all the same. When she calms, they say, "Oni was right."

"About what?"

Tenshi smiles at her. "It's alright."

She swallows. "You're both leaving me."

They shake their head. "No we aren't," they say, dipping fingers in silver and placing their blood drenched thumb on her forehead, just like Oni had, "You will never be alone."

Something in her relaxes as a calm spreads over her. And even though her tears continue to fall, she smiles. "Promise?"

"Always, Little Star."

She presses her forehead to theirs. "I'll make sure you're both together."

Tenshi relaxes in her arms, body going completely limp. "Thank you, Hoshi," they say softly, tears falling from silver eyes.

"I love you both," she whispers fiercely, "So much. So much. And I'll miss you every day for the rest of my life. But I'll be happy too because you'll have each other again. And that's all I want. I just want you both to be happy."

"We love you too," Tenshi whispers, voice fading even as they tuck as strand of hair behind her ear. She grabs that hand as it falls and she clutches it like a life line, their fingers weakly squeezing hers just like Oni's had only days before. "You're our little girl, our Little Star," they whisper, a weak smile on their lips, "And we love you with everything we are. We watched you grow, watched you learn. We are so proud, so very proud of you, Kurai D. Hoshi." Hoshi gives them a wobbly smile. "We are always with you, Little Star."

And then Tenshi goes still.

Hoshi lets her tears fall as the World finally, finally, starts to speak again.

And then the balance is mended.

The Light follows the Dark and war slowly comes to an end.

But something in the air is different than before. The Light and Dark are together again, but they are no longer with the World. And the World is empty without them. But the World now has the Star, who has been touched by both Light and Dark.

So the World speaks to the Star.

And the Star listens.

Hoshi smiles down at the two bundles in her arms.

She never thought this would happen, that she could be this happy. She never thought Oni and Tenshi could give her such a wonderful gift. The bundles in her arms shift and two sets of eyes peer up at her, one silver and one crimson. They've inherited such a gift, such a burden. They will remember all of the pain and sadness and the anger of the time Before. But she will be with every step of the way, making sure that they understand the love and the hope too; that they know what it is to be two halves of the same whole. She holds them close and she feels them nestle into her warmth, small hands grabbing at her.

They are hers. Her children. Her gift. Her Light and Dark.

"You're both so beautiful," she coos, "Little Hikari and little Yami. You'll both be up and causing mischief before I know it. I'll probably know exactly how Oni-sama and Tenshi-sama felt two times over," she muses with a chuckle.

She feels a warm hand on each shoulder and smiles, eyes slipping shut as a pair of lips brush each of her cheeks.

"Thank you," she whispers to the empty air.

She leans down and presses a kiss to her children's foreheads each and simply breathes.

Her Light and her Dark. They are her children.

And she will love them with everything she has.

Boom. Origin story. I might come back to this and expand on it some.

I bet you guys thought that Hoshi was just some random girl. Ha! Nope she was a D the whole time! Basically, Hoshi was blessed by both Tenshi and Oni and as Oni asked her to carry on for them, she ended up doing so. She bore the new Angel and Demon and that is something that has always stayed in her bloodline. The Angel and Demon have always been Ds. Even as the blood has thinned out over generations, it is still Hoshi's, it can still be traced back to her. And blood is blood no mater how thinly spread.

Hoshi's name means"star" which is why she is called that.

Hikari means "light" and she is the new Angel.

Yami means "darkness" and he is the new Demon.

I hope you guys like this! Like I said, I might expand on this, so it you have any questions at all about the lore of this verse feel free to ask.

Until next time,

~Elri