Despite the morbid atmosphere, Yuu chuckled. "I hadn't planned on bringing you here, especially at this time, in the first place. It just... happened. My bad."

Kumo nodded, yet was unable to break his gaze from the unlit room little Yuu and his father had entered. "Yeah, sure. But, why are they doing this to us?"

The ghost's hand slid down his face until he reached Kumo's fingers. Gripping them tight, he dragged the other boy to the door. "You'll remember soon."

He breathed raggedly, as if remaining in this house any longer would suffocate him. Kumo, aware of this, squeezed his hand. "You okay? I can't say I understand your pain, but... I kinda want to. After all, we're uh, 'one', right?"

The door opened, blasting them with a gust of cold air. Kumo stared at it with wide eyes. A boulder of dread plummetted to the bottom of his gut as he turned to his other half. "Yuu, did we leave the door open?"

A thin smile broke through Yuu's passive face. "Nope, but I think I know who did," he stated, pointing his thumb to a tall woman outside.

A soft glow surrounded her, similar to Yuu's but more warm. She hovered over the snow, white-and-golden kimono just milimeters from touching the ground. Even with her face covered in a thick veil, Kumo could tell she was gazing at them.

Yuu spoke first. He pulled Kumo forward until they were back to facing the unforgiving winter. Glaring at her, he snarled, "I won't let you take him. Not again."

She brought her sleeved hand to her lips when she smirked. "That isn't your choice to make, boy."

Kumo's hand slipped from his as Yuu clenched his fists. Yet the ghost refused to let go. "It wasn't our choice, either!" he yelled, shaking his head. Tears swelled in his eyes as he uttered, "We were... supposed to always stay together... until you took him away. I'll never forgive you for that!"

The woman tilted her head. "Forgive me, you say?" she repeated before slamming her sandals on the ground. Snow replaced by vibrant grass, their house now tattered and worn down, her footsteps seemed to bring them back from the illusion of their past. "You don't have the right to forgive. You lost that when you ended your own life."

Kumo looked between them, muscles tense. He poked Yuu's back and whispered, "Yuu, what's going on? Who is she?"

The kimono-bearing woman turned to him with a smile. "Oh my, where are my manners? It's been awhile, little baku. Twenty years, in fact." She nodded, then lifted her veil to reveal a porcelain vase in place of her head. "I am Lady Tsuki, and I have a proposition for you."

The baku took a step back, gaping his mouth like a fish desperate for water. "Y-Your head, it's..."

She lifted her hand up to touch her head. Indeed, its shape held the appearance of a narrow, horn-esque vase. A chuckle arose from the top of it. "So you think of me as a vase, hm? Beautiful, sharp, cold and... fragile. How cute. You seem to believe you can break me, no?"

"Why didn't you help Suna?" he croaked, ignoring her prattle. "She's gone now, because of you!"

Lady Tsuki crossed her arms and arched her back. "The sandman knew its fate the moment it brought you here. Its fading was inevitable; I just quickened the process to make sure it didn't tell you any unnecessary things. But..." she trailed off while turning to Yuu, "it seems I miscalculated the persistence of other interferences."

Somehow, the moon goddess remained just as intimidating even with a vase for a head. Her voice sent more chills down Kumo's back than the freezing wind he felt just moments before.

She waved her hand with nonchalance. "No matter, that isn't what I came here for. As mentioned before, I have a deal. And deals are only made between two individuals, correct?"

"I guess...?" The baku shrugged his shoulders, unsure of where she was going with this.

She smiled at Kumo―or at least, that's what he thought she did. Having no face to go by made guessing her mood difficult. "Glad we've come to an agreement. You there, ghost." Lady Tsuki pointed her manicured finger to Yuu. "Leave."

Yuu gritted his teeth. "What? No, I'm not going―"

Lady Tsuki's glow intensified, nearly blinding them both. "Now. You've caused enough trouble. I'd rather not have to clean up anymore."

After letting out a rather inhumane howl, Yuu faded away reluctantly.

Kumo watched the spot where he stood, hoping he would return. He'd much rather be with a ghost than an angry goddess. Alas, it was just the two of them now. Yuu would have to wait.

The baku crossed his arms and turned to face Lady Tsuki with a huff. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"Twenty years ago I found your lost soul roaming this forest, searching for something that'd been long gone. After observing your memories, I learned that you commited suicide. That meant you were my responsibility." Lady Tsuki leaned against a wide tree, chuckling. "Do you know what I do to the souls who waste the gift of life?"

"N-No." He couldn't bring himself to look at her. The kimono she wore revealed more skin than he could handle, so he opted to stare at the ground as his cheeks reddened.

She looked back to Kumo while crossing her legs. "I send them to Purgatory."

"B-But, shouldn't I be there? We... I killed myself, right?"

"Oh, you're a lot slower than when you were alive. You're already in Purgatory. That's why I came―to stop this before it spirals out of my control."

The goddess' hands fell to her sides when a breeze tickled their feet. "I will offer you two choices. Go back to how you were before you knew of your past, or move forward with the inevitable pain of the future."

Images of Suna and Yuu came to mind. Suna's hoarse voice when she faded, Yuu's tears falling on his cheeks... but more importantly, the missing pieces of the puzzle that was his existence. Kumo shook his head, shutting his eyes until he saw stars. "I want to know the truth, no matter what."

Lady Tsuki stared at him for a few moments until finally responding, "Hm, alright. But if you get in the way of my work, I won't hesitate to burn your straw."

If she had a face, Kumo imagined she'd be glaring holes into his pocket. He stuffed his hands into said pockets, clutching his 'heart' as a smirk curled his lips upwards. "Got it, Mooncakes. Shouldn't you be working now? It's getting dark. Though I certainly don't mind you staying with me tonight. There're lots of fun things we can do." Most of which involve torturing you.

"A goddess never shows her tears, especially not to vengeful baku. Do take your time dreaming of it, though," she teased, then added as an afterthought, "Ah, that's right; you can't."

Kumo balled his shaking fists, scowling at her when a growl erupted from him. "Damn you!" was all he could scream before Lady Tsuki burst into laughter.

She twisted a slender pipe around her fingers, the last of her chuckles bouncing against the trees. "No, dear. I am immortal. It is you who shall be damned if you don't watch your step."

The baku couldn't inquire more because the second he blinked, she vanished with only a dim shimmer left in her place.