Kuu gasped the second he was free from the nightmare's clutches. He clutched the man's comforter set, fingers trembling. Whenever Kumo left dreams after a job, he felt satisfied―happy, even―to see the humans sleeping without a care in the the world. But Souta wasn't like the others. He was still drenched in sweat and tossing around in his sleep.

Just for tonight, Kumo thought, Just for tonight, I'll bend the rules a little.

His guilt tried to make him turn back his actions, but he couldn't. Not when the result wouldn't make as much of an impact as he first expected. Maybe when they were apart, he would've acted differently. But that wasn't the case, and never will be again.

Kuu patted Souta's forehead. "You'll be okay," he mumbled, offering a sympathetic smile.

After watching the nightmare's fumes pulsing in the room, Kuu slipped out the house.

Both Yuu and Kumo knew where they had to go next without exchanging words. They walked down streets and crossroads, past sleeping houses and crickets hiding in their gardens, until finally their feet stopped in front of the all-too-familiar forest.

Kuu turned to the moon. His grey and black hair could never dare to rival the night sky's beauty. Yet he was grateful he wasn't in their place. Being that close to Lady Tsuki surely must've been a living hell. After shaking his head free of such thoughts, he *dashed into the woods. The late summer winds cooling his skin, along with the leaves crunching under his feet made Kuu grin between gasps. He never thought he'd enjoy coming back here. But really, it was the only place that accepted him.

The fireflies lit his path and comforted him when he was in pain. Suna was there too, if only to silently watch over them from her coffin. The thought fastened his pace. He had friends waiting for him at his grave. Those scary adults could deal with their own problems.

The Lady said to face my past, and I was doing that in my own way, he concluded. I don't need to protect them from myself any longer. They're grown-ups; they can do it themselves.

Kuu slowed to a stop in front of the rock with his name on it. He leaned on his knees while catching his breath. I wonder if this is the resolution Suna would've wanted me to reach.

As if on cue, he plopped onto the ground next to his dear companion. If only she were here.

"I," he whispered, arms hugging her hourglass tight, "I miss you, Susu. I know I've said that too much already, but it's true."

He spent a moment brushing his cheek against the device's cool surface. "I-I should've listened to you more. Not been such a brat. You were only doing what you thought was right, but that damned Lady Tsuki―she had to butt in!"

Despite being ecstatic to be back in his own skin again, a part of Yuu wished they were apart, if only for this fragile time. He wanted to hug his counterpart and let him know he could depend on him. Of course, he could never replace the mark Suna left in his heart, but he could've at least tried to heal the wound her premature departure left. Yet he was useless in times where Kumo needed someone by his side, not inside of him.

A sniffle interrupted his self-reflection. Kuu lifted his head to wipe his nose. "It's okay. You're still here―that's enough for me."

He tried to laugh it off, but could only manage a concoction of sniffing, coughing and a light chuckle. "This is why I hate kids. Always whining over the littlest things."

It's not little, you dumbass. You don't need to act tough. Not when it's just us. Kuu wiped his tears away, but to no avail. Suna was your best friend. Don't be ashamed to grieve, okay?

"Mhm." But as Kuu responded, he could feel himself drifting off into unknown territory: sleep. That wasn't good. Was it alright to let his guard down? Would a baku steal his nightmares? What if someone―

"Just relax," Yuu insisted. "I'll be looking over the body, so you can rest with ease."

Sure... I'll...

Once Kumo's voice softened to a silence, Kuu loosened his grip on Suna's hourglass. The boy had been hugging it until his arms bore red marks. He waited for a minute or two to pass, focused on the fireflies lazing about.

Once he made sure Kumo was getting his well deserved rest, Kuu gazed at the moon. It was full and gave off a soft glow. It peered down on them from afar. Watching their every move. No, that didn't seem right. They had to be under tight surveillance given their recent actions, so who was really watching them? The baku Kumo spoke of? Another powerful entity?

"Really, is there any point in stalking us that much? It's not like we did anything bad." Aren't baku allowed a break? Of course this would be permanent but, she didn't need to know that. Speaking of which...

He narrowed his eyes at the feet hovering in front of him. Just like before, the damned goddess moved at her own pace without a care in the world for others' prior engagement. Kuu wasn't fond of having his alone time interrupted.

"For someone so 'busy', you sure have a lot of free time," Kuu spat. He crossed his legs with a smirk. "Neither of us want you here. Mind leaving?"

"Hm. It seems my creation is slumbering within this... vessel." The goddess chose to ignore his snide remarks, and instead covered her mouth with her sleeve. "That will make this difficult."

"What do you mean?" Kuu had to keep his cool. If he snapped now, every decision they made on this night would've been for nothing. "What did you do?"

"Do not pretend to be ignorant. Surely you must know, yes? Of the deal between us and the little baku." His silence was all the answer she needed. "No matter, I want to finish this affair with haste. Give me your straw, ghost."

Kuu's nails dug into his palm as he pulled at grass blades. "That... That's not fair," he argued before shaking his head. "You haven't given us enough time!"

"You both knew this time would come." When Lady Tsuki inched closer, the moonlight revealed her veiled head. "The moment it happens matters not. Now, give me your straw."

Kuu's eyes darted left and right. There had to be a way out! If he had a heart he swore it'd be slamming against his ribcage. We didn't come this far just to perish by your hand. With that thought in mind, he picked up Suna and dashed farther into the forest.

"The impudence... Resistance is useless, boy!"

Yet Kuu didn't heed her warning. Ducking under branches and through trees without looking back, he was desperate to escape. It may've been pointless, but he had to at least try. Kumo finally opened up to him, and he'd be damned to let anyone hurt the baku spirit more than he was now. What choice did he have but to run?

Alas, Lady Tsuki cared not. She used a portion of her divine gifts to extend a golden ribbon's tail. It zigzagged after her target until it loomed over him in seconds. She plucked the boy off his feet and held him in the air.

The sudden jolt sent his hourglass flying, much to his dismay.

"Suna!" Kuu yelled. No, no! Of all the damned times it could fall out my hands, why now? He reached his arms out for the delicate coffin, but he was in no shape to challenge a goddess' strength. The more he struggled, the more he sensed his cracks freeing themselves from Suna's seals. They opened up once again, and the nightmares he devoured took that as a chance to escape.

For some reason, she caught it with the ribbon's other tail. Relief flooded Kuu's body, halted by disgust for feeling so towards the wretched woman. "Guh... If you break that, I'll kill you!"

Lady Tsuki couldn't resist letting a chuckle slip past her venomous lips. "Do you truly believe you're in the position to make threats? Against the one who showed you mercy?"

Her voice took a cold tone while tightening the cloth around him. "Have you forgotten who made you who you are?"

Her ribbon coiled around his body tighter than any snake possibly could. She could quite literally squeeze the life out of him. "It seems your sandman has yet to give you the discipline you deserved. Allow me to finish where it left off," she spat.

In an instant, Kuu's hip shattered in her hold. He slapped a hand over his mouth before releasing a hoarse, muffled scream. Breath heavy, he sank his teeth into his hand in hopes of distracting hImself from the pain. Trembles travelled down his spine. The only things separating his legs from the ground were Kumo's checkered suspenders and Lady Tsuki's rage.