Duncan awoke, feeling sunlight on his face, and found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. Opening his eyes cautiously, he scanned the narrow field of vision for an enemy, and for his sword. He relaxed as he remembered what had happened last night, and got up from the rather uncomfortable couch. *That kid is crazy. How can he sleep on this every night?* He looked around for the aforementioned insane one, but couldn't feel him anywhere and found a note taped onto the mirror.

:MacLeod-san, I have gone out on a job, and will be back later. Please stay as long as you want. Also, I wish to speak to you about this immortality that I supposedly have, and about training... I'm afraid that I probably won't have time for such things. Sumeragi:

It took Duncan only a little time to puzzle out the letter, which was written all in hiragana. "Taking pity on the gaijin, hmm? Well, my Japanese is a bit rusty, but it's not that bad." Looking at the empty room, Duncan knew that he had a lot to do. He couldn't help but shake his head at the last comment of not having time for training. "If you don't have time... you aren't going to live."

Ignoring the small headache he had from last night, Duncan grabbed his coat and sword. As he walked out of the sparse apartment, Duncan wondered whether he should even try to look as if he was locking the door. Guarding one's back was something you learn over the years... obviously, his new student had not. He hoped Joe could give him some answers...

Closing the hotel door behind him, Duncan looked around his room. It was an ordinary hotel room, with a bed, two chairs and a little table. Duncan hadn't planned on staying in Japan for long -- jis original plan had been for a quick, ten day stop in Japan, followed by a bit of traveling elsewhere. It had been a long time since Duncan MacLeod had just been exploring.

"A trip without any obligations or problems. A little vacation was all this was supposed to be... I guess not." Going over to the phone, he dialed Joe's home phone number. It should be about time he was home, anyway.

:Hello?:
:Hey, Joe. It's me, Duncan.:
:MacLeod! How are you? Still in Japan?:
:You tell me.:
:Funny, funny. What's up?:
:How up-to-date are your Watcher records of me?:
:What do you mean?:
:You wouldn't have asked if you already knew, that's all.:
:Knew what? What have you done now, MacLeod?:
:I seem to have acquired a new... ward, I suppose.:
:You mean-:
:Yup. Felt it before I saw him, and then he was killed for the first time right in front of me.:
:Aw, man... So, what? You want some info, huh?:
:Yeah. His name is Sumeragi. Subaru Sumeragi... Hhm:
:What?:
:It's been a long time since anyone's greeted me by clan name like he did. Claimed he was of the Clan Sumeragi...:
:Sumeragi... Sumeragi...:
:What?:
:I've heard that before, I'm sure of it. Look MacLeod, I'll get back to ya, ok? I'll try to dig up some records on him -- I'm sure someone had to have been Watching near him...:
:Thanks, Joe.:
:Oh yeah- Richie's headed your way.:
:What!?:
:Don't get so excited. He just wanted to drop in and say hi, get in a few touristy things, you know.:
:Well, I suppose he could be helpful with that Sumeragi kid... When's he coming?:
:He said in a few days.:
:Ok.:
:MacLeod, are you all right? You sound kind of-:
:I'm fine. I just have a strange feeling about this one.:
:Sumeragi, you mean?:
:Yeah. Usually, you can tell what a kid is, by the way he acts. But this one... I don't know. Something's just off... Well, tell me what you got soon, ok?:
:All right. Bye, MacLeod. Gotta get some sleep, man.:
:Yeah, yeah.:

Subaru stood at the park, and took a deep breath. His job today would probably go better if he weren't so agitated. Shaking his head, he sat on a bench below an old tree, trying to get himself focused and centered before he went to his appointment. *It's a good thing I have an hour...* He took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag.

He couldn't stop looking at his arm. There was no evidence that there had ever been a cut, a cut that he shouldn't have even tried to make. A little deeper... or if it hadn't healed... he was too close to the edge. He could feel his self cracking, fracturing, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Hugging his legs to his chest, Subaru looked out at the peaceful morning. Now this... some guy claiming that he, Subaru Sumeragi, was not only going to live forever, but that he was going to have to kill people to do it. A sad smile tugged at his lips. More killing, more death. He couldn't -- no, he wouldn't. He had changed, but not in this. There was one thin line between Sakurazukamori and the current him -- Subaru would not kill.

It was a stubborn embracing of a principle he'd had in an earlier, more innocent time. Maybe it would be something that would destroy him later. But he could not -- not that. He wasn't even sure he believed in this supposed immortality. Last night, he had humored the stranger who had helped him from his accident. But now, in the light of day, there didn't seem to be any reality to the conversation they'd had last night.

*Sword fights to determine life and death. A conspiracy of hidden immortals that no one knows about. Heads being cut off, a prize at the end of the game... Games- I've had enough of games.* Even the demonstration of MacLeod's supposed immortality seemed explainable in the sunlight. *Healing spells... they're not usually so flashy, but they can be, if-*

He looked at his own wrist again, at the place where -- let's admit it -- for a moment, his wish for suicide had overridden his wish for revenge. A moment when he had truly been ready for death or immortality... *I just can't understand how he managed to heal me also.* After all, the wards and shields of the head of the Sumeragi Clan was not something so easily circumvented, even for a beneficial spell.

Subaru shook his head again, and got up from the bench. If he spent any more time thinking about this, he was going to be late for his job. If anything, he was always punctual -- it was the one last vestige of good manners that had stayed with him. He was almost tempted to put the butt of the cigarette onto his arm, just to see if-

*No. I'm not going to let myself try anything like this again. At least, not until...*

Until what? Subaru sighed and dropped the cigarette butt, grinding it with his heel. Until... he didn't know. And he wasn't going to think about it until after this job was done, anyway.

Duncan had finished rearranging his plans for a longer stay in Tokyo when the phone rang. He picked it up, while browsing through the newspaper, looking for a dojo or a place where a few could train without being noticed...

:Hello?:
:Hey MacLeod- it's me.:
:What have you found out?:
:Surprisingly little, considering... or actually, maybe it's not so surprising.:
:What do you mean?:
:The Sumeragis -- I knew I'd heard that name before, so I started to dig around a little while my Japanese contact were getting back to me. Seems that the Sumeragi Clan was, and still is a big deal family in Japan.:
:And?:
:Hey, I'm getting there! Anyway, seems the Clan's function is to perform exorcisms and magic similar to that -- they've even served the Emperor, and you know how highly the Japanese revere him.:
:So my new student is a wanna-be wizard? Great...:
:Don't be so sure about the wanna-be part.:
:Joe, don't get me started about 'magic':
:Look. You're living proof that the world isn't as simple as you may want it to be. My Japanese contact actually seems to believe in this, and-:
:Anyway, what did you find out besides this mystical mumbo-jumbo?:
:His sister was apparently killed in some sort of accident -- there's not much information there besides the fact that they were twins, and her body was apparently never recovered... Actually, it feels like a cover-up to me.:
:His sister, huh? That explains a bit. So, what is his job, anyway?:
:That's the reason why I don't think you should dismiss magic so easily. He's the head of his clan-:
:Young, isn't he?:
:It doesn't really matter now, does it?:
:I suppose not.:
:His job is performing exorcisms and being a medium for various spirits. He's supposed to be good at it, too -- Don't see any complaints anywhere...:
:As long as he doesn't try to convince me of this nonsense-:
:MacLeod, just be careful, ok?:
:What?:
:He's been involved in some weird things. Just keep your guard up, huh? No one really knows what he does.:
:All right.:
:Oh yeah, Richie decided to go a little early. He wants to see your new protege.:
:So I get to take care of two kids now.:
:Richie's not really a kid anymore, is he?:
:I guess not. Thanks, Joe.:

"Sumeragi-san. Thank you for your time. I know that it's valuable..." The man led Subaru into the dojo, to a sword lying in the middle of the wooden floor. At Subaru's look, the man cleared his throat. "None of my students want to touch this, and frankly, neither do I. Somehow, this sword just feels wrong... Whenever anyone tries to use, they always feel as if-"

"I understand. Is there a history to this sword? Perhaps someone who could harbor bad feelings for this dojo, or for this sword?" Subaru watched as the man thought, and nodded as the man shook his head.

"There is no one I can think of. I'm sorry, Sumeragi-san."

"Then, Tanaka-san. Please keep out of this area while I try to work. I would not want you getting hurt." Tanaka nodded, and sat at the door, quite frankly curious at what this young man was about to do. Subaru bowed his head and quietly set a few wards in a circle around his working area. Satisfied that this would hold, he extended his senses carefully to the sword.

Subaru's head jerked back in shock as he felt the malevolent energies swirling around the blade. "Tanaka-san. I am not surprised that none of you wanted to touch this sword. I would have been more worried if any of your students had been able to use this sword, for I sense great anger and pain around it. Are you sure that none had ever used this sword in anger or fear?"

Tanaka looked at the young man kneeling in front of the sword, and replied, "None that I can think of. Perhaps-" Tanaka's eyes seemed to look inward as he tried to remember. "Actually, there had been a small incident a few weeks ago, but I don't really know if it could generate such hatred. One of my students, Hadana Hikaru, was asked to leave because of his violent behavior. But he never touched the sword, so..."

Subaru looked up, and extended his mind to the whole property of the dojo. There was a thin layer of bad-will that was barely perceptible unless one was looking for such. All of the little angers were feeding into the sword as a focal point. "I don't think he, if Hadana-san is responsible -- I don't think he was focusing on the sword. However-"

Subaru gestured toward the weapon on the floor. "This sword is a weapon made for only one purpose. Killing. Naturally, all the darker energies are going to be attracted to such a thing, and so they focused here, just waiting for someone to use it in malice. Be glad that you caught this early, and none had yet used this sword in anger. If they had, I'm not sure what would have happened, but I do not think that it would have been pleasant."

Concentrating, Subaru pushed his cleansing energies toward the blade which, to his inner eye, was glowing a faint blood red. *Blood has made its mark on this blade.* Speaking the chant used in cleansing spells, he managed to get the taint of the hate off of the blade and from around the house.

As he arose from the spot before the sword, he could feel the darkness dissipate in a sharp snap. The spell had rebounded on the caster, whether the spell had been cast unknowing or not. Subaru could only hope that whoever had set it had taken some precautions. "Tanaka-san. I think that the sword is now safe to use. However, it still a blade full of death, and now that it has already been affected by magical means, it is even more vulnerable to the darker energies. Please think about this and take the precautions necessary."

Subaru paused as Tanaka came up from behind him, picking up the sword carefully. "Sumeragi-san. Thank you for doing this for my little dojo. If you ever need anything from me -- I can't pay you much-"

Subaru shook his head. "Tanaka-san. This was a easy cleansing. Please don't worry about payment, and do try to see what can be done about Hanada-san..." Subaru looked at Tanaka, who had knelt down in front of him. "Tanaka-san, what-"

Tanaka held out the sword to him. "Sumeragi-san, please take this sword. I feel that my dojo is not the best place to have it, even if Tanada-san had not been here. Somehow, I feel that you may need this."

Subaru looked at the man in front of him for a moment, before reaching out and taking the sword. For a moment, he felt a strangeness, the same strangeness that he had felt last night crossing the street. An almost audible *snick*, a rightness that had snapped into place -- that was what he felt when he took the sword. Fate, destiny, whatever it was called, it had put its hand upon him again.

Resisting the urge to start, Subaru looked at the finely worked blade before him. "Are you sure, Tanaka-san? I would not wish to-"

Tanaka rose up from the dojo floor, as did Subaru. "Please, Sumeragi-san. I have a feeling that you will do the blade honor."