Slipping outside of Haniel's gorgeous home for a moment to search for Osomatsu, (whom had seemingly gone missing) Karamatsu noticed two strips of shiny fabric in the bushes.

What appeared to be shiny fabric, upon closer examination, turned out to be two small ribbons, just large enough to tie around two people's wrists.

Both ribbons were a lovely, pale blue, resembling the sky on an early, spring morning.

Rubbing his fingers over one of the ribbons, Karamatsu found that he was smiling, but he wasn't quite sure why. These ribbons held some sort of meaning, and the young boy longed to understand it. He would ask Osomatsu about them for sure.

"Karamatsu! Karamatsu!" Osomatsu panted as he ran up the sidewalk, nearly crashing into his brother. Stumbling back a few feet, the first born son wiped beads of sweat off of his face with his angelic clothing. "Choromatsu hasn't arrived yet, has He? If He has, please tell me you haven't been made into an angel!"

Karamatsu tilted his head, thoroughly confused. "Is something the matter? It seems as if you think being an angel could be a negative thing!"

"No," Osomatsu shook his head a little. "There's just a place better than all of this." Osomatsu stretched his arms open wide, spinning around dramatically. "Life here can get so boring! I met some...stranger in a dark place just now. At first, it had pulled me into some ominous place...I felt a little scared at first, in fact. But, once I was released, I heard its voice in my mind my entire way back here!"

Karamatsu's jaw dropped open, absolutely speechless. Desperate to change the subject, the boy thrust his newly discovered ribbons into Osomatsu's filthy hands.

"Huh?" Osomatsu questioned, narrowing his eyes until they were tiny slits, studying the pieces of material. "Where did you find these?"

"In the bush right there," Karamatsu replied, pointing to his right.

Osomatsu gave it a big sniff, then grinned. "Hey, I have an idea." Osomatsu passed one of the ribbons back over to Karamatsu. "Try tying it around your wrist- all by yourself."

Karamatsu nodded his head, obeying his brother. As he bent his wrist and arm in all sorts of uncomfortable positions, the young boy found he was unable to tie a decent bow.

"You see!" Osomatsu laughed, waving his own ribbon in Karamatsu's face. "We can use them as reminders for one another! Hold out your wrist."

Karamatsu, yet again, obeyed his brother.

As Osomatsu tied one of the ribbons around his brother's wrist, he whispered a simple prayer. "Please God, even if this is one of the last times we speak, protect Karamatsu, above all. Amen."

"Let me do yours now!" Karamatsu exclaimed, gently taking his brother's ribbon, trying it perfectly around his wrist.

"Now, we have constant reminders," Osomatsu smiled, rubbing under his nose. "That we are loved, and that someone out there cares for us. Because, all alone, we wouldn't have been able to tie such beautiful bows around our wrists."

"You're right!" Karamatsu cheered, throwing his arms around Osomatsu's neck, hugging him as tightly as possible.

"And you know..." Osomatsu's voice softened. "No matter what, we'll always remember each other, right? Will you always love me as your brother?"

"Of course I will!" Karamatsu gasped, slightly shocked that Osomatsu would even imagine his little brother forgetting him. "You're my best friend, after all."

"Choromatsu will be here soon, won't he?" Osomatsu asked, his voice losing a major percentage of its cheer.

Karamatsu nodded his head.

"S-Should we go inside an wait on the sofa then?" Osomatsu inquired.

Karamatsu nodded his head yet again, this time, he stared down at the ribbon around his wrist.

Just as Osomatsu turned around, beginning to shuffle his feet lazily towards their adopted mother's home, the young boy felt a firm grip on his wrist.

Turning around, he was shocked to see tears running down his brother's cheeks.

"No..." Osomatsu thought, feeling as if his heart would explode and crumble at the same time. "He knows, doesn't he...He knows..."

"Why are you leaving me...?" Karamatsu whimpered, throwing himself onto Osomatsu, hugging him until his older brother struggled to breathe. "After all you just said, reminding me how I'll never be alone...you're going to abandon me...? Just leave to quench your thirst of ungodly desires....?"

Karamatsu broke down sobbing, slumping to the ground, his tears splashing onto the golden paved sidewalk.

"Don't cry!" Osomatsu panicked, pulling Karamatsu back up on his feet, rubbing him gently on the head, messing up his black hair as he hugged him. "If Choromatsu sees you like this, he'll think you're possessed!"

"You're the possessed one!" Karamatsu lashed out, pushing Osomatsu away. Inhaling, the little boy tried to speak, but all he seemed to know was how to cry. And he did a very good job of it.

"I don't belong here, Karamatsu...you have to understand that," Osomatsu softened his voice even more than before. "Everyone is so pure here...I've never understood what's going on, or how I should even act. It all feels like...a joke to me...I just can't stay. But you're happy here- I know you are! And I want you to stay happy! Keep smiling like you always do! Help Haniel out with all the children she loves! You don't need a...trashy brother like me holding you back from your full potential."

"But I don't care if you hold me back...that's what you never understand!" Karamatsu cried. "You're the reason why I'm so happy! It's because I have someone who is always there for me...someone I know isn't going to change...ever..?"

"I can't stay here..." Osomatsu sighed, turning around, but was shocked when his eyes met a rather fearsome pair of eyes.

Burning with anger, Choromatsu pulled a gold spear out from under his robes, thrusting it into Osomatsu's heart, right before Karamatsu's eyes.

Choking as blood gurgled in his throat, spewing out of his mouth, Osomatsu took a final breath, then died. But when he died, instead of just flipping over limply, the boy's entire body disappeared.

Karamatsu stood speechless before his master, knees knocking together in fear.

"Please don't..." Karamatsu whimpered, avoiding all eye contact with the god.

To his surprise, Choromatsu gently rested his hand on top of Karamatsu's head, smiling kindly at the young be.

"My good and faithful servant..." Choromatsu began blessing the young boy, transforming him into an angel.