My Oath

Disclamer: I do not own Infinite Stratos, all the rights go to the respectful owner.

Chapter 1

(Chifuyus POV)

It was 5 years ago when that happened. Five years ago from that fateful night when I lost the most precious thing I ever had. It was 5 years ago that I lost my brother.

Ichika and I lived alone from the day our parents left us. It was shortly ater Ichika was born that they left without leaving even a message about where they went, or why did they do that. Nothing. All I remember was one rainy night that I was holding Ichika, crying while listening to words of some policemen that reported us that our parents died in a car accident. However their bodies where never found. I knew it was a lie. It had to be. The only place they could go was a mall in a town center and nobody crashes in center of a town as big as ours and still nobody happenes to find the body. However once I heard that lie,that lie that will change mine and his life forever, I knew they weren't our parents anymore. Now it was only Ichika and me that were left. Two of us. Alone.

Since I was born in the beginning of the age of women when that damn Tabane made those machines that I hate more than anything, machines that took my brother away from me for 5 whole painful years just to bring it back completly changed, so much diffrent, I couldn't accept any kind of help for two of us. Me, being stubborn as I am, decided that I can raise Ichika and myself without any problem. However, the hell if it wasn't hard. In the beginning we could barely find anything to eat, and that's where dinners at Shinononos house helped a lot. Now after a year or two it got diffrent. It seems that I had quite a talent in using an IS so I could gather quite some money from IS tournaments and so we could afford quite nice house with some nice looking furniture. And luckly Ichika was very talented in housework so no matter what I brought for dinner he could always make a dish that even top cookers would be ashamed off I assure you. Those were the nicest years. Years when I could still understand the definition of happiness.

Ichika grew in one happy and hyperative little boy. The total opposite of me. As I went through the worst part of rasing the two of us I grew in one cold and seemingly terrifying teen. I didn't mind it. However I did have a nice side. And only Ichika knew about it. Expect of Ichika and Tabane I've never had anyone else in my life. I never wished for anyone else. Well I surely didn't wish for Tabane either, but she just sliped in somehow becoming my only best and only friend. (Note: those were her words...) Well, then again I didn't mind that either. Only thing I cared about was Ichika and Ichika only. But the moment I won the first Mondo Grosso tournament and got qualified for the second I should've known something is gonna go wrong. I mean it was common sense. Being the best IS pilot in the world and knowing Tabane and so much more about IS than others do I should've guessed somebody is gonna come after me in search of all this precious info. Or Ichika in this case.

Of course Ichika didn't know anything about piloting IS or even how does one work, but still he was the only thing I actually cared about and the only thing for which I would sacrefice everything. Everything.

I didn't care about that stupid tournament. I didn't care about getting title of the 1st person to win two Mondo Grossos one after another. I didn't give a crap about that. However I cared about my brother. And I lost him for the something that didn't held any value for me.

My God, I was angry as hell when I heared that. No, not just angry, I was also dead scared, I just wanted to lie down and die. Die because of my stupidity. I felt like that when I heard that my brother went missing.

It seemed as two men somehow got into our house owerhelming Ichika and kidnapping him. Now why did I add owerhelming? Because Ichika was no joke when it came to fighting. Knowing Tabane and the rest of Shinonono family Ichika and Tabanes little sister started sparring daily in their dojo. Ichika has shown to have quite some talent in kendo and so to be quite a worthy opponent. Of course he was no match for me in the end. Anyway, Ichika got to knock one guy out with his bokken but the other quckly used his chance and grabed him by his wrists. In that position he both sides were full of openings and both sides knew that. However the kidnapper was faster and quickly kicked the boy in his stomach meking him go unconscious. Where they went is unknown because for some reason not even German satelites could get in the track of the car. Somebody hacked into their signal transfer I suppose. And then a day after the tournament in which I got that trophey that I broke in matter of second once I was alone, they called us. Phantom Task I believe they were called. They said they held Ichika hostage and gave us the location of their position. However something was weird about that whole situation and soon I found out why. I was the only one actually allowed to come. Now don't get me wrong or anything, I surely wasn't scared, the hell I was so pumped to break their necks and slice their heads off their shoulder, but the problem was Ichika. I knew one wrong step meant losing my brother. Forever. I remember quickly brushing that thought out of my head and asking what am I supposed to do. All they said was surrender. I had 24 hours to come and surrender to them or they will kill Ichika. I didn't come. German soldiers shot me with a sleeping dart leaving me unconscious for two whole days. And that was the best thing they could do. Even then I knew it was a trap, that I will just get cought and most likely killed thogether with by little brother, but I didn't care. As long as I was with him.

Once I finally woke up the hell begun. Understading the current time, or date in this case I deployed my IS and started killing every German soldier I came after. Well, started. Before I could slice the neck of my first victim with the onlt weapon of my IS, 'Yukihiria Nigata', Tabane got in my wave with an information that lightened a bit of hope in my heart. Hope that I held for for whole 5 years. Hope that Ichika was still alive.

It seemed as Tabane got in the track of the car that drove off with Ichika after those 24 hours expired. However Ichika was still alive. Well, his heart was still beating according to Tabane, even though he was unconscius. But that was enough for me. I quickly asked where is he now but the answer got my mood donw in a second. And not just because Tabane couldn't track his current location. But because it was Tabane whom couldn't track his current loaction. The super genius with kinda childish personallity but good heart all in all. The one that could get away from the entire world that was trying to get to her for the secret of the IS machines. The one that was able to do what noone else was or will be. The one that made IS herself. That was the person that couldn't find my brother.

I was couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't imagine my life withour Ichika. I even thought about killing myself, but the thought of Ichika still being alive kept me going. I called Tabane every single day to check on Ichikas state, which she tracked through a chip that was installed inside of Ichika, Tabanes little sister and me. And every time she answered with yes. But I felt she kept something a secret form me. Something big. Something really big. So the next time I saw her (which was on my birthday) I asked what that is. All she said was: 'Ichika is able to pilot an IS...' I couldn't believe what she was saying. Why, you ask. Because men are not supposed to be able to do so. To pilot an IS. From as far as the history of IS reaches no men was ever able to get in one not to say controll one. And than there was my brother. The only male IS pilot that ever existed.

That piece of information hit me as a bullet.

'Now I get it. The reason why they are keeping Ichika alive is because he can pilot that damn machine...' Those were my thoughts back then.

'But there was a big downside of that. Even if we get to save Ichika at one point, which we definatly will, the true hell begins once the other countries get to hear about that. Having the only male IS pilot ever by your side is surely a big thing, and doing all kinds of weird experiments on him is invitable. If they get to him, that is. But I won't let that happen. Making my precious little brother a lab rat is not gonna happen. Not in a thousand years if you ask me. And you are so gonna have to ask me.' Those were all my thoughts back then. Me making a promise to Ichika and myself that I will protect my brother no matter what. That I will save him from this horrible fate that is after him. That I will bring the happines that once resinated in him again. That I will bring my brother back.

'That is my oath.'

A/N This is my first fanfiction that I ever wrote/published. Please don't kill me if you don't like it, I'm still very inexperienced in this so any kind of constructive feedback will be very helpful. Thank you for reading! ^_^