Broken Glass

Soubi searched for his Sacrifice for the 10th time that night. He had walked all across the town trying to sense the young boy, but to no avail.

He came to the small warehouse near the Aoyagi residence. He smelled the sharp scent of blood and feces all over the place as he walked in. His footsteps resounded in the wide, spacious area.

The sound of heavy breathing came from behind a stack of boxes laying on the floor, far in the back of the area. When Soubi ventured back to the small, cramped area, he saw a pair of black ears protruding from a shock of black hair under a heavy, worn cotton blanket. As the blanket was slowly removed, the figure shivered; as he was completely naked, and covered in shards of broken glass. The glass made rivulets of blood run down his flesh, no longer staunched by the thick blanket. A thin tail twitched from in between two scrawny shaking legs. Fluid ran from behind it, and Soubi's questions were answered; his Sacrifice had been raped. (A/N: The people raped him, but they never actually 'stole' his ears.)

"Ritsuka!" Soubi gasped, and ran over to the boy, snatching him up in his arms and cradling the poor child. Petting his head, he removed the glass delicately as if holding a butterfly, and tearing off its wings, very slowly. "Who did such a thing to you!" The man was nearly in tears, as he held Ritsuka, the boys eyes shut tight, his small body trembling.

Drab violet eyes opened, staring blankly ahead, devoid of recognition.

A small hand reached out, grabbing Soubi's finger, making the man gasp with joy. He leaned down when the fingers lightly grasped his hair, tugging ever so slightly. "...Help me...." He rasped. Soubi's breath hitched, and he tore off his coat, wrapping the catboy up, hefting him in his arms, and walking back to his house, grim with emotion, and fearful for Ritsuka's life.

At his place, Soubi set Ritsuka carefully down on his bed, and went to gather some supplies to fix his Sacrifice up. Ritsuka moaned in his sleep, tossing and turning a bit, and whimpering when his wounds touched the sheets. Soubi ran over to him, grasping his hand, and calming him as best he could. He then placed his free hand under the boy's head, and kissed him, making Ritsuka moan deeper, and kiss back, weakly. Soubi moved back to dress the boy's wounds. He did so for a straight hour, moving back and forth between the kitchen and his bed, to get Ritsuka water to drink and such.

After several hours Soubi sat in a chair next to the bed, head in his hands. 'What do I do?' He thought, glancing over at Ritsuka, who was finally sleeping soundly, his small frame still, all but his chest rising and falling slowly. "Ritsuka..." He stared at his Sacrifice momentarily, before standing and moving towards the window, staring out at the coming night. "So tiny, so fragile...like broken glass...." Soubi stared at a butterfly fluttering about outside the window, opening it after a second, the creature coming in. The butterfly flew to Ritsuka's sleeping form, and perched on his head.

He stirred, and awoke as the butterfly flew off and onto the light next to the bed. "Uhh..." He shivered slightly, stretching, and finding pain whenever he moved shooting up his body. He turned his head towards the window where his Fighter stared, his eyes on the boy. "Soubi." The man started forward, and came to crouch at the side of the bed, taking Ritsuka's hand, and kissing it. "What happened?" Ritsuka looked at Soubi with wondering eyes, now a bit brighter than before, but still not normal. Ritsuka turned his head back on the pillow, sighing.

"Well," Soubi started, but he was interrupted by Ritsuka's cell phone ringing from his pocket. When he'd found the boy, his phone was in the pile of clothes near the blanket. He got it out, and gave it to the boy, who was struggling to sit up, and making it despite his small cries of pain.

"Hello?" Ritsuka spoke into the phone.

There was silence on the other end, then a voice Ritsuka thought he'd nevber hear at the end of his phone again. "Hi Ritsuka, how are you doing?" The voice was low, with a hint of malice in it, making the cat boy cringe inwardly.

"Seimei." Ritsuka spoke that one word, and Soubi snatched the phone out of his hand, bringing it up to his trembling lips.

"What did you do to him!!" He spoke with rage, his hatred toward his ex-Sacrifice ever strong.

Seimei laughed on the other line, "I didn't do anything to him, my Fighter...but I can tell you who did..."

Ritsuka had a worried look on his face, as he tugged on Soubi's sleeve. "Soubi..."

Soubi gave the phone back to Ritsuka, as he went over to the window again. "Ask him something...anything.." His voice shook a bit, as tears came to his eyes.

"Seimei, what did you do?"

"My brother...you wouldn't want to know..." Seimei said smoothly, ending the call, and Ritsuka herd a dial tone on the phone. Angry, he shut the phone and looked to Soubi.

"Ritsuka, do you remember anything?" The Fighter asked hopefully, so he could get some answers.

The boy shook his head. "It's all a blur, and my body really hurts, so maybe the pain is blocking the memories..."

Soubi looked at his Sacrifice . "Ritsuka, go to sleep, you need your rest." He nodded his head and lay down, going to sleep. Soubi looked out the window, watching as cars passed by, shining light into the only window in the apartment. 'We have to search tomorrow...Ritsuka has to rest...he's so weak, like broken glass...' He got into bed next to his sacrifice, wrapping his arms around him, holding him tight. "I'll never let anything like this happen to you again...I love you."

(A/N: Okay, there it is...it's...a little odd for my taste, but the ending was spontaneous, I couldn't figure out how to continue...Anyway, review please, tell me what you think, give suggestions.)