Hey guys. The last chapter got all of 2 reviews...which is sad compared to my others. I have a one shot with more hits. But who knows, maybe more chapters will help, once I really get into the plot. I have faith in this thing. So, lets find out...

Chapter 2

It was cold. That was the first thought to fully register in his foggy mind. The second that there were voices. He couldn't place them, though they seemed familiar. He thought he knew them, but it was as if they were distorted somewhat, too high, unclear. It was disorienting.

"There's someone here!"

"Who's this?"

"Do you know him?"

"Nope!"

He tried to groan, though he wasn't sure if he had or not, tried to move but didn't think he succeeded. He heard the voices again, heard another join them, but he didn't know what they said. One seemed different, softer, more mature. But he might have been imagining it. Very slowly he spied shadows moving around outside his eyelids, but try as he might they wouldn't open. The people were close though, whoever they were. He felt warm hands on his arm before they started talking again, the mature voice. But the words refused to be clear. He did, however, manage to pick one word out of the lot:

Sacrifice.

And then the world was black.

~*~*~*~

"What do you mean he's not one of yours?"

"I mean just that. I don't know him."

"But you have to! You have to!"

Ritsuka found he had some slight muscle control. Just enough to squeeze his eyes shut just a little tighter from the voice now shrieking. He recognized it as the more "mature" voice from before, though how he could have ever mistaken it as mature was beyond him. It was high pitched, obviously feminine, and at the moment whiny.

In one word: Annoying.

And he was sure the other man agreed.

"And yet I don't."

She shrieked again, though omitted the words, settling for a high, long, sound of frustration. He wondered if he could pass out again...Which brought to mind, why had he passed out before? He remembered, with a jolt, the incident in his bedroom. Seimei...the smoke...

His stomach lurched at the thought, chilled at the memory of his brother. No, that hadn't been his brother. Not as he liked to remember him. That had been Seimei from Seven Moons. The cold, cruel one that he couldn't recognize. Refused to.

But that didn't change the fact that he was responsible. Him and that mist. Now the only question was...what exactly had it done?

He didn't know, but he was suddenly shaken with the realization that whatever it as had been done to him alone. There was no Seimei. No Soubi...

He groaned as the memories churned his stomach, as the effects began to wear off leaving a dull ache in his head. In his limbs.

God...he felt like shit...

He wanted to keep quiet, to listen in until he had an idea of where he was. Of what was happening to him. He couldn't however, retain the groan that slipped through his lips, attracting the attention of the others.

"He appears to be awake", the man commented, as if bored. He sounded so...familiar. Not horribly so...not someone he'd held multiple conversations with...but there had been some. He'd heard it somewhere before...

"Ah! What should I do?"

"Stop acting like a child."

"Oh shut up!"

Her voice was shrill and he could feel dread adding to his already torturous emotions as she approached, her heels clicking horribly loud against what sounded like a linoleum floor. Or maybe wood. He wasn't sure which. His cover blown, he strained to open his eyes, managing to crack them, only to be struck by a blinding light. He winced, pain exploding in his skull, but forced them to adjust, to move to the right, to where the woman was approaching and gasped.

It was that woman. The one who'd created the Zeros. The one who'd ditched Youji and Natsuo for a time...Nagisa, he thought her name was. Her name, however, wasn't really important. Moving his eyes further, he caught sight of the man.

It was Ritsu.

Soubi's teacher.

The feeling of dread doubled as he realized that somehow, he'd wound up here of all places.

Seven Moons Academy.

~*~*~*~

"Who are you?" She demanded, standing in front of him, arms crossed. She was in one of those poofy dresses he could remember seeing her in before, under a lab coat, her hair pulled up in rather childish pigtails. He'd always found her odd, for the few seconds he'd thought to think about her, but now that he was studying her he found her even odder. It was as if she was trying to be a dominating baby doll...a combination that didn't entirely work...

But-

He suddenly realized something.

She didn't know him.

He blinked in surprise, before letting his gaze turn wary. Neither of them had recognized him, though he'd been there before. He'd talked to them both online and in real life at least once, and if nothing else had been known as Seimei's brother. As Soubi's sacrifice. He'd be remembered... Unless of course this had something to do with the mist.

Cautious, he wet his lips, before replying simply, "Ritsuka."

"What are you doing here?"

"Ritsuka what?"

He frowned. Did he tell them? Something inside of him was screaming no, and so with no better advice, he obeyed.

"I forgot."

She frowned too, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?"

He blinked, taken aback by her boldness but answered her, albeit slowly. Thoughtfully. "I don't remember."

Her frowned deepened across her childish face. "Well what do you remember?"

He remembered Youji and Natsuo talking about her, about how she'd abandoned them. He remembered the first time he was here and the disasters that occurred. And most vividly, he remembered his brother the night before, the ice in his voice. In his eyes. He'd been different. Scary.

"Some things probably..." He replied slowly, not wanting to divulge his personal information until he was sure of the situation. "I'm not really sure..."

He let his eyes scan the room before drifting over to examine Ritsu. The man seemed as aloof as ever, sitting at the desk looking over a file or something. He tried to pull up all the information he could recall on the man but was met with very few facts : He was Soubi's teacher, a teacher at the academy. He knew of Septimial Moon. Seimei had gouged his eyes out...

Then why were they there? Why were they sitting in his sockets as if they'd never been disrupted.

Because he realized slowly, they hadn't...

But what did that mean?

She sighed, obviously frustrated, before turning to Ritsu. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Why ask me?"

"Because! You're the doctor! Get over here and fix his memory!!!"

"Since when am I a doctor?" He asked, sighing deeply before pushing up fro his desk and crossing the floor to Ritsuka. His fingers were cold when he grabbed his chin, turning his head, checking his pupils. He smelled of paper, his tone casual, his touch impersonal. He pulled away.

"He seems fine. It's probably just shock. Give him some time and I'm sure he'll remember everything."

"Great", she spat sarcastically. "That's all you can tell me?"

"No" he replied. "There's more."

"Like?"

That was a very good question and he found himself leaning forwards slightly to listen.

"Like," he began, "That he's a sacrifice."

Ritsuka blinked, taken aback. Was it so obvious? He hadn't even know he was a sacrifice and now it was radiating from him...Or maybe it wasn't...Nagisa hadn't known. Nor had the people with her before. Come to think of it...who were they?

He groaned as his head gave another throb, suddenly wanting nothing more that to sleep. There was just too much going on around him, swirling, dragging him down with it. More than he really wanted to comprehend.

God how he just wanted to sleep.

Nagisa gave another shriek at the news, though this time is was one of surprise and stared at him. "How can you tell?"

"I just know." he replied. "Though it's strange. I can't find a name on him." He turned his attention back to Ritsuka. "How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Hmm." He seemed to consider this before nodding to himself. "Alright. You're a sacrifice, no doubt about it. And you're at the correct age to be acquainted with your fighter. I'm sure your name will appear when you two meet. We'll know it then."

"I know it now."

he paused, tilting his head slightly. "Alright then."

"It's LOVELESS."

"How do you know?" Nagisa demanded yet again, her voice colder than before. "How do we know we can trust him?"

"Why would I lie about that? And even if I did who'd want that."

This seemed to make sense to her and so she didn't respond. Or perhaps she would have. He really didn't know. Either way she was interrupted as the door swung open, two small heads poking in.

He couldn't breathe.

They were smaller, and younger, definitely younger, but they were still highly recognizable, and he knew without a doubt that they were the other two voices from before.

Youji and Natsuo!

"He's awake!" Natsuo exclaimed, rushing in. He looked to be around 7 or so, his magenta hair curling it's way to hang just a little above his shoulders. He hurried over to the edge of the couch Ritsuka lay on, looking up at him curiously. Without an eye patch.

Youji followed soon after, his hair straight and just to his shoulders. He was standing beside Natsuo as he often did, the two of them a little combined force, his eyes glittering with mischievous curiosity.

It was...strange to say the least...

"Hey you!" Youji poked him in the arm. Frowning, Ritsuka drew it back, confusion and fear waging an inner battle for dominance. Youji didn't seem to care."Who are you?"

Natsuo nodded eagerly. "Yeah, who."

"Are you a fighter?"

"Or a sacrifice?"

"Does this hurt?"

"Wha-?"

"Natsuo!" Nagisa snapped, her voice wavering a little as it hit an octave Ritsuka would have really rather not known it could go. It was borderline painful, his head giving another throb. His face pouty, Natsuo drew back the hand with which he was about to deliver that pinch. "Youji", she continued, her voice dropping back to normal. "What are you two think you're doing here?"

"I wanted to see him", Youji answered, stepping forwards just a bit, his finger pointed at Ritsuka. It was then that he remembered something they'd mentioned before ; Nagisa favorited Youji over Natsuo. "To see if he was alive."

Now the only question was why the hell were they little? Very slowly, however, the pieces were falling into place. He was at – had been sent to- Seven Moons Academy. A place he'd been before. He'd met Ritsu and Nagisa before...and yet they didn't know him. And now this. These kids were without a doubt his friends, even before Nagisa'd yelled their names. But they were younger.

But he wasn't.

But he was in the past.

It was a somewhat startling realization, like being doused with ice water, and for a moment he forgot everything else: The hurt, the confusion, the incessant throbbing in his head.

He was in the past.

But how far back? And why?

Judging from Youji and Natsuo's age, he'd assume it was anywhere from 4 to 6 years, but he couldn't be sure-

"Aaaaaaw..."

He blinked, the small cry drawing him from his thoughts. Blinking, he realized he'd tuned out Nagisa's scolding, been too lost in his thoughts for it to register. Apparently, however, Natsuo had been given the lion's share of the punishment, despite Youji's attempt at taking the blame. He didn't get a chance to find out what it was though, before the two were shuttled out the room.

Before the door closed however, Natsuo sent a glance back and a little wave that Ritsuka felt the insane urge to return. He refrained though, waiting until the door clicked and Nagisa focused her attention back on him.

"So. LOVELESS..." She eyed him curiously. "What should we do with him?"

He blinked, realizing that she was apparently addressing Ritsu, and felt apprehension seep into him. Why he was here at all probably wouldn't matter much, depending on how they decided to deal with him.

Would they hurt him? Would Seimei send him somewhere where he could be hurt? He'd like to think no, but...

What would happen if I called for Soubi?

He scowled, forcing the irrelevant thought from his mind. Soubi wasn't here... Was he? Ignoring the flicker of something resembling hope in his chest, he forced himself to watch Ritsu. To wait for the man's answer.

"We allow him to stay."

Nagisa seemed as surprised as Ritsuka himself.

"What?"

"We let him stay," He repeated, his voice calm. "Like I said, it's about time for him to be acquainted with his fighter anyways-"

"But you don't have a LOVELESS fighter!"

"Then he should be showing himself shortly." He wiped his hands on his pants before standing again. "Either way, it's not like we have anywhere else to send him..." He paused, narrowing his eyes at Ritsuka. The boy squirmed just a bit under such scrutiny. "Do we?"

"I-I don't remember." He replied automatically, to which Ritsu nodded.

"I suspected as much. So you see it makes perfect sense for him to stay here."

"Fine", she replied, sounding petulant. Suddenly her lips turned up. "And I know just where he can stay."

"No."

"Yes", she argued, her smile broadening. "It makes sense after all, neither one having a partner. And besides, he's never had to share a room like everyone else. Damn teacher's pet. It's only fair!"

He looked as if he'd like to argue, but surprisingly conceded, though the look he shot her was weird. Her grin faltered just a bit, though Ritsuka had no clue why...

There was something niggling at him, something he knew he was forgetting. Wracking his mind as Ritsu pushed a button – the intercom he discovered- and called someone down into the office, he tried to shake the feeling. But there was something in their words, about whoever was apparently going to become his new roommate. Something familiar. Something he should know.

He's never had to share a room before like everyone else. Damn teacher's pet.

Teacher's pet...

"LOVELESS", Ritsuka snapped out of his thoughts as Ritsu addressed him.

"Um...yes sir?"

"It's been decided that you are to stay here until your fighter has been found. Until then you'll be staying with another student of mine. He's a few years older than you but that shouldn't be a problem. He should be here in a few- Ah, here he is." He announced as a knock sounded. "Come in."

The door opened.

And time stopped.

Not literally, of course, but for Ritsuka it might as well have. Because it was in the few minutes that that person walked through the door, that the final piece fell into place. Why the comment had sounded so familiar.

"LOVELESS. Meet-"

Soubi.

WOW!!!I ACTUALLY UPDATED!!! Its so weird.... It's like this fic isn't as popular and therefore not quite as important as the others, so theres less pressure and I can actually write it. Weird. Anyways, IM SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER WAS KIND OF BORING OR OOC BUT SERIOUSLY I'VE NEVER HAD TO WRITE ANYTHING FOR NAGISA OR RITSU!!!

Anyways, look forwards to some Ritsuka/Past Soubi interaction in the next chapter. Oh and IMPORTANT!!!! I DON'T HAVE THIS PLANNED SO IF THERES A SCENERIO YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IM TOTALLY OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS AND YOU WILL GET CREDIT AND EVERYTHING. BUT IM NOT TOTALLY SURE WHGAT TO DO IN BETWEEN THE BIG IMPORTAN EVENTS!!!

Now, like I was saying before there will be Soubi/Ritsuka interaction, but I'm not sure how I'll do that, because while I have an understanding of current time Soubi, Past Soubi isn't something we have a lot of experience with. WISH ME LUCK!!!

___________Redfaerie!!!