Sympathy, where shall thou lead?

Soubi looks behind him and sighed of relief, this was the first time they had to use such a tactic, and it worked. Now Ritsuka would be safely on his way home from here, now he could take his time and try to examine the situation. "So…", He looked at the girl who surprisingly spoke first "I guess I will HAVE to fight for my freedom in this situation…" Soubi rolled his eyes mentally at the girl. "You may make the first move!" Soubi ccked his head to the side, but obliged the strange girl. He activated a spell that should have binded her legs with thorny vines. She winced as the vines crawled up her legs and made tear tracks on her skin and broke apart her pant legs. The vines stopped at her thighs and restraints appeared on her ankles and wrists. A huge blow. "I guess it will be cold on the way home…" Soubi shrugged "I went first…" The girl looked up and determined what move to take she closed her, then opened them again. "Red waters parted for Moses, who now part for me…" water that was the color of decayed rust started lapping at Soubi's feet and rose to his thighs. The girl focused on him and the walls silently heaved to the sky. "Fall on the enemy for me as you did Moses as well." Then the red water twisted in around Soubi and thrashed inwards at him rushing in his ears and making him black out and lose consciousness. The next thing Soubi feels is cold cement against his cheek as he lies outside the void…

Ritsuka waited, and waited till he saw soubi and the girl again, he ran towards Soubi but Soubi wobbled and tipped over to the ground covered in what Ritsuka thought was blood. "Soubi!" Ritsuka shrieked with fear "What did you do to him!" he never saw Soubi lose before, never. "Soubi!" The girl walked over and said "wake up, now… your sacrifice is worried." Soubi's eyes fluttered and Ritsuka jumped at the girl "You didn't have to hurt him THIS bad!" Soubi seemed to be slightly more awake "Ritsuka…" Ritsuka went on like he didn't hear him. " What was the fight about anyway? This is all so stupid!" Ritsuka saw the girl step back and angry tears came to his eyes, "why you`!" "Ritsuka!" Soubi was holding him and dripping red trying to soothe him, but Ritsuka just went more hysterical. "You need to get to a hospital, your bleeding and-" "Ritsuka!" Soubi took his face in his hands looked dead into his eyes and said "I am not hurt…" Soubi stepped back and wringed out his hair , and he noticed that it was just water. Ritsuka looked up "Wha-…huh?" He looked back at the girl and just stood there question in his eyes and posture "told you I fought different, I don't LIKE to hurt people when it ISN'T necessary, why was I attacked anyway? I hold no crime against you or Ritsuka!" Soubi shook his head "It was half a paid job and half a curious situation. I am staring to think the fights WEREN'T started by you, or JUST you in that case…" The girl half smiled "yup…" All of them went silent until Soubi said "What is YOUR name?" The girl said "Amaya Himura at you service!" Soubi looked at her menacingly and she looked down "OH…well…THAT is what the fighting IS about, BUUUUUUT, I think I'll withhold THAT information!" she smiled and waved before either Ritsuka or Soubi could respond "Sayonara Ritsuka-kun, I will see you tomorrow for school, and you may call me Amaya-san just as well!" She turned and said "I don't hold a grudge, because no one got hurt, but if I am attacked by you again, I won't consider it being curiosity." Me and Soubi just walked home in silence after that….

"Well THAT was surprising!" Ritsuka had a towel around his shoulders to stop the drip of his sopping wet hair from the unsuspected rain on the way home. He looked at Soubi who snuck into his room for the fiftieth or so time this year. "I should really get one of those tree house ladders for the window…" Soubi was on the floor rubbing his hair with a towel. "DON'T!" he grabbed the towel that was to late to be saved "There IS a reason that the water could be mistaken for blood, IT'S RED!" He sighed and tossed the towel in the trash. "You should shower first…" He wondered if he could sneak a man soubi's height into the shower down he hall, but then decided to let him use his shower. "Here, you can use my shower to wash up, but don't turn off the water afterwards and don't take to long, or else mom will notice." He looked soubi who looked puzzled. "What's wrong?" Soubi just shrugged and said "You seem okay with how things turned out…" Ritsuka returned the shrug. "I don't know how to feel, I was hysterical when I thought you were covered head to toe in blood, but fine that I know you didn't get hurt." Ritsuka was curios about something though "She came out with much more than a scratch though, her legs were torn up and I KNOW she was cold and wet on her way home…and yet she still didn't hold a grudge or limp away?" Soubi now looked mad "It is unusual for you to be so…ignorant about such a thing…" Ritsuka realized what he said did seem monstrous "wait, I didn't mean… that is to say…" Soubi got up and headed towards the window "Maybe I should leave." Ritsuka stopped him and said, "But it's raining!" Soubi looked back at Ritsuka mad and said "Maybe you should know a little more about fighting BEFORE I fight in front of you anymore…" Ritsuka got mad too. "I'm just relieved the one who was hurt WASN'T you!" He blushed as he said this, but Soubi was still mad "I am leaving…" Ritsuka just hugged Soubi and screamed into his back "Stay!" Soubi peeked behind him "Is that an order…" Ritsuka just looked up at the back of Soubi's head in silence, pleading with his eyes for him to stay. Soubi gently uncurled Ritsuka's arms from around him and silently jumped from the window down to the ground. Ritsuka rubbed his temples and dropped to the comforter on his bed and just passed out in his sopping wet clothing and cold to the bone skin…

End of chapter 2

sneak peek of what is to come…

Amaya waited till the unit was far out of sight and she was sitting on a park bench a block away before she decided to look at her injuries. She was regretting accepting the battle and leaving with a smile with injuries and pain this bad. She felt like her legs were just not there and were replaced but hot thumping lacerations. Like a zebra having white instead of black stripes, or black instead of white, whichever it was…

She sat and looked up to see a fighter staring at her. "you want a fight too heh?"…

(Will another battle rip the night to shreds? Why does Amaya regret leaving peacefully? What happened to Ritsuka's sense of sympathy? What is the true name behind the newest unit! Find out in the next chapter)