AN: Sweetness! I finished chapter four! I hope I make you guys proud for going against my slump. Enjoy!
Chapter Four: Horrors In Between
Chapter Rating: T
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"Soubi," Ritsuka whispered, loosening his hold on the man's waist, "do you feel better now?" He glanced upwards at the solemn face with no way knowing what Soubi had been recalling a few seconds before he called to him.
When the fighter didn't answer, he sighed and allowed Soubi to hold him for a little longer. I missed you so much.
"Ritsuka," Soubi finally said, "Other people don't matter," he squeezed the boy harder, "They don't." he said.
"Wha-what are you saying this for?" Ritsuka asked, reddening at the man's sensuous words, burying his face on Soubi's shirt, "You're being weird again." But that's okay. Ritsuka thought, Just stay for a little while.
"Soubi."
The addressed raised his head, knowing well that it wasn't his little master who was calling to him.
No...no! Ritsuka thought, raising his head and looking over the adult's side. Despite his anguish, Ritsuka couldn't make the calmly approaching figure trespassing on his magical moment go away, or the lights and the small crowd that followed behind him. Ritsu-sensei.
Clear as day in Soubi's eyes showed the question as to how the teachers from Septimal Moon knew he was there. But he didn't have to wonder for long.
"Well done Aoyagi Ritsuka!" Nagisa sensei clapped, her Zero prototype right beside her, "We knew you'd eventually lead us to Soubi if it was him that ransacked the East Building!"
The raven haired student bit his lip as Yamato waved to him; congratulating him.
The female teacher glanced at her colleague Ritsu slyly, grinning and taunting, "My Zero is all ready to beat your student down." and as she said so, one of her hands moved to Kouya's head, gently petting the girl.
Ritsuka looked at Ritsu sensei whose glasses were white from the reflecting light. But the boy knew the teacher was only looking at Soubi, the man standing beside him. After a moment Ritsu broke the tension,
"Soubi-kun, come now. You are to repair what you've done in the East building."
With a lowered head Soubi placed a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder and pulled him close to his side, smiling as he responded, "I will...if Ritsuka will be there."
"Are you stupid!" The female teacher screeched in response, "He's to be transferred! After all of this you think Septimal Moon will let you have your wa-"
"No."
Ritsuka shuddered at Soubi's firm words. Looking down on the ground, he wondered, Does Soubi really need me this much? Yet, it made no sense to him, he was the one who needed him.
"Soubi-kun, we will be forced to restrain you. This can't go unpunished." and despite that, Ritsu sensei received no yielding response.
"Kouya! Yamato!" Nagisa said hurriedly, pointing towards Soubi.
Immediately both girls stepped in front of the teachers; Kouya expanding her battle realm, challenging Soubi in an inescapable battle.
"Mere Zero will not beat Soubi-kun alone." Ritsu said to Nagisa.
With clenched fists the woman tried to stay calm, growling a little as she raised an arm and directed it to Soubi, stepping aside as another team came, a woman and a man much like the fighter Sleepless- only uniformed and unfriendly. Ritsuka recalled they were the 'security measures' of Septimal Moon.
"Ritsuka." Soubi softly said, calling the boy out of his panic, "Stand behind me you'll be safe. I promise."
"But-"
The adult Sentouki interrupted, his crystal blue eyes taking Ritsuka's breath away, "They don't matter as long as I have you. As long as I'm with Ritsuka, no one else matters." and bending down, he kissed the little boy's lips, ignoring the shock gasps from the female audience.
Turning around, Soubi stepped in front of Ritsuka and said, "I accept. I will be on auto." Dispersing his own fighting field, he concluded, "My name is Beloved, I fight for Loveless."
And in a blink of an eye, the fight started.
Fool. Ritsu sensei thought, closing his eyes.
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He didn't dislike Ritsuka because he was Seimei's brother. He disliked the boy because he was unraveling what took the teacher years to teach Soubi. "Without a command, he'll rust." Ritsu had told himself in one of those sleepless nights. "Soubi won't lift a finger to fight without an order."
He'd known it was a bad idea to bring Aoyagi here. He knew Soubi would come sooner or later, but not to visit his sensei oh no, but to wreck havoc until the earless adult had taken back his master that didn't want to govern him.
Then as if it was his karma, he saw Soubi entering the gates of Shichisei Academy. Walking ever so calmly towards the East Building.
Hm, he thought, Should I tell him he's going the wrong way? However, upon second thought he shrugged and the sensei walked off towards class.
He would have given his student the correct decision if he knew the man would be so careless with his search for the cat eared master...
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But it was too late now.
"Soubi!" Ritsuka called in panicked gasps. When Ritsu sensei looked upon the situation he'd found that his student had truly after all rusted. A thought crossed his mind,
If it had been Seimei...
But it wasn't Seimei who was next to his student. It was Seimei's little brother who reigned over his student now- no, not even that. Soubi was on auto.
From where he stood Ritsu gave the boy a deadly eye, "If Septimal Moon wills it, the rules can be bent here at the school to fit the situation." making sure all of Ritsuka's ears were listening to him, he said, "Boy, Soubi is fighting against three teams of two. Despite his ability. He will not win."
"Sou-Soubi!" Ritsuka whispered hurriedly, turning away from the teacher. But his voice disappeared in between the spells cast against the adult Sentouki. A set of cuffs pressed themselves around Ritsuka's wrists, tightening every breath he took. When Ritsuka opened, he saw Soubi's form a little slump, wearing a pained expression.
"It's not...your fault." Soubi whispered, seeing the wash of belief over Ritsu-sensei's words come over his small sacrifice's face.
"It is." The male sensei said. Watching in hidden disappointment at the sight of Soubi's apparent defeat in the hands of six little children.
"Yes! Yes!" Nagisa-sensei gleefully exclaimed, punching air above her at the sight of the chains starting to restrict Beloved.
"Soubi!" Ritsuka yelled, clutching at the arm of the flaxen haired man. His brow furrowed and eyes darkened in fear, he mumbled, "It's my fault you're suffering isn't it? Isn't it?!" he exclaimed.
Before Soubi could reply, a new set of metal constriction appeared and wrapped around the fighter, rendering him vulnerable and sending him to his knees.
"Soubi!"
Gasping, the fighter looked up at the boy and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Command..me. Ritsuka. I'll win. Order me."
Ritsu sensei watched with his passive mask at what seemed like a tragic scene taken from a book he'd read. How ironic that his most powerful student would be defeated much earlier than what he'd expected. "So this is what you measure to. Soubi-kun...perhaps it would have been better if Seimei were still alive after all."
"Hm?" Nagisa sensei questioned, turning to the man, "Did you say something Ritsu?"
In response the man outstretched an arm, palms wide open and facing towards his student and Loveless. The teacher's eyes meeting Soubi's clear blue sight, he spoke loudly, "Agatsuma Soubi, you will be suspended from going near your current master for refusing to cooperate with Septimal Moon's will after you lose this battle. Possibly we may just execute you."
"You can't!!" Ritsuka yelled, his small arms clutching around Soubi, almost cradling him while his furiously glaring towards the eager children ready for blood, waiting for the man's command. Among them were the Zeroes. "He's your student!" Ritsuka tried to reason.
"Go ahead and dole out your finishing blows." Nagisa ordered in the sidelines.
Surrounding their target, the combatants began to murmur their last spell. The wind around them shook; the earth trembled; it was the result of all the elements colliding.
"Ritsuka," Soubi murmured, slowly reaching for the worried expression, rubbing his fingertips at the trembling lips before saying lowly, "I love you." and pecked a small kiss at the corner of the child's face.
It almost seemed surreal. To Ritsuka, the bright lights around them was like a spotlight, the fierce wind and the earth's roar a symbol of the raging fear in him. "Soubi I'm so scared!" He began to sob, "I don't want to be forgotten! I don't want to lose anyone else!" he clutched at his Soubi helplessly as he practically heard the spells approaching their way, "I don't want Soubi to be taken away! I don't want that! I don't want it! I want to keep Soubi! I want to win!" and lastly he cried as tears of diamonds fell from his eyes,
"SOUBI!"
And then it was over.
Ritsuka opened his eyes. Blinked and looked around at the smoke hovering about everywhere. No, it wasn't the 'Soubi is gone' over, but the 'Soubi is still in my arms' over. They weren't dead nor were they prisoners. Just, still in the grove of the Sakuras, confused as ever. What's happened? And that was when the child realized a large shadow hovering over him.
Realization upon who it was expanded Ritsuka's eyes, bringing out the full amber color of his irises.
"You wanted to win." Said the figure in a perfect baritone voice. "That's all you'll ever need to say, and I assure you we'll always win." And as if to glorify him even more, the sun peeked over the horizon, ending night's reign and darting past the curtain of trees only to reveal Asan sensei's calm face and rigid body.
And like in a dream where the worst and unexpected could happen
Ritsuka caught a glimpse of the torn right side of Asan's clothing-
where like a child's crude handwriting,
spelled vertically:
L
o
v
e
l
e
s
s
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AN: Ah! I know it's horrid! But please give it a chance! Do leave comments or ideas to me. I need full support from all of you to continue! And this time I promise, if you have any questions, I'll answer them through your reviews and/or PMs!! Thanks!
Next Chapter Review:
The snow is blowing quite hard and one question echoes in the wind fiercely, "Will you choose to abandon the fighter sworn to you by destiny?"
Or can the small whisper of "Choose me" be uttered in the time?
We'll see in the next chapter at- Chosen