Chapter Six: Name of the Game
"Ritsuka."
"Hmm?" he murmured sleepily, shifting slightly against the warmth of Soubi's chest.
"We have to go, Ritsuka," Soubi whispered. "We've got company. Police. They got on at the last station."
Ritsuka rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around the car. There were several other passengers, tired businessmen most of them, sleeping. Soubi gestured to the door at the back, and he and Ritsuka quietly stole down the aisle. Glancing back, as they closed the door behind them and walked into the next and last car of the train, Ritsuka could see several plain-clothes detectives opening the door into the car where they had been.
The last car of the train was empty. Through the windowback door, Ritsuka could see the tracks and the faint lights from houses nearby. Soubi walked to the back and pulled on the handle of the door. It was locked.
"What are you thinking?" Ritsuka asked, concerned. "It's not like there's anywhere we can go from here."
"We have to get off the train, Ritsuka," said Soubi, glancing back over his shoulder.
"You can't seriously be thinking about jumping off a moving train, Soubi," Ritsuka said, growing more alarmed by the second.
"That's exactly what I'm thinking," came the calm reply.
"Look," Ritsuka protested, "I'm sure if we talk to them, explain that…"
"Explain that you were having a spell battle with a couple of punks and one of them knifed the other?" Soubi interrupted.
Ritsuka frowned, looked back at the approaching officers, then looked out the door again.
"You know how to do this," Soubi said. "You trained with Ritsu. This would have been the first thing he taught you – how to fall without hurting yourself."
"He didn't exactly make me try it out from a moving train," Ritsuka complained, sighing audibly.
"Watch me, Ritsuka," said Soubi. "I'll be waiting for you."
Ritsuka nodded, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his gut and the voice in his head that screamed at him not to try it.
Soubi raised his hand towards the door. "Release!" The door handle turned of its own accord, and the door flew open. The sound of the train on the tracks and the smell of the cool spring air made Ritsuka shudder inwardly.
"I'll be waiting for you, Ritsuka," Soubi said, smiling back at Ritsuka.
Ritsuka nodded again.
Soubi walked to the edge of the back platform and lifted his arms just slightly above waist-height. He took a deep breath and, tucking his head slightly, fell forward off the platform. A split second later, Ritsuka saw Soubi roll towards the side of the tracks. Soubi then stood up and began to run after the train.
Ritsuka gritted his teeth and thanked his lucky stars that they had not taken the bullet train. It's only going about fifty miles an hour, he told himself, a thought which gave him little comfort.
Soubi was now barely visible on the tracks. You have to do this now, he thought, or you'll be miles apart when you jump. He took a deep breath, imitating the same position as Soubi and, ignoring his pounding heart, fell forward off the platform.
He hit the ground hard on his right shoulder, narrowly missing the metal rail by inches. Shit, he thought, as he felt something in his arm pop. He rolled for several seconds, coming to a stop and hitting his head against the rail. He looked up at the starry night sky and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the intense pain in his arm.
He put his left arm on the ground and, pushing up on it, managed to stand up. He rubbed his head where he had hit the rail – there was a small bump there, but no major damage. His face was scraped and bloody, but none of the injuries were serious. His arm was a different story entirely; he was sure he had dislocated it, although he felt thankful that it wasn't broken.
I have to get off the tracks and start walking back towards Soubi, he thought, letting the arm dangle loosely at his side. They'll be looking for us.
Fortunately, the right-of-way by the tracks was relatively flat and covered with rough gravel, which made walking easier. He walked through a small town, trying to stay hidden in the shadows at the edge of the tracks. About thirty minutes later, he spotted Soubi running towards him, a dark figure backlit by the lamps at the side of the track.
"Ritsuka," Soubi said as they met minutes later, looking quite pleased to see him. His expression, however, changed to one of concern when he saw Ritsuka's arm.
"Dislocated," Ritsuka offered, grimacing and feeling particularly inept.
"You did well, Ritsuka," said Soubi, smiling. "Let's get off the tracks and I'll take a look at it for you."
They climbed up a steep embankment to a dimly-lit street. Ritsuka, unable to use his arm for balance, stumbled several times but was rescued each time by Soubi, who moved cat-like, despite the angle of their ascent.
He really is amazing, Ritsuka thought, watching Soubi. The futility of his quest to become a competent fighter seemed all the more clear to him. He would never rival Soubi's agility or his strength.
They found an empty warehouse not too far from the tracks. The windows were mostly missing, but the building was dry, relatively warm, and large enough that they could hide undetected for a least a few hours. Soubi helped Ritsuka down onto the floor, then dropped the small duffle bag he had been carrying on the ground and kneeled at Ritsuka's side. Ritsuka hadn't even noticed that Soubi had brought the bag with him.
"It's dislocated," Soubi said, after gently running his fingers over Ritsuka's arm and shoulder to assess the damage. "I need to get your arm back in the socket. It will hurt."
"Do it," Ritsuka said with a frown. He would not become a liability to them.
"Here," Soubi said, handing Ritsuka a rolled t-shirt from the bag. "You might want to bite down on this. It's better than biting your tongue."
Ritsuka took the t-shirt and put it between his teeth. He nodded to Soubi.
Soubi stretched Ritsuka's right arm out, parallel to the floor. Ritsuka winced. "This will only take a second, Ritsuka." Ritsuka closed his eyes.
Soubi pulled hard on Ritsuka's arm and, for a moment, the pain was so intense that Ritsuka thought he might pass out. A second later, the pain abated, and he pulled the t-shirt out of his mouth and sat there, panting, his heart pounding in his ears.
"Better?" Soubi asked.
"Yes," Ritsuka replied, with a sigh.
"It will hurt for a few days," Soubi explained, "but you'll be fine." He took a long-sleeved shirt from the bag and quickly fashioned a makeshift sling for Ritsuka's arm.
"Thanks," Ritsuka said, trying to smile but succeeding only in grimacing. He felt exhausted and his body ached all over.
Soubi pulled two sodas from the bag and sat down beside Ritsuka. "Thirsty?"
"Yeah," Ritsuka replied, "thanks."
Soubi opened one of the sodas and Ritsuka took it in his left hand, drinking greedily. Soubi drank his as well and, as he was drinking, Ritsuka noticed that the wrappings Soubi usually wore around his neck were gone, probably lost when Soubi jumped from the train. Ritsuka put down the empty can and instinctively reached to touch the scars. "Beloved," he whispered.
Soubi looked at him but said nothing.
"Ritsu told me that there are some fighters who have no names," Ritsuka said, his fingers still resting on Soubi's neck.
"Blank slates," Soubi replied. "Souls waiting to be named."
"Is it true, Soubi," Ritsuka ventured cautiously, "that once the name is written, it cannot be undone?"
"Yes," Soubi replied, unhesitatingly.
"I don't believe that," Ritsuka said, his fingers now lazily tracing the line of Soubi's jaw. "The Zero's partners can be changed."
"You saw the result of that," Soubi answered.
"They're still together - Koya and Yamato," Ritsuka said. "Did you know that?"
"No," replied Soubi, unmoved.
"Neither has their name on them, anymore, Soubi," Ritsuka offered.
"I have hurt you, Ritsuka," Soubi said.
"Dammit, Soubi," Ritsuka said, frowning, "this isn't about the past. It's about the future. Our future."
"You're tired, Ritsuka," Soubi said, kindly. "You need to rest."
"Soubi," said Ritsuka sadly. "I wish…" His voice trailed off.
"What do you wish for, Ritsuka?"
"I want you to hold me, Soubi," said Ritsuka, his face now pressed against Soubi's, cheek to cheek. Soubi gently pulled Ritsuka closer to him, taking care not to touch Ritsuka's right arm or shoulder. Ritsuka closed his eyes and sighed. Every time I do this for him, I feel as though I am the one who feels better, he thought, sadly.
Ritsuka pulled away slightly and looked into Soubi's eyes. "I love you, Soubi," he said. "You don't believe it yet though, do you?"
"Ritsuka, I told you that I don't deserve…"
"Kiss me, Soubi," Ritsuka said. "Let me prove it to you."
"You're in pain, Ritsuka," said Soubi. "Now's not the time…"
Ritsuka kissed Soubi gently on the cheek, his lips trailing down to meet Soubi's sweetly. "Do you love me, Soubi?" Ritsuka whispered, as their lips parted.
"Always," Soubi replied.
"Then please, Soubi," Ritsuka said, "let me love you back. Don't push me away."
"Command me, Ritsuka," Soubi answered, "and I will do anything for you."
Ritsuka froze. "No, Soubi," he whispered. "Never that."
Soubi balled up several shirts from the bag and laid them on the ground in a makeshift pillow. "You need to sleep, Ritsuka," he said, gently helping Ritsuka onto the ground on top of his jacket. Ritsuka closed his eyes as Soubi lay down next to him.
"Soubi," Ritsuka said, supremely conscious of the other man's body touching his, "when you're ready, I'll be waiting. But it has to be your choice. I won't order you. Not about that. Never."
Ritsuka felt Soubi's hand gently brush his cheek and he breathed deeply. "Sleep, Ritsuka-kun."
Eight years before:
"Soubi-kun, when they told me you wanted to see me, I…"
The park was deserted. The sun had set, and the lights around them had begun to turn on. A cold breeze blew through the trees, rattling in the leafless branches.
"Sit back down, Ritsu," Soubi interrupted coldly, noting the dark limousine parked nearby and the young man sitting inside, watching them both intently – a fighter, no doubt sent by Nagisa to make sure no harm came to Ritsu.
Ritsu felt behind him with his cane and sat on the concrete bench. "I come all the way to see you and that's the welcome I get?" Ritsu asked, unfazed. "No kiss for your old teacher? Not even a hug?"
Soubi's face darkened, but he did not take the bait, instead sitting down next to Ritsu, careful to keep several inches of distance between them on the bench.
"Ritsuka has ordered me to stay away from him," Soubi said, after a minute of silence.
"Indeed," Ritsu replied. "And you were hoping that I could persuade him…"
"No," Soubi answered, cutting across him angrily, "I have hurt him enough. I will obey him."
"Seimei showed up here, then?" Ritsu asked, clearly already knowing the answer. "I'm not surprised. I'm sure you weren't either."
Soubi said nothing.
"Let me guess…," Ritsu mused. "He ordered forced you to betray that child again, didn't he?"
Again, silence.
"Soubi-kun," Ritsu said, his voice now suddenly serious, "you knew this would happen."
"I didn't ask you to come here for a lecture," Soubi replied, taking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.
"It must have gone badly," Ritsu said, waving his hand in front of his face to disperse the smoke. "I thought you had stopped smoking."
"He ordered me never to see him again."
"I see," Ritsu answered.
"I have every intention of obeying that command."
"Indeed. Quite an unfortunate time to start obeying him, isn't it?" Ritsu observed.
Soubi gritted his teeth, glad for once that Ritsu could not see the murderous look on his face. Why did I even bother? Soubi thought angrily. It's not as if it wasn't expected…
"So, Soubi-kun," Ritsu said, shifting slightly and turning his head to face Soubi. Despite his blindness, Soubi felt as though Ritsu's eyes could see right through his heart. "You clearly didn't ask me here to tell me you wanted to come back to Seven Moons. Can I assume, then, that there is something you want from me?"
Soubi frowned. "Yes," he answered, fighting his discomfort at being put in a position of asking Minami Ritsu for anything. "Two things."
"Two?" Ritsu mused. "My, my, you're quite the demanding student, aren't you?" Soubi stood up crossly. "I'm sorry, Soubi-kun," Ritsu said, clearly having sensed Soubi's anger, "I am listening."
"I want you to protect him for me."
"You have reason to believe Ritsuka is in danger?" Ritsu asked.
"No," Soubi replied. "I don't think Seimei will bother him for now , but he may seek out Seimei later. I cannot watch over him as I did before. "
"I will see to it that he is safe," Ritsu said, quite sincerely. "I will let you know if Seimei approaches him again."
"Thank you," Soubi said, quite uncomfortable that he might be beholden to Ritsu for anything. Still, it was well worth the price to keep Ritsuka safe.
"What is your second request?" Ritsu ventured, as Soubi sat down once more. Soubi frowned and took a deep breath, his feet shifting slightly on the gravel beneath the bench.
"I want to know more about the Aoyagi's," he said, quite sure that Ritsu would not comply this time.
"I'm surprised you waited so long to ask me," Ritsu said simply.
"You'll tell me?" Soubi asked, surprised.
"Of course," Ritsu replied. "I would have told you about them when I first gave you to Seimei years ago, if you had asked. What is it you wish to know, Soubi?"
"You told me once that they were from the Seven Houses," Soubi said, slightly taken aback at Ritsu's response.
"Yes," Ritsu replied. "One of the seven great families that founded Seven Voices, nearly three centuries ago. Royalty, as it were."
"Royalty?"
"Oh, yes," Ritsu replied. "The original spell masters. They defended the Emperor himself from those who sought to overthrow his rule. Of course, over the years the number of fighters increased as more joined the ranks, and the bloodlines were diluted. The Aoyagi's, however, rarely married outside of their family. The result, as you may have noticed, is that they are far less stable a bloodline than would be desirable."
An image of Ritsuka, battered and bruised, came unbidden into Soubi's mind.
"But you knew some of this story already, didn't you, Soubi-kun?" Ritsu asked.
"Yes," he said, "although I had never thought of them as 'royalty'."
"I'm not surprised. By the time you were a student at Seven Voices, the memory of the original bloodlines was not much more than a relic of our past," Ritsu explained. "And yet the most powerful fighters and sacrifices still come from those bloodlines. The ancient blood runs in your veins, as well. Your mother was from the Yamamoto bloodline, another of the original Seven Houses."
Ritsu paused for a moment, then continued, "But you haven't yet asked me what you've been waiting to ask me, have you, Soubi-kun?"
"You're still as condescending as you always were, Ritsu," Soubi responded, evenly.
Ritsu smiled, but said nothing.
"You told me that Seimei chose me," Soubi said, finally, losing his patience.
"Yes," Ritsu said, "he did choose you."
"I don't understand," Soubi said, frowning. "He must have known there was another fighter with the name 'Beloved'."
"I'm quite sure he did," Ritsu answered. "I believe he already knew who Nisei was when he was paired with you, although I didn't know it at the time."
"Then why…" Soubi's voice trailed off as understanding came.
"You've figured it out, haven't you, Soubi?" Ritsu asked, looking quite pleased now.
"He wanted both of us," Soubi said, dully.
"That and," Ritsu paused for effect, "perhaps more."
"More?"
"You must have wondered why Seimei came back for Ritsuka, Soubi-kun," said Ritsu.
"I…," Soubi began, a growing look of horror on his face.
"I see you finally understand," Ritsu said, somberly.
"But Ritsuka has a name," Soubi protested.
"Yes," Ritsu replied. "But have you ever seen his name on his body, Soubi?"
"No, but I haven't looked, either," he replied, indignantly.
Ritsu laughed. "I didn't mean to imply anything impure about your relationship," he said, smiling, "although I hardly think your feelings towards him are chaste. Still, even you had seen him naked, you would not have seen his name. It would have been the same with Seimei. None of the Aoyagi family's names ever appear on their bodies.
"Seimei wanted both of us to fight for him," Soubi said, feeling quite uncomfortable now.
"Seimei would wish as many people to fight for him as he could, Soubi-kun," Ritsu replied.
"Why?"
"That is one question I cannot answer, Soubi-kun," replied Ritsu. "But you can count on him contacting Ritsuka again. He will wait until the time is right, Soubi, until Ritsuka has the strength he needs. And Ritsuka, like you, will be unable to resist."
Author's Note: A bit of explanation of Seimei's motives and some background to fill out what we know from Volume 8 regarding the Aoyagi's. It's always bothered me that we know so little about why the fighting pairs fight at all, so I've used my own imagination to guess. But who is the enemy? Just Seimei? Or are there others that would seek power and throw away the old traditions of Seven Voices?
And, maybe more importantly for Soubi and Ristuka, what is in a name? We know that Ritsuka has never seen the name "Loveless" on his body, and obviously the only name on Soubi's body is the one Seimei carved into his neck with a knife (*cringes*). All throughout the manga and the anime, fighter pairs talk about the fact that Soubi and Ritsuka don't share a name, and it makes them weaker. But Ritsu, in the last volume, seems to imply that Soubi is far stronger because he is a "blank slate," as Ritsu puts it. Names, or lack thereof, will play a very important part in this story, as you can probably already see.
Hope you enjoyed the update! Thanks to everyone who favorited or reviewed. -Lex