Spoiler Alert-Spoiler to the anime. I should probably start naming my chapters so that I don't mix them up sigh Well here's another chapter, two in a row now, to make up for it taking so long to update. :happy:

Enjoy!


Chapter 7

Soubi jumped when he was shaken by the shoulder by Al. Behind him stood two people he remembered encountering shortly before he and Ritsuka had been seperated. Melissa and Joel Mendonza from Chicago. Melissa's long burgundy hair was loosely draped across her shoulders and she was wearing a short sleeved, knee length, dark blue dress with black, knee high, leather boots. She had jade green eyes and tanned and toned features with a soft, graceful look to her. Joel stood with his arm around her waist in black pants, boots, and a t-shirt. His dirty blond hair and slightly tan skin made his crysatline blue eyes stick out. He had eyes that seemed to be able to look past your defenses and a wise look in his eyes as well.

Soubi smiled at them, ''You didn't need to travel all this way, they will be fine.''

Al smiled and sat down next to Soubi; ''Soubi-san, I called them after looking through you and Mr. Ayogi's files to see that they were listed as contacts. When I told them what happened they insisted that I tell them where you were.''

Soubi sighed and looked at Melissa as she sat down on his other side and hugged him. She pulled away and held him by his shoulders, ''I also talked with the married couple who helped them, they told us about what had occured and the risk that it may have been someone from Seven Moons. I think it may have been Ritsu-sensei, he has been spotted in the States lately. But we only found that out on our way here to you two.''

Joel sat down next to Melissa, ''Plus, both of you saved our lives, it was the least we could do to be here for you when you need someone. Without a sacrifice, you're practically defenseless, no matter how strong you are, we both know you can only last so long alone. After Kasame-sensei was reported dead Seven Moons put a bounty on both your heads. But they are soley focussed on Ritsuka, they know he was the one that killed him.''

Soubi sighed and stood up, ''Perhaps it would be better for you to tell me what you have discovered somewhere more private. I could use some fresh air afterall.''

Melissa was hurt at the lack of emotion and the drained look of Soubi. She nodded and Joel took her hand in his own as they got to their feet to follow Soubi outside to the smoking section. Al said a hastey farewell and departed off back to his duties.

They found a secluded wall to lean back against where they wouldn't be overheard. Soubi lit up a cigarette and after a few drags said to them, ''Well, what have the two of you found out?''

Joel took a deep breath and looked directly at Soubi, ''Rit-chan has become quite dangerous Soubi. When he broke out of Seven Moons, well, he killed a lot of fighters, sacrifices, and a few of the actual leaders of Seven Moons. He killed Kasame-sensei's fighter, Ritsu-sensei's new fighter, destroyed all the Zero's and completely obliterated the system and Soundless, Breathless, and Hopeless. He was like a demon, heartless and merciless. From what we heard he knew one pair of Zero's and Breathless, and yet he killed them. I think things have escaladed beyond control, after we found out what he did we were sorta' glad that he was in the hospital . . . ''

Soubi glared at him then looked away and down at the ground. They were all silent for a moment while Soubi processed what Joel had said. 'Ritsuka killed, that isn't like him at all . . . he always detested violence because of his mom . . . he hated fighting . . . he hated the violence involved . . . I've failed him, on so many levels. His innocence was stripped from him, and he became a ruthless killer, the true perfect fighter . . . '

Melissa looked at him, ''Soubi, have you noticed it while he has been here . . . ''

She was cut off by the distraught and tortured look in Soubi's eyes, he'd answered her question.

''Soubi-san, don't tell me . . . he really did kill Kasame-sensei in cold blood.''

Soubi nodded but wouldn't meet her eyes he stood and put out his cigarette only to light up another one. He turned his back to them and said with a emotionless, empty voice; ''I saw the look of a killer, like a animal traped in a corner he couldn't get out of . . . Ritsuka is gone, he's been broken and stripped of everything that made him Ritsuka. He is more than an empty shell, now he's acting on instinct. I . . . failed him, I let them get a hold of him and now he's gone.''

Melissa sobbed and Joel held her in a tight embrace and rubbed her back soothingly. He looked over her shoulder at Soubi; ''You pulled out of it, so can he.''

Soubi took in a deep breath and looked at him, ''Ritsuka's pure, innocent personality pulled me out of it. It was the love and the bound that grew stronger over time that shaped me into someone worthy of Ritsuka, but . . . I never was worthy of him, look at what happened to him . . . because of me, because I wasn't able to protect him. I . . . don't know how to pull him back . . . that was always the task appointed to the sacrifice, the sacrifice is the one to shape who the fighter becomes. I am still his fighter, but now he is Azumi's fighter and she, his sacrifice, she is the only one that can save him now.''

Melissa straightened and she wiped away her tears, ''Then we will have faith in her. She is your sister, isn't she Soubi-san?''

Soubi nodded, ''Yes, but even little Azumi has changed. I have failed all those that mean so much to me. I failed to protect her from the cruelty of this life and our mother. I have failed Ritsuka, and I failed his friends and so many of my own.''

Melissa broke away from Joel's hold and grabbed Soubi by his arm and narrowed her eyes at him.

''Soubi Agatsuma, don't you dare start thinking you are a failure. Without you, Ritsuka would have had to face everything alone. Azumi would not have lived as long as she did, you know that. You hate your mother and it was because of Seime's control over you that you couldn't help Azumi. Ritsuka needed you once Seime lost control of you. We all know that Ritsuka would have been killed and broken if not for you. He may have changed and lost who he used to be, but he has the chance to get that all back. He has that chance because of when you were there for him and what you have done for Azumi.''

Joel nodded, ''She's right Soubi-san, we helped Ritsuka get back on his feet when he stayed with us the first time you two were seperated. We learned a lot about both of you, and how much you did for him. Have faith in him and Azumi, they will pull through and then all of us will help them like we always have, that's what friends are for.''

Soubi nodded, ''Friends . . . ''

Ritsuka was lost in his dreams, deep into them as though he was physically there.

He could feel the cold of the snow around his feet, the freezing, cutting chill on his skin. He walked with his arms wrapped around himself to try and keep some warmth down the deserted street towards the school, the same school where Seime had faked his death. He knew what awaited him there, knew that up the path he walked hung Yaiyo from a rope tied to a tree, clinging to life. Knew that his teacher drifted in the freezing river hanging onto the last shreds of her life. He had woken in session with his psychiatrist, but after reliving this nightmare over and over again, he found that he no longer felt anything nor cared to do anything for them. They were all pretty much dead anyway, there was nothing he could do. He stepped into the school and climbed up the stairs walking into his old classroom to find Yuiko where he had seen her before.

He knelt down next to her and removed the thin jacket around him and placed it around her. She smiled weakly at him and he pressed his finger to her lips so as not to have to hear her voice and said softly, with emotion he couldn't feel within himself.

''It's okay Yuiko, I know you love me, and I love you as though you are my sister. Rest now, it's almost over.''

Tears feel from her eyes and she nodded as her eyes glazed over in death and she fell limp. Ritsuka stood and walked out of the room and up to the fourth floor then to the classroom where Seime's illusion sat in the chair. Seime looked over at Ritsuka and Ritsuka glared at him and watched as flames enveloped him.

''Ritsuka-kun, you truly are Loveless, merciless, and heartless now, the true ultimate fighter . . . I'm sorry I failed you little brother.''

Ritsuka smirked, ''You and everyone else Seime-san.'' Ritsuka turned towards the door and was met by Soubi, in his twelve year old self's body he could nothing about Soubi grasping him by his throat and lifting him off the ground. He could only grunt when Soubi thrust him against the wall. Ritsuka closed his eyes and focused his energy on Soubi forcing him away from him, but this time not catching him on fire.

Ritsuka fell to his knees and gazed up at Soubi as he slowly disappeared, he saw Seime's face smiling at him at the last moments. Then the dream faded and he was standing in complete darkness. He turned and looked around him, but found nothing there. Then he felt a sharp pain shoot through him and the room was engulfed in light. He now stood before a mirror to reveal himself at the age of fifteen. He back away from the mirror and turned his back to it to enter a dimly lit room. Kasame-sensei stood leaned against the wall.

Ritsuka shuddered and backed away, but Kasame-sensei was in front of him in a flash and before he could react he was held with his wrists above his head against the wall. Ritsuka growled in his throat and raised his leg kicking Kasame-sensei in the stomache and away from him forcing him to release him. Ritsuka's hand subconciously touched his ears on top of his head when he felt his tail wrap around his waist.

He glared down at his tail and cursed it silently in his head for his tail and ears being the reason Kasame found it just to do what he knew was coming. It was a never ending nightmare, the same nightmare that had made him feel numb and the true feeling of hate and murderous intent. This moment, this memory was what had changed him into someone no one knew, someone he never meant to become. Ritsuka leaned back against the wall and glared at Kasame-sensei, ''You bastard, this is all your fault.''

Kasame smiled wickedly at him, ''You lost who you were on this night Rit-chan, you pushed others away and made them fear you. You've become a murderer, an unstoppable force because of me, and you hate and loathe me for it.''

Ritsuka hissed and this time he moved in a flash and had Kasame-sensei pinned against the wall. He saw a flash of fear in Kasame's eyes and smiled, ''Because of you, I have lost everything I even held dear. You will not have me this night, or any other.''

Ritsuka released him and closed his eyes feeling the hate and loathing, the disgust he felt for the man in front of him build up and flow through him. He opened his eyes and unleashed the magic he had been building up. But he made sure that he didn't kill him, only left him unconcious. Then the scene changed again in a blinding flash of light.

Now he stood before the diner he remembered in Chicago, the night he met Melissa and Joel. The night he had saved them from uncertain death to a pair of Zero's from Seven Moons. He ran to the back of the diner and saw Melissa and Joel lying on the ground, beaten and defeated, but still alive. He glared at the pair of Zero's, both pale skinned, Japanese, with black hair, onyx eyes, and one inches taller than the other. The shorter one was a girl of his age with a black, short sleeved, knee length dress and black boots. She had silver braclets on both arms and five earrings in each ear. The guy standng next to her wore all black as well and had six piercings in each ear.

They looked at him and the girl smirked, ''Ahh yes, the one we were seeking, Loveless.''

The boy laughed, ''Loveless, you still have your ears and tail."

Ritsuka laughed himself and looked at the tail tightly wound around his waist. It actually made him feel hapy to see the tail now that he wasn't around Kasame. He looked back at them and said, ''I declare a spell battle for their lives.''

The Zero's laughed, ''You,'' the girl continued, ''someone who still has their innocence wishes to fight a battle to the death over two people you do not know?''

Ristuka smirked, ''If you're certain you can win, then why question it. Do you accept?''

The guy nodded, ''Yes we accept, battle system activate.''

Ritsuka nodded, ''Auto battle system activate.''

The girl raised her hand to him once they were engulfed in an alternate world of blue around them. She smiled wickedly, ''Restrain.''

''Denied, zero damage. Piercing ice cut through their skin.''

''Defend,'' the girl said. Ritsuka sighed, ''Notes of love and life slice through their defenses.'' The two screamed and the girl fell to her knees, ''Fire engulf his will.''

Ristuka was forced a step back, but his eyes glazed over darkly in determination. He raised his hand to them, ''Restrain, disable sound, movement, and sight.''

A flash of light struck them and they let out another scream then the guy fell to his knees with his hands over his eyes. Another flash hit them and then they were restrained with the chains and cuffs and rendered helpless. Ritsuka took a deep breath and said softly, ''Enable words of submentance.''

The girl's eyes looked at her sacrifice and then she said, ''We forfeit our lives and our powers to you Loveless.''

Before Ritsuka could protest he was hit with a shockwave of light energy and blown from the battle. He landed in a heap on the ground and slowly pushed himself to his feet. His eyes looked over to the limp and lifeless forms of the Zero's and he hung his head and walked over to them. He knelt before the girl, seeing a slight movement of her breathing. She gazed up at him, ''Kasame-sensei, and Ryoko-sensei would have killed us anyway had we failed. At least this way our strength and lives will be of some use to you Loveless. Do not grieve for us, we are not human, we are merely immitations . . . ''

Her eyes glazed over and her breathing stopped and Ritsuka looked up at the starry sky and took in a deep breath. He turned and got up to help Melissa and Joel to their feet. Melissa leaned on both of them as he walked them to their apartment. Once they stood outside the apartment door Ritsuka released Melissa and stepped back.

She smiled softly at him, ''Thank you Loveless, if not for you, they surely would have killed us.''

Ritsuka bowed his head, ''Think nothing of it, take care.''

Ritsuka turned to leave, but Melissa grasped his wrist, ''Stay, it's the least we could do. You look as though you could use some bandaging up, a good nights rest, and something to eat.''

Ritsuka smiled, ''I don't want to trouble you.''

Joel laughed and led Melissa inside, she pulled Ritsuka behind her by his wrist. Joel helped her sit on the couch and then led Ritsuka to the small kitchenette after he closed the door. Ritsuka silently helped him prepare some dinner and then once they ate and washed up the dishes he helped Joel tend to Melissa and his own wounds. Ritsuka allowed Melissa and Joel to tend to the wounds he had, just noticing that he had a few cuts and scrapes here and there, but nothing serious.

Once they were doctored up Joel helped Melissa bathe and then get to bed. He then helped make a pallet for Ritsuka on the couch and sat at the small dining room table drinking a glass of wine. Ritsuka was silent as they drank the wine and waited for the questions he knew would come. It was a memory, something he had lived through once before.

''Loveless, what is your actual name?''

Ritsuka sipped at his wine and nodded, ''Ritsuka Ayogi.''

''Ahh, so you really are Loveless, many thought you had died along with your fighter.''

Ritsuka felt his blood run cold, that was one of the few memories he didn't have to relive yet, but that . . . wait Soubi hadn't died until after he met Melissa and Joel.

''What do you mean, died along with my fighter, he's still alive, I just don't know where he is.''

Joel smiled saddly at him, ''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be the bearer of bad news. But you have been missing for nearly three years, every since all those that had a connection to you were killed in Japan. Your fighter was seen murdered by his best friend Kio . . . but you weren't there at the time, so it's natural you don't know this.''

Ristuka shuddered and stood up shaking his head, ''No, that . . . it wasn't supposed to be this way, he wasn't supposed to die . . . it wasn't real . . . ''

The dream faded and then he felt pain coursing through him, throbbing pain in his head, his midsection, his wrists and arms, his legs. He felt cold and like he was choking, he shuddered and opened his eyes slowly to see a white cieling above him and an i.v. He heard machines beeping to his right and tried to breath. He only felt like something was stuck in his throat, he couldn't draw breath, he couldn't breath. He heard the machines go off, beeping rapidly and loudly. He thrashed about and started to pull at the tube and the i.v. all the monitors that were attatched to him.

He heard voices, but they sounded distant, he felt people grabbing him and only fought harder. He was held down on the bed and everything was reattatched, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and then everything seemed to fade away and darkness and dreams overtook him again.

When he woke once more, it was darker around him, and he could still hear the machines he looked with his eyes to his right and then to his left. Tears swelled up in his eyes when he saw Soubi looking at him, his left hand held in both of Soubi's larger ones. Ritsuka tried to say something, but the tube in his throat made it impossible. The tears continued to fall down his face and into the pillow beneath his head. Soubi was kneeling beside his bed and a smile appeared on his face.

Ritsuka could only look into his eyes and cry, he was so relieved to see Soubi there, alive. He saw the relief and love in Soubi's eyes and the glint of tears he was holding back. Soubi kissed his hand and Ritsuka felt warmth pass through him at the feel of Soubi's soft lips to his cold skin. Soubi took a deep breath, ''It will be a few more days before they take out that tube, they want you to be concious and to make sure you can breath on your own. Azumi is in the bed next to you, she's asleep. She woke up a week ago, she is going to be fine, but she refuses to leave your side and everytime they took her to run tests you would fight the nurses and doctors that tried to examine you. You were always fiesty, I tried to tell them that they shouldn't seperate the two of you, but they had to learn that the hard way.''

Ritsuka wished he could speak, he heard Soubi's soft voice whisper in his mind, ''There are more than just spoken words to speak with me Ritsuka-kun.''

Ritsuka tried to say something back, but he lacked the energy and the power at the moment. He merely met Soubi's eyes and Soubi stood and still holding his hand he leaned over him and kissed him lightly on the forehead; ''Rest Ritsuka, we will talk in time.''

Soubi withdrew and Ritsuka gripped his hand desperately, afraid he would disappear. Soubi smiled reassuringly at him, ''I cannot stay up here with you all the time, but I am not really going anywhere. I am downstairs, seconds away from getting to you. I promise I will come back to you, always.''

Ritsuka wished he could say, Another promise you're not sure you can keep, but without his voice he could only squeeze his hand and watch him move over to Azumi's bed, kiss her on the top of her head and walked away towards the doors, removing the gloves and scrubs as he went.

Ritsuka fell asleep shortly after Soubi disappeared from his sight and couldn't help the nightmares that followed him in his sleep. Nightmares that he watched from the sidelines, not wanting anything to change and fully understanding why things had happened the way they had. If not for how they had happened, then Ritsuka would truly be all alone in this world, and that was something he never wanted to happen.


Another chapter, yay! I feel accomplished, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and please review.