Disclaimer: I so want to own Soubi and Ritsuka, yet I can't. Too bad for me since they belong to Yun Koga.

Yakusoku
Chapter 20: Bad Day

"Father, I'd like to see mom and Yayoi."

He eyed her viciously. "Since when did I say you could speak about them, huh? Since when?"

"Never . . . Dad."

I almost forget how they look like.

"I swore to your mother that we'd never step foot within that house again, you made that oath with me - have you forgotten?" Takara shook her head disdainfully, she could clearly remember it. "Then don't go pining for them, it's sickening."

"But everyone at school asks me about our family. I don't like leaving them out all the time anymore."

Really, sometimes I can barely imagine the sound of his voice.

"Lie your way through."

"But I must be with them, he promised me, he said if I did as he asked of me I'd get to be with them again."

Her father spun on her so fast she lost her balance and fell to her knees onto the floor.

"Look here, you little bitch, whatever he said to you, you gotta put up with me as well. Don't think I'd let you off that easily."

Little bitch? Me, his bitch?

Takara wanted to forget that awful day, it was always on her mind in the back of her head. He did horrible things to her, it was dreadful how her father craved for her touch - she never knew until then what he kept to himself. Ritsu was a part of it as well, between her, her father, and him they made a pact. She was to see it through to the end.

With no one other than myself and them to depend on, I clung onto hope like it was my last lifeline. Even to this present day I still am . . .

-----

Takara towered over her beaten opponent, a smirk displayed on her porcelain-like face. There was little Soubi could do other than lay there, silently bearing the wounds he'd received. She was strong, much stronger than he had anticipated. Much like him she was also taught to bear pain, but she wasn't as tolerant as the blonde haired man was.

"Takara . . ." Soubi said softly.

"How do you know my name?"

". . . I have my ways."

Takara scowled.

"Loveless belongs with me . . . I'm his Fighter," she bared her left arm, showing Soubi the tattooed word there," this word shows proof."

"It's not deeply scarred yet."

"What do you mean?"

Takara was disliking the way Soubi talked to her so smoothly when he must have been in great pain as of she. Still, despite his battered figure he still had the will to smile up at her like they were having a wonderful conversation. There was something she wasn't understanding and that he was. One of her eyebrows raised up in annoyance, her ears starting to go flat against her head.

Is he insane?

"Ritsu put you up to this, didn't he?" Takara visibly grimaced, she hated the mention of that name. "Did he mistreat you?"

"No . . ."

"No need to lie to me, Takara, you and I are alike in some ways."

"You're the liar, Soubi!" Takara made a motion to kick him out of anger, yet she stopped herself - she could picture the image of her brother's face: he was sad. Tears started to spill forth from her soft, brown eyes. "You've been leading Ritsuka on all this time when you know as well as I do that you can't be with him. Each of us has a destined Sacrifice, only one . . . And if your Sacrifice dies then that's the end of you. A Fighter without a Sacrifice is no longer allowed to move on to another Master."

"I made a promise to him . . . I won't break that promise . . ."

Destiny can't be changed. Always watch over your little sister, Yayoi. I need you now more than ever, I want someone else to depend on.

"I've already told you, your promise means nothing. Don't you know why Seimei burned that day one year ago?"

Soubi's smile faded instantly.

"I have no recollections of that incident."

"You fool, you haven't forgotten you're only choosing to ignore it. Believe me, I know you remember why he burned. Ritsuka was there too when it happened - that scene to him in his mind is a memory he wants to regain."

That day . . .

"Promise me one thing, Soubi - promise me that you will protect my little brother when I am gone."

He leaned up and kissed him by the marbled wall.

He looks hesitant in his actions.

"Understand now?"

Soubi sat up slowly and tried his best not to groan - Takara watched him closely. "Aren't you going to kill me?" He even went so far as to smile once more at her.

"Why should I?"

"I'm sure you were given orders to."

Takara growled. "I'm not a mindless puppet like you. I have a will and a mind of my own. You've been programmed like a machine; if it's deemed as an order you carry it out. Have you no humane feelings at all?"

Ritsu at least told me this much about him . . . At first, I found it hard to believe, but now I know it's all true.

"Of course I do."

"You're so annoying! How can you simply say that like it's not a big deal?" Takara asked, brown eyes flaring with anger.

I've learned to deal with the pain. I've dealt with everything thus far.

"Finish me off."

"You're a part of the Seven Moons . . ."

"That makes no difference."

Ritsu told me I could eliminate you . . . And yet . . .

"Yes, it does!"

Yayoi, I don't know what to do anymore. Help me.

-----

While Ritsuka laid there in bed bound to it, he could hear his mother muttering to herself as she paced back and forth inside his room. Occasionally she'd look his way but that was all, she didn't touch him or do anything to him as a matter of fact. Ritsuka could feel the bulge within his left pocket - the metallic blue cell phone was on him, yet he didn't dare reach for it and contact Soubi for assurance . . . For help . . .

And the way it his mother was looking at him - she scared him. Her eyes pierced right through his inner core to the depths of his soul, she was still searching for the Ritsuka that was no longer around. In a way the boy thought he deserved whatever bizarre or painful punishments she gave him, whatever she did he always forgave her. He was not her loving son, he was not what she knew, he was not what she wanted anymore.

Maybe I should just fade away, I wanna be like one of the clouds that drift along the high blue sky. I wanna be as free as them, with no worries to hinder me.

As if on cue two girls burst into his bedroom and headed straight for his mother. Shocked, Ritsuka watched on with horror as they slaughtered his mother, he wasn't spared from her blood - it covered him all over: little red specks. The one with short brown hair approached his bedside, hands bloodied and murderous in their intentions, the boy stared at her with wide eyes.

"Heh, we're done here, Kouya," she said, still looking at the chained child. "And look what she did to him, this is quite hilarious."

"Who are you people!" Ritsuka shouted.

"We're no different than you kid, no hard feelings, okay?" He grunted in displeasure. "Look, we were just following orders so if you wanna get mad, get mad at the head honcho."

"You killed my mother! I'll . . . I'll make you pay!"

"Ooohhh, such bold words, but with the way you're shackled up you wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me, kid."

"Yamato, let's wrap this up. Our assignment has been completed."

"Right, Kouya." She turned around as if to leave, however she stopped for a moment and turned back around to face the boy. "Here is a little going away present, my friend, that I would like to give you; have fun getting out. And by the way, Soubi isn't really the person you think he is. He works for someone by the name of Ritsu and it was him that gave us the orders to eliminate this annoying woman you call a mother." Yamoto snidely sneered for a moment before continuing. "Ask Soubi and if he's willing to admit to it then good for you, or do you think you can even escape this fire to ask?"

Lighting up a match she tossed it to the carpeted floor - flames licked at everything hungrily with lightning speed. Ritsuka looked at the fire with fright.

Chapter 20: END

Yuina: . . . . . . .

Ritsuka: Speechless now, are you?

Yuina: I killed your mother . . .

Ritsuka: I know.

Yuina: OO