Chapter 24: "I Love you son."

(cont. From chapter 23)

Tsukune looked around as he crossed the school grounds of Yokai wondering what Kikin meant by 'The Four Horseman' summoning him. He tried to think of all the events that had lead him up to where he was, "There can be no way that they are actually wanting me to go and represent Death as one of the Four Horseman. I mean I don't think that I've really even won a real fight in awhile." He sighed and scratched his head while walking through the forest, "Regardless I bet that I'll have to be on my guard from now on. Not only that I hope that they don't involve anyone else."

When he came to a clearing where a cliff was overlooking the Blood red sea, he got the memory of when he first met Mizore and how she was about to kill him for not being understood, he laughed as he thought of everything that he went through while he thought that he was still normal human, he fought off bullies, almost got expelled, saved the world, met his monster family, watched the death of his parents, and even fought off Alucard.

"Even if I did that what does it really mean?" He sat on the edge of the cliff and watched the water gently kiss the rocks below him, "I mean to be honest I still haven't really recovered all of my memories have I?" He sighed and looked towards the sky as the moon shone down on him, it made him think about his human mother and how she would take him stargazing.

He closed his eyes and he felt as if everything around him slowly bend and shift until he was back in the room that he saw all of his other selves, only this time there was no one to greet him, in fact it was like there was no one there in the first place. Instead there was a photo of each one of his past selves hanging on the wall with they eyes focusing on him no matter which way he looked at them.

"Wow that's almost creepy the way these photos are made." He muttered to himself, he soon felt uneasy as he started to walk around the room of memories, he stopped when noticed that one of the photos that was hanging on his wall seemed to be cut up into puzzle pieces. He walked over and saw that it showed a women that was garbed in a white and blue dress with a young boy holding her hand, he walked over to the photo to get a closer look and saw a black horse in the background of a meadow with beautiful roses and the sky looked purple with a shadowy image of a man riding towards them.

Soon the room was filled with the sound of hoofs and the air smelled of fresh grass as the trees gently rustled, Tsukune closed his eyes and smiled as a single tear fell from his eye, he didn't know why but he felt like this picture warmed his soul.

" What's wrong child?" Tsukune opened his eyes to find that he was standing standing inside of the photo but it was like he was watching a movie, " I know that your father was stern with his words before he left but why are you crying sweetie?" He looked up and saw a beautiful image of his younger mother looking down at him smiling, he felt like crying as he saw her, "I thought that you would be happy."

"Is it true that father hates me?" His younger self's voice answered, "He seems to like Dante better than me? What did I do wrong?" He felt another tear leave his face, "I try to be the best that I can, but it seems like all I do is make him sad or make him upset with me." He felt his face tighten in anger and tried to control himself but it was like he was forced to watch a movie in his younger body.

"Tsukune" His mother kneeled down slowly and put her hand on his face, "You are the first born of The Great Horseman of Death. He just isn't sure that you would be a good fit, plus he's just under a lot of stress right now, it's not that he doesn't care." She wiped his tear from his face and she gently kissed his face and he looked into her eyes, "Besides you're five. It will all make sense when you are older and of age. Just please be strong for all of us and your unborn sister. Never forget that how bad things may get, and how bad everyone may treat you, I still love you son." She kissed his head and stood back up looking at the approaching figure of Death.

"Hello Darling, I've been missing you." Ayaksi said as Death's horse slowed down to a trotting pace, gently pulling Tsukune in front of her, "The children have also been missing you." She gently shoved Tsukune towards Death, in response Tsukune bowed and he said, "Welcome back home."

He heard Death dismount and walk over, but he acted as if Tsukune was not even in front of him at all, making Tsukune grit his teeth and shake in anger, "I have missed you as well my love." He walked back over to Tsukune and said, "I have something to tell you child, listen and listen well. When you are older you will be more powerful than any member in the House of Death has been, however in order to obtain that power I will put you through countless trials and tests to prepare you."

Younger Tsukune knew that he shouldn't speak but he wanted to ask what Death was preparing him for, Older him knew immediately what he was talking about now though. "Keep in mind though any member who is to be the next head of my house has to be cold emotionless and unforgiving." Death turned on his heels and started to walk away, "I just hope that one day that you will be able to forgive me for everything. Now raise your head and face me." Tsukune raised his head and turned to face his father.

When he did he that he was wearing black trousers, white blouse and his fabled black hooded cloak, "I'm sorry child." His father held his hand out and Tsukune saw a black ring that held a red rose head on the top of it, His father took a breath as he closed his eyes and held his palm out further, "There is something that should never leave your mind child," His father's monster altered voice hissed, "The House Of Death is not very well liked in the monster community and in some cases we are considered to be a fable and legend. However we must learn to not be loved, or well liked" The sky blackened and everything around the area died as Tsukune's father released his monster energy, but Older Tsukune felt like he was holding back thinking about the time that he fought with Alucard and how much different the energy felt then,

"Darling don't you think that this is not the time to be telling him this, I mean if you tell him that he should learn to be unloved and unliked at this age he might take it the wrong way." Ayaksi said walking towards Death, "He will make a great ruler but i think-"

"Don't." Death opened his eyes and gave his wife and look that froze her in place, "I don't want him to be weak. He has to be, if he's going to be my replacement, even more if he is to be recognized by the other Horseman than he needs to know what I am telling him." A white flame appeared in Death's hand melting his flesh away from his hand but not causing him to react, "This is a Soul Flame. This very flame represents your birthright to proceed me as a Horseman. Each flame is a different shade but know that color means something, the deeper the shade of color the stronger the horseman and the shorter the life."

Tsukune looked at the flame, oblivious to what his father was saying to him he reached out and touched the flame, almost immediately he felt something inside of him change, like something had torn him and split him into pieces, Tsukune looked up and saw his father's face cold and dark, but beneath all of that he could see worry, he fell to the ground his world fading to black as he heard his mother's frantic voice. The last thing that he remembered seeing before his eyes slowly closed was his father looking over him and instead of his face it was replaced with a ivory skull with black and purple flames for eyes looking down at him.

"I WANT TO BE NEXT HEAD!" Tsukune opened his eyes slowly as he realised that he wasn't outside and he was laying on the cold floor of the attic. the sounds of someone shouting filled the air from below him, "HE CAN'T EVEN HANDLE YOUR MONSTER ENERGY!" He recognized the voice as his younger brother Dantes, "Child you will be great and your power has emerged at a younger age than him, but you will not be able to reach the heights that he will. Plus you always let your immature childish attitude get in the way when you don't get what you want." He heard his father's' voice sternly and calmly reply.

"BUT I-" The sound of a sharp smack silenced dantes rebuttal, "Listen to what your father has to say." Death voice got slightly raised, "I am not going back on my decision, however it will be your job to protect him in the future. The test has already begun with your brother and you must learn to support him as he is broken, I no longer can." He heard footsteps walking away from where he was.

He started to wonder why Dante had been shouting at death and what Death meant by he was broken, he flexed all of his muscles and they felt fine, expecting a broken bone to be and what his father talked about but when he turned his head to look his arms they looked fine, he tried to left himself and he felt his heart drop as he lifted himself up. He was laying in the middle of a circle that gave him a bad feeling, but whenever he got to his feet and tried to leave he felt something throw him back on the floor right back in the middle again.

After trying a few more times and getting frustrated he sat down and the trap door to the attic opened slightly and he saw his younger brother looking at him with defiant eyes and a cruel grin on his face, "Haha! You can't leave." His brother pushed the trap door open and climbed the steps into the attic, when he reached the last step however he tripped and fell flat on his face, Tsukune let out a little giggle after all Dante was a little clumsy.

"You can laugh at me?" Dante slowly got up and looked at his brother with empty eyes and a dead smile, "I'm not weaker than you." He slowly walked towards Tsukune not blinking or dropping eye contact once, "I'll be stronger than you, father says I won't be but I will. I'll make everyone hate you and love me more than you." When he reached the edge of circle Dante jumped at Tsukune and closed his little hands around his neck squeezing.

"They told me that I can't be ruler because of you, but if you aren't here." Dante tightened his fists more and Tsukune was left gasping for breath as he tried to fight back and get away. Tsukune started to get frustrated, his brother was younger and smaller, why couldn't he get him off of Tsukune? Tsukune looked into his eyes and saw Dante's face had become more sunken in and his eyes had changed into the same purple flames as his fathers looking down at him, only this time he could feel a deadly intent coming out of them.

"What do I do? He's too strong." He started to see black in his vision, "Why is he like this? He's always been joking and a bit of an idiot but never like this." Tsukune's younger self thought.

-Hurt him.-

A voice in Tsukune's head shocked him for a second, and it almost terrified him more what the voice was suggesting, "Hurt him? I can't do that he's my brother." He thought, he started thinking of the time when Dante was running around the house and he tripped and skinned his knee. Tsukune remembered how bad he felt, and how his mother scolded him for not watching him better.

-Do you want to die? Because if you think that you are going to live, then by all means keep getting choked. Otherwise do something or we will both die, or I'll take it from here.-

Tsukune closed his eyes and then something strange happened, he pushed Dante over and he must have looked surprised as Tsukune felt because he didn't move to get Tsukune off of him for several seconds, Tsukune felt power coursing through him, only this power felt like it was crushing his mind, "I don't care what you may try to do. However if you want to play with your Legos and building blocks again I recommend that you stay away from me." The voice that came from his mouth was not his, it couldn't be. It almost sounded like it was a powerful monsters.

"If you hurt me Mother and Father will never forgive you." Dante said with a smug grin on his face, "everyone will hate you." He stuck his tongue out at Tsukune and something snapped inside of him. Tsukune laughed and felt his body and something deep inside of him go cold.

"I don't care. If it means I have to be hated to teach you a lesson. I'll do it" Even as he said this however, something inside of him knew that what he said he didn't want to happen, "I'm used to fathers cold and hateful treatment and Mothers to into the baby for me to feel like she's there in the first place, Aya and Rin always torment me and blame everything that they do wrong on me, and you…...you." Tsukune gave his brother the best death stare that he could, "You're too weak to be the Head, plus I want you to have fun Dante. I'm sad and lonely...I dont want you to feel the same. Stay away from me and I won't hurt you." Tsukune felt tears come to his eyes as he thought of his past.

Dante started to shake and squirm, "You're hurting me!" The smell of burning flesh filled the attic as Dante screamed, then three things happened all at once. Tsukune felt heard someone come up from behind him, a sound like a mirror breaking, being thrown against the wall and his Dante crying.

"What have you done?" A cold female's voice called to Tsukune, "What did you do to my son." Tsukune gasped for air as he tried to answer her but before he could he reached out with his hand and felt as if he just put it molten lava. He started to scream as he felt white hot chains wrap around his arm and body, "Tsukune?" His mother called out to him but he couldn't get past all of the excruciating pain to answer her. He rolled on his side and looked at his hand as he saw a white flame dissipate from his palm.

His vision melted into white as he felt his eyes roll back and he fell on the floor.

Soon the sound of rushing waves filled his hearing and he opened his eyes, he was back at Yokai Academy sitting on the ledge of the cliff overlooking the red sea. He blinked, trying to analyze what he had just seen, he looked down at his palms and wondered what the light was. He had a feeling that it was the Soul flame that Death had, but did that mean he burned Dante with it?

"Besides I don't remember how to even do that anymore." He closed his eyes and put his hands down. The hair on the back of Tsukune's neck stood up as leaped into the air and looked down to see the ledge near him fall into the sea below him, "What the?" He landed a few paces away and looked around hoping to see someone targeting him, when he looked around he saw nothing but he got an uneasy feeling as he heard a hooves approaching from behind him.

He turned around as fast as he could and saw that there was nothing except the trees of the forest he came from, "What the heck's going on?" he asked himself. He decided that maybe he needed to get away from whatever was attacking him, so he cautiously started to walk towards the forest. Tsukune heard something approaching from the back and so he turned and saw a moonlit space, and then he saw a ghostly white horse head with a black mane breathing heavy as it walked towards him , he was taken aback, the moment that its head appeared he soon saw the rest of the body and gasped.

The body of the horse was covered in beautiful white and black that glistened and shimmer, but what really made Tsukune gasp was when he looked to see who was riding the horse he saw that image of his younger mother sitting on it with his father holding the reigns, dressed in a black robes. The two of them made eye contact with tsukune and the air around them seemed to freeze.

When it spoke he heard his mother's voice, "I love you son." and then smile at him the beautiful smile that made his stomach hurt, while his father's voice said, "I'm sorry." The ghost then ran across the moonlight and disappeared as it ran towards the edge of the moonlight. Tsukune stared for a second before he was thrown back and he felt his whole body becoming rigid and cooked alive.

It only lasted for a second but as he hurriedly stood on his feet and then looked around, he shook his head and frowned, "Did I imagine that?' He took a deep breath and shook his head, that had to be the only logical explanation, after seeing what he just saw, his mind must still think he's in the flashback.

He put his hand into his pockets and walked back to his dorms to go to bed, he would have to talk to Dante tomorrow but right now he needed sleep. He soon smelled something burning but ignored it as he walked into his room, he felt his palm become warm and when he looked down he saw a deep iridescent purple flame raging to life.

Thank you for reading! That's all for this chapter and I promise that I'll try to update daily. Let me know what you think too please, it would be greatly appreciated :)