(A/N) Alrighty, Ladies and Gentlemen! What you've been waiting for has finally arrived! The next chapter and it's all yours! I hope you enjoy, because I certainly did!

Run Away

Pairings: The standard for Loveless, Ritsuka/Soubi, Natsuo/Yoji, and a tiny bit of Sora/Riku, and Kio/Yayoi

Warnings: While poor Shinonome-sensei was ditched, the clan had some fun, so now, we're going to watch as that unfolds...

Description:

Disclaimer: I barely own my own head, what with all the voices in it. I SO don't own either Kingdom Hearts, or Loveless. Those belong to the lovely Yun Kouga (Loveless) or Square Enix (Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2)

Run Away Chapter 26- Ferris Bueler's Day Off!

After ditching their poor teacher, the group made their way to find some REAL breakfast. Along the way, the various newcomers introduced themselves. After all, Kio only knew Ritsuka, not Yayoi, or Yuiko. So, soon, everyone knew everyone, and it was rather apparent who was with who.

Upon entering the restaurant they had chosen, they sat down at a booth, and talked quietly, until the waitress came to take their order. Then, all hell broke loose at the table.

"So! What are we going to do today?!" Sora giggled, sipping on his soda. He looked around, interested in this world, and what it had to offer.

"I dunno, what do you normally do on your home planet?" Yoji asked, making it sound like a joke.

"Well, we usually go to the beach and play." He said, turning his head.

"Is the water purple there?!" Yuiko asked, her eyes wide, and hopeful. Sora shook his head.

"Nope, my worlds just like yours except that we aren't born with cat-ears." Sora said, looking thoughtful. He knew of some other exceptions too, but he didn't think they'd need to know about the Keyblade. This world seemed pretty peaceful.

Ritsuka was only mildly paying attention to them, as he slowly swirled the straw in his soda. He was thinking. He was thinking about Seimei, as he always did. Things had gotten worse, recently, at home. Mom was getting stranger, and kept giving Ritsuka tests, and Ritsuka seemed to be getting worse and worse at answering them like "Ritsuka" would have.

It seemed almost like he was pressed for time. And Soubi was still withholding some information from him. He knew that much. This whole business with Septimal Moon, the School, and everything that was going on in his strange other life, it was all so confusing. He couldn't figure it out...

Sora noticed that Ritsuka wasn't really paying attention. Seeing as he wanted to talk to the little black cat, he figured he could make use of this, setting Anti to cheering again. Moving out of the conversation and over to the other boy was easy enough, as was poking him in the side.

"What's wrong, Ritsuka-kun?" Sora asked, keeping his voice low. He managed to keep most of the others from paying attention, seeing as they were off on a tangent about alien worlds. Soubi, however, had made sure to sit by his young Sacrifice, and was able to listen in on their conversation, while maintaining that he wasn't listening.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking." Ritsuka replied, smiling, trying to throw the brunette off. So not working, but it was a nice try.

"Don't give me that, you're staring off into space with a really mean look on your face. That usually means you're worrying about something, not thinking about it." Sora prodded, physically as well as verbally.

The black-haired kid knew that Sora was right. He was seriously brooding, but he needed to think about this stuff, otherwise, he would never figure any of it out. The look on his face told Sora that he wouldn't get any more out of the boy, even as another face revealed a chance to learn more of this strange situation. Soubi looked to be interested in their conversation, and perhaps, Sora could use that, later.

It was a while later until he could talk to Soubi properly. They went to an arcade, splitting up some of each other the other's money to share with Sora, and, though Soubi never strayed far from Ritsuka, said cat-boy was to busy playing video games, far too busy to notice Sora talking to Soubi quietly.

"Soubi-san, what...What's going on between you and Ritsuka-kun?" Sora started off, turning his cutest face onto the elder male, hoping that he wouldn't clam up. The look reminded Soubi of Ritsuka, and therefore immediately ceased any clamming he might have done. However, it did open an immediate sense of pending abandonment. That was something he really had to work on.

"I love him. Why do you ask?" Soubi said, that mysterious smile appearing on his face again.

Sora looked at him, a bout of intuition causing him to look confused.

"Why?"

Soubi blinked, at a complete loss as to what to say to this brunette. He...He didn't really know the answer himself. He just...did. He loved the young Aoyagi with all his heart, all his soul, age-difference be damned. But...Why did he love Ritsuka? Was it just...

"Well...I...I don't really know, Sora-kun. It started out as an order, from Ritsuka's brother, Seimei-sama. (I know he doesn't call him this in the manga, but I always get the feeling that Soubi would, if given the chance. -Otaku)" Soubi said, his own confusion tinting his face.

"How would an order from Seimei-san make you love someone?" Sora looked totally lost now. Love...couldn't be ordered, it had to grow!

Soubi went back to smiling that mysterious smile. "He was my Sacrifice, I belonged to him." Something about the way Soubi said that word, Sacrifice, made him imagine it with capital letters, like it was really important. He looked Soubi in the eye, and with an effort, he managed to look serious.

"I think you had better tell me the whole story, Soubi-san." Sora nodded, "Yes, I think you had better. After all, I've been told I'm a very good listener." This was actually quite the opposite, but you already knew that, hm?

Soubi looked at Sora, and, strangely enough, felt as if...as if he should tell the boy everything. His whole story, from birth to death, if he knew it. He felt as if before him was an angel, sent to give him a chance to redeem himself, as if God felt he was worthy enough to send one of his angels to guide him. It was as if all the light in the universe was visited upon him...

"Seimei was my Sacrifice, Beloved. That was his true name. I was his Fighter Unit. You see, we come in pairs, one Sacrifice, who takes all the damage, and one Fighter, who casts the spells in a fight. We are taught at School, that the Fighter belongs to the Sacrifice, which they must obey and utterly devote themselves to their Sacrifice. I did, I devoted myself entirely too Beloved." Again, Sora got the feeling of utter importance from Soubi's words, and some of them stood out, like School. He knew it wasn't a normal school; by the way Soubi's face contorted painfully when he spoke of it.

"Beloved was killed, murdered by Septimal Moon, the organization we used to work for. He left me...All alone, with nothing but his final order. 'If I die, you will belong to Ritsuka, you will serve him as you have me, and you will love him.' That was all. And so, I serve Ritsuka as his Fighter.

"It's rather funny, you see. Seimei's name, Beloved, and Ritsuka's: Loveless. I don't know who decided these names, but I agree with Ritsuka, they are rather...incorrigible. I...I don't know when my ordered love for Ritsuka began to become real...He...He treats me like a human, like someone important, even though I ask him to treat me like an object. (Okay, this is a near direct line from Loveless volume six. If you haven't read it yet, go out and buy it!!!! Okay, end of shameless plug! -Otaku) If he didn't treat me so...Nicely, I might be able to accept it when he disappears, like his brother. Why? Wh y am I abandoned so easily?" He didn't know why he was telling all of this to Sora, or what answers the boy might miraculously be able to give him. But in that dark arcade, with the lights flashing around him, and the sound of Ritsuka's laughter swimming through the noise, he felt...something, something that made it all okay.

Sora reached out, and touched Soubi's heart. Placed his hand, directly above the place where his heart was, deep inside his chest, and smiled, a kind, heartbreaking smile. It was the smile of a martyr, the smile of a saint who had seen so many sinners in pain. It was...It was delisciously tormenting, seeing that smile.

"Ritsuka won't abandon you. He already begins to love you, Soubi. Don't give up." And with those words, it was like chains, hard, heavy chains broke from around Soubi's heart. Soubi knew the power of words, knew it because he used it, everyday, in his battle against Septimal Moon, against his enemies and those of Ritsuka. He knew that somehow, this boy's words were more powerful than any spell that had ever been thrown, any word cast at an opponent.

All he could do was watch, as Sora smiled again, the same sunny smile he had seen just hours ago. As if a whole new person had taken over Sora, he patted Soubi's shoulder, and bounced off to join the others in a round of DDR, leaving Soubi shaken, and utterly, utterly, exposed.

RUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAY

Sora was mulling it all over, and began to see what was going on. If Soubi had an abandonment issue, then perhaps...Maybe something equally messed up was on Ritsuka's side too? Perhaps they just needed to talk?

Sora managed to corner Ritsuka, after dinner, in the boy's bathroom. They would have to go in an hour, go back to the inn, and then, tomorrow, they would leave for home. Sora couldn't afford to let this time go to waste. He was leaving tomorrow afternoon, and a chance like this might not come again.

"Ritsuka-kun, I need you to be honest with me. You are hiding a lot, and I can tell. Please tell me." He begged. Ritsuka immediately began to shut it up, smiling the small, sad smile, and he was ready to write it off as being stressed. But, it was as if something changed in Sora, and a new person was looking out of Sora's sky blue eyes.

"Your mother beats you. Doesn't she?"

Ritsuka gaped. How...How had Sora known that? He was careful never to bring up his injuries, and never spoke of his mother. How...

But it wasn't Sora who'd known. It was Roxas. Roxas had temporarily taken over his Person's body. He was the one talking to Ritsuka now.

"Y-Yeah..." Ritsuka hesitantly admitted. Roxas nodded, acknowledging that Ritsuka didn't want to talk about it, but not letting it go.

"Why?"

Ritsuka turned away, washing his hands. Not looking at the possessed brunette, he said, "I'm not her son. I look like him, but...I'm not Ritsuka."

"Don't be a fool. You are Ritsuka, nothing changes that." Roxas said, waving it off. He knew better than anybody about not being who you were, and this boy couldn't possibly be a Nobody.

"No! I'm not! I don't answer like him, I don't think like him, I don't like the same things he liked! He disappeared two years ago, leaving me with this body, and now...My mother wants him back. But I'm not him, and I don't know where he's gone."

Roxas looked at the boy. He knew all about Psychology, from all the lessons Sora took, but wasn't really paying attention to. Something traumatic must have occurred for the boy to lose his memories, or to split into a whole new personality. Roxas was sure it hadn't been the same as it was for him. After all, the original Ritsuka couldn't possibly have used the Oblivion to unlock his heart, and turn himself into a Heartless.

"Ritsuka, stop. You are you. Your mind changed the you from before the last two years, into the you, that you are now, to heal from a trauma. Don't be afraid, and don't let some psycho bitch of a mother beat you, just because your mind needs time to heal, before you can return to the Ritsuka you have grown to be, through all the years of experience you have acquired." He shrugged, letting the boy know he was free to talk now. All he got was a shocked, utterly confused look. Maybe the kitten wasn't ready to be rejoined with himself, yet? Maybe...He needed more time, Roxas decided.

"Don't worry. You'll understand when the time comes. Until then, just try to be a little more receptive to Soubi-san. He wants to help you be you, not just the you from before, and not just the you that you are now, but the you, you will become through those shared experiences. He needs you. And you, though you loathe to admit it, need him." With that, Roxas receded into the mind of his Person, and Sora looked around. He realized he was in the middle of a conversation, and smiled at Ritsuka, who was again shocked.

"Now, let's go meet up with the others."

RUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAY

Soubi watched Ritsuka as he came out of the bathroom, Sora leading him. He wondered what that miracle-worker had told him. Did his heart feel as light, as free, as Soubi's own did at that moment? Did he feel as if all his previous worries were useless now?

Ritsuka didn't feel that way, in fact. He felt more confused than ever. Sora's words all had a ring of truth to them. It was as if some prophet was speaking to him, and telling him that it would all be okay. He didn't know what to believe anymore.

He had always told himself to be ready whenever 'Ritsuka' came, and took his life back. He had always told himself that he wasn't the real Ritsuka. Now...It was almost as if Sora was confirming that, but also saying that the real Ritsuka doesn't exist yet!

And Sora had seemed...different, in the bathroom. Wiser, more...centered. As if he had seen more tragedies than the happy-go-lucky child he knew had. It was...disconcerting.

But, as they walked back to the inn, Soubi and his group preparing to branch off and enter the inn a different way, he began to realize. Soubi was looking at him, as if waiting for something. What could he possibly be waiting for? I mean, really?

After all, it wasn't as if some huge revelation had just been handed to him.

All it was, was another piece in the increasingly tragic story of his life.

End Chapter

Otaku: Now, wasn't that fun! YAY!!!

Mirae: And it only took you for EVER to write.

Otaku: I tried...-pouts-

Sora: -Hugs Otaku- Thank you!

Otaku: -Giving Sora a "Get it off of me!" look- For what, exactly?

Sora: Not making me so emo!

Roxas: Yeah, now all she needs to work on is making ME less emo.

Otaku: -Laughs- Oh, no boys. You don't seem to get this. I plan on making both of you so much more emo. It's not even funny. Anyway, thanks for watching, ladies and gentlemen, and hope you liked it!

See you, space cowboys! (So stolen from cowboy bebop, its not even funny. -Mirae)