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
45: Masao and Yuzuna's Intervention
"What is he doing here!" Yayoi was appalled. "So this is where the two of you have been? Kio, that crazy guy kept chasing me, asking me where the both of you were! Let me tell you, he scared, no, actually . . . He annoyed the living daylights out of me!"
"Ritsuka, what's going on?" Miss Shinonome asked.
"Looks like we've been caught red-handed," Soubi said, much to his own amusement. Both Miss Shinonome and Yayoi flushed, their minds obviously in the gutter. "Well, it was fun, wasn't it?"
"What part of it was fun, exactly?" Ritsuka was more miffed than anything else at the moment.
"You two did it, Aoyagi?" Ritsuka turned to look at Yayoi, a confused poise coming to his expression.
"Did what?"
Poor Ritsuka. Could one really be so clueless?
"I think I should get going," Soubi said. He knew Ritsuka was going to explode sooner or later, as soon as he found out what Yayoi was implying upon, that is.
"Stay right where you are. Yayoi, what do you mean he and I did it?" It then struck the boy at last, and his own face turned beet red. "He and I did no such thing! We're both fully clothed! And I never said anything of the sort!"
"You were just throwing a hissy fit before they interrupted, weren't you?" Soubi laughed when Ritsuka snarled, eyes staring daggers into him. "I would have told you more, but that was all I've discovered. Hearing what I told you aren't you at least a little bit satisfied?"
"That still doesn't explain his death . . . And you were rambling on about telling me everything you know. There must be some things you're not telling me, Soubi."
"Oh, look at that," Soubi craned his neck outside the window, "I think I see a certain little girl standing down there. Takara, I believe was her name?"
Yayoi was at the window in an instant. And more so than not Ritsuka's question went unanswered - who really knew if Soubi was retaining information . . . Maybe he wasn't.
-----
Hokori nodded her head in understanding - she knew that she what she was doing was risky, but she wanted to help everyone escape . . . Somehow.
"Thank you, Hokori," Masao said, smiling at her. "If it weren't for you we wouldn't be able to sneak in, let alone come clean of being detected. "Yuzuna, did you bring them . . .?"
"Yeah, I did." Yuzuna held up a folder that appeared to hold documents of some sort.
"Good luck!" Hokori whispered to the two, as they sneaked along the corridor.
It felt strange to be sneaking around inside the school, when not long ago they were allowed to roam about freely. Now it felt like they were wanted suspects of some organization. Yuzuna held on tightly to the folder, because they might come in handy with what they were trying to do. She almost bumped into Masao from behind though, when he abruptly stopped walking. They heard voices . . .
"She's escaped?" Sounds of rustling. "How long ago?"
"Not too sure . . . I've only heard it being reported to me, but it might have been recently. In any case, I can send out the Zeros to track her down if need be."
"Don't do that . . ." More sounds of rustling.
"Why not?"
"That'll lead them to suspect us. We can't be found out; not by all of them. Her running away is not a problem."
". . . but she's going to tell him everything! Aren't you the least bit worried?"
A third voice came into the conversation.
"Let her squeal - she doesn't know as much as you'd think. Our main prize is Hokori . . . As long as we can keep her and the others here, then we'll be fine."
"Is Nana referring to . . ." Yuzuna stopped short of finishing her sentence, for Masao clamped one hand over her mouth.
"Shhhhhh, they might hear us," he whispered to her. Yuzuna's eyes widened and before she could warn Masao of the impending doom, he was chucked from behind on the head, causing him to black out instantly. Hs hand fell away from Yuzuna's mouth.
"Masao!" Yuzuna cried.
"So, the two sneaky traitors came back, huh?" Nagisa pondered. "Where's the third? Is he in hiding somewhere . . . Yuzuna?"
"Leave this school; Ritsu is fooling all of you! It'll only be a matter of time before he toys with you completely, inking everything out of you! Believe me!"
"How can you say such things about him when he's sheltered you for all these years?" Nagisa was beyond disgusted with the therapist. "How can you betray him when he's the one that has accepted us, when everyone else alienated us simply because we're better than them? Can you answer this, Yuzuna?"
"I . . ."
"I don't think Soubi's here," Nana suddenly said, falling in line beside Nagisa. Yuzuna had no idea where she came from. "I've scouted the entire scope of the school and nothing came up other than these two."
Masao stirred. "He's coming to, Nagisa, give me the cuffs you've so delightfully designed. Never did get a chance to test it out, did you?" The sky-blue haired woman shook her head. "Well, now is a good a time as any, wouldn't you agree?" By the time Masao was fully awake, he tried to move his arms once he realized who was around him, but then noticed that he was handcuffed. They dug into his wrists painfully from the struggle he initiated. "Ouch, Masao, if I were you I would not move so much. Look, your wrists are already bleeding blood."
"Hand those over." Nagisa stretched out an arm towards Yuzuna. In response, Yuzuna gave her an angry glare. "You damn traitor, I told you to hand them over!"
"If we knew the outcome was going to be like this, we should have left them to those jealous animals back then . . ." Nana's expression became solemn in appearance.
-----
"Hey." The trio of girls turned up their noses and walked off. "Hey, guys? What's the matter? Where are you all going?"
"They've decided to single us out from the rest - your so called friends are taking part in this as well," Miro said, suddenly looming over Yuzuna. "Simply because they're angry that we excel in every subject. Alienating us just because we're smart is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Some of them even believe that we've formed a pact of some - like a club, you know? Truly obnoxious of them to be making up rumors without solid proof."
That was only the beginning - I didn't let it get to me at first. Envious students bound to spring up here and there, right? Who knew that it would go so far.
"Ah!" Someone nearly feel down a flight of stairs. A scary moment indeed when that oncoming 'whoosh' of air passes by, making one feel almost light.
"Oops, did I push you? I didn't mean to do it, Yuzuna."
Yuzuna managed to grab the wooden railing of the stairs in the nick of time. No falling for this girl. "Don't apologize, Rei, because it was obviously her fault that she bumped into you. Some klutz she is."
The first chain of mishaps ticked me off, but what can I really do when it was all of them against me? The entire school against a select few individuals? Even if I tried to do something, I don't think I would have accomplished anything worthwhile.
"It's pretty easy to notice, isn't it?"
"What is, Nagisa?"
"Their ignoring us - it's already happening. Today, in the girl's locker room no one would talk to me, but they'd all talk to each other. I could tell they were avoiding my gaze on purpose and it pissed me off so much. When I tried to get a word in or say something, no one would listen, either."
It became so bad that I began to get so very lonely inside. Hanging out with Isoshi (my only friend, though who was not a Fighter) helped me feel better at times . . . However, his consolation alone was not enough. I was at the point of breaking when he finally came to us. Ritsu was my savior . . . I, a kid then, didn't really know anything. He invited me, Soubi, Masao, Nagisa, Nana, Miro, Bako, and many others to join his club. I felt I belonged; it made me feel good. Who cares what the rumors were now - the false rumor from before kind of became a reality. Yuzuna, a fragile me, now actually belonged in a club that served my kind (the brightest of the bright in the whole school . . .).
I finally felt like I belonged someplace . . . After being neglected by everyone for so long. I had thought that my endless suffering was all over. Yet, I was wrong . . .
-----
"How nice of you two to return; beg for forgiveness and I might consider letting you rejoin." Ritsu stepped out from behind a wall, a smirk coming to his face. "Hokori was kind enough to let the both of you in."
Hokori came into Masao and Yuzuna's line of vision, a blank expression blanketing her features. She stared only ahead, eyes unmoving and quite unnatural. "I only did what I had to do." Her voice was void of any emotion.
"You've put her under hypnosis?" Yuzuna exclaimed.
"Something of the sort."
Masao was next to speak. "What are you going to do to us?"
"Ah, Masao, I placed you in highest regard, did you know?" Ritsu made as if to only notice Masao was around for the first time. "Yet, it was wise of me to not feed you all the information. Despite what little information I did leak to you, whether you were shocked by it or not, you're not in capable hands of foiling my plans, Masao. My mistrust in you proved to be of good judgment. Is this how you repay me, after I've saved you back then?"
"You're hiding something! Seimei and Isoshi must have found something out back then!" Yuzuna wished and thought with all her might that what she was saying held truth in them.
"Hokori."
"Master Ritsu, Seimei and Isoshi found out about your magic water. He told me on the day of his death. He said he hid it somewhere, but he did not tell the location. Isoshi might have done the same."
"Magic water?" Nagisa echoed.
"Yes, my magic water, the liquid that reveals your given name," Ritsu replied. "It's been passed down through generations in my family."
"Without it you can't find anymore Sacrifices and Fighters?" Nana asked. Ritsu shook his head. "But I want more members . . . We must continue to grow because there must be a ton of Fighters and Sacrifices out there."
Yuzuna couldn't prove that Ritsu was tricking them, but that was what she felt. If only she could make Nagisa and Nana realize this.
"Hokori, you know of nothing else?" Ritsu snapped his fingers. He had an itching feeling that she was leaving something out. Something very important.
"There's more . . . Isoshi, without Seimei's knowledge, found a file that contained data on you. He never got the chance to relay the message to Seimei, so he tried to do so through me."
"What data did he find?"
"He found that you were once a doctor at a hospital called 'Heaven's Gate'."
"That's enough. Good girl, Hokori." Ritsu wanted to stop her before she said anything unnecessary in front of everyone. "As a warning . . . Yuzuna. Hokori, kill Masao."
"No!" Yuzuna tried to lunge forward, but was quickly pulled down by Nana and Nagisa. "Don't do this, Hokori!"
"Yes, Master Ritsu. I will obey you, and only you alone."
It's over for me, huh? I at least wanted to say something to Soubi . . .
"Any words you wish to speak out before you die?" Ritsu asked.
"Soubi," Masao was looking at no one in particular, "since I'm not and can never be like you, I want you to help me save Takara in my stead. For I am a guilt-ridden man that has death sentences written all over his face. Dying won't be so bad, because I openly welcome it."
"Maaasssaaaaooooo!"
One head went rolling . . . Coming to a stop when it hit a wall.
A girl with sky-blue hair breathed in and out deeply, eyes becoming wide; there was blood dotting her pale skin.
Chapter 45: END
