Noki: (God, do I need coffee…wait…I don't drink coffee…God, do I need
sugar…)
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*Chapter 2*
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/Still clutching the hilt of his broken knife, he shifted slightly, the shadow nearing. He could barely move anymore; it was too cold. Darkness swirled around him, whispering hauntingly, but he could no longer understand its words. He felt his hand being tugged at, and the broken knife slipped from his fingers before he could stop it from happening. But as it faded into the shadows, he recognized the patterns on the hilt. It had been a gift from his Kaichou…his Nokoru…
His…One…
Golden eyes widened as he felt the memories starting to slip from his mind…the very first time he met Nokoru Imonoyama…the kidnapping, the promise to protect him forever…everything…
They were making him forget his One…
Everything about him…
"No…" he whimpered loudly, "…don't…"
Without his One, he would be lost again…his center and focus would be gone, leaving him empty and alone…and…
Suoh looked up with frantic golden eyes as he tried to move, but found it impossible. His birthday had just passed…the most vital birthday of a Takamura's existence…his fourteenth. It is approximately the time where having a One is most crucial…they must have a center to their world, or risk losing their sanity and will to live.
With a soft caress on his cheek from the shadows, the memories, and the shadows… disappeared.
* * *
Suoh walked up the pathway to the mansion's front entrance, grinning slightly. He wanted so much to see the look on his Kaichou's face when he told him that there was another truckload of paperwork being shipped to him later in the day.
Walking the rest of the way to the doors, he rang the bell. But as soon as he touched the doorbell, he paused, as if confused. Taking a few steps backwards, he looked around at his surroundings curiously.
The door opened seconds later and there stood a young man.
"Oh, Suoh-san," the man said, smiling, "Nokoru did say to expect you this afternoon!"
"…Nokoru?"
The man laughed and motioned for him to go inside. "Come on, you know where he is."
Suoh took a small step towards the house, and then hesitated. Where the hell was he, and who was Nokoru?
"He's not all that upset about the paperwork you sent him," the man continued, grinning. "I promise he won't bite. He's still sick, after all."
The azure-haired ninja was still confused, but if it answered some questions about why he had even come there, he would play along. Suoh nodded and stepped past him and into the mansion. Once inside, he paused and looked around with wide eyes. Expensive art and ancient weaponry lined the walls; gold-rimmed mirrors also detailed the walls along with intricate patterns on the doors and doorframes. Looking up, he saw a huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Whoever Nokoru was sure knew how to live…!
"What's the matter?"
Suoh turned back to the man. "Uh…"
"He's still got the same bedroom, now go on up there and see him. He was hoping you'd come and make his day a little more interesting."
Suoh didn't even want to think about what THAT brought to mind, but he pushed that aside and bowed slightly, heading for the staircase pretending to know where he was going. He heard the footsteps of the man leaving the room, and he turned his head to make sure he was indeed gone.
He was, and Suoh turned and walked back towards the front door. This hadn't helped him figure out why he was there, and he certainly did not want to stay. He almost reached the door when another voice called to him brightly.
"Suoh!"
With a silent growl, Suoh turned around. Who the hell were these people, and why did they know his name?!
A tall young man with golden hair looked at him, a mischievous grin on his face. "Suoh…you remember me right? Amaru?"
Suoh nodded, not knowing who the hell this 'Amaru' was, but only knowing that the sooner he did whatever it was they thought he had come here for, the sooner he could leave.
"I'll take you to see Nokoru. Come on."
As he started away, Suoh paused, and then followed after him up the staircase. He looked around at the décor, wondering how someone could ever afford things like this.
"You act like you haven't seen this place a hundred times before," Amaru's voice broke through his thoughts, and Suoh managed a tight grin.
"Amazes me every time," he said quietly, and Amaru laughed. They walked down the hallway and Amaru stopped to knock on the door.
"Come in!" Came the reply from the inside. Amaru opened the door and stepped inside. Suoh paused, then headed in after him, looking at the stacks of paperwork that lined the walls.
/I guess he's a busy person/, Suoh thought.
"Amaru! You brought Suoh!" Nokoru cried cheerfully, tossing his paperwork into the air, "Thank Kami, some company! I'm going out of my mind, I can't stand to do another minute of this useless paperwork!"
Amaru grinned. "I'm sure Suoh can keep you company for a while," he said, before bowing and leaving the room, closing it behind him.
Suoh stared at the boy. He looked so much like Amaru, except smaller. The wavy golden hair was the same, and those sapphire eyes were identical. He had this small feeling like he'd seen him before, but reasoned that he hand never seen him prior to this moment.
Nokoru grinned at Suoh. "Well, if you're expecting a thank you for the paperwork, you can forget it. I'm sitting here sick, possibly dying, and you have the nerve to-" Nokoru stopped and studied Suoh's expression more closely. Suoh was looking at him so strangely. It was almost like…like he didn't recognize him.
And he hadn't said a word about his unfinished stacks of paperwork.
"…Suoh?" Nokoru asked slowly.
Suoh focused back to Nokoru. "Hai?"
"How is Nagisa?"
Suoh blushed. Nokoru knew Nagisa?
"F-fine," he stammered.
Nokoru paused. He reacted the same about Nagisa. Maybe it was just his imagination that he was acting differently. He was ill, after all. He had hallucinated last night, didn't he?
"Suoh?"
"Hai?"
Another pause. "Are you feeling okay?"
Suoh nodded. "Fine."
Nokoru didn't know what it was, but he had this nagging feeling that something just wasn't right! No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that everything was the way it had always been between them, there was just something different.
"Did you bring me any more paperwork?"
Suoh shook his head. Nokoru tilted his head to the side. Had Suoh really caught his cold? Was he feeling okay?! WHY WAS THERE NO NEW PAPERWORK?!
The ninja sighed mentally. /Will you hurry up so I can get out of here? I didn't want to come in and be given the third degree…/
"Hm." Was all Nokoru spoke, still in deep contemplation.
"I have to be going," Suoh spoke, managing a small grin. "I'm expected home soon."
"Training?"
Suoh's eyes widened minimally. /He knows about my training?! Who is he?! Why does he know what I am?!/ "U-uh…" Suoh managed to get out, "...A...a little…"
Nokoru caught the slip of expression and knew instantly. "I see," Nokoru replied. "Well then, I wouldn't want you to be late." He grinned at his Takamura.
Suoh bowed to him and started to leave.
"Oh, by the way, Suoh…"
Suoh stopped. "Hai?"
"What is my name?"
Suoh's eyes widened. "Uh…" he turned around and grinned slightly. "Nokoru."
"My last name."
Silence echoed in the room as Suoh looked down at the floor. Nokoru stared in shock. Was this…a relapse of his amnesia from a few years ago? Concerned, Nokoru sat up straighter and addressed him softly.
"Please tell me you know who I am…"
Suoh remained silent for a moment, then spoke quietly, "You are Nokoru. Nothing more to me." And with that, he walked to the door and left, leaving behind his forgotten One.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Chapter 2*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/Still clutching the hilt of his broken knife, he shifted slightly, the shadow nearing. He could barely move anymore; it was too cold. Darkness swirled around him, whispering hauntingly, but he could no longer understand its words. He felt his hand being tugged at, and the broken knife slipped from his fingers before he could stop it from happening. But as it faded into the shadows, he recognized the patterns on the hilt. It had been a gift from his Kaichou…his Nokoru…
His…One…
Golden eyes widened as he felt the memories starting to slip from his mind…the very first time he met Nokoru Imonoyama…the kidnapping, the promise to protect him forever…everything…
They were making him forget his One…
Everything about him…
"No…" he whimpered loudly, "…don't…"
Without his One, he would be lost again…his center and focus would be gone, leaving him empty and alone…and…
Suoh looked up with frantic golden eyes as he tried to move, but found it impossible. His birthday had just passed…the most vital birthday of a Takamura's existence…his fourteenth. It is approximately the time where having a One is most crucial…they must have a center to their world, or risk losing their sanity and will to live.
With a soft caress on his cheek from the shadows, the memories, and the shadows… disappeared.
* * *
Suoh walked up the pathway to the mansion's front entrance, grinning slightly. He wanted so much to see the look on his Kaichou's face when he told him that there was another truckload of paperwork being shipped to him later in the day.
Walking the rest of the way to the doors, he rang the bell. But as soon as he touched the doorbell, he paused, as if confused. Taking a few steps backwards, he looked around at his surroundings curiously.
The door opened seconds later and there stood a young man.
"Oh, Suoh-san," the man said, smiling, "Nokoru did say to expect you this afternoon!"
"…Nokoru?"
The man laughed and motioned for him to go inside. "Come on, you know where he is."
Suoh took a small step towards the house, and then hesitated. Where the hell was he, and who was Nokoru?
"He's not all that upset about the paperwork you sent him," the man continued, grinning. "I promise he won't bite. He's still sick, after all."
The azure-haired ninja was still confused, but if it answered some questions about why he had even come there, he would play along. Suoh nodded and stepped past him and into the mansion. Once inside, he paused and looked around with wide eyes. Expensive art and ancient weaponry lined the walls; gold-rimmed mirrors also detailed the walls along with intricate patterns on the doors and doorframes. Looking up, he saw a huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Whoever Nokoru was sure knew how to live…!
"What's the matter?"
Suoh turned back to the man. "Uh…"
"He's still got the same bedroom, now go on up there and see him. He was hoping you'd come and make his day a little more interesting."
Suoh didn't even want to think about what THAT brought to mind, but he pushed that aside and bowed slightly, heading for the staircase pretending to know where he was going. He heard the footsteps of the man leaving the room, and he turned his head to make sure he was indeed gone.
He was, and Suoh turned and walked back towards the front door. This hadn't helped him figure out why he was there, and he certainly did not want to stay. He almost reached the door when another voice called to him brightly.
"Suoh!"
With a silent growl, Suoh turned around. Who the hell were these people, and why did they know his name?!
A tall young man with golden hair looked at him, a mischievous grin on his face. "Suoh…you remember me right? Amaru?"
Suoh nodded, not knowing who the hell this 'Amaru' was, but only knowing that the sooner he did whatever it was they thought he had come here for, the sooner he could leave.
"I'll take you to see Nokoru. Come on."
As he started away, Suoh paused, and then followed after him up the staircase. He looked around at the décor, wondering how someone could ever afford things like this.
"You act like you haven't seen this place a hundred times before," Amaru's voice broke through his thoughts, and Suoh managed a tight grin.
"Amazes me every time," he said quietly, and Amaru laughed. They walked down the hallway and Amaru stopped to knock on the door.
"Come in!" Came the reply from the inside. Amaru opened the door and stepped inside. Suoh paused, then headed in after him, looking at the stacks of paperwork that lined the walls.
/I guess he's a busy person/, Suoh thought.
"Amaru! You brought Suoh!" Nokoru cried cheerfully, tossing his paperwork into the air, "Thank Kami, some company! I'm going out of my mind, I can't stand to do another minute of this useless paperwork!"
Amaru grinned. "I'm sure Suoh can keep you company for a while," he said, before bowing and leaving the room, closing it behind him.
Suoh stared at the boy. He looked so much like Amaru, except smaller. The wavy golden hair was the same, and those sapphire eyes were identical. He had this small feeling like he'd seen him before, but reasoned that he hand never seen him prior to this moment.
Nokoru grinned at Suoh. "Well, if you're expecting a thank you for the paperwork, you can forget it. I'm sitting here sick, possibly dying, and you have the nerve to-" Nokoru stopped and studied Suoh's expression more closely. Suoh was looking at him so strangely. It was almost like…like he didn't recognize him.
And he hadn't said a word about his unfinished stacks of paperwork.
"…Suoh?" Nokoru asked slowly.
Suoh focused back to Nokoru. "Hai?"
"How is Nagisa?"
Suoh blushed. Nokoru knew Nagisa?
"F-fine," he stammered.
Nokoru paused. He reacted the same about Nagisa. Maybe it was just his imagination that he was acting differently. He was ill, after all. He had hallucinated last night, didn't he?
"Suoh?"
"Hai?"
Another pause. "Are you feeling okay?"
Suoh nodded. "Fine."
Nokoru didn't know what it was, but he had this nagging feeling that something just wasn't right! No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that everything was the way it had always been between them, there was just something different.
"Did you bring me any more paperwork?"
Suoh shook his head. Nokoru tilted his head to the side. Had Suoh really caught his cold? Was he feeling okay?! WHY WAS THERE NO NEW PAPERWORK?!
The ninja sighed mentally. /Will you hurry up so I can get out of here? I didn't want to come in and be given the third degree…/
"Hm." Was all Nokoru spoke, still in deep contemplation.
"I have to be going," Suoh spoke, managing a small grin. "I'm expected home soon."
"Training?"
Suoh's eyes widened minimally. /He knows about my training?! Who is he?! Why does he know what I am?!/ "U-uh…" Suoh managed to get out, "...A...a little…"
Nokoru caught the slip of expression and knew instantly. "I see," Nokoru replied. "Well then, I wouldn't want you to be late." He grinned at his Takamura.
Suoh bowed to him and started to leave.
"Oh, by the way, Suoh…"
Suoh stopped. "Hai?"
"What is my name?"
Suoh's eyes widened. "Uh…" he turned around and grinned slightly. "Nokoru."
"My last name."
Silence echoed in the room as Suoh looked down at the floor. Nokoru stared in shock. Was this…a relapse of his amnesia from a few years ago? Concerned, Nokoru sat up straighter and addressed him softly.
"Please tell me you know who I am…"
Suoh remained silent for a moment, then spoke quietly, "You are Nokoru. Nothing more to me." And with that, he walked to the door and left, leaving behind his forgotten One.