Summary:  Set directly after the events in A Stitch In Time.  The repercussions are drawing near…  Will the troopers be able to endure the consequences of their actions? 

Ryo/Seiji shounen ai drama R

Warning: This story contains shounen ai, which implies male/male love. Please do not read if such ideas upset you. Please use your good judgment. This fiction also contains violence and scary little creatures that hide under your bed at night.  *grrr*

Rated R for violence, strong language and sexual situations.

Disclaimer: "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers" does not belong to me. I am but a lowly slug.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome as long as they are constructive. I love to chat!!


Comments can be made at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com

Reciprocal motion:
Chapter three
DENIAL



        Touma was a late riser, the joke being that his great intellect fostered an unusual amount of fatigue. Ironically, his roommate woke with the rising sun. So it was no surprise when Touma rolled out of bed to find that Seiji's half of the room was neat and vacant. Sometimes he wondered if Seiji ever slept at all.
        Touma was particularly proud of himself this morning as he was showered and dressed well before noon-- a personal record.
        He headed downstairs to raid the kitchen-- hopefully there was some food left for the sleep deprived.

        Touma followed the scent of freshly baked cookies to find Shin in the kitchen taking them out of the oven.
        "Oh no-- get back you mongrel! I'll not have you eating all my cookies!" Shin said, slapping Touma's hand away with an oven mitt.
         "Come on, just one?" Touma pleaded with puppy dog eyes.
        Shin sighed. "Oh all right, but just one."
        Touma was able to grab one with each hand before Shin pulled the tray out of his grasp.
        "So where is everyone today?" Touma asked before biting into a cookie. "The house seems empty."
        Shin grinned slyly. "That's because Nasuti dragged Shuu and Ryo into town to buy groceries after they cleaned out the food closet watching the James Bond movie marathon on TV."
        Touma rolled his eyes and asked, "Was Nasuti angry?"
        "Livid."
        Shin helped himself to a cookie and offered another to Touma.
        "So, where's Seiji?" Touma asked between bites.
        He shrugged and said, "I haven't seen him all day."

********************

        The world was graying and he was graying with it, stuck in limbo somewhere that was decaying, and cold, and forgotten. He could feel the air stiffen subtly, the light became dingy, and suddenly he was not quite sure that he was on earth, the atmosphere was so skewed.
            Pinpricks of ice forced the blond hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and a shiver ran down his spine.

        Seiji sat completely still as he watched the dark shadow of a creature move sinuously along the floor. Black, malignant eyes looked up at him in an aloof manner. He didn't move, though he was aware of another beast sitting on the back of his chair. He knew that if his eyes strayed from the one in front of him, it would spawn another creature and then he'd soon be faced with a pack.

         He felt a weight on his left shoulder first, and then the small, sharp pricks of talons against his neck, the beast's claws digging into his skin as it tread across his shoulders.
        The wolf-like animal on the floor grinned then, like it knew wickedness was about to befall him. Though Seiji stared intently at the creature, his senses felt movement in the shadows of the room. He knew more of these hellish beasts were forthcoming.

        He tried not to think of words like snapping or bones or dismembering or flesh.

         Its tongue was surprisingly warm and rough as the one on his shoulder came around and licked at his cheek. Seiji didn't dare move. He felt its sharp teeth graze against his jaw, and Seiji gasped then because he heard it-- he actually heard the torturous thing inside his head.

        :Mine,: the dark thing whispered. :You're mine.:
         "No," Seiji breathed. "This can't be happening." He shook his head in disbelief. Seiji felt the beast's dreary, black eyes boring into him. The warrior of light quivered as he was reminded of the icy grip of death.
        The creature clamped its claws down on his shoulder, sending its talons deep into his flesh. :Mine.:

Pain excruciated all the way down his back and numbed his right arm to the fingertips. Seiji brought his left hand up quickly to knock the beast off, but when his hand got there the creature was gone.
        "Stay back," He whispered.

            :Mine... no escaping...:

        Then, in a blur of blackness, they pounced-- a pack of hiding beasts of darkness-- knocking Seiji from his chair. His body impacted with the wooden floor with an audible smack.
            Tangible pain came instantly, crushing the air from his lungs. Impossibly, he felt his ribs begin to bend against their strength. The pressure became unbearable--
         :You belong to me.:

             Flooding his pores, permeating his cells, Seiji felt the blackness coating him like a second skin. It filled his throat, blocked his nose, congested his chest-- Seiji couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. His eyesight began to blur-- ebony flecks closing in on the edge of his vision-- as he fought against the crushing pressure.
        :My angel, practice silence.:

        And as the pressure was relieved, everything faded into black.


****

            "Wonder what's taking them so long..."
        Touma and Shin were talking casually at the kitchen table when they heard a loud thud  from the living room.
        "What the hell was that?" Touma asked, looking through the doorway.  "That couldn't be them with the groceries-- I didn't hear their car pull up."
        "Some one's in the house," Shin replied.
        They paused-- straining to hear if the sound would repeat.
            "Seiji?" Touma called. "That you?"
         When they got no reply, Touma and Shin glanced at each other before leaving the kitchen to investigate.

         Touma stood frozen in the doorway of the living room. An unnatural coldness spread over him as he saw Seiji sprawled on the floor. A wooden chair was overturned on its side, as if knocked to the ground violently.
        Seiji lay in the center of a patch of warm sunlight coming in from the broad window on the far side of the room. The light converged around his curled body like a peculiar spotlight.
        It was eerie-- as if the gentle light was trying to protect its fallen master.

            Coming up behind him, Shin inhaled sharply, and brushed past Touma, entering the room.
            "Seiji?" He asked, crouching down beside him. Shin touched Seiji carefully, placing his hands on his shoulder, and called his name again.
        When getting no response, Shin tilted Seiji to lie flat on his back. He gently pushed back Seiji's eyelids, and saw that his eyes were rolled back in his head. "Oh no..."
        Shin stooped low, hovering his cheek above Seiji's mouth. He then pressed two fingers to Seiji's neck, searching for a pulse.

        "Shit." The act of watching Shin check Seiji for signs of life wrenched Touma out of his stupor. He dashed to his friends, sinking quickly to the floor.
         "You have a pulse, right?" Touma asked.
        Shin was unmoving, his fingers still pressed to Seiji's neck.
        "Shin," Touma said anxiously, his voice rising. "Tell me you have a pulse."

            Suddenly, Seiji lurched forward, gaping for air. His whole body shook as he ruggedly exhaled, then quickly inhaled air again.
        Seiji choked, sending himself into fits of coughing.
        "Take it easy." Touma said, patting his back. "Nice and slow." He instructed.
        Seiji's breathing slowly returned to a more normal pace.
        "What happened?" Shin asked.
        Seiji didn't say anything. He trembled, still trying to get hold of himself.
         "It's awfully cold in here," Touma remarked as he rubbed Seiji's back.   "Shin, would you get a blanket or something?"
        "Sure. I'll just be a minute." Shin replied as he left the room.

        Seiji moved to stand, but Touma stopped him. "Let me help you." Touma pulled Seiji to his feet, surprised at how cold his hands were.
        "Are you all right now?" Touma asked once he was standing.
        Seiji didn't answer-- he was peering at Touma with wide eyes.


*********************



        Seiji stared at Touma in apparent horror. There were rugged bite marks on his neck-- puncture holes given from rows of sharp teeth set in powerful jaws. A big slashing rip sheared his chest. His torn shirt was drenched in deep red, life-giving blood.
        "Wh-what?" Seiji breathed, shocked.
          "Seiji, you look a little pale..." Touma said, concerned.

Squeezing his eyes shut fast, Seiji felt something physically shift, and then he looked again-- Touma was staring at him, head cocked to one side, expression full of care, but intact. The mortal damage Seiji had witnessed an instant ago had vanished.
            "Perhaps you should sit down." A soft voice came from his left. He turned to see Shin standing there, a blanket in his hands.
            Dizziness overswept him, and he reached blindly for the support of the wall.
            "Seiji!" Concerned hands shot out to uphold him.
        The shift in atmosphere again--

        Shin's hands were cold and sticky. Seiji saw Shin's fingerprints smeared in red across his arm. He shut his eyes tightly against the violence that he knew his eyes would see. A subtle growling noise snarled in his ears, rising above the sound of his pounding heart.
        "Can you hear me, Seiji?" Touma asked, his voice cutting through the turmoil in his head.
        "I'm fine," He said too quickly, finally venturing to open his eyes.
        No blood, no torn limbs-- his friends were in perfect health.
        Touma folded his arms across his chest. "You weren't fine a minute ago."
        But the shadows were moving-- Seiji saw the gleam of teeth as the dark beasts paced back and forth.
        Was that a preview of things to come? Seiji wondered frantically. I have to get away from Touma and Shin-- I can't let them get hurt.

         "But Seiji, you just nearly--." Shin started.
        With speed and strength that startled both Shin and Touma, Seiji broke free from their grasp.
         "I said, I'm fine." Seiji replied coolly. "I just need to get some air."
        He brushed passed them, and down the hallway to the back door, making his escape swiftly, leaving Touma and Shin wondering after him.


*****************************

        Nasuti pushed against the front door with her hip while her arms balanced two paper bags of groceries. As the door swung open she felt a cold breeze sting her face.
        She stood in the hallway, an unsettling feeling coming over her. Nasuti took a few paces toward the living room then stopped. The coldness was coming from there.

        "Let me get those for you."
        Nasuti spun around to find Shin, who was already taking the bags from her grasp.
            "Thanks," She said slowly as she glanced over her shoulder. Nasuti shivered.  She quickly followed Shin to the kitchen, walking away from the living room.
        Shuu came into the kitchen with a huge jug of water balanced on his shoulder.
        He groaned as he set it down. "Man, that was heavy."
        Ryo proceeded, juggling four bags of groceries.

         "What took you guys so long?" Touma asked. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, a frown on his face.
         "There was some traffic-- road construction-- on the way back." Ryo perceived his distress and asked, "Why?"
        Nasuti noted the tension building, though pretended to busy herself with putting away the groceries.

        "We sort of had an incident," Touma said carefully. His gaze shifted from Ryo to Nasuti.
        Nasuti rolled her eyes-- she knew that whatever had happened today, Touma didn't want to discuss it in front of her.
        I'm going to find out sooner or later... She thought dryly as Ryo pulled Touma into the family room, and Shin and Shuu followed.
            Straining to hear the conversation, Nasuti sorted the fruits she had bought at the edge of the counter.

            "Touma, what happened?" Ryo asked. "And where's Seiji?"
         "Well, I'm not sure what happened exactly, but this morning Shin and I found Seiji collapsed on the living room floor." He paused, catching Ryo's eye.   "He wasn't breathing."

"He... he wasn't breathing?" Ryo stammered.
        "He didn't have a pulse either." Shin added, quietly.
        Touma turned sharply, staring at Shin dismayed. "You didn't tell me that."
            "Whoa, wait a minute-- are you saying that his heart stopped?" Shuu asked.
        "No, not necessarily, but I couldn't find a pulse..." Shin said. "He woke up almost immediately, so obviously he was all right, but for a moment there..."
            "Where is he right now?" Ryo demanded, his blue eyes dark with fear.
        "We don't know." Shin confessed. "He said he needed some air, that was several hours ago..."

        Ryo brushed past Shin towards the door. Dashing after him, Touma snagged his arm, forcing Ryo to stay.
         "Let go," Ryo directed gruffly.
        "Wait a minute, Ryo. We need to talk about this!" Touma insisted.
        "No, we need to find Seiji." Ryo retorted.
        "Ryo, he was acting very odd when he woke," Touma paused. "Almost as if he was seeing things or something."
        Shin nodded. "Seiji was white as a sheet-- he looked unhinged."
"Are you sure it wasn't just exhaustion?" Shuu asked. "He's been through a lot recently-- and he never seems to sleep."

            Touma shook his head.  "No. This was more than just a case of exhaustion... There is something seriously wrong with him." He stared back at Ryo, frowning.
         "What are you getting at?" Ryo asked, disliking his glare.
         "What else can tell us about that day..."
         "You think this has something to do with his changing the time line?"
        "It has everything to do with that!" Touma snapped.

        There was a loud drumming from the kitchen as Nasuti dropped the apples. "Sorry," Nasuti said meekly as she picked up the bruised fruits from the floor. The subject of death, and how it was so casually skirted and yet discussed, still made her uneasy.

         "No," Ryo said stubbornly. "He's probably just tired. It was quite an exhausting turn of events, let me assure you." He remarked pointedly.
            Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Touma surmised that Ryo was in some sort of denial. Whatever exactly had happened to Seiji had obviously been very traumatic for him.
         "What if you're wrong?" Touma challenged. He didn't like that Ryo was so readily dismissing Seiji's unusual behavior, just because he didn't want to think about it.
         "I'm going to find him." Ryo asserted, making for the exit once more.
        "Don't--." Touma began, sharply. "You want to drive him away? I've noticed the way you've been treating him lately."

Ryo stopped in mid stride.  Caught in a truth, his head stooped, and he glowered heatedly over his shoulder at Touma. 

"Seiji will not disclose himself to you, Ryo.  He'll come back when he's ready," Touma insisted.  "You will have to wait."

**************


        Seiji was cold. He hadn't noticed it much until the others had tried to touch him. The skin of Touma's hand had felt torrid against his own-- the warmth of life in his touch nearly burning.
        As Seiji tried to recall on the events of the morning, he realized with alarm that he could hardly remember.
            Somehow he'd made it into the living room where the sun poured brightly in through the broad windows.
        No. He thought, frowning. There was something else before that... Seiji tried with great effort to remember the early events of the morning that had sent him fleeing into the false security of the light.
        Seiji cringed as he thought that.
        The most horrifying thing for him was the lack of comfort he garnered from the light. He didn't know how much strength he'd drawn from it until it was no longer available to him.
        He sighed, his chest suddenly heavy.
        Seiji didn't understand what all this was-- he just wished it to be over.   Every time he looked into the eyes of one of those creatures, he knew something larger than life was staring back at him. It was ancient, its existence spanning the ages, and much more important than he-- Seiji was certain of that. What it wanted him for, he had yet to figure out.
            Whatever this darkness was, it was changing him-- breaking him.

            Darkness... That's it! Seiji thought. Anubis... I remember... I saw him just before dawn... But the rest was a haze-- he was even starting to forget the details of his collapse.
         It has to be Anubis... He thought as the sun began it's decent behind the horizon. Though something in the pit of his stomach didn't quite agree with his assessment.
         If it wasn't Anubis, he didn't know what he was going to do. Seiji just knew that he couldn't do this anymore. The terror of seeing his friends torn up, the physical and mental toll his nightmares taxed onto his body, the dark beasts that antagonized him, the very darkness itself-- he was so tired of it all.
        It has to end tonight. He decided. No matter what, it ends tonight.

            Without warning, the darkness seized him, biting into Seiji suddenly, making the blond cry out despite himself. It swirled around him, slowly materializing into its wolf-like state.  The beast stared at him with distaste.

:Soulless.: It spat, nastily.
        "Stop it." Seiji said tersely to the dark creature.
            :Devoid.: It taunted. :Dead inside.:

        Seiji glared at it, trying not to let his fear show, and said nothing more. He couldn't trust this little creature of darkness. At the same time he couldn't help but feel that there was some truth to its words. He hadn't felt right since the moment he woke in that field in Ryo's arms.

         He knew the source of his unease had stemmed from his death.

        Seiji reflected on his decease in a detached way, to preserve his sanity. Of course, he smirked, if he was succeeding in that then he wouldn't be having a conversation with a strange beast that only he could see.
        :The time to decide is coming.: It screeched, interrupting his thoughts.
         "What?"
        The beast didn't answer him, but instead peered back at the house where his friends were unaware of the danger...
        "You leave them alone!" Seiji said fiercely.
        :You risk them.:
         "No!" Seiji shouted angrily. "What do you want from me?"
        The black eyed beast stared up at him coldly, :You know.:
        In the next instant, the creature darted up-- surging as quickly as darkness pounces when a candle's flame is snubbed out-- clamping its claws down brutally into Seiji's side.
            Suddenly, as the pain surged through his body, violent images of his friends flashed through his mind.
        Shuu lying face down in a pool of his own blood-- Shin impaled through the stomach-- Touma, dead eyes open, blood streaming out of his mouth with a gaping wound in his chest-- Ryo seemingly pulled apart, his torso severed, as his body convulsed with his last breath--
         "Stop it!" Seiji screamed, clutching his head. "Oh god, stop!"
         :A possible future?: It hissed. :The time to decide is coming.:
        "I don't understand," Seiji moaned with jagged breath, "What must I choose?"
        The creature shook its head. :Your soul is lost... but the fate of the others is uncertain...:
         Seiji fell to his knees as the blackness released him.
         :Share this with no one.:

        Then the creature was gone, leaving Seiji on the cold earth, just as he felt the presence of his polarity drawing near.



Continued in chapter four...

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Thanks ever so much,
Li

Comments are happily received at: Li_bell_ule@yahoo.com

PS
Ryo/Seiji art, fresh off the presses:
http://thedragonflysleeps.tripod.com/
Click on the art link and you won't be disappointed!