Title: Cults and crime organizations
Disclaimers: Not mine.
Warning: everything here is fiction.
Pairing: Senru
Summary: Rukawa is the son of a nun and a cult leader. Sendoh is the son of an outlaw and a governess. Read on to find out...
Chapter four
Touya eyed his house suspiciously. He sniffed the air, as if he could determine what's wrong by just sniffing it. Actually, he can. Then, panic filled him. "What the...? Was that the smell of a Catholic human?" He asked. He hurriedly went to the house.
When he got in, the aura was very soothing, the contrary of the usual aura in the Rukawa residence. Touya stood at the middle of their living room, as if expecting an attack from a foreign body. He took out a pocket knife.
Ironic, though, what greeted him was a cheerful greeting of a cheerful person. "Good evening, sir. You must be Rukawa-san." Akira said as he bowed his head politely. Rukawa Touya almost raised a brow, but, nevertheless, he replied with a short nod of his. He hid the pocket knife, which Akira himself didn't see.
"Where's Kaede?" He asked. Akira smiled at the person in front of him. "He's taking a bath, sir. Oh, you might be asking who I am, sir. I'm your son's friend. My name is Sendoh Akira." He said.
Touya nearly raised a brow with the thought of his son and a friend. 'Those two words just don't match'. He thought to himself. "I'm Touya Rukawa, Kaede's father." He also said. Akira smiled. "You look so much like your son, Rukawa-san." He said as he smiled the usual smile he has.
Suddenly, Rukawa Kaede's room opened. Akira stared at him with the ready smile. "Rukawa-kun? Your father is already here." Akira said. A Kaede in his pajamas drying his hair walked near to Sendoh and peeked downstairs. There indeed was an older version of him.
Kaede gulped a bit. He knew that his dad would be angry about bringing a Christian friend home. As luck would have it, his father doesn't seem to be angry at all. He nodded, and they both went to his room.
Akira smiled to himself, delighted. Those two really look like each other. Sapphire eyes, same posture, and everything else. He just went downstairs and sat to himself.
Meanwhile, the two Rukawa are having a conversation. "Kaede, I don't care if he's going to live here, but one thing is for sure: get him away of the cult. You know what the hell happens." Touya warned his son. Kaede sighed in relief.
Touya made his way downstairs. He was actually in a rush, but he doesn't give a damn. On his way downstairs, he met the certain boy his son was about to stay with. Could Kaede hide their teeny-weeny secret? Many doubts fill his head.
Akira looked up from the dining table he was setting. "Uh... Rukawa-san? Will you eat dinner with us?" He asked, although he could surely see that the other was already leaving. "No, I have something to do."
Akira just watched the retreating figure.
~+~+~+~
It was a normal Sunday on the Rukawa residence, except for their visitor. The date was December 30.
Kaede Rukawa was still in his deep slumber. His father is having breakfast with Akira. Touya was feeling weird lately, feeling comfortable with a stranger. However, Akira was very unaware about it. He was too happy chomping on his ramen.
Touya ate all the noodles left on his plate and walked off to his son's room. He opened Kaede's bedroom and nudged him strictly but gently, that is if you get it. Kaede opened his eyes and followed his father downstairs, just to find Akira munching bananas. (A/n: munch?)
When Akira was finished, Touya sat at the head table, Akira on his left and Kaede on his right. "You might be wondering what I'm doing here. I'll be staying with a friend this month. I left money on my room, you can use it." He said as he stood up. He picked up a bag at the corner of the house. As he opened the door, he added, "Don't look at my drawers. You'll find nothing there."
Akira ran to open the door for the older Rukawa, followed by Kaede himself. "Bye Rukawa-san!" Akira's farewell was heard by Touya. Touya looked back, and saw how different his son is with his friend. He nodded to the two as he opened the door of his car and hopped in. He whistled to himself, thinking how his son would deal with someone almost his complete opposite.
~+~+~+~
Kaede walked in the house and started to rinse the plates on the table. Akira took them away. "Let me do that. Have your breakfast first." Kaede raised a brow. Akira offered his smile, which Kaede can not say no to. He shrugged and ate.
Akira finished washing them, which is after almost breaking all the dishes. Kaede shrugged at him and taught him how to do it properly. After that, he continued to eat after that, which explains why he is still eating. Akira sat down and observed the other while eating. Kaede's full lips that are now sipping the noodles, his long eye lashes covering his eyes while eating, his pale, smooth skin, his slender, arched-neck which he is currently stretching after a long sleep, and his messy, dark hair which is messier than the usual. Beautiful.
"Eh? What the...?" He asked himself loudly, blushing. Kaede stared at him, not really affected. "Do aho." He said as he continued eating his food. Sendoh blushed even more.
As soon as he finished eating, they started to rinse the dirty clothes. As the washing machine started, Kaede stepped out of the room and glanced at the skies. "It looks like it's going to snow." He said. Akira followed the other. "Yeah, there was a weather forecast that there is a storm going to the direction of Kanagawa." Akira added. "Don't you have any dryers?"
Rukawa glanced at his companion. "I'm sorry, but we're not rich like you." Akira blushed. "No! I didn't mean it that way!"
"Do aho."
~+~+~+~
The Sendoh residence was noiseless. Sendoh Tetsuya is currently thinking, and along him is a blabbering 'working mate'. "You should find that Akira right now. With his speed, I'm sure he's already in Germany." The man said. They were at the living room, sipping tea. Tetsuya looked at him. "You think so?"
The American, the one who caught Akira with the ruler and the pencil, replied. "Of course. That son of yours is very cunning. I'm sure he's already there." Tetsuya taught to himself. Did that damn Akira escape? Stupid ace of the Yakuza he is, actually. However, he already froze some of Akira's bank accounts. Some, that is, Akira is just like a fox. He can even use anyone's passport!
The American stared at the dark haired man. Tetsuya had his brows knitted. He tapped his pen twice, and then stopped. He nodded to the American businessman.
Tetsuya picked up the phone. He sent the order to find his son on Germany.
~+~+~+~
The cool, crispy night of December 30 was filled with the usual chants of the dark, hooded people. They were performing yet another ceremony. Kaede was quieter than the usual. 'What is a young child doing on the slab?' The question rang on his mind again and again. Then, when the boy was awake, his father stepped on the platform in which the slab was placed. The boy's eyes, which where emerald green, widened with fear.
"Oh, great dark angel, accept our offering for this year. Through this boy we are offering, give us more powers, and make us as powerful as no ordinary man can ever be. Make us immortals that we may pass through time like no one else can ever be."
Kaede's eyes popped out of his sockets when he heard this. Did his father just say offering? "Hey!" He shouted from the back, which made the attention of all the other people there turn to him. Touya turned to him as well, and glared. The boy at the center looked at him with innocent, pleading eyes. He seems so hopeless that it made Kaede voiceless. "Stop that!" He shouted again when he regained his voice. "Kaede! Get back to your place, now!" Touya emphasized the 'now', but Kaede ignored it. He marched to where his father and the boy are.
"What the hell are you going to do? Kill the innocent child?" Kaede said as he pushed a lot of other people at the cult. They gladly gave way. Touya ordered to him once again. "Kaede, Get back to your place, NOW!"
His son didn't mind it. Touya glared to him one last time, and released a ball of power towards his son. The next thing Kaede saw was darkness.
~+~+~+~
Akira shouted in joy as he danced at the music filling the rave club. He grabbed a nearby girl. They both danced until they dropped. Literally. After they had been done dancing, they both separated ways. Sendoh smiled at the girl and kissed her hungrily. After their intense saliva-exchange, the girl handed her a piece of paper with her cell phone number.
Sendoh went back to the original table of the Ryonan club, only to see that there were more people there than his friends. There sat Sakuragi with Haruko, Akagi, Miyagi with Ayako, Mitsui with Kogure, Maki with Jin, Nobunaga with a girl, and Fujima with Hanagata. "Wow! You guys are also here?"
"Duh." Fujima's reply was rather short. He waved a hand at Sendoh, and then continued drinking whatever the hell there was on the glass of Hanagata. Sendoh shook his head as he understood what was going on. He took a seat beside his best friend who was busy making out with his girl friend. Not far from their table, he could see Hikowichi and Fukuda with their own girl friends. Sendoh sighed.
Koshino tapped Akira's head. "You better get your steady mate. I mean steady, Akira." Koshino said as he shook his head. Akira shrugged as he laid back his head on the seat. Then, Sakuragi piped in. "Have you seen kitsune lately?" Hanamichi asked as he leaned on the table. Sendoh almost teased the boy if he hadn't seen the serious face.
"Why the sudden change?" Akira asked as he decided to be serious as well. He noticed as well that the other two trouble makers of Shohoku were listening to him. Then, Miyagi joined the conversation. "You see, the three of us did something wrong the last time we met him." Miyagi said as he frowned. Mitsui added more information. "We want to say sorry before his fifteenth birthday." Akira's ears clapped when he heard it. "When is his birthday?"
"Actually, five more seconds from now. Five, four, three, two, one. There. It's his birthday." As soon as Mitsui had finished what he was saying, the bells of the surrounding temples rang. Akira smiled as an idea struck his mind.
~+~+~+~
January 1, 12:00 am.
Rukawa Kaede was having second thoughts about attending the ceremony. He knows that his father is still fuming mad about what happened last night. And so is he.
He heard from a neighbor who also belongs to the cult that the poor boy was still killed. He was also informed that the same person he had asked to was the one who brought Kaede home. Through the window, of course.
That was not the only reason why he doesn't want to attend the ritual. It's January 1.
He dumped his head on his hands. Damn it. Then, a hand appeared right in front of him. At first, he can't identify the hand. It was rather large, but it was pretty smooth for a guy. Like his. Like his. Oh.
He looked up and saw what he had really expected. There, in front of him, was the face of his father. "It's your fifteenth birthday. You know what happens." Touya said as he watched his son take his hand. As soon as his son got up, he led the way to the ceremonial place.
Kaede was flabbergasted by what he saw. There was something unusual. Then, he saw it. The stone table was covered with a black silk cloth. There were two blackish-purple candles at the edges of the stage. The cult members who were above 25 were dressed with a dark blue cloaks and black shirts and pants. The ones who were under-aged were dressed with the normal attire.
New Year is really a special day, and he seems so unlucky that he is the only one in the group to celebrate his birthday on that certain day. He had witnessed one like this when he was seven years old, and it was very painful. It will be more painful now since he is the next leader. Hmp, to hell this is.
Touya led Kaede to a side table and told him to change his black coat to a dark blue. He was also asked to drink something weird. He did it obediently, and he was soon told by his father to lie down on the slab. He fit in miraculously, for the slab was seven feet long. As he waited for his father, he fell asleep.
He was soon awakened by the chants of the cult members who had circled closely around him. He saw his father with a weird looking cane and a red hood. Looking underneath the hood, one can almost see nothing but a pair of dark, cold eyes. Kaede shivered at the thought.
Touya stepped up the platform, where the table he laid was there. "This will be pretty painful." He said. Kaede nodded at his father. Soon, Touya started the ritual. He was saying weird things in a different language that Kaede himself doesn't know what it means. He held tight on the cloth. Somehow, he knows that this is not good. Then, his father was suddenly covered with dark blue aura that it seems that he's invisible. Kaede squinted hard to see his father. Touya picked up a sword and turned to his son. Kaede's eyes widened in fear as he realized what will happen.
Touya struck Kaede with the sword three times. Blood went out of Kaede's mouth every time the sword entered and left him again and again. He felt blood oozing from his abdomen as the sword hit him once more. As his energy left him and sleep with pain embraced him, his eyes closed.
As he thought that he will already die, a blinding light went out of his father's hands. It was so bright that one can see it even whit their eyes closed. As he opened his eyes with pain, he saw his father's hands make contact with his scarred abdomen. At that, energy seems to go inside him and wake up his own, hidden powers. It was so powerful that he healed himself from the scar. As his father's hands left, he began to elevate in the air.
All the other cult members chanted the unknown language around him. And with that, he no longer remembered anything.
~+~+~+~
It was the morning of January 1. Weirdly, though, the snow was nowhere to be found as the rain washed the face of the Earth. It came early last year, and it left early as well.
Rukawa Kaede can be seen cooking some soup, another weird occurrence, for it was just six in the morning. Soon, he heard another pair of feet make its way to him. He turned around, although he already knew who it was. It was his friend, Akira. "Good morning." Akira greeted him. He nodded his head in reply. He seems pretty energetic today, and it seems as if there was something else other than blood that keeps him alive.
"You are early today. I wonder why." Akira said as he stretches a bit. Kaede stopped from what he's doing. He turned to Akira. "You will be the one to wash the dishes later." He said. Akira shrugged. "Aren't you afraid that I might break a dish this time?" He asked as he sat down at a nearby stool and watched Rukawa in his cooking. "Practice makes perfect, do'aho."
Kaede tasted a little of the soup. He placed down the spoon and got another spoon to get their breakfasts. Akira got up and got his. They both went to the table and ate. Silence ensued. Why? Rukawa was wondering how he got home, and how he woke up on his own bed. Their neighbor said that no one brought him home. Creepy. Sendoh was thinking of what birthday gift would be best for his friend. A basket ball, maybe? Then, the door bell rang. Rukawa got up to open the door. 'This is my chance'. Akira thought. He quickly got a coat from his room and escaped through the back door.
Kaede felt Akira leave. 'do'aho'. He thought. He let him go, though. There's no big deal, he has a whole new bucket of energy within him. He opened the door and saw a tired, sweating mailman. "Um... sir... these letters were addressed to Rukawa Kaede. Please sign in this paper first." The mailman said. Kaede can't see the letter, though. He only saw the paper. He still signed it, nevertheless.
When he handed the paper to the mailman, the mailman gave him a smile and went back to his bicycle. There, Rukawa saw a big see-through sack filled with pink envelopes. His face paled at the thought. He dragged it inside the house and closed the door. As he closed the door, he heard a shout of glee from outside. It was the mailman proclaiming that he was free from his load. "Do'aho."
He opened the sack and got a random letter. It was pink. It's obviously from a fan girl. The envelope was filled with a weird smell. Rukawa threw it back to the sack. He tried to get a different letter from all the rest. There, he saw a white envelope. He got it and read. It was from Miyagi, apologizing. There was another letter from Mitsui, and he saw another letter from Sakuragi.
Then, there was a team greeting from Shohoku. He opened the letter and saw a card. There was written: "It's your birthday, and you look as young as ever." He opened the card and saw a continuation of the message at the front. "I'm sorry, but it's hard to keep a straight face when you say something like that!" All the team members signed the card.
He placed the four letters upstairs. He busied himself in cleaning up the table. As soon as he was about to wash the dishes, another person was there. The door ball rang again. He went to open the door, and saw the same person a while ago. "Sir, these packages are addressed to Rukawa Kaede. Please sign the paper." Kaede did as told. The mailman ran to the van. There, he got a box. It was followed by another, then another, then another. Soon, Kaede can not see the anything from the outside.
He sweat drops.
~+~+~+~
Akira whistled to himself as he roamed around the mall. He was window shopping, he can not find anything that he can give to an uptight person. Let's see... a basketball store in sight. He got inside the store.
His eyes explored the shop. There were basket balls at a corner of the shop. No, Rukawa already has three. There were arm bands and the likes at another corner. No, he already has that as well. There are Michael Jordan's thingies at another side. He has that as well. Argh! All the other merchandises here, Rukawa have them all.
He stepped out of the shop. Let's see, no basketball goods, no basketball thingies. Maybe Rukawa needs a companion. He will leave their house, after all. Then, Rukawa will be alone again. Can you buy a companion? Maybe not. He can now understand why the younger boy seems so aloof.
He passed a shop that caught his eyes. He leaned at the glass of the shop, and saw kittens. There were brown ones, white ones, but there was only one black. The black kitten seems to have inferiority complex. All the other kittens were playing while he was sleeping. Akira smiled to himself. While it was sleeping, a white kitten bumped him accidentally. The black kitten seemed to glare at the kitten. Then, it moved to another corner of the cage and continued his sleep.
Akira chuckled. He went inside the shop and bought the kitten.
~+~+~+~
Akira stroked the sleeping kitten. The black kitten stared at him, pretty irritated, then went back to sleep. Akira chuckled. He carried the kitten by his arms, and went back home. As he was about to go back, though, he saw boxes blocking his way.
"Hey! Rukawa-kun!" He shouted as he let go of the kitten and placed the boxes away from the door way. It took him a dozen of minutes, and he saw the face of the other, also trying to arrange the boxes blocking the way. They continued to do so. That is, until both their hands touched each other. Akira blushed. Kaede blushed as well, but he used his long bangs and bent down to finish the work. As soon as they had fixed the mess made by Rukawa's ever loyal and 'annoying' fans, as Kaede had quoted, they both sat down to rest.
Akira leaned at the sofa. Then, he turned to Kaede. "Happy birthday, Rukawa- kun!" He said. Kaede was a little bit surprised. He nodded at Akira. "Thank you." He whispered.
"Anyway, I have a gift for you." Akira said to his companion. Kaede looked up to his friend. "You didn't have to... I have enough already." Akira stood in front of Kaede. Kaede almost raised a brow. "Ok. Now, I will place this handkerchief on your eyes, and don't open your eyes, or place it away."
Kaede heard Akira leave the room. He lay still, and tried to recall what happened a while ago. He almost blushed, but he heard his friend enter the room. Akira placed something soft on his lap. "There!"
Kaede untied the hanky, and saw a black kitten in his lap, sleeping. He smiled a little, but that did not go unnoticed by the other. Akira also smiled to himself. "Did you like it?" He asked as he sat beside Kaede and also stroked the black kitten's fur. The kitten looked at both of them. He purred. "Hey! It seems that he likes you! What would you name him?"
Kaede looked up from the kitten and shrugged to Akira. "I don't really know." Akira did not notice the stare that Kaede was giving him.
Sure, Kaede has a lot of gifts. Branded basketball stuffs, chocolates from other countries, and all other fancy things. Who would have thought of a sweet gift like this? A kitten will always keep you company. How sweet.
Akira felt the intense stare that the other was giving him. He stared back and smiled. Kaede blushed once more, but hid it by bending his head. "How about if we name him Fuyu?" Akira asked. Kaede shrugged. "I said I don't know."
"Ok then, Fuyu! Come and sit on my lap!" Akira said as he grinned at the kitten. The kitten meowed at him lazily and went back to sleep. "Oh, well."
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
A/N: This is the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait, I had no internet prepaid card. Any donations? *blinks* Joke! Anyway, this seems a little bit longer than the usual. I don't know why...?
Another thing, Thank you for reading and reviewing. And oh, Ate Ingrid, if you're reading, please review. I can't see your e-mail ad. ! Thank you!
Anyway, about the card greeting, the card is not mine. Another disclaimer there. It's a message from... a real card shop, I can't remember what shop that is. I received one like that, and I'd like to ask something. Do I really look older than my age?
Disclaimers: Not mine.
Warning: everything here is fiction.
Pairing: Senru
Summary: Rukawa is the son of a nun and a cult leader. Sendoh is the son of an outlaw and a governess. Read on to find out...
Chapter four
Touya eyed his house suspiciously. He sniffed the air, as if he could determine what's wrong by just sniffing it. Actually, he can. Then, panic filled him. "What the...? Was that the smell of a Catholic human?" He asked. He hurriedly went to the house.
When he got in, the aura was very soothing, the contrary of the usual aura in the Rukawa residence. Touya stood at the middle of their living room, as if expecting an attack from a foreign body. He took out a pocket knife.
Ironic, though, what greeted him was a cheerful greeting of a cheerful person. "Good evening, sir. You must be Rukawa-san." Akira said as he bowed his head politely. Rukawa Touya almost raised a brow, but, nevertheless, he replied with a short nod of his. He hid the pocket knife, which Akira himself didn't see.
"Where's Kaede?" He asked. Akira smiled at the person in front of him. "He's taking a bath, sir. Oh, you might be asking who I am, sir. I'm your son's friend. My name is Sendoh Akira." He said.
Touya nearly raised a brow with the thought of his son and a friend. 'Those two words just don't match'. He thought to himself. "I'm Touya Rukawa, Kaede's father." He also said. Akira smiled. "You look so much like your son, Rukawa-san." He said as he smiled the usual smile he has.
Suddenly, Rukawa Kaede's room opened. Akira stared at him with the ready smile. "Rukawa-kun? Your father is already here." Akira said. A Kaede in his pajamas drying his hair walked near to Sendoh and peeked downstairs. There indeed was an older version of him.
Kaede gulped a bit. He knew that his dad would be angry about bringing a Christian friend home. As luck would have it, his father doesn't seem to be angry at all. He nodded, and they both went to his room.
Akira smiled to himself, delighted. Those two really look like each other. Sapphire eyes, same posture, and everything else. He just went downstairs and sat to himself.
Meanwhile, the two Rukawa are having a conversation. "Kaede, I don't care if he's going to live here, but one thing is for sure: get him away of the cult. You know what the hell happens." Touya warned his son. Kaede sighed in relief.
Touya made his way downstairs. He was actually in a rush, but he doesn't give a damn. On his way downstairs, he met the certain boy his son was about to stay with. Could Kaede hide their teeny-weeny secret? Many doubts fill his head.
Akira looked up from the dining table he was setting. "Uh... Rukawa-san? Will you eat dinner with us?" He asked, although he could surely see that the other was already leaving. "No, I have something to do."
Akira just watched the retreating figure.
~+~+~+~
It was a normal Sunday on the Rukawa residence, except for their visitor. The date was December 30.
Kaede Rukawa was still in his deep slumber. His father is having breakfast with Akira. Touya was feeling weird lately, feeling comfortable with a stranger. However, Akira was very unaware about it. He was too happy chomping on his ramen.
Touya ate all the noodles left on his plate and walked off to his son's room. He opened Kaede's bedroom and nudged him strictly but gently, that is if you get it. Kaede opened his eyes and followed his father downstairs, just to find Akira munching bananas. (A/n: munch?)
When Akira was finished, Touya sat at the head table, Akira on his left and Kaede on his right. "You might be wondering what I'm doing here. I'll be staying with a friend this month. I left money on my room, you can use it." He said as he stood up. He picked up a bag at the corner of the house. As he opened the door, he added, "Don't look at my drawers. You'll find nothing there."
Akira ran to open the door for the older Rukawa, followed by Kaede himself. "Bye Rukawa-san!" Akira's farewell was heard by Touya. Touya looked back, and saw how different his son is with his friend. He nodded to the two as he opened the door of his car and hopped in. He whistled to himself, thinking how his son would deal with someone almost his complete opposite.
~+~+~+~
Kaede walked in the house and started to rinse the plates on the table. Akira took them away. "Let me do that. Have your breakfast first." Kaede raised a brow. Akira offered his smile, which Kaede can not say no to. He shrugged and ate.
Akira finished washing them, which is after almost breaking all the dishes. Kaede shrugged at him and taught him how to do it properly. After that, he continued to eat after that, which explains why he is still eating. Akira sat down and observed the other while eating. Kaede's full lips that are now sipping the noodles, his long eye lashes covering his eyes while eating, his pale, smooth skin, his slender, arched-neck which he is currently stretching after a long sleep, and his messy, dark hair which is messier than the usual. Beautiful.
"Eh? What the...?" He asked himself loudly, blushing. Kaede stared at him, not really affected. "Do aho." He said as he continued eating his food. Sendoh blushed even more.
As soon as he finished eating, they started to rinse the dirty clothes. As the washing machine started, Kaede stepped out of the room and glanced at the skies. "It looks like it's going to snow." He said. Akira followed the other. "Yeah, there was a weather forecast that there is a storm going to the direction of Kanagawa." Akira added. "Don't you have any dryers?"
Rukawa glanced at his companion. "I'm sorry, but we're not rich like you." Akira blushed. "No! I didn't mean it that way!"
"Do aho."
~+~+~+~
The Sendoh residence was noiseless. Sendoh Tetsuya is currently thinking, and along him is a blabbering 'working mate'. "You should find that Akira right now. With his speed, I'm sure he's already in Germany." The man said. They were at the living room, sipping tea. Tetsuya looked at him. "You think so?"
The American, the one who caught Akira with the ruler and the pencil, replied. "Of course. That son of yours is very cunning. I'm sure he's already there." Tetsuya taught to himself. Did that damn Akira escape? Stupid ace of the Yakuza he is, actually. However, he already froze some of Akira's bank accounts. Some, that is, Akira is just like a fox. He can even use anyone's passport!
The American stared at the dark haired man. Tetsuya had his brows knitted. He tapped his pen twice, and then stopped. He nodded to the American businessman.
Tetsuya picked up the phone. He sent the order to find his son on Germany.
~+~+~+~
The cool, crispy night of December 30 was filled with the usual chants of the dark, hooded people. They were performing yet another ceremony. Kaede was quieter than the usual. 'What is a young child doing on the slab?' The question rang on his mind again and again. Then, when the boy was awake, his father stepped on the platform in which the slab was placed. The boy's eyes, which where emerald green, widened with fear.
"Oh, great dark angel, accept our offering for this year. Through this boy we are offering, give us more powers, and make us as powerful as no ordinary man can ever be. Make us immortals that we may pass through time like no one else can ever be."
Kaede's eyes popped out of his sockets when he heard this. Did his father just say offering? "Hey!" He shouted from the back, which made the attention of all the other people there turn to him. Touya turned to him as well, and glared. The boy at the center looked at him with innocent, pleading eyes. He seems so hopeless that it made Kaede voiceless. "Stop that!" He shouted again when he regained his voice. "Kaede! Get back to your place, now!" Touya emphasized the 'now', but Kaede ignored it. He marched to where his father and the boy are.
"What the hell are you going to do? Kill the innocent child?" Kaede said as he pushed a lot of other people at the cult. They gladly gave way. Touya ordered to him once again. "Kaede, Get back to your place, NOW!"
His son didn't mind it. Touya glared to him one last time, and released a ball of power towards his son. The next thing Kaede saw was darkness.
~+~+~+~
Akira shouted in joy as he danced at the music filling the rave club. He grabbed a nearby girl. They both danced until they dropped. Literally. After they had been done dancing, they both separated ways. Sendoh smiled at the girl and kissed her hungrily. After their intense saliva-exchange, the girl handed her a piece of paper with her cell phone number.
Sendoh went back to the original table of the Ryonan club, only to see that there were more people there than his friends. There sat Sakuragi with Haruko, Akagi, Miyagi with Ayako, Mitsui with Kogure, Maki with Jin, Nobunaga with a girl, and Fujima with Hanagata. "Wow! You guys are also here?"
"Duh." Fujima's reply was rather short. He waved a hand at Sendoh, and then continued drinking whatever the hell there was on the glass of Hanagata. Sendoh shook his head as he understood what was going on. He took a seat beside his best friend who was busy making out with his girl friend. Not far from their table, he could see Hikowichi and Fukuda with their own girl friends. Sendoh sighed.
Koshino tapped Akira's head. "You better get your steady mate. I mean steady, Akira." Koshino said as he shook his head. Akira shrugged as he laid back his head on the seat. Then, Sakuragi piped in. "Have you seen kitsune lately?" Hanamichi asked as he leaned on the table. Sendoh almost teased the boy if he hadn't seen the serious face.
"Why the sudden change?" Akira asked as he decided to be serious as well. He noticed as well that the other two trouble makers of Shohoku were listening to him. Then, Miyagi joined the conversation. "You see, the three of us did something wrong the last time we met him." Miyagi said as he frowned. Mitsui added more information. "We want to say sorry before his fifteenth birthday." Akira's ears clapped when he heard it. "When is his birthday?"
"Actually, five more seconds from now. Five, four, three, two, one. There. It's his birthday." As soon as Mitsui had finished what he was saying, the bells of the surrounding temples rang. Akira smiled as an idea struck his mind.
~+~+~+~
January 1, 12:00 am.
Rukawa Kaede was having second thoughts about attending the ceremony. He knows that his father is still fuming mad about what happened last night. And so is he.
He heard from a neighbor who also belongs to the cult that the poor boy was still killed. He was also informed that the same person he had asked to was the one who brought Kaede home. Through the window, of course.
That was not the only reason why he doesn't want to attend the ritual. It's January 1.
He dumped his head on his hands. Damn it. Then, a hand appeared right in front of him. At first, he can't identify the hand. It was rather large, but it was pretty smooth for a guy. Like his. Like his. Oh.
He looked up and saw what he had really expected. There, in front of him, was the face of his father. "It's your fifteenth birthday. You know what happens." Touya said as he watched his son take his hand. As soon as his son got up, he led the way to the ceremonial place.
Kaede was flabbergasted by what he saw. There was something unusual. Then, he saw it. The stone table was covered with a black silk cloth. There were two blackish-purple candles at the edges of the stage. The cult members who were above 25 were dressed with a dark blue cloaks and black shirts and pants. The ones who were under-aged were dressed with the normal attire.
New Year is really a special day, and he seems so unlucky that he is the only one in the group to celebrate his birthday on that certain day. He had witnessed one like this when he was seven years old, and it was very painful. It will be more painful now since he is the next leader. Hmp, to hell this is.
Touya led Kaede to a side table and told him to change his black coat to a dark blue. He was also asked to drink something weird. He did it obediently, and he was soon told by his father to lie down on the slab. He fit in miraculously, for the slab was seven feet long. As he waited for his father, he fell asleep.
He was soon awakened by the chants of the cult members who had circled closely around him. He saw his father with a weird looking cane and a red hood. Looking underneath the hood, one can almost see nothing but a pair of dark, cold eyes. Kaede shivered at the thought.
Touya stepped up the platform, where the table he laid was there. "This will be pretty painful." He said. Kaede nodded at his father. Soon, Touya started the ritual. He was saying weird things in a different language that Kaede himself doesn't know what it means. He held tight on the cloth. Somehow, he knows that this is not good. Then, his father was suddenly covered with dark blue aura that it seems that he's invisible. Kaede squinted hard to see his father. Touya picked up a sword and turned to his son. Kaede's eyes widened in fear as he realized what will happen.
Touya struck Kaede with the sword three times. Blood went out of Kaede's mouth every time the sword entered and left him again and again. He felt blood oozing from his abdomen as the sword hit him once more. As his energy left him and sleep with pain embraced him, his eyes closed.
As he thought that he will already die, a blinding light went out of his father's hands. It was so bright that one can see it even whit their eyes closed. As he opened his eyes with pain, he saw his father's hands make contact with his scarred abdomen. At that, energy seems to go inside him and wake up his own, hidden powers. It was so powerful that he healed himself from the scar. As his father's hands left, he began to elevate in the air.
All the other cult members chanted the unknown language around him. And with that, he no longer remembered anything.
~+~+~+~
It was the morning of January 1. Weirdly, though, the snow was nowhere to be found as the rain washed the face of the Earth. It came early last year, and it left early as well.
Rukawa Kaede can be seen cooking some soup, another weird occurrence, for it was just six in the morning. Soon, he heard another pair of feet make its way to him. He turned around, although he already knew who it was. It was his friend, Akira. "Good morning." Akira greeted him. He nodded his head in reply. He seems pretty energetic today, and it seems as if there was something else other than blood that keeps him alive.
"You are early today. I wonder why." Akira said as he stretches a bit. Kaede stopped from what he's doing. He turned to Akira. "You will be the one to wash the dishes later." He said. Akira shrugged. "Aren't you afraid that I might break a dish this time?" He asked as he sat down at a nearby stool and watched Rukawa in his cooking. "Practice makes perfect, do'aho."
Kaede tasted a little of the soup. He placed down the spoon and got another spoon to get their breakfasts. Akira got up and got his. They both went to the table and ate. Silence ensued. Why? Rukawa was wondering how he got home, and how he woke up on his own bed. Their neighbor said that no one brought him home. Creepy. Sendoh was thinking of what birthday gift would be best for his friend. A basket ball, maybe? Then, the door bell rang. Rukawa got up to open the door. 'This is my chance'. Akira thought. He quickly got a coat from his room and escaped through the back door.
Kaede felt Akira leave. 'do'aho'. He thought. He let him go, though. There's no big deal, he has a whole new bucket of energy within him. He opened the door and saw a tired, sweating mailman. "Um... sir... these letters were addressed to Rukawa Kaede. Please sign in this paper first." The mailman said. Kaede can't see the letter, though. He only saw the paper. He still signed it, nevertheless.
When he handed the paper to the mailman, the mailman gave him a smile and went back to his bicycle. There, Rukawa saw a big see-through sack filled with pink envelopes. His face paled at the thought. He dragged it inside the house and closed the door. As he closed the door, he heard a shout of glee from outside. It was the mailman proclaiming that he was free from his load. "Do'aho."
He opened the sack and got a random letter. It was pink. It's obviously from a fan girl. The envelope was filled with a weird smell. Rukawa threw it back to the sack. He tried to get a different letter from all the rest. There, he saw a white envelope. He got it and read. It was from Miyagi, apologizing. There was another letter from Mitsui, and he saw another letter from Sakuragi.
Then, there was a team greeting from Shohoku. He opened the letter and saw a card. There was written: "It's your birthday, and you look as young as ever." He opened the card and saw a continuation of the message at the front. "I'm sorry, but it's hard to keep a straight face when you say something like that!" All the team members signed the card.
He placed the four letters upstairs. He busied himself in cleaning up the table. As soon as he was about to wash the dishes, another person was there. The door ball rang again. He went to open the door, and saw the same person a while ago. "Sir, these packages are addressed to Rukawa Kaede. Please sign the paper." Kaede did as told. The mailman ran to the van. There, he got a box. It was followed by another, then another, then another. Soon, Kaede can not see the anything from the outside.
He sweat drops.
~+~+~+~
Akira whistled to himself as he roamed around the mall. He was window shopping, he can not find anything that he can give to an uptight person. Let's see... a basketball store in sight. He got inside the store.
His eyes explored the shop. There were basket balls at a corner of the shop. No, Rukawa already has three. There were arm bands and the likes at another corner. No, he already has that as well. There are Michael Jordan's thingies at another side. He has that as well. Argh! All the other merchandises here, Rukawa have them all.
He stepped out of the shop. Let's see, no basketball goods, no basketball thingies. Maybe Rukawa needs a companion. He will leave their house, after all. Then, Rukawa will be alone again. Can you buy a companion? Maybe not. He can now understand why the younger boy seems so aloof.
He passed a shop that caught his eyes. He leaned at the glass of the shop, and saw kittens. There were brown ones, white ones, but there was only one black. The black kitten seems to have inferiority complex. All the other kittens were playing while he was sleeping. Akira smiled to himself. While it was sleeping, a white kitten bumped him accidentally. The black kitten seemed to glare at the kitten. Then, it moved to another corner of the cage and continued his sleep.
Akira chuckled. He went inside the shop and bought the kitten.
~+~+~+~
Akira stroked the sleeping kitten. The black kitten stared at him, pretty irritated, then went back to sleep. Akira chuckled. He carried the kitten by his arms, and went back home. As he was about to go back, though, he saw boxes blocking his way.
"Hey! Rukawa-kun!" He shouted as he let go of the kitten and placed the boxes away from the door way. It took him a dozen of minutes, and he saw the face of the other, also trying to arrange the boxes blocking the way. They continued to do so. That is, until both their hands touched each other. Akira blushed. Kaede blushed as well, but he used his long bangs and bent down to finish the work. As soon as they had fixed the mess made by Rukawa's ever loyal and 'annoying' fans, as Kaede had quoted, they both sat down to rest.
Akira leaned at the sofa. Then, he turned to Kaede. "Happy birthday, Rukawa- kun!" He said. Kaede was a little bit surprised. He nodded at Akira. "Thank you." He whispered.
"Anyway, I have a gift for you." Akira said to his companion. Kaede looked up to his friend. "You didn't have to... I have enough already." Akira stood in front of Kaede. Kaede almost raised a brow. "Ok. Now, I will place this handkerchief on your eyes, and don't open your eyes, or place it away."
Kaede heard Akira leave the room. He lay still, and tried to recall what happened a while ago. He almost blushed, but he heard his friend enter the room. Akira placed something soft on his lap. "There!"
Kaede untied the hanky, and saw a black kitten in his lap, sleeping. He smiled a little, but that did not go unnoticed by the other. Akira also smiled to himself. "Did you like it?" He asked as he sat beside Kaede and also stroked the black kitten's fur. The kitten looked at both of them. He purred. "Hey! It seems that he likes you! What would you name him?"
Kaede looked up from the kitten and shrugged to Akira. "I don't really know." Akira did not notice the stare that Kaede was giving him.
Sure, Kaede has a lot of gifts. Branded basketball stuffs, chocolates from other countries, and all other fancy things. Who would have thought of a sweet gift like this? A kitten will always keep you company. How sweet.
Akira felt the intense stare that the other was giving him. He stared back and smiled. Kaede blushed once more, but hid it by bending his head. "How about if we name him Fuyu?" Akira asked. Kaede shrugged. "I said I don't know."
"Ok then, Fuyu! Come and sit on my lap!" Akira said as he grinned at the kitten. The kitten meowed at him lazily and went back to sleep. "Oh, well."
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
A/N: This is the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait, I had no internet prepaid card. Any donations? *blinks* Joke! Anyway, this seems a little bit longer than the usual. I don't know why...?
Another thing, Thank you for reading and reviewing. And oh, Ate Ingrid, if you're reading, please review. I can't see your e-mail ad. ! Thank you!
Anyway, about the card greeting, the card is not mine. Another disclaimer there. It's a message from... a real card shop, I can't remember what shop that is. I received one like that, and I'd like to ask something. Do I really look older than my age?
