Howdy! I'm a little stuck on what to do with this right now...I thought I knew what I was going to do, but now I'm not sure. I think I have the general idea, but not really the specifics. Don't tell anyone, but that's also why I was stalling for a few chapters there. Heh...anyway, enjoy!
CeTe: Aw, poor Kanone. He screws up one, two, three...okay he's screwed up a lot...nevermind. Yep, and what is spiral without Kanone, who brings many of the secrets and backstabbing (actually most of the secrets and all of the backstabbing) to the show? I know Eyes is smarter than that, Kanone underestimating him is all part of my plan...which you know I don't have, but it's part of it! Thanks for reiviewing!
Red Kitsune Flames: Don't worry, all will be revealed in time. Though, how much time, I'm not sure. Sorry it takes me so long to update this one, I'll try to be more diligent, especially since I've stopped updating my two major fics for a week or so, I'll put more time into this one. Thanks for reviewing!
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After Polaris took Madoka, Kanone had some time to relax before he had to meet up with Ayumu again, "Ayumu..." Kanone thought, "Why can't you just see the truth? I know you say you've admitted defeat to me, but you're still planning something. What can you hope to achieve, though?" Kanone didn't see what Ayumu's problem was; why couldn't he just be happy that Kanone loved him, and that he knew what was best for him? Kanone also didn't understand exactly what Ayumu was fighting against him for. Could he still be trying to save the Blade Children? Kanone shook his head, that was ridiculous. Though Kanone was in alliance with most of the Hunters that were left, he had complete control of them. They would do anything he told them to, and they feared him too much to go against his orders. So, if the Blade Children didn't have the Hunters or Kanone to fear, then what was Ayumu trying to save them from? No...Ayumu was trying to best Kanone for some other reason. He didn't know what it was yet, but he vowed to find out, "One way or another." he thought, "I will make you surrender to me." Satisfied that he had everything under control, Kanone went off to meet his boyfriend.
Everything, however, was far from Kanone's control. Eyes could have guessed that Kanone knew he was there, and that's why he was talking so secretively. Still, Kanone had let on way too much, and it angered Eyes that Kanone had underestimated him so. Obviously, Kanone didn't want Eyes to catch onto his plan. If he had, he wouldn't have hid anything. The only thing Eyes couldn't figure out was what Kanone was trying to achieve. It obviously had to do something with Ayumu, but what? Was the younger boy still resisting Kanone; was he still convinced that he needed to save the Blade Children? Eyes shook his head, that wasn't it. Kanone was obviously still in alliance with the Hunters, and by now he must have struck a great deal of fear into them, so they wouldn't interfere with whatever he was planning. Kanone most likely had a good grip on the situation, so the Blade Children weren't in any danger of the Hunters. Besdies, Kanone had only ever tried to kill them to make Eyes see his warped version of reality. He was concentrating on Ayumu now, so maybe it didn't even have to do with the Blade Children? Eyes slowly realized that this might very well be the truth. If Ayumu was still going against Kanone for some reason other than the Blade Children, it could only be one thing. He shook his head, and wondered if the younger one really could pull it off. He had failed miserably last time he tried to accomplish such a feat, but perhaps he had grown since then...
"Ayumu, you do know you have to do something about this, right?" Hiyono asked him. They were on the roof for lunch, and the other Blade Children had joined him.
"Hiyono's right, you can't just let Kanone think he's won!" Rio complained.
"Even though he did defeat you, you can still turn this thing around." Hiyono added.
"Why does it even matter?" Ayumu asked, looking at the four, "I've helped you guys out, and you don't need to worry about Kanone anymore."
"We know that." Kousuke told him, "That's not why we're here."
"Ayumu, you still don't believe in yourself." Hiyono told him, "I think if you beat Kanone, then you'll gain that self-confidence."
"That's what you're worried about?" Ayumu asked, dunmbfounded, "Listen, I don't need any self-confidence." he assured them, "It's not like I need to help you anymore, so why would I need to believe in myself?"
The four just stared at him, "Little Narumi, you need self-confidence and belief in yourself for more than just helping us!" Kousuke told him.
"He's right." Rio said, nodding, "If you don't believe in yourself, you won't achieve your full potential."
"And that would be?" Ayumu asked, a little interested as to where they were going with this.
Rio hesitated, but Hiyono stepped up for her, "Ayumu, everyone always says you can be whatever you want to, but with you, that's true. You can do whatever you want if you just believe in yourself."
Ayumu hesitated, but shook his head, "I couldn't...I can't even find my brother." he sighed. Finding his brother was the only reason he had gotten involved with any of the Blade Children, but he had failed to accomplish even that.
"Maybe the reason Kiyotaka hasn't resurfaced is because you're not done with whatever he wanted you to do." Ryoko suggested.
Ayumu looked at her, "What do you mean? What do I have left to do?" he asked, but knew the answer was obvious.
"Just believe in yourself." HIyono told him, smiling. The others nodded in agreement, and Ayumu sighed again.
"You're telling me the only reason Kiyotaka hasn't shown up in almost 3 years is because I don't believe in myself?" several nods from the others accompanied this answer, "How would he even know, do you think he's spying on me or something?"
The others traded glances, they really didn't know, "Whatever his reasoning is, it doesn't change the fact that something is keeping him in hiding, and I believe that something is you." Rio told him.
Ayumu was about to comment when the bell to end lunch sounded. The five exited the roof, and Hiyono fell in step with Ayumu, who was last in line, "Just promise me you'll think about it." she said, looking at him with a face he couldn't refuse.
"Alright." Ayumu said, a little annoyed, though if Hiyono heard it, she didn't show it.
"Great!" she brightened up, "I'll see you after school then!" With that, she ran off to class, leaving Ayumu to think things over.
Kanone arrived home not 10 minutes before Ayumu got there. As soon as he took off his coat and shoes, and sat down to relax, he heard his door open, "Kanone, you here?"
"In the bedroom." he called, silently cursing that he didn't have more time to think things over before Ayumu arrived. However, when the brown-eyed boy peeked his head into Kanone's room, the latter couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, "Hello, dear."
Ayumu smiled at him, and crossed the room to the bed, flopping down on it next to Kanone, "Hi." he greeted, giving Kanone a small kiss, then pulling away to yawn.
Kanone laughed, "Tough day at the office?" he asked.
Ayumu tried to glare, but didn't find it possible to even fake anger at Kanone, "You don't always have to mock me, you know." he informed the older one, who pulled him closer.
The lighter-haired boy stared into his boyfriend's dark brown eyes, and smiled slightly, "I'm not mocking you." he objected, pulling Ayumu into a kiss. The brunette's defenses melted away as he leaned into the kiss, sighing. Kanone grinned, and wondered why Ayumu couldn't give up this easily everytime. This, of course, brought back his thoughts from earlier, and wondered if he should talk to Ayumu about it before he did anything rash.
Deciding that was the best course of action, he pulled away, causing Ayumu to tilt his head to the side, "Something wrong?" he asked.
Kanone wondered how the best way to approach the topic was, "Ayumu...despite having lost to me, you do know that you've saved the Blade Children, correct?" he asked. If that was the problem, then it could be easily fixed. Of course, then everything that had happened to Madoka would be in vain, and Ayumu would probably never forgive him for it.
Ayumu slowly nodded, "Well, I figured since the Hunters haven't made a move, and you're certainly not going to try anything, then maybe they were safe." he replied, "What brought this up?" wondering if Kanone was planning with the other Blade Children for this. Ayumu knew it was a ridiculous notion, but how many times could one subject be brought up in a day?
Kanone sighed, of course it couldn't be that easy, "It's quite clear that you still hold a certain amount of resistance towards me." Kanone told him, "I just can't understand why. If you've saved the Blade Children, for all intensive purposes, then what grudge could you possibly have against me?"
"I...don't have a grudge against you." he said, then decided maybe telling Kanone everything would help, "It's the others, they think that I don't believe in myself."
"Well, do you?" Kanone asked, knowing the answer was 'no'. He had no problem with Ayumu not believing in himself, and was even planning on it.
Ayumu shook his head, "No, but...I never saw the problem with that. The others, though, they said that maybe my lack of self-confidence is what's keeping Kiyotaka away."
Kanone tried to hide the smirk, "If only you knew." he thought, but shook his head, he could not let Ayumu find out about that. If he did...Kanone didn't even want to think about what would result from that, "Why are you so sure that Kiyotaka is even intending to come back to you and Madoka?" Kanone asked, hoping to crush any thoughts Ayumu had of finding his brother.
Of course, the state that Ayumu was in, he was starting to just believe whatever everyone else said, "Have you talked to him?" he asked.
Kanone grinned, "In fact, I have."
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Hmm, is there more to this than Kanone is letting on? Well, of course there is! So, Kanone has been in contact with Kiyotaka, but why? And why didn't he tell Ayumu about it? Heh, more questions in your head now? Good, that's supposed to happen! Anyway, review!