Chapter Nine
Onee-chan: Okay people. I have a POLL! EVERYBODY READ THIS! I need to know who you think Kouichi is a good pair with.. excluding Kouji and Takuya. Please and Thank you. (oh. and if you think 'no one! ugh!' then tell me that and I'll come up with some random OC character myself.) NOTE! your answers will NOT affect this story.. this one. right here. that's you're trying to read. ..right now..
Kouichi fell to his knees and held his head. An immense pain was screaming in his mind.
"Kouichi, you okay?" Takuya asked, kneeling down.
"Ya fine.." Kouichi muttered, the pain receding. The two boys were out back of Takuya's house. "What did you want to tell me, anyway?"
"Kouji. I found a journal he had. The last entry is him talking about me getting hurt and Knight. See? It says I was bleeding." Takuya pointed to the page.
Kouichi read it over and shrugged. "And?"
"Well, erasing our minds doesn't change what happened, exactly. Does it?"
"No."
"If I'd been hurt, wouldn't I remember bleeding? I don't remember being cut in my memories of then or after it." Takuya explained.
"What does that mean?" Kouichi asked, still lost.
"I think Knight tricked Kouji. I think Kouji saw an illusion."
"But Kouji's been blaming himself for what happened to you for as long as I can remember. How could he just make that up?" Kouichi closed the journal and set it down.
"Well he's obviously blaming himself for a lie! Come on, Kouichi! See it my way!" Takuya whined. Kouichi sighed, not sure if it was true.
'Takuya... my.. My fault.. All mine..'
"Did you hear that?" Kouichi asked, turning his had to look at Takuya.
"Hear what?"
"It sounded like Kouji."
"I didn't hear anything.." Kouichi crossed his arms.
'Useless..'
"Okay, Takuya. I'll believe it. It sounds like something possible in Kouji's world. Now we gotta find Kouji. I swear I hear him." Kouichi stood up and began to walk around to think.
"Kouichi..?" Takuya called. Something just occurred to him.
"Hm?"
"Aren't you magic too?"
– – –
'It's all your fault.'
"All my fault."
'You can't even protect one boy. You're useless.'
"Useless."
'Yes. It'd be better if you just left. They'd all be better off.'
"No one will care if I leave..?"
Kouji was nothing but a ball in the corner. He hated himself and he had just stopped crying a few minutes ago. When he wasn't crying, that voice just reminded him of what had happened.
Takuya died. He'd just sat there and watched the only one he really loved... die..
"T... I'm sorry!" Kouji buried his head in his huddled knees. He tried hiding away from the world. He'd tried to protect those he cared about but it was useless... he was just a burden. The voice reminded him of this. It was over.
– –
"Ha ha ha! Yes! Give in. Let go and brake like the weakling you are! Once you fall, I'll engulf you and destroy everything you cared for. Then I'll level the town. Your powers..." Knight cackled. Kouji fell for illusions so easily. It was Knight's only original power and he was quite proficient in the art.
With Kouji's powers, Knight could purify oceans and rivers. Erase world wide conflicts and fertilize land.. Or he could poison local water sources, steal valuable international information, and destroy food sources everywhere. Yes. That sounded more appealing..
Knight's wicked smile could only grow as he thought about it.
– – –
Kouichi walked down the street. He walked slowly, his head throbbing. He had to force himself to master a version of magic in record time.
Takuya followed behind him as he honed in on the quiet murmurs of his brother.
Takuya was smarter than he seemed. He'd figured out the voices in Kouichi's head before he could even imagine it. Kouji wasn't the only Minamoto to inherit powers. Kouichi could hear his brother's thoughts, even if he was technically inside a crazy sorcerer. Takuya pondered what else Kouichi could do, but they had no time to dwell on it.
"Kouji.. Something's happened." Kouichi finally spoke.
"Hm?" Takuya broke from his thoughts.
"Earlier, Kouji's thoughts were broken and melancholy."
"Sounds like him, alright." Takuya rolled his eyes. Kouichi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Sorry."
"Now, they're concentrated and forlorn. It's like he's given up." Kouichi frowned.
Takuya grabbed his wrist and ran forward toward the edge of town.
"Well we can't let that happen, can we!" he grinned. If it was clearer, they must be close.
– –
Knight looked at his hands. The power was so great, radiating offa mere boy. A noise caught his attention and he spun around. Had he been found? Not now...
Knight panicked slightly. While absorbing energy he was..
A deer came into view and he relaxed.
"Just a deer." he laughed and held up his hand. The deer twitched and tried to run away. Knight closed his fist and the deer let out a squeak before falling to the forest floor, dead. "Dumb animals."
Takuya and Kouichi could only stare at the dead animal in surprise. Good thing it walked by or that would be them on the ground. Takuya let out a long, silent breath. Too close for comfort.
"He's dropped his guard." Kouichi nudged him. Knight had turned back to the town to marvel in what would soon be a wasteland.
"Right. What's the plan?" Takuya asked.
"What? But you always have a plan!" Kouichi had a look on that screamed 'you're kidding me!'.
"Well.. I didn't have the time to think about it.." Takuya turned away and laughed nervously. Kouichi sighed.
"Okay. How's this..?"
– – –
Knight raised his hand and smiled. Now...
"Knight!"
"Hm?" said man turned around and saw Takuya standing before him. "Ah. Kanbara. Come to join Kou? I'm sure you remember everything now.. Surely you didn't come on a hopeless rescue mission."
"Wow, you like to talk." Takuya seemed surprised by this, his jaw dropped.
"Why you..!"
"Kouji! Can you hear me! Kouji!" Takuya began screaming.
Knight covered his ears and backed up a step. He didn't know you could just suddenly be so loud! His sensitive ears couldn't take it!
– –
Kouji raised his head. Looking around, he wondered if someone had called him.
'Kouji!'
Takuya? No. Takuya was dead... but then.. Who?
'Can you hear me! Wake up, Kouji!'
"Stop it!" Kouji covered his ears and lowered his head.
'Kouji?'
– –
"Just Stop It!" Kouji's voice cried out. Kouichi's eyes became clear and he covered his mouth.
Takuya and Knight both stared in awe at the boy. Why did Kouji's voice come from him?
"Kouji? But why?"
'Stop talking to me! I just wanna forget!'
"Kouji! Stop it!" Kouichi scolded the voice that now came from nowhere.
'But I.. It's all my fault! I wanna forget it all!' Kouichi kneeled on the ground, covering his ears.
"Nothing's your fault, Kouji! It's all just a.."
'No! I.. I killed him! I just sat there and watched him die!'
"Who?"
"Yes! It's all your fault. Don't forget it, Kouji!" Knight glared at the two boys. What did they hope to accomplish by calling out to a boy who'd already given into his power?
"Shut up, you.. You.. Shut up, Knight!" Takuya smacked himself in the forehead.
"Great comeback.." Kouichi groaned. Knight laughed. Kouji's voice had faded away.
"You're all so strange. Chasing after what is already gone." he held his forehead and laughed.
"He's not gone!" Takuya growled.
"But he is." Knight held up his hand and he began to glow lightly. "His power.. His soul.. His life. Even his.. heart.They're all mine."
Takuya shook his head. He wouldn't believe Kouji was gone. Not after they'd finally found him again.
'Kouji.. Kouji? Kouji answer me!' Kouichi called out in his mind but received no response.
"No." Kouichi muttered. Had Kouji really been completely absorbed?
