Dlbn: This is going to be a two-part story. This chapter for today, and the ending for Christmas Day.
Dedication: Happy birthday to Ritsuka!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Akira and one other character I can't give the name away to because it will effect plot. You'll recognize it as new/from my Halloween fic this year. Everyone and everything else canon to Loveless belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off this.
000
This wasn't going to work. This was a waste of time and effort, Ritsuka thought to himself as reports of Minami Ritsu's death played on the nightly news on Kio and Akira's too small television. His pseudo-fathers were barely paying attention, using it jut as background noise while he trio completed homework. As soon as Ritsuka heard that a Gora sensei was murdered, he tuned in his ears to the reports. He'd been waiting for this, having been port of the planning meeting with Zero and Minami's Septimal Moon. Now he just had to wait on a text from Kunugi to summon him to the school, claiming to have found documentation naming him Ritsu's successor. He news spilled what little info they'd been slipped by a Unit who's Sacrifice worked there as a tech.
"They've already had a successor named?" Kio scratched at his bangs. "It's like he knew or something."
"They said he was in his late fifties." Akira pointed out. "It's not that uncommon for older people to make wills and plan for their end later in life. Or even during a mid-life crisis."
Ritsuka wanted to tell Kio to be quiet and stop poking holes in the story, but he'd spark the artist's suspicions and blow everything. He wasn't sure what-if any-spy bugs and cameras his brother had ordered his Fighter to install when the flat was vacant. If he even knew where his displaced brother had retreated to once their mother threw him out.
"You're quiet, Ritsuka." Kio observed. "What's your thoughts?"
Although they were obviously older and assumed more parent-like roles over him since he moved in, the two still treated him like an equal and included him in almost everything they did or discussed.
"I wonder how the other faculty and the students are going to react. Like, could someone be after them, too? Or was it personal?" He spoke slowly as he tried to formulate realistic thought. "I mean, everyone was freaking out about that kind of stuff after I found…found Seimei…"
One slip up that the boy hadn't really belonged to Seimei, and game over.
"Poor kids must be petrified." Akira agreed, lifting a weight off Ritsuka's shoulders that said his words weren't believable enough.
"If I went there, I probably wouldn't be able to believe it." Kio shook his head.
Hopefully public enemy number one wouldn't share the sentiment.
000
Ritsuka, Yoji, and Natsuo-the Zero twins- lounged together in Soubi's otherwise abandoned apartment. Sunday meant no school, but Septimal Moon and the Academy were still very much active. Ritsuka hadn't gotten the go text from Kunugi yet, and Nagisa-sensei hadn't summoned Zero to help with her grief at losing such a close friend. Or someone she not-so-secretly wanted to be with.
"Man, this blows." Yoji complained. "It's been three days. When is it going to be go time already?"
Age had only shortened his patience threshold. Call it being a teenager like the sensei tried to do, but he hadn't had it as a preteen-or a child-ether. And probably wouldn't as an adult. Much more like Nagisa than either dared to admit.
"Who knows?" Natsuo was the more laid back of the two, but it was a fine line he walked on. "When they summon us, they summon us. Just enjoy the peace and quiet while we have it."
"Peace and quiet with Yoji around? Impossible." Ritsuka chided. "What a fantasy world you live in."
"Why, you…!" Yoji lunged, pinning him to the couch in a wrestling move obviously ripped off tv or a lousy video game.
"Off, Zero." Ritsuka ordered, glaring up at the mint neko.
"Well, look who's up." Natsuo rolled his one visible eye. "Morning, Loveless. How nice of you to join us."
Ritsuka sighed, pushing his bangs off to the side and cocking his head the other direction at the other. "What gave me away?" He wondered.
"The order. Zero." Natsuo pointed out. "Ritsuka never calls us by name, no matter how annoyed, unless he's referring to us together. Meaning you have to be Loveless, and now I have to deal with your ass for the rest of the night."
Ritsuka snorted. "He can come back at any time, just say the word. But seriously, Yoji, get the hell off me."
"You heard him, Yoji." Natsuo tugged on his brother's sleeve. "I'm not fighting him in here."
"Fine, fine. You're no fun. None of you." He glared at Ritsuka with that one, flopping back onto the couch like a pouting toddler.
Ritsuka blinked, sighing before closing his eyes. After a minute or two, he shook his head lightly and rubbed at his temples.
"Ugh…you gotta stop lunging at me like that, Yoji." He complained. "I don't mind when Loveless comes out to play, but it's kind of draining to swap back and forth like that so often."
"Maybe you should get on some meds to clear that up for ya."
Ritsuka glared. A therapist-he'd been unable to see Katsuko-sensei for a few years now thanks to changes in his father's insurance plan-had deemed that he'd made up having a second personality. He called it a manifestation of all the negative emotions Ritsuka felt, that he faked the other him, so he could act upon these emotions with little to no recourse in his personal life. He hadn't told Kio and Akira, since they'd yank him out of therapy and his father would thus yank him out of their care. But it was offensive. He'd even showed the therapist how they could swap back and forth, but he still believed Ritsuka made it up. It was easier to pretend that his client was a fool than that his client had a legitimate psychological problem. It was embarrassing, and Ritsuka often had to fight to keep Loveless from coming out and making a real fool out of them both, but he let the shrink ramble on for now to keep him happy. If he fought too much. He feared he'd have the teen locked away.
"You know why I can't…its not that simple, Yoji, you know that…"
"Yeah, Loveless is you, you are him. I get it. More than your shrink does, anyway. You've hid and denied you own true name and nature for so long that its forced itself out as a different entity." Yoji rolled his eyes. "But eventually you gotta stop playing woe as me and find a way to merge."
Ritsuka sighed, slinking down on the couch and pulling out his phone to check for the go text. "I would if I could…"
The trio of teens fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence until Ritsuka received a text around five that his father had shown up at Kio's apartment and the neko had to come back and deal with him because Kio was not going to. As someone who fought to be a part of his daughter's life-that whole thing was a debacle-he couldn't fathom how Ritsuka's father would fight so hard to not be in his.
000
Akira had picked Ritsuka up as soon as he got out of class to take him home to deal with his father and Kio. The elder Aoyagi was uncharacteristically quiet as he stared into a cup of tea Kio had made him.
"He won't talk or do anything. I tried putting on the tv, but it seemed to make it worse." Kio complained the moment the other two walked into the door.
Ritsuka ignored him as he walked over to the couch. "Dad?" He asked, surprising even himself.
He rarely called him anything other than father, and Loveless exclusively called him by his first name. How Aidien never caught up on the subtle changes in the personality's wording was beyond him. Kio and Akira picked it up the first time a change happened, as did Zero. His school friends were oblivious as ever because Loveless rarely wanted to deal with them-particularly, Yuiko-but he briefly wondered if his brother or Soubi would be able to tell the differences, too. Calling him dad seemed to have the desired effect, because Aidien's tired eyes shifted up to him.
"Oh. You came home." He greeted.
"Kio…said you were here…what's going on? You're acting weird."
"Have you heard the news lately?"
"What news?"
Did he have an affair on his new girlfriend with a receptionist? Again.
"Gora…the sensei…"
"Yeah, I heard about the murder…why?"
"I…I went to school with him. Minami. He…was a little off, but a decent guy. We were friends for a while post-graduation, but we lost touch…I…"
Great, his father was plagued with guilt of not keeping into contact with his now dead former friend. Just like he'd been plagued before by dreams of a woman scolding him for not being in Ritsuka's life enough. So, he came to seek out his teenage son for…guidance? He wasn't sure why his father would come to him of all people.
"Why come to me?" Ritsuka fixed his bangs into a style he knew Loveless hated.
"I'm…" He blinked, seemingly unknowing himself.
Ritsuka searched his eyes for hints of a spell and rolled his eyes when he found one.
"Alright, you've had your fun." He sighed. "Look, dad, I'm sorry about the loss of your friend, but I really don't know what I can do about it. He's dead, time to move on." He hauled his father to his feet. "You feel bad, I get it. But its too late now." He pulled him towards the door. "You didn't even show this much remorse with Seimei dying, so don't waste it on someone you have no real ties to anymore. Okay, okay." He shoved him out the door. "Glad we could have this talk. Amia is probably waiting up for you, wondering where you are. I'd get going before she thinks you're sleeping with a client and ditches you completely. Nice talk, bye now." He shut the door behind him, leaning against it and wiping off his forehead with a hand.
"What in the hell was that about?" Kio demanded, fists on his hips. "That was heartless, even for you, Loveless."
"What?" Ritsuka wondered. "No, no, it's me. Not Loveless." He replied. "Sorry…"
"What did you do that for?" Akira asked as a car started up outside. "Your father came to you for consoling, and you just…"
"That wasn't my father. Not really, anyway." Ritsuka sighed. "I'm sorry, but you wouldn't understand…"
"What wouldn't we understand? Someone that just looks like your father? Looking for you? That's creepy…" Kio informed. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" A hand went to his forehead. "Maybe we should see your therapist…"
"Anything but that quack." Ritsuka groaned, feeling Loveless bubbling close to the surface. "Dad was being controlled by someone that was trying to use me to see if Minami really is dead."
"Why would you know if he wasn't?"
"He's…I know him. He's dad's friend, that's true. But he raised Soubi…"
"Oh…so that's who we're talking about…"
"Kio?" Akira asked.
"Soubi's…his past is complicated, but he told me some things." Kio shuddered. "Minami Ritsu…he never told me the name, but…"
"It's complicated." Ritsuka replied. "Just, please, if anyone like my father or someone else comes here claiming to want to talk to me and acts like that, make them go away or wait outside."
"You can't handle this kind of thing, Ritsuka…"
"No, but he can." He tapped on his head. "I'm going to go take a bath…okay?"
"Are you in trouble?" Kio cocked an eyebrow.
"No…but…Soubi might be…"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you. Need to know basis. Please, just when I leave without warning, don't go raising alarms. I'll be back. I just…have something to do…" His phone buzzed. "I promise, I'll explain when I come home with Soubi."
It's go time.A text from Kunugi read. Are you ready, Loveless?
"You're going after him?" Kio asked. "We'll go with you."
"No." Ritsuka denied. "Remember when you went with us to the Academy and they sent you to the hot springs?"
"Yes…?"
"That's where I'm going. Even if you bring me, you can't go in…"
Kio's lips pressed into a fine line. "At least let us go to Gora with you…we'll stay away from the school."
"I'll have Zero with me. I'll be fine."
"Who?"
"Oh…uh…Yoji and Natsuo."
"Not more of this codename-magic mumbo-jumbo." Kio groaned. "I thought that shit was done with Seimei finally letting Soubi go."
"Only…he hasn't." Ritsuka admitted.
"What?'
Ritsuka put his hands over his mouth, letting Loveless take over so he wouldn't say something stupid. Loveless adjusted his bangs before turning his attention to Kio.
"Can't keep his mouth shut." He sighed. "It's nothing, Kio. Let us handle it. Okay?"
"Are you sure you can handle it?"
"I have to." Loveless admitted with an uncharacteristically sad grin. "I'm going to shower, but I have to go in the morning. Don't be surprised if the twins try and break the front door down soon. They'll be getting a text, as well."
"Loveless…" Kio asked after the neko made it to the hallway. "What kind of trouble had you two gotten into?"
He chuckled. "Nothing we can't handle, Kio. Have a little faith, would you?"
The lovers shared a look as Loveless went down the hall and entered the bathroom, whistling to himself. He shut the door behind him once he was inside.
"What in the hell were you thinking? Don't go blabbing all our secrets! You know better!" He glared at himself in the mirror, but he was really trying to glare at Ritsuka.
The Sacrifice had retreated into his mind to force himself to remain quiet. The alter-personality sighed.
"Look, let's just take a hot bath and relax until the twins show up. Then we can plan our next move, but we're not letting them talk us into leaving in the morning."
"I almost blew it." Ritsuka whispered back to his other self.
"I know. That's why I came out, to stop you from doing so. A lot of work and planning went into this. I trust those two as much as you do, but if Seimei and Akame have gotten to Aidien, who knows who else they can get to?"
Ritsuka didn't reply to that, perfectly content to take what they both called a nap in the deep recesses of his mind while Loveless handled his physical body. His eyes slid closed as Loveless sat in the warm water he'd set into the tub while scolding his other self. They had a long journey ahead of them, and they needed to rest as much as they could before Zero showed up to ruin everything.
000
Kio and Akira had been true to the greenette's word. Kio had paid for the tickets for themselves and the three boys to get to Gora. Nagisa and Kunugi Asitai were waiting for them outside the station when the three nekos, accompanied by the adults, exited the station.
"Friends, Ritsuka?" Asitai wondered.
"Kio and Akira. I live with them." Ritsuka informed.
"Ah, a pleasure. He's said a lot about you."
"And you are…?" Kio asked.
"Acting headmaster, in light of certain…circumstances." Asitai blushed as red as his hair. "Kunugi Asitai. My partner, Sagan Nagisa, and my fiancé, Shenai Mirai." He introduced the other two.
"You two look like hell." Nagisa scolded the twins. "Don't you know how to get rest before a big trip? I didn't raise you to be complete morons, did I?"
"She's…ah…their mother…" Ritsuka explained quickly.
"I see where Yoji gets his personality from." Akira observed.
Kunugi chuckled. "Just don't tell them that. They'll deny it."
"Can't say I blame them…" Kio added.
Mirai cracked a small smirk and chuckled as well, but he kept the appearance of a respectful Fighter.
"Welcome to Gora." Mirai greeted finally. "Are you escorting the boys to the Academy as well?"
"We promised we wouldn't." Akira informed. "I guess last time Kio came, he was turned away to a Hot Springs."
"Apologies." Asitai answered, not breaking his grin. "Why don't you two at least come to the school for dinner? We're expecting quite a few guests for the funeral. What's a couple more mouths? At least get some food in you before you take a six-hour trip home."
"And…you won't send us out the moment we get there?" Kio folded his arms over his chest.
"Considering the circumstances and Ritsu's departure, the school doors have been opened to all guests interested in paying respects to our beloved headmaster." Asitai informed.
Ritsuka tried not to laugh as Loveless completely lost it inside their head. The others knew about him, yes, but saw him as nothing more than the Fighter side of the unpaired Sacrifice coming out to play when he was in danger. Being a doctor, Asitai seemed to understand that they were one and the same person inside the same body, but his specialty was neurology and not psychiatry, so who knew how little he understood of the situation.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little while." Akira offered.
"Sure." Kio sighed. "Just please don't make me regret coming here…"
As guilt and a bit of apprehension set in, Ritsuka couldn't help but regret letting the civilians come. He only hoped they didn't get caught up in the crosshairs.
000
Ritsuka was more than mortified halfway through dinner when Mikado and Tokino pulled him aside to talk, insisting they meet alone when Kio insisted on tagging along. Promising he'd be okay and brief got him out of the awkwardness of Kio and Akira learning the truth and becoming liabilities. Zero was going to go o ease the artist's worries, but well-worded scolding that wasn't quite scolding from Mikado changed their minds.
"I'm not sure if I should be speaking to you or Loveless." Mikado began. "Since I'm sure he'll be the one handling things…"
"You don't think I can handle this on my own?" Ritsuka folded his arms over his chest.
"Because you can't." Loveless teased.
"Quiet you." Ritsuka scolded his other self. 'What do you want, Moonless?"
"This…won't be very easy. You must over ride Seimei's orders with your own. We're certain Soubi bound himself to you instead of Seimei when we battled. But without confirmation for him, it may just be a shot in the dark."
"So, you're here to tell me that it's a fifty-fifty shot that I get Soubi back, and therefore am wasting my time. Not trying to talk me out of it, are you? Because that's what it sounds like."
"Of course not. We want to cripple Seimei's defenses as much as we can…no sense in taking on a battle you can't win."
Ritsuka nodded. "So why the concern?"
"Can you do it?" Mikado cocked an eyebrow. "If we need Loveless to step in, can he play it off as being you enough that Seimei won't know the difference? Even if Soubi notices it, I doubt he'll say anything. I'm not sure he knows the situation regarding your personality…"
"The only way he'd know is if someone told him, and I know no one's had contact with him since he dropped Minami off at the infirmary with Tai."
She nodded. "He barely said two words. Ironically, when all that dream into real world horror nonsense was going on, he mentioned in passing he had a dream Soubi was ordered to kill him but knocked him unconscious instead. I've done some digging into that Unit we were thinking was behind it. Do you remember?"
"Nightmare. I remember." Ritsuka nodded, flushing.
He'd dreamt that his mother had finally snapped and killed him, and Soubi had erased the memories of everyone that wasn't part of the spell world, so they'd forget about him and thus not have to live in sorrow caused by his death. Only Yuiko had realized something was wrong.
"Their nightmares…hold some truths. They're not all subconscious fears and insecurities coming to life. There's real life parts injected within, as well."
"Which is why you think Soubi put him into a coma and gave him to us in the first place." Ritsuka paused, feeling himself fade into unconsciousness as Loveless quickly swept in to take over. "Are you telling me this entire mission, this entire ploy, is based on assumptions…?"
"Ah, Loveless, we meet face to face at last." Mikado chuckled. "Ritsu being deceased would gather Seimei's attention. No head of Septimal Moon means an open seat and an open opportunity to sweep in and take it."
"Proclaiming Ritsu as murdered is just a formality in case he did order Soubi to kill him." Tokino put in. "its insurance, not assumption."
"Not certain how he feels about this," Loveless tapped their head, "but I think you're a couple of idiots."
"Loveless!" Ritsuka scolded. "They're our friends; be nice!"
"Friends or not, you know this makes very little sense." Loveless answered him aloud. "We say Ritsu was murdered to protect Soubi's ass but may not have had to. We say Ritsu is dead to lure Seimei here, so you can take Soubi back, without knowing for certain if he did bind himself to you instead. There's no ground to stand on. That's why they're concerned, not because they think we can't handle it."
Mikado said nothing, just stared with her lips pressed into a fine line. "If you doubt us, you can back out and we'll handle Seimei on our own."
"You've shown full well that you can't." Loveless stated. "You ran away from battle; not won it by defeat of your opponent."
"We finished the battle with Akame and Soubi was told to step in and fight as well. Don't talk about what you weren't there to witness, please." She gave him a pretty smile that went ignored.
"You're no match for Seimei Soubi, and you know that…"
"Ritsuka, control your other self, would you?" Tokino rolled his eyes.
Loveless blinked and Ritsuka took over again. "He has a point." Ritsuka informed, tugging at the end of his shirt. "We don't know what we're getting into fully…if Soubi didn't bind himself to me, then me being here won't do a damn thing…I can't override Seimei's orders if Soubi willingly bound himself to him instead…"
Moonless shared a look.
"That's why you're concerned. If he didn't bind himself to me, you don't think I'll be able to over-ride Seimei…"
"If this doesn't go as planned…we want to make sure you're going to be okay." Mikado paused. "We're not going to let you stay in harm's way, especially without a Fighter," She giggled as Ritsuka slapped the side of his head because Loveless had protested. "But I'm not going to coddle and baby you either. Will you be alright if you don't leave with your Fighter?"
Ritsuka glared. "I believe you got the term wrong." He said, starting to move towards the cafeteria. "But yes. I'll be fine if my boyfriend doesn't come home with me…"
Mikado and Tokino moved to let him pass, sharing a worried glance.
"Do you think we're making a mistake?" Tokino wondered.
"I don't think so, no." Mikado shook her head. "In the end, even if he doesn't get Soubi back…he has Loveless now. This time, he's not going to be alone."
000
Ritsuka was woken from a deep sleep by the school's intruder alarms going off. The sound was very familiar to him, though he'd only heard it once. The first and only time he'd come to Gora with Soubi, Seimei's friends had helped him break in and activated the same alarm. Ritsuka threw the blankets off him and quickly dressed, hopping from one foot to another to get his jeans and socks on properly. He was in the middle of changing his shirt, his name flashing in the moonlight filtering in through the window, when the door opened.
"Ritsuka?" Kio burst in. "What's going…on…?"
They froze, pseudo-father and son staring at one another without saying anything. Kio's eyes were quite obviously on Ritsuka's name. the ravenette recovered first and pulled his shirt on, tugging it down hard to cover his name.
"Intruders, obviously." Ritsuka informed.
"I get that…"
"You okay?" Akira joined Kio, shutting the door behind them. "Something's going on."
"I know." Ritsuka replied. "I was waiting on this." He pulled on one sneaker, tugging the shoe laces extra tight.
"Where do you think you're running off to? Intruders aren't things to be running after." Kio scolded.
"They are when they're Seimei and Soubi." Ritsuka pulled on the other shoe, tying a sloppy knot in that one before shrugging on a jacket he'd stolen from the closet.
Staying in Soubi's childhood dorm had its perks. Like having extra clothes in a pinch.
"I'm sorry…your brother…your dead brother…?" Kio was, ironically, deathly pale at that.
"I don't know why you sound surprised." Ritsuka shrugged one shoulder, easing around the artists. "I mean, where else would Soubi had run off to like he did?"
"You're not going after your dead brother…" Kio paused. "You told us you were going to come home with Soubi."
"I know." Ritsuka's hand paused on the doorknob.
"You're going to go confront your brother and get Soubi home…"
"For the most part, that's it…" Ritsuka paused for a moment. "Don't try and stop me, Kio, and don't tag along either. You two…you'll just get hurt…"
Kio sighed. "We'll be here if you need us…just be careful…and tell Loveless to take care of you."
"The moment I need help, he's got this covered." Ritsuka answered. "Don't worry, Kio, I know what I'm doing."
Oh, how he wished that were true.
000
The dorms were chaos with students rushing to find their other halves in case a fight was to break out and they needed one another. The rest of the academy was in a similar state, the guards running around trying to find the intruders. Ritsuka escaped the madness to get to the old school house, using an underground route from the library that Nana had shown him. He found Mikado, Nagisa, Nana, and Asitai standing with Mirai and Tokino in the main corridors of the school.
"What are you doing out in the open?" Ritsuka wondered.
"Ah, so he joins." Asitai ran a hand through his sleep-messy hair as he smiled softly at the neko. "I was worried we'd have to send for you…"
"No, I came. Kio and Akira came to my room when the alarms went off."
"How much do they know?" nana cocked an eyebrow.
"I knew it was a mistake to have them along…" Nagisa glared at Asitai, who put up his hand in a defenseless manner.
"Just that Seimei's not dead and that I'm taking Soubi home." Ritsuka informed.
Out of nowhere, it seemed, Yoji appeared and smacked him upside the head.
"Hey!" Ritsuka complained, his voice mixing slightly with that of Loveless.
"Great, you broke him." Natsuo teased.
"They know too much now." Yoji glared at Ritsuka. "Can't you keep your mouth shut?"
Ritsuka rubbed his head. "Look, they weren't going to let me go without an answer as to why I'm going to go out chasing intruders in the dark."
"So, you lie! Don't tell them its your dead brother and your boyfriend, moron."
Ritsuka was about to say something, but Nana put up a hand to stop them.
"We don't have time to waste arguing among ourselves." She informed the trio. "Please save the squabble for later when Soubi is here."
Like Ritsuka, she seemed confident he would be able to get Soubi back. Loveless wasn't so convinced, and it was obvious that Moonless thought this was going to end up a waste of time, but it helped that he wasn't the only one that thought it was doable. He knew Zero and Asitai believed in him, as well, but they were his best friends, so that didn't have as much weight.
"We've narrowed down their presence to being in the main school." Nana informed, tapping a headset she used to communicate with the school guards. "Students have been ordered to stay in their rooms. I have a few guards patrolling the dorms for stragglers. I know most of them are probably panicking."
"They were when we were leaving." Ritsuka informed.
She looked confused for a second, as if she'd forgotten Loveless existed, but quickly nodded. "I'm not surprised. Poor things."
"Anyway." Nagisa interrupted. "Are you ready, Ritsuka? You and Loveless must perform here. Get close enough to Seimei before making a move and trying to get Soubi back. Can you both handle it?"
Ritsuka nodded. "We got this." He stated. "If I can't handle it, he'll step in. We've practiced switching personalities without alerting others, so it should be easy. He's not expecting two of us…"
"We'll cloak our aruras and be close by." Natsuo offered. "Moonless has offered to do the same., but I'm not sure how crowded you want to be."
"it's fine." Ritsuka waved his hand, having become Loveless while Natsuo was talking. "If things go sour, I'd rather have both of you there to step in."
"If they go wrong, Zero will get you out of there. We'll distract." Tokino stated.
"Alright." Asitai clapped his hands together. "It's show time."