Chapter Eight: Looks Like My World's Fallin' Apart

"I never could have seen this far. . .I never could have seen this coming. Looks like my world's fallin' apart, yeah. . ."

The young, blue eyed boy sat outside on the balcony's railing, his eyes gazing out at the three moons in the celestial night sky that were oh-so-close to aligning. It was the night before the day the moons were fated to align, and the slave still had not taken the last talisman from the prince- the talisman of light. Along with that, you must know by now that Otsuke has instructed his servant to kill the prince as well for revenge against Akina's death. Kouichi was torn, torn between avenging his mother or staying loyal to his new friend, Kouji.

' I'm wishin' I can bring you back. I'm wishin' I can turn back time, 'cause I can't let go. I just can't find my way. . . "

He could not find his way, he was just wishing that his mother never died now. Then he wouldn't even be in this mess, he would be happy with the average normal life of a peasant in the village, instead of being a slave to Otsuke and Kouji. Sigh. . . Or. . . he also wouldn't be in this mess if his good-for-nothing father had stepped in to raise him like a real man instead of abandoning him. So many things that could have been different, so many things could have been done to prevent this tragic event, but he couldn't alter the past. He couldn't correct all his mistakes and the mistakes of others.

Kouichi didn't even bother to turn his head when he heard footsteps approaching the balcony, he knew who it was. It was the prince, most likely worried that his servant hadn't come to bed yet. "Go back to sleep, Kouji" the slave told his master, never tearing his gaze away from the moon and the stars that surrounded it in a beautiful pattern. Now there was something else on his mind. . . something that didn't involve Otsuke or his mission.

"Not until you come inside. You need to rest too" Kouji mumbled in response, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you doing out here?" he asked out of pure curiosity, cocking his head slightly to one side as well.

"I'm just thinking about stuff. . ."

"Like what?"

Kouichi stepped off the railing, standing in the front of the master and lightly traced the other's features with his fingertips. There was a serious look in his eyes gaze locked on the other boy's face "Why do you look so much like me?" asked the slave in a demanding tone, withdrawing his hand and then balled his fists. "Tell me!" he shouted, wanting an answer.

Kouji flinched at the question, having not expected it out of no where. "I don't know" he answered honestly, his voice a little softer than usual. He had no idea why he felt a little nervous, perhaps it was the boy's tone and the way he yelled that intimidated him. Reminded him of his father when he got angry.

"It is because he is my son" a voice behind them answered in a calm yet smug sounding tone. His voice was familiar. . . however it wasn't at the same time. It was more dark. Evil. Mysterious. Secretive. It was the king himself, he had appeared out of no where and was right behind the two identical boys.

The two boy's eyes widened at the answer, Kouji looked more shocked and Kouichi looked more furious at the news. The prince first asked a simple question, the first that came to his mind. Like why didn't the king or his own mother tell him about Kouichi. Why was he a slave while Kouji was a prince? So may questions. . . but that should be left for later. Kouichi growled under his breath as he drew the sword Otsuke had given him, pointing it at Hojo's throat to stop him from moving or from preforming any spells. He wanted to kill this man, with every fiber of his being for what he has done.

"But to you. . . this means nothing, nothing at all"

"You bastard. . . so you're the one" Kouichi hissed under his breath. He remembered Otsuke telling him, in the not to distant past, that it was Kouichi's own father who was responsible for the murder of his mother. Fury. Rage. Depression. Hate. Love. So many emotions were flowing through him. . . wasn't he suppose to love his father? But he took away his own mother. The pain his heart endured will never heal, even though she died when he was an infant, he could still remember her. Her warmth. Kindness. Love. He missed her, and he has been for all his life. . . but what confused him now was: how could he remember Akina but not Kouji? Sure, he felt like there was something missing fro his life but that was all. Now tears were appearing in the corners of Kouichi's eyes as he shouted: "You killed her! You killed her, you bastard!!"

"Who?" chuckled Hojo, paying no mind to the sword being held at his throat. He didn't even seem to care of what he was being accused of by the young boy.

"Don't play dumb! My mother! You're lover!" shouted the slave out of fury, trying to keep his temper in check and gave the other boy a death glare. The prince eyed his father for some sort of explanation, having no idea what was going on or what Kouichi even meant. Wasn't Ria their mother?

The king just raised a brow at the accusation in disbelief, knowing full well that it was indeed true but refused to say it out loud for the moment. He then smacked the blade away, receiving a cut from doing such a thing but he didn't even seem to notice it. The royal grabbed the throat of his son's servant tightly in his hands, still allowing him to breath but with difficultly. Kouichi then grabbed his "father's" wrist in attempt to pull his hand away so he would be able to breath, he had to get out of this death grip fast or he would end up dying from the lack of oxygen he was receiving. Kouji grabbed the sword from the ground that Kouichi had dropped earlier, prepared to cut off his father's wrist and thus freeing the young slave, however. . . . Hojo put his free hand in front of his heir's face, simply saying "Sleep" and the boy's eyes flashed a golden colored before he fell to the floor. He was already asleep. . . Hojo was so powerful, he used such a simple spell with so much effectiveness. The older man then turned to his son with a smirk on his lips, "Yes. . . I am responsible to her death. It was so much fun watching her suffer" he told the other boy with a small grin, holding the boy up to the balcony's rail to show he could drop him anytime. He knew the boy wouldn't survive the three story fall and that Kouichi might be afraid of being thrown off the balcony. "I should have killed you that night. . . I'll correct that mistake now" he hissed, about to let go of the other male however he was struck by a ray of dark energy that caused him to fall back in pain. Kouichi landed on the floor, panting softly for air as well. He turned his attention over to the pain standing on the balcony who was also his savior.

"M-Master. . ." mumbled the young slave, his eyes widening at seeing Otsuke standing there reading his spell book.

Otsuke skimmed through the pages, stepping off the railing and stood next to his slave "Diarrhea. . . measles, chicken pox. I can do better than that," he mumbled to himself, turning another page afterwords. "Ahh, here it is," he muttered as well. He then started the spell he had chosen: "Twist his bones and bend his back. Trim him of his-" Otsuke started until he was interrupted by his slave shouting "No!" to stop him from finishing his spell.

"You can turn him into a cat. . . he's my father," whispered the servant, his eyes tearing up as well. He had no idea why he was bothering the man who he had to call his "father" when he was just about to kill him, but for some reason he felt compelled to defend this man from Otsuke. Maybe it was because Kouichi wished to kill Hojo himself, yes that must be the reason.

Otsuke let out a deep sigh at what he said, looking between the king and the prince with a disappointed look in his eyes. "Kouichi. . . you failed to complete your mission so I must step in. And I thought you loved your mother," he muttered softly, cracking his knuckles as well. "Hojo wanted her death. . . he couldn't wait for it. He was smiling when he saw her die, like it was some kind of joke. He was going to kill you as well, but I stepped in and stopped him, luckily. She didn't have to die, she didn't do anything but love this pathetic excuse for a man. He has to pay for this," hissed the majin angrily, glaring at him angrily.

Kouichi stayed silent for a moment, staring at the two royals with a distant look in his eyes as he walked over to Kouji. Otsuke was right, he had to pay for what he did, he couldn't let him get away with this. The young slave crouched down beside the other, taking the prince into his arms and then reached for the knife he kept strapped to his belt. . . just in case he lost contact with his sword that his master had given him. He held it up to the other's chest, right over his heart as he prepared to kill him like his master wanted. The prince's eyes opened slowly since the sleeping spell as wore off of him, looking up at the slave with a weak smile as if he had accepted the fact that he was about to die at the hands of his own friend. Kouji mouthed the words "I love you," to the slave so his father or Otsuke wouldn't have known that he said it, only wanting Kouichi to know how he felt. The servant's eyes widened, now beginning to fill up with fresh, hot tears before he thrusted the knife into the other's chest, right at his heart. Otsuke's lips curved into a smirk as he watched the boy's life drain away from his body, his warm crimson blood forming a large pool beneath him and Kouichi. He leaned in closer to his servant as if to kiss him, but before their lips met, he closed his eyes in eternal sleep and went limp in Kouichi's arms.

'But to you, this means nothing, nothing at all. You feel nothing at all, nothing at all.'

'I love you too. . . I do Kouji. I really do,'

Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah

Oh my god, I am soo sorry! I meant to post this chapter two months ago but I forgot about it. I took out the original one because I didn't really like it

Well, after almost a year I'm glad that I'm almost finished this story.