"Nisei." (I decided that Nisei shows up. Soubi's still there…Seimei has two Fighters. That's life.)

The long-haired man spun on his heels to face his Sacrifice, as icy as always. The only thing that alerted him to the fact that something may be wrong was that Seimei was hunched over somewhat, something he never did. He always kept his back straight and his head high. It was unusual enough for Nisei to pad over to him at a near-jog. He forgot where he'd been heading almost instantly.

"It's late, don't you usually coddle your brother at this hour?" he deigned to tease. He was trying his Sacrifice out, trying to pinpoint the problem. He hit it dead on. His mind reeled as a fist connected with his jaw and he flew back a few feet, toppling over and hitting his head on a trash can. He opened his eyes to see Seimei looming over him, obviously trying to control himself. Trying to control himself. Now that was new.

"Would you like to try that again?" he spat. Nisei would have shrugged had he not been a little bit scared. He got back on his feet, touching the growing bruise on the side of his face.

"What can I do for you, master?" He opted for the polite answer. With just a little bit of fear in his voice he'd calm his Sacrifice down. Oddly though, the Aoyagi boy didn't seem to notice the submission in Nisei's voice and continued to eye him angrily.

"I need to understand something," Seimei spat, his tail lashing like a snake. Thankfully the street was empty at this hour or people would have stared at them.

"You need my help?" Nisei flinched when Seimei grabbed his wrist and squeezed in warning. "I mean…my services."

"Let your tongue slip again and I'll cut it off."

"Understandable," Nisei answered, shifting nervously from one foot to another. He was rather fond of having a tongue. "What may I assist you with?"

"Is there a way to obliterate someone's memory? Selectively, if possible."

Nisei cocked his head at that. Now he knew something was up between the brothers. Or maybe Seimei just wanted to toy with the boy for fun…no, he was too attached to the boy. Nisei bristled; if the boy was gone, Seimei would have love for him, his true partner. Sharing him with Soubi was already an utter disappointment, and then he'd learn that his master's heart (or whatever was left of it, that is) belonged to a scrawny young boy named Ritsuka who had nothing special and did nothing impressive. He'd smiled dumbly at Nisei the first time they'd met, and Seimei had said:

"Don't look at him you sociopath. You'll taint him with your attitude and lack of common sense."

Not that he denied being a sociopath. He did firmly believe, on the other hand, that he had common sense.

"Oh, I'm sure there is. There is head trauma…but I'm guessing you mean a safe way to erase memories?"

Seimei didn't hesitate a second before answering.

"Yes."

Safe. Seimei wanted to protect someone. So he wanted to erase Ritsuka's memories after all. This could be very interesting.

"If you inject a person with a large dose of Mortosiline (of course I made that up -_-) the part of the brain that controls memory gets damaged. You can't predict or controls what the person forget, unfortunately, but otherwise I don't know. It shouldn't erase the whole thing but it could stretch from a few hours to a few years."

Seimei's mind was still lagging, albeit it was getting better by the minute. He wanted to make everything he'd done go away because he couldn't face his brother. He didn't know how. He wouldn't know what to say. He might revert to his cold self or say something hurtful to the small boy waiting for him back at home. He'd never felt so frustrated in his life and Nisei taking advantage of that made him want to chop the killer Fighter's head off. At least the feminine man had some answers for him, however unsatisfactory they may be. He wasn't sure he was willing to risk destroying every memory his brother had just to cover up something that was, undeniably, all his fault.

I have more control than this. What happened?

"What happened, master?"

It had always been a clearly stated rule that Nisei shouldn't ask questions if he wanted to hold onto his balls and other limbs. Nisei had seen his temporary weakness and was trying to pry into it in his little selfish way. Seimei reached out with one hand and let his fingers sink into the long, silky hair slowly, gently at first. He watched Nisei's eyes light with satisfaction like a dog given a treat. He left his hand there for a while before he wrenched his fingers around the strands and tugged harshly, pulling Nisei's head off to the side with a loud crack. The Fighter bit his lip to keep himself from screaming.

"Why is it that everything you say makes me want to beat you, Nisei?"

"I-I'm sorry, Seimei," Nisei hissed through his teeth. The pain was shooting through his skull and it palpitated long after the hand had left his scalp. Seimei knew how to make the pain drawl on for hours, whether physical or emotional.

"This drug, is it hard to come by?"

Nisei rubbed his pulsing head with his own hands.

"Yes, but I can get some, no problem."

"Do that. I need it in three hours at most. If you fail, don't bother coming back, Nisei," Seimei rumbled almost like a cat purring. The thought of Nisei getting beaten to death was nearly relaxing enough for Ritsuka to slip to the back of his mind for a minute or two.

"Of course," said Nisei before running off, his cell phone pulled out of his pocket.

Seimei watched the odd car go by every now and then, as still as a statue, ignoring the biting wind that brushed his cheeks. All the buildings were dark and filled with people sleeping and dreaming. Was Ritsuka sleeping, he wondered. Probably not. He'd wait up like he always did – or maybe not. Maybe he'd lied and he was terrified of Seimei. He might be crying in relief, sobbing into his pillow, while Seimei was waiting for Nisei to come back. When he felt the numbness come back, he forced himself to think fo something else. Thankfully Nisei came back at that moment, yelling out in delight. He was two minutes early.

"I suppose you'll see another day." Was all Seimei said before he took the box and turned his back to his Fighter.

xXxXxXxXx

When Seimei was gone, Ritsuka wailed out once in terror and felt his body shake uncontrollably. His eyes were overflowing with tears as he curled up into a ball under the blankets, currying his nose into his brother's clean pillow to try and detect his scent. Seimei cleaned the bed too often to have left a scent so he was disappointed. He didn't know if he was crying because he'd been violated or because Seimei was gone. He just knew he felt more alone than ever before and he'd wanted his brother to stay and chase his nightmares away.

"I'm not mad at you…please come back," he whimpered into the pillow. It came out horribly muffled.

After an hour of crying and squirming in bed he fell into a deep, disturbed slumber, too exhausted to go on. He was strangely aware as he was asleep that there was no one next to him – that it was cold. Like his brother's skin when he'd gotten mad.

He woke up because he was being shaken by two strong, warm hands. His eyes snapped open, and he was momentarily scared, and tried to hit whoever was on top of him. His limbs met emptiness, as the person had dodged his sleepy, mismatched attempts to harm him. When a hand came to push his hair aside, he recognized it and launched himself at his brother, hugging him around his midsection tightly. He could smell the city on his brother and wondered where he'd been.

"I'm sorry I left you alone," Seimei reassured him, still brushing his hair aside. Much like a cat would, the smaller boy stretched out, yawning loudly, his tail arching upwards.

"Let's sleep now," Ritsuka requested sleepily.

When he grabbed Seimei's hand to pull him towards the bed, he wondered briefly why he wasn't scared of said hands. They had hurt him, violated him in places he wasn't ready to have explored yet. But all he could think of as the larger enveloped his smaller one was that he was safe and nothing would ever hurt him again. If something was living inside Seimei, he'd eradicate it if it was the last thing he did. He would protect Seimei, too, now that he was old enough – in his opinion anyway.

"Not yet. I have something for you."

Seimei's voice was unwavering despite his uneasiness.

"You…do?" he smiled. His brother had gotten him a present as an apology? Well, he wasn't about to complain.

"Yes. It'll hurt a little," Seimei stopped midsentence, realizing how inappropriate saying that was in the current circumstances. He saw Ritsuka make an uncomfortable face but, to his surprise, he didn't run off screaming. "But you'll see later. It's not what you think," he assured with a taunt smile, "I won't do that again."

Unless you want me to.

Seimei swatted the thought away.

"Okay…"

"Lie down on the bed face-down."

Again Ritsuka winced but obeyed quietly, lying on his stomach on the bed they shared. His tail twitched uneasily as he waited for his brother to give him his surprise.

Seimei pulled an appallingly long needle from the box Nisei had provided him with and examined it carefully. It was already loaded. There was a small note stuck to the side of the box and he recognized Nisei's horrible calligraphy.

I knew you wouldn't wait for me to give you the instructions, so here they are:

The needle is loaded with the right amount of Mortosiline. Inject it into the back of his neck – it's pretty painful. He'll be drowsy for a while and then go to sleep. When he wakes up you'll see the effects. It has no effect on future memories.

Have fun

He nearly growled at the farewell message scribbled at the bottom. He examined the long, wide needle and frowned; it would be more than painful, especially injected at the back of the neck. Was it even worth it…?

"Ritsuka?"

"Yes?" his answer was muffled by the pillow.

"If you could forget what happened today, would you do it?"

There was a long pause filled with awkwardness before Ritsuka made a sound that sounded like a whimper. Seimei turned around, worried as to the nature of the sound, but only saw Ritsuka's pouting face staring at him from the bed.

"No…Seimei told me he loved me. Why would I want to forget that?"

Seimei was surprised, in a word. He rarely was, in all honesty, but if you asked him he'd agree that he was caught off guard. He'd always known Ritsuka was very strong despite his seemingly weak behaviour and exterior, but he seemed genuinely unscathed. That made Seimei worry that he was hurt so much that his mindset had shifted entirely to accommodate his pain.

"I was referring to what happened after that. It's okay to be mad, Ritsuka," he breathed, the needle still hidden behind his back. Ritsuka was too sleepy to notice anything.

"I'm not…I hurt Seimei, and I made Seimei mad. I won't anymore…"

Because you love me or because you're scared?

"I was…wrong." He managed to force out. "It shouldn't have happened. You're not alright, Ritsuka."

Ritsuka got mad then. His tail bristled and he sat up on his elbows, his eyes squinted.

"I'm fine! I just want to sleep now, and you're keeping me up," he growled like a grumpy bear.

He seems fine. He's acting normal. Maybe I don't need to…

"So you wouldn't forget?"

"No! Come to bed…" he stopped. "Seimei?"

"Yes?"

The eldest brother spun around quickly and leaned to the box, dropping the needle back in. He'd put it away – for now. It might come in handy later. He slid the box under his desk and made sure it wasn't visible unless you bent down.

"What you…did to me…is it something you like?"

Oh, yes.

"No," he sighed, turning the computer on. He hadn't checked his e-mails yet that day.

"Why are you lying?" Ritsuka asked almost too silently for his brother to hear.

"Ritsuka…I forgot your surprise at the store. I'll go get it tomorrow."

"A store that's open so late?"

"There are some."

"It's not like you to forget things," Ritsuka mumbled. He reached out when his brother drew close, clinging to his shirt like a leech as he once had as a child.

"I've got a headache."

"Oh."

They fell asleep curled up on the far side of the bed, Ritsuka without his blankets – he preferred to use his brother as his personal heater. As for Seimei, for once in many, many years not a single urge entered his body. As much as he deigned to think it, their earlier activities had put his desires to rest temporarily. He'd gotten pleasure out of it even if he hadn't been in control of his body. And as much as Seimei was a narcissist, he sometimes believed he loved his brother equally to himself, so it perplexed him to think that he'd enjoyed hurting Ritsuka. With those uncomfortable feelings in mind, Seimei fell into a restless sleep and slept the night away without waking even once.

xXxXxXxXx

"S-Seimei…"

The boy looked up from the newspaper and eyes his mother sardonically. She shuddered and stopped drying the plate in her hands with the cloth. She was biting her lip as though very nervous and shuffling her feet.

"I h…heard. I was outside…outside. Outside the room…I was."

"As incoherent this morning as ever, mother," he cut her off coldly. But she was determined that morning like never before.

"I heard Ritsuka talk…scream, he screamed but in his head. He talked. But he was screaming…for you to stop."

Seimei stopped reading an article about the economic regression and turned his full attention to his mother. It would appear that, when his mind was 'switched off', he didn't have his near inhumane sense of hearing or sight. He normally would have heard her breathing near his room. He decided to let her go on – Ritsuka was taking a shower.

"Seimei's such a good boy…he's so smart, so smart. Ritsuka, he's not. But he…he's kind and small. He's your boy, I…yes, your boy. But you shouldn't…you can't…don't hurt him, Seimei. I'll tell…I'll tell on you. I'm not scared," she challenged.

Seimei was furious as he threw the newspaper onto the kitchen counter and stood up. His mother's eyes followed him fearfully as he stalked towards her, his mouth curved into a snarl. The fine hairs of his tail were standing up and his ears were pinned backwards. When he was close enough, he pushed her against the wall and wrapped his hands around her neck, squeezing tightly. She flailed around, her mouth open in the silent screams she had heard so distinctively as her son was raped by her other son.

Oh well, the end of one problem brings about another one…

Chapter 9 over :D

R&R as always. I enjoy reading them, it's amazing the things you see in the story that I don't necessarily see. Plus I get some ideas.

On that note, thanks to the person who offered that Seimei try to erase Ritsuka's memories. It was kind of a good idea =)

Oh, yeah, mortosiline does not exist. I don't know if there's a way to erase someone's memory, other than bashing their head into a wall, so yeah. Sorry if you're really into medical terms or something…