Hey Guys!
To my amazing reviewers, you guys make my day; you literally bring a smile to my face. Big hugs to Carabel, klagana1, windygalia, GaliStar07, Chibi Hime Hakujou-chan, inuyasha-horse-lover, xXMewzikLuverXx, 777angeloflove, ObnoxiousPink, and NoelleisParadise!
Over 50 review guys! I can't believe it, you are all sooo great!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless, Kouga Yun does.
Make sure to check out my poll, I've officially decided to close it on December 26th , so it's your choice, Soubi and Ritsuka can either fail or pass the exam (I've got plots for both), their future is in your hands.
Ch. 9: Flirting with a Ghost
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"Tear; a thousand needles assault!" Natsuo shouted, rushing into battle; hoping that they could put an end to this quickly.
Needles formed from the shadows and took aim at the girl's body, but upon their actual attack, simply went through her, as if she were an illusion.
The Zeros exchanged glances, coming to a full understanding of what this ghost /girl was capable of.
Tsuihousha giggled when the attack did nothing, swaying back and forth cheerfully, "What are your names?"
"We are Zero." Natsuo and Youji responded back, confused as to why the child wasn't attacking back.
"No, your actual names."
"None of your business, ghost freak." Youji sneered.
She suddenly became very hostile, a look of anger spread across her face,"You are all the same! You're all mean! You don't deserve to be my toys! Go away forever!"
A sudden gust picked up, followed by a tide of tentacles that swiftly wrapped themselves tightly around Youji's neck, arms, chest, and legs.
Youji smirked as he looked down at the restrictions, and Natsuo took the opportunity to attack.
"Tsuihousha. We control that name. Slave, we capture you, Tsuihousha." Natsuo stated monotonously.
The girl giggled once again, "Your attacks aren't going to hurt me."
Natsuo chuckled slightly, "We gave up on that a while ago." He smiled; happy that he could use some of the information they had earlier received.
"What do you…I can't…move…" The girl stated, utterly shocked that an attack had worked on her, "But why, your sacrifice, he's restricted, he's in pain, why didn't you help him." She whined, trying to find some reason as to her current predicament.
The Zeros then fully burst into laughter, though stifling chortles, Youji explained, "We…are…Zero…we don't feel pain." Youji continued to laugh.
Green eyes widened even more and panic rose throughout her, "No! I can't lose! Let me go!"
More stormy winds arose, followed by more tentacles wrapping themselves around both Natsuo and Youji.
The Zeros exchanged another glance, realizing that at the rate the battle was going, it would continue in a stale mate.
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Soubi, outside the battle, continued to speak to his nonresponsive sacrifice; all the adult could do was wade it out, and hope that the Zero pair could defeat the girl and break the hold she had over Ritsuka.
"Ritsuka, please come back to me. It's Soubi, your fighter, I need you back." Soubi pleaded, expecting no response.
Amethyst eyes flickered, normality came back to them for one second, before the heavy glaze returned once more.
Soubi held his sacrifice in shock, the Zeros must have done something to restrict the ghost's abilities. He continued to call out to the boy, hoping both factors would help.
"Ritsuka…" eyes flickered, "Ritsuka, I'm here…" eyes flickered once more, fading back to their more lively form.
"Sou…" the neko whimpered.
"Ritsuka." Soubi gasped.
"Sou…bi"
Soubi couldn't contain his happiness, his Ritsuka was coming back to him. Without warning the blonde crushed his lips to his sacrifice's.
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Ritsuka's vision was extremely cloudy, but slowly returning. He had been trapped into the depths of his own mind, yet something had managed to awaken him. He kept fighting against the nagging feeling that he should go back into his head, where he could be numb, and pain free. The neko was almost tempted to do so, but the recollection of his friends, his mother, his brother, and Soubi brought him forward, forcing whatever feelings of anesthetics behind him, returning back to reality.
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Ritsuka had come back to reality, only to be greeted by the warmth of his fighters lips, shocked and confused, the younger boy immediately pushed the older man's chest, attempting to create space, but the only result from it was Ritsuka's doll sized chair flipping backwards, causing the child to fall.
"Ugh…ow…" Ritsuka complained.
He looked around, taking in his surroundings, which, only confused him more.
"Uh, Soubi? What happened? Where are we?"
"You were taken by the ghost whom we fought with, she put a very powerful spell on you. This is her room it would seem."
"Where is she?"
"Currently in a fight with the Zeros for your freedom."
"Oh…" Ritsuka looked down, discouraged and ashamed of his inability to defend himself.
"Ritsuka, it's alright love, they'll be fine." Soubi replied, comforting his sacrifice.
"Don't call me that!" Ritsuka blushed, seeming to have completely forgotten his current situation.
Soubi knelt down by his sacrifice and kissed his cheek while wrapping his arms around him, "Whatever my master says." The adult replied, extremely relieved that his sacrifice was back with him.
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The Zeros had continued with their stalemate, neither one ever gaining an advantage.
"Why the heck do you want Ritsuka so much anyways? You've already got that toy chest full. That perv is worried sick over him and you're just messing with them." Youji shouted, sick of the drawn out battle.
The girl looked at the ground, sadness coming over her. Youji and Natsuo were confused at the gesture, and became even more shocked when they heard her speak.
"I give up, you win…I'm leaving..." tears welled up in her eyes, and the battle field left, returning the three to the room where the Loveless pair waited.
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Ritsuka stayed in Soubi's embrace, receiving gentle kisses wherever his fighter could reach. He hadn't known how long he had been trapped in his head, or in what state his body was in while he was gone, but it must have scared Soubi based on the way he was acting now.
"Ritsuka?" the fighter asked, playing with the neko's hair.
"Hmm…"
"Do you see it?"
"See what?"
"Our connection." Soubi replied, lifting the thin thread that connected them.
Ritsuka's eyes, now focused, saw the glowing string, and grasped it gently. "This is what holds be and Soubi together. Just like Ai and Midori."
The boy turned toward the adult and snuggled deeper into his chest, overjoyed that they were finally "connected".
"Soubi…I.." Ritsuka was cut off by the warping of the room. The Zeros, as well as the girl had left the spell battle.
"Tsk. We leave you guys alone for one minute and you're almost at second base." Youji teased.
Ritsuka blushed severely, but before anyone could add on or retort the green-haired boy's comment, Tsuihousha ran crying into Ritsuka's arms, pushing aside the blonde who had previously been holding him.
"Ritsuka. Ritsuka. Ritsuka. I'm alone." She wept, crying into his arms.
Ritsuka sat in shock…one, why was this ghost crying to him, two, how was this ghost actually clinging to him, and three, what was going on?
She continued to weep, repeating his name as well as her abandonment and loneliness, but otherwise, all was silence, the only ,motions exchanged were exchanged glances.
"Um…uh…what are you doing?" Finally the neko-boy asked.
"You're going back with them, I'm saying goodbye." She sniffled, looking up at the small boy.
"I'm confused…" he admitted.
"Those too were mean…but…they did make me see that he cares about you lots, and that I couldn't make you mine."
"Why did you want me in the first place?"
"I've been all alone." She repeated, now looking down at her hands, still sitting in Ritsuka's lap.
"Can you explain to me what you are, and how you're here?"
She shook her head quickly, then moved her eyes to the Zeros and then to Soubi.
"If they leave will you tell me?"
She then nodded just as fiercely.
"Um..guys…can you go for a second?" Ritsuka asked, his urge for knowledge overpowering the danger of the current situation.
"Ritsuka, we searched all over for you, we aren't leaving." Youji sneered, irritated his efforts might go to waste.
"Yeah Ritsuka, besides, it's not like we can figure out how to get out. No doors, no windows, no exit." Natsuo seconded.
"No." Soubi declared sternly.
Ritsuka sighed at their stubbornness, and then whispered into the younger girl's ear. The child then smiled and spread her arms out in front of her, "Take us away, come, bring us to safety."
Her signature dark tentacles sprouted from the ground once more, gripping Ritsuka and Tsuihousha and both were dragged through the floor, to a location unknown to the others.
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"Great, what do we do now?" Youji rhetorically questioned.
Before anyone said anything else, Soubi slammed his fist into the side of the wall nearest to him, releasing a slight amount of his anger from the fact that Ritsuka was gone again.
A good ten minutes must have passed as the three were confined in the room in awkward silence. Suddenly, tentacles arose from the ground, gripping themselves around Soubi, Natsuo and Youji and drug them through the floor. All around them was black until they suddenly arose through the floor of another room.
It seemed like a study, book shelves filled with tons of text lines the walls. There was a small fireplace in the corner, as well as a few large, leather chairs. In the center of the room were Ritsuka and Tsuihousha, sitting casually, speaking with one another as if nothing happened.
"Ritsuka?" Soubi muttered, desperate to be in the comfort of his sacrifice's presence.
Ritsuka turned his head to the three, got to his feet and gave a slight smile. He then turned back to the little girl, "You know what you need to do right?"
She nodded, getting to her feet as well, "Yes Ritsuka. Thank You." She planted a small chaste kiss to Ritsuka's lips and then disappeared into thin air.
"What happened?" Natsuo asked.
"Um…after she explained what had happened to her, I told her it would be best to move on." The raven-haired neko replied.
"So you flirted your way to the ghost's dead, non-beating heart, then told her to get the hell out?" Youji snickered.
Ritsuka blushed slightly, "It wasn't flirting!"
Due to how defensive Ritsuka had become, the Zeros burst out into laughter.
Ritsuka, blush still on his face, ignored the Zeros and approached Soubi.
"Are you okay?"
Soubi stood there confused, crinkling his brow.
"She told me what happened, are you okay?" he repeated.
Soubi nodded, and pulled Ritsuka into a tight hug. While in a tight embrace, the sacrifice continued, "Good, cause now we have to get our scroll so we can get out of this place."
A smile played at the corner of both their lips, and they then separated from each other.
"Hey, Natsuo and I have our scroll, we just did this to pass the time. So you're on your own now." Youji budded in, ruining the mood.
"Good luck, we expect to see you in the next round." Natsuo smiled, then grabbed Youji's hand; and with that, left the room. (This room does have a door, yes.)
"Alright Soubi, let's go." The amethyst eyed one declared, dragging the other towards the door.
"Ritsuka?" Soubi chuckled.
"What?"
"I had no idea you were so enthused to continue this competition while cross dressing." Soubi smiled, placing a kiss on his sacrifice's lips.
Ritsuka stood there confused for a moment, then looked down at what he was wearing. A deep blush covered his face as the realization he was wearing a dress kicked in.
"Soubi!"
"Don't worry Ritsuka, I think it's cute." Soubi continued to smile.
Ritsuka hmphed, and trudged out the door, not caring if his fighter followed, and desperately hoping he could find some spare male clothing around.
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So there you have it! Sorry for the long delay, everything has just been so busy.
Thanks again to everyone who has supported this story and Happy Holidays!