Disclaimer : I don't own Hikaru no Go or Loveless.

"xxxxxxxxxx" Character's talking

xxxxxxxxxxxx Character's thoughts

Chapter 7: Many people they meet in Goura

In the principal's room

"There're many things that I want to ask you, Ritsu-san." Hikaru said.

"Is that so?"

"Like why do Fighters and Sacrifices exist? Why do we have to fight? What's the meaning of all of this? You even built a school for this purpose, so it must be something important… What the hell is the Seven Moons anyway?"

"Hmm, you weren't kidding when you told me that there were many things you wanted to ask me." Ritsu seemed amused. With his arms crossed, he casually leaned back against his expensive wooden desk. "It's such a pity that I can't answer any of those questions. Once the time comes, the truth will be revealed."

Hikaru looked into Ritsu's unwavering eyes and sighed. Now he knew where Soubi got that eerie smile and poker face from. I'm not gonna go back home empty handed! "What about Aoyagi Seimei then?" Seeing Ritsu flicking an interested look at him, he continued. "You must have realized by now that I'm not on good terms with him, and from what I've heard, you're not his fan either. Surely, you won't mind sharing his information with me, right?"

Ritsu smirked at that. He took off his glasses and said. "What do you want to know then, Shindou-kun? Or should I call you 'Shindou-2-Dans?"

In the corridor.

Soubi was smoking when a voice called out his name. "Soubi? Isn't that Soubi?"

Two boys sprinted in his direction. One had blue-green straight long hair, the other had red-brown wavy long hair and wore an eye patch. He knew them well.

"Hi, Youji. Hi, Natsuo." Youji and Natsuo, both twelve, were a team. Their name was Zero. Youji was the Sacrifice, and Natsuo was the Fighter. Negisa-Sensei, Ritsu's rival, had sent them to defeat him but they got defeated by him instead. However, by a strange twist of fate, they became friends.

"What are you doing here?" Natsuo wondered.

Soubi breathed out the smoke and answered. "Hikaru wants to have a talk with Ritsu."

Youji and Natsuo exchanged puzzled looks. "Hikaru?"

"Hikaru? Who?" Youji asked.

"My Sacrifice." Soubi replied shortly.

At that, both boys burst out laughing. "Hahahaha!"

"Again? How many times did you change your Sacrifice?" Youji asked mockingly between laughters. "You change your Sacrifice as often as you change your bed partner! The only difference is that you are the one who gets dumped everytime!"

"Hahaha, well, you gotta give him credits for this, Youji." Natsuo added. "He can find a replacement in no time!"

Youji and Natsuo often said cruel things, but Soubi knew they meant no harm.

"It's rare for you two to laugh out loud like this." Another familiar voice chimed in.

He recognized this voice too. He remembered it by the heart.

"What is-" The owner of the voice froze the moment he saw him. "Soubi." He was a cute short boy with black medium-length hair and big round black eyes. His name was…

"Ritsuka."

"So he sneaked into this Academy to steal some information?" Hikaru summed up. Ritsu had just finished the story of the Aoyagi brothers.

"Yes." Ritsu assured him.

Hikaru continued. "But the information he stole is too random, you don't know what he's aiming for or what he's gonna do next."

"That's right."

"That's not good." The young Go pro said it with a sigh.

"Tell me about it." The blond principal muttered while lighting a cigarette.

"Still, thank you for telling me about the Aoyagis. That's very useful." Hikaru paused for a brief moment. "But there's another thing I want to ask you." One more thing, the most important one.

"My, my, aren't you a boy full of questions?" Ritsu sniggered.

"Sai." Hikaru stated, glaring at the older man intensely.

"Soubi." Ritsuka said his name again.

Soubi said nothing. All he could do was gaze at the boy who had once promised him of a happily ever after but then had coldly broken his words.

"Ritsuka-kunnnn, where are you?" another familiar voice rang out in the hallway. A tall grade six girl with big boobs appeared from a corner. He knew her too. She was the Loveless Fighter, Ritsuka's real Fighter, Hawatari Yuiko. Yuiko studied at the same school as Ritsuka and had told him once that she had fallen in love with Ritsuka the moment the boy had walked into their class.

"It's love at first sight." She said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I love Ritsuka-kun. I'll do whatever to make him happy, even if I have to die."

Back then, Soubi thought that it was just a silly puppy love. But he had been wrong. Although Yuiko hadn't realized that she was the Loveless Fighter, her instincts had told her that she was meant to be with Ritsuka and that she was born to protect him with her life.

"Soubi-san!" Yuiko cried happily. She ran to him, grabbed his hands and shook them up and down forcefully. " Soubi-san! It's been a while! Where have you been? Why didn't you come to visit us at school? Were you busy painting again? Ritsuka-kun and I decided to come here to take fighting lessons during the weekends, you know. And you? What are you doing here? Did you know that- " she babbled non-stop.

Soubi observed the girl indifferently. How could she act so friendly with him after she had taken Ritsuka? Didn't she realize how much pain she and Ritsuka had caused him?

The girl was overexcited. She had no self-control. He always found it annoying but he hadn't voiced it out loud since she was Ritsuka's best friend.

But things were different now.

He smoothly freed his hands from her grip. "Can you not touch me? I don't like to be touched, especially by you."

"When you told Seimei about Sai's disgrace," Hikaru laced the word with anger, disgust and sarcasm, "did you know that he would kill Sai for that?"

"If you're asking me if I had planed Sai's death. Then the answer is no." This was the first time Ritsu had ever displayed any emotion-and it was guilt. "However, I must admit that I didn't approve of his behavior. What a waste, he had talent, but never attempted to use them." he grumbled. "Sai wasn't a good student like Soubi, but he was still my student. I didn't want to see him hurt, let alone get killed."

"Then why-" Hikaru demanded through gritting teeth as he could barely control his fury. Why? "Why did you tell him? If you didn't, Sai would...Sai would..." Sai would have been alive.

"It's natural for you to blame me for what had happened. It's partly my fault after all." Ritsu shrugged. "But I'm not going to apologize. I'm not going to say sorry." he stated.

What? "How dare you?!"

The older man stood up straight and declared. "If Sai hadn't died, Soubi-kun wouldn't have had you as his Sacrifice."

"What?" Hikaru hastily rose up. "You!" He was so mad that he didn't even know what to say.

"Soubi-kun is such a wonderful Fighter. He's flawless. He's perfect." Ritsu slowly approached Hikaru and stood face to face with the teen. "He deserves the best and I always chose the best for him. In this case, it's you."

Forgetting that behind him was the sofa, Hikaru unconsciously took few steps back and fell down on the sofa. "You-" This guy, he's crazy.

Ritsu bent over and caressed his cheek with the back of his hand. "Like Seimei, you're smart and decisive. But unlike him, you're kind. That kid, Ritsuka is kind too but he's too soft." he fingered Hikaru's lips with his thumb. "He's quite good but you're better."

Hikaru swept Ritsu's hand away. "Our conversation ends here." He snatched his backpack and headed to the door. "Now I understand why Soubi dislikes you so much." He quickly left the room to find Soubi.

"Eh?" Yuiko stared at him in shock and embarrassment.

"I said I don't like to be touched." Soubi repeated with a cruel smile.

"Err, sor, sorry, Soubi-san. I just thought that-" the sixth grade school girl stammered. "Well, in the past, we always did that and you didn't say anything so I thought..." she spoke softly with her head hanging down.

"I had always hated being touched by you." Soubi said. He didn't care if it hurt the girl. It couldn't compare to what she had done to him. "I just never said it."

"Soubi!" Ritsuka reprimanded. "How could you say something like that to Yuiko?"

"Rit-Ritsuka-kun, calm down." Yuiko threw herself on Ritsuka and hugged him tightly. "It's okay, Yuiko isn't mad at Soubi-san or anything." she said with tears in her eyes.

"But he's being rude, Yuiko!" Ritsuka marked. "How could you say something so cruel to Yuiko! Apologize immediately!" he commanded.

"No." Soubi threw the finished cigarette to the floor, Three months ago, I would have complied to your order but…

"Soubi…" Ritsuka was taken aback. The boy was clearly surprised since he had never disobeyed him before. But then again, things had changed now-Ritsuka was no longer his master.

"Tsk, tsk, Ritsuka, poor you." Youji's arm hung loosely around Ritsuka's neck. "You're not Soubi's favorite person anymore."

"That's right." Natsuo joined in. "Ne, ne, you know, Soubi has a new Sacrifice!"

"What?" Risuka exclaimed.

"That's why he's here!" Youji chatted loudly. "His new Sacrifice, Hikaru-something is in the principal's room with Ritsu-Sensei!"

Risutka gave Soubi an inquiring look and saw that he, Soubi, had no intention of saying anything. Ritsuka finally asked it, out loud, with Yuiko hiding behind his back. "Is that true, Soubi?"

"Yes." There is no reason to deny it.

"Soubi?" A new voice rang out.

It seems that we're getting more and more guests for this little chitchat.

The new comers were not strangers. It was the Breathless pair. The first team that Soubi and Ritsuka had encountered. Arai Midori, a boy with short blond hair, would always be found with his violet-haired girl Fighter, Myoujin Ai.

"Hey! Good timing!" Youji dragged Midori to the group.

"Wait, wait!" Mirodi exclaimed, startled.

"Midori!" Ai called out.

"We're talking about Soubi's new Sacrifice!" Natsuo told them.

"Eh?" The Breathless pair uttered.

"Hahaha, this is great! Don't you think so, Youji?" Natsuo laughed.

"Yeah! First, Ritsuka chucked Soubi! Now, Soubi chucked Ritsuka!" Youji put his hands on his stomach and guffawed. "This is fun, man!"

"Ne, Soubi," Ritsuka called quietly. "You-your, your Sacrifice, who is he?" he stammered the question. "Is he, is he good to you?" He looked away and asked in a whisper. "H-he isn't like my brother, is he?"

Feeling guilty now, are we? Soubi lit a new cigarette and replied."He's not. He's perfect."

"Perfect, huh?" Mirodi echoed. "Now, I want to meet the one whom the-perfect-Fighter-ever describes as a perfect Sacrifice."

Soubi smiled at that. "Not just as a Sacrifice, Hikaru is a perfect individual." Hikaru, my Sacrifice, is the best.

"Ohhh, someone is in love here!" Natsuo teased.

"His name is Hikaru?" Ai wondered.

"Poor Ritsuka!" Youji rolled with laughter, looking far from caring. "You got completely ditched now! Well, dude, you gotta accept that the new one is always better than the old one!"

"Stop it, you two!" Ai told the Zero off.

"Th-that's right!" Yuiko took Ai's side. "You're being mean to Ritsuka-kun!"

"Mean? Us?" Youji and Natsuo looked at each other like it had never occurred to them that their words might hurt others' feelings.

"Hey, don't you girls accuse us like that." Hands on his hips, Youji spoke in a defensive tone.

"Yeah, we're not being mean." Natsuo supported his Sacrifice. "We're just telling him the truth."

"But, but, but-" Yuiko tried to argue.

"It's like cars!" Youji gave them an easy example. "The new series are better than the older ones! You're useless now, Ritsuka!" He rudely pointed at Ritsuka's face.

"Don-Don't call Ritsuka-kun useless!" Yuiko protested in tears. "Ritsuka-kun is not useless! He's the kindest, smartest, gentlest-"

She is going to wail soon. Soubi knew. So weak… He noted in disgust.

"There you are, Soubi." Another voice chimed in. It belonged to the most important person to him at the moment.

Soubi turned around. His master walked on lazily. "Hikaru." Soubi jogged towards him. The moment Hikaru was within his reach, he pulled him into a tight embrace. "Are you okay? He didn't do anything to you, did he?" he asked, with worry evident in his tone.

Hikaru lifted his eyebrow and chuckled. "Well, he's a bit creepy but he didn't do anything. Honestly, what do you think he would have done to me? Eat me?"

Unbeknownst to the teen, that was exactly what Ritsu had done to him. He took Soubi's virginity when he was at Hikaru's age in that very same room."Nothing." He shook his head to cast away the unpleasant memories. "You're okay. That's what's important."

"So, this is Hikaru?" Out of nowhere, Youji suddenly stood next to Hikaru. He brought his face close to him and asked. "Hey, are you Hikaru?"

"Eh? Err, yes." Surprised by the unexpected closeness and the younger boy's lack of manners, Hikaru stammered out his answer. "Shindou Hikaru, nice to meet you." He greeted.

"Hikaru, Hikaru." Natsuo called from Hikaru's left. "Is Hikaru Soubi's Sacrifice now?"

"Y-yes." Hikaru nodded, still startled.

Youji and Natsuo held each other's hands,swinging to left and right childishly. "So fun, so fun!" They sang. "More interesting people here!"

"Ne, ne," Natsuo grinned. "Since you're Soubi's Sacrifice, I promise, I'm not gonna slice you into pieces with my knife! I'm very good at it, you know!" he boasted.

Hikaru blinked and forced a smile. "Err, that's great, thank you." He then whispered to Soubi. "Is it just me or is this place filled with creepy and insane people?"

Ai managed to hear it though. "Hey! We're nothing like them!" She objected, gesturing towards the Zero.

Mirodi nodded. "Yeah, just because they are doesn't mean that we are too, you know."

"Oh, sorry." Hikaru studied him. "And you are?" He inquired.

"Arai Modori, we are the Breathless." Midori presented. "I'm the Sacrifice. Ai is my Fighter."

"Those idiots are the Zero; Youji and Natsuo." Ai provided.

Youji and Natsuo flashed a cute smile. "Yo!"

Ai tilted her chin towards both Loveless. "These two are Loveless; Ritsuka and Yuiko."

Ritsuka swallowed hard and uttered. "A-Aoyagi Ritsuka, nice to meet you."

Probably got excited meeting my new Sacrifice. Soubi thought.

"Ha-Hawatari Yuiko, nice to meet you." Yuiko bowed.

Hearing that name, Hikaru's face turned white. "Aoyagi?"

"Are you okay?" Ai questioned with concern. "Are you sick?"

"Hey, dude, why are you looking at Ritsuka like you've seen a ghost like that?" Natsuo asked.

"Natsuo, Natsuo." Youji called. "He froze when he heard Ritsuka's surname! He must know that bastard Seimei!" He theorized.

Soubi noticed his master flinching. Although Youji was a cruel punk, he was observant, his words stabbed Hikaru's heart like a knife.

"Is that true?" Ritsuka jumped on the older teen, grabbed his arms and shook them fiercely. "You know my big brother? Do you know where he is?"

Hikaru stayed silent, most likely too shocked to speak since he hadn't prepared to come across the brother of his friend's murderer here.

Soubi, being a protective Fighter, stepped in between them. He hid Hikaru behind him while facing Ritsuka. "My master is not feeling well, excuse me." Soubi then took Hikaru to the room he had booked earlier.

Room 555,

"A glass of water?" Soubi asked Hikaru who was sitting at the edge of the bed. The room was a simple single room. There was only one bed, a small table and two chairs.

"I'm not sick, Soubi." Hikaru retorted.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Hikaru looked up at him. "About what? About the water?"

"I didn't know that Ritsuka would be here." Soubi moved close to the bed. "If I had known, I wouldn't have brought you here today."

"It's not your fault."

Soubi sat on the floor and rested his head on Hikaru's knee. "Do you hate Ritsuka?"

Hikaru gently patted Soubi's head, after a long pause, he uttered. "No, he isn't the Aoyagi that killed Sai, is he?"

"No, he is not." So kindhearted…my Hikaru…

"The question is, do you?" Hikaru queried. "Do you hate Ritsuka?"

Soubi took his time to contemplate about it. Did he hate Rituuka? Sure, the boy left him for Yuiko, but Ritsuka was a good kid. He remembered Ritsuka tending his wounds when he bled, Ritsuka holding him and praising him for fighting well and Ritsuka standing up against his own brother to defend him. He remembered every moment of them together. Ritsuka's soft smile when he had forgiven him for helping Seimei still stuck in his mind. Did he hate Ritsuka? The answer was obvious. "No, I don't hate him." Soubi stated. "I'm just-"

"Angry?" Hikaru filled in; amusement in his voice.

Soubi smirked. "How can you tell?"

Hikaru snorted. "Because I know you. You're probably bragging how magnificent your new Sacrifice, a.k.a. I am before I found you and your little gang."

I wasn't the one who was boasting but… "Yes, something like that."

"Great. Now you're acting like a vengeful guy who brings his new girlfriend to taunt his ex and the ex's new boyfriend." Hikaru spoke dryly. "Only that I'm not your new girlfriend and that boy is not your ex-girlfriend and that girl is definitely not his new boyfriend!" He leaned back and lain down on the bed. "Man, it sounds so freaking weird. And those two kids are scary too."

Soubi moved on to the bed and hovered over his Sacrifice. "You mean, Youji and Natsuo?"

"Yeah."

With his eyes closing, he rested his head on the Go pro's shoulder. "They're a bit different because they are artificial humans." He explained.

"What? Artificial humans?"

"They're the results of Nagisa-Sensei's experiment. They feel no pain." Hmm, Hikaru smells so good. He thought as he nuzzled Hikaru's neck. "Nagisa-Sensei calls it Project-Zero, that's why they're given the name Zero. Our name is Zero. We are the beginning and the end. We are everything and nothing. We shall give you pain and suffering. We shall send your existence back to nothing." He chanted.

"That is their incantation, right?"

"Yes, did Ritsu tell you about it?" He guessed. He was sure that he hadn't mentioned it to Hikaru before.

"Yeah." His lord rested his hand on the back of his head and continued. "Before each pair engages in a battle, they have to cast their unique incantation to boost up the team's power to the fullest, right?"

"Yes," Soubi nodded. Hikaru was clever indeed. "But we don't have ours yet."

"Ritsu-san says we'll automatically know when the right time comes." Hikaru said.

"When?" Soubi wanted to know it so badly. Right now, he felt too insecure. Hikaru had accepted him. They had formed the bond but they weren't completely bonded yet.

"When I mark you, he says."

He snapped his eyes open. "Mark me?"

"Yeah, you are the Blank Fighter, right?" Hikaru reminded him of his cursed destiny. "All I have to do is accept you and mark you and then you'll officially be mine, at least that what's he told me."

"Then mark me." Soubi pleaded.

"I hope you do realize that you are asking me to carve my name on your flesh." Hikaru stated. "It will hurt, you know."

"I know." I know it better than anyone. "I like the pain."

"I know." Hikaru muttered. "But I don't like it."

"You're so thoughtful." Soubi praised.

"No, I'm not." Hikaru answered back. "I'm just being normal. But you, you're just being a masochist."

The comment brought a smile to Soubi's emotionless face. "Maybe you're right. What else did you and Ritsu talk about?"

"About that night."

"What night?" What night?

"The night that Seimei broke in here and how you helped him escape."

Hikaru felt Soubi tensing up upon hearing it. The older man got up. He sat on the bad, turning his back on him. "Soubi."

"I-I didn't want to do that." Soubi hugged himself tight to keep his body from shaking. "I tried to resist but when Seimei ordered me to break the window so he could escape, I-I couldn't go against him." He choked. "I kept telling myself 'No! No! He's not your master anymore! Don't listen to him!' But I just couldn't! It's like my body wasn't my own anymore. Then I broke the window and he ran away. If acting equal to your Sacrifice is shameful, then what should we call this terrible sin of mine?" Soubi's voice trembled greatly. Hikaru was certain that he was crying right now. "I had a master, yet, I obeyed another one! No wonder Ritsuka left me!"

Hikaru hurriedly crawled next to him. Once he was in front of Soubi, he did his best to embrace the taller man. "It's not your fault." He comforted him. "It's not your fault, really." He's breaking apart.

Soubi shook his head in disagreement. "It is."

"It's no." Hikaru stood firm with his words. "You see, Ritsu and I came up with a theory."

It worked like magic. Soubi stopped crying in that instant. He looked up and stared at him blankly. "A theory?"

"Yeah." Hikaru released him. Putting his hand on the bed for support, he leaned back a bit. "In the end, it's all about the name and the bond. Everybody will have their name on their body, right?"

"Yes, it's like a birthmark. The Breathless pair, for example, they have the word 'Breathless' on the palms of one of their hands. It's the symbol that they are meant for each other." Soubi explained. Seeing that his beautiful hands had no mark, he bit his lips, frustrated.

Hikaru wanted to slap himself for bringing it up. Damn, he doesn't have the real name written on his body. "Anyway," He went back to the topic. "Although back then Ritsuka had accepted you and marked you by piercing you ears, but he didn't carved the name Loveless yet."

Soubi was sharp enough to know what he was implying. "You mean that-"

"Yes," Hikaru said. "Your bond with him wasn't complete. Technically, you're still Beloved's Fighter not Loveless's. So it's normal for you to listen to Aoyagi Seimei who is still your Sacrifice."

Soubi heaved out a deep sigh, lay down and dropped his head on Hikaru's laps. "But you're going to write your name on me, aren't you?"

Shaking his head, Hikaru chuckled in amusement. "You're acting like a spoiled kid now, you know that? But yes, I'm going to engrave my name on your skin exactly where it is on my body. It's going to be painful. Be prepared."

"I told you I like pain." Soubi smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Masochist!"

"Wait." He suddenly got up to a sitting position.

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't that mean your name has already appeared?" He queried.

"Err, yes."

"Where is it?" He demanded.

"Huh?"

"Where is your name? Is it on your hand?" Soubi took Hikaru's hands and flipped them searching for the name. "No, it means that." His eyes roamed over his body. "Take off your clothes."

"What?"

Soubi didn't waste time to repeat it. He launched himself on Hikaru. Hikaru fell back onto the bed, his hand were pinned down at either side of his head by Soubi's firm grip. "So-Soubi, let me go this instant!" the blond shouted an order.

"No."

What? "What? Doesn't a good Fighter follow his Sacrifice's command?" Hikaru yelled, trying to struggle but it was no use, Soubi, the twenty-one year old Fighter who was trained to be a Fighter since he was five, was much stronger than a fifteen year-old Go pro.

"So what?" Soubi trailed kisses along Hikaru's neck. "Punish me, if you want to."

"Soubi!" Hikaru scolded. "At first you told me that you kissed me to strengthen our bond. Now, I'm beginning to wonder if you did it for your pleasure! Let me go!"

Soubi kissed his forehead lovingly and said. "I did do it to tighten our bond. Satisfying my pleasure, as you put it, was just an additional bonus."

"You pervert! Let me, hummp!" Poor Hikaru didn't have a chance to finish the sentence as Soubi silenced him with his kiss.

"Hey, Hikaru, are you here?" Youji sang as he slammed the door open.

Both Hikaru and Soubi turned towards the intruders. Youji looked as if Christmas had come early. Midori and Ritsuka turned the deepest shade of red. Hikaru didn't know if he should cry in delight that his virginity was safe or he should cry for being found in this compromising position.

However, Soubi didn't seem to be happy at all. "Is there anything we can do for you kids?"

"Oh, oh, the ice prince Soubi is getting mad." Jumping up and down, Youji clapped his hands. "Well, we did interrupt them. What do you say, guys?" He asked the other two Sacrifices. "Should we come back when they're not busy?"

"Yes." This came from Soubi.

"No!" This was Hikaru's response. If they leave now, only god knows what will happen to me! He ransacked his backpack and threw a book to Soubi's lap. "Why don't you go outside and read it while I'm talking with them?"

"But Hikaru-" Soubi protested.

Hikaru didn't listen to him though. He pulled him up and shoved him out off the room. "You need to cool yourself down and keep your uncontrollable hormones in check!" He then slammed the door shut and turned back to his young guests (a.k.a. heroes who saved him from the randy devil king). "So, boys, what can I do for you today?"

Words: 4443

Special Thanks: my beta readers, noemie and sany.

AN: The title of this chapter is inspired by "Five people you meet in heaven". More review please!