Title: Heaven, Separate Us

Charter: Separate

Autor: Me

Disclaimer: I don't own characters, manga, or anything that has something to do with Naruto. On the other hand, I own the universe the story is set in.

Rating: T

Summary: Sorcerers, knights and space battles. Chance meetings between two people bound together. Naruto and Sasuke or NaruSasu, at reader's discretion.


Separate


The man in the Imperial uniform looked straight at him and he wondered briefly why the world hadn't frozen a fraction of a second earlier. Oh, sweet irony.

Ritter and Zauberer locked their eyes, both petrified with sudden realization.

They could go their separate ways and pretend it never happened. Yet, the undercurrent of hurt and betrayal they both felt – betrayal most intimate, for they both had their own convictions and reasons – held them there and then, tempers suddenly flaring. Action before thought was the consequence.

Zauberer moved his hand forward, lips parted, and threaded power around. Ritter jumped back, defensively, magic coursing through his body.


"You're never going to stop me!" Challenge. Accusation. Plea. Desperate acknowledgement of a cruel fate.

"Is this the only way for you?" Misunderstanding. Please, make me understand you, I want to know, just know, and maybe it will all work out.

"It is." Fatality. Anxiety. Trepidation. Fear. Oh my god, what have I done?

"I can't let you…" Litany. Please, come back with me. Come back with me. Come back with me.

"If you try I'll kill you." Prayer. Please, please, come with me, come with me, don't make me do this, I can't do this, I can't, I won't, but I will, I will if you make me do it.


And one dying, bleeding, not being good enough because the other one was better, more proficient, more graceful in the gentle art of assassination. Because one was a murderer and the other wasn't. Because one was willing to sacrifice everything and the other wanted to save all no matter what.
Blood, burns and grime, they looked at each other with hunger, longing and animalistic hate, both drained. Their eyes locked over the distance of void between the two corridors.

Ritter put his hand, then forehead, against the cold window, and the gap of hundreds of meters, lifetimes, words, ideas and hurts became nothing, as Zauberer did the same on the other side. They both smiled.

Because… Because there was still something they could never get rid of, something that whispered 'not now but soon'.

As Ritter jumped into the airlock of his ship, Zauberer did nothing to stop him.


In the end, what hurt even more, they both completely, utterly and desperately failed. Because one wasn't that much of a murderer anyway and the other one was almost a killer.
A/N:

The Federation of Free Worlds is not a democracy. Real military and political power is held by Zauberers, trained since early childhood to control of their powers and are usually loyal to the bone. While for Zauberers the wide usage of power is most important, Ritters train mostly to use their powers in physical defense and attack.

Before one can become Zauberer he needs to be bonded to a Ritter. Bonded Ritter is Zauberer's guardian and acts as a stabilizing element since Zauberers often seem to be prone to mental breakdowns.

A Zauberer of very high power level might (but only might) be able to take out Kingdom of Heaven's ship on his own.