Gah! Last chapter was so horrible! I hated writing it! Well actually I just hate Hitsujikai.

Hope whoever's decided to read chapter 2 enjoys!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi :'(

Fights and Friends

Chapter 2. Friends

"I'm sorry." Ryoushi apologized quickly. "But I really have to be going now."

And with that final farewell, he slipped out of the Otogi Bank's doors and out onto the school's campus, the other members following him worriedly with their eyes.

The sinking feeling had returned to his gut and he quickened his pace until he was running. His suspicions were proven correct as he neared the park and heard harsh, male laughter from up ahead.

Ryoushi froze for a moment, glancing around for a place to conceal himself before running over to a nearby tree. Slowly, he peered around the trunk and nearly shouted with horror at the scene before him.

There, he saw Ryouko pinned against a tree, held down by the arms on both sides. Her entire body was covered in scraps and wounds, and blood trickled down her arms and stomach. A handful of Onigashima's students encircled the area, but the one that stood out the most among them had long, white hair.

Ryoushi's first initiative was to leap out and help her, but he knew that that would only make matters worse.

His second thought was to rush back to school and get assistance, but after seeing the scene before him, he would never forgive himself for leaving her alone.

So he went with his third option and stayed put for the moment, plots forming in his mind of what he could do. If I just somehow take down the two holding her, and Hitsujikai, we could make a run for it…Yet he had no weapons on him whatsoever, and upon closer inspection it was obvious that Ryouko was not running anywhere any time soon. Then I'll just have to get them to leave somehow.

But no matter how hard he thought, he could compose no thoughts that would possibly take care of all of them at once. But then his mind went blank and his eyes narrowed like a panther's, a hunter's, as Hitsujikai leaned in toward Ryouko.

Ryoushi saw that he was telling her something but could not make out what it was; yet Ryouko's reply was loud and clear as she flung herself forward and smashed her forehead against his and the man stepped back, cursing. Ryoushi could not help but feel a tiny flicker of admiration for her, especially considering the condition and situation she was in at the moment.

After a few harsher, inaudible comments were sparked between them, Ryoushi tensed as Hitsujikai reached forward and grabbed Ryouko's hair, earning a shriek from her and Ryoushi straightened up immediately and took a step forward, biting his lower lip in sheer anger. He nearly gave away his position but before that could happen, he suddenly remembered the advice Nekomiya had given him; always to keep a cool head during a fight, and with much effort, he stepped back again.

But what he saw next had Ryoushi digging his fingernails into the bark of the tree he hid behind until they began to bleed.

Three of the men surrounding Ryouko stepped forward and threw blows at her in turn and Ryoushi had to close his eyes as the final thug landed his kick on her ribcage. He heard her choked cry falter and die away, thin and shuddering like some small animal being tortured to death. Tears were streaming down her face and Ryoushi could see them clear as day, feeling some of his own on the verge of falling. Then, Ryouko's head fell forward, her hair spilling out over her shoulders and she was still.

"Damn it!" Ryoushi cursed, slamming his fist against the tree trunk. "That bastard!" His eyes opened again, burning with fury as he watched Hitsujikai advanced toward the unconscious girl once more, a sick smirk on his face. He extended his hand toward Ryouko and Ryoushi could see the lust flashing in his eyes as the guys around him began to grin and laugh. Then, Ryoushi recognized the Otogi Bank's newest client step forward; he had a nice bruise around one eye as well as a limp.

"Well? Get on with it!" he hooted.

"Now, now." Hitsujikai directed his attention toward him. "Not yet. It'll be more fun when she's conscious." He vowed.

The brown-haired boy looked disappointed but nodded, nonetheless.

Now that Ryoushi knew he had more time, until Ryouko woke up again, to get help, he turned to make a mad dash back to school, or simply to find the nearest person to consult for assistance. But just before he began to head away, he heard another voice rise up impatiently, "Just do it now!" Stopping dead in his tracks, Ryoushi quickly returned back to his hiding position as Hitsujikai responded with a smirk, "Very well."

He reached forward to lift Ryouko's head up and he stared down at her. "She's even more beautiful than before." He snickered. Then, his hand slid down her neck, letting her head drop limply again as the white-haired man grabbed at her shirt collar.

Ryoushi snapped.

He felt so enraged that he was ominously calm, like the center of a tornado.

He flew forward across the grass, faster than any beast or serpent so that no one noticed his approach until he was already upon them; one second Hitsujikai was hungrily eyeing the unconscious girl, and the next he was 10 feet away, nursing a broken cheekbone.

"Don't touch her!" Ryoushi roared, fuming as he glared daggers up at the menacing Student Council president.

"Well, well, Morino-kun, is it not?" he spat out a bloody mixture of saliva. "This is unexpected." He growled, facing his opponent directly, his eyes blazing with cold, annoyance, as a lion would glare at a pestering fly. "This is also the second time you've made me bleed." He finished, bearing his teeth. The men around him began to comprehend what was happening, and all of them aside from the two restraining Ryouko began to move in toward Ryoushi.

"Back off!" the green-haired boy yowled. "Get out of here you good for nothing cowards!" To prove that he was serious, he rushed at the nearest one and socked him upside the chin before kicking him in the gut and sending him flying backwards, bowling over two of his companions.

The remaining delinquents stared in shock at first before advancing, shouting and cursing. But Ryoushi was ready for them and met them head-on, knocking the shins out from underneath one and dodging the blows of the rest. He could feel the heat of battle coursing through him, rage and fury tearing through him like a wrathful storm. Spinning back around, he spotted the false client who had cause all this trying to limp away. Ryoushi easily caught up to him and grabbed him by the shirt collar, figuring he would mess with him a little considering he would feel too much like a loser if he injured a guy with a limp any further.

"Get. Out." He snarled threateningly into his victim's face before smashing his forehead against the Onigashima student's and allowing him to stumble away, bumbling like a blind oaf.

Ryoushi straightened up and spun around to face his next opponent, but to his surprise, when he turned, only several of Hitsujikai's men remained, along with the despicable ringleader himself.

Their eyes locked, each blazing with equal hatred and loathing; no longer was this only a fight for Ryouko, but it was also a personal battle between men with grudges to make known and scores to settle.

Ryoushi stepped forward, his eyes narrowed and fixed on the white-haired man he detested so much, but his adversary seemed cool and collected. Hitsujikai was unnerved by Ryoushi's intense glares and clenching fists, even though the side of his face was red and bruised.

Suddenly, before either could make a move, the distant sound of sirens alerted them both and they each stopped dead in their tracks. Relief swept through Ryoushi, but his opponent swore colorfully at the sound.

"Let's get out of here." He ordered his remaining men. The two confining Ryouko let her limp body crumble to the ground and Ryoushi had to close his eyes briefly to avoid the painful sight.

Hitsujikai stood over her for a moment, a hungry, yearning look in his eyes that made Ryoushi want to punch his lights out once and for all. "And I was so close…" he growled, turning the girl over onto her back with his foot.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Ryoushi could hold back no longer. He flung himself forward and kicked at the demon that called himself a human being. Hitsujikai leapt nimbly away from the attack and Ryoushi took up a defensive stance above Ryouko. The sirens screeched closer and the rest of Onigashima's trash had already vanished.

"You've won this battle, Morino-kun," the white-haired man admitted. "But," his eyes flared with a challenge. "The war is far from over."

And with those final, words, dripping with menace, he disappeared, like a fox, into the surrounding woods.

Ryoushi glared after him for a moment to make sure he was truly gone for good.

Then, he turned around to look down at the girl at his feet. The strong, yet secretly weak, invincible, wonderful, beautiful, one and only love of his life, Ryouko Ookami lay there, defeated and broken.

He never thought he would see the day, nor did he think it was possible in the first place. Blood coated her arms and her right side was soaked with it.

He collapsed onto his knees beside her, slowly reaching out his hand toward her before recoiling it, afraid that she would shatter into a million pieces if he so much as blinked. But he needed to know just how badly she was hurt; he would not be able to bear sitting in some hospital room waiting for the results.

Gently, gentler than a butterfly's wing, he brushed his fingers over her arms, and by the way her left one was twisted slightly he was certain it was fractured at the least and her wrist also seemed to be in a similar condition. The bleeding at her side had stopped for the most part, but the knife had thankfully not pierced any vital spots.

Running his fingers up her side, he discovered that a minimum of three of her ribs were broken. Her breathing was shallow and weak at best, and he had to rest his palm on her chest just to make sure she was actually breathing at all. The flutter of her heartbeat was uneven and slow, but for some reason, even though she was so terribly injured all at the expense of his carelessness, Ryoushi was unbelievably relieved.

"Ryouko…I'm sorry." He hissed between his teeth, desperately trying to hold back the hot tears that were welling up behind his eyes.

"I'm so sorry…"

Ryoushi sat with the other six members of the Otogi Bank, plus Mimi Usami; Ryoushi had been informed that she had been the one to call the police to the sight after witnessing the fight. She had returned immediately to the school, doing what Ryoushi could not have afforded to do, and had informed the remaining members of what had occurred. After finding out what she had done, all of them had thanked her unconditionally.

Now, they all sat in Ryouko's hospital room, surrounding her bed on all sides; Alice had persuaded the nurses to allow all of them to be present at once for when their friend awoke.

It was getting dark outside by this time, but none of them intended to leave until they saw her eyes open.

Presently, Ryoushi sat on the left side of Ryouko's bed, his face grim was worried as he listened to the beeping of the IV that monitored her heart rate. Liszt and Alice sat beside him, both quietly debating what the results of this assault would do to against Onigashima's entire school. Otsu sat beside them, holding back her tears to the best of her ability. Majou, seated on the other side of the bed, shook her head from side to side in a rare gesture of anger and helplessness. Otohime pressed against Urashima for comfort and he gently stroked her hair. Usami looked miserable as she fidgeted next to them, but worst of them all was Ringo. She was crying hysterically while clasping Ryouko's right hand, for it was not broken.

"Ryouko-chan…Ryouko-chan…" she kept repeating over and over again.

Years seemed to pass by until finally, the unconscious girl stirred and all eyes immediately looked up at her. Ryouko's eyebrows were twitching and her forehead was furrowed as she fought to open her eyes.

Her companions all held their breaths as her gorgeous russet irises opened slowly and blinked up at them. Worried faces soon turned relieved and joyful and smiles broke out across every face in the room.

"Ryouko!"

"Ryouko-chan!" Ryoushi and Ringo cried out in unison as the others all simply let out sighs of relief.

"R-Ryoushi…" she managed to rasp. "Ringo…everyone…" Gingerly, she slipped her hand away from Ringo's grip to lean on her arm, attempting to push herself up. But before she could even put pressure on her arm to move, her friends all immediately jumped up.

"You mustn't, Ryouko-san!" Otsu cried.

"You're hurt really bad!" Ringo added.

"A-Alright!" Ryouko gave in to the intense stares from around her and slowly laid back down.

"We were all so worried!" Otohime burst out, then.

"I'm sorry, you guys." Ryouko apologized.

"N-N-No!" the green-haired girl gasped. "T-That's not what I meant! It's not your fault! There's no reason for you to apologize! I was just saying…" she trailed off guiltily.

"No, I know that." Ryouko replied. "But still, I'm sorry. I should have been able to fight them off but I just…" her breath hitched in her throat as she recalled Hitsujikai's eyes, blazing with hunger and malice.

"Ryouko-san." All turned their heads toward the President of the Otogi Bank as he spoke up. "You're not giving yourself nearly enough credit. There were over thirty opponents for you there, and they also had the element of surprise and the advantage of sheer body mass."

"He's right." Ryoushi agreed, and he nearly flinched as her gaze was then directed at him; he could hardly bear to look at her. "There's no reason for you to apologize for anything. It was me who couldn't help you out."

"W-What?" she blurted out. "What are you talking about, Ryoushi?" He remembered that she had regained consciousness for a brief period of time while in the ambulance and it was obvious that she had comprehended what had happened with the situation at the time. "You saved me, didn't you? If it weren't for you, if you hadn't stopped Hitsujikai when you did…I would be a lot worse right now." She finished quietly.

Ryoushi shuddered; he did not even want to think about it. He recalled what he had seen, how her ex-boyfriend had longed to assault her and see her suffer even more than she already had.

"Don't be sorry over what you didn't do," Ryouko went on to him after a moment. "Be proud and know that I'm thankful for what you did do." She finished with a tiny smile.

Ryoushi blinked down at her in astonishment before bowing his head.

"Ryouko-san…" he shook his head from side to side. "I'm supposed to be making you feel better, here." He informed her.

Light chuckles drifted about the room.

"Well then," Liszt said in a loud voice so that all could hear him. "Let's all be off and let Ryouko-san rest for a while now, shall we?" The others nodded in agreement and began to file out the door, all wishing their injured friend a swift recovery.

At last, only the president, Ryoushi and Ringo remained in the room. The blonde boy looked over his shoulder before he left as well. "Oh. And you'll all be glad to know that Onigashima's actions are being reported to the board of education as well as the police. They're not getting out of this one so easily." He smiled smugly before slipping out of the room.

"Ryouko-chan!" Ringo wailed. "Get better soon! You have to! I'm going to be so lonely!"

"I'll do my best." Her roommate promised.

"I'll be visiting you every day so don't miss me too much." The redhead warned, leaning over Ryouko's bed and giving her a small hug.

"I won't." She smiled.

"Good."

"I'll be visiting you too!" Ryoushi added in.

"Oh-ho! You're not jealous of me, are you, Ryoushi-kun?" Ringo taunted.

"Of course not!" he cried.

"Alright, alright. No fighting in the hospital." Ryouko broke in, than smiled up at them both. "See you tomorrow."

"Right." Ryoushi promised as he followed Ringo out. "See you tomorrow."

A/N: Thus completes part 1! The sequel for this fic is called Recovery And Romance, and it will be up soon! I just hope for some reviews for this first ;3 Thanks for reading!

Please review!