Chapter 15: Reality

Disclaimer: I do not own this. Spiral: The Bonds Of Reasoning is the property of Kyo Shirodaira and Eita Mizuno. The only ownership I claim is for this story and the OCs involved.

The rain persisted through the night, only ceasing as sunrise was beginning. As the first rays of light entered the glass walled room, the young performer stirred back to consciousness. Eyes Rutherford slowly lifted his head from its place upon his crossed arms. He still sat at the massive ebony piano, his arms crossed in front of the music stand. Unable to ease his mind, the musician had proceeded to practice until sheer exhaustion forced itself upon him and demanded a moments respite. Less than an hour prior the English teen had lost the battle with fatigue and had laid his head on his crossed arms. He had not intended to sleep, but merely to rest his eyes for a few moments. Now, as he sat in front of the piano, watching the sun rise, he felt the full effects of the fatigue that gripped his body.

Wincing at the pain in his side, he slowly rose from his place by the piano. With slow, rhythmic steps, Eyes made his way over to the window across from his instrument. Clouds still filled the sky, but there were small areas that had begun to allow the early rays of sunlight to pierce through. Eyes smiled slightly at the sight. He no longer felt the panic that had taken hold of him the night before. As the morning dawned, he had returned to his normal, calm demeanor.

Looking down at the street below he saw the start of movement as people began to make their way out onto the streets on their way to their various obligations. Eyes watched with an unfeeling gaze, marveling at the insignificance of human life. Less than twenty-four hours before roughly five people lost their lives, yet life didn't slow or even take a moment to mourn the losses. Even to those whom the fallen had a personal connection, the feeling of loss would be fleeting and then they would be forgotten. No matter whose life it was, humans truly did not care.

The same was true for the Blade Children. No one would miss the Blade Children when they were gone. They would perhaps be remembered for a little longer than the average individual simply because of their dubious reputation, but only their title would be remembered. The individuals who made up the Blade Children and lost their lives were insignificant. No one would mourn them.

"Such insignificance." Eyes mused aloud as he turned with disgust away from the window. He could feel his injury burning as a result of the movement, but he ignored it and walked to the apartment door. Removing his heavy black coat from the closet, he left the apartment building and entered onto the street.

He made his way quickly down the barren path. Every so often he would pass another individual, but they paid him no mind and he responded the same. He could feel a chill in the air and he pulled his collar higher around his neck in order to maintain the warmth that remained in his body.

His destination was a fair distance away from the pianist's own home. The progress was painfully slow as the performer did his best to prevent the fresh wound from tearing open again. He could feel the tension on the sutures as he moved, but he continued on. It took him nearly a half hour to reach his desired location. At the entrance, he paused and looked at the modest apartment building. He knew that Kanone would be asleep, but the silver haired teen had no desire to wait for a more appropriate hour to visit his best friend. Without a word to the attendant at the front desk he made his way to the third floor where Kanone lived. He rapped lightly on the wooden door before placing his hands loosely in his coat pockets, waiting for his most trusted ally to answer the door.

oOoOoOo

Kanone was roused from sleep by the sound of a light knock at his door. Unsure of whether he had actually heard anything at all, he checked his clock before sighing heavily at the sight of the early hour. Lying in his bed a moment more, he listened to see if another knock came. He heard nothing. Sighing again he threw the blankets off of his body and rose to his feet.

"Who thinks of making a social visit at this hour?" He mumbled to himself as he retrieved a hand gun from the desk drawer next to the bedroom door and made his way into the main room of the apartment. Upon opening the door, he was surprised to find Eyes waiting for him.

"Eyes?" He asked in confusion, stepping back to allow the shorter male entrance into the apartment.

"I apologize for disturbing you at such an early hour." Eyes said in his characteristic tone as he entered. Kanone shook his head.

"Has something happened?" He asked worriedly, closing the door and following Eyes deeper into the room. His expression became concerned when he saw Eyes nod. "What happened?" He questioned, taking Eyes coat from him and turning to hang it. He paused when he noticed the bandages wrapped around the lower half of Eyes' torso. The bandages were visible due to the length of the black leather top that the pianist wore, barely exposing his midriff and lower back. "You were hurt?" Kanone asked in alarm, nearly dropping Eyes coat.

"Not badly." Eyes said dismissively. Kanone's eyes hardened slightly, but he nodded and proceeded with the task he had previously been undertaking.

"Who was involved?" Kanone questioned calmly as he walked over to where Eyes had seated himself on the cream leather couch that rested against one of the walls of the apartment.

"Everyone." Eyes replied, waiting until Kanone had seated himself in a chair that sat adjacent to the stoic teen.

"Was anyone else injured?"

"Ryoko was grazed in the arm, but nothing to be concerned about." Eyes assured. Kanone seemed to relax slightly.

"Were you ambushed?" He inquired, unsettled by the fact that the "Hunters" had made a move when neither he nor Kisame had been present to assist. Eyes shook his head.

"No. We were followed and pursued." He replied.

"By how many?" Kanone pressed, speaking before Eyes had a chance to elaborate any further.

"I'm not certain. We were attacked during the heaviest point in the downpour, so it was difficult to determine how many "Hunters" were present." Kanone nodded slowly.

"I see." His tone was serious and his eyes were hard as he laced his fingers together and rested his arms on his knees so that his hands concealed his mouth from view. After a moment he looked at Eyes. "Tell me what happened."

It took a half hour for Eyes to relay the events of the previous night. Every so often Kanone would interrupt with a question, requiring Eyes to pause and answer. When Eyes had finally concluded his report Kanone stood and walked to the small window in the main room of the apartment.

"This situation doesn't feel right." He commented, frowning. Eyes nodded. "Everything about the conditions yesterday were foolish for an attack. Why would the "Hunters" attempt to go after us then? The weather was against both us and them and the fact that we were in a group makes it even more foolish." Kanone continued, speaking more to himself than to his guest. Eyes sat quietly and listened. Finally, Kanone turned to look at Eyes once more. "Who are we dealing with here, Eyes? The way that the "Hunters" are going about these attacks is strange. They don't feel connected in the slightest."

"It's not impossible to consider that the "Hunters" aren't as unified as they once were." Eyes speculated, shifting uncomfortably on the couch as he pressed his hand to the wound on his side. Kanone noticed the action and stepped away from the window, briefly leaving the room.

"The "Hunters" have always been divided, but it does seem that they aren't acting together like they used to. The tactics used in each of the recent attacks have been rather different from one another." Kanone said as he reentered the room a few moments later. He carried with him a first aid kit.

"The "Hunters" haven't had much success with eliminating the Blade Children for quite some time. It would make sense that the "Hunters" would be dividing and attempting different approaches to eliminate us." Eyes agreed. He moved to the edge of the couch and turned his back to Kanone as the older teen seated himself on the couch and placed the first aid kit on the nearby coffee table. Eyes removed the black garments from his upper body as Kanone began to slowly unwrap the bloody bandages that adorned Eyes' torso.

"If that's the case, then we will need to rethink our current strategy." Kanone commented as he gently inspected the wound. Eyes nodded, wincing as Kanone pressed his fingers against against the skin near the injury. Kanone ignored the reaction of pain and continued on. "How are you personally handling this, Eyes?" He questioned as he carefully removed the sutures that Eyes had managed to place the night before. "It has been quite some time since you've killed someone with your own hands." Eyes looked at the floor.

"I'm fine. I don't mind killing. I can't waste time on emotions like that." He lied. As he had done his entire life, Eyes had once again suppressed the emotions that had effected him the night before. He refused to be weakened by such useless feelings again. Kanone frowned, but dropped the matter.

"You really shouldn't deny your emotions, Eyes. It will only work for so long. Eventually it will backfire on you." Kanone replied somberly as he skillfully stitched the wound together. He could feel the English teen flinch at the entrance of every needle stroke, but he continued on regardless. When he had finished he once again wrapped Eyes torso in bandages in order to prevent the wound from tearing open or bleeding. Eyes stayed silent throughout the whole procedure. When finally Kanone rose to discard the bloody bandages and return the first aid kit to its rightful place, Eyes stood as well.

"I'll be leaving now. I have some things that I need to take care of." Eyes replied flatly. Kanone paused at this, turning to look at Eyes once more. After a moment he sighed and closed his eyes in mild frustration.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Eyes. You can rely on us too. I'll always be there to support you." Kanone replied solemnly, watching Eyes with a firm gaze.

"I know." Not sparing another word Eyes turned and made his way to the door. Without a glance back at his best friend he quietly let himself out of the apartment.

oOoOoOo

As the day stretched into afternoon Kirie once again stood observing the Blade Children. She stood in the corner of the school lunchroom and watched the six teens talk. She still couldn't get her head around the fact that Eyes was attending alongside the rest of the student body or how she had managed to convince the school board to allow Kanone re-entry into the academy. She lowered her head and gave it a slow shake.

She watched the teens for a few minutes more before leaving the school. She needed to smoke and saw no point in resisting the desire in order to continue to watch the Blade Children.

It didn't take the "Watcher" long to make it out into the cool September air. She paused on the steps of the school, lighting the waiting cigarette and taking a slow puff. She exhaled at an equal speed before looking forward with bored eyes and making her way farther out onto the campus. She finally stopped at one of the benches that rested at intervals within the campus courtyard. Seating herself, she placed the spent cigarette butt in her portable ashtray and lit a second. She sat quietly enjoying the feeling of the nicotine flooding her system until a voice disturbed her peaceful thoughts.

"Hello, Ms. Tsuchiya. You are looking well." Feeling slight recognition for the voice, Kirie glanced to her left toward the source of the voice. Her eyes fell on a tall man in his mid twenties with shorter black hair and threatening yet wise hazel eyes. He stood with a confident posture, his hands placed casually in the pockets of his longcoat as he looked at Kirie. The "Watcher" frowned.

"Sai Ewogasa. I didn't expect to see you here." Her tone was unenthusiastic as she sat forward from where she had previously been leaning back against the bench.

"It's been quite a while."

"What are you doing here? It's not often we have "Hunters" coming to the campus." Kirie's tone didn't change as she took another pull at her cigarette. Sai smirked mildly.

"Yes. I believe the last time one of our group was on this campus was Sonobe last year. That and of course that little Blade Child as well." He said calmly, earning a glare from the "Watcher".

"What did you come here for?" She questioned, exasperated. Sai's smile softened.

"I came to see you, actually." He said, seating himself beside the older woman.

"Why? We haven't spoken since the division of the members of the Blade Children project. To be honest I thought that you had left the area." Kirie commented, watching Sai as she spoke.

"I'm interested in the Blade Children and currently you have the closest contact with them. Being a "Watcher" it won't go against your code to speak with me like it would with some of the "Savers". Would you be willing to converse with me for a while?" Kirie sighed and looked down at the ground, resting her elbows on her knees and taking another slow pull at her cigarette.

"I guess I don't mind." She said finally, leaning back again and crossing one leg tightly over the other. Sai smiled and leaned back as well.

"So how are you? It seems that the Blade Children have been giving you quite some trouble in recent months." Sai commented, beginning with pleasantries in order to more easily transition into more pressing issues. His inquiry earned him a noncommittal shrug.

"The Blade Children have been inconvenient at times, but nothing that isn't easily handled. The person who is causing problems for all the "Watchers" is that Kiyotaka Narumi." She scoffed, her face contorting in an expression of disgust at the mention of the name.

"That former detective, right? He's been making trouble for you?" Sai questioned.

"More than you can imagine. I absolutely hate dealing with him! He acts so superior and expects everyone to just go along with what he plans. He manipulates people into following the path he's designed and destroys lives at his whim, just like he tried to do with the "Winged Gun" last year." Kirie spat exasperated, finally venting the irritation that had been building up since the previous year when Kanone had attacked the campus. Sai said nothing, allowing Kirie to speak freely. "Apparently Kiyotaka is treating this current situation between the "Hunters" and the Blade Children as a game, though he refuses to tell the "Watchers" what his ultimate goal is in all this." She added.

"I think that everyone is viewing the current situation as a game. After all, in the end there will be only one victor, just like in any game." Sai commented, crossing his legs one over the other and placing his gloved hands loosely in his lap.

"I hate the way that you both play around with lives as if they are simple toys. You've always been like that." Kirie commented, looking dully at the ground once more. The cigarette hung lose from her fingertips, burning down, forgotten.

"You're the same way. If you weren't you would have never gotten involved with the Blade Children project in the first place." Sai pointed out, looking at a sparse collection of pigeons that had gathered on the cobbles near them. Kirie grunted in disgust, but didn't comment. After a moment she spoke again.

"So has Kiyotaka contacted you yet? I can't imagine that you aren't on his list of game pieces." She spat, changing the subject and earning a light chuckle from the dark haired man.

"No, I have not had the pleasure of speaking with that man yet, though I'd imagine that I will in the near future if he is as involved in this game as you say."

"It's hardly a pleasure to have to deal with him. He may have been the world's greatest detective at one point, but he's nothing but a pain to deal with now." This comment earned another chuckle from the visiting "Hunter".

"I'd imagine. If the reputation that has spread throughout the "Hunters" information network about him is accurate, I think that there will be points where he could be difficult to deal with. I assume that there will be things that he and I will agree on and a considerable amount of places where we will butt heads with one another." He said seriously, though not heavily. Kirie nodded, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees once more. She took another gentle pull at her cigarette. Sai watched her for a moment before his pleasant smile fell from his face and he looked warily at the sky.

"Things are about to get more complicated." He mumbled, intending for Kirie to hear his words. The "Watcher" looked over her shoulder curiously.

"What are you planning?" She asked skeptically, only half expecting an answer. It was unclear as to why Sai would be confiding in her about his plan when he knew about her involvement with the Blade Children. Her brow furrowed when he shook his head.

"Not me."

"What do you mean?" She sat up and turned her upper body so she could face him fully. A look of concern crossed her face as she saw how tired Sai looked. "Tell me." Her tone was hard and serious.

"Makoto is active again." Sai retained his focus on the sky as he spoke, only breaking it away when he heard Kirie moan and lean her head back over the top of the bench in exaggerated dread.

"I thought we were finished with him. I didn't even realize that he was still around. I thought he had left the "Hunters", or at the very least gone abroad." She said, returning to an upright posture once more.

"A few of my boys met with "Hunters" from his faction last night. Apparently he has decided it's time for him to re-insert himself into the game. I just thought you should be aware."

"So how does that bode for your plans with the Blade Children?" A heavy sigh escaped the dark haired "Hunter" as he heard the question.

"Not well." He admitted. Kirie slipped the spent cigarette into the ashtray at her side and crossed her arms.

"Well, it seems like things are going to be getting a lot more interesting on the "Watchers" end of things." She commented. "I wonder how Kiyotaka will deal with this." She added.

"Are you planning on telling that man?" Sai inquired curiously.

"I'm sure he already knows, but no, I'm not. I'm not going to feed his god complex by assisting the devil." Sai chuckled again before standing and turning to face Kirie.

"I'd appreciate it if you would keep this information from the Blade Children as well. I know how friendly you are with several of their members and how compromised you've become as a "Watcher". I only told you about this so that you, as a "Watcher", could avoid getting caught up in the bloodshed if this turns out to be a war between the "Hunters" as well as with the Blade Children." This comment earned him an angered glare from Kirie.

"My priorities as a "Watcher" are fine!" She exclaimed, exasperated. Sai frowned, all jest falling from his eyes.

"For your sake I hope that's the case. But it certainly doesn't appear that way from this side. I think the "Watchers" would feel the same if they knew the full extent of your relationship with the Blade Children." Kirie glared at him and he saw her jaw clench in suppressed irritation.

"I think you should go now. Thank you for the information. I will pass it on to the rest of the "Watchers". Now be on your way." Her tone was calm but Sai could still see the irritation burning behind her eyes. Sai smiled once more. "Very well. It was good to see you again, Kirie. Let's not wait so long next time." With a dismissive wave of his hand, Sai turned and walked away. He didn't bother waiting for an answer from the angered "Watcher". He knew he would never get one.

oOoOoOo

Smoke filled the dimly lit interior of the small, lavish room. In the center stood a lone, ornate padded chair with a small wooden carved table standing next to it. The dark wood of the table bore the same carvings as the chair and an ornate lamp rested atop the black granite tabletop. This small lamp was the only source of light in the windowless room. The deep burgundy walls and dark brown wainscoting and hardwood flooring helped to devour the light that fought for dominance with the heavy smoke that hung in the room. A chandelier of black crystal hung overhead from the artistically designed wooden panel ceiling, but the lights lacked illumination. An ornate loveseat stood resting against the far wall of the room, bearing the same carvings as the other furniture. Aside from a massive antique mirror that hung across the adjoining wall, this was the only furniture that filled the room.

In the center chair a young man in his mid twenties sat. He held a cigarette in one hand and hovered the cancer stick close to his slightly parted lips. The ashtray that rested on the small table to the left of the chair was filled with spent butts, explained the thick haze that currently filled the room. The room was silent save the rhythmic breathing of the lone individual and the occasional heavy exhale as more smoke was released into the air.

A loud knocking followed by the rough opening of the large ornate door of the same color as the other woods of the room broke the peaceful silence.

"Niozawa-san! This is bad! Kurura and her unit *cough* *cough*" A panicked man rushed into the room, speaking quickly until the heavy smoke in the air caused him to choke and fall into a coughing fit. Slowly the figure in the room turned to glance over the high side of the fancy chair.

"What has happened?" He asked calmly, his tone smooth, yet unsettling and dangerous. A calm smile marked his face and dark pleasure filled his dangerous eyes. The man didn't answer right away, unable to contain the coughing fit that had overtaken him. His eyes were watering from the heavily tainted air. This pause caused the man in the chair to shrug nonchalantly and return to his former position. Lazily, he took another slow drag on his cigarette as he waited for his intruder to regain control. A full five minutes passed before the uninvited man managed to regain enough control to speak. As the coughing subsided, Makoto looked up at the ceiling with the same amused closed lip smile. "Now try again. What's happened?" He questioned lightly, taking another pull at his cigarette.

"Kurura and her unit have been killed. Only Michi-kun survived and he's in critical condition. Toshio was also injured when they went to retrieve the bodies. He was shot in the side and is in the hospital as well." The man said quickly, his voice hoarse from the violent coughing.

"Hmm, did they go off and do something foolish? It's no good to have pets that don't listen." He mused with an unsettling chuckle. He leaned back against the right arm of the chair and looked over his shoulder at the only other person in the room. His long, red hair cascaded nearly to the floor as he hung his head backwards in order to view the man still standing near the door. "So was it the Blade Children that did them in, then, hmm?" He questioned, his eyes laughing with twisted pleasure as he spoke. The unsettled informant swallowed uneasily.

"It appears that way, yes." He answered.

"Hoo, well it serves them right. I told Kurura that she wasn't smart enough to head a unit. It appears that death was the only think fitting her and the fools that followed her." The gray-eyed man said with a chuckle.

"That seems a bit harsh, sir." The man said hesitantly. His response earned a hearty chuckle from the red haired man.

"So what happened to Toshi? Did the big bad Blade Children get him too?" Niozawa questioned, looking once more at the man and completely ignoring the former comment.

"No. Apparently he was shot by another "Hunter", but one from a different faction than yours." The man responded steely, angered by the way Makoto was responding to the situation. The cackle the "Hunter" leader released at this news caused the man to flinch.

"So my old buddies aren't playing nice, huh? Well we'll have to figure out who's not being a fair player." He said as he rose to his feet and snuffed out the flame of his cigarette in the already full ashtray. He waved the back of his hand at the man in the doorway in silent dismissal as he stood with his back facing the entrance. The man quickly took the opportunity and left, sealing the chamber loudly behind him.

As the sounds of the slamming door slowly died away Makoto walked over to the massive mirror that stretched from the top of the chair rail to the ceiling. He stood with the same smirk marking his face as he looked intently into his reflection's dark eyes. After a moment he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the cool glass, his long hair falling around his face to block out his peripheral vision. After a moment he began to chuckle lightly.

"Oh, I like this game." He said as he pressed his forehead harder against the reflective surface and began to chuckle once more.

A/N: Hello everyone. I just want to start by thanking all of you for your continued support and willingness to read my fanfiction. I hope that you will be able to find this chapter to be enjoyable and would love to hear your thoughts on the story so far. Reviews are always welcome and desired, so if you have the time to spare a few words I would love to know your thoughts.

At this point I have to apologize to everyone. Regrettably, there are events in my personal life that have arisen that are preventing me from and further progress on this fiction. As much as I regret the decision, I have no other option than to place this fiction, once again, on hiatus. I will most definitely not abandon this story and will continue to work on it as time permits I will try to release another chapter around the Christmas holiday. Once again I apologize for having to place this story on hold once more. While I may not be able to publish each month I will continue to put my heart into this story and try my best to create a work that is satisfactory for you all, my beloved readers.

Thank you all for your continued readership,

Deepest gratitude,

Spiral of Destiny