Sacrifice or Fighter?

Ritsuka sat down in the dark, empty park at the table that was secluded from the rest of the park. He rested his head in his hands and sighed, "This is all too much like my own life. She is slowly gaining her memories from being around her brother. I regained all of my memories when I met up with Seime at Seven Moons, the first time. She's too much like me, her mother, her missing siblings, the pain she has endured, but she doesn't have ears or a tail and she's only fifteen. I didn't loose mine until I was fifteen, but that was because of . . . Ritsuka shook his head and whispered, "No, now that our pain is shared I don't want her to . . . I don't want to trigger those kind of emotions . . . " He stood up and slammed his fists down on the table, "This is all too much . . . my brother and Soubi, Soubi's relationship to Azumi, this is all way too complicated. I love him . . . but the bound between me and Azumi is so strong, I can't break it or fight it, I can't be with Soubi and be with her."
Ritsuka grabbed his head hearing a very powerful battle inition, once he recognized. Ritsuka turned around to find someone standing in the shadow of the trees. He felt his entire body go severly cold upon seeing who it was as he stepped into the moonlight peering through the trees.
He looked at Ritsuka, his peircing crystal, blue eyes making Ritsuka feel uneasy and even afraid. His light blue hair was tossling in the wind reminding Ritsuka of the times in the courtyard of Seven Moons. Ritsuka stepped away his breath uneasy and hard to catch.
"Ritsuka-kun, how are you faring?"
Ristuka shook his head and closed his eyes as he backed away slowly. Sensei was two inches taller than Soubi, he had a murderous look in his eyes at all times. He was very fit for someone in his forties and looked as though he found a fountain of youth. Ritsuka opened his eyes just in time to see him standing in front of him.
Ritsuka held his breath as Sensei reached up his hand and grabbed Ritsuka's wrist. The memories came flooding back before he could shut them out, all the pain, the fear, the helplessness. Sensei held his wrist tightly, "You escaped before I had finished teaching you Ritsuka-kun. That is not tolerable, now you will have to come with me."
Ritsuka pulled on his hand, but then Sensei grabbed the other wrist and held them painfully tight. Ritsuka shook his head, "No, I don't want to go back . . . "
Sensei smiled at hearing the desolute fear in Ritsuka's voice, "It will be you or your sacrifice, do you wish to give her up so soon?"
Ritsuka closed his eyes and gave in by lowering his arms, "No . . . "
Sensei nodded, "I finished my teachings with Soubi-kun, but you have much learning left to do. I will leave them both safely here if you come with me freely. If you or they try to fight I will take you all and destroy Soubi-kun as he should have been destroyed when Seime-san died."
Ritsuka nodded in understanding, "Hai, Sensei, I will do as you wish."
Sensei nodded, "Then it is settled," he released Ritsuka's wrists and brought his hand to Ritsuka's cheek. But before he could touch his cheek Soubi appeared behind him and said abruptly, "Sensei, your hands will not touch him anymore."
Ritsuka let out his breath finally and looked at Soubi, as soon as he looked to Soubi he closed his eyes for a moment. Soubi looked at Sensei, "What have you used to threaten him?"
Ritsuka took a step forward, but he made himself in the range for Sensei to grab his wrist once more. Soubi moved very fast and in a second he was in front of Sensei and had grabbed him by the throat. But even though Soubi had him by the throat Sensei only held Ritsuka's wrist tighter.
Ritsuka looked at Soubi, his eyes were darkened by hate, darkened by the same pain that he knew and felt. Soubi gripped his throat tighter and still Sensei only tightened his grip. Ritsuka could feel his nails digging into his wrist, but he bit back his pain, mostly out of not wanting to give Sensei the satisfaction of knowing he was causing him any.
Ritsuka heard a voice in his head, a soft, elegant voice that he knew to be Azumi's; "Ritsuka, what is going on? There is so much darkness in your soul right now, and my wrist . . . "
Ritsuka took a deep breath and finally managed to swallow his fear, he took his other hand and grabbed Sensei's wrist, the hand that held his own wrist. Ritsuka gripped his wrist and forced him to let go of his own, then he stepped back and looked towards the table. He bent down by it and felt under the seat on his lefthand side. He found it, the dagger he had known Azumi had once put there for times when she came to the park alone.
He found the handle and gripped it tightly in his hand then ripped it free of what bound it. He held the dagger in his hand and rose to his feet turning around and putting the dagger behind his back. Soubi met his eyes and Ritsuka nodded slightly and Soubi released Sensei. I threw the dagger to Soubi as Sensei fell to the ground gasping for air.
Soubi caught the dagger and held it to Sensei's neck as he rose to his knees and looked at them. Soubi glared at Sensei, "You will never lay a finger on him again."
Sensei smiled at this remark, "Hai, but I have had you completely Soubi-kun. I have already had your dear Ritsuka-kun . . ." Soubi pressed the blade into his neck, making it bleed his neckk slightly. Ritsuka took a deep breath, "Why must you tempt your fate when you are at the enemy's mercy Sensei?"
Sensei looked at Ritsuka, "If tempting my fate allows me to hear your voice, I shall do all the tempting I can handle."
Ritsuka looked at Soubi, he turned the knife at Sensei's throat forcing him to look up. Sensei smiled once more, but his eyes met mine; "I can see why Soubi-kun wanted you so badly Ritsuka. Seime may have ordered him to go to you, but it was Soubi that fell for you. He came to love you more than he ever loved Seime, if he ever did."
Soubi shook his head, "Shut up Sensei," Ritsuka sighed, "Let him finish his lies Soubi."
Soubi looked to Ritsuka, "You wish to hear what he has to say."
Ritsuka nodded, "Why not, some lies can be read between to seeking a greater truth. If some of his words speak the truth that will be more than the words you once spoke to me."
Sensei smiled, "Ritsuka, you are kind . . . "
Ritsuka scoffed, "You have no right to address me so informally."
Sensei smiled, "Ahh, of course, only American's like Soubi-kun and Azumi-chan have that privelage. Did your dear Soubi-kun tell you why he let his sister die, why he allowed Azumi-chan to get hurt and taken?"
Ritsuka sighed, "No, of course not, but I don't care to hear you tell me. You were speaking of Seime-san, so finish."
Sensei sighed, "I was going to, it was Seime that initiated such actions. Since Soubi-kun was named Beloved by me, he had no choice but to follow Seime-san's orders. He ordered the capture of Elreka-chan and then conned the accident, he intiated it. Your brother was quite evil and twisted Ritsuka-kun. I have to say that he was a lot like his very own teacher, Sensei Ryoko. Seime-san used to be innocent once, but after Sensei Ryoko got a hold of him he became powerful and cold-hearted. He even initiated the kidnapping of Azumi-chan, everything that happened to Soubi-kun's loved ones was planned by me and Seime-san. I only intiated the sickness his mother suffers from and the death of his father, Seime-san did everything else. He was quite cruel and was regarded as a very powerful master."
Ritsuka grabbed the dagger seeing Soubi's grip loosen. He looked at Sensei, "That is enough, how will Seven Moons handle loosing you?"
Soubi looked from Ritsuka to Sensei and tried to reach for the dagger. Ritsuka said very angstly, "No, I will be the one to do this."
Sensei smiled at him, "It will be my pleasure to die at your hands, your final trial."
Ritsuka smiled, "A trial I have been through before."
Sensei closed his eyes and Ritsuka sliced the blade across his throat. Sensei fell backwards on the ground and Ritsuka dropped the knife and fell to his knees, "What . . . "
Soubi picked up the knife and then set it on Sensei's dead body. He held his hand over him and said, "Inflame," catching him on fire. Ritsuka watched as he instantly turned to ashes and then was blown into the wind. Soubi grabbed Ritsuka by the hand and pulled him to his feet, "Ritsuka, we have to get out of here, they will know he's died."
Ritsuka nodded and closed his eyes as Soubi put his arm around his waist and led him back to Azumi's home.

I ran down the stairs and opened the apartment door just as Soubi and Ritsuka came up to the door. I stood with the door open and moved aside to allow Soubi to lead Ritsuka inside. I closed the door once they were in and followed them up to my room. Soubi put Ritsuka down on my bed and leaned him back against the wall. Then he started to work on the wounds.
As I looked at them I noticed that they were in the same place that my own wounds had been. I watched Soubi heal Ritsuka's wounds, but the look in Ritsuka's eyes was so blank, so very dark and secluded. I closed my eyes unable to withstand looking into his, but as I closed my eyes I started to feel that darkness, that secludedness. I also saw that Ritsuka had been in the park, he had killed a guy with light blue hair and crystal blue eyes. A man that he and Soubi looked at with much hatred, I even heard them call him Sensei. I opened my eyes and looked at them once more.
Soubi looked at me and closed his eyes, "Azumi . . . "
Ritsuka looked up and met my eyes then the light returned and tears clouded his eyes. I felt the saddness, the regret, I crawled to his side on the bed and sat down next to him close to the wall. I turned his face to look at me as Soubi moved his hand to heal the gash in the back of his head.
I smiled, "Ritsuka, no matter what you did, it had to be done. There is no reason to blame yourself, he would have taken everything you have left away from you. You shouldn't tell yourself that it was wrong, some people have to die. Sometimes there is no other way to stop them."
Soubi lowered his hand having finished healing him and took Ritsuka's hand in his own, "She's right Ritsuka," Ritsuka looked at Soubi. Soubi gripped his hand tightly, "Sensei threatened you with taking us away from you . . . "
Ritsuka cut him off, "Just like Seime-san made you do? Sensei had forced you to become Beloved instead of who you really are. In doing that he handed you to my sadistic, twisted, cruel brother. Seime-san was so cruel to you, he forced you to do things that probably killed you. Was everything he made you do why you said you would kill him for me if I wanted you to back when I was only twelve?"
Soubi nodded, "Yes, but I didn't want you to find out about that side of Seime . . . "
Ritsuka sighed, "I have all my memories back now Soubi, I know that Seime was always cruel. After he got back from that 'private school' he started to protect me, somewhat. Sometimes he would set her off on purpose, but then he would bandage my wounds while telling me I should run when she's like that. The truth was, she was always violent, she used to do the same thing to Seime as well. He was pretty violent at times to, towards me and his friends. I know he was violent towards you, but because of the forced bound between you and him, you grew to like his violence and control over you."
Soubi sighed with a nod, "Yes, I did, but once I met you I gradually broke away from Seime's control. You were never so controlling and before Sensei got a hold of you . . . "
Ritsuka smiled and held Soubi's hand tightly, "Which you shouldn't blame yourself for. I should have let you come to me instead of blocking that silent call that you recieved everytime I was in danger. I did that myself, I shouldn't have, I should have called you that night when she had me tied up the second time."
Soubi kissed Ritsuka then and looked into his eyes, "Ritsuka, that was not your fault . . . I must say that when you held me I wanted to take you right then, but you prevented me from doing so. Your unyeilding kindness and understanding for my pain stopped me from doing so."

I walked into the room and smiled at seeing the two of them so close. I walked over to them and Soubi backed away from Ritsuka. I saw a look of pain pass over Ritsuka's eyes. I sighed deeply and said, "You two should get out of here, she will wake up sometime . . . "
Soubi shook his head, "No, I will not watch another one suffer because of their kindness. You are coming with us, you will stay with me again. I don't want you to be left alone with her."
Ritsuka looked at me and nodded, "He's right Azumi . . . "
I noticed Soubi look at Ritsuka and regret passed over Ritsuka's eyes. But Soubi walked back to his side and grabbed his hand, "Let's get out of here." Ritsuka grabbed my hand as Soubi led Ritsuka to the sliding door. I shook my head, "Don't you two know how to use the elevator?"
Soubi stopped, "We could do that, how about you two go on the elevator while I take the short cut." With that Soubi disppeared, jumping off the balcony. Ritsuka led me back through the apartment then to the elevator. I watched him for a moment considering his mixed expression, "Ritsuka . . ." I waited until he looked at me, "is something bothering you?"
He smiled his mixed expression changing to a gentle one, "No, why do you ask?"
I smiled in return, "I just felt tension in the air . . . are you sure Soubi will be okay by himself?"
Ritsuka laughed at that, "Yes he will most likely take this time to smoke a cigarette."
"You make it sound like you don't like him smoking."
Ritsuka nodded, "Never have the smell gets on my nerves . . . " I noticed a slight blush touch his cheeks, "but I have grown acustomed to the taste so I never got around to telling him to quit."
'Used to the taste huh, how far does the taste remain on him?'
Ritsuka smiled and we stepped out of the elevator, he left my question unaswered. He led the way out of the building and sure enough Soubi was standing outside smoking a cigarette. I smiled at him and then we walked down the street and towards the bus stop. Soubi looked at Ritsuka with a sorrow in his eyes, but I couldn't figure out why it was there. Soubi suddenly seized Ritsuka by the wrist which made me take notice of the bandages on his wrist. Soubi looked at me, 'We need a moment to talk, okay Azumi?'
I nodded and took a seat at the bus stop to wait for them while Soubi led Ritsuka further down the street and not within hearing range. I could see them because of the street lights, but I could make out what they were saying . . .

Soubi looked at Ritsuka moving to stand in front of him. Ristuka glared at him, 'What the hell . . . '
Soubi sighed, 'You killed him, without blinking Ritsuka, that isn't you. You're kind hearted, not cruel, never heartless . . . '
Ritsuka scoffed, 'Things change, as do people. Sometimes you have to kill to survive and that bastard . . . I have never hated and loathed someone so much in my life. I still have someone else to kill, Sensei Ryoko.'
Soubi shook his head, 'No Ritsuka, killing someone for vengence is wrong. It will change who you are . . . '
Ritsuka sighed, 'How many people's lives do you think someone has to take to kill someone without blinking. Yes it effected me to kill him, but only because it meant I was finally free from that bastard, you're free from him. He wasn't the first, more like the fifth or six. How do you think I got out out of there, by negotiating?'
Soubi looked into his eyes, he saw the same coldness he saw in Sensei Ritsu's eyes and Seime's. That look, those thoughts and emotions were not Ritsuka. Soubi held back his pain, the tears at the thought that he had lost Ritsuka as he took a deep breath and said with a voice stern, threatening, and remarkably strong despite the emotions passing through him; 'I will not let you do that anymore, I will help you regain who you truly are.'
Ritsuka smiled, a smile that immediately reminded him of Ritsu, 'That can never happen and you're my sacrifice not my master.'

I had felt cold, numb and trapped in a dark place as Soubi stood in front of Ritsuka saying words I couldn't hear. I had subconciously stood up and walked over to them catching Soubi at; 'I will not let you do that anymore . . . '
I asked as I walked next to Ritsuka, 'What happen, what are you two hiding from me.'
Soubi looked from Ritsuka to me, 'Taking lives . . .'
I smiled and looked at Ritsuka, 'I figured you were darker than you let on. Let's settle this right now. Ritsuka I order you not to take someone's life unless it is unavoidable.'
Soubi smiled and we walked back over to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus.

Two days after I moved in with Soubi, it was busy and we barely had time to see Ritsuka. He had school and work, Soubi had work and I had school and work myself. I had a job at a local diner three blocks from the school, I wanted to help Soubi with the bills and pay my own way, even if he was my older brother. Today I sat outside the diner enjoying a break after a long day at school and being on my feet for the past five hours. The quaint little diner was busy every night between four and midnight. I normally ended up getting sent home around one or two in the morning, it was a twenty-four hour diner. But I only worked from three to eleven when I had to go to school the next day. Soubi always came to pick me up after work.

Ritsuka let out a deep sigh as he headed home from the library, a long, late night of studying for his exam on monday in three classes. He felt a cool breeze brush through his hair, but it was more than a breeze because it sent a cold shiver through his entire body. He stopped and turned to look feeling eyes on him all of a sudden. He found nothing and turned back to go home. Then his eyes settled on someone standing further down the sidewalk. The night shrouded the stranger and Ritsuka watched as he moved under a street lamp. It was a man that stood as tall as Soubi, his dark red hair tied back at the base of his neck behind him. Ritsuka immediately recognized the standard slacks and button down shirt under the noticeable black jacket, a jacket that had a patch on it that belonged to the Seven Moons. Ritsuka's breath caught as the man walked towards him. He was pale and his eyes were a pale green, but his eyes were cold and more vicious and cruel than anyone Ritsuka had ever met.
He stopped in front of Ritsuka and said one word, 'Unbind.'
Ritsuka looked at him confused and then he felt like a hot poker was being pressed to his chest, right where his name was, the connection he had with Soubi and Azumi . . . Ritsuka's eyes went wide with fear, pain, and shock, 'Who . . . what did you . . . '
The man's slender lips curved into s smile that made Ritsuka's skin crawl, 'I am Sensei Ryoko, I have to distinct ability to sever the bounds between a fighter and their sacrifice. Or in your case both your fighter and your sacrifice. You can no longer call for them, they can no longer call for you. I can also do whatever I wish to you and they will not feel it or be effected by it at all.'
Ritsuka sighed and called for Soubi, but he recieved no response, nothing that told him he had connected with Soubi at all. He coouldn't feel the connection with Soubi or Azumi. It was just emptiness, not the reassuring wamrth or knowing that told him he had connected with them . . .