Diabolo Fan Fiction ❯ Prayer ❯ Chapter 1

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: stayawayspirits
Ren and Rain are near the end...the end where they succumb to Diabolo. Before they do, they search for the one that might save them.

ALL DIABOLO CHARACTERS OWNED BY KAORU OHASHI AND KEI KUSUNOKI

Anime/Manga: Diabolo Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Drama | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 04.17.2006 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 641 | Status: Completed

Disclaimer: I don't own Ren and Rai…man I wish that I did. But alas, they belong to someone else.
 
 
A/N: I'm putting my author's note at the beginning of this fanfiction instead of the end, because I guess I should explain some things. For one, I HATED the ending of Diabolo…man I really didn't like how they died. So, I changed a couple things, but it's not an alternate universe story, because the basic plot line behind it is still the same…soooo…ok.
 
 
Ren was searching. He was always searching. For her. The girl he lost twice. He used to be able to sense her, to always know where she was. Not anymore. They were trying to hide her from him. It didn't matter how hard they tried though, he'd find her. He always did.
 
 
Risa loved the moonlight. It felt, comforting, somehow. Like she was being watched over. Protected. She didn't know why she felt that way, but she always had. Even when she had been at the orphanage. Especially at the orphanage. She had always felt alone there, except at night when she could see the moonlight. It had been her closest friend. That was over now. Two years ago, she had been adopted. She had almost given up hope of leaving the orphanage. She had been fifteen when the Okinagawa's had adopted her. She was happy now, so she told herself. Something still felt like it was missing. She felt like it was on the edge of her thoughts, then she would completely lose the sense of what she searching for.
The next morning, Risa went her usual way to school. She, also as usual, made a lunch for the three homeless men she passed every day. Something was different about today though. She felt like someone was watching her. She turned around, but saw no one.
'Oh well. Maybe I'm just imagining things,' she thought to herself as she entered the school building, 'but I could have sworn there was someone watching me.'
 
 
Ren watched her as she went through the school day. He couldn't help but just watch her. He'd missed her. He wanted to talk to her, to touch her. To make sure she was safe, but he'd wait. To make sure they hadn't gotten to her.
"They haven't." Rai told him, sensing his thoughts.
Rai was his partner, in everything. Even when they sold their souls to save Mio. Now they were both damned, and they dedicated the time they had left to saving others that were damned. They had both received an incredible power when they had given up their human souls. Ren had been given the power of ultimate offense, Rai, ultimate defense. Now they were both waiting to see her. They had both waited these two years, but they would wait longer. They needed to make sure she was still herself.
"I know; she was never corruptible. She was always stronger than us Rai."
"She still is. But....." he paused, looking puzzled.
"What?"
"Something I sense around her. Like a cloud, a cloak of, I don't know, forget I guess. I think they made her forget about us."
"They erased her memory?!"
"I believe so," Rai stated," but I think we need to speak to her before we draw any conclusions."
"You're right," Ren sighed, "but I don't want to wait, I've waited long enough."
"What will you do if she really doesn't remember us?" Rai asked.
"I don't know," Ren whispered as he turned back to watch her.
 
 
After school was over, Risa went to her daily tutoring session with the first year that needed a little help in math. She liked helping people. It didn't really matter what she did to help, just that she was. She felt that it was something of a calling, her helping people. It just felt so right to her.
After her session was over, she walked home through the woods in the park. The trees blocked the light, so it was dark and she didn't see them approach.
She was surrounded. It was some members of that gang that was terrorizing her school. They hadn't ever bothered her before. Until she defended one of the other students they were torturing. Now it seemed they were going to make her pay for her interference.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here boys?" Their leader, Iwomoto sneered.
"Looks the good Samaritan boss, what should we do with her?"
Iwamoto started walking toward her,
"Looks like you're gonna pay for gettin in my way, you little bitch."
 
Right before he struck her, something surged in front of her, shielding her from his blow. When she looked up, a boy was standing in front of her, protecting her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes...but who are you? Why would you do this for me? He's going to kill you. Please don't put yourself in danger because of me." she pleaded.
He smiled, "Don't worry. He can't hurt me. I'm the shield of ultimate defense. Now, the sword of offense will take care of them."
Just then she saw another boy jump through the trees to stand in front of Iwomoto. She couldn't help but stare at him. He seemed so familiar. Had she met him before? The first boy who appeared also seemed to be familiar, but how could that be? She couldn't remember ever seeing them before in her life.
Her thoughts were jerked to the present when the second boy told Iwamoto that he was going to kill him for even thinking of hurting her.
"NO!" she pleaded, running forward and grabbing the boy's arm, "No, don't. Please, no more violence. Please."
Her eyes pulled at him. He relented under her gaze.
"Go," he told the gang, "be thankful that she is a 'good Samaritan,' she just saved your lives."
The boys ran. They didn't matter to him. She did.
"Are you alright?" he asked
"Yes. Thank you, both of you. You came along at just the right time," she looked into Ren's eyes, "Thank you for not hurting them. I know they would have hurt me, but I don't like the thought of others being hurt because of me, and I know you would have killed them. I don't know why, but I feel like I know you already. Have we met before?"
She didn't remember. Well, maybe he shouldn't remind her. She'd be happier not remembering, but he needed her. She was the only thing that could help, no, save him. Rai too.
"You don't remember me?"
She shook her head, "No. I'm sorry. Tell me, should I? Have we really met before?"
"What about him?" he asked, pointing to Rai, "Do you remember him?"
"I don't know," she said holding her head in her hands," I can't remember, my head, it hurts."
"It's alright," he told her, "Don't try. Maybe I'm mistaken."
Ren sighed, and started walking away. It hurt. That she didn't remember him, but he didn't want her to get hurt trying to remember. It's better if he just leave.
Rai stayed, and just looked at her. It hurt him too, for her not to know him. More than it hurt Ren. He and Risa had grown up in the orphanage together. Maybe there was a way to help her remember.
"Risa? Where did you grow up?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him.
"In the orphanage in town. Why?"
"I did too."
She gasped, and looked into his eyes. She looked as deep into his eyes as she could, and he drew her deeper still. Into their past. Suddenly, it was all there. Mio, what they did to save her, the townspeople thought that they had killed Mio. He was dragged back to the orphanage. She comforted him. Then, they both disappeared for ten years. She had been so lonely, but she had waited, she knew they would come back. They did. Two years ago they had come back. They spent months together, just the three of them. but they disappeared again. Someone wanted her to forget them, to forget how she felt about them, Ren and Rai......Ren.
"Ren" she whispered.
She looked up at her old friend
"Oh, Rai. It's been so long."
"Go," he said, "he needs you now."
She ran through the woods, searching for him, as he had been searching for her.
 
 
 
Ren kept walking, telling himself it was his own imagination that he was hearing, not her voice calling his name, but it was getting closer. He turned around, and there she was running towards him crying his name over and over. She reached him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.
"Ren, Ren, I remember, oh Ren, I remember," she sobbed, "They made me forget you, but I remember now. How could they? They made me forget that I ever even knew you. They made me forget how I feel about you."
He gently grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away.
"And how is that Risa? How do you feel about me?" He whispered, scared that she didn't feel what he felt.
"I love you Ren."
Suddenly, everything in Ren's life fit. Everything had led to this moment. With her, the girl he had loved since he was seven. She was here with him, and he wasn't going to lose her again.
"Risa, you really have no idea how happy you've just made me." He told her, swinging her around laughing, then holding her close.
"Don't leave me again, Ren. I don't think I could take it to lose you again."
He kissed her then. He had dreamt of it for years. Now he did it to take away her fears of loneliness. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and opened her mouth to him. He had never felt anything more perfect than her tongue against his. Ren wanted the kiss to go on forever.
 
Risa didn't know how to tell him that she wanted, no, she needed more. She held him as tightly as she could and whispered his name. He seemed to sense her need, for it matched his own. He drew her off of the path into the shelter of the trees.
"Rai...." she whispered, glancing back towards the clearing.
"He knows," Ren told her, "He can sense both of us. Our need."
Neither of them thought of anything else after that. Besides the feel of the other's skin. Ren felt the magic, the energy all around them, building with their emotions. Risa felt as if she couldn't let him go ever again. When he drew her to the ground beneath him, she felt as if she belonged there. When his body joined hers, she felt something happen. Something took root inside of her. Something unlocked inside of him. Ren felt the moment that her love, the gift of her body, saved his soul. In saving him, she also saved Rai. As they lay in each other's arms, neither said a word. No words were needed.
 
 
Rai also felt the moment he was saved, and was happier than he had ever been in his short life. He was complete now. He would be able to spend the rest of his life with the only two people he had ever loved. He was happy for them as well. They had been waiting for each other, for ten years. Now that they were finally united, nothing would stand in their way.
 
 
Suddenly, Rai felt something like a rending inside of his head. He could feel himself changing. It had been too late to save him. He needed to get away from Ren, and Risa. Especially Risa. He followed her earlier path, and found them fully dressed. They were standing in the middle of the path, waiting for him. Lord help him...
 
 
The next day Ren and Rai left Risa at her home with promises of return.
"We have to go out Risa, what if there are still people in need?"
"Alright. Come here." She demanded as she pulled Ren close.
"Come back to me in one piece, understand?"
"Yes ma'am." Ren drawled before kissing her.
She swatted his arm, and pushed him away.
"Get off with you, I need to say a few things to my brother."
She pulled Rai into her arms, and whispered into his ear,
"Take care of yourself. I need you Rai. Don't focus all of your energy on protecting Ren, you need protection as well. Stay strong my brother...don't let them win."
 
 
Rai just looked at her, the one woman who had ever loved him, ever respected him, and felt his control thicken. He had more time thanks to her. He would only need to think of her words in his times of weakness, and he would triumph. He knew it wouldn't be a permanent solution, he wasn't saved, not yet, and he desperately needed more time. To protect Ren, and Risa...from himself.
 
 
It had only been a week since they had left Risa. Ren missed her. He never knew that having someone to go back to would make a difference. He had always had Rai, he'd had no need for anyone else. Except Risa.
'I need her more than ever right now.' Ren thought to himself as he and Rai followed a seventeen year old girl back to her apartment. She had been attacked and almost raped. They had arrived just in time. That wasn't why he had the sudden need for Risa's presence though. Rai had been acting very strangely lately, almost like a completely different person.
"This is my home," The girl told them, motioning to a very high-class looking apartment complex.
Ren and Rai exchanged startled looks, surely this couldn't be hers.......They followed her up to her apartment, and saw the boys who had been trying to rape her in various forms of undress. She went to them willingly, and seemed like a completely different as she let them touch her, invade her. Ren watched in horror as she then killed everyone except him and Rai. She went to the window, said "Come on will ya," and was gone. Ren was about to comment to Rai that Diabolo was up to something when he saw that Rai was gone. All that he found was Rai's little finger...chewed off.
 
 
Risa woke up with a start. Something was wrong. The evil inside of Rai had taken over, she knew he had succumbed. Now all she had to do was wait for Ren to take her to him. She knew what she had to do....She had always known.
 
 
Ren spent the next day searching for Rai, but he seemed to have vanished. That night he was attacked by some adults who were convinced that all seventeen year olds were evil, that they all had fallen. He didn't fight back, knowing that he would hurt them. They were just scared. He was about to run, when Rai appeared. He attacked the adults, looked at Ren, and was gone. Ren followed him to an abandoned church. He suddenly found himself surrounded by six other Diabolo leaders.
"Join us Ren," Rai said, "It's much simpler to be on the winning side."
"Never! Rai have you forgotten everything? Have you..."
"No!" Rai interrupted, "I'm finally seeing clearly. I don't wish to kill you....yet. Leave. Now. I'll be seeing you again soon."
 
 
With that Ren found himself back in the park where he had slept the night before. This was it, he needed Risa. Rai needed Risa. He didn't know why, or how he knew, but he knew in his heart that Risa would be the one to truly save Rai.
 
 
Ren arrived at Risa's house just as she was coming out with a cloak thrown over her arm.
"I knew that you were coming Ren. I know that Rai has fallen. I know how to save him."
Ren couldn't speak. He only nodded, and they left to save the soul of their best friend.
 
Risa could sense Rai. That's why she had never been afraid; she had always sensed him near by, watching over her. The same senses helped her find him. She found him just walking down the street. She walked right up to him as if nothing had changed.
"Hey big brother. I got tired of waiting for you two. Where's Ren?"
He just looked at her for a moment, analyzing her words, then he smiled,
"I don't know Risa. We were separated a few days ago. I've been trying to find him. Would you like to look for him with me?"
He held out his hand, and not wanting to seem suspicious to this creature of Diabolo, she took it. She felt the shock of evil go up her arm and into her heart, she knew what had to be done.
"Sometimes I think that you and Ren should just succumb. Why fight a losing battle Rai?" She said not looking at him, she needed him to think that she was ashamed for even thinking such a thing.
His smile widened,
"My thoughts exactly. You know what? Let's take a break from looking for Ren. I want to show you something. I think you'll understand."
She forced a smile,
"Alright."
 
 
-Ren, he's taking me to the church. Be ready-
Ren turned sharply to the left after hearing Risa's mental warning, and headed towards the church. Something was going to happen, he needed to be there.
 
 
Risa stood facing Rai. She couldn't look at the others who had fallen so horribly. They were waiting for Ren. He was the key, he needed to be here for the ritual to work. Finally, she sensed him outside the church, and she took a step closer to Rai.
"He'll never submit. Not without my death." She told him.
Rai sighed,
"I know, so let's get this over with."
"Yes....but if I could just have one last moment with my brother. To say goodbye. It won't hurt anything. If you've already taken over, he won't be able to gain control. Please, I need to say goodbye to him."
"Very well"
Risa sensed the moment that Rai was himself again. She ran over to him and embraced him.
"I'll always be with you. Never forget that." She whispered in his ear before pulling out a dagger.
Before any of the Diabolo, or Ren just entering the church, had time to react, Risa thrust the blade into her own heart. She managed a smile towards Rai, and began the prayer that would save his soul:
"O' Lord
Take what I offer.
My blood for his.
My life I give.
Blood to blood
Heart to heart.
Life to life.
With my last breath,
May his soul be redeemed.
AMEN."
As she finished the saving prayer, Rai and Ren let out a simultaneous anguished cry. Rai collapsed as Ren ran over to where Risa's body lay. He gently cradled her in his arms, tear running down his face.
"You can't do this to me,"he told her, holding her close, "I can't lose you Risa. I need you. I'll never make it now. I love you."
 
 
"I know you love me,"she managed, "I love you too. But...I saved you...as well. Live...help..those who need...you."
As her final breath eased, Ren bent over her, distraught. He was too devastated to notice that all of the others who had fallen were normal again. Risa's sacrifice, her love, had saved not only those dear to her, but others as well. Ren finally set her down on the floor and walked over to where Rai was finally rising. He helped him to his feet, and guided him to Risa's body. Rai fell to his knees and wept over his little sister. The one he was supposed to protect, but who instead had protected him.
"Please Lord. Not her, let me fall instead. I'd rather my soul perish than know that it was bought with her life. Please" he whispered, broken.
He slowly got to his feet, and turned to Ren.
"I'm sorry. I was weak. I never meant for this to happen. I...."
"I know Rai. It wasn't your.."Ren trailed off, his eyes widening as he looked over Rai's shoulder.
Rai turned around to see the most brilliant white light he had ever seen, brighter and warmer than the light that had sealed their fates ten years ago. From the ring of light out stepped Risa. She looked ephemeral, but solid. She didn't appear to be dead, nor a spirit. Both Ren and Rai held their breaths, not daring to hope. Then, she touched Rai's arm, smiling at him. She walked over to stand in front of Ren, not taking her eyes off his. She slowly reached out and drew him to her to kiss him softly. She certainly didn't feel dead to Ren. He felt tears fill his eyes once again as he wrapped his arms around her. He didn't think he'd ever let go of her again. Eventually, she looked into his eyes again and said,
"The dear Lord felt that I'd serve a better purpose by being here with the two of you. He accepted my sacrifice to save your souls, but he also heard your prayer brother." She finished, turning in Ren's arms to look at Rai.
"You must continue your quest to help those in need. Both of you."
Rai and Ren both just stared at her. She smiled, and gently told them,
"You now travel under the Lord's protection. We will all be safe. We can live together in peace."
Rai smiled, and took his sister's hand, not daring to believe the tremendous gift he had been given.
"Rai?"
"Yes Risa."
"I was shown something else as well my brother."
"What?"
She drew his head down level with hers,
"Look deep into my eyes. As you helped me remember my love, I will help you learn of your true family."
 
Rai saw a beautiful black hired woman lying in a hospital bed. She was sad yet joyful at the same time. She was very sick, but she managed to care for her babies. Yes...twins. A boy and a girl.
"My children. Your father is looking down on us and smiling. He would love to see his special gifts from the Lord passed onto his children. Oh, Rai...look after your sister. I won't be able to take care of you two for much longer. Risa, you must mind your brother..........."
 
 
"Risa, you're, you, I mean, you really are my sister."
"Yes Rai,"she told him, her eyes watering.
Ren looked on in awe. He knew, he had somehow always knew that they were more than just two kids orphaned at the same time. They were orphaned by the same mother. They had a bond that was as strong, if not stronger than the one that Ren held with both of them. He smiled and put his arms around them. He had been accepted by both of them. He had found his own family. His searching was finally at an end.