Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Confessions for the Heart ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: Hi yall! This is Kathrine and yes we've finally got out another chapter of CftH! YEAH US!!

JC: I know some of you are probably mad at us for taking so long, but we've got good reasons.

Kathrine: No inspiration and we couldn't find the floppy with the story on it.

JC: Know that we'll be trying to finish this up in about three or four more chapters at the most.

Kathrine: I guess we just like to keep ya posted if we're getting near the end. Well we're at the middle.

JC: Now Kathrine did get her way on this one and I apologize. She's really brutal to Seiji.

Kathrine: Gods, but did he look good while I did it.

JC: *~~~*

Kathrine: Hope it was worth the wait for ya.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything affiliated with original Trooper storyline or characters. We only own the bitchy waitress and sadist.

Warning: Dark themes, YAOI content, abuse, swearing. IF YA AIN"T REALIZED THAT BY NOW THAN YA SHOULDN"T BE READING THIS STORY!!

Confessions for the Heart

By JC and Kathrine

Chapter 4

" This is rather dull," Nasuti sighed as she and Ryo sat watching reruns of old 80s movies.

" What should we do?" Ryo asked her in a bored voiced much like her own. " With Touma, Shin, and Shin out we don't have anyone to do anything with and the house is too quiet."

" But something has to happen tonight," Nasuti slid partially off the couch. " Summers are always so boring when the university is out. I never have anything to do."

Ryo just looked at her with a silly smile on his face. " Nani?" she asked.

" You just look like a bored teenager sitting there like that," he told her. " I guess I've never seen you so loose."

" There's a lot you haven't seen concerning me," Nasuti replied. " But right now I'm too bored to explain anything."

Ryo raised his brow at these statements, wondering if they had any hidden meaning. He knew he was in love with her. He had been since the first day they'd met. He only wished it were clearer whether or not she felt the same way about him. So many times he'd tried to tell her how he felt and he'd end up backing down out of fear of rejection.

" I am soooo bored," she let out a huff of air. " God I'd do anything if something interesting were to happen tonight."

At that very moment the door burst open and Shin and Shu walked in. Both of them wore worried looks on their features and Shin blurted, " We need Korin, where is it?!"

" Why? What happened" Ryo asked.

" It's really complicated," Shu said.

" Give us the summary," Nasuti told him. " We need to know what's going on."

" Oh bloody hell, we're wasting time," Shin growled. " Touma found Seiji at the club tonight, but Seiji was with Anubis, yes Yami. Touma yelled at Seiji and Anubis yelled at him. Seiji disappeared and Touma said that someone drugged him and kidnapped him. Can we get the yoroi now?!" After saying everything in one breath the brunette was a little winded and took in a deep breath. Everyone just stared at him in shock and confusion until Ryo and Nasuti realized what he said.

" You found Seiji with Yami?" Ryo couldn't believe it.

" From what Touma said, they're lovers," Shu added. " Now don't start on that, please just get the orb!" The warrior of strength could see the shock on the two young adults' faces.

" All right," Nasuti nodded before hurrying up the stairs to Touma's room where the orb was. It had been left on Seiji's old dresser with all of his clothes in hopes that he would come back one day, but never did. She quickly returned with the cold and blackening orb in her hands.

" What's wrong with it?" she asked. " It feels like it's dying."

" I wouldn't be too surprised about that," Shu took it from her hand and quickly walked back out the door.

" I never thought he'd be this gung-ho to find Seiji," Ryo watched him.

" He's also worried about Touma," Shin sighed. " He agreed to follow after this girl who admitted to giving Seiji a drink fom this guy that usually came there to pick up dates. But she said the people he picked up usually didn't show back up for a really long time, if they came back at all." With that he walked out the door.

" Wait for us!" Ryo called as he and Nasuti followed after them He glared at her for one second. " Do anything for something interesting were to happen, eh? Remind me to never let you make promises on my head."

" Look that was just coincidence!" she said persistently as she climbed into the back seat of the jeep with Ryo.

" Don't fight you two!" Shin snapped. " I need to keep the link open." They all understood that meant Shin's empathic link with Seiji. Seeing as they were the only two of the group with such abilities, they found they could reach each other by going farther than the armor link. Shin just hoped that it was finally open. Seiji had closed the link when they had returned from the incident in New York and he wasn't able to get anything from the blonde.

Please let me in Seiji, he begged in his mind. Just let me see if you're okay. He closed his eyes and concentrated, even using Suiko's power to give his empathy an extra boost. As he felt himself connecting with the blonde his could feel the remnants of a wall that had been forced down. Once he passed the crumbling wall he was propelled out of Seiji's mind by several emotions and thoughts hitting him at once.

" Shin!" Shu gasped when he saw the water warrior begin to breathe heavily and his hands pressed against his temples to ward off the addition of a migraine. " What happened?"

" Gods, we have to find him now!" Shin couldn't stop the tears from falling down his cheeks. " He's in so much pain, whoever that Caril person the waitress was talking about must be hurting him. There were so many other emotions around, but pain and shame were the two that stood out the most." Nasuti reached up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

" Put up your shield," she suggested. " We don't need you passing out if it is that bad."

" I'm more worried about Anubis," Shin shook his head. " He's got to be feeling this more than I do."

" Explain," Ryo requested.

" They must be connected deep somehow," Shu clarified. " Yami practically had a heart attack outside the club tonight when Shin and I got there. That was how he knew something had happened to Seiji to begin with."

" Yami does seem to have a deep bond with him," Shin lowered his eyes. He knew he couldn't tell them everything that he had seen in the blonde's mind. The thoughts that appeared from the back of his subconscious, thoughts of regret and second attempts at things that should have never been tried in the first place. Oh Seiji, how we have failed you...And yet it seems Anubis has done the one thing you wanted most in the world, but you're still too afraid to accept it completely.

*****

Yami walked quickly towards the apartment complex and entered through the side door. A tenant stared at him as they exited and almost didn't believe it was he. Most tenants knew about the two young men living on the fourth floor together. They had to be stupid or deaf not to with the noises that came from there apartment most of the time.

Stepping into the elevator he ignored all others around him. The two-minute ride felt more like two hours to Anubis as a rising fear fixed itself with the pain n his chest. He pushed his way through the others in the compartment and almost ran to his room and pulled out his key. Hurrying with the lock, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

I'm coming Seiji, he thought as he walked towards the hallway to their room. Suddenly, he was over come with a searing pain in his stomach as if someone had just cut into him with a cold sharp blade. He clutched his abdomen and fell forward, unable to keep himself from letting out a gasp of agony. Just as he was about to hit the floor, he felt himself being caught by familiar arms.

He continued to breath erratically as he was lifted off of his feet and taken back into the living room. Someone set him down on the couch and he was finally able to see the person, but he already knew who it was. " Naaza," he whispered.

" What in hells happened to you?" the green-haired man asked.

" What are you doing here?' Anubis asked a question of his own.

" Kayura forced us out," another voice entered the somewhat conversation. " Said we needed a vacation."

" Well, I'd say it was good to see you, but it's not a very good time," Anubis slowly lifted himself into a sitting position.

" Nani?" Rajura raised an eyebrow. " What's going on?"

" I don't have time to go through this again tonight," Yami sighed. " Let's just say that someone has been staying here with me and now he's missing so I have to find him."

" From the way it sounds he's means something to you," Naaza pointed out.

" He does," Yami grimaced as the pain began to fade from his stomach and he stood. It was the first time that Naaza and Rajura could actually get a good look at the clothes he was wearing.

" Gods Anubis," Rajura stared. " What kind of man who get you to wear something so dissolute and yet provoking?"

" Korin no Seiji," he answered as he walked into his bedroom.

" Nani?!" both other ex-Masho replied in shock. They quickly followed him to his room and watched as he undressed very slowly, having to take time to remove the overly tight clothing.

" You are not serious," Naaza still couldn't believe it.

" Say what you want," Anubis turned to them dress in only his choker and tight pants. His chest muscles were tight and tense and both of the other couldn't deny how sexy he looked standing them like that. He pushed them back ward out of his room and stood there for a moment. " The man I love is out there hurt and in trouble and I'm going to find him." He shut the door and finished getting undressed.

" Did he just say 'the man I love'?" Naaza asked.

" Hai, he did," Rajura nodded. " I'm guessing that a lot has happened since he returned to the Nigenkai."

" Oh how observant," his lover snickered. Rajura glared at him before punching him hard in the arm.

" Get ready, we're going with him," the white-haired man stated as he walked into their room.

When Anubis walked out of his room fully dressed in his regular attire with Yami no Yoroi orb in hand he was surprised to see Doku and Gen waiting for him. " Well just don't stand there gawking," Naaza smiled. " If something is truly wrong with Korin and you feel for him as you say you do then we could only do right be helping you find him."

" You just don't want to sleep alone during our entire stay," Rajura mumbled under his breath. Anubis shrugged at the two of them, not caring if they came or not. His mind was on finding Seiji. He walked past them and out the door, the two followed behind him immediately.

*****

He hid in the shadows almost, making sure as to not be seen. Touma knew that if he was caught that Seiji might be put in more danger. His guilt over his anger and near hatred for his friend was higher that what the opposing emotions had been just mere hours before. How could I have been so quick to assume he just rejected us? He asked himself as he kept his eyes on the moving figure he was trailing. I completely misread him and I was supposed to be his best friend!

The archer had turned his head from the woman and almost didn't see her walk into a telephone booth. Lucky for him most people weren't on the street that night or else someone would have called the police on him. He crept from the street and immediately hid in the alley by the booth. Something wasn't right and he could tell by the woman jittery actions as she dialed a number on the phone.

" KUSO!" was heard clearly coming from her mouth as she hit the phone. " ---- UP!" Touma stared at her and could see her shaken up state. She looked as if a serial killer was after her. Then a look of hope came onto her face and she started talking rapidly into the phone. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear anything but tidbits from his hiding spot by the alley dumpster.

" ---- let --- -- now!" she yelled. " He's ---- angry boyfriend ---- out ---- for him! ---- gonna kill --- and me! ---- ain't --- --- die --- you onii-san!" Someone on the other line must have said something because her expression was one of terror and fear.

" You ------- give ---- back ---- one piece! Gods, ---- ----- you were going --- die --- day. ----- shouldn't ------ been picking up ------ for that ------- anyway!" Touma could hear the desperation in her voice and see her deep breaths as she listened to what the other person had to say.

The conversation was all one-sided. He wouldn't listen to reason and was ready to hand up on her. " Please Caril!" she begged one last time. " I don't want to see you get killed for this. Just drop him off somewhere and let someone find him. Please onii-san, don't hang up on me!" She heard the click on the other end and knew he had cut her off.

She stood inside the booth for a moment and tried to stop her racing heart. She kept feeling as if someone was following her and didn't know what else to do. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she opened the door and stepped out of the booth. What she didn't expect was to bump into someone right outside the door.

" Gomen," she said quickly, but her eyes widened at a somewhat familiar face. She was facing a tall blue-haired boy that she remembered seeing. He came to the club often but her more recent sighting was of him with the other blue-haired man with the scar. The one that had threatened to kill her if anything happened to his boyfriend.

" AAH-!" her scream was cut off by his hand on her mouth. He looked around to see if anyone was watching and then pulled her into the dark alley near them. Her heart was beating faster than before and she was afraid he had come to kill her. She started to struggle, adrenaline fueled by her fear pushing her to the limits. Unluckily for her, the somewhat skinny boy was stronger than he looked.

" I'm gonna move my hand," he told her once she'd calmed down. " You have to promise not to scream. I'm not here to hurt you, just want some answers." She didn't make any signal that she understood so he repeated his request. Finally, she nodded and he slowly moved his hand.

" Please don't kill me," she begged in a teary voice.

" I don't want to kill you," he laughed almost. " Now Anubis is another story, but that's only if you don't tell me where the blonde is."

" I don't know," she admitted.

" But I just heard you on the phone with the guy you said he was with at the party," the boy countered. " Ya sounded like ya were talking about someone."

" Ya were listening to me?" her eyes widened slightly.

" Only partially, so I need ya to fill in the blanks," the boy replied. " I know that Caril is your brother and that you're afraid of Anubis killing you so just tell me where Seiji is."

" But I don' know where he is," she repeated. " He moves every few days to a new motel and only gives me the phone number of where to reach him. I don't know where he's staying now."

" Why are ya helping him?" the teen asked. " Why would you help someone kidnap another person?"

" Ya don't know Caril," she stated. " Ya think he wouldn't kill me all because I'm family? Ya wrong. Ya shouldn't even be getting' into anything like his with him."

" Why?" he asked. " What does he do that so horrible that even his own sister is afraid of him?"

" Mind your own business," she growled as she tried to pull away. " I'm not in the mood to die today or any day soon so quit asking me questions!"

" My friend is my business!" he hissed. " Now tell me what this guy is gonna do to him."

" You know I might be afraid of ya friend, but I'm smart enough to be afraid of Caril more," she laughed a little under her breath. " I told ya enough at the club so quit trying to get anymore out of me. Ya don't know someone for their entire lives and think they won't know if ya squeal on 'em."

" Just tell me if my friend is okay!" he demanded.

" Ya sound like ya got a thing for Blondie ya'self," she snickered. The boy stiffened in surprise at her comment and she knew it was her only chance. She immediately elbowed him in the stomach and could feel him loosen his grip and lean forward as he took in a deep breath of air. She pulled away and turned to look at him. His eyes were slightly wide and his hand was wrapped around his middle.

" Ya want the truth," she said. " Find him before tomorrow of else ya won't have a Blondie anymore." With that she ran out of the alley.

Touma watched the girl run and tried to regain his breath. She could really hit hard if she wanted to. Her words had caught him off guard and he thought for a moment as he steadied himself against the building next to him. Me I love with Seiji? He wondered. That's not true. But even his in his mind he could feel doubt. Shaking away the arising questions he realized what the girl had said about Seiji. Oh Gods, we have to hurry! With that he walked a little gingerly out of the alley and headed back the way he had come.

*****

Searing pain, burning his back and forcing tears into his wide eyes. He refused to let them fall, refused to let him see him cry or hear him beg. The earlier screams forced out of his body were shame enough without adding more to it. CRACK! The pain of the metal against his back was almost unbearable. All ready twice he had lost himself in his mind in an attempt to ignore the beating he had been enduring for over twenty minutes.

The gashes on his stomach were bandaged, but only for now. His abductor promised more later, saying he didn't want him to die yet. That was when he picked up the metal whip once again. The feel of the thin flexible steel against his back hurt, but he had taken such punishment before. Whipping was not an uncommon punishment in his family for disobedience. But never had he faced it for twenty minutes or more straight.

" You're strong," the man whispered. " A lot stronger than my other toys. They broke too easily." Seiji opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry and his voice too hoarse to be understood. I'm not the first, he thought. But I might not be the last either. The realization that others had gone through what he was enduring and maybe worse was not comforting.

Anubis…he thought. Love, I can't take much more of this without closing myself off completely. You won't be able to reach me then. Anubis, where are you? Gods, I can't even tell how long I've been here. I don't know how long I was out before all of this. He was thinking of every thought that came to mind to ignore the pain and suddenly his thoughts turned to more depressing matters.

What if he doesn't want to find me? he asked himself. What if he was never with me to begin with? Seiji had always feared that his time with Anubis was nothing more than a glorious dream. Maybe this is what happens when you spend too much time inside of a dream…They become nightmares. No, he told himself. It's just the situation causing these ideas.

The pain was starting to fade and he realized that the man hadn't been hitting him for about five minutes now. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. He found his tormentor standing against the wall near the door with his ear to a phone. I didn't even hear it ring, Seiji realized. But then he decided to listen in case he could learn something that could get him out of his predicament.

" I'm keeping my new toy Caren," the man stated in a voice full of lust. " I find him more enjoyable than all the others. He doesn't scream and his skin in so pale, it scars nicely."

He's talking about me to someone, the blonde realized. But why and to who?

" No I won't!" he seemed angry. " You just better keep your mouth shut little one. Talkers never did make good toys, they always scream too loudly." With a cold look in his eyes he placed the phone down on the hook and turned to face the blonde.

" Hello pet," he smiled a toothy grin. " Seems someone's trying to take you away from me." He stood in front of the chained boy and ran a hand across his sweat-streaked cheek. Looking at the wetness on his hand, he brought it to his lips and licked it off. Seiji was forced to down the retch in his throat.

" My toys never tasted this good before," he whispered. Then he walked over to a small electric skillet he had heating on the nightstand near the mattress on the floor. That was when Seiji noticed something inside of the skillet. The man put on a oven mitten and pulled it out, revealing a strange metal carving. Steam floated away from the handle as he brought it closer for the blonde to see.

" Do you like my pet?" he asked as he raised the metal slightly. Seiji could tell that it was an emblem of some sort. It was a star with katakana symbol 'ne' in the center.

" What is it for?" he managed to gain enough strength to ask. Although he asked more out of a foreboding sense than curiosity.

" It's a way to tell you apart from the rest of the world," he answered. " I know there is no one as elegant as you, but it suits its purpose just the same." Seiji was about the ask what he meant when the man grabbed a hold of one of his aching arms. He winced at the pressure, but said nothing. He closed his eyes for a moment, only to immediately open the at the feel and smell of burning skin.

The man held him tightly as he tried to move and only drove the brand deeper into his chest over his heart. He clenched his teeth together against the pain and ended up biting off a small piece from his bottom lip. When the man did move the metal away from his chest his could smell the blistered and scarred tissue. On his chest was the exact replica of the emblem. The skin had turned to a tanned color, an intentional flaw on milky cream skin.

" So beautiful," he murmured as he traced his hand across the still heated mark. He looked up into the drawn and pained face of the blonde and smiled. He was unconscious, act of branding to much strain on his mind. " Wait 'til you awake my pet," he told him. " We still have many games to play."

*****

He winced at the continuous pain in his spine as he waited for the return of the others. It felt as if someone were scratching him across the back with long sharp nails. Is this your pain Seiji? Anubis wondered. God koi, what I happening to you? Why won't you let me in to know?

" Are your sure the other Troopers are coming?" Naaza questioned. " We've been waiting a while."

To prove him wrong they heard a yell from down the street, " Anubis!"

" Tenku," the ex-masho turned towards the sound of the boy's voice. He could see the bright blue-haired teen walking towards him with a look of confusion. Anubis knew exactly what he was going to ask.

" When did they pop up? Were they with you two before all this?" Touma asked as he motioned to Naaza and Rajura.

" They came in for vacation," Yami answered.

" Great timing," he stated sardonically. " The others on their way?"

" I would assume so, they are your friends," Anubis pointed out. " What did you find out from your surveillance?"

" She called the guy, Caril," he answered. " I was closed enough to hear parts of what she said, but not all. It seemed like she was trying to get him to let someone go and I would take it the someone was Seiji."

" Why would she tell him to let Korin go?" Naaza asked.

" 'Cause Yami here threatened to kill her if something happened to Seiji," Touma stated matter-of-factly.

" Something has happened to Seiji," Anubis said, ignoring the looks from Rajura.

" You threatened a defenseless woman?!" the white-haired man was furious.

" And you have never threatened a woman?" the blue-haired man raised a brow. " I do recall such events a few years ago."

" There was a war going on," Rajura added. " You have no excuse now."

" This is a battle just like all those then," Anubis' voice was cold. " It involves fighting to protect one dear to me and I refuse to let some lying wench keep me from getting him back."

" Point taken," Naaza nodded. " You know if you acted a least half as battle ready then as you are now, the war would not as went as it did."

" This is not the time for that Doku," Yami growled, but his breath was cut short by the digging pain in his chest. It felt as if someone was burning a hold into him. It came so quickly that he wasn't ready for it and leaned forward.

" Oh shit," Touma helped him to sit down on the street bench nearby. Anubis clutched his chest but moved his hand went he felt a strange imprint beneath his shirt. He unbuttoned the first three of his shirt and moved it so he could see what the impression was. To his confusion he found a star emblem with the katakana 'ne' in the center on the his chest over his heart. It blistered like it was burning still before fading away back into his skin as if it was never there.

" What in the hells…?" Rajura didn't know what to think of it.

" They hurt him," Anubis could feel the strain on his senses and the fog in his mind. " Someone hurt him."

" How do you know this?" Naaza asked.

" I told you of the bond I share with him before we arrived here at the club," the blue-haired man stated. " I know and feel all that happens to him."

" Then why can't you reach him?" Touma finally asked the question that had been plaguing him.

" He won't let me," Anubis had a sense of hurt in his voice. " He has blocked his mind and soul to me, but cannot block the pain. I need Korin to find him."

" Well the others better get here quick," Touma sighed. " Either that or your gonna end up just as bad as he might be."

" They'll pay," the swordsman's voice grew deeper and more sinister. " They know not who they've harmed or who they have angered."

A/N: What do ya think? Was this long enough for ya? I hope it makes up for the time it took to get it out.

Kathrine: We'll have ta work on that.

JC: Now I've decided to stop apologizing for the abuse of Seiji during this fic. T seems we always hurt him in some way anyhow and if ya don't like it ya shouldn't read it.

Kathrine: See ya dark side is coming out.

JC: Gods, I need ta start hanging around Kitty more often.

Kathrine: Then you'd be all fluff and no fun.

JC: How do ya call this fun?

Kathrine: Hurting cute boushonen so that you can screw wit their lives in every way. I think it is very fun, no to mention they can't do anything to you for it.

JC: We'll see about that.

Kathrine: What does that mean?

JC: You'll see…you'll see, but later. (Walks off with a smile on her lips, leaving Kathrine to ponder her fate.)