User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Foregoing Affairs, part 2

Days of Ruin --- Foregoing Affairs, part 2
Hey everyone~! Just wanted to leave you with another chapter before I head off to school again. This story will be about an event in Ko's childhood. I wanted to do this because after the Maxwell battle, the Samui family issue will be resolved, and it might be nice to have a better idea about what Ko used to be like. Enjoy!



Ko grunted as a chilly white powder hit his face. He quickly brushed the snow off his eyes, turning in all directions, searching for his assailant frantically. "Come out, you two!" He demanded into thin air, "Face me like a man!'

"No chance," A voice shouted back.

Ko spun around to the bushes from where he heard the voice come from. He slowly turned his back to it, and said, "You're not getting away." He had to keep them occupied.

A second, lighter voice laughed. "That's what you think!"

Ko heard a rustle as two someones leapt out of the bush.

His shadow immediatly struck out and grabbed the two assailants by their shirt collars, holding them high.

"Hey!"

"L-let me down!"

The brunette turned around, arms crossed over his chest as he scoweled at his two younger brothers. "I've caught you. Now, give it back!"

Haku smirked. "Ha! You wish."

"We don't have to give it back if we don't wanna," Ritz added, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Why you--!" 7-year-old Ko clenched his fists as he stared down the five-year-old twins. "If you don't give it back, I'll--!"

"You'll what?" Haku challenged lifting his hand. "You're not the boss of me!" And with that, he snapped his fingers. A bright light flashed before Ko's eyes, blinding him temperarily. He stumbled back, rubbing his eyes. When his sight had returned, the twins were gone.

"Annoying brats," He huffed, stomping out of the garden back to the house. "I'll find them...You hear me!? I'll find you!"

Despite their young age, the two young twins were actually quite formidible, especially when it came to hide-and-seek. Haku's light power combined with Ritz's strength allowed them to find the most ridiculous hiding spots. One time Ritz had pried the floor open and the two had hid there. They couldn't be found for almost three days.

But this time, the situation was more urgent than winning a game of hide-and-seek. The little brats had taken it.

His art journal.

To be honest, it wasn't even that good, but still, the twins had no right to pry into a man's private buisness. In his opinion, anyway.

"Hey," Haku's voice echoed through the hallway, "Did you draw this one in the dark?" He giggled.

Ko could feel his face flush in embarrasment. "Shut up! I was, like, five!"

"Hey, Haku," This time it was Ritz, "Big brother drew you!"

"Idiot, that's Mom!"

"Oh, hehe, sorry. You look so much alike."

"Why you--!"

Ko ran quickly down the hall in the direction where he heard the voices coming from. The were by the front door, he could hear it.

Wait, the front door?

He felt a sudden stab of panic. "Hey, guys, don't you dare go outside!"

"Eh? Why not~?"

"Come on, it's not funny," He half-pleaded, "Just stay inside!" If they managed to get outside, who knows how long it would be before he found them--his father would not be happy.

"Ritz," Haku consulted his twin, "Why doesn't Ko want us to go outside?"

"I don't know," The twin replied, "Maybe he doesn't want to loose his diary."

"It's a journal!" Ko corrected. He could hear them opening the door. "Don't!"

Too late. He heard the door slam heavily. Ko skidded to a stop in the main foyer, eyes fixed on the closed door. He would have to go after them without his mother knowing--she would never let him go out on his own, and if he told her, she would try to go herself. But a pregnant woman was in no condition to go out into the snow. He couldn't ask his father, because he left to go on a mission--not that Ko would ever dream of telling his father that the twins had gone outside.

Right. He'd have to go himself.

"Ko...?"

He spun around to see the youngest of his brothers, Riku. The 3-year-old was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, gazing at him curiously. "Whatcha doing?"

Perfect. "Riku," Ko spoke hurridly, approaching the toddler. "Can you keep a secret?"

He tilted his head. "What is it?"

"I have to go outside for a little bit. Can you make sure Mom doesn't find out?"

"We're not supposed to go outside."

"Yeah, I know," He forced a smile, "But I, uh, want to get Mom...a surprise!"

Riku's eyes brightened. "A surprise?"

"Yeah, so make sure Mom doesn't know, okay?"

He nodded firmly. "Yeah."

Ko quickly turned towards the door, heaving it open and closing it behind him. He looked out into the snowy wilderness, for any signs of his brothers. There! Over the next hill, he caught a glimpse of Ritz's shirt. He was moving rather quickly, and...was he slightly taller than he remembered?

He wasted no time and rushing up the snowy slope. He looked down, and was filled with dread.

He saw his two brothers.

In the hands of two men he did not recognize.

"Come on," On of the men grunted, dragging a squirming Haku, "We've got the boy and his sister, now let's scram!"

"Hey!" Haku shouted, "I'm a boy, idiot!"

The two kidnappers ignored him as they continued to move further away from the house.

Without thinking, Ko shouted, "Stop!"

The men jerked their heads in his direction, seeing the boy rushing down the hill towards them. "Wha..?"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Haku bit down on his captor's arm, hard. The man cried out and dropped him. Haku scurried by Ko's sighed, panting.

"Why'd you let go!?" One man demanded.

"She bit me!"

"I'm a boy!" Haku interrupted.

"Give Ritz back!" Ko shouted.

The kidnappers shuffled back a few steps, dragging Ritz with them. "Sorry, boy," He grinned, "But I know a few of your relatives who'd being willing to pay for a Samui brat. We heard your father was away, and we figured it would have been a wasted opportunity."

Ko clenched his fists. If he attack with his shadows, he couldn't be sure that they wouldn't kill Ritz. He could sense these two weren't summoners. He himself only had one unit, and it took alot of energy to summon him, but he didn't have any other choice.

"Zephyr!" He summoned the dark unit.

The men did not have time to react as the were suddenly faced with Zephy and flanked by Ko's shadow. They cried out as the unit made quick work of them.

Ritz fell to the ground with a grunt, quickly jumping back to his feet and scurrying over to Ko.

"Are you alright?" The elder brother asked.

He nodded.

Placing his hands on each of the twins' shoulders, Ko desummoned the unit before starting back for home.



"Hurry up," Ko whispered, opening the door, "We've got to get back before Dad comes home..." His words trailed off as the door swung open, revealing his father and distraught mother.

"Oh."

Yukino held her arms out as the twins ran into her embrace. She smothered them with questions and hugs as they clung to her dress.

Hisagi nodded sternly for Ko to follow him as he turned and walked down the hall. "Come."

Ko hung his head and followed his father.

When they reached his office, Hisagi took his seat behind his desk and asked Ko to close the door. He complied, standing before his father while he stared at the floor.

A long moment of silence passed before them.

"Ko," Hisagi spoke, "There are alot of people out there who want me dead. They want to take over the family. Now that I have children, they'll want you dead too. That is why you cannot go outside, do you understand?"

He nodded meekly.

Hisagi stood from his chair, rounded his desk, and stopped beside his son. "However..."

Ko looked up, and blinked, surprise to see his father smiling softly.

"I would not have been able to find Haku and Ritz in time if you had not gone after them. It was good of you to make your own decision." He ruffled his hair. "I am proud of you, son."

Ko stared up at his father as he smiled down at him.



Yay, happy chapter!

Thanks for reading~!