Disclaimer:

I do not own Weiß Kreuz or any of its characters. I just love them to no end and have a very twisted imagination. Please be aware that I am extremely poor so suing me will do you no good. Thanks.

Warning: Lemon Yaoi / Violence / Explicit Language / Angst

Pairings: Schuldich x Yohji / Ran x Ken / Omi x Nagi / Jei x Aya / Hints of Crawford x Schuldich

FYI: { Telepathic speech } - Inner thoughts -- [ Flashback ]

Author's Notes:

Well folks, here's Chapter Eight of Crimson Embrace. And it's a long one (*grins*). I couldn't help myself. The words kept coming and I just kept typing. The result? A chapter full of action, angst and plenty of suspense. I really liked how it turned out and I hope you will too.

Well, that's it for now. Happy reading guys and remember to please review!

Thanks,

Forsaken

Crimson Embrace

"Are you ready?"

Bradley smiled at Schuldich. "For the fifth time, yes. Stop worrying about me, Schu."

Sitting in a chair directly in front of where Bradley sat on the bed, Schuldich reached over and placed his hands on either side of the brunette's head. He took a deep breath and looked into Bradley's amber-brown eyes. "I just don't want anything happening to you. This could all backfire on us."

"I'll be fine, Schu," Bradley said, his eyes determined and authoritative. "Let's begin."

Schuldich nodded his head and took another deep breath. He had to put aside his fears so that he could concentrate on what he was about to do. Just stay calm and in control. Calm and in control. He closed his eyes and reached for the dormant link between them.

{ Do you see anything? } Bradley asked him, his tone calm and collected within Schuldich's mind.

{ Not yet……Wait. }

{ What is it? }

{ I think I found the problem. Several threads of your psyche have been damaged. } Schuldich's brow furrowed. { Shit, it's a fucking mess in here. No wonder you're all screwed up. }

{ Can you repair the damage? }

{ I'm not sure. Shit, Brad, this is complicated stuff. I don't want to fuck you up even more than you are already by fooling around in here. }

{ We have no choice, Schu. Do what you must. }

{ Alright, but you'd better tell me if I'm hurting you, Brad. Understand? The first trace of pain……anything at all. You'd better let me know. }

{ Fine. Proceed. }

Although he wasn't very reassured by Bradley's acquiescence, Schuldich leaned forward until his forehead touched Bradley's and commenced his delicate task.

Schuldich didn't know how long they'd sat there facing each other as he'd tried to repair the damage done to Bradley's mind, but by the time he had done all that was capable of doing, Schuldich was left feeling drained and exhausted. He broke the connection to Bradley's mind and lowered his hands as he anxiously waited for Bradley to open his eyes. "Well?"

Bradley blinked at him and raised a hand to his forehead. "Give me a moment," Bradley said as he winced and cradled his head in between his hands, resting his elbows on his lap.

"You're worrying me, Brad," Schuldich said, not liking the obvious pain Bradley was in. I knew it. I shouldn't have listened to him. Why the hell did I let him convince me to do this?

"Damn," cursed Bradley, his tone an agonized whisper.

Immediately concerned, Schuldich reached over and grabbed Bradley's shoulders. "What? What is it?"

"It's everything," Bradley replied. "Whatever you did worked. My memories...they're returning." Bradley hissed. "It's like a dam breaking."

"Maybe I should try to slow them down. I could----."

"No!" Bradley interrupted him. "Leave me be. I won't risk losing them again. Their slowing down anyway...no longer crashing into me as they were before."

"You're so fucking stubborn. Lie down at least, dammit."

Schuldich didn't wait for Bradley to agree. He pushed the other man slightly until Bradley moved to lie down on his side. Still cradling his head, Bradley closed his eyes as Schuldich lifted his legs onto the bed.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Bradley nodded, his eyes still closed. "Yes. I just need to catch my bearings. It's all a little overwhelming."

With a worried frown, Schuldich sat down next to Bradley. He reached over and ran a hand through Bradley's dark hair hoping to comfort the quietly suffering man before him. After a few minutes, Bradley seemed to finally settle down and Schuldich released a sigh of relief. Thank God.

His hand continued to stroke Bradley's hair and Schuldich seized the moment to admire his former lover's face. But even as his gaze took in Bradley's handsome features, his mind thought only of a pair of sparkling jade eyes.

Schuldich closed his eyes and drew his hand slowly away from Bradley's hair, his heart twisting as a sudden wave of guilt washed over him. He raised his hand and brought it up to his face fisting it against his lips as an image of a beautiful face surrounded by tresses the color of golden silk haunted his very soul.

Yohji.

Schuldich turned away from Bradley's resting form until he was facing the floor. His eyes stared at the dull gray carpet beneath his feet as his thoughts shifted to his lover.

Pain, guilt, disgust - They all swept through him as he remembered the betrayed expression on Yohji's face when he had declared his love for Bradley. Dammit, how could I have said that to him? Schuldich shoved his hands into his hair and fisted them, pulling at the fiery locks in frustration.

He had been so angry, so confused after leaving the motel that by the time he and Yohji had entered their apartment he had been about ready to explode. The fact that Yohji had managed to slip through his probe undetected had been more than a blow to his pride. It had been a reminder of the hold that Yohji had over him, a reminder of how connected he and Yohji really were. It had sent him into a panic and he had retaliated with anger.

Yohji's demands for the truth hadn't helped his internal struggle in the least. A feeling of being cornered, trapped had overwhelmed him and he had lashed out by admitting the truth the blonde had been wanting to hear. Not caring about Yohji's feelings, not caring about how confused he had actually been about his own feelings, not caring about the consequences, Schuldich had blurted out a confession that had ultimately changed everything.

Schuldich rubbed at his chest. What was going to happen now? He'd confessed to still being in love with Bradley to the man he'd shared three years of his life with, three years that Schuldich could honestly say had been happy ones. Schuldich's hands tightened their grip over his hair as he rested his elbows over his knees. Shit, I fucked things up. He's never going to forgive me.

Yohji was normally a very laid back and easy going person. It had amazed and even frustrated him at times to see how easily Yohji could brush off a problem, putting it aside as if it were nothing and look for the proverbial silver lining instead. It would be rare occasion indeed for something to upset or anger the blonde enough to change his demeanor, to shake the carefree look Yohji had on life. Something like his lover confessing to loving another maybe? Schuldich shook his head. You and your fucking big mouth.

Schuldich lowered his hands, letting them hang over his knees as he continued to stare at the floor.

Maybe it was for the best, Schuldich told himself. He'd known for a long time now that Yohji was in it for the long haul, that the blonde had wanted a more permanent relationship. His immediate reaction had been to ignore the signs going as far as to ignore even Yohji's confession of love. Fear had ruled him making him afraid of what such an acceptance would entail and so he had instead opted for the coward's way out of it by avoiding the issue altogether. But after today's disastrous events, Schuldich knew that his days of running were over.

He should've known better, should've known that one day his indecision would blow up in his face. And it had. Like a domino effect, his life had just come crashing down all around him. Worst of still was the fact that the chain reaction had been triggered by his own hand, by his own selfishness.

He loved Bradley. He really did. But he realized now that a part of him also belonged to Yohji. This pain, this agony eating away at him was more than just mere guilt. The very thought of losing Yohji to his own stupidity was driving him crazy and no matter how hard he tried to excuse the wave of fear coursing through him, he couldn't do it. God, what the hell am I going to do? What if Yohji left me? What if...Shit, make up your mind, asshole! One minute you're hung up over Bradley saying that you love only him and then in the next, you're freaking out over Yohji dropping your sorry ass. God, you're so stupid!

Schuldich's tormented thoughts were interrupted when a hand reached out from behind him to clamp over his forearm.

"Schu!" Bradley called out, his voice a mixture of panic and fear. Schuldich immediately turned and his eyes widened at the sight of Bradley's pale face and stricken eyes. "What? What's wrong?"

Bradley sat up pushing at Schuldich to move so that he could get off the bed. Confused, Schuldich moved and watched Bradley bolt off the bed. The brunette would've have fallen if Schuldich hadn't grabbed him by the shoulders in time.

"Dammit, Bradley. You're scaring the shit out of me!" Bradley looked up and Schuldich saw pure terror in his amber-brown gaze. What the hell?

"I've remembered what's happening." Bradley moaned and brought a shaky hand up to his head. "Dammit, Schu. Weiss and Schwarz," Bradley reached out with his free hand and grabbed at Schuldich's shirt. "The chosen ones are Weiss and Schwarz!"

"Weiss?!" Schuldich shouted, fear a living thing inside of him. He pushed Bradley's hands aside and grabbed Bradley by his shoulders, shaking the other man as panic grew within him. "What the fuck are you talking about? You said the Sodinu are after people with psychic powers."

Bradley shook his head. "Don't you see, Schu? They're abilities are dormant, hidden away behind their normalcy." Bradley shoved away from Schuldich and began to pace around the room despite his limp. "Dammit, they're sensitive to enhancement. Why else would the Sodinu have targeted them?"

"God, Bradley. Are you absolutely sure? I mean, Schwarz I can understand. Nagi, you, me, even Jei ---- Each of us have an ability they could use. But Weiss?" Schuldich shook his head, trying desperately to prove Bradley wrong. "I just...It's impossible dammit, I've been in Yohji's mind numerous times and not once have I resonated with a psychic thread."

Bradley turned to face Schuldich, his eyes questioning. "Are you sure about that, Schu? Can you honestly say that you've never noticed something out of the ordinary about Yohji? Something you couldn't explain?"

Schuldich blinked, surprised by the question. "Never. He's never..." Schuldich's voice trailed away as a memory suddenly came to mind. His heart began to pound against his chest and his breathing began to quicken as a realization struck. "There were times when Yohji could sense things...know when something was about to happen."

"How so?"

"Before he'd retired, we'd taken a few jobs together. And a couple of times he'd saved my ass from getting gutted or shot. He would just move all of a sudden. It was almost as if he'd seen the danger coming. Like he'd seen...." Schuldich became silent and he looked at Bradley with wide eyes full of fear.

"A vision." Bradley finished the sentence for him. "What else?"

Schuldich shoved a hand into his hair. He was trying to remain calm but it was getting harder and harder by the second. Bradley was making too much sense and it was scaring the hell out of him.

"Sometimes he'd know when someone was about to come to the apartment or walk into the shop. I didn't think anything of it since half the time I was already aware of whoever was approaching. It never occurred to me to think that it was anything more than just mere coincidence."

Bradley nodded. "The others have more than likely demonstrated something to that nature as well. It's just so subtle that no one has taken notice... until now."

"Oh my God," whispered Schuldich. Could Bradley be right? Could Yohji really have a dormant psychic thread? Schuldich rubbed at his chest, just above his heart trying to dispel the ever growing discomfort he'd been feeling for the past hour.

"They'll be the first to be taken," Bradley interjected.

"How can you be sure?" Schuldich demanded, a feeling of dread crawling up his spine.

"They're weaker than we are ---- Easier to capture. Once the energy they need is collected from Weiss, the Sodinu will then contend with us."

Schuldich gasped as a thought struck him. What if.... "Goddammit!"

"What?" asked Bradley, startled by Schuldich's outburst.

Fear of the likes he'd never known coursed through Schuldich as he closed his eyes and reached for Yohji's mind. Everything's fine. Everything's...Oh God, Yohji please answer me.

In an instant, Schuldich fell to his knees. Pain was all around him, consuming him. From a distance, he could hear Bradley calling out to him but Schuldich refused to waver from his task. He focused all of his ability into the pain, latching onto it as if it were a lifeline.

He cried out as another wave of pain washed over him as he came across a barrier. But he wasn't about to allow the agony sweeping through him to stop him from breaking through the wall of torture keeping him from Yohji. Schuldich reached in further, ignoring the pain splintering through him and pushed his power against the barrier.

Suddenly the wall gave and Schuldich was swathed in darkness.

{ Yohji? } he called out, his voice echoing through the silence. { Yohji, please. Can you hear me? Reach out to me. Tell me what's happening. }

At first nothing happened and Schuldich's heart nearly stopped. Was Yohji dead? No! You would've have felt it. You would have felt the wrenching in your soul. He's not dead.

{ Yohji! } he called out once again, desperation moving him to exert even more of his power.

Then, out of no where, a sound began to echo through the darkness surrounding him. Closer and closer the echoes came until they washed over him like a deafening sound wave. A red mist encircled him and Schuldich hissed at the stench of evil emanating from it.

Schu! Help me, Schu. Make it stop.

Schuldich gasped at the sound of Yohji's terrified voice resounding around him. His heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened in horror as a bloody hand materialized from the mist, reaching out to him. { Yohji! }

Schuldich reached out trying to grasp his lover's hand, seeing it for what it was -- The link to Yohji's mind. But try as he might, Schuldich couldn't connect with Yohji. The mist was working against him somehow keeping him locked in place and he could feel it feeding off of him, off of his energy as he struggled to break free.

Dammit, this shit isn't going to stop me. Reach for him, goddammit. Touch him! Again, he tapped into his gift channeling his power as he tried to grab a hold of his only link to Yohji, but his energy was dwindling and Schuldich could feel his physical body shutting down; it wouldn't be able to take much more.

He was running out of time.

{ Schu, stop it! You're killing yourself. } Bradley's voice echoed around him. { Come back to me Schuldich! You're not going to be able to help him if you die! }

{ NO! He needs me! }

Yohji's hand suddenly began to spasm uncontrollably as a red current of energy crackled along its length.

Schu!

Yohji's scream pierced through the scarlet mist and Schuldich cried out from the sheer agony of hearing it. The hand disappeared and the mist dissolved, leaving Schuldich alone, once again encased in darkness.

Nooooo!!!!

Then Schuldich knew no more as a void of shadows and silence claimed him.

Shadows played across the walls of a large torch-lit chamber as four robed figures stood side by side in front of large stone altar chanting in a language long ago forgotten. Their elaborately embroddered black robes hid their every feature and symbolized their rank, distinguishing them as the Elders, the ruling body of the Sodinu.

The chanting suddenly stopped and one by one the elders turned to face the two large wooden doors leading into the chamber.

An instant later, the doors opened and a cloaked figure entered, his footsteps echoing loudly as he approached the altar. The man stopped in front of the four Elders and pulled back his robe. Silently, he bent down on one knee and lowered his head.

"Speak."

The man raised his head but kept his eyes downcast. "The Trinity have taken the first of the chosen ones."

"So it has begun."

"And the chosen one, has he been touched?"

"Yes," the messenger replied. "His blood had been sanctified by Morta."

"And he lives?"

The messenger nodded and once again replied, "Yes."

"If he has survived Morta's touch, then he is indeed strong. Stronger still, if he survives with no ill effects."

"There is more," the messenger informed them.

"Continue then."

"Morta has predicted that his evolution will surpass the fifth level."

"She is certain of this?"

"Yes."

"This revelation changes much. Where have the Trinity taken him?"

"The Trinity managed to transport him only to the second plane," answered the messenger. "The energy coursing through him was much too unstable for them to attempt bringing him through to the fourth."

{ The situation is becoming precarious, brothers. } One of the Elders projected to the other three.

{ Yes. It is too dangerous to allow the captive to remain so far from the temple. It could be disastrous if he is not brought to us in time. }

{ Can you imagine the amount of energy that will be lost? Morta will have our heads if we fail to bring him here before the Awakening. }

{ Calm yourselves. All will be well. } "Inform the Trinity to hasten their pursuit of the chosen ones. We must have them all here by sundown tomorrow. As for the captive, they are to protect him at all costs. He is of the upmost importance to us. Until he is stable enough to move, no one must be allowed to come near him. Failure will not be permitted. Is that understood?"

The messenger swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Elder. I will inform them immediately of your decree."

"Then go."

"Yes, Elder." The messenger stood placing the hood back over his head and turned, walking quickly out of the chamber.

The doors closed and the chamber was silent once again.

One by one, the Elders turned back to face the altar still burning brightly.

"I do not like this."

"Nor do I."

"I too am disturbed. The captured one is only within the second plane. He will have to remain close to the Trinity until he can be transported here. If they are defeated by his remaining comrades, we will lose our hold over him." The Elder shook his cloaked head. "There are too many things being left to chance."

The other two Elders expressed the same concern.

"Your fears are justifiable, brothers, but there is nothing that we can do at this time," said the oldest and most powerful of the four. "The Trinity has been warned. They will not want to incur Morta's wrath. For now, all we can do is channel our energy into our minions so that they can fulfill their duty."

Although still perterbed over the current situation, the other three Elders nodded in agreement. They bowed down their heads and the four of them resumed their chanting.

Ancient words resounded along the walls of the chamber as a wave of dark energy once again pulsed to life.

"Are you alright?"

Standing against the doorway of Aya and Jei's bedroom, Ken turned his head and found a pair of concerned amethyst eyes looking at him.

He uncrossed his arms and quietly moved away from the door not wanting to disturb the sleeping couple in the room. He walked over to Ran and slid his arms around Ran's waist as he placed his head on the redhead's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Ken softly replied as he felt Ran's strong arms close around him in a comforting embrace. But I'm not. Not really.

"Then why have you been so quiet?"

Ken pulled away slightly and looked up into Ran's questioning violet gaze. He sighed and once again rested his head on his lover's shoulder. "It just seems as if...as if things are about to change. And it's scaring the hell out of me."

Ran's arms tightened around him and Ken closed his eyes. He just couldn't shake the unease that had been plaguing him since he and Ran had run into the backroom a few hours ago and found Aya and Jei on their knees on the floor. It had terrified him to see Jei so out of control, in the throes of some sort of mental breakdown.

"You're worrying too much again," he heard Ran say, interrupting his thoughts.

Ken shook his head and looked up once again into Ran's eyes. "No, I'm not. I have plenty to worry about and so do you. Didn't you hear what Aya said? Jei had some sort of premonition back there. And it freaked him out. You saw him, Ran. He was totally out of it."

Ken pulled out of Ran's arms and turned back to face the open doorway of Aya and Jei's room. Jei had yet to awaken since his collapse hours earlier and Aya, who had remained by his side, had finally given in to exhaustion dozing off on her side with her face comfortably tucked into Jei's shoulder.

They look so peaceful. But it was just a facade.

Something was brewing around all of them and as he turned and met Ran's gaze, Ken knew that Ran was aware of it as well. His lover didn't have to speak, didn't have to voice his concern. Ran's eyes said it all."You're worried too, aren't you?" he asked the redhead, his gaze unwavering.

Ran looked away from him briefly and clenched his fists at his sides. Violet eyes turned back to him and Ken swallowed when he saw the reflection of his own fears within their turbulent depths.

"Yes, I'm worried and maybe a little..." Ran paused and looked down at the floor.

"Afraid?" Ken finished for him, knowing how hard it was for Ran to admit to such a weakness.

Ran looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah." Ran's brow narrowed as he cleared his throat. "Because I feel it too."

Surprised by Ran's confession, Ken moved closer and reached out to hold Ran's fisted hands, forcing them to open so that he could intertwined them with his own. "I can't believe you just admitted that to me."

Ran shrugged. "What's the point of denying it? You always read me like a book anyway. Might as well save you the effort."

Ken grinned and shook his head. "Well, thanks."

Ran looked over Ken's shoulder and gazed at the sleeping pair a few feet away. "Whatever is going to happen is going to revolve around Jei somehow ---- Which means my sister will also be involved." Ran shifted his gaze back to Ken, his eyes as cold as his voice had been. "I'm not going to let anything happen to them, Ken."

Ken knew what Ran was telling him. Ran would once again kill to protect his sister and Jei. And although he had sworn never again to shed another's blood, Ken knew he would do the same. He would kill to protect Ran and his family without remorse, without hesitation.

Ken raised a hand to Ran's face and gently caressed his lover's cheek, his blue-green gaze holding a promise. "We'll protect them together, alright?"

Ran covered Ken's hand with his own and nodded, relief evident in his beautiful face. "Thank you, love."

Ken's eyes closed as Ran's mouth gently covered his own and for a brief moment forgot about their worries. The moment was shattered, however, when Jei's screams filled the night air.

Nagi sat in relative silence next to his lover as they drove toward the Koneko. The silence was killing him and he couldn't take it anymore. "Say something, Omi. I can't take much more of the silent treatment." Please talk to me, dammit.

Omi's hands tightened their grip over the steering wheel as he kept his eyes on the road. "What do you want me to say, Nagi?"

Nagi's fists clenched on his lap. "I'm not expecting forgiveness. But I'd like to think that you could at least try to understand the position I was put in. I'm not trying to use it as an excuse; far from it. But I need to know that you at least understand that I never meant to lie to you -- That I wouldn't have lied to you unless I'd had no other choice."

Omi sighed, still keeping his eyes focused directly ahead of him. "I do understand, Nagi. But it's not an easy thing to forget about. You lied to me. I trusted you and you lied to me. And no matter how much I want to sympathize with you, I can't get past this anger I'm feeling. How the hell am I supposed to trust you now?"

Nagi took in a shaky breath, trying to blink back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He doesn't trust me. It had been his worst fear and now it was a reality, a nightmare come true. He had lied to his lover and now he would have to pay the price for his dishonesty.

Nagi's lips trembled and he quickly brought a hand up to cover his mouth. Dammit, get a hold of yourself. Stop crying like a whimpering child. But the ache within his heart proved to be too strong and the tears Nagi had been trying to keep at bay escaped, trailing down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he whispered, trying desperately to keep his voice from breaking. "That's all I can say."

"Dammit, Nagi. Don't do that," Omi pleaded gently as he placed a hand over Nagi's clenched ones. "Please don't cry, love. You know I can't stand to see you cry."

Nagi shook his head. "I can't help it. I fucked up." His voice broke. "And there's nothing I can do to make it up to you."

"Please Nagi, forget I said anything."

"No," Nagi said angrily, shaking his head fervently. "You don't trust me, Omi. How the hell am I supposed to fix that? How?"

It hurt so much to know that he'd lost something so precious. And although the guilt that had been weighing heavily upon his shoulders because of the secret was gone, it had been replaced by the overwhelming sadness now wrenching his heart. Nagi didn't know which was worst.

Refusing to allow himself the indignity of breaking down completely in front of his lover, he took in a deep breath and tried to calm his frayed nerves. The hand covering his fist tightened and Nagi shifted his teary eyes over to Omi.

Omi looked at him and smiled, his blue eyes shining under the moonlight. "Nagi, I love you. No matter what I will always love you. And although it's going to take a while for me to forget about this...I will get over it." Omi brought Nagi's hand to his mouth, placing a small kiss into his palm. "So stop crying --- Stop feeling as if you've destroyed something between us because you haven't. Everything's going to be alright. Okay?"

Feeling as if he'd been blessed with the miracle of a second chance, Nagi nodded and curled his fingers over Omi's hand unable to speak past the lump in his throat. God, I don't deserve you.

Omi was about to say something when the car suddenly pitched to the right.

"Shit!" cursed Omi as released Nagi's hand and he tried to regain control of the vehicle.

"Omi!" shouted Nagi as the car began to swerve.

"Hang on!"

Nagi gripped the armhandle of the passenger door and tried to brace himself as the car swerved off the road and dove right into an embankment. Nagi's world took a spin as the car flipped over from the impact.

Metal shrieked as it was torn apart and glass shattered all around him as the far flipped twice more before it finally stopped, landing on its roof.

Hanging from his seatbelt, Nagi remained unmoving as he tried to regain his senses. Slowly, he brought a shaky hand to his forehead and hissed when he touched the gash on his temple. He turned his head looking for Omi and his dark blue eyes widened when he saw that Omi wasn't next to him.

"Omi?" Nagi called out, his heart ramming against his chest. Oh God, please be alright. Please, please.

Too panicked to be mindful of his own injuries, Nagi reached down for the buckle of his seatbelt and release the strap that had been holding him in place. He dropped quickly and Nagi cursed as a sharp pain shot up his right arm.Dammit, I have to get out of this damn car.

Nagi concentrated and used his gift to rip the door off. The obstructing piece of metal flew away as if it were weightless and Nagi dragged himself out of the car. He winced as several bruises and cuts made themselves known but Nagi ignored them, pushing himself onto his feet. He looked over spinning wheels of the car and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Omi, unconscious and bleeding, was hovering in the air a few feet away, a dark red cloud surrounding his prone form.

Nagi cried out in pain, bringing his hands to cradle his head as a thunderous voice echoed through his mind.

"You have been chosen to become one with the Sodinu. You will now take your place."

The Sodinu! "Omi!" yelled Nagi, moving toward his lover. What's happening? What the hell is that?

He gasped as the cloud began to take shape, forming a sort of dome around Omi. His heart stopped at the site of his lover being consumed by the crimson sphere now closing around him. No...No! "Omi! Omi wake up! Wake up, Omi!"

Reacting on instinct, the need to protect his mate his only thought, Nagi reached out with his hand and using his gift hurled a piece of debris toward the red dome careful to control his power enough not to harm Omi in the process.

Nagi eyes widened as another dome appeared out of no where directly in front of Omi limp body, glowing an eerie red. Its circular shape began to contort and Nagi gasped in shock as a head and upper torso began to take shape.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Nagi yelled at it, anger and fear strengthening his determination. "I'm not going to let you take him!"

Again, Nagi channeled his gift and projected another piece of broken metal this time at the distorted figure blocking him from Omi. The shadowed entity raised its arm and deflected Nagi's attack hurling the metal back at Nagi full force. Nagi cursed and raised his other hand, erecting his shields. But the metal didn't bounce off of the invisible barrier surrounding Nagi as he had expected it to. Instead it pushed forward trying to break through his shields.Dammit.

Nagi knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. He could feel his energy draining; probably due to his injuries. Shit! You're not going to beat me. He wasn't going to give up. He wasn't about to let the Sodinu take Omi from him, not without a fight. "Dammit, you're not going to take him from me!"

Despite his waining strength, Nagi released more of his power into his shield and into the wave of energy he was using to attack his enemy. But despite his best efforts, Nagi was not able to prevent the dome's decent upon Omi.

"NO!" Nagi screamed as the dome engulfed Omi's body completely and began to glow.

Distracted by the events unfolding before his eyes, Nagi's shields weakened just enough for the metal pushing into them to break through. Nagi tried to protect himself by erecting another shield but it was no where near as powerful as the first and the shield shattered. The metal impacted and Nagi was sent flying into the side of the car. He gasped as his back crashed into metal before he bonelessly fell to the hard ground below.

The glowing domes began to merge. Power radiated around the spheres as they fused and became a solid mass.

"No...Omi," Nagi whispered, blood trailing out of his mouth and the side of his face as he tried in vain to move.

A bright crimson flash lit up the night sky just as the orb carrying his lover disappeared from sight.

Unable to keep his eyes open, Nagi's world faded to black as he fell into unconsciousness.

Omi....

++++++

"They're here! They're here!"

"Ran!"

Ran and Ken rushed into the room where a frightened Aya was trying to hold down Jei's frantically moving limbs.

Ran moved Aya aside and flattened his palms against Jei's chest as Ken tried to hold down Jei's arms and lower body.

"Help him Ran," Aya cried. "God, help him."

"Jei!" Ran yelled at the white haired man as he struggled to keep Jei still. "Stop it, Jei! Calm down."

Jei's yellow eye widened and once again his body tried to bolt from the bed. "Let me go! The three are here. The three are here!"

"What are you----."

"Ran," he heard Ken whisper.

And then he felt it. The hairs of his neck raised and Ran turned to face his lover. Ken's terror filled eyes stared back at him.

"He's right." Ken said. "There's something here."

Ran looked toward the open doorway and tensed, his wiry body becoming deathly still. Ken was right. He could feel the dark aura rising throughout their home. He released Jei in an instant and moved toward the door. Ken right by his side.

Jei shot off the bed and grabbed a startled Aya, crushing her into his arms.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked, confusion and fear lacing her words.

Ran looked over his shoulder and stared Jei in the eye, finally understanding what Jei had been trying to say. "We have to get out of here."

Jei nodded and tightened his hold over Aya, his eye, lucid and clear, silently telling Ran that he would protect Aya with his life.

Ran nodded in turn and grasped Ken's wrist.

Slowly they moved out of the room and quietly walked along the hallway toward Yohji's old room where their only chance for escape could be found.

The balcony.

Out of the three exits available to them, it was the only one still accessable; the front door and the kitchen door no longer an option.

More than anything, Ran wished he had had the time to retrieve his katana from where he had it tucked away in his closet. But he knew he couldn't afford the time it would take to go to his room to search for it. They were running out of time. The presence in the house was getting stronger and closer. They had to get out and fast.

Fear swept through him as the lights began to flicker and an eerie chanting began to echo around them. "Dammit, move!" he commanded and broke into a run.

Their combined footsteps could be heard throughout the hallway as they dashed for the room directly ahead of them.

A shadowed form suddenly materialized before their eyes blocking them from their destination and Ran knew their time was up.

"Shit," he cursed as he moved in front of Aya and Jei, blocking them from harm. This was bad. None of them were armed. How the hell were they going to defend themselves? The 'thing' in front of them appeared to be quite strong. Ran could feel the evil emanating from it, thickening the air with its foulness. We have to get the fuck out of here.

"Ran," whispered Ken as he stepped closer to Ran. "What the hell are we going to----."

"You have been chosen to become one with the Sodinu. You will now take your place."

Ran's eyes widened and he clamped his hands over his ears as the entity's voice rang loudly through his mind. He heard Ken hiss and turned in time to see Ken fall to his knees in pain. "Ken!"

He made to move to his lover's side and in an instant, all hell broke loose.

Ran cried out as something rammed into his shoulder, tearing through skin and muscle; the impact of the blow sending him sailing through the air and colliding into a wall.

He could hear Aya screaming and Ken calling out his name but Ran couldn't respond, couldn't even move as his mind reeled from the pain and his vision swam before his eyes. Move, dammit! You have to help them! They need you. Move! But no matter how much his mind commanded his body to obey, he could not make himself stand. His body felt as if it were not there. It was numb, disconnected.

"Run Jei! Get Aya out of here!" he heard Ken yell before the brunette suddenly appeared before him.

Ran tried to get his body to move as Ken attempted to pull him to his feet but he couldn't get it to obey his commands. Shit, I'm helpless.

"Let's go love."

"Aya," he managed to whisper as agony shot up his arm. The pain was blinding him and it took all of his will not to cry out as Ken jarred his injured arm in his attempts to get him to stand.

"She's okay," Ken replied, panting from exertion. "Jei got her out. They're safe."

Ran was halfway off the floor when something struck Ken from behind causing them both to come crashing down to the floor.

Ran's head cracked against the floor and the world dimmed. Concern for his lover filtered through the daze he was in and Ran slowly moved his head until Ken's fallen form wavered before him. Lying beside him, Ran could see that the brunette was unconcsious; blood seeping from the wound in his shoulder. Ran tried to move, tried to reach out with his hand but found himself unable to act. No! I have to save him. Move. Please. Just fucking move!

Heat encased his legs, the sensation spreading through them like a raging fire and Ran's eyes widened as a red hue enveloped the room. He heard Ken gasp beside him and Ran shifted his gaze back to his lover.

Violet eyes locked onto blue-green and in that instant Ran knew they weren't going to make it. With his heart in his eyes, Ran tried to reach out with his hand once more. His heart cried out in joy as it obeyed his plea and connected, intertwining with his beloved's.

A moment of love and acceptance transpired between them before they were both enclosed into a realm doused in scarlet.

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