Shadow Of Akihito (boy x boy) COMPLETED

Class Trip

"Alright, be quiet all of you," Sensei calls. "That means you, Emiko!" The excitable brunette squeaks in surprise before clamping her hands over her mouth. "Now, I have an announcement to make."

"Just get on with it then!" Jubei interrupts.

Sensei's eyes flash. "Jubei, do you want detention?"

"Of course not," he replies icily. He has absolutely no respect for authority. Which is a problem in this academy. If he doesn't listen to orders, he get himself or others killed in battle. 

Sensei mumbles some angrily under his breath. "Anyway, tomorrow, we'll be going on a class trip to the nearby shrine. I expect all of you to be on your best behavior," this he says while staring right at Jubei. "I expect you all to listen when the tour is going on. You might learn something that could save your life later on."

He glances around the room to make sure we understand. "Well, that's all for this lesson. Go do whatever is it you do when you're not in class." I vaguely wonder what the other kids do when not in class. Lessons never really end for me. When the actual class ends, I'm still here training some more. The only things I do are train, eat, and sleep. Today, I'm a little more tired than usual because of that strange dream I had. I wonder what it means.

"Oi, stop staring off into space! Don't you want to get better?!" Sensei calls. I blink, dragging my mind back into training. I've got more bruises this time because I keep zoning out. Finally, after yelling at me for the upteenth time, Sensei stops. "That's enough for now. Go rest."

"What? We've still got a lot of time left," I answer.

"Look, you're distracted today. So much so that we'll never get anything done. So we're done. Go do things that the other kids do." He turns away to get a drink of water.

I lower my sword. "I don't know what they do, to be honest."

"What?" He stops drinking and faces me again.

"I don't know what other kids do. It's not like they include me. And it's not like I have the time or inclination to join them."

The pity is stronger than ever in his eyes. "Look, why don't I talk to them? Not all of them think the same way Genjiro does."

Something in me snaps then. I throw my sword across the room and it lands with a clatter. "Why do you look at me like that?! Like I'm some fragile doll that you're afraid to break?! Like I'm some kind of sad, lonely child in need of sympathy?! I don't want your pity!" I go up to him and smack the water from his hands. It spills on the floor. "I want you to look at me like you actually believe I'm worth something! I want to make you and Yoji and my parents proud! IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!" Then, I storm from the room before he can see my tears.

I can barely see as I rush back to the dorm. I hope that they're not there this time. But, of course, my luck is nonexistent. Genjiro takes one look at my face and starts laughing. His buddies join in until there's a chorus of dicks mocking me. I'm DEFINITELY not in the mood for this. My control is hanging on by a thread at this point.

"Aw, look at the baby cry! Did you finally realize how completely unwanted you are? Nobody wants to be your friend. Maybe your parents got sick of being around you so they-" He doesn't finish that sentence. Before he can blink, my fist is buried in his face. His nose snaps and blood flies. He falls on his ass, trying to stop the blood with a shocked expression.

I'm panting as if I just ran a marathon. My fists are bunched so hard, my nails are digging into my palm. My jaw is clenched and my breath whistles out harshly. I think even one of my eyes is twitching. Genjiro's friends back away, fear in their eyes. Although I can't enter my Form, I'm still a decent fighter. Before long, bodies are strewn across the floor, all of them unconscious. 

That night, the voice returns. It's weaker this time, as if it uses a lot of energy to speak to me. "You're getting farther away, Akihito. Your anger is understandable and justified, but it's pushing you further from me. You need to stay calm. You'll find me. You already have the key, you just need to use it. Free me, Akihito. I need you just as much as you need me. Find me," his voice fades out.

I cry out in protest. I don't want him to leave. For some reason unknown to me, I feel so close to him. I feel a strong connection, but it's fuzzy. It's as if something's interfering with it. Maybe it's the cage he's locked in. He said I already have the key and I just need to use it. But when did I get it and what is it? If I have it, I can free him from his imprisonment. But I don't even know what it is. I need to figure this out. But how can I, when I don't even know who I am yet? How can I find and free a familiar stranger, when I'm a stranger to myself?

I know what I need to do. Just like Sensei said, I need to speak up. I need to use my voice. I'll ask tomorrow after the trip about my past. I don't know if he'll answer, he's always good at avoiding topics he doesn't want to discuss -such as his own past. But if he does, I may just understand everything. I'll be able to free him and maybe I'll even find myself. I wonder if it's something bad. Otherwise, wouldn't Yoji have already told me? I'm not a child, though, and I deserve to know. It's my past, it's part of who I am. I need to fill in all of the pieces before I can even start to have faith in who I am.