This ones a bit rough, at best it's a side story for Suicide Blast. At
worst, I'm just trying to get rid of a rather disturbing story that just
won't leave me alone. If your ready, by all means read but it's in no way
required to understand the Suicide Blast story...read it if you want, C&C
if you feel like it. Sigh, I think I'm going to make me a sandwich and get
a good nights sleep. I would appreciate if someone gave me a good title for
this one though.

	Seppukku Blast Side Story

	"Why?" whispered Akari through broken lips. The young woman's misty stare
barely made out Ryouga as he tried desperately to comfort her. With a
sudden flash of recognition, she began to writhe and struggle within his
grip. 

	Ryouga tearfully held her tighter, who ever had done this would pay.
Though his touch was gentle, his gaze held the promise of pain for the
guilty, pain that could only be escaped with death. Still, his heart was to
the fragile creature in his arms. He felt slightly sick as he realized that
her weakened bones were buckling from the strength of his embrace. As he
eased up a bit, she collapsed into his arms.

	Akari inhaled Ryouga's scent as deeply as she could, tears staining his
shirt as she buried her head deep into his chest. Anything to block out
that horrid form standing behind her protector. The source of all her pain
simply folded his it's together and smiled, completely invisible to the
young man.

	Ryouga began to rock the her back and forth, gently singing some wordless
tune. It was soft and sweet and had much in common with melodies that had
been used as a magical cure by mothers and fathers since before words were
even invented. The tender tune mended bones and erased bruises. Given time,
it even could heal wounds of the heart. 

	Snuggling even closer to Ryouga, Akari let the ancient tune enter and heal
her battered soul. She never even noticed as the figure behind her
comforter moved closer. However, she did notice another song, joining in
the first. This song was winters promise to all spring flowers. I'm coming,
the song promised, and you shall fade. Death whispered this very song to
sleeping children, children who would never her their mother's sweeter, yet
pathetically weaker, song again. 

	Looking up, fear tearing her eyes wide she saw the grinning figure. As it
hummed it's song the figure mockingly placed it's head close to her own.
The malevolent grin so out of place besides Ryouga's concerned features. 

	Screaming, the young woman frantically tried to pull herself from the arms
she wanted so much to never leave. Ryouga's face went from confusion, to
determination as he fought back with Akari. It wasn't till her flesh began
to tear that he let go, his face now turning to one of pain and
abandonment. Tears making their stinging way down his face, he reached out
to her. 

	"Please don't leave me." Ryouga begged, "I'm-I'm scared to be alone."
Behind him, the figure put his hand out as well. With a sickening sound the
young man stumbled as it reached into his chest through his back.

	Suddenly, Akari was blind to the presence of the figure. All the young
girl saw was a young man whom she wanted desperately to return to. To brush
her fingers through his hair and promise to never leave. With new, and
happier tears, glistening her face she began to reach out to embrace him.

	Ryouga, on the other hand was suddenly all too aware of the pain in his
heart. It felt as though something was squeezing his heart, not just a
tightness of the chest, but an actual twisting and reversal of blood flow
as his red organ began to implode. The pain was unbearable...and
unmistakable. Voicelessly, he tried to warn her. Impotently he tried to
force her away. Breathlessly, he tried to scream.

	The Seppukku Hokodan didn't even pause as it vaporized Akari's brittle
form. It's lethal force continued down a straight line of destruction. The
area of earth in front of Ryouga's outstretched form was devoid of life as
the blast seared everything it passed, to nothingness.

	As Ryouga crumpled in a heap in front of the ashes that had once held the
spark of life, the figure bent down to face him. He stared into a face more
familiar then any other could be. After all, he had felt this faces
features for every single day of his life. Coughing up blood, he begged the
other young man..."Why?"

	"Why not?" sneered Ryouga as he watched Ryouga writhe in pain, the last of
his life force convulsing him in fits.

	Ryouga woke up. Grimly, he looked around and noted that he was in a forest
some three days from Tokyo. Just a few more days and then it would all be
over. The pain couldn't find him where he was going...could it? 

The End