Tsubasa Chronicle Fan Fiction ❯ Tsubasa: Revolutions ❯ What I Do Best ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

He must have fought her so hard to keep her from succeeding before. And this morning, they found him laying there, asleep and unguarded.

Because I was there with him.

This is my fault entirely.

“God, Kurogane, I am so sorry,” I shake my head to get the tears out of my eyes. The sound of my own trembling voice frightens me.

There is nothing more I can say to him than that.

I am so. Very. Sorry.

I brush Reira’s arms away again and take a step forward. He just stares at me. Studying me.

It hurts to look at his face, because it isn’t… it isn’t Kurogane any more.

Kurogane isn’t really here.

This is just his shell.

But even still, I want to run to him. To burry my face in his chest and cry.

I have to figure something out.

I have to get him back.

But how am I supposed to convince them that I don’t have enough magical power within me to successfully attempt sending anyone to another world? My only other option seems to be stealing the vial containing Kurogane’s soul… the one hanging around the King of Evil’s neck… and then escaping with Kurogane, who will likely be along for the ride and of little help to me for a while. Because last time I checked, I didn’t know the spell for reattaching someone’s soul.



I’d really like to tell him “I told you so! I told you I’m not any use to you.”



I’d like to say, “If I were dead, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”



If he had just let me die…



But I can’t seem to say it. I don’t know if it’s because I know it would just be wasted breath… or maybe, I don’t want to hear myself say such things.



Because it is more true now than ever.



But dying right now would be no good at all.



I suppose I should stay alive long enough to fix things…



Leaning my head against his chest, I can hear a slow, dully beating heart. I can feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes.



At least he is alive.



He does nothing as I hug him to me. I’d give absolutely anything right now to change that. He could punch me across the face and yell at me to never come near him again, and I wouldn’t care. Because when it comes down to it… I really don’t want him to die.



I want him… to be happy. And to smile. And laugh. And whatever else he wants to do. And even if I am not there to witness it, I want that for him.



Because I love him.



More than anything.



I stand on my toes and lean up to kiss him chastely on the lips before walking away.



They both follow after me like lost puppies.



“No. Please stay here,” I turn to shake my head at them.



“Fa-ai?” Reira looks up at me with her vacant eyes. “I stay with you?”



“No. You cannot stay with me,” I retort as quickly as I can.



“Kurogane?” she asks. “Kurogane stay with you?”



“Not now,” I shake my head. “You need to stay here and look after Kurogane for me.”



“But you just got here. Do you not like us?”



“I like you just fine. But there is something I need to do. Please, stay here. Look after Kurogane for me. I will be back as soon as I can.”

“Why are you going?”



“Please,” I kneel before her and grab her by both hands. “Just stay here Reira-chan. I promise I will be back very soon.”



The trouble with things right now are that I’m not quite sure where I’m supposed to be going.



There will be people outside the door. I’m sure the windows will be locked. But I figure that is my safest bet.



Before returning to my feet, I touch my fingers to her forehead. A simple warning spell should do the trick. I need to know the moment someone tries to come in here.



After all, I’m sure know one will be pleased to find me already missing.



I’d like to avoid that if at all possible.



This would be easier if I had two good eyes to see out of. Depth perception seems to go right out the window with only one eye, and since I myself am about to go out a window, I think depth perception might be a handy thing to have.



Oh well.



The window is locked, as expected. But nothing I can’t handle. Just a small tap of my finger on the glass and the latch lifts. It’s such simple magic I would hardly consider even calling it that.



I look back at the two little dolls behind me and give them a small smile before hoisting myself onto up onto the window ledge and dangling my legs out in the air.



I am at least six stories in the air, and the fall could seriously hurt or even kill anyone else I know. But I land softly and without hardly a sound on the concrete below.



Above, I can see to a dark shape leaning their head out the window.



Kurogane.



“Please, don’t follow me,” I say to myself and give one last, long look up at him before running off.



I need to find Sarûs.



It’s the only thing I can think of to do.



In hindsight, I probably should have familiarized myself with the layout of the palace a bit more. But in my defense, I had a rather sizable distraction to deal with.



Leaning against the sun warmed stone wall of the palace, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I can hear it ringing in my ears.



If I am seen, I have no doubt they will do their best to try and kill me.



Luckily, I am very fast. I always have been. And while I detest the very thought of being a vampire, I will attest to the fact that it certainly has amplified my skill and speed.



I am gone and around a corner the moment I even sense the presence of another person.



It is an incredibly hot day today. I can literally see the heat rising off the hot cement. Feel it radiating off the stone walls. It’s so bright out, it almost hurts my eyes.



Which brings me to realize that I am a little thirsty. But I will deal with that later. Once I give my dinner back his soul. He’s much more fun to play with like that, after all. Though, I suppose, in a time like this I shouldn’t really be thinking about things like that.



I pause in my steps and close my eyes.



Magic always attracts magic. It seems to work that way in all worlds.



At least the ones that I have seen thus far.



Considering Sarûs is still alive, he doesn’t possess more magical ability than myself, even at half power. Nor does Werra. But I don’t think it would take much more power in either of them to tip the scale.



There is magic all around this place. And I’m rather frazzled, so its difficult to concentrate, and narrow things down.



West.



West.



Straight ahead.



Werra.



Sarûs.



The feather?



But there is something else as well.



Something to almost on top of me. Following me.



“Fai-san?” a soft voice in my head. “Can you hear me?”



I know that voice quite well.



“Hai, Sakura-chan, I can hear you,” I am afraid to say it aloud, but I whisper it anyway.



“Monagan-sama says that we can speak easier if you find a mirror or window,” she says.



She has found me through her dream.



I had been curious how this might work if the other person is awake. I guess, now I know.



I look about hurriedly for something that will work, and yet won’t leave me out in the open. A window across the courtyard is hidden slightly by the shade of a tree. I suppose that will work as good as anything for now.



I don’t want her to know about the mess I’ve gotten myself and Kurogane into, so I stand before the window and give her my best smile and I can see her lovely reflection as though she were standing beside me.



“You look well Fai-san. Where are you?”



“I am at Sarûs’s palace right now.”



“Is Kurogane-san with you?”



“Yes. He is back in our room now.”



Her face, for a brief moment looks concerned. I can hide the truth from her all I want, but she’s smart enough to know when something’s wrong.



“Tomorrow,” her green eyes turn serious, “things will change.”



“Did you get your feather back?!”



“Annabelle has agreed to return it to me at sunrise. She says she wants one last day of peace.”



“That is great Sakura-chan! I knew you would be able to do it.”



“I’m worried though Fai-san. Things have been so peaceful over here for so long, no one will know how to handle it. Am I doing the right thing? Won’t it just cause death and unhappiness for people?”



“You are not doing anyone a favour by leaving that world alone, Sakura-chan. They will never appreciate anything in their lives, if all they know is good. You would never know how good ice cream was, if it was the only thing you had ever eaten. Sometimes, Sakura-chan, you need to eat something icky to understand what something good tastes like. And all those people know right now is ice cream. It is true that they’re going to have to eat a lot of icky things at first, but they will appreciate their ice cream a hundred times over, once they get to eat it again.”



She only smiles.



Ice cream was the only thing I could think of…



“Can I ask you something else?”



“Of course, Sakura-chan.”



“Did you find anything over there?”



“I believe Sarûs has your feather, if that is what you are asking. But I haven’t been able to get close to it. We weren’t able to walk around the palace much.”



“Are you prisoners!?”



“No. No we’re not,” I lie through my cheesy smile. “Don’t worry Sakura-chan. I’ll try and get your feather before tomorrow, and then we won’t have to worry about anything at all.”



“Are you sure you’re ok, Fai-san?” she looks at me with concern. “You don’t have to lie to me, you know.”



“I’m fine Sakura-chan. There isn’t any need to worry about me.”



“And Kurogane-san?”



“He is fine too.”



“Can I talk with him?”



“He is back in our room right now.”



I can tell just by her face she isn’t buying it. I suppose that is what I get for letting myself get to close to them all. It’s really quite aggravating.



“Please be careful Fai-san. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I want to at least know that you are alright.”



“I am alright Sakura-chan. Don’t worry.”



“But I always worry about you Fai-san.”



I can only give her a smile, “So, I will see you tomorrow then?”



“I will see you tomorrow. Please let Kurogane-san know.”



“I will,” I nod briefly to her and give her one last smile – a smile that she returns to me as her reflection fades away and I am left standing alone once more.



Drawing in a large breath in vein attempt to clear my thoughts, I stare at my own reflection.



I have to get back Kurogane’s soul and Sakura’s feather before sunrise so as not to be a disappointment to her. And also so we can leave this place the moment we reunite with the kids. Because if truth be told, I don’t care for this world much. And I don’t think I’d be out of my mind to say I’m sure everyone else would say the same thing.



I have no idea which I should go after first, to make things easier. And I doubt getting a hold of either one will be simple.



My priority is obviously Kurogane’s soul. But considering it’s hanging from a vial around Sarûs’s neck, and he is likely just waiting for me in room somewhere, expecting me to try and get it back from him, I’m a bit nervous to try. And as for the feather, I don’t think he knows I’m aware of it’s presence, but my guess is that he’s been guarding it closely the entire time. And one tends to be very good at guarding things when you’ve had a thousand years to practice at it.



“F-ai” I am startled out of my daze for a moment to hear Reira’s mechanical doll voice in my head, “Door.”



Damn.

I can’t let it be known I’m out and about, so I do the only thing I can think of.



Stretching out my arm, I write the required spell in the air with my fingers and not a moment later, the air about me swirls and pulls at me, wrapping me tightly and carrying me away to deposit me safely at my destination before I can finish drawing my breath.



Reira smiles awkwardly as I stand before her and pat her on the head. I hear the hinge of the door squeak as it is pushed open, and the vibrant light from the hallway spills into the room.



I don’t recognize the face of the person standing before me. A man dressed in a solid black military uniform, with a heavily decorated left breast. “I’m to inform you that you will be taking dinner with our Lord this evening. You may use the facilities in the rear of the room to freshen up.”



I stare at him, no smile, no frown. I have no intention of saying anything at all to him.



He nods once and steps backwards out of the room.



I can hear keys jingling to lock the door again.



I think I’ll stay here until someone else comes by to fetch me for dinner. I’d rather pass on the invitation of course, but judging by the days events, that’s obviously not an option.



Sarûs is about the last person in the universe I’d want to spend time with. And it isn’t like I can eat anything anyway. But I probably should eat, now that I think about it. If nothing more than to prepare for the night I’m going to have ahead of me.



Kurogane is sitting silently on a powder blue couch so full of cushions it’s a wonder he actually fits. His vacant face gives no indication that he is even aware of my presence, or even knew that I was gone.



I hope I’m not going to scare the poor thing in a moment.



“Kuro-chan,” I say softly, settling to the ground directly before him. His lifeless crimson eyes look right at me. “Can I have your hand, please?”



He complies with the obedience of a very well trained dog, and extends his arm to me promptly.



The black netted shirt they put him in clings to every inch of his arm, all the way to his hands, and the wrists I know are ripped and torn are hidden beneath thick black bands of bracelets.



He has lended me his left wrist, and I politely remove the bands from around his arm and push the fabric away to expose his skin.



He does nothing.



I run my fingertips across the center of palm of his hand – across his scar he’s never told me how he got. Though, I suppose that I’ve never actually asked him about it.



His wrists are still red and raw. But not as bad. And I can see all his new scars and still not fully healed wounds that now plague his arms all because of me.



I don’t have anything sharp on hand. And I don’t know where I might find something useful.



I guess I could break a vase or something.



I don’t know why I don’t.



Instead I find myself looking up at him once more. “I’m sorry if this hurts,” I say before opening my mouth.



I breathe once, my lips hovering so close to his skin that with any movement they would collide. I feel the changes in me that I suppose I have come to expect; my eyes flashing with hunger to a colour likened to they eyes of cats; my teeth sharpening in anticipation of my meal.



I’ve never actually used them before. I’ve never needed to.



I pierce his skin as though it were an apple. A very juicy apple that tends to be a little messy if I’m not careful. And twice as delicious.



He didn’t even flinch.



A small thought pops into my head, but I dismiss it quickly because I don’t want to deal with it right now. I’m doing something I said I would never do. I said I would never ask him.



Well… maybe he’ll never have to know I did.



I drink until I am full, and he stops bleeding. I pull his sleeve back down and put his bands back in his arms before I curl up against his leg and lay my head in his lap and secretly wish to feel his hands in my hair.



But he just sits there.



So I close my eyes and go to sleep, and I don’t wake up until I hear the jingling of keys again.



“You were supposed to freshen up,” is all they say to me. I can feel them glaring at me as they stand there tapping their toe with their hand on their hips.



“Sorry,” I shrug lazily.



“You have five minutes. I’m here to escort you.”



“What about them? Are they coming?” I look to Kurogane and Reira.



The guard only chuckles. “Who would waste their time feeding dolls? Hurry up and get ready.”



“I’m not leaving unless I can take one of them with me.”



He looks puzzled for a moment. His black eyes flicker from me to Kurogane, who’s lap I’m still occupying, back to me, and then to Reira who is sleeping in the center of the floor and looks just like a doll someone tossed across the room.



“Just one then,” he nods.



I’m amused at the fact that he even considered it, let alone said that I could. Overlooking the whole of the situation, I’ve come to be a rather spoiler prisoner it seems.



“Alright,” I nod and push myself to my feet.



He is no taller than I am, but easily twice as wide. Not that that says much. I was slender by comparison even in Celes.



“I’ll be right back then,” I say with a nod and then make my way towards the bathroom.



My hair is a matted mess on top of my head, a button or two on my shirt is undone. I adjust myself, and dampen my hair to quickly pull it back into a small braid and tie it off with a black ribbon. It’s the best I can do with what I’m given. And I don’t particularly care what I look like at the moment anyway.



“All set.”



The guard just nods, and I extend my hand to Kurogane. “Come on,” I smile to him.



The entire time following the guard, I walk at Kurogane’s side; so close to him my shoulder brushes against his arm every few steps that I take.



“Stay close to me,” I look up to him and say. I don’t know if he heard me. Or if it would matter at all if he had.



There seems to be quite a lot of chatter coming down the hallway. We pass by several uniformed servants toting silver platters full of food and drink. People pushing carts of food.



It would have been nice to know that I was attending an actual event rather than a private dinner. At least I could have been more prepared.



“You’ll be sitting at Lord Sarûs’s table this evening. But he’s asked us to keep an eye on you. So don’t try anything funny.”



I only smile, and he glares at me.



I have no intention of promising that, at all.