Tsubasa Chronicle Fan Fiction ❯ You're Not Alone ❯ Chapter 04 ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

You're Not Alone 4 / ??
Written by Jezz-Ra
Warnings - Not all warnings apply to all chapters.  Yaoi, Lemon, Violence, Language, Angst
Disclaimer - I don't own Tsubasa or anything CLAMP related, don't make money off it.  Wish I did.

My other stories can be found under my author profile at any of my archive sites.
Archived at - adultfanfiction. net, fanfiction. net, and mediaminer. org ::: Anywhere else, ask!
Questions or Comments?  Email me at megami _ no _ remon @ hotmail. com  ((remove spaces))

// Blah // indicates thoughts.

A/N - The proper name for what Fai's going through at the moment is Latrodectism.  Or something very, very similar.  (The effects of a spider-bite from the latrodectus family of spiders, the most well-known of which is the black widow).  No, of course the spider thingy that bit him was NOT a widow, but I'm basing the effects roughly off of it.  Having never experienced it personally or having known someone that was thus inflicted, any inconsistencies can be conveniently blamed on the fact that this is a fantasy creature.   Hah.  I win.

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Kuroga ne felt utterly useless.  It was not a feeling he liked or was accustomed to.  Even though he knew it was hardly his fault and that he had done everything he could, he still felt he should have noticed SOME sign of the other spider coming up behind the wizard sooner, enough to....to what?  He couldn't fight the two so far apart, and he couldn't have warned Fai to move, considering that the mage had been trapped.  But there really had been no options.

It didn't make watching Fai's suffering any easier.

Fai's body was taut as a bowstring, his back arched as another wave of cramps locked his muscles tightly, making it impossible to move, practically impossible to breathe.  The waves never quite abated.  Just when he began to think he might get a moment to catch his breath, stretch out a tiny bit to relieve some of the horrible ache, they would hit him again.  His throat was too tight to make a sound, even if he had possessed the spare breath to do so.

Kurogane frowned as another small, strangled noise echoed in the back of Fai's throat, watching as the wizard's body contorted in another rictus of agony, fingers clawing into the ground and head slamming back.  That drew a small wince, but at least Fai had his fluffy coats to cushion him somewhat.  Kurogane had long ago taken one of his thick leather belts and set it between Fai's teeth, binding it loosely in place.  After the first time Fai's body had jolted, his teeth snapping together with very audible force, Kurogane wanted to make damn sure he wouldn't bite through his tongue or lips, or perhaps break his teeth.

The warrior was growing increasingly worried, and it wasn't solely because of Fai's spasms.  The wizard was running a slight fever and sweating profusely, his eyes watering.   Without a source of water, this was a very serious problem and would do wonders to speed along the dehydration process.

That left Kurogane with three options, and none of them were to his liking.

First, he could wait it out here and protect the wizard from potential further harm.  It was a very strong likelihood that there were more of those spider-things in the area.  While Fai was in obvious agony and there was nothing he could do to change that, his symptoms did not seem to have gotten any worse.  It was likely they would abate eventually.  Such inaction, however, did not sit well with the warrior.

Second, he could head off in search of water.  Just because they hadn't encountered any yet, there had to be some somewhere nearby.  Even if the spider-things survived without it by getting their moisture from things they ate, somewhere down the food chain there had to be some animals that needed to drink.  However, that meant abandoning Fai without any protection.  The threat of dehydration was a very serious one, however, and if they didn't act soon, there would be trouble.

The third option was that he could head out and take Fai with him.  The wizard obviously couldn't walk in this condition, and Kurogane wasn't sure how well he could carry him if he kept jerking around like that as the cramps came and went.  

What to do?....What to do....

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Oh, gods, it hurt.

Fai cringed in anticipation and was not disappointed as another wave of terrible, terrible cramps seized him, every muscle in his body contracting until black tinged the edges of his vision, until he thought something would burst, his lungs would never inhale again.  His teeth dug deep depressions in the thick leather belt as they snapped shut.

And again, slowly, agonizingly slowly, the wave passed and the pressure eased slightly, causing him to twitch and jerk, sucking in greedy gulps of air while he had the ability.  Sweat rolled off of him and his throat and eyes just burned.

Fai was reminded of a time, long ago, when he had first began studying magic in King Ashura's vast libraries.  The king had shown him around, pleased that he had taken an interest in studying.  He had never withheld his praise for Fai's inborn talent and his sharp mind, instead reveling in them and promoting them, prompting the boy to learn more.  He had, however, explained caution to him.  Even at a young age, Fai was several times more powerful than most wizards could hope to be in the course of their lifetimes.  Even still, untrained and wild power was a risk, a danger to himself and those around him.

It was like learning any skill.  One had to start small and work their way upward, learning control and discipline, learning not only how to use power, but more importantly when and how much was necessary for a given task.  Thus, Ashura had shown Fai to several tomes of beginner level magic and bade him practice.

Fai had gone to it with a will, and the spells came to him with ease.  As fast as he could read, could burn the proper runes into his mind, he could make the spell bend to his will.  At first, his apparent success had thrilled him, although he rapidly began to tire of casting minor cantrips and reading dweomers.

Convinced of his own superiority, he had pushed aside the books King Ashura had left him and wandered into the library until he found a heavy tome of dark blue leather, edged with a silver framework.  It radiated energy, a clear ward and warning against the uninitiated.  Fai used his power to dismantle the ward and immediately brought his treasure back to his desk.

Many of the runes within were far, far more complex than those that he had been working with.  The boy took it as a challenge and settled in to practice some of these spells.   The first he chose to try was a lightning-based attack spell.

The resulting explosion nearly killed him and blew an incredible hole in the wall of the library.  The lightning had come through him, and the electrical power that had sizzled through his nerve endings had felt just like this.  Everything had locked up.

However, that pain had been one initial shock and, while it took a long while to recover from, nothing had been worse than the initial blast, the painful clench of his muscles.

This was that same blast over...and over.... and over.

Fai thought he was going to go absolutely mad if it didn't end soon.  But it couldn't just be all in his imagination.  The periods of respite between seizures seemed to be growing a bit longer, the cramps slightly less severe since they had started a few hours ago.

Another wave hit, and his conscious thought was again washed out in a wave of fresh torment.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Another few hours saw some positive change in the wizard, Kurogane was glad to note.   His seizures seemed to have lessened and Fai seemed to have more or less lost consciousness.  The spasms still jerked him around like a stuffed doll, but lacked the force they had had previously.

That decided things for the ninja.  It was time to go.  Fai might still be suffering, but he had burned up a lot of the water in his body and would suffer a whole lot more if they didn't find some water soon.  Besides, sitting so near the spiders' hunting ground was driving his senses crazy.  Every time the breeze so much as moved a blade of grass he was on full alert and ready to fight - such constant hypersensitivity was starting to severely frazzle his nerves.

After making sure he had everything in order, he headed over towards Fai.  "Going to go look for some water.  You're going to need it," he mumbled by way of explanation, although he was fairly sure Fai didn't hear him.   

It took a bit of effort to stuff the wizard into his coats, but Kurogane persevered and eventually managed the task.  Judging that things had calmed down sufficiently, he removed his belt from between Fai's teeth, wincing inwardly at the sight of the deep indentations from Fai's bites.  // Looks like he almost bit right through the damn thing a few times. //

He picked Fai up and let out a little huff.  It took less effort than he thought it would. // I bet your damn coats weigh more than you do, mage... //  Kurogane couldn't help but be amazed at how light Fai truly was.  He knew the wizard, despite his love and aptitude for cooking, didn't eat near as much as he should, but it still boggled his mind that anyone that tall could weigh that little and feel so....delicate.  Fragile.  Breakable.

Kurogane was stolen from his contemplation - and the uncomfortable realization he had been staring - when the wizard convulsed again in his arms.  It was nowhere near as bad as most of his prior spasms.  Kurogane was fairly sure he would have dropped him if it was.  It was still painful to watch.  Even though he was a ninja and reveled in the glory of battle, was used to fighting and pain, that didn't mean he liked to sit and watch someone suffer, especially someone that he considered a friend.  It ate at him.  

He wished there was any small comfort he could offer to Fai, but he was at a loss.  He didn't think a friendly pat on the back would make things any better, and anything he might try to say would be completely lost on the wizard, no matter his tone.  Kurogane had a distinct lack of practice at sounding caring and sympathetic, regardless.  The wizard seemed to be in and out of consciousness anyhow, and he would go unheard.  All he could do now was hang on tightly as the mage jerked in his arms, his body trying to curl up on itself.

Once Fai was quiescent once more, he started walking again.  He wasn't sure exactly how much ground he would be able to cover before he'd be forced to rest.  He was stronger than most, but carrying the weight of another person was draining.  It would have been easier if he could have thrown Fai over his shoulder and used the rest of his body to help distribute the rest of his weight, but he was fairly sure that would only aggravate things, especially when Fai had another seizure.

Well, he'd do what he could, then.  It had to be better than nothing.

Kurogane managed to walk for the better part of two hours before simple exhaustion had taken him over.  His arms felt numb and dead.  Every step was a monumental effort now, and it was only sheer stubborn determination that kept him moving forward.  After the first hour, Fai had fallen into an exhausted slumber, only the occasional tick or spasm going through him for the most part.

The road carried on up and over a hill overlooking a great rocky canyon.  The ninja hardly dared to breathe as he approached the chasm, a flood of cool relief washing over him and momentarily making him forget how tired he was, the burning ache in his shoulders.  It was difficult to see too far in the dark, but he could still make out the distinct play of moonlight off the river water below.

Kurogane set up camp next to a pair of standing boulders that provided cover on two sides.  He let out a low groan as he finally set Fai down, stretching his arms with a wince.  Oh, he was going to be sore later... especially considering that he still had to find a way down to the river and it'd likely require some climbing.  That would have to wait for a while, however.  He was in desperate need of a break.

Kurogane settled his back against one or the rocks and let his eyes slide shut, his katana resting casually against his chest.  He hadn't quite managed to fall asleep, however, before he felt like he was being watched.   

With a low growl, Kurogane's ruby eyes opened and locked onto Fai's ice-crystal gaze.  The mage looked flushed and painfully exhausted, but was still staring in his direction.

"What do you want, idiot mage?" Kurogane groused, although there was no real heat in his tone.

Fai regarded him for a moment before responding, the faintest of smiles twitching at his lips.  "Thank you, Kuro-rin."
// Thank you for not abandoning me to the spider, not leaving me in camp, for being as gentle as you could on me, for sitting up and watching over me, for exhausting yourself to drag me all this way... //

Kurogane noted the mage's smile.  It wasn't quite like the overly cheery grin he was used to seeing.  It seemed more genuine, despite looking sad and wistful at the same time.  He could assume from the look Fai was giving him, from the tone of his voice, that his words were words of gratitude.  "Eh, shut up and go to sleep."

Fai simply closed his eyes and was out a moment later, almost as if he had understood the gruff command.  Kurogane wasn't far behind him, sleeping lightly with one hand on the hilt of his sword.   He felt a peculiar warm, fuzzy feeling after seeing that smile of Fai's as he drifted off.  It made everything seem worth it.
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