Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Red Shaman ❯ Three Minute Warning ( Chapter 66 )

There's a three minute warning

Before the whistle blows

A three minute warning

Til overload.

 

 

Jormund smiled to himself and smoothed down a stray lock of Skye's hair.

 

I'll have to let go of you soon, niece.

 

Skye blinked up at him, mildly startled. Why?

 

Because that one, he said, nodding to Schuldig, will be getting overly protective of you in just a few minutes.

 

I don't . . .

 

He'll be trying to hang on to everyone he has left. He'll not see a member of your family holding you. All he'll see is another man doing it.

 

But . . .

 

Let it rest. You can deal with everything later. Now ground before you explode.

 

Skye took several deep breaths, trying to gain some control over her own emotions as well as the pain and anger she had drained from Schuldig. She grounded wave after wave of it, allowing everything to run from her and into the earth beneath her feet. But when she caught a stray thought of loss or when she glanced at Schuldig, still holding on to Crawford's lifeless body with one hand and Nagi with the other, it crashed back into her with more force.

 

 

Schuldig slowly released Crawford's body and carefully removed the glasses that had been knocked askew by the demon. He tried not to think about how he would never see those beautiful amber eyes open again. His breath hitched and he stifled the sob that threatened to worm its way out of him. He glanced at Nagi, sitting beside him on the floor. The boy's eyes were dry; he was still too much in shock for the grief to really register at that point. When he looked up at Farfarello more emotion than he had ever seen from him showed in the other man's face and demeanor. His hands were clasped in front of him, head bowed respectfully.

 

“Schu, let me move him off the floor,” Farfarello said softly.

 

Schuldig shook his head. “I'll do it.”

 

“You can't, you're injured,” Farf pointed out. “And it isn't as if he's light.”

 

“There isn't much point in trying to say otherwise,” Schuldig said, taking a deep breath and immediately regretting it as his side and chest started to ache atrociously.

 

Farf nodded and very carefully lifted Crawford's body. Easily carrying the larger man and settling him on the bar. Schuldig forced down the urge to scream as the emotional backlash threatened to tear him apart. It had only been a few minutes ago that Crawford had been lying on the same bar, singing and groping him.

 

“He should still be here,” Nagi said, setting Crawford's glasses next to him on the bar.

 

Farf put an arm around Nagi then Schuldig. “No arguing with you there, Nagi.”

 

 

Aya carefully and subtly nudged Yohji back away from Skye. Something smelled wrong about her to his newly enhanced olfactory nerves. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he knew he wanted no part of it and didn't want his mate to be anywhere near her at the moment either.

 

Skye felt it first as a slight vibration in the muscles of her jaws. It had started subtly enough but she knew the initial warning sign even though she had not felt it in over a decade.

 

I'll give you three more minutes

Before I lose my head

Three more minutes

And you'll wish you were dead.

 

 

Aya whimpered shaking his head and burrowing closer to Yohji's side. Across the room Fen was having a hard time holding on to his invisible captive, his jaws clenched as he kept a tight rein on the more primal part of him. Fen looked at his brother and Jormund shook his head in warning. Jormund kissed the top of Skye's head then gently pried her fingers from the fabric of his shirt.

 

“Morrigan,” Jormund began but she stopped him.

 

“Three steps ahead of you. I'll know when it's time.”

 

Jormund nodded and carefully turned Skye in the direction of the demons.

 

Hurts, Skye's teeth and hands clenched, trying diligently to fight what was coming. Jormund, I can't let this happen.

 

You can not fight this; it is as much a part of you as the healer is.

 

No. No. I'm not like that anymore. I can control it.

 

No, you can not. You just have to ride it out. You've already begun changing the pain and the rage into something you can work with. Before, your primary power was that of physically destroying an enemy. This will take a different path.

 

Skye looked up at him as her eyes started to haze over with the pain. There were subtle changes beginning in the depths of her eyes, the color becoming darker. Don't let me hurt them.

 

My gift to you, niece, is that you only harm what you would have in the first place, he said. Watching as Skye sank to her knees. Edana, I suggest gathering to you who are not capable of shielding properly.

 

Everyone pull back away from her, Blaze directed. Those who can't shield, get close to one of us who can.

 

Schuldig's head shot up from where he had been looking at Crawford's body.

 

“Skye? Lieb, what . . .” He hadn't realized that he'd taken several steps toward Skye until he felt Star take hold of him.

 

“No, Schuldig,” she said.

 

“Let go of me, Star. I have to . . .”

 

“You can't reach her,” Star said, pulling him back. “She's too far gone into it for any of us to get through.”

 

“What the fuck is wrong with her?” he said, still fighting Star's grip on him.

 

“I'll explain later. You can't help her now. It just has to be allowed to run its course.”

 

Schuldig stared at Skye, who had her forehead pressed to the floor. He felt the first trickle of fear inch its' way down his spine. “You've seen this happen to her before?”

 

Star nodded, continuing to carefully pull him away from Skye. “Something very similar. Twice. Once when we were still alive and once after we died.”

 

Any explanation Star might have made was cut off as Skye's head suddenly snapped up. She stood slowly and carefully with even more grace and elegance than any had seen her exhibit before. She seemed to glide across the floor toward the amassed demons.

 

“Skye! What are you doing?!” Schuldig said, trying again to break Star's hold on him. “Let go, Star! She's lost it. She can't fight all of them.”

 

“The way she is right now, she can.”

 

 

Skye opened her mouth and began to sing. The tune was high and eerily haunting, raising the fine hairs on the back of everyone's neck. Only four people there seemed to understand the words she was singing.

 

Aya twitched and whimpered, pressing close to Yohji's side. Yohji sat on the floor beside him, covering the hypersensitive ears with his hands and trying to block out some of the song.

 

Farfarello gathered Nagi, Ghost and Omi to him. “Don't listen if you can help it.”

 

“Farf, what . . .” Ghost began, sounding afraid.

 

Farf shook his head. “Nothing you can do. That is a death song. Call of a bean sidhe.”

 

“But isn't that heard before someone dies?” Ghost said.

 

“I'm only telling you what I know to be true,” he said, suppressing a shudder.

 

Skye drifted closer to the demons, still singing. When she passed Morrigan, the war goddess released her hold over the demons just as Skye wandered into the midst of them. The demons surrounded her, slashing and trying to bite but none of them touched her. The ones closest to her paused and suddenly seemed to disintegrate. The song spiraled around her, almost a living thing unto itself, forcing its way inside of the monsters surrounding her and destroying them.

 

 

Schuldig was fighting Star's hold on him in earnest. “Damn it let go, Star!”

 

“Not happening.”

 

“Scheisse! I will not lose the only two people I've ever given a damn about in my life within a few minutes of each other! I can't stand that.”

 

“Neither can she.”

 

Schuldig went completely still as realization dawned on him. “This is because of me.”

 

“Not exactly,” Star said.

 

“The majority of it is. She pulled the pain I was feeling from Brad . . .”

 

“It wasn't only your pain, Schuldig. It was everyone in the room. It was just too much for her to deal with.”

 

“If she gets hurt I'll never forgive myself.”

 

Schuldig watched the mass of demons dissolve when they came anywhere near Skye. They melted away like sugar cubes in the rain, leaving no trace that they had ever existed.

 

Star, it sounds like the song is getting fainter, Schuldig said. Why?

 

She's running out of energy to use. It only lasts for a short period of time.

 

“Gran . . .” Star began, releasing her hold on Schuldig and turning toward Blaze.

 

“Already on it,” Blaze said, shifting her weight to the balls of her feet and preparing to move.

 

Schuldig felt the intensity of the song fade even more. Felt Skye's consciousness start to kick back in and take over again. Felt the fear start to trickle into her mind.

 

No fucking way. I lost one person I love tonight. I won't lose the other one. Not. Fucking. Happening.

 

Before Star could grab him again, Schuldig used his speed and shot straight for Skye. Grabbing her with his uninjured arm he managed to sprint them both back to the bar as the last vestiges of power from the song faded. Blaze, Star and Sunny took up where Skye had left off.

 

Damn, everything hurt. Completely worth it, he thought as he sat on the floor cradling Skye against him.

 

“You really are an idiot. You know that?” Farf said before springing forward to help finish off the remaining demons.

 

Skye opened her eyes and stared at him. “I think Farf is right about that,” she said weakly.

 

“Probably,” Schuldig said as he tried to take a deep breath and couldn't due to the pain. “I just couldn't lose you too.”

 

“Schu, you wouldn't have lost me.”

 

“Maybe so. But I wasn't willing to take that chance. Especially not since it would have been my fault.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“You pulled my pain and anger so I wouldn't hurt myself or anyone else. That makes me responsible, at least partially, for what happened.”

 

Skye laughed a little. “Dear gods, Schu. What am I going to do with you?”

 

 

Jormund walked over to Schuldig and Skye then stood smiling down at the two of them.

 

“I told you that you wouldn't harm anyone you wouldn't have in the first place, niece. Might I just say, that was one of the most impressive displays of power I have ever had the privilege to witness.”

 

“That is an honor coming from you. I do feel like I've been run over by a truck, however.”

 

“That's hardly surprising.”

 

 

“Yutaka?” Tatsumi said.

 

“Hmmm? What's wrong, Sei?” Watari asked.

 

“I think I need new glasses,” Tatsumi said, taking off his spectacles and perusing them critically.

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

Tatsumi nodded to Crawford's body. “Because, I could have sworn I saw him move.”

 

 

*******************************Author's Notes************************************

The song used in this chapter is Three Minute Warning by Warlock.

Thanks to everyone still reading. I promise it will end eventually. As always, thanks to the fantastic Assassins Anonymous team.