Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ The Hope Diamond ❯ Tsukiyono - 22 ( Chapter 22 )

Chapter Twenty-Two

Pain greeted him when he slowly, finally crawled out of the suffocating darkness. Yet he couldn't open his eyes. His eyelids felt like leaden weight, conspiring to keep him in darkness. He was so tired, so weak, and hurting so bad. But even in his semi-conscious state, the faintest sensation that he was in unfamiliar surrounding trickled in.

Where was he?

And where was he?

A tendril of uneasiness snaked through him. There was something missing…someone that meant a lot to him…someone that should be there but was not.

It was this feeling of incompletion that roused him further. With agonizing effort, he forced his eyes to open. He couldn't see much; his vision was completely blurred and made no sense. He let his eyes close again, completely exhausted by that miniscule movement.

Maybe it would be better if he waited until he regained more of his strength…

When he awoke again, he felt much better. The fog in his mind had cleared somewhat. There was less pain, he had more energy and his vision ceased to blur. He lied quietly in bed, gazing blankly up at the ceiling, still somewhat dazed and unable to understand how he wound up here.

A brunette head came into his line of vision, looking down at him. "You're awake."

He stared bemusedly at the brunette, remembering belatedly that the brunette's name was Ken.

"Can you sit up?" Ken asked curtly and proceeded to prop him up on several pillows. Despite the curtness of his words, Ken's actions were gentle and solicitous. "Thirsty?"

"Yes…" He croaked out, surprised that he could give voice to the word.

Ken poured water into a cup and carefully fed him the clear liquid in trickles. "Slowly now."

The cool liquid revived him further, cleared his mind. Yohji lay back against the pillows and took in his surroundings. He was in an unfamiliar room, slightly run-down and shabby-looking but homely, nothing at all like his decadently comfortable bedroom. He didn't recognize the place.

"We're in a Kritiker safe house if you want to know." Ken sat back in his chair. "Welcome back, Yohji. How are you feeling?"

"Awful…"

"I'm not surprised," Ken snorted.

Yohji fell silent as he tried to recall his last memory. It came easily enough - the burning pain as Ran's katana went through his body, his lover's upturned face filled with shock and agony - He stirred, the last image he remembered sending a frisson of worry through him.

"Ran…Ran doesn't know I'm still alive." Yohji tried to sit up but his body suddenly screaming in pain forced him back down again. "Itai…"

"Easy, Yohji. You're not going anywhere in this condition." Ken didn't even have to restrain the older man; Yohji's own weakness would ensure that he stayed in bed.

"But Ran -"

"Would have to do without you for now," Ken replied bluntly. "You can't even stand on your own two feet."

"But someone have to tell him that I'm still alive."

"We would if we could. But right now, Weiss is in hiding and incommunicado."

Yohji stared.

"Schwartz discovered our base of operation. We can't go back anymore. Persia wants us to keep a low profile until he can find us a new base of operation."

"What happened?"

Ken recounted the events of that fateful mission.

"So with Koneko trashed and compromised, we left for the fairground. We got there just in time to pull his katana out of your stomach. The amount of blood pouring from your wound - god, it scared the hell out of us. You were dying right in front of us and we didn't know how to stop the bleeding. Then Omi got inspired by sheer desperation."

Ken leaned forward and pulled back the blanket, uncovering Yohji's naked and liberally-wrapped-with-gauze torso.

Yohji stared in silence at his chest and the ofuda charm stuck to his skin right above his heart. No, grafted was a better word. The borderline between the ofuda charm and his flesh was fused in many places, and he could see veins running through the charm and into his flesh.

"That's Omi's doing," Ken explained, seeing his faint look of revulsion. "I don't understand how he did it, but basically, that ofuda charm is anchoring your life force to your body while you heal, ensuring that you wouldn't die on us. It was a tough spell and he was completely spent when he finished. I ended up having to cart two bodies out of the fairground and take them to the car."

At this point, Yohji finally noticed the bandage peeking out from beneath the collar of Ken's T-shirt, signs of healing injuries.

"Then from out of the blue, Birman and Botan appeared. Gave me a fright. I almost attacked them. Anyway they applied first-aid Mage-style to stabilize your condition even more before leaving the fairground with us. Somehow they knew of Schwartz's attack at the flower shop. They brought us here and here is where we have been hiding for the last three days. Both Birman and Botan have been looking after you nonstop while you were unconscious. Once you are stronger, Omi will remove the ofuda from you."

"How bad were my injuries?"

"You were burned and slashed in more places that I want to count. You had two fractured ribs, collarbone and a wrist, one broken rib, ankle and two fingers. You were bleeding internally and externally; your mage reserves were completely spent and let's not forget about the stab wound right through your stomach. That one almost did you in. If Omi and I had arrived even a second later…hell, I don't want to think about it."

"How long am I going to be stuck here?"

Ken shrugged. "Botan thinks you need three more healing sessions, which means three more days."

"Three more…" Yohji closed his eyes. "That's too long. I must get to Ran."

Ken sighed. "Yohji…"

"I know. But Ran…he needs to know I'm alive. He promised he'll stay strong but I'm still afraid -"

"Then he'll stay strong," Ken cut him off. "You have to trust him on that. If you can fall in love with him, he must have a core of strength that attracted you in the first place. I don't think he will give up that easily."

Yohji stared at the brunette, pleasantly astonished at his support. He had thought Ken disapproved of their relationship. While Ken's sudden change of heart was gratifying, Yohji wanted to know what caused it and he said so.

"I heard him scream," Ken said pensively, not looking at Yohji. "When Birman and Botan performed first-aid on you beside our car outside the fairground, I heard him scream. It was…the most heartbreaking sound I had ever heard. I would never forget that sound of a wounded animal."

Yohji's heart twisted. He didn't need any imagination to know the kind of hell his lover went through.

"When Omi and I arrived at the fairground, all I saw was a man covered in your blood and holding the body of his victim. I was so furious and terrified, I couldn't think straight. Omi was busy trying to anchor your life force. I wanted to and could've killed him right then and there and Omi wouldn't be able to stop me. Then I saw the tears on his face…that blank look of devastation in his eyes…He didn't even see me standing over him, Yohji. He didn't seem to be even aware of his surrounding."

Ken sighed. He ran a hand through his tousled bangs and gazed somberly at his injured friend.

"I couldn't do it. He almost took your life and all I saw was a shattered soul mourning for you. Gems don't have souls. If I didn't know better, I would have swore he still had his. It was the first time I saw a Gem cry. That stopped me. I didn't think they were capable of emotions. And later, when I heard him scream…I guess it finally brought home the fact that he did really loved you. And to have to kill you with his own hands…"

Ken's voice trailed off. He dropped his gaze to his hands.

"I don't know how I would cope if I was him," he whispered. "Somehow I don't think I'm strong enough to prevent myself from going insane."

"Ken…"

The brunette took a deep breath and continued, "I was so afraid of someone hurting my only family and that made me paranoid and over-protective. I thought the Gem was like Kase, playing around with your heart. And I didn't want you to be hurt the way I was…I'm sorry, Yohji. I didn't mean to say those things about him."

"I understand," Yohji replied gently. "We all saw how much Kase had hurt you that time."

Ken smiled faintly. "The moment you are back on your feet, we're going to free him - together."

Yohji returned his smile. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Weiss is more than just a group of assassins living together," Ken shrugged self-consciously. "We're family and I'm very protective of my family."

"You were zealously over-protective," Yohji couldn't help pointing out.

"I'm sorry. Blame it on my Hunter nature. We are very territorial, you know."

"That would explain why you were so crabby when I woke up. I'm a part of your territory and I almost died."

"You haven't seen crabby yet, Kudoh." Ken tried to glare at him but his grin spoiled the expression. "I'm really glad you're not dead, Yohji."

"Me too."

"Friends?" Ken tentatively held out his palm.

"Yeah." Yohji clasped his hand firmly. "Friends."

The door creaked open and a blond head poked in. In a flash, Omi was inside the room and by Yohji's bedside, beaming happily. The boy was so cheerful it was impossible for Yohji's spirits not to lift somewhat.

"Yohji-kun, you're awake!"

"Hai. Thanks to you, I heard." Yohji gingerly touched the ofuda charm stuck to his chest. "Ingenious. Revolting but ingenious."

"Just be thankful it worked."

Yohji stared at him in mock horror. "You mean I was your guinea pig? Again?"

"Hidoi!"

"Thank you, Omittchi, really."

Omi's pout slid right into a brilliant smile. "You're welcomed."

"Looks like our rebellious assassin is finally awake."

Yohji's gaze turned to the open doorway to see a strange man entering. He had never seen this stranger before. Raven-haired and darkly tanned, the man wore a dark red suit and a diagonal scar ran across one side of his face. He was fiddling with, of all things, a paper plane.

"You must be Botan," he said. "Guess I owe you my life."

"You're welcomed." Botan leaned against the wall opposite his bed.

"You're not going to ask how I managed to end up like this?" Yohji questioned.

He was sure neither Omi nor Ken had spilled his secret to this Kritiker agent. Then again, since Botan was present on that night, it wouldn't be too hard for the man to put the pieces together without help.

"Nope," Botan answered nonchalantly. "I've predicted it."

Three blank stares greeted his statement.

"I've a peculiar gift for predicting," Botan explained. "I'm not a pre-cog or a clairvoyant. But sometimes, I would just trance without warning and out come from my mouth is a cryptic prediction."

Omi suddenly inhaled sharply. "So you're the one!"

"The one what?" Ken asked in bewilderment.

"Nothing much," Omi answered hastily. "It's, ah, just something I've heard, that's all."

"Okay," Ken replied doubtfully.

But neither he nor Yohji quite believed Omi. There had been something in Omi's exclamation that sounded like he had just remembered something that solved a question for him.

"It must be rather inconvenient for you during field work," Omi told Botan.

"I don't do field work, in general. I'm mostly working in Kritiker HQ. But this time, Persia sent me out here with Birman to help you guys."

"Why did he do that?"

Botan shrugged. "Beats me."

He launched the paper plane and the object glided through the air to land softly in Yohji's lap. "Anyway, I just stopped by to tell you guys that Birman has gone back to HQ and won't be back for a while. If you need me for anything, I'll be in the living room."

"Wait," Yohji called. "I want to ask a favor of you."

"What favor?"

"Can you speed up the healing? I need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Botan studied him thoughtfully for a long moment. His brown eyes suddenly glazed over and he spoke in an eerie monotone that made the hair raised on everybody's necks. "You, who love a cursed Gem, will turn the world upon its head. Beware, for your love will be your triumph and your downfall."

They stared at the Kritiker agent in dead silence, unnerved by the ominous prophecy.

Botan blinked and stared back at them in momentary confusion. "What?"

"You said something strange," Yohji pointed out slowly.

Botan grimaced. "Another prediction, huh?"

They nodded.

"What did I say?"

"I don't want to tell," Yohji replied tersely. Then he changed the subject. "Will you be able to speed up the healing process?"

Wisely, Botan did not press. "I am already speeding it up as much as it is possible. Your body is still terribly weakened. Any faster and your body won't be able to handle the additional stress. It's much better this way."

Then he was gone, leaving the Weiss assassins by themselves.

"Damn it," Yohji swore in frustration.

"It's just three days," Omi tried to soothe the worried man. "You'll be up on your feet in no time."

"It's not for me I'm itching to get well quickly, Omi. I'm worried for Ran." Yohji lowered his worried gaze to the paper plane he held in his hands. "I'm worried what my 'death' would do to him."

* * *

By the second day after he woke up, Yohji was climbing the wall in his frustration. He had never been a very good patient and one-and-a-half-day of enforced bed rest did nothing to improve his mood. He was strong enough to stand without toppling over, well enough to make a nuisance of himself, and damn it, he didn't see the point of Weiss hiding incommunicado when there were more important things to do, namely freeing his lover from Takatori's clutches.

"I don't care what you say," he growled at a protesting Omi. "I'm going to him, and I'm going right now!"

"Yohji-kun, you don't even have a plan! You can't just walk up to Takatori's front door and say you want to see Ran."

"Of course not. I'll be sneaking in."

"Your magic reserves are still low! At least wait until you're at full strength."

"I can't afford to wait any longer!"

Out of desperation, Omi grabbed his unwounded arm and dug in his heels. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Aarggh! Let go, Omi!"

"Iya!"

"Let him go, Omi." Ken said as he planted himself before the front door. "He can leave if that's what he wants."

"Ken-kun!" the youngest Weiss protested, betrayed.

Yohji just grinned at the brunette. "Thanks, Kenken."

"But on one condition."

Omi brightened at once while Yohji scowled. They both paled when Ken unsheathed his claws and fell into a fighting crouch.

"You have to get past me first."

Yohji glared at Ken.

All of them, including himself, knew he was not strong enough to engage in a fight. His injuries might have healed but they were still tender and ached a lot. He hadn't got the stamina for prolonged activities unless he took it slow. He couldn't afford to waste any precious energy before freeing Ran.

And they all knew that.

Yohji cursed his weakened state, giving in with little grace. "Fine! I'll stay."

Churlishly, he switched direction and flopped down on the couch. Only when he was seated did he realize he was breathing hard and sweating. Just attempting to leave the safe house had drained him more than he knew.

"Baka."

Yohji opened his eyes to see Botan lounging in the armchair next to the couch, reading the newspaper, completely unfazed by the commotion.

"Don't undo all my hard work, will ya?" the Kritiker agent grumbled without looking up. "For a Weiss assassin, you're idiotically rash."

"Urusai," Yohji snapped back without much heat.

"Who's being idiotically rash?" asked a new, this time female voice.

They all turned to see Birman stepping through the front door.

"Our rebellious assassin here," Botan replied. He put away his newspaper. "Welcome back, Birman."

Birman sat down in the other armchair. "Good to see you're up and about, Yohji. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better."

"I don't doubt it. Anyway, I need you on your feet ASAP." She tossed a brown folder onto the coffee table. "Weiss has a mission."

"So soon?" Ken sat down next to Yohji.

"Didn't Persia say anything about our private mission?" Omi wanted to know.

"He didn't say a word," Birman replied. "He wasn't even surprised when I told him. He just said, 'make sure they are well enough for this mission'."

The Weiss assassins exchanged glances. To be let off the hook so easily, instead of being punished, was not what they expected. They had been sure they would be suspended from duty and a black mark made against them. Still they were not about to question their good fortunes.

Omi picked up the brow folder and distributed the mission material inside. "What's the mission about, Birman?"

"Remember your undercover mission to Takatori's island? We managed to hack the encrypted data you stole from Takatori's computer. Turns out that the secret alliance between Takatori and the Elders of Estet is for real. We have managed to put together enough pieces of the puzzle to know what they are up to."

"Estet Foundation has been around for about three hundred years. The business' longevity was due in part to a pact the Elders made with Belial, one of the Three Crown Princes of the Demons' Plane. We don't know about the details of the agreement but it's clear that in exchange for three centuries of prosperity, the Elders will release him from the Demons' Plane and bring him to this world."

"But that would plunge the whole world into chaos!" Omi exclaimed. "Belial is sure to lead his armies if he comes here!"

"Which means we got to stop them before that happens," Yohji said grimly. "But what has Takatori got to do with Estet?"

"Belial's summoning ritual has a clause that has prevented people from succeeding. It requires a special sacrifice - someone who is not only pure but also so unique that he is literally one of a kind."

Yohji's blood ran cold. "And Ran fits the bill."

Birman gave him an odd look. "Who's Ran?"

"The Blood Diamond," Ken explained. "It's a long story."

"He is the only Gem in existence right now," Yohji ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. "He is pure in every way that matters. He's perfect for the summoning ritual."

"But I can't believe Takatori will give up his Gem like that to other people," Omi pointed out. "There were other Gems in the past two millenniums but none of them were used for Belial's ritual. None of their masters were willing to give up their Gems at any cost. Why should Takatori be any different?"

"I don't know. Maybe he desires more power; maybe he wants to join Belial. I don't know. He must have something up his sleeve."

"But will Ran survive?" Omi asked. "A Gem is bound to his master's life force. Will the ritual really kill the Gem without affecting Takatori?"

"I don't know that either. No one has ever used a Gem as a ritual sacrifice before. This is a whole new playing field." A thought suddenly occurred to Yohji and he groaned aloud. "So that's what he has been up to!"

"What?" Ken demanded.

"Takatori's negotiations with Estet must have gone on longer than we thought. Remember the blood pact you saw him making with the Elders on that island, Ken? It must be the agreement to hand Ran over to the Elders for the summoning ritual. They knew there's a risk of Takatori of going back on his word, so they bound him with a blood pact. But that's not all."

Yohji turned to his friends. "Ran has spilled blood."

"Which means he's no longer pure," Omi realized.

"All those secret missions Takatori sent Ran on, how many people actually know the Blood Diamond had killed? I'm willing to bet Estet knows nothing about it. So even though he's bound to hand Ran over to the Elders as agreed, the summoning ritual is going to backfire because Ran doesn't meet one of the criteria. By using Ran, Takatori is planning to destroy Estet."

"Now that's audacious," Botan murmured.

"What will happen if the ritual fails, Birman?" Ken asked.

"No one knows. The ritual has never been attempted before."

"Whatever it is, Ran is in danger." Yohji declared tersely. "Belial would be enraged at being deceived. He would try to inflict as much damage as possible before he's forced to return to the Demons' Plane. Birman, when is the ritual going to be held?"

"Tomorrow night."

Yohji swore. It was too soon; he was in no condition to go traipsing around in enemy territory yet. "Botan, Birman, you have to make sure I'm ready for the mission by tomorrow."

"Demo -" Omi protested.

"We have to stop them, Omi. I don't care if my body can't withstand the stress of the healing sessions. But I can't let them sacrifice Ran for some evil goal. Birman -"

"We'll do it," replied the woman. "I was going to suggest it anyway. But there's one thing you forgot."

"What's that?"

"Schwartz thought that the Blood Diamond killed you."

Yohji frowned.

Birman had a point. Schwartz worked for Estet. It was safe to assume that Schwartz told them that Ran had killed.

"But if Estet knew, then why are they going ahead with the summoning?" Ken questioned.

"Surely they wouldn't risk angering Belial," Omi added.

"What made you think Estet knew?" Botan spoke.

They looked askance at the Kritiker agent who had remained quiet until now.

"We have no proof that Schwartz told them about the Blood Diamond's killings."

"So what are you saying?" Yohji asked impatiently.

"It doesn't matter if the Elders know or not. The fact is the ritual is going to happen and Weiss has to stop them. It's useless to speculate what could or could not have happened."

Yohji conceded that Botan was right. He shouldn't be concentrating on Estet's reasoning but on their actions. He should be focused on rescuing Ran, the danger his lover was in, surrounded by people wanting to use him to further their own selfish goals…the thought consumed Yohji. Yet he couldn't help but wonder what Takatori was up to. For the life of him, he couldn't imagine Takatori sacrificing his Gem so readily. The bastard must have something else up his sleeve. And whatever it was, Yohji wouldn't be surprised if it involved Ran again.

And he would not, could not let Takatori hurt Ran anymore.