Byakko woke with a start, eyes shooting wide open and staring at the ceiling in horror. His tail was curled around himself protectively, his fingers clutching the bed sheets tightly. He whimpered slightly, reaching up to scrub at his sore eyes. Tsuzuki... Tsuzuki had....
Tsuzuki wanted to leave them so badly. He'd felt it, the way his friend and master had given up on everything. It had felt like a knife to the heart for Byakko. His friend was so hurt and he had done nothing. He hadn't been able to do anything to help, hadn't noticed in time that Tsuzuki's thoughts were turning darker and darker.
What was the use of a shikigami if he couldn't protect his sworn master, even from himself? And Tsuzuki was so much more than a master. He deserved better.
His thoughts were in such disarray from the shock and hurt of Tsuzuki's suicide attempt that it took him several moments for his brain to catch up with his senses. His tail twitched in agitation as alien smells reached his nose; harsh acerbic scents which were wholly unfamiliar to Byakko. His palace smelled of fresh breezes and clean air, not these sharp painful smells.
He blinked blankly at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to get his thoughts into some kind of order, before he realised that the ceiling too was unfamiliar and not like any room he'd ever seen in his palace. He sat up slowly, pausing to unwind the white sheets from where they'd become tangled tightly around his legs, and then stared wide eyed around the room.
The medical wing of the Shokan Division? Why would he be there.... unless...
"Tsuzuki!"
He stood up quickly, nearly falling over in his haste, feeling oddly unbalanced for some reason, and sprang towards the door, only to have it open in his face. A strange woman smiled at him; a polite blank smile which tried to be friendly but failed. "Ah, it's good to see you awake Mr White."
Byakko ignored the odd name that she called him. There were more important things to attend to! If he was here... did that mean that Tsuzuki was alive? And how had he come to be here anyway? He didn't remember being summoned. "Where's Tsuzuki?" he asked desperately. "Is he alright?"
The woman sighed and patted his shoulder. "It's alright, Mr White. Everything is fine, you're just a little confused."
He shook his head vehemently, tail twitching dangerously except... "I need to see him. Is he alright?" It was then that he realised with the force of a punch to the stomach that he couldn't sense Tsuzuki. Nothing where the connection should be. Did that mean...? "Is he dead?" He twisted slightly, looking back over his shoulder and eyes widening in shock as yet another wrongess was revealed. He could only stare for a moment, pink eyes full of shock as he realised the reason for his lack of balance. "Wh-what...? Where is it?"
The woman sighed again, shook her head and took him by the hand. "No-one is dead, Mr White. Now really, you shouldn't be saying such things. I'm sure some time in the Sun Room will cheer you up."
Byakko frowned, the wrongness of this scenario finally clicking. If this was the Shokan Division then surely Watari would be the one attending the hospital. And he'd be able to sense Tsuzuki, sense all of the shinigami and his tail would be there, curling up his back. This place felt blank in his senses. "What is this place?"
"This is Landel's Mental Hospital, Mr White," the woman said, looking at him with that sad, kind, fake expression. "You don't remember?"
Hospital. The word sent a thrill of cold fear through him for Tsuzuki's sake. Tsuzuki hated hospitals and a hospital recently meant that man. Muraki.
Byakko woke with a start, eyes shooting wide open and staring at the ceiling in horror. His tail was curled around himself protectively, his fingers clutching the bed sheets tightly. He whimpered slightly, reaching up to scrub at his sore eyes. Tsuzuki... Tsuzuki had....
Tsuzuki wanted to leave them so badly. He'd felt it, the way his friend and master had given up on everything. It had felt like a knife to the heart for Byakko. His friend was so hurt and he had done nothing. He hadn't been able to do anything to help, hadn't noticed in time that Tsuzuki's thoughts were turning darker and darker.
What was the use of a shikigami if he couldn't protect his sworn master, even from himself? And Tsuzuki was so much more than a master. He deserved better.
His thoughts were in such disarray from the shock and hurt of Tsuzuki's suicide attempt that it took him several moments for his brain to catch up with his senses. His tail twitched in agitation as alien smells reached his nose; harsh acerbic scents which were wholly unfamiliar to Byakko. His palace smelled of fresh breezes and clean air, not these sharp painful smells.
He blinked blankly at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to get his thoughts into some kind of order, before he realised that the ceiling too was unfamiliar and not like any room he'd ever seen in his palace. He sat up slowly, pausing to unwind the white sheets from where they'd become tangled tightly around his legs, and then stared wide eyed around the room.
The medical wing of the Shokan Division? Why would he be there.... unless...
"Tsuzuki!"
He stood up quickly, nearly falling over in his haste, feeling oddly unbalanced for some reason, and sprang towards the door, only to have it open in his face. A strange woman smiled at him; a polite blank smile which tried to be friendly but failed. "Ah, it's good to see you awake Mr White."
Byakko ignored the odd name that she called him. There were more important things to attend to! If he was here... did that mean that Tsuzuki was alive? And how had he come to be here anyway? He didn't remember being summoned. "Where's Tsuzuki?" he asked desperately. "Is he alright?"
The woman sighed and patted his shoulder. "It's alright, Mr White. Everything is fine, you're just a little confused."
He shook his head vehemently, tail twitching dangerously except... "I need to see him. Is he alright?" It was then that he realised with the force of a punch to the stomach that he couldn't sense Tsuzuki. Nothing where the connection should be. Did that mean...? "Is he dead?" He twisted slightly, looking back over his shoulder and eyes widening in shock as yet another wrongess was revealed. He could only stare for a moment, pink eyes full of shock as he realised the reason for his lack of balance. "Wh-what...? Where is it?"
The woman sighed again, shook her head and took him by the hand. "No-one is dead, Mr White. Now really, you shouldn't be saying such things. I'm sure some time in the Sun Room will cheer you up."
Byakko frowned, the wrongness of this scenario finally clicking. If this was the Shokan Division then surely Watari would be the one attending the hospital. And he'd be able to sense Tsuzuki, sense all of the shinigami and his tail would be there, curling up his back. This place felt blank in his senses. "What is this place?"
"This is Landel's Mental Hospital, Mr White," the woman said, looking at him with that sad, kind, fake expression. "You don't remember?"
Hospital. The word sent a thrill of cold fear through him for Tsuzuki's sake. Tsuzuki hated hospitals and a hospital recently meant that man. Muraki.
Reply
Leave a comment