pandora tears

[bullet_dance]

Who: Kusanagi, Ragna, Jin, Nami, Adell, Grell, Homura, and Li
What: The final battle.
When: June 18th, early evening.
Where: The eastern part of the forest.
Summary: After dozens of battles, Kusanagi is finally starting to get worn out. As fate would have it, there are a number of fighters in close proximity of each other who stand a chance against

Comments

[vulcanblazer]

[...He hates himself a little right now too. Before Nami's voice registers in his mind, before he can process the words, or even the tone.

...What if there had been another way? What if what he did was nothing short of barbaric? Regret builds up quickly in those moments, though it settles back down as he looks back at the crown in his hand and back to Noel.

When Kusanagi was alive, there was nothing in those azure eyes except for rage. Pure, seething hatred for everything and everyone; and though he had seen a being of immense power radiate similar feelings before, even they paled in comparison to the fury Mu-12 had. But at the same time, he wondered... were Kusanagi, Mu-12... what Noel wanted? No. It couldn't be.

...And it's a couple of moments before Nami's words are pieced together in his mind. He glances back at her over his shoulder, his face... exhausted, drained... and hurt, more than anything.]

...Pretty messed up.

[He slowly rises back up, the action an obvious difficulty that he tries to mask in his face. But he's never been very good at hiding things. The physical pain he's in is... severe.]

[mikangirl]

[She doesn't hesitate, reaching up to touch his back with both hands. Steadying him if he needs it. It's a kind of added support; Nami's functioning on automatic right now. He's badly hurt, they're a long way out of town. It's the only thing she can offer, and it means she can put off talking about this. And Nami still refuses to look at the body on the ground.

She's had a lot of time to master Nala's magic. If she couldn't help Noel, the very least she can do is deal with some of these injuries. She'll heal as much as she can.]

[vulcanblazer]

[The support he'll gratefully accept. As Nala's healing energies wash through him, he can feel his injuries mend and close. But the energy's not going to be enough to fix everything. But it's enough that he can limp back to the village.

Still, he steadies a bit more after she heals him... and he can't help but notice how covered in blood Nami is too.]

Thanks. [He hesitates for a moment.] ...You're not hurt yourself, are you?...

[mikangirl]

No. [She is hurt, a little. But the blood is from old injuries healed hours earlier, at least. Now, Nami is just lightheaded-- earlier loss of blood, and stress, and expending her energy here.

It's nothing she can't deal with, but maybe it excuses why she sounds so disinterested to her own ears. Maybe. She doesn't know. She ought to cry or something, shouldn't she? The anger is there, and so is the hurt, but it feels distant. Like it's on the other side of a glass wall.

Abruptly, she wants to leave. Before people think she doesn't care.]

You'll be okay to get back?

[vulcanblazer]

...Yeah. I'll be fine.

[...

...Nami was here. Had she seen everything? Everything that happened...? If she did...]

What about you?

[mikangirl]

I'm fine. [From disinterested to plainly mechanical, and Nami turns, starting to move away. And that's not enough, she knows that, so she adds one last thing, assuming he's not stopping her.]

Adell. You did what you had to do. She'll be grateful for it.

[vulcanblazer]

...

[Noel might be. But...]

...I'm sorry, Nami.

[mikangirl]

[...ah. No, don't apologise. Don't make this so personal. It makes it real, she can't--

---

--she has to go. Now. Voice a whisper:]

Don't. It's not your fault.

[And she's taking off.]

1/2

[vulcanblazer]

[...She takes off at a dead run. Adell's in no condition to follow her or stop her at the moment. Instead, all he can do is let his expression harden into stone for now.

Whenever he finds out who's responsible for all of this, he's going to make sure justice is brought to them. It's the only thought that gives him solace at this point.

Still holding Mu's crown, his gaze briefly turns down to it again.]

2/2

[vulcanblazer]

[...He holds it with both hands, one hand on each side of the crown.

A harsh, angry grunt claws its way from his throat, and with the last vestiges of his strength, he crushes it into tiny fragments.]