Fiction - Update
So, this took some time, but here goes the latest chapter. It might sound a bit jumbled, confusing even, though in most parts that was (more or less) intentional. And with it done, we're headed toward the end, and some looong explanations. Hope everybody enjoys reading in the meantime!
Title: What Should Have Never Been Found
Part: 24/26 (?)
Genre: Suspense
Wordcount: ~3000
Warnings: Violence, character death.
Characters: Tezuka, Fuji, and some others.
Summary: Due to circumstances, Tezuka is forced to make an after school trip to a house belonging to friends of his grandfather. Fuji accompanies him and encounters something unexpected.
Disclaimer: PoT is not mine (which is probably for the better)
Prior Parts: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
Twenty-four
A soft breeze caressed Tezuka’s cheeks, not warm, yet not cold either. The smell of the sea was strong, and the roaring of the waves mixed with the roaring of the blood in his ears. In front of him, the ocean stretched until the horizon, a stormy blue-grey.
He blinked.
“Tezuka?” Fuji’s steps slowed, having almost reached him.
Tezuka watched him tilt his head, strands of brown hair swinging softly in the breeze, echoing Fuji’s movement. He could feel the rough air against his skin, could feel the sandy underground through the soles of his shoes -
But his mind wasn’t coping.
Fuji was reaching out, surprise evident in his eyes. They were bright, even though the sky was dull, and the sea mirrored its dreary color. How could this be, Tezuka’s mind asked, how could this come to pass? Hadn’t he seen Fuji’s body on the ground in the ruins of that foreign building, just moments ago? Hadn’t he touched his friend’s skin then to find it cold?
Hadn’t he watched him die, only to find him barely alive on a hospital bed in another place? Did it make sense for Fuji to be alive in this place, then? Or would Tezuka’s arrival inevitable mean that the Fuji here would die, too?
Or…
Fingers touched his cheek, warm and soft.
“What are you doing here, Tezuka?” Fuji was asking, his eyes searching Tezuka’s for an answer, “This place… you shouldn’t be here.”
Nothing made sense. But that touch felt real, and his instincts urged him to trust his feelings. To let go of those reminders of logic he kept clinging to, even he couldn’t see where he would fall.
“Fuji,” he heard himself say, his voice barely more than a whisper, “You…”
His hand rose on its own accord, covering Fuji’s smaller one. The skin under his fingers was warm, alive - everything it hadn’t been either in the ruins or in the hospital. Tezuka finally lifted his head and looked into Fuji’s eyes. There was worry in that gaze, and concern, and Tezuka felt warmth blossom in his chest.
“How did you get here?” Fuji asked, his hand coming to rest on Tezuka’s shoulder, as if to convince himself that Tezuka was real. He seemed barely even aware of the fact, that Tezuka’s fingers were touching his own, and Tezuka instinctively tightened his grip.
Fuji only softly shook his head. “You shouldn’t be here,” he muttered, more to himself than to Tezuka, “Did that … she shouldn’t have been able to do anymore harm… or did she?”
“She didn’t do anything,” Tezuka heard himself say. Maybe the world around them was mad, but at least the connection between Fuji and him wasn’t suffering from any kind of a distortion. For once there was no mask covering Fuji’s emotions. And while Tezuka was certainly no expressive person by nature, this time he let his emotions show freely.
“Your plan worked,” Tezuka softly told Fuji, and was rewarded with a relieved smile. It made his heart ache - Fuji shouldn’t be happy to have achieved something at the price of his own life. Tezuka couldn’t help the frown that crossed his face. “But, Fuji, was that necessary? Did you know what would happen?”
“It was the only way,” Fuji smiled sadly, “I couldn’t let her go through with her plan. If she had gotten hold of what she was after, there wouldn’t have been any way to stop her.”
But what harm would that have done, a part of Tezuka’s mind inquired. She might have just taken what she was after and left them alone. Harm might have come to other people, later, but in concern to themselves, the affair would have come to an end.
“Still,” Tezuka pressed his lips together, “What if it hadn’t worked? What if something had gone wrong and she would have gotten what she was after?”
“At that point, it was impossible,” Fuji shook his head, “No matter how powerful, there is little in the world that is more powerful than a spell sealed by death.”
Tezuka had to look away. That word tore at wounds that were too deep, too fresh for him to deal with. His eyes fixed on the cloudy horizon, and he replied: “I wish you wouldn’t have done it.”
And if his voice came out a little choked - this place wasn’t real after all.
“What did you do, anyway? It didn’t actually stop her from going through with her ritual in the end,” Tezuka asked.
Fuji raised an eyebrow. “You mean rationally, or as in, what one might refer to as actually?”
“The later,” Tezuka answered at once.
“What a surprising development,” Fuji noted with a slightly amused smile, before his expression grew solemn once again, “As you know, in terms of power, there was no chance I could do anything against her. Furthermore, I had only a very general idea of what she intended to do - I knew it would involve a sort of transfer, probably a rather rare and complicated one.”
Tezuka nodded attentively. It made sense, no matter how astonished Fuji was at his behavior. Probably, a very small voice in the back of his mind supplied, because a mere few hours ago he wouldn’t have taken an explanation composed of so many unnatural factors in stride.
Fuji swallowed and continued, “As I did not know what specific measure to take, I made sure that the process would be reversed. It’s not a big thing to do - and that she killed me only served to fortify it to a degree she couldn’t find a counter.”
A gust of wind blew past them, and for a moment they both turned to look out to the sea.
The colors might be dull, the weather uninviting, yet Tezuka found the confusion that had enveloped his mind fading with every passing moment. The desperation, the pain, the horror, it all disappeared, little by little; and his heart finally started to calm down.
He’d heard people speak about how the sea had that effect on people.
How…
“What happened afterwards?” Fuji’s question cut through the haze, “After I… I mean, you aren’t supposed to be here. What happened?”
“It went as you had wanted it to happen, I think,” Tezuka replied, his gaze still fixed on the dark water. Was it just his impression, or were the waves starting to come closer to their feet?
“She went through with the ceremony, and broke it off once she realized something went wrong. It… didn’t kill her in the end, though apparently it left her quite weak. Anyhow, I managed to get away in the mean time,” Tezuka found his own voice sounded oddly distant, but his mind was busy turning things over.
“Does it mean she didn’t intend to kill me?” The question took him by surprise, and Fuji’s eyes widened abruptly at hearing Tezuka sound so undecided, “If the process was reversed, either she didn’t mean to kill me, or she found a way to stop the process.”
Fuji took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s one of those two options. But I’m afraid, you would have to ask her yourself to find the true answer.”
Tezuka nodded, and silence descended once again.
There were no seagulls here, Tezuka noticed. Apart from the two of them, no living being could be found. No fish, no shells, no birds - only the beach and the water, both stretching endlessly. It barely looked different from the world he knew, yet the atmosphere could hardly be compared.
“Tezuka,” there was a small sigh from Fuji, “I’m sorry for what happened. I wish there had been another way, but to be honest, I don’t think there was. I sincerely hope that whatever I forced on you won’t affect you in the future.”
The odd, solemn tone to Fuji’s voice made Tezuka turn away from the waves, and their slow progress toward their feet. A shiver ran down his spine.
“I really wish things had turned out differently,” Fuji added with a mournful smile, “But you need to go. Whatever brought you here, you shouldn’t stay too long. I’m thankful we had this chance to talk, though I fear something might happen to you should you linger any longer.”
The first wave almost made it to their shoes, and Tezuka instinctively took a step backward. Fuji didn’t move; he merely kept gazing at Tezuka.
Water.
Portal.
Time was running out.
In a split second, several things clicked in Tezuka’s mind. The calming, mind-numbing atmosphere of the place, the water that kept drawing closer, the lack of anything living -
Ice-cold awe spread through his body. If he read this correctly - and it was a large if - this was beyond merely supernatural even, this was downright scary. Could this be what he had heard people refer to as the in-between? Had he really stepped into a place, he still didn’t believe in?
Goosebumps rose on his arms, but Tezuka energetically shoved the thought aside. Now that the tranquility had vanished, his heart started pounding again. He recalled the urgency, the wilting flowers, the fading scenery - the way from the ruins to the pool wasn’t too short, either.
He reached out, grasped Fuji by the arm and pulled him away from the water.
“Yes, we need to go,” he announced, and with a small pang of satisfaction recognized the surprise in Fuji’s eyes.
“You need to go, Tezuka. I… can’t,” Fuji returned.
“Who says that you can’t?” Tezuka asked in an atypical burst of passion. His fingertips had begun to tingle again. Power that wanted to be used; and a part of his mind that held onto the belief that he could make things right.
Time was short, though.
“If I can, so can you,” Tezuka added, and could almost watch Fuji thinking.
Dimly he was aware that he wasn’t acting like himself. He ought to be calmer, less emotional and more logical about everything. Maybe it was this strange power corrupting his mind. Or maybe it was the situation that twisted him into this.
“I can’t go with you,” Fuji said, “I’m already…”
“You aren’t,” Tezuka replied, “Not yet. It was a close call, and there isn’t much time.
You’ve got to trust me.”
Fuji’s eyes widened and Tezuka could see the faintest glimmer of hope in them. It reaffirmed his decision - if Fuji wished to escape this place, he’d find a way.
“But that’s impossible,” Fuji shook his head, “She … made sure. Even if we go back, that wound would just cause everything to happen again.”
Tezuka nodded. The waves seemed louder, and the water had almost reached their feet once again. Was it just him, or had the wind picked up as well?
And was the sky getting darker?
“We might have to run for it,” he said, “As a part of her powers has been transferred onto me, I suppose I can do something about that wound. However, when I came here, that other place was already collapsing, so I don’t know, how much time we have left.”
Fuji frowned. “You passed the other place to come here? Tezuka, just how much…”
A loud roar interrupted him, and the ground seemed to shake. Both flinched and turned in time to see a large wave crashing onto the beach nearby, droplets of water landing on the sand only centimeters from their feet.
“We need to go,” Tezuka announced and grasped Fuji firmly by the shoulders. He paid no attention to the shudder running through his friend’s body, nor to the silent protest on Fuji’s white face - he had to get them away, now.
The air was ripe with tension.
A tremor ran through the ground, behind him he could hear the sea roaring. The second wave was already building up, once it made landfall, it would be upon them.
Time was up.
Tezuka whirled them around, away from the stormy ocean, and came face to face with a white wall of nothing. Thick fog obscured the landscape, but no magic doors or ways out were in sight.
Until now he had used liquid to transport himself to another place.
The body of water behind them was entirely out of question.
So what…
Fog.
A grim smile crossed Tezuka’s face, as his mind made the connection. Fog consisted largely of water - and while he couldn’t be certain, it would probably be enough to get them out of this place. In a dark corner of his mind, he was surprised at the rush of satisfaction he felt at how well logic, knowledge and that foreign power worked together.
If he made use those capacities, nothing would stand against him.
Determinedly, he reached deep inside himself, and willed a portal to open.
+ + +
A wave of dizziness attacked him, and Tezuka fell to his knees, clenching his eyes shut.
Beside him he heard a choked gasp, felt wetness soaking through his trousers, and cold marble under his hands. The air was slightly warmer than before, yet it carried a heavy scent of decay.
It had worked, he realized, and forced his eyes to open. Dust made them tear, yet he noticed Fuji twitch beside him, trying desperately to breathe.
The wound.
Tezuka pressed his lips together, willed the dizziness and the pounding in his head to recede, and looked at his friend. Fuji was half-curled into himself on the ground, his eyes clenched shut, and a hand pressed over the wound. Fresh blood was leaking from it, and from the way his breath hitched, there wasn’t much time.
Could he even heal, or should they just run for it? The ruins were still there, but the blue sky was gone, replaced by white nothingness. Outside, Tezuka could make out the black remains of bushes, yet large parts of the shrubbery had already vanished. He could spy the hilltop in the distance - though it was far, and the whiteness was closing in fast.
“Te…” Fuji gasped out, and Tezuka realized that Fuji was clinging onto consciousness. His face had gone stark white, if from blood loss or pain, Tezuka couldn’t tell, but seeing fresh red trickle down Fuji’s fingers made his stomach twist.
Fuji wasn’t going to last long enough for them to reach the hilltop.
He could hear it in each rasping breath - the damage that had been done by the demon’s mysterious blade was too severe. But whatever power had created that blade had been passed on to him. So while he didn’t exactly heal the wound, he could try to undo what made it fatal.
That thought in mind, he put his hand over Fuji’s on top of the wound, and concentrated. On what exactly, he didn’t know - he just willed the wound to heal with all of his heart, and reached for that power. His fingers tingled in response; there was a small noise from Fuji -
And when he glanced up again, Fuji was watching him carefully through half-lidded eyes, and his breathing, Tezuka gratefully noted, had evened out. His own heart was racing, and he could feel sweat forming on his back. Using those powers - no matter how easily they came to him - took a lot out of his body.
But he couldn’t take a break now.
The air around them was growing colder, and already, first tendrils of the white fog were beginning to creep into the ruins around them. Wearily, Tezuka took a deep breath and stood. Next to him, Fuji attempted to follow his example.
Yet Fuji barely managed to sit up, before he slumped down again, panting heavily. His face remained pale, sweat-soaked, and Tezuka felt worry swell up in his chest. Would what he had done suffice? The wound wasn’t bleeding anymore, but the damage might have remained…
… he should hurry.
“I’ll carry you,” he told Fuji, and crouched down. Fuji blinked at him, surprised, but Tezuka shook his head. “We need to hurry. There isn’t much time left, and you can’t walk all the way up the hill in your condition.”
“I see,” Fuji gasped, and reached for Tezuka shoulder, trying to pull himself onto his back. Tezuka watched as white, shivering fingers clenched into the fabric of his clothes, and his heart ached. Fuji failed to get a firm grasp - the injury had left him too weak, much to his own consternation.
“Sorry,” Fuji muttered, but Tezuka shook his head. The white fog was almost upon them, so he pressed his lips together and lifted Fuji up - one arm under his knees, one around his shoulders, hoping against hope he wasn’t worsening the injury.
The painful twist of Fuji’s eyebrows made him swallow.
Cold air caressed his cheeks. Tezuka glanced around, only to see a wall of white - and stumbled forward abruptly, his heart stopping for a second. How had the fog closed in so fast? Had he wasted that much time?
Barely anything of the blackened bushes remained, only dust covering the faded and cracked tiles. Already parts of the path had started to disappear, and Tezuka broke into a run - Fuji’s weight was starting to pull on his arms, but he barely noticed.
The world around was crumbling soundlessly, at a breath-taking speed. He’d have stopped to stare and marvel; if the icy touch of death hadn’t been following hot at his heels. Before his eyes, blackened leaves withered away, flowers turned into dust. The once shiny marble tiles cracked and crumbled under his feet - yet no sound, other than his own labored breathing filled the air.
Fuji’s head lolled against his chest, his eyes closed once again. Tezuka could feel each shuddering breath Fuji took, and instinctively cradled him tighter. He wasn’t going to lose him a second time.
Not after everything that had happened.
Not when only one staircase was separating them from the liquid gate to their home.
He was soaked in sweat when he stumbled up the last few steps, and the white fog was there, too. Half of the water had already disappeared -
Would the remaining half be enough?
Was this gate still stable?
His head was spinning, his arms trembling. Exhaustion, fatigue - his body and mind protested. Too much had been forced onto him in too little time, too many horrors and shocks, and he wasn’t certain, there was enough power left within him for this last act.
But feeling Fuji’s body rest against his chest, warm and alive, made him determined to give this his all.
Either they’d both be getting out of here alive.
Or he’d die trying.
tbc
As always, feel free to share your thoughts and impressions with me ^__^
Title: What Should Have Never Been Found
Part: 24/26 (?)
Genre: Suspense
Wordcount: ~3000
Warnings: Violence, character death.
Characters: Tezuka, Fuji, and some others.
Summary: Due to circumstances, Tezuka is forced to make an after school trip to a house belonging to friends of his grandfather. Fuji accompanies him and encounters something unexpected.
Disclaimer: PoT is not mine (which is probably for the better)
Prior Parts: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
Twenty-four
A soft breeze caressed Tezuka’s cheeks, not warm, yet not cold either. The smell of the sea was strong, and the roaring of the waves mixed with the roaring of the blood in his ears. In front of him, the ocean stretched until the horizon, a stormy blue-grey.
He blinked.
“Tezuka?” Fuji’s steps slowed, having almost reached him.
Tezuka watched him tilt his head, strands of brown hair swinging softly in the breeze, echoing Fuji’s movement. He could feel the rough air against his skin, could feel the sandy underground through the soles of his shoes -
But his mind wasn’t coping.
Fuji was reaching out, surprise evident in his eyes. They were bright, even though the sky was dull, and the sea mirrored its dreary color. How could this be, Tezuka’s mind asked, how could this come to pass? Hadn’t he seen Fuji’s body on the ground in the ruins of that foreign building, just moments ago? Hadn’t he touched his friend’s skin then to find it cold?
Hadn’t he watched him die, only to find him barely alive on a hospital bed in another place? Did it make sense for Fuji to be alive in this place, then? Or would Tezuka’s arrival inevitable mean that the Fuji here would die, too?
Or…
Fingers touched his cheek, warm and soft.
“What are you doing here, Tezuka?” Fuji was asking, his eyes searching Tezuka’s for an answer, “This place… you shouldn’t be here.”
Nothing made sense. But that touch felt real, and his instincts urged him to trust his feelings. To let go of those reminders of logic he kept clinging to, even he couldn’t see where he would fall.
“Fuji,” he heard himself say, his voice barely more than a whisper, “You…”
His hand rose on its own accord, covering Fuji’s smaller one. The skin under his fingers was warm, alive - everything it hadn’t been either in the ruins or in the hospital. Tezuka finally lifted his head and looked into Fuji’s eyes. There was worry in that gaze, and concern, and Tezuka felt warmth blossom in his chest.
“How did you get here?” Fuji asked, his hand coming to rest on Tezuka’s shoulder, as if to convince himself that Tezuka was real. He seemed barely even aware of the fact, that Tezuka’s fingers were touching his own, and Tezuka instinctively tightened his grip.
Fuji only softly shook his head. “You shouldn’t be here,” he muttered, more to himself than to Tezuka, “Did that … she shouldn’t have been able to do anymore harm… or did she?”
“She didn’t do anything,” Tezuka heard himself say. Maybe the world around them was mad, but at least the connection between Fuji and him wasn’t suffering from any kind of a distortion. For once there was no mask covering Fuji’s emotions. And while Tezuka was certainly no expressive person by nature, this time he let his emotions show freely.
“Your plan worked,” Tezuka softly told Fuji, and was rewarded with a relieved smile. It made his heart ache - Fuji shouldn’t be happy to have achieved something at the price of his own life. Tezuka couldn’t help the frown that crossed his face. “But, Fuji, was that necessary? Did you know what would happen?”
“It was the only way,” Fuji smiled sadly, “I couldn’t let her go through with her plan. If she had gotten hold of what she was after, there wouldn’t have been any way to stop her.”
But what harm would that have done, a part of Tezuka’s mind inquired. She might have just taken what she was after and left them alone. Harm might have come to other people, later, but in concern to themselves, the affair would have come to an end.
“Still,” Tezuka pressed his lips together, “What if it hadn’t worked? What if something had gone wrong and she would have gotten what she was after?”
“At that point, it was impossible,” Fuji shook his head, “No matter how powerful, there is little in the world that is more powerful than a spell sealed by death.”
Tezuka had to look away. That word tore at wounds that were too deep, too fresh for him to deal with. His eyes fixed on the cloudy horizon, and he replied: “I wish you wouldn’t have done it.”
And if his voice came out a little choked - this place wasn’t real after all.
“What did you do, anyway? It didn’t actually stop her from going through with her ritual in the end,” Tezuka asked.
Fuji raised an eyebrow. “You mean rationally, or as in, what one might refer to as actually?”
“The later,” Tezuka answered at once.
“What a surprising development,” Fuji noted with a slightly amused smile, before his expression grew solemn once again, “As you know, in terms of power, there was no chance I could do anything against her. Furthermore, I had only a very general idea of what she intended to do - I knew it would involve a sort of transfer, probably a rather rare and complicated one.”
Tezuka nodded attentively. It made sense, no matter how astonished Fuji was at his behavior. Probably, a very small voice in the back of his mind supplied, because a mere few hours ago he wouldn’t have taken an explanation composed of so many unnatural factors in stride.
Fuji swallowed and continued, “As I did not know what specific measure to take, I made sure that the process would be reversed. It’s not a big thing to do - and that she killed me only served to fortify it to a degree she couldn’t find a counter.”
A gust of wind blew past them, and for a moment they both turned to look out to the sea.
The colors might be dull, the weather uninviting, yet Tezuka found the confusion that had enveloped his mind fading with every passing moment. The desperation, the pain, the horror, it all disappeared, little by little; and his heart finally started to calm down.
He’d heard people speak about how the sea had that effect on people.
How…
“What happened afterwards?” Fuji’s question cut through the haze, “After I… I mean, you aren’t supposed to be here. What happened?”
“It went as you had wanted it to happen, I think,” Tezuka replied, his gaze still fixed on the dark water. Was it just his impression, or were the waves starting to come closer to their feet?
“She went through with the ceremony, and broke it off once she realized something went wrong. It… didn’t kill her in the end, though apparently it left her quite weak. Anyhow, I managed to get away in the mean time,” Tezuka found his own voice sounded oddly distant, but his mind was busy turning things over.
“Does it mean she didn’t intend to kill me?” The question took him by surprise, and Fuji’s eyes widened abruptly at hearing Tezuka sound so undecided, “If the process was reversed, either she didn’t mean to kill me, or she found a way to stop the process.”
Fuji took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s one of those two options. But I’m afraid, you would have to ask her yourself to find the true answer.”
Tezuka nodded, and silence descended once again.
There were no seagulls here, Tezuka noticed. Apart from the two of them, no living being could be found. No fish, no shells, no birds - only the beach and the water, both stretching endlessly. It barely looked different from the world he knew, yet the atmosphere could hardly be compared.
“Tezuka,” there was a small sigh from Fuji, “I’m sorry for what happened. I wish there had been another way, but to be honest, I don’t think there was. I sincerely hope that whatever I forced on you won’t affect you in the future.”
The odd, solemn tone to Fuji’s voice made Tezuka turn away from the waves, and their slow progress toward their feet. A shiver ran down his spine.
“I really wish things had turned out differently,” Fuji added with a mournful smile, “But you need to go. Whatever brought you here, you shouldn’t stay too long. I’m thankful we had this chance to talk, though I fear something might happen to you should you linger any longer.”
The first wave almost made it to their shoes, and Tezuka instinctively took a step backward. Fuji didn’t move; he merely kept gazing at Tezuka.
Water.
Portal.
Time was running out.
In a split second, several things clicked in Tezuka’s mind. The calming, mind-numbing atmosphere of the place, the water that kept drawing closer, the lack of anything living -
Ice-cold awe spread through his body. If he read this correctly - and it was a large if - this was beyond merely supernatural even, this was downright scary. Could this be what he had heard people refer to as the in-between? Had he really stepped into a place, he still didn’t believe in?
Goosebumps rose on his arms, but Tezuka energetically shoved the thought aside. Now that the tranquility had vanished, his heart started pounding again. He recalled the urgency, the wilting flowers, the fading scenery - the way from the ruins to the pool wasn’t too short, either.
He reached out, grasped Fuji by the arm and pulled him away from the water.
“Yes, we need to go,” he announced, and with a small pang of satisfaction recognized the surprise in Fuji’s eyes.
“You need to go, Tezuka. I… can’t,” Fuji returned.
“Who says that you can’t?” Tezuka asked in an atypical burst of passion. His fingertips had begun to tingle again. Power that wanted to be used; and a part of his mind that held onto the belief that he could make things right.
Time was short, though.
“If I can, so can you,” Tezuka added, and could almost watch Fuji thinking.
Dimly he was aware that he wasn’t acting like himself. He ought to be calmer, less emotional and more logical about everything. Maybe it was this strange power corrupting his mind. Or maybe it was the situation that twisted him into this.
“I can’t go with you,” Fuji said, “I’m already…”
“You aren’t,” Tezuka replied, “Not yet. It was a close call, and there isn’t much time.
You’ve got to trust me.”
Fuji’s eyes widened and Tezuka could see the faintest glimmer of hope in them. It reaffirmed his decision - if Fuji wished to escape this place, he’d find a way.
“But that’s impossible,” Fuji shook his head, “She … made sure. Even if we go back, that wound would just cause everything to happen again.”
Tezuka nodded. The waves seemed louder, and the water had almost reached their feet once again. Was it just him, or had the wind picked up as well?
And was the sky getting darker?
“We might have to run for it,” he said, “As a part of her powers has been transferred onto me, I suppose I can do something about that wound. However, when I came here, that other place was already collapsing, so I don’t know, how much time we have left.”
Fuji frowned. “You passed the other place to come here? Tezuka, just how much…”
A loud roar interrupted him, and the ground seemed to shake. Both flinched and turned in time to see a large wave crashing onto the beach nearby, droplets of water landing on the sand only centimeters from their feet.
“We need to go,” Tezuka announced and grasped Fuji firmly by the shoulders. He paid no attention to the shudder running through his friend’s body, nor to the silent protest on Fuji’s white face - he had to get them away, now.
The air was ripe with tension.
A tremor ran through the ground, behind him he could hear the sea roaring. The second wave was already building up, once it made landfall, it would be upon them.
Time was up.
Tezuka whirled them around, away from the stormy ocean, and came face to face with a white wall of nothing. Thick fog obscured the landscape, but no magic doors or ways out were in sight.
Until now he had used liquid to transport himself to another place.
The body of water behind them was entirely out of question.
So what…
Fog.
A grim smile crossed Tezuka’s face, as his mind made the connection. Fog consisted largely of water - and while he couldn’t be certain, it would probably be enough to get them out of this place. In a dark corner of his mind, he was surprised at the rush of satisfaction he felt at how well logic, knowledge and that foreign power worked together.
If he made use those capacities, nothing would stand against him.
Determinedly, he reached deep inside himself, and willed a portal to open.
+ + +
A wave of dizziness attacked him, and Tezuka fell to his knees, clenching his eyes shut.
Beside him he heard a choked gasp, felt wetness soaking through his trousers, and cold marble under his hands. The air was slightly warmer than before, yet it carried a heavy scent of decay.
It had worked, he realized, and forced his eyes to open. Dust made them tear, yet he noticed Fuji twitch beside him, trying desperately to breathe.
The wound.
Tezuka pressed his lips together, willed the dizziness and the pounding in his head to recede, and looked at his friend. Fuji was half-curled into himself on the ground, his eyes clenched shut, and a hand pressed over the wound. Fresh blood was leaking from it, and from the way his breath hitched, there wasn’t much time.
Could he even heal, or should they just run for it? The ruins were still there, but the blue sky was gone, replaced by white nothingness. Outside, Tezuka could make out the black remains of bushes, yet large parts of the shrubbery had already vanished. He could spy the hilltop in the distance - though it was far, and the whiteness was closing in fast.
“Te…” Fuji gasped out, and Tezuka realized that Fuji was clinging onto consciousness. His face had gone stark white, if from blood loss or pain, Tezuka couldn’t tell, but seeing fresh red trickle down Fuji’s fingers made his stomach twist.
Fuji wasn’t going to last long enough for them to reach the hilltop.
He could hear it in each rasping breath - the damage that had been done by the demon’s mysterious blade was too severe. But whatever power had created that blade had been passed on to him. So while he didn’t exactly heal the wound, he could try to undo what made it fatal.
That thought in mind, he put his hand over Fuji’s on top of the wound, and concentrated. On what exactly, he didn’t know - he just willed the wound to heal with all of his heart, and reached for that power. His fingers tingled in response; there was a small noise from Fuji -
And when he glanced up again, Fuji was watching him carefully through half-lidded eyes, and his breathing, Tezuka gratefully noted, had evened out. His own heart was racing, and he could feel sweat forming on his back. Using those powers - no matter how easily they came to him - took a lot out of his body.
But he couldn’t take a break now.
The air around them was growing colder, and already, first tendrils of the white fog were beginning to creep into the ruins around them. Wearily, Tezuka took a deep breath and stood. Next to him, Fuji attempted to follow his example.
Yet Fuji barely managed to sit up, before he slumped down again, panting heavily. His face remained pale, sweat-soaked, and Tezuka felt worry swell up in his chest. Would what he had done suffice? The wound wasn’t bleeding anymore, but the damage might have remained…
… he should hurry.
“I’ll carry you,” he told Fuji, and crouched down. Fuji blinked at him, surprised, but Tezuka shook his head. “We need to hurry. There isn’t much time left, and you can’t walk all the way up the hill in your condition.”
“I see,” Fuji gasped, and reached for Tezuka shoulder, trying to pull himself onto his back. Tezuka watched as white, shivering fingers clenched into the fabric of his clothes, and his heart ached. Fuji failed to get a firm grasp - the injury had left him too weak, much to his own consternation.
“Sorry,” Fuji muttered, but Tezuka shook his head. The white fog was almost upon them, so he pressed his lips together and lifted Fuji up - one arm under his knees, one around his shoulders, hoping against hope he wasn’t worsening the injury.
The painful twist of Fuji’s eyebrows made him swallow.
Cold air caressed his cheeks. Tezuka glanced around, only to see a wall of white - and stumbled forward abruptly, his heart stopping for a second. How had the fog closed in so fast? Had he wasted that much time?
Barely anything of the blackened bushes remained, only dust covering the faded and cracked tiles. Already parts of the path had started to disappear, and Tezuka broke into a run - Fuji’s weight was starting to pull on his arms, but he barely noticed.
The world around was crumbling soundlessly, at a breath-taking speed. He’d have stopped to stare and marvel; if the icy touch of death hadn’t been following hot at his heels. Before his eyes, blackened leaves withered away, flowers turned into dust. The once shiny marble tiles cracked and crumbled under his feet - yet no sound, other than his own labored breathing filled the air.
Fuji’s head lolled against his chest, his eyes closed once again. Tezuka could feel each shuddering breath Fuji took, and instinctively cradled him tighter. He wasn’t going to lose him a second time.
Not after everything that had happened.
Not when only one staircase was separating them from the liquid gate to their home.
He was soaked in sweat when he stumbled up the last few steps, and the white fog was there, too. Half of the water had already disappeared -
Would the remaining half be enough?
Was this gate still stable?
His head was spinning, his arms trembling. Exhaustion, fatigue - his body and mind protested. Too much had been forced onto him in too little time, too many horrors and shocks, and he wasn’t certain, there was enough power left within him for this last act.
But feeling Fuji’s body rest against his chest, warm and alive, made him determined to give this his all.
Either they’d both be getting out of here alive.
Or he’d die trying.
tbc
As always, feel free to share your thoughts and impressions with me ^__^