Fiction (Update)
Obviously, Totgeglaubte leben länger (those who are said to be dead live longer), thus, yes, I'm alive, and my muse is as well. Life sort of happened, and for a while I had a lot of fun in the wild and exotic land of academia (it is fun if the right people happen to agree with you). But in the end I managed to get another chapter written, and with the next break just lurking on the horizon, there might (hopefully) be more time to write once the break begins.
For now, I apologize for the delay, and without further ado the next chapter.
Title: What Should Have Never Been Found
Part: 26/27
Genre: Suspense
Wordcount: ~4600
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 | 24 | 25 |
Twenty-six
An unfamiliar white ceiling greeted Fuji’s eyes upon waking. The light was dim, and somewhere in the back of his throbbing head he felt rather grateful for it. He was warm, yet the breeze caressing his face was cool, carrying a hint of frost.
Disorientation and exhaustion were tempting him to close his eyes once more. Wherever he was, it was warm and comfortable - falling asleep would be easy. But was this place…
… safe?
Abruptly Fuji’s eyes shot wide open, he gasped involuntarily as the memories assaulted him. Tezuka’s insane stint, the crumbling dimension, grappling with Mori at the edge of the pond, Nakayama’s shot - with a breathless sigh he let his head sink back into his pillow. Those memories - reviewing them now, in a room where nothing seemed out of the ordinary - appeared unreal, grotesque even. A small part of his mind couldn’t help wondering, if maybe he hadn’t imagined it all.
But his throat was aching. The bruises on his body had not been brought on by mere imagination. And he could still feel the burn of far-too-cold water on his skin.
Pulling himself out of his contemplations, Fuji glanced around the room. It appeared to be a fairly standard hospital room, with the possible exception of him not having to share the room with another patient. Instead, there was a table with two chairs on the other side of the room, right underneath a window. From what he could see, the sky was once more covered by grey clouds, and the branches of a nearby tree were sagging under the weight of accumulated snow and ice.
This winter probably qualified for the worst one he had ever lived through - in more way than one, Fuji thought and snorted. There wasn’t much to keep his attention on in the room, as he felt disinclined to switch on the television. There were too many questions bothering him, too much unrest in his mind lose himself in some distraction. And judging from the light it ought to be early afternoon, so chances to find somebody willing to talk to him were fair.
Some turning of his head found a buzzer - stretching his arm to reach for it however sent an abrupt spike of pain through his body. He had to hold his breath for half a minute, just to wait for the agony to pass - and even then, stars kept exploding in front of his eyes.
While he might not have suffered any outward injuries, apart from light bruises, his body hadn’t taken his stunt in the pocket dimension lightly. He felt as if he had been run over by a truck - several times, for good measure.
Thankfully, the pain had mostly faded by the time a nurse arrived.
“It’s good to see you awake,” she said with a jovial smile, “How are you feeling?”
While waiting for Fuji to reply, she took a step forward, and took a close look at the drip connected to Fuji’s arm.
“Okay,” replied Fuji, and the nurse immediately continued with her questions. “Are you in any pain? We could give you something, if you’re nauseous or dizzy. But if you aren’t, that’s surprisingly good.”
“I’m fine,” Fuji muttered. He probably wasn’t supposed to move much, so the spike of pain earlier was his own fault after all. His body just needed a little time to remember how to feel awake. Even his voice sounded a little numb to his own ears.
“Is there anything else you need?” the nurse asked, “Otherwise I will inform your sister, as well as Yamaguchi-sensei. He’s the doctor in charge of your treatment, and he will want to run a few tests to see how you’re doing.”
Fuji blinked, and stopped himself before just nodding obediently. “Please do inform them, however, if it is possible, I would like to know if there was another patient… here by the name of Tezuka Kunimitsu?”
The nurse tilted her head. “Well, while I can’t tell you any details, I understand that you want to know - I suppose you are friends, aren’t you?”
Fuji nodded eagerly.
“Tezuka-kun is alright,” the nurse said with a rather reassuring smile, “He was quite concerned about you, though.”
Fuji let go of a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. At least physically they seemed to have escaped with a scare and some bruises. This knowledge however, did little to calm the anxious voices in the back of his mind. There were too many gaping holes in his memory, too many things he wasn’t certain of.
The entire episode in that other realm had taken an unexpected toll on his body. Though, if he was honest with himself…
When he let himself fall into that water…
Fuji shook his head, chasing away the thought. For the moment, there were far more pressing concerns to be addressed.
“If that is all, I’ll go and inform your sister now,” the nurse announced, and with one last glance at Fuji, she was on her way.
+ + +
It didn’t take long for Yumiko to show up.
Fuji had managed to sit up in the meantime, drink a glass of water and attempt to make sense of the scattered puzzle pieces in his mind. His sister’s expression was somewhere between relief and exasperation, but even though her steps when she approached his bedside were firm, her skin was paler than usual and there were shadows underneath her eyes.
There was a white bandage wrapped around her head, but it did not appear to bother her much. Her eyes were sharp as always when she scrutinized him, before breaking into a small smile.
“Really,” she said, shaking her head, “You are quite something, Syusuke.”
Ignoring Fuji’s curios tilt of the head, she proceeded to pull one of the chairs from the table over to his bed, and sat down.
“Do you have any idea what kind of an uproar the two of you caused? I don’t even want to imagine what to be done for Hasegawa’s murder not to be all over the news today. And that’s not to say anything of a certain medical miracle right here,” she shook her head and took a deep breath, “But that aside, how are you feeling?”
Fuji blinked, feeling much like a deer caught in the headlight. He hadn’t given any thought to the ramifications yesterday’s - was it really just yesterday? It certainly felt like it had been much longer ago - events would have. Despair had clouded his vision; fear for Tezuka’s life…
And he hadn’t expected to live to see today, had he?
Fuji wasn’t quite sure how to address this question, so he simply answered the last question his sister had asked. “I’m okay,” and after a minute, he added, “How is your injury? I only saw what happened from a distance…”
“Yes, though your stunt was well-timed, indeed. The poor doctors here still marvel at how a kid they had thought dead managed to abruptly sit up and sprint away. Your speed, according to hearsay, has left quite an impression with a few people here,” Yumiko took another deep breath, and this time her shoulders relaxed a little.
Fuji bit his lip. Yumiko was fairly bristling with energy - something she tended to do when things didn’t quite go her way. It was unusual to see her display this kind of behavior now, but he preferred it vastly over the motherly concern that would be the alternative.
He wasn’t certain he felt ready to confront those memories head-on. For now, taking refuge in sharp humor seemed like a better choice. And it wasn’t as if there wasn’t a true core to Yumiko’s words.
When he had opened his eyes after Tezuka had somehow whisked him away from the pocket dimension, he had paid little thought to his environment. Dimly he recalled a white room and a lot of machines - yet the only thing on his mind had been Tezuka.
And the insane feat his friend had accomplished.
The fact alone that it had worked had already implied something had gone gravely wrong somewhere. He should have been dead - that Tezuka had been able to save him could not mean anything good.
His instincts, that time, had not failed him. The demon - or human, because when Fuji had tackled her to the ground, her skin had been warm, and she had been breathing - had been alive, and trying its best to murder Tezuka.
How he had known where to go was one question, Fuji concurred, he probably would never be able to answer. Maybe when Tezuka had saved his life some sort of supernatural connection between the two of them had been established - one that managed to guide Fuji’s actions even when his brain was barely functioning.
He recalled Nakayama’s abrupt entry on the scene, Mori dragging him into the water, and Tezuka collapsing in the snow…
“I’m fine, though,” Yumiko’s voice cut through his thoughts. He looked up to see she had leaned back in the chair, “It wasn’t a big injury, anyway. And from what I heard, Tezuka-kun is mostly fine, too. According to the doctors he collapsed from exhaustion - finals are just around the corner and everything, you know - he’ll need to stay until tomorrow, but after that he is free to go. Tezuka Kunikazu-san was discharged earlier this morning. According to his medical file he had a heart attack, though from what I could gather, he decidedly disagrees with that.”
Fuji tilted his head, and Yumiko continued. “Of course he didn’t have a heart attack. That man is probably healthier at his age than I am. Though, as you can see, somebody made sure to have things remain inconspicuous.”
Yumiko shook her head. Fuji swallowed. He imagined beginning to see the point of Yumiko’s exasperation - while the fact that somebody was covering up this affair in itself wasn’t a bad development for them, the fact that somebody else was in charge of this left Fuji feeling rather uncomfortable.
“As for you, I don’t think they have agreed on a cover story yet. When I last spoke to your Yamaguchi-sensei last night, he was fairly outraged; but then again, the dead don’t suddenly stand up and run past you every night, either.”
“Well, I suppose they’ll find some kind of an explanation, though,” Fuji commented, and silence descended for a couple of moments. Yumiko got herself a glass of water, and after taking a sip turned much calmer eyes on her younger brother.
“I can’t quite…” she broke off, shaking her head once again and then turning to study the bed sheet, “Do you realize what you made me do? You died out there, and I had helped you with it - what on earth do you think I could have told mother and father? I know, it all ended well enough, but still… don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.”
Fuji’s throat suddenly felt tight. He barely managed to nod - he could not trust his voice to come out right.
“I mean, I can understand why you did it,” she continued, “Probably I would have even done the same, had I been in your situation. However, please don’t ever ask something like this of me again. I don’t think I could do it a second time.”
The silence, this time, felt heavy. Eventually, Fuji cleared his throat.
“There is one thing I have been wondering about, “he admitted, and Yumiko glanced up from her study of the hospital issue bed sheets, “The demon… or whatever she was. What happened to her? She sort of vanished when she fell into the water, so… is it over?”
A bitter smile crossed Yumiko’s face. “Chances are fairly good that it really is over. Earlier this morning they discovered human bones on the ground of that lake - they aren’t sure how old those are yet, but first estimates point toward 500 years or so.”
“Human bones?” Fuji asked, and blinked. “While I think I understand most of what has happened now, I think I’m still a bit confused about this particular part… so she was human after all?”
“Didn’t you mention she acted unusually human for being a demon or anything else otherworldly?” Yumiko asked in return, “She was human. A long, long time ago. According to Nakayama-san she was quite a well-educated lady - and gifted, on top of it.”
“But her powers weren’t human,” Fuji protested, “And she claimed she wanted to have Tezuka’s humanity. That doesn’t make sense if she had been a human being. “
Yumiko sighed. “It’s a bit of a sad story, really. Apparently she was one of the many wives of a sheik or some kind of person like that, and as nobody paid her much attention, she turned to studying the supernatural and honing her gift. I haven’t gotten the details yet, but she might have been involved with her husband’s bloody demise, as well as the end of his state. Anyway, over the centuries she amassed more and more power - and shed her humanity in exchange.”
Fuji swallowed. Remembered the coldly glittering eyes she had turned onto him, and those caustic, careless words she had tossed at Tezuka and him more than once. Maybe, from a humanistic point of view, her behavior might make sense - yet what he and Tezuka had encountered had far outgrown what could be accommodated by humanism.
“When you encountered her, nothing of her humanity remained. She could still act like a human being, but her core had been changed into something else,” Yumiko made a pause and bit her lip, “Now, you know, there are certain kinds of abilities that are only accessible to certain types of beings. I suspect she had noticed that, and what we witnessed was her attempt to, at least, restore her access to what humans are capable of exercising.”
Fuji watched Yumiko turn her head to stare out of the window. He pressed his lips together. “So basically she was a human on a quest for power.”
Yumiko caught his eye and gave him a cynical smile. “Probably. Regarding somebody who spent centuries on amassing power, that is the most logical conclusion.”
There was a certain, sinking feeling in his stomach. “However?”
“Well, if you were an extremely powerful demon - how appealing would retrieving your human core be?” Yumiko shrugged her shoulders. “On one hand, certainly, the access to even more power is an argument that can’t be overlooked. But I’m not certain if that’s really all that there is to it. After all, I’ve never heard of a demon that wanted to be able to be human.”
“It’s more something a human would do,” Fuji concluded. He recalled the pocket dimension - the sun high in an endless blue sky, sparkling blue water and colorful flowers; marble tiles and ancient palaces, the view across rooftops toward mountains in a distance - would a demon create a pocket dimension like this?
Fuji had never been to any other kind of pocket dimension, or even read about it, but the one he had seen seemed atypical. And yet… how could the creator of a place like that be capable of such cruelty as she had shown when eliminating Hasegawa?
“That’s what it looks like,” Yumiko sighed, “Though anyway, this kind of speculation isn’t going to lead us anywhere.”
“So she’s dead now?” Fuji asked, and reached for the glass of water on his bedside table. Even though his muscles protested against the movement, the pain didn’t even compare to the way he had felt after first waking up earlier that day.
“It appears so. A fragment of her spirit might have survived - depending on how complete or incomplete the switch between her and Tezuka-kun was.” Yumiko frowned, and in.
A shudder ran down Fuji’s spine. He hadn’t yet had time to think about the consequences of his desperate actions. If he had caused a complete exchange of Tezuka’s humanity for the demon’s powers…
Yumiko was watching him closely.
“I…” Fuji bit his lip, struggling to find the right words, “The nurse told me Tezuka was alright, earlier. Is that…?”
Yumiko’s face abruptly went blank. “I only saw him shortly, earlier, so I suggest you go and see him for yourself later.”
Fuji swallowed.
+ + +
The short interview with Yamaguchi left Fuji feeling out of sorts. While the man certainly maintained his professionalism, he obviously wasn’t in the best of moods. He ran several checks, asked routine questions, and in the end announced with a frown:
“It seems that there has been a misunderstanding last night. While it is rare for several professional practitioners to unequivocally declare a person for dead and be wrong about it, there are always exceptions to the rule.”
Fuji swallowed, but nodded obediently. He understood the frustration this man had to be feeling about being pressured into silence on this highly unusual affair - though from his point of view, the less attention paid to the events within the last days, the better.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder who exactly was pulling the strings. His sister had contacts - but those probably would not be capable of hushing up a murder like the one that had taken place at their school. And Yumiko’s demeanor had well implied that somebody else was flexing political muscle.
“Though the next time you, or one of your acquaintances plans to stand up from the dead, please try to inform somebody before running outside. “
+ + +
It wasn’t until darkness had once again fallen outside before Fuji was cleared to visit Tezuka. He would have to stay another two days at the hospital for observation - but within the hospital he was free to move. Wandering the corridors, however, was not a very exciting or interesting way to spend time. If it hadn’t been for the different number on the doors, the floor Fuji found himself on now would have looked exactly as the one he had just left behind.
In the distance he heard somebody pass, and wondered for a moment, if telling Yumiko that it was okay of her to leave had been the right decision. She had been in dire need of rest, but then again, he wasn’t certain what to expect of Tezuka.
What if …
Fuji firmly shook his head. Tezuka was a very rational and calm person - regardless of what Fuji’s desperation had done to him, he would not react violently. Still, Fuji couldn’t help biting his lip, as he knocked on the door.
After a moment, a familiar voice gave the okay to enter and Fuji steeled himself.
Tezuka looked pale. Pale, exhausted, but not different from before, and it was as if a weight was being lifted from Fuji’s chest. He could breathe - even as he studied Tezuka just as intensely as those dark eyes were studying him.
There were shadows underneath Tezuka’s eyes - was this a new development, or did they stem from the time before? Was this current exhaustion, or had that been a fatigue building up while Fuji’s mind had been occupied with different things? And was it just him, or had Tezuka lost weight?
Then again, Fuji admitted to himself with a cynical smile, it wasn’t as if he himself had had a big appetite during the week preceding today. So shirts sitting a bit more loosely than normal probably ought to remain unmentioned.
“Hello Tezuka,” he said, belatedly, then turned to greet the other occupants, “Good evening, Tezuka-san, Nakayama-san.”
“Fuji-kun,” Nakayama inclined his head, while his wife even smiled. Tezuka Ayana left her son’s bedside to have a closer look at him.
“Fuji-kun,” she said, taking in his pallor and resting a hand on his arm, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” Fuji replied with a small smile, “A bit tired, but okay.”
Then he tilted his head and glanced to his friend, who had remained silent until now. “Tezuka, how are you doing?”
Had Tezuka been anybody else, he would probably have shown a wide range of emotions. Fuji could make out a sense of exhaustion, judging by the slump of his friend’s shoulders. His expression now appeared to be blank, rather than stoic, so Fuji hazarded a guess that Tezuka felt quite confused - though disinclined to show it.
“Quite alright, thank you,” Tezuka replied.
Fuji raised an eyebrow - judging from the flat tone, Tezuka was rather unconvinced Fuji himself was doing as well as he had just told his mother, thus Tezuka gave him a just as credible answer.
“Really, the two of you gave everybody quite a scare,” Tezuka Kuniharu commented in an attempt to lighten the mood. All eyes turned on him, and he almost seemed to shrink in his seat.
“I don’t even understand half of it now,” he muttered, and Fuji couldn’t help the smiling a little. The corners of Ayana’s mouth twitched as well, and Nakayama sighed.
“It certainly is quite a complicated affair,” he stated, “But as it has been taken care of now, there shouldn’t be any further problems.”
His wife nodded, though Fuji couldn’t help but think she didn’t quite agree with her husband’s phrasing. The impression did not last, as she spoke up. “So, as I believe both Kuniharu-san and Ayana-san do have some questions, why don’t we go outside with them and discuss it over a cup of tea? I’m sure we all could use one.”
She turned around with a polite, warm smile. “And I think, Fuji-kun and Kunimitsu-kun probably have some things to discuss as well, so why don’t we give them some privacy for now?”
Protest was obvious on several faces - Ayana would rather hear the story from her son, and Nakayama Kenta, too, seemed disinclined to leave the room. However the smile on his wife’s face left no room for discussions.
Within few minutes Tezuka and Fuji were left alone.
“So, Tezuka,” Fuji started and couldn’t help the dry intonation, “What do we have to discuss?”
He received a barely veiled glare, and then the mood once again turned somber. Tezuka sighed. “First of all, I probably owe you an apology. If you hadn’t come with me to the house then, none of this would have happened.”
“Do you really think so?” Fuji asked in return, “That thing had been looking for a way to get what it wanted for quite some time. It might have attacked anyway. Would you rather it had attacked somebody else?”
“Of course not,” Tezuka replied immediately, “But you might not have gotten involved.”
And died, but that part remained unspoken.
“To be honest,” Fuji took a deep breath, “In that case I’m rather glad I got involved when I did. It doesn’t change that the entire affair was a nightmare, but I don’t want to imagine how else it could have played out.”
If Tezuka had happened onto the demon all on his own. If he had been plunged into that madness without any sort of warning.
The real Mori had probably met the demon without prior warning. The longer Fuji had thought about it, the more certain he had grown. Mori must have encountered the demon on a journey, and by chance had let her connection to the Nakayama’s slip.
And somehow or another the demon had then seen to her sudden, premature death.
If that had happened to Tezuka…
Fuji shuddered.
“I still could have done without what happened to you,” Tezuka said, “But anyway, thank you. I don’t think I would have gotten through this without your help.”
“Then I have to thank you for saving my life,” Fuji replied spontaneously, and for a moment all color drained from Tezuka’s face. It was as if he hadn’t wanted to remember just how close it had been.
It had only been last night that Tezuka had listened to a doctor proclaim Fuji dead.
“Without you I wouldn’t be here today,” Fuji admitted with a soft smile, and something in Tezuka’s chest shifted so violently, his throat closed up. When he finally could breathe again, it was merely enough for a short: “Me as well.”
There was a strange sensation blossoming in his chest - seeing Fuji smile like this made his heart feel as if it was about to stop. And then he shoved this notion aside. Now was not the time to marvel at the miracle that made it possible for them both to be here together. Or the desperation he had felt a mere night ago.
“Anyway, I was wondering,” Tezuka continued, “I understand she was looking to repossess humanity. But why did she pick me? Was there a particular reason for this?”
Fuji sighed. “To be honest, I’m not certain. Whatever she did involved a kind of power far beyond what I ever read about, so I’m not familiar with the conditions. Hearsay has it that for certain… spells, if you want, certain types of persons are preferred to others. In your case - it could have been for the mere heck of it. Or maybe she had hoped to use you in order to gain access to other valuables in the Nakayamas’ possession. I don’t know, but my guess would be your type of personality made you especially eligible for her end. Though if you want to know for certain, you should probably ask Nakayama-san.”
Tezuka nodded silently, and Fuji could almost see the gears working in his head.
“Tezuka,” he swallowed, and forcefully pushed away the uneasiness that made his fingers twist the fabric of his shirt, “There is another thing…”
“Yes?” Tezuka asked, while Fuji collected himself.
“You… when I reversed that demon’s spell, its powers were transferred onto you,” Fuji had to bite his lip again, while the expression on Tezuka’s face softened. “You saved my life. I only wish you hadn’t done it at the price of your own.”
A whirlwind of emotions exploded within Fuji’s chest at that, though he clamped it down. Now was not the place-
Not when he did not yet know what his actions had done to Tezuka in the end.
His friend hardly appeared any different from normal, sitting in the hospital bed.
Yet…
“When Nakayama-san shot her, she died. Which is what would happen to a human,” Fuji lifted his head and looked at Tezuka, “Tezuka, if she died as a human, are you…?”
Tezuka’s expression changed. There was small, atypical smile forming on his face and a shudder ran down Fuji’s spine.
And then, all of sudden, dense, concentrated power filled the room. Fuji’s heart stopped, he forgot to breathe - and only remembered looking outside into the darkness, a snow-covered garden somewhere in the vicinity of Nikko; reaching out only a day later to be assaulted by something so powerful it made him feel as if he was drowning.
As suddenly as it had started, the power vanished, and it was once again only the two of them sitting in a white, sparsely decorated hospital room. Outside, the little light was slowly fading away, and a cloud-covered sky disappearing into the darkness of night.
A gust of cold air - probably from an open window somewhere down the corridor outside - caressed Fuji’s cheeks, and brought with it the smell of snow.
“Nakayama-san was not using normal bullets,” Tezuka said, and sounded so utterly like himself Fuji found himself unwilling to believe what had just transpired. Had it really been Tezuka who had unleashed this wave of fearsome power?
“And she never transferred her powers fully onto me, since she realized what you had done before that ceremony was complete,” Tezuka shrugged his shoulders in a rare gesture of helplessness, “I may not understand the details, but I think it’ll be fine.”
Yet in spite of those reassuring words, Fuji couldn’t help feeling frozen to the bone.
tbc
AN: I hope to have answered about all questions by now - if something else remains unclear either because my explanation was too vague or I simply forgot to address an issue, please point it out to me (as well as spelling errors, grammar mistakes, wrong words issues and everything else). Otherwise, the next chapter shall be the epilogue, and it should be out sometime in July. A big thank you to everybody for reading this far! :)
For now, I apologize for the delay, and without further ado the next chapter.
Title: What Should Have Never Been Found
Part: 26/27
Genre: Suspense
Wordcount: ~4600
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 | 24 | 25 |
Twenty-six
An unfamiliar white ceiling greeted Fuji’s eyes upon waking. The light was dim, and somewhere in the back of his throbbing head he felt rather grateful for it. He was warm, yet the breeze caressing his face was cool, carrying a hint of frost.
Disorientation and exhaustion were tempting him to close his eyes once more. Wherever he was, it was warm and comfortable - falling asleep would be easy. But was this place…
… safe?
Abruptly Fuji’s eyes shot wide open, he gasped involuntarily as the memories assaulted him. Tezuka’s insane stint, the crumbling dimension, grappling with Mori at the edge of the pond, Nakayama’s shot - with a breathless sigh he let his head sink back into his pillow. Those memories - reviewing them now, in a room where nothing seemed out of the ordinary - appeared unreal, grotesque even. A small part of his mind couldn’t help wondering, if maybe he hadn’t imagined it all.
But his throat was aching. The bruises on his body had not been brought on by mere imagination. And he could still feel the burn of far-too-cold water on his skin.
Pulling himself out of his contemplations, Fuji glanced around the room. It appeared to be a fairly standard hospital room, with the possible exception of him not having to share the room with another patient. Instead, there was a table with two chairs on the other side of the room, right underneath a window. From what he could see, the sky was once more covered by grey clouds, and the branches of a nearby tree were sagging under the weight of accumulated snow and ice.
This winter probably qualified for the worst one he had ever lived through - in more way than one, Fuji thought and snorted. There wasn’t much to keep his attention on in the room, as he felt disinclined to switch on the television. There were too many questions bothering him, too much unrest in his mind lose himself in some distraction. And judging from the light it ought to be early afternoon, so chances to find somebody willing to talk to him were fair.
Some turning of his head found a buzzer - stretching his arm to reach for it however sent an abrupt spike of pain through his body. He had to hold his breath for half a minute, just to wait for the agony to pass - and even then, stars kept exploding in front of his eyes.
While he might not have suffered any outward injuries, apart from light bruises, his body hadn’t taken his stunt in the pocket dimension lightly. He felt as if he had been run over by a truck - several times, for good measure.
Thankfully, the pain had mostly faded by the time a nurse arrived.
“It’s good to see you awake,” she said with a jovial smile, “How are you feeling?”
While waiting for Fuji to reply, she took a step forward, and took a close look at the drip connected to Fuji’s arm.
“Okay,” replied Fuji, and the nurse immediately continued with her questions. “Are you in any pain? We could give you something, if you’re nauseous or dizzy. But if you aren’t, that’s surprisingly good.”
“I’m fine,” Fuji muttered. He probably wasn’t supposed to move much, so the spike of pain earlier was his own fault after all. His body just needed a little time to remember how to feel awake. Even his voice sounded a little numb to his own ears.
“Is there anything else you need?” the nurse asked, “Otherwise I will inform your sister, as well as Yamaguchi-sensei. He’s the doctor in charge of your treatment, and he will want to run a few tests to see how you’re doing.”
Fuji blinked, and stopped himself before just nodding obediently. “Please do inform them, however, if it is possible, I would like to know if there was another patient… here by the name of Tezuka Kunimitsu?”
The nurse tilted her head. “Well, while I can’t tell you any details, I understand that you want to know - I suppose you are friends, aren’t you?”
Fuji nodded eagerly.
“Tezuka-kun is alright,” the nurse said with a rather reassuring smile, “He was quite concerned about you, though.”
Fuji let go of a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. At least physically they seemed to have escaped with a scare and some bruises. This knowledge however, did little to calm the anxious voices in the back of his mind. There were too many gaping holes in his memory, too many things he wasn’t certain of.
The entire episode in that other realm had taken an unexpected toll on his body. Though, if he was honest with himself…
When he let himself fall into that water…
Fuji shook his head, chasing away the thought. For the moment, there were far more pressing concerns to be addressed.
“If that is all, I’ll go and inform your sister now,” the nurse announced, and with one last glance at Fuji, she was on her way.
+ + +
It didn’t take long for Yumiko to show up.
Fuji had managed to sit up in the meantime, drink a glass of water and attempt to make sense of the scattered puzzle pieces in his mind. His sister’s expression was somewhere between relief and exasperation, but even though her steps when she approached his bedside were firm, her skin was paler than usual and there were shadows underneath her eyes.
There was a white bandage wrapped around her head, but it did not appear to bother her much. Her eyes were sharp as always when she scrutinized him, before breaking into a small smile.
“Really,” she said, shaking her head, “You are quite something, Syusuke.”
Ignoring Fuji’s curios tilt of the head, she proceeded to pull one of the chairs from the table over to his bed, and sat down.
“Do you have any idea what kind of an uproar the two of you caused? I don’t even want to imagine what to be done for Hasegawa’s murder not to be all over the news today. And that’s not to say anything of a certain medical miracle right here,” she shook her head and took a deep breath, “But that aside, how are you feeling?”
Fuji blinked, feeling much like a deer caught in the headlight. He hadn’t given any thought to the ramifications yesterday’s - was it really just yesterday? It certainly felt like it had been much longer ago - events would have. Despair had clouded his vision; fear for Tezuka’s life…
And he hadn’t expected to live to see today, had he?
Fuji wasn’t quite sure how to address this question, so he simply answered the last question his sister had asked. “I’m okay,” and after a minute, he added, “How is your injury? I only saw what happened from a distance…”
“Yes, though your stunt was well-timed, indeed. The poor doctors here still marvel at how a kid they had thought dead managed to abruptly sit up and sprint away. Your speed, according to hearsay, has left quite an impression with a few people here,” Yumiko took another deep breath, and this time her shoulders relaxed a little.
Fuji bit his lip. Yumiko was fairly bristling with energy - something she tended to do when things didn’t quite go her way. It was unusual to see her display this kind of behavior now, but he preferred it vastly over the motherly concern that would be the alternative.
He wasn’t certain he felt ready to confront those memories head-on. For now, taking refuge in sharp humor seemed like a better choice. And it wasn’t as if there wasn’t a true core to Yumiko’s words.
When he had opened his eyes after Tezuka had somehow whisked him away from the pocket dimension, he had paid little thought to his environment. Dimly he recalled a white room and a lot of machines - yet the only thing on his mind had been Tezuka.
And the insane feat his friend had accomplished.
The fact alone that it had worked had already implied something had gone gravely wrong somewhere. He should have been dead - that Tezuka had been able to save him could not mean anything good.
His instincts, that time, had not failed him. The demon - or human, because when Fuji had tackled her to the ground, her skin had been warm, and she had been breathing - had been alive, and trying its best to murder Tezuka.
How he had known where to go was one question, Fuji concurred, he probably would never be able to answer. Maybe when Tezuka had saved his life some sort of supernatural connection between the two of them had been established - one that managed to guide Fuji’s actions even when his brain was barely functioning.
He recalled Nakayama’s abrupt entry on the scene, Mori dragging him into the water, and Tezuka collapsing in the snow…
“I’m fine, though,” Yumiko’s voice cut through his thoughts. He looked up to see she had leaned back in the chair, “It wasn’t a big injury, anyway. And from what I heard, Tezuka-kun is mostly fine, too. According to the doctors he collapsed from exhaustion - finals are just around the corner and everything, you know - he’ll need to stay until tomorrow, but after that he is free to go. Tezuka Kunikazu-san was discharged earlier this morning. According to his medical file he had a heart attack, though from what I could gather, he decidedly disagrees with that.”
Fuji tilted his head, and Yumiko continued. “Of course he didn’t have a heart attack. That man is probably healthier at his age than I am. Though, as you can see, somebody made sure to have things remain inconspicuous.”
Yumiko shook her head. Fuji swallowed. He imagined beginning to see the point of Yumiko’s exasperation - while the fact that somebody was covering up this affair in itself wasn’t a bad development for them, the fact that somebody else was in charge of this left Fuji feeling rather uncomfortable.
“As for you, I don’t think they have agreed on a cover story yet. When I last spoke to your Yamaguchi-sensei last night, he was fairly outraged; but then again, the dead don’t suddenly stand up and run past you every night, either.”
“Well, I suppose they’ll find some kind of an explanation, though,” Fuji commented, and silence descended for a couple of moments. Yumiko got herself a glass of water, and after taking a sip turned much calmer eyes on her younger brother.
“I can’t quite…” she broke off, shaking her head once again and then turning to study the bed sheet, “Do you realize what you made me do? You died out there, and I had helped you with it - what on earth do you think I could have told mother and father? I know, it all ended well enough, but still… don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.”
Fuji’s throat suddenly felt tight. He barely managed to nod - he could not trust his voice to come out right.
“I mean, I can understand why you did it,” she continued, “Probably I would have even done the same, had I been in your situation. However, please don’t ever ask something like this of me again. I don’t think I could do it a second time.”
The silence, this time, felt heavy. Eventually, Fuji cleared his throat.
“There is one thing I have been wondering about, “he admitted, and Yumiko glanced up from her study of the hospital issue bed sheets, “The demon… or whatever she was. What happened to her? She sort of vanished when she fell into the water, so… is it over?”
A bitter smile crossed Yumiko’s face. “Chances are fairly good that it really is over. Earlier this morning they discovered human bones on the ground of that lake - they aren’t sure how old those are yet, but first estimates point toward 500 years or so.”
“Human bones?” Fuji asked, and blinked. “While I think I understand most of what has happened now, I think I’m still a bit confused about this particular part… so she was human after all?”
“Didn’t you mention she acted unusually human for being a demon or anything else otherworldly?” Yumiko asked in return, “She was human. A long, long time ago. According to Nakayama-san she was quite a well-educated lady - and gifted, on top of it.”
“But her powers weren’t human,” Fuji protested, “And she claimed she wanted to have Tezuka’s humanity. That doesn’t make sense if she had been a human being. “
Yumiko sighed. “It’s a bit of a sad story, really. Apparently she was one of the many wives of a sheik or some kind of person like that, and as nobody paid her much attention, she turned to studying the supernatural and honing her gift. I haven’t gotten the details yet, but she might have been involved with her husband’s bloody demise, as well as the end of his state. Anyway, over the centuries she amassed more and more power - and shed her humanity in exchange.”
Fuji swallowed. Remembered the coldly glittering eyes she had turned onto him, and those caustic, careless words she had tossed at Tezuka and him more than once. Maybe, from a humanistic point of view, her behavior might make sense - yet what he and Tezuka had encountered had far outgrown what could be accommodated by humanism.
“When you encountered her, nothing of her humanity remained. She could still act like a human being, but her core had been changed into something else,” Yumiko made a pause and bit her lip, “Now, you know, there are certain kinds of abilities that are only accessible to certain types of beings. I suspect she had noticed that, and what we witnessed was her attempt to, at least, restore her access to what humans are capable of exercising.”
Fuji watched Yumiko turn her head to stare out of the window. He pressed his lips together. “So basically she was a human on a quest for power.”
Yumiko caught his eye and gave him a cynical smile. “Probably. Regarding somebody who spent centuries on amassing power, that is the most logical conclusion.”
There was a certain, sinking feeling in his stomach. “However?”
“Well, if you were an extremely powerful demon - how appealing would retrieving your human core be?” Yumiko shrugged her shoulders. “On one hand, certainly, the access to even more power is an argument that can’t be overlooked. But I’m not certain if that’s really all that there is to it. After all, I’ve never heard of a demon that wanted to be able to be human.”
“It’s more something a human would do,” Fuji concluded. He recalled the pocket dimension - the sun high in an endless blue sky, sparkling blue water and colorful flowers; marble tiles and ancient palaces, the view across rooftops toward mountains in a distance - would a demon create a pocket dimension like this?
Fuji had never been to any other kind of pocket dimension, or even read about it, but the one he had seen seemed atypical. And yet… how could the creator of a place like that be capable of such cruelty as she had shown when eliminating Hasegawa?
“That’s what it looks like,” Yumiko sighed, “Though anyway, this kind of speculation isn’t going to lead us anywhere.”
“So she’s dead now?” Fuji asked, and reached for the glass of water on his bedside table. Even though his muscles protested against the movement, the pain didn’t even compare to the way he had felt after first waking up earlier that day.
“It appears so. A fragment of her spirit might have survived - depending on how complete or incomplete the switch between her and Tezuka-kun was.” Yumiko frowned, and in.
A shudder ran down Fuji’s spine. He hadn’t yet had time to think about the consequences of his desperate actions. If he had caused a complete exchange of Tezuka’s humanity for the demon’s powers…
Yumiko was watching him closely.
“I…” Fuji bit his lip, struggling to find the right words, “The nurse told me Tezuka was alright, earlier. Is that…?”
Yumiko’s face abruptly went blank. “I only saw him shortly, earlier, so I suggest you go and see him for yourself later.”
Fuji swallowed.
+ + +
The short interview with Yamaguchi left Fuji feeling out of sorts. While the man certainly maintained his professionalism, he obviously wasn’t in the best of moods. He ran several checks, asked routine questions, and in the end announced with a frown:
“It seems that there has been a misunderstanding last night. While it is rare for several professional practitioners to unequivocally declare a person for dead and be wrong about it, there are always exceptions to the rule.”
Fuji swallowed, but nodded obediently. He understood the frustration this man had to be feeling about being pressured into silence on this highly unusual affair - though from his point of view, the less attention paid to the events within the last days, the better.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder who exactly was pulling the strings. His sister had contacts - but those probably would not be capable of hushing up a murder like the one that had taken place at their school. And Yumiko’s demeanor had well implied that somebody else was flexing political muscle.
“Though the next time you, or one of your acquaintances plans to stand up from the dead, please try to inform somebody before running outside. “
+ + +
It wasn’t until darkness had once again fallen outside before Fuji was cleared to visit Tezuka. He would have to stay another two days at the hospital for observation - but within the hospital he was free to move. Wandering the corridors, however, was not a very exciting or interesting way to spend time. If it hadn’t been for the different number on the doors, the floor Fuji found himself on now would have looked exactly as the one he had just left behind.
In the distance he heard somebody pass, and wondered for a moment, if telling Yumiko that it was okay of her to leave had been the right decision. She had been in dire need of rest, but then again, he wasn’t certain what to expect of Tezuka.
What if …
Fuji firmly shook his head. Tezuka was a very rational and calm person - regardless of what Fuji’s desperation had done to him, he would not react violently. Still, Fuji couldn’t help biting his lip, as he knocked on the door.
After a moment, a familiar voice gave the okay to enter and Fuji steeled himself.
Tezuka looked pale. Pale, exhausted, but not different from before, and it was as if a weight was being lifted from Fuji’s chest. He could breathe - even as he studied Tezuka just as intensely as those dark eyes were studying him.
There were shadows underneath Tezuka’s eyes - was this a new development, or did they stem from the time before? Was this current exhaustion, or had that been a fatigue building up while Fuji’s mind had been occupied with different things? And was it just him, or had Tezuka lost weight?
Then again, Fuji admitted to himself with a cynical smile, it wasn’t as if he himself had had a big appetite during the week preceding today. So shirts sitting a bit more loosely than normal probably ought to remain unmentioned.
“Hello Tezuka,” he said, belatedly, then turned to greet the other occupants, “Good evening, Tezuka-san, Nakayama-san.”
“Fuji-kun,” Nakayama inclined his head, while his wife even smiled. Tezuka Ayana left her son’s bedside to have a closer look at him.
“Fuji-kun,” she said, taking in his pallor and resting a hand on his arm, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” Fuji replied with a small smile, “A bit tired, but okay.”
Then he tilted his head and glanced to his friend, who had remained silent until now. “Tezuka, how are you doing?”
Had Tezuka been anybody else, he would probably have shown a wide range of emotions. Fuji could make out a sense of exhaustion, judging by the slump of his friend’s shoulders. His expression now appeared to be blank, rather than stoic, so Fuji hazarded a guess that Tezuka felt quite confused - though disinclined to show it.
“Quite alright, thank you,” Tezuka replied.
Fuji raised an eyebrow - judging from the flat tone, Tezuka was rather unconvinced Fuji himself was doing as well as he had just told his mother, thus Tezuka gave him a just as credible answer.
“Really, the two of you gave everybody quite a scare,” Tezuka Kuniharu commented in an attempt to lighten the mood. All eyes turned on him, and he almost seemed to shrink in his seat.
“I don’t even understand half of it now,” he muttered, and Fuji couldn’t help the smiling a little. The corners of Ayana’s mouth twitched as well, and Nakayama sighed.
“It certainly is quite a complicated affair,” he stated, “But as it has been taken care of now, there shouldn’t be any further problems.”
His wife nodded, though Fuji couldn’t help but think she didn’t quite agree with her husband’s phrasing. The impression did not last, as she spoke up. “So, as I believe both Kuniharu-san and Ayana-san do have some questions, why don’t we go outside with them and discuss it over a cup of tea? I’m sure we all could use one.”
She turned around with a polite, warm smile. “And I think, Fuji-kun and Kunimitsu-kun probably have some things to discuss as well, so why don’t we give them some privacy for now?”
Protest was obvious on several faces - Ayana would rather hear the story from her son, and Nakayama Kenta, too, seemed disinclined to leave the room. However the smile on his wife’s face left no room for discussions.
Within few minutes Tezuka and Fuji were left alone.
“So, Tezuka,” Fuji started and couldn’t help the dry intonation, “What do we have to discuss?”
He received a barely veiled glare, and then the mood once again turned somber. Tezuka sighed. “First of all, I probably owe you an apology. If you hadn’t come with me to the house then, none of this would have happened.”
“Do you really think so?” Fuji asked in return, “That thing had been looking for a way to get what it wanted for quite some time. It might have attacked anyway. Would you rather it had attacked somebody else?”
“Of course not,” Tezuka replied immediately, “But you might not have gotten involved.”
And died, but that part remained unspoken.
“To be honest,” Fuji took a deep breath, “In that case I’m rather glad I got involved when I did. It doesn’t change that the entire affair was a nightmare, but I don’t want to imagine how else it could have played out.”
If Tezuka had happened onto the demon all on his own. If he had been plunged into that madness without any sort of warning.
The real Mori had probably met the demon without prior warning. The longer Fuji had thought about it, the more certain he had grown. Mori must have encountered the demon on a journey, and by chance had let her connection to the Nakayama’s slip.
And somehow or another the demon had then seen to her sudden, premature death.
If that had happened to Tezuka…
Fuji shuddered.
“I still could have done without what happened to you,” Tezuka said, “But anyway, thank you. I don’t think I would have gotten through this without your help.”
“Then I have to thank you for saving my life,” Fuji replied spontaneously, and for a moment all color drained from Tezuka’s face. It was as if he hadn’t wanted to remember just how close it had been.
It had only been last night that Tezuka had listened to a doctor proclaim Fuji dead.
“Without you I wouldn’t be here today,” Fuji admitted with a soft smile, and something in Tezuka’s chest shifted so violently, his throat closed up. When he finally could breathe again, it was merely enough for a short: “Me as well.”
There was a strange sensation blossoming in his chest - seeing Fuji smile like this made his heart feel as if it was about to stop. And then he shoved this notion aside. Now was not the time to marvel at the miracle that made it possible for them both to be here together. Or the desperation he had felt a mere night ago.
“Anyway, I was wondering,” Tezuka continued, “I understand she was looking to repossess humanity. But why did she pick me? Was there a particular reason for this?”
Fuji sighed. “To be honest, I’m not certain. Whatever she did involved a kind of power far beyond what I ever read about, so I’m not familiar with the conditions. Hearsay has it that for certain… spells, if you want, certain types of persons are preferred to others. In your case - it could have been for the mere heck of it. Or maybe she had hoped to use you in order to gain access to other valuables in the Nakayamas’ possession. I don’t know, but my guess would be your type of personality made you especially eligible for her end. Though if you want to know for certain, you should probably ask Nakayama-san.”
Tezuka nodded silently, and Fuji could almost see the gears working in his head.
“Tezuka,” he swallowed, and forcefully pushed away the uneasiness that made his fingers twist the fabric of his shirt, “There is another thing…”
“Yes?” Tezuka asked, while Fuji collected himself.
“You… when I reversed that demon’s spell, its powers were transferred onto you,” Fuji had to bite his lip again, while the expression on Tezuka’s face softened. “You saved my life. I only wish you hadn’t done it at the price of your own.”
A whirlwind of emotions exploded within Fuji’s chest at that, though he clamped it down. Now was not the place-
Not when he did not yet know what his actions had done to Tezuka in the end.
His friend hardly appeared any different from normal, sitting in the hospital bed.
Yet…
“When Nakayama-san shot her, she died. Which is what would happen to a human,” Fuji lifted his head and looked at Tezuka, “Tezuka, if she died as a human, are you…?”
Tezuka’s expression changed. There was small, atypical smile forming on his face and a shudder ran down Fuji’s spine.
And then, all of sudden, dense, concentrated power filled the room. Fuji’s heart stopped, he forgot to breathe - and only remembered looking outside into the darkness, a snow-covered garden somewhere in the vicinity of Nikko; reaching out only a day later to be assaulted by something so powerful it made him feel as if he was drowning.
As suddenly as it had started, the power vanished, and it was once again only the two of them sitting in a white, sparsely decorated hospital room. Outside, the little light was slowly fading away, and a cloud-covered sky disappearing into the darkness of night.
A gust of cold air - probably from an open window somewhere down the corridor outside - caressed Fuji’s cheeks, and brought with it the smell of snow.
“Nakayama-san was not using normal bullets,” Tezuka said, and sounded so utterly like himself Fuji found himself unwilling to believe what had just transpired. Had it really been Tezuka who had unleashed this wave of fearsome power?
“And she never transferred her powers fully onto me, since she realized what you had done before that ceremony was complete,” Tezuka shrugged his shoulders in a rare gesture of helplessness, “I may not understand the details, but I think it’ll be fine.”
Yet in spite of those reassuring words, Fuji couldn’t help feeling frozen to the bone.
tbc
AN: I hope to have answered about all questions by now - if something else remains unclear either because my explanation was too vague or I simply forgot to address an issue, please point it out to me (as well as spelling errors, grammar mistakes, wrong words issues and everything else). Otherwise, the next chapter shall be the epilogue, and it should be out sometime in July. A big thank you to everybody for reading this far! :)