[Multi-chapter] Oretachi no chikara (1/??)
Title: Oretachi no chikara (Our power)
Author: tsuchi8562
Beta & Plot Bunny: yuuki_saya <-- arigaPYON!
Pairing: Aiba, Ohno, Mori-san
Genre: Fantasy, AU, Romance
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: We don't own them. We don't have that much money...
Summary: Life outside the wall was tough...
MASTERPOST
He truly hated those lights, even if they were really low. He hated people that were able to turn on the lights in their children’s room, when they were afraid of the dark. Finally he hated the City Council for regular excursions in order to punish innocent people just to show their power. His whole world was spinning around hate and trials to help his friends and people that trust him. That concern about the others was his main engine; the power that let him remain calm even if he was extremely mad at the people that dared to decide about that crucial matters as life and death.
Aiba Masaki was the only son of the poor district's leader, who died several years ago due to illness, and young former actress, who had died during childbirth. His parents were the only ones who were allowed to talk from time to time with the representatives of the City Council and, rarely, they managed to make the live of the poor district a bit bearable. Portions of hot food or few batteries were like blessing. Unfortunately the fugleman died before any agreement in the energy case could be settled. After that the rich district stopped all consultations or donations and everything came back to the previous state.
The young man was respected by the people and because of that he took his father’s place with pride and responsibility, trying to make the life in that part of the city easier, even if it meant the danger of being caught and punished in a very cruel way for some rash actions such as stealing food or power. Everybody was fully aware that in case of any troubles they could ask him for advice or just cry and talk about their problems. He tried to continue his dad’s policy, but unfortunately nobody from he City of Lights wanted to talk with him and he was even beaten by the guards when he was trying to talk with the President of the Council. Fortunately his friend was a famous healer - Ohno Satoshi. The medical had the opportunity to learn the medicine in rich district, as a son of wealthy doctor, but he decided to be a volunteer in poor district; his parents were obviously against it. He was a genius, so he finished studies when he was 15 and after one year of practice he ran way from home, devoting his life to the medicine and helping indigent people. He almost immediately landed in Aiba’s home as his distant brother. Soon both of them became good friends; Ohno was 2 years older from Masaki. The healer continued the learning, reading many books and improving his own skills, so soon he became the best doctor in this part of the city or even in the Earth. For years he educated many students, but none of them could compare to the master. Ohno helped many people from that part of the city and, as expected, there were those he couldn’t save mostly because lack of power. Every time after losing a patient, he closed himself in his house for long days and either Masaki or another emergency case could make him back to normal.
***
Aiba was lost in his thoughts, sitting in the kitchen with worry written in his face. It was late evening, and he was drinking some water and eating his dinner that was already cold.
“You went there again, right?” Young man that popped out of nowhere asked with concern in his voice, making Masaki to choke a bit.
“Mori-san… You scared me…” He said between coughs.
“You didn’t answer on my question… You were there again, behind the wall…”
“Yes…”
“You’re not thinking straight. What if they catch you? Think about the people here… What they will do without you?”
“Little Ami-chan is sick… Satoshi said that he can save her, but he needs some power to do that…”
“Did Ohno-sensei ask you to do that?”
“No… Knowing my reactions, he even forbade me to go there… But I couldn’t leave it that way…”
“You’re an idiot…” Mori sighed. He was a mysterious man; with amnesia, found by Ohno few years ago in the forest, near the poor district, unconscious, beaten almost to death. He was extremely lucky, because his rescuer was the most brilliant doctor that probably walked on Earth and after few months Mori could walk with a little help. There were only two evidences of that tragic event: small, almost unnoticeable scar on his right temple and a little problem with his left wrist (he couldn’t hold heavy objects in that hand). Nobody knew the origin of that man, all information about him was only an unconfirmed rumors; some of them were possible (that he was thrown out from he rich district because he committed some unforgivable crime) and the others were just beyond human’s imagination (that he is the savior who will give the electricity to the whole city and will punish the bad guys). The man himself didn’t remember a thing from time before the accident; he even didn’t know his own name, so Satoshi gave him a new one and let him live in his house. It wasn’t surprising that two of them became real good friends and Mori was trying to help his rescuer in any possible way; however when the healer was in his bad mood after losing a patient, the man without the memories couldn’t do a thing. It was a result of Ohno’s behavior towards Mori. The healer of course treated him as his friend and trusted him, but his actions were more like between the doctor and his patient. Probably the amnesiac didn’t feel fully comfortable with it, but he didn’t say a word, hiding his true emotions deep inside. Even Masaki couldn’t make him to tell about his feelings.
Those three people were specific foundations of the poor district’s society, giving them (except sense of security and stability) a little bit dose of entertainment. From time to time they organized small theatrical shows, in which the doctor sang (he was a really good singer) and Aiba, as a son of the actress, played some scenes. Sometimes even Mori danced for the people (mostly for kids, and only when they asked him really, really hard). These small actions were supposed to unite the people and let them forget in some way about the biggest problem: the lack of electricity. The worst was the fact, that even if people here tried to build even small generator (if they managed to get the parts) it worked only for few hours and only if the Guard didn’t know about it. Every trials of creating any power generating machine was forbidden, punishable by death. That state took place because the City Council was truly afraid of possibility of crashing the main Generator. It was reasonable, taking into consideration the fact that the power produced by home-made generator somehow disrupted function of the main Generator. But still - death sentence was too cruel.
All of this could be pushed aside for a while and people could truly enjoy their lives a bit. Those little plays became really popular and in no time Aiba had to change the usual place for bigger one. One of those performances became the beginning of the end…
When little Ami-chan felt a bit better, Masaki decided to play her favorite tale - ‘Princess Kaguya’. All preparations went perfectly and the show had started. Everything went smoothly until a scream could be heard in the room. That was Ami-chan’s mother; the girl collapsed and lost her consciousness. Without wasting his time for thinking, Satoshi got to the girl, started to examine her vital functions and looked at Aiba with worried face.
“Masaki, run to my house and boil some water. As fast as you can!” Ohno knew that his friend can move really quickly. The healer took the child and rushed toward his home, without a word. All people hurried after him, some of them even helped him removing some obstacles from his way.
After what seemed to be a never-ending while, the doctor put Ami on the table and once more tried to hear her heartbeat. His face didn’t change: he was still worried and concerned. Ohno went to his bedroom and he returned after a minute, pale as never before. He slightly moved his head and asked Aiba this way to come closer.
“It’s not good… I need more power now, or she won’t make it… The batteries you gave me are almost dead… They will work for half an hour tops… It’s too short...”
“I’ll bring you the new ones; just give me some time…”
“No, Masaki! I won’t let you! There is no certainty that she will survive even after the procedure… I can’t let you to take a risk of putting you in jail or kill. These people won’t survive without you!”
“But if I won’t go then this little girl will die. I have to go!”
“Put yourself together and think! You’re more valuable than that girl” Mori said out of sudden. He was silent until that moment, standing close and trying to hide both of them from inquisitive crowd. Aiba hastily slap him in the face and hissed:
“Don’t you ever say that again…” He wiped a single tear that run down his cheek and continued. “Those people are all I have. I can’t let them to suffer like this! This little girl didn’t do anything wrong and now she has to suffer like this!”
“She doesn’t feel any pain now. Ask Ohno-sensei…” The amnesiac whispered, rubbing his cheek. He was the one that could say even cruel, but true things; somebody who in the crucial moment will bring you down in positive meaning of that expression. That’s why he repeated, that Masaki as a leader should think more about all the population of the poor district and not focusing on individuals. Aiba became silent; he was aware that both of his friends are right, but from the other hand he just couldn’t look at Ami-chan’s slowly death without any emotions. It wasn’t his style.
“I can’t watch peacefully on that…” he whispered. “I simply can’t…”
“We know, Masaki… We are feeling exactly the same, but we can’t help it…” The healer put his hand on the leaders shoulder.
“Satoshi, are you trying to tell me to get used to the death?!”
“No. I’m telling you to be responsible.”
It wasn’t fair, that death won’t make anybody happier, and he would gladly take place of that little girl, but it was impossible. The poor district’s society will handle and survive without him. He wasn’t indispensable!
Aiba looked through the window on slightly illuminated wall separating him from the life-giving energy and clenched his jaws.
“Satoshi… Give me forty-five minutes. If I won’t come back till then, go to our secret place in the forest…”
“But Masaki…”
“Shut up!... Sorry, I didn’t mean that… Anyway, after those forty-five minutes go to our secret place. I will do anything to put there the batteries.”
“I won’t let you!” Mori blocked the way. “Be responsible!”
“Let me go. You know that I will go, right?!”
“Let him go, Mori-kun.” Ohno said with hope in his voice. He knew the stubborn Masaki very well and he was aware that in that state nobody will stop him. The amnesiac slowly walked back and lowered his head.
“Thanks…” Masaki ran out the house and headed straight to the rich district, looking at the hated wall all the time.