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Apr. 1st, 2013 03:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
atomherrerin“Oh god, not again.” He sighed.
“Where are we?” Fai walked up to the giant gash in the middle of the room and stared down into the watery abyss.
“Wait a minute.” Kurogane squinted and looked over at the teleport door on the half of the room they were separated from. “We’re on the other side.” He said with relief, leaning his head back against the concrete wall. He looked back up at Fai and almost smiled. “We are on the other side. We can get out from here.” He pulled the map from out of his coat and handed it to Fai. “Over there,” He pointed to the door across the room from them, “is door 25 I think. This one we just came out of is a new one.”
“22.” Fai finished the thought. “This is door 22. And…” He turned the map around, “over there,” He pointed around the corner, “should be a door out of the building.” He smiled back at Kurogane and extended his hand to help the ninja up.
He pulled Kurogane up, but when he almost fell over again Fai put Kurogane’s arm around his shoulder and they started walking towards the door.
Out of the earshot of the kids he could be more candid with Kurogane. “Kuro, are you gonna be ok? I mean this isn’t like fighting some demon or something. This stuff is incapacitating. You saw what it did to Syaoran. I mean, be frank with me, how close are you to that point?”
“I don’t know, but I haven’t felt this bad since the time that magistrate tried to poison Tomoya’s salmon, thankfully she hates salmon, so I ate most of it for her. It was enough to kill her, but not quite enough to kill me. I was sick for a week; I don’t remember most of it.” Fai was relieved to see that Kurogane still had a sense of humor.
Fai opened the door and they stepped out into the warm night air. They heard the rhythmic sound of the ocean coming from behind them. It was pitch black except for the stars that shown overhead. Fai pulled the flashlight out from his pocket and scanned the immediate vicinity. They were in a sandy, grassy field: overgrown with weeds and littered with rubble. They were standing on a little porch with broken steps going down from it into the field. Kurogane held up the map. “Ok we are facing the accelerator,” he pointed right in front of them. Fai shown the light out ahead of them and saw a big concrete cylinder running from one end of the light to the other. “Past that should be the office.”
“And the feather.” Fai added. “It doesn’t look like it goes all the way to the ground. Can we go under that big … whatever it is?” He pointed at concrete cylinder.
“We can try.” Kurogane folded the map up and put it back in his coat. He tried to pull away from Fai and support himself, but he had to reach out and grab Fai’s shoulder to steady himself again. “Just a little dizzy,” he said to the mage when Kurogane saw his worried glance.
They made their way down the stairs and through the field, carefully avoiding the minefield of concrete and iron scraps. As they got closer to the accelerator they could see there was a high fence around it with barbed wire at the top. There were big signs on the fence warning of nuclear and electrical hazards. Fai didn’t know what either of those two things meant, but he was sure he didn’t want to find out.
“Maybe we should go around it. It doesn’t seem too friendly in there.” He looked over at Kurogane, who was still holding his shoulder.
“It’s just a fence.” Kurogane said with a huff. The truth was he didn’t want to take any detours. His head was starting to pound and he was so dizzy he was having trouble reading the warning signs.
But as they made their way up to the fence they were beginning to see more of a problem. The ground dropped off after the fence and fell into a deep ravine filled with rocks and sand. Kurogane’s face twisted up in pain and disappointment as he looked down below them. “Fuck,” he said under his breath, putting his fingers through the fence. “Fuck.”
Fai looked over at him. He looked like he would cry if he were anyone else. “Kuro?” Fai reached his hand up and put it over Kurogane’s on the fence. Kurogane looked back at him with the most exhausted expression ever. “You ok?”
“I… I feel like shit.” He simply said, and pulled the map out of his coat and handed it to Fai before turning his back to the fence and sliding to the ground. “How do we get to the offices?”
Fai studied the map but couldn’t help looking down at the man in front of him. Kurogane was the strongest person he had ever known. Fai had spent his life embracing deception but not even he could say he didn’t respect the man, admire him; want him even. To see Kurogane so defeated killed Fai inside. Fai’s nurturing instincts were far too strong for his own good. His act was swiftly dropping and he was letting his true self show, but he couldn’t help it. He knelt down in front of Kurogane, taking the ninjas face in his hands. Kurogane stared blankly back at him. Fai shifted his hand up to Kurogane’s forehead, which was covered in cold damp sweat. He felt chilled all over despite the warm night. Fai took his coat off and put it around Kurogane’s shoulders. Kurogane shivered around the instant warmth and pulled the coat closer. Fai put his hand back on Kurogane’s cheek.
“Ok, I’m gonna go scout out a way around this think. You just stay here and rest.” Fai said.
“But…” Kurogane started to protest but Fai cut him off.
“Don’t worry, the second I find a safe path I’ll come back. “
Kurogane gave a reluctant nod. “Fai, be careful.” He said in his most concerned tone.
“I will.” Fai gave him a little smile and turned to find a safer, more accessible way around the accelerator.
Fai started off to his right, following along the fence. It was warm but it was still very dark and that fact alone sent a chill down Fai’s spine. He hadn’t even been in that lab for very long but it was incredibly creepy and a bit disturbing. But now that he was out in the open night, he felt even more vulnerable. Fai wasn’t scared of the dark, but he was scared of what he couldn’t see, and with the limited view from the flashlight right now he couldn’t see much at all. He kept shining the flashlight all around him, looking behind him and turning back again. He wasn’t even sure what he was looking for, but he knew he was far from comfortable in this unfamiliar darkness.
After a few minutes of walking he saw a break in the fence. For once, the massive destruction of this place was on their side. The wall going down into the ravine had crumbled, taking the land on the other side of the fence and the fence itself with it. Now there was a dirt and rock slope going down into the ravine. Fai scurried down the slope into the bottom to look for a way up the other side. Down there it was wet and muddy, but seemed safe enough. He walked along the ravine until he spotted a ladder going up to the other side. Fai climbed up and found that a gate in the fence with a lock in it, but it wouldn’t budge. He frantically tried to think of a way to open the gate. Kuro’s sword would at least cut the fence. He thought with hope. He climbed back down into the ravine and out the other side, back towards Kurogane.
As he reached the spot where he had left the ninja he heard the disturbing sound of vomiting up ahead. He ran over and found Kurogane on his knees, hanging onto the fence and heaving. Fai rushed over to him and Kurogane looked up at him, gasping for breath and shaking.
Fai helped him sit upright and pushed his hair out of his face, “Kuro, are you ok?” Fai said in a panic. Kurogane was still trying to catch his breath and recover.
“I think… I think I feel a bit better now.” He leaned his head back and tried to breathe normally.
“Ok.” Fai was highly unconvinced. “Well I found a way around, but we should wait a few minutes.”
“No, I’m ok now,” Kurogane protested, and tried to stand up. Fai had to rush to catch him as he began to fall. He put Kurogane’s arm around him. Kurogane looked over at Fai as if to say sorry, but Fai shook his head to silence him before he could apologize. They started off towards the hole in the fence.
After what seemed like forever, they made it down into the ravine and very slowly up the ladder to the other side. It was clear that Kurogane was in no shape to do anything that required exertion so Fai figured he would have to cut the gate open.
“Ok Kuro, the gate’s locked, but I figure I can cut it open with your sword.” He said.
“You?” Kurogane looked at him, confused.
“Well I mean, you are not in any shape to be swinging that thing around.”
“You don’t have to swing it around to just cut stuff.” Kurogane slowly pulled his sword out with his free hand and carefully worked it in-between the wires connecting the gate and the fence. With a swift turn and a short pull up, the gate came loose and swung open.
Fai looked over at Kurogane in amazement, “How did you do that?” He said.
Kurogane gave him an almost smile, “It’s called technique. What do you think I’ve spent my whole life studying?”
“Later you are gonna have to show me how you do that.” Fai said as they continued through the gate and across the field. Coming into view was a two story brick building. It didn’t look as intimidating as the other buildings they had been in, but as they approached they saw a problem. The entrance to the building was on an elevated patio and the short flight of stairs that would have lead up to it where missing, leaving only the metal railing behind.
“Shit.” Fai muttered under his breath and Kurogane just sighed. “Wait,” Fai said suddenly, “Look, I think that’s a door.” He pointed to door on the ground level a few meters away. They hurried over and Kurogane leaned against the wall as Fai tried to get the door open.
“How the hell are you supposed to get into this? It doesn’t have a door knob!” Fai was trying to pry at the metal plate with his long fingers.
“Oh, it’s one of those.” Kurogane recognized it as the same type of door they had encountered in the room with all the water. He pulled his sword out again and handed it to Fai, “This one does require energy, so you will have to do it, sorry.” Fai took the sword and looked back at Kurogane in confusion.
“What do I do?”
“Just shove the blade in between the metal plate and the wall. Now pull it away from the wall.”
Fai did as instructed and after a few moments the door came free and swung open violently, a sea of books and concrete rubble falling out. Fai was caught up in the avalanche and fell to the ground, emerging after a moment covered in books and dirt, coughing. Kurogane had dodged the door just in time but ended up on the ground covered in papers as well. They picked themselves up and waded through the door into a small room.
The ceiling and most of the walls had collapsed in and they had to pick their way along the rubble to where the entrance would have been. It was in the room above them but they could see the shattered glass doors from where they stood.
“Shit, that must have been the lobby.” Fai said in disappointment, “and now it’s….over all over the floor.” He looked at the cement rubble beneath their feet. “And the feather.” He looked around frantically. In the room was nothing but broken glass and crumbling cement.
“Damn it, it has to be here somewhere?” Kurogane looked around frantically. “It’s supposed to be in the lobby. It’s supposed to be here.” Fai could hear Kurogane’s voice picking up like he was going to panic.
“Kuro…” Fai said quietly.
“It’s supposed to be here, it has to be here!” Kurogane put his hands in his hair in frustration and looked desperately up at Fai.
“Kurogane, let’s just sit down and rest for a few minutes, think about things, figure this out.” Fai said trying to calm Kurogane down.
“But the kids, the longer we take the more chances there are of … of I don’t know … something blowing up I guess.” Kurogane’s ability to maintain thought wasn’t faring too well under the given circumstances. He slumped against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, holding his head in his hands.
“If you pass out and I have to carry you back, we’ll be even slower, so it’s worth taking a minute to rest.”
Fai sat down next to him and put his arm around Kurogane’s shoulders. Kurogane absentmindedly leaned into him. “God you are warm.” Kurogane muttered.
“You’re still really chilled.” Fai said and absentmindedly put his hand up to run it though Kurogane’s hair.
After a few moments Kurogane’s head bobbed forward as if he had dozed off. Fai chuckled, “You can lay down if you want.” He told Kurogane. He could see Kurogane contemplating the offer for a moment before shrugging, as if giving in to how tired he was and how warm and comfy Fai’s lap seemed. He let his head slide down into Fai’s lap and sighed. If he stayed like this much longer he knew he would fall asleep.
A minute or two later, Fai heard Kurogane’s breathing steady and knew he was asleep. He didn’t dare speak. Their relationship existed on two levels. There was the surface, like a piece of glass mirror, where they saw everything they did reflected in the eyes of others. But beneath the mirror was this vast, warm, dark ocean. There were no reflections or acts to maintain, just these warm, quiet waves washing up over him. And this other person, lying on his lap, was here with him. The same warm waves washed over him. For a split second, Fai tried to figure it out; figure out what they were and what Kurogane meant to him, meant for him. But when he did, the dull throbbing in his head turned into sharp pain and he swiftly gave up. This room was warm, Kurogane was warm and Fai’s clothes were damp from running around in the humid night. Fai was content to rest his head on the metal cabinet he was leaning against and not think for a while. That’s what this level of their relationship was for. For being true and honest and simple. And the truth was he cherished Kurogane, and honestly he didn’t care why, he simply wanted to be with him. Fai ran his fingers absentmindedly through Kurogane’s damp hair and listened to him breathe.
Fai dozed for a bit but woke up to a few precariously placed little rocks falling down off of their perches. He looked down at Kurogane who was still sleeping, his dark skin glistening with a bit of sweat in the dark room, illuminated only by their flashlight. In his own strange way, he is incredibly beautiful. Fai thought, and leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a tiny reflection from under a concrete block. He shined his flashlight over in that direction and saw a pile of shattered glass and a little white and red fluff sticking out from under the rocks.
“Kuro, Kuro wake up,”
“Mmhh…”
“Kuro I think I see the feather.” Fai started to sit up and Kurogane’s head slid off Fai’s lap and onto the floor.
“Ah… what was that for.”
Fai walked over to where he saw the glass sitting in the middle of the room.
“Kuro, it’s the feather.” He pulled it out from under the rock and held it up for Kurogane to see.
Kurogane just stared at it in shock for a few moments and then smiled. They had done it. They had found the feather. They could go home. Kurogane tried to pick himself up as Fai tucked the feather safely away.
“So...” Kurogane was having trouble keeping thinking straight, “How do we get home?”
“Well, I guess we look for another teleport.” Fai said grimly. Kurogane gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. “But I think I have an idea,” Fai interjected. “The doors switch destinations every 5 seconds or so, right?”
Kurogane just stared at him. “I don’t know, that explanation was a million years ago and didn’t make any sense anyway.”
“Well, if that’s right,” Fai continued, “Then I can just stick my head through, and if it’s not the right room I’ll pull back and wait for the teleport to change.”
“But won’t you get really sick that way?” Kurogane looked at him concerned.
“Maybe, but it’s better than us landing in the wrong room and having to do more teleports anyway.”
“I think you have a point, but my head hurts too much to actually think.” Kurogane said. “Is there another teleport in this building?”
Fai pulled out the map and pointed back towards the way they had come from. “Yeah there is another one a bit further into the building.”
They made their way over to a room in the far corner where they found another teleport, which they powered up.
“Are you sure this is gonna work? I mean, I don’t want to get your head chopped off or anything.” Kurogane looked at Fai in genuine concern.
“Well, I don’t know for sure, but it has to be worth a try. I’ll try to be quick, but once I’ve found the right door we only have 5 seconds to get through, so be ready.” Fai took Kurogane by the hand and prepared to peer into the portal.
He ducked his head in and right back out again, “Nope.” He said and silently counted out the seconds before he ducked his head in again. He pulled it out with a flinch. “No again.” He sighed and continued counting. The third time Fai stuck his head in, Kurogane felt a tug on his arm and rushed through the door pushing Fai along with him.
They both fell onto the floor of the lab they had started at. Kurogane rolled off of Fai and onto the floor, looking up at the wooden rafters in relief.
The kids had curled up asleep under a desk, but had been awakened by Kurogane and Fai crashing into the room and came running over. Kurogane sat up and helped Fai to do the same. Fai looked pale and in pain, but they were back and wouldn’t have to go through those doors again.
“We found the feather.” Kurogane told the kids. Fai pulled it out his coat and handed it to Syaoran. He turned to the princess but she stopped him.
“If you give me back the feather now, I’ll pass out.” She turned to look at Kurogane and Fai. “You all have done so much to take care of me, I want to return the favor and take care of you while you are ill. Mokona, will you keep it safe?”
“You bet.” Mokona opened his mouth wide and Syaoran let the feather drop down into it. He swallowed with a “mukup” noise.
“Let’s find someplace a little more hospitable to recover.” Syaoran suggested.
“Yeah.” Fai agreed, “Everybody close together now.” He motioned the kids in. They gathered around him and Kurogane as Mokona started his magical transformation.
Kurogane still felt incredibly ill, but as his little family huddled together, he was simply grateful they had made it through the horrible ordeal.
Mokona swallowed them up in one gulp and they disappeared from sight, leaving the lab behind them, empty and quiet.
