Falling
Disclaimer: I don't own Flame of Recca. Nobuyuki Anzai does. I also don't own the song (yes, this is a songfic) 'Falling' performed by Nsync. In fact, I own nothing! Yep, zero, zip, nada…that's what I own. Okay, enough about me…on the fic!
A/N: I lied! Ha, ha, ha! *cough* Anyway, this is my first FoR fic…and it's a Raiha/Fuuko…I actually don't know which coupling I like best…I like Raiha/Fuuko, but I also like Tokiya/Fuuko. Hmm… *shrugs* Reviews, criticisms and flames please!
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~^~ I don't know how, I don't know why
But girl it seems, you've touched my life…
You're in my dreams, you're in my heart
I'm not myself, when we're apart…~^~
He watched with open admiration, the lithe figure in the ring was dodging every attack with ease. Surprising, I didn't think anyone could outrun the Foul Spider… But if anyone could do it, this woman could.
He found himself drawn to her, inexplicably, wanting to be close to her. Somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were meant to be. In more ways than one, she was the wielder of the Fuujin and he, master of the Raijin. Fate had determined that they would battle, fate had said nothing about love.
Love… Such a delicate word. Perhaps it wasn't love, not yet, but there was that attraction, that sense of destiny. Or perhaps he was being overwhelmingly idealistic. He had grown up believing that feelings like this could only lead to downfall. He was a warrior, a ninja.
And, who better to suit a warrior than another warrior?
Almost lazily, his blue eyes followed the battle, watching her duck and weave. Silently, he cheered her on, cheering aloud would seem like a betrayal to his own side. He wanted her to win. She has to, she has to live to face me. Rationalising his thoughts didn't make him feel less guilty.
Warily, his eyes made their way to the glass panes across the top walls, fearful that Mori Kouran, perhaps even Kurei-sama, could hear his thoughts. A painful, heartrending shriek, yells of disappointment and anger from the audience, and his eyes were drawn back to the match.
Fuuko lay on the ground, her back smoking from where the laser net had burnt her. His heart stopped for a moment, then resumed normal pace when he saw her stagger to her feet. He could hear the shouts of her teammates, see the surprise and pain etched across her face.
What's going on?
Mori Kouran's twisted face appeared on the screen above, explaining, condoning the use of the laser net. He clenched a fist in anger, this was no longer going to be a fair fight. So, is Kouran-sama so afraid that we'll lose that he has to resort to dirty, underhanded tricks? He underestimates the Uruha!
Fuuko didn't stand a chance. He knew it now, and the realisation left bitterness in its wake. He didn't know why, shouldn't he be happy at the fact that the Uruha would win?
~^~ Something strange has come over me
A raging wind to cross my seas
And girl you know that your eyes are too vain…~^~
Then again, he hadn't been himself lately. Not since he rescued her and her foolish friend from the death trap they'd been in. Why had he done that again? He had no authorisation from Kurei-sama, no orders from anyone, he had just acted on instinct.
"But…you're part of the Uruha. Why would you save us?"
He stared into her deep blue eyes and felt his throat constrict, damp locks of purple hair were plastered to the side of her face and across her forehead. He longed to reach up and flick them away. "We – I have no intention of killing you," hastily, he stood up, staring too long in those eyes could get you lost. "Besides," he continued, "You and I were destined to battle. My Raijin, your Fuujin."
"Wait!"
He paused, but didn't look back.
"Arigato," she called.
He nodded his head slowly, trying to make sense of the feelings overwhelming him.
All that effort had been wasted now, trying to keep her alive. To what end? To see her killed in the ring? Raiha turned to leave.
He was almost out the door when startled cries from the audience told him to turn around.
It's all over…
It had to be, only that would have aroused such amazement and horror from the overenthusiastic, barbaric audience. As though Fuuko's screams of pain hadn't been enough. They had twisted his heart and he'd forced himself to take every step away, telling himself not to rush down and help her, that it would be a betrayal to Kurei-sama, to his team, to himself. Now, he forced himself to turn, to face to worst like a man.
He greeted the scene before him with almost overwhelming joy. To see her, still standing, face bespeaking amazement. Gashakura was standing in the ring, the electrical current running through him.
The laser posts exploded.
Even he could not keep the astonishment from his face. Why? He would have won. Tactically, it was a foolish move, but he could not help but feel happy. Fuuko has a chance now… He could see from the way she was standing that she was injured, but he had doubts as to whether that would stop her. She has more courage than most.
It was an admirable quality.
~^~ And what am I supposed to do
If I can't get over you
I come to find that you don't feel the same… ~^~
Ice blue eyes. They invaded her mind, almost causing her to falter. Kuso! Why am I thinking about him now? She demanded inwardly as she ducked another attack by magagumo. Just because he seemed nice, even if he was Uruha, didn't meant that she should automatically trust him.
Fuuko bit back a scream as she was propelled across the ring on her back. Thank God the laser net had been destroyed. No matter the pain, she would fight until she was dead, that was her duty to the team, to Yanagi.
"Fuuko!" Recca's shout reached her ears, barely heard above the noise of the crowd, "Don't get up!" he screamed, "You'll die if you keep going!"
The noise was fading and she hovered on the brink of unconsciousness. Ice blue eyes… Her vision was blurring alarmingly, I've got to keep going…for the team…
"You and I were destined to battle. My Raijin, your Fuujin."
"My Raijin, your Fuujin…"
"…your Fuujin…"
She opened her eyes, focusing on the madougou attached to her wrist. "Please, give me strength…" she murmured.
Don't give up yet…
Her eyes widened, "Na-nani? Who said that?"
Use me…
"Fuujin? How? I've done everything…"
Not everything.
She heard a tinkling laugh, and all of a sudden, she knew what to do. She ignored Recca and Domon's yells and pleas to stop, there was no noise, just the absolute certainty that what she was about to do was right.
Her fingers slipped over the small bead, pulling it apart from the framework of the madougou. Her crystal blue eyes widened as it floated in the air, gathering wind, swelling, pulsing with an unknown power.
There were gasps of awe from the crowd and startled cries from her team members. Her eyes swept across the arena, arm shielding her face from the power of the windstorm.
Her eyes found him, standing alone near the exit. She felt her heart quicken, his intense gaze was focused on her and for a moment, their eyes locked. She was certain he was cheering her on. Impossible, he's Uruha…
~^~ 'Cause I'm falling, falling
Girl I'm falling for you
And I pray you're falling too
I've been falling, falling
Ever since the moment,
I laid eyes on you ~^~
It was amazing. Even he couldn't keep the astonishment from his face as the orb popped, revealing a cute, fluffy…thing, for lack of a better word. What does she think she's doing?
All around him, there were gasps of bewilderment. She seemed to be communicating with the creature, but he could hear nothing. Fuuko… was it possible that she might actually win? She was stronger than he had given her credit for. Strong, and beautiful…
He couldn't let his thoughts take that turn. It wasn't right, to fall for the enemy, even if the enemy was beautiful, talented and… Stop it! Mentally, he gave himself a slap.
He drummed his fingers on the railing. Is it really that wrong? Fuuko was perfect for him, a challenge. Kismet. He allowed a light smirk to cross his lips, fate… When had he started believing in that? Since I saved her from that watery tomb, since I looked into her eyes…
Was it really possible? He was falling for this girl at insanely fast speeds. It was almost funny. The girls had always chased him, but he had never wanted a serious girlfriend. Sure, a few casual dates here and there were fine, but a relationship? He was usually out of there, pronto.
Fuuko was different; she had that spark, that essence that made her special. Individual compared to the girls who normally chased him. That was, in part, why he'd joined the Uruha, to have a purpose, to be strong, to be challenged.
He loved challenges. Winning a battle had a thrill to it, but winning a hard battle made it so much more worthwhile. The feeling of giving it his best and succeeding was satisfying. Fuuko was the ultimate challenge. Her heart would be the greatest prize. I'm going a little fast here…he noted with some alarm, Her heart? I can't love her, not yet. Sure, he didn't love her, but he wanted the chance to be able to. To make her feel like the most important person in the world, to listen when she talked, to comfort when she was upset, to cry just because she was crying. To protect her… Even if she'd probably beat him over the head if he tried. He grinned at the thought.
If he gave this a chance, who knows what it might lead to. He allowed himself to indulge in a fantasy of getting married and having kids, only to have it cut short by the crowd's excited shouts as Gashakura was propelled out of the ring. He couldn't believe he'd let himself be distracted from the fight.
"The winner…Kirisawa Fuuko for Team Hokage!!"
There was her face, smiling brightly from its place on the scoreboard. By the ring, the members of her team were cheering wildly, flashing victory signs.
It's over… He felt relieved, he was glad she didn't have to fight Magensha; the man was a terror, cold, calculative and heartless. A powerful fighter with no remorse. Of all the members of Uruha Magic, Raiha was most wary of Magensha. He killed without a thought, it didn't matter whose side you were on, he just took pleasure in killing. No wonder Kurei-sama is so certain that the Hokage will be stopped after this fight. He was just glad it was that fool, Domon, in the ring instead of Fuuko.
~^~ I lose my step, I lose my ground
I lose myself, when you're around
I'm holding on, for my life
To keep from drowning in your eyes… ~^~
"No!" Her voice, clear despite her battered form rang out, "I won the round, so I should keep fighting." She staggered to her feet, attempting a cocky grin, oblivious to the protests of her team mates.
This time he agreed with them. She was brave, but there was a fine line between bravery and foolishness and she was about to cross it. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her not to fight, tell her that she had done enough.
But he couldn't. I cannot betray the Uruha…I cannot betray Kurei-sama. He closed his eyes, willing that one of her team members would stop her. Don't be a fool, Fuuko! He watched with some horror as Mori Kouran gave his approval for the match to continue with Fuuko as the competitor. His hand gripped the metal handrail, white knuckles betraying the emotions he didn't allow to show. I can't lose you…not to a monster like Magensha.
His heart twisted when the referee announced the beginning of the match. Raiha forced himself to watch, hoping and praying that she would survive the fight. But even the faint hope of divine intervention died when he saw Magensha open up the portal to the other dimension.
No… His cry of pain died before it passed his lips and he closed his eyes momentarily. There was no hope, Magensha would win, the portal confirmed it. Damn it Fuuko! Must you be so, so… a million words crossed his mind but none seemed to fit. He forced himself to watch, as her grip on Magensha's armour slipped and she was hurtled through the portal.
Before the darkness swallowed her completely, her eyes met his for a brief moment, the meaning behind the look was lost as they were harshly torn apart. All that was left was the faint echoes of her cry of helplessness. Raiha sagged against the handrail. I saved her for nothing… he clenched his fist, nails digging into his palm, No, not for nothing… he was barely aware of Recca leaving the stadium, being so caught up in this thoughts, It was enough just to be with her for those few moments, holding her…
Strangely, he found himself fighting tears. He, one of the elite members of the Uruha, brought to tears at the thought of losing this girl. It was laughable.
~^~ Girl, what have you done to me
To make me fall so desperately
To think that I don't even know your name ~^~
He would not cry here. Not where the world could see and laugh. Yet, the sense of loss was great, overwhelming. I just found you…it's not fair that I lose you this quickly. But still, that was how life was. Life was full of comings and goings, he himself had gone, leaving his family, a jaded past, behind him. And now the one girl he thought he could love had gone too.
I could have – should have – protected her… At a great cost. Betraying the Uruha would mean having to face Magensha himself. That was a fight he wasn't sure that he, for all his skills, could win. His finger traced the surface of the raijin gently, Better she live and I die… He would gladly have died for her.
He would gladly have done anything for her. The realisation shocked him to the core. He had known Kurenai before Kouran killed her, before she became completely embodied in Kurei's flame. He had seen how Kurei had acted around her, catering to her every whim and desire, becoming a completely different man. Could the same thing be happening to him?
If so, he thought bitterly, It happened too late…
The positive side of him told him that it was possible that she had survived, there was the slimmest chance that she had. But logic told him otherwise, the facts were stacked against them, no-one survived Magensha. All, with the exception of Kurei-sama and Mori Kouran, feared Magensha. Raiha had never understood what tied Magensha so firmly to Kouran. He shuddered, thinking of the latter's off-skew gaze with its cold, heartless eyes, maybe it was better not to know.
He watched the battle in the ring listlessly, not caring if either fighter lived or died. The bitter irony was that Uruha Magic had already suffered a crushing blow to its reputation. They had never lost a battle – until now. The blow was further compounded as the supposedly undefeatable Uruha Magic had been trashed by a 'novice flame caster', a former member of the Uruha they were supposed to destroy and a female who had recently gained her madougou.
Fuuko…
He could not let himself sink into depression. If anyone could survive Magensha, it would be Fuuko. He wanted to see her again, it could have been seconds, perhaps minutes, since she had gone, but it was already too long. Too long without her smile, too long without her voice, just too long…
~^~ And how am I supposed to live
If I can't get over this
And you decide that you don't feel the same… ~^~
It was strange here in this cold dimension. She shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around her slim frame. The weight of the fuujin on her arm was comfortingly familiar. Her only source of comfort in this place. Something nudged at her arm, and she bit back a scream when she came face to face with a skull. Kami-sama, how do I get out of here?
She had to be strong, she needed to be strong. She couldn't let the team down, couldn't let herself down. It would be a disgrace to herself and the others if she were to fail. I'm not dead yet. That resolve stiffened her backbone. Magensha had only gotten rid of her momentarily, not killed her. He would not kill her without more of a fight.
Her eyes searched the endless blackness of the plane she was in, looking for some sign of life. The eerie quiet made her skin crawl, it was all the more obvious after the enthusiastic yells that had pervaded the stadium. She had only seen one quiet spectator. A faint smile crossed her lips at the thought of him. Funny he should come to mind now. At the last moment, before being sucked into this place, she had seen those cold, clear blue eyes fixed on her. She had felt certain that he was about to leap into the ring and help her.
She dismissed it as foolish imaginings. After all, he was Uruha, and that meant he was the enemy. Even if he did save my life. There was the contradiction. Why would he save her? She was as much his enemy as he was hers, logic said that he should have left her and Domon to die. But he hadn't.
There had been a comforting sense of protection in his arms. She blushed at the thought, he was so different from all the other boys she knew. Recca was head over heels in love with Yanagi, he was her greatest rival, and – she admitted to herself – her closest friend. Mikagami, she shook her head at the thought, nice guy, but severely lacking in social skills, his single mindedness scared her sometimes. Domon, she sweatdropped at that, obsessive was the only way to describe him, and obsession that, while flattering, was completely unwanted.
I don't even know his name… she realised with some dismay, she would have liked to put a name to the face that so frequently invaded her mind. He had seemed…nice. She laughed at herself, You talked to him for all of two minutes and he basically challenged you to a fight! No, for all that talk, she had sensed a good heart, a heart completely at odds with his life in the Uruha.
She had to get out of here, if only to see him again.
~^~ 'Cause I'm falling, falling
Girl, I'm falling for you
And I pray you're falling too
I've been falling, falling
Ever since the moment,
I laid eyes on you… ~^~
He was mildly surprised to see Magensha losing, mildly surprised. Today had been a day of surprises, this was just another one to add to the growing. Looking up to the huge viewing window, he could see Kouran looking smug. Strange…Kouran seems happy that Magensha's losing. He could barely contain the wave of hate he felt for the sadistic man, it was Kouran who agreed to let Fuuko fight Magensha, knowing that, in her already weakened condition, she would lose.
For the first time, he felt no pride in being part of the Uruha, in taking part in this competition. He had no loyalty to Kouran, he gripped the handrail tighter, allowing his disgust at the man's underhanded methods to show. If I could…I would kill you, Kouran. His only loyalty was to Kurei-sama, and it was this loyalty that prevented him from killing Kouran.
The sound of Domon being pounded into the ground caused him to wince slightly, wondering what had caused such a turnaround. Magensha's fighting had a hint of desperation now, his blue eyes wandered up to where Kouran was, seeing his anger, the wine glass crushed in his hand. A plan...it was all part of another of Kouran's plans…
Hate burned in his eyes, loss ate at his heart. I can't watch this. I can't stand here and allow Kouran to continue. It would be his last favour to Fuuko, he would save her friends from her fate. Fluidly, he moved towards the steps, intent on reaching the ring. I'm sorry…Kurei-sama… The betrayal bothered him, Kurei had done a lot for him, it seemed wrong to ignore all that.
There was a flash of light and three bodies tumbled into the ring. He only had eyes for the one with the purple hair. Fuuko! He controlled himself, wanting to rush down and hold her, protect her forever. The hate was washed away by the tidal wave of love. Love…I'm in love with her…
Her eyes were searching the crowd, resting on him. A smile settled on her face. A smile for him? He could only hope, it seemed days not minutes that she'd been gone. His heart beat faster, and he wondered what it would be like if he went down there so he could be with her.
"Raiha."
Kurei's voice, cold, unemotional. He turned, bowing slightly in respect, "Kurei-sama?"
His master gave him a calculating look, before gazing down at the ring. "Perhaps," he paused, "You have been watching this fight for too long. You should be readying yourself for your own battles. You will be fighting Uruha Scarlet next you know."
A reprimand, veiled but nonetheless clear. He was allowing himself to be distracted, he had a job to do. A job that did not involve falling in love with spunky, purple-haired young women. He bowed again, accepting Kurei's words as truth.
He left the arena
~^~ Falling, falling
Ever since the moment…
I laid eyes on you… ~^~
~^~~^~
A/N: That was rather long for a waff-y one shot. It was a long time coming too! *sweatdrops* Like it? Hate it? Have no opinion whatsoever? It doesn't matter! I want your reviews, comments, criticisms, guestbook signings…. Visit my webpage (My plug for the day) Thanks for reading!
© Smabbi-chan
2001-11-23