A/N: Spoilers for Chapitre 166
I wrote this a while back and have decided to post it on my account. This scene always leave an emotional impact. Since time was running out short and since Kurogane's not the type to speak unless needed, I wanted to write this powerful scene from the ninja's POV - what possibly could have went in his head as well as tying other times in the story to this moment.
With that said - this scene and TRC belongs to CLAMP. The only creative spin I put is getting in the mind of a character.
Fai is a person – or rather an idiot – who will spare others' lives willingly before his very own to the point that using magic is now leading him closer to death. Fai has just barely managed to free the kid, the princess and the manjuu. But in his own weakened state, he is unable to release Kurogane and him out of the ensnaring trap.
As the world of Celes is collapsing on them, the ninja has only one thought – to get Fai and him out of there alive along with everyone else. Determined to keep their lives, no matter what, he could only try to suppress the curse from crushing the two men. He hears a roaring sound and a bright light momentarily blinds the surrounding. When the light vanishes, he sees Syaoran. An opening has materialized. Wasting no time, Kurogane grabs Fai's wrist and makes haste to pull them the hell out of there. His body exits out of the opening first.
But to his horror, not even Fai's hand he is holding onto could even cross the point where the opening begins.
Time, and the curse, is not going to grant mercy, yet Kurogane will not give up. Not after agreeing to surrender his blood for, perhaps, eternity. Not after enduring the frustration of getting the idiot to drink his damn blood. Not after killing the perverse man who gave Fai as much love as he did misery, just to save everybody's necks. But most of all, not after keeping a vow to never lose anybody precious to him ever again if he could help it. Kurogane cannot come close to losing Fai again, not after all the ordeals he went through to ease Fai's agony.
Kurogane dares not to even think how he would feel should worse come to worse where they have to leave Fai behind.
Yet all this time, the idiotic mage remains still and just looks at the ninja. His eyes does not show any hint of helplessness, but rather acquiescence. "Go", he commands with grim conviction in his voice.
Do you wish for him to come with you?
Where is that voice coming from?
If you wish to have him by your side with all your heart, you must offer something with equal magic in exchange for his.
His left hand contains a spell that was cast by Fai to store and retrieve Souhi at his disposal. Kurogane has no idea whose voice it is or where it comes from, but this could be his only choice. If it means he could save Fai, so damn be it.
As he lets go of the mage's wrist, he sees something in Fai's eyes that reveals he is accepting his demise. Though the mage clearly does not value his life, Kurogane knows that Fai – his life and everything – matters very much to him.
So much that Kurogane brings down Souhi to cut off his left arm.
Before he can fully register any pain and shock from such a brutal injury, Kurogane tugs on Fai's coat to finally pull him out. At last, he can be fully assured that Fai will live. Fai will come with him.
The last thing he clearly sees is that eye. That damned beautiful blue eye that is full of incoherent emotions and brimming with tears. And then everything goes black.