Title: Wings
Rating: T
Notes: Got this idea from a prompt. It's only a one-shot.
Summary: Tsubasa has been suffering from back pain for a while, but what he doesn't know is it's not just back pain, it's something else.
Tsubasa had felt his back was rather sore, it was aching; but he had no idea why.
Perhaps I slept in a funny way. He thought to himself, trying to ignore the pain that was shooting through him every so often.
But as he tried to convince himself of that fact, it just didn't sit right. He had back ache before, after all he had slept many nights in various places, but this pain… This pain was rather intense. He had taken some pain meds before to help, but they didn't seem to be doing anything.
He was now getting worried, but part of him was trying to make it out as nothing; but deep down he knew all too well that he needed to get it checked out.
Not only was the pain intense, but it had been going on for a few weeks, nothing much, just the usual ache, but over the days that followed, the pain intensified, growing stronger, to such a degree that Tsubasa just couldn't concentrate on blading, so much so that Kenta had defeated him!
"Is something wrong Tsubasa?" The short, green haired blader had asked after their battle,.
It hadn't been anything serious, thankfully, but still Kenta worried for the older blader, he knew he had gotten stronger over time, but so had the older teen and it had been a bit too easy to beat him, it hadn't felt like he was battling Tsubasa.
"…" The teen tried to focus on the question, but the bursts of pain were intense, so he focused on breathing, waiting for a moment for the pain to die down and then speak.
It took longer than he expected, Kenta looked seriously worried for him, tears were in his eyes as he said;
"Ts… Tsubasa?"
Taking a deep breath as the pain slowly subsided; "I'm okay kid, I guess I should go get myself checked out,"
"It's not your…" Kenta was about to ask an obvious question, but the older teen shook his head slowly.
"No, the darkness hasn't returned, it's something else, probably something stupid," He tried to reassure Kenta, thinking how sensitive the boy was, the moment you became his friend, you were pretty much family, although the boy could be pretty stubborn too. Although the latter part probably came about due to Kenta always being around Benkei.
"All right," Kenta nodded and he smiled at the shorter boy.
"Next time, when I'm better, we'll have a real battle," He said as he walked, about to pick up earth Eagle, when Kenta grabbed it and passed it to him instead; "Thanks,"
"Good luck,"
Tsubasa nodded and walked away, gingerly putting Earth Eagle back into his pack on his arm.
Why is the pain getting intense now? What… He stopped walking, feeling the pain pulsate once more, it had been happening more frequently too and he sometimes thought that he felt two lumps on his back, but kept reassuring himself that it was just swelling or something.
He slowly made his way to the WBBA Headquarters, finding Ryo already at his desk.
"Tsubasa?" Ryo stood up and looked at the teen; "What are you…" His eyes widened as he saw Tsubasa fall over; "Tsu…" He stopped as he helped the teen back up, was he feeling… bone?
"I need my back checked out, I don't know why, but it's been hurting for the past few weeks slowly getting more painful in each passing day,"
"All right," Ryo said and helped the teen to the hospital wing.
Once there a Doctor looked at his back, shaking his head the whole time in complete disbelief.
"It… It would appear that… That Mr Otori had bones… Growing…"
Tsubasa gasped; "Are you sure it's, it's not just swelling?"
"I'll need to take an x-ray to be sure, of course, but this doesn't feel like any type of swelling I have ever come across," The Doctor said, triple checking by feeling Tsubasa's back; "An x-ray would be the best option,"
"And if he is growing bones in his back?" Ryo asked, since the teen was struck dumb at the news that it was likely to be bone.
"We'll need to check where they has come from, the sooner we know that the better,"
The teen was wheeled into the x-ray department, since he was in so much pain that he couldn't walk.
"Doc, are you sure…"
"Yes, it's bone, but if he's been in pain only in his back and the pain has only intensified by the weeks, I can't think where the bone would come from, the pain would be in near to his back, but the pain would be intense anyway," The doctor shook his head as the x-rays were taken; "We'll sedate him, make him comfortable…"
Ryo just nodded, watching as the nurse injected the fluid into Tsubasa, causing him to fall asleep, although it didn't calm him, and he continued to struggle.
It always happens to him… First the darkness and now this…
XXX
"What are the results?" Ryo asked an hour later, checking on the teen the whole while, making sure that none of his friends noticed that he was missing, although his paper work was piling up, but right now that was the least of his worries.
"He had bone growing on his back… out of his back,"
"Where is it from? Surly an operation…"
"That's the problem, the bone… They are part of Mr Otori, growing from his spinal column, to remove them would risk him being paralysed,"
"And to keep them would be more comfortable for him?" Ryo demanded to know.
"I know, but this has never been seen before…"
"You are not making him some kind of scientific research!" Ryo roared and the doctor shook his head violently.
"No, but… But the risk is great, either way it is his choice to make, but…"
"But?"
"I have theory, if they grow out, then we can all see what we are dealing with, the chances are that Mr Otori is a…"
Ryo shook his head; "I doubt that, if it were true this would have happened some time ago,"
"As I said, it's a theory," The doctor sniffed; "The only other thing I can think of is the dark energy that Mr Otori gained when he battled L Drago, the dark energy might have manifested into this… Am not sure about that theory though, but,"
"We'll speak to Tsubasa about these theories of yours, once the sedative has worn off,"
"It's already off," A young nurse said as she walked briskly towards them; "He's in a great deal of pain, the sedative isn't doing anything, and I can't give him anything stronger without risk of his lashing out at me," She added before either of the men could yell at her.
"All right, well no time like the present," Ryo said and they all walked into the room, where Tsubasa was curled up, sweat dripping from his forehead, causing his hair to stick and they all noticed that the bones had ripped through the gown he was wearing.
"My god…" Ryo muttered, his eyes wide open as Tsubasa opened an amber eye to look at them and smiled weakly.
"How do you feel Mr Otori?" The doctor asked dumbly.
It the teen could, he would have laughed at the question, instead he replied when the pain had settled into a moment where he could risk speaking; "Well, I am growing wings. I think that it's entitled to hurt a bit," He then clutched his back, trying not to yell.
"Wings?" The two men looked at each other and noticed the feathers on the bones that were slowly growing out of the back as well.
"Are you sure my first theory can't be put in?" The doctor asked, never taking his eyes off the young teens back.
"Theory…?" Tsubasa gasped out.
"Two theories," The doctor started.
"One is that you were born with wings but have only grown them now…. Haven't figured out why. The other theory is that during your match with L Drago, when you took in the dark power…" Ryo continued on.
"It… It doesn't bother me anymore," Tsubasa pointed out and Ryo nodded
"But what if it had manifested into something else?"
The silver haired teen was about to say something else, but instead he cried out in pain, the two men looked on helplessly as the wings began to grow faster, causing the screaming to get louder, until; it was over.
The two men and the nurse looked at Tsubasa in awe, the teen panting, trying to catch his breath.
"So, the theory is that the dark energy that was in me has manifested my wings?" Tsubasa said calmly, Ryo was impressed, after all it was only a few minutes ago he was screaming blue murder.
"One of them," The nurse said quickly and the teen nodded to her.
"Yes, the other is that my wings were always part of me," He shook his head; "Either way, they will get in the way of my blading, how can I hide them?"
"Two options keep them or get them removed," Ryo stated, but the doctor shook his head.
"To get them removed is a dangerous process,"
"Because it's attached to my spine,"
"Exactly,"
"So, I guess I'll need something to keep them hidden, who knows, they might come in handy…" Tsubasa looked at the wings, they weren't like angel wings, which he knew was what the doctor was trying to suggest, they were more similar to Eagles wings, not exact though, they were white, but they had depth of colour as it went to the tips, of golden brown and then dark brown.
"What about your friends?" Ryo asked him; "How do you propose you'll keep this a secret from them?"
"I'll figure something out," Tsubasa said, feeling his body relax, his eye lids grew heavy and in a matter of seconds, he was fast asleep.
XXX
He woke up with a start, only to see Kenta staring at him, screaming.
"What's wrong?" He asked, looking around the room but the green haired boy just pointed at him and he felt it, the wings on his back; "Ah…"
"Wha… What happened Tsubasa? I know you had a sore back but…"
"I'm okay Kenta," He reassured the boy; "We're not sure what happened either, I've been told theories, but nothing that can be proven. Either way I'm stuck with these wings," He lifted them slightly, surprised that they didn't hurt.
"Wow," Kenta almost touched one of the wings that was closest to him, but caught himself and blushed; "Sorry,"
"Its fine, they don't hurt," He extended the wing out to him and the boy gently touch the feathers.
I don't really feel anything, wait… He looked over and noticed the Kenta was going towards the top of the wing, where the bone was; I can feel that… Is this how Eagle feels every time I pet him?
"But, how will you beyblade?" Kenta asked, moving away from the wing and looking at him.
"I'll need to learn again, but I doubt these," He lifted his wings; "Will be a problem," He pulled them in to his back and Kenta smiled.
"You could wear a long coat, kinda like Kyoya does,"
"I could," Tsubasa had to admit he never thought of that, in fact he never really gave much thought of hiding his wings, but it would have to be done.
"And you still owe me a rematch,"
"Don't worry, you'll get a rematch," Tsubasa promised him and he smiled; "But for now, I'm gonna sleep, think the last few weeks are finally catching up to me,"
"All right, sleep well," Kenta said softly as he left the room.
The teen slowly fell back to sleep, keeping in mind the advice that Kenta had given him.
A long coat huh? That could work. So long as Kyoya doesn't think I'm stealing his fashion or anything.