Author notes: Wrote this for the BCL annual Competition… Pssst… ddin't get a prize but got A TWISTED ENDING fic… hehe… I dunno why though. Anyways R&R. Thought of posting it here….
To The Otherside
"…can't be" Kei Amakura murmured, his breathing getting shallow, as he struggled against the dark energy.
"…it can't be…" he whispered again incredulously. His research was wrong all along…
The stakes were already there… she was already subdued...
Clink…clink… the sound of metal clunking echoed through the darkened room.
His heart constricted as he noticed the stakes rising free from the sleeping priestess… eyes widening, he dropped the rune stakes he was holding…
'No…'
Stumbling wildly, Kei ran for the door only to have it shut in the last minute…enveloping him in darkness…
"You finally came…"
xXx
"That's why…I want you to live…"
Her tears were spilling uncontrollably… Rei Kurosawa stared at his retreating figure… her tears would not stop… 'Yuu' her heart cried out for him. The numbing pain etched deeper then the pain of the tattoos that she had had seared into her body… He was leaving again…
His figure was disappearing into the horizon, he was leaving again…
"Yuu!" she cried running after him… she wasn't letting go so easily this time…
xXx
Kei opened his eyes… a small ray of light shone through the open doorway. He was in the Chamber of Thorns. Kei sat up suddenly remembering what had happened before. His side was numb from the cold floor but other then that he was… alive…somehow
Slowly his eyes traveled towards the middle of the room; however he was caught by surprise when the Tattooed Maiden, he was searching for, wasn't there… He made his way towards the middle of the chamber when he spotted a stone staircase leading down.
The sight that welcomed him was a little overwhelming… a vast sea going on and on… It was his first sight of any ocean; he was truly mesmerized until he spotted a pair of familiar blue shoes lying in the white sand…
"Kurosawa…" his voice came out in a low whisper then he suddenly swore realizing what she had done…
'I have to save her' he thought solemnly, walking towards the nearest boat.
xXx
Rei woke next to her decreased lover… they were sitting on their favorite bench in the secluded part of Tokyo park. Her head was resting on his shoulders lightly. He was holding her possessively even asleep. Rei smiled at him, there was still a smile lingering on his lips… he looked so content.
"Yuu" she shook him lightly.
"Mmmmmm….. I'm awake" he nuzzled her neck, empathizing his point. His warm breath against her skin made her smile immediately.
"What? Rei what's wrong?" He gave her an odd look when Rei suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace…
"Nothing" She muttered into his shirt "Just… just don't leave me. I don't want to be alone"
"Rei…" his voice was soft, he sighed "Alright… I won't. I'll never leave you"
Rei just hugged him tightly
xXx
Arriving at the opposite side he was met with the sight of a pale woman lying nearby. He faltered as his breathing grew heavier… they was going to die soon...
The urban folklore… the river of death… once crossed you'll never be able to get back to the world of the living… only the death crossed to the Otherside but if by chance a living soul passed, they will slowly die… their life force will slowly drain… he only hoped he was not too late to save her…
"Kurosawa…" He gasped falling to his knees next to her. Thank god… she was still breathing… they had to get out of here quickly before…
"Kurosawa…" He shook her weakly "Wake up… we have to go now, we're in the land of death…if we stay… we'll…"
xXx
"Kurosawa… wake up"
"Yuu… did you hear something?" Rei let go long enough to glance at his face. He shook his head.
"Strange… I could swear I heard someone's voice"
xXx
"Kurosawa… you need to wake up. You're going to die… don't let it happen. Yuu is dead… you can't give up… you wanted to save Miku right? Fight for her… you can't mourn forever… live" Kei shook her continuously, trying to get her awake… he had no choice, if she didn't wake up now, she might spend the rest of her life in a comatose state, he had to wake her now…
xXx
"Yuu is dead"
"What?" Rei cried standing up "he's not dead, he's rig-" she never got to finish when suddenly darkness fell consuming everything around her…
"Why?"
"You're going to die… don't let it happen…"
"Why? Why should I go on living?"
"… You can't mourn forever... live"
"But I don't want to live…" she took a painful breath "I don't want to be alone anymore…"
xXx
"I don't want to be alone anymore…"
Rei had whispered those words… she was still asleep but it was an indication that she had heard him. He squeezed her hand gently, tears falling from his eyes in relief…
"No… you won't be alone… I'll stay with you Rei" He called her by her first name for the first time "I promise… you won't be alone... I'm here for you… I'll always be here for you, just open your eyes Rei"
xXx
"I promise… you won't be alone... I'm here for you… I'll always be here for you"
"Thank you" She closed her eyes, when she opened them again, Kei was sitting next to her.
"I'm here for you" He was smiling softly. She slowly took his hand, both of them walked towards the boat gasping loudly. The pressure was growing; they could barely breathe... as both of them collapsed into the deck deprived of oxygen, Rei stared into his eyes desperately one last time, before the darkness overcame her…
'Please stay with me'
xXx
"Huh?"
She woke just like every other morning, she waited for the Tattoo to sear her skin but surprisingly it didn't today. She sat up… the rain had stopped. Strange… but then last nights events came flooding back… her reunion with Yuu… then the land of the dead… Kei's promise…
"Oh god …" She whispered holding a hand to her mouth 'Is he?'
Her question was soon answered when Kei himself came through the doorway abruptly and captured her in a tight embrace. For mere minutes she forgot to breathe and he forgot to speak… until…
"I'm glad you're okay" he muttered into her hair but she heard him
"You too"
He chuckled nervously "… I did promise you"
She smiled through the awkwardness "Yeah you did"
FIN