Arjuna panted softly, hand held against his side as he huddled in the corner of the abandoned storeroom.
If I can just stop moving and rest, I will live, Arjuna thought, closing his eyes and swallowing as he evaluated his own condition. It was bad, he had internal injuries from being punched through a wall and countless lacerations from little spears. Bones were broken and he breathed shallowly, trying not to disturb his ribs. If he had still been mortal this accumulation of injuries might have been fatal but as a Servant, Arjuna was more durable. I need to hide. Was it cowardly? Yes, but there was no point in thinking he could help further. And had he not done enough against his insane brother?
That is unfair, Arjuna reminded himself as he began relaxing. This storeroom was abandoned and the boxes hid him well. He could rest. Karna didn't ask for this. Quite the opposite. A Divine Heroic Spirit had somehow invaded Chaldea and picked Karna, claiming he needed to learn more about himself. Arjuna thought that verged on lunacy – Karna of all people! – but they'd had no time to protest before all hell broke loose.
Arjuna rested his head back, breathing deeply and feeling the gentle tug of sleep. It would be so nice to take a nap. It would be so… nice…
A soft shuffle reached him and Arjuna's eyes opened wide. Then he felt a warm pressure on his chest and looked down into bright blue eyes.
"…" Arjuna stared at one of the little creatures the Divine Heroic Spirit had unleashed. Much like the tiny Nobu creatures, they were little Karna's. They ranged in size from absolutely huge – that was the one that had punched him – down to very small, small enough to fit into two hands. This was one of the small ones.
"Juna," it said and Arjuna blinked as it reached out to him. This one… had no weapon. Most of the little ones had tiny copies of Karna's golden lance and had attempted to swarm him. Cupping the little thing in his hands, Arjuna examined it. It was a 'chibi', like the Nobu's, and white hair flopped adorably over one eye while the other looked at him with solemn concern. "Juna 'kay?" …Was it asking him if he was okay?
"Why aren't you attacking me like the others?" Arjuna murmured, bringing the chibi to his face. It blinked at him with a solemn air. Then it reached out to gently touch his cheek.
"Juna?" The soft questioning tone and the gentle way it patted his cheek suddenly made a surge of emotions rise up in his chest. Arjuna's breath caught in a stifled sob and he cuddled the little thing to his chest. It was… soft… and very warm, nestling up against him easily.
"I'm sorry," Arjuna murmured, knowing he was almost talking to himself. This little piece of his brother couldn't begin to understand. But that was good, he could never have said this to the real Karna. "I'm sorry for what I did to you." Perhaps it was the exhaustion, the pain or just the emotion of the moment. But a few tears slipped down his face, landing in white hair. "I just didn't know," Arjuna murmured, stroking that hair and feeling the tiny head under his palm. Karna was so very warm. "I didn't know who you were, so I never knew you." His hated rival, best friend to his hated cousin, the man whose very existence had seemed like an intolerable insult for his superior skills… Arjuna had never known him, not really. "If I had only known…" If he'd known Karna was his brother it would all have been different. An older brother could be better, SHOULD be better. Arjuna could have been… proud for his brother's skill, not wanting to… erase him…
"Juna!" Arjuna looked down into a concerned little face, a single bright blue eye. "Juna. 'M S'ry." Arjuna blinked as a little hand reached up for him. "'Kay?"
"You're sorry too?" Arjuna murmured, freeing one hand and offering the chibi a finger to hold. It gripped him with surprising strength. "That's… better then…" Ah, he was so tired now, so very tired. He would just close his eyes for a moment. Yes, just a moment.
"Oh, what an absolute disaster!" Ritsuka murmured as her Servants continued to work cleaning up the debris. Karna was standing beside her, looking completely at ease. He'd been unconscious for most of the event, only rousing when a certain amount of his stray – components – were defeated. "Karna, do we have all of them yet?" Karna shook his head.
"No, there is still something missing," he reported, as he had the past three times. Some of the chibis were extremely elusive and they were gradually hunting them down. Fortunately, the elusive ones were also harmless. The last one they'd found had been hiding in the kitchen, doing its' best to eat everything sweet. They'd caught it hanging out of the cookie jar, little legs kicking. Ritsuka sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"So annoying! Well, let's see if we can find Arjuna." Ritsuka wasn't too worried about the Archer. Her connection to him was strong, indicating he was in good health. But no one had seen him since the middle of the battle and that was worrisome. Ritsuka knew Arjuna had taken heavy injuries in that melee. Karna nodded silently, following her with tiny tinks from his armored feet and lance.
Ritsuka used her connection to Arjuna to help find him, but it was an imprecise and laborious process. She also called for him, many times, but he did not respond. Finally, though, she opened a door to an old, disused storeroom.
"Arjuna?" Ritsuka called before stepping inside. "I think he's here?" she murmured and Karna purposefully began to search the storeroom, taking it logically and starting on one side, moving through the racks of boxes. It took him no time at all, though, to find what he wanted. Karna stopped and stared, hearing Ritsuka gasp softly behind him as they both beheld what was in front of them.
Arjuna was sitting in the corner of the room, his head down and his body partially inclined. His eyes were closed and he was sleeping deeply, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. On his chest was a curled up chibi Karna, eyes closed and a little bubble coming out of it's nose. Arjuna had a hand loosely around it.
"Ohmigod they are so adorable," Ritsuka murmured as Karna stepped forward. He reached down and gently scruffed the chibi, lifting it up. Arjuna's hand fell limply away and the chibi yawned before opening its' eyes. It locked gazes with Karna for a moment before vanishing, reclaimed by the greater whole. Karna looked at his empty hand, a small frown gracing his features. Something was ever so slightly different. "Karna, was that the last one?"
"Yes. I am complete," Karna said slowly, feeling the truth of that in his bones. Yet that one had been… different somehow. But he kept that to himself. "…" Karna knelt by Arjuna and gently gripped his shoulder. The Archer did not so much as stir. "He is exhausted. I will carry him to the infirmary," Karna said before very carefully sliding his arms beneath Arjuna. His younger brother did not waken as he was lifted, his dark head settling against Karna's shoulder. Ritsuka lifted her hands, hovering them over him.
"Oh, he's been regenerating but he's still so hurt! Yes, let's get him to the infirmary," she said and Karna nodded. They left the storeroom and Karna felt slightly troubled.
He couldn't remember what had happened to any of his smaller forms yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something important had occurred.