Take me across time to the town of wind, Kuro-rin. Grant the dream of my white flower. It longs for only you… And Kuro-pu? Would you also take me by the hand with your gentle fingers? I want nothing more than for you to guide me there.

"You slowpoke! Don't stop moving! They'll catch up to you! Then what do you plan to do?" Kurogane grunted as he took Fai's hand and helped him up from the ground. The sound of countless footsteps and horses were nearing behind them, and as Kurogane's sharp red eyes glared down the snowy path behind them, he could see the blurry image of a white horse and its rider turning the corner, followed by what seemed to be a whole army of mounted soldiers.

"Come on! They're catching up! Hurry!" Kurogane ordered, his heart racing within his chest as he looked nervously from the approaching stampede to Fai and back again.

The blonde wizard shook his head, his remaining blue eye looking more defeated than ever. "I'm not going to make it." He gasped before wincing painfully as some blood poured out of the wound on his side before falling to his knees. "Go on without me…"

The ninja looked on at him uneasily before he decided to sweep the wizard off of his feet and continue running. Carrying Fai bridal style, Kurogane was beginning to panic. The man in his arms seems to have lost too much blood for his comfort. Gazing down at Fai for a brief moment, he could not help but worry whether or not the wizard was going to survive. Letting out a frustrated grunt, his black brows furrowed and he kept running headstrong. His foot caught on a hidden root, Kurogane tripped, falling forward with Fai still safely tucked in his arms. He heard the sound of shifting steel by his ear, and he defensively tightened his hold on the wizard.

"Hand over the wizard, Stranger! He is of no use to you! Hand him over, or I will be forced to kill both of you!" The man on the white horse threatened, having caught up with them. His sword was drawn and the shiny steel blade pointed accusingly at Kurogane who laid in the snow indignantly.

"I will do no such thing, you bastard!" Kurogane retorted, quickly jumping to his feet and drawing his sword with one hand, still holding Fai in his other arm. "He will not leave me unless I die, and I highly doubt you could bring about my death." The ninja smirked confidently before running at the man on the white horse. However, just as he neared it, a mysterious blue force field appeared and he was prevented from entering it. And as he glowered threateningly at the rider, he found that the enemy's reinforcement had finally caught up to them as well.

With his pulse throbbing painfully in his neck, he glare about, looking from strange face to strange face, trying to decipher his next move or whether he even had a next move. Fai shifted in his arm, and Kurogane looked down for a moment to find that Fai's eye was opened again.

"I'll protect you…" The ninja growled under his breath like an offensive wolf. "You needn't get up."

"Kuro…tan… It's fine. If I let them take my eye, you'll be safe." Fai said weakly. "Just leave me here and go on without me. There's no reason for you to come to harm from all this. This has nothing to do with you." The blonde wizard added with a faint and forced smile.

His red eyes narrowing at Fai's remark, Kurogane frowned. "Shut the hell up, you coward. I am not like you. I took it upon myself to see that I get you out of here safely, and I am doing just that! If I have to fight to the death trying, then be it, but I will not simply let you die here by giving in. I will not run away…Not like you, you damn wizard!" Kurogane growled as he ran into the midst of horses and men with his sword drawn.

Somewhere in his head, he saw his inevitable end. He saw that he would fail and fall to ruins. He saw that the enemies' swords would take turns plunging into his flesh, drawing blood as they violently exited, and he saw what he feared most of all; Fai being taken from his stiff, powerless arms and mutilated before his very eyes. No! He simply cannot let that happen! Kurogane was determined to live, even if just to protect Fai for now. He must live!

With he all his might, he bolted at one of the enemies, slashing him across the throat and avoided hurting his horse completely. Watching as the bloody mess sprayed him and Fai before falling off its horse, Kurogane smirked. No fear. Hold that thought. The rest of the mounted soldiers were turning on him and they were almost surrounded. Smirk morphing into a sneer, Kurogane dropped this idea of fighting his way through and decided to turn around and run for it instead. Staying to fight would prove to be much too troublesome and time consuming. It would also be foolish and dangerous in regards to Fai's current condition. He was losing blood, and he was losing blood much too quickly. Precious time must be used to escape, and Kurogane knew that these fights should be avoided by all means.

Sheathing his sword, the ninja cradled the blonde wizard in both arms as he broke through the weakest part of the army's defense; the area between the white horse and the misshapen brown semi-circle of horses and riders. As the black ninja ran on breathlessly, he did not dare turn back around to see the progress of their once-again pursuers. It was no good… He was obviously very tired, and he could not tell himself otherwise. Kurogane huffed as he stumbled behind a large snow covered tree. Setting Fai down against it, he drew his sword to cut off a strip of the wizard's outer garment. Out of the tore piece of textile, Kurogane cleverly fashioned a haphazard bandage for his companion's wound, hoping that it would stop the bleeding, or at the very least slow it down until they had successfully escaped.

Fai flinched and shifted as the ninja applied the oddly fashioned bandage onto his wound. Kurogane exhaled an icy breath of air. "Don't move... You'll get the blood flowing again."

"Kuro-myuu…" Fai called out, forcing himself to sound playful.

"Shut up. This is serious, you stupid mage…" Kurogane growled as he gazed down on Fai. "If you die, what do I do then? I won't miss you or anything…" The ninja muttered, looking frustrated as he rubbed the back of his head. "It would just bring dishonour to me, seeing as how it is currently my duty to protect you… Don't get any weird ideas!"

The white mage smiled faintly at the black ninja's awkward remarks and childish denial. "Oh, I am sure you won't, Kuro-pi--" Before he was able to finish his sentence, Fai winced and let out a painful yelp. Clutching his stomach, he fell over gasping against the cold newly fallen snow.

Kurogane shook his head as he observed the wizard's transparent attempt at hiding his pain. Letting out an exhausted breath, the ninja sat down next to Fai, closing his eyes for a minute. The sharp winter air was finally getting to him, and it was clear that his body longed for sleep as his head slowly nodded and his mind drifted in and out of shallow slumber. Sleep sounds so pleasant right now, yes…but if he should sleep, then what would become of Fai? He cannot just let his companion come to harm simply because he wanted to catch up on some sleep or regain his breath. He kept arguing with himself, struggling fiercely against Orpheus to stay awake. The struggle was soon over, as the half of him that wished for slumber proved victorious over his more heroic half, and he nodded off, this time not to be wakened so easily.

Weakly glancing over at his sleeping companion, Fai winced before he forcefully pushed himself up from his sitting position in the snow. With his black gloved hands, he grasped desperately at the bark of the tree for support, breathing heavily as he clawed his way from Kurogane who was still fast asleep.

"Please forgive me for running again…"