Storms of Reality (Version 2.2)
Original Ronin Warriors Fanfiction by KC.
As always, the Characters belong to their creators and not to me… regretfully…
xxxxx
Everything had started on that evening in May, when the five of them had gone to Stella's for some karaoke and heavy boozing. Seiji and Rowen, having already gotten pretty drunk, were center stage, belting out a terrible rendition of 'Hot Limit'. Ryo had slammed down far too many shots already and had been occupying the bathroom for the past twenty minutes. Kento was trying (unsuccessfully) to get a girl's number while completely intoxicated…
Then there was Sai, who sat by himself at the bar, nursing a rum and coke. He hadn't even wanted to go out on this little late night excursion. He'd tried every excuse to get out of it; 'I'm too tired.', 'I have so much to do around the house'; But in the end, it was Rowen and those blasted puppy dog eyes that had finally convinced him. He looked up at the blue-haired boy, who was clad in an open, somewhat translucent light blue button down. Glitter was sticking to every visible inch of his skin, little sparkles of light giving the boy a sort of ethereal look; Ironic, considering he was the former warrior of Strata.
Rowen was utterly enjoying himself, both hands on the microphone, nose-to-nose with Seiji who sang along with him, both eyes closed beneath his mass of blonde hair. Rowen looked intently into the other boy's face, as if any moment he might lean forward and steal a kiss… The thought depressed him, and Sai looked away from the other two, decidedly resting his head in an open palm, propped up on his elbow.
He swirled his half-emptied drink about in its glass. The battle with Talpa was over. He thought the idea of a peaceful existence uninhibited by war or chaos would be pleasant; but instead he felt useless; pathetic even. While everyone else seemed to be enjoying their downtime, he was plagued by nightmares and an overwhelming feeling of foreboding. He looked down at his hands, pale and shaky as they were. He wondered if his dreams were prophetic. The scent of blood that he'd been waking up to had seemed real enough. And the images that filled his head while he slept; images of Blood spray, death, and darkness… It was all so life-like…
" Don't look so down in th' mouth!" Rowen grinned, hugging the Brit fiercely from behind. Sai jumped in response, turning his head slightly towards the other, so that Rowen's bangs brushed up against his nose.
"I'm not. I was just thinking is all…" The Brit shook his head lightly, turning back towards the bar. " I saw your little performance."
" Yea?!" Rowen beamed. " What didya think? Me an' Seiji're thinking' of hittin' the road, goin' on tour…" Rowen grinned that stupid little grin of his, which brought a wisp of a smile to Sai's face.
" I think you're both quite mad." Sai joked, taking a sip of his drink. Rowen faked a scowl, hopping onto the bar top aside of Sai. He poked the other in the nose.
" I think yer jus' jealous of our impending success!"
" You're so full of yourself." Sai shoved the other boy's arm, causing him to teeter on the bar top for a moment.
" Hey now!" Rowen stood, pointing at Sai accusingly. " No need to get violent!" Sai rolled his eyes before patting his pockets for his keys and heading towards the door. " Heeeeeeeey, where ya goin'?" Rowen called after the Brit. " Ya didn't finish yer li'l drinkie!"
" I'm driving, remember? " Sai took a glance over his shoulder. Rowen was pouting by the bar top, wiggling Sai's drink about in his hand. Sai sort of liked the way Rowen acted when he was drunk. Boyishly cute and affectionate… at least towards the Brit, anyway. He was always hugging Sai, sleeping on him… just paying more attention to him in general, and Sai enjoyed it. Especially now; the look Rowen was giving him; the sheer perfection of the other's lithe body; the way little beads of sweat trickled down his bare chest…
Sai shook his head, blaming his sudden burst of arousal on the booze he'd consumed, ( All three sips of it.) as he headed towards the door again.
" Round the other's up and meet me by the car. I'm ready to leave." And with that, he was gone without looking back. Rowen followed after the other with his eyes, setting the half consumed drink down with a puzzled sort of look on his face.
" Sure, no problem…"
xxxxx
The rain was terrible that day. It continuously pelted the windshield of the jeep, pushed back only momentarily by the wipers. Sai sighed, trying his best to maintain eye contact with the road, whilst not becoming distracted by his rowdy passengers.
"And that's how Judy Garland became a smack addict." Seiji stated matter-of-factly from the backseat. Rowen grinned, half amusement, half feigned-awe.
"That's a wonderful story!" The blue-haired boy declared, gleefully intoxicated.
" You two are ridiculous…" Sai rolled his eyes. Seiji had been telling folklores (Or so he called them) to an entranced Rowen the whole ride home. Ryo was already asleep in the front seat, and Kento looked as though he would soon follow suit, nauseously leaning towards his open window despite the rain.
"Next: The tale of how KD Lang became a lesbian…" Seiji said in all seriousness. Rowen erupted into laughter, punching Seiji in the arm.
" KD Lang is not a lesbian! Lesbians just like her is all."
"Oh, on the contrary, my li'l drunken buddy. It all started whe-"
" Would you two shut the fuck up? Damn.." Kento groaned, leaning a little closer towards his window. Sai slid to a stop at a red light before turning around to glance at Hardrock's blessed.
"Kento, are you alright?" In response, Kento vomited from the window before resting back comfortably in his seat. Seiji was in hysterics.
"Oh, right! The 'one beer-queer' needs silence to suppress his nausea!"
"Fuck you. I ain't a queer."
" Leave him alone. He's feeling sick because he drank so much." Sai scolded Seiji and Rowen, impatiently waiting for the light to change.
" An' fuck you, too. I could drink more If I wanted to! More than you ever could! You couldn't even drink ONE."
"I told you, I wasn't feeling we-"
"Besides, you're the queer. I saw you jerking off to Rowen the other day when he was washing his car!"
Sai felt his breath get caught in his chest. He was almost afraid to exhale, murmuring a little, "K-kento…" Seiji and Rowen stopped laughing.
" Yea, you liked that bare wet boy chest, didn't you? Fuckin' faggot."
" Kento, shut th' fuck up!!" That was Rowen. The sound was loud, almost deafening in the enclosed space of the jeep. The light had turned green and Sai was unable to move at first. A few honking horns behind him brought his focus back and he stepped on the gas.
" Kento… Why would you say such an awful thing…?"
" He's out cold." Seiji noted. Sai looked back and Kento was, much like Ryo, out cold. He met Rowen's gaze for a moment, who held it for only a second before looking out the window into the dark of night. Sai sighed, turning back around. All the jubilance of the night seemed to vanish without a trace.
"We should be home in a few minutes." Sai said, not really expecting a response of the two remaining conscious passengers. His voice seemed to be the only other sound in the car save for the rain and the sound of his own heart beating wildly.
xxxxx
Why would you say something like that? To SAI of all people?
He was sayin' tha-
He was looking out for your best interest and you had to be an asshole! Just go th' fuck to bed!
Sai could hear Rowen yelling at Kento from his position in the bathroom upstairs. The argument was followed by the sound of heavy footsteps climbing the stairs, (probably Kento's) and the sound of Kento's door opening and then slamming shut. He sighed then, leaning his back against the bathroom door, knees draw up to his chest.
Fuckin' faggot…
It was all true. When Sai had spotted Rowen outside washing his car, It was almost as if he had suddenly become possessed. His lust had become insatiable. Kento had walked in and nearly spotted him… though it had been obvious what he had been doing anyway.
Sai had never been a voyeur; always the polite, reliable one with no hidden flaws or carnal urges… or so it had seemed. He absently wondered if something was wrong with him. His arousal had been more or less like a light switch as of late. He seemed to lose gaps of time with no realization. He had become increasingly irritable and impatient. He thought that maybe the consistent rain, being surrounded by his element, had something to do with these odd behaviors. He didn't much like the idea of insanity.
Sai looked up to the skylight, past the expanse of moon and rain littered evening sky. More pressing then insanity was Rowen.
"He can't even look at me now…" Sai rest his head upon his knees, biting down on his lip in an attempt to disrupt the tears he could feel welling up. He loved Rowen of Strata; had for some time. Of course, none of the others were really aware of the Brit's sexuality. And to have it exposed so casually…
He reached to his razor which rest on the bathroom sink, giving it a glance over. Deft fingertips picked it up, studied it for a moment before he snapped off the casing and removed the blade.
" If I…" He spoke softly to himself while rolling up his sleeve, pressing the blade down into the skin of his wrist, still tacky with rain water. " If I could just…" He dragged the blade across his arm, deep enough to be slightly more than superficial, but not enough to slice vein. It emitted only a dull throb. Sai seemed to be captivated by the flow of crimson as it made it's way down to the crook of his elbow. He pondered his own mortality then, something he'd only recently begun to think about. Could he ever really do it? Could he ever really make that cut deep enough to end the restless days of his current existence?
"Sai? Are you in there?" Rowen knocked on the door, and Sai jumped, having momentarily forgotten where he was.
" I-I'll be right out." He thrust his sleeve back down, thankful that he had chosen to wear black. He threw the blade and casing into the garbage, making sure it was deep enough that no one would take any notice. Then he flushed the toilet to avoid arousing any suspicion before unlocking the bathroom door and coming face to face with Rowen.
" You've been crying.." Rowen said, brushing his fingertip beneath each of Sai's eyes to clear out the moisture that had collected there. " Are you alright?"
The Brit could feel that tension building steadily in his groin. How had it come to this? To this frenzied, almost constant state of arousal? He brushed past Rowen in an attempt to conceal the swelling in his nether region, heading straight for his room. " Sure, I'm fine. I think I just need a little sleep is a-"
"Wait." The blue-haired boy grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back so that Sai rested comfortably against his chest. Of course, he had grabbed his arm in the precise place he had mutilated himself, and he winced in response, feebly trying to pull his arm away from Rowen. Strata's blessed didn't seem to notice this and continued on, lightly rubbing the other's back. " I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you, okay? Forget about what Kento said, th' jerk."
Sai could feel his breathing quickening; the pounding sensation within his head growing fiercer. His vision grew blurry and he was disoriented without really knowing why. In a way, he felt like he was fighting to maintain control of himself. He wanted so badly to tell the other that he feared something could be wrong with him, but his need for release was far more pressing. To avoid the situation in its entirety, he pulled away from Rowen, heading towards his room again.
" I'll keep that in mind. Good night, Rowen."
It was just like it was at the bar. Rowen followed the other into his room with his eyes in silent contemplation. On the other side of the door, Sai wrapped his arms about himself, waiting for his heavy breathing to subside.
"M-Maybe I just need sleep is all.."
He hoped that was the case. He PRAYED that was the case. It seemed as though each day he'd have less control over himself, and that thought scared him. Regaining his composure, he stripped his shirt off and crawled beneath his covers, staring up at the ceiling, soothed by the sound of the rain hitting the roof top.
" I'm just overreacting. Things will be alright in the morning."
And with that hopeful little mantra, he closed his eyes and let consciousness give way to oblivion.
xxxxx
" Sai of Torrent.."
He awoke in darkness.
" H-Hello?" The Brit reached his hands out blindly and grabbed nothing. He felt weightless, as though he were floating in midair. This was pure darkness, so intense that he couldn't see his hands in front of his face.
" The storm grows violent before the sky clears and the storm dies. This is your destiny."
" Excuse me..? Who are you?" He continued to reach out blindly, but there was only darkness; nothing tangible.
" An incredible rage builds inside of you, becoming stronger as the days pass. Soon the time will come for you to awaken."
" Rage…? Awakening? You speak nonsense."
"The Apocalypse is at hand and you will be the one to set it in motion with bloodstained hands."
" And this is the 'destiny' you've conjured up for me? Well you're wrong! I'd never…!" Sai paused. Something wasn't quite right. His hands suddenly seemed as though they were wet and he shook them in an attempt to dry them, sending little droplets of moisture flying from his fingertips. Even so, that wet feeling remained. He shook his hands again, little droplets catching on his face, his hair, his lips… and that's when he caught the scent of blood.
"Wake up…" The voice beckoned, strong at first, then softer, over and over again. Sai covered his ears and hunched over. He was barely able to hear the voice over the sound of his own screaming.
"Wake…-"
xxxxx
" -up! Come on, Sai, Wake up!!" And just like that, Sai's screaming subsided and the darkness dispersed. He was disoriented for a minute or two before he was able to recognize the sights of his own room. He could feel arms tight about him, warm skin against his own. He could sense Rowen all around him, but more noticeable than that was the scent of blood that still clung to his senses.
"Rowen…" His arms instinctively tightened about the other boy as he sobbed pathetically.
"Shh, It's alright. You're okay now.." Sai, comforted, pulled away from Rowen enough so that he was able to catch a glimpse of the boy's face. Thick streaks of blood were smeared across his cheeks, his chest, his arms, little speckles of it caught in his hair; the deep red color made his face very prominent; a face that was still white with worry.
" Oh my God…! Rowen! What happened to you?! What did I…" He reached a shaky hand to the boy's face.
"No, I'm alright." Rowen placed his hand atop of the Brit's. " You didn't do anything to hurt me. This blood is…"
It was then that Sai noticed the sharp little pains all over his body… It was his own blood. And not only were he and Rowen covered in it, the entire room looked much like the set of a murder mystery. Blood had gotten on the lampshade and sent splotches of darkness about the walls. The bed sheets, once yellow, were now a sickly Red-brown.
"You wouldn't stop screaming." Rowen pulled the Brit against him in a fierce hug. "I kept shaking you, calling to you, and you just kept screaming…"
"Yea, you scared the hell out of both us." Sai finally noticed Seiji standing in the doorway. His hair was disheveled, as though he had just been roused from a deep sleep. " You're lucky Kento and Ryo drank so much, or you'd have all of us here freaking out…"
"What were you dreaming about?" Rowen asked Sai, lightly running his fingertips along his back.
"I… I can't really recall." He clenched his eyes shut, trying his hardest to remember. " All I can remember was a deep darkness…"
" Well, whatever it was, it must've been awful to have you looking like THAT. Are you gonna be alright?" That was Seiji again, yawning and scratching at the back of his head.
" Yes… Yes, I'm fine now."
" I'll sleep with you tonight, just to be on the safe side." That was Rowen. " Why don't you go take a shower. I'll clean this mess up."
"Alright." Sai replied, feebly standing from the bed with Rowen's careful assistance.
"So, am I free to go?" Seiji yawned again.
"Go ahead. PLEASE get your beauty sleep."
"Ah, funny. " Seiji replied to Rowen's little joke listlessly. "Oh, and Sai?
"Yes?"
"Take care of those wounds. You look like hell."
xxxxx
Rowen had treated Sai's wounds before heading off to shower himself. The running count was 47 slashes, but that also included the one that Sai had made earlier, so he supposed the count was more like 46.
But how had it happened, he wondered. Had he mutilated himself in his sleep? No… That didn't seem right.. But he couldn't find another logical explanation. Sai finished towel drying his hair, sighing softly as he gazed out the window. Lightning cracked and the rain pounded harder against the roof.
"It hasn't let up in three days." Rowen said as he walked in, clad only in pajama bottoms. Looney tunes; a tribute to Rowen's almost obsessive love of cartoons. Sai noticed little beads of water trickling down the side of the other's neck, down his chest, and felt himself shudder, his body responding to the image. This feeling was only intensified when the blue-haired boy plopped down on his bed.
"Well, come over here." Rowen called over to the Brit who, hesitating only a moment, complied, hopping into bed aside of him. Rowen flicked the lamp off and covered the two of them with the fresh new blankets he'd found in Sai's closet. They lay there in silence, side by side for a moment, and Sai was content just to hear the other's breathing.
" Rowen?"
"Hm?" was Rowen's muffled response.
"I'm really sorry if I worried you tonight…!" Suddenly he could feel Rowen's arms slip around his waist. He could feel the other's bare chest upon his back.
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're alright." Silence again.
"You must still be drunk." Sai said flatly.
"What do you mean by that?"
" I mean… Doesn't this make you uncomfortable?"
Rowen laughed deep in his chest then, and Sai fought back against the urge to giggle at the vibrations. " No. You're warm; it's kinda nice."
"Oh… I was just…. I mean, with what Kento had said earlier…"
"I don't care about any of that." Rowen replied, running his fingers along Sai's back. " Besides, I'm glad you think so highly of me."
Sai blushed. " H-hey, I didn't say that I was really mastu-"
"Because I think pretty highly of you, too." Rowen cut him off, placing a kiss on the back of the Brit's head. Sai's blush grew deeper.
"Now I know you're still drunk…"
"Just shut up and go to sleep." Rowen nuzzled against the older boy, breathing evening out after only a few minutes. Sai had thought that sleep wouldn't come to him; that worry over his unidentified wounds and his blasted uncontrollable lust would keep him awake. But the thought that Rowen was beside him comforted him. He closed his eyes, and soon his breathing evened out as well, and the two slept together, uninhibited by nightmares or illusions of darkness.
xxxxx
The Brit awoke the next day, startled and disoriented, with the sound of the rain pounding against the roof and on the windows. His breathing was heavy, his whole body was shaking and he wasn't exactly sure why. The alarm clock on the nightstand read 10:17 a.m.
"Morning already…" He mused, absently noting how dim and grey the sky was. He looked aside of him to Rowen, who slept peacefully, one arm draped over the side of the bed, the other resting on his exposed chest. His head was tilted slightly towards Sai, lips parted, chest rising and falling with even breaths.
"He stayed with me all night…" Sai noted, not sure whether to feel happy or guilty. He dismissed the act as Rowen fulfilling a duty to a comrade rather than staying of his own volition, but then again…
Because I'm pretty fond of you, too…
Sai stared at the other for a minute, pushing a few blue bangs away from his eyes, which were still closed softly in his deep sleep. Maybe. Just maybe…
A heavy bout of arousal hit Sai then, worse than any he'd encountered in the past few days, and he rolled out of bed quickly, tripping over the blanket and falling onto his knees. He whimpered a little, having completely forgotten about his unexplained injuries. Even so, the tightening in his groin still exceeded any amount of pain he felt, and he wanted to curse out loud in an attempt to will it away. It wasn't natural, this frenzied, violent need for immediate release. It was as if something dark was trying to escape from deep within him, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.
He heard a yawn from behind him, followed by, "Clumsy. Tripping over your own two feet.." Rowen rubbed at his midnight blue eyes, trying to rouse himself from sleep.
" I'm sorry.. I woke you up." Sai apologized, rising to his feet and heading out of the room.
"Where are you going? It's still early yet." Rowen patted the bed aside of him, draping an arm over his head to allow the other room to slide in. " Come back to bed.."
" N-no, It's alright.." Sai stammered, still facing towards the hallway to hide the shameful rise of his manhood. " I had better start breakfast. You know how Kento gets in the morning."
Rowen laughed at the visualization that followed, nodding his head and rolling onto his side. "You're right. Carry on." He closed his eyes, intending on drowsing a bit longer. Relieved, Sai left the room, slumping down the stairs towards the kitchen.
"I'm such a mess…" He muttered to himself, He had thought that perhaps sleep would alleviate his odd ailment, but instead his symptoms seemed to have worsened, and he hated it. He tried his best not to think about it as the electric buzz of the radio in the kitchen was within earshot.
…chance of storms 90 . Heavy Flooding has already occurred in Kyoto and Nagasaki, as well as Tokyo and the District of Nerima. Drivers are advised to use caution when on the road. It's recommended to limit car travel as much as possible until the storm passes…
As Sai stood in the doorway to the kitchen, he paused, hearing idle conversation above the radio.
"I can't take much more of this weather…" Ryo sneezed, cradling his aching head. He silently vowed never to drink again. " I can't seem to get warm."
" Well you better get over that real quick." Seiji poked the dark-haired boy in the forehead before pouring himself a cup of coffee. " You and me are on grocery duty today, given the circumstances."
"You mean Sai.. Hey, pour me a cup." Seiji obliged, pouring Ryo a cup before setting the coffee pot back on the warmer. " What happened anyway? Did he try to kill himself?"
"Sorry, nothing so dramatic. At least I don't think so." Seiji took a swig of the coffee. Black, of course. " Besides, there was no knife or anything that we could find. It was the damndest thing… Sort of like stigmata."
"That seems highly unlikely." Ryo said flatly, dumping half the sugar dispenser into his coffee. "Creamer, please."
Seiji quirked an eyebrow. " Some coffee with your sugar, perhaps?" The blonde boy handed the creamer dish to Ryo.
"Shut up." Ryo muttered in response, spooning creamer into his coffee with one hand, still cradling his head with the other. " Maybe he just scratched himself or something like that."
"Maybe." Seiji pondered that with his eyes closed, leaning against the countertop with his ankles crossed. " I don't know… the way he was screaming…"
Tiring of being the center of conversation, Sai walked in then, trying his best to seem oblivious as to what the other two were talking about. "Good Morning Seiji, Ryo." He went straight for the coffee pot, pouring himself a mug.
"Morning, Sai." Ryo sat up then, stirring perhaps the world's whitest coffee ever. He looked up from beneath his bangs, quickly stealing a look at Sai. He had bandages on his arms, his face; on his feet even. So much for his whole scratching himself theory…
Seiji placed a hand atop Sai's head, tousling his hair a little. "Morning, buddy. Sleep well?"
"Yes, fine thank you." His reply was short and without the typical enthusiasm that Seiji was accustomed to. He brought his hand back towards his coffee and took a sip, glancing at Sai in quiet contemplation.
Sai was too busy stirring a spoonful of creamer into his coffee to notice the other boy's intense stare upon him. "I came down to make some breakfast. What would you like?"
"Oh! None for us, thanks. Me and Ryo are gonna stop at the Aangan for breakfast, then hit up the grocery store."
"In this weather? Perhaps you should wait for the rain to stop."
"Tried that. And four days later, here we are."
"Alright then. Just be careful." Sai fished a frying pan out from the cabinet underneath the stove and placed it on a burner. As he headed over to the fridge to pull out some eggs and butter, Kento slumped into the kitchen looking almost worse than Sai.
" Damn, my fuckin' head.."
Seiji grinned, pointing accusingly at Kento. "A hangover is God's way of saying you're a total dickhead."
Ryo laughed at that, and immediately wished he hadn't. "Please Seiji, no humor. My head can't take it."
"Tch. Fine." He finished off his coffee, placing the empty mug in the sink. "You ready to go yet?"
"Uh… Yea, sure. Let me throw some shoes on and I'll meet you in the car."
Seiji looked over to Ryo skeptically. The dark-haired boy was clad in an oversized T-shirt advocating 'saving the whales' with plaid polyester Pajama bottoms. "Just shoes?"
Ryo rolled his eyes, chugging the rest of his coffee, lapping up the melted sugar that had collected at the bottom. "Okay, I'll meet you in the car after a complete wardrobe change. Happy now?"
"Ecstatic." The blonde boy replied, glancing back and forth between Kento and Sai. Neither of them seemed to be acknowledging the others presence. He shot Ryo a look, who merely shrugged in response before heading upstairs to change. Seiji remained in the kitchen, tapping his fingertips on the countertop. "So… Crazy weather we've been having."
Sai mumbled some kind of agreement, and Kento rest with his head on the table, apparently experiencing too much of a headache to dignify Seiji's comment with a response. Instead, he said, "Sai, could you make me breakfast?"
"Make it yourself." Sai responded curtly, frying up some eggs without even giving a backwards glance.
"Why? You're already standing there." Kento responded with a bit of venom in his voice. Not smart, considering how Sai still seemed upset from the night before.
" Don't take that tone with me. After what you did?" Sai had stopped moving then, hands resting on the counter top. He was shaking; so badly that even Seiji took notice. The blonde boy assumed that Sai was angrier than he had ever been and that was why he was shaking, when in fact Sai was experiencing that strange feeling again.; that feeling of fighting for control of himself.
"What the hell are you talking about? I haven't done shit to you." Kento replied flatly, with a bit of annoyance.
What happened next was the craziest thing Seiji had ever witnessed in his entire life. Sai, moving at lightening speed, had grabbed the coffee pot from the warmer and smashed it on the table in front of Kento. Coffee and glass fragments went flying everywhere. Kento was burned by the coffee that pooled around his arms and poured into his lap, but wasn't able to do anything about it. Sai was forcing him against the back of the chair with a section of the shattered coffee pot against his throat. His eyes, normally peaceful and ambivalent, flared in anger. He'd gone from docile to killer in mere seconds. "Are you saying you don't remember?! Are you saying you can't even slightly recall nearly ruining my life?! Come on! Say it again, I dare you." He pressed the piece a little harder against Kento's neck.
Hardrock was taken aback. He couldn't risk shaking the other off with that glass shard pressing into his jugular. He was too afraid to say anything for fear of enraging Sai any further. He was at a complete loss. Luckily, Seiji was there to break up the fray.
"Sai! Stop it!!" He reached for the Brit, but it wasn't necessary. Sai threw the piece of glass to the floor the minute Seiji's hand touched his shoulder.
"Forget it." He said coldly, pushing Seiji's arm off of him as he rushed out of the room, past a confused Ryo who had come running downstairs (With only one sock on, I might add) at the sound of the coffeepot smashing.
Ryo took in the view then. Coffee and glass everywhere, a surprised Seiji, a Kento who looked like he had just narrowly avoided death… "What the hell just happened?"
Seiji would've liked to answer, but wasn't entirely sure himself. Instead, he walked over to the stove and turned it off. "Why don't you put on your other sock, grab your shoes, and we'll talk about it in the car."
Ryo nodded and headed back upstairs in a daze. Seiji glanced around at the mess before looking at Kento, who gazed off into space with that same look of fear on his face. "Hey Kento, breakfast is ready." He was referring to the eggs that were still sizzling in the pan. "And when you're done, can you clean up a little? This place is a mess."
xxxxx
"Sai of Torrent…"
Sai once again awoke in darkness.
"Why do you keep calling me?" He asked, his voice wavering. "I told you that I don't wish to have any part in your apocalypse, now stop tormenting me."
"But it's not that simple." The voice said calmly from somewhere in the void. "It's already begun. You have already awakened. The five seals are as good as broken."
"Five seals?" Sai questioned. "What are you talking about? None of this makes any sense!"
" It will soon enough." The voice responded. "When the five seals are broken, I can recreate this world to my liking. And it will all be thanks to your efforts. I really can't thank you enough."
"Don't bother thanking me. I won't help."
"Ah, but you will. It's your destiny."
"How can you say something is preordained like that? Don't we, as human beings, have the power to forge our own destinies?!" He didn't receive an answer. Only a vision. He saw Kento lying on the floor. Blood was pouring from his mouth. He looked as though he was trying to scream, but no sound escaped him. The image played across Sai's mind for a moment or two before disappearing. "Kento…"
"Humans are weak." The voice said after a moment of silence. "Weak and easily manipulated. They have doubts; they have fears; and above all, they are inherently evil. Remember that. You can't fight your destiny." The voice faded, and Sai could feel the darkness begin to lift from around him.
"W-wait!! Are you saying I'm destined to kill Kento?! I won't believe it! I WILL forge my own path! I will…!"
Before the darkness dispersed, Sai could feel himself growing tired. No, that wasn't quite it. It felt as though only a part of him grew tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep…
xxxxx
His eyes opened. "I am awake."
xxxxx
" Don't hit that squirrel!!" Ryo yelled, covering his eyes from where he sat in the passenger's seat. Seiji sighed, easily swerving out of the way of the aforementioned squirrel, which was more like a really blurry squiggle through the rain that collected on the windshield. The windshield wipers were next to useless and Seiji was beginning to think this was a bad idea after all.
"There. I risked certain death so that Ms. Squirrel could go home to her children. Satisfied?"
"Yea. She could've been a single mother, you know."
"…Whatever." Seiji rolled his eyes, focusing intently on the road, which was barely visible through the sheets of rain that pelted the windshield. This weather was terrible. Four days in and it hadn't let up for even a second. He hoped that this market excursion wouldn't take long, for fear of the flood waters rising any further.
"Hey Seiji?"
"Yea?" He responded, only half listening.
"Do you think maybe something's wrong with him?" Ryo asked, looking out the passenger's side window, but not really seeing anything save for colorful blurs.
"You're talking about Sai, I assume."
"Yea." He paused for a second. "He's never raised his voice at any of us before. And from what you told me, it sounded like he was really going to kill Kento."
"It looked that way. But you know Sai. He'd never do anything like that. Kento really upset him yesterday. Maybe that was his way of getting revenge; scaring the crap out of him, you know?"
"Yea, maybe… It just doesn't make much sense to me. And all those wounds he had… Maybe he needs professional help."
"Are you going to be the one to tell him that?" Seiji responded flatly.
"No, I guess not… But what if something is seriously wrong? What if he does something-"
"Listen, Ryo. Maybe there is something wrong with him. But I trust him enough to tell us if he needs our help. Maybe he's just sorting through some tough issues right now and this is his way of dealing with it. Who knows. But I'm sure when he gets his shit together, he'll talk to us. He always does."
"Yea, I guess you're right… Hey, when did you get to be so smart about this kinda thing?"
"I'm more than just a pretty face, you know."
Ryo looked at Seiji skeptically. "Uh-huh. And here I thought you were just another dumb blonde."
"Do you want me to stop this car? 'Cause I'll do it."
"Sorry, I take it back!" Ryo laughed at the way Seiji mocked anger, furrowing his brow in an attempt to look threatening. "So when do you think we'll be back home?"
"Maybe in an hour or two. Just stay on squirrel patrol until then, okay?"
"Yessir!"
xxxxx
Sai stood at the sink in the kitchen, washing dishes without really knowing why or how he had gotten there. Last he remembered he was frying eggs and there was still a bit of grey daylight lighting up the house. Now he worked by candlelight, which was also strange, considering he didn't remember the power going out. Lightening flared and Sai watched it, setting down the glass he had apparently been washing. How many hours had he lost this time?
"Rowen went to the mall after he woke up. You were still sleeping, and he didn't want to wake you. Oh, and Ryo and Seiji are still at the grocery store."
That was Kento. Sai turned around, mumbling a feeble, "Huh?" Hardrock's blessed was at the table, eating a bowl of what appeared to be ramen.
"You asked me if anyone else was around." He slurped up a couple of noodles before turning to face Sai. "Hey, you're not still mad at me are you? You're being pretty quiet."
Sai had a confused look on his face. Had he been talking to Kento this whole time? And why was he filled with dread every time Kento ate another bite of that Ramen… "N-no, not mad… Did you make that ramen yourself?" There was something wrong… But he couldn't quite remember what it was..
Kento looked at Sai with a curious sort of look. "Uh… No, you just made it for me. Are you okay? You don't look so good."
Sai shook his head in an attempt to clear the cloudy feeling that resided there. There was something he was supposed to remember… "I'm fine, don't worry about it." He turned around again and began washing the remaining dishes.
"Listen…" Kento started, after slurping up a few more noodles. "I'm really sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was drunk and I said some things that I really didn't mean. Seiji told me about it this morning before he left. I really don't remember any of it myself." He half-laughed at that. "I guess I don't know my limit when it comes to booze."
"It's alright." Sai said softly, trying his best to remember what he had been doing only a few moments ago. He had this terrible feeling of foreboding without really knowing why.
"No, it's not. I was a jerk. Even if I was drunk, I should've stopped myself from saying what I did…" Kento's voice grew a little softer then. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Of course. Just don't do anything like that again, promise?" Sai said this without really paying much attention. He was too distracted by his own thoughts and with the dishes. He rinsed off a cup and set it on the counter to dry before reaching back into the soapy water… where something stabbed his finger.
"Ow!" He pulled his hand out of the water, a little trail of blood making it's way down his hand, accelerated by the water.
"Promise." Kento smiled, grabbing another mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks. "I couldn't stand you being mad at me. You really scared me this morning."
Sai didn't respond. He took the drain out of the sink, and when all the water was gone, all that was left were fragments of glass. That feeling of foreboding flared up again. Something was definitely wrong. But why couldn't he remember…
Kento slurped up another bite of ramen, mumbling to Sai with his mouth full, " I'd never seen you so pissed. I was surprised you made this for me, considering how mad you we-"
Sai stared at the glass that rest in the bottom of the sink. There was something about it. He could vaguely remember having seen it only a moment ago, but every time he tried to think about it, his mind drew a blank. He shook his head then, grabbing a paper towel to dry off his hands before turning around to Kento. " I guess I couldn't stay mad at y… Kento!!"
While Sai's back had been turned, Kento had stood up, dropping his chopsticks onto the table. His hands were about his neck, and he made a horrible choking noise. He tried to call out Sai's name, but all his throat emitted was a raspy syllable or two that sounded like 'sai'. The sound itself was fluid, and Sai's eyes widened at the sight of the line of blood that dripped down Kento's lips. Sai felt dizzy then, and images, vaguely familiar ones at that, played across his vision.
Blood was pouring from his mouth. He looked as though he was trying to scream, but no sound escaped him…
Kento started walking towards him, blood pouring quicker, running down his chin, his neck, the front of his shirt; all the while he was making that sickening sound; that call for help that sounded more like a call of death. Sai backed up against the kitchen sink. Was it possible? Had he done this during the time he was unable to account for? Kento kept approaching, begging for help soundlessly and Sai was frozen. Even as hardrock fell to the floor; even as his blood began to pool on the linoleum.
" Oh my God…" Sai mouthed as Kento stopped making that raspy plea for help. He wanted to help. He wanted to do anything then… But suddenly he didn't have control of himself. He took one step away, then another, before he ran out of the room.
xxxxx
Rowen was already drenched from just his short walk from the bus stop to the front door. He was clutching an 'Express' bag in his hand, wiping away (uselessly) the water that continued to drip into his eyes. "Of all the days to want to go shopping, I pick the day when I don't have a ride… Perfect." He mumbled, fishing out his keys and opening the front door. When he walked in, the entire living room was lit up with candle light. He flicked at the light switch on the wall. Of course, nothing happened.
"Extra perfect." He said, throwing the bag on the couch. "Sai! Kento! I'm home!" He called out into the darkness, only to receive no answer. "Hey, guys!" Lightening cracked the sky then, filling the room with white light for a moment. There was still no response.
"That's weird." He said softly to himself as he headed up the steps towards Sai's room. The house was completely quiet and he found himself nervous as he made his way through the darkness to Sai's door. He knocked once; twice; before he let himself in. " Hey, Sai…?" He didn't receive a response; the other boy was sleeping, murmuring softly to himself. Rowen grinned, whispering a quick 'sorry', before backing out, shutting the door behind him. It was already into the late afternoon, and Sai was still sleeping…
He shook his head, bounding back down the stairs to the candlelit living room. Sai wasn't one to sleep in late, but he supposed that, given the circumstances from the night before, that Sai could use any rest he could get. Rowen headed into the kitchen then to grab himself something to drink when he paused. The kitchen was just as candlelit as the living room had been, and the flickering light accentuated the body on the floor.
"Kento…?" He said the other's name lightly, yet he didn't move. He walked over and bent down to hardrock, shaking one of his arms in an attempt to rouse him. " H-hey, Kento…" Still no reaction. He remained the way Rowen had found him; face down on the linoleum. "Come on, Kento, this isn't funny." He was shaking the other as hard as he could, yet nothing seemed to rouse him. Finally, Rowen began to worry.
"Oh my God… Kento, wake up!!" He flipped the other onto his back… and cried out in horrified surprise. Kento was covered in blood, the thick streaks of crimson running from his mouth down to his stomach. Rowen put a hand to his mouth, and he wasn't sure whether it was to suppress a scream or the sudden bout of nausea that crept into his stomach.
He sprang into motion then, pressing an ear to the other's chest to listen for a breath, a heartbeat, anything… And it was there; a faint, steady beat. His breathing was shallow, and Rowen could hear an almost fluid sound, as though blood were collecting in the other's throat. He pushed Kento back onto his stomach so Hardrock wouldn't choke before standing in a panic, and rushing to the phone.
" Hospital, please! It's an Emergency!!"
xxxxx
When Ryo and Seijii had finally returned home, an ambulance was flashing in the driveway, and a gurney was being loaded into the back. Ryo immediately thought the worst, turning to Seijii with a look of fear across his face. " Oh my God, It's Sai, isn't it?"
Seiji looked back at the other, eyes mimicking that same expression. The two hopped out of the car and ran to the driveway at about the same time the ambulance doors closed. Ryo banged on them, calling out "Sai! Sai, are you alright?!" He was getting drenched from the rain that was pouring from the sky, but he didn't care.
"That isn't Sai.." Ryo heard Rowen's voice behind him and he turned to look at the warrior of Strata. It looked as though he'd been crying, and the entire front of his shirt was soaked with blood. He seemed shaken, and Ryo in turn felt much the same. He backed away from the ambulance as it pulled out of the driveway, walking over to where Rowen rest, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. Seijii was already there, running a hand through Rowen's disheveled strands.
" If it wasn't Sai, then…"
Rowen was quiet, and those cerulean hues of his looked down to his feet. " Kento… I don't know what happened to him. He was laying on the floor when I got home." Rowen's whole body was shaking, and though he was looking down at his feet, he didn't really see them. He could only see the blood. It was everywhere… Even when he had thought the worst of it was over, Kento had coughed blood up profusely when he was being loaded onto the gurney. The kitchen was a mess now, and he wasn't sure he could muster up the energy to clean it " He was just laying there…" He said again, still shaking. "And there was so much blood…"
"Stop thinking about it.." Seiji said calmly, pushing Rowen's head so that it rest on his shoulder. Fingers still entangled themselves in the other's hair. "It's over now. " He was quiet for a second before, " Is he… Is he dead…?"
"No, Thank God." Rowen sighed, somewhat relieved by Seijii's fingers in his hair. Even so, he was still shaking. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes again, and he turned to Seijii, burying his head in the other's shoulders as he cried once again. " They say… it looked like he just choked on something. But they still don't know anything for sure.." He managed to choke this out between sobs, though it was barely audible, as his face was still pressed into Seijii's shoulder.
"… Where was Sai when this happened…?" Ryo asked, watching the two. He'd never seen Rowen act like this before and he found it unsettling. How was it possible for something to break him down so badly…?
Rowen took a deep breath, then another, before raising his head from Seijii's shoulder, running an arm across his eyes in a useless effort to clear the tears the had collected there. "He was sleeping when I got home. I checked his room…" A pause then. " W-wait a minute, you don't think Sai-"
"No, of course not." Ryo responded curtly, turning around to watch the ambulance as it sped off in the distance. "Although… He was acting so weird this morning…"
Seijii shook his head, " Well, as enlightening as this conversation has been, It's really cold and wet out here. Do you think maybe we could finish this inside?"
Rowen nodded feebly, arms returning to their former position across his chest. " Yea. I warn you, though. Brace yourselves. It's a freakin' mess in there."
xxxxx
"Sai of Torrent."
He awoke in darkness. Only this time, he wasn't filled with apprehension or nervousness; only anger and an overwhelming need for vengeance.
"It was you, wasn't it?!" The Brit screamed into the void. " You killed Kento!! You fucking killed him!!"
"Are you so sure? Wasn't it you who broke the coffee pot this morning? Wasn't it you that was so conveniently washing the dishes when his affliction began?" The voice laughed to himself. " All of the evidence points to you, Just as I foretold."
"I have no recollection of any of that!!" Sai was frustrated. He wished he could see. He wanted so badly to kill that horrible voice…
"Whether you remember or not is irrelevant. However, I am mildly disappointed in you, Torrent. Your destiny hasn't quite been fulfilled. The Seal of Hardrock still remains.You've still got some work ahead of you."
" I will do no such thing! I… I will forge my own destiny…" He was repeating his mantra from his last encounter, only this time, it was shaky. Though he had been conscious of Kento's affliction; although he had been aware Kento was calling for him, he was still unable to do anything to help. As much as he had wanted to, that strange feeling of displacement overwhelmed him. He was starting to think that maybe there was some truth in this idea of destiny; that no matter how hard he fought against it, it was all for naught.
"It's too late for resistance. You have awoken and there's no stopping it. The five seals will fall, and when the last one does, you will finally be free of your destiny. " And just like that, the voice was gone, leaving Sai alone in the void.
"My…. Destiny…" He repeated softly to himself as the darkness melted away, and he was thrust out of oblivion.
xxxxx
Sai awoke in the living room, once again unsure how he had gotten there. Candle light still sent shadows along the walls, and the rain still pounded against the rooftop. He could hear Rowen, talking softly into the telephone aside of him.
" I see. So he'll be fine, then? … Alright. Thank you very much." Rowen placed the phone back onto the receiver and sighed, rubbing at his forehead before he glanced over to the couch. " Oh, Sai.. I didn't know you were awake."
The Brit yawned, stretching his arms over his head. " Yes." He looked to the clock that hung above the front door. 10:02 p.m. He shook his head, wondering where his entire day had gone. He couldn't remember any of it, save for a few minutes from the morning and something else… Something that he was irrationally fearful of. What was it…? " Is everything alright? You seem upset about something." Rowen was staring at him intently, as if trying to figure something out, and he sat up, nervously scratching at the back of his head.
Rowen didn't answer at first; he merely continued to stare at the other as he made his way to the couch and sat aside of him. " I wouldn't say everything is alright, but yea, I'm okay." A pause. " Kento's alive, anyway."
"Kento…?" The brit breathed in sharply. Why did the mention of hardrock's name cause his breath to catch in his chest like that? He could vaguely remember something…
"Yea, Kento. I told you about this an hour ago, when you came downstairs." Rowen was still studying him, tapping his fingertips upon his knees. " They found out what had caused him to bleed so badly… Glass. He'd swallowed it."
Sai's eyes widened and he sat up a little, staring at Rowen as though he were saying something completely outlandish. "N-no, that can't be…!"
Rowen's eyes never left the other; not even for a second. "He's doing fine now. They gave him a transfusion… but they're not really sure if he'll ever be able to talk again.
"It can't be true!" Sai stood then, looking down at the other boy with a pathetic sort of look. " Please, Rowen.. Please say it's not true…"
He didn't say anything to that; merely looked up to Sai, hesitating a moment, before, " There's glass in the sink, Sai. And when we checked that bowl of ramen sitting on the table, there was glass in that, too. I…" He finally broke eye contact with the other, settling for staring at his shoes. " The investigators will be here in an hour…"
"Investigators…?" Sai asked questioningly, as though he didn't know where Rowen was going with this, before, " A-are you saying… that I did this…?" Silence. Rowen kept staring at his shoes. " Rowen..? Are you saying that you think I tried to kill him?!"
He was silent still, for a moment or two, before he was finally able to look up at the Brit. His eyes shone with more misery than Sai had ever seen before, and Sai took a step back, the accusation slicing more than a knife ever could. " It makes sense. You were mad. You weren't acting like yourself…"
"How could you think I'd ever do anything like that?! That's not me, Rowen! I'd never-"
"How am I supposed to believe you?!" He yelled, standing as well, taking a firm grip of the other's shoulders. " Tell me that! Seijii told me what happened this morning!" He was crying in frustration then. " I shouldn't have left the two of you alone. I never should have left-"
Sai didn't know what to say. He couldn't remember anything about this morning, save for trying to make breakfast… And then he drew a blank. He cursed himself inwardly. Maybe if he had been more open about his strange ailment, none of this would've happened. He shook his head then, trying to remember… It was something that Kento had said…
I couldn't stand you being mad at me. You really scared me this morning…
But what had he done…? "You… don't believe me then..?" He took a step closer to the other, shakily putting a hand to his cheek. When the other didn't resist, he pulled him into a fierce hug. " Please, Rowen, I swear I didn't do anything… and I can't stand you thinking that I did…"
"What else would you have me believe, Sai? That he did it himself?" He pulled the other's hand from upon his cheek and held it down to the side. " When I found his body, it wasn't at the table. It was a few feet away, as though he were walking towards something…. It was you, wasn't it?" Sai didn't say anything in defense of himself, so Rowen continued. "He needed help and he went to you, but you didn't do anything, did you?!"
Sai swallowed hard, looking up at the other with furrowed brows and quivering lips. "I…" He started, but couldn't find the words to finish.
"You what?!" Rowen shouted in response, breathing heavy. His vision was grey around the edges and he feared possible hyperventilation if he couldn't calm himself. But Sai wasn't saying anything. Rowen wanted him to. He wanted him to have some explanation that was logical; some excuse that would clearly vindicate him of hurting their comrade; and when Sai continued to say nothing, he started in on him again. "I love you, Sai."
The Brit hadn't expected anything like that and eyes widened in the wake of it. " Y-you…. You love-" He started, but Rowen interrupted him.
" I have for awhile. You were the one person I felt closest to, and I thought that maybe… that maybe one day we'd…" He stopped, looking down at the floor, hands balling into fists. Sai was looking at him; at the way his whole body was shaking. He supposed he should've been somewhat happy to hear that his feelings, all along, had been reciprocated, but Rowen's use of past tense caused him to step away from the other, an outstretched hand in front of him, though he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Rowen went on. " But it's different now… I'm.. It's impossible for me to feel that way now. Not after this…"
"Rowen, I…." He reached that outstretched hand of his to Rowen's face, only to have it smacked away.
"Don't touch me." Was Strata's response and he turned, walking back towards the kitchen where Ryo and Seijii had been, cleaning up the mess and putting groceries away.
Sai stood with his hand still reaching, even as Rowen headed out of the room. This was his breaking point. He'd taken all that he could stand. He brought his arm back down to his side, before speaking softly; so softly in fact that even Rowen, from his distance of a few feet away, could barely hear him. " So that's it then." He was looking down at his feet then, and Rowen turned his head enough to look over his shoulder at the Brit. " I guess… I guess you guys don't need me anymore then." His head rose, tears clouding up his eyes. His voice wavered, and he found it hard to look at Rowen directly. " I've become a burden… someone not to be trusted." A little smile crossed his face, a solitary tear having started making its way down his cheek. He was thinking of all the things that might've been.
I just want you to know, I'm here for you…
…Because I think pretty highly of you, too…
Clumsy, tripping over your own two feet…
And as quickly as those memories entered his mind, they were just as quickly replaced by the reality of things; Rowen would never look at him in high regards again. He was still smiling, even as he offered a feeble. " I love you too, Rowen… I just regret that as much as I tried not to, I still disappointed you in the end." And with that, the Brit turned and rushed to the door.
Rowen immediately took to action, turning around to chase after the other. " Sai, wait…!" But he wasn't quick enough. Sai threw open the door and ran out into the rain just as another crack of lightening lit up the sky.
"Shit." Strata murmured before heading out the door after the other.
xxxxx
The brush was thick, and he could hardly see anything in the rain and fog. The forest was as dark as ever and as much as he tried, he couldn't find the other. " Sai!!" He called out to the other, not really expecting a response. Even if Sai did somehow manage to hear him and answer the call, there was no guarantee that Rowen would hear him above the rain that hit the leaves all around him.
"Please Sai, let me take you back to the house!" He called out again. By now, he was soaked head to toe, and he continuously slipped in the mud; The rain had had four days to loosen up the soil and with each step he sank deeper into the ground than the last.
"What's the point?" Sai finally emerged behind him. He was clinging to a tree, an empty sort of look on his face. " As much as I tried, I couldn't stop it. I couldn't fight my destiny…"
Rowen looked over to the other. His wrist was badly bruised and cut, as though he had repeatedly hit it against something. Blood, thinned by rain water was running down his arm, but his face showed no signs of pain; not even mild discomfort and as Rowen watched the other, he took his good wrist and started banging it against the tree he rest upon; hard.
"S-sai! You're hurting yourself! What's wrong with you?!"
"I couldn't fight it. I'm as weak as I've always been." He was speaking calmly, bashing his wrist in intervals of a few seconds, but steadily, as though he were keeping a beat in his head. " If I live, he will have his way. The seals will fall…"
"What are you talking about?! You're not making any sense!" Rowen was pleading then, cautiously taking little steps towards the other. " Please, let's just go back to the house. We can work this out."
Sai shook his head, abruptly stopping the rhythmic banging of his good wrist. The bark of the tree had roughly sliced through the skin and now blood was dripping down both of his hands from where they rest against his sides. He looked at them then, covered in blood as they were, analyzing them, before saying softly to himself, " I'll set the apocalypse in motion with blood-stained hands…" He was tired then, and he was vaguely aware of that feeling of displacement settling in. He looked up at Rowen, who was still slowly inching his way towards the other. " Rowen, You have to go now. It's… It's the only way you'll be safe…."
"I don't understand you. Sai, whatever's wrong we can fix it. Please, just-"
"I said go!!" He cried out dropping to his knees. He was breathing heavily as he shakily tried to get back onto his feet. But he was so tired…
Rowen took this opportunity to run aside of the other, placing a hand on both of his shoulders. " I'm not going to leave you like this. Come on, stand up. It's time to go." Rowen said calmly, reaching a hand down to help the other up. But Sai didn't move. Instead, he did something completely unexpected. He laughed.
" You should've left while you had the chance. He was trying his best to protect you."
"W-what…?" Rowen looked down at the other, whose head was tilted down so that he only saw the top. " What are you….!"
Sai looked up at him then, with a little half smile on his face. As fast as the lightening that lit up the sky he grabbed one of Rowen's wrists, twisting his arm in such a way that Strata dropped to his knees, coughing out a surprised yelp of pain. " He probably would've, too, had you not come to look for him. " Sai was looking at his wounds, as if seeing them for the first time. " The little brat. Willing to kill himself to save his friends. Courageous, though, I'll give him that."
Rowen's eyes clenched shut in agony. Something was amiss. Sai was talking as if… as if… " You're not Sai…! You're not!!" He managed to break Sai's grasp on him, and he tumbled into the foliage a few feet away before scrambling to his feet, breathing heavy.
"Heh, so you've finally figured it out. Too bad you're going to die." And in a flash, Sai was in motion, sending a flurry of kicks and punches towards Rowen who was caught off guard and only at half defense. He tried to block, but Sai was overpowering him. He seemed faster… stronger…
"Sai, are you in there?! Please, cut it out!!" He was clipped in the jaw and stumbled backwards into the mud, a hand instinctively raising to where the blow had made contact. It stung, but he didn't even have time to take notice. Sai was back on him within seconds and he threw counter attacks; a punch for a punch; a kick for a kick; but his stamina was already dwindling. The mud was slowing him down and he felt as though all of his moves were sluggish…. But not Sai. He'd never seen Torrent move faster, and he supposed the fact that he was surrounded by his element played some part in that, but that wasn't quite it. Despite all the blood he continued to lose, he wasn't wearing down. He was attacking with the same ferocity as when he had started.
"It's useless." The brit said, eyes still vacant, that half-smile still on his face. " You'll never defeat me. The five seals will be broken." As he said this, he swept a leg under Rowen, sending him crashing to the ground heavily. Before he had time to recover, Sai had him pinned, straddling him, holding Rowen's leg's down with his feet and pinning his arms with one hand. Rowen tried to escape but the grip was solid, and as much as he tried he couldn't break it. " It's time to end this." Sai said, free hand producing a dagger. From where, Rowen couldn't be sure. It had all happened in an instant. He'd never seen Sai move so quickly. Cerulean hues were looking up at the other, a wide-eyed look of helplessness on his face.
" I'm sorry Sai…" Rowen's eyes clenched shut once again as Sai raised the blade above him. "I'm sorry…" In truth, he had no idea why he was apologizing; but he just kept repeating the phrase over and over, bracing himself for the pain of the knife when it made contact.
…But it didn't. He cracked open an eye to look up at the other. The rain and mist were clouding his vision, but still he saw it; Sai's eyes had widened, and he was gazing off into space. " Rowen…?"
"Sai…? Sai please stop this." The Brit seemed rational now, and Rowen took the opportunity to call out to him; to plead with him. "Just let me go! We'll go back to the house, and we can talk about it. Obviously there's something wrong here. We can get through it together just, please, let me go…"
Sai looked down at the other then. He was smiling, only… this time it wasn't that evil half grin… It was a smile that broke Rowen's heart, and he wasn't sure if Sai was crying, or if it was just rain water sliding down his cheeks then. " I'm sorry, Rowen. It's too late for that now. I've let it go too far…" He looked up then, towards the sky, relishing in the way the rain felt as it touched his skin. All the while, he could slowly feel himself slipping again; slipping into that void. "I…" He started, still smiling up at the sky. " I am Sai Shin Mouri…" This was a declaration. More to himself than anyone else " And I will forge my own destiny…" He was getting so tired…
"…Sai…?" The Brit was looking down at him, face somewhere in between that smile and that half grin. Rowen could see the point of the knife, which glinted as another bolt of lightening cracked the sky. When the light dispersed, he could see the blade coming down….
…And then the ground was watered with blood.
xxxxx
The next day, the rain stopped and the sun shone for the first time in four days, but he didn't care. The death toll from the storm and the floods that followed was said to be somewhere over 100. Destruction was everywhere; from damaged cars to flooded buildings, but he didn't care about that either. The other was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it.
He supposed that maybe he had been crazy; that maybe with the right help; maybe with the right person there for him, he'd have been alright, but it was too late for that now. No matter what words he had left to offer, it wouldn't bring him back…
The funeral procession had ended an hour ago, and still Rowen stood there, looking down at the tombstone and freshly turned earth with his hands in his pockets and a solemn look on his face. R.I.P Sai Shin Mouri - 'The link that held us together.' It was true. Sai had always been the voice of reason that held the group of five together. He wondered what could have caused Sai to act so irrationally. Was it loneliness? Perhaps maybe Kento's insult had been the last straw? He didn't know, and as much as he posed the question to himself, no new answers revealed themselves.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned his head only slightly, catching a glimpse of blonde strands from behind him. Seijii…
" Ryo's waiting. It's time to go now."
Rowen nodded. " You go ahead. I'll only be a second." Seijii nodded, complying immediately, leaving Rowen alone. He knelt by the tombstone, speaking softly to himself. " It's strange. Whenever I was miserable, I'd always turn to you. You always knew just what to say to make me feel better, and now…" He choked on the words, shaking his head to clear out the feelings of anguish that continued to overtake him. " I love you, Sai. For what it's worth…" He was quiet then. What else did he have to say? He stood then, staring intently at the headstone one last time. The car horn sounded behind him and he knew Ryo and Seijii were eager to go. " Good bye, Sai." And then he turned, heading back to the car as the sun set in the distance.
xxxxx
Author's note: This completes chapter one of a tentative 6 chapters. I hope you like the story so far! Some of the holes will be filled in the next installment, entitled 'Heaven Falls'. Now, a couple notes about chapter one. This story is adapted from a oneshot story I wrote years ago, under the penname Kosaku Mitsuko. Originally, the story was just about Sai descending into madness, and nothing more. Upon retrospect, the story had no real substance, so I added a few more elements, elaborated on a couple Ideas to come up with this grand production I like to call the 'RW Chronicles.' Anyway, The second chapter will take me a little while to finish, so in the mean time, Read and Review; Check out the original if you'd like. All feedback is appreciated. Until next time!
KC