For A Foolish Dream

A Childhood Dist (Saphir) and Jade fic

Very mild slash if any

Jade's hand was so warm. How did he manage that in the snow?

That's what the boy tried to concentrate on, the warm palm that was clamped over his mouth. No, not the damp slush that was soaking through his clothes, not the numbness of his legs from sitting in the cramped position for so long, and not the fear that was screaming in his head. The flight response was a natural instinct that as an intelligent being he must overcome.

But fear was much more powerful then his brain.

Thank Lorelei for Jade. He would protect him…

"Keep quiet, Saphir…" the other boy hissed. Jade held him down in the snow bank, hands tight over his mouth to stop the high shrills of terror. He knew his smaller friend wanted to run, but they could not run from what was waiting for them.

A step was heard beyond their hiding place, an igloo made by some children not but that morning. The noise made silver haired lad whimper, but Jade just put more pressure on his grasp of the other, making it slightly painful.

"Jade…Saphir…" they both jumped at the names, it was the exact same voice as their mentor, yet it held a hollow echo. Saphir noticed his friend flinch and felt the warmth of his own tears of horror on his cold cheeks. They both knew what was calling them was naught but a rare frailer of the brunette boy. Hoping to save his Professor from the brink of death from his own disasters attempt to use the Seventh Fonon, the young prodigy had replicated her through the use ofFomicry. Saphir had been so excited, watching the very thing they had been discussing for so long come to life before his eyes.

But something had gone wrong, this… thing… was a monster. The first thing it set eyes on, an innocent soldier investigating the commotion, she had killed without a moment of hesitation. Now, in her twisted mind, it was their turn.

Everything had happened so fast, he remember calling for Jade's help, the boy telling him to run, and the sickening sound of footprints in bloody snow behind them.

Now all they could do was hide, hide and wait for the monster that was coming for them.

I'm going to die, was all Saphir could think, it was pathetic, he was going to wet his pants and then he was going to die… At least he would die with Jade, Yulia knew he didn't have any other family that would care if he were gone.

"Saphir," Jade's voice demanded attention, he was eager to oblige, "when I count to three, you run, I'll hold her off."

Horrified, the smaller boy worked his mouth free from the other's hand, "But Jade, I can't leave you here! She'll –" he was cut off by another hand keeping him quiet.

"She's my creation and I plan to take responsibility for her…" he gave him a smirk, his newly red eyes flashing with what he thought for a second was real emotion, but quickly turned the idea away. "Besides, one intelligent person should survive to change this world of idiots."

Saphir didn't like the idea, but he wasn't about to disobey his idol… maybe he could get help back in town? A platoon of guards from that peony's house could surly take down one women, right?

"One…" the boy tensed, what if he didn't get away? "Two…" Jade would protect him, he always did. "Three!" With a sharp push to the back, the silver haired boy was thrown out of the igloo and into the open air. The snowy plane was surprisingly quiet for what waited in the center.

Jade had done a good job, the replica was a spitting image of their Professor, down to every last detail. If it had not been for the crooked way she was standing and the crimson stains on her lab coat he would had run to the familiar protection of her embrace that he knew so well. By the blood that dripped from her hands, he knew that wouldn't happen. His feet froze in the snow with fright, he had never faced anything like this in the rich city. She spotted him soon after he saw her. With a groan, that of a bloodthirsty monster, she began after her him, feet flying fast through the snow, especially for someone who was but a few minutes old.

Jade burst out of their hiding place, hands in the air and a fonic glyph at his feet, it all came so natural for him, his crimson eyes not even aware of the danger.

"Run you idiot!" was all he said to his friend.

Saphir's feet awoke and moved like they never did before, he sprinted madly over the stone, tears streaming from his frozen cheeks. This creature however did not fallow the plan, he could almost feel her empty eyes lock onto him with bloodlust, she decided to attack the weak link in the chain. Thunderous steps followed his own, then a flash of light lit the black sky, the snow blocking it from reaching the eyes of anyone who would help, only signaling what was to come for the victim.

Pain, like a white flame of sheer Fonons hit the boy, first licking across his back, slicing his shirt, then like a crushing fist of solid yet molten rock against his body. He tried to call out but the wind was blown out of him. He fell on the stone square with a painful thud. He couldn't feel his limbs, only cold and pain, they seemed to be the same thing now. He couldn't even process what was happening, he wasn't aware of the figure standing next to him. The only thoughts that floated in the fog of his mind were ones his natural scientific curiosity wouldn't let him ignore. Not an hour in this world and this creature could use Fonic arts, powerful ones at that… Jade truly was amazing.

"Energy Blast!" the last incantation of the spell were shouted bravely behind him, then the tearing of fabric and flesh followed by a cry that was not human, not in a million years would he forget the monstrous sound. Then, in the after math another thud. The snow was turning red, Saphir noticed, how odd.

"Saphir!" Jade's voice, he sighed inwardly, that sounded much better then the monstrous cries that were ringing in his ears. Faintly he felt himself being lifted off the cold stone and pressed against something warm. It took him a while to notice it was his cherished friend who was holding him to his chest, his face stung as a low blush crept into his frozen cheeks. He's never been this close to Jade, he'd never even seen the boy hug his sister. He'd never seen him shake either, but he shuddered as he squeezed his own limp body against his.

"J-Jade…?" his voice was still hoarse from lack of breath.

"Don't let them both die…" Jade's own voice was so unlike the usual confident person Saphir had come to know and admire, it was broken and below a whisper, he seemed to be talking more to himself then the boy he was cradling. "Please don't say I've killed them both… Saphir…"

The boy began to panic internally, as his arms and legs felt like led. Had Jade's calculating brain been rocked to the point of madness?

His worries were interrupted by a groan from the other body lying on the stone. He gasped as Jade's already strong grip tightened and they both were tossed back to the grown by a wave of energy. Jade played dead and Saphir took the hint and followed. Still, out of the corner of his eyes he watched to white and red body of replica contort, the back of the bloodied lab coat stretch until it was torn. Four wings of black and white burst from her back, and with one quick motion, shot her half limp form into the air. Flying erratically it wasn't long before the snow put her out of sight.

They laid there motionless for what felt like hours, but there was no way to tell. Saphir tried counting off seconds to distract himself from the body on top of his own. Jade's close proximity was making his stomach tie in knots, ones even worse then the monster had been able to do. When did the air get so warm? How did it manage to snow in this heat?

"I think she's gone…"

"W-what? Who?" Saphir mentally slapped himself for sounding so stupid, the last thing he needed was to give Jade another reason to doubt his intelligence.

But the boy didn't seem to notice. His red eyes seemed far off as they surveyed the scene around them. Slowly, as if a sniper were to strike, he pushed himself on all fours over his smaller friend, looking down on him with but for a moment seemed sincere concern, but it was gone as soon as it came, like a snowflake in one's hand.

"Are you stable Saphir?" he was back to his old self, every word calculated and articulated so as not to waste time with second questions. Yet, his cold demeanor was refreshing in a way, as normalcy often was, so much so that if he had been well, the boy would have thrown his arms around the other and hugged him until he was shoved aside.

"I…" he wheezed, "I can't move very much." What little breath he had hitched back in his throat when Jade entwined his fingers with his own. Shyly he responded by holding his hand tight, for what reason he didn't know.

"Well, you're not completely paralyzed…" he let go of his hand to feel his pulse, nodding, satisfied. "Just in shock from that strike to your spine… You'll be fine after a day of rest." He got to his feet and looked away, not showing much concern for the other, but then bent back down and held out a hand.

Saphir gave him a confused expression and even though he was not facing him, Jade seemed able to read his mind, "I imagined in such a state you can't walk so I have to drag you home. Don't make me do it by that runny nose of yours, now give me your hand."

At another time he would have been frustrated by such a comment but for now he was just astonished Jade was being so kind… in his own way. Straining his heavy limbs he took the offered hand. Saphir was so thin and small it didn't take much effort for him to lift him half onto his shoulder. They took slow steps in the bloody snow toward the faint lights of their home city. It was quiet, any outside snow muted by the falling flakes, and the crimson eyed boy kept his silent serious demeanor as he always did, yet Saphir could still feel a slight shaking in the arm that supported him.

"Jade?" He found his friends state unsettling, he felt the need to distract him from whatever thoughts were ravaging his usual steady mind. "…What are we going to tell people when we get back?"

"I'll think of something Saphir…" he was comfortable lying that he was already formulating one, "Don't worry about it."

He smiled slightly, glad to see the panic had not affected his friend's genius, "Alright… what was that you were saying earlier?"

For a second, Jade almost violently turned away, the younger boy angled his head curiously to try to see what he was trying to hide, but whimpered as it hurt his back. He felt the grip on his half limp body tighten as the sound met the other's ear. "That was nothing, whip it from your mind."

A rare devious smile crossed the smaller boy's lips, "Aww, Jade, you were worried."

"Why should I worry about you, Saphir," he challenged his smile with a smirk, "After all those bullies had they're way with you, you're pretty hard to kill. You're like a cockroach."

"I am not!" he whined, "Jade, you're mean." But he didn't mean it, Jade was the one who protected him from those bullies, but… sometimes he worried. "…If I did die… would you care?" he never really seemed to care about anything, would his little sniveling friend be anymore important then the world around him?

The answer took him by surprise.

"…Yes." Saphir's gaze was brought back up by a hand on his chin, making sure the crimson orbs were locked with the soft lavender. The boy felt a the heat return to his face worse then before, maybe he was chatting another cold, his stomach sure was doing flip. "I need you Saphir… I need that gadget filled brain of yours… For once I can't do this on my own. I think with your machines we can bring her back, the real professor, not that monster…" he looked up at the sky, a gray canvas to his future, he was already calculating what would need to be done. "I need you to help me right my wrongs… Can you do that Saphir? Do you think we can defy death?"

The silver haired boy stared, perhaps Jade would never realize it but that was the greatest thing he could ever say, it would be imprinted on his soul for years to come as an honor no one could ever match. Ironically it left his mouth dry and for a moment he couldn't even respond, though the answer was screaming in his head.

"Y-yes, Jade," he croaked, "I promise, no matter what…" things would return to their rightful state, just him, Jade and the professor. A perfect world…

No matter what the costs.