Promises - by SakugariHana
Pairing: Fai and Sakugari (yes, again)
Anime/Manga: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Time: Tokyo (Acid Rain World)
Note: This is a sequel to Battle Scars, my first fic. Enjoy~!
Previous World…
"Are you sure you can make promises like that?" Fai asked. Sakugari stood in front of Fai, both of them dripping with water.
"Yes! Even if I can't, I want to be able to help out my friends!" she said. She took a step forward, but fell to her knees again. Fai crouched down next to her, making sure she stayed conscious.
"Careful Gari-chan. You don't have all your strength back yet." Fai brushed some of her soaked auburn bangs away from her eyes. "I'm not sure I do either…"
"Not my fault you jumped in after me." Sakugari looked at the small but deep pond to her right. "I could've gotten out of there myself." Sakugari bowed her head.
"I'm no clairvoyant, but I can tell you're lying. You got the wind knocked out of you by that guy!" Fai yelled, referring to one of the multiple warriors including Kurogane that challenged the young girl for being the Hana Clan successor. Fai continued.
"You may have been able to, but what if not? We might not always be here to help, and if you're alone sometime you can't rely on help-"
"SHUT UP FAI!"
Fai was taken aback. Sakugari had never raised her voice at anyone, especially Fai. He looked at her still dripping head. Then the mage realized something.
"Gari-chan?" He lifted her head to see her face and gasped. She was crying. If there was one thing Sakugari never did, it was cry. Not even the time Kurogane had punched her on thought she was a clone. Fai suddenly felt guilty, he'd never made anyone cry before, above all a girl.
Sakugari saw his strangled expression and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry Fai-san. It's just- well- I've kind of always been alone. My sister, father, mother, and older brother. All killed at different times by my power-hungry, heartless, abusive stepfather. He also bewitched my younger brother, so now he wants to kill me. It's not your fault, I just-" Sakugari started crying again, and this time Fai gave her an awkward one-armed hug.
"It's alright. I'm sorry I upset you Gari-chan." Fai shut his eyes and just let her be for a few minutes. He couldn't bear to watch her anymore.
"That's why-" Sakugari said when she'd finished crying. "-I vow that I won't let you or anyone else die unless I'm there to die with you Fai-san. And you can guarantee that I never go back on a promise."
. . .
"Where are they?" Kurogane yelled as he and Sakugari ran toward the underground reservoir . Sakura was still in her comatose state in Kurogane's arms as they ran with one of the cloaked members of this group.
It can't be true, can it? Sakugari thought. Fai and Syaoran were hurt? Fai…. Sakugari increased her speed. When the cloaked man detained Kurogane for having his sword, she ran ahead and stopped to look into the underground reservoir.
Her heart nearly stopped. The whole left side of Fai's face was covered in blood coming from his eye, and he was unconscious. Syaoran was eating something and his hands were also covered in blood. Suddenly, Sakugari knew what happened and some unknown fury possessed her. She pulled out her halberd.
"SYAORAN YOU BASTARD!" She jumped over the edge and sliced open Syaoran's arm.
Meanwhile, Kurogane and Mokona finally had the chance to observe the scene.
"Shit!" Kurogane muttered as he jumped down to join them.
Sakugari was fighting with blind fury when Kurogane stopped her and attacked Syaoran himself.
"Kurogane get OUT OF MY WAY. I'm gonna-" Sakugari snarled.
"Calm yourself fool! Your mage isn't dead yet, so get him help and I'll take care of the kid! Pork bun, my sword!" Kurogane yelled. Sakugari didn't think twice, and checked Fai's pulse. Fai… she thought dismally. Sakugari carefully picked Fai up bridal-style and went on her way to someplace safe.
. . .
"At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he died from shock alone." Sakugari gasped, her eyes widening. No… no! Fai can't die!
"Fai-san!" she walked over to his side. She sat on her knees next to him and held his comatose form in her arms. Two cloaked men started forward, but Kurogane stopped them. "Let her be."
"Fai-san…" Sakugari hugged Fai, clinging to him like a lost child. "Forgive me!" Sakura, Mokona and Kurogane watched in shock as tears rolled down her cheeks and on to Fai's forehead.
"Is he gonna die?" Sakura asked, tears rolling down her cheeks as well.
"No." Sakugari's eyes were shadowed, but you could sense the determination and sadness in her voice. She lowered Fai so he was resting on her lap and placed her hand on his chest. The onlookers watched in amazement as her energy, a pale green color, swirled around her hand and into Fai's body.
"If there's one thing I can heal well, it's a shock victim." Sakugari drew her hand away. She could already see he was breathing better.
"Well even if, he lost a lot of blood. So there's still-"
"G…ari-ch…chan…" Sakugari snapped at the mage's words.
"Fai-san?" She looked at him, then saw his eyes were still closed. She forced a smile on her face and ran her fingers along his cheek. One of the men in cloaks stepped forward.
"It's no good girl. We have no doctors, so he's good as dead."
Sakugari gasped. It can't be true. No…
"Then I'll keep my promise." At first, everyone was confused. Then they watched as Sakugari pulled out a kunai and put it to her throat. She took Fai's hand in her own, thinking of how cold it was getting.
"W-what are you doing Gari-chan?" Sakura yelled, more tears welling up in her eyes. Sakugari looked up at her with a forced smile.
"Don't worry Sakura. I made Fai-san a promise a while ago. I told him that I wouldn't let him or anyone else die unless I was there to die with them. I made him that promise, and I intend to keep it."
"So this is what you intend to do? Kill yourself if Fai has to leave this world?" Kurogane yelled.
"Yes! Fai is one of the only things in this world that matters to me! I love him too much to let him go like this!" Sakugari shut her eyes to fend off the tears. "But at least we can be together this way!"
Kurogane was taken aback, her words echoing in his head. Yes, he had seen Sakugari kiss Fai at the hospital and the world after that, and he knew Sakugari had knowledge of Fai's affections for her. But he honestly didn't think she felt back, and that she only kissed him for saving her.
Sakugari closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Then, Fai's free hand slowly came up and grabbed her wrist on her kunai arm. Sakugari's eyes shot open and she looked down at Fai. His right eye opened slowly. He looked up at her and smiled.
"It's okay Gari-chan…" Fai tried his best to sit up, but began to fall off the bed. Sakugari caught him and sat him up.
"Fai-san! Don't move you're not recovered yet-"
Then, in an awkward motion, Fai pulled her into a hug with one arm while the fingers on their other hands were still intertwined.
"…you don't have to keep your promise right now." Fai closed his eye and smiled. Sakugari's eyes lit up and she smiled too, grabbing his shoulder lightly.
"I'm kind of tired…" Fai murmured in her ear and he laid his head on her left shoulder.
"Me too." Sakugari said shutting her eyes and laying on his shoulder as well. "Get some rest, okay Fai-san?"
Then, they both collapsed on the bed; Fai from his endeavor and Sakugari from lack of energy to stay awake.
"Let's leave them be. They both need the sleep at this point. I'll watch over them so you can sleep too princess." Kurogane said, pulling up a chair. Sakura went to her bed as the cloaked men left.
"They make a nice pair, don't they Kurogane?" Mokona said.
"Sure, whatever." Kurogane said looking out a window.
Mokona went and lay down at Sakugari's feet and instantly fell asleep. All was well for now.
. . .
"Gari-chan?" Fai whispered. Kurogane had fallen asleep in his chair a long time ago. Sakugari and Fai were barely awake as it is, but Fai felt this couldn't wait. She opened her eyes slowly, revealing the glittering pink sapphires that colored them.
"Yes Fai-san?" she whispered back. Fai gave her a heartwarming smile and stroked the auburn hair she always wore in a ponytail. He looked at her clothes, which she didn't change no matter which world they were in; her green windbreaker jacket, a light green tank top under that and her green miniskirt as she called it. His gaze traveled to her tattered gold dress shoes and black socks she used to hide spare kunai and such.
"Fai-san? You there?" Sakugari casually waved her hand in front of his eye. Fai snapped back into focus and went on with his question.
"Did you mean everything you said earlier?"
Sakugari giggled. "I wasn't under the impression you heard all that."
Fai's smile became warmer. "Back to my question. Di-"
Fai's sentence was cut off by Sakugari's lips once again. This time they had more privacy, so he closed his eyes and went along with it once more. This time Sakugari deepened their kiss and licked his lower lip. Fai gave a content moan, but Sakugari broke away before anything else could happen. Fai gave her a questionable glance, but she just smiled back.
"Relax Fai-san. You need your rest right now."
Fai smiled and nodded. "Alright."
"However." Sakugari winked at him. "We'll finish that later~!"