Blood, blood, blood! It was everywhere; on his face, in his hair, soaking his clothing and seeping into the ground around him.
On any other day, in any other world after Tokyo and before Celes, its smell would have excited him, it would have made his hunger and thirst jump to almost unbearable levels and its taste would have brought him satisfaction like nothing else.
But now, now that it's flow went uncontrolled, now that it was everywhere but where it was supposed to be, now that Kurogane was dying, Fai barely noticed it's scent in the air or the slight tang of it in his mouth. Panic was overriding any other emotion and the world around him had turned into a sickening swirl of colors and sounds and if you asked him later he would tell you, that he didn't even remember when and how Mokona's transportation spell broke.
All he would remember later was the scent, the taste, the color of blood. The blood of his love and how it flowed freely from the stump of an arm, just one of many sacrifices he didn't deserve.
And all he could do, all he had ever been able to do in his life while people he loved suffered, was beg and pray to whoever would listen, that somehow, someone would help before it was to late. And he cried, tears of sorrow, tears of self loathing and of fear. He wished it was all a dream, that nothing of this was really happening and that he would wake up, in another world somewhere, with Kurogane looming over him, an annoyed look on his face and both arms where they belonged, telling him to "get his lazy ass out of bed and make himself useful".
But he knew that this wasn't a dream, that this was reality, and so he cried for Kurogane, for Syaoran and Sakura, for Fai who he couldn't safe, for Ashura who's expectations he couldn't fulfill and for himself, his worthless self that just couldn't do anything right. He didn't care that Kurogane would call him an idiot for thinking such, that his magic ran like acid through his veins or that his lungs burned like they never had before, he just wanted it all to end.
He just wanted to be free of the nightmares that seemed to have taken over his life and to forget everything that happened so far. But that too wasn't possible, another wish that would never be granted and another person close to him that would die…because of him.
"All is well."
He flinched as a small hand carded through his hair and a gentle voice, soft and familiar, spoke next to him. Fai raised his head, his single eye still leaking tears and his lungs still protesting against the magic that burned them, too look at Tomoyo who stood next to him in all her royal glory.
"Kurogane will not die", she assured him and for once in his life, even through all the helplessness he felt in his heart, a spark of hope made itself known.
Maybe this time he wouldn't lose the person he cared most about.
Maybe this time they could be saved.
Maybe this time they could stay together.
And suddenly his magic settled and the hole inside of him wasn't so empty anymore.
I'm not familiar with this sort of writing so please tell me what you think. And tell me if I should make this into a series of insides of all present characters, because I am playing with that idea.