Scarlet Burning

By SSHoshi404

Disclaimer: I don't own SS Lost Canvas, but I wish I did!

Author note: Reviews would be wonderful and REALLY welcomed. NO FLAMES!

He curled up on the other side of the fire and fell asleep.

Next Morning

"Dé…Dégel!" Kardia's voice cried weakly. Dégel snapped his eyes open and bolted upright.

"Kardia?" He asked, looking around for the familiar dark blue hair.

"Dégel!" Kardia screamed, her voice full of pain. Dégel bolted to where the scream had come from.

"Dégel, it hurts. Really badly." Kardia sobbed, her Nail fully grown and flaming blood red. Dégel grabbed her and drew her into him.

"It's going to be alright. Try not to cry." Dégel whispered, letting her cry into his chest. He calmed her Cosmos and sat with her until she stopped crying, gently stroking her hair.

"I think this is the first time you have cried in front of anyone, Kardia." Dégel whispered, as her body-rocking sobs slowed. He heard Kardia laugh and let her go.

"Yeah and it will be the last. Come on, I want new 'toys' to 'play' with." Kardia spat, her smile still evident on her face. They packed up camp and shot towards Thébes.

"Ha. Looks like the Gods don't favor this town, eh, Queen?" Minotauros Gordon cackled.

"Yeah. And look. Here come some more 'valiant heroes' to save their town." Alraune Queen spat, seeing Kardia and Dégel. The two Saints skidded to a halt and scowled.

"Leave this place alone. Before you regret coming here at all." Dégel ordered, his voice hinting death. The two Spectres laughed.

"And if we don't?" Gordon growled. Dégel smirked and a gold flash raced towards the two Spectres.

"Shula has been aching for some fun, Spectres." Kardia hissed, taking her stance for 'Katakaio Needle'.

"Athena Saint. Oh! And Gold ones at that." Queen hissed, gleefully.

"Master Hades will be proud." Gordon spat. Kardia smirked and tightened her stance.

"We have warned you, Spectres. Let's have some fun." Kardia sneered, launching herself at Queen.

"Bloody Flower Scissors!" Queen cried, as Kardia launched 'Katakaio Needle'. Kardia was thrown back in a wave of deadly sharp petals. Kardia blocked but the petals sliced her arms like they were paper. Kardia cried out and her Cosmos rose again. As Kardia fought with Queen, Dégel was fighting against Gordon.

"Grand Axe Crusher." Gordon yelled, launching what reminded Dégel of El Cid's 'Excalibur'. Dégel dodged again and the blow back hit the two girls. Dégel heard Kardia scream as the pain in her heart got worse and he glared at Gordon.

"Come on, weak ass." Gordon spat, making Dégel glow with fiery Cosmos. Dégel launched his 'Aurora Execution' as Queen's and Kardia's Cosmos exploded. Queen's faded and Gordon dodged Dégel's attack and faced Kardia. Kardia's needle was fully grow and pulsing with Cosmos. Kardia smirked, her vision clouded with fury and pain.

"Come try it, Spectre. Your friend is long dead and 'Scarlet' is looking for a fresh blood victim." Kardia hissed, taking her 'Katakaio Antares' stance. Gordon honed in on her neck and launched 'Grand Axe Crusher'.

Kardia's POV

I watched as everything slowed down until it was barely moving. The only thing that registered was the pain in my heart. I saw that bastard's (Gordon) attack come towards me and everything sped up again. I felt an explosion of pain and then nothing. Not even the ground coming to meet me.

Dégel's POV

'This bastard is going to pay. Wait, what is Kardia doing? Why is she just standing there? Kardia, get out of the fucking way!' I watched as Kardia fell to Gordon's 'Grand Axe Crusher'. Gordon smirked at her then turned back to me. Now That BASTARD Is Going To DIE!

Dégel launched himself towards Gordon, furious. The glade of trees that surrounded them froze, making tall icicles.

"You will pay for what you have done, Spectre. To my friend and to these people." Dégel growled, preparing 'Aurora Execution'. Gordon was frozen solid even before he could prepare 'Grand Axe Crusher'.

"May your soul be trapped forever, Spectres." Dégel spat, spinning and walking over to Kardia. He knelt next to her and placed his hand on her heart. He rejected the urge to study her and cooled her fiery Cosmos.

'Kardia, you aren't going to die. Promise me that. You can't die. Please, I need you.' Dégel told her, kissing her. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her back to their stuff. He cleared away all the ice and took Kardia and their stuff back to the halfway point. He re-set up camp and washed Kardia's wounds. The petal slices were paper cuts compared to Gordon's attack.

'Dégel, what are you doing? Anyone can see she is long dead.' A voice inside his head whispered. The gouge created by Gordon's attack had crushed Kardia's chest, seeing as though the blade was dull. She wasn't breathing and blood trickled from the corners of her mouth. Dégel choked out a single sob then composed himself again.

'You're still there, Kardia. Waiting for Athena. But she's not going to come. She is already alive. As you should be.' Dégel thought, expanding his Cosmos and beginning to heal her wound. Dégel took his time, matching up bone splinters with the shattered mess inside her chest. He jerked back suddenly when her almost none existent flame roared into life and she coughed up blood. Dégel helped her up right and she stared blankly at him.

"Are they gone, Dégel? God, I feel like shit." Kardia said, gripping her tight chest. Dégel sighed in relief and she glared at him.

"You want me to strap the rest of your wounds?" Dégel asked. Kardia sucked in a giant breathe of air, but before she could tell him where to stick himself, she coughed up another load of blood.

"Fine. So long as it stops this stabbing. It's like my lungs have a million holes in them. Now, hurry up." Kardia sighed, sitting in front of Dégel, her back to him, and stripping off her blood stained shirt. Dégel shook his head, pushing down the sudden and annoying urge to kiss Kardia and started wrapping the bandages round her chest. Kardia got fussy and wrapped the area round her breasts but let Dégel do the rest, showing abnormal respect for him.

"Thanks, Dégel. What happened? After Queen faded?" Kardia asked, turning back to face him, her chest completely covered by the bandages.

"You mean you don't remember?" Dégel asked, shocked. Kardia fidgeted then nodded, clearly embarrassed.

"Gordon attacked you, after dodging 'Aurora Execution' and you didn't even try to dodge. What the hell, Kardia? You just let the attack hit you. You didn't even try to move." Dégel explained, his voice full of frustration and sorrow.

"I couldn't see anything, Dégel. It was like I wasn't there. All I felt was pain and I saw dark blood and my body reacted, as if wanting to draw the darkness within me and expel it somehow, through his blood. And I saw your blood, Dégel, and it scared me." Kardia muttered, clasping her hands over her eyes and burying her head into her knees.

"What did you see, Kardia? What did you see?" Dégel demanded, grabbing her shoulders and making her look at him. Kardia started crying.

"Kardia…" Dégel whispered.

"I didn't see anything. I knew you were there but I couldn't see you. There was only the blood in that bastard's veins and nothing else. I was scared that you had been killed, Dégel. I was terrified. I thought that in my blind fury and pain, I had killed everyone but that last God Damn Spectre." Kardia cried, burying her head into Dégel's chest.

"I'm sorry, Dégel. I just felt as if nothing was worth living anymore, if you were gone. I only ever had you, Dégel. You are my only true friend. And if I lost you, I don't know what I would do." Kardia choked, her sobs shuddering through her body.

"You'll never lose me, Kardia. I love you too much." Dégel said, kissing her.