Disclaimer : Claymores and all its characters belongs to Norihiro Yagi. But the plot in this fanfiction is mine. Enjoy people ;)
"Wa-wait, Clare…"The young boy's body no longer touch the ground due to Clare's strong grip on his neck, he was dangling off of his feet. "Let…let me explain…" cough…cough… He can feel the Claymore's hand choking him tighter, blocking all the remaining oxygen to his lung.
"C-Clare…"his voice's getting weaker each passing second, the last view he remember before he passed out was that Silver eyes of the said guardian.
"Nggh…nggh…" I feel a weak tugging in my left arm. I tossed whatever the tug was to the side. My whole concentration was on the person before me.
'How dare he…how dare he!!? After all that I teach him, everything was useless… he was useless. And all useless being shall be wiped out of this earth.' I gritted my teeth, I can't feel how hard, but I certainly feel the iron-taste liquid trickling out from the corner of my mouth.
Blood… It seems I bit my own lip in silence frustration, yet the taste of it in my mouth were beyond satisfying.
"Nggh...C-..Cl-..Cla-re..Clare..Clare!!!" I heard someone calling out to me. Then another weak push on my waist, my small consciousness recognized that it was Teresa's voice, yet my whole being was still in a berserk mode.
"Cl-Clare…not…his…fault…" Teresa stands between Clare and Raki, grabbing Clare's waist, making an attempt to pushing her from choking Raki to death.
The said Claymore was still stood motionless. Hands still connected to Raki's throat.
"P-please…s-stop…"
Those pleading voice and all the effort were unable to make me loosened my grip, much less budge me even an inch. Until I can feel all that effort ceased to exist at the same time.
Then slowly, I can feel the warm dampness on my back. I didn't want to admit what was the cause of the dampness was, but then came the soft sobbing. The world seems to be re-opened before me as I regained control over my body. The pressure from my back from someone clutching my clothing and head pressing in between my shoulder blade was evident.
Turning slightly, I instantly forget about my intention of choking Raki, and face the crying goddess instead.
"T-Teresa…" all words retreated my mind as my eyes set glance upon the crying Teresa look-alike.
Her smiling face already so dazzling even if it's just a mere façade, yet now with the hot tears trailing mercilessly down her porcelain face and her rosy flushed cheek, she was even more enthralling to me.
"I-its…my…f-fault. Not Raki." She seems to put too much effort in saying it.
"H-he was j-just preventing me f-f-from going a-after you." She continued.
It took quite a time to digest all words flowing from her trembling lips.
"E-excuse me?" I asked, clearly dumbfounded.
"H-he didn't do a-anything to me. A-all of this w-wounds were f-from my own t-thrashing." She fell silent.
"I-in which Raki was t-trying h-his best n-not to let me g-get out from t-this room t-t-to seek you…a-as you have command us to." She hid her face behind her palms.
I grip Raki's collar again, this time in attempt to shaken him to consciousness.
"Raki! Raki wake up you idiot !" I shake him a little bit hard this time.
"Raki wake up or I'll leave you alone in this soon-to-be-sunk ship!" I shouted at him, hoping he would hear my voice in whatever realm he was right now.
He did hear it alright, for he opened his eyes the time I slapped him in the face.
"C-Clare! I'm sorry, I-I was just…" Clare interrupted his ramblings.
"Enough talking, it's solely my mistake. I just…not quite myself today. I'm sorry. I've heard everything from Teresa." The room fell silent once Clare finished her words, as if a light bulb has been turned on inside their heads. All eyes staring intently at Teresa's figure.
"W-w-what..?" stuttered the object of the attention.
"You can speak!!" Raki yelled, finally breaking the ice.
"W-well, I'm trying h-here. I-I never want Clare t-to kill s-someone, you k-know? Much less y-you" She pouted, brows knitted together in a cute way, yet her sincere feeling was palpable in her words.
For a second, Teresa's gaze fell on Clare's silver orbs before she averted her gaze a moment later.
'What was that look supposed to mean ?' the Claymore wondered inwardly.
Her train of thoughts was interrupted by yet another devastating blast on the ship.
"Tch, got no time for this, both of you, jump from the window on three !" Clare commanded fiercely. The three of them running towards the window just in time before a loud crack can be heard from where they stood before.
"Hold your breath now! Ready? Three !" Clare shouted.
"What ?!" Raki protested, assuming Clare would really count from one. He still jumped nonetheless.
Once underwater, the Claymore swims to the surface just in time to see the three Claymores giving a simultaneous final blow to the Youma.
"They're done. They should be leaving right now." She kept her head as low as possible while spying the scene before her.
A few seconds later, once her fellow Claymores no longer in her sight she shouted Raki's name.
"Raki ! Answer me, where are you ?!" she observing the sunken ship and her surrounding.
"Clare ! Clare, I'm here..!!" He shouted back, waving his hand vigorously to the air.
"Get away from the ship ! Or you'll be sucked down with it !" She ordered.
Once Raki has swims next to her, a sudden wave of fear cradled within her.
"Where's Teresa ?" she asked cautiously, half of her didn't want to hear Raki's answer, while another part of her NEEDS to hear Raki's answer.
"S-s-s-she… I-I-I don't know…" he cowered, as if the look plastered on Clare's face can kill him at any second now.
"M-ma-maybe she's between all these floating passengers." He excused.
"Teresa !!" he shouted out his lung. "Teresa if you're out here would you please give us any sign please!!" he screamed out loud.
No response.
Now almost all the floating passengers already swim back to the nearest shore.
"You jumped with her didn't you Raki?!" Clare finally snapped.
"Y-yes, but our grip went loose when we jump from the window." He stated helplessly.
Need to hear no more, the Claymore ready to dive in before Raki stopped him.
"Why do you care so much about her Clare? I've never seen you like this before." He asked absentmindedly.
Stunned by Raki's question, the Claymore just close her eyes and connected their forehead together.
"Wait for me at the shore Raki, do what you can to help the other passengers there."
"What ? Hold on, I'll help you find her. Two is better than one isn't it ?" He insisted.
"Right, but in this case, I know you're pretty exhausted yourself. And its getting dark, I don't want to lose more comrades here. You understand what I'm saying ? Now get to the shore and make yourself useful there."
With that the Claymore dive gracefully and swims to where she last seen Teresa jumped.
The Claymore was so grateful she didn't have to wear her armor right now, for if she does, there's no guarantee she will seen the surface again, much less swimming freely searching for Teresa like this.
The same goes with her lung capacity, thanks to the rough and arduous training she had, she can last longer than any normal human could.
After minutes of frustrating searching, she caught a glimpse of wavy blonde hair near the jetsam and flotsam of the ship.
'Teresa !' She swims faster. After approaching her, it appeared to Clare that Teresa already fainted and that her dress was stuck on some metal object that can't be removed.
'Crap, I need some sharp object to rip down her dress' she pondered while searching the nearest vicinity for any useful item.
'If only my swords were here.' She tried to ripped Teresa's dress with her bare hands with no avail.
'No, I'm going to run out of breath like this.' She starts to frantic. Not because of her safety, but due to the unconscious girl safety before her very eyes.
She would never able to live with herself if she let Teresa die out on her for the second time. No longer cares whether the one before her was the real Teresa or not.
As if the Poseidon himself heard Clare's plea, out of the corner of the ship's sunken debris, she spotted her sword. An article that's so significant to a Claymore's existence.
With one swift motion she cut open Teresa's dress and swims them both to the surface.
"Clare ! You found her !" Raki screamed from the shore. He swam closer to his Guardian just in case she needs more hand to carry both Teresa and her sword.
Surely though, the boy got a massive nose-bleed when he caught a glimpse of Teresa's nude body in Clare's arm.
"I'll disqualify you as my apprentice if you keep looking at her like that." Clare gives him a cold yet burning gaze he's never seen before in his whole life.
Terrified enough, Raki volunteered to carry the Claymore's sword before scurried back to the shore to save a place for them.
"Get any dry clothes for her too Raki." The Claymore finally back to her usual cold tone.
Once in the shore, Clare gave tried several attempt of resuscitation to the unconscious girl.
"Clare… she's... not breathing." Raki whispered.
Though it only comes in whisper, his words were thundering in her head. "No…"
A/N : I'll see how many comment i'll get based on this new addition. Then I'll decided what should I do with this fic next. :)
Reviews are most welcomed, and constructive comment are most appreciated.
- AkaiHime-