Episode Six: The Birth of Entropy

"The marks humans leave are too often scars."
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

~O~

There seems to be a running gag that the world, wait, no, that isn't technically correct anymore, the universe seems to run. It's one where Miss or Mister Universe likes to inflict as much mental and emotional anguish as possible on people who already have too much shit on their plate and already rock themselves to sleep grasping at the last strings of sanity and mental soundness that are left to them. Just to give them a challenge. Something to work towards, because supposedly someday there's going to be some magnificent payoff that makes all of our troubles and grief worth it. Bullshit. I call utter and complete bullshit. Because not only is that completely wrong and never going to happen, no payoff could ever amount to the pain that these souls go through. I don't care if they end up blissfully happy with a family and a dog, that doesn't equate to seeing those who you care about in the now fall around you. Maybe that's just me. Probably.

~O~

At the time that I left the compound after Sakura when no one was watching, I hadn't considered the fact that my wounds were still not even close to being healed enough for me to do things like say…walking? Satsuki had done her best, but from what I overheard I was run through with a blade more than a few times. They still wouldn't say that he had done it. His name slipped off their tongues like a sour poison.

Syaoran.

The reason Sakura left on this godforsaken journey to help the residents of the tower, the reason that in my brief moments of consciousness I caught Kurogane shooting cursory glances that landed too often on the two still forms in the room, including mine. The reason that every time I slipped out of consciousness, all I could see was a barren Sanctuary with a young boy with too innocent of eyes covered in the blood of his friends. My nightmares had finally gone, only to be replaced with something much worse. Reality.

I hissed as I stretched my stitches, blood slowly sleeping through my clothing. The next few steps had me stumbling into the acid eroded remains around me, the stench of the afternoon rain still pungent in the air. I kept trudging, motivated by the thought that little, sweet, Sakura was out there. Fighting. Maybe dying. I picked up my pace, keeping my hand pressed tightly against my abdomen.

Another reason I couldn't sit and wait in that damned tower was what I had witnessed before she had left. That bumbling idiot telling us not to save him; to let him fade away and not do anything about it. That was the point that I had woken up enough to form intelligible sentences.

"How about you stop trying to take the easy way out for once, thinking that it'll be better for everyone in the long run? Because honestly, everything you think will benefit us by you sacrificing something is usually completely wrong and stupid. So just…stop…talk…-ing…" Was all I was able to hiss at him before I started convulsing and the other "Syaoran" had to help Satsuki hold me down to avoid opening my shoddy stitches. Which was probably detrimental to my point. Anything I said nowadays Fai twisted so he could avoid my point. I just hope for once that he understood why I could never let him die.

~O~

Reality is a funny thing, it really is. When you think you understand the laws of nature, it turns around and laughs in your face because no, you didn't just die like you thought you would. You were just in a freaking role playing game that was so realistic that you remember the pain of dying perfectly.

My life. Just. Stop. Now. Please.

The worst part is when you wake up, you then find out that someone is manipulating the game and that all of your friends may die. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that said manipulator is the one that ended my short, sweet, virtual life? No? I must have forgotten right about the point that I watched Fai get munched up by Oni right after I vanished.

The woman who let me out of the sleeper pod we were housed in while our minds were in the game, Chitose, guided me back to the platform where our group's pods were housed. This place was…strange, for lack of a better word. It was a world so much more advanced than mine, and I was honestly having issues keeping up with everything Chitose was telling me.

But mostly I was blocking out what she was telling me. Not trying to be intentionally rude, but my mind was flying all over the place. I had died. I felt the Oni's claws rip through me. I felt my heart slow to a stop. Then to wake up and to be told that the time I spent in Oto was basically a lie? I was having a tough time adjusting. Especially because of the circumstances of my death. So I stepped in front of a lethal attack to save Fai's life. Okay. I could tick that off to guilt and selfish need. I didn't want him to die for me, so I stepped in front. That was it. Completely.

Another thing was the burning sensation that made me snap. The one that made me completely irrational and do stupid things. I still felt it. I had thought that it only showed up when I was angry or upset, but apparently I just hadn't noticed it settling into the back of my mind, nudging me. Go ahead. Scream at them. Say horrible things you know will hurt them. Get away from these people. Betray them.

It was absolutely terrifying. It seemed Oto had placed a fog over my mind, allowing me to fall under this…thing's influence unknowingly. The worst part was that I found myself agreeing.

I pondered this while standing in front of the pods, my eyes flicking to each member of our party. Becoming attached wasn't a good idea; even with my brother and sister living with me in Shinran I could barely hold a conversation. Maybe because I was a trained mass murderer and my kill count for the day wasn't really something you talked about at dinner time. Apparently. Whenever they tried to relate or sympathize, all I wanted to do was backhand them for even thinking they could try, let alone actually understand.

Yet they still died to get me out safely.

I could feel Sakura and Syaoran starting to do the same, and I couldn't bear the possibility of coming to resent them for being kind. That was their nature. Yes, they were both hurting, but at their core they were the most genuine people who probably have and ever will exist. Because that's the way it works. The good people in the world get the shit dealing.

While I was lost in my thoughts, the intercom buzzed a smooth voice floating through the facility.

Customer ID Number 43570 is now dead. Commence Emergency exit from Oto Country.

I looked up to see wide blue eyes boring into mine through the pod. The latch gave way with a hiss and Fai stumbled out. He watched me for a moment, shock frozen on his face, before adjusting slightly. His face slid back into his customary smile and I sighed in disappointment. There goes any hope for him actually telling me that he, oh I don't know, at least appreciated what I did.

In fact, I would tell him.

"Thanks so much Eri, for getting mauled by a gang of Oni to protect me! Of course only to get killed myself a couple minutes later." I drawled out, eyebrows arched.

His expression darkened, "If you think I'm going to thank you for dying for me, you are severely mistaken."

I shook my head, "No, not thank me. Actually, I was going to yell at you for attempting to take the blow." I turned away from him, facing the large expanse of the room.

"So why would you think I would appreciate you-" He stopped short, and I could feel him standing behind me. His body heat radiated towards me, sending shivers through my body.

"I knew you wouldn't," I murmured, attempting to quash the urge to reach out to him, to feel him closer. "But I couldn't let you do it for me. It wasn't worth it."

"Don't say that," Was his quiet response, hand grasping mine lightly. "Never say that."

"Fai…" I trailed off before turning towards him. I was shocked by his proximity, my nose slightly brushing his chin. I shook my head to clear it of the fog gathering there, "You don't know my past and I don't know yours, so let's just agree to disagree, alright?" His eyes bored into mine, making my squirm uneasily. "Also," I added distractedly, "I won't apologize for what I said the other night. I meant most of it." I stepped back towards the railing, "And while it may have been hypocritical," I watched him slide his oh-so-predictable mask back on, "I still want you to genuinely smile." I stepped back towards him, allowing a small amount of my unhealthy affection for him seep through. Avoiding his eyes, I glanced towards the pods.

I could feel him watching me, though I didn't dare guess his expression. Operation Don't You Dare Get Close To Him Or Be Prepared To Jump Off The Nearest Bridge was now in effect. I smiled up at him as the intercom buzzed again: Customer ID Number 43569 is now dead. Commence Emergency exit from Oto Country.

"Looks like another one of us screwed up!" I chirped, watching Syaoran slowly wake, eyes sliding open.

Fai grasped at my wrist, eyes peering at me underneath his long bangs, "This isn't the end of this conversation, Eri." I felt his fingers tangle with mine again, and I felt a tightening in my chest as I remembered walking in Oto with him, arms linked together. And then the other night in the café, where all I could see was a red haze as we flung poisoned barbs at each other.

I gave him a weak grin, "No, I suppose it isn't. " Like hell. I'm going to avoid that conversation until the day I die.

Fai nodded and we stood in front of Syaoran's capsule, the blonde knocking on the glass. As he woke up and saw us, he flung himself against the glass, large smile on his face.

"Fai-san! Eri-san!"

We both were smiling as he stumbled out.

"Syaoran-kun!" Fai cried, smile back.

"Welcome back to the real world!" I chuckled.

He shot a relieved look at us, "I'm glad you're…" He trailed off.

"Still alive?" Fai provided.

"Technically, we're dead in Oto Country, but because I died first," I said, motioning for him to look around, "I learned a few things. This isn't Oto Country."

Syaoran gave me a look, "Eh?"

"Oto Country doesn't really exist," I tried to explain, "How should I explain it?" I muttered, "I don't know what it's like in your world, but this place is called Edonis. Where we are right now is called Fairy Park, a type of place where people come for amusement."

We arrived at the opening of the chamber, the entire park open to us, "When we arrived here, we put into a certain type of fake reality. Those capsule things are what facilitated it." Syaoran was drinking this place in, "So really, everything that happened there was an illusion, something people do for enjoyment."

"Not exactly," He murmured, "The municipality's control over the Oni, the fact that the Oni only attacked hunters,"

"Is something off?" Fai asked, as if he hadn't already pieced it together.

"Now that I think about it, when Kurogane and I went to the Dwarf Tower, there was an Oni in a room that vanished when I started a fire. It vanished, but the floor was still wet. So Oni could be killed by fire, but Oni hunters couldn't."

Fai joined him, nodding, "Yeah, I guess that is strange."

So basically, we were all idiots and should have seen it from the start.

Great.

"But what I can't figure out is why we can't remember how we got here." Syaoran was saying.

A voice spoke up, coming towards us, "It's a special feature for first time participants, so they can fully enjoy the experience. Therefore we make certain adjustments to each user's data."

I watched as Syaoran grasped his head and Fai merely closed his eyes briefly.

Fai looked up at me, smile at the ready. Of course he had already figured this out—I'm guessing the moment he woke up.

"Do you remember now?" He asked kindly, leaning over Syaoran, "In any case, that world certainly felt real."

I watched as Chitose explained more to Syaoran, and asked about Seishirou's involvement in the corruption of the game.

"The game isn't safe," Chitose was murmuring.

"What do you mean?"

If the game wasn't safe…Oh god. Kurogane and Sakura are still in there.

"The interferer warped the rules of the game. When you are in the game and get injured, it does not get transferred to your corporeal body. But if this continues…" She trailed off as a tremor shot through the park. "It may become a reality!" She finished with wide eyes.

Another tremor went through the complex, and I grabbed onto a rail, "So Oto is colliding with Edonis?!" I moved away as a part of the ceiling dropped nearby, "How is that possible?"

"I don't know!" She cried, "This type of technology doesn't exist in Edonis! It must be the interferer!" She shook her head, turning to us, "If this continues, not just Fairy Park, but all of Edonis will be destroyed by the Oni!"

I turned towards the wall of monitors, searching for the man responsible. A group caught my eye and I gasped, "It's them!" I pointed, "It's Yuzuhira and the others! They have Sakura with them!"

"And there's Kuro-puppy!" Fai cheered.

Then I noticed just where he was and with whom.

He was facing off with Seishirou on top of a ride. I felt my stomach tighten in worry, while I didn't doubt his abilities, this Seishirou…something was off about him.

"Let's go!" Syaoran started running out of the complex, the three of us following immediately.

We ran, dodging random Oni popping through the rift between the two worlds. I could almost cry when we finally reached Ryu-oh and Yuzuhira. I noticed Fai covering Chitose with his coat to shelter her from the falling debris of the ruined park while Ryu-oh grabbed onto Syaoran.

Sakura, I saw, was safe with Kusunagi, asleep in his arms. I nodded to myself and looked up to where Kurogane was with the rest of them. Both men were frighteningly skilled, both out for the other's life.

Out of nowhere, a spade flew through the air and right in between Kurogane and Seishirou. I turned, watching the last breath of magic leave Mokona's mouth. Um, what just happened?

Kurogane gave us a startled look, probably at the fact that we were alive, and turned back as Seishirou's chest began to glow. The feather.

"Why does Seishirou-san have…!" I watched Syaoran become even more distraught and nudged him.

"I think Kuro-rin needs some back-up!" I gave him a small smile before taking off towards the ride, finding a service ladder and jumping onto it. As Seishirou wielded the feather, the air warped around us, more debris flying past. I hissed as a moderately sized piece nicked my shoulder, blood dripping from the wound immediately. Seriously? Can't even go an hour without being hurt.

I watched as Syaoran made it to the top before me. I was pulling myself up as the I-1 demon began to materialize.

"Is that Oruha?" I muttered, recognizing her even from my foggy memories of the night we spent at the Clover bar.

"So everything you told us was a lie then?" Kurogane grumbled, not far from me.

"Not entirely. It wasn't really a lie; there was a handsome man who controlled the Oni. I just never said he was the I-1. "

She told us how she was in the game to collect data and give hunters searching for the I-1 a more challenging experience. Then she turned to Seishirou.

"So what is it Mr. Interferer wants with me?"

"So that was his plan?" I murmured. Kurogane shifted.

"Must be, once you find the I-1 you must get something."

I turned back as Syaoran was begging for the feather that Seishirou held, "That is something very important to the person most important to me!"

I watched as he drew his sword and charged the older man. "Kurogane," I pleaded, "Please tell me he'll get out of this alive."

He was silent for a moment, watching the two, and then finally spoke up, "That kid's too stubborn to die here."

I nodded, "I guess he is." I couldn't help but glance towards another member of our party, "The things you'll do for love." I hummed slightly.

The ninja shot me a look, "I think you know that better than anyone, from what the pork bun tells me."

"Don't go making assumptions that you can't back up. Besides, I don't—can't—have time for that." I gestured to Syaoran who was shouting after a vanishing Seishirou, "I have to look after him! Who knows what trouble he'll get himself into?"

Kurogane sighed, "If you say so."

I grimaced, "Don't make it sound so meaningless."

"Don't be in perpetual denial."

I glared at him as Mokona's mouth opened, and the all-too-familiar tug started, "If I didn't know any better," I muttered, "I'd say you were trying to get us together."

"Che," He scoffed, "I'm just trying to get the two of you to stop being annoying. "

I sighed, "Thanks so much Kuro-rin." Ignoring his stupid smirk on his stupid face, I smiled and waved at the others below. "Maybe we'll see each other again! We won't forget you!" I shouted down to Ryu-oh and Yuzuhira, just as Syaoran finished his goodbye to Ryu.

Another tug, more forceful this time, and we were off.

To a new world.


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