Chapter nine

There was nothing but darkness…thick and cold. But a strange kind of peace resided within its inky depths. She felt nothing, cared about nothing. In this place, nothing was all that seemed to matter. And yet, something seemed to tug at her, to pull her away from the darkness that offered her a shadowy place to rest from all that she had once cared about.

She felt the darkness welcoming her further into its depths, willing her to surrender all by tempting her with a respite from all her troubles, all her fears, all her pain. An overwhelming desire to yield to the shadows filled her and yet…her heart protested that her desire was wrong, that it was an illusion. She tried to ignore it, wanting nothing more than to rest and willfully began to sink further into the dark void. She felt herself become numb when her heart stopped her with a sudden thought.

If you do this…you'll be alone. Is that what you want?

This thought swiftly angered Arashi. I have ALWAYS been alone. So what does it matter if I continue to be!? Her mind shot back.

You're not alone now…. He is with you…He is waiting for you…

This drew Arashi up short. Her mind felt so foggy and clouded, the darkness making it impossible to think clearly. Who is with me? She thought in exhaustion. And then she heard something. Something was calling to her. So softly she nearly missed it, but then she heard it again. Straining to hear, she listened again.

Once again she heard it and it dawned on her that it was a voice…a voice calling out something. What was it saying? Using what little strength she had she tried to discern its meaning when she heard it yet again.

"Arashiii…." The voice called and suddenly Arashi realized that it was her name that was being called. Someone was calling her name. It was a voice that she recognized as well. A voice that caused her heart to skip a beat at the very thought of him. Sorata? She questioned. Suddenly the darkness seemed more ominous and much less tempting. Sorata….Sorata…Sorata… her mind repeated with every heartbeat in her breast, afraid that the darkness may take his name from her mind and swallow her before she could reach him.

Following the sound of his beautiful voice Arashi pulled away from the darkness and fought her way through the fog to find him. In doing so, Arashi felt the numbness wear off and as she drew closer to the sound of his voice she started to become aware of her body once more.

"Arashi!!!" He called again, his voice becoming louder and more distinct and with all her might she forced herself to open her eyes and banish the darkness.

"ARASHI!!!" Sorata cried in relief as he watched her open her beautiful eyes to meet his. "Arashi! Please! Please tell me you're alright!?" he begged as he leaned over her; his lap serving as a cushion for her head.

The moment Arashi had opened her eyes she immediately shut them again as an explosion of pain assaulted all of her senses. There was nothing but blinding, searing pain everywhere! It was impossible to focus on anything else, when all she could feel was her entire body consumed in complete agony. What has happened to me!?! Her mind cried in anguish. And then she remembered….

She and Sorata had been attacked by several dragons of earth. A battle that, for all she could remember, they had been losing. Had they lost? Are we dead? She wondered but then shot that idea down as another wave of unbearable pain washed over her. Death could not possibly hurt this badly. But if we aren't dead then what happened?!

"ARASHI!?!" Sorata cried yet again as he watched her squeeze her eyes shut and moan in pain.

"S..Sorata?" Arashi croaked, surprised at how dry her mouth and throat were and how difficult it was just to speak.

"YES! YES ARASHI! IM HERE!" he quickly assured her with a tender squeeze on her shoulders as she once again fought to open her eyes.

"Wh..wher…" she started to ask but then jerked suddenly as nausea, like nothing she'd ever felt before, forced her to start gagging.

Sorata released her as she desperately struggled to roll from his lap to her hands and knees, her hands grasping the cool grass as though searching for something to keep her steady as her body wretched violently. The pain began to steadily increase with each spasm of her stomach and it was becoming too much to bear.

But Arashi couldn't stop; her body refusing to obey her as she continued to vomit. Not having the strength to hold herself up anymore, however, her arms shook terribly before finally buckling beneath her. Before she hit the ground though, she felt one of Sorata's strong arms wrap around her abdomen and hold her steady against him, bringing his other hand around to pull her hair out of her face as she gagged.

She felt his mouth draw close to her ear as he whispered soft and soothing words of comfort to her as she shook with the effort of being sick. Finally empty of all its contents, her stomach caused her to dry heave and she cried out in pain as her body protested against the painful exertions. Sorata then murmured something in her ear in a language she couldn't discern, and truthfully was in too much distress to really care, when she suddenly felt her muscles relax and her stomach calm. With that done she collapsed in Sorata's arms, gasping for air as he drew her close to his chest and tenderly stroked her back.

"It's ok Nee-chan…It's ok." He whispered so quietly she could barely hear it.

Wanting to speak, she opened her mouth but all she could do was moan as she clutched weakly at his school jacket. The pain she felt throughout her body was nearly unbearable and she felt so weak, she could barely lift her head. Her lungs and chest burned as though on fire and she was finding it difficult to catch a breath.

Sorata, after comforting her for a moment, lifted her in his arms as he stood up from where they sat and distanced themselves a bit from where she'd been sick. It wasn't far though as Arashi's breathing became more labored from being moved and Sorata quickly knelt down and laid her gently upon a new patch of grass.

Where are we!? She wondered once again as she felt the cool ground beneath her body. She tried to turn her head to get a better view of her surroundings but even that required too much effort, so she simply laid there; her body trembling from fatigue and pain.

Standing over her, Sorata swiftly removed his school jacket and kneeling down next to her, very tenderly placed the garment under her head. She sighed quietly as his warm hands grazed her cheeks and she suddenly felt very cold.

"Stay with me Arashi. I PROMISE I'm going to get us out of this, but first I need to take care of your injuries….May I…" he faltered for a moment, not wanting her to feel as though he were taking advantage, but he needed to see the kind of damage that had been done, to know what they were up against. "….may I check you for injuries?" he asked quietly, his eyes searching hers for permission.

Arashi, despite the pain, felt a blush creep up her cheeks but she didn't look away. She had no idea what had been done to her, but she could tell just from the torture she felt that it had to be bad. But if he knew what was wrong then he may, at least in some way, be able to ease the pain…if even a little. And THAT was worth any embarrassment! Locking her gaze with his, she nodded weakly, unable to speak as she continued to pant for more air.

Sorata's lips pursed in a thin line and he felt a tight knot form in his throat at the trust she had in him; it touched him deeply and meant everything to him. In response to her consent he nodded back and reached slowly toward her and delicately lifted the bottom of her blouse to inspect her abdomen for injuries.

Arashi closed her eyes at first as she tried to shift her focus from the pain to the tender touches of his warm hands as they started at her abdomen and carefully felt their way up to the bottom of her rib cage. Nothing felt better or worse until he reached her sternum. It was then that the pressure from his hands, though very slight, caused a fresh wave of searing hot pain to shoot throughout her body and she cried out in agony.

Sorata immediately pulled his hands back as though he'd been burned and gasped in surprise. She had severe bruising near the bottom of her ribcage but he had expected that, considering the blow she had taken. He prayed to every Buddha he could think of that she wasn't bleeding internally. She hadn't vomited blood which was a good sign, but it was her breathing that had him truly terrified.

It was obvious there was damage to her lungs, but how extensive it was… he didn't know, nor did he want to. She was suffering. He could see it in her eyes that she was in excruciating pain and he knew the damage would only be worse the further up he examined her torso. He dreaded exploring any further and felt nauseous at the thought. Oh Nee-chan… his heart cried out in answer to her pain. I've failed you…

"Sor…ata…" Arashi called out so softly that Sorata nearly missed it.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Sorata looked back up at Arashi who was watching him carefully. Trying to muster some sort of a reassuring smile for her, Sorata brought his hand up to ever so slightly caress her cheek, but the best he could do was lift a small corner of his mouth.

"I'm SO SORRY I hurt you Nee-chan. But don't you worry, its over now. I wont touch you again." He soothed but she could hear the slight tremor in his voice. It was bad. I'm not going to make it…she thought wearily and closed her eyes trying to accept this.

"OPEN YOUR EYES ARASHI!!!" Sorata suddenly cried out, fearing she'd slip back into unconsciousness.

Arashi's eyes shot back open at his panicked cry and watched him draw closer to her.

"Whatever happens Arashi, you MUST stay awake! PLEASE! Please hold on…for me. Will you do that Arashi!?!" he begged.

He must be so worried she thought vaguely, he rarely uses my first name. But wanting to reassure him, she nodded and tried to keep her eyes open.

Sorata looked relieved and then carefully grasped one of her hands in his. "You were hurt pretty badly Nee-chan. You have several broken ribs and a very bad gash on your head, and its most likely you have a concussion. And…I think your ribs may have punctured a lung, which is why you're having trouble breathing." He told her slowly, letting that sink in. He feared telling her, but he refused to lie to her and she deserved to know why she was in such pain.

"But don't worry Arashi. You ARE going to be okay. I PROMISE!" He vowed without hesitation.

Arashi looked deeply into his eyes, trying to read him; searching for the truth in its depths. His gaze never wavered or faltered for a second and she knew he spoke the truth. She squeezed his hand in acknowledgement and swallowed painfully. Sorata squeezed back gently and placed her hand on her stomach and stood up once more.

He then grabbed his white shirt and pulled it off, leaving his chest exposed to cool air of the quickly fading sunlight. What is he doing? She wondered and was completely shocked as she watched him suddenly rip the shirt to shreds.

Turning back to her, Sorata knelt yet again and placed the shredded shirt next to her. "I'm going to bind your ribs Nee-chan. If we bind them, then it may ease the pain some and hopefully make it easier for you to breath. But…." He hesitated as she stared at him, not wanting to ask her for this…. "It's going to hurt." He finished, his voice nearly breaking from the emotions he felt. He would rather die than cause her pain and now he was actually asking her for permission to cause her more suffering….and he hated himself for it.

Arashi shut her eyes for a moment, trying desperately to find the strength to allow Sorata to do what he was asking her to do. But she already hurt so badly that she didn't know if she could take anymore. He had asked her to stay with him…to hold on. But she almost welcomed death if it meant that the pain would end…but no. She didn't want to die. Not here…and not like this. Not when she had finally found someone who cared about her. No. For him, she would hold on as long as she could.

Opening her eyes again, she nodded once and that was all Sorata needed. Reaching out, he smoothly and swiftly lifted her back into his arms and carried her to a nearby tree. Upon reaching it, he gently set her down and had her grab the trunk of the tree for support as he went back and grabbed the strips of cloth. Arashi gripped the tree with all her strength, trying to find a sure hold as she prepared herself for what was coming. Taking deep breaths was pure torture but it was all she could do to stay conscious as the edges of her vision blurred in and out of focus. Just don't pass out! she ordered herself as Sorata came up and knelt beside her.

Placing one of the strips of his torn tee-shirt over her black school blouse and just under her bosom, Sorata prepared himself as well. He was grateful that she was faced away from him; he was positive that if he had to watch her face twist in pain that he wouldn't be able to do what NEEDED to be done. He wasn't even sure he could stand hearing her cry out anymore but if this would help her breathe and ease her pain then he HAD to stay strong for her. Inflict pain to ease her pain… he thought but found no humor in the viciously cruel irony.

Taking a deep breath, Sorata braced himself and told Arashi to do the same. Arashi nodded and complied. When he saw her ready, he tied the strip into a knot and then…as quickly and as gently as he could…he tightened it.

Arashi gasped as the new pressure sent her body into chaos. She clamped her mouth shut and grit her teeth as she felt wave after wave of blinding pain shoot like lightening through her veins and wrack her body with pain like she had never known. Sorata worked as quickly as he could, tying the strips down the length of her rib cage, making sure they each applied the same amount of pressure. But his hands shook and his brow was covered in a fine sheen of sweat as he fought the urge to cry out with her. His heart broke as he listened to her fight back the urge to scream over and over until she couldn't hold back any longer and when she finally cried out in agony he could no longer fight the tears that he himself had been holding back, letting them fall silently as he quickened his pace.

Arashi fought against the pain but it was just too much to take and though her mind fought the darkness with all she had, her body could stand it no longer and allowed itself to slip into unconsciousness, slumping lifelessly against the tree.

Tying the last knot, Sorata carefully pulled Arashi's limp form into his arms and quickly checked her for a pulse. It was weak and thready, but it was there and he released a huge breathe of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His hands shook violently at the thought that the pain he had inflicted may have killed her. Shifting around slightly he rested his back against the trunk of the tree and simply held Arashi in his arms. He allowed his eyes to wander over her, his heart aching painfully at what had happened to her, and how he'd been powerless to stop it. Closing his eyes, all he could see were the awful images of what had happened…..

The moment Arashi's body hit the building, Sorata could feel as well as see her kekkai begin to dissolve. He heard Yuto's cry of pain from behind him as Yuto fell to the ground, Arashi's sword vanishing with the loss of its master's consciousness. Sorata didn't bother to turn around as he immediately launched himself off of the rooftop, willing himself to reach Arashi before she hit the ground.

He watched her fall as though in slow motion, his heart beating so wildly in absolute panic that he was surprised it didn't burst. He heard a ringing in his ears and realized that it was him, screaming out her name at the top of his lungs. With an extra burst of speed he flew to her side, catching her a few feet before she hit the ground. Without missing a beat he continued to leap and bound past buildings and skyscrapers, searching for a place they could hide from their pursuers. He knew it would only be a matter of minutes before their enemies regrouped and went after them.

Trying to put some distance between them, Sorata made his way toward a very secluded section of Tokyo, hoping that their attackers wouldn't think to find them there. It was a place free of any electronic devices for several miles, which would get at least one of those bastards out of their hair. Now all he had to worry about were the other two.

From the moment he caught her Sorata hadn't looked at Arashi, refusing to give in to his need to make sure she was ok until he was sure they were somewhere safe. And if he were truly honest with himself, a small part of him feared that if he were to look, he would find her dead.

NO! His mind shouted in outrage. She's not dead! She will live! I am destined to die for her sake. One cannot escape their own destiny and Arashi and I are no exception. No. She's going to be ok!

Hearing Arashi whimper softly brought Sorata back to the present and he felt her body tremble in his arms. This was no time to get caught up in what he couldn't change now. He needed to focus on keeping them alive and getting them out of this mess.

Ever so carefully lying Arashi on the ground, Sorata jogged over to where he had left his school jacket. Bringing it back to their spot beneath the tree, he used the jacket as a blanket to cover her shivering body. She's in shock his mind thought worriedly as he carefully checked her head for a temperature. She didn't seem to be running a fever and sighed in relief.

He turned her head slightly, moving in closer to inspect the dark bloody gash that she had sustained to her skull on impact with the building she had so mercilessly been crushed into. The whole left side of her face was covered in the sticky crimson substance that had bled from her wound and now stained his tired hands.

Tears stung his eyes again as he stared at the blood. A painful reminder that in a war such as the one they were fighting, there were bound to be casualties. He closed his eyes and let out a slow and deliberate breath of air, trying to calm the raging storm he felt churning deep in his soul at the extent of Arashi's injuries and suffering.

Somehow…he was going to find a way to get them out of this…

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As always, my GREATEST THANKS goes out to all of you who are still reading and who are enjoying the story. I REALLY hope you're still liking it! Let me know by giving a review! ;) -Miko