ACT X – What I Need to Protect

My pencil falls out my hand and clatters loudly on my desk. It probably really wasn't that loud, but with the silence as the class was studying it probably sounded like a cannon going off. On second thought, after my encounter with what I only can assume as Rider's pirate ship, I don't want to reference cannons for a long time. The point is, something seems wrong, very wrong.

I glance over at Archer, who's gaze instantly turns to meet mine.

"Did ya feel that too?" She asks in a whisper.

I nod. I only barely felt it, but it must have been easy for Archer. Hearing her say it confirms my suspicions on what it was. A large burst of magical energy.

I leap up from my seat and bolt for the classroom door with Archer just behind me.

"Aoyagi, where are you going?" I hear Fujimura-sensei call my name.

I don't have time to answer him. I'm worried about Yayoi. I haven't seen her since lunch and that large burst of magical energy just now didn't help. Something in my chest tightened and told me I needed to hurry, that she was in danger. I put all my strength in my legs once I reached the stairway to the roof of the school. My legs start to burn as I reach the door and Archer stopped me by grabbing my shoulder.

"Ladies first." She says with a wink and grabs one of the pistols on her hip. "There's a Servant on the other side." She whispers and kicks the door open.

In a flash she enters the doorway, pointing a gun in each hand towards the empty space. I stay behind her in silence as she checks the area.

"Yayoi and Saber are here. You had better see this, Jin." Archer says and makes a space. I run in the door and see a figure lying near the center, lifeless and unmoving. My heart stops.

"YAYOI!" I rush across the metallic surface of the ceiling, my brain feels like it has screeched to a halt. Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be dead, PLEASE DON'T BE DEAD!

My brain shut out the rest of the world. My peripheral vision seems to disappear and the time it takes me to run across the roof to Yayoi's lifeless body feels like hours. By the time I reach her and kneel by her side she hasn't moved and inch, I can tell she's not breathing just by looking at her.

Her body was covered in burns and bits of ash. Parts of her clothing was also burnt away. I gently lift her body, it's heavy. It's heavy because she can't lift her muscles, can't open her eyes, can't smile. Ever again. I put my finger under her nose, to be sure. I had to be sure. No. No air was flowing into her lungs. I put my hand on her chest, her heart had stopped.

I dig into my pocket and find my phone to call an ambulance. Maybe there was still a chance to revive her, maybe they could do something. I ignore the tears streaming down my cheeks, the knot in my throat preventing me from speaking and the tear in my heart.

"Why isn't Saber here!? He was supposed to protect her!" I yell at Archer.

"H-He is here darlin'… he was forced by Yayoi into Spirit Form, he took a beatin' from the bad guys. He's only here till the rest of his mana is drained away…" She replies, nearly choking up herself.

In my anger my magic circuits opened and I accidentally fried my phone. It short circuited in a puff of smoke. My body was going haywire with the thought of losing Yayoi forever. However in the dark, my smoking phone held a light. An electric one.

"I can save her!" I gasp in a sudden realization. The muscles in the human body react violently to electric shot, the human body runs on electricity after all. The heart is no exception.

"Ya can?" Archer gasped.

I ignored Archer. I don't know how long Yayoi has been dead for, but I can only hope that it hasn't been too long. Only I can do this, my magic will make it so.

I place Yayoi's body carefully on the ground and untie the ribbon on her blouse. If I wasn't so concerned about her life, I'm sure my face would be beet red.

"Are ya sure now is the time for that, Jin?" Archer says from behind me.

"If she wakes up from this, I'll let Yayoi punch me good." I say as I fumble with the buttons on her blouse. I haven't ever done this before, and I wish that the circumstances were a lot different but I'll have a better chance if I have contact with her skin. I close my eyes, I don't want to look at her like this but my hands slip into her shirt and I feel her still warm skin on my fingertips. I don't mess with her bra at all, that would take way too much time for me to figure out.

I find where her heart would be, flip the switch on my magic circuits and start to pray. I grit my teeth and channel my magical electricity into Yayoi's body.

Her body jumps under my hands and then falls back to the rooftop.

"Come back!" I yell as I shock her body again. It follows the same motion but Yayoi remains lifeless.

"I never even told you how I really felt!"

No effect again. I increase the voltage and pound on Yayoi's chest to jog it further.

"I'm not going to let you leave me!" I shock her once more with everything I've got. Her body twitches in response but it's barely noticeable.

I feel a pair of arms wrap tightly around my chest and squeeze me.

"It's okay, ya tried, Jin." Archer tries to comfort me. I can't see it, but I could tell she was crying too.

"No… I'm sure I got her heart…" I sob, it was like losing more of my family over and over. I stare at Yayoi's body, unable to tear my eyes away. I took in everything I could about her, so I wouldn't forget.

Badump.

"I'm going to find out who did this to you…" I manage to choke out as the tears stream down my cheek.

Badump. Badump.

"Come on, we gotta get outta here." Archer says and tries to help me on my feet.

Badump. Badump. Badump. Badump.

Before we turn to leave, out of the corner of my eye I see Yayoi's fingers twitch.

"Wait! Archer! She's alive!" I throw off Archer's arms and run back to Yayoi's side. I put my ear to her chest. I don't think I've ever smiled so much.

"She has a heartbeat!" I yell at Archer.

"She still needs a doctor." Archer replies as I pick up Yayoi's body, the burn marks were still bad. Unfortunately I can't do much about that. I restarted her heart, now I have to get her to the hospital.

Archer opens the door into the school for me and I rush Yayoi inside. My phone is fried, so I'll have to let the teachers call the proper help, as much as I would rather not. I rushed Yayoi into her classroom, needless to say it got the job done. Several kids freaked out but the teacher called an ambulance.

The school was in a buzz now, a student had been in some kind of mysterious accident. It took around fifteen minutes for the ambulance to arrive. During those minutes, I refused to let anyone take Yayoi from my arms. The paramedics arrived and loaded her into the back of an ambulance. School was called off for the day so I left for the hospital as well. I would have even if they didn't call off classes.

When I got to the hospital I was told that Yayoi was rushed to the emergency room so Archer and I had to wait for a couple hours. They were excruciatingly long, neither Archer nor I talked much.

"Aoyagi-san?" A nurse comes and calls my name. Which is strange because I didn't give it to them.

Archer and I stand up. "Yes? How is she?" I ask frantically.

The nurse smiles. "Sakuraba-san is going to be just fine, I'll take you to her."

I can feel my face light up brighter than summer fireworks. I follow the nurse down the hallway and into a room. It's a typical small room, single bed, white walls and white floors. Yayoi is in a bed with an IV hooked into her, she's awake.

"Jin." She says with a smile.

I wanted to rush over to her side, hug her tight. However there were these little things preventing that called third degree burns. It's very hard to hold my emotions back. "I'm so glad you're okay." I take a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"In all honesty Jin, I don't know how I survived…" Yayoi bit her lip.

"You didn't. You were dead when I found you." I admitted.

"Then how?"

"I managed to restart your heart. I didn't want to lose you. Not after my family, I'm not losing you too." I gently place one of my hands over Yayoi's.

"I don't want to leave you either." She replied.

"You fought a Servant, didn't you?" I ask.

Yayoi nods. "I think it was Lancer. He did use a big spear."

"What about Lancer's Master?"

"Tohsaka Kenichi." Yayoi replied again.

I heave a sigh. "Of all the Magi in the world it had to be him…"

"Saber is still hurt badly, even with me healing him it will take awhile. I can't spare much mana right now. You're better at this than I am, what should I do?" Yayoi asked.

She was innocent, she had no business in a battle like this in the first place. Knowing Tohsaka, it was probably him that challenged her. In any case, with the condition that Yayoi is in there's only one thing I need to do in a situation like this.

"You should focus on your recovery. I am going to protect you until Saber can get back on his feet as well." I say and look over my shoulder at Archer.

"Don't you fret none Yayoi. I'll make sure Jin doesn't go and get himself killed." Archer says with a wink.

Yayoi chuckles but then cut it short abruptly. "Haha- oh ouch, please don't make me laugh."

"I'm glad you're feeling better. Stay here and get some rest. I'm going to find Tohsaka, and I'm going to kick his ass. Tonight." I get up and turn to Archer. "Let's go."

Archer nods and heads for the door, before we leave I turn around to Yayoi. "I'll be back. This won't take long, I promise." Then I turn and leave, closing the door behind me.

"It seems ya can man up when the situation calls for it." Archer says with a devilish grin.

"Tohsaka's made this war personal. I shocked the life back into Yayoi, I'm going to shock it out of Tohsaka." I growl and clench my fists as Archer and I make our way towards the front door of the hospital. School turned out to be a half day, but it seems my own day has just begun.