Terazuma stumbled and gasped for air as he finally reached solid ground, feeling cold, shaky and momentarily blinded by the sun that shone brightly in the familiar sky. With a hiss, he straightened and forced his body under his command.
The Black One curled up, still shaken by the jump, and he sent a silent thanks toward his shikigami.
Well done, cat. You did it.
And hopefully the anti-virus was what they needed.
Looking around, he got his bearings, then set of toward Sohryu's palace. He was sure someone had picked up his arrival and would come to see what had happened.
Until then he would make his way to GensouKai's center.
° ° °
Sohryu was livid- and that was a mild word for it. The dragon's eyes were on fire as he looked at the shinigami who had managed to get into his realm despite closing the Gates.
"What are you doing here?" he thundered.
Terazuma met the rage calmly. Just looking at the pale, haggard form told him how close to the edge his lover was. Like death warmed over, he thought, pained. Oh, Sohryu...
Whatever kept him functioning, it was nothing more than willpower. Sheer willpower.
"Watari knows what's happening to Touda and he thinks he can stop it."
"He thinks?"
Terazuma held up the silver disc, encased in a slim case. "Touda contracted a computer virus not unlike the one that Watari's computer had. This is the anti-virus, fit for a shikigami."
"Touda is not a computer!" Sohryu snapped.
"No, he isn't, but you live in a virtual world and Touda works with the main system quite often. Watari got his virus from interacting with GensouKai throughout the construction of the Key. He believes that wherever it came from, it also got through your firewalls and into Touda. He's using the visor to enter the virtual world of the database, right? He was easy prey."
Sohryu glared at him, then snatched the disc from Terazuma's fingers.
"You're welcome," the shinigami muttered.
The expression in his lover's eyes told him that their 'discussion' wasn't over yet.
° ° °
Tenkuu had had no other choice than to let their leader enter, despite his quarantine orders, but the possibility of a cure could not be ignored. Sohryu had strode through the corridors until he had been met by Kochin, who would take care to deliver the hoped-for cure.
There was no time to analyze the anti-virus, though she did her best. Since Rikugo was by now non-stop supplying their dying friend with life energy, the job had fallen to her. She had briefly run it through the main computer. It looked safe enough to use.
"How can we administer this?" she asked.
Rikugo's onyx eyes blinked several times, as if he tried to clear his thoughts.
"It's an algorithm," he whispered, voice barely above a whisper. "Touda must have been infected while using the visor, interfacing with the network. We need the visor, hook it up to one of the terminals, then use the same path of entry the virus did."
Tenkuu rumbled softly. "Hold on."
And then everything shifted. Kochin gave a gasp of surprise as the whole room they were in was lowered into the very basement where all the computer machinery resided.
"Thank you, Tenkuu," she called and hurried over to the interface terminal where the visor in question lay.
Kochin had never done this before and she followed Tenkuu's instructions as to how to hook the dying serpent up. She then entered the algorithm into the system.
Kochin kept her fingers crossed and prayed to the Powers that this would help. If not... they were lost. Forever. Touda's death and the resulting death of Tsuzuki Asato would undo what balance and stability had been reached in the past decades.
Holding her breath, she hit the Enter' key. Then her dark eyes fell on Rikugo. The astrologer looked terrible; even worse than Sohryu. He had lost weight and he was fading along with Touda.
"Rikugo," she whispered, touching his blond head. "I injected the anti-virus."
"Yes," he rasped. "I know."
And he wouldn't stop until he felt the anti-dote kick in.
She stroked over his head once more, nodding. The musician glanced at the second watcher. Byakko, exhausted, pale, close to a complete breakdown as well, just shot her a hopeful look. She smiled calmly. The young God hadn't left his partner for a minute.
So many depended on Touda's survival many individuals and in the end a whole realm as well.
° ° °
Sohryu had delivered the anti-virus and then turned on his heels, striding out the Palace to deal with one certain person, a shinigami by the name of Terazuma Hajime. Temper boiling, anger rising with every step, he didn't even try to rein in his emotions. On top of what had happened to Touda, to Tsuzuki and what was going to happen to his home realm, he now had to deal with the presence of Terazuma here.
Here, where everything was coming down around them. Here, where there would soon be only death.
His lover was still back at his palace, watching the bustle of servants in the main room from a hidden corner. When the dragon entered, the servants bowing as he passed, the red eyes met blue-gray ones that could have been made of ice. Whatever his personal servants might have wanted to bring to his attention, no one approached Sohryu as he crossed the room and disappeared inside his private office, his lover following him silently.
As the door closed behind them, Sohryu turned.
"I delivered the anti-virus to Rikugo," he said calmly.
"Great. So... any news?"
"No. It will take a while. That means we have time... Now we talk."
Terazuma leaned back, shrugging. "About what?"
"You coming back, for example?"
Another shrug. "I had a delivery to make."
"There was a reason why I closed down GensouKai!" Sohryu snarled.
"And there's a reason why I came back. It was the only way to get the anti-dote to Touda."
Sohryu growled softly. "We don't know if it will work! You were taking a foolish risk, Hajime!"
"No, I was doing all I could to save lives, you stubborn dragon! Would you have wanted us to sit tight and mourn over what might have been?" Terazuma snapped, anger now rising. "Watari had a possible anti-dote and it had to be tried!"
"So if it fails, you just go back and try again? Not damned likely!"
"Maybe not, but maybe I can! Maybe my shikigami hasn't reached the limit yet!"
Reptilian eyes flared. "He has!" was the hiss. "GensouKai is too far from your home to ever reach it. You are effectively trapped."
"So what?" Terazuma demanded.
Sohryu stared at him. "Don't you understand? You will be here forever! Trapped!"
"And don't you understand that maybe it was my choice!"
"To die?"
"Is that all you can think of?" Terazuma yelled, red eyes bright with fury. "Dying? Death? The end? Don't you have a little hope, or faith in Watari? The anti-virus might work! We can save Touda and Tsuzuki! Do you want your friend and also your master to die?"
Sohryu snarled again, advancing on Terazuma like an avenging angel.
"I would never want to harm Tsuzuki!" he whispered harshly. "Never!"
"Then why do you act like you have already given up instead of doing everything in your power to help him live?" Terazuma shot back.
A tremor went through the tall frame and suddenly a fist connected with the wall next to Terazuma.
"I have not given up, shinigami," Sohryu answered roughly, just barely holding on to his temper. "I will never give up on Tsuzuki, or on Touda. He is my master. He means the world to me. Don't accuse me of cowardice concerning him!"
Terazuma got right into his face, voice soft, level, cold. "Then stop accusing me of the same, dragon!"
Sohryu glared at him, then finally moved away, each step measured.
"What now?" Terazuma demanded as the shikigami wordlessly walked to the office door, apparently leaving.
"I can hardly send you back," was the cold reply. "You will stay here."
"Thank you very much." Terazuma put enough acid into his voice to etch through steel with ease. "I'll try to enjoy myself."
Sohryu stiffened, then just resumed his way and slammed the door shut after himself as he left the office. His temper was flaring, his aura was snapping and crackling around him, and the servants scurried out of the way, looking at their master with frightened eyes.
He didn't care one little bit.
tbc...