Scooter: Well, here it is: The Final Chapter! Dun-dun-duuuun! Anyway, if you haven't guessed what will happen yet, I suggest you look at the genres. ((sweatdrops and gets ready to run)) BUT!! Never fear! For there is a little note at the end of the chapter that will save you. :-P Anyway, the final chapter of You Promised!! Enjoy!!
Chapter 6
"Stay here." Itsuki interjected, before walking briskly out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Kyon didn't have time to argue. Not that he could have anyway. He stood, looking around the area, his one good arm wrapped around himself as he stood huddled. He could hear something pounding; thudding. He thought he heard something ont he stairs, and he turned towards where they had come, to see nothing and that's when Kyon realized that the thudding was his own heart.
He barely had any time to dwell on it, when a pain shot through him and he fell to his knees, coughing violently. Blood came from his mouth and his eyes opened wide, his breathing coming in rasps. He felt his eyes beginning to close and he fell sideways, just barely avoiding the small puddle of blood on the floor.
Itsuki ran down into the basement with the furnace, and noticed it was still burning.
He also wondered for a moment why they had a cellar with a door leading down to it on the second floor...but that was beside the reason he came down here.
Running over to the wooden bat with nails driven in it, he picked it up and ran back up the stairs.
Kyon was still out of it, but not very far under. His eyes were just barely open, and a small trail of blood was coming from his mouth. He tried to move, but found that since he was already on the ground, he should just lay there a little while.
Where's Itsuki...? he wondered
Itsuki ran back into the kitchen, wielding the bat.
When he saw Kyon on the ground, he wasn't that surprised, but still very concerned.
"Get a hold of yourself..." He whispered, dropping to his knees next to him and propping him up onto his lap.
Kyon coughed again and opened his eyes slowly. "Eh?" He grunted and tried to push himself up. "Wha' happened?" He asked in a slurred voice, wiping his mouth and grimacing.
"Kyon, we're so close...here, lean on me." Itsuki said, ignoring the blood that was seeping in a thin trail out of his own mouth, propping the other teenager's good arm around his shoulders and standing up.
Kyon leaned heavily on Itsuki, but tried his best to keep his weight to himself. "D-Do you know where the safe is?" he asked in a quiet voice, coughing again, forcing his eyes open. He stumbled slightly, but gained his balance.
Itsuki nodded, clutching the bat in both hands.
The spot was about here...
He thought, searching out the spot in the wood that bulged slightly.
Momentarily releasing Kyon, and gripping the bat like he was about to hit a pitch, Koizumi brought it back before smashing it into the wall, sending rotted pieces of wood everywhere.
Kyon leaned against a small table when Itsuki let go of him, and he covered his eyes as rotten pieces of wood flew at him. He lowered his hand and looked at the hole that Itsuki had made.
"That's where the safe is, isn't it?" He asked quietly, doubling over in another cough.
Itsuki inspected the hole in wall he had made, pulling the bat out and dropping it to the floor.
"I had a feeling...but now I know." He replied, kneeling in front of it.
Kyon pushed himself off of the table and wavered his way over to Itsuki and dropped to his knees, trying to focus his blurring vision on the hole, trying to spot what would look like a safe.
"It would seem logical...if that clown wasn't just kidding us..."
Itsuki took a deep breath, pulling the cards out of his pocket and observing them.
A yellow combination of numbers...a red set of them...purple, then green...
Kyon stood back, leaning against a part of the wall that was intact, his eyes straining to stay open. He stared at the floor as if he was trying to bore a hole into it. He kept quiet so that he didn't disturb the ESPer.
Please don't let us die here...
"...How're we supposed to know the proper way to enter them?" Itsuki frowned, continuing to look them over.
"...Wait..." Itsuki muttered, something hitting him.
Kyon opened his eyes and looked at Itsuki. "I'd...ask what...was going on...but I don't' really think...that I could remember...anything if you told me right now..." Kyon said slowly, coughing again, closing his eyes and concentrating on not sinking to the floor.
Please...hurry, Itsuki...
Itsuki entered the red numbers, then the yellow, then the green, and the purple.
'Over the rainbow'... He repeated in his mind, feeling a wave of relief as when he pulled on the safe handle, it opened.
Kyon slid down the wall, sweat dripping down his cheeks and forehead. His eyes were half open and a small trail of blood slipped down his chin. He leaned his head back and coughed again, his eyes clenching shut.
"D-Did...it w-work?" he asked in a breathy voice that was no better than a whisper.
"Yes." Itsuki said, voice triumphant. He nearly forgot his headache in his satisfaction.
There were indeed, as promised, two syringes full of a colorless fluid inside.
Pulling one out for Kyon first, Itsuki's arm brushed against a piece of paper that had accompanied them.
Kyon looked at the needles and couldn't help but shudder. "Gods I hate needles...but still, it'll be better than dying from what's killing us already. Huh? What's that?" He pointed to the paper, and his hand fell limp as he shivered violently as if freezing. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his one good arm around his knees, shuddering.
Itsuki set one syringe on his lap, digging out the piece of paper from the smallish safe in the wall.
When he pulled it out, there were large black letters printed on it.
Confused at first, Itsuki flipped it over.
It was then that his eyes widened, mouth nearly falling open.
"Itsuki..." Kyon said in a quiet voice, "What does it say?" His teeth had since begun to chatter ever so slightly and he had tried to stand again, but found that he couldn't.
He wondered what could have distracted Koizumi so much that he wouldn't give both of them the antidote.
"'Itsuki'...is says 'Itsuki' down at the bottom..." The ESPer said, voice shaking.
One side was white with black print...the other side, black, with a white imprint of a side profile of a human skull, x-rayed...
One the back, the message scrawled in marker read 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE'...on the front, there was a smallish white image of a key...located directly behind the eye socket. The same side that was the area that spawned Itsuki's headaches.
Kyon sat up quickly and regretted it as he instantly hissed and coughed again, clutching his stomach. "Wh-What?" he demanded, worry taking control in his voice. "Do you know what it means?" He asked, his voice raspy.
Then his eyes widened in realization as he reread the note. "No...Itsuki, don't. Please..." He put a hand on the ESPer's shoulder.
Itsuki let the paper drop, numbly turning over the last card he had received, staring at the scalpel taped to the back, and realizing it's purpose.
"Itsuki," Kyon said seriously. "Please don't." he said, putting his hand over Itsuki's, looking at him with fever and pain glazed eyes. "Don't do that to yourself."
Itsuki looked at Kyon, discreetly reaching for a syringe from the safe.
"...I..." He whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips against Kyon's, injecting the other male with the presumed antidote in the arm at the same time.
Kyon let out a small whimper of pain; he had never liked needles. He clenched his eyes shut and his body seemed to relax. His ragged breathing seemed to even out slightly even though the antidote had yet to work its way completely into his body. He pulled back from Itsuki.
"Please..." he whispered. "Don't do this. At least inject yourself...please, Itsuki," Tears formed in his eyes.
"There's no way out of here without the key...we've seen that for ourselves..." Itsuki said softly, hoping Kyon would calm down.
Itsuki reached up and cupped the other male's face, brushing the tears away with his thumb.
He clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "Itsuki..." he said. "There's no way I can persuade you is there?" he asked softly, leaning his forehead against the ESPer's shoulder, his own shoulders trembling.
He had only just told the other that he loved him...now he would most likely die.
"...There's no way I could let you die here because of me..." Itsuki said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the scalpel in his hand.
Kyon clenched his teeth.
"Tch...and you think I want you to die because you let me go? That would only mean that you died because of me. Do you really think I want that bearing down on me for the rest of my life?" Kyon's tears were falling quickly now and he tried to hold himself up, his forehead still on Itsuki's shoulder.
"Please...p-please don't do this..." He reached out with his good hand and grabbed Itsuki's hand that was holding the scalpel.
"Kyon...plenty of people can live with one eye." Itsuki uttered a hoarse laugh, trying to stay upbeat now of all times.
Kyon's hand began to shake and he looked into Itsuki's eyes. He grabbed the other needle and stuck it into the arm that was closest to him.
"Itsuki...I know that there's nothing I can do that will stop you, but I tell you, you had better live through this or so help me,"
Itsuki suddenly cringed as he was stuck with the needle.
Mustering another smile, Itsuki looked back into Kyon's eyes.
"Come on. Would I really let you be alone with Haruhi?"
"I should hope not. Remember: you're the only reason I'm still sane. You transferred into our school just in time." Kyon swallowed and placed one more kiss on Itsuki's lips before pulling back.
He sighed. "For luck, right?" he asked softly.
A small look of pain flashed across Itsuki's face, but he kept his smile up and nodded all the same.
Getting up, the ESPer walked out of the room with the scalpel in hand, probably to the farthest room away so Kyon wouldn't have to hear the screams he'd most likely be emitting.
Kyon ran after him. "I'm not going to leave you, Koizumi. You've been here for me; and I'm going to be there for you." He had a look of determination on his face that said he wouldn't be moved.
"Besides, this way you'll know that you have someone here with you."
Itsuki frowned, more pain emerging to his features.
"I don't think...Kyon..." He uttered, not keen on the idea of being accompanied.
"Itsuki. I know. Please let me be with you." Sadness showed on his face. "Please, Itsuki." His voice wavered. "I just want to be with you."
Itsuki dropped to his knees, seeing there was no talking Kyon out of it.
"Then please...just don't look."
Kyon moved up behind Itsuki and held him. "I won't look." Kyon said in a tight voice.
Itsuki grit his teeth and doubled over slightly, holding the scalpel tightly in his shaky fingers.
--
About five minutes later, after much screaming, much shaking, and much head feeling like it was going to melt from the pain, Itsuki had the key, but at an obvious price...
The bloodied silver key lay on the floor, as well as the ESPer, curled up with his hand clutching the wounded area, in such immense pain he half wished that he wasn't injected with the antidote to the nerve gas.
Kyon had tears streaming down his cheeks, his body shaking with fear and sympathetic pain for the ESPer. He cradled the other's body to his, humming a random tune.
He picked the key up and rubbed the ESPer's back. "Shhh," Kyon tried to sooth the other.
Itsuki gagged, body nearly beginning to spasm.
His fingernails dug into the floor so deeply that they threatened to break off.
Kyon swallowed loudly and and sat Itsuki up against him. "I'm sorry; I"m so sorry, Itsuki," He choked, clenching his eyes shut and trying to think this through.
"The door." Itsuki managed to gag, tears pouring out of both eye sockets.
Kyon looked around frantically and using his good arm, he managed somehow to pull the ESPer to his feet, and had Itsuki lean on him. He looked around the floor they were on and he found a large steel door.
"Well...we haven't been through here." He moved towards it slowly, whispering words to Itsuki. He moved to the door and inserted the key into the lock and turned it, opening the door with a struggle.
Itsuki's legs dragged, unable to support himself at all as he passed out from blood loss.
Kyon heaved a breath, determined to make it out alive. "Come on, Itsuki. You'll be OK. I'll get you to a hospital." They walked down a dark tunnel. They continued to walk until Kyon managed to see a light ahead.
"Oh thank all the gods that re out there... We're out. You hear, Itsuki?" He moved as fast as he could.
Itsuki said nothing in reply, his skin deathly pale, his pulse dropping to undetectable levels.
Kyon's heart began to thump quickly and he exited as fast as he could. He didn't pay attention to where they had come out; he was focused on Itsuki.
"I-Itsuki?" He gently lay the other down and checked his pulse, his fingers trembling.
Itsuki's breathing was incredibly labored, slowly diminishing to the point where he stopped breathing altogether.
Kyon trembled and gently shook Itsuki's shoulder. "It-Itsuki? Wake up! Wake up damnit! You said we could get out!! You said you wouldn't leave me! DAMN IT, KOIZUMI!" Tears streamed down his cheeks but he tried to stop them.
"Just hang on. I won't let you go. You'll be fine."
Slowly, the paled teenager opened his one remaining eye, the other caked over with dried blood.
"Kyon...?"
"It-Itsuki...Please hang on." Kyon whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"It's going to be OK. You'll see. Tomorrow we'll go to school and both be tormented by Haruhi. Then we'll go see a movie, OK?" He had started to babble, but it was what he was clinging to.
Itsuki looked blearily up at his distressed schoolmate, the world beginning to go dark.
"...H...Hold me? I can't...feel my legs."
Kyon nodded, choking slightly. He sat Itsuki up and leaned the ESPer against him, cradling him to his chest. He rocked back and forth slightly. "It's OK, Itsuki. We'll both be OK. You'll see." Kyon stroked the ESPer's forehead.
Weakly, Itsuki raised his arms up and wrapped them around Kyon's back, keeping an unsteady grip on consciousness.
"Want to hear a secret...a special secret?" He muttered, smiling.
Kyon leaned in, trying to keep his tears in his eyes.
It'll be OK; Itsuki will be fine...
He swallowed a few times. "What is it, Itsuki?" he asked in a quiet voice, his heart thudding.
"You were..." He began, voice beginning to get quieter.
"Everything to me...precious friend."
The tears finally fell and Kyon didn't bother to hide them. "It-Itsuki...You are everything to me. I love you, Itsuki," He leaned in and kissed the ESPer with trembling lips, his body trembling with adrenaline, fear, and mental pain.
Itsuki's eye drifted close, the last thing he felt before slipping away into the blackness was Kyon's lips on his, and his hands sliding down Kyon's back, before falling his to sides.
Kyon's heart seemed to stop and he pulled back, his eyes wide. "Its...Itsuki? Itsuki talk to me! Talk to me damn it! Don't you dare die on me! Itsuki!" Kyon screamed.
And his heart did stop. He loved Itsuki and he was dead. "Itsuki...you said you wouldn't..."
Sirens wailed in the distance past the trees, of not only ambulances put police cars as well.
Kyon didn't even hear the sirens. All he heard was screaming. It took him a few seconds to figure out that the screaming voice was in fact his own. He knelt over Itsuki's body, hunched over it, crying and screaming.
The paramedics and the policemen who heard the screaming rushed in it's direction.
Beckoning others over to help, they took Itsuki and placed him on a stretcher with emergency oxygen, wheeling him over to an ambulance, doing the same with Kyon while the authorities taped the area off from civilians.
Kyon tried to struggle and prevent them from taking Itsuki away from him, but he found that he couldn't fight; his energy was all but spent. His heart ached as did his body from the tests, and his eyes rolled back as he drifted into unconsciousness.
--
The day of the funeral was rainy and gloomy.
Itsuki was declared legally dead about two weeks before.
There was a large turnout to his funeral, black clothing of mourning to be seen all around.
The priest spoke beneath an umbrella held by one of those standing at his side at a pedestal behind the closed casket at a cemetery, ready to be lowered into it's designated hole.
Mikuru was sobbing loudly against Kyon's chest, her hair tied back.
Haruhi seemed to be in disbelief, trying her best to fight the tears back.
Nagato was staring, a look that could even be called 'sad' on her features as she observed the picture in a decorated wreath of Itsuki smiling for the camera in a large frame.
But Kyon was taking it the hardest. He almost had to force himself to come to the funeral. When he had woken up, they had to tell him at least ten times that Itsuki Koizumi was dead, before he would finally admit it, although he knew already in his mind.
Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he looked at the smiling picture of Itsuki. The pain in his heart was still fresh, as he looked at the casket.
At one time, he would have been ecstatic if Mikuru had been this close...but now...his heart ignored the red-headed girl, and only cried for Itsuki.
"I will always love you, Itsuki Koizumi, and you had better be watching over me. You still need to keep your promise,"
Scooter: ((is hiding in a dark hole, speaking through a megaphone)) Now, listen up! I know that a lot of Kyon/Itsuki fans are probably trying to kill me right now!! But get this!! After Solared and I wrote this story, we decided to put up an alternate ending!! ((emerges from the hole slowly)) See? It's not all bad! Although the weird part is that I was the one who decided on this ending. Oo ((chuckles nervously)) Anyway, I'll try and have the Alternate ending up later tonight. Or tomorrow. In any case, it'll come in soon!
I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya!! I had a blast with it! Anyway, seeya next time!!
--Scooter--
