Chapter 8: Imprisonment, the library of the mind
Personal ranting: the last chapter of the adventure in Fai's mind! Anybody still following this? You better because it will rock XD After this chapter a very smexy chapter will probably follow, once my examination are over. –I know I even said I'd stop writing during them but for some reason I can't I love writing to much ^^-
As you might have guessed I based this chapter on some psychological mumbo jumbo. This time I use a metaphor for his mind, I also use the Baddeley's model of working memory, for those with interest in psychology, it is a recentky constructed model that describes how we use our mind to store memories –explained in simple terms :p- Anyway enjoy!
Bookshelves, row after row, case next to case. As far as Kurogane could see he saw bookshelves. He hated library's, and for whatever reason, the last floor, or room for that matter, had to be one. Even if he looked up, all he could see where bookshelves. The whole room was impressive though, Kurogane had never seen such luxurious looking bookcases, just like the mirror, carved out some exotic wood. The floor had a dark grey color, from the noise he made when walking and the way light reflected from it, he knew it was marble.
The only problem the tall man had was that the bookcases were like a freaking maze, no order whatsoever. It annoyed him to no end, because there was no way to know if he had been walking around in circles or not. If it wasn't possible to find his own way, there was no way in hell he could find Fai.
Grunting and swearing loudly he decided to take a look at some books. Immediately two things struck him as odd. The first was how things didn't seem to have any way of particular organization. Old books, dusty and moldy, were standing next to new ones. The second was none of them had a title…
'Freaking great, really helpful another mindgame.' He muttered to himself, as he reached out to grab an older looking book, with a purple suede cover.
'Huhum.' Someone couched after him. Kurogane turned around quickly, grabbing the hilt of his sword prepared for whatever threat awaited him there.
A small girl was standing behind him dressed in a maid uniform. 'Please refrain from touching the books.' She said to him on a mechanical tone, making her sound more of a robot then the small child she seemed to be.
'What are these?' Kurogane grunted, not yet ready to release his sword. The voice the girl had alerted him more then he wanted. 'I do not know, I simply store and file. Occasionally I have to find books as well, it is not an easy task anymore. It was in the beginning however.' She replied, tilting her head, trying to see the bookshelf Kurogane had been looking at, making sure he hadn't messed up the books.
'What are you doing here anyway?' The ninja asked, although he kind of understood what this was supposed to be. 'I was simply storing and filing, occasionally I have to find books as well.' She replied on the same monotone voice she had been replying the previous time. Kurogane almost lost his patience as he replied. 'Well then what the hell are you?'
'I am the central executive. I store, file and find books. Are you here for a book perhaps?' The little girl said while walking over to the shelve, picking up a newer looking book. Opening it as she started reading, on a familiar chiming yet sad sounding tone. 'Why do you care for me, Kurogane? Why can't you just not like me.' She closed the book, as she regained her normal voice asking. 'I remember now, are you Kurogane? Have you come to help Fai?'He grunted and nodded his head. 'Do you know where he is?' As the girl shook her head in response. 'I only store, file and find books.'
Kurogane had enough of this, this girl was getting him nowhere and she was getting him there fast. 'Why are you letting Fai die! You are a part of him, if Fai dies you disappear with him! Don't you care for that?' As the girl remained emotionless with the man's sudden outburst. 'Do you want a book?' Kurogane snorted, he wasn't getting anywhere fast this way. If Fai was here on this floor he would have to find him by himself. But where would he start looking? He hadn't seen the end of the room since he arrived, and he had been walking for hours. He had an idea. 'Can you give me a book about Ashura?' He asked to the girl. 'Affirmative, however it is quite difficult to retrieve.' She replied. 'It is with someone who imprisoned himself with it. Would you like me to take you to that man?' 'Fuck yeah, he can't be worse then you.' Kurogane said while glaring at the small robot, she still made him feel very uncomfortable.
So they walked in silence together. The high heels of the girl making a ticking sound on the grey marble floor, resounding clearly in the giant room. It seemed as if there wasn't a beginning or end, whatever Kurogane tries to use as landmark he still lost his way. The girl suddenly turns around, total silence returning to the library, staring at him for a minute before asking. 'Can you climb?'
'Like mountains or what?' Kurogane replied, crossing his arms over his chest. 'Affirmative, you need those skills to reach that person and the book you requested.' She said, while pointing him to an opening in between the bookcases. 'Through here, but be aware that you do not have an ocean of time. The longer the stalk gets the more unstable it is. If it grows any longer the cage will fall.' Kurogane had absolutely no idea what she meant by that. 'Yeah, will keep that in mind.'
Though his sarcasm faded rapidly when he entered the gap between the two bookshelves. It gave way to a relatively small circle-shaped indent in the library. The marble floor in the center of the circle was broken open and through the cracks the roots of a giant stalk had begin to grow. The stalk itself was most likely of a rose. Kurogane thought this because on the stalk thorns about the size and form of a dagger grew. Kurogane looked up in the air trying to where the stalk ended. About halfway he could see a giant leaf growing at the end of a small branch, however it wasn't the leaf that struck his attention. On the branch an old and rusted birdcage was hanging, slowly moving on a non-existing breeze. In the cage he could see a figure of a man, sitting on knees, his arms hanging out the cage as if he had lost all will to live. 'Fai…' Kurogane muttered. As a book fell over the edge of the cage, making the cage tilting the cage dangerously close to the edge of the branch. Time was running out.
The library of Fai's mind, every memory he ever had stored in the form of a book. It was exactly like Hitsuzen had said to Kurogane, Fai was imprisoned in his own mind, literally. Captured in a cage of pain with the memories of Yuui and Ashura, waiting to wither, like the flower he was hanging on. Well if there wasn't time to waste, it seemed he would have to climb his way up. As he walked over to the stalk and grabbed the thorns with his hand, pulling him upwards. The thorns immediately cut open his hands, as he clenched his teeth in pain. Blood slowly dripped from the wounds, but Kurogane refused to give up. Slowly climbing up, he yelled out at the cage.
'Wake up Fai! I've come to save you!' However no reaction came from the other man. 'I know about your brother, I know about Ashura, what he did. I don't care if you think you are damaged.' At this Fai finally reacted, tilting his head upwards looking at the withering rosebud at the top of the stalk, tears streaming down his pretty face. 'He came for me… Kuro-chi came for me…' He whispered, smiling. As a tear fell to the ground below, slowly reaching down in the soil. 'I want to be saved…'
Kurogane lost his grip, his hand slippery of the blood gushing out of his wounds. He clenched his hands on the thorns as hard as he could, however it was no use. Everything was covered in blood, enabling him to grab on again. 'Damned.' He yelled in despair, he had come so far to lose now? It can't happen, not like this. 'Fai WAKE UP!' He yelled one more time, as he felt him slipping down. Slowly falling as he tried to clench his nails in the stalk.
'He wants me to wake up.' Fai muttered, as the rosebud started glowing brightly. Slowly blooming in a beautiful red rose. The cage slowly disappearing as if the light the rose vanquished his prison. As Fai started falling downward, making Kurogane yell out in horror. 'NO!' Jumping out in the air, grabbing on to the blond man, clenching him safely in his arms. As Fai muttered. 'I wanna fly.' Wings immediately sprouting on his back, strong enough to carry them both safely to the floor below. 'Your wounded.' Fai whispers to Kurogane, taking the big man's hands clenching them softly. 'I'm sorry Kurogane.' Making the him twitch, Fai must be serious, he never called him by his full name.
'I'm not. I would do it again and you know it.' Slowly bending over planting his lips on the blond mans. 'Never fall asleep again.' Kurogane grunted as the library disappeared in the dark.
'It was about time you two woke up.' Hitsuzen said while putting down his paper looking at Kurogane Fai who slowly opened their eyes not used to sunlight. 'Welcome back Fai, hope Kuro-chi did a good job rescuing you.' He chimed. Kurogane grunted. 'Of course I did, as a sting of pain went through his hands.' He was surprised to find they had been bandaged already.
'I took the liberty to stitch the wounds.' Hitsuzen said while smiling at Kurogane. 'I changed your underwear to, well I had to… You were asleep for ten days.' He continued, pouting at the images popping back up in his head.
'You did WHAT?' Kurogane yelled, yet before he could jump out bed to chase after Hitsuzen, who ran away to the door opening of the bus Fai stopped him. 'This might be the last time in a while we are alone, you sure you want to spend it running after Hitsuzen, Kuro-chi?' Kurogane smiled. 'What else should we do then?' He replied getting back on the bed, positioning him on top of Fai. 'I don't know Kuro-daddy, but we're both mature enough to find something right?' The blonde man replied putting his hands around Kurogane's neck.
'Damned they better clean up after themselves, like hell I'm replacing the sheets of the bed.' Hitsuzens sighed, while looking at the slowly rocking bus. Sometimes he was glad only people that needed the bus could see it...
Thank you for reading! 1000 hits! I feel so proud, and to think I almost stopped writing, thank you fer-hyu and howlingwolf201 and everyone reading!