A/N: Well, as hard it was to write this chapter and as much I didn't want to, here it is. Although things are getting a bit gloomy, I hope you will still be able to enjoy! Thank you for your continued support, as always.

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Five: The Flood

Kurogane had never seen so much rain in his life. Their village had heavy bouts of rain in the spring, so he was used to being stuck inside for days at a time to wait out the storms, but these downpours were beyond anything he had ever witnessed before. Buckets and pans littered the floor of the house to collect the water which leaked through the thatching, and the water that had gathered on the path reached above the ankle, limiting the ease of travel between homes.

It had been over a week since he had last seen Fai. He could have made the journey at risk of getting drenched and catching a cold, but he had a feeling that both Fai and Yui wanted him to stay away until things had settled. Shashi would take some calming down, and it had to be embarrassing for everyone, especially Ashura, to have an outsider witnessing their private misery. It was difficult for him though. All there was to do all day was watch the rain build outside and think of Fai and wonder if he was hurting and in need of the answer Kurogane had not given him.

"Kurogane." His mother had entered the room, her hands full of an odd collection of household items. "Clow Reed and Yuuko-san are requesting that everyone evacuate to the manor in case of flooding. Your father and I are gathering things we would like you to bring with you, and you must bring any personal belongings you wish to save as well."

"An evacuation?" He rose to his feet and rubbed his eyes. "Won't you be coming?"

"We will go with Haruka-sama to the shrine and provide shelter to those who may not be able to make it to the manor. The shrine is on high ground, and should be safe."

"Then why can't I stay with you?"

"Fai-kun and Yui-kun will be with Clow-sama. Surely you would be of better service to them, wouldn't you agree?"

Kurogane could hardly dispute that. With the way things were going recently, it was doubtful that either Ashura or Shashi would be able to look over the twins properly without dragging them into their personal dispute.

"Will the manor be safer than anywhere else?"

"Ah, you know how Yuuko-san is. I am not aware of the extent of her abilities, but I think creating a spiritual barrier is within them. At least one big enough to protect the home of someone precious to her."

"And the temple? Is there any way of protecting it?"

"The temple is protected from all manner of things. But a storm? I am not certain, though I will pray for its safety with all of the faith I have within me." She knelt down in front of him, her forehead creasing. "There is something I must say. We will all do our best to make sure everyone comes out of this threat alive, and that no one need suffer the grief of losing someone they love. But there is no guarantee. Should something happen to us or to anyone, I only ask that you be strong. Cry if you need to cry and stop when you need to stop, but do not lose sight of who you are or lock yourself in your grief. There is a place you go when you lose yourself where you cannot protect the people you hold dear or fight for the future you desire. Do not seek out such a place, my dear child. There is no easy way back."

Kurogane nodded, squeezing her hand. "You and father will both fight to stay alive, won't you?"

"With all of our hearts." She ruffled his hair. "But you must make haste and gather your things. The water level is rising by the minute."

Kurogane went into his room and examined his belongings. Nothing was particularly valuable to him, but he grabbed a handful of clothes in case it would be awhile before he came back. Anything else he could part with should a flood pass through; it was more important now to make his way to the Reed manor and assure that Fai and Yui had arrived there safely.

The road was in even worse condition by time he made it out. His legs were partway covered by the water, and the winds had picked up, making his damp clothes seem even colder. Other families were also traveling down the path, packs strapped to their backs and children flailing in their arms as the rain pelted them. Kurogane raised his eyes skyward. Haven't you had enough? What is the point of punishing us further than this?

The Reed manor was packed by time Kurogane reached it. People streamed through the hallways, checking on neighbors and sharing their fears as the rain droned on overhead. The roof of the manor was more sturdy than thatch, and everyone whispered that there was no way anything was going to happen to them here. The witch had magic, after all. Perhaps not enough to make the rain stop or protect each of their houses, but enough to protect her own, certainly.

Kurogane found Yui in the witch's room, his long legs tucked into his chest as if he was trying to shrink and vanish completely. The silk Kurogane had purchased for Fai was folded in his hands, but he didn't seem to have brought anything else with him.

"Oi!" Kurogane called, waving his hand to catch the boy's attention. When Yui rose to his feet and stretched out his limbs, Kurogane could see that he looked unwell. His skin was pale, and there were shadows under his eyes as if he gone days without sleep. He would not look Kurogane in the eye, but seemed fixated on some vague point over his shoulder, into the distance.

"You made it," he said, placing the silk with Kurogane's belongings. "Are you wondering where everyone is? Ashura-oniisan won't be coming. Oneesan sent him out of the house a few days ago, and he's gone south with the baby. He'll be lodging with a friend while he goes to meet Oneesan's family so they can come and help her. Shashi-oneesan is still gathering our things."

"And your brother?"

Yui paused, biting his lower lip before speaking. "That is something I need your help with. Fai was up in the climbing tree getting a better view of the storm when the evacuation was announced, and I don't know if I will be able to get him down on my own. Would you come with me? It's not too far from here."

Kurogane stared at Yui, his body tensing. "You let him go out in this weather?"

"He didn't ask for my permission. He told me where he was going, and left on his own."

"And you're saying," Kurogane said in a slow voice, "that guy is in a tree by himself in the middle of a storm, and when you heard about the evacuation, the first thing you did was come here?"

"O-oneesan asked me to bring our belongings here as soon as possible."

"And why would the banshee care so much about a bolt of silk I gave to your brother?"

"There were other things that I stowed away already. I just wanted to hold on to the silk because I know it's important to Fai."

"Why are you lying to me?"

Yui's legs started to tremble. "You don't have to believe everything I say," he insisted, tears collecting in his eyes. "But he is in the tree right now. And he will need your help." He reached to grab Kurogane's wrist. "I'll take you there, while you still have time. But please. You have to help him."

"I will. But if you think you're getting out of this without a better explanation, you're mistaken."

The wind had picked up even more in the few minutes Kurogane had spent within the Reed manor. Branches were being ripped off of trees and thrown to the ground, and a few of the nearby houses were already beginning to lose their roofs. He thought of Fai alone on top of a tree, at the center of everything and balancing precariously over an edge that surely could not sustain him. What was Yui thinking? Or was it Fai who had lost his mind for wanting to scale a tree in the middle a storm even Yuuko was wary of? What on earth was going on?

The tree Yui led him to was one of the sturdy and thick giants they had played in as children. If Kurogane's memory served, the branches had been strong enough to hold several of them when they were younger without straining and cracking under their careless feet. Perhaps Fai was still safe, after all. He had always been a gifted climber and was sure-footed enough not to slip even under these conditions. Kurogane grabbed a low branch and tested it with his hands. He would have to be careful on his way up.

"I'll go get him," he said, turning to Yui. "The water is rising again, but I'll carry him back if I have to. And you, you need to go back before it gets worse. Back to the witch, do you understand me?"

"Yes." Yui's voice came out like a croak drowned in the rain. "Back to the witch."

Yui stayed where he was for a moment as Kurogane scaled the first branch and caught his footing, and then stepped forward to press his hands against the tree and close his eyes as if praying. Kurogane climbed up two more branches before looking down at him again. He had turned away and was wading down the path, pointed in the direction of Shashi's house.

"Yui!" Kurogane yelled.

The boy froze. It was the first time Kurogane had ever said his name that he could remember. It felt odd and heavy on his tongue, but it needed to be said. It had stopped him, after all. That was the most important thing.

"Go back to the witch and wait for your brother," he repeated.

Yui stared at him. There was water streaming down his face, but it was impossible to tell if it was from the rain or something else.

Kurogane looked up. He could see Fai perching on a high branch, his robes hanging from him, a sodden weight begging to pull him down into the earth. He had to stop this, he had to stop both of them. But he was not certain anymore if he could do both.

By time he looked back downwards, Yui was gone. Kurogane was not high enough in the tree to see which direction he had gone, but if he took the time to be certain, there was no telling what would happen to Fai. He felt his arms and legs pulling him upwards, higher and higher until the wind had perfect aim at him, ripping at his face and making his body go numb. How long had Fai been enduring this? And why?

"Oi!" he called out as soon as he thought Fai would be able to hear him. Fai looked down, revealing his head full of dripping hair and wind-burned red cheeks. His face seemed to collapse as he saw Kurogane approaching him, and Kurogane's heart surged in response. He had made it in time. Fai was a little worse for wear, but soon they would be able to get down and be on their way to the manor where they could warm up and wait everything out.

"We have to get down," he called again when he was a bit closer. "Can you move all right?"

"My clothes are heavy, and I'm afraid I might slip on the way down," Fai called back. His hands were tightly grabbing the tree, though Kurogane doubted that he would be able to feel his fingers at this point.

"I'll stay below you, and help you make it. But we don't have much time. Can you try starting now?"

Fai nodded, and slowly lowered himself so his feet hung down to seek out the lower branch. Kurogane waited for him to grip the branch securely with his feet and steady himself before he also went down a branch lower.

After catching his breath and steadying himself, Fai descended once again without much difficulty with his landing. Kurogane was about to do the same for himself when a fierce gust of wind made him stop. A few of the nearby trees began to creak and groan, no longer able to stand the pressure that was being put on them.

"Wait!" he tried calling up to Fai, but Fai was already lowering himself onto the branch Kurogane was balancing on. It was luckily a thick branch, but Kurogane had no idea how well it would hold in weather like this. All he knew was that he didn't have time to make a fast judgment or order Fai to climb back up. Fai was on his way down in the middle of these winds, and Kurogane had to make sure he landed safety.

As he eased Fai down beside him, he backed them both nearer to the base of the tree. "We can't go down like this anymore," he said. "The winds are too strong. And we shouldn't stand when it's like this either." He lowered himself so that his legs were straddling the branch and hands were pressed against the tree's trunk to steady himself. "Here, like me. Face me so your back is against the trunk."

"Will you hold me steady?"

"I won't let anything happen to us."

Fai obeyed, lowering himself on to the branch and resting against the tree. Kurogane moved closer to him, hitching Fai's legs around him so they were as close as they could possible get. With his arms, he caged them against the trunk, shielding Fai from the winds and leaving his own back to receive the worst of its bite.

"Is it okay to wait like this? I thought we needed to hurry." Fai glanced over Kurogane's shoulder to the ground below. The water was looking impossibly high as the rain continued to pelt down, but surely even that was safer than their position half-way up a tree with the wind buffeting them from either side.

"Oi, I'm not interested in falling in the water because of that wind. It's going to-"

He trailed off, hearing a strange crash in the distance. He tilted his head and looked past the tree to where a group of houses were built nearby the drowned rice fields. The wind was tearing through the water, lifting it up higher and higher and higher. Right before his eyes, a big wave rose to full height and fell upon the houses. When it broke against them, he could see the thatch falling apart and the water spilling into the interiors, shattering the windows and ravaging everything inside.

Kurogane closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Was it too late, after all? Another wave built and broke against a tree, and it cracked and tilted to the side, fighting a losing battle as it tried not to crash into the churning water.

"Kuro-sama?"

Kurogane returned his eyes to Fai. Lifting one of his hands, he cupped it against Fai's face, forming a blinder to his line of sight. "Look at me," he whispered. "Nothing else."

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"Don't think about it. No matter what, I will keep you safe."

"What is it, Kuro-sama? What is-?"

The wind drew up another wave and drove it into one of the houses in Fai's line of sight. Kurogane's hand kept him from seeing the worst of it, but he could still likely hear the windows shattering and the insides being torn apart. Fai let out a low whimper and seemed to grow rigid in Kurogane's arms.

"Kuro-sama," he said, his voice suddenly hollow. "Where is Yui?"

Kurogane ground his fist into the tree, hating himself for the necessity of keeping information from him. "The witch had everyone evacuate to the big house," he said. "I came to bring you there so you wouldn't get caught in the flood like we are now."

"Can you with all honesty say that you are certain that Yui is safely inside right now and will stay there until this quiets down?"

Fai's eyes bore into him, and he felt the word fall out of his mouth outside of his control. "No."

Fai was silent for a moment, and then his hands shot out to push against Kurogane's shoulders. "Let me go."

"I can't."

"Yui is out there right now, isn't he? He's on the path, and if he don't let me go save him, he's going to die."

"I don't know where that guy is. But I know where you are. You're here, and you're alive. If I let you go, you're going to let yourself die trying to find him. I'm not going to let you go."

Fai pushed him again, and when Kurogane didn't budge, he tried to jerk one of his legs back to kick him in the stomach. Kurogane grabbed it and pushed it back, still leaving one arm to keep them pressed against the tree.

"You're fine if Yui dies?" Fai yelled, beating his arms against Kurogane's chest. "You'll let this happen? After all that time we spent together? As much as he looked up to you?"

"I won't let you go."

"Why are you doing this to me? Don't you understand? Yui needs to live. I'm the one with the bad heart, the one who doesn't need to be here. Even you get it, don't you? You know I'm not someone anybody could love."

"Stop talking!"

"I will if you let me go."

"I won't let go of you!"

"KUROGANE!"

The name rang in the air, louder than the water and the waves and the wind. Kurogane's heart slammed against his chest. I have a feeling something horrible is going happen... an inevitability is about to occur...

"Kurogane, if you do this, I will not forgive you." Fai's eyes stared straight into him, frightening in their determination. "You can forget about love, friendship, being together, everything. If you let my brother die, that is all I will remember."

Fai meant it. Kurogane knew in that very moment, he meant exactly what he was saying. But he also knew that if he let Fai go, forgiveness or love or friendship or any lack of it would have no meaning. There would be no Fai to love or treasure, no forgiveness or anger, only a grave and the true end of everything.

"I will not let go of you," he said again. He returned both of his arms to press Fai against him. "I don't care about anything else or whatever you have to say about being unlovable or having a bad heart. You are not bad or good or horrible or wonderful or anything more or less than simply being you. And I am going to keep you safe regardless of whether you want me to or not. That is my choice."

Fai tried to fight him off one last time, but his limbs were heavy and the time he had spent in the middle of the downpour was taking its toll. His eyes were turning glassy and feverish and his body trembled in Kurogane's arms. Kurogane tried to hold him closer, but his own body had little warmth to provide. He too was soaked and beyond feeling any heat in his body through the water dripping off his skin. Even if they could make it out without drowning, there were other things to contend with that could take them at any moment.

As the waves grew and grew, Kurogane held Fai steady, supporting his slumping body and trying to block the winds trying to claw him. He could see the silhouette of the Shinto shrine in the distance, and he concentrated his thoughts on his mother, father, and Haruka-san waiting inside. His head was spinning and Fai was growing heavier and heavier in his arms, but he tried to focus on that single spot, pushing his mind to think of anything but giving into exhaustion and relaxing his grip on Fai. The shrine was surely too high for the bulk of the water to reach. Everyone inside had to be safe. They would make it through. And when the winds calmed, someone would come looking for them and take them to Yuuko. Surely, everything would be fine. Even if Fai could not forgive him. Even if nothing would be the same again.

But the winds would not calm. If anything, they picked up more and more. Fai's trembling worsened, and the tree that was hit earlier fell to the ground with a resounding crash. The other trees were groaning once again, branches flying and cracking and falling into the pool beneath them. Kurogane kept looking off into the distance. The tree nearby the shrine was swaying in the wind. He held his breath as it leaned further and further forward.

No.

"Yu...i..." Fai sobbed into Kurogane's chest. Though the rest of him was frozen, his forehead was painfully hot. He shifted back, and Kurogane could see that his eyes were shut, and that whatever he was dreaming was the product of a fever. His entire body was covered with cold water and a cold sweat.

No, no, no. No!

No one heard his cries. The tempo of both the wind and rain increased, the leaning tree cracked and fell on to the temple's entrance, Fai whimpered and cried out against the demons in his dreams. Kurogane's mind lost its grip on the point in the distance, the point that had fallen apart right in front of his eyes. It took all the will he had to keep holding onto Fai with what little strength he had, to keep them both from falling from the tree.

He did not know how long they stayed there. The winds grew stronger, but the rain at last tapered off at one point, and though his body was still numb and frozen, he was aware of a sweat accumulating on his skin where the rain once was and dripping down him. He tried to look at Fai, but he could see nothing but swimming colors in front of him, a damp blonde head melting into his black robes, and a sweaty cheek pressing against his.

"I...will...not...let...you... go..." Kurogane told the shape, but the words echoed oddly in the air, as if they had not come from him, but rather from some separate force that he had been divided from. He felt his arms slipping from the tree, but he forced them again, pinning Fai's imperceptible body back in place. Everything hurt. It hurt now, and would only hurt more later. But he could not, while he still drew breath, allow himself to give up just yet.

Kurogane-kun, a familiar voice called out to him. Drop your arms now. Do not be afraid. I will catch you both.

I cannot let go of him.

You will lose him if you do not let go now. He is fevered and you are fevered, and you will die if you stay in this place for any longer. Do you understand me? Too many have died already. I will not allow you to join them!

I... cannot... But once again, his arms were beginning to slip, and this time they would not stop themselves from falling. Witch... you swear to me... you swear to me that he will live?

I swear to you. Let go, Kurogane-kun. It is time now to sleep. You will awaken at a time that will be difficult for you, but you have known since you were a child, haven't you? These are things that must happen.

His arms released themselves, and somewhere, in another place, he was sure his body was falling, tumbling straight into nothingness. He did not know if he landed or which arms were able to hold onto him or to Fai as they crashed. All he knew was that he needed to sleep, thoroughly and deeply, and that when he rose again he would no longer be able to delay the knowledge that the world as he had known it had drowned and would not soon emerge from its bitter sea.

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