Yuki blinked as Touko fell to her knees again, sobs racking her body as she screamed her brothers name. Hotsuma and Shusei looked at each other in alarm, then back to the two figures approaching. They nodded at each other, pulling weapons. Yuki drew her sword, also trying to step forward before she was stopped by a trembling hand:
"Touko let me go!"
"N-No...I'm taking you back to the mansion..." Yuki stared down at her incredulously, stammering:
"Wh-What?" Touko rose to her feet, dragging Yuki with her as she retreated:
"We're gong back to the mansion whether you want to or not. Don't try to resist me or I'll knock you out and drag your ass back there myself." Yuki ripped her hand away, standing firm:
"Touko! What's gotten into you? Tsukumo needs our help-" She stopped talking as steady tears fell down her friends face, her eyes dead and empty:
"We are helping Tsukumo...this is the last thing he asked me to do...and I'll die before I fail to fulfill his last request. Now, please..."
"Do as she says Yuki. Shusei and I will save Tsukumo." both girls looked up at the two boys wide-eyed:
"Hotsuma-kun you can't! Reiga will kill you both!" Shusei smiled back at them, shaking his head:
"It's alright, just go. We'll be fine. Luka's on his way." Yuki paused. Luka was coming? Wasn't he supposed to be at some Demon summit thing? Luka was the only one who knew that she liked Tsukumo and had pledged to stand by her side no matter what she decided to do or who she decided to love. She nodded slowly, taking Touko's hand again:
"Alright...Please be careful. Come on Touko." she ended up leading her friend as they sprinted back to the mansion, glancing over her shoulder one more time as she once again ran from the problem, ran to save her own life instead of those she loved.
Tsukumo...please be alright
Tsukumo tapped into the last source of energy he had: a small tattoo on the back of his neck just below his hairline. He grunted with effort as he reached up, gripping Reiga's arm. He'd had the doctor tattoo him with a special type of curse mark designed to hold a small burst of energy for situations like this. The only down side was that he would be rendered completely immobile and defenseless for hours after using it. Not that it would matter after this.
The Demon King raised an eyebrow as the warrior gripped his arm, irritated:
"Really? You still have energy to move? No matter, you'll be dead soon anyway-" Reiga screamed as the Zweilt gave one last powerful jerk, feeling the energy he'd gathered well up in his shoulder, separating his arm from his body as the boy pulled away. He stumbled backwards as blood poured from the severed appendage, glaring menacingly at the boy: "How dare you..." he reached for Tsukumo, jerking back as a sword arched down towards his head:
"Don't even think about it asshole." The one called Hotsuma stood before him in a defensive position, shielding Tsukumo from his view. Hotsuma's partner Shusei stood by his side, glaring at him daringly. Reiga shook his head, holding up a hand to stop his dragon familiar from advancing as it started forward. The dragon growled in frustration, hissing venomously:
"How dare you harm the Master! You will pay dearly for your folly fools!" Hotsuma rolled his eyes, kicking the appendage towards them:
"Yeah yeah, like we haven't heard that before. Take your scaly ass home already, we won't let you finish off our friend." Reiga chuckled, picking up his arm:
"Indeed it seems as if we will have to retreat for today to reattach my arm. Take care boys, and do say hello to Yuki for me. It seems we didn't get to chat at all today though all the play." Shusei sighed in relief as Reiga turned and disappeared through a portal, lowering his weapon:
"Thank god..." He quickly knelt beside Tsukumo, checking his pulse: "Hotsuma..."
"I know I know...He doesn't look like he's gonna make it this time..." he carefully picked up the dying boy, sprinting towards the mansion.
Yuki paced nervously as the clock ticked rhythmically, glancing over at Touko. When they'd arrived at the mansion she'd sunk down on the couch, Knell held loosely in her hands. The gun had been left laying in the dirt, abandoned by it's owner. She stared at it expressionlessly, tears streaming steadily down her cheeks. It had been ten minutes already and they weren't back...
Both girls snapped to attention as the door opened, her heart sinking heavily as only one tall figure entered:
"Luka? Where are the others?" he shrugged, wiping a speck of blood from his face:
"I'm not sure. I ran into more Duras on my way here. What happened?" Yuki felt like the room was spinning. Luka hadn't gone to help Hotsuma and Shusei?
She quickly grabbed her katana, racing for the door. Luka intercepted her, wrapping an arm around her waist:
"Stay here. It's too dangerous for you out there. Besides, I just got word from Shusei." At that moment the doors burst open, admitting three men:
"Quick, get the doctor." Hotsuma never slowed as he continued to the back of the house where the household emergency room was, yelling back over his shoulder: "Luka, I need your help!" The demon sighed, following the two men as they rushed to save their friend:
"Yuki." She jumped up, nodding:
"Yes I know, I can come right now-"
"No." She stopped as the tall Opast turned to face her, sadness dulling his silver eyes: "Under no circumstances are you to follow us back into the emergency room...Do you understand?" She faltered. She wasn't allowed to help? She shook her head angrily:
"No! I have to! I'm the only one who can help him-" She stopped as two small, lithe arms wrapped around her, peering back over her shoulder. Touko spoke quietly, no life in her voice:
"Luka's right...You can't help him...It's what he wanted..." Yuki felt her heart throb. Tsukumo didn't want her to save him? That's what he wanted? She bit her lip, pushing Touko away as she sprinted after Hotsuma and Shusei:
"Well that's not what I want!"
Shusei looked up as Yuki burst into the room, blocking her view:
"Yuki, you need to leave-"
"No! I'm not letting him die like this..." she pushed her way past Hotsuma as he opened his mouth to protest, stumbling in shock. Tsukumo lay motionless on the table, a long incision running the length of his chest, his ribs cracked open. He looked like a sick, twisted experiment gone wrong:
"wh-what-"
"It was the only way to get to his damaged lung and heart...Please Yuki, just go-"
"No!" Shusei grunted as he was thrown back by the barrier that Yuki threw up, banging against the unbreakable wall as she placed her hands over Tsukumo's failing heart:
"No! Yuki stop! Stop!" she took a deep breath, blocking out all noise around her. She concentrated on the task before her, letting her powers touch the damaged organ. Immediately she felt her heart begin to ache, struggling not to cry out as it developed into a full blown unbearable pain within her. She blinked as Luka appeared before her on the other side of the barrier, his eyes pleading:
"Please Yuki...stop...you can't save him..." she gritted her teeth against the pain, tears falling down her cheeks:
"Yes I can...and I will...he doesn't get to go like this...not before..." she sobbed once, her powers increasing with the sudden well of emotion: "Not before I get to tell him I love him."
Tsukumo opened his eyes. He was lying in the shade of a tree, soft grass tickling his face. He sat up, looking around in confusion. Hadn't he been fighting Reiga? He looked down at himself. No wounds. He shrugged, laying back down. It was warm here and he felt like taking another nap was a good idea. Tsukumo closed his eyes, sighing contently as a warm breeze flowed through his hair.
"No! I'm not letting him die like this!" He blinked. Was that Yuki's voice?
"It was the only way to get to his damaged lung and heart...Please Yuki, just go-" Shusei?
"No!"
Tsukumo quickly got to his feet, looking around in confusion. Where were they?
"No! Yuki stop! Stop!" Tsukumo gasped as his head suddenly throbbed, images racing through his mind. He fell to his knees, eyes wide. He had been fighting Reiga...and then the demon had left...and Hotsuma had carried him to the Mansion's ER...and then...
"Please Yuki...stop...you can't save him..."
"Yes I can...and I will...he doesn't get to go like this...not before..."
Tsukumo froze. Yuki was trying to heal him. He got up, looking around wildly. He was dead and she was going to kill herself bringing him back. He had to stop her. He spotted a door at the bottom of the hill he was on, sprinting towards it.
Yuki sagged in relief as Tsukumo's heart started beating more regularly, the large tear that had been there before now completely healed and functional, along with his damaged spine that was now whole again. She nodded in approval, placing her hands over his damaged lungs. She gasped as he sputtered, blood spewing everywhere:
"Tsukumo!" He opened his eyes, trying weakly to push her hands away:
"S-Stop..." she shook her head, pouring all of her energy into her hands:
"No! You can't leave me now..." Tsukumo coughed up more blood, his body refusing to move due to lack of oxygen. Yuki whimpered softly as a new pain erupted in her chest, willing the lungs to heal. Luka stared in horror from outside the barrier as his Yuki suffered through the healing process, clenching his fists. Why was she always so kind?
She sagged in relief as she finished the lungs, grabbing a large syringe. She steeled herself mentally before piercing the left lung, drawing out a large amount of blood. She did this several times to both lungs before Tsukumo drew in a long, deep breathe, hands shaking as she dropped the syringe. Tsukumo coughed harshly, the last of the fluid in his lungs coming out:
"Stop! Please..." he weakly grabbed her wrists, trying to push her away. She began crying, her whole body trembling:
"Tsukumo...Wh-why are you stopping me? I-I...I don't want you to die..." he struggled to form words, finally just tapping into her mind:
"I don't want you to hurt so much because of me! Just let me go!" Yuki cried even harder at his words, clutching his cold hands desperately:
"I-I can't...Tsukumo...I..." she looked down at him sadly, leaning closer: "I love you." Tsukumo's newly repaired heart skipped a beat as Yuki gently pressed her lips to his, his chilled body heating up a degree as he was flooded by a sudden warmth. Yuki loved him?
He was still frozen in shock as she pulled away, his hands slipping from hers as she moved to replace his cracked ribs and close the incision on his torso. He watched her, still dazed as she began the agonizing healing process, sweat trickling down her forehead as she concentrated on the wounds. He groaned in pain as they began healing over, unable to stop the overpowering blackness that swept over him, forcing his eyes closed.
Yuki cried out in relief as the last millimeter of the wound closed, struggling to stay on her feet. She sighed in resignation as the barrier around her fell, unable to keep herself up right and maintain it at the same time. Immediately two strong arms broke her fall, pulling her into a warm embrace:
"Enough Yuki, he'll be fine now..." She nodded weakly, her whole body aching. Luka carefully passed her off to Shusei, turning back to the injured Zweilt: "Take her to her room and keep a careful watch...I'll finish up here." Shusei nodded, caring her silently to her room. Yuki mumbled incoherently as she was forced away from Tsukumo, pushing against the man holding her:
"No...Go back..." Hotsuma sighed as she wiggled pathetically, pinching the small cluster of nerves on her shoulder:
"You're going to kill yourself. Stop it." Yuki gave a small jerk before falling limp in Shusei's arms, her head falling back against his arm. He sighed, looking disapprovingly at his partner:
"Hotsuma...You're always so rough." The taller man snorted, kicking open her door:
"Somebody has to be firm around here..." They laid her carefully on the bed, staring worriedly down at her small weak form.
Tsukumo slowly opened his eyes, struggling to sit up as Luka began spreading a healing salve over the rest of his wounds, hissing in pain:
"You shouldn't try to move quiet yet-"
"Yuki! Is she alright?" The Opast glanced up from his work with cold eyes, the room's temperature dropping a degree:
"Fortunately for you she'll be fine..." Tsukumo slowly relaxed, looking over at the demon sadly:
"Luka...I'm really sorry...I can't seem to be of any use to Yuki anymore. I only get hurt and then she has to heal me...I'm sorry I couldn't do what you asked me to." Only three days ago Luka had asked him to take care of Yuki since he would be gone at some kind of Demon summit. He'd failed to do the one thing the Duras had ever asked him to do.
Luka sighed, applying gauze pads as he spoke:
"It's alright...I know as well as any how Yuki can be. You're not entirely to blame. Also..." Tsukumo felt his breath catch as Luka's silver eyes locked on his own, reflecting an emotion he'd never seen from the Opast before; jealousy. "She loves you. It would break her if you died."
Tsukumo blinked, the reality of the past few hours events suddenly all to real. That's right. Yuki had kissed him, told him herself that she loved him.
Luka finished bandaging the rest of the Zweilts wounds, slowly rising as he pulled a small vial from his pocket:
"Drink this. It's an Opast healing draught, it'll help you regain your strength faster." Tsukumo graciously took the medicine, squeezing his eyes shut as the vile liquid poured down his throat. He coughed loudly as it burned it's into his system, nodding at the demon:
"Thanks..." Luka sighed, an amused smile playing around his lips:
"You act as if your not even remotely suspicious of the things I give you. What if that had been a poison?" Tsukumo shrugged, smiling genially at the demon:
"I'm not suspicious of you at all. You're our comrade and I trust you. I can't say the same for some of the others but that doesn't mean I have to act the same way. You've saved me on more than one occasion. I think that warrants some respect." Luka stared down at the young man incredulously as he spoke, nodding in a silent thanks before turning to leave:
"By the way, you should give Yuki a few hours to recover before going to see her..." Luka slowly turned back towards him, glaring at him: "And if you two do decide to have sex be gentle with her or I'll kill you myself." Tsukumo felt his mouth drop open and the demons bluntness, a faint blush tinting his pale cheeks:
"R-Right...of course..."
The demon nodded, closing the doors behind himself.