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The Epic	By : kyochan Category: +S to Z > Spiral Views: 1747 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Title:� The Epic

Chapter:� 17/ many

Authors:� Kyo-chan and
Koko-chan

Genre:� Shounen-ai

Disclaimers and notes:�
We do not own the characters or the series.� They belong to Kyo Shirodaira and Eita
Mizuno.� This fanfiction is written by
fans purely for the enjoyment of fans.

And to everyone that has been keeping up with us and written
us such fantastic reviews, THANK YOU!!�
It's very encouraging and inspiring to know you're enjoying this as much
as we are.� <3

Summary:� Thanks to
Kanone, Ayumu's newly formed Web starts to crumble while Kousuke and Eyes feel
it halfway across the world�

~*~

I hear they're getting
closer

Their howls are
sending chills down my spine

And time is running
out now

They're coming down
the hills from behind�

~The Howling � Within
Temptation

�� Ayumu took only
a second to glance at the numbers eyeing him with hungry intensity once more
before running off towards the thickest grouping of trees he'd seen in his
limited gaze of the area. Wolves, huh? Hunters with exceptional senses of
hearing and smell... Best to use that to my advantage... When he was
covered at little better by the foliage and shade, he leaned against the trunk
of a tree, closing his eyes and gathering his thoughts. By having me out
there where they all could see me, they got a chance to pick up my scent, which
will be one of the first things they'll use to find my location again. I really
want some aspirin... He unbuttoned the white shirt that had been beneath
his uniform coat, starting to walk again as he tried to get it off. Damn
these wings.. He pulled a little too hard to get the fabric off and let out
a soft sound of pain as it jolted the fractured bones. He heard the shirt tear,
however, and braced himself to pull it the rest of the way off. A louder cry
left him, and he staggered a little. This is going to be the fastest ten
minutes in the longest day of my life...

�� It's not
coming from me...but...if it's not coming from you either, then who...?

�� Eyes lifted
his head, a horrified look on his face, as if Rio's
words had just answered Kousuke's question. He couldn't jump to conclusions so
quickly, could he? "Call the girl...see if she knows where he
went..." I don't know if we want the answer to that question, Kousuke.

�� There was
another flash of pain along the Web, and Kousuke flinched, letting out a soft
gasp.

�� Rio shook her head. "I already asked. She has no
idea. The note Little Narumi left didn't say where he'd be, just that he needed
to think."

�� Eyes winced
and tightened his hold on Kousuke. "I need Jhette. Now..."

�� Rio bit her lip, not quite understanding, but knowing
something Very Bad was happening. "I'll go down and see if Riku can get
his imaging systems working enough to let him talk up here." She didn't
say the obvious, that both Eyes and Kousuke looked less than capable of going
down themselves at this point.

�� Eyes didn't
know what was happening, but he buried his face in Kousuke's neck, a feeling of
dread filling him to the brim. "Run..." he whispered to that feeling,
wherever it was coming from.

�� Seven minutes... Ayumu
trudged a path through the thicket of trees, forward and back, then repeating
his steps. His shirt was in shreds in one hand, and every now and then he'd
stop to affix one to a tree branch or leave it somewhere. Several of the strips
were stained at least a little red from his wings, and he knew that there was
plenty of scent in those droplets to attract the pack. He wished he could have
found some standing water, but he didn't think he had enough time for that. He
needed to spread his scent around more; unsure of what he would do about them
after such a diversion. It probably wouldn't keep him safe for long, but maybe
give him more time to get to someplace different or come up with another plan.
On his way to another area, he picked up a rather long, dead tree limb and
clenched it in his free hand until the dried bark bit into his palm. I will
NOT go down without a fight.

�� Ayumu knew
when the ten minutes had passed, because the eerie sound of the pack's howls
started up. That howling got more annoyed and frustrated as they started
running into the little diversionary measure Ayumu had set up.

�� Reckless
I might be, but not stupid... Ayumu had picked a direction that he hoped
would lead him off the property.� Having
no idea what could be beyond the property, he prayed that maybe he'd stumble
into a neighbor's yard or onto a street.�
Something.� In the last five minutes, he'd used up all
the bloody strips and doubled back on himself more than enough times.� His muscles ached in protest, lungs burning
for air, but he kept moving at a jog.� He
was so tired and the tattered wings rocked against him, making him stumble more
than once.� Pausing, he pressed his free
hand to the rough bark of one of the trees.�
Tears ran down his cheeks unbidden as he forced himself to concentrate
through the pain to tuck his wings as tightly as he could against his back.
They rested at odd angles due to the breaks, and it took all he had not to
scream. When it was over, he bit his tongue, dragging his next breath and
letting it out in a whimper before he started to move again.� Please!� Let there be something else out here!

�� It took a
while, but the howls of the pack got closer and closer with every minute, as
they began to figure out his real trail.

�� Ayumu couldn't
run much more; if they caught up to him, he'd never have the strength to fend
them off.� Even if he thinned out their
numbers, maybe he could run again��
Crouching down behind another tree, he forced himself once more to
breathe, concentrate on where they might be. His legs were tucked beneath him,
weight resting on the balls of his feet so that he could move forward if he had
to. There was little more preparation to be had in the state he was in, and now
all that was left was to wait and stay alert.

�� The
brunette tilted his head, wishing that he'd gotten some cool non-human blood,
like Kousuke's. Then he might have stood a better chance of witting his way out
of this. He would be able to hear better, smell better, see better as well, and
then maybe the terms would be a little more on the equal side. No time for
regrets now... He listened for the first one to get close--and struck. He
sprung forward at the first sight of the large, furry head. He gulped back fear
at the size of those jaws and tackled the creature. One hand tangled in the
scruff of its neck as he barreled his full weight into the wolf. The other hand
brought the blunt end of the tree limb down on the animal's skull as hard as he
could manage.

�� The wolf
gave a loud yelp and went down, but the others weren't far behind, and Ayumu
could see their forms moving in between the trees, coming closer. Both wolves
and dogs, none of them smaller than a rottweiler.

�� Ayumu gave
up on manners, muttering a blistering curse as he moved to put the fallen
wolf's body between his own and its companions. His eyes flickered to the
shadows, counting them as he bared the makeshift staff before him again. He
wondered if the actual death of one of the pack would slow them down at all,
but the thought chilled him and nauseated him. Even if it would, he couldn't
bring himself to kill it. He couldn't tell whether or not to be angry at
himself for that weakness.

�� The pack
continued to come, a couple stopping to check their fallen pack mate, but
leaving him readily enough when they determined he wasn't dead or seriously
injured. This close, Ayumu could see the hunger in those horrible flat eyes,
and while they may have been told not to kill him, it was obvious they knew
lots of other things they could do instead.

�� Ayumu
backed up, trying to think of a way to run again...which way he could go. That
tiny voice in the back of his head telling him to flee...he was beginning to
think that was some really good advice...

�� A line of
fire suddenly blazed up his back, along with the sound of feminine laughter.
When he turned to look, the alpha female was standing there, looking human
except for the ears, claws, and tail. In her hand was a bloody switchblade,
which she licked clean with every sign of enjoyment. "Hm...for a 'savior',
you have good flavor. And if you're so drained you can't move, you can't go
sticking your nose where it's not wanted."

�� Eyes hissed and arched his
back as if something had cut him, his fingers digging into Kousuke's arms
unintentionally. What.... was that....?

�� Kousuke
grit his teeth, trying not to cry out, and clung to Eyes, desperately trying to
raise his own shields enough so that everything wouldn't overwhelm him so
badly.

�� Distantly
feeling his lover cling to him, Eyes fought hard to raise his own shields, but
he was fumbling. He didn't have as much time as Kousuke had to adjust to his
new talents and having the distraction of this pain and fear wasn't helping him
focus.

�� The brunette stumbled to
the side, his immediate reaction to swing the branch in his hands very much
like a club, slamming it into the back of her hand. Hot, sticky blood trickled
down his back, and he staggered with the force put behind his own blow. He was
panting, angry at himself for miscounting and letting himself be snuck up on.

�� He was
surrounded now. No matter which way he turned, there was at least one behind
him, the wolf and dog shapes melting away into the half-human forms similar to
what he'd seen Kousuke sport. Except that Kousuke had never looked so eager to
take him apart...

�� The next attack came in the
form of lightning, a sickly green light that burned and tore its way through
him, the voltage of it just low enough to keep him from passing out. These
people wanted to cause pain, and they couldn't do that when he was unconscious.

�� Ayumu
crumpled, hugging himself, though it did little good against the electric
tremors that were already within his body. His eyes were wide open, vaguely
distinguishing the shapes that closed in on him. So much for a level...playing
field... Have...to get up... He dropped one hand to the ground, trying to
push up to his feet again.

�� The earth suddenly shifted,
and Ayumu sank several inches into what was suddenly soft mud. And then it
hardened again, effectively trapping him and holding him down. And then, the
whole pack attacked at once. Everything blurred into the pain of claws and
teeth.

�� Kousuke
couldn't help it. He screamed Ayumu's name, feeling the other boy's pain but
unable to do anything about it but try to hold on. He scrabbled for his
shields, desperation fueling him, knowing that if he continued to drown in this
pain, he really would lose himself. But the emotions he was receiving made it
harder, because they slammed into him with the force of a semi truck.

�� When Kousuke
could find his way out of the blunt trauma of the shared pain, he could feel
Eyes shaking in his arms. It was taking all the musician had to hold himself
together now, Kousuke the only thing keeping him from being driven down. Like
the other, he couldn't let it consume him or he feared he'd never bring himself
back again.

�� The world was a blur of
feathers, fur, and pain for Ayumu. He clawed at the packed earth that held the
bulk of his body immobile, kicking and screaming as much as he could. He couldn't
escape the relentless tearing, surprised he could feel the blood amidst the
other more intense things that had captured him. Ayumu wouldn't scream... he
knew nobody would hear him, and he didn't want to give Kanone the satisfaction.
He knew the other had to be watching...

�� And then a
pair of hands, wet with Ayumu's own blood, touched his forehead, and suddenly
the pain wasn't just in his body as his mind was suddenly raked by psychic
claws to match the ones tearing at his body.

�� Amber eyes
opened wide as Ayumu's head fell back, agony washing everything away so that
they looked almost dead. The strain of taking both mental and physical at once
took the last bit of fight he had within him. He couldn't think anymore,
couldn't see anything beyond a haze of red over an unfocused gaze.
"H...help...me...." he murmured, coughing back blood and trying to
breathe.

�� "No...NO!" Eyes
slumped into Kousuke's arms, his hands going to the sides of his head as if it
would explode if he didn't hold it in place. "Ayumu..." His voice
caught, and he felt the sting of tears burn down his chilled skin. It had been
so long since he cried; he would have sworn that he bled liquid fire from his
eyes.

�� ::They'll do this to you
too, you know.:: a voice whispered in Ayumu's mind, images of the six Blade
Children he knew back in Japan appearing behind his eyes. Then the image
changed, grew bloody as they were depicted as the heartless murderers that
Ayumu had first thought them to be. ::They're just like us, and sooner or
later, they'll hurt you just like this. Don't you think you should fear them?::

�� No....that
can't be true... Ayumu's voice, even in his own mind, sounded distant--as
if he were hearing himself through a very long, dark tunnel. Isn't that why
I exist? To keep them from becoming that...? Did his life mean nothing if
he couldn't keep them from hurting him like this...?

�� The
laughter in his head was cruel. ::Do you really think you could keep them
from Fate for the rest of your life? One little slip, just ONE, and they will
turn on you. It's not like they need you for anything besides that flimsy Web
of yours. When you fail, they will kill you. And we will be here to fight over
the remains...::

�� Tears fell
from empty eyes, Ayumu's mind trying to deny what he was hearing. But he'd seen
all on his own how the Blade Children had killed when someone got in their way
or wasn't useful to them anymore. He didn't want to die...not from them, not
from anything... He had to live...no matter the cost to them. I....can't
fail....

�� ::Can't
fail? How could you succeed? Even Kiyotaka failed. What could you do? No
matter what, you will fail, because you're too weak!:: The mental claws
were digging deeper, wrapping around the core of his mind, making it even
harder to think straight. All that could be focused on was the pain, and the
reality that the ones doing it were the ones he was supposed to be saving...

�� Stop!
...it hurts... please! Get away from me! It was as if the psychic talons
had struck something beneath the mess of aching emotions. Anger... It was like
a hot red sphere in the core of all that fueled Ayumu Narumi in this very
moment. It blazed with his hatred of being so helpless, of being so easily torn
apart for something he couldn't help... He wanted it to all go away, wished he
could burn everything away until he couldn't feel anymore...

�� Eyes broke down against
Kousuke, as if he'd been burned by that very same rage, he could feel it that
keenly. Shaking violently, he sobbed into the other Blade Child's shoulder, as
if he'd lost control of everything too. Don't....please don't.... You can't
let us go.... We believe...

�� The images shifted. They
weren't just bloody now, but brutal. The Blade Children he knew, staring at him
with the same horrible flat eyes, hurting him and laughing at his pleas for it
to stop, not even granting him the freedom of death, but just making him suffer
on and on...

�� Kousuke held himself rigidly
against Eyes, only a small part registering the horrible fact that Eyes, cool
unflappable Eyes, was crying. The rest of him was trapped, burned by the
scorching emotions of anger and hatred. He couldn't breathe, couldn't see...it
was almost as bad as getting swallowed by Fate again. No, it was worse, because
this was coming from someone who should trust them enough not to break
away...

�� The strength of the Web itself
was pulled taut, those images pulling the chords that led from Kousuke and Eyes
to the younger Narumi until they could barely breathe. Eyes was panting,
drinking in as much air as he could. He knew from Ayumu's thoughts that it
wasn't a matter of trust, it was a matter of how much damage his spirit could
take, how many times he could be beaten down before he gave up completely. And
like a rope of souls, it began to show the strain of being tested this hard so
soon. The smaller threads that made up the whole began to snap, each little
give feeling like a knife of despair.

�� Ayumu was
screaming now, the nightmare that was being laid out before him was made to
feel too real for him to ignore. In his mind, he begged and pleaded for those
he thought were friends to stop, to be normal again. They couldn't have
forgotten him and how they believed in him, could they? Did this mean....that
he had...to get past them to save himself from this agony?� A memory of something Kousuke had once said
was dredged up from his memory. Kill or be killed...that's every day for us!
The hurtful voice in his head agreed. The only way to get away completely from
those that hurt Ayumu would be through bloody retribution. If he wanted to be
free from the pain, then he'd have to kill for that freedom.

�� Kousuke whimpered as he felt
the Web fray. It felt like he was fraying right along with it, and it hurt, the
despair cutting at his mind like razors.

�� "Hang....onto
me...Kousuke...." Eyes's voice was weak, thick with tears. I think ...
we're going to lose him....

�� And once
more, the image shifted. Now, it was just the likenesses of Asazuki and
Rutherford, but what they were doing was far more painful. They'd told
Ayumu they wanted him. Now they were taking him, whether the younger Narumi
consented or not. And still was that whispered thought that the only way to
break fully from this happening was to stay away, and if they followed, to
kill.

�� The soft,
sizzling sound of Ayumu's blood dripping to the ground was lost to his hoarse
screams.� The angelic power that was
within him, the power to hold hundreds together, could easily tear them apart.
The earth that held him so tightly, now soaked with crimson, began to crumble,
shattered eyes drowning in molten gold until there was no sign of the boy that
had once occupied their clear gaze. His hand pulled free from the ground, dirt
sliding away as he gripped the wrist that was near his head, squeezing it until
he heard the bones grind. It's going to be me. If it has to be one or the
other...it's going to be ME! Broken wings lifted from the dirt, the pain
immaterial now, for something else entirely consumed Ayumu. In the sudden dog
pile of his defenselessness, the Alpha female had forgotten all about her
switchblade, and Ayumu sought it now. Bloody fingers closed around the hilt,
and he gave an empty smile, turning to slash at the nearest canine, that which
had captured his mind.

�� There was a
scream, and the hands fell away, the images fading from his mind. But the
little horrible voice was still there, urging the wounded Angel to hurt and
kill and keep killing until there was no one left to hurt him.

�� Another
wolf collapsed with a howl as Ayumu found strength in the insanity, the last
part of the visions breaking through to the core of him. That little voice
seemed to delight in the bloodshed, fair trade for what had been done to him.
And how dare those he trusted wound him like that, he wouldn't stand for it.
Those sightless gold eyes fixed on another of the dogs, and Ayumu licked his
lips.

�� Kousuke
gripped at Eyes's arms, his fingers clutching hard enough to bruise, and his
breathing was getting fast and erratic, well on the way towards
hyperventilation. Hurts...it hurts...! I can't stop it!

�� Eyes
couldn't stop it either, and all he could do was force himself to keep his own
mind afloat, the slight relief of pressure coming when the hold on Ayumu's mind
fell away. But what was left could be considered just as frightening. The scars
that had resulted would be difficult to remove, and it made the pianist
tremble. It hurt him so much to feel the last few threads of their link tearing
away, and he couldn't find a trace of Ayumu's true mind in it to latch onto.

�� Kousuke
screamed again as the last thread of the central part of the Web snapped,
leaving only what he and Eyes could hold up on their own. And he knew it
wouldn't last. Their gifts wouldn't hold even their own sections long, and then
Fate could take them both. And the sudden emptiness of Ayumu's mind except for
those burning traces of hatred, betrayal, madness and anger still cut at him,
though the sense of it was growing weaker with Ayumu's withdrawal.

�� Kousuke honestly didn't know
whether he was going to break down or pass out.

�� From where Kanone watched the
result of the Hunt, a shadow fell beside him. A quiet, deep voice murmured,
"If you wish to keep the rest of that pack alive, you'd best call them
away from the child now, Master Kanone." A ponytail of rich ebon fluttered
in the breeze, crimson eyes fixed on the carnage that unfolded before them.
"He's broken, just as you wanted."

�� Kanone
glanced up at the dark haired boy next to him and smiled. "Yes. And he
will never allow himself to get near Blade Children ever again." He stuck
his fingers in his mouth, giving a loud, sharp whistle that could be heard even
above the snarls of the pack and the labored breathing of one broken Angel. The
pack dispersed, leaving Ayumu alone on the blood-soaked grounds, surrounded by
the bodies of those he had taken down before the retreat.

�� "And
just think," Kanone said, his tone conversational, "to top all this
off, Cassie thinks she might be able to use him as a Hunter, with a little
work. I know she's wanted an assistant in weeding out the weaker Blade
Children."

�� Ayumu felt
himself falter with the retreat of the pack, taking first one step forward,
then another. The blade dropped from his hands, and he sank to his knees. The
feral grin was gone, replaced by an expression gone slack with overwhelming
pain and exhaustion. He glanced down at his scarlet-painted fingers and for a
single moment, the ache of regret touched his beautiful face. Then there was
nothing.� Spent as he was, he collapsed
to the ground unconscious.

�� "The Huntress had better
beware that he never discover what she is, or he will try to kill her too. With
that kind of ammunition, he might give her a run for her money," the young
man said thoughtfully. He stared at the fallen Angel, crossing his arms.
"You're pleased with how things turned out, Master Kanone?"

�� Kanone
nodded. "Oh, very pleased, Justin. And I'm sure Hizumi will be, too. As
for Cassie...let's face it, she'd most likely welcome the challenge. She's
always been fond of dangerous risks. I swear, the woman should never get into
gambling."

�� "I'll
go retrieve the boy," Kanone's companion said. "You may wish to
prepare a room for him."

�� Kanone
nodded. "I already thought of that. The Blue Room has been converted for
his occupation. And see that he gets patched up a bit. After all that work, it
would be a bit of a shame if he were to die from blood loss or infection."

�� "As
you wish."

~*~

�� When Rio
returned with Riku, she found the other two Blade Children huddled against each
other. Eyes still had his hands buried in his hair, holding on to his head,
which pounded horribly. The soft sound of his crying was unusual in the sudden
silence.

�� Kousuke
didn't look all that far from tears himself, and was as pale as a sheet, his
eyes dilated to the point where there was only a vague ring of color around
black. He was trembling, hugging himself again as he'd been when Eyes first
found him, just trying to adjust to this sudden and horrible change.

�� "Dear
gods..." Rio murmured in quiet horror,
staring at the scene in front of her.

�� Riku might
not have known the boys for very long, but she ached at the sight of them.
"What do we do...?" she asked the girl at her side. "Do
you...know what happened?"

�� Rio shook her head. "I honestly don't know.
But...Eyes asked me to call Little Narumi before this happened, and he looked
worried when I told him he wasn't at home. It might have something to do with
that." She really hoped not, though.

�� The
tattered remnants of the Web pulled at Kousuke, told him that Eyes was hurting.
And as much as he ached, the redhead couldn't leave the other Blade Child to
suffer alone. So even though he was sore from the soul out, as well as dazed
and shocky, he let go of the tight hold he had on himself, reaching up to try
and wipe away the tears he could see running down the musician's pale face.

�� Eyes tilted
his head to the gentle touch, it being the first contrast to all the abrasive
feelings they'd gone through together. "...I'm sorry..." the
silver-haired boy whispered. He didn't know if he could have stopped what was
happening, but he wished he could have done something.

�� "I'll
consult with Jhette to see what I can find," Riku said, also hoping that
this didn't have to do with Ayumu's disappearance. Especially since it seemed
that a wary trust had built between those three.

�� Kousuke
just shook his head, saying without words that it wasn't Eyes's fault. He
didn't dare try to talk, or he'd break down as well. It was bad enough that
Eyes was crying. Rio and Riku didn't need to
see him fall to pieces too. So he just pulled Eyes into a tight hug, no longer
really caring who was watching.

�� Rio sighed. "I'm not sure Jhette will even
understand enough of this to help. We may have to ask them directly."

�� "After
they've gotten themselves together.. Should we stay or should we leave
them?" Riku had no way of knowing which would be better, though it was
part of her protective instinct to want to go to them and at least be near.

�� Rio looked at the two on the floor, her eyes dark with
worry and sadness. "They need privacy for a little bit, but we don't go
far." Rio pitched her voice loud enough
for the two to hear, though she wasn't sure they'd notice. "When you're
ready, call us back in. We'll be waiting in the room across the hall."

�� Eyes heard
her, but he didn't answer. He had a lot of work to do on getting himself back
to where he should be. Regardless of the Web being in tact or not, the message
had been very clear that Little Narumi was in extreme danger. And there was no
way that he could do anything about that while he was in the state he was in.

�� Kousuke
waited until Rio and Riku had left the room,
and then squeezed his eyes shut, his own tears starting to fall as he trembled.
"What do we do now?" he whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming so
much.

�� "We...have
to find him..." Eyes answered, his voice just as strained. He took one of
Kousuke's hands and twined their fingers tightly. His free hand reached up,
wiping the tears away with the same gentleness that Kousuke had used for him.

�� Kousuke gave
a short laugh, but it was so bitterly caustic as to burn through steel.
"No we don't. I can only think of one person who'd want to hurt him like
that, to make him snap the Web." He clutched at Eyes's hand like a
lifeline, his own heart aching. He hadn't realized Ayumu already meant so much.

�� Eyes
dropped his head, the guilt apparent. He knew who that one person was too, and
that he hadn't expected something like this hurt him. It was doubly painful
that, even though he knew that Kanone wasn't the same as he used to be, he
never would have thought he was so vindictive as to break a young boy this bad.
Hope or not, Ayumu was still a high-school age kid, with no real reasons that
he knew of to be stuck in the middle of this war against Fate. Eyes felt as if
he'd betrayed Ayumu.

�� Kousuke
picked up on the guilt, and his empathy, already battered and abused from the
raw and powerful emotions from Ayumu, reacted with pain. Kousuke shuddered,
swaying slightly as his vision grayed out for a moment. He quickly put up his
shields as tight as he could, wanting to save Eyes from feeling more
guilt for making the redhead pass out. "Please, don't..." he gasped,
stopped to get his breath, and then began again. "Don't blame yourself. If
you didn't know Kanone would go this far, no one would have. It's not your
fault."

�� "We
need to bring Ayumu home... Even if he doesn't want to be part of the Web, we
owe him that much." Eyes pushed the guilt further back, reminded by
Kousuke's ashen complexion that keeping it in the front of his mind would only
hurt the redhead too.

�� Kousuke
nodded, but didn't voice his own fears. If they didn't get Ayumu to rebuild the
Web, what little was left would collapse, and they would both be vulnerable to
Fate again. When his part of the Web collapsed, he'd be engulfed, and he'd
cease to exist as himself. Sure, he'd always expected to end up like that
anyway, but he worried about what he would do, a mindless Blade Child
surrounded by those fighting Fate.

�� "Stop
thinking about it. When we start thinking about the 'ifs', we lose sight of
what's before us..." Eyes was starting to talk like himself again. He
didn't think he'd be the same for a long time to come after this night, but for
the sake of those who were depending on him, he had to get control once more.

�� Kousuke's
anxious eyes lifted, tears still streaming silently down the ashen face. Kousuke
was visibly scared, not just himself, but for Ayumu. I felt so much hatred
and anger in those few seconds...and I don't know who it was aimed at.
The thought that it might be at us, that Kanone got him to somehow blame us for
this...I can't help it. I'm terrified.

�� I felt
it to, Kousuke... I felt everything... I can't tell what he was seeing, he was
too far away, but the thought that Kanone may have turned him against us
frightens me to death. Again, Eyes's long, graceful fingers brushed away
the tears that fell.

�� "I
don't want to have to fight him, Eyes," Kousuke whispered, leaning into
the gentle hand, eyes already despairing. The redhead was a pessimist by
nature, and it was obvious he was already expecting the worst.

�� "I
don't want to either... let's pray we don't have to. But all that only comes
after we've gotten him back. Let's concentrate on that first, all right?"
He bowed a little, kissing Kousuke's forehead.

�� Kousuke
nodded, reaching up to pull Eyes into a hug. "Yeah...but as much as I hate
the fact, it won't be now. I don't think either of us is in any shape for
rescue missions overseas."

�� Eyes shook
his head, holding Kousuke into the embrace with his free arm. The other hand
was still gripping the redhead's not quite painfully tight. "I hate to
agree with you, but we need rest, especially since I know..." He took a
deep breath. "I have to face Kanone to get to Ayumu."

�� "Not
alone," Kousuke whispered fiercely. "Never again. If you call for me,
I'll come to help, no matter where I am. I swore I wouldn't let him hurt you
again."

�� "This
time, he's hurt us both... We can't just stand back and let him think he's won.
We'll get Ayumu back...I can face Kanone, as long as you're with me."

�� Kousuke
nodded. "Should we call the girls back in and start planning, or just try
to sleep? I warn you, my bed's still damp."

�� "I'll
tell them on the way back to my room that we need to rest first. I won't be able
to think very far ahead in this condition."

�� Kousuke
nodded, rubbing at his sore eyes and realizing he was still crying dammit.
As if he needed to feel even more pathetic. He took a deep breath and told
himself to suck it up already. "Yeah. Me either. If I tried planning in
this condition, we'd probably end up attempting to sail to England in a
boat made of rice paper."

�� There were
still tear-streaks on Eyes's face as well when he stood up, helping Kousuke to
his feet to. "And that will get us barely any further than the dock. Who
knows what might happen if you let me try as well. Rest first, plan
later."

�� The redhead
wasn't arguing. He was tired enough that he just moved as Eyes directed without
much in the way of thought or comment. However, he refused to let go of his
grip on Eyes's hand, a sure sign of his anxiety.

�� Eyes leaned
into the doorway across the hall. "I have grave news, which I'm sure
you've already in part figured out," he said to the two girls that had
been waiting almost-patiently.

�� Rio looked up at Eyes and nodded, feeling even more ill
at ease with just how fragile the two of them looked. Neither of them were
people that she would have described that that word until this moment, and she
didn't like it.

�� Riku didn't
like it either, and it showed very plainly on her face. "It's the
Hope...something really bad has happened to him."

�� "In a
mild way of putting it, yes. He is with Kanone," Eyes said quietly,
holding back the guilt that came so that he wouldn't bombard Kousuke with it again.

�� Kousuke
knew Eyes was feeling it, though, and squeezed his hand to tell him it was
okay.

�� Rio went pale, but nodded. "Do you want us to see if
Jhette can fly us there?"

�� "Yes.
Jhette's assistance in getting Little Narumi back is vital. Anything that he
can do would be greatly appreciated," Eyes replied. "I know how to
find Kanone... And I'm not going to let him get away with hurting Ayumu."

�� Rio raised an eyebrow. "You'd better not be thinking
of leaving me behind. He's my friend too." She got up, ready to start
working.

�� That
brought a slight smile to Eyes's face. "I would never deny you the choice
of coming with us, Rio. We need you too."

�� "No
way I'm getting left out of this happy little family reunion we're going to
have," Riku said, cracking her knuckles. "This time, I have no reason
to hold back."

�� Rio grinned at Riku, then turned and looked assessingly
at the two boys. "Eyes, since this definitely counts as a state of
emergency, I'm going to speak plainly. You both look like crap. Go to bed. Riku
and I can get things started on our own, so get some rest. We can leave
tomorrow, after Kousuke comes back from school."

�� "School?!"
Kousuke exclaimed, breaking out of the semi-daze he'd fallen into, "Why
should I--"

�� Rio speared him with a glare. "Because if at least
you don't go, Hiyono's going to realize something is up, and try to nose in on
her own. Just do it."

�� Kousuke
groaned, but couldn't fight that logic. Hiyono was rather like a terrier, with
how she grabbed onto something and shook without letting go until all the
information had fallen out.

�� "She's
right, Kousuke. It's only one day...let's try to preserve as much normalcy and
recover while we have the chance. The moment we take off, we're going to need
to remain focused," Eyes said, rubbing his thumb over the top of Kousuke's
hand gently.

�� "I
know, I know," Kousuke sighed. "I just hope the teacher doesn't
decide to dump a pop quiz on me. I doubt I'd be able to concentrate enough to
write anything sane."

�� "You
mean you normally do?" Rio asked, looking
surprised. Normalcy was needed now, and the fastest way to do that was
to tease the redhead.

�� The nekojin
gave her a glare, but it was blunted by his exhaustion. "Har de har har.
Your obvious concern and sympathy is the absolute balm of my soul, Rio."
he growled sarcastically.

�� "Now
now, Kousuke...do I need to get another bucket?" Riku teased, joining in
with Rio.

�� Kousuke
whined and cringed. "Not more water..." he whimpered, and buried his
face in Eyes's shoulder. "Protect me."

�� "Of
course." Eyes held him, though his embrace was a little tighter than
normal. "That's enough for now. You can tease him well and good when he's
had rest and is a little less cranky."

�� Kousuke
looked up just enough from Eyes's shoulder to give him a mild glare as well.
"Don't encourage them."

�� Eyes
chuckled softly, his voice still shaky. "Forgive me. Rio,
I leave you in charge until tomorrow."

�� Rio nodded. "I'll have everything ready by the time
you're fully rested." she promised.

�� He reached
out and ruffled her hair. "I knew I could count on you." Now, with
Kanone back in England,
he didn't have to worry about who knew when Kousuke was sharing a bed with him.
"Come on, Kousuke."

�� Kousuke
nodded, deciding to make a point of not noticing how Rio's
smile brightened that much more and how Riku's own expression turned smug at
Eyes's words. Right now, he didn't have the energy or the desire to know.
"Lead the way, Eyes." If you don't, I'm liable to walk into a
wall.

�� Don't
worry, I wouldn't let you. He gave the girls a nod, despite their
expressions, and led Kousuke to his room, very content with the thought of
spending the next several hours tucked away under some blankets with the
redhead at his side.
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