Loss of Translation
folder
+S to Z › Tsubasa
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
20
Views:
5,045
Reviews:
37
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+S to Z › Tsubasa
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
20
Views:
5,045
Reviews:
37
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own or make any money off of the Tsubasa fandom. The characters and all plot lines associated to the original story belong to CLAMP.
Rage
A/N : Special thanks to my reviewers. You're my inspiration!
=======================================================
Kurogane could feel the adrenaline from the battle fading as he walked towards his quarters, the worry from earlier beginning to return. He tried to push it aside insisting to himself that everything was fine, but the worry started turning into fear. It was a feeling Kurogane wasn’t used to. And he didn’t like it. As he opened to door to his room the sharp metal tang of blood hit him like a wall. He whirled around, spotting a bloody trail leading into the side room. He followed the line, the fear rising. At first Kuro wasn’t able to spot anything. But as his eyes adjusted to the dim light his gaze landed on a corner. The trail of blood ended in a pool surrounding a huddled naked figure. Fai. Kurogane’s blood began to boil and tendrils of red started creeping into his vision.
He crouched down next to Fai, checking for signs of life. He allowed himself a brief sigh of relief when he felt the faint beating of his friend’s heart. Kurogane hurriedly pulled the blankets from his bedroll and laid them on the floor next to Fai. He gently lifted the mage’s limp form, restraining his anger as Fai whimpered at the motion. Wrapping the blankets carefully around Fai’s body, Kurogane cradled his wounded companion in his arms. With all the skills and abilities which had earned him his title of ninja, Kuro made his way through the palace and into the healer’s rooms without notice.
“What’s happened to him?” the healer inquired, gesturing to the bundled man Kuro carried.
“He’s been hurt. Badly.” Kurogane responded shortly, laying Fai on the healer’s padded table.
The healer removed the blankets surrounding Fai and gasped when he saw the amount of blood and other fluids covering the frail figure.
“What happened?” the healer asked shortly, rummaging through a box by the table.
Kurogane’s face began to redden as the restrained fury inside him crept to the surface.
“I’m going to kill them.”
Noticing the warrior’s thin grasp on his temper, the healer grabbed a cloth and a basin and handed them to Kuro.
“Wash him. Gently. We’ll need to get all of the blood off before I can begin any kind of treatment. I’ll be right back. I need to gather a few things.”
Kuro nodded briefly. He filled the basin with warm water from a pot placed near the healer’s fire. Wetting the cloth and using the lightest touch he could, Kurogane wiped the blood from Fai’s skin. As he worked, Kuro thought of all the painful and torturous ways he would make the men who had done this suffer. With each blotch of red that vanished came a renewed determination to dismember the perpetrators. Kurogane was so focused on his thoughts of revenge that he started when a hand was placed on his arm. Kuro looked up to see Fai smiling sadly at him.
“You’re smiling? You’re laying on the healers table, covered in blood and...” Kurogane chocked, “the entire floor of our chambers is red with your blood, and you’re smiling?!” his voiced became raised and harsh with emotion.
Fai’s smile faded as a wave of pain washed over him, his nails digging into Kurogane’s arm. The healer rushed into the room when Fai began to cry out, the Commander hot on his heels. Elbowing Kurogane out of the way, the healer pressed his hands to Fai’s forehead. His hands began to glow a soft green and Fai relaxed.
The Commander pulled Kurogane into the healer’s preperation room.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Isn’t it obvious what happened? Those soldiers you said were harmless assaulted him. When we returned, I found him in our chambers lying in a pool of his own blood!”
The Commander frowned.
“I’ll handle this.”
“No. You had your chance to handle it. I’m not going to stand by while the men who did this get slaps on the wrists and lectures on appropriate behavior. They are going to pay.” With this threat, Kurogane turned towards the door.
“Before you tear through the palace slicing up soldiers, let me ask you one question.”
Kurogane stopped but didn’t turn around. The Commander continued.
“Why didn’t he fight back? If he knew what the men wanted why did he not simply defend himself. I find it hard to believe that a man of his skill would allow this to happen willingly. Unless, of course, he didn’t understand the situation.”
Kurogane stiffened. After a moments debate, he spoke.
“How long have you known?”
“That your friend didn’t speak our language? Since his first day of training with you. There isn’t a soldier in the world who doesn’t understand the command ‘run’. Combined with his muteness and almost permanent look of confusion...well, the answer was obvious. What language does he speak?”
“I don’t know. We were separated from our translator.”
“Ah, I see. Can you communicate with him?”
“He seems to understand me most of the time. Why?”
“He’ll need you by him to help explain what’s happening. You are the only person he trusts right now. Let me investigate a bit and find out which soldiers are responsible. Once I have names, I’ll let you handle them how you see fit, but for now, stay with Fai. Running around killing random people because they might have been involved might help calm your rage, but it won’t ease his pain.” Without waiting for acknowledgement, the Commander left the healer’s rooms and disappeared.
------------------------------------------------
Kurogane stood in the doorway staring at the nearly still form lying on the healer’s table. The healer had removed the bloody blanket and replaced it with a clean one draped over Fai’s lower body. The welts on his cheeks were completely healed and Kuro could tell that the color had returned to the mage’s skin.
“How is he?” The healer jumped slightly at the question.
“He was wounded quite badly. His insides were sliced up by some sort of knife or other sharp instrument. That’s what caused the bleeding. I’ve done what I can for him. He’s going to have to take some time recovering.”
“Can I take him back to our room?”
“I think that would be alright.”
After giving the warrior specific instructions regarding how he was to care for his friend and giving him a bottle of medicine in case there was any lingering pain, Kuro carried Fai back to their room. The smell of blood was gone, replaced by the sweeter smell of herbs and soap. The floors had been scrubbed clean and the bedrolls Fai and Kurogane had been using were gone, straw filled mattresses taking their place. Kurogane lay Fai down on one of these and covered him with a blanket.
Kuro reached out and gently touched the dark wounds on Fai’s cheek.
“What have I done?”
TBC
=======================================================
Kurogane could feel the adrenaline from the battle fading as he walked towards his quarters, the worry from earlier beginning to return. He tried to push it aside insisting to himself that everything was fine, but the worry started turning into fear. It was a feeling Kurogane wasn’t used to. And he didn’t like it. As he opened to door to his room the sharp metal tang of blood hit him like a wall. He whirled around, spotting a bloody trail leading into the side room. He followed the line, the fear rising. At first Kuro wasn’t able to spot anything. But as his eyes adjusted to the dim light his gaze landed on a corner. The trail of blood ended in a pool surrounding a huddled naked figure. Fai. Kurogane’s blood began to boil and tendrils of red started creeping into his vision.
He crouched down next to Fai, checking for signs of life. He allowed himself a brief sigh of relief when he felt the faint beating of his friend’s heart. Kurogane hurriedly pulled the blankets from his bedroll and laid them on the floor next to Fai. He gently lifted the mage’s limp form, restraining his anger as Fai whimpered at the motion. Wrapping the blankets carefully around Fai’s body, Kurogane cradled his wounded companion in his arms. With all the skills and abilities which had earned him his title of ninja, Kuro made his way through the palace and into the healer’s rooms without notice.
“What’s happened to him?” the healer inquired, gesturing to the bundled man Kuro carried.
“He’s been hurt. Badly.” Kurogane responded shortly, laying Fai on the healer’s padded table.
The healer removed the blankets surrounding Fai and gasped when he saw the amount of blood and other fluids covering the frail figure.
“What happened?” the healer asked shortly, rummaging through a box by the table.
Kurogane’s face began to redden as the restrained fury inside him crept to the surface.
“I’m going to kill them.”
Noticing the warrior’s thin grasp on his temper, the healer grabbed a cloth and a basin and handed them to Kuro.
“Wash him. Gently. We’ll need to get all of the blood off before I can begin any kind of treatment. I’ll be right back. I need to gather a few things.”
Kuro nodded briefly. He filled the basin with warm water from a pot placed near the healer’s fire. Wetting the cloth and using the lightest touch he could, Kurogane wiped the blood from Fai’s skin. As he worked, Kuro thought of all the painful and torturous ways he would make the men who had done this suffer. With each blotch of red that vanished came a renewed determination to dismember the perpetrators. Kurogane was so focused on his thoughts of revenge that he started when a hand was placed on his arm. Kuro looked up to see Fai smiling sadly at him.
“You’re smiling? You’re laying on the healers table, covered in blood and...” Kurogane chocked, “the entire floor of our chambers is red with your blood, and you’re smiling?!” his voiced became raised and harsh with emotion.
Fai’s smile faded as a wave of pain washed over him, his nails digging into Kurogane’s arm. The healer rushed into the room when Fai began to cry out, the Commander hot on his heels. Elbowing Kurogane out of the way, the healer pressed his hands to Fai’s forehead. His hands began to glow a soft green and Fai relaxed.
The Commander pulled Kurogane into the healer’s preperation room.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Isn’t it obvious what happened? Those soldiers you said were harmless assaulted him. When we returned, I found him in our chambers lying in a pool of his own blood!”
The Commander frowned.
“I’ll handle this.”
“No. You had your chance to handle it. I’m not going to stand by while the men who did this get slaps on the wrists and lectures on appropriate behavior. They are going to pay.” With this threat, Kurogane turned towards the door.
“Before you tear through the palace slicing up soldiers, let me ask you one question.”
Kurogane stopped but didn’t turn around. The Commander continued.
“Why didn’t he fight back? If he knew what the men wanted why did he not simply defend himself. I find it hard to believe that a man of his skill would allow this to happen willingly. Unless, of course, he didn’t understand the situation.”
Kurogane stiffened. After a moments debate, he spoke.
“How long have you known?”
“That your friend didn’t speak our language? Since his first day of training with you. There isn’t a soldier in the world who doesn’t understand the command ‘run’. Combined with his muteness and almost permanent look of confusion...well, the answer was obvious. What language does he speak?”
“I don’t know. We were separated from our translator.”
“Ah, I see. Can you communicate with him?”
“He seems to understand me most of the time. Why?”
“He’ll need you by him to help explain what’s happening. You are the only person he trusts right now. Let me investigate a bit and find out which soldiers are responsible. Once I have names, I’ll let you handle them how you see fit, but for now, stay with Fai. Running around killing random people because they might have been involved might help calm your rage, but it won’t ease his pain.” Without waiting for acknowledgement, the Commander left the healer’s rooms and disappeared.
------------------------------------------------
Kurogane stood in the doorway staring at the nearly still form lying on the healer’s table. The healer had removed the bloody blanket and replaced it with a clean one draped over Fai’s lower body. The welts on his cheeks were completely healed and Kuro could tell that the color had returned to the mage’s skin.
“How is he?” The healer jumped slightly at the question.
“He was wounded quite badly. His insides were sliced up by some sort of knife or other sharp instrument. That’s what caused the bleeding. I’ve done what I can for him. He’s going to have to take some time recovering.”
“Can I take him back to our room?”
“I think that would be alright.”
After giving the warrior specific instructions regarding how he was to care for his friend and giving him a bottle of medicine in case there was any lingering pain, Kuro carried Fai back to their room. The smell of blood was gone, replaced by the sweeter smell of herbs and soap. The floors had been scrubbed clean and the bedrolls Fai and Kurogane had been using were gone, straw filled mattresses taking their place. Kurogane lay Fai down on one of these and covered him with a blanket.
Kuro reached out and gently touched the dark wounds on Fai’s cheek.
“What have I done?”
TBC