dreams of dawn ~cold-light~ part b
~

“So... What the hell did Malba do anyway? Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Jiro cut in with an agitated sigh, moving to run a lean hand through his shaggy brown locks. “I wake up and find him and Rae on the bathroom floor, and... Yeah. What happened?”

“He used too much energy. He used fire to warm Druu up, to help ease the pain a little,” Ryuuji responded quietly, his red gaze moving to briefly meet the teen’s steel-blue eyes. “It’s not a good idea for Malba to use fire energy... Especially when he’s already weak and injured...” the man mumbled, his gaze moving away from Jiro, instead pulling back to the wheezing psychic resting in his arms. “I’m an idiot for letting him do it. He... Mals wouldn’t take no for an answer. Stubborn little brat,” the kokuei then commented, a bitter smirk forming on his split, light purple lips.

Not a good idea to use fire energy... At all? Rae raised an eyebrow at the purple haired demon’s statement, a bit of puzzlement appearing in her aqua-blue eyes. Fire... Malba is a darkness sprite, or... So he says, anyway. So what is it with the fire? And those damn red eyes... And his blood... It was confusing. Frankly, the girl couldn’t quite get her thoughts organized enough to even begin to seriously contemplate Ryuuji’s statement. Fire... Too much had happened in one night, way too much. It feels like its been weeks, not hours... Her brain packed with so many bits of new information and... She was far too weary to even begin to make sense of it all. Far too weary and far too worried. I can’t deal with all of this, I...

“Not a good idea to use fire energy? Why?” Jiro’s voice cut into Rae’s thoughts and she blinked, refocusing her attention on the darkness sprite, her face clearly showing her weariness and concern. Don’t bother asking, Jiro. No one’s going to tell you...

“It’s not--” Kitsune started but the teen let out an aggravated groan, cutting the woman off. “I know, I know. It’s not my concern, right?” he questioned irritably, his voice dripping with irritation. “Not your concern. Not your concern. That gets really old, you know.”

The ice demon twitched at this, a flash of anger sparking in her eyes. This look only intensified as Ryuuji let out a soft laugh, obviously amused by Jiro’s remark. “What are you laughing at, fool?” was the woman’s only response, moving her gaze to the kokuei demon, shooting him an absolutely livid glare.

“Well, you’ve got to admit, Kits, the human is right. You’re like a broken record. You really do need to come up with a new line,” Ryuuji stated evenly, a spark of dark amusement playing across his pale face.

Rae’s eyes widened at the man’s comment, her gaze moving to take in Kitsune’s face. That may not have been such a great idea, Ryuuji, she thought, noting the woman’s darkening eyes, the irate look playing across her icy face. Yeah. I’d say that’s of the not good category...

“Fuck you, Ryuuji,” the woman bit out angrily, her eyes narrowing as she met the shadow demon’s red gaze. The two fell into silence, in what seemed to be some sort of staring match... Though it only took Rae a few moments to realize they were in reality, simply communicating telepathically. Again with the damn telepathy. So not fair... she thought with a rueful smirk, slightly shaking her head. Non-humans and their cool powers...

Kitsune and Ryuuji remained silent for a few more moments, and as the silence progressed, Kitsune’s facial expression only grew angrier, her right eye twitching, her lips forming a deep scowl... What the hell were the two arguing about now? Somehow I doubt it’s just the whole ‘it’s not your concern’ crack... Rae shared another look with Jiro, raising an eyebrow at the boy. The shaggy haired brunette rolled his eyes in response, shrugging his shoulders in a: who knows gesture. Yeah, it’s hard to tell what those two are arguing about... Obviously Kits is uber pissed... Could it really just be because the man had made a mistake, getting captured? It... There really seemed to be more to it than that...

Even Mals said he thought there was more to it than that... Before he went all red eyed and weird... The girl’s thoughts trailed and she took in a weary breath, turning to meet her brother’s gaze once more. The girl and her younger brother shared another questioning look and Rae shrugged, a frown on her lips. I don’t know either, Jiro. I really don’t know what the fuck is going on between Ryuuji and Kitsune. She was too freaking tired and stressed out to even attempt any serious contemplation over it.

“Fucking bastard,” the woman suddenly snapped aloud, breaking the silence, her voice agitated, irate. With an angry growl, she pulled her gaze away from the demon, instead moving her icy gaze to focus on Druuvbin. “You have no right to say that,” she added heatedly, her voice lowering, her eyes narrowing.

Ryuuji let out an agitated sigh, moving to run a hand through his spiked back purple hair in an exasperated gesture. “Kitsune. Calm down. I don’t want to argue with you,” he stated flatly, his smooth voice holding a hint of frustration. “And you know, I hardly see how you have any room to talk about--” he started, however was abruptly cut off as the ice demon let out a low growl, shooting him another incensed glare. “Fine. I’m sorry. Forget I said a fucking word,” he muttered instead, his voice growing colder, his red eye holding an aggravated expression.

How the hell does Ryuuji’s joke about Kitsune’s overuse of ‘it’s not your concern’ evolve into whatever the hell that was about? Damn... Rae thought, taking in the obvious tension between the two. ‘Tension’ being a serious understatement... Holy shit is Kitsune pissed. “Uh... Guys?” the girl questioned uneasily, trying to decide how the hell to somewhat diffuse the situation without getting her head chopped off or something... “Guys? Um... Let’s not get all pissed off, neh?” she requested softly, her voice holding a beseeching tone. “Please?”

Neither of the demons responded and Rae took in a weary breath, running a hand over her eyes. “Fine, ignore me,” she mumbled softly, moving to massage her aching temples. Damn. Talk about tension. Geez...

--You know, I’ve got to work on that big mouth problem of mine,-- Ryuuji’s voice suddenly floated through her mind and a small smile formed on the girl’s sore lips at the demon’s rueful words. --What the hell did you say to piss her off so much? I mean, besides the whole ‘broken record’ thing?-- Rae inquired, focusing her aqua colored eyes to the kokuei, meeting his red gaze.

--...Well. Something kind of stupid... At this rate, she’s going to stay pissed at me for centuries,-- Ryuuji mumbled in response, casting a quick glance at the woman. The purple haired demon then let out a soft sigh, his gaze moving to rest on the unconscious darkness elemental lying on the bed. --...So, Malba... Was he...-- Ryuuji started, but paused, as if unsure what exactly to say. He frowned, a frustrated look appearing on his pale, cut marred face.

Rae raised an eyebrow at this, a bitter smile forming on her lips. --Was he losing it?-- she added helpfully, carefully watching the shadow demon. The man’s frown deepened and he continued to focus on Malba’s blank, expressionless face. --Was he?-- the man inquired quietly, his mental ‘voice’ holding a tint of melancholy.

Was he ‘losing’ it? Hm.... Exactly how should she respond to that? --Well. When I went in there, he was on the floor, his head pressed into his knees. His eyes were red and he was... God he was so broken,-- she responded softly, a fresh wave of concern washing over her at the memory of the hollow look in the sprite’s red eyes. Hollow and so very weary... It... It had terrified her. To see such a broken expression on Malba’s face... Seeing Malba so...So... It...

--Broken? Yeah... I’d say that’s a good word for it,-- was the spiky haired kokuei’s only response, his smooth mental voice troubled, agitated even. It was apparent the man wanted to say something else, yet he remained silent, closing the link between their minds instead.

Rae let out another sigh, again moving to lightly massage her throbbing temple, a surge of weariness without warning encompassing her. She was so very tired. Tired and worried, afraid and... Ugh... Too much... The girl slowly moved across the room to sit on the small black couch, her blue-green eyes closing for a moment as she attempted to focus, to keep calm, collected... She vaguely sensed her brother move to sit beside her and she reached out a hand to playfully tap the boy on the shoulder in a teasing movement. The girl opened her eyes, casting a halfhearted, forced grin to Jiro, meeting the boy’s intense, worried blue eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she stated quietly, desperately trying to believe her own words.

The room fell into an uneasy silence and the pink haired girl sat in weary contemplation, her aqua eyes moving restlessly about the room. Taking in the moody greys, the gothic, dark atmosphere of the room... I’ve got to redecorate this damn room, she thought with a roll of her eyes. This is a fucking depressing situation to start with, without my damn room making it even freaking worse... The girl was growing quite disheartened. Tired and so very... Concerned. Not to mention confused.

Confused as to why the hell Druuvbin was lying on her bed, dying. Confused as to why Malba had sat on a cold tile floor, utterly broken. Confused as to why Kitsune was so angry with Ryuuji. Confused as to why Kopaka was still so very ill, after resting for hours. Confused as to why Yuki was hiding things from her and why... Why... Rae closed her eyes tightly, forcing her racing thoughts to slow, forcing away the overwhelming urge to freak out like an immature child.

After taking a few deep breaths, she opened her eyes, focusing on Kitsune, carefully taking in the ice demon’s pale face. Kitsune absentmindedly shoved a few locks of loose, tri-colored hair away from her ice eyes, her intense gaze flickering back and forth between Druuvbin and Malba. On closer inspection, Rae could clearly see a brief flash of guilt wash over the woman’s features as her icy gaze locked on Druuvbin’s pallid lips. Why are you looking at him like that, Kitsune? Those guilt-ridden, remorseful looks... Such a bitter, regretful expression...

The ice/fox demon slowly pulled her gaze away from the wheezing psychic, again focusing on the darkness sprite resting in her lap. Kitsune let out a sigh, moving her right hand to gingerly brush Malba’s long black locks away from his face. The woman’s frown deepened as she continued to watch the man and Rae quickly realized why as she took in the expression playing across Malba’s clammy, pale face. The uneasy, troubled look was back. He... He must be dreaming again... I... What the hell are you dreaming, Malba? About that human? The one Kaine had spoken of, the one Malba supposedly killed? The human whose faded name was carved on a large, scratched lighter... Jinya. Who was he? And if Malba really killed him... The girl’s thoughts trailed off as the darkness elemental’s bitter words echoed through her mind...

--“...Haven’t I told you to never trust me? Do you want to die? Is that it? The last human that trusted me ended up dead. So don’t fucking trust me and don’t say it doesn’t matter. It does...”--

His tone had been so utterly hollow, so empty as he quietly stated those bitter words. Dejected and melancholy, soft and desolate... Regret and suffering, bitterness and pain... It had been so very clear in his soft, flat voice. He killed this ‘Jinya’ I guess, but he... It was rather obvious it wasn’t something Malba was proud of to say the least, wasn’t something he had wanted or... Or... What happened to you, Malba? As the girl sat in silent contemplation, her blue-green eyes moving to focus on that uneasy, troubled face, she let her thoughts slip back to the day she had first laid eyes on a faded inscription engraved on a scratched, metal lighter....

Despite her bad memory, her ditzy, absentminded nature, that day still stuck with her quite clearly. In that dim forest, talking to the darkness sprite... A flat, empty tone had been in his voice that day too, hadn’t it? That day was the first time I had ever seen his eyes go red, too.

Rae had questioned him on the lighter and his response had been vague, apathetic and flat...

--“It was a gift. Long time ago.”--

His voice cool, emotionless.

--“Oh. From a friend? Is it this Jinya person who gave it to you?”-- Maybe she had been prying, but it was only simple curiosity that had driven the girl to inquire. I guess it was none of my business anyway, but I...

--“Doesn’t really matter. He’s dead.”-- Malba’s voice had been so very flat, so very... Hollow. Empty, it...

--“Oh. Uh, I’m sorry.”-- It had been a serious open mouth, insert foot moment for her. She hadn’t really known how the hell to respond to the dark haired elemental’s flat statement and she... Well, Rae certainly hadn’t been prepared for the sprite’s next comment.

--“Nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who killed him after all.”-- He had shrugged it off, but his dark-blue eyes... For a brief moment... A flash of bitterness, of pain...

Jinya... The girl suppressed a sigh, a shudder involuntarily traversing up her spine, a chilled sensation washing over her. Another memory from that day flowed through her thoughts and the frown on her lips deepened, her aqua eyes clouding with unease. I told him he could trust me, that he could tell me if something’s going on, if something’s wrong, but he... Rae let her thoughts trail and she closed her eyes, taking in a deep, weary breath.

--I am not a nice guy. Don’t ever think that I am. I can trust you, you say? Well guess what? You can’t trust me. Don’t ever trust me, Rae. Get it?”-- Bitter words, his dark eyes so very empty, so... All further attempt at conversation with the man that day had been useless, as he shrugged it off and simply walked away instead. It’s like he doesn’t even trust himself. He doesn’t want me to trust him, and he... He won’t tell me anything. About himself, about the red eyes and about... About everything.... I know he isn’t ready to tell me but I... I...

--“...He... Malba wasn’t always like this...”-- Kopaka’s soft, murmured words from that day echoed in her thoughts and she couldn’t suppress the sigh threatening to escape her lips. Rae closed her eyes tighter, clenching her hands into tight fists. That had been months ago. Her quiet discussion with Kopaka about Malba, and then the confusing, odd talk with Malba himself... A shady, moss-green forest, cool and shadowy... Funny, and I thought that was a bad day. Looking back on it now, it was pretty fucking mild in comparison.... Rae opened her eyes at this thought, her gaze flickering over the prone forms of Druuvbin and Malba, her eyes growing a bit watery. Ugh, being whiny now... She couldn’t help it. It...

Red eyes...

--“...Haven’t I told you to never trust me? Do you want to die? Is that it? The last human that trusted me ended up dead. So don’t fucking trust me and don’t say it doesn’t matter. It does...”--

--...I am not a nice guy. Don’t ever think that I am...--

Not a nice guy? The hell you’re not... Rae clenched her fists tighter, her fingernails digging into her palms as she bit down on her lower lip. Despite his sometimes bitchy, harsh personality, the man was... He was willing to get himself killed, just trying to protect me from Kaine.... The darkness sprite had done his best to shield her from the blonde demon, though weak and injured, hurting and suffering, he had held his ground. He promised me he wasn’t going to let Kaine hurt me, and he.... Malba was a good person. No matter what the idiot thought, she knew, she... Malba, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but now more than ever, I completely know that you’re a good guy. A really good guy, she thought, her gaze locking on the dark haired elemental’s clammy, troubled face.

After watching him struggle to warm Druuvbin, draining his own energy to help the suffering, agonized water elemental, watching him completely cast that ‘bitchy’ persona aside, gently holding Druu, his eyes compassionate and so very worried... Oh yeah, Mals. You’re a terrible guy. Right. Yeah, so you’ve obviously got some issues going on, but you... You are a good guy. Risking going to that base, taking a bullet, holding his ground against Aevik Kaine, struggling to warm Druuvbin... I love ya, Mals. You’re a good guy. Even if you really did kill that Jinya person. It doesn’t matter, because I know you’re... You’re a good person, Rae thought, her gaze not moving from the man’s uneasy, moist face, the soft frown on his sliced lips...

--Malba’s going to be alright, Rae. Don’t get too upset, okay?-- Ryuuji cut into her thoughts and she blinked, a bit startled by the sudden voice floating through her mind. The pink haired girl turned her attention to the spiky haired demon, meeting his red gaze. --Oh? Well why were you so worried, huh?-- she responded with a minute smile, her mental ‘voice’ holding a questioning tint.

A small smirk formed on Ryuuji’s split, light purple lips at the girl’s inquiry, a rueful expression flickering across his pale face. --Well, you’ve got a point... But seriously, his energy is stabilizing now. He’s going to be alright this time, so calm down, okay? He just needs to rest now,-- the purple haired man commented evenly, giving the girl a look of reassurance.

--...This time?-- Rae inquired, her eyes narrowing as she took in the demon’s words. This time? This time? The girl swallowed nervously, a wave of unease washing over her. Oh, that sounds good.

--...Uh, well...-- Ryuuji blinked, a frown forming on his purple lips. --Well, I mean he...-- he started, however trailed off, a sigh escaping him. --Damn it. Again I say, that big mouth problem of mine has really got to be worked on...-- he then mumbled, moving to run a hand through his spiky purple hair, his gaze lowering.

--Well, technically it’s not your mouth. Using telepathy, neh?-- the girl joked weakly, forcing a small smile on her lips. This time? That... --Ryuuji... There’s something wrong with Malba, isn’t there? I mean, as in something seriously wrong, right?-- she then inquired softly, her blue-green eyes troubled, her face showing her weariness, her concern.

Ryuuji remained in silence for a few moments, as if contemplating if he should answer. He finally nodded his head, not meeting the girl’s gaze, his red eye instead focused to the white blanket covering Druuvbin’s trembling frame. --Yeah. There is.-- With that vague, soft mental response, Ryuuji closed the mind-link, his face troubled, his sole eye holding a look of melancholy.

...God damn has this been one sucky fucking day... Rae pulled her focus away from the kokuei, closing her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Really sucky. Beyond sucky. It... It really fucking sucked. Hard. I guess I am a big freaking baby, because this is just about too much for me to deal with. I’m so tempted to go sit in a corner and completely lose it, the pink haired girl thought, lowering her head, closing her eyes tighter.

You know, she... God did she want to speak with Druuvbin. I’m... I’m so used to talking to Druu about stuff and he... Um, he’s so easy to talk to and he's always good at making me calm down when I’m all OCD anxiety-attackness, and now he... God damn it, now he can hardly even breathe, let alone talk... I... Rae mentally shook herself, forcing herself to take a few deep breaths, to regain a bit of control over her frayed nerves. Now was not the time to be wigging out. I’ve got to keep calm. Wigging out is just uh, not an option right now. Idiot, she berated herself, irritated by her emotional weakness. Just keep calm...

The girl opened her aqua eyes, running both hands through her long pink hair, brushing thick locks away from her face as she took in another deep, shaky breath. Just keep it together. Rae then refocused her attention to the double bed situated in the middle of the dark, moody room, her gaze slowly moving over the non-humans situated on said bed.

Kitsune seemed lost in deep thought; her ice-blue eyes focused on Druuvbin’s face as she inattentively ran a hand through Malba’s long, raven-black hair. Clearly upset, that look of remorse again playing across her icy features... Kits, what’s going on, neh? Why are you looking at Druu-chan so guiltful-like? It was kind of odd, seeing emotion on the woman’s face. Okay, more than ‘kind of.’ A lot odd. I’m not really used to her having anything other than that whole blank, emotionless thing going on. Rae turned her attention down to the blood stained bandages concealing the ice/fox demon’s lower arms, a small shudder coursing up her spine. Now that she knew what the bandages were for, it... God, her father... How could he do that? To his own fucking daughter? That... Rae shook the thought off, deciding it best to not even think about it at the moment. It would just piss her off, and hell. Her emotions were already getting pretty hard to control, so yeah...

She instead moved her gaze to Ryuuji, watching as the kokuei focused his attention on Druuvbin, running a bruised hand over the psychic’s pallid forehead, a strange look passing over his cut marred face. What is that? It was like that look before... The expression that had passed over his features when Druu muttered those soft words... --“Na... Na lanei sa...”-- Whatever that meant... I wonder... The girl shrugged the thought off, again deciding to not even think on it. She... She really just didn’t have the energy to seriously contemplate anything at the moment.

Rae turned her focus down to Druuvbin for a moment, watching the man struggle to breathe, taking in his pale, agonized face.... He must be starting to hurt worse again, she thought with a shaky sigh, moving a hand up to massage her temple. The psychic was growing paler again, that look of agony forming on his striking, lovely face... It... Druu-chan... His lips trembling, his body shuddering... His breaths sharp and ragged, wheezing and harsh. It... It...

She couldn’t stand to look at the water elemental’s pained face any longer. The girl turned her gaze away, her blue-green eyes growing watery once more. So much pain, stuck in his ‘dreams’ and... What are you stuck in now, Druu-chan? What hell are you being put through now? It... It isn’t fair.... You don’t deserve this. Of course, as Kitsune had said earlier, life was anything but fair. --“...Yes well, life isn’t fair, now is it? Of course it isn’t fair...”--

“Malba looks like he’s having bad dreams or something,” Jiro commented softly, breaking into the silence of the dim room. Rae turned her gaze to the darkness sprite’s pale face, noting the look of unease, the tense, pained expression.

“He is,” Kitsune responded flatly, her ice eyes also moving to focus on the pale man resting in her lap, a hint of a melancholy frown briefly forming on her blue-white lips.

“How do you know?” the shaggy haired brunette inquired quietly, his steely-blue eyes not moving from Malba as he raised a hand to gnaw on his fingernails in his trademark nervous habit.

“...I just do,” was the woman’s only response. She gently ran a sword calloused finger over the man’s face, lightly tracing the bullet graze-wound cut into his right cheek, a soft sigh escaping her. “You fool,” she then mumbled, so softly that Rae barely even made out her murmured words.

Bad dreams... Yeah, looks like Druu’s not the only one having bad dreams right now... Rae thought, a jagged wave of disheartening, desolating feelings threatening to completely overrun her. She forced the surging emotions away however, not allowing herself to fall into that suffocatingly thick force of forlorn sensations. I can’t freaking lose it. Just... Stay calm, idiot.

The room once again fell into heavy silence, (silent save for Druuvbin’s harsh, ragged breaths) and the girl closed her eyes, taking in a few deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Steady and deep, forcing herself to remain in control, to keep the waves of melancholy at bay, to keep... Keep from breaking down like an immature two year old, to keep from having a total meltdown. Or something equally embarrassing. Yeah, that’d be great...

“Sana...Nai...” a soft voice broke into her contemplations and Rae opened her eyes, focusing her weary aqua gaze on Druuvbin. Soft, mumbled words, barely distinguishable amongst his shallow, rasping breaths. “Sana nai sa... Bekat...I... Veenom, I’m...” the psychic mumbled, however his words were abruptly cut off as a jagged, harsh cough escaped him, rocking his body. A bit of blood slipped from the right corner of his lips and he shifted, his closed eyelids fluttering. “Kanat sa, sana nai.... Sana nai ana dira sa...” Druuvbin then whispered softly, his eyelids twitching, a frown forming on his pallid lips.

Sana nai sa... He was apologizing. What for, Rae wasn’t sure of course, but she had at least caught that much. Veenom? And ‘Bekat’ again... What does that mean, I wonder? What... Druu-chan, what are you seeing now? God did... Did this so suck. He’s hurting worse again, and I guess his ‘dreams’ are getting worse again too... she thought with a shaky breath, clasping her hands together in an absentminded, nervous gesture. The psychic’s face was steadily growing paler, that look of pain, agony... It...

“Na tana kanat. Fool,” Kitsune stated softly, and though she had technically just called the elemental a ‘fool,’ her tone was anything but harsh or insulting. It’s still weird, seeing Kitsune be nice and gentle-like, Rae thought, watching as the ice/fox reached out a hand to tenderly touch the psychic’s cheek. “Druuvbin, that wasn’t your fault. None of that was your fault. Why do you hold yourself accountable for something you couldn’t control?” she questioned quietly, her ice-blue eyes focused squarely on the man’s pallid, pain-stricken face. “I promise you, that wasn’t your fault.”

“I’d ask what he said and what’s not his fault, but I’m guessing I’ll get the ‘none of your business’ treatment, right?” Rae inquired softly, her voice weary, her eyes focusing to the worn floorboards. She couldn’t stand to look at the psychic’s agonized face, the thin trickle of blood staining his lower-lip and chin... If he starts bleeding too much... He’s going to have to have more of that fucking ‘medicine’ which means... He’ll be in even more pain and... Ugh. God damn this... It was ironic. The one thing that could keep Druuvbin alive was the one thing that made his agony even worse. It... It just plain sucked. Entirely.

“Druuvbin blames himself for things that he had no control over. Things he couldn’t have changed, couldn’t have stopped. Yet he still hates himself for the outcome. A psychic’s curse I suppose,” Kitsune responded flatly, her voice lowering, her hand gently running across the water sprite’s pale forehead. “He’s a fool.”

“A psychic’s curse?” Jiro questioned quietly, his steel-blue eyes focused on the drying blood staining Druuvbin’s lips and chin. “Things he couldn’t change?” the teen then inquired, his gaze slowly moving from the psychic, instead focusing to the ice demon. “What things couldn’t he change?”

“That isn’t for me to say,” Kitsune commented with a slow, heavy sigh, pulling her hand away from Druuvbin’s pale face. The woman’s eyes glanced about the bed, fixing on a cast aside washcloth, stained red. The demon took hold of the rag, gently moving to wipe the thin trail of drying blood from the psychic’s face. “Druuvbin wouldn’t want me to say. So no, I’m not going to tell you,” she stated matter-of-factly, wiping the man’s face clean. She then set the rag directly beside her, her gaze again focusing on the psychic’s pale, pained face.

“Well. That’s an improvement from ‘it’s not your concern’ at least,” Jiro quipped dryly, a wry smile forming on his lips.

Kitsune rolled her eyes at this, though didn’t seem to take offense at the teen’s remark. The ice demon did not respond however, only sighed once more, a weary expression overtaking her pale facial features.

He wouldn’t want us to know... Why? Why was Druuvbin so damn secretive about his past, so very... He didn’t even want us to know he’s sick, and he... “Does he honestly think that there’s anything about himself that could make us think less of him?” Rae inquired with a frown, a troubled look flickering through her blue-green eyes. “I don’t know about anyone else, but there’s nothing he could ever tell me that would make me think any less of him. I love him. Period,” the girl stated firmly, her clasped hands tightening. You idiot... Druu-chan, I love you... I... “Does he really think he has to hide things from us?”

“Yes, he does. Rae, Druuvbin is terrified of letting anyone in,” Ryuuji responded frankly, looking up from the psychic, meeting the pink haired human’s troubled gaze. “Not only does he not want to worry you, but he... He’s afraid of losing the few people who do care about him. He’s so afraid of being alone again, he...” the spiky haired demon trailed off and he shook his head. “He never tells anyone anything. He never tells us when he feels bad, he never complains, he never... It... He can be a real idiot,” the man stated with a bitter smile, running a bruised hand gently through the water elemental’s silky dark-blue hair.

“Alone again?” Jiro inquired, raising an eyebrow. “Is this about that ‘monster’ thing? Is that why he’s so secretive all the time?” the brunette questioned, his voice low, his eyes lowering to the white blanket covering Druuvbin’s trembling frame. “Kouji said people call him a monster. Why?”

Ryuuji and Kitsune exchanged a quick glance, and a brief flash of bitterness could clearly be seen on both demons’ faces. Bitterness and sadness. A monster. How... How could anyone think of Druuvbin as a damn monster? That’s what I’ll never get... She really just.... Didn’t understand. At all.

“Malba told me... He told me that Druuvbin... Druuvbin said that Malba was the first person to ever treat him as something other than a ‘monster.’ So... Before Malba...” Rae trailed off, her gaze moving to focus on the unconscious darkness elemental, his pale face, his troubled expression... Malba was the first person to... To...

“He was utterly alone,” Kitsune responded with a small nod of her head, her eyes holding a troubled, bitter expression. “Before Malba, Druuvbin had no one,” she stated flatly, her voice low, toneless.

What a... What a terrible thought. For so many years, he... Never? He never had anyone? “He didn’t even have any family? Any friends? Nothing? No one?” the girl questioned with an uneven voice, unclasping her hands, biting down on her sore lower lip. No one? Nobody? That... How is that even possible? If he’s even older than Kitsune... That would make him at the very least... Over seven thousand years old. Malba is only nine hundred and twenty two, so... For thousands of years, he... God damn...

Not that she hadn’t realized it before when Malba had first said it, but it... It was finally taking full effect, sending an aching, bitter pain directly into her heart. Finally fully understanding how... How very lonely of an existence the psychic must have lived, if he truly had no one for all those years, it... “No one...”

“No one,” Ryuuji stated with a frown, his smooth voice holding a tone of resentment, of anger. “Not one damn person who knew who he was could ever see him as anything but that -‘monster,’-” he mumbled quietly, continuing to slowly run his bruised hand through the psychic’s long blue hair, brushing stray strands away from the water elemental’s face. “Hell. I was a fucked up, evil bastard and even I could tell he wasn’t a monster,” he added, a hint of a rueful, self-deprecating smirk briefly forming on his split lips.

“Malba may be a lot of things but... He really isn’t judgmental. He didn’t care what others thought. He never has and he never will. He may be a fool, but he has always had a strong will, a rebellious nature,” Kitsune commented with a hint of a smirk --ever so slight-- forming on her pale lips as she took in the dark haired sprite’s face. The woman gently moved to touch Malba’s cheek, tracing the graze-wound marring his pale, clammy flesh. “Malba and Druuvbin rely on each other. They both have been through... Difficult times. It hurts Malba to see Druuvbin in such a state, which is why he does foolish things and nearly gets himself killed. Reckless moron,” she then stated dryly, shaking her head a bit, sending her loose, tri-colored hair swinging about her shoulders.

A soft smile formed on Rae’s lips at the ice/fox demon’s statement, her aqua gaze focusing on the darkness sprite. See, Malba? You are a nice guy. Stupid. Sure, the guy could be pretty bitchy and irritable, but underneath that hostile, standoffish exterior... He’s a nice guy. “So I guess if it weren’t for Malba... I guess Druu would still be alone,” she stated softly, not pulling her focus away from the dark haired elemental. If not for Malba, I guess Druu wouldn’t have met any of the others and he... Yeah. He’d probably still be alone.

“Alone... Alone or dead,” Kitsune commented quietly, her voice low, her face holding a troubled expression. “I’d wager dead.”

“Yeah. Without having all of us to keep him going, Druu would probably have given up by now,” Ryuuji added with a sigh, shaking his head at his own words. “He’s had to put up with a lot of hell over the years. The way people treat him, his visions and... This damn sickness, whatever it is...” the kokuei trailed off, his red eye focusing on the psychic’s pale face, his trembling, white lips...

“I still don’t understand how there’s nothing... There has to be a reason he gets so sick. There’s got to be something,” Jiro stated with a frown, his tone agitated, perplexed. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“It doesn’t. Not a freaking bit of sense. Why would he just start bleeding and...” Rae let her sentence trail, biting down on her sore lower lip in contemplation. He bleeds and his visions go crazy, he... There’s nothing weird with his magick, Kopaka doesn’t think it’s psychological, and he doesn’t have any viruses or... Anything. How is that possible? She really... She just didn’t get it. At all.

“He doesn’t have any known viruses or diseases, but his lungs keep deteriorating more and more... There’s supposedly nothing wrong, any test you run on him shows up nothing, he should be ‘healthy,’ but... His lungs are screwed. His heart’s getting weaker, he... He’s getting weaker,” Ryuuji admitted softly, moving his bruised hand to gently touch the water sprite’s blanket covered chest. “It hurts him so much... Plus he has more trouble with his visions now too, it... It simply makes no sense. He’s gotten worse, even in the decade or so that I’ve known him... It keeps getting worse,” the spiky haired demon then stated, his smooth voice flat. “It makes me nervous. I really don’t want him to have another attack like that one at the facility... But... It’s possible, isn’t it? I try not to think about it, but... Seeing him get weaker and weaker... It’s hard to not think about it, to not worry,” he quietly confessed, slowly pulling his hand away from the psychic’s chest. The kokuei instead moved to gently rest his hand on Druuvbin's pallid forehead, his red eye troubled. “He’s getting colder again...” the man mumbled softly, a hint of frustration tinting his quiet, smooth voice.

“We aren’t going to let him have an attack like that again... We... We aren’t going to let him die,” Kitsune remarked forcefully, her cool voice for a brief moment growing just a touch uneven and as Rae turned her gaze to the woman, she noted a quick flash of emotion on that pale face... Such a remorseful expression. Kitsune... What the hell is going on with you? That regretful, melancholy expression...

“You’re right, we aren’t,” Ryuuji agreed after a moment of silence, pulling his focus away from Druuvbin, instead meeting Kitsune’s ice-blue gaze. “We aren’t, Kitsune. No one else is going to die,” he added, his smooth voice taking on a tone of reassurance, a hint of a consoling expression playing across his pale, cut blemished face. “It’s going to be okay, Kits.”

“...Fool,” was the ice demon’s only response, though her voice lacked that bitter, irritable tone that usually tinted her cool voice when addressing Ryuuji. The woman then took in a deep breath, her facial expression returning to that blank, expressionless state. Though the look seemed forced, even more so than usual.

“Yeah. But it’s still going to be okay,” he responded with a small smile.

Looks like Ryuuji’s noticed the weirdness going on with Kits too, Rae thought, taking in the reassuring look the man was giving Kitsune. His smooth voice consoling, a soft smile on his split, light purple lips... Of course, it’s kind of hard to not notice. Kitsune is really upset, obviously. She keeps looking at Druu like... Like her heart is breaking. I... It was worrying. The usually stoic, expressionless Kitsune, looking so... So upset.

“Kio-chan... I... Why didn’t I see? Ngh...” Druuvbin softly mumbled, again shifting, his closed eyelids fluttering, twitching. “Bekat...” the psychic whispered, taking in a shallow, pained breath. “Ngh...Stop... Sana nai... Kanat sa... Hanana?” the water elemental’s voice trailed off and his shuddering body jerked, his right hand slipping out from under the thick blanket covering him.

“Druuvbin... None of that was your fault, I promise you it wasn’t,” Kitsune stated with a weary frown, moving to take that pale hand into her own. “Na tana kanat, undet sa. Undet sa, Druuvbin,” she then stated, using that odd, ancient language the psychic seemed to keep falling back into. “Undet sa.”

“...Kio-chan?” Jiro inquired softly, his steel-blue eyes holding a questioning look, his gaze slowly moving to focus on his sister. The boy furrowed his eyebrows in an inquisitive movement, clearly wanting to know if the girl knew what ‘Kio-chan’ could mean. Rae shook her head in response to her brother’s silent question. Kio-chan? Hm...

“Akiona,” Kitsune stated flatly, not pulling her gaze away from the psychic, her voice cool, inexpressive. “Kopaka’s older sister.”

“Akiona?” Rae blinked, a bit surprised the woman had actually answered Jiro’s question. Akiona... “Kopaka told me a little about her. Didn’t really say much but... How did she die? Something about a city getting destroyed, right?” the girl questioned, testing her luck. I’ll probably just get the mind your own business thing, but... “I mean, you don’t have to say if you don’t want to or if Kopaka wouldn’t want us to know, but I just... You know. I’m just curious,” Rae added, her voice soft, her gaze moving to focus on Kitsune’s pale face. Don’t get ticked...

Kitsune showed no sign of irritation at the inquiry; she instead nodded, slowly moving her ice-blue eyes up, meeting Rae’s aqua gaze. “A raid. The city was leveled. Nothing left but a pile of rubble and ash,” she stated quietly, her voice flat, a bitter, agitated expression flickering across her pale features.

“Druu didn’t see it until it was too late. He blames himself for it,” Ryuuji added, his smooth voice low, his gaze troubled. “He was sick at the time, having a really bad flare up... He just didn’t see it. He expects too much from himself. He’s a psychic, not a god... He can’t control what he sees,” the purple haired demon commented evenly, running a hand over the water elemental’s pale cheek.

“That’s awful...” Jiro mumbled, lowering his gaze to the worn wooden floor. “That’s really awful,” he repeated, his voice soft, his steel-blue eyes holding a downcast expression.

“It’s terrible,” Rae quietly agreed, taking in a weary breath. She cast her gaze to the psychic’s pained face, the frown on her sore lips increasing. “Being a psychic like Druu-chan... God it must be horrible. Seeing awful things, not seeing things... Yeah.” Forced to see such horrible, terrible visions, yet then again, entirely missing other things, not seeing... Poor Druu-chan... she thought, a fresh wave of sympathy flowing over her. “And poor Kopaka... To lose his sister like that... That’s terrible. It really is,” Rae added softly, closing her eyes for a moment. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for him...

“Yes, and to think. All of it thanks to my father,” Kitsune commented flatly, her voice icy cold, a spark of hatred flashing in her blue eyes. “He gave the order of course. To raid Epaxec. A rather passive country, considering our world. God forbid there be peace, my father certainly couldn’t allow that,” the ice demon went on to say, her ice-blue eyes narrowing, her grip on Druuvbin’s lifeless, pale hand tightening.

Oh shit... Rae’s eyes widened a bit at the woman’s bitter words and she clasped her hands in an absentminded, nervous gesture, moving her gaze to take in the ice demon’s agitated expression. “Kitsune...”

“I wasn’t made aware of the plans, as it was carried out by a different division of the Xzutai military. I wasn’t informed of the plans to raid the key cities of Epaxec, nor was I aware that my father had authorized a bomb drop on Lynhaley... I wasn’t aware until seeing it on the news three hours after the raid had already been carried out,” the icy haired woman commented with a flat, cold tone in her low voice, a contemptuous, angry look in her intense eyes. “If only I had known...”

“Your father was responsible for a lot of terrible things. Quite a few of those ‘things’ done to you, Kitsune. What he did? That’s not your fault,” Ryuuji smoothly cut in, his voice firm. “What the man did, the hell he put you and so many others through? You’re not responsible for any of it. He was a bastard,” the kokuei pointed out, that tone of reassurance again entering his smooth voice.

“Yeah, Kitsune. You couldn’t control what your dad did,” Rae added with a nod of her head, frowning at the odd expression playing in Kitsune’s eyes. A flash of... Shame. Utter shame. Kitsune... It’s not your fault your dad was a prick... The look quickly faded however, replaced by another look of anger, contempt.

“Yes, well it still isn’t a good feeling, knowing that your own father was directly responsible for a dear friend’s demise,” the ice demon bit out, casting an irritated glare at Ryuuji. The woman then let out a low growl, shaking her head. “I despised him so very much...”

“I know. And I don’t blame you one damn bit. He was a dick,” was the only response given by the spiky haired kokuei, his voice quiet, a frown on his light purple lips.

A bitter smirk formed on Kitsune’s lips at this comment. “Yes. He really was,” the ice demon stated in response, her cool voice holding a strained tone, her free hand clenching into a tight fist.

Tatsuki... That guy must have been like the fucking Hitler of their world or something. Such a bastard... How had Kitsune stood it? Having such a horrible monster of a father? Abusive and... I’m surprised Kitsune isn’t even more fucked up than what she is. After all the hell that guy put her through... Rae’s thoughts trailed off and her clenched hands tightened even more so, a rush of sympathy for the ice demon washing upon her. Sympathy for Kitsune and... Contempt for ‘Tatsuki.’ Not to mention the things he did to poor Kouji-chan... Again I say, whoever killed Tatsuki? Deserves a medal. Bastard...

“K-Kitsune? I’m s--sorry...Kitsune...” Druuvbin suddenly murmured and the ice demon raised an eyebrow, a perplexed expression overtaking her facial features. “Druuvbin? Why are you apologizing to me?” she inquired gently, her tone soft and... Well. Very un-Kitsune like.

The unconscious psychic gave no sign of response, only continued to wheeze, his breaths jagged, rasping and sharp. The ice/fox demon frowned, lightly squeezing the water sprite’s hand. “Druuvbin? Why are you sorry?” she tried again, her voice holding a troubled, uneasy tint. “Druuvbin? You have nothing to apologize for, fool.”

“...Sa-sana nai...” was the only mumbled reply Druuvbin gave and Kitsune let out a sigh, her eyes perplexed, and... That look of guilt was once again playing across her pale, icy face... “Druuvbin,” she whispered, her gaze lowering to his pale, limp hand held in her own.

Why would Druu-chan be apologizing to Kitsune? Rae raised an eyebrow, intently watching the ice demon’s face. If anything, Druu’s muttered apology only seemed to upset the woman. She’s got the ‘guilt-tripping’ look on her face again... “Maybe he can hear us? He could just be saying he’s sorry that your dad was such a jerk to you,” the girl commented quietly, continuing to closely watch Kitsune’s troubled face. That could be it, though... Druuvbin had sounded kind of... Guilt-ridden, regretful... Druu-chan, what the hell are you sorry for now?

“Hn...” the icy haired woman responded distractedly, apparently not buying Rae’s theory. The ice demon again lightly squeezed the psychic’s hand, her ice-blue eyes locking on the water sprite’s deathly pallid face. “Druuvbin? Can you hear me?” she inquired quietly, a frown on her blue-white lips. “Druuvbin?”

“Ngh... Kitsune? I...” the psychic mumbled haltingly, his words weak, his breath rasping, harsh. “...Danat... Sana nai...” he then whispered, his lean frame twitching, shuddering. A harsh, jagged cough quickly followed his words and he moaned, a few tears leaking from his closed, fluttering eyelids. “D--Danat...”

“Druuvbin?” Kitsune questioned again, her cool voice growing a bit uneven, her frown deepening as she took in those tears sliding down the psychic’s pallid cheeks. “Why are you sorry? Wake up and talk to me. Danat? Druuvbin, Na tana kanat, na jiaane sana nai,” she added, her voice holding a quiet, almost... Unnerved tone? Unsure and a tint of guilt, of regret...

“Druu? Can you hear us?” Ryuuji inquired, his red gaze focusing on the teardrops slowly sliding down the pale psychic’s smooth cheeks. The kokuei moved to gently run a thumb over the water elemental’s cheek, wiping away a few tears. “Druu?”

“God I hate seeing him cry,” Rae softly commented, watching the agonized, suffering sprite’s tearstained face, biting down on her lower lip, clenching her hands tighter. Seeing Druuvbin so sick, so... So sad and lost... “Not that I blame him for crying. I don’t see how he even bears it...” she then muttered, pulling her gaze away, instead focusing on her clenched hands in her lap. It’s more surprising when he manages to not cry then when he starts crying... I really don’t see how he stands it... He... the girl’s thoughts trailed off and she let out a troubled sigh, slowly refocusing her attention on Druuvbin’s pallid, teary face. “Druu-chan...”

“Nn...Valei...” the unconscious psychic whispered through a pained whimper, his body shuddering, his closed eyelids twitching. The blue haired elemental again shifted, his head moving to press against Ryuuji’s chest, a moan escaping his lips. “Te val-lei...”

“We know it hurts,” Ryuuji stated softly, tightening his hold on the blanket covered psychic held in his arms, lowering his head a bit, drawing closer to Druuvbin. “It’s going to stop, you’ve just got to hold on for a little bit longer, okay?” he inquired gently, his smooth voice tender, soft. “Na niai tanef.”

((---next page---->