I leant foolishly, heavily against the railing of the room I watched people dance. I felt my feet swing as the princess's words rang through my head. I had no idea that she lived such a life, that that was how she met her other half.
"Are you feeling any better?" Tsuna stood behind me and to my left. She tilted her head to her side and grinned toothily.
I laughed and shook my head. I had no idea that just…releasing, could feel so good. I felt years younger.
Tsuna laughed along with me, she leaned against the railing next to me and finished her laughing with a short chuckle. "I was hoping to get a smile out of you."
I stared at her, offended. "I smile all the time!" I said, objecting openly.
Tsuna smiled that smile that was my father peeking through. I swallowed away the emotion and raised my eyebrows.
"Not like a child you don't, not in the time I've been here." She said, her face still beaming. I tried not to act uncomfortable and started walking down to the right, my hand brushing the railing absently.
"I talked with the princess, and she helped me…understand some things."
Tsuna raised her eyebrows and then saw the light in my eyes as I turned, her face melted to a guarded expression. "What did she tell you, Hirokazu?"
"To surrender is to accept, to give in is to understand. Understand and accept that your other half thrives off of your existence." I murmured.
Tsuna looked shocked. "Where did she hear that…?" She muttered to herself.
I shrugged and grinned. "I still have my doubts…" I said sadly, almost as if I was ashamed to admit it. I couldn't exactly wait three seconds and then go 'okay, yup—no more doubt!' It was hard enough letting go of the fact that there was no one out there for me.
Tsuna walked up to my side, her steps quick and deliberate. "You have to remember the river, okay Hirokazu?" She said.
I jolted, memories running through my mind. When all I could think of was a river rushing and rushing, growing higher. Swallowing me as someone called out my name. Agonised, pain rippling down my spine.
I shuddered.
Tsuna smiled and grasped my hand. "They will not jump in front of a bullet for you, they will grab you and pull you both to safety."
I looked at her and gaped. "You agree with Anja?"
Tsuna shook her head. "I think she has a large amount of knowledge, especially about the things you've experienced and the things you long for."
I nodded as I tried to understand what she was saying. She didn't agree, but she was comparing her knowledge to my own experiences.
Tsuna laughed and clapped me on the back. "Don't look too confused!" She cried out, I snorted and brushed her shaky hand off of my shoulder.
"I'm only human," I said. I blinked and stared at her in shock, she locked her gaze with mine and her gaze widened. "Am I really?" I asked.
Tsuna placed a hand over my heart, the one that longs for someone to understand it. The most vulnerable. "You are as human as you can be." She said simply.
I nodded and turned away. I frowned, something was off. "Can you smell that?" I asked quietly.
Tsuna frowned and sniffed the air. We shared another look and I nearly shouted in utter disbelief.
"Fire!"
I raced immediately to the garden. Yatsu was yowling loudly, she was just sitting inside her wooden hidey hole as the flames on the roses and daises grew larger.
"Yatsu!" I shouted, her ears pricked up and I watched as she wiggled her way out of her gradually warming den and bounded over to me.
I sent her a quick look and she saw the fear laced in my features, swirling around my eyes. "Find Jae!" I said.
She sniffed the air and leapt off, I ran after her. The smoke was growing thicker. I hid my face in my jacket and ran after the feline as she leapt all the way back to the palace. I didn't struggle to keep up with her, I allowed the muscles in my legs to flex and strengthen as I nearly matched her pace.
We entered the castle and raced up the first flight of steps. There were maids screaming and running everywhere. I ignored them as they clutched my wrists.
"Get out of here—hurry or you'll never make it!" I screamed at them, and they blinked and raced off. I hoped that would shake them out of it. To make them realise that I wasn't going to wave my finger and put out this deadly monster. I couldn't. I could only run.
I followed Yatsu as she sprinted up the steps and I passed my study as we did so. I saw two darkly coated figures riling through the paperwork. I cocked my head and frowned. Did they start the fire?
Yatsu ignored them and turned to the right sharply, I raced desperately after her and watched as two figures sprinted towards us. My gaze widened as I saw Anja and Aleksei run straight past me.
She gaped openly and reached out, and grabbed my arm. "Hirokazu!" She shouted in alarm. "You're heading straight for the heart of the fire!"
"I can't leave Jae!" I cried out over the crackle of flames as the rooms near us turned to smouldering ashes.
Anja set her gaze straight and looked back at Aleksei. "We'll help you find her."
I nodded and didn't bother trying to stop her. We all raced after Yatsu as she scampered into a room, I leapt over a broken chair and saw the state of the room. It was half collapsed and glowing a fiery orange. Deadly.
I squinted and saw a figure, lying underneath a large, broken beam. Probably from the rooftop. I looked closer and saw the face. Jae.
I groaned and sent a look back at Anja and Aleksei. I shook my head and closed my eyes. Don'tlosecontroldon't—
I ran forwards and had utter faith that the Mist would provide a form of shield for me. I leapt over the pile of burning wood and ducked as a cloud of embers fell onto me. I let out a low hiss as I felt a few of them land down my shirt. The smell of singeing flesh stuck in my nose as I reached Jae's motionless figure.
I put my back into it as I picked up the burning log and ignored the stinging pain. The dullness of the inside burning wood lit up Jae's face. She was sweating and there was a severe burn down the side of her jaw and neck.
I pushed harder. As soon as I heard that creak, I cried out and balanced the blazing beam onto my shoulder and grabbed Jae as quickly as I could. I pulled her back and out of the way as the beam snapped in two and embers and ash went flying. I threw myself in the way and the Mist worked its hardest to cover up as much of my body as it could. I felt a spike of pain in my lower leg. I looked down and saw a clump of ablaze wood pressed solidly against my leg. I winced and moved my leg.
I stood up and put as little weight on my injured leg. I limped over and past the beams of burning wood and laid Jae onto Yatsu's back. I coughed and stumbled, realising how big of a mistake it was to use my Mist here, in a firestorm.
"Hirokazu!" Anja's voice was droned out by crackling flames. Yatsu growled and pushed my hand gently. I blinked down at her and smiled, half grimacing. "Go." I pushed out, coughing as my smoke entered my already damaged lungs.
I slid underneath the glowing wood pile and ignored the stinging down my back. I collapsed and fell at Yatsu's—Jae's—feet. I coughed and saw the familiar red spots blossom on the floor. Oh God no.
I felt a pair of strong pair of arms wrap their way around me and I let out a soft cry, they were pressing against the sorest part of my back. "You will get better, I know." Aleksei's gentle voice reassure me as Anja stumbled ahead of Yatsu and Aleksei, who were both carrying injured people. I gritted my teeth and held back more cries of pain.
We made our way fairly quickly to the side door, which was out to the backline that led to the rice fields. Aleksei shifted me the slightest and I moaned, letting my head fall down and my chin rests on my chest. "We will be far enough to rest, just wait, please," Aleksei said in response to my soft noises of hidden agony.
There was a scream and I looked up, staring ahead of me with one eye blurred and fogged up. I saw around five, or six men burst from the bushes and one of them was holding a familiar figure.
Anja struggled hellishly against the man's strong grip. She bit him, scratched and kicked. But he didn't cry out or respond to any of her movements. They all stared directly at Aleksei. I looked closer. They were staring at me.
I looked over at Yatsu, she was crouching protectively in front of Jae. I looked at Jae as she shook her head and groaned. She sat up, looked up, and saw me directly. She stood up in a flash. Aleksei looked at her and she took me from him as if they'd already made the exchange.
I leaned heavily against Jae. She wasn't as badly injured as me apparently—but she still would need treatment.
"Give us Hirokazu and we'll leave the rest of you alone." One of the men said.
Aleksei snarled. "Give me Anja." He said. I'd never heard such agony in one's voice in the way Aleksei had just spoken. I felt the Mist buzz about inside me, awakening the beehive. My head was a lightning storm of black and white.
"We want Hirokazu, so give him to us or we'll apprehend you all."
Yatsu growled, and I realised that I was lying up on her side. My head rested wearily on the nape of her neck. I moaned and everyone seemed to be looking at me.
"See? He is in no condition to say anything or do anything!" Jae shouted at them. "You can't attack—"
"You have a mountain lion." One objected.
Jae hissed and looked over at Aleksei. He sent her a pain-filled look that was loud and clear. Her back was hunched as she realised that we wouldn't be getting out of this situation without losing severely.
"You've wasted enough time—boys!" The one holding Anja shouted out. At least fifteen from each side of us appeared out of the bushes and surrounded us. Three all cornered and held Aleksei as he screamed out Anja's name. Anja was writhing while she watched as they nicked and cut him neatly and thinly until it hurt too much to shout.
Jae was at my side immediately. She helped me up and looked at Yatsu, then at me. She looked back at Yatsu and muttered a quick apology. She placed me on the upper half of Yatsu and then sat down on the enormous cat's lower back.
"Run Yatsu!" She cried.
Yatsu leapt from her crouch and scrambled around the hands that reached for us. She swiped out deftly and clawed out at two of their legs. They cried out in pain and Yatsu took this opportunity to race off into the bushes from which they came. She sprinted faster and faster until the smell of smoke was long gone.
I felt gentle hands lower me down. "Hiro…are you okay?" Jae asked, she scoffed and I felt my signed shirt being lifted. She let out a whistle. "Of course, you're not, you never are."
Yatsu licked my face and I let out a soft whimper. I knew now that I could relax because the people I cared most about in this world were right next to me.