[Guilty Gear] Burn Like Snow, Part 2
Title: Burn Like Snow
Fandom: Guilty Gear
Part: 2/2
Characters: Sol, Ky
Rating: R
Contains: Violence, blood, and all the good stuff.
Notes: Had to split this into two parts, since LJ hates anything above a certain word count. Set at an unspecified point in time, though I'd place this fairly early in their relationship, and Ky is not yet supreme commander.
Part I | Part II
Burn Like Snow
Part II
It should have been a bloodbath, as the Gears made a run for the pass, seeking to ambush the soldiers under the cover of darkness. It would have been, too, if not for the mere minute of advance warning, enough for Ky to lunge for the radio and scream out an order for the gunners to start firing, anywhere, no matter where, right now.
The camp came to life the instant the first ray gun went off, a pulse of brilliant blue energy cutting a swath through the darkness and straight into the oncoming wave of monsters, soldiers scrambling into position, lights igniting all around, until the entire mountain range was bathed in the unrelenting blaze of magic.
Time enough, for them to make it to the top, to welcome those who had managed to evade the rapidly whistling guns.
Sol was ahead of him, charging past the line of gunners to a shocked cry-
"Sir, don't! We can't guarantee-!"
-a fiery blaze marking his point of impact in the midst of the writhing mass only a few moments later. Ky followed in the ravine carved by one of the ray guns, trusting mere instinct to lead him over the uneven ground, the white-hot force of lightning too quick to guide his eyes.
He could hear the surprised roars among the Gears as their assault faltered slightly, clearly not having expected such a fierce advance, and spared a single thought as he tore through the first wave-
So God will… I won't disappoint your faith.
----
After a while, it was almost impossible to tell what was uphill and what was downhill-the Gears, true to their nature, quickly recovered from the unexpected counter-strike, resuming their charge up the mountain with little regard to themselves, directed by someone who couldn't have cared less whether they lived or died, while the human commander was trying to do the opposite.
Thankfully, Ky's soldiers required nowhere near the same level of control, the experience from countless other battles telling them where to strike, and how, when to push forward and when to fall back, how to best stay alive.
However, even they were approaching their limit, as another gun post fell to the onslaught, pushing them farther and farther back.
Ky had lost sight of Sol, but didn't have the time to spare it much thought-there was no need to worry, no, not there, never there-as he evaded a blow from the razor-sharp jaws of a multi-headed hellspawn, its acidic saliva stirring up pungent fumes when it hit the snow.
He sprung back as the second head lunged like a spear, crashing into the ground where he had been standing a split second ago, and he twisted out of the way as another swiveled around to strike, bringing his sword down.
The creature howled in pain and outrage, the other appendages all charging at him at once, and he sent a column of lightning to meet them. Dazed, the heads swayed aimlessly for a moment, enough time for Ky to dive under its feet, dragging the Furaiken in one long cut across the unprotected belly. He rolled as the Gear toppled over with a gurgling roar, crashing sideways to the ground, its intestines spilling over the snow in a mass of pink foam.
A cry made him whirl around just in time to see a soldier lose his footing, and one of the creatures lunged, claws shaped like scythes-too late, he knew it was too late even as a storm of lightning slammed into the monster, tearing it off the fallen man and into a group of others, their skin incinerating under the force of the blow.
There was anger there, lurking beneath the surface, threatening to bubble up in a stream of unrelenting fury if he let it, but Ky knew he couldn't-not now, not ever, no matter how many soldiers he saw fall, no matter how many times he was too late to save someone, anyone- He couldn't afford to let his feelings rule him, they couldn't afford it…
A pack of nearby monsters swerved in their tracks and charged, heading for him with whiplash tails and poisonous fangs-
That's the fastest way to go; lose your head and you lose the war, that's how simple it is, really…
The Furaiken tore through the first wave with barely any delay, heads and limbs scattering like debris, and Ky let the blade channel a new torrent of magic, ripping straight through the impaled bodies and into the next wave, blue mixing with scarlet red.
Sometimes, I wish I could be faster, stronger, past anything, just like… but this is what has been given to me, and this is my tool, to do the best I can.
A sharp, wordless shout, and Ky threw himself to the ground without even thinking, a wall of fire blazing straight over his head, the death cries of a giant winged lizard filling the air.
"Don't start getting lax, boy!"
Sol grinned, a wild and unrestrained expression, the fire swirling around the massive sword with an untempered fervor, the first tentative rays of dawn dying the blood on his uniform the color of the flames.
And power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the Earth… The Rider of the Red Horse…
Ky shook his head, rolling to his feet and sending a barrage of lightning bolts past Sol, crippling a giant spider, its body crashing to the ground.
"Same to you!" he heard himself call, almost automatically, as if there was a separate part of him reserved just for that, no matter the situation.
For a moment, the smirk was electric.
Then, Sol turned around, the sword blazing up with renewed fury, and took off on a charge against the nearest large-class.
Sometimes I can't help but wonder… what it's like to live like that…
----
The light of the morning sun piercing through the clouds after long absence couldn't have dyed the snow any redder.
The battle was far from over, but the relentless storm of Gears pouring over the pass had been growing steadily weaker, the remaining snipers picking off what they could. The entire mountainside had become a mixture of blood, slush, and grime, humans and Gears alike struggling to keep their balance on the steeper portions of the incline.
"Gun post C, E, and K destroyed. Green battalion… destroyed. No signal from yellow, status unconfirmed…"
The voice was cut off by the force of dancing electricity as Ky carved his way through another Gear that threatened to make it past the final line of defense, no breath to spare an answer. It didn't really matter, anyway, the base report not telling him much beyond what he already knew. The battle had cost them, was costing them still, but…
The sun is up, and we're still standing. The worst… we survived the worst…
A few yards away, Sol pulled his sword free from a tangled mass of jerking tentacles and flashed him a strange sign, two fingers outstretched from a closed fist. Ky wasn't sure what the gesture had originally meant, pretty confident in his assumption that it was some obscure custom from forever ago-Sol was fond of these things, for whatever reason-but its purpose now was clear.
Yes.
"…ir? Sir?!"
Another burst of static in his earpiece.
"There is something, sir, we're not sure-" More crackling, the voice muffled and distant, though there was no mistaking its urgency, and he yanked the radio to his mouth.
"What is it?"
"We don't know, sir. Radar's picking up something, but we can't tell what it is-! Oh my god, what-"
"Major?! Major!" The transmission broke off, and when it came back, it was tinny and hollow, fragmented.
"-huge-can't believe-below-from inside-sir!"
The frantic cry lost importance in the face of another sensation, though-a deep vibration running up the side of the mountain, shaking the earth, and Ky followed the tremor with his eyes, up and up, to the looming white peak…
He could hear soldiers and Gears alike crying out in surprise, but was helpless, helpless to do anything but watch as the peak seemed to burst, catching a glimpse of a giant writhing body even at this distance-
Mega-death class!
A ripple seemed to spill from the mountaintop, smooth and terrifying, racing with unchecked speed-it was useless to run, useless to do anything as it crested like a wave, rising to swallow everything, and Ky's last glimpse was of a brilliant red flare somewhere just in front of him, before the world was suddenly plunged into white nothingness.
----
Having grown up in a coastal village, Ky couldn't say that he had much experience with avalanches. He had heard stories, of course, the way one heard so many things in the army, but none of them had covered this part, all choosing to skip over it and to the end of the story… and now he understood why.
There should have been words for it, but there just weren't any, nothing to describe that single moment of blinding, all-consuming terror that came from being buried alive. And when they finally came, after what seemed like an eternity but couldn't have been all that long, they couldn't have been more banal.
Some days are better than others.
The flat, deadpan thought shattered the panic with its sheer ridiculousness, a throwback to a conversation from forever ago-smoke, ruins, carnage, and that voice-"Some days are better than others"-infuriating in its sarcasm-bringing his thoughts into sudden, acute focus.
You are in a pinch, so get out of it.
The snow was closing in on him from all sides, but its pressure was not unbearable, and Ky realized that he could still breathe, breathe through the wet, cold mass… The Furaiken was still clutched tightly in his grasp, a comforting weight, and he tried to bring up his free hand-the snow moved, shifting closer to him like the grip of a giant white fist, closing threateningly…
He didn't remember the time, wasn't sure how long the air would last-five minutes? fifteen? he couldn't say-but he clenched his hand, feeling the power flow…
I don't care how long it lasts, I don't care, I will not die here!
The charge was minimal, but concentrated, and in a second, he let it go, his fist shooting upward with the furious crackle ringing in his ears.
Later, he couldn't say whether the snow burst from above or beyond, or both at the same time, just that it caved in, a searing touch closing around his hand and yanking him upward.
He scrambled, kicking, as he was dragged out of that white grave and into a darker day, coughing and spluttering like a drowning man.
For a moment, Ky knelt there, just trying to catch his breath and calm his heart, which was racing again-or perhaps it had never stopped, and he just hadn't noticed.
That burning grasp remained, wrapped around his wrist when he finally staggered to his feet. Slowly, he looked up at Sol, his hair unraveled from its usual ponytail, the strange headband askew, his uniform ripped to shreds in odd places, and he knew, in that moment, he knew…
It's impossible, absolutely impossible…
No man could have escaped, no man could have made it up that mountain, let alone fought…
…and yet, here it is.
The question that came tumbling out of his mouth was useless, senseless because he already knew the answer, but at the same time, he couldn't not ask.
"That Gear…?"
Something flashed in those eyes, and Ky couldn't say whether it was wariness or something else entirely.
Shouts were rising all around them, other soldiers struggling, working to free their buried comrades, but he could hear Sol's voice all the same, quiet and rough, as if he had screamed himself hoarse.
"Took care of it."
No use denying what they both knew to be the truth, but Ky was too exhausted to question it any further right now. His gaze fell to their joined hands, Sol's fingers the only points of heat in his entire body, and he stared for a moment, trying to formulate a proper reply, some way to thank-but then it all was derailed by a single thought, striking him like a spear of ice.
The village-!
----
Some days are better than others.
It had been his motto for as long as he cared to remember, back when the world found a new way to descend to the next circle of hell every other Wednesday, and all he could do was shrug off the setbacks, the failures, the apocalypse, and keep working through it, at his pace, the only pace that was reliable, the only pace that mattered, because there was nothing else he could do.
Some days are better than others.
He was reminded of it now, watching all those people scrambling, scurrying about like frantic ants, digging and digging, unearthing more corpses than survivors, makeshift shelters being erected to care for the wounded the best they could. The avalanche had torn through a good portion of the base camp and into the village, the houses folding like stacks of cards. And he knew, as the evening drew steadily closer, the sun having long since vanished behind the clouds again, just what the chances of survival were.
Some days are better than others… and some are just fucking unbearable.
They had been close, so damn close, and somehow it was that much harder to shake it off, to let go of the helpless fury roiling in the pit of his stomach-useless, all useless, nothing but a waste of energy, spent on things that no longer mattered-because the kid was there. The kid was there like a goddamn pillar in the midst of it all, almost paler than the snow, working as if he didn't know the odds, as if he could force them to change through sheer will.
He hadn't paused for even a minute, not since that realization had dawned on his face, and Sol knew it was what kept the soldiers working, and that was why Ky kept working.
The urge to say something rose up against his better judgment, and it didn't really matter how often he told himself that it wasn't any of his business, that he couldn't care less, it wouldn't go away.
"Hey, kid, take a break already."
Ky barely even looked up at him, but Sol could easily recognize that glassy look that said he had been up for close to forty-eight hours and was running almost entirely on autopilot.
"I can't. You know that."
"Sure you can. It's very easy. Here, I'll help you, even-hit in the right place, you'll be out before you know it."
Ky's glare was not as fierce as it otherwise would have been, dulled by his exhaustion, and it failed to amuse him as it usually did, instead striking an odd chord he really didn't like.
"Go away, Sol. I can't, you know it, so just leave it be. I've got too much to do to argue-"
"Don't make me knock you out for real, kid."
"Heaven help me, you-!"
Just then, shouts arose from two different directions-one from uphill, from the makeshift communications station harboring the precious remains of their equipment, the other from further downhill, from the wreckage of splintered wood.
"Oh my god-there's somebody there!"
"Incoming transmission! Commander Marceau is requesting coordinates for rendezvous point!"
-----
For a moment, Ky felt as if he had been swept off his feet, thought and reason being drowned out by an intense, overwhelming wave of relief. It left him reeling, even as his mouth was working without him, shouting out orders and directing people to the site of the burial.
Safe…? They're… the village… safe…?
The realist in him was still frozen in place, stunned, by the time the first person was dragged out from under the snow to the cheers of the soldiers, while the rest of him sent a quick prayer to the heavens in deepest gratitude.
Thank you… for allowing me to keep my word.
The people had only survived because they had grouped together in the small church, perhaps the sturdiest building in the entire town-most of them were hurt and frightened, shaking as much from shock as from the cold, but for the most part, not seriously injured.
"We had faith, young man," the elder merely said when they helped him out of the hole, a broken leg doing nothing to change the serene tone of his voice. "We had faith."
There should have been anger at these words, anything he could say in the face of so much piety bordering on arrogance-but that discovery had taken everything out of him, leaving him exhausted and empty.
"Now listen here, fuckwit, if that messiah reincarnated over there hadn't decided your senile ass was worth saving, I'd-"
"Don't."
Sol turned to him, the thunderous look on face being replaced by incredulity. "What do you mean, 'don't', you can't seriously-"
Ky shook his head wearily. "Just don't."
People like that man… won't change no matter what you say. God will be the one they praise in luck, and others will be the ones they condemn in misfortune. Besides, you're right… in the end… it was my decision to stay.
Sol stared hard at him for a good minute, only relaxing slightly when they finally took the old man away to patch him up.
Ky dragged a hand through his hair, feeling resistance and knowing that it was probably coated by a fine sheen of ice crystals. It was getting hard to focus, but there was still so much waiting to be done…
"Sir! Commander Marceau is requesting the details of the operation. He'd like to meet with you to coordinate further measures ASAP. What should I tell him, sir?"
Blinking, Ky extracted his fingers from his hair, the words skittering away from him like marbles skipping along a flat surface.
"Tell him…"
He paused.
"Send the details, and tell him to make an appointment for Friday. Friday in a week."
By the time Ky realized that this couldn't have possibly come out of his own mouth, his feet were already moving, Sol taking a hold of his arm and steering him towards the commander's tent.
----
It was somewhat disturbing that he was able to move the kid about like a rag doll-Sol had expected at least a brief struggle, Ky protesting loudly and attempting to electrocute him, but there was barely any resistance at all, the boy following his lead as if his mind had shut down completely.
"You're kicking me out of my own meeting?" he finally murmured, baffled and a little amused.
"No, I'm saving you from embarrassing yourself by keeling over in the middle of it and going into a coma," Sol returned, hooking the tent flap closed.
"How much are you getting paid for this."
Sol grinned. "You couldn't pay me enough to put up with you, boy."
Truth be told, even he wasn't entirely sure why he was doing this, only that once he got past his anger at that stupid needless martyrdom and a two dozen other annoying traits, there really wasn't much of a choice, with everyone else being too damn respectful to tell their savior to just go and take a damn nap already.
It's this insidious madness, you realize, and before you know it, you'll be shining your boots every morning and escorting lost ducklings back to their mothers.
"Thanks so much."
"What, that's all?"
"I'm too tired to argue with you right now," Ky muttered, loosening the buckles on his uniform, the material crinkling softly, having frozen over.
"You know, it's generally a good idea to do something before your lips start turning blue."
"I hadn't noticed," Ky said, touching two fingers to his mouth, and with anyone else, these words would have been sarcastic, but from his honest surprise, it seemed he really hadn't been aware.
Only you, kid. Only you.
"I was feeling cold there, for a while… but then it stopped." He shrugged.
"Aw hell. Don't tell me you failed Basic Survival Skills 101, boy scout. It won't go away if you just ignore it long enough."
Ky scowled, slightly more awake in the face of that tone, and shrugged out of his stiff coat. "It's not like I'm enjoying this."
"You're a masochist, kid. A circumstantial masochist, maybe, but a masochist nonetheless."
"…I will thaw out a witty comeback and beat you with it later."
Sol rolled his eyes, walking over to the cot.
"You mean when you can actually think of one." He sighed. "Damn, c'mere. I won't be responsible for your death."
"…What?"
"They'd pin this on me, you know," Sol said, reaching behind his back to unroll the blanket and toss it at the kid's head. "Because I'm in here, which means you'd freeze to death in my presence. Which would mean I let you. And then it'd be my fault."
Ky slowly pulled the blanket down around his shoulders, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "And that'd bother you?"
"Hell yeah, that'd bother me. I get cold just looking at you."
"That would be rude of me, to bother you by dying," Ky said, a spark of humor dancing in his eyes, and slowly padded over, seating himself on the edge of the cot.
It wasn't the first time the kid had simply zonked out on him-it had happened before, when Ky had been driven past his limit and just nodded off in the nearest safe place… which usually happened to be around the walking weapon that wouldn't die. He would fall into an uneasy sleep and sooner or later slip over to one side, and it was pretty amusing to see him all red-faced and flustered when he woke up again.
This time, though, Sol found himself actually offering to play the part of the living pillow. It shouldn't have been so easy, either; all he had to do was shift a bit closer and up the temperature a little, and the kid was practically curling up against his shoulder, and looking just that much younger that Sol could feel that nagging sense of responsibility again.
Ah, hell. Noble sacrifice. That's what it is.
"You're warm," Ky murmured, burrowing further into the blanket. "S'unfair."
"Oh yeah?"
"…Yeah…"
It really was kind of unfair, Sol thought, that the kid could make such a face when all he was doing was warming him up, like he was actually content with nothing but a few extra degrees of warmth in his life.
"So troublesome."
Ky didn't even react, his breathing steadily evening out, his head slipping just a little bit further, and Sol rolled his eyes. It wouldn't do to spend the rest of the night like this, making himself stiff and sore by trying to stay still, so that the kid wouldn't wake up.
After a while, he shifted, easing down on the cot. There was barely enough room for both of them, forcing him to prop up one leg on the floor. Ky stirred, jerking back into some semblance of awareness.
"Hmm?"
"Go back to sleep. I'll call you if the world ends, promise."
There might have been some kind of affirmative in the sleepy noise he got in reply, but it didn't really matter.
Sol stretched a little, folding his free arm under his own head, and pointedly directed his gaze towards the roof of the tent. He could feel himself beginning to drift, the fatigue catching up with him. His right side would be all pins and needles come morning from being wedged under Ky all night, and the kid would likely wake up at some ungodly hour, and would have to be manually prevented from doing something he deemed important.
Right now, though, this wasn't so bad. He could live with this, he thought, at least for a little while.
----
-FIN-
A/N: Um, and that's it. If you made it this far, you know what this is all about now: This was one giant excuse to write a blanket scene. XDDD I sincerely apologize for the length and everything else that is wrong with it. C&C is welcome, as always. :) Now on to the A/N nobody cares about:
- Yes, I gave them magic guns. Because fighting raging twenty-foot beasts with nothing but crossbows is a little... laughable. Sorry, Ishiwatari-san, but no.
- Avalanches are... special. They rarely happen the way you see it in movies, and thus, your chances of survival are actually greater. Yes, people can actually stay alive when buried.
- Fluffflufffluffflufftheuniverseexplodesfluff.
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Fandom: Guilty Gear
Part: 2/2
Characters: Sol, Ky
Rating: R
Contains: Violence, blood, and all the good stuff.
Notes: Had to split this into two parts, since LJ hates anything above a certain word count. Set at an unspecified point in time, though I'd place this fairly early in their relationship, and Ky is not yet supreme commander.
Part I | Part II
Burn Like Snow
Part II
It should have been a bloodbath, as the Gears made a run for the pass, seeking to ambush the soldiers under the cover of darkness. It would have been, too, if not for the mere minute of advance warning, enough for Ky to lunge for the radio and scream out an order for the gunners to start firing, anywhere, no matter where, right now.
The camp came to life the instant the first ray gun went off, a pulse of brilliant blue energy cutting a swath through the darkness and straight into the oncoming wave of monsters, soldiers scrambling into position, lights igniting all around, until the entire mountain range was bathed in the unrelenting blaze of magic.
Time enough, for them to make it to the top, to welcome those who had managed to evade the rapidly whistling guns.
Sol was ahead of him, charging past the line of gunners to a shocked cry-
"Sir, don't! We can't guarantee-!"
-a fiery blaze marking his point of impact in the midst of the writhing mass only a few moments later. Ky followed in the ravine carved by one of the ray guns, trusting mere instinct to lead him over the uneven ground, the white-hot force of lightning too quick to guide his eyes.
He could hear the surprised roars among the Gears as their assault faltered slightly, clearly not having expected such a fierce advance, and spared a single thought as he tore through the first wave-
So God will… I won't disappoint your faith.
----
After a while, it was almost impossible to tell what was uphill and what was downhill-the Gears, true to their nature, quickly recovered from the unexpected counter-strike, resuming their charge up the mountain with little regard to themselves, directed by someone who couldn't have cared less whether they lived or died, while the human commander was trying to do the opposite.
Thankfully, Ky's soldiers required nowhere near the same level of control, the experience from countless other battles telling them where to strike, and how, when to push forward and when to fall back, how to best stay alive.
However, even they were approaching their limit, as another gun post fell to the onslaught, pushing them farther and farther back.
Ky had lost sight of Sol, but didn't have the time to spare it much thought-there was no need to worry, no, not there, never there-as he evaded a blow from the razor-sharp jaws of a multi-headed hellspawn, its acidic saliva stirring up pungent fumes when it hit the snow.
He sprung back as the second head lunged like a spear, crashing into the ground where he had been standing a split second ago, and he twisted out of the way as another swiveled around to strike, bringing his sword down.
The creature howled in pain and outrage, the other appendages all charging at him at once, and he sent a column of lightning to meet them. Dazed, the heads swayed aimlessly for a moment, enough time for Ky to dive under its feet, dragging the Furaiken in one long cut across the unprotected belly. He rolled as the Gear toppled over with a gurgling roar, crashing sideways to the ground, its intestines spilling over the snow in a mass of pink foam.
A cry made him whirl around just in time to see a soldier lose his footing, and one of the creatures lunged, claws shaped like scythes-too late, he knew it was too late even as a storm of lightning slammed into the monster, tearing it off the fallen man and into a group of others, their skin incinerating under the force of the blow.
There was anger there, lurking beneath the surface, threatening to bubble up in a stream of unrelenting fury if he let it, but Ky knew he couldn't-not now, not ever, no matter how many soldiers he saw fall, no matter how many times he was too late to save someone, anyone- He couldn't afford to let his feelings rule him, they couldn't afford it…
A pack of nearby monsters swerved in their tracks and charged, heading for him with whiplash tails and poisonous fangs-
That's the fastest way to go; lose your head and you lose the war, that's how simple it is, really…
The Furaiken tore through the first wave with barely any delay, heads and limbs scattering like debris, and Ky let the blade channel a new torrent of magic, ripping straight through the impaled bodies and into the next wave, blue mixing with scarlet red.
Sometimes, I wish I could be faster, stronger, past anything, just like… but this is what has been given to me, and this is my tool, to do the best I can.
A sharp, wordless shout, and Ky threw himself to the ground without even thinking, a wall of fire blazing straight over his head, the death cries of a giant winged lizard filling the air.
"Don't start getting lax, boy!"
Sol grinned, a wild and unrestrained expression, the fire swirling around the massive sword with an untempered fervor, the first tentative rays of dawn dying the blood on his uniform the color of the flames.
And power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the Earth… The Rider of the Red Horse…
Ky shook his head, rolling to his feet and sending a barrage of lightning bolts past Sol, crippling a giant spider, its body crashing to the ground.
"Same to you!" he heard himself call, almost automatically, as if there was a separate part of him reserved just for that, no matter the situation.
For a moment, the smirk was electric.
Then, Sol turned around, the sword blazing up with renewed fury, and took off on a charge against the nearest large-class.
Sometimes I can't help but wonder… what it's like to live like that…
----
The light of the morning sun piercing through the clouds after long absence couldn't have dyed the snow any redder.
The battle was far from over, but the relentless storm of Gears pouring over the pass had been growing steadily weaker, the remaining snipers picking off what they could. The entire mountainside had become a mixture of blood, slush, and grime, humans and Gears alike struggling to keep their balance on the steeper portions of the incline.
"Gun post C, E, and K destroyed. Green battalion… destroyed. No signal from yellow, status unconfirmed…"
The voice was cut off by the force of dancing electricity as Ky carved his way through another Gear that threatened to make it past the final line of defense, no breath to spare an answer. It didn't really matter, anyway, the base report not telling him much beyond what he already knew. The battle had cost them, was costing them still, but…
The sun is up, and we're still standing. The worst… we survived the worst…
A few yards away, Sol pulled his sword free from a tangled mass of jerking tentacles and flashed him a strange sign, two fingers outstretched from a closed fist. Ky wasn't sure what the gesture had originally meant, pretty confident in his assumption that it was some obscure custom from forever ago-Sol was fond of these things, for whatever reason-but its purpose now was clear.
Yes.
"…ir? Sir?!"
Another burst of static in his earpiece.
"There is something, sir, we're not sure-" More crackling, the voice muffled and distant, though there was no mistaking its urgency, and he yanked the radio to his mouth.
"What is it?"
"We don't know, sir. Radar's picking up something, but we can't tell what it is-! Oh my god, what-"
"Major?! Major!" The transmission broke off, and when it came back, it was tinny and hollow, fragmented.
"-huge-can't believe-below-from inside-sir!"
The frantic cry lost importance in the face of another sensation, though-a deep vibration running up the side of the mountain, shaking the earth, and Ky followed the tremor with his eyes, up and up, to the looming white peak…
He could hear soldiers and Gears alike crying out in surprise, but was helpless, helpless to do anything but watch as the peak seemed to burst, catching a glimpse of a giant writhing body even at this distance-
Mega-death class!
A ripple seemed to spill from the mountaintop, smooth and terrifying, racing with unchecked speed-it was useless to run, useless to do anything as it crested like a wave, rising to swallow everything, and Ky's last glimpse was of a brilliant red flare somewhere just in front of him, before the world was suddenly plunged into white nothingness.
----
Having grown up in a coastal village, Ky couldn't say that he had much experience with avalanches. He had heard stories, of course, the way one heard so many things in the army, but none of them had covered this part, all choosing to skip over it and to the end of the story… and now he understood why.
There should have been words for it, but there just weren't any, nothing to describe that single moment of blinding, all-consuming terror that came from being buried alive. And when they finally came, after what seemed like an eternity but couldn't have been all that long, they couldn't have been more banal.
Some days are better than others.
The flat, deadpan thought shattered the panic with its sheer ridiculousness, a throwback to a conversation from forever ago-smoke, ruins, carnage, and that voice-"Some days are better than others"-infuriating in its sarcasm-bringing his thoughts into sudden, acute focus.
You are in a pinch, so get out of it.
The snow was closing in on him from all sides, but its pressure was not unbearable, and Ky realized that he could still breathe, breathe through the wet, cold mass… The Furaiken was still clutched tightly in his grasp, a comforting weight, and he tried to bring up his free hand-the snow moved, shifting closer to him like the grip of a giant white fist, closing threateningly…
He didn't remember the time, wasn't sure how long the air would last-five minutes? fifteen? he couldn't say-but he clenched his hand, feeling the power flow…
I don't care how long it lasts, I don't care, I will not die here!
The charge was minimal, but concentrated, and in a second, he let it go, his fist shooting upward with the furious crackle ringing in his ears.
Later, he couldn't say whether the snow burst from above or beyond, or both at the same time, just that it caved in, a searing touch closing around his hand and yanking him upward.
He scrambled, kicking, as he was dragged out of that white grave and into a darker day, coughing and spluttering like a drowning man.
For a moment, Ky knelt there, just trying to catch his breath and calm his heart, which was racing again-or perhaps it had never stopped, and he just hadn't noticed.
That burning grasp remained, wrapped around his wrist when he finally staggered to his feet. Slowly, he looked up at Sol, his hair unraveled from its usual ponytail, the strange headband askew, his uniform ripped to shreds in odd places, and he knew, in that moment, he knew…
It's impossible, absolutely impossible…
No man could have escaped, no man could have made it up that mountain, let alone fought…
…and yet, here it is.
The question that came tumbling out of his mouth was useless, senseless because he already knew the answer, but at the same time, he couldn't not ask.
"That Gear…?"
Something flashed in those eyes, and Ky couldn't say whether it was wariness or something else entirely.
Shouts were rising all around them, other soldiers struggling, working to free their buried comrades, but he could hear Sol's voice all the same, quiet and rough, as if he had screamed himself hoarse.
"Took care of it."
No use denying what they both knew to be the truth, but Ky was too exhausted to question it any further right now. His gaze fell to their joined hands, Sol's fingers the only points of heat in his entire body, and he stared for a moment, trying to formulate a proper reply, some way to thank-but then it all was derailed by a single thought, striking him like a spear of ice.
The village-!
----
Some days are better than others.
It had been his motto for as long as he cared to remember, back when the world found a new way to descend to the next circle of hell every other Wednesday, and all he could do was shrug off the setbacks, the failures, the apocalypse, and keep working through it, at his pace, the only pace that was reliable, the only pace that mattered, because there was nothing else he could do.
Some days are better than others.
He was reminded of it now, watching all those people scrambling, scurrying about like frantic ants, digging and digging, unearthing more corpses than survivors, makeshift shelters being erected to care for the wounded the best they could. The avalanche had torn through a good portion of the base camp and into the village, the houses folding like stacks of cards. And he knew, as the evening drew steadily closer, the sun having long since vanished behind the clouds again, just what the chances of survival were.
Some days are better than others… and some are just fucking unbearable.
They had been close, so damn close, and somehow it was that much harder to shake it off, to let go of the helpless fury roiling in the pit of his stomach-useless, all useless, nothing but a waste of energy, spent on things that no longer mattered-because the kid was there. The kid was there like a goddamn pillar in the midst of it all, almost paler than the snow, working as if he didn't know the odds, as if he could force them to change through sheer will.
He hadn't paused for even a minute, not since that realization had dawned on his face, and Sol knew it was what kept the soldiers working, and that was why Ky kept working.
The urge to say something rose up against his better judgment, and it didn't really matter how often he told himself that it wasn't any of his business, that he couldn't care less, it wouldn't go away.
"Hey, kid, take a break already."
Ky barely even looked up at him, but Sol could easily recognize that glassy look that said he had been up for close to forty-eight hours and was running almost entirely on autopilot.
"I can't. You know that."
"Sure you can. It's very easy. Here, I'll help you, even-hit in the right place, you'll be out before you know it."
Ky's glare was not as fierce as it otherwise would have been, dulled by his exhaustion, and it failed to amuse him as it usually did, instead striking an odd chord he really didn't like.
"Go away, Sol. I can't, you know it, so just leave it be. I've got too much to do to argue-"
"Don't make me knock you out for real, kid."
"Heaven help me, you-!"
Just then, shouts arose from two different directions-one from uphill, from the makeshift communications station harboring the precious remains of their equipment, the other from further downhill, from the wreckage of splintered wood.
"Oh my god-there's somebody there!"
"Incoming transmission! Commander Marceau is requesting coordinates for rendezvous point!"
-----
For a moment, Ky felt as if he had been swept off his feet, thought and reason being drowned out by an intense, overwhelming wave of relief. It left him reeling, even as his mouth was working without him, shouting out orders and directing people to the site of the burial.
Safe…? They're… the village… safe…?
The realist in him was still frozen in place, stunned, by the time the first person was dragged out from under the snow to the cheers of the soldiers, while the rest of him sent a quick prayer to the heavens in deepest gratitude.
Thank you… for allowing me to keep my word.
The people had only survived because they had grouped together in the small church, perhaps the sturdiest building in the entire town-most of them were hurt and frightened, shaking as much from shock as from the cold, but for the most part, not seriously injured.
"We had faith, young man," the elder merely said when they helped him out of the hole, a broken leg doing nothing to change the serene tone of his voice. "We had faith."
There should have been anger at these words, anything he could say in the face of so much piety bordering on arrogance-but that discovery had taken everything out of him, leaving him exhausted and empty.
"Now listen here, fuckwit, if that messiah reincarnated over there hadn't decided your senile ass was worth saving, I'd-"
"Don't."
Sol turned to him, the thunderous look on face being replaced by incredulity. "What do you mean, 'don't', you can't seriously-"
Ky shook his head wearily. "Just don't."
People like that man… won't change no matter what you say. God will be the one they praise in luck, and others will be the ones they condemn in misfortune. Besides, you're right… in the end… it was my decision to stay.
Sol stared hard at him for a good minute, only relaxing slightly when they finally took the old man away to patch him up.
Ky dragged a hand through his hair, feeling resistance and knowing that it was probably coated by a fine sheen of ice crystals. It was getting hard to focus, but there was still so much waiting to be done…
"Sir! Commander Marceau is requesting the details of the operation. He'd like to meet with you to coordinate further measures ASAP. What should I tell him, sir?"
Blinking, Ky extracted his fingers from his hair, the words skittering away from him like marbles skipping along a flat surface.
"Tell him…"
He paused.
"Send the details, and tell him to make an appointment for Friday. Friday in a week."
By the time Ky realized that this couldn't have possibly come out of his own mouth, his feet were already moving, Sol taking a hold of his arm and steering him towards the commander's tent.
----
It was somewhat disturbing that he was able to move the kid about like a rag doll-Sol had expected at least a brief struggle, Ky protesting loudly and attempting to electrocute him, but there was barely any resistance at all, the boy following his lead as if his mind had shut down completely.
"You're kicking me out of my own meeting?" he finally murmured, baffled and a little amused.
"No, I'm saving you from embarrassing yourself by keeling over in the middle of it and going into a coma," Sol returned, hooking the tent flap closed.
"How much are you getting paid for this."
Sol grinned. "You couldn't pay me enough to put up with you, boy."
Truth be told, even he wasn't entirely sure why he was doing this, only that once he got past his anger at that stupid needless martyrdom and a two dozen other annoying traits, there really wasn't much of a choice, with everyone else being too damn respectful to tell their savior to just go and take a damn nap already.
It's this insidious madness, you realize, and before you know it, you'll be shining your boots every morning and escorting lost ducklings back to their mothers.
"Thanks so much."
"What, that's all?"
"I'm too tired to argue with you right now," Ky muttered, loosening the buckles on his uniform, the material crinkling softly, having frozen over.
"You know, it's generally a good idea to do something before your lips start turning blue."
"I hadn't noticed," Ky said, touching two fingers to his mouth, and with anyone else, these words would have been sarcastic, but from his honest surprise, it seemed he really hadn't been aware.
Only you, kid. Only you.
"I was feeling cold there, for a while… but then it stopped." He shrugged.
"Aw hell. Don't tell me you failed Basic Survival Skills 101, boy scout. It won't go away if you just ignore it long enough."
Ky scowled, slightly more awake in the face of that tone, and shrugged out of his stiff coat. "It's not like I'm enjoying this."
"You're a masochist, kid. A circumstantial masochist, maybe, but a masochist nonetheless."
"…I will thaw out a witty comeback and beat you with it later."
Sol rolled his eyes, walking over to the cot.
"You mean when you can actually think of one." He sighed. "Damn, c'mere. I won't be responsible for your death."
"…What?"
"They'd pin this on me, you know," Sol said, reaching behind his back to unroll the blanket and toss it at the kid's head. "Because I'm in here, which means you'd freeze to death in my presence. Which would mean I let you. And then it'd be my fault."
Ky slowly pulled the blanket down around his shoulders, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "And that'd bother you?"
"Hell yeah, that'd bother me. I get cold just looking at you."
"That would be rude of me, to bother you by dying," Ky said, a spark of humor dancing in his eyes, and slowly padded over, seating himself on the edge of the cot.
It wasn't the first time the kid had simply zonked out on him-it had happened before, when Ky had been driven past his limit and just nodded off in the nearest safe place… which usually happened to be around the walking weapon that wouldn't die. He would fall into an uneasy sleep and sooner or later slip over to one side, and it was pretty amusing to see him all red-faced and flustered when he woke up again.
This time, though, Sol found himself actually offering to play the part of the living pillow. It shouldn't have been so easy, either; all he had to do was shift a bit closer and up the temperature a little, and the kid was practically curling up against his shoulder, and looking just that much younger that Sol could feel that nagging sense of responsibility again.
Ah, hell. Noble sacrifice. That's what it is.
"You're warm," Ky murmured, burrowing further into the blanket. "S'unfair."
"Oh yeah?"
"…Yeah…"
It really was kind of unfair, Sol thought, that the kid could make such a face when all he was doing was warming him up, like he was actually content with nothing but a few extra degrees of warmth in his life.
"So troublesome."
Ky didn't even react, his breathing steadily evening out, his head slipping just a little bit further, and Sol rolled his eyes. It wouldn't do to spend the rest of the night like this, making himself stiff and sore by trying to stay still, so that the kid wouldn't wake up.
After a while, he shifted, easing down on the cot. There was barely enough room for both of them, forcing him to prop up one leg on the floor. Ky stirred, jerking back into some semblance of awareness.
"Hmm?"
"Go back to sleep. I'll call you if the world ends, promise."
There might have been some kind of affirmative in the sleepy noise he got in reply, but it didn't really matter.
Sol stretched a little, folding his free arm under his own head, and pointedly directed his gaze towards the roof of the tent. He could feel himself beginning to drift, the fatigue catching up with him. His right side would be all pins and needles come morning from being wedged under Ky all night, and the kid would likely wake up at some ungodly hour, and would have to be manually prevented from doing something he deemed important.
Right now, though, this wasn't so bad. He could live with this, he thought, at least for a little while.
----
-FIN-
A/N: Um, and that's it. If you made it this far, you know what this is all about now: This was one giant excuse to write a blanket scene. XDDD I sincerely apologize for the length and everything else that is wrong with it. C&C is welcome, as always. :) Now on to the A/N nobody cares about:
- Yes, I gave them magic guns. Because fighting raging twenty-foot beasts with nothing but crossbows is a little... laughable. Sorry, Ishiwatari-san, but no.
- Avalanches are... special. They rarely happen the way you see it in movies, and thus, your chances of survival are actually greater. Yes, people can actually stay alive when buried.
- Fluffflufffluffflufftheuniverseexplodesfluff.
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