[ Watashi ]

[ Tomodachi ]

[ Saint Seiya ]

[ Clamp ]

[ Fanfiction ]

I moaned soflty, staggering, and leaned a shoulder against the restaurant's wall. It was worse than I had thought, I needed medical assistance, but I couldn't go see a doctor and explain how I had been wounded. I saw again in my mind the way he had attacked me, the strange aura around him, the chant he had sung... Was it magic then ? Was it Onmyoujutsu ? Was it real ? I sighed, fighting to steady my vision. It didn't matter for now. I had to find a way of getting somewhere safe to heal and rest... But I couldn't go back to my hotel room. I looked at the restaurant. It had to be about one AM, the wedding banquet was over, there were almost no lights on. Why had I come here ? Nami was my friend, but still she was young and defenceless. I had no right to involve her in my trouble.

I gathered my strength and pushed away from the wall, denying the pain and the exhaustion. Suddenly, there was a groaning noise and I froze. The restaurant door was open.

"Shun ? Shun ?!"

Nami... I trembled, giddy with relief. She ran towards me, and looked at me, horrified.

"Shun... What happened ? You're hurt... Oh dear spirits, look at all that blood !"

She caught me as I staggered and helped me to keep my balance. Suddenly I saw tears in her eyes.

"You... This must hurt a lot... I'll call a doctor right away."

I smiled gently, shaking my head.

"No. Nami-chan, please don't do that. I don't want anyone to know, this is dangerous. I can tend to this myself, I only need bandages and antiseptic..."

She stared at me, doubtful.

"Please Nami-chan, trust me... I'm your friend."

Her father's voice called from inside the restaurant :

"Nami ! What are you doing out there ? I need you to finish things in the kitchen."

Absentmindedly, she answered :

"I'm coming in a minute... I need to get something..."

She looked at me, in earnest.

"Okay. I won't call the cops on you, or a doctor. There's no first aid kit in the restaurant, but I've got a friend who lives nearby who will help us."

I sighed.

"I told you I didn't want you involved... And besides you know what time it is ? Your friend must be soud asleep now."

She smiled gently.

"We are friends Shun, ne ? Don't worry about my friend, he often works late."

I nodded.

"Okay. But you just ask him for bandages and such, you do not involve him. Understood ?"

I closed my eyes as Nami helped me to lean against a tree, trembling. I was at the end of my strength this time. I couldn't go any farther. Dimly, I heard her voice :

"Shun... Shun, please open your eyes... Please do it for me..."

There was fear in her voice. I obeyed with difficulty and managed a weak smile.

"It's okay... Go..."

I looked at the building in front of which we had stopped.

"I can't climb stairs for the moment anyway... But remember what I told you about not involving him..."

She nodded, and went away.

I focused on the feeling of the tree's bark. It was hard, it hurt, but focusing on the pain allowed me to stay conscious. I replayed the whole fight in my mind, and cursed my stupidity. When I had felt his presence I had run to confront an enemy I didn't know, whose techniques were clearly alien to me. Someone strong, skilled and intelligent. I was very lucky to be alive. Even if I had had time enough to attack as I had desperately planned, I would have joined him in death. I couldn't let him bait me like that anymore, I couldn't fight him until I knew more about what he was... But if he decided to kill people in the meantime... I bit my lower lip, hating myself. Those people's deaths would be my fault.

Suddenly, I heard a noise and thought I felt... My eyes snapped open and I tensed against the tree.

"Shun ?..."

Nami... It was Nami...

"It's okay, I got all the things you need..."

She was smiling. As I was about to go to her, I felt another presence. Angrily, I said :

"Nami-chan... I told you I didn't want anyone else involved...

She shook her head.

"But I didn't tell him, I promise..."

She saw interrupted by gentle laughter.

"You didn't do anything wrong Nami-chan..."

A solitary figure detached itself from the shadows on Nami's left.

"I'm afraid your story was quite lame, and so, since I am curious, I decided to have the truth... And besides, I was worried about my gentle friend being in trouble."

She blushed.

"Sei-chan, you..."

The man came into the light, and I looked at him during a long time, dumbfounded. At last, I shook my head.

"Seishirou-san... What are you of all people doing here ?"

Nami looked at me.

"You know him ?"

Sakurazuka Seishirou smiled.

"It would seem that you and I are fated to run into one another on a regular basis Shun-san..."

His smile suddenly left his face as his eyes went over my body.

"But this is no time for jokes. You need help. And although I'm only a vet, I think I can do something about this mess..."

Earnestly, I told him :

"Thank you for your offer, but as I said to Nami-chan, I don't want anyone involved in this. I'll manage."

As I pushed myself from the support of the tree, his left arm caught me and he pulled me to him.

"It may be you can fool a young girl, but don't think you can do the same with me. You need help."

I stared at him, unable to react. What was it about him that prevented me from denying what he said ? He let me go and turned to Nami.

"Nami-chan, you should go back, or your father will call the police on me. Don't worry..."

He smiled gently.

"I'll take good care of our friend here."

She looked at him a moment, then sighed.

"Well... I guess you're right..."

She turned to me.

"Shun... See you tomorrow at the restaurant... If you don't come, I'll make sure you'll have the worst chores during a whole month..."

I chuckled softly and she went away. As she disappeared, I asked my would-be saviour :

"Perhaps you would care to tell me why you go out of your way to help someone you barely know... Someone who only brought you trouble until now ?"

He shrugged, smiling.

"Because I'm a nice person..."

His eyes locked on mine.

"Because I find you intriguing. I happen to like solving riddles, and you are the most interesting puzzle I've encountered in years..."

He gently lowered me in a sofa he had covered with a huge towel. Fighting the darkness that threatened to swallow me, I asked him :

"Do you often work so late ?"

While cleaning the table of papers and such, he said :

"I make researches for the clinic... It takes time..."

He put various intruments and bandages on the table and came to me.

"Can you take what's left of that shirt off ? I need to have a look at the damage."

"Sure."

That simple movement was a torture. Small lights danced in front of my eyes and I said :

"I feel dizzy... I don't think I can keep my eyes open much longer."

He nodded.

"You lost a lot of blood, hence the weakness... You musn't yield to the drowsiness you feel..."

His fingers very gently touched the wounds, and then pressed on my left shoulder.

"I can help, but it's going to hurt. I don't have anaesthetic here..."

I smiled weakely.

"Don't worry about it."

As he went to take his instruments, I noticed him favoring his right side and rubbing it cautiously.

"What happened to your side ?"

"I had a disagreement with a horse today... We don't often have animals so big at the clinic... And I guess I had forgotten just how strong a horse can be..."

As he began to work, I took shelter at the heart of the nebula, shutting away the pain.

A million light years away, I felt something touching me soflty. There was some kind of presence, and I tore myself from the protecting arms of the nebula.

Sakurazuka Seishirou was gently pushing one of my numerous rebel locks of hair away. Seeing I acknowledged his presence, he smiled.

"You'll be all right soon. You only need rest..."

His eyes searched my face.

"You are very brave you know... I am bound to have hurt you, but you never moved, you never even blinked... How can you manage that ?"

I suddenly realised he had put a blanket over me, and that I was shivering. My body remembered the pain well enough. I said, smiling weakly :

"It's a trick... Take yourself away from the pain, lock yourself and it won't be able to come in."

My body shook feverishly. As I felt myself falling in a dark, bottomless pit, he held me, his left arm supporting me. He whispered soflty :

"But now you have opened the door. I'm sorry you must feel such pain..."

I leaned against him, and closed my eyes. It was easier with him so close, as if he could give me his strength, as if he was my brother... Distantly, I felt his fingers softly brushing my hair. I let go of the real world during a long time, and at last found enough energy to open my eyes and tell him :

"I feel better now, thank you... Thank you from the heart..."

He smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that... I'll bring you something to drink..."

He got up and went to the kitchen. I looked at a window, and saw the darkness of night turning to grey. In an hour at most, the day would dawn. A lot of time had passed... A part of me insisted on worrying about my enemy, on wondering where he migth be now and hoping desperately I hadn't endangered Nami or Seishirou. If ever any of them came to harm I knew I wouldn't be able to go on living.

Seishirou came back from the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea he offered me.

"Be careful, it's very hot."

While I was slowly sipping the delicious tea he had made, he looked at me, in earnest :

"I suppose that if I ask you what happened, you will tell me you fell from a tree, or something like that..."

Unable to help myself, I smiled.

"No..."

I shook my head, sighing.

"I would tell you nothing. I can't. What happened is a result of my stupidity. Period. I won't put you in danger by telling you."

He nodded silently, watching me all the while, and I found myself asking him :

"Tell me, if you had to fight someone you don't know, would you confront him without having the foggiest idea who and what your enemy is ?"

He shrugged.

"It seems to me standard practise to know one's enemy before committing oneself to a fight..."

Of course... Somehow, Sakurazukamori and I, although trained for battle, we had discarded that rule... And it might just be that he was powerful enough to allow himself this little oversight... While on my part it was a grieveous mistake. But where could I learn anything about him ? I wouldn't go to the Sumeragi. I couldn't.

"Since you won't tell me what happened, would you consider telling me who you are ?"

I looked at him for a long time, then looked at the window, feeling the familiar ache growing in my chest.

"I could tell you a lie you would believe, but the truth is... I don't really know the answer. I am lost... Everyone I knew, my elder brother, my friends... They have vanished, or rather they never existed. I..."

I groped for words.

"This city is familiar to me, I've lived in it with all those I loved, and then... Between one moment and the next, they were not here anymore. How can I explain it to you ? If I were to ask an operator on the phone for my brother's number, he'd tell me there is no one by this name. If I asked about the powerful society one of my friends owned, I would be told there never has been a society by that name... Do I make any sense ?"

He looked at me for a long time, and then his left hand pressed gently on my left shoulder.

"I am not sure I understand. But if you're looking for information, I'd advise you to do this : go to the university's library and look for what you seek. If you don't find anything, try Internet... Since one of your friends owned an important company there should be trace of it either at the economics departement of the library or in the Internet..."

I smiled helplessly.

"I'm no student, they'd never let me in there, and... What is Internet anyway ?"

He chuckled softly.

"Forgive me, I should be ashamed of laughing. Don't worry. I have an access to the library, I'll lend you my card... As for Internet, well if you don't find anything at the university, come to my office, I'll show you."

He yawned loudly.

"Oh my... And dawn will come soon..."

I lowered my eyes, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, you've been up the whole night because of me..."

He smiled gently.

"It's okay. I was the one who insisted to help... You can stay here and rest as long as you need. I'll check on your wounds before leaving for the clinic, but there shouldn't be any problem... If I'm gone when you wake up, lock the door when you leave and bring the key to the clinic, it's about five minutes from here."

I looked at him during a minute, then bowed my head, whispering :

"I can never tell you how much I owe you Seishirou-san... Thank you for your kindness and your patience with me..."

His right hand gently reached out and he slipped a finger under my chin, making me look at him. He said softly :

"You do not have to thank me. Believe me I am paid enough for what I do now. You give me enough, my friend..."

He was smiling gently.

"Now you should sleep."

I protested.

"But I don't understand what you mean..."

His index finger rested on my lips.

"Hush. You need rest..."

He was right. I had never felt so exhausted. The pain was gone but I couldn't fight the darkness any longer. I felt myself falling, and thought I heard a voice coming from very far away.

"You shall understand soon, my... friend..."

And then there was darkness.

End of part 6.

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