Burn Baby Burn

Felix had made his plan the moment he'd left Serenity and Syndryl. First he'd help Kana and then he'd go to Kyla. Afterwards, if he made it out alive he'd go to Serenity, let her known and then find Kymin. Felix was determined that everything would go perfectly fine, but as he made it to the Sunshine, his hopes were suddenly crushed. The entire village was burned to the ground. Felix dismounted from Zane and entered the uninhabited ashes of the Sunshine. His eyes were wide with shock and an uneasy feeling that Kana was no longer alive. Batsu had nearly taken his soul, so why would it be any different to take hers. "Oh no," he whispered. They should have helped her from the start instead of putting this off. Felix shook his head. "Zane, see if you can find her, hurry!" The badger took off without a moment's hesitation, but Felix didn't move. How was he going to break this to Kymin if he were still alive. The silver haired male looked around and then started forward, searching the rubble and calling out Kana's name, but there was no answer. He was becoming really frantic considering this was a large village and there was ash and rubble everywhere. Then he heard movement. "Please let it be her," he prayed quietly as he rounded the corner.

Kinana had been off on a mission by herself when all this had happened, so one could only imagine her horror at finding her home like this. She'd been in this village her whole life, and now...now it was just ashes. "Renji?! Raiken!" For several hours, Kinana found herself moving rubble trying to find someone, anyone who was still alive. But all she found her bodies with missing hearts. Each and every time. Eventually she started losing hope, but she didn't stop. She didn't want to accept that everyone was dead. By the time Felix found her, she was moving a wooden beam and trying to get someone to answer her under the remains of what was obviously a crushed house. There was soot on her face and there were streaks from where tears had fallen down. "God damn it, someone be alive," she whispered. Boyyo was off to the side, laying down. He knew that everyone was gone, and he'd tried to usher Kinana into leaving, but she wouldn't have it. His head perked up when he heard someone coming and gave a woofing sound, one that Kinana clearly didn't hear.

(I feel bad for her. Really, really bad.)

Felix rounded the corner and saw Kinana. It was the last person he expected to see, but at the same time, it was good to see someone who was alive. He looked to Boyyo and then approached Kinana. "Hey," he called. "Kinana." He could see that she was in the same predicament as he. Both had been searching for survivors, but there was none around. Who knew how long it had been since this had happened. Felix decided to walk around to the front instead of scaring her by coming up behind her in case she hadn't heard him.

Kinana almost didn't stop when she heard someone call her name. With every body she'd found, she'd remembered the encounters she'd had with them, and she'd almost started believing she was hearing things when she heard someone call her. She was so glad she looked up though, because she'd so desperately needed to see another living human. "Felix..? Felix, help me move this, please, th-there might be someone alive under here," she said, moving to push the beam again. One person wasn't enough. There had to be more, there had to be someone else. Felix probably hadn't even been here when this happened, so he didn't count. She had to find Renji and Raiken, she had to find her brothers.

Felix looked at Kinana as she desperately tried to find survivors. He didn't want to tell her there was no one else, but someone had to bring her to her senses. "Kin, I don't think anyone is under there. The thing that did this leaves no one alive." He walked over to the younger girl and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sorry, but they're all gone." Felix wished he could have told her that it had been an easy death, but he knew that was not the case. Batsu was cruel and took both the heart and soul. Two vitals things meant to live and love. "I'm sorry."

Kinana only shook her head and pushed the fallen beam from the rubble before trying to move something else. No, there had to be someone, he was wrong, he was just wrong! She froze when Felix wrapped her in a hug, but started crying soon after. "No, no, they have to be alive..! I wasn't even here to help them, they can't all be gone," she cried, burying her head into Felix's shoulder. Every other time she could be tough, but this was too much. There was so much destruction, so much death in one place. "There has to be someone alive here, th-they can't all b-be..." Kinana cut off. She didn't want to say they were all dead. She didn't even want to think it. Felix was wrong, he had to be wrong!

Felix had come here thinking he'd be able to save a friend and instead he'd found this. A heartbroken girl that probably had no where to go and was more than likely blaming herself for not being able to protect her fallen comrades. "It's going to be okay," he told her as she cried. "You're going to be okay." Felix felt like breaking down with her, but he knew it wouldn't help the situation at all. His eyes closed and he suddenly felt very much lost. Why do we live in a world with so much pain and suffering? Why can't life just be simple? He rubbed Kinana's back. "Let's get out of here," he said. "I'll take you to the next town."

Kinana shook her head when Felix said it was going to be okay. Nothing was going to be okay, not after this. She should have been here to protect them, she should have died with her village. She found herself shaking a bit as she cried. She shook her head again when he said he'd take her out of here. "N-no, I c-I can't leave them here..." She didn't know what she'd accomplish by staying here, but she didn't want to leave them. She'd had so many friends here, and all the kids at the academy, and Renji and Raiken, she'd had so much here, but now it was gone, completely gone...

Felix did not want to stay here and bury all the people here, mainly because he was afraid he'd find Kana somewhere in the myriad of fallen shinobi. He slowly pulled away from the girl with the tattoos and sighed. "Kinana, you can't stay here. There's nothing you can do for them anymore. They're gone and you're going to have to accept that. Grieving is okay, but if you stay here any longer you're going to make yourself sick." He looked to Boyyo and then to Zane who had come along a few moments ago.

Kinana looked up at Felix when he pulled away, telling her she couldn't stay. Why couldn't she? She still couldn't accept the fact that there might not be survivors. What about the others who had been out on missions? She couldn't have been the only one, right? "I-I..." Kinana fell silent when Boyyo walked up behind her and nudged against her side, giving a small noise. The dark skinned shinobi swallowed, trying not to break into a fresh fit of tears. "O-okay..." She took another look around and immediately looked back to Felix. "L-let's go..." Just as badly as she'd wanted to stay there a couple minutes ago, was how badly she wanted to leave now.

Felix nodded and called Zane over. He didn't mount the badger until Boyyo and Kinana were ready. Once they were he headed out of the village and towards the next village. His head was bowed lightly as Zane moved at a moderate pace. Damn it all to hell. The shinobi was mentally cursing himself. His hatred for Kana would end up tearing Kymin to pieces. How could he have been so selfish? Felix closed his eyes until a wave of uneasiness washed over him. He looked up to see if they were being watched, but there was no one that he could see. When he looked to his badger, Zane seemed undisturbed. Felix frowned, but decided to continue nontheless. It was only when the sky darkened did he stop. "What the hell is that," he questioned, and just as quickly he didn't want the answer for a familiar voice came from the clouds as they formed a very familiar but unwanted face.

"So you think you can just get rid of me," the voice of Kyla hissed. "You think you can just ignore me! I who created you!"

Felix felt chills run down his spine at the anger in Kyla's voice. "Get back," he ordered Kinana. The moment he gave the order Felix doubled over in pain as a black mist exited his body.

"I may be gone, but without me you don't exist. Live out the death you rightfully deserve!"

Felix fell off of Zane as a searing pain cut through his midsection. He lifted his hand and saw blood, but when he lifted his shirt there was nothing. Felix didn't understand what was happening. The clouds began to clear, but the pain continued, leaving him shaking from shock.

Kinana got on Boyyo and followed after Felix. She laid down on the bear and tried not to look back at the village. Fresh tears had started down her face. This had to be a dream, a really, really bad nightmare. Everyone she knew was gone...she had no one left. She only barely knew Felix and Kymin. The only one she had left was Boyyo. That should have been enough for her, and she felt bad that it wasn't, but... Everyone...Raiken, Renji...who did this to our home..?

Kinana was close to falling asleep by the time she noticed the shadow passing overhead. She sat up when Felix told her to get back. What was going on? Wasn't it just a cloud passing overhead? It was only when a face started forming did she become worried. Who the hell was that? Quickly, Kinana got off Boyyo and prepared for some sort of ambush because of the distraction. Grieving or not, she was still a warrior, still a ninja, and survival came first, even if she felt she shouldn't be surviving right now.

The tan skinned girl's eyes widened when Felix fell off his badger and she immediately started forward. "Felix!" She quickly knelt down beside him. There was blood, but it didn't seem like he was wounded anywhere. What the hell was going on? "Felix, where's the wound, where's the blood coming from?" she asked quickly, trying not to shake. This was too much for one day, she couldn't handle losing Felix right in front of her, not now.

Felix remained curled up in pain, his eyes shut closed. "I-I don't know," he answered when Kinana came over. "Fuck!" The blue eyed male rolled onto his side and got up, pressing his hand against a wound that wasn't there. "It won't fucking stop." The silver haired shinobi waved Zane over and the badger helped him up. "Let's go," he said shakily. He had to get to a hospital before he passed out or died! That's what it felt like. He never felt like this before. What was happening?

Kinana's blue eyes were wide with fear and panic when he said he didn't know where the wound was. How could she stop the bleeding if she didn't know where the wound was? How could she help him, how could she stop him from dying too! The younger girl's eyes teared up, but she nodded when Felix said they should go, helping him onto his badger. Boyyo was a fast runner, but Kinana was just as fast, so she was going to run beside Zane so that she could make sure Felix didn't fall off, or fall unconscious. "It's that way," she told the badger, pointing in the general direction of the nearest village, which happened to be the Stealth. The Sunshine had been halfway in between the Stealth and the Crested, but she didn't know how long it would take to get to the Stealth from where they were. Hopefully not too long, because she didn't want Felix to die. "Don't you die on me Felix, do you understand? Don't you die on me too!" She really, really didn't want him to die.

Felix was barely conscious as Zane and the rest of their party headed off. The blue eyed shinobi looked to Kinana and nodded. "I'm not going to die," he told her through clenched teeth. "I'm not one to go out so easily." Felix suddenly had his doubts though. This pain was familiar and in a very familiar spot. Felix's mind was suddenly back in the Gears with him and Holland fighting for their lives against one too many shinobi. Felix remembered the wound he'd received and how it'd bleed way too much for comfort. He shuddered lightly. Was this what Kyla was talking about when she's told him to live out his rightful death? Felix knew he was supposed to die that day, but was this Kyla's way of saying his immortality was over? As much as he'd longed for this moment, he didn't want to die.

Kinana was glad to hear Felix say he wasn't going to die, but at the same time, he didn't look too hot, and glad or not to hear him say that, she was still worried. "Is there anything you need me to do, Felix?" she asked, hurrying along beside Zane. They wouldn't get to the Stealth for a while yet. It wasn't even in sight yet, and she would do anything to make sure Felix was going to make it there alive.

Felix shook his head. "I wish," he grumbled. He wondered if the water spirit would be able to help him, but if he could, wouldn't he have offered to do so? Felix closed his eyes again. "Where are we headed," he asked. The silver haired male laid back down and tried to stay conscious. He was hoping the village was nearby and he really hoped that they had good doctors.

Kinana frowned at Felix's response, but kept up next to the large badger. She wished there was something she could do for him, she wished that she'd taken the time to learn medical ninjutsu. But she'd spent all her time learning how to fight so she would never need to know medical ninjutsu. She'd never expected herself to be in a situation like this. She knew the basics, but the basics weren't going to help her here. "We're going to the Stealth, so you can get into a hospital," she told him, swallowing lightly. She didn't want to tell him it would take them almost ten minutes to get there at the pace they were going. To be honest, they were more than halfway there because of how fast they were going and the distance they'd gone before this incident, which Kinana was grateful for.

Felix only nodded when told they were on their way to the Stealth. "It's been a while since I've been there," he moaned in agony. The pain was growing and he was beginning to feel light headed. "I used to live there." Felix tried not sound too out of it, but the world was sliding into darkness. "It's cold," he whispered. "And I'm tired....I think I'm going to go to sleep for a little while." Felix was shaking from shock and the cold, although it was very warm outside. "Wake me when we get there." Zane clearly found this a bad idea. If Felix passed out he would disappear. The badger stopped and fluffed up his fur, jerking Felix awake. The shinobi blinked. "Stop it," he groaned.

The more Kinana heard Felix speak, the more afraid she became for him. "No, no, don't fall asleep Felix, please," she begged softly. They needed to hurry or Felix was going to die. She couldn't stand anymore death today, she'd break down. She was glad that the badger had done something to keep Felix awake though, because she was afraid to even touch him. He sounded like he was in so much pain. "We'll get there soon, I promise, just don't fall asleep."

Felix looked at Kinana as she promised relief soon. He didn't believe her. His normally icy blue eyes were dark and he looked drained of energy. He'd never felt this bad before. The time he'd been ambushed when Serenity found him out by the gate was bad, but this made that night look like a piece of cake. Felix coughed and groaned a moment later. As Zane began to walk again the silver haired shinobi settled back down into the badger's soft fur. If I die, will I see Meridian? Or my mom? Maybe Mekko and Holland? The thought was comforting and was helping ease some of the gnawing pain. Maybe even Kymin. I miss Kymin.

Kinana wasn't liking the fact that Felix wasn't talking to her anymore. "We're almost there," she told him. "Do you want me to call someone? Do you want me to call Kymin?" She wasn't sure why the two weren't together now. They'd been inseparable back when they'd been visiting. She hoped everything was okay. Kymin was the only acquaintance she knew of Felix's, the only person whose number she had to call. She didn't know any of Felix's family, or if he even had family. She wasn't close enough to this silver haired man to know how to comfort him and keep him out of Death's grip.

Felix looked at Kinana when she mentioned his fiance. Felix wasn't even sure if he was alive. "Kymin," he mumbled almost miserably. It had been three weeks since his fiance had last talked to him. "Call him please." The silver haired shinobi's eyes flickered open and closed. He was so tired. "I want to talk to him." Felix really did want to hear the sound of his lover's voice one more time before everything came crashing down. "I miss him...." Felix had lost so much blood that one would think he'd lost too much blood. He seriously had, but there was almost an endless supply.

Kinana was glad to get a response from Felix, even if it was just a mumble. She nodded when he told her to call him, taking out her cell phone while staying at Zane's side. She dialed Kymin's number from her contacts list and held the phone to her ear, glancing at Felix every now and then.

Kymin was holding Vishnu, on his way back to the Crested, when he heard his phone ring. He'd expected it to be Felix, since he'd been in the Unknown for so long, but it was Kinana's number instead. He put Vishnu down before answering the phone. "Kin? What's up?"

"Hey...Kymin, um...I'm with Felix, and...well, he's in pretty bad shape. He wants to talk to you."

Kymin stopped walking. "What? Bad shape how? Where are you guys?"

"We're on our way to the Stealth. It was the closest village. Um...here, I'm gonna put him on the phone now," she said, handing the phone to Felix.

As soon as Kymin was sure Felix had the phone, he spoke. "Felix? Angel, are you okay?" He'd been in the Unknown, so it hadn't felt like three weeks, but even that little bit of time felt like a lifetime away from the silver haired ninja. Just what had happened while he'd been gone?

The silver haired male had drifted off in those short few moments until he heard Kymin's voice. "I miss you," was the first thing that he said. "A lot." Felix was smiling despite the pain. "I'm really tired, " he told his fiance. "So freakin tired." He closed his eyes but continued to speak, the smile fading away. "Kana's gone....Batsu got to the Sunshine. There's no one left. I'm sorry." Felix turned his head and coughed several times before he spoke again. "I just wanted to hear your voice again....before I had to say goodbye."