Sabigiyu Oneshots

Of Fire and Water

Contains: PTSD, panic attacks

***

A candle being snuffed out. That was how it started.

It wouldn't have happened if he had just paid more attention. He was so careless. In a room so unstable it felt like the next gust of wind would break what was left of the roof in. Just his luck.

Just his luck that the wind decided to blow and take away his only source of light. The darkness spread quickly and immediately- one minute there had been a warm glow and the next, nothing. Then came the steady, heavy pitter-patter of something hitting the half-broken roof.

And so the rain began.

Dripping in from every hole and small crack in the thin wooden roof. Falling through the air faster than a blade. 

The downpour hit the floor quickly, until finally the old roof gave a last dying creak before crumpling onto itself and falling to the floor underneath with a loud crack. Instantly the rain came faster, bringing with it loud booms of thunder and strike of purple-white lightning.

As if the small house had greatly offended the storm, light struck the tall pine outside the window, setting the tree ablaze. 

The orange sparks brought light and heat as they sizzled in the rain, reaching over the damp grass. Extending a tendril to the dry wood of the house that had just recently been protected from the rain by the tree's shade.

Bright, hot, flamboyant red, yellow, orange; lit up the dark and desolate area. Fighting fiercely against the weakening rain. 

The storm, recognizing its defeat, moved on.

And that was it. The house was up in flames, on fire.

That's how it happened.

~▪~▪~▪~

Giyuu had figured out what was going to happen the moment the candlelight went out. It was inevitable. That was when his heart picked up speed, steadily thudding in his chest.

The thudding got harder and louder, making it hard to hear anything besides the rush of blood in his ears. 

He felt the rain hitting his head, his shoulders, dripping onto his cheeks. As the roof caved in his breathing started to act up. His throat closed, breath going from steady to erratic, coming out in small puffs and gathering enough air before breathing in. Then releasing that air way too fast.

He didn't hear it when the lightning struck, but he saw the flames climbing, quickly turning brown wood into charcoal.

The water on his body started to feel like oil. He felt like bait for the fire, waiting to be found by the tendrils of flame like the dry wood had.

He already felt like he couldn't breather anymore. And the blaze was getting closer.

He stood there, rooted to the spot. Unable to move a single limb; absolutely helpless.

Warning signals flashed red and panicked as his brain desperately tried to reach out to him. They were never able to get through.

Useless. Incompetent. Weak.

He wanted to run. But he couldn't. The fire wasn't getting any smaller or any farther, instead it was bigger and closer than ever. He could feel the heavy heat closing in on him, the fumes blocking his airways, bit by bit.

And he could do nothing about it.

There was no one to save him this time, the luck he'd had when he was younger and Urokodaki had come for him was a one-time thing, he's realized. He wouldn't get past this. This was the end.