Bound by Fate (Shigadabi)

141

*Soren's breath hitched, barely audible from above. His hand slapped over his mouth and, holding his breath, he closed his eyes. He prayed hard that Akira wouldn't find him and, if she found his hideout, he was invisible anyways, so she wouldn't see him.*

"Soren!!" She yelled as she looked around the room. "Soren, come out right now!!" She turned over the blanket and looked under the bed, in the closet and even lifted up multiple things with her alchemy to find the boy.

*There was no sign of the child anywhere in the room. Zatsu, who was alerted by the shouting and ruckus going on, decided to investigate.* "What's going on?" *She asked as she stepped closer to the door after coming upstairs.*

"He is gone!" Akira yelled as she looked around. "I can't find that shit, I already need enough alchemy to stop the erosive smoke. But I do not know how much he inhaled." She rapidly shook the window to see if the boy might have escaped through it. "He could die!" She moved around and rushed to the door. "The smoke is erosive and can destroy his fucking lungs! I don't know how long he inhaled the smoke, but he could already be dead..." She gave a groan "God damnit!!"

*Zatsu stared at her. She then sighed and walked over to Akira.* "Give me two seconds. But you have to, out loud, promise to close your eyes and not open them until I tell you."

She gave her an annoyed stare as in 'This better work.' "Fine..." She turned to the door and stood in the doorway "My eyes are closed.." she hummed as she hoped that this would clear up soon.

*The alchemist then slipped into the hole in the wall and climbed up. She sighed softly.* "Soren?... Come on out Buddy..."

"No..." *The air said in a muffled tone.* "I'll hurt someone..."

*Zatsu frowned.* "Darling...you won't hurt us. I promise, we'll help you!"

"You don't know if I'll hurt you!" *The boy's voice said with a crack.*

The woman gave a groan as her head rested against the door frame. She just wanted to get over with this so she could find out what had happened. And if she would need to comfort her wife in case the boy was already dead and composing.

*A little while later, Zatsu gently tapped Akira's shoulder. She was holding Soren, who was looking away with his hands tightly clasped together.* "You can open them."

"Okay," she did so as she gave a sigh. "Firstly I wanna know how this had happened?" She pointed the the black smoking ooze in the room which was shielded by the dark green alchemy.

"I just wanted to lay down..." *Soren muttered.*

"And then?" She asked trying to get more information out of the boy.

"My hands went on fire...and my blanket and stuffie..." *He turned his head to look into the room.* "I-I didn't mean to! I...I don't know what's wrong with me..."

She leaned forward and placed her hand on his shoulder "Sh.. it's okay..you didn't mean it..we just have to find out what this ooze is other than that and how to stop it from uncontrollably leaking out.." she paused. "This might require more intense training and perhaps some uncomfortable procedures or ways of prevention.."

*Soren slowly nodded.*

*Zatsu gently placed a hand on his head, rubbing it gently. She then looked at Akira, her gaze filled with worry.*

The woman gave a sigh. "Did you feel any particular emotion in that moment, sadness, anger.. sorrow?" She asked the boy.

*Soren shrugged.* "Scared? I guess?"

'Perhaps a defense mechanism...' she gave a small hum. "Okay you and your mom will leave this room so I can collect this." She pointed at the ooze. "You two can talk or whatever.."

*Zatsu carefully picked up the brunette before kissing Akira's cheek. She then went to the living room, sitting down on the couch with him in her lap.* "Can I see your hands?"

"But...I'll hurt you." *Soren tugged his hands closer.*

*Zatsu smiled softly.* "You won't. Trust me...okay?"

*Soren looked at her. Slowly, he offered her his hands.*

*Gently, Zatsu took them and held them back the back. On each hand she traced an invisible glyph.* "There. That should help calm everything down. It might make you sleepy though, so stay right here on the couch, okay?"

*The brunette nodded. He laid his head on Zatsu's chest and sniffled.* "I didn't mean to destroy them..."

"I know, Buddy." *Zatsu sighed.* "It'll be okay..."

Meanwhile the woman, now in full work attire, tried her best to clean up the ooze the best she could. It felt stupid to her how she could be so foolish. But eventually she got the job done. 'Oh...the poor floor.' where the black mud had been the floor was completely destroyed. The wood almost completely gone and it looked like fure had been lit up there. She gave a sigh as she teleported the ooze in the bottle to a safe place in her lab. After she did that she did the same with her special clothing, gloves, mask and glasses. After that she made her way into the living room, hoping Zatsu had found something out.

*When Akira came downstairs, she found the two downstairs; Soren had fallen asleep on Zatsu's chest with light tear streaks down his face while Zatsu was rubbing his back gently and reassuringly. The alchemist looked over at Akira.* "Hey..." *She whispered.*

"So.." she crossed her arms. "Did you find something?"

"Other than the fact he was terrified of the flames and hurting us and that he's extremely sorry about ruining your house, no." *Zatsu sighed as she turned back to Soren. A pitiful expression painted her face.* "He thought you were mad at him...and that you're still or you'd be mad."

"Anything else? His hands? Did he damage himself? Is his temperature higher than normally?" She asked the woman as she made her way over to her.

"He was complaining about being cold for a minute." *She gave a small shrug.* "Fever, I don't know. And I put a charm over his hands that should last a few days. As for wounds...I don't believe he has any."

"Alright..are his breathing noises louder than usually...I would like to run a few test to make sure the smoke didn't damage his lungs too much." She explained as she sat down next to her.

*Zatsu shook her head.* "No...nothing seems off other than him feeling a bit colder than usual." *She looked at Soren as she gently rubbed his back.* "You don't think..." *It was difficult for her to say this, let alone think it. After all the years Soren has gone through, this would crush her.* "You don't think we'll lose him...do you?..."

"Perhaps... perhaps we will...maybe not... I'm not sure. All I know is that this ooze is a simple meaning of destruction. Be it airborne or through touch. It started as I taught him a fire spell. The fire he had created was white, almost transparent with some black hints here and there. As the flame burnt a stick it lit up and produced the ooze. So I am not sure if the ooze belongs to the flame or him, and the ooze used the flame as a way to travel." She stopped to look at her wife.

*The alchemist didn't return her gaze to Akira. She continued to rub Soren's back as gently as possible. The thought of losing him stung like a bullet wound to the heart. But she didn't want to believe they would. He was strong for his age and what he was and he already has lived longer than he was supposed to. She couldn't let him die, even if it was still just a chance.*

The woman gave a soft sigh "Look Zatsu, we both know we will do everything in our power to let him survive this. I am just unsure on why this sudden erosion happened. He never had such problems before. And now it's like death is oozing off him." She gave a sigh.

"I know..." *The woman mumbled as she kissed the boy's head.* "I just...I don't get it either..."

"Well, we can only know through experiments and observation." She kissed the woman's forehead "We got this alright?"

*Zatsu nodded softly. She kissed the boy's head again as she sighed inaudibly.*

Akira decided to stay with her for now, just to comfort the woman as she seemed to be really close to tears. 

*Slowly, Zatsu rested her head on Akira's shoulder. She kept Soren in her arms and as close as possible.*

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