Écarlate (Kanda x OC)

Quatorze

Cold snow began to fall from the overcast sky, covering Zion's unconscious and injured body, and threatening her already detrimental health.

She wasn't able to hear the quiet footsteps of her fellow Exorcist as he approached her relatively limp body, trudging through the newly fallen snow.  The fresh powdery precipitation covered the portions that were stained with Zion's deep red blood, hiding just how severe her injuries were.  Kanda hadn't noticed until he pushed her to sit up, and the cuts became visible.

Even the action of forcing her body into a sitting position and shaking her cold shoulders did not wake her up, nor did it provide any response but soft, unpleasant breathing.  When Kanda leaned towards her lips and listened to her breath, it was coarse and fading.

"Damnit..." He cursed; worry flooding through him that he dared not to show.  With evidence that the female Exorcist would not awaken any time soon, he lifted her into his strong arms, supporting her legs with one and holding her torso close to his own chest with the other.

Inside, Kanda was greeted by the Bookman who tended to Lavi's significant wounds.  Lavi had awoken about an hour ago, and it had taken Kanda quite a while to discover where Zion was lying.  With assistance, the red-haired young man managed to stand and walk a few steps, but pain was visible in his green eye.

Kanda only suffered from a head injury, which surely gave him a headache, but he wasn't in such a dangerous state as Lavi or, more significantly, Zion, who still lied crippled in his arms.

Upon noticing the injured girl, Bookman rushed to their side while Lavi tried his best to limp.  Under the elderly man's instruction, Kanda laid her on the granite flooring with her head resting in his lap.  He noticed the dark circles of exhaustion prominent on her sickeningly pale face.  Her lips were purple and cut, with dry blood remaining on her chin.

Lavi, who attempted to help as much as he could, handed Kanda a warm, moist towel.  The uncharacteristically worried young man brushed her bangs away from her face and dabbed the soft fabric on the bloodied spots while stroking the rest of her face softly.  Slowly, some of the rosy color returned to it, but she still remained dangerously pale.

Kanda took the time that the old man spent tending to Zion's wounds to finally examine the bloodied corpses that littered the ceiling.  A particular face caught his attention; a face that was so familiar that he could never forget it, even though it was also lying in his lap.

The woman was nearly identical to Zion, but possessed few wrinkles that came with the progression of time.  Her magnificent hazel eyes stared into nothing, but had the expression of true horror that he had only seen cross Zion's face once before.  However, the dried liquid that oozed from the woman's sockets were reminisces of tears of blood.

Then, he couldn't bear to look at the bodies anymore.  He was normally rather unemotional, and wouldn't be completely fazed by the gruesome scene, but seeing someone who looked identical to the one person he considered to care about.  He returned to looking at Zion, who was still asleep, and showed no sign of waking up anytime soon.

Once the wounds on all three Exorcists were cleaned, they proceeded on the journey back to the Black Order.  While Kanda was nearly completely fine, Lavi was limping and Zion still hadn't woken up.

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Throughout the lengthy journey back to the Headquarters, Kanda had assured the safety of the female Exorcist and always kept a watchful eye on her, considering she wasn't able to do so herself.  He protectively refused to allow anyone else to carry her body.

What was extremely unusual in Kanda's mind, and for reason unknown to anyone, including himself, was the fact that he blamed himself for allowing Zion to receive the wounds that she did.  He had wished he was able to assist her more and hadn't been forced into the ground.