Miracles [KyoKao Oneshots]

Another World Away [AU]

Swirling snow blustering through the ice-coated trees, dark-furred wolves everywhere he looked, his brother's panicked expression, a frenzied yell--

Kaoru bolted upright and immediately gasped as sharp pain shot up his leg. Tugging up the leg of his breeches, he saw a strip of a pale green fabric wrapped around his calf like a bandage. Assuming that the wolves must have bitten him and he just hadn't noticed- he did know that fear from being attacked could mask pain-, he rolled his breeches back into place and turned to look for Hikaru.

His twin wasn't there. He sat on a bed of soft, lush grass, the blades long and not coated in frost or covered in snow. Looking up with a groan, he froze. The sky was a pale lavender with darker purple clouds drifting lazily, and that definitely was not right. The sky was blue, everyone knew that, and it was winter. Even if it was summer, the snow never completely melted at home, always leaving at least a thick coating of frost. The trees in the woods he explored with his brother at home were dark and spiny with dark green needles, not these pale white and grey trees with bendy, swaying branches coated in big, waxy leaves.

This wasn't home.

Slowly drawing one of his knees to his chest, Kaoru looked around the area cautiously. The clearing was spacious, carpeted in grass. A small stream trickled into a pond on one side, and there was a few rocks arranged somewhat like a chair at the far end of the clearing, but otherwise, the area was empty. His parka was folded neatly next to him, sitting on a flat rock. His boots sat next to that, his socks sticking out of the openings and the laces tied into a neat bow. Where's the rest of his things? What about Hikaru? The wolves? Scratch that, where's he?

Something rustled. He looked up with a jolt, reaching for the small knife he wore on his belt, only for his hand to meet empty air. He looked down, and saw that not only was his knife missing, but so was his belt and the ties on the neck of his shirt and the string of wooden beads he had worn around his neck for as long as he could remember and his hunting knife was wherever his pack was-- it was all gone and he was completely screwed.

He heard that rustling sound again, this time accompanied by a quiet chuckle. A chill shot up his spine and he tucked his chin down against his chest, whimpering slightly. He was going to die here, in this weird, messed up world, and he would never see Hikaru again, or his parents, or even that stingy old man who lived on the other side of town. He couldn't even run, not with his leg bandaged like this.

There was more rustling, and then a weird noise, and more noises. They sounded like words but not words like the ones he knew, different words, and the voice was like silk, it was so smooth and polished. He clenched his jaw, closing his eyes and bracing himself, determination to not cry beating out his fear. If he was going to die, he'd rather get it over with now, and not try to understand this.

Something touched his bandaged leg and he kicked with the good one, hitting something hard and solid. His toes throbbed, but when he looked up, there was someone crouched a ways away from him, scowling and rubbing at its chest. No, his chest; this man was definitely male. He didn't wear any form of tunic, just an odd fabric that wrapped around his waist and was held there with a knot. Kaoru gulped and whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, ple- please don't- don't kill me!"