#nr14

The ground trembled, cracked and disappeared beneath Acheron and Reiken.  It swallowed them and the demons around them.  

Reiken tried to reach for his control of earth, but before he could manage that.  Something slammed into his head.  The world around him blacked out, the last thing he saw was Acheron, reaching for him.  

Slowly the pain pulled Reiken back to consciousness.  

He blinked a few times, struggling to see anything in the semi darkness.  There was a blinding throbbing in the back of his head.  

“...”

A voice sounded up, but Reiken couldn’t understand a word of it.  It just sounded like foreign words with no meaning.

“...”

The voice kept on.  It got louder and louder.

“... Rei...”

Reiken flinched and blinked a few times.  A small flickering fire hovered in the air, casting a pale light in the darkness.

“REIKEN!” the voice snapped.

Slowly Reiken turned his head towards the voice.  It took him a moment before he understood what he was seeing.  

Acheron lay a few steps away from him.  it looked like he was trapped beneath some rocks.

“Ash...?” Reiken muttered as he slowly got to his feet.  

“Reiken...” the other immortal said “What just happened?”

Reiken blinked a few times.  “I....  I don’t... know” he muttered “I couldn’t reach...  earth fast enough...”

Acheron nodded.  “Can you move?” he asked.

“Yeah...” Reiken muttered “I think so...”

Slowly he sat up, feeling the pain in his head making the world turn.  He moved towards Acheron.  Everything around him moved.  Somewhere in the distance he could hear the sound of demons.  They sounds closer and far away at the same time.  

His shoulders stiffened.  

“Reiken!” Acheron snapped, drawing the red haired immortal’s attention back.

Reiken blinked turning back to Acheron.  “Are you... alright?” he asked hesitantly “Can you move?”

“No...” Acheron said, pain lacing his voice “My legs are trapped beneath some boulders.  You will have to move them before we can get out of here”

It took a moment before Reiken made his way over Acheron to make sure about what was going.  He just blinked at Acheron’s legs before his eyes flickered over the other guy.  

“Let me make sure that you don’t have any other injuries...” Reiken muttered.

“Like hell” Acheron snapped before groaning in pain “Just get me out of here and I’ll take care of myself...”

Reiken clenched his jaw.  “NO!” he said, sounding angry “You are not going to suffer like that...  Let me help you”

Acheron groaned, his eyes flickering closed.  

“Ash....” Reiken said “Ash, wake up...  open your eyes...  Come on man... open up your eyes.  DON’T go to sleep!”

For a moment Acheron groaned and his eyes flickered open.  

It took a few seconds before Acheron’s black eyes focused on Reiken.  Reiken breathed out and pulled back slightly.  

“Thank you...” he whispered.  He placed his hand on Acheron’s chest.  “Take it easy...  I’ll take care of you, just hold on a little”

“Rei...” Acheron muttered, closing his eyes.

Reiken clenched his jaw and shook his head.  “Just shut up, Ash” he snapped “Shut up and let me help you, alright”

Acheron groaned before nodding.  “Thank you...” he whispered.

Taking a deep breath, he moved his attention to Acheron’s legs.  “This is bad...” he whispered.  

He placed his hands on boulder on Acheron’s legs.  

“This is going to hurt...” he said quietly.

Acheron nodded.  “Yeah I know....” he said quietly “Crush injury...  the boulders probably crushed my legs.  You will have to heal them”

Reiken nodded slightly.  “I’m so sorry....” he said quietly.  

He closed his eyes, pushing the pain to the back of his mind, as he reached for his power and then lifted the boulders.  Acheron’s scream echoed through the darkness of the hole they were trapped in.  

Without hesitation, Reiken moved and rapidly pulled Acheron away.  

Pain ripped through his wrist as the bracelet burned him.  He let go of the boulders and the sound thundered through the small space.  

Both Reiken and Acheron fell on to the ground, gasping.  Reiken flinched as he looked over at Acheron’s bloody legs.  “I’m so sorry...” he whispered “I don’t know if I have enough....  enough power to... to... to fix that”

“Give me your hand” Acheron said.  

Reiken nodded slightly and held out his wrist, Acheron gripped his wrist tightly.  

“Start” he said.  

Reiken shut his eyes tightly before holding his hand out over Acheron’s legs.  He could feel the power rushing through him, adding to his own borrowed ability.  Slowly he started healing the injury.  

Acheron’s grip on his wrist tightened as the pain tore through him.  

After a little while, he could feel Acheron’s power fading as the immortal started losing his consciousness.  

“Ash...” Reiken said, as he turned his attention to the other guy.  He’d done all the healing that he could on the guy’s legs “Ash... wake up...  Please...  Ash... You have to wake up”

The black haired immortal stayed motionless. 

Reiken could feel the panic rising in his chest.  He couldn’t let this happen.  Not again.  Not while he was there.  He was not going to let someone else die while he was there.  

“Ash...DAMMIT!  WAKE UP!” he screamed.  

The power exploded around him.  It torn at his body.

“REI!” Acheron’s voice snapped “STOP IT”

No...  That wasn’t right...  He was not...  Acheron was not.

Arms grabbed him, holding him tightly.  “It’s alright....  Take it easy...  It’s alright” the voice whispered “Sshhh...  It’s alright...  No one is going to die...  We’re all alright”

Reiken gasped, pulling his legs up against his chest.  Slowly his power calmed down.  

“There you go...  It’s alright Rei-Rei...” Acheron muttered as he rubbed Reiken’s back, trying to calm the other immortal down “Deep breaths, Rei....  Come one Kid...  Deep breaths”

Reiken finally managed to draw in a deep breath, as his power calmed down.  

“There you go...” Acheron said quietly “Calm down, Kid...  Calm down...  It’s alright”

“I’m okay....” Reiken whispered “I’m alright...  I’m sorry...”

Acheron breathed out and nodded, continuing to rub Reiken’s back.  “Just hold on a little...  Sigurd will get us out” he said gently “Don’t use any more of your power, alright.  We’re fine”

Reiken was trembling, just staring out at nothing, struggling to get his breathing back under control.

“Come on Kid” Acheron said “I don’t hate you so much that I want to see you suffer like this”

“Sorry... Sorry... Sorry...” Reiken muttered. 

“Close your eyes, Rei” Acheron said quietly “Close your eyes and stay calm...  I’m here...  I’m not going anywhere, you know I’m to stubborn for that.  You know that...”

Reiken shut his eyes tightly.  “I’m sorry....  I couldn’t... I couldn’t help more...” he whispered.