Chapter Text
Jouno ran over to the dojo, armed with a sword to fight to defend his training, passing by the many pink cherry trees that filled Kalnas's territory, he ran up stone stairs, running past Tetchou, "Come on! We'll be late if we don't speed up!" he yelled, his crimson eyes glaring down at the other man, the other nodded and started to catch up to Jouno, running up the steps with him.
The wind was billowing, sending blossoms blowing over them and whistling in their ears as they ran up the steps, the grass gently swaying in the wind, the sky in early dawn. The sun slowly rising as they made it to the top to the dojo, their teacher Natsume stood waiting for them.
"Sir!" Jouno waved, he made it to the terrace and bowed to him, "I apologise for our late arrival!" he stayed in the deep bow, Tetchou joined his side and bowed same as he did. Natsume watched them, he straightened out his orange and grey kimono, he sighed, "I see." the two young men waited, "Come in, you're just in time." Jouno and Tetchou straightened out and made it into the dojo, leaving their shoes at the entrance.
Jouno tightened his uniform, the upper part being a simple kimono top tucked into a pair of hakama, his sword tucked into a sheath around his waist. Tetchou looked at him and similarly fixed up his own uniform. They waited for when the sparring matches would start, Tetchou and Jouno stretched, starting to warm up as they waited.
"Who's going first?" Jouno asked looking toward another of their fellow students, Shunzen Tachihara, "Seems to me like it's me and you up first!" he grinned, "It'll be great sparing and seeing which one of us will graduate today!" the white haired man laughed, "Oh you're on!" Tetchou just stood by waiting, he looked at the board to see the line up, he'd read the board, he nodded, "I'll fight whoever loses." he spoke under his breath as he leaned against the wall.
Many students stood around waiting, barefoot on the tatami to have good grip on the floor, the walls a simple paper aside from the ones that lead outside. The students chattered excitedly. "I can't wait to see who wins this round!" one chuckled, "Oh please, we all know that Jouno is ahead of Shunzen, his technique is so refined!" another responded in a delighted tone.
Tetchou looked toward Jouno and Shunzen, he just nodded, "Fight well." he said calmly, the other two nodded back, "That's a given!" Jouno smirked, confidence radiating from him, "Don't forget to do the same when it's your turn Tetchou!" he started to head to the ring, Tetchou nodded, "I will." he stood by as everyone watched Jouno and Shunzen take their places in the ring.
Jouno unsheathed his sword, their master stood between them, looking at the two before he signaled to started. Jouno stepped forward on nimble feet and started to fight with his hard bamboo sword, Shunzen returning in practiced less fluid motions in defence. Jouno felt the electrifying adrenaline running in his veins as their swords collided, he took a step back, he was about to strike until some light fell into his eyes.
He shut one eye looking at Shunzen, his eyes looking to where it was coming from, a screech sound rung out, a whistle to stop, Jouno stopped in place about to lower his sword when Shunzen cried out, activating his magic channeling it into his sword.
Jouno watched in stunned horror as Shunzen fell, his sword covered in ice sharp as an icicle running through his face, slicing through his eyes and nose.
"AGHHHHHHHH!" Jouno shrieked in agony as he dropped his sword and fell to his knees covering his eyes, others looking panicked, Tetchou snapped out of the trance and ran to Jouno's side, holding the other, seeing the bleeding, the blood running down his face. He looked around before he yelled, "He needs a medic!" he looked around frantically before he helped Jouno stand, the other still holding onto his face, Tetchou looked at Natsume, "Master! Do you have anything to stop the bleeding?!"
Natsume looked at another of his students, "Bring that belt here!" they turned and ran, bringing one of the belts of one of the other classes to Natsume. He tossed the belt to Tetchou, who tied the belt around Jouno's head, "Hold it, it'll control the bleeding." he reassured him, he held onto his shoulder and started to lead Jouno outside, Jouno started to cry as he held the belt. "It... It hurts... It hurts so much..." he hissed in pain, he tried to control himself but unsurprisingly that was very difficult for Jouno to do.
Tetchou held his shoulder as he lead him down the stone steps and looked around, his eyes catching on the apothecary's house. "Jouno I see a place to get help, can I carry you there?" he looked at the distressed man gripping onto his shoulder, "It'll be faster for me to get you there by carrying you there." Tetchou said fast, Jouno hissed and slowly nodded, "Get it over with." he hissed in pain.
Tetchou nodded and he quickly scooped Jouno up, he cried out in surprise but immediately held onto the other's shoulders as he started to run as fast as he could to the apothecary, "Sir!" he yelled looking around, the old apothecary Luomen looked over, "Yes?" he looked up at them, Tetchou panted a little, "He was injured! A piece of magic ice sliced through his face." he said as he sat Jouno down, Luomen looked at Jouno, "That doesn't sound good, and this was during your coming of age tournament?" he asked as he carefully removed the belt from Jouno's face.
"Yes, it was an accident." Tetchou said and swiftly described the situation, Jouno gripped his knees his knuckles going white in the process, Luomen nodded, he looked towards his assistant who had abandoned the herbs she was crushing the moment Jouno was carried in, "Maomao bring some alcohol and Mistikas water," she nodded and got up going to the nearest shelf of bottles. Tetchou looked around, there was one elevated level and one ground level, a table present with a multitude of tools on the table to make medicines, a shelf of ingredients on the nearby shelf.
"I need you to try to open your eyes so I can see the damage," Luomen spoke in a gentle but stern tone, Maomao brought over the two bottles, the alcohol bottle being a white bottle, the Mistikas water being a blue one, "Here." she said as she placed the bottles down looking at Jouno, who took a shaking breath, "It's so hard to do it, I don't know if I can." he hissed in pain, Maomao was the one to speak, "We can't help if you don't open your eyes." her tone was rough and strict but it wasn't harsh, not yet anyway.
Jouno gulped before he with great effort opened his eyes, blood leaking out along with a lot of tears. Luomen looked at Maomao and she nodded, "Lay down." she said, he did as he was told, he gulped as he tried to shut his eyes again, however Maomao held his eyelids apart, "We'll drip some Mistikas water into your eyes and see if it can help." she held his eyelids as Luomen used a pipette to get the water, he slowly started to drip the water directly into his eyes, Jouno hissed in pain and gripped the wood planks in the floor.
They continued to treat him, dripping the water into his eyes and cleaning the gash with cotton dabs on his cut, after some time they finished, Luomen wrapped bandages around Jouno's face over his eyes, "We did the best we could, but it's very likely that you will not see like you used to." Jouno slowly sat up, "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his hand gripping onto the floor, Maomao sighed, "He means there's a high chance you won't be able to see anything again." the words reached Jouno and his hands and body to start to shake.
"... You mean... I will be blind?" he asked like a frightened child asking if a monster was still in their closet. Luomen was silent before he nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry sir we did everything we could, but it's very likely you'll only be able to tell the difference between light and dark." Jouno shook like a leaf, he grit his teeth before a cry escaped his lips. It sounded truly painful to hear, the sound of pure grief making it through the room.
No one spoke, but they knew it would be difficult.
Maomao looked toward Tetchou walking to him, she placed a bottle of Mistikas water into a paper bag and a pipette. "Bring these home with him, they're to be dripped into his eyes every day to help heal the eye itself." the other man nodded, he took the bag from the woman, "Yes ma'am." he looked towards Jouno, he walked over and placed a hand on one of Jouno's, "H-Hey who the hell-?!" "It's me Jouno."
Jouno paused and relaxed, his hands going down, letting Tetchou take his hand, "I'll help you home." he said calmly, pulling Jouno up to his feet, he started to walk, herding him to go over to his home, Jouno hissed, "I know my way home-!..." he attempted to protest before something clicked, the way he knew the way home was by visual indicators, ones that were useless to him now.
Knowing that to get home he needed to go between the mountains in a low level eastward until reaching a crossroads and go down the path that had a Fox statue and shrine nearby in his sight? Knowing that his home was a single story building with redwood walls that had silver accents and a fox guardian statue in front?
He knew that like the back of his hand, but now? He'd never be able to do such a thing, such a thing was impossible to use again unless he was giving directions. He felt bile starting to rise up into his throat, his hand flew up to his face and mouth as he choked on his memories and his new knowledge.
Tetchou just gripped his hand, "Let's just go." he said as he lead Jouno down the steps, Jouno stumbled slightly as he slipped a bit on the steps, "Gods! It's so hard getting down the steps I swear!" Tetchou brought his other hand in front of him, "I've got you." he said calmly, they walked down the steps and then turned east.
"Don't you have our shoes?" Jouno asked hissing, "No." the blinded man slowly turned to Tetchou, "You got to be shitting me." he groaned, "I was more focused on making sure you were well." he said calmly as he lead him over to the crossroads, Tetchou paused and looked at each side, Jouno hissed, "Mine is the one with the fox." Tetchou nodded, "Yeah OK." he started to continue walking.
They made it to Jouno's, Tetchou lead him to his front door. "You're home." he said calmly, Jouno let go of his hand, "Thanks." he took a few steps before he walked into the raised part of his terrace, he hissed in pain, "Damn it!" Tetchou walked over to him and looked at him, they made it inside and Tetchou placed the bag in the middle of a low table. Tetchou looked his way silently before Jouno dropped onto the floor. Laying on the tatami, Tetchou sat down next to him, he silently observed him.
He carted his fingers through Jouno's hair, petting his head. Jouno slowly relaxed, his body seeming limp as he fell asleep in exhaustion.