Work Text:
When Kal is shattered into fog, all he can do is fume. Unable to pace without legs and a body, all he can do is whisk about the lab in anger. All he can do is cast a wind upon the papers, spinning them about more and more. As he whisks, his anger grows more and more, puzzling over who could have possibly stolen his research.
Until he remembers Taavi's body, shoved to the side in the first basement sublevel.
He flies up there in a haste, letting himself slowly pool in the corner of the room. There it lays, sprawled out across the floor.
—
“Kalfu, what are you and King Itzal doing? It's madness!” Taavi demands.
“What do you mean by that?” Kal asks absent-mindedly, still rummaging through all the papers in the sublevel. “Do you know where my journal is?”
“I overheard you two earlier. Talking about going back in time, and then he showed you something.” Taavi says. “I'm worried about you, Kal! You hardly ever talk with me anymore, so wrapped up in your work, and you miss all of our events!”
Kal freezes, setting down the papers in his hand. “You.. overheard us?”
“Yes!” Taavi yells, throwing his hands in the air. “And I'm worried sick about both of you! Everyone's convinced that-”
Taavi staggers back when Kal punches him. “Are you the reason I can't find my notes? All my research and the orreries? Where are they, Taav?”
“I hid them! Kal, you’re going mad!” He spits. “I.. I don’t want to watch my friend going insane!”
“Insane?” Kal laughs madly, running a hand through wild hair. “Taavi, this isn’t insanity! This is genius and innovation! The king himself showed me what could be done with my inventions, and they’ll lead to a beautiful new world!” His hands begin to dissipate, fog pouring from him in waves. “Where is my work?”
“Kal, please!” Taavi cries. “As your friend and your assistant, could you please stop!”
Despite the madness in his eyes, Kal’s frantic movements still, the fog lessening. “There’s no returning from what we’ve done.”
“Of course there is.” Taavi says quietly, slowly approaching him. “We can rebuild, we can still be friends, we can see what we can do. Together.” His hand reaches out, hope shining in his eyes.
“I-” Kal stutters, taking a step back. “I don’t know if we can.”
“Please.” Taavi begs. “Just come back with me. We can explain everything.”
His hand reaches Kal’s. Despite it being fog, Taavi Radiates enough to allow him to grab it and hold it. Kal collapses into Taavi’s welcoming arms, the last of the manic energy fading away. They both close their eyes, sinking into the embrace.
“I’m sorry, Taavi.” Kal murmurs.
In one swift motion, Kal snaps his neck with the coalescing fog. His body crumples to the ground, only briefly in sight before the fog obscures it. Kal stares at it, watching his Radiance splutter and die. Something in his mind dies as well, and his eyes glaze over.
“What was I doing?” Kal mutters to himself, before turning back to the table he had been ransacking, picking up the papers again and shuffling through them. “Where is it?”
—
Despite the rage flowing through his veins, he hesitates next to Taavi’s body. It’s so different to Taavi himself, so lifeless compared to his warmth, different in stillness: while he was always someone slow to react, he held himself so gently. This body holds none of that, awkwardly crumpled on the floor, nothing but ice in his veins.
“Taavi.” Kal says quietly, sinking closer to him. “Taavi, I’m sorry.” He cries, reaching out. His Healing way smoothes over his neck, repairing the arteries and crushed bones, restoring some amount of color to the long gone man. “Please, wake up.”
Kalfu…
“Who’s there?” Kal calls, clutching Taavi’s body closer.
Kalfu… this was not your fault…I didn’t understand..
“Taavi?”
You know what to do.
The fog around Kal inches closer, spilling over into Taavi’s open mouth, pouring both himself and the shadows inside. At first, he resists, preventing himself from following suit. “Taavi?”
This must happen.
Before he knows it, he’s sucked into darkness.
Then light. He blinks dry eyes, takes raspy breaths with a scratchy throat.
“Taavi?”
He hears both his own voice and Taavi’s, layered in some unnatural fusion.
“No, no, this shouldn’t be possible.”
He rests a slightly larger hand over an artery with no pulse.
You have work to find.
“I.. yes, work. I need to find my research.”
You know who has it.
Kal, unsteady in Taavi’s body, stands. He takes only a moment to reorient himself, doing his best to pull every moment of their friendship forward and letting himself soak in them.
“I’m sorry.”
He Moves.