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Everything hurts.
It hurts.
This is excruciating.
Jiyan laid still on the stone-cold ground, as he felt the individual rocks and dirt being drowned out by the sound of rain and cries. He didn't know where he was, what he was, or what he was doing, it was as if he had forgotten everything. One thing he was aware of was that he was in pain. Deathly and fatal pain. He could tell if nobody would be able to find him now or in the next few hours, he would be dead. As someone who had grown up next to a medic 24/7, it didn't take him long to realize the many lacerations against his back, the many cuts and bruises around his body, his torn clothing, and most of all the impending death he had once feared, now finally accepting it with open arms.
-----
"Mother? how could I help?"
The small child asked his mother as she ruffled his hair gently, reassuring him that the scene Infront of him should not scare him. As a medic would have to keep calm in these situations to attend to their patients. Luckily it wasn't a gruesome scene, maybe a few bandages around the unconscious individual on the examination table.
Jiyan clung onto his mother's side as he was a growing boy who often felt safe around the warm touch of his mother. Everything had changed that one day when a Tacet Discord had gotten the better of his mother and ended up ripping her away from him. He swore to fight against those wretched things, yet cared deeply for those who sacrificed themselves in war, as he followed in her steps by being a Medic.
Soon that came to an end after he met a specific man who had treated him with such care, yet fierce on battle. General Geshu Lin often was injured due to his position and had grown a bond with the Medic. As they their relationship grow, so did the Tacet Discords and rebels who strayed away and cowered in the mountains.
They soon realized that these things had hid in order to grow in power, as they attacked fiercely, bloodshed all over the battlefield, numerous deaths, and so was the death of their beloved general who had fought until the very end, he was so young. Jiyan had taken his death hard, as a 15-year-old boy, he finally found his warmth again as it was once taken away so harshly.
-----
Jiyan reminisced his fond memories as he truly expected death at his door. He fought bravely on the battlefield, as he remembered the promise that he had made with the foreign traveler.
"Please, if I may fall in battle one day, plant this in memory of me"
He smiled at his own remark as everything felt numb, yet he could smell his own blood and the sounds of cries drowned out by the heavy rain. It was calming as it had reminded him of the days he would be cuddled up in the warmth of his mother's soft embrace, as they talked together about any topic they could.
He winced as the droplets of water splashed onto his face, as he felt himself drifting away from consciousness, as he began to lose himself in his thoughts and savoring every moment of his memories, he felt many people rush over to his body as everything turned black.
-----
Rover fought off the last Tacet Discords alongside the Midnight Rangers and Ghost Hounds. They swung their sword, using their Resonance power to eliminate the evil beings plaguing the city.
They cheered for victory as the last of the creatures were defeated. as the rain crashed loudly in their ears. They turned on their heels to check if everyone was alright, they ran amongst the puddles, helping anyone they could.
It wasn't until a fellow injured Midnight Ranger informed them about the whereabouts of his general. It was deemed that he was facing off Tacet Discord by himself with no assistance. Rover ran with all their strength left, medics trailing behind them as they spotted Jiyan laying unconsciously in a pool of his own blood.
them and a few medics carefully tended to Jiyan as they checked for his pulse and the many cuts along his body, jabs and stab wounds present on his body, a horrifying scene indeed as many medics assumed he would not make it.
Luckily, they managed to find a pulse and transport the unconscious general back to the base of the Midnight Rangers, and properly tended to his wounds.
-----(A few days later)
"How is the condition of General Jiyan?" Rover asked the medics as they had been worried for the general all day, together with Taoqi, Yangyang, Mortefi, and other important figures concerned for his health.
"He is doing very well in recovery, he is under our surveillance 24/7." The medic explained to the very worried and concerned Jinhsi and Rover. They calmed after hearing his recover was well, but he was bed-ridden until further notice. despite having a good immune system, Jiyan healed slower than most and often became reckless of his own health after being surround by those he wished to protect.
Everyone eventually was kicked out by the medics as they reassured them once again that Jiyan was alright and was recovering well, he just needed some more rest and a few more days until he was alright to do some light paperwork in bed. They groaned as they reluctantly left after the constant bugging of the medics as it was getting late.
-----
Jiyan laid in the hospital bed, as he couldn't move his body, he thought he would truly perish in battle, thankfully once he was discharged, he would be able to thank Rover and the others for finding him and fighting against the Tacet Discords protecting citizens of Jinzhou from its havoc.
He sat alone with his thoughts often, he slowly turned his head to stare outside the open window, he glanced around the room to no avail. It was cold, he didn't like it, despite the weighted blanket over his body, it could never provide the warmth that he looked for the most.
Jiyan stared at the IV connected to the back of his hand, and the heart-monitor clip around his finger. Despite being a former medic, the scene often made him feel uneasy. He needed some type of comfort or else he would not be able to rest in peace. Thankfully, there was a small white cat that often slept amongst the windowsill as Jiyan found comfort in the little thing. He had started calling it Yue as it reminded him of the moon.
"Ah.. Yue, come to visit me again..?" Jiyan called out in a small voice as he smiled softly at the meowing cat sitting on the open window. "Apologies, Yue, I cannot provide you with any snacks..."
Jiyan often fed the cat as if it were his own, despite the little time he often stayed in the infirmary, the cat always recognized him as someone it could trust and lean on in the cruel world, as if it were just the two of them.
"Once I am discharged, Yue, Ill feed you with all the snacks you could ever imagine...." He gestured to the cat to leave before it would start meowing loudly, as it often did it when Jiyan wouldn't feed it. Unexpectantly, the cat ended up curling itself into a ball, sleeping on the windowsill as it wished to stay by Jiyan's side.
He chuckled slightly at the cat's behavior and rested against the windowsill. He turned around as he himself closed his eyes to rest.
-----
Calcharo held a bowl of water, as he stepped out of his office to search for the cat. He turned around the corner to see that it had not touched its food, nor did it even show up. 'Odd.. that animal was always looming around here somewhere..' He thought to himself as he placed down the water bowl.
He turned his head a few times and lapped around the base to check for the small animal, the Ghost Hounds had often called it 'Phantom' as it had always managed to take off the collar that they would put on it to make sure outsiders would not mistake it for an ordinary cat, but as pet of the Ghost Hounds.
Calcharo had picked up on this and had begun feeding and taking care of the small animal whenever he could, he left it food and water as it walked around the territory without a care in the world as he watched over it from afar. Its sudden disappearance had him questioning its whereabouts as the Ghost Hounds would be devastated if the cat had run away out of nowhere.
He thought to check the Midnight Rangers base as it was also where the cat would often go, but would end up being shooed by the guards, he sneaked around the premises trying to be as discreet as possible to avoid being detected by any of the Midnight Rangers, ironically it was almost midnight too.
He snuck around the base until he got around the back of the base, as he found the cat sleeping on an open window, he carefully yet stealthily walked up to the cat as not to scare it, that's when the leader of the Ghost Hounds had noticed through the window the familiar teal colored hair.
'General Jiyan was injured..? when..?' he wondered to himself as he had been a little to careless after seeing Jiyan sleeping peacefully hooked up to various machines and IV's. The cat annoyingly jumped into the room as Calcharo cursed internally. How was he going to get the small animal now?!
Calcharo stood outside the window looking like a fool as the animal had outsmarted him and jumped into the infirmary room where General Jiyan was coincidentally sleeping peacefully in. His hair down and everything, his back facing the window as the blankets covered over him. The silver-ette grimaced as the cat cheekily jumped onto the bed and ended up snuggling close to Jiyan.
Jiyan stirred in his sleep as he sensed the small furry animal against him. As if out of reaction, Jiyan's heightened senses made him whip his head around to see Calcharo just standing outside the window. He blinked as he saw the man just deadpanning outside the window, his long messy hair flowing in the cold wind.
"Cal..? Is that you..?" Jiyan used his non-IV-ed hand to rub his eye slightly as he tucked away a loose piece of hair away as it blocked his vision. As the cat meowed behind him, laying down onto the bed, as Jiyan glanced at it slightly.
"General, I apologize for the animal, it had sneaked out of my territory and found itself here." Calcharo said with a stoic look on his face, his voice stern and cold. Yet, obviously embarrassed about the cats behavior.
"Ah.. You mean, Yue? No worries, I've grown fond of the furry little thing..." Jiyan propped himself up as he leaned against the bed board, as the cat slowly got up from its sleeping position on the bed to snuggle close to Jiyan's lap.
"Its name is 'Phantom'." the other said, his eyes locked onto the small cat that was receiving praise and small head strokes from Jiyan's free hand.
"I see, excuse my rudeness, but wouldn't Phantom fit better for a black cat rather than this one..?" Jiyan says slightly as he stroked the small little cat on his lap scratching behind its ear as it purred loudly.
Calcharo tilted his head slightly as he continued to eye the cat down. "General, I was not aware you were in the infirmary." He jumped over the window into the room as he loomed over the bed like a shadow figure.
"Ah, it was meant to keep my personal health low, but I hadn't assumed they would keep it from you" Jiyan says as he continued to coo and snuggle the cat to himself.
"I see..." Calcharo crossed his arms as he stared at the scene Infront of him, what was this feeling? he felt the need to be concerned for Jiyan? They were nothing but 'business partners' and he had heard from the gossips of his Ghost Hounds that General Jiyan had taken a liking to someone already.
The two sat in silence for a while, as the cat continued to meow and purr against the touch of Jiyan, as it squirmed on the bed, as Jiyan chuckled lightly at the cute thing rolling around the bed, as he scratched its stomach softly, he carefully picked up the cat to snuggle up to his arms as it played with the loose strands of Jiyan's long hair.
"Apologies.. I have begun to grow fond of this cute thing..." Jiyan says, as Calcharo finally moves to lightly pat the cat on the head lightly as he looks at Jiyan from the side, his long teal hair sprawling everywhere, his sharp jawline, and the soft gaze in his eyes as he stared at the small creature, the slight glow on his golden eyes.
soon it was time for Jiyan to hand the cat back to Calcharo as he didn't know what else to do about the cat, he was injured and couldn't take care of it at the moment. Soon Calcharo had left after saying his goodbyes and wishes for the speedy recovery of the other male, as held the cat in his arms. Jiyan said his thanks and goodbyes before Calcharo jumped back out the window as Jiyan as asked him to leave it open for his own personal reasons.
Jiyan once again laid on the bed, turning his back to face the window as he closed his eyes to sleep, as he felt touched when Calcharo had allowed him to spend a bit of time with the cat, as the two conversed, he hadn't notice how caring and concerned Calcharo actually was, even though he rarely ever showed it. He felt at peace when Calcharo had decided to visit him late in the night, but after all, they wouldn't have seen each other if it weren't for the small furry creature.