Aiki looked up at Saul weakly, a couple tears rolling down their cheeks. "I… I-I dunno… it depends on how much she rests…" He replied softly. "If she sleeps for a while, it won't be that long until she's… s-she's pretty much functional again… caffeine also helps sometimes, b-but that's pretty temporary…"
Slowly, Saul scooped her up bridal style, and Farah's face pressed into his shoulder. Her fingers slipped from Aiki's arm, causing the flow to stop, but the energy Farah had sent was able to replenish a bit faster this way.
"Let's go," Saul stated, heading out the office door and down the hall toward the dorms without another word.
Aiki got to his feet shakily, a sinking sense of dread returning to his stomach when Farah stopped touching him. They hurried after Saul, wrapping their arms around themself and keeping their eyes on the ground.
Saul glanced over briefly and noted Aiki's body language that seemed to make him smaller than he really was.
"I'm not mad," he assured them with a sigh. “Not at you, at least."
Aiki looked up at Saul meekly, still trembling a bit as they walked along behind him. "Are… are you sure…?" He asked, his voice soft and tentative. "Y-You have every right to be… it's my fault…"
"Yes, I'm sure," Saul replied. Farah shifted slightly in his arms, so he slowed his pace to readjust her. "Comfortable, darling?" he murmured in her ear.
Farah smiled into his shirt. "Yes, quite."
He held her close and looked back at Aiki. "While I am upset it was your powers that drained her, I also know you would never intentionally hurt Farah. That had to have been Rosalind's doing. So if anyone in the Otherworld will feel my wrath, it will be her."
Aiki rubbed at his eyes a bit, keeping close behind Saul. They didn't want to be separated and captured by Rosalind again. "I-I just… I feel really bad about it…" He whispered weakly. "I didn't… I-I didn't mean to, of course, but still… I should've been stronger. I feel so stupid…"
Saul looked over with an amused expression. "Do you want me to be mad at you?" he asked with a slight chuckle in his words.
"Saul, don't tease him," Farah chided quietly.
Aiki looked down at the ground again, rubbing their arm with their free hand and not replying to Saul. Honestly, he did feel like he deserved to be punished for this. It felt wrong to get away with it, in a way. They exhaled shakily and hugged themself tighter, closing their eyes.
Saul's teasing emotions quickly dropped off his features. "Hey, I meant it as a joke," he said worriedly. "I… I wasn't actually serious."
Farah's eyes opened, and she looked at Aiki with a similarly concerned expression. "Aiki? Saul was kidding. He does that." Discreetly and weakly, she shoved his chest.
Aiki opened his eyes, but kept his gaze firmly on the ground. He didn't want to meet Farah or Saul's eyes right now, or feel their pitying stares. They turned their ears back as their breath caught in their throat, and they choked back a sob. "I'm f-fine…" He insisted in a weak whisper, scarcely able to get the words out.
"Saul, stop," Farah ordered suddenly. Saul did as she commanded, and Farah readjusted herself again in his arms with Saul supporting her all the while. "Aiki, come here and look at me," she instructed in a caring but firm tone.
Aiki hesitated before obeying, coming around in front of Saul to look up at him and Farah weakly. Their eyes were welling up with tears, and they were visibly trembling. He seemed to be holding his breath so it wasn't as evident that he was struggling to breathe properly.
Farah reached out and cupped their face. A sort of smile played across her lips now that she was starting to gain her energy back. "I don't know how many times Saul and I will have to tell you this before you believe it, but what happened in that office was not your fault. Rosalind used you, and if you think you're the first young, naïve soul she has manipulated blindly into doing her bidding, you are sadly mistaken."
Aiki choked and fresh tears rolled down their cheeks when Farah touched them. He gasped for breath now that he wasn't holding it anymore, and he rubbed weakly at his eyes with one fist. "I-I just— w-wanna— see my f-family— again…" They managed to choke out, sobbing quietly. "S-She said I could n— n-never see them— again— a-and…" He took a second to try and catch his breath, now shaking uncontrollably. "S-She said she was gonna h— h-hurt you, and— kill me…"
Farah's heart broke for the fox boy. She knew the feeling of emotional loss – she knew it a bit too well. "Darling, what have I promised you since the moment I found you. You will get back to your family. We just have to meet up with Luna." Suddenly, her face deadpanned. She recalled Rosalind's parting words: "I must go pay the princess of Solaria a brief visit."
"Damn," Farah whispered. "Luna."
Saul seemed to comprehend what she meant. "Can you stand?" he asked quickly.
Aiki closed his eyes and whimpered softly, leaning into Farah's hand for some comfort. They relaxed slightly, but they still looked pretty upset, and they felt hot and nauseous with guilt. He looked up when Farah mentioned Luna, and he paled again. "O-Oh god… is she… is she gonna h-hurt Luna too…?"
"I can try," Farah answered Saul before quickly addressing Aiki's question. "No. No, she wouldn't dare. Her relations with the queen are already rocky, and if she were to hurt Luna…" She shook her head. "Alfea would lose the support of the Solarian army."
Slowly, Saul let Farah down. She kept her free arm wrapped around his neck for support as she tested the waters. Surprisingly, she found it easy to stand. "Alright then," she remarked with a nod. "That'll do it."
Aiki covered his mouth with one hand, trying not to throw up. They fell against the wall, letting it support them as they tried to calm down. "I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry, I just… hah…" He moved his hand to his throat, his breathing strained and raspy. "S-Sorry… I can't… c-can't… my chest hurts…" They whispered. "J-Just need a minute…"
Farah looked to Saul and nodded her head down the hallway. "Go. Find Luna. And if Rosalind's already there, warn her."
Saul nodded and took off down the hallway in a dead sprint.
In the meantime, Farah turned her undivided attention to Aiki. "Shh," she whispered, sending calm waves again through her touches. Surprisingly, she didn't seem as drained anymore. It was as if her magic had replenished itself and her energy. "It's alright. Relax. Everything is going to be okay."
Aiki clung tightly to Farah and buried their face in her shoulder, sobbing weakly. "I'm s-sorry… I'm so sorry… p-please… I c-can't…" He choked and his grip seemed to be weakening. They felt lightheaded, and they were still pretty nauseous. "I f-feel— so— awful…" He whispered. "Mmnh… I-I think m'gonna be sick…"
Quickly, Farah used her pain manipulation abilities to draw the sick feeling away from Aiki. "Darling, there is nothing to apologize for. Everything will be alright. Luna is a powerful fairy, and if Rosalind lays a finger on her, then she will feel the queen's wrath through the entire Solarian military."
Aiki relaxed a bit when he didn't feel sick anymore, but he still wasn't feeling great. Not emotionally, anyway. They moved a bit closer to Farah, their heart racing and their breathing still quicker than it should have been. "O-Okay… if you're sure…" He whispered.
"I promise," Farah assured him, shifting slightly to accommodate Aiki's movements. "I know Luna well. She will be alright. And Saul will help her too, I have no doubt of that." She gently stroked her fingers through Aiki's hair. This is what calmed them last time, isn't it?
Aiki shivered a bit and started to relax when Farah pet them, leaning into her hand with a noise similar to a soft purr. "Everything is fine… everything's going to be f-fine…" He whispered. His ears and tail fell limp, and he seemed to slowly be calming down.
"Exactly," Farah murmured. She smiled and even giggled a bit at Aiki's purr-like sound. "Very good. I can feel the control you have over your emotions is getting better."
"Mmnh…" Aiki leaned into the touch more, practically pushing his head into Farah's hand. "Y-Yeah… thanks… sorry for being problematic…" They murmured softly.
Farah smiled and continued stroking their hair, but her smile lost its joy when Aiki apologized yet again. "Everyone is problematic in their own way," she replied thoughtfully. It almost seemed as if her mind ventured to its own world before she drew it back.
"Y-Yeah… I guess so." Aiki hummed softly, slowly coming down as Farah pet him. "I'm still sorry for the trouble… you've got a lot of your own stuff to worry about without me causing extra stress. W-We should probably meet up with Saul…"
"Right," Farah agreed. After a few seconds, she added teasingly, "And to do that, we need to let go."
–
Saul sprinted through the forest, weaving his way through the trees and over roots jutting up from the earth. The gateway was just up ahead, and he thought he could see a group of figures by the door. "Luna!" he called out.
The girl in question turned to him at the sound of her name. She had flowing brown hair, sharp cheekbones, and an intimidating blue stare. "Saul Silva," she greeted him formally. "Are you the friend Farah mentioned?"
"No, Farah's bringing them shortly," Saul answered, out of breath. He'd sprinted all the way here from Alfea. "Have you… seen Rosalind… anywhere?"