sandinmyboots | 33.5; meddling with timelines; magic is duct tape;

"Sit next to him and make comforting noises. I'll be on the foot of the bed - I'll need contact with him to get into his magic, so I'll just touch his feet."

Kefka hops onto the bed, cross-legged, the box on his lap.

Issei sat down beside him, resting a hand against his shoulder. "I think I can do that much."

"...Suddenly I am really not sure about this. And what on earth is in there?"

Because...well, knowing Kefka it was nothing good.

"You don't want to know. Really. I am not joking. But if you're so morbidly curious about it, I will tell you after this is over."

Not telling him that this is Sola-ai's arm. Nope. It was already chopped off when he got there, this one was not his fault. Leather and cranky had already clipped it when he had gotten there.

Kefka had snatched Sola, reassured leather and cranky that she and Kayneth were not coming back to the Grail War, and ran. He still had a couple bruises from the bullets, ow. He'd taken her to Kayneth el-jerk and ordered him to get out of town and stop being such a terrible person in exchange for Sola's life and a magic arm.

Whether leather and cranky would intercept them or not was not Kefka's concern. Hopefully, given the distance he'd need to travel, at least one of them would get out of there alive.

And he'd made the world a little better. Or worse. But at least it was different, and the plot was derailed, and that was worth it.

He grips Lancer's foot; he feels his magic roiling inside his body, flowing with every heartbeat.

"You'll live through this."

"It'll be all right. I'm here." Issei squeezed Lancer's shoulder lightly - he couldn't promise more than being here, but it would be all right. It had to be.

"..."

Well, no turning back now. It wasn't as if he could go back even if he'd wanted to.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with."

"Hold on."

Kefka breathes in deeply, then shoves his magic against Lancer's. His eyes go pink, glowing, and his shoulders go limp.

Lancer's magic is. Red and gold. Warm and liquid like a spring. The summoning magic is silver armor holding it in, together, and cool to the touch. He pierces it in one swift movement, searching for, for - the box, the arm, coldandsilverandroses - and he sees the connection to Kayneth and Sola-ai's magic and pries it out, unwinds the silver string from Lancer's magic and spools it into the arm. This magic had no way of getting back to it's owner right now; he'd let it pool there until he could get back to that time.

His body holds a hand out. "Take my hand, Issei. I've removed his contract and the energy feeding him; I'll now replace it with yours."

Without hesitation, Issei reaches out and grabs Kefka's hand tightly.

"-?!"

Goddammit, that hurt. Not that he expected otherwise, really--it made sense it wasn't exactly comfortable. Forcibly breaking the connection that held him in the living world was of course going to be uncomfortable. But what he didn't expect was for it to feel like he was trampled by a stampeding herd of wild horses.

Issei's magic is warm and solid. A warm pudding, almost, though Lancer's would be more savory, smells more savory, and Issei's is all flowers and dust. Lancer would be delicious delicious delicious a meal of magic that would fill him up fill him and fill him and focus.

He pulls off a strand of Issei's magic and threads it into Lancer's. Issei's magic is a deep blue like the ocean and gold and winds into Lancer's magic, growing roots and feeding new energy into his shell.

He keeps his focus until he's sure the connection is stable, then shudders and falls on his face on Lancer's shins.

"That should do it. Oof, I'll never get used to that. You can let go, Issssei."

Slowly, Issei lets go of Kefka's hand.

"How... how do you feel, Diarmuid?

"...somewhat like Rider just ran me over with his chariot. Kefka, could you please get off of me?"

He was hardly going to lie, after all.

"But...I'm alright. I'll live."

Kefka shoves himself off Lancer's legs and sprawls over on the bed.

"Good. It worked. Oooof. It may take a while for you to acclimate to Issei's magic, so I suggest taking it easy for a few days...Issei, do you have extra beds around here."

"There are guest rooms that I can lead you to as soon as I'm done taking care of my lover- Servant."

No, he was never going to get used to saying that.

"Do you want pain medicine, or some tea, or...?"

"Please don't concern yourself with me, Master."

Old habits die hard.

"I think I should be back to normal soon, given a little rest."

"A bed and some tea. I'll just."

Roll off the bed and fall on his face with all the grace he can muster.

"....ow." He sits up, rubbing his head and pulling the box back into his lap. "Get out of your ways as you go kiss and make out and whatever. Tea would be nice."

"Ask one of the monks near the kitchen," Issei told him as an aside, before turning to Diarmuid. "Am I suddenly supposed to be less concerned with you than I was five minutes ago?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"You just had your magic all meddled with. However, if you would like to lend me your Issei for a few minutes, I would be totally fine with that."

"Kefka, I'm in the middle of being concerned about this new idea that I don't need to be concerned about him just because I'm his Master. Later."

"When did I say that?"

"Fine. It's not like I need help anyway, having flung myself into magic to save Lancer's life and went and stopped Retasu and ran around for two days looking for Sola-ai, rescued her and brought her back. All by myself. Nooooo. I'll just go and make myself at home. By myself!"

Kefka's going to try and storm away with as much dignity as possible. With the box.

Oh. Maybe that was bad.

"I'm sorry, I don't know anything about how stressful magic is... do you really need help?"

"Kefka, stop." He sighed, feeling the vague beginning of a headache coming on. "I'm sorry. We both owe you a great deal, so please don't be upset."

"It's not like I've been working myself to the bone or anything! You have no idea what "

Yep, he's going to storm out and fall on his face again. And this time, the box breaks, revealing a severed arm. The severed arm of a woman. With greyed out command seals on it.

Kefka rolls into a sitting position and drops his face into his hands.

"For example. That had been chopped off before I found Sola-ai, so I had to make her a new arm. This time, it wasn't my fault!"

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