[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni smiled gently, very gently, and raised his hand to rest on one of Reive's on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, and more tears trickled from them. He knew he was dying. Knew it, and feared it, as much as he said he didn't. All children fear death.

"I'm scared..." he whispered, not speaking louder for fear of crying. "I'm scared, and I don't know who to turn to..."

Shivering now, all over. It was cold, and he was contemplating the coldest possible existence - or non-existence, as it were - that there was. Did he dare challenge that icy maw? Or was he going to be saved? He didn't know. But he did know one very important fact. He was scared. So afraid. So terrified it haunted his dreams. The Reaper, he knew, was coming for him - sooner rather than later. And, although Reive had proven to be quite skilled... Oni didn't know if he could stop the Reaper's scythe.

[Kyrit]

Reive pulled away from the cake kuhna just slightly, enough to slip off his long white coat. He then gently wrapped it around Oni's shoulders, knowing that Oni could put it on the rest of the way on his own. "Sure you do. You have me to turn to."

Now with his jacket off, Reive was left in a tight black shirt that was made of spandex, or some similar material that clings to skin, forming around it rather well. He also had on a pair of tight black pants. "I may not be much in the way of being able to comfort others, but whenever you are scared you can always turn to me."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni sighed, and leaned his head back, chuckling a bit as he ran thoughts over and over again in his head.

"Tell me something, Reive.... Is it my age? Does my age concern you... in that fashion? It's just out of curiosity. I'm not trying to ridicule your choice or anything of that nature. I simple want to know."

He sank into a coughing spasm, and wound up with blood in his hand. He didn't even bother to hide it. There was no use in going back to the hospital, since all Reive would be able to do for him would be to make him comfortable. And he was plenty-comfortable right here.

[Kyrit]

"There are... many reasons that affect my choice. You're age is one of them, but there are many other factors in it." Yes, many different things that Reive would have to think upon. Still, with all things in mind, he couldn't help but feel as if there really was something between him and Oni. He couldn't explain it without it sounding odd... but it seemed as if it were fate. But then again, fate hadn't always been his best friend.

His eyes widened upon seeing the younger kuhna cough up blood. He ran over to his side, resting a hand gently on his back. "A-Are you alright?" Yeah... he was completely alright... and coughing up blood. Sure.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni nodded, and managed a slight smile. His eyes sparkled with happiness at just being out here, not in a stuffy hospital room with no fresh air. Bubbling laughter emerged, and the sound was literally like bubbles OF laughter. Light, airy, and gone all too quickly.

"I'm just fine. Better than fine. I don't want to go back yet... please... Let's just stay out here a LITTLE bit longer... please."

Yes, he did feel like he was begging. But he also felt that he had the right. HE was the sick one, not Reive. And should, by all rights, have the choice of whether or not to go back to the hospital as a given. But he wasn't selfish. He was asking. Very politely at that. He wanted to stay out here. To be one with nature just that tiny bit longer. To be free of worry for just a little more.

[Kyrit]

Reive wrapped his arms around the younger kuhna. "I'm not going to force you to go back to the clinic. When we go back it will be your choice." His light blue eyes looked down at Oni, worry showing in them. "But remember that it'll keep getting colder as the night goes. I don't want you getting worse because of us being out here, so please make a good choice as to when to head back."

Reive's hand gently ran through Oni's hair, stroking it for behind.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni nodded, and remained quiet. His head lolled back against the headrest, but he wasn't unconscious. Far from it. He was watching the clouds cover the stars, which was sad, but it meant that snow might be on the way.

"It's getting darker... cloudier. Do you think it's going to snow? It's been almost forever since I saw snow."

He grinned, and laughed, his breath fogging in the air. Shivering, he pulled the blankets closer around him, and looked up again.

"I've always wondered... what is snow? What is rain? And sunshine? I don't mean the science for them. I mean... the heart of it all. Why is there weather? Why are WE here? ... I know - silly questions."

[Kyrit]

By now the doctor had pulled away from Oni, and was not leaning back against a tree. His blue eyes slid to look up at the night sky. Snow... It certainly felt cold enough for such. It was all the Memorial kuhna could do to keep from shivering since he had given his lab coat to Oni. Short sleeves didn't exactly go with cold weather, and Reive should have known that by now,

The older male slowly slid down to sit on the roots of the tree. "I know this answer may sound silly... but I believe that weather is the moods of the earth around us. It's different across the world in different places depending on how well we take care of our Earth. Snow, to me, is a sign of beauty. The earth is happy with us right now, and wants to lay down a soft blanket of snow to protect those things that are sleeping, waiting for spring." He let his arms cross and rest on his knees. "Like I said.... my answer sounds a bit silly..."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni bowed his head at the answer, and smiled a little. A tear fell from his eyes, followed by another and another. When he spoke, it was almost in a whisper, as if he raised his voice any, he wouldn't be able to control the shaking. As it was, he managed a soft laugh along with his words.

"Heh. I suppose, then... That the raindrops are the earth's tears. Do you think the earth will cry when I die?"

He broke off, curled up with his head in his hands. His shoulders shook as he cried, and he trembled all over. His voice, too.

"Why did the earth make me, if I was just going to die? Am I some sort of big joke? The world's idea of a prank? How can the earth be happy, unless it's laughing at me?"

Again, his voice broke, and he went back to crying. Hard. Snow did start to fall, soft and white, dotting Oni's hair with crystalline flakes.

[Kyrit]

He was once again at the younger male's side. Actually, this time he even picked him up. Picked him up and moved back to his spot sitting on the roots of the large tree. He held the kuhna close to him, closing his eyes.

"Once again, all of this is just my belief and would probably sound silly... but I believe the earth does cry for many people... People that are loved, and good to others. Those that don't litter, don't do crime... The few good people of this world." Reieve held Oni close to him, a tear slowly sliding down his cheek. "Sometimes, the earth seems to forget about those that are important to us though... and takes them away far too soon... I suppose maybe they want those people to be out of pain... to be one with the earth itself..."

His voice was actually a bit shaky, eyes tightly closed. "So I guess the earth... tries to help those it loves... Tries to take their pain away their pain... And in doing so, causes pain for those that loved that person..."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni curled into the doctor's chest, and clung to his shirt. He wasn't wailing. He wasn't the type to cry like that. His tears were silent. Like the snow. Having these thoughts probably meant that Oni himself realized he didn't have long to live. It was sometimes the way that terminal patients first came to terms with the fact they were going to die. By questioning it all. By wondering why they were here. But Reive's words, though 'silly', as he put it, made perfect sense. And they soothed the young Kuhna.
Slowly, his tears dried, and his head lolled forward and to one side, resting against Reive's chest. His arms and legs were limp. His entire body was limp. It was almost as if he'd already left the world of the living.

[Kyrit]

Reive's body was shaking now. It was hard to tell if it was because he was cold, or if it was because he was crying. Well he was crying, but that didn't always make one's body shake. His breaths came out in clouds of smoke, snow continuing to fall all around them. His tears would fall from his face, landing on the cheeks of the young boy that he held.

Please let the boy have more time... He had to, so that Reive could try to figure out a way to save him. He couldn't let the earth claim another one that he needed at his side. "Please... don't go..." his shaky voice spilled out. "Please...."

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Oni was still breathing. He still had a pulse. He was still alive. But he needed to get back to the hospital. Because something was seriously wrong. He didn't respond to being shaken. Nor to the doctor's tears. And Oni was the type to try and comfort those who were in pain - either physical or emotional. From the limp limbs and body, and the shallow breath, there was one thing that was all too clear.
Somehow, out there in the beautiful snow, near the falls, he had fallen asleep. And into a sleep he was not going to wake up from at this point. The sunken eyes didn't open, and the skin was even more pale. The currently-empty wheelchair was starting to cover up with snow. It was silent, aside from the doctor's breathing, and the sound of the quiet breath from Oni. There, in Reive's arms, surrounded by the earth's comforting blanket of white, Oni had fallen into a coma.

[Kyrit]

Reive forced himself to his feet, having a hard time since the whole time he refused to set Oni on the ground long enough to do so. He was so cold, his jacket still wrapped around the other. Walking over to the wheelchair, he did his best to get some of the snow off of it. Then, once he had set Oni in it and got him bundled up as well as he could, be began to wheel him back to the clinic.

"I won't... Let you die..." he spoke with trouble. Yes... This time he would fight back against the earth. He wouldn't allow it to claim another one that he truly needed. He would win this time... or he'd die trying.