reiner_rubin | Run and tell that hayseed

Challenge: None
Prompt: Angst
Title: Friends Don't Let Their Friends Do Stupid Things Only When It's Comedic

He was too late.

She had told him not to follow her, not follow her or Suiseiseki. This was their fight. They would find some way to work around it, to not follow the Alice Game. Even if this was what Father wanted, they could not throw away the lives of their fellow sisters even for the reward they had always dreamed of and lived for. Suiseiseki was especially insistent on telling the samurai to leave them and never wanting to see his stupid, arrogant, face again while tears streamed down her face. Shinku had no words. She didn't even say goodbye. He followed the two dolls into the N-Field regardless. He wasn't sure what he was thinking at the time. They managed to lose him, but he found the right field where there were remnants of a battle that had occurred, but no Shinku or Suiseiseki.

He couldn't do anything to save his friends.

Gintoki felt himself freeze up when he finally found her. A million thoughts and curses swirled through his head and he gripped the handle of his bokuto tightly unable to comprehend what he saw in front of him.

There was no blood.

Shinku's usually stern and icy glass blue eyes widened in shock while looking down at the crystal sword that had penetrated her through her chest. She raised up her head to find Gintoki and something inside her broke. This wasn't supposed to happen. The Fifth Doll went numb; whether it was from pain or from seeing her friend, she could not quite discern either. Only one realization registered in her mind.

She had lost.

Amid a sea of black feathers, rose petals, walls damaged by large plants, and crystal structures, the Seventh Doll, Barasuishou stood victorious. An empty and faint smile graced her lips as she pulled her sword out of Shinku. Before she could fall to the ground, the Seventh Doll grabbed her by the collar and tossed her aside like a piece of junk, broken and unwanted.

"SHINKU!"

Gintoki dashed ahead and caught Shinku with his one free arm before she made contact with the ground. Barasuishou paid no real heed to him although she glanced at the human with her one eye as he held Shinku. It didn't matter anymore. Everything was as good as finished.

"... I... Told you not to follow... You..." Shinku weakly turned her face towards Gintoki. Her vision was fading and she couldn't see the samurai's expression clearly. But the doll was crying letting tears stream down her face. She reached for the collar of his kimono and grasped it desperately. With every fleeting second, she could feel her the movements in her joints fading away.

"Stupid... Stupid...!"

"Dammit. You're still acting like some sort of stubborn princess even in your state? I shouldn't have caught you," he replied gruffly. Despite his harsh tone, he held her even closer, trying to reassure her or at least hold on to the time that was left.