An Illness Cured by Love

by sonoci

After the game, an epidemic spreads to Mantaic. Fearing the worst, our lovable team sets off for the cure. Yurita moments. Spoilers are possible.

An Illness Cured by "Love"

Summary: After the game, an epidemic spreads to Mantaic. Fearing the worst, our lovable team sets off for the cure. Yurita moments. Spoilers are possible.

x

This Author Note section might be a bit long because I'm explaining things.

Yurita is a pairing that randomly jumped out to me. I just…like it for some reason.

Being after the game, I'd suggest not reading this unless you've finished the game. As for specifics, I'd say this happens about…2 months after the game ends. Short time, I know, but I didn't want to change things too dramatically.

Some things might not flow all that well, but I think it's pretty good. (which is saying something since usually my stuff sucks … or at least I think so.)

I might do more one shots like this if enough people like it. Reviews are the only way to tell. Meanwhile I'll just work on Vesperia Switched.

More writing that I'm doing mainly for practice. Please tell me what you think. If you notice anything that's…off, please put that in a review.

Hope you enjoy~

xXx

Water drained out of the wash cloth as it was spun. Now resting on a burning forehead, the cool dampness gave little relief. Spinning and turning in an unconscious state, the pale victim moaned. It had only been about fifteen minutes since he was brought to attention, but his condition already seemed fatal.

Estelle could only frown as she prayed for his well being. Her healing artes had lost a touch of their ability after all the aer had been converted to mana. Never the less, they usually got the job done. Physical wounds were her specialty, but the princess was actually able to rid bodies of some poisons as well. Much to her dismay, this venom seemed to be one of those not categorized under 'some.'

Not much was heard in the small room. Seconds ticked by on the nearby clock. Deep breathing came from the almost motionless man on the bed. Drips of water sounded as Estelle soaked the cloth once again. Sobs and shushes came from outside the door, no doubt the poor man's family.

Eleven after one was the time of his death. Barely an hour had passed since he had fallen ill. The warm rays of the afternoon sun did absolutely nothing to comfort his wife and small child. Even if the heat had been as great as before, the tears were coming too fast to be evaporated.

Number sixteen. He had been the sixteenth to fall to the strange poison.

Approaching her comrades at the lake, they welcomed her with questioning eyes. She hadn't known the man, but Estelle had to fight back a tear while shaking her head.

Wind howling through the grass reminded the group of the situation around them. Many had left Mantaic afraid of the illness. Others refused to leave their homes, stating that their birthplace would be their grave. No one had a clear grasp on just what was killing the people.

Guesses and rumours drifted along with the grieves for the dead. Some blamed the loss of blastia. Not only the loss of barriers, but any type of blastia. That rumour revolved around something to do with aer sickness. Rita clearly proved that theory false within a matter of seconds, however.

Another guess had seemed more likely. It also focused on the lack of barriers, but it had nothing to do with them directly. This guess was that a strange type of monster had snuck into the village. Venom from this monster being the cause of the epidemic. Conclusions were quickly made that this 'virus' lived in the newly grown forest which lies where the Sands of Kogorh were. Not very creative, the townspeople dubbed this forest 'The Forest of Kogorh.'

Fidgeting with the ribbon tied around her arm, green eyes peered up between her brown locks. "The Forest of Kogorh…Are we completely ready for this?" Each of her companions nodded, even Repede. Nodding herself, Rita looked toward the towering trees in the distance. It would be dangerous, hell, it could even be deadly. Of course, they had faced danger before. This was nothing new.

"…What if one of us catches the disease? Who's going to look after Mantaic while we're gone? There's not many knights around…" such questions had shot out at the group the night before. Rita wasn't about to be unprepared. "We've never been to this forest, how will we even know where to go? If it's as big as the Sands of Kogorh will we have enough items on us? And also…"

Thrusting up his arms, Yuri halted her lecture. Glancing at the others, the mage noticed they weren't exactly listening. The old man had his pinkie in his ear, probably attempting to reach any sign of a brain, no doubt. Estelle sat beside Karol as he snored away, Judith smiled in their direction every once and a while. Sighing, she gave up. They're minds were set. There was no backing up now.

Feet trotting on the grass, seven pairs of eyes took in the surrounding greenery. Through the slits in the leaves, it appeared the sky had over a thousand eyes. Leaves fell down like rain, but the shade brought by them never faded. Branches of the trees formed paths themselves. Almost like Keiv Moc, the Forest of Kogorh had over grown plants everywhere.

Unlike Keiv Moc, however, this forest had a sense of foreboding. Mystery shrouded Keiv Moc while the Forest of Kogorh was only engulfed by the feeling of death. Monsters almost seemed to morph into reality from the shadows, swiftly disappearing as fast as they came. Most would turn back right at the entrance, but this group was determined.

Left and right the paths looked the same. Walking on, Karol and Estelle would often stop to look closer at the terrain. Finding the 'cure' was difficult considering no one knew what to look for.

Positioning herself on a rock, Judith looked at the rest of the party. "We've been walking for while now. This seems like a good place to talk things over. …Shall we?"

Seating themselves, everyone got comfortable. Karol shifted on top of his bag and glimpsed at Yuri and Estelle, both of which who had decided to rest on the grass. Agile as ever, Raven had climbed to a low branch. Refusing to touch anything that might hold the virus, Rita walked toward Estelle and stood tapping her foot.

"Alright…" tap, tap. "I was going to say something about this last night, but I was rudely interrupted. …Just what are we looking for?" to her surprise, Judith smiled. She knew something.

"I believe all we'll have to do is find the so called monster that's the cause of the disease."

Palm instantly to her head, Rita glared at the Krityian condescendingly. "Do you even know what you're saying? For one thing, we don't know what it looks like, not to mention if the disease is coming from a monster at all. Also, how do you plan to prevent one of us from getting the virus if we happen to catch this thing?"

"Karol should be able to tell us information about the creature if we can see it. Won't you, Karol?" still calm and persuading, her voice caused the young captain to nod vigorously. Hand innocently resting on her oversized chest, she smiled. "That's settled, then."

Ignorance was the best word to describe her comrades. Searching around the circle, Rita judged each by their intelligence. This being in her mind of course. After some careful thinking she determined their IQs from lowest to highest: the mutt, Raven at a close second, Judith and the kid, Yuri, then Estellise and herself. From these standings she realized age didn't matter much. 'Maturity comes with smarts, I guess.'

'…Or is it the other way around?'

Resting done, the group set off once again. Grass had been plentiful on the other paths and with the grass came more monsters. Setting her feet down on the branch, Rita looked at the ground far below them. Not much grass on a tree. Perhaps that was the reason they hadn't encountered many enemies yet.

Out of the shadows, three silhouettes appeared. Walking into the light, their colors were shown, along with their fangs. One was almost a humanoid creature, arms stretching out with five fingers at each end, it reached for a leaf that was several feet away. In an instant, the arm grew longer and retracted like a rubber band. Hissing came from the two snakes by its feet. Fangs dripping with a poison, their blue tongues matched the spots on their scales.

Weapons at the ready Yuri, Karol, Repede and Judith took to the frontline positions. Meanwhile Estelle, Raven and Rita stood in the back, readying their magic.

Magic had once been familiar to the three, but now it seemed like something strange. Aer and mana were basically alike in structure. This lead many to think it'd be able to be used in almost the same fashion. These leads proved false as nothing that used aer worked while using mana. Unfortunately, this applied to magic as well. New developments of spells that used mana were being made, but the three spell casters weren't quite used to it yet. Hopefully they wouldn't be a burden to the others.

Charging at full speed, the frontline set off. Yuri and his faithful canine fought with the humanoid being while Karol and Judith each took care of a serpent. Swords clashing with the tough hands of the enemy, Yuri was having a much harder time than the others. Estelle was helping Karol-most likely out of worry-and Raven was assisting Judith. After all, how could the old man resist a chance to protect a pretty girl? Noticing this, Rita set her sights on the same target as the swordsman.

Circle appearing underneath her, the genius mage started to cast her new spell. The words felt unfamiliar on her tongue and she almost stumbled on some of them. Regaining concentration, she started again. "…I call thee from the heavens, send forth your divine lightning from the depths of Hell!" Winding her scroll around her, the remaining glyphs flowed from its end. She could feel the power pulse through her hands. "…Indignation!"

Whining at the gathering electricity, Repede dashed away from monster Karol had now classified as an 'Ember'. About to do the same, Yuri was held short by the rough fingers wrapped around him. Thunder now sounding, the Ember didn't loosen its grip. It stood it's ground and looked up at the low lying clouds above. Able to move once again, Rita stared at the scene before her. The others were too busy fighting the snakes to notice.

"N-No! Yuri!"

Crashing down, the lightning completely annihilated the branch where it made contact. Blown off by the shockwave, the snakes hissed loudly as they plummeted down. Weight being their advantage the party had managed to keep their balance. An exception being Repede who was luckily held down by Estelle. Smoke clearing, small flames and ashes were all that was left by the great lightning.

Not even the mage who summoned them was there.

Worry quickly gathered on the remaining faces at they looked around. There were no signs of the young mage. Shouting proved useless. Gazing down the hole, each one of them could only hope there was something to catch her down below. Taking a step back, Estelle prayed for Rita's safety. Turning, she was about to ask what they should do next, however, the man she hoped to ask had also disappeared. Realization dawning on her, she yelled, "…Yuri!?"

Nothing but an echo replied.

------

Parting her lashes, all Rita saw around her were leaves. Big, soft, silky leaves. Moaning as she got up, she revaluated what had happened. Looking up, she saw no signs of the branch she was on previously. Falling from such a height, she was extremely fortunate for the leaves below. Swearing to never say anything bad about plants again, she glanced at the other victim of the spell.

Hurrying over to him, she checked for any sign of life. Shallow breaths came out of his thin mouth. Sighing in relief, Rita felt lighter. 'He's a bit worn out, but it looks like he's just unconscious. Nothing a Life Bottle won't-' reaching for the 'bottle' she found nothing there but broken shards of glass and a damp spot on her tunic.

"…Oh no…"

Rustling caught her attention. Peering down below she saw that the cause was nothing but a small plant monster. Nearby she spotted a hollowed out tree, almost like a cave. The ground wasn't that far away, it was possible for her to carry Yuri there. It'd be much easier to defend themselves in a cave then on those leaves.

Carefully, she attempted to lift him up. She was almost standing when the leaves gave way. Their combined weight in one spot for too long caused the leaves to bend, creating a hole. Falling through, Rita landed first then Yuri after. Landing right on her, she had to take a moment to regain her breath. At least the problem of getting down was gone.

Dragging him over to the cave proved more difficult than she'd originally thought. Her spell had apparently done more damage than it appeared. Yuri groaned almost every time he hit something, even if it was only a tap. Usually she wouldn't have cared and kept going, but something about the fact that it was her fault made her stop and attempt to be more careful.

Weight was another problem. Heavier than he looked, Rita couldn't help but comment, "Ugh! …Lay off the sweets, would ya?" Of course, he wouldn't answer.

Finally making it to the cave, Rita plopped down on the ground exhausted. Taking the time, she went over the situation. Coming up with nothing, she scratched her head. Looking at Yuri once more, she noticed he was still clutching his sword. "…Tough little bugger, aren't you…?"

Gently, she removed it from his hand and took it into her own. It was heavier than she thought, just like the one who wielded it. Giving it a few swings, she watched the blade shine. If Estellise could use a sword, why couldn't she? Normally, she wouldn't deign to pick up a sword. This wasn't normal, though.

Cautiously stepping out of the cave, she looked both directions. Everything seeming safe, she walked out, sword in hand. Picking up different sized leaves she headed back. Making several trips she finally had enough. Placing the medium leaves out she formed the 'mattress'. Smaller leaves were a pillow and a huge leaf was the blanket. Lightly, she lifted the limp swordsman onto the makeshift bed and covered him with the 'blanket.' That job done, she stood at the mouth of the cave watching for enemies.

------

Finding a path down wasn't as easy as planned. Branches wove this way and that, none of them heading straight down. Much to the dismay of the group, they'd have to go through a forest maze before they could find the two who were lost.

They were fortunate in one regard, however, seeing as the snakes from before hadn't held the virus that had so quickly killed those in Mantaic. Karol was sure of this. He stated that the snakes they had seen had a different poison which could be easily cured with a Poison Bottle, just like most venoms. This didn't stop Estelle from worrying about him and the Krityian.

All was quiet when the lost two were brought up. Even Raven wasn't his usual joking self. Never before had they been in this forest. How could they be sure they'd be alright? …How could they even be sure that they were alive? Such thoughts pierced Estelle's mind, and as much as she wanted to stop, she couldn't help but think about it.

Everyone noticed Estelle's worry, and each tried in their own way to cheer her up. Judith came up to her and smiled, telling her that both of them were strong enough to survive on their own. Worry on his own face, Karol looked up at her and said that they'd been through tougher times then this. Even Repede approached her and bumped his head playfully into her leg. They were all nice gestures, but, to her surprise, Raven cleared her mind the most.

"Don't go worryin' about those two." He had said when she dropped back. "As everyone's been saying, they'll be fine. Right now, we need ta worry about those who're in Mantaic. They need our help more, don't they?" taking her nod as a yes, he turned. "Besides, it's a known fact that worryin' makes things worse. Those two'll feel horrible if yer Highness was frettin' over them."

Smiling for the first time since they entered the forest, Estelle replied back, "You're right. …Thank you."

Waving off her thanks, the archer continued on. Estelle was about to as well when she looked down. Far below, there was a hollowed out tree. Almost like a cave. Deep within there seemed to be a source of light. A fire.

Quickly pointing out this sign of life, the group continued on faster. Their hopes grew with every step. Walking for so long, it seemed they'd finally made it down far enough. Tears of joy came to Estelle's eyes. She wiped them away. What could be a worse entrance then to be crying?

------

Small echoes reached the mouth of the cave within a matter of minutes. Startling Rita, she cursed at her cowardice. It was probably just shouts from her teamates. In a forest this big, it'd take a while before the sound finally reached a certain area. Echoes was actually over exaggerating. In fact, the sounds were more like quiet, almost inaudible rings of voices. Whatever the case, they were familiar rings.

Popping her head out, Rita scanned the area again. About to head back in, something caught her attention. Moving bushes to her right. Was it the others? Or…

------

Just a few more steps and they'd be at the cave. By this point, everyone was happy. The entire way there Estelle had decided who she should heal first and what she would ask. Typically "Are you alright?" and "We weren't gone too long, right?" were two of her top questions.

Reaching the entrance, they all immediately peered in.

…Only to be disappointed by a lone merchant.

------

…another damn plant monster. It was a timid little thing. Eyes meeting with the glint of the sword, it hurried back to the bushes. Rita sighed, 'Well, that's what I get for letting my hopes up.'

Tossing behind her, Yuri groaned. Bruises and burns from the impact had shown up, causing more trouble for him in his sleep. With every groan came another pang of guilt to Rita's gut.

Holding out her two Apple Gels, the mage pondered how she should use them. Her own energy was low, but maybe she should wait for Yuri to wake up? Usually a good rest would suffice for a Life Bottle. Glancing at the leaves that composed his bed, she had to wonder if that replacement was possible in this case.

Unable to resist her favourite snack, she chomped down on one of the Apple Gels. Instantly she felt more energized, and any pains she had seemed to dissolve away. Tucking the other away for Yuri, she went back to her post.

-------

More tears gathered at her eyes. Holding them back, Estelle quietly questioned the man, "…W-What are you doing here…?"

"It's a long story." The four sat down, welcoming his speech. Nodding, he began. "You've no doubt been to Mantaic if you're here in this forest, so you must know of the illness that's been killing innocents left and right. My…my wife was the first victim. I had to rid the world of that thing. I just couldn't let it hurt anyone else." His head hung low. "So far that's only been a dream. Last time I was home, fourteen more had died."

"Fifteen." She was so quiet, you almost couldn't hear her. Judith turned with her face completely serious. "Fifteen more had died. …Another just this afternoon."

Karol had been lingering on another sentence. "…what did you mean by 'that thing?' Are you saying…Are you saying you know what causes the illness?"

The merchant closed his eyes, recalling the night. "My wife and I…we wanted to see the forest. She always loved plant life…Right at the entrance, that's when it came. …This…strange figure, almost like a human, appeared. Grabbing my wife, it wouldn't let go. In a matter of seconds it…it dissolved into her. Within the hour she was dead." Pausing he continued. "A few days later I saw a dark wind blow from her grave toward this forest. I've been looking for it ever since."

A shadow on his own face, Raven dared to ask, "…Did that figure have long arms that expanded?"

The next moment seemed to slow down. Each of the others knew exactly what the old man was talking about. Fear gathered as they remembered the battle earlier, and it almost felt like an eternity until the merchant answered.

"Yes."

------

Rita was almost as pale as Yuri when she looked down at him. It had only been about forty minutes since they'd fallen. In that amount of time, he should have been in much better condition. He was physically, the bruises and burns had toned down a bit, but now there was a different problem.

"…How? …When…When did it happen…?"

Earlier, the entire group had been in the room at once when Estelle was called to treat the ill man. She'd only seen him for a second, but that was long enough for Rita to tell that Yuri had the same thing.

Yuri's reaction had been delayed, but there was no doubt about it. He'd caught the disease. His mouth was dreadfully dry, just as the sixteen victims before hand. Looking back, Rita tried to figure out how it had happened. From what she knew the snakes hadn't bitten him. That only left the Ember, but…it hadn't really done anything.

Eyes widening, Rita slowly examined her surroundings. The Ember…where did it go? Surely it had been knocked down with them. Indignation was indeed powerful, but that didn't mean it would've knocked the Ember far away. Grabbing the sword, she was extremely cautious approaching the entrance of the cave.

Nothing. Nothing was there. …Unfortunately, that only furthered her worries. Where was the Ember? When would it strike? She almost felt paranoid, but at the same time she just wanted to get out of that damn forest. Even the desert had been better than this.

If the Ember decided to strike they'd be done for. Rita was strong, but definitely not enough for that thing. Unused to a sword it would be pointless against the Ember. Judging from the battle before it was quite powerful. Hopefully luck would be on her side.

…Of course, when had it been on her side before?

Daring to venture a few more feet from the cave, she searched her surroundings. After some looking she discovered a stream. Soaking a leaf she brought it back and placed it on Yuri's forehead. It didn't help, she knew that, but right now that was all she could do.

Stinging, she rubbed her eyes. A strange sensation had taken over them. This sensation came with a new, different feeling for her. Neither was very likable. Helplessness was the feeling. She couldn't do anything, she knew that better than anyone, but her heart pressed on and wanted to find a way. …but even her heart knew that there wasn't one. Sniffing, she blocked out the sensation.

She, Rita Mordio, was almost crying. That went against everything she stood for. She wouldn't cry…She wouldn't.

…But it was so hard.

Closing her eyes just made it worse. Holding them back just seemed to make more come. She had been able to hold it back for about ten minutes. Once one slipped out the others did, too. Wiping over and over again, she attempted to stop. The more she tried, the more she cried. "D-Damn it…! I-I'm…I-I'm…not a…c-cry baby…! I…I…" Flowing so fast now, words were blocked out. She could only curse and yell in her mind. 'Damn it, why!? Why!? I never cry! Why…Why now? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'

Tears now dripped in her mouth. Salty, she tried to spit them out. This proved difficult since her sobbing already made it hard to breathe. No matter how much she knew crying wouldn't help, she just couldn't stop. Now that it had started, it would only stop when the time was right.

A twig snapped. Along with the branch, Rita's fit also broke. Gripping the sword she stood up and readied herself for the worst.

"…Hello…? Is someone there…? I'm a merchant, I won't hurt you. …You were crying, is something wrong?"

Lowering the sword a bit, Rita took a few more steps toward the exit. 'A merchant? Why would a merchant be here?'

"Some people are with me. They say their friends are lost. Are you one of those friends?"

'Some people? No…it couldn't be…'

Quiet and gentle, a voice sounded from outside. "Rita? Yuri? Is…Is that you?"

Dropping the sword, her hands went to her mouth. "Estelle!?" Feeling the tears on her cheeks, she quickly wiped them away.

Estelle appeared at the end of the cave followed by her other friends and the merchant. Everyone smiled. Rushing in, the group had a small celebration. It was short lived, dying as soon as Karol asked, "…What happened to Yuri…?"

Sensation dawning again, Rita clenched her jaw. Clenching so hard it hurt. It helped to hold back those annoying tears. Still, this didn't help her talking problem. Luckily, Estelle answered for her. "…No…No! He has the disease!"

Those four small words caused all of them to gather. Even the merchant bent beside Yuri. Laying on the leaves, he was sweating madly and breathing deeply. Desperate at this point, Karol turned to the merchant. "Do you know the cure!? Please!"

Frowning, the merchant closed his eyes. "I…I'm not sure. All I know for sure is that all victims die in about an hour."

Rita's eyes were so wide it burned. "An…hour?" Recalling the time, she gasped. "Five minutes! That's all we have! …Not…Not even!"

All eyes on the merchant, he thought hard. "I…I think I remember reading something about this! Let's see…um…oh, right! The illness they spread can instantly be cured…by any amount of electrolytes and enzymes!"

Raven was at his edge just like the others. "Electrowhats!? How are we supposed to find those within less than five minutes!?" the merchant flinched. It wasn't his fault, but everyone was stressed. Estelle and Karol had already started to cry. Even Judith looked troubled.

Thinking long and hard, Rita delved deep in her mind for the answer. "Electrolytes and…enzymes…"

Interrupting, Yuri yelled out in pain. Death was quickly approaching. He kept groaning and shouting. All his pain just caused everyone to be even more depressed.

Within a second, Rita had the answer. It was so late in the symptom stage she didn't have time to think. Yuri was dying right there, there wasn't any second to spare. No thoughts whatsoever, she bent over him quickly.

Locking her lips to his, she kissed him, her tears flowing to her mouth once more.

Silence. No one dare said a word. Everyone was shocked or in wonder.

Slowly, Rita lifted her face away and stared with the others. A few minutes went by. Yuri almost seemed dead aside from a few shallow breaths. Regaining his color and normal breathing pattern, he smiled in his sleep.

Yelling sounded from what seemed far away. The Ember's spirit flew out of Yuri and disintegrated into the outside air.

Sighing in relief, Rita smiled down at him. Finally looking up, her eyes met with those of her teamates. In that moment she was confused. Their looks comprised of shock, sheepish smiles and perverted ones. Lost in the moment, she forgot what she'd done.

Thinking back, she remembered. The instant it dawned on her, her face went as red as her outfit.

"Aw, our genius mage is growin' up! Didja see that? Her first kiss no doubt." …OH, what she'd do to that slimy old man!

Before she could clobber Raven, Yuri sat up and looked around. "Ugh…ow…what…what happened to me?"

Opening his mouth, Raven was about to reply, but Karol and Estelle interrupted. Running by they hugged Yuri, smiling and laughing. Of course, Yuri had absolutely no recollection of what happened. Looking at Rita with a questioning glance, he got no answer since she turned away, red in the cheeks.

Leading the way, the merchant found the path back to the entrance of the forest. Apparently he had gone there so often he knew the place inside out. Gazing out at the sky once they reached Mantaic, he said a word to his wife. He would finally be happy again.

Now night, the group headed to the inn for some well deserved rest. Everyone besides Rita.

Standing by the lake, she stared out at what used to be the barrier blastia. Recalling a time when blastia had been everything to her, she compared it to today. No day in her life had she cried for a blastia, but she was out of control for a person. Until then, she looked back thinking that before she had loved blastia more than she would ever love anything else, even if she was changing. Proven wrong, she looked up to the skies and the stars. Staring at Brave Vesperia in particular, she said out loud, "Heh, change is a powerful thing…"

"Not to intrude, but I agree." Startling her, Yuri quickly apologised.

Turning back toward the lake Rita blushed. Yuri came up beside her and sat down. Letting out a long breath, he looked out at the lake as well. "Today was a long day, huh? Ugh…I'm exhausted."

Taking a seat beside him, Rita reached into her pocket. Pulling out the now gooey substance, she held it out to Yuri. "…Here. I…I was saving it." Excepting the gel, he stared at it before popping it into his mouth. Chewing it with a smile, he turned back to the lake. "I heard the story from Estelle. …Thanks."

Blushing yet again, she looked away. "I-It's nothing. You would've done the same for…" …A kiss. …Would he really?

"I would've done the same, huh? I'm not sure on that."

A small pain was in her chest. …Rejection?

"…but that's only because Estelle didn't tell me the whole thing." He was looking up when she glanced at him. "Y'see, she told me that I got that disease and that you found the cure, but she wouldn't say a word about what the cure was. …So, what is it?"

Rita thanked the night skies for blanketing her red face. "Um, well…Electrolytes and enzymes."

"…And what does that mean?"

She was so red, her cheeks seemed to sting. "Well…I uh…"

Smiling, Yuri scooted closer. "Maybe it'd be easier to show me. …Or is it some way expensive medicine?"

Show him? Looking him in the eye, she saw that he was serious. Obviously he had no idea what the 'cure' was. Come to think of it…

…she had no idea what he looked like shocked.

Would she do it just for that? 'Oh…the look on his face…'

Persistent as ever, Yuri offered again. "Oh, come on. None of the others will tell me what it is either. …Raven gave me a weird look when I asked him to show me."

Snickering, he gave her a weird look. In all seriousness, she faced him. Standing up, he followed suite. Back to blushing she asked him, "Are you…are you sure you want me to show you?"

"Yes."

"…Absolutely positive?"

"Completely and utterly positive."

"Okay. You asked for it. …So…" she took a step, took a breath, and quickly got on her toes. …Damn, he was tall.

It lasted for awhile, and when she finally pulled back, she couldn't help but grin. Oh, she should've found a camera or something. She wouldn't forget that look for the rest of her life. Her own face was probably strange, too. Feeling a blush was a weird phenomenon.

"A-Anyway…yeah. That's the cure." He couldn't see the color in her cheeks, but she instinctively turned away.

"R-Really…?"

Laughing a little, she folded her arms. "…Ask anyone…they'll tell you the same thing…I'm…I'm not lying here."

Disbelieving, Yuri headed for the inn. He didn't seem mad or anything, just completely shocked. Following him back, she quickened her pace when she remembered the old man in the lobby. 'No…don't ask him…anyone but him!'

If the old man teased her about one kiss, what would he say about two?

Rushing back, she was too late. Sitting in his chair, Raven had his chin in his hand. Smiling deviously, he commented, "How lucky are you youngsters? We just happen to be at a hotel!" Quickly seeing the looks on their faces, he continued. "Well, now that the kissin' stage is done, I'd say it's time for Step Two!"

…The sun was high in the sky when Raven awoke the next day. Groaning, he rubbed the two new bumps on his head.

xXx

…So…

…yeah. xD