Mica shuddered and tried to pull back. Nana looked surprised but tugged her forward. Mica surrendered and they took a few more steps into the frigid water. Cooro was splashing around nearby, Senri was just sitting on the bottom with his head poking out of the water, and Husky was floating and watching the others. Mica concentrated on her own feet, as they slipped and slid towards deeper water. Nana made sure she was steady, and thought about what scared her this much. Unfortunately, while Nana was thinking, Mica tripped and fell. She closed her mouth tightly against the water and kicked with her legs, causing a sharp pain to course through her foot as it connected with the rock bottom. She let out a stream of bubbles and clutched her foot. Then two different people grabbed her arms and hoisted her out of the water. She blinked, and Cooro and Nana came into view. Nana was apologising endlessly. "I'm really sorry I wasn't looking! I'm so sorry Mica, sorry," she gushed. Mica shook her head. "It's all right, it wasn't your fault," she reassured her. Mica tried to put her foot down but it throbbed sharply; she yelped and almost fell in again. "What's wrong?" asked Cooro. She raised her injured foot out of the water and grimaced. It was swelling rapidly and had turned an ugly shade of purple. "It seems that even if I don't go very deep, water has a way of injuring me."

"You won't be able to walk like that."

"Sure I will. See?" Mica turned and attempted to walk back up to the shore- but she couldn't put any weight on the foot. Cooro caught her just as she collapsed.

"Don't be an idiot. You obviously can't." Husky swam up to them. She thought for a second. "I can... fly."

Nana shook her head. "You can't fly for an entire day, and we'll be catching up to people soon."

"Well then, what do you suggest?"

The three looked stumped for a minute. Then Cooro looked at Senri. "Could you carry her?"

Mica looked startled. "What?"

"I just wondered if Senri could carry you."

"No. I couldn't let someone carry me for that long."

"Come on, you're hurt, and you need to move somehow," Husky snapped.

Senri was nodding. Mica sighed. "I attract bad luck, don't I?"

"Yeah, you need us."

"Thanks for pointing that out, Cooro."

"No problem. Do you want to keep swimming, or should we go?"

"Husky? Nana? Senri?"

Husky stood up. "Might as well go now," he said. Nana waded out of the water. "Senri? Should we go?" Senri nodded quietly, and scooped Mica out of the water. She squeaked with surprise. Senri carried her back to where they had set up a fire and put her down so they could pack up and clean up. Mica tried to help, but Nana would keep making her stop, so she eventually she just sat and watched. After a bit they were ready.

Senri picked her up in his arms again. He made sure she was secure, then they continued on their way. Very soon, they came across a group of travellers. Mica curled up slightly. Senri tensed. The travellers were very loud and boisterous, and as the group drew closer they saw that they were a part of a large caravan that had stopped for a rest. Mica hissed and Husky glanced up in surprise, to see Mica holding the arm that had been dislocated. He looked at the travellers again. So these must be…

Mica locked eyes with Husky, and sent a silent message. Don't say anything. Husky shook his head and stopped. Cooro and Nana stopped as well and Senri turned to face the three smaller figures. Mica shook her head vehemently. No, Husky, she mouthed. Husky ignored her. "These travellers… are these the ones that injured you, Mica?" he asked. She nodded slightly. Cooro looked shocked. "Then we should go get them to apologise!"

Nana looked angry. "How dare they! How can they hurt a lone girl just because she's a +Anima!"

"Just drop it; they're not worth it…"

"Mica, they almost dislocated your arm. And you have lots of other bruises."

"Husky, I know. Remember, I was the one who took the beating-" she muttered under her breath "-and then had to endure for three hours after which I was found by a group of kids, who helped me dislocate then relocate my arm and now I have completely ruined my foot."

Nana, with her bat hearing, heard this. She put a hand to her mouth and then burst.

"YOU MEAN THEY-"

"Nana, calm down..."

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN?!"

"I've suffered worse, believe me. These guys regularly go past where I live."

Husky intervened before Nana marched over and beat up the men who were now laughing wildly. "We can't just leave it. These guys basically killed you."

"I wouldn't put it like that..."

"Oh yeah? Show us the left side of your torso."

"No. No way."

Senri curiously pulled up the left side of Mica's shirt. Her side was covered completely covered in half healed scars and what skin there was showing, was bruised and a multitude of different colours. Mica tugged her shirt back down.

"None of you guys saw that."

"We did."

"Husky, when I can walk again, I swear-"

"It might be a while until then; and besides, you couldn't hide that forever."

"I could if I tried."

"Are we going to talk to them?" Cooro asked. Nana said, "Let's have a vote!"

Mica immediately said, "I vote against."

"Anybody else?"

Nobody else spoke. Mica scowled. "Can't one of you humour me?"

"Sorry Mica, we're going to talk with them."

"Nana..."

Mica was somewhat frightened now. These men enjoyed hurting her, and went out of their way to find her each time they went by, and made sure to bring bows and arrows so they could shoot her out of the sky if she tried to fly away.

Senri picked Mica up, and the group headed across the plain towards the caravan. Mica kept twitching involuntarily, as she fought her urges to run. Not that she could, of course, but it didn't stop her wanting to. Scouts at the caravan noticed their approach and one disappeared into the circle of wagons, presumably to tell the leader of their presence.

A tall man came out of the caravan's area, and walked towards them. He paused for a split second as he saw Mica, but then continued walking at the same pace. Husky walked ahead, to show he was the one to address. The man stopped, and bowed. "Welcome. How may I help you?" His voice was smooth and oiled, as it had been all the times he had mocked Mica.

Husky bowed slightly in return. "We have come to deal with a matter we have decided requires attention. Recently we discovered a friend of ours has a number of injuries, some quite serious. Would you be so kind as to explain them?"

The man looked taken aback at the formal language this child was using, but recovered quickly and replied in kind. "I cannot explain that of which I have no knowledge. Who is your friend, and what particular injuries might these be?"

Husky didn't change his expression- he had guessed the man would be difficult. He gestured to Mica. "There is our friend. She has been wounded for no apparent reason, and I would like to find out if there is a plausible explanation."

Cooro looked completely blank. He had no idea what they were saying, and was just depending on Husky to talk to the man. Nana was keeping an eye on the men around the edges of the caravan, who were armed. Senri just held onto Mica and watched. The man considered for a moment. "I don't see anything wrong with the girl," he said, looking Mica over. Husky walked over to Mica, in Senri's arms, and whispered, "Play along," before pulling up her shirt to reveal the damage. Husky bumped her ribs as he moved her top, and she hissed in pain. The man let a slight smile escape his lips before an inscrutable expression covered his face. "We hurt the child because she is a monster. Is there anything more to say?"

Cooro looked mad. "Apologise."

"I don't think I should be taking demands from a child," the man said stiffly. Senri put Mica down gently, as Nana yelled, "She is not a monster! And even if she was, that gives you no right to torture her!"

The man smiled patiently. "And who would stop us? I don't think there is any law prohibiting the torture of +Anima."

Senri got angry. Mica watched in astonishment as he transformed his arm into its bear form, and slashed at the tall man. Immediately, the men who Nana had been watching leapt forward to pull Senri back. Mica tried to stand, calling the enraged Senri back. "No, Senri! Leave them alone!"

Senri paused and looked back, and Mica made 'calm down' signs with her hands. He slowed, then stopped attacking, and let the men pull his arms behind his back. The tall man adjusted his coat. "So you are a monster as well?" he said, glancing at Senri. Cooro yelled, "They are not monst-" He was cut off by being grabbed from behind. Nana and Husky were caught as well.

"Are you a monster as well, then?" asked the man, ignoring Cooro's complaints. Nana shouted, "None of us are monsters! You're the monster!"

Mica said, quietly, "Leave them alone. Fight me."

"No, Mica!"

She stood unsteadily, balancing herself on one foot. The man strode over to Mica and kicked her once, twice, three times. She fell, as wings sprouted out of her back. She flapped herself upright, and the man's hand cracked across her face. She snarled and the others struggled harder. Mica fell backwards, and the tall man began beating her, kicking and standing on her. She looked up at him, and a wave of calm swept over her face. The man looked astonished. "You think you've beaten me?" she hissed, almost too low to hear. She couldn't stand anymore, so she rose off the ground, flapping steadily. She muttered, "You're lucky I don't kill. Or you might've been in a little trouble- either tonight or tomorrow."

She glared at the men holding her friends, with piercing eyes that had turned bright orange. They scattered, yelling something about demons. Mica turned to her friends. "I told you that was a bad idea."