Dororo and Koyuki Present: The Human Mind, The Ultimate Battlefield! (De Arimasu!)
Chapter 3
by TheAngryTaco

A/N: Many, many not-so-angry tacos to my readers. You guys are awesome.

Technical/Legal stuff: Same as before. Enjoy!

Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination...

I'm sorry. I know I can't sing. Let's get back to Dororo before the author embarrasses me any further.

The first thing Dororo became aware of was the sensation of floating. He opened his eyes and saw open space colored like a rainbow all around him, indicating that he had successfully made the transfer. Turning around, his eyes grew wide as an enormous wall entered his vision. It was made of dark grey stones that were stacked so high he could barely see the top. Black, thorny vines decorated much of the walls, allowing no one to scale them. After floating around the structure, he finally came across a large, metal door adorned with a teal snowflake. A crackling sound filled the air, then Pururu's voice reached his ears. "Dororo, this is Pururu," she said. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," he said.

"Ku ku ku, excellent," came Kururu's voice. "Tell me, what can you see?"

Dororo described the wall to Kururu. "Interesting," the yellow frog commented as he typed up the blue Keronian's description. "Do you recognize it?"

"No," Dororo replied. "This doesn't look like any wall I've ever seen."

"Well, as you're able to access her entire mind instead of just her memories, this could be a place she has imagined herself. Can you open the door?"

Dororo drifted over and put his hand on the door. The icy, burning sensation that shot through his hand made him jerk his hand back with a startled cry.

"Dororo?" Pururu's worried voice came back on. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"That door is cold," Dororo replied, blowing desperately on his hand. "It's too cold for me to even touch, let alone pull open."

"It seems that our little ninja girl has some very advanced mental defenses," Kururu commented. "This should be quite fun."

"It's also a good thing," Pururu chimed in. "If you're having a difficult time in there, the Sorucian probably is as well."

"And I'll bet you anything that Koyuki is behind that wall," Dororo said, his eyes narrowing. "I'll try to find another way in."

If the author puts a French knight on top of the wall, I'm quitting.

His efforts quickly proved to be in vain. A full trip around the wall showed that the door was the only way in or out. He floated up to the top of the wall only to run into an invisible barrier and sent back to the bottom. He even tried going underneath it, but only found more solid stone. He drifted back to the front and stared up at the snowflake. "Koyuki, it's me, Dororo," he said, hoping she could somehow hear him. "I want to help you. But to do that, I need to get inside that wall. Please, let me in."

He waited for a moment, but the door remained shut. He let out a sigh and looked away. "Now what do I do?" he wondered aloud.

A loud creaking sound caught his attention. Looking back, he saw that the door was slowly opening out. Feeling the smallest sensation of relief, Dororo drifted over to go inside. As he approached, he noticed that he was picking up speed. Then he realized there was a powerful suction pulling him in. His spark of relief turned to fear, and he tried desperately to grab hold of something.

"Dororo? Dororo, are you there? Doro..."

Pururu's voice dissolved into static as he was sucked inside and the door slammed behind him. He was falling in total darkness, unable to tell which way he was going or when he would stop. The air was bitterly cold, biting at every inch of his flesh. He pulled himself into a tight ball, trying to keep the cold out. "It'll be all right," he said to himself. "I can endure this. I can –"

He slammed hard into the ground. Pain shot through his entire body, but he forced himself to get a grip on the ground in case something else tried to lift him.

So warm...

Dororo's eyes opened slowly as he realized he was safe for the moment. He saw that he had landed on a bed of soft grass in the middle of a garden. Plants of every color and shape decorated the landscape, filling the air with a pleasant scent. All around him, a warm breeze flowed through as fluffy clouds resembling cotton candy floated by in the beautiful sky. The Sun seemed to smile down, granting the area with a pleasant warmth that was neither too hot nor too cold. Beyond the garden was an elegant palace. It was a beautiful structure of a strange, silver material with hints of blue and teal. Its countless towers stretched high above. Dororo could only guess how big it was as he took in the sight. I should start there, he decided. There are sure to be some clues inside.

He had only taken a few steps when he noticed some strange creatures milling about in a patch of grass nearby. They were small and white with a rounded shape to them. At first glance, Dororo thought that they were rabbits.

You could say, down the rabbit hole?

But, as he walked closer, he realized that they were tiny snowmen. They glided along the ground, leaving a thin trail of ice that melted almost instantly in the sunlight. One of them noticed Dororo staring at them and let out a whistling sound that reminded him of the wind in winter. It grew louder and louder as the rest turned toward him. They began gliding toward Dororo, the whistling becoming steadily more shrill. He put his hands to his head, trying to block out the noise. What are these things?

One snowman sprinted ahead of the back and glided straight into Dororo, knocking him off his feet. He instinctively reached for his blade, then silently cursed as he remembered where he was. He leaped into the air only a moment before another snowman glided through and climbed into a nearby tree. Recalling his previous experiences with the mental world, he found a sharp branch that was coming loose and pulled it free. Then a ball of ice went flying past mere inches from his head. He looked back down to see the snowmen getting ready to launch several more. His ninja skills took hold and he whizzed through the air, avoiding every single projectile before leaping to the ground. He swept the branch along the ground, sending several snowmen flying into the air. Another one attempted to leap on top of him, but a swift punch turned him into powder. Several snowmen began to display fangs of icicles, reaching out to grab him while emitting an angry hiss. Another sweep of the branch banished the offending creatures. A few snowmen appeared to wise up and fled, but the majority continued their assault on Dororo. A well-placed ice ball managed to knock him back, and within the few moments it took to regain his bearings, he was surrounded. He grimly held the stick as he would his katana and readied himself for the fight.

That's when a rumbling sound reached his ears. The snowmen instantly lost their menacing appearance and began looking around the garden, whistling in fear. They all began to glide away, looking for places to hide as the rumbling was joined by a wailing sound that reminded him of an emergency siren. He started to run toward the castle, hoping that there would be an easy way inside. Then the terrified whistles were cut short as the beautiful world around him began to peel away. An ugly world of pure decay began to emerge as he continued to run.

I thought this was Japan, not West Virginia.

Willing himself to go faster, he zipped up to the castle door. He grabbed the handle and pulled as hard as he could. The door wouldn't budge. Of course...

Dororo slashed his stick against the door in frustration. The wood broke into several pieces and clattered to the ground. Behind him, the wave of decay drew closer. Within moments, it would reach the door. He put his hand on the door and closed his eyes. I've failed you, Koyuki...I'm so sorry...

That's when a hand reached out and yanked him inside.

There is no life I know to compare with...

Oh, me again. Ahem.

Has a mysterious savior rescued Dororo from a terrible fate? Or has he escaped the frying pan only to land in the fire?

Tune in next time to find out!

Remember to leave a review. I like reviews. They're part of a balanced breakfast.