Ten: Hard to swallow
Chapter theme music: Leader of Men by Nickelback & Rush by People in Planes
"Where are the girls?" Gojyo stood in the kitchen doorway, clad only in a towel, drying his hair.
"They went on a morning walk, or so it would seem," said Hakkai, sipping his tea.
"Great. I was hoping to get a rise out of 'em. I mean, come on. Look at how small this towel is!" Gojyo waved his hands at the towel, which was barely able to wrap around him.
"Sorry, buddy. They're not here. You'll have to try again later." Hakkai chuckled and went back to sipping his tea.
An overly groggy Sanzo walked into the kitchen, coughing occasionally. After rummaging in the fridge for a few moments, he said, "Where's the rest of the tamales? Don't tell me that hungry rat ate them all?" He looked around in search of the guilty glutton but stopped, clutching his head.
Hakkai turned to him, concerned. "Are you all right, Sanzo? You look more pale than normal."
"Shut up. I'm fine." Sanzo immediately went into a coughing fit, betraying his words.
"I think you're coming down with something," Hakkai noted. "You should really get some more rest."
"I've slept plenty." Sanzo was becoming irritated. He looked around as if searching for something. "Where are the girls?"
Hakkai raised an eyebrow. Sanzo cares? Since when? "Out on another walk. Sometimes it seems like all they do is exercise."
Gojyo, lounging on the small sofa in the corner of the room, smirked at Hakkai. "They'd better keep at it. How else are their bodies gonna stay so irresistible?"
Sanzo raised his fan to hit Gojyo, but his swing fell short as he began to cough again.
Gojyo just shook his head. "Priesty gettin' a little divine retribution? I knew He'd get even for your smoking all the time, Holy One."
Sanzo glared at Gojyo, but didn't have the strength to do anything else.
"Speaking of smoking," Hakkai started. "I haven't noticed you smoking recently, Gojyo. Have you quit?"
"God, no," he replied. "It just makes Melinda cough, is all, so I've been smokin' off by myself."
Hakkai smiled into his teacup.
Goku trudged into the room, holding his stomach and yawning. "Sanzo, I'm so hungry."
"Get your own food you stu..pid...mon...key." Sanzo laid his head on the table, panting.
Hakkai simply looked at him, shaking his head. He muttered to himself, "You really should listen to my advice, otherwise you'll just get worse." He stood and began to prepare some tea for Sanzo.
Meanwhile, Goku was eating things straight out of the fridge while Gojyo looked on in horror. "At least heat the leftovers up." He gawked at Goku who had a chimichanga in one hand and three enchiladas in the other.
"But, it's so good, I can't wait." Goku continued stuffing his face.
Hakkai handed Sanzo his tea. He stared at it, his head still on the table. Hakkai lifted him up and placed the cup in his hand. "Drink."
Hakkai took his place at the table and sat for a moment. "I know it's a little late to mention," he started, addressing the other three, "but, I take it you've all noticed how those girls seem to be our female equivalents." He looked around the room as he spoke.
Gojyo perked up, shifting to a more normal position on the sofa. "Yeah," he said. "It's really hot." He glanced at the others. "Though, none of you seem to be takin' advantage of the sexier-than-usual scenery."
"Ew, you're so gross, you creepy old man." Goku had finally finished his binge and moved to lean against the wall, patting his now rounded stomach.
Sanzo stopped drinking his tea and stared at Gojyo. "We don't have time for that. We're still heading West."
"Yeah, West, sure," Gojyo said, waving his hand in front of him. "Who cares about that right now? Those babes seem completely fine comin' along. There's nothing that says we can't have fun on this trip, is there? Did that slutty goddess woman say anything about that?"
"Not specifically," Hakkai stated. "Although we shouldn't let anything distract us from the constant threat of youkai attacks."
"Those chicks don't slow us down during a fight, they actually speed it up," Gojyo argued. "I mean, have you really watched what they can do? It's a real turn on."
"Everything turns you on, Gojyo," Hakkai said, laughing slightly. "But, I do agree with you. Those girls have been helpful in the last few attacks. We've established, though, that these women are actually the reason for the recent ferocity in our opponents. And they are definitely being targeted for capture, not execution. Are their pursuers the same as ours or is it another group altogether? Why would someone risk losing so many soldiers just to capture some random women?"
"It doesn't matter why they're being chased or anything else," Sanzo added, breathing easier after finishing his tea. "We can find the source without knowing the reason. Though if it were up to me, they'd fend for themselves."
"Yes, we know, Sanzo. But, we've already been over this." Hakkai stood and walked over to the window, looking out at the forest. "After all, it's the man's job to protect the damsel in distress, right Gojyo?"
"Heck yeah."
"Whatever." Sanzo was still too weak to argue the point. He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
"Any words to try and sway your father figure, Goku?" Hakkai turned to face where he was leaning.
Goku's eyes switched back and forth between the floor and Sanzo. Quietly, he said, "You said you'd let 'em stay, so let 'em. I really want 'em to."
Sanzo rebuked him with his glare.
"I really do," Goku continued, softly. "I mean, Savannah can cook. And, Melinda's really funny. And Chris seems really nice. And Anna, well, she reminds me of you..." He trailed off, his eyes reverting back to the floor. "I want them to stay."
Sanzo sighed.
Gojyo cheered. "Yeah! Another victory for the side of justice. In yo' face."
A creaking sound signified the front door had opened. Gojyo, holding firmly onto his little towel, sprang from the couch. "I'll inform our female friends of the affirmed good news." He winked at Hakkai and rushed from the room.
Hakkai chuckled and waited to hear a shriek from the unsuspecting girls. What he got was a yell from Gojyo.
Goku, Hakkai and Sanzo all turned to see what had happened. Gojyo flew back into the kitchen, Shakujo in one hand. "We have company, but not of the female kind."
"...of course, 'cause Akabane's hot, but Ban's hotter. And you know that the hottest guy always wins."
"True, but for it to be so one-sided?"
Melinda and Chris walked through the forest, discussing some key moments in their favorite anime.
"And when Roy Mustang collapses and you're supposed to think he's dead, how cheap was that?"
"Calm down, Melinda. After all, he didn't actually die," Chris said, attempting to soothe her.
"I know, but it still pisses me off." Melinda became overly protective of her "men".
Savannah and Anna, a ways behind the other two, walked in silence. Savannah kept taking a breath as if to speak, but Anna would glance over, silencing her. Savannah would then sigh and look down at her shoes, kicking small stones away from her path.
Why does she hate to talk so much? Do I really annoy her? Savannah hated the idea of being thought of as annoying. I know!
"Hey, Melinda, what about Wolfwood? Wasn't that just poetic?" Savannah knew that if she got Melinda to slow down and come talk to her, Anna would eventually open up. And talking about Wolfwood was a sure way to get Melinda to stop walking.
"Poetic? Poetic? I can't believe you'd say that! What about Spike? Was that poetic?" Now in a rage, Melinda was ranting about how certain manga authors should die or at least be given a lobotomy seeing as how they don't understand the concept of not killing everyone off at the end.
"What about Hige? Tsume? Kiba? Toboe? Everyone in Wolf's Rain!"
"SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU!"
Silence filled the forest. Savannah smiled. She finally opened up.
"So, Anna," Chris asked, after Anna's breathing had returned to normal and her fists had unclenched. "What's your favorite moment in an anime?"
Anna was silent as they walked along. They rarely asked her opinion on things such as that. It was simply a given that she liked anime, though she hardly ever voiced it.
"Lee fighting Kimimaro."
The whole group stopped walking and simply gawked at Anna.
"When he's drunk?" They couldn't believe their ears.
..."Yes." Anna looked at Melinda, whose mouth was hanging open.
Melinda, Savannah, and Chris exchanged glances, then, burst out laughing.
"That's great, Anna! You're a Lee-fan!" Melinda braced herself against a tree to keep from collapsing as she laughed.
"Really, Anna?" Chris asked. "That's so sweet. You never tell us who your favorites are."
Savannah laughed quietly, smiling. So, Anna can enjoy something. That's great.
"Now, how about you all stop laughing and we keep walking?" Anna continued on ahead without them, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.
"Hey, wait up!" Savannah called out, running to catch up with Anna. She rounded a tree to see Anna standing very still, back toward her.
"Don't go so fast, Anna. I thought I'd lost you." Savannah leaned forward, hands on her knees. "Anna?"
Anna slowly turned around, raising her hands in the air. A youkai held a knife to her throat.
"Now, we don't want to hurt you, so just come quietly and everything will be alright."
Savannah felt a blade press against her back. Anna looked her straight in the eyes, "oh crap" written all over her face. This was not how their day was supposed to turn out.
Sanzo let out a sigh. Why does this always happen when I'm sick? He slowly got up from the table to face the two dozen youkai that had filled the cabin. He could see perhaps fifteen more through the windows. What is the deal? We've never been attacked so many times in so few days.
"This should be interesting." Hakkai began gathering chi into his hands. "Sanzo, you really should sit this one out, and you, Goku, try your best not to destroy the cabin. We're held liable for all damages." His eyes closed as he smiled at Goku.
"What about me!" Gojyo shrieked. "What am I supposed to do in a towel?"
Hakkai chuckled as Gojyo madly clutched the extremely small towel around his waist. "Please do try to keep it on. We wouldn't want the girls to come back and see you indecent."
Hakkai stopped himself. The girls...What if the girls have also been...
The youkai began to back away. "They're not here. Maybe the others found them in the forest."
"What?" Sanzo asked, gun drawn. "You're not from Gyumaoh?"
The youkai stopped moving. "No, we have no affiliation with him. And we have no business with you. We're only after the women. Let us leave without conflict and we won't bother you again."
Gojyo laughed. "Sorry, buds, but we don't know the meaning of 'without conflict'." With his free hand, Gojyo spun his Shakujo, hacking six youkai in pieces, including the spokesman. Sanzo opened fire, dropping opponents as quickly as he could reload, while Hakkai blasted holes through any youkai that got too close to Sanzo. In his sick state, Sanzo wasn't moving as quickly as normal.
Goku stood, confused. "How 'm I s'posed ta fight without breakin' stuff?"
"Just be careful," Hakkai replied.
"Whatever." Goku charged forward, a shorter than usual staff in hand.
Many of the youkai fled, but none escaped. Gojyo burst through the front door, arcing his blade so that it sliced through half a dozen youkai that were attempting to disappear into the trees.
"Nuh-uh-uh. You're not gettin' away." A youkai hacked at his arm as he spoke, but Gojyo quickly brought the spear end of his weapon into the youkai's throat. "Not too bright, are ya?" Pulling his blade free, he continued, "Thinkin' we'd allow ya ta walk away and kill those poor girls. Ain't nobody hurtin' someone so fine as them while I'm around."
Goku bounded outside, stopping next to Gojyo. "Any get away?" he asked, panting.
"Nope," Gojyo replied. "Even one-handed I trashed 'em all." He stood, smiling wickedly at Goku.
"Just so you know, Gojyo," Goku started, "one of them cut your towel." Gojyo's eyes widened and he quickly turned aside.
Goku smiled big and walked back into the cabin. "Yep, you're a natural redhead."
"Faggot!" Gojyo shouted as he disappeared inside. Gojyo clutched at his towel, which hung in shreds around him. Perverted little...
A noise far off in the forest drew his attention. I wonder if the girls are alright...
Where's Sis? Blade against her back, Savannah forced any fear into the pit of her stomach and surveyed the area. Youkai littered the forest floor as far the eye could see. How'd they sneak up on us? And lots and lots of 'em. Why's this keep happenin'?
Two youkai grabbed her arms from behind, trying to bind her.
Like I'd let 'em catch me, she thought. Then they'd use me against ever'body.
Using the youkais' holds on her to kick off and flip behind them, Savannah chopped both in the spine as she landed. A sharp cracking sound confirmed their deaths, or at least, their paralysis. A sharp pain in Savannah's leg followed by another set of hands grasping her shoulders let her know these opponents wouldn't give her many openings. Savannah grabbed the youkai's wrists, then jerked forward and kicked backward into the man's knees. After letting out a gruesome shriek, the youkai's grip weakened, allowing Savannah to twist away and land another blow, this time in her attacker's throat.
Not wasting any time, Savannah quickly hopped out of reach of the youkai that had crouched down to slice her leg open. Keeping her distance, Savannah scooped up a hand-sized stone and flung it toward the man. He rolled out of its path and returned the gesture by flinging four shuriken at the girl's injured leg. With blood streaming down her calf, Savannah managed to step out of the way as the shuriken screamed past, barely missing contact. Dang, my sock's wet. She felt sticky moisture as blood pooled in her right shoe. It's kinda distractin', not ta mention FRIGGIN' PAINFUL!
Savannah snapped to attention as three more youkai rushed her from the sides. Springing upward, she snagged a branch and flipped into the tree overhead. She felt herself crash to the ground as one of her opponents severed the limb from the trunk. These guys are tricky…A spear jabbed toward her arm, a rope snapped around her leg, and four more youkai appeared in front of her. Crappin' fiddlesticks. They just won't give me a break.
At the same time, Anna was struggling to keep up with enemies of her own. Having wisely used Savannah's initial flip out of harm's way as a distraction, Anna had thrust her head back, distancing herself from the knife at her throat and crushing the nose of the youkai holding it. Gasping from the impact, the youkai left himself wide open as Anna snagged a second dagger from his belt and thrust it into his left eye. Anna yanked free the blade the dying youkai held in his grasp and spun to see five more take his place. They're too close for my throwing daggers to do much good. I guess this'll show if I've learned anything.
Her hands shook slightly, but Anna still managed to assume the defensive stance Sanzo had shown her the day before, her right hand poised close to her shoulder, the other in front and to the side. Pivoting to keep track of all her opponents, Anna whipped her left dagger up to parry a thrust at her shoulder, then quickly slashed at a youkai closing in behind her. Anna noticed a small gap this move had made between the now wounded youkai and the next nearest one and sprinted through it, hacking at both youkai as she passed between them. Ahead of her, Anna saw Savannah roll out of a fall from a broken tree limb and rushed toward her friend. Anna's head snapped back as an arm reached from behind a tree and tightly grasped her hair. Blood poured from her mouth where she'd bitten deep into her tongue and her opponent's free hand clutched her wrist. Flipping the blade in her left hand around, Anna plunged it backward towards the man's stomach, but she felt the vicious hold on her hair release and the blade failed to connect.
"Dang, you're light," the deep-voiced youkai stated. "Let me get a look at you." Anna felt herself being lifted and turned so the man could stare her in the face. Her feet dangled several feet off the ground and the monstrously sized youkai peered up and down her thin body. "What could that blond brat want with you? You're nothing more than skin and bones." He shifted his grip so that one hand was free to stop Anna's flailing legs from kicking him any more times. "I've never understood humans."
"Then why follow his orders?" Anna somehow managed to keep her voice from faltering, but her quick shallow breathing betrayed the feeling of terror that threatened to overwhelm her. "I'd never do what someone I despised told me to." A lie, but Anna wasn't really concerned about that. She needed one of her hands free, and quick.
The giant looked at her a moment, then answered, "I didn't say I despised him, I just don't get what he's after. But anyone that gives me and my unit gear that let's us see at night as if it were daytime can order me around as much as he wants."
Night vision? What's going on?
The youkai continued. "What's your name, lightweight?"
"…Anna."
"Well, Anna, after we capture your friends, how about-"
"You won't capture them," Anna boldly interrupted. "I'm the exception in this group. I'm the only one weak enough to actually get caught. But I plan to change that."
The monster's eyes narrowed. "How exactly, since I already have you?"
"Like this."
Blood and saliva drenched the man's face as Anna spat at him. Mustering the rest of the blood from her mouth, Anna spewed fluid onto her wrists, causing the blinking youkai's hold on her to slip. She forced one hand free, which she immediately thrust into her pocket, retrieving two throwing knives. With all the strength she could manage, Anna lodged the blades deep into the man's esophagus, and was rewarded with her freedom. Backing away in the direction she'd seen Savannah, Anna watched as the massive youkai commander clutched at his throat with one hand, and took several steps toward her.
"Anna!" Savannah called out, finally spotting her friend.
Anna scrambled to her feet and turned toward Savannah's shouting, but the youkai had her again, this time with one crushing hold on her throat. His fingers wrapped all the way around her neck, and were steadily squeezing the life out of her. Vision blurring, Anna sliced into the man's arm with her daggers but his grasp didn't waver. He was dying, but he still had the strength to take her with him.
Surrounded by youkai, Savannah saw as her best friend's eyes widened in agony and desperation. "ANNA!" she wailed, kicking and clawing at the opponent's separating them. "Get away!" she shrieked, twisting out of several sets of hands. Clubs struck her sides, blades bit into her flesh, but all she felt was the pain deep inside her chest, knowing she wouldn't make it in time.
Thankfully, she didn't have to.
Threads of chi appeared around the commander's bleeding neck and he fell heavily, Anna beneath him.
"Whew. That was close," Chris stated, with a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry it took me this long to get to you. These guys are tough."
Anna coughed several times, gulping down air. "It's okay," she croaked. "Just in the nick of time." Chris smiled down at her, then shot chi threads around ten opponents' necks and paralyzed them all. Allowing time for Anna to recover, Chris felled any youkai that came within reach.
Only a few seconds after Chris's appearance, Melinda flipped through the trees near Savannah, hacking two youkai in pieces as they stabbed at the small girl. As soon as she landed, Melinda crouched and spun in a tight circle, cleanly de-legging the remaining youkai around her.
"Y'alright?" Melinda asked, glancing at the cuts and bruises littering her sister's body.
"Not really, ya lazy jerk. What the heck? Why weren't you here!"
"Sorry," Melinda answered, wincing. "We kinda got forced into a pit trap…"
"Du-wuh?" Savannah's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"Yeah, embarrassing, I know. But let's not talk about it right now. As long as you're doin' alright, I'm gonna get back to work."
Slashing to her left, Melinda spun away from two youkai that had moved in close and they followed her into the trees.
With the leftover adrenaline still in her system, Savannah's movements improved and she leapt away as a sword slashed at her knee. Doing a back flip, she caught a youkai's head between her knees, breaking its neck. She scurried up a tree and looked around until she saw where Anna stood. By now, Chris had moved several yards away from her, finding youkai up in the trees and dropping them like leaves in an autumn wind. Anna still seemed a little sluggish, so Savannah decided to join her. Bending her knees just the right amount, Savannah launched herself from the tree.
A perfect landing. With a half arc, her leg dropped four youkai surrounding Anna. She sprung to her feet and broke all of their necks as they tried to stand. A youkai charged her from the left. She grabbed his outstretched arm and used his momentum to throw him against a locust tree.
Youkai continued to charge. Each was killed in turn.
After nineteen long minutes of blood and horror, the four girls were the only ones left standing.
"Man, they just don't give up, do they?" Melinda asked, sheathing her twin katana. "I mean, how many will we have to kill before they realize they can't beat us without trying to kill us? Holdin' back to try and capture us just won't ever work."
"If you say so," Anna muttered, rubbing her still tender throat.
Savannah gingerly patted her leg where Chris had mostly healed it, an act that was greeted with lots of excited clapping and hugs, then she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. "Great, that made me hungry." She turned to Anna, who shot her an evil glare. "Oh, Anna, while I was up in that tree, I thought of a name for your technique." Savannah bent down in an exaggerated imitation of Anna's stance, hands chopping the air in front of her. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dagger Technique," she said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Shut it, lame freak." Anna had never enjoyed surprises, especially ones that involved life and death, so she was in a pretty bad mood. "Let's just head back to the cabin."
"One of these times, we should capture one for interrogation," Melinda said, rubbing a cut on her arm. "Knowing who's after us could come in handy."
Anna remembered what the youkai commander had said. "One of them said that the human they're following gave them night vision equipment in exchange for their cooperation. Any idea what that could mean?"
"Night vision?" Melinda asked, incredulously. "They don't have that technology on this world, do they, Chris? Chris?"
Chris had been walking around, examining the youkai that seemed so determined to capture them. She leaned out from behind a tree, not having heard the question directed at her.
"Hey, Melinda, I think this might interest you." Chris stood facing the base of a honey locust tree, arms out in front of her. Held fast by her chi threads, an angry-looking youkai was embedded by the vicious thorns at the base of the locust. He struggled fiercely in an attempt to free himself, but with Chris holding him, he simply dug the thorns deeper into his flesh. Quickly, he realized escape was impossible and simply glared at the four girls before him.
"So, that's where that guy went," Savannah commented. "I need to keep a better eye on the dudes I send flying."
Melinda walked towards the pinned youkai, and he glowered up at her. Kneeling down, a fiendish light playing in her eyes, she asked softly, "What's your name?"
This wasn't what the youkai expected to hear. He blinked several times and then stammered, "Kushiko."
"Well, Kushiko," Melinda continued, "we seem to have a slight problem. My friends and I are trying to live normal, peaceful lives but some terrible person is determined to interfere with us. Now, tell me, Kushiko, would you happen to have any idea who that person might be? Is he really a human?"
As she spoke, Melinda brought her hand up to the youkai's face and began stroking his cheek with her left index finger. As she finished her question, her face hovered no more than five inches away from his.
"Well, Kushiko?" Melinda's eyes narrowed and she pulled a long and exceptionally sharp thorn from the tree. "Whoever it is has caused great harm to my friends. So, please, his name."
"Like I'd tell a woman anything." The pinned youkai spit at her.
Without warning, Melinda drove the thorn deep into the youkai's left shoulder. Kushiko let out a gasp of pain, but remained defiant.
"Why won't you talk?" Melinda was becoming irritated. "It's not like he'll know you told us.
Kushiko's eyes took in the three girls standing behind Melinda, as if more interested in them than his torturer. Savannah stood picking her finger nails and sighing, obviously bored. Anna stared straight at Kushiko, a look of intense hatred in her eyes. And Chris stood calmly, her chi threads holding the youkai's arms and legs firmly against the tree.
Melinda pulled two more thorns from the tree, this time slowing dragging one across Kushiko's cheek and slipping one under the skin in his right arm. His breathing quickened and his eyes clenched shut, and yet still, he gave up nothing.
"Hurt me all you want. I won't roll over."
"Fine, Kushiko. You've proven your loyalty." With that Melinda drew her twin katana and drove them into the youkai's sides.
"Now, prove your sanity." Melinda pulled her blades free. "Without medical treatment, you'll bleed out in minutes. Chris here can save you. Would you like that?"
Kushiko started becoming light-headed, and pain wracked his body. Blood pulsed from his sides.
"Fine," he spat. "I'll tell you. Just don't let me die." His face was twisted in agony and his voice had become thin and shaky.
Melinda stared at him for a moment and then nodded to Chris. She immediately withdrew her threads from pinning him and placed her hands over the youkai's wounds. A green aura danced over the slits and ever so slowly, the skin closed.
The youkai's eyes darted around as if hoping to be released without having to give up any information. When he saw that the girls weren't lowering their guard, he spoke.
"About eight months ago, some human started recruiting youkai to work for him. He has one of the holy scriptures, and with the aid of that power and the promise of foreign technology, many of us have joined him. Actually, I should say 'them', since even though Joseph is the leader, Ethan has more direct contact with us youkai."
He stopped speaking when he noticed the expressions on Melinda and Savannah's faces.
"Joseph?" Melinda said. "And Ethan?"
It's not that Joseph and Ethan, she thought. It can't be. It simply can't. After all, what are the chances that those two people could have come to this world, and at the same time as us? But…eight months? They've been here eight months? Can I really dismiss that as a coincidence?
"Describe them to me." Melinda stared coldly at the youkai, deep dread and terror, but also excitement, building within her.
"I've never seen Joseph, but Ethan is tall with green eyes and looks to be younger than thirty. Also, he uses a straight sword in battle."
It's impossible… Melinda couldn't believe what she'd heard. How are they here? What kind of a twisted fate is this?
After a few moments of arguing within herself, Melinda cleared her mind and looked back at Kushiko. "Where can I find him?"
Kushiko allowed an evil grin to cross his face. "Just wait, and he'll find you."
Anna knelt beside Melinda. "Why is he trying to capture us?" She was not amused by how long this conversation was taking.
Kushiko's body began to tremble and his eyes had trouble focusing.
"Hey! Are you listening?" Anna leaned closer to Kushiko, pushing her hand against his chest. She pulled it back slowly. "He's dying."
"What?" Chris asked, concern in her voice. She ripped open the front of Kushiko's shirt. His whole chest was a deep purple. "Oh, no." She placed her hands over where Melinda's katana had pierced him. "I only managed to heal the first several layers. He's bleeding internally." She shook her head in frustration and dismay. "I don't know what to do. What should I do? Hakkai didn't tell this much." She turned to Melinda, hoping beyond hope that she'd have an answer.
Melinda simply shook her head slowly. "I have no idea. You can't heal him through the skin?"
"I don't know. I think I'd have to reopen the wounds and try healing from the inside out. But, I don't know how, I might just make it worse." Chris's hands shook as she struggled to decide what to do.
She used her threads of chi to reopen the wounds and then forced chi from her palm into them. Kushiko shook violently, his eyes rolling back into his head.
"He's convulsing. Hurry up!"
"I can't!" Chris screamed. "I just don't know how!" Her breathing became heavy and her hands turned to ice as she forced as much chi into the wounds as she could. The bleeding stopped and the skin closed over the healed gashes.
Chris sighed shakily in relief. "It's finished." Folding her hands in her lap, she looked up at Kushiko, a tired smile on her face.
Her smile disappeared.
Melinda reached her hand forward and closed Kushiko's eyes. "You did what you could."
Backing away, Chris shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "No. I did it. I healed him."
Melinda stood and stepped away from the tree. "You healed him, but it was too late. I wounded him too badly. I'm sorry. There was nothing you could do."
Melinda's words rolled over Chris. She simply stood there, tears streaming down her face, mouthing the word "no" over and over.
He died because of me…I failed…
Chris sat quietly in her chair. Taking a deep breath and with closed eyes, she simply waited.
"Begin."
Chris's eyes snapped open, and immediately she set to work. Although surrounded by over two hundred other people, Chris felt as if she was alone in her room back home, studying like she did every day. On her desk lay one of the most difficult tests a person could take - the Final Exam of Medical School. As she looked at the questions, she asked herself, "Why have I stayed enrolled in junior high?"
With an I.Q. of 185, she'd gotten her GED at age eight and had then gone through Pre-Med and Medical School. But, for some reason, she'd remained enrolled in public school. Why?
Oh, right. To be with them. She thought of her three crazy friends. For those clowns. Images of Savannah pouring experimental chicken pudding on Melinda's head and then running screaming, arms flailing in the air as she was chased by her butcher knife-wielding sister flashed through her mind. We are such a dysfunctional group.
Chris continued to fill in answers as quickly as her eyes passed over the question. Before anyone else had completed the first page, Chris stood and walked to the front of the large auditorium.
The examiner shook his head in amazement. "You must be that twelve-year-old we've all heard so much about. You truly are amazing."
Chris simply nodded her head in feigned appreciation, handing him her finished exam. All she ever heard from adults was how brilliant she was.
"Have you ever failed anything?" the man asked.
Chris thought for a moment. Of the hundreds if not thousands of tests and competitions she'd been involved in, she couldn't remember a single time when she didn't get the highest grade. It actually took her a moment to think of a time when she hadn't received a perfect score. She laughed as she remembered the time someone mislabeled the sulfuric acid as hydrochloric acid, completely throwing off her results. Some people are just so stupid.
"Another perfect score? That's so not fair!" Savannah stood indignantly in front of Chris, holding the results to Chris's exam.
"You only say that because you could count the tests you've passed on one hand." Melinda sneered at her sister, whose eyes widened.
"What? Die now!" Savannah flew at her but was held back by Anna, who stood, sighing heavily with a finger twisting in one ear.
"Shut up, or you both die. I have a headache." Anna let go as soon as Savannah stopped wheeling her arms around.
"Savannah does have a point," Melinda conceded, looking at Chris. "I mean, if you were ever to fail at something, you'd probably suffer a complete mental and emotional collapse. It's not healthy to be perfect at everything."
"I'm not perfect at everything," Chris said, defensively. "I totally suck at sports."
"You don't play any sports," Savannah said.
"So?" Chris replied. "If I did, I'm sure I'd be really bad at them."
"Just give it up, Chris." Anna lounged casually on a chair in her living room. "You're the best. You'll never fail."
Chris simply sighed. I guess they're right. I'll never fail.
Gojyo lay on the grass outside the cabin, watching the clouds. When will they be back? Somebody's gotta clean up this mess. He looked around at the mutilated corpses and smiled. Fine, we won't actually make them do it, but still, it'll be fun to tell 'em we are.
Hakkai stepped outside. "Well, everything's cleaned up inside. But, I can see you didn't keep your end of the agreement." He stood over Gojyo, staring down at him, an eyebrow raised.
"I'm gonna. I was just waitin' for the girls, is all..."
"Greeeat. I'm sure they'll appreciate the gift, Gojyo." Hakkai walked back toward the cabin. "Way to a woman's heart...or should I say, 'Melinda's heart'..."
"What?" Gojyo asked, but Hakkai had already gone. "What does he mean, Melinda's heart?" he muttered. "Since when am I aiming for the heart?"
Just then, the four girls came into view. Gojyo sat up to see them a little bloody and disheveled. Chris appeared to be holding back tears while Melinda supported her. They stopped when they saw the bodies. "You got hit too?" Savannah asked.
Gojyo, slightly disappointed that the girls weren't surprised to see youkai parts scattered around, nodded. "Yep. Seems like they were here after you. They tried to run when they figured out you weren't in, but we stopped 'em." He sat, leaning back on his hands and smiling. His smile faded. "You alright?" He eyed the various scrapes and bruises they each had and kept looking at Chris. "She alright?"
"She'll be fine," Melinda said. "She just needs some time to accept what happened." The girls went inside.
Gojyo sighed. Man, it's hard to think that none of us were there to protect them. What if one had gotten killed? He caught himself in mid-thought. How attached am I? An image of Melinda, crying in his arms, flashed through his mind. Am I aiming for the heart?
He laughed at himself, dismissively. You could never get attached to a woman, Gojyo, not like that. He shook his head, smiling, and followed the girls inside.
End Chapter
Chapter theme music: Leader of Men by Nickelback & Rush by People in Planes