Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Frontier or any cultural references in this story.
Warning: Rated T for some bloody violence, a few minor languages, and minor sexual scenes
Bloody Nightmares
Chapter Eleven: The Courage to Continue
The sun was at high noon when Izumi received shocking news of Ami's horrifying assault. Just about an hour ago, she and her friends were planning the rest of their summer vacation together and were planning on going to the big events that were to be held at the mall the next day. Later, they were joined by Takashi and Masaki, two out of three boys of whom they had met the night before during the Obon Festival. It had appeared that Kyochi, the other boy that the kids met, couldn't be there because of some sort of family business.
It all started well when Takashi and Masaki joined Takuya and his friends at their tables in the park. They were discussing the events the next day and why Kyochi couldn't join. It appeared that as a medical student, not only was he busy trying to get his degree, but also that his family seeks his appearances with them. But then Takashi told everyone what had happened on his street last night. It appeared that a girl by the name of Ami Tsujimura was attacked by a culprit who didn't leave his trail behind. The details were stunning and a bit gruesome. But it wasn't the fact that how it happened shock everyone, it was the fact that it had happened to someone that they knew.
Being a friend of hers, the shocking news struck Izumi to the core. At first, she was silent. Her green eyes were wide-opened in disbelief. The color of her skin seemed pale as though all of the sunshine and laughter had died away. "A-are y-you serious?" Izumi asked, her hands trembling. "Are you saying t-that one of my friends is d-d-dea—"
Izumi didn't get to finish when she saw that the red hair boy nodded sadly. No one had expected her to break down and cry. Hiding her face behind her hands, Izumi cried and cried, her tears leaking down her cheeks and hands. "W-why? How could this have happened? She was just fine yesterday morning! It's my fault! I should have asked her to join us last night!"
The other boys and the two animals didn't know what to do. But then, it was Takuya and Junpei who tried to comfort her. "It's not your fault, Izumi-chan. You couldn't have known."
"I'm sorry," Takashi spoken up, his face seemed regretful for bringing bad news. "I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't know that you're her friend from school."
Izumi didn't reply as if she didn't hear him. Junpei, on the other hand, glared at Takashi with threatening brown eyes. "I think you should go. You've done enough for one day, haven't you?"
"You can't blame him for that!" Masaki snapped angrily and he got up from his seat. "It's not his fault that her classmate is dead!"
"He's right Junpei," Tomoki exclaimed. "He didn't know that Ami's a classmate of yours."
"Tomoki-kun, stay out of th—" said Junpei but then Tomoki cut him in.
"No! stop it, Junpei! I'm not a little kid anymore so don't treat me like one!"
"But he deliberately told us about it! And now look!" Junpei said, point at Izumi, who was still crying. Meanwhile, Takuya was still comforting her. Usually, Junpei would get jealous over this but right now, he was too angry and occupied to do so. "Izumi-chan is in hysterical! And now, we don't even know if Ami's alive or dead!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kouji jumped in. His deep, blue eyes darkened dangerously, warning them all to not push it. Kouji, being the logical and calculating one, can be demanding when leadership calls. It was the unwritten law in their group that Kouji is their second leader. When Takuya isn't there, it was Kouji who took charge over the disputes. Turning to Junpei, he remarked calmly in a very serious tone, although a hint of anger sparked up in it. "Junpei, you can't blame Takashi for being the bearer of bad news. What happened to Ami wasn't his fault and you know it. So don't have a vendetta against him just because Izumi's crying over it."
"Easy for you to say, tough guy," Junpei relented. "You can't deny that you have something to do with this, too!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Did you forget already? Then let me remind ya, buddy," said Junpei, pointing a finger at Kouji in annoyance. "Ami asked you out yesterday, remember? And what did you do? You turned her down just like that."
"So?" Kouji asked, a bit annoyed himself.
"So if you would have said yes, Ami wouldn't have been walking home late at night on her own and she wouldn't have been attack!"
"Are you saying that it's my fault?" Kouji demanded icily.
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying!"
"Guys, forget it!" said a voice. It was Izumi who had spoken up when they all turned to her. Apparently, she had decided to stop crying over Takuya's should. Whipping away her tears on her sleeves, she said, "It's not their fault, Junpei, and you know it."
Junpei was silent and was too ashamed at her words to say anything. He knew that she was right but he didn't feel like admitting it.
"Will you be alright, Izumi?" Tomoki asked.
"Yeah," she nodded as she sniffed back the last of her tears. "I'll be fine."
"Um, I don't think I have made it clear or if you didn't hear me before," Takashi cleared his voice as he spoke. But this time, his voice seemed caring and concern for her. It was as if though the obnoxious and bad-mouthed redhead that they had knew him to be of some sort was gone. And here in his place was someone who seemed to care and regretted his actions for being the bearer of bad news.
"Don't you think you've caused us enough worries as it is?" Kouji eyed him coldly, sending shivers down his spine. But instead of showing it, Takashi stood his ground firmly like a tree standing firm with its roots into the ground.
"Just listen," he said. "I didn't say that your friend, Ami, is dead. The police officers told me that she's in the hospital right now."
"He's right," said Tomoki, his eyes lit up. Turning to Takuya and Izumi, he said, "If what Takashi says is true, then Ami might be alright. Think about it, if she was found dead…"
Takuya finally got what his young friend was hinting and said, "If Ami was found dead, they wouldn't have transported her to the hospital would they? Izumi, Ami could still be fine!"
"Are you sure?" Izumi asked, sniffing back a bit of her remaining tears.
"Yes, they only transport corpses to a laboratory for autopsies. If Takashi's right and if Ami's in the hospital…"
"Then there's still a chance that's she's alive," Kouji said as a matter of fact, crossing his arms.
"Well?" Takashi asked Izumi hopefully.
Izumi nodded and smiled a bit. It was a little curve of a smile, indicating a small hope that her friend and classmate would make it out alive. She didn't have to say anything. Her gesture was enough for everyone to understand. It was enough for Takashi to know that she had forgiven him and that she was grateful for him telling her this little bit of the news. It was what she needed in hopes for her friend's survival.
"Thanks, Takashi-kun," she said. Turning to Takuya, she told him, "I'm going to see her, Takuya. I want to know if Ami-chan's alright."
Takuya understood. It was natural for her to be concern and it was sort of motherly of her wanting to be there for a family or a close friend. Even though he knew that Ami doesn't usually joins them in their little group when hanging out, Ami was still closed to Izumi, along with Chiaki and the other girls. Being the only girl in their group, Izumi can sometime feel left out or out of place. So sometime, she would hang out with her classmates and other friends of girls by joining clubs and after school activities. To her, Izumi felt as though they are another part of her families, although not as closed as Takuya and the others, but still it was all the same.
Sighing and shaking his head, Takuya said to her, "I'll go with you, Izumi, if you want."
"Thanks," Izumi replied gently.
"Meow," said Löwe.
Izumi looked down at him sweetly and laughed a little bit as she gave him one last scratch behind the ears. "Sorry," she said, although a bit sadly. "I'm afraid they won't allow animals in the hospital during visits."
"Meow," Löwe replied as if he understood her and accepted it.
Takuya turned to Takashi and asked him, "Hey, do you know which hospital they took Ami to?"
"Yeah, it's Beika Hospital," Takashi replied and then he offered, "I can show you the way."
"No, thanks," Kouji said coldly. "We can find our way there. You two should go. Haven't you done enough for one day?"
Takashi sighed in defeat and began to walk away. Masaki gave Kouichi a sorrowful look and an almost disappointed one at that, too. Looking behind him, Kouichi noticed that his brother and his friends were walking away, with Lobo following behind their heels. Löwe, on the other hand, remained loyally behind with his master.
"Let us know if she's going to be okay," Masaki said steadily. Kouichi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I meant both of them," the younger boy explained. "Your friend, Izumi, and also Ami. I hoped that things will be okay for them both."
Kouichi nodded as he watched Masaki turned around and followed his friend to the other side of the park and the city. Hearing Kouji and the others calling him, Kouichi gestured to Löwe to follow him silently. As he and Löwe caught up with the others, Kouichi suddenly realized that for some strange reason, he didn't seem to care much. Not about Izumi's worrying over her friend, nor for Ami's survival.
It was decided then that Lobo and Löwe would obediently stay outside since the hospital wouldn't let them in. While the six teenagers were inside, the two of them sat by the sliding glass doors, watching patients and visitors going in and out. A few children who were visiting their grandparents with their mothers and fathers cooed and patted them both affectionately.
"Look, Otou-san! Daddy, Daddy, look! A kitty and a doggy!" said a girl with short brown hair. Around her neck was a small digital camera and it tapped gently on Lobo's head. The girl hugged them affectionately and scratched them behind their ears. "Can we keep them, Daddy? Can we keep them?"
"No, they have collars, Hikari," her father laughed. "They probably belonged to someone. Let's go, your mother and Taichi are waiting."
Hikari seems disappointed but skipped happily after her father as they both walked into the hospital.
It was after that and then that Lobo and Löwe managed to find a little bit of peace. Löwe climbed on top of his friend's back and positioned himself comfortably yet firmly as Lobo began to speak.
"Löwe, do you think that it's a coincidence?" he asked.
"Lobo, you know very well that I don't think that it's coincidence at all. Have you forgotten what Gali always believed in?" Löwe reminded him.
Lobo sighed and quoted what Gali always said, "There is no coincidence in this world, only the inevitable".
"That's right," Löwe huffed, "If what that redhead boy says is true, then perhaps we were too late in stopping Dusk from taking over Kouichi's body."
"I told you that we can't know that for sure!" Lobo pointed out. "Don't you remember that he was inside of the house this morning? If Dusk managed to possess the boy last night, then he wouldn't be able to bypass the barrier. And I don't think that Dusk would risk possessing the boy while he was out last night, attack the girl, and then leave his host to return home."
"Yes, that would have been too risky since only one victim's blood wouldn't be enough to maintain his strength under such a night with a full moon," Löwe agreed. He then hesitated, and his expression became somewhat troubled. "I think we have to find out if Kouichi has that mark. If we can find it, it will tell us if the boy is Dusk's host or not."
"But we can't just pounce on him like that just for that reason, Löwe!" Lobo exclaimed. "Neither can we ask them right now. We don't have enough proof in order to speak to them."
"You're right, Lobo. We can't speak to them yet and warn them of the danger. But if we don't and instead wait, Dusk's influences will grow stronger and stronger with each passing victims and he won't let us near the boy at all in order to rescue his hostage."
"Then what should we do?" Lobo snapped angrily. "We can't just sit here, playing the lovable and loyal pet cat and dog while Dusk could be planning another murder this instance! For all we know, that little blonde girl up in that hospital room right now is probably crying over her friend's tragic incident and she has the right to be. She's in hysterical all because we couldn't do our job right as guardians."
Löwe shook his head. "I don't know. I wish I knew all of the answers, my friend. But if I can't find a way to protect Kouichi and his brother, then how can I find a way to help them defeat Dusk?"
Lobo didn't answer. Instead, he lowered himself to the ground, letting Löwe climbed off of his back and onto the paved-brick ground again. Sighing in defeat, he said, "If only we have some sort of charm or some kind of spell. That way, we can know for sure if Kouichi's under Dusk's influence without approaching the boy physically."
Suddenly, Löwe's ears pricked up at his friend's suggestion. Looking up at him, Löwe gave him a smile of satisfaction. "That's it! Why didn't we thought it sooner? Lobo, you're a genius!"
"What do you mean?" Lobo asked curiously, though he was a bit confused at first.
"You said that if we have some sort of spell, then we could know for sure if Kouichi has the mark on his body without pouncing on him," Löwe explained patiently. "A spell or more like…a magical barrier!"
Now Lobo wasn't following Löwe's implement at all, whatsoever. "But Gali already set up a barrier on the Minamoto's residence."
"Yes, but Dusk could have found a loophole in order to bypass that barrier. We didn't realize that there's a difference between our barrier and hers!" Löwe said.
"What are you saying, Löwe?" Lobo asked.
"If Dusk had found a loophole to our barrier, then would he have found one to Gali's?" Löwe asked him. Lobo's eyes were wide opened as soon as he realized what his friend was implying. "Gali's a powerful enchantress. If the magical barrier on her house is still as strong as before…" Löwe soon trailed off.
"…then we might be able to use it to our advantage!" Lobo finished his friend's sentence and finally understood how they could achieve their goal. "We can try and get the twins to follow us to Gali's place. And if Kouichi shows any signs of aggression or such, then we can be sure that he is definitely under Dusk's control."
"Right," Löwe confirmed. "But knowing Gali, she would probably demand payment for such an act on her property. But I think I can pay it off with my badge."
Lobo shook his head at Löwe's mentioning of Gali's rules. "That greedy witch. But I guess it can't be help since it would provide total balance over the magical and spiritual fields. Do you remember where she said she would be?"
"Of course! We just passed by it a month ago on our way from the airport, remember?" said Löwe. "Now all we have to do now is wait for them and their friends to finish their visit from the hospital. Then right after they part ways from their friends, we'll make a break for it."
"Agreed."
"Wait! Where are you all going?" said the receptionist.
"I'm looking for Ami Tsujimura!" said Izumi impatiently. If it weren't for his job, the receptionist wouldn't have notice the hint of anxiety and worry in the girl's voice and eyes. In fact, he had seen it far too often as any other doctors and nurses working here. Grabbing the files of the recent patients, he flipped through them again.
"Didn't you here her, buddy," said Takuya in annoyance.
"Her name's Tsujimura Ami and she's my friend. She was recently in an incident and—"
"Hold up! Just wait for a second, will ya?" the receptionist said as he flipped through the files for said patient's name. "Tsuji…Tsuji…here it is! Tsujimura Ami. She's on the seventh floor in room 213A and—hey WAIT! YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE!"
The receptionist's words were lost as Takuya and the others ran after Izumi as she dashed for the elevator. Pressing the button over and over again, Izumi grew more and more frustrated when the lights signaled the elevator stopping on level 10. Seeing a sign indicating the nearest restrooms and staircases, she abandoned the elevator and ran straight for the stairways. He friends following her heels, dodged a few patients in wheelchairs and passing nurses and doctors on the way up. None of them stopped until they've all reached their destination. By then, all of them were almost out of breath.
"Oh my, from the looks on your faces, I think that your rush seemed quite important," said a voice. It was a young nurse coming out of the door of their goal. She was fairly young and pretty, with dark brown hair and black hair cut short to her shoulders. Her uniform was crisped and clean and was just as white brilliant as most of the passing nurses and doctors going on by.
Steadying her breath, Izumi demanded to see her friend Ami right away.
Nodding, the nurse said gently, "Alright, but only if you promised to be quiet. There are patients here whom are resting from their surgeries."
Opening the door and into the room, the nurse announced to the doctor inside of the latest addition of visitors. "Watsuki-sensei? There is a girl and a group of her friends here and she claimed that she's a friend of Ami-chan."
"All right, let them in," said a soft and feminine voice.
Hearing that familiar name, Izumi and the others were greeted by a woman doctor. She was wearing what seems to be one of those teal uniforms when doctor were performing surgery. The doctor seemed quite young and beautiful with her blue eyes and long dark, raven-blue hair. In her hand was a set of clipboard and papers as she wrote down information of her patient.
Looking up from her notes, the doctor welcomed the group warmly. "Hello, I'm Dr. Kotone Watsuki. You must be Ami-chan's classmates, are you not? You've arrived just in time. The others and I have just finished with her surgery a moment ago."
Takuya and the others nodded as he introduced himself along with the others. By the time they finished, they soon realized that Dr. Watsuki was standing next to a hospital bed hidden by a curtain. Pulling it aside, Izumi gasped as she covered her mouth in shock at Ami's sickly feature.
Her friend, Ami, was as pale as a corpse. There were barely any warmth or color in her cheeks. On her face laid an oxygen mask to aid her in breathing and a few nods and patches on her temple to monitor her brainwaves. She was connected to a machine, indicating the levels of her breathing rate, heart beats, and blood pressure. From the looks of it, it didn't look good at all.
"What happened to her?" Izumi cried, rushing to her friend's side.
Dr. Watsuki's eyes seemed weary and tired from the recent stress of the day. But none the less, she answered Izumi's question calmly. "It appeared that she was attacked by some sort of animal, but I don't buy it. Neither can it be human. It's strange, though. Since there were no signs of physical assault on her body such as a gunshot wound or a knife inflicted of the sort, and yet, she is drained of one fourth of her blood. What I don't understand is how. I couldn't find any markings on her indicating the source of blood lost. It appears as though she just simply passed out as a portion of her blood had just disappeared."
"What are you saying?" Kouji demanded. "You can't mean that she was attacked by an unknown force?"
"Actually, I'm not even sure," Dr. Watsuki sighed in defeat. "Of all of my years practicing medicine, I have never seen such a case as this. For the first time in my life, I don't know the answers."
"But what of Ami?" Izumi asked, her eyes watery again. "Is she going to be okay?"
Before Dr. Watsuki could answer, they were interrupted by a very familiar face and voice. At the door stood another medical practitioner. It was none other than Kyochi Watsuki, the boy whom Takuya and his friends had met the night before. Kyochi was wearing a white coat and a name tag, designating himself as a medical student. His blue eyes and hair color matched that of the woman doctor in the room with them. It was as though there existed a resemblence between them. He wasn't alone. There were two people with him, a man and a woman. Izumi recognized them as Ami's parents.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but Tsujimura-san and his wife is here to see Ami-chan. They wanted to know—Oh! Kouichi? Takuya? What are you guys doing here?" Kyochi asked in surprise when he noticed that the room was full.
"We should be asking you the same question, buddy," Takuya said.
"This is where I do medical practice during the summer. I told you that I'm a medical student, didn't I?" Kyochi said, a small smile appeared on his face. It wasn't a big smile, considering that he knew of the situation in the room.
The woman doctor and Ami's parents eyed the seven teenagers curiously. The man, who must be Ami's father, spoke up impatiently. "Who are these children and why are they disturbing my daughter? Can't you see that Ami is ill? She can't be disturbed by a roomful of adolescents!"
"Katsuro, please," said his wife, trying her best to calm her husband down despite her teary, red eyes. She seems as though she was about to break down any moment. "Don't act like this in front of an audience."
However, her husband doesn't seemed to be able to control himself but he made a good effort in repressing his anger. Dr. Watsuki nodded as she seems to be able to read their mind and understood his anger and his wife's sadness. Turning to Kyochi, she said gently, "Kyochi-kun, it seems as though you've met these kids before. Why don't you be a dear and kindly show them to the cafeteria downstairs? I'll deal with these two," she indicated toward the parents, "Is that alright?"
"Yes, Mother," Kyochi said, gesturing the others to leave. He had a bit of difficulty in trying to get Izumi to go but she seems reluctant to leave her friend's side. "I'll tell you about it on the way," he whispered to her. Izumi nodded as she dried her tears and left, leaving the woman doctor and the nurse to talk to Ami's parents.
After closing the door, Kouji asked in surprised, "That was your mother?"
Turning to him, Kyochi nodded. "Yes, my mother works here as a surgeon. That's why I wanted to enter the medical field…so that I can help people like her."
"But then, if you're working here, then that means that this is the place where you've introduced our mother to work at for her new job."
"Yes, it is," Kyochi confirmed, walking towards the elevator. The others followed suit. "Your mother, Tomoko Kimura, is working here as my mother's personal secretary. But I believe that she's talking a month off or so, am I right?"
"Yes," Kouichi said tonelessly, "I'm afraid she won't be back for awhile."
"That's too bad," Kyochi smiled, "Because my mother was getting fond of her work. She was much better than her last secretary. But enough about that." Turning to Takuya, he asked, "I didn't know that you're a friend of Ami Tsujimura."
"Actually, Izumi is," said Tomoki. "We're just accompanying her, really."
"I see," Kyochi replied.
They had finally reached the same elevator Izumi had reached not just long ago. But instead of waiting, the door dinged and opened instantly at the touch of Kyochi's finger. Luckily for them, it was empty and it was also big enough for the seven of them to fit in with only one more room to spare. One by one, they all filed it, Kyochi being the last so that he could enter the numbered floor to the cafeteria below.
"Is Ami going to be okay?" Izumi spoke up. She clasped her hands together in hopes to hear good news.
Kyochi sighed as the doors of the elevator closed on them. The elevator dinged again as it slowly brought them all down to their destined floor level. "My mother and the other surgeons were able to get enough blood to get her stable. But because of the amount of her lost of blood, Ami's will be unconscious for a while."
"So you're saying that she's comatose?"
"Yes, but for how long, I do not know. But I fear that her condition won't improve," Kyochi said sadly. The elevator doors opened, and one by one, they all filed out. "From what I've observe, this isn't a normal attack. After hearing the details of her surrounding and examining her wounds myself, I'm convinced that Ami's assaulter last night wasn't a large animal or even human at all."
"Are you saying that Ami was attacked by some sort of vampire like in the story?" Junpei accused angrily.
"That's stupid, Junpei," said Kouji, frowning. "There's no such thing. You've been too keen on Izumi's ghost story the other night."
"Of course not, Mr. I-don't-believe-in-fantasy-and-science-fiction! You are such an insensitive jerk, you know that?" Junpei retorted. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend. Sometimes, I wonder why girls even bother to try and get you to go out with them. If you had been a little less assertive, then maybe none of this wouldn't have happened."
"You're accusing me again, aren't you?" Kouji demanded angrily. His voice was getting dangerously cold. A few nurses quickly rushed their patients away from him, noting the hint of the level of danger in his voice. "I had it with you pointing out my problems. It's not my fault that Ami is in the hospital!"
"Yeah right," Junpei chided. "Like it's Ami's fault and not yours that she's sickly in the hospital bed."
"CUT THE CRAP, I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS!" Kouji snapped angrily, causing a few more patients and nurses to avoid them even more. Kouichi, realizing a fight between then was able to start, bared between his brother and Junpei and scolded at them.
"Guys, guys!" he started, but then he noted towards Takuya and Izumi at the corner quietly and sadly. "I don't think this is the right time…"
Izumi was deeply sadden by her friend's unfortunately fate. A part of her felt as though it wanted to burst out and exploded and Izumi knew that it was another wave of her sadness. Not wanting to break down and cry again, she closed one hand over a fist and laid them both against her chest, as though it would had held against the bursting pain and tears. Looking down and closing her eyes, she tried not to show her attempt to suppress her emotion.
Takuya placed his hands on Izumi's shoulders, comforting her as best as he could. "How are you holding it up?" he asked, a hint of concern and kindness in his voice.
"I'm fine," she said.
"Doesn't seem like it, though, does it?" he asked.
"I guess not," Izumi laughed a bit, twinged at his perceptive voice. Letting her arms dropped, Izumi sadly asked him, "Takuya? What if Ami's dying? What if she can't make it?"
Takuya didn't know what to say at first. He didn't know what to say in order to reassure her or comfort her, even. Sighing in defeat, Takuya stood his ground, and began to ask her a question himself.
"Tell me something, Izumi-chan. It might seem stupid and silly of me to ask you this right now but…do you believe…in magic?"
Izumi looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand…"
I meant…do you believe in her? Your friend, Ami?" Takuya asked again. "Do you have faith in her to have the strength to go on?"
"I-I'm not sure, Takuya."
"Look, Izumi," he said, forcing her to look at him in the eyes as he gripped her by the shoulders. "I think that she needs you as a friend to believe in her. I think Ami wants you to go on even if she might or can't herself. She may be in a coma now, but crying over it won't make her wake up any sooner of feel any better. So why don't you wipe away those tears and help her move on?"
"I don't think I know how, Takuya," Izumi admitted. "How can I be acting happy, knowing that one of my best friends is lying upstairs? How can you expect me to resume my life just like that?"
"Because I know that deep down, Ami wouldn't want to see you like this. She would have wanted you and the others to continue on and be happy, for her sake." Takuya was a bit embarrassed as his cheeks flushed red hot as he continued to admit. "And the truth is that…I want you to be happy…for my sake, too."
Izumi smiled at him in affection as though never before. Here, she stands and witnessing a side of Takuya which she had never seen before. Izumi knew that she liked Takuya and he liked her in a way, but she never knew that he can be so understanding and caring as this before.
"I guess I could still go to that book signing event tomorrow," she trailed off. "Ami liked Spiritual-HoLic, too. Maybe I should get her a copy signed while I'm there."
"Want me to go with you?" Takuya offered, blushing.
"That would be nice," Izumi blushed in return as she smiled a bit.
Takuya and the others decided not to eat at the hospital cafeteria. They knew that Kyochi was busy and had decided not to keep him away too long. Instead of joining the others, Kouji and Kouichi decided to go home and ready themselves for their trip tomorrow.
"We have to accompany our father on his business trip tomorrow," Kouichi explained.
"I understand. I also have to attend to my sister's family affair tomorrow, too. But I think we'll meet again soon enough. It's a shame that I can't introduce you and your friends to my sister last night," Kyochi replied as he saw them to the hospital doors. There, they were met by Lobo and Löwe, whom were sitting patiently at the side. "I'll inform you if there's any changes at all in Ami's condition. Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes on her."
"Thank you, Kyochi-kun," Izumi said. "You've been kind."
Kyochi nodded and went back inside of the hospital, the hem of his coat billowing behind him. Suddenly, he turned around and said, "Oh um, Kouichi-kun?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Are you feeling alright? You've seem kind of different today, that's all," said Kyochi, raising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. It just seems as though…you've been kind of distant today than usual."
"What was that about, Nii-san?" Kouji asked.
"Hmm? What were you saying, Kouji?" Kouichi asked, a bit dazed.
"There you go again. Weren't you listening to me?"
"I think Kyochi's right," Takura agreed. "You've been keeping to yourself and kinda quiet most of the time today. What's up, buddy?"
"It's nothing, really," Kouichi said, trying to reassure his friends.
They had parted ways with Izumi, Junpei, and Tomoki about two blocks ago. Apparently, Takuya decided to leave Izumi alone in the others' care, knowing that she'll be alright without him for now. Lobo and Löwe, on the other hand, were quietly leading their masters towards a district not too far away from the hospital. They were trying their best to lead the boys towards Gali's place, where they hoped, that her barrier was still up and working as strong as ever. They need it to determine if Kouichi is under Dusk's influence at all. So far, they managed to crossed a few streets and into a more peaceful and quiet neighborhood. Soon, they were surrounded by fancy houses on both sides of the street.
"Are you sure? Because if I remembered correctly, you seemed to space out a lot more often today. Don't lie, Kouichi. What's going on?" Takuya demanded as he kicked his soccer ball as they continued to follow Lobo and Löwe.
"Kouichi, are you alright?" Kouji asked.
"I'm fine, I'm just tired, that's all. There's nothing to get concern over," Kouichi replied in annoyance. "I'm not made of glass so stop treating me like one."
Before either boys could question him any further, Lobo and Löwe suddenly made a dash for Gali's house. Realizing his dog's escape, Kouji ran after him followed suit by Takuya and his brother.
"Hey, come back!" he cried, dodging a few trashcans at the turn of a sharp corner. "Bad boy. Sit! Stop! Lobo, get back here!"
"What's gotten into them?" Takuya asked running beside the twins, his soccer ball held in one arm.
"Hell, how should I know?" Kouji replied.
"What's gotten into them?" Kouichi asked, trying to grab Löwe but missed. "Löwe, come back! Where are you going?"
The three of them continued to chase after Lobo and Löwe, not noticing the district and neighborhood that they're in. The chase seems to last for about ten minutes or so. The high noon sun was beating down on their backs, increasing the amount of sweats on their brows as they continued to give chase.
Suddenly as they had started to ran, Lobo and Löwe stopped in front of a house, waiting for their masters to catch up. Before the twins could grabbed them and dragged them home by their collars, both cat and dog entered pass the boundary of the fence to the residence.
"Lobo, get over here right now!" Kouji commanded. "You, too, Löwe! You can't just walk onto someone else's property. What are you trying to do, take a leak? Now get over here!"
Lobo and Löwe stood their ground and didn't move. Unknown to their masters, they were waiting. They were waiting to see the result. They were waiting to see if Kouichi can pass the barrier.
"I said get over here or so help me, I'll go and get you two myself!" Kouji warned them again. Still, they didn't move.
Takuya stood by, amused at where they've ended up in. all around them were fancy houses. They all have two stories high structure, a large front yard, balconies, porches, elegant designs in western style. Each one bigger and grander than the next as it's seemed. But the ground of the house that Lobo and Löwe entered wasn't as grand. In fact, it was still elegant but not as much compare against the others around them. This one was particularly strange in design. It had some traditional Japanese texture in taste and design. It was modest, to say the least, as it was sort of dark and mysterious, both in color and in feeling. The front yard has a zen garden on one side, with a small koi fish pond in the center connected to another only by a small river. A small, Japanese garden style bridge welcomes them from the entrance and into the front door. It was definitely a weird house, despite the strange familiar feeling and aura to it.
"Nii-san, why don't you grab Löwe and I'll drag Lobo out of there before the owner comes out," said Kouji, stepping in and passed the fence. When he walked pass the fence, Kouji felt a strange feeling tingling that sent chills down his spines. But it was a small feeling and so he brushed it aside. It wasn't threatening so he didn't take much noticed of it. "Kouichi?"
Turning around, his brother didn't answer him, instead, he just stood where he was, looking glum.
"Kouichi? Are you going to help me or just stand there all day?" Kouji asked as he walked back outside and tried to drag his brother in to help him reclaim their pets.
"Don't touch me," Kouichi said icily.
"What?"
"I said don't touch me!" Kouichi repeated. "I'm not setting a foot in that place!"
"Kouichi, what has gotten into you?" Kouji demanded insistently. "Kyochi's right, you've been acting weird lately. What's going on?"
"I told you, it's nothing, okay?" said Kouichi, only this time, he was calming down a bit. "I'm…I'm not feeling well. I'm going home."
"Are you sure? What about your cat. You're not going to just leave him there, are you?" Takuya asked.
"Well, well, well…" said a familiar voice behind them, catching all of the three boys' attention. It was Gali, the Oracle from last night. "And what pleasure do I find myself in the company of you boys on this fine day?"
"What are you doing here?" Kouji replied rudely, glaring at her.
"I live here, of course," Gali said with a smirk. She was wearing a kelp green dress with a few pins and ornaments glistening in the sun as they adorn her blue hair. Gali stepped forward and noted Lobo and Löwe's presences on her front yard. She gently scratched Lobo by the ears and looked on at the three boys before her.
"To what business do you have with me today? Are you curious to know more what has happened to your classmate, Ami? Or did you just happen to come by chasing these two onto my property?"
The boys' eyes rose at her mentioning of Ami. "How did you know about Ami?" Takuya demanded. "Was it because of your 'mystical powers'?"
"Why no, it's been all over the news this morning, of course," Gali replied with a smile and a wave of her hand. Then she frown and walked over towards them. "I'm sorry what had happened to your classmate, but there's nothing that I can do right now. I cannot govern over life and death. If your friend, Izumi, wishes for her friend's recovery, then she must hoped in the best of Kyochi-kun's ability. He will do his best but only his best. You'll meet him and his friends again soon."
"Why are you telling us this?" Kouji asked. "What does he and his friends mean anything to us?"
"Because if you haven't noticed, the bond between you and them have been created," Gali replied. "No matter how brief your encounters with them is, a bond has been created, connected you all together in a web of acquaintances and friendship. Value it, and when the time has come for you to depend on it, it shall not disappoint you."
"Thanks for the advice, but we have to go," Kouji said, grabbing his brother by the arm and dragging him towards home. Turning around, he said, "Lobo, Löwe! Come here, now!"
"Why the rush?" Gali asked. "You've just got here."
"Your place gives me the creeps, and ever since meeting you, my brother has been acting differently," Kouji remarked coldly.
"Has he?" Gali asked, brushing off his cold glare. "You believe that I have something to do with it?"
Kouji turned around and glared at her even more coldly than before. In a warning and dangerous tone, he said to her, "Lady, I don't know what or who you are, but if I find out that you have something to do my brother's strange behavior, I'll make you wish that you were never here right now. But my instinct tells me that you are to be trusted. But if you were ever to be the one who hurts my brother or my friends, all I need is a sword to take you down."
Gali didn't flinch at his warning nor shivers from his cold glare. Instead, she just smiled as she bent over and whispered in his ears, "That is what will keep you strong and resistant against the Darkness. Watch your brother, and be careful when you meet her tomorrow."
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't you run along home now, hmm?" she brushing her dress and she stood up. "Don't worry about your pets. I'll keep my eyes on them. You may not know it, but they can find their way back home without you guiding them."
"Fine," Kouichi replied as he walked off. "C'mon, Kouji. I don't want to stay here another second. Let's go home."
Giving her one last glare, Kouji followed suit along with Takuya. Waiting until they disappeared around the corner, Gali walked back inside and took a seat on her porch. She pulled out a tray full of bottles of sakes and poured herself a cup. Lobo and Löwe approached her carefully and took a seat next to her and waited until she was finished.
"You are here because you wanted to ask me something, don't you two?" she said finally, setting her empty cup down and began to stare off into the sky. "You weren't sure if the barrier that I have made for you last night would have held out against Dusk. Instead of contacting me telepathically, you've decided to use my barrier in order to see for yourself if the boy is under Dusk's control, is that not right?"
"Your accusation hurts, Gali," Löwe admitted. "But none the less, it is true. The boy seems a bit distant and kept to himself more often today than yesterday. We weren't sure of it ourselves until we've heard the news from Takashi."
"That girl was foolish in trying to go to the festival alone and returning home alone," Gali replied. "I've warned her before hand, yet she still didn't listen to me. And now she has paid the price in blood. Her selfishness and jealousy had nearly cost her her life."
"But does Dusk have anything to do with it?" Lobo asked.
"What do you think?" Gali asked him calmly, pouring herself another cup. "I've given Kouichi a warning to not go out at night on his own. He, too, went beyond to safety of the barrier of which I have created and had encountered Dusk under the cover of night. Upon his return, the barrier was broken and it no longer exist."
"But how?" Lobo demanded with frustration. "Even if Kouichi was possessed, Dusk's spirit wouldn't have been able to enter through the barrier."
"He has founded a loophole in order to bypass it, Lobo," Gali said. "The barrier repels any evil spirits with bad intention on the residences. But if a member of the household invites a spirit in, the spell is null and void. Because Kouji and Kouichi are twins, it wouldn't be too hard for Dusk to figure it all out. By possessing the boy, Dusk was able to tricked Kouji into inviting his brother back in, along with himself as the parasite."
"Then that means that we were too late," Löwe said in disappointment. "Again we have failed in stopping Dusk from taking what he wanted. Damn it. And now because of him, the girl, Ami, is lying in critical condition at the hospital."
"Do not despair, my friends," Gali replied, trying to reassure them. "Dusk had managed to possessed the boy for now, but Kouichi is only his temporary host. He cannot keep the boy forever. It will not do for him. He needs his real body and is searching for it while he drinks blood at night."
"Then what shall we do?" Lobo asked her.
"You must notify Kouichi of the situation. Try to get him to fight against Dusk and banish him from his body. Because that body of his doesn't belong to Dusk, he is not welcome to use it as long as his host doesn't permits it," Gali stood up and went inside of the house. She opens a door and gesture Lobo and Löwe to follow her inside. Taking a seat on a cushion, Gali pulled out two objects from under the table. It appeared to be some sort of a pendant with a crystal in the center while a metal frame wrapped around it elegantly. The other object is a mirror; the mirror of the goddess of the sun.
Putting both objects down on the table in front of them, she said, "It won't be easy. Dusk is aware of your presences so he will try to make Kouichi avoid both of you as much as possible. If you don't tell Kouichi soon and make him understand the danger that he's in, I'm afraid Dusk will shed more blood in the future until it is too late."
"Then, there is no hope for that girl?" Löwe asked, afraid of the answer.
"Ami is a strong girl, but she was vulnerable at that time. She was just there at the wrong time and in the wrong place," Gali replied tonelessly. "That boy, Kyochi, will do his best to save her. He's special. I can tell."
"How so?" Löwe asked curiously.
"He was born with an ability to read people, Löwe," Gali said with a smile. "Didn't you hear what he said a moment ago before you left?"
"Now that you've mentioned it," Lobo replied and he tried to remember. "That boy had noticed that Kouichi was acting differently. He noticed it before Kouji did, even though they're not related. But how?"
"Kyochi Watsuki can sense a change of flow of patterns in a person's daily life," Gali explained. "Even after just meeting them for a brief moment, he can recognize a person's usual characteristic signature and distinguish it. He may not even realize of this gift himself, but I must admit that it is useful. But his sister…she possesses a greater prize."
"What do you mean?"
"I meant that Kyochi and his sister possesses special gifts given to them from birth. Their abilities can help aid you and your quest to fight against Dusk in the final battle. Remember what I have said. Even if you have only met a person briefly, a bond is created between you and that person and it will come in handy when you need it."
Without another word, Gali touched the center of the sacred mirror. At her touch, the smoothed surface of it rippled like throwing a pebble in still water, disturbing its surface. At first, there was nothing, but then, a hazy figure of a boy began to appear. It was Kyochi. Then the images change and reflected Kouji instead. Then it switches to Kouichi. All of them held different expressions on their faces. Kyochi seemed concerned because of Ami's condition whom he had hoped to improve and that of his family whom he hoped to be with. Kouji's face seemed worried because of his brother's strange behavior and he didn't know why. Kouichi's sadness because he was now more confused than ever. He wasn't aware that it was him who drank Ami's blood and it was Dusk's influence that's torturing his heart. He didn't remember the pack that he had made with Dusk and he didn't even remember torturing Ami the night before. He didn't realize that with each passing hours, he's becoming more different than what he once was as Dusk's strength improves with each blood that he'd consumed. Yet, deep down inside, he knew something was wrong.
"Campfire, stars, candles…they all light the warm darkness of a summer evening as do fireflies circling each other, never touching but always near. We human know this dance, too. Everyday we pass into and out of each other's lives. Everyday, so much goes unsaid, so many feelings go unshared and then we are left in the dark."
And with that, the reflection on the mirror changed once again…only this time; it revealed a young girl whom they have never seen before. And this time, the expression on her face was that of loneliness.
Author's Notes: I'm sorry for the delay but I have been busy. Not a great chapter but it's important. I don't know when the next one will be up but I'll try to update it faster. Don't expect any fast results, though.
Cultural references:
Hikari is the Eighth Digidestined from the very first season of Digimon, Digimon Adventure.
Beika Hospital is the name of a hospital in the Case Closed manga series. I'm not sure if it's real or not…I think it is.
The scene where Takuya tried to comfort and reassure Izumi is a homage to a scene between Orube and Cedric from the Italian comic, W.i.t.c.h. issue #61.
The house that Gali lives in is similar in design to that of Yuuko's from CLAMP's xxxHoLic.
The mirror that Gali used at the end of this chapter is a copy of the sacred Mirror of the Goddess Amaterasu. It is one of Japan's three most sacred treasure. It is hung in a Shinto temple in Japan right now.
The quote that Gali spoke up at the end of this chapter is what Yuuko says in the English DVD version.
