Satoru awoke with a cramped back and a scattering of bruises all over his body. This was to be expected of course, but he was also surprised to find that though he looked like the morning after a night celebrating the end of finals week, he felt entirely well rested. He glanced down at the petite women nuzzled against him and he couldn't help but smile widely. This was definitely a sight he could get use to every morning. Preferably in a comfortable warm bed on a lazy Sunday morning, the sun just beginning to peak past the curtains as a gentle breeze blew in through the open window…
Ami groaned beside him and he toned down his grin to a more welcoming smile as he greeted her good morning.
"Morning sunshine," he teased, though the last thing Ami felt like was sunshine.
'That's right, it's morning,' she grumbled to herself, pouting at the unwelcomed signal to wake up. Her neck and joints were stiff and various parts of her were throbbing. To have Satoru's exuberance added on top with no coffee to cushion the blow? It was too much for her to handle so early in the morning.
'Funny, I hadn't imagined Satoru as a morning person…' she thought to herself—not that she had ever imagined what he was like in the morning of course.
Eventually Ami decided that pretending to sleep while wishing for soft pillows and hot coffee was getting her nowhere. She groaned once more and cracked her eyes open cautiously. The day was a dull grey, not at all bright and inviting like yesterday; the sun was now hidden behind a mass gathering of darkening clouds, and she was grateful for the small respite. She didn't think her headache could take any more cheerfulness.
"My head is killing me," she grumbled, rubbing her temples in small circular motions and making sure to focus in on the pressure points, "Did the aspirin survive the attack?"
Satoru rifled through the remainder of his pack, spying the medical supplies box neatly tucked away, safe behind the tent stakes while the rest of his bag lay in shreds. He grimaced upon seeing the overall damage, now visible in the light of day. The only other things that had escaped unscathed were a coat that he had slipped inside after working up a sweat from the hike yesterday, a small hunting knife that he wished he had remembered the night before—though that would have meant getting close enough to use it—and his canteen, along with a handful of jerky that had lodged itself amongst his things.
Remembering the reason he was searching through his bag in the first place, Satoru pulled out the med box and snapped it open, finding the aspirin bottle easily. He then handed Ami two little red pills along with his canteen before tugging her foot into his lap and pulling her sock down so he could examine the swelling. It didn't look too bad considering her fall. It was a little greenish but it was as if the injury was several days old, not hours. Most likely Ami's magic had some sort of survival mode even when put on standby mode, automatically coming to her defense when necessary. The other girls were probably the same way.
"Does this hurt?" he asked, pressing gently against the bone. His fingers seemed to hit the center of the bruise but aside for some mild discomfort Ami felt her ankle was strong enough to continue their journey.
"Only a little, it's feeling a lot better this morning."
Satoru nodded, testing her ankle for a minute more before unraveling an ace bandage wrap and encasing her ankle in expert fashion. Ami remained silent, waiting for him to finish before asking for what seemed like an obvious answer.
"In the past…" she started, "you were a doctor, weren't you?"
"Not exactly," he smirked, memories of his previous life floating to the surface. "We were all taught the basics of first aid but due to certain…shall we say headstrong…," he waited for her to nod in agreement before continuing, "Due to certain headstrong tendencies amongst some of my group, I became more adept at patching others up."
Ami smiled. She could certainly relate having to tend to others for their brash actions, though the girls had certainly gotten better over the years at refraining from any rash movements until they could properly access the situation.
"Alright, we should probably get a move on, what do you think?"
Ami agreed, looking towards the steep ledge and then up at the ever darkening skies. It would definitely rain at some point, most likely in the next few hours. Could the day get any worse? She slipped her coat on, indicating he should do the same and then combined the remainder of their things in her pack, which Satoru promptly shouldered. They then edged their way up the ledge carefully with Ami in the lead just in case Satoru needed to reach out and steady her at any point. There was one moment her foot slipped and Satoru felt his heart skip several beats, but her fingers, already flat against the face of the cliff, gripped the wall tightly and she quickly regained her footing.
When they finally reached the hilltop safely Satoru made his way over to where the dead wolf's carcass still lay while Ami rested. He placed one foot on its side before yanking the branch that he had pierced its throat hours earlier with, out in one swift motion. Thick, coagulated blood dripped sluggishly off one end and Satoru wiped what he could on the dead wolf's fur, his face disgusted. When he was satisfied that he could remove no more he returned to Ami and handed her the branch sheepishly.
"For walking," he explained.
Ami took it appreciatively, refusing to acknowledge the stain of wolf's blood coating the other end, and moved to start the unfortunate task of hiking across a mountain on an injured ankle. The heavens opened up with a roar and the rain came pouring down. She sighed, flipped her hood over her head and started walking. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could leave.
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Nao stared blankly around the campsite wondering where Makoto was. Roughly twenty minutes earlier he had heard her get up and move around, but exhausted as he was from tangling with an anaconda, he easily dismissed her actions as a need to pee.
'Except it shouldn't take twenty minutes to go to the bathroom,' he thought dryly.
When he didn't hear her come back his restless thoughts forced him awake. Now he was wondering whether he should stay and wait for her to return or pack up and go find her himself, He wished that she had thought to tell him where she was going but knowing her she probably hadn't wanted to wake him. Was she lost? It was a possibility. He was confident she wasn't hurt. Assuming she hadn't wandered too far, he would have heard her scream. Though the way her jaw clenched when she was being stubborn might prevent her pride from calling for help.
He shook his head, agitated. Deciding he wasn't getting anywhere by just sitting there, he began rolling up their hammocks and shoving them back into his bag along with anything that had been left out. Once that task was accomplished and he had patted himself down, double checking that his knives were all in place, he made his was over to where she had exited their campsite and crouched to the ground. There was a definable set of prints amongst the others walking off in one direction and he was grateful that it wouldn't be too difficult to track her down. He threw the bag over his shoulder and walked quickly, glancing down to check her tracks every so often as he examined the area around him.
So far he hadn't seen any signs of a struggle and the fact that her tracks seemed to be fixatedly heading east seemed odd to him, until they led him to a small stream. Nao rubbed a weary hand over his face as he eyed the water distrustfully. He'd be tempted to take a drink, or at the very least rinse the grime from his face, but after yesterday's adventures he thought better of it. Makoto's tracks indicated she thought the same because they had stopped and then backtracked before ever getting close enough to the stream.
He double backed and diligently followed as the tracks turned south before coming across a bush of wild berries. Makoto had been interested in this bush as well if her tracks, paused in front of the wild bush, were any indication. The bushes contained berries of a bright red color with a deep hole in the middle to allow a dark pit inside to lay hidden inside. They looked round and ripe and his stomach growled at the site. But Nao knew better than to eat something so entirely unknown. A small greenish bird chose that moment to fly down and pluck a single berry from the bush, swallowing it whole as the berry moved past its throat to rest comfortably in the bird's belly. It plucked another and flew back up into the sky.
His stomach growled louder and Nao reasoned that the berries were probably safe to eat considering the bird had eaten two. It would have died otherwise right? Grabbing a large handful he returned to following the tracks, popping a few berries into his mouth while longing for something heartier like eggs or bacon.
She was kneeling in front of another large bush when he found her, her shirt stretched and holding several bunches of a new type of berry as she continued to pluck away, all but oblivious to his presence. He ignored the glimpses of her taut, tanned stomach and tried to focus on the annoyance he felt at her disappearance.
"Why didn't you wake me?" he grumbled, a wave of nausea rippling through him as he stared the careless woman down, "You could have gotten hurt." His hand moved unconsciously towards his stomach and he could feel himself starting to sweat though it was still early. Such things were easily faulted on the heat or humidity but his mind only really registered the ache forming in his arms and torso.
Makoto meanwhile was amused at his concern but thought little of it. She shrugged and plucked the last of the berries.
"I wanted to grab some breakfast before you woke, I didn't go far." She poured her bundle into a small string pouch and looked up at him now that she was done with her task only to gasp as she took in his appearance. He appeared pale, unnatural when he was normally a warm tan and his brows kept scrunching over dilated eyes.
"Are you okay?"
He nodded, attempting to wave her off but his hands didn't move far from his stomach, which was gurgling unpleasantly. "I'm fine," he swallowed, "Why didn't you just eat the red berries from the first bush? They tasted pretty good."
Nao watched Makoto's eyes go wide before delivering two swift punches to his already unsteady gut, forcing him to his knees and barely giving him time to choke back a gasp for air before he was heaving that morning's small breakfast all over the jungle floor. It wasn't much but once started, he continued dry heaving for several minutes before finally falling to the side completely disoriented.
Makoto was in front of him in an instant, pressing a lukewarm canteen to his lips and demanding for him to swallow. He made a few attempts but most of it ended up splattered down his shirt leaving him in a coughing fit.
"I'm sorry," he heard her mutter. "Those berries are deadly, at least when the seeds are chewed. I couldn't risk them staying in your system. How long ago was it and how much did you eat?"
As the canteen was still pressed to his lips thus rendering him temporarily unable to speak, he held up three fingers, waved his hand in a so-so gesture and then flashed five fingers to give her a rough time frame. She nodded, understanding his gesture and then repeated her last question, "And how much did you eat?"
Nao twisted his face to the side and pushed her hand and the bottle away, feeling how the effort cost him. He shuddered knowing it could have been worse.
"A handful," he finally informed her.
Makoto nodded again, considering the amount versus the huge man in front of her and his equally sizable hands. The poison could be potent if allowed to go on undetected but she wondered if his large stature would dilute the overall effect. She wished Ami was here to calculate it for her.
"Can you stand?"
Nao grimaced but struggled to his feet. He almost said no when she moved to help but ended up leaning on her more than he would have liked under the circumstances. This was just what he needed, for her to see him weakened by his own stupidity after trusting a damn bird. It seemed like he couldn't do anything right.
"Since the berries weren't in you long," said Makoto, oblivious to his wounded pride, "I'm hoping you'll get away with some of the lighter side effects. I gathered some acai berries, which are actually really good for you, and there's jerky that I made from the last night's leftovers."
She had made a tall, makeshift oven from rocks and mud which had sped up the drying out process, although she had had to be careful that it had enough ventilation. Baking the meat would have been a waste of all her efforts but it had turned out well enough. She only wished she had her seasonings.
Makoto walked him to a large tree, leaning him against a knotted root sticking out of the ground, "Why don't you rest over here and eat while I try to call Ami and see what she suggests we do."
Nao nodded warily once more, another wave of nausea coursing through at the thought of eating anything. He watched her return to the bag he had dropped earlier and lug it over to where he sat, leaving him with several things to eat before moving a few feet away and attempting to contact Ami.
This was great…just great. Why did he have to go and eat those berries? Not only did he look completely foolish in front of Makoto but if these damn berries didn't kill him they would, at the very least, delay their trip. That was already an inadvisable idea, they already had to scrounge for food—look how that turned out—and he didn't think wasting any more time was wise. If something were to happen to him, Makoto would be lost in the wilderness by herself. Normally he wouldn't worry but without her powers she was a tasty snack for whatever else the jungle had to throw at them. No, he wouldn't let that happen if he had any say. They would reach his old home by tonight or tomorrow at the latest and that was that.
Nao stiffened at the sight of Makoto returning, a thoughtful frown replacing her normal easy smile. "Everything alright?" he asked, hoping that the others were okay.
"I'm not sure," she mumbled, her frown deepening, "Ami never answered. I hope they're alright."
Nao worried at this news but played his initial distress off as another turn of his stomach.
"I'm sure they're fine," he tried to reassure her. "Maybe her hands are full? They are hiking in the mountains after all; she may be climbing a particularly steep part."
"I guess…" she paused and then shook her head to focus, 'No you're probably right. So how are you? Do you need to lie down?
"No I'm feeling fine now," he lied, praying two lifetimes under Kunzite's command had given him a decent poker face. For a moment he thought he had failed as she eyed him skeptically but after a few seconds she broke out into a wide grin.
"Thank goodness," she sighed, "I know it normally takes a couple hours to work all the way through but I'm glad we took care of it early, before it could make its way into your system too much."
"Me too," he smiled, "I'm still feeling a little off," he admitted, "but I think as long as I have something to help me walk I'll be fine."
She agreed but he could tell she wasn't quite comfortable with letting an invalid do anything but rest. Well that was too damn bad because he was getting them out of this god forsaken jungle if it was the last thing he did.
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Satoru and Ami reached the crest of the mountain sometime before one o'clock due in part to the fact that not only was the mountainous range relatively small in height but also thanks to several passages they'd come across. Frequently their path seemed to come across areas that had been smoothed out by previous travelers, allowing them to move more swiftly then they had anticipated. This wasn't to say that there weren't other factors slowing them down. Though Ami's ankle had healed remarkably in such a short time, Satoru still insisted that every so often they take short, five minute breaks to rest. While Ami had managed to cut the frequency of these breaks by half, the rain also hampered their progress at times. It had yet to let up from the heavy downpour since it began, which tended to make the ground more slippery than not. However since there had been no thunder or lightning, they trekked on, rubbing their arms now and then to keep warm.
Ami scanned the descending area before her and was pleased to see a few scattered clusters of trees on this side of the mountain where the previous side had been almost barren, with the exception of the forest they had come from looming ominously in the background. She suggested they stop under the closest cluster of trees to eat and rest, as well as look over the map again to see how they were doing on time. They were halfway to the shelter of the trees when a low rumble made its way throughout the mountainside, originating roughly fifty meters east of where they stood. The earth grumbled twice more before a small bare patch of rocks and dirt began tumbling down towards the base of the mountain.
Satoru frowned at this phenomenon but continued moving towards the trees. Rockslides, such as what had just occurred, could only happen if there had been an excessive amount of rain in the area to weaken the soil. He didn't think that the heavy rains of just today would be enough but he also hadn't bothered to learn the inches of rain that had fallen in the area in the past few weeks. Just that it had been raining in general. They would have to be careful but he hoped the roots from the trees on this side of the mountain would hold and keep the soil strong until they were safe and far away.
"How far is it once we're off the mountain?" Ami asked. She had a rough estimate in her head but she wanted to have it verified in case her calculations were off. She wasn't used to not knowing the layout of the land or at least having access to technology that could map her surroundings out for her, and she wouldn't be happy until she could calculate how far they had traveled and how much more they would have to do so.
"Three or four more miles, though we could probably make that distance in the morning if your ankle is bothering you."
She smiled at his thoughtful comment, he was always so considerate. "No, I'm fine thank you."
They rested under the tree for half an hour before finally dragging themselves back out in the rain. It was a long and cold day. It would have been perfect weather for staying indoors with a good book next to a warm fire, but outside and in the thick of it, the day was everything that could equal a miserable experience. Going down was giving them more difficulty than climbing up and every step seemed like a battle to remain upright. They had long given up on keeping their attire clean. The rain had been hard at work for hours now and the ground kept giving beneath them, scraping them against whatever managed to break their slippery falls, though more often than not, the only thing that softened the falls were soft puddles of mud.
Satoru would take scrapes and mud over broken bones though, and it was this thought that comforted him as his knuckles dragged against a particularly jagged boulder just above his head.
"Are you alright?" Ami shouted, attempting to be heard through the sheets of rain. They had managed to make it two-thirds of the way down before his latest slip and he couldn't wait until it was all over.
"I'm alright!" he called back up to her though he could see by the way she squinted her eyes and tilted her right ear forward that she hadn't heard him.
Ami was kneeling on a small plateau six feet above him and Satoru thought he could read her lips forming the word "what," but her voice was drowned out by a low, deafening roar. It sounded as if the earth was hungry and a small part of him feared that he would be swallowed up. The sound reverberated throughout his body and a new fear took over. Images of his head splitting in two flittered through his brain and it seemed a very likely possibility.
He didn't know what was going on. It was too loud. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't think. The sound was all consuming, leaving no room for anything else. His eyes flickered up at Ami and saw her eyes were wide and her arm was outstretched. She was reaching for him. Did she need him? Was she hurt? He moved to grasp her hand and felt the world slow down around him, the gap between their fingers suddenly growing farther apart. A pebble flew past his eyes and his mind finally rebooted as he comprehended what was happening to him. He was falling. Falling as the earth collapsed all around him. He watched Ami scream for him and then it all went black.
"Satoru!"
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Nao followed Makoto at what appeared to be a leisurely pace. The reality of the situation though, was that the ache in his muscles burned and each step felt like it'd be his last. He was disoriented, walking along but feeling disconnected with everything. Every now and then a particularly strong dizzy spell would hit him or his muscles would spasm, compelling him to halt his steps until whatever was bothering him passed. This would cost precious seconds, widening the distance between him and Makoto, and he would have to increase his efforts just to catch up, making it a vicious cycle of misery.
But he wouldn't complain. No, as long as Makoto was in front and unable to witness his struggles, then he could steady himself without worry before pushing on once more. Luckily, they had discovered a sort of path through the trees and foliage where plant life seemed to refuse to grow, which at least made things a little easier for him. Even luckier, despite yesterday's detour or more likely because of it, they were a few hours ahead of schedule, leading Nao to believe they'd reach their destination by nightfall. That is…if he could keep up.
The only problem was he wasn't sure where the entrance was. Satoru had lectured him about the shifts in Earth's plates leading to alterations in the landscape he had once known, but he doubted the enclosed circular rock formation that had previously surrounded his castle had vanished—especially considering magical properties still encompassed the area. Meaning there was still only a small entrance and he had to find it in relation to where they were currently. He didn't even want to consider the idea of taking the wrong turn and having to walk nearly all the way around before finding the entrance.
Another dizzy spell struck and he paused, taking a moment to lean against a large tree for support as he watched Makoto disappear around a concealed bend amongst the trees. That was when he heard several voices shouting. Five seconds, she had only been out of his sight for five seconds.
He took another steadying breath before rushing forward to join, concern warring with curiosity over who else could be so deeply entrenched in the middle of the jungle. He reached the corner in two seconds and immediately saw five disheveled and filthy looking men brandishing assault rifles encircling Makoto. Two shuffled forward muttering something foreign and pointing at her with their guns.
He saw what would play out milliseconds before her limbs filled the space, her stance and technique as familiar to him as his own. Makoto's leg swung out sending the two men's weapons flying and she leapt forward, ramming her shoulder into another brute, ripping his gun away in the process. She spun around, intent on taking out the last two enemies only to falter as she looked in his direction. Slowly she lowered the weapon, ending the fight before it had really even begun.
Nao started to ask what was wrong but hard metal lodged itself into his back and his stomach rolled in disgust. Was he really so out of it to be taken by surprise like this? His gunman signaled for him to raise his hands by shifting the barrel up and down, making Nao tense with anger. Like hell he'd do that. He pretended to do what he was told, lifting his arms and then twisted, slamming down on the gun and knocking it to the side. He spun back around only for the movement to send his stomach turning and his vision blurry, pulling him to his knees.
Makoto shouted something and Nao's head snapped up despite his impairments to see the butt end of a rifle heading straight towards him.
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The sound of the earth ripping apart a mere meter away from her had been horrible but having heard the likes of Chaos in any form Ami could maintain her presence of mind enough to notice the soil near Satoru start to shift and slide. She thrust her hand out at once, commanding him to take it as she ignored the deafening pain. She would ignore it and he would grab her hand and together they would somehow pull him to safety. What she hadn't counted on was seeing Satoru—disoriented from the overwhelming noise—fail to understand the urgency of his situation before falling away from her to his death. No, she couldn't think like that, not if there was even the slightest chance that he may have survived. He was alive. He had to be.
Ami scrambled down the rocks, not bothering to be cautious as she practically ran down the slope, catching herself with her blood and mud splattered walking stick whenever she stumbled forward a bit too unsteadily. Her haste would most likely set back her ankle's recovery but it was no matter. She needed to find Satoru; she would deal with the consequences of her recklessness later.
Logically she knew what she would find if she found him at all. If not near death than…but Ami couldn't let herself be logical. Her heart wouldn't allow it. There was one ray of hope centered on the fact that he had been at the top of the rockslide, above anything that could easily crush him. A small part of her argued that the soil collapsing in on its self would create a downward suction like quicksand but she prayed that was an irrational part of her mind coming up with equally irrational theories.
The rain ceased as she reached the top of the rubble, though she took no notice, and she began calling his name, looking for any sign that he was still alive. She wished she could access her Mercury computer. With it at her fingertips, tracing his trajectory would have been as easy as long division. She took a long sweep of the area before moving more towards the center of the pile. It was there that she spotted a strap from the bag that Satoru had been carrying.
Ami raced towards it and began tossing all the small boulders resting on top of the bag off towards the sides. After a few minutes of this, she heard a low groan coming from beneath the rubble and she doubled her efforts, ignoring the rain droplets that trailed down her cheeks. Eventually she pulled the last of the small boulders to spy Satoru's fingers reaching out from under a large boulder that was conveniently wedged between two medium size ones. On her own she'd never be able to move it but perhaps if her walking stick held…
She pulled herself onto the rock closer to the face of the mountain, hoping that gravity would aid whatever momentum Ami could get going and pull the boulder down the rest of the way. Once she was sure she had stable footing she shoved her walking stick into the tight wedge and began to pull back. Except it wouldn't budge. She rubbed her stinging hands and readjusted her position, this time using her full weight as force. The large boulder budged a few inches but hardly anything that would get it over the other rock it was lodged against. With a sigh she climbed down and gathered a few of the heavier rocks she could lift and then readjusted her position once more so that she was closer to the boulder. Two heavy stones in her arms, she sat down on the boulder and watched it groan out of place, teetering for several excruciating moments before toppling over and down the hill.
"Oh thank god," she breathed, not knowing what she would have done if that plan had failed. But her plan hadn't failed and now that she could reach Satoru she prayed that the groan she had heard earlier hadn't been a figment of her imagination.
Slipping down carefully she spotted his battered form between the two rocks and dragged him out and away from the pile where she could tend to him more easily. She removed his pack, slipping the remaining strap from his arm, the other one having been the torn one she had spotted from beneath the rubble, and laid it to the side before stretching him out and checking for his pulse. It was there, faint as it was, but she could tell it was faltering. She immediately began administrating chest compressions, pumping down at an even, steady pace. After five minutes she paused to check his pulse again and was relieved to find its pace had been regulated, though the speed still seemed dangerously slow.
Ami grabbed the bag and dumped its contents on the ground, snatching the med kit up as soon as it tumbled out. She snapped the lid back and shuffled through the gauze and bottles hoping for some kind of miracle like a shot of adrenaline or even a caffeine pill, but could only find the standard med kit equipment, none of which would help.
The edges of her eyes burned as she tore off his jacket and lifted his shirt, cringing for the first time as she examined the dark purple and black bruises that had blossomed all over his body making his colorless skin look as if he had been drained of blood. Most likely he had several broken ribs in addition to internal bleeding. She prayed he hadn't punctured anything organs like his lungs and she laid her head against the middle of his chest to get a sense of his breathing.
At her touch Satoru gasped loudly for air, his breathing taking a sudden turn as each inhale was now nothing more than a wheezy desperate rasp. Ami rushed to make sure his air passages were clear and carefully raised his head so that it rested on her lap. Satoru struggled to take another breath and Ami started panicking.
He was dying; this much was obvious to her. He was and there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't have access to medical equipment here. There were no sterilized rooms or operating tables. She didn't even have the use of her powers. All she had was her lap and her own two hands and now he was going to die as she watched.
Ami let loose a cry mixed full of frustration and anger, chucking the medical box into the pile of things she had dumped out of the bag and knocking loose a small, pale golden stone which rolled down the slope towards her in the process. She turned towards it, bemused, as her brain tried to regain a sense of equilibrium by identifying the object. It was one of Rei's protection stones she recalled, filled with Rei and Mamoru's spiritual power. She had been told it would ward off animals and the like, which would have been helpful had they thought of it yesterday, but she shuddered to think of how they would have escaped the wolves once trapped inside an enclosed area.
Her eyes flickered back down at Satoru. There was no way the stones could have helped today either. She doubted either of her friends would have been able to predict the ground falling beneath their feet. Besides, Rei's power as a priestess was to keep evil at bay, not keep things in, while Mamoru's was only a healing…her head snapped up as she stared at the stone again. A ghost of a memory slid to the forefront of her thoughts and was gone just as quickly.
She could use them, the stones. That's what every cell in her body was demanding of her and though it was a long shot it was all she had left. So she carefully laid Satoru down on her jacket, and rummaged through the rest of the pile making sure to grab each stone before laying them along his body down his torso and limbs. She placed the last stone gently across his forehead and hesitated. She wasn't entirely sure how to activate the stone's magic, especially when her own was temporarily dormant.
…pray…
The thought came from nowhere and while she wasn't a religious person, a large part of her—around the eighty percent margin—did not hesitate to do so.
"Please help him" she begged, her eyes squeezed tight and hands clutched together as she murmured her request. "If any part of you recognizes this man, Zoicite of the Shitennou, please help him."
She waited a moment, listening. Surely if something were to occur she'd hear it. When nothing happened she peaked through her lashes with a weary heart only to see Satoru still struggling where he lay. Her shoulders slumped and she braced herself on the ground as she leaned over her dying friend's body.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word, "I'm so, so sorry Satoru. It seems Endymion's magic won't work for me."
At the mention of Endymion's name the stones started to glow and she jolted upright at the sight. The light in the stones sought out each other like three dimensional connect-the-dots and the glow slowly encased Satoru's body within its light. Ami's fingers twitched at her side, itching to examine what she was witnessing with her Mercury scanner but without it all she could do was memorize every millisecond of the process before her.
The color seemed to return to him first, giving his cheeks a rosy tint even under the golden glare. His breathing also seemed easier though the dark bruises remained. Those were the last to go, not ageing like she expected but just fading to lighter shades of purple until they were gone entirely, as if they were never there to begin with.
When the last bruises faded the magic seemed to fade back into the stones, reverting them to their original dull, yellow presence. She placed two fingers against his throat and checked his pulse. It was steady and strong. Placing her ear against his chest she could hear his clear even breathing and she sighed against him in relief, pressing herself close against him and taking comfort from the fact that he would live.
A stronger arm than she would have imagined snaked around her frame, squeezing her close before releasing her so she could sit up and look at him.
"Hey," he murmured, a slow smile spreading ear to ear.
The corner of her mouth pulled upward in response as she answered him with her own relieved smile.
"Hey."
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Anger and frustration filled Makoto as she watched the men round up a helpless wildcat that was only a little larger than Artemis or Luna. The feline growled and hissed to the amusement of the poachers even as they shoved him inside a cage barely bigger than he was. God she wanted to bash their heads in, the asses, but her hands were currently tied up behind her back.
She glanced at the unconscious Nao with a heavy sigh, who was partially sprawled out on the truck bed beside her. She should have known he wasn't well enough to continue their journey. Yes he had walked slower but she had assumed he just wanted to take it a little easier after his potentially life threatening accident. Never would she have believed the man was so impossibly stubborn that he would force himself to walk miles when just a little half-spin could send him to his knees! It was all her fault. Minako or Rei would have just ordered him to rest, while Ami with her irrefutable logic, well, who could slip past her reasoning? No, this was all on her.
Nao groaned to life beside her, grumbling about a splitting headache and wishing he had some mouthwash. When he tried to rub his face, only to feel them tied—uncomfortably—tight behind his back, he remembered what had happened. He groaned louder and struggled to sit up, his eyes immediately scanning Makoto and their surroundings as he attempted to assess the situation.
He had screwed up, that much was clear. Whether it was due to the poison or carelessness on his part, the fact remained that not only had he allowed someone to sneak up behind him, but they also managed to knock him out. On her own, Makoto could have knocked them all out easily. As it was, she was in this situation because of him. A large part of him was starting to think his fate was to break every vow he made.
"You okay?" Makoto asked him, interrupting his thoughts.
"Yeah," he said gruffly, glancing away, "better now actually."
Makoto smiled at this and he felt a fresh wave of guilt course through him. Did she have to be so nice?
Their newest hostage caged, the poachers clambered in and on top of the truck as it rumbled awake and began heading north towards the face of a large but familiar mountainous range.
'Well at least one good thing had come of this,' Nao thought wryly, he only hoped the entrance was near and of course, that they could escape without a repeat of earlier. He had to admit that he was feeling better though. The rest had done him some good, even with the addition of his throbbing forehead.
They didn't stop until they reached the cliffs, which seemed to shoot skyward from the earth and lacked the gradual slope that usually came with being so far inland. The vehicle shuddered to a halt twenty feet from the landform and the poachers started scrambling around the area, peering under thickets and the underbrush of trees as they scouted the area. As soon as their attention was drawn away, Nao slipped his boot off and managed to shake it up and down with his feet, freeing a small knife from its confines to Makoto's amazement.
"You had that the entire time?" she demanded in a hushed voice.
Nao only smiled smugly, glad that he had finally done something right, and inched the switch blade back into his waiting fingers. His eyes locked with those of the wildcat just as he cut through the last of the rope. It looked at him expectantly but more than that, the cat seemed to look at him with…recognition?
He shook his head and focused on freeing Makoto. He sliced through her ropes easily enough just as shouts could be heard coming from somewhere near the rocks. Glancing back at the ocelot, he could tell from its size and spots as well as its long head that that's what it was, he made a split second decision and picked its lock, freeing the feline from its cage.
Everything happened very fast after that. Nao had never planned to just let the poachers wander freely, not after what they did. A thousand years ago, in a time much more brutal than this one, he had literally been king of the jungle as cheesy as it sounded. As a king and one of the four Shitennou, he had ruled over the land with a strong but fair hand and his people had never killed animals needlessly. Watching the barbarians corner another ocelot in a small and narrow opening under the rocks—this one with cubs—he felt anger boil through him in a way he hadn't felt since he had learned that Beryl had tricked him into giving into the darkness.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins removing any remaining ill effects and he leapt into action, Makoto already by his side. God he loved that woman. His small knife slit one man's throat and saw the freed ocelot jump another's face. One man turned to shoot but a small clicking noise indicated he had forgotten the safety was on. Nao smashed his face in with a well-aimed elbow and spun around at the jungle cat's cry, its former victim having flung it to the ground. He stepped up behind him and snapped the bastard's neck.
Makoto had already taken care of the other three poachers, though he noticed one was dead. The man was filled with dozens of bullet holes and Nao wondered if there was any part of him still intact. He glanced over to where the two unconscious men lay and felt a pinch of guilt. It had never crossed his mind to let them go. At the same time he was sure they would have done the same to him.
"What should we do with them?" Makoto asked nodding in their direction and no doubt noting the bodies behind him.
"Tie them up I guess."
She agreed and they made short work of it. When they were finished he pulled out the map and spread it out on the dirt, grateful that the men had chosen to take it all. He looked around wondering where they should head next when he felt something soft nudge his arm.
"Looks like you've gained a friend," Makoto chuckled, bending down to pet the ocelot who stretched its neck into her waiting hand. It nibbled at her wrist and somehow managed to slip off her communicator.
"What the—"
He bolted off with the important gadget snug in his mouth and dodged behind the corner of rocky terrain with only a single glance back in the stunned Makoto's direction. She blinked several times before she had understood what happened.
"Hey that's mine!" she cried.
Makoto sprinted after the ungrateful creature with Nao, who had stalled to grab their pack, following close behind. She turned the corner only to see the ocelot scamper between two fallen trees and then make a mad dash about a hundred meters before stopping near the rock wall. Without a second's thought she hurtled over the trees after it and cut the ocelot off from running away again. The furry bastard cat stared at her unperturbed and then vanished without a trace.
"B-but that's not possible!" she stammered, darting her eyes side to side hoping he had just been too quick for her. It popped into view again but only the upper half of its body and Makoto knew she was losing it. Maybe those hadn't been acai berries earlier…
"You found it!"
Her head snapped right at the sound of Nao's voice. "What do you mean I found it?" she asked warily, not it the mood for games.
Nao bent down to pat the wildcat on the head and tugged the communicator from its mouth, wiping the slobber off on his shorts before handing it back to her.
"Just watch," he grinned, before disappearing from sight just like the ocelot had done moments before. Makoto frowned, beginning to grow frustrated when he appeared again. "It's a hidden passage," he murmured, a peculiar light shining in his eyes. "We pass through here and we're there!"
They had done it. Somehow they had managed to roam through the jungle with no powers, facing threats from anacondas, poachers and poisonous berries and lived. The sun was starting to set now and the adrenaline was beginning to leave him. Tonight they would take the chance to rest and gather supplies and tomorrow—the fates willing— he would be whole again.
Ugh, hey guys. Sorry about taking over a month. I should pretty much just stop making promises because I don't seem capable of keeping them. This isn't any excuse but I'll tell you what happened. Valentines was coming up, and I was finally getting a chance to play with my power tools to build a bookcase. Like literally sand, stain, seal and build. Except we decided to make lots of shelves instead. Which took FOREVER to dry. I think it's because Oregon is really humid if my hair is any judge. I was so excited I completely missed my chance to write a Valentine's story! I have a silly one in mind too that I'll probably still go through with. Aside from that I've been looking for a new job because...well lots of reasons, none terribly bad, it's just time.
So through out all that I'd been writing little by little and then I did the stupid thing where I read someone's story who is really, really good. No make that great. There's quite a few out there but it always makes me a little sad you know? This isn't a plea for compliments (though if you want to I won't say no, lol), I know my own abilities and I'm trying to make myself better. I often think about redoing some of this story, particularly parts in the beginning but alas, I take to long as it is. In any case, whenever I working on something, be it writing or singing or building a million shelves and then see something that is truly great it always makes me want to stop. But only for a little while because I forget, lol. I guess I just want to say, that I'm thankful for everyone who comments and tells me they like this story, because it really makes all the difference. So thanks! I hope you liked the chapter and I look forward to hearing from you! Next up we'll head back to Tokyo with the Outers for a bit.
Vchanny: Thanks! Sometimes I worry that I making them go back and forth too much or I'll realize they said something similar in the last chapter but I think the action helps not to overwhelm the story with too much tension...though my husband thinks otherwise...
Anonymous Coward: No problem! Thanks for taking the time to write such long, thoughtful comments! I like replying to people, especially because I don't know anyone else that writes fanfiction...well I did once but it was more just HarryPotterPorn...ahem...
I've seen Cowboy Beebop and I absolutely love it! It was one of my first animes that I remember sneaking downstairs to watch past my bedtime. Ah, Spike...Mamoru might be my first love but you certainly stole that spot...Was it a manga originally? Most things translated to film don't turn out well but I dunno...with how big this was, I really thought Crystal would be better. But moving on!
I'm so glad that you've noticed that about my writing! I always worry I'm getting too technical, and my husband constantly tells me (the few times he reads) that I show more of my characters heads than their surroundings but I'm always afraid I'll sound like Tolkein where there's way too much detail and the plot never seems to move...(though this might not be true, I couldn't make it past the first ten pages of the Hobbit).
As for the mixed interactions...I think it may be too late for that. At least for the way this story has gone. I have short story ideas but...yeah, can't do it. Everyone's going to be split up for awhile, sorry.
Again thanks for the review and don't worry I like to talk to you too! =)
Hope to hear from you soon!