"This island is about twenty-three nautic miles from the south of Tokyo." A man said as he walked along the path to the beach.
He was Mikihasa, Yoh's father. His long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he wore a wooden tengu mask with a benkei cap. He wore only orange swimming trunks with a yellow sun design on the side. Walking on either sides of him were large fox spirits.
"Even during high tide, the water is only two or three meters deep off the beach. It's a great spot for fishing for Black Scup." He talked to himself as he walked along, carrying a fishing pole over his shoulder and in the other hand, a tackle-box. "I'm concerned abouts the kids' health so some fresh fish should be good. I'll bet they'll be happy! Very, very happy." He chuckled as he thought of Seyram and Redseb's faces when they would eat the fish.
Up ahead, something caught his eye. It stood over a hundred feet tall as it bent over into the trees. A giant skeleton with black and red designs over its ivory body. It was some sort of oversoul, and he could feel even more in that direction. Mickey dropped his pole and box, running towards the skeleton. He struggled to pick up the large hand off the corpse. He was disgusted by what he saw when he thrusted the skeleton away. All over the beach were bodies. Bloody, some decapitated, some parts missing. He sucked it in as he saw a living, breathing young girl in the midst of the decay. She looked as if she was injured. He pulled out a conch shell and took a deep breath, blowing into it as it blasted a loud note.
"Little girl, are you okay?" He asked her as he knelt over and checked her vital signs.
Her eyes fluttered as she woke up. "Mohammed?" She asked as she looked at Mickey. "Where's Mohammed?"
"Come on, we have to get you medical help right away." He said as he took the red-headed girl's arm and pulled it around his neck to pull her up.
There was a shuffling and then a moaning not too far off. Both Mickey and the girl looked up at the pile of plastic blocks and a little figure on the tip of a sword.
"Blocken?" The girl peered at him.
He panted as he looked up at her. "Kaia?" He spat blood.
"Blocken! You're still alive!" She let go of Mickey and ran to him. She was apprehensive about touching him, she didn't want to bring him anymore pain than he was already in. "Please sir! We have to help him!" She pleaded as she turned to Mickey who now hovered over her.
"He will die soon, if we don't get help soon." Mickey said before he simply pulled Blocken off the sword. "Let's go."
He got up onto the back of one of the foxes with Blocken in his arm, almost lifeless. The second fox crouched down before Kaia, offering her to ride him. She reluctantly got on, hoping it would be like riding a camel.
Suddenly the foxes dashed across the ground. Kaia held on tight to the collar of the fox she rode on. They were so quick and agile as they bounced through the forest towards town. This was not like riding a camel.
They arrived at an inn of some sort. Kaia followed Mickey as he rushed through the door into the inn. She was happy Blocken was alive, at least he was going to get help now. The others were dead, there was nothing she could do about it. Maybe someone will find them and revive them? She hoped so, she wanted to see Turbine's dreamy smile again. She wanted to apologize to Peyote. She wanted to be carried on Bill's shoulder again. She wanted to tell Zang-Ching how good he sings. But all these wishes may not come true. She had no genie like Turbine did that granted every wish he made. She didn't have restoration powers, she had the power of fire, a destructive element. She couldn't help anyone.
"Yohmei! Kino! Keiko!" Mickey shouted through the house.
A little old lady with glasses walked out of a room to greet the anxious people in the hall. "We're in here, Mickey." She said and allowed them to enter.
"Yohmei, we need help." Mickey pleaded as he stared at an old man sitting at a table with a lovely young woman.
The old man, Yohmei jumped up with his cane and led Mickey into a separate room. Kaia watched as they left with Blocken. Hopefully they could help him. She trembled as the memories of the afternoon returned to her. What was she going to do? She was all alone on this island and she doubted that Blocken would help her if he was okay. She would have to survive on her own like before.
"Little girl?" The beautiful, young woman put a hand on her shoulder. Kaia turned to look into her lovely brown eyes.
Was she a mother? She looked so kind and caring. The child must be lucky to have her as a mother. Kaia had no one now.
"You may stay here with us if you like until you can get a boat home." She smiled warmly at her.
"I have no home, ma'am." Kaia looked down sadly.
"Well, we'll have to change that, hm?" She smiled and took Kaia by the hand, leading her up into a room at the second level.
It was plain and boring like her previous room at the boarding house but it was somewhere to stay. The woman unrolled her futon and laid down the pillow and blanket. This woman was so kind, Kaia wished she was her mother or sister.
"We will be having dinner shortly. I can bring your food up here if you'd like to eat alone." The woman offered.
"Yes, please." Kaia replied.
"You'll be alright here. My father will make sure your friend is okay. My name is Keiko Asakura." She smiled from the doorway.
"Asakura?" Kaia looked up, surprised.
"I guess you've heard of our name by now, hm?" She laughed. "Well, my sons are in the tournament."
"You mean... Hao and Yoh?" Kaia asked. Keiko nodded with a frown.
"Yes, those are my sons." Her frown faded. "Well, dinner will be ready in an hour. Try to get some rest, you seem stressed." She said before leaving.
Kaia fell down to the floor and stared at the wooden lines in the floor. So much had happened it was hard to take it all in. She almost didn't want to live anymore, she was at the end of the line anyways. She stared out the window as the sun began to set. She would never see another sunset with Turbine again. She cried as she remembered all the times she had with Turbine. They were all just memories now. Running across the desert with him, riding behind him on a camel, traveling all over the Middle East and Asia, it wasn't going to happen anymore. She was never going to be married to him, she will never see his face again.
Something knocked on the window. She sniffed and turned towards it to see the figure of a boy standing at the window. She was scared as she saw the long brown hair and the white poncho. The boy grinned when the windows slowly opened by themselves.
"Hao?" She trembled, trying to calm down from crying.
"I know how Peyote killed them all. Blocken is still alive, right?" He stepped through the window and into the room. "He seems to defy death a lot. It is sort of annoying." He grinned as Kaia scooted away along the floor. "But what is really annoying is your constant crying. I can hear it all the way across the island."
He bent down close to her and stared into her eyes. "I will stop your weeping." He said as he put his hands over her eyes. "It's a shame, you know? You have seen so many things we these."
Kaia screamed as she felt a pain in the back of her head. She didn't know what he was doing but she kicked and punched to get him away. He finally pulled away and she looked up at him. He was not there. She looked at her hand because it was dark in the room. She couldn't see her hand. Was she blind? It couldn't have gotten dark that fast.
"And this has seen many things too." Hao threw something wooden at the ground. "It shall be blinded also."
Kaia heard the sizzling and cracking that she related to wood on a fire. What was he doing?
"I found it at the beach. Your staff. I knew they were watching over you but I never expected them to be this clever." He watched as the wooden staff burned on the floor.
"Who's they?" Kaia asked, confused.
"You shall see soon enough. Oh wait." Hao laughed as he walked towards the window. "I forgot, you're blind now."
Kaia tried to cry but she couldn't. Her belly ached with sadness. Everything seemed to die around her. Her fiance, her friends, her sight and her staff. Hao had truly stopped her crying. He's taken everything away from her.
"Lavaine?" Kaia called out but there was no answer. He had left her too. Kaia bowed her head as she heard running up the stairs. She was useless to anyone now. No spirit, no sight.
"Are you alright?" Kaia heard Keiko ask her as she bent down low to her, holding her arms.
"Hao... he... I can't see." Kaia's lip quivered. She couldn't cry at all!
"Oh dear." Keiko said worriedly.
"But, Keiko. I can see your face." Kaia slightly smiled. There was an image in her mind, maybe a memory of Keiko's face. "So kind and warm. Why are you crying?"
Keiko took deep breaths as she calmed down. "For Hao to harm a young girl... It's unforgiveable!" She explained. "Come." She commanded Kaia, taking her hands. "I didn't quite catch your name."
"Kaia." She replied as Keiko carefully guided her through the hallway.
"Kaia." Keiko smiled. "What a pretty name."
"Thank you." Kaia felt fuzzy inside. She remembered how Turbine said the same when she introduced herself to him.
"Your friend is getting better by the moment. But you won't be able to see him for awhile." Keiko told her as they walked through the house.
Kaia sighed, she had wanted to talk to Blocken and make sure he was doing alright but she would take Keiko's word for it. She was so sweet.
"I can smell dinner, Sister-Keiko." Kaia smiled up at her as the aroma of rice and fish wafted by her.
Keiko blushed. "Yes, dinner is almost ready." She smiled warmly. "Sisters. Ha."
Kaia loved when Keiko laughed, it made her feel like she mattered. She never had a sister before, she looked forward to spending time with her temporary family until Blocken can get better and they could figure out what they were going to do. In the meantime, Kaia planned to have as much fun while she can before she loses that as well.
To be continued in Chapter 54!
