A/N: Here you go! Sorry for the late update! Had trouble with this chapter in a few places, but here it is. I'll try to see if I can get a few updates going before the new season premiers, see how far I can get this story ahead...not making promises, though.

For now, I hope you enjoy this update, stay safe, and see you next update!

47 / Zombies and Friends

Saki Nikaido felt she was prepared for anything at this point; being a zombie does that to a person, or rather, undead.

But the moment Genji opened the door, she knew something was up and she didn't like it. He looked moodier than usual, and before she could say anything, he had glanced at Maria quickly, and with a raised eyebrow asked, "Who the hell are you?" Maria blinked, confused, struggling with a response before Saki intervened and told him that she was Reiko's kid. Genji nodded in understanding before muttering, "That moron's going to scream when he finds out." But Saki didn't care. She just grinned, crossed her arms and shrugged.

"So?"

Genji shook his head, before saying, "You gotta go see Sakura and Yugiri. Now." Saki was concerned, as was Lily.

"Somethin' happen?"

"Better you go see it for yourself," he said, as Renoir and Romero, who barked affectionately upon seeing the two zombie girls, appeared behind him. Saki and Lily exchanged a look, with Maria murmuring that she'll wait for them here if whatever they had to check was serious. Nodding at the human girl, the two zombies quickly moved towards their old room, expecting the worst.

What greeted them was Sakura, sitting up in her futon, holding her arm, looking rather frazzled and stressed, flinching every few seconds. Tae was standing nearby, biting into her hand, looking nervous. Yugiri knelt besides Sakura, rubbing her back, trying to comfort her as best as she could. And finally, there was the lion, who nestled behind Sakura, using his body as a pillow, glancing at the newcomers once, before settling in his place.

Saki and Lily stared, all the while Sakura, grinning rather nervously, and flinching, tried to wave before giving up and saying, "H-hi, guys…"

/….

"Let me see if I got this straight," Saki began, as she, Lily, Yugiri and Tae, knelt around Sakura, with the lion sleeping behind her. "You got mauled by a fuckin' bear, then some weirdo threw a rock at the window, and after that, you went to his place where he told you he had brought that fuckin' bear back to life, and to say he was sorry, he gave you that lion." Sakura nodded, wincing as Yugiri tried soothing her by rubbing her back. "What in the actual fuck…?" Saki sighed. "Okay...so...did Shades know? About that weirdo?"

Sakura shakes her head, flinches, but it's Yugiri that answers. "No. He seemed just as surprised as we were when he found out. That...man...he said he focuses on animals rather than humans, or so he said…"

"And you believed him?" Saki asked, and the courtesan just shrugged.

"We had no reason to believe he was lying. He did go out of his way to reveal himself, however, whether he was a fool or playing the part, I cannot tell you."

"Fuck," Saki sighed, suddenly tired, before turning to Sakura, who seemed to be feeling worse by the minute. "You hanging okay there, girl?" Sakura tried to smile, and flinched.

"I'm trying…"

Lily rubbed Sakura's arm, trying to make her comfortable. "Did they give you some medicine?"

Yugiri shook her head. "No...not yet...she did drink something that helped but…"

"Didn't work in the long run?" Saki finished and the other woman nodded sadly.

"Lord Genji thinks the best course of action is to call Lady Ai's mother," the courtesan explained.

"But," Lily began, unsure. "Would she even want to help?"

"Her problem's with Shades, not the Egghead, squirt," Saki reminded her. "I mean, we could give them a call...she wouldn't say 'no' to Ai, would she?"

"...I'll rather...not...take advantage…" Sakura whimpered, trying her best to mask her pain and failing miserably. "...maybe the pain will go away on its own…" Saki and the others stared at her, incredulous. Yugiri especially was giving her a look.

"Sakura…"

"I...I...maybe it will...ouch!" Sakura almost toppled over, shaking. Yugiri, eyes wide, tried to get her to lie down, but Sakura just curled up, ignoring her. Lily tried to help, too, as did Tae, but the older woman didn't know what to do, but growl, and copy Yugiri, trying to get Sakura to just lie down.

Saki didn't waste any time; she stood up, and walked out the door.

/….

Half an hour later, Ai and Junko burst into the room, Dr. Mizuno and Saki behind them; they had already been warned of the lion, but all three newcomers stopped for a few seconds, before a small groan caught their attention.

Sakura's lying on her futon, but it seemed to have done the pink haired zombie little good. Poor girl was trying to keep it together, the pain making her miserable and pale.

"Sakura," Junko whimpered, and Ai just glared at nothing in particular, her mother walking past them, weary of the beast behind the girls. The lion let out a yawn, showing sharp teeth, making the doctor stop and stare again, unsure of what to do. Yugiri, noticing the doctor's fear, patted the lion's mane and pointed at the corner, the lion growled a bit, got up, and padded towards the corner, where he curled up, yawned again, and lay down. Romero appeared soon after, having followed Saki and the others, standing in front of the lion, as if to protect them from whatever might happen, not realizing he was greatly outmatched by the snoring lion.

"You...girls could give us a minute?" the doctor asked, finally finding her voice.

"...You sure?" Ai asked her, and her mother nodded.

"Give me a few minutes with her alone...it's rather crowded in here," the doctor explained, walking slowly towards Sakura's futon before placing a small bag, on the ground and kneeling.

The girls seemed unsure for a bit before Yugiri nodded slowly, patted Sakura's shoulder, and got up, followed closely behind by Lily, who dragged Tae with her, and soon enough, the girls slowly left the room.

They stood outside the door for a few seconds before Ai angrily asked, "Where's Tatsumi?"

"In his office…" Yugiri answered absentmindedly, glancing at the closed door.

"Don't bother with him, girl...he's being an ass," Saki remarked, stopping Ai from going stomping to Kotaro's door, not bothering to tell the younger girl she had already gone to complain only to be yelled at and ignored.

"Still…" Ai trailed off, feeling Junko tug at her arm, her girlfriend shaking her head. Arguing with Kotaro wasn't going to make anything better, and they knew it.

Everyone just stood there, silent, waiting.

/….

Dr. Mizuno worked slowly, going to the motions, treating Sakura like an actually living human, and not a corpse, which was rather difficult due to the girl's bluish skin, and being dead. Surprisingly, Sakura's heart was beating, and her temperature, despite fluctuating here and there, was rather normal. And the doctor didn't know which one was worse; Sakura being dead, or being dead and feeling like you wanted to die, because the poor girl certainly seemed to be on the verge of just wanting to stop living altogether.

The doctor wasn't sure on how to proceed from here.

Ai had explained, or tried to explain to the best of her ability, how her body worked, being dead and all that. Hunger, pain, exhaustion, they felt it, felt alive, but they were dead.

Sakura Minamoto shouldn't be feeling as miserable as she was, and so, here she was, trying and failing to force the pain away.

"Ugh…" Sakura whimpered, and Aoi got to work, digging into her bag to find something. The doctor took out a small vial and a syringe, plus some bandages and needles and thread.

Ai had told her that they could regenerate; a rather impossible wound, small, big, would repair itself rather quickly, maybe a day or so. They had learned to stitch their little wounds or band-aids, under some sort of belief the healing would be done quicker. It never left a scar, never replacing the scars they already carried.

(Aoi had almost had a heart attack when Ai confessed that she, as well as the other girls, had been struck by lightning that one time, and the only thing they had to show for it was a glow that disappeared after a day, a bit an autotune voice, and itchy fingertips)

"Alright, lass," Aoi began, trying to distract Sakura as she got to work, filling the syringe with whatever was in the vial. "I'm gonna be giving you something to numb the pain...will probably make you sleep, are you…" Aoi almost asked her if she was allergic to any medication, before remembering it probably wouldn't matter, but she'd rather not give the poor girl anything else to worry about. Besides, Ai didn't mention anything about allergies not affecting them, so she asked anyway.

Sakura smiled, or rather tried to, and said, "N-no...not really…"

"I see…" Aoi quickly applied the medicine and was rather surprised by how quickly it affected the girl. Her discomfort left her, almost as if she had never been in any pain at all. Sakura sat up, with Aoi gently helping her. The zombie girl stretched her left arm, made a fist, and dropped it over her lap.

"Umm…does the medicine usually work this fast?"

"Not really." Aoi knew the medicine she gave her was the strongest she had, and even that usually took a few minutes to work, not mere seconds. "How are you feeling?"

"Better...umm…"

"That medicine should take care of the pain, but it's bound to come back eventually," Aoi explained. Unless, of course, the issue was actually a mental one, and not just a physical one. But for now, Aoi kept those thoughts to herself. Dead or not, Sakura had gotten mauled, and she was definitely feeling it. A yawn distracted her from her thoughts. Sakura was already feeling the full-blown effects of the pain reliever, shaking her head from side to side, unconsciously trying to tell her body not to fall asleep, but Aoi just helped the girl lie down, and watched her as she gave her a sleepy, "thank you", before falling asleep.

Aoi let out a sigh, put her instruments away, eyed the lion and the dog by the corner warily, and made her way to the door. She found the girls outside, silent, but expecting. "She's fine," Aoi answered quickly before they could ask questions.

(she's suddenly back at the old clinic, assuring the family that their love one will make it)

The tall girl, the courtesan Yugiri, let out a sigh of relief. "Is...is it alright if…?"

"Sure, but she's not going to be much for conversation as she's out cold," Aoi explained. Yugiri nodded, and quickly, followed by the little girl, Lily, the older woman, Tae, and Junko, went inside the room, leaving Ai and that biker girl, Saki, behind.

"So, she's just gonna sleep it off?" Saki asked, and Aoi nodded.

"That's the idea, yes, but...I'll talk to her brother...might need to prescribe her some medicine, just in case."

"You don't think this is a one time thing, do you?" Ai asked her, and her mother shrugged.

"Well...this certainly is a special situation," the doctor began. "That man would probably be more helpful, he knows more about your...situation, after all." Aoi didn't mention how much she wanted to slap the man in the face, but decided to keep it cool for everyone's sake. Both Ai and Saki seemed rather incensed, as they figured that leaving had caused this situation somehow. "You girls can stay here a while if you want," Aoi said, catching Ai off guard.

"Huh?"

"It's not a long drive from the apartment," Aoi said, smiling a bit. "And I'm sure you'll rather stay here for a bit." The doctor didn't like the idea of them staying here with that man and now, that lion, but she realized her daughter would rather stay here, at least until her friend felt like herself again. Ai gave her a look, eyebrows raised, unsure.

"Are you sure?"

"Hey, you don't need to stay if you don't feel like it," Saki said, noticing the mood. "Me and Lily are staying here, so, maybe you and Junko don't have to." But Ai shook her head.

"No, it's fine...I…" Ai smiled at her mother. "We still need to talk about Franchouchou, anyway…"

"Ah," Aoi nodded, understanding. The doctor's a little unhappy, but she understands where her daughter is coming from. There's still the issue of...Franchouchou, and what would happen going forward.

(she almost wishes they'll disband...almost)

"Well,I guess I should get Maria back home...we're obviously not going anywhere, as it stands…" Saki muttered, scratching the back of her head. "Might as well...maybe we can hang out later when the Egghead's feeling better." Thanking Aoi for helping Sakura, Saki turned and walked away, probably to meet up with Maria and those two boys, who were probably still back in the main hall.

"Mom…" Ai began, once Saki was gone. "Are you sure you're fine with me...and Junko, staying?"

"In all honesty, I don't like it…" Aoi admitted with a shrug. "But, Minamoto is your friend, and she'll probably get upset to just leave…"

"Not that me staying will help her, either," Ai said, before letting out a chuckle. "Although maybe I should...she's the only one that can keep Tatsumi and her brother from killing each other...Saki can keep Tatsumi in check, maybe Yugiri and Suzuhara can try with Genji, but I doubt he'll want to stress his sister as it is…" Ai sighed. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Positive," the doctor told her, nodding. "Besides it might be better in the long run for you to stay...the apartment might be the last place you'll want to stay in."

Aoi hadn't realized how noisy her neighbors were until three days ago when that old man came knocking on her door; Ai and Junko were without their makeup, and Aoi had gone to get some paperwork she needed done, and the guy just kept on knocking, and knocking, until an old shrewd lady, from two doors down, said the girls that lived with the new girl were so disrespectful. It wasn't until Aoi came home, and the old man complained to the doctor until he couldn't complain anymore, and then left when Aoi told him point-blank that he was in the wrong building. The old man left complaining about rude kids and such, and Aoi glanced at her old neighbor, before shaking her head and getting inside the apartment, with Ai telling her they literally told the old man he had the wrong place over and over again.

And despite everything, Ai can tell her mother would rather she not stay here at all; because staying here meant going back on stage, pretending nothing was wrong, pretending everything's as it should be. It's a different worry now, the danger is very real, and Ai is no longer alive, and, and…

But Ai smiled, held her mother's hand, held it for a bit, and told her she'll call her in an hour, before she opens the door and joins her friends on the other side.

/….

Aoi spots Sakura Minamoto's brother, that strange boy, and Mrs. Amabuki's daughter, Maria, talking with Saki, who's telling her they'll have to call the visit short, and Maria, looking rather disappointed, just nods along the way. The other boy offers to give them a ride on the van, so they don't have to walk back to the Amabuki's home, and Saki agrees, leaving along with the two humans, and waving good-bye and a thanks Aoi's way, and telling Genji they'll be right back.

Once they were gone, Genji turned to the doctor and asked, "So...is she going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure," Aoi says after a bit. "It's...a difficult diagnosis...apart from the obvious mauling." Genji sighs.

"What's your advice?"

"I'll prescribe her some medicine...hopefully, the pain is not permanent, although considering what happened, it's hard to say. But the medicine I gave her should be enough for today." Aoi hummed. "It acted a little too fast for my liking, though…"

Genji snorted. "Seeing as she's not acting a little crazy, that's already a win."

Aoi raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did you give her?"

"That guy...he panicked...and gave her anything he could find to soothe the pain. Frankly, I didn't know what to do, either...so I just let him do his thing. And well…"

Aoi nodded. "I understand."

(and yet he brought them back to life, why, why...why didn't he let them rest?)

Minamoto's brother nodded, glancing at her, before saying, "Saki was telling me that you're letting Ai and Junko stay."

"I figured they'll want to stay with your sister, considering her state," Aoi said with a shrug. "Although, that's not the only reason...someone's getting noisy in my apartment complex, I've been there for a few months, and they bought the lie that Ai and Junko...were...my niece and her girlfriend, visiting from out of town. I suppose they're safe, for now." The doctor sighed.

(how frustrating she had to lie about her own daughter)

"I see…" Genji nodded. "Saki told me Mr. Go is planning on moving soon, he was planning to, anyway, get a bigger place and whatnot and now with Lily, it just makes things easier, I guess. He didn't mind her coming back here, so long as he can spend time with her…" Aoi guesses it's harder for Takeo because he's much too noticeable, unlike herself, and that's why he would agree to keep Lily safe, even if it was back here, where it all began.

"He's a good man," Aoi remarks, and Genji nods, and turns to stare at the doctor.

"...what do you think about Franchouchou?"

Aoi blinked.

"What about them?"

"I want your opinion about this whole idol business," he said.

"Why? You seemed to know what I think," the doctor told him, visibly confused. "I thought you had already made up your mind, seeing as you were helping them out with...whatever this was supposed to be." Genji gave her a sad smile, shook his head and said,

"My...sister...she was a fan of your kid, Ai Mizuno and Iron Frill, even bought tickets for a show she never got to see…" Aoi was silent; she knew what he was talking about. Saga Rock. "Sakura wanted to be an idol...to be like Ai Mizuno...but…"

"...she died."

"Yeah...it's kinda dumb, not her wish, mind you, but the way we found out. She had an application with her before...before, and well, that envelope went flying out of her hands and landed on a neighbor's yard, behind some bushes...pretty dumb, huh? Finding out your sister wanted to try out her hand at being an idol, her paperwork hiding behind some bushes, and she was already dead." Genji sighed. "She was always telling Mom about it, but I never listened…" He crossed his arms, and let out a breath through his nose. "You wanna know why I stuck around this...little circus? Because I don't know how much time I have. I don't know whether they'll be gone in a year, maybe in two, maybe they're immortal, who the hell knows, I don't know that. Hell, he doesn't know that, either. All I know is, my sister wants to be an idol, and if that makes her happy, who am I to try to stop her? She's dead, and no matter how much I wish it, she'll still be dead."

"...Is that why she didn't want to tell your parents?" Aoi finally asks, unsure of what else to do.

"No," Genji answers, and with a small smile, as if he was laughing at himself, he said, "Because they actually moved on, unlike me."

Reiko drank her can of beer in silence, as Susan, half drunk, announced she had finished most of the bottle of wine, complaining to her old boss, and calling her story "bullshit". Luckily for everyone, Susan had decided to close up shop, as she figured she was probably not going to work the rest of the day.

"Alright," Susan slurred. "Let's say for a moment that I believed that bullshit you're spouting, I mean...Reiko, really...the fuck…?"

"It is."

"What is!? The fuckin' living dead!? Where's my bat when I freaking need it?"

"Susan...I know it's hard to believe…"

"Reiko, I'm fucking drunk...I'm suppose to believe everything at this point."

"And yet, you don't believe what I'm telling you."

"You're spewing shit," Susan cried back, already angry and drunk. Reiko didn't mind. Susan could be worse than Rita once she hit the alcohol. "I know you miss Nikaido, hell, I do too...but come on...if this is a prank, I hate it…"

"I know it's a little hard to believe…"

"A LITTLE!?"

"It's the truth! Who do you think destroyed my bike pulling that same little stunt, eh!?"

"You're crazy!" Susan says.

"Susan."

"Reiko...I'm drunk, and it's the worst mistake I have made today...I just...there's no freaking way! The dead don't just come back to life...especially not Saki Nikaido...she, she...ugh!"

"Susan...I already told you what that reporter found...every oddity, every coincidence, you found those, too, didn't you? You even noticed Konno's likeness, right? That wasn't a fluke. Ai Mizuno, Lily Hoshikawa, Junko Konno...I would think you out of the two of us would think that was odd." Reiko heard a few clicking sounds, as if Susan was working on the computer. A few seconds pass, she hears her friend gasp, before finally she hears a glass being filled, probably the rest of the wine.

"I'm gonna get a hangover for this...and it will be your fault, Reiko."

"What did you find?"

"...That I'm all out of wine and fucks to give!" Susan cheers. Reiko assumes she drank the glass in one go, as she can hear a click of the glass against a wooden desk. There's a bit of silence from the other side, before Susan's suddenly groaning like a petulant child. "...okay...let's say...let's just say, I buy into your bullshit...how you plan to prove it?"

"Come tomorrow. Not today. You're drunk."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Susan."

"Whatever...this fucking bullshit better be worth my wine and sanity…"

"Take care."

"Fuck off…" There's a pause. "Say 'hi' to Maria for me…"

"Will do."

CLICK!

Reiko sighed, finishing the last of the beer.

In retrospect, everything could have gone worse, but Reiko knows Susan. Unless she truly thought Reiko was out of her mind, in danger, or anything else, her old friend would keep what they talked about to herself, no matter how stupid and crazy it sounded. But Reiko knew that the hard part wasn't over. She didn't know how Saki would react once she knew, but she figures her old friend wouldn't have minded that it was Susan that knew.

(how everyone else would take it was another story altogether)

A sudden knocking interrupts Reiko's musings, forcing a frown upon her face before going to open the door.

She's rather surprised to see her daughter and Saki outside. "Huh? What are you two doing here so early?"

"Somethin' happen back the mansion," Saki explained. "I'm gonna be staying there for a few days...need to get a few things in order and talk about the idol group thing…"

"Ah, I see…" Reiko replied, nodding a bit, before sighing and saying, "Hey, Saki, you think you could do me a favor?"

Saki stared at her, confused, as did her daughter. "Umm...why?"

"Susan."

It took a few minutes for the name to click, and Saki made a face. "Reiko, really!?"