She lazily looked at the floating images in front of her. "Ugh, this is too boring! It's been another day...I can't kill them all until night! And even then I have to get them all dreaming the same dream, which is impossible, because that stupid brat Ryo set up some sort of shield!" She growled and paced up and down the floor, then sighed and sat back down. "I might as well choose another victim." She looked at the armour orbs that lay in a row on the floor, glowing. Halo green, Strata blue, and Torrent blue. Three...she needed two more! She concentrated on the moving images. "Which one next...Shuu or Ryo?"
***
"So, what's supposed to be killing them?!" Ryo's face was red with anger. "We have no clue as to what killed any of them!"
Shuu was pacing angrily; he had worn a groove in the rug. "I don't know!" He yelled. "Eri, you're the smart one, what the hell is going on?!"
"Don't yell at me." She replied placidly. "Yelling at me is not going to do you any good." She looked over the two angry Ronins and tried to calculate how fast she would have to run to get away from both of them if they snapped.
"Well, then what will? You're supposed to know these things!" Ryo looked at her almost pleadingly. "Eri, isn't there something in your mind, some knowledge of the unknown? Isn't there anything at all that can help us?"
The youngest crossed her arms. "I told you, I'm thinking. You can't keep interrupting me while I'm thinking!"
"Books! You have loads of books upstairs in the attic! Go look at those!" Shuu started laughing maniacally. "The answers are in the books!"
Eri stood up and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Shuu, I think maybe you need to lie down for a little while."
"I don't! I need to fight! Talpa! The warlords are back, that's it! They killed them!" He crowed and started dancing around the room. "I've solved the mystery! All by myself! I am the smartest Ronin Warrior who ever lived! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughed even harder. Eri nodded and walked over to him.
"Okay, Shuu, just come with me..." She took his hand and led him upstairs. Ryo cringed as he heard a thump, and Eri came downstairs.
"What'd you do to him?" Ryo asked, half-scared.
"Gave him a couple tranquilizers. He was very sleep-deprived. He fell over immediately, that was the thump."
"You didn't hit him with anything?"
"No! Why would I do something like that?!"
"I dunno..." Ryo trailed off, mumbling something under his breath. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Do we have any chili left?"
"Wait..." Eri followed him, "you suspect me of doing that, don't you?"
"Um, possibly?"
"Ryo!" Her entire face crumpled. "How can you think something like that?! Why would I ever kill any of them?! Seiji was my life-giver! Touma was like an older brother! And Shin..." She started crying hard.
Ryo cringed. Now he had done it. Made her cry..."I'm sorry. But you know me, I was paranoid."
"Paranoid or not, Ryo, you hurt me." She wouldn't even look at him. "Why would you think something like that?"
"I'm not sure. I guess because I needed somebody to blame...and you were the only one around." He admitted bleakly. She sighed and hugged him to her. "Why'd they have to go away? Why?!"
"They didn't go away. Somebody killed them!" Eri stroked his hair. "I promise, I won't let anything get to the rest of us. I'll always be here."
"But what if they get you next?" Ryo started to cry. "Then where will we be?"
"Ryo! I'm shocked to hear you say such a thing! You boys have done just fine without me. Don't you remember when I wasn't here?"
In truth, he couldn't. He could remember few days when the starry-eyed dreamer hadn't been floating around and taking care of them. He remembered the day that she came, and how Shuu and Seiji had gotten into a fight over who was going to give her the tour of the house. He smiled as he remembered that Touma had taken her on the tour while they were arguing. He also remembered how Seiji had realized that Eri was meant for Shuu, but he had decided that it wasn't going to stop him from flirting with her.
"Ryo, you're going to be okay." He heard a sweet voice whispered faintly. "Come on, let's go upstairs." Eri gently lifted the Ronin of Virtue to his feet and led him upstairs.
"Please, angels, keep us all safe..." He prayed quietly as Eri sat him on his bed. He could barely move, let alone get himself ready for bed. Eri sighed.
"Ryo, you have to promise me that you won't flip out." She told him sternly as she removed his shirt. "Okay?"
He nodded as his eyes started threatening to close. "Can't sleep yet..."
"Right. No sleeping until you're under the covers." She smiled at him as she undid his belt and slipped off his pants.
"Eri," Ryo mumbled, half-conscious, "will you sleep with me?"
"No, I won't." She rolled her eyes as she laid him on the bed and covered him with the covers.
"But I like you." He whimpered.
"Go to sleep, virtuous one. I will awaken you in the morning and you will regret asking me to sleep with you." She kissed his temple and walked silently out of the room. Opening the door to Shuu's room, she slipped inside. "Shuu?"
"Querida?" He sat up slightly. "What'd you give me? What did I do?" His voice was anxious as he asked the question. "Are you okay? Am I okay?"
"Just a tranquilizer. You were acting really crazy, and I didn't want you to hurt yourself." Eri smiled and kissed him gently. "I'm fine. You're going to be fine."
"Really?"
"Really." She stroked his cheek. "I have to get some sleep too."
"No!" He clutched at her. "Stay with me!"
"Shuu..." She extricated herself from his embrace. "Love, you know I have to sleep too."
"Don't leave me! I'm scared!" His eyes filled with tears. "Something evil killed Shin and I don't want it to get you!"
"I won't let it get me. I can protect myself, remember? I have your Chinese demon mirror."
"But it might not be enough..."
"It will be."
"I won't let you go!" Shuu said forcefully and held her to him. Eri nodded as she felt the fear and sorrow pour through him.
"I'll stay tonight. But only tonight." She settled down into his arms.
"Stay forever, pretty lady." He kept his arms around her waist as he kissed her forehead, still trembling. "Don't ever leave."
"I will never leave you." She whispered to him, her voice lulling him into a peaceful sleep.
***
"What's going on?" Ryo clenched and unclenched his fists several times. "Who's there?"
"It's only me." A young woman appeared in front of him. "What's wrong, Ryo?"
"Eri?" He blinked, then shook his head. "What are you doing here?"
"It's your dream." Eri grinned at him. But something didn't seem right...he ignored it.
"It is? Well then, I wanted to tell you something!"
"Yeah?" She looked at him curiously.
He swallowed nervously. "I love you! And I want you to be with me, not with Shuu! I know you love him, but can't you give me a chance, please?"
"Well..." she considered it for a moment. "Okay! Shuu's such a dope anyway..."
"Thank you so much." Ryo gushed. He seized her and kissed her passionately. It felt so good to have her kissing him, responding to every move he made. Suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach. "What the-" he fell to his knees, and looked up at the girl.
"Tricked you!" A different young woman declared happily. "You thought I was Eri! And you know what, Ryo? You're not in love with Eri. And this isn't your dream."
"Yes it is!" Ryo cried. His dream was ruined!
"No, it isn't!" The young woman grinned. "Would you like to know who I am?"
"No!" Ryo stood up and threw a punch. It hit her jaw hard, and she almost lost her balance from the impact.
"I'm going to tell you anyway." She shook her head. "I'm a Demon. And I killed Seiji, Touma, and Shin! Your turn now!"
"Eri, how could you?!" Ryo's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm not Eri, I just told you that!" The demon held up a mirror to show him. "See?"
Ryo shuddered. There was the image of Shuu and Eri in bed, his arms around her waist. "Well, at least they have each other! They aren't afraid of you! And neither am I!"
"You aren't?"
"No! Bring it on!" Ryo got into fighting stance, but the demon clucked.
"I don't fight." She hit him in the temple with the hilt of a dagger. Ryo cried out and crumpled to the floor. She brought his reality body to her, and stabbed it repeatedly with the dagger. On the floor, Ryo cried out.
***
"Ryo?" Eri sat up abruptly. She quickly slipped from Shuu's embrace and ran to Ryo's room. He wasn't in his bed! "Ryo!"
Ryo's body reappeared. It was covered in blood, and had dagger-wounds all over it. He coughed, and opened his eyes weakly. "She was right, I don't love you the way...that I thought...the demon, Eri, the demon. She killed-" A violent shudder went through his body, and his eyes closed.
"RYO!" Eri screamed. She pounded the bed, and screamed over and over. He was gone! She had promised to protect him, and she had failed! If only she hadn't stayed with Shuu! She started sobbing hysterically, waking up Shuu.
"Something happened to Ryo?" He mumbled as he sat up. "Eri?" He heard screams and sobs coming from down the hall. Something was attacking her! He jumped out of bed and raced down the hall, into Ryo's room, only to find a hysterical Eri kneeling by a bloodied Ryo's bed. "NO!" He stood in the doorway, and felt as if time stopped. Everything was whirling, spinning around him. It wasn't the same...patterns and colors swirled above him. He made his way over to Eri, who was emitting a brightness he could barely stand. "Querida?"
Eri fell into him, sobbing harder. Shuu pressed her to him, muffling her sobs slightly. "Oh, Querida..."
"He's dead!" She pulled away from him. "Ryo's dead!"
"I know, I see that." He stroked her hair, trying not to show his devastation. "Just...oh, Eri..."
"He's dead." She said bleakly. "Just dead. Not a breath left in him. Dead. Gone. Deceased. By a demon's hand."
"It's okay, Querida, I'll take care of you."
"No. You won't." She stood up. "Nobody can take care of me! I promised to protect Ryo, and I failed! I swore I wouldn't let anything happen and now he's dead! This is all my fault!" She screamed and started banging her head against the wall. "My fault! My fault!"
"No! Stop!" Shuu grabbed her wrists. "It's not your fault!"
She tore away from him and ran out to the balcony. "My fault! All my fault!" She screamed into the night. She hoisted herself up and threw herself over the balcony. Shuu yelled and raced for the balcony. He caught her hand, and dragged her back up. She fought against him, hitting his chest with her fists. He brought her into the bathroom and found the bottle of tranquilizers she had given him earlier. He looked over at her.
"Stop!" He cried as he saw she was banging her wrists on the bathtub rim. He rushed over and stuffed the pills in her mouth, but not before she bit him. He cursed as held her mouth shut and squeezed her nostrils. Her throat reacted and she swallowed. "Shhh...it's okay now..." He held her close. A few minutes later, he felt her slump against him. He lifted her up and carried her into her room. He sighed as he laid her down, and went back to clean up the poor boy who lay in the world of the dead.
***
"So, what's supposed to be killing them?!" Ryo's face was red with anger. "We have no clue as to what killed any of them!"
Shuu was pacing angrily; he had worn a groove in the rug. "I don't know!" He yelled. "Eri, you're the smart one, what the hell is going on?!"
"Don't yell at me." She replied placidly. "Yelling at me is not going to do you any good." She looked over the two angry Ronins and tried to calculate how fast she would have to run to get away from both of them if they snapped.
"Well, then what will? You're supposed to know these things!" Ryo looked at her almost pleadingly. "Eri, isn't there something in your mind, some knowledge of the unknown? Isn't there anything at all that can help us?"
The youngest crossed her arms. "I told you, I'm thinking. You can't keep interrupting me while I'm thinking!"
"Books! You have loads of books upstairs in the attic! Go look at those!" Shuu started laughing maniacally. "The answers are in the books!"
Eri stood up and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Shuu, I think maybe you need to lie down for a little while."
"I don't! I need to fight! Talpa! The warlords are back, that's it! They killed them!" He crowed and started dancing around the room. "I've solved the mystery! All by myself! I am the smartest Ronin Warrior who ever lived! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughed even harder. Eri nodded and walked over to him.
"Okay, Shuu, just come with me..." She took his hand and led him upstairs. Ryo cringed as he heard a thump, and Eri came downstairs.
"What'd you do to him?" Ryo asked, half-scared.
"Gave him a couple tranquilizers. He was very sleep-deprived. He fell over immediately, that was the thump."
"You didn't hit him with anything?"
"No! Why would I do something like that?!"
"I dunno..." Ryo trailed off, mumbling something under his breath. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Do we have any chili left?"
"Wait..." Eri followed him, "you suspect me of doing that, don't you?"
"Um, possibly?"
"Ryo!" Her entire face crumpled. "How can you think something like that?! Why would I ever kill any of them?! Seiji was my life-giver! Touma was like an older brother! And Shin..." She started crying hard.
Ryo cringed. Now he had done it. Made her cry..."I'm sorry. But you know me, I was paranoid."
"Paranoid or not, Ryo, you hurt me." She wouldn't even look at him. "Why would you think something like that?"
"I'm not sure. I guess because I needed somebody to blame...and you were the only one around." He admitted bleakly. She sighed and hugged him to her. "Why'd they have to go away? Why?!"
"They didn't go away. Somebody killed them!" Eri stroked his hair. "I promise, I won't let anything get to the rest of us. I'll always be here."
"But what if they get you next?" Ryo started to cry. "Then where will we be?"
"Ryo! I'm shocked to hear you say such a thing! You boys have done just fine without me. Don't you remember when I wasn't here?"
In truth, he couldn't. He could remember few days when the starry-eyed dreamer hadn't been floating around and taking care of them. He remembered the day that she came, and how Shuu and Seiji had gotten into a fight over who was going to give her the tour of the house. He smiled as he remembered that Touma had taken her on the tour while they were arguing. He also remembered how Seiji had realized that Eri was meant for Shuu, but he had decided that it wasn't going to stop him from flirting with her.
"Ryo, you're going to be okay." He heard a sweet voice whispered faintly. "Come on, let's go upstairs." Eri gently lifted the Ronin of Virtue to his feet and led him upstairs.
"Please, angels, keep us all safe..." He prayed quietly as Eri sat him on his bed. He could barely move, let alone get himself ready for bed. Eri sighed.
"Ryo, you have to promise me that you won't flip out." She told him sternly as she removed his shirt. "Okay?"
He nodded as his eyes started threatening to close. "Can't sleep yet..."
"Right. No sleeping until you're under the covers." She smiled at him as she undid his belt and slipped off his pants.
"Eri," Ryo mumbled, half-conscious, "will you sleep with me?"
"No, I won't." She rolled her eyes as she laid him on the bed and covered him with the covers.
"But I like you." He whimpered.
"Go to sleep, virtuous one. I will awaken you in the morning and you will regret asking me to sleep with you." She kissed his temple and walked silently out of the room. Opening the door to Shuu's room, she slipped inside. "Shuu?"
"Querida?" He sat up slightly. "What'd you give me? What did I do?" His voice was anxious as he asked the question. "Are you okay? Am I okay?"
"Just a tranquilizer. You were acting really crazy, and I didn't want you to hurt yourself." Eri smiled and kissed him gently. "I'm fine. You're going to be fine."
"Really?"
"Really." She stroked his cheek. "I have to get some sleep too."
"No!" He clutched at her. "Stay with me!"
"Shuu..." She extricated herself from his embrace. "Love, you know I have to sleep too."
"Don't leave me! I'm scared!" His eyes filled with tears. "Something evil killed Shin and I don't want it to get you!"
"I won't let it get me. I can protect myself, remember? I have your Chinese demon mirror."
"But it might not be enough..."
"It will be."
"I won't let you go!" Shuu said forcefully and held her to him. Eri nodded as she felt the fear and sorrow pour through him.
"I'll stay tonight. But only tonight." She settled down into his arms.
"Stay forever, pretty lady." He kept his arms around her waist as he kissed her forehead, still trembling. "Don't ever leave."
"I will never leave you." She whispered to him, her voice lulling him into a peaceful sleep.
***
"What's going on?" Ryo clenched and unclenched his fists several times. "Who's there?"
"It's only me." A young woman appeared in front of him. "What's wrong, Ryo?"
"Eri?" He blinked, then shook his head. "What are you doing here?"
"It's your dream." Eri grinned at him. But something didn't seem right...he ignored it.
"It is? Well then, I wanted to tell you something!"
"Yeah?" She looked at him curiously.
He swallowed nervously. "I love you! And I want you to be with me, not with Shuu! I know you love him, but can't you give me a chance, please?"
"Well..." she considered it for a moment. "Okay! Shuu's such a dope anyway..."
"Thank you so much." Ryo gushed. He seized her and kissed her passionately. It felt so good to have her kissing him, responding to every move he made. Suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach. "What the-" he fell to his knees, and looked up at the girl.
"Tricked you!" A different young woman declared happily. "You thought I was Eri! And you know what, Ryo? You're not in love with Eri. And this isn't your dream."
"Yes it is!" Ryo cried. His dream was ruined!
"No, it isn't!" The young woman grinned. "Would you like to know who I am?"
"No!" Ryo stood up and threw a punch. It hit her jaw hard, and she almost lost her balance from the impact.
"I'm going to tell you anyway." She shook her head. "I'm a Demon. And I killed Seiji, Touma, and Shin! Your turn now!"
"Eri, how could you?!" Ryo's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm not Eri, I just told you that!" The demon held up a mirror to show him. "See?"
Ryo shuddered. There was the image of Shuu and Eri in bed, his arms around her waist. "Well, at least they have each other! They aren't afraid of you! And neither am I!"
"You aren't?"
"No! Bring it on!" Ryo got into fighting stance, but the demon clucked.
"I don't fight." She hit him in the temple with the hilt of a dagger. Ryo cried out and crumpled to the floor. She brought his reality body to her, and stabbed it repeatedly with the dagger. On the floor, Ryo cried out.
***
"Ryo?" Eri sat up abruptly. She quickly slipped from Shuu's embrace and ran to Ryo's room. He wasn't in his bed! "Ryo!"
Ryo's body reappeared. It was covered in blood, and had dagger-wounds all over it. He coughed, and opened his eyes weakly. "She was right, I don't love you the way...that I thought...the demon, Eri, the demon. She killed-" A violent shudder went through his body, and his eyes closed.
"RYO!" Eri screamed. She pounded the bed, and screamed over and over. He was gone! She had promised to protect him, and she had failed! If only she hadn't stayed with Shuu! She started sobbing hysterically, waking up Shuu.
"Something happened to Ryo?" He mumbled as he sat up. "Eri?" He heard screams and sobs coming from down the hall. Something was attacking her! He jumped out of bed and raced down the hall, into Ryo's room, only to find a hysterical Eri kneeling by a bloodied Ryo's bed. "NO!" He stood in the doorway, and felt as if time stopped. Everything was whirling, spinning around him. It wasn't the same...patterns and colors swirled above him. He made his way over to Eri, who was emitting a brightness he could barely stand. "Querida?"
Eri fell into him, sobbing harder. Shuu pressed her to him, muffling her sobs slightly. "Oh, Querida..."
"He's dead!" She pulled away from him. "Ryo's dead!"
"I know, I see that." He stroked her hair, trying not to show his devastation. "Just...oh, Eri..."
"He's dead." She said bleakly. "Just dead. Not a breath left in him. Dead. Gone. Deceased. By a demon's hand."
"It's okay, Querida, I'll take care of you."
"No. You won't." She stood up. "Nobody can take care of me! I promised to protect Ryo, and I failed! I swore I wouldn't let anything happen and now he's dead! This is all my fault!" She screamed and started banging her head against the wall. "My fault! My fault!"
"No! Stop!" Shuu grabbed her wrists. "It's not your fault!"
She tore away from him and ran out to the balcony. "My fault! All my fault!" She screamed into the night. She hoisted herself up and threw herself over the balcony. Shuu yelled and raced for the balcony. He caught her hand, and dragged her back up. She fought against him, hitting his chest with her fists. He brought her into the bathroom and found the bottle of tranquilizers she had given him earlier. He looked over at her.
"Stop!" He cried as he saw she was banging her wrists on the bathtub rim. He rushed over and stuffed the pills in her mouth, but not before she bit him. He cursed as held her mouth shut and squeezed her nostrils. Her throat reacted and she swallowed. "Shhh...it's okay now..." He held her close. A few minutes later, he felt her slump against him. He lifted her up and carried her into her room. He sighed as he laid her down, and went back to clean up the poor boy who lay in the world of the dead.