Chichiri lay sprawled on the floor, gasping shallowly. He had fallen across one of the wooden tables, and he felt sharp pain in his left knee, and the warm wetness of blood. His mask fell as he lifted himself enough to look at his attackers.
"Why?" he asked. "I . . . gave you . . . "
"Stupid man, as if we believe you'd just give us your valuables. You must be protecting something else!" The husky man snarled and stalked closer, club lifting into the air once more.
Chichiri quickly reached down to grab the broken pitcher which had cut his knee. With startling speed he flung it in the face of his attacker, then rolled as far away as he could. Unfortunately, it also put the three men between him and the open doorway.
"Arrrgghhh! He cut me!" roared the thief, hand covering the right side of his face from which blood spilled. Chichiri looked on in shock and stuttered, "G-gomen . . . I didn't mean to . . . "
"Bastard!" the leader quickly cut him off. "Get him!" The three moved in on the fallen monk, who by this time was reeling from shock and blood loss. He made a shaky gesture, and tried to chant, but the club slammed into his gut and all his could do was choke.
"Stop!" cried a voice, and a golden bubble appeared above Chichiri. It's light spilled onto the faces of the thieves, casting stark shadows on their frightened faces. They backed away quickly, one man falling to the floor and scuttling crab-wise.
The orb bobbed and pulsed with agitation, and the voice spoke again. "Why? Why are you doing this . . . ?" Chichiri's head jerked up as he recognized Blue's voice, but when he tried to speak all that came out was a gut-wrenching cough.
The light flashed again, and Blue knelt beside Chichiri. "Why . . . ?" she whispered, her face pale and pupils contracted to pinpoints. She lay her hands on him, and light very much the same as came from her sisters came from her, and flowed into Chichiri's wounds. The wounds contracted a little, but soon expanded back, and she looked anxiously into his face. "Chichiri . . . help?"
He shook his head, then smiled as best he could. Another coughing fit shook his body, and Blue held his head to her shoulder. Flecks of blood stained the fabric, followed soon by her tearmarks. Then she shook her head violently and held her hands in the air above his head. Gossamer light floated down to surround him, then contracted into a golden bubble. In its reflection Blue could see Chichiri's form, floating. "Go to Taitsu-kun!" she commanded, and blew on it. She concentrated as she followed it's path, then smiled in satisfaction.
Her smile faded as she once again became aware of her surroundings. The three attackers stare at her in horror and shock as she walked up to them, hands clasped behind her back.
"Why did you do that? It'll take a long time to fix . . . I don't understand. Why?"
The leader was the first to recover. "It's a demon," he whispered harshly. The other two started, then their eyes narrowed into slits. They began stalking towards her, towering over her small figure.
Blue stared fixedly at the big man's club, still stained with blood. The man noticed her stare with a grin, and raised the weapon threateningly.
She was confused for a moment, then comprehension flashed. Her eyes narrowed, and the man yelped as the club exploded in his hand.
The thin man tried to escape, but found a wall of light across the door and shuttered windows. He turned back and gaped at the thing in the shape of a young girl, which stood as if on solid ground in midair. Her eyes flicked to him, and he felt a stabbing sensation in his brain. In a moment his entire life ran before his eyes, but he sensed the eyes of another watching, too. He moaned and slumped to the floor, completely drained.
The other two men did likewise, and Blue stood over their forms. "You . . ." she whispered. "I . . . there was no reason . . . !" The building began to shudder, and the timbers crack. From a curtained doorway emerged the frightened old man.
"Please, customer-sama . . . please don't destroy my home."
Blue gazed at him in shock, and then dissappeared. The light faded, and the old man was left inside the damaged, darkened building with three still forms.