Chapter 83

As the sun dipped past the hills, four Emishi men picked up the platform Genji lay on, and carried it into the forest. Murasaki rode beside them on Hasanko. Piccolo, Momiji, Ryu, Yume, Sir Marcus and a handful of priests followed. Yume whimpered at the sight of Genji, but Momiji patted the wolf's flank in comfort.

"I know howe ya feel, Yume." The demon priestess soothed, "I dun't like it eitha, but it's the only waye now."

Soon, they came to the clearing, and the platform Genji lay on was set in the middle of the small, tree-bordered field. Genji lay asleep and perfectly still on the platform as it was lowered to the ground. Murasaki slid off her elk and approached, holding her Shinto club.

"Momiji-kun?" she called. "You are Shinto. Can you assist me with this?"

Momiji nodded.

"What du I du?"

"First, we need to ban bodiless spirits from the area. They might disrupt the method so they can possess Genji's body."

"Thaat's easy enough." Momiji proposed, taking out her own Shinto club. They stood on opposite sides of Genji, and swung their clubs back and forth, hearing the rattling of paper tails. They chanted in Japanese for uninvited spirits to leave immediately. After five minutes of chanting, they stopped.

"They all gone." Momiji announced proudly. "I dun't even feel a kodama."

"Good." Murasaki nodded. "Can you stand guard while I begin?"

"Shure."

Momiji held her club ahead of her while Murasaki got down on her knees and pulled a crystal dagger from her robes. She cut open Genji's bandages, revealing his horribly burned chest and arms.

Several of the priests took steps back in horror, while Ryu frowned.

"It grew worse." He muttered to himself.

Murasaki chanted and waved her club a couple of times, then paused a moment in silent prayer. She took her crystal dagger and cut along Genji's gut. A thin, purple fluid oozed out from the small slice of skin. She took a gigantic jug from a priest, and pulled off the cork before gently pouring it onto the wound. It sizzled and steamed harshly on contact, making Genji's head turn side to side in pain.

It was hot water!

Then, Murasaki put the jug down and untied a small pouch from her obi. She opened the pouch and poured a few pinches of a blue powder onto the wound. She then massaged the powder into the scalding burn with her fingers while whispering in a very old Japanese dialect. The wound healed, and Genji's body relaxed. As the powder soothed the wound, the scarred skin around it began to harden and flake. Murasaki scratched the flakes away, and revealed Genji's tanned, untouched skin underneath.

One part of his soul had been cured.

Murasaki nodded at herself as Momiji looked at the patch of clean skin in awe.

"It's wurkin!"

"Is that all you're doing today?" Ryu asked. "Just a few more days of this?"

"I'm not quite done yet." Murasaki held up a halting hand as she spoke. She picked up her crystal dagger again. "Mr. Ryusato? Piccolo-sama? Hold Genji by the shoulders."

The two men looked at each other, then walked to Genji's side to hold him down.

"Yume?" Murasaki called to the wolf. "Come here by his hand. I woke him up, and he will need the comfort of a friend for this."

Yume whimpered as she approached, then she lay on her stomach by Genji's side and licked his hand with care.

"He feels scared…" she worried.

"Papa?" Murasaki turned to her father. "Hold down his feet."

"You're going to try and cut open the demon himself, eh?" Marcus asked, holding the boy's ankles. "Very risky, Saki-chan. You used up quite a bit of magick already."

"If I don't do this now, then what I cured today will just scar back over tomorrow." She explained, then she ran a hand over his chest tenderly. "To stop a weed from growing, you have to cut the roots."

Suddenly, Genji started breathing hard. His body started tensing up.

"I have to work quickly…" Murasaki insisted, holding her dagger with two hands.

Yume's head rose with a whimper to Genji's face.

"What was that growling?!"

Piccolo heard it too, and held Genji's shoulder tightly.

That better not be what I think it is…

Murasaki rose the dagger over Genji's heart, and thrusted it deep into the scarred flesh. Genji's hand shot up and grabbed her fist, easily pulling the dagger out. Murasaki looked down at Genji. His eyes were still closed, but he was grinning like a maniac. Suddenly, a voice spoke from his throat, and his mouth moved like he was talking…

Coral-chan…why did you go and do that? It felt so much nicer when you were doing this… He took her hand and rubbed it against his chest like she was doing earlier.

Murasaki grew frightened.

"Genji-chan?"

He tightened his grip on her hand, making her wince and scream.

Don't say his name! I don't want to hear it! I want you to say my name instead! You are mine now!

"Demon!" Yume barked, getting up and barking at Genji. "It's a demon talking!"

"Cell…" Piccolo growled. "Just that that one night in Muten Roshi's house…"

/|\

"Hoye, let 'er go, Genji!" Momiji shouted, grabbing his hand, trying to pry Murasaki away. "Wot aare yu doin?! Leggo!"

With his other hand, Genji grabbed Momiji's throat with a hiss.

KSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST!

Momiji gagged as she felt her windpipe start to close.

"What the…" Marcus wondered, then was suddenly kicked away by Genji's feet. Genji's demon began to struggle against Ryu and Piccolo's grasp. Several of the priests hid behind trees while others flung Shinto scrolls at Genji's chest. The scrolls instantly caught fire on touch, not effective.

Ryu acted quickly, and bit Genji's wrist until the demon let go of Momiji's throat. Momiji fell to the ground in a coughing fit while Piccolo tried to free Murasaki and talk sense to the demon.

"Cell, listen to me! Don't do this! San Masquerade is gone, and you'll never rejoin her! Don't throw this boy's like away for something you can never have!"

Cell wouldn't listen, and struggled harder. He flung Ryu off Genji's arm, and the tiger priest was smashed into a tree and knocked senseless. Piccolo trapped the possessed boy in a strangle hold. The burns on Genji's body grew, and started to snake along his face in tiger stripes…

Murasaki struggled against the demon's grip while holding her Shinto club in her other hand.

"Momiji!" she shouted to the priestess. "Your club!"

"Okay…" Momiji nodded, rubbing her throat and holding up her club. "Follow me leed."

Both began swinging their clubs in unison as Momiji chanted.

"Yosh! Akurio Taisan! I, Shotaro Momiji, commaand yu tu leeve this boy be! Stop this senseless aact ove aanga right now!" She and Murasaki raised their clubs… "SHOTARO SPECIAL POWA-DOWN…" They both struck Genji's chest hard… "…KNOCK OUT HIT!"

The demon shrieked in pain, and Genji's body went limp in Piccolo's arms. Murasaki lifted her hand away as Piccolo lay the boy down on the platform. The hiding priests came back into the clearing while the others couldn't believe what they had seen.

"What happened?" one that was hiding asked.

"Did Piccolo-sama call that monster 'Cell?' " one of the watching priests blinked.

"Did the boy turn into a demon?" another priest wondered.

"He almost did." Marcus answered, standing up. "Saki-chan, are you alright?"

"Yes…" she groaned, twirling her sore wrist in her other hand. "But, Genji-chan…"

"Iz his soul daamaaged?!" Momiji panicked.

"Genji!" Yume whimpered.

"He's fine." Piccolo assured, carefully holding up Genji's head. "Look." He pointed at Genji's still closed eyes. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks.

Murasaki smiled.

"Tears…yes, that is proof. His soul is fine."

"Yes." Piccolo nodded. "But…Genji is crying because he was aware the demon possessed him." He looked down at the boy. "I think he knows everything that happened."