Bikon and Beta chapter 8

~thoughts~

Also, in the part where she's sick? That's SUPPOSED to be confusing, since it's her POV and she's half-delerious. Hence the lack of names for most of the words.

Korunue wakes, finding herself lying on the ground where she had fainted. She stirs, a little, and opens her eyes. She examines her limbs, her body, finding it to be mostly himan, with dog ears on top of her head. She sniffs, trying to find out what's going on.

Gamma stirrs a little as well, his jet black wings and black tail moving a little as he sleeps against a tree near Kor.

Korunue yawns, waking. She frowns. "What.." then jumps. "I can talk!"

Gamma is startles awake by that his wings streaching out as he jerks up. "Wh..what? Whats going on?"

"I can talk!"

Gamma looks over to see Korunue. He still seems a little sleepy. "I can talk too. I'm happy for you."

Korunue blinks. "I couldn't talk before. How come I can talk now?

Gamma blinks. "What do you remember?"

Korunue frowns. "Master wasn't happy. I tried to make him happy and it didn't help. Then I woke up and I could talk!"

Gamma looks at her and sighs. "You don't remember anythign before that, not even who I am?"

Korunue frowns. "I know who you are... you're New Master."

Gamma sighs. "Great, it didn't work. All you remember is what happened after that blue fairy zapped us."

Korunue frowns. "fairy? Oh! The blue thingie! And before that I... " she puzzles. "I was unhappy and you were kind to me. And before that.... something about dragons and firey birds and... " She blinks, shaking her head. "see! I do remember!"

Gamma blinks, his wings moving a little. "Ok, so you remember, but you just think of it a diffrent way. At least its a step in the right directon."

Korunue nods. "Wait.. which direction is the right one? That way? That way?" She points in random directions.

Gamma sighs and facepalms. "This is going to take a lot of work."

Korunue looks excited. "I can help! I can pull things... ooh! I can catch a stick!"

Gamma continues to faepalm. "Not that kind of work Korunue."

Korunue tilts her head, confused. "What kind of work, then? I wanna help!"

"Well, before you were a lot diffrent. For one you would realize that I meant that you may not be like you were but at elast its not worse."

Korunue blinks. "um... ok. So, how was I different? Tell me!"

"Well you wern't as energetic as this."

Korunue blinks. "oh. Should I be less energetic, then?"

"No thats ok. For now just act naturally."

Korunue smiles. "Ok! But what else was different?"

"Well, you know my name and some of what I am."

Korunue nods. She closes her eyes and thinks. "G.. Gamma!" She opens them. "And you do that thingie, with the sparkly stuff, and boom!"

"OK, you know a little bit about me then. But you also were very sad."

Korunue frowns. "sad?"

Gamma nods. "I was trying to get you cheered up, but it didn't seem like it was working. Of course I also looked a little different."

"Why would I be sad?"

"I think because you thought that you made people sad."

"Why would I think that?" She pauses, remembers.... "Master doesn't like me anymore, does he?"

Gamma shakes his head. "No, he likes you a lot. He was just surprised at what happened to you."

Korunue looks down. "What was he doing with the shiny stick?" meaning the dagger

"He...was going to hurt himself."

Korunue looks up. "Why?"

"I think because he didn't think we could help you."

Korunue blinks. "oh. ok. So... tell me more about me so I can make it all better and he won't hurt himself."

"Well I didn't know you that well, but I do know that you didn't like to hurt living things."

Korunue nods. "That's good. Anything else important?"

"Well I don't really know a lot about you before I came here, so that might be it. Ali would be able to tell you more."

Korunue nods. "What was I doing right before the blue sparkl... I mean, the fairy, appeared?"

"You were trying to attack this large back wolf that turned into a dragon."

Korunue nods. "Um... ok.... How about before that?" Korunue is searching for something that will help her remember better.

"Um, we were talking about how you were a lot of help to me and you wern't worthless." (A/N- remember, my logs are patchy, so chances are that conversation fell through the cracks.)

Korunue blinks. "Worthless?"

Gamma nods. "Yeah, It didn't make any sense to me either."

Korunue frowns. "worthless... " that meant something important.. if only she could remember... if only... if only she could remember... she frowns deeper, then cries out as she is hit with a suddan flood of memory.

Gamma gasps. "Whats wrong?"

Korunue blinks. And blinks. She frowns, then looks away. "you shouldn't have told me. D'arvit, I was HAPPY."

Gamma hugs her tight. "Oh, Korunue..."

She whimpers, then tugs away, stumbling off into the forest, sobbing. Gamma sighs, letting her go, hurt.

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Korunue wakes, stiff, a ways off in the woods, and stands slowly. Making her way back, she looks at Gamma, a lump rising in her throat, and then goes off in search of her pack. "I've failed you already." she whispers, rummaging in her pack.

Gamma stirs a little, his wings ruffling a little and his tail moving back and forth. Korunue finds her dagger in her pack and takes it out, looking at it. Last chance... last chance to turn back.... another glance to Gamma. She was failing him... she would hurt him... but... she... he had Ylamat and Ali... he would be alright, eventually....Gamma stirs a little more, seeming to be slowly awakening. His wings and tail start to move a little more, apparently working kinks out of them. The bushes stir slightly, the leaves rattling together for an instant before falling silent.

Gamma blinks sleepily and leans up. He stretches his arms and wings out for a moment and yawna. He looks around, not fully awake. "Korunue?"

Ronin idly slumps through the forest. He seems to be in a daze. Not really paying any attention to what he is doing, his feet drag, his ears droop. His head is downcast and he barely misses walking into several trees. His hanyou senses keeping him in a semi-safe state.Something like a snake's rattle is heard nearby, then it silences.

Korunue looks up, quickly hiding the dagger behind her back. "Gamma!"

Gamma looks around, wondering where the noise and Kor are. He slowly stands up, his tail stretching out. "Is that you Korunue?"

Ronin picks a small tree and sits down at the base of it. He doesn't seem to hear anything, and if he does, he doesn't care. He sits silently, not moving.

Korunue looks about for a place to hide the dagger. "over here." she ignores the rattle, and does not see Ronin, her back being to the woods.

Gamma rubs his eyes with the back of his hand. "Was that you in the bushes? I think I *yawn* heard something in there, but I wasn't sure." Ronin sits quietly.

Korunue shakes her head. "no... " she still has the dagger behind her back, standing, all senses on Gamma, her back to Ronin. Something rattles again... Korunue backs up slowly, hearing Something but not knowing what it is... she thinks maybe it's up ahead of her, not in the woods behind her...

Gamma starts walking towards Kor, half asleep. "Oh, ok then. I was just curious."

Something moves behind Korunue, rattling again, loudly. Korunue hears it and jumps, nervous. "wh..wh...what's that...." she fumbles with the knife behind her back. Ronin sits perfectly still. He still doesnt seem to hear anything.

Gamma get closer and he sees Kor jump, his eyes open a little more. "Hey Korunue, what is that anyway?"

Something falls silent once again. There is a pause, then the bushes to the north shake and quiver. Korunue whirls around, forgetting the knife for the moment, staring at the bushes. "gamma...."

Something golden glints out from between the leaves of the bush. Gamma starts to become a litle more awake. "Yes Korunue?"

Korunue 's back is to Gamma... including the knife, which she has forgotten about. "Um... what is that?..."

Gamma dosn't notice the knife since he is still sorta asleep. "What is what?"

Korunue swallows, the knife glinting in the sunlight. "th...th..th...that...." she points with her left hand at the bush, her right hand holding the knife. Something rattles in the bushes behind Kor and Gamma.

Gamma turns to the bush behind him. "Hey, thats the same thing that woke me up."

Korunue turns to the other bushes, walking over to Gamma. "Gamma.. I'm scared..." her right arm with the knife falls to her side.

Gamma blinks his eyes, looking over to Kor. "You don't know what it is either?"

Korunue shakes her head. "I was just.... er... doing stuff... and then I heard you wake up, and then I heard this thing rustle."

Ronin draws his knees up to his chest and makes a few noises similar to whimpers. Gamma starts to look at the bushes, almost fully awake. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

A stunning golden serpent darts out of the bush, no larger than a garter snake. Diamond bright eyes look at both of them with fright. It curls up, shivering.

Korunue is more alert now, and hears whimpers... that sounds like... "ronin!" she gasps, the snake forgotten for the moment. She drops the knife and runs into the woods, following the sound.

Ronin sits silently now, not moving. Gamma bands down hear the snake. "Hello? Who are you?" A tiny rattle on the tip of its tail shakes, and it looks about ready to bolt.

Korunue stops short, tears streaming down her face, as he falls silent. "ronin..."she sobs, feeling her heart break. She had hurt him again... she had hurt him again... despite all her efforts... and she had hurt Gamma... she sinks to her knees, sobbing openly. Ronin doesnt seem to notice.

Gamma continues to look at the snake, wondering why it looks so scared. He then hears Kor crying. "Can you stay right here? I want to see whats wrong with my friend."

GoldenSnake bolts, dashing into the bushes again, disappearing. Moments later, it reappears behind Kor, silently slinking forward. Gamma turns and starts walking towards where Kor was crying. "I guess it didn't want to talk to me." He kneels down next to her. "What's wrong?"

Korunue stands, feeling alone and knowing it to be her own fault. She stops crying, and walks, as if in a trance, back to where she dropped her knife. She ignores Gamma, lifting the knife and staring at it, placing the blade flat against her palm.

GoldenSnake flits back into the bushes. Gamma turns to Kor, seeing her place the blade against her palm. "Korunue. I know you can hear me. Please put the knife down."

GoldenSnake darts out beside Kor, hissing and striking at her ankle. Ronin whimpers loudly again. Korunue looks at Gamma, dispair in her eyes. She says nothing, not moving out of the way, her ears turning towards Ronin.

Ronin slowly stands up, and resumes his plod through the forest, not paying any attention to his surroundings. Gamma runs forward and takes a hold of the blade of the knife. "I can't let you do this." GoldenSnake locks its jaws onto Kor's ankle since Gamma went for the knife. Ronin stumbles right past the 3, managing to step on the snake in the process. GoldenSnake winces, but doesn't let go of Kor.

Korunue looks blankly at Gamma. "Gamma...." she says, her voice full of dispair. She looks at Ronin. "Ronin...." she looks at the snake. "'m sorry..."

Ronin hears his name and stops. His head turns around and looks at the source, his eyes staring blankly at Korunue. At least it looks like Kor. But thats impossible, Kor is a dog, not ikkiyou. He turns around and keeps walking.

GoldenSnake injects venom into Kor, then lets go and slithers away quickly. Gamma holds the blade harder, his sharpened nails digging into the metal of the blade. "Just let go of the blade." He looks to Ronin. "Can you help me here?!"

Korunue looks at Ronin. He didn't... know her... he didn't... care... "Ronin..." she sobs. She looks at Gamma. "What's the point... the snake's as good as any knife... " She slumps to her knees, sobbing bitterly,her ankle out to the side, the puncture in full view, letting go of the knife.

Ronin takes a few more steps, he stumbles a little, then falls to his knees, then flat out on the ground. There he lays silently. Eyes still staring blankly. He is alive, but doesn't appear to be paying attention, sort off of in a dream world. Gamma flings the knife away, large pits in it from where he gripped it. HE then loks at her ankle. "What do you mean?"

Korunue looks to Ronin, her eyes going dead. She look at him, her eyes flat and dead, no signs of hope at all in them. She shuts them, looking down, sobbing her heart out. Ronin closes his eyes, his breathing shallow. Gamma holds his hand over the wouldn hopeing that he hasn't changed enough for this not to work. His hand starts to glow and he would then try to heal the damage to her ankle. Korunue swats his hand away, suddanly. "no." she says, sadly, looking to Ronin. "it's not worth it."

Gamma moves his hand back over the wound, taking a better hold this time as he watches his hand. "I think it is worth it."

Korunue beats on his arm franticlly. "no! no it's not! leave me be!" she sobs harder. "leave me be..."

Gamma catches one of her arms with his other hand, his eyes glowing for a moment. "Yes, it is. I think that you have more to live for that a lot of other people I've met and I will prove it to you."

Korunue sobs harder, her heart broken in two, or so it seemed. "leave me alone.... please... I have nothing... nothing...." she tries to pull away.

Gamma keeps a hold of her leg, continuing to heal it. "You may think that, but its not true."

Korunue collapses on the ground, sobbing. "nothing..."

Gamma finishes healing the wound, but looks her over to see if there is any poison in her. Korunue 's memories are a bit fuzzy, due to the poison... she tries to crawl over to Ronin, sobbing. She was injected with poison, and it's spread through most of her. Gamma puts his hand on her again, trying to see if he can possible break down the poison or draw it out of her. Korunue fights wildly, trying to get away... she sobs madly, desprate to get to Ronin. The poison is very complex and difficult to break down. And it has already begun to affect her. Gamma tries to see if he can at least keep the poison from affecting her anymore, his eyes glowing again. "If you don't stop that, then you wonlt be in any shape to talk to him."

Korunue sobs. She fights harder. "let me go!" her memories are fuzzier... if she tries, she can no longer remember her adoptive parents, or her old school friends...He stops the venom from affecting her muscles. Gamma starts to move with her as she goes over to Ronin. "I'll let go when I don't have to worry about you getting hurt."

Korunue collapses next to Ronin, sobbing. "Ronin... ronin... I'm so sorry... I..." she shuts her eyes, whining softly from the pain.

Ronin doesnt respond. He still doesnt even seem to know what is happening around him. Gamma reaches out to Ronin and places a hand on his sholder. "Do you think you can keep her still?"

Korunue curls up into a ball, sobbing. "Ronin..." she lets herself slip into that dark hole inside herelf and stops crying, her breathing slow, looking similar to Ronin.

Ronin doesnt show any signs of recognizing Gamma's touch. Gamma shakes him. "Hey, Can you wake up? I need your help!"

Korunue lays very still... hopefully, she'll die of starvation... life wasn't worth it, not like this, not when she hurt everyone... Ronin looks up at Gamma, then lays his head back down, next to Kor's. Gamma sighs and tries breaking the poison down again, his eyes start to glow, but unless Kor and Ronin snap out if it they wouldn't notice. Korunue falls deeper, scarcely even breathing, her pulse slow and sluggish. A dagger would be faster, more merciful... but Gamma would never let her... Just a little of the poison is broken down.

Gamma sees that Kor is hardly breathing and starts to talk to her ans he continues to try to break down the poison. "Korunue, I know you can hear me. You have to help me with this. I may be able to do this but you need to put up a fight. I know that you think that he dosn't care for you but he does." His eyes are glowing steadily now.

Korunue 's breath becomes raggady, uneven, a signal of the immense pain and sadness she felt. She feels herself coming back.. and fights it, trying to get back to her calm place, where she felt nothing. Gamma continues to talk, but it sounds diffrent. Like its a little deeper and calmer. "You can't just try to hide wherever you think things arn't going for you. You have to fight and try to make things better. You can't just give up."Korunue is tired of fighting, tired of living for others.. she hurt them, she hurt everyone, she didn't want to live, why should she live? She used to keep going for Ronin... but she hurt him.. she tried for Gamma, because he needed her, but she hurt him... why bother?

Gamma continues talking in that deeper voice, stil trying to break down the poison. "You have to keep going. You have more that what most have. You have someone that cares for you enough to come to another universe to find you. You have friends that would risk their lives to help you. You have someone that really looks up to you to help him. You can still help them, all you have to do is try." Korunue might have scoffed, if she'd been feeling better. He loved her so much, and look where it got him? Gamma said he needed her help.. she was like a succubus, impossible to not need, but deadly, like a siren, her pain calling to decent souls but the same pain destroying them. All of a sudden... all of the poison disappears... it's gone.

"Please, you have to come back and fight this. If you don't...Ronin woudl die. I can't get him to respond to anything wihtout you here. I don't even know of he will even move." He seems a little surprised by the poison disappearing, but continues speaking. "You have to come back. He can't do this alone." Korunue is beyond caring... she can do nothing for him... she has destroyed the one man she loves above all others... she reduced him to a shell of his former self... he wanted death... she can't... she...

Gamma starts to glare at Kor, his eyes burning bright yellow. "Korunue, GET UP! How can you lay there when you are needed. You keep saying that your useless, that you have no worth. That's so far off it's not even funny. Ronin is basically comatose bacause he thought you were gone for ever and Gamma is just sitting back, crying because he can't help. All there people around you that need you and you think that your USELESS?!"

Korunue, frightened, receedes further inside herself. What was happening to her... she was remembering something.. but... what... what was it... what... how... as the memory played, she found it matching with her mood. Another failure.. another someone she let down... Ronin, Gamma... the names hurt her, hurt because she knew she couldn't help them, couldn't protect them from her own self...

"Please help them. I can't do this. They won'e respond to me, but they will to you. You have to get out of wherever you are in that brain of yours and help them! Do you have any idea what is going through Gamma's moind right now? He thinks that he con't help you because he did something wrong, that he was the one that failed. He is sitting here, balling his eyes out because you think that he would be better off without you!"

Korunue watches the end of the memory. No way that could be hers.. she was never that brave... Gamma... that hurt, that cut her deeply. The pain.. she should come out and tell him, it's not him, it's her... but he won't listen, won't accept that, won't let her be. Another memory grips her, and she gladly concentrates on that rather than the pain.

"Korunue, I know you are in a lot of pain. Anything like this is hard but you need to come back and help them, I know you can hear me so you have to come back. I don't have any way to help either of them but you do. All you have to do is actually get up."

Korunue can't take it anymore! The memories... the pain... if she just got up and got her dagger, it could all be over in a single slice. She forces herself out of it... one last goodbye... she sobs. "Ronin... ronin, please... " it was useless, she knew, but... "please... one last kiss.. before I die..." she whispers to him. Ronin doesnt respond, of course.

Gamma looks to Kor, still speaking in a deeper voice. "You have to try and bring him back. I can't get to him since he would care nothing for Gamma like you do. You have to try and wake him up."

Korunue looks at him in dispair. "I can't... Ronin..." she collapses sobbing onto him, sobbing for a few moments, making his shirt wet... then she spies the glinting, tempting knife a few feet away and crawls towards it. Ronin stirs a little, he rises his head up and looks at Korunue, groaning a little.

Gamma sees the knife and swipes his hand at it. The ground around it looks like some thing clawed at it and the knife goes flying farther away. "That is something that Gamma should have gotten rid of when he had the chance." Korunue cries out, as if in pain, seeing her last hope go flying off. She stares after it, whimpering softly. "That is not anything that would help anyone. It would just cause more pain and suffering." Gamma continues.

Ronin groans again, trying to get Kor's attention this time. Korunue cries, looking at it. She hears Ronin, but... he was probably just telling her to do it, to kill herself, because he was beyond hope... she saw that, she saw the hopelessness he seeemed to have... she closed her eyes in defeat, watching as another impossible memory came to her. Ronin raises his head more. "Kor, is that you?"

Gamma continues to talk, his voice still deeper than it usually is. "See, you are already helping him. You just have to keep talking and try to help them. That is all they ask, is that you try."

Korunue hears the words spoken in the memory... but... she was not helping... she could not help... she didn't know what to do... she hears the words spoken to her in the current, but... "yes." her voice is flat, dead, as she answers Ronin, with no hint of hope left. All her hope had fled when she looked at Ronin.

Ronin nods nd whimpers softly as he lays his head back down. "Kor...come here, please?"

Gamma glares at her, but stays silent, his eyes still glowing yellow. Korunue crawls over to him, looking down, not able to bear looking him in the eyes, not when he's like this. not when she's like this. "of course." she whispers, softly, sadly.

Ronin looks at Korunue and doesnt say anything. Korunue looks away. "do you.. hate me? For what I've done to you?" her voice still holds no hope in it... as if she thinks she knows what the answer is, but wants to hear it anyhow.

Ronin shakes his head and says, "no."

Korunue swallows, still looking away. "I won't ask you to forgive me." She doesn't think that it's possible, not when she'd destroyed him so utterly.

Ronin sighs and reaches out to put a hand on Korunue's shoulder. Korunue sighs, her sigh full of dispair. "He won't leave me be. He keeps pestering me. He has all sorts of mistaken ideals he thinks I can live up to." meaning Gamma, or whatever Gamma was now, or more likely both. Ronin nods a little and squeezes Kor's shoulder.

Korunue still does not look at him. "I wish he'd leave me alone... I could try and make things right... or at least stop myself from hurting anyone else...."

Ronin nods again and pulls Korunue close to him. "I know. Just stay here right now"

Weeping silently, she slowly falls asleep, cuddled close to him.

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A/N- If you hate sad stories, go away now. Please. For your own sanity.

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Korunue awakes, the next morning. Something's wrong... very wrong. She looks over at Ronin. Her eyes refuse to add up the images she was seeing. There is his sleeping face, there a dagger, there his chest, there the blood... no, they can't add up. It just doesn't make sense. He can't be..... dead.

Her lip trembles, as she runs her hands over his cold body. He's been dead hours... she presses her lips to his, passionatly kissing him, her tears dripping into his glassy eyes, as though she can breathe life into him just by loving him, just by caring...

She reaches for the dagger to pull it from his chest, and a deep voice nearby said, softly, "No, Korunue."

She looks up through her tears as Gamma stood there, eyes glowing softly. She whimpers, clutching the dagger tightly. "Let me die..." whispered, her eyes holding no hope, nothing.

"I can't do that, Kor." She whimpers, fumbling with the dagger as it is yanked from her hands and he pulls her into a hug. The dam breaks and she sobs and sobs, on his shoulder, pouring out her grief and pain. He rubs her back some, but she still feels empty inside afterwards, hollow, nothing but pain in her heart.

A mental scream in her mind. She stiffens, searching for the source. Ali's voice, pulling her out of her depression... ~He's got me!~

~Who?~ she asks, suddanly worried. She can feel the insanity closing in on Ali's mind, feel her pain and anguish as keenly as she feels her own. She refuses to lose them both, determined to save at least one friend of hers.

~Astral Dragon...~ Mental laughter as Ali's mind seals behind a wall of insanity.

~NO! You let her go!~

The voice is cold, malicious, evil. ~Why? I've finally got her! I've been waiting for this revenge for decades.~

In that moment, she makes up her mind. Casting a glance at Ronin's body, she steels herself. ~Take me instead. Anything you would do to her, anything you blame her for, pin it on me instead. Kill me, just let her go!~

~You'd give your life for hers?~

~Yes!~

A pause, full of evil in her soul. ~Alright. I accept your deal.~ Korunue pulls away from Gamma, and he looks at her, worry in his eyes. Then she... vanishes. The last thing she sees is panic in his glowing eyes, blind terror.

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Korunue has found herself in a voided space, but there is a footholding. Two red eyes wink into existance nearby, seeming to grin. "Welcome, Korunue."

"What... what do you want with me?" she whimpers.

"For one thing, you are technically dead. You know the bargain we made, and I will inflict my revenge on you rather than Ali Cia."

"Ali... she is alright? You havn't gone back on our deal?"

"Not at all. She is still perfectly safe within her own walls of insanity." He laughs. "And I happen to have her right here." A glowing fiery ball appears nearby, out of Korunue's reach. Ali can be heard crying inside, aching. She can hardly think now, but is perfectly aware. "As a matter of fact, you are perfectly safe as well."

"Ali! You lied! Let her go! Punish me, make it worse for me, but let Ali go... you promised..." she becomes suddanly, rather than a martyr, a sobbing little girl.

"I never lie. I never said I would release her. I only said I wouldn't kill her."

"You said me for her! You take me, and let her go! That was the deal! She's not free yet!"

Astral_Dragon laughs. "Poor, simple fool." The marble-sized sphere flies up to become a distant twinkling, ever looking down at Korunue. "You should have known not to trust me. Ah well, I suppose you shall pay the price."

Korunue gathers her wits about her. "And besides. She'll suffer more if you allow her to be unsafe... if you return her to her body to await your worse wrath later... Do what you want with me. I'll scream, cry, beg, whatever you want, if you let her go. I won't if you keep her. I'll curl up and not move until you kill me, and that won't be any fun at all."

"I told you, you are already dead."

"But I am aware. I can just curl up for all eternity, or I can beg, scream, carry on as you torment me."

"Ali is safe, be sure of that. Nothing will harm her precious body. Nor will anything harm yours. If either of you dies, I would no longer be able to.. ~play~ with you. Neither of you will die."

"Let her go! You have what you want... let her cling to her precious life a while longer."

"No." Temperature around Korunue suddenly rises to an unbelievable degree, one that no one living would ever survive.

Korunue bites her lip and looks at the eyes. "so be it." She reaches for her calm place, curling up in a ball on the floor, blotting out all pain, all physical pain and mental pain and emotional pain, while crying out with her mind "ali! flee!"

Somehow, in the Astral realm, the calm place, too, is invaded. All places in the mind have been merged into one, and they are all open to him. Korunue opens her eyes wide. She whimpers, curling up tightly. No thoughts... no feelings..... she would make a new calm place, if she didn't move... The temperature then suddenly drops, way below freezing temperatures, where even the north pole would seem warm.Korunue shivers, curling up tighter, praying for a complete and total death.

The temperature slowly returns back to normal. "Did you enjoy that?" he asks slyly.

"yes."

"Good." The sensation of a barbed iron spike driving through Korunue's heart hits her. It even stings as if it were rusty.

Korunue resists the urge to scream, cry out... she takes a deep, painful breath, and then another. The spikes of the blade suddenly jut outward, spearing through flesh and snapping ribs. Korunue opens her mouth in a silent scream, intaking sharply, but lets not a sound out, clamping her mouth shut, closing her eyes, forgetting even to exhale. Pain... Rusty threads snake out from the body of the spike, penitrating through every bit of flesh, blood vessiles, driving into bone and muscle, sewing in and out of her skin. Korunue passes out, or tries to anyhow. He allows it this time, letting her mind blank out as the pain vanishes. He chuckles. "Sleep tight."

Korunue passes out, into a dreamless sleep thankfully, her last concious thought: "i should have killed myself when I had the chance." Even though she retreats into her own mind, she still must stay aware.

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Ali_Cia sticks her tongue out at Gamma.

Gamma sticks his tounge back at her.

Ali_Cia can't see it.

Gamma growls in frustration. "Ok. Ali, what is an Astral Dragon?"

"Nasty black dragon! He kill me!"

Gamma nods. "Was he evil?"

Ali_Cia nods.

"ok then." He tries to sense for any dragons that have a dark feel to them. There aren't any in Bikon. "I can't find her." He looks over to Ali, seeing if there is anything he can do to help her.

Ali_Cia is nibbling on her foot... she's still perfectly insane.

Gamma sighs. "What am I going to do? I don;t know where Korunue was taken, hove no way of finding her. It's like she completly disappeared."

"She on other ground."

Gamma looks at Ali. "What?"

"Other ground, other plane. Big, black, flat place."

"You mean like a diffrent dimension?"

"Yeah!"

"Well how do we get her back then?"

"Fly to nothingness!" She dances and grins.

"Do you know where it is?"

Ali_Cia bobs her head up and down.

"Could you give directions if we could fly there?"

"You teweport to big black emptiness in sky. Then fly to heart of star."

"Um..Ali. I can't do that. I'm not like you."

"Den I'll do it."

"Well how am I suppose to follow you?"

Ali_Cia leaps forward, landing on his shoulder.

Gamma looks at Ali. "Well that could work I guess."

Ali_Cia spreads her wings, beginning to charge up, but it's unlikely that she'll ever get the spell exactly right.

"Um...Ali. I think I may actually need air in this form so you might want to think obaut that."

"Air? Where air?"

Gamma blinks and creates a bubble around them so they can breath wear their going.

Ali_Cia releases the spell, everything around them disappearing. Everything is dark, except for a single speck of golden light in the distance.

Gamma blinks. "Where are we?"

Ali_Cia has... disappeared?

Gamma blinks and looks down to see if that pendant is still there and then looks around them. "And Ali disappeared. Now I have to find both of them." He tries to see if he can sense them.

Korunue curles into a tighter ball, blotting out all sensation, all pain, all anguish....Ali can be felt.. toward that tiny golden speck of light.

Gamma looks towards the speck of light. "I think I go that way." He starts walking in that direction.

The speck is above them. It's impossible to walk to it. Gamma looks up. "Well thats a little more difficult." He decides to see if Kor is in the same place. She's nearby, on the ground. Gamma looks around and calls out. "Korunue?" Korunue does not answer.Korunue does not move. Is she unconcious? Gamma walks over to where he thinks Kor is. "Korunue? Are you there?"

Korunue groans, softly. Two glowing red eyes look out of the darkness. "Well, well. Visitors."

Korunue blinks, looking up. She gasps. "no! get out of here... take Ali and run! she's more important... get Ali out of here.." she babbles.

Gamma looks at the eyes, having a pretty good idea what they belong to. He wings flare out and his tail lashes as he stands in between it and Kor. "Where's Ali?"

"None of you are leaving." Astral Dragon chuckles again, grinning. The eyes glance up at the ball of golden light in the sky.

"No! It's me you want, let them go.. you don't need them for your vengance..." Kor babbles, frantic.

Astral Dragon snarls, white flashing teeth and claws appearing, slashing at the spark of light. An immense black tail appears out of nowhere, swinging in such a way that it would swat Korunue away like a fly. Gamma holds his hands out and a sheild would appear around him and Korunue. "I said you wont hurt them!" The flames on his hands start to grow.

Korunue cries out. "Gamma! no! get yourself out of here! I am here by my choice. It is my choice to be here! I choose for you and Ali to live, to flee!"

There is a flash of light, and everyone returns to Bikon. Ali is seen on the ground.. unconscious. Gamma blinks and the sheild goes down, the flames still around his hands. "Ok, are we back or not?"

Korunue crawls over to Ali, her muscles protesting, and shakes her. "Ali! Ali, wake up... please..." she sobs.

Gamma goes over to Ali, the flames winking out. "Ali? Can you hear me?"

Korunue collapses, sobbing. "she didn't... she shouldn't have brought me... his wrath will be terrible..."

Gamma looks over to Kor. "He won't hurt you." He says this like its a matter of fact. But Korunue has passed out from the pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Korunue wakes, groaning a little. She felt horrible... she shivers, despite herself. So cold... so cold... and her stomach felt horrible too. She keeps her eyes shut for the moment. Voices, hard to focus on, fragmented...

Gamma rubs his eyes. "Um, is Omega the one with the flames and stuff?"

"Yes."

"Well he seemed really mad at you. He was yelling and stuff. I think Beta got him to be quiet somehow though."

"Well, I can't blame him." Wings, wrapped around her.

Korunue feels hot to the touch, though she shivers, her teeth chattering. She opens her eyes.. and immediatly shuts them again. "make the world stop spinning, one of you." she groans.

Gamma blinks. "But it's not moving at all."

"She's sick. She feels cold and.. has a fever.. Her stomach is churning..."

~Korunue. You must be sick. You're hot.~ Ali mentally called to her.

~ugh... i feel aweful...~ she groaned in reply.

~I do too..~

"Oh. You want me to try and make her feel better?"

~Do you need Gamma to heal you?~

Korunue slowly opens her eyes again, a crack. "How come there's three of you now, ali?"

~You're seeing things.~

"Shh.. Fix her... please." Ali backs off.

Kor: ~I... i dunno... just make things stop moving... ~

Ali: ~Gamma can. Can Gamma help you?~

Kor: ~sure...~

Korunue whimpers, seeing Gamma. "Ronin..." obviously, she DIDN'T see Gamma...

Ali: ~No, it's Gamma.. It's Gamma, not Ronin.~

Kor: ~Ronin.... ~

Ali_Cia suddenly sobs, covering her face.

Gamma walks over to Korunue. "I think she is seeign things." He holds her hands over her and small sparks start to drift down on her, trying to heal her. Korunue rolls on her side and vomits, violently. Gamma closes his eyes, trying to see if he can stop what is making her sick.

Ali:~Korunue!~

Ali_Cia cries out, as if in pain. "Korunue!"

Kor: ~Ali?

Ali: ~I'm here, Korunue. I'm not going to leave you!~

Kor: ~Ali...~ Korunue is having trouble focusing, her mind slow, dull-witted, easily fooled by the fever-dreams.

Korunue has a virus, from being outside so much, and her immune system isn't up to snuff because of all the stress she's been under lately, leaving her practiclly unable to fight it. "Ali... Ronin... Ronin, why?" Gamma flinches, but keeps his eyes closed, trying to stop the virus.

Ali Cia shivers violently, holding her head. "Korunue, fight it! Please!"

The virus has already spread throughout most of her system, being in her bloodstream, and reproduced. Luckily, it will run it's course in time... if Kor can keep from being dehydrated by the fevor. "Ronin... I dreamed you went away... why? why did you leave?"

Ali_Cia stumbles forward, collapsing beside Korunue, pressing close.

Gamma opens his eyes and looks at Kor. wondering what he should say.

"Ronin... Ronin, please, don't hate me, I can't stand it if you hate me tooo..." tears slide down her cheeks.

Ali: ~Ronin loves you, but he had to go away. He wants you to be happy down here, but he doesn't want you to follow.~

Gamma kneels down close to her. "I don't hate you. I never did."

"Why? why did you leave me? don't you love me anymore?"

Ali: ~They needed him. He didn't want to hurt you, but he had to go.~

"I do love you. I always will and leaving was a mistake."

"Ronin... what do you want me to do? Should I come with you?"

Gamma shakes his head. "No. I want you to keep living. When it is your time you will join me, but untill that time I want you to be strong and live your life."

"but I... I can't, I... I miss you so much... I'm not strong enough... all I can do here is hurt..."

Gamma shakes his head. "No, thats not true. Your a lot stronger than you think and you have done a lot of good. Ask Gamma about it later and you'll see. I miss you too, but you have to keep going without me. We will be together again, but you have to keep living untill that day comes."

"Ronin... I love you... watch out for Kiky... don't let Kiky get you, please... tell me if she comes after you and I'll come help you in an instant..."

"Don't worry. I can watch out for her. You just try and be happy." He smiles at her.

"happy.. how can I be happy without you?"

"Look around you. You have these nice people that care for you. Don't be sad over me, well be together again one day, just try and be happy about that ok?"

Korunue nods. "I... I'll try... but... what if I turn out like my father?"

Ali_Cia presses her nose against Korunue.

"You don't have to worry about that. Just try and be yourself and everything will turn out ok."

"But I might... I might fall in love with someone else if I let you go!" Ali Cia whines.

Gamma shakes his head. "It's ok. All I want is for you to be happy. It would be a shame for you to isolate yourself just because you miss me."

Korunue whimpers. "It hurts... it hurts so much.. why didn't you at least say goodbye to me? why did you just leave?"

Gamma sighs. "I'm sorry for doing that to you. It was a mistake that I can't make up for but I do want you to know that I will always love you."

Korunue sniffles, whimpering. "oh Ronin.... Ronin! don't go, Ronin...." she closes her eyes.

"Goodbye Korunue. Remember, I will always love you"

"ronin..." she whimpers, falling asleep. her body temperature begins to drop, a little at a time.

Gamma sighs, waiting to make sure that she is asleep.

Ali Cia is pulled into slumber, having lost herself with Korunue. She stays pressed close, though. Gamma sits down and seems to stare out in at the waterfall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gamma looks back over to Ali and Kor. He smiles for a moment and then goes back to whateven he was thinking about. Korunue's fever seems to be fading faster... she glows purple.

Gamma goes over to the water and closes his eyes. A glass cup forms in front of hin and he gets some water from it. He brings it back over to Kor. "Here, drink this."

Korunue is unconcious. Ali Cia stirs, semi wondering why Korunue is glowing purple. She can feel the energy from it.

Gamma looks at her aura, trying to remember when he saw it before. Korunue 's magic is aiding her immune system in fighting off the virus, now that her subconcious is sure that it'd be a good idea. Gamma smiles at this and puts the glass with water over near her. However, there is a downside... the magic suddanly makes her burst into magical flame as it tries to "purify" her at the same time... oops.

Ali Cia is immediately awakened. Gamma backs up a little, wondering what that is about. The powers search Kor's mind, seeing the dragon as no threat to the jewel, and thus merely tickle a little to Ali. Korunue, though, wakes, and screams, as the flames burn away the last of the virus... and start on her youkai blood. Gamma looks at the flames. "STOP. Your hurting her!" The flames don't see it that way... they see her youkai blood as evil, and try and burn it out of her, as they would a curse... of course, if that happened they'd kill her by mistake... and the powers will have to find a rather pure newborn, disrupting the bloodline...Ali Cia winces, backing away. She screams.

Ali: ~Korunue... what if.. what if I shift into a human?~

Gamma holds out his hands. He braces himself and tries draining the magic like he did before.

Kor:~It won't help... it only wants me....~ images of her power flood through. her screaming in anger and glowing before blacking out, her getting angry and shoving Gamma away with it.

Ali: ~But.. doesn't it want a human?~

The flames are absorbed, some of them, and begin to try and purify Gamma, while more spring up on Kor. Gamma grits his teeth, dark purple flames leaping around him to thy and combat Kor's magic. Korunue screams again, as the magic burns her blood, her ears especially catching... she tries to take hold of it, command it, but she's never been able to that easily... the flames will try to burn away anything in Gamma that is not human, or that is evil, or that smells of demon, so to speak.

Ali Cia grits her teeth, reaching forward with her mind, wrapping it around the magic flames and trying to compress them, smother them if she can.

Gamma screams out, trying to get a hold of whatever the magic is doing and make it stop. He falls to his knees, trying anything to stop it.

Korunue sees Gamma and bites her lip. She orders the magic to stop. She pleads. She begs. She tells it that it will kill her. She tries to figure out what it wants... it's not sentiant, that's for sure. She has an idea.. she pictures a large dragon, coming at her, and wills the magic, all of it, to go battle the beast and protect the jewel. The magic searches Gamma's mind, looking for the bloodline, or a mention of the jewel. It stops purifying suddanly, confused. This being wasn't human enough for the jewel! and the jewel could not fall into youkai hands... the magic was protective of it.

Gamma continues to grit his teeth. His tail lashing about and his wings wrapped around him. He feels it suddenly stop and starts breathing hard. Korunue screams in pain, crumpling, feeling as though her heart was being torn out of her. no good! It was killing her....how had she awakened it, mastered it, before?

Kor: ~no, it wants me... it came down from oka-san.. mother...~ more images. Her becoming angry at her fate and making a dent in the cave wall, her fist glowing purple... ~anger! I have to control it... help me get mad!~

Gamma looks over to Kor ans tries telling the magic in him to stop what the rest of it was doing to Kor, pleading to it to not kill her.

Korunue stifles another scream. Pain... She thinks of Kiky, of Demona saying she was a failure, and forces herself to become angry. The pain eases a little, as she more forcefully commands the flames to die.. "help me get mad" she croaks, her throat dry.

Gamma thinks of what could make her mad. "You wouldn't be able to beat me if you tried dog!"

Ali Cia is shocked for a moment, but the message gets through. She thinks for a moment, then brings up a strong memory. She keeps the memory itself from Korunue, but the rage of the moment, the absolute rage seeps across the connection freely.

Korunue becomes angrier and angrier, as Ali and Gamma both help her. 'you'll never amount to anything' she tells herself. 'worthless bitch.' She snarls at the air, the flames roaring up in repsonse.. then dying altogether. There are no burn marks on her body from this magical flame. She pants heavily.

Ali Cia cuts off the sense of rage, pressing the memory to the back of her mind. She comes over to Korunue, nuzzling her gently. "Are you alright?"

Gamma sits down, apparently still winded from when the magic tried purifying her. "I didn't mean that Korunue."

Korunue pants, feeling drained from the experience. "thank you." she pants. "I know." she whimpers a little... she was still sore.

"I'm sorry.." Ali whispers

"For what?" she laughs suddanly, an almost eerie sound, seeing as how she hasn't laughed in ages...

"Umm.." She doesn't know, and a tiny smile crosses her lips.

Gamma smiles a little. "Well, I guess trying to absorb that was a bad idea. It seems fine now though."

Korunue laughs harder, a joyous sound. Has she lost her mind? Gamma starts to chuckle a little himself. He feels glad that she seems to be a little happy.

"I did it! Aldrea was right!" Korunue laughs.

Ali Cia blushes slightly, beginning to laugh harder.

Ali: ~Korunue, why are we laughing?~

Kor: ~I did it! I did it! I controlled it! I told it to go and it went! Ronin will be so proud...~ the mirth dies in an instant.

Korunue suddanly stops laughing, looking stricken, as if she had been slapped. She blinks, her ears drooping. Gamma looks over to Kor. "What is it? What was Aldrea right about?"

"I... she said if I came here I might learn to control my magic." she sounds glum now.

Gamma looks at her. "But you did. Isn't that a good thing?" Korunue nods. Gamma blinks. "Then why did you stop laughing? Its nice to see you laugh."

"I... I miss Ronin. He thought it was a good idea to come here...."

Ali: ~It's alright, Korunue. He knows you still love him.~

Kor: ~i miss him...~

Ali Cia does a mental equivalent of a hug. ~That I can understand. He's watching you, Korunue. His soul keeps an eye on you constantly. He's still there. I would bet that when you are happy, he is happy too. So be happy. Alright?~

Gamma walks over to her and hugs her. HE dosn't really know what to say so he just hugs her. Korunue sighs. "thank you..."

Kor: ~alright... i'll try...~

Ali_Cia nuzzles Korunue gently.

Korunue smiles at her, a little.She then lays down. She yawns,widely, and is asleep in minutes. Ali Cia lies down beside Korunue, closing her eyes. Gamma sits down as well, laying back on the ground looking up at the sky.