Disclaimer: See chapters one through nine, please.
Thanks to. . .
Otaku Pitcher: Umm. . .uhh. . .I can make no promises. I can also make no promises about Yume and Tasuki. I'm glad that you are enjoying the quality of my writing. I always appreciate your comments.
Dragonrider: Ahh! Make it go away! Seriously though, you surprised me! I didn't know it was you two and got all shocked and upset. Try chapter 15 again because no one else has had any problems. . .
miLady: Hey, I understand about hectic lives. Believe me. I understand better than you will ever know. Yea, she is getting along pretty good. I knew her "I don't give a sh*t" attitude would win them over. ::beams at said character:: Don't criticize her now. Just wait until the next one. . . (Kim: Shut up Smack! Oh my God! You're so stupid!!!) (Smack: Shut up Kim!)
Author's Note: I wanted to get this up before my birthday (which is why it was updated in less than two weeks, go Smack!) because I'm going to be real busy that week. So, on the off chance you want to make Smack the happiest author possible, don't yell at her about this (or the next few) chapters. Keep in mind that her birthday is coming up and she wants to enjoy it by not having her life being threatened. (It's on the 26th! Yup, the same day as Yume's! I wonder how that happened. . .) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, give me a chance. I have a reason for everything I do (well, most of the time). And, this is the first chapter in a series of chapters that change everything. WHICH MEANS IT IS IMPPRTANT SO READ IT!!! Ok. I'm done now.
'. . .' are thoughts inside Yume's head
Chapter 19: Double Failure
I was floating again: floating down but still floating. I looked below me to see where I'd end up landing. 'Hmm. . .I'm in control of what I do. Wait a sec! I'm thinking and I can control what I think! Maybe I can make a difference in this dream!' I watched as I neared what seemed to be close to the top of a snow-covered mountain. Two dots were on the mountain, moving around. As I got closer, I realized one dot was Nuriko and the other was a wolf man thing and as I landed, I noticed they were fighting. Both were pretty beat up. 'I have to help Nuriko!'
I ran in front of the wolf man as he charged at Nuriko and attempted to spook him. He ran through me and still hit Nuriko. I tried to kick him but I passed right through him. Neither him nor Nuriko noticed me. I decided to try and divert their attention. "Hey wolf man! Is it visiting hour at the zoo already?" I yelled. Nothing. 'All I can do is sit here while Nuriko is being killed? Where's everyone else? Why can't I do ANYTHING?!?' A feeling of hopelessness washed over me as I saw Nuriko being slammed to the ground. 'I have to do something, anything, to help him!' It was then that I realized I wasn't even leaving footprints in the snow. 'It's like I'm not even here! What the hell is going on? Am I dead or something? Why am I here if I can't do anything?'
It seemed like Nuriko was starting to make a comeback but he was seriously wounded. 'He's gonna die unless Mitsukake can get here in time. Why can't I do anything? Am I really this helpless?' I watched as Nuriko put his finishing moves on the wolf guy. He used his last bit of strength to move some big rock. 'A lot of help that is! He should have saved his strength. Then, when Mitsukake gets here. . .' I knew deep down that Mitsukake would never get here in time. "Damn you, Nuriko! Why'd you have to go and play the hero again?" I asked, not even trying to keep my tears from flowing. He collapsed into the snow and I ran to him, even though I knew I couldn't do anything to comfort him. I wouldn't let him die alone.
The world around me began to black out and I was held in suspended animation. "What a weak little girl you are! All you ever do is cry! You can't even save your friend." The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, taunting me. "Can someone like you ever really amount to anything? I highly doubt it. People like you are so pathetic! You could have saved him but you chose to ignore your feelings and keep them to yourself. If you told someone, perhaps they would have been there to help him but you couldn't take the risk that you would be exposed as the fake you really are!" it boomed.
"It's true. I am weak. I should have been able to save him but it's not over yet. I'm not the one hiding in the shadows taunting some girl in her dreams!" I responded.
"I'm not hiding. You are just not worthy of my true presence," it defended.
"So that's what they call it nowadays. No matter what, it is still hiding in my book," I replied.
"I don't have to listen to you. I have no use for someone as weak as you. Leave my world. I doubt that you really are the-"
I woke up before I could hear the last word but that wasn't what mattered. I felt like the most worthless person in the world. 'I'm even taunted in my dreams. I could have saved him. . .' I started to cry but remained quiet so I wouldn't wake Chichiri or Tasuki. They were sleeping peacefully, like nothing in the world could possibly bother them. Shiriko stirred and looked up at me. "Maybe it's not too late. My dream hasn't happened yet. There's got to be some way to save him, right? Perhaps I can catch up with him," I said.
I went to my bag and got dressed in the clothes Miaka gave me. As I pulled on Nuriko's cloak, I heard a body stir next to me. I froze: maybe whoever it was would go back to sleep. "Don't worry. . .I'll always be here to protect you. . ." I heard Tasuki's sleepy voice mumble. "It's my job. . ." 'Dreaming about Miaka, are we? I should have known that he liked her. I'm sure he'll make someone very happy one day,' I thought. 'He could make you happy,' another "new" voice in my head said. 'What? A new voice to taunt me? My head is going to be full soon. Besides, he could never make me happy. I'm weak and I've been lying to him this entire time.' With that, I got up to get some paper to write a note but felt a hand on my shoulder. "Don't leave," Tasuki said. 'He must still be asleep.' I placed the hand down next to him lightly.
I grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote a note saying that I went to the mountain. Then I remembered that they could read it. 'Maybe they'll go looking for Miaka and find Nuriko.' It was based on chance, but I tried. I drew a picture of the mountain below the words. It was bad but I think they'll understand. I left it on my pillow, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. "Where are you going so early in the morning?" 'Busted. . .'
"Shiriko needs to go on his early morning walk," I answered. 'Ok, Chichiri. Go back to sleep.'
"All right then. Be back soon. I don't want you wandering around by yourself, you know," came the sleepy response. I left the room and breathed a sigh of relief. 'Home free!'
I was guessing that it was around eight or so in the morning. I was cold and tired but the sense of urgency overtook my other feelings. The village was quite a large distance from the mountain. 'I may not get there in time,' I thought. I had been hiking for about two hours and had almost reached the base of the mountain. I noticed a set of footprints heading up the mountain. 'They're fresh. . .someone's already been here! I have to hurry!'
My goal revitalized, I speeded up the summit. Shiriko led, seemingly on the trail of something. I didn't mind: he plowed a path for me and showed me the safe spots to walk. I knew better than to run up a mountain but I couldn't afford to take my time. Shiriko was driven on, following a scent up the mountain. I heard a cry of pain. 'It sounds like a wounded animal. They're already fighting!' I started to run. Shiriko sped up too.
I reached the battle scene only to find Nuriko being held in the air by the wolf man. "Let him go!" I yelled on impulse. The monster looked at me and dropped Nuriko.
"Yume! What are you doing here? You're going to get yourself killed!" Nuriko screamed.
I had no time to respond because the enemy moved towards me: and fast. Shiriko put himself in front of me and began to growl. He showed his teeth and his hair stood up. The wolf man stopped and looked at Shiriko curiously but Shiriko didn't stop growling. Nuriko limped towards the man but he didn't notice him. He was too busy eying Shiriko. Nuriko snuck up behind him and grabbed him by the neck. The man attempted to attack Nuriko but Shiriko lunged at his arm and bit down hard. I tackled his other arm, punching and kicking it. He slashed my arm with his claws right through my cloak, ripping the flesh and cutting me deep but I still kept at it. He thrashed the arm Shiriko was on but all that succeeded in doing was causing him to bite down harder. The man gave a final yelp of pain before collapsing down onto the snow. "Is he dead?" I asked.
"I think so," Nuriko answered. I kicked the body to make sure. It didn't move so I assumed he was dead. Nuriko fell to the ground.
"Oh my God! Nuriko? Are you ok?" I ran over to him. A couple of the flesh wounds were missing but the major damage was still there. I really didn't change anything by coming here. 'There must be a way that I can get the others attention,' I thought with despair. 'The flares!' I ran to my bag and pulled out the two flares Chichiri gave me. "Hang on, Nuriko! Help will be here soon." I wasn't sure how to use them but I pulled this thing at the bottom and it flew up into the sky and exploded. I did the same thing to the second. "They'll be here in no time. Just hang in there, ok?"
"Thanks a lot Yume. But could you help me up? I have to move that boulder. The Shinzaho is in there, I'm sure of it," Nuriko asked, trying to get up and hobble towards the rock.
"They'll be plenty of time to move that rock later. Right now you need to save your strength so Mitsukake can heal you when he gets here," I pleaded.
He just smiled a small, weak smile. "I appreciate your optimism but you and I both know that there's no way he'll get here in time. I don't even know how you knew that I was here. It must have been dumb luck or something. Now help me up or I'll do it myself." I fell silent and helped him up. He was right and I knew it. He easily moved the rock and I made him sit down to conserve the small amount of strength he had left. "How did you know I was here, anyway?" he asked.
"I had a feeling which was only intensified once I had this dream. In the dream, I couldn't save you either. Maybe the voice was right. I really am worthless," I answered.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You risked your life for me. But I need you to do one more thing for me, though. The whole time that you've been in this world, you've always seemed so miserable. Find yourself some happiness or at least allow yourself to be happy. Just do that for me, ok?"
"Oh, stop talking. You need to save your energy and you're not making any sense." 'And I'm about to cry. . .'
"I am making sense! Promise me that you'll allow yourself to be happy!"
"Fine. I'll try and find myself some happiness. Now shut up so when they get here you'll still be alive." My arm hurt like a bitch but I was more worried about Nuriko. 'He's the one who could die, after all.'
So we sat in the snow awaiting help. Nuriko had his head on my lap and Shiriko was sitting solemnly next to him. At one point, Shiriko even licked Nuriko. He understood what was going on. I tried to wrap up some of Nuriko's wounds with parts of my cloak to stop the bleeding but I knew it wouldn't do much. Unless Mitsukake got here soon he was as good as dead. We remained like that for about ten minutes. "Nuriko? Yume? Are you guys up here?" I heard Chichiri call.
"Oh my gods! Suzaku what happened here?" Tamahome exclaimed as he arrived on the scene.
"Is Mitsukake here? We could really use his help," I asked urgently. Tasuki rushed forward.
"What happened to you two?" he questioned, looking at my blood stained clothes, slashed arm and Nuriko in general.
"Is Mitsukake with you?" I repeated.
"Not yet but he'll be here soon. Don't worry," Tamahome answered.
"Miaka. . ." Nuriko struggled to speak. She walked over.
"You shouldn't talk. Save your energy," she instructed.
"Don't lose. . ." I felt something leave his body.
"Nuriko?" Miaka said, uncertainty present in her voice.
"Miaka, I. . .I think he's dead," I told her, holding back tears. I laid his body on the ground gently and got up. Miaka looked crushed and ran off somewhere. Tamahome followed.
"Why didn't you save him? You were here! You could have saved him! Why didn't you?" Tasuki yelled. 'Just like in my dream.' I couldn't stop the tears anymore. They flowed freely down my face. I turned away from the group in an attempt to keep them from seeing me cry.
"I think she tried, Tasuki. There wasn't much she could do, you know," Chichiri answered for me. I walked towards the rock Nuriko had used his last bit of strength to move and punched it. I kept hitting it with my good arm until it hurt. I knew that wouldn't make the pain in my soul go away but it felt good at the moment.
"Yume, you really shouldn't push your arm like that," I heard Mitsukake instruct me. "Let me heal you."
"Heal Nuriko."
"I can't Yume. It's too late," he answered sadly.
"Then leave me alone." He didn't like that answer.
"I know what you're going through. Death is a hard thing to deal with at any age. But Nuriko wouldn't want you to end up dead because of him."
"You don't have a clue about what I'm going through so don't say you do! Did you know that this was going to happen before it did and still not be able to do anything about it? Did you have to watch him die twice?" I snapped, too pissed at myself to even attempt to control what I was saying. I knew Mitsukake didn't have anything to do with it but I still had to yell at someone and he was there. "Just leave me alone for now, ok?"
He didn't say anything but grabbed my arm and held his palm at me. A light formed from it and my arm was healed. I released myself from his grip and walked towards the regrouped group. "The Shinzaho is in there. If you don't mind, I'd like to wait out here while you go retrieve it."
"Thanks Yume. You risked your life to save him, didn't you?" Tamahome asked, speaking for the group.
"Yea, but I didn't and he's still dead. Almost doesn't count this time, now does it? Just go get the Shinzaho and leave me the fuck alone."
Author's Note:
Smack: ::peers out from behind Kim:: Umm. . .hi.
Kim: You are such a baby!
Smack: Ok, before you go on and hate me, let me defend myself. First of all, it's my story so I can do whatever I want. :P But seriously, I had to do that. It's a very important event. And lastly, if it helps you to not hate me, nothing in this story is ever final, not even death.
Kim: Yea, say what you want. They'll still hate you. Especially after they read the next chapter.
Smack: Oh shut up! Anyway, I hope that wasn't too depressing. It was definitely the longest chapter, so far. But I can't say it's going to be the saddest. Sorry. I'm just going to give you the quote now. . .
"Damn it, Yume! Why can't you ever let anyone get close to you?"
'I did and he's dead. Put two and two together, dumb ass.'
Smack: That's it. Oh, just so you know, Yume is going to be a little out of control in the next few chapters. But that's understandable seeing how she's under extreme emotional, physical, and mental stress. 'Til next time! (Please don't hate me!)
Thanks to. . .
Otaku Pitcher: Umm. . .uhh. . .I can make no promises. I can also make no promises about Yume and Tasuki. I'm glad that you are enjoying the quality of my writing. I always appreciate your comments.
Dragonrider: Ahh! Make it go away! Seriously though, you surprised me! I didn't know it was you two and got all shocked and upset. Try chapter 15 again because no one else has had any problems. . .
miLady: Hey, I understand about hectic lives. Believe me. I understand better than you will ever know. Yea, she is getting along pretty good. I knew her "I don't give a sh*t" attitude would win them over. ::beams at said character:: Don't criticize her now. Just wait until the next one. . . (Kim: Shut up Smack! Oh my God! You're so stupid!!!) (Smack: Shut up Kim!)
Author's Note: I wanted to get this up before my birthday (which is why it was updated in less than two weeks, go Smack!) because I'm going to be real busy that week. So, on the off chance you want to make Smack the happiest author possible, don't yell at her about this (or the next few) chapters. Keep in mind that her birthday is coming up and she wants to enjoy it by not having her life being threatened. (It's on the 26th! Yup, the same day as Yume's! I wonder how that happened. . .) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, give me a chance. I have a reason for everything I do (well, most of the time). And, this is the first chapter in a series of chapters that change everything. WHICH MEANS IT IS IMPPRTANT SO READ IT!!! Ok. I'm done now.
'. . .' are thoughts inside Yume's head
Chapter 19: Double Failure
I was floating again: floating down but still floating. I looked below me to see where I'd end up landing. 'Hmm. . .I'm in control of what I do. Wait a sec! I'm thinking and I can control what I think! Maybe I can make a difference in this dream!' I watched as I neared what seemed to be close to the top of a snow-covered mountain. Two dots were on the mountain, moving around. As I got closer, I realized one dot was Nuriko and the other was a wolf man thing and as I landed, I noticed they were fighting. Both were pretty beat up. 'I have to help Nuriko!'
I ran in front of the wolf man as he charged at Nuriko and attempted to spook him. He ran through me and still hit Nuriko. I tried to kick him but I passed right through him. Neither him nor Nuriko noticed me. I decided to try and divert their attention. "Hey wolf man! Is it visiting hour at the zoo already?" I yelled. Nothing. 'All I can do is sit here while Nuriko is being killed? Where's everyone else? Why can't I do ANYTHING?!?' A feeling of hopelessness washed over me as I saw Nuriko being slammed to the ground. 'I have to do something, anything, to help him!' It was then that I realized I wasn't even leaving footprints in the snow. 'It's like I'm not even here! What the hell is going on? Am I dead or something? Why am I here if I can't do anything?'
It seemed like Nuriko was starting to make a comeback but he was seriously wounded. 'He's gonna die unless Mitsukake can get here in time. Why can't I do anything? Am I really this helpless?' I watched as Nuriko put his finishing moves on the wolf guy. He used his last bit of strength to move some big rock. 'A lot of help that is! He should have saved his strength. Then, when Mitsukake gets here. . .' I knew deep down that Mitsukake would never get here in time. "Damn you, Nuriko! Why'd you have to go and play the hero again?" I asked, not even trying to keep my tears from flowing. He collapsed into the snow and I ran to him, even though I knew I couldn't do anything to comfort him. I wouldn't let him die alone.
The world around me began to black out and I was held in suspended animation. "What a weak little girl you are! All you ever do is cry! You can't even save your friend." The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, taunting me. "Can someone like you ever really amount to anything? I highly doubt it. People like you are so pathetic! You could have saved him but you chose to ignore your feelings and keep them to yourself. If you told someone, perhaps they would have been there to help him but you couldn't take the risk that you would be exposed as the fake you really are!" it boomed.
"It's true. I am weak. I should have been able to save him but it's not over yet. I'm not the one hiding in the shadows taunting some girl in her dreams!" I responded.
"I'm not hiding. You are just not worthy of my true presence," it defended.
"So that's what they call it nowadays. No matter what, it is still hiding in my book," I replied.
"I don't have to listen to you. I have no use for someone as weak as you. Leave my world. I doubt that you really are the-"
I woke up before I could hear the last word but that wasn't what mattered. I felt like the most worthless person in the world. 'I'm even taunted in my dreams. I could have saved him. . .' I started to cry but remained quiet so I wouldn't wake Chichiri or Tasuki. They were sleeping peacefully, like nothing in the world could possibly bother them. Shiriko stirred and looked up at me. "Maybe it's not too late. My dream hasn't happened yet. There's got to be some way to save him, right? Perhaps I can catch up with him," I said.
I went to my bag and got dressed in the clothes Miaka gave me. As I pulled on Nuriko's cloak, I heard a body stir next to me. I froze: maybe whoever it was would go back to sleep. "Don't worry. . .I'll always be here to protect you. . ." I heard Tasuki's sleepy voice mumble. "It's my job. . ." 'Dreaming about Miaka, are we? I should have known that he liked her. I'm sure he'll make someone very happy one day,' I thought. 'He could make you happy,' another "new" voice in my head said. 'What? A new voice to taunt me? My head is going to be full soon. Besides, he could never make me happy. I'm weak and I've been lying to him this entire time.' With that, I got up to get some paper to write a note but felt a hand on my shoulder. "Don't leave," Tasuki said. 'He must still be asleep.' I placed the hand down next to him lightly.
I grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote a note saying that I went to the mountain. Then I remembered that they could read it. 'Maybe they'll go looking for Miaka and find Nuriko.' It was based on chance, but I tried. I drew a picture of the mountain below the words. It was bad but I think they'll understand. I left it on my pillow, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. "Where are you going so early in the morning?" 'Busted. . .'
"Shiriko needs to go on his early morning walk," I answered. 'Ok, Chichiri. Go back to sleep.'
"All right then. Be back soon. I don't want you wandering around by yourself, you know," came the sleepy response. I left the room and breathed a sigh of relief. 'Home free!'
I was guessing that it was around eight or so in the morning. I was cold and tired but the sense of urgency overtook my other feelings. The village was quite a large distance from the mountain. 'I may not get there in time,' I thought. I had been hiking for about two hours and had almost reached the base of the mountain. I noticed a set of footprints heading up the mountain. 'They're fresh. . .someone's already been here! I have to hurry!'
My goal revitalized, I speeded up the summit. Shiriko led, seemingly on the trail of something. I didn't mind: he plowed a path for me and showed me the safe spots to walk. I knew better than to run up a mountain but I couldn't afford to take my time. Shiriko was driven on, following a scent up the mountain. I heard a cry of pain. 'It sounds like a wounded animal. They're already fighting!' I started to run. Shiriko sped up too.
I reached the battle scene only to find Nuriko being held in the air by the wolf man. "Let him go!" I yelled on impulse. The monster looked at me and dropped Nuriko.
"Yume! What are you doing here? You're going to get yourself killed!" Nuriko screamed.
I had no time to respond because the enemy moved towards me: and fast. Shiriko put himself in front of me and began to growl. He showed his teeth and his hair stood up. The wolf man stopped and looked at Shiriko curiously but Shiriko didn't stop growling. Nuriko limped towards the man but he didn't notice him. He was too busy eying Shiriko. Nuriko snuck up behind him and grabbed him by the neck. The man attempted to attack Nuriko but Shiriko lunged at his arm and bit down hard. I tackled his other arm, punching and kicking it. He slashed my arm with his claws right through my cloak, ripping the flesh and cutting me deep but I still kept at it. He thrashed the arm Shiriko was on but all that succeeded in doing was causing him to bite down harder. The man gave a final yelp of pain before collapsing down onto the snow. "Is he dead?" I asked.
"I think so," Nuriko answered. I kicked the body to make sure. It didn't move so I assumed he was dead. Nuriko fell to the ground.
"Oh my God! Nuriko? Are you ok?" I ran over to him. A couple of the flesh wounds were missing but the major damage was still there. I really didn't change anything by coming here. 'There must be a way that I can get the others attention,' I thought with despair. 'The flares!' I ran to my bag and pulled out the two flares Chichiri gave me. "Hang on, Nuriko! Help will be here soon." I wasn't sure how to use them but I pulled this thing at the bottom and it flew up into the sky and exploded. I did the same thing to the second. "They'll be here in no time. Just hang in there, ok?"
"Thanks a lot Yume. But could you help me up? I have to move that boulder. The Shinzaho is in there, I'm sure of it," Nuriko asked, trying to get up and hobble towards the rock.
"They'll be plenty of time to move that rock later. Right now you need to save your strength so Mitsukake can heal you when he gets here," I pleaded.
He just smiled a small, weak smile. "I appreciate your optimism but you and I both know that there's no way he'll get here in time. I don't even know how you knew that I was here. It must have been dumb luck or something. Now help me up or I'll do it myself." I fell silent and helped him up. He was right and I knew it. He easily moved the rock and I made him sit down to conserve the small amount of strength he had left. "How did you know I was here, anyway?" he asked.
"I had a feeling which was only intensified once I had this dream. In the dream, I couldn't save you either. Maybe the voice was right. I really am worthless," I answered.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You risked your life for me. But I need you to do one more thing for me, though. The whole time that you've been in this world, you've always seemed so miserable. Find yourself some happiness or at least allow yourself to be happy. Just do that for me, ok?"
"Oh, stop talking. You need to save your energy and you're not making any sense." 'And I'm about to cry. . .'
"I am making sense! Promise me that you'll allow yourself to be happy!"
"Fine. I'll try and find myself some happiness. Now shut up so when they get here you'll still be alive." My arm hurt like a bitch but I was more worried about Nuriko. 'He's the one who could die, after all.'
So we sat in the snow awaiting help. Nuriko had his head on my lap and Shiriko was sitting solemnly next to him. At one point, Shiriko even licked Nuriko. He understood what was going on. I tried to wrap up some of Nuriko's wounds with parts of my cloak to stop the bleeding but I knew it wouldn't do much. Unless Mitsukake got here soon he was as good as dead. We remained like that for about ten minutes. "Nuriko? Yume? Are you guys up here?" I heard Chichiri call.
"Oh my gods! Suzaku what happened here?" Tamahome exclaimed as he arrived on the scene.
"Is Mitsukake here? We could really use his help," I asked urgently. Tasuki rushed forward.
"What happened to you two?" he questioned, looking at my blood stained clothes, slashed arm and Nuriko in general.
"Is Mitsukake with you?" I repeated.
"Not yet but he'll be here soon. Don't worry," Tamahome answered.
"Miaka. . ." Nuriko struggled to speak. She walked over.
"You shouldn't talk. Save your energy," she instructed.
"Don't lose. . ." I felt something leave his body.
"Nuriko?" Miaka said, uncertainty present in her voice.
"Miaka, I. . .I think he's dead," I told her, holding back tears. I laid his body on the ground gently and got up. Miaka looked crushed and ran off somewhere. Tamahome followed.
"Why didn't you save him? You were here! You could have saved him! Why didn't you?" Tasuki yelled. 'Just like in my dream.' I couldn't stop the tears anymore. They flowed freely down my face. I turned away from the group in an attempt to keep them from seeing me cry.
"I think she tried, Tasuki. There wasn't much she could do, you know," Chichiri answered for me. I walked towards the rock Nuriko had used his last bit of strength to move and punched it. I kept hitting it with my good arm until it hurt. I knew that wouldn't make the pain in my soul go away but it felt good at the moment.
"Yume, you really shouldn't push your arm like that," I heard Mitsukake instruct me. "Let me heal you."
"Heal Nuriko."
"I can't Yume. It's too late," he answered sadly.
"Then leave me alone." He didn't like that answer.
"I know what you're going through. Death is a hard thing to deal with at any age. But Nuriko wouldn't want you to end up dead because of him."
"You don't have a clue about what I'm going through so don't say you do! Did you know that this was going to happen before it did and still not be able to do anything about it? Did you have to watch him die twice?" I snapped, too pissed at myself to even attempt to control what I was saying. I knew Mitsukake didn't have anything to do with it but I still had to yell at someone and he was there. "Just leave me alone for now, ok?"
He didn't say anything but grabbed my arm and held his palm at me. A light formed from it and my arm was healed. I released myself from his grip and walked towards the regrouped group. "The Shinzaho is in there. If you don't mind, I'd like to wait out here while you go retrieve it."
"Thanks Yume. You risked your life to save him, didn't you?" Tamahome asked, speaking for the group.
"Yea, but I didn't and he's still dead. Almost doesn't count this time, now does it? Just go get the Shinzaho and leave me the fuck alone."
Author's Note:
Smack: ::peers out from behind Kim:: Umm. . .hi.
Kim: You are such a baby!
Smack: Ok, before you go on and hate me, let me defend myself. First of all, it's my story so I can do whatever I want. :P But seriously, I had to do that. It's a very important event. And lastly, if it helps you to not hate me, nothing in this story is ever final, not even death.
Kim: Yea, say what you want. They'll still hate you. Especially after they read the next chapter.
Smack: Oh shut up! Anyway, I hope that wasn't too depressing. It was definitely the longest chapter, so far. But I can't say it's going to be the saddest. Sorry. I'm just going to give you the quote now. . .
"Damn it, Yume! Why can't you ever let anyone get close to you?"
'I did and he's dead. Put two and two together, dumb ass.'
Smack: That's it. Oh, just so you know, Yume is going to be a little out of control in the next few chapters. But that's understandable seeing how she's under extreme emotional, physical, and mental stress. 'Til next time! (Please don't hate me!)