Chapter Three
Ayame woke from a very disturbed sleep not feeling very good. She hurried over to a corner and threw up. Wiping her mouth with her hand, she went back over and sank down to the floor. She had a feeling it was just nausea but wasn't really sure. Her stomach growled from hunger. She hadn't eaten since that evening when she and Mako had stopped to eat at a restaurant about an hour away from Toyama. She just hoped nothing would go wrong with her and Mako's unborn child if the others didn't find her soon.
At the Koji mansion, Mako was thinking the same thing. He would never be able to forgive himself if he lost Ayame or their baby. He knew he had to tell the others, but wasn't sure how to do it. He looked up from his bed as Yami and Joey came in the room.
"Everything okay Mako?" Joey asked as they sat down across from him.
"I'm fine," he told them. "I'm just worried about Ayame."
"We all are," Yami said. "Buka is worried to death about her."
"I'm not just worried about her," Mako said, "I'm worried about both of them."
"What are you talking about?" Buka asked as her, Serenity, Tristan and Ryou walked into the room.
"Ayame's pregnant," Mako explained. "We found out last week. She's only a month pregnant. I don't want to lose her or the baby."
Buka glanced over at Yami with concern. They hadn't told anybody yet about their expected child either and knew this wasn't the time to tell everyone, not with Ayame missing.
"We have to find her guys," Mako said as he walked over to the window and looked out.
"And we will," Yami said placing a hand on Mako's shoulder. "We can guarantee that."
Mako turned and smiled at everyone and then they all headed downstairs to plan her rescue with the others. In the throne room, Talpa was really upset with the Warlords for not getting Ayame.
"I'll give you one more try!" he yelled as they cowered before him. "And don't fail me this time!"
"Yes Master," they said and left the room, heading for the Koji mansion.
In the dungeon cell, Ayame had drifted off to sleep one more time and was dreaming about the time just before her parents were killed in that car crash a year ago.
Flashback
It was Ayame's birthday and her mother had something special that she was going to give her that had been in the family for generations. She woke early that Saturday morning and dressed quickly before heading downstairs for breakfast. Her parents were seated around the table eating and her father was reading the morning paper.
"Morning," she said as she sat down beside her father after getting a bowl of cereal.
"I have something very special to give you for your birthday Ayame," Caiyan Yamaguchiya said to her daughter, smiling over at Maosheng.
She stood up and crossed over to a drawer, opened it and came out with a small wrapped box and placed it front of Ayame. Ayame opened the paper to find a small jewelry box. When she opened it, she found a beautiful necklace with an icicle charm that had a silver-blue stone in the middle of it.
"Thank you mom," she said as her mother put it on her.
"You're very welcome honey," Caiyan said. "It's been in my family for generations. My grandmother gave it to my mother and my mother gave it to me and now I'm giving it to you. And someday you'll give it to her daughter."
Later that day, they left to drop Ayame off at her friends' house who was throwing her a birthday party. They had no idea that someone was watching and following them. They lived on the outskirts of Tokyo and had to pass beside a steep hill. As Maosheng drove along that stretch of road, one of the back tires blew and the car started to swerve. Maosheng tried his hardest to maintain control of the car but before they knew it the car went off the road and flipped. After the fourth flip, it came to rest near some trees not far down the hill. A passerby sped to the nearest house to call for help. In the car, Ayame came around. She tried to lift her head but she hurt too much to be moving. She looked up to the front of the car to check on her parents. Caiyan was slumped against the dashboard, blood everywhere and the windshield shattered. Maosheng was leaning against the smashed drivers' side door which was also covered in blood. She heard footsteps and then a shadow passed by the back window heading for the front passenger's side where her mother was. As he reached in, sirens could be heard and he disappeared.
Next thing she knew, she heard people hurrying toward the car and a man appeared at the door near her head.
"A young girl in the back is alive," he yelled to the others. "Get the stokes down here."
They had to use a crowbar to pry the door open and a paramedic appeared beside her, checking her over.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her as he put a c-collar around her neck.
"Mom and dad?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"We're going to get them next," he promised. "We need to get you out of here first."
She settled down as he finished checking her over and soon they were lifting her out of the car and onto a backboard and into a stokes that was waiting. While the other paramedics went to free her parents, two others checked her over.
"Looks like she's got a head injury along with a broken ankle and a broken wrist," the one said as his partner wrote everything down. "Let's start an IV and get her to the hospital."
They placed something on either side of her head and strapped them and then strapped her to a stokes and started back up the hill with her to the waiting ambulance and soon were on the way to the hospital. She passed out before they arrived at the hospital. Once at the hospital, she was rushed into the emergency room where the doctors were waiting. In Domino City, a call came into the house of Shi and Ruiping Yamaguchiya about four that evening.
"Hello, Yamaguchiya residence," Shi said when he answered the phone. "Are you sure? We'll be there in a couple of hours. Thank you."
Ruiping came into the room as he hung the phone up. "Is there something wrong, Shi?"
"Caiyan, Maosheng and Ayame have been in a terrible car accident," Shi told her. "We need to leave for Tokyo immediately."
They packed some bags and were soon on their way. They arrived at Tokyo General five hours later and went straight to the reception area.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Yes, we're looking for Dr. Ishida," Shi told her. "We received a call saying that our son and his family were in a car accident."
"Yes," she said. "Head up to the fourth floor. He should be up there near Room 468."
They got on the elevator and headed up to the 4th floor. The doctor was just coming out of 468 when they arrived and they hurried over to him.
"Dr. Ishida, we're the Yamaguchiya's," She told him as they got nearer.
"Let's go to my office to talk," the doctor told them. He guided them to his office and he closed the door, motioning for them to sit down in front of his desk. "I'm afraid there are some bad and some good news. I'm afraid we lost Maosheng and Caiyan. Maosheng was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and Caiyan died not long after arriving here."
"What about Ayame?" Ruiping asked, tears streaming down her face.
"She's going to be fine," Dr. Ishida informed them. "She's a little disoriented from a concussion. She's got a broken right ankle and a broken left wrist."
"Can we see her?" Shi asked, holding his wife's hand.
"Yes," the doctor said. "She's a little woozy from the antibiotics but she should be able to go home in a couple of days."
"Will she be okay to travel?" Ruiping asked. "We're going to take her to Domino City with us since her parents are gone."
Dr. Ishida nodded and took them to the room where Ayame was. He left them and they entered the room. Ayame was sitting up in bed trying to watch TV but was starting to drift off to sleep from the pain medication. She smiled as her grandparents entered the room and sat down in chairs on either side of the bed.
"How's mom and dad?" she asked as soon as they were sitting.
Shi and Ruiping glanced at each other and Ayame knew it wasn't good and started crying.
"They're dead, aren't they?" she asked as her grandmother hugged her.
"I'm sorry honey," Ruiping assured her. "Their injuries were too bad."
"Where am I going to stay?"
"We're taking you to stay with us in Domino," Shi told her. "The doctor said you'll be able to go home in a couple of days and we'll leave after the funeral."
She nodded and wiped her eyes with a tissue that her grandfather handed her. Four days later, the funeral was held for her parents and the next day they left for Domino.
Present
Ayame woke up crying from the dream. She wondered if Satori was the one that caused her parents' death. She cried until she fell back asleep. Up in the throne room, Satori watched the scene down in the dungeon. He could see into her dream and grinned. So she was dreaming about the car accident that killed her parents and almost killed her and yes he was the one responsible for their deaths. He turned as Talpa entered the room with Marik in tow.
"I'm sending the Warlords to try and get Ayame again," Talpa informed Satori. "Use that necklace and you'll be able to stop Kei of the Sun."
Satori nodded and they left heading for the house.
Ayame woke from a very disturbed sleep not feeling very good. She hurried over to a corner and threw up. Wiping her mouth with her hand, she went back over and sank down to the floor. She had a feeling it was just nausea but wasn't really sure. Her stomach growled from hunger. She hadn't eaten since that evening when she and Mako had stopped to eat at a restaurant about an hour away from Toyama. She just hoped nothing would go wrong with her and Mako's unborn child if the others didn't find her soon.
At the Koji mansion, Mako was thinking the same thing. He would never be able to forgive himself if he lost Ayame or their baby. He knew he had to tell the others, but wasn't sure how to do it. He looked up from his bed as Yami and Joey came in the room.
"Everything okay Mako?" Joey asked as they sat down across from him.
"I'm fine," he told them. "I'm just worried about Ayame."
"We all are," Yami said. "Buka is worried to death about her."
"I'm not just worried about her," Mako said, "I'm worried about both of them."
"What are you talking about?" Buka asked as her, Serenity, Tristan and Ryou walked into the room.
"Ayame's pregnant," Mako explained. "We found out last week. She's only a month pregnant. I don't want to lose her or the baby."
Buka glanced over at Yami with concern. They hadn't told anybody yet about their expected child either and knew this wasn't the time to tell everyone, not with Ayame missing.
"We have to find her guys," Mako said as he walked over to the window and looked out.
"And we will," Yami said placing a hand on Mako's shoulder. "We can guarantee that."
Mako turned and smiled at everyone and then they all headed downstairs to plan her rescue with the others. In the throne room, Talpa was really upset with the Warlords for not getting Ayame.
"I'll give you one more try!" he yelled as they cowered before him. "And don't fail me this time!"
"Yes Master," they said and left the room, heading for the Koji mansion.
In the dungeon cell, Ayame had drifted off to sleep one more time and was dreaming about the time just before her parents were killed in that car crash a year ago.
Flashback
It was Ayame's birthday and her mother had something special that she was going to give her that had been in the family for generations. She woke early that Saturday morning and dressed quickly before heading downstairs for breakfast. Her parents were seated around the table eating and her father was reading the morning paper.
"Morning," she said as she sat down beside her father after getting a bowl of cereal.
"I have something very special to give you for your birthday Ayame," Caiyan Yamaguchiya said to her daughter, smiling over at Maosheng.
She stood up and crossed over to a drawer, opened it and came out with a small wrapped box and placed it front of Ayame. Ayame opened the paper to find a small jewelry box. When she opened it, she found a beautiful necklace with an icicle charm that had a silver-blue stone in the middle of it.
"Thank you mom," she said as her mother put it on her.
"You're very welcome honey," Caiyan said. "It's been in my family for generations. My grandmother gave it to my mother and my mother gave it to me and now I'm giving it to you. And someday you'll give it to her daughter."
Later that day, they left to drop Ayame off at her friends' house who was throwing her a birthday party. They had no idea that someone was watching and following them. They lived on the outskirts of Tokyo and had to pass beside a steep hill. As Maosheng drove along that stretch of road, one of the back tires blew and the car started to swerve. Maosheng tried his hardest to maintain control of the car but before they knew it the car went off the road and flipped. After the fourth flip, it came to rest near some trees not far down the hill. A passerby sped to the nearest house to call for help. In the car, Ayame came around. She tried to lift her head but she hurt too much to be moving. She looked up to the front of the car to check on her parents. Caiyan was slumped against the dashboard, blood everywhere and the windshield shattered. Maosheng was leaning against the smashed drivers' side door which was also covered in blood. She heard footsteps and then a shadow passed by the back window heading for the front passenger's side where her mother was. As he reached in, sirens could be heard and he disappeared.
Next thing she knew, she heard people hurrying toward the car and a man appeared at the door near her head.
"A young girl in the back is alive," he yelled to the others. "Get the stokes down here."
They had to use a crowbar to pry the door open and a paramedic appeared beside her, checking her over.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her as he put a c-collar around her neck.
"Mom and dad?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"We're going to get them next," he promised. "We need to get you out of here first."
She settled down as he finished checking her over and soon they were lifting her out of the car and onto a backboard and into a stokes that was waiting. While the other paramedics went to free her parents, two others checked her over.
"Looks like she's got a head injury along with a broken ankle and a broken wrist," the one said as his partner wrote everything down. "Let's start an IV and get her to the hospital."
They placed something on either side of her head and strapped them and then strapped her to a stokes and started back up the hill with her to the waiting ambulance and soon were on the way to the hospital. She passed out before they arrived at the hospital. Once at the hospital, she was rushed into the emergency room where the doctors were waiting. In Domino City, a call came into the house of Shi and Ruiping Yamaguchiya about four that evening.
"Hello, Yamaguchiya residence," Shi said when he answered the phone. "Are you sure? We'll be there in a couple of hours. Thank you."
Ruiping came into the room as he hung the phone up. "Is there something wrong, Shi?"
"Caiyan, Maosheng and Ayame have been in a terrible car accident," Shi told her. "We need to leave for Tokyo immediately."
They packed some bags and were soon on their way. They arrived at Tokyo General five hours later and went straight to the reception area.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Yes, we're looking for Dr. Ishida," Shi told her. "We received a call saying that our son and his family were in a car accident."
"Yes," she said. "Head up to the fourth floor. He should be up there near Room 468."
They got on the elevator and headed up to the 4th floor. The doctor was just coming out of 468 when they arrived and they hurried over to him.
"Dr. Ishida, we're the Yamaguchiya's," She told him as they got nearer.
"Let's go to my office to talk," the doctor told them. He guided them to his office and he closed the door, motioning for them to sit down in front of his desk. "I'm afraid there are some bad and some good news. I'm afraid we lost Maosheng and Caiyan. Maosheng was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and Caiyan died not long after arriving here."
"What about Ayame?" Ruiping asked, tears streaming down her face.
"She's going to be fine," Dr. Ishida informed them. "She's a little disoriented from a concussion. She's got a broken right ankle and a broken left wrist."
"Can we see her?" Shi asked, holding his wife's hand.
"Yes," the doctor said. "She's a little woozy from the antibiotics but she should be able to go home in a couple of days."
"Will she be okay to travel?" Ruiping asked. "We're going to take her to Domino City with us since her parents are gone."
Dr. Ishida nodded and took them to the room where Ayame was. He left them and they entered the room. Ayame was sitting up in bed trying to watch TV but was starting to drift off to sleep from the pain medication. She smiled as her grandparents entered the room and sat down in chairs on either side of the bed.
"How's mom and dad?" she asked as soon as they were sitting.
Shi and Ruiping glanced at each other and Ayame knew it wasn't good and started crying.
"They're dead, aren't they?" she asked as her grandmother hugged her.
"I'm sorry honey," Ruiping assured her. "Their injuries were too bad."
"Where am I going to stay?"
"We're taking you to stay with us in Domino," Shi told her. "The doctor said you'll be able to go home in a couple of days and we'll leave after the funeral."
She nodded and wiped her eyes with a tissue that her grandfather handed her. Four days later, the funeral was held for her parents and the next day they left for Domino.
Present
Ayame woke up crying from the dream. She wondered if Satori was the one that caused her parents' death. She cried until she fell back asleep. Up in the throne room, Satori watched the scene down in the dungeon. He could see into her dream and grinned. So she was dreaming about the car accident that killed her parents and almost killed her and yes he was the one responsible for their deaths. He turned as Talpa entered the room with Marik in tow.
"I'm sending the Warlords to try and get Ayame again," Talpa informed Satori. "Use that necklace and you'll be able to stop Kei of the Sun."
Satori nodded and they left heading for the house.