Chapter 12

I woke up the sounds of the wind. I groaned and looked around. Yoshida was only a few feet to my left, well his head was… he was slowched against the wall and his feet came inches to touching mine. I reached out and poked his toe. He stirred a bit and fell over. He hit the ground with a dull thud. His eyes snapped open.

I smirked at him. He blinkd a few times before he sat up. "good morning!" I chirped. He groaned and rubbed his shoulder.

"Are you the only one awake?" He asked.

"No.." Came Sereg's voice. We both blinked and looked around. We found him a little ways away. Eva was leaning back against him, asleep.

"May we ask?" Yoshida asked.

"She got really upset last night. Shes sick, like in having a cold.." he picked up her hand and showed us. It was scratched and kind of bloody. "And she decided to punch a rock." I snorted.

Eva stirred and turning slightly cuddled into Sereg. Everyone was silent. "soooo…" I started. I never had an idea what to say to finish that…

-

I sighed. I knew Eva was awake, and I knew she wasn't going to 'wake up' till everyone took eyes off of her. Her hands flexed and he clutched my shirt. My arms still around her shoulders I hugged her a little tighter. "its ok, if they laugh, have Nami attack them" I whispered in her ear.

She blew her own cover when she giggled. Grinning I let go with one arm and poked her side. She yelped and tried to squirm away. I held her with one arm while I tickled her side with the other. She squealed and pulled at my arm. Mana and Yoshida were watching like it was a comedy show.

She finally pulled free of my arm and hopped forward a step before sitting down facing me. She was still laughing. I grinned and leaned back, using my arms to support me. She tried to glare at me and failed. I just kept smiling.

"Nice wake up call" Yoshida said with a grin.

"Nice reaction" Mana commented. Eva just let out one last little laugh before rubbing her forehead. "Headache?" Mana asked. Eva nodded.

"Sorry"

"Its ok, get them all the time." Eva said.

"Really?" Yoshida and I asked at the same time.

"Yeah" She replyed.

"That's weird, ya ok?" Yoshida asked. She nodded.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"Move out, we cant just stay here forever!!" Eva exclaimed, bouncing to her feet. She waved before running outside. She laughed as the cold wind hit her. I saw a black streak before Eva screamed. I hopped to my feet and ran out, followed by everyone else.

Eva was sitting on the ground rubbing her back with a black thing in her lap. Eva looked at it and poked it. It moved. She eeped. Nami appeared and walked over. She leaned down and sniffed it. She jerked back before sitting down, staring at it.

"What is it?" Mana asked.

Eva picked it up. "AWWW!! It's a bat!" She exclaimed. Yoshida and I exchanged glances.

"AWW?? IT'S A BAT!" Mana yelped. Eva petted it. The bat flapped once before folding its wings. Eva purred. The back squeaked and climbed onto her head. Eva smiled.

"Can I keep em?" She asked. I gave her a weird look. "Please?" She pulled off the puppy dog look so well.

"Fine.. I mean it's a bat.. what harm can it do?" I asked. Everyone else shrugged. Eva purred and stood up. She walked back into the cave humming.

-

Sereg took a look outside before walking back into the cave also. Yoshida looked at me. I met his gaze. He looked away and walked back inside. 'Okkkk' I though before petting Nami and walking back in.

Eva was sitting against a wall holding her new bat. "I think I shall name you…Aya…" She announced. The bat sqweeked and flew up to sit on her head. "Hehe, think she likes it?" She asked.

"Obviously." Yoshida said chuckling. "Well should we clean up and move out?" He asked. I looked around.

"Yeah I guess" Sereg said with a sigh.

"No! wait first… Eva, Sereg, sit down, rith there" I said pointing to s random spot. Confused they both did. "Now Sereg, remove your shirt.."

"what?" He asked.

"Take off or shirt!! I am examing your wounds now take off your dang shirt!!!" He blinked before finally taking his shirt off.

I walked over and sat down next to Sereg. I looked over the cuts on his arm that faced me and his neck. Finally I came to the three huge gashes on his side. I ran a finger along one and I felt him shudder. "Lay down on your side…" He nodded and did so. I moved his arm out of the way so I could get a better look at the gashes. They were cracked in some places and I could see blood slightly oozing out.

Taking out a scarf thing I had I told him to sit back up and wound it around him, trying to keep the wound from getting infected or anything. Eva looked at him worriedly. I looked up at her and watched as her eyes suddenly widened. She shot to her feet and with a hurried 'sorry' ran out.

"Poor girl" Yoshida said coming over and replacing Eva. He looked at Sereg's arm. "Whoa, boy how did you get this?" He asked pointing to the cresent moon cut.

"Eva…" He said.

"How?"

"She bit me.."

"Owch" He whistled. Sereg nodded.

-

I was on my hands and knees somewhere on the other side of the hill. 'No.. cant think like that…' I repeated over and over. It was still freezing out but I hardly noticed. Aya clung to my back and I was appreciative of the small amount of weight she put on my back.

My back slowly started to hurt. I ignored it at first but it got more powerfull. I Hunched over clutching at my sides. I couldn't see, everything was just pure white light. My whole body suddenly exploded in pain. I screamed.

I don't know how long it was but when I opened my eyes, everything I could see was normal again. I sat up and felt some unfamiliar weight on my back. I yawned and scratched my head. The weight lifted off my back. I looked around and realized I was back in the cave. I looked around. Two cloaks were thrown over me with everyone asleep around me. Aya appeared and sqweeked. I shushed her.

Sereg stirred and opened one eye. He saw me awake and his eyes snapped open. "Your awake!" He whispered. I nodded slowly.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Hours.. I mean you slept all day really" My eyes widened. "Do you know what happened?" I shook my head.

"Why was I covered in yalls cloaks?" I asked.

"After a few hours of you missing, we went out and found you. You were unconscious and like frozen solid. We took you inside immediately." He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss. "Glad your alright" Mana stirred a bit. "Go back to sleep, you probably need it." I nodded and laid back down. It wasn't long before I was asleep again.

A dream haunted me. My hands and legs were bound together and I was gagged. Bright light surrounded me. Voices, low and haunting, taunted me with lies, I knew they were lies, but I couldn't help but listen to them. An arm wrapped around my neck choking me. The light grew brighter before it fully engulfed me.

I shot upward, panting. I looked around hurridly before sighing. Mana opened her eyes and looked at me. "Your awake…wait.. whats wrong? Your drenched in sweat!" She sat up.

"Just a bad dream…" I breathed. She patted my head.

"I should say so, your hot!" Mana exclaimed. I looked up at her. Getting to my feet I walked towards the front of the cave and walked out into the cold night…

-

"Whats wrong with her?" Yoshida asked raising himself up on an elbow.

"She apparently had a really bad dream" I said still staring at the mouth of the cave. "Did we wake you?" I asked looking at him.

"no, I just woke up in time." He smiled. "Bummer, I wanted to talk to her.." He said with a huff. I laughed.

"so cute" I caught myself just a little too late.

"Excuse me, did you just say I was cute?" He asked in mock hurt.

"Why yes I did, live with it" He gasped and put his hand over his heart.

"That hurt.." I laughed.

"Shush, we don't want to wake Sereg." I said and got up. Yoshida followed. We sat down at the back of the cave and continued talking.

I watched as Eva walked back in and sat behind Sereg, who, like always, was laying on his left side. She leaned over his arm and glared at him. He opened one eye and moved his arm. She moved so it was free. He wrapped it around her back. They were so cute!

"So how did yall meet?" Yoshida asked. I sighed.

"Eva's mom befriended my parents, and when my parents died her mom took me in under her wing.." I explained.

We sat in silence for a while. Aiya walked over and sat in between Yoshida and I. I ran a hand though her hair. Yoshida watched as Sereg flipped Eva over so her back was against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and told her to go back to sleep. She curled up and soon drifted off again.

"It just works for them…" Yoshida commented. I nodded.

"A little weird…"

"I am going to go out now to find out how bad the weather is and if we can find another rest stop ok?" I nodded. He got up and went outside. I sighed. This was going to be one hecktic trip.

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And that it was. Through out the whole winter we had to move from one rest stop to another. It got on their nerves. Aya the bat becames Eva's pet along with Nami who was always beside her. Mana realized over the winter that she liked Yoshida, but didn't really have th courage to tell him. Sereg and Eva became more open about their relationship. They rarly kissed or anything, it was just more hugging and stuff. Aiya grew up more, becoming bigger and stronger.

When the first breath of spring calmed the storms that hit and the bitting wind, everyone was outside and happy.

(A/n: sorry I just don't feel like going though the whole winter.. nothing really happens.)

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"FINALLY!" Mana screamed as the warm breeze blew in. "Finally you come spring, I thank you" she said to the sky. I laughed and bopped her as I walked past her. "Hey!" She called after me. Feeling up to a run I grinned back at her and took off running.

I hit a root and did a few front rolls before I stopped. "nice move.." Sereg said walking past me. I glared at him. He offered his hand and I pulled myself up. "So the next stop is the last town before we go over the mountains?" He asked. I nodded.

"We will reach the town in a few hours hopefully.." I said with a sigh. I was tired of travling. I was just ready to kill the demon bastards and go home.

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Ok until I get some ideas for whats supposed to happen in the next chapter.. I am stopping.. yawn ryan pissed me off, miya's out of town, and I am just stressed out.