Is That You? By: OtakuSailorV
Chapter 22:: CrazyEveryone in the room looked at Himitsu as if she were insane. The only ones that did not seem surprised by this proposition were Hikari, Sakino and Seisuke.
Of course, they were not completely stunned. Everything seemed so strange now that it was hard to be completely stupefied by anything, even this. Though this definitely did cause them all to start.
Silence fell over them, during which Himitsu eyed them all quizzically, obviously not seeing what the problem was.
"Himitsu, you can't bust in here and ask such things of people." Hikari informed her sister smartly.
Himitsu glared over at her younger sister. Hikari fell silent, though she still wanted to give Himitsu a piece of her mind, if only for showing up in her life again.
Genki's fists were clenched by his sides, trying to control the rage that was building up inside of him. Holly clenched her hands together, the knuckles showing white in worry as she glanced sidelong at Genki. The monsters in the hall and in the room were stiff and said nothing for the longest time. Finally, when Genki looked about to speak, holly intervened, afraid that he would say something that he would regret later on. And the last thing she wanted was for him to regret anything, or to be hurt.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that summoning the Phoenix is impossible now." She said, looking Himitsu squarely in her hard eyes in an apologetic manner.
Himitsu frowned, not pleased at all with this news. "Why not?" She demanded. "You did it before, to save your world, why not ours?"
"Sis," Hikari started again, but Himitsu flung her arm out, ordering her to be silent. Hikari glared, she hated working underneath her sister like this.
"I wish we could summon the Phoenix to save Genki's home, but. . ." Holly's voice caught in indecision, she wasn't sure how to explain this to the golden haired woman that seemed so determined.
"But?" Himitsu pressed.
"But it just isn't possible in this world!" Genki growled at her. Himitsu looked slightly shocked, if only in her features by his outburst.
"Even if we had the right components, they," He gestured at his monster friends widely. "Would have to give up their lives again to summon it." He added a bit more calmly this time.
Himitsu raised her eyebrows at him in interest. "Indeed. I heard the story of your little. . .escapade, and I took the liberty of setting everything up for you already thinking you would agree happily at a chance to save your home world." She said, trying to upset him again.
Genki shook his head at her sternly, trying not to let himself be pulled into a fit of anger. He needed to keep his head in this situation.
"Himitsu, I think the boy is correct in this," Sakino started, trying to calm his peer, but she waved him off like she had her younger sister, she was determined to have her way.
"Well? What will it be, boy?" She demanded harshly.
Genki raised his eyes, after contemplating the tiled floor for a few minutes. "It is not my decision to make." He informed her tightly.
Himitsu glanced at the Monsters on either side of her, understanding what he meant. "Yes, but I understand that your. . .'courage' is what truly builds this bond. So I am looking for your decision."
There was silence again, in which everyone looked to Genki, anticipating his answer.
"What is coming that requires the Phoenix?" He wanted to know.
Himitsu raised her eyebrows at him, she obviously thought he would know, but he seemingly did not. "Moo, of course." She said simply.
All the Monsters, Holly and Genki looked at her in shock. But Moo was. . .He was dead!
"Moo's dead." Holly said firmly, the other nodded.
"Yeah, we killed him back in our world." Suezo's single eye whirled at the prospect of fighting the same foe over again.
"Well, you obviously didn't kill him good enough." Himitsu challenged, she sounded vexed now and her strange eyes were flaring with her inner emotions. "Because he's coming through the portal!"
"The portal was closed." Pixie said, she was sporting bandages around her head and on a few burns and bruises she had obtained on her arms and legs.
Sakino gave her a hopeless look, shrugging his arms uselessly. "Our researches found that he is technically already here, it is just his essence that has not fully appeared yet thanks to his immense power and size. Smaller Monsters could get through no problem because they had a lesser amount of energy, but the bigger the power, the longer it takes for them to get through."
"Then how were Tiger and the others able to get through? And with Holly?" Genki asked.
"They had a connection to this side." Hikari answered before Sakino or Himitsu.
"A. . .connection?" It was more a statement than a questioned.
"You. You were the connection on this side. You were the one that pulled them through."
Genki blushed in embarrassment. He – he was the one that had pulled his friends through to his world? Was it his wish to see them again that had done that? He wondered. . .
There was a terrible tremor suddenly, knocking Hikari and a few of the others off their feet, though every jittered on the rocking floor. The roof rained down flecks of dirt and dust on them, and underneath the tiled floor threatened to pull apart. Outside, they could see that the rest of the world was shaking too, like a dance, only this dance was frightening and causing a horrible rumbling sound to echo deep into their minds.
From living in Japan, Genki was used to earthquakes, but they still scared him. There had never been a serious one in his city before; this one was already lasting far longer than the one that had rocked his school once. He instinctively looked for something to hide under and motioned for his friends to follow.
They did not seem to understand though, and he went to explain what was happening when Himitsu walked slowly and proudly toward the window. The great glass pane shuddered awkwardly, threatening to shatter as she pressed her fingertips lightly against it.
Out in the hall, Golem let out a worried cry. Hare was dancing back and forth on either foot, looking at the ground as if it had suddenly caught on fire. Tiger was trying to stay steady, with Pixie leaning one leg against him, gritting her teeth. The rumbling and tilting was making her head throb. Mocchi cried out and dove toward Holly, hugging one of her legs like a child.
"It's coming." Himitsu told Genki, looking to him.
Sakino had left by now, disappeared from sight evidentially. Hikari glared at the doorway she had seen him run through, thinking him quite a coward at that moment. Seisuke made attempts to get Hikari to hold onto him for support during the rocking of the building, but she gave him an exasperated look and waved him away. He really wouldn't stop his antics, even if the world was ending he wouldn't.
Outside in the sky, as Genki came to stand by Himitsu – which proved quite a task since his legs wobbled uncontrollably – there could be seen a large, black, vortex-like hole that expanded upward into nothing.
The sound like cloth ripping accompanied the rumbling that surrounded them on all sides. The fabric of space, time and reality seemed to be tearing apart, and it left an awkward, gaping feeling somewhere inside of Genki as well. Like the hole had been opened inside of him, that his world was being torn apart both on the inside and the outside.
Tiger slowly came to his side, fumbling awkwardly. "Look there – reinforcements." He said suddenly, putting his wet black nose very close to the trembling glass.
Genki's head shot up, following his blue-furred friends gaze. And indeed, there they were, coming to the group's rescue on wings colored crimson. Looking back down, Genki found that Tiger had already disappeared. Turning, he just managed to see his white-tipped tail disappear around the corner, heading for the steps. Genki turned back and smiled thankfully. The Pirate Dragons, Tiger's old allies.
"What is it, Genki?" Holly asked, her voice shaking from the continuing tremors.
Genki turned toward her with a big grin and gave her a thumbs-up. "It's the Pirate Dragons!"
Holly brightened as well, the worry lines on her forehead disappearing instantly. The others seemed relieved as well at this news.
Himitsu paid little attention to all their happiness, she seemed intent on watching the vortex, which was now flashing purple and was intertwined with bright lightening.
Hare brought out his abacus and hurriedly did calculations, though he re-checked his work several times thanks to the shaking. "I-I think we'll have a c-chance, Genki!" He called happily.
"We always have a chance." Genki replied, though this heartened him even more. He was feeling more like his old self every second.
Himitsu broke in on their happy little parade though with her dreary monotone, her eyes were still fixed on the portal.
"You had better get out of here fast, this buildings going to shake apart soon."
Turning, he saw that Tiger was back in the doorway, watching them anxiously. "To the roof." He called before snatching Holly up and racing back out.
Hikari and Seisuke had disappeared during the conversation, not a hint to where they had gone remained. Hare scurried out, followed closely by Suezo. In the hallway, Golem went back out the way he had gotten into the hospital in the first place. Pixie stood, waiting for Genki.
Genki turned, and when he saw that Himitsu was not moving, inquired on her welfare. "What are you doing? Come on!" He pulled at her hand, but she wouldn't budge.
"Don't worry about me, I can handle myself." She gave him an eerie smile. "They need you out there, go get 'em."
With that, the roof cracked overhead, and a beam crashed down, diving Genki and the strange woman named Himitsu. She watched him with those liquid eyes as the glass behind her suddenly shattered, a rush of wind sweeping in, gasping at her, pulling her back. Her short hair ruffled in the cold air, flying all around her.
Genki gasped. He did not care for the woman, but he hated to abandon anyone, even if they were in a way evil.
Pixie grasped onto him as tiles suddenly came crashing down. "Let's go, Genki." She said through grit teeth as she spread her wings. Flapping them powerfully, she lifted them off the ground and hovered briefly before shooting out the open window.
As they escaped, the room behind them collapsed in with a grinding, bending sound. Genki looked over his shoulder to see that Himitsu no longer stood by what had been the window, but had disappeared completely from sight. He scanned the rest of the hospital as it caved in on itself, but couldn't find her anywhere. Another thought struck him suddenly. "What about Holly, and Mocchi, and Hare, and the others?"
There was a roar from above them, causing Genki's head to shoot up. His mouth hung open at the flight of Dragons that soared above their heads in the night sky. On their backs were the cheery faces of all his friends. So, they were all safe. Except. . .
He looked back to the ground to see that Golem was walking among the debris of the city below. He let out a sigh of relief, though that still didn't explain the mystery of the Agents, Sakino and Himitsu. Where had those four gone? Even Hikari could not be seen anywhere, and she was usually in plain sight.
They swooped underneath the vortex which whirred loudly, lightening flashed, illuminating dark colors and ominous figures that loomed within, just waiting to get out.
Sorry 'bout that long wait, minna-san. I meant to get this out sooner, but things came up in school and personal life, and I couldn't get everything done at the time that I wanted to.
Thanks for sticking with me all the way through so far, everyone. I truly appreciate your support. I plan to wrap this story up soon, so I hope you enjoy the climax.
See ya soon! Ja'ne!
Review Please.
