Chapter Twelve

A Nightmare Come True

The flames that shot from the monster's eyes were white hot and singed anything within two feet of where he aimed them. Only by diving sideways did Ryou barely escape the brunt of the attack. He did not however escape unscathed-his vest was burned and he felt a throbbing pain on his chest. When he looked down he saw the sign of blackened flesh and tried not to scream out in pain.

"Ryou, are you okay?" Suika asked, rushing to his aid.

"Get away!" Zakuro shouted as another row of flames lunged at them. Suika picked up Ryou in her arms and jumped to the safety of a roof. "You know," she said smirking, "you're heavier than you look."

What? Ryou tried to comprehend, and then realized how that line seemed familiar. His reply was cut short when Suika lay him down and went back to join the battle.

As Ryou looked on, the sky grew noticeably darker and the moon loomed above him. He turned his attention to the battle that was being fought and his hope soared. The girls were actually winning! Suika had used her Red Ruby Recorder, and it was having a rapid effect on the demon. Zakuro was taking advantage of the situation and had aimed a kick at the beast's chest. Mint and Pudding on the other hand were working in unison with their attacks and Ichigo looked like she was about to finish the monster off with her Ribbon Strawberry Check Surprise attack. But then Ryou saw what the girls had overlooked. A glint was reflected in the demon's eye and Ryou knew at once what was happening. It was all a feint-the demon was faking weakness to lull the girls into a false sense of security. Damn. Ryou thought. Before he could warn the girls, the evil creature struck with such force that Ryou could barely understand what was happening. As if in slow motion, the beast moved faster than any of the girls and was behind them in seconds. It was as if he had teleported. With the monster behind them, the girls were now as vulnerable as ever-and the demon knew it. He thrust his arms out, shooting rivers of flames at them. Pudding and Mint went down immediately, their bodies badly burned and thrown aside. Zakuro was next, she was hit when she tried to attack the beast single handedly to no avail. Ichigo looked around and her gaze met Ryou's. In her eyes there was a look of absolute terror.

The demon followed her gaze and looked at Ryou. Before he knew it, he was a target once again. He was about to dodge the flames aimed at him, but before he could move, both Ichigo and Suika jumped in front of him. Ichigo got the worst of the attack and dropped like a stone. Suika however, was slightly shielded, but was in a worse state. While her teammates were unconscious and indifferent to the pain, Suika was experiencing it firsthand. She writhed in agony and wailed in desperation.

Ryou now understood what he must do. It was all there in his dream. It was now his turn to fight-for the safety of Tokyo, for himself, for the girls he had brought into this mess, and most importantly for the one he hadn't. The one who's company he now knew he valued the most next to Keiichiro's. Suika. He liked the way she thought, the way she was stubborn and the way she cared for her friends so deeply like him. She was just like him, and while she would never be like Ichigo, Ryou found that that didn't matter. She was at her best when she was being herself. Clearing his mind of all thought, he focused on becoming a certain gray cat. At once, his body was racked in pain as his bones shifted and stretched. He hated this part, it always made him feel weak, something he wasn't used to being. A short while later however, the pain subsided and a liquid confidence enshrouded him. He now looked at the world through the eyes of Alto-the cat with the green bandana draped around his neck.

He leaped from the rooftop and ran at the demon in front of him.

"Ryou, no!" Suika cried, watching what was happening through eyes half closed with pain.

Ryou really had no idea what he was doing. His plan had ended with transforming into Alto. He knew he had to do that, but what to do after was a complete blank. On instinct, he ran at the monster and aimed a slash attack at his eyes. His outstretched claws found their mark and he heard a grimly satisfying shriek in pain. Leaping off the creature's head, he landed on it's back and sunk in his sharp fangs.

The demon shouted and whipped around to pluck the cat off his back. He held him by the tail at arm's length so that Ryou/Alto was completely helpless. He was about to burn the kitten to a crisp when a faint yet distinct roar met his ears. He flew up to the top of a building and they could both see the wall of water that was moving towards them.

"YOU!" The monster shouted. "You will the be first of many to witness my triumph!" He flew ahead of where the girls were to meet the wave and watched as it began to overtake smaller buildings. The monster looked at the cat and laughed a hearty laugh. He did not notice that the water began to lift off the ground and aim straight for him. He was taken by completely by surprise and still holding Alto, was swept off the roof and down the empty street.