Amber: January "06 baby!

Kit: Woohoo! Bring on the midterms!

Saren: They're over you dorky little fox midget..

Kit: but but but...

Amber: Let the bloodshed resume >)


Disclaimers:

I know it's been a while but its chapter 4 loves. I don't own Battle Royal, Furuba, or Azumanga Daioh.


"Hana-chan…!"

"No, Tohru! We can't stop yet. Please, just a little longer."

"Hang on, Onee-chan!"

"Hana, did the waves tell you who did this to Tohru?"

"I don't need waves to know it was Minagawa."

"Motoko? Ah, shit! You're right, it makes sense!"

Thock!

They were forced to stop as an arrow collided with one of a few sparse trees around them. They couldn't see the firer but they heard the bow being pulled back again, though the arrow never came. Hana took this as a warning, feeling out anxiety waves though they seemed to come from everywhere, and prompted Arisa to speak.

"We aren't going to hurt you, whoever you are! We just wanna find some shelter. We already have a wounded friend! We're in no position to fight!"

After a moment of silence there were rustles all around them and they saw that Chiyo and her friends had dropped to the ground, using the dusk shadows as camouflage and had been hiding from them. Kagura was the one with the bow in hand, and she cautiously stepped forward, separating the bow from the arrow only when she saw the pitiful, tired group of 4 present.

"Sorry about that..." Kagura said, breaking the silence.

"It's alright." Hana replied dismissively. "We're all anxious and wary and you didn't manage to hurt us."

"What are your weapons?"

"Huh? We haven't checked yet. We were deciding what to do when Kisa got hit then we scrambled... We didn't have time to check our bags."

"That's no good...Those could become infected.."

"Hey," Osaka interrupted. "Where's Sakaki?"

"She went further ahead to see if she could find anything. She took the musket so she'll be fine if she sees anyone."

"She's ok. I'm not getting anymore waves from close by and I feel hers off a few yards from here. She seems to be showing... curiosity."

"Maybe she found something. You guys can come with us. Just..dont.."

"It's ok. We promise our intentions are good."

They headed together in the direction that Sakaki had, with Hana's waves to aid them. They eventually found laying at the edge of a slope and when she heard them she made motions for them to get down and stay quiet.

"I take it those were the ones following us?" she whispered to Kagura, who had lain beside her.

"Yeah, they were the targets of the gun fire we heard. Kisa looks like she just got grazed; Honda is loosing blood everywhere though."

"What about the other two?"

"Close friends of Honda."

"Weapons?"

"They didn't get the chance to check yet."

"Sounds kind of suspicious but that's just my nerves talking. Anyway, we could patch Kisa and Honda up if no one else was in that old hospital down there."

Sure enough at the bottom of the slope was an old hospital, its white paint chipped here, covered in foliage there, and peeling elsewhere. Many of the windows were broken and dust covered, and the doors were visibly rusted and decaying even from so far away. It was better than nothing though.

"Someone is in there?" Kagura questioned.

"I don't know, but it's a big place Kagura. 3 floors and probably a basement filled with rooms. Hallways and wings of rooms without countless hiding spots. We'd be easy prey in there even for just one person."

"Let's ask those girls. They'd know if they were followed wouldn't they? And we can question the wave girl if there's someone inside."

"Good idea."

Wriggling backward like a snake in reverse, Sakaki left her spot, feeling uneasy once more about how open it was for anyone with a higher elevation. Yomi and Tomo rolled out of her way, keeping to the ground like flat stones. When Sakaki felt a hand on her foot she turned and faced the group of 4 who had earlier seemed such a cause for anxiety, but they really were tired and pitiful looking, and Honda really was bleeding everywhere.

"Alright," she began. "There's a hospital at the bottom of that ledge. Only problem is, it's a hospital, meaning it's got rooms and all kinds of things where people could hide. So we need to know if anyone followed you or even came in the general direction you did."

"Hiro-chan..." Kisa tentatively whispered. "Hiro-chan, Kyo, Yuki, and Momiji-kun were off to our left when we started running, but we lost them..."

"So it's a faint possibility they might be in there?"

"I sense something... It's faint because of the distance, but it's completely terrified, whoever it is."

"Can you tell if it's dangerous?"

"I never would be able to anyway, but I'll be able to sort things out better if we get closer."

"And you're sure it's only one?"

"Yes, I am."

"Alright then...Ladies, let's go. We're going to the hospital. Stay as quiet as possible and try not to start a landslide."


Pant. Pant. Pant.

"Where are they?"

"We lost sight of them."

"We have to find them! Kisa is hurt!"

"Shh!"

"Hanajima is with them, Hiro. She's psychic, they'll be fine."

"Don't you remember what she said? There were too many and too close for her to use her power. They're all in danger if she fails to do her job again!"

"Hiro, keep your voice down. You'll get us killed."

"Yuki is right Hiro. We were parallel to them the last time we saw them. We'll be able to catch up eventually, assuming they stay straight and I doubt they'll go zigzagging all over the landscape with Tohru in the shape she is."

"But what if someone else chases them? They could be forced to zigzag then I'll have lost Kisa because you two weren't worried enough to find them! "

"Hiro, you're too worried. Be quiet!"

"NO!"

Pant. Pant. Pant.

There was a shot that connected so forcefully with Shisou's back that Kyo lost his wind and balance, falling forward. Yuki stopped and actually caught Kyo, at the same time looking at their attacker. Hiro had scrambled away with his bag, leaving them behind.

It was not one, but two boys. One had the shotgun that had almost killed Kyo, the other had a knife. Both were boys from the other school, apparently scared out of their minds. Kyo set Shisou down and signaled to Yuki, who tossed him a pair of bronze claws and kept a rope for himself.

No time to stop... Mustn't stop... Should chase Hiro... Don't get separated...

Pant. Pant. Pant.

Hiro was nowhere to be found, but Momiji ran forward still. Something hard in his bag was banging his knee as he ran. It hurt, but he kept running. Sweat stung his eyes, the cool air caught fire in his lungs, the ground seemed like clouds, and the world was a blur. There was gunfire but he didn't turn. He saw the end of the tree line ahead and slowed a bit, looking cautiously out beyond the last tree that could possibly shelter him from a projectile. 10 or 20 yards away, beside a cliff that sloped gently upward was a hospital. It was old, decrepit, peeling, and being assimilated back into the earth by an army of ivy and other vines.

Pant. Pant... Pant!

He set off at full blast, that thing in his bag banging harder, making him want to stop and adjust his bag but he was too scared to stop. He didn't want to die. He pushed open the doors and kept on going. Top speed, full blast, up the stairs, down the corridor, uncaring and unwary of anyone who might be there. Fatigue and burning lungs finally crushed the mental processes telling him to run and his legs failed in mid stride.

As he laid there, tasting copper in the air he breathed out he started to cry. The floor was cold, the sun was almost gone, and the shadows were creeping through every nook there was. He was reminded of his foolishness in running in here. Someone could've been here. Someone might still be here, and he might be trapped, and at such a persons mercy. He didn't know how long he laid there crying with his heart banging against his ribs, and his body limp from exertion but eventually he got up and crawled into a room, staying in a corner rather than in the bed, which looked so deeply inviting. It wasn't a fairytale in that way where he could just cry himself to sleep and be ok in the morning.

He lost track of time there, but was aware that sometime later there were echoes and clicks drifting from somewhere.

Oh my God there's someone here...

He shrank into the corner, hoping there wasn't a flashlight among them. The sun was gone, maybe if he just stayed really quiet they wouldn't know he was here and he could escape.

Too tired to run...

He began to cry again as he realized he was stuck until morning, his body needed rest before it could even possibly carry him out of here without someone noticing. He whimpered as the echoes became more distinguished. It wasn't just one person, it was a group. He unzipped his bag to find out what he had, noting the bruise on his knee and understanding when he pulled out a crowbar. He gripped it tightly and stood shakily, walking to the doorway.

"It's in there." Hana whispered, though Momiji heard her just fine.

"Hello? We aren't going to hurt you. Come out."

Momiji could hardly believe his ears.

"T...Tohru...?"

"Momiji-kun?"

Click!

Light spilled into the room and Momiji squinted for a moment before he looked back up. He dropped the crowbar limply and gratefully fell into Tohru, leaving a bunny in her functional arm. The other had been wrapped already, and she was keeping it still.

"So that's the Sohma curse huh?"

"Yes... They turn into zodiac animals when hugged by the opposite gender or when they're very weak."

"Didn't you say there were others?"

"The others..." Momiji whispered, half asleep already. "Hiro-kun ran off... I don't know where. Yuki and Kyo, they were fighting, but I chased Hiro. I don't know where they all are or if they're hurt. I don't even know how long I've been here.."

"Shh Momiji-kun. It's alright. We're safe here for the night. You go to sleep."

Tohru laid Momiji under the sheets of one of the beds, placing his clothed in a neat pile on the nightstand. She smiled as he changed back with a very gentle puff of smoke. He was already sound asleep.

"Kagura and I will keep watch during the night." Sakaki announced. "Chiyo got night-vision goggles, so we'll be using those."

"I'll help." Arisa volunteered. "First watch for me. You all get some sleep."

"I'll go make sure there's no back door to this place."

"Yomi, Tomo, and Hanajima-san. Please go with her. You shouldn't travel alone."

When all was said and done, their bags were on their nightstands and all but Arisa were in the rows of beds in what was probably one of the special disability rooms. There were 2 other doors to enter by and they had been rigged to cause tons of racket by knocking over a neat stack of bedpans placed by the door. As they all laid in the dark, staring at the ceiling and waiting for sleep to come, they heard an announcement.

"Well boys and girls, the first 2 hours of the melee is over. The list of the deceased are as follows:

"Yamagishi Mio, stabbed in the back at 7:09"

"Kinoshita Minami, stabbed in the eye at 7:10"

"Wada Koji, ripped open at 7:38"

"Kasegawa Ichi, hung at 7:45"

"Sohma Ayame, stepped on at 8:37

"For those of you who don't understand that Sohma Ayame is the snake of the Sohma zodiac curse. Piece that together."

Kisa and Momiji got up and climbed into Tohru's bed.


Kit: ...

Saren: You broke Kit.

Ambie: She'll be ok.

Kit: ... Aya...You didn't even grant him an honorable death man! It's just "Oh, Ayame got stepped on." What the hell!

Ambie: Well at least I didn't have Ms Sohma Kagura turned into porkchops.

Saren: You couldn't anyway. You killed off the only 2 non- Sohma men there were.

Kit: Wel I guess that'll eliminate the rape scenes I was dreading.

Ambie: (cough)thatswhatyouthink(cough) Anyway. I've recieved some questions from friends who've read the written version of this and I figure I'll answer them since you all probably have the same questions. Saren, if you would be so kind?

Saren: 1. Where's Rin, Ritsu, and Kureno?

Ambie: Rin is back home trying to get in Shigure's boxers, Ritsu is raiding Kagura's Kimono closet again, and Kureno was dismissed from having to come because he rox Akito's sox.

Saren: 2. Why the helldogs is Akito there in the first place?

Ambie: Because he/she/it is the ultimate angsty flake.

Saren: 3. Why Shisou... Dont you know how much THERAPY Kyo is going to need now!

Ambie: Yes I do and it had to be Shisou because almost all furuba manga fans love him, and he adds gravity by dying first.

Saren: 4. Why'd Kaorin go first? You completely destroyed the oppurtunity to have some Kaokaki (KaorinxSakaki)

Ambie: Because now we're having Kagaki (KaguraxSakaki)

Saren: 5. Are there gonna be any really frightening pairings?

Ambie: As the great quote goes, my dear. "It hurts so good"

Saren: 6. Why weren't there more spare characters to be viciously murdered for no reason?

Ambie: Because I dont have time to plan out a billion deaths. And actually if you read volume 1 of azumanga Daioh, the spare people are really there in last name form.

Saren: 7. Please... I beg you. What happens to Momiji!

Ambie: ...Kiiiiit! >O

Kit: I need to know!

Ambie: Well I only spoil if requested. If you just wanna know what happens to everybody, I'll tell you, but I wont give the why or how.

Kit: T.T (cry)