Makoto moaned.
Everything hurt.
Absolutely everything.
It felt like she had the worst flu she'd ever had in her entire life. She felt hot and cold. She couldn't stop shivering, and the movement was convulsing her whole body. The convulsions were letting her know she might have some broken or fractured bones in the mix, or at the very least, some pretty nasty bruises.
Nausea crept up her throat, and she decided to focus on not puking her guts out first.
Hell. Wasn't she in a fight right now?! It was frighteningly quiet, and she struggled to get up, shoving up onto her hands. Her arms trembled, weak and unstable. Her bones felt brittle, like glass, even as a sharp pain ricocheted around her chest, radiating through the rest of her. Her muscles ached and pulled, like elastics that had been stretched too far for too long. Nothing worked right, and moving the tiniest bit took serious effort. She tried to remember the last time she'd been in such a bad state, and then shied from the memory when her brain started dragging Galaxia into her consciousness.
She might be miserable and weak, but she'd take being alive over dead any day.
"Whoa! Hey, take it easy. It's all right. I've got you." Strong arms caught her, helping her gently back down. Almost immediately, she rolled to the side, shot back up, and vomited so hard she was afraid she might see her shoes when she was done. She hovered there, holding herself up on shaking arms and trying to catch her breath. As embarrassing and gross as the experience had been, she felt immediately better. She made the mistake of looking down, and nearly lost it again.
That…wasn't lunch. It was thick, and black, and oily.
"Holy hell. Are you alright?!"
The voice was deep and male and soothing. Makoto rubbed her stomach and winced.
"I…think so." She pulled back slowly. Her guts still felt testy, but she didn't want to go through that experience again. A large hand gently rubbed her back.
"You're still looking a little gray. I know it sucks, but if you've got anything else in there, get it out. Whatever that is, it shouldn't be in your body." Makoto tried to pull away from the comfort, but she was too weak. Before she knew it, she was retching again – just more of that oily black goo. It was terrifying and humbling at the same time. She wanted to punch the guy for seeing her like this and hug him for being there for her.
Once she was done, she was sweating and panting, but she felt immensely better, and the ground beneath her was…a mess. She winced. "Oh man…I wonder what's happening." She put a hand to her head, and turned, focusing on her companion.
He was tall and pale, with blue hair that fell into his face. His terribly handsome face. Makoto did her best not to blush, but she had a feeling she was still flushed anyways from whatever it was she had going on in her body. A calloused hand caressed her forehead. "The fever seems to have broken. Thank goodness." He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her. "I was really getting worried there. I'm glad you're ok." He pulled his face close to hers, still smiling. "How are you feeling?" Makoto swallowed. Her throat felt rougher than sandpaper and drier than the Sahara.
"Like….I need some water," she rasped. The smile immediately dropped from his face.
"Yeah. There's a fountain nearby, but I don't know if I trust it." He replied, glancing over his shoulder. Makoto blinked, looking around for the first time. The room looked barren and shabby. The tatami beneath her felt…..soft and uneven. The shoji were full of holes. And eyes. A lot of eyes. Makoto felt her hair stand on end and she unabashedly grabbed the guy's shoulder, gesturing with her free hand towards the holes in the door lattices.
"Um….what….what is…" she tried to get out. He put a comforting hand over hers where it rested.
"It's ok. They're just mokumokuren. They're mostly harmless, but they do usually mean that something bigger and meaner is hanging out close by, so I don't really want to stay here long. Think you're up for a walk?" Makoto blinked at him, and then nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes. I'm up for doing back flips if it means we can get away from those things. They're creeping me out." Makoto concentrated on turning her legs from jelly to something more solid, and carefully tried to stand. The ache from earlier returned with a vengeance, but she was pleased she could keep her legs beneath her. Her companion hovered protectively, and she tried not to let that go to her head, reminding herself that he was just doing what any normal, decent person would do.
"Do you need help?" he asked her gently. She'd rather deal with the pain of walking on her own two feet than be a burden on her companion, so she flashed him a cheerful smile and shook her head.
"Thanks, but I got this!" she replied, giving him a little wave. He cast her a troubled look, but didn't argue, leading them both to the doorway. She tried not to notice that he kept a slow pace so that they stayed side by side. They paused just inside the doorway.
"Ok – I'm here if you need. Try not to push yourself too hard. I'm not sure what might be out there. I've been doing a bit of scouting though, and I think we should try going this way," he gestured over his shoulder at large branch of the dark and eerie hallway that slunk off to the left. Makoto nodded at him.
"That seems as good a direction as any," she said with a small shrug. The pain that echoed through her at the tiny movement let her know she should try to keep movement to a minimum.
And now she was about to wander around.
Her companion smiled at her, and once again she was treated to a close up of his astonishingly handsome face. It just figured. Hot guy, super friendly, and she'd just vomited a river of black sludge and probably looked like she'd just climbed out of her own grave. She groaned and put her hand over her face. He paused, stooping to look closely at her. "Hey, are you ok? If it hurts too much, we can stay here."
He'd have to be a gentleman too. Of course, he would. Makoto shook her head, pulling her hand away from her face. She had no business being sidetracked over something so lame as a crush. She'd done this before and it never ended well for her. She ought to know better, but her heart couldn't seem to help but bang in her chest like a taiko drum any time a guy smiled her way. How pathetic was she?
She needed to keep herself together. This guy was probably already thinking she was a total flake. Taking a deep breath, she summoned her best smile for him, hoped her teeth weren't black, and gestured through the doorway, taking her first tentative steps in that direction. She very nearly groaned again but grit her teeth around the sound.
"No way. I don't want to hang out here another minute. I was only partly joking about the flips. If you don't mind going a little slower for a bit, I think I'm good to go." There. She sounded steady at least.
He nodded. "Yeah, of course. Take your time, ok?" He moved in front of her, leading the way, setting a slow, careful pace. "Let's go. I'm Touma by the way. Touma Hashiba."
Makoto tried to smile as she moved but she had a feeling it looked more like she was baring her teeth. "I'm Makoto Kino. And I'm totally in your debt. Thanks for the help." He nodded, slowing their pace, and she felt like a weakling. She took a careful, deep breath, and firmed up, forcing herself to keep pace and not slow him down any further.
Touma stepped into the hall and angled himself in front of her, maneuvering his body so she was completely shielded in the room as he peered carefully around the hallway. His face had gone from open and friendly to hard and cold as he scanned the area. When he pulled back to look at her though, his face softened. "I think we're clear. Just stay close to me, and we'll find your friends, ok?"
Makoto nodded, keeping step just behind him. She tried not to let her heart pound when he kept making sure to put himself between her and any danger. It beat hard anyway, and she was sure the telltale flush was all over her cheeks. She nodded at him, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, sounds good. Thanks again."
As they inched along the dimly lit corridor, she shivered. It still felt like she was being watched, and she really wasn't looking forward to meeting the other residents of…..wherever this was. Hopefully, they stayed in the shadows, where they belonged.
