I scrambled back from the hands desperately, the branches scratching at my back and hands, but my panic and fear momentarily blocked out the pain my body was in.
"Nal-chan!" Honey's hand grabbed mine and tugged me back in a flash as the bloody infants hands struck like vipers. Flashing out of the bush in the blink of an eye, they grasped desperately at my face, before just as quickly jerking themselves back.
"L-let me guess. Th-those are the Waru you sensed earlier? I thought you said they weren't gonna be too bad!" His now serious brown eyes kept careful watch on the suddenly still, and silent woods around us.
"I didn't sense those, they disguised themselves somehow. If i'd know there were Akateko I'd have taken us a different way completely!" I stared at him blankly.
"Aka what?" His eyes darted from one tree to another, as he ushered me towards a clearing we could see a little bit away.
"The're the hands of malicious yokai who died as children and aren't content with their fate. They try and suck the lifeforce from the people they can catch in their grasp, so that they can join them in their fate." I winced.
"Oh delicious." Please note heavy sarcasm. "How do we get rid of these things? Can we run?" He shook his head sadly.
"No, our only advantage is that they can't leave the trees they dangle from, but for now we can't know how many there are so it's safer to stay in the open." Shit, right now is not the time to be stuck in a life or death battle when i'm not sure if i'm going to hurl, or pass out at any given moment. I didn't even realize i'd spoken out loud till Honey answered what i thought had been my own private thoughts.
"Yeah. I wish we had cake right now, cake makes everything better." I gaped at him for a moment, but before i could reply, the world swam again, and i had to sit down hard.
"Say Honey," I swallowed heavily as saliva began pooling in my mouth and my jaw to to ache. "Grab me that branch right there. Maybe we can intimidate them with me puking all over their tree. And if that fails, i'll whack them with his." He dragged it over to me, placing the end in my hands.
The bark was rough underneath the soft skin of my fingertips, and when i hefted it, it had a solid weight behind it that would make whacking something with it a very painful experience for the one being whacked. Kinda like a baseball bat. Good, no yokai hand kid things are getting anywhere near me any time soon. Like ever if i can help it. I smirked evilly and glared at the surrounding tropical woods.
A low rumble from the sky had me glancing up in surprise. The formerly blue sky with it's shining sun was being filled with dark, ominous clouds, there was the rumble of thunder, and the bright flash of lightening high above us in them. The breeze picked up, lifting my formerly wet, but now dry and frizzy hair, up to tickle my face. Swatting it away, i felt something splash on my hand, and i jerked it back in horror swinging the branch up as my eyes lifted in fear afraid i'd find the small, bloody hands above me again. I was wrong, it was only a raindrop, one that was soon followed by thousands of others as the skies opened up and let loose a torrential downpour on Honey and I.
Without the cover of the trees, we were soaked and shivering within moments.
"H-Honey, i thought this was some man made tropical getaway slash waterpark thing…?" He seemed just as confused as i.
"It is Nal-chan...it is.." He curled up against my back, a small warmth against the chilly wind and cold rain.
"I hate this." I jerked in surprise at Honey's voice, rather than it's normal cheerful tone, it was rough, full of anger. In that moment, it was easy to remember he was over 2 years older than i was. "I hate how weak the human body is. We're sitting here cold, and alone, unable to get away, while the yokai sit there and watch us waiting for us to be weak enough for them to attack and take what they want." I snaked my hand back till i found his, and squeezed it gently.
"Honey-kun…"
"They have the advantage because now they're just spirits. We are human, and can bleed, can die easily under the influence of these creatures. It's why the hosts and I do what we do with our gifts, because it's our chance to help keep other humans, who are weaker than we are, safe from things that terrorize us all." He sounded like he was about to cry from frustration, his voice rough and angry. Angry at the creatures hunting us, angry at the elements thwarting us, angry at himself for deeming himself weak. Well this won't do. It's what the Waru are looking for, an opening in his heart and mind that is a chink in his armor.
"Honey stop it. Your body is made of the same elements that lionesses are built from. Three quarters of you is the same kind of water that beats rocks to rubble, wears stones away. Your DNA translates into the same twenty amino acids that wolf genes code for. When you look in the mirror and feel weak, remember, the air you breathe in fuels forest fires capable of destroying everything they touch. On the days you feel ugly, remember, diamonds are only carbon. You are so much more."
He relaxed against my back, and i heard him expel a low breath. "The yokai aren't stronger because they're spirits, they're weaker, but they don't want you to know that. So before you go off letting them know that you're ready to accept defeat against them, remember; we are strong because we are human, because we feel emotion, because we bleed when we fall, because we have the ability to pick ourselves back up every time no matter what it is that happens. They do not." I nudged him playfully with my elbow. "How's it feel to be a lioness Honey?" He snorted, and i felt a tension leave his body at that, before he reverted back to his normal self.
"Do lionesses like cake?" I grinned.
"Of course they do Honey!"
We sat like that for what to me felt like hours, but what was probably only twenty or so minutes. But finally, the rain began to let up till it was nothing more than a light drizzle. I wasn't aware i'd dozed off till a panic filled voice cut through the darkness and pulled me out of the sleep i'd fallen into.
"Honey..?" I blinked bleary eyes up at him, finding him standing there with a look of fear on his face.
"Nal-chan!" He collapsed against me crying now. "You had me so scared! You fell asleep and i've been trying to wake you for half an hour and you weren't moving! I thought you were dead!" I patted his head softly, and smiled into his hair.
"Nah, did you honestly think i would do that on you? I've got too many plans with my life to let myself go off and die now. Although i guess this does show that i'll probably need some medical attention when we get found by the club. Where's Ootori when you need him huh?" Honey pulled back sniffling softly.
"Mmmmhhmm!"
A glance around mr showed us surrounded by muddy puddles, there was water steadily dripping off the trees filling the man made tropical forest with its' soft pitter-patter, but the rain had slowed to a halt, and the clouds were slowly dissipating into a fog that was settling over the ground around us. Honey's eyes were flicking between me and the trees around us as he worried his lower lip with his teeth, a habit i didn't now he had.
"Nala does that." I didn't realize i'd spoken out loud till Honey fixed his eyes back on me.
"Does what?" I frowned at him in confusion.
"Did i say that out loud?" At his nod, i couldn't hold in a small giggle. "Whoops." His face now held flat out concern.
"Nal-chan look at me." I rolled my eyes to meet his, but found myself having trouble focusing. He sucked in a breath, and i asked what was wrong. "You're pupils are really dilated, and your head is still bleeding." I frowned as i tried to muddle through what he'd said.
Something in the back of my mind was screaming at me, that i knew this, that i should be figuring it out faster, but it was like the fog in the air had drifted straight into my brain, and my thoughts were slow in coming, and when they came i was having trouble piecing it together. Concussion… The word whispered through my mind, momentarily piercing the fog my head was in. Well shit. This ain't good.
"Say Honey, you can't by any chance whip up some good ol' priestly magic that can make us a tracking flare by any chance, can you?" My comment, although i was dead serious, brought a bit of a smile to his face.
"No Nal-chan that's not how it works."
"Well...damn." I pouted at the ground. "That could make this situation veeerryyy awkward."
"Awkward?" He tilted his head at me questioningly.
"Uh, it's a figure of speech, also sarcasm on my part. Just forget i said it. Can we get through these woods in the opposite direction of the….yokai?"
I didn't want to say the names of the monstrously creepy hands. The thought of Honey, and the club dealing with these and worse on a daily basis made my stomach turn. And i complain about the amount of homework i have on as my everyday struggle… Shame filled me, as i realized something. While i may feel at home with the host club, i hadn't bothered to form any real relationships with any of them. They were superficial ones that didn't go past surface level.
It's not a surprise that i always wonder why i don't feel a connection with them, because i haven't been trying to build one… The sense of shame only intensified, and i shut my eyes in embarrassment. I'm such a fool. I'm a host, those boys should be my second family like they are to Haruhi. Yet because i'm too stubborn and try to drive everyone away from me, or take people for granted, i don't have that with them...I was surprised to find my eyes starting to sting as i held back tears. Not anymore. From this point on, i will form real friendships with the club. Just because i've gone through a lot of stuff recently doesn't excuse how i've pushed their offers at friendship away.
"Honey, I-" I was cut off, as Honey caught my arm, and yanked my back.
"Watch out!"
He grabbed the branch, and beat back the hands that had shot out at us.
"Well Honey," i forced myself to sit up ignoring the sickening wave that shot over me at the movement. "It would appear our friends here have decided to stop the whole waiting us out plan. Looks like it's time to start fighting."
Hold onto your seatbelts kids. It's about to get a little rough.
*Haruhi's POV*
It was downpouring, and we were hidden in a little gazebo away from the rain. Tamaki and the twins were coming up with more idiotic plans to find Honey and Nala, while Kyoya was quietly talking on his phone with someone. I glance around revealed Mori standing at the edge of the gazebo, staring out into the rain as if Honey would materialize from it and run to climb up on his shoulders. Well, his face was blank, but that's what i sensed from him. I didn't get vibes from people like Nala's cousin Maddy had always been able to, but i knew him well enough to guess.
He's pretty concerned… Anyone would've been able to tell, as it was, he wasn't acting like himself. Just earlier before the rain hit, we'd been walking, and he'd acted just as clumsy as Tamaki normally did, slipping on a banana peel and falling.
Sitting down on a bench next to the twins, i asked about Mori's relationship with Honey.
"Are they childhood friends or something?"
The twins glanced at him and Hikaru snorted at me.
"Those two,"
"Are cousins."
My jaw dropped open. No way!
"Heh!? Those two are relatives?!"
Kyoya, like always, just appeared next to me and explained it all. After which Tamaki decided to throw in his two cents.
"It must get his blood going, the blood of vassals of yore, which flows through Mori-senpai."
The twins began crying dramatically, and i sweatdropped at their actions. Damn rich people. Opting to ignore them, i turned my head back to Mori's still form as he stood there staring out into the downpour.
I'm not sure i understand all this about getting his blood going, but he does think an awful lot of Honey-senpai, huh? Almost without thinking, i stood and crossed over behind him. Gently resting a hand on his arm, i felt him jump slightly at the unexpected touch before he turned to face me.
"Mori-senpai, it'll be alright. Honey-senpai and Nala are safe, they're tougher than you think. And if they get hungry, there's plenty of bananas in the trees."
He was silent for a moment, and i could almost feel the twins and Tamaki betting on what he said, before he placed a hand on my head.
"Yeah."
Tamaki's shocked, dark aura exploded around him behind us, but i opted to ignore it as i went back to my seat. Finally, the rain stopped, but the rest of the hosts, aside from Mori, were too busy with what they were doing to notice it. However, i spotted Mori walking away, and sliding off my seat, left the gazebo and ran after him.
"Wait it's dangerous to go alone Mori senpai! And they're the other way!"
"No." His voice was soft, firm, determined. "They're this way." A sign fell over his head reading 'natural instinct', and i shrugged deciding to follow him.
"Alright, but i'm coming to!"
*Nala's POV*
Honey was fighting like a mad man, and me? Well I was sitting there cheering him on.
"Go Honey! You got this! That's right knock it away! WATCH OUT ON YOUR LEFT!"
He heard my warning and swung that way to knock it away from him. I feel awful. I'm stuck here unable to help at all and he could be hurt! Mori will MURDER me if he is...! I have to come up with something to help! My eyes flicked around worriedly.
"Honey! Is there anything I can do to help?"
He fell back from the hands as they seemed to draw back at the sound of my voice after my somewhat prolonged silence. He was sweating and had a cut on his forehead, but was otherwise fine. His worried eyes ran over me before he went back to watching the Joe silent woods around us. "Honey even if I'm throwing rocks I need to help you,"
His brown eyes shimmered for a moment as the sun danced across his face, but he seemed to be contemplating something.
"There may be a way Nal-chan!" Even as he spoke though, his eyes flickered with worry.
"What is is Honey?"
"Well, it's dangerous, but it would heal you."
"I'm all for it! I, uh, eat danger for breakfast!"
He shook his head at me.
"Not like this Nal-chan. You have to let the yokai attach themselves to you."
I blanched at that, there was no way he was serious...or maybe he was if the serious, determined look in his eyes and on his face was anything to go by.
"What will that do for me?"
"Well," he scanned the trees again before speaking. "The yokai suck the energy from you, but the energy in your body is focusing predominantly on the wounds you have right now, so it would be pulled from there first-"
I cut him off.
"Don't I need that energy to heal though!?"
"Wait let me finish first Nal-chan!"
"Ok, ok sorry."
"Like I was saying though, they would take the energy from the wounds, but as they draw it it's like they're speeding the healing process up and it heals your wounds even as it takes the energy from them. It's very dangerous, but it could work."
I pointed to the cut on his head which was still bleeding.
"Why don't you do it to then? You're the one fighting, yet you haven't."
He shook his head at me. A grim look on his face.
"I can't. It's too dangerous for me. For priests, the Magic the yokai wield can become extremely addictive if we are exposed to, or use it for long periods of time. And if you're addicted to why you're supposed to destroy, well it doesn't end well."
Ahh that makes sense. But still, darn that sucks because he's the fighter not me...still it could be worth a shot. Staring at him with grim determination, I nodded my head.
"Let's do it."
Worry coated his features, but he nodded back and straightened.
"Let me explain first what will happen. At first you won't feel anything, it'll be like floating, then it will transform into a dream, as soon as the dream becomes a nightmare, you need to wake up. As soon as it transforms into a nightmare is when you've been healed and the yokai are taking your life energy."
"Alright...life energy equals nightmare. Bad energy to heal me equals dream. Because that totally makes sense." I was talking to myself now, so shaking my head, I held out a hand to him. "Help me over there Honey, and here's to hoping I wake up on time. If you see the wounds closing and me not waking grab me and yank me away okay?"
"Hai." He took my hand, and helped me to within reaching distance of the trees before he backed away. I knew he was worried, but I was determined to do what it took to help him. Even if that meant putting myself into the clutches of the enemy for a time. I didn't have to wait long, within moments of sitting there, the yokai struck.
*Author's Note*
Hello loves! Alright *hides behind Kyoya* don't murder me for dragging this episode on so much! There's just so much to put in that i sit here writing and writing and then i'm like whoa six pages? So then i post it and go back to writing! BUT the next chapter will wrap it up and we'll be good so don't hate me! Also was it ok having Nala realize she needed to work on her friendships with them? I thought i was the easiest way to bring that around, but i'm not sure, so was doing that ok? Also are you excited for the next chapter? :D