Author's note: The die has been cast. What happens next, I wonder? Oh and btw, yes I totally stole the town name from Wild Arms 5. Color me lazy. I would rather put my creative juices to story generation, rather than random town names. It's just how I roll.
"That was almost too easy." Jack said skeptically as he re-sheathed his sword.
Hanpan climbed out from the safety of Jack's coat pocket and scurried up to his usual spot on Jack's shoulder. "Indeed," he said, "I could have sworn that the mayor said our target was small, striking quickly and without warning. This beast was huge and slow. Not to mention it hardly put up any fight."
Rudy closed the cylinder of his Hand Cannon after reloading, sliding his ARM back into it's holster. "I think we should continue to look around then. Just to be sure that we are not missing anything."
"Yes, I agree," Cecilia began, turning to face the two of them, "I would hate to collect on a reward that we did not rightfully- AHHHHHHH!" She let out a gut wrenching scream as a sudden searing pain tore through her body. The source coming from her back, just below her left shoulder.
Panicked, Jack and Rudy immediately started in her direction. "Princess?! What's wrong?" Jack shouted as he reached for her.
Cecilia fell to the ground on her hands and knees, as tears began to stream down her cheeks. The pain was so intense that she couldn't move. She hissed in a breath through gritted teeth, unable to respond. On her back, it's fangs sunk deep into her flesh through her clothes was a small, green humanoid looking monster. It's piercing yellow eyes leered back at Jack and Rudy as the monster snarled at them through it's grip on Cecilia.
"Ack! What in the hell is that?!' Jack exclaimed as he reached Cecilia. He heard Rudy instruct him to get back, moving out of the way just in time for Rudy to snipe the monster off of her with pin point accuracy. The creature let out a dying hiss as it's body dissolved.
"I have a feeling that thing is what we were sent in here to deal with. But I've never seen a monster like that before." Hanpan said as Jack and Rudy helped Cecilia to her feet.
"Cecilia, are you okay?" Rudy asked her.
"I think so…" Cecilia panted through the pain still coursing through her body. "I think I'll be alright." she nodded to them. They both let go to let her try standing on her own. "Let me just heal myself, and hopefully I'll be fine." She said as she readied her scepter. She twirled her scepter around herself, the glow from her spell surrounding her. However, her movements caused searing pain to rattle her once more, nearly causing her legs to give out from under her. She thrust her scepter in front of her as she fell forward, catching herself against it. She clutched to it for support, gasping out loud. Once again Rudy and Jack reached out to steady her. "I… I don't understand. Did my spell not work?" She asked them, confused.
"It looked like it worked." Hanpan assured her, "If that was indeed the curse-inflicting monster, then maybe it's possible that the curse involves one of those ailments that prevents healing."
"Here, I have some medicine on me." Rudy offered as he opened up a side pocket on his ammo bag, where he kept his healing items. He removed a small vial and uncorked it, handing it to her. "It might be worth a try, right?"
"Thank you." Cecilia said as she reached out and took the vial from him. She quickly drunk the bitter liquid. "Alright, let me give it another try." She winced as she straightened herself up.
Jack stopped her, "Maybe you should try a heal berry this time. I really don't want to see you hurt yourself like that again." he said as he dug into his pocket. He pulled out a heal berry and handed it to her.
"You're right. That is probably a good idea." Cecilia agreed. She took the small fruit from Jack and put it in her mouth, it's healing juices running down her throat as she chewed.
"Any better?" Hanpan asked.
Cecilia shook her head. "I- I don't know. I don't think so. If anything, the pain feels like it is starting to get worse."
"Oh hell, we need to get her back to town to see the doctor right away." Jack said.
"Yes," Hanpan nodded. "The mayor did say that there was a cure, we need to go and find out what that cure is."
"O-okay…" Cecilia's voice trembled as she leaned against Rudy, who was still supporting her. "that sounds like the best idea."
Jack helped hoist her on to Rudy's back to get her out of the cave, since Cecilia's condition continued to worsen as the pain intensified. They quickly made their way back out of the cave, the two men keeping a vigilante eye out for any other monsters that might try to ambush them. Earlier that day, they decided to hike to the cave, since it was so close, rather than fly. In order to get back to town quickly, however, Jack took a teleport orb from his pocket, holding it out in front of Rudy, who put his hand on it. In a flash of red light, they disappeared, reappearing moments later at the entrance to Honeysday. They made a mad dash down the main road, bee lining to the small clinic which was thankfully situated rather close to the entrance.
Once they were inside the clinic, the doctor took one look at Cecilia before immediately whisking her away back into the exam room without a word, leaving Jack and Rudy behind to wait. She helped Cecilia up on to an exam bed, and then hurried over to her supply cabinet. She removed a large tan glass jug and uncapped it, pouring the clear viscous liquid inside into a glass tumbler. She hurried back over to Cecilia and handed to her.
"Here, drink this. It will help with the pain." As Cecilia sat up to drink, the doctor moved around behind her, examining the bite mark on her back through her clothes. "Hmmm, it's exactly as I thought." The doctor said as she pulled her exam stool up beside the bed and took a seat. "What's your name?" the doctor asked her.
"Cecilia…" she uttered between sips. She could feel the medicine already starting to take effect, and did not want to stop drinking it. But being so thick and foul tasting, she had to take it at a slow pace.
"Alright, Cecilia. I am going to ask you something, and I need you to answer it with 100% honesty."
Cecilia nodded while still sipping her medicine.
"Are you a virgin?" The doctor asked her with a deadpan look of seriousness.
The question nearly caused Cecilia to spit out her medicine. She choked a mouthful of it down before answering, "Ummm, yes," she said timidly, feeling her face grow hot, "but why does that matter?"
"The monster that attacked you is a very rare creature called a 'Gorg'." the doctor began to explain, "Gorgs only attack young women, inflicting upon them a curse called 'The Gorg's curse.' If the victim is a virgin, she will die in 24 hours, however if she were not to be a virgin, she will make a full recovery in 24 hours. There is only one cure, I'm afraid. You will need to shed yourself of your virginity by this time tomorrow if you want to survive. I'm terribly sorry, but there is no other way."
Cecilia's face fell as she processed what the doctor told her, the realization sinking in. "So that basically means that tonight… I am going to have to…" her voice trailed off.
The doctor nodded. "That is the only cure." she said with a sympathetic look. She then reached over and took Cecilia's hand in hers, patting the back of it gently. "I understand what you are going through, dear. My daughter is around your age and the same thing happened to her recently, too. Thankfully she has a fiancé, though they were wanting to wait until they were married. I know it feels like a lot right now. Why don't you take a few moments to think about things. I'll leave you be."
"Thank you." Cecilia said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"One more thing." The doctor said as she began to stand up. "Those two gentlemen who brought you in, are they friends of yours?"
"Yes," Cecilia nodded.
"Would you prefer to tell them about this yourself, or would you like me to do it for you?"
Cecilia gasped as her eyes widened. Her grip tightened around the almost empty tumbler in her hands. Oh no! Rudy, Jack, and Hanpan. They are going to have to know all about this, too! That realization alone was enough to make her want to curl up in a hole and die of embarrassment.
"Perhaps I should be the one to tell them." the doctor offered after seeing her reaction.
"Okay…" Cecilia quietly nodded before quickly finishing off the rest of her medicine. She set the glass on the table beside her bed. She then drew her knees up into her chest, hugging them tightly to her.
"You just try to relax and take it easy for a while, while I go and speak with them." the doctor said as she began to leave.
Cecilia silently nodded, before burring her face into her knees.
As soon as the doctor opened the door, Jack and Rudy leapt to their feet and rushed over to her. They briefly caught a glimpse of Cecilia curled up on the exam bed, before the doctor closed the door behind her. "What's going on? Is she going to be okay?" Jack demanded.
The doctor let out a long sigh as she looked up at the two concerned, bewildered gentlemen standing before her. As she had done several times by now, she mentally prepared herself to break the news to these two men about the very delicate situation now facing their young lady companion. "If you could, please follow me." she instructed them. She stepped around Rudy and led them down the short hallway to her office. She ushered them in, and had them take a seat, motioning to two chairs situated in front of her small wooden desk. As they sat down, she walked around her desk, taking up her seat, drawing in a deep breath as she prepared to deliver the news. "Ahem." she cleared her voice, folding her hands on the desk in front of her, "The creature that attacked Cecilia is called a 'Gorg'. Gorgs specifically attack young females, inflicting them with something called a 'Gorg's curse'."
"Oh! I've heard of those!" Hanpan gasped. "But are you certain? They're exceedingly rare."
"Yes." she nodded, "100% certain. It has been attacking young women in the area for several weeks now."
"Okay, well what exactly does this curse do? Isn't there supposed to be some kind of cure?" Jack asked.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, the doctor looped her finger in her shirt collar, adjusting it before continuing. "There is one cure for a Gorg's curse. You see, the curse itself is an attack on a young woman's chastity. Since Cecilia is a virgin, she will die within 24 hours. That is, unless she were to no longer be a virgin. Then she will make a full recovery. I am pretty sure that the three of you can figure things out from here.
Rudy and Jack's faces when ashen as they realized what exactly the doctor was getting at. "Wait just a minute though," Jack said, rubbing at the side of his face, "we killed that thing! Shouldn't that undo the curse?"
"Seeing as how she is still exhibiting symptoms, my guess is no." the doctor said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest, "And if you want my honest opinion, I wouldn't risk staking her life on that chance either."
"So that means that she's still going to need to…" Jack's voice trailed off.
The doctor nodded in affirmation, "Before 24 hours is up. She is already aware of her diagnosis, and that I have told you gentlemen everything. Please do try to be patient and understanding with her. She is quite shaken over all of this. I'll leave the two of you to discuss this for a moment. Please come out when you are ready." the doctor said as she stood up from her chair.
"Yeah, so… I'm positive that there is very little that I am going to be able to contribute from this point on, so I'm going to take my leave now too." Hanpan informed them. He leapt off of Jack's shoulder and followed the doctor out of the room.
Jack looked over at his young companion, who continued to remain silent, "You are realizing what all of this means, right?" he asked.
Rudy nodded once, keeping his eyes focused on a neatly organized stack of papers situated on the doctors desk.
"And from the looks of it, I guess this means that one of us is going to have to… well… Aww geez! I don't even wanna think about it!" Jack groaned out loud as he buried his face in his hand.
Rudy simply nodded once again, finding himself at a complete loss of words.
Jack looked up from his hand and back over at Rudy, studying him for a moment. "Alright look, I am just gonna come right out and ask it. Rudy, what exactly are your feelings toward the Princess?"
"Huh?" Rudy snapped his head up, giving Jack a startled look as his cheeks began to turn slightly pink.
"Don't get me wrong," Jack began, holding his hands up in front of himself, "I care about her enough that I would do anything for her. Even that, if it means saving her life. But, I'll be honest; I've had my suspicions about the two of you for some time now. And well… maybe it would be best if, you know, someone who already had a romantic interest were to 'handle things'." Jack hinted.
Rudy's face went bright red as Jack's less than subtle hint hit him like a sack of bricks to the gut. "I um… well…" he coughed, trying to figure out how to articulate his answer, "I do care about her, a lot. I am also willing to do whatever it takes to get her better. But, it largely depends on what she wants, too." he said as he began to nervously scratch at the back of his neck.
"Yeah, that's true." Jack shrugged, "It's not like we get to decide any of this for her. I feel sorry for her though. I can't even imagine what must be running through her head right now."
Inside the exam room, Cecilia could not help it as the tears continued to fall. She was so embarrassed. She should have just heard the mayor out when he tried to warn her, rather than act so foolhardy. Though she was certain that her friends would do whatever it takes to… oh Guardians! That meant that it would have to be either Jack or Rudy to cure her. She could not believe that in order to live, she would have to do something so personal, and so intimate with one of her two best friends. Jack was like a big brother to her. To do that with him would be beyond awkward in every way imaginable. And Rudy… Though she did hold deep feelings in her heart for the quiet young wanderer, she was not sure if he even reciprocated her feelings. Would he even want to do it with her? A soft knock was heard at the door, rousing her from her thoughts. "Come in." she called out softly, raising her head from her knees.
The doctor opened the door and poked her head inside. "Cecilia, your friends would like to see you, whenever you are ready."
"They can come in." she said as she straightened herself up on the exam bed. The doctor opened the door a little wider to allow Jack and Rudy to pass her, and then left, closing the door behind her. "Hey…" Cecilia greeted the two of them, awkwardly keeping her eyes cast downward.
They could both tell that she had been crying as they approached her bed. Rudy walked up beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder, silently conveying the fact that he was at loss of words, but felt sorry for her predicament.
"So, uh… today sure has been… interesting, huh?" Jack said with a nervous chuckle.
Cecilia nodded solemnly.
"Look, Princess, I can't even imagine what must be going through your head right now. But, please know that both Rudy and I have got your back in all of this. We want to help you and are both willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of your life." Jack assured her.
"Thanks." Cecilia sniffled as she wiped a few stray tears from the corner of her eye. "You guys really are the greatest. However, maybe I should just find someone else to do it. There is still plenty of time left."
Astonished, Rudy and Jack both gaped at her as Jack took a step back. "Princess! Are you crazy?!" Jack practically shouted. He took in a deep breath as he reigned himself back in, settling down, "Look, we get it. It's awkward for all of us. But Princess, you have two trusted friends right here who understand and are willing to help you. Why would you even consider offering yourself to some stranger like that? I just… I don't even wanna think of all the things that could possibly go wrong." he sighed as he rubbed at his temple, shaking his head in bewilderment.
Cecilia's lip quivered as tears started to slide down her cheeks again. "Because…" she sniffed, "Because I could not possibly ask either of you to do this for me. It's asking way too much!" she cried out as she buried her face in her hands.
Rudy clenched both of his hands into fists as he nervously swallowed a lump in his throat. "What if…" he began, his voice barely above a whisper. He cleared his throat as he composed himself. "What if I were to offer then?" he asked her.
Author's note: You do know what is happening in the next/final chapter, right? The whole reason anyone is reading this in the first place. Hehehe.