Meanwhile…
Opening Song: Lilium by: Yukio Kondo
"Take me to the hospital." I state.
"I will after we get the food." Alan replies.
"No. We're going now."
"Asuka, I have to get that food now."
"Then I guess this is where we part ways because I'm going to the hospital."
I seize a perfect opportunity and drop down while the people on street level have their backs turned. Energy from both my personal scroll, and the awakening one negate the shock from the drop. I dive down a nearby alleyway and place my hands together. The power granted from both scrolls fuse together and form some kind of tunic that goes around my body. It's got an extremely silky touch, but there isn't a color that can describe it. It isn't red, green, blue, yellow or anything. Nor is it completely colorless. It can't even be described as white, grey or even speckled. It's just there.
If what Alan says is true, then shinobi can't see me, and hunters can't smell me. Which makes sense now that he explained it to me. When I first discovered how to do this, I could only practice a couple minutes at a time before the guards dragged me out of the cell, beat me then either hung me from a tree or held me under water until I nearly drowned.
As terrible as it was, I got off lucky compared to other people in there. Some were taken outside, and they never returned. The man in the cell across from me said that if they have to take you to the infirmary, or the warden receives a letter from the shinobi council demanding results, you never come back.
Although Hattori Hanzo is my ancestor, the warden didn't seem to care all that much. It felt like at any moment, he would have killed me. It wasn't until Ange and Gallowglass came back that everything went to hell. I slipped out of my cell, activated this newfound power and snuck through the prison while guards and prisoners fought one another.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The terrible memories of what was witnessed that day die down and return to the grave. I clench my fists and get myself under control. It's all part of the job description.
I scale up the side of a building and survey the area. There are some patrols here and there, but they are spread far enough apart for me to punch through. I look over my shoulder, but he's not behind me. Anger wells up in my heart. The least he could do is come with me to check on Mr. K. I understand he has a lot to handle, but we have no idea what kind of condition he is in. This could be the last time either of us might get to speak to Mr. K. Not to mention I wanted to go with him since we would be saving Ikaruga, and the others. Hopefully he doesn't get himself into something he can't get out of.
Power from both scrolls fluctuant through me and suppress my presence. I glide over the buildings and land on the side of a sky scraper. My hands and feet grip the glass like rungs in a ladder as I climb up. A board room containing several people staring out the window in complete boredom fail to see me.
I reach the top and take off running in the direction of the hospital. The snowy wind whips around and hoists me up into the air. White platforms of sleet form a series of stepping stones that lead higher into the sky. I dive head first in the direction of the hospital and look for a suitable landing spot. The helipad is occupied, but they seem to be wheeling someone into the emergency room elevator. I spin through the air and manipulate gravity to put me behind the elevator's entrance. The paramedics and nurses roll the injured person into the elevator's shaft and ride it down. I ease over to the edge of the hospital and look down. If what Alan said is true, then there is a chance Mr. K is in ICU. Hopefully. I hop over the ledge and scale down. If memory serves right, the ICU unit is on the seventh floor.
I grab hold of a window ledge and immediately duck down. The curtains are drawn back, and there were visitors in there. I don't know if anybody saw me, but there's no reason to hang around to find out. I look around and try to figure out where it would be best to go next. Most of the window curtains in the hospital are drawn back, and it's going to force me to zigzag all across the side of the building.
I kick off the side of the building and channel some energy. My feet and hands glow as the cold touch of white air wrap around me. The gliding wind lifts me up and slowly lets me down. I try to stay in line with the windows with closed curtains while doing my best to stay away from the open rooms.
I float down the side of the building and land on a window that is closed on the seventh floor. There isn't anybody inside the room. It's got to be vacant. Hopefully. I place my fingers at the base of the window's seal and channel the energy into the window. Light mana creaks through the grains of the glass and touches the lock. I twist my fingers and manipulate the dial to unlock the window.
God this power is so cool. I really am becoming an interpretation of a romatizied version of a shinobi. The window opens up, and I ease my legs in. My shoes come at the edge of the curtain as I examine the room. There isn't anyone in here other than a child, but she's fast asleep. I close the window behind me and ease through the room.
In the hallway, doctors and nurses pace all over the place and converse about upcoming surgeries and procedures for the patients of the floor. Yet there's no mention of Mr. K or Katsu. I ease further and look at the bulletin board with all the patients in this wing of the hospital. Katsu's name is pointing to the left, and she's in Room 704, but Mr. K is absent. He must be on the other side.
"Nurse, is it time for more chemo?" A sleepy voice asks from behind.
I look over my shoulder and see the sickly looking child rubbing her eyes.
"No, and I wish you didn't have to go through that." I sigh.
"Oh wrong room?"
"Yes, but I hope and pray you and your family find happiness in these terrible times."
"What's your name?"
"Asuka. You?"
"Ruby."
"Pretty name. Stay strong Ruby."
"Bye Asuka."
I bite my lip and ease out of the room. A couple seconds ago, I was feeling good about the power I have been given. Yet, I cannot help people like that girl. What's the use of having power like this when it can't be used to help others out? A question for another day. One I will find an answer for. For now, I have to get to Katsu.
I give the nurses and doctors a wide berth and move down when there is nobody walking down the hallway. The nurses and doctors in the hallway are going room to room for their hourly checkups, and it's keeping them out of my way.
I keep my head down as much as possible to hide my eyes and face obscured. The door to room 704 is closed, but there isn't a sign hanging up that's saying she is currently being treated. I ease the door open and slip in between the gap. The curtain blind is closed around the patient's bed.
"Damnit, is it medication time again?" Katsu asks.
I poke my head through the curtain, "Yes. I prescribe you a dose of get well soon."
"Asuka!" Katsu reaches out with bandaged hands. She bites her lip and grimaces as she lays her arms back down. Despite the pain, she forces herself to smile. Although a feeling of sadness comes over me, I am glad she is still alive. Katsu puts her arms around my neck and attempts to hug me.
"How are you holding up?" I ask.
"Third degree burns. Had to get scrubbed and grafts, and that is something I would not wish on my worst enemy."
"Mr. K?"
"He's in the east wing of ICU. Room 735."
"How's he holding up?"
"Can't say, but I hope he's okay. Alan not come with you?"
"No. He went to go save the others. What happened?" I ask.
"Me, and the girls were getting ready for bed while this guy named Sebastian was keeping watch. Mr. K was gone on a mission."
Katsu searches her mind and struggles to recall all the details. "I remember specifically that I came out of my room to tell the other girls goodnight, and when I did, I saw this guy standing in the living room. He was picking food out of the refrigerator and going on about famine in some kind of poetic way. I told him if he was hungry, he could take what he wanted, but he needed to leave. That's when he looked at me and said, 'I'm not here for the food.' The bowl of rice in his hand turned to embers, and everything the ash touched burst into flames."
"Alan said something about this guy taking the girls. Where did he go?"
"I don't know, but he said all of us were going to be trophies from the old world. I managed to get way." Katsu drives her elbows into the bed's railing and bites her lips. "I should have fought harder, but I was in so much pain from trying to keep the ceiling from collapsing on us that I couldn't do anything."
"It's okay Katsu. We're going to get the girls back, and when we do, Alan and I are going to put a stop to this." I say.
"And when I get out of this hospital, I'll be right by your side every step of the way."
"Rest easy Katsu. I'll be back soon with the girls." I wave her goodbye and sneak back out into the hallway. After I pay Mr. K a visit, I'll find Alan, and we'll settle this once and for all. That's if he hasn't went ahead and tried to do this all by himself. It's very likely he did, but hopefully he'll come to his senses and wait. I slink down the hallways and make my way to room 735. Most of the doors in this wing are closed due to the patients receiving their medical assistance and advice from the nurses.
Room 735 is closed as well, but unlike the other rooms with a doctor visiting, there is an authorized personal only sign dangling from his door. A terrible thought comes to my mind, but I fight it off and move up to the door. The coasts are clear, and all of the staff at the front desk are preoccupied with paperwork. I carefully crack the door open and slide in.
The only visible sign of light is a lamp that radiates within the shielded blind that wraps around a hospital bed. Medical machines beep and medical bags laced with trace amounts of pain killing drugs hang from IV stands. Something is very wrong. Katsu heard me the moment I entered the room. Mr. K hasn't even said a word.
"Mr. K? Can you hear me?" I ask from outside his curtain.
"How you doing kid?" Mr. K weakly replies.
I draw the curtains back and step inside. Mr. K lays on the bed nearly motionless. Although he's already been through surgery, the massive hole in his stomach is softly leaking blood. I carefully approach him and take hold of his hand. "Who did this to you?"
"You didn't answer my question Asuka. How are you doing?" Mr. K replies.
"I'm… okay. How about you?"
"Holding in there. You just missed your papa."
"What's he doing?"
"Making sure Katsu and I are alright. He'd have a stroke if he knew you snuck in here while this place was being monitored."
"Yeah, well if my old man can do it, so can I."
I'm guessing Alan had a score to settle?"
"Yeah…I wanted him to come with me, but…he insisted on going his own way." I sniffle.
"I'd expect nothing less of that boy." Mr. K chuckles. "He always had a one track mind."
"Yeah, and I have to put up with it." I laugh.
"I have to say I am upset that he didn't come because I wanted to tell him something. Yet, I know beyond all shadows of doubt that him, and the girls are on their way here as we speak."
Mr. K reaches out with his free hand and rakes it across the nightstand. His fingers grab hold of an envelope. "When Alan comes back, I want you to read this together. You can even make him read it if you want."
"That's if he can even read."
"True." Mr. K lets out a stressed giggle as I take the letter from him.
"Everything is going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright." I try and reassure myself.
The door to Mr. K's room opens up, but Mr. K continues to hold onto my hand. I want to reach for my sword, but the fact Mr. K doesn't seem too concerned helps me keep it sheathed. A familiar sight of that iconic Gallowglass insignia dangles off the man's buttoned collar as he slowly approaches me.
"You come here looking for trouble?"
"Only if you are. You Sebastian?" I ask.
"Depends on who you ask."
"Please you two, there's a more pressing matter." Mr. K coughs.
"You're right. I could cuff this girl to draw the real target out, but I have a feeling he is elsewhere."
"What do you want with Alan?"
"You see, if I cuff you, I get my hands on Alan, and when I get Alan, then Lawrence and little Hikage-chan will come running to save him, and when that happens, PACK, PACK!"
Sebastian says as he makes a set of finger guns and imitates the motion of shooting someone, "the boss is happy, and I make off with a sizable profit."
"Then why don't you take me right now?" I ask.
"Because I understand Alan has a bigger purpose than being a means to our end. However, once he outlives his cause, he'll receive an execution just like Lawrence, and the other degenerates they ran around with."
"If you think using Alan's past is going to sway me to your side then you thought wrong. I know all about Alan's days as an outlaw, but more importantly, I know who he is now." I state.
"I'm not trying to win you over. I am only reminding you of the inevitable. Now if you'll excuse me, I will let you return to your visit." Sebastian leaves the room in peace.
Anger boils up inside me due to the true statements that were made. If only Alan and I had a place we could go after all of this was done. No. When this is all over, we will have a place where we can escape this. Even if Alan hasn't made plans for it, I will. We'll find a place where we can live in peace. No shinobi. No hunters. No horsemen. Just a place where we can lead normal lives.
The sounds of nurses and doctors pleading with a patient to go back to her room echo outside the hospital room. The commotion gets louder as a woman whoops and hollers in joy.
"I'll go back to my room when I tell him the good news! Now let me! To hell with it! I'll do it myself!"
The door to Mr. K's swings open and Katsu charges in with nurses and doctors in pursuit. "I swear to God I'm not hocked up on morphine, but I sure feel like it!"
"What is it!?" I ask.
"Ikaruga! Yagyu! The girls! They're back! They're back! All of them!" Katsu dances around.
"I knew he could do it." Mr. K states.
"I swear to God after I beat Alan senseless for running off, we're not leaving my room for three days." I wipe the joyful tears from my eyes. "Where are the girls now?"
"They're getting checked in! None of them are in serious condition, but the doctors want to make sure they are okay!" Katsu states as the nurses and doctors drag her out of Mr. K's room.
"Mr. K, I got…"
"Bring him here by his ear. I'm a patient man."
"I'll be sure to take my time." I laugh.
This is great, and it didn't take him long to complete his mission. I really hope he's okay though. Hearing that the girls had been rescued, and the idea that Alan returned made me forget to ask how he was doing. Even though this is a moment of reprieve, I can't let my guard down. Now that the girls are back, there is the possibility that Sebastian guy might try and pull a fast one on me.
I keep my head on swivel and ease down to the ER. There's nobody sitting in the waiting rooms which means all of the girls are either being examined or being assigned hospital beds. I look around, but there seems to be no sign of Alan. Surely, he would have been in the waiting room. Maybe the idea that Gallowglass might have this place on lockdown prevented him from coming. Yet, how did the girls get here? I don't know what he did or where Ikagura, and the others were, but surely, he would have at least escorted them here.
It's okay. He's okay. He's probably got some kind of plan to avoid Gallowglass. In fact, Alan is probably back at the outskirts of the city, or at least he better be. I head back to Mr. K's room and walk in.
"What do you mean by that? You better not be lying to me!" Mr. K yells.
"I'm not lying." A female voice sharply replies. Standing at Mr. K's bedside is a tall woman with a head full of jet black hair. She isn't wearing anything other than some ragged clothing that barely cover her body. A decent sized hole scars her left breast. Right where her heart is. What makes her stand out though is her polished diamond cut eyes. Wait. Black hair. The hole in her chest. The jewel cut eyes. I know who this is now.
"If he's okay, then why isn't he here?"
"I told you he is in Sayuri's hands."
"And where is that!?"
"If I knew, then I would have told you already."
Kagura looks in my direction, "I'm sure you are wondering to?"
"What is going on? Where is Alan?"
"You are in danger here. Come and I'll explain."
Kagura opens the nearby window and motions for me to follow.
"Mr. K, I'll be back soon." I state.
Kagura leaps out the window and sprouts a set of wings during her decent. I bail outside and manipulate the scroll's power within me to catch a handful of wind. The air lifts me up and I glide after Kagura.
"What do you mean I'm in danger? And where is Alan?" I ask as the both of us land in an alleyway.
"He's with your grandmother as of now."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know how to say this."
"Say what?"
"Alan was able to save us but was unable to return on his own. Some girls that serve your grandmother were there at the time, and they said would be able to help if they were able to bring him to Sayuri."
"Then take me to him."
"I can't do that."
"Why not!?"
"Because you won't be able to handle what happened."
"Then what did!?"
"Because I don't know where he is! Okay? One of the girls told me it's time Alan meets with Morabis! Which means he is probably dead right now!"
"What?" I quiver.
"Don't get to worked up about it. This happens on a regular basis. Alan will talk with Morabis, he'll tell him the history behind why all of this is happening, Alan will make a decision, and we'll go on from there."
"What kind of decision?"
"Alan can come back and continue the fight, or he can give the power back to Morabis, and the battle will be postponed."
"What happens if Alan gives the power back?"
"He dies, but everything will go back to normal if Alan tells Morabis to find another harbinger. The battle will resume once a new harbinger is chosen. Until then, I am expecting my two eldest sons to seize this opportunity to come after you, and the scrolls before Alan makes a final decision." Kagura states.
"What happens after all of this is over? Will Alan finally be free?"
"I wish that were the case, but once the battle is over, Alan will have to accept the gift of release."
Disbelief comes over me as I try and make sense of what Kagura just said. No. That can't be it. There's no way Alan would just accept death. I fight the dread that is mounting in my heart and mind. A part of me cannot believe what Kagura is saying. The internal conflict raging through my mind is tearing me apart. It hurts to think about Alan dying, but it hurts even more knowing that there might be a chance he'd look for a way out rather than come back.
Tears roll down my eyes as the first memory of him traveling to Ursania just to watch over me during that exam comes back. More tears fall as he stepped off that train when he came back for Christmas. My knees hit the ground when he overcame the Korin Fuma to save me from that prison. Yet, what's different about this time is Alan was in a situation where he was always going to come out on top or at least survive.
This time feels way different. In Ursania, Alan knew who Oliveria was. When he traveled to the Bolakna to fight in the war, he was just fighting ordinary hunters and monsters. How he escaped the Korin Fuma is beyond me, but he came back. Yet, Alan wasn't dead. He was beaten and sealed, but he always came through. I want to believe he'll come back this time too, but the more thought that goes into it, the more unstable my faith is. I clench my fists and turn my back to Kagura.
"Where are you going?"
"Doesn't matter."
Right now, I just want a quiet place. Far from the world. I don't want to speak or see anyone. A part of me doesn't even really care if Gallowglass or the horsemen find me. Despite all the training about how to suppress emotion and not letting it get the upper hand, it's not working.
I really am stuck between a rock, and a hard place. I can't go home because there's a chance I could be followed, and I can't run away because I won't be able to protect mom and dad if something happens. Wind wraps around my body and hoists me into the air. Pure mana launches me up as I glide up to the top of a skyscraper and look out over the city.
There is a perfect view of my house from here. If anything happens to my parents, I can spring into action. Until I am inevitably chased off by either Gallowglass, or the horsemen. When that happens, I guess I'll commit to living in the wasteland. Although that maybe a death sentence, there's not another option. Maybe I'll get lucky and run into Lawrence and Homura, and they can take me in until I can get back on my feet.
The central heating unit is fenced off, but it isn't anything that can't be climbed. I hop over and feel around for where the machine is throwing off heat. There is a place where most of the snow has melted. I lay down and scrunch up like a cat. There's just enough heat to take the chill out of my body. For the time being, this will have to be my home…
Ending Song: Ending Song: Yamiyo Wa Otome o Hana Ni Suru BGM version by Ruka Kawada