Chapter 13: Long Journey + Vampire
Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario + Vampire. I twisted the author's storyline into my own imagination.
Tsukune, Fong, and Gin were already covered in bandages given by Nazere after the beatings from the girls. Murotsu already had a discussion with them about that incident in the hot spring. Instead of punishing them, he decided to continue their journey.
"Let's keep going. We still have a long way to go," said Murotsu.
The group continued to walk for many hours. Soon they arrived to an open desert area. There were no trees around. Not even a living thing. So they continued to walk through the desert. The sun was beating down on them and their bodies were sweating. The heat was so intense and it caused their bodies to weaken.
"Hot! So hot! This place is hotter than the human world," said Tsukune, taking off his school uniform.
"Why do we have to go this way?" asked Kokoa.
"This is the route to my father's castle," said Murotsu. "It would take many miles to walk around this desert. We do not have time to do that plus we don't know when my uncle and his companions would arrive back with the demon lord Soku."
"Why can't we fly instead of walking?" asked Ruby, wiping her sweaty face with a cloth.
"Yeah, we would have reached my family right now," said Kokoa, breathing heavily.
"It's really dangerous to fly," said Nazere quietly.
"What do you mean?" asked Kurumu, taking a sip of water.
"The fortress is heavily guarded with flying demonic gremlins," said Nazere. "We have to infiltrate the fortress without us being seen. Walking on foot is the only way to get past the gremlins."
"I guess that make sense," said Moka.
"The grunts are stronger than you think and the rescue mission would not be a simple task. There are three prison guardians that protect the dungeon. Surazi a Chimera, Yakuma a hellbat, and Ushia a hydra," said Murotsu.
"How do you know about all of this, desu?" asked Yukari.
"Uncle Yuroku's keep was my father's home and it was guarded by goblins, gremlins, and ghouls. I managed to take a sneak inside my old home without getting spotted a long time ago," answered Murotsu wiping his sweaty forehead with his handkerchief. "That was the last time I saw the three Shuzen vampires and they were with three prison guardians in my uncle's torture chamber."
"That's horrible!" cried Moka, clasping her hands on her mouth.
"I won't let Yuroku get away with this!" shouted Kokoa, grabbing her pet bat and transforming him into her giant mace.
"Let's calm down right now. We need to get out of this desert as soon as possible," said Tsukune grasping Kokoa's mace.
"Are you sure that my family is alright, Murotsu-senpai?" asked Moka.
"Yes, I can sense their life status right now with my magic," said Murotsu, raising his staff and closing his eyes. "They are still alive for now but we must hurry. There is no telling how long they will last."
"Yes. We got to hurry, this heat is killing me," said Kurumu, wiping her forehead with a hankerchief.
"Oh, curse this awful journey. It feels like I'm melting," complained Mizore. Her face was covered with sweat.
They continued on their way to Yuroku's keep. For two days they still kept on walking fifty miles each day. Finally they reached a wood and nearby were a small pool of water. Everyone dropped their bags and ran into the pool, drinking heavily. The taste of the water was not satisfying but it helped cool the temperature of their bodies from the intense heat. The next day Koumori was sent to fly through the woods to see how close they are from Yuroku's keep. As they were walking Koumori returned and fluttered around like a maniac.
"Hey guys! I found an unconscious girl on the road!" he cried and flew toward the place.
"Let's go and investigate," said Tsukune following Koumori. Everyone hurried after Koumori through the dark vines. Right in front of them laid a young girl. She was wearing a red ponytail and a black sleeveless outfit. Her stick was lying right next to her. Yukari and Kurumu recognized the girl immediately.
"It's her! Deshi Deshiko!" cried Yukari.
"Who is that girl?" asked Fong.
"This girl was a leader of the Public Safety Commission," said Gin.
"She bullied the money out of our poor classmates and took part of Tsukune's execution two years ago!" said Kurumu sharpening her claws.
"No wonder she didn't have any friends," whispered Mizore.
"Wait a minute," said Hiyata. He started walking toward Deshiko.
"Hiyata, you idiot what do you think you are doing?" Shrieked Kokoa.
"Look at her. She looks like she has been ambushed by someone," said Hiyata, kneeling down toward the unconscious Deshiko.
"You're right, Hiyata. She must have battled with someone," said Nazere, examining her wounds.
"Who would do something like that to her?" asked Ruby.
"I don't know, but that means that whoever attacked her must be a dangerous enemy," said Nazere.
"We must keep an eye out and be ready," said Murotsu.
"Then what are we supposed to do with this girl?" asked Ruby.
"Let's camp for now and nurse this girl back to health," said Tsukune.
"Are you crazy?" said Yukari.
"She's our enemy," said Ruby, pointing her wand at her.
"It could be a trick," said Fong.
"Even though it's not a trick, she is only going to slow us down," said Kokoa.
"I don't think Tsukune is not wrong. We need to at least help this girl and get answers from her," said Murotsu. "She might be able to tell us who did this to her."
Murotsu put away his staff and carried the unconscious Deshiko to a soft grass area.
"Let's camp here for the night," he said. "Gin, please hand me my sleeping bag."
Gin did as he was told and everyone else put down their supplies and set up for camp. Nazere opened his backpack and pulled out a first aid kit. He bandaged Deshiko's wounds and sat next to her for a while. Night fell after the camp was set up.
"Hey guys, I think she is waking up," said Nazere. Everyone huddled around her.
"They…betrayed me…deshi," moaned Deshiko.
"Are you alright?" asked Moka.
Deshiko slowly opened her eyes and saw everyone's faces staring down at her. At that moment she opened her mouth to scream.
"It's okay. Calm down," said Tsukune, clasping his hand over her mouth. "We are not going to hurt you."
"It's a good think Ko-chan found you or you would've been a goner," said Kokoa.
Deshiko rubbed her eyes for a moment and glanced around her for her bo staff. Everyone stared at her with curiosity and concern.
"If you were looking for your weapon, Fong is holding it for you," said Tsukune calmly.
At that moment she quickly sat up from the sleeping bag.
"Easy, easy," said Moka. "You are in no condition to pick a fight with any of us and you need some rest."
"I'm ruined," cried Deshiko. Tears streaked from her eyes. "All of you ruined me. I was doing so well in the Public Safety Commission and now my life is as miserable as ever, deshi."
"What are you talking about?" asked Kurumu.
"My life was fine until that nasty human defeated Kouyo and ruined me, deshi!" she yelled pointing a finger at Tsukune.
"Before you hold anymore grudges at least explain what happened to you," said Murotsu.
"We even thought about leaving you to die in the woods," said Gin.
"Tell us what happened," said Murotsu.
"Why should I tell any of you? I've got no one," said Deshiko.
"Look, we've saved your worthless butt already, even though you were the one that bullied most of our classmates, desu," said Kurumu.
"Desu, desu." agreed Yukari.
"It's okay, Deshiko-chan. We mean you no harm. We just want to help. Now tell us who were your attackers," said Tsukune.
Deshiko gave a sigh and finally gave in.
"Alright," she said. "Ever since the Public Safety Commission was dissolved I finally met up with my two other companions and together we left the Youkai Academy. We were planning to report back to our master Yuroku that the mission had failed and we ask his forgiveness deshi. When we got back to the castle, Lord Yuroku was displeased with us but allowed us make amends for our mistakes by letting us kill each other. Only two of us can survive. We had no choice so we decided to do it outside deciding which one of us is going to die deshi. Then my companions ganged up on me and beat me saying that I was weak and I am no longer in the service of the Masked King and master Yuroku, deshi. Then they decided to throw me here believing that I would die, deshi."
"That's unforgivable!" said Kurumu.
"I can't believe they decided to gang up on you like that," said Tsukune.
Deshiko began to cry again, burying her face in her hands.
"Calm down," Murotsu said, trying to comfort her. "You are going to be alright."
"Neither your companions nor your master can be trusted," said Gin. "You need to understand that they were using you like they were using several of your friends in the Fairy Tale Organization. Kuyo used you!"
"That's not true, deshi! Kuyo-sama and Yuroku-sama were the only people I had!" exclaimed Deshiko, trying not to believe him.
"The reason the other students at school were treating you like that was because you did the same to them," said Moka. "But you can still apologize to them and pay them back."
"This is your only chance to leave your master and be a free monster," said Tsukune.
She hesitated for a moment.
"I-I don't know deshi. I don't know what to do," said Deshiko.
"It's okay," said Tsukune. "Be my friend, Deshiko. Be our friend. We are here to help you and you can have a future."
"Friend?" asked Deshiko.
"Yes," answered Moka. "I want to be your friend too. A true friend."
"Me too," said Kurumu.
"Do you want a lollipop?" offered Mizore, handing her a lollipop.
"There is room for more people in our Newspaper club," offered Gin.
"Desu, desu," said Yukari in agreement.
"You can join me in the martial arts club too," said Fong.
"Or you can work beside me as a colleague for the Youkai Academy," said Ruby.
"I've always wanted more friends. I'm more than happy to be your friend," said Murotsu and his two companions.
Hearing their kind offers, Deshiko's smile slowly formed on her face and she laid her bed back on the sleeping bag.
"Deshiko, are you okay?" called Kurumu, frantically.
"She's okay, she is just sleeping," answered Nazere as he placed a wet cloth on her forehead.
"We should be resting too," said Murotsu, standing up. "I'm going to look around for the two guys that attacked her."
"Murotsu, you should get some sleep too," said Nazere.
"I will when I come back," replied Murotsu.
"Murotu-senpai. Be careful," said Kurumu.
"I will," he replied.
Nazere and Hiyata did as they were told. Murotsu took his staff and his weapon and set off to look for her attackers. Everyone else went into their tents and fell asleep.
Tsukune again had trouble sleeping because he was worried about the two attackers that Deshiko mentioned. He tried closing his eyes but he just couldn't fall asleep. What worried him more was Moka's family and what would become of this world and his own world. About an hour later he finally fell asleep. Then he had the same nightmare as before, the execution of his friends. Seeing all of his friends dead Soku charged at Tsukune and raised his deadly claw. Suddenly he heard an echoing voice and something was shaking him. Everything he saw including Soku vanished.
To Be Continued...