I am perfectly alive, and here I am proving it! Boy howdy.

Please enjoy.

-Decay-

Tia stirs. She's miserable with fever but that doesn't stop her discomfort with strange beds. Sleep wavers in and out, to the point that she can't tell when someone is near her or not. She doesn't open her eyes, knowing she's supposed to keep resting as long as she possibly can. At some point she has a hazy dream. She doesn't blame herself for this dream, and in fact enfolds herself in its comforts. She can hear Chichiri. He's talking to her, holding her hand… fantastic! She can't understand him or talk back, but she doesn't care. Just the idea of him being safe, and holding her hand on purpose is enthralling.

But eventually she has to open her eyes because she's pretty sure the dream ended. Now she's lonely. Trying to keep sleeping at this point feels more arduous than what it's worth.

"Ooooh… should probably drink some water or something…" she thinks, grimacing at her uncomfortably dry mouth that contrasts all the sweat she's drenched in. She opens her eyes, to see that the room is dimly lit because of the shabby curtain-covered window. It's daytime. But even more, she can hear the voices of her friends in the other room. Even more, even more, a small chair is drawn up to the side of her bed, and her hand is outside the blankets, as if it had been held.

"Wonder who stayed with me…" Her mind drifts to her dream, but she dismisses it. He's in Kutou.

With great effort, she peels the covers from her frame and drags her legs to swing over the side, having already sat up and gotten over the bit of wooziness that came with it.

"Okay. Ready."

First attempt to stand: Failure.

Second attempt: Close, but nada.

Third attempt, after regaining a bit of chutzpah: …yes…? Success…? Success!

Her triumphant stand isn't accompanied by fanfare and trumpeters, and she is still incapable of calling out for anyone. Still, she must have made enough ruckus; the next room is buzzing and there are footsteps coming in her direction.

The door to her room swings open to a hallucination. Tia knows he's a hallucination of her ill-stricken brain because he can't possibly be here. Chichiri is in the doorway. Mask on, though he seems a bit stunned at seeing her. The others are behind him, are they also part of her feverish dreamscape? After all, they should be pushing past him since he's not real. And just a figment. All a glorious delusion.

"Tia, you're up, no da!"

He certainly sounds real.

She opens her mouth to sadly dismiss the vision she's having, but her ailment persists. No voice comes out, no words, and with that comes the sluggish idea that perhaps she's not seeing things. Instead, she weakly points at him with a shaking finger, her mouth still hinged open.

"Just standin' there lookin' stupid. I won that bet," Tasuki chortles, ruining whatever moment was about to be had. Hotohori and Chiriko certainly shoot him with vaguely venomous looks, but nothing seems to matter. The two are simply frozen staring at each other.

"Okay, everybody out. We can fawn over her in worry later," Nuriko says, voice soft as he ushers the rest away from the door. Tasuki complains but knows not to fight, not when Nuriko has already sent him flying into a wall and would gladly do it again. Hotohori glances at Nuriko in worry, and even sympathy. There is sad resignation set in his shoulders, and in his tight smile. He masks it well.

Once they've exited, the staring continues for only a few seconds more until Tia points more directly at his nose.

"Are you real?" she mouths, halfway forgetting that no sound will come out. Chichiri laughs a little as she bashfully places a hand over her throat. She pouts when his hand ruffles her hair.

"Yes, I'm really here no da. I heard you were ill, and it was time to report in with my findings anyway. I thought you knew, last night I was sitting with you and you seemed to see me no da," he replies, understanding perfectly. He's glad to see she has enough energy to still be herself.

"I thought… it was a dream," she mouths, deliberately to make sure he can read her lips. He pokes her cheek playfully, having turned tiny as he snickers.

"If I was a dream I wouldn't be able to help you out no da!"

She manages a weak smile as shivers run through her in a wave of heat and cold interchanging. She wraps her arms around herself to attempt managing them, but Chichiri notices and returns to normal, placing a hand on her shoulder and the other on her forehead. His masked face droops a bit.

"No good, you should go back to bed no da," he says, about to push her in that direction. She resists, placing a hand on his chest to help show she wants him to pause. He does. When she looks up, his too-happy act falters: Her eyes… The same fiery determination he's always admired rests there, untouched by the disease. He hardly feels her hand cup his cheek until she strokes her thumb over it.

"I have to go. I can do it," she mouths. She retracts her hand and pulls away from him, wobbling toward her bag in the corner. She's gonna get dressed and go out searching no matter what the protests are! He watches her go, jumbled feelings rising and falling, his mind unable to process them. It's been a long time since he's felt her touch, and it's flooding back to him that he sorely missed it. In a way… It's frightening. As she fumbles through her bag, he only wakes up from his daze when he sees her bare shoulders, and the top of her back…

"No da! Oh, I'll go get Shouka-san to help you, sorry!" he peeps, face heating up as she jumps, pulling the sleeping robe back up. He bounces out the room posthaste.

Tia screams inside, thoroughly embarrassed.

"I should've checked, I thought he left the room!" she wails inwardly, burying her face in her hands. If she felt better she'd have screeched like a banshee. A small, tentative touch gets her to peek again.

"Tia, are you sure you're well enough to go out? I'll help you if you're truly certain." It's Shouka, soft-spoken and hesitant. Tia nods, giving her a thumbs-up.

The two work to get her dressed, with Tia having to stop a couple times to get through fever pains. She's glad for Shouka's patience, especially when the clothing in question confused her at first. Soon enough, they're making their way out to the other room where the warriors wait.

"I do kinda wonder if Shouka is number six… I don't think I felt anything earlier but I have a feeling my radar is down right now anyway," she thinks, wishing she could verbalize to her friends that she won't be able to feel their chi. She knows Tasuki will complain… But now Chichiri is here.

Her face heats up again, as he's now technically seen her naked twice . She knows he wouldn't stare on principle but they've got a serious search ahead and being able to focus is going to be difficult enough! She's at least sufficiently blocked from saying anything embarrassing.

"I wonder how long he's going to be here… The best would be if he wouldn't go back," she thinks, heart thudding in her chest when she enters and sees him. All attention turns to her, most with worried expressions. Chichiri, whom she locks onto first, is still frazzled. But they're looking at each other again, and they remember, and they quickly and bashfully look away. Nuriko glances between them, shaking his head in exasperation. They're hopeless.

Hotohori smiles. "I'm glad you're still well enough to continue our search for now. If at any point you must rest, signal us," he says, gently sidestepping the ominous elephant in the room. One that portends a drawn out, painful death. Tia nods, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Out the door they head, leaving Shouka to her devices and promising to return. Even with her hoodie on, Tia shivers.

"I guess the colder months are setting in. I can get through this," she thinks, rubbing her arms to generate some heat. She refuses to swallow her unspoken pride and ask Tasuki for a fire. Never! Another shiver tears through her at the idea of fire, her clammy hands stuffing themselves into her front pocket for refuge. Then, she feels something being draped on her shoulders to wrap around her. Startled, she looks down to see a familiar purple cloak.

"We have to make sure you stay warm no da." She turns to Chichiri as she draws his kesa closer around herself. She mouths "thank you" with the best smile she can muster, feeling warm for entirely different reasons when his masked smile widens and his hand goes to her mid-back, guiding and supportive.

"... Chichiri, shall we do as we discussed? Even if it ends in futility, we must start somewhere," Hotohori softly says, interrupting the moment. Tia scrunches her face in confusion, having not been privy to any plans. Looking between them for an answer, Chichiri gives one.

"We should see a regular physician, since we don't know for sure if she has this plague. Who knows, maybe there's something more we can do no da."

Tia isn't convinced that a visit will do any good, but she goes along with it and they keep going. She lags behind, though Chichiri stays at her side, ready to handle any problems that arise. While grateful, her itching desire to tell him about anything… everything!—must go unscratched. She can't make any fun quips about Tasuki, can't gossip with Nuriko, can't get specific advice from Chiriko… It's inconvenient!

"I'm glad you're fighting this so well, no da. I heard about your encounter with Kutou assassins, and you made it through, so you'll beat this too. We'll find a way without resorting to…" Chichiri trails off from what he meant as words of kind motivation. Tia shrugs a bit, as there's no denying her limited options. Being bleak about the circumstances isn't really his style, so he overcompensates his trailing off into morbid thoughts. "I believe in your power, no da!"

The cheerful declaration again gets her to smile. She gives him a thumbs up to show that she appreciates him.

Soon enough they're turning into a small building snuggled within a crowd of buildings lining the empty streets. There's some murmuring about their large group, and it's decided that only Chichiri and Hotohori will go in with her to see the physician. While Tasuki grumbles about being left out again, he stays outside with Nuriko and Chiriko, citing that he'd rather be on guard duty anyway. Tia would love to ask what he's going to stand guard against, exactly.

"You say she's ill? If it's Shikonki, get her out. I've avoided the plague myself so far and have no desire to join the ranks!" A man says, having heard Chichiri and Hotohori's pitch. The response was pretty immediate. Tia can't see the man, presumably the doctor, as he's seated and her friends are basically forming a wall.

"Please sir, you must. We don't know yet if that's truly what ails her," Hotohori persists, only to get a beleaguered sigh.

"I wish I could tell you something different, but the symptoms are clear. I mean, I guess the guy on the outskirts could help you, Myou Ju-An. He's a pretty prolific healer, though just for animals as far as I know. Could be worth it," the doctor offers, though Tia has a feeling that he's only saying it because he wants them out of there as soon as possible. Chichiri's troubled frown tells her he believes the same thing. They leave. There's no point in forcing him, and he's not out of line for being fearful of getting infected. Tia certainly envies his health.

"Whaddaya mean, he refused to look at 'er?! Lemme at 'im, I'll make 'im!" Tasuki gripes, his reaction being what they expected. He makes to barge the door to the office down but Chichiri blocks the entryway while Chiriko grabs his right arm. The bandit halts, then glances at Tia. When she shakes her head, he grumbles and drops the tension in his shoulders. Chiriko releases him with a sigh of relief.

"Now we need to figure out where this Myou Ju-An is. Tia, are you still strong enough to carry on?" Hotohori asks, eyebrows furrowing in concern when he catches her grimacing in pain. She nods quickly before taking a short bracing breath. Everything about her body is beginning to ache beyond normal fever pains, and she has a funny feeling that it's going to get worse as time goes on.

They mosey along, keeping eyes and ears out for any word of either trouble or the man they're looking for, but nothing comes up. They're soon at the outskirts of town. In fact, as the air turns gloomier and chillier around them, it becomes evident with all the fresh mounds of dirt around that they've stumbled across a place they probably should have avoided.

"This is the cemetery, looks like. We should head back, something feels off," Nuriko comments, Chiriko nodding in agreement while swiveling his head around. Everyone turns to head back, but Tia halts, her ears still very much working.

"Did anyone else hear that?" She looks around and it's apparent that no one else did.

*Mew!*

She definitely heard it that time! There's a little kitten somewhere calling out to her for help! She hobbles toward the sound, straining her ears and waving an irritated hand to get her friends to be quiet when they ask after her. Soon enough, they're gathering around her, wary of their surroundings and the weird vibe they're getting. Tasuki goes so far as to get his harisen out.

"Tia, what is it? Do you sense something no da?"

She turns and makes hand motions and pantomimes a cat. Chiriko slaps his hands together in understanding.

"Ah, you hear a cat! We should listen for it too," he says, earning confirmation from Tia. Tasuki grumbles.

"Gotta stay in this place for a dumb lil cat?"

Nuriko tells him to shut up and the group stays still and silent. There's no breeze. There's no nothing, until…

*Mew!*

They hear it! They walk carefully forward, ears keen on the distressed kitten. Chichiri hones in on a nearby stump, pointing at it and urging them forward. Tia lets him and Chiriko investigate, she's afraid if she gets down to that level she won't be able to get back up.

"Oh, here he is! So small!" Chiriko exclaims, clearly delighted by their discovery. Chichiri gingerly reaches a hand into the stump, and comes out with a ball of white fluff that doesn't seem to mind being handled. In the three being enamored with the kitten, they fail to hear the rumbles in the ground. Tia takes the kitten with watery eyes at the abject cuteness only for her attention to be taken away.

"Hey guys, something's happening, and it doesn't look good!" Nuriko shouts, voice shaking from being creeped out. The group automatically forms a circle around Tia, who cuddles the kitten close. The mounds, the graves… Skeletal hands are poking out of them, reaching and digging and climbing for the surface. An awful stench of rotting decay permeates the air, making her eyes squint and water.

"Oh man, a buncha deadheads," Tasuki growls, lips turning up mirthlessly at the appearance of the undead horde. The zombies shamble forward, groaning and hissing.

"Fresh… meat…"

"Your flesh! Give us your flesh!"

"We starve, we crave…"

The rattling words are guttural and whistling all in one, their throats too dry and decomposed to allow for powerful vocals. They lurch and lurch, dry ligaments snapping and popping as their half-skeletal bodies animate for the first time in so long.

"Awright, that's close enough! Rekka Shin'en!"

Flame erupts at the spell's incantation, charring a deep line of the attackers. Hotohori yells next, his blade gliding through the air and easily through the bones of those nearest to him. Tia is a bit disappointed that she can't feel their chi right now. If she could it would be a great comfort, with how its warmth fills her up. For now, it'll have to be enough that she knows it's there, even if she can't feel it.

"I sense that something else is controlling them, a spell of evil no da," Chichiri calls, thumb hooked in his prayer beads as he concentrates. A log swings in the air courtesy of Nuriko, knocking about the group in his vicinity. However, Tasuki's fire appears to be the only viable deterrent; those cleaved and hit around only get back up again, their same moans for sustenance continuing on as a macabre chant.

"Guess the theory that the disease is caused by a demon is true," Nuriko says, voice clenched in exertion as he rests between swings of his battering ram.

"Its aura is everywhere, but it's hard to locate the source no da," Chichiri replies. Tia watches the battle with the hope it will end soon. As the minutes pass, she's feeling worse to the point that standing is difficult. She feels a rumble beneath her feet but without a voice or adequate strength, there's no chance to raise the alarm. A spindly arm bursts through the ground, its hand wrapping around her ankle. Tia screams, mind too terrified to remember that it's futile to do so. Her next instinct is to protect the kitten as she gets pulled down. The thump made by her body hitting the ground garners the attention of her protectors.

"TIA!" The chorus of her name reaches her ears, but she only curls up around her ward as more hands begin to claw at her, scratching her skin and pulling her hair. It torturously adds to the pain she's already in.

"I can't use the fan, she'd get roasted too!" Tasuki yells. He instead turns to the remaining shambling corpses to incinerate them in frustration. In the meantime, Chichiri, heart in his throat at the sight, has begun a spell. He concentrates to the minute details, to the smallest openings created by the attacking arms. Then, when the moment arrives, he activates! A flash of his chi surrounds Tia and flows outward, banishing the presence controlling the arms. They fall limply to the ground around her, lifeless once again. Without a second thought, he gathers her into his arms and holds her close.

"Tia, they're all gone, are you all right?" he asks, cradling her head against his chest. If he hadn't been so concentrated on finding the source of the evil aura, he would've sensed the attack from underground. As guilt begins to fill his thoughts, he feels her shift. Then, a feeble hand touches his cheek.

Tia is awake still, and though her face is tight from wincing, she motions to the kitten. He's perfectly unharmed, and content to be the center of attention. Chichiri sighs in relief. The terror of the moment fades away. She's still full of strength.

"Gods, you really took a walloping. We should head back to Shouka's," Nuriko says, having crouched down next to them. He swipes some hair from her face, tender as can be. She glances at him, her lips tilting up at the gesture. Then she shakes her head.

"Myou Ju-An. We have to find him," she mouths.

"But…" Nuriko trails off, formulating a proper argument. He hates seeing her suffering as she is. He wishes she'd be a bit selfish. Chichiri hums.

"You want to make sure the cat is okay. The doctor did say he healed animals no da," he says, easily catching onto her motive. She nods, lightly petting the kitten on her chest. Happy little purrs start up.

"All right, but you're not walking anymore today. You need to reserve what energy you have," Nuriko scolds, giving in because… well, that's a heap of contemplation for later. Chichiri stands, keeping her in his arms. Despite his secret desire to never let her go again, Nuriko gestures for him to hand her off.

"I don't have this super strength for nothing, and if we get attacked again, you'll be better at fighting anything off," he reasons, and there's no countering his logic. Besides that, Chichiri knows he shouldn't let his feelings get the best of him, especially when he knows he cannot allow them to grow. Seeing her after so long apart again was agony. Who is he to think that any good could follow?

But when he gingerly places her with Nuriko, he stares down at her. It's also agony to see her slowly wasting away.

"We should get moving, so we can find the healer before nightfall," Chiriko mentions, having observed the exchange and mentally cataloged the information gained. He's worried about the priestess' condition, but he can't help his mind doing its best to figure out the interactions between his companions.

The group heads away from the graveyard and back into the region of the outer buildings of the city. The search continues, and this time there's more rush in their countenance. The quicker they find the healer for the cat, the sooner they can get Tia back to bed and figure out their next move. It's when they turn onto an offshoot of the main road that they come to some luck: A merchant! He might know where to point them.

"Pardon me, sir, but we are looking for the animal healer Myou Ju-An. Might you know where he is?" Hotohori asks, and the man perks up at the name.

"Oh yeah, he's just on the edge of the city limits, in a hovel in the woods to the west. Keep going thisaway and you'll see a path in the woods, and that's him. He helped heal up my horse when she threw a shoe and caught a rock," he says, expecting that because he shared information, he would get a sale. Hotohori misses the social cue as he's never haggled a merchant before, but Chichiri steps up nodding gratefully.

"We'll take one of your fish, as you've been so generous no da."

The exchange is made, and the merchant pleasantly waves them off as he adds the coins to a line around his chest. Tia shifts, sighing in laughter at Hotohori's obliviousness during the encounter. Nuriko shakes his head, smiling. Their emperor must be learning a lot on his outing as a regular citizen.

The merchant's directions proved to be true, and they found the path through the woods. It was a bit lengthy and definitely out of the way, but the hovel did indeed sit within a grove atop a hill. Tasuki marches straight in the door, to the dismay of his comrades.

"Hey, are you Myou Ju-An? This chickie is sick and she also has a kitty for ya," he chirps, glad that the random searching is coming to an end.

"Tasuki, you moron, have you ever heard of being delicate?" Nuriko jabs, and the other warrior is secretly glad that his hands are full, lest he be sent sailing into the wall again.

The occupant of the hovel, who had been sitting on a mat in front of a plethora of jars and bowls, turns to them. His shaggy dark hair covers his eyes, and a beard shrouds his expression.

"You should leave. I'm not a doctor anymore." His statement is resolute, deep voice unwavering. Tia wriggles, signaling to Nuriko that she wants to get on her feet. He begins a protest but does what she wants. She has to let her head stop spinning before she walks forward in between Chichiri and Chiriko. Her friends gasp at the sight, and at how she struggles, but she ignores them. She slowly kneels down in front of the man. Her pain has increased substantially, and he eyes her with an air of… guilt? She smiles. Holds out the kitten.

"Please," she mouths, breaths shaky. Ju-An stares at her for a few seconds more before taking his new patient, his expression softening as he looks down at the animal. Tia bows her head shortly, grateful, before motioning for someone to help her up. Her signaled request is granted by Chichiri. Despite all the other cruddy feelings, to her delight, he holds her close once she's on her feet. She then signals for everyone to leave.

"Wha…? But Tia, we gotta get him to look atcha!" Tasuki objects, arms akimbo. She shakes her head and, with help, continues outside. Hotohori shoos them out before turning one last time. He holds up a package and hands it over. Ju-An looks to him in question, and the emperor also bows his head slightly.

"A fish to help our new patient. I understand her desire to never force anyone into anything they don't want to do, but please think it over."

Ju-An doesn't say a word as he's left alone again. His mind wrangles the words, and the image of the scratched up and weary young woman who selflessly left him alone despite her growing frailty. He pets the kitten, and the resulting purrs help him calm the most difficult of his emerging painful memories.

He will never treat human beings ever again.

Times are getting tough! Will they get tougher? Probably! Haha.

Thanks for reading, and any favs/follows/reviews are appreciated.

Til Next Time,

-A