Meanwhile, aboard Kim's ship...
Suki walks up to the cockpit and whispers, "K-Kimmie... are you ok?
*sniff*... I.. I.. feel lousy myself... *cough*" Yet, she still manages
a smile.
"Yeah, I'm ok. You ask?"
Suki sniffles, "Because your decision can't be easy to make... I... I
really *cough* feel bad that I.. *cough* put you into that position..."
*sniff*
"Don't worry."
Suki whines, still coughing, "But I do worry, Kimmie... I.. I
never wanted to hurt you... a-and now... I... I fear that I've done
more damage than good..." She slumps down into the copilot's seat,
still shivering under her big coat.
"You should be getting some rest."
Suki nods, "I... I should.. b-but... I can't sleep... I.. I get
*cough*.. all stuffed up when.. *sniff* I lay down... *cough*
"Ok then, you can stay up here with me."
Suki sniffles, "Th-Thank you... ah-choo!... K-Kimmie..."
Meanwhile, back at Suki's house...
Nanyo sweatdrops, "Uh, Becks... c-can't we talk about this?"
"If you want to fly then you'll have to fight it." calls Becky.
"F*ck..." mutters Nanyo, dropping back to the ground. "Then, its time
for me to get serious..." She pulls out her sword again and squares off
against Becky. "Drop the gun, and let's settle this like women..." she
sneers.
The serpent disappears and Becky smirks before throwing the gun behind
her where in fires and takes A TON of trees in a LONG line. Becky then
cracks her knuckles. "Gladly."
"Good... I've been waiting for this..." Nanyo growls, slowly
advancing on Becky.
Becky quickly rushes Nanyo.
Nanyo watches Becky's speed intently, "Almost there..." She thinks.
Becky then quickly disappears.
Nanyo's eyes narrow. "Impressive speed, little girl... I'd say you're
as fast as Sash..."
"You think so?" states Becky from behind Nanyo.
Nanyo nods, closing her eyes, "Hell, yeah... You're quite fast... given
a little more training, ya might beat me..." She tosses her sword aside
and raises her hands again.
Becky then swiftly punches Nanyo in the kidneys.
Unfortunately for Becky, the second her hand touches Nanyo's sweater, a
2000 volt charge surges through the young girl's body, instantaneously
robbing her of consciousness and causing her to fall against Nanyo's
back, her body twitching rapidly. Nanyo sighs, "Hon'tyl, you bitch...
you might have power, but the more you continue to use other people to
serve your wicked ends, the stupider you become..." With Becky now out,
she jumps back into the air, scooping up her sword and jamming it back
into her pouch, flying after Kim's ship.
"Suki, do you know if we're getting close to the town?" asks Kim.
Suki shakes her head, sniffing, "N-No... I... I don't... I.. I've never
been there.. *cough* and right now... m-my "Sense"... *sniff* doesn't
seem to be working..." She shivers again.
"I wonder how Nanyo is doing?" states Kim lowly.
Suddenly, something red blurs right past the ship.
"What the hell was that!" exclaims Kim.
Then, the red blur returns, stopping just outside the cockpit,
revealing it to be Nanyo. She knocks on the window, mouthing,
"Let me in..."
Kim presses a button on the dash and the side door opens.
Nanyo gives a thumbs-up and disappears. A few moments later, as Suki
starts to nod off, her body still shivering under her coat, Nanyo
enters the cockpit, breathing hard and pointing to the west a little,
"You're going too far north, Starki..."
"What about Becky? What happened?"
"She's okay... She's just stunned... She'll be fine... Though, I
wouldn't want to be near her when she wakes up..." Nanyo pants as Suki
yawns, her shivering starting to slow down and her bloodshot eyes
beginning to close.
"How did you manage to beat her?"
Nanyo lifts up the back of her sweater, showing off her bra and a small
silvery patch, stating, "Electro-shock patch... If anything comes into
contact with it, they'll be shocked into unconsciousness..."
Kim grimaces. "Ouch."
Nanyo shrugs her shoulders, "I'm sure that's what Becky's thinkin'
right now..." She, then, notices Suki and asks, running a hand across
Suki's feverish forehead, "Ya okay, Nisu?"
Suki nods, "I... I'm okay... ah-choo!.." Nanyo backs off, her sweater
now full of phlegm. She makes a disgusted face and mutters, "Ewww..."
as she tries to wipe it clean.
Kim now turns the ship around.
Nanyo asks, "Starki... can I fly for a little while? I think someone
needs to give Nisu her medicine..." She makes another face, indicating
disgust as Suki sniffles and coughs again.
"You don't know how to fly this." states Kim.
"You could show me, yanno..." grins Nanyo as her telepathic mind
states, "For the record, Kim, Suki needs your attention right now..."
"Ok, just keep the steering straight and press the left pedal to stop."
states Kim getting up."
Nanyo nods, giving Kim a fake salute, "Jahvol, mon capitane!" Her mind
makes it clear though, "Thanks, Kim... she really needs you right now..
but doncha DARE think I've given up on ya, heh..."
She moves to the vacated pilot seat and takes control of the ship as
Suki sniffles and finally moans softly in pain.
"Suki, let's go to the back ok?" states Kim.
Suki looks up at Kim weakly, her violet eyes a clear sign of the pain
she's feeling and she tries to stand up, her body once again shivering
as she coughs and sniffles.
"You want me to carry you?" asks Kim.
Suki sighs, coughing again, "I... I didn't want to ask you... Y-You've
got a lot to deal with right now... I... I didn't want to burden
you..." She sneezes again, still shivering under her coat.
But your too sick to move, don't worry about giving your cold to me,
I've never caught a cold in my life."
Suki tries to protest weakly, "But... but..." but she can't find any
words to assist her as her legs shake weakly under her smallish torso.
"Come on Suki." states Kim as she extends your hands to Suki.
Suki doesn't resist as Kim reaches for her.
Kim picks Suki up in her arms and starts walking to
the back door.
Suki rests her head on Kim's back, again showing that her fever is
still high, as she whispers, "Kimmie... why are you doing this? Why are
you sticking by me? I haven't done anything to help you..."
"You need it. who else is going to take care of you?
Suki sniffles, mumbling sadly, "No one... No one will... There's no one
in my life... " She closes her eyes and whispers, "Kimmie... have you
ever wondered what lies beyond this life?"
Kim's face then get's grim. "I don't wonder... I know." states Kim
lowly.
Suki whispers, "Really? W-what lies beyond, Kimmie?" She sniffles and
coughs again, feeling suddenly too weak to control her limbs which drop
uselessly where they are.
"For me... there's nothing..." states Kim sadly.
"What do you mean, Kimmie? Why is there nothing for you beyond this
life?" Suki sniffs as the two pass by Sashi and Tisha, engrossed in an
intense game of chess.
I shouldn't even exist, I was made. Something made can't have an
afterlife... can it?"
"It can... Kimmie... because there is always a purpose for why you were
created... There was some reason your "parents" made you... some reason
why they felt they had to make you... and because of that, you'll have
something waiting for you out there... I'm sure of it..." Suki coughs
violently as Sashi's bishop takes Tisha's rook, causing the younger
girl to whine, "Aw, NO FAIR!"
"Thank you, Suki-chan." states Kim.
"I... I will always believe in you and love you, Kimmie... *cough
cough*... ooh, my head's throbbing... I got a headache..." Suki forces
one hand up to her head and she frowns, "I shouldn't have walked
outside in the rain..." Sashi grins, "I have your queen, now, Tisha..."
Tisha scowls, "Stupid old hag... I hate this game!"
"Let's get you to the room." states Kim as they enter the back room.
Suki mumbles, "Ok..." as she rests her head on Kim's back again, her
breathing weakening a little as she adds, distantly, "You smell good,
Kimmie..."
"Heh, thank you."
Suki smiles, almost drunkenly, "Y-You're welcome, K-Kimmie...
I... I only wish it could be this way forever..." She snuggles closer
to Kim, coughing and sniffling, her breasts pressing on Kim's back as
Sashi, still out in the hall, states, "Checkmate, Tisha..." causing the
younger girl to scream, "YOU CHEATED! I HATE THIS GAME!" Then, there is
the sound of a chessboard flying across the room, followed by Sashi
stating, "Shall we play again, Tisha?"
"-sigh- It's Becky and Nikki all over again." states Kim as she close
the door.
Suki giggles softly, her body bouncing slightly on Kim's back as she
ends with a few coughs. Then she asks, "Kimmie... is that what Becky
and Ni-chan were like when they were younger?"
"Yeah, but now..." trails Kim looking sad.
Suki tries to lift her hand to pat Kim on the back, "It'll all work
out, Kimmie... I'm sure Becky will be fine..."
no, It's Nikki..."
"What... *cough* ... happened to Ni-chan?" asks Suki, her voice growing
fainter and fainter which each word.
"Becky killed her." states Kim sadly.
"Oh no..." moans Suki, looking stunned. "I.. I'm so sorry, Kimmie! I...
It's all my fault... mine and the Ap Dat's..." she finishes sadly.
"What's done is done."
"But if I had never met you, Hon'tyl would never had bothered you...
It's all my fault... I... I wish I had never been born..." She sniffs,
her voice almost silent at the end of her statement.
"Don't say that, remember, this is my job. Heh, I'll probably get a
huge amount of money for this."
"M-Money?!" questions Suki, still sniffling and coughing. "I-Is that
the only reason y-you stick around?" Her eyes close again and her
breathing slows alarmingly.
Kim quickly looks embarrassed. "No No, it's not like that. I'm just
saying, I'll get paid well if we can beat Hon'tyl."
"Oh.... th-that hurts... K-Kimmie... Hon'tyl is so powerful
and so evil to us... s-she's like our version of the devil... a-and the
only reason you seem (cough)... willing to help us... is for money..."
She sniffles and her body starts to fall limp.
"But that's not it, I'm trying to tell you. The money is just a bonus."
Suki snuggles her head into Kim's shoulder and sniffles, "I... I don't
feel... like... arguing... b-but... I... I can't... feel good...
(cough)... about you... g-getting money.. (sniffle)... about this..." A
tear slides down her cheek as her body feels heavy like a sack of
potatoes on Kim's back - almost as though she can't hold it up anymore.
"How about this then, I won't take the money. Hell, I already have
plenty of it."
"O-Okay... K-Kimmie...? C-can... (sniffle)... you..." But before she
can finish, her voice falls silent.
"What is it Suki?"
The only response is a weak, pained moan from the smaller girl and her
head presses harder on Kim's back, followed by a sniffle and a cough.
"You need to rest."
A weak voice then whispers faintly, "Kimmie... Kimmie, don't leave
me... I... I can't see anything... please... don't go..."
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
"Kimmie... I... I love you..." She sniffles and coughs again, as
Nanyo's telepathic mind tells Kim, "Would you get on with it and give
her some freakin' medicine?! Damn, Starki... EVEN I could've done it
faster than you!"
Kim lays Suki on the bed and get some medicine from one of the
cabinets. "Here Suki, there a couple of pills."
Suki turns her head from side to side, asking, "K-Kimmie... wh-where
are you? I... I can't see them..." She coughs again.
"Right in front of you, open your eyes."
Suki moans and strains to open her eyes. All she can see is blurred
images so she clumsily reaches up and accidentally hits Kim in her
breast. "K-Kimmie... these pills seem hard and stiff... I.. I don't
think I can swallow them..."
Kim blushes and sweatdrops. "Wrong ones. Here..." Kim grabs Suki's hand
and places to pills in her hand.
"O-Oh..." Suki blushes, "T-Those... weren't... the pills, w-were they,
K-Kimmie?" She sniffles, still holding the pills Kim has just put into
her hand.
"Heh, no."
"I... I'm sorry... K-Kimmie...." She blushes and brings the pills up to
her mouth, and pushes them inside, asking, "C-Can I have something t-to
drink, K-Kimmie...?"
"Sure hold on a sec." Suki can hear Kim leaving.
Suki sniffles and coughs a couple of times, managing to keep the pills
in her mouth as her body shudders and at the same time, her Spirit
Crystal around Kim's neck, glows again, making Kim's skin warm with
it's gentle glow.
Kim returns a moment later and props Suki's head up as she puts the
glass to her lips. "Here, it's water."
Suki sips the water and swallows the pills with it, then she coughs
softly and moans weakly, a look of pain on her face as she slumps back
down on the bed.
"You don't look to good, maybe you should've stayed at home."
Suki whispers, her beautiful voice hoarse and weak, "I.. I'll be
alright... r-really... I-It's just a cold..." She shivers a little
under her coat.
"Wait a minute, how can you have a cold? the weather isn't cold
outside."
"It was the rain, K-Kimmie.... it rained outside one of the
days of the week.. *cough*.... that I was wandering outside after M-
Miho's.... *sniff*... d-death..." More tears appear in her eyes that
have nothing to do with her illness. At the same time, her Spirit
Crystal glows black, feeling warm to Kim.
Kim notices the crystal and grasps it in her hand. "It's black, but why
does it feel warm?"
Suki tries to explain, "I-It's feeling m-my d-despair.... A-A death...
never is easy t-to get over... b-but M-Miho..." Here she falls silent
again, letting her tears roll down her cheeks as the crystal grows
warmer and Suki begins to try to peel off her coat with her weak
motions, as she starts to feel warm.
"Hey, don't move. Just stay were you are."
Suki whines weakly, "B-But... It's so warm..."
"I'll turn the AC on. Just stay there." states Kim as she presses a
button above the head of the bed.
The crystal suddenly glows red on Kim's chest as Suki whispers, "Th-
Thank you, Kimmie... f-for everything..." Then, she winces, "Uh-oh..."
and blushes heavily.
"Huh? What's wrong?
At that moment, Kim can hear Nanyo laughing in her mind as Sashi walks
through the door, with Tisha screaming, "I HATE CHESS! I can't believe
I was defeated 10 times in a row!" Sashi moves up to Kim's side and
says, "Miss Kim, do you have a restroom aboard this vehicle?"
"Yeah, you passed it coming in here, it's to your left of the door to
this room."
Sashi nods, "Ah... thank you, Miss Kim... I believe both my sister and
Tisha will need to go soon..." She steps back out to Tisha as Suki
blushes and moans, "Sashi... you dummy..."
"Well, I only have one bathroom. try not to be in there too long ok."
Sashi nods, "As you wish, Miss Kim..." She turns back to the hallway,
walking in that direction, and informs Tisha, "Tisha, you little
brat... Miss Kim says..." Then the door closes behind her cutting off
the rest of her words.
"I wonder how long we have till we get to the town." thinks Kim out
loud.
Nanyo's voice enters her mind, replying, "I'd say about 30 minutes,
Starki... just long enough for Nisu to take a nap... You might want to
convince her to take one... she's really hurting.." Suki gasps aloud,
though her voice is hoarse and scratchy-sounding, "N-Nan'chi! D-
Don't... I... I d-don't... want.. (sniffle)... t-to g-go t-to sleep...
(cough)..."
Kim turns to Suki. "But you have to."
Suki squirms on the bed, trying to get up again, whining, "B-
But I don't wanna! I... I wanna stay with you, K-Kimmie... (cough,
cough) a-and... S-Sashi's right... I... I will h-hafta g-go soon... B-
but... K-Kimmie..."
"But you don't look like you could stand."
Suki whines, "I... I wanna stay with you, K-Kimmie... P-please..." She
tries to get to her feet, but her legs wobble violently and she
plummets back onto the bed, sniffling and coughing.
"I won't be leaving you though."
Nanyo's voice filters in through Kim's mind again, "What are you going
to do, Starki? Are ya gonna force her to sleep? 'Cause she really needs
it, even if she doesn't want to..." There is a sudden knock at the
door, followed by Sashi's voice calling, "The bathroom is free, Miss
Kim..." Suki whines, "I... I'm so used to doing things b-by myself...
I... I never needed help before..."
Kim thinks back. "If I could I would, but I don't have anything to make
her sleep."
Nanyo laughs in Kim's mind, saying, "Use her weak point... just rub
there for awhile and poof! She'll be out like a light!"
"Really? That puts her to sleep?"
Suki blushes and whines, "D-Don't tell her THAT, Nan'chi! P-Please
don't!" She coughs and shivers a little, pulling her coat back on.
Nanyo's voice becomes smooth and soothing, "Nisu, you need the rest...
you're so weak from your cold that ya can't even stand up... Trust
me... You know I would never hurt ya! Starki, her weak spot is her
stomach..."
"The stomach huh?" states Kim smiling at Suki as she walks to the bed.
Suki's eyes widen as she coughs and weakly brings her hands up, trying
to protect herself, "K-Kimmie... d-don't... I... m-my sister was r-
right... I... I'll have to go soon... a-and p-plus.. I.. I don't wanna
sleep..."
Your body will do fine holding it for you, don't worry." states Kim as
she puts her right knee on the side of the bed and her right hand on
Suki's stomach.
Suki squirms and whines, closing her eyes, "K-Kimmie... p-please... I-
If I fall asleep... I.. I'll wet *cough, sniff* m-myself...!"
"No you won't, you'd have a pretty big urge to wet yourself while your
sleeping." Kim starts rubbing.
Suki's eyelids begin to droop and she unconsciously yawns as she tries
to fight off Kim's hand. She whines, her voice growing fainter and
fainter, "B-But K-Kimmie... I... I... don't wanna!"
"You need to."
Suki yawns again, her arms falling to her sides, "B-But K-Kimmie..."
"Just go to sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up."
"B-But K-Kimmie..." is the last thing she says before she coughs and
her eyes close, falling asleep.
Kim smiles. "There ya go. Now, let me ask Nanyo how far we got to go.."
states Kim as she makes her way to the door out of the room.
As she leaves the room, Suki rolls over to her left side and scrunches
up into a fetal position, sniffling and coughing in her sleep.
Kim leaves the room and meets Nanyo at the cockpit. "So, Nanyo-sama,
how much longer do we have?"
Nanyo laughs, "I ain't no -sama, but I'd say about 5 minutes... give or
take the nasty tailwind we've gotten in the last 5 seconds..."
"Your my -sama." states Kim lovingly.
Nanyo looks up, grinning, "Cool.... who knew a girl could go from bein'
an outcast to being a goddess in only 4 years..."
"Goddess?"
Nanyo grins, "Ya... that IS what -sama is usually used for, ain't it?"
Kim sweatdrops. "Heh, I don't know about that but, you are older than
me aren't you?"
Nanyo grins, reaching up an arm to pull Kim close, saying, "I think you
want -san... not -sama... But I don't care... ya can call me anythin'
ya want... just don't call me late for dinner!"
Kim blushes in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry."
Nanyo hugs Kim with one arm as she steers with her other hand. "Hey,
It's okay, Starki... Anybody could make that mistake..." She then pulls
back and points out the front of the cockpit, "Look! There's the
village right there!" There is a tall tower in the middle of a vast
desert.
"What? how could I have missed that?"
Nanyo whispers, almost mysteriously, "Watch..." The tower shimmers as
they approach it and as she slides the ship to the east, it disappears.
"Whoa, It dissa-wait a minute, how did that happen?"
Nanyo's voice grows spooky as she states, "No one knows..." The lights
in the cockpit fall dark at the same time that a bolt of lightning
streaks across the sky to the west.
"Uh, can we go down now?"
Nanyo looks up at Kim, grinning, "We are down, Starki... look!" She
points around the two to reveal that the ship is down on the ground.
"What the, when did we land?"
Nanyo chuckles, "When I showed ya the tower..."
"Oh, well lets go into the town then."
Nanyo nods, "Ja vhol, mon capitan!" She stands up, flipping over the
back of the pilot's seat and grabs Kim in her arms, picking her up and
hugging her like a new groom.
"Starki, I'm sorry... but I just GOTTA hug ya... What I'm about to face
ain't somethin' I'm gonna like... I need a good memory ta keep me sane,
yanno?"
"Uh, ok." replies Kim looking confused.
Nanyo nuzzles her head in-between Kim's breasts and sneaks one hand in-
between Kim's thighs, giving her a gentle squeeze "down there" before
she lets go of her and straights up, sighing, "Ahhhh... that's
better..."
After blushing, Kim replies. "Lets go."
Nanyo nods, "Aye..." and the two leave the cockpit. Nanyo gestures to
Tisha and Sashi, who are still playing chess, Tisha looking EXTREMELY
disgruntled at still having the chain collar around her neck.
"I'll let you lead." states Kim smiling.
Nanyo nods, "Yeah, you prolly should since if you or anyone leads,
we'll all be killed..." She turns away from Kim, sighing heavily and
shaking her head. Sashi speaks up, "What about my sister? Should we
just leave her here?"
"She needs to sleep, so yeah."
Nanyo sighs heavily again, saying, "I dunno about that... I'm kinda
afraid for her... If they discover she's here alone..."
"What?"
Nanyo explains, "These Ap Dat are EXTREMELY homophobic... if
they find out someone is in here that's not one of them, they might go
ballistic... and even moreso than that, if Nisu wakes up and one of us
isn't here for her, she may feel betrayed and neglected..." Sashi
mutters to herself, "Oh gee, wonder what THAT feels like..." She
frowns, feeling pretty sure that no one heard her.
"I'll go get her then." Kim leaves for the other room.
"Be careful with her... she's bound to be very groggy... and may not be
able to walk at first, Starki-chan!" calls Nanyo, gesturing for Sashi
and Tisha to leave the ship first.
Kim returns with the sleeping Suki in her arms. "Let's just take her
while she's asleep."
Nanyo grins, running a finger through Suki's short black hair, "Heh...
she's so kawaii when she's asleep, isn't she?"
"Yes she is."
Nanyo visibly has to restrain herself. She turns away from Kim and the
sleeping sniffling Suki and jumps down to the burning desert sand
outside the ship.
Kim follows Nanyo out, carrying Suki.
Nanyo glances back at the other girls, then sighs, "I thought I'd never
hafta lay eyes on this place again... Well, come on..." She trudges
forward through the sand, sinking almost all the way up to her waist in
the sand.
"How long till we get there on foot?"
Nanyo sighs, "I'd say about 15 minutes... It's a bit of a tough haul...
that's why no one else approaches the village."
"I see, well it's a good thing I'm in shape then." states Kim smiling
Nanyo asks, "How ya holding up, Sash?"
Sashi grunts, "I am fine... I doubt whether Tisha is okay, though..."
Tisha, almost all the way up to her nose in the sand, complains, "Aw,
man.. I got sand in my robe!"
"What about you Nanyo?"
Nanyo shakes her head, but doesn't say anything important other than,
"I've been here before, Starki... I know what I hafta do..." She then
falls silent and cold, trudging forward toward the tower.
15 minutes later...
The girls approach a huge tower in the middle of the desert. Nanyo
stops short, whispering to Kim, "When we move into the clearing up
ahead, drop and bow..."
"Why?"
"If you don't, they'll know you aren't Ap Dat... and more importantly,
so they won't kill ya..."
"Oh, ok then." replies Kim.
Nanyo glances at Sashi and Tisha, saying, "That goes for you girls,
too, got it?" Sashi nods once as Tisha scoffs, "Buncha hicks, I bet..."
"Well let's get going."
Nanyo nods, "Yeah... Let's do this..." She sucks in a deep breath and
steps into the small clearing around the tower, immediately dropping to
her knees and bowing. Sashi does the same, pulling Tisha down with her.
Kim lays Suki to the side and does the same as Nanyo.
A loud booming, (obviously magnified) voice calls out, "Chiamaki,
Nanyo... Nihon, Sashi... Nihon, Suki... Approach!" Nanyo curses under
her breath and scoots over to Kim, whispering harshly, "Gimmie Nisu...
quickly!"
Kim nods and picks up Suki and gives her to Nanyo.
Nanyo takes Suki in her hands and stands up, approaching the
tower, with Sashi in tow. The voice then states, "Starr, Kimberly
Ann... Timemage Tisha... step back..."
Kim does as she voice states and steps back.
Tisha frowns, "What are they playing at?! Stupid gits..." Yet, she
follows Kim and steps back. At that moment, a heavy metallic door is
opened and Nanyo, still carrying Suki, and Sashi enter it without
saying a word. After both have entered, the door closes and part of the
base of the tower unfolds, extending a bridge out to Tisha and Kim as
the voice barks, "Enter along the Unlij Bridge, visitors..."
Kim stands and walks to and on the bridge without saying a word.
Tisha scowls, but follows Kim inside the tower, where they are quickly
joined by a red-faced, blushing and scowling Nanyo and a dull,
expressionless Sashi. Suki is still in Nanyo's arms, still fast asleep,
though a trickle of mucus is trailing from her nose and her thumb is in
her mouth, making her look like a little lost child.
Kim looks at Nanyo obviously wondering what's going on.
Nanyo shakes her head, telepathically stating, "Don't ask... It's
humiliating..." Sashi looks frankly bored. There is suddenly the sound
of foot falls coming from the wall in front of them and before too
long, the wall slides open, revealing a beautiful city built almost
sideways.
A figure in a long blue flowing robe approaches the girls, his posture
clearly showing the grimiest expression possible. He ignores Nanyo at
first, turning to Sashi and stating, "It has been a while, Sashi... You
are still a slave, I presume?" When she nods, he moves to Tisha, giving
her a quick glance before moving on to Kim. "And you... You are from
the Federation, correct?"
Kim gives the man a wondering look. "Federation? I... I don't know what
your talking about."
"Hmmm.... so the Federation doesn't allow their HUnewearl's to know
where they come from? Most sad... Most sad..." He has an old,
weary-sounding voice, and as he turns back toward Nanyo, he removes his
hood, revealing long white hair and a flowing beard as well as gentle
but piercing blue eyes.
"It's a rule for everyone, not--ah crap!" states Kim before stopping
herself.
The man smiles gently, saying, "It is okay, Kimberly... Here, nothing
is a secret... Why do you think we built a tower instead of a flat-
town, like Lo'lop?" He smiles again and points to the far west, where
there is a rather impressive collection of spaceships and starships.
"Whoa, but... this is a UDP, how can you have this kind of technology?
It doesn't make sense."
The man explains, "Because we have no contact with the outside world...
The Federation had always wanted to have a secure place where they
could land their ships and survey the lands and peoples... so,
naturally, they sought out the most secure location they could find..."
Suddenly, a woman, dressed like a midwife came up and scowling, "Arthur
B. Thinbal! You KNOW you shouldn't be roving around the "Focusing
room!" Come on! You're late for your medication!" She pulls him away
and suddenly, the room they're in, shimmers and disappears, revealing a
four walled cell, much like the Shin-Ra prison cells, only without bars
or locks on the one door that is visible. Nanyo groans, "I KNEW that
wasn't right... Come on, let's go... Starki, get Nisu..." She hands
Suki to Kim and strides off for the door, on the other side of which
comes her yell, "OW!"
"What happened?" Kim follows Nanyo into the room.
Nanyo is sitting on the ground, rubbing her cheek, which appears red as
though she's just been punched. She mutters, "Nice to see you too,
Dad..." There is a hatred in her eyes that Kim has never seen before.
"He hit you!?" asks Kim shocked.
Nanyo says nothing as she gets back to her feet. A shadow falls over
Kim and something roughly pushes her back against the wall, moving her
aside as a rough male voice spits out, "So you return, b*tch...
ungrateful brat..." There is the sound of skin being slapped and
Nanyo's grunt of "OW!" again.
"What are you hitting her for?!" asks Kim.
The man standing in front of Nanyo scowls and spits on his fallen
daughter, who is now bleeding slightly from her lip. "You are NO
daughter of mine..." He turns around and stalks off as Nanyo brushes
herself off and gets to her feet, wiping the blood from her lip. She
mutters, "Nice to see you too, asshole..." She turns away from the
retreating figure of her father, though there is a tear in her eyes.
"What the hell was that about?! Why didn't you hit him back?" asks Kim
to Nanyo.
Nanyo shakes her head but doesn't say anything. Her mind, though, keeps
repeating these words, "Why doesn't Daddy love me? Why?" At this point,
a very short man approaches Kim and squeaks, "M-Miss Starr? I-Is that
P-Princess Suki?!"
"Huh? Princess Suki? I'm sorry, you must have the wrong person."
Sashi elbows Kim and whispers, "No... he has the right person... Suki
is the Princess of the Ap Dat village of Lo'Lop..."
Kim blinks in surprise. "Are you... serious?!" asks Kim in shock.
Sashi blinks, "Have I given you cause to doubt my words before, Miss
Kim?" She seems puzzled that Kim would question her like that and is
concerned her information might not be completely accurate.
"No, but... Suki's a... princess?"
Sashi nods, "Yes, Miss Kim..." Nanyo adds, "What... didn't you hear her
tell you she was? Good Grief, Starki-chan... Ya need to clean your ears
out or pay attention or something..."
"I don't remember her saying she was a princess, so don't blame me for
not knowing."
Nanyo groans and puts her face in her hands as the short man squeaks,
"Miss Kim, c-can I see her "Spirit Crystal"? I... I just wanna say that
I held the Spirit Crystal of the Princess just once!"
"I don't know, It's really important..."
Nanyo sniffs and picks up the little man, raising her foot up and
booting him over to the far side of the tower's internal base wall. She
sighs, "Stupid little dwarf..." Then, she turns to Kim and warns,
"Whatever you do, Starki-chan, DO NOT let anyone have Nisu's Spirit
Crystal... Do NOT let them touch it... for if anything should happen to
it, Nisu will die..."
"Ok, but that was mean Nanyo."
Nanyo shrugs her shoulders, "You'll understand one day, if you live
here long enough... Come on... Let's find the Elder..." She strides off
toward a tallish-looking building with a strange crest on it.
"Ok." Kim follows Nanyo.
Sashi pulls Tisha along behind her and the four girls quickly approach
the building. When they arrive, a tall man steps out of the building,
holding a spear. He points it at Nanyo's chest, but looks at Kim and
demands, "What are you doing here, Kimberly Anna Starr?"
"Uh, I'm with her." indicating Nanyo.
The man presses the spear harder again Nanyo's left breast, threatening
to draw blood as he demands, "Nanyo Chiamaki, why have you led
outsiders into the village?!" Nanyo explains the situation with Becky,
looking over at Kim from time to time to help her fill in the gaps.
When she finishes, the man lowers the spear and replies, "I see... Then
you will need to see Jakashi Nihon... I believe he has the answer you
seek. Go to the temple, Chiamaki and take Sashi with you... Kimberly,
take Timemage Tisha and Princess Suki to Nanyo's house... I will lead
you there..." He strides off to the west, expecting Kim and Tisha to
follow him.
"Jakashi?! That son-of-bi*ch is here?!" asks Kim angrily.
The man blinks, "So you have had dealings with him too, I presume... He
is an outcast from this village... I heard he fled to Lo'Lop about 20
years ago... He married a Mem'lo slave and had two daughters, I
believe... Suki and Sashi... if I'm not mistaken..."
"Where is he!? I wanna have a little talk with him."
The man sighed, "He is currently in the prison underneath the temple,
where all of our exiled criminals go should they return... Nanyo and
Sashi should be able to bring him here... and we shall deal with him,
then..." He indicates a small hut where there is the strong scent of
alcohol.
"Ok. lets go."
The man sighs and enters the hut with Kim and Tisha following
him. A bottle flies out of nowhere and hits the wall next to Tisha, who
shrinks back, accidentally stepping on Kim's foot. The man sighs,
"Alabaster... if you don't stop drinking, you
will be confined to the temple." The other man, drunk as all get out,
and clearly the one who hit Nanyo earlier, burps and
scoffs, slurring his words, "Ah, shaddup, Nelsoy... Ya can't...
*burp*... tell ME what ta do... *hic*"
Kim sighs in aggravation. "More drunks..."
Tisha covers her nose, "Ewww... what's that funky smell?!" A young girl
comes downstairs, only wearing panties with a huge wet spot on them,
crying, "Unkie Alla! I pee-peed myself!" The man groans and hiccups in
reply.
"Uh, how long do we have to stay here?"
The man sighs, "Long enough for Nanyo and Sashi to retrieve Jakashi...
I only hope Sashi doesn't kill him before they make it back here..."
Tisha groans, "Ough... This place stinks, something fierce!"
"We'll just have to bear it for now, don't complain."
Tisha groans, "Argh... you can wait here if you want! I'm
gonna wait outside..." She turns around and moves outside the hut. The
formal-looking man sighs and pushes Nanyo's father off his stool,
causing the drunkard to spill onto the floor, snoring loudly. He takes
the younger girl and changes her panties and cleans her up, eventually
letting her go back upstairs to play. Then, he turns to Kim and motions
for her to sit down on the other side of the table, asking softly, "So
tell, Kimberly... why do you think Hon'tyl corrupted your sister? Did
your sister do anything to piss her off?"
"Not that I know of."
The man sighs and leans back on the stool, "Well, I suppose that's not
a fair question... Hon'tyl is telepathic... and very devious... We were
lucky to escape her once... We used the Hymn to protect us..."
"The Hymn?" questions Kim.
The man nods, "Yes... No doubt if you've fallen in love with Princess
Suki, you've heard it emanating from her during moments of intense
passion or intense emotion..."
Kim looks suddenly sad. "I've never heard it."
The man's eyebrows raise in shock, "You haven't? Dear me... that is a
problem... It could mean that you are not in love with her but someone
else.... How unfortunate..."
"But i DO love her. Maybe something's wrong with me."
"I doubt it... Perhaps, what you need is a stirring of feeling for
her... Try stroking her hair... That might work..."
"Ok. I'll try that next time." states Kim.
The man sighs, "The Hymn... is the only thing we know of that can stop
Hon'tyl... make her docile..."
"Really? No amount of force can beat her."
The man shakes his head, "Not to our knowledge... The Hymn makes her
docile... and controllable... But other than that... no... " He sighed
again, turning away from Kim to look at the sleeping girl in Kim's
arms.
"But wouldn't it be great to finally be rid of her?"
The man nods, "It would... but as a failed summon, Hon'tyl is pretty
much immortal... It would take an incredible amount of mana to overcome
her might..." Just then, Tisha steps back in, announcing, "Hey...
They're back!"
"Ok! Well, I gotta go now." states Kim as she leaves the man.
The man stands up, following Kim outside where they see Nanyo, still
red-faced and grumbling, Sashi, with a big whelp forming on her cheek,
a forming black eye and other assorted cuts and bruises, and between
them...
......
.... the father of the Princess....
.... the bastard, Jakashi. He, too, looks the worse for wear,
sporting new cuts and bruises and a broken wrist. His hands are held
behind his back in some sort of gold glowing binds, though a sneer now
is locked in place on his face.
"What happened to you guys?" asks Kim surprised
Nanyo explains, simply, "Family Feud..."
"Wow." replies Kim flatly
Jakashi spits at Sashi, growling, "Stupid little bitch... first she
kills my wife and her mother... then she tries to kill Suki... and now
she assaults me..."
Sashi, showing incredible hatred, which is rare, fires back, "F*ck you,
old man! You never cared for me even though I was your own daughter!
You sold me into slavery, you b@stard and I will never forgive you for
that!"
"Hey, can you guys call a truce right now? We need to find a way to say
Becky remember."
Jakashi scoffs, "Oh yeah, sure... How could I forget the little b*tch
who fell in love with this b*tch?!"
Sashi stiffens in anger, then surges toward Jakashi, screaming, "DIE,
MOTHERF*CKER!" Nanyo, though, slips in-between and pushes Sashi aside,
saying, "Drop it, Sash..."
Kim closes her eyes for a moment before replying. "Yeah, let's just do
what we came to do."
Jakashi smirks, "Yeah, that's right, b*tch..." Sashi growls, but does
nothing as the man comes up behind Kim, sighing, "Jakashi Nihon, as a
traitor to the people of Ap Dat, you will be put to death... but before
you are, you will tell us how to rescue Becky Starr..." Jakashi sneers,
"And if I refuse?" The man glances toward Kim and Sashi, stating
simply, "Then we will have no choice but to hand you over to them..."
Jakashi turns toward Kim and Sashi.
"Really? I could do what I want with him then?" asks Kim smiling.
The man nods, "Yes... This is no longer a simple matter of Ap Dat
Justice... This goes far behind just our people..." Jakashi sneers,
"Pffeh... There ain't nothing YOU can do to me, little slut..."
"Oh really? If he hands you over to me and Sashi, I would make you beg
for death."
Jakashi brushes her aside, "Feh... I'd like to see you try, little
wench..." Nanyo continues struggling to hold Sashi down as the other
man steps back, holding Tisha back. "This, then, is the challenge..."
"Very well." states Kim smiling as she lays Suki down, out of the way.
Jakashi looks over at the other man, who nods once, the energy bindings
falling free, releasing his arms. He flexes them then brings his hand
up like Seifer did to Squall, saying, "C'mon, then, whore... Let's see
what you got!"
"Heh, gladly!" states Kim as her Katana forms in her hand.
Jakashi grins and folds him arms, "Heh... I should've
expected this from such a flower-ass... liking girls over men... Feh...
You Homo!"
"What are you talking about?"
Jakashi smirks, "Oh, I'm sorry... you don't know what a Homo is? Ha...
so you're as stupid as you look, then..." He laughs, spitefully at her.
"I know what that is. Don't you dare call me stupid again." states Kim
as she gets into a ready stance.
Jakashi laughs, uproariously, "Well, damn, slut... If I'd known how
sensitive you were, I'd've called you a damn idiot... I bet you
couldn't even add 2 + 2!"
"You Son-of-a-Bi*ch." states Kim as she charges Jakashi.
Jakashi just stands there, laughing, "Oh noes! Poor widdle girl too
stupid to understand... She no know nothing! HAHAHAHA!"
"I bet your just all talk." states Kim before motioning a stab as she
draws back her Katana.
Jakashi just laughs again, watching Kim draw nearly. Just as it looks
as though she's gonna hit him, he suddenly flashes from view.
"What the!?" states Kim as she quickly stops.
Suddenly, two big arms grab Kim around her body, pinning her arms to
her sides. Twisting her head, Kim can see a giant-looking bear holding
her still with Jakashi sitting on it's left arm.
"This isn't fair! Your cheating!"
Jakashi laughs as he stands up and strolls down the bear's arms, "No..
cheating would be if I did... THIS!" He gives Kim's knee a hard kick.
"Ah! ...So, that's how you wanna play huh?" states Kim
smiling a bit.
Jakashi scowls, "I see... Then you won't mind if I do this, will
you...?" He nods once and the bear squeezes harder, forcing Kim to drop
her Katana as she feels incredible pain.
"Ah!" groans Kim as her dropped weapon falls to the floor with a clank.
Jakashi sneers, "Now then... You gonna be a good little slut and stay
there?"
"What makes you think I am? I'm not going to give up just like that."
Jakashi steps close to Kim, making a big show of grabbing her hair and
pulling on it, though she doesn't feel the pain because he's not really
pulling on it. He leans close to her ear and whispers, "To save your
sister, play along...."
Kim eyes widen and she looks at Jakashi in surprise. "What?"
Jakashi puts a finger to her lips and whispers fiercely,
"SSSSHHH! Don't YELL! Just play along!" He pulls back, tugging gently
on her hair, "Ready to give up, b*tch?!"
Kim gives a particularly untrusting glare but for the sake of Becky,
she plays along. "Yeah, I give up. You win."
Jakashi grins back to the other man and states, "I win... now give me
my reward... Give me Sashi's Spirit Crystal!" Sashi writhes, screaming,
"NO, YOU F*CKTARD! DON'T!" The man sighs, "There is nothing I can do,
Miss Sashi... I must give it to him..." He steps back into the house as
Tisha runs over to Kim and the bear disappears again, Jakashi sighing
as Sashi begins crying.
"You tricked me!?" states Kim angrily.
Jakashi sighs, "Kim, calm down... The reason we need Sashi's Spirit
Crystal is for the Summoning of the Restoration... By the way, how is
Suki? She seems sick..." He bends down over Suki's sleeping form.
"She said she was walking in the ran."
Jakashi heaves a heavy sigh, "Poor girl... Miho must've died, huh?" He
reaches down to her chest, feeling for her Spirit Crystal, and when he
doesn't find it, he gasps, "Damn it.. Where is it?!"
"I have it." states Kim knowingly
Jakashi looks up, "What?! She gave it to you?! Damn... Kim, I'm SO
sorry... I... I didn't realize how close you two were... I.. I
thought... you... and Nanyo..." He glances over at Nanyo, looking VERY
ruffled.
"It's a bit complicated."
Jakashi sighs, "Yeah... I bet... Oln'tyl's always are..." but this
time, instead of his previous sneer at that word, he looks glad.
"Anyway, how do we fix my sister?"
Jakashi sighs, and explains, glancing over at Sashi, who is still
sobbing, "It should be as simple as giving Becky Sashi's Spirit
Crystal... If I'm right, Sashi's telepathic mind will then connect with
Becky's and force out Hon'tyl's power... I hope... This hasn't been
done in more than 500 years..."
"That's it?"
Jakashi nods, "Yep... The hard part will be in giving it to her...
She's gonna be ballistic but you must make sure it's in her hand...
after that, just stand back..."
"Yeah, that will be hard. She's quite the fighter."
"If she..." he points to Sashi, "... helps you... then you should have
no trouble with it... Nanyo can protect you while Sashi slips in it...
She's got REALLY fast hands..."
"Well, now that we know what to do. Let's put it to
action."
Jakashi nods, "Yes... but someone needs to stay behind and
keep Tisha and Suki out of this... I don't want anything to happen to
them..." Sashi screams, "BUT YOU DO NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?! YOU
BASTARD!"
"Hey, cool down Sashi, we need your help.
Sashi screams, "F*CK THAT BASTARD! I WOULD NOT HELP HIM EVEN IF THE
WORLD WERE TO COLLAPSE!" She breaks free from Nanyo's grip and charges
Jakashi again.
"Sashi wait! Were trying to save Becky. don't you love her."
Sashi screams, halting in mid-stride, holding her head as if she
doesn't know what to do. She screams again, but slowly backs off, her
love for Becky overcoming her hatred for Jakashi. Nanyo sighs, "Damn
it..." Just then, the man returns, holding Sashi's Spirit Crystal,
which is tinted a very ugly brown color and it's slightly warm. He
hands this Crystal to Kim, whispering, "Don't give this to Jakashi...
He is still a criminal..."
"What about Sashi? It's hers anyway.
The man sighs and shakes his head, raising his arm toward her, "She is
a slave... she is not allowed to possess anything other than the
clothes on her back... Not even her own Spirit Crystal..."
"That's... sad. I can't keep this from her if she asks for it."
The man whispers, "You can only give it back to her when she is
freed... Only then is she allowed to have it... Until then, give it to
Becky... I daresay, she'll find some use for it..."
"Ok fine."
The man nods, "Good... Now go... go and free Becky... and uh,
Jakashi.." He stops looking back. The man finished, "Back to the temple
with you..." Jakashi grumbles, "Crap! Almost got away with it..."
"Ok... now all we have to do is find her."
Nanyo shakes her head, "I don't think that'll be hard to do, Starki...
Matter of fact..." She jumps into the air and picks up Kim and Sashi by
the arms, "This'll be faster..."
"So you know were she is?"
Nanyo shakes her head, "No... but if Hon'tyl's possessing and is
looking for me... then she'll come to me... I'm sure of it..." She
lands at the door to the outside of the tower and motions, "Let's
go..."
"Ok, you lead." Kim laughs slightly.
Nanyo sighs, "Here we go..." She steps out into the middle of the
desert looking around. She closes her eyes and stretches out with her
telepathic power, muttering, "Come out, Come out, where ever you
are..."
The ground then suddenly starts shaking a moment later. "Oh no, it
can't be!" states Kim surprised as she feels the shaking
Nanyo sighs, "Here we go... Get ready, y'all..." She pulls out her
sword and stabs it into the ground as Sashi tenses, her cold nature
returning.
"No, wait. I know this shaking."
Nanyo raises an eyebrow, "Wha?"
"Nanyo, when you kept Becky busy, did the ground shake?"
Nanyo gives Kim this expression, ^_^;, and replies, running a hand
through her red hair, "Uh... I unno..."
"Don't joke about this. It's serious, did the ground shake?"
Nanyo frowns, "I'm serious! I was too busy stayin' alive to worry about
ground shakin'... there was a big snake, I remember..."
"A Snake!?" Kim then grabs Nanyo by the shoulders. "This is important,
was it multi-colored?"
Nanyo screws up her mind, trying to remember. "Uhm... Y-Yeah... It
was..."
"Fu*k! This is NOT good! She can summon Farla."
To Be Continued In...
Becky
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