Chapter 18 - Belly of the Beast

episode fourteen: Belly of the Beast

Jessamine turned around and shouted for Anu. The beast let go of Kyle, and went for her. Anu tilted her head, so Jessie could grab onto her antlers and climb onto her back. The two disappeared into the darkness. Kyle returned to his hostages, he snorted in disgust. He reached in his coat and pulled out a gautlette. Hoping to gather at least their souls, only to find they were already gone. They were useless now, the only thing their bodied where good for were warning signs, like that little demon-vampire boy.

The roots loosened, and the girls' bodies dropped to the floor. As he began to walk away, a noise made him stop. Kyle turned to see a woman sitting on a bookcase, snickering at him.

"Ello, ello ello. What do we have 'ere?" she spoke with an British accent. Then her voice changed, disguarding the accent. "That was quite a nasty way to deal with those two. Wouldn't you agree, Neechan?" She looked behind him, at another woman, dressed in a black kimono

Kyle looked over his shoulder. The woman rolled her eyes. She held a silver fan, made of wavy daggers. Each dagger was eight inches long, and shown with much radiance. A chain went from a ring in the handle to three metal bracelets around her wrist. "Indeed, Sashi-neechan."

'Sashi-neechan?!' Kyle turned back to the other woman. She smiled at him, her crimson-violet eyes a glow. The to Burn who was laying lifeless on the ground. "You're a--!"

"That's right!" The woman laughed. She brushed her blonde and purple hair away from her face. "ATTACK MY PRETTIES!!" Running out from the dark corners of the library, and under the broken floor, small green structures came at Kyle. Their small claws tearing his skin, and clothes. She laughed so hard, she nearly fell off the bookcase.

"Sashi-neechan! I want to have some fun too!" cried the other one, her voice hinting a little whine.

"Go ahead, Katchina." Sashi clicked her fingers and the smash green creatures pulled off Kyle and ran back to the shadows.

"Yay." The other woman stood up, her chained fan in her hands. "Kibabotsu!" The fan grew until it's size rivalled it's master. She gently pushed it and it closed to form a giant sword, the was only a few inches taller then her. Her foot pushed the weapon off the shelf, gripped the handle and hoisted it on her left shoulder. She jumped off the bookcase and came at him. The fan opened. "Kiba giri!!"

Kyle jumped out the way, and somersaulted to a stop. "Missed me!"

Katchana giggled. "Did I now?" She held up her hand to show it was covered with blood.

'What?!' Kyle looked at the ground, and noticed a trail of blood leading from her to him. 'With that massive a weapon?! Why didn't I---?!!' "GLAURGH!!!" A spray off his life covered the area around his legs. One of which he didn't have anymore. His blood searched out for the body part, only to be stop when she threw paper charms. The blood ignited in a red and orange blaze. Sashi clicked her fingers, and the small green critters came out. "Get away you demons!!" He used the rocks to smash and kill the little green things, but there were too many. He was lost in a sea of green, red and needles.

"They ain't demons." Sashi smiled. "They be cactuses."

"Hey," Katchina said. "We better go back... I here someone coming."

Sashi jumped off the bookcase and dusted off her white kimono. "Yeah. I guess you're right." Her long bushy tail swayed with disapointment. "I thought I could see him again..." She stretched her arms above her head. "Let's go before a teacher sees this mess."

Sashi's body turned into a vapor then disappeared completely. Soon after Katchina followed her example and was gone. Chii's eyes swung open and she gasped for air. Her vision cleared to see the library in ruins, and a corpse on the ground. She felt woozy, like her head was going to drip onto the floor, in masses of jello. The door was torn off it's hinges as a group of students and teachers came in.

Burn coughed, thing layer of dirt on her flew into small clouds. She curled her body inward, a small stabbing pain in her stomach making her moan. Burn and Chii were carried to the infirmary, in no condition to walk.

***

Elen had her head on his cot. Looking at him her eyes tired and angry. She folded her arms and fell asleep there, next to her best friend... or the last time... or so she thought.

***
a few hous later...

"Patty-cake! Patty-cake! Baker's man! Bake me a cake as fast as you can! Roll it! and pat! and mark it with an E and put it in the oven for Ellie and me!" two voices said in unison. Elen thought she was dreaming, so she rolled over a little. "...psst!...pssst!!.... PSSST!!!...." Something blew in her ear, and she sat up quickly. "BONK!!" The side of Elen's head had crashed against someone's chin.

"Kya!" Elen rubbed her head tenderly. "What the..." The two looked at Elen. "Hell?" A little girl sat on the bed holding her mouth, and Vee was laughing his @$$ off.

"That's not funny Niichan!!" cried the little girl. She moved her hands to reveal her busted lip. Blood dripped onto the blanket. "Great! I'm bleeding!!"

"Well the look Ellie got when she woke up... She looked like a zombie..." Vee mimicked the face she had, eyes half open and mouth a gape by an inch or two. "Then waking up to a 'bonk'." He made another face, then laughed.

"Ooh!" The little girl slid off the cot and ran to the tissue box. Elen was still stunned. Vee was alive?! How could this be? Elen blinked, pinched herself, then pinched Vee. He gave a suprised yelp, then swatted her hand away. Elen looked at the girl. She was skinny, and short, possibly only five or six years old. She had tan skin and silver eyes with a rim of blue. "Jessie's going to be mad I stayed so long..." The girl dabbed her busted lip with tissue. "My name's Maya-Tibon by the way. But everyone calls me Pipit."

Pipit dusted off her brown skirt, the bead rustled. Elen noticed she wasn't dressed in normal little kid attire, but clothes that would have been worn during the fuedal times in Asia. The shoulders were bare, except for one strap on her left shoulder. The sleeves were long and flawed out at the wrists like feathers, and the shirt itself almost reached her knees. Under the shirt was a pair of tan shorts, much lighter then her brown shirt. Pipit wore a blue hair clip on the right side of her head to keep her hair out of her face, so only one eye was visible.

The bleeding had stopped so she tossed the tissue. "I have to go now... but before I do..." Pipit reached in her large sleeves and pulled out a book as big as Elen's head. "If You could sign right here..." She pointed to a blank spot on a page filled with names. "I'll be on my way."

Elen looked at the list of names. "What am I signing for?" asked Elen, looking at he girl with caution.

"I'm not at liberty to reveal that information." said Pipit, ruffling her brown layered hair. "It's best to just sign now... And I'll tell you later."

"Tell me what? Why can't you tell me now?" asked Elen, her voice getting more hostile. "You brought Vee back alive didn't you? But at what cost?!"

Pipit looked at Vee. "No cost." she smiled. "He actually signed yesterday afternoon." Before they found his body. "So his agreement was filed and done."

"What agreement?" Elen pressed.

"Pipit!" snapped a voice. A girl walked into the infirmary, a stern look on her face. "What are you doing?"

"Nothin'." she replied innocently. "Just talkin'."

"Well we only have a few minutes to do this. We still have ten more people to get." said the older girl. Her spiky white hair reached her shoulders. Her eyes were gold, and skin was like Pipits. She wore a white long sleeve blouse with open wide sleeves and faded-ivy green skirt and stockings. "Good day Miss Elen." She walked over to them and snatched the book from Pipit. "No harm will come to you or and parties in pact with us. We're merely messangers, and this type of thing is a lot safer then most contracts made by humans for insurance." She tilted the book out for her. "Please sign here. Under Miss Burnidette and Miss Christal."

Elen looked at the page. And sure enough, their signatures were there. She gave in. "I don't have a pen." Elen said.

The girl in white waved her hand and a quil pen appeared. "Your hand please." Elen held her hand out, palm down. The girl grabbed her wrist and turned her hand, palm up. She stabbed Elen with the pen in her heal, then held the feathered end out for her to grasp. "Right here."

"Elinah." Her writing flourished, then sunk into the page in black ink.

"Now we're done here." said the girl. "Pleasure doing business with you." She slammed the enormous book closed and pushed it in her sleeve. Elen noticed they both wore a single wing on their right hands. It was black and had a small dragon symbol. She reached down and took the five year old's hand and left. When they were walking down the hall elen heard Pipid cry out, "But I want red hair! Why can't I have red hair?!!"

"Did you see what they were wearing?" asked Elen.

"Yeah. It was cute. The little kid looked like a sparrow or something." Vee pulled up the sheets to his neck. "Get out... I still have half a sick day and I want to sleep."

"Do you even know what we signed?!" asked Elen, turning to him, her green eye showing a little fear. "What if they were demons! Here to steal our souls?!!"

Vee groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. "They're sprites." Vee responded. "I didn't sense anything dark in them..." vee sat up suddenly. "Wait there was one thing that got my attention!"

Elen looked at him, attentive to him. "Really? What?!"

His voice shook a little, his eyes looked at her. Vee was scared. "I mean it really blew my mind, Ellie!... She must really be evil.. because she said..."

"Yes?! What did she say?!"

"she said..." Vee turned to her, his voice shaking. "She said...She said you were pretty." Elen blinked, dazed at the answer. Vee burst into laughed, holding his ribs to keep them together. She grew angry them smacked him upside the head. "Owch! Patient in the infirmary! Hello!!"

***

Pipit skipped down the hall way, Jessamine followed her at a slow pace. Walking past them was a red head with pail, white skin and stitch-scars. She glanced at them from the corner of her mitchmatch eyes. Her foot came up, nearly striking the girl in white and green in the face. The girl somersaulted backwards, then landed in a calm and still manner. Jessamine fixed her skirt and looked at her. "So you won't sign unless we fight?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Jess." Kaj replied, pushing her thick bangs away from her eyes. "It'd look odd for me, an almost full grown woman, fighting a little kid."

"You're right." smiled Jessamine. Her large white sleeves covered her face as she laughed. "Maybe I should be wearing a blindfold."

"Still a haughty little brat, eh?" Kaj came at the girl. Her foot nearly striking Jessie in the ribs. The girl kept dodging, completely avoiding Kaj.

"I won't fight you." she replied. "It's against the rules."

"Screw the rules!" Her hair waved in the low gust of wind coming from the open window. She did realize Jessie had moved, and had two fngers pointed at her throat.

"You're hurt... and the pain has made you too disoriented for a fight with me." she smiled. Jessie reached in her sleeve, and pulled out the large book. Kaj eased up and ran her hand through her short hair. "Last time. Promise."

"God...What a pain." Kaj took the quil pen, cut her hand and wrte in her blood. "Do you have any information on why those damn elementals are here?"

"Two have been taken care of, accordingly by Fox and Wolf." said Jessie, closing the book. It disappeared in a poof of smoke, then a letter appeared in her hands. "And this letter came from Konoha... It's for Miss Chrystal."

***

Chrystal looked over the letter one last time. It was from Hyuuga Kiyotomaru, her father. 'You have disgraced our family for the last time. We strip you of the name Hyuuga. You may do as you wish about the matter, but know this, you are no longer my daughter.'

She crumpled the letter. "S'not like I was to begin with." she gave a short pained laugh. When she was seven... that's when Kiyotomaru found her wounded in the woods near Konoha. The seal of the sky(A black rimmed butterfly with rainbow wings and two small cresents under the wings) on her back, and eyes like no one had ever scene. As pail as the blue moon, but alittle darker then the Byakugan. They assumed she was from some branch of he Hyuuga clan. Come to find out, years later that her real name was Christal Marie Polhikw'mana. She tried to remember her family.

"Fine... 'Disgrace'... 'Disapoint'... I was never going to be head of the family, so why didn't he brand me? Like Kokorro? Or Tamachi?" She ruffled her black layered hair, frustrated with the lack of answers she was getting.

'He was afriad.' said a voice.

Chii looked around and saw no one."Who said that?" she asked out loud. She looked over at Burn's cot, she was asleep, axhausted with the fight with Riza, the wind demon. "Hellllo---?"

'you don't need to speak, just listen.' said the voice again.

"What do you mean?" Chii asked one last time, before the silence was broken by two shouting people, a boy and a girl.

"I said get off!" said the girl.

"calm down already!" hissed the boy, "You're going to wake them up!"

"Don't touch me you pervert!" The girl shrieked. "RAPE!!"

"OW!! WTF?!! DID YOU JUST BITE ME?!!" Christal recognized both of them . Chase and Jazmyn? Why would they be here?

"Yes I did!" Jazmyn laughed haughtily. "Want me to demonstrate?!"

The white screen seperating the beds was moved by Ryota, Jazmyn was pinned on the cot by Chase, blood dripping from his neck. "This is neither the time nor the place for you two to be doing Hanky-Panky." she said, her eyes half open. "You," the inu pointed to Chase. "Stop trying to seduce my patients. And you," she pointed to Jazmyn, "Stop trying to steal blood from your lover. Vampire pacts state you can't do that 'til you're ready to mate."

When Jazmyn's face turned crimson, Chase gave her a triumphant smile, then climbed off her. "See ya."

"I should file statatory rape charges!" she snarled, baring her fangs, the blood making her more hostile then she needed.

"What?" Chase looked over his shoulder at her. "You're the one who bit her 'Lovverrrr'." He rolled the Rs, like the way someone pronounced Burro in Spanish. "Like I said. See ya." He left.

"frack you!" she shouted.

"Maybe next time!" he laughed through the door.

"There was no need for such language." said Ryota. She gave Jazmyn a stern, angry look. "In here again I see. What happened this time? Another fight with Chase? Or perhaps Night?" She sighed, her brown hair falling in her face. "Let's look at the X-ray shall we?" Ryota pulled out a black sheet and clipped it to a light up board. "HOLY CRAP!!" Ryota looked at the chart closely. "How many fights have you gotten into?!!"

"A few. Nothing too serious." Jazmyn replied, using the back of her hand to whipe her mouth.

"This shows multiple damage to your ribs, collar bone, shoulder and pelvic area. Broken then healed over the years." Ryota looked at her. "Years honey."

"This is the first time I've actually broken bones Miss Ryota." Jazmyn replied. "The first time in a while I've gotten that thrill of--"

"Well that thrill can get you and your friends seriously hurt. Maybe even killed. You Asians and fighting..."

"What did you say?" asked Jazmyn, her pointed ears perking up.

"You could get hurt really--"

"No the other thing! How do you know I'm asian?" Jazmyn tried to move, but a stabbing pain in her arm made her stop.

Ryota shuffled through her folders and found a book on The Islands of Asia and the Pacific. She flipped it open to a section on Malaysia and Laos. "Doesn't this look like you?"

A girl wearing shorts and a pink tank was in the picture. Her hair was long and black, braided back almost reaching her knees. Her skin was a lighter then Jazmyn's, but the face was of similar build. Next to her was a waterbuffalo, and two smaller children. "Little bit." She flipped the page, and she saw rice terraces and houses on stilt like structures. They seemed eerily familiar. Jazmyn turned to a section on a place called the 'Philippines'. There were more houses on stilt like structures, and rice terraces. People road bikes, and small cars. The style of clothing and decorum was a mixture of many things, Chinese, Malaysian, Laos, and Spanish.

"This one." Jazmyn held up the book to show a girl around her age, standing knee deep in a river. A large straw hat pulled and resting on the back of her neck to show her face. Sure enough, she looked exactly like Jazmyn, but her skin was a lighter shade of tan and her eyes weren't golden. "But I could be anything! Hawaiian, Arabic, Cherokee, Laos..." She let out an exhausted sigh. "Anyth--" A page on weapons caught her eye. A sword and a dagger, the sword much to the style of Lyra and Roex. 'Espada y Daga- The two handed technique of fighting with a sword and a dagger. Many other styles include, hand to handle, sword and sword or with battle sticks. Stiff bambo structures used when sparing. ' She looked at the picture again. Now she was sure; that is what Lyra amd Roex were. Espada y Espada.

***

Christal saw in her mind, a clan of people... No... clan wasn't right... A tribe. She watched them, gathered around a large fire, talking and laughing. Two large wolves sat at the feet of a little girl. The little girl yawned loudly and snuggled closer to the black on, her head almost disappearing in the sea of onyx. Chii looked around, then at herself. she was dressed like one of the elders sitting close to the fire. the old man put his hand in small deer skin pouch, then threw a handful of metalic colored sand on the fire. It turned purple, and smoke bellowed up, taking on the forms of an Eagle, a Deer and a Wolf. The three symbols of the Maidens of the sky, Sun, Rain and Snow.

"Katchina..." said the elder, motioning to the girl sleeping on the wolf. The animal nuzzled her awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Come." She walked over to him, and hugged him dearly. Katchina looked him in the eyes. "Danger... is coming to our lands... and there is little we can do about it." He dipped his hand in a mixture of blackberries, burnt oak, and lilacs. He pressed his thumb against her forehead, forming a black cresent moon. "I bless thee in the sign of the Sun, Rain and Snow, Nuvaktsin'mana. May they keep you safe on your journey." The elder motioned the black and silver wolf over to him. "Take care of her." He pressed his head against theirs, symbolizing their closeness.

The little girl began sniffling. "But... I don't want to go... Grandpa..." She rubbed her eyes on her sleeve. "I want to stay and fight... with you and Brother and Sister and Mother and Father... I'm not weak!"

The old man chuckled, then put his hand on her head. "I know, Little one... you've proven that before, time and time again." He kissed her on her forehead, the moon not getting smudged. "Travel swift... Travel free." The black wolf scooped her up and ran. Her silver brother following close behind.

"No! Put me down, Ta'lo!" she shouted, holding onto his fur tightly. Tears blurred her eyes when she no longer saw the campfire. She had lived longer then any normal person, but still looked as young as seven. Now that Grandfather set her on her journey, soon herage would catch with her.

***

1520--?

Anu walked up the sloped mountain, traveling up to the entrance of her village. The scar from her encounter with Baboy, the large earth boar from so long ago, was now a faded line on the back of her leg. She fiddled with the pin that held her hair up, the sea shells making a rather pleasant sound. She genlty rattled the beaded curtain, trying not to wake him. She held the orchids dearly, her gift dare not get damaged. He yawned, sitting up and stretching.

"Good morning," Anu smiled softly. Bacunawa blinked, a little suprised to see her there. "Happy Birthday Leader."

"Don't call me that." he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just called me Manoy, alright? Just like when we wre little?"

"Why? It's your title right?" Anu blushed, she held out the flowers for him. "I picked them this morning... before dawn." 'This is wrong. Stop this before you get hurt.' Anu motioned her insercurities away, today was the day... She was going to tell him...

Bacunawa got up, and began to get dressed for the day. "Manoy..." she said, her voice shaking. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you... for a long time...I L-"

"Wait. There's something I want to tell you first." A grand smile on his face. She blushed when he knelt infront of her and grasped her hand. "I'm going to the Mainland."

'...what...?' Anu's smile didn't fade, she kept it and laughed. "Really? what for?" she asked with false enthusiasm.

"Studies. They are many things we still don't know about our cousins from the mainland! Think of all the information I could bring back to the Village!" Bacunawa was too happy to notice, Anu's heart was breaking.

She leaned foreward and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy Birthday." she murmured, her voice finally breaking. She stood up slowly, and turned out of his house. Anu slowly stalked out the village, then silently ran out into the forest. 'He's leaving?! He's Leaving?!!' Her stomach felt like someone kicked the wind out of her, she couldn't think straight. Anu finally slowed down and fell to her knees. Her hands dug into the dirt, her face down she began crying.

She loved him so much. All these years she had watched him grow from a boy who she fought with all the time, to her best friend, to her guardian. Why did she assume he could be her lover?!! Anu rubbed her eyes, cursing herself for being like this. Wanting what she could never in her life have. There were many other men, from other Villages or cities, yet she wanted Bacunawa. Just him. No one else. She thought about going to the mainland with him, but remembered she spoke three languages, two of which she spoke horribly. And with the little money Anu had, how could she pay to go? It cost gold, and silver to cross the ocean on merchant boats alone, and all she had were pesos.

That time they nearly died, when she said she loved him, Bacu assumed she meant like a younger sister loves her brother... but she didn't. Father had left when she was young... And now Bacunawa?! A few hours later, after Anu had enough time to calm herself down, she began to walk back. If Bacunawa was leaving, who would be the next chief? Surely it would be one of her cousins, they were older and knew more about the trade, and the seasons, and the people from the land called 'España'.

But, what if he did name her the next chief? A silent wave of panic swept over her. Anu was she sure couldn't handle it. She'd help him, following Bacu around like a little duck and parent. Handling matters with other tribes or family members was easy that way, because... Anu shrugged off that thought too. She wanted to be happy for him. If Bacunawa wanted to be happy, why not let him?

***

Burn was up and about, quicker then she thought. A whole week ahead of what she had estimated. Even if she was a Gifted Human, a fight like the one she and Christal had fought would have taken a week, 2 at most, to heal. But as it was, she was up and at 'em in two days. Her bandaged ribs, and shoulder stung a little bit, but Burn was able to cope.

She looked outside and saw a flock of bird fly by. She walked closer to the window and looked at them. Her orange eyes stung, the light hurting more then she expected. "...ow..." Burn murmured.

"what is it?" asked Ryota from her desk.

"My eye... it hurts..." Burn held her left eye, the stinging pain not subsiding.

"Probably just a damaged vessel." Ryota stood up and went through the cabinet above her head. She fished through a box of kneewraps, then shin splints until she found what she was looking for. "Here. Where this eyepatch until the end of the week. If it doesn't stop hurting by then, comeback and I'll see what I can do."

Burn walked over to a mirror and put it on. She liked it. The eyepatch made her look more of a threat. If people asked, she would freak them out saying it was gouged out by a demon. Se made a funny face at the mirror, sticking out her tongue and holding up a hand in a V as in victory. Burn yelped when she remembered her day. Lao! She had missed their date!!

"Omobakka hiei!!" she shouted. She had missedit by a good, what, three days? Would he be mad? Would he even forgive her?? What if--

"Before if forget Miss Burnidette..." Ryota held out three flowers tied with a ribbon and a note. "A young man came and delivered this." Burn looked at it, then gently took it in her hand. She grinned when she read the note. It was so simple, yet it made her heart jump. 'I see this rose has thorns. Get well soon, Lao.'

"Thank you." Burn straightened out her uniform and left for class. Dean Dreamer and Night were watching silently. Dreamer was smiling a sweet smiled, innocent like one of her students.

"You're having fun aren't you?" asked Night, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Her bright green eyes flashed crimson for a second. "Lots."

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