Chapter 5: voyage
“Azusa Shrine?” Maia replied. “Why?”
I then told her about my dream. Maia watched me and pondered. “I see… there might be something about it, especially since you mentioned Dr. Azusa Hitoshima. I remember reading an article about her. She’s well-known for recently inventing some method in regenerating body organs. It has not been used in the public as yet.”
“We need to find her and of course gather information.” I spoke, a bit excited. “We also have to get permission to Azusa Shrine.”
Maia looked content. “Seems we might just have a plan. Tomorrow, we go to Fayrer!”
During this discussion, Miranda sat there, listening and before she could turn and speak, Maia turned to her and said, “Thanks Mimi for deciding to stay and take care of my place while I was gone.” Maia then smiled.
“Jeez!” Miranda looked embarrassed. “You and this mind-reading stuff can drive a girl crazy!”
We all laughed.
Morning came so quickly. I didn’t sleep that night. I prepared myself mentally, psyching myself up for what I—no, Maia and I will run into. I also thought back on Jett and this whole new unknown power that I don’t know nor remember having. My focus was on finding Dr. Azusa.
“Ryu!” Maia came in with a few groceries. “I need to put these in my suitcase! Can you help?”
I looked at her in disbelief. “What are you going to do with all those groceries and a big suitcase?”
“We would have something to eat on the way to Fayrer.” She responded. She put the groceries on the kitchen table.
“I think it would have been a better idea if you just gotten cash.” I responded. “Besides, it’s not a vacation.”
“I’m still going with my suitcase.”
“Fine, I’m not carrying it though.” I smirked.
After deliberating, I finally for once won. Each of us carried one bag with our essentials, a few groceries that won’t get spoiled easily. We then went to Miranda’s and gave her the rest of the groceries—and also asked for extra cash while we were there. Everything in Shinta has been taken care of. Maia and I then headed towards the Shinta Bus Transit around 1:30 pm.
After paying for our tickets for Fayrer, we still had to wait until 3:00 pm for our bus. I took this as a good time to recover the sleep that I lost last night. I dreamt about finding Dr. Azusa and getting all of my questions answered. I could feel that I was nervous. My mind was going a mile a minute.
Instinct told me something was amiss. I woke up, looked at the departure clock that was showing 2:48 pm and I realized something else: Maia was gone. I jumped up from my seat grabbed both of our bags and went around looking for her.
“Dammit, where did she go?” I wondered.
I made my way through the crowd that was going the opposite direction. It was then 2:55 pm and I started to panic. Did Jett have her?
“No Ryu. I’m here.” Maia was behind me. Extrasensory skills were at work again.
I didn’t have time to mentally shake her. “Let’s go. Our bus is here.”
We barely made it in and both of us sighed of relief. Before I asked her where she have been she responded, “Bathroom”.
Our bus was considerably packed. Maia sat at the window, looking outside at the motion-blurred scenery. About a quarter through our estimated 4 hour trip, I overheard a couple sitting in front of me discussing their planned trip to Fayrer.
“Hon, I am so glad you got to take time off from work for a well-deserved vacation.” The woman grabbed her spouse’s hand and smiled lovingly in his eyes.
“Me, too. I also wanted to go to Fayrer to try their cuisine, as well as spending time with you and our daughter.” He smiled back. “There’s also a festival in 3 days there I wanted to take you both to.”
“I can’t wait,” she responded gleefully, “She will be so glad!”
“Yeah, also at that festival Dr. Azusa is going to have a press conference. I want to be there. So, have you checked out…”
I tuned out afterwards and turned to Maia, whom at the same time turned to me.
“I’m getting hungry,” she said. “I’m going to eat something.” As I turned and watched ahead of me, I realized that there was a little girl about 6 years old looking at me between the seats.
“Hi! My name’s Kyumi.” She smiled at me. “You look funny! What’s your name?”
I looked funny? Maia must have seen the shock on my face because she was laughing.
“Funny?” I said, trying to not shout.
“His name’s Ryushin, but I call him Ryu.” Maia responded. She was enjoying this.
The same woman I was listening to earlier turned around and said, “Kyumi, don’t talk to strangers.”
“But he is not a stranger anymore, mommy.” She responded “I know his name—Ryu. So I am right. I like him!”
Kyumi’s mother then scolded her softly and told her to sit back properly in her seat.
“Ryu, you have a girlfriend already!” Maia laughed.
“Whatever,” I folded my arms.
Two and a half hours later, I was zoned out in thoughts. Suddenly, I felt a slight tug on my jacket. It was Kyumi again. This time she held a something wrapped in foil paper.
“Do you want to try a cookie I made, funny Ryu?” She asked.
I turned back to Maia and she was fast asleep. I turned back to Kyumi. Her bright eyes fixated on me and she looked so happy. Ah, what the hell…
“Ok, thanks Kyumi.” I took the foil, unwrapped it and there was a cookie in a shape of a heart and of pink coloring. She stood there waiting as if she wanted me to eat it in front of her.
“Can I sit next to you, funny Ryu?” she then asked.
“Umm…sure.” I must say, in a way, she’s getting to my soft spot.
There was an empty spot next to me so she jumped unto the seat and her parents were in the front were chatting away.
“Taste it!” she looked at me with excitement.
Not to be mean, I decided to take a small bite from it—and thank goodness I did. From the texture of that cookie, she can get a good future in bullet-proof technology. Nothing could have penetrated that cookie. Miraculously, I managed to get a piece in my mouth and a pretended to chew and then secretly stuck the piece on the side of my mouth.
“How is it?” she asked.
“G-good! It’s nothing like I’ve ever tasted!” And that was true.
“I’m glad.” She smiled. She then looked at her parents who still haven’t noticed she was missing and said, “I’m so happy that mommy and daddy are back together.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, just to keep the conversation going.
“Sometime ago, mommy and daddy was not together.” She responded. Her face slightly frowned. “I had to go to mommy’s house one time and then daddy’s house another time. I hope they never do that again. I love my mommy and daddy very much.” She then turned to me. “Where is your mommy and daddy, funny Ryu?”
I didn’t know what to say about that. I don’t remember anything dealing with family, the only mother and father I know are those two entities I called ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ from my childhood, and I never saw them.
“I don’t have any.” I responded.
“I can be your little sister. I never had an older brother before.” She looked at me again.
I just looked at her and gave her a smile.
“What about her next to you?” Kyumi looked at Maia, who was still fast asleep. “Isn’t she your family?”
As I stared to Maia sleeping away, I said without really thinking, “Yes, she is my family.”
Kyumi and I continued talking; she told me all about her school and about her parents—Keiko, her mother’s name and Tanaki her father’s.
Three hours passed and most of the passengers on the bus were asleep. fell asleep on my arm. I managed to move her to just to take off my jacket and use it as a blanket for her. Even though her cookie was like a rock, I have gotten quite fond of her, like a little baby sister I’ve never had.
The bus then moved off the main road and headed down a dirt road. From what I saw outside, there was an accident and I assume that this is another route to Fayrer.
“One more hour…” I thought. I was getting sleepy myself so I decided to rest my eyes.
Suddenly the bus driver screamed. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw it—a cyclone heading towards the bus. The driver tried to swerve out of the way but there was a familiar voice I heard: “SONIC EDGE!” The attack somehow sliced directly through the bus down the middle. Both pieces of the bus slid and turned over on each side of the road. I managed to cover both Maia and Kyumi in time to minimize our damage.
We managed to crawl out of the wreckage but realized that only a few people survive. Kyumi got out first and screamed out for her parents, who were nowhere to be found.
“Mommy! Daddy!” she cried. “Ryu! Help!” she managed to find her parents but it was too late. They were crushed by the weight of the wrecked bus. They died instantly. Kyumi collapsed and cried on the ground, right next to her mother’s blood-stained body. Maia ran toward her to move her away.
I was full of rage. “JETT!!” I screamed out.
“Hahaha” he appeared out of the shadows. “My sword…my sword lusts for BLOOD!” He then looked to the remaining survivors. “Here Ryu, my gift of massacre for you.” As he raised his sword at the survivors, who were trying to help others quickly and others who was running away, he screamed out “SONIC RAIN!!”
Faster than I could have reacted, multiple sonic blades struck and instantly killed all of the remaining survivors. There were so much anguish and downpour of bloodshed. It seemed surreal to me. I couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Damn you bastard! Damn you to hell!” I screamed out.
“Hmph, been there, done that.” He replied with a smirk.
Kyumi managed to get out of Maia’s grip and ran towards Jett screaming, “I hate you!! Get him big brother Ryu!!” Maia ran after her.
“Jett turned his sight on Kyumi. “Big brother? Hahaha” he laughed. He suddenly grabbed Kyumi by her neck.
“Let her go Jett! Settle this with me!” I screamed out. I ran towards him. I tried to punch him but he had a sort of wind barricade. Maia and I tried to get through, but all we could have done is watch.
“As much as I would like to, I was requested by ‘Father’ to not harm you…well, not yet.”
“Let her go!!” Maia screamed out.
“This wretched human?” Jett asked in a sinister fashion. He then gripped her neck even more. Kyumi yelped.
Jett then turned to Kyumi, “See? Your so-called big brother can never help you. I’ll be nice today, I’ll take you to your parents.”
Jett put away his sword and with his hand, he covered her already blue face and she whispered “Big…brother…Ryu…” then she stopped moving.
“That’s my air deprivation technique,” Jett responded and laugh, “Such frail creatures, aren’t they, Ryushin.” He then tossed Kyumi’s body aside.
I screamed and somehow managed to penetrate his shield with my fist and as soon as I got in contact with him, he disappeared.
Tears…for the first time came down from my eyes. I couldn’t save anyone…where was my Gravitas spirit when I needed it? Maia cried out loud also.
After a while of mourning, I decided to give Kyumi and her parents whom I managed to pull out later a proper burial while Maia looked for our bags. I didn’t care—I dug those holes with my hands, I felt so numb. So many memories in the bus passed through my mind, Kyumi’s saying hello to me, calling me funny man, tasting the rock of a cookie. When I finished covering up the bodies. I stood up and put my hand in my jacket and I felt something. It was the remaining piece of the cookie Kyumi gave me. It was broken in half. I then put the half with my bite mark on top of her grave and I decided to keep the other half.
I stared at her grave for the last time. “Baby sister Kyumi,” I spoke softly, “Your family will be together forever, just as you wanted.”
Maia and I then picked up our bags and continued on our way to Fayrer.
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