Work Text
It was on the first day of summer vacation that Hitomi Yukimura's life changed. It happened on a Saturday. She woke up feeling warm, and giddy, and just a little bit smug. No summer school for her this year - unlike the poor saps that didn't pass their finals. No more cramming frantically for tests. No teachers. No early nights. No timetables. No stress, for three glorious months. The summer stretched out in front of her, seeming endless and full of possibilities.Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the hangings around her bed a beautiful golden colour. She stretched, pushed them aside and eased out of bed slowly."Morning sleepy head," a voice said teasingly from behind her. Hitomi turned her head to find her mother standing in the doorway, with a soft smile on her face. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and dark-haired - to look almost exactly like one of the tiny fairies she used to read about when she was a kid - but to have a mother who was tall, blonde, and Alfred Hitchcock's ideal version of a heroine? That was just evil. Hitomi did share one thing in common with her mother; they both had the same eyes; cornflower blue, with very dark lashes."Morning Mama," Hitomi answered with a smile, standing and crossing the room to give her a hug."This is
nice," Mika laughed as her daughter breathed in her scent; her favourite floral perfume and ironed clothes smell. "I can't remember the last time you hugged me.""A few weeks ago," the teen mumbled into her shoulder, "I was up to my eyeballs studying.""True," she conceded, running a hand through tousled dark hair, "But you need a dose of hugs a day the same as me. Who'd you hug?""Aika. You?""Your father of course!" she laughed, pulling away. "Now, Aika called and said she was coming to pick you up soon, so you get dressed and I'll help Papa make breakfast before he burns the house down. Again.""'Kay," she grinned. Mika shut the door, and Hitomi made a beeline for the bathroom, praying her parents hadn't used up all the hot water. They didn't (for once), so she enjoyed her shower. Deciding she'd have enough time to repaint her nails, Hitomi headed back to her room and plopped in front of her vanity. Grabbing a holder, she placed her hair up into a messy bun before she began systematically removing her old nail polish; a soft grey. Glancing at the bottles of nail polish she had, she plucked up the one she found most appealing at the moment – peach. Neatly, Hitomi put on two coats of the warm colour before she went over it with a quick-drying clear coat. Blowing on her nails, she gingerly took down her hair and ran a brush through it several times till she was sure all the tangles were gone. She tied it back into a ponytail, and then got dressed into a pair of tan-coloured cut-offs, a striped peach cami, and her new flip-flops."Hitomi! Breakfast!" Mika shouted. Hitomi wandered into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table, popping a kink in her shoulder. Something furry rubbed around her ankles."Morning Buyo," she grinned, reaching down to scratch the cat behind its ears. Daiki snorted from behind his newspaper."I still don't know why we let you name the cat Buyo," he commented, taking a sip of his coffee. Hitomi rolled her eyes."I was eleven, papa. And in the middle of my
Inuyasha
phase," she reminded him as Mika placed her breakfast onto a plate. "Good morning to you too.""Morning," he said absently, turning the page."Dig in," Mika advised, setting the plate in front of her daughter. "Papa and I are going out to a work function tonight - do you want Aika to sleep over?""I won't be here. I'm staying at Aika's beach house for a couple of weeks, remember?" Hitomi reminded her mother, taking a sip of orange juice."Oh no, I forgot. Will there be adult supervision?" Mika worried, nibbling her lip."Wow, mama. Middle-aged much?" Hitomi laughed as she cut into her omelette."She'll be fine, Mika," Daiki said unexpectedly, "She's a sensible girl, and she'll call us if there's trouble. Won't you?" he added, eyeballing his daughter."Yeah.""Well, all right then." She picked up her purse and keys before looking at her daughter worriedly. "Just promise me you'll call every couple of days.""Oh, come on mama!" Hitomi groaned as her mother held up a hand."Just humour me," she said as Daiki stood and pulled on his jacket, "We worry about you. That's what we're supposed to do.""Sure, sure," Hitomi mumbled as her mother kissed her cheek, "Bye mama. Bye papa.""Bye sweetheart," they chorused, before the door clicked shut and Hitomi was alone.Humming softly, she quickly finished her meal and washed the dishes when she was done, before feeding Buyo and heading back upstairs to pack. After shutting her door, she wandered over to her closet and grabbed her school bag, feeling relieved she'd emptied it out last night as she dumped it on the bed, darting back and forth between the closet and the bed with clothes and accessories, before stretching and sitting back down at her vanity.Picking up a mascara tube, she applied a quick coat on her lashes before putting some lip balm on. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection as she packed a small make-up bag and added it to her luggage. The bell rang so she ran to answer it, and standing in the porch with a big grin was Aika Kimura.They'd been friends ever since kindergarden, when the boys had been pulling Hitomi's pigtails and teasing her. In the playground, they ganged up on her like hounds around a fox - until Aika saw what was happening. Even at the age of five, she'd had a mean right hook. She'd exploded into the group, slapping faces, pinching arms and kicking shins until the boys went running. Then she'd turned to Hitomi, her grey eyes bright."Want to be friends?"She'd nodded shyly and the rest, as they say, was history."Morning!" she greeted, bobbing her scarlet head at her friend, "You ready to go?""Sure, just let me get my bag," Hitomi answered, smiling. Darting back to her room, she hoisted her bag over her shoulders and shut her door before making her way down the hall. Grinning at Aika's 'look', she locked the door and hid the key."So, how have you been?" Aika asked, swinging her tote bag carelessly as they walked. "Any news?""Nope," Hitomi answered, fanning herself. It was quite humid for mid-morning."Nothing interesting what-so-ever has happened?""Aside from falling over the cat for the millionth time, no.""Why am I not surprised?...Anyway, hold that thought," Aika said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a bottle of nail polish, "Look at what I bought! It's a new colour that came out, it's like…wow." Handing it over, she nudged her friend. "You have to wear it sometime.""It's pretty," Hitomi answered, turning the bottle over to read the name, "Blue my mind. I need to buy a bottle of this.""You can keep that, I bought two," Aika replied, waving a hand dismissively. "So, today is
our
day, and I was thinking we could go shopping and get some groceries before we catch the bus, then we could go swimming when we arrive. What do you think?""Sounds like a plan.""That isn't what I meant.""Aika, it sounds great.""Will you go pick up the tickets while I pop into the pharmacy?""Okay.""Meet you back here in ten?""Sure."Giggling, the two parted ways. Hitomi watched until her friend had rounded the corner and crossed the road. Just then, a car horn blared as it swung out from a side street wildly. There was a squeal of brakes, a scream, and then-Darkness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hitomi screamed and sat up with a start. She was shaking like a leaf and quickly patted herself down. Satisfied that she wasn't injured, she got to her feet and froze. This was not the beach house Aika described. In fact, nothing remotely resembling a beach was near her at all. She seemed to be on the outskirts of a tiny town, with little wooden huts or cloth tents dotted here and there. There wasn't a single metal or glass building in sight, except for one that looked to be about a mile away. She pushed the long grass that surrounded her out of her way as she stood up."Kajiko!" A voice shouted. Hitomi turned to see a tiny girl with dark hair and
cat ears
of all things running towards her. "Mother said you weren't coming!"Hitomi fidgeted as the girl threw her arms around her legs."Sorry honey, but you have me mixed up with someone else," she said, trying to pry her off. The child giggled, transferring her iron grip from Hitomi's legs to her arm."Oh, stop playing around, Kajiko. Mother will want to see you." She turned an evil glare on her. "And if you try and tickle your way out of this, I'm going to bite you!"Feeling lost, she allowed the tiny child to drag her towards the heart of the village, where a large number of people, adults and kids were milling about. Hitomi automatically went into defensive mode. She crossed her free arm across her chest and hunched her shoulders, her body language warning everyone to leave her alone."What's
with
you, Kajiko?" her kiddie-captor asked. "You're acting like you don't know us.""That's because she doesn't." Everyone turned to see an elderly woman eyeing them with a smile. "At least, not yet." The woman bowed, a gesture that Hitomi automatically returned as her arm was released. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting you today. How about we go to my study to talk?"Hitomi nodded, and the two of them walked up to a large hut - almost as big as a two-story house. She watched with interest the way that the woman smiled and laughed as children and adults of all ages swarmed around her. Her eyebrows rose as she saw them calling her companion 'Mother'. Surely they couldn't
all
be her children?It took them only a few minutes to reach the proclaimed 'study', even with all the interruptions. Her companion took a seat behind the low desk and Hitomi sat on the fat cushion opposite, eyeing her surroundings cautiously. Just where the hell was she?"You're in the year 2453," her host answered. "I sat in that seat once. I remember it well." She sat back. "Now, it's time to ask the right questions.""Who are you?" Hitomi asked."Have I really changed so much?" the woman laughed quietly. "I almost forgot I have grown so old."Hitomi blinked. "I'm afraid I don't follow.""The answer is right in front of you," her host said with a smile. "Just take a good look."Hitomi stared in confusion at the woman opposite, eyes scanning her features for something familiar. There was something in the curve of the lip, the twinkle of the eye...the pieces fell into place."Are you
me?" Hitomi gaped."In the flesh," her older self grinned."What is this place?""Earth," the older Hitomi said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't waste my time with stupid questions."So, I'm a sassy old lady.
Hitomi leaned forward. "Why am I here?"Her older self smirked and leaned forward as well. "To change the past."Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"Her elder self sighed as she leaned back. "I still dislike repeating myself.""How do I to change the past?" Hitomi asked after a moment's thought."Years ago, I sat where you're sitting now," the elder Hitomi said, sounding wistful. "I heard the same words I'm about to tell you. I need you to succeed." She seemed to be bracing herself for her next words. "I allowed people -
important
people- to die."Hitomi was floored. People died, and
she
was the reason? What? How?
Why? Through numb lips, she managed to order, "Explain.""When I was brought here, I wasn't given specifics," her older self whispered. "My guide didn't want to change the past, just correct it. That was wrong." She sighed. "In the 22nd century, there was a war between humans and a race of hybrids called Matrixers. It was vicious and bloody - I won't go into the details. Just imagine both world wars combined for a vague idea of what it was like."Hitomi couldn't even begin to imagine the scale of such a war."At the time, a large meteor crashed into the earth. Two fragments broke off. The meteor fragments were rumoured to hold special powers and both sides were searching frantically for them, desperate for an advantage." The elder sighed, running a hand through her silver hair. "What they didn't know about was that the meteor had some
very
nasty after affects. A virus spread, infecting the people who were left behind. Hundreds of thousands of humans and Matrixers died, each side pointing the finger at the other and driving the war to its peak.""What does this have to do with me?" Hitomi asked, swallowing. She watched as her older self's face twisted with pain."One of the fragments hit a young girl," she explained in a whisper. "A girl who was given such a heavy burden because of the powers in that fragment. I befriended her and travelled with her and her friends. I shared in her adventures as her powers grew. Eventually, it all began to take its toll on her." Her hands clenched. "And I sat by and did nothing. She convinced me that she was destined to do this and I was just fussing over nothing. I stupidly believed her." She was actually crying. "I as good as killed her, my friends, and so many others because I
didn't fight."After a few minutes of fear-fuelled silence, she piped up, "But why should I-""If you finish that sentence, I swear I'll rip out your voice box," her older self snarled, eyes flashing. "I don't care if it kills me. The only reason I've hung around here instead of joining my friends when they died is because I
needed
to tell you this. So you could fix this.""How do I save them?" Hitomi asked after a few moments."I
don't know," she snapped. "I obviously didn't succeed at it. But you will. You have to.""And if I don't?""Then you're just as guilty as I am," she said darkly. "A murderer, with the blood of innocents on your hands. And you will have to live with that, like I have." She reached into a desk drawer and tossed a small leather pouch between them. "You're going to need this. So help me, never take it off. No matter how tempted you'll be - and believe me, you will be."Hitomi cautiously took the pouch and was about to open it, but was stopped as her old self grabbed hold of her wrist."Trust yourself," she whispered. "You are where you're supposed to be. Never doubt it."Hitomi hesitated, then nodded. She stood and faced her older self awkwardly for a moment. Then she bowed. "Thank you."The elder Hitomi stood as well. "Don't thank me just yet. You're in for a time of it."When Hitomi came to, she was lying on something soft. It took her a few moments to realise where she was - outdoors in the middle of a forest, lying on a bed of moss.
What the hell?
She sat up slowly, a searing headache pounding in her temples as she winced with pain. She pushed long strands of grass away from her face as she sat up.
Hang on...where's Aika?The clearing was empty of people. She was the only one around. She started running her hands through her hair nervously as she stood. She had an idea to look around to see if she could find her friend when she felt something cold press against the skin of her neck."Don't move," a voice said harshly. She turned her head slightly to see a boy about her age behind her. He wore strange clothes, and had tousled black hair and - most bizarrely - sharp silver eyes that bored into her. He held a
very
sharp sword, which he had resting against the side of her neck.Oh crap."Who're you?" another voice asked. Hitomi could spot a girl leaning on a tree-truck a few inches away. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail at the side of her head, while her red eyes were trained on Hitomi, in a mixture of boredom and fascination.
How did they get so close without me hearing them?
"Drop your sword, Kai. I've been expecting her," a cool voice interjected."Fine," the boy snapped, removing the blade from Hitomi's neck and sheathing it. She shakily turned to see a very tall lady standing a few feet away. She could ignore the clothes, the strange eyes and hair could be easily explained but the large pair of metallic-blue
fox ears
that were twitching away on the top of her head were starting to freak her out.
What the-?
"My name is Accalia, and these are my students, Kai and Katalina," she said, bowing her head."I think I've finally cracked," Hitomi whispered. Accalia smiled at that."You are not hallucinating," she assured the frightened girl. "We are all very real, Miss-?""Uh, Hitomi.""Where're you from?" the girl - Katalina - butted in curiously. "I haven't seen clothes like
that
except in the historical archives.""Um...Japan," she answered cautiously."Where's that?" Kai asked, folding his arms thoughtfully, "I don't think I've heard of it.""Are there good fighters there?" Katalina interjected excitedly. Hitomi pressed her fingers to her temples."Be silent," Accalia commanded. "You are overwhelming our guest." To Hitomi, she asked, "I do beg your pardon, but you
are
a human?""Yes, of course I am!" she replied a touch heatedly.
What a thing to ask!
"Listen, I don't really know how I got here, but I want to go home.""You cannot," Accalia said sadly. "You should know that you cannot return to your home until you correct a great wrong.""Correct - what on earth are you talking about?" Even as the words left her mouth, an image flashed in her mind. Sitting across a table from an old woman - her future self - who was suffering because she was unable to change the past. "Oh," she breathed, remembering the pouch that lay heavily in her pocket."I know this must be overwhelming, but you do not need to fear. I am here to guide you." Accalia knelt at the startled Hitomi's feet."Shit," was all the startled girl could say."Wait,
what?" Kai burst out. "I didn't think that training would mean babysitting this kid!""Kai!" Accalia snapped. The boy's kitty ears - only now did she decide to notice them, Hitomi mused dazedly - flattened against his head. His teacher sighed as she stood. "You must understand - both of you - that this is far more important than training you for regional fights," she strove to explain. "I have always taught you both that every living being is alive to fulfil a purpose. I have found mine."Hitomi could see Kai gearing up for a fight, and guessed his teacher did too. But a small hand pressed against his shoulder as Katalina whispered something in his ear, and just like that, he deflated."What do you want us to do, teacher?" Katalina asked briskly, gathering up their bags."Always the practical one," her teacher muttered fondly before raising her voice. "Pack up and prepare to move. We leave in thirty minutes. And Katalina - you will be filling in Hitomi about everything she has missed.""No problem," her student shrugged, "How much has she missed?"With a wry grin, her teacher replied, "Oh, from about the early 21st century onwards."The day went on and the unlikely group began their travels. Nothing exciting happened - aside from Kai underestimating a jump and falling into a river. Night came and they had to stop. Kai went looking for some firewood and started a fire while Katalina (who insisted on being called Kat) went in the opposite direction to hunt for their dinner. Hitomi sat by the baby flames, her head spinning with all the information that Kat had pushed into it during their travels, and her feet sore from all the walking. Even though she'd swapped her flip-flops for a pair of tennis shoes in her bag, she was in quite a bit of pain."They will get worse before they get better," the fox Matrixer said sagely as she returned with filled canteens."I never thought I was unfit before today," she said conversationally."We will acquire an easier method of transportation in a few days," Accalia concurred with a smile. "You will not be pushed too hard, Hitomi.""Thanks," she muttered as Kat returned with a skinned - something - and proceeded to spit it over the fire. The conversation was muted as Hitomi struggled to stay awake. Before long, her eyes had refused to stay open, and a gentle pair of hands was lying her down, a warm blanket covering her from the night's chill."Night," she sighed, pressing her cheek into the palm of her hand. She thought she heard her mother saying goodnight, but she knew no more as she fell into sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A few days later, Hitomi found herself staring at quite possibly, the oddest thing she'd seen all week. She half-wondered how she'd landed herself in such a strange scenario.After she'd awoken the next morning, Kat had promptly dragged her to the nearest body of water for a bath. It was cold and made her shiver, but it got her clean, so the good negated the evil, in that case. She'd tried to reach for her clothes, but Kat had confiscated them, stating that she stuck out too much in 'Stone Age clothes' as she'd put it. Hitomi had been forced to stay in the water, slowly growing numb until Kat had pick out new clothes for her that would help her 'blend in'. Choosing not to ask about just
where
said clothes had come from, she had dressed in the blue tunic and grey leggings and they had set out. The entire time travelling had been spent with Kat testing her on knowledge she had imparted the day before, as well as shoving new facts at the bewildered Hitomi. Kai had been mostly sullen and silent, though he had stopped to correct his rather eccentric partner when she'd gotten her facts wrong. Time passed swiftly and before she knew it, Kat and Kai had parted ways with them, journeying for parts unknown. When she'd questioned Accalia on the matter, she had been informed that they were on an errand for her, and that they would rejoin them when they could.
They'd arrived at a ramshackle town, build around an oil-tanker graveyard, by the looks of it, and bar a handful of residents, most of the town's citizens were walking - and talking - flies.
"This is taking the cake," she'd muttered as Accalia had booked a room for them, keeping the cowl of her hood up and her face covered.
"There are far more exotic Matrixers in the world, my lady," the fox had replied. They had decided it would be best if she appeared to be Hitomi's companion as they travelled. A lady and her servant wouldn't garner much of a look - but a human and a Matrixer willingly helping her? That would draw the bounty hunters by the droves.
Hitomi pursed her lips, but let the matter alone. They'd only been there a couple of hours - long enough for her to fall asleep - when she was woken by Accalia roughly shaking her shoulder.
"Whutssat?" she groused, sitting up in the bed. Her cloak was thrown at her.
"You need to come with me."
"But it's late! Surely it can wait until morning!" she'd whined. The fox had pinned her with an opaque stare.
"Your purpose is soon to reveal itself," she'd said mysteriously, and refused to say any more. Upset, Hitomi had done as she'd asked and followed her out of the town towards a dense shock of forest. Either she had been frustrated that Hitomi had been unable to keep up with her or she'd seen the size of the crowd ahead, but whatever the reason, the human girl had ended up on the fox's back as she'd leapt through the treetops, no longer a humanoid but a beautiful, metallic-blue fox, the size of a horse. Hitomi could only hang on in dumbstruck wonder as they'd jumped nimbly through the branches, landing eventually at a large crater, in which rested-
"You are kidding." A soft yip was her answer, as the fox made herself comfortable, and shrugging, Hitomi did the same, finding a plush seat in the fox's thick fur. It was quiet for a time as the crowd muttered amongst themselves until two limp bundles were strung up from the Statue of Liberty's chin. The small one - a boy from the looks of it - was obviously a Matrixer (no human could have that colour naturally) while the bigger one was -
"A human?" she breathed. A sense of hope fluttered in her chest as her eyes devoured the other member of her race. There was another human. She wasn't alone in this. Maybe they knew the way home? Her happy bubble was promptly popped when the flies set a large fire blazing at the feet of the statue. Which led her back to the present.
"A lynch-mob made up of racist flies tying up a human and setting fire to Lady Liberty. That checks out," she muttered to herself, before glancing over at the fox. "Are we going to do anything?"A shake of the head was her answer."Look, I really don't want to become the last of a species here, so please tell me that someone is going to save those two," she hissed, anxious to get her point across, but not to the point that they'd be overheard. Accalia growled at her, baring her teeth when Hitomi tried to stand. "Okay, okay. You'd better have a plan," she grumbled, watching as the boy started wriggling around, calling 'Yakumo' over and over again. It was a pretty name, she mused. She half wondered how to spell it, as the kanji used would effect the meaning of the name. Did her name mean 'Increasing cloud' or perhaps another variation? She wondered.As she wondered, the girl finally woke up, and her companion was out of his rope and swinging from it by his feet like a born acrobat. As he began to untie the ropes binding Yakumo, a cloaked figure on a pink - scooter?- flew down from the embankment and water started to spray from the underside of the vehicle. The scooter circled the statue once, thoroughly dousing the flames (as well as the bloodthirsty mob who'd stood in the pit) before flying off into the woods - right beneath the tree they were currently sitting in. Hitomi peeked down to see the person get off their scooter and stand casually among the crowd, uncovering the face to reveal a male teenager who acted as though he'd been there the entire time. Bizarrely, an enormous yellow cat dressed in pink with a green neck-scarf seemed to be in on the plan. Maybe they were friends? A scream from Lady Liberty drew her attention, and her heart stopped in her throat as she saw Yakumo sliding down the stone robes, luckily catching herself in a fold. Her acrobatic friend was on the statue's shoulder, giving a filthy look at a flying bug Matrixer in brown. She tried to work out if he was a fly or not before just not bothering. Something about the guy was repulsive - and it wasn't the fact he was a bug."No-one is going to save you now," the bug taunted, pointing a claw at the boy."Unbelievable!" the boy snarled, drawing his fists together before spreading them, a golden staff glowing into existence as he did so. He leapt from his perch to attack the bug, who parried the blow easily."I have no interest in a brat," he sniffed. "I want the Matrixer who killed my brothers. Where is he, kid?"When the boy didn't answer him after a split second, the bug sighed as if very put-out and withdrew from a pocket two large cards, with a curious design on the back. He brought them up to his mouth and then
ate
them. As she watched, repulsed, the bugs features changed; his physique grew buffer and he became a muted green colour, with gold armour. As the crowd reacted in awe (or what it fear?), she could hear the cat talking underneath her branch."Hyper Form?" he muttered."He's a Hyper Matrixer!" Scooter-Boy exclaimed, raising his voice, "Mushra! Be careful, he's stronger now!"
Mushra. Yakumo. Scooter-Boy and the cat. What connects these four together?
Parry. Lunge. A blow that could have sent the young Matrixer boy flying connected instead with the statue's shoulder, as he nimbly leapt up to stand on the torch's bracket. But he was not as speedy as the flying Matrixer, who backhanded him, sending him tumbling down to the ground."Mushra!" Yakumo screamed, mere seconds before the boy was engulfed by flames that erupted out of his own body before extinguishing promptly. In a flash of red, the boy was now a man, in red armour with spiked shoulders, and a bird's beak and eyes etched into the cowl on his head.He's a Hyper Matrixer too,
she realised, a grin growing on her face.
Bug-boy's got a problem now.Mushra landed on the shoulder before leaping high into the air and diving for the bug Matrixer, a sai-blade appearing on the end of his staff. Parry - once, twice, three times. A line appeared in the statue's neck. The pair flew to the side, before the bug decided to power on
through
the stone and messily decapitated Lady Liberty.I'm pretty sure that wasn't on the bucket list of 'what could happen to the statue in terms of damage'.
She facepalmed.The severed head slid down the front of the statue that had held it aloft for so long, shattering the stone that had been so lovingly carved centuries before. Yakumo had disappeared, she noted with a tinge of fear. That promptly dissipated when she spotted Mushra descending from above like an avenging angel, the human girl held carefully in one arm. The look on his face made her shiver. The bug had pushed him over the edge when he'd threatened the girl. Mushra was out for
blood.He was toying with the bug, if Scooter-Boy's opinion was to be believed. And sure enough, after about two minutes, both of the bug's blades were broken with the ease of tearing a tissue, and he'd left a long trench in the statue's head as Mushra prepared to strike the killing blow."Stop right there!"Everyone did a double-take, including Hitomi. Yakumo was pleading for that insect's life? Was something
wrong
with the girl? Mushra seemed to share her thoughts on the matter."Stop?" he repeated incredulously in a deep voice. "This
vermin
hastried to kill you twice now!""That is his way, Mushra, not ours!" was the response. The bug saw the opportunity to escape, and Mushra began to go after him. "Mushra!" He jerked as though his chain had been yanked. With a yell, he split the statue's head right open as Yakumo looked on."Did he enter the 'bloodlust' faze?" Hitomi whispered to her foxy guardian. The dark head inclined, and Hitomi was left dumbfounded.
She managed to stop a Matrixer when he was in his bloodlust faze, a state that, according to Kat, only a Matrixer's mate could break them out of, and even then, chances are slim. She controlled him with a look and her words. Just what is with this girl? She draws people to her like a moth to flame.
She did not speak on the journey back to the inn, so lost in her thoughts she was.She was still mulling the events of the night before over in her mind when they left the next afternoon, Accalia changing into a large fox once they'd reached the outskirts. As they raced across the ruins of Manhattan, Accalia would stop and sniff for a moment before taking off again. Hitomi would occasionally catch a glimpse of something she had seen once in a movie - Broadway, Central Park - and she was depressed that she had never gone to see the great city when it was still called 'The City that Never Sleeps'. Now it was a ghost town, silent and still.They had arrived in the ruins of Times Square when, instead of continuing on the road, Accalia made a sharp left and dived into what used to be the subway system of New York city. Hitomi had to press herself into the fox's thick fur to avoid being hit by dangling cables and other debris she preferred not to think about.Something wet landed on her neck and she squealed. Pressing a finger to the goop, she drew it near her nose and took a sniff, the scent reminding her of the old bookshop near the library.
Beeswax?"Accalia, are we near a hive?" she murmured into the fox's ear before they drew to a sharp halt. "Cali, what the frig?" she hissed, her stomach lurching as she saw the ground was way too far away for her liking."Yakumo...is mine to protect!" a pained yell reached her ears. Hitomi glanced around, bewildered, because that had sounded exactly like-"Mushra!" And there was Yakumo. In the arms of a tubby ginger Matrixer with a garish pink coat and teeny wings. An apparently
kinky
Matrixer, if the whip she was lashing against Mushra's skin was an indicator. Could the girl go twenty-four hours without needing to be rescued? Evidently, the thought had occurred to the girl as well as she tried to push the Matrixer away from her, but she was promptly smacked down.Literally."Be quiet, you little monster!" the female snarled before her mouth got twice as big. "Now,
itadakimasu!"
Oh sweet God, she's going to
eat
her.
"Let...Yakumo...go-" Mushra panted as he forced himself to stand. "You old witch!" He yelled, flames spurting around him until he was standing before them, once again in his Hyper Form."Oh, you're a Hyper Matrixer?" the female asked, sounding almost impressed as she released Yakumo. "But, you know," she continued, smirking nastily, "Did it ever cross your mind that I was one too?"She glowed an electric yellow before she stood before them in the Hyper Form from hell. She was a mix of a war lord from the Edo period, a robot, and a mutated bee with the amount of spike protruding from her rear. And then the penny dropped.
Tiny wings, stinger - Queen Bee. Oh, how cute.
This place was going to be the death of her. She could feel it in her bones.
Is she farting stingers at him? Oh my god, she is. This place is
weird.Mushra soon made short work of her and crushed her with a subway car that was a few feet from their rather sticky perch. Yakumo was brought back down to the ground next to their imprisoned friends and had just reached out to start pulling the yellow stingers that held them in place when an evil chuckle soon broke the happy spell.It was the same bug from the statue. The one that had tried to kill them twice. Jeesh but the guy was determined."There's a word for people like that," she whispered to the fox. "We call them stalkers."The fox choked back a bark, and the pair didn't see a pair of cat eyes glancing up at them, too focused as they were watching the bug eat Queen Bee's card and Hyper Forming again. Now he was a vivid green, with four arms, a face on his stomach, and
insanely
buff. The Terminator had nothing on this guy."Come!" he yelled, firing two blades at Mushra who smacked them away, and then obliged the fellow by leaping towards him. He started firing stingers from the face in his stomach, which distracted the Fire Matrixer long enough for the two blades from before to return like demented boomerangs and throw him to the floor."This time will be different!" the bug crowed as the blades slid back into place along his forearms."Just like Mushra to lure him into a false sense of security!" the cat said smugly, crossing his arms."He's not! He's actually in trouble!" Scooter-boy said in exasperation. Singers were flying with deadly accuracy, and Mushra was leaping about to avoid them. Two blades struck their marks - one disarmed him, the other pinned him to the ground."This is it," the bug breathed, readying himself. "DIE!"In an almost annoyed manner, Mushra yanked the blade that had pinned him out and flung it at the bug with enough force that his armour cracked in half and left a long bloody wound in its wake. Mushra picked up the staff and took several menacing steps towards the bug who immediately started cowering."Surely they're not-""Mushra! Spare him, please!"
Oh for the love of-
"I hope you're ready for some tough love," she whispered to the fox. "Because I've had it with the forgiveness."What could only be described as a toothy grin graced the fox's face as they prepared to pounce.Mushra knew that Yakumo wanted him to spare his opponent. She had a big heart and an easy ability to forgive that was endearing and exasperating all at once. He didn't want to hurt her, but she had to understand that by letting their enemies get away, they would only return to try to hurt her again. And Mushra didn't want that.Ever.So when she had asked him to spare the bug, he'd walked away. Gave the guy a chance to get away before he got carded. True to par, he heard the blade being drawn, even though he was at the edge of the large wax-ball. He heard the footsteps, and he was ready to parry the prat and card him. He was even prepared for Yakumo's outrage over it - though he dreaded it.What he
wasn't
prepared for was a loud snarl to rip through the room, for the loud thump and squeal of pain. He turned to see an enormous fox pinning the bug, its fur shining brightly despite the murky light. The fox snapped at the bug when he tried wriggling away. Mushra definitely wasn't prepared to see a hooded figure atop the fox's back, the person's mouth and chin the only part of the face visible."Now, that wasn't very nice," a honey-sweet voice chided.
A girl?
Mushra thought in bewilderment. "And Yakumo-san even offered you a chance to walk away. And then you try to skewer Mushra, just because he's wiped the floor with you a few times?" The girl tilted her head in Yakumo's direction. "I am sorry about this," she said, sounding apologetic. "But this guy-" her focus shifted back to the bug writhing beneath the fox's paws. "doesn't deserve any more chances." As if that were a signal, the fox snarled and with a large paw, sliced the bug in half. He screeched in pain before his body vanished, leaving four cards sitting in his place. The girl picked up the cards and with a gentle nudge to her mount, approached Mushra, who had his weapon ready."I don't want to harm you," the girl assured, holding out the cards. "Please, take them. They'll help you on your journey. At least-" she snorted. "That's what I've been told, in any case."Shell-shocked, Mushra took the four cards from her. "Do I know you?" he asked suddenly. Her lips curved into a smile."No. But you will, soon enough." She turned to look down on Yakumo and the others. "I'm sure it would please some here to know that there are other humans around," she said loudly, and the look of sheer delight on Yakumo's face was almost enough to bring Mushra to his knees."See you soon, Mushra," the girl smiled, before the fox turned and leapt nimbly to an opening near the ceiling disappearing from view. Yakumo was near-crying with the delight that she'd just seen another human. Kutal was hyping her up, while Sago was trying to get them out of Queen Bee's prison. A thousand questions were buzzing around the Fire Matrixer's head as he tried to make sense of what just happened.
How did she know my name? Or Yakumo's? Who is she?
One thing was for certain. If the girl proved an ally, Mushra would be happy to welcome her to the team, if only to see Yakumo happy. If she was an enemy, however...He would cut her down before she laid a finger on any of them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It had been about a week since the incident in the Bee Tunnels. Accalia and Hitomi had been on the move the entire time, sleeping outdoors and keeping off the beaten path. It hadn't been a completely uneventful seven days, however; the Fox Matrixer was determined to teach Hitomi the basics of surviving in the wild. In the morning, Hitomi gathered enough water to boil over the fire while she prepared breakfast. After breakfast, they broke camp and had to learn how to hid their traces - Accalia was paranoid (in Hitomi's opinion) that someone would or had caught word about another human, and she was determined that if a bounty hunter came sniffing around, they would find it tricky to locate their prey. While they were travelling along the road, the pair of them would gather herbs and plants while Accalia would explain what each of them was for, whether it be a handy snack, something to make a dish more appetising, or if it had medicinal or poisonous uses."Not all poisons are instant or deadly," the fox had lectured at Hitomi's expression when that topic had come up, "The dosage is important, and can help you draw a line between incapacitating an opponent or killing them. You need to learn about these plants; one day, they could be the only thing standing between you and escaping your captors."So the lessons continued, much to Hitomi's annoyance, but yes, she could see the benefits of having such knowledge stored away. It was like CPR, she reasoned; one would never know when you'd need it, but it was always practical to know.When they found a place to set up camp, Hitomi was supposed to either set up camp or hunt for dinner. Accalia had taken pity on her and had done the majority of the hunting - mainly game and fish - but she was insistent that her impromptu student would learn how to catch, kill and skin her prey before cooking it. After the meal, Accalia would run through some self-defence with her - nothing impressive yet, just the spots to aim for on particular types of Matrixers and was currently teaching her how to wriggle her way out of rope and how to pick locks. Both were going disastrously, in Hitomi's opinion, but Accalia was optimistic that she would get the hang of it in time.Just yesterday, they had stopped in a village on the outskirts of a desert where they had traded furs, skins and medicines in exchange for coin. Hitomi now had more than one shirt to her name, as well as a mode of transportation when Accalia couldn't Hyper Form: a large hover board that was large enough for Hitomi to lie on if she wanted and (funnily enough) looked like a chunky flying carpet.
"The board's run on solar energy," the weasel-Matrixer who'd sold it to them said eagerly. "Stores up to three days worth of travel in energy if you've any plans to travel through bad weather. And if you do this-" he had tugged on one of the 'tassels' at the front and the machine had folded up to the size of a matchbox. "Becomes as portable as you please! It's a steal!"
Unfortunately, the weasel's idea of a steal wasn't the same as Hitomi's, but she had a fox on her side, and after a lot of haggling, both parties had walked away satisfied. Now, they'd arrived atop a hill, overlooking a wild-west type town in the middle of a valley when Accalia had stiffened and her eyes had gone milky."Accalia?" Hitomi said nervously - those pale eyes creeped her out. The fox blinked once, and her eyes returned to their normal mulberry colour. "You okay?""I need to go," the fox said suddenly, her normally golden skin pale and clammy. "My students - something has happened to them.""What? How-""I see visions; I have no time to explain now," Accalia snapped, putting her staff and cloak into her bag, paused, then pulled out a large bag of coins and tossing it to Hitomi. "I'll be back when I have completed my business.""Wait, you're going to leave me here?
Alone?!" the teenager fairly screeched as the elder strapped her bag back onto her person."You'll be fine - go to the village and make yourself comfortable. I'll see you soon." Without waiting for an answer, she Hyper-Formed and took off across the desert in a plume of smoke. Hitomi was left with her jaw hanging open."I'm going to kill her," she hissed, stuffing the bag of coins into her pocket as she slowly nudged her hoverboard forward. She didn't like the idea of speeding downhill when she was still such a novice at piloting the thing."Hey! You there!" a voice called. She turned around to see a familiar group speeding towards her - the cat had flagged her down. She just about kept her jaw from dropping, pulling her hood down more firmly to cover her eyes."Uh, yes?" she managed politely as they drew up alongside her."Do you know anything about this town - if they have doctors?" the cat asked, gesturing to a white craft that had Yakumo inside in the driver's seat, eyes shut and her face pale. "Our friend is ill.""I'm sorry, but I'm not a local," Hitomi said apologetically, "However, I was on my way there anyway - perhaps I might accompany you? I know a little about medicines if there isn't a doctor, and I have some stuff in my bag that might be helpful?""That's very kind of you!" the cat boomed, ignoring the looks that the other two boys in his group were shooting at a flustered Hitomi. "Let's go then!" He nudged his vehicle forward and it slowly puttered down the hill. Mushra and the boy with the scooter stayed close to Yakumo's craft, while the cat was between them and Hitomi. "What's your name?" he asked politely."Uh, Hi-""Do I know you from somewhere?" Mushra butted in, suddenly right in her face. She gasped and her board braked automatically. "You seem
really
familiar.""Er, well, I suppose I do," she hedged, wincing as the lightbulb went off for the other boy."You - you were the one in the tunnels!" he gasped, clicking his fingers. Hitomi smiled weakly. "That means you're-""Guilty as charged," she agreed, "But can you please keep it down? I'd rather not advertise what I am." She sighed, pinching her nose for a moment before straightening. "Let's try again. I'm Hitomi Yukimura. Who are all of you?""My name is Sago, pretty lady," the water-matrixer said flirtatiously as she laughed and rolled her eyes."Hitomi-han, correct? I am Kutal, an explorer and a chef-"
'-han'? Sounds a lot like the Kansai dialect,
Hitomi mused as the feline shook her hand vigorously. "-and how on earth did you know Yakumo-han's name? Or Mushra's? Have you met them before?""Not face-to-face," she admitted as her hands were released and they continued downhill. "I was...around...when Mushra fought at the statue. Myself and my companion left the next morning and we came across you in the tunnels.""The fox?""Yes. She ran off earlier saying she'd be back 'when I have completed my business'," she quoted, sighing. "Goodness knows when that will be.""She left you alone?" Sago said incredulously."She said it was an emergency," she said a little defensively as they finally drew into the town. "Besides, she'll be back."I hope,
she thought a little nervously."Hey, old man, is there a doctor in this town?" Mushra yelled, speeding off to hassle some old guy while the rest of the group sighed. After a few moments, the teenager came back looking a little put-out. "No doctor," he fumed as they made their way down the street. "Just an inn, and an apothecary. Ridiculous.""Okay, well how about we get settled in a room and plan from there?" Hitomi suggested as they stopped outside the faded-green inn. "Yakumo-san needs a bed, peace and quiet, and some medicine." She scanned the price list tacked to a post. "Five cens for a room and a meal seems pretty reasonable." She turned to see the boys looking sheepish. "What?" she asked, climbing off her board and pulling on the tassel to store it in her pocket."We don't have very much in the way of funds," Kutal said delicately, as Sago interjected, "Last time we ate was yesterday morning."Suddenly, the large bag of coins was making
way
more sense. Hitomi crossed her arms and mentally cussed-out/praised Accalia and her visions."I'll tell you what," she said after a moment, "This is on me. I'll pay for rooms and a meal, as long as you don't drain my funds, and in exchange, I can stick with you guys until my friend comes back." At the wide-eyed look, she shrugged, muttering, "I don't really like being alone.""That seems fair," Sago mused, scratching his chin. "Any objections?""None for me!" Kutal said eagerly. Finally he could eat some good food. Mushra shrugged, and with that, Sago escorted Hitomi in to sort out rooms, while Mushra and Kutal secured their rides and brought Yakumo inside. As they settled her Yakumo into the room, the price suddenly seemed a bit much, considering the state of the place. But beggar's can't be choosers and all that, so Hitomi grit her teeth and got on with it. As they settled Yakumo on the covers, her eyes opened and blearily took in her friends, and Hitomi."I'm sorry, this is holding us up," she murmured."Don't worry about it," Mushra said kindly. "The most important thing is you rest up and get better."Kutal entered the room, holding a plant that Hitomi wasn't familiar with in his paw. "This should help," he said, taking a mortar and pestle out of Sago's rucksack and starting to grind up the acorn-like fruit. "Just need to add a little water - Sago?" The water-Matrixer flicked his finger and a small stream of water flew into the bowl until Kutal told him to stop. A somewhat spicy scent made Hitomi's nose itch."Kutal-san, what exactly is that?" she asked politely."An old remedy, perfect for colds or fever," the cat said proudly, looking into the bowl (though honestly, it was more of a small washing tub in reality; Kutal's size made everything seem smaller) and pouring out a little into a cup for Yakumo. Sago took the cup and helped Yakumo to take a sip, but almost the instant it hit her tongue she started choking and coughing."Yakumo-!" Mushra fretted."Her constitution is clearly very different from ours," Sago said, helping Yakumo to lie down properly on the quilt."I don't understand, it's always worked before," Kutal said, sounding upset."Thank you for thinking of me, Kutal-san," Yakumo said softly, and the feline fairly blushed before taking a big gulp of the medicine himself. The three boys went to talk in the corner among themselves, so Hitomi got out some light clothes from her bag - a large baggy t-shirt and some shorts she'd managed to save from Kat's purging - and helped Yakumo into the fresh clothes and bundled the others up to wash. When she finished tucking Yakumo in, she turned around to see that Mushra was the only one left, scowling at the door."Uh, where did the others go?" she said awkwardly, putting Yakumo's clothes down at the end of the bed."They went to eat," he said sourly, taking a seat. "Rock paper scissors, and I lost.""That's still around?" Hitomi said incredulously. Mushra blinked up at her. "Sorry - that was a game I used to play as a kid. I'm surprised it lasted-" She stopped, then cleared her throat. "Well, you get the idea.""Yeah, I guess." Mushra eyed her in a way that made her feel like a bug under the microscope. "So were you frozen like Yakumo?""What? Uh, no - though that'd be an interesting story," she pondered, pulling out her precious pack of medicine, including her cold and flu tablets in her emergency med kit. "I'm...not really sure how I got here, truth be told. One minute I was walking around my hometown, then I woke up here the next." She shrugged, popping out two pills."What're those?""Medicine from my home. They're helpful for fever," she said, neatly avoiding the fact that she only had the one packet. "Hand me a glass of water?"Curious, the Matrixer obliged and after nudging Yakumo to sit up and take the pills, she was once again curled up asleep."Hopefully that'll help," she muttered, glancing at Mushra, then at the door, then at Yakumo. "Mushra-""How long is she going to sleep?" he interrupted."As long as she needs to?" she hedged. "A few hours, at least. If it's just a fever, she should be okay by tomorrow. If she's got a cold or the flu, she could be sick for a few days, maybe a week.""Humans are so weird," he grumped. Hitomi rolled her eyes."I apologise on behalf of all humanity," she said drily. "Listen, I'm going to go down and grab some food-""Don't you leave me alone too!" Mushra whined. "I'll get bored with no-one to talk to!""Mushra!" she snapped. "I'm going to get some food and then I can come up and sit with Yakumo until one of you has had your meal. I know how to treat human sickness, so it makes more sense for me to stay up here.""Really?" he seemed suspicious. "Why?""Because I find that when boys are hungry, they can't think of anything else besides their stomachs," she snapped. She took a breath. "Look, if she gets worse or wakes up or whatever, I'll call one of you, how about that?" He still was shooting her suspicious eyes, so she sighed and went to the door. "Think about it, okay?" she asked, before leaving the room and making her way down to the main bar. The Grasshopper Matrixer behind the counter was polite, and when she explained that she wanted to wash some clothes upstairs, he sent one of the workers up with a couple of buckets of soapy water, while he set out a small tray of rice, meat and mixed vegetables for her to take up to the room. Thanking him, she waved at Sago who was calmly sipping some tea before heading back up the stairs to the room, nudging the door open with her hip. Instantly, Mushra was trying to nab her food."Down boy, this is for me," she said irritably. "But you can head downstairs. Just be back up soon, okay? I don't like being alone in new places too much.""Gotcha. Thanks!" And with that, the teen vanished out the door, eager to eat. Hitomi sighed and rolled her eyes, but put the tray down as she threw Yakumo's clothes into one of the buckets and let them soak. Bringing the chair closer to the bed, she picked at the food tentatively before digging in. Whoever the chef was, she wanted to shake their hand.A shadow fell across Yakumo's face, and Hitomi glanced over to the single window to see a spider hanging from the drain outside, causing a shadow to be cast on Yakumo's face. She put her plate back on the table, reached over and closed the shutters. Spiders always gave her the creeps. At least one thing stayed the same over the centuries, she mused as she started humming softly; spiders still grossed her out.She didn't notice the shutters slowly inching open.