"There's another one, Ushio. On that building over there."
"Are you sure we're not being led on a wild goose chase? Either that or we're going in circles. I'm pretty sure we've passed this building several times."
"You're imagining things," I told him. "Now come on."
Ushio and I had been following a trail of large red arrows for the past hour or so, because written across those arrows was the name 'Seraph' written in black paint. My guess was that they were supposed to lead us to where Ryuu was, and where Seraph could finally get his body back.
"Here's another one!" I called to Ushio, and he hurried over to me. "This one seems to be pointing in the direction of....."
"Of what?" Ushio asked curiously, peering around the corner. "Oh...well that doesn't look creepy at all..."
Of course Ushio was being sarcastic when he said this, because the longer I stared, the more uncomfortable I began to feel. Just around the corner of the building we were at sat a warehouse, nearly falling to pieces as we spoke due to how old it was. I recalled seeing this same warehouse several times as a kid...over twenty years ago, and it was abandoned then, too. At first glance, I couldn't find any other red arrows, but upon closer examination, I noticed a much smaller one painted on the outside of the warehouse. I took cautious steps towards the crumbling building to get a better look at it, but before I reached the warehouse, something stopped me.
"So you did come after all. I'm glad..."
Startled by the dark voice that had called out, I leapt back in fright, looking frantically around me for where it had come from. Soon enough I discovered a tall, blonde man with devilish green eyes leaning against the same building Ushio was by, but my friend seemed to frightened to move away from him for some reason.
"Are you...Ryuu?" I asked hesitantly.
"That would be correct," he replied. "Ya know, for a little while I was afraid you wouldn't show up. I thought I might actually have to kill Aki."
"Don't you lay a hand on him!" I shouted, glaring at the blonde demon as he slowly began to approach me. His large boots made visible imprints in the dust and dirt that was spread out in front of the warehouse, and the chains that hung from his wrists started to rattle. "Don't come near me, Ryuu!"
"Where's Seraph?"
"Where's Seraph's body?!"
Ryuu stopped in his tracks, softening his sharp gaze as he began to laugh. "Oh, so that's what you're here for. I almost forgot. Yeah, I've got your pal's body. But you're going to have to show me where Seraph is first. Let me see my old friend's wonderful face again..."
'Friend,' he says...somehow I doubt these two were even close to being friends. Despite my doubts, I took out my phone and switched it on, then held it up for Ryuu to see.
"Ah! Good to see you, Seraph!" He exclaimed, face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "How are things?"
"Crappier than ever, you son of a gun," Seraph snapped. "Now where's my body?"
"Why the rush? I was hoping we could just chat like this for a while," said Ryuu, stifling a laugh. "Ah, you're quite adorable when you're tiny and helpless."
"Enough of your stupid games! Just return it to me and I'll keep up my end of the deal!"
Ryuu shook his head disappointedly and clicked his tongue against his teeth in annoyance. "Tch, tch, tch, you'll never change, will you, Seraph? Or should I say...Ironmage?" In the blink of an eye the blonde demon snatched the phone out of my hand and threw it up into the air, where someone that happened to be roof-hopping intercepted it and landed safely on top of the warehouse. "Do what needs to be done, Luca!"
Luca?!
"Where are you going with my phone?!" I demanded. "Get back here!"
"He's just going to return Seraph's soul back to his original body," Ryuu informed me. "In case you didn't know, that's what was trapped in your phone. Seraph's soul. Luca should be back any minute now with your friend, and you'll finally be able to see what he looks like in the flesh..."
Wait...does he mean Seraph looks different in real life than what he looked like on my phone? Agh, I'm so confused...
"Crap, I forget how to walk...wait, no...okay, I got this..."
That was Seraph's voice. I backed away from the warehouse so that I could look on top of its roof. Surely enough, there they were...both Luca...and...
This can't be.
"Jeremy..."
No doubt in my mind, that's him. That spiky black hair, that mechanical eyepatch, that metal arm...even the clothes he's wearing. That's him, alright. I can't believe this...
"Jeremy, you idiot!!!"
"Ah! Looks like someone remembers you!" Ryuu clapped his hands together delightedly. "Isn't that wonderful?"
Jeremy and Luca both leapt down from the rooftop and landed right beside Ryuu and I. I couldn't help but stumble back due to utter shock and fright. I could hardly trust my own eyes at this point. There was just no way this could be happening. There was just no way it could have been him all along.
What is this feeling? Anger? Frustration? I can barely control my own words now...am I...am I angry at Jeremy?
"You abandoned me, and you abandoned Hanako!"
Yes...yes, I'm very mad at Jeremy. And I have a right to be.
"I thought you were dead, you jerk!! Hanako thinks you're dead, too!"
I couldn't read his expression. I was only left to wonder what he felt about all this. Was he ashamed? Did he not even care? I gazed into his one visible eye with an expression that simply demanded a response. I didn't know what was wrong with me...I just wanted him to say something. Anything.
"Ya know, Morgan, I don't expect you to understand...or forgive me for that matter, but the reason I didn't tell you who I was...and the reason I never told Hanako I was alive...was because I thought you two would hate me."
"Well, your assumption's not far from the truth."
No...what am I saying? That isn't like me at all. I don't hate Jeremy. I could never hate him.
"Alright, Morgan, I think that's enough."
Ushio placed his hands carefully on my shoulders and pulled me back to stand beside him, then stuck out his arm in front of me as a protective gesture. As of now I was far too exhausted to speak up, so I simply allowed my friend to take control.
"Alrighty then..." Jeremy spun around with a kick of his foot and leaned in closer to Ryuu, staring intently into the blonde demon's eyes as his eyepatch began to make strange noises. "You returned my soul to my body, just like you promised. Now I suppose it's my turn."
"Oh? Someone sounds eager," Ryuu chuckled. "Good, good. I won't waste any more time then. Shall we begin?"
In a split second, Ryuu had taken out a what looked like a silver capsule of some sort. After pressing a switch and throwing it against the ground, a strange, purple mist was instantly sprayed into the air. Gradually it began to spread out and around him, eventually swallowing up both Jeremy and Luca entirely. It then continued to spread, farther and farther until it reached Ushio and I, and soon we had become mixed in with it as well. The mist clouded my vision so badly that I could hardly see Ushio, who was standing right in front of me. As I heard him take a step forward, I quickly seized his arm to prevent him from going anywhere.
"Don't," I whispered. "If we get separated, it could get real bad."
"Yeah, I understand," he said with a sigh. "But I'm still worried about that guy with the eyepatch. You said his name was Jeremy, right? Was he a friend of yours?"
"...yes," I replied. "He and Hanako used to be really close, actually. The two of them...died in the past life. I remember now. I watched Hanako kill Jeremy, then himself. I'm sure of it now...that this was the last memory I have of that reality. I still can't believe it, though...that Jeremy is actually here."
"It's good, right?"
I lifted my head and squinted at Ushio, the mist beginning to seem thicker now and greatly affecting my vision. I did manage to see...that he was smiling. But why?
"You were obviously worried about him without even knowing it," he said. "That's why you lashed out at him, isn't it?"
Maybe he's right...that would explain why I acted that way. I was so angry...because I was concerned for him. "Jeremy is my friend...I could never hate him..."
"That's good," said Ushio, chuckling as he patted me encouragingly on the back. "Now, how about we try and find a way out of this mess we're in?"
"But how?"
"We'll think of something. We always do."
I wished I could be as hopeful as he was. But really, I was scared. I was so freakin' scared...
"Where...where did Ryuu and Jeremy go?" I asked, my voice trembling nearly as much as I was.
"Relax, Morgan," said Ushio, draping his arm over my shoulder as a gesture of comfort. "Geez, man, you're shaking like a leaf. You don't have to worry so much, okay? I'm sure Jeremy will be fi-"
"Hey!" My eyes shot open in fear as Ushio suddenly started to choke. I hit his back several times with my fist and shouted his name, but before I knew it, I had begun to have trouble breathing properly, too. My knees felt weak, and the second Ushio collapsed to the ground, so did I. My head was becoming filled with strange images and horrifying thoughts. My heartbeat was slowing down. I was beginning to grow breathless. By the looks of it, Ushio was already unconscious, and I was just getting ready to join him. It was then, however, that I felt someone take hold of my arm and lift me up off the ground. I tried to keep my eyes open long enough to see who it was, but I wasn't strong enough. I hoped with all I had left in me that it was Jeremy...
+++
"I thought I would be able to do this, but I was wrong! I should've known I wouldn't be at full strength right away. Agh, I'll never learn! I've screwed up and gotten myself into something I should have been clever enough to avoid. Stupid! Stupid! I'm an idiot!"
Is that...is that Jeremy? My entire body felt crippled, but still I managed to force my eyes open to get a look at the one who had been ranting. Much to my relief, it was in fact Jeremy. He was pacing back and forth now in front of a window that had been covered up by a tattered curtain.
Wait a sec...window? Where am I?
"Je...Jeremy..."
"Ah! Thank goodness!" My eyepatch wearing friend ran to my side and heaved a great sigh of relief once he saw I was awake, which somehow made me glad. "You feelin' alright, Morgan?"
"Where...where's Ushio?" I grunted, a surge of pain rushing to my back as I attempted to sit up against the cold, unleveled wall. Jeremy looked away for a second, almost as if he were afraid of answering my question. So I asked it again. "Where is he...?"
"I...I don't know..."
"What do you mean you don't know?!" I shouted, my throat practically tearing apart with each word I spoke. "Tell me where he is!"
"I said I don't know, alright?!"
Oh no...he...he's serious...
"I wanted to save you both, okay? But I wasn't strong enough!" Jeremy stood up and turned his back to me, then stormed over to the corner of the room as if to hide his face from me. "I was able to get away from Ryuu for a minute, but the single blow he had managed to deal me before I escaped was more than enough to cut me down to size. I couldn't carry two people at once. I'm sorry..."
"Is he...is he dead?"
"I don't know..." He said, resting his head against the wall. "There's a possibility he's still alive. We'll just have to hope that Ryuu overlooked him. Maybe I can go back out there and rescue him. If he stays out there...I'm afraid Ushio won't be able to make it."
"Well, then I've gotta go save him!" Without second thought, I clumsily got to my feet and stumbled forward a few steps, before collapsing again due to exhaustion. My entire body just didn't seem to be working right. "What the heck...is wrong with me?" I choked, glaring at Jeremy as if he were the culprit.
"It's the mist, of course," he said blatantly. "Ryuu has played some downright dirty tricks, but this is one of the worst ones yet. Even I'm beginning to feel the effects." He held up his mechanical arm to show me that it was beginning to rust, and little pieces of its metal were starting to fall off. "If we aren't exposed to clean air soon, I'm not sure if we'll make if, either."
"What about Bluegate?" I asked, suddenly recalling how quickly the mist had been spreading. "Will the citizens be okay? No one will die, right?"
"Your city will be fine," Jeremy assured me. "There wasn't enough of that stuff in the capsule to go spread too far. More importantly, ya gotta hang in there, okay, carrot-top? And another thing, don't go wandering off. This warehouse is practically like a complex, and Ryuu and Luca are hunting us down as we speak. So stay with me...alright?"
"No...I can't just leave Ushio by himself...I won't let him die..." At this point, I didn't care how weak my body was. I didn't care if I was at risk of dying. I had promised Ushio that we'd make it out alive...or at least, that was what I promised myself. And there was nothing I hated more than going back on a promise. "I have to s-save him..."
Jeremy grabbed my arm and helped me stand up, but even on my feet I couldn't help but tremble. "I can't let you go out there," he said in a soft, yet strict tone. "If you die out there, I'll never forgive myself. And not to mention...I won't be able to face Hanako."
"But Ushio will-"
"Have faith in him."
Jeremy's comment caught me off guard, and I stared at him with a look of utmost concern. "What did you-"
"Have faith in Ushio," he said again. "He seems like a strong fellow, I'm sure he'll be able to find his way out of this. Who knows, maybe he's already woken up by now. He may even be in this warehouse. You just gotta think less negatively. I know it probably ain't easy...after what I told you 'bout the mist...but I want you to forget about what I said. Just listen to me now, and believe in him."
He's right. I can't just starting doubting Ushio now. He is strong, and he will find a way out of that mist. He'll be alright. We both will.
"Okay," I whispered in agreement. "I'll have faith in him."
Jeremy smiled and gave me a gentle pat on the head. "Good. In the meantime, we need to find a different exit to this place...one that doesn't lead to the mist. A breath of fresh air and I'm sure you'll be back to normal." He draped my arm over his shoulder and began to walk towards the door on the other side of the room, with me just barely managing to keep up with his pace, which wasn't actually very fast at all. I was simply growing weaker by the second.
"Hang in there, buddy..."
"Jeremy, my head is spinning..."
That wasn't the only thing spinning. As I looked around me at the hallway we had just entered, I found that it was spinning as well. I was having extreme difficulty keeping Jeremy's face in focus, let alone his voice. But I pushed through. I couldn't have myself blacking out again, not after being told everything that was at stake.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Jeremy asked me. I somehow was able to nod in reply.
"Just get me the heck out of here...please..."
"Do you want me to carry you?" He offered.
An ill feeling washed over me for a second. "That...that would embarrassing."
"It's not like there's anyone around, man." Jeremy sighed deeply. "And besides, would you rather wear yourself out even more by walking?"
"Yes."
"Oh, don't be such a wuss."
Despite my opposition to the matter, Jeremy let go of me long enough to scoop me up into a position in which he could easily carry me. I tried to resist the action, but as I said before, my body was far too weak to do pretty much anything at the moment. I looked Jeremy dead in the eye with a bitter expression which he had the audacity to find amusing.
"Hey, you're like a princess now."
"I am a grown man!"
"Whatever you say, Princess Carrot-top."
He's doing this all on purpose, isn't he? Don't let it get to you, Morgan. Just relax...it's not like there's much else you can do now, anyway...
"Hey, Jeremy..."
"What is it?"
"...if I...if I start to fall asleep...could you do me a favor, and make sure I don't? I don't want to miss anything that happens..."
"Sure thing, buddy."
"Thank you..."
+++
"Morgan!! Morgan, can you hear me? You've got to get up! This isn't the time to be getting your beauty sleep! Open your eyes!!"
"Huh? What's...what is it, Jerry? Are we outta the warehouse yet?"
Suddenly I was fully awoken by a deliberate smack to the face and hands that were violently shaking my shoulders. I opened my eyes expecting to see Jeremy standing over me, but I was instead shocked to discover that it was not Jeremy, but Ushio. His face looked a bit pale, but other than that, he seemed completely fine.
"Ushio..." I smiled at him as I slowly began to close my eyes again, but once again I was forcefully smacked awake. "Hey! What gives?!"
"You can't afford to sleep now!" Ushio snapped, his voice and expression filled with urgency. "Listen, you've got to get out of this warehouse quickly. Ryuu set this place on fire, and it's only a matter of time before it reaches us. So get up and go!"
"But what about you? Aren't you coming with me?"
"I can't..."
My eyes grew wide upon hearing these words come out of Ushio's mouth. I was hardly able to process them over the confusion that had already been wrecking havoc in my head. "Why...?" I asked, staring at him with desperation clear in my expression. "Why won't you come? I'm not going to leave you-"
"Your friend saved my life," Ushio whispered, rendering me speechless once again. "Jeremy rescued me from the mist and brought me to safety. And it's because of that...that I must find him and return the favor. But you don't need to worry about me, Morgan. Just focus on getting yourself out of here alive."
"I won't...I won't leave you."
"Do it, Morgan!!"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The way Ushio sounded as he spoke to me made me feel...absolutely horrible. I couldn't tell if he was angry at me, or simply desperate to be reassured of my safety. Either way, this side of Ushio scared me. I didn't want to be stubborn and let him down, but I also didn't want to live with the burden of his death on my shoulders.
So I asked him, "You'll be alright...won't you?"
"Of course," Ushio said to me, smiling. "I'll walk out the doors of this warehouse with Jeremy by my side. Okay?"
I've got to trust him...I have to do what Jeremy said and have faith in Ushio. If he says he's going to be alright, then he will be. "Okay, Ushio...good luck."
"It's not about luck," Ushio said, shaking his head. "It's not about luck at all." He then threw out his hand and beckoned me to take it, then helped me stand up and regain my balance. After a few seconds my head seemed to clear a bit, and I was sure I'd easily be able to walk on my on. For that, I was relieved.
"Be careful, okay?" I told him. Ushio nodded reassuringly and took off without hesitation, leaving me behind in a lonely old room that was just waiting to be lit with fire. It was just a few moments later that I heard Ushio's voice call out to me in the near distance, warning me that the fire was currently spreading down the hallway he was in. I rushed out of the room and joined him at the doorway he had backed into, but soon after I reached him, a small portion of the ceiling above us collapsed in on itself, nearly crushing both Ushio and I at once.
"We'd better go this way," I suggested, pointing to the path that led away from the fire. "I mean, that would be the most logical thing to do...right?"
"I heard Jeremy's voice come from this direction."
"But you can't go that way!"
"Now is not the time to argue with me," he said, sighing heavily. "Please, Morgan. Just continue down this hallway and turn a corner or two and you should end up at the exit. Now go. Before the fire spreads any farther."
There was no changing Ushio's mind...that was for sure. The look on his face as he gave me these orders assured me of that fact. He was determined to find Jeremy and bring him back.
"Jeremy rescued me from the mist and brought me to safety. And it's because of that...that I must find him and return the favor."
"You'd better come back," I said, looking at him sternly. "Promise me that you will."
"I promise."
You had better not be lying...
"So I'll see you later then...Ushio..."