Ghost

Step Thirteen: Healing

"Fuck!" A scream could be heard all across the world.

Two maidens stood together one at her knees pinned by the right hand under a rock. She couldn't pull herself free, her hand surely crushed; the other trying to pull her out of her trap, with little success.

In the lonely desert many snarling growls could be heard from the distance. The two of them were in a frantic panic. The redhead that was pinned pushed the other back. She gestured for her to run, but she denied the request.

"Get out of here!" She hissed.

"I won't leave you here", the other replied trying to assist her once more.

"You have to; if you don't we'll both die!" She growled.

The blonde kneeled down to get closer to the rock. With that gesture she let out, "then we die together."

"No, you must live. Someone needs to tell her of the advance before it's too late. You have to get back to her and let her know or everything is lost. We can't afford that right now." The redhead insisted the other leave her.

"What will happen to you?" The blonde asked curiously.

"I knew I was expendable when I first signed up." She smiled sheepishly.

"Alright…" Said the blonde as she rose to her feet.

"May she guide you." She added before turning away.

"It's you I'm more concerned about." The redhead let out a small laugh.

With no more words the blonde turned and ran leaving the redhead there to her fate. The hissing and growling of the distance approached closer and closer with each passing second. The desert would soon be stained with blood that much was certain. In the sands laid many others dead already, long since passed, many just skeletons.

She gazed around solemnly for a moment at all those who lay near her in the sands. She was ready to join them in their slumber. Death was only an escape for everyone here now, and she knew it. It was only until you were ready to embrace it that you could finally pass with no regrets.

As comforting as the idea was, she knew she had one last job to do, and that was to hold off their foes as long as she could. To die in battle, that's what she wanted. She had to get free, by any means possible.

Tugging at her arm, she could not free her hand even the slightest. She could feel it was broken in possibly every way there was to be broken. It was at that moment she realized she wouldn't be leaving this spot with that hand.

Reaching for her sidearm she pointed it at her wrist and looked away as she pulled the trigger. No gunshots. All that came out was a series of clicks. No ammo. She had feared such, and turned to plan B.

Taking a deep breath she then began cracking down the hilt of her gun against her wrist as hard as possible. She hit it over and over, attempting to break the joint as much as she could. She winced in pain but did all she could to hold in her screams, she didn't want to give the bastards the satisfaction. The pain was overwhelming, but the adrenaline masked it with a sense of hypertension. She was running on pure adrenaline now.

Putting her tooth to the skin she chewed away at the flesh, ripping off as much as she could. She dug right through the muscle ignoring the pain; it was numb to her now. She was determined to get free. Ripping and tearing, she finally reached the bone where she came down at it with several more pistol cracks.

She could see the joint was held together lightly now, and grabbed hold of her right arm and pulled with all of her strength. The ripping hurt more than anything she had ever experienced, but her mind canceled out the pain. Duty always came first with her. She was a proud person, and willing to show it even in the end.

Finally the rest of the arm came free. She quickly ripped off a piece of her shirt to cover the dripping stub and tied it with a simple knot. Clearly she didn't care about proper medical procedure anymore.

Scurrying away from the rock she picked up a blade from a lost body and howled ready to fight as much as she could, rushing into battle without fear.

Darkness befell her as a mob of black beasts surrounded her. She could see the emptiness in their eyes. There was no emotion from them. No happiness, no sadness, no fear, just murder. It's all they knew. They had the foulest stench reeking from their breath she had ever smelt; sadly it wasn't the first time she had come face to face with them before.

The one standing the furthest from the others hissed and spat all over as it did. She showed it no fear as it did to her.

"I've been ready for this for the past five years. You don't scare me anymore." She responded.

The largest of the group dived at her, and she responded by impaling it with her blade. She tossed the body off of her and jumped driving it into another. Quickly she pivoted and slashed another with amazing dexterity.

It was only a matter of time however before their numbers became too much for even her to handle. She sighed lightly, and reached for a cigarette. She lit it up while slicing at another approaching her. Taking a drag she pulled a grenade off of her belt, and a smile played her lips as she pulled the pin and tossed said pin into oblivion.

She pressed the record button on her soldier log tape recorder and began to speak for the very last time.

"This is first Lieutenant Jenifer Warrant. I just wanted to say, it's been an honor serving, and I don't regret a single minute of it. Tell her I'm sorry, but I won't be there during that celebration when this is all over. Take care." She stopped the recording.

With a large beast coming at her, she jumped at him and jammed the grenade down his throat.

Only seconds later the entire group was lost in an explosion of fire and dust. She smiled only a moment before it happened. Her final thoughts being those of happiness, back to a time when this all used to be a better place. She died with a smile on her face.

"Chikaru! Wake up!" Ami yelled.

"Huh?" I said in confusion.

"You were under hypnosis remember?" Ami asked.

"Right… So what does it all mean Doctor?" I asked curiously.

Ami looked like she had a hard time finding words.

"Well you relayed a story of something that clearly reflects what you told me before, however it's a physical impossibility right now. I'm not about to submit to the idea of future telling, however the story you told was as vivid as a memory. It's like it's been there in your head for some time, and not something you just made up." Ami placed her hand on her chin in thought.

"What does it mean though?" I asked calmly.

"Well, you're certainly not crazy, considering the fact that something supernatural did happen to you, I'd say it's not out of the ordinary at this point. You said this all happened when you killed Grace, whom you said was the Goddess of Life right?" She asked, she was clearly finding all of this fascinating.

"Correct." I replied.

"Perhaps you are seeing some of the memories of Grace projected?" Ami suggested.

"It's possible, but I feel as though these are things yet to happen, things destined to become. I don't quite understand it really. A part of me says that this is going to be reality soon." I rubbed my head from a headache.

"That is also a viable explanation. It's well beyond my field however, I deal with natural things and the science behind them, clearly what has happened to you, goes far beyond science." She nodded.

"So I'm not insane?" I asked.

"Not that I can see." She answered.

"Damn, was kind of hoping I was, so I could wake up and this would all just be a dream." I sighed.

"We can't waste our whole lives dreaming. I made that mistake before; I think we've all done it; sooner or later though we have to face reality." Ami spoke.

I sighed and lifted myself to my feet. I was a little dizzy after being hypnotized, but I was managing alright.

"Chikaru, I have so many questions for you though." Ami admitted.

"I'm sorry Ami, but I can't answer them. I wish I could, and it'd be nice to have someone else to make this journey with me, but I can't." I sighed.

"I understand." She smiled warmly.

"Ami, I think it goes without saying, but no one can ever know about this meeting. No one must know that Chikaru Minamoto is still alive." I reminded.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. The secret is safe with me." She gave a thumb up.

She was rather childish at times for her age.

"Is there anything else that is bothering you?" Asked she.

"Yeah actually…" I admitted.

"What is it?" She asked interested.

I sat down and inhaled followed by a powerful exhale. I was about to lay a lot onto this poor woman.

"I'm a selfish disgusting person. I don't even understand how I could let this happen to me really. I have ruined the innocent girl I once was, and corrupted her with sin. And now I am doing the same to Sky." I was almost in tears as I hung my head.

"What are you talking about?" Ami attempted to calm me.

"I have kept so many secrets; I've lied to cover up more lies. I have put envy and hatred in my heart, and held them closer than anything else. I let them fuel me, and it has turned me into a monster. I'm turning Sky into that same monster." I let tears out.

"You're not a monster Chikaru, you're just confused right now that's all. You've done what you felt was best, and if you hadn't a lot of people might not even be here right now." Ami walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder before sitting next to me.

"I have betrayed my wife even…" I remembered out loud.

"How so?" Asked Ami.

"I…" I bit my tongue for a moment.

"I had sex with Sky…" I admitted shamefully as I turned away from her.

The thought still in my head, I could only think of the act of incest that I had committed, along with the act of adultery. Ami must have been disgusted with me.

"Sky? Your cousin?" She asked a little confused.

"Yes…" I admitted.

"Why?" Asked she.

"I don't know… It just sort of happened. We both just felt a connection that I had not felt in so long." I explained.

"Well, it's not abnormal really. Many people marry their cousins even. There's nothing odd about it. You just care deeply for your cousin, and that care manifested in a physical way." Ami spoke.

"I suppose…" I sighed.

I was calming down a good amount.

"I am concerned however about you mood swings here. You're clearly under a lot of stress and thus as a result your moods are going from one extreme to the next. Is it alright if I give you something to help you with that?" She asked.

"Yeah go for it." I sighed.

She pulled a few bottle of pills from her cabinet and handed them to me.

"They're mood stabilizers. They'll help you stay calm, take one every morning and you should be okay. I'm guessing since your identity has to remain a secret, I can't exactly prescribe them to you as you won't be able to pick them up. I have these as samples; I get them all the time. I'm giving you a bunch so you have enough to last a while. If you need more come find me." She instructed.

"Thanks doctor, but won't you get in trouble for giving away medication?" Asked I.

"Call me Ami, and not really. After all, you don't exist remember? I can't get in trouble for giving away medication to someone who is dead." She smirked.

I smiled in return. I stood up and shook her hand.

"Thank you Ami. I feel a lot better." I smiled warmly.

"Come back and visit me soon, okay?" She pulled me in for a hug.

"I will", I replied.

"And Chikaru", she stopped be as I was making my way out.

I turned back and let out a, "hm?"

"Stay safe okay?" She told me.

I nodded.

A/N: Many apologies to those not used to such graphic images. It IS relevant though I assure you. So we are pretty much past the halfway mark for this story now.

Fun Fact: I spent a long time planning the first part of this.