Chapter 3: Fading Light

 

 

“There doesn’t seem to be anything different Sayoko,” Nasuti sighed. She had been on the phone for over two hours going thought the list of things the hospital did to Shin. It had been two days and Touma was still unconscious. Kenichi had asked Nasuti to contact Sayoko to find out what the doctors in Hagi might have done differently to Shin.

 

“I wish I could help you, but that’s all there is.” Sayoko replied from the other line, “Hold on a second… Michio where did you get that?” Nasuti chuckled a bit as she listened to Sayoko lightly scold the child. “Nasuti,” Sayoko was back, and her voice was quite a bit more serious, “I just remembered something I did.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Yea, Shin kept calling out for Suiko. I was desperate so I went home and got that crystal sphere he used to always carry. I put it in his hand for a minuet or so. The doctor came in, he’s a bit strict…scolded me for brining knick-knacks from home, so I took it back. Shin woke up the next day.”

 

“Why did you suddenly remember this?”

 

“Michio was playing with the crystal.”

 

“What?!”

 

“I don’t know how he got it. It was locked in Shin’s room.”

 

“Sayoko, I need you to bring it here, now.”

 

“I’ll be able to leave first thing in the morning.” Nasuti hung up the phone and rushed from her den. She ran though the hall overlooking the dinning room. Ryo and Shu saw her and thought the worst so they followed. When they got to Touma’s room Nasuti had emptied half his drawers and Kenichi was going through the closet.

 

“What are you guys doing?” Ryo asked as they stood in the doorway.

 

“I’m not sure myself. She ran in here and said something about a ball.” Kenichi shrugged shutting the closet door.

 

“His orb. The crystal orb he used to called Tenku!” Nasuti straightened up and looked at the two in the doorway.

 

“Why would he have that? It’s just a plain crystal now,” Shu shrugged.

 

“Not if we can get the extra power into it,” Seiji’s voice came from the hall behind Ryo and Shu, “I thought about it this morning.”

 

“But their just plain crystals, why would we bring them with us?” Shu asked.

 

“I brought mine. Something is up with the yoroi, or the power of the yoroi and these were connected to it at one point.” Seiji held up his crystal a small crack apparent on its surface.

 

“Do you think we could use yours for Touma?” Ryo asked taking it from Seiji.

 

“All we can do is try.” With Seiji’s permission Ryo walked over to the bed and wrapped Touma’s fingers around it. Nothing happened. They waited a few more minuets, but still nothing.

 

“Well, Sayoko didn’t mention anything obvious happening,” Nasuti said quietly. Ryo took the orb and looked at it.

 

“It doesn’t look any different.”

 

“It was worth a try,” Kenichi sighed. Ryo laid the orb on the bedside table.

 

“Well, now we know we need Touma’s and everyone else’s” Nasuti announced, “Shin’s sister is on her way with his. Ryo, Shu, you guys need to go home and get yours.”

 

“Do you think it’s okay for them to travel?”

 

“Don’t worry doc, we haven’t seen our yoroi yet so we should be fine.” Shu smiled.

 

“Okay, I’ll drop you off at the train station, then I’ll call Touma’s mother. I think he said she was in the country, and have her send his or something.

 

“Does Touma’s mother know about the yoroi?” Ryo asked looking at Shu and Seiji.

 

“I don’t’ think so,” Seiji shook his head.

 

“Looks like we’ll have to think of a story on the way to the station. We best get going.” Nasuti made her way though the door and down the hall with Ryo and Shu behind her.

 

“Where is Shin at? I’ve been wanting to do a physical on him since I got here.” Kenichi asked Seiji who was still in the doorway.

 

“He’s making dinner. I think he’s been avoiding you on purpose. Doesn’t seem to like doctors all that much.” Seiji replied, his eyes focused on the end of the hall where Nasuti and them had disappeared down the stairs. “I’ll be out by the trees if you need me.”

 

“Ah, Seiji, take this,” Kenichi held out a simple bike bell, “Just in case.” Seiji took the small bell and walked down the hall. Kenichi sat down in the chair next to the bed, rainbows dancing on the wall caught his eye, but they were just the effect of a plain crystal and sunlight.

 

It wasn’t even morning yet, the light of the sun had just started to appear in the sky, but the doorbell was going off madly and someone was pounding on the door. Seiji was the first to make his way down the stairs and to the door. With a yawn, for it was even early for him, he opened the door. On the doorstep stood a young looking lady with short brown hair. If Seiji hadn’t known any better he might have been confused by her sudden appearance at the house, but he had met her once before a couple of years ago and knew she was much older than she appeared.

 

“Ah, Seiji-kun. Your hair looks good long like that.”

 

“Thank you. Um, why are you ringing the doorbell so early in the morning, Hashiba-san?”

 

“OH! Because I knew there is something wrong with Touma-kun! I just had to come! He is my son after all.”

 

“What did Nasuti tell you?”

 

“Why nothing, only that she wanted me to send her that crystal ball of Touma’s. Touma-kun would have come to get it himself unless there was something horribly wrong!” She had grabbed onto the front of Seiji’s pajama top and looked him in the eyes.

 

“We will both catch colds if we stay out here. Please come in.” Hashiba-san walked in to the house just as Nasuti appeared tying her robe around her.

 

“Hashiba-san, I thought you were going to send the orb to us?”

 

“She had a feeling Touma was sick.” Seiji stated from the doorway.

 

“He had a touch of asthma when he was young, the doctor said it had gone away, but I still worry about it.” Hashiba-san looked between the two, “It was the asthma, wasn’t it?” Seiji and Nasuti looked at each other and Seiji shrugged.

 

“Actually it was. He had a bit of an Asthma attack.” Nasuti lied as she took the older woman by the shoulders and led her into the kitchen. “By the way, did you bring the orb?”

 

“Yes, it’s in my bag why?”

 

“Oh, it’s for something else, don’t worry, Touma is just fine. Let’s get you something to drink and wait for him to wake up.” Seiji watched the two disappear into the kitchen and then down at the bag by his side.

 

“Does she expect me to go through her things?” Shaking his head Seiji grabbed the bad and carried it upstairs and into Shu and Shin’s room.

 

“Shu, wake up.” Seiji threw the suitcase onto the end of the bed. Shu mumbled something before rolling over and going back to sleep. Seiji pulled the covers off but that did nothing. Seiji sighed and left the room, when he came back a few minuets later he was carrying a large cup of ice. Swiftly he pulled on the elastic of Shu’s boxers and tossed the ice down them. Seiji stepped back and waited. It took about a minuet for Shu to react but when he did he jumped clear out of the bed yelping and shaking his boxers, trying to get the ice out of them.

 

“What the…Seiji?!” Shu looked at the smirk on Seiji’s face, “Why the hell did you do that?!”

 

“Shhh, you’ll wake Shin.” Seiji walked over to Shu’s bed and pulled the suitcase from under the covers, “This is Touma’s mothers. She’s down with Nasuti. Touma’s orb is in there somewhere, find it.”

 

“Why can’t you?” Shu asked, his mind still half asleep. Seiji didn’t answer but looked away and Shu could see him blush a little. “You’re too embarrassed to go through a woman’s things? I’d thought living in a house full of women you’d been used to it.”

 

“Please, Shu.”

 

“Alright,” Shu walked over and grabbed the bag from Seiji. He felt along the top to see if she had put it in one of the pockets but couldn’t find anything so he carefully zipped open the bag. Everything in it was precisely packed. Shu was careful as he removed a few things in his search. He found the orb packed nicely in the middle of everything. Once he had successfully extracted it from between a pair of underwear and a bra he placed everything back and closed the suitcase again. “There, now let me go back to sleep.” Seiji thanked him and took the suitcase out into the hall. He placed it just inside Nasuti’s study and then headed for Touma’s room. Kenichi was asleep in the other bed, but woke up when he heard the door open. He watched Seiji walk over to Touma and place something in his hand.

 

“Is that his orb?”

 

“Yes, his mother just arrived.”

 

“I thought she didn’t know about the yoroi.”

 

“She doesn’t. She thinks Touma suffered from an asthma attack.” Kenichi chuckled a little bit,

 

“Well it did look something like an asthma attack.”

 

“How long do you think this will take?” Seiji asked.

 

“Well, according to Sayoko’s report, she left it in Shin’s hand for a couple of minuets and he woke up about twelve hours later.”

 

“So, I guess we’ll leave it until he wakes.”

 

“Sounds good to me. If you’d like, you can go back to bed, and I’ll keep watch,” Kenichi offered as he swung his feet out of bed and threw the covers off.

 

“Thank you, but I’m okay.”

 

“Well, then, I think I’ll go down and support the asthma theory for Nasuti.”

 

“Please.” Kenichi wrapped his robe around him and headed out of the room. By the time he had gotten down the stairs Nasuti and Hashiba-san were sitting at the table with a cup of tea each. Nasuti got some tea for him, and he sat and used to most technical mumbo-jumbo he could think of to explain why Touma suddenly had an asthma attack. Though he really didn’t need to, she was already fully convinced of the fact. After about an hour, Hashiba-san’s energy had worn down and she fell asleep at the table. Kenichi laid her on the couch and covered her up, before he and Nasuti both went back to bed.

 

It wasn’t until almost eleven that Hashiba-san woke up. At first she was confused by her surroundings, but then remembered where she was and why she was there. She jumped up from the couch and raced upstairs. She went to the first door and threw it open on a very surprised Shin and Shu who were in the middle of dressing. She apologized and they laughed and told her the way to Touma’s room. She ran off, forgetting to shut their door, and threw open Touma’s door. Sunlight was pouring into the room from the open window. Seiji was sitting, still in his pajamas on one bed facing Touma who was sitting up on his own bed. They both looked to the door when it had opened and a look of embarrassment crossed Touma’s face.

 

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Touma asked as she leapt across the room and embraced her son.

 

“I was worried about you. See, didn’t I tell you! I knew that asthma would come back one day!” For a moment, Touma looked like her wanted to cry.

 

“Yea…you were right. It came back. Even after twelve doctors said it wouldn’t.”

 

“Exactly! Makes you wonder about this country’s health care!” Hashiba-san announced in her best authoritive voice. Seiji let out a slight chuckle before excusing himself to go change.

 

Touma spent the better half of the day convincing his mother that he was fine and that she needed to go on her next assignment. It wasn’t until Kenichi assured her that he was going to be around for a while and would check up on him regularly, plus the fact that they had no more beds left, that she finally conceded and allowed Nasuti to take her to the train station. However, she refused to leave the country and instead checked into a hotel just inside of Yokohama.

                       

When the house had finally settled down again, Seiji walked out and into the shade of one of the trees that was closest to the house. He kneeled down, placed his palms in one another facing up, and closed his eyes. The last time Korin had shown itself it was only five feet away. Seiji had a feeling that it was going to happen anytime and he wanted to prepare himself for it.

 

The sun slowly crossed the sky and was lingering over the edge of the lake when Seiji finally opened his eyes. Sitting in front of him was Korin. He didn’t try to talk to it like Touma. Instead he stood up. Korin stood up as well but didn’t move. They stood looking at each other for a moment until Seiji took a step forward. Darkness engulfed him and he felt a horrible pressure on his chest as if something was squeezing him. He felt his knees hit the ground and then he could smell the grass and the musty earth in his nose. He used what strength he had and felt around him until his fingers found the cold metal bell Kenichi had given him. He fumbled with it, trying to pull the lever, to strike the bell, but he could no longer hear anything. Finally even the smell of the grass disappeared. In the distance he could see a figure just standing in the darkness with a smirk on his face and then he was gone.