Animation Source Forums

"Yeah," Setsuko sighed, "I know."

Tess caught up with Misaki, her face still pale from their encounter with Ayumu. And almost being crushed by falling, heavy rocks. She silently grabbed her friend's hand for comfort. Images of the plagued spirit haunted her.

Upon finally arriving back at the campsite after a ridiculously long trek, Setsuko plopped down and sighed. She noticed subconsciously that some of the trees in their little grove were beginning to dry and shrivel, only expounding on the ill world. She buried her hands in her pained face. "Oooohhh. Now what are we going to do?" she moaned, drops of weariness, worry, and desperation all raining through her voice.

"Get some rest," Rue said firmly. The sky was already beginning to turn pink and purple, the sun sinking past the trees.

Setsuko sighed with defeat. "All right. Hey, Jaci?" she called, longing for the soft playful caress of her pet and friendly companion.

But Jaci did not come. Setsuko did not even hear the soft mewling rumble that the Blue Lion would often emit in response. "Jaci?" she repeated, a bit softer and with thicker worry. The Blue Lion was no where to be seen.

Setsuko realized, with the highest degree of dread, that this could only mean one thing:

Jaci had been caught in Ayumu's cave when the stones had collapsed.
He was still stuck with the plagued spirit.

Rue saw the dread form on Setsuko's face...but didn't see Jaci. She knew the Blue Lion would've at least responded somehow, but it was as if he disappeared. She wasn't as quick to reach the sonclusion her friend did, instead asking, "Where is he?"

Setsuko felt the dread rush through her a second time. "I think..." she mumbled, "He's still with....Ayumu..."

"Oh..." Rue said faintly. While she wasn't close to the Blue Lion, she knew Setsuko was. "We'll have to get him somehow," she said.

"I know," Setsuko mumbled, voice barely audible in the fresh breeze. She stared out in the direction they had come, mind deep in thought, a sad, longing expression painted in her eyes and on her face.

Rue, once again, placed a comforting hand on Setsuko's shoulder. "We can go back and see if there's a way inside," she suggested.

Setsuko shyed away from the hand. "Yeah," she agreed under her breath.

Rue let her hand drop with a small, inaudible sigh. "Setsuko, you sound as if the situation is hopeless, when it's not. We will find a way in, we will get Jaci, and we will go home," she said, trying to sound confident and determined.

Tentative bump...

Setsuko decided to try a different approach. "Yeah," she mumbled. "Sure. We'll find him." She pretended to be completely convinced, not flinching in the slightest way.

Rue frowned. While Setsuko looked like she had no doubts, she didn't sound enthusiastic. The avian-hybrid didn't comment, brown eyes staring at the dusty ground. "Sick or not, Ayumu is still a spirit. And Jaci is one loyal blue lion. They can make it past a few boulders."