End of the World: Game

[Fallen Angel X]

Kaishou listened to Tia's advice and words. He didn't like the idea of Rei holding a firearm. It meant several things. She wouldn't be completely safe and that she would have to defend herself. He looked at Tia's sword. He had used it to harm his own little sister. He had taken several classes in metal working and a sword like that wouldn't be to hard to buff out. He'd need tools however. A hammer and a strong flat surface preferrably an anvil. But he didn't have the time to fix it.

I could fix it for you but I don't have any proper tools. I don't want to waste anymore time though. Just incase though I'll have this on my shirt at all times.

He showed Tia a ribbon. It was something to honor his parents. He wished he could see Rei pull through but his mind was still susceptible. He had to leave NOW!

[Blulightning]

Blake was having a horrible dream. Everyone, Tia, Reiko, the Spy, Kaishou, had died. He was the only one left, besides a stunningly beautiful woman. Except she was evil. She was holding him, and he couldn't escape.

My name's Sarah. It's nice to meet you.

Blake woke with a start. He was still a mouse. Phew. He climbed down and morphed back to a human. The man was sitting by Reiko. Blake would've morphed into something stronger, but something held him back. He decided to give the man a chance.

I'mm Blake. Sorry about hurting you... So you can shift too?

Blake shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked to Tia, silently asking her who the man was.

[Vell]

Blake. you're awake. this is Kai. Reiko's brother. he'll be going soon. he has a sort of battle to face for himself now. now. I know you'd like to ask him questions, but he really must be going now. Kai. i await our next meeting.

Tia stood up, and opened the door.

you should probably leave as soon as possible.

Tia pointedly did nothing to exemplify the gun on her hip.

[Fallen Angel X]

Kaishou smirked. They definitely thought he was dangerous. He knew he was too. He looked at Blake. So he was the one that was beginning to see Rei as his own sister. He respected him for that. Atleast now he knew that Rei was in good capable hands. He wished he could stay but his mind could go any minute.

I wish I could stay but it seems fortune frowns at me. Remember, the next time we meet, if she's not with you two, I'll see to it that you both will pay. Hmm.. Where are you guys going though?

He needed to be able to track them down when he'd beat this thing.

[Vell]

I'm not sure. I'm of half a mind to get out of this city and wander as fast as possible, and of another to hunker down and stay here, or else find a small, defendable place. its doubtful whether as to anybody capable of using powerful, instantly blow up a city weapons survived. I'll try to remember to leave clues for you. if you are still sane when you come back to this city, chances are you'll be able to gather them. if Sarah isn't capable of doing it for you, then if you're insane I'll be glad. but do note: I'll do my best to protect Reiko, but something Sarah said means a similar fate might befall her as well. I won't protect her if she isn't her. if I believe she, at any time, goes beyond help... I will kill her before her mind degrades. nobody sane wants to be insane. I'll keep an eye out for any sine of this 'Koren' for you. you do understand if you go insane yuou're not who you once were anymore. you're not mentally human even. you can see that yourself. don't trust Sarah. and be wary of ANY hallucinations speaking. Sarah can take other forms probably, being a hallucination.

then she motioned for him to leave, making it obvious that the conversation was over and Tia had said all she was going to.

and her poise meant she was ready to catch an attack.

[Fallen Angel X]

   Kaishou chuckled. He knew who Koren was. But he was probably dead now too. He'd wait for Rei to tell them. Rei knew who he was too. He exited the hospital and found a car to steal. He took it and drove towards home. He wondered how he'd face Sarah. His head stung slightly and the world began to spin. He saw Sarah. He wouldn't trust her, not anymore.

I won't trust a single word you say, Sarah!

   Sarah only grinned. It was a dark and evil smile. Something was up. About exiting the city, the car crashed...

(Reiko PoV)

She regained consciousness. Her chest was in deep pain and she had no recollection of the previous events. It was a tactic her brain used to prevent her from being traumatized or shocked. She looked around and saw Tia and Blake. She spoke softly,

What happened? I remember Tia pinning a.. Spy?

[Vell]

Tia didn't want anythng to come back and bite them for it, but she couldn't tell Reiko about it all yet. not until she healed fully, atleast.

I can't explain it all, but at one point shortly after the spy showed up, you got stabbed in the chest.

no need to say it was Tia's sword; she'd somehow found time to clean it.

the spy was knocked unconscious, this is a hospital, where we patched up your wound.

it was troublesome, but for the girl's mental safety Tia couldn't bring up Koren. there'd be no way to explain that.

[Fallen Angel X]

Reiko thought Tia was acting suspiciously. She didn't seem to be telling the truth but she wanted to trust her. She wondered though, how'd she get stabbed without knowing it? She must be losing her mind. She wondered if her brother had problems like this wherever he was. She thought it was time to tell Tia,

Tia, I'm here looking for my brother. I always thought that he was alive and watching over me. I came here hoping to find him but he's not here... I'm going to keep looking. You're very important to me and I felt you should know.

[Blulightning]

Blake wanted to tell Reiko everything, but he respected Tia's judgement, and kept quiet.

Stay still. If you move, you'll open that cut again!

[Vell]

I figured you were looking for him, after the fuss you made of that pciture. but no matter what, be carefulw hen it comes to that cut. you need to lay down here for a few days now, for it to heal. I'll be out gathering stuff.

Tia vanished through the doorway, and stumped through the city.

[Fallen Angel X]

Kaishou stood outside the car wreck. He stared Sarah in the eyes, she was up to no good again. Where was John? He always fought back Sarah but now he was nowhere to be seen. He stared at her, their was something he was forgetting about Sarah. Something he had to come to grips with. He didn't have time to remember though since Sarah attempted to strike him. Her blows weren't physical but mental, striking his common sense first. He'd have to find a way to fight back.

(Reiko's PoV)

She looked at Tia before she left. She was horribly mistaken the first time she saw her. But now she saw her as kind of a mom. She was better than her real mom though. She was sort of thankful that she died but she took her father too. Sarah was her abusive mom's name and John was her dad. The two always argued with each other. At those times she cuddled with her teddy bear. She couldn't remember what she named him though. After her parents died Kaishou kind of shut them out but she knew he couldn't get over it. She rested comfortably on the hospital bed. But her arm pulses creating a painful sensation. She didn't know what was happening.

[Vell]

Tia was looking around the town.

she found the gun store from before, and picked out another pistol, and a rifle. then gathered up a few more pistols, and strapped the rifle to her back, and put the pistols in her backpack, along with several clips of ammo for the pistols, and spare bullets for her rifle. Tia wandered again.

she was muttering to herself. wondering what was up with this Sarah and John. she knew she couldn't understand an insane man's mind. she wouldn't be able to understand an insane women's either, if Reiko went as well. she didn't even know the tendencies.

she found that antique's store again. she found a couple daggers, simple work, and that rusted fox-hilt one again. she grabbed the fox-hilt dagger this time. she found an ancient clock, a small thing, that you need to wind constantly to keep working. unfortunately, it was stopped. Tia grabbed it. Maybe Reiko or Blake knew somewhere they could find a place to tell the time right then.

after that she walked back to the hospital, and dumped the stuff in the room.

alright, as you can see, I've grabbed another pistol. and a rifle for myself. also, I got some pistols for the two of you. and Reiko, I dunno why, but I got this rusted Fox-hilt dagger for you. I liked Foxes. and Blake, here, I found a couple of daggers, in case you're caught in a situation where your morphing isn't helpful. I found this thing. it teaches you how to use them.

with that, she stumped out again.

she had some thinking to do.

[Fallen Angel X]

Tia came back. Reiko had something important to ask her. Her arm had been paining her and she wondered if her arm was injured after she was mysteriously stabbed. She got up and looked at the dagger. It had a nice design. She wouldn't mind carrying that kind of weapon around. She took slow steps so as to not re-open her wound and went over to Tia. She looked at the weapon. Her arm urged to pick it up. It went without her control. She watched as her arm turned metallic. It was an interesting sensation. She enjoyed the sensation almost revelling in it. It was an addictive feeling. She dropped the dagger.

K-Kai.. Help me.. My arm.. What's happening!?

[Vell]

Tia was strong. stronger than any average human, she knew. but just how much stronger?

she saw a long pole with a light on the end of it.

she grasped it with both hands, and pulled. she managed to bend it a bit, but she didn't do much, overall.

she pulled her sword. it was slightly warped. the hilt still showed the pack of wolves, and the ferality was virtually unbroken. she wondered if Reiko could fix it.

Reiko. Koren. Sarah. John. Kai.

Blake. Reiko, Kai, Tia, some girl, Blake.

why those five? Tia couldn't get her thoughts straight suddenly.

she couldn't stand it anymore.

she punched her fist staight through a window. she stomped through the shattered glass and saw several aisles of canned food.

muttering to herself about conveniences, she set about filling two more backpacks full with them. and found a lighter, as well, in the store.

she was back in the hospital, suddenly.

REIKO! DOES THE NAME KOREN MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?!

she threw, absolutely, literally, threw the backpacks onto a chair, and waited. and paced.

[Fallen Angel X]

Reiko looked at Tia puzzled. The name that she said was indeed familiar but she wondered how Tia knew the name. Koren... It did mean something to her. She couldn't remember exactly where she heard the name but she knew she had heard it last at around the time her parents died. She thought over it a second. She thought about it really hard and then it hit her. Koren was her imaginary friend when she was little. She talked to him a lot when her parents died but Kai didn't like the idea of her having an imaginary friend and told her he wasn't real and that she should stop talking to him. She had listened to her brother obediently. But how did Tia know the name?

Koren? Let me see.. Oh now I remember. He was an imaginary friend I had when I was younger. My dad, John told me when I was four that Koren would protect me when I was in trouble but after my parents died.. Kaishou didn't like the idea of me having an imaginary friend. He told me the harsh reality about imaginary friends and I stopped talking to Koren ever since. But Tia how do you know the name Koren? What happened outside?

[Blulightning]

Blake was still examining the daggers. They were nice, but he didn't think he'd need them. He'd be better off being a tiger or a bear or something strong. Still, he would keep them, just in case.

Blake decided to go through each pack they had, including the two Tia had just brought, and organize them. They needed to get out of the city soon. He hoped to leave as soon as the woman woke up.

He listened with one ear to Tia and Reiko's conversation. He smiled, remembering his own imaginary friend, Louis. Louis had been an astronaut, and had gone everywhere with Blake when he was little. When Blake had turned 7, Louis had gone to Mars.

**REMEBERING**

"Louis!! Don't go! I need you here!"
"Don't worry Blake! I'm going to Mars! I'll be meeting Martians and Aliens from all over!"
"Will I ever see you again?"
"Probably not... But I'll send you pictures!!"

[Vell]

Tia didn't hear much after Reiko said Koren was an imaginary friend and mentioned John as her father.

suddenly she realized her back had connected with the door, and she slid till she sat.

and what was your mother's name?

things might be worse than Tia thought. whatever she was feeling before slipped away, replaced with a raw fear of sorts.

[Fallen Angel X]

Reiko was puzzled. Why the sudden interest all of a sudden? She didn't mind though. To her, this was a bonding experience with Tia. She was more than happy to talk about her parents although it was a bit of a sad subject to her.

My mom? My mom's name was Sarah. Why do you ask?

[Vell]

she gathered herself in and stood again.

just curiosity Reiko. you need to rest, you're weak from that stab wound. get some sleep, I'm tired myself and hardly thinking straight. Blake, keep watch for the night?

it wasn't actually night, but that had passed while she was out.

[Fallen Angel X]

Tia was right. She needed to rest from the wound that she couldn't recall ever getting. She wondered if it was the spy who had stabbed her or if it was something else entirely. She also wanted to know what was used to impale her. She was tired however and she did need rest. She slowly walked back to bed, being careful to not open the wound. She was lying down now. She began to close her eyes and dream. No, it wasn't a dream but more of a nightmare.

(Kaishou PoV)

Kaishou sat down at a tree. He began chuckling slowly turning into crazed laughter. He had a crazed look in his eyes. Sarah was right. She was always right and he would never doubt her again because he knew what Sarah would do. He'd be punished. Sarah's abuse was something he couldn't handle. He had failed Tia and Rei. He had become insane, bound by a hallucination in his mind.