A Brother's Secret

Chapter 16: The Everflowing Waterfall

   The next day, the seven of us make our way to the Everflowing Waterfall to purify it. For some reason, Ran was falling behind the rest of the group. He seems a bit jumpy as he warily surveys our surroundings with a grim look on his face.

   "Ran? Is everything okay?" I ask slowing to his pace and resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

   "Yeah... something just feels...wrong," he responds quietly.

   "How do you mean?" Kikyo inquires, slowing his pace to walk alongside me.

   "My body feels really heavy...The closer we get to the Everflowing Waterfall, the stronger it gets." Everyone has now turned their eyes to Ran, trying to figure out his fears. His hand was gripping at his chest tightly.

   "I don't feel anything," Shiroya says staring at his feet.

   "Neither do I," Kaito shrugs.

"Nor I..." Kikyo adds. 

I glance at Mika and meet her eyes.  "Nether do we." We say.

   "He must be unconsciously sensing the Ayakashis," Kiku says with a worried expression. "Ran's perception is sharper than ours, meaning he's more sensitive to subtle signs and unusual phenomenon."

"So you're saying he's experiencing something that the rest of us can't perceive?" I ask.

   Kiku nods, but Ran is shaking his head, still clutching at his chest.

   "No... It's not just Ayakashis. It feels kinda worse... Like a really bad feeling." I keep my hand on his arm and try to meet his eyes, but they won't meet mine. He's too worried to look up at me.

   "Guys! Be careful. There are some ayakashis coming up." Shiroya warns while stocking his crossbow. Everyone draws their weapons and readies themselves to fight. I bring my short sword down toward an ayakashi, making it disintegrate into ash. I glance around me and watch as everyone else fights with grace and beauty. I haven't watched Mika fight with her fan in ages. She's really trained herself well in close hand combat.

   When I attack, I use a mix of flames and speed with my short sword. My flames aren't as powerful as Kaito's, but my hand to hand combat is improved by my flame skill.

   Mika's fighting style almost looks like dancing to me. Her fan cuts through the air so easily and her wind skill is like magic.

   "I like fighting, but they just keep appearing nonstop," Ran says before slashing down another ayakashi.

   "Does it not seem like the closer we get to the symbol, the more there are?" Kikyo points out. We all glance around thinking about his question. "I thought of this back in the Summer Village, I noticed it at the Drop of Fire. It feels like the largest groups of Ayakashi appear during the purification. Once the purification is completed, they vanish immediately."

   "When exactly did Ayakashi first start appearing?" Kaito asks.

   "It was almost the same time the village symbols became impure," I mutter whilst tapping my chin in thought. Kikyo nods solemnly.

   "That would suggest..."

   "The symbols' impurities are creating the Ayakashis," Kiku concludes. Everyone stands silently after the realization. Ran is the one to break our silence.

   "Anyways...let's hurry and get to the waterfall so we can make sure," he says trying to stay calm.

   We all hurry along he path, fighting off ayakashis left and right. Without many issues, we make it to the everflowing waterfall. The sight makes my heart ache. It's the same as the Drop of Fire was, maybe worse. The thick air made it hard to breathe.

   "Just as I suspected, there are even more Ayakashis here." Kikyo speaks. He stays by my back, protecting me from any oncoming Atakashi's I can't defend against.

   "It seems like your theory was spot on," Kaito praises.

   "We'll keep the Ayakashis out of your way, you two take care of the purification," Kiku says before throwing off his coat and brandishing his knives. Mika smiles and thanks him before coming over to me.

She and I take our positions kneeling in front of each other and gripping our stones. The chant came easily past my lips, the words barely audible over the sounds of fighting and ayakashis.

"Ran, are you okay?!" My chanting halts when I hear Kiku's worried question. My eyes open to see my partner with a pallid face and sweat running down his face. "Get ahold of yourself!" Kiku says as he runs over to his brother. Without thinking, I too run over to Ran right as he curls into himself.

"Ran!" I cry worriedly while resting a hand on his back.

"Edith, no! Please perform the purification first! The overwhelming number of ayakashis are putting us at a disadvantage!" Kikyo calls before slashing at a shadow with his katana.

"We're all gonna die if you don't purify quick enough! Ran is the most sensitive to the impurity. Purifying the symbol should bring him back," Kaito says. I can tell he's worried too. Kiku touches my shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry about Ran, I'll take care of him." With a small nod, I glance back at my partner before returning to my cousin.

"Let's do this quickly!" I say before grasping at my stone again. Mika does the same and we begin to chant the words again, the stones glowing as our thoughts and hearts sync up.

"Edith! Mika!" Ran's voice breaks our train of thought and we two look up to see ourselves surrounded by ayakashis. Mika and I both draw our weapons at the same time.

"I can't dodge!" We cry.

"Ran, don't do it!" Kiku tried to warn Ran, but he spoke too late. Ran had already charged up his ability and sent a wave of ice spikes our way. With a squeal, I act quickly, crossing my arms in front of me and lighting them on fire to protect myself. I cry out as I feel one graze my calf.

Once the attack dispersed, I open my eyes and see Mika in Kiku's arms and a snake like tail coming from the Everflowing Waterfall in front of them.

"What the heck is that?"

"Is it a snake? No, a dragon?" Kaito wonders aloud, his swords still in hand. Ran's face pales further as he all but glares at the tail.

"T-this beast!" With trembling arms, Ran prepared to attack the beast, but before he can, Kaito quickly approaches him.

"Sorry, Ran!" He lands a quick punch to Ran's chest, knocking him out cold against Kaito's chest. As soon as he's out, the tail makes it's way back into the waterfall. I stare at it briefly before glancing back at unconscious Ran. I wince as the pain in my calf worsens.

'He did it to protect us, he didn't mean to hurt me...' I tell myself. 'But why's he get so hostile after...? Never mind, we have to do the purification!'

"Edith, your leg!" Mika says as she steps closer to me. I shake my head and hold my hand out to her.

"Come on!" I call while clutching my necklace again. I blink away tears threatening to fall. Mika nods and takes my hand, our surroundings were then covered by a bright sheet of light.