Life at Tokyo University

"..Cassie?" Talbaza called to the young woman, trying to get her attention. He didn't bother asking if she was all right. Obviously, she wasn't with how she had run out of the room like that to get away from everything. Talbaza just hoped Jun was all right.

Cassie didn't seem to hear. She just stared down at the water, leaning forward a bit. "Maybe it would be a good thing... get away from everything... nobody would miss me..."

Once inside the doors swung closed behind them and slammed shut. Jun jumped a little at the sound. She looked around and clearly she didn't recognize the place so she looked to Goki "Do you know where we are?"

The young boy shook his head. "No, I do not."

Jun started for the stairs when the knob on the front doors rattled. Goki looked over "It is the monster! We have to run!"

The door began to shake and the something hit it. Hard. The entire frame shook. Jun looked around for a place to hide. She chose behind the large staircase. Then something hit it again and the door came open.

Jun could hear heavy foot steps as something walked in. The doors swung in and closed behind what ever it was that entered the mansion.

Goki was breathing rapidly. He was clearly frightened. Then he bolted towards the doors.

Jun gave chase "Goki!!" She called and spotted the creature as she rounded the corner of the stairs. It was some kind of shadow creature. It looked to Jun with burning eyes. She looked to Goki who was at the doors. It was already open. Goki looked back at Jun with a slight smile. "You had better run, before it gets you." and like that. The creature was out the door and it slammed shut.

Jun looked to the creature. It looked back to her. Then, it reached out to her and some guttural sound came from it.

Jun screamed and ran through the nearest door.

Talbaza was alarmed and instantly went closer to her in case she did anything stupid like actually jump. "No..don't you even think about it. Do you know what that would do to me and Jun? We haven't known each other long but I consider you a friend and so does Jun. Please step away from the water." If she didn't, he might have drag her. At the moment Cassie didn't seem to be in a stable state of mind so she might be irrational and continue to ignore him. He was fully prepared to move at a moments notice, if need be.

Cassie jumped a bit, startled, as she realized Talbaza was there. "O-oh... Talbaza... you followed me? Why, what about Jun? Why aren't you with Jun, making sure she's okay?" She actually sounded upset.

"It seems she's in a persistent vegetative state. Her body is responding to pain sensation, and she's breathing on her own. However..." Said the doctor. Jun's producer sat at her bedside holding her hand while the Lawyer spoke with the doctor.

The lawyer folded his arms " Go on doctor."

The Doctor flipped a page on Jun's chart. "She's showing some extremely erratic brainwaves. It's concurrent with R.E.M. sleep however as you can see by the C.T. scan the activity isn't localized in the section of the brain consistent with R.E.M. sleep. Also, her Bio-Electric field is giving off some strange reading. I've never seen anything like it." He closed the clipboard and folded his arms "It's like her mind has completely disassociated with her body."

The producer looked to the doctor "Is there anything you can do?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Outside of a Spirit Magi this is a little out of my field of expertise."

***

Jun ran into the next room. In the center was a statue of a woman holding a vase. Behind her was another hallway and a door. She ran to the door and turned the knob. The door wouldn't open. She tried again pushing against the door and still it wouldn't budge.

Something slammed into the door she just entered from. Then again.

Jun still holding on the the door knob stepped back and the door opened. "PULL?!" She exclaimed and ran through the door. It closed behind her.

"What the heck is that thing?!" She said and started running.

"Because, Jun isn't in danger of dying right now before I left to check on you. That and I had a feeling I should and good thing I did." Talbaza said. "If I hadn't..." He trailed off and let it drop. "I think you know what might have happened so I'll leave it be."

* *

Even if she doesn't remember me, I'll watch over her like I promised.

A young woman sighed to herself, not visible to the naked eye. She was going to intervene with Cassie when a young man did so. It seemed her help wasn't needed. At least for now.

That was good. If Cassie had some actual good friends around her, then it means she wouldn't have to worry so much. This version of Cassie she hadn't met in person yet, but according to things she had learned about her history..she had been appalled. It had made a stronger drive to get to know her and introduce herself. For now though..she'd leave her be.

Another time..

Cassie hesitated, rubbing her arm. "I... don't think I would have done it... I think... I... but Mama... she acted just like that before she died... and... and Papa said it was my fault she died... I didn't want to be responsible for Jun dying too..."

Jun ran down the hall and turned to her left when it branched in that direction. She was getting tired. She was mentally exhausted and it reflected in her body. She came to a door and opened it.

When she passed the threshold Jun closed the door and leaned against it. Up a head there was a door to her right and to her left another hallway. The door looked like it led outside. She tried the door knob but it was locked. She shook her head and started down the hall. heavy footsteps could be heard behind the door she came from.

Jun took the first door she could see. It was to her right and led into a bathroom. She locked it and went over to the bathtub. It was filled with murky water. She pulled the stopper and let the water drain.

She was chocked to see the body of a young woman. She looked like some kind of Voodoo priestess. She looked peaceful laying naked in the tub. With one exception. Her eyes were gouged out. Deep voids where here eyes should have been lay open before her.

Jun stumbled back into the toilet stall. "Ohmygodohmygod!!" She folded her arms around herself to keep herself from shaking. She turned away from the body. Bile built up in her throat. Jun doubled over and heaved. Nothing came out. Crouched in that position for a while coughing. She heard something in the distance. Foot steps. Heavy and deliberate. Along with something squeaking.

Jun stood and turned only to come face to face with the woman in the tub. The woman reached out and took Jun by the shoulders "Do you see!!??" came a voice that sounded like garbled water. Jun screamed and everything went black....

***

Alarms went off and the Doctor rushed to Jun's side. "She's crashing!! Get the cart in here!!! Everyone out!!!" He reached over and hit the button on the wall signaling a code blue. A nurse came in with a cart while the doctor pulled down Jun's gown. He grabbed a touch screen pad off the cart handing it to the nurse.

The Nurse looked at it. "She's circling the drain, we need to start C.P.R. now!" The Doctor stuck little pads to Jun's body and took the tablet. Then Jun flat lined. "Start at two hundred!!"

"Two hundred, GO!" The nurse looked back and forth between Jun and the monitor.

"CLEAR!!" Shouted the doctor and pressed a button on the tablet. Jun's back arched slightly then she lay back down. Another nurse started chest compression's. While the machine charged back up.

The Doctor used his stethoscope to check for Jun's hear beat. "Nothing kick it to 250!" The nurse did so.

"Two fifty, GO!" Said the nurse.

"CLEAR!!!" the doctor shouted and pressed the button again. Again Jun's back arched and she fell back down. There was a slight beep... then again... The nurse that was pressing on Jun's chest check her wrist. "We have a pulse!!! It's thready but it's there."

The Doctor nodded and sat in a chair next to Jun. "I'll stay with her. Get me twenty C.C.'s of Paradoxolate. Let's make sure that doesn't happen again." The staff cleared the room and Jun's lawyer walked in hesitantly. "I.. is she okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, for now. I'll stay to observe her."

Talbaza felt a surge of anger at that but cooled himself down. "..Cassie, that's a lie. Do you even have any powers at all? Things that could suddenly make someone sick like that? Even if you did, you can't say you'd purposely do that to any of them."

It was hardly rational..but these things rarely were. It had to be something very stupid her father had pounded into her that needed to die.

* *

While the doctors were discussing things about themselves, a being moved among the streets. It could not be seen; not by anyone who wasn't already sensitive to the spiritual world to begin with then just the physical. The creature began to sense something as it moved. A powerful feeling of distress within someone's soul. Someone young.

Being intuned with these things, and wanting to help it followed where the negative energy was coming from. It was a incredibly large amount. Much more then it had felt in a long time. That troubled them. Still, they followed this energy until it lead them to the doctors and Jun, phasing through the walls as if they weren't there. Its presence wasn't seen or felt because they were purposely not drawing attention to itself.

..She..is far too..young..

That was the first thought on seeing Jun. It was also disturbed by the strangely powerful evil spiritual energy coming from her that wasn't her own. It didn't matter. It was their nature to fight these types beings and protect the innocent. They would not let a young girl die from this.

Moving closer, they placed a 'hand' on there forehead. It began to feel where the child was, sensing the negative energies as well as picking up emotions. Mostly fear. The young one was afraid.

Once satisfied, the being removed their hand and seemed to, strangely vanish and go into the metaphorical mind scape of Jun's.

That was when something very strange happened at once.

Before the monstrous woman could touch her, Jun would feel a presence. It was a variety of things: Old, no, ancient, otherwordly but strangely had a warm comforting presence as well. As if around a old friend. The being's appearance, to most people would be terrifying. For the few people that knew what they were or the spirit may know, the knowledge would be comforting or bothering.

Dreater. Ancient race of beings made by the Egyptian God's as guardian's from malevolent spiritual entites and the like. Jun likely wouldn't know what it was, but the spirit would have.

It was suddenly there protectively in front of Jun. The voice had a demonic edge to it.

"Begone foul spirit and leave this child in peace, lest I destroy you."

Cassie frowned. "I... don't know of any powers... but I know that unexplained things happen all of the time! Maybe it's something I don't know about, that I can't control? Or maybe it's some... some evil spirit targeting anyone who gets too close to me... I don't know... but first Mama, and... and now maybe Jun... what if it really is my fault? What if she's hurting because of me somehow?"

The doctor continued to sit beside Jun's bed checking her vitals every 15 minutes. He looked very tired as he say down. A nurse walked in with a hot cup of coffee and offered it to him. He looked up and smiled. "Thanks Shelia." He took the cup and sipped it.

Shelia took off her stethoscope and rechecked Jun's vitals. "Sebastian, I mean... Doctor Faedon, You can't keep doing this to yourself. Being so emotionally attached to this patient isn't healthy."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. This girl, saved my life. I don't know how... I should be dead. But somehow... she saved me. After the accident she pulled me from the car and... I don't know... healed me. I can't let her die."

Shelia was quiet for a long moment. Then she nodded to the other bed in the room. "Go lay down. I'll sit with her. If anything changes, I'll wake you." She helped the doctor up and moved him to the bed setting the coffee on the end table. She smiled at him as he lay down.

Soon he was off to a light slumber...

***

The creature holding Jun let go and backed away with her arms crossed in front of her face. He hit the lip of the bathtub and fell in. Her head cracked against it with a gut wrenching sound and the dead woman lay still.

Jun stirred slightly and her eyes fluttered open. For a moment she had no idea where she was. Then she remembered... He arms came up to protect herself and she screamed again. Then after a moment she lowered them peeking over her arms. She spotted the woman. "Oh my gosh!! A-are you okay?" She scrambled to her feet and moved to the bathtub. She checked for a pulse... and found none... Her heart sank... Then she felt another presence in the room and turned to her savior. His appearance was a bit disconcerting however she learned a long time ago not to judge by appearance. That woman while grotesque, had attacked her so in Jun's mind she wasn't a nice person.

This being didn't give off an aggressive aura.. She took a hesitant step forward. "H=hello... I'm Jun."

Outside the door she heard those heavy footsteps from her stalker. This time they were slower and more deliberate. As if they were searching for something. She looked down at the shadow coming from under the door. Her stalker had stopped. She could feel her stomach knot up as she watched as the door knob move...

Talbaza shook his head, maybe a different approach was needed. "Your father, does he lie to you?" He was getting somewhere with this but he needed to spring the trap as it were before hopefully getting Cassie to stop the stupid self destructive thoughts.

* *

Ironically, the being though seemingly having no gender was actually female it was just hard to tell in its chosen form at the moment. Though it was baffled of why the young human would check on their attacker; humanoids were strange at times.

There was a slight pause, the creature addressed Jun had a very faint echo to their voice. "You may call me Halima." The voice was also distinctly female. It seemed to sense something before the door began turning and knew they were running out of time. She needed a bit more time before she could take Jun out of this nightmarescape.

"Jun. This is your place within your own domain; you have the ultimate power here. The more you fear them and the more power you literally give them. What you think and what you will into being becomes real. Focus it. They merely want to make you think you're powerless against them in this place, but its a ruse. You alone have the power to push them out. This is your place, not theirs."

The doorknob began to move. "Get behind me. I'll attempt to protect you but only you can end this. Focus it!" A strange, black fire began to lightly appear around them. Oddly, it didn't seem to be to hot to Jun or hurt her in any shape or form.

Cassie paused at that. She thought about the past. He'd been a horrible father, she knew that, and had known it for years, but had he ever lied to her? He'd told her he wouldn't hurt her; he did. He told her that what they were doing was normal; it wasn't. He told her that her uncle was only going to watch; he didn't.

"...He did lie to me... alot..."

Sheila sat there reading her magazine while periodically checking Jun's vitals. She found it odd That the woman hadn't had any visitors. Shrugging she went back to her magazine. At least the Doctor was there for her.

***

Jun was scared. There was no doubt about that. The door knob was moving. It rattled a few times and then it stopped. After a moment there as the sound of something heavy hitting the door. Then sliding down it. "What is it?" After a few very long moments she hear pounding on the door. It was rhythmic. 

Soon she figured it out. She looked to the woman "It's an S.O.S.!!!" She was about to reach for the door knob when she paused. Looking to the other woman "What should I do?" Jun then walked over to the door and placed her hand on it. She could feel the creature beyond the door. It was sick, suffering. Looking back to the woman. "It's hurt."

"That's what I'm trying to get at. Cassie, if he lied about like that and hurt you then there's no reason to take any of what he said seriously." Talbaza said softly. "I don't know what happened with your father but people who are abusive will plant things in your head to make you doubt yourself. I haven't known you and Jun for long, but I consider you both friends. And I know I make you a bit uncomfortable, but I hope that changes one day. But what I said, does it make sense to you?"


*  *

Halima sighed. Jun seemed to be far too kind for her own good. "If you must, I'll open it in case they're a threat. It seems my sensing is a bit off here. I must be getting soft.." She stepped, or rather floated over to the door to cautiously open it.

Cassie hesitated for a long moment, and then nodded slowly. "I.. y-you're right... I'm sorry..." Of course he was right. She'd known what kind of man her father had been, yet she allowed his words to affect her still. Her mother would be mortified to think she was blaming herself for her death. "Let's... let's go back..."

Jun moved slowly to the door. Swallowing thickly she looked at Halima and nodded. As soon as the door opened Jun tensed up. She saw laying on the ground, weak and in considerable pain, the creature that has been chasing her. however to look at it was like almost seeing something out of the corner of your eye. She couldn't quite make it out. The closer she got to it the more she couldn't quite look at it. 

Jun knelt down beside it and placed a hand on the creatures shoulder. Her head suddenly snapped back as a rush of energy penetrated her body. Memories flooded her mind. Her friends, Cassie and Talbaza, Her life at Tokyo University, Her Uncle Akuma and her father Shen Long. Her Cousin Goki. 

She looked down at the creature before her and the haze lifted. She could see him now. No the menacing creature that was stalking her, but her cousin. The troubled young man she's been trying to help for years. He was seriously injured. Some kind of animal claw and bite marks. Some kind of black ooze was come out of them. 

Jun looked to Halima, "He's hurt, what do I do?"

Talbaza didn't consider himself 'wise' like elder Loraine, his mother or others but he had been told he was for his age at times. He wasn't entirely sure he believed that but if it could come in and help like at the moment he was all too happy for it. Cassie obviously had a lot of other issues to be worked out and he wanted to help his friend the best he could.

"No. You're fine. I blame your father for putting those type of ideas in your head. Jun needs us there..but Cassie if you ever need to talk me and Jun will be there if you need it. I'd hate for you to do something to yourself."

* *

The woman would have frowned if their features in this form would allow such a thing as they kept on high alert for anything out of the ordinary. That wasn't saying as much due to the nature of the spiritual and mental maze they were going to, it changed and shifted with the moment.

I sense something different, I can't place it..

It was the creature again, though this time she didn't go to stop Jun. She didn't sense hostile intent but that didn't mean as much, she was just prepared to act at a moments notice. Soon though, it revealed to be a young man instead.

This was unusual but not unheard of. Numerous times people took quite a different shape in the spiritual realm either by their own self or some outside force. Still, it seemed the being in front of them was a person that needed help rather then the many countless spiritual monsters she had to fight in her many years

"This is a curious case.."

The energy she felt put her ill at ease, if she was not mistaken she felt a touch of divine. She was not too keen on fighting a divine being possibly even if she had before in her milluem of living. Halima approached cautiously, placing a hand their shoulder.

She then pulled away, silent. "Let me do it, this is something I was specially made to do. Give me a moment to turn into my human form, it take a more delicate hand.."

The creature before Jun began to change, shrouded in some dark energy when it died down showed a middle aged woman with dark skin, long white hair and red eyes wearing some kind of unique dress. The more notable feature were the ears being longer then normal.

Without another word she crouched down, closing her eyes as her hands began to glow a soft green color. "This young man you see before you is possed by a very powerful spirit, but not just any but divine. It will take me time to mend this damage, but it can be done and the rest will have to be up to him. You probably have many questions, I'll answer what I can.."

She paused in her thoughts. "I can take out of his spiritual scape now but I suspect you want wait a bit longer to see the progress?"

Cassie shifted a bit at that, then nodded. "I understand... thank you, Talbaza..." She paused, and then nodded again, more firmly. "Right! Let's go see Jun. Even if there isn't anything I can do to help, I want to at least be there for her!"

Jun nodded, "Do what you can for him. I do have many questions but I fear those will have to wait. This boy is I believe my cousin. Memories are returning but it's hard. Like trying to see through fog." She moved to take the boy into the bathroom. As far as she knew it was the only safe place in this house for now. 

Jun Drained the bathtub and made sure it was clean and dry. The towels were all dirty and would not be a good idea to bandage him with. So she tore more fabric off her outfit and started to help out the woman.

Jun cocked her head to the side for a moment. "You say we're on the Spiritual Plane? This has never happened to me before. Something powerful must have brought us here. Any idea what that might be?" She wanted to help the boy and get out of here. Remembering home and friends she knew she had.

"Just keep that in mind for the next time you doubt yourself." Talbaza was glad at least one crisis had been adverted, though he still worried. If he hadn't come in time she really could have killed herself. Pretty much all people had a strong self preservation instinct so that meant there was some bad trauma going on her past, her mental break down from earlier didn't help.

Still, it was something for later. It may be a good idea for Cassie to meet his mother, he intended for Jun and Cassie to meet them soon anyway,

When they arrived, he asked the nearest doctor. "Has there been any change?"

* *

Halima worked idly, she was mostly silent. For the most part the hardest part was done far as the entrance level. "I came here willingly to help, but its odd you were brought here. Typically you have to be higher spiritually aware or brought here. It seems in case its the later, by what I'm not entirely sure. I do know it connects to that young man and this particularly home plane."

Cassie fidgeted, standing in the corner of the room and seemingly refusing to get closer to Jun. It seemed she was still worried, despite Talbaza's assurances that she had nothing to do with Jun's condition.

The nurse stood when they walked into the room. She smiled. "No change in her condition yet. All we can do now is continue to run tests and monitor her." She gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I wish I had more news." She then moved over and checked Jun's vitals.

***

Jun nodded "Oh I agree. Something is keeping us here. Though I know not what." She noticed Goki moving. "Oh he's awake!" She called. Then she heard movement behind her. She jumped when a young boy stepped out from behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" For all intents and purposes he looked like a young boy. However, it was the eyes that betrayed it's true nature. They were burning red and almost reptilian. Goki sat up in the bathtub and pointed. "Who are you? Why can't I remember?" he said.

Talbaza was disapointed at the news, but there was nothing for it, while he couldn't do anything for Jun at the moment he could do something for Cassie if not much and that was act as emotional support. He really did worry about her after what happened, hopefully Jun would pull through.

So without a word, he pulled a seat by Cassie and waited along with her.

* *

The older woman was about to remind Jun she could leave, but she wasn't sure about Jun. She wanted to make sure it didn't cause any ill effects. When dealing with things like this one had to be cautious since simply pulling Jun out could cause harm, if they had some something extra she hadn't forseen.

When the stranger appeared, Halima regarded them cautiously. "Giving the boy his life back, I honestly should be asking you."