Stumbling slightly as she breathed the stinging fumes, Mokoto’s eyes flicked around the clearing. A cough tore out of her chest as she tried to clear her lungs of the stench. Cupping her hands around her mouth for what seemed like the thousandth time, she called out. “VENUS! WHERE ARE YOU?” The icy grip of fear in her belly continued to constrict. Hot bile threatened to rise in her throat as she took in the devastated area. The very ground was smoldering slightly, wisps of smoke trailed from innumerable craters in the dirt. Trees were shattered and tossed around as if the fist of God had uprooted them from their places, leaving great gouges in the earth.
The sound of a light moan drifting from a pile of debris caught her attention, whipping her head around. Mokoto’s legs pumped as she ran towards the sound, a silent prayer on her lips that she had found her friend. Digging her hands into the loamy soil, her arms strained as she dug furiously. A grunt escaped her as a blackened chunk of tree was tossed aside into the park. A glimpse of orange caught her eye and her efforts redoubled. The clearing was filled with the sound of her exertion and debris flying around.
Minako slowly swam back through the inky black mists of unconsciousness. ’What happened? Where am I?’ Fragments of images and emotions flashed through her mind.
Pain, flaring in her back as the tree tore her skin as she was ripped from the ground.
Fear, coursing through her body as she flew through the trees.
Hope, when she saw Pluto slam her staff into the creature’s leg, spinning it off into a tree.
Horror, as Pluto viciously brutalized the creature, repeatedly smashing the Garnet Rod into its body, shattering its body.
Terror, as an edge of the Rod tore a jagged hole in the creature’s leg. A scream tore itself out of her throat. ’Is she going to stop?’
A groan escaped from her mouth as she was sat up. Grabbing her throbbing head in her hands, she tried to concentrate on the sound beating at the edge of her fragile consciousness.
Makoto tossed a final branch over her shoulder and drug Minako up to a sitting position. “Are you ok Venus?” Running her hands quickly over Minako, checking for wounds, she was only met with a groan. Her fingers slipped into the tear on Minako’s back, a relieved sigh escaping her when she saw the wound was nothing more than a rapidly healing gouge. “Can you stand Venus?” Again not getting a response, her hands turned Minako to look at her. She was met with a confused blink.
Minako blinked and spoke. “Huh?” a pair of arms wrapped her in a tight hug. Wrapping her arms around her friend, a few tears slipped from her eyes. “I was so scared!
Mokoto let her friend sob into her shoulder for a moment, buried in the relief that her friend was still alive. The embrace continued for a few moments before she lifted Minako to her feet. “We have to get back Venus.” A nod was the only response and they slowly walked out of the clearing, still in each other’s arms.
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Mon, 24 May 2004 21:19)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.