– 5 –

"I can't believe you would let her do that!" Ren's muffled shout sounded as if it came from another room.

Jingwen's voice was carefully controlled. "I didn't. You saw what she was like. Why didn't you stop her?"

"She was out of the door before I realized it. It nearly killed me to get my weapon back. I had to use it as a crutch to get there."

"You shouldn't have come in your condition."

Hikari's arms and legs stung as sensation slowly returned. Each joint ached as if it had been stretched beyond its capacity, as if all the pieces of her body were only loosely connected. She lay on something soft, surrounded by the familiar smells of her house. She was so exhausted that she couldn't move and lacked even the strength to open her eyes.

"And you let her close the rupture?" Ren asked.

Jingwen's voice trembled faintly. "She shouldn't have been capable of doing that. It would have been impossible for most Awakened to close such a rupture alone."

"You shouldn't have allowed her to try."

"Who could have stopped her?"

"But a rupture that size! She could have burned up entirely."

Jingwen's voice dropped until it was nearly a whisper. "I thought she had. She was completely attuned. I swear that at one point she had dissolved into the Sacred Fire... Then she just turned it off! I've never heard of anyone doing that."

"Even so... look at her." Ren sounded sad.

"Everything is changing, first the Corruption, now her." Jingwen drifted off into silence, then after a moment he muttered, "I don't think I'll be able to sleep with that light."

"She will have to be retired now." Ren snapped.

"But look." Jingwen's voice drew closer. She caught a whiff of cigarettes and green tea. "The light has begun to fade."

Hikari shivered. Much of the numb tingling had turned into a penetrating chill.

"She's still cold. I better get another futon." Ren groaned as if rising.

"Let me." Jingwen left, then returned. Hikari felt the weight of the futon settle on her. "Notice how even her chill has improved."

So. I'm alive, Hikari thought slowly. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

* * *

Hikari didn't leave her bed for three days.

Relief, guilt and anger were all stirred together in Ren's expression as she served Hikari her meals and nursed her back to health. Ren spoke very little and then only in short formal phrases.

When she could stand, Hikari staggered into the kitchen while Ren cooked. "Are you making Miso? I'm starving."

Ren glared and sat a bowl before Hikari. "What were you thinking, rushing off to fight the Corruption like that?"

Hikari carefully blew on a spoonful of soup and then slurped it up before responding. "That I was one of the Awakened."

Ren's entire body tensed. She leaned slowly forward and pressed her palms down on the countertop. Her eyebrows formed a sharp V on her forehead. "That is no reason to get yourself killed! From what Jingwen-san said, you nearly burned up on your first time out."

A crooked smile slipped out on Hikari's face. "First time? Does that mean there will be a second?"

"It does not! You are finished. Your career is now over before it could begin."

Hikari slurped another spoonful of soup and swallowed her irritation. "What does that matter? You said yourself that I'm likely to die in the next few years anyway."

Ren's normally soft voice rose in volume. She sounded like an angry parent. "But you don't have to! We've been teaching you techniques to forestall that. At this rate — even retired — you'll never make it to next year, much less graduation."

The thought that even that might be denied her, stung Hikari. She slammed a palm on the countertop. Her bowl jumped and Miso sloshed over the side. "You're not my mother!" Angry tears rose as she shouted. "I don't have a mother anymore! I don't have a family! The Corruption took them away from me... my old school, my friends, my life. It took everything I had!"

Ren blanched and rocked backward.

"All I have left is the Sacred Fire! All I am is a spark in this secret war. If I'm going to die anyway, shouldn't it be at a time and in a manner of my choosing?"

Ren's mouth gaped. She closed it and turned to clean. She didn't have anything to say. Under the circumstances, what could be said anyway?

Hikari defiantly returned to her breakfast. Perhaps, when she had been drawn into the Sacred Fire, it would have been better to just let everything go.

* * *

Hikari didn't return to school for a week. Her homeroom teacher, having heard she was sick, sent the class handouts to Hikari at home and Nobu was chosen to deliver them.

Ren took great delight in inviting Nobu inside each time he appeared at their door with papers in hand and a nervous smile flickering on his face.

After the first day, Ren always made sure she had some snacks and a fresh pot of tea at hand. He showed up faithfully every day. By the time Hikari was ready to return to school, he had grown comfortable enough to talk to Ren in a somewhat relaxed and unguarded manner. Hikari enjoyed seeing a side of Nobu that no one at school got to see. He was always so calm, cool and collected there.

When the day finally arrived when Hikari could return to school, she stepped into the classroom and called out a customary greeting. "Ohayo gozaimasu!"

Her friends squealed.

"Hika-chan is back!" Tomomi shouted and flung herself at Hikari, wrapping her in a hug. She looked back at Mizuki "Mizu-chan, come join us!"

Laughing, Mizuki skipped over. "We're so glad you're better!"

Hikari felt warm and happy and a little uncomfortable with all the clinging attention.

Etsuko's smile was strangely free of irony. "Welcome back." She turned to Nobu. "Want to get in on some of this skinship?"

Nobu looked up his face reddening. Etsuko laughed.

"Of course he will, now that they are dating," Tomomi said with complete sincerity and way, way, w-a-y too loudly.

"It must have been nice, having your boyfriend visiting your house every day to take care of you?" Etsuko said in a sly tone. "I'm sure you two grew much closer. Did anything happen that you can't talk about?"

Hikari's heart raced. How should she answer that? How could she! Fearing Nobu might be angry at the presumption, she shot him a nervous glance. "Oh! But we're not dating—" She almost added —yet. That would have been disastrous! She blushed at the thought.

Etsuko must have read the word in Hikari's eyes. "Yet!" She helpfully added, her own eyes dancing with glee.

Hikari's cheeks grew even hotter. She sent another anxious glance Nobu's way.

His hand covered his mouth and he turned away with an unconvincing cough. Is he blushing too? She wondered. Is he angry? What does he think about this?

"Something must have happened," Etsuko said.

"You two are so cute!" Tomomi shouted.

Those few classmates not listening in on the conversation turned toward them.

Hikari cringed at Tomomi's loud enthusiasm, but a small part of her was pleased. Mizuki caught her eye whenHikari had recovered enough to look back up.

"You are coming to karaoke with us this Saturday, ne? Nobu-kun told us you would."

Nobu had said that her classmates were determined to throw her a welcome back party since they had missed the chance when she had first arrived. He had brought it up in the final days of her recovery and Ren had been distraught to hear that Hikari had used her as an excuse to avoid it. She insisted that Hikari would go to this party.

Hikari gave the girls a brief nod. "Hai."

"I can't wait until Saturday," Etsuko said with a suggestive smile.

Mizuki clapped her hands and laughed. "I'm so excited!"

To her surprise, Hikari discovered she felt the same way.

* * *

Hikari chose to wear a skirt. Because she rode on the back of Nobu's motorcycle, it was a short one. She was also forced to ride "side saddle" and cling to Nobu, which would have been much more pleasant if the wind weren't running its icy fingers up her thighs. She didn't have any weapons on her, but since she had closed the eruption and no more corrupted had been seen, she figured she could relax a little.

When he was called back to China to report to the Jade Lotus, Jingwen had assured her that once an eruption had been closed, new ones hardly ever re-occurred in the same location. Hopefully, they would not see any more corrupted in a long time and Ren would calm down and forget this retirement business. If anyone should retire it was Ren.

Hikari felt perfectly normal, but Ren's burning eyes continued to disturb Hikari. She was determined to protect Ren from burnout. If any more corrupted appeared, Hikari would get to them first. She certainly wouldn't let Ren try to cleanse anyone.

Nobu stopped at a brand new karaoke place crammed into a small storefront. Even though the Karaoke boxes were small, it seemed half of her class had crammed inside.

"Hika-chan!" Mizuki shouted as she entered.

Tomomi leaped up from a bench where two boys leaned in on either side of her. "You're here!" She hugged Hikari and guided her across the room to a seat among the girls then sat with her. Mizuki made sure Nobu sat next to her.

Everyone treated Her and Nobu like they were already dating and, though they both blushed constantly, neither of them denied it. Even though Hikari enjoyed the laughing and joking and singing, she couldn't wait for it to be over. She kept hoping Nobu would ask her to step out of the room for his confession. She wanted to make it all official.

The karaoke box also had a movieoke options. Kiyoshi and one of the other boys played a sex comedy movie quoting — and often misquoting — the dialog until they finally gave up and began creating their own absurd lines. Kiyoshi took on the women's roles and, in a high falsetto, reduced everyone to tears of laughter.

Nobu had just returned with their drinks and handed her another soda. Hikari sipped and a nauseating stench of corruption shivered through her. She sat the glass down and rose.

"What?" Nobu asked.

Hikari had to bend and put her mouth to his ear. "I have to go. It's only for a moment."

"I have to go too," Nobu said. "I'll go with you.

What a time for him to make a kokuhaku, she thought. "It's OK. I'll be right back." She gestured for him to remain and hurried out of the karaoke box. She was halfway down the hallway when Nobu stepped out behind her.

"Hikari-chan! Wait a second."

"I'm really quite sorry!"

"What is it?"

"It's Ren. She needs my help."

"Again?"

Hikari glanced back. Nobu stood in the hallway with a dismayed expression. "This is a really bad one," she said.

"Bad what?"

"Stay here," she repeated and ran outside.

He must have sprinted down the hallway after her. Nobu hit the front door just as she leaped out into the narrow street which sloped down toward Inasanohama beach a few blocks to the west. She let out a trickle of power and sped away faster than he could hope to follow. She heard a faint wordless shout of surprise in the distance as she crossed the highway bordering the beach.

She dodged a metal fence that looked like it had been constructed from leftover highway guardrails and raced across a parking lot. Somehow, despite the moonless night, her enhanced vision picked out Ren's wooden geta placed neatly together at the blacktop's edge. A faint line of footprints that barely disturbed the sand, pointed toward the waterline.

Where is she? Hikari looked up and down the beach but saw only the crashing waves sparkle in the gloom.

Nobu's Vespa whined into the parking lot behind her. She had to pick a direction.

"Hikari-chan! What's wrong?"

"Go back, baka!" she shouted.

"If you're in trouble, let me help!" Nobu stumbled through the sand as fast as he could manage.

"You can't do anything here. Go back before you get yourself killed." Hikari released another trickle of power and raced away. She found Ren's footsteps again and followed them toward an enormous boulder near the waterline.

Ren stood on the seaward side of the stone, naginata in hand, staring out over the water. Her head snapped toward Hikari as she rounded the rock. "Hikari! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help."

The figure of a woman — dark, slender, and slimy — rose slowly from the water and strode methodically towards land.

"You can do nothing here," Ren said softly. "Go back while you still can."

"You're going to need my help. Even I can sense how big this is!"

More heads lifted above the water, more dark and glistening female shapes whose slow march toward the beach was joined by an increasing number of invaders. Some of these new creatures had spindly child-like arms, swollen legs and distended bellies. Their tall pointed heads had an angular ridge running up the front like the prow of a ship. Distorted —almost comical— faces were stretched across it like carnival masks.

Hikari sensed even more corrupted approaching from within the water.

"You're going to need my help. You can't fight all of these alone."

"With what? You're unarmed."

Shit! She's right. Looking for anything she could use as a weapon, Hikari saw only a single fist- sized rock.

With a chuff of sand from stumbling feet, Nobu gasped up from behind. "What's going on?"

"Nobu!" Hikari warned.

Like the demonic Hannya mask of a Noh play, Ren turned a rage-distorted face on Hikari. "What have you done?" she shouted. "How could you bring him here? You idiot! Are you trying to get him killed beside you?"

"I d-didn't— He j-just—" She froze in shocked incomprehension. Hikari had never seen Ren this angry before. It was as if her friend, mentor and surrogate mother had suddenly been consumed by the Corruption itself.

A deep- throated warbling gurgle rose over the crashing waves. A dozen figures turned into two dozen, then fifty. Large masculine figures covered in barnacle-like growths and bearing arms like clubs marched behind the others. They were accompanied by bloated women, their abdomens split open while shadowy tentacled creatures wore them like ill-fitting suits.

Nobu's voice shuddered. "What is this? What are these things?"

One of the earlier female shapes, with lank seaweed- like hair covering her face, staggered past the waterline and drew much too near. Ren hefted her naginata and gave it a nervous spin. "Hikari, take Nobu-kun and get out of here."

Hikari snatched up the rock at her feet, supercharged it with a blast of the Sacred Fire, and flung it at the closest attacker. The rock glowed like a comet and thudded into the creature's chest. The monster leaned back and thrashed about with a high piercing shriek. The rock burned through its body and fell hissing out of its backside. The woman- shaped creature collapsed and burst into flames. None of its fellow attackers seemed to notice.

The Sacred Fire surged inside Hikari, filling her body with its power. By drawing on that limitless supply, she felt could handle most of the attackers alone — even without a weapon. It wouldn't be easy against those numbers — especially the big monsters — but with pinpoint focus, she should be able to take them. A smirk stretched the corner of her mouth as an eagerness to test that idea rose up inside her.

"What the Hell?" Nobu whispered.

A shape like the back of a whale surfaced above the waves. A massive pair of shoulders belonging to a thing that had clearly never been human rose up from the ocean. A tiny head was lost on top and the torso beneath didn't look strong enough to carry this rapidly approaching new nightmare. It raised a pair of enormous arms that bore claws large enough to cut a small car in half.

Its mounting power slammed into Hikari's senses like a landslide. Fighting it was clearly impossible. Not even by using every spark of the Sacred Fire could she hope to stand against it for a moment.

Ren turned back to Hikari. Her furrowed brow softened and her apologetic smile spoke volumes that Hikari didn't want to read.

Ren tossed Hikari her tanto. "Take Nobu-kun and go. Please." Then she turned her naginata upside down and cut a slit up to her thigh in her precious kimono. She looked back to the water, spun her weapon one- handed and widened her stance.

Hikari looked into Nobu's wide eyes and caught the short blade's handle as it flew to her hand. Behind her, tongues of flame erupted along Ren's naginata and illuminated Nobu's stunned face.

Ren spun her pole weapon and it became a whirling disk of fire. The nightmare tide rose up and collapsed against it, shrieking while another wave followed behind. Ren drew ever more power from the Sacred Fire and her surrounding sphere of light expanded, bleaching the shoreline in all directions. Every corrupted member of that massive army turned toward the blinding glare.

Behind Hikari, along the cement path bordering the edge of the beach, a line of dark figures shuffled toward them. She could smell the stink of the Corruption on them even without her enhanced senses. She grabbed Nobu's hand and jerked him back from the water. He hissed in pain and she relaxed her crushing grip a bit while she dragged him trippingly through the sand.

Hikari cast one last aching glance over her shoulder as Ren disappeared from view behind the rock. She blazed brightly like a lone sparkler flaring as it goes out. Hikari charged her short blade with power and let go of Nobu's hand. The other corrupted were getting close and he was slowing her. She needed all her speed and maneuverability to deal with them.

"What?" Nobu's voice trembled on the edge of hysteria.

While carefully tracking their approach and monitoring their distances, rates of approach and lines of attack she said, "Stay behind me!" The corrupted were close enough that she could tell they were not ordinary corrupted people.

Since when did corrupted people become ordinary?

They were the same nightmare figures the sea had vomited up.

Hikari seized all the power she could reach and it roared up inside her. She charged forward and leaped into their midst, her short blade carving up the night with blazing arcs of flame.

Hikari killed a handful then dove through a gap in the closing circle of enemies. She hit the ground behind them and rolled back onto her feet. Dancing around her enemies, she slashed and ducked and dodged while cutting them down one by one. Suddenly they all lay motionless on the ground before her. She scanned the night for more enemies, her lungs heaving like a pair of bellows, and she tried to control her breathing.

Nobu trotted up beside her. "That was amazing! You are amazing!"

A flash of light caught the corner of Hikari's eye. They both looked oceanward. A column of flame rose to the sky, illuminating the underside of the low heavy clouds with an orange glow. Just visible at the edge of the boulder, a thick carpet of corrupted bodies lay fanned out before Ren. Hikari guessed that two-thirds of the invaders had died, but the largest and strongest — including the giant hulk whose feet sank deep into the packed sand at the waterline as it approached — had yet to attack.

Now that Nobu is safe, I should go back. "Stay here," she told Nobu. "I'm going to—"

A paralyzing brilliance exploded behind them. The ground leaped beneath their feet with a deep boom that struck the bones without seeming to pass through flesh. Blinking through watering eyes, Hikari focused her enhanced senses on the cloudy blue-green afterimage. The ocean, having retreated far from the shore, rushed in to fill the massive crater where the beach had been.

Nobu sat up, blinking and searching in the general direction of the beach. "Wha— what happened?"

Hikari tried to speak but it was as if splinters of glass had lodged in her throat. Her worst fears returned on an avalanche of silent self-condemnation. This was the nightmare she had dreamed about. She should have known this would happen. She had known!

That sad smile. Ren had been saying goodbye.

"She's gone," Hikari rasped. "The Sacred Fire consumed her."

"Is that the magic that you use?"

Hikari's breath came out in a rush and suddenly she couldn't catch it. "It's not... It's..." she gasped and dropped to one knee panting and shivered from the cold.

"Are you OK?"

Hikari closed her eyes and focused on the breathing techniques from her neijing waigong exercises. She couldn't let herself think of anything else. When her breath slowed, Nobu took her hand and he helped her rise to her feet. They stood together in silence at the edge of the beach's narrow remains. The last glow of the explosion's afterimage, their retina's fading memory of light, dissolved in the gathering darkness.

Small craters spat upwards from the sand around them with a growing hiss like approaching rain. Something tapped Hikari's head and glittering colored splinters poured over them. They shattered across the pavement at their feet with the musical tinkle of chimes.

Hikari looked up to the night sky from which frozen drops of molten sand rained down like tears of glass.