Chasing a Rabbit by the Tail

Her look of shock and amazement didn't leave when she explained their purpose to her. She shook the hand of the new woman with her free hand, being careful not to drop the food. This was all so much to take in, but it just made Luna and her friends look that much more incredible. She took a seat next to Luna on the plane, buckling up and placing her food on the nearby seat.

"So you guys are like, not only agents, but one big database! Do you guys collect things like that, like, just because? Are you one of those super secret agencies that's trying to shift humanity towards a better future?!? Aahh~ This whole thing's like something out of a comic book!"

She felt the plane rumble underneath them for a moment, perhaps from taking off. As soon as it did, she felt a coughing fit rumble from inside of her, covering her mouth like she normally does. She was surprised she had gone this long without one. When she pulled her hand back, there was small traces of blood. "D-Don't worry, Miss Luna....t-this is...normal." Didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell, but she was used to that, too.

"Strange, I've never heard of someone refer us as a database before, though the description isn't wholly inaccurate."  Luna giggled softly.  "Although we work on have staple and more sustainable civilizations, it is not just humanity.  Though we do have to be mindful of the effects of our presense o-"

Luna paused as Ryofu started a coughing fit which ended up with some blood on her hand.  The attempt that assurance that this is normal only caused Luna's concern to grow.  If this is normal, then Ryofu was in a worse condition than I thought.  The coughing also caught the attention of the blue-haired woman that was seated nearby.  

"May I diagnose you before we arrive?"

She wasn't exactly sure what Luna was going to do on this plane, but she trusted her enough to see whatever she was planning. She didn't know anything about this other woman, but if she was a friend of Luna's, then there wasn't any problem.

After the coughing fit stopped, she nodded. "S-Sure...I'm not against, anything you two c-can think of. What...do you need me, to do?"

"Just lie still.  You may feel a chill for a while."  The woman maad a motion with her hand with the blue orb that was floating near her following her hand motion.  She guided the orb near Ryofu before it slowly makes contact with her.  The toushi would feel a cool sensation, almost as if she is being soaked by cold water at where the orb pressed against her.  Seconds later, the orb sunk right through her and Ryofu felt a cold sensation briefly within her.  Fortunately, there was no pain involved.

Moments later, the blue orb withdraws from her body though slightly diluted in a bit of red before it floated away from the 3 of them.  "This should help us determine the best solution for you.  Just do not accidentally touch the orb."

Luna smiled at the woman before she turned towards Ryofu.  "Medea is one of our medic assisting the 3 of us."

Media smiled and bows her head with both of her hands together. "Sa~ A pleasure to meet you."

Medea:

She watched the orb floating with her movements, curious about what she was planning. Ryofu jumped a little at the touch, the sudden cold feeling enough to catch her off guard. It grew throughout her body when the orb seemed to sink into her, enough to cause a shiver.

Thankfully, it didn't last long, and the orb left her, coming out with a slight reddish tint. Was her blood in that? Her comment about not touching it made her think so. She wasn't quite sure what just happened, but chances are it was going to help them.

"N-Nice to meet you, M-Miss Medea!" she said through a shiver as her body heat was starting to form back through her. "S-So, what was, all of that, anyway?"

"It is to draw some samples from you.  It serves to provide those that aid, to help heal you~Han."  Medea kept her hands together as she looked like she was reciting something while her voice had a unique lilt almost as if she was singing.  

"Medea is drawing a small amount of your blood, water, and lung sample.  It should provide my colleagues on the best procedure." Luna explained Medea's words while smiling at Ryofu.  "I would provide you with a blanket after that, but we are not allowed to stand up while we are in flight unless it is important.  My apologies."  Luna's gaze moved towards the a compartment at the other end of the skycraft interior.

So they had taken a little blood from her. Usually, when doctors did that, it was by needle or something, and it always hurt. This didn't hurt at all, though, even if she still had that chill through her body. She examined the orb, that reddish tint that ran through it starting to make a little more sense.

"I-I see...well, as long as it helps, I guess." She said, trying to warm herself a little. She knew it probably wasn't a great idea to start moving around in a moving plane, so she understood. "D-Don't worry, I'll...be fine. A-A little cold won't bother me, too much."

"Our distance is not too far from the hospital. You with have warmth soon." Medea recites.

"In the meanwhile though, anything you wish to tell us of yourself and where you are from, Ryofu? I believe we've only touched on your background a bit." Luna inquired curiously, her long rabbit ears straightened up slightly. She decided to try to distract Ryofu from the cold she is feeling. They've only touched on where she is from the last time they've spoken.

"G-Good. I-I'm fine, really, I just..can't get warm, for some reason." She said, shivering still a little and rubbing her arms a little in hopes of getting some heat out of it.

Luna's question was enough to get her to stop, though. "A-About me? Well...there's not a whole lot, to tell, really..." She thought back to her own world, her own history. Thinking about it now made her feel...dirty, honestly. But, if it was Luna asking, then she wasn't going to say no.

"I don't know all of the exact details, but...about, 1800 years ago, I think? Around that, anyway. A country called China waged war with itself with all sorts of warlords, strategists, soldiers, you name it, all for the reformation of the country. And, their souls live on in their ancestors, increasing their need to fight, and conquer, but also forcing them to live out the same fates as their ancestors. Both their lives, and their deaths."

She put a hand on her chest. "I am also part of that fate. We call those that have these abilities and blood, 'Toushi'. Mine was apparently some great warrior that leveled armies on his own, and was a name to be feared. He shared mine, but history was never exactly my strong point. Every Toushi has one of these as well." She slipped her hand down her clothes to pull out a small gemstone, bright green like her hair and well kept.

She removed her hand from her chest, sliding the gemstone back down into her clothes, and looked up to the two of them. "The essence of all of these warriors was spread amongst their descendants. And all of them were gathered in 7 schools across China. Every...I want to say 2 years or so? They all fight for dominance. The school that controls all of the essences controls the entire country, basically. It's supposed to be some kind of semi-controlled fighting tournament, but what it actually ends up being is a massive gang war all over the country. It's wild, uncontrolled, and dangerous, for everyone."

"I was part of Rakuyou Academy, and the previous winner, Toutaku..." The pair may notice the little telltale signs of anger in her voice and movements at the very mention of that name, enough to cause her teeth and hands to clench. "...was running things. Even if things were suppposed to be equal, he had all of the other schools in a vicegrip and got to do what he wanted. He...got me enrolled there, when he learned I was a Toushi, but it wasn't really a formal education. I was...a tool for him, like all the other Toushi..." Her voice trailed off in a mix of emotions. Anger, sadness, regret...and even a little hatred.

Both Medea and Luna stayed silent as Ryofu told them the tale of the war that once had originated in her land of China with rapt interest. Luna noticed that the action of trying to unify that land by force ended up dividing their land further.

Then when Ryofu explained that precedent of that war had carried over to their ancestors. Even when more than a millennium had passed, the war still continued despite that the era Ryofu had lived in may have rendered the reason to fight moot. Medea, in particular, was particularly touched as she could not stop a few traces of tears falling down her cheeks.

Then the mood shifted again, this time to this individual whom Ryofu clearly despise. Luna had heard pieces of the story before when they were dining but not that part of the detail. She found that part of the story quite sad as this Toutaku had somewhat united things but the result was far uglier than perhaps the ancestors had anticipated.

However, the reaction from Medea was a far stark difference from her crying self, making the sudden of it an extreme juxtapose of moods. Though she still held her herself calmly, her vocal response was anything but. "He is fortunate that he is in another land...otherwise..." Malice was practically oozing from her words magnifying the almost palpable cold anger that was coming from her. Even her eyes had metaphorically hardened to ice.

Luna was quick to notice this from the usual tranquil water medic and places her hand on her shoulder. "Medea. we cannot focus on exacting revenge but to make sure we educate people so this does not happen again. To do so, would trap you in a cycle you cannot escape."

Slowly but visible, Medea's expression softened down to her normal characteristic, though there was a trace of remorse. "I apologize..." There was a remnant of resentment that remained, but sorrow and regret were the predominant emotions within her voice.

Ryofu's body language had changed since the start of her story. She hadn't expected such a reaction from the nurse, that's for sure. Her tone was radiating violence, and it was enough to send a shiver down her spine, at least from the short time it was on her face.

"You don't have to worry about that, at least. He is fortunate that he is long since dead, truly. Did Miss Luna mention that I had...died, before? My first death, was at his hands. I had attempted to take him down with me, but...all I did was weaken him. But, wow, did it feel good."

She slumped back into her seat. "Truth be told...I enrolled into that school with another. She was...a childhood friend of mine. We'd always had each other." A small blush crossed her face. "We...loved each other...I put up with that asshole because of her. So that we could stay together. She wanted the truth of it all, though. She felt like the whole thing was pointless, which it was, and that there had to be something pulling the strings. She got to close to Toutaku's secret...and then...and then..." The two would notice one of Ryofu's hands violently crackling with chi, almost by pure anger.

"They...They..." she couldn't even verbalize it. The visage will forever haunt her. They hadn't just killed her. They had violated her, as an example. Ryofu felt her arm uncontrollably swing behind her, slamming into the metal of the aircraft and leaving a small indent. The impact was enough to make her hand bleed, but she didn't seem to notice it. Her face was in a snarl of pure anger and hatred.

"When I lost her, I no longer cared about anything! All I cared about was seeing that bastard dead! I knew I stood no chance, but I didn't care about that! All that was left was making him suffer, and I didn't even care that I was rushing to my death!"

Her outburst was enough to leave her winded, and as she came off of her emotional high, she started to realize what just happened and retracted a good deal into herself, feeling extremely embarrassed. "I...I'm so sorry...I...my past is..a touchy subject, for me..." she said, cradling her now damaged hand as she suddenly felt the pain from her earlier action.

It has been a hurricane of emotions after that. Luna and Medea were able to connect the dots, reacting in their respective way. Luna expressed pure sorrow that such a horrific act was committed and Medea's expressed the same chilling rage, only tampered down by the knowledge that man was dead; Medea's tears still came through, an intermixing rage and sorrow. Who knew Ryofu's homeland was so...dark.

After the two had finally calmed down, Luna was the first to speak. "Ryofu...I...my heart-felt condolences to you...words are not enough to express...the sorrow for everything that...you've been through." It was the only thing that could be said. Medea nodded in a slow reaffirmation through teary eyes and drenched cheeks, though saying nothing. Luna had spoken for both of them.

She floated another blue orb near Ryofu, this time near her hand before surrounding it. The sensation wasn't as cold as the first orb before, just slightly cool but also comfortable. Slowly the pain on her hand started to sooth and the wound started to seal.

She accepted the orb as it encapsulated her hand, numbing the pain a little after her outburst. The impact had been enough to rattle her whole arm and leave it sore, not just the hand that collided with metal. Her breathing was still heightened after her display. It always got her heart going...whenever she remembered that.

Slowly, she calmed herself, her breathing returning to normal as she pushed down all of those feelings. All of those horrible mental images. "I...thank you...both of you. I really appreciate it." She slowly moved her hand within the orb, feeling decidedly numb but not unpleasant.

"Me rushing at Toutaku was...the last thing I remember before I died. I still remember his pissed off face. Made the whole thing worthwhile. I could go out knowing that I'd put him down myself. I'd...defied my fate. Apparently my ancestor died, betrayed by his. And this time, I took him down as he took my life. That was...where my story was supposed to end. But, I guess fate had other plans."

She looked over to where she had collided her arm with the metal, the impact leaving quite the imprint. "Oh, uh...sorry, about that."

"Perhaps the fact that you have killed your betrayer may have caused your fate to become juxtaposed, into our realm." Luna surmised. "While there will never be a way for us to know for sure. It is an interesting thought." The moon rabbit, however, looked troubled for some reason, her eyes averted outside towards the sky through the window.

Medea was a bit quiet as she continued to tend to Ryofu's hand. Slowly the numbing drifted upward along Ryofu's arm but not too far before the orb withdraws. The numbness resided leaving behind Ryofu feeling most of her arms being well again and the bleeding healed. She looked as if she is trying to keep herself calm amidst the dark tales.

As Medea pulled back the orb off of Ryofu's hand, she could feel her hand healing. The injuries had been entirely healed, from the outward cuts to the internal pain that spiked up her arm. It feel cool, and relaxed, and not quite like the numbness that had occurred earlier. It was as if that accident hadn't happened at all, as the pain had all but vanished.

Ryofu was able to see the look on the young nurse's face, though. It was one of barely held back emotions. She seemed...unable to truly control her emotions. She figured it was probably best that the story stopped there. She had cut out a good deal just from that example, and there was still more to tell after her first "death", but she worried she'd end up breaking from it all. She didn't really want to make someone cry, just from hearing about her past.

She placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "Hey, don't...worry, too much about my past, alright? I'm not going to focus on it too much, and I don't want you worrying about it either. Okay?" She said, trying to make a warm smile for the girl.

"If you wish, I will try to not think of it."  Medea promised, the rhythm of her usual speech recitation returning.  She didn't sound like she was quite back to where she was before though.  Luna simply watched the interaction between Ryofu and Medea before she looked at the fist imprint that the toushi left behind.  More than ever, she wanted Ryofu to live a life that was her own and not subjugated as a tool of someone else.  

For the rest of the trip, there wasn't too much that is said between the two.  Medea is trying her best to not think about the painful past.  Luna is formulating several different methods through her head based on her comrade's capabilities should something doesn't go as planned.  

After 20 minutes of flight, they've arrived at a decently long building with a landing pad with an S painted on its surface.  The skycraft started to slow down as it drifted over the landing pad before it starts its descent.  The interior jolt very slightly as it touches the ground.  Shortly afterward, the humming of the jet ceased indicating that the landing is complete.  

Luna and Media removed the harness from their body.  The exit panel opens and lowers into the same exit ramp as before.  Medea was the first to get off but turn and waves to the two.  "When the time has arrived, I will be there."  The blue haired woman promised before she started towards the door a distant away with the blue/red orb following behind her.  Luna hadn't exit out just yet, waiting for Ryofu first.

Ryofu noticed that rthymic quality to her voice start to return a little after she reassured her. It wasn't all the way back to where it had started at, but part of her felt really bad about how she reacted to her past. Something about the girl struck her as someone that wasn't quite used to the harshness that her own world had in spades.

The rest of the trip was mostly in silence. The two of them seemed to be in their own thoughts. Ryofu hoped that Medea was at least trying to focus on something other than her own past, but it was impossible to tell what was on Luna's mind. Her face was unreadable, as usual. No doubt she had many things going on in her head at all times, and was clearly accustomed to it. Part of Ryofu was getting excited about all of this, and seeing more of what this IDOL is all about.

Eventually, she felt the aircraft move a little as it landed on the ground, the impact enough to make her jump a little. Even back home, she'd never been on a plane before, so this was all new territory for her. Part of her felt she very much preferred solid ground.

Ryofu mimicked the action that the two of them with the harness, slipping out rather easily and waving goodbye towards her new friend. "See you soon, okay?" She said as she left the aircraft.

"So, Luna...where are we off to?"

"Well, we need to rendezvous with the others at the lab scanner room.  Medea is heading over to the medical lab to submit the samples to the doctors and researchers.  Hopefully, that should help us understand further on what we are dealing with."  Luna replied with a smile as her hand waves her over to follow as she steps onto the ramp that leads them towards the door that opens into the lab building, though an entrance different than the one Medea went into.  

As soon as the two entered the building.  The entrance closes behind them with no visible exit left.  A pair of red lights started to emit a line of red dots starting from their feet and moving upward.  The scan moved up to their chest before a buzzer was heard with the red light on Ryofu's side flashing.

"Section override: Patient."  Luna stated after the buzzer was sounded.  The flashing and the buzzer stopped before the scan resumed, this time without incident.  An entrance slides upward for both of them to exit.  Luna turned to Ryofu with an apologetic look.  "I apologize,  I should have warned you that everyone is scanned first."

Ryofu went to join Luna down the ramp and into the building. Hopefully they'd get to see Medea again. She kinda hoped she didn't frighten the girl too much with her past.

She was going to ask a little about her as they walked, before she was cut off by the sudden slam behind them and the flashing red everywhere. She had enough sense to know what was happening, but that didn't stop her from panicking slightly as the lights slid up her form and had decided she was definitely a factor that shouldn't belong. Sweat was beading down her face as she was starting to get worried about what would happen, heart pounding, before Luna's voice was enough to silence it all, the color returning to the room and the exit coming back into view.

Ryofu wiped the sweat off of her brow with a sigh, as she turned to Luna. "I'm...fine. I think." The excitement was enough to rouse another cough from her, shielding her mouth with a hand as she normally did, and wiped the small traces of blood across her skirt. "S-Shall we get going, then?"

Luna's light gray eyes remained on Ryofu to make sure her condition does not deteriorate before her. The rabbit was generally not used to anyone coughing blood, at least coughing to non-wound related issues. It still worried her even if Ryofu had assured this is normal. After Ryofu had momentarily recovered, Luna nodded to her before they both continued on their way.

"We are close to the scanner lab. From there, it will be in the hands of my colleague." Her normally quiet voice grew, even more, quieter at the end before she sighed. "While I personally cannot offer direct assistance to help you with your malady, I will still remain for emotional support, and I think it will be very helpful if there is someone you are familiar with." Luna smiled at Ryofu.

After that last cough, Ryofu's legs wobbled just a little before she regained her balance. God, did it hurt. Every single time, and her body never seemed to get used to the sensation. It was like someone was stabbing a spike into her chest with every cough. But, she had learned to normally not have that feeling show outwardly. Despite that, that last cough had hurt her more than normal.

She offered a weak smile back as they walked. "W-Well, if you trust them, t-then I'm sure it'll be fine, right?" Her voice was a little shakier than before, as the facade was starting to drop a little. She couldn't stop herself from leaning on the smaller woman, if only a little. Part of it felt like her body needed it, but it was also kind of comforting, in a way. "M-Miss Luna, I'm going to be honest with y-you: I f-feel really awful r-right now. I'm probably gonna...pass out, the second I-I sit down. B-But...I'd like that a l-lot, if y-you stayed with me..." Her smile turned softer as she was being more honest with herself, both with her own feelings, a rarity in and of itself, but also with her physical state, and she could feel herself deteoriating a little as they walked. Internally, she hoped that wherever they were going was close.

Luna felt the weight of Ryofu's body against her, followed by the statement that she may pass out when she rest. Quickly, Luna moved her arms over Ryofu's back and held her to support her. She struggled a bit not because of the additional burden onto her body but to keep her emotions and worries in checked and not panic.

Then her training and conditioning kicked in. The worry was quickly replaced by a quiet determination, transformed her not only emotionally from within but also outside. The weight of Ryofu's body wasn't so heavy anymore. "I will stay with you, I will watch over you." Her voice changed as well, still possessing the soft-spoken quality she normally had but there was a hint of fortitude. It was as if Luna was now guarding over the physically-vulnerable Ryofu.

She felt her struggle a little under her weight, and she felt bad about putting it all on her like this. However, as much as Ryofu tried to hide it, she was fading fast, and it took everything she had to stay up in the first place.

Something about her tone changed, however. It seemed much more confident than normal, that was for sure. She didn't feel her falter as much, as if she suddenly had gotten a second wind.

"M-Miss Luna..." she said through her own exhaustion. If Luna was going to give it her all, then so was she. "T-Thank you..." She did everything she could to focus on a specific goal, that being Move Forward. Her body seemed to scream at her, telling her to stop, but she kept moving onward. She was not going to let fate beat her. She had told herself that countless times, and now it was more true than ever.

Luna felt the shift to Ryofu's body. It wasn't as if she was no longer totally relying on her to move, Ryofu was trying to press forward with Luna as support. Luna was more than willing to be that support.

Progress was still somewhat slow even with their steady pace though but they manage to reach another set of double set doors. This one opened up as soon as the two approached revealing many individuals. Three of them are rather unique among the others: The first is is a pinked haired kitsune with a pair of light tan fluffy tails trailing behind her, the other is an orange haired scylla at the laboratory console. The third is a familiar Medea with a pair of floating blue orbs. All of them in lab uniforms.

As soon the door opened, many within the front turned their attention towards the pair that entered. Medea's eyes widened at the condition Ryofu is in and rushed over to help Luna with supporting the Toushi. "Ryofu!"

Ryofu was sweating from the exertion, her body and sudden fatigue starting to catch up to her. Every step felt like an ordeal that shook her, but she wasn't going to let this beat her. She lived with this for years. Normally, when something like this happened, she'd try to find some secluded place to rest until the pain went away. Or...she'd go back to her...she always made her feel better.

Outwardly, she shook those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time for that. There was no way in hell this was going to beat her!

Luna's support was enough for her to keep going. Slowly, the two managed to make their way through another set of doors. Ryofu's vision was growing fuzzy, but she could make out a few people. One was definitely Medea, from earlier; the floating orbs around her was a dead giveaway. One looked like she had...fox ears, and a tail? No, two! And another had a whole bunch of tentacles underneath her! That sounded familiar...like the people Luna had told her about earlier. Internally, she was relieved: this had to be where they were going.

She noticed Medea running over to her, and tried to offer her a weak smile. "H-Hey, Medea...nice to..see you again..." She didn't have the strength to do much else except accept her help, feeling ever so slightly better.

"Miss L-Luna...please tell me this is where w-we need to go..."