Ch.9

In the morning, we told Bill out plans over breakfast.
"Oh, so you're on a journey? I didn't know people still did that these days. Are you sure you have enough money for supplies?" I nodded.
"Yeah, you have already done so much for us." I smiled, then worked up my courage. "Bill, do you have an interest in drawing?" He blinked in surprise, then went back into his usual smile.
"Yeah, I started a few years ago. You probably saw the picture in  the room you were in, right? My girlfriend taught me to draw, and I've been practicing a lot. If I couldn't be a doctor. Then I guess I would have to draw. That, or be in a band." He smiled widely, then continued to eat. Soon we were waving goodbye, gone to buy supplies. We wouldn't be back on the road for around an hour.

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Around thirty minutes after they left, there was a knock at bill's door.
"Ayame!" Ayame stood at the doorway, her eyes smiling behind her glasses. Coming inside, they hugged.
"I'm glad to see you, Bill. It's been hard without you." They smiled into each other's eyes.
"Ayame, you just missed them! Two travelers were staying here. They said they were on a journey, but one was hurt so I helped them out."
"That's so like you, picking up the injured. They probably thought you were a weirdo! But anyway, where were they traveling or whatever?"
"They didn't say, just that they were on a journey. They were interesting people. It was Shade and Iku."
"Shade and Iku!?" Ayame smiled broadly. "I haven't seen them since they disappeared! Oh, and with Iku with her....."
"You know them, Ayame?" Smiling up at the older teen, Ayame kissed him.
"Yes, and I have to go."
"So soon? But you just came!"
"I know, but it will end soon. I know it will. Soon, I'll be able to stay. Sorry for leaving." They embraced one last time, and then she was gone.

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"We got lucky today! It was pretty cheap!" Iku and I walked side by side, now heading down the road. Of course we would got away from road soon and go into the forest, but for now we were content to feel even ground under our feet. We hadn't gotten far when we heard heavy foot falls behind us. We started running into the forest, hearing the person still chasing us. Of course, Iku thought it was someone who thought we were running from home or someone who recognized us. I was scared it was Bill, who somehow knew I was there when Nadia was killed.
I felt a strong arm grip my arm and tried to struggle, only to bash my head into Iku's. A large sound erupted when this happened, and as I rubbed my head i heard a low laugh that was very familiar.
"Ayame!" I tried to turn to face her, but since Iku was doing the same thing we bonked heads again in the exactly same place. It hurt so much, but Ayame continued to laugh. For some reason I joined her, eager to be happy with my old friend. The action just made my head throb.
"What are you doing here?" said Iku, finally able to look at her without a head injury.
"Visiting Bill. When I heard you guys had just set out, I had to find you. I heard you're on a journey?" Ayame's eyes shined with her smile. Her black hair was in a ponytail hanging over her shoulder, and once again she was wearing all black. Her dark makeup lined her eyes, and she was every bit the Ayame I remembered.
"We're going to the backup head quarters of Trident Home," Iku said, his voice sounding cold. "If you get in our way, we won't show mercy."
"Iku!"
"Who said I was going to stop you?" Iku looked surprised, but I smiled warmly. Unlike Iku, I trusted her from the start. Why would it be otherwise? "Now tell me, what happened? You suddenly disappeared, and then a few days later all those Bolt Home pressurists came, tearing everything apart. They were yelling about the All Mighty One." At this, me and Iku got silent. We looked at each other uneasily.
"Um, we'll talk while we walk. Your coming with us, right?" Ayame nodded.
"You're going to stop them, right? From taking all those people in a big room and killing them? I was never a fan of that. Those people..... They're monsters." She clenched her fists, looking at the black pavement. "Monsters...... It's starting in a few days. I just came back from there. So much talk on how we're going to do it....... They keep on saying we've post phoned it for too long. There's madness in their eyes." She shook her head, biting her bottom lip. "As long as you'll stop them, I'm with you all the way. I don't care if it was an order from some stupid god." Once again, me and Iku looked at each other, like you do when you know something someone doesn't.
"Um, we met the All Mighty One."
"...WHAT?"

So we told her what happened when we came back from the mission, how Bolt Home had tried to take me to their side, how I changed the blue tinted vision, how she came... And how I defeated her, and me and Iku ended up flying through the air and waking up somewhere. Then, Iku explained how I lost my memory, and I could tell he was cutting a lot of corners. Then he explained how we ended up living in our own house until Iku remembered Trident Home's plan.
"It took you that long to remember? Iku, you're supposed to be a leader, not a space case!" For the first time that day, he laughed.
"Um, yeah. My bad." I burst out laughing, and soon everyone was laughing with me. The sun shone brightly upon us, and I squinted when the light reflected off a car driving by.
"Um, we should probably get off the road...." They nodded, and we went into the secluded safety of the trees, where we started running.
"We only bought enough provisions for two, but if you know a short cut we may be able to share." I grinned at Ayame.
"I know a shortcut. It'll take us around one and a half days, this being the half."
"Awesome! Okay, you'll get food!"
"I could have gotten us there in that time," Iku pouted. We ran the rest of the way with grins on our faces, trained not to talk while we run to save air. Still, the silence around us was one of laughter, as if we were still joking around in our heads. All we would need to do was look at each other to gain a new boost of speed.
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The hurt had returned to my feet when it was dark enough to stop. We shared the food among us, while Ayame told us what happened after we left in finer detail.
"It had been a few days, and Grace and Rina were worried about you. We could only do one mission at a time, so we only had one Head Pressurist when they came. A large mob of those from Bolt Home, made up of adults and teens. They used their strength to push us aside and flip beds and tables, their pressure powers burning and scarring. The whole time they kept shouting, 'this is what you get for killing the All Mighty One!' We had no idea what they were talking about. To us, the All Mighty One's death was old news, so we were completely confused why they were bringing it up now and why they insisted we did it. They took their anger out on our home, so we ran. I guess Grace saw what happened and did the same after her mission, because now she's at the new head quarters as well. And now, their plotting it. We're not supposed to know, but they talk of it so much it's hard not to hear. They have this glint in their eyes, one of amusement, of madness. Recently, they've been talking to us directly." Ayame changed her voice into something of a mocking one, which didn't sound too different from her own.
"Oh, we need to all corporate. I need you to bring targets, and then all of us will go into a room. Once there, you can-"
"Please, don't tell me more." Ayame fell silent. I shook my head in dismay, putting down my food.
"I can't believe Rina and Grace won't join us. They'll believe."
"No, they won't!" We looked at Iku, who had determination in his eyes. "I've known them since I was little, I know them. They're good actors, and were pulling your leg from the start. Secondly, they think of the Chosen as a tool. It's not that they're bad people," he said, now sort of pleading with himself, "they've just always thought if they had the Chosen, they could resurrect the All Mighty One's Wish. Grace is extremely stubborn in what she believes, and will not bend even slightly. I was the same way, but I saw it with my own eyes. And with Grace staying by her beliefs Rina will too. Just because Grace will stand up all alone, with no one on her side, Rina will too."
"None of Trident Home wants to though, so they will forsake their leaders."  Ayame and Iku nodded; they had known them longer then I had.
"Let's end this on a lighter note and get to sleep, okay? I'm tired." Iku and Ayame nodded, then we fell asleep.