Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Kaerimichi ❯ The Reality of Fantasy ( Chapter 2 )

Harsh, unforgiving light penetrated closed eyelids, piercing Corey's unwilling retinas. She groaned and tried to wave it away in vain. With no small amount of reluctance, she opened her eyes. Everything was so brilliantly white that it hurt, and the girl couldn't help but wince.

 

“Am I dead?” she wondered aloud.

 

“No,” was the soft reply. Corey turned her head slowly until her addressor came into view; it was Alex. “But you came pretty damn close.”

 

He looked… different from the last time Corey saw him. Brown eyes were reddened and puffy, and they were underscored by dark rings brought on by absence of sleep. Worry creased his forehead and drew his lips down. Sandy hair stuck out at odd angles, looking uncharacteristically unkempt. Even his clothing matched the disheveled appearance- it looked as if he'd been wearing the same thing for days.

 

“God, Kou,” Alex continued, “I was so scared.”

 

Corey's head still felt foggy, and the world teetered a bit as she sat up, a gentle pair of hands helping her. A pinching sensation brought slightly glazed hazel eyes to the source: an I.V. sticking out from her wrist. The sight made the redhead a little sick.

 

“What happened?” she asked finally.

 

Alex pulled his hands back to his lap, fidgeting slightly with them. “We've been trying to figure that out,” he answered, voice soft and eyes downcast. “It was the middle of the night when you screamed and woke us up. I got to your room first, and… I… There was so much blood, I would have been sure you were dead if you hadn't been mumbling in your sleep. Mom called the ambulance. You… you almost didn't make it, Kou. They had to give you an emergency transfusion. By the grace of God, you missed the femoral artery, but…” Tears threatened at the corners of Alex's eyes.

 

Corey listened detachedly, as if she was hearing it, but none of it had really happened. Not to her, anyway. Her gaze wandered down, i.v.-less hand pulling the bed sheets back. Sterile bandages were wrapped over a portion of her right thigh. So… it was true. But how could-

 

“Wait,” Corey said slowly, Alex's words finally registering in her mind. “What do you mean `I' missed the artery?”

 

The blonde boy hesitated again. “There was no one else in the room, Kou. No signs of forced entry or any sort of break-in. The doctors… think it was self-inflicted.”

 

It didn't make sense in Corey's addled brain for a few moments. Self… Her eyes widened.

 

“They think I did this to myself?!” she cried in furious disbelief. “Are they insane?! Why on earth would I stab myself?”

 

“Well, there aren't a whole lot of possibilities, are there?” Alex shot back. He shook his head with a weary sigh. “I don't know, Corey. You were the only one of us who was there when it went down. What did happen?”

 

It was an excellent question. Her short term memory was still a little blurry. But, there was something lingering right on the edge of her brain…

 

The phoenix.

 

Memories of that night came flooding back all at once. Unwrapping the book, returning to the dream world, getting mugged, getting rescued, and then… “It's impossible,” Corey murmured to herself, shaking her head in abject disbelief. “It wasn't real…”

 

“Kou?” The redhead looked up at the sound of Alex's voice- she had almost forgotten he was there. “What are you talking about?” His words came out slowly, cautiously, worriedly. Corey recognized that look, that tone of voice.

 

“I'm not crazy, Alex,” she hissed lowly, more than a little irritated about the whole situation. “I've been having this reoccurring dream lately. I wind up on this field on the outskirts of some ancient-looking city, but I usually wake up before I go anywhere or really see anything. Last night-“

 

“Three nights ago, you mean,” Alex interrupted. “You've been recovering for two days.”

 

“Whatever,” Corey growled in response. “That night, I actually managed to get into town, where I got mugged, and this guy helped me out, but the one who was trying to rob me stabbed me… right in my thigh.”

 

“You're saying a dream did this to you?”

 

Corey sighed. “I know it sounds ridiculous.” Alex gave a snort which the red-haired girl promptly ignored. “But it's the only explanation I have.”

 

“Corey-“

 

“Did the paramedics find the knife I supposedly stabbed myself with?”

 

Alex sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, his features stern with concentration. “No,” he answered finally. “Look, Kou, I believe you. I don't know why, but I do. But if you tell the doctors that some ancient thug from a dream is responsible, they'll lock you up. Maybe you aren't crazy, but even you must know how absurd that sounds.”

 

A frown pulled at Corey's lips. “Then I won't tell them.”

 

She looked up, a mixture of scheming and determination on her face. Alex did not like the expression one bit.

 

“You have to help me get out of here. I need to get back to that book.”

 

Alex smacked his own forehead with an open palm. “Hey, that's a great idea! Let's break you out of a hospital, sneak back to the house, and get you back to some weird book that you seem to think is partially responsible for your nearly-fatal wound!”

 

As if her best friend had said nothing at all, Corey pulled her covers the rest of the way back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She flinched in anticipation as she grabbed the end of the I.V. and yanked it out. When she opened her eyes again, there was a trail of blood spatters leading from her one hand to the other one still holding the needle. Alex paled a little at the sight.

 

“I'm going with or without your help,” Corey said, her voice like steel with resolve. “Without, it will be a lot harder.” She slid off the thin mattress onto her own two feet, gasping at the sudden jolt of pain that shot through her right leg. Alex managed to grab her as her knees buckled under the strain.

 

“Really,” he sighed, slipping her arm over his shoulders. “What would you do without me?” The two shared a fond smile. “Come on, we packed you an overnight back. There are a couple changes of clothes in there. It'll probably be a little less conspicuous if you're in civvies instead of a hospital gown.”

 

With Alex's help, Corey wobbled over to the bathroom, taking the bag gratefully. “You're the best,” she said with another quick smile before stepping in and closing the door behind her.

 

“I know,” came the reply.

 

Corey grinned and began to rummage through the pack. A number of snacks lay on top- Alex had probably put them there to help save her from having nothing to eat but hospital food. Moving those to the side, she found her clothes underneath. There were plenty of clean undergarments, for which Corey would have to thank Jessica profusely for. Had Alex packed this bag by himself… well, she couldn't imagine him rifling through her drawers to pick out panties.

 

She pulled a skirt out- it would probably be easier to wear than pants at this point. A tank top and her favorite pair of mary-janes were selected as well. After dressing, Corey peered into the mirror fastened to the wall above the sink to make sure the bandage wasn't visible below the hem line. Satisfied that she no longer looked like a runaway patient, she opened the door and stepped back out into her room.

 

“Oh, done already?” Alex asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Take your time, you know, `cause it's not like we're in a rush not to get caught or anything.”

 

Corey threw the bag at him.

 

“Stop being a jerk and help me get out of here.”

 

 

 

The excitement of having escaped the busy hospital had worn off by the time the taxi pulled up in front of the Noble residence. Alex paid the driver and quickly ushered Corey inside.

 

“Relax,” she said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “The neighbors don't know what happened. You can stop being paranoid now.”

 

“I will stop being paranoid when this whole ordeal is over, okay? You think a book stabbed you. I don't think you're being paranoid enough.”

 

Hazel eyes rolled. “I did not say the book stabbed me. But it might have something to do with it. I don't know.”

 

“Not that I'm saying I don't believe you, but… How could it?” Alex followed the redhead through the house to her bedroom. The leather-bound volume was still lying on the floor where it had fallen a few nights ago. The room looked untouched, save for the fresh sheets on the bed. He leaned against the door jamb. “I mean, it's just a book.”

 

Corey limped farther into the room, finally making it to her bed where she sat and retrieved her heirloom. It seemed normal enough, just holding it like that. But certainly, there had to be something special about it…

 

“Didn't you ever see `The Never Ending Story'?” asked Corey with a mocking grin as she pulled open the cover. Alex just gawked at her.

 

“You can't be serious.”

 

“Why not? If a movie can do it, why can't it be possible that maybe, just maybe, something in real life could affect the fabric of reality? Especially in dreams, when the mind is most susceptible?” She was still smiling as she began thumbing through pages.

 

“Are you listening to yourself, Kou? Books don't alter dreams, and they certainly don't suck people into them like in-“

 

Alex's words were cut off, the sentence forever unfinished as a painfully brilliant light suddenly erupted from the tome in Corey's hands. He heard her scream, but could only grope blindly for the girl under the onslaught of radiant crimson.

 

“Kou!” he screamed back as he tried to find her. After a scant few moments, as suddenly as it had come, the light vanished. Alex blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the flashing spots that obscured his vision. As his eyes cleared, dread sank into the blond boy, feeling like a brick in his stomach.

 

The bed was empty but for an old leather-bound book, which was glowing a faint red.

 

 

 

Corey's eyes fluttered open. What had just happened? A power surge? It was possible. An amazingly blue sky loomed above the dazed girl, and she registered somewhere in the back of her mind that a moment ago, she had been indoors.

 

She sat up so fast that it almost made her head spin. The sight that greeted those wide, hazel eyes made Corey's heart skip a beat.

 

“No,” she murmured, tentatively pushing herself to her feet. “No, no, this can't be happening! I wasn't asleep!” The red-haired girl stood, bewildered and more than a little afraid, once again in the `dream' world. The pack she'd had slung over her shoulder was still there, but the book was nowhere to be seen.

 

She was back at the city she ventured into during the last… whatever it was. Corey was loathe to call them dreams anymore. There was no time to ponder it, though, as a voice behind the girl made her jump.

 

“Excuse me…”

 

As she whipped around to meet the voice, another angry jolt of pain flashed through her from the bandaged wound. Corey looked at the figure that was now in front of her for a moment, trying to decide if it was a girl or a boy. The clothing was definitely masculine, and the person's chest was flat, but that long purple- purple?- hair and effeminate face and voice were certainly throw-offs.

 

So lost in her own thoughts, Corey didn't notice the stranger was staring back at her, soft pink eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

 

She took a small step back. He didn't seem too threatening, but neither had the man who stabbed her. Being incautious had nearly lost Corey her life- she couldn't risk it again. But… there was no way she could try to fight in her condition, and running seemed just as impossible.

 

Shit.

 

“Stay away from me!” she yelled, scooping up a large, jagged rock. It felt stupid to do such a thing, but she had to do something to try and make herself seem a little less helpless.

 

“Hey, calm down, I don't want to hurt you.” The violet-haired stranger took a step forward. Corey barely hesitated before hurling the stone at the man. It had been heavy and dense, but it simply bounced harmlessly off of his chest. That couldn't be normal.

 

She wasn't in a position to fight, but hell if she wasn't re-thinking that running away bit. After the stranger took another step forward, Corey turned tail and took off.

 

Agony sang through her body, her entire right leg feeling as if it was on fire. It was excruciating, but she pushed onward into the city, never bothering to look back to see if she was being followed. Just ahead was a break in the buildings where she could see part of the bustling marketplace she had been at last time. If she could just get there without being caught or passing out, she could lose herself in the crowd. She was so close…

 

So consumed by her desperate flight, eyes unfocused and ears buzzing from the pain, Corey never heard the voice yelling, “Oi! Nuriko! Pack it in!” or saw the fanged, orange-haired man from before step out from in between two of the buildings.

 

She crashed unceremoniously into him, sending herself to the ground, and her former rescuer stumbling back and muttering a few expletives.

 

“What the- You…!”

 

Corey's tongue felt thick in her mouth as she tried to respond. All the colors of her surroundings seemed to be blending together, muted and fading more every passing moment. Even flaming orange hair and amber eyes were melting to brown, then getting darker and darker.

 

The last thing she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was the rapid approach of footsteps, and a familiarly effeminate voice saying, “We better get her to the palace.”

 

 

 

The smell of sweet incense filled the warm air in the guest quarter, giving the entire room a rather comfortably sleepy atmosphere. Corey moaned against her steady awakening, wanting nothing more than to let herself be swallowed into the soft mattress and warm blankets, surrounded by that delicate perfumed scent that reminded her so much of her grandmother…

 

It was the sound of her door opening some many minutes later that finally roused the redhead from her fleeting sleep. A hazel eye opened curiously to catch sight of her `visitor', a stoutly woman carrying a large basin of water. She was still in the other world. Corey's hope that this was still a delusion was quickly dying.

 

“Oh!” the servant or nursemaid or whoever she was exclaimed upon seeing the open eye watching her. “You're awake. I'll have to go and fetch the others. They asked to be brought in here as soon as you woke, milady. Just rest here.”

 

Both of Corey's eyes were open as the woman left, her brow knitted in utter confusion. Who said `milady' anymore? And for that matter, whom had the nurse been referring to? The others…

 

All alone, it crossed the red-haired girl's mind to just get up and get out of wherever she was. After all, she'd already escaped one hospital today; she could certainly do it again. However, curiosity got the better of her. That, and absolute lack of strength.

 

So she waited.

tbc…

 

Author's Note: A review! Glee! You really made my day for letting me know what you thought (and you made it even better by telling me you liked my story!) On a side note to any potential reviewers, namely those who don't like my story thus far, I VASTLY appreciate constructive criticism! Don't be afraid to tell me you don't like something about my writing! Criticism helps me to improve, and therefore is appreciated.

 

And, to Shinetsu-chan, I know there seem to be inconsistencies, but worry not! It's all part of my magnificent plan. Explanations will come in later chapters. ^__^ Thanks for pointing it out, though!