Original Stories Fan Fiction / Angels Fan Fiction ❯ Angel and Demon Wars ❯ Chapter Nine - Disease ( Chapter 9 )

Angel and Demon Wars

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Chapter Nine

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© 2008 Ohne Sie

 

 

 

The group had just made it to the inn when Ichigo collapsed. She had been fine only a moment ago. Luckily, Maeko was following her and was able to catch her when she fell. It seemed very sudden, because Ichigo had not complained of any weakness or illness before.

 

“I'm taking her upstairs,” Maeko said, lifting her sister up almost effortlessly. They walked through the door to the inn. She headed up the stairs, ignoring the protests from the innkeeper.

 

“Here's your knife,” Ami said, handing it to him. “And it looks like we need a room again tonight.” She reached for her knapsack.

 

The innkeeper shook his head, stroking the diamond blade lovingly. “No, you can keep your money. The amount that your friend gave me in exchange for this knife is enough to cover it. To be honest, I expected you to leave with it.”

 

“Are you sure?” Ami asked.

 

“I'm positive. Make sure that girl is all right. She doesn't look too well.”

 

Ami nodded and gestured for Sadako to follow her. When they were halfway up the stairs, Sadako whispered, “Don't we have to get the horn to Miya as soon as possible?”

 

Ami shook her head. “After Ichigo's better.” She opened the door to the room they had rented the night before. Maeko had lain Ichigo on a bed. She was watching her intently. “Do you know what happened?” Ami asked.

 

“No,” Maeko said. Her eyes remained focused on her sister. “This has never happened before. She just collapsed.”

 

“That's very strange,” Sadako said. “Does she have a fever?”

 

Maeko shook her head. “Not at all. She seems fine, otherwise.”

 

Ami knelt down beside Ichigo's bed. Sadako followed her. “I wish Keisuke was here,” Ami said softly. “He'd probably understand…”

 

“I'm here.” Sadako rolled her eyes, turning to face Keisuke, who had appeared, as usual, after something Ami had said.

 

“I knew it,” she said simply.

 

Keisuke ignored her and walked over to Ichigo. “She just collapsed?” he asked. Maeko nodded. “That's very strange.” He placed a hand on Ichigo's forehead.

 

“She has no fever,” Sadako said. “We know.”

 

“That's not what I'm doing,” he said. Keisuke closed his eyes and a green light emanated from his hand. Sadako took a step backward.

 

“Okay, that's really weird.”

 

Keisuke opened his eyes and the light vanished. `This isn't an ordinary disease,” he said. He sounded worried.

 

“Then what is it?” Ami asked.

 

“I'm not sure,” he admitted. “I'm going to go talk to the other gods and try to figure this out.” Without another word, he vanished, leaving the three girls to care for their fallen friend.

 

“Damn them. I told them I'd take care of it,” Keisuke mumbled as he stormed up the steps to the Council of Gods. “All they need is time.” He threw open the doors and angrily approached the gods seated in the building.

 

“Can we help you?” a third-ranked goddess, Hitomi, asked.

 

“What did you do to her?” Keisuke asked.

 

“Who?” Hitomi asked, feigning ignorance. The other gods were behaving similarly.

 

“Ichigo. The demon girl I have helping me. That's who.”

 

“Oh, her. Well, we've cooked up a little magical virus that will infect any angels or demons involved in the military,” Hitomi replied simply. “It will kill them all within about twenty-four hours.”

 

“Over ninety percent of the population is involved with the military!” Keisuke shouted.

 

“Well, that's just a shame, isn't it?” Hitomi said. “Look, we haven't time to wait for your method to work. The angels and demons are out of control. We wanted to take away their free will, but we can't get the chalice ourselves. So we decided to use the next-best course of action.”

 

“So you're going to kill nearly the entire population? That's thousands of innocent people!”

 

“They're not innocent,” Hitomi said. “They're soldiers. All of them. Including the ones you're using. They'll never change.” She shook her head.

 

“They will change,” Keisuke insisted. “They already have. They're getting along. See for yourself.” He gestured toward the far wall, which contained a giant monitor. On it were many smaller monitors focusing on one or two people at a time.

 

Hitomi sighed and turned to the monitor. “Show us Keisuke's little group,” she said. The monitor obeyed, revealing Ami, Sadako, Maeko, and Ichigo. The former three were seated around Ichigo's bed, anxiously watching her, as if looking away for one moment would kill her.

 

“See?” Keisuke said.

 

Hitomi laughed. “They're just concerned that the same thing will happen to them. And look,” she said, pointing. “It has.”

 

On the screen, the other three girls, at precisely the same moment, fell down as Ichigo had earlier. The monitor shrunk, until it was the same size at it had previously been. The other monitors showed that all across Heaven and Hell, the same thing was happening to other angels and demons.

 

Keisuke backed away, shaking his head. “You can't do something like this without a unanimous decision from the Council.”

 

“There was a unanimous decision,” Hitomi said. She was backed up by a murmur of agreement from the rest of the Council.

 

“But I'm on the Council, too,” Keisuke said. “And I don't agree.”

 

“And you were also not at the meeting,” Hitomi said. “So I'm sorry, but your little friends are going to die. It's what is best for them, and for us. And for everyone on Earth.”

 

“You're wrong,” Keisuke said.

 

“It doesn't matter. The damage has been done, and there's no cure. First, the purple-haired demon will die. And the rest will follow. Now, if you don't mind, we have some important issues to discuss. Mizu, would you please escort Keisuke out of here?”

 

Keisuke felt himself being dragged away by a giant bodyguard of a god. “There has to be a cure!” he cried, as he was shoved outside and the door was shut behind him. He ran toward it, pounding on it. “You have to fix this!”