Scream, people, scream, ‘cause here comes chapter 13!

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Chapter 13

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A warm breeze blew on Sakura and Syaoran’s faces as they rode on Chocy, who was walking on a grassy plain. Sakura took a deep breathe of the clean air, and commended, “How refreshing~! Back in Japan, all the air is polluted.”

“Yeah…” Syaoran smiling as he replied. Then all of a sudden, out of no where Syaoran sneezed. Sakura was surprised. “Hoe…? What’s wrong?” She asked. Syaoran used his hankie to wiped his nose. “Um…I don’t know…” He blinked.

They walked for another mile. Finally, a shape of a town began to appear on the horizon, they charged excitedly towards it. From a distance, the whole town looks very colourful, as they found out why. “Wow…” They all exclaimed.

The town was filled with flowers; they were on the walls of houses, in the garden, along the streets, and even on top of the roof. A girl came to greet them. “Welcome to Flowerville, the place of flowers. Here, have a flower necklace.” She put one ring on Sakura’s neck; Sakura blushed as she thanked her. The girl tried to put the other one around Syaoran’s neck, but as fast as the flowers reached him, he started sneezing, non-stopped. “(Sneeze) What…(Sneeze) what the heck is going on?? (Sneeze) (Sneeze) (Sneeze)”

Sakura looked at the flower ring in the girl’s hand. “It’s the pollen! Quick, get the flower necklace away from him!” Syaoran’s eyes were getting watery. He managed to open one eye. “I…(Sneeze) never knew that I have allergies! (Sneeze) I had always been fine in Tokyo! (Sneeze)” Sakura looked at him. “Well, maybe you’re just allergic to Ometin flowers.” She walked closer to him. “Are you okay?” Syaoran saw the flower ring around her neck, and immediately backed up. “No! Don’t come any closer.”

Sakura made a puppy-dogface. “What…I was just concerned about you…you’re mean…”

A big sweat drop rolled down Syaoran’s head. He sneezed some more. “It looks like that this isn’t a place for me…(Sneeze)” The girl stood beside them with her hand on her cheek. She didn’t know what to do, nothing like this had happened to her before. Just then, an older women came by, she was dressed in a short, white cape, and a mini skirt, she looked around 17-18, and has brownish hair that’s tied into a ponytail behind her head. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

The girls looked around, and found the help she was searching for. “Oh, Blossica, your timing is perfect! These kids here need help!” Blossica looked at the two strangers that were standing behind her. She covered her month. “Oh my!” She walked closer to them. “What’s wrong?”

Syaoran sneezed some more. “(Sneeze) Allergies…” It was hard for him to even talk because of his symptoms; his throat was killing him.

“Oh…I heard of this.” Blossica said. The girl behind her asked. “What is that?” She explained. “That’s a sickness that reacts with the flowers’ pollens. We don’t have it, because we’ve been here since we’re born, but it’s very common for travelers.”

“What should we do?” Sakura asked.

“I’ll bring you to a clinic, Dr. Boohig should know what to do.” Blossica said cheerfully.

~~~~~

In the middle of the town was an old shop that has shelves made on the walls. Inside the shelves were dried plants that are used for medical purpose; some have very strong smells that filled the room with a weird odor. Dr. Boohig carried a three steps ladder to the bottom of a shelf; his movement was slow and clumsy; everyone would be after living more than a whole century. His life is longer then the beard on his chin.

He stepped on the ladder, one step at a time; he tried to reach the dried plant at the top of the shelf. His rankled hands lifted upwards, attempting to reach it. The ladder was wiggling, and having one leg shorter then the other wasn’t helping.

Just then, a young girl came in from the back door. She had hair tied to the back of her head in a very unique way that seems like a flower blossoming. She was about the height and the age of Sakura, she had been helping out Dr. Boohig for a while now. “I’m back.” She called. “I got some Figia grass and…oh, goodness, what are you doing, Doctor?” She ran to hold him in his arms to keep him steady. Dr. Boohig slowly came down the ladder. “Don’t worry,” He said with a warm smile. “I’ve been doing this for my whole life, so it wasn’t much of a challenge.”

“You might be a doctor, but you don’t seems to concern too much for yourself!” The young women walked him to a chair, where he sat down, and started to prepare the dried plant he got from the shelf. “I’ll be fine,” He said. “It’s just that when you get old, your body don’t function like the way they used to anymore, it’s a natural thing.”

The young lady laughed. “Doctor...you made it sound like you’re going to die any second.” Dr. Boohig turned to her. “Who knows, we’ll never know what will happen. What I’m really worried about is not me, though, it’s those town people I’m worried about. I’m the only doctor in town, if anything happens to me, then who will take care of them while I’m not around? I don’t have any sons or daughter to pass my skills to.” The lady laughed again. “Doctor…”

“But...” He said. “I was lucky enough to have you. You have been here for only four months and you already know all about the medical plants. I’m leaving everything to your hands.” He held her soft hands in his, patting it softly.

“…Sure thing, doc.” She said, there was sadness in her eyes.

Just then, the door opened. “Um…Dr. Boohig, are you there?”

The young girl went a head to assist them, Dr. Boohig walked slowly after her. When she got closer to the doorway, she heard a whole bunch of sneezes. “Woe.” She said. “What’s wrong with him?”

Sakura and Syaoran arrived after Blossica. Syaoran’s eyes were getting too watery to open. He kept sneezing. Dr. Boohig came to them. “Another person with allergies again?” He asked. Blossica smiled. “Yeah…”

“I can’t treat him here.” Dr. Boohig said. “I’ll need to go to the aqua room to treat him.” He turned around. “Yoki, you want to get my stuffs?”

“Yes, doctor.” The young lady obeyed.

“We’ll need to move to another area.” Dr. Boohig said.

~~~~~

They came to this part of the town where there’s no flower, instead, there’s a long, pointy crystal that stretches all the way to the sky with little crystals surrounding it, the little crystals caved in to form a beautifully shaped cave. The whole area is filled with this fresh breeze, Sakura heard noises coming out of the cave, she walked ahead to see what it was.

She was amazed by what she saw, around halfway up the long pointy crystal was a symbol, she has seen this symbol before, but where…? But what amazed her even more, was that pure water is coming out of the symbol, forming a waterfall, and then drifted out the cave as a big, huge river. “Wow…” She exclaimed, stretching out her arms to feel the breeze created by the water hitting on the river. Chocy ran up to the river, and took a sip of water.

“This is so cool.” She said. “What is it?”

Blossica walked up to her. “It’s our water source, the Aqua Stream.” She said, admiring the beautiful scene. “It was a gift for the Samians, the creature that rules the sea.”

“Hoe?” Sakura said. So that’s why she saw the symbol before, it was the same as the one on Princess Zeldiac’s castle of Sami City (Read Chapter 10).

Blossica continued. “Before they present this gift to use, this place was a complete dry land, no creature could survived around this area.” She went ahead to touch the fresh water in the river.

“Wow…” Sakura exclaimed again, it was hard to believe that this whole town was once a dry land that nothing can live in. Now this place is filled with flowers all over the place. “Your people must’ve really appreciated this gift.” Blossica turned around to face her. “What?”

“Well, it’s just that...” Sakura said, a little embarrassed. “You guys really did a great job of lighting up this place.” Blossica smiled.

“Come into this room, please.” Dr. Boohig was in front of an even smaller cave next to the waterfall. There was a piece of old cloth hanging on the entrance, making the entrance half covered, it kind-of serves as a door. Syaoran went in to the entrance, inside the cave was surprisingly neat, it’s almost as if it was a man made room with walls of crystal. There was a little bed inside, and a stool beside it. “This is the most pure area of the town, away from all the pollen that can infect you. I often use it to treat patient with allergies. Now, let us begin our treatment, lay down on that bed over there.” He said, as Yoki put the bag of medicine on the stool.

Syaoran swallowed, he felt like the old man is going to dissect him. He doesn’t like the idea of a strange doctor treating him in a strange country, in a strange world. Then again, he never liked the doctors in Japan either. He walked slowly towards the bed, and lied on it. He took a deep breath [I guess this is going to work, I mean, I haven’t sneeze since I came in.]

Dr. Boohig turned to Blossica and Sakura. “This might take a while, why don’t you girls go outside, and sit down for a moment?” Blossica looked at Sakura. “Why don’t I take you out to show you around the town?” She offered. Sakura hesitated. “But, Syaoran...”

Blossica giggled. “Don’t worry.” She said. “We’ll be back before they finish the treatment.” Blossica started pushing her out. “Come on.” She said.

Dr. Boohig paid his attention back to Syaoran. “Now, let us begin. Yoki, give me the black hole dust.”

Syaoran jerked. “Bla…black hole? What are you going to do with a black hole?”

“Calm down!” Yoki slapped his forehead lightly as she walked pass him to give Dr. Boohig the bag of dust. “Ouch!” Syaoran said. “Don’t be so rough.”

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to suck you in a black hole.” The Doctor joked. He took some dust out of the bag, and sprinkled some over Syaoran’s body, moving his hand in a circular direction while he did so. The dust made a little swirl in the air slowly drop on Syaoran, when the last dust dropped, it gathered up rapidly, forming a glowing flat spirally surface that stays in the air. In the middle of the surface was a little portal that sinks in; under the portal was a thin line that looks almost as if it’s connecting the portal to Syaoran’s chest. The whole figure looks like a black hole in space, or a thin, but big tornado.

“Wow…”Syaoran said. “It’s pretty, but how is this suppose to help me?”

“This is just serving as a doorway to your body, we’ll start dumping in medical materials.” Yoki said, as she handed Dr. Boohig some grass shaped plants that are blue. The doctor pilled some, and dropped it into the black hole dust. The bits of grass stayed in the air on top of the black hole for a second, then it started to dissolve into even smaller pieces that glows, and drained down the little portal. The little bits of glowing grass twisted down and around the thin thread, and finally into Syaoran’s chest.

“See that? That’s how we inject the medical material into you.” Dr. Boohig said.

“I preferred not to look at such a scene…” Syaoran complained. Yoki showed an angry face. “Then why don’t just put you to sleep using some sleeping herbs?” She walked closer to him, but Dr. Boohig backed her up. “Calm down, Yoki.” He said. Yoki made a noise. “Humph!” Then stumbled outside.

Dr. Boohig looked at Syaoran. “Please excuse her, she has such a short temper. She really is a nice person.” He continued with the treatment, putting more medical material into the black hole.

“Just who is she, I mean to you. You guys look like grandpa and granddaughter, but she calls you ‘doctor’.” Syaoran asked.

“She’s not my relative. Three months ago, I found her wounded in a forest outside the town. I treated her with care. She seems to be very interested in medical, so I decided to teach her. She began to become my assistance; she gets better at it everyday. I really think that she’s going to take my place when I die.” He laughed to himself. Syaoran smiled. “I have no daughter,” Dr. Boohig continued. “Nor family, I’m really glad that I’m lucky enough to have someone to pass my skill on to.” He smiled brightly to Syaoran. “I really treat her as a granddaughter that I never had.”

Outside the room, Yoki stood, leaning on the wall next to the entrance. She had been listening to his words. “……” her face slightly blushed. “Sorry, doctor.” She whispered to herself quietly. ~~~~~

“There’s the shop I usually put my seeds in, there’s the farm that produce the most of the town’s food…” Blossica said as she showed her around. “Which place do you want to go first?”

But Sakura was staring into space, holding on to Chocy. “Hello?” Blossica said. Sakura snapped back to reality. “Huh? Oh, the church.”

Blossica almost dropped. “I didn’t even mentioned church.”

“Oh,” Sakura said, she sounds like she was very tired. “That place…then.” She pointed to the seeds store. They walked into it, looking at little packages of seeds. “You really miss Syaoran, don’t you?” Blossica said. Sakura sighed. “Not miss…just…worry.”

“When you miss a person, you worry about them.” Blossica leaned towards her. “Beside, he’s just got allergies, how bad could that be?”

“Maybe…” Sakura said, then she heard some “munch munch” noises. She turned to her right, realizing that Chocy was eating the sunflower seeds! “Chocy!” She yelled.

Chocy lifted his head up. {Delicious nuts!} He said, in chocobo language, then “warked” cheerfully. Sakura ran up to stop him. “You use them to grow beautiful flowers, not to eat! If you eat them, they won’t grow into flowers!”

{But if you grow them into flowers, I can’t eat them anymore…} Chocy made a puppy-dog face with two big watery eyes and a mouth that’s shaky. Sakura sighed. “Oh, Chocy…” Blossica laughed.

They left the store. Blossica grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

“To where?” Sakura asked.

Blossica smiled. “To the church, you wanted to see it, don’t you?”

“You mean there’s really a church.” Sakura was surprised at how it turned out, she was just making that up out of nowhere because she wasn’t paying attention.

“Of course.” Blossica smiled. “This way.”

They walked pass stores after stores, residences after residences, and then finally came to this place that on top of a little hill. The building was tall, and in a way, thin. The wall was white, mostly covered with flowers. On top of the roof there was a sign placed at where the cross would usually be. Yet, the sign was not a cross, instead, it was a stick with double circles. Sakura stared at it for a moment. Blossica saw the way she looked at that sign, she smiled. “It’s supposed to be the moon and the sun.” She explained. Sakura blushed. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was day dreaming again.”

Blossica smiled again. “Come in.” She led her in. Sakura got in nervously. She was amazed by what she saw. The first thing that caught her attention was the life size silver statue at the end of the hall. It was a beautiful woman that was stretching out her hand; it looks like she was bringing world peace. What was weird was that she looks like Shi Shi, but older.

Sakura seems like she was being drawn by the statue. She walked closer to it, and stopped right in front of it. “She is…?” She asked. Blossica walked up next to her. “She’s our goddess, the one that sealed the evil monsters from hell.” The thought hit Sakura. [Shi Shi’s ancestor! No wonder she looks like Shi Shi…]

“She’s the one that makes it happen. If it wasn’t for her, we’d be living in fire of hell.” Blossica said. Sakura put her hand to her month, thinking deeply. She finally asked after a few seconds. “Blossica, do you know the legend?”

Blossica nodded. “Of course, everyone knows. ‘The goddess of Ometin sealed the evil demons in hell, everyone lives in peace. But one day the seal broke, and the legendary heroes came to save us from the missions of hell that spread all over Ometin.’”

“Do you know anything about the legendary heroes?” Sakura asked, a bit concerned. Blossica tilted her head, and put a finger to her cheek. “All I heard of, is that they came from another world. It’s supposed to be one boy, one girl.”

“Why from a different world? Why can’t the goddess’s posterity save the world?”

“I don’t know, maybe they don’t have the power they used to anymore. Things change after hundreds of year.”

Sakura nodded, she agreed with Blossica, but what she doesn’t get is that how come people in Ometin can’t help it when the world is at its risk! Why leave the whole baggage to two people who’s completely new to Ometin?

“You seem to be quite interested at the pass.” Blossica said. “We can’t give you that much of information, but I think Togeia might have some information.”

“Togetia?” Sakura asked, being unfamiliar with the term.

“If you head south, you’ll see it. It’s the oldest city in Ometin; they might have some historical documents.” Blossica said.

“Wow, thanks, I’ll go there!”

~~~~~

“We’re back!” Sakura said, charging through the cave entrance. “How’s Syaoran?” She asked. Dr. Boohig nodded. “Everything went well, he could go now.” Syaoran got up, and jumped of the bed. “But don’t forget.” Dr. Boohig said. “Come back tomorrow to get another treatment, or the allergies will be back.”

“I understand.” Syaoran smiled. “Thank you, Doctor.” He bowed, and stuck out his tongue to Yoki before he left. Yoki threw a small package of medical herbs on his head. “Oh, how annoying…” She said to herself. “And we’ll still have to treat him tomorrow?”

“Why don’t you stay at our place?” Dr. Boohig suggested. Yoki looked at him madly. “What?!”

“But we already bothered you enough, we don’t want to be to much trouble.” Sakura said.

“No trouble at all.” Dr. Boohig said. “It’ll be in your bill.” Sakura slipped a little, “Um…” a sweat drop rolled down her head. “Sounds fair.”

Blossica is Dr. Boohig’s neighbor. So they all walked home together. Night was falling; sunflowers began to light up the whole place. “Wow…it’s so pretty.” Sakura said. “Flowers do have a million uses around this place.”

“Yes.” Blossica said. “These sunflowers are mainly used to light up the streets, for household lightings, we use these smaller ones.” She put her hand near a smaller glowing flower. “These are lantern blossoms. We can put them in a bottle and put it in our house. All we have to do is to water them once in a while, and they’ll be good for years.”

“Really?” Sakura seems hyper now. “What else can you do with flowers?” Sakura asked brightly.

“Well.” Blossica said. “We can use the Fire lilies to cook, use some of the 10 feet tall roses’ pedals to make clothes,…and…”

said. “You She went on, and Sakura listened to every word. “You’re girlfriend seems to be very interested in flowers.” Dr. Boohig whispered to Syaoran. Syaoran’s face turned pure red. “She’s…not my girlfriend.”

“Oh, really. Ho ho ho ho…” Dr. Boohig laughed.

“Hey, what’s this flower, what does it do?” Sakura went near a daisy with curly leaves. “It has funny looking leaves.” She brushed one of them. “Oh no,” Blossica warned. “Don’t touch its leaves…” but she too late.

Blast!! A whole gallon of water came out of the daisy, and sprayed her head to toe until it runs out of water. “Hoe…?” Sakura exclaimed; a bit surprised by what it did.

“Sakura?” Syaoran ran up to her. “What on earth happened?” Sakura shook her head. “I…don’t really know.”

Blossica explained. “That’s…water daisy…it can holds up to ten gallons of water…we…usually use them to take water from the river and water our plants…”

Sakura sneezed. “Look at you.” Syaoran took off his shirt, and covered Sakura with it. “You’ll need to get change, let’s hurry back.” Dr. Boohig said.

~~~~~

Yoki went in to the changing room with her clothes in her arms; Sakura was already inside, waiting. “Here,” Yoki can use mine till yours dry up.”

“Thank you.” Sakura said. Yoki smiled back. “Let me help you put them on.” She put the clothes aside. Sakura took of her top.

Just then, Yoki saw it, the bell that contains the crystal. Her chest hurt, she kneeled down painfully. “AAAAHHH!!”

“Yoki?” Sakura tried to help her up, but she refused. “Please, don’t come closer!” Sakura obeyed. [Why…?] Yoki thought. [Why would the crystal be here? I can hear the screaming souls of my people! It’s the crystal that seals the missioners!]

Syaoran ran into the room. “What’s wrong?” Sakura jerked back, and covered her topless body with Yoki’s clothes. “AAAAHHH! SYAORAN!!!”

“Ah…ah…” Syaoran blushed furiously. “I…I’m sorry!”

“TURN AROUND!!” Sakura yelled; her face was also red.

“Ah…Oh!” Syaoran turned around quickly. “I…I’m sorry, I wasn’t…I mean…I didn’t mean to…” “Yoki! She’s in pain, I don’t know what’s going on!” Sakura said.

Just then, Blossica came in. “What’s all the screaming about?” She saw Sakura trying to cover her body with clothes and Syaoran standing in front of the door, she gave him a mad glare. “Syaoran!” Them punched him on the head. “How dare you!?”

“No, that’s not it!!” Sakura said. “It’s Yoki! But thanks for punching him, anyway.”

“Yoki!” Blossica helped her up. “I’ll take you to Dr. Boohig.” She closed the door behind her. Then looked at Syaoran, still standing in front of the door, facing the opposite way. “Well, help out!” She yelled.

“Um…” Syaoran followed. “Right…right.” He took Yoki by the other hand.

~~~~~

Dr. Boohig came out of the Yoki’s room after examining her. “She’ll be fine, but she’ll need a good night rest. Can you stay in Blossica’s for the night if it isn’t too much trouble for her?” He looked at Blossica.

“No trouble at all.” She said, looking concern. “Tell Yoki I said hope she get well soon.”

“I will.” Dr. Boohig bowled, saying good night.

The rest of them headed for Blossica’s house. “I hope Yoki’s alright.” Sakura said. Syaoran agreed. “Yeah…”

~~~~~

Sakura was brushing her hair in her room when someone knocked on the door. “Come in.” She said.

It was Syaoran; he came in with his face red. “Um…about what happened back there.”

Sakura blushed. “Oh…ah…it was an accident.”

“Um, yeah, but I want you to know, I’ll never, ever do that on propose!” He put his hands in front of his chest, look as if he was defending himself.

“…I know you wouldn’t.” She smiled. “But just to make sure!” She mad a grumpy face. “…Did you…see anything?”

Syaoran’s face was bright red now. “I…it was dark…so…there wasn’t much to see…” “ ‘There wasn’t much to see’??!!” Sakura looked even madder. “Are you saying that I don’t have ‘the curve’ or something?!” “No!!! That wasn’t…” Syaoran tried to fix what he said, but it was too late, the words are already in her head.

“I don’t want to see you again!!” She threw her pillow in his face. Syaoran held the pillow after it slides off his face. “Sakura~” She pushed him out of the room and locked the door. “Leave!!”

“Sakura~ please forgive me~!!!” He knocked the door again. Sakura took another pillow, and covered her head with it. “Stupid Syaoran…” She whispered to herself.

~~~~~

Inside Yoki’s room, she was shifting back and forth in her bed. She got up. [They’re the ones…] She thought; hatred began to swamp through her body. [They’re the legendary heroes that are destiny to genocide our people!] She shouted her eyes tightly. [I won’t let it!]

[Tomorrow shall be the day…] She slowly opened her eyes. [When those two finally fall, and complete my mission as a missioner from hell!]

Okay! Cliffhanger! So stay tooned!

Piggy Ho Ho