Help from the Shadows (Open Novella Contest)

15 (Jorogumo)

After Ayame, Haruya-kun and Shimanouchi-san had released themselves from the hug, we all sat together and decided to ask a few questions to them.

"Hey, Haruya, Shimanouchi-san, where did you get this video?" Choiseung asked them while showing the beginning part of their video, frowning a bit. They blinked for a while before they realised his meaning. 

"Oh, that..." Haruya sheepishly looked away. "Well, Douketsu had found that in a parcel to your house at the post office a few days ago during his investigations. After watching it, he brought it to me and reported it, so we decided to use it as bait for you." 

"That makes sense," Chenhua nodded.

"But do you know who it came from?" Choiseung questioned again. 

"Not really. However, I could feel Youki from it, which is why we're both sure that it's a Youkai behind this entire thing," Shimanouchi-san replied. 

"So it's really a Youkai huh?" Rau sighed. 

"Whoever that Youkai is, we still have to find a way to save the Original Quartet," Ayame firmly stated. We all nodded in agreement. 

"Haruya-kun, Shimanouchi-san, can you two track down where the parcel came from?" I asked them. 

The two of them looked at each other. 

"Not really," Haruya-kun replied. 

"But I can," Mitsue-san spoke up. We turned to her. 

"R-Really?!" we yelped out in happiness. 

"Yeah," she nodded. "But it'll take a while to do it. Can I have the DVD?" 

"Sure," Shimanouchi-san took it out from his jacket and handed it over to her. Mitsue-san looked it over before she smiled as she turned to us, "I can do it." 

"Yes!" I pumped my fist in the air. 

"However, it'll take a while to do. Let's say around an hour or so," she thought it over. 

"Okay, so we'll get ready in the meantime,"Ayame decided. 

Just then, there was a knock on the door. We all blinked. 

"I'll go get the door," Akino stood up and walked over to the door, opening it. 

From the door, we could hear some voices as I could feel Akino's shock at first, before we heard the nervousness in his tone. 

After a long while, we heard the door close and Akino stumbled back, looking a bit pale. 

"Mitsue-san, we really need to speed up the process. That was the Tsukinami parents. They're worried about Touma," he gasped out. 

"EH?!" The rest of paled drastically. 

"If that's the case, I'll get started immediately!" Mitsue-san rushed to her room. 

"Then, Chen-nii, Jorogumo, Choi-nii, and I'll go train for the showdown," Ayame decided. The 3 of us agreed with nods. 

"Shutendouji-sama and I will get ready for the operation," Shimanouchi-san bowed to us, before he and Haruya-kun left. 

"Rau and I'll go get the Original Quartet's clothes so that they can change after we save them," Akino offered. 

"Good point," Ayame nodded. 

That's how we spent the entire hour; training against each other, and preparing for the showdown against the guy who had kidnapped the Original Quartet. 

There was a lot of things to do, so by the time Mitsue-san was done, we were completely exhausted. 

"Oh my..." I lay on the ground in my Lightside, completely exhausted. "I am so tired." 

"Same here," Choiseung admitted. Then he smiled, "But at the same time, I somehow feel sad." 

It took a while for us to understand. They'll be going back after this entire mess. I looked at the sky again. It feels like it's been years since I've met them, but it's just been a few days.

"... You know, I'm glad I met you guys," Ayame suddenly remarked. "All of you, including Jorogumo." 

"Really?" I felt a bit confused. " Why?"

"Well, you've been working hard to make it up for all the things that you've done before, and it's a really rare thing to see," Ayame chuckled. 

"Yeah, I agree with Yame-chan," Choiseung spoke from my left. "In my line of work, I've never seen anyone work like you, Jorogumo. You completely changed my opinion of you in these few days."

"But you guys changed me completely," I shook my head. "It's because of you guys that I can be here."

"You flatter us too much, Jorogumo," Chenhua joked. 

"...Hey Jorogumo, are you nervous about how the others will react to you?" Ayame suddenly asked me. I did a double take. 

"How did you know?" I blinked in shock.

"I'm just good at reading people I suppose," she chuckled softly. "But really, don't think too much about their reactions. They'll definitely forgive you."

"You sure?" I sounded skeptic. "Natsume probably wouldn't since I held her brother hostage. Neither will the other 3."

"They will once they hear what you've done," she grinned at me. "You're so kind, Jorogumo, and don't you ever forget that."

"Yame-chan's not lying," Chenhua smiled softly. "The past is past, so don't let it affect your present, Jorogumo." Choiseung nodded in agreement.

I was touched by their kindness to me, so as we continued staring at the clouds, I decided that I wouldn't let my past push me down anymore.

Soon, an hour had passed and Mitsue-san had called us back. 

"They're not far off, to be honest," Mitsue-san began as all of us sat in the living room. Our eyes lighted up like Christmas lights.

"REALLY?!" Haruya looked ecstatic.

"But here's the problem; they're in the Youmakai," our excitement died away upon hearing that. "In the ruins of Genbu's palace." 

"Isn't that underwater?" I asked, a bit worried since that wasn't my element. 

"Don't worry, I'll make some waterproof bubbles which we can all use to get down there," Mitsue-san immediately comforted me. "We can't use too much energy anyway. We'll need them for the battle ahead." 

I nodded, "Thanks, Mitsue-san." 

"What time is it now?" Akino asked. Chenhua looked at the time, "It's around 2 p.m. I think we can set off at 2.30 p.m."

"Then we can get to Genbu's island by around 3 p.m. and dive at 4 p.m.," Rau decided. 

"Sounds like a plan," Shimanouchi-san nodded in agreement. 

"Get your stuff ready, we're heading out as soon as it reaches 2.30," Akino commanded. Everyone nodded in agreement. 

/\/\ Help from the Shadows /\/\

Once it got to 2.30, we looked at one another, got up, grabbed our prearranged bags and went to the courtyard, where Mitsue-san opened up a portal for us. Akino turned to face us. 

"All right guys, this is it. We're going to go save the Original Quartet," he took in a deep breath. "Look, I just wanted you guys to know that no matter what happens, we'll definitely come out alive, okay? We WILL save them and we WILL bring down the guy who kidnapped them." 

"OH!" we all cheered in agreement, our enthusiasm and determination to save them high, before we entered the vortex, ready to rescue the Original Quartet. 

Don't worry, we'll definitely save you!