Abandoned Hospital

Discription: A more or less intact hospital in the city, with the ground floor and cellar floors useable. Not much medical supplies, and few of them are actually still intact, but a lot of beds and room.

Post:
Groaning, Setsuna woke up from an unsettleing sleep that only left her more depraved than before. Numb pain was flowing through her body at various spots, she was obviously on a high dose of painkillers.. the girl next to her, Caelica, was helping Ragna, who was lieing in the other bed of the room. That was fine by her. He was in a much worse state than she was and needed the attention... Setsuna had taken a few bullets and a few slashes after bursting into the throne room, grabbing the unconcious Ragna and running for her dear life.. and she had still no idea what had provoked her to do that. Sure, he was an alright guy once one got to know him, but he was still an enemy to her.. he killed her father for christs sake.
Still... she liked him, in a wierd way. She liked him a lot.
She grumbled and turned to her side, faceing him to see how he was doing... Caelica seemed to enjoy touching his bare chest to heal up his wounds way too much, her face was in a state of extasy which made her blink, then groan again.

He would have loved to say his body felt numb, that everything was a blur of cotton and pin pricks. However, that was a lie, his body was a wreck. Even with his regeneration abilities every muscle ached as he tried to breath normally, beyond that he was dead tired. Looking back it was pretty damn stupid trying to take on three serious opponents and a few hordes of flunkies back to back but it wasn't like he had alot of options at the time. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that he was no longer in the NOL bunker, but some kind of run down hospital or apartment, he was too out of it to really tell. Vaguely, he knew somebody had dragged him out of there as he fell. As his vision cleared it was no surprise to see Caelica standing over him tending to his wounds. "I told you...to stop following me..." he managed to say while turning to look at a bed nearby. Lying there was the blue armored woman he had fought before reaching the bunker. Was she the one who dragged him out? He attempted to sit up but quickly found himself unable to do so. "I gotta go back. She was right there. If I can just take out that life link I can end this."

Caelica only frowned in response and pushed him down to let him rest, then continued to heal him. "Don´t say that. You´d be dead now if it wasn´t for me and Setsuna."

Setsuna grumbled in response and rolled her eyes.
"You aren´t going to save anyone if you kill yourself trying to fight her. She´s going to win, hands down, unless you try something different... obviously running inside and attacking head on isn´t going to work."
Then, she turned away and faced the cieling to let her wounds rest.
"You were hit pretty badly back there.. pretty sure she aimed to kill you."
She cursed herself for moveing, but she couldn´t stand looking at his face for too long. There was something about looking at him like that.. it wasn´t right.
Besides, what would her father think, or say? He would probably smack her right in the face.
But the Librarium wasn´t worth fighting for, she knew that for a long time now. The only reason she had sided with them was for thier power... they had the power to kill Ragna the Bloodedge... and now, now that she had the chance, she didn´t feel like doing that anymore.

Still struggling to rise, Ragna found himself unable to even overpower Caelica in his battered state. "She's my sister! I've got to try damnit!" Propping his elbow against the bed, Ragna managed to push himself up into a sitting position for a few seconds before everything went blurry again and he promptly fell onto his back once more. Try as he might, he just couldn't move and the growing ache in his right arm wasn't helping. The Azure was throbbing inside his arm, each new pulse sending an arc of pain through his body. Soon, not even that could keep him up and he slipped into unconsciousness once again.

It took a good three hours until Ragna regained his senses again, and by that point, Setsuna was nowhere to be found. Most likely her wounds had healed and she had decided to leave, before Ragna would change her mind about her. Caelica however still waited by Ragna´s side and held his hand, smileing a little as to how well her healing magic worked even now... no scars were left from the acid bullets that had torn him up.

"Ragna..? How do you feel?" She finally asked, as she noticed a reaction comeing from him.

Sitting up in bed, Ragna finally had the strength to remain upright and had his senses back once more. Not looking Caelica in the eyes he simply stared at his right hand with a sullen expression. "My body feels fine thanks to you but everything else feels like shit. I couldn't do it Caelica. Saya was right there and I couldn't accept what she was. She's not my sister anymore, she's a monster and I didn't have the backbone to put her down." Ragna hung his head, bitterness and regret hanging in every word. Just when he finally got Jin back, in a sense, he had lost Saya again. Whether Terumi had corrupted her or if she was responsible from the start didn't matter. Either way, the Imperator and the Library needed to be stopped once and for all. But after that fight Ragna truly doubted if he could be the one to bring them down.

"Power corrupts people... it doesn´t necessaryly have to be Terumi, even though it´d be his signature to do that to her."

She stroked his hand a little, looking at him with a worried expression. She could feel his pain, a pain she couldn´t heal through magic or painkillers alone. Saya was beyond his reach, and probably forever gone... this wasn´t something he could overcome easyly.

"Ragna... she might be evil.. but somewhere deep inside her, she can remember what it was like to be with you.. she just sealed it away. You gotta get her heart back, not her body. Her soul is what you need to save, not her mortal form."

Without haveing anything else to say that would comfort him, she simply leaned against him, slightly embraceing him to try and console his feelings.

Caelica was probably right. She could look at things rationally and logically but all Ragna could see right now was the look in Saya's eyes as she tried to kill him. Caelica hadn't seen what he had back there, and there was no way to properly put it to words. Clenching his right hand into a fist, the Azure flickered once and his right eye matched it. "I promised myself I'd do everything I could but after seeing her today....I'll do what I can to save her. But if it comes down to her or the world...I'll be the one to put her down." Resting his head against Caelica for a moment, he had to admit it felt good having her back. Taking a deep breath he laid his hand on her shoulder and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to stand. First things first, he had to do something about Saya's life link if he was going to have any chance of reaching her. Terumi hadn't shown any wounds to match Saya's during Ragna's fight against her, he didn't even react. That meant the odds were against the link being with him. The next best options were that freak in the mask and the one with the witch hat. But even if Ragna found them he had no way to break the link outside of killing them and Saya at the same time.

How the hell am I supposed to cut the link? Suddenly, a light bulb went off in the Bloodedge's head as the answer occurred to him, Jubei! His nox nyctores had the ability to cut just about anything. If there was a weapon that could cut through a life link, it was the Musashi. That settled it, he needed to find his master. Reaching to a nearby chair, he threw his jacket over his shoulders. "I've gotta find Jubei. He's got something I need if I'm gonna save stop Saya."

Caelica stood up as soon as he did, worriedly looking at Ragna. He might´ve been healed, but he had been going through a lot lately. First he had to fight his brother, then his sister, and now he has to decide whatever or not to kill her..
And yet... and yet he keeps moveing, keeps ventureing on despite his state. Caelica simply had to admire him for this.

"Ragna.." She started, grabbing his arm tightly.

"You´re not leaveing without me. For one i haven´t seen Jubei in years, and for another... you`ve been through a lot before but now you´re faceing something that can destroy you from the inside. I don´t want you to break just because you want to do everything on your own."

She came closer, embraced him tightly.

"I´m going to help you Ragna. As much as i can, and whatever you like it or not. I`m not going to let you go like that... Ragna... i..."

As much as she had wanted to continue the sentence on her lips, she fell silent again, looking away from the strong back she hugged and onto the ground. Instead, she continued with something else.

"I`m going to fight with you against her."

Lowering his chin, Ragna stood silently as Caelica tried to comfort and support him. She had been the best thing in his childhood and here she was again, doing all she could to look after and care for him in his time of need. However he wasn't a child anymore. He had long since decided that allowing other people to fight his battles for him would only bring them harm and himself more misery. This was his sister, his problem, and therefore his responsibility. However, her tagging along with him to Jubei could work well. Maybe the old cat would be able to look after her until all this was over or at the very least provide a distraction while Ragna snuck off again. "Alright, you're welcome to come with me to find Jubei but that's as far as we go together. It's too damn dangerous for you to be following me around like this and I'm not strong enough to look after the both of us at once. Promise me you'll stay with Jubei when we find him. And don't worry, after everything these bastards have put me through I'm not about to break now." He placed a reassuring hand on her hand and slowly pulled away from the hug to begin walking towards the door, picking up his Bloodscythe from where it leaned against the wall on his way. Spinning the blade once, he sheathed it across the back of his waist and entered the doorway to leave the room but paused to look back. "Well? You coming or not?" he said with a slight hint of fake irritation in his voice, knowing Caelica would see right through it.

====>Reiei's Garrison topic

"....I can`t help you afterall then. I guessed that much."

Caelica said, her smile fadeing as she let go of him. She had guessed it all along, he had grown independant long ago and she would merely hinder him in his conquest. He probably had another girl, too.
The time had come for the parent to let go of her adopted son, despite Rachel`s mission to watch over him. She couldn´t stand in the path of his destiny, nor did she want to... she had only wanted to be there for him.

"Go then, Ragna. I´ll stay behind. Save Saya and save this world."

As Ragna left, Reiei silently walked in the hospital. Now the most dangerous warrior in the world was away from that place, the time was to check the truth in what he had been told. "Was Setsuna still here?" was the first question to his mind.
As he advanced carefully inside the building, he heard sounds of gunfire. The soldiers had commenced their offensive on the wrong target. "They are all stupid. I told them to lock the woman, not Ragna. I shall have to do it all alone. It impresses me how Ragna the Bloodedge's presence can weigh its own in the best-devised plans."
Upon thinking of what he should do, Reiei stepped and hid near the room where he was said the targets were hidden. "Unless that too is a lie." He tried to observe what was in the room without being spotted, fastly taking glances in that room. "Setsuna is not here... What will I do?", thought the nightwalker as he realized that mission was even harder than he depicted it was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>(From an 'Area Near Lost Town)

Jubei wandered himself into the 6th heirarchical city, it had taken him some time to make his way out there; but the cat was determined to track someone he'd thought was long since dead. He'd be damned if he let it happen while he knew about it and had Musashi with him. 'I've gotta say...that's a lot of running around to be doin', finally I think I have tracked her down though.' While initially having no means other than scent to follow Caelica's trail, from the port and to Orient Town; it was easy to understand that the cat was winded. He had been moving with great haste, the anticipation thick enough to be cut with a knife.

After all, this would be the first time in a really long time that Jubei would see her, it'd be nice to see a friendly face. However on his approach towards the hospital, the scent of guns, soldiers, and something else filled the area. Well it looked like he might have to deal with some of them, at least that was the initial thought. Though upon his quiet approach to the facility grounds, he was met with no patrolling soldiers; let alone any resistance. It surprised him since he was sure, with the signs of shells that there would be soldiers about. But this wasn't a time to question things, Jubei started into the Hotel via one of the side entrances; he could tell someone was within the building. "Hm, I reckon that scent is something like Valkenhayn...but its not the ol' fang, this one seems younger. Better keep my eye open for the trouble. Gotta be sure this fella isn't after Caelica, if he is; well he's flat outta luck. I've no intention of letting anyone lay a finger on 'er." the words given to a point, he was keeping the promise he made.

Almost as if a way of cherishing the memory of Nine, if he could keep her sister in this world; then certainly this would please her. He hoped that at the end of this scent trail, to find a vibrant Caelica still breathing when he got there.

At the other end of the trail, Caelica sat on the bed that Ragna had rested on, her eyes nearly blank while her head was working like crazy. She held back tears, but could only do so much for now, while her hands covered her face that she didn´t want to show to the world. She had to go on without Ragna now, and it would be hard to do... but it was probably for the better this way, so she tried to take it easy. She couldnt do it..

That damn fool will get himself killed, i know he will. I barely got him back up after treating his wounds...

Deep in thought and self disgust for letting him go, she didn´t notice the beastkin getting closer, the very beastmen who was the rightful owner of the sword that was placed on her lap, useless in this moment.

It was enough to say that Jubei was making sure to avoid the Nightwalker, so long as his nose hadn't failed him in the identification of the particular figure somewhere in the Hospital. Jubei continued a fast approach, unsure of the visitor to the hospital's intentions; it mattered not in the full outcome of things. His purpose was at the end of the trail he was following, by which now he was nearing the end of. He took a gamble, either this would alert no one but the visitor or she might hear him. Once the cat made his way to the hallway looked around, glancing towards the doorway he was sure she had been.

"Caelica? ya in there? It's Jubei, I've come to find ya, answer me if that's you in there.", the call was simple and would likely get her attention, that was his purpose now. He hoped to find that this was just who he'd been after. All that running he damn sure didn't want to run into a spectre.

"Jubei...." It escaped her throat faintly, then she eventually removed the hands from her face and tried to calm down.
"I´m here." She answered, a little louder, less determined than before. She really had no idea what he was doing here, but it probably concerned Ragna, not her.
It didn´t matter in the end, because she felt like she owned that sword to him, and now that it was no longer needed, she could give it back. The only true question was that if he would ask why Ragna wasn´t with her, if she could answer truthfully without bursting into tears.

After hearing her voice, the veteran hero stepped into the room and paid her a good look with his one eye, which went a little wide at first. Though after a few moments, a happy grin settled over the cat's face, it was great to see her!

"Thank heaven yer all right. I reckon, I was worried about yer safety. That's why I came here, I'm gonna stick around with ya fer a while. Gonna make sure no one gets any ideas about messin' with ya." though certainly the intention was there, even as he said it he approached her and drew an arm around her side, deciding to voice his pleasant discovery.

"Sure is nice to see ya, I'd have questions, but its better to see ya and revel in that fer a while." there was no reason better in his mind now, just spending time in the moment was good enough. Though truth be told, he wasn't really sure where to start, if ever to ask a question. Maybe she'd just tell him eventually? He imagined she might.

Caelica smiled a bit, weakly, but honest, and placed her hands on her lap in order not to cover her face again. Sure enough, he wouldn´t want to see her cry.
But then again, seeing Jubei was a bittersweet experience as she was reminded of when times were better...

"Good to see you too, Jubei.. its been quite a while, hasn´t it."

Caelica´s answer was a drastic character change to her normal, more cheerful attitude... a smile still on her lips, she looked at him and said what she wanted to say.

"Ragna isn´t here.. he went looking for you elsewhere."

Being a beastkin gave him a couple of instincts that he made use of from time to time, even though it didn't take him much to understand Caelica was bothered, especially by the words she'd said. To be truthful he hadn't even thought about Ragna "Ragna, eh? That brat gone and got himself hurt did he? I can smell his blood and so he's gone off to find me. Well, if luck has it with my student, he'll find his way back here." he took the information nonchalantly enough, he knew that Ragna was headstrong and did foolish things, but he'd always had a good heart.

With a solid direction, he'd take care of himself and figure out that he had moved off, in time he'd return. Jubei had already figured that he'd be smart enough to draw out where the cat's direction had taken him in a hurry. His focus now was on Caelica, she still seemed troubled; this too along with spying the blade she had been using of his, he smiled lightly. "Well that being that, how've ya been holdin' up? I can see yer wielding my blade with no problem." the thought of this of course to move the conversation onward. Ragna was an important topic, but he wasn't worried about his safety; not with a stubborn boy like him in mind.

Caelica blinked as he drew the attention of the topic elsewhere. He was right, Ragna could handle himself most likely... but the katana had gone out of her focus because of all that happened.

"Oh, right, i´ve been meaning to give it back to you.. Ragna said he´d leave me with you once he found you, so.. if... if he doesn´t need me around anymore, i don´t need to fight.. I would only burden him one way or the other."

There, she had let it all out, her feelings and her thoughts, both at once. It was probably a little too much at once, but she could care less. She couldn´t handle the stress she was under, and she couldn´t fight, she couldn´t even find her way. She wouldn´t be of any use to Ragna.

This made him quirk a brow, she wanted to return it already? Ah...so that's what it was, this matter didn't take long for Jubei to put two and two together. She felt that she might not be a use to Ragna, well he wasn't going to let her go down this path. If she lost faith to push on now, then Ragna would never make it, the feline was certain to see that she'd continue. So he did his best to push her back onto the saddle, in a manner of speaking.

"Well Caelica, if that's how ya feel, then let's take it to another level eh? Ya know that kid would helpless without ya, Ragna is probably just afraid of losin' ya, well what do ya say then? I'll get ye into top shape, no need ta return my blade yet. Not if ya really intend to help the kid right? C'mon, let's get ya ready fer it." in truth Jubei hoped to re-ignite her desire to help Ragna, maybe break her stupor with the offer of a little training; anything to increase her ability to defend herself and better yet, see she helped Ragna. Otherwise, he'd be sticking with her to watch after her.

Caelica blinked repeatively. Was... was he asking her to fight him? He, wanted her to fight him? She imagined that she would hit the ground as soon as she pulled her blade out...
Well, maybe it was for the best, maybe her frustration would vanish if she played a bit...
With a sigh, she got up, sword in hand, then drew it, uncareing for that she was holding the scabbard the wrong way around, then tossed the wooden saya onto the bed and held the blade with both hands, looking at him with determination.

"Fine.. i´m in a hospital anyways, might as well use it."

She was trying to joke around at least... that was a step up from before. There was no fear, no shakeing, nothing compared to what she felt when she raised her blade towards Jin.
She knew that Jubei wouldn´t hurt her, at least not too much, but she expected to hit the ground pretty damn soon. The beastkin had strength no man could compare to, and she was nothing but a frail little girl with a big old butterknife.

"That's what I like ta see, alright...here we go!" Jubei immediately dropped into a ready stance, he wasn't going to thrash her, but test her in this mock battle first. Once he found where she was standing, then he could give her what skills necessary there were to proceed: she would become stronger.

Jubei offered a light grin in her direction as he drew back, taking Musashi out and gripping it with his teeth, the cat made his first move. This designed to test Caelica's reaction time, he moved upon her suddenly and swept the blade in a horizontal line aimed for her side; with the blade end of Musashi aimed her way, even if it hit it would not cut. As with her thoughts being quite right, he had no intention of hurting her.

He was certain that he could get her into some better conditioning, Caelica had a gift within her and as long as she used it promptly, it would make for a hell of a weapon when properly applied.

"...Wah!"

Caelica completely freaked as Jubei suddenly stood in front of her and slashed, but lowered her sword timely to meet his blade and push it back a bit, easier said than done, she had to use a lot of force to stop his blade in the first place. Both of her hands pushed the ancient Katana forwards, yet the beastkin didn´t move an inch. It was truely freaky how much power this cat had.

"Do.. Don´t scare me like that...!"

She jumped back, then raised the sword and swung it down at him, but aimed for his shoulder in order not to hurt him on accident.
The odds were, she was going to get hurt before he would, but that was obvious.
She only tried not to get too humiliated...

She reacted to his speed in a timely manner, it was exactly what he'd hoped that she would do. She went out a nice length of the way to deflect it and with little response time left to her. Her attack was one that he had wanted to see. As he instinctively turned his head to meet her next attack, the slash aimed for his shoulder was met by the quick sweep of his head, allowing Musashi's blade to cover the end of his shoulder. This of course allowed him to fit the nature of the attack.

Instead of trying to speak, he made his next move against her maneuver; pushing up hard to throw her back while letting his foot raise towards her side via the same momentum. He was careful to hold back the bulk of his strength, after all kicking Caelica with his power would defeat his purpose of training her. He was still after her reaction time, so this would see how well she did against a blow aimed for her after a counter move was made.