My name is Lee. (No, its Mai..)

Chapter 28: Moonrea

When Huey first stepped onto the spiral, he didn't know what to expect. Okay, he may have assumed that a tunnel would open beneath them or that the spiral was some sort of elevator that would take them down to Moonrea. However, he definitely did not expect what came next. At first, he thought his eyes were deceiving him when things around him started to blur and distort at an alarming speed. When he attempted to lift his hand to rub his eyes, he started to feel a weird sensation, like his body, his cells, his very essence of being was disintegrating. He literally came apart, only with the following moments, to have his body mesh together again in its usual shape. When Huey was absolutely sure he was whole, he threw up over a bush that was next to him. He felt Mai's hand rubbing his back, and her muttering in Japanese,

"I didn't think you would experience this"

She handed him a bottle of water to rinse off his mouth. Huey asked Mai to clarify her statement.

"Your body is probably adjusting to the climate here. When we first crossed over to the surface, we also got sick. I'm sure it will pass. You just need to rest"

Mai guided Huey to a rock where collapsed against it taking in his surroundings. The teens were at the edge of clearing surrounded by trees and bushes which were placed in an unnatural manner. At its center was a spiral, the same as the one as the one he had seen at the bottom of the volcano. Thinking about the volcano made Huey feel slightly nauseous and turn over, that's where he noticed fire flickering on two poles, one on each side of a black torii gate. He turned over and gazed upward; the 'sky' -he assumed- had a dark purple shade, figuring it was night-time. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed the vegetation around them had the normal green shade as the surface world. The surface, Huey thought. His eyes turned to Mai, watching her as she breathed in the air

"How are you feeling?" Mai asked.

"Better than I was a few minutes ago. How did we get here?"

"We used the portal. The spiral there is the gateway. From here we can crossover at any time we desire. But from the surface, it needs specific timing"

"Huh," Huey sighed, "How does it feel to be home?"

Mai thought over her answer and replied, "I honestly wish it was under better circumstances. Other than that, I don't exactly have the right words to say about being here. I feel relief and peace being here again. Right now, I want to go see mt father and the rest of my clan. Then I again, I can't until all this is over"

He mulled over their situation and decided it best to process it all later. Right now they had to complete their mission.

When Mai was sure Huey felt better, she lead him through the gate and followed a stone path.

"Where are we going?" Mai hear Huey ask.

"The gate-keeper. I'm sure by now he knows that the portal has been used. I'm surprised he didn't... Lookout!" Mai shouted, shoving him to the side as a spear whizzes through the air. The teens get into battle stances, backs facing each other as figures drop from the trees and surround them. Mai pulled out her sheathed katana and handed it to Huey, dropping her duffel bag at the same time. Huey growled out, "What are you going to use?"

Mai armed each hand with kunai said, "These"

"What is it with you and kunai?"

"Less talking. We've bigger things to worry about"

The duo sized up they're opponents, all were dressed in -no doubt- Kurosawa elite clothing. One in particular walked closer, to which Mai cursed at recognition of the elite.

"Welcome home, Jewel of the Mizushima clan," Keichiro greeted in Japanese, a smug look adorning his smug features, "I see you've brought a friend"

"Where are Megumi and Ichigo?" Mai growled back. Keichiro chuckled slightly and ordered his men to take the teenagers. The elites -katanas in hand- advanced, taking an offensive approach with the intention of Mai and Huey to remain in the defensive. Huey pulled the katana out of the black scabbard, swinging it an arc with his right hand and finally holding the hilt in both hands. Huey placed his right foot in front of the other, taking in the four figures in front of him and smirked. He lunged forward.

On Mai's end, she had to lean backwards, glaring at the swish of the katana that nearly had her head. Mai blocked katana blade with her left kunai and pushed the elite back, stabbing his right leg with her right kunai. She did a back handspring, using her foot to kick the elite's head, knocking him unconscious. Throwing her kunai behind her with deadly precision, Mai knew she didn't have to bother checking, knowing that from the surprised gasps and cries of pain, the kunai had wedged themselves into two elites legs. She was not fighting to kill, but incapacitating them was proving rather effective. She resorted to hand-to-hand combat to continue fighting her opponents which proved challenging. Mai chanced to see how Huey was doing and saw he had fought each of his opponents with remorse, but like her, not fighting for the kill. She discovered that Huey's technique was trying to shove the katana out of one of the elites hands and then finish them off by knocking them out. These were not easy opponents but regardless, they fought on.

Mai was about to turn back when Huey bellowed, "MAI!"

Mai was struck on her left arm and stumbled back. She lifted her right hand to her arm and felt blood. Mai moved forward to fight but her feet sluggish. Poison, Mai thought as she punched clumsily. She looked up to see that the leader, Keichiro had been the one that struck her. He slapped her with the back of his hand. A sick move, but effective enough to leave Mai stumbling to the rocky ground. Mai's eyes searched for Huey, and found him running in the direction of the gateway to the surface. Huey, Mai thought, her vision tumbling into darkness.

When Mai next awoke she found herself in a rather small and yet bare room, save for the futon she was on and lamps that hung on all four corners of the room. She groaned as she sat up, flinching at her injury. Mai noticed that she was in a white sleeping yukata and felt wary of her predicament. Removing the blanket from her body, Mai pulled herself to her feet and walked across the tatami mat floor and reached for the steel door. Seeing that there was no handle, she banged on the door, hoping it would call forth someone's attention. Hearing footsteps, Mai walked backward as the door slid open. And there stood the one person she hated.

"Shane"