Vacay (self-insert #6)

Chapter 8

The temperature dropped as we walked deeper into the cave, the interior barely lit by the sunlight pouring in. I breathed in deeply, expelling my breath in a whoosh. "This is so cool." I whispered. "Like, the awesome kind of cool. Not the cold kind. Though it is kind of chilly."

No one responded.

"I've never been in a cave before. Like, I don't think there are any in Illinois. We just have woods and prairie grasses and corn fields and cities."

I felt like I was talking to myself.

"Are you guys sleeping? Sleepwalking?"

Bou-san didn't turn around. "Hey, kid?"

"Adult?"

"I don't think anyone is in the mood for your jokes."

I frowned, confused. "Was I joking?"

"Nira." Lin cut in quietly. I pouted.

The tunnel curved slightly, leading us to a small alcove-like room. The hokora shrine sat at the far end, displaying an upright chunk of driftwood. Naru planted himself in place, staring down his foe. "Let's begin." He announced, his voice like ice.

Bou-san obeyed, albeit a bit hesitantly. His voice strengthened as he went on, echoing off the craggy stone walls. At first, there was nothing. My eyes were starting water from staring intently at the Ebisu when I just barely heard something.

Ba-dum.

Then, just a little louder. Ba-dum.

I glanced at Lin's impassive face. "Did you hear that?"

He nodded slightly.

The heartbeat-like noise grew louder and louder until it seemed like it was trying to drown Bou-san out. To add to that, a whooshing filled the cave. "What? Now it's like it's breathing? It's as if the cave is alive!" Ayako exclaimed.

Yasuhara's voice rose over the chaos. "Takigawa-san! The enterance is sealing over!"

We all whipped around. Sure enough, the enterance had warped, and although we could still see the outdoors, there was no way anyone could make it through the distorted space. Bou-san instantly put his hands together, but Naru spoke up, completely unruffled. "Don't bother with it. If we get the main cause, it'll open."

He was right. Directing his prayers towards the door would only waste what precious energy Bou-san had left. The monk turned back a bit reluctantly and resumed his chant, and almost immediately the cave was filled with moans on top of the heartbeat and the whooshing. "Can't I just take a sledgehammer to the thing?" I demanded, struggling to be heard. Even in a situation like this Lin lowered his guard enough to give me the are you serious look, but to be fair I had just suggested taking a hammer to a religious icon. "Mai, watch out!" I yelped as pale, elongated featureless faces melted off the wall towards her, but John's calm voice lifted strongly in the air.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. The Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Through the Word everything was created. Without the word, nothing would exist."

At exist, the apparitions faded away. Our relief was shortlived, though—the blobby faces flashed into existence on every wall, reaching out to grab us. A strident whistle rang out, and two of Lin's shikis slammed into several of them. It was enough to prompt everyone into action. Which was pretty sad, seeing how I'd been muttering Surahs and duas ever since the first blob ghosts showed up.

Unfortunately for them, the blob ghosts showed no sign of retreat. When one was expelled, another took its place. I glanced up at Naru, who was taking it all in as a calm spectator, most of his attention on Okobu-sama. I vaguely wondered what it was like to have a grudge against a chunk of wood.

Reaching the end of his chant, Bou-san lifted his vajra, his voice ringing off the stone. "...tari tsuta boritsu hara boritsu. Taki mei taki mei kara san tan uenan sowaka!"

The vajra sank into Okobu-sama with a thunk, and I felt victorious until I saw Bou-san sent flying back by an unseen force. He slammed into the far wall, double over and wheezing. "John..." He gasped, face twisted with pain. "Grab that tokkosho...use it to break the wood."

John dashed off immediately and, ripping the vajra free, raised it high in the air...only to fly backwards, the vajra falling from his hands. To everyone's surprise, Yasuhara snatched up the vajra, but the poor guy barely made it halfway before he was slammed against the wall so hard that his glasses flew off.

"Is that all?"

Naru towered over the fallen, dark eyes unforgiving.

"THAT'S ENOUGH ALREADY!" Mai roared.

Everyone stared. I stood back, grinning while she lectured him.

"I've had it! Why are you so built up like this!? Everyone's been pushed to their limits helping you!" She shouted. "Why do we have to go through all of this just for your pride? Are you insane? If it's so important to you, why don't you just do it yourself!? You're so protected by others, I don't know how you can have so much pride!" Her lungs already warn out from the Nine Words, she broke off into indignant huffs.

Naru took all of this without blinking. "Logical argument." He said cooly.

Mai glowered at him for a moment before turning to help Bou-san up, her voice still raw with anger. "Let's go home. You've done enough."

"Yeah." The poor monk could barely stand straight. "Sorry, Naru-chan. It's the end of the road."

I raised my eyebrows at Naru. "Is it?" I asked quietly. "Are we going to walk away?"

"No." He said simply, as they began to file towards the still-blocked enterance, he turned to face the hokora. I joined him.

"Naru?" Oh, God. Mai had noticed. She stared, confused. "Hey, Naru! What are you doing!?"

Lin glanced over his shoulder and blanched. "Naru!? Don't!" He shouted, almost letting Bou-san fall in a desperate attempt to drag Naru away by the collar.

The air began to change. It became lighter, lifting his hair and the ends of my hijab. Tiny sparks danced on my abaya. My vision began to warp, almost like a TV with unstable reception.

"Nira, get him over here right now!" Lin barked, his voice slightly tinny through my ringing ears.

Naru lifted his hands. Light coalesced in his palms, growing with intensity.

"NIRA!" Lin's roar seemed to fade into the background.

My chest seemed to tighten as Naru reared back and slammed the light down. It rushed towards the hokora, flashing bright before the scene seemed to fragment. I hacked noisily through the cloud of dust as the ringing died down. "Naru?" I croaked.

He stood over the now empty hokora. Tiny splinters of wood clattered to the stone.

Okobu-sama was destroyed.

"The atmosphere." Masako's soft voice filled the stunned silence. "It's clear. This is not a sacred ground anymore. Spirits will not be summoned. This area is now just an ordinary cave."

Bou-san heaved a sigh. "Right now, I'm thinking if you were able to do it yourself, I wish you'd have done it earlier."

Chuckles. Naru turned to face them, his head up. "Let's go."