Chapter 46-Team Noah’s Fifth Member

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

My eyes shoot open as I sit up in bed, and upon looking around, I find myself back in Anemoi's cabin.  I then hear some snoring besides me, and I look over, finding that I'm laying side by side in Anemoi's bed with Anemoi herself.

"Right after we found you, both of you passed out!"  Khione laughs.

"Must have overdone it in your right," Old-Man F chuckles as he folds his arms, "But seriously, Noah, I'm proud of you.  Defeating Gambino is no small feat."

"Thanks," I reply with a beaming smile.

I then look away and frown.

"What's the matter?"  Mary frowns as well.

"I…killed Gambino…" I sadky reply, "Anemoi and I pushed Gambino into his Rust Charge, which then decayed his body until nothing was left…"

"So you assisted Gambino in his sucided?"  Old-Man F asks as he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Before Gambino died, he said something about how he wanted to avenge his wife," I continue, "He may have been a bad guy, but now…I can't help but to think about that if I was Gambino, and my wife died, maybe I would have been evil as well.  Who knows.  Maybe I was in the past, I don't have any memories…"

Old-Man F and Mary frown.

I continue moping.

Khione sighs.

"Come OOOONN, Noah, you're making me feel bad!"  She groans.

"H-huh…?"  I ask as I peer up at Khione.

"When I KILLED Cherika, I didn't pity her, since she was an evil person!"  Khione explains, "But now, here you go, pitying the man YOU killed, after he tried to capture you and Anemoi and sell you two into slavery!  He even tried to make Anemoi his MISTRESS!  If that's not creepy, I don't know what is!"

A faint smile spreads across my lips.  "Thank you, Khione…" I softly say.

"No problem!"  Khione replies with a beaming smile.

"So, uhhh…how did you guys fair?"  I ask.

Khione, Old-Man F, and Mary peer over to one another with a smirk, before turning back to face me.

"WE WON!"  They boom.

"The three of us faced the strongest bandit group in the Land of Wind, the Assassin Trio, hired by Gambino to kill us, and kicked their asses!"  Old-Man F explains.

"You guys should have SEEN me!"  Khione exclaims, "I used my permfrost to freeze an ENTIRE room!"

"Yeah, well you're looking at the new user of a level five spell!"  Old-Man F proudly boasts as he places both hands on his hips.

"You couldn't use one before?"  I ask.

"No," Old-Man F answers, "Only up to level four."

"Even I fought!"  Mary chimes in.

"H-how was it…?"  I ask.

"Terrible," Mary answers as she gloomily looks away, "But…I won!  I even used my Rapids Talon!"

"That's great, Mary!"  I exclaim, "Sort of…"

"Wh-what's…going on…?"  Anemoi groggily asks as she sits up and rubs her eyes.

Anemoi then turns to face me and raises an eyebrow.  "What…are you doing on my bed?"

"We defeated the Gambino Crime Syndicate!"  I explain, "And my friends here carried us to safety!"

"Well…I didn't do any of the carrying," Mary chuckles.

"And WHY did you put Noah in my bed?"  Anemoi asks as she raises an eyebrow at Khione and Old-Man F, who shrug in response.

Anemoi's eyes then widen.

"LISA!"  She cries, "Did you get the money?!"

"Over there," Khione snickers as she points to the corner, where the suspicious bags that caught my eye when we first entered Anenoi's home reside, "With the rest of them…"

"Oh that's right, your sick friend," I say. 

"Yeah…" Anemoi gloomily replies.

"So how about it, Anemoi?"  I ask with a smirk, "You ready to join our team yet?"

"I'm sorry, Noah," Anemoi sighs as she looks away in shame, "I know I promised you that I'll join your team if you help me take down Gambino, but…Lily is still sick.  I can't leave her behind.  If I do…then no one will be there to take care of Lily…"

"I understand," I sigh, "We can't force you."

"Not that Gambino's medicine was real, but without him, now I don't know what to do…" Anemoi sighs.

"Are you serious, Noah?!"  Khione snaps, "Anemoi is the only one who can help us prevent the elemental apocalypse!  We risked our LIVES to fight Gambino just to get here to join, and here she goes, breaking her word?!"

"How would you feel if Master Flint was sick, and I asked YOU to join?"  I ask.

Khione's eyes widen, and she then looks away in shame.

"I guess so…" Khione grumbles.

"Well…I'll see you later, Anemoi," I then say as I turn to face the swordswoman again, "You'll see us again if we need you."

"Yeah…" Anemoi replies, "Take care, Noah."

"Um…excuse me…" Mary sheepishly pipes up, "Ms Anemoi…?"

"Yeah?"  Anemoi asks as she peers down at Mary.

"Um…can I see your friend?"  Mary asks.

"Uhh…yeah, sure,"  Anemoi replies, "Why?"

"If my theory is correct…then I may be able to heal your friend," Mary answers.

Anemoi's eyes widen.  "R-right this way!"  Anemoi cries as she jumps out of bed then dashes up the stairs, and Mary follows.

"Should we…go too…?"  I ask as Khione, Old-Man F, and myself take a step over to the siars, but Mary turns around to face us.

"Um…sorry, but can you guys stay down here, please?"  Mary pleads, "Things might get messy.

"Right…" I reply as the three of us watch Mary embark up the stairs for good.

Meanwhile, upstairs…

"Here she is," Anemoi hastley orders as she hustles over to a bed positioned in the center of the second floor.  Lying in the bed, is a frail woman with pale skin, whose face is contorted in pain, and is breathing raggedy.

"Hey, Lily, I'm here now…" Anemoi whispers to the woman with a tender smile as she kneels down next to the bed and takes Lily's hand, "This girl here may be able to help you…"

"N-no promise," Mary stamers, "So what's wrong with Lily?"

"I-I don't know," Anemoi panics, "Lily came down with a fever a long while ago now, and she hasn't gotten better since."

"I'll see what I can do," Mary replies as she kneels down next to Lily and places her hands to Lily's cold, pale body.  Maroon-red sparks of energy begin to swirl and burst around Mary's body.

Mary's face contorts in concentration as beads of sweat dot her forehead.

"Wh-what are you doing…?"  Anemoi panics.

"SHUT UP!"  Mary snaps, then sighs a moment later.

"I'm sorry," Mary apologies, "I get sort of uppity when I heal people.  Right now…I'm using my Blood Charge to FEEL Lily's blood, to see what's wrong with her."

"What's wrong with Lily…?"  Anemoi asks as she nervously peers over Mary's shoulder.

"She has a fever, she's sick," Mary explains, "Lily must have come down with a virus, which was exemplified by Gambino's 'medicine'."

"C-can you heal her?"  Anemoi asks.

"It depends," Mary answers as she grunts in conrectation, "Lily is going to WANT it.  Right now…I'm using my Blood Charge to kill off Lily's infected blood cells, and then producing new, healthy blood cells out of her own blood.  Lily's T-Cells will need to do the rest of the work."

Mary continues concentration, as Anemoi continues watching in fear.  But then…Lily's ragged breathing slows down, and her face softens, as slowly, color begins to return to Lily's body.

Anemoi's eyes widen.  "Is she…?"

  Mary drops to her butt, gasping for breath.  "Yeah…" Mary answers as she peers up at Anemoi with a weal grin, "She's fine.  Lily has been healed."

Slowly…Lily's eyes flutter open.  "Ana…?"  Lily croaks.

Tears begin forming at the edges of Anemoi's eyes.

"LILY!"  Anemoi cries as she leaps on top of Lily's bed.

"Careful, Lily needs her re-" Mary begins to say, but she's cut off by the wet slap of Anemoi mashing her lips against Lily's.

Mary's eyes widen, and then she swiftly lifts her hands and slaps them over her eyes.  "H-HUH?!"

"Sorry," Anempi blushes as she breaks her kiss, then turns and peers over her shoulder at Mary, "Lily…is my girlfriend."

"HUH?!"

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"  I cry as Khione, Old-Man F, and myself barge up the stairs with such force that we all knock the three of us to the ground.

"Lily's been healed!"  Anemoi answers with a tearful smile, "Noah, Mary, the other two…THANK YOU!"

"HEY!"  Khione and Old-Man F snap.

"You're welcome!"  Mary replies with a beaming grin.

I flash Anemoi a small smile of my own.  "No problem, Anemoi," I say.

"Call me Ana," Anemoi smiles, "It's what my friends, well…Lily calls me."

"Right," I reply, "Ana."

"GIRLFRIEND," Mary whispers up to me.

"OH!"  I reply as my eyes widen.

"So, Ana, what about now?"  I then ask, "Are you ready to join the-"

"YES!"  Ana cries, interrupting me, "I owe Lily's life to you guys.  I'll join your team!"

"Then welcome to Team Noah, Ana!"  I exclaim, and the rest of us cheer.

"But, um…" Ana then sheepishly adds, interrupting our cheer, "Do you mind if we hang back in the village for a few days?  Just until Lily recovers."

"Of course," I reply with a tender smile, "I'm not a dictator."

  And so, Team Noah -plus our newest member, Ana- hangs back in Ana'a home village for a bit -Quenes Village- as Ana stays by Lily's side while she recovers.

As we're waiting for Lily's recovery, Mary stays by Lily's side.  As for Khione, Old-Man F, and myself, we do our thing.