New Friedns, New Powers

DoRe card, I command you, return to your power confined--DEMON!" the spirit flew towards Rashi but was minimized to a card size glow. Then it became solid. Rashi smiled and reached for the card, but it floated away from him and stayed in front of Sidney. Sidney merely smiled and took out a little box and put the card in it.
"What was that Sid?" Rashi inquired.
"See, I am a Card Keeper, not Captor. I can own and release cards but cannot catch them. The card came to me because I played a larger part in capturing it than you." He smiled again. "Don't worry Rashi, I only have one other card, don’t feel intimidated..." They all chuckled and decided to return to the path to Wolfage city...

"Iñaki, are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Rashi."
"And..."
"It's fine too, Rashi."
"Hey, Iñaki, I gotta question."
"Yes Sidney?"
"How long is this 'baby thing' gonna last? And are me n' Rashi gonna hafta' protect you the entire time?"
"I don't know," Iñaki replied, anger and frustration creeping into her voice. "And no, you can ignore me for all I care."
"Hey, I was just askin'."
"And I was just answering."
"Iñaki..."
"Rashi, I swear, if you ask me if I'm okay ONE MORE TIME...!" Both young men stared at her.
"Iñaki, I just wanna help take care of you."
"And I appreciate it, Rashi. I really do. But I'm not even showing yet. I can still defend myself! And even later on I'll be able to defend myself to a certain extent!"
"I know, I just..." Iñaki stopped and turned at the sound of rushing water.
"Waterfall...?" She followed the sound, Rashi and Sidney close behind her. She grinned when she found it. Rashi went over to the water and dipped his hand in.
"It's warm."
"Perfect. You guys wait here. I'm gonna meditate under the waterfall."
"But what about your clothes?"
"I won't wear them." Rashi and Sidney both sighed and sat down, their backs to the waterfall. Iñaki walked in front of them once her clothes were off.
"Okay, I expect both of you to be here when I'm done meditating, and I expect you to keep an eye on the waterfall to make sure some sick creature doesn't decide to sneak up and capture me from behind." Sidney's cheeks reddened a bit and Rashi just blinked.
"I give up. I'll never understand her," Rashi sighed in exasperation.
"You're not meant to. Just as they aren't meant to understand us. That's part of the reason I want my one night so bad."
"Why?"
"Because, during that moment of pure bliss, Male and Female understand each other. They don't remember all of what they understood, but they do understand each other. That's the beauty of it."
"Well, you certainly seem well learned on this subject. How 'bout I ask some questions?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"All right. What if the two were both the same gender?"
"Well, it's the same basic concept. The difference is it isn't as filling. My reasoning behind this is the fact that if, say for example, Bertha and Frieda were lovers."
"Lovely names."
"Ah, shove it. Anyway, they already understand each other on a basic level. All it would do for them is deepen their knowledge about the other. Now we'll take Bob and Harry."
"Why not Bob and Dick? I thought the saying was 'every Bob, Dick and Harry'."
"It is, but Bob and Harry both have Dicks, so he's there anyway." Rashi rolled his eyes. "It's the same thing for them as it is for Bertha and Frieda. Now we put Bertha with Bob and Harry with Frieda. They don't understand the basic communication of their partner very well. However, in that one moment of bliss, that basic communication is possible. And that's my opinion and theory. It may not be true of all people; some girls may actually have a more filling experience with other girls; some guys might have better luck with other guys. But no matter what, a guy and a girl will always connect and start the basic communication. And then, the line of communication is broken when the kids are born." Rashi giggled slightly at this.
"And what do you base your opinion on?"
"People I know, books I've read... All kinds of stuff."
"Uh-huh..."
"Look, make cracks if you want, but I studied this before I made my opinion. I am very opinionated, but I can support my opinions." Rashi shrugged, deciding that it was better just not to argue. He looked back over at Iñaki, who was still under the waterfall. She seemed to be enjoying herself all right…
"No…" Sidney looked over at the waterfall as well. He gave Rashi a questioning glance as he got up and headed toward the waterfall. Sidney followed, curious as to what Iñaki was mumbling about.
"Iñaki?"
"No… Stay away… No… What are you doing? What do you want? What…? No… RASHI!!" Iñaki's eyes snapped open and she jumped out from under the waterfall and into Rashi's arms.
"Iñaki, what is it?"
"I… I don't know… Sidney, you're in danger…" Sidney looked at Iñaki with disbelief registering on his face.
"What is she, some kind of hotline psy-chic?"
"No, she's a psychic. And she has a recurring vision that reveals more and more of itself to her as she goes along."
"Sidney…" Iñaki turned to him, leaving Rashi's embrace and reaching out for one from him. Sidney caught her and held her, looking into her eyes. They were no longer a shining, bright emerald-green, but a dull, life-less jade.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Sidney… Please don't leave… Don't leave… The vision said you would leave me alone… Please…"
"I won't leave you alone ever. I promise."
"Is that a promise you can keep?" Sidney fell silent, looking at Iñaki in amazement.
"What do you mean by that?" Iñaki blinked and looked at him. Her eyes had returned to normal.
"I… I'm not sure… I don't even remember what I said…" Iñaki shook her head and looked at Rashi.
"Did anything change?"
"I don't remember. Rashi, why can't I ever remember this vision? It comes back almost every time I sit down to meditate, but… I can never remember it…"
"Whoa, so she has this vision constantly and she can't remember it… Is that what I'm hearing?"
"Yeah, but it's always the same. It's just that each time she finds out a little bit more. I guess this time she saw you leaving after I turned to dust."
"Wait, what?"
"Basically, there's a dark cloud that consumes her; this is still an unknown element in the vision. Then, a dark cloud surrounds me and turns me into a pile of dust with my wand sitting on top of the dust pile. The second cloud is her after she's consumed by the first cloud. So I die. And I guess the next thing that happened was you left." Sidney looked from Rashi to Iñaki. Rashi knew what he was talking about and wasn't joking around. Iñaki just seemed confused. Sidney shrugged.
"Well, I don't think I'd abandon her… But if she killed you, I might not want to stick around…" Iñaki looked up at Sidney, a strange look in her eyes.
"I wouldn't kill Rashi. Not of my own free will. And it would take an extremely powerful person to force me to take his life. You do realize this, right? Right? You wouldn't leave me alone, would you?"
"N-No, I thought I told you that already. I promise. And I'm good to my word, especially if I'm givin' it to someone who still owes me some…fun." Iñaki smiled slightly, feeling some comfort in his joke. Hopefully, she was just over-reacting…

Rashi stood there and watched as Iñaki cried into Sidney’s arms. He could tell Sidney really cared about her, despite what he said or how he acted. Just then, a strange feeling surrounded him.
"Iñaki, get dressed, NOW!!" Rashi's voice became tense and dangerous, shocking his associates.
"Rashi, what's wro--"
"NOW!!!" as Iñaki ran to get her clothes, almost in tears from Rashi’s harshness, a rustle in the trees nearby gave Sidney an insight into what was wrong.
"There’s something here, isn’t' there, Rashi?" Sidney spoke softly and warily, afraid Rashi would yell at him, too.
"Yeah, and I don’t like it...not at --" Rashi was interrupted by a howling scream from Iñaki’s general direction.
"Rashi!" Iñaki’s voice echoed Rashi’s name throughout the forest haven, breaking the well preserved peace. Rashi and Sidney took off towards Iñaki and found her, fully dressed, battling with some kind of creature. It was large and dark, and slightly resembled a large dog, but with bigger teeth. Sidney drew his dagger and Rashi summoned the sword card as they approached the beast.
"Wait!" Rashi hollered just as Sidney was about to pounce on the creature. "It's... It's..." Rashi looked at the creature intently. "DoRe?" The beast stood back and smiled, then it began to melt upward and slowly formed itself to become DoRe.
"Yes, Rashi, good perception. Now," he turned to Sidney. "Time to see if your worthy of traveling with Rashi!" He drew a sword out of mid-air and held it toward Sidney. "Fight me, now!" He stood there, waiting for Sidney to compose himself. Sidney looked bedazzled, and could have been knocked over with a feather tip.
"M-m-me?" DoRe nodded and Sidney turned toward his newfound comrrades.
"Um, okay..." Sidney slowly drew his dagger again, frowning at it.
"Is that all you have to protect my dream son and his pregnant companion?!" DoRe’s voice bellowed across the forest, undulating over the three stunned travelers. With a wave of his hand, Sidney's dagger extended and became a full blown long sword. "Now, FIGHT!!!" DoRe swung his sword at Sidney, missing him by mere inches.
"AHHH!" Sidney charged at DoRe with an odd speed, but DoRe took a step to the left, allowing the sword to only tear his garments.
"Very good, boy." DoRe’s face grew wicked. “Now, dodge THIS!!" A giant ball of green energy began to erupt from DoRe’s sword and flew towards Sidney.
"Sidney, NO!!!" Iñaki ran in front of him and was hit in the back by the energy ball, being thrown forward. DoRe and Rashi stood, stunned, as Iñaki an Sidney lay unconscious on the ground, knocked out from the blow of power.
"D-D-DoRe?" Rashi muttered. “A-are they de-"
"No, merely unconscious." DoRe frowned and his sword disappeared. "Here." He handed Rashi a card.
"The Heal?" Rashi read aloud questioningly toward DoRe.
"Yes, when they awaken, use this card on them. And worry not, the child still lives within her. It will not be killed by any in this world." With those words, DoRe vanished and Rashi sat down, stroking Eve's fur, and being kept company by Mist until his owner and their friend would awaken...

Iñaki slowly opened her eyes and looked around in the dim twilight of morning. Sidney was putting on his shirt a little ways off, and Rashi was once again cooking something unknown. Iñaki tried to sit up, but found she couldn't.
"R-Rashi?" Rashi looked up from the fire, relief obviously coming over his features.
"Iñaki! You're awake." He smiled slightly. "Y'know, I'm beginning to think you're more trouble than you're worth."
"You're not alone," she responded, grimacing in pain as she realized just how much it hurt to get hit with green energy ricocheting off the end of a sword blade. "What hit me, a bus?"
"Close enough," her friend laughed. "Hold still a sec..."
"Don't worry. It hurts too much to move." Sidney had come back from the spring by this time and he grinned at the girl laying paralyzed on the ground.
"So... Y'think I'm considered worthy?"
"Shut up, Sidney."
"Hey, you're the one who jumped in front of me. I didn't ask you to."
"All right, I'll remember that next time." Iñaki looked at him with disdain, then turned her head. Sidney sighed audibly and sat down next to her.
"But I did appreciate the gesture."
"Found it!" Rashi came up with a card in his hand.
"What's that?"
"The Heal. DoRe gave it to me." Sidney snorted and rolled his eyes. At this point, DoRe was not exactly his favorite person.
"So he who attacks heals as well," Iñaki said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "Wonderful."
"Don't get me wrong," Sidney said, "But that guy is really creepy. I'm not so sure I trust him."
"That doesn't surprise me," Iñaki responded, "You don't trust us and you're traveling with us."
"Hey, I have my reasons. Besides, I trust you." Iñaki looked up at him incredulously, but her next comment was cut short by her yelp as the "Heal" card sent a sudden jolt of pain of healing.

"Done." Rashi returned the "Heal" card to his backpack and looked at Sidney and Iñaki... "If I have to, I'll use a card to make you two friends.” He laughed.
"Rashi I--" Iñaki began, then clutched her stomach. "Oh-oh gods!" Her stomach began to visibly grow larger. “HELP!!" A mere moment later, she was screaming in pain.
"Oh. My. Gods." Sidney stood there in awe. "What’s happening?"
[She is going into labor.] DoRe appeared behind Rashi, giving Sidney chills down his spine.
"I’m WHAT?!" Iñaki screamed. “HOW THE HE--"
[The heal card, my dear Iñaki.] DoRe smiled. [I forgot to tell you it would speed up her pregnancy.]

A New Unkown Danger