The Stone Lion

Bzzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzt.

The phone in Kuo's pocket buzzed right as they were about to leave. Li-Hua gave a smile watching him answer.

"Do-n't co-me–!"

"Hey! Don't hang up!" Kuo yelled.

The person on the other side of the cut out quickly. Kuo re-dialed calling the number back for the call to be dropped several times. Kuo shot a glance back at Li-Hua.

"Surely this is a joke!" Kuo argued.

"What about it is a joke?" She asked.

Preening her nails with the nail clipper she didn't bother to look at Atlus or Kuo only disinterested in their affairs. Laying her hand on top of Kuo she pushed the mobile phone down.

"Li-Hua…you are making less and less sense lately."

A clap of thunder made Kuo jump in the air. The pitter-patter of rain could be heard hitting the window. Atlus gazed at the closed curtain swaying before returning his attention to the two of them.

"I will contact the manager…" He sighed.

"Good!" She smiled.

Atlus strolled over to the couch to sit down waiting for Kuo's response. He paced back and forth while Li-Hua walked into the spare room.

He sat on the side of the couch blankly staring out concentrating on nothing. Atlus gradually was falling back to sleep waiting to hear the news.

"Atlus…"

A feeling of pressure on his shoulder he thought of only to dispel the hand pushing it away. The feeling came back upon waking to become aware of an open space of nothing, but white reflecting back into his eyes.

Fluttering his eyes close and opened again to find he was back in the living room of the hotel. Kuo watched as Atlus blinked a few times gathering his surroundings.

"Atlus, are you okay?"

"I was dreaming…"

"Manager is coming to take us to the shrine," Kuo stated.

The door opens to Li-Hua suddenly enraged. A flying kick across the room nearly cracked Kuo in the head who conveniently ducked. He swung his hands out about to hit her when she dropkicked him from behind like a wild animal.

"Li-Hua!" Atlus shouted.

On all fours. She outstretched her legs on the ground like an uncontained beast ready to pounce. The fabric of her outfit was slowly being torn in the process with newly gained muscles to weight tore into her clothing.

Her body contorted into a shape unheard of almost transforming facially at the two. Lunging in Kuo's direction he pushed the couch away to block her. She looked like a stone statue of the lion guarding temple grounds.

"Atlus!" Kuo yelled.

They jump to the door as a thunderous roar lept towards them. Bound on four feet Li-Hua before their eyes reconstructed an animal molded from human flesh malformed, twisted, and altered state of the human body.

"Kuo!" Atlus shouted.

Bolting to quickly slam the door behind them using all of their strength to keep it shut. The fearsome creature snapped its jaws striking a hard blow into the thin wood of the hotel door.

Atlus pressed his back into it. Kuo uses his head and hands, arms, and elbow to knock. His other is in his pocket looking for the card key.

"Shouldn't it lock automatically when we leave?" Atlus asked.

"But the door isn't shut!" Kuo explained.

Atlus peeked over to notice the small gap before facepalming himself with embarrassment.

"Look at you two!" She howled.

Her voice became an echo of two in her words. Each vocalization a boom in their ears. They wanted to let go, but would only let the mutate quadruped out.

"Don't listen to it!" Kuo responded.

Atlus looked down the longer they kept tight. Was it really Li-Hua he thought? Something felt wrong about the whole situation.

"Are you really Li-Hua?" Atlus questioned.

"I was Li-Hua!" The voice grumbled.

Laughter burst from it's lips vibrating out. He was shaking momentarily comprehended the situation they came into.

[Kuo, Assistant number two. You need to activate the first beats to protect master]

The letters rose to his ocular view once again. Bold type face and now a female voice suddenly made her appearance reading out the words coming up before him.

He grit his teeth listening to the instructions quietly. He didn't want to make things worse with Atlus by his side.

"We will be okay, Atlus…" He whispered.

The large abnormal feline hurled itself against the exit getting a few more inches. The two seemling acquired strength of ten to thrust back harder to keep it from getting out.

Kuo's fingers trembled the longer they continued to shield themselves from the beings jaws.

"Her soul is slowly being consumed!" The demon animal said.

He felt so horrible for Li-Hua who was while loud in life. She had a kind personality and loved talking to people.

[Kuo, you can not save Li-Hua, but Atlus can]

"He what?!" Kuo shouted out loud.

Atlus's attention was brought to Kuo staring back at him from the corner of his eye. Who possibly was Atlus to him? Why had manager not come yet he pondered.

"What's wrong, Kuo?" Atlus asked.

They gave another heave before Kuo could think straight. Conflicting feelings start to eat at him.

"Just who are you?" Kuo inquired.

"Is this really the time for this?"

"No, answer me right now!" Kuo complained.

Mirth from the ruptured living thing listening to to Kuo. He was angry the more they drove and rammed with vigor.

"I don't know what you mean…" He mumbled.

"Li-Hua is being mortally eaten by that thing and you can't answer me?"

"What do I even have to do with this?" Atus snapped.

"All I know is you are something special and you can help Li-Hua!" Kuo stated.

He paused. Thinking before they go any further Atlus's began to have a migraine throbbing slightly in the back of his head.

"Kuo…"

"Don't Kuo me!" He argued.

"Lovely, the married couple is fighting!" He snarled.

Taking notice of the snorting. The door quivered in it's amusement. Atlus turned away from Kuo who couldn't move his arms supporting the majority of the weight.

"Shut the hell up!" Atlus and Kuo said in unison.