Chapter 1: Falling Down, Down, Down
Alicia sighed, closing the office door and leaning lightly on it. A sudden squeal broke through the silence. She had done it! She had gotten past the final exams and was moving on to a real med school! Proudly, she marched on to her favorite restaurant, Chen's Diner. It was a cheap Chinese restaurant on the next street over.
With a folder in hand, she headed over to Chen's Diner, passing by people and waving occasionally at them. Opening the door to the restaurant, she walked straight toward a table in the corner. She was a regular and almost the whole staff knew her.
A Chinese woman walked towards her, menu in hand.
"Hello Mei, how are you today," Alicia asked politely, smiling.
Mei responded, her accent showing through, "I'm doing well, but that can't be said the same for the diner. We might have to shut down." "But, this is my favorite diner! I love your food!"
Mei smiled, slight sadness showed through. "Yes, yes. It will be hard, but if push comes to shove... Now, no need to be so pessimistic. How about I give you a free fortune cookie to make up for the bad news?"
Alicia smiled at the thought. "Really? That would be very nice. Thank you."Anything for our number one customer. Now, then, do you want the usual?" "Oh, yes. Thanks again, Mei."
Mei smiled slightly and walked away to the kitchen. Alicia sighed as she watched Mei walk away. 'I hope they'll be okay, Mei and Chen..,' she thought silently. She messed with the sweetener they had for tea. Her face became determined.
'Once I become a doctor, I'll help them and send them money.'
Mei came back with the food and a small cup. "Here's your food and Chen wants you to try his new herbal tea for him. Would that be okay?" "Yes, yes! Thank you, Mei and tell Chen thank you as well." "You're welcome and I'll tell Chen that."
Alicia smiled as Mei walked away again. She silently picked up the chop sticks, broke them apart, and began to eat. She pondered what classes she might take in medical school. 'Maybe a class on medical herbs and how to use medical tools first? Yeah, that'll work. Even though I kind of already know that, it's always good to review and maybe learn something I forgot.'
Slurping up the last noodle, she tried the new tea Chen had made. 'Mmm. Perhaps a bit less water and more flavoring to spice it up a bit? That sounds right.'
As if a magican, Mei and Chen appeared. Chen looked Chinese as well with a slight beard.
"Well, how was the tea?" Chen asked. Alicia flipped her almond colored hair back, "A bit less water and more flavoring, Chen." "And the food?" "Alicia's honey-brown eyes danced with mirth."Perfect, as always."
They all laughed. As the laughter died down, Mei pulled out a fortune cookie. "Here you go, number one customer." "Thank you, Mei. I'll eat when I get home."
Pulling out a twenty dollar bill, she gave it to Mei. "Keep the change." "But I couldn't..." Alicia laughed. "Your food is a good enough pay for me. Take it." Mei smiled widely. "Thank you, Alicia."
She got up and began to walk towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow! Bye!"
They both waved at her as she left. "Chen, are you sure that's the fortune cookie you want to give away? I mean it is, you know..." "Yes, yes. I know, but... She might need it more than us..."
Alicia put the key in the lock and opened up her door to the apartment. "I'm home..."
A slightly larger than normal cat came through and meowed at her, as she walked in. "Hey there, Copper. How are you?"
Copper turned its rusty colored body away from her and bounded into the small kitchenette in the apartment. Alicia smiled and walked toward her room and set the folder down with the fortune cookie on top. She began to pack a small bag with basic necessities. Her friend, Clara, had called and wanted her to sleep over for a day or two.
She put in her First Aid kit just in case of her clumsy friend hurting herself. She went back to the fortune cookie and quickly opened the wrapper. She always had liked cookies. She broke it half, taking the paper out and began to munch on it while reading the paper inside.
"You will be finding out that you are needed in more than one place in the near future."
'Well, that's strange,' she thought to herself. 'But it also means that I'll be busy in the near future. Maybe it's saying that I quickly become popular at my medical school? Yes!'
Humming a small tune she read the lucky word/s of the day.
"Leaf, Akatsuki"
'I could've sworn that Chen's diner was a Chinese one. Well, maybe, they just mixed up the order that day. Oh, well.'
She began to walk back to the kitchenette to feed Copper, bag in hand. She began to feel slightly feint. Her eye sight went woozy. Stumbling onto her bed, she lay there, clutching her bag.
'I'm going to be sick.' she moaned in her head. Trying to push herself up, she fell back onto her bed. She turned over, trying to get more comfortable and not feel as sick, she lost conscious slowly.
Waking up was not pleasant at all. Especially when you wake up to trees and the ground below you. Feeling the blood rush to her head, Alicia moaned aloud. She closed her eyes and counted to 10 and slowly breathed in and out. Feeling her head clearing up, she cracked her eyes opened and looked around.
Alicia was in a forest. More specifically, in a tree about ten feet off the ground. She tensed slightly. She didn't know where this place was. If she was on U.S. enemy territory, or was kidnapped and left here to die. There were many possibilities.
Taking a closer look at her surrounding, she found places she could fit her feet to get down from the tree. The question was, was it a trap or not? Deciding to take the risk of it being so, Alicia slowly began to climb down, trying not to injure herself.
Once on the ground, she looked around again. Finding nothing dangerous she began to move quickly in a direction she thought to be north. Not even a few steps later, she found herself falling forward.
She could her the crunching of the grass as someone walked forward. Strange blue opened toed shoes entered her wavering eye sight.
"Who...?"
For the second time that day, she lost conscious. But not before hearing:
"Leaf shinobi of Konoha..."
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime.