Tap, tap, tap.
Walking up the large hill was no easy task. It required lots of energy, especially the outfit she was in.
Tap, tap, tap.
Her shoes clicked against the clicked against the hardened ground as the scaled up the hill.
Tap, tap, tap.
Her uncomfortable geta shoes tapped the ground to an annoying and untimely beat as she tried to suck in a shaky breath.
Tap, tap, tap.
Her breath was coming out heavily as she pursed her reddened lips, thick lipstick applied in heavy coats upon each lip. Her face was covered in powder to make her skin look paler than it already was, making her look nothing more than a sheet. Thick black, eyeliner was plastered onto her already full eyelashes, making them seem darker than black. Her hair long, blond, hair was combed and pulled back, put up in a high bun with an assortment of flowers and hair accessories clipped in. She wore a long, pink, kimono with scattered Sakura pedals placed along the thick material. A white obi was tied around her waist, pulling it in until she looked tiny and, what she thought, was deathly skinny. In her hands she carried a small, pink, fan which she kept tucked into one of her sleeves, and in the other sleeve, she had a kunai stashed away.
"This hill is unbearable." She said to the two others walking up with her. "Father, how much longer?"
A well built and tanned man in front of her grunted and turned his head to flash her a look. His brown eyes were intense and gave her a cold look and his black hair fanned out and reached about his shoulders. Across his forehead was a red bandana of sorts and a light black beard. He had to long scars that stretched almost diagonally across his face from his left cheek, the bottom one reaches about to his nose, and the top one several centimeters away from his eye. He wore a dark black kimono with the symbol of a two entwining streams of fire on the back. A brown obi was tied loosely around his muscled waist and most of his kimono peaked open to show a multitude of deep scars and a black tattoo that spanned down all the way to a little to the left of his belly button. Usually he would not have his sacred tattoo showing but do to the hard work of the climb he had allowed it to fall open and cool him off. His brown eyes bore into mine and I eventually had to look away.
"That's what I thought." He said in a low, gruff voice. "Just keep walkin'." (Anybody know who this man is based off? Eh? Eh? Eheheheheheheh? :D)
The girl shook her head and cursed him in her head and turned to look at the woman next to him. She was in a long, blue, kimono and the same geta shoes as she did. She wore a far less amount of makeup then the young girl looking at her and her long black hair was left falling down around her. She seemed to be having as much difficult as the girl was for she was fanning herself and slightly covered in sweat.
"She's right deary, how much longer? This hill is killing me." The woman chuckled softly.
The man let out a haggard laugh and crossed his arms. "We are almost there Yui my dear," He laughed again. "I promise you we are almost there."
After several more ruthless, hill climbing, minutes the party managed to climb to the top of the mountain. Spread along in front of them was a large meadow that seemed to spread endlessly in all directions, the only other items were the large, snow peaked mountains in the background. Everything was a grass covered bare except for a small wooden hut that lay several meters before them
The girl let out a sigh in defeat. "We walked all this way," She huffed. "For a wooden hut?"
"Be patient, my dear." Yui scolded the girl. "What we wish for lies just ahead."
"In a wooden hut?" She replied sarcastically. "I didn't come all this way for a wooden hut."
The man laughed again, placing his hand son his hips and shaking his head. "Spoiled as ever! Come on! We are expected." And with that he began walking forward once more.
"R-Randy dear-! W-Wait up!" Yui called, stumbling after him. "Honey wait!"
The man, Randy, laughed again and stopped, waiting for the woman and the hooked arms. With a sigh the girl left behind shook her head and followed them.
Once they approached the small hut the girl took out her fan and began fanning herself off in an attempt to keep cool, and to keep the makeup from dripping off.
"Come on," Randy smiled. "In ya go."
The girl gave him a pointed look and walked in, only to stumble and almost fall to the floor if she hadn't caught herself.
"Are you alright?" Randy laughed.
"Sweetie, are you alright?" Yui asked.
"Yes mom, yes dad, I'm fine." The daughter spat as she dusted her hands off. "I'm not a little kid anymore."
"You sure as hell act like it." Randy chuckled under his breath as he closed the door behind Yui.
Looking around the room the daughter noticed it was completely bare save for a single, torn up, rug carpet.
"What?" She exclaimed. "There is nothing here."
Randy smiled and approached the carpet, flinging aside the torn material to reveal a small wooden door, a trap door.
"Ah, right where he said it would be." He smiled with satisfaction.
"Right where who said it would be?" The daughter asked.
Randy pulled up the door and motioned for her to enter. "Come one, get inside." He chuckled.
The girl decided to ignore her father's odd behavior and venture through the hole. She clutched her kimono sleeves and slightly pulled up the large 'dress' as she eased her way down into the seemingly bottomless hole.
Once her shoes clunked onto the bottom she stared around in a nervous fret. It was black, completely and utterly black. She dropped her sleeves and the material she was clutching and brought her hands up. She couldn't see them.
"Follow the wall." Her dad laughed as she felt his shoulder rub against hers. "Come on, squirt."
She did as her dad instructed and followed the cold wall. She didn't want to imagine what she could possibly be touch for she was truly scared to know. Walking through the inky black was not pleasant for it was damp and cold in the underground trail. Her fingers brushed against the wall and felt the familiar feel of rough edged stone as it rubbed roughly against her fingertips.
"Honey," Yui said. "Are we there, it's pitch dark in here."
"We are almost deep enough." Randy replied roughly.
The girl let out a shaky breath and pressed her hand harder against the wall, afraid that if she pulled away she would be lost from the rock forever, sucked down into the bottomless pit that this cave really was, the ground just a thin barrier waiting for travelers to let go and let them fall and be sucked away.
"Father…" The girl said softly. "Please,"
After several more paces Randy let out some haggard breathes and a torch was lit out of nowhere. Randy turned to face his wife and daughter with a toothy, foolish, grin.
"Better?" He chuckled.
Yui shook her head and sighed, linking arms with her husband as the daughter trailed behind them, still refusing to take her hand off the wall.
After a little while longer the daughter knew they had to be there by now, they had been walking for what seemed like eternity. Surely they were close.
Lifting her head she saw a small glimmer of light at the end of the path. With each step it grew closer and she realized this cave was nothing more than a rocky passageway. And with that thought, she walked through and into the light.