Authors Notes: It should start picking up after this chapter. Just so you know :D
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Twisted Cogs:
Reprogrammed
Chapter 4
Perfect…
He was doing it in purpose. Zane just knew it. Echo knew perfectly well that he hated when people spouted the obvious. But he was purposefully doing it on purpose. Yet he was making it ten times worse by singing it. Using the trees and stalk around them to make the tune to his deplorably obvious song. He was at the top of his patience when finally Pixal called from ahead.
"Hey look...you don't suppose its salt water do you?" She pointed to a lavish looking waterfall between the trees. Zane ran forward with his brother trailing not to far behind.
"Look Zane...water." Oh he was definitely doing this on purpose. Zane sighed and pushed Echo into the water. Echo came back up with a laugh splashing them. "No salt. Come on in!" He yelled.
Now that was something Zane and Echo could agree on. Jumping into the nice cool spring felt wonderful. It looked pretty too. Pixal walked back over to the spring a few minutes later holding out a bushel of banana's.
"Look...dessert." She giggled tying it to a vine and let it soak in the cool spring to keep them cool.
"You are a marvel Pixal." Zane kissed her cheek and jumped back into the water. Echo grumbled and floated back toward the water fall.
It touched him...something touched him. What was it! Echo screamed and swam hard toward Zane. Zane pulled him behind him.
"What was it? Did you see someone? Did something bite you?" He scanned his brother. A fish jumped out of the water and flopped back into the water. Zane turned to look back at Echo who blushed a purple color.
"It touched me…" He said. Zane just chuckled touching his forehead to his brothers rubbing his hair.
"It is alright brother." He dove back into the water. He was down there for a bit and it began to worry Pixal and Echo. Echo began to walk back and forth.
"Pixal?" Echo whispered.
"Yes he's been in there far to long." They both ran toward only to be splashed by Zane as he surfaced with some fish in his hands.
"Hungry?" He asked panting. It was obvious that he was down there far to long.
"Zane!" Pixal scolded. Echo had his hands on his hips too.
"You need to be careful!" Echo nearly yelled. Zane just smiled at them. But it wasn't a 'yeah yeah' smile it was a knowing smile that said 'yes okay I'm sorry...but thank you for caring.'
Echo reached down to help him out of the water. "Lets clear an area and start building camp. It'll be dark soon...I think. I don't really know the time of day here." Zane said. Echo started to dig out an area and Pixal started to gather wood.
"Zane?" He looked up at Pixal.
"How are we to light it?" She asked putting down the wood in the area Echo had cleared out. Echo held up his hand and pulled out a box of matches.
"Here ya go." He said with a smile.
"Where did you even get these?" Zane asked reading the ships name on the box.
"Brought it just in case we wanted to roast marshmallows." He said smiling. He had been talking about making smores.
Zane sighed lighting a match and placed it in the middle of a handful of moss before placing it just under the twigs.
Soon enough they had a fire going and the fish was smelling wonderful. Echo sat near his brother. He hadn't told him why he had been acting out. Actually it was rather scary to think about.
He watched Zane on countless occasions. He was always with her...talking to her. Pretending he didn't exist. He existed...didn't he?
Echo pulled his legs up to his chest watching the ants run across the leaves carrying bits ot the fish they cleaned from the fish that was now cooking. He ran his fingers over the moss covered stone he was sitting on. It tickled his hands as he did. He was so afraid that his brother would leave him behind.
Echo jumped feeling a hand on his cheek. He looked up through teary eyes.
"Are you ill?" Zane asked him. Echo shook his head.
"N...No...not at all. I was just thinking of father." He lied. Zane nodded.
"Yes I am also afraid for him Echo. But we have notified the ninja and the proper authorities. Father will be safe." He said.
"Do you suppose...they'll come get us?" Pixal asked.
"Probably. I mean they came and got us on Chen's island." Echo said. Zane cringed. He hated that time. He nearly lost his brother so many times. Zane clenched his eyes shut not wanting to think of it.
"Fish should be ready." Pixal said poking the fish with a stick and pulled it out of the sand. Holding it out to Echo with a smile. He hesitated.
He really hated that femme.