Thank you again to Nausicaa of the Spiritsfor reviewing! I wish more people were reading and reviewing this, but oh well XD I'm glad you like this so far, Nausicaa, and again I apologize about my forgetting to update...Anywho, on with the story!
Chapter 8: Koda the Sea Monster
"Man, I'm bored."
"What can we do now?"
"No, not that again!"
"When are Mommy and Daddy coming back?"
All this was what Koda and Aika were dealing with; Bored, whining cubs and question after question!
Aika sighed, rolling her eyes as Aquene asked the same question, yet again. "When are Mommy and Daddy coming back?"
"Soon." The white bear said shortly. Aika hadn't meant to sound cross, but she was so worried about Kenai, Kia and Warner. They had been gone for hours.
Normally, Aika never worried if Kenai and Kia disappeared for a long time. It usually turned out that they'd gone off together for some alone time.
But now, things were different. They were out looking for an evil wolf, not fooling around with one another!
And Aquene's question, when they'd come home kept on making Aika feel more and more anxious, and worried.
"What can we play now, Aika?" Cherokee asked, walking over to the bigger white and brown bear cub.
"We've already done everything. Twice." she added quickly, and heaved a small sigh.
Aika let out a small groan and lay on the ground, placing her paws over her ears, her eyes shut tight.
Koda heard Aika's frustrated groan and hurried over to her and the cubs.
"Hey guys, why don't you go and climb a tree?" he suggested, sensing that Aika wanted them to leave her alone.
"We already did." Dania declared glumly, and the other cubs nodded.
Koda decided to try something else. "Umm..how about you play Tag in the water?"
Kodi's ears perked up at this idea. "We haven't done that yet!" he said with a smile.
"Kodi's right!" Dania said cheerfully.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Cherokee asked. "Let's go!"
Laughing delightedly, the four cubs raced out into the river, chasing and splashing one another.
Koda scooted closer to Aika and looked down at her. "Hey Aika, what's the matter..?" he asked with concern as he saw her worried face.
Aika got herself into a sitting position and frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Koda returned her frown with his own. "You just seem.." he paused before going on. "I don't know. Upset. I just want to know why."
Aika glanced down at her reflection in the river, and kicked a small rock into the water with another small sigh.
"I'm just worried about Kenai and Kia. Shouldn't they be home pretty soon?" "You're starting to sound like Aquene." Koda teased, but Aika said nothing.
She just lowered her head sadly, making the brown bear cub feel bad. "Aika...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.." He sighed.
To be honest, Koda didn't know when his brother and his mate were supposed to get back. But when he saw how sad Aika looked, Koda knew he had to at least try to be positive, no matter how doubtful he was feeling.
"I bet they'll be home soon." he told the white and brown bear cub. "Aika, don't feel bad about worrying for them. I'm kinda scared too."
Aika turned her head and faced him wordlessly. She managed a small smile. "Thanks." she said, her voice barely above that of a whisper.
"Don't even mention it." Koda said with a sigh of relief.
Now that his friend felt a little better, maybe it was the right time for him to tell her something. He blushed a bit as this idea came to him, but didn't wave it away.
"Aika?" he said nervously.
Aika's bright, blue eyes stopped on the brown cub, curious. "Yes, Koda?" she asked.
Koda cleared his throat, sweating nervously and shuffled his paw. It touched Aika's and they both blushed awkwardly.
"I just wanted to tell you..We've been through a lot together, and I feel.."
The cub blushed and cleared his throat again. "I don't know..I feel different about you than I did when we met last year. I think, I um.." The cub paused.
This was the hardest part. He stopped and stared awkwardly into Aika's big blue eyes, not knowing how to say it.
"Go on.." Aika encouraged Koda, her eyes full of what looked to be...could it be hope?
She was beginning to think she knew what he would say and she hoped he would say it soon.
Koda tried again. "Well, I still like you...but I think now that I might even lo-"
At that moment, a dripping wet Kodi ran up and pushed Koda forward. He gasped, wide eyed as he pitched forward into the river, face first.
"Tag! You're It, Uncle Koda!" Kodi called after him gleefully.
Aika watched, wide eyed for Koda to emerge, along with the four cubs.
A moment later, Koda walked up out of the water, covered in seaweed. He groaned and plopped down onto the ground, a few feet away from Aika and the four younger cubs.
Kodi, Aika and Dania look at Koda and immediately burst out laughing.
Cherokee leaned over and whispered in her sister, Aquene's ear. "Uncle Koda looks really silly!"
Aquene nodded with a giggle. "Uh huh!"
The two cubs joined in laughing at their Uncle.
"Look at Uncle Koda!" Kodi giggled. "He's a sea monster!"
This made them all laugh even harder. Koda groaned in annoyance and shook the seaweed from his dripping fur.
Then he started to make his way over to the others-- only to slip and fall face first into a pile of mud! When he stood back up, his face was covered in mud.
"Now Uncle Koda's a mud monster!" Kodi teased, laughing so hard he had to hold his sides, and almost fell on his back.
Koda growled and shook the mud from his face, then stomped angrily over to Kodi. "Why'd you do that?!" he demanded angrily.
Kodi shrank back in fear and surprise, by his Uncle's angry behavior. "We-we were playing Tag..and you were It." he whimpered in a small voice.
"I never said I was playing!" Koda growled angrily, his tone rising higher with each word.
"You're such a trouble maker, Kodi! I don't know how or why your parents even put up with you!"
The cub turned and angrily began to stomp off, only to slip again and fall splat! In the same mud puddle from before.
Everyone but Aika and Kodi (who was still in shock by his uncle's behaviour) was laughing again, as Koda stood back up and with a heavy sigh, shook the mud from his fur again.
"Koda, are you alright?" Aika asked, hurrying over to him.
Koda nodded. "Yeah, I think so.."
There was a moment of awkward silence between the two cubs.
"So... what were you going to say?" Aika asked, in an effort to break the tension.
"Well...I as gonna say that I think I.." Koda glanced up then, and saw the four younger cubs listening intently to their conversation.
He sighed and looked back at the anxious Aika.
"...I think..I need to go get myself cleaned up.." This wasn't what he'd wanted to say, but Koda didn't want to say it while the others were listening..
Heaving a sad sigh, the dripping brown bear cub turned and walked away, his head hung low.
"Koda, wait!" Aika called, but he didn't stop.
The white and brown bear cub turned to Kodi and his siters.
"You four stay right here..I have to go help your Uncle Koda..Be good and stay put!" That said, Aika turned and ran after Koda.
Kodi watched her, until she disappeared out of sight. Then he turned and ran into the forest.
His sisters hurried off after him, protesting, and reminding him that they were supposed to stay put, but Kodi didn't stop running..So neither did they.
Poor Koda and Aika..Had they known what was going to happen, they surely would never have left Kodi, Dania, Cherokee and Aquene alone..
