Native Soil

By Todd Fan

Disclaimer: "Don't mess with the dead, boy, they have eerie powers".

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*Hugs all her readers and reviewers* You guys are the BEST people!

Caliente - Yup, Dani can comunicate with animals with her powers, in fact, she can be in phsycic raport with Rahne while she is in wolf/werewolf form.

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Chapter 9 - Goodbyes

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"You have to do something first?", asked Forge, cocking his head to the side as Danielle carefully pulled the box out of her backpack, ".......What the heck is in that box anyway?"

Dani lovingly checked the box over, before answering calmly, as if all that was in it was some pot pouri.

"Grandfather"

"Oh that's....wait, did you just say...?.", Forge blinked, "we've been carting around a dead guy for a day and a quarter?"

"Yeah, I promised him I'd scatter his ashes on Maahe peak, it's where he wanted his Spirit to rest", said Danielle, not looking up from her box, "that's why I wanted to come up here".

Suddenly, Forge felt very much like a heel.

"Oh......I'm sorry".

"S'ok", said Danielle with a small shrug, "I didn't tell you".

"I wish you had", replied Forge, "I might have been a bit more understanding....you want some time alone?"

Danielle gave a mute nod. Suddenly, this seemed alot harder than she had expected. Forge gave her a small smile, patting her shoulder before walking down the trail a little bit. When he was out of sight, Dani hugged the box with a sad sigh.

"I will miss you, Namshim. You taught me so much, I don't know what I will do without you", she said, quietly "Nemehotâtse" [1]

She sighed again, kissing the top of the box before opening it up and tipping it, letting the ashes scatter. They were quickly picked up by a gust of wind, lifted into the air and away. Dani watched until she could no longer see them, before sighing and heading down the trail, her head hung low. She passed by Forge without a word, she had done what she had came to do...and now she was tired. She just wanted to go home. Forge followed quietly behind her, letting her have her time alone. It was a long time before either of them spoke.

"We should be at the end of the trail in about an hour or so", said Forge, before glancing at her, "how're you holding up?".

Dani shrugged.

"I don't know", she replied, "I...I don't think I realised he'd really gone until today".

"Yeah...it's not easy", said Forge, "I felt pretty lousy after my father died.....then again, the fact that I'd lost an arm as well didn't help much".

Dani cocked her head to the side, curiously.

"Huh?"

Forge held up his prosthetic arm.

"I lost my father in the same accident which took this", he explained, "well...actually he died a few days after from 'complications'"

"You never mentioned this before", said Dani

"That's because I don't like talking about it", said Forge sadly, "I was only 12, and I'd lost my Father and my arm in one car accident..well..actually I have the 'brave and decent' firemen and their trusty 'jaws of life', which, ironically, ruined mine". [2]

"Eww", said Dani, "please don't go into any details, if I hear you utter the word 'crunching', I may have to hit you".

"Sorry", said Forge, "though at least I have a good excuse for jumping whenether I hear a fire truck".

"That must have sucked", said Dani.

"'Sucked' is an understatement", said Forge, frowning, "but, hey, I survived it".

He pulled his shell necklace from under his T-Shirt.

"He gave me this before he died..I've worn it ever since", he said, "..err what I'm trying to say is..even if they've gone, they never REALLY go".

Dani smiled, nodding.

"Yeah...thanks Forge", she said, then chuckled, "I didn't know you could be that deep"

"Don't get used to it", said Forge, "it'll be hidden behind sarcasm and seventies lingo in no time"

"Wouldn't want it any other way", said Dani, before chuckling again and nodding at his arm.

"How'd long it take you to make that thing, anyway?", she said.

"Well...my mutation didn't manifest until I was a bit older, so I had to cope with..wel..a hook", said Forge, pulling a face, "I hated that thing. I used to go around scraping the doctors car doors with it".

"You were kinda... vengefull", said Danielle.

"Damn right I was", said Forge, "my muattion may not have kicked in, but I still liked making stuff, I was NOT a happy patient. Luckily, when my mutation did manifest, I just sat myself down and made this thing".

"Well, if this inventing thing flops, you could always go into the prosthetics industry", joked Dani, "the Palace of Prostheses!" [3]

"...Yeah, I'm sure it'll be a hit", said Forge dryly, "so, you gonna be okay, Kid?"

"I will when you stop calling me 'Kid'", said Dani.

"I'll stop calling you 'Kid' when you're twenty".

"That's not fair!"

"Yes, it is".

"Fine", said Dani, smirking, then I get to call you ma'háhkéso" [4]

"Doesn't bother me, no one else will understand you when you do it", said Forge, "and I'm not old"

".....Damn language barriers", muttered Dani, "and you are, do you remember Elvis?"

"....Yes", said Forge.

"Do you remember......various silly TV programing with a fifties nostaliga theme?"

"Don't you pick on Happy Days", said Forge simply, "one word against Fonzie and I'll be forced to kill you".

"Who?"

"......Never mind"

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[1] - I love you

[2] - No, this is not cannon, but as seen as Evo screwed things up, making it impossible for Forge to have been in the Vietnam war (how he originally lost his limb (s)) I had to make something up ;)

[3] - A shop in the game 'Escape from Monkey Island', owned by a guy with two eyepatches, who distingushes his customers by their scent 0.o

[4] Old man

One chapter left to go! Yup, it Isn't one of my longer fics, but it's one I have enjoyed writing muchly. Do review. Until next time...