Thankies to all the reviews! I was quite surprised at the amount I got for this chapter!

I would also like to apologize to all you KimikoXRaimundo fans. Yes, I think that they would make a nice pair too, but I have my reasons for not doing so. Here is the list of reasons why:

1. I don't like to do what's done. There are a LOT of RaiXKim pairings, so thats out

2. I LOVE my Raimundo, so no one else can have him but one of my own characters! So nyah!

3. I like to do what most people would kill me for. That means odd pairings people. Yup, I'm sticking Kimiko with someone else

This is not a ficby the normal minded. It isby those who think outside the box, then get beaten back into it because they act waaayyy to weird... That's me!

XXX

Clay growled in irritation as he swatted away another mosquito. He then leaned on one of the many trees and sighed.

"I'm never gonna find Anna at this rate," he stated to himself in dismay. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the foliage nearby. He quickly stood back up and went into a defensive position, hand on the pocket that held the Tongue of Si-Ping. Soon, a large black cat bounded forth, looking at him with hungry yellow eyes.

"Look here now," Clay said through the Tongue, "I ain't lookin' for a fight. I'm just tryin' to find someone who came in here about an hour or so ago. So if you don't mind…" The cat, Clay could not tell if it was a panther or jaguar in the dark forest, cocked its head to the side, seemingly confused by the cowboy's choice of words. It then gave a low growl and left the way it came. Clay gave a sigh of relief as he tucked the Wu back in his pocket. Leaning once again on the tree he closed his eyes, hoping that something would show up to help him find Anna. It was only a few moments later that a sound reached his ears. Instead of opening his eyes, the earth dragon listened closely. It sounded like singing, and whoever was singing had a wondrous voice. It was extremely soft but he could hear it, and it sounded female.

'This is probably the first time I've admitted that I liked a girl's singin' voice. Most of them get way too high for my likin'. But whoever this person is, she's got my vote to be on that one show…American Singers or somethin' like that…' he thought as he listened, now trying to determine the direction of the sound. He then opened his eyes and looked to where the large cat had vanished just moments before. The voice was in that direction, he was sure of it.

XXX

Anna was beginning to feel better, but not by much. Even though her singing took a few things off her mind, she was still tormented with trying to figure out why Clay was so mad at her. Of what she could recall, she had done and said nothing that would have caused such a rash action. Her singing softened even more as she began to hear twigs snapping and leaves being pushed and kicked around. In fear of an attack, she stopped her song completely and ran off to one side of the clearing, hiding herself behind a tree.

"I coulda sworn that singin' was comin' from here," said a discouraged voice with a familiar drawl. Anna peeked around the trunk of the tree to see Clay slump down on the tree stump she was sitting on just a few moments ago. "Now I'm lost, not sure which way to turn, and I haven't found Anna or that singin' girl. Some day this has turned out to be…" Both Clay and the hidden Anna turned their heads as a sound came from the bushes. Once again, the large black cat bounded forth, only this time it seemed a bit friendlier. Clay was about to get out the Wu he had brought with him, but stopped as the beast sat down next to him and nuzzled his leg. He laughed at patted it on the head, which it seemed to enjoy, for it made a low purring sound. He then took the Wu out.

"Why, you're not a mean feller are ya?" he asked it kindly, to which it took a slight offense. Clay blinked, looking at it. "What? Do you mean to tell me you're a girl?" The beast purred in delight and rubbed her muzzle against his leg once more. Clay laughed again. "Well, I'm sorry miss. I shoulda known, seein' as you're an awfully pretty critter." The black cat looked up at him, seemingly pleased with his compliment. "All right then. I think that an acquaintance of mine came through here. She's got red wavy hair up in a tail, green eyes, and about five inches shorter than me. Have you seen her anywhere?" He made sure not to call Anna his friend, for technically, they weren't friends. The cat blinked her yellow eyes then got up and walked away. Clay was about to get up and follow her, but stopped as he heard something.

"Natasha! Stop pushing!" someone said. Clay laughed internally as he saw his cat friend pushing a redhead from behind a tree.

"I'm guessin' your familiar with this critter," he said as kindly as he could, hoping not to scare her off. Anna blushed.

"Yeah. Her parents were killed so I took care of her. She knows how to survive on her own, but I stop by to visit her every once in a while." She tilted her head as she looked at him, for he was acting different than usual, at least for her.

"Well…" he paused. He wanted to find the right way to tell her that he was sorry, but everything sounded like a fake excuse in his mind.

"I'm guessing you came to get me?" she asked. Clay blinked.

"Well yeah…but not like get you…I mean I'm not here to hurt you or anythin'," he said a bit nervously. Anna laughed.

"That's what I meant," she said, and Clay laughed slightly too. She then sat down on the ground next to the stump that he was sitting on. "Something on your mind?" Clay looked at her, then looked away.

"That obvious?" Anna nodded. "I'm just trying to think of a reason to justify my actions is all, but nothin' seems like a good one."

"Well, if you don't know, just say so. It'll help me out too?"

"How's that?"

"I would be able to stop worrying about what I did to make you so angry." Clay turned away from her at that.

"I don't know just doesn't cut it for what I've done," he said sadly.

"Well, maybe not for you, but it's good enough for me," she said. She sat there looking at him for a second, then looked at the clearing. She tightened her focus as something pink caught her eye. She got up and walked over to the edge of the clearing, bent down and picked something up. "Hey Clay, what do you make of this thing?" Clay lifted his head and looked over to her. In her hand was a string with a pink talon or claw of some kind dangling from the end. He got up and walked over to get a better look at it.

"I couldn't tell you," he said as he rolled it in his palm. He then looked back at her, but he couldn't make all of her out, for she stepped into the shadows. All he could see was her red hair. "Are you a natural redhead?" he asked before thinking. Anna laughed.

"Funny thing is, no I'm not," she said.

"Why'd you color it then?"

"I didn't,"

"All right…then why is it red now?" He was becoming extremely confused.

"It's actually a really weird story. This purple-floating thing changed it. She even made it so that it looks like its in a ponytail, even though nothing's holding it back." She stepped into the lighter part of the forest to let Clay see, and sure enough, nothing was there. "I can't even braid it, which annoys me." Clay nodded, but said nothing. His voice looked as if he were deep in thought. His eyes then went wide.

"I think I'm startin' to figure it out. We better get back to the temple before it gets too late into the night." Anna nodded and began to follow Clay, but stopped when he did. "By the way, was that you I heard singin' a while back?" Anna blushed.

"You heard me?" she asked in surprise. Clay nodded.

"Yeah, and I must admit that you're really good. I can't wait 'till the others,"

"I really don't want them to know Clay…" she said.

"What? Why's that?"

"It's a talent that I like to keep secret. It's kind of hard to work on your fighting skills when everyone else wants you to sing for them." Clay looked at her, then nodded.

"You got a point there. All right then, it'll just be between you and me." Anna smiled happily.

"Thanks Clay," and with that they began to exit the clearing.

XXX

All right! Anna's going to be okay! But, what did Clay discover, and what is that pink...thingy? R&R!

P.S. By the way, if you like this, check out the one-shot I did!