LAST
"As a former and very notorious
thief, I can be remarkably
selfish in obtaining what I desire.
And I'll keep it."
LAST
FIFTY-THREE
As far as cities go, Hep appeared rather small or a child's joke on the world passing by. Kennedy was fairly lucky or could direct attention to her apparent innate nature for sensing things. Because it was probably a narrow miss on her fun gymnastics flip over the welcome sign to not have smashed her feet into the city and past the edges.
Behind the welcome sign was a raised column of light gray stone, a circular model city resting on the top about four feet above the ground. A small ways past the model city, perhaps a diameter of five feet across for the length of it, was another sign. 'Thank you for visiting Hep. City of the elements.'
"Here."
Shuichi tapped the outer edge of the model city, his index finger lying on the small road entering the city. He wasn't perplexed on the appearance of the city, but noticed Kennedy's confusion and smiled. Although she knew the city they were shooting for in destination, he had not explained more than it holding a history of elementals and hidden people.
"The actual city is below us," he explained. "The entrance into this model is more of a key to get inside. You direct your element through the streets." Shuichi paused to follow the streets of the model with his index finger. "The buildings in the model read the element you direct through the streets and open up the real entrance here." With the last word, he tapped the side of the wide column of stone. "Then you simply slide down the chute to the city. City of the elements."
"Huh." Kennedy walked back over to where he pointed at the column. "Certainly lives up to the name. It started up as a safe haven of some sort didn't it?"
He nodded. "It is one thing to have energy, another matter completely if you have elements. Popular belief is that elements belong to nature alone, not to the people. It seems…unnatural to some since the elements are outside of us and energy comes from within. So they fear it. Fear breeds quickly in any group of people, leading to….brash action. So a group of elementals began building this city for exactly that, a safe haven. What they started building around is why I wanted to come back here.
"The first level has the scholars, but many of them take oaths to not share the information of the history they study and mark. They study a fire that always burns, elaborate cravings circling it. The same fire that was responsible for causing great destruction across each world. The fire caused by the first of the hidden people and the responsible for the lingering fear of all who have elements rather than energy.
"That was the most information I received past the oaths the scholars take. I was looking for information for Kuronue, he was stuck up here while I did so. He was sure Hep had something to do with the hidden people and he was right. The fire didn't burn me, allowing the scholar I was there with at the time to share the little he did."
Shuichi glanced down at his hand.
"Considering the oath and the test to get more information on the history of the city… I'm willing to wager it has something to do with trust given to one by one of the hidden people. Except rather than the pendent for a protector, it was the fire measuring trust for a knowledge given. The scholars get more information than I did in passing, so there must have been a certain reaction of the fire to gain that… See where I'm going with that?"
It was not all that hard to figure out. "To get the right reaction for all information on the hidden people… What better reaction than with one of the hidden people? Or even a protector of them, one that can get past this model city?"
He blinked. "I suppose. It was never something I planned on doing with my life back then, being a bodyguard. Thrills of getting away with doing something was more up my own alley. But what can I say? I like you Malones. Protector of Malones perhaps more than the hidden people."
"You're biased."
A frilled shoulder rose and shrugged. Shuichi pulled the sunglasses back down over his eyes and patted himself over to make sure his appearance was holding up. "Does not bother me that much to know that. I think I am allowed to be selfish and I will continue to do so…for as long as my being selfish involves you. As a former and very notorious thief, I can be remarkably selfish in obtaining what I desire. And I'll keep it. Although, you can't really be kept, per say…"
Red cheeked, Kennedy snapped out, "I'm not a thing to keep!"
Shuichi frowned. "I know. Not the greatest to compare you by, but I was trying to get across the feeling. A fancy way of describing yours and my relationship, what I…"
He trailed off as he noticed Kennedy crossing her chest and giving a couple of nods, understanding his point.
"Yeah, that was a fancy way of putting how you like what we've got going," Kennedy remarked.
"You just love to take any chance you can to remind me of that. How I shouldn't look down on myself, but it's a little difficult to look past how unwanted most treated me when growing up. Case in point, when I had my melt down on my mother about a month ago. Look, I get what you're saying. But, it is mighty difficult to see myself as unwanted by most people anymore. Because," she paused before continuing her thought. "It is hard for me to imagine you doing anything but leaving me alone."
Kennedy chuckled at the notion of Shuichi leaving her alone.
"It's almost like you can't help but do that. You don't even seem to realize all the times you poke at me to see my reaction. Bad habit of yours but getting in arguments is fun with you. Like with Michael, but infinitely better than the repetitive name calling…as much as he is a loser face. Speaking of men and boys…"
She smirked and motioned to the model stone city.
"Ladies first."
Not batting an eye at the dig, Shuichi returned back in turn effortlessly. "Lady's choice of dance. If the gentleman could lead…?"
"Sakura-chan." She paused in making her low alto voice sound a bit sugary as she smiled. "You never stated what song I lead you in. Or how. Or where to. Or into."
Interesting. That could wind up off a cliff, into shark infested waters and any other cliché for bad reasons to follow the crowd.
"Why to the song of the lady's choice. And even how and where. The gentleman, my dear Kam-chan, must cater to the lady after all."
The other frowned, thinking this over, before she snapped her eyes back up to him, finding her reply. "So thus the lady is actually leading the dance. The gentleman was correct in allowing the lady to go first."
Shuichi snorted and shook his head, smiling. "Fine, fine. I'll go down first. Now is not the time to work past that female biased you and your sisters keep up. Boys get the downgrade with you Malones. Don't you say you don't," he added with a wag of the finger to Kennedy's mouth opening. "I find it humorous but I don't think Michael does and I pity the one brother you three girls constantly underrate the abilities of."
Kennedy raised her eyebrow. "Teasing is part of how we are and we still have each other's backs. Michael is a good kid. He just makes it so easy to tease his whole like. Like, up until he was four years old, the only word he said was 'no', even if he meant 'yes'. And you have seen what he is like. He sets himself up for it."
He raised both his brows in surprise. Then Shuichi thought back on all the teasing that started up was usually when Michael…did or said something at the wrong time or mentioned ridiculous things… "Yes, I admit that. Michael does make it a bit difficult."
The girl raised her hand, flipping her fingers into her palm in a 'give me' motion. Shuichi fished out the cell phone from the side of his bag, allowing her to make the call.
"Well," Kennedy began. She handed the cell phone back, finished with her check up and informing her siblings she would be out of touch for a while with the city being below ground. "I say we go find some evidence and prove Koenma wrong about the hidden people."
"Sounds good to me."
The miniature city streets filled with grass, every row and column slowly filling out with the color of green. Upon reaching the last street, the exit from the model, the grass parted out from the middle of the streets, disappearing into the buildings, and the side of the column the city sat upon…opened up a gaping hole in the side. Shuichi stepped over to the hole, looking at the steep slide downwards, and paused. He glanced back at Kennedy.
"I think you forgot about the skirt view you would have had if you went first and waited for me at the bottom."
Kennedy stared at his smirk in disbelief and then rolled her eyes up at the sky. "Oh damn," she said sarcastically. "There went one of my top ten things to see before I die. A skirt riding up your ass. Much better to have that accidental show than it is for me to lift it up for you."
"Oh? Top ten? Really, now… Guess I'll just have to slide down backwards for your viewing pleasure."
"Impure idiot! I was being sarcastic," Kennedy sputtered and snapped.
Shuichi snickered and dove headfirst onto the rocky chute, knowing it would not be long for her to follow after he baited her like that. At least it took her mind off missing her siblings momentarily.
To be continued…
