Happy Autumnal Equinox! So after this chapter, there's only two more plus the epilogue. I'll have the next chapter up on Friday, and the last one and epilogue up next Friday.

Chapter Fifty-Three:

"There's got to be another way in," Cayenne said almost instantly in the painfully quiet seconds that followed. "We just need to find it and go through it."

"It was a maze down there, you think we'd be able to find Pudding and Chile that easily?" Ryou demanded. He, like the rest of the Tokyo Defenders, was not happy to be separated with Pudding, least of all that she was alone with Chile, whether he had saved her life by pulling her out of the way of the falling rocks or not.

"No, as long as we can get in, they'll find us," Cayenne said. "Then, though I suspect no one will listen to this thoroughly sound advice, we get the heck out of the stupid volcano."

"How do you know they'll find us as long as we get in?" Lettuce asked.

"It'll happen," Cayenne said with a shrug.

No one was expecting Tart to fly up and slam Cayenne against the rocks, especially not Topaz, the closest to Cayenne, who screamed in surprise and clung to Mylo.

"If your idiot brother lays one finger on Pudding," Tart snarled. "I am going to kill him."

Cayenne stared down at Tart and said,

"Chile won't even touch her. I promise you that."

"And if you're wrong?" Tart demanded.

"Then you can kill us both," Cayenne said after a second of pondering. "Now, do you want to find your girlfriend or not?"

Tart huffed but let go of Cayenne, not looking at anyone. It didn't escape notice, however, that Tart's eyes were steadily growing redder and redder.

"The Red Knight is coming out," Lettuce whispered.

"Yeah, but let's hope he doesn't," Ichigo said softly.

"Why?" Zen asked, having no choice but to hear this conversation as he was standing right beside the girls. Ichigo didn't need to respond, because Masaya did.

"Because the Red Knight comes only when Pudding really, really needs him," He explained grimly. "And if that happens, the Red Knight is definitely going to take Cayenne up on his offer."

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Pudding felt her heart thump in her chest with fear as she watched Chile with wary eyes. The teenage alien boy didn't turn to her, though he had to have been able to hear her heart beating so rapidly. One of his ears twitched at the sound. He just kept studying the layers of rock that had separated them from their respective teams.

Chile then took a deep breath and turned.

"Come on," He said. "We can't stay here much longer. It won't do us any good. No one can get to us from the other side of these rocks. The tunnel we came through collapsed. They'd have to come from a different angle. And we're going to meet up with them."

"No."

Chile turned to see an angry Pudding, trying hard to look mean.

"I am not going anywhere with you."

Chile just blinked, then said,

"Well, you can't stay here. No one can get to you, you can't get out, and besides it's never good to stay near where part of a tunnel collapsed. It's unstable. And I know where to go."

"I'm not going with you!" Pudding said, folding her arms over her chest with a snarl. "And if you dare touch me, I will kill you!"

Chile's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh." He said slowly. "That's what this is about."

"Of course that's what this is about!" Pudding snapped. "I'm not stupid! I am not going to just follow you, who claims to know the way out of this maze, just to find out not only you don't, but you're going to—"

Pudding choked on the rest of her words, trying hard to hold back her tears and failing. The last thing she expected to hear in that moment was,

"It was an act."

"Huh?" Pudding said, looking up from wiping her eyes.

"All that before, it was an act, I swear," Chile said, staring at her, eyes and face honest. He then looked a bit embarrassed as he said, "You're, well, you're not really my type."

"Oh." Pudding said in a bit of confusion. There was an awkward silence that followed, till Pudding decided to break it with saying, "That's okay. Not all guys like blondes, I guess. I mean, Kish likes Ichigo, and she's a red-head and—"

"It's not your hair color," Chile said quickly. "It's… it's something different. It's, um, body type, I guess."

"Oh?" Pudding said, now wondering if she should feel insulted as she glanced down at her chest. So she didn't have a really nice figure yet, so what, she was only fourteen for goodness sake!

"It's not that either!" Chile said, blushing a bit as he seemed to see where Pudding's train of thought was going.

She looked up and in a moment of frustration and confusion demanded,

"Then what is it?"

Chile sighed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before reopening his eyes.

"I am about to tell you what I've only told two other people, my brothers. I wouldn't, but I am because I don't think you're fully going to trust me and follow me unless I say this now." Chile told her.

"I am, to put this in Earth terminology, gay."

Pudding didn't quite know what to say, or knew if saying anything was appropriate. So she just stood there open-mouthed and blinking in surprise a few times. Chile just started to walk down the tunnel and said,

"You don't have to follow me if you still don't want to. But, like I said, I can't guarantee this part of the tunnel is going to hold."

Pudding didn't say a word and just followed Chile.

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"Alright, so explain one thing," Jade said as they walked along the tunnels of the new entrance that they had found, all having felt relieved at this. "How exactly do you know your kid brother is going to be able to get him and Pudding to a place where we'd be able to find them?"

"It's Chile's power," Bell piped up, which seemed to cheer her up from the depression she was in, though Pepper's frown just deepened as she studied the floor.

"Chile was gifted with a heightened sense of direction," Cayenne elaborated. "Put him in a maze like this, something he's never been in before, and he can find his way out in an hour, tops."

"Chile can find any place as soon as you give the name," Pepper said softly, allowing herself a small smile and sounding a bit prideful of her big brother. "The only downside is, he can't teleport there. He has to either fly or walk."

"That's… pretty useful," Homare said, thinking about how she was a third year and still somehow managed to get lost at school. "I'd kind of like that one."

"And it'd work even while trapped in tunnels with rocks that cut off your powers?" Ryou asked.

"It's a mental power," Rin said. "Those are usually exceptions. Like, if you slapped a Restrictor on me or Pie, we wouldn't lose our knowledge and ability to calculate and generate information."

"Exactly," Cayenne said with a nod.

Mylo stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Cayenne.

"Then why did we end up flying in circles for hours on end trying to find our way to that stupid lake?" He demanded. "He could have led us there no problem!"

"He tried," Cayenne, Bell, Pepper and Topaz said together. Jalapeno just gave a nod of agreement. Mylo looked stunned.

"But, he never said—"

"That's because he got interrupted every time he tried by the one holding the map, and after about the fifth time, said map-holder threatened to tie the ears of whoever spoke next behind their head," Cayenne said coolly. He looked back at the befuddled Tokyo Defenders. "For the record, Mylo sucks as a navigator and it's a wonder he managed to get us here in the first place."

"To Hawaii?" Zakuro asked.

"To Earth at all!" Cayenne snapped as he shoved past Mylo to resume leading the way.

The clearly pissed off Mylo had no choice but to follow.

As did the Tokyo Defenders, who were starting to wonder if this was a good idea after all.

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"You said only your brothers know," Pudding said as a way to break the tense silence. "Are there problems on Cynnth like there are on Earth for—"

"People like me?" Chile interrupted. "No. Exact opposite. While it's not heavily encouraged, it's not discouraged. Couples can get married and though they can't have kids of their own, they adopt orphans. Takes care of the current population and never necessarily added to it."

"So, why are Jalapeno and Cayenne the only ones you've told, na no da?" Pudding asked.

Chile's eyes darkened.

"There is only one rule, only one time the community can shame you: if you come to the realization of your… preferences after marriage and started a family, you don't abandon them. When my mother was pregnant with Bell and Pepper, our father fell in love with another man. And he ran away. Left us alone. My mother was heavily pregnant, with no surviving family. There's a law that says women couldn't work at all after the four month mark of their pregnancy, so she couldn't get food through working, and had to somehow find a way to feed three boys when it was already difficult to get food.

"It kind of left my mother a bit prejudiced. And, unfortunately, she ingrained that into Bell and Pepper. Especially Pepper. Our mother was pretty strict with us, afraid of any of us being like our father. It got a little extreme at some points. She'd get really upset if we so much as just touched a male friend. But then she remarried, to a man whose father did something similar to ours. It left him with the same bitterness, which I guess they bonded over or something. Things got a lot worse after that. He's pretty rough on me and my brothers. He doesn't want us to be like our father, or his. It'd be a disgrace, he says. So, when I first started to realized my own preferences, I was scared. I didn't want to be kicked out of the family by my stepfather. I know my mother loves us, but I know even she couldn't handle this.

"So, one day, I decided to be brave and tell Cayenne and Jalapeno. I wanted someone to know. And they supported me, which I was afraid they wouldn't. But they were worried about me, worried that if it got found out that I'd get hurt, or worse. They were also pretty concerned about Bell and Pepper. They were getting neglected by their own mother in favor of new babies, and, well, you know Pepper has a mouth. She'd get punished a lot for just running her mouth, and eventually our step-siblings realized that they could pin just about anything on her and their father would believe it. Only me, my brothers and Bell would stick up for her, but she got punished a lot regardless, especially while Jalapeno, Cayenne and I were away at school. So after the Mew Aqua and everything, Jalapeno somehow convinced our mother that he and Cayenne should move out, and take me and the twins with them. Maybe she was glad to be rid of us, or maybe she was just glad that Pepper would be safe, I don't know. But she didn't put up too much of a fuss.

"You should have seen Pepper before that. She would get deprived of food as punishments, and you already know about how little we had. And he'd just force her to sit with them as they ate, she getting nothing. And he forced Bell to eat, made sure she didn't hide anything for Pepper. That just about killed Bell and she'd just sit through meals and sob. And Pepper started getting sick from it all, mentally and physically. And our mother would just do nothing. He didn't hit her or do anything to her, but I think she was afraid he might.

"One time… One time, he almost hit Pepper. But I got in his way and he hit me instead. Though I don't regret it, it did cost me. He was so mad that he just didn't stop. Next thing I knew, I had a broken arm and concussion. And the very next day they made the announcements about who would compete in the Earth Trials. My name should have been listed. It was going to be listed, I was told later."

"But you were hurt," Pudding whispered. Chile nodded.

"So Cayenne and Jalapeno competed, but not me," He said. "I'm glad they didn't go, though, in the end. Because after that they were around a lot more, trying to protect me, Bell and Pepper from our step-father."

"If… if your mother and step-father were to know," Pudding said quietly. "That you like boys…"

"I'd probably be killed," Chile said with a shrug. "Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic. I'd probably get a little roughed up and told to stay away from my family. So, yeah, pretty much the same thing, I guess."

"That's awful, na no da," Pudding said in a breath. "You should be able to love who you love, and not be afraid to do so, especially from the people you call family, na no da."

"Cayenne says the same thing," Chile said. "But that's why he and Jalapeno are the only ones who know."

"Are you afraid that Bell and Pepper would let it slip before you're ready, na no da?" Pudding asked.

"No," Chile admitted, shaking his head. "More, well, they're the two I worry about when I want to come out. Especially Pepper. Because our ages aren't too far apart and I took care of them a lot while Cayenne and Jalapeno were at school, the three of us are pretty close. And I know Pepper blames our father for everything that has happened to us. Like I said, part of that has to do with our mother's brainwashing, but a lot of it comes from just wondering if things would be different if our birth father was still around. It's isn't so bad with Bell, but she almost always sides with Pepper. And if Pepper rejects me, then, well…"

"You lose both of your sisters," Pudding whispered, suddenly understanding on a completely different level. She'd be heartbroken herself Heicha or any of her brothers hated her for any reason.

"Yeah," Chile whispered. "I can handle a lot of things, but not that."

"Could anyone, na no da?" Pudding asked.

They walked in silence, then,

"So, um," Pudding said nervously. "Why did you try and attack me like that before, na no da?"

Chile sighed, staring at the ground.

"Mylo doesn't know, and that was mostly his idea. Granted, I wasn't too much against it. It helped me hide and helped me figure out a lot of things about myself. I thought at first it was just a kids crush, or something. Idol worship maybe, but I guess not. I'm just the way I am."

"Does he know, na no da?" Pudding asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" Chile said, arching an eyebrow at her.

"The boy, does he know you like him, na no da?" Pudding asked, tilting her head some.

Chile let out a humorless smile.

"Nah," He said nonchalantly. "I never told him. Chickened out of that, too. 'Sides, he wouldn't have returned the feelings."

"How do you know, na no da?"

"Well, for starters, he's got a girlfriend and rather happy with her."

"Oh."

"Yeah. He was a classmate of mine, but we always argued. We were probably too much alike. Too stubborn, too competitive, always trying to get out of our brothers' shadows. We always got matched up to spar, too. It always annoyed me that he beat me more than I beat him, even though I was taller." Chile said, his smile becoming more and more sad.

"Is that why you really wanted to come to Earth for Deep Blue, then, to impress him, na no da?" Pudding asked.

"To some extent," Chile said with a shrug. "But everyone wanted to be sent to Earth for Deep Blue's cause, so that wasn't the only reason. I guess I should be happy that he's happy, but I'm a little bit bitter about it still. First crush and all."

"Do you still talk to him, na no da?" Pudding asked, now just curious.

"More like banter really," Chile said. "We still spar. Just, now the stakes are a bit higher."

"Huh?" Pudding said, brow furrowing. Chile continued as if he didn't hear her.

"Yeah, apparently threatening his girlfriend isn't a good idea."

Pudding suddenly froze with the realization.

"Chile-Kun… you, you liked Taru-Taru?" She whispered.

Chile gave another sad smile and nodded.

"Then, trying to hurt Pudding, you were doing that to really hurt Taru-Taru, na no da?"

Chile nodded again.

"And tormented him when he and Kish Onii-Chan and Pie Onii-Chan were captured, na no da?"

Chile's smile grew a bit.

"What can I say?" He said. "I'm a sadistic little beast. Though I've found it does wonders with the healing process."

"And… and that's why you saved Pudding? For Taru-Taru?"

"That and I really just couldn't stand back and watch you die, and mostly that second one." Chile admitted.

Pudding suddenly felt awful, but for reasons she couldn't understand.

"Pudding is so sorry, Chile-Kun," She said with a bow.

"Don't apologize," Chile told her quickly, feeling a little awkward with her apologizing so formally. "Like I said, he prefers girls anyways. You in the picture doesn't make that much of a difference. But you're obviously something great in his life, and I can't really hate you for that or anything. He's crazy about you, would do anything for you. You deserve him and he deserves you. And, really, I am moving on."

"Still," Pudding said softly. She gave Chile a small smile. "Pudding hopes that Chile-Kun will be able to find his Taru-Taru, someone who loves you very much. Not because it's something you deserved or earned, but because everyone needs someone to love and to love them in return."

Chile grinned.

"Thanks," He said. He hesitated and said, "Uh, probably a bad time to ask this, but can you not tell anyone about this? Especially Taruto?"

Pudding nodded instantly.

"Pudding won't tell a soul, na no da! Not even Taru-Taru, na no da!" She promised, making a gesture of locking her lips and throwing away the key.

"Again, thanks," Chile said. "And once we're out of here, we go back to being enemies?"

"Pudding wouldn't want it any other way, na no da!" Pudding said playfully, though now she was starting to wonder if she could fight Chile again after this conversation. She wondered why Chile would tell her all this, even if she had asked. But, then she realized that he had kept this bottled up for so long, it probably felt good to get it out, to be able to talk to someone other than his brothers about it.

Chile nodded and said,

"Come on, we're not too far away from the center. We can find our way out from there."

Pudding nodded and the two started to walk down a new tunnel.

"Chile-Kun, why were you so close behind Pudding right before the tunnels collapsed, na no da?" Pudding asked.

"This is going to sound really weird, but I heard the twins' voices, calling for me," Chile said. "I mean, they were right in front of me, but still I felt like I needed to go to them. That they were in danger and needed help. Why? What made you take off like that?"

"The voice of Pudding's little sister, who is at home in Tokyo, na no da. There's no way she could have been here, na no da." Pudding said softly. "What called us, then, na no da?"

"The element, maybe?" Chile suggested.

"But why us?" Pudding wondered out-loud.

That, neither of them had the answer to.

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Jade's eyes widened as she studied her tablet screen. She had modified it so that she got a signal for the internet even in remote places, such as inside Hawaii's most active volcano. Right now, she was feeling pretty grateful that she did.

"Oh no," She said.

"What's wrong?" Rirī asked as they waited for Pie and Cayenne to check the structural sounding of a tunnel they were going to go down.

"We need to find Pudding and Chile and get out of here, element or not," Jade said. "Apparently what we felt earlier wasn't from the volcano."

"Then what was it?" Rōzu asked.

"We got the outskirts of an earthquake in the ocean a few miles south of here," Jade explained, glancing up. "There's a tsunami headed right towards Kīlauea."

"That is not good," Masaya said, biting his lower lip.

"I'm of the same opinion," Jade said as she searched for more information.

"Estimated time?" Rin asked.

"We have maybe an hour," Jade said, reading the reports. "It's moving really fast for a tsunami, and we're really close to where the epicenter is."

"Then we definitely need to get out of here, and soon," Ichigo said with a frown.

"I'm starting to think that this particular element is cursed," Zakuro said with a sigh.

"You might just be right about that," Mylo commented.

"Then it would be best if we continued on," Pie said. "This tunnel is safe, and we are fairly sure it is the right one."

"Makes you wonder, who would put tunnels leading into a volcano?" Topaz said. "I mean, even if they were perfectly sturdy all around, why would you do that?"

"I would think that the lava made the tunnels," Keiichiro said.

"I'm not so sure," Rin said with a frown as she looked around. "This doesn't look natural."

"So who would make tunnels like these, and for what purpose?" Shinji asked.

As the level of heat grew stronger, as they got closer to the center of the volcano, it felt like a good question. One they wondered if they'd find out the answer to before they left.


Okay, so, I guess I need to explain a bit about Chile. This isn't a political statement, and it's not really even a personal statement. I just got started focusing on different characters and their back-stories, and when I landed on Chile, something just didn't feel right, but I couldn't figure out why. Then he sort of just "came out" to me and the whole story just started to fit together. And I've started to love Chile as a character after this; he's become easier to write, which was something I was having trouble with before.

Yes, Chile will find true love, but no, it won't be in this trilogy. I've got some one-shots planned for after the series, so that story would be one of those one-shots.