Kaori finally awoke after what seemed like hours. She tried to make sense
of what had just happened, but was way too disorientated to even think.
Weakly, she attempted to make a small hole in the snow, but finding out
which way was up was mostly guesswork. Eventually, after a lot of trial
and error, she managed to reach the surface of the snow with her hand, and
began to try and pull herself out. Everything was still hazy to her, but
at least now she had a better chance of being seen, she thought, as she
slowly came to her senses. Finally, she managed to drag her top half out
of the snow, and lay there, to worn out to do anymore.
Psymon contentedly surveyed the landscape, resting against a tree. He knew no one had been hurt by the avalanche, and besides, it was a great way to start practising some boarding moves! He had hiked back up to the top of the mountain, simply to have a go at riding the avalanche. He loved anything unusual, so this was a perfect opportunity for him. He attached his boots to the board, and kicked off, enjoying the moment. The snow was soft and smooth, perfect for riding down, and a cool breeze brushed past his face. Suddenly, he came to a halt, noticing something sticking out of the snow. He moved closer, and realized it was Kaori. She was lying motionless, and her legs were still encased in the thick snow. At first Psymon wanted to walk away. After all, why should he care about her? If he had it his way, he would've trapped her under the snow completely, the little brat. Still, he couldn't just sit there and watch someone freeze to death; he had enough problems already without guilt adding to them. Reluctantly, he bent down and hauled Kaori's small body onto the snow. She groaned slightly, and opened her eyes wearily. Seeing Psymon's wild eyes looking down at her, she let out a yelp of fear and tried to run, but slipped on the snow and fell flat on her face. Psymon laughed, and pulled her to her feet. She stood there shakily for a moment, trying to regain her balance, before staring at him in disbelief.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, wondering whether she should try to run again or not.
"What?" Psymon growled, glaring at her impatiently. "All I did was pull you out of the snow. It's not like I care if you die or not, you were just in the way." Kaori relaxed a little, and smiled in amusement.
"You're a really bad liar, you know," she giggled, and Psymon looked quickly away.
"Shut up!" He moaned, trying to cover his embarrassment. "OK, so I don't like seeing people dying, so what? Now shut up about it or you're dead meat." Kaori just giggled again, knowing now that he was all bark and no bite, and suddenly dropped to her knees and started searching in the snow.
"You haven't seen my board, have you?" She asked, desperately pawing at the ground.
"What, this?" Psymon grinned, and flung a board at her, knocking her on the back of the head.
"Hey!" She wailed, and tied her boots to her board. "Well, how are we gonna find the others?" She asked, straightening herself up and looking around. Psymon sighed. He hadn't really sussed that one out yet, and although he would've preferred to stay on his own, the sooner he got this kid out of his hair, the better. Besides, he wanted to see if Zoe was alright. She was the only one who cared about him, so he only cared about her. Getting back to reality, he looked down the slope, and saw that the main route ahead was blocked, but behind a panel of red glass there seemed to be a way through.
"Come on," he called back to Kaori, and they both pushed off.
"Where are we going?" Kaori asked uncertainly.
"Follow me!" Psymon replied, and headed towards the glass, smashing straight through it. He noticed a tree in front of him that had been pushed over by something, and couldn't resist rail grinding over it. Kaori tried to follow, but lost balance and ended up with a face full of snow. She quickly recovered and hurried to catch up with Psymon, who was trying to hold back laughter after seeing her little display. He suddenly braked, and looked at Kaori, grinning wildly. "Can you land big jumps alright?"
"I think so," Kaori answered, and Psymon pushed off and disappeared over the edge of a huge cliff. Kaori took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and jumped. She felt the wind pushing hard against her board, and felt the rush of air all around her. Finally her board landed with a heavy thud, and she rushed off after Psymon, who had stopped again. His cold eyes were filled with panic, and as she looked up she saw that the avalanche had dislodged some huge boulders, that had begun rolling don the cliff face on the other side. Their jump hadn't done much good either, and rocks were showering on them from both sides. The track was too narrow to go anywhere but straight down.
"Uh, what now?" Kaori asked nervously. Psymon looked back at her, then up at the boulders again. Before she had time to speak again, a gigantic piece of rock crashed down behind them. "What do we do?" She cried, shaking. Psymon kicked his board into action.
"RUN!!"
Psymon contentedly surveyed the landscape, resting against a tree. He knew no one had been hurt by the avalanche, and besides, it was a great way to start practising some boarding moves! He had hiked back up to the top of the mountain, simply to have a go at riding the avalanche. He loved anything unusual, so this was a perfect opportunity for him. He attached his boots to the board, and kicked off, enjoying the moment. The snow was soft and smooth, perfect for riding down, and a cool breeze brushed past his face. Suddenly, he came to a halt, noticing something sticking out of the snow. He moved closer, and realized it was Kaori. She was lying motionless, and her legs were still encased in the thick snow. At first Psymon wanted to walk away. After all, why should he care about her? If he had it his way, he would've trapped her under the snow completely, the little brat. Still, he couldn't just sit there and watch someone freeze to death; he had enough problems already without guilt adding to them. Reluctantly, he bent down and hauled Kaori's small body onto the snow. She groaned slightly, and opened her eyes wearily. Seeing Psymon's wild eyes looking down at her, she let out a yelp of fear and tried to run, but slipped on the snow and fell flat on her face. Psymon laughed, and pulled her to her feet. She stood there shakily for a moment, trying to regain her balance, before staring at him in disbelief.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, wondering whether she should try to run again or not.
"What?" Psymon growled, glaring at her impatiently. "All I did was pull you out of the snow. It's not like I care if you die or not, you were just in the way." Kaori relaxed a little, and smiled in amusement.
"You're a really bad liar, you know," she giggled, and Psymon looked quickly away.
"Shut up!" He moaned, trying to cover his embarrassment. "OK, so I don't like seeing people dying, so what? Now shut up about it or you're dead meat." Kaori just giggled again, knowing now that he was all bark and no bite, and suddenly dropped to her knees and started searching in the snow.
"You haven't seen my board, have you?" She asked, desperately pawing at the ground.
"What, this?" Psymon grinned, and flung a board at her, knocking her on the back of the head.
"Hey!" She wailed, and tied her boots to her board. "Well, how are we gonna find the others?" She asked, straightening herself up and looking around. Psymon sighed. He hadn't really sussed that one out yet, and although he would've preferred to stay on his own, the sooner he got this kid out of his hair, the better. Besides, he wanted to see if Zoe was alright. She was the only one who cared about him, so he only cared about her. Getting back to reality, he looked down the slope, and saw that the main route ahead was blocked, but behind a panel of red glass there seemed to be a way through.
"Come on," he called back to Kaori, and they both pushed off.
"Where are we going?" Kaori asked uncertainly.
"Follow me!" Psymon replied, and headed towards the glass, smashing straight through it. He noticed a tree in front of him that had been pushed over by something, and couldn't resist rail grinding over it. Kaori tried to follow, but lost balance and ended up with a face full of snow. She quickly recovered and hurried to catch up with Psymon, who was trying to hold back laughter after seeing her little display. He suddenly braked, and looked at Kaori, grinning wildly. "Can you land big jumps alright?"
"I think so," Kaori answered, and Psymon pushed off and disappeared over the edge of a huge cliff. Kaori took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and jumped. She felt the wind pushing hard against her board, and felt the rush of air all around her. Finally her board landed with a heavy thud, and she rushed off after Psymon, who had stopped again. His cold eyes were filled with panic, and as she looked up she saw that the avalanche had dislodged some huge boulders, that had begun rolling don the cliff face on the other side. Their jump hadn't done much good either, and rocks were showering on them from both sides. The track was too narrow to go anywhere but straight down.
"Uh, what now?" Kaori asked nervously. Psymon looked back at her, then up at the boulders again. Before she had time to speak again, a gigantic piece of rock crashed down behind them. "What do we do?" She cried, shaking. Psymon kicked his board into action.
"RUN!!"