"Something's wrong. I can feel it." Shirley voiced what everyone
else was
thinking. "Something's happened."
"Of course something's happened. Our crests burned." Sai Saici rejoined.
"It was only for an instant. Are you sure-" Rain said, looking worried.
"We're sure." Domon answered for all of them. "We need to look for
him."
"Split up into groups, a fighter with each one." Nastasha commanded.
Everyone was too concerned to resent her taking charge. Nastasha eyed them
shrewdly. "Domon with Bunny and Rain; Sai Saici with Shirley and Raymond;
Argo with Cath and me, and George can take Janet, Kaiyun, and Zuisen."
Seeing several of them about to object, she somewhat resentfully explained
herself. "I was trying to balance out the strength in each group. Do any of you
have a better idea?"
"No, let's go." Rain spoke before anyone else had a chance. They
collected in their groups, nodded and shared one last grave look with each other,
and disappeared into the dark.
*
Rain flicked on the flashlight. "Bunny, do you know if he would have
gone in a particular direction?"
Bunny wrang her hands. "I don't really know." she said nervously. "He
usually stomps off in a straight line when he's that mad, doesn't pay attention
where he's going, but he always seems to wind up in a bar some way or
another... but I don't suppose there are any bars out here, and even if there were
we don't have a phone..."
Rain's free hand found Bunny's shoulder. "It's all right. We'll find him."
she told her kindly.
Bunny sniffed.
Domon's dark eyes scanned the underbrush. He knew this terrain better
than anyone else, now; he'd spent his years of training here. "Quiet." he said
without his usual irritation. He turned to Rain. "I'm going ahead. Keep your
pistol handy and yell if you need me."
Rain nodded smartly and Domon melted into the darkness ahead of
them, calming his state of mind and bringing all his senses to their fullest.
"What's he doing?" Bunny whispered.
"He knows this place. He trained here." Rain replied in a low voice. "I
think he's going on ahead to see if he can find something we wouldn't be able
to."
"Oh, I hope he can." Bunny whispered fervently.
*
"So, Sis, any idea where he went?" Sai Saici queried.
Shirley sighed heavily. "Just in this general direction."
"I'm sure you already know Mr. Chibodee is very adept at taking care of
himself." Raymond offered. "He'll turn up."
"He always does." Shirley muttered. Her hands clenched. "And WHEN
he does, I'm gonna beat the crap out of him for making me worry..."
Raymond kept his mouth firmly shut.
"Good deal, Sis!" Sai commented breezily, scanning from left to right.
*
"He went somewhere in this direction..." Nastasha muttered. She
abruptly turned toward Cath. "Would there be anywhere particular that he
would go?"
"He usually goes to a bar when he's mad, or trains." Cath said slowly,
thinking. "But I can't think of anywhere particular, no. Not unless there's
something he can destroy handy."
"Would he be cutting down trees?"
Cath frowned. "I don't think so. Pulverizing a rock would be more his
style. Preferably with that Burning Punch of his."
"All right, we look for rocks. Big ones." Nastasha directed.
*
"We should probably fan out to cover more ground." George suggested.
The others silently obeyed his directive, playing flashlights over the
ground.
"Mademoiselle- is it Janet?- do you have any idea of where Chibodee
would go?" George asked as gently as he could.
Janet shook her head. "No. He just stormed off, I don't imagine he was
headed anywhere special."
*
Each group spent the better part of an hour trudging deeper and deeper
into the forest, calling Chibodee's name, before suddenly-
"Chibode- EE!" Bunny squealed, upon seeing Domon walking toward them
with an out- of- it Chibodee supported by an arm around the Neo- Japanese
fighter's shoulders.
Rain gave Domon a relieved smile and sent 3 shots into the air, with a
carefully timed pause between each one.
Domon didn't return the smile. He gently lowered Chibodee to the
ground at Rain's feet.
Rain's brow creased. Bruises and cuts covered his face and his shirt and
jacket bore definite evidence of a scuffle, but his knuckles were unmarked. 'How
could he not have hit anything?'
George, Janet, Kaiyun, and Zuisen crashed out from the trees to her right.
Kaiyun and Zuisen respecfully hung back while George joined Domon in
standing over their friend, and Janet rushed to Bunny, immediately throwing a
comforting arm around the woman.
Rain opened one of Chibodee's eyes and tested its reaction to the light.
'Concussion.' She stood up and looked at Domon and George. "I'd rather not
wait for the others. Can you get him back to camp?"
"Of course." George assured her, moving to Chibodee's other side and
helping Domon hoist the Neo- American.
"Kaiyun, Zuisen, will you stay here and tell the others we've gone back?"
Rain asked them.
"Certainly." they chorused.
Rain bowed her head gratefully and struck out with Domon and George
hot on her heels.
I'm not sure about medical practices or anything, so I'm just winging it. Forgive any mistakes, or out of character- ness. Thanks for reading and please review because right now I'm under the impression that only 2 people are reading this. Am I that bad?
thinking. "Something's happened."
"Of course something's happened. Our crests burned." Sai Saici rejoined.
"It was only for an instant. Are you sure-" Rain said, looking worried.
"We're sure." Domon answered for all of them. "We need to look for
him."
"Split up into groups, a fighter with each one." Nastasha commanded.
Everyone was too concerned to resent her taking charge. Nastasha eyed them
shrewdly. "Domon with Bunny and Rain; Sai Saici with Shirley and Raymond;
Argo with Cath and me, and George can take Janet, Kaiyun, and Zuisen."
Seeing several of them about to object, she somewhat resentfully explained
herself. "I was trying to balance out the strength in each group. Do any of you
have a better idea?"
"No, let's go." Rain spoke before anyone else had a chance. They
collected in their groups, nodded and shared one last grave look with each other,
and disappeared into the dark.
*
Rain flicked on the flashlight. "Bunny, do you know if he would have
gone in a particular direction?"
Bunny wrang her hands. "I don't really know." she said nervously. "He
usually stomps off in a straight line when he's that mad, doesn't pay attention
where he's going, but he always seems to wind up in a bar some way or
another... but I don't suppose there are any bars out here, and even if there were
we don't have a phone..."
Rain's free hand found Bunny's shoulder. "It's all right. We'll find him."
she told her kindly.
Bunny sniffed.
Domon's dark eyes scanned the underbrush. He knew this terrain better
than anyone else, now; he'd spent his years of training here. "Quiet." he said
without his usual irritation. He turned to Rain. "I'm going ahead. Keep your
pistol handy and yell if you need me."
Rain nodded smartly and Domon melted into the darkness ahead of
them, calming his state of mind and bringing all his senses to their fullest.
"What's he doing?" Bunny whispered.
"He knows this place. He trained here." Rain replied in a low voice. "I
think he's going on ahead to see if he can find something we wouldn't be able
to."
"Oh, I hope he can." Bunny whispered fervently.
*
"So, Sis, any idea where he went?" Sai Saici queried.
Shirley sighed heavily. "Just in this general direction."
"I'm sure you already know Mr. Chibodee is very adept at taking care of
himself." Raymond offered. "He'll turn up."
"He always does." Shirley muttered. Her hands clenched. "And WHEN
he does, I'm gonna beat the crap out of him for making me worry..."
Raymond kept his mouth firmly shut.
"Good deal, Sis!" Sai commented breezily, scanning from left to right.
*
"He went somewhere in this direction..." Nastasha muttered. She
abruptly turned toward Cath. "Would there be anywhere particular that he
would go?"
"He usually goes to a bar when he's mad, or trains." Cath said slowly,
thinking. "But I can't think of anywhere particular, no. Not unless there's
something he can destroy handy."
"Would he be cutting down trees?"
Cath frowned. "I don't think so. Pulverizing a rock would be more his
style. Preferably with that Burning Punch of his."
"All right, we look for rocks. Big ones." Nastasha directed.
*
"We should probably fan out to cover more ground." George suggested.
The others silently obeyed his directive, playing flashlights over the
ground.
"Mademoiselle- is it Janet?- do you have any idea of where Chibodee
would go?" George asked as gently as he could.
Janet shook her head. "No. He just stormed off, I don't imagine he was
headed anywhere special."
*
Each group spent the better part of an hour trudging deeper and deeper
into the forest, calling Chibodee's name, before suddenly-
"Chibode- EE!" Bunny squealed, upon seeing Domon walking toward them
with an out- of- it Chibodee supported by an arm around the Neo- Japanese
fighter's shoulders.
Rain gave Domon a relieved smile and sent 3 shots into the air, with a
carefully timed pause between each one.
Domon didn't return the smile. He gently lowered Chibodee to the
ground at Rain's feet.
Rain's brow creased. Bruises and cuts covered his face and his shirt and
jacket bore definite evidence of a scuffle, but his knuckles were unmarked. 'How
could he not have hit anything?'
George, Janet, Kaiyun, and Zuisen crashed out from the trees to her right.
Kaiyun and Zuisen respecfully hung back while George joined Domon in
standing over their friend, and Janet rushed to Bunny, immediately throwing a
comforting arm around the woman.
Rain opened one of Chibodee's eyes and tested its reaction to the light.
'Concussion.' She stood up and looked at Domon and George. "I'd rather not
wait for the others. Can you get him back to camp?"
"Of course." George assured her, moving to Chibodee's other side and
helping Domon hoist the Neo- American.
"Kaiyun, Zuisen, will you stay here and tell the others we've gone back?"
Rain asked them.
"Certainly." they chorused.
Rain bowed her head gratefully and struck out with Domon and George
hot on her heels.
I'm not sure about medical practices or anything, so I'm just winging it. Forgive any mistakes, or out of character- ness. Thanks for reading and please review because right now I'm under the impression that only 2 people are reading this. Am I that bad?