The Rainy Day Trip
Part (Ch.s still screwy…)
By Saphron
Hey all, back. This is a cute little ch. I think-I loved writing it-enjoy (and laugh for goodness sakes, and even 'awww' a bit at the fluffy part.)
Abrogation (ie: disclaimer, must I always put the ie? I think you know by now that the big scary word means disclaimer…): Turtles like orange. For all of those who read my last a/n you'd know what I'm talking about. ::grins:: what has that to do with disclaimers? I have no clue. Just felt like sayin' it. But anyhow, I don't own Kel, Cleon, or Joren, TP does. I do however, own Nizka and the other griffins, the tower, and the chimney.
Oh-speaking of chimneys, I DON'T OWN CUPID, DR. SUES or SANTA CLAUSE either. But I CAN tell you WHO does! (Um…anyone here still believe in Santa? I'm not destroying your childhood fancies here am I? Cause, I er, believe in Santa too! Of course ::nods head and smiles:: time to bake cookies!) Or at least the American version, someone really seriously does own Santa, his name is Thomas Nast, and he drew the first American Santa Clause at Christmas time 1862. It appeared in Harper's Weekly (local newspaper of the time) and showed a chubby man dressed in the American flag handing out presents from the back of his reindeer-driven sled to Union soldiers. Ask me how I know this…it's in my history book (that is so boring! I skipped reading most of it…and all I remember is the little picture of the Santa-Clause dude). Seriously, we're studying the Civil War (actually we just finished as we had a HUGE test today-erggggggg) and for some odd, unknown reason the pic is in here…um, Dr. Sues owns himself (is he still alive? Seriously, is he?) And cupid-boy is owned by…I have no clue. Hallmark maybe. (They actually created the 'heart' symbol y'know, seriously they did. Human hearts do NOT look like that! Plus all our hearts do is pump blood & oxygen and such whatnot (least I think so)…but oh well…it's a commercialized impersonal superficial company, what'd you expect? Right. Anyhoo-read on.
Sorry about the delay, I was on a road trip with my family…tehe…*fun-fun.* I had actually written this part before I left (hence the test, of course, right before spring break) but forgot to upload it…erm, sorry. And sorry about the font-size thingy, my computer has been acting all screwy (probably cause I left it on during the week I was away and it over-loaded) and I, being completely computer illiterate, can't fix it. So…the font size shall be either way too big or way too small! Sorry! But wait-there's this button in the cornor and you can fix it yourself. So, um, yea.
Italized words still mean griffin thoughts…I found my Wild Magic book!!!!! Huzzah!!! Fred did not manage to swallow it! And if you turn to page 202 (American version) you shall see that vague mind speech is possible. I quote; "It's ideas he gets, like 'weapons' and 'safety.'" So um, there. Of course, as I mentioned before, I did alter it a bit so Kel could fully communicate with griffins…but ah…yea. CL.
Yes, this ending is long, hence why it is broken up in parts. Next part--read now.
--Kitchen Again--
Meanwhile, Kel and her friends, unaware of the double treachery going on inside the tower, were busy thinking up a plan.
"I know!" Cleon suddenly shouted.
"What? What!" Kel asked eagerly.
"Let's have a fiesta."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, we could invite him down here for some chips and salsa and the good ol' macarana."
"And that would help us how?"
"Once he was down here we could feed him poisonous guacamole! hee-hee, who knows what I'm talking 'bout here? ::grins:: oh yea-trig is *fun*-erg, nm Or maybe tie 'im up and play piñata!"
Kel laughed at her friend's comical antics but then sobered up again. What could they do? There really wasn't anything to do. If only she could think of something. Give it some time, she thought to herself, I'm sure something will hit me.
To the great coincidental irony of the situation and the fact that I am the author of this fic something did hit her, literally. She was just sitting on the stool biting her lip and minding her own business when all of a sudden there was a brief tumbling noise as a giant puff of smoke filled the room.
"What in the-"
When the black smoke cleared Kel had to rub her eyes twice to makes sure she was seeing clearly, for there upon the floor, coughing and gagging in a pile of soot, lay a tiny baby griffin.
It stumbled onto its feet and shook its tiny wings, sending a small shower of ashes everywhere, and Kel could've sworn she'd heard it say something like, erg-damn this stupid tower for not having any windows! Last time I go down the chimney, honestly, I dunno how Santa does it!
This time she had to rub her ears to make sure they weren't full of cinders, did the little beast just talk?
When it was through dusting itself off it looked at Kel and chirped a friendly, hullo! Kel threatened to faint on the spot. Hesitantly though, she responded with a, "um…hi…"
Cleon grinned, "Hey, it's Santa! Hiya Father Christmas, can I sit in your lap and tell ya what I want for Christmas? I've been a good boy; do I get a present? I want a kiss from Kel!"
Kel glared at him, how could he crack jokes when there was an immortal speaking to them?!?!?
Sorry, no can do pal. That's in Cupid's department. But it's nice to meetcha! My name is Nizka, what's yours?
"Cleon."
Kel cut into the conversation with a "And I'm Keladry."
Cool, mind if I call ya Kel?
"Um, sure, everybody else does." Was she having a conversation with an immortal right now?
And you with the red hair, can I call you Bozo? Bozo the Clown peeps, my fav clown when I was little…now I'm afraid of them sometimes but we won't go into that…
"Ahh-"
I'll take that as a yes.
After more introductions, (ie: Joren, who remained silent scowling at the creature and Cleon alike) in which Cleon whispered in her ear, "Kel, is that thing talking to us or am I hallucinating? No wonder those green eggs tasted kinda funny…" hee-hee, Dr. Sues rocks! Green Eggs and Ham, y'all know right? Er-nm the friendly little griffin stopped grinning at them. Her tiny little face fell as she divulged the truth of the matter, explaining briefly how her father had turned to the Dark Side, and was now a threat to the entire clan. By the time she was finished the young babe had griffin tears rolling down her cheeks. (Different from regular tears, they're ice-blue and look like little tiny diamonds I made that up and they have some sort of power too, like phoenix tears. Not sure what or if it's even relevant.) Kel's heart ached for the young child, but there was no time to comfort it, the important thing was to escape where the wizard would be unable to find him.
"Alright, enough chatting all ready, let's just go." Joren snapped. Honestly, he was back to his mean old self again.
Rolling his eyes Cleon responded with a witty retort that sent Joren slapping him on the back of the head and both of them getting into yet another mini-fight. Ignoring the scuffling sounds behind her Kel turned towards the door and began to exit. The sooner they got out of here the better.
But then the griffin called her back, curiously she turned around to see the griffin wandering over to the supply closet they had just been in.
She tried to ask the creature what it was doing but couldn't over the shouting of Cleon and Joren, so instead she mind spoke with it. Although she was still in shock about being able to speak with the immortal, she had gotten the hang of communicating via thoughts by now. (She had discovered before that it was possible for her to mind-speech.)
The griffin didn't respond, when Kel followed it into the pantry closet she found it shoving aside jars of jelly and strawberry preserves.
"Um, Nizka, I don't think this is the time for tea and crumpets."
I'm not--having…a snack…it strained, for it's tiny body size it was hard to push five jam-jars off the shelf. I'm trying to find the exit!
Staring at the strange, and obviously delusional, little creature, Kel told her, "Er, the door is that ::she pointed with her thumb behind her:: way."
Nu-uh, it's right here!
Oof-the baby tumbled off the shelf and onto the floor. Grinning at Kel it told her, See? A secret passage!
Kel gasped; there in the middle of the closet was a small hole! Her first reaction was to think, You mean I was stuck in a closet with two bickering boys for hours when at any moment I could've gotten outta there?!
Apparently she had thought just a little too loudly, for the tiny griffin answered her with a yup, before proceeding to move some obtrusive in-the-way bean-cans.
Kel shook her head and retreated outside the pantry to go get the boys. When she stepped into the kitchen she only saw Joren looking around wildly muttering, "Where'd he go?"
Puzzled she asked him where Cleon went and he scowled at her and said that'd he disappeared somewhere. Kel rolled her eyes and sent him into the pantry to help Nizka. Meanwhile she searched for Cleon and found him lurking outside in the hall. Stepping out the door he jumped out from behind a statue and screamed a giant "AHHHHHH-hey, you're not Joren!"
"No, I'm not." She glared, that was one major insult.
"Sorry," he grinned at her, "I was going to scare him but then-"
She waved her hand, no time for chitchat.
She grabbed him by the sleeve and tugged him back into he kitchen and into the closet. Nikza and Joren were nowhere in sight, but as there was a gaping hole in the middle of the tiny room she had a pretty good guess to where they disappeared. Peeking around the corner to make sure the wizard wasn't anywhere nearby she closed the door and turned to find Cleon grinning at her.
"Closed closet Kel?" He asked bemused, "Well I knew that you had feelings for me, and hey, I quite agree! Seven minutes in Heaven time!"
He took a step closer and Kel felt a dull throbbing in her chest, kind of like that day by the water pool (water fight remember? He almost kissed her), Mithros, she almost thought he was serious! Laughing at herself, for Cleon was never serious, she rolled her eyes and pointed to the hole. "In." Only one word.
"Oooohhhh-" he said, face widening again in a broad grin, "Dark hole? Hmm…dark is good…"
Slapping him on the back of the head she grabbed him by the ear and pointed again. "No dolt, it's a secret passage that will lead us outside the tower, not a place to make-out. Now in you go." She pushed him in and followed shortly thereafter.
At first the tunnel was narrow, they even had to crawl on their knees a bit, bur eventually it broadened out so they could stand. If there was one word to describe this dark place it was damp. Damp, damp, damp. No scratch that and say wet. Kel suddenly remembered that the kitchen was underneath the tower and inside the tiny pool...hence why water was dripping everywhere and making tiny clinking sounds.
The underground passage led steadily upwards, dark and dank and cold. Kel shivered and was rewarded with an arm draped around her neck and someone whispering in her ear, "You're not cold are you?" She was about to knock off his arm but enjoying the warmth she shrugged and answered lightly back that 'Of course she was cold because this place was sopping wet!' She must have said it a bit harsher then she'd meant for he sighed and took his arm away. She almost regretted it, for his whispering in her ear sent shivers down her spine, but not nearly as much as he, who winced and withdrew away. Concentrating instead on the tunnel she gazed around her, trying to pinpoint any source of light.
Stumbling along in the semi-darkness and trying not to trip over the tiny stones and other debris along the way wasn't exactly fun, but eventually the reached a tiny pool of light that upon discovery led outside. Yet she still couldn't see very well when she stepped out of the hole and onto, thank Mithros, dry land.
***
~*Saphron*~
Ah--well, guess it'll be three parts then. Or maybe more…I dunno yet, originally each ending was only supposed to be one! Huh-well. Hope you're all not bored.
Oh-obviously this is Cleon's ending; I think most of you picked that up from the slight amount of mush. I'm not very good at fluffy but hey I try. ::giggles:: 7 minutes in Heaven, for all of you unawares, is a, um…*game* played at ::cough:makeout:cough:: parties. Basically two people go into a dark closet for 7 minutes (hence the name of the game)…and well, you know the rest. ::cough:: I won't elaborate. But anyhoo, next part of ending numbero dos will be up shortly!
As for Neal's…I'm still fine-tuning the bugs outta his. I dunno, Astuko Starwind gave me some great ideas for his, yet I'm still having difficulties with it. I'm not sure If I'm gunna make a Neal one or not yet…to be decided.
Thanks again to l.j.! Mithros, your idea of having the griffin lead them to safety was genius! I just threw in the backstabbing griffin King etc. You rock girl.
What else? Sorry for the serious neglection.