Temple Of Seven

Chapter Two

By Shade

Chacolat awoke to the murmur of talking. She tried to look around but found immediately that she was rather stiff. Various parts of her body where covered in bandages made of the fabric she recognized from Apple's skirt. Ignoring the pain in her neck she turned her head to the side. Tira lay beside her, equally bandaged. She was unconscious Chacolat noted. What happened after I was hit, she wondered as she struggled to look to the other side. Marron was by her other side on his stomach and shirtless. His back seemed to be heavily bandaged and he too was still unconscious. A little distance away from Marron there was the rest of the group, supplying the talking which had woken her. With a groan she sat up and stood. "Chacolat," Carrot sighed gently. The rest of the group gave a sigh of relief as well and continued to talk. Apple moved over a little so that Chacolat could sit by Carrot, who groaned endlessly. "Darling what happened," she asked sweetly, wrapping her bandaged arms around his neck. "Honestly I really don't know," Carrot confessed. "We'd better get going soon though," Apple urged. "What do you mean?" Chacolat asked glancing at Apple who's black pants where now completely visible as there was only a strip of her skirt left which was now tied decoratively to her waist, hanging a little past her knees. Apple reached down in the dark and through a handful of something through the night and at Chacolat's face. "Hey what was that...sand?..." Gateau nodded. "That's right so we'd better get Marron and Tira up and," Carrot was interrupted as both Apple and Gateau jumped up. "Marron's mine bi boy!" "Go get lost in the desert stalker!" Chacolat sighed. "I'll go get Marron now," Carrot shrugged, "I'll get Tira," Carrot sighed as well walking with Chacolat to where the two lay.

***

"Tira get up," Carrot whined pulling Tira into a sitting position. "Come on," he shook her gently but her head lolled to the side. "Ugh," in a final attempt to wake her, Carrot lifted the young woman in his arms and dropped her to the ground. Tira sat up with a groan. "Wha-what?," she looked up. "Carrot why-why you dropped me!" Carrot gave her an innocent look. "Now let's not jump to conclusions Tira," "Don't play innocent with me!" "How do you know it was me?!" "Why you!"

***

"Get up," Chacolat urged, tapping an unconscious Marron on the back of the head. "Ugh," she growled when he didn't wake. She looked at the bandages on his back and with a shrug tapped him just bellow his shoulder blades. Nothing. "Oh well you brought this on yourself," WHACK! Chacolat hit him in the back. "OW!" Marron jumped up and looked down at the laughing Chacolat. "Oh that was priceless," she laughed ignoring a hurt look from Marron. "Was not," "Oh poor baby," she laughed extending a hand to Marron so that he could help her up. Marron pulled her to her feet. "That wasn't funny," Marron muttered. "It was hilarious," Chacolat continued to smile. Marron began walking towards the arguing Apple and Gateau. Chacolat shrugged and walked after him. "Hmmmmmmm," she shrugged once more and standing on tiptoes pulled back the bandages. "Ewwwwwwwwwwww," "Huh?" Marron looked over his shoulder. "Ouch," Chacolat nodded "Yeaaaaaah ouch," Chacolat laughed weakly. "Hehehe," she apologetically tied the bandages back around him "Sorry bout that," Chacolat said in an unusually sweet voice. "You can hit me back if you want," Marron looked at her disbelievinly "No no that's quite alright," Chacolat yet again shrugged and walked ahead of Marron. WHACK! Chacolat fell face forward after being struck in the back. "What the hell?" "Hehehe you're right that was priceless," Marron laughed offering her a hand. Chacolat took his hand with an angry look but broke into a laugh. "Okay fine that was funny but I'm still going to kill you," Marron was already running when she started to talk. "But you said I could!" Marron called over his shoulder. "You're the quite, civilized one!" Chacolat shouted chasing after him. "You weren't supposed to take me seriously!" With a laugh dove at him, missing by inches. "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Tira get away!!!" Carrot cried making a mad dash in an attempt to escape Tira. With two chases going on at the same time...well..it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Carrot ran right into Marron. With a loud thud both hit the ground. Chacolat and Tira stumbled over both of them, tumbling to either side. Tira and Chacolat sat up shakily but both began to laugh. Carrot and Marron on the other hand lay there swirly eyed and twitching.

***

"Did I ever ever tell you how much I hate fire?" Chacolat growled as she trudged through the sands as the sun bared down on her. "Oh...it...gets ugh worse," Apple panted as she pulled the upper half of a swirly-eyed Marron as Gateau fought over him as well. Tira rolled her eyes and trudged forward with her sister, an equally swirly-eyed Carrot slung over her shoulder. "Oh come on," Chacolat growled once more pulling Marron into her arms from the middle and dragging him away from the two. "Huh?" Apple and Gateau looked around momentarily. Apple crossed her arms "Hey," "Marron's never gonna wake up if you do that every time he regains consciousness," Chacolat snapped. "Yeah well Carrot's never gonna wake up if you keep running over to him and screaming 'darling' when he regains consciousness.," Gateau countered. "Yeah, well, bite me," "Eck, no thanks," "Oh...kill him Apple...just kill him," Apple shrugged and tackled him. "Ugh," "Uhh," both brothers seemed to be stirring. Chacolat held her breath and instead moved Marron so that she could see him. "Bout time!" Marron crossed his arms and slid from her arms to his feet. Tira didn't bother to reposition Carrot and instead simply dropped him. "Ow why'd you...oh...nevermind it was Tira,"

***

Carrot sat where he stood. "I can't stand it!" He sobbed. "It's too hot," "Darling shut up," Chacolat moaned. She had stripped down to her red hunter outfit, her shirt tied around her shoulders, in an attempt to block any chance of a sunburn. Tira nodded "Please do Carrot," she had long sense done the same as her sister. "Come on brother," Marron said in a not-so-nice tone, taking him by the hand and forcing him to stand and walk forward. "Can't we rest?" Carrot begged as he stumbled forward only to drop to his knees. Chacolat leaned forward in an attempt to help Carrot only to fall to her knees as well, quickly followed by Marron, Tira, and Gateau. Apple sat where she stood "Looks like we have no choice. Apple laved down in defeat and broke into laughter. "What?!" Chacolat demanded. "We're not going to make it," Apple answered with a sad smile that faded into tears as she laved herself completely upon the hot sand.