Part 2c, Gentle Might

Melissa Hikari Kiroko walked through the park staring up at the trees. She stopped and sat under her favorite oak tree. The shade felt nice as opposed to the heat from the direct sun. Hikari got a chill down her back from the coldness of the trunk of the tree but quickly warmed up to it. She picked up her sketch book and paused a second, gazing at the lake, before scribbling furiously onto her page.

The tree behind her warmed as soon the sun changed places in the sky and was in front of the tree instead of behind it. The lake shimmered, making it too bright to see properly.

Hikari stood up and placed her hand on the tree. She could almost feel the water, like blood, rushing through the bark, keeping the tree alive. Hikari wished the tree a silent farewell and a thanks for the shade before leaving. As she stepped off the grass and onto the pavement, a cold breeze suddenly sprung up. Hikari wrapped her arms around herself trying to keep warm.

She ran back to the old oak tree and leaned against it. The wind whistled around her ears. Her hair flew up in front of her and she made a futile effort to keep it back. Hikari slid down against the trunk of the tree and sat on the ground.

"I wish I had brought a jacket or something. Just in case," she muttered to herself. "I may as well draw." Hikari settled her sketch pad on her folded legs and took a pencil from the case. She placed the pencil near the page but again the wind blew up and her paper flapped over. The next page did the same and the next and next. Hikari turned around and looked up at the tree.

The wind stopped blowing slightly and her paper stayed on the pad. Placing her pencil on the paper, Hikari started to sketch the tree's branches and boughs. A small leaf fluttered down in front of her and landed on the page. It was dark brown. Hikari looked up at the tree.

All of the leaves had suddenly turned dark brown. But it was only June. Why were they all changing so soon?

Hikari put her sketch pad to the side and got up on her knees. She reached a hand out and touched the rough bark. Maybe something was wrong with the tree. It felt warm. Very warm.

Hikari pulled her hand back and held it to her chest. What was that? Why was the tree warm? She looked back where she had put her hand. Looking like the letters had been drilled deeply into the wood several years ago, was a single word. The word MIGHT. Hikari placed her hand on the wood.

It started to glow a deep brown. The color spread to the bark, making it darker. The leaves that fell from the tree were all dark brown. Rapidly they fell, a small amount at first and then more. Soon it was like a rain of leaves. The wind quickly blew them away. They circled and danced in the air.

Hikari's arms turned darker brown then her usual African-Japanese colored skin. The colors flew up her arm and melted together until they reached her neck. From there they paused and flowed down her whole body. Her legs turned darker brown.

Hikari fell back from the tree. A massive jolt of electricity had suddenly blasted her when the brown had flooded her skin. The tree stopped glowing and turned back to the old shade of brown that it had. The leaves stilled and turned green again.

The wind picked back up and blew past her ears. The wind whispered a single melody over and over again in her mind. Might.....Might.....Hikari, you're Might....

She covered her ears to block out the sound to no avail. It just increased as the wind blew into the little cracks between her fingers. She shook her head to get the sound out. Nothing helped.

Hikari struggled to her feet and fell towards the oak. Her hands spread in front of her, she slammed against the tree. One hand slid down and ran over the grooves of the letters. She could feel the trees Might flowing into her. Tears slid down her cheeks as more leaves turned brown and fell around her.

"I don't know how I'm doing it," she whispered to the tree. "But I don't want to steal your Might. I don't want to make you die. Not now. Not after how long you've been here to inspire young artists like me. To protect people from the rain. To watch over young lovers. I don't want to hurt you." She stood back from the tree.

The wind blew that same sing-song melody through her head. Might....Might.....Hikari, you're Might....

"It's not my Might! It's the tree's. I don't care what I could do with all that Might, but I don't want to kill the tree to take it!" The wind taunted her again. Might.....Might....Hikari, you're Might....

"No. No..."she whispered as much to herself as the wind and the tree. "No."

The wind picked up again. This time it was damper, more chilling. Hikari was forced towards the tree, the only dry place in the winds space. She leaned against the tree. Her hand pressed against the engravings.

A moment later, the wind calmed down and stopped. Just stopped. Hikari was suddenly gone. Her sketch book lay on the ground. It was flipped open to another page. Scrawled across the page in large, wooden letters was a single word. It looked both rough and detailed. MIGHT....