"So this is Volcano National Park," Yuusuke mused as Sumireina pulled up to the gate. It was disappointing, in an odd way. The moist greenness belied the Park's fiery name, and instead of the roaring of fire, there were only quiet birdsongs occasionally punctuating the air, along with the voices of tourists.
"It's not all like this Yuusuke-kun," Sumi assured him. "This is only the outer edge of the Park. It changes as we get nearer to the crater." She stuck her head out of the van to talk to the guard. "'Morning Sam."
The old ningen grinned at the beautiful youko. "'Morning, Sumi. Still sure you don't wanna go out on a date?" Sam's sharp eyes had not missed the flower in her ear, nor the fact that Sumireina was driving a vanful of boys about her age.
Sumi laughed gaily, her voice tinkling like bells. "Nah, I enjoy the single life too much." She motioned to the four men in the van. "Sam, these are my friends, Kazuma, Yuusuke, Hiei, and Kurama. They're visiting from Japan, and I thought I'd show them around. It's good for our tourist industry." Sumi smiled cheekily. "See? I'm doing my part to help our economy."
"Don't give me none of that sass, girl," Sam admonished affectionately, waving her on. "Just be careful when you go up to look at the crater. It's been kinda active nowadays. The white dog's been spotted, you know."
"Thanks Sam," Sumireina said as she shifted gears.
"Are you sure you don't want to move that flower?" The old guard's query was a tad wistful.
"Not anytime soon, I'm afraid. Gomen ne," Sumireina told the guard gently as she drove through the entrance of the Park.
Kuwabara looked at the blond youko curiously. "What was all that stuff about being single and a flower?" he asked.
"That? Well, in Hawaii, if you wear a flower over your right ear, you're single and available. If you wear it in your left, you're taken." Sumi chuckled. "And if you wear it in the middle, you're confused."
"So this Sam wants to date you?" Kuwabara sounded dubious. "No offense Sumi-chan, but isn't he, well, kinda old?"
Sumi laughed. "It's sorta an inside joke, Kazuma-kun. Sam's just teasing. He's more of a father figure - though he does want me to find someone. He worries because I live alone in an isolated area. Kinda sweet, actually." She turned into the parking lot, motioning to a path leading up. "I'm sure I'll find somebody when I'm ready, just not now. That path leads up to the top of the volcano." With the abrupt change of subject, the vixen killed the engine and got out, the others following suit.
She led the way up the path, nodding pleasantly to other visitors. Kurama rubbed his arms absently; the closer they got to the crater, the more desolate the landscape. The path they were on was like a border; one side stubbled with shrubs and other tough plants, the opposite bleak, the occasional dead tree breaking up the monotony of the lava-covered terrain. The redheaded youko knelt curiously by a tiny shrub covered with beautiful red blooms.
"That's ohia lehua."
Kurama looked up from his perusal of the flowers. "They're beautiful."
"Aren't they?" Sumireina knelt beside him. "The others have gone ahead. I think they're going to split up once they get to the edge of the crater." She stretched out a slender finger, tracing a red petal. "These are Pele's special flowers," she told the other youko. "Legend has it that Pele once saw a handsome young man, and fell in love with him. But the man already had a lover, one he was true to. In a rage, Pele killed them, later repenting and changing them into this plant and it's flowers."
Kurama shivered slightly. "I'm glad She's not around anymore, then."
His friend raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kurama-kun," she warned the other kitsune. "Many here still believe in the old legends, and even skeptics have had...experiences. There are things that can't really be explained. As a youkai, you should understand."
Kurama was surprised. "Aren't most of the gods just legends?"
Sumireina shook her head. "There was a time when the gods walked amongst us," she replied. "Some still do, because people still believe." In the back of her mind, the vixen hoped that Kurama and the other Tantei would never cross paths with the Hawaiian gods, one in particular."
Kuwabara leaned over the lookout railing, peering down into the crater below. "Nothing," he said glumly. "There's nothing down there but lava. Nobody could hide down there."
Far beneath the surface, Pele stirred, sensing the presence of the one She had felt before; felt him somewhere nearby.
"It's not all like this Yuusuke-kun," Sumi assured him. "This is only the outer edge of the Park. It changes as we get nearer to the crater." She stuck her head out of the van to talk to the guard. "'Morning Sam."
The old ningen grinned at the beautiful youko. "'Morning, Sumi. Still sure you don't wanna go out on a date?" Sam's sharp eyes had not missed the flower in her ear, nor the fact that Sumireina was driving a vanful of boys about her age.
Sumi laughed gaily, her voice tinkling like bells. "Nah, I enjoy the single life too much." She motioned to the four men in the van. "Sam, these are my friends, Kazuma, Yuusuke, Hiei, and Kurama. They're visiting from Japan, and I thought I'd show them around. It's good for our tourist industry." Sumi smiled cheekily. "See? I'm doing my part to help our economy."
"Don't give me none of that sass, girl," Sam admonished affectionately, waving her on. "Just be careful when you go up to look at the crater. It's been kinda active nowadays. The white dog's been spotted, you know."
"Thanks Sam," Sumireina said as she shifted gears.
"Are you sure you don't want to move that flower?" The old guard's query was a tad wistful.
"Not anytime soon, I'm afraid. Gomen ne," Sumireina told the guard gently as she drove through the entrance of the Park.
Kuwabara looked at the blond youko curiously. "What was all that stuff about being single and a flower?" he asked.
"That? Well, in Hawaii, if you wear a flower over your right ear, you're single and available. If you wear it in your left, you're taken." Sumi chuckled. "And if you wear it in the middle, you're confused."
"So this Sam wants to date you?" Kuwabara sounded dubious. "No offense Sumi-chan, but isn't he, well, kinda old?"
Sumi laughed. "It's sorta an inside joke, Kazuma-kun. Sam's just teasing. He's more of a father figure - though he does want me to find someone. He worries because I live alone in an isolated area. Kinda sweet, actually." She turned into the parking lot, motioning to a path leading up. "I'm sure I'll find somebody when I'm ready, just not now. That path leads up to the top of the volcano." With the abrupt change of subject, the vixen killed the engine and got out, the others following suit.
She led the way up the path, nodding pleasantly to other visitors. Kurama rubbed his arms absently; the closer they got to the crater, the more desolate the landscape. The path they were on was like a border; one side stubbled with shrubs and other tough plants, the opposite bleak, the occasional dead tree breaking up the monotony of the lava-covered terrain. The redheaded youko knelt curiously by a tiny shrub covered with beautiful red blooms.
"That's ohia lehua."
Kurama looked up from his perusal of the flowers. "They're beautiful."
"Aren't they?" Sumireina knelt beside him. "The others have gone ahead. I think they're going to split up once they get to the edge of the crater." She stretched out a slender finger, tracing a red petal. "These are Pele's special flowers," she told the other youko. "Legend has it that Pele once saw a handsome young man, and fell in love with him. But the man already had a lover, one he was true to. In a rage, Pele killed them, later repenting and changing them into this plant and it's flowers."
Kurama shivered slightly. "I'm glad She's not around anymore, then."
His friend raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kurama-kun," she warned the other kitsune. "Many here still believe in the old legends, and even skeptics have had...experiences. There are things that can't really be explained. As a youkai, you should understand."
Kurama was surprised. "Aren't most of the gods just legends?"
Sumireina shook her head. "There was a time when the gods walked amongst us," she replied. "Some still do, because people still believe." In the back of her mind, the vixen hoped that Kurama and the other Tantei would never cross paths with the Hawaiian gods, one in particular."
Kuwabara leaned over the lookout railing, peering down into the crater below. "Nothing," he said glumly. "There's nothing down there but lava. Nobody could hide down there."
Far beneath the surface, Pele stirred, sensing the presence of the one She had felt before; felt him somewhere nearby.