Alpha and Omega: A Ninja's Story
An GGX Fic by: Shamgi
Chapter 2: Life around the House
*Words here*- Thoughts
* * * - Scene Change
*Authors Note- Well, you couldn't leave it alone. You're actually going to make me explain myself. Will, I guess I have to. Jerks(Read: Well, I actually didn't plan to explain the part about why Chipp saved Milla and about the drinking, but you made me realize I needed to. Everything else has an explanation, including the title. Sol's appearance might have further meaning; I'm debating on having him show up. You're not jerks by the way, so don't attack me. Please)
As Milla woke up, the worst instantly came to her mind.
*I'm a prisoner. I've been captured.* however, first impressions destroyed that hypothesis. The room she was in wasn't large, but wasn't a cell either, it was well furnished, with pictures and other odds and ends covering the walls, easily not a cell that Milla had seen. It also had a window, a serious taboo in the Guild buildings, it was an easy was in, and out. Also, she wasn't bound, and only a fool would leave her that way, and Venom was anything but.
*Then where am I?* Milla got up, and searched her thoughts, she remembered the short fight with Venom, then someone had shown up. She never got to look at his face, but he had fought off her attackers, then he had disappeared, and Venom had taken his place. And that was it. She only had blackness after that. She had no idea where she was, so she did the easiest thing. She went to the window.
Looking out, the biggest trait was forest. She was in the middle of nowhere, from the looks of it. Something caught her eye, and she saw a rather unusual sight. A large tree, trunk was larger than a man could reach around and about fifty feet tall, was flanked by two pairs of wooden poles. Each pole was about twenty feet tall and spaced about a foot from the other and only a couple inches think, providing a difficulty in balancing, and the two pairs formed a straight line right through the center of the trunk. A man was climbing one of the poles, and was about halfway up, but he seemed to be covered in bags. After some heavy climbing, the man reached the top, his back to Milla. He dropped the bags, and they fell to the ground, exploding in a shower of sand.
*He's training. Those bags must have weighed a ton.* Even after that observation, Milla still wasn't sure of this man, it was easy to carry a bunch of heavy bags up a pole.
The stranger had taken a small rest, but he now dropped in a very low stance with a foot on each pole, almost touching the poles with his arms.
Milla's view of him rose a notch. *That takes practice and discipline.* She still wasn't really impressed with him however.
Then he switched which pair of poles he was on. He didn't move, didn't make a noise, he was simply on the other side of the tree in the exact same position. Milla blinked her eyes several times before she accepted it. Now was starting to get impressed with him.
*That was fast. Speed isn't everything however.* Then he turned around and kicked the tree. The upper half of the tree, losing the balance it had, slid off where he had cut through it. The cut was clean, and the tree flat as if a laser had cut it, with no change in surface texture.
*He's so fast. I didn't see of even hear him cut through that tree. Not a person to pick a fight with.*
The man jumped down, and Milla got a good look at his face.
*Chipp Zanuff. I should have known it was him. He got drunk and saved me, and now he's doomed himself. this is great.* Milla half thought of leaving if it weren't for to things, she wanted to thank him and the door and window were the only easy way out, and both were facing towards were he was.
Milla watched a little longer as Chipp retrieved the wood he had cut. Heaving and struggling, Chipp managed to stand the cut tree on its bottom, where he proceeded to cut into smaller, and more manageable, pieces. The cutting took him only a minute and he pulled several pieces of the fresh cut wood and carried it back to the house. Milla laid back down, hoping to feign sleep, but Chipp had apparently spotted her, as the first thing he did when he same in was to tell her. "Breakfast will be read in about fifteen minutes." He set the wood down and walked up to the only truly empty wall, then reached and grabbed an almost invisible slit in the wall, pulling it back to reveal a fireplace with a pot hanging over it. As he started the fire, his response to her look was. "It keeps the bugs out."
*I bet that's not the only thing it keeps out.* Milla, having nothing else to do, simply sat on the bed and watched as he preformed the menial tasks while their breakfast sat on the stove cooking. Occasionally, Chipp would add something to the pot or stir it, letting it simmer. Almost to the second of the time he had stated, the mixture was ready, and Chipp poured some into two bowls, then handed one to Milla with a spoon. Milla stared into the bowl, examining its contents. The bowl was filled with a brownish soup filled with dozens of different vegetables and meats, but looked like something found in a sewer. Gingerly, she raised a spoonful to her mouth, hungry but unsure of the food. Finally, the spoon reached her mouth, and she put it inside, and discovered that it tasted quite well. She was less hesitant in her next spoonful, and soon she was scooping the food in her mouth as fast as she could swallow it. When she finished her bowl, she remembered she wasn't alone, and she looked up into the face of Chipp, who was smiling slightly as he slowly ate his portion. She blushed deep red when she remembered how she had been eating, and she handed him her empty bowl, not sure what to expect. He bowl was handed back to her, full again, and she resumed eating, albeit slower.
"So you like it." Chipp almost sounded like a fool with the question, but Milla could tell he was just trying to start a conversatation.
"It's really good. What is it?" Milla had sped up eating again, but stopped short of just shoveling it in like she had before.
"It's called gumbo; it's an old American soup. Can be made with nearly anything, as long as you spice it right."
Milla finished her second bowl, and handed it back to him, and she took the filled bowl gratefully.
"How long has it been since you last ate?" Chipp's question slowed Milla down, but she knew it was obvious.
"Almost 5 days. I haven't had to time to stop and eat." She didn't tell why she hadn't had time out of pure habit. She never told anyone why she had so little time, and Chipp already knew, anyway.
"Well, you should stay inside. I get few visitors, but we still can't risk it." Chipp got up and took the bowls outside, leaving Milla inside. She sat for a second, wondering what to do, then she finally realized just how tired she was. She hadn't slept in almost as long as she had eaten, and feeling safe and at ease, it finally came to the surface. She lay down on the bed, and quickly fell asleep.
* * * * *
Milla woke to darkness and the smell of meat, and looked around quickly. The house was empty of Chipp's presence, but threat was quickly resolved when he came inside, carrying two plates. Each plate supported a piece of meat along with a vegetable of some kind. Milla could tell what neither were, but both smelled fine, and eagerly took the plate and silverware offered. The ate in silence, worrying only about their own food. When they were both finished, Chipp took the plates and set them on a side table, then Milla finally asked him.
"Why?"
"Why what?" It was easy to see Chipp was trying to avoid the question."
"Why did you save me?"
Chipp sat only in silence, kneading his hands together.
Milla shook her head. "You were drunk."
Chipp blushed again. "I was not."
"You're always drunk down there. You just got a little too tipsy and decided to save me."
"I was not drunk!" Chipp continued to knead his hands, but his blush had disappeared.
"Then explain all the sake bottles on your table. There must have been forty there!"
"I'll prove how I wasn't to you, but only if you don't tell anyone."
"You can't prove it to me."
In response, Chipp went over to his closet. Opening it, he removed a two sake bottles, then brought them over. He showed both to Milla, and she examined them. One was full, the other empty. After she gave them back to him, he sat the empty one on the table, then took the full one and put himself on the other side of the room. He stood there, then drank the entire bottle. He brought it over to her, showing her it was empty.
"Ok, you drank it. Nothing special." Chipp pointed over to the other sake bottle, and Milla went over to examine it. To her surprise, it was now full of sake.
"How did you do that?"
"One of my skills is the ability to teleport. With a little practice and patience, I was able to learn how to teleport other objects. Not very far, and it has to be fairly small, but I can do it."
"Well, that's impressive. It still doesn't explain why you saved me."
"My motives are my own, and I would rather not tell you right now. When we're out of this mess, I'll tell you."
"One other thing. You only have one bed."
Chipp's face easily showed confusion. "So?"
Milla smiled. "There's two of us."
Chipp couldn't help but blush at that comment.
* * * * *
Laying outside on the cold, hard ground with only a too small blanket and an old lumpy pillow for comfort, Chipp remembered just why he didn't like women all that much.
* * * * *
"So this is where he lives." The watcher wasn't noticed or sensed by Chipp, a feat in itself, showed just how much skill the spy held.
"Well, he'll want a report. Better get back."
End Chapter 2
Well, there. I explained. A little bit. The rest is rather important plot points, so they get explained later.
An GGX Fic by: Shamgi
Chapter 2: Life around the House
*Words here*- Thoughts
* * * - Scene Change
*Authors Note- Well, you couldn't leave it alone. You're actually going to make me explain myself. Will, I guess I have to. Jerks(Read: Well, I actually didn't plan to explain the part about why Chipp saved Milla and about the drinking, but you made me realize I needed to. Everything else has an explanation, including the title. Sol's appearance might have further meaning; I'm debating on having him show up. You're not jerks by the way, so don't attack me. Please)
As Milla woke up, the worst instantly came to her mind.
*I'm a prisoner. I've been captured.* however, first impressions destroyed that hypothesis. The room she was in wasn't large, but wasn't a cell either, it was well furnished, with pictures and other odds and ends covering the walls, easily not a cell that Milla had seen. It also had a window, a serious taboo in the Guild buildings, it was an easy was in, and out. Also, she wasn't bound, and only a fool would leave her that way, and Venom was anything but.
*Then where am I?* Milla got up, and searched her thoughts, she remembered the short fight with Venom, then someone had shown up. She never got to look at his face, but he had fought off her attackers, then he had disappeared, and Venom had taken his place. And that was it. She only had blackness after that. She had no idea where she was, so she did the easiest thing. She went to the window.
Looking out, the biggest trait was forest. She was in the middle of nowhere, from the looks of it. Something caught her eye, and she saw a rather unusual sight. A large tree, trunk was larger than a man could reach around and about fifty feet tall, was flanked by two pairs of wooden poles. Each pole was about twenty feet tall and spaced about a foot from the other and only a couple inches think, providing a difficulty in balancing, and the two pairs formed a straight line right through the center of the trunk. A man was climbing one of the poles, and was about halfway up, but he seemed to be covered in bags. After some heavy climbing, the man reached the top, his back to Milla. He dropped the bags, and they fell to the ground, exploding in a shower of sand.
*He's training. Those bags must have weighed a ton.* Even after that observation, Milla still wasn't sure of this man, it was easy to carry a bunch of heavy bags up a pole.
The stranger had taken a small rest, but he now dropped in a very low stance with a foot on each pole, almost touching the poles with his arms.
Milla's view of him rose a notch. *That takes practice and discipline.* She still wasn't really impressed with him however.
Then he switched which pair of poles he was on. He didn't move, didn't make a noise, he was simply on the other side of the tree in the exact same position. Milla blinked her eyes several times before she accepted it. Now was starting to get impressed with him.
*That was fast. Speed isn't everything however.* Then he turned around and kicked the tree. The upper half of the tree, losing the balance it had, slid off where he had cut through it. The cut was clean, and the tree flat as if a laser had cut it, with no change in surface texture.
*He's so fast. I didn't see of even hear him cut through that tree. Not a person to pick a fight with.*
The man jumped down, and Milla got a good look at his face.
*Chipp Zanuff. I should have known it was him. He got drunk and saved me, and now he's doomed himself. this is great.* Milla half thought of leaving if it weren't for to things, she wanted to thank him and the door and window were the only easy way out, and both were facing towards were he was.
Milla watched a little longer as Chipp retrieved the wood he had cut. Heaving and struggling, Chipp managed to stand the cut tree on its bottom, where he proceeded to cut into smaller, and more manageable, pieces. The cutting took him only a minute and he pulled several pieces of the fresh cut wood and carried it back to the house. Milla laid back down, hoping to feign sleep, but Chipp had apparently spotted her, as the first thing he did when he same in was to tell her. "Breakfast will be read in about fifteen minutes." He set the wood down and walked up to the only truly empty wall, then reached and grabbed an almost invisible slit in the wall, pulling it back to reveal a fireplace with a pot hanging over it. As he started the fire, his response to her look was. "It keeps the bugs out."
*I bet that's not the only thing it keeps out.* Milla, having nothing else to do, simply sat on the bed and watched as he preformed the menial tasks while their breakfast sat on the stove cooking. Occasionally, Chipp would add something to the pot or stir it, letting it simmer. Almost to the second of the time he had stated, the mixture was ready, and Chipp poured some into two bowls, then handed one to Milla with a spoon. Milla stared into the bowl, examining its contents. The bowl was filled with a brownish soup filled with dozens of different vegetables and meats, but looked like something found in a sewer. Gingerly, she raised a spoonful to her mouth, hungry but unsure of the food. Finally, the spoon reached her mouth, and she put it inside, and discovered that it tasted quite well. She was less hesitant in her next spoonful, and soon she was scooping the food in her mouth as fast as she could swallow it. When she finished her bowl, she remembered she wasn't alone, and she looked up into the face of Chipp, who was smiling slightly as he slowly ate his portion. She blushed deep red when she remembered how she had been eating, and she handed him her empty bowl, not sure what to expect. He bowl was handed back to her, full again, and she resumed eating, albeit slower.
"So you like it." Chipp almost sounded like a fool with the question, but Milla could tell he was just trying to start a conversatation.
"It's really good. What is it?" Milla had sped up eating again, but stopped short of just shoveling it in like she had before.
"It's called gumbo; it's an old American soup. Can be made with nearly anything, as long as you spice it right."
Milla finished her second bowl, and handed it back to him, and she took the filled bowl gratefully.
"How long has it been since you last ate?" Chipp's question slowed Milla down, but she knew it was obvious.
"Almost 5 days. I haven't had to time to stop and eat." She didn't tell why she hadn't had time out of pure habit. She never told anyone why she had so little time, and Chipp already knew, anyway.
"Well, you should stay inside. I get few visitors, but we still can't risk it." Chipp got up and took the bowls outside, leaving Milla inside. She sat for a second, wondering what to do, then she finally realized just how tired she was. She hadn't slept in almost as long as she had eaten, and feeling safe and at ease, it finally came to the surface. She lay down on the bed, and quickly fell asleep.
* * * * *
Milla woke to darkness and the smell of meat, and looked around quickly. The house was empty of Chipp's presence, but threat was quickly resolved when he came inside, carrying two plates. Each plate supported a piece of meat along with a vegetable of some kind. Milla could tell what neither were, but both smelled fine, and eagerly took the plate and silverware offered. The ate in silence, worrying only about their own food. When they were both finished, Chipp took the plates and set them on a side table, then Milla finally asked him.
"Why?"
"Why what?" It was easy to see Chipp was trying to avoid the question."
"Why did you save me?"
Chipp sat only in silence, kneading his hands together.
Milla shook her head. "You were drunk."
Chipp blushed again. "I was not."
"You're always drunk down there. You just got a little too tipsy and decided to save me."
"I was not drunk!" Chipp continued to knead his hands, but his blush had disappeared.
"Then explain all the sake bottles on your table. There must have been forty there!"
"I'll prove how I wasn't to you, but only if you don't tell anyone."
"You can't prove it to me."
In response, Chipp went over to his closet. Opening it, he removed a two sake bottles, then brought them over. He showed both to Milla, and she examined them. One was full, the other empty. After she gave them back to him, he sat the empty one on the table, then took the full one and put himself on the other side of the room. He stood there, then drank the entire bottle. He brought it over to her, showing her it was empty.
"Ok, you drank it. Nothing special." Chipp pointed over to the other sake bottle, and Milla went over to examine it. To her surprise, it was now full of sake.
"How did you do that?"
"One of my skills is the ability to teleport. With a little practice and patience, I was able to learn how to teleport other objects. Not very far, and it has to be fairly small, but I can do it."
"Well, that's impressive. It still doesn't explain why you saved me."
"My motives are my own, and I would rather not tell you right now. When we're out of this mess, I'll tell you."
"One other thing. You only have one bed."
Chipp's face easily showed confusion. "So?"
Milla smiled. "There's two of us."
Chipp couldn't help but blush at that comment.
* * * * *
Laying outside on the cold, hard ground with only a too small blanket and an old lumpy pillow for comfort, Chipp remembered just why he didn't like women all that much.
* * * * *
"So this is where he lives." The watcher wasn't noticed or sensed by Chipp, a feat in itself, showed just how much skill the spy held.
"Well, he'll want a report. Better get back."
End Chapter 2
Well, there. I explained. A little bit. The rest is rather important plot points, so they get explained later.