~ Chapter 18 ~

Heart attack!

-Finally, we get to rest!-

                It really wasn't too long after Tasuki was knocked out, did the sky get pitch black. I blew a huge sigh of relief, as I knew that Chichiri would find a place to stop and spend the night … and I could get this huge freeloader off of me!!

                Chichiri and Mitsukake stopped ahead of us. "We're stopping here no da!!" He called out behind him, barely looking back as he set his staff against a tree, and unhooked his kesa from the loop in the middle. Mitsukake made no hesitation to sit right on down, as he leaned his back against another tree, obviously now showing the wear-and-tear of the tedious traveling. Tama immediately jumped into his lap and curled up to sleep.

                I, however, was responsible for this baka on my back, but right now all I wanted to do was sit, rather than stand … even if it meant sitting on him … hey, at this point I didn't care one bit.

                …Buuuut nope! My good intuition had to take charge as I took him off my back and leaned him against another tree, moving Chichiri's staff from it and setting it flat on the ground. Once I moved him he made another loud snore in my ear … and if he had been awake, he would have gotten a good taste of the grass and dirt that was just itching to meet him.

I sighed wearily and let my knees unscrew, falling flat on my back against the ground. It didn't hurt at all … all I felt were my feet throbbing. Before I forgot, I untied the bracelet from my wrist and stuffed it in my pocket, along with my black goggles that I took off the top of my head. Now I would be able to sleep … undisturbed. I yawned, my mouth going as wide as my own face, and afterwards felt something crash against my face.

"Hey!!!" I threw it off on reflex and glared at Chichiri. He threw his kesa at me … again.

"Try not to snore again no da!" He yawned himself, and put his hands behind his head. "Or we won't get any sleep no da! We still have a little bit more traveling to do tomorrow no da."

I looked around. Mitsukake was already dead asleep, and Tasuki … well, he's another story. I lifted up the kesa.

"Don't you want it this time??"

He shook his head and grinned. "Iie no da! I'm used to sleeping like this no da … oyasumi no da."

…Jeez … he falls asleep quick.

I wasn't used to sleeping outside, on account that I've never done it before. I shivered. And it's damn cold out here! The kesa was relatively big, so I covered my entire body with it, even right over my head. I was asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

My eye twitched a little as my brain silently told me to get up … or was that a voice? I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I was awake … and that meant more traveling. Great.

I kept my eyes closed … slowly falling back into unconsciousness.

"OHAYO NO DAAAAAAAA!!!!"

…not for long. My eyes snapped open to greet the face of an SD Chichiri hovering over me.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Chichiri slapped a hand over my mouth and quickly looked around at Mitsukake and Tasuki. A mystery how they managed to sleep through that …

"Shh no da!" He plopped himself on the ground and sighed, still SD. "I didn't know you were THAT scared of me no da!!"

I sat there, a tad bit stunned, my hair frazzled out every which way. The SD Chichiri started to snicker, and I got pissed.

"I am when you do that to me!!" I put a hand over where my heart was, and turned SD as well. "Yeh gave me a heart attack!!"

Chichiri stood up and gave me a pint-sized bear hug around the neck. "Gomen no da."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Well … I guess I kin forgive yeh this time …"