AN: I was in Idaho from 18th-26th and this is what I wrote on a piece of
paper (okay, many pieces) during that time.
The G-Alloids hadn't said more than two dozen words to each other as their second to last day of flying ended. Aka had slept the majority of the day; he only woke twice, once of which was to mutter about the bags smashing into his head when crosswinds assaulted the flying teens and the other was to hand out bite sized turkey sandwiches. Trio and Aka only ate one while Trey and Shinna nearly inhaled the rest.
Trio had suggested the teenagers stop for the night before flying over the Mediterranean Sea. Shinna for one had been grateful for the stop because they had been flying slowly all day but they also had extra cargo.
The three tired flyers made camp on the scar of the beach as the sun set. They quickly fell asleep, still in their tattered shirts. Aka offered to keep watch since he had slept almost all day. Shinna muttered an insult and had nearly started a brawl with Nekura. Trey's patience had finally reached the end and he, not Trio for once, had snapped at the two bickerers.
As morning dawned the three rested teens woke to a fish breakfast. Aka was whistling happily as he handed the smoked fish-on-a-stick to his waking comrades. Trio hated fish and opted out, instead heading for a quick drink of creek water before it flowed into the sea.
After numerous tries Aka finally gave up trying to get Trio to eat. She apologized for her rudeness but would not touch the delicious fish; Shinna and Trey, however, enjoyed the food.
It was an hour after dawn before the triangle of G-Alloids lifted off.
Two hours into their leisurely flight Trey noticed Trio (who was carrying the left corner) was drooping. Her black wings were sweatier than his or Shinna's.
'Hey Shinna,' Trey spoke through the communication line, 'what's wrong with Trio? She looks kinda sick.'
'I asked her about that a few minutes ago. She's sad about leaving again and she's kinda hungry too.'
'It's got nothing to do with Shiro.'
'You're perceptive,' Trio interrupted, 'now I'd appreciate if you two would quit talking about me.'
'Trio, you look sick!'
'I'm fine, I just can't get a good grip.'
'Quit lying! You're not eating or drinking hardly everything.' Trio refused an answer. Trey frowned and began flapping his wings harder. Shinna and Trio looked at him in surprise at the hastening of the pace.
'We're wasting time,' was Trey's explanation.
As the next hour progressed Trio began to lag behind even farther. Shinna was beginning to worry about her friend until she saw the rocky shore.
'There it is!' Shinna exclaimed. Trio wearily looked up and smiled.
'At last.'
'We'll land on the shore, change and then head for the closest legal food source,' Trey informed the others.
'Sounds like a plan!' A hungry Shinna replied.
A few minutes and near drops later, the three teens landed, tiredly dropping their sleeping cargo.
"OUCH! What's with the rude awakening?" Aka looked around and saw the rocky beach. "I see we've arrived."
"Yea, we're in Greece," Trio replied groggily.
"That is," Shinna joked, "if Trey didn't lose his direction."
"I," acting offended the Heavyarms G-Alloid replied, "would never." Trio laughed half-heartedly.
"Let's change our shirts and get going, it's still pretty early," Trio spoke. Aka looked at her and frowned but didn't comment.
Trio smiled and closed her eyes. She touched the wing awareness in her mind and requested they become the nearly invisible six-inch tattoos on her back. The Deathscythe's personality chip responded with a gentle nudge of concern (or maybe warning) as the wings folded up and quickly disappeared.
"Which bag are the shirts in?" Shinna asked as she was picking up the bags from the middle of the net.
"The big black duffel bag," Aka informed her.
"How would you know?" Shinna eyed him.
Aka (not Nekura) glared and let out an unusually angry retort, "You get whacked by those bags for a day and a half THEN see if you can't tell which is which."
"Tell me then, Aka, what's in the bags?" Trey smiled at his prod.
Aka smirked back, "Clothes and blankets in the black duffel, money, flashlights, batteries and hygiene in the red backpack and food in the brown bag."
"He's good," Shinna whispered to Trey who muttered an answer and helped Shinna lift the bags out of the net. He proceeded to lift a medium sized white bag out of the black duffel bag and with Trio's help (almost a burden) they folded the net and slipped it into the purse-like bag.
*****
"Who will carry what?" Aka asked as the G-Alloids returned from changing their shirts behind some big rocks.
"You'll carry the food, Trio the net, Shinna the valuables and I'll take the duffel bag. Aka, why don't you go find a road?" Aka nodded and took off.
Returning five minutes later, Aka picked up his bag and offered to walk alongside Trio until they reached the road. When questioned about this all he would reply was that this was now Trio's quest and it was only fitting she lead. With a glare (or two) the teenagers set off, Aka supporting Trio was followed by Shinna and Trey (who were holding hands).
No words were spoken until the road from the rocky beach reached a crossroad.
"Which way?" Aka asked as he stepped away from Trio. Trio looked severely stressed and sicker than she had ten minutes before.
"I'll go ask that farmer," Trey said, leaving his bag at Trio's feet. He jogged up to a small tan man pulling weeds from a small garden next to a small white house.
"Pardon me, Sir." Trey caught the man's attention.
"Why, hello," the man replied, standing up, dusting off his pants and offering his earth covered hand to Trey. Trey took it and smiled.
"My name is Matt and I was wondering which way was the space port at Athens?"
"My! That, young Matt is a good half day's walk that way," he pointed to the northeast.
Trey frowned, "That way.is.northeast! Wh.where are we?"
"Piraievs, Greece, m'boy, where did you think you were?"
Trey laughed nervously, "Well, sir, we were heading for the space port in Athens."
"Where'd ya come from?"
"Ankara, Turkey."
"Well you missed," the old man laughed at his own joke.
"Yea, well, thank you!" The men shook hands again and Trey rejoined his companions.
"It's a half day walk that way," Trey pointed in the direction they had been walking.
"Good!" Aka smiled, well? Lead on Trio."
Trio was visibly sweating now but smiled and started walking anyway. Aka followed immediately while Trey and Shinna shared a worried look. Trio's condition just kept getting worse every minute.
*****
At about 1:30 p.m. the four tired teens stopped beside the road for lunch, which consisted of an apple, drink of water and a handful of almonds. Trey, Shinna and Aka had their lunch gone in less than five minutes. Trio ate what was given to her slowly but without complaint (knowing that if she refused it would be shoved down her throat).
The two boys laid upon the bags while Shinna paced. Trio had finished eating ten minutes previous but hadn't gotten up.
Exasperated, Shinna said, "Trio! When are you getting up?" Trio momentarily closed her eyes.
Opening them she replied, "I.I can't move my legs, or my arms. It's like I don't have them," Shinna lightly stepped on her leg. Trio's leg flinched. "OUCH!"
"Not paralyzed," Shinna commented smugly.
"We have GOT to get going. We'll run out of water and dehydrate if we sit here all day." Trey looked over at Aka, "mind giving her a piggy back ride?"
Aka shrugged, "Yea, I guess I can." Trey nodded and got up, slipping the nearly empty food bag on his shoulder before picking up the duffel bag. Shinna picked up the valuables and the net while Aka gently but difficulty lifted Trio on his back.
The group traveled a little faster now that Trio was being carried and hit small houses outside Athens in no time. A shuttle and a few planes flew overhead as the foursome slipped into a small restaurant inside the official "WELCOME TO ATHENS" sign on the side of the now car-filled street.
The room was lightly filled and even then no one seemed to pay them any heed as they sat down, even the cashier. Trio insisted on sitting on the outside and limply stood while waiting for Aka to sit beside her. Trio slumped backwards after sipping the water from the cup sitting on the table.
It didn't take long before a young black-haired man with an apron approached the table.
"Welcome, here is our menu. Please take your time deciding." He handed Aka and Shinna their menus. Trio's eyes popped open as a look of surprise and excitement registered on her face. As quickly as her body could muster she sat up. The boy looked at her with a calm face until her blue eyes met his black ones; then his eyes widened.
"Trio?" The boy dropped the two menus he had yet to give them.
Trio grimaced but managed a big grin, "Long time no see.Kamui.Kasshu."
The G-Alloids hadn't said more than two dozen words to each other as their second to last day of flying ended. Aka had slept the majority of the day; he only woke twice, once of which was to mutter about the bags smashing into his head when crosswinds assaulted the flying teens and the other was to hand out bite sized turkey sandwiches. Trio and Aka only ate one while Trey and Shinna nearly inhaled the rest.
Trio had suggested the teenagers stop for the night before flying over the Mediterranean Sea. Shinna for one had been grateful for the stop because they had been flying slowly all day but they also had extra cargo.
The three tired flyers made camp on the scar of the beach as the sun set. They quickly fell asleep, still in their tattered shirts. Aka offered to keep watch since he had slept almost all day. Shinna muttered an insult and had nearly started a brawl with Nekura. Trey's patience had finally reached the end and he, not Trio for once, had snapped at the two bickerers.
As morning dawned the three rested teens woke to a fish breakfast. Aka was whistling happily as he handed the smoked fish-on-a-stick to his waking comrades. Trio hated fish and opted out, instead heading for a quick drink of creek water before it flowed into the sea.
After numerous tries Aka finally gave up trying to get Trio to eat. She apologized for her rudeness but would not touch the delicious fish; Shinna and Trey, however, enjoyed the food.
It was an hour after dawn before the triangle of G-Alloids lifted off.
Two hours into their leisurely flight Trey noticed Trio (who was carrying the left corner) was drooping. Her black wings were sweatier than his or Shinna's.
'Hey Shinna,' Trey spoke through the communication line, 'what's wrong with Trio? She looks kinda sick.'
'I asked her about that a few minutes ago. She's sad about leaving again and she's kinda hungry too.'
'It's got nothing to do with Shiro.'
'You're perceptive,' Trio interrupted, 'now I'd appreciate if you two would quit talking about me.'
'Trio, you look sick!'
'I'm fine, I just can't get a good grip.'
'Quit lying! You're not eating or drinking hardly everything.' Trio refused an answer. Trey frowned and began flapping his wings harder. Shinna and Trio looked at him in surprise at the hastening of the pace.
'We're wasting time,' was Trey's explanation.
As the next hour progressed Trio began to lag behind even farther. Shinna was beginning to worry about her friend until she saw the rocky shore.
'There it is!' Shinna exclaimed. Trio wearily looked up and smiled.
'At last.'
'We'll land on the shore, change and then head for the closest legal food source,' Trey informed the others.
'Sounds like a plan!' A hungry Shinna replied.
A few minutes and near drops later, the three teens landed, tiredly dropping their sleeping cargo.
"OUCH! What's with the rude awakening?" Aka looked around and saw the rocky beach. "I see we've arrived."
"Yea, we're in Greece," Trio replied groggily.
"That is," Shinna joked, "if Trey didn't lose his direction."
"I," acting offended the Heavyarms G-Alloid replied, "would never." Trio laughed half-heartedly.
"Let's change our shirts and get going, it's still pretty early," Trio spoke. Aka looked at her and frowned but didn't comment.
Trio smiled and closed her eyes. She touched the wing awareness in her mind and requested they become the nearly invisible six-inch tattoos on her back. The Deathscythe's personality chip responded with a gentle nudge of concern (or maybe warning) as the wings folded up and quickly disappeared.
"Which bag are the shirts in?" Shinna asked as she was picking up the bags from the middle of the net.
"The big black duffel bag," Aka informed her.
"How would you know?" Shinna eyed him.
Aka (not Nekura) glared and let out an unusually angry retort, "You get whacked by those bags for a day and a half THEN see if you can't tell which is which."
"Tell me then, Aka, what's in the bags?" Trey smiled at his prod.
Aka smirked back, "Clothes and blankets in the black duffel, money, flashlights, batteries and hygiene in the red backpack and food in the brown bag."
"He's good," Shinna whispered to Trey who muttered an answer and helped Shinna lift the bags out of the net. He proceeded to lift a medium sized white bag out of the black duffel bag and with Trio's help (almost a burden) they folded the net and slipped it into the purse-like bag.
*****
"Who will carry what?" Aka asked as the G-Alloids returned from changing their shirts behind some big rocks.
"You'll carry the food, Trio the net, Shinna the valuables and I'll take the duffel bag. Aka, why don't you go find a road?" Aka nodded and took off.
Returning five minutes later, Aka picked up his bag and offered to walk alongside Trio until they reached the road. When questioned about this all he would reply was that this was now Trio's quest and it was only fitting she lead. With a glare (or two) the teenagers set off, Aka supporting Trio was followed by Shinna and Trey (who were holding hands).
No words were spoken until the road from the rocky beach reached a crossroad.
"Which way?" Aka asked as he stepped away from Trio. Trio looked severely stressed and sicker than she had ten minutes before.
"I'll go ask that farmer," Trey said, leaving his bag at Trio's feet. He jogged up to a small tan man pulling weeds from a small garden next to a small white house.
"Pardon me, Sir." Trey caught the man's attention.
"Why, hello," the man replied, standing up, dusting off his pants and offering his earth covered hand to Trey. Trey took it and smiled.
"My name is Matt and I was wondering which way was the space port at Athens?"
"My! That, young Matt is a good half day's walk that way," he pointed to the northeast.
Trey frowned, "That way.is.northeast! Wh.where are we?"
"Piraievs, Greece, m'boy, where did you think you were?"
Trey laughed nervously, "Well, sir, we were heading for the space port in Athens."
"Where'd ya come from?"
"Ankara, Turkey."
"Well you missed," the old man laughed at his own joke.
"Yea, well, thank you!" The men shook hands again and Trey rejoined his companions.
"It's a half day walk that way," Trey pointed in the direction they had been walking.
"Good!" Aka smiled, well? Lead on Trio."
Trio was visibly sweating now but smiled and started walking anyway. Aka followed immediately while Trey and Shinna shared a worried look. Trio's condition just kept getting worse every minute.
*****
At about 1:30 p.m. the four tired teens stopped beside the road for lunch, which consisted of an apple, drink of water and a handful of almonds. Trey, Shinna and Aka had their lunch gone in less than five minutes. Trio ate what was given to her slowly but without complaint (knowing that if she refused it would be shoved down her throat).
The two boys laid upon the bags while Shinna paced. Trio had finished eating ten minutes previous but hadn't gotten up.
Exasperated, Shinna said, "Trio! When are you getting up?" Trio momentarily closed her eyes.
Opening them she replied, "I.I can't move my legs, or my arms. It's like I don't have them," Shinna lightly stepped on her leg. Trio's leg flinched. "OUCH!"
"Not paralyzed," Shinna commented smugly.
"We have GOT to get going. We'll run out of water and dehydrate if we sit here all day." Trey looked over at Aka, "mind giving her a piggy back ride?"
Aka shrugged, "Yea, I guess I can." Trey nodded and got up, slipping the nearly empty food bag on his shoulder before picking up the duffel bag. Shinna picked up the valuables and the net while Aka gently but difficulty lifted Trio on his back.
The group traveled a little faster now that Trio was being carried and hit small houses outside Athens in no time. A shuttle and a few planes flew overhead as the foursome slipped into a small restaurant inside the official "WELCOME TO ATHENS" sign on the side of the now car-filled street.
The room was lightly filled and even then no one seemed to pay them any heed as they sat down, even the cashier. Trio insisted on sitting on the outside and limply stood while waiting for Aka to sit beside her. Trio slumped backwards after sipping the water from the cup sitting on the table.
It didn't take long before a young black-haired man with an apron approached the table.
"Welcome, here is our menu. Please take your time deciding." He handed Aka and Shinna their menus. Trio's eyes popped open as a look of surprise and excitement registered on her face. As quickly as her body could muster she sat up. The boy looked at her with a calm face until her blue eyes met his black ones; then his eyes widened.
"Trio?" The boy dropped the two menus he had yet to give them.
Trio grimaced but managed a big grin, "Long time no see.Kamui.Kasshu."