Chapter Four: That Warm Fuzzy Feeling
Tao Ren continued to stare in shock, unable to accept what had happened to him.
"Nee-san, why? Why did you go away?" His hands trembled before him in a white-knuckled grip.
Where did I go wrong? He thought. Maybe I should have shown more appreciation toward her. Would it have hurt to say 'thank you for being such a wonderful nee-san' every now and then? I've been so obsessed with defeating Asakura Yoh that I've taken my nee-san for granted. She's done so much for me and now Now she's gone.
"Bocchama!" Ren's faithful spirit companion called from the kitchen. "Come see what I've found!"
"I don't care," the boy scowled in his direction. "Nee-san's gone, and she's never coming back."
"But bocchama! It looks like a note from Miss Jun."
"What?" Ren bolted upright and raced toward the kitchen as if the note might suddenly disappear if he didn't hurry. "Where? Where is it?"
"Over here." Bason hovered near the bottom of the fridge where a piece of paper had fallen.
"Let me see!" Ren snatched it up and immediately recognized his sister's handwriting. He quickly read:
Nihao, Ren-kun!
Sorry for leaving without waking you up, but I thought you needed the extra sleep, since you've been training so hard. Today is Pailong's birthday, so we are going out for the day and will be back later in the evening. Please help yourself to anything in the pantry. Oh, and say hello to Bason for me.
Love you lots,
Your Nee-san
At the bottom of the note, Jun had drawn Pailong and herself in chibi-style, giving the peace-sign.
"What?" Ren could only stare blankly at the piece of paper before him. Had she gone completely insane? What did that headphones boy do to his sister and her mochirei? That tree-hugging, ghost-loving Yoh was polluting his sister's mind, making her think that her little corpse-puppet actually had feelings. He would have destroyed the rebellious kyonshii long ago, but he knew that his sister would never forgive him if he broke her precious toy.
"How thoughtful," Bason stared teary-eyed at the note. "Bocchama never takes me out on my birthday."
"Kisama!" Ren tore the note in half, effectively separating the chibi Jun and Pailong. "What does she think she's doing? Does she want the whole world to know that we're shamans?"
"Bocchama, you underestimate your nee-san. She would not allow us to become exposed to the outside world."
"And that good-for-nothing corpse-puppet!" He glared at the picture of Pailong, as if he would burn holes through it with his gaze alone. "How dare he allow her to do such a thing? He's nothing but a mindless kyonshii!"
"But bocchama, Pailong is her mochirei. He must obey his master, just as I am bound to obey you."
"But he is no longer under her control; he's gained freewill," he crumpled the note up and threw it in the trash. "When's the last time you've seen a talisman on his forehead?"
"Since the night she was defeated by Asakura Yoh," Bason said, but the evil glare from his master made him wish he hadn't reminded him of that second blow to his family's honor.
Ren heaved a huge sigh, his anger dissipating. "I guess it's not my place to tell her how to handle her own mochirei, but still! Taking him out on his birthday? How ridiculous! He's dead for crying out loud. Next thing you know, she'll be spouting that same rubbish Asakura Yoh is always saying: 'Pailong is not a tool, he's my friend'."
"Do you want me to go look for them, bocchama?" The red spirit flame asked, eager to please his master.
"No. That would be pointless. They could be anywhere in Tokyo, and besides, she said she was coming home this evening, right? But mark my words, we're going to have a little talk when she gets home."
"You sound like your father--" Bason started to say. He suddenly ended up smashed against the wall on the other side of the room.
Ren had his hand poised in the air after he had struck Bason, his golden eyes burning with angry flames.
"Don't you ever suggest that I am like that man ever again, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, bocchama," Bason said as he slowly slid to the floor.
"Good," Ren lowered his hand and sighed. "I need something to eat. I get very cranky when I'm hungry."
"No kidding," Bason said under his breath. He floated slowly toward the kitchen to watch what his master was doing.
Ren rummaged around in the various cabinets and finally pulled out a bag of rice. He slapped it on the counter and stared at it. Bason looked from his master to the bag of rice, then back to his master again.
"Well?" The mochirei asked in a futile attempt to be helpful. "Now what?"
"I don't know."
"Bocchama!" Tears streamed down Bason's face like twin waterfalls. "Don't you know how to cook?"
"Well, let me think," Ren placed a finger on the side of his face in thought. "If I had a little deadly nightshade, I could make a very lovely poison, but then I'd be dead, now wouldn't I?"
"At least you wouldn't be hungry anymore, bocchama!"
"Baka!" Bason cowered beneath his master's angry glare. Ren slapped himself in the face. "Why couldn't my mother have taught me something useful?"
"Just do what Miss Jun does, bocchama. You've seen her cook plenty of times, right?"
"Actually" The boy stared at his feet in embarrassment. "I've never actually seen her prepare the food. It's always ready when I walk in."
"Bocchama" The spirit flame stared at his master sadly.
"Never mind. I don't need to eat as long as I've got milk!" Ren grinned triumphantly and headed toward the fridge. "I can live off that stuff."
He opened the fridge and he stared in utter horror at the empty bottle of milk sitting forlornly next to the orange juice and bottled water.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"What is it, Miss Jun?" Pailong glanced at his master as she stood with her head cocked to one side, as if listening intently to something.
"I'm sure I heard Ren-kun's voice that time," she looked over her shoulder toward the general direction of the burned-out Chinese restaurant.
"You must be hearing things." Pailong placed a hand on her shoulder and began leading her away. "Besides, I'm sure he's just fine."
"Yeah. You're right. I'm sure he'll be okay by himself for one day. He's rather mature for his age, you know?"
"Actually, he seems a bit too serious," The tall man scratched his chin in thought. "He needs to relax and enjoy his childhood while he still has the chance."
"I know. But you try telling him that. He'd just say something like, 'you want me to act more like headphones boy? I think not'."
Pailong chuckled. "That sounds like Ren all right."
"Hey, what's this?" Jun walked toward a brightly colored poster tacked to the side of a brick building.
"It looks like some kind of carnival," Pailong stood by her side and read the words printed boldly on the advertisement.
Come one, come all to the annual Carnival Takei! Experience the thrill and excitement of our breathtaking Midway Rides! Test your luck and skill with our fun carnival games! Do you have what it takes to win the prize? Come take a walk on the wild side and watch the amazing animal shows, performed behind bars for your own safety! If you're looking for fun and excitement, look no further than the Carnival Takei!
"Wanna go?" Pailong asked.
"What is a carnival?" Jun looked up at him with her innocent blue eyes.
"Well, it's kind of like an amusement park, only smaller and it only stays in one place for a few days before moving somewhere else."
"Oh! I see." She smiled sweetly, then added, "What's an amusement park?"
Pailong stared at her, dumbfounded.
"You don't know what an amusement park is?"
"Nope." She smiled at him. "Should I?"
"What the--? Haven't you ever heard of Disney Land?" He stood with his arms on her shoulders, eyes wide with shock.
"Disney Land?" Jun tilted her head to one side in confusion.
"Oh my God, you poor child," the martial artist bowed his head in defeat. "You've never heard of the happiest place on Earth?"
"Uh-uh," Jun shook her head.
Pailong spread his arms wide. "I can't believe this! Disney Land is one of the biggest amusement parks I've ever seen! I used to take my children there every summer, and they'd pitch a fit when I told them we had to go home."
"So, it's supposed to be fun, I take it?" Jun placed a finger to her lips in thought.
"That would make sense, seeing as how they call it an amusement park." Pailong folded his arms over his chest. Tao Jun was a wonderful woman, but she could be so naïve.
"All right already," Jun frowned a little as his sarcasm. "You have to realize that I had never left the Tao Mansion, let alone China, until only recently."
"I'm sorry, Miss Jun," he bowed his head apologetically. "I had forgotten how much your family had sheltered you from the outside world."
"It's all right." She smiled at him. "Do you want to go?"
"Of course! This is the perfect chance for you to experience some old-fashioned carnival fun. I know you'll love it."
They took a bus and traveled somewhere toward the outskirts of the city. The air smelled fresher, cleaner than the air in the congested city. Pailong pointed to the window and Jun's blue eyes sparkled with wonder as they approached the fair grounds. As they disembarked, the girl stood dumbfounded as her senses were bombarded by the sheer number of sounds and smells emanating from the carnival. Her mochirei smiled at her reaction and gently led her toward the ticket vendor.
"Two, please," Pailong announced as Jun suddenly became aware of her surroundings and began rummaging in her purse."
"You're just in luck," the young man smiled as Jun handed him the money. "Today is 'Armband Day' so you can get on all the rides for free."
"Really?" Jun clapped her hands together excitedly.
"This really must be our lucky day," Pailong smiled as the ticket vendor placed a bright yellow armband on each of their wrists. "Now you'll be able to ride any of the rides without having to worry about tickets."
They hurried through the front gates while Jun gazed in wonder at all the brightly colored vendors like a child in a candy store. She made little sounds of awe at each new sight and Pailong could only smile at her. He was glad that she was finally able to just sit back and enjoy life, for once. He could not imagine what sort of horrors she had endured in her childhood, but hopefully this would help her to forget such painful memories.
"What's that?" She pointed excitedly at a cotton candy vendor busily twirling the fluffy pink confection onto sticks for the clambering children.
"It's cotton candy, Miss Jun."
"Is it any good?"
"Oh, yes! You should try some. It's so sweet, it rots your teeth the moment it touches your lips!" Jun stared at him in horror. Realizing his mistake, he quickly added, "I mean, not really! It's just an expression." Jun raised her eyebrow, as if she didn't quite believe him.
They waited in line until it was their turn. Jun gingerly took the stick, as if unsure of what to do with it.
"Go on, just bite into it," Pailong waved his encouragement.
Jun stood staring at it a moment longer before taking a tentative bite. Immediately, her eyes lit up and she took a bigger bite this time.
"It's like eating a cloud," she giggled as a little stuck to her fingers and she licked it off.
"It kind of is," Pailong took her arm and led her past the various carnival games. "I'd always get some for my kids. When it was time to leave, I'd buy a bag to take home, and then eat it all myself! My trainer would get so mad at me. He'd say, 'Pailong! If you keep stuffing your face with sweets, you're going to get fat! Then what'll we do?'"
Jun snorted into her cotton candy as she tried to stifle her laughter.
"What's so funny?" He smiled as she tried to lick off the cotton candy stuck to the end of her nose.
"I didn't know you had such an insatiable sweet-tooth." She managed to get the last bit of pink fluff off her nose.
"I know," he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "My trainer was always getting on my case because I'd sneak cookies and donuts on set and share them with my costars. He'd always tell me, 'Pailong, if you're going to ruin your diet regimen, that's fine. But don't drag the others down your candy-coated path to hell!' Then he'd make me do sit-ups for an hour straight."
"He sounds very strict," Jun said, halfway done with her cotton candy.
"You have no idea," Pailong rolled his eyes skyward. "He was a total hard-ass, but he was really a good guy. If it weren't for him, I'd probably be wearing a beer-gut in all those movies!"
"Sounds like a lot of hard work being a movie star."
"You're telling me."
Jun quickly finished the last bit of cotton candy fluff and tossed the stick in a nearby trash can. They wandered around aimlessly for a bit as carnies advertised their games and merchants hawked their wares.
"Oh, look at the cute little goldfish!" Jun knelt down near a large pool teeming with multicolored fish.
"Care to try your luck, Miss?" The old lady in a red yukata asked while holding up a tiny paddle.
"What do I do?"
"Take this bowl and this paddle and try to flip the fish into it. If you get it in, you can keep the fish." She demonstrated by holding the rice paper paddle poised above the water, like a heron waiting for its next meal. Quickly, the old woman flicked her wrist and a gold fish suddenly flew into the bowl, as if by magic.
"That's amazing!" Jun stared wide-eyed at the old woman, impressed by her speed. Pailong knelt beside his master and watched as a little girl and her father struggled to flip a fish into their own little bowl.
"Aw, it broke again," The little girl stared dejectedly at the hole in her rice paper paddle.
"Here, we'll try one more time, but then we have to go home," the girl's father said as he paid the woman for another paddle.
"Let's play, Pailong," Jun said as she handed the woman the money.
"All right." He took a paddle and bowl and leaned over the rim of the pool, staring intently into the water. Jun did the same and waited until one of the fish swam close to the surface.
"Take your time," the old woman smiled at seeing the anxious look on Jun's face. "No need to rush. This is a game of skill and dexterity. The calmer you are, the better chance you'll have of catching a fish."
"Okay." She took a deep breath and concentrated on the task at hand.
Suddenly, a beautiful black fish began gulping at the surface of the water, its scales glittering in the sun with an almost indigo sheen. Jun knew she had to catch that one. She edged closer, trying not to scare the fish away before she could get the paddle in the water. Her paddle shot forward, catching the fish on it. It flopped around as she tried to bring her bowl closer, but the weight of the fish caused it to rip a hole in the paddle and it swam away.
"Darn it," Jun snapped her fingers in frustration. "So close."
"Try again?" The old woman held up another paddle.
"Darn right! I'm gonna catch that fish if it's the last thing I do!"
Jun paid the woman and took another paddle. She watched as Pailong continued to stare into the water, unmoving as a tortoise. Suddenly, a fished appeared in his bowl, but it didn't appear as if he had moved.
"How'd you do that?" Jun gasped in amazement as Pailong held the bowl up with a dazzling jade green fish swimming in circles. "Have you played this game before?"
"Nope." He smiled secretly. "But I find the same discipline I use in my martial arts can be applied here. See, it's all about speed and agility, right? If you keep the paddle in the water too long, or if the fish flaps heard enough, it will break. The key is to combine a series of simple motions into one fluid movement as quickly as possible. I'll show you one more time."
He took another bowl and paddle and leaned close to the water once more.
"First, get as close as you can without frightening the fish. Second, dip your paddle in the water and keep your bowl close by. Lastly, flip the fish in."
He waited a moment and quickly flipped a little golden yellow fish into his bowl.
"Got it? Now you try."
Jun knelt down and poised her paddle near the water. Here eyes followed the glittering black fish, anticipating its every move.
Just take a deep breath and clear your mind, she thought to herself. Don't be nervous. Take your time.
He hand trembled slightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath.
"Now!" She flicked her wrist and the fish dropped into her bowl with a slight kerplop.
"I did it! I did it!" She felt giddy, even though all she did was catch a little fish. But she set her mind to a task and she accomplished it.
"Good job," the old woman said as she presented them with a plastic bag containing their three little fish. "I've never seen a beginner learn so quickly."
"That was wonderful, Miss Jun." Pailong patted her shoulder in congratulations of her efforts.
"They're so cute." Jun held up the bag to her face to get a better look at her aquatic friends. "Look at how the gold one guards the green one so closely."
"Don't those fish remind you of someone?" Pailong nudged her with his elbow, a sly grin on his face.
Jun giggled. "The green one is me, the black one is you, and the gold one is Ren-kun. My, he seems such a jealous little fish."
"Aren't all little brothers? He only wants to protect his nee-san." He watched as the gold one continued to chase the black one off. He felt a pang of sympathy. Ren certainly showed no love to him, a kyonshii that had regained his freewill. Could Ren one day learn to trust Pailong with Jun's well-being, or would he forever glare hatefully him with those glittering golden eyes?
"Daddy!" The cry awoke Pailong from his thoughts. "I wanna fishy!"
"I'm sorry, but I told you only one more try, then we have to leave."
The girl struggled against her father's hand clamped firmly, but gently on her wrist.
"But I want a fishy! We never caught a fishy!"
"We'll just have to try harder next time," the man said in calming tones as he began to lead the girl away.
Pailong and Jun looked at the girl, then at their bag of fish, then at each other. They nodded once before standing.
"Wait! Sir," Jun trotted forward and held the bag of fish out to him. "We'll be staying out for a long time, and the fish might die if they don't get put in a tank soon. Would you like to have them?"
The girl's brown eyes widened and she gasped with delight. She held her little hands outstretched, ready to receive the fish.
"Well, all right. If you don't want them, we'll be glad to take them home with us."
"Will you promise to take good care of them?" Jun asked as she knelt and handed the bag to the girl.
"Oh, yes! I've had fishies before, and I took real good care of 'em." She gently clutched the bag to her chest. "These are such purdee fishies. I won't let anything happen to them."
"That's good to know."
"Honey, say thank you to the nice young lady," he shook his the girl's shoulder.
"Thank you, purdee lady," she bowed to her and took her father's hand. "Bye-bye!"
Jun waved to them and smiled.
"Children give you such a warm fuzzy feeling, right here, don't they?" Pailong said as he placed his hand on his chest.
"She was such a sweet kid," Jun sighed. "Well, what now? Play some more games?"
"Why not?" The tall man shrugged his broad shoulders and they made their way deeper into the carnival.
They played various games, like the ring toss, darts, Whack-a-Mole, ski ball, and so many others, Jun could barely remember them all. Pailong had managed to win a large stuffed tiger toy for Jun after ringing the bell on the "Test of Strength" game. He felt embarrassed by the excited whispers following him after he lifted the huge hammer, like it was nothing, and brought it down so hard on the pedal, that he was afraid the dinger would shoot right through the bell and into orbit.
"That was amazing!" Jun praised him as she attached an adorable panda key chain to her set of keys. "The dinger shot up so fast, I could barely follow it." She glanced at him slyly out of the corner of her eye. "I think maybe you had an unfair advantage over those other people."
"Hey, you said you wanted the tiger, so I got it for you," he grinned as he carried it over one shoulder.
"I said, 'It's so cute, it reminds me of Ren-kun's old stuffed tiger'. I didn't say I wanted it. It's so big. Where will I put it?"
"You can keep it on your bed and lay on it like a pillow. A big fuzzy, cuddly pillow."
She rolled her eyes. "Maybe you can keep it and cuddle with it in your coffin."
"Well, maybe I will, since you don't want it." He grinned evilly.
Jun laughed out loud. "I just got this hilarious image in my head of you curled up with the tiger and sucking your thumb like a little kid."
"Maybe I don't want it, after all"
"We'll find something to do with it. I wouldn't want you to carry it around all day for nothing."
The two were suddenly stopped in their tracks by a the sound of someone crying. Pailong turned around to notice a little boy squatting on the ground, his tiny hands balled into fists at his eyes as tears streamed freely down his cheeks.
"What's the matter, kid?" Pailong towered over the sobbing child, a look of concern of his face.
The boy sniffed and looked up to see a giant of a man standing before him. He gasped and began to back away in fright.
"Wait, don't run off," Jun's dulcet tones quickly alleviated the boy's fears and he took a tentative step forward, hands twisting in front of him.
"Why are you crying?" Jun knelt, as did Pailong, and she offered a tissue to him from her purse.
The boy took it and wiped his nose. "I lost my mommy," he managed to choke out as fresh tears streamed down his cheeks once more.
"What's your name?" Jun asked as she dabbed at his eyes with a fresh tissue.
"Genki," he hiccuped slightly. "Who're you?"
"My name's Jun," she placed a hand on her breast, "and this is my friend, Pailong." She waved at the taller man. "Would you like us to help you find your mother?"
"Yes." Genki sniffed and wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his red sweater.
"What's your mother's name?" Jun asked.
He thought for a moment, then said, "Mommy."
Jun and Pailong glanced nervously at one another.
"Can you tell us what she looks like?" Pailong asked softly, aware that his mere presence had frightened the boy once before.
"She's got long brown hair and she's wearing a black dress with red flowers on it."
"Take my hand and we'll help you find her, okay?" Jun extended her hand as Genki hesitantly placed his small hand in her own.
"You're hand feels very soft, Jun-san," the boy said.
Jun laughed. "Why, thank you."
The three wandered around as Pailong and Jun asked several vendors and passerby if they had seen the boy's mother. Many rushed past them without a word, and those polite enough to stop and talk could give no helpful answer.
"We'll never find mommy now," Genki sniffed and seemed if he would start crying again.
Pailong gasped as an epiphany hit him so quickly, you could almost see the light bulb flash over his head.
"Miss Jun, hold this for me, would you?" He pressed the tiger toy into her hands, then turned toward the boy. "Do you think you could pick your mother out of the crowd?"
"Uh-huh," Genki nodded. "But I can't see nothing down here."
"I'll put you on my shoulders, then you can see above the crowd, okay?"
"All right," the boy said nervously as Pailong grasped under the arms and lifted the boy onto his broad shoulder. The boy giggled with glee as he said, "Gee, Mister; you're really tall!"
"Can you see her yet?" Pailong tilted his head slightly to look at the boy while Jun stifled a laugh behind her hand.
"Not yet" The boy shaded his eyes against the sun. "Mommy? Mommy! Where are you?"
They walked around in this manner for a few moments before a shout went up from the crowd, "Genki? Genki, is that you?"
"Over here, Mommy!" The boy laughed and waved at her.
"Genki! Thank God you're okay!" Pailong lifted the boy off his shoulders and placed him into the waiting arms of his mother. "I was so worried about you. I told you to hold my hand the whole time."
"I'm sorry, Mommy," she boy buried his face in his mother's breast, overcome with joy. "I won't ever do it again. I promise."
"Thank you so much for finding my son." The woman set her child down and bowed low to both of them. "I looked everywhere and even had the security guards looking for him. I was afraid that he'd gotten kidnapped."
"We're glad to see he's found his mother," Jun smiled as brightly as the jade jewelry she was wearing.
"If there's anything I can do to repay you--" the woman started, but Pailong shook his head gently.
"There's no need. We're happy enough knowing Genki's safe."
"Here," Jun held the large tiger toy outward as Genki's eyes sparkled with delight. "I want you to have this."
"Really? For me?" He squeaked, unable to believe their generosity.
"You've had a long day, I'm sure. This should help you to end it on a brighter note."
"Thank you, Jun-san," the boy bowed his head and took the stuffed tiger from her. He staggered slightly as it was nearly as large as him. "Can we go home now, Mommy?"
"All right. And again, thank you so much for finding him."
"No problem," Pailong grinned.
"The world would be a much better place if there were more people like you," the woman smiled as she turned and walked away from them.
"Good bye!" Genki waved on last time before he and his mother were swallowed by the crowd.
"You know, I could get used to this," Jun smiled as she leaned on Pailong's shoulder.
"As the old saying goes, 'what goes around, comes around'."
"You think this is karma at work?"
"Maybe." Pailong stood staring at the sky for a moment before turning toward Jun. "Let's hurry and ride some of the rides before it gets too late!"
"All right. What do you want to go on first?"
"How about the roller coaster?" Pailong grinned as they headed toward the Midway. "I'm sure you'll love it, Miss Jun."
Sorry I was so late updating, but I've been practicing for the Metrocon Anime Human Chess Match and working on filling out job applications. Oi! It sucks not having money. Anyhoo, I meant for the carnival to be all in one chapter, but it was getting a bit long, so I had to cut it in half. I promise you'll get to see the roller coaster next time. Also, here's where things start heating up for Ren and Bason as they try to figure out how to use the rice-steamer.
On a minor note: I may be late updating again because I'll be in Ocala working on some cosplay stuff for Metrocon with my granny. Anna and Jun (Shaman King) and Sakura (Naruto). If any of you are going to Metrocon this year, e-mail me and maybe we can hand out!