author notes:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!
Chapter 33:
Old Times
The clouds were heavy over their heads, and the group walked in the dank atmosphere after their 'prey'. Brat was in the lead, carrying the huge Buster sword on her back like it was nothing and constantly urging the others to keep going. Behind her was D.g., carrying a old potato sack, and Erika.
"Bahh! Where'd they go?"
D.g. sighed, and patted Brat on the shoulder.
"Once again, they are gone."
Erika sighed behind them, finalling acting serious for once.
"As usual, we cant freaking ever catch them. Right Ashi-chan?"
The sullen looking Ashitaka trailed behind them, walking at a noticeable limp. His leg was still sore, and he needed time to escape if Erica went into one of her 'Glomp' moments. He felt miserable, not because they hadn't stopped for a while, but because his curse mark had gotten bigger since he had last checked. He sighed, resigned to his fate, and used his hand to shift the bow and arrows on his back to a more comfortable position. He looked up when Erica spoke to him.
"Don't worry, they won't get too far ahead. They wouldn't leave us stranded…in a blizzard…"
Erica stopped and looked back at him. He was gazing up at the sky.
"Huh?"
He put on a very Cloud-like expression and pointed up. The girls all looked up, as small snowflakes started floating down onto them. D.g. muttered.
"What the hell…?"
Brat looked around.
"Isn't it supposed to be summer time? What's happening?"
Ashitaka cursed.
"I got a bad feeling about this."
They watched as the snow started to pour from the sky more and more, despite the fact it wasn't cold enough to even form snow, till they all had to take refuge under a large tree. D.g. wasn't very optimistic.
"If this keeps up, we're going to freeze to death."
Brat sighed.
"Thanks D.g., you're a real help."
Suddenly Erika shouted.
"Hey! There's Kenshin!!!"
The entire group looked down the path and saw Kenshin darting through the woods. D.g. took off running.
"Lets go!!!"
The others ran behind her, with Ashitaka last struggling to keep up. They went after Kenshin, dashing through the closely knitted trees and bushes until they found themselves in the middle of nowhere, alone. D.g. fumed a bit.
"Darnit!"
Erika shivered.
"We need shelter, now."
Most of the others were a bit astounded about her attitude, since the seemingly crazy Erika had disappeared, leaving behind a strangely considerate one that, instead of ranting, said thing of value. D.g. nodded, and looked around.
"We need a cave or something…"
Ashitaka spoke up.
"There's a house or something over there!"
He pointed, and the group looked over. About 200 feet away there was a building, a bit broken down, but still standing, hidden in a group of trees.
"Lets go!" Brat shouted.
---------------------------------------
"Ugh…" Brat said as she breathed in a cloud of dust.
D.g. looked over from where she was standing.
"Don't complain, it's the best we got."
The room of the house wasn't very large, and it didn't help that the roof had collapsed on one part, leaving slanted wall on one side. It had the look that it hadn't been used in years. It only had a single room. The group set about making the shelter hospitable. Erika was gathering small broken pieces of wood for a fire, and Ashitaka was helping her to break pieces off of boards. They made a small pile on the stone slab in the center of the only room in the house. D.g. and Brat were searching through the debris for things that could be useful. D.g. picked up an old board and moved it, to discover a pair of seemingly old blankets.
"Hey, look what I found!"
She shook out the pair of blankets to get the dust off, which strangely enough, wasn't very much. She tossed one to Erika. The group then set about making the fire, and soon enough, using Ashitaka's talents, got a small fire going. D.g. pulled her small bag off her back, and started rummaging through it. She came out with a pot and a couple potatoes. The town they had been at was poor, and they hadn't gotten a lot of supplies. D.g.'s gun was also in the bag, its large gold cylinder gleaming in the flickering firelight, along with a multitude of different shells.
D.d. muttered to the others.
"Get those potatoes cooking, we need to eat and get the warmth back."
The temperature was dropping, and the hot potatoes were a welcome sight when the group ate them.
D.g. rummaged through the sack again, and came up shaking her head.
"That's all we have. We'll need to get more supplies tomorrow."
Brat sighed.
"Maybe. But if this weather keeps up…"
COUGH!
The entire group went quiet, and looked at one another. There wasn't a sound.
….COUGH!
Someone was choking on the dust. And it wasn't any of them…
COUGH!
Brat stood up quickly, and pulled the buster sword from the ground into the air. The others watched as she lifted it up slowly. She glanced around, scanning for movement, listening. D.g. pulled her weapon out of the sack, the fire gleaming off of its golden barrel.
COUGH!
Brat suddenly swung and slammed the buster sword into the ceiling, smashing through the weak boards. Lots of debris fell down, with a cloud of dust that made the room a misty tan color. A few boards clattered against the ground. There was a loud crash, and the building shook, and the fire went out.
Slowly the dust cleared, revealing a man practically imbedded in the floor from the waste down. Instantly recognizable due to his hair style, there was a cheer, a yell, a smile, and a "Baka" from the crowd. The man shook his head, and brushed off the dust, before looking up into the waiting eyes of Brat.
"Welcome to cloud nine, Cloud."
-----------------------------------------------------------
"So, why are you tying my arms together?"
"So you cant run away, silly."
Cloud sighed.
"How does tying my arms together stop me from running away?"
Brat tied the final knot, pulling it hard, before backing away.
"Because with you stuck in the ground you cant move, and with your arms immobilized you cant free yourself. Obviously."
D.g. smiled at Brat's corrupted yet correct logic, and patted Kenshin on the shoulder. He was in a similar state as Cloud, except tied with his arms around a long board. Kenshin had dropped down after Cloud had fallen, and had received the same unexpected treatment: bondage. Slightly kinky, yet effective in this case. Brat moved to sit down next to the wall.
COUGH!
Cloud cursed.
"Damn cold."
"So what's up, guys?" D.g. asked.
There wasn't any reply.
Kenshin was silent, staring at the ceiling, while Cloud was staring at the floor. Neither of them wanted to answer. It hadn't been their intentions to see the girls again before the conflict was over. They needed their minds not on their friends, but the battles that would surely overcome them. With the girls in the middle of a battle, neither of them would be able to concentrate on the task at hand. Having their friends around…was a burden they couldn't risk having.
"Why did you follow us? Was the note not enough to convince you of what had to be done?" Cloud asked, his tone hinting sorrow.
D.g. looked away, remembering the message in the letter.
"We followed…because we wanted to. We want to be part of this."
Kenshin spoke up.
"How can you want to be part of a war? What drives you to follow the path of bloodshed and death, misery and remorse, sadness and loss? Why do you will yourself to stain your hands with the blood of the enemy? We, both Cloud and I, don't want you to become as we are now, stained with the deaths of many, never to truly consider ourselves true again. We cant have you experiencing the tradgady of war as we have."
Brat huffed.
"And what about you two? Going into a battle without giving us any information. How will that help us? Will you leave those behind who care about you, turning your back and leaving them in the dust?"
Cloud spoke.
"And what of the people we care about? What if they mean more to us than our vary lives? What if we leave them, not to cause them grief, but to save them. Sometimes, one must become a monster to save the innocent."
D.g. spoke solemnly.
"So you were planning to die without telling us?"
There was a visible flinch in both men, visible to everyone. Cloud looked up at her.
"If that is what it takes to save you guys and the world, then I damn myself if I'm not going to answer the call."
He bowed his head.
"Please, don't get in my way."
D.g. stared at him, and was about to speak when Brat cut her off.
"So your willing to die, without us knowing, for the sake of the world?"
He nodded, as did Kenshin.
"Okay. But that's not happening."
Cloud's head sprung up.
"Huh?"
"I won't let you go off and die alone. I'm with you, whether you like it or not!"
Cloud stammered.
"But..But..do you know why we choose this? Why do you pursue?"
Brat crouched down and looked him in the eye.
"Because friends help friends no matter the cost, risk, or danger. That's what real friends do."
"But…"
"Cloud. I understand your concern, I understand your reasons, but I will not let you die out there. If you die…"
Brat turned away, and Cloud understood what it all meant. It wasn't his battle, it was everyone's battle. Cloud had been so caught up in his concern that he had been blinded from the truth.
Kenshin spoke up.
"Cloud, we can't leave them. If we do so, then they will follow, and become a liability anyway. We can't leave them, that we can't."
Cloud huffed, looked around, and caught eyes with Ashitaka. He shrugged, as if to say 'Heck, I'm not going anywhere, why should you?'
He looked up at Brat, and sighed.
"Just don't go dieing on me, alright?"
"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"
Glomp
"Ow! Brat! Get off! My back can't bend like that! Brat!!!
---------------------------------------
Author note: Sorry about the lapse. Exams(Evil). Supposed to be studying, not. oh well. Anyway, I was looking at the stroy summary, and its kinda lame, anyone got any ideas aon how to spice it up? Thanks.
Chapter 33:
Old Times
The clouds were heavy over their heads, and the group walked in the dank atmosphere after their 'prey'. Brat was in the lead, carrying the huge Buster sword on her back like it was nothing and constantly urging the others to keep going. Behind her was D.g., carrying a old potato sack, and Erika.
"Bahh! Where'd they go?"
D.g. sighed, and patted Brat on the shoulder.
"Once again, they are gone."
Erika sighed behind them, finalling acting serious for once.
"As usual, we cant freaking ever catch them. Right Ashi-chan?"
The sullen looking Ashitaka trailed behind them, walking at a noticeable limp. His leg was still sore, and he needed time to escape if Erica went into one of her 'Glomp' moments. He felt miserable, not because they hadn't stopped for a while, but because his curse mark had gotten bigger since he had last checked. He sighed, resigned to his fate, and used his hand to shift the bow and arrows on his back to a more comfortable position. He looked up when Erica spoke to him.
"Don't worry, they won't get too far ahead. They wouldn't leave us stranded…in a blizzard…"
Erica stopped and looked back at him. He was gazing up at the sky.
"Huh?"
He put on a very Cloud-like expression and pointed up. The girls all looked up, as small snowflakes started floating down onto them. D.g. muttered.
"What the hell…?"
Brat looked around.
"Isn't it supposed to be summer time? What's happening?"
Ashitaka cursed.
"I got a bad feeling about this."
They watched as the snow started to pour from the sky more and more, despite the fact it wasn't cold enough to even form snow, till they all had to take refuge under a large tree. D.g. wasn't very optimistic.
"If this keeps up, we're going to freeze to death."
Brat sighed.
"Thanks D.g., you're a real help."
Suddenly Erika shouted.
"Hey! There's Kenshin!!!"
The entire group looked down the path and saw Kenshin darting through the woods. D.g. took off running.
"Lets go!!!"
The others ran behind her, with Ashitaka last struggling to keep up. They went after Kenshin, dashing through the closely knitted trees and bushes until they found themselves in the middle of nowhere, alone. D.g. fumed a bit.
"Darnit!"
Erika shivered.
"We need shelter, now."
Most of the others were a bit astounded about her attitude, since the seemingly crazy Erika had disappeared, leaving behind a strangely considerate one that, instead of ranting, said thing of value. D.g. nodded, and looked around.
"We need a cave or something…"
Ashitaka spoke up.
"There's a house or something over there!"
He pointed, and the group looked over. About 200 feet away there was a building, a bit broken down, but still standing, hidden in a group of trees.
"Lets go!" Brat shouted.
---------------------------------------
"Ugh…" Brat said as she breathed in a cloud of dust.
D.g. looked over from where she was standing.
"Don't complain, it's the best we got."
The room of the house wasn't very large, and it didn't help that the roof had collapsed on one part, leaving slanted wall on one side. It had the look that it hadn't been used in years. It only had a single room. The group set about making the shelter hospitable. Erika was gathering small broken pieces of wood for a fire, and Ashitaka was helping her to break pieces off of boards. They made a small pile on the stone slab in the center of the only room in the house. D.g. and Brat were searching through the debris for things that could be useful. D.g. picked up an old board and moved it, to discover a pair of seemingly old blankets.
"Hey, look what I found!"
She shook out the pair of blankets to get the dust off, which strangely enough, wasn't very much. She tossed one to Erika. The group then set about making the fire, and soon enough, using Ashitaka's talents, got a small fire going. D.g. pulled her small bag off her back, and started rummaging through it. She came out with a pot and a couple potatoes. The town they had been at was poor, and they hadn't gotten a lot of supplies. D.g.'s gun was also in the bag, its large gold cylinder gleaming in the flickering firelight, along with a multitude of different shells.
D.d. muttered to the others.
"Get those potatoes cooking, we need to eat and get the warmth back."
The temperature was dropping, and the hot potatoes were a welcome sight when the group ate them.
D.g. rummaged through the sack again, and came up shaking her head.
"That's all we have. We'll need to get more supplies tomorrow."
Brat sighed.
"Maybe. But if this weather keeps up…"
COUGH!
The entire group went quiet, and looked at one another. There wasn't a sound.
….COUGH!
Someone was choking on the dust. And it wasn't any of them…
COUGH!
Brat stood up quickly, and pulled the buster sword from the ground into the air. The others watched as she lifted it up slowly. She glanced around, scanning for movement, listening. D.g. pulled her weapon out of the sack, the fire gleaming off of its golden barrel.
COUGH!
Brat suddenly swung and slammed the buster sword into the ceiling, smashing through the weak boards. Lots of debris fell down, with a cloud of dust that made the room a misty tan color. A few boards clattered against the ground. There was a loud crash, and the building shook, and the fire went out.
Slowly the dust cleared, revealing a man practically imbedded in the floor from the waste down. Instantly recognizable due to his hair style, there was a cheer, a yell, a smile, and a "Baka" from the crowd. The man shook his head, and brushed off the dust, before looking up into the waiting eyes of Brat.
"Welcome to cloud nine, Cloud."
-----------------------------------------------------------
"So, why are you tying my arms together?"
"So you cant run away, silly."
Cloud sighed.
"How does tying my arms together stop me from running away?"
Brat tied the final knot, pulling it hard, before backing away.
"Because with you stuck in the ground you cant move, and with your arms immobilized you cant free yourself. Obviously."
D.g. smiled at Brat's corrupted yet correct logic, and patted Kenshin on the shoulder. He was in a similar state as Cloud, except tied with his arms around a long board. Kenshin had dropped down after Cloud had fallen, and had received the same unexpected treatment: bondage. Slightly kinky, yet effective in this case. Brat moved to sit down next to the wall.
COUGH!
Cloud cursed.
"Damn cold."
"So what's up, guys?" D.g. asked.
There wasn't any reply.
Kenshin was silent, staring at the ceiling, while Cloud was staring at the floor. Neither of them wanted to answer. It hadn't been their intentions to see the girls again before the conflict was over. They needed their minds not on their friends, but the battles that would surely overcome them. With the girls in the middle of a battle, neither of them would be able to concentrate on the task at hand. Having their friends around…was a burden they couldn't risk having.
"Why did you follow us? Was the note not enough to convince you of what had to be done?" Cloud asked, his tone hinting sorrow.
D.g. looked away, remembering the message in the letter.
"We followed…because we wanted to. We want to be part of this."
Kenshin spoke up.
"How can you want to be part of a war? What drives you to follow the path of bloodshed and death, misery and remorse, sadness and loss? Why do you will yourself to stain your hands with the blood of the enemy? We, both Cloud and I, don't want you to become as we are now, stained with the deaths of many, never to truly consider ourselves true again. We cant have you experiencing the tradgady of war as we have."
Brat huffed.
"And what about you two? Going into a battle without giving us any information. How will that help us? Will you leave those behind who care about you, turning your back and leaving them in the dust?"
Cloud spoke.
"And what of the people we care about? What if they mean more to us than our vary lives? What if we leave them, not to cause them grief, but to save them. Sometimes, one must become a monster to save the innocent."
D.g. spoke solemnly.
"So you were planning to die without telling us?"
There was a visible flinch in both men, visible to everyone. Cloud looked up at her.
"If that is what it takes to save you guys and the world, then I damn myself if I'm not going to answer the call."
He bowed his head.
"Please, don't get in my way."
D.g. stared at him, and was about to speak when Brat cut her off.
"So your willing to die, without us knowing, for the sake of the world?"
He nodded, as did Kenshin.
"Okay. But that's not happening."
Cloud's head sprung up.
"Huh?"
"I won't let you go off and die alone. I'm with you, whether you like it or not!"
Cloud stammered.
"But..But..do you know why we choose this? Why do you pursue?"
Brat crouched down and looked him in the eye.
"Because friends help friends no matter the cost, risk, or danger. That's what real friends do."
"But…"
"Cloud. I understand your concern, I understand your reasons, but I will not let you die out there. If you die…"
Brat turned away, and Cloud understood what it all meant. It wasn't his battle, it was everyone's battle. Cloud had been so caught up in his concern that he had been blinded from the truth.
Kenshin spoke up.
"Cloud, we can't leave them. If we do so, then they will follow, and become a liability anyway. We can't leave them, that we can't."
Cloud huffed, looked around, and caught eyes with Ashitaka. He shrugged, as if to say 'Heck, I'm not going anywhere, why should you?'
He looked up at Brat, and sighed.
"Just don't go dieing on me, alright?"
"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"
Glomp
"Ow! Brat! Get off! My back can't bend like that! Brat!!!
---------------------------------------
Author note: Sorry about the lapse. Exams(Evil). Supposed to be studying, not. oh well. Anyway, I was looking at the stroy summary, and its kinda lame, anyone got any ideas aon how to spice it up? Thanks.