Author's notes, forward:
It's another double feature! I've got to chug this story out, and I don't have much time!
I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!, anything related to it that I haven't bought, any dogs, any other strange animals, the song "earth scape" (that's owned by dj TAKA), or anything else that isn't me (and I WILL be making an appearance again).
On with the show!
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Two days had passed. In those two days, Raphael had tried to be the typical tourist. Most of the tour packages didn't appeal to him. He wasn't interested in the tacky shows offered by some insincere workers. It didn't feel right. Instead, he had taken in as much of the natural scenery as he could, without getting lost. Hawaii's natural beauty was slowly being taken over by concrete.
He'd seen very little of his two companions since the Leviathan had gotten sick. Varon had probably gone to see the same shows that Raphael did his best to avoid. He didn't even want to think about where Amelda kept going off to.
The weather had cleared somewhat. The clouds were still present, but the blue sky shyly peeked out from beneath the white. In a few days, the weather would be postcard-perfect.
He'd read about the Nu'uanu Pali from one of the many brochures the hotel had dumped on him. It was supposed to be a beautiful cliffside that had once been the site of a bloody battle. The winds on the cliff were said to be strong. The location of the cliffs was remote enough for Raphael to consider bringing his own lunch. That's why he was stopped in front of a small Chinese shop that sold something that he'd discovered a taste for - manapua.
After putting his purchases in the seat of his motorcycle, Raphael zoomed off in the only direction the street would allow him to zoom in. The one-way streets of Hawaii were slowly but surely getting on his nerves.
The drive up to the Nu'uanu Pali was magnificent. While cruising down part of the highway, he passed an impressive pagoda. The news he had watched earlier had said that the pagoda was in danger of falling apart, but the structure stood solidly on his left.
A small sign that was supposed to measure speed sat unlit. It looked like it was out of commission. Not surprising, since many of the cars that passed him were going well above the posted speed limit.
A gaudy sign indicated that he was entering Nu'uanu. This looked to be a bigger waste of money than the defunct speed sign. The economy had to been good.
The highway suddenly broke into a more civilized stretch of road. Three lanes went towards his destination, and three more led towards Downtown Honolulu. It would be hard to get lost here!
The stoplights stayed green as he rode down the highway. Houses and other buildings lined both sides of the highway. He made a mental note of Queen Emma's Summer Palace. If he had time, he would return.
He turned at where he thought the Nu'uanu Pali would be located. The road that he had turned on was heavily shaded with various trees. Moss grew on the side of the road, and on the telephone posts. Houses broke through the shady trees at irregular intervals. Mosquitos buzzed merrily. He'd forgotten to bring mosquito repellent!
The trees became less infrequent as the houses became more frequent. Raphael got the feeling that he'd turned on the wrong road.
He stopped at an intersection and took a look at the street names. None of them looked familiar. Once again, he was lost. With nothing better to do, he drove on. He had more than enough gas to find his way out of this mess!
The sinewy street he was on suddenly took a sharp, dark turn. Raphael slowed down as much as he could and cautiously went around. Cars were parked haphazardly. Turning around in such an area could prove to be very hard indeed.
He thought he heard a dog bark. He stopped and listened. The barking occurred again. This time, it had company. It also sounded like it was coming closer.
A mangy dog stopped right behind his motorcycle. It looked up at Raphael. One ear flopped down; the other one was missing. Then it began to bark. In moments, at least five other dogs appeared around the corner. Raphael didn't want to stick around to see how many more dogs lived in the neighborhood. He was gone with a roar. Barking followed him.
Off to his right, a construction site loomed. It was as good a place as any to hide. He quickly steered his bike passed the temporary toilet that stood in front of the construction site. . .
. . .and swallowed a scream. The road he had taken had taken a sudden dip down. It took everything he had to control his descent. A stone wall loomed in front of him. He braked, and prayed that he wouldn't end up as a smear on the wall. The bike stopped well short of the aforementioned wall. Raphael breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, we don't get many visitors down here. Who are you?" The speaker gave him a quizzical look. She wore a black prep shirt with a long skirt and sneakers. A HUGE backpack rested on her shoulders. Wide brown eyes regarded him behind glasses. A small smile touched her lips. The smile accented her high cheekbones. She wasn't unpleasant to look at. . .but she could definitely use a few self-improvement classes.
Raphael opened his mouth to say something, than shut it again. He wasn't here for small talk. He needed to get out of this place, wherever it was, and the sooner the better. The mosquitos were having a field day with his hands.
He had to do something he really hated. Something that took true courage. Something that took all his rapidly-failing nerve. He had to ask for directions.
He looked at her, then looked away and blushed. Of all the people in the world, he had to ask for directions from a girl! He looked back at her shyly. Curiosity danced in her eyes.
"You definitely aren't my friend. Your chest is all wrong." He blinked several times. Where did she get THAT comment from? She looked at him and giggled.
"My. . .chest?" he asked. His chest was nicely muscled. What kind of chest was she referring to?
"Yes. Your chest is too small," she added. He stepped back. What did she mean by that?
"So, how big is your friend's chest?" A little voice within told him that he MIGHT not want to know the answer to that question.
She told him.
His nose bled.
She laughed.
He glared.
She offered him some napkins, which he gladly took. He hadn't been expecting an answer like that. She could've just said that her friend was female.
"Would it be safe to assume that you're lost?" she asked. He nodded.
The directions she gave were ridiculously simple. It seemed that he hadn't wandered too far from the main road. He thanked her and drove off.
In three minutes, he was back on the main highway. It was time to find those cliffs.
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Author's notes, backward:
"earth scape" was meant to describe the cliffs. . .which Raphael never got to go to. Oh well.
Manapua is better known as dim sum. Dim sum also goes by the name of meat bun. It's a sweet white bun filled with meat, usually pork. This little detail will come up in a future chapter.
I finally spelled something correctly! Nu'uanu is the area I live in. The Nu'uanu Pali, which translates to Nu'uanu Cliffs, are less than ten minutes away from my house by car.
The battle at the Pali Lookout (as it's known) is outlined on a little sign near the lookout. The Pali Lookout can also get VERY windy. Be careful.
The dogs described in the story do wander around my neighborhood, and one of them is missing an ear. The one-eared dog likes to chase people, cars, etc. It in turn is chased by the other dogs. Raphael was unlucky enough to get caught in the middle.
Raphael made it to my driveway, but not into my house. My mother would have chased him out with a broom, then yelled at me. Go figure. At least he described me in a nicer light. . .I shudder to think of what Varon will say. . .
I asked my friend for permission before using her chest size in this fic. I don't plan on divulging it, though. Let's just say that she beats Mai and then some.
That's all for me tonight. The next chapter will be narrated by--
Varon: ME! Don't let the crazy redhead anywhere near the next chapter!
Me: Okay, I get the point.
Reviews are always welcome.