Eve: Hey Reviewers.
Sarah: Wow, we have a lot today.
Eve: That's 'cause Mike isn't here *grinning*
Sarah: Well... there are a few flamers...
Eve: Ignore 'em. I'm doing my best. They want me to update everyday, yet still have time to look up all the words, check the spelling, reread the story, write the story, make it a long chapter, And still work on my other story Those Who Defy Their Destiny. Flamers suck; just ignore 'em.
Sarah:... I just typed everything you said.
Eve: !...are we doing the O.C.C now!
Sarah: Yeah, and you know the rule, no stopping or editing ANYTHING out.
Eve: Moving on! I really do like writing the story. I wana be in a story.... I'll have to write me in latter, I'll be a background character. Anyone else wana join me? Sorry, for any spelling errors I'll correct them as soon as I have time. Reviewers Rev-
Sarah: Wait! When is Harry going to-
Eve: Do you mind! I'm trying to make the little starry things appear so I can start the chapter!
Sarah: Yeah, I was a good idea to make the code words for that be Reviewers Review.
************* Chapter 44 Holding on to Hope
James and Lily stare into each other's eyes. They always knew that someday Cota would leave. They just never knew how attached they had grown to him. People urged them to go home and rest, but they stayed. They stayed because of a few reasons. Reason number one was that Cota helped to build that house. His things were there and it would be too hard to face. Home, seemed more like a monster. You get to it and it hurts you. Just the thought of going home unnerved them. The second reason is that Kira refused. She was a child, she refused to give up hope. Even in a hopeless situation. Kira loved the idea of hope. Cota had explained it to her and in her mind, it was beautiful. 'Hope' Cota had said. 'Means shining a light in the darkness and never giving up. It's an action and a thing. In action form, hope is saying 'we'll be fine, we just need to...' or 'everything is fine' or 'it'll be alright' or 'we can make it,' it's always believing that you control your own destiny and are not willing to give up without trying. In thing form, hope is a friendly face in a strange land, a guiding star when you're lost at night, hope is a person too. Did you know that?' Cota had asked. Kira shook her head and stared at him, her expression asked 'who is hope?' Cota just smiled and tapped her on the nose. 'You are, you turned out to be the nicest little girl I know, when everyone else said you'd be mean' Cota smiled his famous smile. In Kira's mind, there was nothing as good as hope. It was a hero, it was a mindset, it was a thing, and it was perfect. It was so real to her that she seemed to hold it in her hands and use it as a candle in a world of darkness.
However, James feared that hope couldn't save his little girl now. This tinny child that wasn't lucky enough to have the mindset that someone her age should have at a time like this. The mindset of a one year old. A child that young wouldn't completely understand any of this and wouldn't remember it. Alas, Kira understood it as best a seven year old could. Someone she loved is dead. How could she handle it? Having something so perfect just ripped out from under her? He kissed Kira on the top of her head. 'Cota' James thought. 'Was nineteen years old. Most witches and wizards can live to be over a hundred. He had his entire life ahead of him and only a blink behind him. Cota was one of those people that appreciated each moment so he wouldn't be looking back on his life and wishing he had just taken the time to appreciate what a great life he had been living. No, Cota knew. James looked back at Lily, she was stroking Kira's hair and looked over at him. Trinidy talked to Kira, just telling her about things like unicorns and phoenixes. Anything beautiful that she could think of. Lily and James soon were called away. They had things to take care of. James had to get work done. He had paperwork stored up from his vacation time, people to meet, jobs to accomplish. Lily needed to send an owl to work and get information on what needed to be done. She never thought she'd be handling her own case, never thought she'd be a client. Lily was good at helping other people, she didn't know how to comfort herself. However, she didn't need to. James was there for her, he was all she needed. They both stood up, trying to figure out who would take Kira.
"I wana stay here" She'd answer. They both looked at each other, silently trying to decide what to do. "This place is supposed to be safe and I wana stay here" Kira interrupted their thoughts.
James sighed and walked into the room, behind the bench. Lily hugged Kira and headed out to find an owl. Kira stayed, not letting go of her hope. She waited half an hour more, her head dropped, and her eyes started to close. Trinidy was also tired and was sitting on the arm of the bench, looking out across the field. Her eyes started to close as she saw something. She didn't know what, but something was out there! Shadows fell over the hill. Trinidy stood up and squinted her eyes in an effort to get a better look. She saw someone's face appear, then another boys face, then a girl's face!
"Kira!" Trinidy chirped. Kira jumped in a paranoid fashion and looked at Trinidy with wide eyes.
Trinidy hopped around and pointed, Kira turned her head and saw them. Slowly they came up the hill, tiredly, uneasily they moved. Kira recognized the riders immediately. Oweiry, Derek, Lisa- Kira stopped and gasped. Her eyes shining in a watery mist that seemed to sparkle like crystals. Her mouth was open in an amazing smile of pure ecstasy. Kira leaped from the bench and ran forward.
"COTA!!!!" She called as she ran.
Cota's blue eyes stared back at her, his face was covered in dirt, he was bleeding badly, and was barely recognizable. However, the eyes made Kira know who it was. The unbelievable blue of his eyes. The shining Sapphires surrounded by snow and a black pearl center. He was being held up by Oweiry and Derek. James bolted from the room upon hearing the name and stood in shocked bliss as he too recognized the shining eyes. Lily came around the corner, dropping the lunch she had been in the process of bringing James and Kira. Derek and Oweiry kneeled, letting Cota rest. He smiled weakly at Kira and opened his arms. She jumped into them and hugged him tightly. Cota didn't care if it hurt, he was too happy to care. He'd been rescued from the dead and was back with everything he had wanted to live for. His friends and family.
"Hey, Kirameku" He whispered to her.
"I never gave up hope, I knew you weren't dead" Kira cried.
"Me? Nah" Cota laughed.
"Almost" Oweiry corrected him.
"Kill joy" Cota said to Oweiry, his voice cracking slightly. He was still smiling.
They were quickly surrounded by people and Cota was carted away to the infirmary. James ran along beside him, grabbing his hand, and giving him a proud smile. Lily followed behind him, being sure to stay out of the way. She was followed by Oweiry, Derek, Lisa, and Kira. Only James was allowed in with Cota though, so the rest went to pacing in the waiting room. Even Trinidy was pacing back and forth on a chair. Lily was wringing her hands out in a nervous fashion. One of the students from the guild of writing, brought them food. They sat and ate in silence. After an few hours of waiting, eating, watching a quidditch match, freaking out, counting dots on the ceiling, and watching another quidditch match, James came out.
"He's gonna be okay. You-Know-Who, didn't use a killing spell on him... Cota's asleep so I don't think we are gonna know what happened anytime soon" James announced to the strange looking group of people. His eyes traveled over to the three students who had rescued Cota.
"Don't look at us! We got no clue how he lived" Derek stated, hands out to his side.
Kira had a happy lil grin on her face that hadn't gone away since she saw Cota and was the most awake out of all of them, this includes Trinidy, who had been flying around everywhere. Oweiry seemed to be practicing his glare on a poor little butterfly, Lisa was tapping her wand nervously in her hand and staring intently at the ceiling, Derek was pacing, adding a pause at the end before he whirled around and started over, Lily went from wringing her hands out to holding James's hand as they discussed names for the baby, Trinidy was feeling sorry for the butterfly and pacing on her chair, Kira looked around, noticing everything for the first time with out all the chaos. She didn't like the smell here and shook her head as she backed away. The quidditch match ended and Lisa walked over to Oweiry, she picked the butterfly up, it seemed paralyzed under his gaze, and moved it out of his sight while giving him 'the look'. The look we have all received by someone as if to say 'you should be ashamed of yourself.' Oweiry glared at her and she turned the corner to get out of his sight. Kira walked over as Oweiry went to glaring at the floor. Derek waited patiently for the floor to burst into flames and wished Cota was there so they could bet on how long it would take. Kira stepped into Oweiry's gaze and Derek made a startled 'ughhh' sound and hoped the little girl didn't burst into flames. Kira stared up at Oweiry. His eyes softened and he slid down the wall. Sitting on the floor he was still taller then her. Kira simply sat down next to him in silence, he seemed to be the one who needed someone right then. Even if only to practice his glare on. However, Oweiry didn't glare at her, he sighed and patted her on the head.
"He'll be alright" Oweiry stated.
Kira smiled, he hadn't given up hope. If Oweiry hadn't then no one had. He was a realist, so if he believed it, it must be true.
"I know" Kira answered.
****** ~3 hours later~
A doctor walks into the room and James's eyes snap to attention. Lily follows suit, Lisa gets out of her chair, Derek turns his head, Oweiry glares at the doctor, giving a look that quite simply stated 'good news or you die' and Kira sat there, hiding behind Oweiry. She didn't like the lab coat the doctor was wearing.
"James, Lily, you can see him now" As for everyone else, he's doing fine, but we can't have anymore then who he's been living with visiting him right now. Come back tomorrow" The doctor stated.
Oweiry started to get up and Kira grabbed his cloak. The doctor disappeared behind the doors again and Kira peeked out from behind her hiding spot...Oweiry.
"I don't appreciate being a human shield," Oweiry stated to Kira, who realized what she was doing and let go. Oweiry stood up and went with Derek and Lisa, to the stalls. James waved Kira over and they all entered the infirmary, and then followed the doctor over to Cota's room. When they entered the room, Cota was lying on a bed and looked half-asleep. He opened his eyes when he heard them and gave a soft smile.
"How are you feeling?" James asked, the concern showing in his voice.
"Me? I'm fine, just a few scratches" Cota lied.
"Really?" 'Cause you look fine," Lily states.
"That's good to hear after having a wall pried off you", Cota laughed.
"Hello" Kira waved, standing on a chair.
"Hey, Kiramaku" Cota greeted, waving back as best he could.
"What happened?" James asked. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to" He adds quickly.
"I gotta make a report latter anyway" Cota shrugs.
"Tell me and I'll write it for you" James states, breaking protocol and not caring one damn bit.
" Deal" Cota smiles.
Cota begins to explain everything that happened that night, wording hr needed details so that Kira wouldn't understand completely, but James would. He explained about how the death eaters had captured him and how You- Know-Who, had tried to make him join. He told how he tripped his captor and fought and how he was almost gonna give up.
"I reached to grab another knife and felt this" Cota explained and held up Kira's toy raccoon. Kira's eyes sparkled with happiness. "And I told him I had something worth living for that he could never have, or make me betray. So when he tried to knock me out I used-"
"The Gijaru spell" James finished, understanding.
Cota nodded. "Yep, and it worked. So he fired another attack and then had to jump back as the walls came a tumblin down", Cota laughed. "I never though I'd say that I was lucky enough to get trapped under a mount of rock and a wall, but her couldn't reach me and they all just left. I guess they were P.O'd-"
"P.O'd" Kira asked Lily, in a whisper.
"Pi-" She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Pretty..."
"Ouched" Cota filled in. "By the walls falling on 'em"
Cota explained how everything went dark and-
*~*~Flash Back*~*~
Cota lay on his back, opening his eyes slightly and seeing that the sun was up. He listened and couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see out of one eye and sighed as the thought of being blind washed over him. Warm, sticky, liquid surrounded him and he couldn't feel his legs. He looked up at the sun again.
'Reinforcements will come at dawn... dawn has passed. I'd been waiting for it all night... and it's passed'
He listened for any sound that would reassure him that the rescue teams were still there, but heard nothing. A small tingling started in his side and slowly grew, he realized that there was a knife in his side, the one Mcnair had stolen from him. Cota sighs heavily and closes his eyes. He as going to die here. The rescue team hadn't found him and he was going to die here. Cota wiped his hand over his blind eyes, feeling something wet on it. He pulls his hand back to reveal blood! Thick, warm blood! Cota quickly wiped more off, panicking and shaky. He cleared his eyelid of the blood and opens his eye. He isn't blind, just scared, alone, hurt...hopeless. Cota feels the raccoon in his pocket. No, not hopeless. He just had to find a way out... Then he heard a sound, a soft scraping sound. The sound went on in a steady pattern. It was joined by another, slightly farther away sound. They sounds became rhythmical in a way that made Cota feel they had been doing for a long time. It seemed, not practiced, but more as if that ever was making the sound had been doing for such a long while, without a break, that it had become a natural movement to it. Scrape, tap, scrape, tap, tap, tap, scrap, slide, scrape, tap, scrape, tap, tap, tap, slide. A thought struck Cota, what if it was the Death Eaters? The scraping could easily be a heavy rock being moved and the tap could be it hitting another rock as it was thrown out of the way! The sliding could be them moving all the rocks out of the way with a spell. That was the procedure wasn't it. Big rocks, little rocks, a spell, then back to searching.... No, the Death Eater's wouldn't put forth that much work. Cota heard the sound stop and then a lot of scraping noises.
"Hey, I see something!" A voice rang out, the voice sounded familiar. Cota listened hard. "It's his sword... and it'd bloody!" Derek's voice called.
"At least he got a few good blows into the demons" Oweiry's cold, shard voice spat. "I'm hoping we find You-Know-Who's head!" His voice came as an evil hiss.
"Oweiry... you're an extremely scary person, do you know that?" Lisa's voice rang like a bell.
Cota breathed a swift sigh of relief and tried to free his hand so he could grab his wand.
"Eew, Derek!" Lisa's voice came.
"What?"
"Put that down!"
"... Why?"
"'CAUSE IT'S A DEATH EATER!!!"
"I don't remember you complaining about healing the horse that we found" Derek stated and Cota heard him push something that landed with a slight groan, onto the grass.
"The horse wasn't trying to kill a friend" Lisa spat and Cota heard her reluctantly start a healing spell. A weak healing spell.
Back to silence again, concentrating on working was their only mindset. Lisa healed the Death Eater so he wouldn't die... right then, and then climbed up onto a wall that was still intact and worked as a survey point. Derek stopped and Cota heard a soft sound come from him. The sound you make when you are praying something isn't what you think it might be, and when you want deeply to be wrong. Then he picked something up and moved it. Cota heard it land... it sounded, not like a rock, but softer. Derek shook himself and went back to work.
Cota let out a sympathetic groan as he realized what had happened. 'He found a limb, a human limb and he's hoping it isn't me' Derek went back to his work and Cota tried desperately to grab his wand, he could feel himself begin to black out again. He went in and out of consciousness many times before he was finally able to send up even the smallest distress signal. It was enough, Cota began loosing conscious. Derek, however, saw the signal and leapt forward, calling Oweiry and Lisa. Oweiry somehow was the first one there and began rapidly pulling rocks away from the small hole Cota had used to send out a signal. Derek joined him and then Lisa, they pulled at the rocks and eventually were able to see Cota.
"Hold on!" Derek shouted and the quickened their pace as best they could.
Cota felt the soft breeze that was relief. He was safe, he would be okay. This horrible night would be nothing but a memory soon. His vision was blurry now and there was a bright light. Cota felt some one grab his arm and another person moved the wall and Lisa stood by to heal Cota, incase the wall was the only reason he wasn't bleeding to death.
"Wingardium Leviosa" Oweiry casted.
Derek pulled Cota out from under the wall, which was levitating a few feet off the ground, and Lisa quickly jumped in with a curing charm. Exhausted they all made their way over to the safety of the hidden path by the hill and collapsed to the ground. They all knew it was okay now, they made it. They'd rest and then go to the academy, everything was okay now.
*~*~*~*~*~End Of Flashback~*~*~*~*~*
"So... that's what happened" Cota ended.
"Dear god" James whispered, so low that no one else heard it.
"Are you okay now?" Kira asked.
"Yes, I'm okay now" Cota smiles, rubbing her head softly.
"Pat is here too!" Kira exclaims. "He's resting in the stall, we cured him and washed him up"
"That's good, poor Patrick. Make sure you tell him I'm alright, will you?" Cota requests.
James nods and Lily smiles, tears still in her eyes.
"Here you are Kira" Cota says, handing her the raccoon.
"No, you hold on to it, okay?" Kira hands it back to him.
"In that case you gotta give it a na-designation" Cota explains.
They had been looking through name books for weeks and it should have been easy to pick a name. Yet Kira's mind was blank, still to clutter by the events of the day.
"How about Mikomi?" Cota asks.
"Mikomi?"
"Yep, it means hope" He smiles.
"Okay then, you hold on to Mikomi" Kira smiles back.
*****
Eve: Okay I have an IMOPRTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!! *being glared at by Gilbert Librarian.*
Sarah: Yeah... I started the chapter on accident as she remembered the announcement.
Eve: FanFiction.net was acting up the last four days...and. *sniff* and.... oh it's too sad.
Sarah: *sniff* we lost all the reviews for those days.
Eve: *crying* they were sooooo nice, I saved em to me computer... if you guys post em again I'll do something nice for you like try and update everyday.
Sarah: That's another thing! We got a flamer yelling that it was pathetic not to have at least as many reviews as you do chapters sooooo
Eve: Could you guys, please, maybe, possibly
Sarah: Review after every chapter... please.
Eve: I beseech you.
Sarah: Okay, enough groveling
Eve" Reviewers *pleading* Review
Sarah: Wow, we have a lot today.
Eve: That's 'cause Mike isn't here *grinning*
Sarah: Well... there are a few flamers...
Eve: Ignore 'em. I'm doing my best. They want me to update everyday, yet still have time to look up all the words, check the spelling, reread the story, write the story, make it a long chapter, And still work on my other story Those Who Defy Their Destiny. Flamers suck; just ignore 'em.
Sarah:... I just typed everything you said.
Eve: !...are we doing the O.C.C now!
Sarah: Yeah, and you know the rule, no stopping or editing ANYTHING out.
Eve: Moving on! I really do like writing the story. I wana be in a story.... I'll have to write me in latter, I'll be a background character. Anyone else wana join me? Sorry, for any spelling errors I'll correct them as soon as I have time. Reviewers Rev-
Sarah: Wait! When is Harry going to-
Eve: Do you mind! I'm trying to make the little starry things appear so I can start the chapter!
Sarah: Yeah, I was a good idea to make the code words for that be Reviewers Review.
************* Chapter 44 Holding on to Hope
James and Lily stare into each other's eyes. They always knew that someday Cota would leave. They just never knew how attached they had grown to him. People urged them to go home and rest, but they stayed. They stayed because of a few reasons. Reason number one was that Cota helped to build that house. His things were there and it would be too hard to face. Home, seemed more like a monster. You get to it and it hurts you. Just the thought of going home unnerved them. The second reason is that Kira refused. She was a child, she refused to give up hope. Even in a hopeless situation. Kira loved the idea of hope. Cota had explained it to her and in her mind, it was beautiful. 'Hope' Cota had said. 'Means shining a light in the darkness and never giving up. It's an action and a thing. In action form, hope is saying 'we'll be fine, we just need to...' or 'everything is fine' or 'it'll be alright' or 'we can make it,' it's always believing that you control your own destiny and are not willing to give up without trying. In thing form, hope is a friendly face in a strange land, a guiding star when you're lost at night, hope is a person too. Did you know that?' Cota had asked. Kira shook her head and stared at him, her expression asked 'who is hope?' Cota just smiled and tapped her on the nose. 'You are, you turned out to be the nicest little girl I know, when everyone else said you'd be mean' Cota smiled his famous smile. In Kira's mind, there was nothing as good as hope. It was a hero, it was a mindset, it was a thing, and it was perfect. It was so real to her that she seemed to hold it in her hands and use it as a candle in a world of darkness.
However, James feared that hope couldn't save his little girl now. This tinny child that wasn't lucky enough to have the mindset that someone her age should have at a time like this. The mindset of a one year old. A child that young wouldn't completely understand any of this and wouldn't remember it. Alas, Kira understood it as best a seven year old could. Someone she loved is dead. How could she handle it? Having something so perfect just ripped out from under her? He kissed Kira on the top of her head. 'Cota' James thought. 'Was nineteen years old. Most witches and wizards can live to be over a hundred. He had his entire life ahead of him and only a blink behind him. Cota was one of those people that appreciated each moment so he wouldn't be looking back on his life and wishing he had just taken the time to appreciate what a great life he had been living. No, Cota knew. James looked back at Lily, she was stroking Kira's hair and looked over at him. Trinidy talked to Kira, just telling her about things like unicorns and phoenixes. Anything beautiful that she could think of. Lily and James soon were called away. They had things to take care of. James had to get work done. He had paperwork stored up from his vacation time, people to meet, jobs to accomplish. Lily needed to send an owl to work and get information on what needed to be done. She never thought she'd be handling her own case, never thought she'd be a client. Lily was good at helping other people, she didn't know how to comfort herself. However, she didn't need to. James was there for her, he was all she needed. They both stood up, trying to figure out who would take Kira.
"I wana stay here" She'd answer. They both looked at each other, silently trying to decide what to do. "This place is supposed to be safe and I wana stay here" Kira interrupted their thoughts.
James sighed and walked into the room, behind the bench. Lily hugged Kira and headed out to find an owl. Kira stayed, not letting go of her hope. She waited half an hour more, her head dropped, and her eyes started to close. Trinidy was also tired and was sitting on the arm of the bench, looking out across the field. Her eyes started to close as she saw something. She didn't know what, but something was out there! Shadows fell over the hill. Trinidy stood up and squinted her eyes in an effort to get a better look. She saw someone's face appear, then another boys face, then a girl's face!
"Kira!" Trinidy chirped. Kira jumped in a paranoid fashion and looked at Trinidy with wide eyes.
Trinidy hopped around and pointed, Kira turned her head and saw them. Slowly they came up the hill, tiredly, uneasily they moved. Kira recognized the riders immediately. Oweiry, Derek, Lisa- Kira stopped and gasped. Her eyes shining in a watery mist that seemed to sparkle like crystals. Her mouth was open in an amazing smile of pure ecstasy. Kira leaped from the bench and ran forward.
"COTA!!!!" She called as she ran.
Cota's blue eyes stared back at her, his face was covered in dirt, he was bleeding badly, and was barely recognizable. However, the eyes made Kira know who it was. The unbelievable blue of his eyes. The shining Sapphires surrounded by snow and a black pearl center. He was being held up by Oweiry and Derek. James bolted from the room upon hearing the name and stood in shocked bliss as he too recognized the shining eyes. Lily came around the corner, dropping the lunch she had been in the process of bringing James and Kira. Derek and Oweiry kneeled, letting Cota rest. He smiled weakly at Kira and opened his arms. She jumped into them and hugged him tightly. Cota didn't care if it hurt, he was too happy to care. He'd been rescued from the dead and was back with everything he had wanted to live for. His friends and family.
"Hey, Kirameku" He whispered to her.
"I never gave up hope, I knew you weren't dead" Kira cried.
"Me? Nah" Cota laughed.
"Almost" Oweiry corrected him.
"Kill joy" Cota said to Oweiry, his voice cracking slightly. He was still smiling.
They were quickly surrounded by people and Cota was carted away to the infirmary. James ran along beside him, grabbing his hand, and giving him a proud smile. Lily followed behind him, being sure to stay out of the way. She was followed by Oweiry, Derek, Lisa, and Kira. Only James was allowed in with Cota though, so the rest went to pacing in the waiting room. Even Trinidy was pacing back and forth on a chair. Lily was wringing her hands out in a nervous fashion. One of the students from the guild of writing, brought them food. They sat and ate in silence. After an few hours of waiting, eating, watching a quidditch match, freaking out, counting dots on the ceiling, and watching another quidditch match, James came out.
"He's gonna be okay. You-Know-Who, didn't use a killing spell on him... Cota's asleep so I don't think we are gonna know what happened anytime soon" James announced to the strange looking group of people. His eyes traveled over to the three students who had rescued Cota.
"Don't look at us! We got no clue how he lived" Derek stated, hands out to his side.
Kira had a happy lil grin on her face that hadn't gone away since she saw Cota and was the most awake out of all of them, this includes Trinidy, who had been flying around everywhere. Oweiry seemed to be practicing his glare on a poor little butterfly, Lisa was tapping her wand nervously in her hand and staring intently at the ceiling, Derek was pacing, adding a pause at the end before he whirled around and started over, Lily went from wringing her hands out to holding James's hand as they discussed names for the baby, Trinidy was feeling sorry for the butterfly and pacing on her chair, Kira looked around, noticing everything for the first time with out all the chaos. She didn't like the smell here and shook her head as she backed away. The quidditch match ended and Lisa walked over to Oweiry, she picked the butterfly up, it seemed paralyzed under his gaze, and moved it out of his sight while giving him 'the look'. The look we have all received by someone as if to say 'you should be ashamed of yourself.' Oweiry glared at her and she turned the corner to get out of his sight. Kira walked over as Oweiry went to glaring at the floor. Derek waited patiently for the floor to burst into flames and wished Cota was there so they could bet on how long it would take. Kira stepped into Oweiry's gaze and Derek made a startled 'ughhh' sound and hoped the little girl didn't burst into flames. Kira stared up at Oweiry. His eyes softened and he slid down the wall. Sitting on the floor he was still taller then her. Kira simply sat down next to him in silence, he seemed to be the one who needed someone right then. Even if only to practice his glare on. However, Oweiry didn't glare at her, he sighed and patted her on the head.
"He'll be alright" Oweiry stated.
Kira smiled, he hadn't given up hope. If Oweiry hadn't then no one had. He was a realist, so if he believed it, it must be true.
"I know" Kira answered.
****** ~3 hours later~
A doctor walks into the room and James's eyes snap to attention. Lily follows suit, Lisa gets out of her chair, Derek turns his head, Oweiry glares at the doctor, giving a look that quite simply stated 'good news or you die' and Kira sat there, hiding behind Oweiry. She didn't like the lab coat the doctor was wearing.
"James, Lily, you can see him now" As for everyone else, he's doing fine, but we can't have anymore then who he's been living with visiting him right now. Come back tomorrow" The doctor stated.
Oweiry started to get up and Kira grabbed his cloak. The doctor disappeared behind the doors again and Kira peeked out from behind her hiding spot...Oweiry.
"I don't appreciate being a human shield," Oweiry stated to Kira, who realized what she was doing and let go. Oweiry stood up and went with Derek and Lisa, to the stalls. James waved Kira over and they all entered the infirmary, and then followed the doctor over to Cota's room. When they entered the room, Cota was lying on a bed and looked half-asleep. He opened his eyes when he heard them and gave a soft smile.
"How are you feeling?" James asked, the concern showing in his voice.
"Me? I'm fine, just a few scratches" Cota lied.
"Really?" 'Cause you look fine," Lily states.
"That's good to hear after having a wall pried off you", Cota laughed.
"Hello" Kira waved, standing on a chair.
"Hey, Kiramaku" Cota greeted, waving back as best he could.
"What happened?" James asked. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to" He adds quickly.
"I gotta make a report latter anyway" Cota shrugs.
"Tell me and I'll write it for you" James states, breaking protocol and not caring one damn bit.
" Deal" Cota smiles.
Cota begins to explain everything that happened that night, wording hr needed details so that Kira wouldn't understand completely, but James would. He explained about how the death eaters had captured him and how You- Know-Who, had tried to make him join. He told how he tripped his captor and fought and how he was almost gonna give up.
"I reached to grab another knife and felt this" Cota explained and held up Kira's toy raccoon. Kira's eyes sparkled with happiness. "And I told him I had something worth living for that he could never have, or make me betray. So when he tried to knock me out I used-"
"The Gijaru spell" James finished, understanding.
Cota nodded. "Yep, and it worked. So he fired another attack and then had to jump back as the walls came a tumblin down", Cota laughed. "I never though I'd say that I was lucky enough to get trapped under a mount of rock and a wall, but her couldn't reach me and they all just left. I guess they were P.O'd-"
"P.O'd" Kira asked Lily, in a whisper.
"Pi-" She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Pretty..."
"Ouched" Cota filled in. "By the walls falling on 'em"
Cota explained how everything went dark and-
*~*~Flash Back*~*~
Cota lay on his back, opening his eyes slightly and seeing that the sun was up. He listened and couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see out of one eye and sighed as the thought of being blind washed over him. Warm, sticky, liquid surrounded him and he couldn't feel his legs. He looked up at the sun again.
'Reinforcements will come at dawn... dawn has passed. I'd been waiting for it all night... and it's passed'
He listened for any sound that would reassure him that the rescue teams were still there, but heard nothing. A small tingling started in his side and slowly grew, he realized that there was a knife in his side, the one Mcnair had stolen from him. Cota sighs heavily and closes his eyes. He as going to die here. The rescue team hadn't found him and he was going to die here. Cota wiped his hand over his blind eyes, feeling something wet on it. He pulls his hand back to reveal blood! Thick, warm blood! Cota quickly wiped more off, panicking and shaky. He cleared his eyelid of the blood and opens his eye. He isn't blind, just scared, alone, hurt...hopeless. Cota feels the raccoon in his pocket. No, not hopeless. He just had to find a way out... Then he heard a sound, a soft scraping sound. The sound went on in a steady pattern. It was joined by another, slightly farther away sound. They sounds became rhythmical in a way that made Cota feel they had been doing for a long time. It seemed, not practiced, but more as if that ever was making the sound had been doing for such a long while, without a break, that it had become a natural movement to it. Scrape, tap, scrape, tap, tap, tap, scrap, slide, scrape, tap, scrape, tap, tap, tap, slide. A thought struck Cota, what if it was the Death Eaters? The scraping could easily be a heavy rock being moved and the tap could be it hitting another rock as it was thrown out of the way! The sliding could be them moving all the rocks out of the way with a spell. That was the procedure wasn't it. Big rocks, little rocks, a spell, then back to searching.... No, the Death Eater's wouldn't put forth that much work. Cota heard the sound stop and then a lot of scraping noises.
"Hey, I see something!" A voice rang out, the voice sounded familiar. Cota listened hard. "It's his sword... and it'd bloody!" Derek's voice called.
"At least he got a few good blows into the demons" Oweiry's cold, shard voice spat. "I'm hoping we find You-Know-Who's head!" His voice came as an evil hiss.
"Oweiry... you're an extremely scary person, do you know that?" Lisa's voice rang like a bell.
Cota breathed a swift sigh of relief and tried to free his hand so he could grab his wand.
"Eew, Derek!" Lisa's voice came.
"What?"
"Put that down!"
"... Why?"
"'CAUSE IT'S A DEATH EATER!!!"
"I don't remember you complaining about healing the horse that we found" Derek stated and Cota heard him push something that landed with a slight groan, onto the grass.
"The horse wasn't trying to kill a friend" Lisa spat and Cota heard her reluctantly start a healing spell. A weak healing spell.
Back to silence again, concentrating on working was their only mindset. Lisa healed the Death Eater so he wouldn't die... right then, and then climbed up onto a wall that was still intact and worked as a survey point. Derek stopped and Cota heard a soft sound come from him. The sound you make when you are praying something isn't what you think it might be, and when you want deeply to be wrong. Then he picked something up and moved it. Cota heard it land... it sounded, not like a rock, but softer. Derek shook himself and went back to work.
Cota let out a sympathetic groan as he realized what had happened. 'He found a limb, a human limb and he's hoping it isn't me' Derek went back to his work and Cota tried desperately to grab his wand, he could feel himself begin to black out again. He went in and out of consciousness many times before he was finally able to send up even the smallest distress signal. It was enough, Cota began loosing conscious. Derek, however, saw the signal and leapt forward, calling Oweiry and Lisa. Oweiry somehow was the first one there and began rapidly pulling rocks away from the small hole Cota had used to send out a signal. Derek joined him and then Lisa, they pulled at the rocks and eventually were able to see Cota.
"Hold on!" Derek shouted and the quickened their pace as best they could.
Cota felt the soft breeze that was relief. He was safe, he would be okay. This horrible night would be nothing but a memory soon. His vision was blurry now and there was a bright light. Cota felt some one grab his arm and another person moved the wall and Lisa stood by to heal Cota, incase the wall was the only reason he wasn't bleeding to death.
"Wingardium Leviosa" Oweiry casted.
Derek pulled Cota out from under the wall, which was levitating a few feet off the ground, and Lisa quickly jumped in with a curing charm. Exhausted they all made their way over to the safety of the hidden path by the hill and collapsed to the ground. They all knew it was okay now, they made it. They'd rest and then go to the academy, everything was okay now.
*~*~*~*~*~End Of Flashback~*~*~*~*~*
"So... that's what happened" Cota ended.
"Dear god" James whispered, so low that no one else heard it.
"Are you okay now?" Kira asked.
"Yes, I'm okay now" Cota smiles, rubbing her head softly.
"Pat is here too!" Kira exclaims. "He's resting in the stall, we cured him and washed him up"
"That's good, poor Patrick. Make sure you tell him I'm alright, will you?" Cota requests.
James nods and Lily smiles, tears still in her eyes.
"Here you are Kira" Cota says, handing her the raccoon.
"No, you hold on to it, okay?" Kira hands it back to him.
"In that case you gotta give it a na-designation" Cota explains.
They had been looking through name books for weeks and it should have been easy to pick a name. Yet Kira's mind was blank, still to clutter by the events of the day.
"How about Mikomi?" Cota asks.
"Mikomi?"
"Yep, it means hope" He smiles.
"Okay then, you hold on to Mikomi" Kira smiles back.
*****
Eve: Okay I have an IMOPRTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!! *being glared at by Gilbert Librarian.*
Sarah: Yeah... I started the chapter on accident as she remembered the announcement.
Eve: FanFiction.net was acting up the last four days...and. *sniff* and.... oh it's too sad.
Sarah: *sniff* we lost all the reviews for those days.
Eve: *crying* they were sooooo nice, I saved em to me computer... if you guys post em again I'll do something nice for you like try and update everyday.
Sarah: That's another thing! We got a flamer yelling that it was pathetic not to have at least as many reviews as you do chapters sooooo
Eve: Could you guys, please, maybe, possibly
Sarah: Review after every chapter... please.
Eve: I beseech you.
Sarah: Okay, enough groveling
Eve" Reviewers *pleading* Review
