Ruriko shivered against the chill that circled her like a blanket. Her head ached, throbbing as if someone had taken a baseball bat to her, and she had a foul taste in her mouth. Her body shivered as it came to life in response in the sudden conscious activity of her mind and she felt a rush of cold even worse then the initial chill. Her hearing and sense of smell came alive and the whistle of wind filled her ears, fierce and violent. She opened her eyes, slowly, and a moving whiteness filled her vision. A gasp slipped from her and she pushed up away from the snow, instantly wrapped arms around her bare arms.
Wait. ….Snow? It wasn't snowing in Japan!
She glanced around frantically. As far as she could see there was a stretch of white, dotted only periodically with tree or bush. The ground seemed to discretely slope downward infront of her, however to the back it fell away into a steep fall. Ruriko edged back, just enough that she could crane her head to see down below. A silver mist hung over the edge, shifting and moving with what seemed to be hundreds of dark colors so that shouldn't pertain just how far down the drop went. Her heart got stuck in her throat and she edged away again as a shiver rippled through her.
Where was she? How had she gotten there?
Questions floated through her head, confused thoughts interrupted by a groan from nearby. She lifted her head in surprised and turned. If not for the sound she would not have noticed him, pale complexion and even paler hair combined with a strange white attire blending in so well with the background. Ruri crawled towards him, reaching out hand and resting fingertips on the boys shoulder and shook him gently.
"Mannen! Mannen, wake up!"
His face contorted for a moment and then his eyes opened, sapphire gaze fixing upon her groggily. His lips formed her name silently and then all at once he seemed to become aware of their surroundings and sat up, bolt upright.
"Ruriko!" Her name came out in an exclamation of surprise and he turned her head to look around. "Where…we can't be!"
"M-m-mannen." Her voice came out in an abbreviated stutter, teeth chattering from the cold. "Do you k-k-know where w-w-we are?"
His eyes lifted to her and then narrowed in an expression of dedicated worry. She recognized that expression. It was the one he got when he was playing sports at school and determined not to loose. It was the one he got when he had strived to convince her she was some being called the Pretear, two days ago. He lifted his hands, unbuttoning the top of his strange attire, sliding the jacket from his shoulders and reached out to place it around hers. Ruri blushed, hiding it by pulling the garment closer against her before her eyes lit in surprise at the warmth that radiated from the soft material.
"I think…but that's impossible." He murmured softly.
Ruri huffed in annoyance. "Mannen, talk to me, not to yourself! Where are we?"
"I think we're in Leafeania."
"Leafeania?" She frowned to herself, thinking back on what he'd told her about the realm. "But I thought you said it was really green and beautiful."
"Well yea, most of it is. That's what's even weirder. We're on Mt. Solstice, but…." He pushed to his feet, standing and Ruri rose with him. "But I was trying to transport us to Himeno's house. How could we have gotten here?"
"I don't know." The chill of the snow had begun to penetrate even the jacket's warmth. "But can you get us back home? I'm cold. We can try and figure it out then."
Mannen looked over at her, frowned then nodded. He held a hand out to her and she took it. However there was no brilliant light that rose up around him as there had been the first time. Nor did anything happen. He frowned with both worry and annoyance then squeezed his eyes shut. But still nothing happened.
"Mannen…" she said when he didn't say anything. "Mannen, is something wrong?"
"I can't…I don't know what's going on, Ruriko. Hold on." He released her hand abruptly and for a moment she felt hurt at the casual way he could dismiss their joined hands, but forced it away quickly enough. What stupid feelings. Mannen throw out an arm, hand extended towards one of the snow-coated trees, but still nothing happened. After a few long moments his hand went limp, lowing slowly. "Ruriko my…my powers won't work."
"Ruriko my…my powers won't work."
He hadn't known such a feeling of choked worry since the Great Tree of Fenril had almost destroyed the city. He'd stranded them there; he'd stranded Ruriko in the middle of nowhere. And it was all because he wanted to show off. That he'd found the Pretear first this time. That he'd be the one she favored. He remembered….
> > > > > > > > > > Flashback> > > > > > > > > > > >
"Hey. What are you doing?"
Mannen looked up at the face that loomed over him, a girl. She looked around his own age, about 15 years old. She wore an amused smile, dark green eyes lit with amusement. She was dressed in a school uniform identical to the one Himeno had worn a few years ago and had her dark violet tresses pulled back into a ponytail that reached the back of her knees. In either hand she held a pair of chocolate ice cream cones. Mannen blushed and glanced away.
"Just sittin here." Scuffing the heel of his sneaker against the sidewalk.
The girl scoffed and sat down next to him on the bench outside the grocery store "I saw you get yelled at. Was that your elder brother or something?" She held out one of the cones.
Mannen felt pricked with embarrassment and annoyance that she had witnessed the scene with Goh but the emotions were stifled with delight over the free ice-cream cone and joy that the pretty girl was sitting next to him. He shrugged casually, doing his best to seem cool despite it all.
"Something like that. And he wasn't yelling at me. We were yelling at each other."
"Don't be embarrassed. My big brother yells at me all the time." She laughed and held out a hand. "My name Kanahara Ruriko. I go to the high school here."
He grinned. "My name's Mannen." Reaching out to grasp her hand.
The instant their palm's touched there was a burst of light and they were both flung back, off the bench. Mannen pushed up from the ground with one hand, rubbing the back of his head. 'Man that-wait!' He looked over at the girl who had just sat up herself, looking confused. Was she…was she the Pretear.
"What was that? Did the streetlight pop or…. something?" She asked quietly.
She had to be. That was the only explanation for the reaction that occurred when he touched her hand. The bell over the door of the store chimed as Goh stepped out of it and looked towards him then frowned.
"Mannen, what's going on? Oh." He looked down at Ruriko. "Are you alright?"
She nodded and rose. "I'm fine. I think-" what ever she might have said was cut off when the watch on her wrist beeped. She gasped in alarm. "I have to go. I'm gonna be late." She turned to dash away but paused, lifting a hand to wave at him cheerfully. "I'll look for you at school tomorrow, Mannen." The disappeared around the corner.
"What was that about?" Goh questioned.
But Mannen hadn't answered. Instead he had demanded to be enrolled in school that same day so that he could watch over and get close to Ruriko. So that he could be the one to present the new Pretear to everyone, already trained and knowing of her position.
> > > > > > > > > > End Flashback> > > > > > > > > > > >
But everything had gone wrong and instead…instead he'd gotten them stranded in the unknown part of Leafeania and lost his powers. If only he could figure out what had happened. And Ruriko…Ruriko would never forgive him. The cold suddenly dropped a degree and he felt a weight against his arm. He turned his head to see Ruriko leaned against him, eyes turned towards the blurred distance.
"You were shivering." She said by way of explanation then looked up at him. "What do we do now, Mannen?"
He wasn't sure what to say. After he'd gotten them into it…into this mess. Still she trusted him? Had faith that he would find a way out? His resolve strengthened and his head bobbed in a small nod of reassurance.
"We'll have to climb down the mountain. Once we get to Leafeania we can find someone to help us."
She nodded. "Alright then." Shaking snow from her long hair with a hand, opposite hand holding his jacket around her.
"Ruriko." She lifted eyes to him. "I'm really sorry. About getting us stranded here."
She grinned, the optimist smile that she usually wore. "It's alright, Mannen. We're best friends right? I know you didn't mean to." She laughed. "Besides, I was complaining that I never got to see you because of your baseball practices. Guess I got my wish."
"Ruriko."
I'll protect you. And whatever it takes I'll get us out of here. And worry about all the trouble I'm going to be in later.
"You're laggin behind Mannen! Get a move on!"
He jumped in surprise to see Ruriko had left him, already walking down the gentle sloping mountainside. He choked and rushed to catch up with her.
"You can't just go off by yourself!"
"Well move faster ice head!"
"Ice head?"