Chapter 6
"Jr.! What do you think will happen if they catch us again?" MOMO asked while still being dragged behind Jr.
"I…I don't really know! All I know is that I want to get out of this place!" MOMO nodded in agreement. She suddenly ran into Jr.'s back. She shook her head and looked at why he had stopped. A giant river was in their way and had no where to go.
"What are we going to do now!" MOMO panicked. Jr. immediately started to search for another route, not finding one. As they stood there trying to figure a way out, the Nanman got closer. With each passing second, the shouting and Zhu Rong's voice got louder.
"MOMO! Get behind me…I'll protect you, I promise." MOMO did as Jr. said and stood behind him.
"There you little rascals are! It's about time I settled things with you!" Zhu Rong shouted as she protruded from a path. Meng Huo stood by her, waiting for whatever she wanted him to do.
"Just try me!" Jr. exclaimed as he pushed MOMO into the river.
"cough, cough Jr.! What did you do that for!" MOMO said as she flowed down the river, trying to keep herself above. He didn't respond, which got on her nerves. "JR.!" She cried. Then she fell beneath the water again, flailing her arms, still trying to keep above. Jr. still didn't respond.
"Don't think that's going to save you! I am the descendant of the goddess of fire! Feel my wrath!" Zhu Rong said as she leaped into the air and hurled a fireball down in Jr.'s direction. Just before it hit him, Jr. leapt into the river, swimming to go faster down with the current so that he could meet up with MOMO. "Don't think you'll get away! MEN! Follow him!" Zhu Rong ordered. Some of the Nanman troops followed the edge of the river, along side of Jr.
MOMO had finally caught an edge of the riverbank and climbed up on to it. She was soaking wet, panting and now she was alone. "Why…why did you do that Jr.?" She asked herself. She felt tears start threatening to fall. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up and the tears wore away. "Jr.!"
"Hi! Now that we're together again, let's retry that keychain." Jr. suggested. MOMO jumped up and absentmindedly hugged him as tight as she could. Jr. blushed as well as MOMO. When she finally let go, she looked down and away.
"Uh…oh right! Here's the keychain." MOMO immediately changed subjects. She held out the keychain to Jr., who was still slightly blushing from the rushed hug he had received.
"Sure. All right, here it goes." Jr. took the keychain and pushed the small button…and nothing happened. Jr. sighed and then gave it back to MOMO. He turned to face the forest once more. "I…guess we'll be here for a while…" MOMO sighed, but then thought something unusual. 'His voice…is so different than what it used to be…I wonder what's wrong.' She hesitated before asking him this question.
"What's wrong?" Jr. didn't respond. "Jr.? What's wrong?" She repeated. This time only a sigh came from the gunslinger.
"Nothings wrong…just a bit frustrated right now, that's all." She walked up to be side to side with him and looked at him. She then placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
"You can tell me. Are you sure…that's all?"
"No…it's not all. I'm…trying to control myself…but I'll be all right. Don't worry…"
"That's all you say, 'don't worry'! Right now, I am worried. I can be worried if I want to…because…well, you're the only one I have to worry about right now." MOMO explained. Jr. looked up at her and suddenly MOMO backed off for a second.
"Listen, I…I just need some time to myself. I'm trying not to hurt you or scare you anymore…because right now I'm on my last nerve. That damned Professor should have made the damn keychain waterproof. I mean, what the hell was he thinking? Why didn't he try the damn machine out himself? Why did he even get us involved! …I'm sorry, just leave me alone for a while, okay?"
"But…"
"No! Just let me be!" Jr. yelled, scaring MOMO. She watched him walk off by himself into the woods, but soon followed, trying to stay a safe distance behind. She watched him as he kicked random things, including a tree that made him regret kicking it. After hopping around a few seconds, the flustered redhead began walking again, having MOMO following from the distance she thought was safe.
Not even a half an hour later, Jr. kicked another tree, this time just rubbing his foot. He got mad at the tree and then punched it, seeming as if he didn't feel any pain. He dragged his fingernails painfully against the bark as he laid his head against the tree, still trying to stop his pain. MOMO grew even more worried, but decided to sit up against another tree opposite the one he was at. She watched quietly as he slowly slid down the tree and sat down, still facing the tree and leaning his head and having his hand scratching at it. Amazingly, MOMO saw pieces of bark missing from where he ripped down the pieces out of frustration.
MOMO eventually stopped watching Jr. torturing himself and began to look at the forest that they had 'lived' in for so long. She closed her eyes to try and remember what it was like back with the others on the Elsa, the Kukai Foundation and the Durandal. 'I really do miss everyone…I also miss…the Jr. I used to know, not the one who is like this…so frustrated. He…scares me as he is now…If we could get out of here then…he would be back to normal, right?' She took the keychain out once more and fidgeted with the broken button.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a small noise come from where Jr. was situated. She looked up to see his shoulder slightly shaking as if he were…crying?
MOMO decided that maybe she could talk to him again. "Jr., is everything okay over there? Are you…"
"No! I'm not crying!sniff just being…frustrated! I hic never cry!" He interrupted in a sobbing voice. MOMO got up and walked over to him, kneeling down beside him. He must have noticed her when she came by him because he turned his head away, making sure that she couldn't see his tear stained face.
"Jr., its okay to cry. It's one way of getting rid of stressing situations…even boys cry once in a while." She reassured, trying to persuade him to look at her. He didn't say anything, making her sigh. She decided to sit down and put her hand on his shoulder, trying her best to comfort him. 'I only wish I could help him more…to repay him for what he's done for me.'
'Dammit! Why am I crying! And in front of MOMO? What the hell is wrong with me?' Jr. thought as he tried calming himself down to where he could talk to MOMO.
"I…I'm sorry hic for…yelling at you." He apologized, still crying a little bit. MOMO inched herself closer to the boy, putting her arm around him and comforting him with her other hand. He turned to her with bloodshot eyes and moved into her embrace. He leaned his face into her shoulder and started crying harder than he ever remembered.
"It's okay…let it all out. I'll be there for you like you were for me." She comforted. A few seconds later, it coincidentally began raining a downpour.
It was nighttime and the two decided that they would stay there to camp for the night. The rain stayed the whole time, drenching everything around the area. MOMO was asleep against the tree while Jr. was lying in her arms fast asleep.
By morning, the rain had gone and the sun was shining brightly. Birds chirped harmoniously as MOMO and Jr. still slept peacefully. MOMO was the first to wake up to the newly transformed place around them. It was a beautiful day, better than the few previous days of outcast skies. She continued to slump against the tree holding Jr. as he slept heavily. 'He probably exhausted himself last night with that crying session…well, now I'm not the only one to snap under the pressure. I hope he's okay…'
MOMO watched Jr. for the few minutes he remained asleep. He eventually woke up, not noticing he was in her arms.
"Are you awake, Jr.?" She asked lightly. He gave a half-hearted grunt as he drowsily nodded. "So…how do you feel?" She interrogated. Jr. thought about this question for a minute.
"I'm…a little better. I'm really sorry for my behavior…heh; I guess pressure really does catch up to you later on huh?" MOMO nodded in agreement. Jr. looked down to see MOMO's arms wrapped around him. He felt heat rise to his cheeks at the sight. "Uh…can you let me go now?" MOMO had forgotten that her arms were around him and immediately removed then. She blushed and watched as Jr. got up and stretched.
"I-I'm sorry!" She stuttered.
"Nah, it's all right. Thanks…for comforting me like that last night. I guess…crying really reduces pressure, like you said." He replied. She stood up with him and walked up to his side.
"It's what friends do." She smiled a sweet smile that lit up her face in the sun. He smiled back and they began walking to no where again.
"Do you think we'll ever get back?" MOMO questioned as she put her hands behind her. Jr. shrugged, making MOMO sigh.
"Do you?" Jr. questioned back. MOMO stopped walking and thought about it for a minute.
"Maybe…I…really don't know…but we shouldn't give up hope…should we?" Jr. stopped walking and turned to her. He shrugged again.
MOMO suddenly found a bright blue butterfly fly right by her nose, surprising her. She watched as it raced towards Jr. and landed on his shoulder. She giggled as Jr. gave it a menacing glare.
"Why would you want to land on my shoulder? Don't you have anywhere else to go?" He asked it. The butterfly only flapped its wings slowly, not moving a bit. "Wow, I never knew butterflies were so fearless…" MOMO giggled again and Jr. sighed. He eventually shooed the butterfly away, making it travel into the woods.
"Where should we go? We…really don't have a specific place to go do we?" MOMO asked.
"Well, we could try and find that field of flowers again if you wanted."
"But you have allergies."
"Nah, that doesn't matter." MOMO began walking again with Jr. following her.
"Well…I guess, if it doesn't matter…" Jr. nodded his head, letting her know that it wouldn't really bother him that much. She gave a bright smile and they began their search for the field of wondrous amounts of flowers.
Well, I hoped you liked it! You know...I forgot to tell you guys in the beggining...that Jr.'s in his episode III outfit while MOMO is in her episode I outfit...yeah, kinda strange but oh well. TTYL!