The day passed and I was tasked with getting a spare room for Yinshen at the Jade Palace. I barely managed to convince Shifu that if I could find someone to share with her, she could stay. The good news was that by the end of the day, I found the one person willing to give up their room for Yinshen. The bad news? I was that one person.
Given the whole different gender thing, I had to sacrifice my whole bedroom. Still, I felt like maybe I deserved it for, well... breaking her trust. But night fell and everybody went to sleep. I was just going over some of the rules Yinshen should know about so that there's no... dilemma in the morning.
"...And when the gong rings, you need to rush outside of your room and greet Master Shifu. After that, you can get breakfast and head into the training hall".
"Question, do I have to associate with your kung fu friends? They seemed a little distrustful of me still".
"Oh yeah, cause I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that you were rude to nearly each and every single one of them".
"So... no"?
I sighed.
"No. But it would mean a lot to me if you tried. Like how you did with Monkey".
"He just happened to be in the right place at the right time, alright? There was nothing else to it".
"Okay okay, fine. I guess that's the best I'm going to get from you tonight".
"One more question"?
"What"?
"Where are you going to sleep"?
"The only place I can go. The training hall. It'll provide a roof over my head and I'll be able to get up early for training, so yeah".
"You don't have to do this you know".
"And you didn't have to save my life, but you did anyway. Call us even". I didn't say that in a cruel way but so it sounded like I was saying thank you.
"Good night".
"Night Mike".
I decided to take a couple of personal belongings with me. My weapons and the scroll which proved my ranking as master. I travelled inside the unlocked training hall and got comfortable under the spinning logs before falling asleep.
...
"Weak minded. Giving up what's yours for a thief"!
"Pathetic".
"Spineless".
"Maybe you would have been better off dead by Fennu's hand"!
"YOU ARE NOTHING"!
...
"AAHH"!
I screamed. God damn nightmares again. They've been getting steadily worse but, it's starting to get to me. I don't know how much more of it I can-
"Hello"?
I heard a voice from above and climbed up, popping my head through two of the spinning logs like a gopher from a hole. Viper was right there at the front entrance holding what looked like a blanket.
"Oh, Hi Viper".
"Is everything okay? I thought I heard you screaming".
"Yeah, ten seconds ago. Not to be rude but, why are you here"?
"I had the feeling you might have forgotten a cover to keep you warm. It can be cold in here at night".
She slithered over and I took the blanket.
"Thanks".
"So... if you don't mind me asking, why were you screaming"?
"Nightmare".
I slithered back underneath the logs, hoping to drop the subject. However, Viper followed me down and pressed on.
"Do you want to talk about it"?
"No".
"It might make you feel better".
"Viper, no".
"Mike. Tell me. Whatever it is, I can see that it's bothering you. Please".
As much as I loved Viper, I hated how persistent she could be sometimes. I sighed knowing I'd have to tell her lest I wanted her to keep pressing on, doing favors for neither of us.
"Fine". I muttered angrily as Viper sat next to me, coiled up.
"I... keep dreaming of these voices. They... keep telling me how much of a failure I am".
"Mike, I know you may think that it's harsh to hear these sort of critisisms, but"-
"It's not that that bothers me. It's who the voices belong to that get to me".
"Who"-
"My family". I uttered quickly before Viper could ask. "They keep saying how pathetic I am and how I should have died back at Fennu's fortress".
I sighed.
"Surely you don't believe that, do you"? Viper asked, her voice a worried tone.
"The truth is, I can't help but think... they might be right about me being a failure".
Perhaps I should have shut my mouth as I got slapped round the face for saying what I said. In hindsight, I should have seen it coming.
"Don't you dare say that"! Viper near yelled, nearly scaring me more than the damn dream itself. "You're not a failure! You"-
"Viper, think about it". I quickly interrupted before she could yell at me anymore.
"I created an evil version of myself the first day I arrived here, I tried to leave the Jade palace, I got captured by Fennu's forces twice and I've given my room to someone that everybody seems to be against. If that's not a failure, I don't know what is".
"None of it was your fault! You're not thinking straight"!
"Oh, do you think that because you love me? Or because you're saying what any stranger would think"?
"Mike, that's not"-
"Viper, I'm a human! Okay? At least I'm supposed to be! Human's don't exist here, I should have been back where I belong, on my earth. I should have accepted my death! I should have... I should have picked to spend eternity in limbo".
Viper stopped her yelling as she paused at what I said. Besides, I doubted she would ever know what it would be like to be taken from your parents. Especially when the last time you see them, they were upset. Not the last thing you would want to remember before dying and becoming something you're not.
"Just... I... just go. Please". I near begged as I turned from Viper, nearly wanting to cry but refused to do so in front of her.
I closed my eyes tightly, unable to rid myself of the headache that followed. But that wasn't the only thing I could feel.
In seconds, I felt Vipers tail holding mine tightly. I tried to pull it from her grip but she refused to let go.
"Why must you do this"? I hissed. "Must you try and help me with my problems when you only make things worse"?
I angrily turned to her and raised my head in the air. My voice raising as I did.
"Can't you accept that I don't want help? That I am able to make my own choices!? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE WHEN I ASK YOU TO"?! I finally yelled in fury, breathing loudly, unable to keep my composure any more.
How had I gone from telling her I love her in the morning to yelling at her at night on the same day? Those nightmares must really be getting to me more than I thought.
All the while, Viper showed no emotion and raised herself so that her head was level with mine.
"Isn't it obvious? Just because you're the only human in this world doesn't mean you're alone. Maybe it's time to accept that. You know why? Because I'll be here to help you along the way. That's why I won't leave. Because you're too stubborn to accept when you need help".
I said nothing and stared Viper in the eyes before turning back away from her and resting my head on the floor. She was right. Everytime something to do with my past turned up, I always tried to forget about it instead of accepting it. It's happened too many times. But... it's just too damned hard to do so!
"I'm sorry". I muttered loud enough for her to hear. "I... should have thought it through like you said. You must hate me for screaming at you like that".
"I should".
I kept silent and squirmed slightly as her words cut through me like a knife.
"But I won't".
I didn't know what to feel as Viper coiled herself around me, into a full body hug. Her head resting on mine.
"Viper... please. Leave me. I don't deserve your kindness".
"It's for that reason I know you do".
As her head snuggled into mine, I cried. My mind felt like it was about to overload with pain and anger but was balanced out by Vipers compassion. I stayed like this for maybe five or ten minutes until I finally calmed down. My headache hadn't gone away but it certainly improved now that I was no longer compressing my thoughts and emotions into the back of my head.
"Viper"?
"Yes Mike"?
"Thank you".
She slid herself down my body only a little bit so I could move and turn my head. I forgot my anger and smiled to show that I really was feeling better. Then, quickly after, I did something bold even for myself.
I went ahead and kissed Viper on the lips, but instead of it lasting for a few seconds, like all the other ones, I went ahead and made it last longer. My chest was pressed up against hers and we just... made out. That was as far as it went but still, it was enjoyable. We laid down on the dirt and kissed, even used a bit of tongue.
I took a moment to break and looked Viper in the eyes who smiled back happily.
"I love you Vipes". I said happily.
"I love you too". She repeated just before I began to kiss her again, holding her tail as I pushed my tongue into her mouth. Every now and then, we would just take a moment to snuggle into each others necks. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing but I just did what my instincts told me to do. Just enjoy myself. I just hoped that Mantis wouldn't have found out about this otherwise he would have never let me hear the end of it.
Eventually, we settled down and just laid back onto the ground, still coiled around each other and fell asleep. For once, in a long time. I could sleep without worry.
...
Yep. That just happened.
Anyway, I won't be around tomorrow to post this thanks to a very very late college reminder about going on a college trip so I thought I might as well do it now. Don't worry, this won't count towards the five chapters for five days so I'm not skipping tomorrow out. Just think of it as a bonus chapter of sorts. The next one will be posted sometime around midnight tomorrow which I thought might be too long a wait. Hope you don't mind.
Oh and btw, I suppose now would be a good time to point out that there won't, to the pleasure or displeasure of some viewers, be any sex scenes or anything like that. I am not that kind of writer ^^
You're free to come out of hiding kiddies!
Cheerio!