Alatáriël: eyes are transfixed on the tv
Kate: taps Alatáriël on the shoulder Ahem...
Alatáriël: ignores her DIE LYNX! DIE! MWA HA HA!
Kate:.... grabs controller from Alatáriël's hand AHEM!
Alatáriël: turns to look at Kate... if looks could kill... HISS! Hey! I was winning!
Kate:... No, Alatáriël. I have been ignored long enough... It was bad enough I had to send dreams of the next chapter to get you even THINKING of this again, but you have an obligation to you're reviews... and you made a promise to one... You're time limit is 5 days.
Alatáriël: eyes widen Oh my good Suzaku! You're right!!! throws down controller and picks up phone. Dials 1-800-MONK-Y-LISHIOUS CHICHIRI! Get down here ASAP!
Kate: stares at the phone number.... Right... Anyway... Alatáriël has never, will never, and can only dream about owning Chichiri, Tasuki, Nuriko, or any of the other great males (or females) of FY. They belong to rich people that have fancy cars... Not a teenager living in the middle of no- where wondering about things like... How many rubber bands can you get around a Styrofoam cup before it brakes... or any of the other things worth thinking about in life...
Chapter 18: A whole new light.
Kate woke up to the feeling of, or rather the absence of, the jeep turning off. She mumbled groggily to herself and rubbed her eyes after pealing her forehead off of the window it had been resting on.
"Have a good nap?", Josh asked. Kate yawned in reply. Chichiri just smiled slightly as he picked up Suzaku and walked over to them. "So, what trail do we take?", Josh asked no one.
"This one", Kate said as she pointed to a sign that said Hen Hollow Falls: 3.4 miles, Barn 2:1 miles. Josh nodded and headed out ahead of them. After he was out of ear shot Kate spoke up.
"Why do you think Suzaku showed up?", she asked Chichiri. Said Monk shrugged in reply. "Not sure, no da. Maybe he wanted to check up on us?", He asked. Kate rolled her eyes, "Do we look like 3 year olds to you, or something?". Chichiri just grinned before going chibi and jumping into her arms, Suzaku still in his arms. "Carry me, no da!", he said in a high pitched voice. Kate raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
'Hard to believe he's 24', she thought as the chibi felt her eyes on him and looked up at her with child-like admiration, which Kate knew was just a ploy to get her annoyed. "Can I help you?", Kate asked, faking annoyance. Chibi Chichiri just smiled, "Nope, no da! I think i'm set... Think there is anywhere good to fish around here?".
Kate laughed, "You never know... There are a lot of rivers around here, so i'm sure there has to be some somewhere, right?". Chichiri nodded happily and proceeded to look around at his surroundings happily. Kate mentally sighed, 'Looks like he's staying put... Damn he's heavy!'.
It was a fairly nice early spring day. It was warm, but not too warm. The birds were chirping softly from the trees and everything seemed to be beginning to bloom. Lots of little purple flowers were off of the path and surprisingly enough some small dots of shadow shill had a little snow in them. Kate sighed slightly. She had missed most of winter... heck! She missed Christmas and New Years, too!
She was brought out of her thoughts by the small monk in her arms taking in a sudden breath. She stopped to look at him then looked ahead to where he was looking, eyes wide. Two deer stood near by. Apparently they hadn't been noticed yet. The pair was eating grass. It seemed like time froze when they both looked their way and suddenly bolted.
"Wow", Kate breathed. "What were THOSE?!", Chibi Chichiri asked, jumping out of her arms and running around in circles. "Deer. They are really beautiful, no?", she said, still in awe of what just happened. "They were huge, no da! Like horses!... Can you ride them?", Chichiri asked.
Kate laughed, "Well, you can try... but I don't guarantee success. People up north put there cousins, reindeer, on slays, however". Chichiri beamed, "Think we'll see anymore, no da!?". Kate shrugged, "We'll only find out if we keep going... Too bad Josh missed it... I wonder where he went off to?".
"Maybe he's up ahead! Let's go, no da!", Chichiri said and with a poof of smoke was normal sized again. He had his head tilted slightly and his staff resting on his shoulder. He looked like he was posing, which caused Kate to grin.
Kate adjusted Suzaku, whom Chichiri had left when he was busy running in circles, in her arms. The bird stirred slightly, but stayed asleep. Kate smiled up at Chichiri, "Let us be off!". As they walked the path got narrower and steeper. The birds chirping got less and less and clouds lined the horizon.
"Ah... I hope it doesn't rain", Kate said to no one in particular. "When it rains is the best time to fish, no da!", Chichiri said with a grin. Kate rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but it's a bad time to be hiking".
Soon the two hikers came to a fork in the trail. (AN: grins) "Oh no... I wonder which way Josh went! Arg! Damn him! Why couldn't he just stick with us?... Or at least leave us the car keys", Kate said the last part with an evil smile. "Don't worry, Kate-chan. I'm sure he's fine, no da.", Chichiri said, ever the carefree monk.
Kate's eyebrows knitted together in worry, "I hope so... Well, let's continue to the falls. The other trail leads to the barn. If he went that way he'll catch up, right?". Chichiri nodded, "And if he went this way we'll meet up at the end, no da".
And so they went to the right, which the sign indicated was the way to the falls. An hour and three squirrels later they had reached the falls. It was cold up there, but very nice. A small pool formed at the bottom. Kate walked over to the river flowing from it and scooped up some water and washed her face.
Chichiri meanwhile was sitting down on a very large rock by the pool under the falls. With a fluent motion that could only be mastered with lost of practice, he pulled his fishing pole out of his hat and cast his line. Kate sweatdroped.
Looking around at the place Kate noticed they were alone for the time being. In the summer this would have been impossible, for that's when the tourist (with their colorful shirts, sun hats, and huge expensive cameras) like to go into the mountains. Loads of people were here in the summer, but right now no one else was here. Kate realized they hadn't met anyone on the trail either... Now that was strange.
With the realization that no one else was here Kate felt slightly panicked, 'Where's Josh?'. She would have expressed her concern to Chichiri, but he seemed to be preoccupied. Therefore, she just pulled herself up into a low hanging branch of a nearby tree and watched the water. Soon she was daydreaming and forgot about the world around her... and didn't notice the grey clouds fast approaching.
Chichiri, however, who was sitting by the river noticed a strange feel in the air. He looked up curiously. "Kate-chan?", he asked as he looked at the sky. Kate jumped, having forgot he was there momentarily as she was off in her own little world. "Y-yes?", she asked.
"It looks like it might rain, no da", Chichiri said. Kate looked up and paled slightly. Those were serious rain clouds. "Oh no...", was all she said. She knew for a fact it was very dangerous to be out hiking when rain that serious was coming down. "We better hurry and leave... This place will be flooded soon", Kate said, slightly panicked.
Chichiri nodded, and with a poof the fishing pole was gone. 'Damn it, Josh! Where are you?', Kate thought worriedly before they hurried down the path. Within five minutes it was raining lightly.
"I hope this is all it does...", Kate commented as she caught a few rain drops in her out stretched hand. "From the looks of those clouds i'd say it would be nothing short of a miracle if it stays like this, no da", Chichiri said. Kate laughed in reply, "Indeed".
The continued down the trail at a hurried pace. In the end it did them little good when it began to down pour. Visibility was poor and the temperature had dropped conciderably. "This doesn't look good, no da!", Chichiri shouted. The sun was beginning to set. They could tell due to the clouds seemed to be getting darker.
Kate didn't reply. She was trying her best to keep poor Suzaku wet. Normally she wouldn't care if the stupid turkey caught hypothermia, but she didn't want a God dying on her hands. Hell no. That was a big no no.
"Why won't he wake up!", Kate yelled back in frustration. Chichiri walked up to her and took the bird God from her hands. "I don't know, but we have to get out of this rain soon or we'll never wake up again too!", Chichiri said.
Kate felt a lump form in her stomach at those words. Soon they passed a small creek that was gushing water out like a broken pipe. "I think the path to the barn is just up ahead! We just need to get across this creek!", Kate yelled over the sounds of the wind and heavy falling water. Chichiri nodded and held out his staff to her. "I'll go first. Hold onto this tightly so if either of us slip we can catch the other ok?", he instructed.
"What of Suzaku?", Kate asked. "Don't worry. I got him", Chichiri said and without further adieu he jumped threw the creek and struggled to the other side. He made it there safely. "On the count of three i'll pull the staff in. You jump, ok?", he called.
"Ok!", Kate said. She couldn't see right at the moment. Due to the rain she had to take off her glasses, but she could hear the water and it didn't sound friendly. "One.... Two... Three!", they both shouted at the same time. With a strong jerk she was barely aware she had been threw it other than the sudden blast of freezing water. The next thing she knew she was leaning against Chichiri. He helped her stand up right again, "You ok?" Kate nodded in reply.
They continued on till they reached the sign. "How far is the barn, no da?", Chichiri asked. Kate squinted at the sign. "A few yards... I'm not sure how far that is...", She answered. Luckily enough, it wasn't far at all. They reached it within a few minutes.
The old well in front of the barn was overflowing, but the barn itself was dry. It was still used for meeting and group functions, Kate found out after reading a sign on the wall that was above two bunk beds that looked very uncomfortable.
Kate shivered slightly. Her hair was soaking wet, as was the rest of her. She knew they had to get warn fast or risk getting sick. She was looking around for firewood when she saw the latter. Curious, she walked over to it and looked up. There was a little door on top of the roof that was locked.
"Chichiri?", She asked the monk. "Yes, no da?", he asked. "Can you undo locks with you're magic?", she asked. Chichiri walked over to where she was and looked up. "No problem, no da!", he said and lifted his staff up. As soon as the staff came in contact with the lock it opened.
Kate smiled her gratitude them climbed up. The barn didn't have power... or a phone, but Chichiri was able to give her some light with his staff. She looked around. The place looked like it hadn't been opened in a while. There was enough dust to make a small army of dust bunnies. Kate smiled when she saw the logs. She quickly grabbed them and lowered them down to Chichiri. She was also lucky enough to find some matches, with proved to be useless when Chichiri started a blazing fire with his staff.
"I-I hope Josh is all right", Kate said threw chattering teeth as she tried to arm her hands up on the fire. Chichiri nodded solemnly and laid Suzaku next to the fire after removing the soaking blanket that had been surrounding him. His kesa and kasa were drying on the rafters above them.
"Brrrr! It was n-nice and wa-arm this morning! What ha-apened?", Kate grumbled as she pried herself away from the fire and back into the "attic". After some near fatal attempts with moving a boar trap she located five blankets and even some canned beans! Looked like the park rangers might have gotten trapped here a few times.
"H-hey! I found some food and blankets! They're a l-little dusty, but they s-should be fine", Kate said threw chattering teeth and handed him three of the five blankets and the can of beans. "I'm going t-t-t-to go see if I can find a pan or something to cook these in", Kate said and got up again to go see.
"No need, no da!", Chichiri said and with a poof of smoke one appeared. Kate rose a chilly eyebrow. "...Well, you know... I'm a drifter... Gotta cook my own food, no da", Chichiri said. Kate laughed slightly.
Soon the beans were cooking, and they decided it would be best to get out of the wet clothes for fear of catching a cold and possibly dying. With their backs turned to each other they undressed and used one of the extra blankets as clothing for the time being.
Strangely enough it almost seemed colder taking the clothes off than keeping them on, Kate noticed... but at least her teeth stopped chattering. After a small mental war Kate decided to keep on her shirt and only remove her pants due to the fact that her pants were the only thing that normally took a long time to dry. Not to mention she was self-cautious by nature.
With a quick jump she left her pants hanging from the rafters near the fire. "It really doesn't look like anyone has been here for a while...", Kate commented. She wanted to keep up conversation so things didn't seem weird despite the fact they were. "No, but it seems like it's in good condition, no da... Can I turn around now?", Chichiri asked. Kate blushed slightly, "Yeah". She made sure her blanket was tightly secured before turning around, herself.
Neither one of the two very cold people could really bring themselves to look the other in the eye at the moment so they just watched the fire. Within minutes the beans were done. Since neither one of them had spoons or bowls they had to wait for it to cool down then eat with their fingers. Within minutes they forgot their embarrassment.
Kate found it hilarious and laughed the whole way threw dinner. Chichiri chucked lightly when a bean slipped from his grasp. It was in no way proper, but it was way fun. After they were done their hands were sticky with the bean paste, and had to rinse their hands in the rain water that was falling from the roof.
"You know what would suck?", Kate asked. Chichiri rose an eyebrow. "If a bear attacked...", Kate said with a sly grin. Chichiri's eyes shot up. He had removes his mask earlier so his face could dry properly. "Bears, no da?", he asked. Kate's grin widened, "Yeah... I saw a boar trap upstairs". (AN: I wonder if they have bears and boars in the Universe of the Four Gods?... Well, here they do. LOL)
Chichiri just stared at her. "Heh heh heh", was all she said before sneezing. "Da! Come on, let's get back to the fire... If a bear or boar shows up... I can put a barrier around us, no da!", Chichiri said. Kate rolled her eyes. No use trying to scare him.
Soon it was completely black outside. Luckily enough there wasn't any lightning, but there was some thunder in the distance. Both occupants of the barn were lost in their own thoughts. After some metal deliberation Kate decided she'd sleep by the fire. The bunk beds were just too far away for her liking. She was going to voice these thoughts when she noticed Chichiri seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
Kate sighed slightly, not wanting to disturb him. Slowly her thoughts turned to the man just on the other side of the fire and a small smile formed on her face recalling dinner just a little while ago.
'I wonder what he's thinking about... Maybe the other warriors?'. With a small pang of something she couldn't identify in her heart she thought, 'Maybe his past?'. She slowly looked up at him. He looked a little serious in his thoughts.
Kate looked back to the fire, suddenly sad. 'It's rude to ask', she thought, 'It's none of my business'... but her heart told her otherwise. Before she knew what she was doing the words escaped her, "What are you thinking about?". Suddenly she realized what she said and squirmed slightly, "I-if I may ask?".
Chichiri looked up at her surprised. She met his eyes shortly before looking back to the fire. "A lot I guess... The past mostly...", He answered. Kate stayed silent. She knew the same thought passed threw both of their minds, 'The one you know about'.
Kate nodded to him, "Yeah... I know how the past is... It always seems to be right there, you know?... Do you think about it a lot?". Kate could hear her own voice. She sounded slightly nervous. Almost like she was going to cry, but she wasn't.
"Sometimes I think I could have, should have, saved him... Nights like this bring back those memories....", he said. Kate nodded. "Kate-chan...", Chichiri started, "you know my past so.... Why is it you accept me?".
Kate looked up at him in surprise, "Chichiri?". He looked up at her silently. When he didn't say anything she just looked into his eyes and said what came to heart. "...We all have things in our pasts we don't want to talk about ...or have others know... Just because those are there doesn't make people bad, Chichiri... We can't change the past. It makes us human to have faults... To be hurt and hurt others ourselves... The point is... Those bad things make us who we are. We learn from them and become better people because of it...", she took a moment to look up at him.
"We can't change the past, but we can live on and heal, help others with theirs, maybe... a-and learning of you're past actually made me that much more interested in you as a person... The way you learned and survived must have been hard, but you did it.... You're a true inspiration, and i'm honored to be your friend", Kate finished with a lump in her throat.
She could feel Chichiri's eyes on her, but she kept her head bowed slightly. She felt like knots were beginning to form in her stomach. She was surprised this conversation was even happening, but then a small thought entered her head, 'He's kept this in for so long... Everyone needs someone to talk to...'. With that she raised her head and gave him a soft smile.
"Do you think the past should stand in the way of the future?", he asked. Kate pondered on this, "If... your past made you who you are... then it has already affected your future, but... if what you mean is letting past decisions effect your future ones then i'd say... What ever makes you happy... If you feel you can be truly happy in your decisions then go for it, but it's wise to also keep in mind how you're decisions will affect others".
Kate didn't really feel like the last statement was needed, but she knew what it was like to take in every word... She needed her words to be right. To say exactly what she meant was crucial. At this moment she wanted noting more than to help him in anyway she could.
"And of risks, no da?", he asked after a minute or so. "There are risks in every decision we make. We must decide for ourselves if they are worth taking. Sometimes this is difficult and we don't know what path to take, but... if you never decide you can't move on... and being trapped in the past hurts... Sometimes it's best to move on and to heal threw the future... and... if things don't work out... That's what time is for", she said.
Chichiri stood up and she looked up at him. He was smiling at her slightly. Kate stood up also and returned the smile. "But...", she added, "There is always hope if you are willing to keep it".
Chichiri didn't say anything, and Kate worried that she may have said something wrong, but Chichiri just stared at the fire before taking one of the extra blankets and walking over to the bunk beds. "Thanks, Kate-chan... You've given me a lot to think about, no da", he said and laid down of the bed. "Good night, Kate-chan", he said. "Good night", Kate said quietly and turned back to the fire. She also had a lot to think about.
Her mind really couldn't comprehend what had just happened. He always seemed so confident in himself. Could it be that a part of his mind hadn't hadn't come to terms with what happened those six years ago? Or was it just the rain?
Kate let out a sigh and kicked at a rock resting on the side of the fire. Sparks flew into the sky and she watched them fade. Her thoughts kept going back and forth between Chichiri and her friend Josh, who may be lost in the woods at this very moment.
She felt for a moment she could understand Chichiri. He had lost a friend in a flood, and who knew where Josh was. She felt weak. Looking out into the storm she sent a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that he'd be ok, wishing she could go look for him.
Tears of frustration began to form in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. With a sniffle she pulled one of the blankets over her head so only her face showed. She looked over to Suzaku, who was stirring slightly. Her eyes widened and her mind barely registered the sound of Chichiri turning over.
"Suzaku?", she whispered to the bird and quickly crawled over to where he rested. As soon as her hand touched his side his eyes opened. He looked up into her eyes for a moment, and seemed like he could see her soul.
He cooed slightly before he suddenly morphed into his human form. "You'd think you could have dried me off a little bit better?", he said a little too loudly. "Shh! Suzaku, Chichiri is sleeping", Kate whispered. Suzaku ignored her and rung out his fancy shirt. Water formed in a small pool. Kate just stared at him.
"Why did you wake up?", she asked. Suzaku grinned slyly, "I felt strong emotions from one of my warriors... Emotions someone near me may have caused?". At this Suzaku rose his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Kate just stared.
"What are you telling me?", she asked. He leaned forward so his face was only an inch from hers. "I'm saying... Someone is seeing you... in a whole new light... right now", he whispered so only she could hear. She tensed slightly.
That saying could have one thousand meanings, but one thing was certain. For whatever reason Chichiri was faking sleep and was watching her right now. She didn't know what to say even if she did her heart was beating so fast she was sure it could say what she couldn't put in words.
Suzaku laughed and moved back slightly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Kate rose an eyebrow, "Don't look at me like that.... Oh! You're a God! Do you know if Josh is all right?". Suzaku, seeing her worry, turned serious. "You must have faith. I can tell you no more... You only have tomorrow left here in this world... You know that right? After that... It's unlikely you can come back... and it's your decision if you want to stay here or not", he said.
Kate frowned, "Stay?". "You didn't have a choice if you came or not, but you do have a decision if you go now...", he said. She felt her anger rise, "I'm not leaving the others... I'd never betray them like that... How could you even suggest something like that?!".
Suzaku didn't let any emotions show, "You're world is a lot different from mine. Do you really think if for some reason you're left there.... alone... you can survive?". Kate's eyes narrowed, " What are you saying?". Her voice had trembled. "You're life is so different here. It would be unlikely you'd ever have to make your own clothes, farm, or live by selling things in market. This journey with the warriors isn't going to last forever.... and that may turn out to be your life."
"I know that... but.... I can adapt to life there...", she said. Her voice sounded desperate to her ears. Suzaku smiled slightly, "All right...". He looked up at the rafters suddenly and laughed. Kate grinned slightly, "Don't say anything". "You know... That blanket actually makes a good dress", he commented. Kate laughed, "Shut up."
Suzaku ran his fingers threw this hair (? Feathers?) with a grin, "Well, this talk has been nice, but you're tired... Good night". "What? I'm not tier--", suddenly everything faded away and she felt someone move her. "See you in the morning", Suzaku's voice said, and that was the last thing she heard before she was completely unaware of the world around her.
Alatáriël: Ok! First off I know some of you are confused about the last paragraph. Basically Suzaku decided the conversation was done and kind of put a silent "go to sleep" spell on her. LOL... That and this chapter was just getting too long.
Kate: Wow. Progress... Looks like Turkey-sama isn't as much as a jerk as I thought, huh?
Alatáriël: smiles Perhaps!
Kate: Why is Chichiri watching me? Oo
Alatáriël: grins...
Kate: glares
Chichiri: I'm hungry!
Alatáriël: Me too! Anyone want hamburgers?
Kate: HEY! You have to answer reviews first!
Alatáriël: Fine! Fine... hands Chichiri a 20 dollar bill Take the car. Don't hit any trees.
Kate:... You don't have a car...
Alatáriël: glares...
L: Thank you so much! Hear that, Kate? You got a fan.
Holly: Ha ha ha. Nope! I haven't kicked the bucket yet. Wow you wrote a long review! Ha ha ha. Sorry I up-dated while you were on vacation. Wish I could go on vactaion. ;; Well, I hope you liked this chapter... I hope you liked this chapter. ;;
Big Rikku fan: Hey! I love your name! smiles I hope you like this chappie too!
Jedi of Oro: grins Yes. My mind is a scary place, no? Heh heh. Hope this one was good. I'm not to sure about it...
Songwind: Ha ha ha. Yeah. I supose to him our world would be just as, if not more so, amazing. Yes, I loved the towl image, myself. I found it humorus. shrugs My mind suprises me sometimes, but in the end the characters take over the story.
DreamFeathers: smiles I hope you liked this chappie seeing as you're Suzzie crazed. grins... Josh shall do whatever he feels he must... It's his desision... Mostly because I can't deside. LOL.
Werecat99: The "I"? Where? looks around
Opaaru Tsuki: Ha ha ha. YES, TASUKI IS COSMO! First time I heard it... shivers
chiri26: Ha ha ha, yes. I find Josh very fun to write. sees Kate holding up a metal pipe threateningly Oh my... I'd run if I were you! Kate: I'm not CALM! ROAR! chases chiri26 in circles... two feet later she trips and is knocked out by a flying chair
Neko-ane: Ah! Gomen ne! hugs her I didn't mean to forget you... and yes you must draw Chichiri in a towel! MWA HA HA HA! That would rock... I can only draw him Chibi... cries into her plushie
Selene Serenity: Yeah, I figured some tention would arise due to Suzaku being a God... Basically Josh doesn't like the idea. heh... and yes, Tasuki is Cosmo. Scary, ne? I wasn't watching the tv and I heard Tasuki's voice. I was confused so I turned around and saw Cosmo! Imagine my suprise. heh heh
chibichibi386: Why is everyone going on vacation? cries LOL. How's Jamaica? I hope you like this chappie.
Daiel: That sounds really interesting! I'll have to check it out!
Alatáriël: .... Ok, I think that's it... Now... For those hamburgers.
Kate: taps Alatáriël on the shoulder Ahem...
Alatáriël: ignores her DIE LYNX! DIE! MWA HA HA!
Kate:.... grabs controller from Alatáriël's hand AHEM!
Alatáriël: turns to look at Kate... if looks could kill... HISS! Hey! I was winning!
Kate:... No, Alatáriël. I have been ignored long enough... It was bad enough I had to send dreams of the next chapter to get you even THINKING of this again, but you have an obligation to you're reviews... and you made a promise to one... You're time limit is 5 days.
Alatáriël: eyes widen Oh my good Suzaku! You're right!!! throws down controller and picks up phone. Dials 1-800-MONK-Y-LISHIOUS CHICHIRI! Get down here ASAP!
Kate: stares at the phone number.... Right... Anyway... Alatáriël has never, will never, and can only dream about owning Chichiri, Tasuki, Nuriko, or any of the other great males (or females) of FY. They belong to rich people that have fancy cars... Not a teenager living in the middle of no- where wondering about things like... How many rubber bands can you get around a Styrofoam cup before it brakes... or any of the other things worth thinking about in life...
Chapter 18: A whole new light.
Kate woke up to the feeling of, or rather the absence of, the jeep turning off. She mumbled groggily to herself and rubbed her eyes after pealing her forehead off of the window it had been resting on.
"Have a good nap?", Josh asked. Kate yawned in reply. Chichiri just smiled slightly as he picked up Suzaku and walked over to them. "So, what trail do we take?", Josh asked no one.
"This one", Kate said as she pointed to a sign that said Hen Hollow Falls: 3.4 miles, Barn 2:1 miles. Josh nodded and headed out ahead of them. After he was out of ear shot Kate spoke up.
"Why do you think Suzaku showed up?", she asked Chichiri. Said Monk shrugged in reply. "Not sure, no da. Maybe he wanted to check up on us?", He asked. Kate rolled her eyes, "Do we look like 3 year olds to you, or something?". Chichiri just grinned before going chibi and jumping into her arms, Suzaku still in his arms. "Carry me, no da!", he said in a high pitched voice. Kate raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
'Hard to believe he's 24', she thought as the chibi felt her eyes on him and looked up at her with child-like admiration, which Kate knew was just a ploy to get her annoyed. "Can I help you?", Kate asked, faking annoyance. Chibi Chichiri just smiled, "Nope, no da! I think i'm set... Think there is anywhere good to fish around here?".
Kate laughed, "You never know... There are a lot of rivers around here, so i'm sure there has to be some somewhere, right?". Chichiri nodded happily and proceeded to look around at his surroundings happily. Kate mentally sighed, 'Looks like he's staying put... Damn he's heavy!'.
It was a fairly nice early spring day. It was warm, but not too warm. The birds were chirping softly from the trees and everything seemed to be beginning to bloom. Lots of little purple flowers were off of the path and surprisingly enough some small dots of shadow shill had a little snow in them. Kate sighed slightly. She had missed most of winter... heck! She missed Christmas and New Years, too!
She was brought out of her thoughts by the small monk in her arms taking in a sudden breath. She stopped to look at him then looked ahead to where he was looking, eyes wide. Two deer stood near by. Apparently they hadn't been noticed yet. The pair was eating grass. It seemed like time froze when they both looked their way and suddenly bolted.
"Wow", Kate breathed. "What were THOSE?!", Chibi Chichiri asked, jumping out of her arms and running around in circles. "Deer. They are really beautiful, no?", she said, still in awe of what just happened. "They were huge, no da! Like horses!... Can you ride them?", Chichiri asked.
Kate laughed, "Well, you can try... but I don't guarantee success. People up north put there cousins, reindeer, on slays, however". Chichiri beamed, "Think we'll see anymore, no da!?". Kate shrugged, "We'll only find out if we keep going... Too bad Josh missed it... I wonder where he went off to?".
"Maybe he's up ahead! Let's go, no da!", Chichiri said and with a poof of smoke was normal sized again. He had his head tilted slightly and his staff resting on his shoulder. He looked like he was posing, which caused Kate to grin.
Kate adjusted Suzaku, whom Chichiri had left when he was busy running in circles, in her arms. The bird stirred slightly, but stayed asleep. Kate smiled up at Chichiri, "Let us be off!". As they walked the path got narrower and steeper. The birds chirping got less and less and clouds lined the horizon.
"Ah... I hope it doesn't rain", Kate said to no one in particular. "When it rains is the best time to fish, no da!", Chichiri said with a grin. Kate rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but it's a bad time to be hiking".
Soon the two hikers came to a fork in the trail. (AN: grins) "Oh no... I wonder which way Josh went! Arg! Damn him! Why couldn't he just stick with us?... Or at least leave us the car keys", Kate said the last part with an evil smile. "Don't worry, Kate-chan. I'm sure he's fine, no da.", Chichiri said, ever the carefree monk.
Kate's eyebrows knitted together in worry, "I hope so... Well, let's continue to the falls. The other trail leads to the barn. If he went that way he'll catch up, right?". Chichiri nodded, "And if he went this way we'll meet up at the end, no da".
And so they went to the right, which the sign indicated was the way to the falls. An hour and three squirrels later they had reached the falls. It was cold up there, but very nice. A small pool formed at the bottom. Kate walked over to the river flowing from it and scooped up some water and washed her face.
Chichiri meanwhile was sitting down on a very large rock by the pool under the falls. With a fluent motion that could only be mastered with lost of practice, he pulled his fishing pole out of his hat and cast his line. Kate sweatdroped.
Looking around at the place Kate noticed they were alone for the time being. In the summer this would have been impossible, for that's when the tourist (with their colorful shirts, sun hats, and huge expensive cameras) like to go into the mountains. Loads of people were here in the summer, but right now no one else was here. Kate realized they hadn't met anyone on the trail either... Now that was strange.
With the realization that no one else was here Kate felt slightly panicked, 'Where's Josh?'. She would have expressed her concern to Chichiri, but he seemed to be preoccupied. Therefore, she just pulled herself up into a low hanging branch of a nearby tree and watched the water. Soon she was daydreaming and forgot about the world around her... and didn't notice the grey clouds fast approaching.
Chichiri, however, who was sitting by the river noticed a strange feel in the air. He looked up curiously. "Kate-chan?", he asked as he looked at the sky. Kate jumped, having forgot he was there momentarily as she was off in her own little world. "Y-yes?", she asked.
"It looks like it might rain, no da", Chichiri said. Kate looked up and paled slightly. Those were serious rain clouds. "Oh no...", was all she said. She knew for a fact it was very dangerous to be out hiking when rain that serious was coming down. "We better hurry and leave... This place will be flooded soon", Kate said, slightly panicked.
Chichiri nodded, and with a poof the fishing pole was gone. 'Damn it, Josh! Where are you?', Kate thought worriedly before they hurried down the path. Within five minutes it was raining lightly.
"I hope this is all it does...", Kate commented as she caught a few rain drops in her out stretched hand. "From the looks of those clouds i'd say it would be nothing short of a miracle if it stays like this, no da", Chichiri said. Kate laughed in reply, "Indeed".
The continued down the trail at a hurried pace. In the end it did them little good when it began to down pour. Visibility was poor and the temperature had dropped conciderably. "This doesn't look good, no da!", Chichiri shouted. The sun was beginning to set. They could tell due to the clouds seemed to be getting darker.
Kate didn't reply. She was trying her best to keep poor Suzaku wet. Normally she wouldn't care if the stupid turkey caught hypothermia, but she didn't want a God dying on her hands. Hell no. That was a big no no.
"Why won't he wake up!", Kate yelled back in frustration. Chichiri walked up to her and took the bird God from her hands. "I don't know, but we have to get out of this rain soon or we'll never wake up again too!", Chichiri said.
Kate felt a lump form in her stomach at those words. Soon they passed a small creek that was gushing water out like a broken pipe. "I think the path to the barn is just up ahead! We just need to get across this creek!", Kate yelled over the sounds of the wind and heavy falling water. Chichiri nodded and held out his staff to her. "I'll go first. Hold onto this tightly so if either of us slip we can catch the other ok?", he instructed.
"What of Suzaku?", Kate asked. "Don't worry. I got him", Chichiri said and without further adieu he jumped threw the creek and struggled to the other side. He made it there safely. "On the count of three i'll pull the staff in. You jump, ok?", he called.
"Ok!", Kate said. She couldn't see right at the moment. Due to the rain she had to take off her glasses, but she could hear the water and it didn't sound friendly. "One.... Two... Three!", they both shouted at the same time. With a strong jerk she was barely aware she had been threw it other than the sudden blast of freezing water. The next thing she knew she was leaning against Chichiri. He helped her stand up right again, "You ok?" Kate nodded in reply.
They continued on till they reached the sign. "How far is the barn, no da?", Chichiri asked. Kate squinted at the sign. "A few yards... I'm not sure how far that is...", She answered. Luckily enough, it wasn't far at all. They reached it within a few minutes.
The old well in front of the barn was overflowing, but the barn itself was dry. It was still used for meeting and group functions, Kate found out after reading a sign on the wall that was above two bunk beds that looked very uncomfortable.
Kate shivered slightly. Her hair was soaking wet, as was the rest of her. She knew they had to get warn fast or risk getting sick. She was looking around for firewood when she saw the latter. Curious, she walked over to it and looked up. There was a little door on top of the roof that was locked.
"Chichiri?", She asked the monk. "Yes, no da?", he asked. "Can you undo locks with you're magic?", she asked. Chichiri walked over to where she was and looked up. "No problem, no da!", he said and lifted his staff up. As soon as the staff came in contact with the lock it opened.
Kate smiled her gratitude them climbed up. The barn didn't have power... or a phone, but Chichiri was able to give her some light with his staff. She looked around. The place looked like it hadn't been opened in a while. There was enough dust to make a small army of dust bunnies. Kate smiled when she saw the logs. She quickly grabbed them and lowered them down to Chichiri. She was also lucky enough to find some matches, with proved to be useless when Chichiri started a blazing fire with his staff.
"I-I hope Josh is all right", Kate said threw chattering teeth as she tried to arm her hands up on the fire. Chichiri nodded solemnly and laid Suzaku next to the fire after removing the soaking blanket that had been surrounding him. His kesa and kasa were drying on the rafters above them.
"Brrrr! It was n-nice and wa-arm this morning! What ha-apened?", Kate grumbled as she pried herself away from the fire and back into the "attic". After some near fatal attempts with moving a boar trap she located five blankets and even some canned beans! Looked like the park rangers might have gotten trapped here a few times.
"H-hey! I found some food and blankets! They're a l-little dusty, but they s-should be fine", Kate said threw chattering teeth and handed him three of the five blankets and the can of beans. "I'm going t-t-t-to go see if I can find a pan or something to cook these in", Kate said and got up again to go see.
"No need, no da!", Chichiri said and with a poof of smoke one appeared. Kate rose a chilly eyebrow. "...Well, you know... I'm a drifter... Gotta cook my own food, no da", Chichiri said. Kate laughed slightly.
Soon the beans were cooking, and they decided it would be best to get out of the wet clothes for fear of catching a cold and possibly dying. With their backs turned to each other they undressed and used one of the extra blankets as clothing for the time being.
Strangely enough it almost seemed colder taking the clothes off than keeping them on, Kate noticed... but at least her teeth stopped chattering. After a small mental war Kate decided to keep on her shirt and only remove her pants due to the fact that her pants were the only thing that normally took a long time to dry. Not to mention she was self-cautious by nature.
With a quick jump she left her pants hanging from the rafters near the fire. "It really doesn't look like anyone has been here for a while...", Kate commented. She wanted to keep up conversation so things didn't seem weird despite the fact they were. "No, but it seems like it's in good condition, no da... Can I turn around now?", Chichiri asked. Kate blushed slightly, "Yeah". She made sure her blanket was tightly secured before turning around, herself.
Neither one of the two very cold people could really bring themselves to look the other in the eye at the moment so they just watched the fire. Within minutes the beans were done. Since neither one of them had spoons or bowls they had to wait for it to cool down then eat with their fingers. Within minutes they forgot their embarrassment.
Kate found it hilarious and laughed the whole way threw dinner. Chichiri chucked lightly when a bean slipped from his grasp. It was in no way proper, but it was way fun. After they were done their hands were sticky with the bean paste, and had to rinse their hands in the rain water that was falling from the roof.
"You know what would suck?", Kate asked. Chichiri rose an eyebrow. "If a bear attacked...", Kate said with a sly grin. Chichiri's eyes shot up. He had removes his mask earlier so his face could dry properly. "Bears, no da?", he asked. Kate's grin widened, "Yeah... I saw a boar trap upstairs". (AN: I wonder if they have bears and boars in the Universe of the Four Gods?... Well, here they do. LOL)
Chichiri just stared at her. "Heh heh heh", was all she said before sneezing. "Da! Come on, let's get back to the fire... If a bear or boar shows up... I can put a barrier around us, no da!", Chichiri said. Kate rolled her eyes. No use trying to scare him.
Soon it was completely black outside. Luckily enough there wasn't any lightning, but there was some thunder in the distance. Both occupants of the barn were lost in their own thoughts. After some metal deliberation Kate decided she'd sleep by the fire. The bunk beds were just too far away for her liking. She was going to voice these thoughts when she noticed Chichiri seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
Kate sighed slightly, not wanting to disturb him. Slowly her thoughts turned to the man just on the other side of the fire and a small smile formed on her face recalling dinner just a little while ago.
'I wonder what he's thinking about... Maybe the other warriors?'. With a small pang of something she couldn't identify in her heart she thought, 'Maybe his past?'. She slowly looked up at him. He looked a little serious in his thoughts.
Kate looked back to the fire, suddenly sad. 'It's rude to ask', she thought, 'It's none of my business'... but her heart told her otherwise. Before she knew what she was doing the words escaped her, "What are you thinking about?". Suddenly she realized what she said and squirmed slightly, "I-if I may ask?".
Chichiri looked up at her surprised. She met his eyes shortly before looking back to the fire. "A lot I guess... The past mostly...", He answered. Kate stayed silent. She knew the same thought passed threw both of their minds, 'The one you know about'.
Kate nodded to him, "Yeah... I know how the past is... It always seems to be right there, you know?... Do you think about it a lot?". Kate could hear her own voice. She sounded slightly nervous. Almost like she was going to cry, but she wasn't.
"Sometimes I think I could have, should have, saved him... Nights like this bring back those memories....", he said. Kate nodded. "Kate-chan...", Chichiri started, "you know my past so.... Why is it you accept me?".
Kate looked up at him in surprise, "Chichiri?". He looked up at her silently. When he didn't say anything she just looked into his eyes and said what came to heart. "...We all have things in our pasts we don't want to talk about ...or have others know... Just because those are there doesn't make people bad, Chichiri... We can't change the past. It makes us human to have faults... To be hurt and hurt others ourselves... The point is... Those bad things make us who we are. We learn from them and become better people because of it...", she took a moment to look up at him.
"We can't change the past, but we can live on and heal, help others with theirs, maybe... a-and learning of you're past actually made me that much more interested in you as a person... The way you learned and survived must have been hard, but you did it.... You're a true inspiration, and i'm honored to be your friend", Kate finished with a lump in her throat.
She could feel Chichiri's eyes on her, but she kept her head bowed slightly. She felt like knots were beginning to form in her stomach. She was surprised this conversation was even happening, but then a small thought entered her head, 'He's kept this in for so long... Everyone needs someone to talk to...'. With that she raised her head and gave him a soft smile.
"Do you think the past should stand in the way of the future?", he asked. Kate pondered on this, "If... your past made you who you are... then it has already affected your future, but... if what you mean is letting past decisions effect your future ones then i'd say... What ever makes you happy... If you feel you can be truly happy in your decisions then go for it, but it's wise to also keep in mind how you're decisions will affect others".
Kate didn't really feel like the last statement was needed, but she knew what it was like to take in every word... She needed her words to be right. To say exactly what she meant was crucial. At this moment she wanted noting more than to help him in anyway she could.
"And of risks, no da?", he asked after a minute or so. "There are risks in every decision we make. We must decide for ourselves if they are worth taking. Sometimes this is difficult and we don't know what path to take, but... if you never decide you can't move on... and being trapped in the past hurts... Sometimes it's best to move on and to heal threw the future... and... if things don't work out... That's what time is for", she said.
Chichiri stood up and she looked up at him. He was smiling at her slightly. Kate stood up also and returned the smile. "But...", she added, "There is always hope if you are willing to keep it".
Chichiri didn't say anything, and Kate worried that she may have said something wrong, but Chichiri just stared at the fire before taking one of the extra blankets and walking over to the bunk beds. "Thanks, Kate-chan... You've given me a lot to think about, no da", he said and laid down of the bed. "Good night, Kate-chan", he said. "Good night", Kate said quietly and turned back to the fire. She also had a lot to think about.
Her mind really couldn't comprehend what had just happened. He always seemed so confident in himself. Could it be that a part of his mind hadn't hadn't come to terms with what happened those six years ago? Or was it just the rain?
Kate let out a sigh and kicked at a rock resting on the side of the fire. Sparks flew into the sky and she watched them fade. Her thoughts kept going back and forth between Chichiri and her friend Josh, who may be lost in the woods at this very moment.
She felt for a moment she could understand Chichiri. He had lost a friend in a flood, and who knew where Josh was. She felt weak. Looking out into the storm she sent a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that he'd be ok, wishing she could go look for him.
Tears of frustration began to form in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. With a sniffle she pulled one of the blankets over her head so only her face showed. She looked over to Suzaku, who was stirring slightly. Her eyes widened and her mind barely registered the sound of Chichiri turning over.
"Suzaku?", she whispered to the bird and quickly crawled over to where he rested. As soon as her hand touched his side his eyes opened. He looked up into her eyes for a moment, and seemed like he could see her soul.
He cooed slightly before he suddenly morphed into his human form. "You'd think you could have dried me off a little bit better?", he said a little too loudly. "Shh! Suzaku, Chichiri is sleeping", Kate whispered. Suzaku ignored her and rung out his fancy shirt. Water formed in a small pool. Kate just stared at him.
"Why did you wake up?", she asked. Suzaku grinned slyly, "I felt strong emotions from one of my warriors... Emotions someone near me may have caused?". At this Suzaku rose his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Kate just stared.
"What are you telling me?", she asked. He leaned forward so his face was only an inch from hers. "I'm saying... Someone is seeing you... in a whole new light... right now", he whispered so only she could hear. She tensed slightly.
That saying could have one thousand meanings, but one thing was certain. For whatever reason Chichiri was faking sleep and was watching her right now. She didn't know what to say even if she did her heart was beating so fast she was sure it could say what she couldn't put in words.
Suzaku laughed and moved back slightly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Kate rose an eyebrow, "Don't look at me like that.... Oh! You're a God! Do you know if Josh is all right?". Suzaku, seeing her worry, turned serious. "You must have faith. I can tell you no more... You only have tomorrow left here in this world... You know that right? After that... It's unlikely you can come back... and it's your decision if you want to stay here or not", he said.
Kate frowned, "Stay?". "You didn't have a choice if you came or not, but you do have a decision if you go now...", he said. She felt her anger rise, "I'm not leaving the others... I'd never betray them like that... How could you even suggest something like that?!".
Suzaku didn't let any emotions show, "You're world is a lot different from mine. Do you really think if for some reason you're left there.... alone... you can survive?". Kate's eyes narrowed, " What are you saying?". Her voice had trembled. "You're life is so different here. It would be unlikely you'd ever have to make your own clothes, farm, or live by selling things in market. This journey with the warriors isn't going to last forever.... and that may turn out to be your life."
"I know that... but.... I can adapt to life there...", she said. Her voice sounded desperate to her ears. Suzaku smiled slightly, "All right...". He looked up at the rafters suddenly and laughed. Kate grinned slightly, "Don't say anything". "You know... That blanket actually makes a good dress", he commented. Kate laughed, "Shut up."
Suzaku ran his fingers threw this hair (? Feathers?) with a grin, "Well, this talk has been nice, but you're tired... Good night". "What? I'm not tier--", suddenly everything faded away and she felt someone move her. "See you in the morning", Suzaku's voice said, and that was the last thing she heard before she was completely unaware of the world around her.
Alatáriël: Ok! First off I know some of you are confused about the last paragraph. Basically Suzaku decided the conversation was done and kind of put a silent "go to sleep" spell on her. LOL... That and this chapter was just getting too long.
Kate: Wow. Progress... Looks like Turkey-sama isn't as much as a jerk as I thought, huh?
Alatáriël: smiles Perhaps!
Kate: Why is Chichiri watching me? Oo
Alatáriël: grins...
Kate: glares
Chichiri: I'm hungry!
Alatáriël: Me too! Anyone want hamburgers?
Kate: HEY! You have to answer reviews first!
Alatáriël: Fine! Fine... hands Chichiri a 20 dollar bill Take the car. Don't hit any trees.
Kate:... You don't have a car...
Alatáriël: glares...
L: Thank you so much! Hear that, Kate? You got a fan.
Holly: Ha ha ha. Nope! I haven't kicked the bucket yet. Wow you wrote a long review! Ha ha ha. Sorry I up-dated while you were on vacation. Wish I could go on vactaion. ;; Well, I hope you liked this chapter... I hope you liked this chapter. ;;
Big Rikku fan: Hey! I love your name! smiles I hope you like this chappie too!
Jedi of Oro: grins Yes. My mind is a scary place, no? Heh heh. Hope this one was good. I'm not to sure about it...
Songwind: Ha ha ha. Yeah. I supose to him our world would be just as, if not more so, amazing. Yes, I loved the towl image, myself. I found it humorus. shrugs My mind suprises me sometimes, but in the end the characters take over the story.
DreamFeathers: smiles I hope you liked this chappie seeing as you're Suzzie crazed. grins... Josh shall do whatever he feels he must... It's his desision... Mostly because I can't deside. LOL.
Werecat99: The "I"? Where? looks around
Opaaru Tsuki: Ha ha ha. YES, TASUKI IS COSMO! First time I heard it... shivers
chiri26: Ha ha ha, yes. I find Josh very fun to write. sees Kate holding up a metal pipe threateningly Oh my... I'd run if I were you! Kate: I'm not CALM! ROAR! chases chiri26 in circles... two feet later she trips and is knocked out by a flying chair
Neko-ane: Ah! Gomen ne! hugs her I didn't mean to forget you... and yes you must draw Chichiri in a towel! MWA HA HA HA! That would rock... I can only draw him Chibi... cries into her plushie
Selene Serenity: Yeah, I figured some tention would arise due to Suzaku being a God... Basically Josh doesn't like the idea. heh... and yes, Tasuki is Cosmo. Scary, ne? I wasn't watching the tv and I heard Tasuki's voice. I was confused so I turned around and saw Cosmo! Imagine my suprise. heh heh
chibichibi386: Why is everyone going on vacation? cries LOL. How's Jamaica? I hope you like this chappie.
Daiel: That sounds really interesting! I'll have to check it out!
Alatáriël: .... Ok, I think that's it... Now... For those hamburgers.
