Ch. 18
In hindsight, I should have been less willing to trust Centipede. I care for him, true, but he is an idiot.
~
At Spiker's words, everyone froze. James immediately grabbed Rin's hand, looking fearfully at the wall as though expecting his aunts to come storming in.
"Don't worry," Rin assured him. "You said it yourself, remember? They can't hear us from in here."
"Are you certain of that, Rin?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.
Rin nodded. "If I couldn't hear you out there, Spiker and Sponge certainly won't." As if to prove the half-demon's point, Sponge's voice rang out almost directly next to where the group was huddled.
"Where are you, you disgusting little worms?"
"Ahhhhh!" Earthworm sought the safety of his glove once more.
"Not you. Us!" James gestured to himself and Rin.
"Do not worry," Miss Spider assured him. "We will not let them harm you." As she spoke, her gloved hand gently stroked James's cheek.
"And I'm going to make sure of that!" Flexing her claws, Rin strode over to the far wall, preparing to climb back up to the tunnel she and James had entered by.
"Rin, wait!" Mr. Grasshopper grasped Rin's shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I told you!" the half-demon snapped, shrugging off the insect's hand. "I hide from no one!"
"Are you mad?" Earthworm asked, poking his head out of the glove. "They'll take one look at you, run away screaming, and bring the whole of England with them!"
"Let them try. I can outrun them!"
"Of that, I have no doubt," Mr. Grasshopper said. "However," the elder insect's eyes turned toward James, Miss Spider, and to Mrs. Ladybug, who had joined them, "if you are to seek justice, you must do so when those you care for aren't in a position to be taken advantage of."
Rin froze as Mr. Grasshopper's words cut through her anger. Much as she wanted to get rid of Spiker and Sponge now, what then? Oh, she knew what would happen. People would take a look at the aftermath, pretend to hear her and James's side of the story, and then deem Rin a danger to society! Not that they could really do anything to Rin, of course, but James? He'd be taken away from her and placed with some uncaring foster family or worse, stuck in an orphanage! One bad situation traded in for another.
Well, never mind. Rin could take of Spiker and Sponge later, preferably with her uncle and the rest of the Kurosaki bat demons to vouch for her. For now, though, Mr. Grasshopper was right. With a sigh, the half-demon stepped away from the wall and nodded at the elder insect.
"Hai, I understand. But what do you suggest we do, then? Spiker and Sponge aren't just going to stop looking for us."
"Don't worry; I'll take care of it!" Centipede made his way over to a ladder that was set against the wall. The tall wooden staircase was mainly lost inside a long vertical tunnel that obviously led to the top of the peach.
"Can you get us away from here, Centipede?" James asked hopefully.
"Leave it to me, kiddo," Centipede promised, puffing his chest up proudly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go make a pest of myself!"
Chucking, Centipede scuttled up the ladder and was lost to sight.
"Do you think they've run off, Spiker?"
"They must have. That stupid little half-demon probably thinks she can get the boy away from us if she runs far enough. Oooh, let me get my hands on the pair of them!"
Inside the peach, Rin growled at Spiker's words.
You want to get your hands on me, Spiker? Well, I want to do the same to you. The only difference is that MY hands have VERY sharp claws.
Rin's ears twitched as a peculiar crunching noise reached them.
"What?" Earthworm came out of the glove completely. "What's that? What's Centipede doing? It sounds like-"
The room gave an almighty lurch, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.
"Does it sound like he's cutting the peach stem?" Rin asked. "Because I believe that's exactly what he's doing."
The room lurched again and this time, the whole room began to tilt. Centipede dropped back into the peach pit, grinning broadly.
"Fasten your seat belts, kids!"
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Outside, Spiker and Sponge had realized that the peach was no longer anchored to the stem.
"Run!" Mr. Grasshopper scooped James up and grabbed Mrs. Ladybug's hand, pulling her in the direction of the rapidly tilting room.
"We can't outrun this!" Rin called, following him. "The whole countryside is on a slope!"
"I know!" Mr. Grasshopper pointed ahead of them. "Get to the nearest wall and brace yourself against it!"
Rin caught James's eyes looking at her over Mr. Grasshopper's shoulder and nodded in agreement.
"Hai, that could work!" Bounding forward, the half-demon reached the wall first. Digging the claws of her left hand into the craggy wood, Rin held out her right hand to the approaching group. "Hurry!"
Mr. Grasshopper reached the wall and passed James to his sister. The little boy clung to Rin's shoulders as she dug her right hand claws into the wood, firmly anchoring her and James in place. Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug had just grabbed onto the craggy wood when the peach slowed slightly.
BUMP! SCCCRREEEECCHHHH!
"What was that?" James cried above the noise.
"From the sound of it, Spiker and Sponge's car," Rin replied grimly.
"And if we were lucky, they were in it!" Centipede cackled as he and Miss Spider grabbed onto the wall.
"Don't even joke about that!" Mrs. Ladybug reprimanded him.
Any further speculation about Spiker and Sponge's fate was cut short as the peach cleared the crushed car. Earthworm, unable to hold onto the craggy wood, wound himself around Rin's leg.
"Ahh! Hey!"
"I'm not letting go and you can't make me!"
Rin contemplated kicking the serpentine bug free, but before she could, the peach's journey began in earnest. Crashing through the stone wall that circled Spiker and Sponge's property, the peach began to roll faster and faster as it descended the hill. The mammoth fruit galloped through the countryside, smashing and flattening anything in its path. Thankfully, there were few people about, but the various cars, sheds, and fences weren't so lucky. The peach made short work of everything in its path and barreled onward. Its passengers weren't faring any better; for some reason, the Glowworm's tail light had gone out, leaving everyone in total darkness. The various overgrown debris was tossed about in every direction until the sheer speed of the rolling fruit pinned it to the nearest surface.
This is worse than being caught in a windstorm! Rin gritted her teeth and hung onto the wall like grim death. She could feel James's vice-like grip on her shoulders and dug her claws even deeper into the thick wooden wall. The half-demon heard the sound of another fence splintering and allowed herself a slight smile.
If Spiker and Sponge weren't crushed, they're going to have A LOT of property damage to answer for.
Rin's satisfaction was cut short as the peach seemed to leap into the air. Then, still spinning, it began to fall.
"AAAAHHHHH!" All six bugs, Earthworm included, were flung onto the ceiling. Rin held onto James, bracing herself for the inevitable end to the free fall.
SPLASH! A brief pattering, like rainfall, on the top of the peach. Then, silence.
Rin raised her head, peering into the gloom. Just below her, she could see a twitching mass of shadows. Judging from the moans and groans, all six bugs had survived the journey.
"Are you alright, James-chan?" she asked, looking down at her brother.
"Yes, I'm fine." James's eyes were barely visible in the gloom. "But what about the others?"
"Let's find out." Rin pulled her claws out of the wall, grabbed James lightly around his waist, and leapt to the floor, setting her brother back on his feet. Together, the siblings approached the six bugs just as Glowworm's tail flickered to life once more. Miss Spider was the first to untangle herself from the group and her green eyes immediately sought out James's small form.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"We both are," James answered. Miss Spider smiled at him, the relief in her eyes evident.
"None of us sustained any serious injuries, thank goodness," Mr. Grasshopper said, helping Mrs. Ladybug to her feet.
"No thanks to you!" Earthworm snapped in Centipede's direction.
"Hey, I didn't hear you comin' up with any ideas back there! Besides, we're safe now, ain't we?"
"Wherever we are, we're alone. I don't hear any people," Rin answered.
"Let's go see," James suggested, tugging Rin's hand. Rin allowed her brother to lead her over to the ladder which, by some minor miracle, had stayed wedged in place throughout the wild ride.
"Oh, James, dear, do be careful!" Mrs. Ladybug called as the little boy eagerly scaled he wooden steps. Rin followed her brother, ready to pull him back at the first sign of danger. Rin's ears twitched as a familiar caw came from outside.
Are we...?
Bright sunlight flooded the tunnel as James pushed aside a section of peach as easily as he would a front door.
"Morning already?"
"I guess so," James answered. "Whoa!" he breathed as he climbed onto the top of the peach stem.
"Uwa." Rin pulled herself out out the tunnel, the peach fuzz warm under her bare feet. Looking around, all Rin could see was bright and sparkling early morning sun cast its rays out of a clear blue sky, making the water gleam like polished glass. The peach, which now had a wooden fence wound about it like a staircase, floated serenely on the sapphire sea, tiny waves burbling against its round sides. Overhead, a few seagulls circled in the sky, on the hunt for breakfast.
"Oh my." Mrs. Ladybug had emerged from the tunnel. The kindly insect titled her head back, allowing the sun's rays to bathe her face. "Oh, isn't this lovely?"
"Oh, my aching back!" Earthworm flopped onto the peach's fuzzy surface. Mr. Grasshopper followed, ignoring the morose bug's complaints.
"Oh! Well, this is fascinating, isn't it?" he mused.
"What? What's fascinating? Tell me! Don't leave me dangling!" Earthworm begged as Miss Spider slid smoothly from the tunnel.
"We are in the middle of the- how do you say- the Big Puddle," she clarified. Centipede poked his head out of the tunnel.
"Biggest puddle of 'em all, Angel Fangs!" Miss Spider hissed at the nickname. "The Atlantic Ocean!"
"Technically, the Pacific is larger," Mr. Grasshopper corrected moving closer to the stem to stand protectively by James.
"Well, that goes without saying," Centipede replied with a casual shrug.
"But there is land in sight?" Earthworm asked hopefully.
"Nothing but blue skies and clear water," Mrs. Ladybug answered gently.
"And we're not likely to encounter any ships out here either," Rin added.
"What makes you say that?" Mr. Grasshopper asked.
"It's too early in the year for most people with private boats to be out. Smaller fishing companies follow schools of fish. Judging by the small number of seagulls," Rin pointed overhead, "there aren't a lot of fish close by. I can't hear any engines, nor can I smell oil in the air, so we aren't near any major shipping lanes. And anyway, those ships tend to try and stay with the fastest currents. We moved away from the shore fast enough, but the current's shifted or we wouldn't just be sitting here. No," Rin finished with a shake of her head. "I don't think we're going to be meeting anyone out here anytime soon." Probably for the better, considering the circumstances.
"UUUUHHHHH!" Earthworm obviously didn't share Rin's opinion. "This is all your fault!" he snapped, jerking his body in Centipede's direction.
"Hey! If it wasn't for me, we'd all be Spiked and Sponged by now!"
"This old man with his green things, did he happen to say to where we are going?" Miss Spider asked James, effectively cutting off the argument.
"No," James said slowly. "But he did say that all the answers were right here." James laid his hand over his heart, his face contracting in surprise as he did. Reaching into his coat, James drew forth a very familiar brochure.
"My travel book!"
"No wonder we couldn't find the pieces," Rin said as James opened the book.
"Look, it's the peach!" Sure enough, the giant peach was depicted as just off the coast of England on the travel book's glossy pages. A small black line, barely the length of a fingernail, trailed out from behind the brightly-colored fruit, marking its minute progress towards its destination, which was none other than-
"We're going to New York City!" James exclaimed.
"New York:" Centipede echoed, just as enthusiastic. "They love me there!"
Well, this is familiar. As James detailed the various wonders of the city for each of his new friends, Rin heard another conversation in the back of her mind.
So, New York City?
We're talking about a family vacation.
But that family vacation hadn't happened, had it? Rin clenched her hands, feeling her claws dig into her palms. She hadn't been looking forward to that vacation, no matter how much her mother tried to get her to think about the fun she and James could have. But all Rin had been able to focus on was the fact that she would be stuck in a loud, smelly, human city for two and a half weeks. And now? Now, it looked as though the vacation was about to become a permanent move!
Rin bit her lip, banishing the lingering resentment with a low growl. Her own feelings aside, New York was as good a place to go as any now. After all, there was nothing left for her and James in England and she had promised her brother they'd go to New York City once they were free of Spiker and Sponge. If nothing else, Rin Kurosaki kept her promises!
"New York it is then!" Mr. Grasshopper declared. He rubbed his antennae thoughtfully. "Now, how do we get there?"
"I'll get us there!" Centipede declared.
"You?" The skepticism in Mr. Grasshopper's voice was thick enough to cut.
"Sure. I've sailed all the five seas!"
Five?
"I've been from the sun-drenched reaches of Bora Bora to the icy shores of Tripoli." Centipede struck what he obviously considered a heroic pose. "Commodore Centipede, they used to call me!"
"Seven."
"Eh?" Centipede blinked in confusion as everyone turned to look at Mr. Grasshopper. The elder insect fixed Centipede with what must have been his coolest stare.
"There are seven seas. And Tripoli is in the sub-tropics. Commodore," he added, the sarcasm in his voice evident.
Heh, that shut him up. Rin felt her respect for the older insect rise quite a bit.
"Trim the sails!" Centipede elected to ignore Mr. Grasshopper's challenge of his nautical knowledge.
"There are no sails," Mrs. Ladybug reminded him.
"Stoke the engines!"
"There are no engines," Earthworm answered.
"I can't work with this miserable crew!" Centipede stomped off to walk the perimeter of the peach.
"Great! We're stuck here until we shrivel up and die!" Earthworm sounded more resigned than annoyed.
Ignoring the discussion about the various ways the group could perish, Rin turned her attention back to James. The little boy had replaced his travel book back into his coat pocket and was staring back up at the sky.
"Getting an idea, James-chan?"
"Maybe." James met his sister's golden eyes. "Could you fly the peach to New York City, Rin?"
Smiling, Rin gently shook her head. "Sorry, James-chan. I'm strong, but I'm not that strong. I'd need the help of several bat demons to tow this peach across the ocean."
"Hmmmm." James glanced overhead again. By now, several more seagulls had appeared and were lazily circling the peach. A smile brighter than the sun lit up his face.
"I know! We could-" James's voice trailed off as the slipped off his face. "No," he decided. "It's a stupid idea."
"Compared to what, my boy?" Mr. Grasshopper asked with a glare in Centipede's direction.
"Hey!"
"Well," James said slowly. "We could fly out."
"He's right. It's stupid." Centipede's words earned him a scowl from Mr. Grasshopper and a growl from Rin. Mrs. Ladybug ignored him entirely.
"How would you do it, James?" she asked.
"With those seagulls," James replied, gesturing to the growing flock. "But we'll need string."
"Oh well, I'll just go to the stationer's and pick up some paper clips while I'm at it. OUCH!" Earthworm yelped as Rin none too gently ground her foot into the tip of his tail.
"I have string." Miss Spider reached up to her back and drew forth a long woven cord. "Miles of string."
"And we'll need bait," James added. "Bird bait."
"Bird bait? Where do you suppose we're gonna find bird bait in the middle of-" Earthworm gasped as Rin hauled him up by his collar.
"Ready to contribute?"
~
I have to admit, the expression on Earthworm's face was PRICELESS!