Luna Mountain, Past the First Challenge: Fire

Onua walked in front, with Gaga slightly behind. Gaga was watching Onua to see how she was doing. She seemed unfazed by the last challenge, walking in such a way that her skirt swished merrily. She wore an interesting outfit for this quest; it was a practical one, as well as being pretty. She wore a pair of black slacks which fit her shapely legs well, flaring out below the calf prettily. Her top was a green, gi-type shirt, though longer than usual, and closely fitted to her curves. It was belted with a soft, black leather belt, through which was thrust her shukusen. It also flared at the elbows, drawing attention to her graceful hands, and the hem was long enough to be a short, flaring skirt, which swished as she walked. On her feet were soft-soled slipper-type shoes, the same brilliant green as her shirt and eyes.

Gaga caught himself again; he had to stop doing that! It wasn't polite to stare. He decided to make conversation. "Onua-san, do you know why your father needs the water? True, it's useful, but is there anything specific?"

"I don't know. Papa wouldn't have sent us if he didn't think it was important, but he didn't tell me the reason, and we didn't ask before we left."

"Oh, I see. Perhaps he'll tell us when we return." Gaga had already forgiven him for their fight earlier.

"I hope so."

By this time they had gone quite a ways. The passageway narrowed uncomfortably for a while, and then abruptly widened until ten people could have walked down it, side by side. This stretch of tunnel lasted a fair distance, but they were a mere five paces into it when there was a rumbling, and it collapsed behind them, blocking their exit. They turned, shocked, and looked around to see what had caused the collapse. Once they realized that they couldn't get out the way they had come, they began backing slowly down the passage, watching to see that it didn't collapse again. As they backed down the tunnel, the rumbling began again, this time from the direction they were going. The passage began shaking. This must be the challenge of Earth! thought Gaga, as he turned around. The tunnel shook harder, and rocks began dropping from the ceiling all around them. "Onua-san, look out!" Gaga cried, as the rocks began falling thicker. And then the ceiling dropped.

When the rumbling stopped and the dust settled, the passageway was filled with debris. Gaga slowly raised his head from the floor, where he had instinctively huddled to protect himself. He stood, and pebbles and dust fell off his back to the ground. "Onua-san?" He looked around, and couldn't see her. Where is she? He moved toward where he thought she'd been when the ceiling fell.

As he moved around a particularly large boulder, he saw her. She lay on her back, half-buried by the rock-fall. "Onua-san!" He rushed to her side, thinking, don't be dead, please, please, please don't be dead! He held his hand above her mouth and was relieved to feel her warm breath on his palm, even if it was just barely there. He allowed himself a few seconds to just sit there, and then began frantically removing the rocks from on top of her. When she was free, he held his hand above her mouth again, and was shocked to find that her breathing was dangerously shallow.

What's wrong? Why isn't she breathing easier now that the rocks are off her? He couldn't understand it. And then he remembered, Onua wears a steel-ribbed corset! One of the falling rocks must have dented it, and it's making it hard for her to breath! At this rate, she'll die! I can't let that happen! But how do I fix it? I'll have to remove her corset, but…that means I'd have to open her shirt…No! Bad thought, bad thought! But… there's no other way… What am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? He wrung his hands and wrangled with himself for a while, and then decided. I can't just let her suffocate. I'll have to do it. Forgive me Onua-san!

He quickly undid her belt, and folded back her shirt to see her corset. Just as he had thought, there was a large dent in the middle, just below her ribs, stopping her breath. He realized that there was no time to figure out how to unfasten it, so he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed her shukusen and used it to cut the ties in the front, then quickly turned it sideways and slipped it off her, pushing it aside. As soon as it was off, she gasped, and began breathing normally again.

Onua's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up to see Gaga leaning over her, looking utterly relieved. She blinked, and looked down at herself, to see her shirt open, and only a bra covering her. "What's going on Gaga?"

Immediately he turned bright scarlet and jumped up, backing away from her. "Onua-san, Ah, um, er… the rocks fell on you and dented your corset and you were barely breathing and I had to take it off you but I didn't want to but it was the only thing I could think of to do so I did but then I had to open your shirt to take it off and, and, and…I'm so sorry! I am so, so, so sorry!" He was wringing his hands, flustered and almost hyperventilating from embarrassment.

Onua stood up as he was saying all this and fixed her shirt, belting it again and slipping her shukusen back where it belonged on her right hip. When she was finished she just looked at him, waiting for him to be done. He fluttered his hands about frantically as he chattered on seemingly forever without stopping for a breath, and then finished with, "…You may slap me if you like." He stood at absolute attention, eyes closed, prepared for what was coming.

Onua looked at him for a few seconds, and then said, "Very well, here's your…punishment." Her hands reached towards his neck as she came closer, and then…smooch! She held his shoulders as she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Wha-wha-what?" Gaga stuttered. He hadn't been expecting that!

"You saved my life by taking my corset off, Gaga. I think that's worth a peck and a peek. Especially since you weren't trying for either."

"But…but…"

"Don't argue, unless you want me to be mad at you?"

"Of course not!"

"Then let's drop it, and figure out what to do next."

"Oh, yes…"