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A/N: Thanks for everyone for reading! Ok, here's your chapter!
Chapter 7- Spirits?
So, they went on with their newest member of their strange little pack. That had to have been the best day for all of them. Now, they had someone to help them do the things they couldn't, Joyce quickly became the most valuable member to the pack. Not only that, but after what happened in the cave, Greg became less mean, more helpful, and all around a better guy. But don't get me wrong, he still always slid his own sarcastic comments in here or there, but he wasn't that much of a jerk anymore, which meant Ouji, stopped messing with him so much. In fact, besides Ouji, Nuto and Greg we best friends. Greg was still a quiet and mysterious person (sorta, still an animal), but he shared things about himself with Nuto, which was a start. And they had anonymously named Nuto the pack leader. But, sadly enough, this peace would not last long. For only about a week after they found Joyce, did the first real storm of winter come.
That very morning they set out. Joyce rode on Nuto's back as they walked. Greg groaned, "Guys, think we could find a frozen lake anywhere, I'm hungry." Ouji shrugged "We're about uh…23 miles away I think…it's a good thing! Last time we were 54!"
They had walked for only a short while before Greg got uneasy. "Guys, we need to find some place to stay." Nuto nodded "I feel it to, storm's comin' up. How much further till we find a place Ouji?"
He frowned "What? You expect me to have memorized this entire area? How should I know!" Nuto groaned, "Alright, let's just keep going."
But they soon found this was a very bad idea. As they traveled, the wind got harder and snow was starting to hurt their faces like needles. It wasn't until Ouji flew back into Joyce that they knew it was too late, the storm was too bad.
Everything was getting white and the wind was merciless on their faces. Ouji looked up at Joyce "Nice catch!" But this was no time for humor. Greg struggled to get next to Nuto and even there,he had to practically scream "What do we do now? It's too late to turn back and there's no way we can keep moving!"
Nuto hesitated before shouting "Everyone get close together! It'll help us stay warm!" then thought to himself "And if we die…well, at least we'll die together…" So they all got as close to each other as they could, but it still did no good to them.
Nuto breathed heavily, the snow was covering his nose. "So, this is how I am to die? Why? THAT'S NOT FAIR! I-I NEVER GOT TO GO BACK! I NEVER…I (sigh)…I never got to say I was sorry. Make peace with my sister…this can't be it…please, don't let this be the end…"
He struggled to keep his eyes open "…Guys…I'm sorry…I've lead you all to your doom…I'm sooo sorry…it might've been better for you all if you never met me…I'm sorry…" To his surprise, Greg chuckled. "For what? For bring a strange group of misfits together as friends?"
Joyce smiled "For saving my life in more ways then one?" Ouji poked his head out of her clasped hands "For listening to my stories and making me feel I had a reason to live?"
Greg grinned, "There ain't nothin' to be sorry for." Ouji nodded "No ever liked us…until we met you, and then we got to like each other. You brought us together man. You made us a family." Joyce smiled "And even if I die today, I'd rather die now then go all my life without meeting you."
They all nodded "Same goes for me." "And me man. I mean, you're the best I ever had." Nuto was completely shocked by all this. Greg smiled "You know I haven't opened up to anyone, ever. Not even my own brother…just you."
Nuto smiled "Ok…thanks…well, you're right Joyce. If we die, we die together!" Everyone agreed to this. Nuto soon laid down, his eyes barely opened. "Oh man…this is it…wow, death is really...warm..."
Just as his eyes were about to close, he saw a black speck. He blinked. The speck was still there, getting closer. Nuto gasped and stood up "I don't believe it…" But suddenly, the speck began to move away.
"NOOO! WAIT! HEY! OVER HERE!" he shouted at the top of his voice. Greg frowned "What're you crazy? That could be a human!" Nuto nudged him up "And it might not! What've we got to lose?"
Soon, everyone was making as much noise as they could and the speck turned into specks and they got closer! Nuto smiled "Remember, even if we die, we die together." Everyone nodded and made more noise.
The specks weren't just specks anymore. Color came to them and their shape came to. They had four legs, and had yellow-ish gold kind of fur. Greg gasped "Sabers!"
Joyce and Ouji immediately started panicking. "Hey, hey, hey! Hello? Remember me?" Nuto said. They both looked at him. 'Oh yeah, he's a saber to.' They kind of forgot for a moment there.
There was one saber in front of the rest. It roared. Nuto roared back. Soon it came closer and then he saw her. A female saber stopped right in front of them. For a moment she looked disappointed, then she looked confused.
"Uh…hello?" she said slowly. As white as it was, there seemed to be a sort of shine around her. Nuto took a sharp breath, yet he still couldn't breath "…Um…h-hi…" She looked them over "What a strange-"
"Kira!" a voice shouted behind her. Nuto repeated the name to himself "...Kira…" A male saber ran up to them "Whoa…" The female frowned "Father, it wasn't her. Just a group…a really weird...group?"
The male looked at all of them suspiciously then stopped his gaze on Nuto. He sniffed him, which made Nuto slightly uncomfortable. The male paused, then smiled "Come, this is no place for explanations."
As the two started to leave Nuto walked up "Wait!" They both looked at him. "Wait. You have to promise me that NO ONE gets to eat my friends." The male looked at the sloth, the bird and the wolf.
There was a pause, but he smiled and nodded "Agreed. No one will eat your friends. Now come." A glimmer of hope shone in all their eyes…well, except Greg. Greg may have changed towards them, but he still hated everyone out of their group.
He walked along side Nuto "Nuto." He looked over. "I don't think we should trust them. They could be trying to lure us to a place to eat us." Nuto sighed "Greg, you heard him. No one's gonna touch you guys."
Greg frowned "I don't know…" Nuto nudged him "Come on! Trust me on this." Greg paused then chuckled "Alright. If you say so. I'll humor you." Nuto grinned and they kept moving.
They walked for a long time but it was worth the wait, for what they saw amazed the group. First, they went through a crack in the mountain, butit was what was beyond that which was amazing. For in there, was a beautiful place.
It was like this one place was protected from the storm. The place was bright and there was grass and none of this made sense at all! Nuto opened his mouth but the male said "Wait for moment, we're almost there."
They walked a little while more then sat down under a tree, full with leaves and life. The male smiled "Now then." Imminently everyone started asking questions. He laughed "One at a time, one at a time!"
Nuto went first "Ok, who are you, what were you doing in the storm and what's with this place?" The male laughed, "Well, my name's Akite. This is my daughter, Kira. We were out in the storm looking for her sister. Sadly enough, we found her…(sigh)…to late…"
Kira suddenly stood up and marched away. Nuto made to get up but Akite motioned him to sit. "Now, now. Kira will be fine. Anyway, this place…(sigh)…it is difficult to explain…but, one day, I was leading my pack somewhere we could find food. We walked here, at first it was a frozen tundra. We saw strange light coming from that mountain behind me."
They all looked to still see strange light coming from it. Akite's voice got them to look away from the mountain and back at him. "I, being the leader, went to the mountain top. There, I saw strange things…spirits. I called to them and to my shock, they answered. I asked if they knew a place where we may stay and eat. Now, there weren't an actual being, more like, those lights are them. They said to me, they could make this place the place we could stay, if we did everything they ever asked of us. We agreed and from then on, this place is protected. No human can ever see or find it. No harsh wind can brake through their protection. And in return, we do whatever it is they ask. We basically live in a bubble of protection. It is the spirits that make the seasons change, the living die, and all those sorts of things."
Everyone was speechless after Akite finished. "Now, let me ask you. Who are you, what is with your strange group?" Nuto shook off his shock "OH! Well, I'm Nuto, these are my friends Joyce (she waved), Ouji (he flew up then back down), and Greg (he glared at the leader but nodded). Well, this all started when-"
He basically told them everything that has happened so far. Akite nodded "I see. Hm, you have very fine leadership Nuto. I'm sure your father would be proud if he saw you now."
Nuto winced. He hit a nerve. "Um…s-sir? Wh-why did you…do you know my father?" Akite nodded "I have smelt this scent before which is why I allowed you to come with us. You may all stay until winter dies."
Nuto smiled widely "Thank you sir!" Akite nodded "Now I must leave you, feel free to do as you wish, you are our guests…" Greg frowned, he still didn't trust this guy, not one bit…
THE END…for now…
Ok, whaddya think? My sister said I should make it a little 'Brother Bear'-ish. More 'spiritual' if you will. So how was it? Did I put it in well? Was it to strong? Is Greg right to be suspicious? Review me and let me know/ to find out!
