A/N: Alright everybody, I take it you all know what time it is, right? Time for a new update for Episode Three! I hope the last update was enough to leave you guys craving for more, because now it's going to delve into Max and Chloe's journey to Mt. Everest even more. As well as satisfy all of those who can't get enough of Max and Everest's mother/son relationship. So, let's continue! Enjoy!
Previously on Life is Abominable...
Max, Chloe, Yi, Jin, and Peng discover Everest has powers of his own, and can command the elemental forces of nature around him. Everest demonstrates this power by making several bushes bloom gigantic blueberries that only get bigger and bigger, causing an avalanche that sent some of them coming down from the sky like comets from space. Max uses her focused rewind ability to reverse the avalanche, but fulls unconscious as a result of overexerting her powers. While unconscious, Max has another vision of the bridge and encounters Rachel Amber's spirit doe as well as a giant silhouette of an unknown creature standing at the top of Mt. Everest. After awakening from her vision, Max helps the still hyper Peng and Everest wind down from all the caffeine they drank with a dance party in the jungle, in which everyone but Jin took part in. Now, the group turn in for the night to get a proper night's rest before heading off into the Yellow Mountains by morning time...
Somewhere outside the Yellow Mountain. 8:03 PM
Jin laid down next to Max and Chloe who were staring all the way up at the sky. Max was using her camera bag as a pillow, and Chloe rolled up her jacket to make a pillow of her own. Yi walked over to them and laid right next to Chloe, using her own backpack as a pillow as well.
"Is it a problem if I lay down next to you guys?" asked Yi. Chloe only shook her head before she spoke to reply to her question.
"Have a seat, Pete" she said. Yi then nodded and looked all the up at the beautiful night sky. It looked absolutely amazing to the young girl, she had only seen such a beautiful display of stars before in edited photos used for smartphone wallpapers.
"There's so many of 'em" Max whispered.
"What? Bugs?" Jin said in an irritated tone of voice before he slapped the side of his face to squash a fly that was resting on his cheek. Now, a mix of black and brown stained his cheek where the fly he swatted once rested.
"Stars" Max corrected.
"I know right? I didn't think the sky could look this beautiful at night" Yi said in agreement.
"Reminds me of when Rachel and I used to hang out in her room. She had this cool globe-lamp thingy that projected stars onto the ceiling. It's like we were floating around the galaxy, and we also liked to imagine we were drifting among the stars while holding hands" Chloe piped in.
"Rachel Amber must have been very special to you, huh?" Yi asked.
"I loved her. She saved me during a time in my life where I was broken and had nobody else. I owed so much to her, and I was devastated to learn she was murdered. I'm still haunted by dreams of Max and I digging up her body in the junkyard. All I ever wanted to do was kill Nathan Prescott for what he did with Jefferson's help" Chloe explained. Max then turned to face Chloe, shifting to her side to look at her better.
"Chloe, I'm so sorry about Rachel. And... I'm not trying to replace Rachel, I never could replace what the two of you had" Max began.
"I know you're not. And honestly, I've never been more grateful that you were there to pick up the pieces and help me get my revenge on both Nathan and Jefferson" Chloe said as she turned around as well to face Max. Jin and Yi both sat up and watched as the two American girls conversed about the past.
"And... I've been thinking" Max said.
"About what?" asked Chloe.
"Like I said, I'm not trying to replace Rachel. But... if you wanted... we could..." Max said, struggling to find a way to make it sound less corny. Chloe then placed her index finger on Max's lips to signal her to stop talking before she spoke.
"I would like that. I'd like that a whole lot, Max" the blue-haired girl answered. Max was surprised at her response, she was expecting her to get mad and rage at her for trying to take Rachel's place. But instead, she was being understanding about it, and even smiled too.
"You would?" Max asked.
"Yeah. Remember when you stayed the night at my place after we took over the Blackwell swimming pool?" Chloe asked.
"And when you dared me to kiss you the next morning?" asked Max with an amused tone of voice.
"I wasn't actually expecting you to kiss me, to be honest. Took me by surprise a little bit. But when your lips actually touched mine for just a second, it felt like a bajillion fireworks exploded at the back of my head. It was honestly, one of the best feelings of my life" Chloe explained. Max blushed at how Chloe described their first kiss.
"So, does this make us girlfriends now?" asked Max.
"Hella yes it does. Consider me your girlfriend and live-in gal pal" answered Chloe before lying back down on her back.
"You already were my live-in gal pal before this whole thing, but thanks for that" Max replied before she lied back down on her back as well.
"No problemo, hippie" Chloe replied, making Max snicker a bit at being called 'Hippie' at the end of that sentence. Yi and Jin smiled before they lied back down. Jin's smile faded and became irritated once again as he began swatting away at the bugs in the air.
"How come they're only swarming me?" asked Jin.
"Maybe they're ladybugs" Yi suggested, which made Max and Chloe start to laugh out loud. This earned Yi a fist-bump from Chloe. Jin made a mock laugh before replying to Yi's joke.
"Not funny" Jin said.
"It's Hella funny, pretty-boy" said Chloe. The four of them resumed looking up at the stars and enjoyed the silence until they heard Peng spoke up.
"My mom told me that the stars are our ancestors who always watched over us" he said.
"My mom says that too" Yi replied. The thought of that made Chloe smile. She then began thinking of her father, William, who died in a car accident while on his way to pick up her mother from the supermarket.
"That sounds really nice. Makes me wonder if my dad's up there, watching over me, maybe even guiding me" the blue-haired girl said.
"I wouldn't doubt it. Even though some of the choices you made in your life weren't exactly the right ones, I know for a fact that William would be proud of you" said Max, wanting to add to the conversation.
"Thanks, Max. I needed to hear that" Chloe said before a tear fell down her eye and she wiped it away with the backside of her hand. Peng then ran up to Yi and swiped her backpack from underneath her head and emptied it out onto the ground before putting it on his head to make himself look like a monster.
"My backpack? Peng, seriously?" Yi asked before Peng walked over to Everest wearing the backpack mask and making the Yeti laugh. Max smiled at hearing Everest laugh, and it made her heart feel warm all over whenever she heard or saw Everest happy and having fun. She wondered to herself if this is what a mother's love feels like while she rested her hand over where her heart is.
"No, no, no! Great, zero reception. I'm completely cut off from my social life!" Jin exclaimed as he looked around for any form of signal on his phone.
"Oh boo-hoo, how traumatic" Chloe replied sarcastically.
"I'm siding with Chloe on this. It's not the end of the world if you're cut off from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or whatever the Hell it is you're on your phone 24/7 for" said Yi.
"Yeah, Yi! It is! Because, unlike you, I like having friends! I'm not some kind of a..." Jin said, trying to find the right word for how he would describe Yi, but the girl finished for him, and she sounded pretty mad at what Jin was going to say.
"A loner? Is that what you were going to say? Well, for your info, I'm a self-proclaimed loner. There's a difference, okay? And I DO happen to have friends, they happen to be lying right next to us listening to your popular-boy BS right now" said Yi. Max and Chloe felt touched and honored at the same time when Yi said that she considered them her friends even though they only knew her for just a few days.
"Fine, because in the morning, Peng and I are going back to the city" Jin said while he tapped away on his phone, hoping for even a single bar of reception to make it work. Max then sat up and faced him.
"I'm not leaving him, neither is Chloe" Max said.
"Me either" said Yi.
"Max..." Jin said with a tone of voice that made it sound like he was giving them a warning.
"Everest chose me. I don't know why of all people I was chosen to take him back home, but I'm not just going to give up and go back. Besides, you've seen what he can do. He's amazing, he's got powers like me! I mean, I dunno if he can rewind time like I can or not, but, still though! It's almost... magical" said Max.
"Exactly! That's exactly what it is! Magical!" Yi exclaimed with a large smile on her face.
"Oh, so now he's a magical Yeti? Do you realize how crazy you sound?" asked Jin.
"Do I need to freeze you in time again like I did on the roof?" Max said holding up her hand, getting ready to follow through on her threat to use her powers to freeze him in time once again. Jin's expression went pale and he held up his hands before shaking his head a bit. He did NOT want to be frozen in time like before.
"That's what I thought" Max said before putting her hand back down.
"Look what he did with the blueberries. That's no natural phenomenon, Jin. Only someone with powers could do something like that. It makes you wonder if there are other people like Max and Everest who have powers too" Chloe said as she sat up and joined in on the discussion. They all looked to Everest and Peng who were having a thumb war, Everest began to laugh out loud while Peng exclaimed "You Cheated!" at the large Yeti. The two then began to playfully wrestle and roll around with one another and laugh as they did so.
"Huh, thought that dance party you threw would have drained their batteries, Max" Chloe said.
"Yeah, I'd have expected them to be asleep right now after that" Yi said in agreement.
"What do you expect, they're just kids" Max replied. Chloe and Yi gasped and stood up from where they lied down before.
"Are you serious?" Chloe asked.
"What?" Max replied.
"Everest is really just a kid?" asked Yi.
"Yes, he is. I know he is, because he told me. Last night, when we got on board that ship that took us to that port, I heard him speak inside my head, he called me 'Mama'. He's just a child, he's probably Peng's age in Yeti years" Max explained.
"That explains his hyper-active behavior. Only children have that kind of energy inside them. And it explains why both Peng and Everest get along so well" Yi said.
"I know I joked about you being a Yeti-Mama before but now... holy shiznit! Max, you really ARE a Yeti-Mama!" Chloe exclaimed in awe at what she had just heard.
"Right, there's no way that giant thing is a kid" Jin said while crossing his arms against his chest with his eyes narrowed.
"Yeti telepathy doesn't lie, Jin" Chloe said in defense of Max's statement. Yi then picked up three rocks, one was short while the other three were tall. Max and Chloe watched as Yi ran down and stood in front of Everest.
"Watch, I'll prove it to you" Yi said to Jin before turning to face the Yeti. She then held up the shortest rock in front of him.
"This is you" she said before placing it down on the ground in front of him. After that, she placed the two tall rocks behind the short one and close together as well.
"And, your parents" Yi concluded.
"Aw, you have your mother's eyes" Peng said softly. Everest then got a sad look as he stared down at the rocks. Max began to panic and ran over towards her surrogate-son.
"It's okay, sweetie. Don't cry, we're going to get you home to your mother and father. That's a promise" Max said in the voice only an angel would speak in. Everest then looked up at Max and then back down at the rocks before looking over at Max once again.
"Hoo-boy. This could be a problem" Chloe said in a worried tone of voice.
"What is?" Yi asked.
"Yeah, what's a problem?" asked Peng. Everest then walked up to Max and placed his large hand on her chest and stomach. The young Yeti then grunted in a way that sounded like he was trying to formulate words. They all heard as Everest's grunt came out as the word "Mama". Yi, Chloe, Peng, and Jin gasped and went wide eyed at this revelation. Max then shook her head before she picked up the two rocks that were supposed to represent Everest's parents.
"No, THESE are your parents. I'm just... Max" she said, trying to convince Everest that he already had a family. Everest shook his head and placed his hand on her chest and stomach again. Everest grunted out the word "Mama" again in response to this.
"That's what worries me. What happens when we finally make it to the Himalayas? Everest's already grown so attached to Max already and he clearly sees her as his new mother" said Chloe.
"It makes sense actually. He was alone and locked up a prisoner inside that compound with nobody to cry out for help except Max. It's the most logical thing for Everest to trust Max" Yi explained. Max then sighed and decided to play along with it before she walked closer to Everest.
"Yeah. I'm your mama, big guy" Max said out loud before planting a kiss above his nose. Jin just watched in silence, both in awe and in shock. This was a lot of him to take in, and he felt like the world wasn't normal anymore. He hated change and wanting things to go back to how they were. Then he began thinking about the words Max said to him back on the truck, he wondered if her words were really true, or just something she said because she didn't like how he lived his life.
"Still though, we need to get him back home to his birth-family on Mt. Everest" Yi said. Jin then broke his silence.
"What about your family? Don't they need you too? Always busy, never home. What's that all about Yi?" Yi looked offended at what Jin had just said and Chloe looked even more offended.
"Hey! Too far, pretty-boy! Too. Effing. FAR!" Chloe said pointing her index finger at his nose. She was so close to punching him in the face so hard his nose would break, but before she could, Yi spoke up to reply to what Jin had said.
"Don't talk to me about family. You have no idea! No idea! Your life is so easy, Jin! Do you even want to be a doctor? Or do you just think you'll... I dunno, you'll look good in white?" Yi asked.
"Alright, call me shallow all you want. At least I'm not delusional or have superpowers like your new friends you seem to care so much about" said Jin as he began walking away. Yi wasn't finished talking though.
"Max is right you know. One day you're going to die and all everybody's ever going to remember about you is how you were always on your phone and had all these lady friends you barely even knew. The world's out there, Jin, not on your phone" Yi concluded before walking over to where she was lying down before and went to sleep. Max and Chloe then looked towards each other.
"We should probably get some sleep too, Max" Chloe said before walking over to where Yi was.
"Agreed" she said before walking over to Everest and gave him another kiss on the bridge of his nose area.
"Goodnight, Everest. Mama will see you in the morning" Max said using her telepathy.
"Goodnight, Mama" Everest replied in Max's thoughts before he lied down on his belly and used his arms like a pillow before closing his eyes and allowing sleep to take control. Max and Peng then walked over to the others and lied down next to Jin, Yi, and Chloe before they descended into a peaceful dreamless slumber.
The Next Morning. 6:02 AM
Max woke up earlier than the others. She noticed that the sky above them still had stars flickering around it, while a sheet of bright pink slightly intruded on the beautiful dark blue night sky. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but she was still awake. She then looked to see Jin, Peng, and Chloe were still asleep on the ground but Everest and Jin weren't there. Max felt a small wave of worry flow over her before she heard the sound of a violin fill the air. The brunette then saw the silhouettes of a girl and a Yeti on the edge of a cliff, she could only guess that was Yi playing and she had Everest as an audience.
"There you are" Max whispered so she wouldn't wake the others up. Max then stood up and placed her camera bag on her shoulder before walking over to where she could find Everest and Yi. After she got close enough, she hid behind a tree so she wouldn't be seen by the two of them, but she couldn't resist watching Yi play the violin so beautifully. But then, something about the tune she played felt familiar to Max.
"Wait, I know this tune" she whispered before she took out her Polaroid and took a picture of Everest watching Yi play the violin. The flash and the sound of the photo being printed was enough to make Everest look to see Max, and Yi stopped playing the minute she saw the flash.
"That was... beautiful" said Max before she shook the photo to make it develop faster and placed it back inside her bag with her camera. Yi only smiled at the compliment.
"Thanks, my dad played this song for me when I was little whenever I had a bad dream. It helped me get to sleep in seconds" Yi explained.
"That was Hallelujah right?" asked Max. Yi looked confused and Everest raised an eye in confusion.
"Wait, what? What did you call it?" Yi asked.
"The song you were playing. I recognize it back in America. It's called "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. It's actually a very famous song. A lot of different artists have done their own versions of it over the years. Two of my favorite covers are from Lindsey Stirling and Rufus Wainwright" Max told her.
"Is that what it is? I always thought it was a tune he wrote" Yi said in amazement while staring down at the violin.
"Yeah. I've heard the song so many times I actually know it by heart" Max told her.
"Really? You mind uh... singing it for me? I'll provide the instrumentals" Yi asked, getting ready to play again.
"Alright, yeah. That sounds great" Max said before clearing her voice and took in a deep breath before she exhaled and nodded to Yi to start playing the music. Yi then began to play while Max began to sing the lyrics.
"Now I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah!
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah"
Yi couldn't believe was she was hearing, Max's voice was breathtakingly amazing. She felt like her father was singing to her through Max. The song was special to her because it reminded her so much of her father, but she didn't know all that much about it. Now that Max had told her and began singing it while she played, it only made the song all the more special. Everest was also watching as Max sang, he had a dreamy look on his face with a relaxed smile to go with it. He loved his surrogate mother's singing. Yi kept on playing, wanting to hear more of the song.
"Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to the kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah!
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah"
Little did Max and Yi know that their playing and singing had woken up Chloe, Peng, and Jin. They looked around and saw that it was still very early in the morning, and Max, Yi, and Everest weren't there. They didn't have to exchange words to show how worried they were, but they began following the music and the singing over to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the Yellow Mountains to see Yi and Max singing and playing a song together while Everest watched the brunette girl in awe at how incredible her voice was. The three smiled at how beautiful it was before sitting down on the grass and quietly watched the song continue.
"Maybe I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold, and it's a broken Hallelujah!
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah"
Max and Yi sang the "Hallelujah" verse of the song together when that part had come. Max was equally surprised at Yi's singing. Her voice was just as good as her violin playing, and Everest enjoyed every moment of his Mama and Yi making beautiful music together.
SNAP!
The three turned their heads to see Chloe, Jin, and Peng standing underneath the shade of the trees watching them perform. Chloe was smiling and so was Jin, Peng was genuinely surprised, he had never actually heard Yi play before.
"Wait! Don't stop! It's really good!" Peng urged as he ran over to Max, Everest, and Yi. The Chinese girl looked embarrassed and placed her violin back inside it's case before shutting it loudly. Max wanted Yi to keep playing, but she couldn't stop her from putting the instrument away. It slightly broke Max's heart to see Yi look so embarrassed and ashamed at her amazing talent for music.
"Max, I had no idea you could sing like that. That was beautiful! I didn't even think ever heard you sing before, it was amazing! Yi, your playing was beautiful too" Chloe said as she praised both of them on their performances.
"Your Nai Nai said you stopped playing after your dad died" Peng said. Jin looked to Peng with narrowed eyes and began to scold the younger boy.
"Peng! Little insensitive!" he reprimanded.
"It's okay, Jin. Really" Yi reassured him with a small smile on her face.
"Was this your dad's violin?" Peng asked as he placed his hand on top of the case that carried the instrument Yi played so beautifully alongside Max's voice.
"Yeah" she replied simply.
"You know, I really liked your dad" Peng said, hoping his compliment would give Yi a sliver of comfort.
"Thanks, Peng" Yi replied. Jin had a sad look of guilt on his face, he began regretting everything he said last night. But, being the prideful person he was, changed his look to a small smile and turned to face Max and Yi.
"Well, we better head out if we're gonna make it to the Yangtze River" Jin said.
"Yeah, we should. We need to stay ahead of Burnish and that psycho scientist of his if we're going to make it there without a problem" said Chloe. Max nodded in agreement before turning to face the Yeti and speak to him using her telepathic bond with him.
"Alright Everest, time to go. We're going over the Yellow Mountains" said Max with her thoughts. Everest nodded in reply to show Max he understood and began walking alongside her. Yi then looked over to Jin, hopeful that he changed his mind about everything he thought and said and he would continue to accompany them on their quest to the Himalayas.
"You're coming?" Yi said with hope in her voice.
"Yeah. I checked and Dahe village has boats leaving for the city every hour" Jin told her. Yi sighed sadly and Chloe shot a death glare at him. The blue-haired girl hated that he was only keeping up with them just so he could get something he wanted. She shook her head at him with disapproval in her eyes before turning around and placed her arm around Yi for comfort and reassurance as they started following Max and Everest. Chloe then turned her head to face Jin as she walked.
"When we get there you can take a boat back, but Yi and I are still going to help Max take Everest home. We're going to get there with or without you, Jin" Chloe said with scorn in her voice before turning her head back to face the road ahead of them. Jin and Peng then began walking as well to keep up with the others as they began their long hike over the Yellow Mountains.
A/N: Part three is complete! I hope you all liked this one, even though the walking part of the journey hadn't really picked back up yet. But we did get some emotional moments as well as a duet of "Hallelujah" with Max and Yi, which I really enjoyed writing. But, next update, the journey continues as Max, Chloe, Everest and the others begin to climb the Yellow Mountains. Please review, thanks!