Chapter 7
--
"Oh!" Lu gave out a breath of surprise. Nikko pulled back a distance, and went red.
"I-er, um...I didn't mean too, just kiss you like that-," He said scratching the back of his head. Lucrecia shook her head and laughed lightly.
"No, no its fine," She replied with a silly smile. Lu looked away to hide it and her blushing face. There was a moment of silence. "So...we should um, be getting to sleep now, huh? Punishment from Lola next morning may be too brutal for words," She finally said fiddling with a leaf.
"Yeah, sure," Nikko replied abruptly, immediately plopping down and not saying anything else. How stupid could I be anyway? It's obvious she doesn't like me that way...and I went ahead and kissed her...I deserve this silent treatment... Nikko thought angrily.
Lucrecia was also having trouble sleeping of course. It was so lovely how everything happened...the atmosphere and how it happened, was just so pleasant. What better place to kiss than this wonderful lake under the moon? Lu thought, what better person to kiss me then Nikko? She smiled to herself but felt bad that Nikko felt so bad. The annoyed and frustrated vibes coming from him were crystal clear. I'll make it up for him, She thought and went to sleep dreaming of a plan.
--
Lucrecia woke up to find Nikko gone, which she kinda didn't find surprising.
"Why does he regret it so much?" Lu muttered and got up. She walked along the edge of the lake, looking at it and wishing that everything was as easy and peaceful as the lake itself. She walked a little ways and suddenly realized her situation and panicked a little.
"Oh Nikko! Leaving without me when I don't know how to get back!" She cried in frustration. She thought a certain bush looked familiar and walked through it, then later saw the log Nikko had stood on last night. "Ha!" She laughed out in happiness, "This isn't so hard after all." She walked proudly down the dirt path and whistled. Then she stopped short when she saw a cute little white monkey chatting fast and looking at her.
She beamed and said, "Hello Mr. Monkey," Then was about to go on her way when she heard a thud and felt something on her back. "Hey!" She cried and picked up the nut that the monkey had thrown at her. She threw it back at him but missed, and the monkey seemed to laugh at her and jump up and down. "I may not have aim as good as you, Mr. Monkey, but that doesn't mean you have to mock me!" Lucrecia cried angrily. She turned to leave and felt another thud, spinning around angrily to the monkey she glared at him.
She was coming closer and closer to it but then heard a "Hey! Whatcha doing?" of a familiar voice and she turned back around. She displayed an "I'm mad but happy" smile.
"Nikko! Grr, where did you go?" She cried and ran to him.
"Stroll. You sleep way to late," He tossed a fruit at her and added, "Breakfast." She nibbled on it and pointed menacingly at the monkey who was watching them.
"That monkey kept hitting me with a nut then laughing at me!" She complained. The monkey displayed a row of pearly white teeth. Nikko tried to keep a straight face.
"That monkey?" He asked, then burst out laughing.
"Hey!" Lu cried and punched his shoulder. "It's not funny, now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get revenge-," She started and picked up a heavy rock, aiming it at the monkey.
"Whoa!" Nikko cried alarmingly and took the rock from her. "Don't kill it." He then yelled something in monkey language, and the monkey looked at Lucrecia, then Nikko and back and forth until finally shaking a fist at Nikko before disappearing.
"Whoa! How did you-," Lucrecia was about to ask but Nikko shook his head.
"For me to know and you to find out," He smirked.
"Oh really?" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway...you seem to be in a better mood this morning," She noted, crossing her arms.
"Oh...I was just, embarrassed by what I did last night," Nikko said turning to leave.
"Why?" Lu asked hurrying to catch up to him.
"Uh, maybe because I kissed you?" He replied.
"Well, why are you embarrassed? So what if you did? People do it all the time," Lucrecia said.
"I know that, but...I'm just not sure if...you know, you feel the same way," Nikko explained hesitantly. To Nikko's horror Lucrecia laughed. "What's so funny?!" He cried.
"Well, it's just that don't you think I would have slapped you or something if I didn't?" She asked, smirking.
"You'd really slap me?" He replied.
"Hmm...maybe, especially now since you ran off without me!" She cried and punched him again.
"Hey, what did this arm ever do to you?" He asked rubbing it.
"Got attached to the guy who ran off without me!" Lucrecia replied and Nikko let out a groan.
"Ok, ok! I get it," He said laughing.
They walked forward for a bit, then after awhile Lucrecia replied, "Well, to answer your desperate question, I do feel the same way."
"Oh really? Well thanks for telling me now," Nikko said shaking his head. Lucrecia laughed and pushed him up against a tree, kissing him quickly.
"Now...about that monkey language thing..."
--
They walked until they were feet away from the camp.
"Uh...you sure you want to go in there? We still have the chance to go back to our free life," Nikko reminded.
"Yeah, but...what's the use anyway? We might as well come back and receive our doom...the lake was all I needed to see anyway," Lucrecia replied then gulped.
"If you say so," Nikko sighed and took her hand. Lu gave his hand a soft squeeze before letting go, then went ahead of him into the camp. Nikko followed worriedly and as they looked around, they found it empty.
"Wow! Imagine our luck," Lucrecia exclaimed.
"Imagine indeed," Lola said out of nowhere. They turned around to find a very angry Lola glaring at them.
"Lola! Hi...," Nikko greeted and laughed nervously.
"Oooh if you KNEW how mad I was at you!" She sputtered. Then she just kinda growled and stomped inside the tent.
"Ah, so there are the runaways," A soft English voice said coming out of the tent as Lola went in. Jane came up to them and hugged Nikko. "Oh Nikko, why?" She asked. Nikko looked at the ground.
"You know me Jane! I don't like to be kept in captivity," He replied and brushed her arms off him.
"And Lucrecia, is it? I know I met you already, it's just you have such an exotic name," Jane said turning to Lu.
"Oh yeah, hehe. Um, sorry if we kinda worried everyone...we were ok, really...," Lucrecia replied.
"Lola is awfully mad. Leon said he wasn't surprised at all," Jane laughed. Nikko grumbled and sat on a crate. Jane said she'd be right back and went to her father, and Lucrecia turned to Nikko.
"I'll go talk to Lola...be right back," She said and reluctantly went inside the tent. Lola was fixing her bed and Lu cleared her throat to indicate that she had come in.
"Oh hello, finally decided to stay?" Lola asked.
"Look, Lola, I'm--we--are really sorry, it's just that we weren't going to experience the real jungle adventure in some smelly tent with you guys breathing down our necks-," Lu tried to explain quickly.
"Smelly?!" Lola cried.
"Er...nice and comfortable, yet boring tents," Lucrecia rephrased and laughed nervously. Lola shook her head.
"Why couldn't you just sleep here, then ask us to go on your adventure in the morning?" She asked.
"Because! That would be no fun. Oh Lola you should've seen the lake at night," Lucrecia said dreamily and plopped backwards on the bed.
"Imagine all the things that could've happened, and we were asleep thinking that Nikko and Lucrecia were actually being angels and sleeping in the tent next door," Lola replied instead, ignoring Lucrecia.
"Oh please, I'm not an angel," Lucrecia gushed.
"You're right! You're not!" Lola replied and dumped a stack of laundry in Lu's arms.
"Now to pay for what you've done!"
Lucrecia groaned and walked out. She gave Nikko a "can you believe this?" look as she strolled past and dumped the laundry in a crate full of water. Nikko snickered but heard a plop beside him soon after.
"You're next," Lola said and walked back. Lucrecia cracked up as Nikko looked at the dirty laundry reluctantly and picked it up piece by piece with caution.
"Shit...," Nikko shook his head.
"That better not be my batch," Leon commented walking by them.
"No. I think I have yours," Lucrecia replied holding up a pink frilly bra. Nikko laughed at Lu's cleverness and gave Leon a triumphant glare. Leon just popped a toothpick in his mouth and walked to the Gummi ship. Nikko and Lucrecia laughed and finished their punishment.
--
Later that night, when the sixsome were around the campfire, Leon announced they were leaving back to Traverse Town tomorrow.
"Noooo," Nikko and Lucrecia wailed in unison.
"There's nothing left to do. Lu met Tarzan and Jane, plus saw the jungle. Cid and I found no more Heartless tracks. They've probably all gone," Leon replied.
"But we're going late in the afternoon, so you guys can sleep here, and then explore in the morning. Or, whatever you kids do," Lola added. Lucrecia looked towards a dark side of the jungle, where the flame's lighting did not reach. She had hoped that she would maybe meet or find evidence that he was alive...this was a different world after all.
"Did Tarzan or Jane ever say anything about finding someone, from somewhere else, anytime around here?" Lucrecia asked suddenly.
"No...I don't think so. I think they would've known if an intruder came here...," Leon replied after awhile.
Lu nodded and looked down at her feet. Leon was right, besides, she didn't think he had landed here anyway. She'd just have to keep on hoping. As everyone got ready for bed, Lucrecia was the first to go in her tent. She didn't feel too good, because she was worried if she'd ever find her friend again. She never got to say good-bye, or anything, and they had sworn to stick by each other. Even our weddings and stuff, he had said, and Lu smiled weakly at the memory of when they were like, five or something. She heard someone, most likely Nikko, come in.
"Hey, are you ok?" He asked. She turned around wiping her eyes.
"Oh, yeah! Sure, why do you ask?" She replied in her most cheerful voice. Nikko gave her a forward look. She looked down. "I'm sorry. It's something personal, don't worry about it," She replied and turned on the gas lamp on the table side.
"I want to know. If it's bothering you, you should be able to talk about it to feel better. Just, not if it's like some girl thing...," Nikko added and Lucrecia laughed.
"No, it's something relating to my past life sort of," She replied.
"Oh." Nikko sat on the squishy sleeping bag next to Lucrecia's bed. Lu gave a chuckle.
"You know, if you want to sleep on the bed be my guest," She proposed.
"Nah, I'm used to it by now," Nikko replied and Lu lay down on the bed and laughed. "Don't think you're going to get away. Tell me your secret!" Nikko pleaded.
"It's not a secret, just something important to me," Lu replied shifting. Nikko got out of the sleeping bag on the ground and lay down on the edge of her bed, leaning on his elbows. "Please...?" He pleaded again.
"Why do you care so much?" Lu laughed turning around and laying the same way as him and facing him.
"Because...," Nikko insisted twirling a strand of her hair.
"Ok fine! But...don't tell anyone. It's not a big deal, and I don't want everyone feeling sorry for me or anything...or most of all, trying to help. Got it?" Lucrecia asked. Nikko nodded. Lucrecia told him all about the clan war, and about her parents, and most of all...about Natoe.
She was too young to realize at the time what had happened when she had lost her family, but a few years later someone told her all about it. Over ten years ago, it was the big Clan war. Clan Kambei and Clan Geos started a fight over a Mythril mine. Both clans were skilled ninjas and fighters, and in the end none of them won, it was a tie and nearly everyone who was involved in the war died.
Lots of kids lost their families, and all because of some stupid Mythril. After the end of the war, both clans swore to each other never to fight again.They gave up training and only did things like Chocobo breeding. Lucrecia and Natoe both came to the same orphanage though they were from different clans. Lucrecia was from Clan Kambei, Natoe from Geos, but they didn't know that, and they wouldn't have cared either.
They soon became best friends and Lucrecia was glad she got him. Most of the time she was together with boys, but always they were only her friends. The girls avoided her or made fun of Lucrecia, they thought she was a weirdo cause she trained sword fighting and was not into the girl stuff. Natoe also was kind of an outsider, a lot of kids hated him for being a member of the Geos clan. They hated that clan, because somebody spread rumors that Geos started the war. But it was not true. Both clans started it.
"He was my best friend, faced with the same problem as me. We stuck together at all times, we were a lot like...you know, me and you now," Lu explained.
"...So, was he your boyfriend?" Nikko asked. Lu smiled and shook her head.
"Nah, not really. I don't think he likes me that way. We're much better off as friends...or, were better off. I'm not sure where he is or even if he's still alive," Lucrecia replied and her eyes swelled up with tears slightly.
"Oh," Nikko said, looking up at her in sympathy.
"See? There was no reason to tell you. Now you probably think I'm sad all the time with finding him and worried all the time, I'm not! Yes, I think of him once in awhile, just to wonder if he's alive, but I've adapted to my new life. That's it!" Lucrecia cried. Nikko laughed.
"I didn't even say anything! Look, it's sad you lost your friend, but he might turn up. I won't help you find him unless you ask me," Nikko replied putting his hand up. Lu laughed and grabbed his hand.
"Promise?" She asked. He shook her hand then kissed it.
"Yup," He replied and fell off to his sleeping bag.
"Are you ok?" Lu asked after laughing.
"Yeah," He replied scratching his head and Lu laughed again.
"You laugh so much. I never really considered myself funny," Nikko said after awhile.
"I laugh when I'm happy ok! And with you I'm always happy," She replied softly, with sleep almost to her eyes.
"Did you laugh a lot with Natoe?" Nikko asked curiously. Lucrecia groaned and smacked his head with her pillow.
--
The next morning (after being forced to do the dishes) Nikko showed Lucrecia to a different trail, where it lead to the top of a cliff, looking down upon the lake.
"Awesome!" Lu cried. Nikko took her hand and led her inside a secret cave near the cliff.
"There's something cooler in here!" He replied and he let her go first, and they came to a wider chamber inside the cave. Soon they were behind the very waterfall that fell into the lake, and Lucrecia practically fainted.
"Oh Nikko," She breathed while swaying slightly.
"I know! Cool huh?" He agreed proudly. They stayed there for awhile, watching the water fall loudly. Then they went back to the cliff and watched the sunset.
"Beats Traverse Town, huh?" Nikko asked.
"By a mile," Lu replied laying her head on his shoulder.
"Too bad we have to go-," Suddenly Nikko got up and Lu fell over.
"Hey! What's the problem?" She asked getting up.
"We were supposed to go today remember? We need to go--now," Nikko explained and turned around to leave. Lucrecia took one last look at the sun and followed him. While they were on the trail, Nikko smelled something weird.
"Hey-smell that?" He asked. Lu shook her head. Nikko didn't really want to let it go, it smelled so familiar.
"Nikko, what's wrong? We should leave, Lola is going to have a fit," Lu worried placing a hand on his arm. He brushed it off and looked back at her.
"We can't leave just yet. Something's wrong," He said. Lu suddenly gasped and grabbed his arm.
"Nikko, look!" Nikko looked down and saw the faintest hint of dark mist.
"No! I knew it, there's still more, they're here," He growled. Nikko concentrated around while he also slipped out his blade. They walked a little farther, when the first one appeared. Nikko slashed at it instantly and it disappeared. He saw Lu take out two.
"Pretty good, I didn't know you could fight," Nikko said grinning at her. She twirled around professionally and put on a proud smile.
"There's a load of things you don't know about me," She replied. Nikko didn't have time to make a comment, swarms of Heartless suddenly appeared. Nikko cornered a dozen or so and slashed them, while Lu was struggling a bit. "I think I got the majority of the mob!" She called while trying to kill a flying one. Nikko killed it and helped her out. When they were all gone, Lucrecia put her hands on her knees and caught her breath.
"Tired already?" Nikko snickered, with no evidence of exhaustion.
"Yeah, well, I wasn't ready. Let's just go," Lu replied waving the idea away.
"You never have time to be ready. They come when they want, and when you don't want them too," Nikko said solemnly placing his blade back.
"Mr. Wise Mouth," Lu muttered. They walked towards the camp and everyone was loading things in. "Are we late?" Lu asked Lola.
"A little. You're lucky we didn't take off without you," She replied in a huff. Nikko and Lucrecia helped with the loading until it was time to go. When they were getting in, Lucrecia went last, but stayed behind first and took one last glance at the jungle.
"We can fly over the lake, if you want," Leon said softly behind her. Lucrecia turned around.
"Oh! You scared me. Sure, I'd love that," She replied beaming up at him. Leon nodded and helped her get in. When they took off, he kept a good level in the air and peering through the window Lucrecia looked down at the lake below.
"I'll never forget that place," She murmured to herself. After all, it was very beautiful, and just to herself, that was the place she'd gotten her first kiss. She lucked out that it wasn't against her will, or somewhere totally trashy. And it definitely wasn't meaningless. She looked over at Nikko who was in deep discussion with Leon.
"I hope you had fun on your first trip," Aeris suddenly said to Lu, and Lu looked back at her. "Oh, yes, it was fantastic," Lucrecia agreed smiling at her. Aeris nodded and looked back at Lola who had started talking to her again. Nikko came by and sat next to her.
"I told Leon about the Heartless, he wasn't...er, too happy about it," Nikko said scratching the back of his head. Lu laughed.
"What did he say?" She asked smiling at him.
"He got mad at me for not telling him earlier, then he just sorta grunted when I told him me and you wiped practically all of them out," Nikko replied.
"Well, we did," Lucrecia said back, loud enough for Leon to hear. Nikko laughed and looked down at the lake through the window, just as they were leaving it.
"That was amazing, when we went to the lake. Better than the first time I went there," Nikko said quietly as they finally left it.
"I loved it, I want to live there or something, I don't know! Just...at least go back someday," Lu replied.
"I'll take you back, don't worry," Nikko promised and smiled at her. Lu nodded and tried to focus on the scenery outside the window but it was hard. She wanted to chat excitedly with Nikko, sit on his lap, or just kiss him right then and there. Back at her village, all the snotty teenage girls who had a different boyfriend every week would always fool around with them and flirt with them non-stop. Lu didn't really know how and most of all didn't want to do it in front of everyone, plus Nikko might find her weird. So she mustered all her courage and simply held his hand. She didn't look at him, and he didn't say anything, but he held her hand still.