Sloth
"But what do we do about him? Obviously, we should be concerned."
"It's probably just a phase, he'll get over it."
"It isn't natural for a Xiaolin warrior to be thinking about world conquest!"
"This must be dealt with severe action!"
"Is there a way to drop him from the classes?"
"No. Only if he quit, and he's under our care and our responsibility until he's an adult."
"Someone needs to talk to him..."
Chase was listening outside the door of the meditation room. He knew he couldn't trust anyone now...
...And he never would.
A voice in the back of his mind told him he had just lost the bright future his peers were surely to have.
_.:._
There was something about Spring that made their superiors more annoying than usual. Perhaps, it was that they not only made their students meticulously clean the temple, but also felt the need to cleanse their souls as well.
"Today, you will be learning Diligence."
A lone hand was raised.
"Why?" Chase said, more questioning his master than the actual lesson itself.
"Because... being lazy and careless invites the desire to sin."
The world seemed to stop for a moment.
Their master went on. "So, you'll be taking care of an animal for a month. You will feed it, bathe it, walk it... and give it a name."
As he was walking away, he added, almost with a smirk. "Have fun."
Another teacher strode in, carrying a very noisy, moving burlap bag. He set it on the ground, and let the inhabitants scamper out.
"Puppies!" Both Dashi and Guan shrieked as they ran over to pick up one for each of them. The smallest one, the runt of the group Chase guessed, walked towards him and looked up with sad, depressing eyes.
Damn it.
He picked it up and cradled it against his chest. It squirmed at first, but eventually grew still and silent. He realized she was asleep... in his arms.
Aww, damn it you're cute!
Dogs were... okay, but Chase would've much preferred a cat, or even a plant. Not that he had grudge against canines, it's just... he didn't really like them...
... At least until now.
"What shall I name you?"
He immediately thought of his family left in their little village, hoping that one-day when their only son was all grown up and famous, that he would come visit them. He thought of his younger sister, Kamei, buried by a cherry tree on the hill by their house.
He missed her, so very much.
"Kamei..."
(2 weeks later...)
"Have my food, Kamei. I'm not all that hungry anyways."
The young teenager and the dog were sitting across from each other. Chase wasn't eating with his classmates, as usual. He was feeling really unsocial today.
Kamei, almost like a human, pushed back the plate, as if to say: "Eat, brother. Please?"
"Oh, very well. But you have to eat too. How about this?" He said as he took out some of the food from his plate. "We'll split it in half. That way, I won't worry you, and you won't worry me."
On the other side of the courtyard...
"What is he doing?"
Dashi and Guan were eating together, as always.
"Taking this assignment too seriously, I guess."
"He's being weirder than usual."
"Yeah, that's Chase for ya'."
"So antisocial..."
Later that night...
Kamei's soft whimpering woke Chase up. He raised his head and saw the dog, patiently sitting by his door. She had to go.
(Later...)
It's been five minutes.
"Kamei? Kamei, come here!"
He looked around franticly, finally resting his eyes on the blackish small body of a dog at least fifty yards away, who was stopped in mid-trot.
"Kamei?"
The dog gazed back, her longing expression read: "Aren't you coming brother?"
They waited there in silence for what seemed like forever.
Kamei lowered her head, and ran away. Chase would never see her again.
(Elsewhere...)
"Oh, you poor thing! How did you get here?" The woman exclaimed as she came to visit her daughter, and finding a very frail and weak animal lying on her grave.
Maybe I'll keep you...
"I'll name you... Kamei."
~xXx~
Chase opened his eyes to find himself among rows and rows of books; He fell asleep in his library. He got up, and made his way towards the front door. He thought he heard something familiar...
He wouldn't go through that again.
(Later...)
Jack found a small, crying box outside. Upon further inspection, he realized what it was.
"Aww, a puppy!"
X
Sorry for the long wait, guys... and the weird chapter...
Anyways, thank you all for bearing with me!
- xXAwesomnessKiraXx