14: Stuck
The last thing Maribel could see before she hit the ground as a bright light. When she woke up all she could see was darkness. That and someone roughly shaking her.
"Hey! Hey, are you okay?"
"Mmm..." Maribel slowly got up, "I-I'm fine."
"Maribel?"
"Eh?" Maribel looked up, "K-Kai? What are you doing here?"
"Getting through this mountain." Kai frowned, "What are YOU doing here?"
"Same as you."
"Really? Could've fooled me, falling down here with all those rocks."
"It's not fault! I was fighting some people!"
"Who?"
"Moriya Shrine worshipers."
Kai choked back a laugh, "M-Moriya? Boy, what did you do, kill one of them? They're one of the few nicest and most decent people around."
"I didn't do anything...besides working with Reimu."
"The Hakurei Miko?" Kai blinked, "Wow, I just thought it was a coincidence that you have a CMarisa and that kid had a CReimu, but you 2 actually work for that chick?"
"CMarisa, that's right! Where is she?" Maribel cried, scrambling around in the dark.
"I returned her to your orb." Kai sighed, "When you 2 came crashing down, you landed on top of the Doll I was using that had Flash. Both of them fainted."
"Oh...sorry."
"At least you know I can't fight you right now."
"Then...Renko. Do you know where he is?"
"That kid? No clue."
"mar...Maribel...MARIBEL!"
"RENKO!" Maribel cried as she heard my voice.
"Careful!" Kai cried.
Maribel yelped as she smashed into something and fell.
"We're trapped." Kai sighed, "Those rocks that fell with you? It's a miracle we're still alive."
"Renko!" Maribel called, pounding against the rocks.
"Are you even listening to me?" Kai snarled.
"Maribel!" I cried, running towards the rock formation where I heard her voice, "Are you okay?"
"Yes!"
"Don't worry! I'll get you out soon!" I said, grabbing a rock.
"Don't. One wrong move and the rocks will come falling on top of us."
"Who was that?" I frowned.
"It's Kai! He's stuck with me."
"Oh. ...Tell him I said 'Hi.'"
"Renko says-"
"I know."
"More importantly how can I get you out of there?"
"Find help." Kai suggested, "There's got to be a rescue squad that can...you know...rescue us."
"Okay. I'll be back. Just wait!"
"Okay!" Maribel called.
"Looks like we're saved." Maribel smiled.
"What are you smiling about?" Kai frowned.
"Renko's going to save us. What's wrong?"
"How do you know he's going to find help? Or even come back at all?"
"Why wouldn't he come back?"
"Why would he? From what I can understand, you found him, helped him and just hang out with him. Did he even want to be a trainer?"
"Well...no."
"Exactly. From his point of view, he's forced to train Dolls while some girl follows him around for some reason. Sure I would be fine with it, but if you ended up like this, I would really wonder what the hell I'm doing...or what's wrong with everyone."
"What are you saying?"
"From what I can see, you're more of a burden than a friend."
"T-That's...I..."
"..."
"..."
"...Oh...sorry."
"No, it's fine." Maribel said, "You're...probably right."
"..."
"I'm not much of a friend am I?" Maribel smiled sadly, "Unlike Rikako or Remu, I don't know anything of use. I thought that he would need my help starting out, but there's nothing I can teach him."
"That's why you follow him around?"
"..."
"Hey, maybe he doesn't mind you hanging around."
"No. Renko often doubts what I can do and he often talks to Reimu or Rikako. I'm just ignored."
"I-It can't be that bad."
"Because of me Renko had to fight MY butler and...well...you."
"Wow. Am I really that much of a bother?"
"Not really a bother...just the occasional nuisance."
"Aw."
"..."
Kai and Maribel silently sat there for a long time.
"...Screw this."
"Eh?" Maribel looked up.
"From what I heard, Renko seems like a jerk. I can't...I don't even want someone like him rescuing me. I'll get us out of here with my own hands."
"H-Hey." Maribel said as Kai approached the rocks, "Don't be reckless."
"I'm not. I'll rescue us and I'm going to kick that Renko's ass for good measure."
"Don't worry about it."
"I can't do that. It's like you're stuck in a abusive relationship. It's just hard to look at...well...hear about. I'd rather die than be saved by him."
"And what if you fail?" Maribel asked, "You may be fine with dying, but what about me?"
"Oh...sorry."
"No, it's okay. I'm flattered that you would do something like that for me."
"I-It's not exactly for you."
Maribel smiled, "And Renko's not a bad person."
"From what you said it looks like he's an idiot."
Maribel shook her head, "Renko's a really curious person why and how things work. He's really interested in the science of things, but he doesn't push away the ludicrous. He has a nice adventurous spirit that makes everything, no matter how little seem interesting. Whenever he does ask a question it makes you feel like you want to discover the answer with him.
When there's someone in trouble you may think he wants to leave them alone, but he always quickly comes up a fake selfish reason for him to act. He doesn't mind doing things for another person, no matter how much he complains. Renko is-"
Maribel blinked, "Oh. Sorry. I must be weirding you out with all this talk huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"It must be rather strange for me to sing Renko praises."
"No."
"Eh?"
"I may not know you very well." Kai admitted, "But if there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that you're a very good judge of character."
Maribel blushed, "W-What-"
"Sorry."
"W-What are you apologizing for now?"
"I was bulling you back when we were at school weren't I? Yet you don't talk to me with any sort of hate or regret."
"T-That's because no matter how mean you can be you're a good friend. And it just so happens that bullying me was something you can enjoy with your friend. You may not like it, but you care too much about your friends to lose them. You would do anything for them wouldn't you?"
"Yeah." Kai smiled, "That sounds like me. At least...what I was like."
"Eh?"
"Ever since I graduated, my friends have gone on to doing different things. I try to meet up and just relax with them, but they all hardly remember me. It was kinda sad. No matter how much effort I put into it, I was only such a small part of their world."
"...People have their own world." Maribel said, "Each world is different and unique. Kai, your world is big enough for others to be a part of it, but you don't realize that others have their own world to live in. Renko...Renko understands that others have their own world and no matter how much he wants to do the same thing you did, he holds back, distracting himself with his own emotions and thoughts."
"It seems like I have a lot to learn from Renko." Kai smiled.
Maribel smiled.
"It's amazing." Kai laughed, "Just sitting here talking with you, I feel like I know Renko better. And even you. Maribel, you're a even better judge of character than I thought."
Maribel blushed again, "Wh-"
"Maribel?"
"Renko?" Maribel cried.
"Maribel!" I called, "I'm back!"
"Stand back." Someone called, "This is going to be risky, but if you close your eyes, it'll be over before you know it."
"Hurry." Kai said, quickly pulling Maribel away and shielding her. They closed their eyes.
After a loud clashing of rocks, Maribel opened her eyes to find the rocks gone.
"Maribel." I said, "You look well."
"Renko!" Maribel cried, running over and hugging me.
"Looks like everything's fine now huh?"
"Who are you?" Maribel asked, turning to glare at the girl standing next to me.
"Oh." I began, "Maribel, this is-"
"No, it's fine." The girl smiled, "You don't need to tell her."
"What do you mean?" Maribel growled.
Kai laughed, "I am learning so much about you today."
"What do You mean?" I asked.
"Nothing." Kai smiled, "Anyway, Renko."
"Y-Yes." I said, surprised at how Kai addressed me.
"She may be green, but I'll leave Maribel in your hands." Kai said and began to leave.
"What do you mean I'm green?" Maribel cried, "I beat you!"
"He's using a different definition." The girl laughed.
"What do you mean?" Maribel asked, turning to glare at her, "And who are you?"
"Oops. Better leave." The girl smiled as she turned around, "You're lucky to have someone like her around, Renko!"
"Get back here!" Maribel called as she left.
…
I opened my Dolldex.
"Yeah?" Reimu asked.
"What other definitions of green are there?"
"Where's this coming from?" Reimu asked, surprised.