I do not know what color bananas are in the Midlands... but red is a color of poisonous substances in the Midlands. If you want to know the story behind that- I'll be happy to tell ya ;) Yes I use Gwen Stefani to spell bananas :P
The song used in this chapter is "Bye Bye" by Jo Dee Messina- I DO NOT OWN IT
I also put in a lyric from "I'm A Gummy Bear" I DO NOT OWN
In the last chapter I said confessor and Confessor. The lower case is just referring to someone who doesn't deserve the title or has low power.
In the lyrics, they're basically singing the whole time but the part that Lydia really sings is in quotations.
I know this strays from the subject a bit, but it felt a little empty inbetween the coming chapter and the previous so I added a stress/comic relief. The characters need one, I need one, it was kinda fun to write haha. I wasn't sure about it- but there's a surprise near the end. Think I should've put it in?
"I don't think that's very appropriate," Aftan's smug tone scolded Yusuke. He stomped his foot again and looked at her.
The two had been arguing over the color of bananas.
"They should be yellow."
"Well here, they're blue," Aftan took a bite of one of the many bananas Sierra had gathered.
They had an assortment of fruit, nuts, a couple of rabbits that Aftan caught. No one was particularly interested in killing the cute bunny, but they needed to eat.
"What about apples? Red is poisonous around here," Aftan tossed at Yusuke.
"SO?" he didn't like to lose an argument.
Lydia sat by the fire in warm, fleece blanket Danika had gone home to get.
"We'll be going back through the portal tomorrow," Kurama told them, handing out a salad he'd made.
"Back to fight," Kuwabara stared into the flames.
"What's it like?" Sierra asked carefully, sitting down by Lydia, "to be far away from home?" Lydia blinked at the orange and yellow light.
"I'm not sure you want to ask me that. I elected to leave after I'd been taken."
"What did it feel like?" Sierra pressed, auburn hair bobbing around her angular face.
"Sierra," Aftan warned. The young Confessor just glanced at her older sister.
"It felt… cold," Lydia started. Touya got off the rock ledge where he sat with Hiei to sit behind her. "I felt lost, alone, and hopeless. I didn't have anyone on earth like I had here at home." They were all quiet. Jin put a few more sticks in the fire and used the wind to get them going strongly.
"This time you'll have us," Danika spoke. She sat back beside Kurama and picked at the salad resting in the hollowed out bark of a tree.
"Never thought I'd literally go camping," Yusuke commented gruffly, grabbing a handful of nuts and chewing them hungrily.
"I did once, but with a tent and real food," Kuwabara scratched his head in thought. His face brightened. "This is our first camping trip, my sweet!"
Yukina looked quickly at him. Her red eyes reflected amusement and she was surprised.
"Yes, this is Kazuma. What else do you do on a camping trip, for fun?" Yukina asked. Kuwabara gave her a twenty watt smile, delighted that she'd asked him a question.
"Well, Yukina," his began explaining various sporting activities ending with tying grass together to make bracelets.
"You're such a chick," Yusuke complained, kicking him in the back.
"Urameshi that hurt!"
"So get over it."
"You better be nice, we're stuck here all night together!"
"Yeah, I'm a yummy, tummy, funny, lucky, gummy bear."
"Lydia?" Lydia turned happily away from the fisted fracas.
"Can we 'ave a bit o music?" She smiled at Jin.
"Hmmm," she thought carefully.
"Music?" Aftan questioned.
"She's quite the singer," Hiei allowed him self briefly into the conversation before appearing to sleep again, though they all saw him open his eyes to watch Kuwabara darkly whenever he heard Yukina's name involved.
"Boton, do you have your Ipod with you?" Lydia wondered. The ferry girl looked up. Boton reached into her pockets frowning. Out of her kimono she brought out a dark purple device. She excitedly handed it over to Lydia.
"You won't be able to hear it," Yusuke told her in a sigh.
"Spirit World merchandise is much better made than human goods." Yusuke mimicked Boton's cheery voice and got up to stretch.
"How about this one?" Sierra pointed to a random song number, curiosity striking her ocean blue eyes.
"It's been a while since I've sang a song," Danika sat up and requested Lydia's hand.
"Who me?" the said girl joked and got up. The two started dancing a kind of old waltz only known to the midlands before the music started.
"If you don't move to the music you're going to get annoyed," Genkai was slightly interested.
"Haha, okay," Lydia stopped twirling with Danika and handed the Ipod back to Boton. Boton looked at the screen as an electric guitar, bass drum, and cymbal began to play together from a mysteriously tiny stereo pair of Spirit World headphones.
"Oh, Keiko loves this song! It's a shame she's not here to enjoy it."
"So we'll just have to dance with her when the revolution's over," Lydia winked at Boton and began to dance oddly with Danika. Everyone's mood seemed to cheer up, except for Hiei's, at the sight of Lydia's eagerness to have fun.
Boton picked on Yusuke.
Boy you sure look good there standin' in the doorway in the sunset light
Maybe I read you wrong thinkin' you could be my Mr. Right
I was puttin' my heart and soul on the line
Said you needed some time, just a little more time to make up your mind
Well it's been long enough
Time is up
Sierra grabbed Aftan and began to dance with the other two Confessors while Yusuke pushed Boton away from him.
Bye bye love, I'll catch you later
Lydia and Boton waved to the crowd.
Got a lead foot down on my accelerator and the rearview mirror torn off
I ain't never lookin' back. And that's a fact.
I've tried all I can imagine
I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion
I've got pride, I'm takin' it for a ride
Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye
"Car song, okay," Yusuke finally got up and joined Kurama in snapping to the song. "You don't dance?" he asked the fox demon unbelievingly.
"Oh, I dance," Kurama grinned and let Boton drag him over to the others.
Yusuke looked around like he was searching for a second exit that wouldn't involve going through the temporary dance floor. Kurama's hand grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and dragged him onto the floor with the rest. Boton hugged Yusuke tightly and Kurama left him to his new found misery.
Don't think all those tears are gonna hold me here like they've done before
You'll find what's left of us in a cloud of dust on highway 4
Baby what did you expect me to do
Just sit around and wait on you
Well I'm through watchin' you just skate around the truth
And I know it sounds trite
I've seen the light
Kuwabara twirled an excited and laughing Yukina. She squealed with delight as she danced along with the group.
Jin jumped up and made a small train with Aftan and Sierra in tow. Touya figured he'd join for a minute.
Hiei tried to block the noise out.
Bye bye love, I'll catch you later
Got a lead foot down on my accelerator and the rearview mirror torn off
'Cause I ain't never lookin' back, and that's a fact.
I've tried all I can imagine
I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion
I've got pride, I'm takin' it for a ride
Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye
Lydia broke the hold she'd had on Danika and Yusuke's hands. She was a little out of breath and flushed from so much twirling and jumping. She decided to open her mouth and sing.
"Finale!"
She smiled at Jin before continuing. Touya was knocked into her and they used each other to stand up while the lyrics ran again.
"I'd lost the game I guess"
She shrugged to him and kept his hands in hers.
"I did my best to win the part"
She jumped up and down now.
"Now I'm leavin' here with what's left of my heart."
She settled down and waved to Touya this time.
"Bye bye, I'll catch you later
Got a lead foot down on my accelerator and the rearview mirror torn off
'Cause I ain't never lookin' back."
She shook her head. He smiled, understanding her hidden message. She was going to start being free.
"You can count on that."
She winked and he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"I've tried all I can imagine
I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion
I've got pride, I'm takin' it for a ride
Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye
Bye bye
Ooh baby"
They created two circles and skipped by each other.
"Oh oh
Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye!"
"Woo!" most of them cheered.
"That was a nice stress reliever," Kurama admitted with a shy smile.
"It's so good to have Lydia singing with joy again," Boton gushed. Lydia smiled at her blue haired friend.
"It really is," they agreed. Touya hugged her tighter. If any one noticed the way those two acted with each other and the special look they always had, they didn't speak up.
Lydia looked up to her blue haired best friend. He watched her just intently. She shifted in his arms to look at him better. She seemed to be thinking over something very carefully, calculating almost.
"I guess once wouldn't hurt," she told him meaningfully.
No one but the boy in black sitting on the ledge behind them saw the two old friends kiss each other.
When the fire was put out and everyone settled down for the night, Hiei smirked at the ice apparition and the Confessor holding each other's hand looking outside for the moon.
Danika had an arm around Lydia protectively. The other Confessors slept on the other side of Danika. Wherever Confessors were, they tended to protect and help each other. Danika wasn't going to let any harm come to any of them. They were the last four, technically three.
Touya kissed Lydia's hand. She just watched the moon, becoming more and more detached.
"How's your back?"
"Burning," she whispered back to Touya.
"Feeling dangerous?"
"In what sense?" Yusuke seemed to have rubbed off a little on Lydia. She allowed Touya to scoot closer to her and together, they turned Lydia's back to his ice chest without waking Danika.
The next morning they left for the portal. It took them all day to reach the pink gate. Boton called Koenma with the aid of Lydia's wizard powers. The signal almost didn't register in the Midlands. They all took one last look at the mostly calm, serene blue sky. The birds chirped happily oblivious to the end of the peace. They watched the lush, green tree's and sweeping with beauty and swaying in the breeze meadows for a solid ten minutes before giving each other brave smiles, breathing in the last cent of fresh air, and climbing through the successfully, finally closing portal.
Here's hoping that they live to see beauty again. If you join my toast- comment "Aye!" haha