The Barrier: Chapter 3

Cross Training

Aayvee: Howdy! I'm finally back. I need to get caught up after spending all my time reading shells by Silentsentinal (which I highly recommend). Anywho, This chapter is set on the Crimean army camp between chapters 25 and 26

"Kiyaaa!"

Jill let out a battle cry as she lashed out at a ragged training-dummy with her axe. She then spun around and slashed one behind her.

There had been a lull in the action for quite a while, so she was doing some training to keep herself sharp. Fighting on foot was never one of her strong areas, but she was practicing just in case she ever ended up there.

At any rate, as she turned around to cut the next one, she embarrassingly slipped on an inconveniently placed banana peel (lord knows how that got there) and fell flat on her face. It immediately became apparent that this performance as being watched, as a burst of involuntary laughter suddenly erupted from behind a tree a few feet away.

"Show yourself, Knave!!!" Jill yelled, angrily pointing her axe at the tree, and hoping she looked serious despite the dirt that now decorated her face.

"Hahaha! It is just me, Lethe," The catgirl said as she stepped out from behind a tree nearby. "That was one of the best laughs I've had in a while."

There was a pause.

"I didn't put that there, if that's what you're glaring at me for"

Jill paused again, not being able to think of what to say. Finally: "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I'm just looking out for you, little one. I Just wanted to observe How you train... I was thinking I might incorporate it into my training."

Jill gave her an angry stare

"I didn't put that peel there, if that's what you're looking at me for. Now If you'll excuse me, I have some business with the general that I must attend to." And without further explanation, she walked off.

Jill was puzzled. Lethe had been having these "business with the general" moments quite often, and she had no idea what they were for. While Lethe was a great warrior, she wasn't exactly the person to go to for strategy, which was still the only thing Jill could think of to consult Ike for this frequently.

"This time I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

30 minutes later, in the Crimean main camp

Ike stood silently in the hall. He had just gotten done discussing food stock with Soren, and was now waiting somewhat impatiently for a certain Laguz…

Where is Lethe? She was supposed to meet me here around this time. He waited another few moments. Sigh…I better go look for her… He thought.

There was no need too, as it turned out, because Lethe came around the corner at almost that exact moment.

"My lord Ike!" she puffed out. "I was Looking for you!"

"Did you get lost?"

She looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Um… uh…yes. Sorry"

He sighed again. "It's okay. We better get started. Are you ready?"

She filed her nails "Ready as I'll ever be."

Knowing Lethe, that meant yes. "Alright then, let's go then"

Jill crouched near the ground, behind a bush. She was taking a big risk hiding here, since she was not as stealthy as Lethe, but her curiosity was more powerful than her fear, so she stayed as still as she possibly could.

"There they are!" she thought.

Now, having never heard anything about this "laguz training" they were practicing, much less seen it, Jill was not just a little bit shocked.

"Are they…wrestling?"

Another explanation for the reason Lethe had Ike pinned down and was punching him entered her mind, but she did not really want to consider that… She crept away silently as Ike freed himself and swung Lethe into a chokehold.

"Better leave and ask about this later." she thought, silently creeping away.

Lethe sat in her tent, flipping a page in her book. Though it was not widely known, but one of her favorite hobbies was reading. So far, Navessa Confidential was turning out to be quite a page-turner. Suddenly there was a knock in the door (1).

She sighed "Come in…"

Jill unzipped the tent and let herself in.

"Well," said Lethe "It's you…"

There was another one of those long pauses that frequently happen in this story. Jill quickly realized she was going to have to start the conversation herself.

"Nice book." she said nervously. (considering what she had recently seen)

Lethe sensed the apprehension in her voice. "Is something wrong?"

Found out!

"Well…" she said, still nervous. She decided to go forward with it.

"Well… I was just-uh wondering what you always go and do with Ike."

The Laguz cocked her head to the side. "What?"

Well…I just noticed that you have been having business (she put emphasis on this word) with him quite often.

Lethe sensed that Jill seen something and gotten the wrong impression, so she decided there would be no harm in telling the truth.

"Hmmm… how to say… well, back when we were in Begnion, Ike and I made an agreement to train together. I was to teach him to fight like a Laguz. He has been doing surprisingly well, so I decide to keep going with It. It has actually helped improve me also"

She smiled coyly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… you see, I was kinda' curious about why you were always leaving for business with him, so I tracked you down and hid in the bushes while you were, um… training. It didn't look like any kind of training at that time, mind you."

Lethe blushed slightly. Now that she actually thought about it, her sessions with Ike probably did look a little "intimate."

"It's nothing like that. We're just… I don't know. But yeah, It's just practice. Between friends."

Right. Jill thought. That's how "friends" practice with each other.

Neither of them spoke for what seemed like ten minutes.

"Well" said Jill, folding her arms, "I'm really disappointed in you"

"And why" Lethe retorted, standing up, "Would that be?"

"Because you didn't let me in on it," Jill replied, smiling.

Lethe Paused. That was not what she expected. What do I say? It didn't take that long to decide.

"Are you ready for Pain?"

Jill's smile turned to a frown. Now it was a Challenge. "Ready as I'll ever be!" She said.

"Hey, that's MY line!"

They both gave each other an Icy stare.

"meet me at the training field we were at. I assume you already know where it is. Oh, and take this," she picked something out of her bag and tossed something to Jill, who caught it instinctively

It was a white flag.

It's on!!!

Manaña…

After waiting for a short time, Ike sat down on a Rock. Any minute now Lethe would show up so they could get started with their training again. He wondered why Lethe was always Late for these things. There was a rustling in the bushes.

And there she is… He thought. However, when he got up to say something, he was greeted not by Lethe, but by Jill.

"Oh, hello General!" she said with a salute. "Lethe Invited me to take on Laguz training as well, and I cannot let her down"

She set down a small bag and sat down on the rock

Damn. That was my seat! I better…

His thoughts were quickly cut off as Lethe finally arrived through the bramble. She paused as she saw the two.

"Was I late?" she said, quizzically.

"No," Said Ike

"However, I would appreciate it if we could finish quickly today, I have some work to do" He got into a fighting stance.

"Not just Yet. Lethe said, holding her hand up to silence him. "It is, as you know, Jill's first time, so I would like to have her go first."

Without any further warning, Lethe swung and hit Jill square in the face with her fist.

"Aaaarrrggghh!!!" she yelled out, falling back into the bushes.

Ike smiled on the inside. This was exactly how it started out with him, too. How would Jill handle it?

Pretty well, as it turned out, because very soon after getting up Jill grabbed Lethe by the leg and pulled her to the ground violently. Lethe had excellent reflexes, however, so she stopped the impact with her hands and rolled to the side. Jill moved in and kicked Lethe in the chest.

Lethe recoiled, then sprang up and slashed Jill on the cheek with her claws.

Jill recoiled back. "You… bitch!" She yelled, clutching her wound (and causing Ike and Lethe to gasp at profanity in a K+ rated story)

She then lunged at the Catgirl, sending them both to the floor, where they rolled on the ground, yelling, punching and pulling each other's hair.

"Good lord" Ike thought. He reasoned that he could put his work off till later: this was proving to be extremely entertaining. He stood a safe distance away, knowing he was going to feel guilty about this later.

Lethe caught Jill in the face with an uppercut, causing both of them to stumble to their feet, panting.

I guess It's time to use my secret weapon. Jill thought, reaching quickly into her back pocket.

Lethe angrily charged at her, which turned out to be a very big mistake.

"Raaaaa!!!" Jill yelled, throwing out a fresh banana peel. Lethe obviously didn't see it coming, as she immediately slipped on it, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

At this point, Ike found it impossible to contain himself anymore, and fell to the floor with a bout of uncontrollable laughter.

AAAAaahhahahahahah!!!!! Gasp, "Hahaha-haha, oh god, this is too good."

Lethe somewhat shakily got to her feet and rubbed the fresh bruise on her head.

"Okay, that is about enough practice for today. She went to the rock and took a drink from her water flask, and glanced back to the banana peel off to the side.

"I really didn't put that there in the morning, you know"

"Well, yeah, but the way you were talking to me out there made me have to get you back."

"Huh. Well we'll see about that later. I have to say you did exceptionally well, though. I think you are fit to continue this.

"Good. Very good." She smirked "Now this was very fun, but Ike isn't the only one with work to do. If you'll excuse me"

"I'll stay here just a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay" Jill said, leaving. Lethe then turned to Ike, who was just beginning to get up and dust himself off. She grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Ike" she said forcefully, grabbing his attention.

"Yeah?" he replied

"Never speak of this incident to anyone, got that? It could, how should I say, um… Stain my reputation if it ever got out." She flicked out her claws for effect.

"Um, yeah sure, I understand…eheheh" she let him go and walked out of the clearing, confidant that she had made her point.

Whew. He thought. This is going to be a hard proposition to keep

well, that was chapter 3. hope you enjoyed it. I know you can't knock on a tent at (1) up there, but I couldn't think of a better word for it. keep up with the reviews:D