Lying was one of the hardest things for him to ever do.
Antauri was very used to withholding information until the moment came when he was asked to explain what he knew. At times, doing so was the best action to take when dealing with a young teenager who may not have been ready to hear such news. And if he was never asked to present the information, then he would have no real reason to talk of it. Such was the policy he went by, to not speak of things until he was required to. The instance concerning Mandarin, for example, he had kept from Chiro until the teen had asked him about it. He had put off telling the boy about it before because he felt Chiro wasn't ready. However, when Chiro had discovered the items that belonged to their former leader, he had proceeded to elucidate the entire matter without hesitation.
But what he was not comfortable with was concealing the information when he was asked for it. He didn't like lying to the team. It wasn't right, nor did it sit right with him.
Still, he knew that it was necessary in this case. He had no choice but to lie to the others, telling them that he had not found anything. If he had told them the truth…he wasn't sure what would happen. He simply knew that it would not have been good…especially since Kalli would have then also known there was something in the cave where she had been found in.
Because after he had left the cave, as he was preparing to ignite the Brain Scrambler's engines, he had been overcome with a profound sensation. And while it held no menacing impression to it, it was overflowing with a warning that rippled through his mind. From the feeling he had received, he knew that he could never allow Kalli to know of his discovery in the mountain cave.
This of course was why he was forced to lie about finding the cloak and skeleton in the cave where she had been set free. Since she had been standing there when Chiro had asked, he couldn't tell them the truth.
Yet Antauri knew that he still couldn't tell any of the others about his discovery, even in confidence. They all seemed to trust Kalli, and they all held some sympathy towards her. If he was to inform them that he had indeed found something that could have been important to her, he feared that they would eventually tell her of what he had found. Then she would possibly find it, and…It was simply something he could not risk.
He was not entirely sure why it was imperative that the sorceress never learn of the skeleton in the cave, but he trusted the feeling he had received earlier much more than he had ever trusted Kalli.
And that was another reason that he could never tell the others of what he had seen. The silver monkey knew that Chiro and all the others trusted the girl, and felt sympathy towards her unfortunate plight. He knew that they all liked her. And he still had no reasons to justify his own aversion to her. If he had told any of them about the skeleton, they would have asked why he had kept the information a secret to begin with. He would have then had to explain his reasons for not revealing it, which of course was that he had a feeling that Kalli couldn't be trusted to know of it. And he feared from that the others would simply see him as paranoid and perhaps even a little callous towards her, and feel even more sympathy for her. Which would mean that in the end, they would tell her and he would simply be seen as untrustworthy.
Perhaps he had overanalyzed the entire situation. Surely not all of them would react that way, would they? There had to be someone he could trust to tell and keep his secret until he could uncover the truth.
But he couldn't take the chance. He knew that no matter what, Kalli could not learn of the information he knew…even if he did have to lie to the rest of the team.
He sighed softly, shaking his head a little. If any of them, even just one of them felt the same way towards the sorceress as he did, then he knew he'd be able to tell that one the truth. He hated lying to them all.
Unfortunately, they were all oblivious to the way the girl truly was. As he watched the others, he knew that they did not receive the same feeling that he did. They could not sense the true malicious gaze that remained hidden beneath the artificial warmth in her eyes, the smirk beneath the deceptively friendly smile, or the chill that seemed to freeze his entire soul whenever he took a simply glance at her.
He wondered if they were truly unaware of it…or if they were simply just numbed by her true self to the point where they couldn't even feel it at all.
In any case, he couldn't tell them the truth of his search because in the end, Kalli would also know the truth. No matter what, he had to make sure that she never learned of the skeleton that lay at the bottom of the mountain cave.
Glancing up, Antauri finally noticed the small insects that lit the area surrounding him. The night birds gently sang and twinkled in the trees, giving him the small opportunity to relax.
But just as he was about to accept their offer, he gasped when he felt as though something had cut through his soul. He staggered slightly, wincing and placing a hand to his chest while the spiritual wound within pulsed painfully, resonating through his entire being. He suddenly felt cold, and the bitter ice froze him and enlarged the tear in his soul. Wrapping his arms around himself in vain, he felt the terrible sensation that everything inside him was about to shatter.
The silver monkey collapsed to his knees, but just as he felt on the verge of breaking completely, the sensation had passed. He found himself breathing heavily, trying to regain his strength from the sudden ordeal he had just experience. Even though the severity of it all was gone, he still felt a dull ache from the scar in his heart, left behind by the chill that had wounded him.
And through it all, he knew that something was going on with Chiro.
Getting back onto his feet, Antauri turned and quickly headed back to where the others were.
"Urm…are you sure it's okay that we're watching this?" Otto asked as he held his tail while Ring sat perched on it.
"Indeed," Gibson said, standing farther behind Nova and Sprx as the two leaned against the side of the hill. "This is an invasion of his privacy, after all. We really shouldn't be spying on his personal affairs."
"It's so cute…!" Nova exclaimed softly as she wrung her hands and watched the two teens standing in the river. The statements from the other two had failed to reach her.
Sprx rolled his eyes slightly, though was a bit surprised by the golden monkey's reaction. Nova was a rough-rumble type of girl, which was bound to happen since she was surrounded by guys all day. He hadn't expected her to act all sappy over the scene.
Then again, she was still a girl. And even he had to admit that the picture before them was…interesting.
When the four of them had returned, Kalli had still been teaching Chiro how to fish. Their leader, as skilled as he was in combat and everything else he was forced to know because of his position in the Hyperforce, could not seem to catch a fish for his life. So, after advising them that the night sky would bring a chill, the sorceress had suggested that the four of them set up a small fire on the other side of the hill where the short grass grew. With the shorter blades and the lack of flowers on that side, she had stated, there would have been less of a chance for the fire to spread and therefore would have been safer and less damage to the earth would have been made.
So, after gathering loose twigs and branches that had fallen out of the trees in the forest, they had set up a small fire on the other side of the hill, behind where the robot stood. It also seemed to save time, since it was taking so long for Chiro to catch fish and they still needed to cook it.
Personally, the hot shot hadn't been too keen on the idea of eating fish. But the girl had reassured him that it would taste all right and that he would enjoy it. So he had waited for dinner along with the others.
And after a while of occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat, sitting and chatting with the others…occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat…hearing Otto entertain his new pet…occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat…complaining about how long it was taking to catch the final portion of their meal…and occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat, Sprx had decided to go see what was taking the two teens so long.
That was when he had come across the sight that they were all watching now.
He couldn't help but grin as he continued to watch Chiro and his…friend standing in the river…occupied with each other. The boy really seemed to be enjoying himself right now. More than he ever had while they were traveling through space. Of course, they were searching through the galaxies to battle an evil threat, and there was only so much one could enjoy doing that. Still, this was the most relaxed he had seen the teen in a long while. And he was happy for the teen that he was able to find something…or in this case, someone…who could help him unwind before they returned home.
Also…it was an interesting show to see.
"Really," he heard Gibson say behind him, "this sort of behavior is a violation of his trust in us! We really shouldn't be watching such an intimate moment!"
The red monkey sighed in annoyance. "First of all, Gibson," he retorted, "there is a thing called 'public displays of affection,' and if the two of them aren't trying to hide what they're doing, it's public. Secondly, they're just kissing. And finally, if you're so against this, why are you still watching it? We're not forcing you to be here, y'know…"
The chief of science huffed a little, folding his arms over his chest and turning to look away. But Sprx couldn't help but smirk, for he knew that the other was just embarrassed because he was just as intrigued as the rest of them were. Just as he was about to turn his attention back to the two teens, he saw Antauri hurrying over towards them.
"Hey, Antauri…" he said as the silver monkey came to stand beside him and Nova. "Where have you been?"
The second-in-command waved his hand slightly to dismiss the question. "Where's Chiro?" he asked.
The hot shot pointed in the direction where the two stood. "Over there. But I don't think you wanna disturb him at the moment."
As he looked to where the other was indicating, Antauri's cobalt eyes widened slightly at the sight.
"I gotta say, though," Sprx said, "the kid's good. But then again…I taught him all he knows about girls."
Snapping out of her sentimental trance, Nova looked at the other. "That is impressive…" she retorted playfully. "Listening to you and still being able get along with them…Chiro's talented all right."
"Ha, ha, ha…" the hot shot replied sarcastically.
Otto sat behind the others and kept an eye on Ring while she hopped around in the grass. He had been uncomfortable watching Chiro and Kalli at the river, and soon moved in the back to avoid it all. Instead he had occupied himself to watching Ring observe her large surroundings, though he had to pull her away from being too close to the fire every once in a while. As he sat there, however, he was able to see all the others as they stood in front of him. And he was able to see the silver monkey who stood rather stiffly while he watched the two at the river. The mechanic frowned a little, for he had noticed that something seemed to be wrong with Antauri ever since he had arrived. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had noticed the other had walked rather strangely when he came over.
His eyes then widened slightly as he watched the other's fingers curled into taut fists. Scooping Ring into his hands, the green monkey quickly got to his feet. "Antauri?" he questioned softly. "Are you okay?"
The mechanic's comment was heard among the other three as well, and they all turned to face the silver monkey just as he quickly began to head for the river. Realizing just what he meant to do, Nova hastily reached out to stop him. In his rush, though, she was only able to grab his silver tail. But it was enough to prevent him from going any farther, and she held onto it tightly.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sprx demanded. "You can't just barge in on them like that!"
"Quite right!" Gibson agreed. "It's bad enough we're spying on them at all! What do you think Chiro would say if you tried to interrupt them?"
Antauri turned back to look at them, and they could all see the strange expression in his eyes. They weren't able to determine what it was…or why he wore such an expression in the first place.
Suddenly pulling his tail out of Nova's grasp, the silver monkey jumped up without warning. They barely caught a glimpse of the silver streak that landed on the Robot's foot before it headed inside and disappeared from their sights. The four exchanged confused and worried glances.
Chiro found that he had been holding his breath as the doors to Antauri's room slid open. Releasing the breath in a soft sigh, the teen then slowly approached the silver monkey. He was hovering in the air, sitting in his meditative position with his back facing him and the door. It was a common sight for him to see whenever he entered Antauri's room. But he wondered if the other was actually meditating.
After confessing of what they had been doing while he and Kalli were at the river, the other four had told him of the bizarre encounter that had taken place with them and Antauri before he had retreated to the interior of the Robot. And while they were more or less accustomed to Antauri's preference to remain silent unless he was required in some way to speak, the teen felt that they could at least have some kind of explanation for his actions.
Clearing his throat slightly, the young leader said softly, "Um…Antauri?"
There was silence, and the boy knew then that the other was really meditating. After a moment of waiting, the silver monkey finally replied without turning to look at him, "Yes? Did you need something?"
If Antauri was upset at all or embarrassed by his earlier actions, he did very well to hide it in his voice. Then again, he knew that the other was very good at keeping his emotions under control.
"Well, um…You missed dinner…It's okay, I guess, since you don't eat, but you usually sit and talk with us anyway, so um…"
"I just needed to sort some things out, that's all."
Chiro rubbed the back of his head slightly, frowning as he stared at the silver monkey's back. Even if the other hid it in his voice, even if the other wasn't facing him, he knew that something was wrong with his friend. Mostly because of the fact that Antauri wasn't facing him while they were talking.
And he knew he wouldn't get anything by beating around the bush. So he decided to just go for it.
"So, um…did you happen to see what was going on…with me and Kalli?"
He watched as Antauri dropped his meditative pose and finally turned to face him. His cobalt eyes remained impassive as his voice was, but for some reason that made the teen feel a little nervous. "I did," the silver monkey finally replied, keeping his tone even and his expression hard to read.
Chuckling a little to break the tension around them, the teen grinned a bit. "Yeah…I guess everyone did. But for the record…Kalli kissed me first."
The robotic simian folded his arms across his chest as his feet touched the ground. "I see…but of course, you did nothing to stop her, correct?"
"Um…no, I guess not," Chiro answered, frowning a little in confusion.
Antauri nodded a little, but the other's eyes never broke contact with his own. "So what then? Do you really trust her that much? Do you really like her that much that you don't mind getting so close to her this way?"
"Yeah, I guess I do," the boy replied honestly. He felt his body tighten slightly because he didn't like how the conversation was fairing at the moment. "Why is that such a problem to you? Is it because you don't like Kalli?"
The silver monkey frowned slightly. "Where did you hear that?"
"Kalli told me. She said that she heard you saying that you didn't trust her, and that you never answered whether you liked her or not. But is it true? Do you really hate Kalli?"
"How I feel towards her is not the issue here," the simian replied firmly. "What is important is how you feel about her."
"Well I really like her!" Chiro all but shouted at the other defensively. "And so what if we kissed? So what! Why do you think that's such a bad thing?"
Antauri dropped his arms to his sides as he calmly met Chiro's eyes. Even though the teen was angry, the silver monkey seemed to remain inexpressive. Finally, he replied in a soft but rigid tone, "Because…of Jinmay."
And the teen felt as though something clicked in his mind for the first time. He somehow had forgotten all about Jinmay…ever since he had first heard Kalli's voice calling out to him in his dreams, he had somehow failed to remember the robotic girl that was back on Shuggazoom.
"She's still waiting for us, Chiro," Antauri said, his voice just above a whisper. "She's been waiting for us to return all this time. She's been waiting…for you. And she still cares about you. Don't you care about her as well?"
Biting his tongue slightly, the young leader was the one to finally break eye contact to stare at the ground. Several thousands of words ran through his mind as he tried to think of a way to reply to the other. Finally, after what felt like hours had passed, he replied, "Jinmay's…just a friend."
Antauri shook his head slightly. "I find that a little difficult to believe after all the things you two have been through together."
"Well, it's true," the boy said tenaciously. Placing a hand to his lips, he then added faintly, "Jinmay's…never kissed me like that before…"
"You can't base an entire relationship on something like that."
With an exaggerated sigh, Chiro threw out his arms to the side. "It doesn't matter anyway. Jinmay and I could never have a relationship like that…since she's a robot."
The simian's cobalt eyes widened slightly as he stared at the teen. "What…does that have to do with anything? The fact that she's a robot never changed how you felt for her before."
The boy simply shrugged a little. "It just wouldn't work out. Anyway, I really like Kalli…even if you don't."
"Chiro…" the silver monkey began.
But the teen held up his hand to cut the other off. Looking up at him with dark sapphire eyes, he said, "Anyway, since Kalli doesn't have a room here on the Robot, and since her people used to sleep under the stars anyway, the others and I talked about it and decided that all of us would sleep outside tonight. It'd make Kalli feel a little more relaxed, and we wouldn't have to worry about sleeping arrangements or whatever. So we'll be sleeping out there. If you wanna do the same, then fine. But if you don't…whatever. Just do what you want."
Antauri watched as Chiro then turned and hurriedly walked out of the room. As the doors slid closed behind the teen, he sighed heavily and placed a hand to his chest. The dull pain he had felt early had returned, rippling through his entire being.
He was running out of time. He had to find out what was happening…before it was too late.
TBC
I kind of like not having any author's notes in the beginning. I'm not sure why, but I do.
I feel as though I made Chiro slightly OOC here. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that it's just the beginning of his OOC-ness, and it will only gradually worsen as the chapters progress. However, there is a good reason for why I'm doing it, and it will all make sense (I hope) in a future chapter. Until then, just keep an open mind.
Anyway, this is my last chapter to post up before I start classes next week. As such, I unfortunately won't be able to update this story as much as I like. However, I do plan to continue writing for this, and I promise to update as quickly as I possibly can.
Please review, and no flames if it can be helped. And I'll see you next time (providing my classes won't kill me).