elavyeth: I know, I know... I took too long to write this one. It has been hard with final exams to study for. :sigh: But here it is and I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to make something more of it, though... I'll compensate on the next chapter. :)

As for the person who flamed me: although the language is insulting, I accepted that my writing was nothing special. It's hard for me to write in english, since it's not my language. But then I saw the review was made on the 1st chapter, some minutes after I had published the 5th one, which makes me wonder if he even read a word of the story or just randomly picked a story to flame (which he claims it's not true). Despite the fact that my story might be crappy, it does not help his credibility.

Anyway, let's get to busyness. lol

Do not own TMM!

--

"Erm… I found it?" He said smiling stupidly.

Sayuri didn't seem surprised. "Yes I know." She said calmly.

Kishu's eyes widened. "You do?" 'Then maybe she knows what happened. Crap…' He looked at it inquiringly. "What is it exactly?"

Her face went emotionless all of a sudden. "Just a pendant."

--

Part one – I (Don't) Trust You

With his arm over Sayuri's shoulders, Kishu kept walking with her in a tense silence. He couldn't help feeling a little guilty. Taking such an odd object without asking for permission… There was obviously a good reason she kept it hidden, which he witnessed in first hand…

He looked at her by the corner of the eye. Her face was very serious and her green eyes wide open without blinking, staring ahead. 'I swear this human gives me the creeps…' Kishu sighed, tightening his grip on the pendant. 'I don't have much choice but to stay here for sometime, until I find a way to get out. Might as well try to… I dunno... get along.' He smacked his head. 'Sympathizing with a human, what an ironic stupidity...'

Sayuri raised an eyebrow at his gesture and looked as if she was going to say something, but instead she just stared back at the path. Kishu open his mouth several times, but his throat tightened and nothing would come out. He had no idea what to say to break the ice.

After a while, the path started to go up slightly and they entered a forest.

Kishu suddenly sneezed. He was only wearing his damaged shorts and bandages. With bare feet and half naked, he was starting to feel a little cold, despite the warm summer breeze. He scratched his nose with the back of his hand and cursed her in his mind. She probably did it on purpose to bring him like that…

Sayuri finally stopped and with her also did Kishu. They had reached an immense glade with a matching lake. The sun was out half above the horizon maybe, since it wasn't visible with all the trees around. But its orange light was unmistakable and it gave the water a beautiful golden glimmer. The green alien was dumbstruck. Never – ever – in his life did he have the opportunity to look at such a majestic image. He felt like crying… That was their home planet, just as described by the ancients; the proving of a legend right in front of his glittering honey eyes.

Sayuri noticed his shivering body. She let go of him without a word and waved her hand for him to follow. He walked behind her, half in trance with the surroundings.

Sayuri sat on the edge of the lake and put the leather bag down. "Sit next to me." Her voice was silky. Kishu jerked and nodded, walking slowly towards her. When he sat down, he saw very thin steam coming out of the water. That lake was certainly not cold. Then the girl got closer to him to take his bandages off. Kishu was prepared to feel some pain and kept his eyes shut. But there was nothing of the kind. She started with his arms and legs – where there were only superficial wounds – and her hands would move with grace and care. She was doing her best not to hurt him. Then there was only the one on his chest left.

"This is going to hurt a little." Sayuri said calmly. He was guessing that already… But what he didn't see coming was what she did next. She sat on his lap, with her face only a palm away from his and her legs on both sides. Kishu blushed like crazy. "W-What are you doing?..."

"Securing your legs." She started taking off the edges all around the bandage. Her face was so close that Kishu could feel her breath on his chest, which made him feel a little uneasy. That wasn't hurting at all… In fact he was feeling rather nice. He always felt odd with her touch. He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered what had happened at the cottage.

However, his thoughts were broken. "Get ready." Sayuri warned.

"Huh? Ready for wha- OOWWWW!! DAMNIT!!" She pulled the bandage off with all her strength and Kishu felt as if his skin had gone with it too. The pain was so excruciating, he collapsed on the grass. He looked at her, breathing hard. "Damn… you… human…"

Sayuri ignored him and got up from his lap. She leaned over the lake and shelled her hands to get some water, which she then carefully poured on his chest wound. Kishu took a deep breath of comfort. It was warm and it made the pain fainter. He sat up and looked at his chest with his eyes half closed. What an ugly wound… There was a deep cut, severely burned around the edges. He could have died. He really could have died… He lowered his head. "Time for my bath, eh?..." He smiled sadly. 'I owe her.'

Sayuri gathered the things for his bath and placed them next to him. "Undress and get in the lake." She handed him a bar of soap. It smelled like lilies as well. "You can wash yourself with this, it makes foam. Spread it all over your body and rub it, it cleans the dirt and sweat." She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Kishu asked.

"I'll be around, just giving you some privacy."

She turned to leave, but Kishu grabbed her wrist. "Wait!"

Sayuri looked back at him. He felt embarrassed and let go of her. He stretched his arm to give her the pendant back. "I'm sorry I took it. But I was really looking for water…" He heard a giggle and jerked up. She was smiling. 'Phew…'

She grabbed the pendant and kneeled in front of him. Then she put her hands on the back of his head, tying the silver chain around his neck. Seeing Kishu's awed face, she touched the gemstone. A sudden heat ran through his body and he gasped… When she removed her hand, the stone was glowing a little.

"Does it make you feel better?" She asked.

Kishu nodded amazed. "Is this… a present?"

She walked away from him a few steps then turned back. "No, I'm lending. I can't give it to you." Her face was sad for a moment. The she smirked. "You can keep it, as long as you don't run off with it, that is."

And with that, she left through the trees.

Kishu's eyes followed her until she disappeared. He slapped himself mentally and loosened his braids, at the same time making sure he was really alone. In such a huge glade, it was hard not to feel exposed. "Privacy… meh." Then he finally took off his shorts and stepped into the water.

"It's so warm…" Gently for the wounds not to hurt, he dove his body in and the steam he saw before embraced him like a friend, waving and swirling around his body and over his head. For a moment, he couldn't feel his own self… He was weightless, powerless. His mind cleared and his orbs rolled up. His body was nothing but a feather hovering with the draft of hot air and moist.

Silence.

Then the sound of water. The sun rising up and its light peaking through the tree trunks and branches.

It was idyllic and timeless. Kishu didn't feel like moving a finger or saying a word. He lingered there, with his lazy eyes closed. He was feeling almost the same as in the cottage… this incredible taste of purity and ecstasy at the same time. It was impossible – unthinkable – to break the flowing of his blood to his vital and most irrigated organs. It was happening again and his thoughts drifted back a little. Sayuri's naked body under the sheets and her tanned skin under a blue light… The way her hair slid down her back and her tattoo rested on the bottom of it… An urge… An inexplicable urge raging in him…

Something was not right… But he allowed himself to go even further in his mind. With control over nothing, Kishu indulged his body and had an erection. It was smooth… but he was powerfully aroused nevertheless. And he didn't fight it. He moaned and looked down at his member in surprise. The gemstone on his chest was glowing like before. 'What's this?... I'm… I'm…'

The feeling was growing so strong, he began clawing his belly slowly, erotically. He wanted to feel more, to swallow the air and twist his body in absolute pleasure. He couldn't hold back.

Then the same thing happened as before. The mysterious light repelled Kishu and he was pushed back, causing the water to wave a great deal. He widened his eyes and quickly swam to the edge of the lake.

Confused and breathless, he rested his head on the grass. "What… just happened to me?..."

Sayuri was nowhere near him. He could hardly speak, let alone scream. And for some weird reason he was panicking.

He reached behind his neck to untie the necklace but it was impossible. It wouldn't come out.

Gradually his heart beat normalized and he calmed down.

Still no sign of her.

He grabbed the soap lying next to him and breathed in the smell, which climbed up his nose and shook his head like a drug. "That's better…" Kishu stared at it for while and then rubbed it on his chest. "Wow, foam. Just like she said." He washed himself further down until he realized he was still aroused. 'Great. I wanted to talk to her, but if she comes back and sees me like this it's gonna be an awkward subject for a conversation.'

--

By the time Sayuri returned to the lake, Kishu was wrapped in a towel and lying on the grass sleeping. She smirked and approached him silently. His hair was wet and glued to his face, his mouth was open and he was drooling. Wrapped like that, he looked like a cocoon.

Sayuri shook him softly. "Kishu… Wake up."

He said something in his sleep and turned the other way, which caused the towel to fall and show some more skin. Sayuri looked the other way and sighed, shaking him again but firmly this time. "Wake up, boy. You're going to catch a cold."

Kishu opened his eyelids heavily and raised his head. "Yourebackalready…" He mumbled.

"Yes. Sorry if I took so long, I was checking something."

Kishu rubbed his eyes and immediately covered himself when he noticed he was almost naked. "Checking what?"

"I'll show you in a while. Now it's time to go back and put a new bandage on your wound. And there's also breakfast." She handed Kishu his shorts. He noticed blisters on her hands and was going to ask, but she turned her back to him. "Dress that, I'll wait."

Kishu quickly pulled them up. "Done."

"Good." Sayuri took the bag from the floor and put everything back inside. She grabbed Kishu's arm again to help him walk. He had to concentrate not to let those images back in his mind again. It was harder than he thought though, so he started talking while they walked.

"This pendant you gave me makes me feel strange things…" He waited for her to say something.

"Strange how?" She asked.

"Well… huh... It made me feel good and suddenly it shook me, like it was kicking me in the… I think you get the idea."

She remained in thought. "That gemstone you're carrying is meant to ease pain, among many other utilities. But if you overuse it, it may very well have the opposite effect." She looked at him and smiled oddly. "If you like your life, you better not abuse its nature."

Kishu frowned. "I really don't' trust you, you know…"

Sayuri shrugged. "Can't imagine why not." She was smirking, but there was a bit of hurt caused by his remark.

After a tense silence, the alien spoke.

"I tried to take it off when it hurt me, but I couldn't…"

"Of course not." She said, silkily. "I put it around your neck; I'm the only one who can take it off."

Kishu gulped and stopped, making her stop too. "Then if it's dangerous, why would you put it on me?"

Sayuri looked defiantly at him. "Why wouldn't I? You said it was good." She pulled him softly, making him start walking again. "And it won't be that dangerous, unless you decide to get out of this place."

Kishu grinded his teeth and didn't reply.

When they were almost reaching the cottage, he violently pushed her away summoning his swords and Sayuri hit her head on a tree, ten feet away from him. "Bitch! Take this off! Stop manipulating me!"

She didn't move. Her body was limp, leaned against the tree. Her hair was covering her eyes.

Kishu growled nervous. "You made a big mistake by saving me, human!" Still no answer. "Take this thing off of me!" He lowered his arms hesitantly. A hint of regret came over him. "Sayuri?..."

He took one step forward and stared. 'She's dead?... She can't be…'

"Oy… Are you listening?" It was no good; he had to take a closer look. Dropping the swords, he approached her cautiously and squatted. His heart was beating fast.

"Sayuri… Wake up." When he was close enough, he could see that her hands were much more than just blistered. He pulled her chin up. That wasn't good. 'What did I do?' "Sayuri… Sayuri!" He grabbed her and began shaking her back and forth. "Look at me! You stupid human, look at me!" Despair came over him and he tightened his grip, which made her shoulders bleed a little.

She opened her eyes slightly.

Kishu detained himself. 'Thank god…'

"Sayuri I'm… I… didn't think you were this weak." He really meant to apologize. He held her in his arms, since she couldn't sustain herself.

She moved her lips, trying to say something. Kishu approached his ear to her mouth.

"Give… me… your… hand…" She asked in a faint whisper. With his right arm around her, he suspiciously gave his left hand. Sayuri grabbed it weakly and turned slightly towards him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Kishu jerked. She guided his hand to her mark. "Touch… there…" She asked.

He blushed, but didn't contradict her. Gently he touched her skin, slowly sliding down to reach her mark. He did it on purpose. He could have touched it directly… But something in her was teasing him. And he knew what was about to take place… So he prepared himself mentally for it. "Sayuri… Are you ok?" He whispered to her ear. She shivered and curled up against him. The jewel started glowing… And the light embraced them.

There was no sound, only light and a breeze. Sayuri's hair tickled his neck and he looked up groaning. It was happening again… and he didn't want it to end. Like before, his body was responding pleasurably and the warmth was driving him temporarily insane. He brought her closer to him.

But she pushed him away delicately.

Kishu 'woke up' a bit dozed. He was expecting something to throw him back, but he was standing at the same spot and the effect was disappearing. He looked at Sayuri, who was sitting up and cleaning the back of her tunic. She had a sad expression on her face. The green alien bit his lower lip in guilt. He couldn't imagine how he thought of her as a menace, if he knocked her out so easily. He wanted to say something to her. Anything would be good… But he was unable to make a sound.

"I think we can skip breakfast." She suddenly said, standing up and walking away. "Come. I'll show it to you."

Kishu sensed it was serious. She didn't even offer to help him up like she used to and it hurt a little. He ruined it all. There was no other option but to nod and follow her, so he did. It was the first time Sayuri turned her back on him. His chest started aching, but he didn't complain. It was most probably a way of sulking for not getting her attention. They had to walk for a while and he was feeling cold again, so he rubbed his shoulders. 'She must enjoy seeing me walking around half-naked…' He sneered.

Sayuri saw it, so she opened the huge leather bag, took out a piece of clothing and gave it to Kishu. "Cover yourself with that." It was a long and velvety dark blue cloak, with a beautiful silver button. It had the same shape as her tattoo. He threw it around his shoulders and pulled the cap onto his head. "Thanks…" He mumbled. At first he suspected a trap. But the darn thing actually felt cozy. It was good enough that she was caring for him, even if so coldly.

After some fifteen minutes, the scenery started to change.

"We're here." Sayuri said, still moving. Kishu didn't have to ask. He instantly guessed where they were and was in shock. The crash site… All around, on a sixty feet radius circle, there were stripped and burned trees. Dark was the main color… The singed grass was covered with ashes all over, but he could see clean spots here and there where new plants were starting to grow. And right in the middle of that destruction was his ship. His chin dropped and he fell on his butt.

Sayuri, on the other hand, approached the ship and cuddled it like a pet. "I have good news for you." She said, turning to Kishu. "Although your ship is – obviously – much damaged, the engine is still useful."

Kishu jerked up surprised. "You know… how the ship works?"

"Not really." She shrugged. "But I know enough to recognize a motor when I see one. And it looks good to me." She walked back and sat next to him, staring at the ship in thought. "Where did you come from and why are you here?"

The alien looked away. "It's none of your busyness."

Sayuri ignored the answer. "Of all places… you fell right onto this island. I wonder…"

"Wonder what?" He asked. But it seamed like she was talking more to herself than to him.

She snapped out of it and looked at Kishu. "You can build a new ship."

His eyes widened and glimmered. "With what?"

"The pieces of metal that I collected and cleaned the past few days." She smiled. "Well… Maybe it won't be as big. Some of them were destroyed beyond repairing. It'll have to be very simple, because I don't have technology resources…" She kept going on about the materials that could be used, but Kishu wasn't paying attention anymore. His eyes were locked on her. She was actually trying to help him. Suddenly the reaction he had before seemed appalling to him. He was willing to kill her… And he would have, if she hadn't looked so helpless in front of him.

"Kishu? Are you listening?" Sayuri was waving her hand in front of him.

"Huh… Yes!" He jumped.

"So what do you think? I'm not much of a help, though."

"Oh, I just have to take a peak at the engine to see if it's good like you said. If it is, it will be easy for me to build the whole thing." He puffed up with pride. "I'm actually the most talented navigator where I come from."

"Really?" Sayuri smirked and looked at the wrecked ship. "You don't say…"

The green alien sulked immediately and crossed his arms. "That's wasn't my fault. My calculations to enter the Earth's atmosphere were accurate, but something strange happened and I lost control. I've been thinking, but can't figure out what it was…"

"I know what it was." Sayuri let out.

Kishu head quickly rotated towards her. "You do?"

Sayuri gasped and smiled, changing the subject. "We need to treat that wound of yours! Let's move!" And with that she stood up energetically. "I've been a little tired lately from cleaning up this place, so I get easily distracted."

Kishu got up as well. "You've been doing that by yourself?"

"How else did you expect me to do it?"

He observed the area around. Something shiny on top of a half-burned tree caught his attention. He got closer and saw a crystal high up there. "The teleporter! It's intact!" He stripped off the cloak and was going to reach for it, but Sayuri beat him to it. "I'll do it."

"It's ok, I…"

"No." She said. "You're injured." And she started climbing. Agile as a monkey, she grabbed the object in no time. But when she was coming down, a burnt branch broke and she lost balance.

"Whoa!" Kishu immediately flew up and caught her in his arms.

She was stunned. "You can fly?..."

Kishu smilled sheepishly and was going to brag about it, but the sight of her face stopped him. She was blushing! That was something he never witnessed… And it embarrassed him as well, so before he could even sense a pinch of heat rushing to his cheeks, he went back to the ground and carefully dropped her. "Huh… It's normal for me to fly! He he…" He scratched the back of his head, not knowing what else to do with his hands. Sayuri wasn't facing him, so he changed the subject. "You know, I'm starving! Breakfast would… be good right… about now… Wow… I don't feel… so hot…"

Sayuri jumped just in time to catch him before he reached the floor, but his limpness weighted on her, causing her to fall back with him on top. "I told you to stay put because you're wounded, why didn't you listen?" She scolded.

He rolled his head to look at her, not caring if they were in an awkward position. He was feeling weak and didn't want to move, but mostly because he was touching her. It wasn't hands or arms only… Their bodies were rubbing against each other. A larger touching surface made him feel more of that weird vibration that came out of her whenever there was contact. "You're a human; you can't order me around…" He said, with a zombie voice. Kishu lowered his head and leaned it against her chest to tease her. After a few seconds he raised it again in shock. He couldn't hear a heartbeat… "Are you ok?"

She pushed him aside – with a light pink on her cheeks still – and sat up. "Yes, why?"

Kishu shook his head. "Nothing."

"Let's go back, then!" She giggled nervously.

Part two – Going Back

Pai's blood was boiling. Kishu had fallen asleep in the middle of the conversation, so he had to leave the infirmary by order of the doctor. And he had the impression that he was not telling everything; the story seemed a bit disconnected on details. If Kishu met with a human in such circumstances, it should have been easy to deal with her, despite the damage he took. From what he gathered, she was alone.

He was now packing up and making the last preparations for departure. Taruto was flying around, whistling a cheerful melody that was getting on his nerves. "I don't understand how he crashed so easily, that doesn't sound like Kishu!" Taruto said.

Pai nodded. "True. Probably the ship was malfunctioning."

"Yes, but still…" Taruto shrugged.

Someone teleported into the room and both aliens jumped. It was Kishu.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be lying down?" Taruto asked concearned.

"Nah, I'm super." He looked around and shook a finger at Pai. "You weren't planning to go without me, were you?"

"As much as I wanted to… no. We were waiting for you to get better."

Kishu lied down on a bed with his arms behind his head. "I'm as good as new already." He smiled forcefully and grabbed the small bump under his shirt.

Taruto sat next to him. "Kishu, how did you get out of that place? Where was it?"

Kishu's face darkened. "I can't remember very well, there's a blur. I remember rebuilding the ship, which took me a lot of time. And when I finally finished, Sayu-… the human acted funny."

Pai frowned. "What do you mean?"

The green alien raised his hands and looked up. "I dunno… She wouldn't let me leave." Seeing their curious faces, he continued. "By the time I finished, I ran a small test and flew around the island I think. She kept telling me to fly low… When I mentioned the day I was planning on retuning home, she threatened me."

Pai got closer. "What did she say?"

"Hmm… All I recall is her saying 'you can't leave now, or the consequences will be terrible'." He let go of the pendant.

Pai pointed at the pendant. "Why did you bring that with you?"

"The gem? I couldn't take it off, so I just let it be. I know I tried to run away… The human was getting dangerous and threatening me everyday. But I made her trust me eventually and she let her guard down. So I took my opportunity to flee…" He stared at the floor.

Pai raised an eyebrow. "Why do I sense guilt in your words?"

Kishu's hair covered his eyes. "Ever since that day I have dreams. I mean, I don't know if they're dreams or flashbacks." He raised his knees and wrapped his arms around them. "She keeps screaming my name in despair and panic… Begging me not to leave and crying. I can't see her face, only her eyes and they're full of fear… And anger, so much anger…" He closed his hand in a fist. "That happens while I'm flying away, and she grows smaller with the distance. Her voice fades away… then there's an explosion and I wake up."

"Did you try to go back there on our last journey?" Pai asked.

Kishu sighed and scratched his forehead. "I wanted to, but I had no idea where that godforsaken island was."

Taruto had been listening and devouring their every word. "What did you want to see her for?"

"I don't know… To apologize maybe."

"Apologize for what?"

"For breaking her trust." He said on a half-voice. "But that was a long time ago." Then he teleported next to the door and smiled. "I'm going to get ready. We leave tomorrow. Maybe I'll see Ichigo again!" And he disappeared laughing.