Besarki: WOWZERS! AN UPDATE AFTER JUST TWO DAYS?! AMAZING! You guys just BARELY met the quota. In fact, really, you didn't meet it, but I was being a twit and torturing Smart Angel so I got a tongue-lashing and a demand that I hurry up and get this out. AND SO, HERE YOU GOEZ!
Oh yes. This may be needed for this chapter:
Effects/Onomatopoeias are in Bold, but not Italicized. Be aware that they are only effects when they stand alone. If one word in a sentence is bolded and not italicized, but the rest of the words in that sentence--or at least most of them--are bolded and italicized, then it's just a stressed word.
Okie dokies. And now on to the chapter!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you watched the cities move?
Does nature fall before
This age of industry?
For today I'll let it go
You've been good to me,
Have I been good to you?
~Buildings and Mountains, The Republic Tigers
(This has virtually nothing to do with the chapter, but I listened to it almost the entire time I was writing this one so I had to use it)
Well, aren't you just pushing your luck to the very limit?
Ah...? What do you mean by that?
Don't play dumb.
I--
Rat! What did I tell you?
Oh, come on. I was just playing around. Just harmless fun.
Running over a hundred miles an hour in a heavily populated area isn't harmless fun. It's reckless and irresponsible.
But riding a flying oni isn't at all.
S-Shut up! It's not like I have any other way.
My way was less obvious than yours!
I thought I told you--
Less obvious! Hehehe.
Twit.
Ha. But really, I am sorry. I didn't mean any harm.
I know.
Of course you do. You're just mean.
No, I'm careful.
Mean.
Whatever, Yoh.
Ha! I win! ...Hey! Don't you be sighing at me!
I can't help it. You just never learn.
So mean...
So childish.
Hey!
I stand.
Why're you so mean? I said I was sorry.
You always say you're sorry! It doesn't mean anything anymore!
Will it mean something if I say it in a different language?
NO! ...And besides, you have to know a different language to apologize in it.
Oh, right. Forgot about that.
You're hopeless.
Hehehehe. I'm--
Just playing around, I know. That's all you're ever doing.
Is that a bad thing?
I guess not.
Then don't complain! Hehehe.
...
...
...
...
...
Why aren't we saying anything?
I don't know. I just didn't have anything to say. You're the one being an idiot and copying me.
You're so confusing.
You're just brain-dead.
Yeah, probably.
You're not supposed to agree with me.
I'm not?
No.
Oh...okay, then I take it back.
You can't take it back.
Why not?
Because I said so.
Oh, well then--
Krrrrrrr...
What was that?!
Just thunder, I think. Must be really loud to reach us here.
That was thunder?
I'm pretty sure.
Oh, wow. Loud thunder.
Hana's probably freaking out.
You think? He's pretty brave.
A raging ocean and a thunderstorm is enough to unnerve most people.
Maybe. Hold on for a second. I'll check.
...
...
Well?
Sleeping.
Oh. That's good. ...That he can sleep through storms, I mean.
Sure.
...
Something wrong?
No, not really.
Oh. You weren't talking so I just assumed--
I know.
Right.
...
Okay, something's up.
Hmm?
Two silences in a row, and it's been a while since I've heard any snarky comments.
You're looking too far into things.
No. I don't think I am.
Hmph.
Are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to pester you relentlessly?
Need I remind you that I can wake up anytime?
It wouldn't matter. Now that I don't have to hide from Hana, I can come bug you there. I doubt you want him knowing what's bothering you.
Was that a threat?
It was, and I'm not taking it back.
This isn't like you.
Don't think that I'll let you slip away from this so easily.
Hao's rubbing off on you.
Maybe he is, now stop dodging the question.
I don't remember you asking a question. At least not one worth answering.
You're worried.
What? Of course I'm not. What's there to be worried about?
Hahaha! That's it. You're worried, aren't you?
No, I'm not.
But what about?
Cut it out! I'm not worried!
Hana? No. You'd admit it if you were worried about him.
Are you listening to me?
And I know you well enough to know that you'd never worry about someone like Hao, and especially not about yourself.
Do not test me.
Then it must be me.
What?!
Aww, are you worried about me?
I wish you'd quit guessing. They're all wrong.
Oh? Well, am I on the right track?
...
That's a yes! Hehehe.
You're terrible.
I'll stop if you tell me what's wrong.
I don't have a choice, do I?
Nope.
Ugh. Fine...
...Well?
I'm just a little worried about what'll happen once we reach America.
That's it?
Well...
No one's going to laugh at you, you know. You can say it.
I wasn't afraid of being mocked! I just...
Stop chickening out and just say it.
Look, the last time I had to fight all of your brother's followers, I was alone. I didn't have to worry about watching Hana or anything. If he's there, I don't know if I can win again. I got really beaten up against Zang Ching because I was stressed and unfocused.
You can't blame yourself for that. It was a freak accident. He shouldn't have been that strong.
Yet he was. Turbine was powered up, too. I don't even want to think about the others.
Then don't. Remember, Anna, that when it comes to that last fight, you won't need to win. You just have to endure long enough for me to break out and come save you!
You make it sound so easy.
Hehehe. It is easy. Plus, we both know that Hana will be alright so you don't need to worry about him.
Mmm...yeah...Hana will be fine.
See? There's no reason to worry.
I don't worry much about Hana anymore.
You shouldn't. Hana is strong.
He is. He is so strong. We should be thankful for that.
We are, aren't we? Hehehe.
Yeah. Ha...he doesn't even need us. In fact, if I didn't wake up tomorrow, I think he'd be okay...
W-What?!?! Don't say things like that!
I didn't mean anything by it. I was just stating a fact.
Well, your fact is wrong. He left looking for us so he obviously does need us. Both of us, so don't go off and do something stupid. I mean it.
I wasn't planning on it, Yoh. Believe it or not, I actually like living. I'm not going to run off and die on purpose.
You better not, cause if you did, I'd send Hao after you, and trust me, you do not want Hao after you.
I believe it.
Krrrrrrrrr...
There it is again.
It's just thunder, remember?
Just thunder that Hana can't sleep through forever.
Oh, right. Hahaha.
I should go.
Wait, before you do, there's something important that I need to talk to you about...
---0---0---0---0---0---
"It's going to rain soon," I mumbled.
Kaa-san glanced up at the dark, overcast sky. "Yeah..." She agreed. As if to augment the statement further, a crack of thunder suddenly rang out across the sky.
The water wasn't rough when we'd left last night, but was undeniably so when we awoke this morning.
Ryu used to tell me that the ocean was a very moody thing, and that it could change its mind in the blink of an eye. I never really believed that. Even though I was a shaman, I didn't believe that the ocean was truly alive. Not until now, anyway.
A single dolphin rode up beside us then quickly swam away. I felt sort of bad for it. The poor thing was out here all alone in the middle of this, and the conditions were looking like they were only going to get worse.
"Dolphins have sonar," Kaa-san told me. "It'll find its way back." I turned to stare at her for a moment, but soon turned back to the ocean.
Sonar, huh? Heh. If that was the case then that dolphin was probably better off than we were.
"Rrrrrrr," Naka growled. I glanced down at him as Kaa-san stared out over the see.
"I know," She said quietly. I frowned and turned to stare confusedly at her.
"Know what?" I asked. She gave me a strange, almost apologetic smile.
"The storm's about to get bad. Naka-Oni can't swim through this much longer. We're going to have to change to flight soon."
"Okay," I replied, suspiciously. Her reply didn't match her expression at all...
The water turned deadly within the next forty five minutes. Naka was quickly oversouled into his flying form and then sent off at full speed. It was raining by then, and a series of sharp gales were persistently tearing through the skies.
Kaa-san gave me her cloak, but it didn't do much against the rain and was virtually useless against the wind.
If I didn't know any better, I'd think that we'd stumbled into a hurricane...but Kaa-san wasn't so reckless as to do something like that...was she?
"How long is this going to keep up?" I yelled, raising my voice to be heard above the howling wind.
"I don't know! It depends on the direction the storm takes!"
"What does that mean?!"
"It means that, if the storm goes south, north, or east, it'll be over in a few hours! If it goes west, we're going to have to take a detour!"
"How can you tell which direction it's going?!" We could not afford a detour.
"I can't!" Oh, good.
"Then how will we know?!"
"If you wake up tomorrow and it's still going on, then we'll know that it's going with us!"
"Do we have time for that?!"
"Probably not!" This was dumb! Couldn't she do anything? "Sorry, Hana! I wasn't anticipating this!"
No kidding.
I jumped when a bolt of lightning flashed and was followed almost instantly by a crack of thunder. Kaa-san grabbed me a second before I jumped off of Naka's back.
"Don't be jumpy," She hissed. At least, I think that's what she said.
"SORRY!" She let go and nearly fell off herself in response to the volume of my apology. Luckily, Naka shifted and she regained her balance.
I was expecting the death glare I got. Ugh. Insert shudder.
"Sorry..." I said, much quieter this time.
"Now I can't hear you!" She griped. Sheesh. There was no appeasing this lady.
Kaa-san shook her head and crossed her arms. She looked like a witch with her hair flying everywhere.
That thought made me chuckle and I saw her roll her eyes.
However, when my laughing eyes reopened, it wasn't Kaa-san that I saw.
Like so many times before, my stomach dropped to the soles of my feet.
Heading straight for us at an incredible speed and size was a humongous burst of white light.
Kaa-san saw my expression and immediately whirled around. Her face went as pale as mine.
"MOVE!" She yelled desperately.
My gut instinct sent me jumping backwards...but there was nothing to jump to, and I went spiraling down into the freezing water.
As I fell, I saw the beam impact Naka and split him into spirit flames. I couldn't find Kaa-san, but with Naka gone she probably in the water with me. Knowing this, I spun around, searching for her, but she was no where in sight. No matter where I looked, she wasn't there.
A rogue ocean wave lifted and fell over me. I suddenly found myself thrust down into the dark water, and no matter how much I struggled, I couldn't get away from it. Mother Nature was stronger than any enemy--even Hao--and there was absolutely no way to fight it.
I knew I was doomed by myself, and I knew that, unless Naka regenerated, Kaa-san was too. Fate was working against us now, and it was all we could do to subject ourselves to it and await its judgment.
My eyes caught a mysterious shape swimming towards me and then light vanished all together.
Besarki: DUN DUN DUN! So yeah, lot's of hinting and mysterious lines in this one. MUHAHAHAHA!
As I said earlier, this was the last time Yoh and Anna will be talking. At least...the last time they'll be talking like this. Hee hee hee.
Almost to the states! So excited!
So I'm building a website for no reason other than being incredulously bored. It's got a section on it for this fic so if you're bored and have time, check it out! I'll be posting random previews, hints, etc. when I get time or run into writer's block. It'll be listed as my homepage starting sometime tonight so look for it!
Oh, and next chapter may take a little longer to write than usual...because it won't be in Hana's POV. And you know what that means... :)
I'm going to be a jerk this time and raise the quota for this one chapter. WAHAHAHA! Remember, PM's count! If you don't want your name up there, then PM me instead!
By the way, as I said there was a lot hinted at in this chapter, but I can't promise that I didn't throw you any false leads. Heh heh heh... ;)
Sayonara Munchies!