Chapter 30: Blue
Linn looked down, she hated yelling and conflict.
"Why are we even fighting?" She asked softly.
"I'm sorry... I can stop the sentences, and you're right, they're not working. What was your idea?"
He froze.
He didn't have a better idea. He had just yelled at Linn, and there was no reason attached to it.
He wrapped her in a hug.
"I have no clue... I'm sorry..."
He gave her a soft kiss, tears slipping from good eyes.
"She has me pulling my hair out, but I was too hard on her..."
His lower lip was trembling.
"I don't know what to do...? She's a mess, and I don't know how to fix it... Linn, I'm a bad Father!"
Linn shook her head. "No, you're not. Bad father's don't think they're bad father's. I would know, I had one..."
He sniffed. "Maybe I should talk to her..."
He walked upstairs, and opened the door to her room.
Her window was open.
"You've got to be KIDDING ME!?" He yelled.
He looked outside nervously. It was snowing heavily, and there were no footprints.
She could get really cold, really fast in this weather. A storm like this would be easy to get lost in...
I'll look for her. I hope she's okay...
...
Hiro had found Eiji through their voices. They were running down halls, being chased by a growling monster.
The only reason they hadn't been swallowed, was because Hiro had found the hall in time.
"Why can't we lose it!?" Eiji exclaimed.
"I d-d-don't kn-know..."
Hiro had been extremely cold this whole time. She didn't remember falling asleep in the snow.
At this pace, she'd slow him down.
She was strong enough to take it, she thought... Hopefully.
She let go of Eiji, and turned to face the growl.
"BACK!" She screamed, standing in a defensive position.
The growling stopped.
"H-Hiro! What have you...? No growling?"
She stood her ground. "Th-That's right... Stay."
She heard it whine, and walk toward them.
"Ah! Sit!" She yelled.
It sat. And you could feel the wind of a massive tail wagging.
It panted, and barked happily.
"A dog...?" Eiji asked.
"I th-th-think so..." Hiro shivered.
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
Their sight returned, and they were in the marble room. The dog was more like a gigantic wolf, prancing about and wagging it's tail.
Eiji stared at Hiro. "Your lips are blue!"
He ran over to her and held her hands.
"Hiro, are you...? You're hands are ice cold! What's wrong!?"
She held herself, and sat on the floor, shivering.
"I'm s-so cold..." She whispered.
"Wh-Why am I so... c-c-cold..."
Eiji wrapped her with his coat. He even made blankets to try to warm her. Nothing worked.
Her eyes felt heavy. "I'm so... Tired."
She was freezing to death.
Eiji shook her.
"No, none of that! Stay awake!"
Her head bobbed back and forth, her eyes opening and closing...
"HIRO! Stay awake!"
Her eyes closed.
"Hiro? Hiro! WAKE UP!"
He felt a tear slip, he gave her a soft kiss...
"Hiro... Please wake up."
...
Kuhn and Linn had been looking for a little while now.
They had searched in and out of the grounds, but hadn't found her.
"I hope she's okay..." Said Linn.
Kuhn sighed. "I do too-"
His foot hit something... Someone.
He dropped, and dug through the snow.
Hiro was lying in the snow, her lips were blue, and her hands, nose, and ears were frostbitten.
They got her back to the Warrior's Respite, but she was in bad shape.
Shisuta gave her some warming medicine, while Kahn healed the parts that swelled up after the frostbitten parts had thawed.
Color started to return to her face, but she stayed asleep.
...
Eiji saw the color return to her face.
"Hiro, Hiro! Are you okay!?"
Her eyes fluttered open.
"Eiji...?"
He hugged her, sobbing softly.
"I thought you were going to die..." He whispered.
She removed the pile of blankets.
"I thought I was too..."
She kissed him softly.
"But I didn't..."
He held her close, pressing soft kisses on her lips. They became more heated, and Hiro started running her hands through his hair. He breathed in, and let out a deep breath.
She took in a sharp breath as his lips trailed her neck...
The the dog pounced on Eiji, licking his face.
"Ah! What the-!? Dog, get off! I don't want kisses from you right now!"
Hiro sighed. "Great, so I guess not even dreams are free anymore..."
The dog sat in front of Hiro.
"You were in danger." He said.
She jumped. "Y-You just talked!"
"Yes. I like the boy... So I only licked him... Why was he strangling you?"
She rolled her eyes. "He wasn't strangling me, we were just... He was hugging me."
"Well I don't like it." He said.
She groaned with annoyance. "Of course you don't..."
He wagged his tail.
"Can we play!? I want to play! You should give me name, and then we can play!"
She laughed. "Okay fido, let's play!"
He shook his head. "I don't like that name, choose a different one..."
Hiro stopped.
"What do you want to play after I name you?" She asked.
He wagged his tail excitedly. "It's a secret!"
Hiro looked at Eiji.
"That's the next test."
Eiji sighed. "Then... Then don't name him yet. We should wait until we wake up, maybe we don't have to go further than this."
"I'll wait then!" Said the dog happily, prancing around again.
"Now we just wait for morning." Said Eiji.
Morning came, and they didn't wake up.
...
"I can't wake her up!" Linn exclaimed.
"What do you think's going on!?"
Kuhn shook her, and she didn't budge.
"I don't know, why isn't she waking up!?"
Haku and Chihiro ran downstairs.
"Something's wrong." Said Haku.
Chihiro spoke. "It's Eiji, he won't wake up!"
They both froze.
"Look at Hiro, we dragged her down here, and she's still out!"
Chihiro stopped.
"Those dreams they mentioned... What do you think it means?"
Haku thought for a moment.
"Eiji mentioned it being somewhat of a puzzle. If that's the case then I'd assume they're stuck until they figure it out..."
Kuhn looked down at Hiro.
"I hope you're doing okay in there kid..."
...
Hiro felt her stomach growl.
"Eiji, this isn't working. We have to solve this, or I don't think we CAN wake up!"
Eiji nodded. "Okay then, let's give him a good name, but first..."
Hiro's club appeared in his hand.
"We can make things happen here, remember? It's worth a shot."
Hiro nodded. "Good idea."
She made a suit of impenetrable armor on her.
Eiji smiled. "Now THAT'S a good idea!"
He did the same.
She called the dog over.
"Come here boy! Time to get a name!"
He ran to her and sat.
"A name? Then we play!?"
She nodded.
"HOORAY!" He exclaimed.
"What about... Rico?"
He shook his head.
"Okay... What about eggroll?"
Eiji laughed.
"What!?" She exclaimed. "I'm hungry, so my brain has the equivalent thinking power of a taco! Taco's sound good..."
"No!" Gagged the dog.
She sighed. "Then what about cake? Cake could be a good name...?"
He shook his head.
"Mmmm cake. No."
She looked down. "But I'm not good at coming up with..."
She saw his claw. It was blue, like the rest of his claws, but it was different.
That was her ten year old signature on his claw...
"Max...?" She whispered tearfully.
He jumped up, and changed into a Leviathan.
"I... Will NEVER WASH THIS CLAW!" He screamed.
She hugged him, tears spilling from her eyes.
"I missed you!" She wailed.
He wrapped an arm around her. "Mistress Hiro, it's an honor to meet you here..."
Eiji ran up to him too.
"You're alive!" He exclaimed, tears were also streaming down his face.
He wrapped the other arm around him.
"No... I'm not. But I'm here to help."
Hiro looked at him.
"So what next?" She asked.
He pointed to a stairwell going down.
"Go there... THERE INTO SHINY DEADLINESS! YAAAAY!"
He was talking about the torches. Apparently they were shiny.
He ooed and awed at each one on the way down.
"And THIS one's on FIRE! And THAT ONE! It is ALSO ON FIRE! FIIIIIRRREE!"
He ran down the stairs, and we chased after him.
"Max, wait up!" Eiji yelled.
We ran into the next one, and our feet were stuck.
They woke up.