Chapter XVIII: The town of twilight part IV

Chapter XVIII: The town of twilight part IV

Nozomi was smiling to herself as she sat on a bench in the town square. She was looking up into the warm twilight sky as she was waiting for Hayner and the others to comeback, so that could all eat sea salt ice cream together. Though Hayner still wasn't saying much to her.

"He sure can stay sore for a long while can't he?" She asked Cait sith.

He had been removed from Nozomi's shoulders and was sitting next to her his arms folded as his tail wagged to and fro as he listened and looked around himself.

"Sure can." He replied.

Nozomi hearing this reply was quiet for a moment as she then pondered another question aloud, "you know Olette?"

Cait sith looked at her as she asked, "yeah?"

Nozomi was quiet for a moment until she then asked, "She kind of has hair similar to Hari… I think."

Cait sith looked at her very confused, "who're you talking about?"

Nozomi looked at Cait Sith a little surprised but then she quickly remembered that Cait sith hadn't been with her when she had encountered Hari, "she was the girl with metal-like wings… she destroyed my home and took Wairu too… I was thinking that Olette's hair was a little similar with its spiked bits slightly and those ends on the side of her face…"

Hearing this information cait sith listened closely; he didn't react though to what was said about Hari at first but his tail did suddenly stop at when the wings were mentioned and the destruction that Nozomi talked about.

He was quiet for a few moments as Nozomi stared but then he looked back up at her as he asked, "Does that mean you dislike her then?"

Nozomi hearing this was a little insulted, "of course not! I don't hate her! She's my friend… but that Hari on the other hand…I'd like to give her real smack when I get the chance!" She spoke as she put one of her hands into a fist and punched it into the other showing her intent.

Cait sith hearing this reply then smiled as he then said to her, "well I hope you give it to her nice and hard!"

Nozomi hearing this then smirked, "that's a promise!"

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Pete had managed to avoid Maleficent for the most part for the past couple of hours and decided to go and check on Hari's recovery process.

He walked up the many stairs where he had left her to recover in the tower, it took quite a bit of energy to get up them but he had to, cause it was like the old saying no pain no gain!

So then finally making it he neared the corner as he then spoke a loud to himself, "Well I hope she better have recovered nice cause if not… Maleficent is so gonna …" He didn't even want to think of the horrible wrath that would befall him if he told Maleficent, so then just turned the corner and entered the room.

He found Hari was exactly in the same space as he had left her, she hadn't moved from the spot at all, that he left her in. He was sure that she would at least have moved around or sat in the couch that was in the room… or at least something else!
"Hey!" He spoke aloud.

Hari hearing him turned around and looked at him with those unchanging green eyes, she didn't speak as she simply looked on.

Pete was a little taken off guard again, he was still unused to Hari's unemotional nature but he was determined to make the best he could with what he could do, "come on over here!"

Hearing this command Hari walked over to Pete her eyes closed, but as she moved forward Pete noticed that her legs seemed to shake slightly as she walked. This made him look at her in concern.

When she finally made her way over she opened her eyes again as she asked, "what is it you wish of me Pete?"
Looking at her and her shaking legs he asked her, "yer legs are shakin like mad haven't ya sat down or nothin?!"

Hari looked at him as she shook her head slightly as she answered him, "no… there was no command for me to be seated, I was told simply "to stay here."

As she finished her quotation Pete was dumbstruck by this and then he grew slightly at her inability as he then grabbed her undamaged arm and dragged her over to it.

He stood in front of it with her arm still being held. He then let go of her as he then walked to one end as he then pointed at it and looked at her cross.

Hari didn't respond at first but then started to respond, "what're you-"

"I want ya ta sit down! Rest yerself fer blast sake! There's only so much ya can do!" He spoke crossly.

Hari hearing this then watched as he then lowered his arm and then looking at the couch for a few moments then closed her eyes as she sat down on it.

She sat with her hands on her knees as she sat up straight as though she was sitting at a formal meeting.

Pete seeing her do this was still cross as he then sat his big self down as he then moved over to her. Looking he then saw that her eyes were still closed and her poise didn't change at all. Looking he then asked her, "can't you relax at all?"

Hari opened her eyes and looked at him blankly still and replied, "I have not been given a command to do so."

Hearing this frustrated Pete even more as he looked at her and could feel a sense of tiredness coming from her and then said to her, "well relax then! Come on!" He spoke as he then patted his big lap.

Looking at it Hari didn't seem to have got the hint as she then asked, "what is that gesture?"

Pete looking at her then sighed as he then said to her, "rest yer head here! I know ye've been sayin that ya can't feel no pain nor nothing but yer obviously tired so come on!"

Hearing this Hari then looked at his lap for a few moments and then hearing the order then moved herself over. Then doing so she let her head drift and let it fall upon Pete's leg as she had her eyes closed. Her body had now spread on the couch into a lying position more relaxed than her usual stiffness.

Gazing down at her Pete could feel her breath on his leg as she breathed slowly but gently, he felt his frustration lessen slightly but still felt a little still as he realised that she wasn't truly an indestructible fighting machine.

His look comforted slightly as he noticed that a strand of hair had come loose and was sitting across her fringe and over her face and was sitting messily. So taking one of his big hands he then moved it out of the way as he then watched her again a little. It was a few moments before he asked aloud, "I wonder what percentage yer at now?"

"Seventy-eight percent," Hari spoke aloud.

This surprised Pete slightly as he then asked, "yer not asleep?!"

Hari replied, "I wasn't commanded to."

Pete was annoyed again but then laughed slightly, "oh right!..."

It was silent for a few moments again before Pete spoke, "ye can't feel a thing can ya?"

Hari then responded, "No… my physical responses as well as emotional are none existent."

Quiet again, Pete then responded, "but it looks like yer body can still feel somethin?"

To this Hari made no sound, it could have meant that she didn't know or that she wouldn't answer.

Seeing this Pete then decided, "Hari?"

"Yes?" She asked.

"Get some sleep." Pete commanded.

Hari was quiet a little more before she then said sleepily, "Understood…"

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Nozomi was still sitting on the bench with cait sith and right there at that moment she was very bored, it had already been fifteen minutes.

"Darn those guys are taking a long time!" She spoke a little agitated at waiting so long.

At this Cait sith replied, "Can't argue with you there!" Annoyed himself slightly.

They were both silent a little more until Nozomi started to speak again, "hey do you think we shoul-"

"AAAAAGGGGHHHH!"

She then jumped out of her skin as did cait sith as they turned around from where they were sitting and saw someone who had seemingly been thrown on the floor by a small gang of some kind.

"I'm sorry I didn't-"

But the person who was speaking was interrupted as then the "leader" started to speak, "You should of known better! This our turf and we don't like it when we have outsiders like you poking their noses where they don't belong!"

The person who was speaking was wearing a black hat with some strange symbol on the top, he also wore a long white sleeveless coat with a purple zip up vest underneath.

He also wore long brown baggy trousers and black boots.

From what Nozomi could tell from looking at the guy his hair was blonde underneath that hat and he had a scar on his forehead. That meant he'd definitely been in a fight or two.

"Yeah that's right! Seifer's word is law y'know!"

This came from the second guy who was behind him, he had dark black hair and had a tan. He wore an orange sporty vest with some strange wing like designs, with a chain necklace with a lightning bolt at the end. He too also wore baggy trousers but were sporty too with two orange stripes down the sides and a number eight. He also wore a pair of yellow trainers and a pair of blue cuffs to finish off the whole thing.

"Busted."

Came the last reply, this time from a girl and as Nozomi looked at her she could see that her hair was a light shade of lilac with one side blocking out her right like Oralee's was but the revealed eye that she could see was red.

Her facial expression was cold and distant but had a slight grumpy look to it, she wore a dark purple zip up vest and white-yellow long short and a pair of lilac sandals.

Then Nozomi looked at the boy they were picking on she could see that hair was very spiky all over the place and was orange and yellow in colour. She could also see braids that were laced purple. He also wore an odd pair of spectacles that stood before a pair of red eyes that looked at them terrified.

The clothes he wore made Nozomi think he was a little odd slightly for he wore black waistcoat with as white shirt underneath and he also wore long black trousers.

The boy started to speak, "I… I am really sorry it's just that I was-"

"You can shut yer yap!" Came the voice of Seifer again who was truly irritated again.

The boy was silent quickly again as he looked truly scared as though he was a frog facing a snake.

"I know that yer one of the reasons why stuffs been goin missin around the town and so since you haven't wised up to the rules I'm gonna have to give you… "Disciplinary measures." He continued on as he then started to approach the boy.

Nozomi seeing this couldn't bear the bullying anymore as she then grabbed Cait sith's straps as she then put him on her back again though he fussed. But he quickly became silent as she ran across and came between the bully and the victim.

"Leave him alone!" She spoke angrily.

Both Seifer, his group and the victim were silent were a little surprised at the new arrival.

Seifer looking at Nozomi who was now guarding his prey raised his eyebrows as he then asked, "and who have we got here?"

Nozomi still looking angered barked at them as she spoke, "I think that should be my question! What the heck do you think you're doing?!"

At this Seifer was surprised as well as his posse, it was the big lug who talked first, "Don'tcha know! He's Seifer legendary member of the disciplinary committee! He keeps everythin in check y'know!"
The guy Seifer had a smug on his face as he heard his praises being called as then the girl then finished off the whole thing with a simple one liner, "ice-cool."

After hearing all this Nozomi had calmed slightly realising a fight probably wouldn't happen straight off the bat and instead looked at them a little boredly at this pointless praise.

Then the lug talked again as he said, "So whatya think of that y'know?"

Nozomi silent for a few moments her face blank and her arms folded then let out her answer, "his hat's ugly."

At this all three of them looked at her shocked at her answer, even Seifer's eyes narrowed at this reply, he was beginning to get irritated.

The lug guy spoke again, "what cha say that for! You gotta show honest respect to him y'know!?"
Nozomi her own eyes narrowed her arms still folded then answered, "I have nothing nice to say to someone who picks and hurts on others, so that's the only honest reply you're gonna get out of me, as I repeat… his hat is ugly."

At this Seifer was immediately furious at her now too as he then began to speak cracking his knuckle slightly, "well looks like I've got two to discipline."

Nozomi her face still silently serious looked at him as he approached and then turned to look at the boy again. She saw that he was now huddled over as he held his head. He looked like he was in pain as he shivered slightly.

Her eyes widened at this but then-

"Hey!"

She turned around then saw a fist was coming for her, but then she quickly ducked out of the way as she looked at him even more alarmed, "hey that's dirty!" She cried out loudly.

Seifer looked at her as he was angered and then retorted back, "who said I was gonna go soft just cause yer a girl?"

Nozomi hearing this looked shocked but then infuriated as she then said loudly, "just cause I'm a girl doesn't-"

But then suddenly something really strange happened as then a white creature appeared out of some strange electrical smoulder as it swayed to and throw with long sharp claws.

"What in the-?!"

But then suddenly more appeared out of nowhere as they surrounded the group of people, Nozomi looked around as she then thought to herself, 'why do I always get into these situations.'