Apikalia still refused to speak to Clay when he still fell for Willow's fasle tears. This angried her everytime when Clay couldn't bring himself to say no. Amber, Kimiko, and Trent wanted to get Ping Pong and Raimundo off Willow's bandwagon. Since they found the two of them obeying Willow's every lie about not being strong enough to work. Always dumping her chores or tasks on them throughout the day unti! they were too worn.
"I am starting to see something is not correct about this Willow." Omi addressed Amber, Apikalia, Kimiko, and Trent.
"One down." Kimiko lit one.
"May we know how you fell out of her favor?" Trent asked.
"I started to see the cracks." Omi answered rather seriously.
"Then how do we get the others to see that?" Amber pointed out Ping Pong, Raimundo, and Clay.
"I can handle Clay," Apikalia rose her hand, "News I got from father will shake things up."
She spoke of a letter that was delivered all the way from her home in Hawaii by a postman. Contains were more than what was happening at home with her family. She was informed that her late grandmother had arranged a union. Between their family and another one as a form of merger of their family business. She was chosen out of her brothers to be married off.
"Wow!" Kimiko was shocked.
"They still do that?" Trent asked.
"Sounds like it." Amber went wide-eyed.
"Is it wrong to be mad at your brothers?" Omi didn't like how Apikalia's brother made a choice for her.
"I would be." Chen joined them.
He sat among them with a strange backpack within his arms that gained everyone's attention. He ended up explaining this was the Spider Web Pack that he just got done retrieving.
"This Shen Gong Wu gives the wearer skills of a spider," He shows it off, "Cool, right?"
"What kind of spider does this allow one to take after? Is it just a spider in general?" Omi started to ask.
"Forgot about your endless line of questions." Amber was amused by Omi.
Chen ended up having Omi come with him to the vault to put the newest Wu away as everyone split up. Agreeing to do their own chores without helping her other knowing Willow. Gave Apikalia a chance to walk up to Clay in the middle of doing Willow's chore. Which upset her when she had to cough to gain his attention. Down from the ladder he went when he noticed who it was.
"Bee still in your bonnet?" He asked not taking her mood into consideration.
"You're done being fooled by bright blue eyes and a bad dye job?" She asked back, "Your Barking Up Wrong Tree WITH Her."
"Now …" Clay was offended.
When tears started to fall from her eyes at the way he was defending someone like Willow. He grew quiet while recalling words his mother once told him about making a girl cry. Fact he found himself unable to further speak on a subject that was becoming sore. Had him unable to do what to do when he noticed a crumbled letter in Apikalia's hand.
"I am heading home to meet my fiance," She mustered up enough courage to tell Clay, "Have fun with… Willow."
"What?" Clay couldn't believe what was said.
Words fiance and leave were only words that made it into Clay's brain when he took in Apikalia's words. The emotions he long couldn't bring out a label surfaced like a raging storm. Jealousy and hurt floated to the top where affection and trust.
"Hey guys!" Ping Pong called to them with a wide smile, "A new Wu has been revealed."
To the dining hall they went to find Dojo with a usual rash as Shu Yung tried to avoid him. The scroll revealed a Wu called the Komori Sword on Hawaii's newest island to them.
"Let its user hang upside down like a bat and fight well in darkness," Kaori read the description, "Cool, but problematic one."
"We're going to hawaii?" Trent asked.
Kimiko ended up coming up with a plan that wouldn't have a lot of them watching act like lovesick fools. Clay with Apikalia ended up being the first two that were going with much of a fuss. Kimiko and Trent were staying behind to keep an eye on Ping Pong and Raimundo. Amber and Omi were the ones that ended up the next two with Chen promising to act as back up for Kimiko and Trent.
8*8
Arriving in the back of a main house that Apikalia called home wasn't weird at first. Sliding off the back of Dojo one by one with Clay whistling at the view. Omi went wide eyed at how big the house was from the back from where he sat. Amber rolled her eyes before getting off Dojo as she caught Omi.
"Eyes alert," Chen warned them, "Ears open."
"E nā hoahānau!" Apikalia called out, " ʻO wau ka home."
When Dojo shrunk in size and was allowed onto Chen's shoulders after Apikalia slid off. One of the doors opened with the creaking of hinges had heads turning. Person that stepped out was about Chen's height with similar features to Apikalia. He had lighter complexion and wore a silver chain around his neck. Wore his hair on the left side of his head in a series of combined braids.
"Vaea is my name," He sighed looking among the youths, "I will be the only one to interact with you since my brothers are busy right now. This arrangement has affected us all in a different way."
"Meaning you are calling it off?" Omi inquired, "Since my fellow monk has chosen her own path in which to fellow, then marry some stranger."
"Bold." Amber was impressed.
Apikalia blinked out of shock when she looked to Clay and found him with crossed arms. Another reaction came from Chen slightly laughing at Omi's answer. Dojo hissed when he coiled into the back of Chen's clothing to hide.
"Stay out of which you don't understand boy." Vaea addressed Omi.
Chen was the one that kept Omi from talking back to Vaea when tension barely started to form. Which was taken as a hint to stand down when Omi felt Chen's hand on his shoulder.
"I shall show we'll be staying." Apikalia offered.
"E noho paha ʻoe me mākou ma ka hale nui?" Vaea directly asked Apikalia.
"A laila e hoʻomaikaʻi maikaʻi i koʻu mau hoaaloha." She answered back with a smile.
Amber could feel the venom in Apikalia's answer to her brother without asking for translation. Omi had to look to Chen for what they were saying, rather confused. Clay was the only one that didn't really react much. He did end up moving when Apikalia ended up telling them to her. Which they did with Omi deciding to flip into his fingers to impress Vaea. Which got her raised eyebrow by him when he watched them all walk off. Only stepping forward enough to request that Chen stay behind to chat. Which was granted by said person as Dojo was handed off to Amber for privacy.
"I don't see your wife," Chen pointed out the lack of Vaea's spouse, "Taking another beauty nap for her headache."
"We have been officially dissoluted our marriage," Vaea sighed, "This life was not for her after ten plus years of being with me."
"From what I can remember," Chen started to walk, "She was more vain and card for herself then anyone around her. You still married her to carry your line then be with me."
A crude reminder of their once shared past as lovers when Apikalia was still learning about her role. One that ended for the sake of family when his time for marriage came. That left two young monks in hiding to learn of such a painful past. Clay softened Apikalia's fall when her knees gave out. Over the shock of her brother and his past with Chen being revealed. By catching her within one of his arms before she hit the harsh ground.
"You can let go." Apikalia whispered .
"I would rather not since you seem to need support," Clay held her, "Since it's been pointed out, I have been acting like a love struck fool toward our new guest."
"…" Apikalia went quiet.
"I don't want to lose this special friend after I cleared my head," Clay got her back onto her feet, "How about it?"
His offered hand was taken by her when he ended up being allowed to take just one of her hands. In which he removed one of his gloves to take hold barehanded. Being sure to weave their fingers together as he gulped.
"Why call off this arrangement?" He asked, "I kinda want to introduce you to my parents."
"Really?" She began to smile, "Are you …"
"Can't believe it took THIS to get me to realize my feelings," Clay tried to not blush, "Can we try and see where this goes?"