The Spark

Chapter 3: Breaking News

Ashi was still asleep as the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon and spilled into the cracks of closed windows like honey. It wasn't until a single ray from a slightly uncovered window trailed up her body until it touched her peaceful face, the warmth from the sunlight tickling her eyelids.
Her eyes scrunched for a few seconds before she pulled herself into a sitting position. Rubbing her face to brush away the sleep and grogginess, she opened her eyes and looked around. It was strange, to her, to wake up in a place that was not covered by woodlands, shadows, or rock formations. As long as she could remember, her idea of 'domain' was a safe place within the wild or inside a mountain or cave. To be in a place that was comprised for comfort and not just shelter was foreign to her.
And yet, it felt…right.
Stretching her limbs, which seemed to be feeling better from her night on the warm and soft pull out, she got up. That's when she noticed a piece of paper that wasn't there. Peeling it off the table, she read it. The High Priestess may have made fighting the sole focus of Ashi and her sisters' training, but she was wise enough to know that the samurai occupied busy areas. This meant that her daughters needed to learn how to read and write, among other minor things, to track the samurai should they need to go through such places. It paid off a great deal during Ashi's search for him after defecting from her previous "destiny."
Her almond eyes scanned the paper, quite impressed by Larry's neat handwriting. The note stated that he had several jobs which required him to work at odd hours and stay out of his home for long periods. It also told her to make herself at home and relax until he got back.
Setting the note down, Ashi sat back down, quite unsure what to do with her alone time. Her eyes fell on a strange black object on the floor. She picked it up and examined it. It was rectangular and about half the size of a brick. The buttons on it were numbered and had different words like 'off', 'on', and 'volume.' Curiously, she pressed the 'on' button. Immediately, the black screen in front of her flashed and soon depicted a moving image.
Ashi jumped back, dropping the remote. She stood firm in a fighting stance, staring at the screen. While she had seen things such as this when traveling and searching for the samurai, it still surprised her. Living a good chunk of her life in a dark mountain had that kind of effect on her. Relaxing her posture, she stared at the screen. It depicted an image of a large cat running, a man's voice detailing and narrating the scenario.
After a minute, the dark-haired woman moved into the next room. She stared at the sink, counters, stove, and fridge. She was hesitant to poke around, concerned that she didn't want to accidentally break anything. She spied a bowl of fruit on the counter. She examined it before plucking a red apple from the bowl and biting into it.
While the High Priestess trained her daughters to go days without eating, Ashi was still human and needed nutrition. Although she was no longer intent on ending Samurai Jack, she found the ability to fast for an extensive period quite useful. Once she finished, she returned to the living room, the TV still playing. Her focus then fell on a bookshelf, standing at the far end. She strode over to it then plucked a book from the middle shelf. Calmly flipped through the pages, skimming the words before placing back where it belonged.
Just as she was about to go sit down, she heard a noise outside the door.
Once again going into defense, she slowly crept towards the door. If people like that thief she fought yesterday could waltz into stores and rob them, who knows what others things could happen. She waited and listened silently, her training making its way to the front of her mind. That's when she heard muttering and the shuffling of something light, like leaves.
"You think they would organize this darn mail before they handed it to me."
The voice sounded as though it belonged to an old man. Cautiously, Ashi peered through the window next to the door. She saw it was the same moose from the day before. He was grumbling to himself as he shifted through his heavy-looking mail bag, looking quite fed up. There was no evidence of any malice except the clear annoyance the elderly mail carrier had for the mess in his carrier bag. Feeling that she was not in danger, Ashi carefully opened the door.
"Aha! Here they are!" the moose cried victoriously as he held up a couple of envelopes proudly.
"Can I help you sir?" Ashi asked gently.
Gary snapped his head to look at her and stared in surprise. Not only did he not expect someone to open the door but he especially didn't expect the one who opened it to be a female individual he had never seen before. He gazed at her as though she was some ethereal creatures, which she was in a way. He then stared at the envelopes he held in his hand. Then at her. Then at the letters. This went on for a couple of seconds before he angrily yelled.
"Dagnabbit! They never tell me when people have moved!" he huffed in aggravation before asking to her, "Excuse me Miss, but you wouldn't happen to know which new house Larry Needlemeyer moved to, would ya?"
"What do you mean? He still lives here," the dark-haired woman stated in confusion. "He left me a note saying he went off to work and wouldn't be back for some time."
The moose proceeded to looked confused, then in disbelief, before finally smiling in a friendly manner.
"Is that so? Well, I'm relieved. I was afraid he'd moved and I would have to look all over to find him," Gary chuckled as he offered her the letters. "Alright, I best be on my way. Give him my greetings if you see him. Have a nice day."
"Thank you. You have a good day as well," Ashi replied politely as she took the letters and closed the door.
Walking away, Gary spoke out loud, "Good for you Larry boy. You finally stopped moping over that Karen girl and found another love. And such a nice one at that. Good for you."
As the moose continued walking, he said once more, "I can't wait to tell someone about this piece of good news."

At Elmore Junior High
"Goodbye, kids! See you after school! I love you!" Nicole called out to her three kids as she drove away.
"Bye! We love you too!" the three Watterson children called after their mother before going up the steps of their school.
In front of the school doors, Sarah, Penny, Tobias, Masumi, Carrie, and Leslie were standing and talking.
"Hey guys! What's up?" the young blue cat asked his classmates and girlfriend.
"Nothing much," Sarah answered shyly, twiddling her yellow digits. "We were just talking about Larry."
"How is Larry? We didn't get to see him at all yesterday," Darwin asked gently.
"He acts like he's doing okay but he's not. He turned down my offer to come have dinner with my family and I," Carrie stated sadly. "Even smiling looked like it was taking a toll on him. I know that's a lot coming from me but you know."
"The pain is still fresh for him I'm afraid," Penny added with a sympathetic tone.
"What was Karen thinking?" Gumball muttered angrily. "Leaving a hardworking guy like Larry for that Melted Cheese Guy chump?"
"I don't think bad-mouthing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend is going to help," Masumi mumbled.
"She's right," Anais spoke up. "No one should be dwelling on what happened. We need to focus on now. And so does Larry."
"I don't think he wants to talk about his feelings," Darwin stated nervously. "And trying to goad him will probably end badly."
"What Larry needs is to know it's okay to let it out," Penny said gently.
"Nah, what he needs is a new lady. A better one," the rainbow cloud boy replied in a nonchalant, matter of fact tone.
"Good luck finding that in this town where most of the women are married and the single ones are few," Tobias muttered as they all went inside.
"Let's just get today over with," the young pink rabbit girl said finally as they hurried to class.
"Yeah. At least we get out early today," Leslie piped up. "Although it would go a lot better if we didn't have to listen to Ms. Simian's lessons."
Everyone burst out laughing as the bell rang, unaware of the news they were about to get.

At The Elmore Coffeehouse
It fifteen minutes into Gary's break time as he entered the café. He saw that it was barren except for a teenage barista and the elderly pink cupcake, Martha Miller, who was typing away at a laptop with a cup of coffee beside her.
The old moose strolled up to the counter and spoke politely to the barista, "One large cup of coffee. Black."
The barista rolled her eyes and ventured to start making the coffee. No wonder the place was almost empty. With an attitude like that, who would be willing to buy coffee? Shaking his head, Gary walked over to sit at a table near Martha.
Parking himself in a chair he looked at the cupcake municipal officer who was busy typing away, the old moose grunted softly, "Slow day, ain't it?"
"Wouldn't be if that little punk behind the counter had a good working attitude like Larry," the pink and sprinkled cupcake woman stated gruffly. "Got my order wrong three times. Larry rarely ever does that. And when he does, he at least apologizes. Not like that brat."
"Well, he is a responsible young man," Gary shrugged politely.
A moment of silence stretched between them.
Then without thinking, the veteran mail carrier spoke again, "And he's strong. He wouldn't have a girl in his house if he wasn't."
That caused the female cupcake to stop typing and look at him weirdly, "Wait. A girl in his house? Are you telling me that Karen came back?"
"What? No, it's a different girl," the old purple moose quickly responded.
She scanned her companion's face before her eyes widened and she asked, "She went for her sister this time? That's kind of weird and sad."
Gary immediately corrected her, "No, it wasn't either. It was some new girl. I…I'm not sure what species she is but she is a girl!"
"Are you serious?" Marth asked, half curious, half skeptical.
"As a heart attack," he confirmed.
Just then, the barista called in a bored tone, "Sir, your order is ready."
"I better get going. Break is almost up," Gary said as he went over and grabbed his cup before returning to his seat and picking up his mail bag and waving as he left. "See ya."
No sooner had he left the café, did the veteran municipal offcer go on to her social media and begin typing, saying to herself, "Larry has a new lady friend at his house. Everyone's gotta hear this."

At the library
Harold Wilson was on one of the library computers, observing some documents and files for work when he got a notification from his phone. Thankfully, he had the mind to put it on silent as he looked at the message. He was surprised to see that it for Elmore Plus Messenger. Clicking on it, he was even more curious to see that it had been posted by Martha Miller, who was not known to be overly active on the site. He scanned the older woman's notification post…and his eyes widened.
"There's a girl at Larry's house?" the Wilson patriarch announced to himself a little loudly, earning him a harsh shush from a librarian.

Wincing apologetically, the rainbow cloud man looked at the message excitedly, whispering to himself, "I gotta tell Jackie."

At the grocery store
Judy Fitzgerald had finished grabbing cans of tomato sauce when she turned into the produce section. She winced as she passed the berry display seeing a teenage employee sloppily stack blueberries, causing them to fall onto the other berries, grapes, and cherries. It would seem that Judy's plans for strawberry shortcakes were off the dessert menu. The mother of two would never forget the day that she learned how allergic her eldest daughter was to blueberries. Maybe she could swing by the refrigerator section and grab a premade cheesecake or cookie dough. She was thankful that aside from allergies, her family was not full of picky eaters-unlike another teen employee she saw spit a pickle back into the jar and place it back on the shelf.

The female antlered peanut just shook her head in disbelief and disgust. How someone as responsible, professional, and diligent as Larry worked alongside such poorly behaved co-workers. Then again, she had seen him have to put up with the flirtatious and loudmouthed male cupcake at the bank.

"Larry would never be so sloppy ad rude," the Fitzgerald matriarch muttered in annoyance, aggravated by the inconvenience as she turned the corner into the pasta, rice, and dry goods section.

Her heart instantly twinged with sympathy for the ever busy young man who was cruelly dumped by his girlfriend. She made a firm promise to herself to double down on her effort to get the poor boy to come to dinner with her family.

As she was about to grab a box of penne pasta off the shelf, she felt her phone vibrate. Taking it out, she saw it was a new Elmore Plus message from none other than Jackie Wilson. Upon reading it, her mouth dropped open.
"Larry has a new lady friend? My goodness!" Judy cried as she quickly typed. "Wait until Patrick hears this!"

At the Watterson Residence
Never one to take a rare and random day off for granted, Nicole Watterson was relaxing on the couch with her husband, watching television as she waited for the time to go get her children arrived, when her phone vibrated. Taking it off its charger, she read the new Elmore Plus notification she received. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her sockets as she read what was on the message.
"Oh my gosh, Richard!" the adult female cat alerted her rabbit husband.
"What?" the Watterson patriarch asked in curiosity.
"I just got a message saying Larry has a new girl!" the Watterson matriarch immediately said, her eyes repeatedly scanned each word of the message's sentence.
"Wow! Who would have thought that Larry would find someone new so quickly!" Richard gasped.
Nicole wasted no time as she began typing on her phone.

At Elmore Junior High
Tobias yawned as he stared in boredom at the clock.
Ms. Simian was at the front of the class, calmly reading a book. She had given up trying to finish the lesson and had allowed the students some free time. Why she offered to take over Mr. Small's classes whilst he was on some nature retreat until next month was anyone's guess.
However, the day was lazy and rather than talk or play music, the students were relaxing, some even sleeping, at their desks. The only sound was the breathing of bored or snoozing students
and the twittering of birds from outside. The warm spring sunlight was a welcoming change from the spontaneous rainstorm from yesterday. The city clean up crew was still at work, picking up trash, broken branches, and other debris left from the sudden change in weather.
Tobias huffed and was about to follow some of his classmates into the world of dreams when he felt a heard a silent vibration. It was his phone.
Looking around to make sure the ape educator was not looking at him, he carefully pulled out his phone to see what the alert was about. To his excitement, he saw it was a message from the ever active Elmore Plus. He wasted no time in clicking on it and reading it. He nearly lost it when he saw what it read.
"Larry Needlemeyer's got a girl at his house!" he silently exclaimed.
After he once again made sure he was not being observed, he quickly began typing.
Two minutes before class was about to end, everyone's phones vibrated, and for those who had not silenced theirs, beeped profusely.
"I thought I made it clear that phones were not-," Ms. Simian was about to scold when she was interrupted by a shriek from Carmine.
"Larry has a new girl in his house!" the young female cacti screamed with joy.
Every student gasped or screamed in shock and immediately began talking with the nearest person closest to them.
"I can't believe it!"
"Alright Larry!"
"Man, that was fast!"
"How long do you think that's been going on?"
"I wonder what she's like?"
Even Ms. Simian looked interested in hearing what the students were saying.
Suddenly, the room was pierced by the girlish screams of Gumball and Darwin Watterson.
"Larry found a new girlfriend!" they screamed joyfully in unison.
And that was when the bell rang.

The exited the room so fast that the elderly ape barely had time to blink.

At Larry's House
It was official, Ashi was antsy.
She had watched these "animal documentaries" for a couple of hours before becoming bored and switching the television off. She had read and skimmed some of the books only to find herself still feeling dissatisfied. But perhaps the most bothersome thing was that she had no one to talk to.
Back in her world, she always had company. The cult that she was raised in was hardly sociable, but the presence of her mo- the High Priestess, her sisters, the samurai, the people whos he had crossed paths with, and even the occasional wild creatures she spotted in the wilderness around her had kept her company for some periods of time. (Granted Ashi had realized that certain companies were better left in the past).
Being by herself in this house for this long made her feel…lonesome.
She sighed and looked outside to see the residents passing by, going about their day, unaware that a newcomer was in their midst.
Then she thought about Larry. What was he doing? Where was he right now? Was he just as bored as she was? Was he thinking of her?
Ashi didn't know why she thought about that last one and she didn't care. She couldn't stand just sitting here, doing nothing.
Getting up from the pull out, she began walking towards the door. However, she stopped. She thought about how her presence had unnerved some of the people the samurai had helped. She also remembered the flabbergasted look on the elderly mail moose's face. Instead, she went into the kitchen and opened the window. She quickly leaped out and hid behind the bushes located directly beside it. As quickly as she exited, she shut the window and started moving towards the town, making sure not to be seen.
She failed to notice the figure hiding in the shadows, draped in a dark blue cloak.

Elsewhere

Gumball and Darwin had bolted out the door as soon as the final bell rang. Eagerness and excitement motivated their legs to move faster. They hadn't had this much energy since that time they aided their father to seek every Joyful Burger in Elmore. This was a far bigger deal than a secret menu item, it was the secret girl that Larry was hiding from everyone.
Who was she? What was she like? And how did Larry meet her? Gumball and Darwin knew the multi-job employee never went out for anything unless it was for work. So, they doubted Larry found her through a night sulking at a donut shop, let alone on Trawlr. When the word got out about a girl at his house, Gumball and Darwin were quick to assume Karen had come back. But she didn't, and this girl, as described, seemed to actually be staying at Larry's!
Maybe she was an attractive foreign model, or an adventurer looking for some rest after trekking a temple of doom, or even famous celebrity who was under a pseudo name and met Larry by complete fate!
"Do you ever get the feeling that maybe this is too soon?" Darwin huffed as they kept running. "It's been only a week ago."
"Dude, a week is like practically a year if you're dumped!" Gumball insisted, sweat pouring down the side of his face. "And this is Larry we're talking about, nothing this interesting has ever happened with him before!"
"Wait, how do we know where he's working right now?" Darwin questioned.
Both boys immediately stopped. Gumball pondered. "Oh, yeah, his presence usually pops out at random and there really is no chronological order to where his next shift could be."
They both turned around, noticing a store behind them.
"Maybe he's here," Gumball suggested as they opened the front doors. "What are the chances that he isn't?"
Ten seconds later...
A dejected Gumball and Darwin exited the store.
"Of all the people we can't even find, it's Larry?" the blue cat demanded, mouthing to the sky with rage.
"Maybe he's at Joyful Burger," Darwin suggested.
"Good idea," Gumball agreed, perking up. "No one else would be foolish enough to work at that place."
Soon they reached the doors of their most favored Joyful Burger. Five minutes in, they already exited, drinks in hand.
"I find it ironic that the places that Larry works at already don't even have him at this certain time," Gumball murmured, sipping his beverage.
"Maybe the bank?" the leggy fish asked.
Gumball stiffened for a moment. "Couldn't hurt to check that either."
His brother watched in confusion as the blue Watterson placed on a familiar-looking flame-patterned helmet.
"Uh, what's that for?" Darwin questioned.
"A callback," Gumball answered before they walked to their next destination.

With Ashi
Since the rain had dried up, Ashi was greeted by the vibrancy this town had to offer. Lush green grass and beautiful weather presented to her, and she found herself growing a bit nostalgic. She wished she didn't have to hide like this, merging into the shadows like the former "daughter of darkness" she had been. Her mother and sisters were gone, and no one was to tell her what to do with herself anymore.
Free as she was, she still needed to be cautious. She recalled the way that elderly moose hybrid had regarded her earlier, as if she had invaded Larry's home for her own concerns. But he didn't seem threatened, but surprise was evident in his eyes and tone. Obviously because he had never seen anything like her before, and vice versa.
The streets were barer than usual, perhaps the late afternoon indicating a busier time for the residents of this town. Ashi leaped from her hiding place onto a nearby roof, surveying from above. The town was divine and unique, and very diverse if the residents she witnessed told her anything. For so long she had been wedged between a rock and a hard place. More like a wall that barred her from the wonders the world had to offer.
Certainly, Aku couldn't have tainted this magnificent town...
She thought about Larry, and what his note had said. It stated he would be working...more than one job, more than even three. That confused her the first time she read it, reminiscing just the night before how she found him in that DVD store. It was late, and his note stated he worked excessive hours not just for that place. Even someone who had been pushed to the limit since birth, Ashi couldn't imagine how much strength Larry had to offer on a daily basis. How did he even manage rest?
She was sure to have that question answered as soon as she found him. Perhaps her presence could lighten the stresses he endured, as his own placated hers.

With Larry
Larry gazed down at the table he worked behind the night before. Tracing his finger over the surface, he recalled how his heart had raced during the moments of the incident that took place. Sal Left Thumb robbing him, his overwhelming fear that he could be fired for the first time ever, and the meeting he had with Ashi.
He hoped she got his note. As much as he didn't want to leave her like that, he was never late for work and he refused to take time off. Larry assured himself that she would know her way around his house. It was too bad he wouldn't see her until very late tonight. And even then, he would still have to leave her after just an hour of sleep.
He almost forgot he had a routine. Larry was still questioning himself on that matter, regardless of loving work so much.
The cashier was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't look up when he heard the ringing of the front door.
"Hello, welcome..." he said, lacking his enthusiasm this time.
He suddenly received a wake up call when he found hands slammed on his table, and Larry found himself staring into the big, desperate eyes of the Watterson boys.
"Larry!" they cried with relief.
He regarded them in confusion. "What is up with you guys? And why are you out of breath?"
"Oh, man, we had to look everywhere for you!" Gumball whined. "You're always everywhere, how come not today?"
"What?" Larry asked, growing more confused.
"Is it true?" Darwin demanded.
"Is what true?" the cashier repeated.
"That you actually have a girl at your house?" Gumball added. "And it's not a cardboard cut-out of Karen because you're still coping with your break-up?"
Larry was rather offended by that last part. But his eyes rose in shock by the first part.
"Wait, what makes you say that?" he questioned, trying to sound calm.
"Dude, the whole town is tweeting about it!" Gumball said, both he and Darwin pulling up their phones. "You have a girl at your house! Not even your ex has stayed at your house for more than ten minutes!"
Larry tried not to fume. "Okay, mister, that is very uncalled for! And that's personal!"
"What personal anymore?" Gumball said to Darwin, both shrugging. "It's online and everyone likes either juicy gossip or a person's temporary love life." He looked up at Larry. "Not that I'm saying this girl is going to end up like Karen, I mean!"

With Ashi
Ashi sighed in aggravation as she ducked back into the alley again. She had been moving around town through the shadows, only coming out for an instant to look into the windows of buildings to see if Larry was in there. Sadly, she had failed numerous times.
"Where could he be?" She asked herself quietly.
The dark-haired woman couldn't understand why it was so hard to find a man who worked several jobs. She also couldn't understand this growing desire to find him. It could be due to her need for companionship but that explanation didn't feel completely right.
It felt like it was…more.
Before Ashi could speculate any further, she heard footsteps approaching. Backing further into the alley, she watched the opening carefully.
A somewhat tall, brownish beige furred creature with glasses and a pink doughnut with a blue hat and a sheriff's badge.
"I can't believe that our little Larry found someone new!" the male doughnut law figure said in astonishment, his hole opening and closing, showing where his mouth was.
"Neither can I. Where is he? I'd like to congratulate him and speak with him," the brown furred creature asked.
"I got a tweet saying he's doing his shift at the DVD store," Officer Sprinkles stated.
"Well, let's hurry before he goes on to his next shift!" the being with brownish-beige fur and glasses said and of they went.
Ashi smiled as she proceeded to stealthily follow them, allowing them to lead her to Larry.

At the DVD store
"Is she nice? What's her name? Where did you meet her?" Darwin asked the multi-employed man insistently.
"Is she pretty? How long have you known her? When did you let her move in?" Gumball questioned eagerly.
"Tell us! Please Larry!" the young goldfish boy pleaded, attempting to use puppy eyes.
"Yeah, c'mon! Please Larry!" the young blue cat joined in on his adoptive brother's pleading.
"I'm sorry, guys but that is private information," Larry refused firmly.
However, his eyes widened as he realized the meaning of his words.
"So there is a girl! We knew it!" Gumball cheered.
"You have to tell us about her!" Darwin pleaded.
Not a moment later, the two Watterson boys began their chant, "Please tell us, Larry! Please tell us, Larry! Please tell us, Larry! Please tell us, Larry! Please tell us, Larry! Please tell us, Larry! Please tell us, Larry! Plea-!"
"No!" Larry finally shouted. "I'm going to have to ask you two to leave!"
Before either of the brothers could argue, in came Officer Sprinkles and Principal Brown.
"Hello Larry! How are you?" the principal of Elmore Junior High greeted politely.
"Oh, I'm fine!" Larry replied respectfully though a bit awkwardly as he had never carried a conversation with the head of the school before.
"Hey Larry! Great to see you!" Sheriff Sprinkles spoke. "So, when are you gonna introduce us to the little lady?"
"W-What?!" Larry gapped in complete surprise.
"Everyone's heard the news!" the doughnut sheriff crowed with a laugh. "Never thought you'd ever get over Karen! Seriously, I thought you'd just give up after she dumped you and got with Melted Cheese Guy."
"Now just a minute!" Larry began a little angrily, but he never got the chance.
Immediately, Mrs. Fitzgerald and Jackie Wilson came in, looking just as earnest.
"Hello Larry," Mrs. Fitzgerald said sweetly. "We just came in to inquire if you would like to come to a little get together next weekend. You can bring your new girlfriend."
Larry was completely at a loss for was fine as he wouldn't have been able to get them out anyway. Then, before he had anytime to think, Nicole, Richard, and Anais soon came in.
"There you two are," Nicole slightly scolded as she approached her sons.
"Hi Larry," Richard waved warmly. "Congratulations on the new woman in your life."
"Is she the new woman in your life?" Anais asked, half suspiciously and half curiously.
"Anais, please. Don't be rude," Nicole reprimanded her daughter lightly before focusing on the multi-employed man, "Seriously though, who is this new mystery woman you have at your house?"
Before Larry could even get the words out, a large group of people began coming in. All of their eyes were fixed on Larry, wide with excitement and curiosity. Their giddy smiles matched their were even fogging up the glass with heavy breathing.
Larry gulped, knowing what was to come.

Outside the store
Ashi hissed in aggravation as she lost sight of the two men. What's more was that the sidewalks were barren, so she had lost her chance to ask someone for help.
Slowly, she stepped into the light. It was a welcome change from the dark alleys. The air smelled cleaner too. She then realized that it was the same location where she met Larry yesterday. She walked around a bit, getting a closer look at the buildings. They strongly reminded her of the shops she had seen when she had travelled through cities, but they looked a little more simple.
She soon spied the store where she first met Larry at. She sprinted over and looked inside via the glass windows. To her relief, she saw that the multi-employed man was inside. However, she felt shocked and alarmed when she saw a large amount of individuals inside, all of them talking rapidly and gesturing wildly at Larry who was backed against the wall behind the counter.
Without thinking, she ripped the door open and yelled, "Larry!"
In one quick and synchronized move, all eyes fell on her.
"Ashi!" Larry cried in a mixture of surprise and relief.
The old moose, who Ashi had failed to notice, popped up from the crowd and pointed at her, saying, "That's her! That's Larry's new girl!"
An arm burst from the crowd and pulled her into the store so that now she was in the middle of the crowd.
Three huge male beings in construction wear, stared at her before the red one looked at Larry and asked, "This is your new girl?"
Before Larry could respond, Jackie approached Ashi, looked over her and said, "A little unusual but she does have lovely features and style."
Joanna Watterson observed the dark-haired woman closely and said, "She looks thin. I hope you're feeding the poor girl Larry."
Mrs. Fitzgerald came forward with a kind smile, "Ashi, isn't it? Where did you get your clothes?"
"I made them," Ashi replied politely.
"You don't say? My, don't they look lovely," the Fitzgerald matriarch replied kindly.
"Well, thank you," Ashi gave a small smile.
"So, how long have you and Larry been together?" Harold Wilson probed.
"What do you mean?" the dark-haired woman asked in total confusion.
"How long have you two been an item?" George questioned.
"An 'item'?" Ashi echoed, staring at the crowd in uncertainty.
Larry finally found his voice and regained control of his body. Jumping over the counter, he rushed to Ashi and put an arm around her before leading her to the door.
"Can you all give us a moment, please?" Larry spoke, not even waiting for an answer as he and Ashi exited the store.
Once they were outside, Ashi quickly asked, "Larry, what did they mean by calling us an 'item'?"
"Well, uh, it's a sort of slang for…you see when a man and woman-Wait, no! That's not it," Larry babbled incoherently and nervously.
Ashi's dark almond eyes shined with expectation for the answer.
Larry felt his heart flutter but quickly said, "You know what? Forget it, it's not important. What about you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Ashi reassured, but Larry could see a conflict of emotions in her eyes.
"Is something wrong?" the multi-employed man asked.
"It's nothing. It's just…I'm not accustomed to being alone," Ashi admitted quietly. "I haven't been on my own for quite awhile. I'm use to having people around me."
Larry felt his heart sink and he wanted to slap himself. He had left his house guest, who was totally new to this town, all alone in his house, expecting her to wait for him to return. She wasn't a docile pet who could be left alone with just necessities. She had already told him that she had been separated from her companion and he had the audacity to leave her alone again? It was a jerk move and Larry knew it.
"I really am sorry for leaving like that. I meant to tell you about my work schedule, but it slipped my mind," Larry sincerely apologized in a soft tone.
"I understand. I have to say, it's quite impressive the way you take on so many jobs," the dark-haired fighter complimented with a soft smile.
"Really? Thanks!" Larry replied blushing.
In the corner of his eye, he could see the residents of Elmore looking at him through the glass doors of the video store, watching and waiting for what he would do. Before Larry could snap at them, he heard a young voice shouting.
"Oh my gosh! Is that Larry with his new girlfriend!?"
Both adults looked to see Sarah and Masami staring at them. Then both young girls began running, floating in Masami's case, towards the couple.
Neither took note of the car coming up from behind them.
"Girls, get out of the street!" Larry screamed in horror.
Ashi's eyes widened before narrowing as she raced towards them.
She was a green blur as she grabbed the two girls when the car was a foot away from them. She held onto them tight as she leaped over the vehicle and landed gracefully and firmly behind it as it drove away.
Everything was silent. Ashi slowly let the two girls go and stood up straight. Larry's mouth hung open in shock before he closed it and ran over to them. He didn't notice or care that all the people in the store, who had been gaping in astonishment, were now cheering and screaming as though they saw a once in a lifetime event.
"Are you three okay?" Larry asked worriedly.
Ashi nodded before looking at Masami and Sarah and asking, "Are you young ones alright?"
All they could do was nod while still staring up at her in awe. A moment later, everyone who was in the DVD store rushed out and circled around the four individuals.
"That was unbelievable!" Darwin cried in excitement.
"That was so cool!" Gumball yelled, gesturing excitedly with his arms.
"Those were quite some amazing skills," Nicole complimented.
More praise rained on the former assassin before Principal Brown came forward.
"Young lady, I can't thank you enough for saving two of my students. And I'm sure their parents would like to thank you personally when I tell them," the principal said before turning his attention to Larry. "Larry, would your lady friend here like a job as the new school guard? We could use someone with her skill to keep the students out of trouble."
"And the town dress shop could use another seamstress," Mrs. Fitzgerald spoke up. "I'm sure they'll adore your flora-based outfit. They're always looking for new ideas."
"And I know that the staff down at the Elmore Day Care Center could use another hand. Especially one as quick as yours," Jackie added helpfully.
Ashi stared in surprise. This open hospitality and kind offers were two of many things she was unaccustomed to. Despite this, she felt warmed by the kindness and friendliness of those around her. She looked over at Larry and saw him smiling at her with confidence and a gentleness she had never seen on anyone before, not even Samurai Jack.
"Alright, I accept. Thank you," Ashi agreed respectfully.
"Wonderful!" Mrs. Fitzgerald chirped cheerfully. "C'mon, we'll introduce you to the dress shop owner and the day care center staff. You can start tomorrow."
"And you may start your position as the school guard on tomorrow," Principal Brown added.
"I'll see you soon, Larry," Ashi bid the multi-employed man goodbye as she followed the Fitzgerald matriarch.
"See ya," Larry replied, watching her go as the crowd dispersed.
The only ones who remained were Gumball and Darwin who were smiling mischievously.
"What?" Larry asked, partially confused and partially annoyed.
"You so like her!" Gumball stated cheekily.
"If you mean as a friend, then yes," Larry stated firmly as he started back to the store.
"C'mon, we saw the way you've been looking at her," Darwin goaded.
"Drop it," Larry ordered in impatience.
"Larry and Ashi, sitting in a tree-," the young cat boy began singing.
"Finish that song and you two are banned from the store for life," Larry warned.
That got the Watterson boys to stop and hurry back towards their parents.
As Larry got back behind the counter, he found himself thinking on their words. Somehow, he couldn't get the idea out of his head. Nor the continuation of the song.
"Dang it."