Tears of the Phoenix Chapter 4: Dreaming Up Trouble
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; the characters depicted do not
belong to Platinum Dragon or War-Ouki with exception of the following:
Megumi (Platinum Dragon), Jay (Platinum Dragon). Please do not sue us; we
have no money in any case.
Comments, Criticism, Insults, Flames and/or Death Threats should be
directed to Platinum_Dragon@usinternet.com and Kawaii_Death@hotmail.com.
Author's Note: This story arc is set in the same 'universe' as Bonds
of Trust by Platinum Dragon (Shameless plug, I know); some of the
references made here won't make sense if you haven't read that story, such
as the 'bond' between Genki and Pixie.
Author's Note 2: This story arc takes place roughly seven and a half
years after the events in Bonds of Trust.
*****
Genki looked around himself quietly, as he walked along the badly
damaged streets of the village. Pixie had said that she was born here,
more than two hundred years before. He wondered for a moment what the
streets had looked like then, before the Slave Masters had come and taken
her and most of the monsters that had lived here as slaves. He shook his
head. Now the buildings were badly cracked and damaged, many of them
falling apart, and some were little more than foundations. A cloud passed
over the moon, tossing shadows across the street.
What made it worse was that it had been humans that had done this,
humans that had caused so much pain. It hadn't been a disease that had
taken those who lived here away, or a storm that had partly destroyed many
of the buildings. It had been others of his own kind, humans who saw
nothing more than property when they saw the monsters that had lived here.
His own kind, that had inflicted so much pain and suffering on Pixie. It
made him wonder who the monsters really were; the creatures that Man had
created, or Man himself.
Unfortunately, now, so long after it had happened, there wasn't much
that could be done about it. All he could do was hope that it would never
happen again. That, and try to help those like Pixie come to realize that
not all humans were like that. He shook his head. It wouldn't be easy, he
knew, but then, nothing worthwhile ever was. After all, wasn't that part
of the reason he was fighting Moo?
Genki paused abruptly, blinking. Why did it feel odd to think that he
was fighting Moo? He had the strangest sense of d�j� vu suddenly, though
he couldn't have said why. He looked around himself again, frowning.
They'd just freed Holly and the others from the doppelgangers that morning
with Pixie's help� He shook his head again, as the strange sense passed.
He'd been talking with Holly, and had noticed that Pixie wasn't there in
the camp, so had gone looking for her. Holly had said she'd thought she'd
heard her say something about her grandmother, and he'd remembered her
telling him about a fountain with a statue that looked much like Pixie
earlier.
He moved along the streets, looking for the square that they'd told
him about. A fountain like that shouldn't be too hard to find, in a
village this small - he rounded a corner, and there it was ahead of him,
though Pixie was no where in sight. He walked in toward the fountain,
looking at the statue in curiosity. It really did look a lot like Pixie,
only the woman that it depicted was older, her eyes a bit softer than
Pixie's usually were. But there was the same� expectant beauty in her face
as Pixie's. It was a sort of beauty that demanded you notice it, yet at
the same time wasn't overbearing. The statue's face was Pixie's, only
ripened; a woman in her prime rather than just entering it.
He turned, about to leave, when abruptly he heard a sound from the
other side of the fountain. Blinking, he walked around it, and found
Pixie, sitting there with her head down on her knees, rocking back and
forth slightly. His first instinct was to turn and leave again, sensing
that she'd rather be alone, but after a moment, he slowly shook his head.
He had the oddest feeling that if he tried leaving, something would happen
to keep him there. Instead, he slowly, uncertainly knelt, and lightly
touched her shoulder. Startled, she looked at him, her gray eyes wide, and
the tracks of her tears visible as the cloud that had covered the moon slid
away.
For a moment, they were both frozen, her in surprise, and him in
shock. Of all the things he'd have expected to see, Pixie weeping was far
down on the list. She struck him as far too in control of herself� far too
private, to let herself cry, even alone. Yet at the same time, he had the
unshakable sense that this had happened before, one that was growing
stronger with every heartbeat; it was the same sense that had told him that
he shouldn't leave.
The moment passed, as she shook her head slightly, making no effort to
wipe away the tracks of her tears. "I might have known Grandmother would
send you for an answer," she said softly, lightly patting the ground next
to her with one hand. He slowly sat down beside her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade your privacy. I'll� just go back
to the camp, if you want," he said slowly, knowing already she'd tell him
to stay.
"No� To tell you the truth, I was half expecting you," she said
quietly, looking back up at the sky. He couldn't help but notice how the
moonlight glinted off her eyes as she did. There was truly no getting
around it; she was quite beautiful. "I came out here to be alone, but now
that you�re here I realize I'm glad for the company." He nodded, and
looked up toward the stars as well.
"Yeah, I know," he replied. "I guess in a way I was looking for some
company too, even though I wanted to be alone. Kinda funny, that." Pixie
glanced at him, nodding slightly.
"Yeah." She shook her head, and sighed, looking around. "A long time
ago, this place was whole. But that's just a memory now," she said
quietly. "I was thinking about how many times I've destroyed a village
since, when what I was trying to do was destroy the memory of this place,
but somehow, it still stands. I'm probably the last around to remember
it." He looked at her.
"It will never be destroyed, so long as you want to remember it.
Otherwise, it would have long ago vanished," he said quietly. She looked
at him, frowning.
"Why would I want to remember this burned out burg?" she asked,
sweeping her arm across a line of collapsing, cracked buildings. "There's
nothing left here. Even my grandmother is falling apart. Nobody cares
anymore, because nobody remembers it but me," she finished, sighing. Then,
almost too quietly for him to hear, she added, "Nobody cares for me,
either."
"That's not true!" he protested. She looked at him, and shook her
head.
"Yes it is. Nobody could care for me, not after what I've done, the
stains I've gotten on my hands and heart. I don't deserve it," she said
quietly, looking away.
"Pixie�" he started, and then paused. This was all happening wrong,
yet� "I care about you," he said softly, reaching out to lightly touch her
shoulder. She blinked and turned back to him; he could see a few tears
glistening unshed in her eyes. For a moment, he was quiet, and then he did
something that caught himself, not to mention Pixie, completely off guard.
He leaned forward, and pressed his lips to hers, and in that single moment,
he realized nothing else he had ever done had ever felt so right.
After a moment, they parted slightly. Pixie stared at him, one of the
tears she had been holding back finally escaping. "Genki, I�" she started,
but he shook his head.
"No, Pixie. I don't care what you might have done, and I don't care
how stained you think you've made yourself, because I know that it isn't
true," he told her gently. "I� I'm completely, madly in love with you, and
nothing will change that." Pixie flushed slightly, but met his gaze
levelly. Then they kissed again, their arms going around each other and
holding on tightly. The held it for a long breathless moment, and then
looked at each other again in silence. There was a raw, lonely desire deep
in her eyes, one that begged him to hold her close.
"I�" Abruptly, things blurred; her voice faded away. He started as
the world around him distorted crazily, and began to fade out. Try as he
might, he couldn't hold onto her; she faded with the rest of the world,
until he was left with nothing but darkness, the soft sounds of breathing
around him. After a moment, Genki slowly realized what had happened; he'd
woken up. It had all been just a dream. An unbelievably real dream, but a
dream none the less. He sat up, looking around.
It didn't appear to be much before dawn, but nobody else was awake
yet. Megumi was curled up not far away, using her plushie doll for a
pillow. Holly and Tiger, on the other side of the fire, looked almost like
giant twins of Megumi, Holly's head resting on Tiger's side. Jay was
leaning against the stone wall of the cave, arms behind his head with his
skateboard propped up beside him, and Suezo was snoring softly. He twisted
a bit, and saw Pixie's sleeping form under Big Blue's bigger shadow, just
across the cave.
Pixie� Quite abruptly, everything that had happened in the dream
slammed home with a force not unlike being on the receiving end of one of
her spells. How soft and warm she had felt, the need in her eyes� With a
start, he shook his head and forced himself to stop thinking about it.
That wasn't really Pixie, he reminded himself. It was my dream, my
imagination running wild. Pixie would sooner skin me than that - she will
skin me if she finds out! He had to keep himself from thinking about what
had happened, because if she picked up on it through the bond� He shook
his head again, and pushed those thoughts away. No. She was not going to
find out.
Frowning, Genki leaned back down, and quietly fished the Magic Stone
out from under his shirt, wondering why the Gate hadn't closed behind him.
Megumi had said that the Gate had vanished after he'd gone through, but had
pulled her through when she touched it. His frown deepened, as he stared
at the Stone. It felt like he was trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle
without knowing what the picture was, or having all the pieces. Pulled her
through� It hadn't felt like anything had been pulling him through the
Gateway when he'd stepped in. Then again, he'd gone through it willingly,
and he doubted that Megumi had wanted to step through.
His heart had nearly stopped when he'd turned and seen her there, and
not just because the ruins were collapsing around her. Megumi, here, in
this world? He shook his head. When he'd been her age, he'd been just as
oblivious as she was to the danger, but now, with the experience of that
first adventure and seven years of growing up� He wouldn't have left his
friends to face Nightstorm alone, but the risk would have been his alone.
He wouldn't have let Jay come along, but he had insisted; when push came to
shove, Genki had warned him as best he could, but he had made his choice.
But Megumi�
He sighed, and started to tuck the stone back under his shirt. He
should probably return it to Holly, but� For some reason, he didn't want
to give it up just yet. He knew it was her's by right, but after holding
it for seven years� He looked over, as a shower of stones caused by Golem
waking up fell to the ground, and smiled slightly, sitting up. "Morning
Golem," he said quietly. Golem smiled.
"Good morning, Genki," he said pleasantly. "I hope you are feeling
well today," he rumbled. Genki nodded.
"Yeah, you know me. I'm Mr. Energy!" he said dryly, before sighing.
"I need to ask you a favor, Golem." Golem nodded, smiling slightly.
"Yes, Genki. I will protect your sister from harm. I understand your
worries," he said. Genki grinned.
"You always were one step ahead of everybody," he said, before shaking
his head and looking at his sister. "Megumi just doesn't understand. Then
again, neither did I when I first came here, and it cost me a lot to
learn," he said quietly. "She doesn't need to learn the hard way, like
me." Golem frowned slightly.
"Learning can be as painful as growing up, because in many ways it is
much the same," he agreed. Genki glanced toward the sleeping Pixie,
feeling his cheeks heat slightly.
"And in others, far, far different Golem," he said softly. Golem gave
him a curious look, and Genki shook his head. "Never mind. Just a thought
that occurred to me," he said. Why that complication? Pixie was his
friend, but what had happened in his dream wasn't possible; their worlds
were too different, and he knew it.
"Even with us, her friends, Pixie has been alone since you went home.
Golem wonders if Genki has been alone, even with his friends, since he went
home," rumbled Golem softly. Genki started, and stared at the big guy.
"Huh?" he asked. Golem nodded at Pixie.
"Golem understands alone. Pixie has been alone as Undine was alone,
though she was not trapped in a lake, but in a prison she built around
herself. Genki and Pixie are alike, with friends but alone," he said,
spreading his hands apart to demonstrate. "But not alone when together,"
he finished, bringing his hands together. It took Genki a moment to
understand what he was getting at. He shook his head, grinning slightly,
once he did. That was the thing about Golem; he wasn't afraid to share his
opinion, just careful to share it in a way that wouldn't cause others to
take offense. His deliberate ways sometimes made him seem slow, when in
truth Genki often thought of him as a good deal wiser than Hare. He had a
keen insight that often allowed him to guess, or at least come very close
to what was bothering somebody.
"I get your point, Golem. The problem is that I can't stay here� and
believe me, I wish that I could. I won't ask her to come back with me,
either. I can't ask her to give up her world, but I have responsibilities
in mine," he replied. Strange he felt comfortable talking like this with
Golem, when he doubted he could do the same with his mother. Golem frowned
at him for a moment, thinking, but then finally sighed, and nodded. Genki
smiled slightly. "Hey Golem?"
"Yes, Genki?"
"Thanks for trying," he said, and then glanced over as Pixie's sense
changed from that of sleep to a groggy awareness as she began to wake up.
Everybody was starting to wake up, for that matter. Hare was yawning, and
Holly was sitting up and looking around with bleary eyes. Tiger was using
a hind leg to scratch an ear, and Suezo was slowly pushing himself up. Big
Blue stood and looked outside; Jay was doing a few pushups. Genki shook
his head slightly, smirking. Only Megumi was still asleep; Genki remedied
that by reaching over and shaking her shoulder.
"Just five more minutes mom, it's summer, I can sleep in," she
muttered, turning to her other side and snuggling her tiger doll closer.
"Come on twip, Mom is a world away and we need to get going," he said,
shaking her shoulder again. Megumi groaned, but slowly got up, rubbing the
sleep from her eyes. Genki stood himself, as Holly and Pixie came over.
"We should probably move out pretty quick today. By now Nightstorm
will have noticed that the Dragons never reported in, and will have sent
some reinforcements," said Holly. Pixie nodded.
"Probably Worms or Gels; they'd have the advantage in this terrain,"
she said quietly. Genki frowned slightly, looking at her. She seemed a
bit distracted; not quite meeting his eyes, and there was a slight distance
to her sense.
"Right," agreed Holly. "Let's eat breakfast on the move," she
suggested. Nodding in agreement, he dismissed Pixie's seeming distraction
for the moment - after all, she couldn't possibly know already, she'd only
just woken up. No, he'd know it if she knew, he was sure.
Pixie rode on Big Blue's shoulder in silence, as the group made their
way up the canyon. Tiger was on point, keeping an eye out for anything
coming at them. Holly was walking with Hare, Jay and Suezo, and Golem was
bringing up the rear. Just ahead of Big Blue, Megumi walked beside Genki,
chattering; every once in awhile he would nod as if he was listening, but
even without the bond she could tell that he was barely paying attention.
Pixie sighed, and then started in spite of herself. Genki�
Sighing again, she once again checked the mental block she'd built
around the bond. It seemed almost too fragile to stand against the
emotions she was doing her best to sort through, but she didn't dare make
it any thicker. Genki might notice; she wasn't too sure that he hadn't
already. It was enough, she thought, to prevent all but the strongest of
her thoughts from slipping through while still allowing them to speak
telepathically. She hoped it was enough, as flickers of her dream flashed
through her mind, stirring up the whirlwind of emotions again. Her dream,
no matter what Genki might be thinking right now. Certainly, once it had
begun, he'd had a part in creating it, but it had been her dream, and she
had been in control of it.
Control. That was a poor choice of word, she thought to herself
flatly. Any semblance of control that she might have had had fled the
moment that he'd first kissed her, leaving the dream to the same
subconscious desires that had started it. Why had she forgotten to shield
her dreams! That was one of the first skills that all pixie were taught,
mostly due to the bond and its nature. Dreams, after all, were just
exceptionally powerful, unconscious thoughts. Sometimes, if the pixie
didn't shield themselves, and their dream was about their bondmate - as
her's had been last night - their bondmate could be pulled into the pixie's
dream.
That was what had happened last night. There was a different quality
to a joined dream than a normal one� It was more real than a simple,
single dream. More vibrant� She shook her head slightly. That was a
minor understatement, if last night had been any clue. It was a major
understatement! Every touch, every caress, every kiss, she could still
feel it lingering on as if it had really happened� She fidgeted a little,
reigning in her thoughts. She'd known the moment the dream had begun that
it was a joined dream, and she could have stopped it, but she hadn't. Why?
Why hadn't she stopped it as soon as she'd realized where it was leading??
That's what bothered her most. She could not escape the fact that it
was her dream. Only the pixie could initiate a joined dream; humans simply
didn't have the control over their dreams that a pixie had been taught
almost from birth. What had happened in it had been both� exhilarating
and, now, somewhat embarrassing, but there was no way to deny that, at some
level, she had to have wanted it to happen. If she hadn't have, then she
wouldn't be agonizing over it right now; she never would have had the dream
in the first place! And Genki� She sighed again, and then lashed her tail
in frustration. It should have been� almost a relief to know that he too,
at some level, would have been willing, but all it was was frightening.
Frightening! There was a cold ball in the pit of her stomach, one that
pulsed every time she looked at him, and she couldn't understand why.
She had to tell him what had happened somehow; explain that it had
been her fault for forgetting to shield herself. She'd never told him
about the shared dreams for the simple fact that she'd never thought she'd
have to worry about it. After all, she shielded her dreams out of habit;
to an extent it helped to prevent the occasional nightmares she still had
of the day she'd been taken as a slave. Besides, she'd reasoned; he'd be
going back home long before it might become a problem. She'd never
expected to see him again after he left, certainly not as he was now.
Her thoughts abruptly turned down another tangent; what was Genki
thinking right now? He'd certainly shown no outward signs that anything
had happened, but then, she was sure that not many knew him as well as she
did. He'd had a slightly nervous, too-calm air about him since they'd
woken up, as though he was trying to keep himself from seeming distressed.
If she knew him, he was probably blaming himself, wondering if she knew,
and afraid of her picking up on it through the bond. He was probably
afraid that she'd scalp him if she knew, but more so of embarrassing her.
Too late, she muttered to herself. She had to tell him, but how could she
find the words when she was too embarrassed to even make eye contact with
him? Every bit of common sense that she had told her that he would
understand if she just told him, but common sense had nothing to do with
what she was feeling.
How did you tell somebody you were sorry for pulling them into your
dream, and then seducing them?
Pixie sighed again, and then stood, spreading her wings. What had
happened to the time that she could control her emotions? She could
remember when she would have been able to just crush her embarrassment
down, but now� Privacy. She had to talk to him alone - more alone than
just that provided by a telepathic communication. Alone with nobody else
around to see. Her stomach quailed. Alone, with Genki, in this state�
This was going to be very, very difficult, and she knew that she'd
brought it on herself. "Blue, I'm going to scout a few miles ahead," she
said, before taking off. She needed time enough to think while completely
alone, far enough away from him that he wouldn't pick up any stray
thoughts. Far enough away that she didn't see him every time that she
looked up, or hear him every time that he spoke to his little sister.
Running away from your problems, Pixie? asked a slightly mocking
voice. Her voice, from back when she'd served Moo. Before Genki had come
and shown her - Argh! She kept coming back to Genki! How was she supposed
to think if she couldn't even get him out of her head!
Leave me alone! she shouted back at the voice.
Oh, but it's so much fun to taunt you. Come on, you remember all the
good times you had with me. You were never off balance like this,
certainly never over a human's opinion of you, said the voice, sneering
audibly.
I'd sooner die than go back to that life, she muttered, but the voice
had a point. That was the mind trap, of course; that voice would always
have a point. But this time, Pixie wasn't going to fall into it. I'm
happier with this life than I ever was with yours, she said.
If you're so happy with it, then why are you running from it? Afraid
of a little dream, are we? Or is it something - should I say, someone
else? cackled the voice.
Genki will understand! Pixie snarled back at it.
Touchy, aren't we - oh, but I forget, that's what you so want to
believe, it said slyly, before continuing more insistently. He's a human,
you know that he'll betray you in the end!
Genki will never betray me! Never! Nothing you can say will make me
believe that he will! she railed at the voice, as she wheeled around to
head back toward the others, having reached the end of the canyon.
Won't he? snarled the voice savagely. By my count, he's already
betrayed you once, and is due for a second.
How do you figure?
Do you honestly believe that he'll be staying, once Nightstorm is done
with? said the voice, abruptly triumphant. It hit her harder than she'd
thought it would, though she had guessed that was where the voice was
going. It was true; no matter what happened, she knew that he would be
going home again after it was all over if they succeeded. She'd lose him
again, and it would hurt far, far more. Not so quick to answer that, are
you? asked the voice snidely.
That's not betraying me, she shot back. He has responsibilities in
his world.
A mouse would starve on the difference, replied the voice flatly,
though Pixie wasn't really paying attention. She'd seen a flash below, and
was swooping down for a closer look. She was at roughly the half-way point
between where she'd left the group and the mouth of the canyon; the flash
had come from one of the cliffs overlooking it. Dropping low and gliding
over the land, she looked around for any signs of monsters, but found none.
She frowned.
"That dream must have unsettled me more than I thought," she muttered.
Looking around one more time, she fully spread her wings and flew back up.
Centering on Genki's direction - what WAS she going to say to him? - she
followed the bond back to the group.
Genki glanced up as Pixie glided back into view, and inwardly sighed.
A new thought had come to him not long after she'd flown off, one that had
given him a chill. What if� what if it already was too late? What if
she'd seen his dream through the bond. In a way, he thought, it would kind
of make sense; dreams were just another kind of thoughts, after all. It
would explain why she'd seemed distant, why she wouldn't meet his eyes, if
she knew. Knew, and just hadn't decided what to do about it yet.
He had to talk to her, that was all there was to it. He didn't want
one stupid dream to get between him and the closest friend he'd ever had.
Golem had hit the mark when he'd said that he'd been alone, but around
Pixie he didn't feel that way. Maybe it was just the bond, but he felt�
whole, when they were together. He sighed, shaking his head.
"What're you so glum about? I thought you said you were with friends,
but you don't seem too happy Genki," said Megumi. He looked over at her.
"I highly doubt that you'd even be able to understand, twip," he said.
"Maybe if you were about seven years older," he added under his breath.
She looked up at him, grinning slightly.
"Try me," she said dryly. "Oh, and did I forget to mention that last
night I remembered who's name you always used to mutter when you used to
sleepwalk?" asked, glancing up as Pixie swept over them, and then giving
him a meaningful look, grinning slightly. Genki stumbled, staring at her.
Then, glancing around, he scowled.
"Keep your yap shut, or I swear I'm going to tie you up and toss you
down the first hole we come across! That will keep you out of trouble
until I get around to coming back to you!" he growled at her softly. "I'll
make you wish Mom had caught you sneaking one of your friends into the
house without her permission!" She laughed.
"Oooh! I'm sooo scared!" she said, grinning. "So, big brother Genki
has a cru-mmphf!" He clamped his hand over her mouth, cutting off the rest
of her sentence, and looked around, grinning for all he was worth as the
action drew his friends' attention.
"What's wrong, Genki?" asked Holly.
"Oh, nothing!" he said, smiling a bit wider. "Megumi, unfortunately,
inherited the family trait of not knowing when to shut up. For some
reason, it skipped me," he laughed, as Megumi started making protesting
noises. Holly missed a step when he said that; Tiger started to outright
laugh. Genki chuckled again, and then looked at his sister. Slowly, he
let go, but stayed ready to clamp his hand over her mouth again if she
started saying the wrong thing.
"I do too know how to be quiet," she grumbled.
"Then prove it and keep your mouth shut," he hissed. "I'll tell you
later - in private! - but only if you promise to behave for now." She
appeared to be weighing it against embarrassing him some more, and he
added, "I'll even tell you something you can use for blackmail once we get
home." Megumi grinned, and nodded in agreement.
"Deal. But it had better be good, or else!" she told him, glancing
back toward Pixie for a split second. Genki sighed in relief as she
skipped ahead to join Holly and Hare. He was starting to wonder if he
shouldn't have just left her back at the cave they'd stayed in after all.
Nah, she wasn't worth all the trouble he'd have gotten into with their
mother. As if he needed anything ELSE to worry about. Let's see, he
thought to himself, that's one evil monster bent on destroying this world
and mine, a little sister bent on making a mockery outta me or getting me
killed - and oh yeah, let's not forget Pixie, who probably will kill me
when I tell her� Yeah, it was definitely worth waking up today�
They reached the mouth of the canyon, and began making their way
across the low-laying foothills that would lead them to Mount Dendaria,
where the Oracle's shrine was located. The speed they were making
surprised him a little; the sun had yet to reach its mid-point, and Holly
thought that they would reach the base of Dendaria with enough light left
to start up the path to the shrine. He could see it in the distance; a
snow-capped peak from which a plumb of dark smoke rose high into the sky.
"So, Dendaria is a volcano. And a fairly active looking one, at
that," said Jay. "I used to love geology as a kid. For that matter, I've
got a girl back in the States named Magma waiting for me to get back."
Genki shook his head; he'd fallen for this joke before.
"You must be mistaken Jay; her name is probably Magda, or maybe Megan.
Magma is very hot stuff," said Hare dryly. Jay grinned.
"So is she," he said, without missing a beat.
"Point, set, match," quipped Genki, as Hare blinked and the others
groaned. Tiger smirked at Hare.
"You must be losing your edge Hare, even I saw that one coming," he
said. Perhaps in appreciation of - or complete lack thereof - Mount
Dendaria abruptly sent up a huge puff of very black smoke, under which
lightning flashed furiously, giving it an eerie glow. A few moments later,
the sound of it reached them; an enormous roar that was so startling it
knocked Megumi clear off her feet. For that matter, Genki wasn't sure that
the rest of them weren't too far from following her down.
"Don't tell me the mighty Tiger is afraid of the widdle volcano
clearing her throat," taunted Hare. Tiger glared at him, as he regained
his balance.
"That was some throat clearing," muttered the wolf-like monster.
"I think maybe you should pass on any more jokes about the mountain,
Jay. I don't think that last one was too well received," said Suezo,
chuckling weakly. Jay frowned at the boiling cloud of black smoke.
"I think you may be right."
Pixie glanced around the small camp they had set up, overlooking a
canyon and the waterfall that fed the river in it. She'd already taken the
opportunity presented by their stop for the night to fly down and wash off
what had felt like a weeks worth of grime. There was a surprisingly deep
lagoon down there, probably etched into the stone after hundreds of years
of the water crashing down to it.
The problem was, almost the moment she'd touched down in the camp, a
very fine ash had begun to fall from the cloud above them. It had almost
instantly coated her from head to toe in gray, sticking to her skin, and
mixing in with the water in her still-damp hair and fur to form an almost
plaster-like mud. It was making her fur - and most of her hair - stand out
straight. She sighed. It was almost as if somebody was out to get her
today, and hardly flattering as she sat to eat the hastily prepared meal.
At least everybody else was as covered in gray as she was, so she didn't
have to suffer alone. The ash was slick; footing was, to say the least,
treacherous.
"I used to dream about seeing an active volcano up close," said Jay,
plucking at his soot-covered shirt, "but this isn't quite what I had in
mind." He looked up, shielding his eyes from the falling ash. Up close,
the cloud had a distinctly reddish-orange tinge to it, when it wasn't lit
up by lightning. "Maybe I'm not a trained geologist, but that glow worries
me folks. It's from lava, probably in the crater, and likely getting ready
to overflow, if how bright that glow has gotten is any clue," he said.
Oddly enough, it was Tiger that vindicated him.
"I think he might be right. There's no wildlife here; I haven't
smelled so much as a mouse since we passed the base of the mountain. They
wouldn't have left if something big wasn't going to happen soon," he said
quietly. Pixie frowned, looking about. The first time they'd been here,
things had been fairly quiet; the smoke had been white, not black, though.
That had only been a few days ago; five, she thought, though it seemed
longer. A lot had happened over those five days.
"You know, the odds that the mountain will actually erupt while we're
on it are pretty low-" began Hare, before he paused as the mountain sent up
an ominous rumble. "However," he continued, grinning weakly, "I'm starting
to be inclined to believe Jay and Tiger's predictions." Pixie shook her
head and grinned in spite of herself.
"Bah! It's just a mountain with a bit of a stomachache!" declared
Megumi, standing up with her hands on her hips. "I'm not afraid of you!
Rumble all you want, we're still going to the top!" she shouted, looking
and sounding entirely too much like another child Pixie had known for her
comfort.
Almost as if Mount Dendaria had heard her, it began to rumble again,
only this time the ground started to shake as well. Megumi was frowning up
at the mountain; Holly, Genki and Pixie looked at each other. "I'm
starting to think this thing can hear us," said Genki, frowning. The
timing certainly was uncanny, Pixie thought to herself.
Abruptly the ground jumped under her; the few that were standing
swayed drunkenly. The world tilted wildly, first one way and then the
other; it was all she could do to spread her wings and get enough off the
ground to steady herself. Once she did, she saw that Holly had stumbled
perilously close to the edge. Genki was doing his best to keep his balance
and get to her, but with the jumping of the ground, and the slickness of
the ash, even he was having troubles. Flying over, she reached the edge
just as Holly stumbled one step too far. She started to fall; desperately
Pixie lunged forward and just barely managed to grab her arm.
"Hold on!" she shouted over the racket, stretched out about as far as
she could be. Holly nodded.
"I assure you Pixie, holding on is the foremost thing in my mind right
now!" she called back. Slowly, Pixie began to pull her back up on the
ledge. She was almost high enough to grab the ledge herself when Dendaria
suddenly went completely silent, and the shaking stopped. Genki slid in
beside her, and grabbed Holly's other arm; together they hauled her back up
to safety. Holly scrambled away from the ledge, while Pixie and Genki
rested a moment. He looked at her, as they sat up.
-Nice catch,- he said dryly, the first time all day he'd spoken to her
through the link. She just nodded, a little too out of breath to reply in
any form, but grinned slightly at him. For the moment, at least, she could
forget� Not for long enough. Genki looked toward his sister. "Ok
everybody! From now on, no more insulting the mountain. I don't think it
likes us much as it is."
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Mount Dendaria roared
back to life with a spectacular force, which she was sure she would have
enjoyed more, had she not been at the center of one of its effects. The
ledge that she and Genki were sitting on simply shattered, having taken too
much stress from the earlier explosions. Quite abruptly, she found herself
falling through a shower of stones. Reflexively, she began to spread her
wings, but before they were nearly open enough to catch any air, a rock
came out of nowhere and bounced off her head. She fought to hold onto
consciousness, but the darkness was closing in too fast. Her last thought
was that now she wouldn't have the chance to apologize.
----
The Platinum Dragon
"'When the devil finished, Johnny said, 'Well you're pretty good old son!
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done!'"
Dragon's Masaki Shrine of Tenchi Muyo - http://dragonsanime.com