I Know That Kid

     Ashlam just laughed when he heard that three little kids had smashed a hole in the cell wall with pure force.

     "B-but sir! That wall was heavy granite rock!" The reporting Major-Commorade rubbed his knees together, unaccustomed to standing before his Commander like this. "If it was caused by magic, it would be understandable, perhaps, but the cell was made to negate all magic, and there were no traces of the spell being penetrated."

     "Majicore, easy. They would've gotten out one way or another, anyways."

     "S...sir, I'm not sure I understand you. If you were sure they would have escaped, why did you let them live?"

     "I'm not mean enough to just kill an innocent little girl."

     "Not her, the other one. The raven-haired girl that killed five and injured ten yesterday. Why just put her to sleep?"

     "I have my reasons. Besides, she's 'his' underling--though she probably doesn't know what that means." Ashlam laughed again, not out of mirth, but as a way to quieten the burning he'd always felt deep inside him for 21 years. Majicore shifted his weight to the other leg.

     "Sir...pardon my asking, but you seem particularly interested in the boy. I believe his name was Kake, yes?"

     "Oh, well, his nickname, so to speak. Yes, I know that kid. You'll soon see why, when he comes to get his one most important possession. Ah, and tell the other Commorades and Sub-Commanders to guard the weapons storage. I want you to see his right eye." [normally, kake covers it with his hair, and it somehow miraculously keeps hidden...no idea how...]

     "His...eye? His left was simply purple..."

     "That right eye is evil." Ashlam's face darkened for a fleeting moment. But he broke it with the hypocritical smile again. "The ones who can't defend themselves will die if they go. But if he still wants to keep that girl as his toy, he'll keep his powers suppressed and let most of you live."

     "...Yes sir." Majicore left the hall jitterishly. The former bartender leaned against the wall and sighed. Soon, the barrier between his base and the North would fall, and Operation Wave would begin. Soon, the last attempt at peace between North and South would fail. Soon, the world would begin turning, and the war between the two great powers would extend to the Path of Angels and Demons.

     "KAKEEEE!!!" Kuchiha crashed into the kitchen of Rika's house. "WHAAAAT WERE YOU THIIIINKIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!!!????"

     "Eh? Ah, Kuchiha! Good mor-"

     "WHY WAS THAT GUY IN MY ROOM!?" She paused, and reorganized her thoughts. "WHY DID YOU INVITE HIM TO TRAVEL WITH US!!??"

     Rika walked in, recognizing the yelling voice. "Nee-san, good morning!!"

     "Cuz' I saved him. Labor fee."

     "...You call cutting up a tree with my sword when I didn't even know you could lift a sack of rice LABOR FEE!!!??" [i didn't know what else to call it...]

     "Should I call Mama to make breakfast for you?"

     "Oh, speaking of which, Kuchiha, you blacked out for the rest of that night and a day. It's late morning now. How's your hand?"

     "Ah..." Kuchiha blinked as the sunlight shone through the high window and into her eyes. She wriggled her right hand as much as the tight bandages allowed [wait...it was the right hand, right? ...right, right? lols], but seeing as it still hurt like heck, she decided not to fidget with the linen. "Alright, I guess. But dang, I'm hungry. When did I last eat again?"

     "Humm...right before I chased the rabbit, huh?" Rika giggled [Kake told her the whole story] and pattered off to call her mother. It was only then that Kuchiha noticed the bright orange tail curling around Rika's neck like a raccoon skin.

     "What's...that?" She sensed another thing behind her back, and turned. The rabbit sat on the kitchen table quietly, head on paws, staring at Kuchiha. "Bu-"

     "Rabbit."

     "I'll call it a bunny if I want!!" Something in her mind clicked and she ran towards the window, jumping up to see through. "And where'd the forest go!!?" There was only a few scattered water wells and shrubs and ditches and one giant crater where the magic-born trees had once been.

     "Eh, the Forest? Looks like I killed the 'master tree' or whatever, and everything else died with it. A common trait among magically created trees. Or at least, that's what the villagers said."

     "Master tree..." Kuchiha faintly remembered the tree with great green vines everywhere in the canopy. Her second strongest memory was the majestic impression the sight left branded in her mind--it was almost sad that such a being was never to be seen again. And her strongest memory... "And labor fees isn't an excuse!!! I know that kid!! He's on a wanted poster, I tell you! Dead or alive, Rukamina Runo the Demon Tamer [it sounds kinda lame, doesn't it...], WORTH 200,000 PINTAS!!!!"

     "Did someone just say my name?"

     The hair on the back Kuchiha's neck rose like she was just electricuted. She turned so fast her hair [the rest of it. lol], not yet tied into a ponytail, smacked into her face. Angrily she brushed it away.

     "Eavesdropper!!" She yelled it because it was the only thing that would come out of her mouth. It was her first time seeing Runo properly, since the other time he was half-covered in tree limbs, there was almost no light, and she was about to faint. He leaned casually against the kitchen doorway and surveyed the room with wickedly peircing eyes.

     "I wasn't eavesdropping. Nobody could keep from hearing your yelling."

     "...Fine. So I've got a loud voice. That doesn't change the fact, though, that you've got a bounty on your head, I'm a bounty hunter, and this idiot here" she burned a whole through Kake with her eyes "decided to make us travel together."

     Runo raised his eyebrows. "That kid?"

     "My name" Kake bounced up in his seat "is Kake. [btw, turns out, Kake doesnt mean shadow. kage is shadow. -__- i was so pent up in trying not to say kaze (wind) that i forgot there was another...but i think kake means something like hope--i dunno, when i googled it it said multiply...] You didn't hear?"

     "...I heard..." Runo suddenly remembered, as if he'd been awake as Kake slashed the Tree to pieces and told him his debt. "Oh, yeah, I heard. The Tree..." Kuchiha stared eagerly at him. "What!?"

     "Well!? Object already!! Say you'd rather die than be his bodyguard!!"

     "Body...!!"

     "Eh, no, Kuchiha, you're my bodyguard. He can be our navigator."

     "Oh--." Kuchiha blushed. "We don't need a navigator! We could've gone around fine if it weren't for you and the bunny!!"

     "...Well...even someone with a bounty on his head knows he should thank his savior..."

     Kuchiha gaped. Rika's mother walked in with two steaming plates of scrambled eggs, hashed browns[?], and bacon, with Rika trotting along behind her, the orange thing still wrapped like a scarf around her neck. "Nee-san! Nii-san! Mama and I made you breakfast!"

     "You!! Rika (and her mom)!! Why're you letting him stay here!!??'"

     Rika's mother smiled warmly, not seeming to mind Kuchiha's steaming rage at all. "This is the village's way to thank you all for getting rid of the Forest. And personally, I have to thank you for saving my Rika and her pet."

     "But...!! He's got a bounty!!"

     "Hey! Just cuz I've got a bounty doesn't mean anything!!"

     "Ah, Scary-nii-san woke up, too! Kake, you can have seconds if you'd like."

     "Oohh, yes, I'd like it very much." Kake licked his lips and moved the rabbit off the table, who was still watching the scene quietly. Rika petted it, picked it up, and giggled. The orange thing moved, and the rabbit raised its ears. Rika's mother placed the two mounds of food on the table while Kuchiha and Runo entered the room.

     "Oh. Hey," Runo said, realizing Rika was there. "You found the pet by yourself, huh. Or was it him?"

     "Yeah! Pinchy was in the big tree, and when Kake-nii-san cut it, you both fell out." The Penchree nudged noses with the rabbit, and they both looked at Runo.

     "...Hah? The big tree...the half-conscious one?"

     Kuchiha dove for the food. "Whadda ya mean half-conscious?"

     Runo flinched, and moved to a seat. "I mean half-magic."

     "How could you get the two mixed up!!?"

     "I didn't!!"

     "You did!!!"

     "Don't talk with your mouth full!!"

     "YOU'RE CHANGING THE TOPIC!!!"

     "Young people these days are quite lively, aren't they?" Rika's mother watched standing by the table, and smiled when Rika bounded in between Kuchiha and Runo showing off her newfound (and just-recovered) pets. Kake giggled.

     "Yup."

Table of Contents

Chapter 10

Chapter 12