Fan Fiction ❯ Esthenia II ❯ Part Two- The crazy night ( Chapter 2 )

Part Two- The Crazy night.

Mona's Speech

About an hour later, Pagasis and I hadn't moved from where we started. The wood of the hut was beginning to give me a cramp in my back from leaning against it. We decided not to discuss the situation with Canis anymore. We weren't certain that she was bad and we didn't want to be over heard. Instead, we talked about the coronation. We wondered how Mona felt about the whole thing. We knew that she didn't like to publicly speak.

"I wonder what she has to wear?" I wondered out loud. "I couldn't imagine her wearing something formal."

"What about you?" Pagasis asked.

I felt my face flush.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Do you like to dress formally?"

"Ummm… I don't know." I stammered.

I looked down at my red tee-shirt and blue jeans. Like Pagasis, I was also in my human-like form. I would normally just bring clothing from home to wear, but I've never worn the native clothing.

"A coronation is a very formal event I hear." said Pagasis. "I'll probably have to wear something too so don't feel too left out."

"Do you think they'll make me wear something?" I asked nervously.

"What are you so nervous about?" Pagasis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing…" I said.

Just then, my right ear twitched to the light foot fall of Kovu. I looked up and saw him approach.

"Hey." he said. "Mona and Neara are about to announce the coronation tomorrow. I think that Mona would be more comfortable if you were to be there."

"I bet Mona's got the jitters." I said with a grin.

"Yeah." said Kovu. "I just hope she doesn't do anything… drastic."

"Like what?" Pagasis asked with sarcasm as he stood up. "Pinpoint a demon in the crowd and go psycho on us."

"Exactly." said Kovu.

"Oh, leave her alone." I said. "I bet she's worried about that too."

Kovu and Pagasis laughed as we joined the buzzing crowd. I could hear their joyful talking and laughter, and see their excited faces and movement. Many of them seemed very eager. Many of them parted as we headed for the front. When we got there Kovu walked up to Neara and stood by her side. She and Mona were already standing on the wooden platform in front of their hut. Rinoa was standing behind them. Aslynn was no where to be seen. I figured that she was still tending to Niegie.

Mona's eyes were darting nervously around the crowd. She stood very still and tried to look as calm and superior as her mother and father. When Mona sighted Pagasis and me, she smiled and gave us a light wave.

"She looks pretty scared." I whispered to Pagasis as I waved back.

Kovu raised his arms, and the crowd silenced. All eyes were on Mona and her parents now. I could see the color drain from Mona's face.

"In case you all didn't know." Neara began. She spoke loudly and clear. Her voice seemed to echo from all corners of the island. "That our princess, Mona, my daughter, is of age to be our next alpha!"

An obnoxious yipping and cheering came from the left of us. Pagasis and I looked over and saw Aquita with his group of rambunctious friends. All of them were dancing around and raising their spears as they cheered.

"I see we aren't the only ones excited about this…" Neara said with a raised eyebrow.

Many of the natives laughed and Kovu raised his hands again to get everyone's attention. There was silence once more.

"Before Mona is to be dubbed as your next leader, she must speak on her behalf." said Neara. She then stepped back as Mona took a step forward. She would have been doing fine if she had seen the loose plank. She stumbled and fell flat on her face.

I could hear a buzz of murmurs emerge from the crowd. Nobody laughed or spoke.

I gasped and covered my mouth. I could smell her embarrassment and see her shocked face.

Mona stood up. She examined her toe and looked up at the crowd.

"I'm okay!" she said with a smile.

Many of the natives laughed.

I sighed with relief and smiled too.

"As you all know." Mona began. "That an alpha must be truthful and honest to his, or her people. For those of you who didn't know, I was born as an… oddball."

"What is she doing?" I whispered to Pagasis. I had this feeling that discussing her demonic heritage was a bad idea.

"Being truthful." he whispered back.

"I know that many of you don't think I could be trusted because of it. Indeed, I am half demon." said Mona.

I gasp escaped from some of the natives around me.

"But my skilled father, taught me everything I needed to know about being a pure Guardian, and my Mother, taught me everything there was to know about being a leader." Mona continued. "So, if everyone of you trusts them, then you can trust me."

Mona cleared her throat and took a step back. She was finished.

The crowd cheered around us. Pagasis and cheered too. I understood then. Everyone else did too. She was willing to sacrifice the truth to get the point across. She was being honest, and that's all that mattered.

The Intruder

After Mona's announcement, Neara announced the party the next night after Mona's coronation, and stated that it was also for the honor of the guests. She then added that it was formal.

"Formal…?" I whined.

"Don't worry about it." said Pagasis. "It can't be that bad. What, I mean it's not like you have too big a rear or something."

My eyes flashed.

"What do you mean?"

Pagasis looked at me, his faced turned slightly pink.

"Nothing…" he said. "I just think that you would look nice."

I sighed and leaned against the wall. We were back in our hut, getting ready to go to sleep. The fire in the center flickered and sent shadows dancing around the walls. The smoke twirled and flowed through the smoke hole in the roof. It was dark outside. The voices of the natives and the light beat of a drum could be heard. They beat that drum every night to sooth the pups off to sleep. It made me feel drowsy as well. My eye lids felt heavy and my body felt light and dysfunctional.

"I wonder how Niegie is doing." I said.

"I think he'll probably be better by tomorrow." Pagasis said as he lifted the covers on his sleeping fur.

"How can you be cold?" I asked as I laid down on top of my covers.

"I'm not cold." he said as he crawled inside. "I'm just a little chilled."

"Right…" I said.

I felt my eyes begin to close. Just then I remembered something.

"Pagasis?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering, do you think loud noises would freak you out?"

"What kind of question is that?" Pagasis asked as he sat up and gave me a queer look.

"Well…"

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay. Good night." I said with a grin.

Pagasis let out a cough that sounded a lot like "weirdo", and laid back down.

I smiled. I had a plan for the next night to make it a lot more interesting. Aslynn and Rinoa were also a part of it. There was no doubt that the two could sing. They had such beautiful voices. For a long time, the three of us listened to the music that I had brought back from my world. It was a CD I had made, and along with it I had my CD player.

I remember the first time I put the head phones on Aslynn's ears. She was very startled. The thought made me want to laugh. The same thing happened to Rinoa, only she grew used to it right away and enjoyed it.

We practiced a couple songs over the times I had been there. Rinoa and Aslynn had natural talents of rhythm and dancing. Aslynn had a voice like Jennifer Lopez, and she could dance very well and Rinoa had a voice like Nelly Fertodo. It had a very cool sound to it and made her sound so young.

The plan was to sing for every one at the party. Instead of just the drum beats and the dancing, there would be singing and a whole lot of dancing. A while ago, I brought a battery powered Karaoke machine and a few speakers. Along with the music of the original song, we decided to add a little music of our own. I didn't sing very well, but I could play the drums pretty good. I learned the music to the songs and planned on playing along.

I woke up. My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hut as they opened. It was nearly pitch black. Only the red coals of the dead fire could be seen. They let off just enough light for me to see a figure standing in front of the door. I froze. It was a person. I couldn't make out his, or her, face, but I could see that it was one of the natives because of the pointed ears and snout.

I didn't move or make a sound. Instead I watched as the person walked farther in until it halted about a foot away from the fire pit. My heart was pounding hard inside my chest. The glow of the fire then illuminated its eyes. They glowed a deep yellow. We were looking at each other now. I then realized that my eyes glowed like that too. It could see me! After a short moment, the person turned.

I wanted to attack it right then and there, but I was too curious and afraid to move. Indeed I didn't know who it was, but I could smell a familiar odor coming off of it. I had a bad feeling once again. Just when I made up my mind to attack, the person vanished in the blink of an eye.

Right when I woke from my uneasy sleep, I pounced on Pagasis. He was pretty startled and let out a frightened gasp. He looked up at me with a queer look and said, "What's this about?"

I then told him about what I had seen the night before.

"Are you sure it was a native?" he asked me.

"Yes!" I said. "I could see the ears and every thing."

"But you couldn't see its face?"

"Well, no, not exactly."

Pagasis yawned. He seemed pretty alert, but he was still in a daze.

"Well, let's keep it quiet for now." he said. "Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious."

"Okay…" I sighed. I then yawned too. I stretched my arms out, making my back pop. It felt pretty good for how loud it was. "Hey Pagasis?" I said. "Do you maybe think that one person in particular had something to do with it?"

"How do you know it just wasn't Aquita sleep walking?" he said.

I sighed. He had a point. I remembered this one time we were asleep and someone walked in. Instead of hesitating, I attacked. Pagasis woke up and attacked too. Half the village as awake from all the noise we made. It turned out to be Aquita walking in his sleep.

"That was kind of funny…" I said with a sleepy smile.

Pagasis laughed.

"Yeah, I don't think that'll happen again." he said. "They put a rock in front of the door to his hut every night now."

We walked outside. The morning sun shone through the trees and brightly lit the village with a golden light.

"Pagasis?" I asked. "Aren't sorceresses bad?"

"Indeed they are." he replied.

"Hey!" Aslynn called from behind us.

Pagasis and I turned around. Aslynn was standing in front of her hut with a try of that morning's breakfast on it. She looked tired but happy.

"Hey Aslynn." I said. "How's Niegie?"

"Oh, he's much better." she said. "He can move now, by tonight he'll be as good as new."

"Is he staying for the party?" I asked with a grin. I then winked at her.

"I hope so!" she said as her face flushed with pink. She knew exactly what the wink meant. "Well, I'd better give him his breakfast. I'll see you guys around."

"Uh- wait!" I shouted after her before she walked into the hut.

"Yeah?"

"Where is Canis?" I asked.

Aslynn smiled. It was more of a wicked grin.

"Oh, she's being shown around by Mona."

"And this is another tree." said Mona as she placed her hand on the trunk.

"Yeah, you have a lot of trees here." Canis said with a raised eyebrow.

"Poor Mona." I said with humor. Pagasis and I were now watching her from the distance of our hut. We were sitting in our usual spots like usual. I was making another dream catcher, and Pagasis was eating his eighth apple.

"For Christ sake Pagasis!" I scolded. "If you eat any more of those apples you'll turn into one!"

He shrugged and took another bite.

"Granted!"

A flash of light blinded me for a second. When it cleared I looked around. Pagasis had disappeared! I frowned at Canis as she walked toward me with Mona at her heels looking awfully dumbstruck.

"Where is he?" I asked.

Canis grinned and pointed down.

I looked down and there was a little red apple. It would have been just a normal apple if it hadn't been for the little white ears poking out of the top of it and large blue eyes. It was bouncing around.

For a moment I didn't say anything. I just watched as my friend bounced around. I knew he must have been kind of angry.

"Now THAT is the cutest apple I've ever seen!" Canis said.

"What did you do to him?" Mona gasped. "You should change him back!"

"Okay…" said Canis with a bummed tone of voice as she raised her hands.

"No wait!" I said. I had my hand held out to make Canis stop. "I… kind of like this…"

The little apple wiggled around. He looked up at me with his big blue eyes. They looked so sad and confused.

"Okay." I said with a warm smile. "You can change him back."

Canis raised her hands. A jet of pink light burst from her finger tips and hit the apple. Then with another flash of light and a green puff of smoke, Pagasis was back on his feet.

His eyes were wide and his hair was sticking out in odd directions.

"What did I tell you?" I said.

"I'm never looking at another apple as long as I live!" Pagasis gasped.

"You didn't look that bad." said Canis. "I think you were the cutest apple I've ever seen!"

"Mona!" Neara called as she ran toward us. "Come on! We have to prepare for the ceremony."
Mona sighed.

"Okay… I'll see you guys around."

We waved to her as she and Neara walked away. Leaving a frightened Pagasis and me with Canis. Making me realize that I too had to prepare and set up. I turned to Pagasis.

"I'd hate to leave you here." I said. "But I have to go and find Rinoa."

"What for?" Pagasis asked, looking more afraid.

"Well, it's kind of a secret…" I said. "Sorry, but hey, YOU can show Canis around some more."

Pagasis looked like he was about to faint when I left him. I couldn't blame him. I knew that Canis' trick had really frightened him and that he was now afraid of apples as well. I felt kind of sorry for him but I didn't let it bother me at that moment. I walked all over the village searching for Rinoa. I didn't think it would be too awfully hard seeing as how Rinoa was about the size of one of the huts.

There were natives bustling about doing their work. There were many smells that littered the air. I could smell burning wood and medal from one of the huts. It wasn't too big and dark smoke rose from the smoke hole. I knew that it was were they made their armor and spear tips with a medal called comar. It was super strong and melted like butter. It was strong against everything but fire.

I passed another hut. The smell of it made me stop dead in my tracks. It was were they made their food, and it was meat I was smelling that got my attention the most. I knew that it was kind of strange for me to like raw meat knowing that I originally was human, but the cat-like nature of a sphinx normally took over. Naturally, I would just walk past the hut without a second glance, but the smell of meat made me want to break in and take some. I walked away quickly before I did anything drastic.

I passed another hut with little pups running around in front of it. This was where the pups slept at night. They all stopped romping and playing, and looked up at me as I passed by. They looked almost exactly like regular wolf pups with their naked furry bodies and their little tails wagging about. I waved to the short, plump woman sitting next to the door of the hut. Her role was the baby setter. She watched the pups at all times, then handed them to Mona when they were of age. Then Mona would teach them how to hunt. Mona didn't really like this job at times, but she was a natural when it came to hunting.

After a while, without any luck, I decided to find Aslynn instead. Just when I was about to enter her hut when I got to it, she was hurrying out. She looked pretty worried and troubled about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's Niegie!" she exclaimed. "He's gone!"

Rinoa's Voice

"Where do you think he'd be?" I asked. "I know he's still on the island."

"I'm not sure." said Aslynn. "But I have a feeling where he might be."

I was running through the forest. I had Pagasis turn me back into a sphinx so I could take Aslynn with me.

"Hold on!" I said as I jumped over a high root.

Aslynn gripped my wings.

"That way!" she said, pointing east.

"You got it!" I said.

I continued my fast pace. I loved to run like this. I could feel my claws dig into the forest soil every time my paws hit the ground. A continuous blur of green whipped past me and the wind of my speed forced my hair back. One of the best things was I didn't tire too easily and Aslynn was as light as a feather.

"I'm not to heavy am I?" Aslynn asked.

"No way! Whoops! Keep your head down!" I warned as we passed under a low branch.

"It's just up here!" said Aslynn.

"Okay." I replied as I slowed to a stop.

Aslynn hopped off my back.

"Wow." she said. "That was fun!"

"Shhhhh! What's that?" I whispered. My right ear had twitched to the sound of a voice. I looked towards the bushes. I couldn't see through them so I walked up to them.

"Stay here." I said to Aslynn. I was afraid that whatever it was might of been dangerous. "Let me check it out."

I walked to the bushes and peered through. I recognized the scenery right away. There was a lake and a lot of tall, swampy looking trees. Low fog hung over the lake and reflected the sky like a mirror. It was the marsh. The place where the aqua foxes lived. They were another species of kib fox. Their element was water, and they kept the water purified. And there, right next to the lake was Rinoa.

She was sitting down and looking at her reflection. She was singing to herself quietly. Her voice flowed like the sound of music. I was about to walk out and greet her when a rustle in the bushes next to me stopped me in my tracks.

It was Niegie in his true form as the long, snake-like Dragonwolf.

Rinoa quieted as soon as she heard him. She looked at him with wide eyes as he walked up to her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked eagerly.

"You have a beautiful voice." he said, ignoring her question.

I gasped. He could talk in that form.

"Thank you." Rinoa said bashfully. She looked at the ground then back at him. "Shouldn't you be back at the village?"

"Don't worry." Niegie said. "She won't find me anyway."

"Yeah right…" I hissed under my breath.

I could smell the compassion coming off them like a kick in the face. I couldn't believe what I was seeing or smelling. I then began to think of Aslynn. I knew that she would begin to wonder what was taking me so long. I didn't want her to see what was going on. In a way, I wish I didn't either.

I backed out of the bushes and turned. Aslynn was still standing where I left her. She didn't look to suspicious, and then I began to think: "Wait a minute! I'm trying to hide something from the person who knows everything!"

"Well?" she asked.

"No. I didn't see anyone." I said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, well. Let's go back to the village." said Aslynn as she climbed on my back.

Just when I turned the thunderous sound of Rinoa's foot fall met my ears. I turned around and saw her running toward us.

"Hey guys!" she said as she halted to a stop.

"Hi Rinoa." said Aslynn with a wave of her hand. "Have you seen Niegie? He disappeared somewhere. We've been looking all over for him."

I held my breath. I wondered if Rinoa knew that I had been watching them.

"Yeah." said Rinoa.

I looked up at her with a confused frown.

"I told him to go back to the village before you went insane." she said.

"Oh, good." said Aslynn. "I'm going to have a talk with that boy!"

"What were you up to?" I asked her, trying not to make it too obvious that I knew.

"I was practicing." she replied. "I'm kind of scared. We've been doing this for months and we're going to do it tonight."

"We'd better get back then and set up." said Aslynn.

"Good idea." said Rinoa. "You look tired Esthenia. You guys can use a lift."

As we made our way back to the village on the back of Rinoa, I began to think of what would of happened if Aslynn had seen Niegie and Rinoa together. I knew that she had a major thing for him. It was a wonder she was still single. Being the most beautiful woman in the clan she was bound to have somebody, but she didn't. I couldn't stop thinking about it the whole way there, but when we got off Rinoa's back, I reached a verdict. Aslynn knew the entire time, I just had this feeling. I then remembered that I had left Pagasis with Canis.

"Better hurry up Rinoa!" I shouted above the wind. "Or Pagasis will end up needing mental help."

Getting Ready

When we got back to the village, Aslynn went straight to her hut. As expected, Niegie was in there. He apologized for making her worry and that he was just stretching his legs by walking around. Aslynn excepted the apology and didn't scold him too bad. Although she did give him another antiseptic, the one that stung a lot.

Rinoa and I looked around for Pagasis. We found him sitting behind a large tree on the far end of the village. He looked up at us with fear in his eyes.

"Go away!" he whispered. "I told her we were playing hide-and-seek. Don't blow my cover!"

"I found you!" Canis cried out from above.

We looked up and saw her sitting on one of the lower branches of the tree. She hopped down and tagged the quivering horse.

"You're it!" she shouted gleefully. "Count and come find me!"

She then ran in the opposite direction.

"Aw, man…" Pagasis sighed.

He was sad to hear that we had to leave him again. We had to set up for the party later on that night.

As we set up, many of the natives stopped what they were doing and watched. I heard one of them murmur, "Shiny…". They were wondrously staring at the speaker in my arms. It wasn't a large one but it wasn't small either. I was carrying it over to one of the trees on the far end of the hut as far as the cord could go. We were setting our stuff up on the wooden platform in front of Kovu and Neara's hut. They also knew what we were up to. Kovu was even helping us out.

"Where does this thing go?" he asked with the Kareoke machine in his arms.

"Over there." I said, directing him towards the back end of the platform.

"Extraordinary…" he awed as he studied when he sat it down.

"Esthenia." said Neara.

I looked down at her from the tree, "yeah?"

"You and Mona must go get dressed." she said. "The coronation starts in an hour."

"Um, you mean, wear a… skirt?" I stammered.

"Well, of course." said Neara with laughter in her voice. "This is a formal occasion. Don't worry. Aslynn will show you what to do."

I groaned and slipped out of the tree. I met Mona outside of Aslynn's hut. Pagasis arrived just after I did.

"How was hide-and-seek?" I asked with a smirk.

Pagasis let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, by the way… could you?" I said pointing to my large, black tipped wings.

"All right." he said. His eyes glowed blue for a moment and my wings disappeared.

"Thanks." I said.

"Is it breezy back there?" Pagasis asked with a grin.

I looked at my back. There were two holes in my shirt where my wings had been.

"Well." I said. "I guess I'll know not to bring any good shirts here eh?"

"What if you didn't wear one at all?" Pagasis grinned.

"What!!??"

I was just about to clop him upside the head when Aslynn stepped out and smiled at us.

"Well, I see that Neara sent you here for my guidance." she said. She then held up a dress. It was made of fine leather and had beads on the collar and around the waist. It was also long with a slit going down the side.

"Say whatever you like," Mona said flatly. "But you are NOT getting me into one of those."

Aslynn smiled sweetly.

"I'll never forgive her for this!" Mona growled as she slipped the dress on.

Aslynn sent Mona and I into Mona's hut, and Pagasis into his. Before we went our separate ways, she handed us a small leather sack. She had also given me a two piece outfit. Like everything else it was made of a tan leather. The top was small and showed my whole stomach. The bottom was a skirt with slits on both sides. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I despised wearing skirts.

"Don't worry." said Mona. "I have to wear one too."

I took off my jeans and slipped the skirt on. It felt odd like I was wearing nothing at all. I then took off my plain red tee-shirt and slid the leather top on over my head. It was so tight I could barley get it past my ears.

"You guys wear this all the time?" I exclaimed as I looked myself over. I thought about Neara and Aslynn. They wore stuff like this every day.

"Yup!" said Mona. "You get used to it after a while."

She then opened the leather sack. There was an assortment of jewelry and other things inside of it. Mona appeared to know what she was doing when she divided them up into two separate piles. She pointed out which ones were mine.

I studied them as she put hers on. There were two necklaces. One was large with blue sharp stones that tied in the back. There was three long strips of leather on the tie that had beads and red feathers on each of the ends. The other was a bit smaller. It was a leather string with a claw on the end of it. It was a demon's claw. They served as trophies whenever someone killed a demon. Mona had many of them. The claw must have come off one of the ones I killed in the battle. There was also a leather arm band that criss-crossed like shoe laces and tied at the bottom. I thought it looked kind of cool. Then there was a hair piece. It was a red feather with a few beads on the end. I put each of them on and turned to Mona.

"Well?" I asked. "How do I look?"

Mona also had all of her jewelry on too. She had three necklaces. One was just like mine only it was a deep red, another was the demon's claw, and the third had round shiny, sky blue beads that matched her left eye. There were a few white teeth on it as well. She also had a medal arm band and a head band with blue feathers.

"You look nice." she said.

"So do you." I replied.

"Oh, here I almost forgot this." Mona said as she held up a tan, leather headband. "This was Tswuki Mona's. I would like you to have it."

I gasped as she sat it in my hands.

"Mona… I can't take this!"
Mona smiled.

"Of course you can." she said. "I give this to you as my friend."

I smiled too.

"Okay."

I put it over my head and pulled my bangs out from underneath it.

"You look good." said Mona.

"Thank you." I said. I felt a little remorse for taking such a gift. Tswuki Mona was one of Mona's biggest role models.

"Well, shall we?" Mona said.

I suddenly felt really nervous.

"Relax." Mona reassured as she grabbed my arm. "Come on, we'll go out together."

We lifted the flap and stepped out. That's when Mona started to feel nervous too. My hart was pounding. Any moment everyone would see me. I was staring at the ground. I felt so invaded and nervous that I didn't want to see anyone. I then looked up when I heard my name.

It was Aslynn, and next to her was Pagasis. He was wearing a traditional native outfit with the dark leather pants and shirt. The shirt was sleeveless and had colorful designs around the collar. He also wore a silver braided arm cuff and a necklace just like mine with the stones and feathers only it was a sky blue that matched his eyes.

I stared at him for a moment. Then I walked forward. I looked to the ground again. I could see my white toed lion feet and the hem of my skirt. Mona was still by my side, but I knew she felt more confident than I did.

"Esthenia." said Aslynn. "You look great!"

"Eh, right…" I stammered when I stopped. I looked back up at Pagasis. He was staring down at me for he was much taller. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." he replied.

"First off." said Aslynn as she held up a small bowl with red liquid. "You have to wear this too. They are your markings of superiority."

"I already look superior." said Mona.

Aslynn just smiled and dipped her fingers into the bowl. She then wiped them on Mona's cheek, leaving two marks.

"Uh, thanks?" said Mona as Aslynn wiped two marks on the other cheek.

Pagasis and I did the same without the help of Aslynn. She also said we had to put it on our eye lids. So we did that too. I felt like I was wearing makeup or something. I looked at Pagasis. He didn't look too bad considering he had red eyeliner.

"There." said Aslynn. "You all look so cute!"

"Right…" Pagasis snorted he then turned to me. "By the way, you look really nice."

I felt my cheeks begin to turn pink. Right away I looked to the ground to escape his gaze.

"Thank you." I murmured back.

Niegie appeared next to Aslynn. She smiled up at him.

"I see you got changed too." she said.

Indeed, instead of wearing his armor, Niegie had on a loin cloth and silver arm cuffs. He looked around at us all, then caught sight of Mona. He smiled and walked up to her.

"Mona." he said. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks Niegie." said Mona with a grin. She then walked up to him in a very lady-like fashion.

"This ought to be good." I heard Pagasis say quietly.

Niegie was frozen on the spot when Mona reached up and placed her hand on his cheek.

"I may look pretty, but do you really want to know how I really am?" she said with a flirty voice. She then reached down her leg and whipped her knife from its sheath that was strapped around her leg, and held it to Niegie's throat. "I carry this no matter how pretty I look. So you'd better watch your back." she said in a dangerous whisper, completely dropping the flirty tone. She then drew her knife away and stepped back.

Niegie looked like he was about to faint.

"Well, are you all ready?" Aslynn asked, looking around at each of us.

We nodded. I still felt really nervous, but it was nowhere to what Mona felt.

The Coronation

We all gathered around the platform. It was already getting dark outside. The sky glowed a deep purple, and the trees around us looked like tall shadows. I couldn't believe how fast the day was going. I had butterflies in my stomach. I was really nervous about the performance we were putting on. I've always had stage fright. We covered the Karioke machine with a leather blanket so nobody would really notice it. I tried not to worry about that as I looked around trying to keep my mind on something else. Everyone was dressed in traditional dance outfits. Once more, the crowd was buzzing with talk and murmur. Pagasis was standing next to me along with the rowdy group of warriors. All the highest ranking members of the clan stood up on the platform.

Aquita, he wore his fire dancing outfit and had orange marks on his arms, shoulders and face. Rinoa stood next to him.

She was wearing her red beaded necklace and had the red marks on her face. Next to her was Aslynn.

I had no idea how she changed her clothes so fast, but she had on a very long skirt with a halter top that showed her stomach. There were gold frilly things on the hem of her skirt. There were gold cuffs on each of her arms along with arm warmers. She had blue markings on her cheeks.

Kovu, Neara, and Mona must have been inside the hut. I didn't see them anywhere.

I decided to talk to Pagasis for a bit until it started. We didn't have too much to talk about until I mentioned Canis.

"Two hours of HIDE AND SEEK!" Pagasis snorted.

I laughed. I knew that Pagasis was just being a gentleman to her the whole time.

"There's something about her." Pagasis said. "She leaves a sour taste in my mouth."

"I don't like her either." I said. "I can't wait till she leaves."

"Oh, look Niegie! That's the priestess who healed you!" Canis said excitedly as she pointed up at Aslynn.

I felt my stomach drop. She was standing right next to me. I looked down at her and tried to smile when she looked back. Then when she looked away I scooted closer to Pagasis and grabbed his arm. Canis was beginning to scare me. Just then something else caught my attention. It was a smell.

Just then a drum beat began. I looked over to the side of the platform where the drums were set up. There were warriors there dressed in small loin cloths that looked like underwear. Their whole bodies were covered in blue and yellow designs. They were pounding the drums in a conga rhythm.

They looked pretty neat to me. I then looked up at the stage and saw Kovu, Neara and Mona walked out.

Neara's outfit was a lot like Mona's. Only the headband had a lot more feathers that were green and blue. Her face markings were also red.

Kovu was wearing his usual loin cloth only he wore a huge head dress that went all the way down his back. They too were green and blue. On each of his arms were silver cuffs. His markings were blue.

Mona stood in between them. She kept her head high and her chest out. She looked proud and dignified. But I could smell right through her, she was terrified.

Then the drummers halted and the sound died. Everyone was quiet.

Neara took a step forward. She then said something in the native language I couldn't understand. I knew that Pagasis, Niegie, and Canis didn't know either but everyone else did though.

Neara stopped talking and Mona stepped forward. She walked up to her mother and gave her a tight hug. Kovu came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Mona smiled and tried not to look too embarrassed. When Kovu let her go, he and Neara backed away. They were on either side of Mona now.

Mona grinned. She then tossed her head back and howled. Her parents, the betas, and the captain joined in. After a moment the rest of the clan joined in the song.

I couldn't howl but I could roar. I let one out that sounded like a lion's. I could hear Pagasis whinny next to me.

Then the sound died. Mona lowered her head and looked around at every one. The whole crowd sank into a bow. When every one stood up, Aquita let out a yipping cry and held up his flaming staff. The drums started and everyone began to sing. The fire roared in the center of the village as the warriors added wood by the armloads. The natives began to dance around it to the drum beat.

I smiled up at Mona and watched her give her parents another hug. I was so proud of her. She was only a teenager and she had the power to rule. I then looked up at Pagasis. He wasn't looking back at me. He was looking straight ahead and his face was pink. I then realized that I was still holding his arm.

Ain't It Funny

I jumped onto the platform and ran up to Mona. I tossed my arms around her and lifted her off her feet.

"You did great!!" I squealed.

Mona just laughed as I slung her around.

"Well," said Aslynn. "Esthenia, are you ready?"

I let go of Mona and grinned at Aslynn and Rinoa, who was standing behind her.

"Yes." I said. "Let's get this party started."

I walked up to the Kareoke machine and pulled off the blanked. I unraveled the microphones and handed one to Aslynn.

She graciously took it and gave me a wink.

It was nearly pitch dark out now. The firelight was the only thing that lit up the stage, giving it a red glow.

I walked up to the Kareoke machine and turned it on. Trembling, I walked out to the center of the platform. I then flipped the on switch to the microphone in my hand.

"Hello!" I called out. The sound rang from the speakers and echoed around the village.

Every one froze. A lot of them looked around in confusion while some of them looked at me.

"Don't be afraid." I said over the microphone. "This is called Kareoke, and we want to sing something for you so enjoy!"

I then pressed the play button on the machine. Right away the music started. It was a kind of Mexican salsa that sounded really neat. It was called "Ain't It Funny". A song sang by Jennifer Lopez, and Aslynn's voice was perfect for it. I took the other microphone and sat it on a stand that Rinoa placed in the center of the stage, and ran off just when Aslynn began to sing.

"It used to be like the perfect thing for you and me…"

I squealed with delight. It turned out just as I had hopped. Her voice was amplified with the speakers and made her sound so professional.

All the natives looked astonished at first, but when the first foot tapped to the beat, everyone began to dance to it.

I found Pagasis. I was so excited I threw my arms around him, scaring him half to death. We then sat down and watched as Aslynn danced and sang.

"…But there are facts in our lives we can never change, and now it seems like we'll never have the chance!"

This was the part where Rinoa joined her and they sang the main verse.

"Ain't it funny how some feelings you just can't deny,

and you can't move on even though you try.

Ain't it strange how your feeling things you shouldn't feel,

Oh I wish this could be reaaallllll!

Ain't it funny how a moment could just change your life,

and you don't know how to face what's wrong or right.

Ain't it strange how fate can play a part

In the story of your heart!"

"Nice work!" shouted Pagasis over the loud music.

"Thanks!" I replied.

"Sometimes I think that a true love can never be,

I just believe that somehow it wasn't meant for me…

Life can be cruel in a way that I can't explain,

and I don't think that I can face it all again…"

Just then, Mona ran up to us.

"Come on you guys!" she said. "Come and dance!"

I looked at Pagasis and shrugged. I then stood up, not letting go of his gaze. Something wasn't right.

"You touched my heart,

and it altered every plan of me,

and now I feel that I won't have to be afraid!"

"Are you coming?" I asked Pagasis.

"Nah," he said with a wave of his hand. "You guys go on ahead."

"Are you sure?" I asked with concern.

"Yeah." he said with a smile. "Go have some fun."

"Okay…" I said. "Come join us soon okay."

"Okay." Pagasis said.

"Ain't it strange how your feeling things you shouldn't feel…"

When I looked back, I saw that Pagasis was joined by Aquita and the two seemed to be enjoying themselves. I felt better now knowing that he wasn't alone. Mona and I joined the dance. The steps weren't too hard so I felt pretty confident while doing it. We danced around the fire with the rest of the group. The fire blazed and sent our shadows dancing around the clearing. I looked around as I spun.

Kovu and Neara were sitting on their blanket on the opposite side watching everyone and talking to Niegie and Canis. Everyone looked like they were having a blast.

Mona and I danced until the song ended. Everyone cheered and whooped as Aslynn and Rinoa took a bow. Then Aslynn held the microphone to her mouth once more.

"In this next song we're singing, we're going to need a little more backup!" Aslynn said. She was looking at me with a grin. She then kneeled and beckoned me to the stage.

"NO WAY!" I protested with my mouth wide open.

Just then everyone began to chant my name. I knew that I was blushing.

"Come on you!" Mona said as she pushed me toward the stage.

Countless times I tried to turn back around, but there were hands all over me and pushing me back up onto the stage. I cried for Pagasis' help, but when I looked over at him, I could see him laughing. I knew he wouldn't be much of any help. I finally agreed. I was extremely nervous and only half of me wanted to do it. I stood up there and looked around the crowd. Aslynn gave me a pat on the back.

"You'll be fine." she said. "It's time for you to gain something from this."

She walked over and pressed the play button on the machine. The music started. It was the sound of a soft guitar. I knew right away what song it was. It was called "Standing still". It was the only song I sounded good singing.

"Cutting through the darkest night blinded by two headlights…

Trying to keep it clear, but I'm loosing it here to the twilight."

Once more, Aslynn's voice sounded just right for the song. She walked up to me while singing through the microphone in hear hands.

The natives were all watching and listening quietly. It wasn't a really good song to dance to but it sounded to pretty.

I was shaking all over as I waited for my part to come up. I didn't look at the crowd or take my eyes off of Aslynn. She seemed to guide me through it with her graceful dance. Then, when my part came up, I automatically held the microphone to my lips.

"Do you want me?

Like I want you…"

Aslynn and I both sang that part together. We sounded just fine together so I knew we wouldn't have a problem with the main chorus when Rinoa joined us.

"Or am I standing still,

beneath the darkened sky

or am I standing still,

with the scenery flying by…

or am I standing still,

out of the corner of my eye…

was that you,

passing me by."

I then stepped back as Aslynn took the floor again. I bravely looked around the crowd. Nobody was really moving except for Aquita and his group of friends who were doing "the wave". I chuckled and looked over to Pagasis. I then began to feel strange again as my eyes met his.

"I feel broken now…

I feel broken now…"

It was my part again so I took my gaze off of him and back to Aslynn.

"Do you need me…

Like I need you…"

As we sang, I began to follow Aslynn's steps and we eventually started dancing together on the stage. The firelight reminded me of a spotlight as it cased shadows and bright yellow light and lit up the stage. I felt like I was performing at a rock concert or something. It felt good though. I never knew I could be so outgoing.

When I sang the last note, I stepped back to let Aslynn, sing her last note. When the song was finally over, the crowd cheered and howled.

I walked to the front of the stage with Aslynn and we took a bow. I felt my cheeks flush again with bashfulness when I looked around at them all. We then backed up and pointed to Rinoa for her standing obtain.

Rinoa was lying down the whole time while she sang, but stood up and sank into a bow.

When I finally got off the stage, I found Pagasis and smiled nervously.

"Umm, well?" I stammered.

"You did great." he said with a smile. He then placed his hand on my cheek.

I suddenly felt my self falling again. I was froze on the spot, and this feeling of dread washed over me. Then the smell returned.

"Hey! Esthenia!" Mona called.

I felt myself jerk back to life and turned my head.

Mona ran up to me and grabbed my shoulders.

"You were great!" she exclaimed as she jerked me back and fourth.

"Ookayyy…" I cried.

"So." she said as she let go of me. "You want to go back and dance?"

I noticed that Rinoa was now singing solo to a song called "Turn Out The Lights". I picked that song especially for her. I knew she would sound good to that one.

I looked at Pagasis, then back to Mona.

"Nah," I said. "You go on ahead. I'm going to take a break."

"Suite yourself." Mona shrugged as she turned and walked back into the crowd.

I watched her go, then turned to Pagasis.

"Don't you like to dance?" I asked him.

His face suddenly went scarlet.

"No… not really." he said while staring at his hooves.

I stared at him for a moment. I couldn't understand what was wrong with him. He had never acted that way before around me. I didn't want to jump to conclusions so I tried to keep my mind off of it. I sat down and watched the natives dance in the firelight, but when Pagasis sat next to me, I realized that something was terribly wrong.

Just Friends

When Rinoa was finished, instead of sitting with the other leaders, she sat down next to Pagasis and I. She puffed up her fur and sighed.

"Whew, I never thought that would be over." she said.

"I never knew you could sing like that." Pagasis said to her.

"I didn't either to tell you the truth." said Rinoa with a proud grin.

The drums were playing once again and the natives were doing a new dance. That's when Mona ran up to me again and grabbed my arm.

"Come on!" she said. "You've got to do this one!"

Knowing that I wasn't going to leave Pagasis alone, I decided to do it. I waved good bye to him and Rinoa and went up to the fire. I watched the others dance and I followed the steps. I was just starting to get the hang of it when my sixth sense acted up again. I looked over and saw Pagasis staring at me again. I tried to pay no mind to it and continued dancing. Mona and I were having such a blast I was all hot and sweaty by the time we stopped. I was warn out but I didn't want to stop.

"I'll be right back." I said to her.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm going to see if Pagasis wants to try it." I said. "The guy has been sitting there all night."

"Okay," said Mona. "I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay!" I called over my shoulder to her as I ran up to Pagasis and Rinoa.

The two appeared to be talking, but they quieted when I approached.

"This is fun." I said as I held my hand out to him. "Come on!"

Pagasis just stared up at me for a moment.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a grin.

"Nothing…" he said. "It's okay. I'm not very good at dancing."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You'll never know until you try. I didn't think I could do it either. Well, I suppose there's no sense arguing. Come and join me when your ready, okay?"

Pagasis nodded.

"Good." I said. I then turned and walked away, but then I stopped dead in my tracks. It was that smell again. I turned and pinpointed it to it's source. I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to figure out if it was true. I hid in a dark shadow and listened to Pagasis and Rinoa's conversation.

"You love her, don't you?" Rinoa asked.

I felt my stomach drop. The word love was a powerful one and I feared it the most.

"What makes you think that?" I heard Pagasis ask in an offended voice.

"You can't hide much from me." said Rinoa. "I can smell it you know."

"What does it matter anyway?" Pagasis said. His voice sounded hurt. "I'm her Guardian, and it should stay that way."

"That is true." said Rinoa. "But that's not your only problem."

"What's that?" Pagasis questioned.

"She can smell it too."

"What!?"

I gasped. Rinoa knew of my secret, and now Pagasis did too. I dropped to my knees. I felt so stupid.

"How could I have done such a thing. Could it be that I was flirting with him? But if I was, I didn't even know it. I am hurting him. Love is hurting him. How could I be so dumb. I should have detected it before!" I thought to myself.

"Are you okay?" Mona asked me as I walked up to her.

"I'm fine." I said while trying to smile. "I'm going to go for a walk. I don't feel very well."

Mona gave me a concerned look.

"I suppose it's all the activity going on." she finally said. "Okay then, if you need anything come find me. I'll be more than glad to help."

"Thank you." I said with a smile. I normally detested it when people offered me help, but Mona sounded so sincere. I found a path and began walking down it. The drum beats sounded fainter and fainter the farther I walked. The path led through the woods and to the cliff. It was all dark except for the light of the full moon. I didn't notice it before. It was probably because I had my mind on other things. I wanted to get away from everyone for a while. Most of all, I was so creeped out I didn't want to end up face-to-face with Pagasis again. I still couldn't understand why he felt that way about me. I never liked attention of any kind and love was the worst thing for me. I couldn't stand it when people told me they loved me, no matter who it was. It also made me feel very selfish. I knew that I was only thinking of myself instead of how others felt. It made me feel so remorse it made me sad. Only, whenever I got sad, I got angry, and that was exactly how I felt at the time. I needed a sanctuary away from everyone, I needed to be alone, the way I preferred it, and I needed to find a way to calm myself down. I then realized that the only thing to make me relax wasn't with me.

Just then, the sound of a footfall made me freeze. I felt my stomach turn again when Pagasis came walking up the path behind me. I stood there as he halted right in front of me. He looked so concerned he appeared to be angry. I felt about an inch tall.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"Mona told me," he said. "Anyway, she told me that you looked upset about something so I came to see if you were all right."

I felt the hair ridge along my neck, giving me goose bumps. My eyes flashed.

"I don't need help." I said as I turned away from him. "Anyway, it's you who's acting all weird."

Pagasis sighed.

"I know what this is about." he said in a hurt voice. "I'm sorry. I'm being selfish."

I gasped and turned back around.

"You're being selfish!?" I cried. I took a step toward him and got all up into his face. "I'm the one being selfish. Why would you care about me anyway?! I'm arrogant and-"

I didn't have a chance to finish what I had to say because at that moment, Pagasis placed his hand on the back of my head as he pressed his lips to mine.

I was in complete shock. I couldn't move. I just stood there with my eyes wide not looking at anything at all. Only smelling the compassion coming off my friend.

Finally Pagasis let me go.

I felt my eyes begin to tear as a stared back into his.

"I care about you because you are my best friend." he said. "I don't care if you put me down but don't ever sell yourself short."

I couldn't speak. My lip began to tremble as a tear rolled down my cheek. My whole body was shaking from head to toe. I felt dizzy like I was about to faint. Just then, my knees gave out and they slammed to the ground.

"What's… happening to me?" I panted through gritted teeth. Just then, my hand lifted to my face. I could feel my claws only inches from my cheek. It was about to strike when Pagasis grabbed my hand.

He kneeled down in front of me and took me in his arms.

"Get a hold of yourself." he said calmly. "It's the demon inside you. It want's to come out and handle the situation its own way."

Tears were streaming down my face now. They blinded me and burned my eyes. My arms hung limply down my sides, and my chin was rested on Pagasis' shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" I sobbed. "I can't help it…"

"Don't apologize." said Pagasis. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have done that. It was me who couldn't help it."

He then took my shoulders and drew me back.

"I am your Guardian." he said to me while staring into my eyes. "And that's the way it should stay. I should know better."

"Why are you saying all of this?" I asked as I gazed back through damp lashes. "Do you actually mean it?"

"Yes." said Pagasis. "In a way we are all selfish as lovers, but as friends, we are truthful."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Then let's be truthful." I said.

Pagasis sighed and hugged me back.

"Friends it is." he said.