Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Tear ❯ Useful Information ( Chapter 10 )

Useful Information

Hoku looked around. She had a sly grin on her face and a confident aura. She was standing in a clearing in a darkening forest, surrounded by sixteen human men, each wielding a blade. They had come to hunt her, and she was willing to be worth the riches that they came for.

One of the men ran at her with the sword raised over his head. He let out a war cry when he swung the blade.

Hoku ducked as the shining medal flashed past her head. With a mighty leap, she dashed forward and sliced her clawed hand, decapitating her target. She looked around at the rest of them. She then lifted her blood soaked hand to her mouth and licked the red off her claws with a satisfied grin.

A few of the men turned and retreated into the woods. The remaining charged at the same time with angry yells.

Hoku jumped and landed on one of their heads. She kicked him in the face with her paw-like foot and then leapt onto another. She then thrust her hand into his chest up to her wrist. She could feel the panic beating of his heart. When she pulled her hand out, she crouched down and swung her leg around, making four more fall. Leaping on them, she sliced them one by one. By the time she was finished, her hands were soaked in blood.

About five of the men were remaining. Their faces were ghostly white. Bodies paralyzed with fear.

Hoku smiled she then held up her hand. She was now able to use her ultimate attack.

"Hell fire!!!"

"Hoku…" Kit sighed when she returned to the camp. It was completely dark out now.

"What?" Hoku asked agitatedly. "I didn't do anything."

"Come on." Kit said lazily as he turned the fire with a stick. "You're caught red-handed."

Hoku looked down at her hands.

"So." she hissed. "They've been following us all day. It was only a matter of time before they tried to attack in our sleep."

Kit just yawned.

"This bounty thing is becoming annoying." Hoku sighed as she sat down cross-legged in front of the fire. She was really close. Hoku loved the heat.

"Indeed." Kit said. "You've caused even more damage than before you were being hunted for supposedly causing a lot of damage."

"You lost me…"

"We're back!" Sukura said as she entered the site.

"Were have you been?" Hoku asked.

"While you were out playing cat and human, Sukura here caught us our meal for tonight."

Sukura held up a large fish.

Hoku drooled. She loved fish.

"How do you do that!" she said while shaking her head. "I can't stand even being near water."

"That's because you're afraid of it…" Kit said.

"I am not!"

Sukura just giggled.

"Yeah, what about you?" Hoku asked. "Mr. All powerful Shaman man can't even swim!"

"I had a rough child-hood. I didn't have time to learn."

"You have all the time now!"

"Not when I have to baby-sit."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hiii-ya!!"

Kit was thrown forward as a piece of wood struck him in the back of the head.

"Don't worry Hoku!" the rabbit exclaimed with a smile as she raised the log above her head. "I'll stop this weirdo!"

Hoku almost forgot about the strange Rabbit girl they ran into the other day. She was knocked out by Kit, and lost her memory. She couldn't remember anything about her past. About three times a day, she'd forget who everyone was. The strange part was that she always remembered who Hoku was.

"Take that you evil-doer!!" the rabbit yelled as she nailed Kit right in the rear with the log.

Kit was thrown forward again and landed his face right in the dirt.

"That'll do…" Hoku said.

The rabbit gave her a confused look.

"But he… Who is he?"

"That's Kit." Hoku said with little enthusiasm. "He's an acquaintance of mine."

"Who is she?" the rabbit asked as she pointed at Sukura. The rabbit knew enough not to kill Hoku's friends.

Sukura looked kind of nervous as she spotted the log in the rabbit's hands.

"I'm Sukura." she said with a bow.

"Where am I?"

Hoku sighed. She then stood up and walked over to a large tree.

"I'm not going to deal with this tonight." she yawned. "I'm turning in. Do you think you have everything under control Kit?"

Kit picked his head up out of the dirt.

"Uh… sure." he groaned.

"Good." Hoku said briskly. She then leapt about twenty feet onto the first branch then started upward.

"Why does she always sleep in a tree?" Sukura asked.

"Beats me…" Kit said as he sat back down in front of the fire.

The rabbit looked longingly up into the tree. She then sat down next to Kit.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you…" she said with a shameful tone.

"That's okay." Kit said to her with a smile. "It's my fault. I'll look after you. Don't worry."

"You can count on me too." Sukura nodded.

The rabbit smiled at them both. She then yawned.

"Good night."

With that, she transformed back into the little brown rabbit and hopped onto Kit's lap. She then closed her soft brown eyes.

Kit stared down at her. His cheeks were flushed.

"She's nice." Sukura said as she stared into the fire. "It's a shame that she can't remember anything." she then closed her eyes and giggled. "I'm starting to run out of patience. It's strange having to keep having to introduce myself."

Kit didn't say anything.

"What about you?" Sukura asked him. "You seem to have a lot in you. You don't even mind Lady Hoku's talk."

Kit let out a small laugh.

"Lady Hoku…" he repeated. "You respect her a lot don't you."

Sukura did a little nod.

"She's strong." Sukura said. "It is my goal in life to be independent and brave."

"You see her as a role-model then…" Kit said.

"Yeah, I guess." Sukura sighed. She then yawned and sleepily smiled. "Well then. I suppose I should get some rest too."

She stood up and walked over to her sleeping mat.

"Good night, Lord Kitasato." she said while rolling over.

Kit stared into the fire for a moment. He then grinned and let out another sound of amusement.

"Lord Kitasato…"

Hoku slowly opened her eyes. She then groaned and closed them immediately when the sun flashed her right in the face.

"Damn…" she hissed.

She tried to lay there longer and at least try to get a few more minutes in, but when a centipede crawled across her arm, she was up in a heartbeat.

"Bug… bug, bug, bug…" she cringed as she headed down the tree. "First the sun… now the ewwww… What's next? What the?"

She had completely gotten on the ground when she saw Kit lying there with the rabbit girl lying comfortably on his chest.

"So…" she hissed. "That freak."

She walked over to him and kicked him lightly on the side.

Kit's eyes opened right away. He must have been a very light sleeper. The first thing he saw was Hoku standing above him with her hands on her hips.

"What's up?" he asked sleepily. "Is there someone attacking us again?"

Hoku pointed down.

Kit's face flushed as he saw the rabbit girl's head on his chest and her arm over his side. She had transformed in her sleep.

"This is not what it looks like!!" he exclaimed.

Hoku's eyebrow only twitched.

Kit stared at her for a moment, then felt his body seize up as Hoku's paralyzing glare met his eyes.

"Pervert." Hoku hissed. She then grinned and lightly touched the rabbit with her foot until she woke up.

The rabbit smiled at her. Then turned her head. She was now face to face with Kit. They stared at each other for a moment.

"YEEEEEAAA!"

The sudden noise awoke Sukura. She sprang to her feet just in time to see Kit flying across the clearing into the bushes. The rabbit had kicked him with her powerful leg.

Hoku was satisfied.

"That'll teach him…"

Later that day, they rested by a small stream after a morning of walking.

"These woods go on forever…" Sukura gasped. She looked pretty tired.

"That's what you get in the east." Kit said. "All forests."

"How far is it till the next village?"

Kit shrugged.

Hoku stood up.

"I'm going to check out the area to see where we are." she said. "Wait here."

With that, she transformed into the great white cat and leapt off into the bushes.

"Woa…" the rabbit awed. "I've never seen that big kitty before!"

"Let's just hope that Hoku doesn't meet another bit kitty again." Kit said with concern.

Hoku had seen a cliff earlier that morning. It was high enough to see over the treetops. Once she reached it, she transformed back into her spirit form. She sighed when all she saw were more trees. There wasn't a sign of a village or inhabitant anywhere.

She sighed and looked around. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable standing in the open. She remembered what happened last time. That strange Zodiac Tiger…

Her stomach made a leap as a sound was heard behind her. She spun around.

"Oh…" she sighed in relief as she spotted the rabbit walking up to her. "Don't creep up on me like that…"

The rabbit smiled.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm looking for life." Hoku said.

"Life?" the rabbit said thoughtfully. She then peered around. "I see life."

"Really?" Hoku asked as she looked around excitedly. "Where?"

"It's all around us." the rabbit said as she held out her arms.

"Oh?"

"There are trees and animals." the rabbit said. "That is life. Isn't it?"

"Sure." Hoku said. She then looked away for a moment. "Wacko…"

"Maybe…" the rabbit said. "I feel crazy."

"Well yeah." Hoku said. "You must be if you keep forgetting everything so fast."

"Tell me Hoku." the rabbit said. "Do you hate me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Hoku asked. She was annoyed by such a question.

"Well?"

"No… I don't think I do…"

The rabbit walked out to the edge of the cliff. Hoku had this sudden startling feeling that she was going to jump. The rabbit seemed to sense this. "Do you think I have a point in being here?"

"Don't be stupid!" Hoku hissed.

"I'm sorry." the rabbit smiled warmly. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I wonder, do you think that I'm normal and everyone else is crazy?"

Hoku was confused. She was beginning to feel even more agitated. What was this loony talking about? And what concern of it was Hoku's?

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Hoku said.

"Well you see…" the rabbit said. "I see lots of things."

"What kinds of things?"

"Well… they're like little bubbles." the rabbit said. "They're floating everywhere. I see them all the time. I don't know what they are. So I'm thinking that since nobody else can see them, I must be either crazy, or everyone else is crazy."

"You lost me." Hoku said.

"I see…" the rabbit said. She looked sad. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time like this with my utter nonsense. I'll leave you alone now…"

The rabbit turned and left Hoku in complete confusion. She then noticed something.

"Hold up!" she exclaimed while starting after her. "Not that… way!"

The rabbit had stepped onto a loose boulder, and before she could regain her balance, she rolled to the bottom of the cliff.

Hoku leapt down and landed beside her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She was in complete shock to see the rabbit sit up and smile at her.

"Yeah." the rabbit said while rubbing the back of her head. "Where am I?"

Hoku only sighed.

"Come on…"

She and Hoku made it back to the resting place. They found Sukura swimming in the stream and Kit lying on the grassy bank.

Hoku knew that he was awake when she sat down next to him.

"So… what's going on?" he asked as he opened his eye a little and peered over at her.

"It's interesting…" Hoku said as she watched the rabbit dive into the stream and start splashing Sukura with water. "Kit… you know about this stuff… can you see spirits?"

"Yeah…" Kit said. "I'm a Shaman remember? That's what I do."

Hoku told him about what the rabbit said. When she was finished, Kit nodded. He seemed very deep in thought.

"It may be possible." he said.

"What's that?" Hoku asked.

"That our rabbit may have the same gift I do." Kit replied. "This could be some very useful information about who she might be."

Hoku watched her and Sukura splash around. She then folded her arms around the back of her head and laid down next to Kit.

"How do we end up with this?"