InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Blue Anshan ❯ Interlude 2 - Kindle ( Chapter 18 )

The Blue Anshan

By Alesyira

Summary: Kindling a fire...

Chapter Rating: T.

Disclaimer: This is original content.

Author's Note: The four interludes are very important chapters. Originally posted 12-4-07.

Interlude 2 - Kindle

a long time ago

Every morning, rain or shine, warm weather or cold, Hana went to the cliff to eat her breakfast. In the middle of her twelfth summer, on a particularly sweltering day, Hana took her leave from the cliff side to visit the river for a refreshing dip.

She stripped off her clothes and leapt into the cool water, laughing in her delight. She closed her eyes and dipped her head back to soak her hair before swimming forward into the deeper water. A large fish swam through her tail and nibbled on the flowing strands; Hana giggled and pulled her tail free of its mouth.

She swam for a while and enjoyed the sprinkling of sunlight that filtered through the shade of the trees. She sighed and moved to the shallow bank, stilling in surprise at the sight of her unexpected (though far from unwelcome) visitor. "Ryuu!"

She faltered, torn between running to embrace him and her modesty of being nude. Her better sense won. "Ah, Youganryuu..." she began, feeling silly and slightly meek. His head tilted and he gave her a vaguely perplexed look. "Could you... um, turn around?"

"Why?"

"I need to get dressed."

"But I have seen you dress before, the last time you went swimming... during the Cold, remember?"

"Well, yeah..." She mumbled her response as her face flamed red. "But we're older now."

"Yes, we are."

She sighed in exasperation. "Could you please turn around, just for a moment? I'd feel better if you did."

He nodded and turned away from her to sit, facing the woods as Hana scrambled from the water to hurriedly slip on her clothes. She then threw herself at the unsuspecting boy to squeeze him tight around the waist. He laughed and dragged her into his lap to tickle her on the sides, easily remembering every spot that made her squirm and giggle.

She laughed and kicked until Ryuu finally relented and allowed her to escape his grasp. She sat before him in the dirt, smiling happily as she reached out for his left hand. "I missed you while you were gone! Did you dream about me?"

"Dream?" He paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't remember dreaming anything..."

Hana felt mildly disappointed at his response. "I dreamt of you, though!" Instantly, her mood had brightened, and she scooted closer. "Mother and Father taught me great new things while you were gone." He smiled down at her, and she felt her cheeks turn pink under his warm gaze. "Um, let's go somewhere else."

He nodded and together they left the riverbank, hand in hand. Hananoki led him to a clearing some distance away, where a large patch of sunlight poured onto a small collection of vines. Together they sat and watched a small insect crawl across a blue flower.

"What did you wish to show me?"

"Oh!" She blushed, embarrassed that she had already forgotten why they had come to this place. "These are my plants."

"Your... plants? Why are they yours? Do they not belong to the forest?"

"They do, but they're mine, because I helped them grow, and they like me."

Youganryuu gave her a strange expression and she giggled. "Watch..." She held out her hand, and a creeping tendril unwound itself to reach for her finger. It brushed against her fingertip and suddenly snaked out a larger portion to capture the entire digit, causing the young girl to laugh with glee. He watched in amazement as the vine around her hand glowed with a pale light before it shivered and sprouted several small blossoms.

"So the plants have been keeping you company in my absence?"

She nodded and stroked a leaf. "They don't talk with me like you do, but it's nice to help them grow. Mama told me that's what I should learn to do."

He shifted impatiently as he watched her caress the leaves for a short while. "Can I..." Hana turned an inquisitive gaze upon him as he hesitated. "I want to..."

She cocked her head in confusion at his half-finished requests, but soon her expression brightened with understanding. "You want to try this?" she guessed, and after he nodded, she clapped her hands in excitement. "Okay! Give me your hand."

He held out his left hand for her to take, and she carefully pulled him closer to the plant. It immediately shrunk away from his touch, but Hana held his hand tightly as he moved to pull away. "No, wait. I'll help–just watch, okay?"

He nodded hesitantly. She wanted him to experience the joy she felt while handling plant life, and refused to just let the silly thing cringe away from her friend. She reached out and smoothed her fingertips across a tendril to coax it out once more and was shocked by the sudden barrage of images: fire, burning leaves, stems curling into ash... Hana jerked her hand back in surprise.

"What's wrong?" he asked, watching her in concern. She looked up at his face in slight worry. He understood immediately. "It is afraid of me."

She shook her head. "It's not afraid of you, it's afraid of fire. ...You won't burn it, will you?"

"No, I won't."

She brightened considerably and took hold of his hand once more. "Let's try again, then."

She used her fingertip to tickle and coax the tendril outwards as she guided his hand with her own toward the hesitant plant. The little vine followed her fingertip until she touched his wrist, where it slid around his hand and arm. Hana guided energy through her fingertips and into the plant, and both watched as new leaves uncurled to rest against his skin.

She looked up at him and smiled serenely before spreading her hands across the leaves and his arm. Her energy flowed faster through the plant, and she allowed some of the excess to flow past the now-rapidly growing flora and into his arm. He shuddered and closed his eyes with a half-smile. She grinned and slipped her fingers through his, continuing the small transfer of her energy through his hand.

The air seemed to grow cooler as they sat in the clearing, and Hana shivered against the chill. Suddenly, the vine pulled away from them both and broke the serene moment. Hana looked down in confusion at the plant and reached out to stroke one of the shaking leaves, but it shrunk away from her hand.

Hana had no idea what had caused the negative reaction, and she reached out for the plant once more. Youganryuu caught her fingers between his own, and pulled her hand away from the flora. "Don't, Hana."

"I don't understand." She turned toward him with a sad expression. "That's never happened before..."

He sighed and closed his eyes before standing, pulling her up with him. "That's all right. Let's go."

She nodded and followed his lead, turning back only once to cast a longing gaze at the frightened plants.

He brought her back to the cliff where they'd met, and together they sat in the midday sun. Hana shivered again and rubbed her arms. The chill seemed out of place for the season. "Ryuu, I'm cold." Hana leaned toward him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Did the plant not trust me anymore? Did you burn it?"

His hand squeezed her shoulder with reassurance. "I didn't burn..." He paused and pulled away from her slightly. Hana looked up at him, wondering why he had stopped talking. He leaned closer to her, his gaze focused on something right behind her.

"What is it?"

"Your back..."

"What?" Hana twist her shoulders around to try and see what he'd noticed, and there it was - a circular collection of glowing stone had formed just behind her shoulder. "What's that?"

Ryuu laughed lightly and showed her his own plated arm. "You've got some like me, now. How strange."

"I do? Why is it there?"

"You shared your energy with me, and I think I shared some back." He smiled at her and pushed a stray lock of hair out of his face.

"Did you know that would happen?"

He shook his head. She carefully reached behind her arm to touch the spot, amazed that her fingers didn't burn upon contact. "Is this why I feel so cold right now?"

He nodded. "Probably. I don't notice it so much after a while. Everything is colder than my mountain."

Hana briefly nodded in understanding before her curiosity about his arm came to mind. She was careful as she reached out, but no longer concerned about burning her hands like the first time. He jumped slightly and jerked his arm away from Hana's curious fingertips. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "Did that hurt?"

"No, no, I just forgot it wouldn't hurt you."

Relieved that she hadn't hurt him in her exploration, she ghosted her fingers over the strange rocks lining his arm, and dipped her fingertips into every crack and over each ridge. "This is so neat! I've always wondered what your arm felt like." Hana felt warm inside as she watched his face turn pink. "Oh! Let's go get some fruit." She giggled and stood, pulling him with her back into the forest.

As they approached Hana's grove, Youganryuu slowed and seemed hesitant to follow. "Come on, I want to see if this will work!" She tugged on his hand impatiently.

"Are your parents home?"

"Huh? Um, I don't know. Why?"

He looked away from her and frowned. "I don't want them to see me."

Hana laughed and gave him a funny look. "Why would you not want them to see you? I told my mother all about you."

Youganryuu backed away from her and looked hurt. "When? What did she say?"

"It was some time ago. She asked some questions about where we went, but she didn't say much more about it." He seemed to relax slightly, but wouldn't come any closer to the grove. "You're not going to come?" He shook his head slightly and sat on small boulder.

"I'll just wait here... hurry back, okay?"

She nodded and raced toward her house to grab two pieces of fruit, barely noticing her mother as the older woman emerged from the den. "See you later, Mama!"

Hana didn't wait for her mother's response as she hurried back to Youganryuu, and together they ran through the forest, back to the cliff. Hana felt somewhat surprised as he turned toward her and whipped her into his arms, and she certainly didn't expect him to leap from the cliff edge. She squealed in fright and buried her face into his chest as they descended. His landing was slightly rough as he bent his knees to quickly absorb the impact, but he set her on her feet and they ran farther through the valley than Hana had ever gone before. They stopped a short while later, laughing and smiling at one another as Hana held out a piece of fruit for him to take.

He sat down and leaned back against a wide rock at the edge of a clearing. The sunlight shone brightly upon the two teens as they tore apart their fruit. Hana slipped a small piece into her mouth and giggled as the sweet liquid evaporated with a loud hiss. She licked her fingers clean, amused by the strange sounds as the juice vanished.

She glanced up to notice Ryuu smiling at her curious behavior. "What's so funny?"

"You are."

She blushed slightly and looked down at her fingers. "I just think it's neat, that's all."

He chuckled and took her hand within his own. Hana watched as he traced the lines of her palm with his fingers, transfixed by the shifting colors of molten rock on his arm. They sat together for the rest of the afternoon, using their newfound connection to experience new things about one another until the sun fell beyond the horizon.

He escorted her home that evening and smiled warmly as she waved goodbye. Hana gave into the temptation and ran to him, throwing her arms around him in a fierce hug. "It's nice to not have to worry about getting burnt again."

He winked at her and stepped out of the circle of her arms, brushing the bangs from her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Hana."

Hana smiled prettily at him and dashed toward her home, slipping inside. She started with a surprised gasp at the unexpected sight of her parents sitting at the low table with an extra bowl of dinner.

"Sorry for coming home so late, Momma." She brushed aside her unruly bangs with a blush.

"It's alright. Sit." Her mother gestured with her hand to the place in front of the bowl.

"Ah..." Hana hesitated. She knew if she were to take a bite of the cooled stew, she would have to explain the exchange of energy that had left her mouth hot enough to evaporate water. "I'm not hungry... I ate earlier with Ryuu-chan."

"Did you enjoy yourself today?"

Hana nodded enthusiastically. "I showed him the vines, Momma! He thought it was really beautiful and amazing."

"Well then, darling, you should go to bed. I'm sure you have an early day tomorrow." Hana nodded at her mother's suggestion and went to her room.

She sat upon the soft covers of her bed and took a deep breath as the darkness enveloped her senses. When she turned to smooth one of the lumps in her bedding, she noticed the warm glow emanating from the molten rock marking her shoulder. She gingerly ran her fingertips along the surface and giggled at the tickling sensation, but then turned a concerned gaze to the soft blankets and furs upon which she sat. 'Mother would be upset if I scorched my bedding...'

Her gaze slid to a small patch of packed earth where the moss had not yet grown. Quickly making up her mind, she snatched up a single blanket to ward off the chill of night and sat on the ground. Regardless of her discomfort, she quickly fell asleep. Just before sleep claimed her, though, a tiny thought occurred to her. 'I bet Ryuu-chan would make a nice pillow...'

Sometime later, the sounds of angry, hushed voices pulled her from sleep. It took Hana a moment to realize that her parents were arguing about something, and she sat up in concern to rub the sleep from her eyes. Carefully creeping toward the mat covering the entrance to her room, she held her breath to see if she could make out what they were saying.

Her father seemed angry, and she could barely hear what he was whispering. "...against our kind!"

Her mother's voice was cool and even, and Hana had no problem hearing every word she spoke. "Such steps are necessary, and even you cannot argue with how happy she is. Let her continue to see this boy as she pleases."

'Father is worried about me playing with Ryuu-chan? I wonder why they haven't said anything before...'

She quietly walked toward the wall of vines sheltering her room from the elements. She sighed and leaned against the plants, threading her fingers through the gaps to stare out of the opening. She wondered about the strange snippet of conversation for a while, lost once more in her thoughts as she chewed on her lip.

From the corner of her eye, she caught the slight glimmer of orange, and her gaze quickly focused in the night to rest upon what might be her friend. The twin spots of orange winked out for only a brief moment, and she realized that he was wide awake and watching over her home. She gasped and pressed closer to the wooden vines that prevented further motion toward him and whispered his name, "Youganryuu..."

She wanted very much to run to his side so that they could sit together for the rest of the night, but she knew her parents would be very upset if she did so... She continued to watch him until she grew sleepy, then returned to her place on the ground to rest.

The next morning, she awoke with a start and immediately touched her hand to the rocky spot on her shoulder while looking around at her surroundings to ensure she hadn't ruined anything. The room was fine, so she dashed outside and sprinted toward where she had last seen her friend during the night. He was nearly caught off-guard as she barreled into him, knocking the two of them to the dirt behind the rock he'd perched upon.

She giggled and dug her fingers into his sides during his moment of distraction, hoping to find his weak spot. He chuckled and tried to push her hands away, but she was quick and relentless. Unfortunately, it seemed he had no ticklish spots on his torso, and so she frowned down at his smiling face.

"Where are you ticklish at?"

"And you think I might actually tell you?"

"Of course you will!"

"Why would I do that?"

"Do you want me to poke you until I figure it out for myself?"

He blushed and managed to scramble away. "N-no!"

She smirked and gave him a calculating look. "Why are you so shy now? Do you not want me to touch you?"

He sighed and looked away. "That's not it, I just..." He trailed off as he blushed even harder.

"Well?" she prodded, moving closer.

"Sometimes you make me feel funny," he muttered, looking down at his hands.

She squinted at him, confused. "Is that... bad?" She felt a sudden rush of disappointment at that thought.

"No!" He moved forward to catch hold of her hands. "It's not bad..." His gaze fell to her mouth as she smiled, and she found herself blushing too as he leaned closer and looked into her eyes.

"It's good, then?" she whispered. He swallowed nervously and nodded. He blinked and the moment was lost as he looked over her shoulder. "Let's go!" He pulled her up with him as he stood, and together they darted into the forest.

"Hold still!" she playfully chided, pressing down on the twitching shoulder.

"Can't..." She could barely hear his muffled reply. "Is it a tree?"

Hana giggled and swept her hand across his back to start over. "No, try again!" She carefully traced the same pattern across his skin with a dainty claw, grinning in delight. She watched him heave a sigh against the cradle of his crossed arms, and a small plume of dirt puffed out to the right. 'Oh, that stuff must be getting in his mouth!' she thought, her joy fading away as she worried over his comfort. "Are you sure you don't want to lie down in the grass over there?"

"No, I'm fine. I can't figure out the picture! Is it even a plant?"

"Nuh-uh. Not even close."

"Okay, then it has to be an animal." Hana smiled and continued to add extensions to the "animal's" head. The boy growled in slight frustration. "Does it have one leg or two?"

"Silly, can you even name anything with only one leg?"

"Well... no."

"Then what kind of question was that?"

"I couldn't tell if you drew more than one leg. I give up! What is it?"

"It's a bird."

"That didn't resemble any kind of bird I've even seen."

"Well then, let's go and find one, and I'll show you!"

Hana guided Ryuu silently though the forest to a small area where she'd previously spotted one of the strange birds. A measure of anxiety crept up on her as she slipped between a cluster of trees. As she glanced back to make sure Ryuu was still there, she caught him staring at her, but he quickly averted his gaze. His cheeks turned pink again, and Hana found herself wondering if he felt alright.

"Almost there, okay?" she whispered. He nodded and smiled, curiosity practically written on his face.

Clack, clack

Clack, clack

Hana froze and turned toward the sound. The teens crouched next to a cluster of bushes as she pointed and told him about the bird's strange nesting behavior. "It flips its wings upside down as it dances and makes really odd noises in hopes of attracting a girl."

He watched the strange bird and its equally bizarre display for a short while. "That explains why I couldn't figure out the picture. How do you know so much about what that bird is doing, anyways? Does your kind have to do a similar display to attract girls?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Of course not, but if you're interested, keep doing all the weird stuff that you do and I'm sure it'll eventually attract one of us."

"Hey now..."

They were interrupted by the boom of thunder overhead. "Rain..." A few droplets filtered through the canopy of trees above and splashed on the teens. One hissed and evaporated as it made contact with Ryuu's arm.

"A little rain is okay," he said, cupping a hand over his eyes to gaze upward.

"Would a lot of rain be bad?" Hana watched anxiously as the light rain continued to sneak through the protective leaves.

He turned a concerned look toward her. "How much do you mean?"

Before she had a chance to open her mouth, the clouds shuddered with another crash of thunder and the light rain became an all-out downpour. For the two teens scrambling for shelter, the canopy of leaves above offered no protection against the heavy rains. They pressed against the inward slope of a leaning trunk for a brief reprieve before going any farther.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be alright. Where can we go?"

Hana bit her lip and pushed the damp bangs from her eyes as she looked around. "I think I know a place, but if it rains like this for too long, we might be in trouble." Hand in hand, they raced through the forest as Hana led the way. She quickly found the large tree she'd had in mind, and the two teens huddled in a protected hollow beneath its roots. The tree grew on the top of the small hill, providing some protection against the water gathering along the ground, and the wide trunk and roots kept most of the rain away from them. She shivered once, only then noticing the ache coming from the small group of rocks along her shoulder. While they had previously glowed with warmth, they had lost so much heat that the rocks seemed a dull, lifeless attachment. Confused, she pressed on the small patch, wincing in pain as a small joint cracked open.

She whipped around to look at Ryuu in concern. She had been in such a hurry to get the two of them to safety and stuffed inside the small shelter...

Youganryuu was huddled next to her, shivering slightly with his eyes closed. Hana touched his shoulder and leaned forward. "Ryuu?" She turned toward him fully and touched his face with her free hand. "Ryuu?" She felt growing alarm as he didn't answer her, and noticed that his lips had turned blue. She shook him hard this time, "Ryuu-chan! Open your eyes!"

He cracked a small smile and his eyes slid open to look at her. "You know you can't keep calling me that." His voice sounded weak and tired, and his eyes had lost their vibrant color.

"Are you kidding me? It was just a little rain!" She shook his shoulders hard again and pulled him into the circle of her arms. "Ryuu, you need to stay awake!"

He coughed lightly and curled into her embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'll be okay. I just need to dry out."

"But it could rain for a long time! What if you can't dry out?"

He swallowed and closed his eyes again, nuzzling his face against the crook of her neck. He chuckled slightly and said, "Well, I suppose this would be a nice place to die, then."

"What? Die?!" She squeezed him hard, shutting her eyes against the threatening tears. "You can't die because of some rain! You were out running around in the snow the last time you were here!"

"Those things I wore during the Cold trapped my body heat and kept me safe. Without those, the rain killed a lot of my heat and drained my energy."

'His energy?' Hana paused to look down at the young man cradled in her lap. 'Maybe I can...' She closed her eyes again and held him tight as she focused on the small patches of moss growing nearby. 'If I can send my energy out to plants and help them grow, and our energy transfers like it did the other day...' She guided the youki out through her hands like she'd practiced so many times before, thinking about the moss growing around them. The energy passed from her fingers and trickled through Ryuu, eventually filtering into the moss below. He shuddered slightly within her arms and relaxed against her frame. She felt a soft sigh against the skin of her neck, and she smiled a little as she continued to work.

A short while later, his head began to tip backward and Hana smiled as she noticed that he had fallen fast asleep. His lips were no longer blue, and his shivering had subsided somewhat. Struck by a sudden surge of tenderness, she tilted her head toward his and kissed him lightly on his lips, thankful that the time of worry had passed. Satisfied that he would be alright, she leaned backward against the roots and adjusted his sleeping form against her own. The rain continued to fall in relentless sheets outside of their shelter, and she watched it until her eyes grew heavy. Soon afterwards, she had fallen asleep as well.

Hana was rudely jerked from her impromptu nap by a sudden change in her orientation and the overwhelming sensation of fear. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around for a moment in confusion, wondering how she'd ended up squashed on her side. Her gaze soon focused on Youganryuu, who was staring at her with wide eyes and an ashen expression.

She whispered, "Ryuu? What's wrong?" Her glance around the sheltering roots revealed no sign of danger. "Ryuu?" He still hadn't answered her, and as she looked up at him again, she realized he hadn't moved. She reached up to touch his face and murmured his name again in concern. Had he forgotten where he was? Did the rain affect him so badly? Was he dreaming? Her thoughts ran wild with all sorts of possibilities until her hand made contact with his skin.

He was cool to the touch, which was very strange for him, but his expression cleared and softened as he looked down at her. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked, bringing up her other hand to frame his face. "You're kind of cold..."

"Am I?" he asked. He moved to look at his arms and legs, and as he did, both of the teens realized that he had sprawled across her sometime before waking. "Sorry!" He blushed and scrambled backwards, giving her room to sit up. "I've never slept outside of the Deep Rest... I was very disturbed when I woke up here. I didn't even realize that you were with me at first; I thought I was dreaming." He looked outside at the bright forest. "How long have we been here?"

Hana glanced outside, squinting against the sunshine. "Hm..." she muttered, taking note of anything that may have changed since they'd arrived in the small hollow. The ground no longer seemed soaked from the heavy rainfall, which meant they'd been there at least overnight. There was also a small cluster of new plants growing just outside the entrance to the hollow that she hadn't noticed before. If they really hadn't been there when they'd arrived... Hana's eyes widened in fear. "Uh-oh!"

"What?"

"I think my parents are going to be really mad at me."

"What? Why?"

"I think we've been asleep for too long!" He didn't seem to understand what she meant, so she clarified. "We may have been gone for a few days, and my parents always want me home every night. If I don't come home for so long, then they might think something bad happened..."

"Oh." Ryuu didn't seem to be that bothered by her statement, though. "I'm sure they won't mind. You're safe, so that should be all that matters, right?"

Hana gave him a funny look. "I don't think so; my parents are very..."

Ryuu nodded and looked away, wordlessly telling her she didn't need to continue her sentence. "Well, I suppose you'd better go home and make sure they don't worry too much, then."

Hana frowned and reached out to take his hands. "It doesn't really matter what they think right now. I was worried about you, and I still am. Why are you so cold?"

"I don't know. I feel fine."

"Can you tell how many days you have before you need to go back to your mountain?"

"I can't be sure. I knew I had eight days when I came here, but without knowing how long we were gone..." He trailed off and absently ran a finger along the glowing grooves on his right arm. "Thank you."

"For what?" She moved to sit at his side.

"You saved me. I didn't think the rain would be that dangerous, but I was wrong. Mother never really explained what the rain could do to us."

"Does she even know what rain is? You said that she and your father spend so much time beneath the mountain."

"They do come out to watch the moon rise, but they are so old; certainly they would have experienced rainfall at one point in their lives."

"Maybe they did, but since it made you so sleepy, they might have just gone back into the mountain to go to sleep."

He nodded slowly in understanding. "That sounds right. How strange that I could nearly be killed by something so simple."

"Do those cold-weather wraps work to keep out the rain, too?"

He nodded again, smiling at her. "You're just a pile of good ideas today."

She wrinkled her nose in annoyance and ruffled his hair. "I always have good ideas!"

"Sure you do, Hana. Sure you do."

Hana's parents were definitely angry when she returned home, but when they saw she was in fine health and spirits, they weren't too hard on her. She spent the evening explaining to her mother what had happened. Of course, her mother and father had been terribly worried about her safety, but they were somewhat appeased by Hana's story about the rain and the danger it had posed to Ryuu. Her father reached over to take hold of her mother's hand in a gesture of support when Hana had begun to tell them about it taking days of sleep to recover their energy after she'd helped him.

Hana thought it sweet that her mother's eyes had become bright and teary after her story had ended. "That was very brave, Hana. Were you two out in the rain for very long?"

"No, but the little that got on us was really bad."

Hana's mother patted her head with a big smile and told her that she should get some rest. Hana quietly complied and went to her room, but it took her a long time to fall asleep that night. Ryuu had taken up a position closer to her home, and she could easily see the glow of his arm and eyes through the woods. She sighed and laid her head upon her arm as she watched him, wishing she could curl into his arms and lose herself in the comfort.

They spent the next day together, but Youganryuu informed her of his intent to return home that evening. "I should go home tonight. I don't know if I need to be back sooner because of the incident in the rain, but I don't want to be caught off-guard by anything."

Hana nodded solemnly, knowing she'd rather he remain safe until the next time they could meet. She was surprised when he kissed her goodbye, and her blush was so pronounced that she felt it would linger on her cheeks for weeks. The two had exchanged so many words during their time together that it felt strange to remain silent during his departure, but that chaste kiss stood for so many words that she couldn't have imagined him saying.

She knew she'd see him again soon.

Hana remained quiet and lost in her thoughts over the next few weeks as she wondered about his welfare. She spent many hours on the cliff staring over the horizon as her breakfast remained untouched in her lap. A month after his departure, she began to dream of him. Sometimes they would just sit together on the cliff, other times they would exchange quiet words that she could never quite recall the next day. Once in a while, her dreams would be so vivid that she almost felt as though she could feel his hand within hers. She began to dwell on her dreams during the waking hours, wondering if it was some sort of connection to her best friend. She sometimes wondered if, perhaps, she might be able to dream of him more often if she slept during the day, but her mother wouldn't allow her to linger in the house for long.

The years passed slowly for Hananoki as she grew into a young lady. Her thoughts centered on Youganryuu and her wish for his return, and the time she spent near her family dwindled as she aimlessly wandered the woods. She wished for nothing but his awakening, and she constantly wondered about how he had changed over the last few years. Her dreams of him were always of his form just before he'd left, but she knew that he'd be even more handsome the next time she saw him. Her wistful sighs and daydreams kept her occupied almost as much as her studies of plant-life.

When she reached her sixteenth summer, nearly four years had passed since she'd last seen her friend. She still dreamt of him often, and she occasionally would slip into a short doze in a secluded location away from home, hoping to catch another glimpse of him. The day Youganryuu returned to her, she had fallen asleep next to a rocky outcropping. She had stretched her slim body out beneath the warm rays of the mid-morning sun, but she'd angled herself so that her face remained in the shade cast by the rocks.

Something tickled her face and drew her out of the dreamless sleep, and she absently brushed her nose to wave away the annoyance. She had almost slipped back into sleep when another tickle ran across her cheek and down her neck, and this time her tail swept up to make a more thorough motion. 'It's just a dragonfly...' she thought, hiding her face beneath her tail. They had been flying around this portion of the forest for the last week, and they sometimes landed on her to watch her work with the plant-life.

When the tickle turned into a defined touch running across her collarbone and down her shoulder, her eyes snapped open and she stared up in confusion at the person standing above her. His face was hard to see with the sunlight shining so brightly behind him, but she immediately knew who he was. "Ryuu!"

She sat up quickly and threw her arms around him, and he met her happy welcome with another unexpected kiss. This time, it wasn't as chaste as the one he'd left her with. His lips were warmer than hers, but then he ran his tongue across her lips and she gasped at how hot it was. Had she not carried a residual trace of his energy, Hana was positive he'd have scorched her with such an act. His lips sealed to hers as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, touching it to hers for the briefest of moments. She could practically feel his desperate passion as he held her tighter. It was an experience that Hana hadn't expected and could never have imagined, and she pulled back in surprise to look at him.

"Hana...?" He seemed hurt that she'd pulled away.

"What was that for?" she asked, bringing her fingers to her lips.

"I missed you," he muttered as his face turned a bright red.

She smiled and touched his face reassuringly. "I missed you, too, but... why did you kiss me like that?"

He looked confused for a moment. "Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

"Kiss?"

He nodded hesitantly.

"I suppose so, but you didn't even say hello before you leapt in!"

He looked sheepish for a moment and rubbed his hands across his pants. "Sorry... I've just been wanting to–" he cut himself off suddenly, his face turning even redder.

"Wanting to kiss me?" she guessed, leaning toward him.

He nodded and looked away, and Hana took a moment to look at how much he had grown over the last four years. His hair had grown longer and his muscles had gained definition; the pebbled pattern of glowing rocks had begun to stretch across his chest and back. He had become a very handsome man over the last four years –not that she had ever thought otherwise.

She touched his hand to draw his attention back to her once again. "How long can you stay this time?"

He stood and pulled her up with him; she was surprised at how tall he'd gotten. "There is something I need to tell you."

She frowned in worry at his answer, wondering why he didn't tell her right away.

"I discovered something after I returned home... And if I'm right, I'll never have to go home again."

"What?"

"Hana, I want to stay with you, forever."

"But the Deep Rest... You have to go back to regain your energy."

He shook his head and pulled her close. "When you shared your energy with me, I no longer needed to sleep in the mountain. I sat by the red water for a very long time before I finally felt the need to return to Rest. If you and I were to stay together, I would never have to return."

"Together? Like..." Her eyes widened as she blushed. "Like mates?"

"Your sisters have all found their own..." He stopped himself mid-sentence. "You didn't have your sights set on somebody else, did you?"

"My– what?" Her face was still ablaze as the implication of what he'd suggested continued to bounce around in her mind.

"Your sisters have their mates. Your mother is mated to your father. Certainly you did not plan to remain alone for the rest of your life, waiting years for me to come visit you for a week at a time?"

"Ah– I... I hadn't... thought of that..." she lied. She had thought about what it might mean for her to live with Youganryuu, but it had seemed so impossible that she had refused to allow her thoughts to linger on it for long. "How is it possible, though?" She looked up at him then, feeling the stirrings of hope within her.

She watched as he leaned forward to kiss her again. He moved slowly, giving her time to pull away, and his gaze warmed as she met him halfway. His lips moved over hers with a careful tenderness, and Hana closed her eyes and sighed in contented bliss as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

He pulled back and nudged her forehead with his own. She opened her eyes to look up into his warm expression. "Would you be my mate?"

Hana swallowed in anticipation and nodded her agreement. "Now?"

He shook his head and laughed a little. "No, we have to wait."

"Wait for what?" she asked, feeling a little nervous and excited at the idea of keeping her friend forever at her side.

He grasped her hands within his own and kissed her fingertips. "We must wait for the full moon. My parents... I discovered why they always go to the surface to watch the moon rise. Our energy levels practically vanish for some time during the middle of the night when the moon is brightest, and so my parents are unable to do their duties within the mountain until the moon has passed its zenith. It's a strange occurrence, but I believe that if we were to..." he trailed off, slightly uncomfortable. "If our energy exchange happens at that time, I believe that our connection will be heavier with your influence than with mine, and I'll be able to stay here, away from the mountain."

"But don't you have a responsibility to the land, just like I have to the forest?"

He nodded. "My parents are getting old, and my doing this might result in some problems, but I believe that I will still have the same abilities as before. I don't think my kind should have to sleep their lives away only to waste what little time they have on changing the ground of this tiny little island."

He turned away from her then, and Hana watched as he looked toward the ground. "There is more to this world than our island. Why must my kind expend our energies making it bigger? I know there is land so vast out there that we might never be able to walk the entire distance, and I want to know what it's like," he turned back to look her in the eyes, "with you."

Hana shivered at the intensity of his gaze as he pulled her close. She was left speechless as he dipped his head to kiss her again, and she placed her hands upon his chest as his lips moved over hers. "When?" she whispered against his lips.

"Tomorrow night."

"Yes," she agreed and kissed him once more.

Later that afternoon, Hana and Ryuu found a location they deemed suitable to spend the next evening. She focused her energy into growing a thick bed of moss and springy vines, while Ryuu went back to his mountain to collect some of the fire-proof wraps his kind used to cover their rocky plating. The two worked carefully to make sure everything would be perfect for the next evening, and Hana felt nervous and giddy at the thought of what she would be doing with him. She hadn't ever asked for details concerning the event, but she'd learned a few things over the years through overhearing portions of conversation between her sisters and their men, or her mother and father.

The only thing that made her pause was that she had no idea how the permanent exchange of energy occurred. She understood that it was something different. It was something so important and pronounced that the event would shake the ground and could be seen for miles above the treetops; she had seen the immediate aftereffects of her sister's joining with the male elemental from the waterfall. When she brought up her worry to Ryuu, he warned her against asking her mother or father. She wasn't sure why he would ask such a thing of her. He instead suggested that she ask one of her sisters, and Hana immediately nodded and ran off through the woods to find the eldest.

The eldest sister had mated to one of the humans from the village, and as such, the two had moved into a hut just within the treeline nearest the village. "Sister?" Hana called aloud, standing just outside the entrance to the home.

Her sister stepped from her hut in silence and immediately smiled upon seeing her youngest sibling. "Hana-chan, what are you doing here so late?" She stepped out into the evening light and pulled Hana into a tight embrace. As she pulled back to give the younger girl a good look, her smile shifted into a frown of concern. "You look as though something troubles you."

"Yes… I need to know something very important." Hana fought valiantly against the rising blush as she tried to ask the questions burning in her mind, but her words tripped over themselves and Hana felt like a complete fool before she'd finished a complete sentence.

Her sister laughed, and the beautiful long curls of her hair shook in her mirth. "You are thinking too much into this, darling. Just do what is natural, and you shall see that everything is right."

Hana felt immense relief at this answer, until she realized that she really didn't know what would be 'natural.' Her expression of compounding confusion made her elder sister laugh even harder. "Do not fret! You will find out soon enough. Just remember to touch, feel, and enjoy."

If it was possible, Hana's face darkened even further as her throat seemed to dry. The two sisters stood for a moment in silence as the crickets began their song. "Hana, you have truly grown into a young woman. There is something I would like for you to have for this special occasion."

Hana blinked up at her sister in curiosity.

"Come back in a little while so that I might have time to prepare it for you, okay?" Hana nodded.

Her sister did not reenter her home after Hana left; instead, she stepped quietly into the woods to have a concerned talk with her parents.

Hana made a quiet trip to the river, wondering at the events to come. Her life had been so strange since her chance meeting with Youganryuu. After she'd met him and become his only friend, her life revolved around the several days they could spend with one another before he had to leave for years on end. The thought that she might never have to tell him goodbye thrilled her and warmed her spirit, and the trees and plants around her flourished with the excess of her joy.

She took some time to bathe in the silence of the night. She would return to Ryuu that night; she had no reason or desire to sleep by herself, especially now that she might get to see how good of a pillow he'd make. Her lips tilted in a smile as she stepped from the cool water into the warmth of night, flicking her tail and running her fingers through her hair to squeeze out the excess water. She took her time to dress and made her way back to her sister's house, sure that she'd given her sister enough time to prepare whatever she'd had in mind.

Her sister had sat beneath a large tree next to her home with a package at her side. "Is your joining to be soon?" she asked, motioning for Hana to sit at her side.

Hana nodded with another blush. "Tomorrow's eve," she said.

Her sister seemed slightly surprised. "So soon?" She paused as Hana nodded. "I suppose you have your reasons." She gave her sister a fond look as her eyes grew suspiciously moist. "Go to your male, dear Hana. Enjoy this evening with him, but before your joining tomorrow night, can you come and see me once more?"

Hana wondered about the strange request for a moment, but then her sister handed her the small package and her concerns were smothered beneath anticipation of seeing what was within the folded material. "Mother gave this to me before I joined with my mate." The elder sister covered Hana's hand with her own, and Hana looked up in time to see a tear slip from the corner of her eye. "Go now. I will see you tomorrow."

Hana smiled and fought back tears of her own as she hugged her sister tightly. The trip back to Ryuu seemed much longer than it should have been, and by the time she arrived, her stomach seemed to have twisted into knots. He watched her approach, seemingly content in giving her the time she needed.

"Did you learn what you needed to know?"

Hana found herself blushing once again and she bit her lip. "Yes, and no," she murmured. "I suppose we'll just have to see..."

He grinned and held a hand out to her. She placed hers within his grasp and allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. She was content to stand in the warm circle of his arms for a long time, but then she pulled back and held up the wrapped object. "My sister gave me this."

He nodded and they sat together on the forest floor. The moonlight gave illumination to the small clearing as she untied the bundle and pulled apart the folded material. Inside, she found a soft white slip of material and some rare, exotic fruits she hadn't encountered for several years. "What are they for?" he asked, carefully touching the small dress with an outstretched finger.

Hana arched an eyebrow at his silly question and decided against giving him a direct answer. "I will show you tomorrow."

"Okay." She almost grinned at his response; it was clear that he hadn't connected the outfit with what would happen the next night, but then again, he hadn't been concerned with her modesty over the years. It was true that the two of them were closer than she could have ever imagined, but she had been raised in a much different way...

They spent most of the night sitting against a sloped rock as Hana told him stories of what she'd learned the last few years. When the moon had slid out of sight and she had grown too sleepy to continue speaking, she leaned against his side and snuggled in to get a comfortable spot to sleep. "I've wondered about this for some time," she yawned, stretching her arms and legs before curling into a more comfortable position. Her tail wrapped across her legs and came to rest along her hip, providing an extra measure of warmth in the cool night air.

"Oh?" he asked, a smile playing across his lips.

"Yeah." She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, content as he ran his fingers through the soft hair at the tip of her tail.

She woke the next morning to discover a few interesting details. First, he had relocated them into the shelter, and she found herself strewn across him along the comfortable stretch of moss that he'd covered with that special fire-proof material. Second, at some point she'd wrapped her arms, legs, and tail around him, trapping him as effectively as he'd trapped her by lying upon her tail and one of her arms. Third, he was wide awake and watching her in amusement.

"It was very different being next to you while you slept," he said. "Are you are that rough with your bedding at home, too?"

Hana's eyebrows disappeared beneath her bangs as she gasped in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize I'd-"

He laughed and leaned over her, kissing her into silence. "Do not fret. I was teasing you."

"Oh."

He leaned on his elbow and traced his fingers along her face. "Today will be a very long day, I think."

"Why do you think that?" she asked, wondering how nice it would be to pull his face closer so that she could get another kiss.

She blushed as he stared down at her, and she marveled at how his eyes seemed to darken and glow all at once. "Waiting for something, I've discovered, makes time pass very slowly." It didn't take long for her to realize what he meant, but she didn't care too much about it as he dipped his head to capture her lips for a deep, lingering kiss.

He was right; the hours did pass very slowly. As afternoon finally began to dim, though, it was with some reluctance that she left his warm embrace to meet with her sister for one last time before night. "I'll be back soon," she said as she turned to dash into the trees, but his hand caught hers and he pulled her back.

"Come back sooner than that," he said. "We don't have to wait to start, we just have to wait to finish." Hana couldn't have turned any redder had she wanted to, so his words were met with a grin and another kiss. "In fact, do you even have to go?"

Hana paused to look thoughtfully into the trees. Maybe her sister had something important to tell her about the coming night? 'But if that were true,' Hana reasoned with herself, 'then why didn't she say something when I'd asked about it in the first place?' Her mind was nearly made up to stay as he drew her in for another kiss, but she laughed and pulled away from him.

"It might be something important... I promise I'll be right back."

He nodded and sat down upon the rock, waving at her to hurry.

She expected to meet with her eldest sister outside of the home she shared with her human husband, but instead, she was met with a rather large gathering of her family. 'This is strange,' she wondered. 'There wasn't a large gathering before my sisters mated. Are they here to wish me good luck?'

She stopped short at the grim looks on their faces. "What's going on?" she asked, the chill of dread creeping upon her. She quickly glanced around to make sure her closest family members were present. 'Good, everyone's here, so that means no one is hurt or in danger.'

"Hana," her mother began, "There is something you must know." She stepped closer to her daughter, but Hana sensed something amiss and took a step back. "Now, I know this will be hard for you to understand, but it has come to our attention that you intend to..." she paused and looked at the eldest sister for confirmation. "You intend to mate with the son of the fire clan?"

Hana turned slightly and warily glanced at her family. "Yes."

"You cannot."

Her mother was so straightforward with her declaration that Hana almost didn't believe she'd heard it. "I... what?"

"You cannot mate with him, Hana. This choice of yours could be detrimental to our family's safety and even fatal for you."

Hana stared at her mother as though she'd grown an extra head.

Her father sighed and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Hananoki, there is a long history of violence between the fire clan and the others living upon this island. They control everything and can destroy anything at their whim. Twenty years ago, the actions of the fire clan resulted in the deaths of three hundred humans and over half of the water elementals."

Hana's gaze fell to one of her sister's husbands. His bright blue-green eyes and hair were dead giveaways that he was one of the remaining water elementals, and she could see the anger burning in his eyes at the reminder of the tragedy.

"But-" she began, but her father continued to speak.

"We didn't think that your friendship with the boy over the years would result in this, or we would have prevented your encounters with him. The fact that he has wooed you into this situation does not mean that he or his family won't use you against us, or that you won't get hurt in the middle of this feud."

"The feud?!" she said, her voice gaining a note of hysteria. "Am I to believe that some war is going on that I've never heard anything of?"

"This disagreement has been simmering for centuries, Hana. The fact that you and he are so close to joining can only mean that his family has found a way to break our resolve, and we do not want you to get into the middle of this, especially when we'd thought it might have been fading into history."

Hana could hardly believe her ears, or her family. "Ryuu wouldn't hurt me, he loves me. We're supposed to-"

"Do not believe what that boy has told you. Hana, we're your family. We've raised you from birth; you see us every day. Believe that what we say is the truth. Would you think your own flesh and blood to deceive you?" Her mother stepped closer and placed a hand on her daughter's trembling shoulder. "There are dozens of his kind waiting upon that mountain. They wait for the day that they can run unhindered through our lands and destroy whatever they please. They taunt us with years of peace, and then in a matter of moments, they swoop in and lay waste to everything we've worked so hard for. You must understand. "

'It cannot be true. This cannot be real! I need to get back to Ryuu...' Hana stepped backwards, shaking her head. "I... I need to think about this."

There was a small movement at her side, and Hana felt a sharp strike against the base of her neck before everything went black.

She woke some time later to see the full moon hanging high in the sky and felt a curious rolling of nausea as she tried to sit up. The ground rocked from side to side and disorientation overwhelmed her as grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on. 'Wooden...?'

"They are fighting for you, now." Hana looked up at the somewhat familiar voice. Her sister's human male had two brown sticks in his hand, and she found herself sitting in a wooden container of sorts. 'A... boat?'

"Who is fighting?" she asked as she sat up and looked around. Her unease grew as she noticed how far away the land was.

"Your family is fighting against the fire clan."

"What?!" she shouted, leaning forward to snatch the man up by his shirt. "What do you mean, they are fighting?" Hana felt a sudden surge of desperation as she looked toward the land.

"They- they said..." he stammered, clutching at her shaking fingers. She released him and perched on the edge of the boat, wondering how long it would take for her to swim back to shore. "They said they would come and retrieve you when it was safe. Your parents have sent word ahead so that you could stay with your cousin until the danger has passed."

'My cousin? I...'

"Sit down, girl."

Hana whirled at the unexpected second voice, one completely unfamiliar to her. A thin girl with dark blue skin sat silently at the edge of the boat, facing away from the other two. "You look like you want to swim to shore. That would be a bad idea. That land you see over there," she waved a hand at the mass of dark cliff faces that had seemed to grow larger on the horizon, "That land is where we are going. You can no longer see our island, for it has been shrouded in the mist."

She turned to give Hananoki a cold glare. "And if you were to return home, he would surely kill you."

"What?" Hana asked, feeling weak and sick to her stomach. "Who would?"

"Your boy would, of course."

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she stared at the strange girl before her. "Why would... no." She denied, and shook her head with a sniff. "He would never hurt me. I must go back to him before it's too late."

"It is already too late. You have revealed his family's greatest weakness, and now our families can fight back against their fires. We will suffer from their work no longer." She turned back toward where the island supposedly lay, shrouded in mist. "He would surely kill you if you returned to him now."

"He would never-" she whispered, disbelief and despair overcoming her. She felt numb and sat down in the boat, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. 'He would never...' she repeated in her thoughts. 'He wouldn't...'