The Lake

[Reiyn]

Tsu started spinning in circles around Cain, trying to make him dizzy and therefor easier to tag.

Kimika flew after Rosa, skating almost, laughing happily the whole time.

[Flame]

Cain started spinning in circles, keeping his eyes on Tsu. Occasionally he would hop up on his hind legs and fall over, and then start spining again.


Rosa kept running. she looved behind her and saw that Kimika was gaining on her.

[Reiyn]

Tsu kept circling, oft adding dips and turns to confuse Cain.

Kimika sped up, running as if in tandem with Rosa. Still she laughed, reaching out a paw to tag Rosa.

A small shape sped out in front of Cain, leaping into a hollow tree. Red eyes shone out of the hollow, seemingly filled with tears.

[Flame]

Cain stopped, confused. He walked over to the hollow tree and looked inside, curious. He didn't know who - or what - that was.

Rosa ran sideways to avoid Kimika's paw, but she knew she'd be tagged. Kimika had an element, Rosa didn't. Also, Kimika could run for longer, because she was actually skating.

[Reiyn]

Kimika, still laughing, tagged Rosa with her paw. She turned to run the way they had come, the ice path long gone. Her mitts hit the ground, pushing her ahead of the other fae.

Tsu looked curiously at Cain, hovering nearby so as to make sure that the creature inside wasn't a danger to him. She hovered out of sight, ready to attack if necessary.

As Cain approached the hollow, Akina whimpered almost inaudibly, drawing as far back into the space as she could. When she felt the other side of the bark against her back, her eyes grew wider in fear.

[Flame]

Rosa jumped, turned around, and started running after Kimika. She would not be able to catch up, for she was getting tired.

Cain saw that the thing in the tree was a wolf, so he said to it, "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. you can come out."

[Reiyn]

Kimika too was getting tired. She started to slow until Rosa was beside her. "Let's take a break, ey?" she called, the wind still rushing through her fur.

Tsu circled protectively around Cain from the air, watching him and the varg carefully.

Akina let out a loud hissing sound. She backed further into the hollow, mitts trying to find a ledge on which to pull herself onto. The whelpen fae's ears were pinned back against her head, orbs wide with fear. Blood trickled out of a wound on her muzzle, mingling with her odd black markings and staining her moon-hued fur. Unable to find a ledge, she backed herself up against the very back of the hollow until she was unable to go any further.

[Flame]

Rosa nodded. "Yeah, I'm tired," She said, panting.

Cain repeated himself. "I'm not going to hurt you. You can come out." He stared into the hollow at Akina, and froze. "W.. W.. Winter?" He stammered, confused and scared.

[Reiyn]

Kimika motioned to a clearing up ahead. "I think that that's where we started. Lets rest there."

Akina froze too, the fear leaving her to be replaced by confusion. She blinked a few times. Maw opened, trying to find her voice. "Wh... what did you call me?" she asked, voice shaking as much as she was.

[Flame]

Cain shook his head. "Never mind," He said, quietly. "I thought you were.. someone else.." He looked distracted for a moment. "You can come out, you know. Nobody's going to hurt you."

Rosa wandered into the clearing. No one was there. "What now?" She asked Kimika, looking behind her shoulder.

[Reiyn]

Kimika shrugged. "Rest, I guess..." she emitted, looking around.

Akina's eyes still shone with distrust, but that too was starting to fade. "You... you look just like Hayashi. But... there's just no way... we found Kaiyou and her whelps... they were all dead..." she said, almost whispering. Suddently, Akina leapt from inside the hollow. Twice she circled Cain. "It would be impossible..." she whispered.

[Flame]

Rosa lay down, panting. "Graceful," she said sarcasticly.

"Uhh.." Cain said, now almost completely confused. "Who?"

[Reiyn]

Akina's eyes narrowed. "Who are you? Why do you look like Hayashi?" she asked, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Kimika laughed and lay down as well.

Tsu, on the other hand, had long since left Cain and Akina alone. The feline had gone in search of Kimika, the Lead Kappa Female. She ran into the clearing, calling, "Kimika! Come quick!"

Kimika sprang to her feet. "Tsu? What is it? Is everything okay?" She asked, worry clouding her face.

[Flame]

"Who's Hayashi?" Cain said, thouroughly confused. Why was Akina upset? If he did look like someone, he couldn't help it. But there was something about what she had said earlier. "You... you look just like Hayashi. But... there's just no way... we found Kaiyou and her whelps... they were all dead..." It was a story simalar to his.

"What? What's wrong?" Rosa said, jumping up.

[Reiyn]

Akina sighed and sat down. "Hayashi was one of my best friends. But, one day, he and his mom and siblings, they all dissapeared. My parents wouldn't tell me why, and, since no one else would tell me either, I figured that they had been forbidden to speak of it by my parents. Not long after they left, some of the members of my pack found Hayashi's family, all dead. I never saw the bodies, but they all told me that Kaiyou and her pups were dead. I thought that they meant Hayashi, too. But none of that explains why you look just like him..." she trailed off, eyes starting to mist over again.

Tsu, out of breath, choked out, "The pups... there's something weird going on... come, quick!" Tired as she was, the feline started to fly back the way she had come.

Kimika looked at Rosa, saying, "Well, so much for rest..." She, too darted back towards the clearing.