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Part 59: Emotional Scars

Info

Writer

Blonde Teraesa

Character Introductions

-

Character Deaths

-

Arcs

Moyasu's Quest Arc

Rising Water Level Arc

Secret of the Tiko Tribe Arc

Timeline Entries

The Story

Endless Rain

Part 59: Emotional Scars

© Blonde Teraesa

"It's time to get up, Moyasu ..."

Grunting a rude reply to the prodding, Moyasu forced her sleepless eyes open and looked across the firepit as a conscious need to stare Sasaeru down crept into her semi-conscious mind. Her hair was frazzled from aggrivated pulls the night before, and she basically looked a wreck.

"Oh ... my. You didn't stay up all night, did you?" he inquired.

"Leave me alone ..."

"But don't you want breakfast?"

Moyasu hasn't even registered the smell of cooking food, though her stomach grumbled happily at the mention of it. She shook her head a bit to clear her thoughts, then closed and opened her eyes again slowly, now realizing the sticks Sasaeru has stuck in the ground around the firepit, each with a piece of meat on it that looked like fish. Sasaeru himself sat nearby the fire, cutting out the rotted portions of a few pieces of fruit he must have gathered.

"There's a river nearby?" she asked, still groggy.

"Yeah ... here's the strange part ... the river was so flooded I didn't even need to fish. I simply waited for one to get too close to shore and get trapped in the grass ... talk about an easy meal ... come on, eat up!"

Sasaeru was so sickeningly cheerful, Moyasu could barely contain her grimace. She herself hated the morning. It always reminded her of the first morning she awoke alone. In the forest. Knowing that she had nowhere to call home. She sighed as she stood and brushed her clothing off, fixing her hair with a hand.

"I'll find my own breakfast, thank you ..."

"Oh come on ... I made enough for both of us, and I promise I didn't poison it ... here, want me to take a bite first?" he insisted.

"I don't want it ..."

"Don't like fish? Come on ... you'll like it ..." he was too nice. It couldn't be genuine.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE MARRIED TO YOU! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"We're back to that again, are we? If it bothers you so much, just forget what I said ... come on, even the almighty Moyasu has to eat ..." he just didn't understand her stubborness.

Moyasu's stomach growled angrily at her. It wanted nourishment, and Moyasu knew it wouldn't stop till it got what it wanted. Just like with Hana. She knew it was her weakness and yet she couldn't control it. She couldn't master it. It had let someone into her shell once before ... but she was so hungry. So hungry.

"Fine."

With that word, she sat cross-legged across from Sasaeru and pulled a stick from the ground, grabbing hold of the meat hurriedly and shoving it in her mouth without thought.

"Careful! It's hot ..." Sasaeru informed her, a second too late.

"ACK!"

She spit the meat right into the fire and it was ingulfed as she ran to the river for a drink. But she hadn't gotten far before she felt the dampness of the grass beneath her feet. Odd. Were the rivers rising this far? This fast? Pyro was right ... the water ... it ... it has to go somewhere ... Moyasu thought to herself as she kneeled to take a drink of water once she was far enough in. Her shoes were soaked and she could see the actual bank of the river a good fifteen feet away, fish flapping helplessly in the grass all around her.

"This ... isn't good ..."

LATER. ON THE WAY TO THE CHI VILLAGE.

"How'd you get that scar anyways ..."

Moyasu asked after a long term of silence. The food Sasaeru had prepared turned out to be some of the best she'd ever eaten, once she slowed down enough to blow on it first. And although they didn't talk much, mostly because she was still pissed about the marriage thing, she didn't hate him as much anymore. She blamed it on the food.

"Well ... I didn't hatch Ezra ... I found her outside the village one day with a broken wing. She was still a baby falcon, and I guess she fell out of the nest. But even though I only wanted the best for her, she was a wild animal ... I wasn't careful while she was still healing and one day she scratched me on my face because I got too close. It scarred pretty bad and I can't see well out of that eye, but we're the best of friends now ... aren't we, Ezra ..."

He spoke, petting the now-purring bird that rested on his shoulder, a small cheep accompanying his mellow words. Moyasu was more focused on his voice. Why did it sound so familiar. Did it remind her? Remind her of who? Moyasu was stumped, and let the silence drag on again as she tried to think of who he reminded her of.

"Mind if I ask something of you?" Came that same, soothing voice.

"Whatever ..." Moyasu replied.

"Why are you always so ... distant. All I want to do is be your friend ... or at least for us to get along ... and all you want to do is fight with me and ask me personal questions. You barely say anything about yourself ... or at all, for that matter ..."

Moyasu looked down, her anger simmering but being overpowered by another feeling. Fear. I'm afraid? Of what ...

"You don't have to answer ... not now, anyways. But when you're ready to let me know, I'll still be here."

That soothing voice again. Non-agressive. Non-threatening. Just curious. Just caring. Who does he remind me of? Who ... I can't ... I can't remember. She thought to herself, that sense of fear slowly growing and almost stifling her. She even felt short of breath. Something was scaring her. But what?

Am I afraid of remembering? She questioned herself, soon feeling something warm and wet glide down her cheek. She thought it was sweat until it reached her lips and she tasted the salt. Her eyes widened. She hadn't cried since that night ... that night her entire life died with her tribe. That night she became completely alone.

Why am I crying! I don't cry! Crying is useless! She chided herself, wiping the tear away and making twice the effort to keep herself composed, thought the fear and memories still lingered on the border of her conscious mind. She could feel her mind searching for the answers to her questions, and she knew that the answers she found would not make her feel better.

Nobody's that lucky in The Valley of Endless Rain.

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