Sun Catcher

Chapter Three

My eyes shot open. I scanned the crowds in search of what I thought I heard. I couldn't pinpoint exactly where it came from but it made my body tense up. Who would be needing me at a point like this? The only people here that know me are Mirio and Nejire. Did one of them find me? If so, who was it?

"Tamaki!"

I wasn't hearing things when I heard my name and turned my head before I locked eyes with Nejire as she weaved through the large number of people. She was on the other side of The Square as she waved her hand in the air. I leapt to my feet and started in her direction. Thank goodness she was here and I wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

I stopped when I noticed her slow down due to a small group of densely packed people lingering before her. A frown came to my face when I saw her struggle. She came to a pause crossing her arms and waited for a few minutes as everyone made it past. It made my stomach sink at the sight. I hoped that the crowd would part soon. I needed a hug more than anything else right now.

It was nice to see her back after the fact of her taking off earlier. With a small bound I continued to make my way toward her when she started to move again. We both broke into a sprint before we made contact hugging each other tight. Close contact always brought a warm and comforting feeling with it. Nejire held the hug for a few minutes before she pulled away.

"Tamaki! What are you doing here? Where did Mirio go?"

I shrugged, "I don't know where he went. One moment he was with me and the next thing I knew he was gone.

"I'm sure we'll find him! He shouldn't have gone too far from here. I bet even if we don't find him he'll be able to spot us."

"What if we don't find each other? What would we do about it then?"

Nejire placed her hands on my shoulders. "We'll find him! Don't worry about it, we're smart enough to find each other even with the crowds. You can trust me with this."

"I hope you're right about this. I don't want to lose either of you."

"Come on! Let's go search for Mirio! The sooner we get started the sooner that we'll be together again."

Nejire smiled and turned toward the crowds as I followed behind her. I kept a slower pace as I didn't want to go back in the fray but I knew that I had to in order for us to reunite with each other. Together we strode into the sea of people as it made my breath heavy the deeper we went in. My body wasn't used to moving around this much as Nejire made it impossible for me to keep up. My breath hitched as she became faster.

"Neijire! I can't keep up with you! Slow down!"

Before I could try to break into a sprint I pulled on my breaks. A large red and black banner with multiple people holding it were passing by at the same time. I stood in place unable to remain still as it was long and seemed to stretch for miles when it finally was out of my way. With a skip in my step I bounded forward only to see a person standing on the other side of the banner too late for me to react. I cringed and closed my eyes as I braced myself for impact.

I fell back landing on my rear from the sudden impact. I sat dazed for a minute and froze when I reached up only to find that the hood had fallen off in the process of the crash. In a fast motion I threw it back over my head. I hoped that nobody had seen me just now without my ears being covered. I tightened the strings to where all you could see of me was the tip of my nose. I bit my lip as I looked at others around me. It seemed that nobody had been paying attention to me. At least there's that and everyone is focused on their own things.

That's what I thought until I saw what I ran into. The old woman from the booth earlier was standing there watching me. Did she see my ears? I hope she didn't. Tension rippled through my body. What I didn't expect when I slammed into her she remained standing like a brick wall. She never flinched with the impact I'd given her and she took a step closer to me with an extended hand. Had my fears come true? Did someone actually see who I was under the hood I always wore?

"Careful Sprout. I'm not here to see you hurt." She paused. "It's not your time."

It took me a moment before I took her hand. The surface of it was rough due to being wrinkled but at the same time it felt soft too. She didn't do anything that I thought she would and exposed me for who I am. Everyone else would've called me out for being an elf in a mostly human society. That's what happened to outsiders on their land. I didn't expect it but she pulled me to my feet in one swift motion.

"Sorry for running into you, I didn't mean to."

"You youngsters are alway in a rush." She became quiet for a short time before responding. "Heed my warning, be careful of your actions. There's dangers out there and you'll end up dead if you're not ready for it."

I tilted my head, "What do you mean for me to be careful?"

"That's for you to find out." She said as she turned away. "You need to have more faith in yourself."

I stared in her direction as she vanished into the crowd. What did she mean about there being dangers? I need comfort and warmth more than anything else right now and the only way I can get that is through Mirio and Nejire.

While I stood there I wondered what I'd do now. I'd lost sight of my friends and I was alone again. The sound of stomping came from behind me. They were loud and I wasn't by myself anymore. A tall figure stepped in front of me in a flash of red and yellow. The air around me shifted as the man crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"There you are."

I couldn't believe it. The Fast was here. Again.