Ordinary

Chapter Five

The group didn't ask me any other questions, and I took that as an opportunity to make a speedy exit. I bid them good evening and hid in my room for the rest of the night. I couldn't wait to see Blue tomorrow and talk about it. Or rather, think out loud about it. He sure didn't say much, but he made an excellent listener. I went to sleep that night dreaming of new and terrifying adventures. The faces of the new visitors drifted in and out of my mind as I tossed and turned. The next few days were definitely going to be interesting.

The next morning, I figured the villagers would be so preoccupied with the new group that I could sneak off to the tunnels around midday. Once I made it into the darkness, I started calling out for Blue. Of course, I almost ran smack into him.

"Right here." he murmured, trying his best to tease me as Ao abandoned him and bounced over to my shoulder.

I laughed at him as I stroked her. "I can see that now."

He stared at me for a second before sitting down and patting the spot next to him. "Early."

I nodded. "I know. There's more visitors and they're asking questions."

He just looked at me. "Like you."

"No. I was much less pushy." I pursed my lips and he just looked at me. Clearing my throat, I continued. "Anyway, I thought I'd sneak down here a little earlier than usual. The villagers seemed pretty distracted by them."

He nodded at me, taking off his pelt and scooching closer so he could wrap it around our shoulders. The caves seemed especially cold today and Ao snuggled into the warmth of the fur. There was something coming and I could feel it in my bones.

I tried my best to ignore the urge to get out of dodge and turned to face Blue. "So. What's my chance of you telling me about your mask."

Nothing. Just like every other day.

I couldn't help but smile. After all this travelling, there was a small part of me that missed routine. While Blue's constant refusal was frustrating, it also reminded me of home. I could always count on him to keep saying no, just like I could always count on the sea to be blue and the shop to open at eight o'clock sharp. He was such a comfort, such a. . . 

"Hey," I said gently, getting his attention. 

He looked at me, wiggling a little closer as if to ask me to continue.

"We're -- I don't know -- friends? Right?" I asked, feeling self conscious for the first time in a long while.

He just looked at me, his head cocked to the side. I had no clue what his continued gaze meant. I had no idea if he was expecting me to say something else, or if he had no clue what I was talking about. I was getting more flustered by the second, embarrassed out of my mind.

Then finally, he spoke. "Friend." he purred, happiness clear in his quiet tone. 

I beamed at him, giving him a quick, tight hug, practically squishing Ao. "Good, I'm glad. Honestly, I tease you too much not to consider you a friend. Anyway--"

And before I could finish my sentence, he was up and staring off into the distance.

"What's going on?" I asked, slowly getting to my feet.

"Stay." He commanded, his voice the loudest it's been since I met him. Then he and Ao were off, running away from me.

I tried to follow him, but he was already way ahead of me and the sound of his bells was only getting further and further away. Finally, I decided to just stay put. Blue had a way of always knowing where I was, so I figured he'd go do whatever he was doing and then come back to me. We had habits, after all.

I waited for while before I finally heard the bells again. Before I knew what I was doing, I was speeding towards them. Then I saw him. His arm was braced against the wall and his breathing was labored. Instant fear shot through me. Had he been hurt? Was he sick? Why did he just run off like that?

"Blue?" I called out, reaching my arms out and offering support.

He didn't say anything, didn't even move.

"Blue what happened? Are you okay." I asked, worry giving my voice a strained tremor.

"Saved her." He finally rasped out, still struggling to regain his breath. Ao scampered about, clearly worried.

"Saved who? What's going on?" Anxiety coursed through me. None of this was making sense. Who had he saved? Why was he suddenly in such bad shape?

"I feel like I'm burning." He stated, his voice still rough. "Can't catch my breath."

"Do you need help? Should I get someone? A doctor! You should see a doctor." My panic was clear, and I could tell he was trying to calm down for my sake.

"Come on." He grabbed my hand. "You should go."

I didn't say anything, just nodded. His hand was as soft as it was the day I met him, although admittedly clammy and somewhat feverish. I was still worried, but I could only hope that if he really needed anything that he'd let me know. So I let him guide me. 

Then just as we approached the entrance, the whole world trembled.

A/N: Hey friends and neighbors! I know this is a shorter chapter, but I'll add more soon, I promise! I hope no one is too out of character, and I'm trying to stick to the plot a little bit. The next few chapters will follow the anime, and then I'll break off into some super fluffy cuteness, and definitely some good action scenes. Anyway, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

Miss Author