Title: Friends, Foes, and Green Leeches
Author: ShadowofLightning
Pairing: Senri/OC Chakuna and some Cooro/Nana
Summary: Cooro, Husky, Senri, and Nana haven’t been able to catch food in the forest for days, until Senri is attacked by a mysterious lizard-like +Anima who holds some interesting secrets behind her fierce visage. Unfortunately, those secrets could mean the difference between a better life, and the death of Senri.
Disclaimer: This story takes place shortly after the ending of Book 1. I own nothing but Chakuna.
WARNING!: This story is an OC SLASH fan fiction. This means that a character of MY creation is being slashed with a character that is adored by many other people. Some might even consider my OC to be a “Mary-Sue,” and will yell at me about how Mary-Sues are evil and how much they suck. I am telling said people that the Internet has this brilliant thing called a ‘Back’ button that could really save them the time and energy that would be wasted on trying to change the way I write.
Consider yourselves warned. Enjoy!


*~++++++++++~*
One with a flowing voice is a singer.
One with a skilled hand is an artist.
These traits are unique.
Their possessors are greatly admired.
One with a black wing is a demon.
One with a bear’s arm is a killer.
These traits are unique.
Their possessors are feared and hated.

Why are such similar traits treated so diversely?
*~++++++++++~*


Deep in a forest not far from Octopus, there was a weak glow showing through the treetops. The glow was so weak that the only way you could see it was if someone told you where to look.

Cooro pouted and poked a wet stick at the dying fire ashes. The last sparks popped and crackled with life, but died away just as soon.

“Man, I’m hungry!” The boy whined.

Husky, who had been examining a rather smooth rock for no particular reason, slammed the stone into the dirt and scowled at the crow hybrid.

“Cooro, you’re always hungry!” he scolded.

Cooro opened his mouth to speak, but then brought his finger up to tap his chin thoughtfully.

“Okay, how about; I’m hungrier than I usually am!!” Cooro innocently offered.

Sitting on the other side of the dead campfire, Senri let out a soft chuckle before turning a page in his book.

Nana sighed and leaned her chin on Cooro’s shoulder. “Oh, we’re all hungry, Cooro. Complaining about it won’t make our bellies fill up, though.”

Cooro perked up. “But that would be pretty cool if it did! No one would ever starve again, because you’d just have to think about food, and then you would get it!”

Husky slapped his forehead.

“Although,” Cooro continued with a thoughtful look, “If all you had to do was imagine your belly being full, you’d never get to actually taste the food. That kind of takes the whole fun out of eating.”

A deep, loud rumble sounded from Nana’s stomach just then. The bat +Anima clutched her aching belly in misery.

She turned to Senri in desperation. “Senri, there must be something left in our bag to eat! It’s been a whole day now, and we’ve only gotten a few berries each.”

The bear +Anima snapped his book shut, tucked it away in his back pouch, and reached for their food satchel. When he opened it up, Cooro spun onto his knees and waited eagerly for that one little word.

“Rice,” Senri sighed, slightly disappointed.

Husky shrugged. “Well, that’ll have to do. How much is there?”

Senri held up the sack, which Husky snatched promptly. He looked inside, rustled the bag around a few times, but ended up with the same conclusion.

“I’m afraid there’s only enough here for two of us. Either we split each portion in half, or we—”

Husky was cut off when Cooro’s head suddenly appeared stuffed inside the bag, munching away like crazy.

“Hey—HEEEEY!!!!” Husky shouted, swatting the moocher upside the head. Cooro sat up straight, his mouth crammed with rice.

“We need to save it for everyone!”

The crow +Anima made a small noise in his throat, and swallowed the whole mouthful in one gulp. “Sorry; I-I couldn’t help myself.”

“You never can.” Husky retorted, and let his head rest on his curled-up knees. “I’m starting to wonder if you were a pig +Anima in some past life.”

Cooro giggled childishly.

Nana groaned, “What do we do now? There’s barely one helping left.”

Senri thought for a moment until he made a decision, and stood up immediately.

“Where are you going, Senri?” Cooro asked, but the bear +Anima said nothing. He turned away from the three in silence and began walking toward the woods.

Husky huffed and shook his head. “We’ve searched the forest a hundred times for animals,” he mumbled. “You’re not gonna find anything…”

Senri ignored him and soon disappeared beyond the trees.



+A+N+I+M+A+
Chapter 1: Hunt or be hunted


Dusk was one of Senri’s favorite times of day. It was when all the hard and hectic life began settling and resting its weary bones until tomorrow. All was calm, and all was quiet.

Senri’s stride was slow and easy; he wanted to enjoy the scenery while he could. Brightly shining stars decorated the deep indigo sky beautifully, and the towering evergreens perfected the magnificent display.

Senri smiled. He should probably be hunting for some type of food, but Husky had been right; there were no animals left in the forest to hunt. If there were, they were pretty good at hiding.

So, Senri was just out for a stroll.

He breathed slowly through his nose. Ah, evergreen trees smelt so nice at night. Senri took another deep sniff, and closed his eyes in tranquil pleasure. There were flowers in the forest. He could smell them.

Senri could help himself; it was just too tempting.

The scent was faint, but he could tell which direction to go. He slightly quickened his pace and followed the aroma deeper and deeper into the woods. He couldn’t quite distinguish the flower, but all the more reason for him to find it.

He was too absorbed in finding the source of the fragrance to hear the distant rustling of bushes and trees.

Senri was not alone in the forest.

He was getting close, now. He could tell that he was picking up some type of rose. Oh, he loved roses! They were so pure in their appearance, yet so red with ominous meaning…

Rustle.

Senri stopped dead in his tracks.

He caught his breath in his throat and didn’t move a muscle. His nose shut off, but his eye and ears were sharper than a newly-rolled axe. Senri scanned the moon-lit silhouette of trees, vines, and bushes for any movement. His bear instinct said that something was close, but he wasn’t sure whether or not it was a predator or prey.

Senri wasn’t about to take a chance. He had done that once before, and had the scars to show for it.

Scanning the ground, Senri quickly found a clear path to the source of the mysterious disturbance. He stepped through and around the littered forest floor with great skill and utter silence. Closer and closer he crept, until the bear +Anima was only a few inches in front of the bush that concealed his victim.

Instantly, Senri snapped out his bear arm and slashed clean through the bush as if it were tissue. His claws were poised and ready to kill like a sword at the throat of the guilty.

Nothing was there.

Senri darted his eye left and right, searching for even the faintest trace of movement, but he could detect none whatsoever. He sighed; maybe he was just paranoid.

The bear +Anima looked up then, and saw a beautifully perched rose bush in full bloom. He smiled and sniffed the lovely aroma, seeming to forget about the noise completely. Senri let his arm morph to normal as he climbed past the slashed bramble to near the red roses.

There were several roses in the bush, but Senri wanted the biggest and most fragrant for his book. The topmost flower was the one he wanted; it was perfect. Senri reached up and gently snapped the stem, but winced when a thorn pricked his finger. He grunted, licking the wound carefully.

Snarl!

Senri’s arm moved on its own. His claws flew out and swung up to slash the attacking creature’s stomach. He hit his target with flawless accuracy, for the giant thing flew over his head with a pained screech.

Senri dropped the flower and spun to face his opponent. The thing was cradling its bleeding stomach, but quickly gained its footing and faced Senri.

The silent teen balked at his enemy. She was human, but her hands and feet couldn’t have been farther from it. The hands were scaly and the fingers long and sharp, while the feet looked bent all out of proportion. On top of that, she had a long scaly whip-like tail and an armor plate on her head.

She was a +Anima! But a +Anima of what?

Senri had no time to ponder this question, because his attacker lunged again with claws and fangs barred maliciously. This time Senri was prepared for it, and jabbed his claw at her stomach again. She veered to his left, but not fast enough to avoid getting cut along the side.

She landed on all fours and skidded slightly, groaning from the extra cut. Senri turned back to his opponent. That’s when he noticed her flowing bundle of dark brown hair tied back with a flower stem. There were thorns in the stem.

She didn’t quite recover as fast as before; her wounds were bleeding profusely and she had the sense to try to wait a bit before striking again. Senri had neither the intent on killing her nor the desire to fight, but he could tell this +Anima girl wasn’t going to just let him walk off.

Senri kneeled down and scooped up a large stone, then waited for her to gather herself. She did, but when she attacked Senri leaned to the side and rammed the stone to her head hard.

She yelped sharply and fell to the ground with a loud thud. She didn’t get up this time, but she was still breathing.

Sighing with relief, Senri dropped the rock, stepped over the +Anima’s unconscious body, and headed back to camp. That was enough adventure for one day.

Senri had only taken about five steps before he stopped. He wasn’t sure why he had stopped, but he just couldn’t take another step. He looked back at the +Anima he’d just knocked out.

She was just lying there, motionless. It was like she was dead, but her chest was moving. Barely.

Senri made a decision.

He guessed from the large leaf skirt and bamboo-woven shirt that this girl was alone in the wild. Maybe that’s why she had attacked him; she thought Senri was food.

She wasn’t that heavy at all, but maybe that was because she’d faded back to her regular form. She was actually a bit pretty without the huge plate covering the top of her head and hairline. This girl didn’t look too old; she actually seemed to be around his age.

So, Senri carried the mysterious +Anima through the woods and back to camp, just as the sun’s last rays vanished over the horizon.



+A+N+I+M+A+
Chapter 2: Wake-up call


“Let me get this straight; you were wandering around the forest, and this girl – who you say is a +Anima – just attacked you out of nowhere, and after she tried to eat you, now you’re bringing her back here!?!?!” Husky raged.

Senri blinked, taken aback by his friend’s outburst. “Yes.”

Senri had come back to the camp and found everyone asleep, and so he’d opted to tell them about his find in the morning. That was when the sun shone beautifully through the forest’s canopy and the air was nice and cool. It was also when Husky was in his grumpiest mood of the day.

He face palmed. “Senri, I can’t believe you!”

Nana gently shoved the silver-haired boy. “Husky, only you could get mad at someone for doing a good deed.”

“And what’s that suppose to mean?!” He snapped.

“Um… guys?”

Husky, Nana, and Senri looked up to see Cooro kneeling over their patient.

“She’s bleeding really badly. Maybe we should bandage her up—”

“No way, Cooro!” Husky asserted. “She tried to eat Senri!” He crossed his arms, ending any protest. “No cannibal is getting my help!”

But Nana was already over by the girl’s side, ripping the trim of her own fancy dress to wrap around her waist. Cooro saw her purpose, and gingerly lifted the girl up so Nana could wrap her waist easier. Nana smiled at her black-winged friend, and went to work.

Husky shook his head, mumbling incoherent scolds and insults under his breath.

Senri walked over to her as well so he could see her face clearly for the first time. He could hardly call her skin smooth for it was widely decorated with mostly-healed scars and faint bruises, no doubt from past fights. Her actual face was soft and calm – quite a contrast to her actions.

“Hmm…”

Cooro looked up. “Something wrong, Senri?”

Senri paused, but shook his head and walked over to the closest tree.

“Whatcha doing—” Cooro began, but found out when Senri morphed his arm and began clawing his way up the tree like a bear cub would.

Husky gaped. “Whoa… what exactly is he trying to do?”

Nana smiled. “Ah, Senri knows what he’s doing… whatever that may be.”

Cooro just giggled with a shrug and continued fixing their mysterious guest up. Nana did the same.

Husky stretched wide and yawned. “Well, I dunno about you two, but I’m gonna go find a fish-infested pond.” And he was off before they could even look up.

Cooro looked worried. “I hope Senri didn’t hurt her too bad. She looks nice.”

“Well, he did say that she attacked him so if she wakes up we should be careful.” Nana warned.

The crow boy nodded, but now he appeared curious. “Why do you think she attacked Senri, anyway?”

Nana thought for a moment. “She probably thought Senri was a meal if she heard him walking through the woods.”

Cooro shot up just then. “Then if she’s hungry, we should feed her!”

“Feed her what, though? All we have left is my portion of rice.”

Cooro smiled at the bat girl with his brows high on his head.

Nana looked back at him, confused, until his clue sank in.

“Oh, Ooohhh no. Cooro, I’m not letting her have my rice! I haven’t eaten in a whole day!”

“Yeah, but… take a look at her.” Cooro said quietly. “She probably hasn’t eaten in two or three days.”

Nana looked, and to her shock Cooro was very right. The girl’s stomach area almost looked hollow.

“No wonder she tried to eat Senri; she would’ve starved if she hadn’t.” Nana squeaked with sympathy.

There was a bound from behind them; Senri had jumped down and landed on his feet, with a few leaves floating around him.

Cooro waved. “What were you doing all the way up there?”

Senri didn’t answer but began licking his unusually shiny, unusually yellow claws.

Cooro cocked his head, curious. He stood up and ran to his older friends to see what Senri had found.

“What’s that?”

Senri looked down at Cooro, and offered his untouched thumb to his friend. Cooro’s eyes lit up like fire as he fingered a large blob of it, popping the glop right into his mouth.

The crow boy jumped and sprang into the air with glee. “Nana! Nana! Senri found honey! We can make her rice balls!”

“Good idea!”

“Hmm?” Senri asked while slurping away at the honey.

Cooro looked up at Senri. “That girl hasn’t eaten in forever, so Nana’s giving up her rice to that girl when she wakes up! And since you found some honey,” Cooro fingered another glob from Senri’s thumb. “We can make rice balls for her! She’ll love them, and then we can all be friends!” And he licked the honey up with triumph.

Senri thought the whole idea over as he slurped his golden syrup. It seemed like a good idea, except for…

“Husky?” Senri asked.

Cooro stopped at that. Husky hated girls a lot, and after almost leaving because of Nana there was no way he’d let this girl stay.

Nana interrupted their thoughts. “Senri, I hate to ask it of you but can you go up there and get me a jar of that honey for the rice? Please?”

Senri nodded, and disappeared back into the trees.

He clawed up and up the tall wood until he found the sturdy branch right under the tree hole. Senri smiled when he heard no buzzing; the bees weren’t back… yet. Working fast, he hoisted himself up onto the branch and ruffled through his back pouch for a spare Abon medicine jar he’s saved from the village.

There was one just big enough for a serving. Senri smiled, and dipped the jar into the pool of sticky goodness. He sniffed the air. Ah, how he lo-o-oved honey! So sweet and rich with flavor; natures perfect condiment.

Buzzzzzzzzz…

Uh oh!

Senri pulled back the full bottle and corked it up fast, but the bees were already there. Quick as a whip, he held the honey tight and leapt off the branch before he could be stung.

“… I dunno, Nana; she looks like an Isabelle to me— Oh, hey Senri!” Cooro yelled when his bear friend landed.

Senri reached up to pull the leaves out of his hair, and then he walked over to hand Nana the honey-filled jar.

Nana smiled wide. “Thanks a ton, Senri! I’ll get right on those rice balls!” And she pranced off to start.

Cooro, who watched her go, looked back to Senri. “We where just talking about what her name was. She looks like she could have a lot of names.”

Senri looked at Cooro, then back at the girl. He could’ve sworn her expression had changed minutely.

“What you think her name is, Senri?”

He thought about it for a while, but Cooro was right; a lot of names could suit her face. Mary Jane, Roseanne, Suzy, Amy, Mariah; the list was endless.

“Ah, it’s okay. I couldn’t think of one at first, but I think she looks like an Isabelle.” Cooro stated.

“Cooro, I’m telling you,” Nana shouted over her shoulder. “Her name is Francesca!”

“Francesca’s a silly name, Nana!” Cooro shouted back, though with a smile. Then, his stomach rumbled. “Man, where’s Husky with that fish?!”

On perfect cue, Husky emerged from the woods with four big fish over his shoulder.

“Someone call me?” He asked sarcastically, and then noticed Nana rolling her rice. “What are you doing, now?”

“I’ll explain over breakfast. Just try not to be too rude to Frankie when she wakes up.”

“Her name’s Izzy!” Cooro yelled.

Husky rolled his eyes. “Now we’re naming her?”

Cooro shrugged. “Well, we have to call her something, don’t we?”

Husky rolled his eyes again and handed the fish off to Senri for cooking, which he took promptly. “To answer your question, Nana; I’m only trying to keep my friends from being eaten. Is there a problem with that?”

“It’s not a problem if we’re in danger,” Nana asserted. “She’s probably just hungry.”

“Is that why you’re making those rice balls?”

“Mmm hmm!”

Then, another voice spoke. It was low, and smooth yet rough in its ominous feel:

“Rice… I don’t think I’ve ever had rice before, but right now I’m hungry enough to eat anything.”



+A+N+I+M+A+
Chapter 3: A suspicious reptile


Everyone spun around with a start at hearing the new voice. Their guest was sitting up, arms crossed and casual as if she had been awake the whole time.

No one said or did anything.

When she realized no one would speak, the girl continued. “I heard you all arguing over my name earlier. For the record, my name is Chakuna.”

“Chakuna…” Senri whispered.

Cooro fell onto his back giggling, because he’d been wrong.

“Yes; I’m Chakuna.” She then noticed the young man that had spoken. “You were the one I met in the forest…”

Husky scoffed. “‘Met’? You mean ‘attacked’!?!”

Chakuna lifted her chin and looked and Husky through narrow eyes. “Ah… yes… I did ‘attack’ him, didn’t I?”

“Darn right, you did!” Husky shouted, before Nana whacked him upside the head with a stick.

“Husky! Stop yelling at her!”

Chakuna smirked, and held up a hand to stop her. “Please; I understand completely why your friend would hate me for my actions, but I did what I had to do.” She looked over at Senri, who returned the gaze. “I had mistaken you for an animal. If I had known you were a +Anima, I wouldn’t have done what I did.”

Husky leered at her. “Why did you try to eat Senri, exactly?”

Chakuna paused for a long moment.

“Senri… I tried to attack him because I am on the brink of starvation.” She explained. “I can already tell that no food will be given to me freely here, so I will say goodbye.”

She made to stand up, but yelped in mid-stance and fell back to the ground.

Cooro helped her into a comfortable lying position. “I wouldn’t move,” he warned. “Your stomach’s bleeding pretty badly.”

“And besides,” Nana added. “I have some rice balls for you, if you like.”

“So you don’t munch on one of us,” Husky mumbled.

Chakuna actually laughed. “Husky, was it? Husky, if you hadn’t noticed, I am human. You are human. I can assure you now that I am no cannibal.”

“Mmm hmm,” he nodded mockingly.

Nana stood up with two big rice balls and brought them over to Chakuna. “Here, these should hold you for now.”

The ominous girl eyed the shiny globs longingly. “Oh… may I…?”

“They’re both yours.”

Chakuna moaned and swiped one right out of Nana’s hand with great speed. She licked her lips and hungrily took a big chomp out of the side. Shimmering yellow strands trailed from the clump to her lips as she chewed hurriedly and swallowed with great satisfaction.

“Mmm…” Chakuna sighed. “It’s sweet…”

“Yup!” Cooro chirped. “Honey’s the sweetest thing in the whole world!”

“Honey…” She whispered, and took another huge bite.

Senri saw a mixture of desperation and relief in her eyes. He had wanted that honey very much, but now he saw that Chakuna needed it more.

Chakuna swallowed. “There are no words that can express to you my gratefulness for this food.” She sighed.

Husky huffed. “Whatever…”

Senri pondered over her dilemma, and resumed skinning the fish. This Chakuna was… interesting, to say the least.

Chakuna finished the first rice ball in a jiffy, and grabbed for the second one. Then, after taking a bite of that one, she noticed what Senri was doing.

“Mmm…” She swallowed her mouthful. “What are your names, again?”

Cooro spoke. “I’m Cooro! The grumpy one’s Husky, she’s Nana, and that guy over there’s Senri. We’re all +Anima traveling together!”

“Hmm…” Chakuna thought, licking up some honey on her hand. “+Anima, you say?”

“Mmm hmm! I’m a crow, Husky’s a fish, Nana’s a bat, and Senri’s—”

“Senri’s a black bear… I saw.” Chakuna finished, taking another bite of her rice ball.

“Are you a +Anima?” Nana asked.

Chakuna paused her munching, before swallowing the whole mouthful. “I am.”

“Ooohhh!” Cooro cooed. “What kind?”

“Why is Senri skinning the fish?” She asked.

Cooro blinked.

“We can’t eat the scales, can we?” Husky butted in.

Chakuna shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I do it all the time.”

Nana, Cooro, and Husky cringed and squirmed.

“Eeeewwww!!” Cooro shouted. “You eat the skin!?!?!?!”

Chakuna blinked, confused. “Of course. I always have.”

Nana shivered in disgust. “Ugh! That’s just… horrible!”

“Actually, it doesn’t taste like anything over the actual fish.” She explained, and popped the rest of the rice ball into her mouth.

All three moaned in nausea. Senri wasn’t paying attention.

Chakuna was thoroughly confused, but decided to let the matter go.

“Thank you, Nana, for the rice and honey.” She said. “And I apologize for ignoring your question, Cooro. I am a snake +Anima.”

“Wrong.”

Chakuna blinked. Husky, Nana, and Cooro turned to Senri, but he continued skinning the last fish.

“’Wrong’? What do you mean, ‘wrong’?” Chakuna asked calmly.

Senri stopped and put his knife down. He glanced over his shoulder and stared at her coldly with his one, shimmering silver eye.

Chakuna looked into his eye, and shivered. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t like that look he was giving her. She felt like he was seeing through her mind, reading her thoughts and memories as if she were an open book. It made her feel… vulnerable.

“F-fine; if it really matters,” Chakuna burst suddenly. She tore her gaze away from Senri’s. “I only call myself a snake +Anima; I’m actually a lizard +Anima.”

Senri paused, but turned back to chop up the fish. There was no way a snake +Anima would have long sharp fingers, malformed feet, or a wide helmet-like bone protecting her head.

Cooro, puzzled, tilted his head. “Why?”

“Why call myself a snake?” Chakuna confirmed. “Well, when someone tells you there’s a lizard close by, how many people are going to run in fear?”

“No one,” Husky chuckled.

“Exactly. Whereas, a snake in the area will frighten almost everyone.”

“I have a question,” Nana began. “If you’re a +Anima, then where’s your mark?”

She paused. “On my back.”

Husky scoffed.

Chakuna heard him, and raised an eyebrow. “Husky, if you have something against me that is beyond clemency, why don’t you just ask me to leave?”

“Thank you!!!!!” the fish +Anima shouted, causing everyone but Chakuna to jump. “By all means; go!!”

“Husky!” Cooro and Nana scolded together.

“You heard her!” he protested angrily. “She said she’d leave if I asked her to!”

“You have no right to blame her for starvation!” Nana shouted, spinning to confront Husky.

“But I have all right to throw out some suspicious girl who’s getting way more help than she deserves!”

“She’s bleeding!!”

Chakuna sighed.

“Serves her right for attacking Senri!!”

“She would’ve starved!!!”

“I missed the part where that’s my problem!!!”

Cooro whimpered miserably and covered his ears.

“What if Chakuna helped us catch more food!?!?”

“If she was starving to death on her own then she definitely won’t do us any good, Nana!!!!!!!”

“Will you stop acting like our food shortage is my fault!!!!!”

“Well maybe if you hadn’t tried to steal my pearls we wouldn’t have that issue, now would we!!!!!!!!”

Senri groaned with annoyance, stopped his filleting, and waited for them to finish.

“Ex-cuuuuse me, Husky, but you were the one who made the string snap!!!!!”

“YOU SCREAMED IN MY EARS!!!!!!!”

“WHY YOU STUPID—”

Chakuna threw her head back and unleashed a thunderously deafening roar.

Husky, Nana, and Senri cringed harshly and covered their ears in pain. Cooro cried out and slapped his arms over his ears desperately.

After three solid seconds, Chakuna deemed them silent and let her snarl die down.

It took the four a few seconds to take in the silence. Once they did grasp the fact, all seven eyes were on Chakuna.

She waited until she knew Husky and Nana wouldn’t resume their not-so-little skirmish, and spoke.

“Please believe me when I say, that snarl was not much louder than your bickering.”

Husky stepped toward her threateningly but Nana grabbed his shoulder, miraculously stopping him.

Chakuna sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “Husky; yes, I attacked Senri with the intent of killing him. That is because while I was searching for the forest’s only rose bush I heard something cut through a bush I was near. I mistook the cutter for an animal and believing so, I did the one thing any starved creature would do. My famine’s severity clouded my vision, so upon seeing Senri I truly believed him to be a bear.”

“If that’s true, then how did you recognize Senri when you woke up?” Husky questioned as calmly as he could muster.

Chakuna didn’t open her eyes, but continued. “I lunged at Senri three times; once from behind, and twice head-on. Am I recalling correctly, Senri?” She asked, glancing at the young man.

Senri nodded.

Chakuna closed her eyes again. “The first time I couldn’t tell, but the second time I lunged I did notice that something wasn’t right about this bear. Under normal circumstances, I would have tried circling him to see if he moved like a bear. Unfortunately, famine had thrown my mind into a state that could not comprehend anything beyond killing and eating, and so I lunged a third time.”

Chakuna paused, barely managing a smirk. “It was only briefly, but I remember seeing Senri’s face almost perfectly while in midair. I don’t remember anything after that.”

She opened her eyes and looked at Husky as honestly as she could. “I owe you all my life for saving me from starvation. If there is something I can—”

Chakuna stopped short, and just stared at Husky wide-eyed.

“What!?” he demanded.

Chakuna blinked. “Did… you… say that you lost a string of pearls?”

Husky groaned. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, and you’ll never find them. My pearls are long gone, and there isn’t a snowballs chance anyone’s ever going to see them again, okay?”

“Really…?” Chakuna asked quietly as a smile slowly crept onto her lips. Her hand moved slowly across her thigh, pushing the long flowing leaves aside.

Husky, Nana, Cooro, and Senri were wide-eyed at this totally unforeseen action. A moment later, their eyes were twice as wide.

When their eyes met a full string of shimmering white pearls wrapped four times around her thigh.



+A+N+I+M+A+
Chapter 4: Pearls before swine


Chakuna unwound the priceless beadings and carefully gathered them in her hands. She was smiling at Husky, whose jaw was close to falling off.

“I’ve been holding onto these for about two days. I was going to—”

“Yeah, I know what you were gonna do,” Husky sniped, and marched over to take back his treasures. When he reached for his pearls, though, Chakuna pulled them away.

“As I was saying,” the lizard +Anima hissed coolly. “I was going to hold onto these pearls until I found their rightful owner. I hadn’t expected a boy like you to possess these, but now that I think about it…” Chakuna smirked, eyeing his sapphire earrings. “I guess it isn’t terribly surprising. Here,” Chakuna offered the pearls up to Husky.

Husky took them, but he was less harsh about it than before.

“Th-thank you…” he coughed. “For finding my pearls… and giving them back to me…” he turned away, blushing with embarrassment. He marched over to his pile of clothes and carefully stuffed them into his belt pouch for safe-keeping.

Senri puzzled over what had just happened. If she had been an inch from starvation, then why wouldn’t she sell the pearls and buy some food? It didn’t make much sense to him; was she that dedicated to returning the pearls?

Cooro, who had been pondering over the entire situation, finally spoke up. “I have a question, Chakuna.”

Chakuna looked over at the crow boy. “Yes?”

“If you were starving to death in the forest, then why were you looking for a rose bush?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Nana added, and turned to her expectantly.

Chakuna chuckled. “I thought you might ask.

“You see, I have hunted and eaten in this forest for almost a year now, but I never thought that a forest could become unpopulated, if you will. There’s no food left in the forest, and I could never make it to Octopus in time; let alone another forest. I was convinced that I would die. But, despite how I’ve spent the majority of my life, I have no desire to drop dead in the middle of a forest.

“I was never one for flowers,” Chakuna smiled wistfully. “But I’ve always had a soft spot for red roses. I wanted to die with a pleasant feeling to ease my painful famine. But as fate would have it,” she laughed. “That one rose bush always seemed to evade me. I could never find the rose bush when I was looking for it, and I would always find it when I was searching for something else.”

Chakuna sighed, and reached for her side. When her hand emerged, it was holding the very rose that Senri had picked off the bush before the attack. And Senri noticed.

Chakuna smiled at him. “Do you like roses, Senri? You certainly found the bush faster than I ever could, and I’ve lived in this forest for nearly a year.” She held the flower out to Senri.

He looked at the rose, then up at Chakuna.

“Take it.” She insisted.

Senri paused, but reached out with a hesitant hand and took her offering. He examined the thorny flower briefly and sniffed it slowly. Immediately, he pulled out his book, stuck the flower between its pages and snapped it shut.

Cooro and Nana blinked, taken slightly aback by his sudden move. Chakuna smiled warmly. “You press flowers? Was that why you found the bush?”

Senri starred at the ground in thought for a moment, but turned around and picked up his cutting knife to finish his cooking.

“Hmm,” Chakuna thought out loud. She seemed a bit down from being brushed off.

“Senri doesn’t talk much,” Nana tried to explain. “Don’t be too sad if he seems to ignore you.”

Cooro lied down on his belly and rested his head on his fists. “I guess he just hates talking.”

Chakuna shrugged, and carefully laid back to gaze up at the shimmering canopy. “He hates talking, or he simply has nothing to say.”

Silence fell over the five for a very long time. Nana was cleaning the honey off her hands with a pink embroidered handkerchief. Cooro was intently watching three ants march around in circles, and he seemed quite entertained with it. Husky took out his pearls to begin counting and polishing them. Senri had gathered some wood and sparked a small fire to cook the fish. Chakuna just lay there, resting, unable to do much else because of her wounds.

When the fish were done filleting, Senri divvied out an equal portion for everyone – even some for Chakuna – on huge green leaves. He pulled out the last of his salts and spices, and sprinkled some on each portion.

Chakuna’s nose perked when Senri pulled out the spices. She opened her eyes with a hand blocking the sunlight. Her other arm propped itself under her so she could look at the bear +Anima.

“What…” She asked timidly, “Are you doing… to the fish…?” Her tone displayed her disgust.

Senri paused his spicing, and turned to face Chakuna. At seeing her scrunched up face, he held up his handful of the red and deep green seasonings.

“What is that?” she asked him hesitantly.

Senri blinked, surprised. “Spices.”

Chakuna shuttered harshly.

Husky looked up. “What’s wrong with the spices? Senri uses them all the time.”

The lizard +Anima turned to him. “Does it change the taste of the fish?”

Both Husky and Senri uncertainly nodded.

Chakuna made a revolted noise and slammed onto her back. The girl burst out just then after being painfully reminded of her damage. Husky couldn’t help snickering.

Chakuna chose to ignore him and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the spear of pain in her stomach. “I don’t mean to be rube, Senri, but if you’re putting any ‘spices’ on a portion intended for me then I refuse to eat it.”

“Why?” Nana questioned over her shoulder.

“Because,” Chakuna sniped, “If a food’s original taste isn’t good enough to satisfy, then one would be better off eating something else.”

Husky leered angrily. “Our humblest apologies, you’re royal highness, but fish is all we have to eat right now. Perhaps you would be better off running back to your mother and requesting some of her cooking, Hmm???”

Chakuna didn’t move a muscle, but every part of her cringed.

Cooro and Nana spun to him. “Husky!!!”

Husky ignored them, and kept leering down at her. “Well? How ‘bout it, Lady Chakuna?”

Chakuna said and did nothing.

Husky smiled, feeling a great sense of accomplishment at knocking her ego down a few notches. “Now, if her majesty wishes to say here and eat, then she—”

Chakuna cut him off. Her voice sounded restrained, but not with anger. “With all due respect, Husky…”

His smile slipped away as a shimmering bead slid past her closed eyes and down her cheek.

“My mother and father…” she hissed, “are dead.”

Having had the last word in the argument, Chakuna stood right up – suppressing her pained grunts – and sprinted straight into the forest from whence she came.

Cooro jumped right up and took off after her urgently, with Nana close behind.

Nana scowled at Husky as she followed Cooro. “You just had to have the last laugh, didn’t you?”

Husky just sat there with his pearls, watching them go. Senri sneered at him coldly. No kidding. He turned his back to Husky and began eating his portion of fish.

Husky stared blankly at the spot Chakuna had vanished into. His head hung low with regret.

Oops…