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(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: The Untold Tales: Chihiro's Travels Chapter 15: Novato, California, USA<p>The weekend arrived, and it seemed that all of Novato came out to celebrate! The crowds became a sea of people that shifted in and out as they went about weekend plans. The throngs were so thick, so packed that hardy anyone noticed even the slightest brush of those around them. However one particular person stood out in the midst of these endless, faceless crowds…</p><p>"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!" Chihiro cried as she ducked and dodged through the tight crowds, and tried her hardest not to bump into whatever unfortunate sap blocked her out of the streets. Geez, she knew it was the weekend, but this is ridiculous!</p><p>After what seemed like an eternity of struggle, Chihiro gasped. She finally found an opening: a small gap in the flooded streets that served as her escape! Chihiro tucked and rolled headfirst without thinking—but just got herself sandwiched between a couple of businesspeople who headed to a meeting. Chihiro grunted as she squeezed herself through just to inelegantly faceplant on the asphalt. Nice.</p><p>Letting out a groan, Chihiro squirreled herself into a relatively-unoccupied alleyway as she fished something out of the cloak she wore. There in her palms laid a small console that buzzed not with electricity, but magic underneath its coils and cogs. Hopefully, this would be the key to ending this long, long search.</p><p>"We might not be able to track Kaos the normal way," Chihiro whispered to herself as she toyed with the device, "but if I track traces of magic in general, and he gets caught up in some magic nonsense, I'll find him for sure! Just gotta get this thing running."</p><p>Chihiro's hands turned clammy as she clenched the device, cold sweat dripping down her back. The tension rose with every buffer, every beep, every flash as the machine worked its magic. It shouldn't have been this anxiety-inducing to actually do this! If it didn't work, she could just search for Kaos the old-fashioned way and call it a day, but, she couldn't lie. She'd like for something to make things just a little easier, just this once.</p><p>Chihiro bit her lip as the machine let out a few more beeps, and, and—it finally caught something! A ping beeped on the screen, and pulsed like a heartbeat as it stood just a few stretches away from her!</p><p>Chihiro grinned and quickly tapped the side of the console. The console shimmered with magic as it folded in on itself. Its panels twisted and contorted, and it shrank itself until it transformed into a wristwatch that comfortably coiled itself around Chihiro's arm. A compass laid on its face in lieu of a clock, and its needle pointed towards the magic's source like a guiding star.</p><p>With that needle as her guide, Chihiro wove through the passerby as she ducked and dodged out of Novato's busy streets once more. She mumbled out apologies as she accidentally shoulder checked someone, let out a shout as she herself got shoulder checked in turn, and squeezed through one last particularly ornery crowd to finally find herself at her target! A friendly chime from her watch confirmed that this was her destination, so now, all that was left was to find that magical disturbance.</p><p>Chihiro peeled her eyes, and kept a firm glance on the open mouth of the school she now stood in front of. It looked like an ordinary school with its tall brick buildings and parking lot devoid of any company that wasn't stretches of empty school buses, but the watch beeped and chirped with an excitement that showed something magical was afoot here. So, Chihiro quickly silenced it to avoid drawing attention to herself and scanned the premise.</p><p>A rustle brought her attention to a tree, maybe one with a spell to fire off, but all she saw were a couple birds flying the coop. She heard some strange noises, but it was just some guy shouting as he chased after a particularly large dog… That headed right her way! Chihiro yelped as a gigantic, fluffy white dog bowled her over and showered her in licks. It was a good thing it was friendly, for the thing was so heavy that she could barely lift it off!</p><p>"Fluffy! No!" the man, presumably Fluffy's owner, wailed as he frantically lifted Fluffy from Chihiro's person. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, he's just so energetic, and I can barely keep up—"</p><p>"No worries, isn't the first time this happened," Chihiro chuckled. She gave Fluffy a couple quick pets and giggled. "Certainly lives up to the name!"</p><p>The man sputtered out a few quickly apologies before Fluffy dragged him off the path, and Chihiro let out a chuckle as they disappeared into the distance. She turned her attention back to the school, and—wait. Was that stand always there? Chihiro perked a brow and moved forward.</p><p>There, at the opening that led to the school parking lot, was a small stand staffed by a girl! She was thin and pale, with extremely long, dark brown hair she kept in wavy, fluffy twintails, and her yellow eyes shone with a bit of magic, a bit of intrigue, as she fiddled with a tarot deck. She wore a pair of green overalls over a light purple-pink sweater with darker-colored accents and a star in the middle, a bucket hat of the same color as her sweater to match, and the orange, round barrettes that kept her ponytails in place sparkled like jewels.</p><p>"Tarot readings! Get your tarot readings here!" the girl cried.</p><p>Chihiro's brow raised even higher. Was this what the device picked up on? Well, Chihiro supposed tarot readings WERE pretty magical, so she might as well give it a look. She took a step to the booth, and the girl who staffed it immediately folded her deck together.</p><p>"Come to get your fortune told?" she asked.</p><p>Chihiro gave a sly smile. "No, I'm here to ask you to find my missing cat."</p><p>"Oh, tarot can do that plenty—"</p><p>"I was joking, I don't actually have a missing cat." Chihiro placed a hand on the table. "But, I am curious about what you're doing out here."</p><p>The girl leaped from her seat and cleared her throat. Her chest puffed out, and her tone took on the gravitas of someone who'd prepared this speech a million times in her head.</p><p>"I'm Ryeo, an amateur tarot reader, but I want to someday become a pro! Every weekend, I take shop here to read people's fortunes so I can get practice! If you've got questions about how you'll do on your test next week, if the cutie from the next class likes you back, or if your parents can be talked into getting takeout for dinner, well, I'll see what's in the cards for you!"</p><p>Chihiro glanced around and then up at the sky. Well, there was still plenty of time in the day, so she supposed a quick break couldn't hurt.</p><p>"Alright, lay it on me!"</p><p>Ryeo's eyes shone like stars as she grabbed her cards. "Sure thing! Just let me get my cards together first."</p><p>Ryeo quickly yanked a bright yellow and black book labeled <em>Tarot Reading for Dummies</em> from underneath her table and narrowed her eyes.</p><p>"'Before you begin the reading, shuffle your cards with intent…'"</p><p>Ryeo's voice was dull and monotonous as she read. It was almost like her mind splintered between it and the cards, and she couldn't spare a moment of energy for anything else. She clumsily cut and shuffled her deck as she scanned the book's pages; half-hearted mumbles left her lips as she did.</p><p>"'Once your deck is shuffled, ask the readee what they want—'"</p><p>Ryeo leaned forward as she read, but while she did, she didn't once mind how her desk wobbled! She let out a squeal and frantically pulled it back before it could topple over, but her cards went flying all over the sidewalk! Ryeo let out a panicked squeak as several cards coasted down onto Chihiro's head, and the book became a footnote on the pavement as she knelt down and collected the cards.</p><p>"Is 52-card pickup part of tarot readings, too?" Chihiro asked as she knelt down and helped Ryeo collect the cards.</p><p>Ryeo sighed and shook her head. "No, it's not supposed to be." With another sigh, Ryeo collected her half of the discarded cards back on the desk. "Something like this always happens whenever I try to do readings! I knock the cards everywhere, or I completely mix them up, heck, one time a raccoon even tried to run off with one!"</p><p>Chihiro eyed one of the cards she collected, which had some suspicious creases and bitten-off parts. A sigh brought her attention back to Ryeo, who slumped down in her chair as her bucket hat tucked over her eyes.</p><p>"It seems like no matter how hard I try, I always mess up. My parents always say I should leave tarot behind and focus on the important stuff like school, and, maybe they're right. Maybe I'm just not good at this."</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she glanced over the cards. They all looked like really nice, high-quality stuff. If she had to guess, it was probably the kind of thing you could only get in those fancy magic shops that never sold near where Chihiro lived because the Sunday school frequenters would keel over at the sight of anything witchy in their good, Christian town.</p><p>"These cards look really nice. You must've spent a lot to get them."</p><p>"Yep! I saved up like, two months' worth of allowance to get a decent set!" Ryeo proclaimed as a bit of pride seeped into her voice. "I make a point of keeping them as nice as can be! Pretty sure I clean them like, five times a day on the hour!" Ryeo winced as she glanced over the chewed-up card. "For the most part."</p><p>"And you said you set up here every weekend, right?"</p><p>"Yep, exactly from 10 to 2."</p><p>Chihiro smiled and offered the cards she'd collected back to Ryeo. "Honestly, I'd say you've got the makings of a tarot master! Kinda seems to me like you're just worrying too much and thinking too hard, and that's why you're always messing up. I'm no tarot expert, but being a tarot reader is about trusting your cards and stuff, right?"</p><p>Ryeo frowned, quickly retrieved the <em>Tarot Reading for Dummies</em> book, and skimmed through a few pages once she'd dusted it off. "Well, the books says so, at least."</p><p>"Then I think you just need to relax and do your thing! You're already putting in the work on your end, so just trust them to do theirs."</p><p>Ryeo's eyes fluttered, but somehow, it seems like those words lifted the weight from her chest. She gleefully took the cards from Chihiro's hands, brushed off any stray dirt, and quickly shuffled once more with not a single glance spared towards Chihiro.</p><p>"So, what do you want to ask the cards for? Love? School? A good vacation?"</p><p>Chihiro's lips pursed, but she forced herself to draw a breath.</p><p>"Well, I'm… Looking for someone. I really need to find this person, but they've evaded me no matter where I look! I guess what I want to know is, will I be able to find them?"</p><p>"I see, I see." Ryeo laid out a trio of cards and turned up to Chihiro as she stowed the rest away. "So, these cards represent your past, your present, and your future. This should give you an idea of where your journey for this person will go."</p><p>Ryeo flipped over the first, which showcased a printed image of a wrinkly old man in robes holding a staff and lantern.</p><p>"Okay, so, your first card is, er, uh…" Ryeo winced and immediately fished out her book once more. "Your first card is the hermit! It says here that this card means you're seeking something, something that only you can find."</p><p><em>Yeah, that tracks,</em> Chihiro mentally remarked. <em>It's not like anyone else on this planet could possibly know where that guy went.</em></p><p>Ryeo flipped over the next card, and her eyes only briefly glanced at the card she unveiled as she fumbled over the pages. "Now, your next card is the chariot. It means you're dedicated and driven in your goals—"</p><p><em>Certainly doesn't feel that way.</em></p><p>Ryeo took a glance down and shook her head. "—wait, no, that's the chariot reversed! That means you're directionless and confused, and have no control in your current circumstances."</p><p><em>Yeah, that sounds more like it.</em></p><p>Ryeo drew a breath, and finally, shakily, flipped over the last card. She took one glance down, and clenched her teeth as she caught the image of a tower caught in disaster. She glanced at Chihiro almost like she didn't want to give an answer, but Chihiro just tilted her head.</p><p>"And, what's the last one?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>Ryeo sucked in a breath. "That, that's, er, the tower. It means, well, you've got a seriously drastic change in your future, and it might not be a good one. Uh, good luck, I guess?"</p><p>Chihiro winced a bit, but quickly shook her head. Tarot was all for fun and games, after all, and she knew most of this fortunetelling stuff was just self-fulfilling prophecy anyways.</p><p>"Thanks for the reading, Ryeo! I'll keep that in mind!" she said with a friendly wave. "See you around!"</p><p>Ryeo just gave Chihiro an awkward wave back, and nervously lingered on the cards as she folded them back into the deck. Chihiro only barely caught Ryeo's hesitation, however, for she was back on the road! Chihiro dove near a park that was surprisingly void of life, and tucked herself behind a particularly sturdy-looking tree as she adjusted her watch.</p><p>"Well, that didn't lead me to Kaos, but maybe there's some other stuff running around here."</p><p>Chihiro twisted the dial, and a screen leaped from its face as it beeped with cheery recalibration. It only took a few seconds before it tucked itself back into the face, and now broadcasted that there was a sign of magic activity… Right beside her? Chihiro raised a brow, but as she did, something nudged against her arm! She yelped as she quickly hid the watch and turned her attention away.</p><p>"Hey, what're you doing here?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>She took a glance down, and there beside her stood another kid!</p><p>They were probably about six or seven, if she had to take a guess. They had tanned skin, short-cut black hair with spiky bangs, and big blue eyes that were so deep in color they were almost black (a look only accentuated by the giant coke-bottle glasses they wore). They wore a grayish-blue striped turtleneck underneath a puffy blue vest, a chunky black belt with a gold, square-shaped buckle, and blue pants and sneakers, while a half-opened backpack shaped like a whale hung from their back.</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she noted the slightly concerned look in their eyes, and knelt down to meet their height. "Is something wrong?"</p><p>The kid just stared at Chihiro and let out some half-hearted mumbles as they pointed away; they made a point to keep from meeting her eyes. They couldn't seem to make many words, but out from their backpack floated a pamphlet for… Something.</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she snatched the pamphlet before it hit the ground, and gave it a quick look-over. Apparently, it was a promotional pamphlet for some local aquarium, but something about the nervous look in the kid's eyes as they grappled for it showed it was a bit more important to them than that.</p><p>"Do you want to go here, maybe?" Chihiro asked, pointing to the aquarium.</p><p>The kid's eyes lit up and they furiously nodded.</p><p>So, Chihiro smiled as she brushed magic-charged fingers against the pamphlet, and quickly handed it back to the kid. The coordinates flooded into her watch, and she grinned as they loaded out. Thankfully, it didn't seem like the place was too far, and she could probably look for Kaos while helping this kid. Killing two birds with one stone and all that!</p><p>"Alright, just follow me! I'll get you there in no time!"</p><p>The kid seemed reluctant to hold Chihiro's hand, but nonetheless tailed after her as she abandoned the park in her rear-view. They didn't say much, and only clung to their backpack like a security blanket as Chihiro occasionally cast glances at them to make certain they were still there.</p><p>Thankfully, the trip really didn't take that long! The aquarium she sought was just around the corner, and even though it was still distant, she could hear the sound of chittering dolphins and splashing waves the moment she came into view!</p><p>The kid gasped, and a sparkle shone in their dark eyes as they broke away from Chihiro. She looked away for a second, and the next thing she knew, that kid rushed off to the open platform that marked the aquarium's beginning!</p><p>"Hey, wait up!" Chihiro cried, but she slowed as soon as she stopped running for him.</p><p>At the aquarium's mouth were two women: one bulky with tanned skin, short black hair, and features much like the kid's own who dressed in a ship captain's wear, and another thin and lanky with pale skin, blue eyes, and long dark hair who dressed in a scientist's clothes. They both looked frantic as they rushed and glanced around—but as they did, neither of them saw the kid!</p><p>The kid launched themself right into the bulky woman's arms, and both parties went wide-eyed.</p><p>"OSCAR!" the women cried as they both hugged him tight. "Thank goodness!"</p><p>Oscar had the widest grin on his face as he slipped out of the woman's grip, and greeted Chihiro with a wave as she caught up. One look at Oscar and these women—from the strong resemblance to the warmth that came from their hug—and there was no doubt in her mind that these were his mothers.</p><p>"Were you the one that found our kid?" the bulky woman asked. Her voice was smooth, and had a warm tone to it matched by her honey-like grin. "Thank you so much! He was supposed to come here after school, but his usual helper ran late, and when he got there, Oscar had completely wandered off…"</p><p>"Hey, it's no problem!" Chihiro chirped back, offering them a thumbs up. "See you around!"</p><p>Chihiro skirted around them and towards the aquarium entrance, slipping a map of the premise from a stand. Of course, she'd gotten herself off-track once more, but she still had plenty of daylight at least. So, she tweaked her watch once more and frowned as it buffered. Chihiro raised a brow as the watch beeped, and grinned as she dove deeper into the aquarium; speaking of tracking Kaos, it seemed like he decided to sleep with the fishes!</p><p>The blue of aquarium light filled the halls as Chihiro dashed down, yet occasionally took pause to glance at the many fish and other aquatic creatures that lined the walls. Still, no Kaos to be found. He wasn't cracking jokes with the clownfish, or getting skewered by a swordfish. Heck, he wasn't even pestering the pufferfish! So, Chihiro sighed and took a glance back at her watch, which still claimed that whatever magical signature it picked up was straight ahead of her. She drifted down the halls, and only partially paid mind to some fancy displays.</p><p>"But I wanna see the penguins! I wanna see them now, now, now!"</p><p>"I'm telling you, Aviva, we have to wait for the rest of the group!"</p><p>Chihiro raised a brow as she turned the corner. Now, she no longer found herself the only one wandering the halls!</p><p>Right before her stood a skinny, pale-skinned boy with messy blond hair and blue eyes who wore a dark brown, short-sleeved hoodie with pale chartreuse accents over a blue turtleneck with a zipper going down the front and similar pale chartreuse accents around the bottom, a brown belt with a green buckle that held up blue jeans, and blue and light chartreuse sneakers.</p><p>He antsily examined a wristwatch on one hand, but the other was pulled by a smaller girl with green eyes and blonde hair kept in pigtails with pink hairbands that was almost definitely his sister. She wore a pink tank top over a white shirt with pink cuffs on its short sleeves, a green pleated skirt, white stockings, and green shoes, and she had a nasty pout on her face as she tugged and pulled.</p><p>"I'm going! I'm not gonna wait any more!" the girl cried, darting off in a flash!</p><p>"Aviva!"</p><p>For such a small thing, Aviva was awfully fast. She zipped off under the aquarium's blue light before the boy could even stop her, and might've disappeared into the dark… But, a quick spell slipped Chihiro right in front of where Aviva projected her freedom!</p><p>Aviva skidded to a stop before she could cause a head-on collision, and Chihiro chuckled as the boy caught up.</p><p>"Aviva, you're not supposed to run off like that!" the boy scolded as he frantically took Aviva's hand. "It's already bad enough that we got separated from the rest of the group! I can't have you getting lost too!"</p><p>Aviva pouted and crossed her arms; her voice cracked like she was on the verge of tears. "But, George, the penguins!"</p><p>"I'd listen to your brother if I was you," Chihiro intervened, sensing tension. "It's way easier to get lost than you think! I just had to help a kid who tried to get here all by himself, but he ended up at the park instead!" Noticing the deepening frown on Aviva's face, Chihiro pulled out the aquarium map and unfolded it to full display. "You know, the penguins aren't very far from here, and I'm sure your group's close behind. Once you're all caught up, you'll be right there in a snap!"</p><p>Aviva gave Chihiro a glance like she wasn't really sure she believed what Chihiro said, so Chihiro pushed the map closer to her.</p><p>"See, we're right here now" — Chihiro planted a finger on her current location, and quickly drew a path up to the penguins — "and the penguins are just up ahead! I'll bet your group's already going to see them as we speak!"</p><p>Aviva blinked and gave her scrutinous glares, but finally, she shrugged and gave a big smile, showing off a round buck tooth.</p><p>"Okay! I'll wait up!"</p><p>George only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "All that complaining just to listen to a total stranger."</p><p>Still, he shook his head as he guided Aviva over to some fish, and Chihiro couldn't help but take a glance and marvel as well. There were starfish strung about like actual stars in the sky, eels that playfully popped in and out of their holes, seals that waved and barked as they jumped around… She could look at them forever!</p><p>In fact, Chihiro was busy admiring some octopuses who disappeared in and out of view before something important finally hit her.</p><p>"Wait a second, I'm supposed to be looking for Kaos!" Chihiro cried as she frantically pulled out her watch. "What am I doing standing around here?"</p><p>Chihiro bounced around the displays as the signal grew fainter and fainter, but soon, as she entered the dark of the halls, it became nothing at all. Great, she lost the trail <em>again</em>. Chihiro sighed as she dipped into a thankfully empty part of the halls, and quickly recalibrated the watch.</p><p>"Alright, come on, come on" — Chihiro narrowed her eyes, but they popped right back open as the signal beeped back to life — "there! It's on the move!"</p><p>Chihiro teleported away in a snap, and now, she found herself back on the streets! The bustling sounds of crowds hit her immediately, and she winced as she dove into a slightly less crowded area.</p><p>Taking a survey of the area, it seemed as though she was in some kind of shopping district. Stores, restaurants, and all other sorts of buildings lined the street like a tightly-packed can of sardines. Thick crowds lined the sidewalks as they pooled in and out of the stores, but despite all the alluring and overwhelming sounds, sights, and scents alike, Chihiro had one goal. Her watch pointed her north like a compass, and that's where she would go!</p><p>So, Chihiro shifted and twisted through the throngs of crowds, rubbing elbows and pushing knees alike. God, she hated crowds. She had fifty million different textures on her skin, fifty million sounds ringing in her ears, she felt so squeezed that she almost struggled to breathe, and it made her wanna scream! Worst part was, crowds on Earth were ten times worse than the ones on Skylands, for she couldn't just teleport out and calm herself down!</p><p>She was about ready to cry bloody murder when she finally freed herself, and quickly pushed aside to bounce her legs a little. Just the action grounded her enough that she glanced aside, and her eyes fell on one figure.</p><p>"'Scuse me, mister, did you lose this pocket watch?" asked a kid as they held out a pocket watch.</p><p>"I'm afraid not. I've never seen that pocket watch in my life!" the man they spoke to replied.</p><p>"Alright, thanks!"</p><p>Raising a brow, Chihiro crept closer to the kid to get a better look. They had dark brown skin, darker brown locs kept in tight, carefully-crafted rows with light chestnut shaved sides, and amber eyes that sparkled with just a twinkle of mischief. Their long nose and plump lips accentuated their square face in a way that seemed almost childlike, like an impish sprite looking for the next prank to pull. They wore golden, oval-framed glasses, a yellow sweater over a white button-up shirt, a brown belt with a gold buckle over ocean blue jeans, and brown boots with darker brown straps held in place with gold buckles, and they glanced over the shiny pocket watch in their hand as they glanced it over.</p><p>Chihiro crept closer, not really in the mood to speak…</p><p>"Hey, did you lose this?"</p><p>However, the kid noticed her first. Their eyes sparked with curiosity, and Chihiro quickly shied away from the eye to eye glance as she shook her head.</p><p>"No, not really," Chihiro finally sputtered out at last.</p><p>The kid shrugged with a smile. "Eh, it was worth a shot."</p><p>"What're you doing, er—"</p><p>"Bruno." Bruno twirled the pocket watch around his finger with a smirk as he strode down the streets. "Walk with me, I've got some interrogations to do."</p><p>Chihiro let out a small chuckle. The way he said that made him sound like he was some hard-boiled detective, and not some kid on the street looking for a missing item's owner. It was an attitude that reminded her a bit of the one she often took working in Skylands. So, she stuck close to Bruno, and tried not to get crushed by the crowds or overwhelmed by the assault on all her senses.</p><p>"Anyways, as I was saying, what's with the pocket watch?"</p><p>"Oh, this thing?" Bruno swung the watch in such a way that it nestled perfectly in the palm of his hand. "I found it all rusty and broken in the grass on my way home from school. I" — Bruno stopped short as he swung by an old lady — "did you lose this, ma'am?"</p><p>The old woman paused in her tracks, and knelt down as she marveled the watch. "I'm afraid not, sonny," the old woman sighed as she adjusted her glasses, yet she still made a smile. "It certainly is a nice pocket watch, though. What a nice young man, trying to find its owner! I'm sure it's quite valuable."</p><p>"Thanks!" Bruno twisted around and addressed Chihiro once more. "Like I was saying, I brought it home to my grandpa and we got it fixed up, so we're trying to find the owner. Grandpa just wanted to keep it at his—"</p><p>Bruno stopped short as he caught a father carting some kids. "Is this your pocket watch, sir?"</p><p>The man twisted around while his kids dragged his arms in the other direction. "I—ACK!"</p><p>"Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!" the kids chanted as they dragged the man away.</p><p>Bruno just frowned as he watched a grown man get dragged off like a rag doll by children a quarter of his size and age with a shrug. "I'll take that as a no."</p><p>Twisting back to Chihiro, Bruno closed the pocket watch once more. "Anyways, Grandpa wanted to just keep it at the shop 'cause he runs a clock shop, and people come in to get their clocks fixed all the time, but, I figured it'd be quicker to just ask around town! Surely somebody's missing this thing!"</p><p>"That's nice of you!"</p><p>"And then, I'm sure whoever gets it back's gonna give me a ton of money for it! I've got this video game I've been eyeing, but it's so expensive that Grandpa won't get it until Christmas or my birthday, but those are so far away, and saving allowance takes too long, and, well… If he finds out that I found out his Rainforest password and ordered stuff under his account for the third time in a row, I'll be dead. So, quickest way to riches!"</p><p>"Ah, ulterior motives." Chihiro sighed. "Well, they do say that a rich man who builds an orphanage for glory still gave the orphans a home and all."</p><p>Bruno grinned and ribbed Chihiro in the arm. "See, you get it! When I told Grandpa, he just started bothering me about whether or not I was doing this just to look good or something. Does it really matter if I'm doing it for a reward if the person gets their watch back?"</p><p>"Sure looks old. You sure the person who had it is even alive still?"</p><p>Bruno held the watch up to the sun. "That's what you think. Truth be told, this model's actually pretty new. This is a hunter-case style watch, so you can estimate its age by where the hinges are." Bruno tapped the hinge of the watch. "The hinges for the lid here are at six o'clock, which means this is a pretty new watch. If it were vintage, the lid hinges would be at nine o'clock instead."</p><p>Chihiro's eyes sparkled as she tapped the watch's side. "I didn't even know watches had styles!"</p><p>Bruno let out a small chuckle as he withdrew the pocket watch, and puffed his chest with a proud smile. "I grew up in Grandpa's clock shop, so I've been working with these things practically all my life! I know clocks like I know the back of my hand!" Bruno peeked a glance at the sun. "And speaking of clocks, that one's running out! I've gotta get asking before it gets too dark!"</p><p>"Then let me help you!" Chihiro cried. "If we both ask around, surely we've gotta find something, right?"</p><p><em>And maybe, looking around will help me find Kaos! </em>Chihiro added in her head.</p><p>Bruno grinned as he stuffed the watch away. "Hey, good idea! Let's get going!"</p><p>So, Bruno and Chihiro bounced around the streets, jumped in and out of shops, popped by parks… They looked everywhere they could for Kaos or that pocket watch's owner, and yet, there was no Kaos to be found, and only one answer to be heard.</p><p>"Nope, not mine."</p><p>"Sorry, that doesn't belong to me."</p><p>"Afraid not."</p><p>Soon, Bruno and Chihiro plopped atop a bench, all slunk over in exhaustion as the world's colors warmed around them. An amber light tinted the world around like a stopwatch's ticking come to an end. They didn't need to say anything, for they knew the day—and their search—was coming to an end.</p><p>"I guess I'll just ask around some more tomorrow," Bruno sighed, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb against the watch's face. "Still, thanks for trying, I guess."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Chihiro hadn't really meant to sound so defeated, but she supposed that not being able to find anything does that to a person. She and Bruno shared a wave as Bruno headed back down the street, but Chihiro didn't find herself in the mood to move, so she just plopped down on the sidewalk and sighed.</p><p>"Well, so much for that," Chihiro scoffed. "All those signals, and not one of them was Kaos! Nice going, me, you basically wasted the whole day."</p><p>A pit of anger bubbled a little in Chihiro's heart, and she almost considered launching the watch into traffic and letting the trucks run over it for catharsis—but no, that wasn't the watch's fault. She let out a groan as she flopped backwards onto the sidewalk…</p><p>"Yeah! We didn't find the watch's owner yet, but she was a riot!"</p><p>Chihiro perked up at the sound of those voices, for she was sure she heard them before! Something about their tone felt vaguely familiar, a sound she recognized as if she'd just heard it. She followed the sound of the voices, and right before her were George, Bruno, and Ryeo! George had Aviva in hand as the three chatted on the sidewalk, and seemingly didn't even notice how Chihiro sat across from them.</p><p>"Y'know, Bruno, that kinda sounds like the person who got a reading from me at the school today!" Ryeo remarked.</p><p>"Yeah, and that person who got Aviva to stop complaining when we went to the aquarium," George remarked. He hummed and rubbed his chin, but finally, he cast a glance aside and gasped. "Wait, Bruno, is that the kid you were talking about?"</p><p>Bruno jerked back around and grinned. "Oh, yeah! Hey, thanks for earlier again! It was a lot less boring looking around with another person!"</p><p>"Oh, no problem—"</p><p>"Huh, guess meeting again was in the cards!" Ryeo chirped. She made a chuckle at her own dumb pun before her smile softened somewhat. "I'll think about what you said back at the school, alright?"</p><p>"Hey, you came back!" Aviva squealed as she rushed right up to Chihiro. "We saw all these funny fish at the aquarium, and a bunch of dolphins, and we got to see a bunch of penguins! There were these really fat penguins that could barely even waddle, and these cute little chicks, and these really funny ones with big yellow feathers—"</p><p>"What Aviva means to say is, we had a really good time," George said, taking Aviva back in hand. "Thanks for helping us sort things out."</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered for a moment, but she finally forced a smile. "No problem!"</p><p>The four of them cheered out goodbyes, and Chihiro sat up with a bit of wonder. The sounds of footsteps plodded beside her, the sounds of voices rang in the air, and Chihiro couldn't help but turn around… Right as Oscar and his mothers passed her by! Oscar gave her a friendly wave as he squeezed his mother's hand, and Chihiro smiled as she waved back.</p><p>Soon, the sidewalks cleared, and it was just Chihiro. She watched as the world around wrapped her in a warm blanket of gentle sunlight and evening tones. The weight in her heart lifted some, a smile finding its way on her face in moments. She looked up at the warm skies and let out a relieved sigh.</p><p>"You know, maybe it wasn't a total loss, though." Chihiro frowned as she examined the watch. "Might need to fix this thing, though, seeing as how it kept leading me to non-magical beings."</p><p>A wave of orange washed over her, and Chihiro just shrugged as she pulled out a warp start.</p><p>"Ah well, I can worry about that when I get home."</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: The Untold Tales: Chihiro's Travels Chapter 16: Mountain View, California, USA<p>Ethiopia, Libya, Russia, England, China, Pakistan… Just how many places had Chihiro checked off of her list of Kaos's plausible locations? She lost count by this point, and it ground on every nerve of hers. She was sure she'd traveled across half the globe, and the list of places where Kaos certainly <em>wasn't</em> grew longer and longer with every trip. Seriously, how hard is it to find one obnoxious evil portal master? She'd certainly like to know!</p><p>Regardless, though, she did at least enjoy traveling the globe, seeing the sights, meeting people she never would've crossed paths with otherwise, and that was the balm that soothed her otherwise quite irritated mood.</p><p>It lifted her spirits enough that when she arrived in the neighborhoods of Mountain View, she was prepped and more than ready to go Kaos-hunting! She was a bit nervous about going to a bigger city, but the moment she stepped foot from her warp start and out of the alleyways, she found herself right at home. Though it wasn't nestled deep within the forest's heart like Treasure Lake was, the streets full of passerby diving in and out of restaurants and shops alike were close enough to the cities and towns around her little corner of the world.</p><p>To her left, a couple devoured the burgers they pulled from a restaurant with the strong scents of warm, juicy beef; to her right, a girl and her friends rambled something about applications and homecoming dances as they raced each other down the streets. Someone walked their dog down another place, kids played hopscotch on the sidewalk, someone wove between passerby and phone conversations alike… It bustled with life in a way that felt like home!</p><p>Chihiro wanted to just drink in it, but a firm shake of her head reminded her of the mission at hand. She had to look for Kaos, but not just that, no. She slipped her hand into her jacket's pocket, and the feeling of paper against her fingertips reminded her of what she was also here for. Chihiro's eyes flickered, and another trip found its way to the forefront of her memory.</p><p><em>It was a few weeks ago, and during one of her weekends, Chihiro took a tour of a couple other cities in California. She'd slipped into a local news place that was still unlocked, for she figured that maybe their records would have some trace of odd going-ons she could link to Kaos. Teleporting in with a snap of her fingers, Chihiro drew her invisibility cloak over her head and scurried in. She assumes that most of the staff left for the night, but security cameras were still a thing, and she could never be too careful.</em></p><p><em>Her invisible sneakers clacked against the polished marble tiles, but her eyes illuminated with night vision as they scanned the insides of each room: offices, break rooms, storage closets—computer room! Ah, there's the ticket! Surely, all those computers were chock-full of footage for upcoming news broadcasts, and perhaps one of them had some clue as to where Kaos was!</em></p><p><em>Chihiro teleported in and hopped from computer to computer, combing through the files for whatever she could possibly scrounge up. She caught plenty of news reports, from a successful charity drive at a local college, the lost mascot of a local store finally being found after helping itself to a farmer's crops, reports on sports games, and, uh, some stuff that got a little too graphic for her to want to linger on it for more than a few seconds.</em></p><p><em>However, none of it actually brought her to Kaos, so Chihiro sighed and rolled back in the latest office chair she took refuge in as she combed through endless rows of seemingly-identical footage. The glowing lights of the computer screens melded in her mind with the scent of hand sanitizer, and the sounds of… </em></p><p><em>Mumbling? Crap, someone else was here!</em></p><p><em>Chihiro absconded from her seat without a second thought, and quickly twirled around the corner as she tried to locate the voice's source. A late-night employee? Security guard? Janitor?</em></p><p>"<em>Jenny… I…"</em></p><p><em>Chihiro's eyes flickered, and she poked her head over the monitors to find someone slumped over their desk. It was a gangly young adult in business casual, probably some employee on the night shift. With how they slumped over their desk, they probably fell asleep on the job, too.</em></p><p>"<em>Phew, safe!" Chihiro cried as she wiped the sweat from her brow.</em></p><p>"<em>Huh? Someone here?"</em></p><p><em>Yeah, Chihiro spoke too soon. That person rose from their desk, turned around—and glanced straight at Chihiro! Her heart skipped a beat, but when this person reacted little, Chihiro tugged on her shirt to find her invisibility cloak tight in her grasp. That's right, she had the invisibility cloak! Guess they couldn't see her.</em></p><p>"<em>Huh, guess it was a ghost." The person let out a pained, sardonic chuckle and an offhanded wave. "I guess you're the ghost of all my bad decisions, and you're gonna haunt me now?"</em></p><p><em>Chihiro raised a brow. The pain in this person's voice didn't seem to come from anger or sarcastic humor; no, it was a genuine sorrow that leaked out through playful jabs. Curiously, she sneaked closer. This person's pale skin may have been flush with life, and their bleach-blond hair carefully manicured to complement the stubble formings of a mustache and beard's beginning, but the bags under their haunted brown eyes showed the pain within them.</em></p><p>"<em>Yeah, I'm the ghost of all your bad decisions, and I'm here to help you make better ones," Chihiro said as she took a seat across from the person. "So, what's been going wrong."</em></p><p><em>The person gave her a questioning glare, yet seemed to shrug it off. "Wouldn't you know, since you're my ghost and all?" Twisting their chair around, the person shielded themself from Chihiro's invisible gaze. "The sleep deprivation must be getting to me. Well, I've still got a few hours before I can clock out. Might as well talk."</em></p><p><em>The person hunched over their chair, and the faint light of the sleeping monitor glazed over their face. A sigh curled around their lips, and their thick eyebrows drooped over their eyes in a way that almost seemed to haunt them.</em></p><p>"<em>Spent the first eighteen years of my life stuck with parents who only valued me as a trophy and nothing more, couldn't do anything that wouldn't get me into Harvey University once I turned eighteen, hell, it was a miracle they even let me get my license! I couldn't go a day without them berating me because I got a ninety-nine instead of a hundred, or because I dared to have friends and a life outside of them, and then Dad would come home screaming because he had a bad day at work and yell at me and Jenny for god knows what.</em></p><p>"<em>I was sick of it! I couldn't take it anymore! Moment I turned eighteen, I snatched my stuff, jumped into my car, and drove as far as the gas would take me. I thought I'd finally be free, but nothing's gone right even once! I'm stuck in a place I barely got with nobody I know, that lucrative paid internship that begged to get me works me like a dog for peanuts, the water's busted in my apartment and my landlord still won't fix it, I was late for work this morning and got mud all over my best shoes, my shirts are fraying, the food in the fridge is probably going bad as I speak…"</em></p><p><em>Chihiro blinked as this person went on and on about their tale of woe. It seemed that all the big and little things piled up into a heap of misery, and it left Chihiro completely baffled. She didn't even know what to say!</em></p><p>"<em>That, that's rough, buddy," Chihiro sputtered when the person's miserable monologue started to peter out. "I'm sorry."</em></p><p><em>"Yeah, yeah, I hear that a lot."</em></p><p><em>The person sighed, and somehow managed to slump down even further in their sorrows and chair alike.</em></p><p><em>"But, even with all this crap going on, I'm still more worried about my little sister. Jenny's still stuck with my parents, and I'm sure she's suffering. I always tried to take the brunt of their bull for her sake, but now that I'm gone…"</em></p><p><em>The person whimpered, and tears crawled down their bag-ridden eyes. They buried their face in their arms before it got obvious.</em></p><p><em>"I just, I don't know what to do! I can hardly sleep at night thinking about how miserable she must be, but I can barely take care of myself! There's no way I'd be able to take care of her on top of that!"</em></p><p><em>The person sniffled, and though they tried their best to mask their sorrows, it was futile. The way their voice cracked, how their back shuddered, how their limbs seemed about to give out, all of it told Chihiro this situation rattled them to the core.</em></p><p><em>"I just wish I could talk to her one more time. I just want to tell her that I didn't forget about her and I'm gonna get her out of there soon, I promise, but how am I going to do that?"</em></p><p><em>Chihiro let out a hum and her fingers scratched against her chin. Normally, she was only supposed to look for Kaos and scramble, but still, this person was clearly beleaguered by so much pain and guilt! She couldn't just sit around and watch while they suffered! She had to help them, and it wouldn't hurt just to do that, right?</em></p><p><em>"Well, how about you write her a letter?" Chihiro spoke up at last. "You write a letter for Jenny, tell her everything you want her to know, and I'll give it to her!"</em></p><p><em>The person blinked as they withdrew from their arms, and gave the space Chihiro occupied an odd look. "Man, the sleep deprivation's really getting to me."</em></p><p><em>They said that, yet they withdrew a pen and a sheet of paper from their desk as they wrote away. Their shaky hand struggled to grasp the pen at times, their tears blotted the paper and ink, but still they wrote away as the minutes seemed to slow to a crawl.</em></p><p><em>Chihiro even got up and paced around a few times, for her legs started to fall asleep on her. She wasn't going to judge though, seeing as how this person had a lot on their mind. Finally, as she reclaimed her seat for the third time, the person pushed the letter across the desk.</em></p><p><em>"It's done. My folks are all the way back in Mountain View, so are you sure you can deliver this?"</em></p><p><em>"Sure can!"</em></p><p><em>The person withdrew into their desk as they slumbered once more, perhaps slightly relieved of their guilty conscience, and Chihiro hummed as she picked up the letter…</em></p><p>But then, Chihiro pulled herself out of her memories, and once again she found herself in the busy streets of Mountain View. Her hand idly brushed against the letter's paper form, tracing around a disc-like protrusion underneath it.</p><p>"Man, sounds like they're both going through a lot," Chihiro idly remarked. "I hope this can make things a little easier for them both, especially since I worked all night on it!" Chihiro shook her head. "Before I do that, I've gotta found out where this Jenny girl is."</p><p>Well, figuring out where she'd probably be was easy enough. Chihiro "borrowed" her mother's Bookface account to do some searching while she was on the phone, and through some careful detective work, determined where Jenny's school was. She'd probably still be there at this point, and Chihiro imagined that she wouldn't leave until the last minute if her family situation was anything like the letter described.</p><p>So, she had time, but she still had to figure out how to get to the school in the first place. Unfortunately, the Bookface page for Jenny's school did not come with directions. Chihiro tried to scan the streets for any vague signs of the school's distinct red brick or wing-shaped monument on the horizons to no avail. The streets were so packed with passerby and shops that she could barely even see above the hill!</p><p>"Well, guess I'd better ask a local for directions."</p><p>Chihiro pressed through as she skimmed through the crowds, scanning for someone who might know where the local school is. She passed by a portly man who looked like a teacher, but he was on the phone, so she went for a mother wrangling some unruly children, but she was busy too. Chihiro sighed as she passed them by, but quickly stopped as the sounds of grunting and struggling labor caught her ears.</p><p>Pushing past a gaggle of high schoolers, Chihiro turned her attention to where someone stumbled out of what seemed to be a local grocery store while they carried way too many groceries than they could hold!</p><p>They looked about her age, though their frame was a bit ganglier compared to hers, and their peach-colored skin was dusted in freckles everywhere it was visible: face, arms, legs... Their sky blue eyes accentuated their hair, which was kept in a singular mop with a long cowlick in the front and a long, curved ponytail in the back, and sweat dripped down the brim of their long nose. They donned a bulky aqua scarf that loosely draped over their white and aqua polo-tee, well-loved and faded denim shorts, and white socks that matched sky blue sneakers with clouds and suns adorning their sides in vinyl.</p><p>Wait, why was she standing here and detailing their looks? Those groceries they carried were halfway to tipping over!</p><p>The kid let out a cry as some of their bags tipped over, and Chihiro slid in with a yelp! Thankfully, she managed to leap in just in time to catch them, but not so thankfully, she got sidewalk-burnt. Owch.</p><p>"Safe!" Chihiro sputtered as she forced herself back up. She carefully brushed off the grocery bags just in case, and held them out to the kid. "I guess these are yours?"</p><p>"Yeah, thanks!" the kid sputtered. His voice was high and boyish, which confirmed Chihiro's suspicions that he was, indeed, about her age. "If you hadn't gotten those, I'd have to make another shopping run! Hey, hate to ask a stranger favors and all, but do you think you could help me take this stuff home?"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, a bit amused by his nonchalant attitude. "No problem, you looked a little… Burdened."</p><p>"Thanks! I'm Liam, by the way."</p><p>"Name's Chihiro!"</p><p>The two walked side to side across the pathway, and Liam whistled a tune along the way.</p><p>"Hey, what're you doing around here anyways?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>"I'm just getting stuff for dinner tonight," Liam remarked as he swung one of the bags over his shoulder. "You?"</p><p>"I was headed to North Wind Middle School." Chihiro situated the bags she held. "Need to give something to someone there."</p><p>"Hey, that's right across the block from my place! Talk about getting lucky, right?"</p><p>Chihiro let out a chuckle, one Liam met with a similar hearty guffaw. His freckles accented the wide grin on his face, and his ponytail and messy bangs seemed to dance in the breeze with his scarf. His laughter soon faded, and he hopped along the sidewalk as the light danced around him.</p><p>"So, you get all the groceries yourself?" Chihiro couldn't help but take a quick glimpse down at the stuff in her bag. It was bags upon bags of cookies, cheese curls, boxes of candy, maybe one or two boxes of microwaveable pizzas… Yeah, she probably didn't need to ask; the contents of his grocery haul alone were evident enough of the answer.</p><p>"Yep! My folks work all the time, so I kinda just take care of myself," he said with a lot more glee than Chihiro would have probably expected, "and that means I can do whatever I want! I've had pizza and candy for dinner and ice cream for breakfast all week, and instead of getting nagged about my homework, I get to go to the arcade and play games all weekend!"</p><p>Chihiro let out a chuckle at his excited tone, for she'd been independent enough that his excitement was almost novel. Getting excited about things like pizza for dinner and weekends at the arcade almost seemed a tiny bit small compared to all the adventures she'd had, but she supposed it would be nice to be that free for an ordinary kid. Sometimes, she had to remind herself that most didn't have the kind of freedom she held.</p><p>"But you know, I'm starting to get a little bored of just running around here." Liam let out a wistful sigh as he watched an airplane cross the skies in the distance. "I wish I could travel all across the globe the way my parents do! They're pilots, and they go flying all over the place! They've been to France, China, Spain, Turkey, and Italy, and that's just this week alone!"</p><p>Chihiro was tempted to say she'd been to all those places as well, but quickly shut her mouth before the flow of conversation caused her to let slip about something she shouldn't have. After all, normal people weren't supposed to know about magic and Skylands! So, instead, she let Liam take the floor, and he indulged her on all the sights his parents told him about over phone calls, from how the world seemed so small across the skies to the beautiful jungles and cities they'd cross. It brought back vivid memories of her trips, and she almost got lost in them!</p><p>"Oh hey, here's my place!"</p><p>But soon, they came to a stop in front of a nice-looking, two-story house with a porch decorated in souvenirs from all across the globe. Liam dropped his groceries on an artisanal bench as he unlocked the door, and quickly stowed his own bags inside. He hopped out quick as the wind to snatch the other bags from Chihiro's hands before she could even blink, and disappeared into the hallway.</p><p>"Just walk straight up, and you should be at the school! I know because it's my school and I walk there all the time! See ya!"</p><p>"See you, Liam! Nice meeting you!"</p><p>The door slammed to a close, and Chihiro hopped up as she traversed the sidewalks. Sure enough, Liam was right. Within a few minutes, Chihiro found herself at the gates of a massive school with a large, stone wing statue place in the heart of its sidewalk. A plaque to the side of the gate read "North Wind Middle School", marking Chihiro's arrival and the beginning of her mission.</p><p>With a snap of her fingers, Chihiro's invisibility cloak emerged from the last place she'd hidden it (no need to keep track when she could magically summon it), and comfortably draped itself across her form. Thankfully, nobody was in the way to see her. She supposed most of the students and faculty left already, and this would hopefully make her search easier.</p><p>Another snap of her fingers and Chihiro teleported inside the school halls. The whole place was painted in cheery blues, and murals of sunny skies and rainbows hovered along endless rows of lockers and doors. Chihiro didn't linger on them for long, for she instead jumped from pristine, almost stained glass-like window to window as she peered through each door. She met with endless classrooms and empty offices, broom closets and cafeterias, but finally stopped at one.</p><p>Inside, there appeared to be some kind of library, and more importantly, there was a person inside! Sobbing, faint but just loud enough to be heard, echoed from within, and it sounded like a young voice. That had to be a student!</p><p>Chihiro carefully pushed the door open, and made sure that it wouldn't alert whoever sat inside. She crept towards the sound of the crying, and found another kid close to her age curled around a book as they sat at a table. Their medium-length, golden blonde hair draped over their back like a blanket, and their pale hands twitched with soreness.</p><p>Chihiro gasped, immediately discarding all pretenses of sneakiness as she dashed over to the table and quickly took a seat across from the kid. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you crying? Did something happen at school?"</p><p>The kid gasped and quickly leaped up in their seat. Their blue eyes were red with exhaustion, and their golden blonde bangs cascaded over their forehead in wavy petals. Their face, the nose, those eyes… This had to be that person's sister! There was no doubt about it! Even with some slight differences in colors or features, she was an echo of that person's looks!</p><p>The girl winced, and tugged at the red, floral-print tank top she layered over her white sweater. She clearly didn't expect company, or for anyone to even ask her what she cried about.</p><p>"It's okay, I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. It's just, you seem so upset."</p><p>The girl sniffled. "School's gonna close soon, and, and, I'll have to go back home and see my parents, and they're definitely gonna yell at me! I, I only got a ninety-six on my test today, and they hate it when I get anything that isn't perfect! They yell at me no matter what I do, even I try to do everything they want! It's like they hate me!"</p><p>The girl buried her face in her sweater's arms, her book completely forgotten.</p><p>Chihiro winced and gently placed a hand on the girl's arms. "They don't sound like very good parents."</p><p>"It, it's not that they're bad people or anything, I shouldn't have said that. They just, they have a lot of hopes for me, and they're really upset because my brother ran away from home and they have no idea where he is. They're just frustrated, that's all."</p><p>"Even if they're frustrated, they shouldn't be taking it out on their kid!"</p><p>"But they're all I have!"</p><p>The girl startled as she leaped upwards, but quickly withdrew into herself.</p><p>"I'm so busy doing all the stuff that they want that I don't really have a lot of friends, and I barely see the ones I do have. My family's all I really have, and now my brother's gone and I don't have anyone else. Nobody besides…"</p><p>The girl stopped herself, for Chihiro flung herself forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. Chihiro didn't know what came over her, but the pain felt way too familiar, and she couldn't take it!</p><p>"That's not true, I promise." Chihiro wrapped her cloak around the girl like a blanket, and gently tucked the girl's head into her shoulder. The feeling of tears stained her shoulder, but she dismissed the uncomfortable feeling of wet cloth; this girl needed comfort more. "I promise, there's people out there thinking about you and waiting for you. You're not alone. You don't have to take what they say just because they're your parents."</p><p>The girl blinked as she withdrew from Chihiro's hug, and a curious look crossed her tear-stained face. "Wait a second, I don't think I've ever seen you around here before. Who are you?"</p><p>Crap, her cover! Chihiro gasped as she jumped back, and her hand slipped to where the letter still laid in her pocket. She quickly whipped it out, and her heart stilled as she handed it to the girl.</p><p>"You're Eugenie Woodrow, right? I have a letter here from your brother."</p><p>"From Leon?"</p><p>Eugenie blinked, stuck in a stupor. Perhaps she wondered if this was some kind of dream, some kind of mirage, as she hesitantly took the envelope from Chihiro's hands. Her fingers traced circles and paths around its paper, like she believed it would disappear from her grip the moment she opened it. However, she finally worked up the courage to gingerly open the envelope, and slowly withdrew Leon's tear-stained letter.</p><p>"'Dear Jenny,'" Eugenie read, her fingers trembling the whole time she spoke. "'I probably shouldn't ask how you're doing, since I know things are probably bad right now. I'm sorry Mom and Dad are being as harsh on you as I know they are, but more than that, I'm sorry for not telling you I was leaving sooner and not taking you with me. Truth is, I've been planning to leave for a long time now. Things were just getting to be too much, and I had to get my freedom the first chance I got, or else we'd both be screwed.'"</p><p>Eugenie winced a little as she said the last bit, like it was the kind of language her parents strictly forbade, but still regained the courage to speak.</p><p>"'I drove somewhere far. I can't say where, because if Mom and Dad find this we'd have trouble, but I can at least say it's well past home. I've managed to get myself a job and an apartment, but things have been a little tough right now. I'm still trying to get enough money so that I can live kind of securely, because right now, things are not great.</p><p>"'For now though, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for pushing all this on you. I swear I haven't forgotten about our promise. Once I'm doing better financially, I'm going to get you out of there, I swear. I'll fight… them in court if I have to!'"</p><p>The way Eugenie hesitated at them confirmed to Chihiro that this was definitely not what Leon wrote.</p><p>"'I know I'm asking a lot, but just hang in there for me. No matter how long it takes, I'm going to get you away from Mom and Dad, and you'll never have to worry about them ever again. Remember, even if I'm not here with you, I'm always thinking about you, and I'll always be with you in spirit. You'll get through this, I promise.</p><p>Love, your brother,</p><p>Leon.""</p><p>Huh, that seemed a lot more put-together than he looked when he was writing it, but either way, it seemed to be just what Eugenie needed. She hugged the letter like an old friend as she sobbed, barely sniffling out half-words and Leon's name. She definitely needed this, but Chihiro felt that she could get her a little more.</p><p>"Your brother's right, you know," Chihiro said. "I've met a lot in people in situations like yours, and just as many of them pulled through. Things might be hard right now, but they'll get better. I promise." Chihiro dove into the envelope still in Eugenie's hand and rummaged through it. "But, until then, I have a little something extra for you two."</p><p>Chihiro felt something warm and vaguely metallic across her fingertips, and quickly yanked out a round disc. Placing it on the desk, she rubbed her finger around the rim, and a faint glow flickered from its heart. The glow built into a bright light as both Chihiro and Eugenie witnessed it, and soon, out leaped a bright screen! It showed a run-down apartment in blue tints, and at its heart… Leon!</p><p>Leon sputtered and nearly jumped out of his bed. "What the—"</p><p>"LEON!" Eugenie cried, shoving herself in the screen's view.</p><p>"JENNY?" Leon's eyes fluttered with a vacant, confused expression.</p><p>"This is a special communicator!" Chihiro explained as she popped inside with a wave. "You can use it to talk to each other whenever you want, just until you can see each other in person again!"</p><p>"Wait, what's going on here? What's—"</p><p>"Leon, I got your letter!" Eugenie cried. "Where did you go?"</p><p>Leon pursed his lips shut, but finally chuckled as a smile, a genuine one, crossed his face. His shock from earlier melted away as he and Eugenie got caught up; he discussed his internship and the city he now called home, and Eugenie talked about the books she read in the school library recently. For once, they both seemed so happy!</p><p>With her job done, Chihiro tucked her cloak so as to shield her entire form from view, and turned her attention to a security camera that glistened in the corner. A snap of her fingers, and the lens glistened as the footage magically erased herself. Can't have any evidence, unfortunately.</p><p>With that taken care of, Chihiro left the library and turned a curious eye at the halls. Surely, she could probably squeeze in a quick Kaos hunt while she was here, so she ran down the halls as her cloak fluttered in a faint breeze.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: The Untold Tales: Eruptor's Sick Day<p>Patrols generally ran on strict schedules at Ancient's Peak, and that was a very good thing for Chihiro, as it meant that she generally always knew what to expect of them. Every morning, they'd tally distress calls received from the Missionator, reports of suspicious activity, and other questionable going-ons of a similar nature, and determine which ones would be best attuned to the Skylanders on standby. Then, Chihiro and Master Eon set these Skylanders up in groups, and off they'd go on the portals.</p><p>That is, unless the Skylanders in question were assigned to island duty. If that were the case, they'd spend their time stationed at Ancient's Peak, protecting the Core of Light from any possible threats until next shift. At least, that would have been the case if the Core of Light hadn't been blown to smithereens, but it was, so now, they mainly just kept an eye out for if Kaos came knocking. Regardless, this pattern continued through the day, operating on strict, uniform schedules…</p><p>Which was why it was quite a surprise when a call for a portal came much earlier than anticipated. Perhaps someone got done early? Either way, Chihiro quickly teleported herself into the portal room, but took a moment to breath in the scent of earth and bask in the gentle light it always bathed in. Ah, she loved that earthy, almost magical smell that the portal room held! It warmed her body with wonder and glee, and she could bask in it forever.</p><p>But then, the portal flared and beeped, a reminder to Chihiro of the work that needed to be done still.</p><p>"Coming!" she called, even though she knew nobody could hear her in this empty room. Force of habit, she supposed.</p><p>She moved over to the portal, took a moment to bask in its motley flash of color, and quickly clamped its stone rim. Energy filled her body the way it always did; it bubbled and fizzed like a freshly-opened soda can as she took it in, welcomed it into her arms. She took a breath as she imagined her team coming right home, all smiles and jokes to crack about the latest mission, and grinned as she released!</p><p>The flare of energy that hit her ears showed her work paid off, but what greeted her was definitely not a look of success.</p><p>Instead, Eruptor laid face-down on the portal's surface, and shook and groaned as magmatic drool pooled underneath him. Terrafin stood a bit over him, but quickly fell to his knees as he shuffled around the growing pits of magma. It was a good thing that portal magic generally kept portals from being too weathered by the elements, for she couldn't have imagined that the portal could stay in one piece otherwise with all that magma heating it up. Wait, that wasn't important!</p><p>"Rupty!" Chihiro cried, immediately springing for the portal. "What happened?"</p><p>Terrafin quickly flung a hand up and pushed her back. "I'd stand back a little, Chi," Terrafin warned. "Ruptor's not feeling so hot right now."</p><p>Eruptor's stomach gurgled, and he let out a violent hack as the room filled with the burning scent of sulfur and magma alike. It was almost as if he'd perfectly timed it, matter of fact! Magmatic vomit flooded the disk-like top of the portal, and Terrafin let out a yelp as the heat stung his feet.</p><p>Terrafin hopped off, yet still circled around it as he tried to urge Eruptor off the portal. "Hey, it's okay, Ruptor," Terrafin winced as he slowly, gingerly pulled Eruptor from the portal. He took care not to accidentally touch the pool of burning lava on its surface. "We're home now. I'll get Master Eon and we can get you set up, alright?"</p><p>Eruptor just groaned and inelegantly flopped on his back. He almost rolled over the side of the portal had Terrafin not leaned him against his shoulder. God, he looked terrible! His eyes looked like they were about to roll into the back of his round head, his mouth laid slightly ajar as some magmatic substance trickled out of it (whether it was drool or vomit, Chihiro wasn't certain), and the aroma of sulfur wafted around him in a sickly haze.</p><p>Now, Eruptor was known to have a very sensitive stomach, but this seemed way worse than his usual queasiness! What could have gotten him this sick? Actually, no, Chihiro could worry about that later!</p><p>"Master Eon!" Chihiro cried as she scrambled for the door. "Something bad happened! We need to get Eruptor to the infirmary, stat!"</p><p>Thankfully, she didn't need to run very far. A warble sounded as Master Eon phased through the door, and his round spirit floated just above her head.</p><p>"Young Chihiro, what's the matter?" Master Eon cried. "You look as pale as a ghost!"</p><p>"And Eruptor might end up being one if he doesn't get medicine soon!" Chihiro spun on her heels and darted for where Terrafin still held Eruptor. "Come on! Hurry up!"</p><p>Master Eon's form turned pale and lavender with shock as he flitted beside Chihiro, his glow brightening and fading with urgency. They met Terrafin and Eruptor not a moment too soon, for Eruptor once again planted face-first on the floor and shuddered as his stomach gurgled. Master Eon took one look at him, and then at the lava barf-filled portal, and his purple coloration deepened with urgency.</p><p>"What happened to him?" Master Eon gasped.</p><p>"Ruptor breathed in something he really shouldn't have when we were dealing with that skunk-raptor infestation," Terrafin winced as he knelt down and rubbed Eruptor's back. "We were fighting them off one minute, I turned around to get some of the villagers out, and next time I saw him, he was face-down in a pool of his own barf!"</p><p>"Skunk-raptor poisoning? No wonder Eruptor's in such an awful state. Their poison can induce intense sickness in a matter of seconds!" Master Eon's whole spirit shook as he quickly levitated Eruptor off the ground. "There's no use lingering on it. We need to get him some medicine before it progresses further."</p><p>Master Eon and Terrafin hastily fled the scene, and Chihiro followed after she cast a quick spell to banish the lava barf and overwhelming scent of sulfur.</p><p>Chihiro's heart pounded against her chest the way her feet pounded against the floor, and her hands shook as she ran through everything she could think of about skunk-raptors. She only vaguely remembered the descriptions from books on Skylands' fauna that she squirreled away from the library: they were flying, furry raptors with a skunk's tail and colors, and a spray just as potent. Whereas skunks usually only tended to make beings reek to high heaven, though, skunk-raptors' spray was straight-up toxic! Even the slightest whiff could leave the healthiest being spending the rest of their day with an upset stomach, and much more intense exposures could lead to nausea, vomiting, fever…</p><p>The symptoms played over and over in Chihiro's head, and she winced as Eruptor laid sickly and almost half-dead looking in Master Eon's magical grip. Was he going to die? Chihiro's heart skipped a beat at the thought, but she tried to banish it as they arrived at the infirmary.</p><p>The door slammed shut in front of Chihiro as the other disappeared into the infirmary walls, so Chihiro leaned herself up against it. Her ear planted firmly against the thin wood, yet she couldn't hear anything beyond muffled talk. She could maybe make out one or two words: "Condition", "Medicine"… But not much else.</p><p>So, Chihiro sighed as she slid down against the door, and time slowed to a crawl as she waited for the diagnosis. She tried whatever she could think of to distract herself, but very little actually helped.</p><p>She tried thumb-wrestling with herself, but the prospect of a fight reminded her of the mission that brought Eruptor to his currently condition, and she couldn't bring herself to do it anymore. She tried to think about any number of topics other than Eruptor's current condition, but whether that was whatever this week's latest Beautiful Remedy Songstress episode would be, or the homework piled up back on Earth, or whatever adventures awaited her next, it would somehow always circle back around to Eruptor and she found herself worrying in circles again. So, she tried to do something meticulous that would absorb all her time, like listing off all the things she had left to do—but whoops, once again she was reminded of what led to these things getting interrupted in the first place.</p><p>Chihiro sighed as she turned back to the door, and tried to make out something through the silhouettes that moved along the frosted glass window. She could briefly make out what seemed like Whirlwind's form, yet it only lasted for a moment before rainbow light poured out and obscured everything! Whirlwind must have used her healing rainbows right now, and that was a good sign, right? Those rainbows could cure anything from curses to broken bones! Surely that would take care of whatever made him sick, right?</p><p>Chihiro winced as she pushed her ear up against the door, tried to make out some kind of conversation—but it was then that someone jimmied the knob and the door flung open!</p><p>Chihiro yelped and jumped back before the door could slam her into a fine paste, and a blue glow washed over her with a small chuckle. She looked up, and Master Eon's warm form beamed over her as he flitted back. Well, he was in his neutral blues, so that had to be a good sign, right? He'd be red, or gray, or whatever color he turned in a fury of emotion if something bad truly happened, right? Chihiro hadn't quite gotten his constant color shifting down yet.</p><p>"How is he?" Chihiro spat out, immediately jumping to her feet. "Is he super sick? Is he dying? Is he gonna explode or something?"</p><p>Master Eon's eyes fluttered, and he let out a modest chuckle as he nuzzled Chihiro's head. "Fret not, young Chihiro. I understand you might have gotten a bit of a scare, but Eruptor only got a mild case of poisoning. Whirlwind's already taken care of his injuries, so he just needs to rest for about a quarter-week, and he'll be ready to go back in the field."</p><p>… If that's what Eruptor looked like when he was mildly sick, Chihiro shuddered at the thought of how he looked when he was seriously ill. Nonetheless, the weight lifted from her shoulders with a sigh, and she made for the door.</p><p>"I'd better go check on him—"</p><p>Chihiro stopped short as Master Eon floated in front of her.</p><p>"I would advise against that. Eruptor still needs his bed rest, and he tends to be extremely irritable when he's ill." Master Eon floated ahead of her, and motioned for her to follow with a nudge. "Regardless, we still have other duties to attend to, so come along. I believe it is about time for us to change out patrols."</p><p>Chihiro wasn't quite sure how much time passed, given how much it seemed to slow, but that sounded about right. She dutifully trailed after Master Eon, but still, she couldn't help but sneak a glimpse back at the closed door. She couldn't hear anything but faintly muffled voices and groans still, and it only added to her worries as it grew further and further in the distance.</p><p align="center">§<em> Several days later... </em>§</p><p>The days continued to pass, but Chihiro's worries didn't seem to cease. In fact, they only grew a lot more! It wasn't just because Eruptor being out for the count meant they were short on hands at a time when every hand counted, even if drafting up patrols was a bit more of a pain. Chihiro was more than happy to step in and help when he or the other Skylanders couldn't.</p><p>No, she knew her friend was surely miserable, being all cooped up in the infirmary like that! She didn't have to guess based on her own experiences with being sick either. She'd heard plenty of accounts for those who managed to visit him.</p><p><em>"Yep, he's still pretty grumpy, and still kinda queasy, too," Whirlwind remarked the day after he was admitted, when Chihiro caught her between infirmary shifts and patrols. "He can't go a second without blowing his top! I know the guy's sick, but I can't exactly heal him when he's flipping out so badly he ends up blowing lava chunks every five seconds!"</em></p><p><em>That firmly confirmed to Chihiro that she shouldn't have really visited that day, and she was busy volunteering on patrols and training anyways, so she figured she'd try tomorrow.</em></p><p><em>"Yeah, I'd give him some space, Chi," Terrafin warned as he left Eruptor's infirmary room the next day, fangs clenched and all. "Ruptor's in a bad mood. Really bad mood."</em></p><p><em>Terrafin let out a small huff after that, and that sold Chihiro on that enough. For all of Eruptor's short-fused moments, he and Terrafin rarely fought despite what one would be led to believe. If whatever conversation they had left Terrafin in </em><strong>that</strong><em> sour a mood, Eruptor must have still been in too terrible an attitude to want company at the moment. So, Chihiro just gave his door a quick glance that she hoped conveyed her wishes for him to get well soon, and she skittered back off to the library to find a few more books on magical fighting techniques she wanted to practice.</em></p><p><em>Maybe the day after that, then? Well, Chihiro tried, but when she walked by, she immediately heard the sound of retching and sizzling, followed by Master Eon and Slam Bam's frantic shouts as they cleaned the room up. That showed that Chihiro should probably try another day…</em></p><p>And that brought her to today, where she grabbed a thankfully highly heat-resistant basket and combed through the mess hall like she was in a grocery store. She was sure he was hungry, but he'd definitely need some stuff that would be easy on such a queasy stomach. Normally, she'd eat stuff like rice and crackers when she was sick, but she supposed it might be a little different for a lava monster.</p><p>Still, she felt like she should get him something, so she glazed over the seemingly always-stuffed cabinets and combed for anything habitable. Her eyes first fell on a box of magma crackers (as in, crackers literally made from igneous rock), and that seemed like a good enough choice to her? So, she snatched it up.</p><p>With the magma crackers safely deposited, she quickly teleported away. One blink she was in the mess hall, and the next, she stood right outside the door to Eruptor's infirmary stay. She took a glance over a cabinet of board games that were mostly provided for deeply-bored patients to keep their minds sharp, mentally picked out a few just in case, and rapped on the door a little bit, but all that met her was a groan.</p><p>"If you're gonna bother me, go somewhere else!" Eruptor moaned on the other side of the door, sounding a bit sicklier and unlike his normal, gravelly tone. "Lemme be sick in peace!"</p><p>"Rupty, it's me!" Chihiro shouted back. "Got a delivery for you!"</p><p>Silence met her for moments, but finally, another low grumble came from the other side.</p><p>"Come in."</p><p>Gently creaking the door open, Chihiro tip-toed inside. She'd taken extra caution, for she wasn't entirely certain that all the lava barf was cleared out yet.</p><p>Thankfully, it was. The room was as pristine as any other infirmary room, and even the sulfur smell she'd expected was completely absent; instead, it was replaced by the sterile scents of medicine and hospital material. Eruptor sat in a bed that was thankfully heat- and fire-proofed, but he didn't seem all that thankful for his lodgings. His lava veins seemed a little duller than normal, and he still had a half-dead look on his face, one accentuated by his firm pout.</p><p>"How're you feeling, Rupty?"</p><p>"What does you think?"</p><p>"Pretty bad, I'm guessing." Chihiro chuckled as she skipped over and deposited the magma crackers beside him. "I don't know if you're up for eating anything, but I thought I'd bring something that might be easy on the stomach."</p><p>Eruptor took a whiff of the crackers, gave them a side-eye, but finally reluctantly accepted the box. A quick squeeze of his hands popped it open, and also scattered magma crackers all across the bed. Couldn't win them all, Chihiro supposed. Eruptor gritted his teeth like he would explode, but he only let out an exasperated sigh as he gathered them up and tried to eat them.</p><p>"Thanks for the thought at least. It'd be nice to have something that won't make me hurl my guts out more than usual." Eruptor groaned as he shoveled a handful of magma crackers into his mouth. "I haven't been this queasy since when I lived underground! I wake up sick, go to bed sick, and all I can do is stare at the ceiling and watch the flies buzz while I try not to get even sicker than I already am! What happened to keeping this place clean, anyways? It's an infirmary! Why would there be bugs in an infirmary?" Having had his fill of magma crackers, Eruptor somehow knocked the box clean onto the bedside stand. "Ugh, this is worst than the last time I ate spicy food." Eruptor groaned as he tossed and turned in his bed. "Forget that, it's even worse than that!"</p><p>"I know, I know," Chihiro sympathized as she patted his back, "but hey, at least you've got company. When I got the flu when I was little, I had to stay home for a week, and the only ones I could talk to were my plushies! I got to get away from school, but then I had a ton of homework I had to catch up on! For however bad it is, at least you don't have to go to school anymore."</p><p>Eruptor seemed to get a chuckle out of this, and Chihiro laughed as well.</p><p>"Thanks, Chi. That did make me feel a little better."</p><p>"No problem, Rupty!"</p><p>With a snap of Chihiro's fingers, a few board games landed in the space on the bed between them.</p><p>"And since it's kinda boring, I figured I'd bring some games too! Don't worry, I made sure they were enchanted so the pieces would move by themselves, so you don't have to worry about being able to move them with no fingers!" Chihiro let out a chuckle as she levitated the boxes. "We've got Skyopoly, checkers, Not-So-Sorry, Get a Clue Already, Word-Descrambler 9000…"</p><p>Eruptor's eyes seem to bulge at all the choices, so Chihiro quickly snatched the checkers box from the air and banished the other boxes with a blink.</p><p>"Checkers it is!"</p><p><em>SNAP!</em> The box opened in a flash, and the board magically unfolded as checkers lined themselves along the board. She thankfully also made sure to double-check that everything was heat-proofed to the nines, so they wouldn't have to worry about any emergency fires here, either!</p><p>"You wanna be red or black?"</p><p>"I'll take red."</p><p>And so, the war of checkers began! Chihiro grinned as her own black pieces skipped across the board, and bounced to and fro as Eruptor's red pieces claimed hers and vice versus. She admitted, she let him win just a little bit; she figured he could use a little pick-me-up. Granted, she also didn't pay too much attention between the small talk they made.</p><p>"Everyone's still pretty busy. Kaos doesn't take any sick days, unfortunately." Chihiro hopped a checker and sighed. "Sure wish he would, though."</p><p>"You and me both." Eruptor's own checker snatched the one Chihiro just moved.</p><p>"In fact, maybe the Ancients should take your stomachache and give it to Kaos! No, make it ten times worse and then give it to him! If he gets that sick, maybe we could finally actually clean up this whole mess!"</p><p>The two of them shared a chuckle, but as they laughed, Chihiro's own laughter rose with excitement! Her checkers were all lined up, and she had the perfect move. "Just like I finally got a triple jump in! My checkers now!" Chihiro quickly snatched her prizes and made the best smug grin. "How're you gonna top that?"</p><p>Eruptor scanned the board, and grinned as one of his pieces nudged… Right next to one of her kings! Dang it!</p><p>"And I've got your king! Checkmate!"</p><p>"Eruptor, that's chess, not checkers!"</p><p>"Then why do they call it checkmate if it's not something you say in checkers?"</p><p>Chihiro frowned and rubbed her chin. "I don't know, actually."</p><p>Eruptor managed a small laugh, and Chihiro grinned as warmth flooded the room. The veins in his body seemed to be a little brighter, a little toastier, and the light started to shimmer in his eyes once more. It was almost as if he'd started to recover just from a simple conversation. Well, she supposed friendship was the best medicine after all, so they carried on their game as the warmth and light of conversation filled the room.</p><p align="center">§ <em>The next day... </em>§</p><p>Chihiro hummed a tune to herself as she skipped through the infirmary halls. A basket with another offering of magma crackers rested in her hand, and the faint flicker of the overhead lights accented her descent into the lengthy hallways. Though the walls around her were stark, Chihiro's imagination was vivid with excitement.</p><p>After all, she was sure Eruptor was going to get better soon, and once he did, it was back into the fields! She'd hoped he was better by now, at least. He seemed like he was recovering yesterday, and surely that meant he was almost clear to enter, right?</p><p>Chihiro skidded to a stop by Eruptor's infirmary door, which seemed to have an ominously warm glow. Maybe that was just the light playing tricks on her? Chihiro shrugged and tossed it open without a second thought.</p><p>"HEY RUPTY—"</p><p>"BLEGH!"</p><p>Chihiro let out a startled yelp as she jumped back, for the smell of sulfur filled the air! Eruptor laid hung-over the side of his bed, and retched into a lava-proofed bin as his magmatic veins flickered like the infirmary lights. He rolled back over in his seat as he finished, confirming Chihiro's suspicions about his state of health. He looked almost as bad as he did when he was first admitted; he was all dead-looking eyes, drool spilling from his mouth, and low groans as he shuddered uncomfortably in his seat.</p><p>Chihiro dropped her gift of magma crackers and teleported to Eruptor in a flash. "Eruptor! What happened to you?" Catching a whiff of the sulfur smell, Chihiro shuddered and covered her face with a magical face mask. "You look like you're about to erupt, and not in a good way! You looked just fine yesterday, too…"</p><p>"I'm just as stuck as you are, Chi," Eruptor groaned. He rolled on his side and then the other, and shuddered the whole time as he struggled to find some kind of balance or comfort. "I just woke up and my stomach started grumbling! I can't stand it! I'm sick of staring at the ceiling and laying in bed! I'm sick of the infirmary food! And I'm especially sick of those bugs! I've had to start burning them every time they buzz around because they keep buzzing in my ears!"</p><p>Chihiro cast a glance to the ceiling, where several singe marks she hadn't noticed before affirmed Eruptor's claims.</p><p>"If I see another skunk-raptor again, I'm burning them to smithereens! I'll cook them like they're a chicken dinner! I, I'll, ugh…"</p><p>Eruptor frantically flipped himself over, and Chihiro just barely jumped out of the way before he puked his guts out once more. His rage from earlier dampened, as he groaned and withdrew himself into the blankets. Yeah, Chihiro could probably guess how he ended up getting so sick again in the first place.</p><p>"I know how you feel, Rupty, but you should probably cool down a bit," Chihiro warned, drawing the blankets over him. "I'm pretty sure getting yourself all worked up like that isn't good for your stomach."</p><p>"What else am I supposed to do?" Eruptor pouted and crossed his arms. "I've been stuck here for days!"</p><p>Eruptor's veins crackled and flared like he was itching for a fit, but quickly dulled as he let out an exhausted groan. He slumped over on his pillows, and looked so much smaller as he buried himself in the blankets. A couple cold shudders emitted from him still as he entangled himself, and Chihiro sighed as she cast a glance aside. Most of the usual infirmary staff would be on patrols for another hour or so, and Master Eon and Hugo were pretty busy, so she supposed it was up to her to make him feel a little better.</p><p>"Anything I can do while I'm here, just to make things a little easier? Any snacks or drinks, fluffing some pillows, a little freshening up?"</p><p>"A little cleanup would be nice. This place smells terrible."</p><p>Chihiro grinned and snapped her fingers, donning a doctor's scrubs made of magic. "Just leave it to me! I'll have this place sparkling in no time!"</p><p>A few more snaps rang out and Chihiro's magic did its work! The bin magically changed itself out before Chihiro even had to glance at its contents, and magical gloves armed with cloths and mops scrubbed away any spittle that remained on the floors. Heck, some of them even cleaned the singe marks off the ceiling and chased off some stray flies with a bug swatter!</p><p>One hand floated by and offered Chihiro some scent vials. Chihiro perused them with a curious quirk of her brow; these were all the kind used to give rooms a quick refresh, and they had a nice variety of scents: vanilla, lavender, peppermint, ocean breeze…</p><p>"Any of these to your liking, Rupty?" Chihiro asked as she pushed the vials his way.</p><p>Eruptor turned on his side and groaned. "Just open up a window. Stuff that strong just gets me even sicker."</p><p>"Will do!"</p><p>Chihiro pawned the vials back off to the glove, skipped over to the window as it floated off to return them to their proper place, and yanked the window wide open!</p><p>The autumnal breeze flooded the room, banishing what remained of the sulfur scent. A couple of birds sang their tunes as they flitted past the open window; one even sat on the rim and gave Chihiro a curious chirp before it dashed away! Faint conversation layered over the birdsong as Chihiro took a glance outside, and she couldn't help but take in a breath. Something about it brought a little peace to her heart, and the gentle crackle of lava behind her showed Eruptor felt the same.</p><p>He'd managed to sit up, and for once that day, a gentle smile crossed his face as he took in the smells and sights. His lava veins brightened from both the beams of sunlight that gentle cascaded down, and the gentle sounds of birds and breezes rustling branches.</p><p>"Much better," Eruptor said, leaning back in his seat. "Something about the breeze up here always makes things easier."</p><p>Chihiro quirked a brow, and the faint memories of yesterday's conversations came back to her mind. She took a seat on a nearby chair as she moved her curious gaze in Eruptor's direction.</p><p>"That reminds me. Rupty, you said you used to live underground, right? What was life like down there?"</p><p>Eruptor's smile soured into a scoff. "Terrible. It was was too stuffy and hot, even for me! Imagine the biggest underground volcano community you know, but it's filled wall to wall with a bunch of angry lava monsters that completely heat the room every time they blow a fuse! It was way too crowded, too! You couldn't go a minute without bumping into someone or stepping on their foot!"</p><p>Eruptor's stomach growled a bit, but it seemed to settle as he took in a breath of autumn air.</p><p>"The neighbors were the worst part of it, though. They'd lose their minds over the tiniest things! Your lawn phoenix is crooked? The HOA would scream your ear off about it until it got fixed! You accidentally kick a rock or step on a creaky rock shaft, and someone flies off the handle because the noise bothered them!"</p><p><em>Heh, kinda sounds like you,</em> Chihiro mentally chuckled.</p><p>"Once, some guy punched out my lights just because he decided I was breathing weird and he didn't like it!" Eruptor rolled his eyes. "I hope he landed in an ice pool when the volcano erupted. Glad I never have to see him again."</p><p>Chihiro winced and shook her head. For all his short-tempered moments, that was definitely not something Eruptor would do.</p><p>"Man, that place sounds awful! I don't blame you for moving."</p><p>"Oh, I didn't move. Not voluntarily, anyways." Eruptor scratched his head the best he could with no fingers. "The whole volcano erupted and everyone in there got forcibly evicted. I barely remember what happened, personally. Some fight broke out at a lava pool party, went from a regular fight to a full-blown riot, and the next thing I know, KABOOM!"</p><p>Eruptor let out a sigh as he snuggled into the blankets once more, but still spared a glance to the outside world. A flock of birds soared across the skies, probably migrating south for the colder seasons, and he gave them a chuckle.</p><p>"The volcano got so hot that it couldn't take it, and next thing I knew, I was on the surface, listening to the birds sing and smelling the fresh air. Heh, just like right now!"</p><p>Chihiro managed a chuckle of her own, and Eruptor joined in her laughter as his veins and stones warmed.</p><p>"You feeling any better, Rupty?" Chihiro asked. She paused and gently laid a hand against his forehead, noting the rising temperature. She supposed that was a good thing for a lava creature?</p><p>"I guess." Eruptor rolled over and tucked himself further underneath the blankets. "I'm just gonna try and sleep this stomachache off. Thanks for the help, Chi."</p><p>Eruptor stilled himself as his eyes closed, but a particularly loud snore confirmed he'd quickly fallen asleep. Huh, never would've guessed he was a quick sleeper, but maybe all the sickness tired him out.</p><p>Chihiro withdrew her hand, and gently patted his back as the flickers of a healing spell slipped from her fingertips. Most of the healing magic she used was more adept for battle wounds and curses than sickness, but she figured she could at least give him a little boost.</p><p>"No problem, Rupty. Feel better soon."</p><p align="center">§ <em>The day after that... </em>§</p><p>The moment she finished sending out morning patrols, Chihiro hurried to the infirmary without a second thought. She figured Eruptor could use a friend after how awful he felt yesterday, or that hopefully, he might feel a little better now. Her footsteps pounded against the floor in a rhythm that became quite familiar to her over these past few days, and her heartbeat similarly chimed in tune.</p><p>She rounded the corner as she turned to where Eruptor's infirmary stay was, but when she arrived, she found the door wide-open and the room pristine and empty! Chihiro skidded to a stop as she peered inside, yet found not a trace of Eruptor remaining. Raising a brow, she craned her head around the halls.</p><p>"Chi?"</p><p>Chihiro let out a yelp as she turned around, but instead of empty halls, she found Eruptor right beside her with a questioning look!</p><p>"Eruptor! There you are!" Chihiro chirped. "I was just looking for you! You feeling any better now?"</p><p>"Yep!" Eruptor grinned and stretched out. "Just got dismissed and I'm back to burning again!"</p><p>Truthfully, he didn't need to tell her that; Chihiro could see from his face that he was fit as a fiddle! His rocky skin was back to its bright red flush, and his veins of magma burned and popped with a bright light as he radiated with heat. Whatever sickness he held long purged itself, and his bright smile only affirmed it! Somehow, a weight lifted from Chihiro's chest at the sight, a bit of relief as the memories of his infirmary stay grew fainter and smaller.</p><p>"In that case, I'm guessing you're all ready to kick some bad guy butt?"</p><p>"As long as there's no skunk-raptors involved!"</p><p>Chihiro and Eruptor both shared a laugh as they strode down the halls.</p><p>"Then we'd better get you on the next shift of patrols! Seems like Kaos's cronies are extra rowdy today, 'cause the Missionator's been going non-stop! We're down to just five beings for island duty because we keep getting emergency calls!"</p><p>Chihiro let out a small laugh as she skipped ahead, but a gentle brush of her shoulder turned her gaze to Eruptor. He gave her a smile once more, a small, genuine one, and gently patted her head.</p><p>"Oh, and, thanks for visiting while I was out sick."</p><p>Chihiro let out a chuckle as she gently patted Eruptor's back. "Of course! That's what friends are for!"</p>Favorites
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