Walking Along Toward the Cliffs of Uncertainty

Burn For You
The morning sun rose over the side of the mountain which casted a shadow over the hotel, in that shadow Ray was on a smooth stone sitting down in his meditative stance, suddenly he sensed someone coming towards him.

"Morning Ray," said Hikaru. "That meditation stuff is crap anyhow."

"It's Jinzen, Hikaru. Even you should know that." Ray said with his eyes still closed.

Hikaru chuckled, "It's been a long time since I've had to use Jinzen. Forgive me."

"I understand, so why exactly are you out here this early in the morning." Ray asked getting up from the stone and dusting himself off.

"Nothing really," said Hikaru. He let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry if I've led you on a wild goose chase. It seems like that."

"It's okay, I'm the one who should apologize for acting like I did yesterday." Ray said looking at him.

Hikaru smiled, "You're too young to be uptight. There's so many things in life that you can enjoy. To only have a mind of doomsday and negativity won't help anything." He layed down in the grass and said, "You know, I've always wanted to fly. Not like standing on reishi particles, but to have wings and just fly. There must be an incredible sensation feeling the wind beneath a set of wings. I feel like soaring through the skies is the ultimate form of physical freedom we can experience in this life. To be unbound from the chains of gravity and just being out there." Hikaru looked at Ray, "I'd accept your apology, but it is natural for you to have that nature. So you don't need to apologize for being who you are." Ray began to argue, because through his eyes, his apology wasn't good enough. Hikaru began much too quickly though. "You are a person who gains their power in fighting through anger at your enemies. You exhibit a great power in battle because of this. This translates to regular life. You are proud and powerful, much like a lion. I on the other hand am a calm and serene fighter. I seldom get angry, and I have no anxiety. If I were to exhibit a great amount of such a strong emotion such as anger or lust, I take it to the extreme because I keep a single line of such a 'weak' emotion normally." Hikaru got up. "However, making a choice to abandon us when it would mean the dismantlement of my Division and your own death would indeed be foolish. Apologizing for it could lead others to believe that you only wanted to save your own skin. But when you said that, you didn't have that on your mind, did you? All you cared about were the others that would be affected for your own bad choices. That proves that you have overcome the trial of concern."

Ray just looked at him and bowed in respect then went back inside the hotel to get a little more sleep in, suddenly Aki passed Ray and went towards Hikaru," What did you say to him, becuase he was actually smiling." Aki asked with confusion.

Hikaru chuckled, "I told him how submissive you can be if you weren't out to kill him."

"Oh haha very funny, what were you two talking about?!" Aki demanded.

Hikaru laughed, "Do you actually care, or are you simply curious?"

"I'm just curious." Aki said sitting down on a patch of grass.

Hikaru turned and walked away, "No answer for you."

"ASS!!!" Aki yelled then sighed and laid down on the grass.

"You called?" asked Mizu as he lied next to Aki.

"Sorry, it's Hikaru he won't tell me what he and Ray were talking about." Aki said sighing.

"Oh," said Mizu. "If you want Hikaru, call out jackass."

"Jackass!!" Aki yelled then smiled and laid back down.

Hikaru then loomed over Aki with only his jeans on. "This had better be important."

"Eh, Hikaru?" asked Mizu.

"When did you get back?" asked Hikaru. He looked down. "I was getting dressed for the day."

Mizu narrowed his eyes, I think I saved him from what I think he was going to do.

Hikaru looked at Aki, "What is it?"

"Tell me what you were talking about with Ray." Aki said with her eyes closed smiling, meanwhile the alarm clock in Ray's room was beeping loudly but Ray was too deep in sleep to hear it.

Hikaru looked at Aki with a bewildered look and said, "I just said that he overcame the trial of concern." He looked at Mizu and he shrugged.

Mizu looked at Aki and said, "It wasn't anything that important. He now can have concern for others."

"Oh I see." Aki said getting up and streaching as she looked up at the sky. She walked off toward the hotel.

Feel The Fire Again
Meanwhile, Ray was still sound asleep as someone started to knock on the door lightly then a female voice asked...

"Ray?" asked Aki in an unfamiliarly cute voice. "Are you awake?"

Ray opened one eye and hit the snooze button on the alarm clock," Hey what's going on?" Ray asked as he got up and yawned.

Aki knocked again, "Ray, it's me."

Ray opened his eyes at the nice and soothing voice that came from the door," Who are you and what have you done with Aki?!" Ray yelled as he locked the door and grabbed his zanpakuto.

Aki had a stress mark over her head, "YOU IGNORANT DUMBASS!!!" Aki kicked the door down on Ray, "IT'S STILL ME!!!" She then looked around, but Ray was nowhere to be seen. "Eh, Ray?" She then heard the muffled 'help' from beneath her. "Oh, Sorry!" She got the door off of Ray, but he was unconcious. She shook Ray, but he was out cold. "WAKE UP RAY!!!" she called, but to no avail. She blushed and moved in to kiss him.

The writers thought to themselves, How cliché...

Ray is still unconsious but suddenly his body reacts and grabs her but and deepens the kiss.

Aki blushes, but slowly closes her eyes as the passion sweeps over her. She pressed her body against Ray's and angled her head to where she could kiss easier. She moaned slightly from this, but then she came to her senses mentally. ''What am I doing? If he wakes up, this'll be so awkward. But...'' Even though Aki's mind knew it was wrong, her body wouldn't pull away. She was glued to Ray and couldn't let go.

Ray just kept grabbing her butt and kissing her deeply.

Aki blushed, but she stuck her tongue into Ray's mouth, touching his.

Outside Hikaru sighed, "10 bucks says Ray becomes a man."

"Twenty says he doesn't," said Mizu.

"Your on," smirked Hikaru.

Aki looked behind her to see that the door was now fixed. Huh?

Saya sighed as she stood outside the door. No one else needs to see that.

Aki continued to kiss Ray, giving into her lusts.

Suddenly Ray woke up and saw her on top of him then pushed her off and looked at her all he could do was stare at her.

Aki blushed and put her fingers to her lips. She then squeaked out, "You're a good kisser." Her mind was in total conflict, WHY OH WHY DID YOU SAY THAT AKI?! She couldn't make eye contact with Ray.

Ray stared then busted down the door and ran outside until he was gone from view.

"Dammit," growled Hikaru as he handed a twenty dollar bill to Mizu. He then got up and left.

"Easy money," laughed Mizu. He then saw that is was Canadian money. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Dammit all."

Conflict
Ray was on top of a small hill as he looked up at the sky wondering how he would have done that after all that he and Aki had went through.

"Damn that Hikaru," grumbled Mizu. "Stupid Canadian money..." He was walking up the hill, then he noticed Ray. He frowned and said, "Well, I guess I lost nothing since you chickened out."

"Here's twenty bucks now go away." Ray said handing him the money.

Mizu looked down at it. It was Mexican Pesos. "Even more worthless," mused Mizu as he tossed it back. He sat next to Ray and said, "She does love you by the way. In the teenage lust kind of way, and the developing love of the antagonist turned support character sort of way as well."

"She can't love me, like i told Hikaru my destiny won't allow it." Ray said lying down and turning away from Mizu.

"Right," said Mizu. "That's why she was pressing her body agianst you, French-kissing you, and moaning when you groped her ass. Right, she has ZERO interest in you."

"I was freaking unconsious and besides perv, there's no way it would work out."

"I'm not a-" Mizu stopped. "Well, I guess I am, but you guys could still be together. Look at Hikaru and Saya. A 3rd seat and a Captain in a relationship. It's unheard of. And they manage."

"It's not the same, if she doesn't follow orders they will have her killed." Ray said getting up and walking away.

Mizu smiled, "Good boy, you're really learning from my brother." He stood up and said, "The Soul Society has much more to worry about than a stray captain and his lover." He looked at Ray, "And if she ran off with you, wouldn't that be more romantic?"

Ray just sighed as he kept walking away from him.

Mizu sighed, "I hate to have to yell over to someone. It is the same for you and Aki as it is for Hikaru and Saya. People of differing rank and lives which barely eclipse one another, yet they develop an interest in one another. You can't keep up this streak of selfishness. Hikaru and Saya and myself have learned to live life loud. You on the other hand are stuck in a narrow chasm of what you believe life to be." He then flashed in front of Ray, stopping him in his tracks. He stared with an iron gaze, "Let me say this only once: to distance yourself from those who care about you because of destiny is a heaping load of crap. Neither the stars, nor do any prophecies write our lives. We have a choice in everything we do." He turned and walked away from Ray.

"Sorry but destiny has other plans for me." Ray said then dissappeared away from there.

She Said, She's Had Enough
Saya looked over at Aki and said, "That was certainly interesting."

"If by intreresting you mean very, very awkward then yeah it was intreresting." Aki said as she sat down on a chair and looked away emberessed by what had happened.

Saya smiled evilly, "I never knew how much of a pervert you were. Was his grip on your butt that wonderful?"

"Of course it was, but i don't know why he would of ran away from me." Aki said as tears started to well up.

Saya's expression turned to one of surprise. "I'm sorry. I expected a yell and a march out of the room." She pulled up a chair and sat next to Aki. She put her arm around her and said, "Ray seems like a complex individual. Give him some time. I'm sure he feels the same about you, but his mind is wrapped up in that destiny crap."

"I don't know how long i can keep waiting, i mean everytime i get close to him i don't kill him because deep down i know he might change his ways but time and time again it seems like a dream to me." Aki said as tears came running down her face.