Six Will Stand (First Draft)

Chapter 18

Morning -- 10:34
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Fai shot up in his bed, this time for a completely different reason than all the other times. He actually felt well-rested! Letting out a (very girly...) giggle, he looked around, remembering where he was. Uh.... Or, at least...knew he wasn't where he was last time. Getting out of bed and looking out the nearby window, Fai jumped back in shock when he saw (and remembered) that he was in Sina City.

Judging by the position of the sun, it was probably noon or something, too. Wait, I slept in?! Fai giggled maniacally again, and looked at the empty bed next to his own. Looks like he's awake.... Or invisible.

Stopping all of the redhead's random trains (or, should I say rivers?) of thought, he heard a knock on the door.

Josh entered the room, smiling when he saw that Fai was awake. Fai noticed that he still looked tired, and he wondered how much sleep he had gotten last night. He came over and sat on Fai's bed. "I was just coming to wake you."

"Looks like it." Fai grinned. "So...how're you doin'?"

Josh shrugged. "Fine." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I actually wanted to ask you the same question. Cade said you were shouting a bit in your sleep last night. Everything okay?"

The redhead nervously chuckled. "Heh, um...just a...memory. I'm fine now." And I hope Riv is, too....

Josh sighed. "Eh, I won't ask. You ready to get up and face the day?"

"I already am up, so yes. Yes I am. Hey, um...do you have that...bag, still?"

Josh stood up and looked back at Fai. "Yeah, why?"

"Did you open it yet?" Fai shifted his weight onto one foot, then the other.

Josh shook his head. He took the bag out from a fold in his clothes and tossed it to Fai. "Knock yourself out."

Fai looked at the bag with a blank expression. If it was Kole being Kole, it was probably going to explode. If not.... Yummy candy?! Maybe, but out of precaution, Fai held the bag far away from his face as he pulled on the knot of string to open it.

After a moment, when the redhead heard neither a 'bang' or 'kaboom', he opened his previously tightly closed eyes and brought the bag to his face to see what was inside.

BANG!

The tiny explosion covered Fai's face in ash, and the surprise of the moment caused the redhead to fall over onto the floor with a loud 'thump!'

"Well..." Fai coughed. "That's never changed."

Josh handed Fai a cloth, and Fai could tell he was holding in laughter. "And that, my friend," he said, teasingly, "is why I didn't open it."

Fai took the cloth, but didn't wipe off his face just yet. "Yeah, but there's usually stuff inside. When Kole and I were in-" Fai cut himself off, "Uh, when we had to spend a few months together, he would do this all the time and put in like...treats or other stuff that he st-found." Fai slowly put the bag closer to his face again, tense. After a moment of nothing happening, Fai grinned and-BOOM!

"How is there more?!" Coughing even more, Fai just decided to dump the bag's contents on the floor. No ash fell out, but a mysterious-looking stone did. Fai pouted. "Aw, no food?"

Josh's eyes widened. He picked up the stone and fingered it, almost reverently. "Who on earth did Kole steal from to get his hands on this? No one has seen any of these in years!" There was a grudging respect in his voice.

"...Uh...what is it? I thought they were just painted stones. Kole usually randomly picks up normal pebbles and paints them. Or, I think he does...." Fai tilted his head, confused.