"Yin,
I don't want to hear it." "But Master Yo-" "I
don't want to hear it." "Please reconsider-" "NO,
YIN." Yin had woken up and Yang had harshly broken the news to
her. She was frustrated near out of her mind with him and Master
Yo.
"How could you do
that to him?!" she demanded, though yelling made her lungs ache
even more than they already did. "He loved me!" "Yin,
you don't understand-" "All I understand is that I
understand that you don't understand that I understand!" "I
didn't understand any of that," Yang cut in. "SHUT UP!"
she screamed at him. "This is for your own good," Master Yo
vainly tried to calm her down. "You'll see what I mean when
you're older."
She sat up
defiantly though pain shot through her like a bullet. "You
didn't even give him a chance!" "Lay back down right now,
young lady!" "NO! Not until you listen!" Master Yo
stifled a sigh. 'She won't listen to reason when she gets like
this...' "Fine, I'll listen. But don't think that changes
anything." 'Fine,' she thought. 'I'll take whatever I can
get.'
"Can you even
imagine what it's like to live all by yourself every day? With no
friends or family or anything to live for but someone you love but
can't be with?" "And he doesn't deserve any of that because
he's EVIL," Yang put in dryly. "No he's not!" she
protested. "If it weren't for him I'd be dead right now! I owe
my life to him!" That got her sensei's attention. "What?"
His surprised tone confused Yin. "Didn't Yang tell
you?"
"No," he
answered, shocked. "He said he saved you all by himself."
Then he glared at Yang. "He also said he saw Yuck hand you over
to the wolves himself." Yang averted his gaze awkwardly. "Yang!
How could you lie like that?!" "I did it for you, sis.
Don't you see how dangerous Yuck is?" She didn't listen to him.
"Master Yo, Yang lied about everything! That's not how it
happened at all!" The panda still had a steady glare fixed on
Yang.
"Yang? Care to tell
me the truth?" His tone was that scary sort of calm again. Yang
knew he was in trouble. He sighed in defeat. "Yuck woke me up
that morning and handed me a note from the wolves saying they'd taken
Yin in the middle of the night , while we were asleep. He was more
than ready to go and save her himself, even at the risk of his own
life. I only came along because I didn't trust him. He could've been
there faster if I hadn't come. I'm sorry I lied, Master Yo. I don't
think he's really that bad anymore..." Yang hung his head in an
attempt to avoid his teacher's furious gaze.
There
was a long, tense silence. Then Master Yo ordered, "Go find
him." "What?" Yang looked back up just in time to see
him open the door at the other end of the room. "Go find Yuck
and bring him back here NOW," he repeated. "In your stupid
face Yang!" Yin jeered. "And you lay back down right now!"
Master Yo snapped. She obeyed. "Anyway Yang, I need a word with
him." "Okay..." Yang muttered, inching his way out the
door.
An hour or two later...
Yang
had been trekking through the leaves and foliage for some time, and
been bitten by more than a few mosquitoes. He was heading straight
for Yuck's cave but hadn't seen hide or hair of him yet. "Yuck!"
he called. "Are you out here?!" There was no answer. Soon
he came to the cave but it was deserted. He called louder, "YUCK!
WHERE ARE YOU?! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" "Over here..." a
faint, echoed voice came from a distance.
He
hurried toward the voice without hesitation, nearly tripping over a
few tree roots in his haste. It wasn't long until he found Yuck
sitting up in a tall tree at the edge of the forest. It distantly
overlooked the lake in the east and the town in the farther north. He
seemed lost in thought.
"Yuck,
Master Yo sent me to find you. He needs to talk to you, Yang
explained between tired breaths. Yuck's gaze didn't move. "Why?"
"He didn't tell me why but if I'm not back there with you right
now I'll be scrubbing the whole dojo for months! Get down from
there!" For a moment he gave no response.
"How
did she take it?" he asked lifelessly after a moment. "What?
Oh that. She's real pissed at me and Master Yo but she wants to see
you again." Yuck almost winced. "I can't." "Can't
what?" "I can't see her." Yang slapped his
forehead.
"I thought you
said you loved her!" "That's why I can't ever see her
again..." His voice cracked a little. Yang's patience was
dangerously thin. "We don't have time for this! I'll drag you
all the way to town if I have to!" he threatened. And he meant
it. Yuck heaved a sigh after a moment and half-climbed, half-fell
down the tree. "Fine. I'll go."
A while later, at the hospital...
Yuck
halfheartedly dragged himself down the hall to the room Yin was in.
Yang almost had to shove him through the door. Yin was lying awake in
bed and Master Yo was leaning against a wall on the opposite side of
the room. He glared at Yang once more. "What took you so long?"
"He moved like a slug on a turtle's back the whole way!"
Yang complained. "He's a total wreck!" "He can still
hear you, Yang," Yuck retorted, a hint of resentment in his
tone.
"Oh good. You CAN
still talk." Yang rolled his eyes. "Yang, shut up. You're
in enough trouble already," Master Yo reminded him. "And
Yuck," he went on, "I apologize. I didn't get the real
story until after you left. YANG." He shot a furious glance at
his student. "It's fine..." Another passive answer from
Yuck. "I would've done the same thing..."
Yin
gave him a concerned look. "Yuck? Are you okay? You don't sound
like yourself." He avoided her gaze and shrugged. "But
don't think this doesn't change anything," Master Yo put in.
"What do you mean?" He looked up at him and raised an
eyebrow, puzzled. "Yuck, how would you like to enlist as a
student in our dojo?" Master Yo offered, to Yin's delight and
Yang's obvious dismay.
Yuck
was surprised too. "But the only money I have is stolen..."
he admitted. Yang laughed out loud mockingly. " HA, HA, HA.
"It's for free then." Yang's smile disappeared. "Then
I'm in." "Welcome to the team. You'll be going back to the
dojo with Yang and me in a few minutes. Oh, but, do us all a favor
and take a good long shower when we get there..." he
added.
"Can do, Master
Yo," he nodded. "Good. I'll give you and Yin a moment
alone." With that, he dragged Yang out of the room and shut the
door. Once again Yuck turned to face Yin. She was sitting up now,
smiling sweetly at him. He sat down on the bed next to her. "I'm
sorry I didn't say goodbye, Yin. I didn't want to see you upset."
"It's okay, Yuck," she soothed. "But I never got to
thank you for saving me..." She blushed a tiny bit. "Anytime."
He gingerly put an arm around her and she leaned her head on his
shoulder. "So I guess you're my boyfriend now, huh?" "Guess
so," he shrugged. "I just hope your brother doesn't kill me
for it..."
"Oh don't
worry about him. He'll get used to this," she tried to reassure
him. "I think he's just jealous 'cause there's another guy in my
life now." "Maybe..." He hoped he sounded more sure
than he felt. "Well anyway you should get going. You really need
that shower," she teased, and kissed him on the cheek. "Right."
He stood up. "I'll come by and see you tomorrow, if Master Yo
lets me," he offered. "That'd be great. 'Bye Yuck."
"Get some rest. I'll see you." He left the room, and gently
closed the door behind him.
Well there's the happy ending! I may write another story or two, and if so, they'll probably include my OCs.