Egg-Sitting
It was quiet in the forest that morning. A breeze rustled the
leaves of some Kanji bushes and a small swarm of Aoi beetles
flitted among the pinkish blossoms. Every so often, a furry
tailed Chairo would dart out into the open spaces, pick around
the underbrush, then dart back into the shadows. Only these
sounds of nature echoed against the silence.
"Ha ha ha ha!" The ringing laughter of a child burst through the
air. The swarm of Aoi beetles buzzed in confusion before flying
off in several different directions. One of the Chairos, startled
by the unusual occurrence, scampered quickly into the underbrush,
chattering its disapproval.
A somewhat undersized and dirty green hand popped up from behind
a moldy log. The hand gripped the deadwood tightly, knuckles
turning pale green. It's match quickly followed suit. Another
bout of laughter swept through the forest as a bald, green head
rose from behind the fallen tree.
A pair of knobby-tipped antennae appeared, then a set of brow
ridges and large, dark-irised eyes. The eyes slid their gaze to
the left, then the right, then back to the left. Apparently
satisfied with the state of his surroundings, the owner of the
various body parts leapt up and over the log, landing on the
other side. Antennae still bobbing, he grinned at his newfound
territory.
It was a Namek-jin child. He appeared to be eight or so, not
slender but beginning to lose the chubbiness of young childhood.
His white robe was smudged with dirt and his orange vest had
leaves sticking to it. He didn't seem concerned with these
things, however, as he wiped his grubby hands on his clothes. He
turned around and leaned over the log. On the other side, the
ground cut away to a deep incline.
Half-way down the slope, another child hung by his fingertips
from an outcropping. He looked none too happy.
The first child shouted down the cliff. "Katatsu, you
ankle-biter, you're never gonna keep up! Why doncha give
already?"
Katatsu, younger and still round with baby fat, was much shorter
than his companion. Which was unfortunate, since the hill didn't
provide many foot-holds. His stubby legs swung back and forth. He
glared at his companion and bared his fangs. "I'm not an
ankle-biter, Mushi! And I can keep up! Just wait till I learn
to fly..."
Mushi laughed. "You're not gonna learn hanging off the cliff like
that!"
Katatsu just growled. He stretched his right hand up toward
another hand-hold. He had almost gripped it when the left
hand-hold gave way. Katatsu squealed in panic and latched onto a
scraggly bush growing out of the incline. He kicked his feet
frantically to find some purchase. The bush began to pull out of
the soil, unable to support his weight.
"Mushi! Help!" Katatsu screamed. His face scrunched up in horror
and tears began forming in his eyes.
Mushi's grin quickly fled. He squeezed himself between the log
and the edge of the cliff. Holding on to the stump of a branch,
he stretched his hand toward Katatsu. He wasn't able to reach. He
scooted farther over the edge, inching closer. But even as he
tried, the bush came out and sent Katatsu tumbling down.
"Katatsu!"
Katatsu screamed again as he slid down the incline, dislodging
dirt and rocks along the way.
The fall lasted about three seconds. He landed with a grunt,
facedown in the grass. A rain of sharp gravel plunked onto his
head. Mushi climbed over the edge of the incline and skidded down
the five foot slope. He got a few scrapes but his only concern
was his friend. He knelt next to Katatsu.
"Katatsu? You okay?" he asked, lightly poking his friend's
arm.
Katatsu groaned and his eyes fluttered open. "Yes, I think so."
He stopped talking long enough to spit out the blades of grass
stuck in his teeth. He blinked away the lingering dust, then
stared at something a few inches away.
In front of him was a Kanji bush. And under it there was a basket
with something white in it.
Mushi shook Katatsu's shoulder when the young Namek-jin didn't
continue. "Hey, are you still alive? You'd better be 'cause I'm
not carryin' you back!"
"I am," answered Katatsu excitedly, "but I found something!"
"Huh?"
Katatsu sat up and reached under the bush. He brought out a torn,
weather-beaten basket. The white thing he had seen turned out to
be an egg. The ivory oval was nestled in the dirty lining.
Katatsu whispered in awe, "Look, Mushi! Do you think it's...
Namek-jin?"
"I don't know," said Mushi. He took the basket and examined it,
one eye ridge raised. "It looks kinda old. But... it does look
like the basket old Kagyu took into Makiga's house, when he had
his egg."
Katatsu's mouth dropped open. He wailed, "Somebody abandoned
their egg! It's terrible!"
"Hush," scolded Mushi. He looked the egg over, it didn't seemed
to be damaged at all. Then he smiled. "Well, we're gonna have to
take care of it then!"
"Us?" Katatsu asked, his already large eyes getting larger. "How
are we going to take care of it? We're too young. I think we
should take it to Elder Kagyu."
Mushi grimaced at the suggestion. "Come on, Katatsu. What if he
gives it back to whoever left it here? 'Sides, we rescued it, it
belongs to us now."
Katatsu scratched his head over that. But his young mind couldn't
follow it, so he decided that the older Namek-jin must know what
he was doing.
The two children got up and started toward their village. Mushi
carried the egg, his arms wrapped protectively around the basket.
Only a moment or so later, they heard a terrible screeching
sound. The two halted and looked back over their shoulders.
A giant bird, as large as Mushi, with shiny black feathers and
reddish eyes, dove at them from the sky. It screeched again. Its
jagged edged beak snapped at them and its talons flexed
menacingly.
Mushi and Katatsu screamed in fright and ran... in two
directions.
Mushi ducked into a mass of vines hanging from the branches of
willowy trees just as the bird flew past. Katatsu veered off
towards a roughly circular area of yellow and blue flowers.
"Katatsu, where are ya goin' ya ankle-biter?" Mushi shouted when
Katatsu was making headway into the unprotected clearing, the
bird readying another assault. "Get back over here, I'm not gonna
be the one to tell Old Kagyu you got eaten by a lousy
buzzard!"
When his friend apparently didn't or wouldn't hear him, Mushi
grunted in annoyance and relinquished his hiding spot. Tucking
the egg under one arm, he ran to Katatsu. He snatched the back of
Katatsu's vest and pulled the younger Namek-jin down. The bird
swooped over their heads.
It screeched again in rage and banked sharply as it climbed
higher into the sky.
Mushi pushed off the ground into a run, dragging his friend along
as fast as he could. Katatsu managed to contribute some actual
momentum when he didn't stumble over his own feet. Another
screech and the two practically dove into the vines Mushi had
vacated earlier.
They were rewarded with the sound of furious wing-flapping and
frantic cawing as the bird got tangled their cover.
Mushi panted, beads of sweat rolling down his face. Katatsu was
also panting but managed to smile at his savior. "Th... thank
you... Mushi..."
Mushi's mouth slanted and he smacked Katatsu lightly on the back
of his head. "If you're gonna follow me into the forest, at least
learn where to run if somethin' is after ya."
Katatsu rubbed his head silently, frowning apologetically.
"....." Mushi shot his friend a disgusted look. Finally, he said,
"Let's go home."
~ ~ ~
At the village, Mushi and Katatsu snuck around behind the houses,
tip-toeing from shadow to shadow, until they reached the back of
Mushi's hut. Setting the basket on the ground, Mushi peeked into
the nearest window. He saw a messy room, with an unmade sleeping
mat and objects scattered everywhere. He searched the room for
any signs of life.
"What are you doing, Mushi?" Katatsu asked, rather loudly.
"Shh!" Mushi hissed. He clapped a hand over Katatsu's mouth.
"Look, this is my room. I'm gonna open the window and put the egg
inside somewhere, ok?"
Katatsu nodded. "Ok," he mumbled against Mushi's hand.
"While I'm doin' that, you go knock on the door and talk to my
dad so he won't notice, ok?"
Katatsu nodded again. Mushi removed his hand and gave Katatsu a
little push. The younger Namek-jin trotted off around the curve
of the hut. Mushi reached up to the window and slowly opened it.
He had it about half-way when Katatsu trotted back. Katatsu asked
in a serious voice, "What do I talk to him about?"
"Grr... I don't care!" Mushi said, baring his fangs to show his
annoyance. His arms were stretched over his head, still holding
the window open. "Anything! Ask him about farmin' or something."
Katatsu considered that, then grinned. "Ok."
He trotted around to the front of the house and stared in awe at
the door, which seemed very large to him. A bit timidly, he
knocked on it. A Namenk-jin dressed in a tan vest answered his
summons and looked down at him.
The older Namek-jin smiled warmly. "Katatsu! What are you doing
here? And where is Mushi? I thought you two were out exploring
today?"
"Uh..." Katatsu clasped his hands and made an unsteady bow.
"Hello, elder brother. Um... Mushi is... coming..... I
think."
"Oh?" The elder looked around to see if he could spot the child.
"He knows better than to leave you alone. I'll have to speak with
him about this."
Mushi, meanwhile, had discovered an unfortunate snag to his plan.
His window would not stay open when he let go. He glanced around
for something to prop it with, but the grounds were free of any
twigs or limbs. He muttered something about neat-freaks and tried
to think of another solution.
"Yes... Do you... mmm..." Katatsu was having troubles of his own.
Mushi's suggestion had somehow escaped his memory, leaving his
mind blank on what to do. He grabbed the sides of his robe and
twisted the cloth.
The older Namek-jin returned his attention to the child. He
looked at Katatsu, curious. "What it is, Katatsu? Did you need
something?"
"I need another plan," Mushi mumbled to himself. He hoped Katatsu
would be able to keep his father busy a little while longer. He
looked at the window, then at the basket, then back at the
window. A grin slowly spread across his face.
He stepped over to the basket and picked it up. He deposited it
next to the hut, just under the window. Mushi then reached up and
pushed the glass open. With one hand, he held the window in
position and, with the other, pulled himself onto the sill. Once
situated, he continued to hold the window with his left hand and
stretched toward the basket with his right.
"Hmm..." Katatsu tugged on his nectu. It seemed to have suddenly
gotten very warm and the cloth almost felt like it was choking
him. His hand, still dirty from the climb earlier, tainted the
white fabric.
Mushi's father frowned, then bent down to the child's level. He
gripped Katatsu's shoulder and turned him slightly from side to
side. "Katatsu! Look at you! You're covered in dirt. And
scratches!" He gently touched one of small purple lines by
Katatsu's chin, which had been caused by his tumble. The elder's
frown deepened. "Elder Kagyu will have my hide for this!"
Tiny beads of sweat rolled down Mushi's skin. His fingertips were
an inch away from the handle of the basket. He was almost
overbalanced, leaning dangerously outward. His other arm was
stretched up at an angle to keep the window open.
"Just a little more..." he grunted. His fingers brushed the
handle. With a slight push forward, he managed to grab the
basket. Feeling he was about to tip, he pulled with his other
hand, using the window as leverage. Except he pulled too
hard...
A loud thudding came from inside the hut, followed by the sound
of something slamming shut. Mushi's father looked back, wondering
what it was and Katatsu chose that moment to start crying.
"I... I didn't mean to..." His face crumpled into one of childish
dismay. The tears trailed down his face, causing dirt to change
into mud.
The older Namek-jin turned back to Katatsu. His expression
immediately became concerned. He leaned forward and wiped away
the tears. "Katatsu, it will be all right. Elder Kagyu
understands you're a child. No need to cry."
Katatsu continued crying. He opened one eye a very little bit,
looked at the elder, then decided to bawl a bit more loudly.
"But... but you... you said Elder Kagyu would be mad at you!
That... that he... w-would..."
"Hush, Katatsu," the elder said, sorry that he had let that
statement slip. "Really, you shouldn't take things so literally.
He'll be be upset but he won't stay that way. And he wouldn't do
anything, I'm sure the worst he'll do is give you a bath!"
"Geez, dad, whaddya say to him?" asked Mushi as he came around
the curve of the hut. He looked at Katatsu, wide-eyed at the
amount of noise his friend was making. He rubbed the small bump
on his head, wishing Katatsu would stop because it made his head
throb even worse.
The elder sighed. He gave his own child a thorough study and
replied, "The same thing I'm going to say to you, Mushi. You're
both filthy. Go inside and get washed."
"Ok, dad." Mushi smiled at Katatsu and winked.
Katatsu amazingly stopped crying at that point. He smiled at
Mushi's father. "I'm ok now."
The elder looked from one child to the other and raised an eye
ridge. Mushi stepped behind his father, smiled, then dashed
inside. Katatsu tried to go inside as well, not entirely certain
he wanted to find out Elder Kagyu's reaction, but the elder
stopped him. "Oh no. You go home to Elder Kagyu. One dirty child
is enough."
"Go on, Katatsu," Mushi said, peering around the doorframe. "You
can come back tomorrow!"
"Mushi..." his father gave him a warning look.
"Uh... I mean if it's ok with the Elder and my dad!" He grinned,
then rushed off to his bath.
Katatsu glanced up at Mushi's father and decided he had to obey.
Bowing quickly, he set off to his own home.
~ ~ ~
Katatsu returned early the next day. With a quick bow and
greeting to Mushi's father, he hopped into Mushi's room to help
out with their new discovery. Mushi had the basket sitting on a
low table, a new light blue cloth had been added to replace the
old lining. The strong light of Ichi reflected off the ivory
shell. The two young Namek-jin sat in front of the table and
puzzled over the egg a bit, wondering just what they should be
doing now.
"Do you think it's... it's not going to hatch?" Katatsu asked,
scooting closer to the table. He put his hands on the table-top
and peered into the basket.
"Nah..." Mushi stood and leaned over the egg. He tapped the shell
with his fingertip, then pressed his ear against it. "I can hear
something inside, moving. It's not dead."
Katatsu sat down on Mushi's sleeping mat. He clutched a corner of
the blanket and yawned. "When is it going to hatch, then?"
"I don't know," Mushi said, a bit exasperated. "I've never had an
egg before! We'll just have to wait."
Mushi sat next to Katatsu. He crossed his arms and stared at the
basket. Katatsu yawned again. An Aoi beetle that somehow had
managed to get into the hut buzzed around. The pair watched the
egg for about five minutes.
"Is it going to hatch now?"
"Katatsu!" Mushi scowled at his friend.
"Mushi! Katatsu! What are you two doing in there?" A voice called
through the door followed by a gentle knock.
"Uh... nothing, Dad!" Mushi scrambled off the mat and dashed
around the room, trying to find something to cover the basket up
with. He tried a tunic, but it only covered the egg. The basket
was still visible. He flung the tunic off and tried a robe. It
was larger, but not large enough. Finally, he spied the mat and
grinned. He grabbed the blanket and pulled, sending Katatsu
rolling off. Then he threw the blanket over the basket.
Perfect!
"Oh?" Mushi's father opened the door and peeked inside.
Mushi and Katatsu just smiled innocently. "Uh huh. Why don't you
two come to the fields with me today? I could use some assistance
with my progress reports."
Katatsu bounded up to the older Namek-jin, excited to be invited
along on an "adult" outing. The egg was conveniently forgotten.
"Will you show us the test plots!?"
Mushi rolled his eyes and groaned.
The elder laughed. "If you want to. But you'll both have to be on
your best behavior."
"We promise! Right, Mushi?" Katatsu turned to his friend, eyes
bright.
Mushi shot a glare at Katatsu. "Sure..."
The two were bundled off to the fields, leaving the egg alone,
buried under the blanket. Mushi tried several excuses to hurry
his father or to get him to send them back to the hut, though he
stopped short of any actual mischief. His latest attempt was to
complain of hunger. Of course, Katatsu wasn't helping any.
Mushi's father knelt down next to a grey-blue plant that was tied
to a stake. Several pearl-like spheres hung from it's tiny
branches. He took a while measuring the berries, the stems, the
leaves. He alternated the task with scratching down the findings
on a silvery sheet.
"What is it?" Katatsu asked. He poked one of the berries, which
responded by swaying back and forth.
"It doesn't really have a name," replied the elder, smiling.
"It's a new hybrid. But if we're lucky, it will something we can
use to make sweets with."
"Speaking of sweets..." Mushi decided to chime in. He was getting
frustrated with the outing and wanted to get back to his
egg.
"Mushi!" his father said. He gave Mushi a displeased glance. "We
haven't been out here that long. Try to have a little
patience."
They did not return until much later. Mushi quickly excused
himself and Katatsu. When they went to his room, they found the
blanket on the floor and the basket empty.
"Oh no!" Mushi ran over to the basket. It was full of broken
eggshells. "I knew it! The egg hatched and we weren't
here!"
Katatsu was near panic. "What are we going to do! The baby is
lost!"
"Quiet!" Mushi commanded. "I... we'll... think of... something..."
Just then, they hard a shout from outside the hut. They both ran
out the door and to the back of the house. They found Mushi's
father bending over a ruined garden.
"Look at this mess," he shook his head. "My garden... all my work
this season, gone!"
Katatsu tugged on Mushi's sleeve and whispered, "Do you think the
baby did it?"
"I don't know," Mushi hissed. "But we better find it before
something else happens."
While his father was distracted by his lost garden, the two ran
off. As they went, they found more ruined gardens and flower
beds. Villagers were gathered around, trying to figure out what
had happened.
Mushi and Katatsu just followed the trail of destruction until
the came across something strange. It looked like a big, purple,
bumpy skinned creature with a beak. The two stopped and stared at
it.
"Mushi... is that... our baby?"
Mushi appeared thoughtful for a moment, then beamed. "Of course!"
Katatsu looked at the creature in disbelief. "It doesn't look
like a Namek-jin."
"That's because it's not," Mushi said as he neared the creature.
"It must be a baby bird. I'm gonna keep him as a pet."
"Huh?"
"I know," he continued as he patted it on the head while it
crooned, "I'll name it Umi!"
"Mushi!" Katatsu said in shock, "You can't name it that!"
"Why not?"
"Because... you... you just can't!"
Mushi just shrugged. "Let's get him back to my house. He
shouldn't be hungry since he ate just about every garden."
Mushi and Katatsu picked up the bird and headed back. They snuck
around the back, trying to do what they did before, except both
of them had to struggle to get the chick inside. Once they were
both inside, they saw they weren't alone.
"I wondered where that eggshell came from and what got into the
gardens," said Mushi's father.
The two looked a bit guilty, knowing they had let a wild animal
loose in the village.
"I think we'd better return this chick to its rightful
place."
"But Papa..." Mushi protested. But he gave in. The three took the
bird back to where the egg was found. The mother bird, which had
attacked them in the beginning, was persuaded to accept the
chick. Then, they returned home.
"Well, the chick is back now but you two still have to admit what
you did and make up for it," Mushi's father said.
The two looked at each other in concern. They spent the next few
weeks helping all those whose gardens were ruined to
replant.
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