章 26: Finish what you started...

..."I'm prefect" she smiled to assure him.

"Follow me." She wore the shoe she had been holding as she led the way to the stairs.

"OK you need to be careful, when I created these stairs I wasn't thinking big." Or anyone else for that matter.

"You did this?"

"You bet, now onward soldier." she pointed the torch in front of them.

"Do I need to ask why you did these and how?"

"Why? You'd see. How? I used a shovel for the sand, hammer for the rocks, a sledge hammer and thanks to the water, it wasn't that hard, I had quite a lot of blisters and pain but it was worth it?"

"So many sides to you Tale."

"Right back at you Su."

They got down to the edge of the stream and she bent down to scoop up some water.

"It's so cold."

"It should be. Don't tell me you came all the way here for some cold water."

"We have to pull our shoes here, I'm thinking that might be your Christmas shoe and I'd still want it looking new and shiny."

"How thoughtful."

"Look at this; this is what amazes me every time. I think it's some chemical that poured into the stream from above but talk about a bad thing gone right." She picked up a pebble and threw it in the water, purple light shone as the pebble hit the water.

She jumped up clapping her hands. "You try"

Talk about a happy sight. He bent and picked up a stone and threw it. This time it was a golden light.

"Oh my god! I get so excited every time."

She threw another and it was pink this time.

"I have no idea what it is but it's the best thing to happen to this place. I dream about building a tiny house just up the hill there with a window overlooking the stream and the waterfall.

"Who said you can't?"

"It's just a fantasy dream."

"What about---"

Water splashed on his face.

"Take that you stalker."

"It is on!" as he scooped up more water and threw it at her.

"My hair!"

She picked up a wood that seem to have fallen fresh off a tree but big enough to scoop water from the edge of the stream as Su Yan tried to take cover at the back of a small rock.

Water came crashing on his body wetting his shirt and hair.

"I win."

He got into the water himself this time and blue light shone with every step he took.

"Su Yan it's over! Come out." He didn't listen. She got into the water and silver light shown as she walked.

"You will lose." He told her.

"You won't win either. Take that!" she splashed more water on him as he did same. Different colors of light shone around them. In less than two minutes they were soaked and laughing

"What are we, children?" She said in between laughs.

The rocks under her feet slipped and her with it.

"Tale!" she was in the water but so was him. How did he get over that fast? He rose up with her on his chest

"I'm sorry..."

"It was worth it."

If she was fair skinned she would be turning red.

"Is this even safe, the water?"

"Yes, I think. I've been here a lot and I always… I mean it wasn't bad on my skin."

It was cold but she was sure that wasn't the reason she had goose bumps. He wasn't trying to let her go, she wasn't trying to move away either.

She touched his face then. "You look a little blue, no wait its pink now, green, oh lord its purple now!"

"What!"

She laughed." Gotcha! Now common, I made hot chocolate."

They both stood up completely soaked.

Her hair were flattened now.

"Follow me."

"Really, I thought you were going to carry me on your shoulder." He replied.

"Aw look who now has a sense of humor"

He was beginning to get a hang of it. All his life he had known how to always behave in a certain way. This free spirited sarcastic nature he was picking up, he didn't see it coming.

She got out the blanket she carried and ordered him to sit.

She set out her thermo and the cookies she had wrapped up. There was only one cup because she packed for one.

"So how exactly did you find this place?" If history is any indication, he knew finding out more about her was easier when she wasn't in full control.

"I wandered. I was bored of just seeing the regular. Quite frankly I'm surprised here isn't well known and talked about. It's so magical here. When we are done warming up I'd show you the best part."

He guessed as much what the best part was, but this was her territory.

She finished getting everything they needed out of her bag.

"Hold still" she was drying his face with the towel she brought along. She looked at him. "Don't look so surprised, you got wet because of me, although you followed me without informing me and scared the crap out of me so here you go."

"Finish what you started" he gave her a cunning smile.

She wiped hard on his neck trying to hurt him.

"You are going to have to go harder."

Pink tongue stuck out to his face.

She was beautiful, inside out.

Her hands was gentle to the touch, he was tempted to close his eyes while she held his face to dry his hair. Her hands settled on his scar. As she felt it she knew it ran deep and might have been no ordinary accident.

"How did you---, never mind".

The scar took nothing away from his beauty, if anything it made him look like a survivor, a warrior that had been marked with a scar of victory.

"It was a girl, a w 13oman. She was my first love, or so I thought"

"Or so you thought" she smiled as she handed him a steaming cup of hot chocolate. "Cookies dig in, and drink while it's hot and also try to keep the story up."

"Yes ma'am."