Animation Source Forums

Rue heard Setsuko behind her, and continued into the cave.

Setsuko halted after walking about 15 feet into the unusually shaped cave. Glancing around, nothing was to be seen rather than the eerie glow of the tunnels, with which she tried to avoid eye contact. "What do we do now?" She whispered to Rue.

Rue's brown eyes serached for any sign of Ayumu being near. 'We wait?" she said uncertainly.

Setsuko glanced at her, and then straight ahead, unsure of what to do.

A silent moment went by, only Rue and Setsuko's breathing breaking teh silence. "Is Ayumu even going to show up?" she asked after a few more moments.

"I don't---" Setsuko began, but broke off as she saw a shadow begin to materialized further down the tunnel. She squinted, trying to get a better look at the seemingly distant shape.

Rue's enhanced vision gave her a better view, but she was still unable to make it out.

The figure came closer. At last, in all her anticipation, Setsuko was able to see who it was. "Ayumu," She murmured. The spirit nodded curtly in greeting. "Setsuko, Rue. Welcome back. What brings you to the Caverns of Life this time?" Setsuko glanced sideways at Rue, unsure of what to say.

"Well, uh," Rue began uncertainly. "We uh, think we figured the task out."

"Oh?" Replied Ayumu, a flash of amusement and curiosity shining in his black eyes. "What do you think of it, then?"

"WE think we were, supposed to learn from eachother," Rue said, rather uncomfortably. She wished Setsuko would talk.

Setsuko nodded hastily. "See..." She began, "When we first met you, I thought you might be related to Wong Shi Tong, the knowledge spirit...that is, if spirits can be related." "Ahhh!" Ayumu interrupted. "You've met my cousin, have you?" Setsuko developed a sudden interest in her shoes. "Erm...no, but my parents have," She explained. "And anyway, after thinking about that for a while, I had a dream. In it my parents came and told me to learn. I wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but then later Rue and I where out exploring and we suddenly started seeing a new passage for dreams..." "The Breeze of Sleep," "Yeah, that, with the wind, and we realized that we must have been simply learning from each other the whole time." Setsuko glanced at Rue, unable to meet Ayumu's glittering black eyes.

Rue, unable to meet Ayumu's eyes, started to trace cracks with her brown eyes in the rocky cave floor.

Ayumu nodded slowly. "You have done well," he said. Setsuko glanced up in surprise. She wouldn't have expected it to have been this easy.

Rue's tensed muscles relaxed at those words, and she looked up.