(Part 8)

(Day 15)

"Come on, get up your highness. All of you!" Heber shook Kenzo and Poseidon along with Xavier and Cassiel.

"We might get late or else." Cassiel added.

Kenzo yawning stretched his arms beside Helios who blinked drowsily.

"Is everything ready…?" Seraph inquired heading towards the waterfall washing his face.

Azazel yawning stood up. The thirteen of them getting ready collected the materials. "Pick up the herbs basket Azazel, Ezekiel will carry the fish one and Feng will…" Helios distributed their tasks.

"Huh?! Why me? Those carps stink! I'll die before even stepping on the mountain!" Ezekiel interrupted sickened. "No captain, I won't do it." he rejected hiding behind Poseidon.

Helios twitched his brow.

"Forget it. I'll carry them." Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"But, who will carry that bee hive if you carry those?" Feng pointed at the sealed basket inside which buzzing of bees was clearly heard. (Since, only those thirteen and Alan alongside God knows, how they got their hands on it… Seriously! Even this author sighs…) 

"Then I'll do it." Helios said. "Kenzo will take care of the poison ivy and the wood pecker while everyone will pick their own stuff too…" he tasked.

"By the way, where's Alan?" Adam looked around.

"Maybe he left?" Ryan assumed.

"Leave him be. He might've ran off after we slept." Kenzo uttered.

One by one, the boys left the cave and headed towards the mountain top. "It feels weird to see this place empty." Xavier whispered.

Heber nodded picking his stuff up, "You're right. Living here for so long. I feel quiet attached to this place."

"Come on, stop getting sentimental. We'll come back here when night falls like usual." Cassiel told.

"You're right…" Xavier smiled. "But for some reason…" he thought slightly perturbed as a voice barged in. "Hurry up, all of you we are running late." Seraph called.

"Come, come let's go. They're waiting." Cassiel hurried. Xavier standing up patted Heber's back leaving. 

Climbing the top a little while later Ryan clicked his tongue annoyed, "Tch. What's the point of bringing so many things alongside us when we have to take them all back?"

"Who knows what's wrong with that crazy old hag?" Gabriel gritted.

"I just wonder what are we supposed to do with all this?" Poseidon pondered.

"Don't tell me we are going to run around the whole forest carrying these?!" Feng freaked.

Kenzo annoyed shook his head, "Keep these good luck charms to yourself. Don't distribute them to everyone else."

"Moreover, we couldn't find live falling snow. Even if we collect it. It's going to turn into normal water. Just thinking about it is senseless!!" Ezekiel uttered, "Don't tell me we'll get a penalty for it?"

Xavier sighed, "Who knows… but the weather…" he looked at the sky.

"It feels like it might snow." Kenzo added. "

Yeah, maybe we can catch it afterwards or maybe if it snows?" Seraph assumed.

"Geez~ Sera, Sera~ I am dead tired…" Adam cried carrying his stuff and bottles of mud and river water too.

"Last night was just hell. I don't want today to be one too." Azazel shrugged.

"Yeah! Thanks to catching those bees. I got stung real bad. Thanks goodness we had the ointment with us." Cassiel looked at his right arm which was sore and red.

"It doesn't hurt too much or does it?" Seraph asked worried.

"Nah~ I am fine. Even Alan got hurt pretty bad yesterday. I worry about him more." Cassiel replied.

"Yeah, now that I remember. His hands got pricked pretty badly yesterday plucking those wild roses." Xavier remembered.

"Tch, it's not that we told him to do so." Kenzo rolled his eyes.

"That's bad. He was trying to help us wasn't he? Moreover, he didn't had a choice." Adam complained.

"Adam's right. We should ask him how he is feeling now." Heber added.

Reaching the top, Alan and Nidou stood before them. "And, here we go…" Ezekiel raised the red flag stepping in for the same hellish day to continue once again.The thirteen of them keeping the materials aside stretched their bodies.

"I am dead…" Feng laid straight on the ground beside Azazel and Adam.

"Me too…" Adam concurred.

"Keep the list's stuff on the right side with ours on the left. Don't mix them." Xavier advised.

Nidou glancing called, "Hey you little freaks! Gather up."

The thirteen of them standing before him waited. "Haiz…" Nidou sighed, "So you all bought all the stuff back hun?" "What if I say now take all of them back?" he snickered mischievously.

Alan looking at them, ruffled the rabbit's fur amused. The thirteen of them unfazed, were not even surprised by his words anymore. "Then, we'll take them back. Not that we can do about it or can we?" Ryan replied blatant.

Nidou eyeing the thirteen of them one by one suddenly guffawed, "HAHA! Haha!! Haha!" His voice resounding around. Alan rolled his eyes while the boys looked at each other bland.

"But let me tell you clearly we didn't get our hands on live falling snow. Collect it if you think it's falling somewhere here." Gabriel uttered sarcastic.

"Haha… cough! Cough." Nidou wiped his tears, "Good, good. So you've finally adapted to this lifestyle hun." "To bad… it won't last forever." he whispered ignoring Gabriel's words.

The thirteen of them confused looked at each other. "What do you mean?" Kenzo inquired.

Nidou twitched his brow irritated, "What do you mean by what do you mean? Do you want to stay here for the rest of your lives, you twerps?!"\

Helios surprised uttered, "Does that mean…" "Were leaving?!" Ezekiel added full of life.

"We're going back home?" Adam blushed joyously.

"Of course you all are." Alan replied, "What is it… happy?"

As if discharged from a prison sentence. The boys dumbstruck looked at each other. Unable to collect their joy nor thankfulness they instead embraced each other. 

"Haha! We're going back home!!" Feng cheered hugging Xavier while Adam squished Ryan like a sand bag.

"We did it captain! We're going back!!" Azazel blushed as Heber ruffled his hairs overjoyed.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kenzo sighed relived.

"Good for us." Poseidon murmured as Helios smiled.

"Your training is complete and you're all heading back to the base again. The skills and abilities with strength and techniques have reached to the point where you can…" Nidou spoke instantly halting, thinking hard.

Alan blinked.

"Where you can… um… stand in front of the highschoolers… without getting embarrassed or ashamed of yourselves… I guess?" Nidou continued audaciously.

Hearing him the boys stood offended. "Ah~ is that so hun?" Kenzo uttered vexed, veins bulging over his forehead. "How kind of you to say that." Ryan twitched his brow.

"But, why did we have to bring all these useless stuff with us?" Ezekiel pointed at the list's item.

Nidou smirked, "You're all going back. Won't you give your hosts their souvenirs?"

Xavier gasped, "Does that mean?!"

"Seriously, these things are for the highschoolers and Rauf!? They might travel to moon and then land back on earth once the see poison ivy and mud inside." Ryan imagined the highschoolers reactions.

Gabriel amused chortled, "I specifically love the sound of that."

"Yes… indescribably eases my soul too." Seraph added.

"Don't tell me you were also part of the crazy group Sera, Sera?" Adam asked speechless. Seraph ruffled his hairs caringly. Alan smiled.

Suddenly, deafening flutter of propelling wings was heard as the trees swayed harshly. Kenzo squinting his eyes traced the sight of two helicopters before them. One landing on the plain ground while the other flew in midair.

"Haha!" Adam gleamed joyously tugging Ryan from his shoulders.

"All right, all of you pick up your luggage and squeeze inside!" Nidou ordered climbing up, in one of them.

"Looks like we'll have to go half-half." Azazel turned to the others.

"Yeah, we have a lots of stuff too." Heber added.

"Seven, seven in each are fine. See who fits." Helios suggested.

The thirteen of them nodding picked their stuff up. Azazel climbing first Helios, Cassiel, Ryan, Seraph, Adam and Ezekiel followed behind. 

Alan seeing them climb safely traced the sight of the little rabbit who hopped down his shoulder. Alan surprised crouched before him. "What's the matter? Scared? Or do you finally want to go back home little one?" he patted his fur.

The rabbit squinting his eyes stepped ahead. "Haha… go now. Go back home." Alan waved lovingly.

Xavier glancing sat beside him, "Freeing him?"

Alan shaking his head whispered, "I never caught him. Not even once. His freedom solely belongs to him."

"Come on, Xavier! You multi-haired rascal!" Kenzo called from the helicopter.

Xavier patting the rabbit one last time stood up heading back. Alan too following behind hopped on the helicopter after Xavier.

"All set, Captain?" Azazel asked from the helicopter before.

"Yup." Kenzo replied.

The wings propelling counter clockwise. The helicopter flew up. Alan looking below tried to trace the sight. All of a sudden something clutched his hairs tightly pulling it back.

He tumbled, "Wha?!"