Return...
13: Culture Shock If anyone has ever known another world, whether in dreams or reality, then they know that even fantasies can be harsh and bloody. This, of all things, I had learned rather well, and also the lesson of friendship. To say the least, we did little upon our arrival on the soil of an unfamiliar turf, and after this long, I can recall little of it. However, I can remember that we had finally found a place to eat, and so we had done. Fang, of course, amazed the waitress with his ability to eat a five-inch thick, rare steak; a request, which she had scoffed at. Oh, to see the look on her face again! Afterward, we departed from the restaurant, laughing and chatting, as we had anywhere else. It then came up, through some conversation or another, that Fang had never gone to a swimming pool. Well, being the swimmer that I am, I was enthusiastic, and I suggested that we go and buy some swimsuits, then find the nearest pool. (We had, in truth, been in America, in a small town called Newberg, and thus my pound notes had been of no use, but once Fang had shown the waitress his coins- which he had an endless supply of- it became clear that we would never have to worry about money.) Of course, I felt bad about Fang having to pay for everything, and so it came to be that I was his tour guide, even in a place that was unfamiliar to myself! In this case, it seemed an excellent idea to go for a swim- something that would also give me a chance to bathe myself; at this point, both of us were, to say the least, fairly ripe. At the prospect of deep water in a concrete hole, filled with chlorine, Fang became instantly intrigued, as he often did. We set our pace more quickly, heading off for the nearest swimsuit shop. The glances of passersby made it a bit more difficult getting places, especially when Fang kept trying to attack the cars that passed us. Each time a vehicle zoomed by, he seemed to feel the need to yell after it, calling it "dragon" and things like that. Naturally, this made our progress much less sufficient. To make a rather tedious bit short, we spent about two hours searching for a shop, and once we found one, it was Fang that was more difficult to get swimwear for. I simply found a black one about my size, and was ready to go without trying it on, but Fang was fascinated by them, and kept going back in and out of the dressing rooms, each time sporting a new style. I couldn't help but stifle my laughter; the chubby man at the counter was clearly annoyed with the whole business. At long last, Fang swaggered from a nearby stall, grinning and clad only in a pair of brilliant blue swim trunks with black, tiger-like stripes. I didn't question this choice; it had been long enough all ready. We paid for the damn things and left quickly, I, still in my normal clothes, and Fang, sporting his lovely new boxers. Yes, we got many more odd looks on the way to the swimming pool, which the pudgy man at the counter had gladly directed us to. Although, I can't help but think that he was only trying to get rid of us. When we arrived at the brick building, the sun was as hot and cruel as ever it had been, so we were extremely happy to get inside, pay, and then head off to the locker rooms. "Why can't I go with you?" Fang asked, looking round my shoulder at the entrance to the girls' locker room. I sighed, carefully directing him to the men's one. "Because, Fuzzy, there are girls in there." I answered, ignoring the looks from a group of people at the reception counter. "So? You're a girl. I've seen girls before," he protested. It was quite cute, actually. I began to turn a deep red. "No, no, you don't seem to understand. There are naked girls in there." "Ah, I see," Fang said, turning a hue similar to mine. "I think I'll just head in the other way..." "We'll meet back in the pool, okay?" I called to him. However, it was too late; Fang had slipped away. I did the same. The water was cool and soothing, so my body absorbed the shock as the rush of water and frothy bubbles rose above my head, enshrouding my body. I floated, almost lifelessly, down to the bottom of the pool, thrusting my weight against the slippery tiled floor as I kicked off, the rush now going in the opposite direction. Beside me, Fang, was flipping about, graceful and strong as though he had been born of water. I surfaced, my long hair matted to my face, breathing hard. All around, the sounds and sights of people were clamorous, the constant throng of life beating in constant rhythm along the rafters. Fang soon broke the rippling surface, too, grinning in a way in which he hadn't for some time. Laughing childishly, he raised both arms and sent them smashing down on to the water, sending great tides spraying over my head, and the heads of those behind me. I splashed him back, feeling the sheer joy of my surroundings surge through my veins; an ancient feeling, from long before I could remember. Nonetheless, I was wholly aware of it, and I laughed, too, diving back beneath the water. I could hear Fang plunging back in, too, trailing behind me at first, in gentle strokes, and then leading the way, glancing back at me every second or two. He was fast, and in much better shape than I, but I followed him closely in any case. Soon, however, he was out of sight, lost in a sea of lower abdomens and kicking legs, a sea which was thick and nearly impenetrable. My heart thrumming, I broke the surface, gasping for air, my eyes searching frantically for Fang. "Boo!'' A teenage girl popped up before me, smiling wryly. Her eyes were a piercing blue, expectant and cold. Her hair was black and wavy, clinging to her body. I then recognized her, though her hair was no longer wavy and orange, and she looked a bit like she had in the flower shop. "Juniper!" I cried, unable to think of what to say. She smiled yet more coldly, tucking her long hair behind one ear. "Yeah, yeah, that's my name, don't wear it out," she said, over the throng of the crowded pool. "Come on, let's go to a quieter place." She gestured with her arm, swimming gracefully across the surface, toward a deeper, more empty spot. Forgetting Fang's disappearance for a moment, I followed her, curious as ever. Juniper spared no time. "What are you doing with that...that..." Her upper lip snarled in disgust. "That werewolf? And what is he doing out of the Dark Woods?" I felt an icy, instinctive chill smooth itself along the nape of my neck. Juniper glared expectantly. "Come on, I haven't got all day! You think I can just hang out in a swimming suit for leisure while Earth Guardians need to be trained, and werewolves killed? I don't think so!" I glared at her, feeling more daring than I had in a good while. "He's my friend, I'm not going to just hand him over to you!" I hissed, preparing to swim away. However, Juniper's tight grip grabbed at my arm, and held me back from doing so. "Listen to me, peon, that guy's a WEREWOLF! He eats girls like you for lunch!" "N-no! He's good; I trust him! He helped me out," I protested, trying to struggle away. Juniper chuckled dryly, tugging harder still. I winced, but said nothing. "Listen, I trained you, I found you, and you belong to me! Now, listen; Silverfang is nothing but trouble! He's evil, and if you keep flirting with him, you'll really be in deep." "I'm not flirting with him!" I cried, defensive. "And you're not my master; if that's part of the deal, than I renounce my Earth Guardianship, because I'm not going to turn against Fang! Besides, I love him-" I clapped my free hand over my mouth, blushing. Juniper feigned not hearing. "Look, I'm a hell of a lot more powerful than you, and if you don't get away from that creep, I'll kill him myself. It'll be one less werewolf to bother with." I felt tears welling in my eyes, stinging with chlorine. "No, please, Juniper! Don't kill him! He's good; I swear!" I paused, feeling the swelling of my throat urging the tears to fall. "W-Why do you care about my safety, anyway?" I spat, struggling one last time. Juniper's smile returned, her eyes flaring like a cat's. "It's my job." In that instant, she was gone, leaving me a shaking mess. I had a moral dilemma to deal with now; either heed Juniper's warning, which I knew to be false, because Fang was so kind, and leave, or I could stay with Fang and risk his life.
