Changing Tides

Chpater 9; "I need to get to the Spirit Library."

        "Ba ba! Catch me!" I yelled to my father as I ran around our backyard. My fluffy hood of my long blue fur coat covering my head.

        "Oh my, Tsukiko. You are getting big!" he said running after me. I giggled and ran faster so he couldn't catch me.

        "I'm getting closer." he said coming closer to me. I glanced back to see him right on my tail. I tried to go faster but my little legs wouldn't carry me. Suddenly I tripped on a small ice rock and fell flat on my face. Tears threatened to spill over as I sat up.

        "Oh honey." he said coming an picking me up in his arms. I wailed loudly in his shoulder as I began to cry. He bounced me and tried calming with with soothing words, but I wouldn't stop. I wailed louder and smoother my face in the crook of his neck.

        "My big girl isn't so big." he said with a dramatic sigh. I stifled another wail and pulled back to come face to face with him.

        "No ba ba, I am." I said in defiance.

        "Then why are you crying?" he asked.

        "It hurt." I said softly, biting on the ends of my mittens.

        "Let me tell you something, and I want you to remember it forever and ever. Okay?" he said setting me down and kneeling in front of me.

        "Okay, ba ba." I said quietly.

        "Pain only lasts as long as you want it too. It's your choice if you want it to last forever or if you want to get up and do something." he said, wiseness sparkling his eyes.

        "Ba ba, I don't understand." I pouted crossing my arms.

        "You will when your older." he said with a playful smile.

        "Hey you two, you're going to get frostbite. Come inside, super is ready." mum said from the back door. My eyes glistened happily as I pulled on my fathers hand.

        "Come on ba ba." I urged wanting the food more and more after each second went by. He chuckled and followed me inside my nice warm home where my mother set the table and my brother sat impatiently waiting.

        "Ba ba!" I yelled sitting up quickly from my slumber; however, a stinging pain and searing burn shot through my shoulder and I hissed in pain. It must have been a flash back dream or maybe the spirits made me see it for my wound.

        "Tsuk?" I heard a sleepy voice say in the midst of my thought.

        "I'm fine Haku. I just had a bad dream. Go back to bed." I said simply. He rubbed his eyes and walked over to where I sat. However I laid quiet close to a sleeping Gansu. I quietly thanked the spirits for not waking him when I shouted.

        "Are you crazy? I need to check your wound. I healed almost all of it but now its just a deep cut." he said pulling water from his pouch and holding it on my shoulder. The water began to shine with a blue aura and I smiled at the relief that came with it.

        "Why did you yell for dad?" he said after some time. I gave a sigh and closed my eyes, feeling defeated.

        "Ba ba was in a dream I was having. Not a dream, but a flash back. He was telling me about pain when I fell in the backyard when I was six." I said with my eyes remaining closed.