I Awoke Several Hours, in a Daze

"There's nothing to be sorry for. If I didn't want to talk I simply wouldn't have. I truly want to remember, as forgetting is not something I can tolerate any longer. I need to remember...everything." Her words held a small edge to them. It was the first sign of real anger she had shown. Out of all the things that she spoke of, not remembering actually upset her the most. It was because she knew there were emotions she was also missing due to the gap in her memories.

"As for my mother, I know she probably hurt without me emotionally. But she should be monetarily and physically doing better without me. I was a burden for her in many ways. And I'm not leaving my mothers life for good. I won't return until I've secured our stay on Roku Island. But if I cannot do that within a good enough time then I'll...just get strong enough to make living in the Imperial City bearable." She whispered the last part, not entirely sure of it herself. She never wanted to return to that place for any amount of extended period of time. She honestly wanted to just burn the place to the ground.

"But this doesn't matter at the moment, Ceodore. Let's not dwell on the past while the present is currently more important." With those final words, Ceo would see Gemini revert back into the quiet and stoic girl she was before talking about the past.

Ceodore continued to hear Gemini out, listening to her plight, hearing the emotions in her words surface. The steely, stoic girl, was showing that she was just more than a quiet cutie. No, he could both hear and see the determination in her. From his experiences, he was able to see what this girl was capable of. She wanted to remember and she wanted to make everything livable... For everyone.

"You have noble intentions, Gemini. Do not ever forsake those feelings of wanting to better the lives of others. Even should the journey prove to be an uphill battle, fight until you realize your goals. All I'll say is don't forget who you are and don't lose yourself on your quest for knowledge and justice. That type of stuff turns into a vengeance that makes you just like the enemy." He'd finish. Ceodore was extremely knowledgeable and he'd try his best to help Gemini through these trying times. She had excellent potential and a big heart. Gemini at this point had wanted to keep her head in the present and became stoic once more. He smiled a little, nodding, and willing to respect her wishes.

"Yes, currently this misfit duo needs to get some groceries. That definitely is important given how much we eat." Ceodore joked, laughing a bit at is stupid joke.

Ceo's words didn't register with Gemini immediately. She was thinking that her goals were selfish at most, even if the end result of changing Grande would be for the better of everyone. Thinking along those lines made her realize that maybe her intentions were noble and she felt a bit of pride knowing that her path lead to such, regardless of her past.

She blushed at his joke about eating. "Unlike most pretty girls, I don't diet. I eat what I need to. As much as we move around and burn off fat, dieting would be detrimental to our health. People like Sakura or Ino wouldn't understand that, the idiots."

They were approaching the mall now, the gigantic building still showing a grand opening sign on its face. Dozens of people were still entering and exiting the building, the general chatter of the morning commute permeating the air. "Looks like we're here. That took a bit longer than I expected."

Ceo nodded to Gemini's words, finding that dieting is completely pointless if one was going to be doing strenuous activities like training and fighting to begin with. "They sound like a couple of airheads anyways. I mean, who diets when they're going to take up a profession that causes them to burn off more than what they diet? Wait... Who are we talking about?" He'd ask in confusion of who the two Gemini just mentioned.

Their journey soon came to its checkpoint as they finally made it to the grocery store. Gemini's observation on the time to get their was correct. This was probably due to them having their engaging conversation on the way there and the fact that they did have a few dramatic standstill moments.

"Alright, so what will we be buying now that we're here? Lots of meat and stuff, right? Oh and sake! We HAVE to get sake! Wait, where's my kiseru at!?" Ceodore was suddenly a lot more excited than he was before. The young man started to pat himself down looking for his smoking pipe, but just couldn't find it. "Damn, must have fallen out when I crash landed. Eh, oh well."

Gemini couldn't help but let out an uncharacteristic giggle. She folded her arms and nodded back towards the hotel. "I picked it up. It's in the nightstand in the room." Feeling a bit energized after the walk and talk, as well as seeing Ceo get a little excited, Gemini was looking forward to their short time shopping.

"Don't call this typical of women, but I would like to get some clothes while we're here too, if I can afford them. No objections." Though she spoke in the same monotone, the small smile that graced her lips was enough to make it sound as if she were playfully having fun with Ceo. Turning and moving faster, she practically jogged to the store entrance. "Let's go Ceo!"

To be continued...