Hay Is For Horses (F, Updated 3/21/2014)

[Blah!?]

Hey everyone!

Sorry for taking a break from The Adventure Club again, but this time it's for a good cause! PuddinPop showed me a few characters she drew, and she told me I could make up traits for them and write a story. I coordinated with her for a while, and this here is the final product. I think it's a very fun, cute, anime-inspired story, and hopefully it'll be as much fun to read as it was to write.

-----

Ayame walked cautiously through the streets of a small farming village, worriedly trying to find her friend Kasumi. She could have called out Kasumi's name at any time, but Ayame knew that would only cause more trouble; she wasn't the only one searching for her friend. Staying quiet was a must, but Ayame had her suspicions that she and Kasumi would be discovered sooner or later anyway. She rested her left hand on the hilt of her sword, which hung horizontally across her back just above her waist, ready to draw it at any time. If the wrong people found Kasumi, violence would quickly ensue.

Two days ago, Kasumi managed to get herself into a whole heap of trouble, as she often did. This time, however, her life was on the line. By complete accident, Kasumi stumbled into a group of spies from a warring nation hiding in a back alley. Believing she had overheard their plan, the spies tried to kill her, and they likely would have succeeded if Ayame hadn't been passing by at the same time. Ayame was a master of the sword, but even she couldn't defeat so many well-trained foes at once. The two unlikely friends were forced to flee the city, and now they were trying to make their way to the capitol to alert the army. It was a relatively short journey, but Ayame knew they had been followed.

As Ayame continued her search, she turned a corner and found herself staring at a field full of large hay bales. A breeze blew through the town, carrying the itchy scent of hay right into Ayame's nose. She scrunched up her face and quickly rubbed a gloved finger under her nostrils, but she pressed on, determined to find Kasumi before someone else did. However as she walked between the hay bales, a single piece of hay came loose in another breeze. It floated toward Ayame, looping through the air a few times before finally lodging itself between the young lady's nose and upper lip.

"Hah..."

Ayame's breath immediately hitched, her nostrils detecting the scent of hay once again. She tried to blow the piece of hay away by exhaling sharply through her nose, but the offending straw stayed in place.

"Hah-Hah!"

As the tickle in her nose became more urgent, Ayame tried to reach a finger up to her face to swat the hay away. However, before she could manage it, the urge to sneeze took over completely. Ayame's hand fell away and her eyes crossed, staring down at the tip of her nose.

"Ah-Ahh-Ahhh!"

Ayame's chest heaved with three quick breaths. She threw back her head, her long ponytail wobbling, and prepared to let loose. Despite the theatricality of her buildups, Ayame's sneezes were usually quite gentle, but she felt embarrassed letting one out in public nonetheless.

"HAA-KSHHT!"

The duelist's upper body thrust forward, finally succeeding in blowing the strand of hay away from her face. A few nearby townspeople blessed her as she recovered, only adding to her embarrassment. Ayame narrowed her eyes and rubbed a gloved finger slowly under her nose, driving away as much of the leftover tickling as she could. Being surrounded by this much hay kept a persistent tingling in her sinuses, so dealing with that was the best she could manage. However, Ayame's luck finally turned out. As she straightened up after her sneeze, she saw Kasumi straight ahead, staring at an exceptionally large pile of hay.

"Kasumi!" Ayame whispered firmly, grabbing her friend's arm and spinning her around.

"Oh, hi Ayame! Where have you been?" Kasumi said obliviously. After a second, she turned to look back at the pile of hay, puzzled by its size.

"Where have you been?" Ayame whispered again, her voice slightly hoarse. She shook Kasumi's arm, but her friend ignored her, still fixated on the hay.

"Why do they need such big piles of hay?" Kasumi asked, scratching her chin. Ayame rolled her eyes and shook Kasumi's arm again.

"Come, Kasumi. We need to go before someone sees-"

As soon as the words left Ayame's lips, she peeked past Kasumi and found herself staring straight at one of the spies she had previously fought. Luckily he didn't appear to have spotted them yet, but he would in just a few seconds. With no time for an explanation, Ayame planted her hands on Kasumi's back and shoved her into the pile of hay.

"Aya-!" Kasumi gasped, flying head first into the hay. Stealing a glance back at the spy, Ayame dove into the hay after her friend, confident that they hadn't been seen.

"Ayame! What are you doing?" Kasumi demanded, grabbing her quiet friend and shaking her. Ayame slapped Kasumi's hands away and held up one finger.

"Shush!" Ayame breathed, thrusting her finger over Kasumi's lips. "They're here."

Kasumi's eyes widened, but she got the message. She nodded silently and then kept perfectly still. Hay wasn't the most stable hiding place, and the slightest movement would cause it to shift. Ayame peeked back out toward the hay bales, keeping an eye on the spy as he approached. He stood next to their hiding place for a second, but he didn't pay it much attention. Just a few seconds later, the spy started to walk away, heading through the hay bales in the direction Ayame had come from. However, at that exact moment, Ayame started to feel a growing itch in her nose.

Snuffling quietly, Ayame rubbed her right index finger firmly back and forth under her nose, but that wasn't enough to satisfy the itch. Her eyes fluttered for a second, and despite her efforts to keep quiet, her breath started to hitch.

"Ah-Ahh!"

Ayame's head tipped back, causing the hay pile to shift ever so slightly. Luckily, Kasumi noticed her friend's predicament. Feeling Kasumi's hand on her shoulder startled Ayame out of her sneeze for a few extra seconds, buying them a little time.

"What's wrong, Ayame?" Kasumi asked, keeping as still as she could.

"I'm... Hah-Hah... I'm allergic to hay..." Ayame breathed, her breath still hitching. Kasumi frowned at her, shaking her head.

"Why'd you hide us in here then?"

"No choice... Not enough time... Ah-Ahh-Ahhh!"

Ayame went cross-eyed again, staring down her nose as her sneeze took over. The pile of hay shook, but as Ayame's eyes closed she noticed the spy was still walking away, so he didn't seem to have noticed yet. However, he would surely hear Ayame's sneeze, and even if it didn't give away their exact location, he would come back to investigate. At the last second, Kasumi clapped a hand over Ayame's nose, helping her stifle.

"HA-KPF!"

The pile of hay vibrated for a second as Ayame sneezed, but the hiding place remained intact. However, as the duelist opened her eyes, she saw that the spy had stopped in his tracks. He wasn't turning around, but something must have caught his attention. Kasumi kept her hand clamped over Ayame's nose for a moment, allowing her to concentrate on watching the spy, but as soon as Kasumi moved, Ayame felt another sneeze coming on.

"K-Kasumi, I h-have to... Hah-Hah..."

Ayame's eyebrows arched and her head lifted slightly as she started to build up again. Kasumi contained her panic, knowing moving too quickly would be just as bad as letting Ayame sneeze. She tried to reach a finger toward Ayame's face to put under her nose, but she had to move very slowly to keep the hay from shifting.

"No, Ayame! Don't!" Kasumi breathed, as if she could talk her friend out of having an allergy attack. Ayame's breath continued to hitch, and the hay pile began to wobble. A few seconds later, Kasumi managed to slide her index finger under Ayame's nose, but the building sneeze didn't stop.

"Ah-Ahh-Ahhh!"

Ayame's breath hitched desperately even as Kasumi's finger pressed up under her nose. Her nostrils flared wildly and she tried to hold her breath, but it was all in vain.

"Don't, Ayame! Don't sneeze!" Kasumi breathed, trying once again to talk her friend out of sneezing as if it would work. Ayame pressed her nose down on her friend's finger, but she still couldn't regain control.

"I cah... I can't... I can't s-stop..." Ayame tried to explain, but by now her urge to sneeze had completely taken over. Her head reared back and her chest heaved, and she knew she had passed the point of no return.

"HAA-KSHT!"

Ayame sneezed onto Kasumi's finger, her nose squishing into it. The sound of the sneeze was fairly soft, but the force of it caused the pile of hay to shake. Ayame tried to open her eyes to see if they spy had noticed them, but she was unable to do any more than squint before she suffered a proper sneezing fit.

"KSHHT! Hah-Hah! HAA-KSHT! KSHH! AH-KSHHT! Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! HAA-KSHHHHHT!"

Once Ayame finished sneezing, most of the hay had been shaken out of the pile and onto the ground. The two hiding women were technically still covered by it, but if the spy so much as glanced in their direction, he would know where they were. Ayame slowly opened her eyes and peeked out through the hay. The spy was gone, but not seeing him only frightened her more. She was about to motion for Kasumi to sneak out of the hay and make her escape, but before she could lift a finger, a sword slashed vertically through the hay, passing narrowly between the hiding ladies.

Ayame and Kasumi yelped in unison, leaping out of the hay pile in opposite directions. The spy stood before them, a sword in each hand. He gave Ayame a quick look, recognizing her as the one who had rescued Kasumi earlier.

"Give me the girl, little swordfighter," the spy said, glaring at Ayame. "Give her to me and we'll let you go."

Ayame glared back, but she ruined her threatening image as she reached her right hand up to her face and rubbed her finger under her nose. The fingers of her left hand wrapped around her sword, and in a flash she tore it from its scabbard, holding it in a reverse grip between herself and the spy. Blue light glinted along the weapon, highlighting a mystical engraving that ran across the blade.

"I'm no 'little swordfighter,' I am a first class duelist," Ayame proclaimed proudly. She rubbed her nose again, sniffing quietly, and then she stepped between the spy and Kasumi, protecting her friend. "And she is not yours to take."

"Very well then," the spy said, taking a calm, deep breath. Then, he swung his swords forward, attempting to push past Ayame to reach Kasumi. Ayame took a step back, but she managed to catch both of the spy's swords with her own. Bright blue sparks flew from the blade of Ayame's sword, hanging in the air for a few seconds before disappearing. She kicked her opponent in the chest, sending him staggering back a few feet.

"You're pretty quick for a frail little girl, aren't you?" the spy said, shaking out his arms. Ayame remained expressionless, standing up straight. She flipped her sword over in her hand, catching it in a standard grip. However, rather than attacking, Ayame scrunched up her face and began to rub her nose again with the gloved index finger of her right hand. The spy howled with laughter at her helpless appearance, doubling over slightly.

"What's the matter with you now? Hurry up and slay me!" he said, continuing to laugh. Ayame wanted to retaliate, but her nose was too itchy for her to ignore, so she simply continued rubbing her nose in silence.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Kasumi shouted, waving an arm at the spy. She had taken cover behind a crate during the initial clash, but despite her better judgment she decided to step out from behind it once the fighting stopped. "It's not her fault! She has allergies!" Kasumi scolded, jabbing a finger at the spy. Ayame's opponent spluttered with laughter again, unable to contain himself.

"B-be quiet, Kasumi!" Ayame stammered, blushing subtly. She rubbed her nose once more and then leveled her sword with the spy. "We have unfinished business," the duelist said, the weight of her threat diminished by the slightly congested sound of her voice. The spy chuckled for a moment more and then turned back to his opponent.

"Yes, yes. Indeed we do," he said, readying his swords. Ayame assumed a fighting stance, holding up her sword in her left hand while giving her nose another gentle rub with her right.

"Be careful, Ayame," Kasumi said quietly, taking cover behind the crate again.

Ayame struck first this time, carefully guiding her sword around the spy's weapons and making a stab at him. The tip of her sword connected with his chest, but something under his clothes deflected the attack. Once she knew she had been blocked, Ayame somersaulted backward to avoid a counter attack. The spy waggled a finger at the duelist and then tore open part of his shirt, revealing heavy chainmail underneath.

"Hey! No fair!" Kasumi squealed before ducking back down behind the crate. Ayame glanced over her shoulder to make sure none of the other spies were around. Luckily, as best the duelist could tell, this fight was still one-on-one. However, as she turned back to face her opponent, she felt a powerful tickle welling up in her nose. She rubbed her right index finger firmly under her nostrils, but it wasn't enough.

"Hah-Hah..."

Ayame's breath hitched and her eyebrows started to arch. The spy smiled again, unable to hide his mirth. He even sheathed his swords and simply watched idly in mockery of Ayame's helplessness.

"Ah... Ahh-Ahhh!"

The duelist's eyes crossed slightly again before snapping shut, and her head reared back in anticipation of a big sneeze. She tried to slide her index finger under her nose to catch some of the force, but Ayame could only raise her hand so far, and she ended up with an outstretched finger hovering in front of her face.

"HAA-KSHHHT!"

Ayame sneezed powerfully, bending forward at her waist. She caught her outstretched finger with her nose as her head snapped forward, forgetting it was even there. The spy laughed at her again, but as soon as she recovered, Ayame lifted her sword above her head and charged at him. She swung her weapon down vertically and the spy crossed his swords to block the attack. Ayame's blade struck the spy's, slow blue sparks arcing from the weapon again. Instead of pulling her sword back to strike again, she drove the blade straight down into the ground, trapping the spy's swords under the hilt for just a few seconds, but a few seconds were all she would need. Ayame jumped to the side and held onto the handle of her sword, using it to swing herself around and powerfully kick her opponent in the chest. The spy flew backward and crashed into a pile of boxes next to a hay bale.

Rubbing her nose again, Ayame pulled her sword out of the ground and placed a foot on top of the spy's weapons to prevent him from picking them up. The spy pushed himself up from the pile of boxes and began to run forward. Ayame was completely unsurprised until her opponent drew back his arm. The duelist raised an eyebrow as the spy opened his fist, and then he threw a handful of hay into Ayame's face.

"Hah-Hah-HAH! HAA-KSHHT!"

The duelist sneezed immediately as the hay hit her face, and she could tell more were on the way. Ayame desperately rubbed her nose, trying to at least stay alert until she knew what the spy would do next, but her senses were quickly overwhelmed.

"Hah! HAH! HA-KSHT! Hah-Hah! KSHHT! HAA-KSHT! Hah-Hah-HA-KSHHT! Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! AAAHH-KSHHHHH!!!"

Ayame's final sneeze was so powerful that she fell down on one knee, stabbing her sword into the dirt again to keep from falling over. When she opened her eyes she saw that she had stumbled away from the spy's swords, allowing him to rearm himself. She also felt Kasumi's hand on her shoulder. She wanted to scold her friend, but she knew Kasumi was only there to help her stand again. However, Ayame was beginning to realize that she couldn't win a fight like this while her allergies were acting up. Luckily, the spy's sneak attack had reminded her that she had a few tricks of her own.

"Are you finished yet?" the spy said, standing over Ayame and Kasumi. "Hold still, I'll make it quick."

Kasumi helped Ayame to her feet, but the duelist couldn't remove her eyes from her opponent. She stared him down as they stood opposite each other, but after a few seconds, she flipped her sword back into a reverse grip and sheathed it. Ayame closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing her gloved index finger under her nose again.

"Thank you," the spy said, bowing sarcastically. Ayame bowed back, smirking to herself.

"You're welcome."

Ayame pulled a hidden smoke bomb from her belt and smashed it into the ground. The small capsule exploded, filling the area with a thick, black cloud in under a second. Lunging into the smoke, the spy swung his swords in all directions, trying to catch Ayame and Kasumi as they fled, but as the smoke cleared, neither of them were anywhere to be seen. Groaning to himself, the spy stowed his weapons and stormed back into town, knowing they couldn't have gotten far.

Kasumi burst out of the town stable on a stolen horse, an exhausted Ayame leaning against her back and barely holding on. Spurring the horse to run as fast as it could, the two companions quickly left the town behind and continued their journey to the capitol. Ayame gently leaned against Kasumi and pressed her face into her friend's shoulder, prompting Kasumi to giggle and smile.

"Get some rest, Ayame. You've earned it. Thank you," Kasumi said, looking over her shoulder at her exhausted friend. She made eye contact with Ayame just in time to see the duelist scrunch up her face and press a finger under her nose.

"Hah-Hah-Hah! HA-KSHT!"

"Aw, what's the matter, Ayame? There's no more hay around," Kasumi said in a gentle voice, frowning at her friend's discomfort. Ayame rubbed her nose with a gloved finger and slowly shook her head.

"I'm allergic to horses too."

-----

Once again, special thanks to PuddinPop for designing the main characters! Thanks to The Cake Is A Lie for beta reading, and for suggesting the title.

I may continue their story as a drabbles or a proper sequel, but I think this works as a standalone story too. If anyone happens to have suggestions for drabble stories please do let me know, since I'm kind of dry on ideas right now, but reading at all is thanks enough.

See you all later!

[PuddinPop]

this is just a-ma-zing!

I love the silly, almost child-like innocence of Kasumi and Ayame trying to remain a badass

You've done awesome with this, I really hope u get some inspiration for drabbles, cos I cant wait to see more!

U have indeed exceeded my expectations

[TheCakeIsAlive]

^ What Puddin said.

You do spoil us. ^^ A lot.

And beta reading is a big word. I read and said it was awesome.

"I'm... Hah-Hah... I'm allergic to hay..." Ayame breathed, her breath still hitching. Kasumi frowned at her, shaking her head.

"Why'd you hide us in here then?"

[NoV]

Amazing, especially the 'Sneezing While Hiding' segment - always a favourite scenario of mine

Ayame's final sneeze was so powerful that she fell down on one knee, stabbing her sword into the dirt again to keep from falling over.

Sneezes powerful enough to make you stagger - damn I love the thought of that

[Curiosity234]

Hah, yeah, it happens... ._.

Very embarassing XD

[SummerSnowflake]

Wow, really cute story! You really got that sweet anime vibe nicely. Hope to read more from you!

[Chanel_no5]

"Aw, what's the matter, Ayame? There's no more hay around," Kasumi said in a gentle voice, frowning at her friend's discomfort. Ayame rubbed her nose with a gloved finger and slowly shook her head.

"I'm allergic to horses too."

HA, loved that one!!

This is awesome!!

[a red nine]

Awah, that was quite cute - and fun. The classic sneezing-while-hiding plot never gets old. The ending had me smiling too. Kasumi and Ayame have a cute friendship that you display well, which helps us to understand why Ayame would go through the trouble of hiding in the hay just to save her friend. Your fight scene choreography was neat too. I almost forgot that that's one of your strong suits, since you've been working on the club story. Indulge in more one-shots when you think of them bro!

[ziuziu12]

Stop soiling us TnT AMAZING! xD

[ziuziu12]

Stop soiling us TnT AMAZING! xD

*Spoiling T3T'

[daystar428]

Way too cute thanks for sharing!

[kushamizuki]

aww how cute sneezy sword girl

[Blah!?]

Hey everyone! Guess what?

Thanks to PuddinPop being so awesome, this story has its own audio recording too! I'll post links to both a high and low quality version so you can download whichever you prefer. Be sure to leave a thank you note for PuddinPop!

Here's the mono recording for now. I'll add the larger one when it finishes uploading if anyone actually wants it.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/jadbx5a879gea33/Hay_is_for_Horses_Mono.wav (9mb)

Also, if I may be a bit of a tease, there's some more on the way for this story too...

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Also, if I may be a bit of a tease, there's some more on the way for this story too...

Tease!

*runs off to listen to recording*

[count tiszula]

Yes. thanks indeed to PuddinPop for an inspired performance..........

Thanks too to Blah for a new variation on SwH[f]!

[Sneeze999]

Holy WOW!!! Thanks don't do enough justice for PuddinPop!!! She was AWESOME!!! I can imagine her doing these for all of Blah-San's stories, and it's just too awesome to imagine!!!

[Clark Kent]

_{I don't often read too many stories but Blah; this is inspired stuff and an equally inspired decision to involve Puddinpop!. She was MAGNIFICENT! Thank you both}

[PuddinPop]

Awww, shucks! You guys

You're all too sweet, thank you for your kind words

ETA: I've already said this, but massive credit needs going to Blah-San, not just for writing this wonderful story, but also for putting a lot of time and effort into editing the recording

[•.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•]

[blurr001]

This story along with that recording to go with it is just gold.

[Blah!?]

Hey everyone!

I can't honestly remember if I said more was coming for this story or not, but here it is anyway. xD

Once again, with help from PuddinPop, there's another nice recording for you to listen to as you read along.

High Quality (76.9mb):

http://www.mediafire.com/download/9n7e2jnadrcbmh8/Hay_Part_2_HQ.wav

Small File (7.8mb):

http://www.mediafire.com/download/s869ew43x7bk8fl/Hay_Part_2_L.wav

Again, I won't waste any more of your time, so here you go!

-----

Standing in the middle of an open warehouse, Kasumi took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She grabbed the hilt of her sword and slowly drew the blade from its scabbard, assuming a fighting stance. Ayame watched from the side of the room, leaning against the wall.

"Remember, one clean stroke through each target," Ayame instructed, examining Kasumi's fighting stance. It wasn't perfect, but it was acceptable. "And don't bump into any of them! A duelist's greatest resource is agility, not strength."

Kasumi nodded, glancing from side to side without turning her head. Three dummy targets stood in front of her, with an additional four behind her. She was confident she could handle the ones in front, but having to spin around quickly to hit the others was always where she had trouble. Plus, if she didn't hit every dummy within just a few seconds of starting, Ayame would scold her for being too slow. Becoming a duelist was hard work, but Kasumi was more determined to learn than ever.

"Begin," Ayame announced, her voice soft yet commanding. Kasumi took a quick step forward and slashed through the first dummy to her left. Then she cut through the target in the center as she took a single long step toward the one to her far right. After slashing a hole through the third dummy, Kasumi spun on her heel to face the other four targets. She only had a few seconds to finish them off before Ayame called time, so she immediately set to work.

Ayame had tried to teach Kasumi to move using as few steps as possible, but perhaps Kasumi had taken this philosophy a bit too far. She extended her leg out as far as she could toward the nearest dummy, but just as Kasumi was about to draw up her rear foot for another step, she slipped. Her momentum carried her forward and she fell toward the dummy, ramming her sword into its chest. Kasumi fell flat on her face, her hands still clinging to her sword.

"How did I do?" Kasumi asked, letting go of the sword and rolling over onto her back. Ayame approached, shaking her head slowly.

"You're making progress," the trained duelist said, adjusting her gloves.

"Yay!" Kasumi cheered, clapping for herself.

"Slow progress," Ayame groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. Kasumi's smile flipped upside down. She stood up, grabbed the sword and then put all of her strength into pulling it out of the dummy. After a second of struggling, Kasumi's sword ripped back out of the dummy, a shower of hay following it. The hay filled the air around Ayame's face, making her nose start to itch almost immediately.

"Hah-Hah-HAH! HA-KSHHT!"

Ayame sneezed, gently placing a gloved finger under her nose. She took a few steps back, trying to escape the hay, but she had already inhaled too much of it. The duelist rubbed her nose and leaned up against the wall again, feeling too distracted to head for the door.

"Hah-HAH! HAA-KSHHHT!"

"Sorry!" Kasumi called out, rushing over to her friend. She put an arm around Ayame's shoulders as the duelist built up to another sneeze.

"I forgot you're allergic to hay, sorry," Kasumi apologized, giving Ayame a gentle backrub. Ayame waved one hand in the air dismissively before sneezing again.

"Hah-HA-KSHHT! It's... It's okay. Just try not to make too much of a mess in the future. Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! HA-KSHHH!"

"Gesundheit," Kasumi said, earning an awkward glance from Ayame as she rubbed her nose. Then, Kasumi gave a nod and gestured to the door at the far side of the warehouse.

"Want some fresh air? Let's take a break," Kasumi offered. Ayame nodded, sneezing again as her friend led her outside.

"Ahh.. Ahhhh... HA-KSHHHT!"

Outside the warehouse, Ayame leaned against the wall beside the door as Kasumi sat on the ground next to her. Kasumi glanced up at her friend every few seconds, watching Ayame rub and wrinkle her tickly nose. Then she caught sight of Ayame's sword, hanging horizontally behind her waist.

"When do I get a nice sword?" Kasumi asked, staring up at Ayame.

"When you forge one for yourself," Ayame responded coldly, clearly annoyed. Kasumi was unfazed.

"Did you forge yours? That sounds so hard."

"I did. I was a blacksmith's apprentice as part of my studies at the academy. After I graduated, I made this sword myself," Ayame explained, staring off into the distance. She smiled subtly, reminiscing about her days at the duelist academy in the capital city. Kasumi giggled as she noticed Ayame smiling, it was quite a rare sight after all. Ayame quickly caught on and she looked away, feeling embarrassed.

"Alright, that's enough fresh air for me," Ayame said, pushing herself off from the wall. "Are you ready to continue?" With a nod, Kasumi stood up, brushed the dirt off her pants and then followed Ayame back into the warehouse. However, she nearly bumped into her friend, noticing she had stopped just inside the doorway.

"Who are you?" Ayame asked, staring at a dark figure standing in the middle of the warehouse. The duelist already knew the answer, and her left hand flew to the hilt of her sword. However, before Ayame could even take her fighting stance, Kasumi drew her own sword and charged at the intruder.

"Kasumi!" Ayame shouted, reaching out a hand to stop her friend. She was too slow, and Kasumi ran right past her. Unfortunately, before the energetic trainee could even reach her opponent, she slipped on a pile of loose hay and crashed to the ground.

"Kasumi..." Ayame groaned, resting her face in the palm of her free hand. Her fingers clenched around the hilt of her sword and she quickly tore it from its scabbard. Ayame twirled the blade in front of herself for a second and assumed her fighting stance.

"Another spy so soon?" she asked her opponent. The dark figure remained silent, which Ayame took to mean "yes." The duelist began to take long, graceful steps forward, holding her sword at the ready. As she approached, she noticed this spy was female, unlike the previous. The lower half of her face was hidden behind a bandana, but her body and eyes were distinctly feminine.

Ayame drew back her sword for an opening strike, but before she could follow through, the spy's hand shot into one of the damaged practice dummies, tore out a handful of hay, and then threw it right in the duelist's face. Her nose immediately filled with a powerful itch, even more overwhelming than the scent of the hay. Ayame doubled over, starting to cough before her allergies even took hold. Then, she placed the index finger of her free hand under her nose and she began to sneeze.

"Hah-Hah! HA-KSHHT! Ah... Ahhh... HAA-KSHHHH! HA-KSHT! HAA-KSHT! Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! AHH-KSHHHT!"

After Ayame's final sneeze, she opened her eyes and looked up to see the female spy standing directly in front of her, a hand mere inches from her face. The duelist tried to raise her sword, but before she could, the spy snapped her wrist back, revealing a strange device under her sleeve. Ayame felt a sweet-smelling gas shoot up her nose, but before she could process more than the scent, she fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Ayame! Ayame, wake up!"

Ayame groggily opened her eyes to the sound of Kasumi's voice. Her friend sounded panicked, a fact Ayame found worrying. It usually took quite a lot to make the overly energetic Kasumi panic. That could only mean the two of them were in a lot of trouble. As Ayame's senses returned, she became aware that her hands and feet were tied behind her back, and she was laying on her side on a cold, hard floor. Throwing her weight to the side, Ayame sat up and found her captor sitting in a simple wooden chair.

"Who... Who are you?" Ayame slurred, still half-asleep. The spy stared at her for a few seconds, and then she pulled down her bandana to reveal a striking, foreign face. Then, the spy drew a cigarette from her pocket and slipped it between her lips, giving a smile.

"My name is Natalya," the spy said, striking a match to light her cigarette. "I already know your names, Kasumi and Ayame. Do you mind if I smoke?"

"Well, personally I don't mind," Kasumi said, sounding oblivious to her own peril. "But I think the smoke might make Ayame sneeze, so you probably shouldn't." Ayame gave her friend a glare, but she quickly turned her attention back to Natalya.

"The last spy we encountered simply tried to kill us," Ayame said, scowling up a her captor. "Why the mercy this time?" Natalya leaned back in her chair, taking a drag on her cigarette. She held her breath for a moment, and then she slowly let two jets of smoke out through her nostrils. Removing her cigarette from her mouth, the spy leaned forward, her face mere inches from Ayame's.

"Come now, do you think we are really so barbaric? I won't kill you if I don't have to, but I wouldn't call this 'mercy' if I were you." Natalya slipped her cigarette back into her mouth and inhaled. Ayame continued to scowl at the spy, but her stern expression faded as Natalya exhaled a wave of smoke right in the duelist's face.

"Ahh... Hahhh.. HA-KSHHT!"

Ayame sneezed quickly, her head tipping forward. Natalya smiled, giggling to herself. She removed the cigarette from her mouth again, tapping a bit of ash onto the floor.

"Aw, bless you, dear," the spy said, giving Ayame a patronizing grin. She hooked a finger under the duelist's nose and lifted it, tipping Ayame's head back and making her squirm. "You really should have killed the last agent you fought if you didn't want us to discover your weaknesses."

"I'm not a murderer," Ayame said with disdain. Natalya chuckled, leaning back in her seat again.

"Then why put so much time and effort into learning the way of the sword? Surely you don't expect me to believe you endured all this training solely for the sake of discipline."

"Someone like you could never understand Ayame's motivation!" Kasumi shouted at the spy. Both Natalya and Ayame stared at Kasumi in disapproval for a few seconds, but Natalya's smile quickly returned.

"And how about you, my oblivious friend?" the spy asked, leaning toward Kasumi. "Are you comfortable?"

"It's a bit dusty in here," Kasumi said with a shrug.

"Yes, it is," Natalya responded. Suddenly, the spy's nose crinkled up, and without much warning...

"HA-CHOO!"

"Whoa!" Kasumi yelped and fell over as Natalya sneezed right in her face. The spy scrunched up her nose, pressing her index finger to her nostrils for a second.

"Gesundheit!" Kasumi called out, sitting up again. Ayame groaned and shook her head, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Flicking the side of her finger under her nose, Natalya leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"To think someone as naive as you could be our priority target," the spy groaned, shaking her head. "It's quite demeaning, really."

"I'm not naive!" Kasumi shouted in response, sounding even more stubborn than usual. Natalya rolled her eyes, taking another drag on her cigarette. She exhaled another cloud of smoke in Ayame's face, making her sneeze again.

"Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! AH-KSHHT!"

"Oh really?" Natalya said, standing up. She approached Kasumi and drew a knife from her boot. Unexpectedly, the spy merely cut Kasumi's bindings and returned to her chair. "There, I've freed you. What is the fool going to do now?"

"I'm going to fight you!" Kasumi said, raising her fists. Ayame bit her lip, feeling more worried than ever, and Natalya didn't seem the least bit fazed.

"Wrong," the spy said, giving Kasumi a swift kick to the chest. Letting out a yelp, Kasumi fell flat on her back, and then she pushed herself up on her elbows to scoot away. Natalya twirled her dagger between her fingers and began to approach menacingly. She shoved Ayame over onto her side as she passed, not wanting her other captive to interfere.

"The wall is only a few feet behind you," Natalya said as she slowly pursued Kasumi across the floor. "Where will you go when you reach it?"

Kasumi felt her back press up against the wall before she could think of a stubborn response. She felt around on the ground for anything she could use to save herself. Obviously she knew she wouldn't find any weapons, but maybe something else would come in handy.

"Five seconds," Natalya said, standing about ten feet away. Starting to panic, Kasumi felt around on the ground for something, anything she could use as a weapon. Her fingers wrapped around the first thing they touched, and she held up an old, ragged throw pillow. Natalya laughed at the sight of Kasumi trying to defend herself with a pillow, but it caught her off guard when Kasumi suddenly threw it at her.

The pillow hit Natalya square in the face, knocking her back in surprise. Obviously she wasn't injured, but the pillow released a cloud of dust into the air. The dust filled Natalya's nose as the pillow fell to the ground, and Kasumi could tell the spy was going to sneeze.

"HA-CHOOO!" Natalya sneezed loudly, doubling over. As soon as she finished her first sneeze, the spy threw her head back again, preparing for another one. Taking advantage of what little time she had, Kasumi leapt to her feet and charged at the spy.

"HA-CHHOOOOO!" Natalya sneezed again, even more powerfully than before. Before she could even stand up straight again, Kasumi shoved her to the ground. Grabbing the dagger from Natalya's hand, Kasumi rushed over to Ayame and cut her bindings.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Kasumi said, trying to tug Ayame toward the door. The duelist brushed her friend off and shook her head.

"No, not yet."

Ayame menacingly approached Natalya, who was still pushing herself back to her feet. Before she could fully stand, Ayame grabbed the spy by the collar and hauled her up. She gave Natalya a shake, her expression blank except for her furious eyes.

"Listen to me, spy," Ayame snarled, shaking Natalya again. "Kasumi and I are finished with you. I meant what I said before, I'm not a murderer. I won't kill you, but the next time a spy crosses our path, I might not be so kind. Do you understand?"

"HA-CHOO!" Natalya simply sneezed in response. With a nod, Ayame grabbed Natalya's hand and forced her wrist up under the spy's nose.

"Good enough for me. Goodbye, Natalya."

Ayame snapped Natalya's wrist back, sending a burst of the sweet-smelling knockout gas up the spy's nose. Natalya's body went limp after a second and Ayame dropped her to the floor. Turning around, she saw that the door was open and Kasumi was gone.

"Kasumi!" the duelist shouted, grabbing her sword from behind Natalya's chair as she ran for the door. As she stepped out into the blinding sunlight, Ayame discovered that Kasumi was alive and well, sitting atop a horse only a few feet away from the door. Catching sight of Ayame, Kasumi smiled and trotted toward her.

"Hey Ayame! I found a horse for us to escape on again! What do you think?"

Ayame scowled, but before she could voice her displeasure, the horse licked her nose.

"Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! AH-KSHHT! I think... Ah-Ahh-AH-KSHHT! I think I'm still allergic to horses..."

-----

There's another part coming up soon! Keep your eyes open for it.

And as always, special thanks to PuddinPop for providing the characters and recording!

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Eeee! So cute. Kasumi's such a well-meaning idiot sometimes.

Return of the Blah villains, I approve. Your villains are great.

[Paul]

Very nice recording

[Clark Kent]

Superb work. Well done both of you, That was fantastic

[a red nine]

I liked the way this chapter panned out, it was very cinematic in terms of your characters' actions and their dialogue. I almost felt like I could even picture the angles you wanted us to see things from. Particularly the pillow being thrown into the spy's face. The way the action was spread out too was a lot like a movie, rising and falling in tension at the appropriate times. I felt like I couldn't fully picture what the backgrounds were like though, so I saw the characters perfectly in my head but just floating around in space. At least I wish I knew what Ayame's sword was like. But those are all pretty trivial in the grand scheme of what you wanted to accomplish with this chapter. It was fun, the character's were cute or interesting or both, and the little episode was wrapped up as always with one of your little punny endings. Maybe we'll see more of Ayame and Kasumi in the future?