They get dressed with no problems and start heading back

(chapter originally by doragom333 on writing.com)

With no further issues, the girls divided Yukiko's clothes between themselves. Left with just her red-colored set of underwear, Yukiko felt exposed and chilled in the night air. Though it was an improvement over walking back naked, she couldn't help but feel a little strange. As for Chie, having put on Yukiko's skirt and shirt, she seemed to be mulling over what to do with the sweater.

As she was deciding, the weather began to change again, the fog slowly pulling away raindrops began to trickle down from the sky.

"Geez! Really? Can't you cut us a break, weather?" Chie grumbled, as she pulled the sweater over her top, and held her hands down the front of the skirt.

"Oh!" Yukiko gasped. "So that's what that was about. Sorry, Chie."

"Huh?" Chie answered. "Oh! No, no, no, it's fine! It's only a problem if I kick or something. Let's just get home already!"

And so, after making sure she picked up her bag, Yukiko followed Chie out of the shrine into the rainy shopping district. Taking the north exit and looping around as to avoid late-night customers and traffic, the two ran through the rain, eager to get back to warmth and safety. But it was a long ways back to the inn, and the girls were already tired from earlier, forcing them to dial it back down to a walk on the way.

"Brr!" Chie shivered. "From deadly cats to pervy foxes and now this. What a night!"

"N-No kidding," Yukiko agreed, teeth chattering. "And all I wanted was some rare fish to cook."

"Yeah, it's a shame we had to give it up... Sorry, Yukiko," Chie said glumly.

"No, it's fine, Chie. I'm just glad we made it out in one piece," said Yukiko.

"I know, but... If only I was just a little stronger!" Chie said, clenching her fists. "I, I just, after all we've been through... we deserve a little more than escaping with just the clothes on our backs. Or, well, your back, heheh," she said uneasily, trying to lighten the mood after her outburst.

"Yeah," Yukiko agreed, staring off to the side.

They were passing by the Samegawa flood plain again, right by the steps to the riverbank now. To think, it all started there...

"Chie," Yukiko said, suddenly enthusiastic.

"Eh?" Chie replied, turning around.

"It doesn't have to be all for nothing!" Yukiko said, beaming as she began digging through her bag again.

"Wait, you don't mean?" Chie asked, filled with sudden dread.

"I've still got my rod and some bait," Yukiko said, pulling out her fishing gear. "We can still pull this off!"

"What!?" Chie gasped. "Right here? Right now? In this mess!?" she gestured at the rain currently soaking them to their bones.

"Rare fish may be more easily caught during the rain," Yukiko continued. "The old man said so himself."

"That guy? He did?" Chie asked. "I kinda droned off partway through... but what if more cats come again? I wouldn't be surprised if they just ignored this rain."

"After taking our other fish? No way," Yukiko said calmly. "And if they do, then I'll give that lady a piece of my mind about how she's starving her cats and relying on stealing other people's food just to feed them. If she wants fish so badly she should fish for them themselves, and if they have a problem with it they can deal with both of us, not just you. No mangy felines are a match for the two of us!"

A lot of what Yukiko said was sheer bravado, but she meant every word. She knew that giving up the fish and making Chie's struggle pointless really hurt her, and while she couldn't get that back or get **** against those cats, maybe salvaging this evening would be worth it for the disheartened martial artist. And helping Chie out of her funk would be worth it, even if it meant freezing her butt off in this downpour. It didn't help that by now her underwear was completely soaked and was starting to cling uncomfortably to her skin.

Chie stared at Yukiko, and looked down to the river bank and then back to her. Taking a deep breath, Chie let out a huge sigh and said-