Chapter 1: Moving


Hmm...

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Hm-hm-hm...

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Ladi-dah...

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Alice Gehabich was now humming a soft tune. Her hands were wet due to the fact that she was now washing the dishes of Runo's family's restaurant. It was boring, but, with the right song in your head, it was fun to do. At times, Alice actually found it very relaxing, unlike Runo, who was now heated.

Runo barged through the door, twenty dishes in hand. Even though she was mad, she carefully put down the dishes on the counter beside the sink Alice's hands were now occupying. Alice, with her new, yet not so new abilities, felt a frustrated and mad aurora around Alice. It had been almost a whole school year now since their adventure and Alice now understands how to control her powers.

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Well, not that well. But, hey, she's getting there.

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"Runo, what's wrong?" Alice asked her friend. Miss Gehabich thought it was a school related problem. Since Alice was a year older than Runo, they went to different schools. Alice attended Grand Tokyo High with one of her best girlfriends, Chan, Chan's boyfriend, Joe, and the one and only...

Shun Kazami, her best friend, her crush, the one she shies away from, and most recently, the one that she is tied with in more ways than one.

Since Alice's grandfather has not been seen since the last battle they had a couple of months ago, Alice had all of her things moved here. Runo and her parents were fine with this. Actually, Runo was ecstatic. She had always wanted an older sister: someone whom she could talk to, go to the mall with, and just you know...have someone aruond her age who understands her. But, recently, Runo has found herself becoming jealous of Alice.

Runo went to Tokyo Junior High. She attened this school with the brain of the group, Marucho, and her crush and person she would sometimes vent out on, Daniel, or Dan, for short. Marucho, being that he was so smart, was able to skip the seventh grade. This let him have almost all the same classes as Dan and Runo. They were like one big happy scholastic family. Yes, Runo got in some fights with girls who liked Dan, which led to Dan teasing her about having a crush on him, which she refused. Sometimes, Runo would come home in tears to Alice and Tigrerra, her trusted Bakugan, complaining about the things that happened at school or some of the things that Dan had said. This usually lead to Alice and Tigrerra going online to chat with Dan and the other, though it was Tigrerra and Dan usually doing the arguing while the others just sat around. Runo would join in, too. Julie, who was moving down to Tokyo for the next school year, would side with Dan, still not realizing Billy's crush on her.

When the arguing got to be too much, Runo would notice Shun's box disappear, though she was still fighting. A couple of minutes after, she would notice Alice leave from behind her, too.

Once, Tigrerra asked, "Lady Alice," which was now Alice's title because of her abilities and such, "please excuse my questioning, but where are you going?"

Alice stopped abruptly, turned halfway around, and answered cheerily, "Upstairs to our room."

But Runo noticed that Alice had taken her laptop.

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Once when Runo walked up the stairs, looking for Alice to help her with her argument with Dan, she heard voices in her room. Cracking the door, there, she saw Alice talking to Shun on the computer. When she cracked the door and put her ear to it, she could hear Shun and Alice laughing. She then felt a ping in her chest...

...exactly where her heart was.

She never did tell the others what she had saw. But, when they were all on together, she could see the way Shun directed his gaze to Alice's box. Even though he was still the same cold-iced jerk from before, she had a feeling he was beginning to melt...and it was all Alice's doing.

...another ping hit her heart.

How come know one would look at her like that? More importantly, how come Dan would not look at her like that? Am I hideous? Am I just to boy-like? Do I smell? Is it my attitude? Why can't he like me? Why can't he take me for the person that I am? Do I have to act like Alice?

She tried that once. Runo tried to be just like Alice, she really did. It just didn't work out well. When she tried to talk in shoes like Alice did, with heels, she always would trip and fall...not on her face. When she would try to act as compassionate as Alice did, she would always end up blowing it with her loud mouth or a smack to the face. When she tried to sing as beautifully as Alice did, her voice would crack and people would laugh at her.

She was not Alice.

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She was not beautiful.

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She was not perfect.

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She was told these things at times.

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How much more could she take?

...it was time to end this.

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All the guys who would come to eat at the restaurant would always ask for Alice.

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Her friends that would sometimes come over to hang out with her mostly spent their time hanging with Alice.

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"Mom, Dad, Alice," Runo called, ignoring the question asked by Alice a couple of moments ago, "We need to have a family session."

Everyone looked at her. Tigrerra even turned on her shoulder.

"Right now."


Mrs. Misaki knew this day was to come. She knew this family session was to come. She knew ever since the day her and her husband took Alice in that this day was to come. As they walked toward the family room she sighed. Why wouldn't it come? It was like a hereditary effect for all teenagers, especially female ones.

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Especially the ones whom had sisters or sister-like figures in their households with them. It happened to Mrs. Misaki, too. As a matter of fact, it happened around the time she was Runo's age. She had an older sister, about three years older. When they were younger they would do everything together, despite their age gap. There were the good things:

Her sister's friends became her friends.

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Her friends became her sister's friends.

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Her sister's games were her games.

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Her games were her sister's games.

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She copied her sister's style.

There were the bad things:

Her punishment became her sister's punishments. But big sister always took it so well.

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Her chores became her sister's chores when she was too lazy to them. And maybe if I put some effort to it I could have avoided that one day.

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Her problems were her sister's problems. I just dumped everything out on her and expected her to fix them for me while I just stood back and watched.

They were inseperable. That is, until that one day that would forever burn into Mrs. Misaki's mind. Why would it not burn with a deep passion in someone's mind when they were responsible for the death of their loved one? How could it not?

Even when they sat down in the comfy cushion of the sofa, there was still a strange aurora covering the whole room. It seemed like pain, confusion, and hatred, everything that Alice was feeling the day she thought she had lost Shun. Alice, though, was confused about what was going on her. Just because she had the power-ability, as the Bakugan would call it,-to feel the emotions, she did not have the power to understand why they were surrounding the person or persons. Skyress was the one who usually do that. When Skyress figured it out, Shun would put it together.

They were definitely a team.

But, now is not the time to think of that, Alice thought to herself. Something big is going on around here and I just wish I knew what. This is hurting me.

As if Mr. Misaki could read Alice's thoughts, he began, "Well, Runo-bear, what's on your mind?" Next to him, he felt Mrs. Misaki tense a bit. He looked at her and realized what this was about. He tensed to as he put a hand on Mrs. Misaki's own.

Something's wrong with them, too. I can just feel it. Why am I so oblivious to these things?

Runo sighed. "I don't know how to say this," she turned her gaze to Alice and Alice looked back at her. Tears filled her eyes. How could she even think about kicking Alice out? She had done so much for her. From helping wash the dishes and tend to tables here at the family restaraunt, to saving her life a couple of months ago. She was Runo's sister. She was Runo's idol. Yet, she would betray Alice, after all of these things.

"Runo, before you begin to say something you will ," began Mrs. Misaki, "let me say something." All eyes turned to Mrs. Misaki. She cleared her throat and began her story. "When I was younger, about your age, I made a terrible mistake. Your Aunt Jasebelle, the one you never knew, died because of me. Because I wanted her out of the house."

That's when it all came to Alice. Quielty, so know one would notice, Alice stood up and walked up the stairs toward her and Runo's room. Only one noticed, and that was Tigrerra. Quickly, Tigrerra jumped off of Runo's shoulder and followed Alice up the stairs, jumping all the way.

"But Grandma and Grandpa always told me she died of a disease," Runo said, eyes widening.

"They lied," Mrs. Misaki said in a grave tone. "They lied for me. They lied for you. They lied to keep you safe. So, please understand that before I go on." Runo nodded her head. "Good. Your aunt was about three years older than me. Anything or anyone that she had, I had. Her boyfriends always treated me like I was a princess in a beautiful kingdom. When she got a car and I wanted to go out with her for a drive, she never told me no. When I begged my parents to stay for her sweet sixteen, her last party, she said it was fine, even though I knew I would be in the way and had no right being there.

Four months after her party, Runo, your grandparents...Mom and Dad got into a fight with me," she said solemnly. Runo looked at her, tears filled in her eyes and they lie she was told. "I wanted everything my sister had. I wanted to be allowed to go out to parties and such. But they told me no, not to go late at night. Well, Jasebelle did and I became jealous. I said I hated her and wanted her out of our house," and Mrs. Misaki started sobbing. Mr. Misaki wrapped his arm around her.

"I-I guess she heard me. All I heard was the door slam and her speed away. My parents were furious and sent me to my room before eight. I say in there and pouted, but soon realized what I did was wrong. I apologized to my parents and went back up the stairs to wait for my sister to return that night. She never did. Not that night, at least. She returned three in the morning. I sat by window and watched, mom and dad told me to wait for her to return so they could wake up. And that's when it hit. When she was about to pull into the drive way. That truck hit," she cried hysterically. "And killed her."

Before anyone could say anything they heard the front door close and a car drive away. "Where's Alice?" asked Runo, tears streaming down her face. Silence.

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"I do believe she just left," Tigrerra answered from one of the stairs.

"With who!?" All three asked in unison, fear equal in their hearts.

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"I do not know," Tigrerra answered. She flinched quietly when she answered.

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It was a lie. She knew exactly where she went.


"Thank you for take me in on such notice, Mr. Kazami," Alice thanked in a hoarse voice due to her tears. She had figured out exactly what Runo wanted to talk about. Alice was now sitting across from Shun's grandfather in the limo. Since he was such a great ninja, he was actually rich, just like Alice and Marucho. Shun, though, just did not like to show it off.

Grabbing a tissue from the tissue box to his right, Mr. Kazami gave it to Alice. "Anytime, Alice."

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There was silence for a bit. Mr. Kazami, just like Shun, didn't know how to express things. It was just hard for him.

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"I'm sorry for whatever they did to you to make you cry," he said, taking a chance at consoling. She smiled a bit, noticing his hard work at trying to cheer her up. "I wish I knew what else I could do."

"No, no, no, no, no," Alice said. "You're doing enough. You're taking me in on such short notice, giving me a home and food. You are just doing so much for me. What else is there for you to be able to do?" She asked, taking his hand in hers and giving him a reassuring smile.

He smiled back at her. "You remind me so much of Shun's mother, my daughter-in-law," he began warmly. Alice looked at him curiously. "You are a very warm-hearted young woman. That's exactly what Hope was. She was very warm-hearted. When she met my son, Jin, he was in a very rough spot, you see. He had just lot his mother, my late wife, to cancer. Even though Jin, at the time, had rough edges on him, she never cared. Oh no. Not hope. She looked beyond. She always looked beyond that," he said solemnly.

Alice felt this and decided it was her turn to help cheer him up. "What do you mean 'was'? She's still alive now. Mrs. Kazami, I believe, will be able to get out of the coma that she is. I know she will," she conclued sternly, yet, in an encouraging voice.

Mr. Kazami looked up at her. When he did, he instantly saw, not only his daughter-in-law's face, but his wife's face, too. Both Kazami men had married warm, sweet, kind-hearted woman.

Mr. Kazami smiled. "And it seem like Shun will, too," he said, making his thoughts known.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

Mr. Kazami shook his head. "Nothing dear. Just a thought." He noticed the limo pull the stop and the door to his right open.

"We're here, sir," his drivers voice said from in front of them.

"Welcome home, Master Kyo," his butler said from behind the door that he had opened.

"Shall we?" Kyo asked as Alice got out of the car.

Her eyes widened. It was like she was in one of those past ninja home. Well, calling it a home didn't even describe it. It was like a mansion. Now, it was not taller than Marucho's, but definitely more spacious. There was a little pond in the center of the drive way. A water feature in the middle that looked like a female was holding a pot with water coming out of it stood in the center.

"That is the sculpture of my wife," Kyo said. Alice looked at it with awe in her eyes. "Let us go. The butlers and others will bring your stuff to your room. I will give you the grand tour, for I am not sure if Shun's home yet from Daniel's house," and with that she followed him around the Kazami's beautiful home, both inside and out.

After she had seen the whole house, they returned to the kitchen area she saw a couple of minutes ago. "My cook is out of town for a bit," Kyo apologized.

Alice shook her head. "That's fine. I know how to cook. It's the least I could do for you for taking me in on such short notice," she said as she grabbed this and that from the cabinet, pantry, and fridge.

"Grandpa, I'm home!" a voice called from outside the kitchen. Alice noted it was Shun and gave a small smile. Kyo noticed this and smiled, too. If I'm lucky I may have grandkids sooner than I thought.

"Where have you been Shun?" Kyo called to his grandson, for Shun had not yet gotten to the kitchen.

"Sorry. Dan and I stopped by to eat at Runo's restaurant, but they were closed. Alice left! I just came here to change. I promised I'd help them look for her," he explained as he got to the kitchen door.

"You don't have to do that, Shun. I'm fine," Alice said as he got to the door.

"No way," Skyress said from Shun's shoulder. Quickly, she hopped from Shun's shoulder, to Kyo's, and finally on Alice's. "You're giving the Misaki's quite a scare," she scolded half heartedly. The other half of her was happy to see that Alice, who had become like a daughter to her, was fine.

"I know. It's just too much right now," Alice said solemnly.

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"Come Skyress," Kyo called. SKyress hopped on his shoulder, already knowing the plan. "I need your help with something," and they left the room.

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Alice became a little more conscious of herself, noting the fact that Shun was still in the kitchen with her. Sadly, when you become conscious, you usually do something clumsy. Slipping on something that could not be seen, she fell toward the ground, face first.

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She did not feel a thing. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Shun's face close to hers. He had grabbed her by the waste and was now holding her tightly, but not too tight. "Be careful," he whispered into her face as he let his arms around her waste let go. Cautiously, with a blush, she grabbed the counter behind her and turned around to the stove where she was cooking.

"Why'd you do that?" she heard Shun ask. She immediately remembered the time she had asked him that a couple of months ago. Last time, it lead to kissing. Will it this time?

"Do what?" she asked. She seriously had no idea what he was talking about. Her back was still turned toward him as she cooked away at the stove.

"Leave."

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She tensed. He put one hand on her shoulder when he noticed her sobbing. The other hand followed and fell on the other shoulder. "Runo wanted me gone. For some reason I do not quite understand, I believe she became jealous."

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She found his arms wrapped around her waste. Alice's head was pulled back to his chest. Shun rested his head on top of hers. "Good," he said with a smirk. She tensed at this. Why would this be good? "I having you here already," and he dipped his head to the spoon of rice she held in her hand and ate it. He let her go and went to his room to get ready for dinner.

"He ate...o-out of my...hand," Alice stuttered as she took a seat the steady her balance.

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She liked it here, too.


3,601 words.

Sorry! I had a lot to do yesterday and not time to write. We were celebrating the birth of my baby cousin. Another January birthday in the family! All right!

So, here is the first chapter of the sequel to My Knight In Black Armor. How do you guys like it so far? As usual, I do not have much to say, for this is the first chapter. As time goes on, though, I will have so much more to say.

I would like to thank all of my reviewers from My Knight In Black Armor and I hope this story will live up to all your expectations. Now, can you all do me a favor. I have a pole on my page and I need you to go and vote for your favorite character AFTER you review. Masquerade or Klaus.

Thanks for all your support,

Lady Anata