Female Leafe Knight Kirei

Summary: Now that the Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear has been fulfilled, all is at peace (finally) on Awayuki Island. However, this definitely doesn't stop Sakura and Hiro's daughter Kirei from causing mischief now and then! But suddenly, on Kirei's seventeenth birthday, red snow once again begins to curse the land, and life as Kirei knows it is turned topsy-turvy. With an all-new generation of Leafe Knights, her occult-loving cousin Phoenix, and a new and possibly fatally attractive threat, can Kirei, as the only female Leafe Knight, continue the tradition of keeping Awayuki Island—and the world—alive? And wait! Is it even possible for a female Leafe Knight and a Pretear to prete? Sequel to Pretear: Legend of the Golden Princess Pretear. OC Pairings GALORE!

A/N: …..

Hiro:…..

MuraSakura: …..

Hiro: ….What the HELL? I thought you were DONE with your madness, woman!

MuraSakura: So did I! BELIEVE me; I'm just as freakin' shocked as you are! B-but my Muse just took over! I couldn't stop it!

Hiro: ….You've been reading over your old fanfic, haven't you?

MuraSakura: Err…can I plead the Fifth on that one?

Hiro: Oh geez, here we go…

MuraSakura: Aw c'mon! You can't tell me you're not the LEAST bit happy about me continuing where I left off? My writing skills have improved significantly!

Hiro: Why should I care? From here on out, I'm only going to be a minor character. Let's just hope you don't go psycho once again and go on a massive killing spree at the end…

MuraSakura: (Smirks) No promises, dude. (Lightning flashes) BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! I am BACK, BABY!

Hiro: RUN WHILE YOU CAN! …If anyone even still follows you. You haven't updated in years.

MuraSakura: (Cringes) I know, and I feel bad about that. I miss the giddy feeling I used to get when people would read and review!

Hiro: (Rolls eyes) All your "fans" have probably outgrown the site you post on and have gone off to do more productive things with their lives.

MuraSakura: SO? That only means that I can accumulate NEW fans!

Hiro: …Who will have NO idea what this story is about, considering that they'd have to have read the first story in order to know what's going on…

MuraSakura: …Quit trying to bring me down, damn it! (Brandishes Daddy Frying Pan at Hiro) ANYWAY, it is official that I am certifiably INSANE for plotting a sequel to this story, but here goes any way! If you're a new fan, welcome! If you're an old (and still faithful) fan, welcome back! If you haven't read the first adventure of Sakura and Hiro, or if you need a refresher course, please look up Legend of a Golden Princess Pretear and read that first before you continue this one!

Hiro: Do Hiniku or Tenshi even know what your sick and twisted brain is up to this time…?

MuraSakura: Nope! But I'm sure they will eventually. BWAHAHAHA! XP

Hiro: Oh boy…I'm getting a headache-inducing sense of Déjà vu…

MuraSakura: Just sit back, shut up, and enjoy the ride, Hiro. (Smirks) NOW, onto—drum roll please—the DISCLAIMER!

Kirei: (Pops up out of nowhere) Hey, what's going on?

MuraSakura: Ah! Perfect timing! Kirei, do the disclaimer please!

Kirei: ….The what now?

Hiro: Pfft. Newbie.

MuraSakura: (Huffs) Nevermind, I'll do it. AHEM! I, the authoress of this humble fanfic, do not own Pretear in any way, shape or form, nor do I own Kai Hiwatari from Beyblade, or the characters of Tenshi Hiwatari or Hiniku Musika (as they are now known, heh heh heh…). I merely own Original Characters such as the Second Generation Leafe Knights, the Third Generation Leafe Knights (as they will be introduced), and any other characters in this fic that I do not disclaim!

Hiro: This is really happening isn't it…

MuraSakura: Damn right! CHAPTER ONE: START!

Kirei: …I'm not really sure what's going on, but let's go!

Hiro: Kill me now…PLEASE.


CHAPTER ONE: KIREI AWAYUKI, MISCHIEF MASTER

The sky was radiant today; a vibrant blue that could only be seen on a joyous occasion. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, and the sun was dazzling to gaze at from overhead.

So Kirei didn't understand: why, today of ALL perfect playing days, were they at a grave yard?

"Momma, I want to go home," she complained for the umpteenth time, tugging against the woman that had a firm grip on her small hand. The woman flipped dark hair out of her dark-skinned face and frowned disapprovingly at her daughter.

"Kirei, behave. We're here to pay our respects to your grandparents today," Sakura scolded lightly, her voice firm and unsympathetic to Kirei's wants. Kirei pouted.

"But I've never even MET them," she continued to whine, "why do I have to be here too?"

"Kirei."

Kirei winced at the warning growl and fell silent. She knew better than to push it when her mother used that tone. But it still didn't change her attitude, and she exhaled nosily, causing her bangs to become aloft for a few short seconds.

Kirei's father, always the more lenient parent, chuckled and ruffled his daughter's hair.

"We're only saying hello, Kiddo," he promised, addressing Kirei by the pet name he'd given her when she was born. "If you're a good girl, when we get back, I'll have a sparring match with you in Leafenia later."

"Really? YAY! You better keep your promise, Daddy!" Kirei cheered, hopping up and down excitedly.

"Great. Now she'll be that more antsy to leave," Sakura grumbled, shooting a disgruntled look at her husband. "You have no back bone, Hiro."

Hiro grinned handsomely, and Sakura blushed despite herself. "Only when it comes to you and our children, Saku," he said, leaning over to kiss his wife on the forehead. Sakura rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep from smiling at her husband.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope the next batch doesn't get spoiled rotten, right?" she prayed, placing her free hand on her rotund belly and rubbing small circles on it. She winced slightly as she did this, something that didn't go unnoticed by Hiro.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing…they just like to kick. Ugh, Hiro, if I had known that you being a twin predisposed you to produce twin offspring…"

"Hey, don't look at me! You're the one who jinxed it when you first found out you were pregnant!"

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Mooommaaa! Daaaddyyy!" Kirei moaned, placing a hand over her face. Thank goodness no one was around; her parents were so embarrassing.

Clearing their throats, Sakura and Hiro composed themselves once more, just in time for them to reach Hiro's parent's gravestone. Engraved on the Awayuki headstone was this epitaph:

"Himeno and Hayate. Beloved siblings, parents, and friends. Their legacy of bravery and greatness will live on 'till the end of time."

Kirei, being seven years old, could read just fine for her age. But as she read the engraving on the headstone, she was tripped up by big words, like "beloved" and "legacy".

"Momma," Kirei pestered, tugging on her mother's dress as Sakura and Hiro clasped their hands and closed their eyes to pray to Hiro's parents.

"Shh, Kirei," Sakura urged, frowning in concentration. This did not deter Kirei; this only made the little girl tug harder on her mother's dress.

"Momma, what's a leg-acey?" Kirei persisted; her cute face frowned up when her mother ignored her. So, she turned to her father and started tugging on his pants leg. "Daddy, what's a leg-acey?" she asked again.

"A legacy is a sort of a story that people pass on, to be told to their children, and the children after them," Hiro muttered from the corner of his mouth.

"You mean, like a fairy tale?" Kirei questioned, her maternally-inherited chocolate brown eyes sparkling in wonder.

A snort of laughter escaped her mother, and Kirei turned around to see her mother looking down on her with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Something like that," Sakura responded, taking Kirei's hand once again. Having finished paying her respects, she waited for her husband to be done, and then the family took their leave, traipsing across the fallen leaves that carpeted the ground.

"How come I've never heard a fairy tale 'bout Gramma and Grampa?" Kirei wanted to know, looking adorably disgruntled. Hiro laughed at the expression on her face.

"You have, Kiddo. You just didn't realize it, because we never mentioned their names," he explained, taking Kirei's other hand and, with Sakura's help, began to swing their little girl between them. Kirei's frown deepened at this piece of news.

"I wanna hear the story again!" she proclaimed, "the whole thing, this time! With no names changed or nothing!"

"Anything," Kirei's mother reflexively corrected.

"Yeah, that! And you have to tell it to me tonight!" Kirei demanded.

Sakura and Hiro exchanged a long glance, and then gazed back at their eager, expecting daughter.

"We'll tell you the story," Hiro promised slowly, much to Kirei's delight, "…but, not now."

"Awww!" Kirei instantly fussed.

"We'll tell you…someday," Sakura qualified, before her daughter could get too rowdy, "someday, when you're old enough, we'll tell you the whole thing."


APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS LATER

It was just another day on Awayuki Island. Inside the Awayuki Mansion, as the maids were tidying up and attending to their chores, a melodic voice could be heard from one of the rooms. The young mistress of the mansion was awake, it seemed, and she was getting ready for school. The maids always knew what kind of day it would be, based on whether the young miss was singing or not. If she was singing, it was going to be a good day. If she wasn't…well, let's just say the maids were highly thankful for every day that the young miss started out singing.

"Wake up tired, Monday mornings suck!" sang a teenage girl, her slender but well-developed figure bouncing around her room as she readied herself for the morning. Her mocha skin was tinged slightly rosy from the shower she just had, and now she busied herself with putting on her school uniform as she sang.

"It's way too early to catch a bus.

Why conform without a fuss?

Daddy, Daddy, no! I don't wanna go to school! Whoo!

"I don't need to read Billy Shakespeare!" Kirei belted out, brushing out her brown and auburn-streaked hair before putting a portion of it into her trademark side ponytail on the right side of her head. She then gripped her brush handle like a microphone and began singing into the mirror on her vanity set.

"Meet Juliet, or Mavolio!

Feel for once what it's like to rebel, now!

I wanna break out, let's goooooo!"

"A-HEM."

Kirei swiveled about abruptly to see her mother standing in the doorway, wearing that same exasperated and amused look she always wore when she had to deal with something Kirei was doing that annoyed her, but at the same time, reminded her so much of herself.

"Oh! Eh heh…hi, Mom," Kirei greeted sheepishly, dropping her brush behind her.

"Hun, while I think it's amazing that you're able to project your voice so well," Sakura began, striding in and taking a seat on Kirei's bed, "I really don't think it's necessary to be able to hear you from across the mansion every single morning."

"Sorry," Kirei apologized humbly, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. Honestly, she knew where her mother was coming from, but she always felt that her singing was a gift, and when her mom told her to keep it down, it made her a little sad, like an insuppressible part of her was being smothered.

Sakura seemed to understand her daughter's feelings, for she left the bed to come over and pat Kirei's head, trying to be careful not to mess up her daughter's hair. "I'm not saying you have to stop completely," she assured her daughter, "just…not so early in the morning, okay? You know I enjoy my sleep, and your father—"

"Ah, yeah, I get it, Mom," Kirei cut her mother off, cringing. Kirei and Hiro had already had this talk the last time one of her parents had to come in and remind her to keep it down. Her dad usually wasn't a stickler, but apparently, her Aunt Hitori had kept him at their grandmother's cosmetics company late into the night one night, and he had only gotten two hours of sleep before Kirei's dulcet tones had roused him. His exhaustion, plus his irritation with his twin sister, had caused Hiro to become very irritable with Kirei, and he reamed her out almost to the point of tears. He apologized later that day, but still, Kirei had been scarred. After that incident, she had tried very hard to keep her singing from reaching the other side of the mansion.

But, even so, she always managed to forget.

"See that you try to remember longer this time then, kay?" Sakura advised, mindful of her daughter's forgetful nature. Placing a kiss on her eldest child's head, Sakura strode out of the room, pausing in the doorway long enough to ask Kirei to wake her siblings up before she headed back to bed.

Sighing, Kirei grabbed her school bag and slung it over her shoulder before she left her room. Humming the rest of "Billy S." under her breath, she made her way down the end of the East Wing of the mansion. Two letters adorned the double doors: one, a pink and flowery "H", and the other, a bold, blue "K". Kirei ignored these letters, for she had seen them so many times that they blended into the door now. Unceremoniously, she kicked open the double doors and flicked the lights on as soon as she was inside the room.

"Hana! Kaze! Time to get up!" Kirei called, clapping her hands loudly.

The figures in the beds opposite each other did not move. Kirei sighed gustily, making her bangs fly up before settling back onto her forehead. There was a reason her mother constantly wanted her to be the one to wake up the twins: it was because they were the most troublesome children to wake.

'Well, they were warned,' Kirei thought to herself, deciding to improvise. Setting her bag down, Kirei stood with her feet apart and eyes closed, inhaling deeply as she found her center. Focusing all her energy, Kirei rose her arms, a hand raised palm-forward for each bed. Lowering three fingers on each hand so that only her index and middle finger stuck out, Kirei waved her hands in spiral motions. She knew the desired effect was achieved when she heard screams of shock and terror. Smirking, Kirei opened her eyes.

Her twin siblings were suspended in midair, thanks to the twisters Kirei just created. Both were swirling around and around and, judging from their voices and faces, Kirei was pretty sure they didn't appreciate it one bit.

"KIREI! QUIT JOKING AND PUT US DOWN!" Kaze cried, upside down in his twister because he must have been sleeping with his head at the foot of the bed again.

"PLEASE, KIREI-NEE-SAMA!" Hana cried, clutching her nightgown over her legs for fear that it would fly up in the strong gusts.

"You guys gotta learn to get up the first time you're called!" Kirei scolded her siblings, but nonetheless did as they asked. As she stopped waving her hands and lowered her remaining two fingers, the twins fell back in their beds. But Kirei wasn't afraid of them falling asleep again. They knew better by now.

"Jeez!" Kaze immediately griped, popping out of bed and rushing Kirei, who merely put a hand on his forehead to keep him at bay. He still tried, however, his limbs flailing in vain to reach Kirei. "One of these days, I'm gonna catch YOU off-guard, Kirei!"

"Uh-huh," Kirei yawned, having heard this speech too many times, "how about you save the threats for when you're actually tall."

"I'm not short! I'm only ten!"

"Whatever."

"Y-you're mean, Kirei-nee…" Hana hiccupped, coming over to pout tearfully at her older sister.

"Sorry, Hana-chan," Kirei apologized, letting her brother go so she could hug her sister, "but like I said, you guys have to learn to wake up the first time you're called. Now since you don't wanna do it the easy way, we have to do it the hard way every time."

"B-but I can't help it…" Hana sobbed, rubbing her eyes as she cried. Guilt tugged at Kirei's heart for being so mean, but really, she saw no other way to effectively wake them: she and their mother had tried everything they could possibly think of. Nothing but Kirei's wind powers worked well enough.

"Come on, it's time for breakfast," Kirei announced, and at once Hana cheered up. Kirei hid a smile. That was one quirk about her sister that was dependable: no matter how upset Hana might be at the moment, if you tempt her with food, she'll get over it quicker than you can apologize.

"Hey Kirei," called a sinister sing-song voice from the door way, and Kirei turned around to find Kaze holding her school bag. Kirei's chocolate irises instantly narrowed, and she approached her brother slowly.

"Give me my bag, Kaze," she commanded, a hand outstretched for it. Her brother pulled down his lower eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Make me!" he challenged before running down the hall, cackling with glee. Gritting her teeth, Kirei took off after him, with Hana bringing up the rear, but only after the breakfast she was promised.

"KAZE! I'm NOT in the mood to play games with you today!"

"Ya shoulda thought about that before you tossed me in the air this morning!"

"What are you—hey! Don't go through my bag!"

"Oooh, what's this? Your DIARY? Do you write about your BOYFRIEND in here? Let's take a look…"

"Why you little—"

"AAAAHH! NO FAIR, PUT ME DOWN!"

Yep, it was just another day on Awayuki Island, in the Awayuki Mansion.


As Tanaka drove the three Awayuki children to school, Kirei was steadfastly ignoring everyone else in the car by listening to her iPod at maximum volume. She hummed along to the songs instead of singing along to them, remembering her mother's wish for her to be more courteous of others when she was singing. But really, why should she suppress her beautiful singing voice in the first place? She was going to be a star for it one day, after all!

'I can see it now,' Kirei thought dreamily, imagining the cliché scene for a pop star: a brightly lit multi-colored stage, millions of fans chanting her name, which was also up in lights above the stage. And there was Kirei, clad in a fabulous outfit that would make other teen idols weep with jealousy. She grinned and waved as she jumped onstage to tumultuous cheers and applause. And when she sang, only her voice could be heard, for it was so beautiful that none of her fans could bear the thought of possibly singing along and ruining the purity of the experience of hearing Kirei sing…

…Kirei tended to keep this fantasy to herself, because other people laughed when they heard it, unfortunately. But why couldn't it happen? Sakura always told Kirei that she could be anything she wanted to be as long as she set her mind to it. So, really, nothing was stopping her from becoming the super-adored pop idol that she yearned to be! So HA HA to the laughers and naysayers!

Kirei was brought out of her little fantasy by the car slowing to a stop and the back door opening.

"Hi, Phoenix!" Kirei chirped brightly, taking out an ear bud and turning around to greet her cousin. As he slid onto the seat next to Kaze, Kirei couldn't help but marvel once more at how much her cousin looked like her uncle Kai. From his hair to his eyes to his build to his triangled face, Phoenix was a spitting image of his father. But then he smiled at Kirei, and she had to admit that his smile was inherited from Aunt Tenshi, his mother.

"Hey, Kirei. Did you finish your homework for Physics class?" he asked after greeting the twins. Kirei blinked blankly at him.

"We had homework?" she finally responded with surprise.

"Don't tell me you forgot…" Phoenix groaned, giving his cousin a hopeless look.

"Ha ha! Baka Kirei can't even do her homework, let alone remember it!" Kaze snorted with glee.

"Don't make me come back there, brat," Kirei growled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Can't we get along for just one morning…?" Hana pleaded, her large brown eyes welling up with unshed tears.

"NO," came Kirei's and Kaze's reply, their menacing eyes locked on each other. Hana sighed and Phoenix laughed nervously.

"Here we are, Miss Awayuki and Mister Hiwatari!" Tanaka announced at last, pulling up in front of Awayuki High. With a "thank you" to Tanaka, Phoenix exited the car, dragging along an irrate Kirei, whom was desperately trying to get at her little brother for making faces at her from the window.

"Honestly, Kirei," Phoenix sighed once he released his cousin, "you can be as bad as your mom sometimes. You shouldn't let Kaze get to you so easily; he's only a kid."

"He's a brat!" Kirei exclaimed, angrily stamping her foot. "You should have left me there to teach him a few manners!"

"No way," Phoenix denied as they made their way across the school grounds, "knowing you, you would've found some way to make a scene, and the last thing you need is your mother throttling you for causing an otherworldly commotion with your wind powers."

"I'm not that bad…" Kirei grumbled, silently cursing her cousin for being right.

"Yeah, sure…yo, Heisei!" Phoenix called, greeting a tall boy whom was leaning against a tree nearby. The boy glanced up from the book he was reading, oblivious to the girls whom were drooling over him the next tree over. He pushed away from the tree and strode over to Phoenix and Kirei, fixing a stray lock of black hair that escaped from its proper place on his head.

"You're late," he said in lieu of a greeting, pushing his black-framed glasses farther up the bridge of his nose as his hypnotic violet eyes surveyed the cousins.

"Sorry, the twins were giving me trouble this morning," Kirei apologized briskly; this scenario happened often enough that she need only say the word "trouble", and all was forgiven. "What are you reading today?"

"Wuthering Heights," Heisei answered, glancing down at the book tucked under his arm.

"Again?" Phoenix teased.

"It's not my fault you haven't the sense to enjoy a great piece of literature more than once. Kirei, come here," Heisei suddenly commanded of Kirei, whom was walking ahead of them. She spun on her heel, giving him a curious look.

"What's up?" she asked when he approached; she had to tilt her head back slightly to look into his face, even though she was 5 feet, 7 inches.

Heisei didn't reply. Rather, he gripped her chin and tilted her head to the side. "You have sauce on your cheek," he told her and, without warning, he licked it off. Kirei's face exploded with red, and she jumped back from him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she shrieked at full volume, earning the attention of the whole school yard.

"Just trying to assist you," Heisei said, totally unfazed by her reaction. As he readjusted his glasses, his gaze shifted to a point behind Kirei. Suspicious, she glanced over her shoulder to find a group of guys a distance away were staring at her and Heisei. The looks on their faces alternated between longing towards Kirei, and loathing towards Heisei. Finally getting it, Kirei turned back to Heisei, her cheeks bloated from pouting.

"Will you stop doing that kind of stuff every time you find some guys looking at me?" she demanded of him. Honestly, she'd heard of overprotective brother-type figures, but this was ridiculous!

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Heisei claimed, his poker face in place as he glanced away.

'Liar!' Kirei's thoughts accused.

"Guys, we're going to be late," Phoenix pointed out nonchalantly; he was used to Heisei's antics by now, so it really didn't affect him anymore when his best friend harassed his cousin.

"Mou!" Kirei sighed in exasperation as they entered the school building. As if she didn't have enough trouble getting a boyfriend already, what with her overprotective father and her brat of a brother scaring away any guy she ever had a remote interest in! Life just wasn't fair.

"Oh, Awayuki-san!"

Kirei turned at the sound of her name. Heading towards her was a senior boy, with coiffed black hair and blue eyes that could make any girl swoon. Kirei was surprised that he was singling her out, because he also happened to be the idol of the school.

"Is there something I can help you with, Kaneiro-san?" she asked politely as he approached her. Yuki Kaneiro grinned one of his to-die-for grins, and a girl nearby that happened to get blasted by it from behind Kirei actually fainted. Kirei, however, remained unfazed.

"I told you that I would return these to you," he answered, handing a notebook over to Kirei.

"Oh, my History notes," Kirei recognized as she took the notebook, "I had forgotten I had lent these to you."

"Yeah, and they were a big help," Yuki replied with another grin, "thank you so much."

"Oh, no problem," Kirei replied with a smile of her own.

Heisei not-so-subtly cleared his throat behind Kirei, which annoyed her. Yuki took the hint, however. "Well, I've gotta go. Thanks again for your help, Awayuki-san," he bade goodbye, turning and heading back the way he had come. Once he was out of sight, Kirei rounded on her friend.

"Quit being so rude, would you?" she grouched as they continued their way down the hall, "you're getting as bad as Tochi."

"Tochi is eight years old," Heisei pointed out, "therefore, every action of his is seen as cute and non-threatening."

"I'm impressed, Kirei," Phoenix butted in when Kirei opened her mouth to retort, "the worshipped idol Yuki Kaneiro came up and spoke to you, and you didn't even drool. How did you suddenly get the ability to control yourself around hot guys?"

"First of all, I do not drool over every hot guy I see," Kirei corrected with a frown at her cousin, "and second of all, because I don't find Kaneiro-san all that attractive."

Heisei and Phoenix came to a sudden halt, unbeknownst to Kirei, who kept walking. The hallway had also gone eerily silent, as if Kirei had uttered something totally forbidden to speak of. Sensing that all was not well, Kirei turned around slowly to find Heisei, Phoenix, and pretty much everyone else in the hallway staring incredulously at her.

"…What?" she wanted to know, her tone becoming defensive.

"…You don't find Yuki Kaneiro attractive? At all?" Phoenix questioned, his tone mirroring his expression. Kirei bristled at this treatment, feeling like she was being treated like a pariah for no good reason.

"Why? Do you?" she quipped sarcastically.

"No, but the whole female population at this school is head over heels for him," Phoenix pointed out as he and Heisei returned to Kirei's side. She rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"The whole female population, save for one: me. So I don't go gaga for him like all the other girls, sue me."

"It is a little strange," Heisei spoke up, his gaze surveying Kirei as if she were a fascinating science specimen, which she did not appreciate. "Usually, you're completely pathetic whenever you come across a guy you believe is attractive—"

"Thanks so much for being sensitive to my feelings, Heisei," Kirei griped, rolling her eyes once again.

"—so why wouldn't you find the school idol attractive? According to the female masses, he's handsome, intelligent, athletic, and debonair. Are none of these qualities your type?"

"It isn't that," Kirei admitted, though she resented the intrusion of her personal tastes, "it's just…for him to be all those things makes him, well, too perfect. Frankly, it's a little creepy."

"Don't let any other girl hear you say that, or his fan club will hang you," Phoenix joked, and Kirei sighed in exasperation.

Just then, the homeroom bell sounded, and the three had to rush to their respective homerooms. Heisei was in a different homeroom from Phoenix and Kirei, which Kirei was extra-grateful for this morning: after the stunt he pulled earlier, she wasn't feeling particularly fond of him today. It still meant that she had to deal with Phoenix, but he didn't work her nerves as much as Heisei did, so she didn't mind.

Once they entered their homeroom, Kirei was made aware that something exciting was happening, especially because some girls were squealing loudly about it.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, can you believe it?"

"I know! New students! I'm so jealous; both the seniors and the sophomores got one today!"

"I hope they're guys!"

"I hope they're gorgeous!"

"I hope they're single!"

'Oh brother', Kirei internally sighed, squeezing past the frenzied females to get to her seat in the middle of the classroom. Honestly, the girls of her homeroom were so fickle. Usually, they were all over Phoenix as soon as he stepped into the room, like bees on honey. But now, at the prospect of shiny new boy toys, they were all in a dither, with Phoenix completely forgotten. 'Not that Phoenix seems to mind,' Kirei noted, catching her cousin sigh in relief from his seat near the windows. Shooting him an understanding smirk, Kirei settled into her seat and at least hoped that the excitement would die down by next class.


Unfortunately for Kirei, by the end of the school day, the gossip had only increased ten-fold. She and Phoenix were beginning to hear wild stories about the two new students of Awayuki High, and Kirei was getting sick and tired of it.

"Are we really so bored with our lives that two new students coming to our school is a cause for celebration?" she griped to Phoenix as they headed to their Physics class, her struggling to quickly complete the homework assignment she'd forgotten about as they walked.

"It looks that way," Phoenix replied. He was half-way tuning Kirei out because he was so used to her rants by now, and he knew that he only needed to reply once in a while. Kirei wouldn't know the difference.

"I mean," she continued through her teeth; she had her schoolbag handle in between her teeth so she could organize her rushed homework, "it's not like it's that rare that we get new students. What's the big deal?"

"Mmm," Phoenix hummed, now in his own little world.

"The people here are so depraved," Kirei sighed, as if it were a tragedy, "I fear for the future of our society, I really do…"

Kirei trailed off and came to a stop, with Phoenix nearly bumping into her. But she didn't hear any of his protests. Her attention was already riveted on a figure before them, a boy about Heisei's height, with messy light brown hair and what appeared to be a broad, muscular build under his school uniform. His eyes were a hard hazel, and he was staring intently at something inside the classroom he was blocking the doorway to.

'Wow,' Kirei thought, beginning to get warm around the collar, 'talk about a hot guy!' Of its own accord, her hand stretched out to tap him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," she found herself saying, and then daydreaming about what his voice would sound like, how his eyes would feel when they met hers…

…Well, as it turns out, the experience was none-too-pleasant. The boy's head whipped around, those hard hazel orbs slicing into Kirei with a fierce glare. "What?" he barked, his voice harsh and biting, as if Kirei was in the wrong for daring to get his attention. All good expectations ruined, Kirei glared right back at him, embarrassment and anger beginning to rise within her.

"You're blocking the doorway," she informed the stranger frostily, jabbing a thumb at said doorway, "and we need to get through. This is our next class."

The boy's hard eyes shifted from Kirei to Phoenix and back again, as if he was expecting to catch one of them lying just to bother him. Kirei rose her eyebrows, challenging him.

After a minute, the boy stepped aside, his eyes never leaving Kirei's until he turned around and headed up the hall, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets.

"What the heck was his problem?" Kirei grouched to Phoenix as they entered their Physics classroom, and he shrugged.

"Beats me. You know, I don't think I've ever seen him before—ack!" Phoenix's sentence was cut off by a yelp as he and Kirei were suddenly snatched up and dragged to a corner of the classroom.

"Hey! What the hell—!" Kirei protested, only to be shushed by their captor.

"I need your help right now, you guys," the captor insisted. Kirei recognized the voice immediately and groaned.

"Akaru, I am so not in the mood to deal with you right now," she complained, turning to glare at the boy behind her. Akaru made an impatient noise and rolled his amber eyes.

"I don't care if you're in the mood—listen!" he insisted, shoving his golden bangs out of his face with impatience. "You guys have got to tell me, because it's been driving me crazy all night: what did Heisei do for the Science Fair?"

"The Science Fair?" Phoenix echoed in confusion, giving their friend a strange look, "That's a month away. Why are you concerned about that now?"

"Because!" Akaru exclaimed, the golden ponytail at the back of his head swinging with indignation, "if you want extra credit, you have to turn it in a month early! And don't change the subject! What did Heisei do? You have to tell me!" Akaru now had Phoenix by the shoulders and was shaking him as if his life depended on it. Phoenix's crimson orbs found Kirei, and they screamed for her to help him. Kirei sighed, but complied.

"Akaru, knock it off," she commanded, socking Akaru in the arm. With a yelp, he released Phoenix and began massaging his assaulted upper arm while glaring at Kirei. She didn't appear bothered by his glare. "And Heisei didn't have a science project with him when we met up with him this morning, so you can quit being so neurotic."

Akaru gasped and his eyes became large. "Really? Really and truly? You're not jerking my chain?" he questioned, staring intently at Kirei. Kirei rolled her eyes, but shook her head to confirm what she had just said. At this, Akaru went into a full-on spaz attack.

"YES! FINALLY! Victory is mine at last! HAHAHAHAHA—A-ha! In your FACE, Musika!" Akaru cheered, pointing an imperious finger at Heisei, whom had just entered the classroom. Heisei quirked an eyebrow at Akaru, but chose not to comment, because he knew Akaru would elaborate on what he was blathering about next.

And Heisei was right. With a superior smirk, Akaru folded his arms and continued with his victory speech. "At last, I, Akaru Hikari, have surpassed you! According to my sources, YOU have neglected to turn in your science project a month early to get the extra credit, which means that MY science project will be worth more than YOURS this year! HA HA! How does the bitter taste of DEFEAT suit you, Musika? Huh?"

"…Oh. Is that what you're over-excited about this afternoon?" Heisei sighed, turning his head to the side to push his glasses back up his nose. A hint of a smirk was playing at the corner of his mouth, and Kirei knew what was coming next: Heisei was about to, once again, one-up Akaru in the most humiliating way possible.

"Actually," Heisei began, his sadistic side beginning to surface, "I turned my science project in last month, in order to qualify for a scholarship from NASA. They were so impressed that they're offering me an internship there this summer."

"…Wow," Phoenix said after a moment, for Akaru appeared to be frozen in place with shock, rendering him unable to respond. "That's incredible. Congrats, Heisei."

"Thank you," Heisei replied, his smirk now more defined as he stared down his nose at Akaru. "Now, what was it you were saying, Akaru…?"

"I…I…I…" Akaru choked, but whether he was too choked up with sadness or rage to speak properly, Kirei didn't know. Finally, poor Akaru gave a wail of despair and sprinted for the door. "Damn you, Musika! I'll get you for this, one day!" he swore before disappearing into the hall. Kirei sighed and shook her head.

"Heisei, you really shouldn't do that to him. You're giving him an irreversible complex," she reprimanded her friend as she, Phoenix, and Heisei took their seats in the back row. Heisei shrugged nonchalantly.

"It isn't my fault he feels he has to compete with me in everything and loses. Badly," he added.

'Why are my friends so eccentric?' Kirei wondered with a sweatdrop just as their Physics teacher walked in.

"Good afternoon, class," Mr. Takahara greeted brightly, "now, before we begin, I'd like to introduce a new student in our midst! Miss Yamashita, if you please?"

'Eh? New student talk again?' Kirei's thoughts grumbled, but her attention was nonetheless piqued by the small girl at the front of the room, who was now standing. Kirei noticed that she was trembling slightly, and made her way to the front of the class slowly, as if afraid that she would slip and fall if she wasn't careful. At the front of the room, she refused to raise her eyes from her feet, but even so, Kirei could tell that her face was bright red under her glossy dark brown pigtails. 'Poor thing,' Kirei found herself sympathizing, 'she looks scared stiff.'

"This is Miyu Yamashita," Mr. Takahara introduced her, once he had finished writing her name on the board. "She and her brother just moved here, so be nice! And I'll have no one bullying her just because this is a junior-level class and she's only a sophomore, understood?"

"P-please take care of me…" Miyu stuttered, her eyes still lowered. Kirei felt another tug at her heartstrings. Poor girl. Just how shy was she?

After Mr. Takahara allowed Miyu to sit back down, he erased her name from the board and began writing today's topic of study on the board. "You can find all the information you need, as well as your assignment, on page 16," he announced to the class. "Also, this is a partner project, and I will not be choosing the partners, just to be nice. Therefore, I expect you to be able to pick your own partners without too much fuss, alright? Get started."

"Sorry, Phoenix," Kirei apologized before she left her seat and headed up to the front. Usually, Kirei always partnered with her cousin, but something about the new girl just nagged at her. Now was a perfect time to be able to get to know her better. Phoenix could always partner with Heisei, after all.

As soon as Kirei reached the front, however, Miyu was already busy. Despite Mr. Takahara's wishes, she was already being harassed by the class jackass, Ken Shinran.

"Come on, be my partner," Ken was attempting to entice her, one of her hands trapped within his grasp, though she was desperately trying to pull free. "It'll be easy, I promise…just as long as you agree to do all the work. You're smart enough, right? Help me out,"

"P-p-please…" Miyu pleaded, tugging with all her might in an attempt to get away from Ken. This only made him tighten his grip.

"I'm not letting you go until you agree," he said in a sing-song voice, a smarmy grin plastered on his face.

"Buzz off, Ken," Kirei commanded in lieu of a greeting. The two looked up, Miyu in relief, and Ken in irritation.

"Whose gonna make me?" he challenged, getting up to get in Kirei's face, "your rich daddy?"

A vein began to pulsate in Kirei's temple. She hated it when people thought that she was just Daddy's Little Rich Girl, always solving her problems with her father's cash. That wasn't who she was! But then again, what point was there in educating the ignorant?

"No…but you know my friend Heisei, right?" Kirei began, and Ken stiffened. That told Kirei that he still remembered the time that Heisei had nearly murdered him for trying to kiss Kirei in their sophomore year. Kirei made her face really scary as she continued to threaten Ken, "If you don't leave right now, I'll tell Heisei that you threatened to kidnap and take advantage of me after school."

"You wouldn't dare!" Ken spat.

"Try me," Kirei dared him. Ken's face screwed up in concentration; he appeared to be weighing his options. Surreptitiously, his gaze shifted to the back, where Phoenix and Heisei were working. Heisei's glasses were flashing in the light, so Ken and Kirei couldn't see his eyes at first. But once Heisei readjusted his glasses, Ken noticed with shock—and fear—that Heisei's gaze was on him.

And it did NOT look friendly.

"Tch! You win this time, Awayuki!" Ken growled, retreating to go heckle someone else for the time being. Smirking in victory, Kirei turned to Miyu, whom was staring up at Kirei in wonder. Kirei noted that her eyes were hazel…just like the boy she'd had the unfriendly encounter with earlier.

"Hi. Are you okay?" Kirei wanted to check, taking a seat next to Miyu. The new girl said nothing; she continued to stare at Kirei in awe. "…My name's Kirei," Kirei introduced herself after a few seconds, and she extended her hand to Miyu. "It's very nice to meet you."

Miyu still said nothing, and she continued to stare.

'…Ooookay, this is getting kind of awkward…' Kirei thought, lowering her hand. Really, didn't this girl have anything to say?

"…Um," Miyu began, but paused when Kirei looked at her in surprise. Once Kirei rearranged her features into an expression of polite interest, Miyu continued. "W-what you did…um, t-thank you. It was…really cool…"

"Aw, shucks, it was nothing," Kirei brushed off the thanks and compliments with a grin, "Ken's harmless, once you know how to handle him. I think he acts that was just because he has a small…um, anyway, don't worry about him. So tell me about yourself, Yamashita-san. Where did you move from?"

"Um, America," Miyu answered, the tension in her shoulders lessening, "and, um, Miyu is fine…"

"Miyu-san, then," Kirei affirmed with a smile. "Wow, America? That's amazing! But, if you don't mind my asking, how come you can speak Japanese so well?"

"M-my father…he's Japanese," Miyu explained.

"Oh, I see…is your mother American?" Kirei wanted to know. Unexpectedly, Miyu's expression saddened, and she lowered her eyes to her lap. Kirei waited, but Miyu would say no more on the subject. To save them from their awkward moment came Mr. Takahara.

"Girls, you can chat after class," he reprimanded, though the effect was ruined by his smile, "right now, you need to get your assignment done."

"Sorry, Takahara-sensei," Kirei apologized, grabbing her book and flipping to the appropriate page. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Miyu breathe a sigh of relief before doing the same.

The rest of the class period was spent on discussing the assignment, and comparing answers when they got stuck on a part of the assignment. Kirei found that Miyu seemed to be very confident in what she was doing, but that was fairly obvious, considering Miyu was in a junior-level Physics class, and she was only a sophomore.

"You're really good at this," Kirei complimented, once they had finished the assignment. Immediately, Miyu's face went bright red, and she began to fidget. Amused, Kirei added another trait to her mental assessment of Miyu: she got embarrassed easily.

"I-I-I'm alright…" Miyu replied modestly, pressing her fingertips together in embarrassment. Kirei hoped she didn't offend Miyu when she giggled at her behavior. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of school. Kirei took their assignment up to Mr. Takahara, and then returned to grab her school bag.

"So Miyu-san," Kirei began after waving to Phoenix and Heisei, signaling them to leave without her, "Do you have anyone to walk home with?"

"W-well—" Miyu stuttered as they left the classroom, but was interrupted by a flash of spiky green hair with a person under it hurtling towards them.

"Yo! Kirei!" the spiky-haired boy greeted Kirei, screeching to a halt just before the girls. He was dwarfed by an inch or two by Kirei, but he was still taller than Miyu. His sun-kissed skin was flushed with excitement, and his ruby eyes positively glowed. "What goes on?"

"What are you so excited about, Hanabi?" Kirei wanted to know, quirking a brow at her sophomore friend. Hanabi beamed, and Kirei had to wonder at herself for asking that question, because Hanabi was always excited. He was a very excitable kid, as well as an easily-angered one. It really didn't take much to set him off.

"I got a C on my math test!" he announced proudly, rubbing the underside of his nose with a finger the way all bragging kids do. Kirei stared at him.

"…And?" she asked, wondering if that was seriously the end of the story. "Why is that so important?"

"Because it means that I didn't flunk!" Hanabi explained, as if Kirei were stupid for not realizing this point. "And Dad's really been riding me about my grades, lately. Maybe this C will help get him off my a—hey! Who's this?" Hanabi suddenly cut himself off, just now noticing Miyu, who really looked like she didn't want to be noticed at that moment.

"Easy, Hanabi," Kirei cautioned, "this is Miyu Yamashita. She's new."

"That's right! You were in Akaru's homeroom! He wouldn't shut up about it, but now I see why," Hanabi said, slinking an arm around Miyu's nervous shoulders. "If I'd known you were so cute, I would've bragged about having you in my homeroom too!"

"Hanabi—" Kirei began in exasperation, pitying Miyu yet again, when a hand from nowhere swooped down and grabbed the collar of Hanabi's uniform. Hanabi let out a cry of pain as he was suddenly slammed against a wall, a menacing figure towering over him. With a jolt, Kirei realized it was the ill-tempered boy from before.

"Keep your hands off my sister!" the boy barked, hoisting Hanabi up so that his feet were no longer touching the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kirei shouted, shoving into the boy so that he stumbled. His grip didn't loosen on Hanabi, however. "Put him down right now!"

The boy turned to glare at Kirei, and in his cold hazel gaze, Kirei picked up a flash of recognition.

"Why should I? He was harassing my sister," the boy growled. Kirei glared back at him just as fiercely.

"He was not! He was being an idiot, granted, but he wasn't harassing her! Now put him down before I make you!" she threatened. And she shoved him again for good measure. This time the boy let go of Hanabi…but it was only so he could grab Kirei's arm instead.

"Ren! No!" Miyu cried, but the boy called Ren was too intent upon the struggling Kirei to hear her.

"Listen, you—" he hissed.

"Let go!" Kirei cried, squeezing her eyes shut and yanking with all her might.

And, to Kirei's surprise, he did, and she stumbled backwards a bit. But it was only when she opened her eyes that she found Phoenix standing before her, his back to her, and his arm raised, as if he had knocked Ren's arm away to break his grip on Kirei.

"…I think you should leave," Phoenix said coolly, and Kirei could tell by his tone that his expression was just like the one her Uncle Kai wore when he was angry: the "Don't Screw With Me" expression.

Over Phoenix's shoulder, Kirei could see Ren Yamashita open his mouth to angrily retort, but he was distracted by a shadow that fell over Kirei. She felt two hands rest on her shoulders, and she looked up to find Heisei, his expression similar to Phoenix's tone as he glared at Ren.

"Right now," he added to Phoenix's statement. Ren glared between Heisei and Phoenix before he seemed to decide that he was outnumbered. Finally, his gaze rested on Kirei, his expression telling her that this wasn't over.

"Miyu, we're leaving," Ren growled, reaching out and taking his sister by the hand. And then he whirled around and marched away, Miyu in tow. Just once, Miyu glanced back at Kirei, her expression frightened, and another emotion that Kirei couldn't decipher before they disappeared around the corner.

'Well, that was a disaster,' Kirei thought, and she sighed heavily. Suddenly, she was whirled around to face Heisei, his violet orbs avidly searching her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Kirei squirmed under his grasp and gaze.

"I'm fine, now let go," she assured him, shrugging out of his grip, but only to be caught by Phoenix instead.

"Are you sure?" he wanted to check, his expression anxious. Kirei rolled her eyes and sighed in irritation this time.

"Yes," she insisted, pulling from her cousin as well, "so cut it out."

"Oh don't worry, I'm fine, thanks for asking," Hanabi called sarcastically, finally getting to his feet and fixing his uniform where Ren had ruined it.

"Hanabi? What are you doing here?" Phoenix asked, and Hanabi slipped into an anime fall.

"I'm glad you guys care so much about me, considering the fact that I was the one that Neanderthal originally attacked!"

"We weren't aware of that," Heisei informed the spiky-haired teen, fiddling with the glowing earpiece on his left ear, "we only heard Kirei scream."

"Yeah, 'cause you guys only have supernatural ears for her," Hanabi grumbled and then sighed. "Man, when Akaru told me about her, he didn't tell me she had a scary older brother too…and speaking of Akaru, he was in the bathroom crying about something earlier. Any ideas why?" he asked, glancing between the trio of juniors before him.

As an answer, Phoenix and Kirei turned in unison to look at Heisei, who in turn straightened his glasses and said, "Oh, it's probably nothing. You know how Akaru is; he'll be fine by tomorrow."

'Sadist,' Kirei thought, frowning up at Heisei. Still, she couldn't be too put out with him. After all, he'd just saved her from being assaulted.

"Well, I've gotta get going," Hanabi said as they exited the school building, "Awayuki Middle School is letting out soon, and I have to go walk Tsurara home."

Kirei gave the spiky-haired teen a funny look. "Didn't Tsurara tell you to stop doing that?" she queried. Hanabi shrugged, untroubled.

"Yeah, but in the end, I know what's best, since I'm the oldest," Hanabi assured Kirei, who sweatdropped.

'I'd believe that more if you weren't just a few months older than Tsurara, Hanabi,' she mused, but chose not to voice the thought as Hanabi waved and raced off. He seemed to forget something, however, and raced right back, once again stopping just short of Kirei.

"By the way, when's the party again? I forgot," Hanabi admitted, thunking himself in the head with his fist. Kirei blinked, clueless.

"What party?"

"You know, the party! For y—"

Suddenly, Phoenix and Heisei each clamped a hand over Hanabi's mouth, effectively shutting him up. As Kirei stared at them in confusion, the boys muttered something about being right back and telling her to wait for the car before they took off around the corner.

"You baka!" Phoenix scolded as soon as they were out of Kirei's earshot, "you could've ruined everything!"

"What?" Hanabi protested, his expression insulted, "aren't we having a party for Kirei's birthday?"

"Yes, but it's a surprise party, idiot," Heisei said, shaking his head in distaste. "Really, we can't tell you anything."

"I didn't know it was a surprise party!"

"It was the first thing we told you!"

"Oh whatever!" Hanabi shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I just wanted to know when the stupid party was!"

"It's tomorrow at eight," Heisei informed the spiky-haired teen, "do not be late."

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, I'm outta here," Hanabi grumbled, taking off once again for Awayuki Middle School.

"What was that about?" Kirei asked suspiciously when Phoenix and Heisei approached. Phoenix laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah…you know Hanabi. Half the time he doesn't know what he's talking about," her cousin explained. Kirei didn't quite believe him, but still, he had a point: Hanabi could be quite scatter-brained.

Two cars pulled up to the curb, one for Heisei, and another for Kirei and Phoenix. After bidding goodbye to Heisei, Kirei and Phoenix climbed into their car and allowed Tanaka to drive them home.

After dropping Phoenix off, it was just a short distance back to Awayuki Mansion. The wind was blowing as Kirei stepped out of the car, and she smiled as the pleasant breeze caressed her face and tossed her dark brown and auburn-streaked locks.

Even before Kirei learned who she was, she enjoyed the wind. There was something so playful and carefree about it, and yet, when there were storms, it was fierce and powerful. Sakura often used to tell her daughter that she was the product of the wind before Kirei found out her father was the Leafe Knight of Wind. Looking back on it now, it made sense. Kirei giggled to herself and turned to head into the mansion, when a strange wind crossed her senses. She whipped back around, her Leafe Knight instincts on edge as she scanned the grounds. But there was nothing out of the ordinary, as far as she could see…

'What was that…?'

"Is something wrong, Miss Awayuki?" Tanaka wanted to know, leaning over to speak to Kirei from the passenger window.

"….No," Kirei replied, looking at Tanaka, "please pick up my siblings, Tanaka. Their school day ends soon."

"Yes, Miss Awayuki!" Tanaka replied, and sped off to fulfill his duty.

Kirei watched him go for a moment, and then, with one last sweeping glance of the grounds, went into the mansion to greet her parents.

Maybe it was just her imagination…


A/N: Whew! Done! That took longer than expected, but I'm happy with it!

Hiro: ….

MuraSakura: (Narrows eyes) What? Come on, spit it out. I've been waiting for your comments all night…

Hiro: …It's…actually GOOD.

MuraSakura: What's that supposed to mean? My writing is always good!

Hiro: Pfft! I beg to differ.

MuraSakura: …Shut up. Anyway, first chapter is complete, yay! I apologize if there are mistakes, because my beta has NO idea what I'm up to, so I'm submitting this chapter as edited as I, the authoress (and Spell Check) can make it!

Hiro: Which isn't much, granted, once she finishes adding all the foreign words to her Word Document dictionary…

MuraSakura: Shut up! (Hits Hiro with Daddy Frying Pan)

Hiro: OW! Damn it, I did NOT miss this abuse!

MuraSakura: I did. (Smirks) Anyway, thank you very much for reading, and please review! Oh, and also, I do not own "Billy S." by Skye Sweetnam, the song Kirei sings in the beginning. Thank you!

-MuraSakura