Hm... Nadia-san was wondering if it is fine for me to continue this story? Oh well... Who cares? Nadia-san would like to try it, anyway XD
To animeparody-san: so sorry, I can't take your suggestion. It seemed wrong for me to pair Alice and Spectra, not sounding rude to you.. And Masquerade back? Might as well try it :)
To JennaRinslet11: *shock* now that's more...humiliating XD
To everyone: Thank you guys! I hope this chapter could satisfy you!
Disclaimer: Nope. Nadia-san don't own any of it's character except Nadia-san's own character.
Chapter 2: Alice and New Friend
It took me awhile to regain my sense of surroundings after an hour running from Runo's house to the harbor. In the first place, I hadn't planned to go to harbor, but I didn't have much choice. It's impossible for me to go to airport since I don't have enough money to buy a ticket. I looked around as my eyes half opened and I let out a small yawned. Where was I? Oh, that's right. I was running away from Runo, from everyone, and here I was, sitting in a dark blue colored chair while sleeping. What time I was sleeping? I looked at the nearest clock but I found none of them. Averting my eyes on my surroundings once again, I finally regained my sense and past.
That's right, I was in a ship now.
I remembered when I finally reached the Wardington Harbor, I saw a ship was about to depart away to God only knows where I would arrive safely yet far away from them, from my friends. The crews were confused as to why I wanted to join the ship, but after some lies I told them, saying I wanted to search my lost parent out there, they finally gave me a ride to wherever I would land.
I stretched out my stiffened body after sleeping in sitting position. It was a bit tired but I somehow managed to sleep well. I stood up and walked around to talk with a crew about where this ship would head to.
After talking for a good 10 minutes, I finally realized that this ship was heading to Japan. I stood there frozen after he said this ship actually was a ship for delivery goods from Japan to Wardington and since they had done the delivery yesterday, they would go back to Japan and came back to Wardington about next 2 or 3 weeks. What worried me now was… they would find me in Japan! Since Japan was the closest to Wardington, no doubt they would quick find me here! Not to mention Marucho's super incredible machine would find me in 5 minutes.
I had to think fast.
So, I asked the crew about next country after Japan and he told me this:
"I think its China. But it could be Korea if you wanted to go there… By the way, why are you alone in this ship? Where are your parents?"
I couldn't help but telling him another lies. I told him that I was searching my parents in any countries because they suddenly disappeared. Fortunately for me, he ate those lies. I didn't know whether I had to laugh or felt guilty to him.
He went away after a crew called him to help in the dock. He bid me a good-bye wave and telling me to be careful. All I could do as my reply was smiling and nodding at his kind words to me. After a few minutes passed, I went to a bathroom to wash my face. I saw in the mirror. My pale skin, my dark brown eyes, my orange curly hair still the same when I was in Wardington. Turning on the faucet, I took the cold water and splashed it to my face.
Pondering of how I looked, I realized that I had to change my looks. It's a serious matter for me. They would find out my familiar orange curly hair. But what should I do? Buying a wig? I don't have enough money! Moreover, my money were enough to buy two or three tickets to another countries.
What should I do?
I went outside after drying wet face with a tissue. This time, I realized how the blue sea and white clouds amazed me. Of course I ever went to beach and sea but never this amazed me. It was as if they were calming me and telling me that everything was okay as long as I had faith in myself. I grabbed the bar which prevented me from falling to sea. Feeling the breeze of wind tickling arms and fluttering my long hair, it's my first time felt so calm. Seagulls making their typical sounds while flying above the sea.
What a free birds… Flying without any concerns…
I let out a sad sigh and my hands still gripping the metal bar. It made a 'ting' sound when tapped it. I went back to where my seat to wait this ship arrived in Japan. I silently prayed that they wouldn't find me in Japan, not with Marucho's jet or Shun's intuition. Those two scared me the most. And I hoped I didn't encounter anyone who involved in Dan's previous adventure, included Spectra. I just hoped that he didn't use his freaking huge brain to find me or Mira with her intelligence.
Heh. No way. They were far away in Vestroia. There's no way they would come here bluntly. Except… Dan called them to this human world. I shuddered thinking those thought so I swept away and inhaled the fresh salt of sea.
Keep positive, Alice. There is no way they will come just because I went away with a single note.
I didn't know thinking with my own thoughts would make the ship arrived faster than I thought… I quickly walked to the nearest exit and waited for the crews to stop the ship and put down the stairs for us to go down. What I saw across the ship was an island. A big island and tall buildings. I bet the city was big as well.
Japan.
I had to find a harbor or train to get away from Japan as soon as possible. When I finally landed in Japan, I walked away from the harbor and headed to the city to have a little lunch. I saw a big clock showing that it ticked to 1 p.m. Goodness. It's one o'clock already? How suppose I found a harbor or train stations in this big and unfamiliar city to me?
Ah… I know I was saying the truth. Japan was seriously freaking huge with tall buildings. The sea of humans pouring down to this metropolis city. Some people walked as fast as they could while glancing on their wristwatches. Some were dating with their partner. 2 or 3 middle school students were giggling while eating their ice-creams. A group of high school boys were talking while walking. Their uniforms consisted of white shirt covered with black jacket, blue tie, blue pants and black shoes. Interesting. I never saw such uniform in my country. Not in Wardington as well. I saw a couple of kids playing with their bakugan, talking about their powers.
I averted my eyes on a café with white colored wall and its name was Miracle Café. I walked to the café to buy a few foods for my poor stomach. When I was about to step my third step to the café, a girl bumped on me. We fell down together. Ah..What a fortunate for me to be bumped by an unknown girl.
I muttered apologize to her though it wasn't my place to apologize. Well, it's not that I care about it. I saw her black haired with two sides longer than her shoulder-length hair. He wore the same dark brown eyes as me but I could tell the difference between mine and hers. She has the cold eyes while I had warm eyes, not sounding too rude, but that's the fact. Her creamy skin was darker than my pale skin. She also muttered an apology to me and stood up. She stretched out her right hand to me and I captured it.
"I'm sorry." She said bowing to me.
"Oh no, It's fine. I'm fine." I waved my hands left and right.
I clearly saw how she was wearing now, an inner dark blue T-shirt covered with yellow dress which reached her waist and sliding down from her back to her knees, white shorts with yellow-orange streaks, dark blue buckle shoes looked-like, and a dark blue wristwatch. She was taking a black bag pack on her back and I could see she was sweating after running for hours.
"Are you okay?" I asked her quite concerned as her face was pouring a mountain of sweats.
"I'm fine. I just need to fill my stomach." She said quickly while glancing over the city to find a restaurant or café to eat.
"How about we eat together at that café?" I pointed on Miracle Café I just saw and she abruptly nodded without hesitation.
What an interesting fellow.
The struck of realization hit me when we, me and a strange girl with black bag pack, eating in a café I just found, Why in the first place I brought her with me? Just because I saw her tired face and she wanted a lunch which was a coincidental to me. Who was she anyway? We haven't stated our name or doing an introduction. After ordering our foods, we were sitting there, waiting our food to arrive. No one speaking and that included me.
Once her chocolate milkshake and my lemon tea came, she sipped it abruptly after thanking the waitress. After sipping the milkshake until its half, she took a relieved sigh and looked at me, "Sorry about that. I haven't eaten anything, so I couldn't talk much." She grinned friendly to me. Reminding me of Julie's special grins which she always gave to everyone.
Before I sipped my lemon tea, I smiled sincerely toward her honesty, "Oh, it's okay. By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we?"
She face-palmed herself hardly, I bet smacking you own face wasn't a good idea in the first place… I saw her grinned apologetically to me and bowed down , "Ops! Sorry! When I was hungry, I can't think of anything but food. Hehehe. My name is Miki Yamamoto for you. Nice to meet you, foreign girl." She smiled and made a peace sign.
Wow… What a friendly fellow here.
Or maybe she was acting friendly to me. I couldn't tell it. She had those friendly and easy-going eyes, signing me that she was really friendly girl or so. What happened with those cold eyes I saw just now? The moment our food came, she said 'itadakimasu' quickly and dig it without hesitation. A sweat dropped from my face when I saw her eating the food without any hesitation. Slowly I joined her and ate my strawberry pancake. Okay slowly wasn't the thing right now but I haven't introduced myself to her!
As if she read my minds, she looked at me and said, "By the way, you haven't introduced yourself, foreign girl." That nickname again? Was it her habit of giving people a weird nickname? Oh well, but maybe it's just how Japanese getting friendly to others.
"Oh! I'm sorry! My name is Alice Gehabich…"
"Gehabich? Alice? Aha! You are really a foreign girl!" she exclaimed happily while spooning her mouth with her chocolate cake. I was a foreign for your information.
"Well… I'm from Moscow." She made an 'o' mouth signing that she understood while nodding in excitement.
"I see I see… Moscow uh? The damn snow always pours down there…"
"Heh? You know much about Moscow."
"Not really." She grinned, "I love finding new information for myself and somehow I searched some information about Moscow."
I was amused by her hobby or whatever they called as interesting thing to do, not much people love to find new information out there if they were about to need it. She spooned her ice-cream once more and the next thing I knew, the ice-cream has gone, leaving the empty bowl cleanly.
Wow, was she a supergirl?
"So, are you living here? Or staying here? I never see you before anyway." She asked me after wiping her mouth with a tissue next to her. Should I tell her? Oh no, Alice. You better not. She was nothing but stranger to me. I shouldn't be so close to anyone I didn't know.
"Well… I was from Wardington…"
"Was? Wardington? That small city across Japan? Cool! You actually from there?"
"Not really… As you know, I'm a Russian girl. But, a lot has happened. And I stayed there before I went to Japan." I said without adding the details to her. It's a bit strange for me if I told her my 'runaway job' from my old friends. But of course I didn't want to lie with her, she was a good person and I could tell her by our little chit-chat.
She gave me an understanding look for her replies which again amused her. I thought she would nag to tell the story of my tale running away from Wardington. For the second, I felt my lip wasn't obeying my brain working as it let out a random question toward her.
"Say, do you brawl?"
She looked at me and shook her head, waving her two sides left and right, "Brawl as playing Bakugan? No. I can't play it."
I tilted my head in confusion, she couldn't play? "You can't play it?"
"Yeah. Let's just say, it's not my talent in playing it. And…I don't intend to play it in the first place." She looked out the window, gazing through the mountains of people walking left and right. Her empty gaze and sigh making me felt guilty to ask her even more. I knew it's not in my place to ask a personal matter of someone and this person was only an acquaintance I met 30 minutes ago.
"Hey, I'm sorry if I sounded rude but, are you running away or something?" Now that's what I didn't want to hear from a mere acquaintance. How could she guess it so quickly? We just met not long ago and here, she has figured out what was I doing now. Oh my God, Alice. Was this too obvious?
"Wh-Why are you asking?"
"Not sounding rude, again. You bring a quite big bag and… you haven't washed yourself. You smell like the salt water. Aha! You just arrived in Tokyo, aren't you?"
Bull's eye.
Tokyo? I was in Tokyo? I would remember it clearly.
I had to praise at her right guess. But smelling my body, wasn't a very…good idea. It's embarrassing, really. This girl, in front of me, was way too super to be a human.
"You can tell by smelling?"
"Let's just say, I had the familiar experience with that." She grinned while scratching her head nervously. "Why don't we go to my house and have you clean?" Se winked at me. Huh? Seriously? For a mere stranger like me?
I made a surprised look, "Are you serious? I mean…we are..you know…Acquaintance?—" but she cut me by stretching out her palm, stopping my words.
"But for me, your cleaning time is more important. You are girl. And girls have to look after their body." Again she winked at me. I felt an embarrassment feeling coloring my face. I knew she was just being friendly and helper but I couldn't to deny her kindness toward. She was just trying to help you, Alice…
"O—Okay then." She clapped her hand in excitement saying that her mother would gladly accept me since her mother was a kind and friendly woman.
Mother huh? I never had one in my life time. My mother had long gone with my father. Well, you could say I didn't have any but my grandfather. I never feel mother's love to me. Once, when I was 6, I prayed to God that I want a mother and father. I want to feel their warmth. Their loves to me. But it couldn't be help since my parent had long gone when I was 2. They died in a car accident which took their lives. Unknowingly, I made a very sad expression and she saw it.
"Sorry. Did I speak a wrong word that I make you sad?" It wasn't the problem but all I could do was shaking my head and smiled to her.
…
"Uhm… Do I have to?" I asked her in hesitation. Well, what did you want to know? Entering her bathroom without anyone making me awkward. This wasn't a serious matter to me but, I was entering the bathroom someone I didn't know! The yellow dress and my green blouse still cladding my body.
I heard her laughs beyond the bathroom, "Oh come on! Don't be shy! Just use it to clean your body!" I saw her shadow waving her left hand front and back. I didn't see it come but I had to. I admitted, I hadn't taken a shower since my departure from Wardington. Maybe it's the time to use her kindness.
I didn't know that Japanese would be so friendly to someone they didn't know. Or maybe it's just me who couldn't see it? The fact that Runo and her parent always willingly to lend her a room to stay. It's more than enough for me to receive it.
After I showered myself and felt that I was clean and perfect as usual. I stepped out with my usual attire. I saw that girl waiting in front the bathroom, waiting for me. A great struck of lightning stunned me when I saw her grins she posted to me. What expression I should give to her sincere? Guilty? Happy? Sad? Or Thankful?
"You were waiting for me?"
She nodded, "Of course. I can't leave a guest by herself."
A soft voice called by both us, the voice of a gentle woman none other than Miki's mother, Sarah Yamamoto. She has this long black hair and light brown eyes, her figure as mother showed though her gentleness and softness. I felt a bit envious toward my acquaintance that she got a well mother. We approached her mother and she said to us that she has prepared a room for me. At this time, all I could do was rejecting her kindness to let me stay. It's awkward staying at someone I didn't know. Well, not that I knew this girl well, yet.
She insisted I had to take rest after my journey from Wardington to Tokyo by ship. She said she knew I had a hard time sleeping in a ship, I had to admit she was right in the point. But…
"Oh come on, girl! Just stay a night and you will feel better in no time by tomorrow!" Miki grinned to me with her usual friendly grin. I reluctantly agreed and went to 'my room' to have a little rest. Okay, that was impolite for me, but they could tell by my tired face. Actually, I wasn't that tired either. I was confused by how later my journey be. I had to go where? China or Korea? Ugh! I felt I had to talk this matter to somehow, asking him or her for advice. But who? I didn't know anyone in this city. Going back to Wardington was definitely out of my plan. I didn't plan to come back faster.
I had to learn more about this world. I had to be a strong girl. I knew in the first place that I had a skill to win in playing Bakugan but… I had no confidence to do it. I was such a coward. I couldn't. After what I had done to everyone 2 years ago. I couldn't.
I let out a small cry. My eyes produced again the salt water which I didn't want. My heart shook out those guilty feelings again and I couldn't help it! I couldn't help but cry and cry… I… I didn't want to be a weak girl. It's hurt. More than anything.
A soft knock from the door and I heard Miki's voice asking whether she could come in because she heard my soft crying over the door. I didn't want her to come. I didn't want her to see my pathetic face. I didn't want her to see my sufferings. But… I need someone to talk to. I need someone's comfort. I was tired to do anything with my own. I need someone…
Someone…
The door let out a creek sound and she came in with a surprised look when I didn't answer her question. She was looking at me who was crying while hugging her knees in the side of the bed. I sobbed. I couldn't stop this tear. I couldn't stop my sob no matter how hard I tried to. It felt the tears came out because I kept thinking about my friends and I always remember how hard I tried not to cry in front of them when they were talking about my oddness.
She sat next to me without any words came from her. I kept sobbing and wiping my tears away. I thought she was going to ask what happened to me but no. She was there. Sitting and waiting for me to stop. She didn't look at me but when I looked at her expression, she was showing a sad expression and her jaw was stiffened. There's where I knew she was holding her sad expression for me. It reminds me much with Shun's.
Shun…
How could I forget him? His rare smile he showed to me. His low chuckles. His…everything. I didn't know why he showed those rare signs to me while I was a bad person. Did he pity me?
3 minutes later, my cries stopped, the tears stopped dripping and I felt much better now. I felt like everything poured down away and I felt much lighter. Was it because of her sitting there listening to my cry and my sufferings? I couldn't ask her. I was too afraid to.
"If you… want to talk about it, feel free to." She smiled reassuringly to me. Rubbing my shoulder to calm me down and I managed to quirk a small smile. Should I tell her? Maybe, trying it's not bad.
And so, I tell her everything. My adventure 2 years ago, my identity as a Russian who stayed with an only grandfather, how I became a Masquerade, the evil who sent bakugan to the doom dimension, my guiltiness to my friends and the most important, my runaway from my friends, my partner and my grandfather. After I finished telling all my stories, I felt my weight of suffers were lightened. Woah… I didn't know that telling your problems to anyone would make my feelings a bit relax and lightened.
"So, and let me reviewed back. You are the granddaughter of Michael Gehabich, the famous scientist? You were once Masquerade? A boy who was your separate personality?" I nodded.
"You were the second place of brawlers all over the world and you were one of the Battle Brawler team?" I nodded again. I could see her frowned when she asked me.
"And you felt guilty because you were Masquerade with your friends? So you run away from them?" Once again, I nodded. There was a paused between her and me as I looked at her hard expression. I thought she would ask me for more details but she never. She just stared the white ceiling, thinking about something.
She opened her mouth to reassure me but it's not what I expected to, "You know, why I couldn't play bakugan? It's because, from the first place, I know that Bakugan is a creature being. Same like us, human. They have their own life, they are living being. I could feel their sufferings from the hard fighting they had been through. It's not that I hate the brawlers, they have their own rights to play it. It's just... for me it's not right. That's why I couldn't play it. Playing and ordering the creatures was like giving burden to them. Although…" She looked at me.
"I know you got a bakugan as well, one or two. And you seemed to be a good girl. I knew very well that the bakugans with you is happy and glad that you are their master. And to be honest, I didn't know much about how you interact in Internet nor the destruction in Wardington. Woah... It's like a fairy tale to me. The Bakugan actually saving the world from the evil bakugan named Naga? Interesting. Interesting. How about your bakugan?"
I told her about Hydranoid. How I met him after Masquerade vanished. She told me that Hydranoid was lucky to have master like me. I smiled contently toward her. She could understand my feeling.
I felt that we could be a good friend.
She stretch out her right hand while giving me a huge smile of her, "I know it's a little lame. But, I would like to be your friend. Miki Yamamoto is here for you and help you." she thumbed-up.
I was surprised by her sudden speech. It was touching. I saw her stretched hand and to her wide smile. It made my heart flying with joys. How could I reject her sincere and honest helps? Someone would be grateful to hear it, like me. I smiled and took her hand.
"Thank you. We are friends now, am I right?
She winked and grinned, "Of course we are! And I will join your little journey and help you change, Alice."
I widened my eyes in shocked. My new friend wanted to join my runaway journey and helped me change?
What a strange yet interesting friend I got here…
All I could do as my reply was, "Thank you, Miki." with a grateful smile tugging in my lips.
So? how was it? Bad? Good? Need improvement? Please tell it by review! Because Nadia-san loves everyone's review! And please I beg you, don't flame. If you don't like then don't read *not sounding rude to you and sorry*
