Sorry for the long wait between updates, you guys! I tried this time, I really did.

Thanks to Galux Kitty and Anh D-ao for helping me out on this one. You guys rock! Thanks also to those who have reviewed. ::gives hugs and cookies to reviewers::

Rating changed to R due to language. XD

Disclaimer was stated in previous chapter, therefore I'm not going to repeat myself. XD


Against All Authority

Chapter One


August 25th, 2004

Eleven days. Eleven more days of freedom before he was tied down to a girl that he had only seen three times in his entire life.

Eleven more days before his life became even further sealed in his grandfather's plans.

Kai Hiwatari sighed heavily and took his time in studying the foyer of the mansion that had been left to him in his father's will. The walls had been painted white, shockingly bright against the deep mahogany of the wooden outline that ran along the floor and around any door or window. Large marble tiles lined the floors, although they were occasionally covered by a large throw rug, and small light fixtures placed at even intervals bathed the corridor in a warm glow.

Satisfied for the time being, Kai removed his shoes and began wandering around his new home.

Every room was beautifully furnished and well lit, although they seemed a bit too cheery for his taste. The curtains had been thrown open to allow what remained of the sun's dying light to fill the room, although he took some comfort in the fact that said curtains were a dark burgundy instead of something bright, like cream, or white.

The library was an enormous affair with a high ceiling – at least two stories tall – and shelves that reached the very top. Books lined every shelf, most of which charted family history and state affairs, but quite a few – especially in the southern section – were novels, something that his mother had requested long ago. The drapes had been pulled back to reveal huge windows with padded seats accompanied with an assortment of pillows and an odd blanket or two for those colder nights. The hearth at the north end was ready to house a roaring fire, and the throw rug in front of it with a comfortable sofa and a collection of chairs were arranged for a small gathering of guests.

The main doors to the library opened and Kai turned his head to see the chief of staff, an elderly man of sixty, step inside and bow. "Master Kai, your grandfather awaits your presence at the Taylor estate."

A flickering of an expression rippled over his features and although it only lasted a split second, he knew that the chief of staff had recognized it to be a grimace. Edward had been his personal servant for as long as he could remember, and knew him like no other. Hence the reasoning behind appointing him to the rank of chief of staff in his charge's new home.

"Shall I have Victor wait a bit longer, sir?"

Kai mentally shook himself. "No, have the car brought around." His eyes closed as he banished all anger and frustration of being caged like an animal from his mind and was left with only an obedient servant to the inexorable hands of fate.


"My Lord Taylor, I would like to reintroduce you to my grandson, Kai Hiwatari."

"Forgive me if I do not stand to greet you." Richard Taylor, a forty-seven year old man that moved like one fifty years his senior, smiled kindly upon the Hiwatari heir and dipped his head in greeting instead. A strange illness had sapped what strength he had over the past year and had left little more than a skeletal creature confined to a wheelchair.

Kai bowed politely and took the seat offered to him by a wave of Taylor's hand. He sat facing his grandfather and his host at an angle, leaving only one chair empty in the room, which he assumed would be occupied by the girl soon enough.

"How long has it been since I have seen you last?" Taylor asked him, slowly lifting a cup of tea to his lips and taking a small sip.

"Six years, sir," Kai replied, accepting the cup and saucer that had been placed before him on the coffee table.

Taylor nodded and carefully set his cup down again. "It seems like it was only yesterday…" A wistful smile touched his thin lips. "But it must seem a long time to you."

"It does," he admitted, casting a quick glance at his grandfather out of the corner of his eye. Voltaire sat with his back ramrod straight, both hands resting on the head of his cane, his sharp eyes watching his grandson's every move, seeking the perfection that he had drilled into his head from the day he came to live under his protection.

"I do not mean to sound rude, Taylor, but when will we meet Miss Riley?" Voltaire inquired politely, although only Kai noticed the steely tone of disapproval in his voice. Voltaire was a stickler for punctuality, and the girl was already a quarter of an hour late.

Richard Taylor smiled and lifted a hand to beckon to a servant that stood ready at the door. The young woman swiftly moved to her master's side and bent to listen to what he had to say. After a moment she answered back and with a curt nod as a dismissal, she left the room. "I apologize for my daughter's absence, Hiwatari, for she is currently getting ready. She had been invited to a surprise party at the mansion of a friend and stayed quite late. She will arrive soon."

Although not satisfied, Voltaire chose not to push the issue. "Good, good. And just how is your daughter? Is she in good health?"

A flicker of laughter seemed to shine in the man's eyes before he nodded his head and took another painfully slow sip of tea. "She is in perfect health, I assure you. Still as bright and lively as the day she was born." His voice was full of pride and he shook his head again before turning to look at Kai. "Forgive my rudeness. How are you, Kai? Your grandfather has told me of your achievements, and may I offer my congratulations?" The approval in his eyes shone, but there was still a flicker of suspicion, a slight doubt that things might not be the way he had hoped.

"Thank you, sir." Kai bowed his head and offered him a tiny smile.


"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" A string of unintelligible curses followed and those around her looked on with amusement. She had been reminded of her appointment with her father and betrothed and was now hurriedly stripping off the plastic armor that protected her from the small balls of paint that were an integral part of the game.

"You're a master of linguistics, you know that, Riles?" a tall redhead teased, cerulean eyes glinting with mischief through the paint-streaked mask he wore.

"Shut up, Volkov!" Riley Taylor threw her roller blade at him and shoved her feet into her sneakers, jumping up and grabbing her keys from the cubbyhole. "Mel, beat the crap outta him for me."

A slender figure clad entirely in black save the blue streaks of paint that spotted her plastic-protected costume lifted her paintball gun and promptly shot the redhead in the chest, splattering him with green paint. "Will do."

"Ow! Dammit, that was harsh!" Tala Volkov regained his balance after nearly falling flat on his back and gave the girl an injured look.

Instead of answering, Mel pointed the nozzle of her gun at him again in a silent threat.

"Good luck, Taylor!" The stocky form of Johnny McGregor moved into the light momentarily, pushing up his mask to flash her a superior smirk. "You're gonna need it."

"Save it, McGregor, you're gonna be the one that needs it when I come back to kick your ass," she retorted, chucking her plastic breastplate at him for good measure.


Her gloved hands reached the windowsill and she pulled the small rubber strap that had been attached to the bottom of the window just for purposes such as this and she ducked as the window swung open. Then, placing as much weight on her hands as she could, she vaulted through the open window and landed in a three-point on the floor of her bedroom. She whipped around and leaned over the sill to make sure that the trellis – which had been a makeshift ladder for escapes or entrances like this for years – was still intact. Satisfied that it was for the time being, she turned from the window and stripped off her T-shirt and shorts, kicking off her sneakers as she headed toward the bathroom door.

Despite the fact that the hot water felt good against her skin, she could only spend a few minutes in the shower before she had to step out again and dry off, entering her room again with a towel wrapped around her body and her long hair coiled on top of her head. "Mari!"

A second later a girl her age with long pink hair slipped into the room, her golden eyes glittering with amusement upon seeing her distraught mistress. "Yes, mistress?"

"I told you to stop calling me that." Riley made an impatient wave of her hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're going to make me change if I dress myself, so I'm cutting out the middle man."

Mariah grinned and Riley watched as she disappeared into her walk-in closet and rummaged around until she found something she liked. A bit skeptical of what Mariah would choose for her, she sat down on the stool in front of her vanity – if it could be called that, it was piled with books, CDs, and random papers instead of makeup and hairbrushes – and jiggled her foot.

"Excited?" Mariah asked as she emerged from the closet, several items draped over her arm.

Riley scowled and leveled her with a glare. "Extremely."

The pink-haired fashion designer grinned and shook her head, holding up the outfit for Riley to see. "I know you hate skirts, but it's long and pretty loose-"

"Still a skirt."

Mariah ignored her. "And the shirt is comfortable, you've worn it before-"

"And I said then that I wouldn't wear it again."

Again, Mariah continued on as though she had not spoken. "And then there's the jacket and the shoes. Now get dressed."

Riley stuck her tongue out and took the clothes, stalking off into her closet to put them on. Quickly pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she dropped the towel the moment the door closed and slipped on a pair of black string bikini-style underwear and a matching bra, a bit miffed because she couldn't wear her more comfortable black sports bra instead. The remainder of her outfit she looked upon with distaste, but she put them on anyway.

The skirt hung from her hips in a soft ripple of black fabric, the hem brushing the skin just below her knees. A shimmering silver mesh outer skirt hung even lower, swirling around her ankles when she moved, held up by a thin chain that wrapped tightly around her hips and then wrapped around again to hang loosely on her thigh, a small gem sparkling where it had been encased in the silver clasp. The shirt was a simple pale blue tank top made of satin with a modest neckline and a hem that just covered the top of her skirt. Over this she wore a black jacket that laced up the front like a corset, the sleeves flaring delicately from her elbows to her wrists.

Shoes in hand, Riley exited the closet and dropped down on the stool, turning her back to Mariah who immediately set to work on her hair. With the gentle tug of the comb and the sound of Mariah quietly humming to herself, Riley was slowly lulled into a calmer state and she began to relax. She had been trying to forget about her upcoming marriage to one Kai Hiwatari for so many years now it seemed impossible to be so close. She would be married to someone she had met only three times in her entire life in eleven days and would be stuck with him forever after.

A groan of anguish escaped her and she heaved a world-weary sigh as Mariah finished combing her hair and began pulling it up on top of her head, pinning and twisting until it was secure. Riley lifted a brow and watched her through the mirror take a step back to admire her work and nod in approval. "Well?"

"You clean up rather nicely." Mariah patted her shoulder and Riley rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You are now fit to be seen in public." She howled with laughter as she ran out of the room to avoid the book that was thrown at her.


A muffled curse brought his attention to the door and Kai turned his head to see a young woman that looked to be no older than sixteen standing in front of the closed door, rubbing her ankle and glaring at the black sandal on her foot. It wasn't enough to draw the attention of the two older men of the room, but it was to alert Kai and he watched her in mild curiosity – it wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway.

The girl straightened and brushed stray strands of silver hair out of her face, revealing large amethyst eyes framed with long, dark lashes. The rest of her hair was piled in an artful mess on top of her head, long tendrils falling down to brush the back of her neck and shoulders. Silver hoops, cuffs, and chains hung from her ears in an impossibly elaborate maze and it seemed so out of place with the elegant outfit that fit so perfectly to her soft curves.

He felt her gaze on him and he inclined his head in silent inquiry, a bit amused by her blatant curiosity. Who was this girl?

After a few moments of an outright staring contest, the corners of the girl's full mouth tilted upward into a tiny smirk. "Hey, Blue. Long time no see."


-- To Be Continued --


I just love Riley's version of paintball. XD

Chapter Two: Tea, a little glimpse into the future, and a rekindling of an old flame.

… This is going to be fun.

Review!