Chapter 2: One's Break, Two's Encounter

He was unaware that Yuna was no longer at home, but advised that it was "housewife" errands, Kazuki was not too worried about her. She told Kazuki that it was a wife's job to be helping her man out. He, along with Dr. Akai, arrived at a park where there was a massive crowd waiting for the wedding. Invited by the good doctor since the groom was a medical student under her teachings, Kazuki and Akai exited the slick convertible, approaching the gazebos and white tents, covered with bright colored streamers and banners. "Wow," Kazuki awed. "They pulled out the stops." He was surprised to see so much preparation for a wedding. Before long...

"Dr. Akai, is that you?" a young man called out. Akai and Kazuki jerked heads to the sound, seeing a stoic redhead in a white tuxedo. He knew Akai, so that meant that the vice versa was apparent.

"Kyo," Akai labeled. "Look at you, all spiffied." Kyo huffed a laugh as if Akai was playing around. Was this Kyo the student? Kazuki thought so while Kyo got a good look at the teen.

"So, who's your company?" Kyo, meet Kazuki. Kazuki, meet Kyo.

"Kyo, this is Kazuki Shikimori, student from the Aoi Academy, and regular of mine in the Nurse's Office." A regular? He ain't feigning his classes, was he? "Shikimori, this is Kyo Hikaron. He was tutored by me when he was in Aoi." The past came up on Kyo, having Kazuki relate on the same issues he was going through. Kyo stuck a hand to Kazuki, ordering a handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet another friend of the Akai-sensei." Friendly to his consent, Kazuki gripped Kyo's hand, shaking it.

"Likewise," he smiled with a short giggle. "So, who's the girl you got?" Kyo pulled out a pamphlet, handing it to the brunette. He read the pamphlet, which had the names of the guests of honor. "Aubrey Jefferies? An American?"

"That's right, from Portland, Oregon. She's a fellow medical student, herself, who is fluent in five languages and it so happens that as Graduation presents, it was each other." This Aubrey was a rather intelligent girl, and possibly the right choice for this young man. That's when Kyo remembered something important. Aubrey? "Guys, I know this is, like, last minute, but I'm down a best man. Last night, he had an excessive amount of Saki at my bachelor party and fractured his right tibia in four places while trying to do a lame-brain wall-run backwards flip. He nailed the landing awkwardly, and bottom line..." Akai and Kazuki got the message. Goes to show, a person who can't hold his liquor can get in a big mess.

"Of course, Shikimori can volunteer," Akai offered. Kazuki acted outraged at the doctor's allowance for a substitute best man.

"Me?" he gulped.

"Of course, all you have to do is stand there, watch the crowd, the bride's maids and listen to the minister. Think of it as studying for when you get married to either Miyama, Yamase, Kamishiro, or Kazetsubaki." How many women did Kazuki have following him? 10? 15? For someone who wasn't acting like he owned a harem, he was some ladies' man. Before Kazuki could reply to Akai's head-aching embellishment...

"Someone call my name?" asked a rather charming young woman. The men and Kazuki jerked to a blond woman in a satin silky sapphire blue gown with blue decorative sequins. Her hair was long, down to her waist while gazing at the three men with black cherry red eyes. So it seemed as though this woman's name was summoned. Was she Yamase? Kamishiro? Kazsetsubaki?

"Kuriko, what are you doing here?" Kazuki questioned. Kuriko developed a pretty wicked smirk, allowing people to believe that she had a plan. Come to think of it, before Yuna and Rin vanished from the dorms, there was a seal that they suspected Kuriko of placing to prevent them from reaching Kazuki, which by the way worked. Was Kazuki sent into a trap by this buxom tease?

"Well, when I heard that there was a wedding involving a fellow friend of Dr. Akai, I decided to let my family corporation fund the materials for this occasion. Our chefs and bakers worked diligently on the cake fit for this matrimonial concept." She pointed to a towering, three-base cake designed with...syringes/needles, bandages, stethoscopes, IV bags...they're not real, right?

"I think the chefs went a little overboard with the materials needed," Kyo mustered. Kuriko circled her eyes about. Was she excepting someone.

"Kazuki, where's Yuna?" She was wondering about Yuna? Did she send Yuna packing?

"Yuna said that she had errands to run and couldn't make it," Kazuki explained. Kuriko frowned. Was she expecting her to be here?

"I see." If Kuriko did cast the pink-haired away, she was undoubtedly hiding her guilty pleasure...or maybe she wasn't the real vanisher. Meanwhile, Yuna and Rin were stuck in a forest...it's just that this forest had different creatures roaming about.

"This is truly mystifying," Rin murmured. "We're no longer anywhere remotely to our normal living grounds." Yuna saw nothing that helped indicate a place to rest.

"You can say that again," she huffed. "Let's just find a way out of here. I don't wanna live out here in the woods." Rin nodded in agreement. However, there was a disturbance...okay, not really, but there was a voice that broke the second of hush.

"This looks like a good spot for lunch," a young man echoed. Yuna and Rin spun their heads to the sound.

"You heard it, too?" Rin guessed. She heard it, alright.

"It came from over there," Yuna determined. Both ran toward the direction of the man's voice. Then, they found a lake. There was a young raven-haired man in a blue sweat-tee and jeans with a red baseball cap that was black on the portion above the bill. By him was a picnic basket filled with sandwiches and canisters. What else? There was also a yellow mouse that was there, and it had a lightning bolt as a tail. The two were enjoying the picnic that they brought. Yuna and Rin hid behind some trees and observed the two snacking away at the food. Yuna couldn't figure why someone would eat by a pond. Rin hoped that the youngster wasn't hostile.

("Do you think we'll see May and Max, Ash?") the mouse squeaked. Ash smirked at the mouse, not worried about its concern.

"I'm sure we'll travel together again," he replied. "Misty was with us a few times so why can't May and Max?" The mouse was rather pleased with this belief. Then, a ripple caught Ash's eyes. Something was coming out of the pond. That's when a purplish-blue round tadpole emerged from the water. Ash and his friend were surprised with the sudden showing of a new creature. "A Poliwag?" The watery creature swam closer to the two on land, curious of them. "Hey there. You wanna have some food? I'm sure Pikachu can share some." Poliwag pondered the offer as the girls viewed the scene. Poliwag leaped out, armless with a swirl on its abdomen.

"What an unusual creature," Yuna noted. Obvious, right? Poliwag got to Pikachu, starting to chow down on pellets that were in it's canister while Ash watched, biting his sandwiches. That's when Yuna felt something...squirm. A swaying branch, perhaps? She reached around her shoulder to brush in off, when she touched something very scaly. She turned to the feeling, spotting a green caterpillar-like insect with large blackish eyes. Eyes met...3...2...1...screech! Yuna screamed, spooked by the bug on her body. Ash, Pikachu and Poliwag heard the scream crystal clear. It came from close by.

("What was that?") Pikachu wondered. Ash had a bad feeling on what the scream was about.

"It better not be Misty, running from a swarm of Beedrill," he guessed. "Let's go!" They walked onto the sight...and Rin had a samurai sword in her grips, ready to dispatch the bug.

"Get it off!" Yuna wildly squealed repeatedly. "Get it off! Get it off!" The bug saw the sword, and became frightened just as easily, quivering at what Rin was going to do with it. Ash came on, seeing the helpless and startled Yuna...not to mention the similar caterpillar. Calmly, without turning to Rin and her sword, he knelt down, offering an arm to the insect.

"Okay, Caterpie, you're safe." The insect saw the arm and crawled up to Ash. Rin was rather astonished with how he managed to control the insect in such a cool, calming matter. "You're curious about these two, weren't you?" Caterpie chattered something, but wasn't determined on words.

'Who is this boy?' Rin hushed in mind. 'An expert on these creatures?' Still seeing the shake-worn Yuna, Ash was ready to ease her of any troubles. Too bad he couldn't help with Yuna's situation to return her to Kazuki.

"Hey, everything okay?" Yuna halted her shook-up body to get a look at the boy who help her bugged issue. Yuna couldn't see the Caterpie anymore and nodded to say that she calmed down, significantly. "I take it that you're not a trainer?" Yuna shook her head, no, as she got to her feet.

"Sorry about sneaking a peek at you," she apologized. "You see, we were in the dorm room at a nearby campus when I found a seal and tried to remove it with Rin standing by. Before we knew it, a large light consumed us and brought us over here while a mysterious pulse knocked us out." Ash swung his head to Rin, meaning that this was the spotter. Suddenly, his mind jumbled with the word "campus." Did he know some campuses?

"You mean the Celadon Academy?"

"No, Aoi, a high school for first-class magicians." Ash was puzzled, as if he had no idea about an Aoi Academy. "My name is Yuna Shikimori." No, its Miyama, not Shikimori.

"You are not married to Shikimori, Yuna," Rin straightened out. "You are still a Miyama, and besides, neither you or Kuriko or Chihaya will claim Shikimori, as issued by the Kamishiro family." So, she's a Kamishiro. Yuna had to protest Rin's wording.

"I am Kazuki's wife! I will love him over your overprecise desire for some genes!" Rin became bitter with Yuna's ridiculous comeback, having her sword emit a glowing green essence. Yuna enveloped a glowing sky blue tornado in the palms of her hands. Ash? The good news was that he was seeing a really interesting light show. The bad news: he was stuck in the middle.

"This...is gonna suck," he muttered and braced to be...whatever bad thing was going to happen. Yuna heaved the tornado at Rin, not seeing Ash, as Rin swung the blade she wielded, launching a wave of green power. Both powers collided in the middle...at Ash! An explosion erupted, followed by smoke. That's when Rin realized that Ash was caught in the center. She gasped in horror, believing that she and Rin may have killed Ash before them. Pikachu, Poliwag and the distant Caterpie watched, shocked that Ash was inadvertently attacked.

"Oh, no," Rin hushed, scared that Ash was dead. Was he...before they knew who he was?

TO BE CONTINUED...