IV. Second Star to the Right
Mitsukuni's wide-eyed and awe-struck moment passed and he stiffened, trying to look stern and manly. The act was unconvincing, but somehow the boy still managed to be intimidating. He used to be quite the little fighter when he lived with his father; he was professionally trained in the Haninozuka style. Now that he'd rejoined lessons with Takashi, he remembered just how good he used to be.
"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked in the lowest octave of his feasible vocal range. "And why did you come last night?"
The foliage-clad boy floated too slowly down from Kyouya's bed. "I came to hear stories," he said with a grin, "about me, of course. But you made the lovely young lady stop telling her stories. Why?" He wrinkled his eyebrows at Kyouya.
"Because they're pointless," the black-haired boy said flatly. The shine on his glasses hid his eyes. "They are a waste of time, and they do me no good. I…we" he said, looking at Mitsukuni, "need to concentrate on more important things."
"What could be more important than imagination?" asked Peter Pan.
"Kyouya almost laughed. "Something real, maybe?" he said patronizingly.
"Mmmhmm!" Mitsukuni grunted.
"Where did you come from anyway?" asked Kyouya. "What do you want?"
"Well, I came for my mirror," the exotic child answered. "And I've already told you. I came from the second star to the right."
"You can't really mean the stars," Kyouya accused.
"Why not?" Peter said.
"Because there's no such place that exists among the stars."
"Oh, but there is!" He boy grinned, flipping upside down and standing on his hands. "It's a magical place where dreams are born…and time is never planned!" Peter fell to the ground and laughed, lying on his back.
Mitsukuni had a hard time hiding his boyish wonder. "Never Never Land" he whispered.
"Exactly," said the Pan boy as he repositioned his body to sit Indian-style on the carpet. He began stacking blocks as he spoke. "It's where all the little boys go who fall out of their carriages or run away from home because they don't want to grow up."
"Lost Boys," Mitsukuni tried to hide his smile but failed.
"Right!"
"So," Kyouya began, "You're telling me that if I fell out of my carriage as a baby, I could have run away to Neverland?"
"Well, no. Not you, of course."
"Why not?!" Kyouya was prepared to be offended.
Peter Pan knelt at the foot of Kyouya's bed. "Because you are far too clever to have fallen out of your carriage," he said with a charming smile that could melt snow. Kyouya was caught off-guard by the flattering compliment, and he couldn't help but blush.
"Plus," Pan added, "you seem far too eager to grow up. I can't see why." He stood up defiantly. "You can't catch me and make me a man! I want always to be a little boy and to have fun!" As he spoke he did a cartwheel and landed back in his Indian-style sitting position. Kyouya couldn't help but think the boy was a little too energetic. Rather obnoxious, really.
"Well, we all have to grow up sometime." Kyouya said.
"Not in Neverland. No one grows old in Neverland."
The excitement was finally too much for little ten-year-old Mitsukuni to bear and he began bouncing on his bed. "Amazing!" He shouted.
Excitement bubbled in Kyouya as well, but of course, he kept it hidden. "That still doesn't explain how you got here."
"That's easy," the blonde said casually. "I flew."
Kyouya's amazement was hard to hide. "You flew?!" he and Mitsukuni said together, jumping off their beds.
"Yeah," Pan said. "You just think happy, wonderful thoughts and…that reminds me! Where are Tink and Bells?" He began searching the room again.
"Who?" the brothers said together.
"My fairies." The boy replied casually.
"But there's no such thing as—" Kyouya was interrupted by a hand over his mouth. The strange boy was sure quick.
"Don't say that!" Peter Pan said, his eyes wide. This was the first time they'd seen him do anything but smile. "Everytime a child admits he does not believe in fairies, somewhere a fairy falls down dead!" Pan's soft but dirty hand slid cautiously from Kyouya's mouth, so Kyouya blurted, "I do not believe in fairies." He smirked. What harm could it do? He was only trying to push Peter's buttons. Fairies weren't real anyway. But the look of terror in Peter Pan's eyes argued otherwise.
"Oh no!" he shrieked. "Tink?! Bells!"
"It's about time," said two tiny, beautiful little voices that sounded like the chiming of two tiny bells. At that moment, the light of the lamp left its glass casing and floated above it, slowly drifting toward the boys. It took a while for Kyouya's eyes to register that the ball of light was actually two tiny people with rapidly fluttering wings, like hummingbirds.
"They're beautiful!" Mitsukuni said, jumping from his bed and reaching out to touch them. In unison, the two fairies' tiny hands smacked Mitsukuni's finger.
"Ouch!"
"Yeah," Peter laughed. "They're kinda mean."
"Us?" the fairies said. Then they spoke individually.
"You were the one who told us to hide in a lamp…" one started.
"…and made us wait forever!" the other finished. They joined voices again. "Aren't you gonna introduce us to your new friends, boss?" Though their tiny voices were tinged with rudeness, they still rang beautifully like magical bells.
The Ootori boys' eyes finally adjusted enough that they could make out the fairies' little details. Both tiny boys looked exactly the same, even down to the same acorn-red, pixie-spiked haircut. They were naked except for a small patch of leaves that covered their…swimsuit areas, almost like skirts. Their petite bodies sparkled and glowed golden yellow like little suns. Their tiny, tiny eyes were as golden as the light they emitted. On their backs were wings that moved almost too fast to be seen. When they were still they looked like the veiny, delicate wings of a dragonfly. Needless to say, the sight of them was breathtaking.
Peter Pan gestured to the tiny creatures that now stood on his index finger side by side. "This is Tinkeru," he pointed to the fairy on the right, "and this is Kao-bell." He pointed to the identical copy on the left.
"Wrong again, boss!" The fairies chimed. "I'm Tinkeru," the left fairy said.
"And I'm Kao-bell," said the right.
"Cow-bell?" Kyouya asked, trying not to laugh.
"Don't question me," the little fairy sang. "This is your dream."
"Just call us Tink and Bells," Tinkeru added. "That's what the boss calls us."
"I'm Mitsukuni," said Mitsukuni.
"I'm Kyouya," said Kyouya. Together, they said the only thing they could think to say to a fairy.
"Pleased to meet you."
Does anyone else find it ironic that the twins are fairies? Tee hee. You know what would be magical? Reviews! You know what would be better? Favourites! I'm still offering presents and honourable mentions!
"Hit me with your rhythm stick. It's nice to be a lunatic!"
--RhythmStickLunatic