ALEXEI: *still growing mushrooms on one corner* even one of the readers doesn't remember me…

ME: Who cares?

SIS: *facepalm* Anyways, enjoy the story!

ALEXEI: *still growing mushrooms on his MUSHROOM ROOM*

SPACE: Alexei, you're gross, don't grow mushrooms on someone else's storage room!


CHAPTER 7: THE PLANNING BEGINS!

[SELENE'S POV]

"Why won't you?"

"Because she's my sister! Alee, please understand…"

Alee flew upwards while I follow her with my eyes. "If you would tell them, then they would take immediate action to talk to them, they won't think that they were the ones who sent out the killing spree." Alee explained.

I mean, it's just too hard to tell them. Her reputation is going to stain her, all because of this killings and murders. What if I would just investigate and see for myself that they aren't the killers, yes, that would be just it. I'll solve this myself.

"Selene, I know what you're thinking and it's not too good." Alee spoke once again, "If you do, then Zazie would be annoyed and would rampage the entire Amberground looking for you. Let's just get inside and talk to them—"

"I won't, I… Please leave me alone Alee, I need sometime alone. I'm confused as much as everyone is…"

Alee did leave and I headed my way towards the center of the Bee Hive, feeling pale and cold. The golden chandeliers were reflecting lights below while made you feel like you're walking on gold, light gold.

"Selene, are you okay?" I heard a familiar voice, Mico?

Mico came towards me, but something was different about him, his bangs in front swayed to the left, while Mico's bangs to the right. He must be…

"I'm Nico Acacius, I think today's the only chance we get to talk, huh?"

I nodded and smiled—a fake smile though.

"I heard the recent killings were near Sylvette's house and you were almost killed due to the knife. Mico was depressed in his room thinking that he could have saved you instead of Zazie." Mico can get jealous easily, huh?

Nico smiled. "Don't worry everyone's here to protect you, always remember, if you feel you have some sort of problem, just talk to me; promise?"

"Promise..."

"Well then, I'll see you later. I have to go back to our house before Mico starts throwing vases and plates around." He left with a smile.

Nico's not such a bad guy, I mean, he's shy… today's just the chance that we got to talk after a year—after we've been through the interview.

I smiled and headed outside when I saw Aaliyah, sitting by the tree where we first got our encounter. Her hair, it was supposed to be swaying with the wind because of her long, smooth hair but now, she cut it; up to her shoulders by the least. And her eye patch, when did she got an eye injury? Curiosity enveloped me and I tried to ask her.

"My eye patch, you say? It's nothing; it got injured a year ago." Something's not that right in the sentence she gave me, but I took it.

"Aaliyah-chan, here's your—what are you doing here?" A boy with the same shades of blue his eyes and hair, the same boy I saw two days ago.

"Azul, please leave us be." She commanded him who immediately left.

"Who's he?" I asked.

Aaliyah looked up. "Just another childhood friend, Selene, the others are looking for you. It'd be best if you would head inside now." Just on cue, I heard Lag shout my name.

"How did you know—"

"Leave."

Those words, as cold as ice, as prickly as thorn, it hurts, it pinched through my heart. Why would she want me to leave? You would never know how much it hurts.

"Aaliyah…ne-chan…" a tear fell, does sister doesn't want me anymore? Doesn't she? I stood up and headed back inside the Bee Hive until I saw the 17-year old boy with the blue hair block me.

"Don't be so close to Aaliyah, I might kill you in the process." What? Doesn't he know me? I'm her younger sister—

"There you are! Where have you been?" Lag asked me.

I looked back in front but the boy was gone, I gazed back towards Lag who seemed confused as much as I am.

"What are you looking at—"

"Eh, nothing…"

"Come on then, Largo and the others are looking for you." He said, grabbing my hand and walking me towards the Director's Office. I looked at my feet as we walked until we finally reached it.

"Selene, who were you talking to?" Largo asked.

I looked back towards the door and back to Largo who was waiting for my reply.

"I don't know. I don't know him. He had this eerie aura around him, someone who desires to kill…"

"What does he look like?" Aria asked next.

I took a step back to remember, "Right, he had this blue hair and his eyes just like Aaliyah's eyes. He looks like he's a 17-year old and… as if, he was following her every command."

Largo looked at his desk and searched for a parchment. "According to the data received by the Bee Hive, his name is Azul Nightray, 17 years old, and… Aaliyah's… dingo?!"

"WHAAAAT?"


[NORMAL POV]

Largo told the team—Zazie, Lag, and Selene—about the data collected. Azul Nightray; the so-called "dingo" of Aaliyah sent chills and nervousness through the team. Lag was asked by Aria to go outside and explain something.

"Listen, I know that you three are the best teams here. Connor-kun is out with Sunny-san, Gauche-kun is on a delivery for about a month, Jiggy-kun is out again on a delivery express and he plans on hanging out with Neri for a change, and the others are busy watching over the towns here in Yuusari," Aria explained until Lag interrupted her.

"So you want me to watch over the two in case one of them fights over?" Aria nodded. "It's just because of Aaliyah's death—mysterious disappearance and now, she's back. Something's terribly wrong. I need you to signal us by either shooting something in the sky or send Niche back to us." Aria added.

Lag agreed and went back inside, to see Selene and Zazie shook hands.

"Alright, you leave tomorrow, Lag-kun, you may now also go." Largo said, sipping another chamomile tea. "Lag-kun, watch over them, okay? Who knows what might happen." Lag nodded and followed the two outside the Hive.

"So, what did Largo told you two?" Lag asked as Zazie was looking far towards the deserted sand lands while Selene was looking at the map given and provided by Largo.

"We're heading back to Honey Waters; Largo said that Azul and Aaliyah might be presiding there." Zazie exclaimed.

Selene smiled as she peek her nose up the map. "We get to see Hanako-chan again!"

Hanako? Lag thought. "You mean, Hanako Verde? The girl we met in the train on our way to Honey Waters who looks just like Aaliyah?" Lag asked.

Selene nodded and continued to look at her map.

"Alright, here's the plan," Zazie said, sitting down on a big rock near them, "We set out an investigation—meaning, we'll stalk the two and as soon as we find out…"

"Za-Zazie, what are you talking about?" Selene asked Zazie who began to murmur words they couldn't understand.

"Uh… never mind me… come on, the soon we leave, the sooner we'll find out the truth." Zazie said, and then left without another word. Selene and Lag followed the annoyed black-haired boy out to Honey Waters—to find the reason about the killings, to find the way how Aaliyah seemed to be back; "from the dead", and to find it fast.


ME: Alexei, gomene… *cries*

ALEXEI: Huh?

SIS: Author is apologizing, well, she read the episode "Zazie's Jealousy!" and there she saw you: Alexei Goldleaf, the boy who acted to have a crush on Selene.

SPACE: Ugh, I'm going to watch TV.

ME: Gomenesai! I planned this story (chapter) short because I suck at cliffhangers and I wanted you to keep on annoying me to UPDATE THE CHAPTER NOW! Now I'm off to watch Pandora Hearts anime! Ja~ne!

TRIO: See you next chapter! We hopes you liked Chapter 7: The Planning Begins! SAYONARA!