"Oh room!" Eleaya cried, flopping onto her bed.
She could hear Wayne downstairs, fighting with Minka over the phone. He had the desire to contact everyone of his friends to make sure they were truly home. Eleaya, meanwhile, was lying on her bed, not caring if her body was dirty and was thus ruining her clean sheets. She was ready to sleep and the bed was an improvement to the hard ground from last night. She was just drifting to sleep when someone knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened and Clari stepped in.
"Eleaya, sweetheart," she said.
"Hi mom," Eleaya managed.
Clari smiled.
"I hope you had fun on your trip," she said. "I know you're tired so I'll be quick. Your transfer papers finally came through. You can go to school tomorrow."
"Whoopee," Eleaya said.
Clari sighed.
"Just be ready in the morning, okay?"
"Kay," Eleaya replied as her mother left.
Her trip had been fun. Up until the point her only friend died.
"Are you ready?" Yukio asked. "You only got out of the hospital yesterday."
Ceres finished securing the mirror necklace around her throat, hiding it beneath her shirt.
"I'm fine," she said.
Yukio handed her a bag, smiling, even though she was reluctant to let her sister leave so soon.
"If you're sure," she said.
Ceres sat to tug on her shoes in the front hall.
"I'm sure."
With that, she stood and left for school.
"Why would anyone think school this early is a good idea?" Eleaya muttered to herself.
She slung her bag onto her other shoulder and tugged at the hem of her uniform green skirt. Paired with the white blouse and the red ribbon that her mother had tied in the front and laced through a loop attached to the blouse.
"I'm glad Sesshomaru isn't here," she mumbled. "I look like a dork."
With a sigh, she continued down the hall. Some people eyed her, whispering because they knew she was new.
"Just get to class and claim a seat in the back," she coached herself quietly.
Two things prevented her from doing so. One was that some girl with long, shiny, black hair already claimed the seat in the far corner. The other was the teacher, who insisted she introduce herself to the class. So in all her dorky glory, Eleaya stood at the front of the classroom while students piled in. Finally, class began.
"Students, this is the first of our two new students. Eleaya Dinverno!"
Eleaya gulped.
"Uh, hi," she greeted.
Blank stares were all she got. Shiny Hair Seat Stealer didn't even bother looking at her.
"If you hadn't guessed, I wasn't born here but I'm glad to be here. I hope to learn a lot and make friends."
At least her outfit matched how dorky that sounded. Head down, Eleaya marched back to her seat. She hated being the new kid. She also hated green. It was not her color. Red, yes. Green, no. Too earthy. The teacher, who'd been hovering in the back, tapped Seat Stealer on the shoulder. Slowly, the girl rose, heading to the front of the room, each step she took calculated and graceful. She turned to the classroom, her mismatched eyes on the class. Eleaya froze.
"No way," she gasped.
"My name is Isuchio Ceres," the girl said.
As one, the class seemed to relax. Eleaya rolled her eyes.
"Foreign haters," she grumbled.
"I was born in Kyoto and have been in a coma for two years. I live with my Onee-san, Yukio, at the Higurashi Shrine. While I also hope to learn a lot, I have no desire to be friends with any of you."
Ceres bowed respectfully, as if her words hadn't been spoken in Asian Bitch.
"I thank you for granting a humble girl like myself entry to your class," she said.
With that, she returned to her seat, leaving a noticeable chill in the air.
"Ceres!" Eleaya called.
She dodged classmates and a few teachers, catching hold of Ceres's elbow. The girl looked down at her, her surprise well hidden by her annoyance.
"I was….I was calling you," Eleaya panted.
Ceres freed her elbow, turning fully to face Eleaya.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
Eleaya stared at her. The voice was the same. The eyes were the same. The face was the same. This had to be Ceres.
"You're alive," was all Eleaya could say.
"I am," Ceres praised sarcastically. "Very good."
Eleaya was puzzled. Very rarely had Ceres pointed her sarcasm at Eleaya, especially in such a patronizing way.
"Are you really Ceres?" Eleaya asked.
"I am."
"Does the name Tenshi mean anything to you?" Eleaya inquired.
"No," Ceres replied.
"What about Maho? Or Aya?" Eleaya persisted.
"Afraid not," Ceres answered.
"They were your friends! Don't you remember them?" Eleaya cried.
Ceres turned a harsh gaze on her.
"I have amnesia, so sadly, I don't remember much. If that's all you wanted to say,"
"What about Akio!?" Eleaya cut in, clutching at straws in desperation.
She grabbed Ceres's shoulders.
"Come on! You have to remember Akio."
Ceres's eyes were wide. The mirror hidden beneath her shirt warmed, the heat growing with each passing second. Did the name mean something to her? Eleaya was staring at her, hopeful. Ceres stared at her in return. This girl could be someone in her past. Someone important, who might very well be able to answer some of her questions. The thought scared her though. Ceres stepped out of Eleaya's grasp.
"I'm sorry to disappoint," Ceres began in a tone that suggested she wasn't as sorry as she claimed. "But I have no idea what you're talking about."
"No way! You must be lying."
Eleaya pouted a bit. She'd been bursting to tell someone that she'd seen Ceres but everyone had made themselves scarce except for Maho who'd been vague on details. Akio and Sesshomaru had gone to bury Ceres and Tenshi had taken Aya somewhere. It was Sesshomaru's lack of being there that had prompted Eleaya to tell Maho that she'd seen Ceres. Maho did not believe her.
"I'm not lying!" Eleaya insisted. "Isn't there some magical way to tell if she's alive?"
"Do I look like Rafiki?" Maho snapped.
She sighed, trying to reign in her temper.
"Ten'nyo do enter the reincarnation pool but it's highly unlikely that they have a prestarted life," Maho said. "Maybe Tenshi will know," Eleaya suggested.
"Maybe," Maho relented.
She turned her gaze on Eleaya.
"I'll go check. But Eleaya, I want to believe that she's alive but it's not likely."
Maho rested her hand on Eleaya's shoulder.
"Just….don't get your hopes up, okay?" she asked.
"I just want Ceres back," Eleaya declared.
She also wanted Maho to stop acting so nice because it was really creepy.
"Trust me, we all do."
It was a fact. Eleaya was making him soft. Sesshomaru stared at the mound of dirt and Akio who kneeled beside it. He was breathing raggedly, his whole body shaking.
"We should find flowers or something," he mumbled.
Sesshomaru said nothing. The demon's posture reminded him of his own brother that day that woman, Sesshomaru couldn't recall her name, was killed. The only difference was that Akio had the decency not to cry.
"Come," Sesshomaru ordered, turning to go.
Akio's mourning would have to wait.
"What if it was Eleaya?"
Akio's words stopped the demon lord in his tracks. The thought had crossed his mind the very second that Himawari's spear had cut through Ceres. It could have been Eleaya. But it wasn't. And that's what brought him some comfort.
"I can't leave her," Akio declared. "I know she's dead but…I can't leave her."
Sesshomaru didn't move.
"She is not there anymore. She is dead," he said. "If you remain here, claiming that its because you can't leave her, it is a sign of disrespect. You use her as an excuse to hide your fear."
Akio's entire body tensed with anger but he held his tongue, prompting Sesshomaru to continue.
"Your love was one sided. And she died protecting you. Do not let her efforts be in vain."
With that said, Sesshomaru walked away, the wheels in his mind turning. What if it had been Eleaya?
"How do you like your veggies? Fried or stirred? I forgot," Yukio called.
Ceres didn't look up from her homework.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied.
"Oh right," Yukio said.
She was silent, except for the occasional clang of pans.
"So, how was school?" Yukio asked, trying again to start up a conversation.
"Oodles of fun. I made tons of friends," Ceres said dryly.
She closed her folder, done with her work. Unbidden, the image of Eleaya popped into her mind. She quickly shook it away. It felt like she knew her but that was impossible. Okay, maybe not impossible, but unlikely.
"Dinner!" Yukio announced, carrying in two bowls.
She set one in front of Ceres who eyed the rice covered in burnt veggies.
"Gee, thanks," Ceres mumbled.
She watched Yukio scarf down her food.
"Did I have any friends?" she asked after a moment.
Yukio paused in her scarfing.
"What?" she asked, a grain of rice escaping her mouth.
"Before my coma. Did I have any friends?" Ceres repeated.
Yukio thought for a moment.
"Not really," she replied. "You always were a loner."
She smiled, red glimmering within her brown eyes, going unnoticed by Ceres.
"Trust me, we've only ever had each other."