December 1, 2004
Ebacusta: Forgive me! Please! I have an excuse. The teachers have been so god argh annoying and unfair about homework that I have barely had anytime to write. Just for the record I actually finished this chapter about three and a half weeks ago, but my dad took his time reading it and I haven't had time to upload it since he gave it back to me. I shall try to have the next chapter out faster.
Kari: Right, nobody cares about your life. What they really care about are your cats.
Ebacusta: Right! Well, for those of you who didn't/haven't/don't read You Could Save Me If You Really Wanted To, my cat had kittens four weeks ago. Well, two of them are black, and the other two are striped and look exactly like their mother! (Kawaii!) Well, one of the black one's eats a lot. The other one likes to explore and play. One of the striped ones is really shy, and the other one likes to wrestle, watch TV, and try to move the walls. Today, we took them over to my grandma's so they'll stop nursing. Mama cat is moping around. (sniff, sniff)
TK: Yes, go one.
Ebacusta: Well, I'm going to tell you what we named the kittens and I'll see if you can match them to the kitty's personality. One is named Mr. Rambunctious Man (My mom named that one. .). Another is named Little Piggy but we renamed him to Chocolate Chip. One is named ebacusta 2 because she's exactly like me. (Mini me!) And the last one's name is Reed. The mommy's name is Aya. Go ahead, guess!
Mimi: Aww. So cute. They're really soft too.
Ebacusta: By the way, concerning the quiz question, only 2 got it right and one got it semi right. Most of you didn't even try. But, congratulations to Taky Glu and GatomonandKariFan!
Everyone including reviewers: (claps)
Ebacusta: And let's extend a warm round of applause to quidditchcaptaoin14 for sorta getting it right. Yes it was on the stakes and Seadramon, but she wasn't controlling them. Think back and think about what Izzy discovered in chapter 8. There's something about Hilga, that is actually very important, but it doesn't seem like most of you guys are making the necessary connections you need too.
Sora: Congrats you three! So… we'd like to thank:
Rebel- really! Mica is your cousin! What are the odds? See, my cousins are interested in anime, but they don't come to , even though I've tried to get them to come. And I didn't know your name was Katherine (probably because I don't know you, but still!) Hmm, concerning your question, Davis wasn't in the room. He didn't know what was going on. Only Kari, Sora, Tai, and TK remained in the front while everyone else fanned out and went to go explore the apartment. (See chapter 10- end)
Taky Glu- Congrats! You're correct. There were stars on the stakes that took TK, Kari, Ken, and Willis to the New World. (You even remember the name of the place they're in! Extra points!) Because of your excellent memory (you better not have cheated!) I'm willing to take any idea you have and incorporate it into this story, if it is within reasonable bounds meaning it doesn't suddenly incorporate the Tamers or something like that.
GatomonandKariFan- Congrats! Yes, it was on the stakes. You questions are very good ones, and I hope you'll find the answer within the story soon. Thanks again!
Review lord- I'm glad you like it.
Hiakri-4-Takeru- I know this wasn't very fast but it was because:
a) My mom wanted me to finish my other fics before school started again- (which I didn't do.) And
b) School Started.
Racx- I know you've written two stories. And you're only updating one! What's the deal!
ArchSeraphimon- Hiya! I'll try to get your suggestions in here soon.
Tsunami-chaos- Thank you. I know this wasn't fast at all. Gomen.
Quidditchcaptain14- Sort of. You're almost there, but you just need to push a little bit farther and make just a couple more connections. Then you'll see how good I really am. (wink) .
Mica the Cat Kid (Rebel's cousin)- Your cousin threatened me to read your fics. So tell me are they good or what? They have to be if she's threatening me like that. (smile) I know, I spread that little bit of info to all the takari fans I could find! That is so great. And now I officially hate the American version. I mean let's take a poll. Which would your rather have? TK and Kari getting together at the end or Some stupid jokes about the DigiDestined's careers you won't remember 5 minutes after watching the end of the show? I know what I'd pick. What about you? No one out ranks you huh? You might have to fight with Spirit of Virtue over there for that title?
(points to a Spirit of Virtue who's raging away quietly in a corner.) He's really not that bad most of the time. Honestly he isn't. Thank you though. I'm honored.
Rain-witch-85- thanks.
RogueSummersLover- 2 words: Chapter 8. If you reread chapter 8 you should be able to figure out some of these things.
Mimi angel- yeah, so, now you see what I'm talking about? Don't cry!
Spirit of virtue- You have been challenged as my number 1 fan by Mica the Cat Kid, do you accept this challenge of do you quit like a loser and a geek and a dork and a coward? (just kidding… or am I?)
By the way. Thank you.
Rockie: Dying Each Second- some one get Rockie to the hospital! Rockie's one step closer to death each second. No telling how long (s)he'll! Hurry quickly! (giggle) Anyway, reread chapter 8 and then think about the question. It should make sense. That's exactly how I feel! So sad. (sniff) I agree. It should have been a Taiora but, can't change it can you? Anyway, at least you tried unlike some people. (cough) Spirit of Virtue (cough) Just kidding SoV. Well actually no I'm not. You didn't try. But still. We're still friends though. Kind of. Maybe. Possibly. (I'm kidding! We're buddies! Right?)
Ebacusta: Anyway, thank you everyone, and since I don't have anything else to say. Let's move on! You'll be happy to know that Michael has joined my opening lame speech crew. Let's give him the honor of the oh-so-fabulous-Disclaimer!
Michael: Ebacusta in no way owns Digimon, though I'm sure tons of people would have been a lot happier if she did because there would be no lame career jokes, but rather straight forward hard-core Takariness!
TK: Fic time!
Try, Try, Try, Again
By ebacusta
Chapter 14
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"Hey Kari," she said. "How's your new house?"
"Wonderful, what about yours?" Kari replied.
"The same," Mina replied. From this point on, Mina got a bit uncomfortable but she continued, "Um...Kyoko and I have been debating whether or not to tell you this but..."
"Go on," Kari urged.
"Well, we decided to tell you some things about Hilga," Mina replied.
"Do tell," Kari said.
Mina began, "Well, the first being that Hilga has no control over Light, Wind, Dark, Time, or Weather. And she is especially after you guys right now because you four possessing Light, Wind, Time, and Weather, together have a special element. And I know she will stop at nothing to get you guys. She won't think twice about killing it means that she can capture you guys. I know she won't. She's killed before. And I guess that's really it." Mina started to hang up but then, "Oh yes, and she has a star on her left hand."
Kari interrupted, "Wait a minute, how do you know all this stuff?"
Mina replied with the most shocking news Kari had heard since she found out that she would have to work in the same group as Rei, "She's my aunt."
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Kari was silent with shock. "Kari? You there?"
"She's your what?" Kari finally managed to gasp.
"My aunt. Yeah, I know. It sounds awful. It's actually kind of depressing actually. I… Never mind. Well, if you don't mind, I've got to go. I'll see you later," Mina said.
"Yeah," Kari said in a somewhat subdued voice. "Sure." She couldn't belive it. Hilga was Mina's aunt? It seemed impossible. Mina hated her so much. Kari slowly out the phone back in the charger and wandered towards the door.
"Kari?" a voice asked. She looked up. It was TK. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess," Kari mumbled.
"You guess? You don't know if you're leaving or not?" TK asked.
Kari shook her head. "No not really."
TK frowned at her. "Do you mind if I come with you?" TK asked. She shook her head slowly from side to side. He walked towards her and together they left.
"Kari? Are you okay?" TK asked looking at her.
"Uh, yeah," Kari said quietly. "I'm fine." Why was this bothering her so much? It didn't matter whose aunt Hilga was. The fact was that Hilga was, and still is, after her and her friends. She shook her head.
"TK?" she spoke quietly still.
"Yeah?"
"Where do you think we are?" Kari asked.
"I don't know," TK said rather glumly.
"But do you think we'll get back home on time with the gate?" Kari asked.
"I hope so. Otherwise, we could have been missing for 12 years because it would be that long before we get back home," TK said.
"Or 12 minutes," Kari said.
"Yeah. Or 12 minutes," TK answered with a nod. He and Kari got on the subway and head out of the city. They just sat on the subway. They didn't know how long. They didn't have any particular place they were going. But where ever they were going, they hoped it would be better than here.
- - -
A Couple Hours Later…
- - -
"TK," Kari said finally breaking the silence. "Let's get off at the next stop." He nodded. He could tell, they were both thinking depressing thoughts. When the subway stopped, Kari and TK got off. Kari looked around and said rather vaguely, "This is Maibara Station." TK nodded and the two depressed teens headed towards the train that they would catch to the next city: Hikone. They boarded it and after a five minute ride, got off the train and left the station.
Kari sighed heavily. She looked tired, worn, and stressed. The young vibrant air about her she used to have was gone, and she looked like she hadn't had a good sleep in days.
"Kari," TK asked. "Are you okay? Have you been getting enough rest lately?"
"Me? Oh, no. I'm fine. Please, don't worry about me," Kari said. TK nodded his head slowly. It was night time by now, but they walked to the beach of Lake Biwa and collapsed in the sand. They were silent as were the streets. Kari suspected it was fairly close to midnight. They stared at the stars.
Finally, Kari spoke, "TK, do you miss Yamazaki and Rei?"
"A little, yeah," he replied. "Do you?"
"Yeah," Kari nodded. "I really miss our business." She was silent again. "Have you ever noticed how all this bad stuff happens to us?" TK nodded solemnly.
"Well sometimes," Kari began looking quite clearly exhausted, "I wonder if all of this is worth it. We're always being separated from the others, or evil people are always coming after us, and, it's gotten kind of old. Don't you ever just want to quit? Stop doing whatever it is that is making you a target?"
"Yeah, but, Kari… we can't help the fact that we were given the crests of light and hope. We can't help the way we are. So whether we choose to ignore who we are or not, is our decision. But just because we decide we don't want to acknowledge the powers and importance that we carry on our shoulders, doesn't make us less important, nor does it make us less of a target," TK said.
He looked at her. The moon had bathed them in white. "If you were going to be targeted no matter what you did, wouldn't you rather be targeted knowing what they are and what you can do to protect yourself than being targeted and being completely ignorant about why?"
"I guess," Kari said nodding and looking out over the water. "But sometimes I wish I could change destiny, you know? This is kind of hard for two teens to bare all by themselves."
"Yeah," TK agreed lying on his back. Kari laid her head on his chest and listened to his steady heart beat.
"TK, isn't this, in a way, running away?" Kari asked about an hour later.
"In a way, yeah," TK agreed.
"Well, where are going to go from here?" Kari asked.
"I don't know, but I certainly don't want to go home," TK said.
- - -
45 Minutes Later…
- - -
Kari and TK lay in the same position, eyes still open, staring at the sky. TK wrapped his arms around her.
"We'll stick together, right?" he asked.
"Absolutely," she replied. Suddenly, they heard footsteps in the sand. They sat up. A figure was walking towards them. Kari and TK didn't know whether to get up and run or to stay where they were, but their bodies seemed to have made the decision for them, since both of them were rooted to the spot.
"Excuse me," a male voice said. "Um, do you know what time it is?"
"Not really," Kari said, feeling too lethargic to look at her watch, "but it's passed midnight."
"It's two a.m.," the voice said. "Shouldn't you be at home?" TK and Kari remained silent.
"Do you not have a place to stay?" the voice persisted.
They were silent again. And then very quietly, TK said, "No."
"Were you just going to sleep on the beach?" the voice asked incredulously.
"Yes," TK said in the same manner.
"No! No, no, no!" the voice exclaimed. "I can't let you do that. Please, come stay with me. If only for tonight."
"That's okay," TK said after a minute.
"But you don't have a place to go right? And you're probably hungry. Please, I insist," the voice replied.
"We don't want to impose," Kari said so quietly, it was almost a whisper.
"It's not an imposition if I asked you to stay, now come on," the voice encouraged. The voice, which sounded masculine, continued, "Besides, you really shouldn't sleep on the beach all night. It's not healthy." The person reached down and pulled TK to his feet. TK, in turn, pulled Kari to her feet and slowly. Holding on to each other, they followed the boy back to the street.
The street was lighted, but even so, on the way there, they couldn't get a clear glimpse of the person to see what he or she looked like. The climbed up a small hill, and there was a house. They entered and took off their shoes. It was know that they got a clear glimpse of the person.
It was a boy, with white hair and bright green eyes. He had slightly tanned skin, and thin lips, which were curved in a smile. He was TK's height and he was very fit. And, he looked about their age.
"My name is Shiki, but you can call me Nick," he said.
"How does that work?" TK asked.
"I'm half American, half Japanese, so, Nick is from my first name Nicholas. Shiki is my middle name, and my last name isn't very important right now. Anyway, I'll respond to either one," he said. He slipped off his coat and hung it in a closet beside the door, and bid TK and Kari to do the same.
Once they were done, they followed Shiki into the kitchen, where he made them some tea and they all sat down around the table.
"Do you live by yourself?" Kari asked.
"No, I don't actually live here. I'm staying with my grand-parents at the moment, and in a couple days, I'm going to go see my sister," Shiki said.
"Are you sure they won't mind us staying here?" Kari asked.
"Why would they mind? They'll completely understand why I did what I did, once they know the situation you were in," Shiki said. He took a sip of tea.
"So why were you out at 2 a.m. in the morning walking the beach?" Kari asked.
"Just that. Walking. Couldn't sleep, decided to take a walk," Shiki shrugged. "So tell me," he began. "Why were you two planning to sleep on the beach? Don't you have a home to go too?"
"Yeah we have a home," TK said. "But it's in Tokyo."
"So why are you way over here without a hotel room or any place to stay?" Shiki asked.
"I dunno. It just happened," TK shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Shiki asked.
"Well," Kari said. "We got on the subway, and sat there for three hours. Finally decided to get off. Got off in Maibara. Decided to come here. Caught the subway, and ended up on the beach."
"So, you're running away from home?"
"In a sense, yeah," Kari said.
"Why? Were you abused or something like that?" Shiki asked.
"Well, when you put it like that, it's more like we're running away from our problems, back in Tokyo," TK replied. "Our family is great."
"But what was so bad that made you leave your family. Possibly the best problem solvers there is for you," Shiki said.
"It's not like we planned it," Kari said. "We just left the house. We walked aimlessly around. Let our feet guide us where they wanted to go. We ended up on a subway, which we stayed on for three hours just because we lost track of time. And headed here when we got off at Maibara."
"So you're going back in the morning?" Shiki asked.
"No," TK and Kari said together.
"So then, where exactly are you going?" Shiki asked. They shrugged.
"Anywhere but there," Kari said.
"So it is the family?"
"No. It isn't the family. It's the problems that we're experiencing as a family," TK said.
"Oh," Shiki said, still looking quite confused.
"Never mind," Kari said. "We just don't want to go back there right now, because we'd like some alone time to think about our problems."
"Oh," Shiki said, clearly accepting this answer. "And you certainly do look stressed out. And you must be tired and hungry."
"Tired? Yes. Hungry? No," TK said. Kari nodded in agreement.
"Okay," Shiki said. "You two stay here and finish your tea, and I'll go get the stuff for you to sleep on, okay?" They nodded and Shiki stood and left the room.
"He seems nice enough," Kari said. "But I feel a strange presence coming from him." TK nodded in agreement.
"So," Kari asked. "Should we call Tai and the others tonight? Or tomorrow? Or when?"
"Not tonight," TK said firmly. "Maybe tomorrow though." They finished their tea, and when they were done, Shiki came back in.
"Okay, they're ready," he said. As they walked he asked. "I didn't quite catch your names."
"Um, Katherine Yagami," Kari said. "You can call me Kay though."
"And, TK, Ishida," TK replied. "And I'm Tee for short."
"Interesting," Shiki said nodding.
"Is that a natural hair color?" Kari blurted out, staring at his spiky, wild, untamed, uncontrolled, and incredibly white hair. She blushed slightly.
"Yep," Shiki said. "It's all natural."
"I see," TK and Kari said together. "Interesting."
"What?" Shiki asked curiously.
"Well, I've just never met someone who has all white hair who isn't old," Kari said.
"Well, I've never met someone with red eyes," Shiki returned. Kari blushed. "This is the bathroom," he said pointing to a door, "and one of you can sleep in here, and the other one will have to sleep in here." He pointed to two doors right across from each other. Kari and TK nodded.
"Thank you very much," they said bowing slightly.
Shiki waved it off. "Of course. I couldn't let you sleep on the beach all night. Well, good night. Hope you have a nice rest." He walked down the hall and disappeared into another room. Kari and TK looked at each other, obviously quite reluctant to split up.
Finally, Kari said rather firmly, "I'll see you in the morning." This was partly to assure him that she'd still be there in the morning, but also assure her that he would still be there in the morning and that they would be fine throughout the night separated and they would return in the morning, looking as fresh as daisies.
"Yes," TK agreed. And they both went into separate rooms and closed the door.
- - -
The Next Morning
- - -
When they woke up, both TK and Kari shot out of bed and ran out into the hall. They looked at each other and laughed at their silliness as the other was fine and staring back at them.
"Well, I know I feel pretty stupid now," Kari said.
"Yeah," TK agreed. They both disappeared back into their rooms and took showers. Upon coming back out into their rooms, they saw clothes laying on the bed for them. Hesitantly, they put them on and walked out of their rooms. They walked cautiously down the hall.
"Did you sleep well?" Shiki asked suddenly popping his head out from behind a door. Kari yelped in surprise.
"Uh, yeah," she said after she'd calmed her heart. TK nodded.
"Well, that's good," Shiki said. They nodded. Together they all headed for the kitchen. As they passed through the living room Kari turned and saw two elderly people sitting out on a porch looking out into a beautiful garden. They were drinking tea.
"Ah," Kari said quietly. "These people must be Shiki's grandparents."
"Shiki," the woman said, "aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"
"Oh, Nana, Pat Pat, these are my buddies, TK Ishida, and Katherine Yagami," Shiki said.
"Weren't those the kids who turned out to be Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Kamiya?" Pat Pat, his grandfather, asked. Shiki grinned.
Kari's heart sank. They'd been tricked. She and TK had been tricked. He knew who they were, and he had convinced them to stay while he called Hilga Riverton. She looked at TK. He looked just a bit more optimistic than she felt, but she could tell he was down heartened. There was no use running now. She followed Shiki glumly. Once in the kitchen, he invited them to sit down.
Finally, Kari spoke, "Why? Why did you sell us out like that?" She had to know. If she was going to be captured by Hilga because of him, she might as well know why he had tricked them.
He set some food in front of them and gave them each a cup of tea. He looked at her with his is interestingly bright eyes. "Sell you out?"
"Yes. Why did you trick us like that?" Kari asked. "You took advantage of our situation."
"Are you talking about Hilga?" Shiki asked. "Is she coming?" He looked around.
"How should we know? You were the one who told her where we were," Kari replied.
"You think I sold you out to her?" Shiki asked. He looked hurt. "I didn't sell you out. I would never do that."
"What about with a reward?" Kari asked.
"No," Shiki said. His green eyes were filled with sorrow. "Never. She's after me too you know." Kari's eyes widened with shock. "She killed my younger sister trying to get to me."
Kari's eyes widened even more and her mouth fell open in shock as well as TK's.
She won't think twice about killing it means that she can capture you guys. I know she won't. She's killed before. The words from Mina returned to her.
"No way," Kari gasped. "You don't think she'll kill Tai and Matt do you?"
"No," TK said. "No, she'd never succeed. They have everyone else to help."
"Hey listen," Shiki said. "Has she been hounding you guys a lot lately?" Kari nodded solemnly. "Well, you two look like you could use a break, so why don't you fly to Okinawa with me?"
"What? But we can't afford plane tickets!" TK exclaimed.
"You don't have to buy any. My parents, my younger brother, and I were going to fly to Okinawa to see my older sister, but my parents decided they didn't want to go, and so we have two extra tickets floating around in my family. It really wouldn't be a problem," Shiki said.
Kari and TK looked at each other uneasily. "Please," Shiki said. "Think it over." He stood up and left.
"Should we really fly all the way to Okinawa?" Kari asked.
"Why not? He invited us, and just last night we were talking about wanting to go any where but home," TK said.
"But what if Tai and the others need us?" Kari asked.
"They can take care of themselves. Tai has ten other people to help him out if he gets in a jam. He'll be fine," TK said.
"But we," Kari began.
"Look Kari," TK interrupted. "It's not like they need the Power of 13. They'll be fine with 11 people. If we should be worrying about anyone, we should be worrying about ourselves. We've only got two on our side. You and I need this vacation more than anyone. We've constantly been a target since we got here. We deserve this. We've worked hard to it. Why don't you want to take advantage of the chance?"
"But, I don't want to be that far away from my brother. I just want some space," Kari said. "Besides, wouldn't it be an imposition on their family to stay with them?"
"If it was that big of an imposition, I'm sure the kid wouldn't have invited us," TK replied. "Kari, I admire your sense of justice and right and wrong. But, I really do think we've earned this."
"How?" Kari asked. "Did we earn running away? I don't even know why we left!"
"But you felt it, just like I did," TK said. "An unmistakable urge to get away. I don't know about yours, but mine wants to go farther. I want to go to a place where I can relax, and I can be left alone. Doesn't yours want that too?" She looked at him.
He could read her inside and out. That's exactly what she wanted. She wanted to breathe. "But, TK," she protested. "I can't break Tai's heart again. I already did it once. I don't need to do it again."
"Kari, listen. I know Tai, and he's a very reasonable person. Maybe not so reasonable when it comes to your safety, but, if you explain to him what you want, I know, that Tai won't have to heart to hold out for long. And I know I must be sounding terribly selfish, but really, I think you need this," TK said. "You look awful, like you haven't gotten much sleep lately. Everyone's notice, and if Tai knows this is for your benefit, he'll readily agree to it."
Kari bit her lip. She looked at him. She really wanted to go, but she was torn between breaking Tai's heart or not. Finally, she said, "Okay. But, I at least want to talk to him. Like contact him and tell him we're okay."
"Fine," TK said. They both stood up and headed to find Shiki. Instead, all they found were his grandparents.
"Do you know where Shiki went?" TK asked.
"Yes. He went down to the lake," Nana said.
"Thank you very much," Kari said. She and TK departed from the house. The scenery was beautiful. The sky was clear and serene. The sun glinted off of the lake. It was warm with the occasional breeze. The morning reflected nothing like she felt. Moody, depressed, and cold, Kari felt like moping around, or at least spreading her bad mood.
TK looked at her. "Kari, I know you're in a bad mood right now, but I really don't want you to be. That's why I think going to Okinawa will be good for you. It will give a chance to reflect, and have some time to yourself."
"I guess you're right," Kari said. They continued down the steps towards the street. "You know," Kari began changing the subject, "Shiki's grandparents certainly do have a beautiful house."
"Yeah," TK agreed. "I know! Let's go buy a camera and take some pictures. We can get it developed in Okinawa!"
"That's just what I was going to say!" Kari exclaimed. She could feel her moodiness lifting already. They jog down the stairs and cut across the grass to head for the lake. When they reached the beach, they saw lots of teenagers milling around and taking advantage of the sun.
Kari smiled, "Certainly looks like fun!"
"Yeah," TK agreed. They looked and found Shiki, standing behind an ice cream booth.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," TK replied.
"You two certainly do look less moody," Shiki noted.
Kari nodded. "That's because we are. We've decided to go with you to Okinawa."
"That's great!" Shiki said. "I'll go call my parents right now, if you'll man the stand for me."
"Sure," Kari said.
"Okay, but look summery," Shiki said.
"What do you mean?" TK asked.
"You," Shiki said to TK, "take off your shirt. And you…" he said walking behind Kari. He pulled her shirt up.
"Hey! What are you doing?" she yelled. He pulled the shirt til about halfway on her stomach, and then he tied the shirt off in the back. He zipped off the bottom of her cargo pants so they were capris.
"You keep your shirt and pants like this, and both of you take off your shoes," Shiki said. "I'll be back soon!" He ran off. Kari looked at TK puzzled, but pulled her hair back into a ponytail. TK pulled back on his hat.
"So, what do you think we're supposed to do?" Kari asked. "Advertise or just sell?" TK leaned over and examined the price list. Suddenly, they heard a scream. TK and Kari's head shot up. All they saw were a group of girls pointing wildly at something.
Kari shrugged, "Oh, probably just some –" the girls all stampeded over to them screaming "– hot…guy," she trailed off.
"I WANT A CHERRY PUSH POP!" one girl screamed.
"A GRAPE POPSICLE!"
"A VANILLA ICE CREAM BAR!"
Suddenly, they heard another yell. They looked and saw a group of guys pointing. Kari didn't hesitate to know what they were pointing at. They stamped over as well.
"SNICKERS ICE CREAM BAR!"
"STRAWBERRY FREEZE!"
"LEMON ICE!"
TK looked at Kari, "Maybe we just have to sell."
Kari smiled at him weakly. "Maybe."
- - -
Later…
- - -
Kari collapsed on the beach.
"Wow," Shiki said. "I can't believe you guys sold out in the thirty minutes I was gone!"
Kari smiled, "Yeah, it was exhausting."
"Well, my boss is going to get more from inventory, but if you guys want, you can stay and help me sell. He's going to pay you for it anyway. For selling earlier I mean," Shiki said.
"Well, yeah," TK said. "We probably could use the money."
"We'll stay," Kari said. "By the way, what did your parents say?"
"They sent the tickets with my little brother. We should have them by this afternoon because we're going to pick him up in three hours," Shiki said.
"Oh," Kari said. "That's good."
"Yeah," Shiki said. "Oh look! Here comes the boss with some more stuff!"
- - -
Three Hours Later…
- - -
Kari, Shiki, and TK all walked towards the station.
"So your brother," Kari said. "Is he anything like you?"
"No, not at all! Izumi's nothing like me!" Shiki said.
"How so?"
"For one, he has no tact," Shiki said.
"And you do?" Kari asked.
"Shut up!" They laughed. Kari noticed a souvenir shop as they approached the station.
"Hey guys," she said. "I'm gonna run in here. I'll meet you by his stop in a couple of minutes."
"Okay," they said. She waved and ran into the shop.
"Kay, certainly does seem a bit more cheery right now," Shiki said putting his hands behind his head.
TK nodded, "Yeah. But she's still not back to normal. The dark circles under her eyes are proof, that she's not been herself lately."
"What's she worrying about?" Shiki asked.
"Hilga and," TK said under his breath, "her brother," he said in a normal tone.
"Oh, well that would make anyone restless and unnerved," Shiki nodded understandingly. "Hey, I heard you guys were attacked before you switched from Sakura High."
"Yeah," TK nodded. "It was pretty bad. The entire walkway connecting the two school buildings was destroyed, and lots of the landscaping was ruined. And, short, white, and witchy back home, totally flooded the street and the gardens and stuff to stop us from running away, so they're going to have to redo the entire bottom floor of the school, as well as the streets, and all the gardens."
"Are you serious?" Shiki asked.
"Yeah," TK said. "She totally flipped."
"Did she steal your soul?" Shiki asked suddenly.
TK looked down. "Yeah."
"It feels terrible, doesn't it?"
"You mean she's taken yours before too?" TK asked surprised.
"Oh sure," Shiki said. "She totally goes crazy when it comes to capturing people so she can get more power. She totally flips out and goes straight to drastic measures, like flooding the street." They stopped in front of a terminal.
"This is it. He should be arriving any minute now," Shiki said checking his watch. "Hmmm, I wonder if I should go get him something to eat?"
"Oh, so you're a responsible brother?" TK asked.
"Yeah, I guess. I love Izumi, but sometimes, he can be pretty annoying. But, I don't want him to starve!" Shiki said. TK and him laughed.
I guess one death was more than enough for him, TK thought.
"So, if short, white, and witchy back home was after you, that means that you have powers," TK said. "And she's after you because you have powers she doesn't control. What are they?"
"A … Se … cret…" Shiki said.
"Fine be that way," TK said. "You'll never find out my powers."
"Dude, everyone already knows your power!"
"Man, that whomps!" TK said. They laughed again.
"So does your brother have any powers?" TK asked.
"Yeah," Shiki said. "You can ask him about them if you want, but he'll probably never shut up."
Suddenly a voice said, "Train 3102 from Maibara will be arriving in the station in 1 minute. Please step away from the tracks and steer clear for all passengers that are unloading the craft."
No sooner had the voice stopped talking then the train appeared, and pulled to a halt. People began stepping off the train.
Shiki strained to see the people coming off.
"So what's this brother of yours look like?" TK asked, looking as well.
"Ah! There he is," Shiki said. He and TK pushed through the crowd.
"Izumi!" Shiki yelled. A boy with spiky black hair and purple eyes looked up.
"Hey! Big bro!" he yelled running towards them.
"What's up?" Shiki asked after hugging him.
"Nothing much," Izumi said. "Who's this?"
"This is my friend TK," Shiki said. "TK, this is my brother Izumi."
"Nice to meet you," Izumi said holding out his hand.
"Likewise," TK said taking his hand. Suddenly Izumi's eyes turned to hearts.
"What is it?" Shiki said.
"Hey, check out that total hot girl right over there," Izumi said pointing. They all turned to see a girl with long brown hair looking around. And then she spotted them. She waved and started running towards them.
"Dude! She's coming over!" Izumi said. "Of course, then again, I don't blame her. With my dazzling charms and all, who could resist me?"
"Don't you mean my dazzling charms?" Shiki said. "And besides, she's not here for you."
"TK! Shiki!" she exclaimed. "And this must be your little brother Izumi! Hi!" She leaned down a little. "My name is Katherine. But, you can call me Kay!" She smiled.
"I'm… I'm… Izumi," Izumi stammered, totally mesmerized by her crimson colored eyes. God, she's hot, Izumi thought. Look at her eyes. And that smile. Uh.
"She knows that you moron. She just said that," Shiki said. Kari straightened.
"Gosh," she said. "I'd say the only difference between you two is your hair and your eyes."
"Lots of girls back home, say my eyes are beautiful," Izumi blurted.
"Because they are," Kari said. "It's not every day that you meet someone with purple eyes." Izumi blushed at the compliment.
"Izumi," Shiki said. "Where are the plane tickets?"
"Mom and Dad changed there minds. They're going to come meet us at Narita and bring the tickets then," Izumi said.
"Really?" Shiki asked. Izumi nodded.
"So Kay," TK said. "What'd you buy?"
"Cameras," Kari said.
"Ah, yeah," TK said. "For our project." They started walking.
"Project? What project?" Izumi asked.
"It's not your business," Shiki said.
"Oh, but Shi,… I just wanted to know," Izumi said. "I'd just like to know what she's –" WHAM!
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Kari asked Izumi. He had tripped and fallen flat on his face.
He sat up. "Yeah," he said.
"Did you hurt anything?" she asked.
"Yeah, my knee," Izumi said.
"Can you walk?" she asked.
"I think," he said weakly. He stood, but nearly fell back over.
"Here, let me carry you," Kari said. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt again."
"No, I'll make it," Izumi said smiling weakly.
"No, I insist!" Kari said. She knelt down, and he got on her back. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yeah," Izumi said smiling at his brother and trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.
"You're shameless," Shiki said.
"You're just jealous," Izumi mouthed. Shiki rolled his eyes. They walked on.
"Your hair is so soft and beautiful," Izumi said.
"Oh," Kari said, a soft red tint coming to her cheeks. "Thank you. And you're surprisingly light."
I can't believe him. Izumi is so using his powers. He is so lame, Shiki thought looking at the lake.
"Well thank you," Izumi said. They walked back and climbed up the stairs to Shiki's grandparents' house.
"Izumi, you're here," Nana said when they entered.
"Yes," Izumi said. "Hey Nana. Hi Pat Pat." Kari let him slide off her back.
"Well," Kari said, stretching. "TK and I are going out for a little bit. We'll be back later."
"Oh! I'll go with you!" Izumi said.
"No," Shiki said. "You're staying here."
"But Shi…" Izumi protested.
"No!" Shiki said. Kari and TK smiled as they left. It was better that Izumi didn't go with them anyway. He probably would have gotten bored and they wanted some time to themselves anyway.
"This is going to be fun," they said at the same time. They looked at each other in silence for a minute. And then burst out laughing.
- - -
The Next Morning…
- - -
Kari stretched in her bed. She yawned and rolled over. Her arm landed on something. She kept her eyes closed, but her face contorted into a frown. She felt it. It felt soft and warm. She poked it. It flinched. She poked it again. It giggled. She was about to poke it one more time when it rolled on top of her. She opened her eyes, and screamed.
- - -
TK's Bedroom
- - -
TK yawned and sat up. He got out of bed and after stretching, he headed for the bathroom. He took off his shirt and pants. He was about to pull off his boxers when a scream echoed through the house.
KARI!
Has Hilga gotten her?
He ran out of the bathroom and down the hall. Shiki was right behind him. They skidded to a stop in front of her room and threw open the door.
"Kay! Are you alright?" TK yelled. He sweatdropped when he saw the scene in front of him. Izumi was lying on top of her giggling. TK couldn't tell if he was awake or asleep.
"You're so soft," he said. TK looked at Shiki from the corner of his eyes. Like TK, he was only dressed in his boxers. A huge anger mark was pulsing on his head, his hand balling up into a fist.
"Like a pillow," Izumi continued. "I could lie like this forever."
"IZUMI!" Shiki yelled.
- - -
15 Minutes Later…
- - -
"Ow!" Izumi cried, clutching his head where a bandage resided. "I can't believe you hit me."
"I can't believe you actually went and slept in Kay's bed! What is your problem?" Shiki said as he slammed pots and pans on the counter.
"I got lonely last night," Izumi said.
"Then you could have come and slept in my room!" Shiki said.
"I didn't know which room yours was. So I went in the first room I came too," Izumi said.
"But when you noticed it wasn't me sleeping in the bed, why didn't you leave?" Shiki said as he threw open the refrigerator door.
"I couldn't tell, it was dark," Izumi said suppressing a grin.
"You … are SHAMLESS!" Shiki yelled.
"Such energy," Pat Pat commented as he passed by the kitchen.
Izumi cuddled up against Kari, "But Kay's so warm and soft. Just like a teddy bear."
Kari's face went scarlet. She had never shared a bed with a boy in forever, excluding the time when TK and her slept in the same bed and a couple months ago when they on the move from Hilga, but at least she knew TK. She had known Izumi for a full eight or nine hours.
"Stop it, you're making her uncomfortable," Shiki said.
"But I-" Izumi began.
"STOP IT! DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK WITH ME RIGHT NOW!" Shiki yelled. "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!" Izumi moved away from Kari instantly.
"Gosh, Kay, you gave me such a scare. I thought something else had happened to you," TK said resting his head in his hand.
"Sorry," Kari said her face finally returning to its normal color. She was wearing jeans and a white tank top.
"No," Shiki interjected. "I'm sorry, for my brother's conduct and for him scaring you this morning."
"Would you stop?" Izumi said.
"Apologize," Shiki said.
"Kay, I'm sorry that I slept with you last night," Izumi said. Shiki dropped the bowl he was holding. TK's face froze between a look of disgust and surprise. Kari's face went bright red again.
"What?" Izumi asked.
"DON'T MAKE IT SOUND SO WEIRD!" Shiki yelled.
- - -
Later…
- - -
"Bye Nana. Bye Pat Pat," Shiki and Izumi said. "We'll see you later." TK and Kari weren't quite sure what to say, so they settled with a nod, a bow, a wave, and a "Thank you very much for letting us stay here."
"Bye kids," Nana and Pat Pat said in unison. "Be careful." They all headed down the stairs, Shiki holding a duffel bag of clothes. As they walked toward the station Izumi inched over to Kari. He was reaching out his hands when Shiki smacked him with his bag.
"OW!" Izumi yelled.
"Don't push your luck," Shiki growled through clenched teeth. He was still angry and embarrassed about what had happened this morning. They stopped by a book store on the way and picked up a couple books, and then they headed out to the station. They bought tickets to Maibara. There they bought tickets to Narita and settled back to enjoy the ride.
- - -
Narita
- - -
They walked out of the station a couple hours later, yawning and stretching. From the station, they caught a taxi to the airport. After paying the man, they all headed inside.
"Where are we supposed to meet mom?" Shiki asked.
"By Gate 22," Izumi said. They headed out walking at a brisk pace. At one time, they stopped by a gift shop to check out what they had, buy a few snacks, cameras, books, or something like that, but then, they kept on moving. They had headed through check-in and all that.
"Where's your stuff Izumi?" Kari asked.
"Mom and Dad are bringing our things," Izumi said brightly. "So, they're dealing with the check in and all that stuff."
"Oh," Kari said. After a short walk, they made it to Gate 22, and sat down to wait. Less than five minutes later Izumi exclaimed, "There are mom and dad!" Kari and TK looked up from the books they were reading and saw a relatively young looking couple walking towards them. Shiki and Izumi got up to greet their parents. TK and Kari just thought it best to fall back and stay relatively out of sight. They didn't have their contacts or a hat on.
After some hugs and kisses, Shiki said something to his mother, and his mother punched Izumi on the head. She began talking to him fiercely. Shiki must have told on Izumi about this morning. Afterwards, Izumi pointed at Kari and the four approached them.
"I'm very sorry about my son's erratic behavior," his mother said. "He's deeply sorry about it." Izumi nodded. He had a bump on his head. "Here are the tickets. Please have a nice time. We reserved an extra room for you two, and Izumi's going to stay in his own so you two can have your own privacy."
"Oh no," TK and Kari said jumping up. "You didn't have to do that. Really!"
"No, it's the least we can do after what Izumi did," his father said.
"Why is everyone talking about it?" Izumi asked. "What's done is done. Let's just move forward." Everyone in his family glared at him and then balled their hands into fists and punched him. He flew through the air and landed unconsciously on a group of chairs across the way.
Kari and TK went dot-eyed. "That really wasn't necessary. It's okay," Kari said.
"No, no, it was necessary. Anyway, have a fun time. This is okay with your parents right?" Shiki's mother said.
"We will now began boarding for group A," a voice announced.
Kari froze. Tai. She hadn't talked to Tai. Oh well, she could call him from Okinawa. "Yeah," she said firmly.
"Well, okay then. Please do have a fun time," Shiki's parents said.
"Thank you so much for this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," TK and Kari said bowing with each 'Thank you' they said.
"No, no. From what Shiki tells me, you two deserve it. Besides, it's good that someone is going to be using the seats and the tickets," his father said.
"Group B will begin boarding now," the announcer announced.
"Oh, that's you!" his mother said. "Take Izumi with you." Kari hurried over and picked him up carefully.
"He's hardly worth the effort," Shiki said slinging him over his shoulder. He and Kari got in line with TK who had been saving their spot. Suddenly Kari got an idea. She ran over to Shiki's parents and pulled them back over to Shiki, TK, and Izumi.
"Can I take a picture please?" she asked.
"No go ahead," they responded. Kari quickly handed her disposable camera off to a stranger and asked him to take their picture. He got ready. Just as he was about to take the picture. Izumi came too and putting his arm around Kari and a 'V' sign out with his fingers, he grinned for all he was worth, as did everyone else. The man took the picture and handed her camera back to him.
"Thank you very much," Kari said. They hurried to catch back up with the line.
"Tickets," the woman said. They handed them to her. As she ripped each one she said, "Interesting. A different color for each person."
"Runs in the family," Shiki said. She handed the rest of the ticket back to him and they all proceeded down the walkway that connected to the plane.
"Do you go to Okinawa often?" Kari asked.
"Since sis moved there, yeah," Shiki said. "See, she got married four summers ago, but she and he fiancé moved to Okinawa about five years ago to get settled with a job, and a house, and all that, and then they invited the whole family down to see the wedding and their house. Let's see, I think they have a newborn and a three year old daughter and a four year old son now." They stepped onto the plane.
"Wow, really?" Kari asked.
"Yeah," Shiki said. "I'm an uncle and I'm only 15!"
"How old is your sister?" TK asked.
"She's 29, but don't remind her that she's turning 30 next year. She thinks she's getting old," Izumi said.
"30 is still pretty young," Kari said.
"Try telling that to her!" Izumi exclaimed. They all laughed. Shiki set his duffel bag in the compartment above, but kept his book bag. Kari sat in the window seat, and Izumi sat next to her. Shiki and TK sat across the row.
"Wow," Kari said. "I still can't believe I'm going to Okinawa!"
"Well believe it!" Izumi and Shiki said at the same time. Kari looked at them and sighed, "If I must." They all looked at each other and laughed.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
I hope you liked it. I know it took me forever to get out, and it will probably take me forever to get out Part 2, but I'll try my hardest. School is a lot more stressful than I thought. Anyway, I'll try to update You Could Save Me soon. I'm just waiting for my daddy to finish proof-reading. Oh look. Here comes Chocolate Chip too. He wants to go to sleep in my arms. Awww!
ebacusta
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