Hi! I am back again… Haha… I hope the readers are still there… Domo… ^^
DISCLAIMER: The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi-sensei and Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana-san. All rights reserved to the both of them.
Chapter 20: Teardrop Crystal
Chapter Summary: The journey traveled on… that involved Jewels. Find that out.
Ryoma felt the next stone the following night. They decided that they should go there next thing on the morning, for the sake of Sakuno's energy force. They made decisions of staying in Lumina for one more night and tried to make friends with dudbears. Eiji and Momo were able to communicate to them but they could still make mistakes and was being run away from them.
Not knowing what to do, the seniors decided to talk things seriously while the juniors decided to bond. The serious and quiet people didn't mingle with the bonding moment instead they went outside and observed around.
Mikan, Kokoroyomi, Hotaru and Sakuno stayed in the latter's room and talked things.
"Are you okay now, Sakuno?" Mikan asked as she looked at her.
She smiled before she replied to her, "Hai… arigatou Mikan-chan."
Hotaru held her hands making her blush in the process, "Keep your guard up always."
She nodded as she looked straight to her eyes.
"The barrier that you have will be the only one to save you in case of emergency," The inventor continued, "Many are concerned about you and would worry if you don't protect yourself."
"I… I know." She looked down and thought really hard.
Hotaru and Mikan looked at each other when they saw her reaction.
"I don't want to worry Ryoma-kun and the others so I'll do my best for them."
Sakuno's eyes widened and looked up to the mind reader with a full course of blush on her face, "K-kokoroyomi-san!"
"I just helped you," The mind reader smiled as he replied, "You don't want them to worry especially Echizen-san."
Sakuno blushed even more, "M-mou!" She covered her face with her hands. A memory suddenly came to her mind and then she panicked as she looked at Kokoroyomi.
"Hmmm, really? He tried to—"
"E-enough!" She immediately covered his mouth as she panicked, "I beg you, d-don't say it!"
"What is it?" Mikan asked them curiously.
"N-nothing!" Sakuno answered for him.
Mikan frowned as she tilted her head while Hotaru chuckled a little. Mikan could be dense sometimes. Sakuno only looked down and didn't know how to respond at all.
"We should train while we still can." Hotaru said after a few seconds of easiness. Thus, the room became serious.
Meanwhile:
He preferred to stay near the braided pigtailed girl's room. From that point on, he could sense that the girl was using her alice. Her companion was probably training her on how to use her power properly. He smirked as he thought of something.
It was like the old days when he used to teach her on how to play tennis.
He didn't want to admit it but he'd prefer to have that kind of training than today, even though that would take years before she could improve for the better. It didn't mean that she was not improving at all, the process was just slow but she could get by.
He didn't mind teaching her tennis now even it would take ten years or more. He had realized something after all. Not even the stones involved to that.
He wanted to be with her… for some reason and that was what he would find out.
"Dud?"
He looked behind him only to see a dudbear… on the rooftop. Why would a dudbear be doing on a rooftop with him?
"Dud?" He copied his words.
…
"..."
"..."
He frowned when the dudbear suddenly walked away after staring at him. So what if he couldn't understand him? He kept telling dud, right? They were just incomprehensible from the start. Stupid dudbears He thought as he continued staring ahead of him. Three seconds passed when he heard someone chuckle behind him.
It was the animal lover carrying his pet rabbit in his hand.
"That dudbear dumped you, again." He said.
"What are you doing here?" He said changing the subject.
Ruka shrugged as he walked towards him, "I followed that dudbear and thought of talking to him but you beat me to it."
"Hmmm." He shortly reacted.
They stayed silent for a while enjoying the night scene that was in front of them.
"Do you miss your cat?" Ruka suddenly said trying to kill the tension.
"He's my cat." He only said after a few minutes of being silent.
"You know I can talk to your cat and ask it to follow you here."
Ryoma looked at him with a bewildered expression but he didn't say anything.
"I am have an animal pheromone, remember?" Ruka said looking ahead of them, "I can talk to animals and understand what they are feeling and thinking."
He nodded at him. He totally forgot about it. Ruka was an animal lover who could understand animals. That was his alice. He even volunteered to invite his cat in their world.
"You'd rather not." He said instead.
"Why?" Ruka looked at him wondered why he answered him that.
Ryoma inserted his hands to his pocket and closed his eyes in the process, "I would worry them if that happens."
Ruka thought about that before he finally understood what he was saying. He then looked down to his rabbit and brushed its ear, "Ryuzaki loves your cat, don't you know that?"
He flinched a little when he mentioned the girl's name.
"She would be happy if she sees your cat."
Ryoma observed his expression and his eyes widened. The animal lover was blushing especially after he said that. What was going on?
"Ummm, Echizen, do you…" Ruka stopped in the middle of his sentence before he decided to continue, averting his eyes in the process, "…like Ryuzaki?"
"What?" Ryoma reacted in a low voice before he raised it again, "What about you then?"
He blushed really hard when he asked the question back to him, "I… I… she's kind… a-and I do kind of like her…"
Ryoma flinched when he heard that. He thought that it was all but he was wrong.
"I… It's not what you…" He continued stutteringly, "We both like animals, in fact… there's someone else that I like."
Both of them remained speechless. Eyes were staring at each other. Ryoma had a slight tint on his face while Ruka had a lot. The later averted his eyes as tried to think of something.
"What am I saying?" He whispered frustratingly before he turned around and walked away, "Ja!"
Ryoma tried to catch up at the running companion but he was fast. He was rather confused. He told him that he liked Ryuzaki but then again he liked someone else. What was that anyway?
Ruka just made everything complicated for them.
The Next day:
They bid goodbye to the dudbears afterwards and headed to the next location.
Domina.
It was like the central town way back in Tokyo. They could buy something there and they could even ask for their fortune to a fortune-teller.
Fuji noticed an Inn and went inside. It was actually a bar. The others went in as well and noticed the dim light that covered the entire area.
Sakuno looked around and noticed a young man standing at the entrance door. His eyes were closed and his hands were crossed to his chest. He was actually weird for he was wearing a green cape. His hair was green. Everything about him was green actually.
Hope he was not green.
She shook her head at the last thought. Why was she thinking that? Since when did she become green-minded. Trying to calm herself down, she went slowly to the young man.
"A-anou…"
The young man looked at her. Fuji and the others were totally shocked at the approach that she did to the guy. Especially Ryoma, his eyes widened when she did that.
…Since when did the girl have the guts to talk to a stranger?
"T-that's…" She pointed something in his heart.
The guy looked at his heart and his eyes widened, "You can see it?"
She nodded, "Why is it… glowing?"
The guy just looked at her and was not really saying anything. Realizing what she just did, she blushed automatically and bowed several times.
"G-gomenasai, gomenasai!" She said closing her eyes in the process as she continued bowing, "I—I didn't know what I was saying? I am sorry!"
"That's okay," The guy said as he stood straight, "It's very rare for someone to see this," With that the young man started to walk away and went to the door, "I think it will not be the last time that we will meet, ja."
Her eyes widened when he said that. She was rather shocked. What was that glowing thing anyway? Why was his heart glowing?
She thought that it was the stone but something was odd about that glowing thingy at his heart. She just couldn't name it.
"What's wrong, Ryuzaki-chan?" Fuji asked tapping her shoulder.
Sakuno looked at her senpai, "Didn't you see it? That glowing thing from his chest?"
Fuji and the others gave her different reactions. She, as well frowned at them. Fuji looked at her and said.
"We didn't see any glowing thing from his chest, Ryuzaki-chan."
"Eh?"
"He's right," Momo agreed, "He's just… ordinary… I think."
She blinked when she realized that. Was she the only one who noticed that? It was odd. Really odd.
Ryoma looked at her and was observing her behavior. Something about her had changed for some reason. He didn't know what caused it anymore since a lot had happened to her.
He vowed that he would protect her and that was what he was going to do while they were on that journey.
They went out from the bar and explored the place.
"So… what are we going to look here for?" Eiji asked to them.
"Senpai, it's obvious," Momo said, "Of course it's for the stone."
Eiji was about to retort when someone shrieked. They looked at the origin only to see a pretty young girl walking to and fro near them. She was panicking as they could clearly see it from her.
"He will be worried about me, I know," The girl said still not aware of them, "I need to find him and soon."
"Excuse me," Mikan approached the panicky girl, "Are you looking for someone?"
The girl flinched when she heard her talk. She blushed as she looked away, "I… I am looking for my knight."
Everyone looked at the girl and were trying to register what she had just said.
"Your… knight." Ruka asked the obvious.
The girl nodded and looked at everyone. She then noticed the braided pigtailed girl and approached her;
"You have something delicate inside you, better take care of it." The girl said grabbing her hands in the process.
Sakuno was rather shocked when she received her message. The others showed bewilderment as well.
Before they could react to her words, the girl flinched once again and started walking away from them.
"I need to find him and fast." That was what she was saying as she left them.
Sakuno looked down. She wasn't imagining it. She also had the glowing thingy in her chest part. What was that? She looked at everyone and noticed that it was only her who could see it. She flinched when someone tapped her on her shoulder.
It was Ryoma.
A memory that happened to them some nights ago made her blush unconditionally. She looked away when she realized that it was him who was behind her. Ryoma frowned at her behavior.
"I think she knows that you have a healing alice or something." Tsubasa wondered.
Natsume felt suspicious about meeting the people in that place. He knew that something was odd. He looked at the braided pigtailed girl after she met the guy a while ago and then the weird girl recently.
He knew that she had noticed something different from them.
"You are right because she's a Jumi."
From one person to another, they looked at the newcomer who suddenly talked. A twin pigtailed-girl clad in an orange outfit appeared before them giving them a fierce look.
"Who are you?" Tsubasa stared at the girl.
"I am just a passerby who gives you an advice," The girl said as she flipped her hair, "They are everywhere."
"I don't get what you mean." Hotaru asked her this time.
"You will not," She smirked but then looked at Sakuno, "but she does."
Sakuno flinched when she was being pointed at. The girl looked at her and approached her.
"You sure are interesting. Good thing that you are not a Jumi or else I'll hunt you down."
"Get away from her!" Ryoma butted in glaring at her. The girl jumped a few times like an acrobatic player.
"Easy there, lover boy," The girl said looking down on them, "I am not you opponent but if you get in my way of hunting them, consider yourselves as my enemy as well." With that she jumped from place to place leaving the group speechless.
No one understood what she said to them.
"Arrgh!" Eiji caught their attention. The acrobatic player pulling his hair, "What is that weird girl talking about? Jumi? Hunting? Her enemy? That girl must be crazy!"
"Ryuzaki-chan," Fuji called her attention. The tensai walked closer to her and asked his thoughts, "You said that you could see something glowing from the guy a while ago."
Sakuno nodded but she didn't say anything.
"Did you see the same thing from the two girls that we met?"
Everyone was surprised at Fuji's question. First, they didn't know what they were talking about. Second, they were confused at the turn of event and lastly, was it connected to their mission?
"I… did," She looked away, "Although, they were emitting different colors."
"Different colors?" Momo asked as if he was thinking of something, "What was that?"
"I don't know," Sakuno shook her head, "The guy had green light, the girl had a white one and last had an orange one."
They representing what they appeared to be, huh?" Tsubasa thought really hard. He placed a hand to his chin, "Are they connected to some gems or jewelry?"
"Ah!" Eiji reacted, "The green guy had some kind of stone on his head while the first girl was filled with different sizes of pearls around her and the last girl had a large gem as her necklace."
"Does it have connection to our mission?" Ruka asked making everyone speechless.
"I…" Sakuno started breaking the awkward silence, "I want to meet the first two."
Ryoma looked at her and frowned, "You want to meet them?" It was more like an statement than a question.
"I think I have to." She looked back at him and gave him a determined stare.
"Just don't jump into conclusions," Natsume cut her, "You could put yourself in danger once again."
"Natsume!" Mikan retorted as she looked at the fire alice user.
"Tsk," He only grunted as he jumped away, "I am getting out of here and look around."
Mikan showed him a worried look. She looked at Hotaru and nodded. Without a second thought, she followed the rebelled guy to his direction.
Sakuno looked down after Natsume said that. He was right after all. She always acted before thinking, resulting of putting herself in trouble, making everyone worry about her.
"Don't worry about him, Ryuzaki-chan," Momo cheered her up by putting his hands to her shoulder, "Hyuuga is just worried about you. He doesn't want you to get hurt."
"He's right," Eiji agreed, "We will protect you at all cost. Just do what you think is right, nya."
She looked at her senpais and didn't know what to say.
"Follow your heart," Hotaru said looking at her, "It could lead you into something better."
Sakuno looked at everyone and lastly to Ryoma who nodded. She closed her eyes and smiled, "You are right… arigatou."
"Do you have something to say?" Hotaru asked to the mind reader all of the sudden.
The mind reader looked at them, still wearing the usual smile and closed eyes, "Nah, you voiced them all out for me."
The group laughed at him except for the serious people around the area.
Meanwhile:
The fire alice user walked toward a fortune teller and looked at the weird girl in front of him.
"Do you want to know your future?" The fortune teller asked him but he didn't answer.
"I want to know mine."
He looked behind him only to see Mikan pointing at herself. Frowning, he grabbed her hand that was pointing to herself and dragged her away from that area.
"N-Natsume, what's your problem anyway?" Mikan said as she tried to stop him from dragging her, "Hey, are you listening to me?"
"Stop shouting, polka dots," Natsume retorted, "I am not deaf."
"S-stop calling me names, you idiot!" She retorted back pulling her hand away from her, "Why were you rude towards Sakuno anyway?"
Natsume tsked as he looked away, "I was not mad at her."
"Then why?"
"…"
"Why Natsume?"
He surprised her by suddenly facing her real close to his own face. She held her breath, "Don't show me that ugly face."
"What?!"
"You are ugly." Natsume said walking away from her.
"N-Natsume no baka! I hate you!" Mikan shouted as he continued to jump away from her.
Natsume smirked after he finally got away from her. It was true that he was not mad at the girl. Then again, Mikan showed him that face, the expression that he didn't want to see from her.
He told Sakuno about it but the girl was doing that face making the both of them show the face that he didn't want to see.
He didn't want Mikan to worry about everything and hated himself if he couldn't do anything about it.
Later on:
"Is it really here?" Eiji looked at Ryoma as they stayed at the bar that they first entered.
Ryoma nodded but he didn't say anything.
"I could feel it too but it's faint," Fuji said agreeing to the tennis prodigy, "I bet Hyuuga could feel it as well."
"Where should we look then?" Eiji asked to the both of them.
Fuji gave them his usual smile and replied, "Let's ask the fortune."
They blinked twice before they frowned. Somehow, they knew what the tensai was talking about.
xxx
"Jewels."
They blinked when the fortune-teller told them one word.
"Jewels?" Eiji repeated, "What do you mean by that?"
"Deal with jewels and you will get what you wish for." The fortune-teller advised them.
They left the fortune-telling stand with different thoughts in their heads.
"Do we have to look for jewels?" Momo asked the two.
Fuji shrugged as he looked around as if he was looking at something… or someone.
"What are you doing, Fuji-senpai?" Ryoma asked him noticing his odd action.
"Looking for jewels, maybe?" He casually answered making the rest sweat drop.
"Saa… we should meet with the others and tell them about the jewels." Fuji said to them which they agreed upon. Minutes later, they reunited with the group and thought of their next plan.
Sakuno and Mikan volunteered to go to the market to buy things that they needed when they traveled to the next town when a girl from earlier suddenly blocked their way.
"Y-you, please help me." The girl said looking at Sakuno.
Sakuno blinked twice looking at the cute girl in front of them, "W-what? I…I—"
"Please, Elazul," She started griping her clothes tighter, also crying in the process, "Elazul is in trouble."
Mikan and Sakuno looked at each other and they didn't know what to do. They only looked back when she continued talking;
"His core is about to be pulled out. Help me!"
Done! How was this chapter? Sigh… I am beginning to enter the game's character here… Well, they will appear as Cameo so I will introduce three supporting characters from the game called 'The Legend of Mana' next chapter. I hope you are still there… thank you… ^^
I do not own the game and characters there... not ever and zero-related... Capiche?
Reviews please… I need to hear your thoughts… Thank you very much…
Next Chapter: Jumis