A New Light
Chapter 25
Golden Sun

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A pair of dice rolled unto the coffee table. It rolled androlled,then came into an abrupt stop.

11 dots total….

"Nooooooooo!!" Sakura wailed as she moved a silver car into a square tile titled "Jail".

Everyone laughed.

There in the main room, all the tenants were sitting around the small coffee table forming a huge semi circle. It was late into the night as all of them played a jolly game of monopoly with each other.

Keitaro smirked. "Haha, too bad Sakura-chan! But I'll visit you in jail some time."

Sakura pouted faced Shinobu. "Shinobu, your turn! And make it quick!"

Shinobu jumbled with the dices.

"Aaauuu!Okie okie okie!" She wailed as she threw the pair of dice unto the game board.

It rolled, and stopped still above the board.

7 dots..

Shinobu moved her silver shoe 7 spaces and landed right before the starting stile labeled "Go"

"Aaaauuu, I stopped in Broa--wait…I mean Banana Palace?!" Shinobu questioned.

Suu laughed hysterically.

"Suu!!" Everyone shouted at the laughing girl.

"What?!? I couldn't resist! I did buy the place after all! So Shinobu give me a gazillion dollars for stepping into my domain or you will get shot!!"

Shinobu went teary eyed and flapped her arms up in down with distress like a humming bird.

"Eeecck! I don't have that kind of money Suu! So don't shoot me!" Shinobu wailed.

Naru leaned over and smacked Suu lightly at the back of her hair. A smile curved at the edge of her lips.

"Jeez, Suu! Don't make Shinobu so nervous like that! And you know well enough that Shinobu does not have to pay that amount of money!"

Suu looked down defeated.

"Awww come on! It didn't hurt to try!"

The throbbing at the back of Suu's head increased where Naru hit her.

"Ouch….never mind…."

Everyone laughed.

Keitaro looked over at Asuna.

"Your turn Asuna-chan!"

Asuna nodded and threw the pair of dices.

It rolled….and stopped

11 dots total…

Asuna raised an eyebrow.

Motoko giggled.

"Hehe. It seems Asuna is joining her sister in jail!"

Asuna glared at Motoko.

Motoko sweat dropped.

"Don't worry Asuna-chan! We can play cards, we can run around! We can do a lot of things in jail!!"

"Shut up…."

"Okie.."

"Um Keitaro, I think it's your turn….."

Keitaro looked a the square cubes.

"Sure…."

Keitaro jumbled the dice in his hands for a second, then threw high in the air.

Everyone looked up, and saw the dice fall down in slow motion till-

"Yoink!!"

Haruka grasped the dice in mid-air.

Everyone stared dumbly at Haruka's form dangling the cubes, right behind Keitaro. Keitaro also looked up to see Haruka hovering over him.

"Um….Haruka. We're playing over here."

Haruka dropped the dice on top of his head.

Keitaro winced.

"I can see that Keitaro, but I need to speak with you now!"

Keitaro only obeyed and stood up. He motioned everyone to continue the game, as he walked out with Haruka, towards the kitchen.

"Suu, while I'm here can I have a banana?" Shinobu said.

"Sure, Shinobu! That will be four hundred please!?

"Aaaaauuuu!!"

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Haruka stepped lightly into the kitchen floor. Soon followed by a confused Keitaro.

"So, what do you need Haruka?"

As soon as he finished Haruka turned around. Instantly shethrew a piece of paper to him.

Keitaro caught it and looked at it dumbly.

It read:

Come and have a cup of tea in the beach.

--Hinata Beach Tea Shop.

Keitaro raised an eyebrow and looked over at Haruka. She just stood calmly, putting out her lit cigarette by flicking it at the sink.

"Eh?! What's this, Haruka?!"

Haruka stared at him.

"That's just the beach tea shop I own. And also the teashop that has no workers…."

Keitaro looked at Haruka's eyes.

Haruka glared back..

"You mean…but why US!!?" He said stepping back.

"Well, lets put it this way Keitaro! One :you get more money, because I will be paying you! Second :your daughters and everyone else here will have a change of scenery. And most of the money will be going towards the rebuilding of this dorm!"

Keitaro stared back at the paper.

Haruka stepped forward and placed a gentle hand over his shoulder.

"So what will it be?!"

Keitaro only looked up and smiled.

"Sure! Why not! You are right Haruka. The girls do need to go out somewhere fun."

Haruka patted his shoulder hard before leaving.

"Good! Tell everyone to pack up! We are leaving tomorrow at noon….."

Keitaro sweat dropped.

"Eh?! Tomorrow?!?!" He half yelled, but his plea fell on deaf ears as she was out of his sight.

Keitaro sighed, and walked back to the main room.

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Keitaro stepped into the main room. His head looking down.

"You guys I got some news! Pack up your ba----"

Keitaro cut himself off as his head faced the group.

There in front of him was everyone. All of them in a huge dog pile on top of the sofa. Random legs and arms sticking out in various places. Suu on top of Naru. Naru on top of Mitsune. Mitsune on top of Motoko. Motoko on top of Asuna. Asuna on top of Shinobu, and finally Sakura being all the way at the bottom.

Keitaro's lips parted.

Naru noticed Keitaro confused form near them. She chuckled nervously.

"Um…ano….Sakura-chan tried to escape from jail….hehe.."

Keitaro ran his hand over his head, ruffling his hair.

Sakura tried to get out of the huge pile of people.

"Get them off me, Papa!!!"

Everyone giggled. Then all of them added more of their weight unto the pile.

The sofa bended more.

"Nyuuu!" Sakura groaned.

At that time Sara and Makie stepped downstairs from the stairs and looked at the dog pile.

Everyone focused their attention to the two.

Sara and Makie then stared at each other. Silently talking….

Both them were now smiling.

Sakura could see their silly grins, and she furiously shook her head.

But everyone else nodded.

"Nooooo!"

With a jolt, both of them joined in the pile.

"Ooooof!"

Sakura went swirly eyed, and groaned at all the pressure on her body.

"Nyyuuuuu!"

The sofa bended even more.

This is going to be a long week…

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A boy just stood motionless inside an alternate plane of existence.

A plane of existence that was completely made out of water…

Everything was wet………

Everything seemed to go on forever………

Everything was calm, boring………and especially empty.

The boy had blue majestic short hair. It wavered with the invisible water currents that came often from his left. He wore an old fashioned blue robe, that stopped all the way to the tip of the sandals he was wearing underneath his feet.

He was no older then 11 years old. And of course, like all 11 year old boys, he was bored. Suspended in the middle of an infinite ocean which everything around him seemingly just kept going on forever and being in there for an unknown amount of time will eventually get boring.

He turned his head one way. An endless sea of water….

He looked below him. A bottomless ocean of blue and black.

His hair drifted slowly with the movement of his small head in the water.

He sighed. Air bubbles left his mouth and instantly started to up to the surface.

If there was a surface above him.

He closed his eyes once more, and dozed into another of his many sleeps.

"…………….."

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It was the next morning in the Hinata-sou.

But it wasn't like a normal morning in the Hinata-sou. Usually it was slow and calm. Everyone still half asleep or still sleeping in their room. But today was the opposite. Everyone was wide awake. All of them packing bags, and preparing.

It was about an hour before noon. Which is when all of them are about to depart to the beach tea shop owned by Haruka.

Keitaro told them all last night and all of them agreed to a change of scenery. So here they are. All of them packing, and eating up for the long ride to the beach.

Suu was in her room, packing up all of her gadgets and watering all of her tropical plants scattered through out her room.

She hummed a happily melody as she packed her last article of clothing.

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Makie had her iPod turned on.

She was sitting down on one of the many steps at the front of the dorm.

She just stared at the majestic stairs case in front of her. There she could see every step in a high angle. She could see the tea shop owned by Haruka herself. She could see the busy street where two vans were parked close to each other. Way down at the foot of the stair case.

Suddenly out from Haruka's tea shop was Haruka herself.

Haruka stuck out her arms in full length for a good morning stretch. She released a pleasurable sigh as she lowered her arms.

She looked up at Hinata-sou.

There she saw Makie's red headed form. Sitting on one of the top steps of the stair case leading to the dorm.

She smiled and waved a friendly hand.

Makie responded the same. Smiling and waving back at the older women.

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Motoko was in her room.

Poster of movies on her walls. Various swords of all sizes were placed on a wooden rack at the far wall. A full suit ofsamurai armor hung on the same wall above the rack.

Motoko had just finished her packing and started to mediate for the upcoming ride.

"………….ACHOO!"

Motoko violently sneezed. But shrugged it off and went back to meditating.

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Naru was downstairs with Mitsune. Both of them taking a short nap in separate sofas in the main room.

Their bags sitting right besides each of them on the floor. Neatly packed and ready to go.

Keitaro walked right at that exact moment. He sported a red and white Hawaiian shirt, while Tama-chan sat on his left shoulder.

He saw their two sleeping forms. The light snoring coming from the two entered into his ears as he smiled. Tama-chan did as well.

Naru twitched a bit and was turning around on the sofa. So did Mitsune.

Cute…

Keitaro then slowly went back to walking towards the kitchen, with Tama-chan yawning.

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Keitaro walked into the kitchen. The smell of Shinobu's cooking permeated the air and entered Keitaro and Tama-chan's noses.

There Shinobu was making the lunch that they were going to eat on the ride towards the beach.

Bags and bags of snacks were on the counter top. All of them neatly packed by Shinobu herself. Keitaro could only smile and ruffle up Shinobu's hair for her hard work and preparation.

Surprised, Shinobu turned around and saw Keitaro patting her head with his right hand.

Shinobu only smiled and nodded and continued to pack up the snack.

Tama-chan flew from Keitaro's shoulder and perched herself on top of Shinobu's head and observed the young girl's actions.

Keitaro happily started his trek back upstairs to check up on.

"Nyuuuu!" Tama-chan said at the retreating Keitaro.

Keitaro looked back at the silly turtle, smiled, and saluted a silent good bye.

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Sakura had a full arm full of shirts with her.

"Asuna-chan! Where should I put this?!" She wailed.

"Just put it in the suitcase, in the closet!" Asuna said, while putting on her pants at the corner of the room.

Both of them were preparing for the trip in their bed room along with Sara. Keitaro already packed his bags and left them to do theirs. They could bring what ever article of clothing they would like to bring.

Sakura happily opened the closet door with her free hand. She dropped the shirts for just a moment to bring the suitcase out form the corner of the closet.

She then started to neatly pack her and Asuna's clothes in it, while humming a cute little tune.

Asuna finished dressing up and started to tie her hair into her signature two ponytails.

"Hurry up Asuna-chan, and help me pack here!"

Asuna sweat dropped.

"Hey! I don't see you having to make two ponytails from you short blonde hair, so wait!"

Sakura stuck out a playful tongue at Asuna while she tied the two ribbons in her hair to keep the ponytails in place. The ribbons of course had the small silver bells attached to them. Asuna shook her head a bit and the dangling noise of the cute little bells ringed inside the room.

"Why do you always insist in putting those bells in your hair?!" Sara frowned.

"Cause they're cute!"

Sara sweat dropped.

"Good point…."

Asuna smiled and joined in with the packing.

A few good minutes passed by and both of them selecting and packing their clothes. Sakura smiled but something else caught her eyes. So did Sara.

A brown chest stood on the other side of the closet. It was old and dusty, but it attracted Sara and Sakura to pull it out.

And indeed she did. With all her might Sara pulled out the heavy chest. After pulling the chest out she immediately opened it along side Sakura.

Both of their eyes widened and both of them touched two of the many scrolls laid in the dusty chest. All of them in a variety of colors.

Asuna in the mean time was about to leave when she noticed that both Sara and Sakura were not with her. She looked back at the closet and found them…..looking at the chest.

Asuna dropped the suitcase and walked up to the both of them.

Sakura turned around to face her.

"Are these Papa's fighting scrolls Asuna?"

Asuna could only nod and remember the note Tenshi left for her…

Asuna focused on Sakura besides her. Sakura was intently observing the artifacts and touched one.

Asuna's eyes widened.

The necklace that Sakura was wearing started to glow a bright blue. It started to glow at the middle of the diamond.It wasn't thewhole pendant that was glowing.

"Um…..Sakura! Your necklace!!" Sara yelled as she too took notice of it.

Sakura's eyes darted to the necklace and she could see the faint glow of blue being emitted from the object.

With a swift hand she held it with the palm of her hand. But it still kept glowing brighter and brighter.

"Take it off Sakura!"

Obeying her sister's command, Sakura quickly unhooked her necklace and dropped in the floor. Both of the girls backed up a step.

The necklace shook and convulsed harshly on the ground. It slowly and amazingly started to float up into the air. It stopped right about their height. Then…..

-Flash!!-

The whole room turned bright blue with light.

The three girls shielded their eyes and winced.

At the corner of their eyes they could see the chest right next to the glowing pendant. But something was floating in mid air. Being pulled closer to the floating pendant.

Their lips parted.

This something was a scroll. One of the many scrolls inside the brown old chest.

The blue one……

The blue scroll stopped right below the floating necklace and started to spin erratically. And with one final huge flash from the necklace. The girls were forced to close their eyes completely.

After a complete second has gone by the three girls opened their eyes and lowered their arms.

But what they saw completely blew their minds…and noses…

There, where the pendant used to be and the scroll, stood a pretty young boy. About their age, with ocean blue short hair, and about their height. Butt naked and soaking wet.

Their eyes literally popped out of their sockets while they observed this boy and his 'package.'

The girls furiously blushing a crimson red.

"Um…um..Um..Hi!?!" Sakura stuttered trying tokeep her eyes from makingcontact down below.

The boy only smiled and opened his right hand. There laid Sakura's necklace in the palm of his hand. He observed it and threw it back to Asuna.

Asuna dumbly caught it while still looking at him and his little freind.

On his other hand was the blue scroll. It too was tossed by the boy and Sara this time caught it as well.

"W-who are you?!?!" Sara nervously said.

The boy could only smile and wave a silent good-bye.

-Knock- -Knock-

All three of them instantly turned their heads to the direction of the knocking.

It came from the door leading to the hallway.

It was then followed by the faint voice of Keitaro: "You girls done yet?!? I'm coming in!"

Asuna Sakura and Sara then focused back to the boy in front of them…….but there was no one there. What was left was a huge wet circle where the boy used to be standing on.

Asuna stared at Sakura.

Sakura stared back.

Sara stared at both of them.

Then…..

A trickle of blood started to form at the edge of their noses and their legs gave in.

-Plop-

All of them then fainted altogether and in sync down to the hard floor. All swirly eyed and confused.

Keitaro then came into the room to just find the fainted forms of his daughters laid together on the floor of their bedrooms.

"???"

Confused he walked up to them, kneeled down and put two hands on each of their foreheads.

………..

Meh…they must be just tired…

With that he looked down at the floor next to them and saw a huge wet spot there.

"??"

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After a several good minutes passed by the girls were back on track and ready to leave with the others. The two didn't say anything about the little 'incident' to Keitaro, but instead happily rode with him in the carpool like as if nothing ever happened.

Haruka and Keitaro were the two people that were driving everyone to the beach with separate vans. Keitaro had Makie, Sakura, Asuna and Makie, and Sara onboard his white van. While Haruka had Shinobu, Suu, Mitsune, Motoko and Naru on hers.

The three of their minds were in a swirl of what just happened but of course kept it cool. Sakura had her eyes set on the necklace that was around her chest.

So did Asuna and Sara.

But they had no clue in what just happened.

Asuna then focused on the blue scroll in her pocket.

"?"

Asuna only sighed and just tried to enjoyed the ride to the beach with her family.

"And the wheels of the bus go round and round--"

"Dork! Stop singing!" A frustrated Sara yelped at the singing Keitaro.

Keitaro and Makie both only chuckled.

The other three kept silent at the back of the van, as it sped off into the highway.

The golden sun beamed proudly down upon the two vans heading towards the beach on a fine summer afternoon…

----End of Chapter 25--------

Jerails slowly stood up from his desk, eyes bloodshot and a cup of tea in his hand. "...Tired...So tired...Need...Music..." He promptly passed out on the floor, swirly eyed and drooling.