Hi there! I am back again. Shocking? I know… The culprit is moving now… See how they deal with the current problem.

Another thing; sorry if I won't be able to reply to the reviews because of my stupid connection. My computer is slowly crashing down that my connection is affected. I can not open google chrome anymore so I have to use other site. But I promise that I will reply to all of them… thank you reviewing on my two new fics… I am so enlightened. ^_^

DISCLAIMER: I do not own P.O.T. Got it?

Music4Life1791 - thank you for liking this story I really appreciate it...

well, in that situation I considered Ryoma to be the one to call her name out loud... I mean, the pitch that he could muster enough for her to hear. Imagining that the person that he likes was about to fall, unexpected actions will take place. I made his adrenaline rushed to him and acted like a different person. I could picture Edward Elric (You know him?) in him especially when he gets angry in a slow manner before bursting his anger out. In, Sakuno's case... I don't think that she could find her voice at that moment, while falling off the cliff. Shocked in a slow motion pace.

anyway... thank you very much once again... I hope that you like this chapter... ^_^

Yumi014 - Sad to say... yeah... and it will be for a while... something will happen before that...

uhmmm... actually no... Asuna is from the anime called 'Softenni'. She's the main protagonist in the anime where girls this time who play soft tennis.

tee hee hee... don't worry about it... I am still glad that you left a message and that's what makes me happy... Thank you again... ^_^

Chapter 35: Pigtails

Chapter Summary: He was worried now that she was missing. He was not going to watch in a corner and do nothing anymore. He must do his move… it was now or never.

His eyes were widened in shock as he looked at the steep below. It was his first time making a shock reaction like that. All he could see was large and thick branches of trees and the small lake below. He gritted his teeth really hard making them bleed as he silently cursed.

There was no sign of her.

He gripped his hands tight as he made a decision. He walked to the edge and was about to come down when someone stopped him by grabbing his arm;

"Echizen, don't you dare."

He looked at his stopper and retorted, "Let go, Fuji-senpai. Ryuzaki's down there."

Fuji blinked his already opened cerulean eyes when he heard him. I am pretty sure that he called her Sakuno a while ago. Was it an impulse? He thought but he put that aside and gripped his arm really hard, "That's too dangerous for you to go down there."

He glared at him before saying his thoughts, "She more in danger than I am! We can not leave her there!"

Chris was there already, and was shocked as well. Drosselmeye was tending Meyers who got wound in his arm. The two bodyguards looked at the direction where the shot took place. But it seemed that the shooter was no longer there. Chris stared at the steep like what Ryoma did earlier. Before Fuji could reply to his kouhai's words, he also noticed the blonde boy's upcoming action;

"Stop putting yourself in danger too, Finsbury-san."

Chris looked at the tensai and retorted, "She's in danger! How can you say that?!"

Fuji glared at him this time as well as to Ryoma making the two of them flinch, "Do you think that putting yourself in danger will make Ryuzaki-chan safe, wherever she is?"

The guys were speechless but they looked away to each other.

"She will be the first one to get upset and probably blame herself if that happens," Fuji continued, "There's still a way so don't panic and do reckless thing. It will not help Ryuzaki-chan at all."

Fuji let go of him when the tensai thought that he was not going to do anything reckless. Fuji walked to the steep and thought of something.

"The depth is not that high and there's a lake below. I think the possibility that she landed in that lake. I hope she finds her way back here." Fuji explained to them.

"Sono muri da." Ryoma reacted after Fuji said his last words.

Chris looked at him and asked this time, "What do you mean by that?"

He looked away from them as he stared at the lake, "She is navigationally-challenged."

Fuji flinched when he heard that while Chris frowned and it seemed that he didn't understand what he said.

"She doesn't have a sense of directions, okay!" he grunted.

Chris was a bit shocked when he retorted like that. He glared at him after he said that. This guy… knows a lot about Sakuno.

Fuji broke the tense between rivals, "We will look for her," he started and then looked back at the steep, "in a different path."

"Where are we going to start?" Chris asked.

Fuji looked at the two bodyguards, "Drosselmeye-san…"

Sakuno's bodyguard stood up, "I am going with you. It's my responsible for my mistress' safety."

"Don't mind me. I'll rest here and then I'll follow you." Meyers assured them.

They nodded hesitantly. They shouldn't waste anymore time there. Fuji made a decision;

"We split into two, Echizen you go with Finsbury-san for searching. I'll go with Drosselmeye-san."

"Why do I have to stick with this guy?!" Ryoma and Chris both said and point at each other at the same time.

Fuji looked at them and answered, "You two are the very first people that Ryuzaki-chan wants to see. So, seeing you together might be a good idea."

They became silent when he said that.

"Good, no objections?" the tensai asked when he received nothing from them, he continued, "We should find Ryuzaki-chan before five and be here by then."

They both nodded after that. Ryoma walked ahead without waiting for the blonde boy. Chris followed suit. Fuji watched them leave. It was the first time he saw his kouhai worried like that. It was really a priceless reaction that he could get from him. But the situation was not good for his own fetish. They had got some rescuing to do. He faced the two bodyguards. The older was still tending the younger. He walked closer and bowed to them;

"Thank you for covering for her."

"Don't be," he winced because of the pain, "It's my job as a soldier."

"Wein, we need to go," Drosselmeye announced to the injured soldier, "We still need to look for the mistress."

"Don't worry about me," Meyers said, "Go now."

He older nodded and stood up. Soon, they went to the different direction were the two went and started searching.

Meanwhile:

She could barely hear the sound of water flowing near her but she couldn't open her eyes clearly. She couldn't even move as if she felt numb all over. She tried to move and trying to remember what happened but a slight throb was stopping her from doing so.

"S-someone, help." She whispered as she tried to touch the ground, "M-mom, Dad…"

She couldn't hear her own voice as she cried for help;

"Chris-kun… Fuji-senpai… somebody… anybody…"

Her eyes were threatening to close as her consciousness was fighting for it. She thought of shadowing a figure but she couldn't register who it was. She breathed shallowly as she called one last name before losing her consciousness completely;

"Ryoma… kun."

Somewhere down the lake:

"It's no use; this lake is really far and long. We can not find Sakuno this way." Chris complained as he walked behind him.

Ryoma was irritated when all the blonde boy did was complaining, "If you are tired, you can go back. I'll look for her myself."

"You don't have the right to say that to me, I am her fiancé."

"That set up is only for public. You are not betrothed to her for real." He said keeping his stern voice as possible.

"We will in the future, anyway," Chris defended himself, "You can not change her fate."

He looked at him this time and said, "Don't say things that you are not sure."

"What did you say?" Chris was pissed as well, "You should say that to yourself," he added walking a bit closer to him, "Where's that pride you have earlier about protecting her with your stupid racket, huh?"

Ryoma glared at him but he didn't say anything. He gripped his hands tight to his side.

"You can not even use it when she was falling a while ago!"

That snapped him, he grabbed the blonde boy's collar neck, "Why you-"

"It was true; you actually dropped it when you saw her falling down the cliff." Chris glared back at him.

He gritted his teeth as he continued glaring at him. He wasn't planning to let go of him, in fact, he wanted—no needed to punch this blonde boy to wake up from his fantasy. He sighed harshly as he brusquely released him from his grip and said;

"I'll still hold on to my racket."

"What? After what happened-"

"She's my tennis," He faced him with determination in his eyes, "and I'll help her with my tennis."

Chris was shocked at his words. At first, he didn't understand what the tennis prodigy said to him but as he stared at his eyes, he finally understood.

"You are underestimating me," he said and then smirked, "Lloydie." With that he started to walk away from him.

"What did you address me, you idiot?"

"Mada mada no mada dane." He waved his hand after that.

Chris was pissed when he returned the catchphrase he used to him before. Well, it was his originality after all. But since he knew the meaning, he was really pissed. He shouted;

"Fine, you go your own way, I don't need you!"

Ryoma secretly grunted and rejoiced mentally. Likewise, serves you right. He continued walking to his side while Chris went to the opposite side. They started to search separately as they understood each other.

They would never get along with each other.

xxx

Fuji and Drosselmeye went to the branches of trees and started looking for her. He looked at his watch. They were been searching for an hour already and there was no sign of her. He was beginning to worry about the girl. The girl must have fall somewhere near the place. Could it be that someone found her there? What if it was the culprit? He silently cursed himself for thinking like that.

And that was bothered him since Sakuno went missing. There must be some evidences that the culprit spotted her hiding place and now was making their next plan. That means the girl was in terribly danger now. The shot was aiming for the girl's heart but luckily Meyers covered her although he was shot directly to his left arm.

That incident alone was only proven that they had been discovered.

He gripped his hands hard as he thought of something else. I can not let Ryuzaki-sensei knows about this. She will worry her more. I'll inform Tezuka and Atobe for this. He made his final decision as they looked further.

"The place is really broad," Drosselmeye announced as he cut the branches that were on their way, "This looks like a forest."

"Aa," he agreed as he looked above, "Let's search further."

They searched as he said.

One hour later:

She slowly opened her eyes. They were welcomed by bright light so she closed them again and slowly opened them once again, adjusting to the light around her. When she managed to do that, she wondered around her. The place was foreign for her as she recognized the wood that supported the four walls of the place.

"W-where am I?" she asked to no one as she suddenly sat up. As she did that, she felt a pain through her head and touched it. She noticed that her head was wrapped in bandage. She examined herself after that, She also had a bandage to her right leg and left arm. Her dress was changed into something neat. She felt a little pain but she was alright. She was in the process of remembering what happened to her when someone opened the door.

And it revealed a very young lady carrying a tray of food.

She had pigtails like Sakuno had before minus the braids so her hair was wavy and light pink in color. Her eyes were pinkish purple but it was so warm to stare at them. The young woman smiled at her as she approached her;

"I am glad you are awake." She said nicely to her. She couldn't speak as she stared at her, "You must be hungry so I prepare something for you."

She blinked twice when she said that. She blushed as she talked, "T-thank you," she reluctantly reached for the hot porridge. She just stared at it and then she remembered something, "U-mmm, what happened to me?"

The young woman looked at her and explained, "I saw you near the lake two hours ago. You were injured and almost lifeless. I panicked because I didn't know how to carry you to my place. But I discovered that you are so light. I guess you were lucky that I could carry you here."

"D-did you change my… clothes?" She blushed as she hugged her body with the blanket.

She giggled when she asked that, "Of course, I am the only person here in the forest. I live alone here. I just can't leave you with soaked clothes, can I?"

She looked down as she smiled meekly, "T-thank you then."

"Well, what happened to you before I found you in the lake?" The pigtailed lady asked her.

It was her turned to remember what happened. As she tried to remember, her head ached but as she did, memories came to her.

From playing tennis with her friends to the unexpected shot at her direction. She held her breath as she remembered what happened to her;

"I—I fell off the cliff."

"You fell off, why?"

She shook her head slowly, "I-I am not sure why." She looked down. She couldn't tell her what really happened to her. She also remembered the time of her fall where she tried to hold on something but not to avail. She was being hit by the branches of the trees in her way for several times. That must be the reason why she had bruises and wounds to her entire body. Let alone her own head.

She also saw Ryoma reaching out to her but no to avail. Then she remembered, "I-I have to go back. Everyone will be worried about me."

"Don't panic, I'll take you to the lake later but you need to rest first." The good lady reminded her.

"B-but-" she tried to protest but the pigtailed lady pushed her down the bed.

"Rest for a while besides," she looked at the corner and concentrated there, "I need to fix your clothes."

She blushed when she said that, "T-thank you… u-ummm."

She looked back at her, stared and giggled afterwards, "Silly me, I haven't introduced myself yet," she said as she touched her hand making her flinch, "My name's Rose, Manelle Rose. What about you?"

"S-Sakuno, Kit—"

"Ryuzaki."

"E-eh?"

"You are Ryuzaki."

"H-hai…"

She smiled as memories suddenly came to her and replied willingly, "Ryuzaki Sakuno."

Rose smiled at her, "Nice to meet you Sa-chan."

Blush crept to her face, "L-likewise," she said as she sat up again. She told Rose that she's okay if she just sat there. She looked around the place, "R-rose-san… why are you here? I mean—don't you have someone to return to?"

Rose stared at her and then walked to a corner where she was staring a while ago, "I do have a family but I know that they're okay without me."

"W-what do you mean by that?"

"It's complicated," she answered but then she looked at her and smiled, "but don't worry, I'll see them sooner or later. Actually they can come and visit me here."

"Where are they? Why are you alone here?"

"Sa-chan?"

She blushed when she called her name, "G-gomen nasai! I-I didn't mean to ask personal questions to you," She looked down and fidgeted with her t-shirt, "It's just that… I feel a bit jealous for those people who are with their family. It's not like I am complaining but I miss my real family."

"Are you away from them?"

She shook her head and replied, "They passed away when I was little. A rich couple adopted me recently resulting me to be away from the only relative that I have. But that's okay, my new parents are so kind to me like I'm their own real daughter."

"I see."

"I guess being with your family is the greatest thing that you can ever experience." Her eyes softened as she thought of her grandmother and her real parents.

Rose stared at her for a while and then closed her eyes before talking, "You are quite right. There's no better than being with your family," she stood up gathering her clothes, "That's why they are my inspiration."

She smiled.

She turned around missing the sad look in her eyes, "Well, they are enjoying their lives in the city but I prefer to live here," she turned to her again and said, "Ne, Sa-chan, once you come back here again, I want you to meet them, I think they will like you."

She stared at her for a while before replying, "Hai… that would be wonderful."

"I think you should finish your porridge and get enough rest. You'll need that when you leave."

She nodded once again. Then, Rose left her there to tend her clothes. She was a bit worried on their conversation a while ago. Living alone was kind of drastic and she wondered why the young woman would prefer to live in a place like this. She wanted to ask her that but it would be rude of her to enter her privacy. Well, she was not practically alone; she said that her family was visiting her there so it was not a problem once she left the place.

Rose had a beautiful feature. Her hair was nice and her eyes were warm. Her skin was delicate like she hadn't lived in a forest or anything. She must have doing something to keep her nice feature intact. She thought that the lady was cool.

Rose-san IS really cool. She thought as she continued eating her porridge.

One hour later:

She was ready to go as her dress looked fine. It was all thanks to Rose that she did something amazing with her dress. She removed all of her bandages as if Rose did something to her wounds. In just an hour, it felt like she didn't fall in the lake or something.

It was like a new outfit for her.

They were on their way back to the lake and not long ago, they reached where the place she found her three hours ago. She would appreciate the view if the fall didn't happen to her but she couldn't find in her heart to enjoy the scenery.

"You stay here, Sa-chan." Rose said as she walked ahead of her, "I can't stay with you here for I need to do something back at home. Will you able to manage by yourself?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," She said, "I know that they will find me here sooner or later."

"Okay then," She walked closer to her and put something in her hand, "I want you to keep this. Just to make sure that you will be back here in the future."

She looked at her hand. It a sealed box with carvings that she didn't know. She looked back at her, "It seems that this is important to you."

"I want you to keep it," Rose said closing her opened hand, "I have this feeling that we will meet again. And my instinct never fails me."

"Rose-san…"

"For the meantime keep it, you will save a part of me if you do." She said staring at her hazel eyes.

She stared back at her. The lady in front of her was really nice and kind to her so she couldn't turn her favor down. She nodded slowly.

Rose suddenly hugged her and whispered, "Thank you Sa-chan, this day is destined for us to meet."

"Un," she blushed as she returned her hug, "Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life."

"You owe me nothing; just take care of the box."

"Hai."

Rose released her slowly, "Until then."

She waved her hand, "See you soon," she smiled.

With that she turned around to walk away from her. She watched her leave the place until she was out of her sight. When she couldn't see her with her peripheral vision, she looked around her. She put the box inside her pocket and walked to a wall next to the lake. She comfortably sat there and waited for help.

She waited.

…and waited.

…and waited.

She felt tired of waiting. She bent her knees in front of her and leaned her head there. What if no one was looking at her? How long had it been anyway? She'd been missing for how many hours? Four? Five? She stayed in Rose's house for three hours. Was that the reason that they couldn't find her? They would probably be searching for her for the first three hours.

What if they gave up searching for her?

She was tired.

She was afraid to move as well. She was in a place that was foreign for her and moving around was not a good idea.

… for she was not good at directions.

She hated herself for being careless like that. She hated herself for not sensing the danger that was coming towards her. Her tears were warning to fall from her eyes. Yet, she couldn't stop it.

"I am so pathetic," She said as she gripped her knees really hard still her head was leaning on it, "I-I don't deserve their protection."

"…no…"

She sniffed.

"…kuno!"

She slowly looked up as she heard the faint cry. Her eyes were not deceiving her.

"…are you?"

Someone was calling her and she could see the person from afar. Her heart was beating really fast as she saw the figure slowly registering from her vision.

"Sakuno!"

xxx

He had been searching for almost five hours now but there was no sign of her. He was getting tired of searching but he ignored the exhaustion. He needed to find her.

He was definitely worried about her. He never showed his emotions to anyone because he thought that it wasn't necessary to do so. But today, was probably an exemption.

She was missing.

Of course, he should be worried about her. He thought of looking back to where it started.

…Back at the lake.

"Where are you?" he shouted as loud as he could.

He continued walking;

"Sakuno!"

He ignored the wound that he created to his body. He couldn't careless. He cared for Sakuno more than himself. He remembered a match before that he didn't actually care about his own wound instead he still focused himself to the interrupted match. She came to him because she was worried about him that time but he just shoved her away.

But now it was different. It was always her who worried about him. For once, this time, it would be his turn to worry about her.

And there she was, sitting and leaning at the wall near to the lake. He felt relieved when he saw her there. All of his worries were gone to zero. The girl was alright but she was crying.

…And staring at something.

He wondered why the girl would stare at a distance but he would never know that unless he asked the girl so he took a step forward to reach her there.

"Sakuno!"

Only to be stopped when he heard a voice… that he barely knew.

No—he never wanted to hear at all.

He saw the person walked a few steps forward to see a full view and he was there, panting from running. His clothes were worn out and he looked tired as well.

He gripped his hands as he saw him walked closer to the girl.

"I'm glad that you are safe, Sakuno."

He heard him say. But he was shocked when the girl suddenly jumped on the person if front of her and hugged him very tightly. The person's eyes widened as he could clearly hear what the girl was saying;

"I-I thought that you will never find me." she cried on his shoulder. He was shocked at her action but quickly returned her hug.

"Everything is alright now," He said, "I'm here."

Amber eyes were glaring at them. He wanted to come out but he was once stopped by her once again.

"I'm glad that you are here… C-chris-kun… "

He only stared at them in that revealing situation.

Done! Okay… this is getting bad, I know. What do you think Ryoma will do after that scene? Hmmm, I wonder. Well, tell me your thoughts about this chapter…

Another crossover character – Rose Manelle: for the meantime, I will not tell you which manga Rose belonged to. I'll reveal her in the future. Rose is just a borrowed name from her original name in the manga (You can not even see the borrowed name in the manga. I sort of invented it.) Anyway I don't own the manga or anime.

She is the last minor crossover character to this fic. I officially declared that the characters of Crystal Teardrops are complete now. (Whew after 35 chapters…)

Last night, our trainor asked me five questions and one question that I couldn't forget. He asked me, 'If you were a soft drink, what kind of drink would you like to be and why?'… I was so enlightened when I heard that question… I answered, PONTA …errr… FANTA! ! ! yes, FANTA! ! ! because Ryoma loves it—err no … because it is fruity and nutritious… tee hee hee… *sweat drops*

Reviews please… I want to know your thoughts… Thank you very much…

Next chapter: Emerald eyes