Once again Tenchi Muyo is not mine, but the others listed are. Thank
you ^^.
Of
Secrets and Lies:
Chapter
2: Replies
Jamilah was elated, but
thoroughly exhausted. Even after her second ten-minute break the sweat of six
hours of vaulting had made the escaped tendrils of her hair stick to her face
and neck, she still refused to give up.
"One more time, Ji" the coach
and owner of the stable, Allie Drummond said, "and then that's it for the
night."
Jamilah was about to frown, but
her stomach voiced its demand, echoing in the large dressage ring. Her
teammates, who were munching on Wendy's, giggled.
"C'mon, Ji!" Hollered one
teammate, a blonde named Mandy, before slurping on a frosty. The other joined
in with hoots of enthusiasm, which only made her smile. Her team wasn't much in
the friends department, but from the news today, they were all eager for her to
get through this nights work. Jamilah nodded and with a flick of the wrist,
Allie made the long whip go swoosh.
The steely gray gelding began to
move at a brisk, but bouncy, trot. The muscles bunched and flexed as he
smoothed out his gait, making his coat flash brightly in the fluorescent
lights. Jamilah took in a few deep breaths before following along the lunge line
towards the massive creature, timing it close, she grabbed a top loop of the
girth strap/ saddle and kicked herself up to land comfortably on the horses
back. She than began to do a few warm-ups. Scissor kick, cross legs Scissor,
Twisting scissor, a flag. Then she put down her left arm, keeping her right leg
still up, and braced herself on her elbows upon opposite sides of the horse's
spine. Slowly adding her weight to her forearms and elbows, she straiten her
back and leg aligning it just below the horses' kidney. The huge gelding tried
to slowdown, but Allie kept at him to move. With a quick movement, both legs
were off the geldings back. Jamilah gritted her teeth even has her teammates
held their breath, so far was so good but the rest was where she had trouble.
Allie quickened up the horses pace, making him canter, the trot was too bouncy
for the next move.
As blood began to rush to her
head, Jamilah pushed off her elbows, her entire being concentrating on this
moment. She was on her hands in a handstand, elbows bent to receive even the
jolting of every hoof hitting the dirt ring. Breathing fast, heart pounding in
her ears, she brought the inner palms of her hands side by side. Slowly... she
began... to lift a hand away.
Her teammates clapped and hooted
as Jamilah's hand and arm was aligned with her shoulder. But suddenly something
happened that made them all want to scream.
Someone
slid open the huge, rusty, noisy stable's ring door.
It broke Jamilah's
concentration, and she lost her handling. She fell hard on her side against the
dirt ring, her teeth rattling as she hit her head. The Steel gelding, startled,
began to prance about nervously as her heard her fall. Allie tugged on lunge
line, but that only made the gelding more anxious and alarmed. Her teammates
ran towards her and the horse, trying to see if she was okay. Suddenly, the
unwelcome and idiotic guests headed towards the ring. As soon as they saw what
happened one of them hurried towards Jamilah. He was tall, well muscled but on
the lanky side, with sensual brown eyes and spiked red with blonde tipped hair.
He took off his jacket and placed it under her head.
"Now look what you've done!
Idiot!" His voice was sharp as he regarded the older boy, whose green eyes and
scruffy, light brown hair was almost a slight replica of the girl on the ring
floor.
"Me?" said Corbin,
his green eyes flashing
"I say," Said another one, with
small square-rimmed glasses perched on his narrow nose, with deep blue eyes
causally looking around with locks of blonde hair falling into his eyes, "That
it was all of our faults wouldn't you say, Trever?"
The one called Trever, glared at
them as he grabbed a nearby first aid box. He made his way purposefully toward
the group. His long, black, curly hair was pulled back in a tail. His square
lined jaw set. His eyes were different from the others, his changed color; they
faded in and out from grass green to deep gray.
"I'll kill that horse as soon as
Mamita wakes up." the one with red hair growled, the only disagreements he got
was the blondes narrowing eyes, Corbin about to give a sharp retort, and Trever
about to pound him for being ignorant. Except for the fact that hand shot
upwards and slapped him.
"Touch that horse and I'll have
your ball sac as a garter, Emilio..." Jamilah growled as she rolled to sit up.
The blonde with glasses snagged the first aid from Trever, going over to her.
"My dear, you really aught to
stop such foolishness." the blonde began comfortingly; he was rewarded with a
scowl.
"Don't start on that, Zach, in
fact drop it." Jamilah said as he began to clean her face, which had gotten a
tiny cut. She faced Emilio, "And don't call me mamita."
Trever gave a small smile and he
placed his hand on her shoulder, she looked away from the light Zach was flashing
in her eyes to look up at him, she gave him a small secretive smile.
"Are you okay?" he said quietly.
She nodded, only to place her hand on her head. Trever and Corbin helped her
upright as Mercedes, Mandy's twin; piped up, "Oh, she HAS to be ok" she was
beginning to get over emotional, "After all sh-"
Mandy slapped her hand over her
twins mouth and smiled coquettishly at Emilio, "Don't mind her she's just had
way too much caffeine. She's just worried that Ji might overwork herself.." the
other girls followed suit, nodding before sipping their drinks. A stocky
brunette, Tara, looked at her watch, "Look at the time! I got to study!"
The
other four looked at her watch and began to scurry to their duffle bags waving
goodbye to Allie and Jamilah as they walked out.
Jamilah hobbled over as Allie
handed the rolled up lunge line to her, which was still attached to the gelding
who had been watching her.
"C'mon, Winter Bolt" She said
tugging at the line. "Lets brush you down and get you set for the night."
Trever smiled as Zach and Emilio
looked at her openmouthed. She was starting to walk normally, adding that
slight sway to her hips as she went to take care of her horse. The other two
had no idea who or what she was. To him, she was an enigma, to be anywhere and
go where she went. They had no idea that they had lost before they began to
chase after her. Today Corbin had caught the two putting their ears to the
two-inch thick door, hoping to hear something. Her brother had obviously been
distracted because he let them in, forgetting her strict rule that while in
practice no one was to come in.
He had never been so scared in
his life. He saw her fall because of the noise; the horse had startled and lost
its rhythms. The other two had no clue, but they were getting to be an
irritation as of late. From what he was told the other two had just 'shown up',
wanting her to marry them. He snickered as he pulled out a stick of gum. She
had a huge fit, no one tells her what to do, at least not outright. He watched
her groom the horse, Winter Bolt, and then put him in his stall. Unfortunately
so were the others. Gods he wanted them to go, but Jamilah would have to do it
herself. He watched her as the steel gelding, huge in height and bulk, obeyed
her as she led him to the comfort of a clean stall. Allie left to her office,
saying goodbye to them all but not without giving a scathing look at the boys
of the bunch. They all walked, Corbin on one side as Zach and Emilio jockeyed
for her other side, as Trever trailed behind then towards the gray Victorian
house. She turned and smiled as Corbin
began searching for the keys behind her. Two out of her three 'suitors' looked
uneasy as she walked towards them, then pasted two.
"Goodnight, Trever" She said
after they embraced. Then she wriggled her fingers at the trio, "'Night all."
And then closed the door behind her.
She breathed a sigh of relief as
she closed the door. Zach and Emilio were getting to be a bore, and were
intruding in more than her school and vaulting, but her art as well. She mulled
this over as she delved into the plate that her mom had left her with a
voracious appetite. She would have loved for Trever to stay over, however, the
other two would never take no for an answer. Corbin sat opposite of her with a
soda in hand; she felt his eyes on her, Jamilah looked up.
"What? Do I have sauce on my
chin?" She said around a mouthful of food. Corbin's only reply was a somewhat
sour look. Although only four years difference in their age, he looked more
like her twin than her older brother, and she looked younger than what she
really was. He shifted slightly and then pulled the blue envelope from his
pocket, letting it slide on the tabletop to the plate, with the kanji on top.
"Why haven't you told him yet?"
Corbin asked as he studied her crestfallen face.
"Told who what?" She gave him a
blank look as if she couldn't read it.
Corbin frowned at her, "Don't
try to act stupid, Ji. Why haven't you told Tenchi that I'm not writing to him?
Is this the reason why-"
"Don't assume about anything I
do." An icy edge came to her voice as she had swallowed the last bit of her
food. She sighed. "I'm sorry Corb, but..."She bit her lip as she tried to not
sound stupid, "He didn't need to think I was a girl."
"Ah! Jesus!" Her brother put his
head in a hand, "Is this why you've been picking up the mail all the time?"
She nodded.
He stood up, going into big
brother mode," I want you to write him and tell him the truth."
Her widened, "If I tell him,
he'll never write to me again! He'll think I've been lying!"
"So you haven't?" Corbin went to
the fridge to grab some ice cream.
"No.. Not really" She added,
"I've basically told him everything in sort of your view and such. As best I
can anyways."
Corbin poured the last of his
soda over the lump of ice cream in a glass, it fizzled a foamed. "It's still a
lie, Ji."
"No it's a secret." She
corrected him as she picked up the envelope and turned it in her hands. She
knew that she couldn't handle any more secrets; Tenchi had become her best friend
since he sent that huge manila envelope. He told her everything, and she had
kept it a secret, like he had asked. And she told him a few as well, but not
about Trever or the others. She sighed, no matter which way you looked at it,
she knew that by writing as Corbin it had made her a liar.
"I'll tell him in person." She
muttered. Corbin choked on his cola float.
"What? In person? That's a
fortune." Corbin pointed his spoon at her, "One which you do not have."
"Well, guess what happened today
anyways." She placed the letter beside her and folded her arms, "I got an offer
to perform. In Japan."
She moved to the left as a jet
of cola ejected itself from Corbin's mouth..
"Yeah, I felt that way too." She
muttered, "I dunno how long I'll be there. Mercedes and Mandy will co-captain
while I'm away."
"And what about
Winter?" Corbin asked, "That crazy horse-"
"Will be coming with me."
Jamilah assured him, "Winter will be about two days behind me in flight time.
They already have a stable ready for him and everything. It also gives me two
days to tell the truth."
"Lemme ask you something, sis."
Corbin edged over the table, "Why you?"
"They have a home nearby, for
summer I guess." She took the letter and walked upstairs, "Plus Allie showed
them all my competition videos. They want to show their children, and other
children there their something new, I guess. That and they need a publicity
stunt for opening stores and such."
Corbin took a gulp of his float,
wondering if he should add liquor to it...
UPSTARIRS, Jamilah sat down at
her laptop and frowned. To tell him the truth. It was a hard thing to think on.
She didn't really lie to him; in fact the truth was hidden between the lines.
'I would have thought that he might have figured it out by now' she thought,
biting her lower lip, 'especially when I wrote those letters and he didn't
reply.' She placed the envelope down and grabbed her towel. That was when he
opened up, when he told the truth. About the princess', Ayeka and Sasami, the
pirate Ryoko and their adventures. Daring escapes and near misses, it had read
like a novel. She took it with a grain of salt. And wrote back to him, and he
replied. It had gone on like that. He was somewhat having the same problem as
she was; only the poor guy was panicking.
She bathed in deep thought as the hot water
ran over her body. She knew that the time had come, and she sighed. Her art
might suffer for being so waylaid, but a job was a job, and she needed to tell
Tenchi. Tenchi, her best friend, who might forgive her. Or who might not. Her
mind wandered as she opened the letter.
She had asked him to write half in Japanese so that she could read it
for practice; tonight she wished he had lapsed.
Morning Corbin!
Sorry this has to be such a
short letter, but I was paired up in a science project (thankfully Washu
doesn't go to school) and I have to hurry. Ryoko is being wild and all and
things seem to be what I would have to say normal for this place. Speaking of Washu she has been down in her
lab way too long makes me uneasy sometimes. Mihoshi and Kiyone have gotten
another set of jobs; how they manage I have no idea. Sasami is actually
thinking of going to school. I think she should, what do you think? She'll have
a lot more friends her own age if she does.
How's your sister, Corbin? Did she win the
finals? You must be real proud of her. I sometimes think of Sasami as a sister.
How are your studies going along? Are you planning on working or traveling?
Well, I wish you well. Reply as
soon as you can.
Your friend,
Tenchi
ps-
You still need work on your Japanese!
Her smile faded as she laid the
letter flat. She began to type, something short. No, not now. Not in a letter.
She'll tell him in person. As herself.
++
++ ++ ++ ++
Two beings laughed as an
explosive went off in the middle of a peaceful village. The gentle creatures of
this small planet, which knew nothing of war for eons, ran screaming from the
fires and explosions. They only met up with either of these horrible beings or
their horrid creations, and in that meeting they met death. They were either
sliced, or burned by leaser fire. Some tried to make it towards the sea, but
that was covered too by creatures hiding in the sands, they ended up being
devoured or torn. One of the creatures, in a blood rage, began rampaging thru
the streets. The two beings walked through the chaos and entered a huge
mausoleum of water and marble. They moved through the archaic guards and
priest, their eyes falling on a long stave with a strange violet orb rotating
atop of it.
"Stop!" cried an elderly
creature with long, flattened ears and silver eyes. Its white beard singed
short by fire, the being still looked slightly formidable- to anyone else. "Do
not take the Mourishin! Tis not for you to take!"
One of the beings, thought
hidden in shadow, grabbed the elderly being by the throat.
"Newsflash old man." the male
voice growled, "You're not alive enough to stop us."
And with that, he crushed the
Archaic High priest's throat as his partner took the Mourishin off its mantle
of water. The mantle disappeared, the water landing at their feet with a
splash. They both laughed as the fires spread out, enveloping the town and
eventually the entire island of the once hidden Mourishin.
**************************
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Ok
ok, here it is chap 2. Who are these evil beings? And who really is Jamilah's
benefactor? And why would they spend so much? And will she tell the truth or
chicken out? HEck more to come if you want it!! Read and review DAMNIT!
REVIEW!! Love it hate it i don't care, just tell me :_ | just tell me..