Hello!

I've managed to write this over my overload of homework!

To All Henrika lovers, please check out "Watch you smile, watch you cry", a story about Rika feeling betrayal about Henry kissing another girl 7 years ago. Now, they're in college…what are the dangers behind them? Chapter 8 is up!

Mere Ice is probably going to be 20 chapters, about. It's not going to be a sad ending, so all sappy story lovers, please feel welcome to read!

* winks*

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Mere Ice

Chapter 2: Footsteps

By Sakura Petals [Lotus]

"No," he simply said, "Not until you tell me everything about your inner strength." Ruki gasped.

She tried to play plain dumb. No one was going to dig up her past…not now…not ever. But the boy, named Jenrya Lee, as she recalled off of her classmate, Miko, seemed so caring and…kind, much unlike her. His gray eyes were caring and gentle, different than her cold lilac ones. Ugh, she wanted to say in frustration, the truth is getting into her again; she can't escape her fate. She wasn't going to let him uncover the tracks she recently hid. If she told him now, the truth would kill…

"What are you talking about?" She said abruptly, "Look, you stalker, I'm not here to listen to nonsense!" She swirled around to meet him, fury in her eyes, focusing on him like a sword. She's not going to give up her new, self-depended future. Slapping his hands out of his grasp of her arm, she breathed in noiselessly.

"Don't. Play. Dumb." Those three words stung her. Doesn't he get it? That stupid rumor from 6 years ago wasn't going to get back at her again. Three. Simple. Words. Murdering. Killing. Destroying. It's going to ruin her life again. All. Over. Again. She cringed back the tears, hoping that what he was going to say wasn't going to be what she's expected.

Why am I different?

Out of all those people?

I'm the only

Enlaced with pain

She turned back to her original position. Petals of the flourished Sakura blossoms dusted her face ever so soothingly. Every one of those moments of her terrible tragedy pained her torturously. She was different. She was nothing like the others. An Outcast. That's what she was. A stupid outcast with weakness. Not strength. Not ability. Only weakness. And Pain.

"Ruki. Tell me. It's for your own good." He said, sternly and solemnly.

"Don't." That was all she said, taking in breath rapidly. She screamed angrily and with frustration, "Why do you care? This is not your life! GO AWAY!" She calmed down, tears poured in her eyes. Her body was shaking out of control.

"Because. I care." Jenrya slowly stated, wondering if this was true? Did he really care about this cat girl? He didn't know what he was thinking. All he could think of was—the power. Something seems to be overtaking her body, similar to like another soul, not Ruki's. He wasn't so sure of anything, anymore. He wasn't sure if he was attracted to her inner strength, or her. Confusion was his statement. He was confused. Puzzled. Uncertain. All those words described him now. The words seemed so unfamiliar in his voice. He wasn't sure if he ever said that to any other person except in his family.

"No. You don't." Without any more words, Ruki ran out of the park, and out of sight, leaving the startled Jenrya staring at the falling pink petals, gently grazing his face.

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"What was I thinking?" Ruki questioned herself in her dark room. The only sound rattled in the house was the footsteps of her grandmother's. She sighed silently to herself, wondering if this was her punishment for being in the world. Her lavender eyes looked sadly at the portrait of her best friends, Hiroku and Koaru. But they're gone. She cursed silently under her breath. They're gone.

[Flashback]

"Now, girls and boys…switch." Mrs. Kin smiled and blew the whistle. The boys and girls ran to the park with a play structure, laughing gaily in the rays of the afternoon sun. Ruki laughed as she joined her friends, a navy-haired girl, Kaoru, and a honey-blonde hair guy, Tekeru by the park. The trees were touched and laced with colors of honeydew and emerald as the sun's light shone on them. Ruki also giggled as Kaoru continuously started to stare down at Tekeru as he slid down past the monkey bars and sandpit. Unaware to Ruki, Tekeru was always catching a tiny image of her within his vision.

What Ruki didn't know was that when she was loved or happy, a power surge will build up in her body. Feeling horribly out of control, as Ruki pushed past the slide for the seventh time, she staggered onto a nearby bench…what happened next…she doesn't even know.

[End Flashback]

"Why is my life like this?" She thought miserably as she motioned an invisible attraction force to her lemon tea drink, causing it to near her immediately.

[Flashback]

"What happened?" Ruki gasped as she stared at the ruined park. The broken pieces of woods slabs were all over the place in a catastrophic position. "Did a typhoon hit?" She asks dizzily to Hina, a brunette standing beside her. Hina looked at her with a blank stare, her face expressionless. Approaching another shocked student, she again asked, "What happened?" No progress. After a continuation of asking people, all she received was vacant faces of utter shock. She finally walked up to Kaoru who glared at her angrily.

"Wha-?" Ruki said, sure that Kaoru was mistaken at who to get angry at. Kaoru's ruby eyes glared at her; it was even worse than those stares. She must have been a terrible culprit of something, Ruki thought desperately, but what?

"How. Could. You?" Kaoru slowly enunciated the three words with vengeance.

"What do you mean?" Ruki frantically tried to blink back the tears slowly lingering around her eyes.

"Don't. Play. Dumb!" Kaoru screamed, pointing at an unconscious figure on the bench. Ruki suddenly was alert that paramedics have arrived when she noticed a distinct figure lying before her.

"What? Oh no, Tekeru!" She sobbed, dropping slowly on her knees.

"GET OUT! You jinx! JINX! Witch!" Kaoru screamed.

Ruki paused in her crying, shock spread right across her face. Her best friend…since 3 years old, Kaoru, was now calling her the most unthinkable names. Usually, she wouldn't care…but this was her best friend…her best friend? Through the corner of her eye, she spotted Kaoru still clenching her fists; her eyes full of fiery animosity. Her heart shattered; her reputation completely ruined; her friendship gone. She was a jinx. An outcast. One who didn't belong in this place. She was no ordinary, but a…a…jinx. She was cursed with a terrible life forever. Only hate will build her life. Never love…

[End Flashback]

"I can never be loved." Ruki gasped her pillow, tears soaking through the fabric.

What's the point of strength?

When you can't be loved?

You will only see pain…

You will only see sorrow…

"I can never be loved," Ruki cried, remembering what her mother told her.

[Flashback]

"Mommy, I hurt a kid today. I blacked out and everyone blamed me," Ruki looked up to see Mother's lower lip tremble.

"Ruki, there's something really important Mommy wants to tell you." Rumiko paused, biting her bottom lip, her golden curls shone in the afternoon sun, "we were the sealed blood-line of the ice demon, Kinkinomi. Her specialty was telekinesis…obviously," she paused once more, "Kinkinomi is inside you, giving you the strength of telekinesis. Your father was so scared of this happening when I told him…that's why he left." Rumiko sighed and looked to see the tear stained face of Ruki's.

"Why me?"

"I don't know, but make use of it. What my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother said that fire deity who tried to stop this conquering demon had injured it and the demon needed 1000 years to heal. Coincidently, you are the generation where it will awaken. Every time you feel affection, the ice demon will arouse once more. I didn't purposely know why the ice demon cursed us with this, but as the great-great-great…great grandmother said, it was a family honor to possess anything spirtual…so bring home family honor."

"I don't want to."

"Ruki, it's the way your life is going to be. Live with it, Ruki. There's no other choice."

[End Flashback]

"That was why… I can't be loved." Ruki sobbed, "Mother didn't even seem to care, knowing that her life was perfect!" She screamed, punching the pillow with her might.

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Jenrya woke up the next morning, the light teasing his eyes. Something felt so strange in his body, but he couldn't sense the actual power building up inside of him. He started panting in short, ragged breaths. What was this power inside him, he thought, actually no, what's happening to me? He thought, appalled, as he looked directly into the mirror.

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Really weird, ne?

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Check out Watch you smile, watch you cry- a total Henrika!

Ja ne!

Lotus-chan