Truly Madly Deeply
Chapter 3; An Earily Proposal?

*No, its not what you think. Not yet anyway. :)*


I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on m

"Good morning class." a lovely young woman smiled from the front of a small classroom.

"Good morning Miss. Webber." the class echoed.

"Everyone please take out your spelling books." Miss Webber said politely "Turn to lesson 4 and go over the words listed there. There will be a test over the lesson at the end of the day."

"Yes Miss Webber." The entire class replied in unison.

Mei-Ling rolled her eyes. Miss Webber apparently had no idea how to teach. She used to teach the first grade, but had moved up to 3rd grade. Mei-Ling thought it was kinda silly to change grades like that. Especially when Miss Webber had been used to teaching younger children.

'She's gonna treat us all like babies.' the 8 year old thought.

The school was a flat brick building, consisting of 1st through 6th grade. It sat near the middle of the village, surrounded on all sides by fields of grass. There were only about 250 students altogether, most of which were older than Mei-Ling. The 7th through 12th grade went to a different school, located at the edge of town. There were more children there so it was a much bigger building.

Mei-Ling hated school, but her mother had insisted that she go. Mrs. Mioko hadn't gotten much of an education, only going as far as the 8th grade. So she wanted to make sure her daughter got the best education she could.

The 8 year old girl sighed and directed her attention out the window. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day. She never did like school, it bored her. She'd much rather be out playing or spending time with Shin. But instead she was stuck here until 3:00.

"Mei-Ling?" Miss Webber broke into her thoughts "Would you kindly turn around and join the rest of the class in the lesson?"

"Sorry." Mei-Ling blushed as the class snickered. Oh how she hated school.

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The day seemed to sneak by at a snails pace, but eventually 3:00 rolled around and school let out for the day. Mei-Ling couldn't wait to get home and get out of her dress. She never understood why her mother made her wear dresses to school. None of the other girls had to wear dresses.

"Little girls are supposed to wear dresses." her mother had said "I don't want anyone thinking I don't raise you right." Her mother always was a little too old fashion.

Mei-Ling had replied that no one would care. Besides, she couldn't do anything in a dress. But her mother made her wear one anyway. Of course that didn't stop her from putting pants on as soon as she got home.

"Don't go to far!" Sarah called as Mei-Ling darted from the house.

"I won't!" Mei-Ling called back. She skipped down the street towards the woods on her way to meet her best friend.

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She found Shin sitting under the old oak tree, waiting for her. "How was school today?" he asked.

"Boring as usually." Mei-Ling replied, taking a seat beside him "Our new teacher is annoying. She has no idea how to teach 3rd graders."

Shin laughed. "I'm sure she'll learn." he said.

"Lets hope so." Mei-Ling said "Miss Webber is used to teaching 1st grade. She thinks she can use the same teaching method for the older kids. I mean, the 1st grade is pretty bad. We're much more well behaved than they are. But she still insists on treating us like little kids. I wasn't all that bad when I was in 1st grade, was I? "

"I don't know" Shin smiled "You're were pretty bad. Or have you forgotten all those fights you got into with Richie Vanderhause?"

"That was a long time ago." Mei-Limg replied "Besides, Richies in 7th grade now. He doesn't even go to the same school anymore."

"So does this mean your fighting days are over?"

"Yeah....as long as no one makes me mad."

"You should really learn to control your temper." Shin told her "Its going to get you in a lot of trouble some day."

"I know." Mei-Ling said as she stood up and kicked a nearby rock "So I have a question for ya. What do you do when you're not spending time with me?"

"Oh I do lots of things. I watch over different parts of the universe, mostly just boring stuff that wouldn't interest you."

"I don't think thats boring." Mei-Ling smiled "But doesn't it get lonely being the Supreme Kai?"

"Sometimes." Shin replied "Thats why I spend so much time here with you. You force me to have fun. And then I'm not so lonely anymore."

"Won't you get in trouble if you spend all your time with me?"

"It is possible. But I can do pretty much whatever I want."

"Oh." Mei-Ling sighed "Well I hope you don't ever get in trouble, cause then you won't be able to come see me anymore."

"Well we certainly don't want that to happen."

"Lets play a game."

"Alright. What shall we play? Hide n go seek?"

"You like that game don't you?" Mei-Ling asked.

"Actually yes, I do enjoy it." Shin replied "Why, don't you?"

"Eh, its ok I guess. But I don't feel much like playing it. Have you ever played tag?"

"No, I can't say as I have. How do you play?"

"Its easy." Mei-Ling explianed "One of us is it and has to chase the other one until we catch them. If you get tagged by the person whos it, then you're it."

"Ah." Shin nodded "I think I've got it. Do you want to play tag then?"

"Sure. Uh, whos gonna be it?"

"I suppose I'll be it. But wouldn't this tag game be more fun if we had more people to play?"

"Yeah. I can go find more kids if you want."

"That would be spledid." Shin smiled "I'll wait here."

"Ok." Mei-Ling replied as she ran back towards town. She came back a few minutes later with 4 more children. There were 2 boys and 2 girls, all about Mei-Ling age.

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"Is this your friend?" one of the little girls asked. She had blonde hair and green eyes.

"Uh huh." Mei-Ling nodded "Everyone, this is Shin. Shin, this is Billy, Scott, Emily, and Rachel. They're in my grade."

"Its nice to meet all of you." Shin bowed.

"He's cute." The girl named Emily giggled.

"So whos it?" Scott asked "I don't wanna be it."

"Shins it." Mei-Ling told them.

"Ok." Billy smiled "But he has to give us a headstart."

"And how do I do that?" Shin asked.

"Count backwards from 5." Rachel replied "And then come chase us."

"Alright." Shin smiled as he bagan to count "5....."

The children giggled as they scattered in different directions.

"4.....3.....2.....1"

Shin started after Mei-Ling, but she was a little too fast for him. "You gotta do better than that!" the girl teased.

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Emily and Rachel both darted around the oak tree, while the boys ran through the bushes. Shin continued to chase them through the woods. When one of them got too fast for him, he'd go after another one.

"Hahahahaha!!" Mei-Ling laughed as Shin tackled her to the ground "No fair!" she cried.

"I guess you're it now." Shin said as he helped her up "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No." Mei-Ling smiled "You didn't hurt me."

Each of them got the chance to be it. After Mei-Ling it was Billy, then Rachel, Emily, and Scott. Once they had all been it at least once, they decided to call it a day. Shin and Mei-Ling said bye to the others, then sat back down under their tree.

"That was fun." Mei-Ling sighed as she leaned against the tree and closed her eyes.

"Yes, it was fun." Shin agreed "We should do it again sometime."

"Mei-Ling!!" Sarah Miokos voice rang out from the village "Time to come home!!"

"Awww man!" Mei-Ling made a face "She always has to ruin everything."

"Well I should be getting home myself." Shin said "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Where do you live?" Mei-Ling asked.

"I live on my own planet."

"You have your own planet?" Mei-Lings eyes widened "Thats neat! Whats it called?"

"Kaioshinkai."

"Its named after you."

"Yes it is. Maybe I can show it to you sometime."

"I'd like that very much." Mei-Ling replied "Well I have to go home now. I'll see you tonorrow Shin."

"Good bye Mei-Ling." Shin said as he gave her a hug "May you have sweet dreams tonight."

"Bye Shin. You have sweet dreams too."

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Mei-Ling started to walk away, but she turned back around. "You know whats funny." she said "We've been friends for about 4 years now, and all this time you've kinda helped raise me."

"Whats so funny about that?"

"Well, shouldn't I think of you as a parent type or something?"

"Do you?" Shin asked her.

"No." Mei-Ling replied "Thats the funny part. I just think of you as a friend. A very close friend that I love very much. Isn't that silly?"

"Not really." Shin replied "You're right about me pratically raising you, but to me you've always just been a very dear friend. And I love you very much too."

"Shin, will you marry me someday?"

"Oh my, thats an awfully big decision don't you think?"

"I guess so, but if we love each other then shouldn't we get married?"

"Don't you think you're a little young for marriage?" Shin laughed.

"Maybe now." Mei-Ling replied "But I'll be older someday."

"Yes you will." Shin smiled "And when your older, if you still want to marry me, then I'll ask you."

"Ok!" Mei-Ling giggled "I'll see you later Shin."

Shin smiled to himself as he watched Mei-Ling disappear into the woods. He wasn't sure if she had taken him seriously about the marriage thing. He wasn't even sure he had taken himself seriously. After all, Mei-Ling was only 8 years old and a human at that. He didn't think of her in that way, she was just a child. But who knew what would happen in tine. Stranger things have happened.