A/N: Second part, yay! Third part will be up in a few days. ^_^ Hope you like! Thank you's for previous reviews at the end.

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Melodies of the Wind: Part Two: A Commission and a Rendezvous

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The tall blonde gazed introspectively out of the high office window over looking the city. Her back was disciplined and straight, and as she turned around, the sun glinted off her steel gray eyes. With her arched cheekbones and imperiously tilted chin, she was coldly beautiful.

She spoke to the nervous young man, a sweet-looking, blue-eyed thing that couldn't be a day over twenty. Her voice was surprisingly warm and inviting.

"Mr. Nagashina," she began, and then smiled frigidly. "May I call you Christian?" at his affirmative nod, she continued. "Well, Christian, recently a public menace has been brought to my attention, a thief who steals and gets away with it. A very valuable carpet was recently taken from me by the wretch... it was very difficult to obtain." She pursed her lips angrily. Suddenly, she whirled around and asked, "Christian, do you find me attractive?"

"I'm sorry, what did you-" he stuttered, abashed and confused.

She smiled wolfishly. "Very good. Now, I know you would want to do anything possible to contain a public menace..." Christian nodded, "and since the authorities are quite incompetent in meting out proper justice... I have a job for you." She stepped forward and tapped her fingers on his chest. "I am hiring you to observe this thief. Find out the weakness of Saint Tail! Can you do this?"

The young man suddenly found his confidence. Brushing his soft brown hair back, he nodded. "Of course Mrs. Yoshinoya. You can count on me."

"You will, of course," she purred, stepping closer to him, "Be paid. Quite. Handsomely." Her well-manicured hands slid under his shirt. His cornflower blue eyes widened and he took a step back.

"Mrs. Yosh-" his protests were cut off by a harsh kiss, her sour tongue in his mouth. Her hands found the buckle of his belt and deftly undid it. Christian let out a reluctant moan which the seductress smirked triumphantly at. Another innocent corrupted. And she couldn't wait for Saint Tail...

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"What were you thinking?!" Seira exclaimed frustratedly, her voice muffled somewhat through the confessional's grid.

"I... Lina..." Meimi said softly.

"Well, it kept Lina from dating him *this* time, but what about next time? Or the time after that?"

Meimi hung her head. "I know, I was just so jealous!"

Seira took a deep breath. "Okay, stop beating yourself up and let's figure out what you're going to do tonight. Are you going to go?"

"Of course!" the red head said indignantly. "I couldn't *leave* him there *waiting* for me!"

"Okay, okay!" Seira interrupted hastily. "So ditching isn't an option. Maybe... oh I don't know. Honestly, "hidden treasure"?!" Meimi groaned and hid her head in her hands.

"I don't know where that came from." she mumbled. "I mean, what hidden treasure is there at the park? Wait!" she cried suddenly, lifting her head. I have an idea!"

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Since the park was public property, Asuka Jr. figured he didn't need to contact the authorities. He whistled softly, strolling nonchalantly through the trees. He was admittedly in a very good mood from the night before, though he had no idea what this hidden treasure could be.

Silently, Saint Tail dropped out of the tree she had been waiting in. She landed behind the detective and slipped a blindfold over his eyes. He jerked in surprise, nearly tripping.

"Shhh..." that silky voice whispered in his ear. He reached out instinctively, but she skipped nimbly out of his grasp.

"Ah, ah. If you try to capture me tonight I'm outta here. No tricks, okay?'

Asuka hesitated, then nodded. He felt her gloved hand slide into his as she gently guided him through the dark woods. They walked for a long time, and then suddenly the air changed, became cooler, clammier.

"Okay," the thief whispered, untying the blindfold. Asuka blinked in the darkness.

"Where are we?"

"Don't turn around." she instructed him. "In a cave... somewhere," she said.

"A cave?"

"Hidden treasure, detective," she teased. "Watch now," and Meimi whispered "One, two, three!" and suddenly light bounced across the cave, hitting the ceiling and the walls and revealing the most breathtaking landscape Asuka Jr. had ever laid eyes on. Brilliant flashes of amethyst and rose quartz dazzled his eyes, displaying stalactites delicately chiseled with water and age, forming a weblike network all around them.

"It's beautiful," he breathed in awe, taking it in, this cavern of crystals.

"You like it?" Saint Tail asked, pleasure evident in her voice. "I wanted to show you. My Papa found it..."

*'My Papa'... of course, she has a father...* Slowly the light faded and Asuka felt a pang of sadness... would he ever truly know Saint Tail?

He turned toward her in the darkness. " Saint Tail... do I know you?" he asked, the question hanging in the air between them.

"Yes, and no. Yes you know me, but no, you'll never know me." she said sadly.

"Why not?" he asked, boldly taking a step toward her.

"Detective, you know that would never work," she sounded exasperated. "You're trying to capture me. Sooner or later you'll figure out who I am. Then you'll hate me. There is no future."

"I could never hate you," he said earnestly, taking another step towards her. It was so dark he could barely make out her outline, let alone her face.

Suddenly she was in his arms, her face pressed into his neck, a warm wetness on his skin. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and they stood in their cave, water trickling slowly about them.

"It isn't fair," Saint Tail moaned. Asuka Jr. could give no answer... it was true. Instead, he did what had haunted his thoughts and dreams since the night before. He kissed her, so familiar and yet alien at once. She responded desperately.

"Of course," he gasped when they pulled apart, "I'm still going to catch you."

"Of course." *You could try right now and I wouldn't be able to move*

"Why did you bring me here?" he whispered into her hair.

*Lina,* she thought darkly, but replied, "For being adorably clueless." She pulled away from his marvelous warmth reluctantly and pulled the blindfold over his eyes again. She led him carefully out of the cave and he felt fresh air flowing over his face again.

Soft lips pressed against his for a brief moment and then she was gone, like a butterfly on the wind.

Slowly, her removed the blindfold, fingering the soft satin and reliving the night. A smile on his face, he shoved his hands in his pockets and started for home.

When he was out of earshot, Lina Takamiya emerged from a clump of nearby bushes. She hadn't heard much, but she had seen the stolen kiss. She angrily wiped a tear from her face. "You win, Saint Tail," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," a voice came from the trees above her, and Lina whirled around.

"You!" she cried.

"I didn't mean for you to be hurt." her voice carried a sympathetic sadness.

Lina straightened proudly. "Sure," she snorted, tossing her short blonde hair. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Haneoka." She got no response, so she continued. "If you hurt him-"

"I would do no such thing!"

"You don't deserve him," Lina bit angrily into the darkness. "Not at all."

"I know..."

"You're deceiving him!"

"I know!" Meimi yelled. "You think I'm stupid or something?!" she took a deep breath. "I know what I'm doing. He's a good guy."

"Yes he is. Good bye, Haneoka."

"My name is Saint Tail."

Lina rolled her eyes. "Right. Saint Tail." she inclined her head at the hidden speaker.

"Good bye, Takamiya." Meimi whispered, then bounded away into the night. She *really* needed to think.

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TBC soon!

Thank yous to:

krystyn l. e. (lol, thank you!), sammie_gurl (glad you liked it!), Call me Firefly, Ara Moon (thank you for pointing that out ^_^), Azurite (thank you, too ^_~), Naru-chan, Rini (eee, here's the next part!), and me

More A/N: The plot gets a wee bit more complictated here, but not by much. You don't see any real development til Part 3. So, did you like the bit with the cave?? I hope so! I really had a good time writing this chapter, especially the conversation between Lina and Meimi. I'm so excited about this plotline, it's so twisty!! ^_^

Review please?

~RainShadow