Author's Note: here's the next chapter. Tara's an original character; I
hope you like her. Um. I don't really have anything to rant about at the
moment ^^;; so enjoy!
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Tara wandered through the antiques tent, looking at all the raffle prizes. Many of the items weren't too interesting, but there were enough rare things to make buying a ticket or two worth it. Brushing a lock of her fiery red hair out of her face, she paused to examine an old bottle.
"Oh! What a nifty bottle!" exclaimed a girl who literally hopped over to stand beside Tara. She was wearing mostly pink, and her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
Tara nodded to her, smiling. "I collect bottles. I wouldn't mind winning that one."
"You collect bottles?" The girl peered up at Tara. "That's really cool. Do you have a lot?"
"Not really. I travel often, so I can only carry so many with me."
"I have a friend who likes barrels. I'm sure he'd like to buy some too, but we don't let him because of all the traveling we do."
"Really? I used to know someone like that too..."
"Used to?" the girl sounded concerned. "What happened? If you don't mind my asking."
"Oh, we were really good friends when we were little. Both our families traveled a lot, so we didn't really get to know other children our age." Tara smiled fondly, remembering the unlucky boy who had been her first crush. Then she sighed and continued. "I got accepted into magic school in Mars though. Before I had to go, he and I went on a little hike through the forest, and. encountered some trouble. He kind of. went missing."
"Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." the girl said after a moment.
Tara glanced at her, forcing herself to smile. "I suppose I have to get over his death eventually.... He's been dead for thirteen years now."
The girl put a hand to her mouth. "Oh... I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry about it," Tara told her. "Like I said, it's been a long time. I need to get over him."
The girl was silent for a few moments, so Tara figured she could go buy a ticket without being rude to her. As she started to walk away, the girl called. "Make sure you don't forget his name though. I bet he'd be mad if you forgot."
Tara turned and smiled at her. "How could I forget someone with a name like Ashton Anchors?"
As she turned and walked to the ticket counter, she could only wonder why the girl's face had gone pale.
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Precis ran over to Ashton as he stepped away from the counter where the raffle tickets were being sold. She was debating whether or not to tell him about the red-haired woman she'd met who'd said that he had died when he was seven.
"Ah, Precis-chan! Do they have lots of interesting prizes?" he asked.
Precis was caught off guard by the simple question. "Uh.... Yeah, lots of neat stuff... I'm sure Rena will like whatever we win."
"/If/ we win," Ashton added. "An old friend of mine once told me that I'd never find a four-leaf clover because they die when I come close."
Precis laughed slightly. "You're right, maybe we should have put my name on the tickets. You're just radiating unluckiness."
Ashton smiled, sweatdropping. "Well, we've got the tickets. Want to go get something to eat now?"
"Yeah! I saw a booth selling crepes near the entrance. Can we go there?"
"Fine with me. I'll buy you a chocolate one," Ashton said as they started to leave the tent. Gyoro and Ururun squawked at him. "And I'll get something for you two after I buy something for Precis-chan," he told the dragons.
Precis held Ashton's hand as they made their way through the crowds to the crepe stand. She realized that she really liked the Crest swordsman, and wondered what had ever made her mistrustful of him. She was glad Celine-san had talked her into going to the carnival with Ashton. But she couldn't help being bothered by what the woman with the bright red hair had said. "Maybe she was talking about a different Ashton..." she thought.
Precis and Ashton made it to the crepe stand a few minutes later, and went to stand at the back of the line. Ashton smiled down at Precis. "After we eat, we can go play some games if you want."
"That'll be fun," Precis replied, grinning back at him. "Thanks so much for everything, Ashton."
"No trouble," he said, blushing a little. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "and I promise I'll give you that kiss eventually. Some time when Celine and Leon won't bother us about it."
Precis blushed and squirmed a little. She liked Ashton a lot, but the idea of kissing him still made her nervous. And what the red-haired woman had said was bothering her too.... She decided to ask Ashton about it once they'd sat down somewhere to eat.
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More Author Ranting: Sorry that chapter was kind of short. I wanted to get it posted quickly. I'll try to get the next one up soon, but winter break is almost over T-T and I don't know how much time I'll have to write once school starts up again.
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Tara wandered through the antiques tent, looking at all the raffle prizes. Many of the items weren't too interesting, but there were enough rare things to make buying a ticket or two worth it. Brushing a lock of her fiery red hair out of her face, she paused to examine an old bottle.
"Oh! What a nifty bottle!" exclaimed a girl who literally hopped over to stand beside Tara. She was wearing mostly pink, and her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
Tara nodded to her, smiling. "I collect bottles. I wouldn't mind winning that one."
"You collect bottles?" The girl peered up at Tara. "That's really cool. Do you have a lot?"
"Not really. I travel often, so I can only carry so many with me."
"I have a friend who likes barrels. I'm sure he'd like to buy some too, but we don't let him because of all the traveling we do."
"Really? I used to know someone like that too..."
"Used to?" the girl sounded concerned. "What happened? If you don't mind my asking."
"Oh, we were really good friends when we were little. Both our families traveled a lot, so we didn't really get to know other children our age." Tara smiled fondly, remembering the unlucky boy who had been her first crush. Then she sighed and continued. "I got accepted into magic school in Mars though. Before I had to go, he and I went on a little hike through the forest, and. encountered some trouble. He kind of. went missing."
"Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." the girl said after a moment.
Tara glanced at her, forcing herself to smile. "I suppose I have to get over his death eventually.... He's been dead for thirteen years now."
The girl put a hand to her mouth. "Oh... I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry about it," Tara told her. "Like I said, it's been a long time. I need to get over him."
The girl was silent for a few moments, so Tara figured she could go buy a ticket without being rude to her. As she started to walk away, the girl called. "Make sure you don't forget his name though. I bet he'd be mad if you forgot."
Tara turned and smiled at her. "How could I forget someone with a name like Ashton Anchors?"
As she turned and walked to the ticket counter, she could only wonder why the girl's face had gone pale.
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Precis ran over to Ashton as he stepped away from the counter where the raffle tickets were being sold. She was debating whether or not to tell him about the red-haired woman she'd met who'd said that he had died when he was seven.
"Ah, Precis-chan! Do they have lots of interesting prizes?" he asked.
Precis was caught off guard by the simple question. "Uh.... Yeah, lots of neat stuff... I'm sure Rena will like whatever we win."
"/If/ we win," Ashton added. "An old friend of mine once told me that I'd never find a four-leaf clover because they die when I come close."
Precis laughed slightly. "You're right, maybe we should have put my name on the tickets. You're just radiating unluckiness."
Ashton smiled, sweatdropping. "Well, we've got the tickets. Want to go get something to eat now?"
"Yeah! I saw a booth selling crepes near the entrance. Can we go there?"
"Fine with me. I'll buy you a chocolate one," Ashton said as they started to leave the tent. Gyoro and Ururun squawked at him. "And I'll get something for you two after I buy something for Precis-chan," he told the dragons.
Precis held Ashton's hand as they made their way through the crowds to the crepe stand. She realized that she really liked the Crest swordsman, and wondered what had ever made her mistrustful of him. She was glad Celine-san had talked her into going to the carnival with Ashton. But she couldn't help being bothered by what the woman with the bright red hair had said. "Maybe she was talking about a different Ashton..." she thought.
Precis and Ashton made it to the crepe stand a few minutes later, and went to stand at the back of the line. Ashton smiled down at Precis. "After we eat, we can go play some games if you want."
"That'll be fun," Precis replied, grinning back at him. "Thanks so much for everything, Ashton."
"No trouble," he said, blushing a little. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "and I promise I'll give you that kiss eventually. Some time when Celine and Leon won't bother us about it."
Precis blushed and squirmed a little. She liked Ashton a lot, but the idea of kissing him still made her nervous. And what the red-haired woman had said was bothering her too.... She decided to ask Ashton about it once they'd sat down somewhere to eat.
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More Author Ranting: Sorry that chapter was kind of short. I wanted to get it posted quickly. I'll try to get the next one up soon, but winter break is almost over T-T and I don't know how much time I'll have to write once school starts up again.