"Kitty! There you are! We were beginning to get worried!" I turned towards Kathy's voice, struggling to smile, scratching the back of my head.
"Well, you know me. Always wandering off...exploring..." My voice trailed off and I lowered by eyes a bit, my forced smile dropping.
"So, which girl is that one?" A male voice made me look up once again. A young man, looking to be 16, was walking towards me, Miaka attached tightly to his arm. I quirked an eyebrow. Was this boy the reason Miaka refused Hotohori's love? He wasn't even that hot!
"Oh, this is Caitlin!" Miaka smiled brightly, gazing at me. "Did I pronounce your name right?"
I gave a slight nod. "Good enough." My eyes shifted to gaze around the area. The group had moved and everyone was now standing in the bright sunlight in the middle of a small courtyard. Megan and Tasuki were still fighting over whether everyone was speaking Chinese or English, Chichiri was struggling to get Laura to release her grip on him, and in the corner Hotohori stood, leaning against a tree. The emperor's head was lowered, his perfect hair falling over his face, hiding his features from view. Was he crying? Miaka had just broke his heart...I would be sobbing. Hotohori...he seemed so alone...
I was pulled from my sorrowful thoughts by movement in front of me. I turned to see that the boy had extended his hand to me, raising an eyebrow. "I'm Tamahome."
I slowly put my hand out, taking his, firmly shaking it. "Hmm..." My hand drew away quickly as I folded my arms over my chest.
"He's my boyfriend!" Miaka squealed, hugging Tamahome tightly. My eyes went unwillingly to Hotohori, looking for any reaction. I received nothing, but I knew the emperor had heard the loud-mouth girl.
"That's....nice..."
"Oh, hey! What's with you, Kitty?" I felt Tasuki slap me on the back with a grin as he called me by my nickname. "Yer not actin' normal, ya know?"
I looked to Tasuki, frowning deeply. His expression fell, his grin fading as he looked back at me. Something flickered in his eyes...concern? No...impossible. Tasuki didn't like me. I slowly shook my head, trying to grin.
"Oh...go away, Tasuki." I shoved him away from me, grinning forcefully. He stumbled slightly, but my push was not rough at all. He looked at me with an odd expression, his eyes still serious, but I turned away to look at my friends. Kathy, Megan, Angelina, and Laura were all staring at me, confused by my attitude. It was very unlike me, after all.
I flashed a cheerful smile. "Stop staring, already! What are we going to do now?"
"We were all going to head into town, no da." I glanced to Chichiri.
"Why?"
"Oh, come on, Kitty! This'll be fun!" I found myself being dragged by all four of my friends as the group turned and walked from the courtyard and through the palace, led by Chichiri. Hotohori, I noticed, did not follow. Instead, the beautiful emperor turned and walked deeper into the palace. His depression? Or maybe his duties called.
Tasuki walked behind me as I was dragged, laughing at my misfortune, while Miaka and Tamahome (they might as well have been attached) followed Chichiri closely, Miaka's giggle drifting back to me, getting on my nerves. Nuriko, Chiriko, and Mitsukake followed behind us all, the cross-dresser and child talking among themselves. Mitsukake remained silent, his features unreadable.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Unlucky, Kitty?" I scowled up at Tasuki's laughter.
"Oh, shut up..." I struggled away from my friends and stood up, brushing myself off. The others left me, Li dropping back to attach herself to Nuriko, Laura and Kathy rushing forward to start arguing over Chichiri, and Megan...well, it looked as though she found another target besides Nuriko. She ran forward to walk next to Tamahome, smiling dazedly up at him, while Miaka sent glares her way (which my friend failed to notice, much to my humor).
I found myself walking beside Tasuki, who had finally stopped laughing and was looking at me intently. I sighed, glancing up at him with serious eyes. "What is it? Stop staring..."
"Yer not actin' right, Kit. Are you okay?"
"Yes! Yes!! I'm fine!" I growled loudly and attempted to pick up speed to catch up with Kathy and Laura...but was stopped as someone grabbed my shirt and jerked me back.
"The hell?!! What's the big ide--!!" A hand clamped over my mouth, cutting off my sentence as Tasuki threw me against a tree, forcing me to look up at him.
"Listen to me, Caitlin. What the hell is wrong?"
I struggled against him, forcing his hand away from my mouth. "I told you!! Nothing's wrong, damn it!!"
"Don't give me that shit! It's obvious something's bothering you!" Tasuki glared at me with his red eyes and his tone softened. "Kit...before ya left the group, ya were fine. When ya returned ya were acting like this. Yer friends have noticed yer behavior as well. What did ya see when ya left?"
My eyes went unwillingly to the fading form of Miaka. Tasuki peered behind his shoulder, following my eyes and blinked. "Kitty...did somethin' happ'n between ya and Miaka? That makes hardly no sense...she doesn't seem mad at ya..."
I pushed Tasuki away from me, lowering my head as I leaned against the tree. A part of my mind wondered why no one had noticed our disappearance, but the thought was set aside. I closed my eyes, refusing to look at Tasuki. "Why are you so concerned about me all of a sudden?"
Tasuki frowned deeply. "Doesn't matter. What's up between ya and Miaka?" I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and glancing up, I found Tasuki smiling down at me. "Tell me what happened. I'll try and help ya."
"There's nothing you can do..."
"Try me."
I sighed heavily and shrugged. What could it hurt? "I saw Miaka break Hotohori's heart..."
"Huh? Whatcha mean? We all know Tama-boy is the guy fer Miaka. Did she finally lay the emperor off? Poor guy...how'd he take it? Well, dun worry 'bout the emperor. He's tough, he'll move on!"
I gazed up at Tasuki in silence and his voice faded away. "Is that not the problem? Yo, Kit, come on...out with it."
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "IthinkI'minlovewithHotohori!"
Silence. A soft breeze blew, but nothing more was heard. Daring to open my eyes, I turned my azure orbs up at Tasuki to find him gazing down at me with an indescribable emotion upon his features.
"Yer....in love with Hotohori?"
I slowly nodded. Why was he acting so strange?
"Does he know?"
Shaking my head, I found my voice, speaking softly. "No, he doesn't...I doubt he even knows I'm alive. Tasuki..."
A grin slowly drew out across Tasuki's face. "Listen, Kit! His highness is a busy guy...and he's madly in love with Miaka, ya know? Poor guy, he'll be broken hearted. But, listen. Don't worry. I'll help ya out, 'kay?"
My eyes widened as I grabbed Tasuki's shoulders. "You mean it, Tasuki?! Oh, thank you!" Before he could react, I had wrapped my arms around him and was hugging him tightly.
Tasuki blinked and I felt him stiffen, then slowly relax as he put his arms around me as well. Then he placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back, messing up my hair with his palm. "Ya owe me one after this, got it? Now then! Let's get goin'! We're already bein' left behind."
"Right. Well, come on!" I grabbed Tasuki's hand and started running in the direction where the group went, dragging the laughing fiery haired man behind me.
* * * * * *
"Well, you know me. Always wandering off...exploring..." My voice trailed off and I lowered by eyes a bit, my forced smile dropping.
"So, which girl is that one?" A male voice made me look up once again. A young man, looking to be 16, was walking towards me, Miaka attached tightly to his arm. I quirked an eyebrow. Was this boy the reason Miaka refused Hotohori's love? He wasn't even that hot!
"Oh, this is Caitlin!" Miaka smiled brightly, gazing at me. "Did I pronounce your name right?"
I gave a slight nod. "Good enough." My eyes shifted to gaze around the area. The group had moved and everyone was now standing in the bright sunlight in the middle of a small courtyard. Megan and Tasuki were still fighting over whether everyone was speaking Chinese or English, Chichiri was struggling to get Laura to release her grip on him, and in the corner Hotohori stood, leaning against a tree. The emperor's head was lowered, his perfect hair falling over his face, hiding his features from view. Was he crying? Miaka had just broke his heart...I would be sobbing. Hotohori...he seemed so alone...
I was pulled from my sorrowful thoughts by movement in front of me. I turned to see that the boy had extended his hand to me, raising an eyebrow. "I'm Tamahome."
I slowly put my hand out, taking his, firmly shaking it. "Hmm..." My hand drew away quickly as I folded my arms over my chest.
"He's my boyfriend!" Miaka squealed, hugging Tamahome tightly. My eyes went unwillingly to Hotohori, looking for any reaction. I received nothing, but I knew the emperor had heard the loud-mouth girl.
"That's....nice..."
"Oh, hey! What's with you, Kitty?" I felt Tasuki slap me on the back with a grin as he called me by my nickname. "Yer not actin' normal, ya know?"
I looked to Tasuki, frowning deeply. His expression fell, his grin fading as he looked back at me. Something flickered in his eyes...concern? No...impossible. Tasuki didn't like me. I slowly shook my head, trying to grin.
"Oh...go away, Tasuki." I shoved him away from me, grinning forcefully. He stumbled slightly, but my push was not rough at all. He looked at me with an odd expression, his eyes still serious, but I turned away to look at my friends. Kathy, Megan, Angelina, and Laura were all staring at me, confused by my attitude. It was very unlike me, after all.
I flashed a cheerful smile. "Stop staring, already! What are we going to do now?"
"We were all going to head into town, no da." I glanced to Chichiri.
"Why?"
"Oh, come on, Kitty! This'll be fun!" I found myself being dragged by all four of my friends as the group turned and walked from the courtyard and through the palace, led by Chichiri. Hotohori, I noticed, did not follow. Instead, the beautiful emperor turned and walked deeper into the palace. His depression? Or maybe his duties called.
Tasuki walked behind me as I was dragged, laughing at my misfortune, while Miaka and Tamahome (they might as well have been attached) followed Chichiri closely, Miaka's giggle drifting back to me, getting on my nerves. Nuriko, Chiriko, and Mitsukake followed behind us all, the cross-dresser and child talking among themselves. Mitsukake remained silent, his features unreadable.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Unlucky, Kitty?" I scowled up at Tasuki's laughter.
"Oh, shut up..." I struggled away from my friends and stood up, brushing myself off. The others left me, Li dropping back to attach herself to Nuriko, Laura and Kathy rushing forward to start arguing over Chichiri, and Megan...well, it looked as though she found another target besides Nuriko. She ran forward to walk next to Tamahome, smiling dazedly up at him, while Miaka sent glares her way (which my friend failed to notice, much to my humor).
I found myself walking beside Tasuki, who had finally stopped laughing and was looking at me intently. I sighed, glancing up at him with serious eyes. "What is it? Stop staring..."
"Yer not actin' right, Kit. Are you okay?"
"Yes! Yes!! I'm fine!" I growled loudly and attempted to pick up speed to catch up with Kathy and Laura...but was stopped as someone grabbed my shirt and jerked me back.
"The hell?!! What's the big ide--!!" A hand clamped over my mouth, cutting off my sentence as Tasuki threw me against a tree, forcing me to look up at him.
"Listen to me, Caitlin. What the hell is wrong?"
I struggled against him, forcing his hand away from my mouth. "I told you!! Nothing's wrong, damn it!!"
"Don't give me that shit! It's obvious something's bothering you!" Tasuki glared at me with his red eyes and his tone softened. "Kit...before ya left the group, ya were fine. When ya returned ya were acting like this. Yer friends have noticed yer behavior as well. What did ya see when ya left?"
My eyes went unwillingly to the fading form of Miaka. Tasuki peered behind his shoulder, following my eyes and blinked. "Kitty...did somethin' happ'n between ya and Miaka? That makes hardly no sense...she doesn't seem mad at ya..."
I pushed Tasuki away from me, lowering my head as I leaned against the tree. A part of my mind wondered why no one had noticed our disappearance, but the thought was set aside. I closed my eyes, refusing to look at Tasuki. "Why are you so concerned about me all of a sudden?"
Tasuki frowned deeply. "Doesn't matter. What's up between ya and Miaka?" I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and glancing up, I found Tasuki smiling down at me. "Tell me what happened. I'll try and help ya."
"There's nothing you can do..."
"Try me."
I sighed heavily and shrugged. What could it hurt? "I saw Miaka break Hotohori's heart..."
"Huh? Whatcha mean? We all know Tama-boy is the guy fer Miaka. Did she finally lay the emperor off? Poor guy...how'd he take it? Well, dun worry 'bout the emperor. He's tough, he'll move on!"
I gazed up at Tasuki in silence and his voice faded away. "Is that not the problem? Yo, Kit, come on...out with it."
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "IthinkI'minlovewithHotohori!"
Silence. A soft breeze blew, but nothing more was heard. Daring to open my eyes, I turned my azure orbs up at Tasuki to find him gazing down at me with an indescribable emotion upon his features.
"Yer....in love with Hotohori?"
I slowly nodded. Why was he acting so strange?
"Does he know?"
Shaking my head, I found my voice, speaking softly. "No, he doesn't...I doubt he even knows I'm alive. Tasuki..."
A grin slowly drew out across Tasuki's face. "Listen, Kit! His highness is a busy guy...and he's madly in love with Miaka, ya know? Poor guy, he'll be broken hearted. But, listen. Don't worry. I'll help ya out, 'kay?"
My eyes widened as I grabbed Tasuki's shoulders. "You mean it, Tasuki?! Oh, thank you!" Before he could react, I had wrapped my arms around him and was hugging him tightly.
Tasuki blinked and I felt him stiffen, then slowly relax as he put his arms around me as well. Then he placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back, messing up my hair with his palm. "Ya owe me one after this, got it? Now then! Let's get goin'! We're already bein' left behind."
"Right. Well, come on!" I grabbed Tasuki's hand and started running in the direction where the group went, dragging the laughing fiery haired man behind me.
* * * * * *