Miko no Chikyuu, Gejo no Nihon
By: Mirai Megami
An: Hello again! God I've been so busy lately. And I still have a cold! :o So annoying! Thank god for the long weekend! ^.^ Well enjoy this chapter…..er…well I hope you like it! =P
*~~~~~~~*
Wufei continued to run not stopping with Hiiro close behind him. Wufei finally stopped at the edge of the beach and was breathing heavily because of his little 100 yard dash. Hiiro then stopped right beside him huffing and puffing in the same way. (What?! =P)
The two remained silent for several minutes, because Hiiro knew what Wufei was like in his silent mode. It was either his way or the no way at all, and he would throw a fit. Wufei finally walked forward towards the Pacific Ocean.
"Don't get to see the ocean very often do we?" Wufei then bent down in the sand and started to take off his shoes and roll up his silk pants.
"We're usually to busy to have any time to ourselves." Hiiro replied sitting down next to his comrade and taking off his own shoes.
Wufei then stood up followed shortly afterward by Hiiro.
"I'll race you to the end." Wufei challenged taking off for the water. Hiiro, of course, gladly accepted the challenge and was just as nimble as Wufei. Soon the two were neck and neck. And then Hiiro suddenly jumped forward and landed on his feet in the water. Unfortunately though for Wufei, who was almost right next to him, he got soaked by the water that splashed up.
"Ha! Beat you!" Hiiro put his hands on his hips triumphantly.
"Oh yeah!" Wufei then lunged forward and pushed Hiiro down into the water soaking him. Wufei then broke down in laughter. Hiiro then got up, soaking wet.
"So you think that's funny huh? Well so is this!" Hiiro then threw sea-weed at the young prince, and since he didn't have very good balance from all his laughter he too fell back into the water. Which then caused Hiiro to laugh.
Wufei then smiled, still sitting in the water, and pulled his foot underneath Hiiro's feet and knocked him clean off his feet.
"Now who's laughing?" Wufei said giving him a sly smirk. Hiiro stared at him, soaking wet for several minutes before he started to break out in laughter along with Wufei. After several minutes of non-stop laughter they both pulled each other out of the water.
As they were picking up their shoes and starting back to the temple, Hiiro knew he just had to ask him what was plaguing him.
"Wufei why do you not want to marry that girl back at the shrine?" Wufei then stopped dead in his tracks and looked up at Hiiro, who just stared back a little perplexed.
"Because I don't like what they do at the temple and- well. I don't want my family to decide who I'm going to marry, besides I don't even like girls. (I don't mean he's gay! You know how all little boys are they say girls are gross and everything like that.) And personally I think they should get Milliardo to marry her or something." Wufei said scowling.
"But Milliardo isn't of pure royal blood like you. I mean his mother was a pheasant and that caused great scandal, then after she died. Your father married another woman, who came from this temple. And then you were born and given every right of a royal prince. You have everything everyone else envies. Why don't you like this temple?" Hiiro inquired sounding amazingly older than his actual age.
"Look let's just drop it. We have to get back and I have to give all the apologizes everyone expects me to do. So come on. I'll race you." Then Wufei ran off ahead of Hiiro, who just stared at Wufei's fading body thinking about many things before he too followed.
*~~~~~~~~~*
Hotaru was walking down the elegant hall, no longer in her dazzling kimono but in a blue and white cotton kimono, the same one that made her so itchy on the trip home. She had since been lectured by the maids and other servants.
"You know you have to earn what you eat and where around here. That's how things are in this world. I hope you realize this!" Yelled the angry maid Setsuno.
"You must wear this kimono. It's what little novices like you wear. If you pass all of Mizurei-sama's tests then you will get better clothing and such." Barked the servant Shaheal.
"Little girl please. Stop being a pest. You'll be lucky if Mizurei doesn't throw you out. Because no one out there is kind to the beggars." Mocked the arrogant cook Fallegu.
Hotaru continued her walk down the glossy hallway and then she turned the corner, which was not a good idea.
"Ahhh!!!!! You stupid little! I've been cleaning this for hours and you just drag your dirty sandals all over it! How dare you! Get out! Get out now!" Yelled one of the maids, who was on her hands and knees wiping down the dirty floor, which Hotaru just noticed that she had tracked dirt all over the newly washed floor.
And the maid looked like she was gonna kill Hotaru so she ran out of the hallway as fast as she could, and eventually lost track of where she was going. She then slowed down to catch her breathe when she realized she had never seen this area of the temple.
'Where is this? It's very nice.' Hotaru inquired looking around at the expensive glass vases full of beautiful flowers, and all the pictures and furnishes. She walked down the hall for several minutes before she bumped into someone.
"Watch where your going!" Yelled the other girl, whom Hotaru noticed was the same age as Usagi, give or take a year.
"Did you hear what I said! I demand an apology. How dare a worthless piece of trash like you hit me and not apologize. You are nothing but a maid!" The young girl barked at Hotaru.
"I'm- I'm- I'm sorry, but- I'm- I'm not a maid." Hotaru said staring directly in the girls eyes.
"Well then what are you?" The other girl inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Well I'm Mizurei's newest apprentice. My names Hotaru." She said holding out her hand to shake the other girls', who did not accept.
"So did your parents drop you off on her as well?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.
"Well no actually. Mizurei bought me at-" Hotaru then lowered her gaze. "Bought me at an action not far from here, and wants to turn me into a priestess." Hotaru averting her gaze once again. And she did not notice how the older girl narrowed her eyes down upon her.
"Well my names Luna. I'm the best student she has here. And there's no way I'm letting you ruin my reputation." The girl Luna then grunted and pushed the girl, with her shoulder, aside.
'Why does everyone hate me so? What did I ever do to them? Usagi!' Although she felt like crying to tears came. It's like she was a dry ocean.
*~~~~~~*
Usagi and Kiray were in the fields picking the fruit off the apple trees. Kiray was holding the bucket, while Usagi was on her shoulders picking off the apples and dropping them into the basket.
"I told you we make a good team." Kiray said, trying to look up, but unsuccessfully.
"Of course I'm the better member of this team!" Usagi said looking down, smiling.
"Not in a million years kid!" Kiray replied looking up. "Hey Usagi time to get down this basket's full and anyway it's time we have to go into town and buy supplies for the cooks.
"God there's so much work to do here. I'm already aching." Usagi said dropping her hands at her side.
"Well get used to it. Now come on lets get the money and get outta here." Kiray said running off into the kitchen.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Usagi yelled trying to catch up.
~~Ten Minutes Later~~ (=P)
Kiray and Usagi were walking through the streets of Kyoto and Kiray had a basket full of meat, bread, milk and other miscellaneous items.
"Can I ask you Kiray. What do we get to eat exactly? Since I know this stuff isn't for us." Usagi asked very interested in the slop she may have to eat for the rest of her life.
"Well Usagi if you really wanna know. It's rice porridge. It's wet and sloppy, but it's either that or no food at all." Kiray said searching for a certain item in the carriage that was full of fresh fish.
"I hate rice porridge. But I guess it's better than starving." Usagi said looking away from Kirby, who wasn't paying attention anyway. Usagi then walked to the middle of the street to get a good look at all the passer byers. And just when Usagi was about to rejoin Kiray a young boy out of nowhere came up to her and gave her several gold coins.
Usagi stared at the money before turning her eyes toward the kind young boy. But his mother was already grabbing him by the arm and dragging him off.
"You know you shouldn't give your money away like that. Especially to people like her. They don't deserve anything. They're just a bunch of little thieves." The mother was yelling at the boy and dragging him away at the same time.
Usagi started to follow them. "Please excuse me Ma'am." Usagi asked as politely as she knew how.
"Go away you little pest! Shoo, Shoo!" The mother demanded.
"I only wanted to thank you." Usagi tried to get across to the woman but she merely refused every word Usagi gave her, so Usagi finally gave up and returned to Kiray.
"You know your damn lucky that boy gave you money. Almost no one does that now a days." Kiray looked down at her with a smile. "So what're you gonna do with that money?" Kiray inquired.
Usagi scanned the entire street before she found a store that got her attention. "Come on. Let's go. I know what I want." Usagi said laughing as she grabbed Kiray's hand and started to drag her towards the bakery.
Once inside the both of them nearly fainted from the delicious smell that coursed through the entire room. "Mm. Everything smells and looks so good." Kiray said kneeling down by a platter full with hot muffins.
Usagi approached a young woman, who supposedly worked there, and handed her the money. "I would like that pastry over there." Usagi said pointing to a hot bun with some kind of icing on top. (I don't know what they had to eat back then or how they sold it so I'm just guessing.)
After Usagi got her prized possession her and Kiray exited the bakery and Usagi prepared to split it in half when she saw a young girl with her mother selling red roses. They both wore raggedy clothes and they looked so starved it looked as if they had just rose from the grave.
Usagi looked down at her hot pastry before approaching them. They looked at with curiosity and then Usagi held out the pastry. The girl hesitantly took it from Usagi. The mother then handed Usagi a red rose.
"A red rose for a beautiful angel." The poor mother told her. Usagi smiled at them and then returned to Kiray.
"Lets go home Kiray, it's almost meal time anyway and I'm starving." Usagi said smiling at her brightly.
"Sure kid lets go, we're done with shopping anyway." Kiray then turned around along with Usagi as they journeyed back to the work.
'I can't believe she did that! Her a slave! We have to fight to survive and she's giving away food. It's not often you find someone with as kind a heart as that. Usagi, I'll protect you and your kind heart even if I have to risk my life for you. You remind me so much of the sister I lost so long ago. And I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you.'
TBC………
AN: Well I hope it didn't suck! I know Usagi hasn't had any difficult stuff yet, but I'll tell you that it will come later on. And I'll be hinting at different pasts throughout this story, like I just did. So watch out for 'em. Ja ne!
^.-