Chapter 2
Shuu made the first move up from his seat only to be knocked to the floor. A
drunk dragged him up by his jacket and held him up, reeking of filth and
beer, incoherently muttering something, but the intention was clear. He and
the rest of his bar mates wanted a piece of Mia.
"NOT ON MY WATCH BUDDY!" True to his word, the lower jaw of the drunk went
flying into the crowd, signaling the start of a bar room brawl. Ryo defended
Mia from the flying objects and led her to safe area outside.
"I hope Shuu gets out of there before the police arrive." Ryo said. To Mia's
worried look he added, "Shuu's alright, he's a fighter with a heart of gold.
He's been in worse fights; this is easy stuff for him."
Sure enough, Shuu escaped without a mark as the police's sirens cut thru the
air and red and blue beams of light cut thru the darkness. Ryo, Shuu, and
Mia slipped away quietly.
They ran for almost an hour thru the dark and twisted alleyways of the city
until finally Ryo stopped and announced they were safe. "They didn't catch
us," He panted, out of breath but filled with pride. "You OK? They won't
catch us, we're safe here."
"I'm alright," She was telling the truth, she was just a little shaken up,
"This isn't what I expected Dream Street to be."
Shuu laughed. "Hardly anything is at it seems, but that doesn't mean it's
truly bad."
Mia nodded.
"I better be going. I need to show my face before anybody thinks I was a
part of it and I lose my job." He kissed Mia's hand, "Ja ne, Lady Mia."
Mia watched with an aching heart as Ryo ran off; in the short time that they
had met, she developed a great deal of respect for her friend. All she felt
she could do now was pray and hope that he would have the chance to chase
his dream.
Mia involuntarily yawned and stretched her arm muscles; she didn't realize
how late it was.
Shuu yawned as well. "You're right, let's hit the sack." He took in their
surroundings. "Alright, I know where we are. We're lucky it's a summer
night; I didn't bring sleeping bags. Care for a out under the stars, Mia?"
"Sure!"
"I know of a field nearby, we'll crash there." He led her out of the city
and into a field surrounded on the east by a lake, and forest on the west.
She plopped down on a patch of grass and admired the beautiful night sky.
Shuu fell back right next to her, after taking off his trench coat and
covering Mia with it. "Just in case you get cold."
"Thank you," She smiled at him.
"No problem," He smiled back and sighed with relief and contentment. "The
Yamato Plains are vast, and we're on the edge of it. So it shouldn't take
much time to find Anubis. There's a hut down the coastline a few miles; my
friend Shin lives there. Maybe he knows where Anubis is."
"Shuu, you're an angel for helping me like this." She rolled over and kissed
his cheek. He blushed and his smile grew wider.
"Anubis sure is lucky to have you." He said.
She nodded. "And I consider myself blessed to know such a man. He is
beautiful, in his mind, body, and soul."
"I can just imagine." Shuu mumbled, before he fell under the spell of Mr.
Sandman. Mia followed in suit, and for once had no nightmares of Anubis's
death, but dreams of his reincarnation and their life together, within
reach.
* * * * *
Her eyelids fluttered open to the soft rays of the sun. The sun was peeking
over the lake, careful not to disturb the snoozers on the land.
"Shuu, wake up," Mia shook the sleeping giant next to her. "You've got to
see this, it's beautiful."
With a roar, the sleeping giant sat up and rubbed the crust out of his eyes.
"What you wake me up for?" Then he saw the sunrise over the lake. "Oh wow,"
The two friends sat there together and watched the sun make its way into the
sky. Shuu's stomach growled for food.
"Would you like some breakfast before we head out?"
"Please."
"I know of this diner in town that has some really good." He patted his
stomach in emphasis. "You can trust this palette."
"I believe you," Mia laughed. "After all the times I used to cook for Kento,
I should know you're stomach pretty well."
"Only this time, pretty lady, we both will be waited on with mouth-watering
food no doubt good as your own."
They went back into the city, now that the police activity had died down and
the crowd ebbed a considerable amount. Compared to last night, the city
might as well be called a ghost town. Shuu led her into a down-to-earth
diner, and sat her up in front at a booth. She expected to find Cye's twin
working but she could call nothing in this world. While it wasn't Cye's
twin, it was a Ronin's twin, but nowhere near her guess.
"The usual, Shuu?" A spiked blue-haired head stuck out of the kitchen door.
"Double it." He pointed to Mia.
The Rowen look-alike smiled, "Anything for your lady friend." His head
disappeared from view.
"This is Dream Street alright," Mia said, fondly thinking of home. "Only in
Rowen's dreams can he cook."
"Touma's a culinary genius."
"You got that right," Touma said as he wheeled out a cart full of breakfast
food to the table. Shuu picked the biggest booth to hold all the food and
for a good reason. The large cart was stacked with all kinds of food:
pancakes, waffles, eggs, cereal, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and more.
Plates upon plates filled the table until Mia was sure this was too much
even for herself and bottomless pit Shuu.
"Touma, why don't you come eat with us?"
"I'd be honored to, milady." Touma slid in next to her and helped himself to
the mound of food.
"I know where Anubis is," Touma said after being filled in on the details.
"He's with Shin in his cabin by the lake."
"You're the best, Touma!" Mia kissed his cheek. "I'm blessed to know such
fine men who are helping to reunite me with Anubis."
Touma melted in his seat.