Meetings and Renewals

Chapter Three: The beginning of Danger

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Silent Sage: Hiya! I hope you liked my last chapter. Now the setting is in the present, and Misaki should be appearing anytime soon, so PLEASE be patient. (1)

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Oujirou was almost at the Angelic Layer building after his long walk, when he heard his name being called.

"OUJIRO!!!"

He turned around to see the Tamayo, running at Olympic speed, several blocks away, heading toward him, with the ever so patient, also for comic relief, Kotaro. She looked fresh as a daisy (AN: Sorry for the lame simile.) when she finished running the five blocks, it seemed that running at top speed for such a distance were nothing, while Kotaro looked like he was going to pass out, and he did, though Tamayo ignored that.

"Oujiro," Tamayo said as she gave him a look that said 'You had better have a good explanation', "we were looking all over for you, Hotoko's match is gonna start soon, and Shuuko was starting to worry about you, right Kotaro?" She turned to look at Kotoro for his agreement but found him on the ground, unconscious.

"Aww, come on Kotaro," pouring a gallon of cold water, from who knows where on top of him, "wake up!"

"UUhhh," Kotaro slowly got up, although he was a LITTLE bit wet. After confirming Kotaro was still alive, she turned to Oujirou again, waiting for the explanation.

"I was taking a walk, and I suppose I lost track of time, when I suddenly remembered something," 'Or someone' he thought to himself, "so I thought I'd visit it." His eyes saddened at the thought. No one saw that though, unless that someone was really observant, like the person watching him from atop a building in the shadows.

"Eh, what did you have to visit to be gone for nearly three hours," Kotaro asked, finally speaking up.

"Misaki's house," was the curt reply. Tamayo and Kotaro's eyes instantly widened, as they heard the name, and after checking today's date in their minds, the memory of what happened on this same day dawned on them like a ton of bricks.

"It's the anniversary of the day Misaki died," Tamayo murmured, her usual bright eyes, fogged up greatly.

A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. It was Kotaro; it was his way of comforting her. BUT instead of comforting her, Tamayo broke into a fit of sobs, throwing herself into Kotaro's arms, making him turn a bright shade of red, but ignoring that he gently patted her back.

"I-I-I can't believe we forgot about that Kotaro, of all things for us to forget!" she cried and at that, she cried even harder.

"Tamayo-san, please don't cry, Misaki would have wanted you to be happy, not crying over her," said Oujirou in a soothing tone.

"*sniff* *sniff* I suppose you're right Oujiro, it's just……." She trailed off.

"I know you still miss Misaki, Tamayo, I still do, but we just have to accept that fact that she's not with us anymore," said Kotaro, trying his best to calm Tamayo down, they were after all, attracting a small crowd of people.

"I suppose you're Kotaro," and after one last sniffle, she then noticed that she was in his arms, and a thought then struck her, "Kotaro, I didn't you know you cared that much, hmm……..don't you think we're going too fast, I mean, we're only fourteen after all." Everyone definitely got interested in what they were doing after Tamayo said that. Kotaro turned a flaming red color after hearing that.

A soft chuckle was heard, Oujiro's eyes twinkled softly, "I think that's enough out of you two, we should be leaving now, Hotoko's match is starting soon, and you don't want to be late, do you?"

That woke Kotaro from his blushing state, "No! We can't be late. I promised Hatoko I'd go see her match, come on!" Kotaro was about to run off when a voice interrupted him.

"How about we go to the Angelic Layer battle dome in a bus, rather then run, since it's about half a mile away from here," Oujiro offered.

"Oh yeah………" Kotaro said, scratching the back of his head. 

//At the battle dome//

Oujiro, Tamayo, and Kotaro had managed to catch a bus before it left and make it to the battle dome before Hotoko's match started and to greet them there was a very pissed off Hotoko, and several other dues. Sai, Kaede, and Ringo, they were also competing in the tournaments with their angels. 

"You IDIOT," she said to Kotaro, giving him a death glare, "you were almost late. You promised me you'd make it to see my match." 

"Sorry about that. I had to help Tamayo look for Oujiro." Kotaro explained sweatdropping at the intensity of the glare Hotoko was giving him.

"Hmp" Hotoko turned away from him, "I guess you're forgiven," she turned to look at Oujiro, "Oujiro, why did my numbskull brother and Tamayo have to look for you."

Oujiro shook his head and smiled kindly, "It was nothing really."

"No, you're lying, Oujiro. You were visiting Misaki's house," Tamayo looked down on the floor as she said that.

Everyone's eyes widened when they heard that. It was Kaede who broke the haunting silence. "I can't believe we forgot today of all days," whispered Kaede. She brought her hands to her, covering her green eyes as tears streamed down.

"Misaki," whispered Ringo, as she took out a packet of tissues from her purse, she handed one to Kaede, before she blew hard into her tissue.

Sai, her face emotionless, said nothing as she walked toward her seat. But she stopped for a second, and turned around, "I never thought she would die so soon, it's even worse then how Lin died, at least I got to see my sister before she died, " that was all she said before she slowly turned around and walked away. Kaede followed her.

Everyone remained silent after that, at least until they heard the announcer blaring over the speakers, "Will Kobayashi Hotoko please come into the battling ring, you're match is about to start."

"I-I had better go now, I'm gonna be late for my match, bye everyone. I'll see you at my match," Hotoko said, quickly walking toward the arena. After Hotoko left, everyone else went to their seats, waiting for her match to start.

When Hotoko entered the arena, how should I say this……. it was so loud, some people got temporarily deaf.

The announcer, after all the cheering ended, announced Hotoko and her challenger in to the stadium.

"Now for the girl who needs no introduction, in the east ring, "The Rising Goddess", Kobayashi Hotoko, and her Angel, Suzuka, or "Light Speed Suzuka." The roar that was heard from the audience reached people half a mile away.

And now entering the challenger, Terada Anzu, and her doll, Funaho! (2) Another ear shattering roar was heard.

//Up in the stands//

Oujiro and the others were watching Hotoko and Anzu up in the sidelines, and were having a conversation about the outcome between the Angels. 

"So, how good is this Anzu," that was Kotaro.

"Quite good, but Suzuka should be able to defeat Funaho easily" that was Sai.

"Yeah, her first error shouldn't have been underestimating Suzuka, that's the single most crucial mistake in her battling style, and it will be a fatal error and it'll cost her the match," that was Kaede.

"So in other words, Funaho is mincemeat," that was Tamayo. 

"You could say that again," that was Ringo.

Oujiro silently agreed, for he had seen her battling style before, and she was indeed over underestimating her opponent, especially if that opponent was Hotoko, and that meant she had already lost.  

//Back to the battle//

"Angelic Fight!"

"Go faster then the sound and light! Suzuka!" Hotoko threw Suzuka in as she said that.

"Let's those who dare try to fight you Funaho, lose under you're power!" (3) Anzu then threw Funaho in the ring!

The dolls landed in the ring and for a second they didn't move at all. In a blink of an eye, Suzuka used her infamous "Rolling Thunder" technique, and Funaho was sent flying out of the ring.

"Well that was……….fast," said the announcer, sweatdropping.

"Funaho!" Anzu quickly catching her Angel, before it landed on the ground. She gave Hotoko and Suzuka a death look as she quickly walked out of the stadium. Hotoko sighed mentally, "There goes another dues who hates me," she thought to herself.

Her ribbon slipped off her hair, and when she bent down to get it, a dagger whizzed pasted the place where her head had just been, just barely missing Hotoko's head.

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Silent Sage: My first cliff hanger, YAY! Oh and don't worry. Misaki should be appearing sometime in the next chapter or so. The numbers down there explain the numbers up there for the people who are confused. Don't forget to R+R okay?

I didn't want to distract people with the long explanations while they were reading the chapter.

1). Ages for the characters:

Misaki: 14

Oujirou: 19

Tamayo: 14

Kotaro: 14

Hotoko: 6

Sai: I think about 20

Kaede: 20

Ringo: I don't really know, but I'm guessing 17 or 18

2) I couldn't think of anything better, so I decided to give the challenger the first name of Anzu, since I don't really like her that much, sorry to those who do. Her last name from the fourth grade teacher in CCS, for that was the only name I could think of at the moment, and Funaho, because I was watching Tenchi Muyo at the time.

3) Lame entry line, I know, but I was writing this at around eleven 'o clock. I kinda couldn't sleep.