To everyone who have reviewed, thank you very much for all the nice things you've said about my fic. To Ayane Selznick--I would really like to thank you personally, but I can't find your e-mail so I I'll just extend my gratitude through here.

CHAPTER TWO: THE TIME TRAVEL

The two of us (Bonorenolf and I) were the first to arrive at our headquarters to wash away the paint. But it, unfortunately, wouldn't come off. So we were left with no other choice but to live by the new shades that the paint had given us for the moment. I made my hair fall and cover my whole face, while Bonorenolf on the other hand seemed to like what had happened. I bet if only it weren't so out of his character, he would be dancing around the place for joy. Too exazh, okay--that obviously wouldn't be Bonorenolf. So, we just sat on the stones where we used to stay and waited for the arrival of the others.

After a minute or two, Shalnarq came bursting in, but…

"Mummy!" Shalnarq shouted pointing at Bonorenolf (who really looked like a mummy with the white paint and all) and…

"Sa…da…ko," Shalnarq mumbled in shock before fainting flat on the floor.

"Sadako where?" I asked, a bit agitated as I looked all over the place. And when my eyes darted pass Bonorenolf, I realized with a start that he was pointing right at me. That was when it all began to figure--with my hair covered with black paint and all…

"We're he--" Phinx stopped short upon seeing us, his eyes gradually widening.

"Hey look a mummy and who's that one?" Shizuku observed, already forgetting the movie we had watched earlier. Well, what would you expect anyway? Shizuku would always be Shizuku!

"Isn't that Sadako?" Machi asked, turning an uncertain look at Pakunoda.

"I think so," Pakunoda replied, trying to keep her calm as she pointed at the still swirly-eyed and unconscious Shalnarq.

"Sadako!" shouted a man's oh-too-delighted voice.

All eyes turned to the speaker who was standing at the doorway and… "Dancho!" we all cried, with respect and faint confusion upon seeing the imposing frame of our leader who seemed to be too-unusually happy over the sight before him.

Feitan was quick enough to break the initial shock with another perplexing remark, "Did I hear it right? Did Sadako also say dancho?"

"What are you saying, it's me!" I cried with much exasperation.

"Coltopi?" came the bewildered chorus, as eyes nearly came off their stupid faces to roll leisurely on the floor.

"Who else," I mumbled simply, feeling the irritation from a while ago slowly subsiding.

"Who's Sadako?" Shizuku asked them in sheer cluelessness. The other's sighed and unanimously decided to just ignore her. The bespectacled lady who's brain was filled with cobwebs of oblivion kept on running around, trying to get an answer she would soon forget anyway. "Ne! Tell me!" And while all this was transpiring…

"I thought for a moment that Sadako was really alive," I heard Dancho muse out loud. "Wait a minute, Coltopi come here." Dancho walked towards a rock at the other side of the headquarters and sat down.

I approached him, anxious of what he had in mind, yet too engrossed in his reverence to even show a hint of it. And when I neared him, he raised a hand and his magical book appeared in it from thin air. He opened it to a certain page and said with calm authority, "I want you to protect Sadako from all dangers and do all that you can to help her."

I heard the commotion behind us subside as a kind of wormhole began to appear right beside me. I was bewildered--not exactly scared. My mind was having trouble processing what Dancho wanted me to do. Was this for real? Was DANCHO for real????

"But--But, Dancho…" I tried to protest but he only gave me a wry smile that I thought was meant to give assurance and confidence and yet ended up adding a bulk to my anxiety as I felt myself get engulfed by the abysmal hole…

***tzuku***

A/N: So how was this chapter? Short, I know, but I hope I improved somehow ^_____^