I don't own MKR. Thank you.
A/N: ChibiCharizard? o.o and here I thought you only lurked in the SD3 section. Oh well. Glad you like this fic
The Dragon in the Mirror
Chapter 2 – Tears are the Heart's Desire
It was a peaceful afternoon in the quiet Tokyo as the two friends made their way home.
"…And then the teacher just stared. Can you believe it! Just stared! I mean, you might think I was a freak or something!"
Hikaru yammered on, taking Fuu's graceful giggles as incentive.
"Well, you work hard and deserve to be recognized."
"I think so too! But the teacher obviously doesn't!"
Fuu smiled in her calm way. It was fun, taking care of her 'little sister', especially since Umi had pretty much severed her ties with the two, so the shorter girl had no one else to turn to as 'Oneechan' (big sister).
"Well, teachers are usually like that. Most of them can't stand the thought, and sometimes, the knowledge, that their charges are smarter than they are."
"I agree…"
Yet Hikaru's smile soon faded.
"What is it, Hikaru-san?"
"Well, I just thought about that Umi would probably have said something like 'story of my life, if I am to be so modest', or more like her now… 'That's because their wives ain't giving 'em any.'"
The blonde laughed, but still Hikaru was frowning.
"…and then… I remember she's not here with us."
Taking the shorter girl's hand in hers, Fuu gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'm sure we'll meet her again. Not like she went out of the country."
"I guess… huh?"
Looking up, Hikaru's eyes caught a blue figure running towards them, obviously in tears.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
A strong gust of wind blew as the figure ran past them. Both girls looked up behind them when the wind ceased, allowing them to open their eyes. The figure ran away, fading until it disappeared like fog in the wind.
"Umi-chan…"
Hikaru whispered, covering her heart with both hands. She was snapped back, however, when a hand touched her shoulder.
"Daijoubu-ka, Hikaru-san?"
"Daijoubu, Fuu-chan. But… that girl…"
Her eyes clouded as she looked down the street.
"…looked like Umi."
"Hikaru-san… what girl?"
The redhead blinked.
"You… didn't see her?"
"No."
The shorter girl was shocked.
"Bu, but I…"
Fuu shook her head.
"Hikaru-san, I miss her too, but… maybe you're seeing things."
"Am not, Fuu-chan!"
The blonde sighed.
"Let's go. The sooner we get home, the better. This place is giving me the chills as well. Let's go."
"…ok. I guess."
"I know! Why don't we finish our homework, and call Umi-san? Maybe go somewhere with her!"
This obviously fitted Hikaru.
"Yeah! That'd be great! Let's go, Fuu-chan!"
Grabbing Fuu's hand, the redhead began running, glancing back worriedly once.
'Umi-chan… where are you?'
–
–
"It's getting rather late."
"Ah ha."
Umi's parents were sitting in the living room, her mother worriedly glancing at the clock while her father was reading a newspaper.
"I'm worried about Umi."
"Don't be. She's a big girl, our little girl. She can take care of herself."
That still didn't calm the woman.
"But she's always informed us when she was late. What if something happened to her?"
Her panicked state got a brief pause as the door slammed open.
"Umi-chan!"
And then slammed shut as the girl ran upstairs, not giving her parents a glance.
"Umi!"
The mother began to run after her, but the father's voice stopped the woman.
"Let her be."
"But…"
The newspaper discarded, Umi's father hugged his wife from behind, kissing her neck lightly.
"She'll be ok. It's probably some boy problem. We agreed she doesn't have to come to us about it."
Reluctantly, the mother agreed.
"You're right. Of course you're right. If anything serious, our Umi-chan'd have told us about it. It has to be some boy then."
"When will she meet the right one?"
They both sighed as they stood there, hugging.
–
–
The door opened and shut as the girl fell to the floor, leaning against the now closed door. She covered her face, shaking her head, before moving to cover her ears, her face tear stricken. Her heartbeat rang loudly in Umi's ears, each beat more painful than the other.
'Make it go away, make it all just go away…'
The TV, which showed tomorrow's weather report, suddenly showed nothing but static. Umi looked at it, tensed. Then the yelling began, forcing the girl to close her eyes and cover her ears. Inhuman screams rang through the room, surrounding her. Taunting her. Torturing her. Calling her.
Rainy weather was ahead.
–
–
"TADAMIA!" (I'm home)
Fuu announced as she and Hikaru entered her house.
"Hm, now that'd odd. I thought at least Kuu-Oneesama'd be here."
"Fuu-chan, over here!"
Changing to slippers, the blonde followed Hikaru to the kitchen where she found a note on the fridge.
"Dear Fuu, we went shopping, be back soon. Yours, Kuu."
A sigh escaped her lips.
"Sure, and later they'll complain about me not having decent clothes to wear. Going without me. Figures."
Hikaru blinked in her neko form.
"Now then, what shall we start with?"
"I was hoping we'd… talk to Umi-chan first."
The redhead said with a slight blush. Fuu nodded after giving it some though.
"Right. You get yourself something to drink, I'll go get my phone book."
Rummaging through the fridge, Hikaru helped herself to some chocolate milk and waited in the living room. The TV was on, and she decided to get a look. It was the weather report.
"Boring…"
But it stopped being boring when the TV went static. Hikaru blinked and tried to flip through the channels, but nothing seemed to work.
"That's odd. Oh well, I'll tell Fuu-chan later. Probably a problem at the TV station or something…"
She turned off the TV, and her gaze fell on a picture. It was taken three months back. Herself, Fuu and Umi were at the beach in Hawaii, a present from Umi's parents for her birthday. A week later, the bluette stopped calling.
"What's happening to you, Umi-chan? Why are you shutting us out?"
The smiling girl in the picture could not answer.
"Found it!"
Fuu declared happily and sat down, inviting Hikaru to sit next to her. The girl obliged, taking a sip of her drink in the process.
"Now then…"
Dialing the number, Fuu cleared her throat. Hikaru looked at her anxiously.
"Hello? Yes, my name is Fuu Houji. Is Umi there? Of course I'll wait, ma'am."
Chancing to speaker, she placed the receiver down and both girls stared at the phone. Footsteps and murmurs were heard, and then a soft knock.
"Umi, are you there? There's a phone call for you."
The girls eagerly waited.
"I wonder what Umi-chan sounds like… think she'll wanna hang out with us?"
"Sh!"
Another knock came from the other end of the line.
"Umi?"
And concern ate its way to the girls' hearts.
–
–
A knock.
"Umi, are you there?"
Leave me alone.
"There's a phone call for you."
No!
Another knock.
Stop it.
"Umi?"
I said LEAVE ME ALONE!
The screams were like millions of daggers in Umi's mind, causing her to scream back against them. Her mouth opened, but no voice came out. Only a sound so high pitched it broke the window and mirrors in the girl's room, replacing the callings with the sound of shards hitting the floor. Outside something was dropped, obviously the phone.
"UMI! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT! UMI!"
Hikaru and Fuu stared at each other, before the redhead stood up, obviously about to leave.
"Hikaru-san, wait!"
"For what! You heard it! Something's wrong!"
Fuu stood up as well, to be on the same level as her friend.
"Hikaru-san, heard what? Umi-san probably just dropped something, that's all, and…"
"Hello?"
Both girls looked at the phone again.
"She'll call you back. UMI! –click-"
The silence was like a heavy burden on the two girls.
"Now what?"
Hikaru was ready to explode.
"I can't believe it! I just can't! First, we don't see or hear from her, and now this! What, we're no longer her friends! I don't get it! Oh, if only we could go back to Cepphiro, I could've wished her there, to be better! But now…"
"Hikaru-san…"
"Look at it, Fuu, look at it! I can't believe…"
"Hikaru-san!"
Fuu half-shouted, gripping the shorter girl by the shoulders.
"I'm sure... I'm sure Umi-san's ok... so please... calm down..."
She said, though she was shaking. Tears welled up in Hikaru's eyes as she threw her hands around Fuu's neck.
"I wish we were back in Cepphiro… then… then… everything would've been better! All ok!"
"Hikaru-san…"
The redhead was too busy crying, but the blonde could clearly see that the floor beneath them was glowing bright blue… right before they fell through.
–
–
"Umi! Please, Umi, answer me!"
Her mother cried, but to no avail. Umi slowly pushed herself up from the floor, the shards of glasses cutting her hands and her face, as she fell down when all shattered. She leaned against the wall as the room span around her.
"Umi! Stop this!"
'If only… I was back in Cepphiro… I could've wished it all away…'
from the outside, loud bangs were heard against the door, obviously her father's doing/ But she was deaf to them.
Yes, Umi… come to me…
Her parents broke through just in time to see Umi faint on the bed… but they never saw her land, as she touched the ground surrounded by trees and greens, her two best friends next to her, just coming to.
