Serendipity

thank you to all those who have reviewed. There is a few who asked about the Dreamers and Destroyers. *coughs* I kinda forgot to explain in the previous chapter. *more coughs*

Dreamers - they are angel like creatures, their main aim in life is to 'capture' their own happy thoughts and fantasies and when the night falls, through the shadows, they send their happy thoughts to those humans who are asleep yet awake (i.e. in the dreaming state) and thus humans can have happy dreams. Those in high positions can actually send prophecies and the dreams they send are harder to alter.
Destroyers - they work similar like the Dreamers, only that they go and actually haunt those in the dreaming state by altering the happy thoughts the Dreamers have sent out. Thereby, it can be said that the Dreamers and Destroyers are sort of enemies.
There is one thing to be aware of, the Destroyers are invisible not by choice, but because no one would remember them. As soon as someone starts to remember them, they slowly loses their control in making dreams into nightmares...or at least that is what they are made to believe.

So all that is cleared out (I hope I did not give my plot away..).here is the next chapter of the story -



Chapter Two - Crush

Yamato sighed as he heard the judges' verdict. They are giving Sora one more chance. The chance she would seize and leave his side forever. There is only one thing he can do; he must stop her from understanding the meaning of love. In order for them to be together, he must 'kill' her first.

Yamato shifted from his comfortable position in the shadow and silently followed Sora home as she raced against the time.

He perched on her balcony, merged with bricks and stared through the translucent window. No one will detect him, no one ever did – to them, he never existed, he is just invisible.

Sora paced back and forth in the living room, listening to Mimi's advises on the other end of the line, unable to make up her mind about what is more ridiculous; the fact that she is asking Mimi for tips on exams or actually agreeing to her plan and to go on a blind date with a friend of Jyou's.

"I don't think I am ready for this." Sora stopped Mimi's constant chatter. "Who knows what they guy is like, and what if I don't like him? It would be just wasting my precious time!" Sora exclaimed.

"Sora," Mimi comforted the panic-stricken girl, "you need a rest, and you never know! Maybe, he'll end up your soul mate. If not, you need the socialization! What is a beautiful girl like you doing, sitting at home and bottling up your happy thoughts and dreams for the unhappy ones who cannot sleep every night? There are plenty of Dreamers out there to cover you for one night!"

Sora grinned. That has been Mimi's attitude towards life. Take it easy and enjoy. Sometimes, Sora wished that she could just let go and be like Mimi, even for one day.

"But one person can make a big difference." Sora protested with her usual excuse.

"Sora!" Mimi raised her voice, "don't meant to put pressure on you, but if you don't pass this damn test, we'll permanently lose a talented Dreamer! You can afford a few nights!

"Anyway, Taichi is a nice boy. He has heard so much about you from Jyou and he even admitted that you sound like the perfect girl. Give him a go! Give yourself a chance!"

Sora knew that her friend was getting impatient as she ended the sentence with a sigh.

"Mimi…"Sora paused, her friend's idea made perfect sense, but her intuition tells her that someone else she knows loves her more than words can wield the matter. [1] All she has to do is search deep within her.

"Fine." Sora gave up in trying to weasel out of the deal. "I will give this Taichi boy you praised so much a go. Maybe he will be the solution to my calamity."

"Great!" Mimi exclaimed over the phone. "I have already set up a date for the two of you tomorrow afternoon. You will meet at Café L'arc en Ciel, he is the one with a big brown bushy hair…then you can go for dinner, movie…kiss in the park…the possibility is endless!"

Sora paused her ecstatic friend, "you mean to tell me that all these time, you have already set me up with him without telling me!"

"…" There was a momentary silence on the opposite end of the phone as Mimi tried desperately to change the topic of the conversation. "Well, I will see you tomorrow morning and we will go shopping together. See you then!"

In a hurry, Mimi hanged up the phone. Sora groaned as she placed the handle back onto the receiver. What has she got herself into this time?

Outside, Yamato fumed. He couldn't believe that Sora has agreed to go out with some loser that she knows nothing about. With one more reproachful look, Yamato flew off to vex the innocent sleepers, who are unaware of the existence of the Dreamers and Destroyers. "Remember me. Remember my kiss…" he whispered as departed from Sora's balcony.

Sora sat on the carpeted floor, leaning against the luxurious leather sofa, hugging her knees tightly. "Kiss…kiss…kiss" suddenly, the word echoed in her mind. In surprise, Sora bolted, she could swear that someone was speaking to her. "Kiss…"she blushed at the thought of the word. The word connected her to the memories of Yamato…

Sora moaned. It will turn into a sleepless night indeed.

===============
Monday
===============

"Sora! You've got to get this violet dress!" Mimi cried as she dragged Sora towards the window where a cute mini-skirt was modeled on a mannequin. "It's so cute!"

Sora stumbled as she saw the dress. "Mimi!" She exclaimed, "that's just not me! It makes me look like a whore in skirt of such length and it is almost see through!"

Mimi turned around indignantly, "trust me Sora. It's the 'almost' that make you look sexy. NOT a whore!" She emphasized on the words 'almost' and 'sexy', trying to present a different image to the dress.

Yamato stood back from the two, crossed his arms and lazily closed both his eyes. He could just imagine Sora in that dress. She would look delicious; however, this is not exactly the image he wanted her to present to this Taichi dude. No. She should wear something that would make her look like a dork. A pair of extra thick lenses would really do the trick…

Yamato's thought wandered as Sora and Mimi moved onto the next store, only to repeat the same routine upon another 'barely there' piece.

"Mimi!" Sora whined after a whole morning spent at the Shopping Center shopping for a nice outfit. "Stop taking me to those shops where all they do is make the cloth feel 'invisible'. I just wanted a nice, decent, elegant dress."

"Now why didn't you say that before!" Mimi handed Sora twenty shopping bags, all of them for her. "I could've taken you to the other Mall where there are having 50% off sale of EVERYTHING! But just let me take another look at that top over there, it's awfully stylish…"

Sora sat down on one of the seats outside the shop while waited for Mimi to make her purchase.

"It's time like this, you wish you were a fashion designer and created your own masterpieces based on your ideals and beliefs." Sora thought to herself as she gazed around the Shopping Center. If she wasn't a full time Dreamer, she would've love to have some of her work displayed here.

A burgundy mid length denim dress, matched by a pair of burgundy stiletto and a matching choker and bag. That color would really emphasize the color of her auburn hair, and bring out her innocence and reinforce her sexuality. Sora suddenly realized that her vision could come true. She has the idea, the material, the accessories and Mimi – a 'professional' tailor who loves to do touch-up works on most clothe she buys to give it a personal touch.

"Mimi, we are going to go home." Sora decided suddenly. She has made dresses before, but never in half a day. If she want this to work out, she need a miracle, and that is exactly what she intend to perform.



"You sure I don't look like a hag?" Sora posed herself in front of the mirror, twisting her body to get a full view of the dress. "I feel rather weird in it."

For once in her life, Mimi could not concentrate on the dress. "You look fine Sora." She assured her, "but do hurry up, you are going to be late." Mimi prompted Sora to look at the clock.

"Shoot!" Sora swore, "five minutes till six thirty. I am so late!" Adrenaline kicked in and Sora rushed out of Mimi's apartment in her burgundy stiletto.

Mimi saw the girl dashing out of the building, running like mad. She giggled, she has to admit, that girl has got elegance and grace. Even she could not look so confident in her high heels, but there goes Sora, looking as if those heels were natural to her. Backing away from the window, Mimi started to clean the room up. Jyou is visiting tonight and she wants him to be impressed, not repulsed by the messy room. "Never again will I help Sora to make a denim dress in one afternoon." Mimi swore to herself silently. That dress nearly killed her hand!

Yamato stretched on the tree not far from Mimi's apartment. He has sat there the whole afternoon, watching the two trying to persuade the needle to go through the denim. "The fools!" He yawned as Sora ran past him. However, he's got to admit the dress does look good on her. "Damn! That Taichi is one lucky bastard." He silently followed Sora as she literally jumped into her car and speed away.

Sora arrived at the Café just on time. She checked her complexion one last time in her pocket mirror and got out of her car. L'arc en Ciel stood proudly in front of her. Its warm atmosphere drawn her towards it elaborately decorated window, however, it did not soot her nerves one bit. "Here goes nothing." She muttered to herself as she pushed open the door. The tantalizing aroma of exotic coffee greeted her. "Mmm…" She moaned slightly. At least she will enjoy the coffee if her date turn out to be a jerk.

Her eyes trailed around the room, lingering upon the Renaissance paintings upon the brown walls, especially the one that portrayed the birth of Venus, she has always had a soft spot for that painting, its texture, color and the story is presented. Suddenly, she realized that someone has been waving at her frantically. She directed her gaze away from the painting and towards the person and nearly laughed out loud. Quickly walking over to him, she held out her hand. "Mr. Kamiya, I presume? How do you do? My name is Sora Takenouchi." She quickly introduced herself.

Taichi looked suspiciously at her outstretched hand and slowly extended his own. "Hi." He tried to sound cheerful, "nice doing business with you."

Sora raised her eyebrows quizzically. "Business?"

He grinned mischievously, "at least it is what it felt like when you extended your hand and said in that serious tone, 'how do you do? My name is Sora Takenouchi'. Come on, I am sure we don't have to sign any deals tonight."

Sora laughed. "Sorry. Guess I was a little nervous. Made a fool out of myself haven't I?" She studied the young man in front of her. The first impression he gave was good. Bushy brown hair, athletic build, warm brown eyes, totally matched by his laid back and funny personality – unlike someone else she knew. Yamato… The image of his golden hair and blue eyes flashed in her mind and her smile froze.

Noting the certain change of mood, Taichi quickly pulled out the chair for her. "How do you like me so far? Do I pass your test?" He flashed another grin at the beauty before him.

Sora snapped back to the reality as Taichi smiled at her. "What? Sorry, I missed that. Just really nervous I suppose." She grinned and promptly sat down on the chair he pulled out for her.

"Let's start this again. Should we?" Sora asked, smiling at him.

"Why not." Taichi shrugged. "You probably heard enough about me from the Kido couple, but I would like to properly introduce myself. My name is Taichi Yagami, currently a soccer player. I live with my sister Hikari and her boyfriend Takeru. We have a cat named Miko." Taichi pulled a face at the mention of the cat, at which Sora giggle at. "I don't know why my sister insisted on calling the cat 'Goddess' [2], for all I know, the cat is a complete monster! She plays and drools on my socks, sleeps on my bed and like to prance on me every chance she's got!"

"Now, that's a nice beginning. What can you tell me about yourself Sora?" Taichi tilted his head. Sora could not help but burst out laughing at that moment. He just looked so adorable!

"Well, my name is Sora Takenouchi. No siblings although Mimi is so close to me that I can practically call her my sister. No pets either, the apartment manager would probably shoot me if I did. He is such a neat freak!" Without realizing it, Sora began to tell Taichi about the aspects of her life that she would not normally tell her friends. Yet his friendly and warm manners seems to be able to banish her worries. For a moment then, she almost believed that she is not a Dreamer, but a woman, enjoying her life.

Yamato sat on the table next to the couple and listened to their conversation. He sulked as he peeked at Sora, she seems to be enjoying herself. Returning his intense gaze back to Taichi, he has got to admit, Taichi is not a bad person. In fact, if he was not so in love with Sora, he could almost agree that Taichi and Sora seem to be a perfect match. They are just so alike!

He edged the seat seat slightly closer to the table where Sora and Taichi sat and strained his ears to hear better as he heard the name 'Takeru'.

"Takeru?" Yamato was puzzled, "what does he has to do with Taichi?"

It has been a long time since he last checked on Takeru - his little brother. Yamato remembered the time before he became a Destroyer. He smiled bitterly, it is not as if there were any good memories anyway. His parents clashed like ice and fire. 'Home' was never sweet and comfort, 'home' is a battleground and he was caught right in the middle of it. he was never their son, he, just like his neglected little brother were their objects, their possessions.

Yamato suddenly wondered if they ever missed him and mourned for him. Yet that feeling was soon taken over by another negative thought. They probably didn't even notice that he was gone!

He snorted at himself for being foolish enough to think that they would've cared for him.

"Takeru is absolutely besotted with my sister." Taichi's voice broke Yamato away from his self-pity, "although I would never tell him that, I actually quite like the little rascal. He would make my sister happy."

"Oh! They sound adorable!" Sora exclaimed, clasping her hand together, "I can just imagine what they look like and how they will act around each other."

Taichi laughed, "that's what everyone says about them!" he fumbled in his pocket and brought out his wallet. "I've got a picture of them here. Jyou took it for us last winter when we all went to Sweden for a holiday. Hikari loved to tease me about this photo, see, I was unfortunate enough to get caught rolling down the slope."

Sora stared at the photo and burst out laughing. It was hilarious! In the front, the two love birds sat there enjoying each other's company and not far behind was Taichi. Rolling down the slope screaming for help.

"Hell, it was the most expensive and painful holiday we ever had. I ended up in hospital for two weeks and the poor ski instructor ended up getting counseling for a year for shock and trauma."

"Oh, I bet Jyou had a field day! He always catches people at their worst. Last time, he caught me falling down the stairs on tape! I only just managed to coax him not to show the tape to anyone else by cleaning up his garage for him." Sora complained, somehow she felt as if she could talk to Taichi forever and trust him with her deepest and darkest secret. Yet her heart also knew that he is not the one for her.

"Come on!" He stood up abruptly, "let's go and catch a movie. I hear X-Men 2 is on, I just love Nightcrawler..."

"Really? My favorite has got to be Storm..."

Yamato rolled his eyes as the pair paid for their coffee and left and cafe, he could not believe that they are going to watch a movie after spending more than an hour in a cafe. He was getting tired and he was hoping that they would end their date soon. Seems luck is not on his side.

It was a beautifully crafted movie, with amazing special effects and intriguing character and plot development. Yet Sora could not concentrate, her mind wandered. It seems clear as daylight that she would find affection and understanding in Taichi. Heck, he would've been a great companion for her! But not a loving husband, she would not find love in him.

Being with him is like being with an older brother. Sora grimaced at that thought, somehow, she is going to have to tell him that before the night ends.

"Perfect!" She muttered sarcastically, that is going to be exactly what she need to ruin one fabulous night.

She was totally absorbed in her thoughts that she did not even realize that the movie has ended until someone nudged her. Apologizing for blocking the 'traffic', Sora slowly got out of her seat and joined Taichi outside.

She giggled the whole way out of cinema as Taichi foolishly mimicked the characters out of the movies like a child. Sora especially loved the part where Taichi tried to roll his eyes back like Storm and when he tried to pull the vanishing trick of Nightcrawler.

It wasn't until she was out of breath when she realized that the two of them have arrived in Odiba Park. Tilting her head slightly, she gazed upon the silver moon, shining ever so brilliantly down upon the them, illuminating their path towards the shimmering lake. The gentle wind rushed passed her playfully, tossing her hair. Sora shivered slightly and she felt Taichi's warm presence, wrapping his arm around her as they sit down on the bench facing the lake.

It could be so romantic. Tears nearly rolled out of her eyes. If life can be what one choose to be, she wished that she could freeze time and stay like this forever. A simple woman in her lover's embrace. No strings attached. No responsibility, no past to plague her and no future to worry her.

Leaning on the bench, she turned and smiled at Taichi and found him smiling back at her. Gazing into his warm brown eyes, Sora knew that she would find respect and deep admiration, yet it also seem to reflect her own emptiness and the hole someone else left in the past. Through his eyes, they reflected her longing for someone else.

Slowly, she could feel Taichi leaning towards slowly and she could feel herself drawn towards him. Their faces are merely inches apart. She closed her eyes, willing herself to kiss him.

Yamato...

The name flashed across her mind painfully. Sora drew herself back She cannot do something that will betray all three of them. She dared herself to face Taichi. Puzzlement and surprise was written all over his face. Guilt flowed through her.

Yes, he needed an explanation. She owed him that much.

Swallowing nervously, she broke the silence of the night. "It doesn't feel right. It would almost be like kissing my kin. I am so very sorry."

Taichi nodded. He expect this much really. He liked her. He really liked her. Yet in the depth of his heart, he knew she would never love him the way he would wanted her to. "I understand. But I hope that doesn't mean you will never talk to me again!" He tried to lighten the mood, "at least we can still be friends right?"

Sora smiled. Guilt washed over again. "At least we can be friends. The best of friends."

They laughed and joked as they spent the night, laughing with and at each other, indulging in each other's companionship. Sorrow and regret was in the past, for them, there is only laughter.

Sora twisted the key in the lock that guarded her home. Home sweet home. She flopped down her bed and succumbed to sleep, without realizing the other presence in the room.

Yamato knelt down beside his love's bed and gazed upon her lovely face, fast asleep, oblivious to anything else.

He was there when she nearly kissed Taichi. He was still there when they chatted through the night. He has never felt jealousy so strong in him. He wished he could talk to her, he wished he could kiss her. Damn it! He wished that she could just see him! Yet hope is the only thing that he can cling onto right now. He must wait for her to fall.

Caressing her rosy cheek affectionately, his icy blue eyes guarded her throughout the night.










NOTES: [1] "I love you more than words can wield the matter" - Shakespeare, William "King Lear"
[2] "Miko" is the Japanese for virgin goddess. Bad name for a cat...but I think that is what they called Kari's cat in the series...or was it Meeko? o.O;

Eek! Finally finished! This chapter took me so much longer than it should've. I finally listened to my mother's constant reminders and cleaned my room. Well...everything should be good now since she won't nag me anymore, however, during the cleaning, I placed my fanfiction folder somewhere and couldn't find it again and had to rewrite the story based on memory. Mou! I love myself sometimes.

p.s. an early Merry Christmas everyone!

p.p.s to Lisa Oceans Potter if you are reading this, thank you for all your reviews. as for the bold and italic letters...I use Netscape Composer and it allows me to do that.