Hi…again. This is Rose's Chapter. OKAY HERE GOES!!! Oh, and I have a new toy-er-friend with me here today!! ^^
Hyato: . . What…?
Shimbo and Bakura: You.
Hyato: …
Bakura: *whispering* We better gag her ahead of time…
Shimbo: *whispering* Good idea.
Rio: WHATCHA DOIN'?!
Bakura and Shimbo: *Gag Rio ahead of time…straight jacket, chains, gag, chair… all that jazz.*
Hyato: O.O WHAT DID YOU DO?!
Bakura and Shimbo: Rest, Relax, Read, and Review.
***
Rose and Hakkai sat--well--kneeled on the porch drinking tea… well, Hakkai is drinking--three guesses. You'll only need one--sake. Actually, it was Rose's home-made sake. Hakkai sighed. "It so peaceful here."
"You should see it when the Sakura trees bloom. It's like--um…"
"Heaven?"
Rose smiled. "Better. Especially when it's shared with friends like Rio, Ritsuko, and Uma."
"I'm sure it is." ^.^
Rose took a drink from her tea, and Hakkai from his sake. Rose cleared her throat. "So, how long have you and Gojyo been…"
"Huh? What?! Oh, no, we just…um…"
Rose laughed. "It's all right. I know and Ritsuko knows. Uma and Rio are the only one's who don't know…it will take them a while to figure out, too. They are--well-- very simple-minded. You know…Rio can't even read very well…"
"Really?"
"Yes. She can read names and small words, but very long words are…hard for her. I still try though."
"Try?"
"To teach her." Rose sighed. "If only life was simple. So, what's with that scar?"
"What?! How do you--?"
"Uh… well…" Rose blushed. "Do you remember when you had to get that pan for me?"
"…"
"Well--" She blushed even more. "Your shirt went up a little and I saw it."
"…" Hakkai started to blush a little, too.
"I wasn't looking or anything but…oh, forget I asked." Rose was so red now, that she looked like a red rose.
Hakkai inhaled. "It--was from a fight."
"Oh… okay."
A few minutes passes and neither of them had looked at each other since Rose had asked about the scar.
"3 years." Hakkai blurted out.
"What?"
"You asked how long…Gojyo and I…3 years." Rose nodded. "Do you think it's weird?" Hakkai asked.
Rose smiled. "No."
"No?"
"No. You love who you love. You can't change the that…like you can't change the past, and you can't change other people." Hakkai looked at Rose who was looking at some far off distance.
"You really believe that?"
"Yes. That is what I believe. Everyone thinks differently. Rio thinks it's okay…but she's not too fond. She won't care…but it might freak her out at first, unless she gets to know you before she tells you-and it also depends on whether she likes you or not. It scares Ritsuko…no maybe not. No. Maybe it was Uma. Well, It scared one of them. It might have been Uma…"
O.O "Okay…" He took another sip of his sake and put the cup down. "You have some weird friends."
"Likewise."
"Ha ha. Yeah, a corrupt monk, a monkey, and well…Gojyo."
"What is Gojyo anyway?"
"I'm not sure I understand you."
"Well, he… wants Uma. But, in a different way… he wants you."
Hakkai was sipping his sake, but spit out what was in his mouth. "Say what?!"
Rose looked shocked. O.O "Um… okay. That was--not the reaction I was expecting. Um… You know your very unpredictable."
ó.O "Oh, really? Me?!"
^^'' "Okay… me, too." Hakkai looked at her from the side in a very…*AHEM* Sanzo-like way. Rose gulped. "Scary…"
Hakkai looked down at the porch. "Gomen nasai."
"Huh?"
"I got sake--and spit-- all over the porch." ^^
"Don't worry about it, Hakkai." Two people--and elderly woman and a small boy--walked towards the inn in the distance. Rose saw them and gasped, then stood up and ran into the inn. The elderly woman finally got to the inn with the boy. Hakkai gasped. The little boy… looked so…so… familiar. His eyes… {Rose?} Hakkai thought.
"Hello, young man." The elder woman snapped Hakkai back to his senses.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Is Rio-chan or Reika-chan here?"
{Reika? Who's that?} "Yes. Rio's inside."
"Thank you." The woman and the boy walked inside, but not before the boy took one last glance at Hakkai. Hakkai stood up and poked his head in.
``````````````````````````--change of scenery. ((~~~~~~~~~~~~~Change of time--not now though))
"Rio-chan! Hello!" The woman had said. Rio looked up from the desk.
"HELLO!! Hi, Kiyo-chan!"
The little boy finally looked away from Hakkai. "Aunt Rio!" The little boy ran over to the desk and Rio ran out from behind. She picked up the little boy and balanced him on her hip. The woman cleared her throat. "So…where is Reika?"
Rio looked surprised. "I-I--"
"Rio."
"She's--I--can't say."
"She told you not to say didn't she?" Rio nodded. The woman sighed. "Why?"
"It's been…2 years. There is no one by that name… left." Rio looked up and saw Hakkai. She looked back at the woman and put the boy down. "I have…to do something." She walked over to Hakkai and grabbed his arm. They walked into the kitchen and out the back. Rose stood there looking dazed…but not confused. Rio looked at her. "She asked for Reika…again."
"I know. She always does."
"Maybe…" Rio looked at Hakkai. "you should talk. They---he---has seen already."
Rose nodded and turned to Hakkai. "Well, like I said you can't change the past…"
Hakkai gasped. "What? What are you--"
"Kiyo… that is my son."
"Your son…?"
Rio shook her head. "Just listen."
"Kiyo's father was…" It seemed she couldn't bring herself to say his name. "An evil man… he--did this to many women…"
Hakkai clenched his fist. He thought he knew. "Hyakugan Maoh."
Rose's smile left her face. "You know him. Somehow… I don't think that's good."
"No…it isn't."
"Well, he is Kiyo father. Many woman killed themselves after he got a hold of them, and after they found out they were pregnant with his child. But," She looked at Rio. "I just couldn't… not after I still had people there for me." Rio winked and put up a peace sign, apparently trying to lighten the mood. I didn't seem to work very well, so she put her hand down. "Anyway, it didn't end there… I had a husband then and--even though Kiyo wasn't his--we were very happy. But, one day-- my father must have found out about Kiyo. We hadn't told him because of this reason… but it turned out worse than we thought. He must have insane. He took and ax and started swinging it around. He tried to hit Kiyo, who was only a year or two old at the time." Hakkai gasped. Rose must have heard. "Yes… and he would have gotten Kiyo, if I hadn't just in front, my back facing him." She put a hand on her back.
"That's how she got the scar." Rio said. Hakkai looked down at Rio, nodded, then looked back at Rose.
"So, my mother took Kiyo and ran out of the house. My father struck at Takuyou, who didn't get out of the way in time… and, well, let's just say I was the only one that got out. My father realized what he did, and he, too, never walked out." Rose looked out to some distant place again. "After that…I changed my name. I never wanted to hear that name again. But, my mother insists on calling me Reika!" She clenched her fists.
"You can't change the past." Rose looked up and over at Hakkai, who was looking at her. "Nor can you run from it." Rose sighed.
"I guess not…" She turned around and walked inside, with Hakkai and Rio following. She walked into the lobby and kneeled down on just one knee. "Kiyo!" She said and the boy from before turned around.
"Mommy!" He ran to her and she picked him up and put him on her knee like Rio had done earlier. Rose seemed happier again. Rio ran halfway up the stairs and yelled up "UMA! RITSUKO! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE!!! Don't make me come up there and get you!!"
"WHAT FOR?!!" Ritsuko voice sounded.
"THE TANAKA'S ARE HERE YOU…YOU…POOP!!" With that Ritsuko and Uma ran down the stairs so quick…it seemed that they were followed by smoke. Rio followed them down and stood in front of the elderly woman. "Mitsako-san!" The three said simultaneously. "Did you bring any sweets this time?!"
***
Shimbo: Phew! Just as long as Ritsuko's!
Hyato: *points to Rio* Shouldn't we untie her…?
Bakura and Shimbo: *look back* …
Hyato: …
All 3: NAH.
NEXT CHAPTER: Shimbo: Uh…what is the next chapter?~~ Bakura: I don't know…~~ Hyato: We'll tell you when we find out.~~ All 3: Ja ne! *wave*