Mecale opened her eyes and was momentarily disoriented by the darkness around her. Her eyes darted around until they found the soft glow of the digital clock on the nightstand. It was then that she remembered she was in Kouji's room, not with him. She remembered the feeling of bliss she had felt in the dream but for some reason, now that she was awake, the dream was more terrifying. She had almost given in to him, the man in the dream. She didn't know how, but she knew if she gave in to him everything would be lost.
Mecale looked at the clock again and saw that it was still early morning. Kouji should be in any second to wake her up. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Kouji entered.
"Good morning," he said when he saw that she was awake, "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes. I'm not tired anymore," Mecale smiled.
"Good," Kouji said, "then you should be up for a jog this morning."
"Yep." Mecale agreed with a grin.
Kouji grabbed his clothes and shoes. "Then I'll meet you in the living room." Kouji left and Mecale changed into her jogging outfit. Now that she knew who his parents were, his love of running made sense to her. Once she was ready to go, Mecale went and met Kouji in the living room.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yes."
The two of them left the apartment and headed down the jogging path. Neither of them spoke until they reached the overlook. Once there, the two of them sat side by side in the grass and stared out over the ocean. Kouji was the first to speak.
"Mecale?"
Mecale turned to Kouji. "Yes?"
"Were you mad at me yesterday?" Kouji inquired.
Mecale's brow furrowed in confusion. "When?"
"After we watched the movie," Kouji clarified, "You got up and left so quick that I thought maybe I said something to make you mad."
"No, of course not," Mecale assured, "I wasn't mad at you. I was just tired from walking around all day."
"Oh," Kouji nodded, "Okay, good because I don't want you to be mad at me."
"I'd have to have a lot of guts to get mad at you when you're letting me stay at you place for free," Mecale joked.
"Hey, you're right," Kouji admitted, "As long as you're staying in my apartment for free, you have to do whatever I tell you. I own you. When we get back, you can start by doing the dishes, then the laundry, then you can clear the apartment…"
Mecale's laughter cut him off. "Yes, whatever you say. I'll get right on that as soon as we get back, master."
This caused Kouji to laugh and the two of them laughed together for a few seconds. Once they had composed themselves, they started their jog home.
They got back to the apartment and Mecale took a shower while Kouji cooked breakfast. It was on the counter when she emerged from the bathroom. The two of them ate and talked about what they were going to do for the day. Kouji suggested they spend the day at the Boardwalk, an amusement park set up on a pier. Their plans were destroyed, however, by a call from Kouji's agent.
"Yeah, I'll be there," Kouji said into the phone, "alright, thanks." He hung up the phone and smiled wryly at Mecale. "That was my agent. The producer I met with last week wants to meet with me again to discuss buying my script. I'm really sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Mecale insisted, "this is great news for you, right?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then," Mecale continued, "so go meet with that producer guy and sell that script!"
"But I promised you we'd spend the day at the Boardwalk," Kouji reminded.
"We can go to the Boardwalk any time," Mecale stated, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to sell you script. Go! Have fun!"
"Mecale, you don't have to pretend to be excited for me," Kouji told her.
"I'm not pretending." She wasn't. She honestly felt excited for him. She wanted him to go and sell the script. Mecale suddenly wondered if she was developing feelings for Kouji.
"Are you sure?" Kouji persisted, "because I can always reschedule…"
"No you can't!" Mecale exclaimed, as if the very idea was unthinkable. "You are going to meet with that producer guy and you are going to sell that script. Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" Kouji saluted her with a grin.
"Sorry," Mecale smiled, "Sometimes I get a little carried away."
"I'm going to go get ready," Kouji informed and went down the hallway. Mecale rinsed their dishes and put them in the dishwasher. She had watched Kouji operate the machine at least once a day and knew how to turn it on. After that was finished, Mecale sat down on the couch to watch her cartoons.
Kouji came into the living room twenty minutes later freshly washed and groomed. He grabbed his car keys off the counter and headed towards the door.
"Bye Mecale," he called, "I'll try to hurry back. If it's going to be a really long time, I'll try to call and let you know."
"Okay," Mecale said, "Have fun. Bye."
Kouji left the apartment and Mecale turned back to her cartoons. After about an hour, she began to get bored and decided to watch a movie. She went to the cabinet that housed Kouji's DVDs and her eyes were immediately pulled to the movie he had written. She had been so shocked the night before that she hadn't really paid attention. She grabbed the movie and put into the DVD player. She pushed play and the movie began to roll.
Forty minutes later, Mecale had already found five things that weren't right. For starters, Hitomi (or Stacy as she was called in the movie) had a brother, not a sister. Second, "Aiden" (Van) was not King until after he brought back the "dragon's heart" (energist). Third, her father (who the movie portrayed as an evil bastard named Jonah) lost his right arm, not his left. Fourth, Dilandau (called Evan in the movie) was male, not female. Lastly, her mother (known as Kira in the movie) never tried to escape from the "flying warship" (floating fortress).
"Wow Kouji," Mecale said to the empty apartment, "you could've at least tried to listen to your mother's story." Mecale continued to watch the movie, pointing out various mistakes or untruths in the plot and characters. The movie was almost over when the telephone rang. Thinking it was Kouji, Mecale hurried over to answer it.
"Hello?"
There was silence on the line and then a female voice. "Is this Kouji Susumu's apartment?"
"Yes," Mecale answered, barely able to keep the irritation out of her voice that a woman would be calling him.
"Who is this?" the woman asked.
"Mecale."
"Are you his girlfriend?" the woman asked.
"What?" Mecale was completely surprised by the woman's question. "No. Why? Who is this?"
"I'm Kouji's mother."
Mecale nearly dropped the phone. It was Yukari! What am I going to do now? she thought.
"Hello?" Yukari's voice floated out of the telephone, "Are you still there?"
"Y…yes," Mecale stammered. "Yes Mrs. Susumu, I'm still here."
"Good," Yukari said, "Tell me young lady, if you aren't Kouji's girlfriend, what are you doing in his apartment?"
"Um…I'm staying here for a while," Mecale answered lamely.
"Why?"
"Well, uh…because I can't go home," Mecale replied. At least it wasn't a lie.
"How long have you been staying with Kouji?" Yukari inquired.
"Seven days."
"Really? Well, let me talk to him."
"He's not here right now Mrs. Susumu," Mecale informed, "He's at a meeting with a potential buyer for one of his scripts."
"Well, um…what did you say your name was?"
"Mecale."
"Well, Mecale, when Kouji gets back you tell him to call his mother immediately," Yukari instructed.
"Yes Mrs. Susumu."
"And if I find out you are his girlfriend, I'm going to be very displeased with both of you." Yukari hung up without saying goodbye.
Mecale replaced the receiver on the cradle and slumped down on the couch. "Why didn't I just let the machine get it?" she asked out loud.
------------------------------------------
Kouji returned home around 7:00 at night. Mecale looked up from the program she was watching and almost laughed at his disheveled appearance.
"What happened to you?" Mecale questioned.
"Don't ask," Kouji instructed and tossed his keys on the counter. "All that matters is that I sold the script."
"Really?!" Mecale jumped off the couch. "That's great!"
"Yeah," Kouji nodded, "so did anything interesting happen around here while I was gone?"
Mecale remembered the call from Yukari and cringed. Kouji noticed her reaction to his question and frowned.
"What?"
"Um, you know how you said you might call if you were late?" Mecale reminded.
"Yes…"
"Well, about two or three hours after you left, the phone rang," Mecale told him, "and I thought it was you so I answered it."
"But it wasn't me," Kouji added.
"No."
"Who was it?" The look on Kouji's face hinted that he already knew.
Mecale smiled and cringed again. "Your mother."
"My mother," Kouji repeated, "Great. What did she say?"
"She accused me of being your girlfriend and told me to tell you to call her as soon as you got home," Mecale relayed.
"Wonderful," Kouji mumbled and walked over to the phone. He dialed and waited for someone to pick up. "Miaka? Hi! It's me. Can I talk to mom?" He paused and then, "Hi mom! I'm fine. I called as soon as I got your message. Yes, I sold my newest script. Yeah. Mecale? She's just a friend. No mom, not a girlfriend, just a friend. Because I didn't think it was that important. Yes mom, I promise. Next time one of my friends comes to stay with me, I'll let you know immediately. O…okay mom. I gotta go. Okay mom, I love you. Okay, bye!" Kouji hung up the phone quickly and took a deep breath.
"I'm so sorry Kouji," Mecale exclaimed, "I didn't mean to get you into trouble with your mother."
"It's no big deal," Kouji shrugged it off, "she's just afraid that I'll get married without telling her. She's scared to death that her oldest child will turn his back on his family. She didn't want me to come out here in the first place."
"Oh. Hey, who's Miaka?" Mecale asked, referring to the first person he had spoken to on the phone.
"Miaka is one of my sisters," Kouji told her, "I have five brothers and sisters, all younger than me. Miaka is the middle girl, she's thirteen. My oldest sister, Kagome, is fifteen. My oldest brother, Yusuke, is sixteen. My youngest brother and sister, Tetsuya and Makoto, are ten. They're twins."
"It must be nice to have so many siblings," Mecale commented.
"Don't you have any brothers or sisters?" Kouji questioned.
"No," Mecale answered, then quickly added, "I mean, I don't think I do." Almost blew that one.
"It's not as much fun as you'd think, trust me," Kouji assured. "Growing up, there were constant fights. I don't know how my parents put up with it." Kouji paused and looked down at his watch. "I'll take a quick shower and then we'll head to the Boardwalk."
"Isn't it a little late for that?" Mecale asked, "The sun will set in an hour."
"The Boardwalk is open until ten," Kouji told her, "and trust me, it's more fun at night. Take a sweater though because it can be kind of chilly right by the water, especially if the wind is blowing."
Kouji disappeared down the hallway and Mecale waited until she heard the shower turn on to go and get her sweater. She also changed from the shorts she was wearing into a pair of Capri's, then went into the living room to wait for Kouji. He came out fifteen minutes later, ready to go. He grabbed his car keys and the two of them headed to the car.
After a ten minute drive, Kouji parked in a parking lot in front of a pier covered in carnival style rides and booths. The sun was just starting to sink into the western sky and a few of the lights had come on around the pier. They walked up to the front gate and Kouji paid the ten dollar admission fee. Once inside, the smell of popcorn, cotton candy, corn dogs and seawater assaulted their nostrils.
"Well, what do you want to go on first?" Kouji questioned.
Mecale pointed to a huge, circular ride. "That."
"That it is." Kouji bought tickets for the Ferris wheel and they waited in line to be seated. Once they were, their car was moved higher and higher to allow all the cars to be filled. A slight breeze rocked the car as it stopped at the top and Mecale gripped Kouji's arm.
"It's okay," Kouji smiled, "It's not gonna tip."
Mecale smiled sheepishly and let go of his arm. "Sorry."
The rest of the Ferris wheel was loaded and the ride began its course. After the Ferris wheel, Kouji and Mecale went on the Hammer, the Tilt o' Whirl, the rollercoaster and the bumper cars.
"Let's get something to eat," Kouji suggested as they got off the bumper cars.
"Okay," Mecale agreed and he led her over to the food court. They ordered their food and sat down at one of the tables to eat. By this time, the sun had set and the Boardwalk was lit up like Las Vegas. Music from a local pop station was playing through speakers set in the ceiling of the food pavilion and a few people were dancing on a raised concrete area that was used for live bands that often played at the Boardwalk.
"So, are you having fun?" Kouji asked.
"Yes," Mecale answered with a smile, "this place is great!"
"I'm glad you like it," Kouji commented.
"I'm glad we came so late," Mecale said, "I can't imagine it's this beautiful during the day."
Kouji smiled at her but didn't say anything. On the overhead speakers, Savage Garden's "Truly, Madly, Deeply" began to play and a few couple began to slow dance on the stage. Kouji turned to Mecale, a smile on his face.
"I don't suppose you'd like to dance?"
Mecale's smile mirrored his own. "I'd love to."
Kouji took her hand and led her onto the stage. He put his arms around her waist and she had no choice but to put hers around his neck. They began to sway to the music and Mecale marveled at how different Kouji's touch felt compared to Riley's. Mecale had danced with Riley many times and had never felt like she did right now in Kouji's arms. It was like the entire world had disappeared and they were the only two people left on the planet, dancing to music that played just for them.
Mecale looked up into his deep brown eyes and realized the feelings she had for Kouji were much more developed than she had first thought. She was falling in love with him. This simple truth hit her and she was so surprised, she didn't know what to think. Once she did begin to think about it, it made perfect sense. No one had ever made her feel the way she felt when she was around Kouji. Just being with him put her in a good mood because she didn't have to pretend around him. She didn't have to be Mecale Inara de Fanel, Princess of Fanelia and heir to the throne. She could just be Mecale. Kouji gave her freedom, freedom that no one else had ever really given her.
Suddenly, it dawned on Mecale why she had been sent to the Mystic Moon in the first place. That night, in the forest, she had prayed to God to help her make the decision of whether or not to marry Riley. It all made sense now. Her prayers had been answered by sending her to meet Kouji. Now that she knew him and knew how she felt about him, there was no way she could marry Riley. She didn't love him and never would.
"I wanna stand with you on a mountain, I wanna bathe with you in the sea, I wanna lay like this forever…"
The song continued to play and Mecale moved a little closer to Kouji. It was an unconscious act and she was surprised when she felt him pull her even closer. Her gaze had drifted away from his face as the thoughts had run through her head but now her lavender eyes were back on his dark brown ones. Before she knew what was happening, he bent down and brushed his lips lightly across hers. Too shocked to react, Mecale stared up at him with wide eyes.
A look of regret came over Kouji's face and he spoke. "Mecale, I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"
His words were cut off as she stretched up and kissed him back. Mecale had never kissed a boy before and had only been kissed once by Riley, which resulted in him rolling on the ground, screaming in pain from a kick between the legs. This was nothing like that. Kouji reacted by kissing her back and they stood there, lost in their own little world until the song ended. The first notes of a new, faster song broke the spell and they pulled away from each other.
"Wow," Kouji said with a grin, causing Mecale to smile as well. "I…I just…wow."
Mecale giggled slightly, something she hadn't done since she was a child. "Is that it? Wow?"
"Yeah," Kouji agreed, "I think that about sums it up."
Mecale laughed again, as did Kouji. He held out his hand to her. "Well, Miss Fanel, what do you say we go and try to wind you a stuffed animal or two?"
Mecale took his hand. "Okay."
Kouji entwined his fingers with hers and the two of them disappeared into the Boardwalk crowd.
------------------------------------------------
That night while hugging the stuffed bear Kouji had won her, Mecale contemplated the events of the evening. It had all happened so fast. Mecale smiled dreamily and drifted off to sleep, hoping that such a good day would drive away the terrible nightmares she had been having.
The figure that emerged from the shadow was a man, tall and muscular and dressed all in black. His long, white hair framed his handsome face and he had an aura of mystery about him that unexplainably drew Mecale to him. She had the urge to approach him, even though she still feared the evil she had felt not a moment before. As if reading her thoughts, he stepped forward.
"Mecale," he whispered in a voice so soft it sounded like the wind moving through the trees.
Mecale stared up at him, the fear creeping up in her again because he knew her name but she didn't know him. "Who are you?"
"I am your destiny Mecale," the man told her. The gentleness of his voice eased some of her fears and she relaxed slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I say," the man answered cryptically and held his hand out to her. "Come Mecale. It is time."
"Time for what?" Mecale demanded. She was angry at the vague way he answered her questions but even more angry at the way she had almost taken his hand without question.
"Time for your destiny."
Suddenly, a feeling of pure bliss descended on Mecale and she smiled. She felt completely detached from her body and watched as her hand stretched out to his. It was as if she were watching from underwater. The images were slightly distorted and wavy. There was a tiny part of her that screamed at her to run but she ignored it. Why give in to the fear when happiness was so close at hand? The man was right. It was time, time for her destiny.
"No!"
The shout tore Mecale out of her semi-hypnotic state and she focused just in time to see Kouji jump between her and the man. He was dressed in full Fanelian armor and wielding a sword. He swung it at the man, who gracefully jumped back to dodge the blow.
"Stay away from her!" Kouji ordered.
"Foolish boy," the man growled, "how dare you stand between me and my destiny."
"She's not your destiny!" Kouji shouted angrily, "and I won't let you have her!"
"She is mine!" the man snarled, "And you will not keep me from her!"
The man lunged for Kouji and caught him by the front of his armor. The man flung Kouji several feet, past Mecale and into an outcropping of rocks. Kouji hit the rocks hard and then crumpled to the ground.
"Kouji!" Mecale screamed and started to run to him. She was stopped by an icy cold hand on her wrist. She spun around and came face to face with the man from the shadow.
"You belong to me!" he hissed, his previously handsome features now twisted with rage.
"NO!" Mecale shrieked as the man began to drag her back towards the shadow. She struggled and kicked but it was no use. The man was just too strong for her. She looked over her shoulder, hoping that Kouji was awake but he remained lying in the same position, motionless. It was then that Mecale realized he was dead.
"Kouji!" she wailed in despair, "no!" She still struggled against the man but it was pointless. He had already disappeared into the shadow and was dragging her along with him. Mecale cast one last glance over her shoulder before disappearing into the blackness.
"Kouji!"
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This chapter actually had some length to it. That's because it wasn't boring to write. I also have the next two chapters written and I'm working on Ch. 10. The story is picking up. I hope you enjoy.
I don't own Savage Garden.
I don't own Fushigi Yuugi, Yu-Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha or Sailor Moon. (I took Kouji's sibling's names from those shows. A shiny star to anyone who can tell me which names came from which shows.)
To Gwuinny:I liked your idea about having Yukari break up the kiss but it would be kinda hard to do from Japan so I had her call instead. I had originally planned on putting the call in somewhere but I had completely forgotten about it until I read your review. Thanks for the reminder.
When I wrote this chapter, I completely forgot about time difference so if you figure it out and Kouji called Yukari at 3:00 in the morning or vice versa, sorry. Besides, I don't know the time difference between California and Japan.
I think that does it for author's comments on this one. Tune in next time for Chapter 8 or Golden Angel, entitled "Dinner and a Movie."