Chapter Eleven
She Screamed At Me, Too
***
Izumi crossed her arms and studied Aiyana carefully. "You're going to be
staying here with Masaya and us?"
Aiyana nodded solemnly.
Izumi sniffed. "What's your name?"
"Aiyana."
"You don't look that much older than me."
"I'm not."
"So why are you going to be babysitting me?"
"She is," Masaya said firmly, looking Izumi in the eye. "Four
years constitutes enough for me. She can drive, work, and has citizenship,
while you don't. In any event, she's helping me out."
"Izumi-san probably doesn't need much babysitting, anyway," said
Aiyana, to make the younger girl feel more at ease. "She's--what,
thirteen?"
Izumi nodded haughtily.
"Good," she said. "No, you can help Masaya and I anyway."
"We didn't have no dinner, Masaya-san," Nanami said, pulling at
Masaya's pants leg, "and I'm hungry!"
"It's about five o'clock," said Masaya. "Dinner should be served
around...hmmm...seven? How about we get stuff started? I know, we can all make
a nice dinner together. How does that sound?"
The twins cheered, and Izumi smiled. She turned to Aiyana, rather stiffly.
"Can you cook?"
"I've never tried before," said Aiyana, shrugging.
"Well, maybe you should stay out of the kitchen. You may blow something
up."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Oi, that's no fun!" Masaya said. "You've never tried; you have
to try sometime. Look, we'll put you on side dish squad for the time being. If
you do okay on that, tomorrow night you can move on up. How does that
sound?"
"Sounds..."
"Look," Masaya said, leaning in towards Aiyana, "if I have to
cook, so do you. You're supposed to be helping me."
"I was about to say that it sounds like a plan." She smiled faintly.
"Only I think I'm feeling a bit faint..."
"Don't pull that. You can sit in a kitchen chair and mix stuff." He
took hold of her wrist--gently, but firmly--and guided her into the kitchen,
protesting and squealing.
Izumi crossed her arms again and stormed after her two skipping, jumping little
sisters. She'd better keep an eye on Miss Aiyana Khalidah for the next couple
of days.
***
"Macaroni? What is that? Is this cheese? I thought cheese was
sliced."
Masaya pressed two fingers into the bridge of his nose and grit his teeth.
Aiyana, who was usually quiet and submissive, had been asking more questions
and had been making more messes than Nanami and Manami put together. Well, perhaps not that much, but...she's
up there with them! She had the 'dropsy' and 'placenta brains' that
pregnant women had sometimes, but it had never manifested itself like right
now...she'd already spilled milk for the macaroni and cheese on the floor and
there were elbow noodles all over the table. And of course, she couldn't stoop
to clean it up...so guess who had to do it.
"Gomen...ooh! This cheese is...ah!"
"NO! Aiyana, do not cut like that...cut away from yourself...not..."
Masaya let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh! Izumi-chan! Can you please
help Aiyana cut this cheese so she doesn't cut her finger off?"
Izumi sighed. What, you thought Masaya-senpai cleaned up that spilled milk?
No, no...I had to clean it up... She walked from the counter--where she had
been kneading dough for the biscuits--and went over to the table to help Aiyana
cut the cheese.
"Like this." She was tired of helping Aiyana do things. Even Nanami
and Manami, who were happily rolling out dough for apple streudels--Masaya made
everything from scratch--seemed more productive than Aiyana.
"Oh...arigatou, Izumi-san!" She flashed a charming smile at Izumi,
one that the younger girl had come to hate. Not only did it usually mean she
was trying to make friends with her, which was something Izumi did not want,
but it usually made Masaya melt under its light. Yes, Izumi had noticed that
Masaya was taking more than a healthy interest in Aiyana, and it wasn't just
because she was pregnant, either. That interest was one that Izumi was not
liking at all.
She whirled away from the table and back to her dough. Nanami and Manami
giggled as they watched Aiyana, with her new cutting technique, at the table.
"We hafta put the appas in next," Nanami said, reaching for the
apples in the center of the table.
"Yeah. We need to chop them up. Here, Aiyana-san. Can you pass the knife
over here?" Manami asked.
Aiyana lifted the knife off the table and passed it the twins' way.
"NO!" Izumi said, running to the table and catching the knife
before Manami's chubby hand could grab it, blade-first. "You're not
supposed to give toddlers knives! And you don't pass knives blade
first. Don't you know anything?!"
Aiyana recoiled from Izumi's heated attack. "I'm...I'm sorry!" she
screamed back, narrowing her eyes at the younger girl. "I was only trying
to help! You're not helping me at all, screaming like a little baby! You're
worse than the twins!"
"Ooooh!" Izumi yelled. Aiyana had hit her soft spot, calling her
young...especially since Aiyana was closer in age to Masaya than she was. She
slammed the knife on the table, glaring at Aiyana. "Talking about me,
worse than the twins! You're not helping much either, making more messes than
the two of them put together! You were probably doing it on purpose, fed up
with them making you look bad and trying to get rid of them!"
"I was not! I'd never try to kill anyone ever again!"
Aiyana pushed her seat back from the table and stood up. She was a pitiful
sight, raging mad, but Izumi noticed tears had collected her eyes, and she was
nervously fingering a small teardrop-shaped pendant around her neck. She'd hit
a soft spot too, she saw. Aiyana gave an angry, shuddery sigh, then left the
kitchen.
And for once, Masaya had no idea what to do.
***
Izumi sat on one end of the couch, arms folded once again and a sullen
expression on her face. Aiyana hadn't cried, which surprised Izumi, who
remembered how touchy women could be when pregnant. Her mom was like that, too,
when pregnant with the twins. She'd almost hoped Aiyana would
cry...because she'd also forgotten how compassionate Masaya was. He'd have
comforted Aiyana, shooting an angry look at Izumi. As it is, earlier he'd
confronted her.
"Izumi-chan," he said, "you shouldn't have screamed at Aiyana
like that. She's going through a hard time, and she certainly doesn't feel like
she's doing anything right. She doesn't need you adding on to it."
"What about me?" Izumi was never one afraid to express her opinions,
not even to Masaya, and she felt she was being neglected. "She screamed at
me, too. She called me a baby!"
"She didn't call you a baby," Masaya said. "She said you
were screaming like one. Which you were. You flew a little off the handle
there, Izumi-chan."
"Don't call me -chan!" You don't call her –chan.
Masaya raised his eyebrows, rather amused. "I've called you -chan
for years. What else do you want me to call you?"
"Just...Izumi!" And she huffed away again. Masaya was utterly
confused.
Aiyana had watched the exchange between the two of them. What was the girl's
problem? It was coming together, but very slowly and not bright enough. She
needed to watch Izumi more to find out why the younger girl hated her so much,
when she had just met her a few hours ago.
Masaya was sitting on the far end of the couch, Izumi was on the other side,
and the TV was on, although obviously only the twins were watching it because
it was turned to a cartoon movie. Also obvious was the fact that Izumi was a
little angry at Masaya, but not too angry, because she was still staring at him
in a not-so-angry manner. Aiyana shook her head. She was standing up, Nanami
was in her arms, playing in her hair, and Manami was begging her to sit down
next to her--which would place her in between Izumi and Masaya.
Much as Aiyana would have liked to sit next to the young man--poor thing, he
looks so burned out! I feel so bad for stressing him by arguing with Izumi--she
didn't want to widen the sudden chasm between Izumi and her favorite cousin, so
she sat down next to Izumi, causing Izumi to scoot over closer to Manami.
Manami crawled in Izumi's lap to move over towards Aiyana, which had Izumi
scooting closer to Masaya. Aiyana sighed, then turned to the twins striving to
share her lap.
"Here...I don't have much of a lap anymore," she giggled as she
arranged the twins so each would be sitting on a leg. "There you go. Sit
like that."
Manami squealed as she turned her attention to the TV screen, seeing her
favorite cartoon character there, and Nanami merely laid her head on Aiyana's
round stomach. But she promptly removed it, staring at it. "What's that,
Aiyana-san? Are you still hungry?"
"No...what are you talking about, Nanami-chan?"
"Your stummy is moving. It bumped."
Aiyana looked down. Yes, it had bumped, but it wasn't for lack of food. She
laughed. "No, I'm not still hungry, Nanami-chan. That's my baby moving.
Before only I could feel it, but I guess now you can feel it too. She hasn't
moved all night--she's been pretty quiet--but I guess now that all
the...noise...has calmed down, she's started to move again." Aiyana
laughed. "That doesn't seem to make any sense, does it?"
"That's the baby? I can feel the baby from out here!" Nanami smiled
toothily. "Cool!" She laid a small, chubby hand on Aiyana's stomach,
and was soon rewarded by a small bump on the hand. "I really can feel
it!"
Masaya lifted his head from his hand. "Really?"
"I guess so," said Aiyana. "Nanami-chan says she can."
"Let me feel!" Manami said, all interest in her cartoon lost. "Ooh,
I can feel it too!"
Aiyana smiled broadly, nodding. "Yep, that's probably her little arms or
legs flailing."
"Maybe that means she wants to come out," Manami said. "Do you
think she wants to come out, Aiyana-san?"
"No," said Aiyana. "She's warm and safe in there, she doesn't
have to do anything, and she gets fed regularly whenever I eat. I don't think
she'd want to come out."
"I think I would," said Nanami. "If I was ever inside my mommy's
stummy, then I would want to come out, too."
"You were once inside Mom, Nanami-chan," Izumi said, scoffing at her
younger sister's enthuiasm at the moving baby. She'd felt her mother's moving
stomach plenty of times when she was pregnant with the twins...it had been a
little weird and exciting the first time she'd felt a real, live, baby move
while still not quite born, but she felt she was too old to be so excited over
that little action.
She turned to see Masaya's reaction to the baby vibrating within Aiyana's
stomach. A small smile had spread over his face, and he was staring at Aiyana
rather intensely--a development Aiyana was oblivious to. Izumi had never seen
that look on Masaya's face, and she wasn't sure she liked it too much,
especially directed at Aiyana Khalidah!
Izumi frowned and stood up, walking out of the living room. She noted only
Aiyana lifted her head and stared after her worriedly, but that only made her
more incensed. Aiyana's look was pitying, and Izumi didn't like that look. But
Masaya didn't notice, of course, because he was too busy paying attention to
Aiyana and her baby...
Suddenly Izumi's head snapped up and a thought crossed her mind. She smirked
devilishly. She had the perfect solution.
* * * * *
Endymion
I find it quite amusing that you have only just now figured that she would
eventually be brought to Crystal Tokyo. Every secret is always exposed to
light, especially if it pertains to destiny. It is no miracle, just destiny and
life working itself out. And yes, you are right...she does have your eyes, deep
and filled with emotion.
When she disappeared years ago, of course I was very worried about her--a
mother's natural instinct. But I realized--unlike you--that this was only a way
for her to meet her other parent, which is all she's strived for. Younger, she
asked...sometimes, even when she didn't ask questions about her father, I knew
she was thinking about questions, questions she knew I wouldn't answer. I felt
so bad because these things were concealed, but I was frightened. Frightened
that she would go looking for you...although shy, Seishi was always extremely
strong of heart, and she would accomplish anything she desired. And I knew she
would succeed if she tried...nothing to do with knowing the future this time,
however. I knew it because I know my daughter.
The idea of her being kidnapped is very tantalizing...I never wanted to believe
my dear daughter had run away from me. I berated myself, asking
"Why?" And yet I knew the answer...she wanted to find you. If she was
kidnapped as you think, then that would explain why she doesn't remember me or
anything I've taught her. It might also explain why she tried to kill you and
your wife. You should ask her, test her. But memories run deep, so be prepared
for her to remember if you do so, Endymion.
I smile at the thought of my lady falling in love. She never was the dreamy
type, although she always seemed a wisp of reality, floating away from me...and
yet I still feel her eating away at my vitality. I was already weak before her,
and grew weaker with bringing her into the world, and still I grow weak as she
grows stronger. Every day, her heart grows stronger, she regains her memories,
and one day she will be stronger than I, taking me completely. Then I will
float away from her. And yet, I sense another presence with her...I hope that
doesn't mean what I think it does...and Ami is an obstetrician, ne?
Haruka and Michiru are beginning to feel it too. Not the other precense, but
they are sensing her connection to me. You've told me this, and I knew they
would if they ever met her. The others are blinded by their loyalty to the king
and queen, but Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama raised me, and they can see it. If
Setsuna were there, they would know. They will, eventually, remember, and they
will confront you. They are disturbed by my disappearance and it hurts me
inside to know I am hurting my surrogate parents, the ones who have cared so
much about me, but this is the way that it must be.
I hope that things go well for you. That was the whole purpose of this
charade...but I do not believe that they will go wrong. Seishi will live, and
things will turn out as they must. We did not see this all the times we asked
Setsuna about our futures, but I suppose that no matter how concrete things
seem, there are always little surprises along the way.
Hotaru
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AN: Well, there you have it...you were all guessing it all along, so I decided
to let you know. Now the question isn't
who but how and why. Don't hit me...
No, Izumi does not know that Aiyana is the assassin...she was just angry and
threw that in as a jab. Little does she know how much the jab hurt Aiyana.
About Izumi's -chan qualms, perhaps I should explain...the suffix
i-chan/i is usually used for people that you're very close
with. Family members that are close call each other with "-chan" and
close friends may call each other "-chan." For example, the Senshi
call each other "-chan" (Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Usagi-chan, Mako-chan,
Mina-chan) and Usagi calls Mamoru "Mamo-chan."
So why in heaven's name would Izumi be mad? Well, "-chan" may seem
negative, especially to teenagers, because it also denotes young age. The
Senshi also call Chibi-usa "Chibiusa-chan" because of her young age.
In the manga, Rei does not call Usagi "Usagi-chan" because she is her
princess, the leader of the Senshi, and she has a lot of respect for her.
"-chan" is considered an insult to someone who is older than you
(like, if Aiyana called Masaya "Masaya-chan" without his permission,
that would be *very* disrespectful). So by Izumi not wanting to be called
"-chan" by Masaya, it denotes that she wants to be viewed as older by
Masaya, since she has a crush on him. Of course, Masaya is oblivious to this
and does not understand Izumi's desire, especially since he has always called
her "-chan." However, he never calls Aiyana "-chan"--which
is another reason why Izumi comes to dislike the pet honorific.
Aiyana sometimes forgets the honorifics because Japanese is not her native
language, but as time goes on she begins to remember them more. For instance,
she doesn't call Izumi "Izumi-chan" but "Izumi-san," even
though the girl is younger than her, for respect.
I know this is a fairly short chapter, compared to the others, but I wanted to
leave you hanging with that letter. ^_^ Complaints, flames, questions, and
comments can be sent to [1]keskiivikko@yahoo.com or asked in a review with your
e-mail address. I read all my reviews and will reply if asked to, although
maybe not right away.
Speaking of reviews, thanks for the support and constructive criticism!