Keone looked from one to the other. "So then...er...Tomo?"

Yuan smirked. "Yes my lady?"

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "So, anyways, where is that symbol thing- y at?"

"What? You don't believe me? Well...I don't think I should."

Keone crossed her arms. "Why? Just show us!"

"You really want to?"

"For crying out loud, yes!"

"Alright. If you insist." Yuan stood up and reached for his sash.

"Eww! You perv!!!" Keone shielded her eyes fearing the worst.

"What? You were the one who asked!" His smirk still plastered on his face, he bolted from the room with Keone in hot pursuit.

The door had barely closed when it opened again. Amiboshi and Aiko came in yawning.

"Morning Shun," Aiko said before sitting in the chair right next to him.

Suboshi raised his eyebrow. "What took so long?" Aiko and Amiboshi's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

"Um, we were just...uh...Amiboshi?"

"We got lost and...and went on a walk instead...Aiko?"

"Then we ran into Keone and...er...that other boy and we figured we must be pretty close to...uh, here. Yeah."

The empress stifled a fit of giggles. "Is that so?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Shush!"

"You shush! You're making it worse!"

"Can you both shush? You're making me even sicker at my stomach, "Suboshi finally yelled.

Both of the rambling teens shut up immediately.

The empress smiled. "Thank you. Now that we are...all here...except for my son of course..."

"Your son?"

Suboshi made a sickening sound. "Yeah...Tomo."

Amiboshi's eyes were as big as saucers. "What?!"

"Yeah. The one and only."

A small "ahem" stopped the twins from talking. "Well, now that we are all here, we must discuss our plans for finding the other seishi."

Aiko raised her hand. "Yes, my dear?"

"Um...Can we leave tomorrow?"

The empress nodded. "Certainly. But first, would you make a list of supplies for me to gather? I am certain you will need some."

"Yes ma'am." Aiko reached across Amiboshi for the chocolate. "Yum! Can we have a few hundred boxes of this?"

~~~~~~

Keone's POV~~~

'Damn that idiot!! Where is he? He's so dead!' I thought as I walked through the gardens. Night had finally fell.

When did it get dark? This is so stupid...I'm chasing a pervert! I would normally laugh to myself at the thought. I mean, what normal person would be out at night looking for a perverted seishi? Scoobydoo?

I shake my head in defeat and sit down on the edge of the pond.

Why am I still looking for him? I'm not that strong! Well, I guess I'm hardly strong enough to lift a book bag but still...

I wonder why I'm in this story book? HA! I wanna' know just what the gods were thinking. Oh well. Maybe I'm supposed to save someone or something.

A picture of Aiko and Amiboshi ran through my mind.

"Is that it? Am I supposed to save them?! Yeah friggen right!! I'd rather save that...perv!!!" I shout at no one in particular.

Another picture goes through my mind when I think of Tomo. It is my old...boyfriend...Micha.

"Hate him. Now every time I look at that freak I'm gonna' start crying damnit!!" Sure enough, here come the tears. I can feel my eyes watering at the mere thought of Micha. One memory always stands out above the rest now. The night when he told me to ditch her...Aiko.

"You love me don't you?!" A young man with dark chocolate brown hair shouted at a somewhat smaller Keone.

"I do! It's not that! I-"

"I get it. I understand now. You would choose friends over me?" He turned his face away from her. "If that's the way you want it then I'll leave."

"No!" Keone grabbed his arm. "Please!! Don't leave me!! I love you!"

She couldn't tell what his expression was because of the shadows that hung over his features in the early morning sun.

"Then...If you do love me...dump them."

Keone gasped. Her eyes widened. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"If you really love me you will get rid of your friends!!" He turned a hard glare at her. "Who will it be Keone? Me or them?"

Keone let go. 'What should I do? God...Help me out here!'

Even more tears fell.

'And what I did the next day...I hate him!!' She hugged her knees to her chest. "I hate him!!!"

Keone sat motionless on the bed. She felt so used. How could he have done something like that to her and then leave?

The phone rang.

Keone barely turned her head. The only thing covering her up was the bed sheet.

Again, it rang.

A tear ran down her face. What am I supposed to do now? He made me loose all of my friends...I don't have anyone anymore...I feel so...alone.

It rang again.

How did this happen? My whole body hurts...but how?

It rang again.

Aiko? She was the one who introduced me to him...How could she? She's the one who betrayed me!

This time the answering machine picked up.

"Hello? Keone? I know you're there!! Pick up you idiot!" It was Aiko's laughing voice.

"Listen...I know something's wrong...so...would you at least tell me?"

How could she? After she did this to me! She ruined my life forever!

"Is something up between Micha and you? You know I'll slug him good if he's done anything."

Slug him? Ha! You've done enough don't you think?! Her and her big talk! That's all she ever is!

"Well....If you won't answer me, then I guess I'm right huh?"

You bet you are! I never want to see you again!

"I guess I am then. Well then, don't forget to do your book report on China. It's due Tuesday. And Keone? Merry Christmas!" There was a small click and the machine hung up.

I never will be your friend again....Not after tonight. Along with my virginity, I will loose you as well. Goodbye, traitor.

~~~~*~~~~~

While Keone sat on the fountains side, she heard the bushes beside her rustle. The form she most feared at that moment stepped out.

"Micha?!"

"What's a 'Micha'?" asked a very confused Tomo.

Keone wrinkled up her nose in disgust. She only knew the guy for a day and he had already made a lasting impact. "Oh! It's you." Keone roughly wiped away the tear tracks. "No one."

"Come on. What's the matter, little Miss Crabby?"

"I'm not crabby and nothing's wrong!" She started walking to the door. 'Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away. Almost like a gnat.'

"Hey! I'm trying to be nice here!" He started after her.

"Ha! Coulda' fooled me. Why don't you go and piss someone else off for once?"

Yuan frowned. 'Now, how could I ever piss anyone off?' "I'm not the jerk you make me out to be you know. You weren't being nice when I first saw you either. Ever think first impressions can be wrong?"

Keone had had enough. A dam of tears broke loose and flowed freely no matter how she tried to stop them. "Just go away! I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone right now!"

Yuan was taken off guard."Keone...I...I'm sorry if I said something wrong."

Keone stopped walking away. "It's not you...I...I just...Something happened to me a long time ago, kay?"

He gave her a small smile. "Oh....I take it it's one of those things you feel like no one else in the world will understand, right?"

"How could they? No one else has had to p-put up with some of the shit I have!"

"You don't know that. I'm not saying that I'd understand, but someone would."

"Yeah well, I guess so..."

"Have you ever told anyone about what you've been though?"

"I couldn't anyways." She wiped the remaining tear tracks away.

"There's always someone who could understand." She looked up at him. "Yeah...I guess so. Thanks."

"Glad to be of service." His normal smirk resurfaced.

"I have a question. Why are you being so...nice? It's kinda' freaky after earlier."

Yuan shrugged. "You were being mean earlier and...you're fun to annoy." He winked at her.

Keone rolled her eyes. "Peeping Tom..."

"Hey! We aren't still on that are we?! I thought that was over!!"

Keone laughed out loud. "It is. You're just so much fun to annoy!"

Yuan creased his brow. "That's not very nice."

"All's fair in love and war!" She continued laughing her head off.

"Gee...I'd hate to be your enemy..."

Keone quickly sobered up remembering just why she was out in the gardens in the first place...other than Yuan's perverted antics. "I think I understand why your brother looks up to you so much."

Yuan coughed to hide a blush that threatened to surface. "Well, yeah...Thanks."

Keone smiled and said goodnight before going off to her room.

Yuan watched her leave. 'I wonder what that was all about...' He kicked a small pebble on walkway to the side.

He remembered something that she said and blushed.

'All is fair in love and war!' He could still see her smiling face.

'So...does she mean...? Nah. I shouldn't think much into it. It's just a saying.'

With one last glance at the pond, Yuan turned towards his room hoping for a goodnight's rest. After all, it had been a tough day!

~~~~~*~~~~~

I know this is extremely short, and I will have a LOT more next time. I started a new story a while back. I finished it but haven't gotten it up because FF.net is being a baka baka shii!!! *goes Skuld mode on it* You will die!!!! ^ ~

See ya minna!

~Amanda