Chapter Two:
"Mayura, what are you doing here?!" asked Loki agitated. "You're supposed to be in school for another thirty minutes!"
"The after school math program was canceled today because Kimura-sensei had a doctor's appointment."
(A/n: sensei means teacher.)
"That's not what I meant and you know it! Why were you sneaking around in my basement?" Loki retorted becoming angry.
"I wasn't sneaking! I called out your name several times and you didn't answer!" retorted Mayura back. Well… it's half true… Hope he buys it, hope he buys it… Mayura crossed her fingers behind her back for good luck.
Loki looked at Mayura warily, and decided to trust her this time. I didn't hear her come down the stairs. Hell, I didn't hear her at all until she had started screaming in terror.
"What's that in your hand?" she asked pointing at the cord Loki was still holding.
Flustered, Loki looked down at his hand. "What, oh you mean this? Nothing… nothing important at all," he rushed out. Before Mayura could think up anymore questions Loki returned the cord to the chest it had come from and quickly closed the lid. He even sat on top of the chest to stop Mayura's insatiable curiosity from getting the best of her.
"Umm, Loki-kun," questioned Mayura as she noticed that there wasn't any door knocker anymore, "how do we get out?"
"That's a very good question Mayura, but since you're the one who trapped us in here, maybe you know the answer?" replied Loki sarcastically.
"You're so mean Loki-kun! How was I supposed to know that this room doesn't have a door knob on the inside." But I was sure it had one. Wasn't that how I closed it in the first place?
"A very good observation Mayura, and that's exactly why I don't want you to go searching around the house." That, and with you're luck, you'll find the most dangerous or expensive item and break it. "You don't know everything about this place, and there are several areas where if you do something wrong… serious consequences may occur."
"You mean we're not going to get out of here!"
"I didn't say that."
"No! We're going to die! But there are so many fushigi mysteries that I haven't seen yet…!" Mayura began to sob. "I haven't seen the Lock Ness Monster, or an alien, or a real poltergeist, or a Leprechaun, or… or…" Mayura was crying too much to hear her words coherently.
"Mayura!" yelled Loki. She toned her sobs down and looked up to find a rather… pissed off Loki. "There is a way out of here, but I need to think about it. I don't usually lock myself into my own rooms after all," he drawled.
"You mean we're not going to die?"
"Yes, fortunately you locked yourself in here with me. Otherwise…" Loki left his sentence hanging. He didn't need to finish it for Mayura to understand what he was saying. "Still, it's going to be rather uncomfortable for the next two days. Mayura, you need to lift me up to the chandelier."
"Ah, okay." Mayura picked Loki-kun under the arms and raised him to about the same level as her head. "Hurry up Loki-kun… you're heavy," commented Mayura straining.
"Umm… Mayura, I need to be higher. Put me down." Mayura was more than willing to do as he said. How can I get up there? Mayura can't lift me and I'm obviously too short to reach it on my own. Loki spied the counter. No, too dangerous. It probably wouldn't hold my weight long enough to do what needs to be done. Anyway, that would be a horrible angel to do that part… Loki's head suddenly snapped up with an idea. "Mayura, kneel in front of the chests will you? I'll get onto your shoulders by standing on one of the chests."
"I don't know Loki-kun. You're really heavy," objected Mayura.
"Doing it this way you'll be lifting with your legs instead of your arms Mayura. And either we do this or neither of us is getting out of this room alive. It's that simple." Shocked, Mayura nodded her head and kneeled down in front of the wooden chests. Loki climbed onto her back and straddled her head as if he were taking a piggyback ride. How degrading… At least no one will know about this. "Alright now Mayura. Stand up and bring me over to the chandelier."
Awkwardly Mayura stood up, almost falling three times during the process. "Loki-kun, you're too big too be doing this… at least on me."
"Well if someone hadn't locked us in here, I wouldn't be playing piggyback ride. It's you're fault."
"Loki-kun is so mean! I didn't know we'd be trapped in here. I was running away from a creepy shadow trying to touch me from that big mirror you have in the other room."
Loki rolled his eyes, and didn't bother to respond. Mirrors are only for conversation, not transportation. I bet she didn't even stay long enough to see the 'shadow' hit their mirror… idiot, searching for 'fushigi mysteries' and then running off in terror every time she stumbles into something. "The faster you get me to the chandelier, the faster I can get down from here Mayura."
"Alright… I'm moving I'm moving Loki-kun." Slowly, making sure to hold onto the counter at all times to keep her balance, Mayura walked over to the chandelier. "There, now get us out!"
With only a slight hesitation, Loki pulled out two random—or what seemed to be random candles—from the chandelier. A minute passed before a clicking sound could be heard from the roof. Loki quickly placed the candles back into their original position. "Mayura, do you see the trap door that just opened in the ceiling?"
"Yeah"
"I need you to walk under it."
"I'll try. My legs feel like they're becoming jelly Loki-kun." And Loki could feel that Mayura wasn't joking… her steps were becoming smaller and less stable in just the few feet she had to walk to get to the trap door.
It seemed like forever to Mayura, but Loki had only been on her shoulders for five minutes. I was hoping this wouldn't be a problem but… Loki called down to her, "I can't reach the final switch Mayura. I'm going to have to stand on your shoulders." Even in my true form I had to stretch to get these last switches, and although my head is a little bit higher right now, my arms aren't as long.
"Just hurry up Loki…" gritted Mayura in obvious distress.
Carefully Loki positioned himself so that he could stand up onto Mayura's shoulders without causing either of them to lose their balance. "I'm moving at the count of three, so brace yourself. One… two… three!"
"Ah, Loki-kun!"
Loki braced himself with the inside of the trap door and hoped that Mayura would regain her balance. But Mayura kept on getting wobblier and wobblier. Here goes nothing. Reaching up, Loki flipped the last switch to open the door. His sudden movement however was enough to tip Mayura's very tentative balance. She tried to catch anything to stop her from falling backwards on the floor, but her effort was futile, only managing to knock over one of the many boxes stored on the shelf. Mayura landed on the floor with a large thud. Naturally, Loki fell on top of her. As the two lied on the floor momentarily dazed, a sparkling powder floated down on them.
"Nnnn…" moaned Loki. His head was cushioned on something soft and warm. Opening his eyes groggily, Loki wasn't prepared for the sight before him. He was planted face first into Mayura's chest! Unable to think straight, Loki just stared.
Mayura began to stir, causing her blouse to rub Loki's face. "Loki-kun… Are, are you all right? Umm, Loki-kun could you… get off me please?"
At the sound of Mayura's voice, Loki's brain finally registered exactly WHERE has eyes were staring at. Blood rushed up to his face and he frantically tried to get up from the awkward position he had landed on Mayura. In his hurry to get off Mayura and onto his knees however, his hands touched Mayura's body at varying degrees of intimate places. Catching his breath, Loki realized that his new position—him kneeling over Mayura with one knee between her legs—wasn't any better. Rocking his weight to his feet, Loki stood up, ran over to the far wall, and turned around so he won't have to face Mayura. "I… I'm… I'm sorry," he managed to stutter out, noticeably embarrassed.
Mayura slowly sat up and rubbed her back. "It's okay Loki-kun," reassured Mayura. Although she wasn't blushing nearly as bad as Loki, her face had gained a slight pinkish ting. He didn't touch me like that on purpose, did he? Get your mind out of the gutter Mayura! Loki-kun is only nine years old. He's not old enough to even that like that! Right? "Really Loki-kun, I'm okay. You didn't hurt me. Just, umm…" Mayura began to get redder in the face. "Just next time, watch out where you put your hands. Older girls don't like to be touched like that, okay?"
Loki kept his face towards the wall. Mayura's last words only reminded him where his face, hands, and lower body had been in relation to hers. And as much as he wanted to forget the whole thing, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Then something dawned on him. Next time? Of course that thought sent Loki's child body into overload shock. The color completely left his face and everything in his body was shutting down. Loki dizzily sat down on one of the wooden chests, almost ready to faint.
"Loki-kun, I thought you said that those switches would open the door?"
"They will open the door," replied Loki, who fortunately wasn't dizzy anymore, although he was still a little pale.
"The why hasn't the door opened?" questioned a worried Mayura. "I didn't break the door did I?"
"No, you didn't break the door. Remember that I said that it's going to be rather uncomfortable for the next two days?"
"Yeah"
"Well, those switches have started a mechanism that will open the door in two days."
'You mean we're trapped in this closet for the next two days?!"
"Technically the next forty-eight hours."
"Fushigi mystery!" squealed Mayura while Loki sweat-dropped. "Mastermind detective and his beautiful young sexy female assistant detective trapped inside a mysterious heavily secured vault!" Loki's face went white. Now usually Loki wouldn't even flinch at those words, but after so many ups and downs in less than a day, his equilibrium wasn't very stable. "Loki-kun, you're so white! You must have gotten hurt from the fall. You're going into shock!" Worried about her young friend, Mayura rushed over to where he was sitting. Unfortunately, she wasn't looking at the floor and didn't notice the box she had knocked on the ground earlier. Instead of kneeling down as she had intended, Mayura smashed into Loki—lips to lips.
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Their kiss was surprisingly long considering the fact that Loki looked like a nine-year-old and Mayura wasn't into pedophilia. "I'm so sorry Loki-kun. You must be so confused right now. I'm not like that, really I promise. You're just a kid—a cute kid—but just a kid nonetheless."
Loki just gawked at Mayura. He wasn't worried about the pedophilia thing. He knew she wasn't. During the three hundred years he had been trapped inside a nine-year-old body, he had come across a fair number of them, and knew what the warning signs were. He generally stayed away from males fifteen or older that used the words 'cute' or 'pretty' in his description more than twice. He let females call him 'cute', but if 'pretty' or 'lovely' came up too often, he skirted away from them as well. A nine-year-old looking for visual gratification he may be, but those people were just sick. No, what had him gawking was the fact that he ENJOYED the kiss and was still conscious.
"Now if you were nine, eight, or seven, years older…" Mayura mused, "That kiss would probably have been for real." Mayura pouted. "But then Loki-kun would be my age attracting all kinds of attention and going out with the 'cute' girls according to Kotaro-kun. Doesn't anyone notice that there's a super fine girl right in front of them?!" shouted Mayura to no one in particular.
That kiss felt real enough to me.
"Ah! My second kiss stolen by a nine-year-old!" Mayura shut her eyes and puffed out her cheeks in anger. "Why couldn't I have gotten trapped in a closet with that nice, handsome, gorgeous foreign guy I ran into yesterday?!" Loki eyes widen as he stared at her. "You're supposed to get trapped in a closet, industrial freezer, or an elevator with a hot guy that you don't know or hate his guts… and then things are supposed to happen… and they fall in love… and then they do some more things… and then… Loki-kun, are you okay?" asked Mayura, but her inquiry fell upon deaf ears. Loki had fainted.
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Mayura was happy when Loki-kun's breathing and skin color had returned to normal, but without cold water or something else to rouse him, there was nothing Mayura could do but wait for him to wake up on his own. "Ma… Mayura?" asked Loki fuzzily sitting up.
"Loki-kun! I'm so glad you're awake. I've been so worried," sobbed Mayura hugging the boy. "It's been six hours since you fainted, and I was so worried that something was wrong and you wouldn't be able to get to a hospital in time."
"No, I'm fine Mayura. I was probably just…" think of something… "dehydrated after working down here for so long."
"Oh, that makes sense. But Loki-kun, I don't see any water or juice in here. If you're dehydrated now, you'll be really sick in two days," noted Mayura.
"And how do you know that Mayura?"
"I got a B in health class Loki-kun."
"Well I'm glad you're not completely as dumb as you look," commented Loki evilly.
"Oh! Loki-kun! Now I know you're feeling better," she stated stamping her foot. "Take that back, I'm only bad in math class!" Mayura's stomach grumbled. "And hungry," she added sheepishly.
"Fortunately, I have provisions stored in here for this type of situation."
"Huh? But I don't see any food."
Standing up Loki pointed to an item on the counter. "It's right here Mayura."
"But Loki-kun that it's food, it's a funny looking cone."
"Watch," commanded Loki. "Two green apples," he instructed as he put his hand into the horn of plenty. Mayura gasped when lo and behold, Loki pulled out two beautifully rip green apples. "Here you go."
"Wow! Fushigi mystery! Can you get any type of food out of it Loki-kun?" asked Mayura fascinated.
"Yep, but you have to be careful what you ask for though. It doesn't understand about cooking or refrigeration. You kind of have to visually picture the form of the food you want. Getting water without a glass for instance is very wet and messy," added Loki making a face. Mayura giggled. "My personal favorite was when someone asked for an ice cream cone and got an ice cream puddle and a soggy waffle."
Mayura burst out laughing at that. "That must have been really messy!"
"Yes, very. Now what would you like to eat? I'm sure that apple wouldn't fill you up."
"Umm… mushroom rice with tofu!"
"Alright, but it's not going to be as good as Yamino-kun's," warned Loki as he pulled out two plates of mushroom rice with tofu as well as two sets of chopsticks. Putting his hand back into the horn of plenty, Loki produced two cups of steaming hot tea. "Ittadakimsu!"
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The small dinner over, Mayura was wondering where to place the used dishes when they suddenly disappeared. "Loki-kun, where did the dishes go?"
"Back into the horn of plenty. It kind of reuses everything to make unlimited quantities of food. That's why you can't live off of a horn of plenty for long periods of time. But for the two days we'll be in here it'll be okay."
"Oh… umm… Loki-kun?"
"Yes Mayura?" Loki sighed.
"Where do we go to go to the bathroom?" she asked worriedly.
"See that space between the wall and the last chest Mayura?"
"Yeah"
"There's a chamber pot back there, and a roll of toilet paper."
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Her hunger satisfied and all chaotic events of earlier that day over with, Mayura truly looked around the room for the first time. Wow, this place is filled with objects. It's just like a treasure room! Mayura stood up and walked over to the counter to look at the things arranged neatly on it in rows. But as interesting as it seemed to be, Mayura couldn't hold back the yawn that escaped her mouth.
Loki looked at the small clock on the counter. "It's eleven thirty at night Mayura. Perhaps we should get some sleep now."
Mayura yawned again. "I am really tired, but where are we going to sleep?"
"There's enough room on the floor. We can both keep on either side of the room. You can take the counter side and I'll take the chest side since I'm smaller and can fit over there better. How does that sound?" But the floor is going to get cold… hmm… Ah! I know. Loki opened the middle chest and pulled out two cloaks, one a dark blue and the other a dark green. "Here, we can sleep on these to keep us warm," he added handing Mayura the dark blue one.
"Thank you Loki-kun." Mayura laid the cloak down and snuggled into its warmth.
"Goodnight Mayura."
"Goodnight… Loki… kun," responded Mayura falling asleep almost as soon as she hit the floor.
Loki looked at the sleeping form of Mayura tenderly before laying down his own cloak on the floor and closing the chest lid. Standing back up, Loki hit his head on the lowest shelf. "Ouch!" he cried, but Mayura remained asleep. Loki put his hand to his head to make sure he wasn't bleeding—which he wasn't. I thought I wasn't quite tall enough to hit those shelves. Hmm… I must have been wrong. Thinking no more of the incident, Loki laid down and went to sleep across from Mayura.