Disclaimer: See chapters one through nine.
Thanks to:
MoO KaWaIi MoO: I'm glad that you liked chapters eight and nine but I'm sad you thought that last one was boring. I know it wasn't the most exciting chapter but I have to include a few of those every so often. It was important even if it wasn't the best chapter.
Renee: Here's some more for ya.
Lanen: All this talk about Mits having rabies is making me think about writing a mini story about it. That'd be funny. I should do that one-day when I'm really bored. I'm glad that you like the story.
Otaku Pitcher: I'm glad someone liked the last chapter. What got me worried was that everyone knows Chichiri's past so I thought people would get bored with it. But thanks for being here for me and giving me a positive review on it. Not that I don't mind negative ones. . .as long as their constructive.
miLady: I don't mind you guessing. . .I just can't really tell you if you're right. I haven't read the "Ayashi no Ceres" manga so I can't tell you if it is like it. If it ends up being like it, I didn't mean to rip them off or whatever.
RyogazGal: Thanks for the improved character info. Your girl is named "Fae." Hope that's ok with you. And thanks for telling me about the Chichiri thing.
(I'm guessing here. . .Faeriesinger?): What? No name? Well, here's the rest. Not really. The rest will take awhile. As much as I would like to be able to magically make chapters appear, I can't. So you got to wait. I'm glad you like Yume and Shiriko.
Author's Note: Sorry if the last chapter wasn't the best. Hey, I tried. Sorry it wasn't chock full of excitement. This one should be better. It goes back to the comedy. Hopefully it's more exciting. Oh, I have to change something that I said before. The characters make their first technical appearance in the end of chapter 23 but you meet them all for real in the next one and learn the names in the next. Sorry if that was confusing. It was even harder to write.
'. . .' are Yume's thoughts.
Chapter 11: Packing Wars!
I sat in my room, gazing at the ancient surroundings. I had left Chichiri around an hour ago and had been doing random tasks since then. Nobody had bothered me in a while and I was beginning to think that I might actually get some peace. 'Yea right,' I thought as I heard a knock on my door. 'I always have to jinx myself don't I?' "I'll be right there," I called to my interrupter. I opened the door to find Tasuki. The plan I had made earlier resurfaced to the top of my memory. "Hi Tasuki. What brings you here?" I asked, sweetly.
"I'm supposed to make sure that you pack for tomorrow. We're leaving early in the morning so you won't have time to pack then," he answered. He gave me a suspicious look. "Why are you so happy to see me?"
I rolled my eyes. "Duh! You bought me my bracelets. The least I can do is be halfway decent to you. And that's just the least," I replied, smiling coyly at him. 'I really shouldn't mess with his mind like this but it's way too good of an opportunity to pass up. Besides, it's harmless. He should know that by now.'
"Forget about the bracelets. You don't have to be nice to me just because I bought you something," he told me, turning his back on me. "I like it better when you were mean to me and argued with me. At least then you were being natural."
'Foolish boy; you're making this way too easy!' I grabbed a pillow while his back was turned and threw it at him. "Got you!" I yelled as it hit him in the back of the head. "Did you really think that I could change my attitude towards you simply because you bought me something? I'm not that easy!" I laughed at his naivety.
"This is one of the reasons why I hate girls! You say one thing but mean another! You never say what you're thinking then you get mad when we don't know!" he yelled. I stopped laughing and looked at him with a serious expression.
"Ok, for one, I'm not mad, (A/N: I'm hurt. Sorry couldn't help it), I'm just teasing you. Also, if I said everything that I thought someone would have kicked my ass by now and I'd probably be dead," I replied. "Besides, if you say everything that you think, nobody gets to guess and that ruins all the fun. Guys just don't understand. I'll stop kidding around and start to pack. Sorry for trying to have some fun."
'Time for stage two.' I turned around and started gathering my junk up, purposely hiding my face. I shook my shoulders a little to make it look like I was crying. He walked towards me and I turned the other way. "Yume. Yume come on. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your fun," he said. 'Oh poor, foolish Tasuki. You didn't ruin my fun, you just changed the rules and game a little.' I grabbed the pillow I had thrown earlier, preparing to put it back on my bed. He turned me around and I planted the pillow right in his face. "Hey! That's not fair!" he cried, putting his arms up to block his face.
"No one ever said life was fair, o unknowing one," I commented in a sarcastic voice smirking at him. He returned the smirk and the pillow; right upside my head. "Hey! Watch the face!" I yelled. Shiriko stood by, watching us with an all- knowing look. This annoyed me. "Some help you are," I muttered. He just looked at me with an amused look. 'Damn dog. . .' Tasuki hit me with another pillow. "Ah!"
I retaliated with my own calculated blow to the side of his head. "Ouch!" he yelled. He then proceeded to smack me in the stomach with his pillow. My grip on my pillow loosened and he snatched it from my hand. "Do you give up? Or do I have to humiliate you some more?" he taunted. 'He was really asking for it! This wasn't part of the plan!'
I glared at him. "Never!!!" I yelled. I lunged at him, in an attempt to reclaim my lost weapon. All I could manage to do was slip and fall on my butt. He laughed at me. 'Ah ha! Just as I predicted. His vision is off me which means his grip is loosened!' I sneaked forward, easily retrieving both pillows. "Victory is mine!!!" I roared, throwing my head back and raising the pillows to the sky. . .well. . .ceiling anyway. When I looked back at where Tasuki had been standing, he was gone. "Where'd he go?" I asked myself. Suddenly, I was spun around and the pillows were removed from my hands. 'Tasuki got me again. . .'
"I've got you now. All you can do now is admit defeat, prisoner," he declared, smirking evilly down at me.
"Cheater. . ." I muttered. I tried to escape away from the smirk, away from him. I didn't like it when he played tricks like that. 'I can't get close to him, to any of them. It will only hurt more in the end when they find out why I'm really here.' As I turned, he grabbed my wrist. "Let me go, Tasuki," I ordered.
"What are you two doing?" a female voice asked from the doorway. 'Leave it to Tasuki to forget to shut the door.' I suddenly felt really stupid. My ponytail must be falling out by now and who knows how many feathers I have in my hair. My dress was all messed up and so was the bed. (I didn't make it this morning.) 'This is really going to help my image. Shit! How am I going to get out of this one?'
"We had a pillow fight," I answered innocently. Tasuki nodded.
"Couldn't you tell?" he added.
"Now then, my turn to ask the questions. What are you doing here?" I asked Miaka, taking charge of the conversation. No good could come of her remaining in charge. 'Maybe the idiot will forget all about this.'
"I came to see if you were packing yet. We sent Tasuki to tell you to but I had a feeling that you hadn't started," she replied, eying us suspiciously. "Guess I was right."
"It's not like I have much to pack. You two are making it seem like I have a whole crapload of junk," I responded. "It'll only take like five seconds to pack. But I should get started, I suppose."
"Alright then, we'll leave," Miaka told me.
"No, I need to talk to you for a minute. Tasuki? Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I asked.
"Ok, ok. I can take a hint." He left. 'Now I can fulfill my promise to Tamahome,' I thought.
"So what'd you need to talk to me about?" Miaka asked.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Tamahome. Is there something going on between the two of you?" It may have been blunt but it just might have worked because Miaka looked away.
"No, not anymore," she answered. She sounded sad so I tried to act concerned.
"What do you mean? What happened? Everything seemed fine last night."
"It's. . .nothing. We just can't be together anymore," she lied. . .err. . .responded.
"Why not? It seemed like he really cared about you and that you really cared about him. Doesn't that matter?" I think my questions were starting to get to her because she replied angrily.
"Yes it does matter! To us but not to the gods!" 'Breakthrough!' "Taiitsu- kun told me to forget about him because it can't work out. Once I summon Suzaku, I have to go back to my world. Besides, the Priestess' body has to be 'pure'," she answered. I laughed at the last remark. I couldn't help it. "What's so funny?!?"
"Pure? What were you planning to do with little Tamahome?" I asked, smirking. I really couldn't help the smirk, remark, or laughter. Call it a character flaw if you must. It was too funny.
"Not just that! He can't kiss me or anything either," she answered, blushing madly. I kept laughing. This was priceless. "I demand that you stop laughing!" she demanded.
I stopped laughing and glared at her. "Hey watch it there, Priestess. I don't take orders from anybody. To these people you may be a Priestess or whatever but to me you're still just a normal person whom I don't have to listen to. Taiitsu-kun said I was going to be important to this journey and gave me the box so you better watch it or I'll unleash the stupid thing on you," I warned. I waved my hand at her in an effort to dismiss her. "Now be gone so I can pack my huge amount of stuff."
"Fine, I doubt you even know how to use it anyway. Just remember, I saw yours and Tasuki's little 'pillow fight' and I can still tell everyone," she said, equally annoyed.
"You wouldn't. Besides, it seriously was just a pillow fight! Ugh! Why does everyone here insist that there's something going on between us?" I threw my hands into the air for a more "dramatic" effect.
"I know nothing happened. I'm just teasing you. And one of the reasons they keep on insisting on it is the way you react. And because you two are so much alike. They know it bothers him so they figure it will bother you," she explained. "So they take advantage of that."
This annoyed me. 'Why won't she leave already?' I suddenly had an idea. "I think dinner's done," I lied. Her face lit up and ran from the room, probably forgetting everything but her hunger. "She's too easy," I said watching her retreating form. I'm not sure but I think Shiriko nodded.
I paced the room attempting to put some order back into the mess. I noticed that she didn't shut the door. I sighed and shut it. "Useless jerk," I mumbled. I returned to my onslaught of the mess. I threw the pillows back on "my" bed. Then, I collected my very few belongings and threw them into my bag along with the clothes I was borrowing from the palace and Miaka. "That was easy. Now what?" I pulled out some of my books from my book bag. "Hmm. . .global, math, French. . .ha! Guess I won't be needing these for awhile." 'I really have to stop thinking out loud. Someone could overhear me someday.'
I put my books away and spotted Nakago's earring, still on the table. 'Maybe I should "accidentally" lose it. Then my obligation to him will be over.' I considered this for a moment. The risks outweighed the benefits. I put the thing in a small side pocket. I sat back down by the window where I had been sitting before I was "interrupted." That stupid bow Taiitsu-kun gave me rolled out of my pocket. I picked it up. 'I doubt you even know how to use it anyway.' I remembered what Miaka had said before. 'Damn Priestess. I'll figure out how to use it. How hard can it be? It's just a stupid box.' I picked it up. "What's so special about this thing anyway? I bet it doesn't even do anything. She probably just gave it to me so I'd feel special."
I attempted to find the front. Once I found what I thought it was, I poked the center jewel, a deep red one that resembled a ruby. It moved but nothing happened. It looked like an ordinary, very expensive, jeweled box except for the sides. The front portion was mainly red but blended into blue at the right corner and white on the left. The back was green and covered with gems that resembled emeralds. One portion of it had two small light green stones that looked almost like eyes. 'Now that I think about it, each side has two stones close together that look like eyes. Aquamarines, rubies, diamonds and now, those light green stones. This is one unique box,' I thought as I put the box into my bag and left the room. Naturally, Shiriko followed.
Author's Note:
Smack: Weird box. Wonder what it does. . .
Tasuki: Oh come on! You know perfectly well what it does.
Smack: ::sweat drops:: No, actually I don't. Haven't decided yet. I have an idea but I'm not sure. We should get away from this topic. It's making me sound stupid. How about the quote from the next chapter?
"Why would Miaka take you out somewhere?" she asked. She almost looked hurt. Nakago, hiding in the background, looked like he wanted to bang his head against a wall.
Smack: Guess who makes an appearance in chapter 12? For those of you who were wondering about them, I told they'd show up eventually. You just have to have some patience with me. I'm slow. Just wait until the later chapters. . .then you'll know what I mean. It takes me like three chapters just to end one thing. Sad, I know.
Thanks to:
MoO KaWaIi MoO: I'm glad that you liked chapters eight and nine but I'm sad you thought that last one was boring. I know it wasn't the most exciting chapter but I have to include a few of those every so often. It was important even if it wasn't the best chapter.
Renee: Here's some more for ya.
Lanen: All this talk about Mits having rabies is making me think about writing a mini story about it. That'd be funny. I should do that one-day when I'm really bored. I'm glad that you like the story.
Otaku Pitcher: I'm glad someone liked the last chapter. What got me worried was that everyone knows Chichiri's past so I thought people would get bored with it. But thanks for being here for me and giving me a positive review on it. Not that I don't mind negative ones. . .as long as their constructive.
miLady: I don't mind you guessing. . .I just can't really tell you if you're right. I haven't read the "Ayashi no Ceres" manga so I can't tell you if it is like it. If it ends up being like it, I didn't mean to rip them off or whatever.
RyogazGal: Thanks for the improved character info. Your girl is named "Fae." Hope that's ok with you. And thanks for telling me about the Chichiri thing.
(I'm guessing here. . .Faeriesinger?): What? No name? Well, here's the rest. Not really. The rest will take awhile. As much as I would like to be able to magically make chapters appear, I can't. So you got to wait. I'm glad you like Yume and Shiriko.
Author's Note: Sorry if the last chapter wasn't the best. Hey, I tried. Sorry it wasn't chock full of excitement. This one should be better. It goes back to the comedy. Hopefully it's more exciting. Oh, I have to change something that I said before. The characters make their first technical appearance in the end of chapter 23 but you meet them all for real in the next one and learn the names in the next. Sorry if that was confusing. It was even harder to write.
'. . .' are Yume's thoughts.
Chapter 11: Packing Wars!
I sat in my room, gazing at the ancient surroundings. I had left Chichiri around an hour ago and had been doing random tasks since then. Nobody had bothered me in a while and I was beginning to think that I might actually get some peace. 'Yea right,' I thought as I heard a knock on my door. 'I always have to jinx myself don't I?' "I'll be right there," I called to my interrupter. I opened the door to find Tasuki. The plan I had made earlier resurfaced to the top of my memory. "Hi Tasuki. What brings you here?" I asked, sweetly.
"I'm supposed to make sure that you pack for tomorrow. We're leaving early in the morning so you won't have time to pack then," he answered. He gave me a suspicious look. "Why are you so happy to see me?"
I rolled my eyes. "Duh! You bought me my bracelets. The least I can do is be halfway decent to you. And that's just the least," I replied, smiling coyly at him. 'I really shouldn't mess with his mind like this but it's way too good of an opportunity to pass up. Besides, it's harmless. He should know that by now.'
"Forget about the bracelets. You don't have to be nice to me just because I bought you something," he told me, turning his back on me. "I like it better when you were mean to me and argued with me. At least then you were being natural."
'Foolish boy; you're making this way too easy!' I grabbed a pillow while his back was turned and threw it at him. "Got you!" I yelled as it hit him in the back of the head. "Did you really think that I could change my attitude towards you simply because you bought me something? I'm not that easy!" I laughed at his naivety.
"This is one of the reasons why I hate girls! You say one thing but mean another! You never say what you're thinking then you get mad when we don't know!" he yelled. I stopped laughing and looked at him with a serious expression.
"Ok, for one, I'm not mad, (A/N: I'm hurt. Sorry couldn't help it), I'm just teasing you. Also, if I said everything that I thought someone would have kicked my ass by now and I'd probably be dead," I replied. "Besides, if you say everything that you think, nobody gets to guess and that ruins all the fun. Guys just don't understand. I'll stop kidding around and start to pack. Sorry for trying to have some fun."
'Time for stage two.' I turned around and started gathering my junk up, purposely hiding my face. I shook my shoulders a little to make it look like I was crying. He walked towards me and I turned the other way. "Yume. Yume come on. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your fun," he said. 'Oh poor, foolish Tasuki. You didn't ruin my fun, you just changed the rules and game a little.' I grabbed the pillow I had thrown earlier, preparing to put it back on my bed. He turned me around and I planted the pillow right in his face. "Hey! That's not fair!" he cried, putting his arms up to block his face.
"No one ever said life was fair, o unknowing one," I commented in a sarcastic voice smirking at him. He returned the smirk and the pillow; right upside my head. "Hey! Watch the face!" I yelled. Shiriko stood by, watching us with an all- knowing look. This annoyed me. "Some help you are," I muttered. He just looked at me with an amused look. 'Damn dog. . .' Tasuki hit me with another pillow. "Ah!"
I retaliated with my own calculated blow to the side of his head. "Ouch!" he yelled. He then proceeded to smack me in the stomach with his pillow. My grip on my pillow loosened and he snatched it from my hand. "Do you give up? Or do I have to humiliate you some more?" he taunted. 'He was really asking for it! This wasn't part of the plan!'
I glared at him. "Never!!!" I yelled. I lunged at him, in an attempt to reclaim my lost weapon. All I could manage to do was slip and fall on my butt. He laughed at me. 'Ah ha! Just as I predicted. His vision is off me which means his grip is loosened!' I sneaked forward, easily retrieving both pillows. "Victory is mine!!!" I roared, throwing my head back and raising the pillows to the sky. . .well. . .ceiling anyway. When I looked back at where Tasuki had been standing, he was gone. "Where'd he go?" I asked myself. Suddenly, I was spun around and the pillows were removed from my hands. 'Tasuki got me again. . .'
"I've got you now. All you can do now is admit defeat, prisoner," he declared, smirking evilly down at me.
"Cheater. . ." I muttered. I tried to escape away from the smirk, away from him. I didn't like it when he played tricks like that. 'I can't get close to him, to any of them. It will only hurt more in the end when they find out why I'm really here.' As I turned, he grabbed my wrist. "Let me go, Tasuki," I ordered.
"What are you two doing?" a female voice asked from the doorway. 'Leave it to Tasuki to forget to shut the door.' I suddenly felt really stupid. My ponytail must be falling out by now and who knows how many feathers I have in my hair. My dress was all messed up and so was the bed. (I didn't make it this morning.) 'This is really going to help my image. Shit! How am I going to get out of this one?'
"We had a pillow fight," I answered innocently. Tasuki nodded.
"Couldn't you tell?" he added.
"Now then, my turn to ask the questions. What are you doing here?" I asked Miaka, taking charge of the conversation. No good could come of her remaining in charge. 'Maybe the idiot will forget all about this.'
"I came to see if you were packing yet. We sent Tasuki to tell you to but I had a feeling that you hadn't started," she replied, eying us suspiciously. "Guess I was right."
"It's not like I have much to pack. You two are making it seem like I have a whole crapload of junk," I responded. "It'll only take like five seconds to pack. But I should get started, I suppose."
"Alright then, we'll leave," Miaka told me.
"No, I need to talk to you for a minute. Tasuki? Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I asked.
"Ok, ok. I can take a hint." He left. 'Now I can fulfill my promise to Tamahome,' I thought.
"So what'd you need to talk to me about?" Miaka asked.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Tamahome. Is there something going on between the two of you?" It may have been blunt but it just might have worked because Miaka looked away.
"No, not anymore," she answered. She sounded sad so I tried to act concerned.
"What do you mean? What happened? Everything seemed fine last night."
"It's. . .nothing. We just can't be together anymore," she lied. . .err. . .responded.
"Why not? It seemed like he really cared about you and that you really cared about him. Doesn't that matter?" I think my questions were starting to get to her because she replied angrily.
"Yes it does matter! To us but not to the gods!" 'Breakthrough!' "Taiitsu- kun told me to forget about him because it can't work out. Once I summon Suzaku, I have to go back to my world. Besides, the Priestess' body has to be 'pure'," she answered. I laughed at the last remark. I couldn't help it. "What's so funny?!?"
"Pure? What were you planning to do with little Tamahome?" I asked, smirking. I really couldn't help the smirk, remark, or laughter. Call it a character flaw if you must. It was too funny.
"Not just that! He can't kiss me or anything either," she answered, blushing madly. I kept laughing. This was priceless. "I demand that you stop laughing!" she demanded.
I stopped laughing and glared at her. "Hey watch it there, Priestess. I don't take orders from anybody. To these people you may be a Priestess or whatever but to me you're still just a normal person whom I don't have to listen to. Taiitsu-kun said I was going to be important to this journey and gave me the box so you better watch it or I'll unleash the stupid thing on you," I warned. I waved my hand at her in an effort to dismiss her. "Now be gone so I can pack my huge amount of stuff."
"Fine, I doubt you even know how to use it anyway. Just remember, I saw yours and Tasuki's little 'pillow fight' and I can still tell everyone," she said, equally annoyed.
"You wouldn't. Besides, it seriously was just a pillow fight! Ugh! Why does everyone here insist that there's something going on between us?" I threw my hands into the air for a more "dramatic" effect.
"I know nothing happened. I'm just teasing you. And one of the reasons they keep on insisting on it is the way you react. And because you two are so much alike. They know it bothers him so they figure it will bother you," she explained. "So they take advantage of that."
This annoyed me. 'Why won't she leave already?' I suddenly had an idea. "I think dinner's done," I lied. Her face lit up and ran from the room, probably forgetting everything but her hunger. "She's too easy," I said watching her retreating form. I'm not sure but I think Shiriko nodded.
I paced the room attempting to put some order back into the mess. I noticed that she didn't shut the door. I sighed and shut it. "Useless jerk," I mumbled. I returned to my onslaught of the mess. I threw the pillows back on "my" bed. Then, I collected my very few belongings and threw them into my bag along with the clothes I was borrowing from the palace and Miaka. "That was easy. Now what?" I pulled out some of my books from my book bag. "Hmm. . .global, math, French. . .ha! Guess I won't be needing these for awhile." 'I really have to stop thinking out loud. Someone could overhear me someday.'
I put my books away and spotted Nakago's earring, still on the table. 'Maybe I should "accidentally" lose it. Then my obligation to him will be over.' I considered this for a moment. The risks outweighed the benefits. I put the thing in a small side pocket. I sat back down by the window where I had been sitting before I was "interrupted." That stupid bow Taiitsu-kun gave me rolled out of my pocket. I picked it up. 'I doubt you even know how to use it anyway.' I remembered what Miaka had said before. 'Damn Priestess. I'll figure out how to use it. How hard can it be? It's just a stupid box.' I picked it up. "What's so special about this thing anyway? I bet it doesn't even do anything. She probably just gave it to me so I'd feel special."
I attempted to find the front. Once I found what I thought it was, I poked the center jewel, a deep red one that resembled a ruby. It moved but nothing happened. It looked like an ordinary, very expensive, jeweled box except for the sides. The front portion was mainly red but blended into blue at the right corner and white on the left. The back was green and covered with gems that resembled emeralds. One portion of it had two small light green stones that looked almost like eyes. 'Now that I think about it, each side has two stones close together that look like eyes. Aquamarines, rubies, diamonds and now, those light green stones. This is one unique box,' I thought as I put the box into my bag and left the room. Naturally, Shiriko followed.
Author's Note:
Smack: Weird box. Wonder what it does. . .
Tasuki: Oh come on! You know perfectly well what it does.
Smack: ::sweat drops:: No, actually I don't. Haven't decided yet. I have an idea but I'm not sure. We should get away from this topic. It's making me sound stupid. How about the quote from the next chapter?
"Why would Miaka take you out somewhere?" she asked. She almost looked hurt. Nakago, hiding in the background, looked like he wanted to bang his head against a wall.
Smack: Guess who makes an appearance in chapter 12? For those of you who were wondering about them, I told they'd show up eventually. You just have to have some patience with me. I'm slow. Just wait until the later chapters. . .then you'll know what I mean. It takes me like three chapters just to end one thing. Sad, I know.