Disclaimer: Believe it or not, I don't own Fushigi Yugi. It's a nice thought, but alas, I scarcely own the clothes on my back. Besides, if I owned such an awesome anime, I don't think I'd be writing fanfiction about it. Something about that's just wrong. I only write this fanfiction for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers. The storyline/plot and all original characters are mine and cannot be used without my permission. So ask first.
Oh, and for otaku-no-miko's question from the prologue, I can't tell you who the key is or what the shadows are! That would be giving away the plot!
Speaking of plot, I was reading Kaze-chan's "Rebirth and Regain" story (which is awesome!), and in her earlier chapters, she spoke of an overdone plot, one of which was the reincarnation story. (grins) Um…well, this happens to be a reincarnation story, but I hope that it is extremely different than the others out there. Besides, I have a real logical reason for the seishi being reborn. What is it? Well, you're gonna have to wait until part two. (A lot of stuff will be answered in part two…yeah…)
Musical selection: "Nature Boy", performed by David Bowie, from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack
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- CHAPTER 02: BURNING THE GOLDEN POND -
xxxxx
"Is there a reason you're still here?"
Miaka watched as her brother pawed through the cabinets in search for anything edible for breakfast. She herself had settled for a bowl of cereal and an orange (an odd case for someone with such a gargantuan appetite), but her older brother seemed to be looking for something more substantial and was currently on an undying quest to find the Golden Breakfast. Currently, the stove was occupied by a skillet of five pieces of bacon and another skillet of an omelet that smelled as if it was burning. She chewed thoughtfully, before repeating her question.
Keisuke paused, his head buried deep into the refrigerator. "I'm taking you to school this morning. I don't have classes until ten, and I had to pick something up from Mom. Answer your question?"
"Maybe. And what are you looking for?"
"Something that's preferably delicious and satisfying," came the reply as the blonde edged himself out of the fridge looking a tad bit disappointed. He turned to give Miaka a look before opening the freezer door and glancing through that too. "But it seems as if it's been awhile since Mom has gone shopping for breakfast food. I mean, man…"
"I heard that, young man," a voice called, and Yuki Chikuma swept into the room, wearing a tan suit, her dark hair combed neatly. A colorful scarf and pearl earrings completed the outfit. Miaka sniffed the air, and broke out into a wide smile as Chikuma walked over to where Keisuke was holding the freezer door open, and firmly closing it before crossing over to the stove and turning down the heat. "There's a reason you live in your own apartment. There's food there, I hope."
Keisuke groaned loudly as Miaka said, "You look beautiful, Mom. You're going to blow them away at the office. Especially with that new perfume! Where did you buy it at?" Chikuma chuckled as she pulled out a loaf of bread from the breadbox, and placing a slice into the toaster. Keisuke managed to snatch two slices out of the plastic wrap, earning him a playful reprimanding look from his mother.
"It was a gift," she replied as Keisuke pulled a half empty jar of peanut butter out of the cabinet. Miaka hid a smile at the short response, already knowing who had given the expensive bottle to her mother. For the past year or so, Chikuma had been seeing a nice businessman at the new company where she worked. Miaka and Keisuke had both taken an instant liking to Wakashi-san, who was cheerful and humourous. They constantly teased their mother that they were waiting for the day when he finally popped the question. Though Chikuma only said that she would only get married so her two children could have a father figure, both Miaka and Keisuke knew that she was as anxious as they were for Wakashi-san to propose.
Keisuke sat down at the table with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, his omelet, and the five pieces of bacon. Miaka gulped back a giggle, and innocently asked, "Onii-chan has been learning too much from me. But…a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast? I mean, come on." The blonde young man gave her a long look before taking a giant bite out of the sandwich, as if to defy her. Miaka rolled her eyes.
Chikuma joined them at the table with her own breakfast and picking up the newspaper lying in the center of the table. "Keisuke, are you going to pick Yui up?" Keisuke tried to sigh, but found himself unable to with his mouth full, and settled to just nodding. Miaka cheered quietly before stuffing the rest of the orange in her mouth. She leaped out of her chair, and jogged into the living room to grab her bag and her shoes.
Keisuke gave her a look. "We're not leaving yet. I'm not done eating."
"Onii-chaaaaaaan…!" Miaka returned to the doorway and glared at him, trying to maintain her balance as she slipped one of her shoes, her bag resting against the opposite leg. "It's not my fault that you didn't eat breakfast before you left home. You are supposed to have me at school in fifteen minutes. Fifteen! And with the morning traffic, we're bound to get trampled in it!" Keisuke groaned at the comment, but managed to stuff the rest of his bacon into his sandwich along with his omelet to create one big, rather colorful sandwich. Miaka wrinkled her nose as Keisuke took a bite out of it, shrugging into his jacket that he had slung over the chair.
Chikuma looked up from her newspaper, a small smile appearing on her face. "Miaka does have a point. I'll make sure that she makes something for you whenever you have to pick her up in the morning, so neither of you have to rush." Keisuke managed to grin through mouthfuls of his monstrous-size "breakfast" sandwich while Miaka gaped in shock.
"Mom, you're not actually serious?"
"I am," Chikuma replied, before waving an absent hand at her two children. "Now hurry up. You still have to pick Yui up, and I'm sure you don't want to be late."
"Of course not, Mom!" Keisuke responded, giving her a small peck on the cheek before grabbing Miaka's arm and dragging her towards the door, ignoring his sister's protesting remarks. "We'll see you later!" The slam of the front door, plus one last squawk by Miaka, signified their departure. Miaka dug her feet into the ground in the hallway outside of their apartment, trying to bring Keisuke to a halt.
"Keisuke, hold it for a second!" she exclaimed, trying to fix her school jacket. "You almost made me forget my bag! We're not going to be late."
Keisuke blew her a raspberry. "If we keep stalling we will. Now come on!" He hurried towards the elevator, oblivious to the scathing look the seventeen-year-old gave him. They hurried down the hallway and down the stairs at breakneck speed and into the parking garage of the apartment. Miaka snatched the keys out of her brother's hand and made a mad dash for the car, leaving a confused Keisuke standing at the entrance gate.
"Ohaiyo, Abukara-san!" Miaka exclaimed, dashing past the security guard who often worked nights at the apartment complex. The graying older gentleman waved a hand at her just as Keisuke rushed passed, waving as he did so, but not taking time to say hello, lest he waste breath in trying to catch up with his thieving little sister. Miaka had already reached the little cream-colored car and had tossed her backpack into the backseat. She climbed into the driver's side and started the ignition, ignoring the scathing look Keisuke gave her as he slid in shotgun.
"I don't recall saying you could drive this morning."
"You never let me drive!" Miaka retorted, pulling the car out of the parking space and heading towards the exit. She reached town and began twisting dials on the radio. "I think it's fair that I get to drive at least once a week."
"It's my car!"
"Yeah. I know. Thank Suzaku you're insured, right?"
A scowl.
Miaka just grinned, pulling out into dense early morning traffic. Though it was just past seven, many people didn't start work until much later. Miaka was glad that the earlier rush between five and seven had already gone, leaving the streets relatively clear. Well, as clear as streets could possibly get in one of the most crowded cities in the world. Miaka was glad for the car during the weekdays, even if she rarely got to sit in the driver's seat. It was much cheaper than taking the subway or taxi to the school, which was less than a mile away. And picking up Yui was no longer a hassle. It used to be that one of the girls would meet up at the other's house and they would take the subway there. Now, with a new car, it was easier, cheaper, and a whole lot more fun and comfortable.
Keisuke turned the down the volume of the radio a few notches. "I know you like this song, Miaka, but I don't think it's necessary to share it with all of Tokyo."
"But it's so great!" Miaka chirped, beginning to sing. "Ooooooh, if we could just take the tiiiiiime…"
"Argh! Please! Stop!"
Miaka blew him a raspberry, turning at the stoplight to roll into Yui's neighborhood. Yui's parents were rich, rich and fortunate enough to live in their own home instead of an apartment. The area was also well-off, a beautiful neighborhood that made Miaka dream of when she and Taka would marry. She always imagined them living in a nice, big home with two children – a boy that had his magnificent gray eyes and a girl with her frothy auburn hair.
Keisuke noted that dreamy look that had passed over his sister's face as they coasted down the almost empty street. He had known that whenever they happened upon Yui's neighborhood, the same faraway look would mist over Miaka's eyes, and sometimes, he worried that she would be so distracted that they would end up in a ditch somewhere. But this time, the romantic look in her eyes was tinged with sadness, and a smile had appeared on rose-petal lips, a smile that achingly reminded him of when he had graduated from high school and he had gone back into one of his classes to retrieve a folder. The classroom had been so empty and quiet, nothing at all like it had been during the school year, and the sudden loss of his friends shocked him profusely.
Bittersweet.
The car pulled to a stop in front of a cream-and-blue house on the corner of one of the side streets. Ever since Yui's father had taken the new job at a prestigious corporate office, the family had suddenly seen a leap in income, and a few months after their return from the fight with Tenkou, the Hongo household had moved to a new neighborhood, a few blocks further away from what Miaka was used to, but still close nonetheless. Keisuke watched as Miaka stared at the house in the same dream-like state that had captivated her earlier, and sighed as the expression vanished.
I wonder how much it hurts her to know that the book is so close, but she is unable to access it, Keisuke mused quietly, glancing out the window up into the gold-trimmed green leaves of the majestic oaks lining the street, which created a crisscrossed canvas of splattered sunshine on the pavement below. She doesn't talk about it as much as she used to…but I sometimes see her looking at that picture from the book…He sighed. He admitted that whenever Miaka hadn't known, he had himself glanced over the faces of Miaka's beloved friends and protectors. When the whole adventure happened nearly two years ago, he had been a mere observer, the reader (though when Tetsuya told him that his role had indeed appeared in the book, he was stunned and, of course, pleased).
Whatever plagued Miaka's thoughts now, he hoped wasn't due to doubts or fears she had created to entangle herself in. Usually a cheerful, spirited girl, lately her energy had waned, and her eyes were constantly tinted with the darkness of thoughts from those years past. If it hadn't been for Taka's presence, he was sure that Miaka may have gone into a downward spiral of loneliness and regret. For that, he was eternally grateful to Taka and the rest of the Suzaku seishi for saving his little sister's happiness.
At that moment, Yui raced down the steps of her house and jogged to the car. Some strands of blonde hair, pulled mischievously from the messy bun, swiped a flushed face as Yui tossed her bag into the car and slid in, grinning at the brother and sister. "Sorry about that. Okaa-san was giving me another of her school lectures. And Choo-ka was being a spoiled little thing. On the other hand, how are you all this morning? I see Keisuke finally handed over the reins of the car."
"About time too!" Miaka replied cheerfully. "And what did you do to mess with poor Choo-ka this morning?" Choo-ka was Yui's pet toy terrier.
Yui made a face. "Lets just say it had to do with cereal, my dad's house slipper, and a piece of a soap. Don't ask because I don't know how it all got started either."
Keisuke glanced over his shoulder and wrinkled his nose. "Hongo-san was giving you another lecture. What about?" Yui rolled her eyes towards the roof of the car, a bemused and exasperated smile appearing on her pretty features.
"Let's see…today was, 'Learning How to Behave Appropriately in Front of New Teachers from Foreign Countries Because Sometimes It Just Takes One Student to Make a Good Impression,'" Yui said in one long rush of breath. "She heard that Akira-sensei was no longer teaching our English class, and that our new teacher is going to be some college teacher-in-training from the United States."
Miaka's eyes widened. "I forgot all about that. But Akira-sensei is just going away for awhile for the surgery. He said it would only be a couple of weeks, two months at the most. And besides, Kiyoso-sensei is substituting until then."
Yui shrugged. "Whoever the new teacher is shouldn't be starting until sometime in October. So I have no idea why I received that speech so early." She made a face. "I guess it's something part of the parental unit system. Very odd, if you ask me." A small smile appeared on her face as she watched Keisuke lovingly shoo Miaka out of the driver's seat, ignoring the loud complaints of his younger sister. The brunette and blonde climbed out of the car, switching places, and Keisuke climbed into the driver's side as Miaka hopped into the back with her friend.
"Meanie," Miaka muttered. Keisuke just winked at her and pulled out into traffic, heading in the direction of the school, not heeding Yui and Miaka's protest as he switched the radio station. "Keisuke! This music is bad! Turn it back!"
"No way!" Keisuke exclaimed, beginning to bop his head to the music. "Nothing's better this! Oh, yeah!" He began singing loudly to the lyrics, in a voice that would make even tone-deaf people cringe. Miaka groaned, clapping her hands over her ears, and glared sharp daggers at her older brother. Yui hid her giggles behind her hand as they slowed at a stoplight and Keisuke began strumming an air guitar. Miaka rummaged through the back pocket of the seat and came up with a few pencil nubs, which she aimed at Keisuke's head.
"Wait a second!" Keisuke shouted, ducking from the blunt yellow projectiles. "You should be nice to me! I didn't have to drive you to school, you know!"
"That's no excuse for having bad taste in music!"
This time, the nub hit Keisuke right in the back of the head. "Hey! No assaulting the driver!" With that, he turned to the wheel to spin down a mostly empty side street and stomped down on the gas. Yui gaped and grabbed the door handle as the car flew down the street. Miaka shrieked in fear, covering her head with her backpack, screaming as Keisuke laughed wildly.
"ONII-CHAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Five minutes later, the small cream-colored car pulled up in front of entrance of the high school. Keisuke grinned as Miaka and Yui scrambled desperately out of the car, grabbing their books and slamming the doors behind them. Miaka glared at her older brother through the window, and brandished a fist at him. He simply winked at her before waving and pulling away from the school at much more sane speeds. Miaka glared as the car became smaller and smaller on the horizon before turning back to Yui, who, by the expression on her face, looked like she had seen into the depths of hell, and all around her were laughing clowns.
Miaka sighed, walking over to join her best friend. Yui gave her a questioning look. "Is he always like that in the morning?"
"Only when he has peanut butter." She grimaced and began heading towards the building. Yotsubadai was a large, modern-looking complex that was separated into three different buildings – the main building which was the largest of the three, the arts and science building, and the athletic hall. Miaka was sometimes a tiny bit smug whenever it came to their physical education facilities, especially their American football field, which boasted the latest of new equipment from overseas.
Yui waved over at where a group of two girls and two guys were sitting under a large sakura tree in the middle of the school's courtyard. "Ohaiyo gozaimasu! Stop making that face, Miaka," she added as Miaka scrunched up her nose at seeing the quartet. It wasn't as if she didn't like them or anything, seeing how they were some of her close friends in high school, but often, especially in the bleary-eyed mornings, their conversations were either nonexistent or overly cheerful.
The tallest of the girls, a freckled redhead with glasses, leapt to her feet at seeing the latest new additions. "You guys are approximately three minutes and five seconds late! We were supposed to go over our homework this morning before the first bell rang!"
The other girl snorted, big golden-hued eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's all common knowledge that most of us here are going to fail the test anyway, Sayoko-chan. Well, except for Mr. 'I Don't Need to Study, I Just Need to Cram' over there." At this, she shot a glare to where her boyfriend sat. The handsome youth sighed melodramatically before a grin appeared on his face as he peered over the edge of his Shakespeare manuscript of "King Lear".
"Well, I can't help it if I'm a genius with a photographic memory!" he replied. Miaka giggled as Joruri hit the young man on the head with her umbrella. He let out a yelp of surprise rather than pain, rubbing the sore area amidst his cap of solid gold-colored hair. Yui rolled her eyes at her friends' antics before sitting down next to Sayoko and pulling out her copy of the Shakespeare tragedy. The two were quickly into a deep discussion over the role of the fool in the play.
Miaka sighed and walked over to where the last of the group was sitting quietly, his eyes closed and head tilted forward slightly, as if he were sleeping. She tossed her book into his lap, settling down between him and Joruri's boyfriend, Motoki. "Morning, sleep-face. Didn't you get enough sleep last night?" The young man shifted, opening one luminous green eye and giving Miaka a long steady glance before yawning.
"Iye," he replied sluggishly, sitting up and glancing down at the book in front of him. "My sister and her boyfriend kept me up…again."
Miaka winced. "That loud, huh?"
"I don't even want to think about it," he replied. "I managed to get some studying done before they came home. At least this time neither of them were drunk. So I guess I'm fortunate I got any sleep at all."
"Hey, remember what I said earlier, Ichiyo-kun," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "If you ever need a place to stay, my brother still has an extra room." The dark-haired young man gave a small smile at her offer, but said nothing in relation to it. Miaka worried inwardly. She knew that Ichiyo wasn't as lucky as the rest of them, either financially or with his family. His parents had been killed in a car accident late last year along with his little sister, and now he was under the care his sister. The older girl tried to take care of her teenage brother, but, just out of the teenage years herself, was in no shape financially to do so.
Over by Yui, Sayoko wrote down a few notes in the margins of her book before biting the eraser of her pencil nervously. "I miss Akira-sensei so much! You don't think Kiyoso-sensei will postpone the test until tomorrow, do you? It's so unfair to give us a big test right after the weekend." Yui frowned.
"Well, I don't think we'll fail, if that's what you're worried about," she replied.
"I'm not worried about failing. It's just that this way of speaking is so unconventional, even for someone who speaks English! I asked my grandmother about it, and she well near had an apoplexy!" Sayoko's grandmother was a Canadian-born American who had moved to Japan soon after the second world war, and, despite her some sixty years in Japan, still spoke with the heaviest of accents. "But I get the gist of most of it, thank goodness."
Miaka piped in, "That's more than I can say! There's no way I'm going to pass this test!"
"I agree," Joruri concurred, pulling out a mirror to check her makeup. "The last things I read were the magazines at the salon. I don't understand how Shakespeare will help us find jobs in the future. What good can he be – he's dead!" Motoki grinned at her as he flipped a page, glancing through the last few scenes of the play. Sayoko scowled, ignoring Joruri's comment and turning back to her own book. Miaka sighed – Sayoko, despite her early comment on the difficulty of Shakespeare speech, was an avid lover of the long-dead poet, and anyone who spoke wrongly about him often received her displeasure.
She turned to Ichiyo. "And what about you? Think you're up to the challenge."
Ichiyo gave a quiet chuckle. "We'll see. Kiyoso-sensei can be tough in grading sometimes. It all depends on his mood."
"But he's always in a bad mood!" complained Joruri, snapping her compact shut and stuffing it into her backpack. "I've never seen a man act so harsh! And that's when compared with my uncle!"
Yui rolled her eyes. "Your uncle is not harsh, Ruri-chan. Now, come on. The bell's going to ring in two minutes, and if we're not in class early, we won't earn brownie points with sensei." She climbed to her feet and wiped at the back of her plaid skirt. "You too, Miaka. No complaining about the test, and no dozing off while taking it. You remember what happened last time." Miaka blushed.
"You're as mean as Keisuke!" Truth be told, the remark lacked its biting tones from yesteryear. The once friendly, yet hostile aspects of their relationship had toned down once the girls had returned from the book. Yui knew that she had her best friend hell on earth while in the book, taunting her and causing her tears of pain and frustration constantly. It was a debt Yui believed she could never repay, despite that Miaka had obviously thought nothing of the pain that Yui had given to her, blaming it instead on Nakago. And even then, in those rare times they actually discussed their adventure, Yui had seen bitter compassion and slight regret in Miaka's eyes whenever she spoke of the blonde-haired general. Yui never knew why her friend would react in such a way to the man who had literally torn to shreds a childhood friendship.
Yui glanced up towards the sky as their group of six headed towards the school entrance. Again, with those dark thoughts that returned her to that devastating moment in her lifetime. It had never hurt this much before, not even when they had returned from the book. She closed her eyes, pausing briefly as the late summer scented breeze drifted amongst the students. She had been frightened to confront her friend, to see frowning look in valley green-eyes.
But it went nothing as she had supposed.
xxxxx
Two years earlier…
Yui sat on the park bench, her hands fumbling nervously on her lap. It had been an entire day, not long enough in her opinion, since the book had closed. It felt so short – wasn't it just a few days ago she had been in the ShiJenTenChiSho? Had the war ended so suddenly between the rivaling nations? She wondered how much time had passed in the book since their coming back to their world. She shivered inwardly – it wasn't as if any of her seishi were alive to actually live through those days…
She looked across the park where a group of children was playing tag with a tiny moth-like butterfly that fluttered from one blade of emerald glass to another. Their laughter provoked a deep longing in her heart of the innocence they possessed, an innocence that she felt had been taken from her. (A few days ago? A few months ago? In reality, she and Miaka had just discovered the mystic book this week…) But the darkness which had curled around her heart like some sort of seductive serpent had left its mark, leaving her with nightmares, despite yesterday's decisive battle.
Footsteps alerted her presence and Yui glanced up as the silhouette of her beloved and hated friend fell upon her. But…she had changed. Yesterday, after the final battle with Nakago and Miaka's final wish, Miaka and Keisuke had returned Yui to her own house, leaving soon after with a message to Hongo-san to tell Yui to meet Miaka in the park the next afternoon. She hadn't had the chance to see the overwhelming sadness tinged in Miaka's eyes, casting them several hues darker than their normal jade glow. And her smile was bittersweet as she cast those eyes on her friend.
No, it's too soon! Yui thought frantically in her mind. What can I possibly say to her, now that it's over? What can I possibly do?
"Yui…"
The blonde closed her eyes, ready for the rebuke. Miaka…
"…I've missed you!"
Yui wasn't all prepared as the brunette rushed into her arms, wrapping her arms around the younger girl's smaller form. She glanced down at the two buns gracing either side of her friend's head as she sobbed into her shoulder. "Miaka…?"
"I'm so glad you're back! I'm so glad!" the petite girl cried, pulling away so that Yui could see her tear-streaked face. In her eyes, in her smile, was unabashed happiness. "I thought we'd never get to be friends again, Yui! After everything that happened…I thought you'd still be angry with me." Yui's eyes flew open at the subtle self-deprecating remark until she remembered her words from yesterday, before she made her own last wish to Seiryu. She had confessed her jealousy and loneliness when Miaka had chosen Tamahome over her, as it had seemed. No wonder the older girl may have believed that a small rift still separated the childhood friends.
Yui shook her head, trying to chase away the demons still haunting the recesses. "No, Miaka, don't say that. I should have known…I should have known that you would never betray me. I was so stupid and jealous." She choked back a sob. "Miaka, I'm so sorry. I'm always in your debt for this. Our friendship…I tossed it away because of what Nakago said…all those years, and I ignored them, brushed them away, so I could hurt you!" Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Miaka, how can I ever…I can't even say how much I'm sorry…it hurts my heart…it hurts until I feel like it'll explode…"
Miaka gave her a watery smile. "Remember yesterday, when I said I would yell at you later? Now that we're here, I can't yell. I just want to be here with you. I just want us to renew our friendship. I'm so happy, Yui. I'm so happy you're here, and you're safe. I finally have you back."
"But at what cost?" Yui whispered quietly. "You could have stayed with Tamahome, but you used your wish for me, to save me after all that I had done."
Miaka shook her head, clasping Yui's hands in her own, and suddenly looking very mature, sadness giving her an older look, like a woman who has lost all of her hope, yet still clings to a single painful shard. "Tamahome and I made that decision, to save this world. I couldn't save Konan, I couldn't save those who fought for their countries. I may have been priestess and accomplished my duties, yet there's so much I wish I could have done for those I left behind. For Houki, for Kouji, for Tokaki and Subaru, for all of them…" She lowered her head, a small worn smile appearing on her face. "I guess you were right, huh? I was lucky to meet so many wonderful people. But in the end…"
"In the end, you gave them hope," Yui replied softly. She turned her head to gaze up to the sky, crystal blue and untainted, a winter's sky, but not unforgiving. From close by, a winter sparrow chirped softly and quietly. She chose her next words carefully and slowly, so as not to initiate a wrong impression. "You know, Miaka, before now, before this moment, I wasn't sure it was real. Like it was a really bad nightmare I'd never awaken from. And it was a nightmare sometimes. But I couldn't shake it off, like a dream. I had to live through it. And it hurt. It hurt so much sometimes that I…" She trailed off, eyes falling onto the nearly faded scar on her wrist. Miaka followed the gaze and bit her bottom lip, recalling the incident that led to the violent rivalry between the girls. Yui shook her head, gently touching the darkened line of skin at her wrist. "I said as long as I had this scar, I'd never forgive you. But it's already fading. I'll always remember it, as I'll always remember this time…"
"Yui-chan…"
"It wasn't a dream, Miaka. It was real. Everyone was real. There were times when I took it for granted. Everyone, I thought, was there to serve me. But those people…they had thoughts, desires, dreams, and hopes. Even our seishi. And…" Yui trailed off, finally meeting Miaka's eyes. There was only sincerity and curiosity in that big, loving gaze, eyes that could capture anyone's soul and make it her own. Miaka has always been like that…always so giving and loving and accepting…even when she is being selfish…Miaka, that's what they all saw in you, that's why they all loved you so…Yui smiled shakily. "It was real. It was real…and for that, Miaka…I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
Miaka looked at her friend, whose head was humbly bowed in apologetic reverence. This was not just a priestess forgiving another priestess, or a former enemy acknowledging defeat, but a childhood friend admitting her wrongs, and begging the forgiveness of the person she spited. Unabashed tears of joy rose into Miaka's eyes as she pulled her friend into a warm hug.
"Always, Yui! I forgive you! You're my best friends and always will be!"
Yui suddenly did something she hadn't done in a very long time – she laughed. It felt so good just to laugh, here in their own world, with her best friend returned to her side after so long. It was a bittersweet laugh, wonderful in its jubilance, sweet in its delight. To be forgiven despite all of her error was a gift she never would have thought to experience, and its soul-cleansing effects lifted her spirit. She gave Miaka a broad smile. "There's something else I have to ask of you, Miaka…"
The brunette cocked her head to the side. "What is it?"
"Can you tell me about them? About your seishi?"
Miaka's eyes shone with tears of happiness.
"Of course! I'd love to!"
xxxxx
Yui lifted her head from her desk as someone called her name from the opposite side of the room. The test had been relatively easy, but incredibly long, and she was trying to work the cramps out of her hand and her brain for the brief respite between classes. She glanced around the room to see who had called her name, and finally laid eyes on Miaka and Joruri, who were waving their arms wildly from the windows. Yui gave a small inward laugh before rising from the desks and joining them.
"What's all the fuss?" she asked, peering over Miaka's shoulder and down into the courtyard below. It didn't take her long to see what her two friends were staring at. "Ah…the football team. You two are a mess. Especially considering the fact that you both have boyfriends…"
"Oh, Motoki doesn't mind," Joruri giggled, flippantly brushing dark hair away from her cheeks. "He knows that just because he's the finest male specimen ever to grace the planet doesn't mean there aren't others who might rank high up there with him." With that, she gestured to where Motoki was currently sleeping on his desk, school jacket pulled over his head so that only a few tendrils of golden hair could be seen. Miaka smothered her laughter.
Yui shook her head in wonder, knowing that her position was like such just a few seconds earlier (though certainly less…relaxed). She turned her attention back towards the football team as they kicked the small black-and-white ball between themselves. "Either one of you have a favourite?"
"Um…the captain? The captain's kinda cute…he's an upperclassman too, but I think he already has a girlfriend," Joruri said miserably.
"And you already have a boyfriend, so you should be happy."
"Yeah, yeah."
Miaka turned to her best friend after one of the football players ran himself into a tree and fell over. "Taka's a lot better. So, how do you think you did on the test? Those questions were hard – Kiyoso-sensei's in a bad mood!" Joruri snorted at the obvious statement, but kept her attention on the passing team. Yui gave a small smile, and slightly cocked her head to one side, giving her friend a dubious look.
"Well, it did ask some difficult questions, so…" she trailed off and then shrugged. "I'll have to ask Taka about it later. You know how much he likes his English literature classes." Miaka scrunched her nose.
"Yeah, but he doesn't like Shakespeare all that much…wait, you're going to see Taka?"
Yui frowned. "Didn't he tell you? We weren't able to get into the library on Saturday for some reason. I thought it was because of a broken water pipe, but we weren't sure. We were going to go back there today after he got off from work." Miaka gave Yui an odd look, blinking big green eyes in confusion.
"Well, that can't be right because he promised to help Bunzo-kun fix his motorcycle after work today," Miaka replied. She made a face. "Bunzo-kun is always getting his motorcycle into some mess. This time, he ran it into a pile of manure and ruined his exhaust pipe. Yui, where in the world would he find a manure pile in the middle of Tokyo?" Yui laughed, recalling Miaka's recalcitrant neighbor, newly out of college, and acting with the sophomoric knowledge of one who believes they know everything life has to offer. But inwardly, she winced. If Taka can't make it to the library tonight…the dark feeling that had been lying dormant within her for the past two days began to rear up.
Miaka noticed the sudden apprehension on Yui's face, and grinned cheerfully. "Don't worry, Yui! We can still go to the library!"
"Miaka wanting to go to the library?" Joruri asked, peeling her eyes away from the window. "I couldn't have heard this one right. I never thought I'd live to see the day." Miaka made a face at the beauty queen while Yui hid a relieved smile. Joruri rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the football team outside, groaning as four of the athletes tackled their friend who had run into the tree. "Once again, this proves that the male species was born without a few important brain cells."
"Hey, talking about guys again?" a cheerful voice called as Motoki joined them at the window. His forehead was red from where it had been pressed against the desk for around ten minutes. Joruri wrinkled her nose at him and swatted him with her left hand. Motoki snatched his girlfriend's hand right out of the air and placed it back down at her side, resting his chin in her hair as he followed the trio's gaze outside. "Ah, the football team this time."
"Why couldn't you have been part of the football team?" Joruri asked in annoyance, looking up through thick eyelashes to glare at her tall beau. "Then I would have had memorable eye candy during this class. No, you had to go and join the hockey team. What respectable Japanese student goes and joins the hockey team? It's barbaric! It's something they only do in America!"
"Yeah, those crazy Americans," Motoki teased cheerfully. "All they do is play hockey, watch Elvis movies, and become the most powerful nation in the world. Someone should stop them!" Yui and Miaka laughed as Joruri turned an interesting shade of pink. The girls knew that Joruri had a minor distaste for Americans, and often got into conflicts with Sayoko, who was a quarter-American herself, over it. But Motoki, having been with Joruri for two years, knew how to dispel her bouts over Western civilization.
At that moment, Kiyoso-sensei came back into the classroom. He was a large man with salt-and-pepper hair and a peculiar mustache gracing his upper lip. He always reminded Miaka of some sort of aristocratic prince who had been dumped rather unceremoniously into the kotogakko system. His manners were as strict as his favourite teaching tool – a very long, very misused meter stick.
"Alright, students!" he bellowed, returning to his desk. "Back to your seats! I have an announcement to make!"
"Must he shout everything?" Joruri complained quietly, sliding back into her seat. Yui gave her a look before turning her attention back to the sensei.
Kiyoso-sensei began shuffling papers at his desk, ignoring the students as they hurried back into their seats so as not to ignite their teachers' wrath. Once the sound of shuffling feet had ceased, Kiyoso-sensei looked back up in pleasure to see the students all sitting in their seats, and all of them giving him their utmost attention. He cleared his throat. "As you all know, I won't be teaching this class forever." He glared as one of the students cheered quietly. "I'll see you after class, Hagino-san. Anyway, I'm simply substituting for Akira-sensei until your new teacher arrives in a few weeks. This morning, your principal told me that they have indeed found your new teacher and are working out the last bit of paperwork for him to arrive here on the fifteenth of October."
Miaka looked over her shoulder and shot Yui a grin. Both girls were excited at the prospect of getting a foreign teacher to teach their English class.
"The fifteenth of October is almost five weeks away, and that means you have time to clean up any quirks in your behaviour before your new teacher arrives," Kiyoso-sensei was saying, looking down at the calendar on his desk. "It's not every day we get a teacher from another country to teach a class here at Yotsubadai." He turned to his students. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. We'll talk about it more in depth when he comes here. Any questions before we move on to discuss the nuances in the plot of King Lear?"
"Yeah!" a student called from the back. "What's this guy's name?"
Kiyoso-sensei leveled the student with a look. "No speaking out of turn in this classroom. We are unsure of who this new teacher is, but I guarantee he'll be equipped to handle-"
"I heard he's really young!" came a comment from a girl near the front of the classroom.
Another glare from Kiyoso-sensei. "Again, we're not sure-"
"Is it true he's from the United States?" Joruri, of course.
"Will you all please raise-"
"When will Akira-sensei be back?"
"That's it!" Kiyoso-sensei exclaimed, throwing his hands down on the desk. He turned a menacing glare to all of the students in the classroom. "Everyone, take out your copies of King Lear this very moment! If you all can't raise your hands and wait to be called on, we'll have to do something that will determine your participation grade in this class! Now, go on! We're going to have a discussion discussing the irony involving Cordelia and Edgar!"
The class groaned loudly at the idea of having a group discussion, but in order to quell Kiyoso-sensei's sudden temper, they all quickly pulled out their copies of the Shakespearian tragedy, and soon fell into a forced discussion of the play.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, as most school days often did, especially the one that started off the rest of the week. By the time the day was over, Miaka felt ready to write a leader of complaint to the person who was in charge of Japanese educational system and complain about its redundancy. She was ready for a change in the school day, even if it meant simply changing one classroom. Suddenly, the fifteenth of October seemed like such a long time away.
"Yui, do you think this new teacher is going to be cool?" she asked as she walked beside her friend on the way to the library. She swung her bag wistfully from one side to the next, her eyes peering up at the gray skies overhead. She wrinkled her nose. I hate the rainy season. "I mean, when compared to either Kiyoso-sensei or Akira-sensei?" Yui laughed.
"Everyone's better when compared to Kiyoso-sensei!" she replied cheerfully. "I honestly thought he'd have a heart attack this morning when no one would raise their hands to ask a question!" She paused thoughtfully. "But I don't know. Perhaps. He's supposedly young, still in graduate school after all, and from America? I would say he has two things already in his favour."
"Why does everyone keep saying 'he'?" Miaka wrinkled her nose. "It could very well be a female teacher." Yui nodded.
"Of course! But I think all the girls are hoping for a young, attractive male teacher," Yui replied good-naturedly. "We haven't had one since Iwasa-san decided to go study abroad this past February." She shot Miaka a look. "I remember how heartbroken a certain Suzaku no miko was when she found he was no longer going to be teaching our calculus class." Miaka flushed.
"Well, I can't help it if he was almost as cute as Taka!"
Yui giggled at her friend's remark before turning the corner, and pausing in her step. The National Library still stood majestically away from the street, a welcoming site to students, teachers, and lost tourists looking for any recognizable landsite. So, I'm back again…but am I ready? A glance at Miaka's optimistically grinning face told her how her friend felt, but Yui felt all the glee that had been with her just a few seconds earlier vanish like the heat from a match in the Arctic. She tried not to shiver as ice seemed to coat itself along her bones.
"What are we waiting for?" Miaka asked brightly, turning back to Yui. "Lets go get that book and then go home! I'll have to call Taka and tell him we got it already." Yui hesitated as Miaka began to approach the front doors, but then tried to shrug the screaming feeling of distress away and headed after her. Each step that brought her closer and closer to the book rang clear in her mind. The dark clouds the scampered through her heart shortened her breath and she could almost hear the nightmares crawling into her mind and suffocating it with terror.
"It's actually opened today!" Miaka exclaimed as she entered into the library, followed by Yui. A rush of cool air hit them as they stepped into the lobby area. As always, whenever she entered into any building as pleasant and quiet as the library, Miaka felt insignificantly tiny. She lightened her steps so as not to disturb any of the people further into the recesses of the library, her eyes darting over to the vending machines in the corner. From there, she would see the stairway that led up to the Important Documents room.
Miaka started in that direction until she felt Yui tap her on the shoulder. She turned to face her blonde friend, frowning. "What?"
"I'm going to see why they were closed on Saturday," Yui whispered, nodding towards the front desk. "I'll join you in a minute." Miaka nodded and turned towards the alcove where the stairway was. To any curious observers, it looked as if she was headed to make a purchase from one of the vending machines. Yui turned her attention towards the front desk, and strode towards it. The lady at the counter, an elderly woman who fit the librarian type to a dime, looked up at her approach and put on a friendly, polite smile.
"Yes? May I help you?"
"Oh…I was wondering about Saturday," Yui replied. "The library was closed, and I didn't get to find out why." The librarian's face suddenly turned very serious, but not overly so as when someone is about to tell another person great and terrible news that would shock them.
"Well, one of our janitors had a heart attack the previous night, and passed out in a dead faint right near our Important Documents room. If it wasn't for the fact that one of our other librarians hadn't left his wallet here and returned, it's a sure fact that he wouldn't have survived." Yui's eyes had widened when she heard of the janitor's heart attack, but the sudden rushing feeling of despair had overtaken her when the librarian mentioned where the janitor had fallen.
It's just a coincidence, Yui argued quietly in her mind, trying to calm her unsettled nerves. The librarian, seeing the girl's suddenly stricken look, quickly jumped in to sooth any upset feelings.
"Why, don't worry!" she exclaimed. "Nishimura-san is a strong man! He's just in the hospital recovering at this very moment. I expect him to be back on his feet in no time!" When Yui's expression didn't change, the librarian pulled out a sheet of paper and began to neatly write something down. "If you'd like, I can give you the hospital he's in. I'm sure he'd enjoy a visitor or two that isn't part of his ever growing family." She chuckled. "Sometimes, I can't believe they're still adding to the family. Four children and thirteen – or was it fourteen? – grandchildren! He's a very happy grandfather."
Yui distractedly took the note from the woman and placed it into her schoolbag. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll be sure to do that." She turned on her heel and quickly fled towards the alcove Miaka had disappeared to. Oh, please, Miaka, don't have reached that book already! She flew past the vending machines and turned to where the stairs led to the room above. She could see, even from her vantage point, that the door was already slightly ajar. She hurried up the stairs, ignoring the throbbing in her temples, and ran into the room, dark, as always, due to the inadequate lighting.
"Miaka!" she called, eyes darting from one row of shelves to the next. Please, answer me…
"Yui-chan! I found it!" an excited voice called from the farthest row of shelves to her right. Yui walked down towards the aisle, and found Miaka sitting on the lowest step a small rolling ladder, her schoolbag lying discarded next to her, and an old, faded book lying open on her lap. The brunette glanced up to see her friend standing over her, and gave the younger girl a bright, iridescent grin. "It's all still here! Every last bit of it!" She gestured for Yui to join her, to glance over the book, but Yui remained planted where she was. Miaka cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Yui-chan?"
"Miaka…the reason the library…the reason the library was closed on Saturday…" Yui found that the fear inside her and the darkness trembling in her heart and mind were nearly bursting in the presence of the ShiJinTenChiSho. "A janitor…had a heart attack while cleaning near this room…" Miaka gasped at the news, her mouth a perfect circle of worry. "No, he's alright. But…don't you find it odd…that it happened while near this room…?"
Miaka shook her head. "Should I? Yui-chan, the book is over. It's been over for nearly two years. It has no more power over people than it usually would. Besides, why would it want a janitor?"
"Why would it have wanted two schoolgirls?"
"It's nothing, Yui!" Miaka exclaimed cheerfully, slipping the book into her bag and jumping off the ladder. She pulled her friend into a close hug and then pulled away, holding her friend by the shoulders. "Of course, anyone would feel a bit weird when coming here after what we went through, and the janitor thing adds to the creepiness. But I'm sure it's nothing!" She peered at her friend, green eyes sparkling in humour and ease. "We have the book, Yui. Nothing can go wrong now!"
"What are you two doing in here!?"
xxxxx
The silence of the room wouldn't have perturbed anyone who was used to it. However, if anyone could have survived such a long stay in such a room, it was a feat that only gods could accomplish without losing their sanity. It was no ordinary room. For a room is believed to have four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. If so, this thing would have not resembled a room even in the least sense.
Gone was the proposed ceiling, along with three of the walls that would have supported such a ceiling if it had been in existence. Only one wall stood, a tremendous fifty feet in height, and extending onwards towards infinity on either side. The floor was still in tact – a black marble that even the shadows seem to revere, covered in greenish-gray vines and brown leaves, dead, just like the rest of the room. Their existence proved hardly gratifying to the oily shadows grimly moving across the floor, as even if they too were ground down from the ominous pressure of wickedness pressing down from above.
Closer still, chains clicked together, weakly, as if whatever was bound to these chains had already used its energy and spent. Then, silence again.
Footsteps contributed to the newest sound of the room, leaves crunching underfoot and vines snapping from the weight. A figure emerged from the shadows, a shadow even within itself, moving gracefully amongst the dead vegetation, away from the sounds of the chains. There were no chains around his form, only a hooded leather cloak. His features were hidden in the shadowed recesses of the hood as he marched on, fixated on the wall that was unlike any wall ever created.
He ignored the clinking chains, and seemed completely unaware of his surroundings, except for the wall. The wall was his curse, his bane, the very meaning of his existence. Banish it, banish the reasoning for his being confined. Behind him, eyes as red as the blood of a demon glowed, and the low, hot breathing of a wild beast could be heard just inches away from his cloak. The beast was waiting to feed, waiting to attack once the wall disappeared. And there were so many more. Saliva dripped onto the leaves…no, not saliva…blood.
"So it begins," he whispered, his voice as dead as his surroundings. A flicker of power, a brief change in the shadows, and the wall trembled from an unseen force. The beast behind him shivered in rapture, eyes darting wildly from one point on the wall to the next, a muted growl issuing from its throat. Again, the wall shuddered from the force of the unknown power. The man turned his head to look towards one side of infinity and then the next. The chains began to rattle unmercifully in the shadows behind him.
"What you begin, you must also end," he murmured quietly, and it seemed as if whatever was leashed to the chains stopped to heed his comment. "And those in the middle, caught in those worlds, will perish." The chains clinked together in protest, and for the first time, the call of an animal surged up from behind him. Not of his beast, no…a different animal. A low moan, and then the fierce warning growl of a tiger, followed by the hissing of a serpent, and then…
…the lone cry of a bird.
"He's already mine," the man whispered, holding up his hand, and snapping his fingers once.
The tiny movement fluctuated the balance of the shadows in the room, and the wall nearly tore itself to pieces trying to battle the onrush of power that surged up against it. But the wall, despite its huge powerful build, was no match to the onslaught of energy pounding against its barrier. In a matter of seconds, the wall…disappeared. It did not crumble. It did not disintegrate. It simply vanished.
The man stared blankly at where the wall had once been, the wall that had been destroyed with barely any energy at all on his part. All around him, the shadows were in a state of chaos, eagerly rushing forward, escaping their prison of what seemed to be an eternity. The beast which had been waiting desperately behind him could no longer contain its energy, and burst from behind, passing him in a flurry of sharp, deadly fangs, twisted black fur, and muscle strong enough to take down many a mighty man.
He smiled.
xxxxx
Miaka and Yui spun around at the voice, both of them jumping back a few feet at being caught unexpectedly. A slim figure stood at the head of the aisle, a set of keys dangling from his or her belt, their head cocked to the side in amusement. "Sorry, girls. No admittance allowed other than library personnel." Miaka gave Yui a look that clearly stated she was relieved it wasn't Nakago reincarnated, but the mysterious figure was still scary nonetheless.
Yui took a step forward. "Sorry, sir. It's just that there are usually some interesting books in here, and my friend and I wanted to check them out before we left the library…"
"Uh-huh…I've heard that one before," the person joked, rolling his eyes. "And don't call me 'sir.' I'm not that old. Come on, let's get you two out of the very important room." He gestured for them to follow him as he turned towards the door. Yui gave Miaka a relieved look that he hadn't caught her putting the ShiJinTenChiSho in her bag, and hurriedly followed the man out the door, Miaka close at her heels. They exited the room as the man turned and locked the door behind him. "I wonder why no one ever locks this room…"
At that, he turned back to them, and gave them a grin. It was then that Miaka realized that the man (Man! Ha, she scoffed) was hardly any older than themselves. In fact, he looked a year or two younger. His eyes were a bright, robust green, a few hues lighter than Miaka's, and were currently fixated on the girls with an amused look in them. His hair was spiky in the front, and pulled into a low, short ponytail in the back. He looked absolutely adorable, just a few years out of childhood adolescence, and showing the grace and skill of the man he would be someday.
"A bit young for a librarian, is that what you're thinking?" he suddenly asked, laughing at the shocked look on Miaka and Yui's faces. At their dumbfounded nods, he grinned brightly. "It's a job. I work here after school to help middle school students study for high school entrance exams. Usually, I only work here on the weekends, but unfortunately, I have a football game this Saturday, so I'm working here tonight and tomorrow afternoon."
"You tutor students?" Yui asked, genuinely interested. The young man nodded as they began to descend the steps.
"Sometimes fellow classmates, sometimes underclassmen," he said cheerfully. "I enjoy it, though sometimes it can be difficult." He glanced behind him and raised an eyebrow at the two girls. "Though I don't know if I'd go and try to lock myself in an important room just for fun. What were you guys really doing in here? No, wait! I don't want to know. Probably some sort of secret girl thing."
Miaka grinned brightly. She was beginning to like this young man, despite the fact that they had just met on rather shaky terms. But he had simply brushed it off as being their own business. "What high school do you go to?" The young man grinned a bit, and rubbed behind his head as if he were nervous suddenly.
"Um…Jonan."
The sudden conversation came to a halt. The two girls had literally stopped dead in their tracks, eyes bugged out at the young man who stood in front of them, turning an interesting shade of red. Yui managed to choke out, "Jonan?"
"Yeah?"
"That's the high school we tried to get into," Miaka sputtered out, glancing at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "You're smart. You must be a genius."
"Or just lucky," the young man said hesitantly. "It wasn't just grades that got me in, thank goodness. If all I had was academics, I'd be in trouble. I'm a pretty decent football player too, not to brag." Miaka and Yui shared looks – a boy who was both good in academics and sports? Sign them up for the next two! The young man was positively the perfect student – volunteer work to help other students, active in the sports life, and smart enough to get into Jonan (plus, he was rather cute with all that brown hair and big green eyes).
The trio entered into the lobby, and the young man hunched up in his shoulders in a brief shrug. "So, I saved your necks from getting caught by the library security guards. Don't go up there again, because I can't promise I'll be here to save you guys again. I'm no knight in armour." He winked. "'Then, a soldier, full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel.'" Yui raised an eyebrow, amused by the choice of words. Well, two can play that game…
"Well," Yui replied teasingly, "'He that hath a beard is more than youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me; and he that is less than a man I am not for him!'" The young man laughed at the quick repartee, but Miaka just blinked in confusion, and decided that it was something only extremely versed people would understand. She scratched behind her head.
"I don't get it, and I'm not going to try to," she replied. She tugged the sleeve of Yui's school uniform slightly. "I'm really sorry, but I have to get home to call Taka and tell him I went the library on ahead of him." Yui's eyes widened at the statement and she turned an apologetic smile to the young man, who was staring at the two in amusement and curiosity. Miaka gave her a look and gave the other student a wincing grin. The young man gave a brief shrug, and waved at them before heading back to the front desk as the two girls turned to leave. But suddenly, Miaka stopped in midstep, twirled around, and raced after the jade-eyed young man. "Wait!"
He turned around. "Huh?"
"All this talking, and we didn't even get your name!" Miaka huffed furiously. The young man smiled.
"It's Arai Ryosei." He turned to Yui. "Sasaki-san said that she gave you the address of the hospital Nishimura-san is at. Are you going to visit him?" At Yui's nod and Miaka's subsequent exclamation that she would go to, Ryosei gave the two a hesitant, suddenly shy smile. "You don't mind if I tag along if you go later, do you?"
Yui glanced at Miaka, who shrugged thoughtfully. "Well, I can't go tonight because of Bunzo-san, but what about tomorrow afternoon at five? Does that sound alright?" Ryosei paused for a second, obviously quickly going over his schedule in his head, before nodding. Miaka whopped in delight, ignoring the look one of the librarians gave her, and ripped a piece of paper from a notebook to right down her and Yui's telephone numbers. "We'll stop by after school tomorrow and then we can take the subway to the hospital. Sound okay?"
"Nifty." Ryosei took the piece of paper from her, gave it a brief glance, and jammed it into his pocket. "And as fun as it's been, I have to get back to work now. Sasaki-san has been watching me like a hawk." He shivered in fear, but the look on his face belied his apprehension. The two girls waved good-bye to their new companion and exited the library. As soon as they were around the corner, Miaka gave Yui a suspicious look.
"You were friendly with him."
Yui laughed. "Come on, Miaka. He's smart! He's one of the first people I've met from the start that decided to tease with a Shakespearian quote."
"That was Shakespeare you two were jabbering about?"
"Miaka…"
"Kidding! Just kidding!" She giggled. "I liked him too. He seems nice. But not nicer than Taka." With that, she pulled out the ShiJinTenChiSho from her schoolbag and glanced at it in a mixture of trepidation and reverence. "Well, we have the book. Now what?" Yui shrugged, preparing herself to deal with the turmoil of sinister feelings that crept within her every time she laid eyes on the book. But to her surprise, she felt nothing of the sort, except the warm afterglow of the joke she and Ryosei had shared. She glanced at Miaka, who was waiting for a verbal response.
"Well, I guess we keep it out of sight until we find out exactly what to do with it," she replied. Miaka grinned at her friend, and wrapped her in a hug. "What's this for?"
"For being friends. And for not talking in Shakespeare around me."
"Miaka…"
xxxxx
Back at the library, Ryosei returned to the desk and gave Sasaki-san a bashful smile. "Sorry about that. They had a little trouble with the vending machine." Sasaki-san raised an eyebrow at the young man, which caused a blush to spread across his cheeks.
"Hm-hmm. Arai-san, you can be a terrible flirt when you want to be," the older librarian chuckled before pushing towards him six books over the counter. "I saw you get those two girls' phone numbers. Now, these need to go back up into the historical reference section. I trust that you can make it there without flustering any more of the patrons?" Ryosei rolled his eyes and laughed, pulling out the sheet of paper from his pants and glancing over it.
"You know Keiko-chan would kill me if I flirted with anybody," he said. "And my parents wouldn't allow it either." A wistful grin came across his face as he placed the piece of paper back into his pocket, and lifted the six books into his arms. He gave Sasaki-san a departing smile and headed towards the main portion of the library, leaving Sasaki-san to shake her head in amusement at the boy's antics and turn back to her work. Though quiet and shy when he wanted to be, Sasaki-san knew that Ryosei loved to be around people, though not always wanting to be the center of attention. She found it remarkably adorable of the sixteen-year-old and had been immediately won over when he offered himself as a tutor for other students.
Smiling brightly, Sasaki-san turned back to the library computer.
xxxxx
"Tadaima!"
Miaka entered into the apartment, flung off her shoes, and peered into the living room. As far as she could see, there was no one else home. She journeyed into the kitchen, dumped her schoolbag into one of the seats, and began scrounging through the cupboards, unconsciously replaying the breakfast scene earlier in the day. She hummed quietly to herself as she pulled out a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut bar, and another jar of strawberry preserves.
She was just beginning to make her third sandwich when she heard the front door open and close. The brunette grinned, put down the sandwich and poked her head into the living room. Standing at the door was her mother, and a tall, handsome man wearing a gray business suit. She grinned happily and waved at the two. "Okaa-san! Are we having company for dinner?" Miaka's mother looked up to see her daughter waving from the kitchen and laughed.
"Yes, we just so happen to," she replied as the man, Wakashi Hiro, strode towards the kitchen, removing his jacket and giving Miaka a brief noogie on the head.
"How was school today, Mi-chan?" he asked playfully. She pretended to glare at him before laughing and turning back to making her sandwich. "Hopefully, they didn't decide to blow it up just to make you happy." Miaka sighed sadly and melodramatically.
"No, they didn't," she exclaimed. "We were tested on King Lear instead." She proceeded to complain to him about the test and Kiyoso-sensei and pretty much everything about school she hated – which was pretty much…everything. Hiro became the sympathetic listener, only interrupting her to tease her or ask questions about some of her classes. Chikuma watched from the doorway, a small smile on her face. Never had she believed that the relationship between her children and the new man in her life would be so companionable. It was more than she had hoped.
Miaka finished off her current story with a flourish of her hand. "And then, the ball hit him square in the head, and he fell backwards, half-dead. No, seriously! He had a huge bruise right on his forehead, all because he was trying to show off!" Hiro laughed at the story, shaking his head as Miaka turned back to complete a fifth sandwich. Chikuma also chuckled briefly before entering into the kitchen and glancing into the refrigerator to see what to make for dinner. Miaka turned to her and brightly inquired, "Why not just order out? Pizza for everyone!"
"Miaka, I'm not sure…pizza?"
"Oh, come on, Chikuma-chan. It's pizza, after all," Hiro joined in Miaka's request, pouting out his lower lip. Miaka grinned and did the same thing as her mother turned an embarrassed, yet pleased red at being referred to as if she were still a schoolgirl. It didn't take long for her to relent, and Miaka made a beeline to the telephone, the number already emblazoned to her memory. She glanced back towards the couple as Chikuma took a swat at Hiro for persuading her to order pizza.
I'm so happy for you, okaa-san, she thought blissfully as the phone rang on the other line. You've finally found your love, just like I've found mine…
Her eyes suddenly went very huge as she remembered the phone call that she had forgotten to make to the aforementioned love. She shrieked in dismay, causing the other two occupants in the kitchen to look up as she ran off to her room to call him in private, leaving Chikuma and Hiro to stare at the suddenly Miaka-less position by the phone. The two shared looks before Hiro chuckled.
"She's your daughter."
xxxxx
Author's Note: (6-20-04) I can't believe I had to go and add another part to this – the last scene – because I needed to introduce another character. (bangs head against nearby wall)
If anybody ever reads these things, you'll notice that my dates are usually off of when I post these and when I actually finish them. That's because I offer myself a one-chapter hiatus. That means that even though I just finished chapter two, I'll be posting chapter one. I would post chapter two when I finished chapter three and so on. I might stop doing this if I can get one of my friends to proofread my work. (I just can't do it – I skip over stuff too easily…)
Anyway, the plot unravels still. A bit longer than the previous chapter, but I think I'm doing alright. I'm not pulling out any 10k or more chapters – yet. But I'm so happy the ball started to roll. (Speaking of balls, I keep mentioning football in here – that's soccer, for all you American readers). An observant reader will notice that I dive into Yui's thoughts more often than Miaka's. Well, Miaka is going to play a big role in this story later on, so I'm getting Yui when she still has a powerful presence in here.
Alright, the little Shakespeare banter. (Yes, I did have to read King Lear too…). Ryosei and Yui quote from As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing respectively. Why? Because I felt like it. (Besides, Yui's quote was funny, and is now becoming my own personal quote if anyone ever asks me why I don't want a boyfriend!)
I wrote most of this chapter in the length of one day after being bummed out over my sinus infection and my writer's block when it comes to Cinderella. I plan on starting Chapter Three right after this chapter, and then continuing on Cinderella later this week. Until then, Nashie is going to get some soup and go to bed. Poor Nashie-chan!
Let's see, I think that's it for disclaimers. Um, gracias for reading my story and see you in chapter three!
- Nashie-chan