Chapter 19

"So, they are dead are they?" Hotohori asked. Silence answered him. "I see. Well, we will all pray that their souls find peace, there's nothing else we can really do." He said looking depressed.

"Hotohori, I want you to know that Izumi did like you, she probably misses you."

"As do I. As do I."

Knock Knock Knock...

"Aoi, are you alright in there?" Knock Knock... "Aoi?"

"I'm fine! Leave me alone, please!" Aoi bursted into tears all over again. Two of her best friends had died right in front of her eyes. They died, and there's nothing she could do about it.

'I'm pathetic. I couldn't even save my own friends. Why is this happening?' A noise interrupted her thoughts. It was the sound of Miaka crying in the room next to hers. 'That's right, Taka died as well. Miaka must be taking this pretty well if she's only crying that loud.' Aoi hopped in bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She turned on her side away from the door and closed her eyes, thinking to herself.

'The only things we have left of them are their weapons and the spy ware bag. But what good will those do? I don't want that stuff. I want my friends!' A tear ran over her nose onto her pillow.

"Aoi?" Aoi didn't move. She cleared her voice from all sign of sadness.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Are you alright?" She wiped a tear swiftly.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be okay?! Heh heh..."

Chichiri sat down on her bed next to her. He brushed her hair back.

"Don't give me that crap. I know you. I know when you're crying and when you're happy, you can't fool me."

"Why do you care in the first place?" She asked hoping to get an answer. Chichiri was surprised but he stood up and headed for the door.

"I was just checking to make sure that you are alright." Aoi squeezed her eyes shut, tighter and tighter. She was fighting her urge to... to...

"Huh?" Chichiri looked behind him to find Aoi with her arms wrapped around his waist. "Jen, what are you-"

"Why? Tell me why you broke up with me. Please, it was Izumi's wish that you would tell me." Chichiri took a deep breath.

"I will tell you, since it was Izumi's wish..." He turned around and returned her embrace. "But, I can't tell you now... Not here." He held her close to him.

"Why? Why can't you tell me now? I want to know, Chichiri, do you love me? Do you still care for me at all?!"

"Jen..." Chichiri rubbed his nose in her hair, smelling her sweet cherry scent. "I...I can't do this...you don't understand what's going on..."

"Then tell me! I can handle it! Please, I want to know why we can't be together!"

"Jen..." Chichiri kissed her on the forehead and let go of her. "I just can't tell you. It would put you in danger right now."

"I don't care. Put me in danger! If it means I can be with you then I don't care! I would gladly die for you!" Chichiri walked to the door trying hard not to give into his urges to just pick her up and take her to his room.

"I won't let that happen. I won't let you die while I'm still alive." Chichiri opened the door a crack. Aoi's hand pushed the door closed.

"You still do love me, don't you?" Chichiri turned his head and Aoi's lips found his. He tried to pull away but he couldn't. Her lips against his just felt too right. Aoi led him over to the bed, not taking her lips of his for more than a second. The need for each other was realized by both of them. And only one thing would save them both from them pain. Being together.

"Hey, Chichiri! Get up! We have a problem!" Tasuki entered Chichiri's room. A lump in his bed implied that he was still sleeping. "Get up ya lazy bum! I said we have a problem!" He pulled the covers off the bed to find nothing but two pillows in it. "Aw, damn! Where did he go?!"

"Hey did you find Chichiri?" Houki asked.

"Nah, he ain't in here lady Houki."

"Then we should ask Jen where he is, she probably knows."

"Yeah, maybe yer right."

Tasuki and Houki went walking down the hall to Aoi's room. Houki knocked.

"Jen? Jen you in there?" She asked. When she heard nothing she slowly opened the door. The light from the hallway filtered in the room. A low moan from the bed implied that she was still in there but sleeping. The light had woken her up. "Oh, sorry to wake you up Jen, but we have a-" A gasp from Tasuki interrupted her sentence. She followed his gaze to the bed. In the bed were Aoi and Chichiri, huddled together with the covers over them.

Tasuki took a few breaths but couldn't keep in his cool. "What the heck is going on here?!" He exploded.

"Ow! My ears hurt! Tasuki! Go bother someone else okay? It's too early in the morn-" Aoi finally woke up enough to figure out that Houki was in the room as well and Chichiri was still in her room. "Holy crap."

Chichiri and her exchanged glances.

"Um, is this a bad time?" Houki asked.

"No, its fine! What time is it?"

"Its noon!" Tasuki yelled.

"Really? Okay, let me get changed. Tasuki, turn around."

"Why do I have to turn around?!"

"'Cause you're a guy."

"So is Chichiri!"

"That's right but I trust him not to look when I get dressed!"

Tasuki turned around and muttered under his breath. "That's 'cause he's already seen what you got." Aoi threw a shoe at his head. "Hey!"

"I heard that!" Aoi got out of the bed with her black tank top and black short shorts on. She changed into her regular schoolgirl outfit. "Okay, you can turn around now. Tasuki turned around and Chichiri got out of the bed as well. He rubbed the back of his head. All he had on was his pants.

"So what's going on, ya know."

"Oh, that's right. We have a problem. Emi and Yume disappeared last night."

"What?!"

"Yeah, they went out for a walk as soon as we got back, I guess they were too sad to just sit around or something and they never came back."

"How is that possible?"

"We don't exactly know. We checked by where they said they would be if needed and the only thing we found was two shoes." Houki handed them the shoes. One belonged to Yume and the other to Emi.

"Were they kidnapped as well?" Chichiri asked.

"Why? Why does this keep happening?" Aoi asked.

"I don't know." Chichiri wrapped Aoi in a hug. "Don't worry, we'll find them. But, I want to know, how could they be stolen without us seeing anything or without us hearing a scream."

"That's the thing. We didn't here anything, which makes it seem that they just ran into the water and drowned themselves. But we found no bodies."

"Then... Who could have stolen them?"

TO BE CONTINUED