Ciao!!!

Won't say anything beforehand because there's a lot to say at the end, so enjoy reading!

"…." Denotes talking

….. denotes thinking

*~* means a change of scenery (either temporal or local, I think which one of those will be clear) has taken place

Disclaimer: I do in no way own any rights, moral or others, to Rurouni Kenshin, its characters or plot. Characters other than the characters from Rurouni Kenshin bearing any resemblance to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. I do not intend to make any profits out of this story, it's written for entertainment purposes only and any attempt by persons natural or legal to make money from it in any way is not in accordance with this author's express wishes.

Chapter 7

Playground of the Mind

Grinning all over his sweat-streaked face Sano held out his right hand to the donzel lying spread-eagled before him. The young man heaved a soft sigh before clutching to the proffered hand with surprising strength, pulling himself to his feet and tensing his muscles against the inevitable slap on the back.

"Oi! That was sorta great, ya know? We should do it again sometime!" Sano proudly showed off his full height, rustling a hand through his unruly hair, the hood of his cloak having long since fallen down in the heat of the battle that had taken place mere minutes before.

Thanks to Battousai's skills and careful moves the two of them had managed to get past every single one of the Palace Guards- until, just one intersection in the maze from the 'King's chamber' they had encountered Shinomori Aoshi, the Commander himself. With a cold smile and a whirlwind moving of blades that Sano couldn't even see he had hem down for the count, standing proud for a second as both his opponents blinked up into frozen periwinkle eyes before turning on the heels of his uniform boots and vanishing like a ghost from the mists.

"He has been holding back," Kenshin said, massaging his side that had taken the brunt of Shinomori's attacks. He had managed to protect Sano from the most dangerous of his opponent's moves, but still the tall soldier sported quite an impressive array of bruises himself.

"I guess to you everyone's holding back, right?" Sano murmured, somewhat disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm coming from Kenshin's businesslike approach to fighting. "Then, I couldn't even see what that guy was doing… but it was great!"

'Akai' shrugged, the mask his face wore as stoic as that of the man who had just handed them sound defeat within a few seconds. Sano's emotions concerning fights were foreign to the young man, for him, fighting was a passion when he could move through his kata alone and undisturbed, but a necessity when encountering a strong opponent- at least that was what he had always told himself, and he had tried to adhere to that philosophy, however unsuccessful- nothing in the world could outweigh the thrill of facing off against an equally skilled man in the most primitive and complex dance life had to offer.

Taking his time to once look up at the innocent, boundless sky stretching out above the walls of the maze (some of which had been reduced to splinters by the force from the fight that had taken place within them), colorless eyes inbetween two states reflecting the clear blue and clean white. Somehow, he wished he could just enjoy the flying clouds and rustling breeze, but then he still had a mission… Hesitantly, he tore himself away from momentary peace and followed his taller companion who kept singing to himself about 'extra pay' towards the balcony King Kamiya was awaiting them on.

"Saito has done well," King Kamiya greeted them, a dark sparkle in his narrowed eyes. Aoshi had just given a most… intriguing report. Sweeping the stuttered attempts at an answer to this statement aside with a swish of one long-fingered hand clutching the hem of his cloak the King stared them down. Sano, not used to this kind of scrutiny, started fidgeting under the blue-rayed gaze that seemed to penetrate anything.

"It… it was fun," he said lamely, adding a belated "Kamiya-sama!" when the man he had been partnered with jabbed him in the ribs with on very hard elbow. The King only raised an eyebrow.

"Fun? You choose your fun your own way, Sagara Sanosuke… I'm not sure whether I like this. But now, you will accompany me to my quarters. I wish to rest before dinner."

"Yes, Kamiya-sama." The King realized that, once again, it had only been the bumbling fool who had spoken. The little red-haired donzel had stayed quiet- it was infuriating! When he should speak he didn't and when nobody had asked for his opinion he spouted what people most likely called 'wise words'.

"You, Adauchi Akai! What have you done to take out my Palace Guard?" Hah! That would draw him out of his reserve! Now let's see how he answers this…

"They were mere accidents, Kamiya-sama. I haven't done anything." Two sentences, he had to have lost his touch. Once, one word would have been sufficient, but now… he had to gain the trust of a King without completely changing his personality.

"Not done anything? Then why are the six of them just now regaining consciousness?" The King's sharp tone of voice carried his question far in the resounding hallways of Dunkelland Castle, far enough to even reach the ears of interested listeners. The donzel stayed calm, King Kamiya's furious stares meeting nothing but emptiness and shadows since he didn't trust his defenses to be in place just yet.

"I don't know," he stated. The King handed him a dark look but had no choice but to accept Akai's explanation.

"Very well." Dissatisfaction and frowns were not uncommon as reactions to his sparse words; coming from a King, however, they were something special.

King Kamiya's comparatively composed and calm exterior which he had been forced to present to the outside world from childhood on was as close to crumbling as it had ever been, the infuriating coldness of Akai the donzel shattering the reflection he had created of himself, causing tiny ripples of imperfection to mar the perfectly kingly surface. Holding himself rigidly upright the King marched away, followed by his two guards and caught in thoughts about how to finally get under the skin of that annoying red-haired boy.

*~*

The evening came quicker than Battousai had expected, the calming silence just before sundown striking him as even more unnatural today than any other day, the wind changing direction noticeably chilling in the process. He sat up on the merlons of Dunkelland Castle as had become his custom, keeping watch over the land and feeling the restlessness of a beast cooped up in a pen stirring in his mind. It had been too long since he had been free to run, free to do the kata of his art, the pressure of hiding his true nature taking its toll on him he felt himself lose focus, lose the clarity and presence of mind he would require to adequately deal with the problems the King and her true nature presented him with.

Before he could catch himself and change his mind Battousai slipped down from his vantage place, a lithe shadow flitting through the gates just before they closed, his amber eyes burning forth from underneath his hood, fully changed and unveiled in all their matte gold splendor now. His training had him alert at all times, and stressed out like this he was even more deadly than usually. Not even waiting to reach Dunkelwald and its many secluded clearings he broke into a run using his full speed, disappearing from sight to the average human eye, tearing through mossy underbrush and brittle fallwood with merciless precision, executing the first basic moves, lightning-quick jabs and slashes, that ultimately formed his mode of combat. Occasionally soaring as high as the highest branches he arrived at a perfectly circular clearing he himself had made when training in the forest a few months before coming to the castle, and he decided this would be the place he spent the next few hours at.

It wasn't until his muscles burned with the acidic blood pumping through his veins that he stopped moving, panting with the effort of drawing much-needed oxygen into his painfully tight lungs, every fiber of his being protesting the moves he made to cool down after just a minute pause, but needing them nonetheless. His chest still heaving he finally dropped down onto the cool, dew-dampened ground, calming and collecting his thoughts, preparing himself to handle thinking about the difficulties he'd have with 'King' Kamiya. Finding the hard surface of the forest too uncomfortable after his workout, being distracted by roots jabbing into his kidneys every other second he left Dunkelwald, returning to the castle but not quite entering it yet. Instead, he stayed by the lake just outside the gates, silently watching as the bright moon rose over the treetops, greeting the weary face underneath the sweat-drenched mop of long red hair with a serene smile. Nightfall was always special to him, and this wasn't only because the night was his element, his cloak, his protection and his realm. It was the stilling of breath that Nature itself experienced, in these few moments of utter darkness before a moonlit night. It quenched the desperate hunger in his own soul, something he'd become so accustomed to that the few moments it was missing were almost supernatural to him.

Battousai sat quietly under the beech tree by the lake, letting his mind wander. It was night, now, and the moon was very nearly full, but not quite- it would be three weeks still before he would see its full, round glory again. For many years, since he'd become a demon who shied away from the light, Battousai had been uneasy under any moon, fearing the revealing character of its light, but now he'd come to appreciate its beauty, and the peace he could find alone in the darkness. Few would expect to find Akai the donzel, or the ruthless assassin he truly was, out alone this late in the evening, staring up at the moon, but that was his reason for coming. In the bustle of the castle, it was hard for even Battousai to find solitude, and right now he needed it very much.

His feet were bare, and every so often he wiggled his toes, enjoying the feel of the damp grass between them as he sat with his back against the old beech's trunk, uncaring if he stained his tunic and pants or not. Gone were the days when he counted every penny and conserved his money carefully; back when he'd been on his own, killing at night and working odd jobs during the day Battousai had never been sure how long the time between these jobs would stretch. But now, after having been accepted as part of Dunkelland Castle's workforce, he didn't have to worry about such things as stained robes anymore. They would be cleaned, or, if unsalvageable, be replaced. He was comfortable.

Out of habit, his eyes drifted over the castle, carefully examining each line and curve, looking for problems or dangers. He didn't expect to find any because the Palace Guard were on duty, and he himself was a force to be reckoned with as well should anybody try to attack them, but he always looked, knowing that the people inside were his to protect- for the time being. Especially one enchantingly naïve young woman… Even unknowingly, they depended upon his strength to shield them from the monster that lurked just outside the gates- himself.

It was thus that the smell came as a surprise to him. Almost sweet, but with a dangerous hint of malicious darkness in it it wafted from the chimney of a hut leaning against the palace walls, emitted from the cracks in the sagging roof it stole into his nostrils, tingling where it came into contact with his nerves. A poisonous smell it was, almost on par with his own deadliness it shattered the refuge he had found underneath the moonlit sky, reminding him of the world he had dared to shut out for a few minutes.

"What… this woman." Battousai knew, of course, the (supposedly) old woman who lived in the hut as he had made it his duty to know everyone who had access to the castle or lived on the grounds. He, like the rest of the country, had never seen her face, only her proud, tall figure shrouded in black, a veil over her head and face wherever she went. The medicine woman, as she was called, was presumably concocting another sleeping draught for their King. She was the only one who had uninhibited access to Kamiya all the time, since the King depended on her creations to find rest. Battousai had found this out pretty fast, the King's fragile condition and shattered mind too obvious to someone trained in reading ki. Now that woman had to rely on draughts akin to poison to make her sleep… Battousai couldn't help but wonder what hid behind the eternal cold sneer of the beautiful young woman who was the King.

She had opened up once, her eyes sparkling with life, and it had been that vision of beauty that had swayed him, had convinced him to change the world for once not through death but through allowing a girl to live the life she should live, the life her mother had intended for her to have. King Kamiya… she was the first woman to capture Battousai's interest, as much as he wanted to deny it to himself. Her twisted mind accompanied his own, the darkness in her heart mirrored by the horrors he had seen and caused. As much as Battousai hated King Koshijirou for the crimes that man had committed against his people, he hated him even more for what he had done to his daughter, his only child.

The medicine woman was leaving, a steaming goblet in her hands. Battousai's sharp eyes tried to make out her features beneath the concealing dark black veil she wore, but he was, as usual, unable to. He didn't know why she was so secretive about her looks; she seemed to be downright paranoid when it came to people spotting her. If and when she left her hours, it was always the late hours of the night. She kept to the shadows and used the small servants' entrance not too far from her hut. Battousai was very suspicious of her- Dunkelland had experienced a period of unrest these last few weeks, and he had more than once heard the words 'mutiny' and 'revolution' when making his regular rounds through the taverns at night.

The woman and her goblet vanished through the walls, the light mist arising from the lake's surface lending an eerie, ghostly character to the scene, making the young man shiver despite the heavy cloak he wore. Deciding he wouldn't find any more peace outside that night he rose in a fluent motion, melting into the shadows himself, assuming the quiet, toes-first stalking he used when on the hunt as the nightly demon. Exercising his power, which after the rest he had had was nothing to him, he bounded up the low outer walls of Dunkelland Castle in three flying leaps, hoisting himself up over the merlons and onto the narrow walkways behind. A casual greeting to the soldier on guard at the side gate and he was back in the castle, briskly yet stealthily walking towards the quarters he and the other officer candidates slept in.

*~*

The medicine woman silently walked after her guide, the blindfold she was required to put on even after serving the King for so long firmly in place. She didn't know why King Koshijirou had suddenly decreed she was to never look at his son again when the boy had reached the age of maturity, but since that day five years ago she had not laid an eye on the slight, blue-eyed young man. Her abilities to heal were only slightly impaired by the loss of sight, Kamiya reported his injuries calmly and then she set to work, mixing her herbs and the gifts of the Earth to create draughts that strengthened and mended body and spirit. More often than not the King required help with the latter… the medicine women sighed, the small sound lost behind her dark veil. She didn't like to be seen, didn't like to be known as it had spelled disaster for her whenever she had been in the eye of the public.

"We're there." The guard's bored voice startled her. Immersed in her thoughts, she hadn't realized that she had already arrived in the King's rooms, yet the familiar scent of sandalwood and mossy undertones relayed the information to her brain that it was indeed so.

"Could you hand me the draught?" she asked, her voice sounding deep and sultry, younger than it rightfully should for an old medicine woman. The guard's hands touched hers upon her request, his leather gloves smooth and cool against the white skin of her palms, marred with scars and burns from where she had forgotten to watch her own movements when preparing her medicine. The goblet's warm roundness glowed in her fingers, the scorching heat it had possessed earlier drained away into the drafty passages of Dunkelland Castle.

"Thank you," she said, the guard jerking his hands backwards as though he had just experienced an electric shock when she moved her hands. She sighed. Even though the Art of Healing was the farthest from the Dark she could possibly think of most people still saw the men and women preparing medicine as servants of the Devil himself- with women it was worst. She had lost count of the number of times she had been called a witch…

"King Kamiya will join you shortly." She nodded, the gesture almost concealed by her veil. The King had had a particularly hard month; she had been called upon nearly every other day to provide him with a sleeping draught as his nightmares haunted him horribly. She, as the Healer she was, had a suspicion about what caused those nightmares- but she strictly adhered to the rule not to speak evil of the dead.

"You have brought my medicine, woman?" The light, lilting voice the King sported when unguarded and disturbed in his mental peace jarred her from her thoughts harsher even than the guard's words had earlier, and she had to exert rigid control over her body and mind to prevent herself from stumbling and spilling the precious herbal remedy in her hands.

"I have, my King," she answered in her sulking voice, smooth like silk and soothing to the ears of men.

"Hand it over," she was ordered; wasting no time to comply she listened carefully to the King's deep, erratic breaths as he gulped the pleasantly warm and sweet beverage faster than she liked. He was becoming too depending on her concoctions to help him sleep- this day's draught had already held an increased dose of Hypericum, also known as St. John's wort, and valerian, as well as belladonna and other more deadly ingredients that relaxed muscles and mind.

"Shall I stay?" she asked, her head inclined in a graceful bow that once again made the King wonder about her true age. But she was just the medicine woman, so why did he care anyways?

"No," Kamiya replied curtly, his breathing already slowing down and deepening, the gasps that had erratically interspersed it before gone. Curiously, he watched the blindfolded woman bow deeply, patiently waiting for him to call his guard again so that she might be led from his chambers.

"Thank you," he whispered when she turned to face the door, moving- in spite of not being able to see- with a certainty that had him awed. Immediately after the words had escaped his mouth King Kamiya slapped himself mentally for speaking them, a moment of weakness and the drowsiness setting in having combined to make him lose control. However, the medicine woman, despite his fears, did not take advantage of his lapse.

"You're welcome, my King," she instead replied warmly, sending tingles down Kamiya's spine he could not place but that were leaving a pleasant sense of completeness in their wake nonetheless. He could not dwell on these feelings, they were forbidden… every time he had felt like this it had been an occasion for punishment… but he was so warm, so… he wasn't alone. A small smile on his lips, his eyes shining with true happiness, the King watched the medicine woman leave in the company of his guard before returning to his bed, secure in the knowledge that the dreams had no place with him that night.

*~*

Battousai, on contrast, was offered no such respite. His dreams, in a sense, were even more horrible than those the King sought relief from, for he knew them to be a mirror of reality. They showed him his past, is deeds and the repercussions not only he himself but every one who had been close to his victims suffered, the accusing stare of the empty-eyed dead the only audience to his tortured screams echoing off the bare walls of his mental prison. As often as he told himself that he had been right, that these men and women had had to die, he still couldn't get rid of the guilt that tore at his soul, scattering the pieces of his mind into an anguished puzzle he strove to rebuild every single night.

If his control on his body hadn't been as great as it was, his roommates would have soon identified him as the wanted criminal he was, but as it was he had always managed to stifle his groans, moans and screams, waking in the middle of the night pale, shaking and sweating, silently clutching the edge of his blanket, his right hand frantically groping for the hilt of a weapon he couldn't risk carrying with him.

He had trouble sleeping while lying down. It made him feel even more vulnerable than the act itself did, he hated parting with consciousness on the notice that he wouldn't be up and ready to defend himself in that split second he also knew was required. It had cost him a lot of willpower and determination to just attempt, and even now he lay there waiting for the others to fall asleep so he could scoot to the end of his own bed, sitting up against the wall, one eye and both ears trained to the outside world while his spirit rampaged against itself on the inside.

He had never spared himself a second of remorse. He had known what he was doing back when he had fist set out to accomplish his task, the sheer impossibility of him escaping the chaos complete and unbroken always on his mind. Perhaps it was because of this mindset that he now was where he was- shaking with fear, chilled beyond the mere feeling of cold, the pure essence of guilt freezing his bones, his knees drawn up to his chest, rocking back and forth while desperately fighting to shut out the screams he still head every time he allowed his eyes to close.

The glinting light of insanity beckoned him at the edge of his peripheral vision, despite being fully awake it called to him, tempting him, telling him he should just let the puzzle shatter and the pieces of it remain scattered for once, calling to him with the sweet voice of oblivion that would follow this course of action. As usual, he was too stubborn to even consider this- his heart would not permit his spirit to choose the coward's way out. But this time, as he watched the night wane into the pale darkness that indicated the coming of the dawn, there was something else holding him back as well- a feeling that something was waiting for him still, that he hadn't found the one thing he had to, that his mind was already missing a part even though he held all the pieces in his hand.

It's her, a tiny voice whispered, the one you swore to rescue… she's your missing piece! He scowled at that voice. What would his conscious know about his needs? It was the cause for all his trouble!

I just have to make sure… just have to make sure she will listen to me. Once she sees what she's been missing I have done whatever I could. The voices may take me then, the eyes can have their revenge, I don't care. They can do whatever they want with me, just as long as…

Just as long as she is safe, right? Battousai was downright annoyed at his own mocking, sneering voice interrupted his thoughts, kept him from loathing himself ever more, determined to make him cave in to… something.

I will have to get up soon, he thought, pushing his philosophical musings to the back of his conscious as he rose, I might as well do so now and perhaps bathe… He blushed furiously as he remembered what had happened the last time he had attempted to take a bath in peace, quickly deciding it was not too bad he had woken early for it would prevent him from another embarrassing scene like that. Grabbing his things he headed out of his rooms, the damp feeling of the smooth stone floor curling the muscles on the underside of his feet. I should have remembered to put on shoes…

*~*

Morning came in a blaze of glory the King was never aware of- in fact, Kamiya slept well into the day, waking only when the noon sun tickled his nose into a twitching spell that was only released with a tremendous snort, shaking his entire frame and almost- but not quite, else his pleasant mood would have vanished faster than snow in the summer- throwing him out of bed. He didn't remember a single thing about the last night after the visit of the medicine woman at midnight, and he was feeling refreshed from a full night's sleep without the interruption of his dreams.

There have been dreams too tonight, the insistent little voice every human has hidden somewhere in his mind whispered, only they were not of the usual kind. You had… sweet dreams for once. King Kamiya scowled. A King did not have sweet dreams. Pleasant dreams of satisfyingly punishing that Battousai, yes. Glorious dreams, yes. Dreams of conquest, of battles, of victories, yes. But not dreams like he had had tonight, no, certainly not. Kings simply did not chase purple and golden butterflies across sunbaked, sweet-smelling meadows or pick flowers, no, they didn't.

But even though he scowled at himself and pretended to hate these thoughts and dreams that little voice in the corner of his mind told him that the dreams were right, that he, just like every other person, deserved the happiness they conveyed- and that they showed him the life he should have had.

I'm not that weak! Kamiya reminded himself, wrapping the last of the white bandages tightly around his chest before slipping carelessly into whatever ensemble his servants had laid out for him to wear that day. He refused to let his good mood be ruined- it had been weeks since he'd felt like this, so… calm.

"King Kamiya? Would you like me to bring you some refreshments?" No. Not him. Not that voice. It couldn't be…

Scratch that. It was him again. And scratch the refusal of his mood being ruined, that infuriating redhead and his deep, cold voice that betrayed none of his emotions could ruin anyone's mood. He shouldn't even be allowed to exist with a voice like this. And a body like his, the voice added. King Kamiya's sour scowl deepened.

"Get me something warm," he snapped, walking over to his study and collapsing into his huge seat behind his desk. Today was the day he answered letters… he thought. So all work and no play. Scratch ever being in a good mood- he should not have woken up at all today.

Akai- why on Earth he had memorized the donzel's name was a mystery to the King- returned almost too fast to have been to the kitchen, but the mountain of grilled deer and steamed vegetables balanced on a silver platter in his hands was too powerful a piece of evidence to be dismissed. King Kamiya's eyes narrowed suspiciously as the donzel neared him, following the donzel's every movement as he casually placed the platter in front of his King, revealing the plate and cutlery he had carried underneath. Setting the table for his King on Kamiya's desk, his hand brushed against his liege's as if by accident.

Electricity sparked between the two of them, the donzel hastily drawing his hand back as though he had been burned on contact while King Kamiya stared at his hand with wide-eyed wonder. That… that had been incredible. Almost as good as that violet-gold butterfly finally choosing his hand as a resting place the night before…

"I'm sorry." The donzel actually sounded apologetic- the very first time he had done so. King Kamiya dismissed him with a wave of the hand, grabbing the tall carafe full of wine he kept on his desk and taking a deep swig out of it, watching as the green-cloaked boy- Man!- moved to stand guard at the entrance to his quarters again.

You do realize you're staring, right? And that your mind right now is an open playground… The King shut away his little voice as firmly as he could while watching the donzel with what he wanted to make look like detached interest but what rather resembled… a rather close interest.

Tearing his eyes away from the donzel's ramrod straight, slight back outside his door the King moved his attention to the enormous stack of letters lying at the edge of his desk, waiting to be read and answered. Why his advisors couldn't do that was beyond him, but his father had always emphasized the importance of keeping their neighbors- friendly or hostile- close, and closer the more hostilities were to be expected.

Delicately cutting a slice off the roasted back of deer the donzel had brought him and placing it on his plate along with some of the vegetables the King nearly decided to savor his meal first- only to remind himself that it would take him even longer to answer these letters then. If he actually started working on them now he might even have an hour of daylight left to practice with Shinomori and Saito. Blindly reaching for the topmost letter on the stack he didn't notice the string attached to it, a spiderthread thin enough to escape casual scrutiny, certainly woven by the hands of a master weaver. The King groaned, concentrating more on the food on his plate than the thick, heavy envelope he picked up.

It was thus that the first letter came as a surprise to him in more than one way.

… to be continued …

Hmmm, what can I say *sheepish grin*- I'm not too proud of taking this long to update, and then with a chapter like this that, while it contains all the information I wanted it to convey lacks a certain… coherency. Alright, so I couldn't write more than a paragraph at a time since I was infallibly and always called away as soon as I sat down to write, still… well, I think it's as good as it gets now, and I hope you liked it! Now for some fun…

I know I'm evil! *cackles insanely* But it was just… the perfect opportunity to leave.. a little suspense hasn't killed anyone now, has it?

Yasai: *shakes head* Chi and her attacks of evilness. She's turning into Ry, I tell you!

Thanks for the compliment! After all, according to everyone, Ry is the brighter one of the two of us…

Yasai: You're impossible!

*grins* Nope. I'm just evil… Now, if you want to know how RtK goes on then…

Yasai: Oh no, all this pressure on her lately has made her completely insane- bet she wants bouncing yellow sheep to sing her praise before she writes on!

*cackles* No, I want Ry to play Romeo…

Yasai: Oh no. Not that. You know your twin refuses to kiss anyone besides his girlfriend!

Alright, then I'll have to settle for… wonderful reviews! Like these I got last time… *gleefully bounces off to retrieve her list* Now, I'll respond to them.

Yasai: At last, she's doing something productive. The world has come to an end.

Muse, you just lack any trace of a sense of humor whatsoever. Now, here you are, my beloved reviewers, this is your space! *does little jig and plays introduction on her piano she's just pulled from mallet space* I proudly present the

Reviewer's corner

CurlsOfSerenity: Argh! I screwed up making you wait for so long, didn't I? Hope you can forgive me *fidgets*!

Zeh Wulf: To stay serious would mean to give up on life for me... I guess. Oh boy, I think you're a mind reader... but I won't tell what's true and what not! Keep guessing... you are close! (and I just did what I said I wouldn't...) btw: I love your story! Am not quite through yet... (only on chapter 5, reading veery slowly to make the experience last) but I have to say you are one of the best authors I know *blushes* And to think you're reading this... WAH! *hides*

Girl-who-sings-the-blues: Don't know when, but Misao will be in here. Wouldn't let out Saito-weasel interaction...

bonessan: Phew, that's a load off my chest. I seriously didn't know whether this idea had been used or not... thanks for telling me!!!

ixchen: Thank you!

teddy grahms: Uh... I am slow on the fluff, am I not? I have serious trouble writing it, since I'm more of a cynic myself and tend to ruin fluffy moods with too... direct comments. I'll try my best, however... there will be fluff overload in just a few chapters, I promise, until then, however... let's say it'll get a bit darker soon!

Jensa: Urgh, I know how you feel- I've got a crazy family who always experiments with our computers. If it weren't for my laptop I'd never be able to write at all, considerinng the downtime of these machines... Yasai says thanks for the food and asks if it comes in chocolate flavor, too- she's a sweet tooth. *grins* The librarian has almost issud a ban on me- I've taken too many books, and to prevent me reading any more she lets me use the internet now- cool, ne?

Hiromi: *grins* you sould join forces with my beta- she's always leaning on me for being too 'wordy'. I'm seriously trying to fix that problem, though- could you tell me how I fared? There's never such a thing as too much criticism! Thank you for all the compliments! I know this chapter isn't as good as the last, but I still hope you liked it... *grins again* I'm looking sooo forward to writing the next chapter!

Natsuko: Urgh, too long, too long, too long since I updated... SL and this... hope you forgive me... I love hearing from you, really, really do! i'm actually at home for once writing this, so there's no Miss Daubecker breathing down my neck- she's cut it out, mostly, anyways since I started raiding the library for books, returning them a day later and demanding new stuff. She's desperate enough by now to let me use the internet... and not to care what I do.

Special thanks to dark aquamarine- it's always an honor to be on someone's favorites list!

Thanks all of you! Hope to Cya!!!

Chibi-chan