The Kingdom of Glass

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATT!!! YOU'RE FINALLY A TEENAGER!!!

Yeah, I'm so happy! I love Kitty-Katt-Chan, she's so cute. Hopefully she doesn't become a pain in the butt. Of course, I was on the verge of smacking her "Have I come in yet?" No! Dang it! (Still can't curse), well, she does come in, and it's not her only chapter.

Note: Laea is pronounced Lie-uh (Like Gaia but with an L sound).

Yamashira de'Ryu: I'll be back in Kitsap on the fourteenth, Poulsbo, but finding you is the last thing on my to do list, I appreciate the desire to meet me but the risks are quite high. For your safety and for mine, I decline any other information regarding personal location information.

Also, If you don't get to be a trainer in the story, you'll be a trainer in a review special. I'm planning one where they throw the rules out the window and celebrate a modern day Saturnalia with (dun, dun DAH!!!) the cast of Saturnalia. It'll be fun, and you'll have a regular entrance too.

Katt: Julia's a pretty name. It's better then Judy at least. One letter wrong is better than two. Still, it would be nice if people could pronounce our names. Ah, well, this is your entrance, happy, happy birthday and I hope you liked your presents.

PeaceLoveOcelot: You've never heard 'Red Dirt Road'? Tell me, have you at least heard 'Redneck Woman'? Country not your cup of tea, eh? It's by Brooks & Dunn. 'Somewhere' I can understand not knowing, it's only in Slayer TRY. Anyway, Edgar is not like Miroku, he's just a little on the flirty side but he can actually be serious, except when it comes to his brother. Heaven help you if those two don't find trouble. Yeah, bursting out in song is funny? That's a new one. Singing is an important part of our culture, and the Bishonen think very highly of music and dance, no matter their origin, they'll sing some more later if you want to recommend a good song to sing.

Also, don't worry about Yuki, I'm glad you do because he's easy to forget, but Phoenix and Amanda do enough of that. Perseverance is his greatest strength. He will make it, no matter what! Thank you for the review, you're my best reviewer. I enjoy it when people dig out things they liked about a specific chapter, it helps me write better, and write on things others find interesting.

To Katt-chan, my best friend ever. You're a blonde, but we love you anyway. Have a Happy Birthday.

Chapter Six: Cats and Rats

Now, in the Kingdom, the Princess was prepared for her wedding, the castle was beautifully decorated, her dress ready and donned. Today would be a special day, she knew, yet not how.

She did not know whether the day would end in ruin or in glory. Whether it would be amazing or terrible. She only knew that it would change her life forever...

Laea town was alive in the midday sun as the travelers roamed the street, relaxing and picking up the last supplies for their journey. The group traveled close together, not wishing to be separated from their trouble prone companions.

Phoenix and Yuki walked behind the others, following at a slower pace as they stopped frequently to stare at the wares shopkeepers kept in their windows. The two paused in front of a blacksmith specializing in swords at Phoenix admired the ones on display. "I wish I had a sword like this." She confessed, handling a delicate looking sword in knowledgeable hands,

"Can you use a weapon?" Yuki asked, leaning over her shoulder to see her prize.

"Yes." The half ling answered softly, "I know a little. I can use light weight swords meant for speed, I learned it from a Bishonen back home."

"I see. So you do battle?"

"Hmm, I guess. I'd like to, but it's not a skill, just a hobby. I'm also good with hand to hand combat, but it's not my skill either." She replaced the sword wistfully, nodded to the smithy, and the two went along their way.

"I wish I had a special skill, you're lucky, Miss Phoenix, to have the blood of both people in your veins."

"I don't think so. I hate not having a skill, I've tried everything, from assistant training to fighting, but I still don't have a skill of my own. At least you know that you are a powerful fighter." She replied, stopping at another shop, this one a little wood shop filled with tiny carved trinkets. "Look at this box, it's got a Bish-ball carved into the top, how cute!"

He took the box from her hands, smiling softly. "I don't like the Bish-balls." He opened it, admiring the beautiful finish inside, it was meant to hold the pendants won during gym battles. "She used to lock me in the Bish-ball for days on end, they were the cheap ones too, the small, cramped spaces."

The Bishonen replaced the box, and they continued. "I can't say I understand, but Amanda won't do that, she was chosen by the World after all, the guardians have high hopes for a girl like her."

"I know, I'm not afraid of Miss Amanda, I feel calm with her." Yuki confessed as they stopped for a third time to look at some specially designed trainer belts in a leather shop.

Phoenix nodded, turning her attention to a gauntlet on one of the shelves, inset with a blue gem. "Look at this, Yuki, I used to have one like this, except it didn't have a gem." She showed him the glove. "The gems are magicked to enhance protection and strength, but you wouldn't need one, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't." He replied and the girl giggled. "C'mon, Miss Phoenix, before the others notice we're missing." Silently, he added, 'It's pleasant to be around here, everyone is so fun loving, laid back and unworried.'

They found Amanda outside, looking for them. She waved when she saw the two exit, hurrying over to greet them. "I found you, finally. We need to go to the clinic, my permit says I have to take you to the clinic ever time I'm in a town until the doctor says it's okay." Amanda explained to Yuki, "Micheal wants me to go now, while he's getting a training spell for Aly."

"A training spell? About time, I thought he wanted her to stay a chibi forever." Phoenix muttered as they made their way through the crowds. "Where are we going to meet up with them?"

"Over at the gym. They're going to do a bit of training. We don't have to hurry though." Replied the Chinese trainer. "If you two want to keep on shopping afterwards."

"No, I want to practice over at the gym." This startled Amanda, as it came from Yuki.

"What? Yuki, you can't you're still injured. I don't want you to hurt yourself." She stood still, facing her Bishonen in a shy but firm manner. "As your trainer I must forbid it." It was the first time she'd been forceful with the Bishonen, with anyone, but clearly her tone was not to be messed with.

Both Yuki and Phoenix wore mirrored expressions of shock, but hid them instantly. "I'm quite fine, Miss Amanda, I don't think it could hurt to train a little." He replied hopefully, he really didn't think it would be a problem, as long as he didn't engage in battle.

"No."

"But, I really don't think you're being reasonable."

The Trainer stood her ground as a small crowd began to gather. "I said no, no if, ands, or buts about it."

Hesitantly, Phoenix put her hand on Amanda's shoulder, eyeing the crowd warily, "Why don't we ask the doctor at the clinic? It wouldn't do to create a scene here. Remember, your Bishonen is injured and they-" She gestured to the Bishonen in the crowd, "- can tell. It wouldn't do to create a scene."

Amanda nodded and backed down, crossing her arms with a sigh. "Fine, but if the doctor says no, there'll be no arguing." She told her Bishonen as the three teens continued along, ignoring the looks of the strangers on the streets. Amanda paid small attention to them, noting how friendly people were when among familiar faces, but cold around others. It was different from the town where she'd met Yuki, which was filled with warm smiles and a cheerful aura. 'I guess even in this place, larger cities will always be less friendly.'

The clinic was easy to find, as it bore the same large cross emblem as the other one, and was near identical in appearance, right down to it's sliding doors and white interior design, much more modern than the rest of the rustic city-town.

Amanda showed the Bishojo behind the reception desk in the lobby her dex and was instructed down the hall to a sector for Bishonen injuries. There, they were greeted by another person, this one a human nurse, who handed Amanda a clipboard with some sheets to fill out and instructed them to wait for a while. So the group settled in, Phoenix returning to conversation with Yuki while Amanda filled out the information, thinking as she wrote.

'Trainer name: Amanda Trent, Bishonen Name: Yuki Sohma, Class: What the heck is a class?' She wondered, then voiced her question aloud.

"Where their from." Phoenix replied quite simply. "Yuki's from Fruits Basket."

'Okay, Fruits Basket, Stage: San, Reason for injury? Oh goody, what goes here? Ah, Past trainer treatment.' And so on like that. When she finished, she turned it over to the nurse and listened to the conversation between the other two member of her group, which consisted of Phoenix teasing Yuki about something or other, until the Doctor came.

"Miss Amanda Trent and Yuki?" The Doctor, a man in his late thirties, early forties, with a wide gray streak through his dark brown hair, and intensely dark eyes that missed nothing, asked as the two called rose.

"Not coming?" Amanda asked the half ling, wondering why the girl would hold back now when she'd always tagged along anyway, whether invited or not.

"No, I'll wait here for you two." The way Phoenix smiled unnerved Amanda, there was something of a rather sly secret in her tone.

'Great. I've only been here a day and already I know Phoenix enough to be scared of her smile.' But she nodded and followed the doctor.

They came back not long after, Yuki smiling triumphantly and Amanda looking more annoyed than concerned. Phoenix drew her own conclusions, the doctor has declared Yuki well enough to train and that annoyed Amanda (or Yuki annoyed Amanda, one of the two).

"Okay, let's go. Over to the gym." The half ling beamed, jumping up as they left.

"Oh, wait Phoenix, I want to know where I pay for the check-up." The human insisted.

"Pay? But you don't have any money. The Doctor should have taken your dex number to refer to the captain in the last town, it's their duty to handle all claims relating to adopted Bishonen." Phoenix answered, all but hiding the usual gloat that accompanied her knowledge of the inner workings of trainers.

"Mmm, okay. I guess that makes sense. Are we ready to go then?"

"Just waiting on you." Came the Bishonen reply. They left quickly after that, having wasted enough time all ready and not really wanting to linger in the sterile white hallways anyway.

The gym wasn't far from the clinic, just outside the shopping and entertainment districts, a large whitewashed building rather plain in appearance, a lawn of overgrown green grass and wild grown flowers. Trees offered shade and hid the building partially, adding an air of mystery to the place otherwise noteworthy. Still, Amanda could not help but remark, "Nice. Here I was expecting a sign displaying 'Fight! Come battle to the Death.'"

Yuki threw her an odd glance. "What makes you think that?"

"You." She replied flippantly, entering the double doors after Phoenix. "Now, what is the point of a gym?"

"Training." Yuki replied, equally flippant. "Now then. Let's sign in and get started."

The receptionist had them sign a log book, stating as they did so, "The gym leader is in for training today, there is no tournament but perhaps your Yuki would like to battle her Bishonen? She has a Kyo notorious for his incredible strength. No amateur can beat them."

"I'd like to test my strength against a Cat." Yuki replied, excitement flushing his pale cheeks.

'Now that, is scary. A battle can get him so worked up?' Amanda thought, finishing her writing and thanking the receptionist. "Perhaps we may battle, but I don't think so, this is my first time to a gym and Yuki is my first Bishonen."

The main room of the gym floor was large kept together in clear view of the benches against the wall. Mostly covered in soft mats for floor training but easily changed out to accommodate events such as tournaments or specialized training. Today it seemed to be ground work; Mage and Combat skills. Straightforward sparring. Just what Yuki wanted.

Micheal, Arkarian, and the other Bishonen were already there, engaged in different activities. Link and Celes were in a stand-still sparring match, swords drawn and battle magicks at ready. Arkarian was mediating in a far corner, Edgar had his tolls out, tinkering with the weapons, and Alanna had Aly going through basic hand to hand combat, which was a forte for the spy-destined Chibi. Micheal turned away from his careful inspection as the other three entered.

"Ah, you're just in time to see another classic battle between Link and Celes. It's supposed to be a tiebreaker but if you count the time Celes threw Link in the lake, it's meant to tie the scores again." He beamed cheerfully at them as Yuki and Phoenix removed their shoes. "Ah, Phoenix, you can't mean to do battle in a skirt?"

It was true, the girl wore a long sleeved knee length one piece dress with a sash around the waist. She nodded in reply. "Yeah, I have shorts on underneath, didn't mother tell you I'm never caught dead in anything other than a skirt?"

She and Yuki discarded all jewelry and their shoes near the trainers and found a place far away from the mages and settled into warm ups. After ten minutes of silence, interrupted only by Aly's occasional yelps as she was knocked on her butt and parts clinking from Edgar's side of the room, they prepared for their spare.

"I wonder how long Celes and Link will stay like that."

"Any bets they start moving when we do?" Phoenix grinned, her guard as close to perfect as a girl who only fought as a hobby would ever get it. "Ready, Yuki-kun?"

"Whoopie! Another Yuki." As if from no where a little girl landed on Yuki's back, pinning him to the ground. Since the nezumi did not transform, it could only be a human, another trainer?

Amanda was the first one over, her face bright red with anger. "Hey, got off my Bishonen, he's hurt!"

The girl just stared up at her innocently, not budging in the slightest. Her bluish-red eyes as wide as can be with innocence. "This is your Bishonen? He's just another amateur then." She sighed, "I was so hoping for an actual challenge."

"And just who do you think you are?!"

The girl rose and dusted off her faded and torn blue jeans, holding out her hand to Amanda, "My name's Seairra, I'm the gym leader here. It's nice to meet you."

'Uh, right. More like the daughter of the gym leader. She can't be more than seven!' Amanda sweat dropped, schooling the disbelief and shock from her face. "That's impossible! You're just a kid."

The girl didn't take it anyway, still smiling and holding her hand out. "Never underestimate the impossible. I'm not that little, I'm thirteen."

'That's still little.'

As if she read the older girl's thoughts, Seairra's hand dropped. "I wondered what was wrong with your Yuki, since he doesn't bear a training spell and only an amateur would not use one. Every member of my gym uses one, including most of the trainers. I never enter a fight without it. Still, if your Bishonen is so injured..." She trailed off, her cocky tone tinged lightly with sarcasm. "Oh, and I was so hoping for another fight, but it wouldn't be fair to you or your Bishonen."

She really ticked Amanda off. How dare she! She was acting just like Yuki's old trainer. So full of herself. Yuki stood gracefully, without much effort. "I can fight." He insisted, "My trainer just worries much about me. I will face your infamous Kyo, and be the first to knock him on his face." He bore a secret smile, just as cocky as the gym leader's.

"Worry, worry, worry. If I worried every time one of my Bishonen fell, I'd have never made it to gym leader. Honestly, do you really think you can beat my Kyon-kyon?" Seairra shrugged, turning away from the group and leaving the way she came with a flip of her brown hair. She disappeared into a back room, probably a personal training area for members and returned later with an entire group of Bishonen and Bishojo, almost twenty of them Quite the crowd.

The most prominent in the group was an orange haired youth with crimson eyes. Dressed in kaki cargo pants and a tight black shirt with a low collar. Even without being introduced, Amanda knew he must be the Cat, Kyo.

The hall was filled with noise, bets, laughter, a bit of mingling between old friends with similar background. Celes and Link called off their stationary spar and Link soon found himself in the company of a young red head Bishojo, heavy with child, whose clothing style told of a farm girl. Edgar and Celes decided not to go anywhere near the others, until a foreign Bishojo caught Edgar's eye and winked, leaving Celes and Arkarian, who had given up meditating, to wait together. Alanna, being a typical mother, simply chose to move out of the way, not wanting to lose her daughter's interest in the training session.

Phoenix stayed near Amanda and Yuki, as the crowd moved apart to form a sizeable arena. While Yuki and Kyo went through warm up stretches, the new trainer listened to the small tidbits that came near her.

"Another Yuki? What's this, the seventh? I swear, Miss Seairra needs a new past time."

"At least it's not like the time when she was obsessed with winged Bishonen. Have you seen her plushie collection?"

"I wonder why the trainer didn't put a spell on her Yuki."

"Who knows what she thinks, if she travels with a half ling. More likely it's because of the extent of his injuries. My nose can smell the scarring from a mile away."

'Smell the scarring? What the hell?'

The two Bishonen, both Sans, took their places as Seairra held her hand up for silence. "This is a one on one match to gain money in favor of the new trainer. I name Phoenix Laylas, daughter of the sector leader, as our referee. The challenger is Amanda and her San Yuki Sohma."

"Okay. How did she know all that information?" Amanda whispered before Phoenix could move to an equidistance from the two challengers.

"Simple, Seairra and I go way back, her brother is the sector master journeyman, he used to bring her to Laylas sometimes. Other than that, she asked Micheal." The half ling took her leave quickly, as Amanda noticed that Micheal was indeed standing near enough to Seairra to have spoken.

"If there are no objections, it will be the duty of the referee to oversee the match and use impartial judgment to determine the winner." Seairra concluded, dropping her hand as a signal for Phoenix to take over.

The girl was a natural. "Challengers take their first positions, the first one knocked from the arena, knocked unconscious, or pulled back by their trainer loses. This is a battle of the martial arts only, any other form of combat is foul play and will result in immediate disqualification. Ready? Begin!"

So began the battle. Amanda rocked forward on her heels as her Yuki immediately lunged into combat with a punch toward the Cat's face, only to have it blocked with skill and ease. The Rat immediately withdrew, taking on a guard position and waiting for the Cat to move next. Kyo didn't. They stood there for several moments in the silence and something in Amanda's heart ached. She wanted to call him back now, before the boy with the red eyes could hurt her dear Bishonen.

Something held her away from even forming the thought. She didn't know what, but it was like a wall. She held her breath. Kyo shifted, that was all Yuki needed as he aimed a high kick to the side of the neko's face.

So the battle continued. Phoenix, Micheal, Seairra, and the Bishonen watched on in silence, unchanging in their expressions. She was worried, and she was sure it showed as she watched her first Bishonen take fall after fall. Not enough to merit him defeated but soon the Bishonen would lose consciousness. The broken doll.

Yet something told her even if he did fall unconscious in battle it wouldn't be the same, that he would get up and laugh and move on. Still, she did not want to risk it, it was clear he would not win.

She touched her hand to his ball, finding it immediately on her belt. "Come back, Yuki!"

A pause, as nothing happened. Then Yuki struggled to rise from his latest position on the mat. "N-no." He gasped, clutching his arm which had landed oddly beneath the fall. "I can beat him, I can."

'Not with the way Seairra's smirking over there. Snowball's chance in hell.'

It was more a passing thought but it shocked her to hear a reply, 'Only if you believe she has won will it truly be over. For who should fight a battle without someone to fight for?'

It seemed highly unlikely considering the condition Yuki was in, and Kyo who was barely panting. Still. 'Fine, but I will not be held responsible should the police decide to arrest me, I tried to warn you.'

'Arigatou, Amanda-san.'

The battle went on. She prayed to whatever god might exist here in this strange land to protect her Bishonen and give him strength as Yuki took another kick to stomach and punch to the face. By now it seemed Kyo was simply toying with him, waiting to see how long Yuki would stay conscious. 'I can't watch this, Yuki!'

'No.'

Longer, a hope, a prayer, she shut her eyes. Refused to open them. Then the sounds of the battle stopped. Phoenix's voice, drowned out by a cheer. Dare she hope? She opened them slowly, first one, then the other, to see Phoenix kneeling next to Yuki who lay unconscious on the ground. She ran to their side.

"Oh no." Amanda cried, "This is all my fault, I'm not nearly strong enough to call a Bishonen from battle."

Phoenix pulled something from her pocket, a tiny capsule, and threw it down beside her. "Well, you're right on one thing." She remarked as she pulled a vial of red liquid from the materialized medicine kit. "It is your fault but I suppose that doesn't help, since you wouldn't know why." She unstopped it, cradling the Bishonen's head in her arms and pouring the liquid down his throat.

Seairra sauntered over, just as spunky and, well, sarcastic as usual with her hands cocked on her hips. "Honestly, you didn't even take my advice, I'm not sure you even deserve your reward."

"My reward?"

"Yeah, for challenging a gym leader outside of a tournament, it's good for newbies to earn money and build experience. But I don't think you learned much of anything today, I told you to stop worrying over your Bishonen. You underestimate the potential of a Yuki." She shrugged, pulling a purse from her belt and tossing it to the dark haired trainer. "Take it anyway, but if I ever hear of you underestimating your Bishonen again, I'll be very upset. Come see me again when you're stronger." With that the girl sauntered off.

Micheal came over as Phoenix replaced her medical supplies and Yuki began to stir, laughter in his eyes. "Ah, so now you've met Seairra Skaya , gym leader of Laea town, the only trainer I know of brave enough to walk the thin line between abusing her Bishonen and training them to the extent of their power." he leaned over next to Amanda, "Trust me, don't follow her example, She'll offer you the greatest advice in the world but very few can actually pull off her methods without unwanted side affects." He nodded to Yuki.

"Feeling better?" Phoenix asked, rising and helping the Bishonen rise as well, which he did with slightly sluggish grace.

"Yes, much." He replied with a smile. "Guess I pushed my luck a little to far this time. I'm feeling better already."

Amanda blinked, standing also. "Well," She said finally. "If whatever you gave him made him better immediately, why didn't we just use it in the first place, back in the other town?"

They all turned to stare at her, Micheal shifting positions over to Yuki and placing his hands on either side of the Bishonen's head, just beneath the ears. "There's a little trick I learned from my parents that goes like this," He pressed lightly against Yuki's hair and the Bishonen collapsed immediately, unconscious. "There's virtually no strength left in him from the healing process, looks like we're stuck in town for a few days."

The trainer sweat dropped, again. "What the? Never mind, as long as you didn't kill my Bishonen I'll leave well enough alone."

Thus ended the battle between the Rat and the Cat, and what Amanda hoped was the last she saw of the gym leader Seairra Skaya.

"Hoped" being the key word.

I'm done! It is 3:20 on Nov. 13, the day I wanted it to be posted, almost four hours later than the scheduled time. Better now than never I suppose.

Seairra Skaya: (Katt) The gym leader of Laea town. A thirteen year old spunky Trueborn who knows more about Bishonen than it appears, understanding very well their strengths and weaknesses and the power behind them. She holds the appearance of a young child but her mannerisms prove she is anything but. Katt is just the opposite when it comes to personality. She looks older but acts younger.

Kyo: Fruits Basket. As legend goes the Cat sought to beat the Rat and take his place as a member of the Zodiac. In Fruits Basket, that's exactly what Kyo spends all his time doing. In the Bishonen world, beating a Yuki does not merit a chance to join the Zodiac, but is a badge of honor for Kyos and their trainers.

Malon: (The unnamed redhead) The pregnant Bishojo who steals Link away is Malon, who has a larger part later on when we see Seairra again. Malon is a character who reoccurs, it seems, in The Legend of Zelda but is most famous for her part in Ocarina of Time. She lives on Lon Lon Ranch and raised Epona, giving her to Link when they are seventeen. She's very sweet and calls Link "Fairy-boy".

The Strength of the Bishonen: I'll leave it at that for now.

"Smell the Scarring": Bishonen operate on different levels. They have a "Sixth Sense" that reacts depending on their strongest mortal sense. This one can sense other Bishonen using the nose. Smelling the chemical ailments left in the air to tell what is wrong. This follows closely with something Yamashira said in a review, that only a Bishonen with a strong nose could sense hidden traits. Yuki's hidden trait is the scarring both on his body and on his soul from his previous trainer.

That should be it. Next chapter coming in two weeks.

Next time: Phoenix here. With Yuki knocked out, we're stuck in Laea Town for a few days. Amanda decides to take a course at the orientation and learning center on Bishonen History. The five day crash course reveals to her many of the Bishonen's secrets. What she does with this newfound knowledge will shape her story in our world, forever.

Later!

Lockea