Title:Faerie Confrontations
Part: Prologue
Author: Nanako
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate Universe, Romance
Pairing: RuHana, HanaFuji(Hanagata),MakiFuji, SenKosh, MitMiyaKo, AkaAya
Rating:PG
E-mail:ishpoof@i-manila.com.ph
Warning: the characters are sometimes ooc
Disclaimer: Salm Dunk is Takehito Inoue's and will never be mine (sob)
Dedicated to Nagyra, who brought me back from writer's block land Afuna, you know why already ^^ And to Yen, thanks for everything
PROLOGUE
It was a warm summer night, the stars were scattered in the sky with the faintest glows while the full moon shown its brightest.
All was well in the silent night, until the velvet black of the night sky was tainted by a red scar which was afflicted by the sudden eruption of flames.
"Mommy! Mommy!" squealed a little boy as his mother pushed him out of the burning house. The smoke and dust hurt his eyes and the heat of the flame burned his skin. But the little boy knew that his mother would not be safe, staying within their home turned inferno.
His mother's long red tresses flew wildly around her angelic face as tears fell down upon the young boy's similar dirt-smudged cheeks. "Go, go and live a long and happy life. You have to live Hana, my precious little angel. You have to live, you don't deserve to die here, there are a lot of things life still has to offer in your young age. I don't not want you to get tangled in the feud that has destroyed our family, this is the reason why I want you to be free. But promise to go back and save our people when you are already ready. Do not let our sacrifices fade out in vain."
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
Sakuragi's eyes fluttered open and he sat up on his bed, barely stifling the scream which strained to escape from his lips.
He wiped a sheen of sweat which had formed on his chin and thought, 'It's that dream again, that same horrid nightmare..."
"You okay Hanamichi?"
Sakuragi looked towards the door of his room and saw one of his best friends - Kogure Kiminobu - standing in the doorway. "Yeah, I'm okay Kiminobu. Don't worry about me," he replied.
A look of worry clouded Kogure's deep brown eyes. But it disappeared as soon as it appeared. He smiled at Sakuragi and asked, "Can you stand up? If you can't then I am more than willing to take your food here so that you can eat in your room."
Sakuragi shook his head and returned Kogure's smile. "No, don't worry about me Kiminobu. I think I'm already strong enough to stand up and go down to join you guys for breakfast."
Kogure nodded and left Sakuragi's room, closing the door softly as he left.
Once he was all alone, Sakuragi's mind drifted back to his nightmare. "Why now?" he whispered to no one in particular. "Why did that dream come back after 11 long years since my mom died?"
He ran his hand through his thick red hair and sighed. His mom's death in that fire, saving his life while sacrificing herself, the way she had so lovingly risked her own life for him, these were all the things that he had forced himself to forget as a child. She had pushed him out of their burning home, and that was the reason why she was unable to escape, the reason why she had died. He had always thought that he was the reason that she died. HE was the reason why she didn't save her own life in the first place.
Keeping this in mind, the self consuming guilt of an innocent child, that horrifying event haunted his sleep every night. And for a few months after the incident, he had always cried in bed, refused to sleep or even eat.
But as he grew, he saw that living in the past was useless, futile. There was nothing that could bring her back. There was nothing that could reunite him with his mother.
And, as he registered this thought, the dreams had stopped haunting him. Why the hell was it haunting him again now that he was an adult? He had been living in peace, unconcerned with the past. So why now, why did it come back to haunt him after so long?
As he was thinking, his stomach growled in protest. Sakuragi gave a soft laugh and touched his stomach. "I guess I'll have to place my worries aside from now .So don't be too impatient. I'm going already."
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
Sakuragi entered the dining room and greeted his friends before sitting down on his chair, "Good morning Takenori, Kiminobu, Ryota."
Their dining table was a long rectangular one. And Akagi Takenori, being the eldest of the four, sat at the end of the long table, with Miyagi, Kogure and Sakuragi sitting on either side of the tall man.
"Good morning to you Hanamichi," greeted Akagi as he looked up at Sakuragi to note of his presence and proceeded to put a spoonful of omelet into his mouth.
"I trust you slept well?" asked the curly-haired Miyagi. "Considering that you just got well from a fever, we thought you wouldn't be fit enough to get up from bed. Being the big and bouncy genius that you always claim to be, you shouldn't have gotten sick in the first place."
Sakuragi paused midway from putting a slice of hotdog into his mouth, turned to the shorter boy and raised a brow questioningly, "What happened to you while I was sick Ryota? Ate something that made you concerned for my welfare? You should have eaten something to increase your height."
Miyagi turned a deep shade of red and shut up.
Sakuragi smiled and put another spoonful into his mouth. He knew how much Miyagi hated any comments about his height and it was the only way Sakuragi knew how to get back at him.
"But you ARE feeling better now right?" Kogure asked. And from across the table, worried behind-the-spectacle brown eyes met lively chestnut brown ones.
"Yeah," Sakuragi replied, finishing the last of his sausages and looking for another dish to devour. "I'm feeling better now Kiminobu, thanks for your care and concern."
"Will you be able to come with me to work today Hanamichi?" Akagi asked.
Sakuragi was about to answer an affirmative but Kogure immediately disagreed. He stood up from his chair and in a scolding tone, told Akagi, "Takenori! How could you ask that from Hanamichi?! He has just gotten well from his fever; you cannot possibly ask him to go to work, can you?"
"Alright, just make sure that he stays out of mischief," said Akagi. He stood up, took his briefcase with him and left for work.
Sakuragi gulped down his glass of water and turned to Kogure, "Kiminobu, can I help?"
"In the household work?" Kogure asked.
Sakuragi nodded.
"I think you'd better rest some more Hanamichi," Kogure said. "You just got well so I don't want you to exert much of your energy yet."
"What he means to say is that you cause more trouble than actually "helping out" with the housework Hanamichi," interrupted Miyagi, casting the redhead a big goofy grin.
"What did you say?!" exclaimed an irritated Sakuragi, who was readying himself to pound the smaller boy to dust.
"Hanamichi! Ryota!" Kogure exclaimed, placing himself between the two troublesome boys. "Stop quarreling like kids and act like teenagers for once!" He looked at Sakuragi sternly and said in a firm tone, "Hanamichi, go up to your room and get some more rest. Now." Then he faced Miyagi and said in the same tone of voice, "You're coming with me."
Both boys were about to complain but before they could, Kogure added, "No buts. Now d as I ay or Takenori will hear about this."
"Oh well...,"sighed Sakuragi as he headed back to his room. As he was walking up the stairs, he caught the faint complaints from Miyagi as the two were heading out of the house. "But Kiminobu..."
And Sakuragi heard the firm voice of Kogure reprimanding Miyagi. "No buts Ryota. Now you'll help me or..."
Sakuragi had just reached his room, and immediately shut his bedroom door shut after he entered. He had no intention of eavesdropping on those two. He sat down in his bed and thought about what he could do.
He was free the whole day, but he can't help in chores, can't go out and of course, Kogure would never allow him to play his favorite sport - basketball. He looked around the room and sighted the picture album he had put aside a long time ago.
It was on the floor beside an old stack of magazines which Sakuragi would read once in a while. With nothing better to do, he picked it up and put it down on his bed.
After brushing off the accumulated dust on its covers, he opened the picture album and smiled as familiar memories rushed back to him with each picture that he looked at.
Actually, the first picture brought a very painful memory to him, but still, even with the sorrow, a lot of happy memories accompanied the picture. It was the only picture he had which had only his mom and himself in it.
He combed his right hand through his fiery red locks as he faintly remembered how the picture had acquired its lightly burnt sides.
It was faint, but he was very sure, that at the very same time that his mother had pushed him out of their burning house 11 years ago, she had shoved something into his hands. It was the picture they had taken a few hours before Sakuragi became orphaned.
Brushing the unhappy memory aside, Sakuragi studied the picture closely, something he hadn't done since his mother passed away, for the memory of her death was too much to bear for such a young child. But now, he was more mature and more than ready to accept his mother's fate.
The picture he had with her was the last picture they had taken as mother and son. His mom had taken him to a park where the Sakura trees blossomed. And it was there when she had explained to the five year old boy where he got his surname. And that he meant so much to her that she named him after the precious little flowers. Although his memories of her seemed faded and distant, Sakuragi knew and was very sure, that he was very happy with his mother and that they loved each other very much.
Looking at the picture, he noticed that he had inherited his mother's fiery red hair, her lively chestnut brown eyes and the sincerest of smiles. In fact he looked exactly like her, except her features were more petite and feminine compared to his rather masculine build.
He never knew anything about his father, for his mother never talked about him or mentioned him and Sakuragi never asked about him either. Besides, his mother took care of him so much that the five year old didn't have any need of a father.
Finally, after a few minutes, Sakuragi lifted the page to look at the next set of pictures.
The next picture was cleaner than the first, but nevertheless it had the same burns on the edges. It was a picture of Sakuragi, Miyagi, Akagi, Kogure and their mothers.
Looking back into the past again, Sakuragi remembered that their mothers had been very close friends.
They had been neighbors ever since, and that is the reason why Sakuragi had known Akagi, Kogure and Miyagi in the first place.
They had become close the first time they ever met. The serious Akagi Takenori with the fist of justice; the quiet, sweet, motherly yet always responsible, wise and reprimanding Kogure Kiminobu; and the small but terrible center of mischief Miyagi Ryota. All three had been Sakuragi's close friends and they became inseparable best friends. And similar to Sakuragi, they too became orphaned 11 years ago, in the same incident.
Surprisingly, all four boys passed and gone through scholarship programs and got into wonderful jobs after their graduation. Thus the reason as to why four orphaned teenagers owned and shared a huge expanse of land and a 3- storey house all on their own.
In the same manner that he studied his mother's picture, he studied his friends' mothers. Akagi's mom had the same black hair, black serious eyes, dark skin complexion and the height as well. Kogure's mom was tall and beautiful. She had big, brown and knowing eyes, and long auburn hair that reached her waist. Except for the spectacles Kogure wore since childhood, they looked totally identical. Miyagi's mom was also short, had long curly brown hair and had the same naughty expression on her face as her son had.
Sakuragi gave out a small laugh, oh how their mothers resembled them all so!
He was still laughing a bit as he began to turn the page but a voice stopped him.
'Help!'
It was loud and clear, yet Sakuragi was unsure if he really heard it or not, because it seemed as if he only heard it in his mind. Thinking that it was simply a product of his wild imagination brought about by this reminiscing, Sakuragi resumed looking at the pictures.
But as he was looking at the picture of him and his friends graduating from middle school, the voice came back.
'Help me!!!'
The sudden urgency of the voice made Sakuragi's blood run cold. There was no way he could ignore the voice now. He knew that he only 'heard' it in his mind, but he was very sure that it was coming from a girl, he didn't know how he knew but he was very sure.
He decided he had to take action and this matter could not wait for Akagi's return. Sick or not, he did not care, there was someone in dire need of help and he could not wait for permission to help somebody, especially a girl.
Abruptly closing the picture album, Sakuragi jumped off his bed and put his sneakers on, clumsily and hastily. Then he opened the door and ran down the stairs. But, as circumstance would have it, Kogure and Miyagi were both in the living room, cleaning.
Kogure caught sight of Sakuragi immediately and a slight frown crossed his handsome features. "Where do you think you're going Hanamichi?"
Miyagi, noticing Kogure's tone, looked up from his chores and asked Sakuragi in a mischievous tone, "Planning to escape to play basketball again Hanamichi?"
"Shut up Ryota," Sakuragi said, sharply. Then turning to Kogure, he said, "Kiminobu, someone out there is in danger and needs my help."
Kogure wasn't buying it and Sakuragi knew it. "I keep on hearing her voice in my head Kiminobu. I know it's weird but I'm very serious about this! Look let me pass, give me thirty minutes and I'll prove to you that I'm right."
Now Kogure looked uncertain. For Sakuragi never used that tone of voice unless he was really determined to do something. It was totally identical to the way he had first decided to play basketball, which no one believed he would play in more than five days, but had actually devoted his very life to the sport until now.
"Please Kiminobu?"
"Oh all right," said Kogure, finally giving up. "But only for thirty minutes. You have to get back here by then ore else I'll tell Takenori that you've been fooling around again."
"Thanks Kiminobu, I owe you one," said the redhead, who in a flash, left the house.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
Sakuragi ran out of the house like a deranged madman to look for the person who had been calling for help, because, as soon as he closed the front door, the cries came back again, but with much more intensity.
'Help me! Anyone please?!'
"Damn it! It's getting fainter," Sakuragi cursed under his breath as he started to run. "I hope I can find her in time."
It was barely 8 o'clock in the morning and most of the people in the city were either working or studying.
He ran and ran, using the voice in his mind as a guide. Because the stronger it got, the surer Sakuragi was of the path he was treading.
He ran along the main road of the city, took a few turns here and there and finally, he entered a small alley. But as he did, the presence in his mind vanished completely.
"Damn it!" he cursed again.
He ran deeper into the alley, no longer caring about the fact that there might be danger lurking within it.
He ran on and on and on...until he caught sight of a young girl, dressed in a flowery gown, lying facedown on the floor, unconscious.
'I hope I'm not too late,' Sakuragi thought as he knelt beside the unconscious girl. He felt for her pulse and was so relieved when he found her pulse moving at a normal rate.
He carefully carried the girl into his arms and brought her with him. The girl had long brown hairand a fair complexion. She was a lot smaller and lighter than the redhead and it made Sakuragi's job of carrying her easier.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
"Oh my God...," were the first words that came out of Kogure's mouth as Sakuragi entered the house with the unconscious girl in his arms.
The normally strength filled and adrenaline pressured redhead used surprising gentleness as he lowered the girl on the couch. "See? I told you I wasn't lying."
"But is she ok?" Miyagi asked.
"I guess so, since her pulse was normal when I checked it," Sakuragi replied. "I'll wait for her to wake up; she might know why I kept on hearing her voice in my head."
Kogure sighed in relief upon knowing that the girl was alright and unharmed. "Guys, take care of her, I will just go out and buy some groceries, ok?"
The two nodded, and with a small wave, Kogure was out the door.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
About an hour later, Kogure could be seen walking home from the grocery store, with plastic bags filled with groceries in his hands.
He was so engrossed in getting home immediately; because he was afraid that the unconscious girl might wake up and find herself in the presence of complete strangers who looked a lot like gangsters; that he did not notice the presence of an approaching man.
He was only able to "know" of that certain man's presence when they crashed into each other. And of course, Kogure's groceries were all sent crashing to the floor as well.
"Are you alright?!" the man asked worriedly.
Kogure looked up at him but couldn't make out the man's features clearly for his vision was blurred. Obviously, he had lost his glasses when they had bumped into each other.
"Here, I believe these are yours," said the man, putting Kogure's glasses back on for him.
"Thanks," said Kogure as he smiled at the man. The man had long midnight blue hair nearly tied into a ponytail, deep blue eyes, a small scar on the left side of his handsome face and a smile which showed all sincerity.
"My name's Mitsui, Mitsui Hisashi," said the long - haired stranger.
"I'm Kogure, Kogure Kiminobu," said Kogure.
"I'll help you with those," Mitsui offered, indicating the messed up groceries. "And don't try to turn it down. It's the only way I can make up for crashing into you."
"If you put it that way...then thanks," said Kogure with a big smile.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
It's been an hour and a half since Kogure left to buy the groceries. Sakuragi looked at the clock on the wall, then back at the unconscious girl. It's already been an hour and a half since Kogure left and the still doesn't seem to have any plan of waking up any time soon.
Or perhaps Sakuragi thought of this too soon.
Because at that moment, the unconscious girl opened her eyes; also at the exact same moment, Kogure entered the front door along with a stranger with long blue hair.
The stranger with Kogure set the groceries down on the floor and the two of them joined Sakuragi and Miyagi in the living room. The girl, already fully awake at that time, sat up on the couch.
The guy with Kogure and the once unconscious girl's eyes met and both exclaimed, "Big brother?!" and "Haruko?!" at the same time.
"Why are you here Haruko?" the stranger asked the now fully conscious girl as he approached her.
"Um..." Miyagi interrupted. "Could I interrupt this moment please?" He looked at both the guy and the girl and asked, "Before you two get into a detailed discussion, could you both tell us who you are first?"
The girl blinked a pair of big brown eyes and looked questioningly at the long - haired stranger. "Big brother, why did you bring me here?"
"I didn't bring you here," replied the man. "I just came here and when I did, I found you here as you are now, fully awake on these people's couch." He turned to Sakuragi and Miyagi and introduced himself, "My name is Mitsui Hisashi, and this is my younger sister, Haruko."
"I am Miyagi Ryota."
"And I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi."
"So I've heard," Mitsui said. "Kogure told me about you guys and Akagi on our way here from the grocery store. You might be wondering why I, a complete stranger, accompanied your friend home. It's because I kinda bumped into him, literally, and I sort of scattered the groceries around and created a huge mess. So, as a way of apologizing, I helped him carry these home." He turned to Haruko, face stern and asked in a firm voice, "Where have you been?"
"Well I... I sort of entered the Shadow Forest and I got lost. So I used a spell to..."
"You used a spell to get out of the Shadow Forest?!" Mitsui bellowed. "How many times must Akira and I remind you that spells have disastrous effects when used inside that place unless the caster is of the angel level or higher?!"
"I'm sorry Hisashi," apologized Haruko. "I forgot again. But once I knew that something was going wrong, I sent out a telepathic message thru my mind."
"And?"
"And I woke up here."
"Actually," said Sakuragi, interrupting the conversation of the two siblings.
Both Mitsui and Haruko turned to Sakuragi's direction and he continued, "I was looking at a photo album when I heard Haruko's voice in my head calling for help. I didn't really hear it but I knew she was in dire need of help."
"You heard her? You actually heard her mind voice?!" Mitsui asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I guess so..."
Mitsui looked at Haruko and exclaimed, "This is great! I believe these humans possess strong psychic powers. They don't only see us, one of them can eve hear our mind voice!"
"Do you think we should bring them with us?" Haruko asked, a big smile forming on her face.
"I'll go ask Ayako first, that's when we'll decide. Wait for me here, I'll come back by tonight."
Mitsui stood up and as soon as he did, he disappeared in a flash of white light.
"What the heck was that?!" Miyagi yelled. While Sakuragi and Kogure both had their mouths firmly attached to the floor.
Haruko smiled sweetly and said, "Don't be surprised. We will explain everything when my brother comes back. For now, you'll just have to wait."
Tbc
Author's notes: It's been a year since I last wrote a fanfic. So please forgive me if the characters are extremely ooc and also forgive the grammatical errors if you find any.
Part: Prologue
Author: Nanako
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate Universe, Romance
Pairing: RuHana, HanaFuji(Hanagata),MakiFuji, SenKosh, MitMiyaKo, AkaAya
Rating:PG
E-mail:ishpoof@i-manila.com.ph
Warning: the characters are sometimes ooc
Disclaimer: Salm Dunk is Takehito Inoue's and will never be mine (sob)
Dedicated to Nagyra, who brought me back from writer's block land Afuna, you know why already ^^ And to Yen, thanks for everything
PROLOGUE
It was a warm summer night, the stars were scattered in the sky with the faintest glows while the full moon shown its brightest.
All was well in the silent night, until the velvet black of the night sky was tainted by a red scar which was afflicted by the sudden eruption of flames.
"Mommy! Mommy!" squealed a little boy as his mother pushed him out of the burning house. The smoke and dust hurt his eyes and the heat of the flame burned his skin. But the little boy knew that his mother would not be safe, staying within their home turned inferno.
His mother's long red tresses flew wildly around her angelic face as tears fell down upon the young boy's similar dirt-smudged cheeks. "Go, go and live a long and happy life. You have to live Hana, my precious little angel. You have to live, you don't deserve to die here, there are a lot of things life still has to offer in your young age. I don't not want you to get tangled in the feud that has destroyed our family, this is the reason why I want you to be free. But promise to go back and save our people when you are already ready. Do not let our sacrifices fade out in vain."
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
Sakuragi's eyes fluttered open and he sat up on his bed, barely stifling the scream which strained to escape from his lips.
He wiped a sheen of sweat which had formed on his chin and thought, 'It's that dream again, that same horrid nightmare..."
"You okay Hanamichi?"
Sakuragi looked towards the door of his room and saw one of his best friends - Kogure Kiminobu - standing in the doorway. "Yeah, I'm okay Kiminobu. Don't worry about me," he replied.
A look of worry clouded Kogure's deep brown eyes. But it disappeared as soon as it appeared. He smiled at Sakuragi and asked, "Can you stand up? If you can't then I am more than willing to take your food here so that you can eat in your room."
Sakuragi shook his head and returned Kogure's smile. "No, don't worry about me Kiminobu. I think I'm already strong enough to stand up and go down to join you guys for breakfast."
Kogure nodded and left Sakuragi's room, closing the door softly as he left.
Once he was all alone, Sakuragi's mind drifted back to his nightmare. "Why now?" he whispered to no one in particular. "Why did that dream come back after 11 long years since my mom died?"
He ran his hand through his thick red hair and sighed. His mom's death in that fire, saving his life while sacrificing herself, the way she had so lovingly risked her own life for him, these were all the things that he had forced himself to forget as a child. She had pushed him out of their burning home, and that was the reason why she was unable to escape, the reason why she had died. He had always thought that he was the reason that she died. HE was the reason why she didn't save her own life in the first place.
Keeping this in mind, the self consuming guilt of an innocent child, that horrifying event haunted his sleep every night. And for a few months after the incident, he had always cried in bed, refused to sleep or even eat.
But as he grew, he saw that living in the past was useless, futile. There was nothing that could bring her back. There was nothing that could reunite him with his mother.
And, as he registered this thought, the dreams had stopped haunting him. Why the hell was it haunting him again now that he was an adult? He had been living in peace, unconcerned with the past. So why now, why did it come back to haunt him after so long?
As he was thinking, his stomach growled in protest. Sakuragi gave a soft laugh and touched his stomach. "I guess I'll have to place my worries aside from now .So don't be too impatient. I'm going already."
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
Sakuragi entered the dining room and greeted his friends before sitting down on his chair, "Good morning Takenori, Kiminobu, Ryota."
Their dining table was a long rectangular one. And Akagi Takenori, being the eldest of the four, sat at the end of the long table, with Miyagi, Kogure and Sakuragi sitting on either side of the tall man.
"Good morning to you Hanamichi," greeted Akagi as he looked up at Sakuragi to note of his presence and proceeded to put a spoonful of omelet into his mouth.
"I trust you slept well?" asked the curly-haired Miyagi. "Considering that you just got well from a fever, we thought you wouldn't be fit enough to get up from bed. Being the big and bouncy genius that you always claim to be, you shouldn't have gotten sick in the first place."
Sakuragi paused midway from putting a slice of hotdog into his mouth, turned to the shorter boy and raised a brow questioningly, "What happened to you while I was sick Ryota? Ate something that made you concerned for my welfare? You should have eaten something to increase your height."
Miyagi turned a deep shade of red and shut up.
Sakuragi smiled and put another spoonful into his mouth. He knew how much Miyagi hated any comments about his height and it was the only way Sakuragi knew how to get back at him.
"But you ARE feeling better now right?" Kogure asked. And from across the table, worried behind-the-spectacle brown eyes met lively chestnut brown ones.
"Yeah," Sakuragi replied, finishing the last of his sausages and looking for another dish to devour. "I'm feeling better now Kiminobu, thanks for your care and concern."
"Will you be able to come with me to work today Hanamichi?" Akagi asked.
Sakuragi was about to answer an affirmative but Kogure immediately disagreed. He stood up from his chair and in a scolding tone, told Akagi, "Takenori! How could you ask that from Hanamichi?! He has just gotten well from his fever; you cannot possibly ask him to go to work, can you?"
"Alright, just make sure that he stays out of mischief," said Akagi. He stood up, took his briefcase with him and left for work.
Sakuragi gulped down his glass of water and turned to Kogure, "Kiminobu, can I help?"
"In the household work?" Kogure asked.
Sakuragi nodded.
"I think you'd better rest some more Hanamichi," Kogure said. "You just got well so I don't want you to exert much of your energy yet."
"What he means to say is that you cause more trouble than actually "helping out" with the housework Hanamichi," interrupted Miyagi, casting the redhead a big goofy grin.
"What did you say?!" exclaimed an irritated Sakuragi, who was readying himself to pound the smaller boy to dust.
"Hanamichi! Ryota!" Kogure exclaimed, placing himself between the two troublesome boys. "Stop quarreling like kids and act like teenagers for once!" He looked at Sakuragi sternly and said in a firm tone, "Hanamichi, go up to your room and get some more rest. Now." Then he faced Miyagi and said in the same tone of voice, "You're coming with me."
Both boys were about to complain but before they could, Kogure added, "No buts. Now d as I ay or Takenori will hear about this."
"Oh well...,"sighed Sakuragi as he headed back to his room. As he was walking up the stairs, he caught the faint complaints from Miyagi as the two were heading out of the house. "But Kiminobu..."
And Sakuragi heard the firm voice of Kogure reprimanding Miyagi. "No buts Ryota. Now you'll help me or..."
Sakuragi had just reached his room, and immediately shut his bedroom door shut after he entered. He had no intention of eavesdropping on those two. He sat down in his bed and thought about what he could do.
He was free the whole day, but he can't help in chores, can't go out and of course, Kogure would never allow him to play his favorite sport - basketball. He looked around the room and sighted the picture album he had put aside a long time ago.
It was on the floor beside an old stack of magazines which Sakuragi would read once in a while. With nothing better to do, he picked it up and put it down on his bed.
After brushing off the accumulated dust on its covers, he opened the picture album and smiled as familiar memories rushed back to him with each picture that he looked at.
Actually, the first picture brought a very painful memory to him, but still, even with the sorrow, a lot of happy memories accompanied the picture. It was the only picture he had which had only his mom and himself in it.
He combed his right hand through his fiery red locks as he faintly remembered how the picture had acquired its lightly burnt sides.
It was faint, but he was very sure, that at the very same time that his mother had pushed him out of their burning house 11 years ago, she had shoved something into his hands. It was the picture they had taken a few hours before Sakuragi became orphaned.
Brushing the unhappy memory aside, Sakuragi studied the picture closely, something he hadn't done since his mother passed away, for the memory of her death was too much to bear for such a young child. But now, he was more mature and more than ready to accept his mother's fate.
The picture he had with her was the last picture they had taken as mother and son. His mom had taken him to a park where the Sakura trees blossomed. And it was there when she had explained to the five year old boy where he got his surname. And that he meant so much to her that she named him after the precious little flowers. Although his memories of her seemed faded and distant, Sakuragi knew and was very sure, that he was very happy with his mother and that they loved each other very much.
Looking at the picture, he noticed that he had inherited his mother's fiery red hair, her lively chestnut brown eyes and the sincerest of smiles. In fact he looked exactly like her, except her features were more petite and feminine compared to his rather masculine build.
He never knew anything about his father, for his mother never talked about him or mentioned him and Sakuragi never asked about him either. Besides, his mother took care of him so much that the five year old didn't have any need of a father.
Finally, after a few minutes, Sakuragi lifted the page to look at the next set of pictures.
The next picture was cleaner than the first, but nevertheless it had the same burns on the edges. It was a picture of Sakuragi, Miyagi, Akagi, Kogure and their mothers.
Looking back into the past again, Sakuragi remembered that their mothers had been very close friends.
They had been neighbors ever since, and that is the reason why Sakuragi had known Akagi, Kogure and Miyagi in the first place.
They had become close the first time they ever met. The serious Akagi Takenori with the fist of justice; the quiet, sweet, motherly yet always responsible, wise and reprimanding Kogure Kiminobu; and the small but terrible center of mischief Miyagi Ryota. All three had been Sakuragi's close friends and they became inseparable best friends. And similar to Sakuragi, they too became orphaned 11 years ago, in the same incident.
Surprisingly, all four boys passed and gone through scholarship programs and got into wonderful jobs after their graduation. Thus the reason as to why four orphaned teenagers owned and shared a huge expanse of land and a 3- storey house all on their own.
In the same manner that he studied his mother's picture, he studied his friends' mothers. Akagi's mom had the same black hair, black serious eyes, dark skin complexion and the height as well. Kogure's mom was tall and beautiful. She had big, brown and knowing eyes, and long auburn hair that reached her waist. Except for the spectacles Kogure wore since childhood, they looked totally identical. Miyagi's mom was also short, had long curly brown hair and had the same naughty expression on her face as her son had.
Sakuragi gave out a small laugh, oh how their mothers resembled them all so!
He was still laughing a bit as he began to turn the page but a voice stopped him.
'Help!'
It was loud and clear, yet Sakuragi was unsure if he really heard it or not, because it seemed as if he only heard it in his mind. Thinking that it was simply a product of his wild imagination brought about by this reminiscing, Sakuragi resumed looking at the pictures.
But as he was looking at the picture of him and his friends graduating from middle school, the voice came back.
'Help me!!!'
The sudden urgency of the voice made Sakuragi's blood run cold. There was no way he could ignore the voice now. He knew that he only 'heard' it in his mind, but he was very sure that it was coming from a girl, he didn't know how he knew but he was very sure.
He decided he had to take action and this matter could not wait for Akagi's return. Sick or not, he did not care, there was someone in dire need of help and he could not wait for permission to help somebody, especially a girl.
Abruptly closing the picture album, Sakuragi jumped off his bed and put his sneakers on, clumsily and hastily. Then he opened the door and ran down the stairs. But, as circumstance would have it, Kogure and Miyagi were both in the living room, cleaning.
Kogure caught sight of Sakuragi immediately and a slight frown crossed his handsome features. "Where do you think you're going Hanamichi?"
Miyagi, noticing Kogure's tone, looked up from his chores and asked Sakuragi in a mischievous tone, "Planning to escape to play basketball again Hanamichi?"
"Shut up Ryota," Sakuragi said, sharply. Then turning to Kogure, he said, "Kiminobu, someone out there is in danger and needs my help."
Kogure wasn't buying it and Sakuragi knew it. "I keep on hearing her voice in my head Kiminobu. I know it's weird but I'm very serious about this! Look let me pass, give me thirty minutes and I'll prove to you that I'm right."
Now Kogure looked uncertain. For Sakuragi never used that tone of voice unless he was really determined to do something. It was totally identical to the way he had first decided to play basketball, which no one believed he would play in more than five days, but had actually devoted his very life to the sport until now.
"Please Kiminobu?"
"Oh all right," said Kogure, finally giving up. "But only for thirty minutes. You have to get back here by then ore else I'll tell Takenori that you've been fooling around again."
"Thanks Kiminobu, I owe you one," said the redhead, who in a flash, left the house.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
Sakuragi ran out of the house like a deranged madman to look for the person who had been calling for help, because, as soon as he closed the front door, the cries came back again, but with much more intensity.
'Help me! Anyone please?!'
"Damn it! It's getting fainter," Sakuragi cursed under his breath as he started to run. "I hope I can find her in time."
It was barely 8 o'clock in the morning and most of the people in the city were either working or studying.
He ran and ran, using the voice in his mind as a guide. Because the stronger it got, the surer Sakuragi was of the path he was treading.
He ran along the main road of the city, took a few turns here and there and finally, he entered a small alley. But as he did, the presence in his mind vanished completely.
"Damn it!" he cursed again.
He ran deeper into the alley, no longer caring about the fact that there might be danger lurking within it.
He ran on and on and on...until he caught sight of a young girl, dressed in a flowery gown, lying facedown on the floor, unconscious.
'I hope I'm not too late,' Sakuragi thought as he knelt beside the unconscious girl. He felt for her pulse and was so relieved when he found her pulse moving at a normal rate.
He carefully carried the girl into his arms and brought her with him. The girl had long brown hairand a fair complexion. She was a lot smaller and lighter than the redhead and it made Sakuragi's job of carrying her easier.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
"Oh my God...," were the first words that came out of Kogure's mouth as Sakuragi entered the house with the unconscious girl in his arms.
The normally strength filled and adrenaline pressured redhead used surprising gentleness as he lowered the girl on the couch. "See? I told you I wasn't lying."
"But is she ok?" Miyagi asked.
"I guess so, since her pulse was normal when I checked it," Sakuragi replied. "I'll wait for her to wake up; she might know why I kept on hearing her voice in my head."
Kogure sighed in relief upon knowing that the girl was alright and unharmed. "Guys, take care of her, I will just go out and buy some groceries, ok?"
The two nodded, and with a small wave, Kogure was out the door.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
About an hour later, Kogure could be seen walking home from the grocery store, with plastic bags filled with groceries in his hands.
He was so engrossed in getting home immediately; because he was afraid that the unconscious girl might wake up and find herself in the presence of complete strangers who looked a lot like gangsters; that he did not notice the presence of an approaching man.
He was only able to "know" of that certain man's presence when they crashed into each other. And of course, Kogure's groceries were all sent crashing to the floor as well.
"Are you alright?!" the man asked worriedly.
Kogure looked up at him but couldn't make out the man's features clearly for his vision was blurred. Obviously, he had lost his glasses when they had bumped into each other.
"Here, I believe these are yours," said the man, putting Kogure's glasses back on for him.
"Thanks," said Kogure as he smiled at the man. The man had long midnight blue hair nearly tied into a ponytail, deep blue eyes, a small scar on the left side of his handsome face and a smile which showed all sincerity.
"My name's Mitsui, Mitsui Hisashi," said the long - haired stranger.
"I'm Kogure, Kogure Kiminobu," said Kogure.
"I'll help you with those," Mitsui offered, indicating the messed up groceries. "And don't try to turn it down. It's the only way I can make up for crashing into you."
"If you put it that way...then thanks," said Kogure with a big smile.
[pic]===================[pic]===================[pic]
It's been an hour and a half since Kogure left to buy the groceries. Sakuragi looked at the clock on the wall, then back at the unconscious girl. It's already been an hour and a half since Kogure left and the still doesn't seem to have any plan of waking up any time soon.
Or perhaps Sakuragi thought of this too soon.
Because at that moment, the unconscious girl opened her eyes; also at the exact same moment, Kogure entered the front door along with a stranger with long blue hair.
The stranger with Kogure set the groceries down on the floor and the two of them joined Sakuragi and Miyagi in the living room. The girl, already fully awake at that time, sat up on the couch.
The guy with Kogure and the once unconscious girl's eyes met and both exclaimed, "Big brother?!" and "Haruko?!" at the same time.
"Why are you here Haruko?" the stranger asked the now fully conscious girl as he approached her.
"Um..." Miyagi interrupted. "Could I interrupt this moment please?" He looked at both the guy and the girl and asked, "Before you two get into a detailed discussion, could you both tell us who you are first?"
The girl blinked a pair of big brown eyes and looked questioningly at the long - haired stranger. "Big brother, why did you bring me here?"
"I didn't bring you here," replied the man. "I just came here and when I did, I found you here as you are now, fully awake on these people's couch." He turned to Sakuragi and Miyagi and introduced himself, "My name is Mitsui Hisashi, and this is my younger sister, Haruko."
"I am Miyagi Ryota."
"And I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi."
"So I've heard," Mitsui said. "Kogure told me about you guys and Akagi on our way here from the grocery store. You might be wondering why I, a complete stranger, accompanied your friend home. It's because I kinda bumped into him, literally, and I sort of scattered the groceries around and created a huge mess. So, as a way of apologizing, I helped him carry these home." He turned to Haruko, face stern and asked in a firm voice, "Where have you been?"
"Well I... I sort of entered the Shadow Forest and I got lost. So I used a spell to..."
"You used a spell to get out of the Shadow Forest?!" Mitsui bellowed. "How many times must Akira and I remind you that spells have disastrous effects when used inside that place unless the caster is of the angel level or higher?!"
"I'm sorry Hisashi," apologized Haruko. "I forgot again. But once I knew that something was going wrong, I sent out a telepathic message thru my mind."
"And?"
"And I woke up here."
"Actually," said Sakuragi, interrupting the conversation of the two siblings.
Both Mitsui and Haruko turned to Sakuragi's direction and he continued, "I was looking at a photo album when I heard Haruko's voice in my head calling for help. I didn't really hear it but I knew she was in dire need of help."
"You heard her? You actually heard her mind voice?!" Mitsui asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I guess so..."
Mitsui looked at Haruko and exclaimed, "This is great! I believe these humans possess strong psychic powers. They don't only see us, one of them can eve hear our mind voice!"
"Do you think we should bring them with us?" Haruko asked, a big smile forming on her face.
"I'll go ask Ayako first, that's when we'll decide. Wait for me here, I'll come back by tonight."
Mitsui stood up and as soon as he did, he disappeared in a flash of white light.
"What the heck was that?!" Miyagi yelled. While Sakuragi and Kogure both had their mouths firmly attached to the floor.
Haruko smiled sweetly and said, "Don't be surprised. We will explain everything when my brother comes back. For now, you'll just have to wait."
Tbc
Author's notes: It's been a year since I last wrote a fanfic. So please forgive me if the characters are extremely ooc and also forgive the grammatical errors if you find any.