(Hello everyone. As of 1/01/05, I have reached the age of a two digit number! Anyways, I would like to thank everyone so far who has taken the time to read this story, even if they have or have not reviewed. Please review for those of you who haven't yet.)

Disclaimer: All characters here belong to their respective owners. I do not own them. But if (and when) I do, I'm going to make an Anime series out of this and you can see on Cartoon Network or the Anime Network.

Chapter 7

Heero and Duo walked together along the packed and vibrant streets of Osaka with Duo leading the way in just any random direction. After they and the others had made a stop at the fountain, Duo had suggested that Heero take a walk with him. "You two just have fun okay?" Heero remembered Relena's words to him before they left when she heard Duo ask him. Then the others left with their respective friends: Relena, Megumi, and Kaoru as one group, and Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sano the other. Heero and Duo were probably too much of outsiders to be well associated enough with either group, but somehow Relena seemed to be an exception. And he felt like he had just walked on a path with a big boulder chasing him and he had turned back the other way.

There was something about 'friends'Heero would have liked to discuss with her, and that was the reason why he would have liked to speak with Relena. But now that would have to wait. Also, for some reason Heero's smelling sense detected a foul odor that came from somewhere nearby…very nearby.

"Duo, what is it that you want?" he asked irritated. "Hey, chill out man. There's no reason to be mad. I just need some help from you ok?" his companion answered him. "What do you mean?" Duo stopped in his steps, turned around to face Heero, and walked a few steps closer to him. "I just need you to tell me what you can about Relena." The second Duo had turned around to speak to him, that very odor Heero was smelling just now tripled in strength. The smell almost gave Heero a need to vomit and taste the disgusting contents of undigested food. It was as though the smell of an epidemic of death was about him. He quickly put a hand over his nose and backed a few steps back, but some of the odor still managed to come through the small openings from his hand. "What?" Duo asked shrugging and totally unaware. Where that smell was coming from was unambiguously obvious.

Kenshin, along with Yahiko and Sano was walking by the street among the lively folk around them. "Hey, so what are we going to do?" Yahiko asked his two older companions. "I dunno. Kenshin, what do you think we should do?" he said. While taking a moment to think, Kenshin's eyes spotted a single room tent. There was a sign standing nearby it which said 'Come and know your fortune and future! Only fifteen yen per question! Note: Only one question maximum per customer.' "Why don't we try the fortune teller?" he suggested to them. "Well alright. We don't really have anything better to do anyways" Sano said.

They walked into a tent. Inside there were many bizarre foreign items that the three have never seen before such as tarot cards, I Spy books, and what looked like a magic ball on a table. The owner came forth from the dark shadows in the back of the tent to greet them. He was a tall man with an erected beard that grew up to three or four inches. He wore funny looking clothes that consisted of a pair of pants that were shaped like round vase with a tube, a long red scarf that served as a belt and he wore a vest. With him was a lad of about seventeen years in similar clothes with long blonde hair with in bangs over his face and his eyes were dark aqua green. Their ethnicity along with apparel was very evident that they foreigners from outside Japan. They were people rare to see. "Is salaamu alaikum, my friends! My name is Rashid and this is my apprentice Quatre" he orally saluted them with welcoming words. "What is it that we can do for you? Do you want to know your fortune and future?" "Yes please" the three of them answered at once.

Relena, Kaoru, and Megumi had chosen to go together as they walked on the city streets just as the others. It was a hot, sunny, and bright day. Fortunately, Megumi had brought a yellow and not so durable-looking paper umbrella with her, which she used to shield them from the sun. Finally, Megumi brought up a subject to talk about. "Hey Relena, why did you come to Japan with Duo? Is he a good friend who is willing to accompany his princess and protect her along the way?" she asked Relena with a hint of joking. Relena blushed at the mere thought of herself getting involved with Duo in such a way. No, she couldn't do that…even if she wanted to, it was her duty to bury such feelings if she had them and stay devoted to what she has committed herself to. But will she? Yes, of course. "No, its not like that all…" she said as though she had been accused of a crime. "Hey, hey, don't take it too personally. I was just kidding. But is it alright to ask why you came here with him?" Megumi said apologetically. "I just needed someone to take me here, nothing more" Relena said. "But I wonder why he's still with you?" Kaoru said. "Well…it's just that Duo doesn't seem to want to go away." "Ah ha! He must be in love with you!" Megumi said sprightly. Relena again blushed. "Hey c'mon Megumi, stop it" Kaoru scolded mildly. "Alright Relena, I'll stop it. I'm sorry."

"Hey look, there's a big weird looking tent on the side of the street" Kaoru pointed. It was indeed a big tent with red and yellow stripes with a little flag sticking on top of it. There was also a large clearly visible sign that said: "Welcome to the circus! Come and see the impossible performed today! People of all ages welcome. Admission: Five yen per person" "Hey so Relena, do you know what a circus is?" Megumi asked not knowing. "Yes, a circus is a group of people and animals who perform together" she said explaining the general idea. "Why don't we go see it? I think I brought enough money" Megumi said. "So Relena, did they have circuses in America? Do you know if it's worth seeing?" Kaoru decided to ask. "Yes, there were a few. It's been a long time since I've last been to one." "Well c'mon lets go ladies" Megumi insisted anxiously.

"Ok, are you happy now Mr. Samurai?" Duo said to Heero as he leaned on the wall with a face as he left the bath house door behind him. Heero had ordered that Duo throw away his old clothes and was even kind enough to buy him a black kimono as fresh clothes. And this was not the first time Duo had come out today. He had come out two times prior to this time, with each of those where he did not unbraid his hair and shampoo it, and once he came back out without brushing his teeth. But this time, Heero could see that he actually did. And now he smelled clean enough. He concluded that being out at sea for so long and not bathe were the reasons why he smelled so excruciatingly horrible.

"So what is it exactly that you want from me?" he said getting straight down to business. Wanting to be on his good side because Duo wanted his help, he decided to forget about Heero making him take a bath. "Like I said, I just want you to tell me what you can about Relena" he said hoping that his questionee will agree to tell. "What do you mean exactly?" Heero said. He felt an odd feeling inside him. "Y'know, what she likes, what she hates, how she feels stuff like that" Duo explained being clearer. Heero thought for a moment and wondered if her safety would be put at risk. "And why do you want to know all this?" Duo took a seat on the small stairway to the bath house and sighed. "I dunno…I guess I'm just desperate to find someone. I'm sorry for being like this. It's just that she doesn't seem to think I'm proper enough to hang around with." Heero tried to listen but couldn't understand how felt. "Come on, while there's still time let's go find something enjoyable to do" he said walking on.

They walked to the market place where merchants both native and foreign were selling their goods on stands. "Hello there! Care to buy anything?" said a girl's voice. She was a woman who had unbraided black hair that reached her neck, good looks, and was dressed in clothes not native to Japan. Probably Korean or Chinese Heero assumed because her casual robes didn't have long, big sleeves like kimonos and she wore trousers. Beside her, was a little stand that contained various accessories and amulets, small statues of the big blissful Buddha and the mighty, long bearded Guan Yu. There were some smooth, well-crafted wooden eating utensils and plates as well, but it looked like she was almost out of stock. Duo, who was enchanted by the goods on display and went to look at it right away like a young child. Heero just stood there while waiting impatiently under a nonchalant demeanor.

Finally, Duo caught something of interest and slowly took it from the display after a minute or two. "May I ask how much this is?" he asked the girl while he was holding a brilliant jade vase. The vase had a short little dragon wrapped around it almost anaconda- style. The dragon was in snake form, had spiky scales on its back, and two whisker-like things that were near its nose. "Oh…that" she began. Her eyes were looking down. "You're the first customers I've had today. So because of that, I'm willing to give you a discount. You may have it for fifty-nine yen" she said with her eyes now back up. Duo's own eyes turned over to Heero beaming. Please?... pretty please? were what words Heero read by looking at his eyes. "Fine" he said. He didn't care much for money anyway. He took out and handed her the money. "Thanks buddy! I owe you one" he said pleased with his new vase.

But Duo didn't fail to notice the sadness in salesperson's eyes. "Hey, is everything all right?" he asked out of concern. Trying to hide the way she felt, the girl looked up and tried to smile. "No, everything is fine. Please come again." But Duo wasn't buying it. "Ok lady, if this vase means that much to you, then I'll give it back in exchange for my friend's money." A few tears began flowing as she looked down on the ground again. "No, it's alright. You paid for it…" she said. Duo was able to see through that penetrable shell she had tried to wear. "Would you like to tell me what's wrong? I know something is." Finally, she began her story. "My family and I are from Beijing, China" she started telling them. "My father got in the business of photography, and we became well off from the money he made, but the Imperial Government called it black magic, and put him out of business saying it was evil. We've been through hard times ever since. We moved from here to there, and my father soon passed away. He was so full of worry…and then my mother committed suicide some years after…" She was going by quickly without pausing, and tears came through a little more easily. "…and for a living, I have been selling my family treasures, one by one. That vase is all that's left." As he listened, Duo hoped that she wouldn't go so far as to sell her own body… "Hey, I'm really sorry about what you went through…I've been through my share of hard times" he said putting a hand on her shoulder to provide comfort. "Would you like to close shop early now and come with my friend and I? We can all enjoy Obon together" he suggested to her. Duo waited for her answer.

"Alright sir, what would you like to know of? The past, present, or future?" Rashid asked Sano first. Sano thought for a moment trying to carefully choose what it was that he wanted to know. "Present" he said surely. "Ok. You may ask your question then" said Rashid further. "How does Megumi feel about me?" he asked really wanting to know the answer. After he finished saying the question, the tall man closed his eyes for a few short moments. Then he opened them. "Your Megumi has high hopes for you and waits for you to mature in your demeanor" he said. Sano's hopes now were as if crushed and sunk to the depths of space. "But don't worry, you've caught her fancy I believe." That did help raise Sano's spirits.

"And how about you young man?" Rashid said turning to Yahiko. Like Sano before him, the lad took a minute to think pensively about what question he wanted to ask knowing that only one was allowed. He made up his mind. "Hmmm…I want to ask about the past" he said surely. "Can you tell me about what my mother was like on the inside?" Kenshin and Sano soon felt pity for their younger friend. From what they knew, Yahiko's father was a samurai who had been killed on a battlefield during Meiji Restoration, leaving his young self and mother to live through difficult times alone. His mother had done her best to raise him properly and tried to be the very best mother she possibly could have been, but unfortunately, she had passed away while working as a prostitute for a living. Rashid closed his eyes and spoke as he did so. "Your mother was a woman who lived a troubled life. And she tried to risk everything for you. She made a sacrifice as a good parent should have done. Surely you know this?" he said trying to hide the unwanted details. "Yeah. I just wanted to test you if you were for real or not" he explained.

Satisfied that he had done his job correctly, the tall man turned over to face Kenshin. "And you sir? Would you like to ask something?" "Yes please. I would like to ask about the future" he answered trying something different from his two other friends. "Alright. You got it. But why don't we let Quatre give it a try?" Rashid suggested. Quatre stepped forward. "Ok, if that is what you'd like" he said giving Kenshin a friendly smile. He closed his eyes just as Rashid had done. "So you would like to know your future right? I see you will meet a demon?...A demon who…" Quatre said unfinished not believing it. He opened his eyes. "Is everything all right Quatre?" Rashid asked him. "Yeah…" he said confused. "I'm terribly sorry, but my apprentice is still a learner. Perhaps I should tell your future for you" Rashid suggested to Kenshin. "No, no it's alright. But can you tell me anything else about this demon?" he asked them. Quatre spoke. "A demon who must protect someone or something very important to him…" Quatre tried to explain, but again was still unsure of his own words. "It's alright, don't worry about it" Kenshin said not at all concerned. As long as he knew what was going to happen, he can prepare.

He reached for his wallet to give Rashid and his apprentice Quatre the money they owed. But Rashid put up a hand refusing to accept the money. "Quatre and I have been looking forward to seeing the temple festival for Obon since we heard of it, but we've been quite busy looking after the shop and therefore had no time to find it. If you can lead us to the temple now after we close, I'll waiver the price."

Fortune had been kind to Relena, Kaoru, and Megumi when they paid for their admission. They were able to get front row seats on the very large circular seats with another even bigger one around it, making it look like a target sign if looked up from high above. At the center of the small coliseum was the ground floor, the performers had performed along with their animals, some of which weren't native to Japan such as a lion, or an elephant. There was one event where a girl dressed in a flashy dress threw knives at a young man who Relena explained to her friends was a clown in front of a big cardboard board and was able to miss by a centimeter each time. But many of the girls especially those sitting up front close to the phenomenon gave their aw's and other girly expressions when they saw that the clown who wore a mask that half covered his face and had long bangs cover his face almost up to mouth also.

"Well, I never knew that circuses were so wonderful" Kaoru said as she and her friends were walking to the tent's exit. "Hey, what do you say we talk to those foreigners? It's not often that you see them" Megumi said. "Yeah sure! Why not? What do you think Relena?" Kaoru agreed. "I…don't think that this is such a good idea… They aren't going to allow visitors into their rooms and such" she answered Kaoru. "Oh come on you! It won't be so bad. Let's go" Megumi said started walking around outside looking for someone from the troupe. Because Kaoru already thought that it was a good idea, she went along and Relena too but only because of peer pressure from her friends.

They followed Megumi outside of the giant tent and found her standing right near an animal that looked one of those used in the performances. It looked a cat on steroids, big and muscular, and hair surrounding the face from the chin to its head. And it was what Relena had grown up calling a lion. But the funny thing about was lion's position as it lay awake; it was laying down on one side instead of on its stomach and legs like cats normally did. "What's wrong?" Relena asked seeing Megumi's skeptical and puzzled expression. "I think there's something wrong with animal…" she answered with her hand under her chin.

"Can I help you?" interrupted a voice from behind. The three of them looked back and recognized him as the young lad who was used to throw knives at earlier. Seeing him up close and without the half mask, the clear image of was: he was a good looking boy with long mild hair that had bangs that covered half his face, slim but well built body, and green eyes. And with him was that girl who had thrown the knives during that performance earlier.

"There's something wrong with this animal" Megumi said to them. "With Mark? He's been feeling ill for a few days now" said the girl. The boy walked up closer to the three girls and kneeled down and looked at the lion, which the girl called Mark. "What do you know then?" he asked. "Well, this Mark is going to need treatment. He has a cold" she explained. "But how do you know that?" asked the girl. "See how he's shivering? And that sick look on his face?" Megumi said. "As someone who has trained to be a doctor for several years now, I am somewhat fluent in this kind of science" she further explained. "Well do you suggest we do?" the boy asked.

(Ok, I have finally finished this chapter and it's my longest chapter yet. Once again, I would like to thank those who have taken time to read my story. Got a question? Would like to make a suggestion or a correction? Or make a comment? Then please send a review. Thank you.)