Hi! I'm sorry it took so long, but the next chapter of I Want to Be Your Wings is here. Gomen nasai! I had no idea so many people liked it (am I getting too ego-centric?)! I have no idea how many chapters there will be, but apparently I've been making them too short…and that I agree with. Sorry, sorry…I noticed a few more errors…Kuso…Ah well…We're only human; we all make mistakes, right? I suppose I should read these things a little more thoroughly though…It takes a lot of patience (for me) to finish this stuff and then proofread the whole darn thing…Oh well…Enough of my complaining…Here's Chapter 3!

Chapter 3: Is Everyone Having Fun Yet?

"Uwaaaaaaaah!"

Hiro looked up at the screaming people aboard the roller coaster with a mixture of pity and anxiety. Was the roller coaster really that bad or were the people just easy to scare? It must have been bad to have all the people on it screaming their lungs out, but they were also smiling…so maybe it wasn't all that bad? Well, Kisa wanted to go on it…and what if she got scared?

"Hiro-chan," Kisa said, tugging on his hand and taking him away from his thoughts, "it's almost our turn." Hiro blinked, and looked back at the roller coaster that was slowly coming to a stop.

"Ah," he said, moving forward an inch in line, "right. Are you nervous, Kisa?" Kisa shook her head.

"Surprisingly I'm not," she said, "but it does seem like one could be intimidated by such a big ride, doesn't it?" Hiro laughed weakly.

"Uh, yeah," he said, "like those screaming people getting off right now…What a bunch of wimps, right Kisa?" Kisa shook her head again.

"They are not wimps, Hiro-chan," she said. "They are only screaming both because they are excited and afraid. Some people are deathly afraid of roller coasters, so it's not polite to make fun of them. Even if it weren't just a roller coaster, it takes great courage to face our fears. So those who can go on a roller coaster, even if they think they might regret it, are really strong." Hiro stared at Kisa for a second, then looked back at the laughing people who were getting of the coaster.

"So," he said quietly, "that's why you're not scared, Kisa--because you're strong? Is that what you're saying?" Kisa looked taken aback by the comment, and started to apologize, but Hiro only shook his head and smiled. "You are strong, Kisa. I'm not denying that. I've known that for a long time. You can face your fears so well…but me…I…" He stopped when he saw Kisa's worried expression and shook his head again.

"It's nothing," he said, then walked forward, motioning for Kisa to follow. "Come on. It's our turn." Kisa nodded, forgetting what Hiro had been saying for the moment, and climbed aboard the roller coaster next to Hiro. Hiro stared at what he could see of the track ahead, almost regretting he had agreed to go on this ride. His cowardice made him clench his teeth, and, as the person controlling the ride lowered the securing bar, he tightened his grip on it.

Come on, you moron, he thought, looking sideways at Kisa, you can at least have courage for this. I have to show Kisa that I can be strong too. Everyone says I'm her "prince"—I should start acting like it! He looked at Kisa again, who was smiling was brightly as ever, then turned away quickly. Yeah, he though, let's do this! There was a short reminder about keeping your hands and arms inside the ride at all times, and a few other rules, and then the coaster started to lurch forward, then leave the station it had started at. Hiro felt his stomach lurch as the roller coaster did, and was thankful that they had decided to go on the roller coaster first. The coaster rounded a corner, then slowly but surely inched up a tall bump in the ride. Hiro gulped as it rose to the top of the hill, then stopped dramatically at the top. He looked over the edge with a sickening feeling in his stomach, and quickly leaned back again. His grip was so tight on the safety bar that his knuckles were white, and it took an effort for him to keep his eyes open. Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his. He looked over at Kisa, who was grinning at him softly. He blinked, the commotion in his stomach becoming less. There was a moment in which time stood still, and then started back up again as Kisa lowered her hand, and the roller coaster shot down the hill much faster than it had on it's journey up.

Hiro yelled, but not with fright—with joy. He was actually having a good time, despite how nervous he had been before.

Kisa was right, he though to himself, it really is better to face our fears. The roller coaster raged over many more hills, though many more bends, and then, finally, came to a stop. The safety bar lifted, and Kisa and Hiro jumped back onto the loading platform and down a flight of stairs back to where Tohru was standing, laughing the whole way.

"That was fun, wasn't it, Hiro-chan?"

"Yeah, I guess it was, if you like getting your stomach tossed. Did you like it, Kisa?"

"Yes!"

Tohru ran over to greet them, happy to see they were so energetic.

"I see you had a good time, you two. Should we get something to eat now? There's a taiyaki stand over there." Hiro looked at Kisa, who nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, sure," he said, "why not. Taiyaki is so plain though…I guess it's all you can afford with your salary, Honda." Tohru just nodded, acting like she hadn't heard Hiro's sarcastic comment, and lead them to the taiyaki stand. The stand was located near the Merry-Go-Round, and had wonderful foliage on its other side. Lush trees shaded the area, and there were flowers on every table. Tohru told Kisa and Hiro to sit at a table while she bought the fish-shaped pastries, after taking their orders, and then walked over to the stand.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Hiro looking at any rides they might be able to go on next, and Kisa looked at all the flowers. A few more minutes passed by before Hiro looked away from the rides and focused his vision on Kisa.

"Kisa?" he asked hesitantly. Kisa looked up, blinked, then smiled at Hiro.

"Yes Hiro-chan?" Hiro looked at his hands, not wanting Kisa to see how red his face had gotten.

"I…I really do believe it's better to face our fears…instead of always running away," he stuttered. His face was turning a bright crimson now, and his heart was beating wildly. "S-so…from now on I won't run away. I'll face my fears head on, and…" He paused, and looked up at Kisa once more. Her head was cocked to one side, and her eyes were wide, waiting to hear what he would say next. Hiro clenched hi fist, and tried his best to look Kisa in the eyes.

"Kisa, I…I--!"

"The taiyaki's here!" Hiro almost fell over in shock as Tohru ran over with the tray of taiyaki. He quickly righted himself, but looked away from Kisa and Tohru until his face lost its crimson flush and his heart was beating slower.

I was so close, he though, Why'd that stupid woman have to interfere? Ugh, she's so annoying! He turned around to glare at Tohru, then averted his gaze to the taiyaki on the tray in front of him. He picked it up roughly and started to chew on it, glaring at Tohru the whole time. Tohru looked confused, but smiled all the same, as she helped Kisa cut her taiyaki in two.

"Hiro-san, would you like me to cut your taiyaki for you, too?" she asked. Hiro turned away, a big bite of taiyaki in his mouth, and shook his head. Kisa looked at him with worry, but she ate her taiyaki anyway, keeping her eyes on the grumpy boy.

When they were done with their taiyaki, Kisa wanted to go on the Merry-Go-Round. Hiro told her he'd pass, but Tohru went on with her, sitting in one of the booths made to look like a carriage since she was too big to ride on a horse. Hiro watched as they went around and around, as they laughed together. It made him sick to see them having so much fun together—it was as if Kisa had forgotten all about him. It seemed foolish to be jealous of this stupid woman…but what if? What if he had a right to be jealous? What if Kisa really liked her more than him? He shook his head—what the heck was he thinking? If some girl was trying to take Kisa from him he'd be sure to stop her. There was no way he was going to lose Kisa—he'd never let go of his princess. He was her knight, after all, and he had to protect her.

Translation Notes:

Taiyaki: a fish-shaped pasty (already explained in the story), usually with a filling of sweet red beans, cream, anything sweet. Served hot, I think.

The original name for his chapter was "Minna genki?" like what Japanese pop artists say before a concert. The term means, "Is everyone happy?" but it can be translated to mean, "Is everyone having fun?" I decided not to use this, both because it copped off of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and because not everyone who reads manga and watches anime knows Japanese. What's the point of my saying all those Japanese phrases in my notes before each chapter? Good question…