A/N: I just want to say thanks to one of my reviewers for giving me that
information about White Day! I'm so glad for it! I don't really have much time
to go online to research things since I'm not allowed to stay online too long.
Just enough to put up my chapters. And I'm sorry for not taking the time to look
it up!!! Bad author, bad, bad author!
Ms. sweety, if you continue to read my fic and happen upon this note, would it be all right if I got your email address so I could ask you more about White Day?
I would also like to say that I have an unusually dysfunctional family. Why did I mention this irrelevant information to you? Because I got bored and just typed it out. Hehe. Okay anyways, I would also like to thank all of my other reviewers!! You guys are so cooleristically awesome!! If I didn't have you guys no one would motivate me to write and besides, if I didn't write, I'd be drawing old, weird looking people with too many eyes on my friends' folders and binders to pass my time.
I also decided that this chapter would NOT be called White Day, instead, I would make that for the next chapter.
Oh and for those of you who don't know: Ken = Satoru. (There's also going to be a bit of Yolei/Ken here. ^__^)
Voguish Fib
chapter 6 - Truth Be Told
Queen Takenouchi wept hard. It wasn't everyday that someone in her family was kidnapped. But the thing that was even more horrible was the fact that she knew they'd be after Sora, and she'd been a bit too lenient on guarding her.
Myotismon entered the room and politely bowed to the empress. "My Lady, what seems to be the matter?"
She looked up at her advisor. He had been with her through the war, through Sora's turbulent upbringing, and through her sister's death. She had nothing to hide from him. But then again, everyone kept telling her that she was a bit too soft-hearted and too trusthworthy when it came to sharing top-secret information with others.
But since she was amidst grief and sorrow, she told him her story. "Oh Myotismon, this week has been absolutely horrible. Kotaro says there is still no sign of Sora or her kidnappers anywhere and I know that my sister-in-law's ghost will haunt me forever knowing that I've lost her daughter."
Myotismon's expression had been indifferent from the moment he came in, but at that last sentence, his eyes began to twinkle with curiosity.
"Whatever do you mean, my lady?"
"What I mean is that Sora is not my daughter. And the king was her mother's cousin. Sora's parents were killed when she was only seven years old. She had been with them but was somehow spared. She doesn't remember a thing--Oh...it's a terrible mystery... and Hitomi had entrusted me with her daughter before she died and told me to watch her. She told me that they would be after her and because of my leniency she's gone!" Queen Takenouchi burst into tears once more. She knew that as a queen she was supposed to keep her composure but in this case, the loss of Sora was too tragic.
"Does Princess Sora know about this?"
The queen scoffed between sniffles. "Of course she doesn't! It would be heartbreaking for her to know that she's orphaned and that her mother and father were killed by mysterious causes...and now, she's been kidnapped by them. I have a strong feeling that they were the ones who took the life of her parents...and now they want hers."
"And...who is 'they,' my Lady?"
Queen Takenouchi's voice was low and furtive. Her eyes darted momentarily, making sure that only Myotismon's ears heard what she said. "The family known as Yagami."
)()()()()()(
"Is that some kind of rash?" Taichi asked, puzzled.
Koushiro was a bit frustrated with Taichi's lack of knowledge about humans. "No! Chocolate is not a rash! It is a type of candy. Um...made from a chocolate plant or milk and other ingredients."
Taichi pondered on this and nodded. "Oh. So if I give her this candy, she'll stop acting like a stupid cow?"
"If you give her that candy, there might be room for consolation," Koushiro corrected.
"So, can I see this 'chocolate'?" Taichi asked.
"Of course, Miyako's friend Satoru was kind enough to give us a sample from his chocolate shop. He knew that many young men would be going to his store for some last minute candy shopping."
"For what?"
Koushiro kept his mouth shut. Damn. Me and my big mouth. He didn't want Taichi to know what really happened in White Day. Somehow, he and Miyako had inadvertently decided to match up the two, just to get them to shut up and stop complaining about each other.
"Um...chocolate plants only grow...this season. So they're all rushing to get them...in case they run out," Koushiro lied. He gave a nervous chuckle.
Taichi shrugged. "Whatever. Give me the damn chocolate and I'll give it to her right now."
"You can give it at the celebration tonight."
"Why?"
"It's better that way. Miyako's probably going to be with Sa--her friends during the celebration so that would leave Sora to herself."
"Why would Miyako leave her alone?"
"Oh, I have a feeling."
Confusion and perplexity clouded Taichi's brain. What the hell was that all about? What was Koushiro planning? If it had something to do making him friends with that dimwit nymph, he would have none of it! Besides, he couldn't get too close to her or else he'd be reluctant to bring her to his father...and that just couldn't happen, now could it?
He sighed and watched Koushiro exit the room. Then a second later, Koushiro's head popped back at the entrance.
"Are you coming or not?"
"Oh!" Taichi immediately stood up from his futon and obediently followed Koushiro.
)()()()()()(
Sora had made it her business to find out some things about this "White Day." If Miyako refused to tell her, she'd ask someone else.
So she decided to catch the attention of one of the young girls in the village. She had been standing around a crowded shop when she spotted her victim picking flowers in front of the shop. She looked about 13 years old and she was almost as tall as Sora was. Her eyes were a dark shade and her hair was as striking as her own.
"Psst...hey..." she called. The girl's eyes turned to her, acknowledging her.
"Yes?"
"Why are all these men at this store?" she asked.
The girl gave a pretty smile. "They're going to give the girls they love some chocolate."
She remembered that a suitor had come to the house with some chocolate and she had absolutely loved it. In fact, it was the only thing that night that she particularly loved.But since that night, her parents forbade her to have any because she was disrespectful to them.
"Why today?"
"Because today is White Day. They proposed to have a celebration tonight but no one really has to go. It's just for fun. Besides, they can give the girls they love the chocolate any hour of White Day," the girl explained.
Sora nodded, thinking it was a bit absurd. "So White Day is a day for boys to give the girls they love some...candy?"
"Yes."
"So who are you picking those flowers for?" Sora asked with a small smirk.
"I have a kuroneko hidden in the woods. I tied him to a tree so he wouldn't get away. I found out he likes to eat flowers, so I'm getting these for him," the girl replied with a smile. Sora was struck by how much this girl was like her. She had thought those flowers were for a boy or a family member, but instead it was so a vicious cat demon can eat.
"What's you're name?"
"I'm Ruki Makoto. You're one of the travelers aren't you?" she asked, picking up the last flower and standing up to approach her.
"Yes, I am. I'm Sora," Sora introduced.
"Wanna meet Taro?" For a moment Sora wondered who that was and then it hit her that Ruki was probably talking about her kuroneko.
"Sure," Sora followed her as she headed towards the forest. She had to know more... "Could you tell me more about this White Day, Ruki?"
"Of course," Ruki replied, gladly.
)()()()()()(
The day was dragging on so slowly. Taichi stalked around the room after he and Koushiro returned from the chocolate visit. He stopped thinking about Sora, chocolates, and Koushiro's advice when Satoru's father came in and talked with them. The presence of Satoru's father reminded him of his own. Back home, waiting for his arrival with Sora.
It made him uneasy and all the more anxious to leave. But he had already told everyone that they would stay tonight. Besides, Sora would act hostile with him throughout the trip and might attempt to run away again, so, if Koushiro was right, she'd be nice to him again once he'd given her those chocolates.
After a while, Taichi realized he had to go outside to relieve himself. He'd drunk a bit of sake when they were at Satoru's shop and it had thoroughly processed through his body already.
He muttered to Koushiro where he was going and walked out.
He couldn't understand why Sora needed chocolates to make her happy. Maybe the candy had drugs in it or some sort of potion to make people nice to those they were mad at. Or maybe it was a female thing. Or maybe since it was a human thing. Or maybe there was some magic in it: It might not work on Sora since she was a nymph, or maybe Koushiro altered the ones he was supposed to give to Sora so that it would work on nymphs, not humans--or maybe nymphs and humans or maybe nymphs and humans, but also other creatures...and nymphs.
Whatever it was, Taichi didn't want to think about it. It would all be over soon and they would then be on their way to his father.
He randomly looked around the area he had found to relieve himself and saw a figure walking in his direction. He then realized it was Sora and quickly fixed his clothing before she saw him.
Irreflexively, their eyes met and locked. But it was only for a second. Sora moved forward until she was about five feet away from him.
"Spying on me Master?" Sora asked, her head tilted to the side, indicating that she was a bit drunk. (She had gone up to Ruki's house and had a small drink with her family.)
"No," Taichi replied crudely. "Just went to take a piss."
He thought his unscrupulous words would disgust her, but by the look of it, it seemed as if she didn't give a rat's ass.
"Oh, well, I'm going to head back to Miyako. I think I'm drunk," Sora confessed before stepping forward and toppling over her own legs. Taichi intuitively caught her and she gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry...I think my legs are mad at me."
Taichi grimaced as he brought her over to a fallen log to sit on. "Gods, do you always get drunk like this when you see civilization? First Yoshinobu, now this? Goodness nymph, I never knew a princess could be so loose," Taichi said, emphasizing the last word cautiously.
"I'm not loose, I'm just celebrating," Sora answered. Her words were a bit slurred and her eyes weren't focused. Taichi sighed.
"Sure. I have to bring you to your room," Taichi told her gently, taking her hand.
Sora solemnly looked up at Taichi. "Tell me why you kidnapped me," she said--actually more like demanded--suddenly.
Taichi's eyes lingered on her before turning away. "Come on, you're drunk, I have to bring you back to your room." He gave small tug for her to stand up.
Sora pulled her hand away. "No! Not until you tell me why you kidnapped me." Taichi didn't answer, so she continued. "Is it because of your father? Does he hurt you?"
"More than you know..." Taichi muttered. He didn't realize Sora heard him.
"Hm. Well I think you shouldn't think so highly of him if he hurts you. No one deserves to be hurt by anyone, even close family members," Sora told him earnestly. Her voice was soft and calming.
He was about to say something when he remembered he never planned on telling her about his father's plan or the fact that he was emotionally hurt by his father or the fact that--
"No, Sora, you need to get to bed. You need to rest up for our trip tomorrow," Taichi said stiffly, taking her hand once more and giving a short tug.
"Do you have any siblings, Taichi?" Sora said loudly, but her voice was stern. Maybe she wasn't as drunk as she looked.
Why was she asking him these personal questions? She doesn't need to know shit about me, or what happened nine years ago...
"No," he denied.
Sora saw right through it. "Liar," she accused brutally. "First it was the thing about being afraid of heights, now you don't even want to say that you have siblings? How inconsiderate and--oooh!! I'd be happy to have siblings of my own!!"
Taichi was getting a bit irritated. He snapped at her. "Look, I would like to have siblings too but unfortunately she was taken away from me a while back okay?! It's not my fucking fault I don't have any siblings right now!"
Sora became quiet and simply peered at him shyly. "I'm sorry about your sister Taichi."
"Who said my sibling was a girl!?" Taichi growled, angry at himself for revealing too much information to her.
"You said, 'Unfortunately she was taken away...' so I assumed--"
"Just shut up! I don't want to talk about her okay?" Taichi shouted.
"Look Taichi, if you just talked to someone instead of keeping it all bottled up inside you, you'd feel better! If you keep it inside it'll blow up and rip apart your guts and veins and splash it all over the ground and tear your skin, making all your organs fall out in a sloppy mess on the ground!" Taichi was taken aback by her talk of gore. Sora didn't notice his surprise so she continued, this time her voice was softer. "So just talk to someone...I don't care if it's me or that busty village girl, or your foot, but if you keep going on like this, you'll become a wrinkly old man at the age of 20."
Well...that was frightening, Taichi thought. He turned his attention back to Sora. "Are you really drunk Sora?"
Sora shrugged and stood up, only to trip on herself again. Exasperated, Taichi caught her and began to bring her to Miyako's place. "Maybe you need a girlfriend Taichi..." Sora whispered.
Taichi nodded distractedly before snapping back to reality after processing her words in his brain. "What!?" he demanded to know what she meant by that.
But she had already drifted to sleep on his shoulder.
A/N: Not really a cliffhanger...I'm not sure which chapter to put one in yet, but I have my plans...muwahaha...*begins to cackle...but then remembers that she doesn't know how to cackle* Anyways, I hope you R&R! And again, thanks everyone for reviewing! And...oh yeah! GO TAIORA FANS!
Ms. sweety, if you continue to read my fic and happen upon this note, would it be all right if I got your email address so I could ask you more about White Day?
I would also like to say that I have an unusually dysfunctional family. Why did I mention this irrelevant information to you? Because I got bored and just typed it out. Hehe. Okay anyways, I would also like to thank all of my other reviewers!! You guys are so cooleristically awesome!! If I didn't have you guys no one would motivate me to write and besides, if I didn't write, I'd be drawing old, weird looking people with too many eyes on my friends' folders and binders to pass my time.
I also decided that this chapter would NOT be called White Day, instead, I would make that for the next chapter.
Oh and for those of you who don't know: Ken = Satoru. (There's also going to be a bit of Yolei/Ken here. ^__^)
Voguish Fib
chapter 6 - Truth Be Told
Queen Takenouchi wept hard. It wasn't everyday that someone in her family was kidnapped. But the thing that was even more horrible was the fact that she knew they'd be after Sora, and she'd been a bit too lenient on guarding her.
Myotismon entered the room and politely bowed to the empress. "My Lady, what seems to be the matter?"
She looked up at her advisor. He had been with her through the war, through Sora's turbulent upbringing, and through her sister's death. She had nothing to hide from him. But then again, everyone kept telling her that she was a bit too soft-hearted and too trusthworthy when it came to sharing top-secret information with others.
But since she was amidst grief and sorrow, she told him her story. "Oh Myotismon, this week has been absolutely horrible. Kotaro says there is still no sign of Sora or her kidnappers anywhere and I know that my sister-in-law's ghost will haunt me forever knowing that I've lost her daughter."
Myotismon's expression had been indifferent from the moment he came in, but at that last sentence, his eyes began to twinkle with curiosity.
"Whatever do you mean, my lady?"
"What I mean is that Sora is not my daughter. And the king was her mother's cousin. Sora's parents were killed when she was only seven years old. She had been with them but was somehow spared. She doesn't remember a thing--Oh...it's a terrible mystery... and Hitomi had entrusted me with her daughter before she died and told me to watch her. She told me that they would be after her and because of my leniency she's gone!" Queen Takenouchi burst into tears once more. She knew that as a queen she was supposed to keep her composure but in this case, the loss of Sora was too tragic.
"Does Princess Sora know about this?"
The queen scoffed between sniffles. "Of course she doesn't! It would be heartbreaking for her to know that she's orphaned and that her mother and father were killed by mysterious causes...and now, she's been kidnapped by them. I have a strong feeling that they were the ones who took the life of her parents...and now they want hers."
"And...who is 'they,' my Lady?"
Queen Takenouchi's voice was low and furtive. Her eyes darted momentarily, making sure that only Myotismon's ears heard what she said. "The family known as Yagami."
)()()()()()(
"Is that some kind of rash?" Taichi asked, puzzled.
Koushiro was a bit frustrated with Taichi's lack of knowledge about humans. "No! Chocolate is not a rash! It is a type of candy. Um...made from a chocolate plant or milk and other ingredients."
Taichi pondered on this and nodded. "Oh. So if I give her this candy, she'll stop acting like a stupid cow?"
"If you give her that candy, there might be room for consolation," Koushiro corrected.
"So, can I see this 'chocolate'?" Taichi asked.
"Of course, Miyako's friend Satoru was kind enough to give us a sample from his chocolate shop. He knew that many young men would be going to his store for some last minute candy shopping."
"For what?"
Koushiro kept his mouth shut. Damn. Me and my big mouth. He didn't want Taichi to know what really happened in White Day. Somehow, he and Miyako had inadvertently decided to match up the two, just to get them to shut up and stop complaining about each other.
"Um...chocolate plants only grow...this season. So they're all rushing to get them...in case they run out," Koushiro lied. He gave a nervous chuckle.
Taichi shrugged. "Whatever. Give me the damn chocolate and I'll give it to her right now."
"You can give it at the celebration tonight."
"Why?"
"It's better that way. Miyako's probably going to be with Sa--her friends during the celebration so that would leave Sora to herself."
"Why would Miyako leave her alone?"
"Oh, I have a feeling."
Confusion and perplexity clouded Taichi's brain. What the hell was that all about? What was Koushiro planning? If it had something to do making him friends with that dimwit nymph, he would have none of it! Besides, he couldn't get too close to her or else he'd be reluctant to bring her to his father...and that just couldn't happen, now could it?
He sighed and watched Koushiro exit the room. Then a second later, Koushiro's head popped back at the entrance.
"Are you coming or not?"
"Oh!" Taichi immediately stood up from his futon and obediently followed Koushiro.
)()()()()()(
Sora had made it her business to find out some things about this "White Day." If Miyako refused to tell her, she'd ask someone else.
So she decided to catch the attention of one of the young girls in the village. She had been standing around a crowded shop when she spotted her victim picking flowers in front of the shop. She looked about 13 years old and she was almost as tall as Sora was. Her eyes were a dark shade and her hair was as striking as her own.
"Psst...hey..." she called. The girl's eyes turned to her, acknowledging her.
"Yes?"
"Why are all these men at this store?" she asked.
The girl gave a pretty smile. "They're going to give the girls they love some chocolate."
She remembered that a suitor had come to the house with some chocolate and she had absolutely loved it. In fact, it was the only thing that night that she particularly loved.But since that night, her parents forbade her to have any because she was disrespectful to them.
"Why today?"
"Because today is White Day. They proposed to have a celebration tonight but no one really has to go. It's just for fun. Besides, they can give the girls they love the chocolate any hour of White Day," the girl explained.
Sora nodded, thinking it was a bit absurd. "So White Day is a day for boys to give the girls they love some...candy?"
"Yes."
"So who are you picking those flowers for?" Sora asked with a small smirk.
"I have a kuroneko hidden in the woods. I tied him to a tree so he wouldn't get away. I found out he likes to eat flowers, so I'm getting these for him," the girl replied with a smile. Sora was struck by how much this girl was like her. She had thought those flowers were for a boy or a family member, but instead it was so a vicious cat demon can eat.
"What's you're name?"
"I'm Ruki Makoto. You're one of the travelers aren't you?" she asked, picking up the last flower and standing up to approach her.
"Yes, I am. I'm Sora," Sora introduced.
"Wanna meet Taro?" For a moment Sora wondered who that was and then it hit her that Ruki was probably talking about her kuroneko.
"Sure," Sora followed her as she headed towards the forest. She had to know more... "Could you tell me more about this White Day, Ruki?"
"Of course," Ruki replied, gladly.
)()()()()()(
The day was dragging on so slowly. Taichi stalked around the room after he and Koushiro returned from the chocolate visit. He stopped thinking about Sora, chocolates, and Koushiro's advice when Satoru's father came in and talked with them. The presence of Satoru's father reminded him of his own. Back home, waiting for his arrival with Sora.
It made him uneasy and all the more anxious to leave. But he had already told everyone that they would stay tonight. Besides, Sora would act hostile with him throughout the trip and might attempt to run away again, so, if Koushiro was right, she'd be nice to him again once he'd given her those chocolates.
After a while, Taichi realized he had to go outside to relieve himself. He'd drunk a bit of sake when they were at Satoru's shop and it had thoroughly processed through his body already.
He muttered to Koushiro where he was going and walked out.
He couldn't understand why Sora needed chocolates to make her happy. Maybe the candy had drugs in it or some sort of potion to make people nice to those they were mad at. Or maybe it was a female thing. Or maybe since it was a human thing. Or maybe there was some magic in it: It might not work on Sora since she was a nymph, or maybe Koushiro altered the ones he was supposed to give to Sora so that it would work on nymphs, not humans--or maybe nymphs and humans or maybe nymphs and humans, but also other creatures...and nymphs.
Whatever it was, Taichi didn't want to think about it. It would all be over soon and they would then be on their way to his father.
He randomly looked around the area he had found to relieve himself and saw a figure walking in his direction. He then realized it was Sora and quickly fixed his clothing before she saw him.
Irreflexively, their eyes met and locked. But it was only for a second. Sora moved forward until she was about five feet away from him.
"Spying on me Master?" Sora asked, her head tilted to the side, indicating that she was a bit drunk. (She had gone up to Ruki's house and had a small drink with her family.)
"No," Taichi replied crudely. "Just went to take a piss."
He thought his unscrupulous words would disgust her, but by the look of it, it seemed as if she didn't give a rat's ass.
"Oh, well, I'm going to head back to Miyako. I think I'm drunk," Sora confessed before stepping forward and toppling over her own legs. Taichi intuitively caught her and she gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry...I think my legs are mad at me."
Taichi grimaced as he brought her over to a fallen log to sit on. "Gods, do you always get drunk like this when you see civilization? First Yoshinobu, now this? Goodness nymph, I never knew a princess could be so loose," Taichi said, emphasizing the last word cautiously.
"I'm not loose, I'm just celebrating," Sora answered. Her words were a bit slurred and her eyes weren't focused. Taichi sighed.
"Sure. I have to bring you to your room," Taichi told her gently, taking her hand.
Sora solemnly looked up at Taichi. "Tell me why you kidnapped me," she said--actually more like demanded--suddenly.
Taichi's eyes lingered on her before turning away. "Come on, you're drunk, I have to bring you back to your room." He gave small tug for her to stand up.
Sora pulled her hand away. "No! Not until you tell me why you kidnapped me." Taichi didn't answer, so she continued. "Is it because of your father? Does he hurt you?"
"More than you know..." Taichi muttered. He didn't realize Sora heard him.
"Hm. Well I think you shouldn't think so highly of him if he hurts you. No one deserves to be hurt by anyone, even close family members," Sora told him earnestly. Her voice was soft and calming.
He was about to say something when he remembered he never planned on telling her about his father's plan or the fact that he was emotionally hurt by his father or the fact that--
"No, Sora, you need to get to bed. You need to rest up for our trip tomorrow," Taichi said stiffly, taking her hand once more and giving a short tug.
"Do you have any siblings, Taichi?" Sora said loudly, but her voice was stern. Maybe she wasn't as drunk as she looked.
Why was she asking him these personal questions? She doesn't need to know shit about me, or what happened nine years ago...
"No," he denied.
Sora saw right through it. "Liar," she accused brutally. "First it was the thing about being afraid of heights, now you don't even want to say that you have siblings? How inconsiderate and--oooh!! I'd be happy to have siblings of my own!!"
Taichi was getting a bit irritated. He snapped at her. "Look, I would like to have siblings too but unfortunately she was taken away from me a while back okay?! It's not my fucking fault I don't have any siblings right now!"
Sora became quiet and simply peered at him shyly. "I'm sorry about your sister Taichi."
"Who said my sibling was a girl!?" Taichi growled, angry at himself for revealing too much information to her.
"You said, 'Unfortunately she was taken away...' so I assumed--"
"Just shut up! I don't want to talk about her okay?" Taichi shouted.
"Look Taichi, if you just talked to someone instead of keeping it all bottled up inside you, you'd feel better! If you keep it inside it'll blow up and rip apart your guts and veins and splash it all over the ground and tear your skin, making all your organs fall out in a sloppy mess on the ground!" Taichi was taken aback by her talk of gore. Sora didn't notice his surprise so she continued, this time her voice was softer. "So just talk to someone...I don't care if it's me or that busty village girl, or your foot, but if you keep going on like this, you'll become a wrinkly old man at the age of 20."
Well...that was frightening, Taichi thought. He turned his attention back to Sora. "Are you really drunk Sora?"
Sora shrugged and stood up, only to trip on herself again. Exasperated, Taichi caught her and began to bring her to Miyako's place. "Maybe you need a girlfriend Taichi..." Sora whispered.
Taichi nodded distractedly before snapping back to reality after processing her words in his brain. "What!?" he demanded to know what she meant by that.
But she had already drifted to sleep on his shoulder.
A/N: Not really a cliffhanger...I'm not sure which chapter to put one in yet, but I have my plans...muwahaha...*begins to cackle...but then remembers that she doesn't know how to cackle* Anyways, I hope you R&R! And again, thanks everyone for reviewing! And...oh yeah! GO TAIORA FANS!