Fire and Ice: Chapter Five
To my readers and reviewers: I am sorry that I haven't updated. I have an Inuyasha story as well, and those reviewers are just more demanding...and that story is farther along too. So, I update this story after I update that story...ok? But just so you know. I do not drop stories...I just plum refuse to do it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing besides Hekele and Kachie
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Ryou gently continued to pull Hekele along the sidewalk until they reached the carnival. Ryou then led her over to the ticket booth and bought wrist bands for both of them. Hekele looked at her oddly and Ryou explained.
"These wrist bands mean that we're allowed on as many rides as we want; it's more convenient than holding onto a bunch of ride tickets and having to keep count," he said. Hekele nodded a bit to show that she understood and allowed Ryou to drag her to the first ride that looked entertaining. Well, the first ride he thought looked entertaining...
It was a giant ride that went in circles vertically. There was a place for seating, which was surrounded by a cage-like top, and the seats had harnesses on them so that the passengers didn't fall out. Hekele, having never been on a ride that went upside down, or any ride for that matter, froze in her spot.
"Shirogane-san..." she said warily. Ryou rolled his eyes at her, but remained gentle.
"It's safe Tweety Bird...I promise...now come on. If you don't try this ride then you probably won't try the other ones..." he stated honestly. Hekele groaned a bit but allowed Ryou to drag her onto the ride. He showed her how to fasten the harness and the two waited for the ride to start. Poor Hekele...
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"Shirogane-san...I didn't like that ride...Can we go home now?"
"Calm down Tweety Bird. You did fine...Here, I'll take you on a calmer one next...I promise..."
"You promise? You promised that the last ride would be safe!"
"It was safe!"
Ichigo and Masaya had been getting a drink when they had heard the two bickering. Ichigo herself was now crouching in the bushes near the pair and was snapping pictures with her picture phone. After a moment of this, she snuck back to her boyfriend and showed them to him.
"Why is it that you took these again?" Masaya asked, honestly confused. Ichigo smiled.
"Because Mint-san and I have a bet going on that the two will be a couple by Monday night...midnight to be exact...and I feel like rubbing it in her face that they are alone at a carnival together...which can be considered a date...though Shirogane-san would deny it with all of his being..." she explained. Masaya shook his head at the girl, but smiled warmly at her.
"Why don't we go over there and talk to them? Perhaps make this a sort of double date?" he asked her. Ichigo grinned.
"Let's give them another few minutes alone...but after that, sure! It sounds like fun...Can I call Mint real quick?" she asked. Masaya nodded and Ichigo dialed Mint's phone number.
"Hello?"
"Hiya Mint-san! Guess where I am?"
"At the carnival on your date with Aoyama-san, and what's with the honorific ending?"
"Oh, nothing...I'm sending you some pictures...you might want to take a look at them..." Ichigo thensent the pictures, and after a few seconds, Mint's screech came through the phone.
"What are those two doing there!"
"They are here, all alone...and Shirogane-san is taking her on rides...In fact, right now he's conning her into going on the gravity one..."
"This means nothing..."
"It looks like they're on a date to me..."
"...They probably just got bored..."
"So? It's still a step in the direction of 'couple'...bye-bye Mint! I'll send you more pictures!" And before Mint could retort, Ichigo hung up her phone and looked at Masaya.
"Let's talk to them when they get off this ride...it'll be entertaining when Shirogane-san can't come up with a way around the 'Why are you two here alone' question..."
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"That was definitely not calmer Shirogane-san..." Hekele muttered as she and Ryou got off the gravity ride. There were no harnesses, or seatbelts; just you, a narrow table/mattress thing to lay on, a bunch of other people, and lots and lots of spinning. True, it was perfectly safe, as Hekele had discovered, but her head was spinning faster than she could handle...and walking was nearly impossible. Ryou, however, was unaffected, except by one thing...
"Why are you grabbing my arm for dear life, Tweety Bird?" he asked, noting that his circulation felt like it was about to be cut off.
"Because I can't see straight let alone walk straight right now Shirogane-san; deal with it!" she commanded, tightening her hold on his arm to enforce her point. Ryou only shrugged.
"Just don't hold on so tight...I think my arm's about to fall off..." he said. Hekele obediently loosened her hold on his arm and Ryou breathed a quiet sigh of relief, but didn't shake her off.
After a few minutes of walking, Hekele noticed a ride that caught her fancy, "Shirogane-san? What about that ride? It looks slow...and safe..." Ryou turned his head to where she was pointing; the Ferris Wheel. Ryou looked at it critically for a moment before sighing. He wasn't really a fan of Ferris Wheels, but then again, he had purposely dragged Hekele on two of the rougher rides...
"What the hell; why not...I just hope you're not scared of heights Tweety Bird..." he teased gently. Hekele narrowed her eyes at him slightly, and was about to say something back when they heard a familiar voice.
"Well, well, aren't you two cute..." It was Ryou's turn to freeze. It was Ichigo, and Ichigo wouldn't go to a carnival alone...and that meant that-
"Hello, Shirogane-san, it's good to see you." Masaya greeted politely, holding out his hand. Ryou twisted his face into a smile and shook his hand.
"Likewise Aoyama..." he said politely, but internally, he loathed Masaya. Masaya had Ichigo, and Ryou still wasn't quite over her...
Masaya, however, was oblivious to all of the above, and turned to Hekele, "And you must be Hekele, the phoenix? I'm Aoyama Masaya." Hekele blushed a bit and nodded, shaking his hand as well. Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly at this, and he had the distinct urge to pull Hekele away, but he wasn't quite sure why.
"A pleasure to meet you Aoyama-san," Hekele said politely, but upon seeing the look Ryou was sporting, she didn't speak further.
Ichigo cut the silence happily, "And what might you two be doing at a carnival? Where are Kachie-san and Keichiro-san?" Ryou, realizing what this looked like, paled a bit.
"They're back home. We got bored and I remembered that there was a carnival in town..." he started, but Ichigo only smiled.
"Awe, so you're here alone are you? How sweet..." she stated smoothly. True, Ryou was her boss; true, Ryou controlled her paycheck; and true, Ryou would later retaliate for the humiliation, but Ichigo was one step ahead. Ryou knew she was the only Mew who got the job done at the café, he knew that she was already being payed minimum wage, so he couldn't reduce her income, and finally, she could take anything that Ryou could dish out...she's already used to his badgering...and as annoying as it was, she could handle it. Well, at least she hoped so...
Ryou's cheeks flushed slightly, and then he noticed that Hekele still had a hold of his arm. He blushed a bit more and pulled out of her grasp swiftly, but smoothly. Hekele stood there awkwardly, her arms still in their original position, before slowly dropping them to her sides. She looked at Ryou oddly for a moment, a bit of hurt in her eyes. Ryou looked away from her then and faced Ichigo and...Masaya.
"So...you two are on a date huh? Been on many rides yet?" he asked, deciding to strike up a conversation. Ichigo shook her head.
"Nope, we just got here a bit ago...we've only been on the gravity...thingy...right when we got here...then we got something to drink...and then we found you two!" Ichigo said happily, leaning on Masaya slightly. Masaya offered her a sweet smile and wrapped an arm around her. Unbeknownst to them, Ryou was attempting not to look jealous, or angry, but he found that he was failing miserably on the latter...
Hekele watched everything transpire with a bit of determination in her eyes. Ryou had been acting fine before Ichigo and her boyfriend showed up...why was he acting so different now? Why had he pulled away from her? It hadn't bothered him before... Then Hekele saw the way he looked at Ichigo and Masaya, the way he just frowned upon them, even though he always held some sort of shimmer in his eyes whenever he spoke to Ichigo...even when insulting her.
I see...Shirogane-san likes Ichigo-san...but Ichigo-san likes Masaya...so...he is jealous...He does not wish for Ichigo-san to think he has affections for me...Why does that thought make my heart hurt? she pondered to herself sadly. Hekele backed away from the trio slightly. She had already expressed a disdain for being a bother to Ryou; she wasn't about to go back on her word now...
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"Keichiro-kun, where do you think those two have gotten to? The delivery guys dropped off the stuff half an hour ago..." Kachie asked, quite confused. Keichiro, who was more annoyed than confused, shrugged.
"Who knows with those two...especially since Hekele would follow Ryou anywhere. They could be in China for all I know..." he muttered. Kachie looked at the couch and saw a newspaper. She picked it up and began reading it.
"...Keichiro-kun..."
"...Well, on their way to China at least...they couldn't have gotten there this quickly...or maybe they decided to spite us for some reason and eat out..."
"Keichiro-kun..."
"...you know...they might have-"
"Keichiro-kun! I think I know where they are! My goodness! And here I thought wegirls were the ones who were supposed to talk a lot!" Kachie tapped her foot indignantly and Keichiro sighed.
"My apologies Kachie-chan...where do you think they are?" Keichiro asked, getting back into his normal character. Kachie rolled her eyes, but smiled affectionately at him.
"...I think they went to the carnival..." she said, pointing to the article. Keichiro nodded a bit.
"Well, we'll leave them alone for now...they need some alone time..." he said teasingly. Kachie grinned.
"Definitely...so, what are we going to do?" she asked. Keichiro shrugged.
"I haven't the slightest clue...would you like to go on a walk around the park? Those two might be gone a while..." he suggested. Kachie beamed.
"Sure! Come on! Let's go!" she exclaimed. She grabbed Keichiro's hand and began trying to drag him down the stairs. At first, just to annoy her, Keichiro stayed put.
"My, my...eager to get out of the house are we?" he joked lightly. Kachie frowned.
"Yes! Now come on Keichiro-kun!" she tried dragging him once more, and found that he would permit her. She wasted no time in pulling him down the stairs, but Keichiro didn't mind. He stole a glance at their clasped hands and smiled a bit to himself. He lightly squeezed her hand and matched her stride, so that they were walking side-by-side. Kachie blushed at this, because they were still holding hands, but didn't say or do anything about it...she kind of liked it, to be honest...
"Keichiro-kun?" she asked tentatively. Keichiro glanced at her, a bit nervously. Was she appalled that he actually wanted to hold her hand?
"Yes?" he asked. Kachie looked up at him.
"How are we going to get even with Shirogane-san and Hekele-chan? I mean, I say we deserve our revenge..." she stated matter-o-factly. Keichiro breathed a short sigh of relief and chuckled a bit to himself.
"We'll think of something..." he said gamely as they walked out the door.
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Ryou had noticed Hekele's awkwardness with the group almost instantly after they had all started walking around together. Ryou really hadn't wanted to, but Ichigo and Masaya had insisted, and Ryou figured that Hekele might have more fun if she had another girl to talk to. So, thinking he was making a smart move, Ryou accepted the invitation. Hekele, however, appeared to be having even less fun than before...if it were at all possible...
Ryou looked at the couple next to him; Ichigo and Masaya seemed to be in a deep conversation about who knows what, so Ryou took the opportunity to slip back to Hekele, who had been following at the rear of the group.
"Hey..." he said, getting her attention, "Are you ok?" he asked. Hekele plastered on a fake smile and nodded.
"I'm fine Shirogane-san...why wouldn't I be?" she retorted lightly. Ryou could tell that she wasn't being honest, but only shrugged.
"Oh, I don't know...maybe because you're not having a good time?" he tried. Hekele sighed.
"I am having a fine time, Shirogane-san...I assure you..." she lied. Ryou only frowned. Taking another look at the talking lovebirds, he sighed to himself and grabbed Hekele's wrist, startling her slightly. He gently led her away from the two and towards the Ferris Wheel.
"Shirogane-san? What're you-"
Ryou cut her off, "You wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel didn't you? Well, let's go..."
Hekele looked at him oddly, "We're just going to leave them there? Shouldn't we let them know that we're going off somewhere? It's rude..." Ryou rolled his eyes.
"So is lying, but you don't see me complaining...those two are so wrapped up in themselves that they won't even know we're gone for ten minutes probably..." he said indifferently. Hekele smiled a bit to herself, but just a bit. Ryou was too nice sometimes...
"But...don't you want to stay with them? It looked like you were having fun..." she stated honestly. Ryou rolled his eyes.
"Then I guess that makes me a better actor than you...I was bored out of my mind, the only reason I took them up their offer was to give you something to do..." he replied. Hekele's smile broadened a bit, and, without warning, she hugged Ryou around the waist.
"Not that it worked or anything...but the thought was sweet Shirogane-san...thank you..." she said happily. Ryou mentally sighed; he was once again the victim of a surprise attack, but oddly enough, he didn't mind it as much as he thought he should. Instead of pulling away, he cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a small embrace.
Why does this feel so odd? I don't usually get nervous around people...let alone girls...so why does she affect me so? Ichigo doesn't even make me act this way... he thought idly as he relaxed a bit. Hekele herself could feel the blush creeping onto her cheeks as she rested in the embrace for a time, a smile creeping across her face ever so slowly.
After a moment Ryou snapped out of the moment and, upon fully realizing his predicament, cleared his throat awkwardly. Hekele, understanding, released him and backed away a bit, looking at the ground, hoping to hide her blush. Ryou was trying desperately to do the same thing. It wasn't working out too well for either of them though.
Finally, Ryou looked at Hekele for a moment before gently re-fastening his grip on her wrist and began pulling her in the direction of the Ferris Wheel, "...Come on Tweety Bird...let's get this over with...we need to get back soon..."
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High above the Ferris Wheel, three figures floated impatiently. They were searching for something...something that they thought would cause a rather large amount of damage and destruction...
"There..." Taruto pointed at a decently sized cage as he spoke. Pai and Kisshu examined it for a moment before nodding. It would work perfectly.
"Step right up ladies and gentlemen...you won't want to miss this show..."
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Kachie's head snapped up suddenly, and she looked at Keichiro, "Keichiro-kun?"
Keichiro, who had been enjoying their walk, looked at her with an expression of concern at the sudden urgence in her voice, "What is it Kachie-chan?"
Kachie's eyes were slightly enlarged, "Something bad is happening...I can feel it..."
Keichiro looked at her critically, "Should we head back to the café? Or should we go to the carnival and look for Shirogane-san and Hekele-san?" Kachie shook her head.
"I...I don't know...but we need to do something..." she said, feeling fear creep into her as suddenly as her impulse had come. Keichiro gripped her hand tightly and pulled her in the direction of the café.
"We'll scan the area for a Chimera Anima...and if we find one, we'll call the Mew Mews...then we'll head to the carnival..." he said, beginning to get the same bad feeling Kachie had. He quickened his pace.
"And what if it isn't a Chimera Anima? What then?" Kachie asked, moving faster to match Keichiro's long stride.
Keichiro tightened his hold on her hand once more as he broke into a sprint, "Then we run like hell to the carnival, that's what..."
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Hekele sat in their little cart on the Ferris Wheel happily. She was glad that Ryou had taken her on the ride; it was as she had suspected, calm and slow. It also gave an amazing view of the area. Hekele smiled slightly as she pointed at the park a few blocks away.
"Look Shirogane-san...I can see the top of the café from here..." she breathed out, awed by the Tokyo skyline. Ryou followed her finger and allowed a soft smile to grace his own features.
"Yep...and judging by the time, the lovebirds probably figured out our ruse by now...oh well..." he said, a bit candidly. Hekele laughed a little and leaned her back against their bench, resting a bit and enjoying the soothing ride. Ryou watched her as she closed her eyes and smiled a bit more. He was glad that they had ditched Ichigo and Masaya, (who were both probably rather annoyed at them,) he was having more fun with Hekele...even if they were on the second most boring ride at the carnival, (the most boring being the carousel.)
Suddenly, from below, the two heard screaming. Alarmed, Ryou carefully scooted over to Hekele's corner of their cage-like cart and peered over her shoulder at the ground like a hawk. What he saw worried him. There was a giant, slightly deformed, polar bear running amuck down below. Ryou's eyes widened.
"It's a Chimera Anima..." he said cautiously, as if he'd draw its attention or something. Hekele made a small, barely audible noise in her throat, remembering her last encounter with one of the infected animals. Ryou leaned in closer to get a better look, when the two felt the ride jerk. Ryou was thrown from their bench and onto the floor and Hekele had to hold on for dear life to prevent herself from doing the same. Then they realized that the ride had stopped moving.
Hekele hurriedly helped Ryou back onto the bench, (not that he really needed it though,) and they looked around frantically for the guy in charge of the ride. He had fled. Ryou cursed profusely under his breath; their cart was all but at the top of the whole damn wheel...
"Shit...this isn't good..." he said finally. Hekele gave him a very exasperated, and rather fearful expression.
"Even I knew that Shirogane-san! How are we going to get down?" she questioned, looking all around their cart. A familiar, and rather annoying, voice answered her.
"There's always the old-fashioned way...jump!" Both Hekele and Ryou looked up in time to see Kisshu...and two other aliens with him. Ryou glared, having already been acquainted with Pai and Taruto in the past; Hekele just stared at them fearfully.
Ryou carefully pressed Hekele to the other side of the cart, shielding her from them. Hekele gripped the back of his shirt, quite frightened of the three aliens currently staring at Ryou and herself. What did they want?
As if to answer her unasked question, Kisshu vanished and re-appeared inside the cart. He chuckled when Ryou moved to further block him from Hekele, "You think that'll stop me lover boy? Besides, I'm not going to hurt her..." Ryou's eyes narrowed viciously, and Kisshu grinned.
"So, Spitfire, where's that Ice Queen friend of yours? You two made quite the impression when we last met..." he drawled out in an amused tone. Hekele found the courage to glare at him, but wisely kept her mouth shut.
"I don't know Kisshu, she looks more like a scared kitten to me, are you sure what you saw was real?" Taruto asked, getting bored. Kisshu rolled his eyes a bit, but nodded.
"I was burned Taruto, I don't think I could mistake that...and her friend froze me...they have power...but it's unrefined..." he answered dully.
"So, since she doesn't seem to be in the talking mood, what do we do?" Taruto continued. Pai, however, replied.
"We test the theory, that's what."
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Kachie and Keichiro were running as fast as they could towards the carnival. It was just their luck that there was a Chimera Anima...and it was going on a rampage at the carnival where their friends had most likely gone to. Worry rang in their hearts as they pressed on.
"Keichiro-kun, why have the aliens attacked so soon after their last failure? One would think that they would try to regroup or something..." she asked. Keichiro shrugged as they rounded a bend and kept running.
"Kisshu probably told the others about Hekele-san and yourself...they are curious and dangerous creatures, these aliens..." he replied. Kachie wasn't done though.
"What are they trying to lure us out for?" she asked. Keichiro shook his head as they ran through the entrance to the carnival.
"I haven't the slightest clue..." he would have said more, but upon seeing the gigantic polar bear rounding the corner towards the two of them, he didn't think it wise. He grabbed Kachie's hand and pulled her swiftly back behind another corner, hiding them from view. He prayed that they hadn't already been seen...
When they were passed by, Keichiro let out a breath he hadn't known that he was holding. He turned to Kachie, who also looked quite relived, "Can you contact Hekele-san? Let her and Shirogane-san know that we're here, and that the Mews are on their way..." It was then that Ichigo was heard fighting the creature, her cries of 'Strawberry Check' giving her away. Keichiro glanced around the corner and confirmed this, and he also could see Pudding and Lettuce coming in the distance. Mint and Zakuro wouldn't be far behind...
Kachie herself was focusing a small part of her energy into her mind. It took a few seconds more than usual, but she felt their minds link. Hekele-chan? Can you hear me?
It took a few seconds, but she got a response. Yes! Kachie-chan, where are you?
Hiding from a giant white bear...where the heck are you and Shirogane-san?
We're stuck near the top of the Ferris Wheel with three aliens...and the ride isn't moving...
Shit... "Keichiro-kun, they're close to the top of the Ferris Wheel...and there are three aliens with them!" she said hurriedly. Keichiro bit his lip apprehensively and squinted towards the top of the wheel, and sure enough, he could see at least two floating figures...
"Where's the third alien?" he asked. Kachie was one step ahead.
Hekele, we only see two aliens...
Kisshu is in the cart with Shirogane-san and myself...they came here looking for the both of us...you should stay hidden...
"Kisshu is in the cart with them...she says the aliens came looking for us...and that I should stay hidden..." Kachie said dejectedly; she wanted to help her friends...
Keichiro nodded his head, "And stay hidden you shall...we'll make our way over to the Ferris Wheel, and then I'll run out and get the thing moving again...get them closer to the ground..."
"Keichiro-kun! I want to help too!" Kachie stated indignantly. Keichiro offered her a soft smile.
"And I want you to stay safe. For now, since we don't know the extent of their intentions, it would be best for you to hide..." he cautioned. Kachie pouted a bit and he squeezed her hand affectionately.
"I promise that you'll get to help out next time...now just isn't right..." he lectured lightly. He pulled her by the hand down the wall and around the corner. Kachie didn't make a sound of protest. Subconsciously, Keichiro knew what that meant: if push came to shove, she'd try to step in. Keichiro would have to try to prevent that when the time came...
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Ryou guarded Hekele as best as he could as he stared Kisshu down. Test the theory? What were they talking about? He glanced back at Hekele quickly, making sure that she was ok. Did they know that she was the phoenix? That Kachie was the dragon? If so...what did they want with the two?
"What the hell are you talking about? What theory?" he questioned. Kisshu answered.
"Why, our working theory that there is more to the new girls than meets the eye...that power of theirs is incredibly potent...and it isn't even refined..."
Pai took over, "We've heard about mythical creatures that used to roam on this planet, long before our ancestors left. One of them was the phoenix, and another was the dragon. The phoenix is one of a kind; it has no mate, no other creature like it, and the dragon could at one point breathe either fire or ice, but one species tended to only breathe ice, and was able to adapt and survive throughout the early ice ages, until only they remained. Then our ancestors left the planet, and thousands of years later, your recorded ice ages occurred."
Taruto smirked, "We think your stupid girlfriend is the phoenix, and her buddy is the ice dragon...are we wrong?" Ryou only continued to glare.
"Well, since neither of you seem talkative, let's find out, shall we?" Kisshu asked, not caring whether or not he got a response. Without warning, he unleashed a blast of energy at the two, which hit Ryou squarely in the chest. He yelled in pain as he doubled over and fell to the floor. Hekele was at his side in an instant.
"Shirogane-san? Shirogane-san, talk to me..." Looking him over carefully, Hekele could see that his chest was badly burnt from the energy blast...and he might have a few broken ribs...
Kisshu disappeared from the cage and reappeared next to Taruto and Pai, "Well, if you're the phoenix, you'll survive..." Before Hekele could react, the three of them blasted the floor of the cart. It disintegrated instantly.
The sensation of falling can be described in many ways. Some people claim that it's just like flying, and that before you hit bottom, it's rather soothing and spiritual. Others say that it gives you this huge rush, almost like a drug induced high, which can be explained by the large amounts of oxygen and other gasses rushing into your lungs at such a high speed. And then there are those, who, while their falling, can only think of the probable death of the person falling with them. These people can only feel the intense beating of their own hearts as they watch with horror what is about to happen to their friend. Time seems to almost stop as thousands of thoughts run through their minds at once, all of that one person they feel helpless to save. There is no soothing last moments, no light-hearted high, only a pain in their hearts that they wish to heaven they had the ability to extinguish.
Hekele felt this impossible phenomenon and painful agony as she watched Ryou begin to slip into unconsciousness as the two began to fall. Warm tears began to flow as she tried to reach out to him...
"Ryou!"
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Ichigo heard the blast and turned to see its origin. Her heart broke in half when she saw two very familiar figures falling to the ground below. When Hekele's pained cry reached them, the whole battle seemed to cease for a moment...just a moment...as everyone felt an odd pulse of power. Just as quickly as it had stopped, however, the battle resumed...everyone helpless to save those they cared about...
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Keichiro and Kachie watched in complete and utter horror as Ryou and Hekele began their descent to the ground. There was nothing that either of them could do either. The Mews were tied up with the Chimera Anima, which was doing a fine job of keeping them far away from their falling companions. Keichiro himself was a statue, frozen in his shock. Kachie was no better. It was if time had stopped not only for the victims, but for everyone associated with them as well. In the ten to twenty seconds it would take to fall from that height, it seemed as though minutes, hours even, had formed. They too felt the pulse of power, even if just for a moment, as time regained its hold on them. Kachie, however, not only felt it wash over her; she felt it within her as well...
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Hekele felt helpless to do anything to help the boy falling at her side. She screamed his name and felt a warmth within her body pulsate. She felt a burning sensation on her back, and her instincts took over. She wrapped her arms around Ryou from behind, not even thinking of his wounds as she did so. She cried out in pain as her back lit on fire, and eight flaming wings burst from her flesh. Her body glowed for a moment as her wings flapped for the first time in centuries, though they were dangerously out of sync. With mere feet to go, she was granted a fate's favor as her wings adjusted and flapped effortlessly, keeping her landing smooth, and, most importantly, slow enough for Ryou and herself to remain alive.
The two crashed to the ground in a painful heap. Hekele still clutched Ryou as though he were a lifeline, despite the darkness creeping at the edges of her eyes. The last thing she saw before the darkness consumed her were the three aliens landing in front of her. Her last conscious thought, however, was of the immense cold hitting her in waves, coming from the other side of the aliens...
Kachie...be careful...
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Keichiro let out a breath he hadn't even known he had been holding as Hekele and Ryou made it safely, albite roughly, to the ground. He was amazed at Hekele's transformation. Her eight wings looked incredible, completely engulfed in flames that didn't appear to burn. He would have to thank her later, for saving Ryou...and for staying alive herself.
The aliens landed mere feet in front of the pair lying on the ground, and he felt a sudden surge of cold. He turned to see Kachie engulfed in a frigid blue light; her eyes completely silver like the streaks in her hair. She took a step forward and ice formed under her feet. Keichiro looked at her in alarm for a moment, but tried not to show it.
"Don't touch them..." she said, in a slightly surreal voice. Pai turned to face her and his eyes widened slightly at the radiating power.
Seeing only one alien giving her attention, Kachie spoke once more, " I said, 'Don't touch them!' If you take so much as one more step towards them, I'll rip you limb for limb, and freeze you that way!" This threat caught the attention of the other two.
Ice crystals were beginning to form around Kachie as she walked. Her hair flared dangerously behind her as her eyes continued to shine. Suddenly, she doubled over in pain as wings of her own sprung from her back. She screamed a bit as they grew, but kept as quiet as she could. They were dragon wings, and they looked just as stunning as Hekele's flaming angel-like ones. She stared at the aliens, challenging them.
"I dare one of you to make a move...c'mon..." she taunted. Kisshu growled and fired a ball of energy at her and Keichiro. Keichiro jumped to the side, while Kachie merely moved over. Her eyes gained a more icy hue and Keichiro swore he could feel the temperature drop at least forty degrees. Snow began falling from the sky, causing everyone, including the Chimera Anima, to look at the sky in confusion.
Kisshu didn't take the hint and took out his sais, "You be a good little Ice Queen now before I have to get rough with you..." Kachie growled lowly in her throat as Pai and Taruto turned to grab Hekele.
"Keep your filthy hands off of my friends!" With that, a huge burst of ice flew from her being and at the three aliens. Taken by surprise, the aliens teleported out of the way. The ice stopped inches from Hekele and Ryou.
Pai's face turned into a snarl, "I see Kisshu wasn't mistaken for once...we'll return for you two soon..." With that, and identical snarls from Taruto and Kisshu, the aliens vanished.
Kachie was still radiating with frigid anger, even after the three left. Keichiro approached her carefully, "Kachie-chan...they've left. Ryou and Hekele are safe now." Kachie's power slowly diminished. When he thought it was safe, Keichiro carefully walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She was still frigid, but it wasn't unbearable. He sighed and reached out one of his hands to grasp hers soothingly.
"You can calm down now...we need to get those two home...The Mews look like they'll be ok..." he reassured. It stopped snowing then, and Keichiro let out a sigh of relief. He smiled softly as Kachie returned the pressure he had placed on her hand.
"Keichiro-kun?" she said tentatively, her voice shaking. He nodded for her to continue.
"...That scared me...it felt like...I was something else..." she said, a bit fearfully. Keichiro subconsciously stroked her hand with his thumb.
"...You unleashed more of your power than you are used to...did you even know that you had wings?" he asked. Kachie shook her head and pulled away from him a bit, so that she could examine them herself. She flapped them a bit, getting the feel for them. Keichiro watched, amazed, as they disappeared slowly into her back. Kachie clutched the front of his shirt painfully and Keichiro stroked her hair to comfort her. When the process was over, she slumped against Keichiro, exhausted.
"Keichiro-kun...I'm tired..." she said. Keichiro smiled softly at her. He maneuvered so that she could climb onto his back. She obliged slowly and he stood straight up, making sure to keep a hold of her.
He watched as the Mews finally were able to destroy the Chimera Anima, and as they ran up to himself, Kachie, and their unconscious comrades. He smiled calmly at them to negate their fearful expressions.
"We'll all be ok...but we need to get back to the café and get ourselves cleaned up...and that includes all of you..." No one protested.
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Kachie opened her eyes slowly, feeling a painful throbbing in her head. She felt a hand on her forehead, but her vision was still too blurry to figure out whose it was.
"Hmm, a little warm, but I think you're ok..." came a calming voice. Kachie relaxed a bit.
"Lettuce-san? Is that you?" She heard a small laugh, and she was happy that her vision was beginning to re-focus.
"Yes...it's me. How's your back feel? Your wings left open wounds and they had to be bandaged..." she said. Kachie was just relieved when her vision aligned correctly and she could properly see the girl she was talking to.
"My back feels fine...it's my head that's hurting..." she admitted. Lettuce sighed.
"I'll go and get you some painkillers then...Keichiro-san will be happy that you've woken up as well..." she stated, standing up to leave. Kachie looked at her once more.
"How long have I been out?" she questioned. Lettuce shook her head.
"About twenty-four hours...Hekele-san and Shirogane-san have yet to wake up..."
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Ryou groaned painfully as he woke up in his bed. The sun was just coming through his window as he opened his eyes. His chest was on fire, and he vaguely remembered being hit with Kisshu's energy blast. Everything after that was really foggy. How did he get home?
He didn't know how long he lay their in his bed, unable to move because of the pain, before someone opened his door. He moved his head lazily to see who it was, and was met with a very relieved expression.
"Well, about time you woke up, I was getting worried..." Keichiro said, walking up to Ryou's bed and staring down at him. Ryou gave him a look.
"How long have I been out?" he asked. Keichiro shook his head.
"It's Monday morning. You've been out for almost two days Shirogane-san. The café is going to open in half and hour, just so you know..." Ryou slapped his head, but regretted it instantly as his brain seemed to pulse against his skull painfully.
"Ow...Two days? What the hell happened anyway? The last thing I can really remember was getting hit by Kisshu's energy blast..." he said. Keichiro looked a bit relieved.
"So that's how you were burned...we were worried Hekele had accidently done it...at some point after that, the aliens blasted the floor out from under the two of you and you fell out,"
Ryou interrupted him, "Wonderful...remind me to give a raise to whoever saved us..." Keichiro rolled his eyes at the sarcastic tone Ryou used.
"Well, that'll be a bit difficult to do, as you don't pay Hekele..." he said. Ryou looked at him oddly and Keichiro continued.
"Yes, Hekele was the one who saved you." Ryou's eyes were a bit wide.
"But how?" he asked. Keichiro shrugged.
"Well, she sprouted wings. Eight of them to be exact. They were ablaze and everything. She was able to cushion the fall for the two of you a bit, enough so that no further damage was done. You both were too close to the ground for her to stop the fall completely..." he explained to the best of his ability. Ryou massaged his temples, trying to dissipate the pain.
"...Is she ok? The aliens-"
It was Keichiro's turn to interrupt, "Know that she is the phoenix? They also know that Kachie-chan is the dragon. She defended you two after you hit the ground; Hekele was unconscious. Kachie herself managed to hold on until she could get the aliens to abandon their plan and leave...then she all but collapsed due to exhaustion as well..."
Ryou sat up slowly, trying to be mindful of the pain, "How are she and the Mews? And you never told me how Hekele was."
Keichiro sighed, "The Mews were a bit banged up, as usual, but were fine; Kachie woke up only yesterday...and Hekele is still out cold." Ryou found himself looking at the floor, almost as if in shame.
Keichiro looked at his watch and regretfully turned to leave, "I've got to get to work downstairs. Stay up here and rest; those wounds and broken ribs won't heal if you're up and doing too much; you'll tire yourself out."
Ryou only nodded a bit before relaxing back into bed. Keichiro left the room and shut Ryou's door behind him. Ryou, however, wasn't in the mood to rest. His mind kept traveling to Hekele's current condition, and to a broken memory he could only assume was from when they had fallen. He remembered rushing air, and then he could hear a voice calling out to him. Finally he remembered feeling a warmth surround him. Then he remembered nothing else.
I'll have to check on her later...rest suddenly doesn't sound too bad...Damn, I should have asked Keichiro for pain killers...
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Kachie was washing dishes diligently at her station while Keichiro made the food. He had told her half a dozen times that he could handle it on his own, and that she shouldn't be working so soon after waking up; Kachie, however, refused.
"I'm telling you Keichiro-kun, I'm just fine. Just because I was asleep until yesterday doesn't mean I'm still tired. I mean, it was because I used up so much power without practice...but I'm fine now..." she said, as he asked her once more. Keichiro sighed.
"I know...but still, I would feel better if I knew that you were well rested..." he retorted. Kachie sighed and grabbed another stack of dishes.
"...How was Shirogane-san when he woke up?" she asked. Keichiro shook his head.
"He was in pain, I could tell; I'll bring him up some pain medication when it slows down a bit. He was pretty shocked when I told him about Hekele saving him from the fall. And he looked pretty upset when I told him that she still wasn't awake..." he stated. Kachie bit her lip.
"I'm worried about her Keichiro-kun...I figured that she'd be up by now..." she confessed. Keichiro smiled at her reassuringly.
"She used an abundance of power, and she fell to the ground, gaining physical injuries as well. It's only natural that she takes a bit longer than you to wake up...don't stress yourself over it too much...She's a phoenix...remember?" he said calmly.
Kachie sighed once more as she began scrubbing dishes, "I know...I know..."
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Ryou sighed as he slumped into Hekele's room carefully. Keichiro had given him some medication a few hours ago, and he was feeling much better in the pain department. He had to check in on Hekele; he felt drawn to her somehow, and wanted to be sure that she was ok.
He could tell that she was asleep even before he shut the door and slowly made his way over to her bed. It was the new bed that she had picked out at the store, and the rest of the furniture was in the room as well. He pulled the desk chair over carefully and sat down next to her bed.
"Well, other than a few cuts and bruises, you look like you're ok to me..." he said to her sleeping form. His only response was her even breathing and serene face.
"Let's hope that's all that's wrong with you Tweety Bird..." he said quietly. This time, Hekele scrunched up her face a bit and changed her sleeping position. This allowed Ryou to get a clear view of a good portion of her back. It was wrapped entirely in bandages. Alarmed, he thought back to everything that Keichiro had told him, and fully realized for the first time that she had grown wings. Had that been the warmth he had felt? The flames from her wings?
"So, when they receded, they left open wounds...that couldn't have been comfortable..." he said to her once again. This time, he was once again graced with no response. Ryou leaned the chair back against the wall and closed his eyes. Keichiro had been right, he wasn't ready to be up and about yet...
I'll just rest a bit and then head back to my room...
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Hekele yawned a bit and opened her eyes sleepily. Her head hurt a bit, and her back felt like it had been run over by something very large and very heavy. She looked around a bit and realized that she was in her room above the café. Her new furniture was there as well.
Hekele rolled over, a bit painfully, and saw an interesting sight. Ryou was sitting next to her bed, slumped against the wall, and sleeping. "Shirogane-san?" she asked, confirming the fact that he was sleeping when he didn't respond. She carefully pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked him over closely, glad that he had survived the fall.
She noticed right away that his chest was bandaged up; concealing from her his bad burns. She grimaced at his cuts and bruises, most definitely from their rough landing, and was glad that they weren't any worse. She bit her lip and looked around; there was a glass of water on her bedside table for her in case she had woken up. It would do nicely for her purpose.
Hekele drank some of the water, relieving her parched throat, and held onto the now half-full glass tightly. She began to pull things from her memory, things that made her sad, or exceptionally happy. She remembered when she was little and getting a few of the more painful tests done to her for the first time at the base.
Two tears slipped into the glass of water.
She then recalled seeing Kachie for the first time, and how afraid and sad the girl had been.
Three tears...
Hekele recalled how happy she had been when they had met Ryou's father and he had promised to free them the next night.
Four tears...
When Ryou's father never returned...
Six tears...
She remembered meeting Ryou himself and Keichiro and the Mews the night they had saved Kachie and herself.
Five tears...
Finally, Hekele forced herself to recall what had happened at the carnival. How sad and happy she had been throughout the whole thing, and the horror of hers and Ryou's encounter with the aliens. She also recalled her feelings of complete and utter helplessness...
Ten more tears...
Perhaps twenty-eight tears was over doing it, but Hekele had to be sure she had enough. She wiped her eyes and held the glass of water and tears to her chest, and began to chant a quiet sort of prayer.
"May these tears be a catalyst for the powers in the liquid life, may their powers merge and heal together as one..." she said in a low and almost unearthly voice. The glass in her hands rippled slightly and then the water glowed a light blue. As soon as it had, however, it stopped, and in her hands was once again, what appeared to be clear water. Hekele smiled softly to herself as she edged carefully over to Ryou, whose chair was right next to her bed.
She used her fingers and lightly dabbed a cut on Ryou's forehead, only to see it begin to vanish as soon as she touched it. Hekele's smile broadened as she continued healing up his cuts and bruises, pleased that she could be of use. After a few minutes of this, Ryou began to stir.
Hekele froze, suddenly unsure of what she was doing. Would Ryou get upset that she had tended to his wounds without his permission? Would he be angry with her? She subconsciously held her breath when he opened his eyes.
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Ryou hadn't expected to actually fall asleep, and he had been even more surprised when he woke up; Hekele was staring right at him with wide and almost fearful eyes. He blinked a few times, clearing the sleep out of his eyes, before he said anything.
"Hey...you're up...how're you feeling?" he asked. Hekele let out a sigh of relief.
"Other than an aching back and a slight headache, I'm fine...how are you Shirogane-san?" she asked politely. Ryou shrugged a bit and winced as his chest began to burn a bit. He noticed a rather thoughtful look on Hekele's face.
"I can help that Shirogane-san...I can heal you..." she said truthfully. Ryou looked at her oddly.
"And how can you do that Tweety Bird?" he asked, humoring her. Hekele smiled a bit.
"My tears, remember? Here, let me take those bandages off you and I'll show you what I mean..." she stated, moving over to give him room. Not in the mood to argue, Ryou rolled his eyes and obliged her request. He sat on the bed and Hekele immediately, but gently, went to work with the bandages. The outer set was no problem, but the set over his actual wound proved a bit more difficult to remove. Ryou was surprised with how careful she was, but didn't say anything.
When that was done, Hekele only smiled at him, "Now lay down on the bed, that way we don't get everything soaked." Ryou laid down as ordered but gave her a look.
"You're not going to start crying all over me are you? 'Cuz that would be just weird..." he said pointedly. Hekele laughed at him.
"No, Shirogane-san, I'm not going to cry on you. See this glass of water? I made myself cry into it when I woke up, and then I merged the healing powers in my tears with it; a few tears go a long way when it comes to healing, but the tears would not cover enough surface area alone, get it? I've already healed a couple of your cuts and bruises..." she said honestly. Ryou looked up at her oddly.
"You did?" he asked, confused. Hekele nodded down at him.
"Mmm hmm..." She wrapped the bandages from Ryou's outer wrappings around her hand and soaked it with the water, "This may sting a bit, but I promise it won't be unbearable..." she warned. Ryou only nodded and Hekele began to carefully dab at his wound.
Sting? Ryou didn't know where she came up with that one; all he could feel was his skin tingling slightly under her touch. He wasn't sure what was happening, but it felt good. He closed his eyes peacefully and he could feel relaxation coursing through his veins. He wasn't tired...just...calm.
After a few minutes, Hekele spoke, bringing him back to reality, "I'm finished Shirogane-san...you're all healed up..." Ryou opened his eyes to see a smiling Hekele hovering above him slightly. His face slipped into a slight smile of his own as he sat up. Feeling no pain, he looked himself over, only to find that she had truly healed him...even his two broken ribs were ok...
"Tweety Bird...I owe you one..." he said, but paused for a moment in thought. "Actually, I owe you more than that..." he corrected. Hekele looked at him oddly.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Ryou rolled his eyes.
"Well, let's see; you mysteriously sprouted wings when we were falling to our doom and saved me. I'd have died if it weren't for you," he stated. Hekele shook her head.
"No...you saved Kachie-chan and myself first...from the base. You don't owe me anything Shirogane-san..." she said, blushing. Ryou gave her a look.
"What's with the 'Shirogane-san'? You called me Ryou before...I heard you..." he said, recalling the voice he had heard right before he blacked out. He knew it was hers. Ryou couldn't help but grin in a cocky manner when Hekele's blush deepened to a crimson color.
"Umm, I just...well, I was scared that...you were...Oh stop smiling Shirogane-san! You get off on teasing me don't you?" she accused, turning her head away from him. Ryou blinked a few times, not having counted on her outburst, before raising his hand to her chin and turning her face back to him. Her eyes were trained on the ground determinedly.
Ryou sighed as he let her chin go, "Actually, I think I prefer you calling me 'Ryou'. I wasn't trying to make fun of you...this time..." Hekele looked up at him slowly.
"Really? You don't mind me calling you by your first name?" she asked timidly. Ryou nodded.
"No, I don't mind; like I said, I prefer it...you don't mind me calling you Tweety Bird do you?" he asked. Hekele thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Mmm-mm, I don't really mind that much..." she consented. Ryou smirked and stood up, stretching.
"Good, because you really didn't have a choice in the matter there..." he said superiorly. Hekele hit him in the arm and scowled at him slightly, though he knew she didn't mean it.
"Want me to show you how to play a couple of card games?" he asked. Hekele nodded.
"Sure, I'm not really able to leave my room yet anyhow..." she agreed. Ryou grinned and walked out of the room, returning moments later wearing a t-shirt and a deck of cards in his hand.
"So, how much do you know about cards?" he asked. Hekele stared at him.
"I've been in a test tube my whole life Shirogane-san, what do you think?"
Ryou shook his finger at her, "What did I tell you?" Hekele rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Ryou, but I know nothing about card games."
Ryou smirked once more, "Then we start with the basics...Go Fish..."
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Kachie sighed as she and Keichiro finished the last of the dishes. The café had just closed, and they had been swamped all day. Keichiro didn't have a free moment to check up on Ryou or Hekele once, (since he had given him some pain killers anyway,) nor had Kachie or any of the Mews.
"I wonder how he's doing?" Kachie asked, referring to Ryou. Keichiro rolled his eyes.
"He's probably wondering why he hasn't been fed; and he'll be grumpy about it since he can't get down here to get it himself..." he stated. Kachie giggled.
"Look who's talking Grumpy. The evil customers got to you again...and Ichigo-san thinks they drive her insane..." she dared. Keichiro narrowed his eyes at her slightly, but gave in with a slight nod.
"You're right, that wasn't exactly fair of me...let's check up on them shall we?" he suggested, having finished the last of the dishes. Kachie nodded and hurriedly dried the last of the ones in her pile. Keichiro smiled at her slightly and gently took her hand; walking towards the stairs. Kachie blushed slightly, as she had developed a habit of doing when he held her hand, but followed gladly.
After they got up the stairs, they released each other's hands and peeked around the corner to see if Ryou was watching television. Nothing. Perplexed, since neither of them had actually expected Ryou to stay in bed the whole day, they checked his room. Once more, no Ryou in sight. Kachie gave Keichiro a confused look and the two made their way to Hekele's room. Bingo.
It was quite cute really; Hekele was resting against the headboard of her bed, a few cards in her hand, and Ryou was laying across the foot of her bed, one arm hanging off the edge. His cards were on the floor. Kachie and Keichiro couldn't believe the sight. Hekele had apparently woken up at some point in the day, and the two had started playing cards.
"Keichiro-kun?" Kachie asked mischievously. Keichiro looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"What?"
Kachie grinned, "We need to find a camera...quick..."
"Agreed..."
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The aroma of cooking food woke Ryou, as his stomach had finally decided that it was time to alert him to its current emptiness. He opened his eyes slowly, only to find himself in Hekele's room.
"Musta fallen asleep playing cards..." he muttered tiredly, sitting up and stretching his arms. He turned a bit and saw Hekele sleeping against her headboard; he smiled softly to himself; Hekele was attractive, but something about her sleeping face made him feel at peace. He couldn't help but enjoy it...
Since the mess of cards wasn't going to clean itself up, Ryou decided to tear his gaze away from Hekele to do it, which proved difficult, considering the cards had fallen everywhere. Once he was finished with that, he looked at Hekele once more, deciding that she'd probably want to eat something as much as he did.
Ryou sat next to her on the bed and lightly began to shake her, "Tweety Bird...I think Keichiro's cooking your favorite bird seed...let's go..." Getting no reaction out of her, he rolled his eyes.
"Ok, fine, I lied; Keichiro isn't cooking bird seed, but he is cooking, and neither of us have eaten in a while..." he tried. All he got was a content sigh and an even more curled up Hekele.
Ryou rolled his eyes, before getting an evil idea. "Ok Tweety Bird...you asked for it...I'm warning you...wake up now and no one get's soaked..." he whispered. Seeing no signs of her waking up, Ryou took her glass from the night stand and splashed her with what was left of the water in it. Hekele was up and swinging her arms frantically in an instant.
Ryou ended up falling off the bed while trying to keep out of her reach. When Hekele fully woke up, she looked around, confused. "What on Earth?"
Ryou sat up from his spot on the floor, looking at her with laughter in his eyes, "So...that water thing does work..." Hekele peered down at him and saw the mischievous look on his face; she crossed her arms angrily.
"You are so mean..." she accused as she looked away from him. Ryou rolled his eyes and stood up next to the bed.
"No I'm not; I tried to wake you up three times before I did that. Now come on, our personal chefs are making dinner..." he said. Hekele laughed.
"Don't let them hear you say that Ryou...they might just mutiny on us..." she warned. Ryou chuckled a bit and held out his hand to help her up.
"Come on...let's go and eat." Hekele sighed and shook her head.
"I don't think I can Ryou...my back hurts...I used up too much energy on my wings, and I didn't have enough left to heal myself..." she confessed. Ryou sighed and crouched down, almost to her level.
"Then get on; it'd be boring to have to eat up here by yourself..." he said, offering her his back. Hekele blushed.
"Are you sure Ryou?" she asked. Ryou nodded.
"Of course I'm sure, now get on so we can get moving..." he ordered. Hekele smiled and obediently wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Ryou stood with little difficulty, adjusted her a bit, and began his trek to the dinner table.
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"Well, well, well, so now you'll show up for dinner? Pity, we had some good beef stew on Saturday..." Keichiro mentioned candidly. Ryou, who just helped Hekele into a seat, scowled.
"I can't help it if she bores easily..." he tried, Hekele glared at him playfully.
"Don't even try to pin that on me Ryou, it was your idea to go to the carnival and you know it!" she said. Ryou narrowed his eyes at her slightly, but she only smiled.
"So? You got bored and I took you. End of discussion."
Keichiro grinned, "Before or after you went to the furniture store?" Ryou stared.
"After. They said that the stuff would be over soon, so we decided that we didn't want to head home and end up dealing with guys who couldn't move furniture properly no matter how well they're paid...so I took her to the carnival and got my ass beat by Kisshu," he lied nonchalantly. Well, at least the first part was a lie...
Keichiro looked dumbstruck; Ryou had an airtight alibi, and Hekele wasn't disagreeing with his answers... "Really? Why don't I believe that?"
"Maybe because you're so stressed out over our near death situation? Beats me...now, can we eat, or are you going to starve us?" Ryou asked with an icy finality to the discussion. Keichiro sighed and sat down. He knew Ryou was lying, and the only reason he cared was because he wanted to annoy him about it later. Alas...Ryou was one hell of a good fibber...
"Eat...I'll deal with you later..."
Ryou smirked, "I'm so scared..."
Keichiro side glanced Kachie and muttered into his drink as he pretended to take a sip, "You will be..."
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Ryou grinned to himself as he lay awake in bed. Keichiro had been so surprised when he had discovered that Hekele had healed Ryou. Kachie, who knew of Hekele's healing abilities, was shocked as well. Ryou had also managed to avoid further questioning from Keichiro on the his and Hekele's disappearing act at the carnival. He knew that Keichiro would find a flaw and corner him sooner or later, but until then, Ryou wasn't talking.
He was glad to note that Hekele's back was getting better; her natural healing abilities exceeded that of a normal person, but still were nothing compared to her flames or tears. Her back still hurt her a bit, upon last check, but it no longer required bandages, and she could move around without too much difficulty.
Ryou looked at his alarm clock and sighed. It was eleven fifteen; he wasn't even tired. He sat up in bed for a few minutes, pondering what to do, before deciding to go and check out the refrigerator down in the kitchen. A midnight snack might be just what the doctor ordered.
As soon as he opened his door, Ryou immediately noticed that Hekele's door was open as well; it was just a few feet to the side and across the living room from his own. Ryou walked over to her room and peeked inside; Hekele wasn't there. Ryou shrugged it off and resumed his plan to head back downstairs for some food. He had an idea of where she was anyway...
Once in the kitchen, Ryou poked around in the cupboards and fridge for something edible. Ice cream. Why was the only edible thing in that entire kitchen at the moment, ice cream? Ryou sighed to himself as he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and scooped a few clumps of ice cream into it. He was about to put the ice cream away when he thought better of it, grabbed another bowl from the cupboard, and filled it up too. He topped both off with chocolate and a cherry each and headed back upstairs. Chances were, Hekele either was on the balcony, or in the lab, but Ryou was pretty sure it'd be the balcony.
He was right too, as soon as he poked his head through the glass doors, there she was, sitting on a chair and looking for stars through the light pollution of the Tokyo skyline. Ryou grinned to himself as he snuck up behind her quietly. She didn't even suspect a thing...
He was directly behind her, not a foot away before he spoke in a haunting voice, "Hey Tweety..." Hekele jumped a mile, her serene quiet disrupted unexpectedly. Ryou had to step back to keep from being knocked over accidently. He was all smiles as Hekele's eyes narrowed on him for probably the third or fourth time that day.
"Ryou, why do you insist on tormenting me so much? I wanted the fresh air to tire me out so that I'd sleep! Not to be scared to death by you so that I'd stay up longer!" she complained. Ryou shrugged and sat in the chair next to her, offering her one of the bowls of ice cream.
"Maybe you're just an easy target...have some sugar," he said. Hekele glowered at him as she took one of the bowls.
"Might I remind you that I want to sleep sometime tonight? Sugar isn't going to help the situation any..." she said, taking a bite anyway. Ryou took a bite of his own treat and shook his head slightly at a memory.
"Eleven-thirty and eating a hot fudge sundae..." he muttered to himself, looking at the clock visible in the living room. Hekele caught on and smiled a little.
"Well, last time it was a banana-split...but it's close enough I guess...that was a week ago, right?" she asked. Ryou nodded.
"Yea...and I recall you being rather distressed over something stupid..." he stated, glancing at her for her reaction. Hekele, once more, narrowed her eyes at him.
"It wasn't stupid Ryou..." she corrected. Ryou shrugged as he took another bite.
"Yea it was; you were worrying about something fixable and feeling guilt for things that hadn't even happened...it sounds pretty stupid to me," he argued gently. Hekele sighed and shook her head.
"I am beginning to see how clueless you are when it comes to the emotions of others, Ryou...caution and guilt aren't bad things..." she retorted. Ryou rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, thank you for the lecture mother...I'm sure I'll look back on it one day and think you're right...but until then, eat your sundae and be happy about it Tweety Bird..." he ordered. Hekele shook her head and smiled as she took another bite.
"Whatever you say Sylvester..." she replied. Ryou twitched a bit when he heard his very unwanted nickname.
"Why must you call me that?" he inquired irritably. Hekele shrugged playfully and stood up with her treat, walking to the railing.
"Because it seems to bother you beyond logical reason...why? Would you prefer Shirogane-san?" she mocked. Ryou stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"My God, we've corrupted you...and all it took was one week..." he said, feigning remorse. Hekele smiled and walked back over to him and sat down.
"Only as much as I wanted to be corrupted..." she admitted, taking another bite. Ryou grinned at her slightly.
"I'm sure...So, tomorrow morning I'm going to start teaching you how to use the computers and such?" he questioned, changing the subject. Hekele beamed at him happily, as though he had just said the magic words.
"Of course! I can't wait!" she exclaimed giddily. Ryou smiled to himself and shook his head.
"You know, computers aren't all that exciting...you might get bored..." he warned. Hekele shook her head.
"I don't care how boring you say they are; they can't be as boring as just sitting there in the basement and watching you work without knowing what was going on..." she pointed out. Ryou smirked to himself and shook his head.
"This is true..." he said.
The two sat there in a comfortable silence as they gazed at the night sky. It really was calm and peaceful out at that hour; no noise in the park, no customers in the café, and no loud obnoxious birds. It was dark, there was a calm breeze, crickets were heard serenading in the grass, and a few lightning bugs could be seen here and there. Ryou just relaxed in the serenity of it all, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes contently.
He sighed as he thought over the day. He couldn't believe that he had been asleep for the better part of two days. He was glad that Hekele had been able to save them, but he regretted her having been so drained that she was out for just as long as he had been. He recalled how it felt when she had healed him; it had been on the border line of incredible. He had never felt so relaxed in his entire life...and she had been gentle too. Even though she wasn't the best card player, teaching her how to play 'Go Fish' and 'War' had been rather entertaining; Ryou had to admit, Hekele was a fun person to be around...
It was then, as Hekele was standing up to go take her empty bowl to the kitchen, that Ryou realized that he had never properly thanked her. Sure, he had mentioned owing her one...for healing and saving him each, but he had never thanked her. Ryou mentally slapped himself; Hekele and had Kachie had been very adamant about vocalizing how thankful they were for everything from being saved to having a roof over their heads. He shook his head. He hoped his lack of manners didn't rub off on the two...
"Hey, wait up..." he said, getting up and following her inside. Hekele obeyed and smiled as he walked up next to her. He seemed a bit flustered, but she wasn't sure why.
"What's up?" she asked, resuming her trek. Ryou shrugged. Why was it so hard to say thank you to her? Ryou didn't quite understand, but he wasn't dumb enough not to know that she definitely had a hold over him. He recalled feeling this nervous around Ichigo from time to time, but being able to hide it with a rather rude comment or a simple 'baka strawberry'. He didn't want to do that to Hekele; something about it felt wrong...as opposed to simply arrogant...
"Well, I just...noticed how careless I had been today..." he said, shrugging once more. Hekele eyed him suspiciously; she knew something was up.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Ryou sighed.
"I...wanted to say thank you for everything...you saved me, and healed my injuries...and that deserves a multitude of thanks...I gave you none..." he admitted. Hekele looked at him curiously for a moment before smiling.
"You don't have to thank me Ryou...I knew you were grateful," she said, blushing. Ryou smiled at her.
"Yes I did; you and Kachie always thank us for things when we understand how you feel...it's just the courteous thing to do...and I was sorely lacking in that department today. So, thank you, I guess..." he said, fumbling slightly. Hekele grinned, despite herself, and gave Ryou a hug. Once again, he wasn't quite sure what to do.
"Thank you for being so sweet..." she said honestly. Ryou felt the blush creeping onto his cheeks, but didn't pull away. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her as he had done before, returned the squeeze, and released her. Hekele stood there dumbly, having expected him to just stand there like he usually did when he received a hug. Ryou only smiled at her and led her by the wrist the rest of the way to the kitchen. They placed their bowls in the sink and began to walk back to their rooms.
"Be sure to get some sleep Tweety Bird...you have many boring lectures awaiting you tomorrow morning..." he said as they reached the top of the stairs. Hekele nodded, and smiled when they reached her room. Ryou bit his lip, but then leaned down and gave her a chaste peck on the cheek.
He smiled at the crimson color of her cheeks, knowing that his was probably no better, "Thank you for being so sweet..." Hekele blushed further, and was about to say something, when there was a flash from the balcony. They two stood there in complete and utter shock as Keichiro, Kachie, Mint, and Ichigo poked their heads sheepishly around the open door. Keichiro had a digital camera...
Ryou was struck dumb. He had never been caught in a situation like that before...hell, he had never been in that situation before. He didn't know what to do... "What...the hell are you doing here?" he asked. Ichigo grinned.
"Well, Mint and I had a bet running...which I believe I just won by the way, and we had to be here until midnight to verify the results...and I must say...you cut it pretty close..." she said joyously. Mint just grumbled a bit and handed Ichigo a twenty.
"And what, pre-tell, was this bet?" Hekele asked. Kachie grinned.
"That you and Shirogane-san would be a couple by midnight tonight..." she said mischievously. Hekele and Ryou both paled visibly...and then flushed to a monumental color of red.
Keichiro smiled, "You two make an adorable couple...when's you're next date?" Ryou blushed another shade.
"We've never been on a date and you know it..." he muttered. Ichigo shook her head.
"Not true...you took her to the carnival, alone...that sounds like a date to me...you were practically holding her hand..."
Ryou growled, not liking being cornered, "Wrist..."
Kachie grinned, "Close enough..."
Keichiro smiled to himself as well, "I'm sure the rest of the girls will love this picture of you kissing her on the cheek...quite out of character really..." Ryou narrowed his eyes dangerously.
"You like Kachie." Ok, it was immature, but it got the point across. Ryou turned on his heal, leaving a rather stunned, and flushed, Keichiro, and a very tomato-like Kachie. Mint and Ichigo stared at them for a moment before heading downstairs.
"Well, I won my money...I'm outta here...You coming Mint?" she asked. Mint rushed to catch up, not wanting to stay and potentially get caught in the middle of a battle.
"Right behind you..."
Keichiro stared at Ryou's door, only to hear Hekele's slide shut while he wasn't looking. He turned to Kachie suddenly, "Would you like to accompany me tomorrow after the café closes?" Kachie looked at him oddly.
"You mean...like a date?" she asked, unsure. Keichiro pondered for a moment, before giving a slight nod.
"Yes, would you like to accompany me on a date out to eat for dinner, leaving these two, who cannot cook, to fend for themselves for the night?" he asked, elaborating on his plan. Kachie smiled mischievously.
"I'd love to Keichiro-kun..."