Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
Stephen Schwarz
Chapter 2: Revelation
The night ended giving rise to a glorious morning. The sun painted the sky with brilliant colors and warmed it with its glowing rays. The sweet kiss of sunlight awoke the sleeping flower buds. They unfurled from their slumber to greet the dawning of a new day. The birds filled the morning air with their song as they danced about the clouds. Even the sea itself shared in the song and dance.
Nara reveled in nature's chorus as she stood on the pier that overlooked a blue lake. She glanced toward the distance, seeing the house that she had just slept in the night before. One would only be able to speculate at its grandness from her vantage perspective. It was a considerable distance away and thus, seemingly smaller.
She sighed and turned back to the water. She untied a towel that had been wrapped around her thin body. It slid down her tiny frame, pooling around her ankles and leaving her with only a blue bathing suit covering her. A simple black necklace adorned her slim neck. It had a simple jewel on it that resembled one half of the yin & yang symbol. She touched it, absently, as she stepped out of the confines of her discarded towel. She walked to the edge of the pier and with a deep breath, she dove in.
The water was cool and yet warming at the same time. As it surrounded her body it engulfed her soul, filling it with a blissful calm that only it could bring. She swam in its depths relishing the sense of freedom that the water evoked. As she swam, an orca approached her, greeting her with its song.
"Suiki!" she greeted.
The great mammal swam around her, rubbing its body against her. She stroked its white underside. He spun around, delighted by her touch.
"Silly orca." she laughed.
In his orca tongue, which primarily consisted of clicks and whistles, he spoke to her.
"Find…Silver Hair…Eyes of Sea…?"
Nara's expression softened. "Well…we found Mia."
"…Silver Hair…?"
Nara suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
"…gone…?"
She nodded her head in response.
"…sad…water child…sad…" It was more of a statement rather than a question.
"Yeah,…Suiki. I am." she sobbed.
"…Suiki…love…Suiki…water child…"
Nara managed a weak, yet sincere smile. "I love you, too, Suiki." she replied, as she hugged him. "I love you, too."
He nuzzled her, gently, consoling her. He began to sing a song that had no lyrics, its melody saying more than words could ever convey. "The Song of Seas", Nara called it. It made the waters sing and the sea creatures dance. The aquatic plants swayed in sync to the tune. The very sea herself pulsated as her inhabitants danced and sang to the song that she knew all too well. When his song ended, he spoke again.
"Water child…come…"
"Where to?" she asked.
"…down."
She grasped his dorsal fin as he began their journey downward.
"…too fast…?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine." she replied.
They continued downward until they reached the floor of the lake. Using his sonar, Suiki searched the ground for something. Within seconds, he had found it. With Nara still securely attached to his fin, he swam to it.
"Here…water child…here…" he said.
"What's here, Suiki?" she asked, as the visibility was low at their depth.
"…map…key…" he replied.
"A map key?" she thought.
He began to dig in the ground with his large muzzle, disturbing the silt and debris that had been lying there. Though she couldn't see what he was doing, she could feel it through his movements.
"Suiki?" she asked.
"…here." With her hand trailing along his body for guidance, she made her way to the lake's surface. She felt along the ground, searching for whatever it was that Suiki had found.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, upon coming across something that was not consistent with the sandy bottom. "Suiki, is this it?" she asked.
"…yes." She pulled the object from the ground. Holding it securely in one hand, she sought out Suiki's dorsal fin with the other.
"Okay." she called.
He slowly started their ascent upward, mindful of the passenger he carried. "…too fast?" he asked.
"No, my friend. I'm fine."
Once they broke the surface, Nara took a moment to examine the object that they had found in the depths below. It appeared to be a stone tablet. On its face were four small symbols. A divided yin & yang symbol comprised two icons, a complex geometric shape resembling the sun made-up another, and a leaf with a rock centered in it made up the last one.
"Interesting." she thought. "Could this be ancient Japanese characters or maybe even hieroglyphics."
She studied the tablet closer noticing something peculiar about it. "These two kinda looks like my necklace." she observed. "That's odd. I- OH!" she yelped as Suiki shot a jet of air from his blowhole, tearing her from her thought.
"Oh, Suiki! You scared me!" she breathed.
"…not intended…" he replied.
She smiled and hugged him. "I know." she said.
She kissed the melon of his head and patted his muzzle. "It's time for me to get back, though. I should get there before everyone gets up and wonders where I went. Can you bring me closer to the house, please?"
"…yes…of course…"
Suiki brought her to the pier that was closest to the house. She thanked him and climbed onto the sturdy wooden scaffold. In her haste to get back to the house, she had forgotten her towel at the other pier. She hadn't intended to be out so long, but she also hadn't anticipated Suiki's discovery. With the tablet safely in her arms, she jogged to the house.
Halfway there, she caught sight of a figure standing on the front porch. His stunning blonde hair elegantly reflecting the sun's beautiful rays, surrounding him in a soft yet magnificent halo. An angel, by far. And a rather handsome one at that; perfect in almost every way,…almost.
Nara approached him like a nervous kitten approaching a hungry lion. He smiled at her and said, politely, "Good morning, Nara."
"Hi." she replied, returning his smile.
When she was close enough to see the features of his face, especially that single violet eye, she averted her gaze from his. Fully accustomed to the behavior that she displayed, he attempted to lighten the mood a bit.
"Early morning swim?" he asked.
She nodded, her eyes still downcast.
"Isn't it a bit cold for that?"
"No…not really. I don't mind it."
"Well I know I would." He noticed the stone tablet she clutched against her chest but didn't feel it his place to inquire about it. "Anyway," he began. "…you should probably get inside before you catch something.
She nodded curtly and bowed slightly before escaping into the house. He watched her leave, smiling at the entire episode.
"Strange girl." he thought, turning back to the porch banister. "There's something about her, though. I wonder…eh!"
There was a figure in the wood that neared the lake. Though it wasn't moving, Sage could definitely tell that something or someone was there. He kept his eye on the shadowed figure, not letting it out of his sight. It remained unmoving, then suddenly, it vanished.
"What!" he whispered.
He jumped down from the porch and walked over to the woods. He stood there, studying the area, searching it with his mind.
"Something was here." he thought. "Something dark and cold. I can feel it. Could it have been the dynasty? I hope not,…but still…"
Reluctantly, he turned and headed for the house. Whatever was there before wasn't there now. He didn't like that. Something was up, that was obvious. But what was it?
----
"Good morning." Cye said, cheerfully as Nara entered the house.
Startled by his presence and her in her indecent attire, Nara simply replied, "Hi."
"You're certainly up early." he said.
"Uh…well, so are you. Do all of you guys get up with the sun?"
He smiled and chuckled a bit. "An elegant way of putting it, but no. Only Sage and I are ever up this early. The others will be up later." He paused for a moment. "Would you like a towel or something?"
The heat from her cheeks scalded the rest of her face. She was totally embarrassed. "Ummm…uh…no, thank you. I'm…well, I'm going to change right now, anyway…umm…excuse me."
She quickly slid passed him, not looking back and not stopping until she reached her room. A twinge of guilt crept into Cye as he watched her go. Her hasty retreat must have been because of something he had done, he thought. That didn't rest well with him. He mulled over the situation as he entered the kitchen and started on breakfast.
Nara ducked into her room before being detected by anyone else. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, taking a much-needed rest.
"Well, at least Ryo's not still in here." she thought. She smiled as she remembered the way he had carried her to her bed in the scant hours before dawn. Though not fully awake at the time, she still held fast to the misty memory.
After he had set her down upon the softness of her bed, he tucked her in beneath a pile of velvety blankets. Satisfied that she was comfortable, he brushed a stray lock from her face and kissed her softly. Unconsciously, she touched the spot where he had kissed her and imagined that she could still feel its warmth.
After his tender exchange of affection, he and White Blaze left the room. They found their way into the adjacent room that was occupied by the other boys and made their bed in the center of the floor. Nara had discovered them earlier that morning before she left the house for her swim. She had ventured a glance into the boy's room and found the two stretched out across the floor. She quietly tiptoed in and neatly placed a blanket about him. She combed her long fingers through his dark hair, then kissed him as he had kissed her. She gave a kiss to White Blaze, too, and caressed the soft fur under his neck. He growled softly and licked her hand. One of the boys, though she wasn't sure who, began to stir and mumble something in their sleep. Taking that as her cue to leave, she quickly exited the room and then the house.
"I wonder which one of the guys it was." she wondered as she pushed herself from the door. She walked over to her bed and set the tablet on the nightstand that stood near it. "I hope they didn't notice me. I probably shouldn't have been in there. Forbidden territory."
She smiled once more and began removing her damp bathing suit from her cool body. She undressed quickly and selected a thick cotton sweater and a pair of loose-fitted sweatpants from her closet. Finally dressed, she pulled open the door and stepped into the hallway.
"I wonder if Mia's up." she thought. She went to the her sister's room and gently tapped on the door.
"Come in, Nara." Mia called.
"How'd you know it was me?" she asked, as she crept in.
"Because none of the boys are actually bold enough to come knocking on my door. They're too shy for that."
"Oh." she replied as she walked over to Mia's bed.
Mia had been up for a while, going over paperwork from the comfort of her bed. Nara joined her, crawling beneath the blankets and resting her head on her lap.
"What are you doing?" Mia asked. "And why is your hair wet?"
Nara was silent.
"Nara, I know you didn't go out swimming this morning!"
"…it was only for a little bit."
"Nara!"
"I had to go, Mia! Suiki…"
"That whale?"
"Orca."
"Whatever. He's a big fish to me."
"MIA?"
"That looks like a cow."
"MIA!"
Mia laughed at her sister's mock fury. "I'm just teasing you, string bean."
"It's not funny, French fry."
Mia chuckled a bit more then spoke again. "Nara, seriously, you know you shouldn't be out in the water at this time of year. It's way too cold and besides that, you have asthma."
"Yeah, but I don't want my asthma to rule my life."
"I'm not saying that it has to. I'm just saying that you should be careful and take care of yourself."
"I know."
"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. You're the only little sister I've got."
Smiling, Nara snuggled next to her sister. "I know you love me."
"Such an arrogant sibling I have." Mia chided.
"Well, I was going to say 'I love you, too', but now you can forget it!" Nara pouted.
"Sorry." Mia giggled.
"No, forget it!" Nara said.
"I said I was sorry."
"…do you love me?"
"You know I do."
"Well,…okay, then. I forgive you." She threw her arms around her waist and hugged her, tightly.
"Okay! Okay!" Mia pleaded.
Nara loosed her grasp on her sister then noticed the papers in her hand. "What's that?" she asked.
"Just some papers." Mia said, setting them aside. She sighed and placed her hand atop Nara's head. "Anyway, you need to get your school supplies, today, right?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot about the sale at the art store today."
"I knew you would." she said, stroking Nara's dark hair. "Do you want to have the girls come along and make it an outing?"
"Yeah! And the guys could come too and make it a blast."
"A blast?"
"Yeah. And, of course, we'd all be getting…acquainted with each other, too."
"Of course."
"Oh come on, Mia! They're only going to be living with us. The least I should be able to do is call them by name."
Mia laughed. "Nara, I don't have any objections with the boys coming along. It's just that I don't know how we're all going to travel in my little jeep."
"Oh yeah. Well, we can sit on people's laps. I could sit on Ryo's lap and-…"
"Speaking of Ryo. What were you two doing last night?"
"Hunh?"
"When I came in to check on you, I found the two of you sprawled across the floor in each other's arms. Explain."
"…uh,..well you see…it's like this: by a miraculous coincidence, Ryo and I grew up together in the same orphanage when we were kids. We were really close then and,…well…we just sorta picked up where we left off. That's all!"
"Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"It's the truth! You have to believe it!"
Mia smiled and giggled at her worried younger sibling. "Oh, Nara. There was a time when you had a sense of humor."
"Yeah, then I met you and it suddenly vanished."
"Hey!"
"…just teasing you, Mia!"
"Mmmmhmmm…You'd better go and call the girls before I suddenly change my mind."
"I'm going, I'm going…" she replied, as she crawled off of the bed and out of the room. Once she had left the room, Mia retrieved the papers that she had set aside. She looked over them once more, still not believing what they had said. She shook her head, trying to convince herself that is wasn't true, but it made too much sense. How could it not be true? And how could she have not seen it before? She sighed, heavily as she removed herself from the bed. She walked over to the safe that had previously held the documents. She placed them in the safe confines and reset the combination.
"Oh, Grandfather." she thought. "Why didn't you say something before now?"
----
"We look like a bunch of roaches in a drainpipe." Yuriko complained, from atop Rowen's lap.
"Speak for yourself!" Ami said, from atop Kento's lap. "I am not an insect."
Slowly and with a mischievous grin, Yuriko turned to face Ami as she replied, "You could have fooled me."
"You know what-…" Ami began, as she reached to the opposite side of the back seat and pulled Yuriko over.
"LET ME GO, AMAZON!" Yuriko shouted.
"Call me that again and I'll show you how much of an Amazon I can be!" she replied.
"Will you two stop fighting over my lap, PLEASE?" Nara yelled, from atop Ryo's lap.
"GET OFF ME!" Kristal shouted, from atop Cye's lap.
"LADIES! This is a car NOT a playground!" Mia shouted from the driver's seat.
"Who's playing?" Nara asked.
"That's Yas and Ami!" Kristal added.
"You two will say anything to save your own skin, won't you?" Yuriko asked.
"Yas…don't make me drown you." Nara replied.
Ami and Kristal chuckled a bit as Yuriko merely stared at Nara, not the least bit intimidated by her empty threat.
"Isn't she vicious?" she asked Rowen, as she turned to face him. "Heart like a viper, I tell you!"
Rowen smiled, not really knowing how to respond to her comment. Yuriko studied his face for a moment then asked, "Where are you from?"
Rowen shot her an odd expression, then replied, "Well, I was born in Osaka."
"…yeah, okay, but,…where are you REALLY from?"
Smiling brightly, he replied, "How could you tell?"
"Well I have an uncanny sixth sense…but other than that, you speak with an accent. And you pronounce certain words oddly. …so does he." she added, gesturing to Cye.
Rowen smiled. "Okay, ya got me. I was born in Japan but I wasn't raised here. My mom's a journalist so we never really stayed put in any place for long. I've been all over the world, but I can't say that I'm 'from' anywhere."
"That's so sad." Kristal said. "You don't have anyplace that you can even consider home?"
"Well, being here with you guys certainly feels like home."
Kristal smiled. "Oh…that's so sweet."
"Yeah, thanks for saying so, Rowen." Kento said.
"Well, it's the way I feel." Rowen said, plainly.
"So…you've been all around the world." Yuriko began, again. "What place did you like the best?"
Rowen considered her question for a moment. He had traveled the world over in the short fifteen years of his existence. There were so many places that he loved and would like to visit again, but he had his fondest and most memorable moments in…
"New York." he finally said.
"WOAH!" the girls exclaimed at once.
"We were just there!" one said.
"What part of New York are you from?" another asked.
"Are you from the city? Can you speak English?" one more wanted to know.
"Have you ever been shot?"
All eyes turned to the one who asked the blunt question.
"Yas!" Nara, Kristal, and Ami shouted.
"WHAT!" she retorted. "New York is a dangerous place." She grabbed Rowen's head and squeezed it against her bosom. "We should thank our lucky stars that he is here before us, today! Unharmed and with all his limbs intact, no less!"
"T-thank you!" he said, quickly, as he tore himself away from her grip. "Thank you, but New York's really not as bad as people make it out to be. Its bad reputation has been blown drastically out of proportion…and no, I've never been shot."
"…well that's good, Hashiba. I'm glad to hear it." she said, mangling his blue hair. "Okay! Since we started this topic, we might as well roll with it. Where are you from and where have you been? Let's start at the end. Kento…?
"Oh." he began. "Well, I was born in Yokohama."
"…is that all?" Yuriko asked.
He shrugged.
"…Shuu, right?" Nara asked.
"Yeah."
She looked upward, thoughtfully, then asked. "Is that a Chinese name?"
He smiled, proudly, and replied, "Yep."
"Oh, cool! So you're Chinese then."
"Have you ever been to China?" Ami asked.
"Once. When I was a little kid, my dad took me and my little brother to see our family's land in there."
"Little brother?" Ami asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you have any more brothers or sisters?"
"I have too many brothers and sisters."
Ami laughed. "You can never have too many siblings. They are the ones who will always be closest to you. Especially when…" she started, but couldn't find the words to finish her statement. She turned, abruptly, facing the front of the car. "Never mind." she said softly.
The other girls exchanged disturbed glances amongst themselves in the tense silence that followed.
"Uh…Ryo," Ami began, interrupting the deafening quiet that she had created. "Where are you from?"
"Oh…ummm…well, I was born in Yamanashi. But, unlike Kento and Rowen, I've never so much as been off this island."
"Same here." Yuriko said.
"What about New York?" Kristal asked.
"That doesn't count. It was too recent and besides, it was purely academic."
"Purely academic?" Kristal repeated.
"Yep. Totally invalid."
Kristal stared, blankly, at her for a moment. "…o-kay…" she managed. She turned to Cye. "Anyway,…so what about you?"
"I was born in Yamaguchi." he replied.
"Wow! All the way down there?" Yuriko asked.
"Mmmhmm…"
"And have you ever been 'off this island'?"
"Yes, actually. I spent most of my childhood going back and forth from Japan and England."
"I knew it! I could tell from that light-brown hair and those big eyes of yours. So, you're English, then?"
He smiled and nodded his head.
"Why did you travel back and forth so much?"
"That's a personal question, Yas." Nara said. "What, are you sizing him up to snag him as your man?"
Cye blushed and Yuriko smiled, wickedly.
"Yuriko Mouri." she said. "Yuriko Mouri. Yuriko…Hashiba! Oh! I like the sound of that!" she said, grabbing Rowen's head once again and crushing him against her. Rowen blushed, furiously, as he tried to pry himself from Yuriko's clutches. She released him from her hold, laughing at the exasperated expression he help upon his face.
"Don't worry, Blue Boy." she said, patting his head. "I'm not after you. I'm just messing with your head."
"Sure." he replied, dryly, as he straightened his headband.
Nara, Ryo, Cye, and Kristal tried to conceal their laughter, but were unsuccessful in doing so. Even Mia and Sage, who occupied the front passenger seat, had to smile at the whole ordeal.
"Yas, stop tormenting poor Rowen like that." Mia said.
Yuriko let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Alright, alright!" She then turned her attention back to Cye. "So, why did you go back and forth to England?"
"And we're back to the interrogation, again." Nara said.
"Whatever." Yuriko replied. "I-…WAIT A MINUTE! Why do you keep defending him, Nara?"
"Huh?"
"Of course! It all makes sense, now. 'Are you sizing him up to be your man?' NOT EVEN! You were just saying that because you didn't want everyone to realize that YOU want him!"
"I…what!" Nara asked, in disbelief.
Yuriko nodded. "It's true! Think about it! Nara Mouri! Now THAT has a nice ring to it! Or we could just do the English thing and call you Lady Mouri…whichever you prefer."
Nara opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't seem to locate the words to convey what was on her mind. Cye was red from ear to ear, head to toe. Ami, who had been mute up to this point, smiled and giggled softly. Though he couldn't explain just why, Kento felt an incredible sense of relief as Ami was pulled out of her dreary mood. He saw her smile and smiled one of his own.
"HAVE YOU LOST ALL YOUR COMMON SENSE, WOMAN!" Nara shouted, finally finding her vocabulary. "I'VE NOT EVEN KNOWN HIM FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT I HAVE ROMANTIC INCLINATIONS TOWARD HIM! ARE YOU MAD! I'M NOT THAT KINDA GIRL YOU EVIL SEA DRAGON!"
Yuriko and Kristal fell over with laughter. Ami and Mia giggled softly, while Kento, Ryo, Rowen, and Sage chuckled and snickered at the condition of their color changed friend.
"Oh gosh!" Nara suddenly exclaimed. "That's not to say that I don't like you, Cye! I do…I mean,…as a person…I mean…"
"Oh! I-…I understand, completely! Really!" he said, hastily. "You don't have to…you know…explain…ummm…anything."
Amidst the laughing and snickering forms, Nara and Cye were the only ones who did not find any humor in the predicament. They sat, quietly; one twiddling her thumbs while the other tried to massage the redness from his cheeks.
"This is the longest trip, ever." Nara muttered.
"You can say that again." Cye mumbled.
They both sighed and sank heavily into their seats, praying that they would reach their destination quickly or be permitted to die from their own embarrassment.
-----
"We're here." Mia said, turning off the engine.
"Good, it's about time!" Nara said, sourly. "Please let me out."
"So eager to get out, Nara?" Yuriko started. "That's odd. I would have thought that you would be enjoying such quality and intimate time with-…"
"If you value your life you will not finish that thought and you will never EVER mention this again! Got it!" Nara said, sharply.
Smiling, slyly, Yuriko opened the door and let herself out. "Come on, Blue." she called to Rowen. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."
Rowen crawled out of the car followed by Kristal and Cye. On the other side, Ami, Kento, Nara, and Ryo made their way out. Mia and Sage had already escaped from the vehicle's confines and were gathered with the others behind it.
"The gang's all here. Can we go now?" Nara asked.
"Nara, are you going to be bitter all afternoon?" Mia asked.
Nara looked over her shoulder at Yuriko. She had a devilish grin on her face and clearly on the brink of laughter. Returning her attention to her sister, Nara replied, "As long as the dark cloud of annoyance looms over me, yes, I will."
"Aawww, come on, Nara." Yuriko said, jumping onto Nara's back. "Loosen up, babe!"
"GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!" Nara yelled.
With impish laughter, Yuriko jumped off Nara's back and headed toward the building.
"YOU LITTLE TROLL!" Nara shouted and dashed after her.
"WAIT FOR US!" Kristal and Ami called, as they hurried off after the two, leaving Mia and the boys behind.
Giggling, Mia turned to Sage and said, "Never a dull moment, right?"
"Right." he replied. "Hmm…" he murmured, as something touched his spirit. He turned to face the end of the parking lot, searching, as he had before, for the entity that had disturbed his soul. "Where are you?" he thought. "I know you're there. I can feel your dark energy. Come on, show yourself!"
"Hey Sage?" Rowen called. "Let's go!"
"Huh?" Sage murmured, as he turned to see the group heading toward the building. He turned back to where he had sensed the negative energy. Gone. The dark force, was gone.
"Not again." he thought. "Where did you go? And just what are you?"
Still unsettled and disturbed by the reappearance of the entity, Sage, reluctantly, hurried to catch up with the group. Unknown to him was that he was still under watch. High, high, above the scene below, floating in the sky above, a dark figure watched as the young troopers and their companions entered the building.
"That boy…" the shrouded figure thought, referring to Sage. "…that boy…"
----
Asahi's Shopping Center was the largest mall in Japan and one of the largest in the world. It housed a variety of shopping facilities including clothing and department stores, souvenir shops, a food court, and of course, the art store.
"Okay, what's on the list?" Yuriko asked Kristal, as she leaned over her shoulder, reviewing the material list that she held.
"2H, 4H, 6H, and HB pencils." she replied.
"I'm on it!" Yuriko said. She grabbed a basket and set off to locate the items assigned to her. "C'mon, Blue. You're with me."
Without giving him a chance to resist, she grabbed Rowen's arm and dragged him along with her.
"She has the decency of a cat in heat." Nara stated. "Anyway, what should I find?"
"Umm…animation peg bars?" Kristal said, with uncertainty.
"What's that?" Nara asked.
"I don't know. I think you're gonna have to ask one of the floor girls on this one."
"Yeah, I guess. Let me go find out."
"Okay."
"I'll go with you, Nara." Ryo said, walking alongside her.
"You know, I shouldn't even be talking to you." Nara said, after a while.
"Why not?" Ryo asked.
"Because you didn't even stick up for me for me when everyone was ragging on me earlier."
"It's kinda hard to stick up for someone when you're busy laughing."
Nara made a sound that wasn't discernable and elbowed him in his side.
"OW! I was just kidding." he said, nursing his injury.
"Well that's what you get for being mean to me." she retorted. "Umm…excuse me, Miss?" she called to a woman standing behind a counter.
"Yes?" the woman replied.
"Hi. …Kasumi?" Nara asked, reading the girl's nametag.
"That's right."
"That's a pretty name."
"Thank you." the woman, Kasumi, replied, blushing slightly.
Nara smiled. "Oh! Can you help me find something called an animation peg bar?"
"Sure." She turned away from the two, briefly, and examined the store's inventory list. "Okay, it's in aisle three. Come on, I'll take you there."
She stepped out from behind the counter and escorted Nara and Ryo to the appropriate aisle. She skimmed the supplies in the section, quickly locating the coveted item.
"Here it is." she announced, handing Nara one of the peg bars from a box that sat on one of the many shelves.
"Thank you." Nara replied, accepting the item. "Oh wow! I know what this is, now! It's the thing you put your animation paper on when your doing your animations."
"Why do you need that?" Ryo asked.
"Well, when you animate something, the drawings have to be aligned so that you can trace them accurately." Nara said. "These three protruding tabs," she continued, indicating each tab with her fingertip, "…keep the paper in its proper alignment. It's kind of like a three ring binder."
"Oh, I see. I guess that makes sense." Ryo said.
Nara giggled and mangled his raven hair. "Silly." she teased. "Oh, Miss Kasumi? May I have two more, please?"
"Sure. And please, plain old Kasumi is just fine."
"Oh, okay, M-…I mean…Kasumi." Nara corrected.
Kasumi smiled and giggled softly. "You seem like a polite girl. And you seem to know a lot about art supplies. Perhaps you'd like to work here. We're hiring."
Nara's features were aglow with a mixture of joy and excitement. "Oh yes, Miss Kasumi! I'd love to work here!" she replied, hoping that she didn't come off as being too eager. But, Kasumi's warm and friendly smile quickly dismissed that notion from her mind.
"Well, I'm glad that you want to join the team." she replied, her welcoming smile still adorning her placid features. "There are two managers here. They own the store so you'll have to speak with them before you can be hired."
"Okay."
"Great."
Kasumi glanced around the shop, her eyes settling on a brown-haired girl who was finishing up at the register. "AYLA!" she called.
The girl, Ayla, looked up from the register at Kasumi and replied, "WHAT DO YOU WANT!"
"I want you to come over here and review this potential employee!" Kasumi replied, through gritted teeth.
Ayla simply grinned at her as she slowly closed the register and walked over to the group.
"So what's up?" she asked, finally reaching them.
Kasumi sighed then introduced her to Nara. "This is Nara. She's the potential employee."
"Okay." Ayla said, then turned to Nara. "Well, Nara. Do you have any experience in retail?"
"Umm…no." Nara replied, sheepishly.
"Have you ever worked in a stress-related environment?
"Does school count?"
Ayla smiled. "I'll buy that. So, who was your previous employer?"
"My mom and dad."
"Woah! They own a business?"
"No. I got an allowance for doing various chores in the house and around the yard."
Ayla laughed. "I like you, Nara." she said, still laughing. "You have a quick mind and a sense of humor…not to mention a cool name." she added, winking at her. Nara smiled a hopeful, beaming smile. "So, what say you, Kasumi? Should we hire her?"
"I think so." Kasumi replied. "I just need your O.K. on the prospect to make it final."
Nara blinked in surprise and revelation. "Miss Kasumi, are you the other manager?" she asked.
Kasumi smiled. "Yes I am. I just don't let applicants know that while considering them for hire; this way, more of their true nature and personality shows through."
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Ayla said, with a grin that stretched from cheek to cheek. "Did she just call you…Miss Kasumi?"
"Ugh…" Jessie groaned.
A squeal of delight escaped from Ayla's throat. "Nara, girl, you are hired! We're gonna enjoy having you around, aren't we…Miss Kasumi?"
Kasumi only glared at her partner.
"Heeheehee…!" Ayla giggled. "Oh, Nara? When can you start?"
"Whenever you all want, I guess." Nara answered.
"Good answer." Ayla said. "Very good." She glanced over at Ryo who was still standing at Nara's side. "What about you, tall dark and handsome? Do you want a job, too?" she asked, winking at him.
"Even if he did, he couldn't get it here because what you just did is considered sexual harassment!" Kasumi stated, plainly.
"That wasn't sexual harassment! That was stating the obvious!"
Kasumi glared at her saucy co-worker.
"Nara, you agree with me, right?" Ayla asked. "Isn't he handsome?"
Nara's eyes widened at the bluntness and nature of Ayla's inquiry. "Uhh…" she muttered. "He is…very handsome…" she added, suddenly becoming interested with the peg bars in her hand. Ryo smiled, his cheeks taking on a rosy tint.
"You see!" Ayla said to Kasumi. "It's a fact. The boy is good looking."
Kasumi narrowed her eyes at her and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Alright, alright!" Ayla exclaimed. "Don't blow a fuse…Miss Kasumi!" she concluded with a wicked grin upon her face.
Kasumi groaned at the unwanted pet name while Ayla continued. "Besides" she began. "I wouldn't want to put Nara and her boyfriend in a compromising situation, having them in the same workplace environment and all."
Nara and Ryo stared at each other for a moment, as they searched the other's expression to find the words to explain their relationship.
"Oh…you see, we…umm…" Nara began.
"What she means is…umm…well we…" he added.
"We're just good friends!" Nara finished.
"Yeah!" he agreed.
"Oh, is that so?" Ayla asked, sauntering over to the two. "Excuse me, Nara." she said, bumping her aside with her hip. She wound her arms around Ryo's and began leading him down the aisle.
"AYLA!" Kasumi hissed, her arms crossed above her chest.
"WHAT!" she replied, stopping in her tracks and turning to her. "You said that we couldn't have him as an employee! That means he's fair game."
Kasumi began tapping her foot in irritation. She narrowed her gaze at her partner and inhaled sharply, attempting to elicit a response from her sexy counterpart.
"ALRIGHT ALREADY!" Ayla exclaimed. "You know I hate it when you give me THAT look! Geez! She never lets me have any fun!" she whispered to Ryo as she brought him back to the two awaiting girls. He blushed, slightly, and offered a polite smile as his response.
"Here, Nara." Ayla said, loosing herself from Ryo's arm and attaching Nara to him in her place. Surprised, Nara looked up at him, then at his arm that she had somehow become latched onto, then finally at Ayla and Kasumi.
"Oh, how cute you both look! What a Kodak moment!" Ayla said.
Nara's temperature rose a couple of degrees and Ryo was sure that his had, too. They looked at each other, briefly, then returned their eyes to the two managers. Ayla was all smiles while Kasumi was somewhat less than joyous.
"Anyway," Ayla began, as she scribbled something onto a sheet of paper. "This is the number to the store. Give us a call and we'll schedule a day when you can fill out paperwork and such, okay?"
"Okay." Nara said, taking the sheet of paper from her. "Thank you."
"No problem. And you…" she said to Ryo. "This is my number and you can call me anytime so we can g-…" she started, but was cut-off as Kasumi grabbed a handful of Ayla's brown hair and began dragging her off.
"Nara, I look forward to having you as a member of our staff." Kasumi said, as she dragged Ayla away.
"Yeah, me too!" Ayla added, as she continued to be dragged away by her co-worker. "WILL YOU LET GO OF ME!" she demanded.
"Thank you!" Nara called. "Oh wow, Ryo! Can you believe it? My first job! My first real job!" she exclaimed, tightening her grip on Ryo's arm. He laughed at her elation as he walked with her to rejoin the rest of the group.
"You've never worked before?" he asked.
"Well not a REAL job. You know, one that's on the books, I mean."
"I gotcha." he replied. He looked down at his short companion and smiled. "Hey, Nara. I thought you said that I wasn't cute."
"Huh?" she asked.
"Well, last night you said that you didn't recognize me because I wasn't cute anymore. But just then, you said that I was. So…which is it?" he asked, with an inquisitive grin.
"Well, first of all…" she began, with a grin of her own. "I didn't say that you were cute, I said that you were handsome…there's a difference. Secondly, you are handsome, but I don't think you needed me to tell you that. Thirdly…well, I don't have a thirdly,…but you know what I mean!"
He chuckled, covering his laughter with his hand. "Yeah, Nara. I know what you mean. …thanks. And just for the record…" he began, leaning closer to her. "I think you're beautiful." he concluded, kissing her cheek as he ended the statement. She felt the heat of his kiss spread from her cheek to her face and finally throughout the rest of her body. She smiled, shyly, and looked down at her feet.
"You know, that's the second time you've kissed me like that since I've seen you, Ryo." She said, not much louder than a whisper.
His smile softened, as he remembered the last time he shared a sweet kiss with his beloved friend of his youth. "I didn't know that you were awake for that." he said, softly.
"Would it have mattered?"
"Maybe…but I had to do it."
"Had to? Why?"
"I had to make sure that I wasn't still dreaming."
She stopped, causing him to stop as well. "What?" she asked.
He turned to look at her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "Nara,…I've missed you more than you could ever know. I know it must sound corny, but a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought of you. You were my best friend;…you were my only friend. When I was little I always told myself that someday, I would find you again. I never gave up hope and I never stopped hoping. But, when I actually saw you come running down the stairs yesterday, I just couldn't let myself believe that it was really you. So many nights I had dreamed you into my life that this seemed like just another wonderful dream. Even when I held you in the moonlight, just as we had done when we were younger, I was afraid to believe that my dream had come true. I had to convince myself that you were here and real and that you weren't just a part of my imagination." He touched her cheek, lightly. "I'm glad that I can stop dreaming, Nara. I finally found you. You've really come back to me."
She wasn't ready for a confession of that magnitude. No words could have ever prepared her for what he just disclosed to her. Though, she couldn't understand why, for she, too, shared his dream. The dream of being reunited with her long lost friend of her childhood. How she had longed to see his azure eyes and bright, boyish smile once again. To hear his playful laughter and wipe away his tears. She wanted to say what was on her mind and within her heart, but she couldn't gather the words to relate her feelings. However, there were many ways to say what one felt.
With tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around him holding him close. It was a simple act, though one that she hadn't been able to do before now. Tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the sleeve of her sweater, sniffling a bit.
"I thought I had shed all my tears for you." she whispered.
He shook his head. "Those aren't for me, Nara." he said, wrapping his arms around her. "…those aren't for me."