Satori-Sama: HI!!! It's me again. I bet you're all very surprised to see that it's only been like 3 days since I last posted. Want to know a secret? I'm surprised too. Let me tell you how it all started. I was supposed to have babysat my two cousins today. But it's been pretty crappy outside, for like, since last night, and I wake up at like 6 so I can get over to their house. Turns out my uncle didn't have work so he called and said I didn't have to come over. And I was like….. Okay, now what am I gonna do all day!?! Needless to say, what you see below you on the screen is not a test, but the actual next chapter in my series T&T. Yes, I have finished Part III, but no songfiction. I just wasn't getting the vibes for it. Anywho, hope you like it and tell me what you all think.
A few words to those who REVIEW!!!
Shadow Seeker 13: Thanks!!! I always wondered what hiei did while he was just sitting there, so I thought, what if he's thinking about stuff. And it was like, I dunno, this revelation I had. I was kind of cool.
Venusgreenight: I have only one thing to say to you: you are the ultimate dictionary. Very nice.
Spork: LOL!!! Nice, not exactly the words that I would have used… ah, screw it, that's exactly what I would have said.
PainfulxRecovery: OMG, I know! It's been way to long, and I totally apologize. I've been meaning to update, but school sucks. Anyway…. Cool.
Kitsune Kit: YO! Thanks! I'm thinking maybe mary-sueness is a little up in this chapter, but I'll let you be the judge because I might be a little bias. Okay, a lot bias.
Chapter 17: The Return to Innocence
Hiei: I have never seen anything like what is happening in the sky. Large flashes of bright colors explode high in the dark purple night sky, each accompanied with a high pitched whistle or deep booming noise. Purples, pinks, blues, emeralds, reds, and whites all streak across the heavens like a shower of enchanted fire. After sitting tense for a few long moments, I realize that the display above was not meant to harm me, but to amuse me.
My first reaction actually was to freeze and hit the deck, my second was to run to the side and take cover in the trees, but I held steadfast on the blanket, unable to move as the most awesome display of power I had ever seen in the Human World was played out in the heavens before me. With every passing minute, this demonstration of graceful bursts of light grew larger, louder, grander, more all encompassing, and I couldn't help the foreign tightness I felt on my face as my lips slide over my teeth and form a single smile that lasts if only just for a second, but I did stop myself from laughing even though the pressing on my chest demanded a release of the breath in my lungs.
When the final burst of explosions flickered out on the soft summer night breeze, the sounds of applause from the crowd below erupt all around me, and I suddenly am aware of my environment again. Kurama clapping softly as he chuckled at Botan, who is clapping with a force to rival that of perhaps the whole crowd. Kuwabara and Yusuke are not clapping, but the smiles on their faces gave away the fact that they thoroughly enjoyed the show. Keiko has this blush on her cheeks that make me wonder if Yusuke's smile wasn't all for the show after all.
Daja, however, is the only one in my immediate view who is not cheering. Her body is rigid, her back straight as a very well made sword. Her hair is pulled back at the nape of her neck, which makes me wonder when I could have missed that small action. Her face is not emotionless, but rather a whirlwind of emotion, and her eyes are a clear and strong sapphire tinged with emerald, reminiscent of how physically powerful and confident she was of herself before the Amulet of Tamashii case.
For a moment, time seemed to stop, as Daja's face erupts into a smile. Even from the side, it was not hard to tell that Daja had thoroughly enjoyed the show.
And I'm not the only one who seems to have noticed the joyfulness that Daja is emitting.
Yusuke laughs, "Did you like that Daja?"
Daja turns to Yusuke and replies, "Yes, very much. But I have one question."
Botan giggles and runs a hand through her blue hair. "Ask away, we will answer anything."
"Anything?"
Kuwabara responds stupidly, "Anything."
Daja wets her lips, and the faintest rosy tint settles on her cheeks. "Um, I just wanted to know, um, what exactly were those things?"
Everybody's face shows surprise, and I can't help but to think, What exactly are those things anyway. Nothing in the Demon World even remotely measures up to those explosions in the sky.
Kurama smiles softly and explains. "Those explosions you saw, you don't know what they were?"
Daja looks up at the sky. Her gaze is wistful, almost longing, as she replies. "No, I'm afraid I have not known such things like that."
Keiko grins and says, "Those, Daja, are called fireworks."
A soft silence between everyone fills my ears, as they all look at the stars in subdued tones of wonderment.
Daja: Fireworks.
Or was it Flameworkings?
I'm pretty sure it was Fireworks, but… I don't know, the name doesn't seem important right now, just the mental image I have of those.
I had never seen anything like that before.
It was truly beautiful. Like flowers of light in the dark, dark sky.
I lean back into the grass and sigh, watching at the stars, wondering if my family is looking down at the same ones I'm looking up at. Damien…
Suddenly, I feel calm. The feeling is strange, something very new, like everything is almost right. So calm…
I catch a movement to the right of me from the corner of my eye, and I tense up momentarily. I sigh realizing its only Yusuke shifting his weight. Closing my eyes, I purposely try to remember Damien, Willow, Evander, and Archimedes.
It's hard….
It's hard to remember, but I think… I think they would have liked the show tonight. If not Willow, Evander, and Archimedes, than at least Damien. He would have loved the bright show in the sky, the obnoxious display of beauty and what he would call senseless sensuality. This time, I can't help but to agree with the sensuality part. Damien worshiped the beautiful, the exotic, the sensual part of the world. Music was magic to him, and he often told me that I was….
I smirk softly as I remember this pleasant memory.
"You are the incarnation of everything I worship," He would say with that smile that could melt any girl, except for me. His words were dreamlike, and he would weave them just for me. He told me that as long as he had me in his life, his life was good. If I looked away embarrassed, when I looked away embarrassed, he would press his lips to my cheek, undemanding, but wistfully. I see now that Damien had loved me more than he ever told me he did, and I… I miss him. A lot.
Botan once told me this festival was of light and love, and as I look around me, there are indeed many paper lanterns, and magical lights in the sky were a testament to that if not these little glowing lanterns strung in, around, and between the many, many green trees. And for the love part, well… I feel warm, even fond of all my memories now, the good and the bad. In studying the good and the bad, I realize what I am, and what I have become over all these years, is who I am.
I've come to accept who I am after all these years, the bastard child turned thief who has lost everything and anything I have ever felt any emotion towards. That I cannot change that isn't so bad. I think I….
A shooting star streaks across the sky, and I can't help but to hum in happiness. Life hasn't been t this good for awhile.
"You sure seem happy." A rough voice from behind me says quietly.
I close my eyes for a moment, and nod hesitantly. I open my eyes once again to stare at the sky. For a moment, I feel like a child, and I reach up towards the heavens wistfully with my right hand, cupping some of the sorcery of the night in my palm.
Silence in return.
Gradually, tentatively, I pull myself into a sitting position, wondering if perhaps I have done something wrong. I nervously turn around, and look at Hiei, his arms crossed across his chest, his eyes closed. He seems tense.
"My family is dead." I say quietly, very self conscious of my words now.
His eyes open and look at me blankly.
Turning away, I look back up at the sky again, hugging my knees to my chest. "You must think I'm cold." I pull in a deep, steadying breath, refusing now to be brought down by a man who… who… I shake off the doubt I have and forge on. "But instead of only dwelling on their sacrifices and death, I have to move on, forget about them, pretend nothing happened. Can't you see that?"
Silence in return again.
"It's okay if you hate me." I say even more quietly than before, even though I know he can still hear me. I laugh softly, sadly. "Actually, it's not surprising that you hate me." I bury my head in my knees, the rejection in the air too much for me to handle.
An owl hoots somewhere above me, and the nighttime music of the lake begins to weave its way around me, forcing me to stand. I turn around quickly, my hair fanning out and curling once again naturally around my shoulders. A stray curl or two hang down the side of my face as I stare at him. His red eyes seem blank, empty, devoid of emotion as I meet his gaze bravely. I refuse to let him believe I am afraid of him.
For a moment, time seems to stop again, and we just stare at each other, each of us refusing to break the glance first. After about five seconds, I give up, and I shrug, closing my eyes, before I look up at the stars again. "Darkness, death used to be my refuge. I would work as a mercenary, a thief to avoid everything that hurt, that made me feel useless, a burden. But now, instead of dwelling on the fact that they are all dead, I must forge on, make a new future for myself." I sigh and turn around to face the lake, smiling as I feel a huge sense of relief flood my being. Life has finally opened a door for me at last.
A hand on my shoulder makes me jump, and the smiling face of my favorite red head brings me back to earth. Kurama's happy eyes more than make up for Hiei's silence. Chuckling, Kurama says lightheartedly, "Are you sure you want to make a new future with us. I mean, look at us, is this what you really want?"
I look at Yusuke arguing with Kuwabara, almost coming to physical blows over the card game they were playing. Keiko is just sitting there with cards in her hands, embarrassed and shaking her head at the immaturity. Botan, on the other hand, is laughing and trying to break up Yusuke and Kuwabara's fight. Hiei looks away and I quickly avert my eyes at look up at Kurama who simply smiles and snickers softly.
Running a hand through my hair, taking in everything, the detective and Keiko, the Idiot, Botan the Ferry Girl, Kurama the Yoko fox, and Hiei….
As Kurama puts his arm around my shoulder, I tease lightly. "They aren't so awful, but there is this devilishly tricky fox that keeps touching me without just cause."
Immediately Kurama chuckles and hugs me to his side. "You cannot possibly mean this fox, can you?"
I poke his side, and laugh. "Of course I do." He smirks, and I can't help but to hug him back. Then I smile, pointing at everybody else. "There will be no living with you all after this, I hope you know."
Yusuke smiles, and Kuwabara waves. "You guys getting a little close over there?"
Kurama and I look at each other and laugh. "No Yusuke, we're just friends. Just like you and Keiko, remember?"
Keiko blushes, Botan laughs. I can't imagine why.
Kuwabara however looks confused. He manages to say, "Wait a minute, Yusuke and Keiko aren't just fri—ouch!!!" before Yusuke elbows him in the side, perhaps a little two eagerly.
I smile at their antics, feeling very tired, but happy all the same. Letting go of Kurama, I slump down onto the blanket and brush back my hair from my face. Botan hands me some fruit, and Kurama sits down next to me and asks if I want to play cards.
With a mouthful of peach, I pick up my cards and settle in for a night playing cards with the unsuspecting fox waiting to take my bets. I'll bet all my silver that he's forgotten that Evander was a mage of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts, and that I've simply learned from the best of them. For a second, I consider telling him. Yeah right. It's his fault his memory purely sucks.
After winning a huge pot of yen from Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara, I can't help but to snicker casually as I count out aloud the exact amount just to see their stunned, defeated faces, "You know, I think I like it this way… It's not so bad."
SatoriSama: My ending thought…. Hmm… I GOT IT… NO, NO, wait….. uh, um… wait, dont help me, ah....sigh I'm a little review thingyd out, but how did y'all like it? Was it ok? It was the end of part III, and the starting of part IV is on the way!!! I'm excited for the next part, a new case!!! Oh the suspense!!! Anyway, at this point, it's my bedtime, and I have to wake up at six am tomorrow to hopefully baby-sit my cousins. I hate living in the Midwest during the winter. Peace and Love, SatoriSama signing out.
Review thingy o' the chapter:
REVIEWING games on the pc was like….
There are a lot of great games on the Mac, like Warcraft III….. um… that puzzle game with the Apple logo, that's a great game. I REVIEWED it… but… it's, it's still fun.
(Roosterteeth productions…. Very nice. Check them out at )
