Dark-birdie: -hits head on wall repeatedly- MUST. FINISH. OLDER. FICS.
Undying Death-4
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"Psst- Nohiro, what's wrong with him?"
"Dunno, he's been like that ever since he came back from the Dragon Lord's office."
Ringleys pouted, "Blah, now everything's boring. Hey, Nohi-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!"
The said boy snickered as he set the match on the fabric of Zoma's clothes. Ringleys stared in horror as his friend in a zombie-like state began to catch on fire.
"What, it's not going to affect him anyways!" said Nohiro, watching his friend erupt in flames only to have nothing happen to him.
Rath continued to sit like an empty husk, his legs dangling off the porch, and the afternoon sun shining down on his cold body.
'Cesia loved me, I'm dead now, there's nothing I can do,' thought Rath to himself, 'So stupid…'
He could hear the distant voices of his friends. Though they were right in front of him, he could barely make out their words.
"Cesia."
"Hn?" He had definitely heard that; the name that had started his state of confusion. Slowly, he withdrew from his vegetable state and paid attention to reality.
"Look. Right there, the fortuneteller-lady. She's in the rose garden, well, not now, she WAS there though."
"Which way did she go?" asked Rath automatically. He didn't really know what he was doing, the questions just kind of…came out.
Ringleys stared at him in an inquiring manner. "Well, that way, bu-"
"Dude, you know he's already gone, right?" Nohiro stared at the blank spot where his friend had been a few seconds ago.
"Guessed as much," muttered the green-haired boy, walking away, "No one listens to me these days anywho."
Ringleys stared down at Nohiro to see if he was listening. Not a chance.
"Figures…"
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Rath followed the girl silently, making sure not to make any sudden sounds to give away his position. The surrounding leaves and branches gave him small cuts on his bare arms and legs. The half demon was walking deeper and deeper into the now dense overgrown path of trees in the center of the garden, finally stopping in front of a large tombstone shaped as a cross. He could probably bet everything he owned on who's grave it was, and win.
The fortuneteller fell before it, crying unceasingly into the already wet soil beneath her. She kept repeating the same words over and over again. "I'm sorry."
'Dammit, why is she so sad over it?' thought Rath to himself in an unknown emotion. He took this unkindly moment to accidentally step on a rather loud twig, causing his cover to be blown and Cesia to look up at the intruder.
"Oh…hi…" she practically whispered, trying to wipe away her tears. It was a futile effort, seeing as after she cleared them away more just came out and continued the damage her predecessors had left behind. "Ah, sorry, you must think I'm weird," she muttered, trying to smile and standing up straight. "Um…" She stared at the boy who had hidden behind a tree. "You don't have to hide you know."
'Idiot, I don't even know why I'm hiding,' thought Rath to himself, wondering why in the world he had chosen that time to take cover behind the large tree. It had just seemed like the thing to do at the moment…again.
He jumped with surprise when the girl's face appeared at his side.
"Hello?" she asked, staring at him, tears finally gone.
"Er…um, hello," he muttered, not looking at her.
"I'm not scary or anything, am I?"
Rath fumbled with his fingers. "Of course not! I was just, uh…"
He looked into her face and surprisingly turned red when he saw her smiling face looking down at him. She fumbled up his hair with her long, slender fingers.
"You're cute, what's your name again?"
Rath became redder than a tomato. "Um…I'm, uh, Zoma." He muttered, hating himself for acting so oddly.
"Well, Zoma, how are you?" she asked, kneeling down to be eye level with him.
"I'm fine!" he shouted, not able to hold it in. He quickly covered his mouth again with his hands, he couldn't help it, he was worried about her. "But…I don't think you are…" He brought a small, childish finger to the rim of her eyes that were red and a bit puffy from crying. "I don't think you're okay."
Cesia was dazed by the young boy's statement. Why was he looking at her like that? There was so much pain in his eyes and he seemed a lot more…mature. Grown-up almost, like-
'like Rath…'
She turned her head to the ground and didn't look back up. "You're…you're right," she murmured, wiping her tears, "I'm not fine, but I'm trying to get over it."
Rath couldn't bear to watch her cry so much. A deep feeling of guilt lingered around the dark crevices of his heart. "Why…" he asked to her, "Why do you care so much about this person? What did he ever do for you? Why do you cry so much over him?"
Through her crystal-clear tears and red, watery eyes, he saw a look of happiness and a smile upon her face.
"Because I love him, and still do."
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After their little scene in the garden, Rath had taken Cesia back up to the castle and left her at her room. Now, he sat on top of his designated window seat in the orphans' gigantic playroom and stared out the window in a warm, fuzzy daze.
It felt good to be loved.
He didn't know what had come over him, but he was all happy and smiling every minute. Maybe it was the child inside of him that was making him feel this way, but gee, it felt darn good.
"Psst, hey, Ringleys."
"What?"
"Don't you think Zoma's acting kinda…I dunno, weird?" asked Nohiro, pointing to their purple-haired friend who was currently staring out the window, sighing, and smiling.
"If you mean acting stupid, ignorant, and in a dumb haze, then no," answered Ringleys, going back to his book.
"You are such a nerd," said Nohiro, putting his hand on the book and shoving his face in front of his friend's. "There's something up with him."
Ringleys sighed and put down the book. "Look. Would you stop tormenting the lives of others and work on your own? You could start by getting one." He said sarcastically.
The sound of a girl exploding into a fit of laughter came from overhead. "I do believe you've just been 'burned'," came a voice from overhead.
Nohiro blanched and looked upwards. A small, blue haired girl was swinging from the light fixture, smiling at them. She jumped down and stuck her tongue out at Nohiro.
"Why the face?" she asked, pinching his cheek, "Are you that happy to see me?"
"I think you've mixed a look of disgust with a mix of happiness," he answered, slapping her hand away. "Who asked you to listen in on our conversation, Shian?"
"Ah, no one, just bored is all," she said, pushing his head down. "So, I here ol' dopey's acting weird?"
Ringleys frowned, "It's just in Hiro's head, Zoma's fine…I think…"
"You think?" asked Shian and Nohiro together.
"Yes, I THINK!" he stammered, bringing the book back up again to cover his face.
Shian brought the book down, "Do you…I dunno, KNOW anything, Ring?"
"Of course not!" he huffed, not looking into her eyes.
"Oh, c'mon! Tell us!" said Nohiro, whining.
"I'm not telling you anything! Go away!" he shouted, pushing Shian away from him.
Shian smiled in the most evil way. "You wouldn't want me to get, oh, I dunno, Miyabi now, would you? You know, you're just lucky that she's away looking for you and got lost in the castle. But with one whistle from me, I can call her and she'll come runni-"
"I'll tell you EVERYTHING." Gasped Ringley, looking scared stiff. "Rath came back from the gardens and told me he had spent a little bit of time down there with some girl. Okay? Now DON'T call that- that devil woman, OKAY?"
"Ah, so it's a girl!" said Shian happily, clapping her hands. "But, you know, you just called my friend a devil woman, so just for the fun of it- FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!" The girl let out a loud, shrieking whistle.
"NO!" cried Ringleys in despair, all of his cool, calm equanimity fading away as he grabbed his book and prepared to run for it. Normally, he was a serious boy, nothing seemed to bother him, almost like the Black Dragon Officer, Tetheus. But, there was only one single thing in this cruel world that could phase him. HER.
The footsteps were getting nearer. The shouts, louder. The beating of his heart dared to force itself away from his body. If he could just reach the door and zoom down the hallway, he'd be safe. Just a bit further…
He made it! His fingers latched around the door handle and he pulled it open with all his might.
And there stood…
"M-m-m-Miyabi!" he stuttered, staring at the girl's smiling, happy, seemingly harmless face.
And then the tidal wave broke loose.
"RINGLEYS!" she shouted, throwing herself upon him and making him fall to the floor, smothered in thousands of kisses. "Where have you been! I've been looking for you, silly!" she said between kisses.
"Get off of me!" he shouted, trying to push her away. As he was trying desperately to get her off of him, he accidentally happened to land his hand on her chest area. Though it was basically flat with almost nothing there but a tiny hint of breasts, she instantly sat up (though still on top of him) and gave an over-dramatic blush scene.
"Oh, Ringleys, I never knew you were like that! If you really want me that badly, I'll-"
"No! Wait, that was just a misunderstanding, I didn't mean to- I would never, I mean-"
"Never?" she asked, tears filling in her eyes, "I knew it! You don't like me! You think I'm too ugly, is that it? Jerk! You said you loved me!" She started to bawl on the floor.
"I, I never- I don't hate you, and I don't think you're ugly!" he started, not knowing what to do.
"Oh, I knew it!" She said bouncing up and down happily, "You think I'm pretty! I knew you loved me! Oh, I do too!" She pounced on him once more just as he had gotten up.
"I never said I loved you!" shouted Ringleys, trying to get out of her grasp once again.
"Did so!" yelled Miyabi back, hugging him, "Remember? I remember it as if it were yesterday!" She began her dramatic story with hand motions and gestures to illustrate along the way, "It was when I first got to the orphanage. I was about 5 and you were about 6. My parents deserted me, all relatives I knew abandoned me. They didn't need an extra nuisance around the house, was what they told me. I came upon the orphanage and the Shys were even worse to me, all I could do was cry. I'd always cry and say, "No one loves me!" and bother everyone. But you," she put more drama into this, hugging the boy harder, "You came up to me one day when I said "no one loves me" and closed my mouth with your hand, saying, "I love you"." She grinned, bringing her face closer to his and closing her eyes, "And then you bent down and gave me a luscious ki-" she pursed her lips and bent in for his.
"DID NOT!" he yelled, getting red at a dangerous rate, "Okay, so I might have said the 'I love you' part, but only to shut you up!" He crossed his arms and frowned. "You were such a crybaby, I don't like it when people cry."
"Ano…what's wrong with Zo?" asked Miyabi hyperly, not detaching herself from Ringleys.
Shian smirked, "Seems he's finally gone head over heels for a chick," she said. "But who, I wonder. Hana-kusuku's gonna be bummed when she hear-"
Before she could finish, however, the doors opened and in walked in the Dragon Queen in all her wondrous glory leading in Cesia, who looked around curiously.
The half demon stare at the queen, "Excuse me, my lady, but why are you-"
"Honestly, Cesia, stop brooding, have some fun!" said Lady Raseleane cheerfully. "I'm sure one of these children here could use another friend."
"I could."
Shian and Miyabi simultaneously gasped. Ringleys stared in shock. Nohiro fell backwards in a very manga-like fashion.
Their shy, untalkative, naïve friend had just waltzed up to the girl, taken her hand, and smiled at her in a very playboy-like fashion uttering the words "I could" to reply to the Dragon Queen's statement.
'HE LIKES CESIA!' thought all four children in unison gathering in a group as they watched their purple-haired friend converse politely with the older girl. 'HE LIKES OLDER WOMEN!'
Nohiro put an arm around Rath's neck and faked some tears. "Ah, my life's work has paid off. You just wanted to be like your ol' pal and teacher. Picked up some of my tricks, huh? Never knew you had the same taste in wome-"
"Excuse him, he's stupid," stated Rath bluntly to Cesia and pointing at Nohiro. Cesia tried to suppress her giggles, but did so poorly.
Nohiro gasped in shock, fainted, revived himself, fainted again, revived himself again, and then proceeded to be gloomy in the corner of a room while holding onto his favorite teddy bear, Tubby.
The room was filled with laughter and talk after Nohiro's little drama scene, and Rath took hold of Cesia's hand, giving her a "tour" of the room. Being a child made no difference to him, he'd just have to cheer Cesia up as well as he could. Girls liked little kids, right?
As Miyabi once again sprung on top of Ringleys, no one noticed the door shut quietly as a head of pink hair disappeared behind it.
'Zoma…likes Cesia…' thought Hana-kusuku gloomily, taking the laundry downstairs.
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dark-birdie: WEEEEEEEEEEEEE! DONE WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER! Sorry for the sudden change in tones and emotions. I was hyper off Ouran High School Host Club when I finished the second half of this thing and had to put a Tamaki-like Nohiro in here okie dokies, please read and review!