Recalling the Spirit Chapter #11
WOW! I have 230 reviews! I remember a long time ago, when I had updated the tenth chapter of Spirited Again, I was surprised and ultimately pleased when I found I had fifty reviews. I am so happy that people enjoy my work, and I'd like to thank you all, albeit tearfully, for your continued support. Nice to hear from you again mysticwolfguardian! I LOVED your review! T______T
My updates will be a little less frequent from now on, as my schedule has become busier. But I will still be updating, so don't give up on me! This is going to be a really long chapter. My friend asked me why I didn't make it two chapters but I owe it to you readers to make a really long one! Hope you like it!
I'd also like to point out now I do not tell anyone personal information. So don't try to get anything out of me.
Disclaimer: If you haven't believed me the other twenty five times I've said it...I Do NOT OWN ANY MIYAZAKI CHARACTERS!!!!! Nor do I own 'But In Dream' a song used in Lord Of the Rings. Nor do I own the Escaflowne movie dragon song.
Dedication: To RidingGirl (once again) for giving me the nicest compliment I have ever gotten on my story.
~blah blah blah~ Tamiko mind speak
=Blah blah blah= Taneesh mind speak
Fire and Ice
Tamiko sighed; she squeezed out the sponge, dropping it in the bucket. Groaning as she stood, she motioned for Taneesh to come out of the shadows.
~It's all right. Kiku's gone.~
The dragon appeared seemingly out of nowhere, to drape herself around Tamiko's shoulders, a warm, comfortable weight. The girl dragged herself out of the bathhouse room, and to the girl's dorm. She snuggled up in her sleeping bag, telling her scaled friend to wake her up at noon.
+++
Tamiko was walking slowly, on an abandoned field, small flowers blooming. Spotting a figure in the distance, she ran towards it hoping that they would be able to tell her where she was. "Mother?" she cried. "Mother, is that you?"
As she neared, she realized it was Akira, surrounded by invisible flames. "Akira?" she said, grinding to a stop. He turned to her, with a small smile twitching at his lips. "Mo stor. What are you doing here?"
Tamiko blinked. "I'm looking for Mom."
"Oh."
Taking a step forward, she felt something hit her foot, upsetting her balance. The next thing she knew, she was falling...
...
She jolted awake, wincing at the expected impact. Realizing it was just a dream; she sat up, to find Taneesh nudging her foot. =About time.= the dragon muttered in her mind. =Another moment and I would have bitten your limb off.=
Tamiko smiled at the impatience in her friend's voice. ~Ha, ha, ha. You shouldn't joke about things like that when you're a dragon.~ she retorted silently, looking at Taneesh's sharp fangs.
Stretching, she silently gazed around her, making sure that everyone was asleep. Noting that everyone was peacefully slumbering, Tamiko slowly crept out of the dorm, bare feet making no noise against the hard wood floor.
~Hmm, I wonder if Akira slept in? It'd be just like him too. Or if he forgot, or came late, just to annoy me...~ Tamiko thought to herself.
Turning the corner into the front room of the bathhouse, she found the man himself, sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, a plate of food beside him. His eyes were closed, his chin to his chest, and his breathing slow and easy, his chest rising and falling with each breath. His dark auburn hair looked lighter in the noonday sun, coming through the window. Tamiko stood there silently, watching. ~Akira...~
=Well?= Taneesh asked, after a few minutes had passed. =Are you going to awaken him or what?=
Tamiko blinked and knelt, opened her mouth to shout in Akira's ear...and stopped, shutting it abruptly. She looked over at her dragon. ~I...can't. He's so...peaceful...~
=So? He can get rest another time. We have to go look for Chihiro.=
~I can go alone.~ she said, her gaze returning to Akira's face.
=No. The 'Tintri Spiorad' will be helpful.=
Tamiko frowned. ~Why does everyone seem to know Irish but ME!!!~
=Do I dare comment?=
~HEY!!!~
Akira groaned slightly, waking up. He turned to see Tamiko, kneeling by him, her head turned, scowling at her dragon. As he watched he saw Tamiko make a furious gesture, slashing her arm horizontally, and Taneesh blinking. Slowly, Tamiko's arm lowered, and she instead chose to roll her eyes. Taneesh cocked her head, and nodded. Tamiko flushed, shook her head furiously, and lowered her head so her hair covered her face.
Akira blinked. This was just odd. ~What going on between those two?~
=We're having a little...chat... is all.=
Akira stared over Tamiko's shoulder at the dragon. ~No WAY...~
The dragon turned her attention to Tamiko. =Mistress.= she purred. =Your friend is awake.=
Tamiko turned, startled. "Oh! I didn't realize...how long have you been up?"
Akira ran his fingers through his hair. "About two minutes max."
"Why were you asleep in the first place? I asked you to wait for me!"
"And so I did."
"Yeah, except you zoned out! You are such a jerk! SUCH A STUPID JERK!!! Jeez, Kir!"
"Uh oh." Akira said, teasing. "Here comes the firecracker!"
Tamiko angrily opened her mouth to retort, and slowly closed it again. She looked down and away.
Akira looked curiously at her. "Mo stor, what's up? Are you all right?"
When Tamiko spoke, her voice was soft. "I promised myself...that I wouldn't lose my temper with you..." she drifted off. "But it's just hard to calm down."
"Relax..." Akira put his hands on her shoulders. "TAKE A DEEP BREATH!"
Tamiko stared. Akira was grinning, his eyes screwed up, and his voice had gone high and squeaky during the latter part of the sentence.
"Woaah..." she said backing away. Akira grinned, serious yet again. "Just a bit of craziness there. Ignore it; I just have a lot of energy. I brought some food." He sat down, motioning for her to follow. "Want some?"
Though she wouldn't admit it, Tamiko was starving. She grabbed a dumpling and, unable to help it, eagerly took large bites, wolfing it down.
Wordlessly, Akira handed her another. "You're rather hungry aren't you, mo croi."
Tamiko nodded, and suddenly coughed, choking. Akira thumped her on the back, until she was breathing normally again. She looked up at him. "Thank you." Akira nodded in reply, as Tamiko sat back. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence, until Akira stood up, clearing his throat. "Hadn't we better go looking for your mother now?"
"Er...yeah, I guess." Tamiko stood up, stretching.
"So...what were you and Taneesh talking about?" Akira questioned.
Tamiko froze, and turned slowly to look at him. "How did you..." A smile twitched at Akira's lips. "It was kind of obvious by the way you two were gesturing silently that something was going on. What were you guys talking about."
=Who.= Taneesh corrected so both could hear.
Akira turned to raise his eyebrows at Tamiko and was shocked to see her blush.
~Kyu.~ he mumbled mentally. ~It has to be.~
Meanwhile, Tamiko raged at her scaled friend. ~TANEESH! HOW COULD YOU!!!!!!!!~ She was horrified, blushing. ~Ohh...once I get I chance, I'm going to...~
There was no reaction from the dragon, save for a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"So...'Kir'...we meet again."
Tamiko turned, her anger and embarrassment forgotten as she stared, startled by the newcomer.
Akira, on the other hand, ran his fingers through his hair, and closed his eyes, counting slowly in his head to let his anger cool.
Kyu took a step out of the shadows, glaring at Akira. "I will slay you and free Taiko!!!" Tamiko rolled her eyes.
Akira took slow breaths. ~...three...four...~
Kyu coughed. "I said: I will slay you and free Taiko!!!"
~...six...seven...~
"I SAID: I WILL SLAY YOU AND FREE TAIKO!!!"
~...nine...~
"I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO IGNORE AN ELEMENTAL!!!!!!!!" His eyes as cold and as dark as a bitter winter's night, Kyu summoned large sheets of ice, making a soundproof globe around Akira, trapping him in, a piece of ice as sharp as broken glass at his throat.
Kyu smiled grimly. "I can do it you know. Finish you here and now. But what's the fun in that? I'll make you suffer for what you did! For Taiko!!!"
"Kyu! Leave him alone!!!" Tamiko's voice was a wild, high, panicked scream, taking the ice elemental by surprise.
Running to the strange cage, Tamiko stared at the ice and the figure trapped within, frozen in time. "Kyu!" she turned, glaring at him. "Let Kir go. NOW!!!" Rage was building up within her, pure anger sizzling inside. A low growl started in her throat.
Kyu was confused. "But Taiko! I'm saving you from this jerk!"
"He's not a jerk!" Her voice was scathing.
Turning, she took in the globe, spotting every detail, curled her fists, and began bringing them down on the ice.
"Taiko! What do you think you're..."
She continued to hammer on the cold slippery wall.
Annoyed, Kyu tried a different tactic. "It's impossible, you know. To free him. Taiko, come on. He was an immature idiot anyway, right? I HEARD him! He was always teasing you, making fun of you..."
"HE WAS NOT!!!!!!!! HE'S NOT LIKE THAT!!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! DON'T YOU DARE EVER SAY THAT!!!!!!!! HE'S NOT MEAN OR IMMATURE OR A JERK!!! ALL RIGHT?!?!"
"Uh..."
Tamiko turned back to her work with newfound energy, rage making her oblivious to the pain in her hands, or the tears streaking down her face. ~Come ON...~
Cracks scrawled their way across the surface. Pulling back her fist one last time, Tamiko screamed a battle cry, and struck.
"AKKKIRAAA!!!!!!"
The glass shattered, leaving sharp shards on the floor. Tamiko's anger flooded out of her, along with all her strength. Her knees gave way, and she slowly collapsed.
Free of the spell, Akira's eyes shot open. Seeing this, Kyu grinned cruelly. "Well, Kir?!?!? Let's go! Finally I'll get my revenge!!!"
Akira turned away from his opponent, and knelt beside the dark haired girl. "Tam...Tai...mo stor. Are you all right?" Brushing Tamiko's hair out of her eyes, his tone was worried and panicked. "Are you all right? Mo croi, answer me!"
Kyu frowned angrily. "What are you waiting for?!?"
"CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S HURT!?!" Akira exploded, looking up at him. He looked down again at Tamiko's face, and his expression softened "Gods, Tamiko, what did you do to yourself this time?" his low voice could only be heard by Tamiko and Taneesh. "Mo stor...please be all right. Why do you always get yourself hurt? Every time you do, I...don't you see that I...Tami...Why do you always do this to yourself?!? Don't you see how horrible your condition is? Tami..." he drifted off, looking away. Why wasn't he there to help her?
"You should see the other guy."
Akira's head shot up. "Tami! Thank the sidhe! What did you think you were doing?!?!"
Tamiko opened her mouth to say that she had been busy trying to save HIS life, the ungrateful idiot, when she spotted the tears in the corners of his eyes. ~Akira... you were worried...~
"I'll be all right, I'm just a bit tired. Go give Kyu what he deserves..." she clenched her fists, and then winced at the pain. "And then we can go look for my Mom."
Akira had caught the flicker of pain on her features. "I can't just leave you here..."
"I'll be fine! I've got Taneesh, remember?"
"But still..." ~I don't want to leave you.~ he finished silently to himself.
"GO!"
Kyu frowned. "Come on, Kir. Or should I tell her what you really are."
Akira looked down towards Tamiko. "Are you sure..."
Tamiko smiled and nodded.
Akira closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a strange flame was burning within. "Kyu..." his voice was dangerous. "What do you want of me?"
Kyu glared back. "Taiko! AND MY DIGNITY!!!"
A smile twitched at the corner of Akira's mouth. "Your dignity? What dignity?"
"Why you..." Kyu said, swearing under his breath. "DIE!!!" He aimed at Akira and let loose a torrent of icicles.
Akira smirked and dodged easily. "What, do you think just because you're an elemental, you get your own way?"
"YES!!!"
"You're prideful, you know that?"
Kyu narrowed his eyes, and with a quick thought, played his trump card.
"DIE, ELEMENTAL OF FIRE!!!!!! ICEBURG!!!!!!!!"
A large block of ice appeared from nowhere, and fell from the ceiling, heading for Akira.
Tamiko, shocked, whispered. "Elemental of fire?"
Fire burst from Akira, melting the chunk of ice seconds before it would have hit.
"Yeah, you heard me right, Kir. You're an elemental too!"
Tamiko was shocked. Akira...an elemental? The same guy who teased her, who was afraid of heights? The guy who realized Taneesh's secret, her only human companion on this hopeless task: to find her mother?
Akira lowered his hands. Flames had encompassed his being, not burning him, but being him, a part of him. "Fire against ice." He said, his voice carrying the undercurrent of a roaring bonfire. Kyu took a step back. "How...how did you..." he muttered, shaking.
"What do you want from me?" Akira repeated.
Fresh knowledge flooded into Kyu's brain "Why don't you attack me? You can't, can you? You WON'T. Well, your loss!" Kyu eyes rolled upward, and huge chunks of hail fell down on Akira, buffeted by a frigid winter wind.
Akira closed his eyes, and small fizzles and pops were heard as the hail hit his barrier of fire.
"You won't be able to keep up that kind of energy for long!" Kyu shouted, renewing his attack.
"Oh really?" ~Smoke.~ Akira willed himself silently.
"Taiko, stay down!" he shouted a warning at the speechless girl.
Thick grey smoke filled the room, sending Kyu into a coughing fit. Tamiko had difficulty breathing, even though she was on the ground where the air was clearer. She squinted through the smoke, trying to see the outcome of the battle.
She could hear a thump, and then the smoke was cleared away. Akira stood, completely normal once again, all traces of fire gone, whereas Kyu was unconscious on the floor, breathing slowly.
Akira came and sat beside Tamiko. "Tami, are you all right? I'm sorry, it was the only way I could think of to stop the fight."
She stared at him. "You're an elemental? That must have been a shock."
Akira looked away. "Not really."
"You didn't just realize, did you?." Tamiko said suddenly. "How long have you known?" she demanded, angrily.
"I guessed when I faced Kyu on the shoreline." He said, looking at the wall.
She was frustrated. "But Kir, why didn't you tell me?!?!"
There was no reply.
~Akira, you didn't think that I'd be afraid, did you? Do you think it matters to me? Do you think I care? After all, look at me! I don't even KNOW what I am!~ she yelled silently, but instead she chose to say:
"Kir, come on. It's not a big deal. At least you know how to control YOUR powers."
He looked up, with a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He caught sight of blood on the floor, mostly pooling where Tamiko had rested her hand down. "You're bleeding." He said bluntly.
"Huh? Where?" she lifted up her hand to examine her bloody palms. "Ouch."
"Here." Akira stood, walked over to Kyu, and ripped of one of the sleeves of the boy's shirt.
Coming back, he tore the material into two strips, and wound them around Tamiko's still-bleeding hands. "How did you manage to do this?"
She looked at him, confused, until Taneesh said. =He was frozen in time, remember?=
~Oh yeah...~
"I...erm..." she quickly searched her mind for a lie. "I lost my energy and fell on ice shards." Well, half of it was true, anyway.
Akira raised his eyebrows. ~She's lying to me. She's not that clumsy. She IS lying, but why?~
"We'd better go now. We've been delayed long enough." Tamiko stood, and Akira followed. "Taneesh?"
The trio slowly made their way to the elevator. The silence was unbearable, so Tamiko tried to fill it. "What time do you think it is now? I think it's about one-ish."
"Around there, probably. We still have time, don't worry about it."
As they went by a large window, overlooking the large plains of grass blowing in the wind, Tamiko stopped and whispered. "Umi no ko."
"What?"
"Huh?" Tamiko said, shaking her head to clear it. "Oh. It's a favourite saying of my dad's. It means: 'It's like the sea.'"
Akira turned to gaze out the window, crossing his arms. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"
Tamiko nodded. "It reminds me of a story I once read...when I was a child."
"It reminds me of a dream I had once." His voice was quiet.
"A...dream..." Tamiko murmured. Her voice has a musical lilt to it. Softly she began to sing, her voice sweet and low. "But in dream...but in dream. We will meet again..." She blushed as she saw Akira staring at her. "Well, if you don't like me to sing, why don't you say so?" she grumbled, turning away from the window, and continuing her path to the elevator. Akira started walking behind his friend. ~Jeez, when she's actually hurt she's so strong, but when she's fine she's sometimes so SENSITIVE!~
=Tell me about it.=
Akira flushed. ~Taneesh, how did you hear that? I was thinking to myself...~
=You and Tamiko are new to mind-speak. Your thoughts are pretty much open to me, since you haven't learned how to channel your thoughts or...= Here Akira sensed a wicked grin from the dragon. =Block them from me, as it were.=
~You mean you know everything I've been thinking?~ Akira questioned, colouring.
=You and Tamiko both.=
Akira frowned. ~You better not be one to gossip, you get my drift?~
=Tamiko's REALLY angry with you. Her thoughts are really loud, and they aren't that kind either.= Taneesh said, changing the subject.
The boy winced. ~What's she thinking?~
=It's all pretty much mumbled, and she keeps sticking in Japanese words with the English. I caught the word for stupid...idiot...oh, there's jerk...stubborn...immature...annoying...=
Akira groaned.
She also said that, knowing you, 'mo stor' means something really mean, like 'Stubborn idiot'...my goodness, that wasn't very nice.=
~What?~
=She said out of you and Kyu, it's rather evident who's the better person.= Tamiko translated. =And she can't believe how you act. Well, to put it bluntly, she called you a mangy monkey, but...=
Akira couldn't take any more of this. He couldn't stand Tamiko's silent treatment, and Taneesh sounded like Christmas had come early, telling him what her mistress was thinking.
"Tamiko..."
"What, Akira?" Her voice was cold, her back still to him. In front of her was the elevator. She pressed the button for it to come down.
"I..."
"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. You're not obligated. You don't like my singing. Fine, neither does anyone else. It's not a big deal. "
"I never said I didn't like your singing. In fact, I think your voice is amazing, just so you know." He retorted, and then realized what he had just said.
Tamiko turned, leaning on the elevator door. She searched her friend's face. ~Did he really mean that?~ "Akira...thank you." She flushed, as did Akira.
"Tamiko..." he whispered. Tamiko looked up into his face, so close to hers. "Akira...I..."
And the elevator door chose that moment to open.
Tamiko, finding a sudden lack of support, fell backwards, landing rather unceremoniously on her rump, just inside the elevator door. "Ow ow ow." she muttered, looking up to see Akira chuckling. "It's not that funny." She said grumpily.
Then the doors attempted to shut on her.
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!" she cried, trying desperately to keep the doors open from her awkward position. Her head was braced against one sliding door, her hip against the other. Her bandaged hands (she couldn't use them to brace the doors or it would've reopened the wounds) waved in the air. This picture sat before Akira, who was by now laughing his head off...
...whereas Tamiko's was starting to hurt. "Akira..." she said with forced calmness. "Would you mind HELPING ME NOW?!?"
Akira managed to come over and brace both doors so Tamiko could free herself. She scrambled in a rather undignified way out of the cruel doors, as Taneesh sailed in overhead. Akira slipped in and let the doors shut behind him. His back against a elevator wall, slid down, shaking with laughter. "I'm sorry." He gasped; tears of mirth were at the corner of his eyes. "But that was so FUNNY!!!" That set him off again. Tamiko started to giggle, and then joined in the infectious laughter. Taneesh watched with interest. =These two get more interesting by the minute!=
After about ten minutes, Tamiko looked around. "Hey, why aren't we there? Is the elevator not working?"
=It might help if you pull the lever, mistress.=
~Oh...~
Abashed, Tamiko stood up and pulled the lever. The elevator began to swing into motion. "I'm not normally this klutzy, you know." She informed Akira, sitting down beside him. "I'm just tired."
"Uh HUH."
"No, really, I'm not!!!" she replied, annoyed.
~Akira, sometimes you can be SO annoying!~ she snarled mentally.
~I heard that, mo stor. What happened to the not losing your temper with me?~
"Akira?" she said, startled. "Was...was that you?" Akira nodded slowly in reply, just as surprised as he was.
"Hey, would you mind telling me what mo stor means, Irish boy? Or the other one, mo croi?"
Akira smiled and shook his head.
Tamiko heaved a dramatically heavy sigh. "Probably means fiery one..."
"That's Tintri Ceann."
"Well then, what does it mean?" she bugged him, trying to get it out of her friend. Akira shook his head again. "It's a nickname...meaning what, I won't tell you."
"You can be a real jerk sometimes, you know that?"
Akira raised his eyebrows. "Only sometimes?"
Tamiko smiled, and then sobered suddenly. "What if...my Mom's in danger? What if something happened to her?!?" She suddenly began to panic. "What if she's dying?!?!??! What if something terrible happened to her?!?!?!?"
Akira put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Shhh, Tamiko. She's probably all right. And in the slim chance she's not, then we're going to go help her."
Tamiko slumped. "Oh yeah. Two teenagers against who knows what. Fat lot of help we'll be..."
"Tami, mo stor, don't worry. Remember, we're not just plain teenagers." To prove it point, he summoned a small group of flames in his hand and then blew them out.
"I guess you're right. You've got a lot more control over your powers then you used to."
Akira looked at her, surprised by the compliment. The black haired girl was staring at her hands, first the palm, then the hand. Sensing what she was thinking, he said softly "Don't worry. You'll find out who you are. You'll be able to control your powers."
=Fire boy's right, mistress. Do not worry. Your background is like a puzzle. You have all but one piece, but that one piece is making the entire picture unclear. The answers will come.= comforted the wise little dragon.
Akira frowned. ~Fire boy?~
Taneesh smiled, as did Tamiko, albeit weakly.
=We're there.= announced the dragon. A couple seconds later the doors slid open. Tamiko went out first, going quickly between the doors, and then glaring back at them with a triumphant smile.
Akira followed, Taneesh on his shoulder. It suddenly struck Tamiko that she had never seen Taneesh around with another person other then herself. ~And Akira.~
"Where are we?" she questioned the pair. Akira went to the window, stuck his head out, looked up, and then, more importantly, down.
'We're on the top floor." He answered. Tamiko noticed that he was pale from seeing the height.
"But...there's only one door!"
"Then let's head towards that one."
They slowly walked to it. Tamiko reached out her bandaged hand to touch the golden symbols, but the door opened before her fingers met it. Beyond them, there was a long hallway, the floor glittering. Akira walked in first, his shoes crunching on the ground. He knelt to examine the glitter. "It's...glass." He said, picking up a piece, and examining it. He then looked at the walls, black metal there...like the mirror without the glass.
Tamiko put a hand to her head, as a bit from her mother's story echoed through in voices Tamiko had never known. She realize that the memory was not hers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
All the other doors opened in chronological order, showing the wide hallway that led to the office. Silently, each thinking their own thoughts, the group filed into the hall, and began their journey down the mirrored channel. As Chihiro looked at the mirror, farthest from her, she saw the reflection of Haku, but the one in the mirror was the white of death, bleeding heavily, dying slowly.....
"Look straight ahead! DON'T look at the mirrors!!!" snapped Lin, rather hastily, though still poised.
But of course everyone looks if you tell them not to. Mei began to cry softly. Nile went pale, while a flicker of emotional pain tore across Haku's face. Chihiro closed her eyes, clutching her head, but the memory of the picture was still clear. She moved over beside Haku, to assure herself he was all right. Tears sprung from her eyes, and, as she looked up at Haku, and he down at her, she saw that he was crying, too.
Nile shouted, with her eyes closed: "Who has yellow?" Mei raised her two circlets of yarn. "I have yellow AND blue!" "Put the blue away. Yellow represents joy. RELEASE Its POWER!!!!!!!!" Mei shrugged, and shouted back: "HOW!!!" Nile, still squeezing her eyes tightly shut, replied, "YOU have to figure it out! I DON'T KNOW!!!!!" Mei, screwed up her eyes. The memory of seeing Totoro again sprung into her mind, the pure happiness of that moment. She lifted the circlet above her head, weaving it between her fingers. "TOTORO!!!!!!"
A blinding flash bolted. Everyone closed his or her eyes against the sheer brightness. When it left, the mirrors, all of them, had shattered. Broken pieces of glass lay on the ground, crunching under their feet as they continued onwards.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Realization dawned. Maybe her mother's story wasn't just a faerie tale, woven out of nowhere.
"Taiko, come on."
Tamiko noted the fake name. That meant he thought there might be someone around. "Kir, I can't! I don't have any shoes on!" she said, pointing out her bare feet. Akira ran his fingers through his hair.. "Oh for the love of..."
Tamiko turned. "I'll go back and get a pair. I'll be right back."
"Taiko, there isn't enough time. It's now or never, mo croi."
"Yeah, but how do I get through then? The bandages on my hands won't withstand glass, so I can't wrap them around my feet, and the hall's too long for you to walk across and toss me back your shoes..."
Akira rolled his eyes. "Here, get on." he said, kneeling.
Uncomprehending, Tamiko uttered "What?"
"Piggyback."
"You have GOT to be kidding me!!!"
"Do you see another way of doing it?"
Tamiko was stumped. "I could think of one, though." She volunteered hastily. Just give me a couple of minutes."
"Taiko..." Akira warned. "Would you rather stay behind and I go on alone?"
Still grumbling and protesting, Tamiko got on his back, and Taneesh draped herself over Tamiko's shoulders.
~This is SOOOO embarrassing!!!!!~ whined Tamiko to her scaled friend. ~I mean, piggyback?!?!? Oh KAMI...~
=So? I ride on your and Akira's shoulders all the time! Besides, how stupid are you to not wear shoes?!?=
~I'm used to karate. You don't WEAR shoes in the dojo.~
=Yes, but on that point.= the dragon replied. =Most karate dojos don't have glass on their floors!=
Tamiko fell silent for a moment. ~Yeah, but I still don't know how I'm going to face Akira after this! Jeez! The independent Tamiko, taken down a notch because she didn't wear shoes!~
=Yes, well, if you get past your pity, you might realize that Akira's being nice to you. I mean, what happens if we have to fight and you can barely walk because you got glass in your foot?=
That and the sharp nip that Taneesh had given her ear shocked Tamiko. She reached up a finger and touched sticky blood. ~Oww!~
=Oh, come on. It wasn't that hard. I don't want to hear you pitying yourself anymore. You hear me mistress?=
~But...~
=Akira isn't as mean or as immature as you often make him out to be. Think back. Think of all the times you've been hurt, and he's helped you, been worried about you! Jeez! I know how you feel about him, and yet you're so mean to him!!! All he does is try to help you!=
~I can help myself.~ Tamiko retorted, blushing an interesting shade of red.
=Half the time it's you who starts the fights, losing your temper with him, or assuming that he thinks something mean about you when he really isn't!!!=
~I...I...~ A tear slid down her cheek. She turned her head, looking down at Akira. ~Akira...I'm so sorry...please forgive me...~
She bit her lip as more tears streamed down her face. ~Stop it Tamiko.~ she scolded herself. ~Crying is only going to make matters worse.~ However, the tears still came.
~I feel horrible!~
"Here, Taiko, you can get off now." Akira said, flushing lightly. Tamiko slid off, and Akira turned to find her crying.
"Tami, what's wrong?"
Tamiko shook her head. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She said, fiercely wiping away the tears with her sleeve.
"All right. Let's go then."
Tamiko nodded silently, and began walking down the hallway to the humongous doors in front of them. "Open." She whispered, and they swung open, creaking. The door led into an empty room. It might have been magnificent once, but now it was in ruins. The entire place was covered in soot, charred as if a fire had once raged her. Tamiko knelt, and brushed her hand against old branches, withered and darkened in the lightless room. An echo of a memory ran through her head.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sitting on the floor, a younger Nile created a cat's cradle with her yarn, and pulled it taught. Her eyes blazed and she shouted out, in a barking tone: "Gaea, here my plea! EARTH!" A shuddering went through the room. A black haired teen, almond eyes bright green, grabbed a girl (~Sen.~ Tamiko thought) to stop her from falling down the deep gap that had split the wooden floor. Branches wove their way around a woman's legs, trapping her. Nile was perched precariously on the edge, the pupils in her eyes gone, replaced by a glowing green light. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tamiko snatched her fingers away from the wood. The faint echoes of the past died away. Why was it only her that could hear the shadows of times gone?
She noticed a shape in the far corner, and approached it warily. When the figure sharpened, she gasped. "Mom?" She ran to the figure, and knelt beside her. "Mother?"
Chihiro's breathing was shallow, and her face pale. Dust rested on her, as though she hadn't moved for a long time.
"Mother? MOTHER?!?!?"
Akira heard her cry. Turning, he took Taneesh off his shoulder and ran to the girl. Her hair was down again, and she was brushing her mother with a bandaged hand.
"Is this...?" But Akira realized that Tamiko couldn't hear him. Her eyes were closed, and she was perfectly still, save for her breathing.
~Mother? Mother?~ she called silently. ~Momma? Answer me! It's Tami! Tamiko- chan! Mom? Please, answer me!~
~Tamiko...~ the reply was faint, but it was most defiantly her mother's.
~Mother! Are you all right?!?!~
~...trapped...call me...song...tie to...world~ the voice was fading.
Realizing what her mother meant, Tamiko sang the dragon song, the one her mother had prophesied for her when she was young, except she said it in the words her mother had first sung it in. She had called it 'dragon speak' but after she had turned five, after an incident Tamiko couldn't remember, she only sang it in English.
"Lin tia. Kodo miva. Eh gaza no. A miyu. Gantea...a re mai. Ashimatseau..."
The tune that Akira heard Tamiko singing was familiar, but the words strange to him. Once again, he was enchanted by her voice. ~I can't believe she thinks she isn't any good! She has a beautiful rich voice. Mo stor...mo croi...~ he closed his eyes, absorbing the music. It was almost like a lullaby, with a sense of deep hidden meaning. ~Tamiko...Will I ever see you again after this is all over? Tami, mo bheith...~
A soft glow shrouded the trio, and faded slowly, like a pulse. Chihiro's eyes cracked open. "Tamiko?" she rasped, her voice sounding long unused.
"I'm here, mother. Father's fine. I'm so glad you're all right!!!" Tamiko flung herself around the older woman. Chihiro returned the hug, and shakily stood, supported by her daughter. "And who are these two?" she croaked. "Oh! This is Taneesh, a young dragon, who's decided I'm her mistress, and this is Akira. He's a friend of mine."
Chihiro turned to Akira. "How did you get stuck here?"
"Hmm? Oh, my canoe kind of..." he coughed. "Capsized and drifted off."
Tamiko burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh Akira! You never told me that!!!"
Chihiro looked at her daughter. "And how did you get here?"
Tamiko wordlessly slipped of the scale necklace and held it towards her mother, who breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the heavens you had it! I was so worried about it..."
=I'm sorry to interrupt everyone, but it's two hours until nightfall, and you will want to check on Kohaku.=
Chihiro nodded, but whispered. "It's just Haku, now."
=Yes, well, hadn't we better be going?!?!=
"The dragon speaks true." Chihiro whispered, and took a wobbly step forward, almost collapsing. Tamiko rushed over, and put her mother's arm over her shoulder, supporting her. Akira did the same.
When they reached the hall of glass, Akira helped support Chihiro across (Chihiro was wearing shoes) and then came back to piggyback a blushing Tamiko across, Taneesh draped over he shoulders.
They slowly made their way down to the boiler room, taking the inside elevator instead of the winding staircase.
Tamiko burst through the door. "Nile! Is dad all right?"
Chihiro's eyes widened. "Nile..."
Chihiro and Akira walked in, to see Tamiko kneeling by her wide-awake father, who was sitting against the wall.
"DAD!" she threw herself at him. Haku smiled at his daughter. "Are you all right?" he questioned her, seeing the bandaged hands. "Am I all right? Are YOU all right?!?! You've been a coma for a week!!!"
Chihiro pushed off Akira and slowly came over to Nile, who was sitting right beside her husband. "Nile-chan!" Nile, who had donned her Egyptian regalia, grinned. "Chihiro-chan! How have you BEEN?!? I haven't seen you for AGES!" Chihiro smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry about cutting you out of her childhood, it's just that..."
Nile winked. "Hey, don't worry! I understand completely."
Haku spotted his wife. "Chihiro..." he whispered, reaching out to her. Chihiro smiled joyfully and crawled over to him. "Haku...I was so worried..."
Nile turned to her great-niece. "Tami-chan, when you go back to the human world, you have to wear your mortal clothes. Do you remember where you put yours?"
"Yeah, my pants are in the drawer, but..." Horror swept over her face as she realized something. "My shirt was a wreak! I threw it out!"
Taneesh was laughing in her head, whereas Akira was laughing out loud. "Tamiko, you should have SEEN your FACE!!!"
Tamiko was panicking. "But what am I going to do?!?!?!?"
Nile smiled. "You are so lucky I go to the mortal world once in a while. You can borrow one of my shirts."
~Thank the heavens.~ Tamiko cheered. "Nile, you're a live saver!"
Akira turned to Taneesh. ~I feel so out of place! Everybody here is completely Japanese! I was raised in Ireland, for goodness sakes! They're all one big family too, and it's just me and my dad.~
=Well, maybe if you stop retreating into the corner so much, then they might have a chance to talk to you, and you'd feel more welcome. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself!=
~Fine.~
Akira gazed at the large group of people.
"Hey, Akira, are you okay?"
Akira was shocked to see Tamiko beside him. "Huh?" he said intelligently.
"Are you all right? You're kind of sitting in the corner, because you don't feel welcome, am I right?"
He stared at her. "How did you..."
"Oh come on Akira. Normally you aren't quiet and shy. Come on!" she said, grabbing his hand. "You can come meet my dad."
+++
The group slept through most of the night, knowing that they would have to get back on their true sleeping schedule, which would be hard enough.
Nile led then down to the field that separated the spirit and mortal worlds.
Tamiko stood, wearing her jeans and a rich red sleeveless with a V neck that Nile had made her promise that she would get back.
Tamiko smiled. Nile had promised to visit her and her parents once in a while, whenever she was free. Somehow, Tamiko realized that Nile wasn't all she appeared to be. There was something else, hiding in the shadows. Tamiko shrugged. She figured she'd find out soon enough.
"Tamiko! We'll meet you at the other end!!!" Her parents supported each other, slowly going across the grass.
They waved one final time at the arch, and disappeared, back where they had left the mortal world, back at home.
Tamiko turned, her black hair waving in the summer wind.
"Nile...will I ever come back here again?"
Nile nodded slowly. "Sometime in the near future, there will be a great battle. You will be called upon then." She smiled at Akira and Tamiko. Taneesh had stayed with Nile as well, promising visits to her mistress. Turning, Nile walked back to the bathhouse, Taneesh flying in front of her.
Tamiko smiled. "All right." She turned to Akira, with tears in her eyes. "Akira..."
Somehow, Akira had found his camping bag that he had left on the shoreline when running away from No-Face. Out of it, he pulled a book, and handed it over to Tamiko. "Here. Look at it while you're on the other side."
Tears were running freely down Tamiko's face now. "Akira, you have to promise me we'll see each other again...soon. Three years maximum."
Akira nodded. "Promise." He gently wiped her tears away. "Mo croi, don't cry. The goodbye is not forever."
"Akira..."
"Even still..." Akira looked away, flushing slightly. "...I'm going to miss you."
"Akira!" Tamiko cried, and hugged the boy, who was extremely shocked. "Tamiko! Wha..."
He wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her hair. "Don't worry, mo stor. We will see each other again soon. I know it." He murmured.
Tamiko stepped back, slowly. "And you have to promise not to forget me. Swear."
"Tamiko, I couldn't forget about you if I tried." He drew her to him, embracing her. "Just don't forget me either."
Tamiko winked. "I won't. Until next time, Akira. Goodbye."
She made to leave, but before she did, Akira bent his head and kissed her, softly. Tamiko blushed.
"Goodbye." He whispered.
~Akira...I...I...~
Tamiko stepped back shakily, and watched Akira smile slowly. He winked. "For good luck."
Tamiko smiled. "Until we meet again."
She turned and walked across the plain, forcing herself not to look back, remembering her mother's story. A tear or two slid silently down her face.
Akira watched her until she disappeared at the gate. "Until we meet again, mo bheith."
He then slowly began his walk across the field, back to Ireland.
+++
Tamiko came out the other side into her home. She went up to her room, and sat on the bed, thinking. She then realized the book Akira had given her was still in her arm. When she looked at it, she burst out laughing as she read the title:
English-Irish dictionary.
She opened the front cover and noticed a tidy scrawl written to her.
Dear Tami,
You've been complaining about how everyone can speak Old Irish but you. Well, here's the answer to all your problems! I double checked, and all the nicknames I've ever called you are in here as well. I know we will see each other again, I can feel it.
Just in case you don't know the spelling, look up: stor, bheith, croi, tintri, ceann, and mo.
If, the next time I see you, the cover on this is bent, I will be furious.
Keep on singing. You have an amazing voice...
~An amazing voice? Akira...you never said...~
...and good emotion.
I hope your hands heal soon, and that you will someday tell me what really happened. I know you didn't lose energy and fall on Kyu's ice shards. You aren't THAT badly coordinated.
~Akira...you know me too well.~
I'm sorry for all the times I fought with you. Take care, and say hi to Nile for me!
Until we meet again.
Akira
Tamiko closed the book with tears in her eyes, and hugged it to her chest. ~Akira...I miss you already...~
"Tamiko!!!" her mother's voice trilled. "Suppertime!!!"
"What are we having?" she replied.
"I don't know, you're making it!"
Tamiko rolled her eyes. Thing were getting back to normal around here, anyways.
She walked to the door, turned the handle and pulled it open. She looked back at the book on her bed.
~Akira...we will meet again. I promise.~
She closed the door after her and went downstairs.
+++++
THERE ENDS PART #1 OF RECALLING THE SPIRIT!!!
That chapter was SOOO long! 7000 words!
Part two will be up soon. I have AMAZING ideas for it! It's going to be so cool!
Until the next chapter!
~Jo-chan-ANIME~
WOW! I have 230 reviews! I remember a long time ago, when I had updated the tenth chapter of Spirited Again, I was surprised and ultimately pleased when I found I had fifty reviews. I am so happy that people enjoy my work, and I'd like to thank you all, albeit tearfully, for your continued support. Nice to hear from you again mysticwolfguardian! I LOVED your review! T______T
My updates will be a little less frequent from now on, as my schedule has become busier. But I will still be updating, so don't give up on me! This is going to be a really long chapter. My friend asked me why I didn't make it two chapters but I owe it to you readers to make a really long one! Hope you like it!
I'd also like to point out now I do not tell anyone personal information. So don't try to get anything out of me.
Disclaimer: If you haven't believed me the other twenty five times I've said it...I Do NOT OWN ANY MIYAZAKI CHARACTERS!!!!! Nor do I own 'But In Dream' a song used in Lord Of the Rings. Nor do I own the Escaflowne movie dragon song.
Dedication: To RidingGirl (once again) for giving me the nicest compliment I have ever gotten on my story.
~blah blah blah~ Tamiko mind speak
=Blah blah blah= Taneesh mind speak
Fire and Ice
Tamiko sighed; she squeezed out the sponge, dropping it in the bucket. Groaning as she stood, she motioned for Taneesh to come out of the shadows.
~It's all right. Kiku's gone.~
The dragon appeared seemingly out of nowhere, to drape herself around Tamiko's shoulders, a warm, comfortable weight. The girl dragged herself out of the bathhouse room, and to the girl's dorm. She snuggled up in her sleeping bag, telling her scaled friend to wake her up at noon.
+++
Tamiko was walking slowly, on an abandoned field, small flowers blooming. Spotting a figure in the distance, she ran towards it hoping that they would be able to tell her where she was. "Mother?" she cried. "Mother, is that you?"
As she neared, she realized it was Akira, surrounded by invisible flames. "Akira?" she said, grinding to a stop. He turned to her, with a small smile twitching at his lips. "Mo stor. What are you doing here?"
Tamiko blinked. "I'm looking for Mom."
"Oh."
Taking a step forward, she felt something hit her foot, upsetting her balance. The next thing she knew, she was falling...
...
She jolted awake, wincing at the expected impact. Realizing it was just a dream; she sat up, to find Taneesh nudging her foot. =About time.= the dragon muttered in her mind. =Another moment and I would have bitten your limb off.=
Tamiko smiled at the impatience in her friend's voice. ~Ha, ha, ha. You shouldn't joke about things like that when you're a dragon.~ she retorted silently, looking at Taneesh's sharp fangs.
Stretching, she silently gazed around her, making sure that everyone was asleep. Noting that everyone was peacefully slumbering, Tamiko slowly crept out of the dorm, bare feet making no noise against the hard wood floor.
~Hmm, I wonder if Akira slept in? It'd be just like him too. Or if he forgot, or came late, just to annoy me...~ Tamiko thought to herself.
Turning the corner into the front room of the bathhouse, she found the man himself, sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, a plate of food beside him. His eyes were closed, his chin to his chest, and his breathing slow and easy, his chest rising and falling with each breath. His dark auburn hair looked lighter in the noonday sun, coming through the window. Tamiko stood there silently, watching. ~Akira...~
=Well?= Taneesh asked, after a few minutes had passed. =Are you going to awaken him or what?=
Tamiko blinked and knelt, opened her mouth to shout in Akira's ear...and stopped, shutting it abruptly. She looked over at her dragon. ~I...can't. He's so...peaceful...~
=So? He can get rest another time. We have to go look for Chihiro.=
~I can go alone.~ she said, her gaze returning to Akira's face.
=No. The 'Tintri Spiorad' will be helpful.=
Tamiko frowned. ~Why does everyone seem to know Irish but ME!!!~
=Do I dare comment?=
~HEY!!!~
Akira groaned slightly, waking up. He turned to see Tamiko, kneeling by him, her head turned, scowling at her dragon. As he watched he saw Tamiko make a furious gesture, slashing her arm horizontally, and Taneesh blinking. Slowly, Tamiko's arm lowered, and she instead chose to roll her eyes. Taneesh cocked her head, and nodded. Tamiko flushed, shook her head furiously, and lowered her head so her hair covered her face.
Akira blinked. This was just odd. ~What going on between those two?~
=We're having a little...chat... is all.=
Akira stared over Tamiko's shoulder at the dragon. ~No WAY...~
The dragon turned her attention to Tamiko. =Mistress.= she purred. =Your friend is awake.=
Tamiko turned, startled. "Oh! I didn't realize...how long have you been up?"
Akira ran his fingers through his hair. "About two minutes max."
"Why were you asleep in the first place? I asked you to wait for me!"
"And so I did."
"Yeah, except you zoned out! You are such a jerk! SUCH A STUPID JERK!!! Jeez, Kir!"
"Uh oh." Akira said, teasing. "Here comes the firecracker!"
Tamiko angrily opened her mouth to retort, and slowly closed it again. She looked down and away.
Akira looked curiously at her. "Mo stor, what's up? Are you all right?"
When Tamiko spoke, her voice was soft. "I promised myself...that I wouldn't lose my temper with you..." she drifted off. "But it's just hard to calm down."
"Relax..." Akira put his hands on her shoulders. "TAKE A DEEP BREATH!"
Tamiko stared. Akira was grinning, his eyes screwed up, and his voice had gone high and squeaky during the latter part of the sentence.
"Woaah..." she said backing away. Akira grinned, serious yet again. "Just a bit of craziness there. Ignore it; I just have a lot of energy. I brought some food." He sat down, motioning for her to follow. "Want some?"
Though she wouldn't admit it, Tamiko was starving. She grabbed a dumpling and, unable to help it, eagerly took large bites, wolfing it down.
Wordlessly, Akira handed her another. "You're rather hungry aren't you, mo croi."
Tamiko nodded, and suddenly coughed, choking. Akira thumped her on the back, until she was breathing normally again. She looked up at him. "Thank you." Akira nodded in reply, as Tamiko sat back. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence, until Akira stood up, clearing his throat. "Hadn't we better go looking for your mother now?"
"Er...yeah, I guess." Tamiko stood up, stretching.
"So...what were you and Taneesh talking about?" Akira questioned.
Tamiko froze, and turned slowly to look at him. "How did you..." A smile twitched at Akira's lips. "It was kind of obvious by the way you two were gesturing silently that something was going on. What were you guys talking about."
=Who.= Taneesh corrected so both could hear.
Akira turned to raise his eyebrows at Tamiko and was shocked to see her blush.
~Kyu.~ he mumbled mentally. ~It has to be.~
Meanwhile, Tamiko raged at her scaled friend. ~TANEESH! HOW COULD YOU!!!!!!!!~ She was horrified, blushing. ~Ohh...once I get I chance, I'm going to...~
There was no reaction from the dragon, save for a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"So...'Kir'...we meet again."
Tamiko turned, her anger and embarrassment forgotten as she stared, startled by the newcomer.
Akira, on the other hand, ran his fingers through his hair, and closed his eyes, counting slowly in his head to let his anger cool.
Kyu took a step out of the shadows, glaring at Akira. "I will slay you and free Taiko!!!" Tamiko rolled her eyes.
Akira took slow breaths. ~...three...four...~
Kyu coughed. "I said: I will slay you and free Taiko!!!"
~...six...seven...~
"I SAID: I WILL SLAY YOU AND FREE TAIKO!!!"
~...nine...~
"I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO IGNORE AN ELEMENTAL!!!!!!!!" His eyes as cold and as dark as a bitter winter's night, Kyu summoned large sheets of ice, making a soundproof globe around Akira, trapping him in, a piece of ice as sharp as broken glass at his throat.
Kyu smiled grimly. "I can do it you know. Finish you here and now. But what's the fun in that? I'll make you suffer for what you did! For Taiko!!!"
"Kyu! Leave him alone!!!" Tamiko's voice was a wild, high, panicked scream, taking the ice elemental by surprise.
Running to the strange cage, Tamiko stared at the ice and the figure trapped within, frozen in time. "Kyu!" she turned, glaring at him. "Let Kir go. NOW!!!" Rage was building up within her, pure anger sizzling inside. A low growl started in her throat.
Kyu was confused. "But Taiko! I'm saving you from this jerk!"
"He's not a jerk!" Her voice was scathing.
Turning, she took in the globe, spotting every detail, curled her fists, and began bringing them down on the ice.
"Taiko! What do you think you're..."
She continued to hammer on the cold slippery wall.
Annoyed, Kyu tried a different tactic. "It's impossible, you know. To free him. Taiko, come on. He was an immature idiot anyway, right? I HEARD him! He was always teasing you, making fun of you..."
"HE WAS NOT!!!!!!!! HE'S NOT LIKE THAT!!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! DON'T YOU DARE EVER SAY THAT!!!!!!!! HE'S NOT MEAN OR IMMATURE OR A JERK!!! ALL RIGHT?!?!"
"Uh..."
Tamiko turned back to her work with newfound energy, rage making her oblivious to the pain in her hands, or the tears streaking down her face. ~Come ON...~
Cracks scrawled their way across the surface. Pulling back her fist one last time, Tamiko screamed a battle cry, and struck.
"AKKKIRAAA!!!!!!"
The glass shattered, leaving sharp shards on the floor. Tamiko's anger flooded out of her, along with all her strength. Her knees gave way, and she slowly collapsed.
Free of the spell, Akira's eyes shot open. Seeing this, Kyu grinned cruelly. "Well, Kir?!?!? Let's go! Finally I'll get my revenge!!!"
Akira turned away from his opponent, and knelt beside the dark haired girl. "Tam...Tai...mo stor. Are you all right?" Brushing Tamiko's hair out of her eyes, his tone was worried and panicked. "Are you all right? Mo croi, answer me!"
Kyu frowned angrily. "What are you waiting for?!?"
"CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S HURT!?!" Akira exploded, looking up at him. He looked down again at Tamiko's face, and his expression softened "Gods, Tamiko, what did you do to yourself this time?" his low voice could only be heard by Tamiko and Taneesh. "Mo stor...please be all right. Why do you always get yourself hurt? Every time you do, I...don't you see that I...Tami...Why do you always do this to yourself?!? Don't you see how horrible your condition is? Tami..." he drifted off, looking away. Why wasn't he there to help her?
"You should see the other guy."
Akira's head shot up. "Tami! Thank the sidhe! What did you think you were doing?!?!"
Tamiko opened her mouth to say that she had been busy trying to save HIS life, the ungrateful idiot, when she spotted the tears in the corners of his eyes. ~Akira... you were worried...~
"I'll be all right, I'm just a bit tired. Go give Kyu what he deserves..." she clenched her fists, and then winced at the pain. "And then we can go look for my Mom."
Akira had caught the flicker of pain on her features. "I can't just leave you here..."
"I'll be fine! I've got Taneesh, remember?"
"But still..." ~I don't want to leave you.~ he finished silently to himself.
"GO!"
Kyu frowned. "Come on, Kir. Or should I tell her what you really are."
Akira looked down towards Tamiko. "Are you sure..."
Tamiko smiled and nodded.
Akira closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a strange flame was burning within. "Kyu..." his voice was dangerous. "What do you want of me?"
Kyu glared back. "Taiko! AND MY DIGNITY!!!"
A smile twitched at the corner of Akira's mouth. "Your dignity? What dignity?"
"Why you..." Kyu said, swearing under his breath. "DIE!!!" He aimed at Akira and let loose a torrent of icicles.
Akira smirked and dodged easily. "What, do you think just because you're an elemental, you get your own way?"
"YES!!!"
"You're prideful, you know that?"
Kyu narrowed his eyes, and with a quick thought, played his trump card.
"DIE, ELEMENTAL OF FIRE!!!!!! ICEBURG!!!!!!!!"
A large block of ice appeared from nowhere, and fell from the ceiling, heading for Akira.
Tamiko, shocked, whispered. "Elemental of fire?"
Fire burst from Akira, melting the chunk of ice seconds before it would have hit.
"Yeah, you heard me right, Kir. You're an elemental too!"
Tamiko was shocked. Akira...an elemental? The same guy who teased her, who was afraid of heights? The guy who realized Taneesh's secret, her only human companion on this hopeless task: to find her mother?
Akira lowered his hands. Flames had encompassed his being, not burning him, but being him, a part of him. "Fire against ice." He said, his voice carrying the undercurrent of a roaring bonfire. Kyu took a step back. "How...how did you..." he muttered, shaking.
"What do you want from me?" Akira repeated.
Fresh knowledge flooded into Kyu's brain "Why don't you attack me? You can't, can you? You WON'T. Well, your loss!" Kyu eyes rolled upward, and huge chunks of hail fell down on Akira, buffeted by a frigid winter wind.
Akira closed his eyes, and small fizzles and pops were heard as the hail hit his barrier of fire.
"You won't be able to keep up that kind of energy for long!" Kyu shouted, renewing his attack.
"Oh really?" ~Smoke.~ Akira willed himself silently.
"Taiko, stay down!" he shouted a warning at the speechless girl.
Thick grey smoke filled the room, sending Kyu into a coughing fit. Tamiko had difficulty breathing, even though she was on the ground where the air was clearer. She squinted through the smoke, trying to see the outcome of the battle.
She could hear a thump, and then the smoke was cleared away. Akira stood, completely normal once again, all traces of fire gone, whereas Kyu was unconscious on the floor, breathing slowly.
Akira came and sat beside Tamiko. "Tami, are you all right? I'm sorry, it was the only way I could think of to stop the fight."
She stared at him. "You're an elemental? That must have been a shock."
Akira looked away. "Not really."
"You didn't just realize, did you?." Tamiko said suddenly. "How long have you known?" she demanded, angrily.
"I guessed when I faced Kyu on the shoreline." He said, looking at the wall.
She was frustrated. "But Kir, why didn't you tell me?!?!"
There was no reply.
~Akira, you didn't think that I'd be afraid, did you? Do you think it matters to me? Do you think I care? After all, look at me! I don't even KNOW what I am!~ she yelled silently, but instead she chose to say:
"Kir, come on. It's not a big deal. At least you know how to control YOUR powers."
He looked up, with a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He caught sight of blood on the floor, mostly pooling where Tamiko had rested her hand down. "You're bleeding." He said bluntly.
"Huh? Where?" she lifted up her hand to examine her bloody palms. "Ouch."
"Here." Akira stood, walked over to Kyu, and ripped of one of the sleeves of the boy's shirt.
Coming back, he tore the material into two strips, and wound them around Tamiko's still-bleeding hands. "How did you manage to do this?"
She looked at him, confused, until Taneesh said. =He was frozen in time, remember?=
~Oh yeah...~
"I...erm..." she quickly searched her mind for a lie. "I lost my energy and fell on ice shards." Well, half of it was true, anyway.
Akira raised his eyebrows. ~She's lying to me. She's not that clumsy. She IS lying, but why?~
"We'd better go now. We've been delayed long enough." Tamiko stood, and Akira followed. "Taneesh?"
The trio slowly made their way to the elevator. The silence was unbearable, so Tamiko tried to fill it. "What time do you think it is now? I think it's about one-ish."
"Around there, probably. We still have time, don't worry about it."
As they went by a large window, overlooking the large plains of grass blowing in the wind, Tamiko stopped and whispered. "Umi no ko."
"What?"
"Huh?" Tamiko said, shaking her head to clear it. "Oh. It's a favourite saying of my dad's. It means: 'It's like the sea.'"
Akira turned to gaze out the window, crossing his arms. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"
Tamiko nodded. "It reminds me of a story I once read...when I was a child."
"It reminds me of a dream I had once." His voice was quiet.
"A...dream..." Tamiko murmured. Her voice has a musical lilt to it. Softly she began to sing, her voice sweet and low. "But in dream...but in dream. We will meet again..." She blushed as she saw Akira staring at her. "Well, if you don't like me to sing, why don't you say so?" she grumbled, turning away from the window, and continuing her path to the elevator. Akira started walking behind his friend. ~Jeez, when she's actually hurt she's so strong, but when she's fine she's sometimes so SENSITIVE!~
=Tell me about it.=
Akira flushed. ~Taneesh, how did you hear that? I was thinking to myself...~
=You and Tamiko are new to mind-speak. Your thoughts are pretty much open to me, since you haven't learned how to channel your thoughts or...= Here Akira sensed a wicked grin from the dragon. =Block them from me, as it were.=
~You mean you know everything I've been thinking?~ Akira questioned, colouring.
=You and Tamiko both.=
Akira frowned. ~You better not be one to gossip, you get my drift?~
=Tamiko's REALLY angry with you. Her thoughts are really loud, and they aren't that kind either.= Taneesh said, changing the subject.
The boy winced. ~What's she thinking?~
=It's all pretty much mumbled, and she keeps sticking in Japanese words with the English. I caught the word for stupid...idiot...oh, there's jerk...stubborn...immature...annoying...=
Akira groaned.
She also said that, knowing you, 'mo stor' means something really mean, like 'Stubborn idiot'...my goodness, that wasn't very nice.=
~What?~
=She said out of you and Kyu, it's rather evident who's the better person.= Tamiko translated. =And she can't believe how you act. Well, to put it bluntly, she called you a mangy monkey, but...=
Akira couldn't take any more of this. He couldn't stand Tamiko's silent treatment, and Taneesh sounded like Christmas had come early, telling him what her mistress was thinking.
"Tamiko..."
"What, Akira?" Her voice was cold, her back still to him. In front of her was the elevator. She pressed the button for it to come down.
"I..."
"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. You're not obligated. You don't like my singing. Fine, neither does anyone else. It's not a big deal. "
"I never said I didn't like your singing. In fact, I think your voice is amazing, just so you know." He retorted, and then realized what he had just said.
Tamiko turned, leaning on the elevator door. She searched her friend's face. ~Did he really mean that?~ "Akira...thank you." She flushed, as did Akira.
"Tamiko..." he whispered. Tamiko looked up into his face, so close to hers. "Akira...I..."
And the elevator door chose that moment to open.
Tamiko, finding a sudden lack of support, fell backwards, landing rather unceremoniously on her rump, just inside the elevator door. "Ow ow ow." she muttered, looking up to see Akira chuckling. "It's not that funny." She said grumpily.
Then the doors attempted to shut on her.
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!" she cried, trying desperately to keep the doors open from her awkward position. Her head was braced against one sliding door, her hip against the other. Her bandaged hands (she couldn't use them to brace the doors or it would've reopened the wounds) waved in the air. This picture sat before Akira, who was by now laughing his head off...
...whereas Tamiko's was starting to hurt. "Akira..." she said with forced calmness. "Would you mind HELPING ME NOW?!?"
Akira managed to come over and brace both doors so Tamiko could free herself. She scrambled in a rather undignified way out of the cruel doors, as Taneesh sailed in overhead. Akira slipped in and let the doors shut behind him. His back against a elevator wall, slid down, shaking with laughter. "I'm sorry." He gasped; tears of mirth were at the corner of his eyes. "But that was so FUNNY!!!" That set him off again. Tamiko started to giggle, and then joined in the infectious laughter. Taneesh watched with interest. =These two get more interesting by the minute!=
After about ten minutes, Tamiko looked around. "Hey, why aren't we there? Is the elevator not working?"
=It might help if you pull the lever, mistress.=
~Oh...~
Abashed, Tamiko stood up and pulled the lever. The elevator began to swing into motion. "I'm not normally this klutzy, you know." She informed Akira, sitting down beside him. "I'm just tired."
"Uh HUH."
"No, really, I'm not!!!" she replied, annoyed.
~Akira, sometimes you can be SO annoying!~ she snarled mentally.
~I heard that, mo stor. What happened to the not losing your temper with me?~
"Akira?" she said, startled. "Was...was that you?" Akira nodded slowly in reply, just as surprised as he was.
"Hey, would you mind telling me what mo stor means, Irish boy? Or the other one, mo croi?"
Akira smiled and shook his head.
Tamiko heaved a dramatically heavy sigh. "Probably means fiery one..."
"That's Tintri Ceann."
"Well then, what does it mean?" she bugged him, trying to get it out of her friend. Akira shook his head again. "It's a nickname...meaning what, I won't tell you."
"You can be a real jerk sometimes, you know that?"
Akira raised his eyebrows. "Only sometimes?"
Tamiko smiled, and then sobered suddenly. "What if...my Mom's in danger? What if something happened to her?!?" She suddenly began to panic. "What if she's dying?!?!??! What if something terrible happened to her?!?!?!?"
Akira put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Shhh, Tamiko. She's probably all right. And in the slim chance she's not, then we're going to go help her."
Tamiko slumped. "Oh yeah. Two teenagers against who knows what. Fat lot of help we'll be..."
"Tami, mo stor, don't worry. Remember, we're not just plain teenagers." To prove it point, he summoned a small group of flames in his hand and then blew them out.
"I guess you're right. You've got a lot more control over your powers then you used to."
Akira looked at her, surprised by the compliment. The black haired girl was staring at her hands, first the palm, then the hand. Sensing what she was thinking, he said softly "Don't worry. You'll find out who you are. You'll be able to control your powers."
=Fire boy's right, mistress. Do not worry. Your background is like a puzzle. You have all but one piece, but that one piece is making the entire picture unclear. The answers will come.= comforted the wise little dragon.
Akira frowned. ~Fire boy?~
Taneesh smiled, as did Tamiko, albeit weakly.
=We're there.= announced the dragon. A couple seconds later the doors slid open. Tamiko went out first, going quickly between the doors, and then glaring back at them with a triumphant smile.
Akira followed, Taneesh on his shoulder. It suddenly struck Tamiko that she had never seen Taneesh around with another person other then herself. ~And Akira.~
"Where are we?" she questioned the pair. Akira went to the window, stuck his head out, looked up, and then, more importantly, down.
'We're on the top floor." He answered. Tamiko noticed that he was pale from seeing the height.
"But...there's only one door!"
"Then let's head towards that one."
They slowly walked to it. Tamiko reached out her bandaged hand to touch the golden symbols, but the door opened before her fingers met it. Beyond them, there was a long hallway, the floor glittering. Akira walked in first, his shoes crunching on the ground. He knelt to examine the glitter. "It's...glass." He said, picking up a piece, and examining it. He then looked at the walls, black metal there...like the mirror without the glass.
Tamiko put a hand to her head, as a bit from her mother's story echoed through in voices Tamiko had never known. She realize that the memory was not hers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
All the other doors opened in chronological order, showing the wide hallway that led to the office. Silently, each thinking their own thoughts, the group filed into the hall, and began their journey down the mirrored channel. As Chihiro looked at the mirror, farthest from her, she saw the reflection of Haku, but the one in the mirror was the white of death, bleeding heavily, dying slowly.....
"Look straight ahead! DON'T look at the mirrors!!!" snapped Lin, rather hastily, though still poised.
But of course everyone looks if you tell them not to. Mei began to cry softly. Nile went pale, while a flicker of emotional pain tore across Haku's face. Chihiro closed her eyes, clutching her head, but the memory of the picture was still clear. She moved over beside Haku, to assure herself he was all right. Tears sprung from her eyes, and, as she looked up at Haku, and he down at her, she saw that he was crying, too.
Nile shouted, with her eyes closed: "Who has yellow?" Mei raised her two circlets of yarn. "I have yellow AND blue!" "Put the blue away. Yellow represents joy. RELEASE Its POWER!!!!!!!!" Mei shrugged, and shouted back: "HOW!!!" Nile, still squeezing her eyes tightly shut, replied, "YOU have to figure it out! I DON'T KNOW!!!!!" Mei, screwed up her eyes. The memory of seeing Totoro again sprung into her mind, the pure happiness of that moment. She lifted the circlet above her head, weaving it between her fingers. "TOTORO!!!!!!"
A blinding flash bolted. Everyone closed his or her eyes against the sheer brightness. When it left, the mirrors, all of them, had shattered. Broken pieces of glass lay on the ground, crunching under their feet as they continued onwards.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Realization dawned. Maybe her mother's story wasn't just a faerie tale, woven out of nowhere.
"Taiko, come on."
Tamiko noted the fake name. That meant he thought there might be someone around. "Kir, I can't! I don't have any shoes on!" she said, pointing out her bare feet. Akira ran his fingers through his hair.. "Oh for the love of..."
Tamiko turned. "I'll go back and get a pair. I'll be right back."
"Taiko, there isn't enough time. It's now or never, mo croi."
"Yeah, but how do I get through then? The bandages on my hands won't withstand glass, so I can't wrap them around my feet, and the hall's too long for you to walk across and toss me back your shoes..."
Akira rolled his eyes. "Here, get on." he said, kneeling.
Uncomprehending, Tamiko uttered "What?"
"Piggyback."
"You have GOT to be kidding me!!!"
"Do you see another way of doing it?"
Tamiko was stumped. "I could think of one, though." She volunteered hastily. Just give me a couple of minutes."
"Taiko..." Akira warned. "Would you rather stay behind and I go on alone?"
Still grumbling and protesting, Tamiko got on his back, and Taneesh draped herself over Tamiko's shoulders.
~This is SOOOO embarrassing!!!!!~ whined Tamiko to her scaled friend. ~I mean, piggyback?!?!? Oh KAMI...~
=So? I ride on your and Akira's shoulders all the time! Besides, how stupid are you to not wear shoes?!?=
~I'm used to karate. You don't WEAR shoes in the dojo.~
=Yes, but on that point.= the dragon replied. =Most karate dojos don't have glass on their floors!=
Tamiko fell silent for a moment. ~Yeah, but I still don't know how I'm going to face Akira after this! Jeez! The independent Tamiko, taken down a notch because she didn't wear shoes!~
=Yes, well, if you get past your pity, you might realize that Akira's being nice to you. I mean, what happens if we have to fight and you can barely walk because you got glass in your foot?=
That and the sharp nip that Taneesh had given her ear shocked Tamiko. She reached up a finger and touched sticky blood. ~Oww!~
=Oh, come on. It wasn't that hard. I don't want to hear you pitying yourself anymore. You hear me mistress?=
~But...~
=Akira isn't as mean or as immature as you often make him out to be. Think back. Think of all the times you've been hurt, and he's helped you, been worried about you! Jeez! I know how you feel about him, and yet you're so mean to him!!! All he does is try to help you!=
~I can help myself.~ Tamiko retorted, blushing an interesting shade of red.
=Half the time it's you who starts the fights, losing your temper with him, or assuming that he thinks something mean about you when he really isn't!!!=
~I...I...~ A tear slid down her cheek. She turned her head, looking down at Akira. ~Akira...I'm so sorry...please forgive me...~
She bit her lip as more tears streamed down her face. ~Stop it Tamiko.~ she scolded herself. ~Crying is only going to make matters worse.~ However, the tears still came.
~I feel horrible!~
"Here, Taiko, you can get off now." Akira said, flushing lightly. Tamiko slid off, and Akira turned to find her crying.
"Tami, what's wrong?"
Tamiko shook her head. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She said, fiercely wiping away the tears with her sleeve.
"All right. Let's go then."
Tamiko nodded silently, and began walking down the hallway to the humongous doors in front of them. "Open." She whispered, and they swung open, creaking. The door led into an empty room. It might have been magnificent once, but now it was in ruins. The entire place was covered in soot, charred as if a fire had once raged her. Tamiko knelt, and brushed her hand against old branches, withered and darkened in the lightless room. An echo of a memory ran through her head.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sitting on the floor, a younger Nile created a cat's cradle with her yarn, and pulled it taught. Her eyes blazed and she shouted out, in a barking tone: "Gaea, here my plea! EARTH!" A shuddering went through the room. A black haired teen, almond eyes bright green, grabbed a girl (~Sen.~ Tamiko thought) to stop her from falling down the deep gap that had split the wooden floor. Branches wove their way around a woman's legs, trapping her. Nile was perched precariously on the edge, the pupils in her eyes gone, replaced by a glowing green light. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tamiko snatched her fingers away from the wood. The faint echoes of the past died away. Why was it only her that could hear the shadows of times gone?
She noticed a shape in the far corner, and approached it warily. When the figure sharpened, she gasped. "Mom?" She ran to the figure, and knelt beside her. "Mother?"
Chihiro's breathing was shallow, and her face pale. Dust rested on her, as though she hadn't moved for a long time.
"Mother? MOTHER?!?!?"
Akira heard her cry. Turning, he took Taneesh off his shoulder and ran to the girl. Her hair was down again, and she was brushing her mother with a bandaged hand.
"Is this...?" But Akira realized that Tamiko couldn't hear him. Her eyes were closed, and she was perfectly still, save for her breathing.
~Mother? Mother?~ she called silently. ~Momma? Answer me! It's Tami! Tamiko- chan! Mom? Please, answer me!~
~Tamiko...~ the reply was faint, but it was most defiantly her mother's.
~Mother! Are you all right?!?!~
~...trapped...call me...song...tie to...world~ the voice was fading.
Realizing what her mother meant, Tamiko sang the dragon song, the one her mother had prophesied for her when she was young, except she said it in the words her mother had first sung it in. She had called it 'dragon speak' but after she had turned five, after an incident Tamiko couldn't remember, she only sang it in English.
"Lin tia. Kodo miva. Eh gaza no. A miyu. Gantea...a re mai. Ashimatseau..."
The tune that Akira heard Tamiko singing was familiar, but the words strange to him. Once again, he was enchanted by her voice. ~I can't believe she thinks she isn't any good! She has a beautiful rich voice. Mo stor...mo croi...~ he closed his eyes, absorbing the music. It was almost like a lullaby, with a sense of deep hidden meaning. ~Tamiko...Will I ever see you again after this is all over? Tami, mo bheith...~
A soft glow shrouded the trio, and faded slowly, like a pulse. Chihiro's eyes cracked open. "Tamiko?" she rasped, her voice sounding long unused.
"I'm here, mother. Father's fine. I'm so glad you're all right!!!" Tamiko flung herself around the older woman. Chihiro returned the hug, and shakily stood, supported by her daughter. "And who are these two?" she croaked. "Oh! This is Taneesh, a young dragon, who's decided I'm her mistress, and this is Akira. He's a friend of mine."
Chihiro turned to Akira. "How did you get stuck here?"
"Hmm? Oh, my canoe kind of..." he coughed. "Capsized and drifted off."
Tamiko burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh Akira! You never told me that!!!"
Chihiro looked at her daughter. "And how did you get here?"
Tamiko wordlessly slipped of the scale necklace and held it towards her mother, who breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the heavens you had it! I was so worried about it..."
=I'm sorry to interrupt everyone, but it's two hours until nightfall, and you will want to check on Kohaku.=
Chihiro nodded, but whispered. "It's just Haku, now."
=Yes, well, hadn't we better be going?!?!=
"The dragon speaks true." Chihiro whispered, and took a wobbly step forward, almost collapsing. Tamiko rushed over, and put her mother's arm over her shoulder, supporting her. Akira did the same.
When they reached the hall of glass, Akira helped support Chihiro across (Chihiro was wearing shoes) and then came back to piggyback a blushing Tamiko across, Taneesh draped over he shoulders.
They slowly made their way down to the boiler room, taking the inside elevator instead of the winding staircase.
Tamiko burst through the door. "Nile! Is dad all right?"
Chihiro's eyes widened. "Nile..."
Chihiro and Akira walked in, to see Tamiko kneeling by her wide-awake father, who was sitting against the wall.
"DAD!" she threw herself at him. Haku smiled at his daughter. "Are you all right?" he questioned her, seeing the bandaged hands. "Am I all right? Are YOU all right?!?! You've been a coma for a week!!!"
Chihiro pushed off Akira and slowly came over to Nile, who was sitting right beside her husband. "Nile-chan!" Nile, who had donned her Egyptian regalia, grinned. "Chihiro-chan! How have you BEEN?!? I haven't seen you for AGES!" Chihiro smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry about cutting you out of her childhood, it's just that..."
Nile winked. "Hey, don't worry! I understand completely."
Haku spotted his wife. "Chihiro..." he whispered, reaching out to her. Chihiro smiled joyfully and crawled over to him. "Haku...I was so worried..."
Nile turned to her great-niece. "Tami-chan, when you go back to the human world, you have to wear your mortal clothes. Do you remember where you put yours?"
"Yeah, my pants are in the drawer, but..." Horror swept over her face as she realized something. "My shirt was a wreak! I threw it out!"
Taneesh was laughing in her head, whereas Akira was laughing out loud. "Tamiko, you should have SEEN your FACE!!!"
Tamiko was panicking. "But what am I going to do?!?!?!?"
Nile smiled. "You are so lucky I go to the mortal world once in a while. You can borrow one of my shirts."
~Thank the heavens.~ Tamiko cheered. "Nile, you're a live saver!"
Akira turned to Taneesh. ~I feel so out of place! Everybody here is completely Japanese! I was raised in Ireland, for goodness sakes! They're all one big family too, and it's just me and my dad.~
=Well, maybe if you stop retreating into the corner so much, then they might have a chance to talk to you, and you'd feel more welcome. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself!=
~Fine.~
Akira gazed at the large group of people.
"Hey, Akira, are you okay?"
Akira was shocked to see Tamiko beside him. "Huh?" he said intelligently.
"Are you all right? You're kind of sitting in the corner, because you don't feel welcome, am I right?"
He stared at her. "How did you..."
"Oh come on Akira. Normally you aren't quiet and shy. Come on!" she said, grabbing his hand. "You can come meet my dad."
+++
The group slept through most of the night, knowing that they would have to get back on their true sleeping schedule, which would be hard enough.
Nile led then down to the field that separated the spirit and mortal worlds.
Tamiko stood, wearing her jeans and a rich red sleeveless with a V neck that Nile had made her promise that she would get back.
Tamiko smiled. Nile had promised to visit her and her parents once in a while, whenever she was free. Somehow, Tamiko realized that Nile wasn't all she appeared to be. There was something else, hiding in the shadows. Tamiko shrugged. She figured she'd find out soon enough.
"Tamiko! We'll meet you at the other end!!!" Her parents supported each other, slowly going across the grass.
They waved one final time at the arch, and disappeared, back where they had left the mortal world, back at home.
Tamiko turned, her black hair waving in the summer wind.
"Nile...will I ever come back here again?"
Nile nodded slowly. "Sometime in the near future, there will be a great battle. You will be called upon then." She smiled at Akira and Tamiko. Taneesh had stayed with Nile as well, promising visits to her mistress. Turning, Nile walked back to the bathhouse, Taneesh flying in front of her.
Tamiko smiled. "All right." She turned to Akira, with tears in her eyes. "Akira..."
Somehow, Akira had found his camping bag that he had left on the shoreline when running away from No-Face. Out of it, he pulled a book, and handed it over to Tamiko. "Here. Look at it while you're on the other side."
Tears were running freely down Tamiko's face now. "Akira, you have to promise me we'll see each other again...soon. Three years maximum."
Akira nodded. "Promise." He gently wiped her tears away. "Mo croi, don't cry. The goodbye is not forever."
"Akira..."
"Even still..." Akira looked away, flushing slightly. "...I'm going to miss you."
"Akira!" Tamiko cried, and hugged the boy, who was extremely shocked. "Tamiko! Wha..."
He wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her hair. "Don't worry, mo stor. We will see each other again soon. I know it." He murmured.
Tamiko stepped back, slowly. "And you have to promise not to forget me. Swear."
"Tamiko, I couldn't forget about you if I tried." He drew her to him, embracing her. "Just don't forget me either."
Tamiko winked. "I won't. Until next time, Akira. Goodbye."
She made to leave, but before she did, Akira bent his head and kissed her, softly. Tamiko blushed.
"Goodbye." He whispered.
~Akira...I...I...~
Tamiko stepped back shakily, and watched Akira smile slowly. He winked. "For good luck."
Tamiko smiled. "Until we meet again."
She turned and walked across the plain, forcing herself not to look back, remembering her mother's story. A tear or two slid silently down her face.
Akira watched her until she disappeared at the gate. "Until we meet again, mo bheith."
He then slowly began his walk across the field, back to Ireland.
+++
Tamiko came out the other side into her home. She went up to her room, and sat on the bed, thinking. She then realized the book Akira had given her was still in her arm. When she looked at it, she burst out laughing as she read the title:
English-Irish dictionary.
She opened the front cover and noticed a tidy scrawl written to her.
Dear Tami,
You've been complaining about how everyone can speak Old Irish but you. Well, here's the answer to all your problems! I double checked, and all the nicknames I've ever called you are in here as well. I know we will see each other again, I can feel it.
Just in case you don't know the spelling, look up: stor, bheith, croi, tintri, ceann, and mo.
If, the next time I see you, the cover on this is bent, I will be furious.
Keep on singing. You have an amazing voice...
~An amazing voice? Akira...you never said...~
...and good emotion.
I hope your hands heal soon, and that you will someday tell me what really happened. I know you didn't lose energy and fall on Kyu's ice shards. You aren't THAT badly coordinated.
~Akira...you know me too well.~
I'm sorry for all the times I fought with you. Take care, and say hi to Nile for me!
Until we meet again.
Akira
Tamiko closed the book with tears in her eyes, and hugged it to her chest. ~Akira...I miss you already...~
"Tamiko!!!" her mother's voice trilled. "Suppertime!!!"
"What are we having?" she replied.
"I don't know, you're making it!"
Tamiko rolled her eyes. Thing were getting back to normal around here, anyways.
She walked to the door, turned the handle and pulled it open. She looked back at the book on her bed.
~Akira...we will meet again. I promise.~
She closed the door after her and went downstairs.
+++++
THERE ENDS PART #1 OF RECALLING THE SPIRIT!!!
That chapter was SOOO long! 7000 words!
Part two will be up soon. I have AMAZING ideas for it! It's going to be so cool!
Until the next chapter!
~Jo-chan-ANIME~
