Okay, firstly a huge SORRY! I know it has been AGES since I last updated, and I really do apologise. But first I was sick, then I had exams (stupid exams) and then I got this new computer. Which should be a good thing, except my story is saved onto the OLD one. And because the old one is about a million trillion years old, when I try to transfer files onto this new one, it isn't possible. Bummer hey. So I had to retype this whole chapter. Sigh.
Chapter 7 - Sanctity
The next morning Mimi awoke feeling bright and lively. Kari and Sora had already woken, and Mimi was alone in their room. The potion had mostly worn off, and it had done its job well. She felt calm. It gave her shudders to think about what had happened, but she would be okay. She wasn't distraught over it.
Folding the quilt up again, she noticed Sora walk back into the room. The auburn haired girl closed the door behind her, then leant against it. She still held the handle tightly, as if she might need a quick getaway. Taking a deep breath, she moved away from the door and over to where Mimi was standing, watching.
"Mimi," she started, obviously struggling for words to say. "I just wanted to say… um… I didn't get a chance to last night, but… oh… I know how you feel."
Mimi's face clouded in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Sora closed her eyes, praying for the strength to say what she had to. "I mean, I haven't told anyone this before, but… Grant has… tried it with me too."
Mimi's hand went to her throat. "Oh, Sora! That is simply terrible! You have my very deepest sympathies! So that is what you meant when he said he was bad news! Did he…" her question drifted into nothingness.
Sora shook her head. "No, thankfully. He was just about to, when some people walked past the alley. They distracted him for long enough for me to… kick him where the sun don't shine… and then I ran away."
"How fortunate… how is it that nobody knows this? Why have you not spoken of this before?" Mimi wondered out loud.
Sora shrugged. "Easy. It happened before I joined the group, and then I just… well, I guess I didn't want to talk about it."
Mimi's voice was little more than a whisper. "But you told me."
"That's different. You've been in the same boat. You understand. No one else does. Besides, it's very difficult for me to bring up the past. Anyway, I only wanted to tell you because you have to know that you do get over it. The pain goes away. And it's no reason to push people who love you away. Like I did." Sora lowered her head so that Mimi only just heard that last sentence.
Mimi was curious now. "Whom did you push away?" Though she thought she had a fairly good idea.
Sora's stare didn't leave her feet for second. "Tai. I loved him. But I thought that if he got too close I would just get hurt again. And now I've lost him forever." She sounded as if she was choking back tears.
Mimi smiled. "I would not think that, if I were you. I am certain that there is still chance. Do not lose hope, for I believe that opportunity has not yet passed you by."
Sora looked doubtful, but Mimi waved it away. "Trust me. Anyway, whom do you feel I would push away?"
Sora looked at her strangely. "Matt, of course."
Mimi's eyes widened in shock. Was it that obvious? How could Sora know how she felt so deep inside? Mimi barely even recognised the feeling herself. Sora just smiled and moved towards the door, ready to leave Mimi to her thoughts. But Mimi had one last question.
"Sora? How did I… how was it that I escaped from Grant?"
Sora was already halfway through the door, but she stuck her head back in to answer. "Matt came to rescue you."
Then she left
Later that day, they were preparing to leave again. They hoped that this time they might be able to actually make it out of the town. Matt was supervising the men as they cleaned; making sure no traces of their stay was left behind. When they were working diligently, Matt thought he might go and check on the girls. Some voice in his head told him he meant just Mimi. Secretly he thought it might be right.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he ascended the stairs. Moving to the room that he had been shown was the guest room, he knocked three times on the hard oak door to make sure that they were decent.
A lovely voice called him in. If he hadn't known better, Matt could have sworn there was an angel in there. Pushing the door open with a creak, he saw Mimi sitting on her bed, singing softly to herself. Kari and Sora were nowhere in sight. Matt walked slowly up to her, unsure of what to say. She was sewing up a hole in one of Kari's jackets, but she put down her mending to look directly at him.
Fighting the urge to melt into his eyes, she asked quietly, "You were the one to save me from Grant, were you not?"
Matt smiled. She had a funny way of talking. Almost regal. But he loved it. "Yeah." He replied easily.
"Why did you do it?" Mimi had to know.
Matt looked at her as if that was the stupidest question he had ever heard. "I couldn't stand by and let you get hurt. It goes against my nature."
Mimi nodded slowly. "But how did you ever manage it?"
Matt grinned proudly. "Carmichael's cronies haven't got half a brain between them. Once he's gone, they are at a loss. And so easy to overpower. All you have to do is pretend like you can't beat them while their boss is still around, and they'll never suspect that you're strong enough to beat them when he's gone. So we put up a mock struggle while Carmichael was still around, then once he was gone we actually tried. TK scored a direct hit to his guy's balls, which was the funniest thing I've seen in ages. He went down like a sack of beans. Kari and Sora both bit their guy's arm until he had to let go. Izzy's guy wasn't suspecting a thing, so Izzy just pulled away. Tai's guys didn't know what to do, so they had to deal with his fists. And I guess I beat up my guys pretty bad. Then the others stood guard over those Dragons while I came for you."
Mimi smiled. "You must have hurt Grant quite badly if he was willing to give me up."
Matt gave a modest half-smile. "Seeing him touch you like that, I couldn't help it. I just wanted to cause as much damage as possible."
Mimi looked back into his eyes. She saw something burning in them again. But she still couldn't identify it. What was it that made his azure eyes sparkle like that. As if in a trance, she spoke again. She almost couldn't recognise the voice that was passing her lips. "Matt?"
He was staring at her, trying to drink her all in at once. All her spirit, all her beauty. He needed to keep her next to him. He could never lose her, no matter what. All the answers were with her. "Yeah?"
"Thank you."
The group was standing just outside the door to Juliette's home. They were finally ready to leave. Thanking the three sisters for their kindness, Mimi gave them a little half bow. Angel smiled. How typical of a princess. But she wasn't going to give away the girl's secret. She stepped forward.
"Take these charms. They have been blessed, and will protect you."
She handed one out to each member of the group. Each had a small silver charm attached to a white braided thread. The silver charm was chosen especially to suit the person it was given to. Kari received a flower, Sora a heart. Izzy's was book, TK's was a star and Tai's was a lightning bolt. Matt got a sun and moon figure. Mimi stared down at hers in her palm. It was a crown.
Gulping, she turned to the three sisters. Angel was smiling at her. Mimi nervously asked them, "Who chose the charms? Who blessed them?"
Standing to tie Sora's charm around her neck, Lily replied, "The three white witches. They saw into your hearts and chose the figurines that best suited what was written there. Then they blessed them to keep you from harm."
Inspecting his sun and moon, Matt said, "Thank you for these, and for letting us stay. We won't forget it. Now we must be leaving."
Packs were hoisted onto backs and Matt called for them to start walking. Mimi took Juliette's hand. "You have my gratitude." Turning to the other sisters, she released Juliette, who looked down to her hand. "For your trouble. I will never forget the three white witches who saved me."
As the princess moved to follow the rest of her group down the street, Juliette inspected her gift. Mimi had found it in her pocket that morning. It was a pure silver earring, with three real diamonds hanging off it. Juliette smiled. This proved what she had suspected. She watched as the girl walked away. She just hoped that her real identity wouldn't lead to anybody getting hurt.
But the girl was smart. After all, she had known who the witches Lily had spoken of really were. Surely she wouldn't let that happen.
Ooh, foreshadowing anyone? Oh, not much. I'm sorry about the last few chapters. I know they've been quite sub-par, so to speak. But I had to get through them so that I could actually start on the plot (YAY! A plot!)
Oh, and I'm introducing 'Emma's useless facts about nothing in particular.' It will be a feature of every after-word of every chapter I write. Hopefully, it will expand your knowledge to such a point where your head will just explode.
Emma's useless facts about nothing in particular
In the original story of Snow White, when the hunter presented the evil queen with the pig's heart, she ate it. Raw.
