Chapter 2: Looking for Answers

Yoh had been the first down the stairs, followed by Horo-Horo. Through the crack in the door, Pirika could see that he was jumping all around, all smiles. Pirika put her ear to the door, hoping she could hear what they were saying to each other.

"Can you believe it? She's coming today!"

Yoh stopped walking down the stairs and turned to the excited brother.

"What if she brings a boyfriend?"

Suddenly a look of horror came upon her brother's face. At that, he grabbed Yoh by the callor of his shirt and began to speak in a high, nervous voice.

"She wouldn't do that. She wouldn't, would she Yoh?"
Yoh just laughed and pushed Horo off him, grinning teasingly.

"I was only joking. She knows how you are about boys."

Horo began his pacing again, knocking on everyone's doors.

"Get up! We're going to pick up Pirika after breakfast!"

Groaning, people got out of bed and trudged down the stairs. Anna easily hand slapped Horo across the face before dignifying walking down the steps. Horo-Horo tramped loudly across the hallway to Ren's room, and witha fist, beat the door until Bason swirled through it.

"Master Ren is sleeping. He says he will meet Lady Pirika when she arrives back at the house."

Horo glared at the spirit for a moment, and then with a huff scrambled down the steps after the others. And that's how Pirika found herself know, creeping down the stairs and trying to remain as unseen as possible. Finally she reached the floor and behind the couch andcould see a little into the kitchen.

Everyone was there, with the exception of Ren, all eating breakfast. Tomao was wearing a white chef hat and Horo was just stuffing most of the food down his throat. Yoh was snoozing in his chair while Anna directed Chocolove and Manta on how to hang up some of the white streamers around the kitchen. Ryu was combing his hair, begging his spirit to tell him how he looked. They were so loud; she could hear every word they said.

"She's chomp arriving at the slurp airport in ten slush minutes so hurry up and munch eat." Between mouthfuls, her brother spoke happily.

"I can't wait till she gets here, I've missed her." Tomao said, balancing trays of food and handing them to Horo.

"Well compared to all you dead beats, she has a sense of humor."

"Who are you calling a deadbeat? Ryu doesn't take kindly to insults."

"Says the guy who has hair the size of French bread!"

Now was her chance. As everyone was watching Ryu and Chocolove argue, Chocolove armed with a pair of scissors, she could do it.

"SURPRISE!"

All heads turned to stare. A blank look was mirrored on everyone's faces when suddenly a gasp broke out from among them.

"PIRIKA!"

Horo dropped his plate of food and jumped up to hug her, laughing.

"What are you doing here?"

Everyone grouped around her, like moths drawn to flames. The joy couldn't help spreading, and Pirika almost caught a glimpse of a small smile on Anna's lips. Tomao was hugging her as well, blushing and giggling. Chocolove was earnestly trying to push Horo out of the way along with a huge list of jokes. Manta was caught in the tumble, lost between the sea of legs and hiding under the table. Ryu, his hair filled with streamers, nodded his head in what he hoped was a cool greeting. But then he had to ruin it by wiping the boatload of tears from his eyes.

"SHUT UP!"

All turned to look at Anna, and remained silent.

"So Pirika, how did you get here?"

She directed her eyes to Pirika, ignoring everyone else in the room as if they weren't even there.

"Early flight. It's so nice to see all of you again!"

Anna reached under the table and pulled out Manta, then whispered something in his ear. Like a little windup soldier boy, he left the room to do as he was bid, a peeved look on his face. As he reentered the room, a huge cake balanced uneasily on his head.

"Youguysarethebest!" Pirika couldn't even breath from all the pent up emotion inside her.

The others cleared thedishes and placed the cake in front of Pirika, now sitting down at the head of the table. Horo turned out the lights and then sat right beside Pirika. The candles were little without much of a fuss, if you consider Ryu's head of hair getting on fire a fuss, I apologize. But as Pirika looked around at the faces of all her friends, smiling and singing to her in broken notes and offbeat voices, she knew that it wasn't all her friends there. Ren, the boy who had always ignored her as hard as she persisted, wasn't there at all. And even though she loved each and every one of the people right in front of her, she just couldn't feel a sense of loss reach inside her.

"Make a wish already, Pirika!"

She closed her eyes and thought for a second.

I wish AN: You'll find out later.

Pirika blew out the candles, all sixteen of them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ren awoke, his eyes flashing like a cat's in the darkness. Groggily, unlike his usual self, he yawned and stretched. But then he stiffened. Something wasn't right.

The sheets were wrapped securely around him. His pillow remained on it's proper place, underneath his head. And unlike his usual time of waking up, his alarm clock read 11:03 instead of 6:00. He had missed his morning practices and that Ainu's sister had probably already arrived from the airport.

"Bason!"

His spirit arrived, floating nervously through the door. Ren could obviosly see that Bason had wanted him to rest longer.

"What happened? I suggest that you tell me the truth."

Bason gulped. For one thing, his master wasn't straight out yelling at him. The calm before the storm.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Bason didn't need to look at the clock.

"I've missed morning practices and I'd just like to know, if you don'tmind sharing, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG HERE!"

Bason fluttered around agitatedly, unsure of what to do. Honor or servitude. Servitude or honor-

"Dammit answer me!"
His young master glared at him, standing out of bed with fists clenched.

"Your nightmares, master."

He was glaring daggers at him. He wished he had made something up.

"What about them?"

"Your uneasy sleep seemed to have, woken up one of the females from their sleep." Alright, he wouldn't tell the whole truth. Or he'd be stuck in a thimble jar for eternity.

"And pray tell who was the wench that entered my room?"
Bason remained silent. Honor or servitude. Servitude or honor.

"BASON!"
"...I swore not to tell."

All was quiet for a moment, before Ren got up and moved directly in front of Bason.

"Are you telling me you won't help your own Mas-friend?"

Ren was trying tocontain his anger again, trying to stop from sticking his spirit in a thimble jar for eternity.

Head bowed, Bason shook his head.

"Then I guess I'll find out myself."

Yeah, a little boring, but it'll get better. The next chapter will be when Ren actually tries to make Tomao confess. Too bad it wasn't her. PLEASE REVIEW!