A/N: I'm sorry, this chapter is a bit short and quite a tease to boot. We're almost to the end, just one chapter left and then a bonus page of YnM silliness. Yes, I like the bonus pages in many of the manga I read so I feel the need to add some of my own.
A small warning: Yuma and Saya have potty mouths, I don't know why, I kind of like them that way.
Additional notes at the bottom of this story so please read and enjoy!
Disclaimer: No matter what I do to them in my sick little mind, they are not mine. However I am willing to pay many many millions of yen to Sony Robotics if they can produce me a life like Touda robot.
GRRRRR! Disregard the roman numerals, for what ever reason FF will not let me format this chapter properly so they are just there as a page break, sorry
I
Rikugo slipped out of bed and tiptoed out to the balcony to find out what the disturbance was. All of his eyes opened wider at the sight in the distance. A large number of Shikigami and Shinigami were running in various directions from the hot springs in various states of undress.
"Ri-chan, what is it?"
Rikugo motioned for Taimo to join him oh the balcony. She stood up, stretching lazily and shuffled to the door blinking (I think).
"They look like they've seen a ghost," she commented blandly.
Rikugo smirked.
"In some sense, yes they did. A blonde ghost from Osaka with a knack for stirring up trouble."
Taimo nodded thoughtfully.
"Well it doesn't look like anything they can't handle. Come back to bed."
Rikugo smiled and allowed her to pull him gently back into the room.
II
Watari sat on his bed, head in hands and sighed into the stillness of the night, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. He felt foolish.
What were you thinking, Yutaka? It was a potion, even if the plan had been successful, it would have been fleeting, momentary at best. In the morning things would have been much worse once Tatsumi realized he had been manipulated.
The blonde sobbed convulsively. It was only the first day of the two-week vacation and he had managed irreparable damage. He longed to be back in his lab where he could shut out the world and throw himself into his research, obliterating all thoughts of his broken heart.
Watari got up to close the window just as the bells in the clock tower began to toll the hour. In a few minutes it would all be over, and everyone could go back to enjoying themselves. He slipped off his robe and flung himself onto the bed, burying himself deep under the covers. He knew he would not sleep, but he was willing to suffer the pretense of sleep to avoid the eyes of the people he betrayed, the people he had called friends. With the windows closed, the room suddenly seemed a lot darker than it had been. The candle, which had been illuminating the whole room, still burned, but the light did not fall far from around it, as if the room has become submerged in shadows. Watari gasped, sensing movement, and looked around sharply. The room was in fact cloaked in total darkness.
"Wh-who's there?" Watari groped for his glasses that he had flung carelessly when he entered.
A robed figure materialized out of the darkness, drifting slowly toward his bed.
"Yutaka."
III
Touda grimaced, cursing his inability to walk a straight line. A powerful force of destruction though he may be, when it came to drinking, Touda was a lightweight. He wandered aimlessly in a direction he hoped was facing away from the castle, trying not to think about the hang over he'd suffer in the morning. Something snaked out of the darkness and wrapped itself around his ankle. With a sharp tug the Shiki was pulled off his feet and hanging upside down from a high tree branch. He shut his eyes and let out a groan as the contents of his stomach tossed dangerously.
"Touda?"
Touda stiffened with recognition, mentally cursing. Of all the people who could have found him in this position, why did it have to be her? Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes, expecting to see her face, upside down and full of sadistic glee. However that was not the case. He could not immediately comprehend why she was right side up and her hair stood on end, nor could he figure out why she looked very much like a nervous tomato. Realization cleared the drunken mist from his mind and Touda smirked slightly at the sight in front of him. Ensnared by another vine, hanging in much the same fashion, mere inches from his own form was Suzaku. Had his stomach not threatened to empty itself unceremoniously with the slightest movement, he might have laughed outright.
IV
Nonomiya spotted him, not far ahead of her, running towards the living quarters. With a smile she sped up.
"Daddy!"
Konoe turned to see his daughter running and waving. He looked around; there was no sign of the enemy.
"What is it Miya?"
"There's not much time! Kazuma thinks Tatsumi miscalculated how long he'd been there. I asked Watari; it will wear off in about an hour. Here, use this room to hide."
Konoe dived for the door, asking no questions. Nonomiya slammed the door behind him and locked it with a grin. Kazuma popped out from behind the column she had hidden between.
"Are your mom and dad both in there?"
Nonomiya nodded, jangling the key before kissing her partner playfully. "And I threw on a few magic seals for good measure. Let's get to our room now."
Kazuma grabbed the younger girls arm and ran for their own room.
"By the way, whose room is that?"
Nonomiya grinned wickedly.
"It's a storage closet, but Tenku was kind enough to furnish it with a small futon."
V
Terazuma sat of the ledge of his window looking out at the forest illuminated by moonlight. Using his last cigarette, he lit another. He had done this six times since Watari's announcement just over 25 minutes before. He exhaled fiercely cursing the scientist in twenty different languages. If it hadn't been for Watari's idiotic potion he would have told her already, and perhaps they would be together right now. He glared at the wall, the foot of stone and masonry that separated him from her, as if willing it to crumble away with his look. He lit another cigarette and flung the old one out the window and hopped off the ledge, crossing the room until he was a foot from the offending wall. Raisin his fist, Terazuma punched the wall, or rather, attempted to punch the wall, but his fist met air and he lost balance, falling to the floor.
"Hajime?"
Terazuma lifted his head upon hearing his name. His mouth gaped open and his cigarette dropped forgotten to the floor. Where the wall should have been was something very different indeed.
VI
Saya and Yuma had a dilemma on their hands. Self-preservation had never really been a factor to the girls before, especially when an opportunity like this presented itself. Armed with video cameras, several Pink House outfits and a discreet white package from a mail order catalog called Adam and Eve, the Hokkaido duo stood nervously glancing around the main hall embroiled in a debate.
"Hisoka and Tsuzuki! Come on we've been dying to get them together for ever!"
"But the Tengu, Yuma! We have all the time in the world for Tsuzuki and Hisoka!"
Yuma squirmed and hopped around like she was doing the potty dance.
"Oh but then there's so many others! Byakko, Touda, Soryuu! I can't decide!"
"Well if we stand here too long we're just going to fall in love with each other, go back to our rooms, fuck like bunnies and miss all the fun!"
"Hey that does sound like fun!"
"Damn girl you are insatiable! Look, Let's find the Tengu and I promise, tomorrow morning I'll do you nine ways to Sunday!"
Suddenly there were footsteps in the hall and both girls turned to see Genbu walking in their direction and self-preservation finally had meaning.
"Oh shit, run!"
Fleeing the hall the girls found themselves lost in what appeared to be the clock tower. Climbing giant cogs and avoiding oversized pendulums was a hard enough feat, but silk kimonos and high-heeled slippers made it almost impossible.
"Crap! How the hell are we going to get out of here?"
"Wait, Saya there's a door over-AHH!" Yuma yelped as something caught her around the waist from behind, whisking her off her feet and into the air.
"Hey Kojiro I found a stray, can we keep it?"
The pale dark-haired Tengu chuckled lightly and flew up from the shadows carrying a very dazed Saya bridal style.
"See, I told you, the clock tower may be the most difficult place to navigate, but it always has the best finds."
Kotaro rolled his eyes.
"You're thinking about video games at a time like this?"
VII
Byakko sailed lazily about the sky observing the chaos below as everyone scrambled to find their true loves, or a safe place to hide. He loved flying and knew that everyone else would be too panic-stricken to take to the skies. He rolled onto his back and let the wind buffet him away from the castle towards the hills beyond the forest. As much as he wanted to stay behind and find out what happened, he knew this was the safest alternative. Skimming the tops of the trees he turned onto his belly, getting an eyeful of raw teenage dragon lust as he swept over a clearing. Not bothering with discretion, he flew in low giving a thumbs-up to Kijin and his very startled lover before taking to higher elevations again. He drew closer to the crest of the highest mountain and circled lazily, intending to land with flourish, but found himself crashing to the ground without grace as something large, blue and scaly glomped him out of the sky.
VIII
Tsuzuki was bored. He paced his room grumbling about the fact that he was bored. He couldn't fault Watari though. It had been worth a shot. Tsuzuki was fully aware that the scientist and the secretary wanted each other and he had told both of them as much on many occasions. He couldn't really see Tatsumi doing anything to initiate a relationship, but Watari's acute shyness in Tatsumi's presence was almost comical. This was the same Watari that had no problem grabbing his ass for a laugh in the break room, or Terazuma's or Konoe's for that matter. What really frustrated Tsuzuki was how jealous he was. Even if Tatsumi and Watari wanted to play dumb, they at least could take comfort in knowing each others feelings, even if Tsuzuki was the one who had to make them aware of them. He still had nothing. Not the slightest hint of how Hisoka felt. What was worse it that surely, being an empath, Hisoka was fully aware of his feelings, and the fact that he made no move to reciprocate depressed Tsuzuki.
"Tenku?"
"Yes Tsuzuki?"
"How's he doing?"
"Hisoka?"
"Yeah."
"Not well I'm afraid."
"What?" Tsuzuki stopped pacing. Fear and worry flashed in his violet eyes.
"He is crying, Tsuzuki."
Tsuzuki's heart broke into a million pieces. Why? What could have caused him to cry?
"Tenku?"
"Yes, Tsuzuki."
"Are the lights on? Hisoka hates the dark."
"I have brightened his room more so than the others, I to remember the boys fears."
"And yet, he's till crying?"
"He has been very upset since he returned to my depths."
Tsuzuki raked his hands though his hair and looked around the room in desperation. His eyes landed on the drawing table. Scribbling furiously, Tsuzuki filled a full page of the ornate paper with his barely legible scrawl. Folding the paper he set it on the desk.
"Tenku, please deliver this to Hisoka."
Hisoka felt a slight swish in the air and something soft grazed his cheek. He lifted his head from the pillow and looked t the letter that had magically appeared in his room. With caution and reservation, he pulled open the envelope and unfolded the note inside.
Hisoka,
I am sorry. Tenku has told me that you are crying. I want you to know that everything is going to be all right. Watari's potion will wear of soon and everyone will be back downstairs to continue the party. I know, you say you don't like parties, but I saw you having fun with Kijin and Byakko and I saw you smiling. I love your smile, Hisoka, and it pains me to know that it is not me that makes you smile. I want to make you smile, and feel true joy. What do I have to do? I love you. I am sorry. I love you and please understand that it is not Watari's potion that causes me to say this. I can not see you right now so I know these are the feelings that are true in my heart. I know, because I have felt them everyday for longer than you know. If you do not feel the same, I understand. I don't want you to feel like you are obligated to do anything because of them. I just want you to be happy. Tell me what I can do to make you happy.
Love,
Tsuzuki
Hisoka blinked as a door appeared in the wall between His and Tsuzuki's room. Slowly he slid out of the bed and approached it with his hand extended to the doorknob. Just before making contact he pulled back with a sigh. There were still ten minutes until the potion wore off. He didn't want Tsuzuki to think that he was doing this out of some chemical imbalance. By the same token, he wasn't entirely sure if Tsuzuki really wasn't under the spell of Watari's potion. Since when had any of them worked the way Watari said they would anyway? He sighed; steeling his nerves and opened the door. Tsuzuki was sitting cross-legged on his bed wearing a pair of flannel pajamas. His hair was ruffled and dark circles shadowed his beautiful eyes. He turned as he heard the door creak open, gracing Hisoka with a tired, yet genuine smile.
"Idiot. Stop apologizing for things that are not your fault!" Hisoka growled before running the length of the room and throwing himself into his partner's arms.
Ooooo Cliff hanger! So there you go, 9 ½ pairs of happy people. Can you guess them now?
A few things that may need to be explained:
-Taimo may or may not be a woman. He/she seems to have a womanly shape, but in volume 10 English translation Hisoka says "That guy has no face." So I made her a woman because I found it better that Tatsumi be jealous of a straight guy.
-I have read on a few sites that Wakaba is supposed to be junior high age. I was 14 when I started high school so the idea that Terazuma wants to jump his 14 year-old partner kind of squeams me out, regardless of how much older her spirit is than his. So let's just pretend she's 16 like Hisoka okay? That's legal in most of the world.
-Saya and Yuma's "discreet white package from a mail order catalog called Adam and Eve." Adam and Eve is a mail order catalog that sells, um, "toys" of various sorts that you must be a certain age to purchase. It's the kind of place I can see the count having a frequent shopper card for. God only knows what the hentai girls plan on doing with them.
-Tengu: Matsushita's explanation of Tengu is very close to what I had already read about them. However, in looking at the mythology I have found that "brother" takes on a whole different meaning. Tengu are born in pairs, but are hatched from separate eggs, cultivated from the souls of the arrogant. Two are born at once to maintain the Yin and Yang balance. This in now way implies that they are "brothers" in the familial sense, which makes me happy because there is something really super creepy about incest and I don't understand other people's fascination with it (Maybe that's because I've been to Alabama and Arkansas). Also, I couldn't help my little pathetic attempt at a funny. When I wrote the first part about Watari hearing the clock tower bells, I immediately thought of Castlevania, which is my all time favorite video game series. The clock tower is my all time least favorite level on any of the games since the first one, but it always seems to be the place that you find some really cool artifact that ups your power a lot. In recent games the hero tends to be really prissy and whiny and so it amused me to think of Saya and Yuma as the heroes, and the Tengu as a male version of the Harpies. I'm such a dork.