Disclaimer: Characters from Saiyuki and Guilty Gear don't belong to me!

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Chapter 8

A week had passed quickly and Yaone still had not found the cure for Anji.

"I tested it on my mice and what happened? They changed back into adult mice for only a day. I need a permanent cure…"

It was just another day in the hostel. May and Dizzy had dragged Anji out for a ball game. Laughing merrily, the three of them played on the small court that the hostel had.

"Get it, Anji!" called Dizzy, throwing out the ball.

Anji leaped to get the ball, but it flew over his head and landed into the line of thick bushes that surrounded the court.

"Ahhh," said May. "Look what you did, Dizzy!"

"Sorry!" said Dizzy. "Let me go and bring it back…"

"I will go!" volunteered Anji and he ran off to the bushes.

Anji looked at the ground for the ball, but he didn't see it. Finally, he reached the other side of the bushes and found himself facing the hostel.

"Eh… where is it?" muttered Anji.

"Are you looking for this?"

Anji looked up and found Millia, holding the ball.

"Ah, yes!"

Smiling slightly, Millia gave the ball to Anji.

"Arigato!" said Anji politely as he took the ball. "You want to come and play with us?"

Millia shook her head and sat down on the bench nearby. She crossed her legs and stared at the hostel, thinking about something.

"… Are you okay?" asked Anji innocently.

Millia blinked and looked at Anji. She then smiled and shook her head.

"I'm… just thinking."

"About what?"

Millia stared at Anji. "You want to know?"

Anji nodded.

Millia sighed and said, "Actually this Sunday is my birthday."

"Oh!" said Anji and said cheerfully. "Happy birthday!"

"There's nothing to be happy about."

"… Eh? Why?"

"I have forgotten how my parents celebrated my birthday when I was a child. Then when I entered the Assassins… I mean, when I went to a… um, school, the people there never celebrate my birthday. I spent my birthday killing… I mean, I spent my birthday like any other day."

"Every year?"

"Every year." said Millia, nodding. "Now that my birthday is coming, I can't help feeling a little depressed… keep thinking about how I spent my past birthdays…"

"Oh…"

Millia got up and brushed the dust off her skirt. "Well, I guess I will go now. Bye."

"Bye!" said Anji, waving as Millia left.

Soon after the blonde left, Anji heard Dizzy and May calling for him.

"Anji! Anji!"

"Where did he go?"

"I'm here!" called Anji, running back into the bushes.

When he reached Dizzy and May, he asked straightaway, "May-chan, Dizzy-chan, how do you celebrate your birthday?"

"Eh?" asked Dizzy and May.

"Just tell me."

"Hmm, for mine…" said Dizzy slowly and smiled. "Once Testament gathered all of the animals in the grove and let me played with them the whole day…"

"And for mine," said May in excitement. "Johnny always gives me a bouquet of flowers! Sometimes he will dance with me, sometimes we will hold a big party in the Mayship…"

"So Testament celebrates your birthday," said Anji to Dizzy and turned to May. "And Johnny celebrates yours."

Silence.

"Well, you could say that." said Dizzy and May finally.

"So there must be a boy to celebrate a birthday…" said Anji slowly.

"Err, no, it's not that…" said Dizzy, shaking her head.

But Anji had already run off, saying, "I got it!"

"Anji!" cried the two girls.

Anji ran to the canteen and looked around for the person that he had in mind, but all he saw was Ky talking to Jam at the stall.

"Oniisan!" called Anji, running to Ky.

"Hi there, Anji," said Ky, smiling. "What's up?"

"Have you seen that oniisan with long brown hair and a red thing around his head?"

"Wha…Oh." said Ky, his smile fading. "That will be Sol."

Anji nodded.

"No, haven't seen him. Even if he's around, I don't really want him to be in my sight…"

"Oh… thank you anyway!" said Anji and he ran off.

"Out of all the guys in the hostel, he has to go and find that one, wonder what's up…" said Ky.

"So Ky," said Jam, leaning forward with her cheeks on her hands. "Interested to come and work for me?"

"… I thought we have dropped that topic?"

Anji ran up the stairs of the hostel and bumped into Johnny.

"Oi, squint, where's the fire?" asked Johnny, smiling.

"Where's Sol-san?" asked Anji.

"Sol? No idea," said Johnny, shrugging. "Making out with Millia somewhere? Or fighting with Kiske in the Combat Room?"

Anji shook his head. "Can't be, I just saw Ky and Millia…."

"Together?" asked Johnny with interest.

Anji shook his head again and Johnny groaned with disappointment.

"Oh. Well, I think Kiske rather die than touch Sol's girl… Ah, I know, try the Music Library."

"Where is that?" asked Anji.

"First floor. Go down the stairs and turn left."

Straightaway, Anji went down the stairs after giving his thanks and headed for the Music Library. Anji looked at the "Music Library" and pushed the door open.

The room was extremely quiet, just like a library. Rows and rows of CDs, MDs, and even ancient cassette tapes and LPs were on display. They were sorted by their genre, then by alphabetical order. For example, music by the band 'Queen' was under the rock music section, under the letter 'Q'. Two computers were on, showing the borrowing page on the screens.

Anji walked past a few sections before he found Sol sitting on the armchair with headphones on. His eyes were close, as if he were resting.

"Sol-san?"

No response.

"… Sol-san?" asked Anji uncertainly.

Sol opened his eyes slowly and gave Anji a stare. "… What?"

Smiling widely, Anji asked, "Do you know what's happening on Sunday?"

"…No."

"It's Millia-san's birthday!"

"… Hah?" asked Sol, taking off his headphones and pressing the button 'Pause' on the player.

"It's Millia-san's birthday, this Sunday!"

"… So?"

"So are you going to celebrate it for her?"

"Why me?"

"Because you are her friend!" said Anji innocently. "Her friend who is a boy!"

"… I don't get it."

"She will be happy if you celebrate it with her!"

"I have no time for that kind of thing." said Sol and putting his headphones back.

"But…"

But Sol had closed his eyes again, meaning that the conversation was over.

Anji frowned and said, "Meanie!"

Sol opened his eyes and glared at Anji with annoyance.

"She really wants someone to celebrate it with her! Especially you!" said Anji loudly. "She will be sad if no one celebrate it with her!"

Sol just looked at Anji and didn't say a thing.

"Can you hear me?"

"…You go and celebrate it with her then."

"Fine!" said Anji and he stormed off, saying, "I hate you! You will make Millia-san cry!"

Sol looked as Anji ran out of the door and closed his eyes once more. Then he pressed the 'Play' button again.

"Meanie… he's so mean… why he doesn't want to celebrate…" said Anji angrily as he went back to Baiken's room.

"Mummy!" he called.

Baiken looked up from the newspaper she was reading. "What?"

"I want money." said Anji, his hand out.

"… What?" she exclaimed.

"I want to buy something."

Baiken looked at Anji and said finally, "What are you trying to do?"

"It's Millia-san's birthday this Sunday, I want to buy something for her." said Anji truthfully.

Baiken stared at Anji and frowned. "Are you crazy? She's not related to you at all, get Sol to celebrate it for her."

"Sol-san doesn't want!"

"Then don't bother." said Baiken, returning to her newspaper. "I'm not going to let you spend my money on unnecessary things. I still need to pay my rent."

"But Millia-san will be very sad if no one celebrates her birthday!"

Baiken didn't respond. She continued to read her paper.

"Mummy!"

"…"

"… You are so bad, just like Sol-san." said Anji finally. "I don't want you to be my mummy now!"

Baiken slowly put down her paper and looked at Anji.

"Good." said Baiken after a pause. "If you like Millia Rage so much, go and get her to be your Mummy."

Anji pouted and went out again. Baiken looked up, wondering whether she should get him back, but then shrugged and returned to her newspaper.

Anji ran to Room 17 and knocked on the door. "Millia? Millia-san!"

A few seconds later, Millia opened her room and looked at the boy in front of her. "What is it, Anji?"

"Come with me!" said Anji straightaway.

Millia blinked.

"What for?"

"I want to celebrate your birthday!" said Anji happily, smiling widely.

"… Hah?"

"I want to celebrate it today! Then you will be happy earlier!" said Anji, taking Millia's hand. "Come, come!"

"Erm…" started Millia and smiled. "Okay."

She then let Anji to take her towards the stairs, where they met Dizzy.

"Eh? Where are you going?" asked Dizzy curiously.

"Ah, Dizzy-chan!" said Anji excitedly. "Want to celebrate Millia-san's birthday with us? It's her birthday this Sunday!"

"Really?" said Dizzy and smiled. "Okay, let's go!"

Dizzy went to take Millia's other hand and the two of them took the blond assassin away. Straightaway, Millia felt like she was babysitting two children.

Two very innocent children.

Slowly, she smiled.

Night

Ky was reading up on the history of Illyuria when someone knocked onto his door. Quickly, he placed his bookmark on the page and closed it.

"Coming!" he responded to the urgent knocks on the door.

He opened it and straightaway, he met the serious faces of Baiken, Testament and May.

"… Yes?"

"Have you seen Dizzy, Kiske?" asked Testament.

"No."

"What about Anji?" asked Baiken. Her face was serious, but Ky could tell that she's worried.

"No… what happened?"

"They are missing," said Testament. "We can't find them anywhere."

Ky's eyes widened and grabbed Testament's shoulders. "Dizzy is missing? With Anji? How could you just lose her like that? You are supposed to watch over her!"

Testament took Ky's hands off roughly. "I didn't expect this, human." he snapped. "Last time I saw her, she said she's going to play ball with May and Anji. Now what happen? I should have followed her…"

May was close to tears. "But Dizzy and I went separate ways after Anji ran off. I didn't mean…"

"Anji ran off? For what?" demanded Baiken loudly.

"I don't know!" said May, shaking her head.

Ky thought for a while and said, "Well, Anji did ask me about Sol's whereabouts when I last saw him…"

A loud series of knocking was heard and everyone turned to see Sol knocking on Millia's door.

"Millia? Rage? Oi, open up!"

"Sol!" screamed Baiken and went to Sol. Grabbing his shirt, she asked, "Where's Anji?"

Sol looked at Millia's door and back at Baiken. "I get it. That boy of yours must have taken Millia out! Now where's that brat of yours?"

"How would I know? I'm asking you!"

"W-wait," said Ky, holding up his hand. "If Anji is missing, and so have Dizzy and Millia, could this mean that they are together?"

Everyone looked at Ky and Ky shrugged. "It's just a guess."

"Boy Scout may be right," said Sol, folding his arms. "I did tell Anji to go and celebrate Millia's birthday…"

"Birthday?" asked Ky.

"It's her birthday on Sunday."

Baiken thought for a while and cursed. "That idiot! Takes things too seriously..."

"Could he and Millia be outside? And they took Dizzy as well?" asked May innocently.

Silence.

"Dizzy! Dizzy, where are you?" called Testament as he ran on the shopping street. It was already near 10 o'clock, but people could still be seen walking around, doing some last-minute shopping before the shops closed.

"Rage? Oi, Millia!" called Sol and when he received no response, he called, "Oi, brat! Anji! Dizzy!"

"Anji!" called Baiken and paused. "Oi, Mummy is only joking with you, come out and stop playing!"

The candy shop owner was about to close his shop when Ky dashed in.

"Oi! I'm closing!" said the shop owner.

"Sorry," said Ky quickly. "But it's an emergency. Have you seen a lady with long blond hair with a blue-haired teenager and a boy with glasses?"

The shop owner thought a while and nodded. "Yeah, I have seen them a few hours ago. The boy and girl took a lot of sweets in my shop, but it's the blonde who has paid for them in the end."

"Where did they go?" asked Ky eagerly.

The shop owner shrugged and Ky's shoulder slumped with disappointment.

"Okay, merci." said Ky and he left to meet up with the others near the junction.

"Found them?" asked Ky but he knew the answer already.

"Stupid, if we have found them, we will tell you." said Sol, his hand on his hip.

"Well, let's try other areas of the shopping street, maybe…" started Ky when Sol suddenly pushed him to one side. "Hey, what are you…"

Sol ignored Ky and moved forward. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Dizzy."

"Where?" asked Ky and Testament at the same time and Sol pointed towards the dark alley.

Sure enough, Ky could make out the white and green wings on Dizzy's back as she lay on the dirty floor. Before Testament could move, he had already run off towards the young half-Gear.

Ky picked her up in his arms and shook her gently. "Dizzy? Dizzy, wake up!"

Dizzy didn't respond. Testament touched her and said, "She's still alive, thank goodness…"

"But where's Anji and Rage?" asked Baiken.

No one could respond. Sol turned as he looked around and he heard a crack under his foot. Looking down, he removed his foot.

"Oi, Baiken."

"What?" asked Baiken and Sol pointed down.

Baiken looked down and all she saw were a pair of broken round-framed glasses and strands of blond hair.