So I'm writing these chapters within the week…waiting for the weekend to post. I want to personally thank all of those who are reading this story and reviewing it. That means a lot to me…anywho here's the next chapter~!
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: Enter: New Kids:
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A dark abandoned carnival, with an eerie feeling to it was all a small nine year old girl saw as she walked blindly past old unmoving carnival rides. Porcelain horses stared enviously at her but she kept pushing ahead, her footsteps echoing off the cemented pathway. "Yame-chan!" A high pitched voice screamed and stopping dead in her tracks, the nine year old glanced up at nothing ahead of her. "Eli?" She croaked, her voice dying in her throat before a humming filled her ears and suddenly the whole carnival burst into light; coming alive. The merry-go-round spun around, its eerie music filling her ears and bright hot flashing neon lights painted different colours across her face but nothing seemed to matter apart from the small cage hanging from thick cords on the stage straight ahead.
From where she stood yards away, Yame could make out the form of her two year old sister inside the metal cage. Small, chubby, fingers clutching the metal bars as a tearstained face stared back at her. In no time, Yame found herself jogging; her arm outstretched towards her pleading sister. "Eli!" She shouted but the girl didn't seem to see her and instead continued to cry. Picking up her pace, Yame was almost to the foot of the stage's steps when a tall, thin figure blocked it. Screeching to a stop, the nine year old glanced up and stared at a sadistically grinning brunette—Sayuri and standing only a few inches behind the brunette a few steps up was a guilty looking blonde—Emi.
"My, my…if it isn't the little heroine here to save the day!" Sayuri jeered and eyes narrowing, Yame clenched her fists before glaring at the brunette. "Get out of my way…leave Eli out of this you monsters!" She shouted and Emi glanced up remorsefully at the nine year old before Sayuri erupted in laughter and Emi's head lolled downwards once more. "Sorry Ayame-chan…but you won't be able to save her—not this time at least…you can't even save yourself!" Sayuri scoffed and Yame's eyes widened. "What are you—"
"It's over this time…it doesn't matter what you do the Guardians won't be able to win against the Celestial Five," it was Emi who had cut in. Her voice was soft and her words genuine before she looked up at Yame and the nine year old gasped. Instead of staring into Emi's large sapphire eyes, she bore into an unfamiliar pair of hazel ones. Suddenly the images before her meshed together and everything began to become a blur. Emi and Sayuri disappeared and soon the entire carnival was gone as well, Eli included. Yame stood there lost in the darkness, her breathing becoming unbearable. "Hello? Emi? Sayuri? Eli? Is anyone out there!"! She shouted but no one replied before it suddenly felt like the floor had been ripped out from beneath her. Hair whipping upwards, Yame began to fall into the darkness the only thing that could be heard was her screaming.
…
EYES snapping open, Yame bolted up in her bed breathing heavily. A thin sheet of sweat coating her tan skin, allowing a groan to slip out of her lips, Yame's eyes adjusted to her still dark bedroom. Allowing her gaze to travel over to her alarm clock she stared at the large blinking green numbers: 3:15 a.m. with another sigh, she allowed her head to crash back onto her pillow. It was the same dream she had been having for nearly three months now but somehow; it was always different. Last time she hadn't propelled to her death through a dark abyss but the faces were still the same. Emi and Sayuri were always there; along with the carnival and the whole kidnapping Eli incident that had happened nearly five years earlier. Turning her head slightly, she allowed her gaze to drift through her dark bedroom and land on the two colourful eggs resting on her desk; Tokono and Ai were still sleeping—good. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to explain this to two curious charas. Rolling onto her side, Yame allowed her drooping eyelids to shut and attempted to fall back asleep.
Head resting against the tinted window in the backseat, Yame barely registered her seven year old sister belting out the words to a new Hikaru Tomoyo song as her drooping eyelids kept threatening to slide shut. Yawning, Yame's arms fell limp in her lap and her head lolled about against the window as the jeep cruised along towards Seiyo High. Yaya didn't seem to mind the blasting music or the cd that they were forced to listen to every morning on their way to school. Humming to herself, she stared at the road ahead of her through a pair of large designer sunglasses and tapped thin fingers every so often to the beat against the steering wheel. There was a large cardboard box in the passenger seat, filled with old clothes that needed to be donated to the Red Cross. Yame and Eli occupied the backseats, one trying hard not to fall asleep and the other bopping her head about and colouring in a colouring book at the same time. Iori sat in the row behind them, strapped in his car seat and fast asleep.
As the car pulled into the school zone and slowed down considerably, Yaya glanced back at her kids through the rearview mirror and quirked a curious brow at the half asleep Yame. "Rough night kiddo?" She probed and yawning, Yame nodded as she pulled her head off the glass and allowed it to loll forward before she pressed it against the back of her Mum's seat. "I had a bad dream," she mumbled and Yaya frowned. "Another one?" She probed and Yame yawned as Eli glanced up at her older sister and grinned. "A girl in my class always has bad dreams…just stick your hand in a glass of water that'll make it go away—no that's to make yourself pee…so what makes bad dreams go away?" The seven year old mumbled to herself as her brows furrowed and she stopped colouring, placing her index finger against her chin thoughtfully.
Rubbing her eyes, Yame glanced through the windshield; they were almost at her school but she wasn't feeling very jubilant at the moment. "It's okay…I'm fine—don't worry about me!" She assured and the subject was dropped at that. As the car eased to a stop in front of Seiyo High, Yame pushed the door opened and stepped out; her leather messenger bag pressed against her chest. Slamming the door, she whirled around to face her mother. "I'll walk home today so you don't have to worry about me." She explained and Yaya nodded reluctantly as Eli slid over and screwed the window down. A large grin was plastered to her face as she allowed one arm to hang out of the window. "Yame-chan…make sure to tell Hinta-kun I said morning!" She exclaimed and instantly Yame winced before she hid it quickly and nodded; a large grin adorning her face. "Sure thing…bye!" She said and with another wave the car eased its way out of the school and on its way towards Seiyo Academy.
Hooking her messenger bag on her arm, Yame headed up the steps and into the building, eyelids drooping. Avoiding other students, Yame squeezed her way towards her homeroom greeting just about everyone who greeted her on the way. Slipping into the warm class, she easily avoided glancing at all the kids sitting on top of their desks or piling up in corners conversing as she slunk towards her assigned desk and collapsed into it. Hooking her bag on the rack on the side of her desk, she folded her arms and crashed her head into the desk releasing a deep sigh as she did so. "So how was your date? You never called me back so I never found out." A light voice called and not looking up Yame groaned and mumbled a: "it was terrible," into her arms.
Brows furrowing, Kimiko leaned into her desk as she pursed her lips. Twirling a strand of long, dark hair on a thin, pale finger she leaned forward. "How was it terrible?" She probed and turning her head sideways, Yame stared with large droopy green eyes at her best friend as she wore a frown. "He asked me to be his girlfriend," she mumbled and Kimiko's eyes widened before she grinned, her body perking upwards. "And that's bad how?" She pressed and Yame sat up straight, allowing her arms to fall limply into her lap as she stared down at her green plaid skirt.
"I refused his offer," her voice was soft and Kimiko blinked.
"Oh…well that must have made for some interesting conversation afterwards." She responded and frowning, Yame stared at her. "That's not funny Kimi-chan!" She exclaimed and Kimiko shrugged before she leaned back in her seat. Lifting the lid of Yame's messenger bag, both Tokono and Ai floated upwards and spotting Hikari resting on Kimiko's shoulder they floated towards her. "Hi-hi Hikari-chan," Ai exclaimed and the rocker chara yawned before she floated upwards and stared drily at the two enthusiastic charas. "What's up with you two? I would have thought that you two would be as bummed out as your partner over there!" Pointing her thumb back at Yame, her gaze never left the two charas who frowned and stared down at their shoes. Yawning, Hikari folded her arms behind her head and allowed her eyelids to slide shut. "I would have thought that—as the Love chara you would have chara changed with Yame-chan and made her agree to Hinta's suggestion!" She exclaimed and Ai frowned, her lower lip quivering before she floated forward.
"I could never! Love isn't something that you tamper with—it is unexplainable and unpredictable and when two people are in love they'll—ow!" Rubbing the cheek that Hikari had pulled on she stared with watery green eyes at the dark haired chara. "Yea, yea…love is blind…it is patient and never selfish…blah, blah, blah—who cares! Winning's all that matters!" She exclaimed and quirking a brow, Tokono glanced away from Ai who was rubbing her hurting cheek and stared quizzically at the rocker type chara. "Winning?" The varsity type probed and grinning, Hikari lowered herself down onto Kimiko's desk followed by the other two. "That's right…winning. Everyone just wants to win—who cares about love!" She laughed and Ai pouted as Tokono looked thoughtful.
"Are we still having our sleepover this weekend Yame-chan?" Kimiko asked and sighing, the redhead leaned back in her chair and nodded slowly. "I don't see why we can't…it might actually be a lot of fun ne?" Her large green eyes landed on her best friend who nodded a large grin on her face. "Now that's the Ayame Souma that I know!" The smaller girl smiled lightly as her ginger hair fell into her face just as the sound of laughter reached their ears. "Did you hear? Maeda Kiyoshi is coming here to Seiyo! She's coming in this exact same year!" One boy exclaimed as he grinned broadly and Yame quirked a brow. "Maeda Kiyoshi?" She probed and Kimiko nodded as she leaned back in her seat and glanced over at her friend.
"Maeda Kiyoshi is only like the most popular fourteen year old girl to ever breathe! She's a daytime television actress on some stupid drama called Sunset with a bunch of other absolutely gorgeous teenage actors. The show's okay I guess…but the stars are like impossibly good looking! Hmm, I'm actually surprised that any of them would even settle for coming to Seiyo." Kimiko explained halfheartedly as she tapped a finger against her chin and Yame blinked her eyes large as they bore into the dark haired girl across from her. "A television star is coming here? Maeda Kiyoshi?" She breathed and snapping out of her trance, Kimiko smiled softly. "Don't worry Yame-chan, there's a chance that Maeda won't even end up in the same class as us!" She pointed out and Yame nodded absentmindedly.
...
"Eh? This is it? I thought it would have been…bigger!"
Leaning against the door, Maeda glanced up at the large school building through the tinted window of the black limo. Face pressed against the glass, she didn't seem to care that her perfectly cut strawberry blonde hair was becoming disheveled or that her tie was now being crumpled under the weight of her thin body. "Behave yourself Maeda-kohai," Izzie spoke smoothly from her spot across from the younger girl. A set of oversized designer sunglasses adorned her pretty face and pushing amber hair off her shoulder, she crossed one long leg over the other. Maeda released a whiny sound from deep in her throat as she glanced back and her gaze drifted off of a stoic faced Izzie and onto a sour faced Jouichi. "Why's your face uglier than usual today?" She jeered as she slid over; her thighs bumping against the boy's and draped an arm over the boy's shoulders. "Hn," was the only thing the dark haired boy grunted as he shoved Mae's arms off him and glared out of the window.
"You're going to be late if you don't get a move on it." Izzie pointed out and ripping her gaze off of Jouichi, Maeda stared at the older girl. Frowning, Mae slid away from Jouichi and grabbing her leather messenger bag, she pressed her body against the door on her side of the limo. "Bye guys," she called as she pushed the door open and Jouichi frowned as his eyes landed on the strawberry blonde. "Don't mess this up." He deadpanned and rolling her eyes, Maeda stuck her tongue out at the boy before she slipped out of the car. Slamming the door shut behind her, she stood up tall and sliding the large sunglasses off the top of her head downwards, they covered her large sapphire eyes. "This place is so not cool," she mumbled as she pulled her bag up her arm just as the back window slid downwards and Jouichi stuck his head out.
"Head to the Admin Office and get your schedule and stuff got it? Also remember your looking for an Ayame Souma…she'll most likely be in the same grade as you understood? We'll call to check in with you at lunchtime" He ordered and nodding Maeda stepped forward. "Sure, sure…I wonder if this place even has a dining hall. Have fun at Holy Cross without me," she jeered whirling around and grinning sardonically at him before she headed up the steps. Frowning, Jouichi leaned back into the car and screwed the window upwards once more. "Bitch, I wish that she fails." He mumbled and glancing at him Izzie remained stoic. "Then that would mean that we would have failed Kaito-san, Jouichi." She pointed out and the boy scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and pursing his lips. "Serves him right…this was supposed to be your mission!" He pointed out and Izzie sighed. "Kaito knows what he's doing." She mumbled and laughing bitterly, Jouichi leaned against the glass pane, his eyes glued to the amber haired beauty. "I hope he does," he mumbled before the limo eased its way out of the parking lot.
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"Room 262…am I even going the right way?" Looking up from her schedule, Kumiko Taiki squinted at the numbers on the doors. Groaning, she hoisted her bag more comfortably onto her slim arm and tugged at her shoulder length black hair. She had been looking for her class all morning and there wasn't a single person in the halls now to help her find it. "Maybe if I go back this way—" her words died on her tongue as the sound of soft footsteps coming down a hall reached her ears. "Kumiko-chan, I think someone's coming!" A small chara pointed out as she poked her head out of Kumiko's bag. Whirling around, Kumiko watched as a thin blond boy, dressed neatly in the male's uniform elegantly descended down a flight of stairs. His lilac eyes locked with Kumiko's pale lavender ones and he quirked one thin blond brow. "Ano? Are you lost?" He probed and cheeks flushing crimson, Kumiko self-consciously rubbed the back of her neck and smiled coyly. "Er…kinda…do you think that you could maybe point me in the direction of room 262?"
Stopping in front of her, the blond boy—Kenshin Hatomi; the school's most elite student and the son of none other than Utau Tsukiyomi herself smiled softly. Lilac eyes locking on the piece of paper Kumiko was clutching between her fingers, his eyes locked with the dark haired girl. "Room 262 is back that way," he stated pointing behind them and feeling stupid, Kumiko found herself blinking. "Just go straight up the flight of stairs straight ahead and it's the second door on the right." He finished and nodding stupidly, Kumiko offered a coy smile. "Um…thanks." She muttered and with another smile, Kenshin took one step forward before spinning back around gracefully and locked eyes with Kumiko once more.
"You're Miss. Kumiko Taiki right?" He probed and feeling flustered Kumiko nodded slowly. "Y-Yes? And you are?" She insisted and with a light smile, Kenshin took one step backwards, his ID card swinging with his movements. "Kenshin Hatomi…it's a pleasure to meet the honour scholar who transferred here." He pointed out and with one more smile and before Kumiko could ask anymore questions, Kenshin was off down the hall. "How'd he?" She mumbled as she felt her cheeks flushing and shaking the flustered feeling in her gut off, Kumiko swirled around and practically ran back down the hall. "Did you see it Kumiko-chan?" The small chara known as Nakajima probed from where she hid in Kumiko's bag. "See what Naka-chan?" Kumiko probed and the dark haired chara placed a thin finger against her chin, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Never mind," she mumbled and Kumiko laughed as she headed up the steps and towards her destination.
…
Stifling a rising yawn, Yame's head slipped off her palm and crashed into the desk emitting a low groan from the redhead. Watching from the corner of her eye, Kimiko giggled at her best friend as their History teacher; Jye Tanaka continued his boring lecture on how the Japanese government worked. Leaning sideways, Kimiko prodded the redhead in the arm causing the smaller girl to jump as her eyes hidden under heavy lids slid sideways and she stared at her apparently amused friend. "Can you try to stay awake for like twenty minutes? You keep nodding off…Tanaka-san's going to catch wind of it soon." Kimiko whispered and pouting, Yame leaned her body out into the aisle. "I'm trying to…its just that—this class is so boring and I'm just so sleepy!" She whined and Kimiko giggled just as their teacher turned and raised one thin dark brow at the whispering girls.
"Souma-san, Haruka-san, if you don't mind…I'm trying to explain some very important things to your fellow classmates. Things you two should be taking note of unless of course you plan to repeat this class in this afternoon in detention." He pointed out and both girls pulled apart looking sheepishly at their Sensei as they did so.
"Sorry, Tanaka-san," they chorused and with a tight nod of his head he continued his lecture while Kimiko quickly scribbled things of importance down Yame yawned as her head smashed back into her desk. A few more minutes into the class there was a light knock at the door that Tanaka-san didn't seem to hear. "A-Ano? Sensei…someone's at the door." A shy girl in large plastic framed glasses at the front of the class pointed out and stopping his lecture once more, Tanaka-san stared at the girl before he shuffled out of the door. "I wonder what's going on." Kimiko mumbled as she tapped her pen against her lower lip. "Oh my God…you don't think that its?" A high pitched squeal sounded from the back of the class before a round of murmurs broke out in the ninth grade History class.
"I bet it's Maeda Kiyoshi!"
"You don't actually think she's joining this class do you?"
"Oh my…I've never seen a real famous person before!"
The subject was unanimous and even Yame seemed to become curious. Shaken from her sleepy state, the redhead slouched into an upright position as her large green eyes bore into the door waiting to see who stepped through it. Was a superstar really entering their class? But what was so special about Seiyo High? Why didn't this Maeda person just got to Holy Cross Academy? After all, didn't all the filthy rich people attend that snotty institution? The door opened once more and it seemed like every student present held their breath as they all leaned forward simultaneously, everyone anxious. Tanaka-san walked through the door first looking the same as usual and everyone suddenly became a little crestfallen at not seeing anyone else as the door swung shut. It soon opened again and they all watched as a petite, strawberry blond stepped in. Her uniform was—if possible even more put together than the rest of theirs.
Her pleated green plaid skirt hung a few inches above her knees and her blouse was an immaculate shade of white; not a single crimp in it. Her matching green tie was knotted neatly around her neck and was tucked into the waistband of her skirt. White knee-highs and brown loafers, and a green ribbon tied into her perfectly cut hair holding up a few tresses as she held her messenger bag by its handle in front of her. For a moment the whole class just stared; completely entranced by the beauty before them before they all broke out into loud shrieks.
"Oh my God!"
"It's her! Maeda Kiyoshi is actually in our class!"
"It's like a gift from the gods!"
Maeda offered a polite smile as she tried not to frown at all the praise. This place is definitely different alright. She moved forward and nodded. "I'm Maeda Kiyoshi, and it's a pleasure to be here!" She said in a clear, sweet voice that caused all the girls to squeal and the boys to grin stupidly while Tanaka-san sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. Kimiko sighed as she went back to jotting down notes while Yame stared wide-eyed at the blonde at the front of the class. "So that's Maeda Kiyoshi?" She mumbled and as Mae's gaze drifted over the class then suddenly clashed with Yame's. Staring for a moment, she seemed to be calculating something internally and blushing, Yame looked away just as Mae inwardly smirked. Found you. "Where do I sit Tanaka-san? This class looks a bit full," she said innocently and suddenly boys were shoving others out of seats beside them in hopes of being the actress's neighbor while girls did the same.
"Hmm, let's see." Tanaka-san said more to himself than to the class as his gaze swept around landing on an unoccupied desk in front of Yame. "You can sit in between Souma and Yazu is that alright with you Kiyoshi-san?" He probed and the blonde smiled sweetly at him before nodding. "That will be just fine," she said before she moved towards her assigned desk, the whole class watching. Settling into the seat, she hooked her leather bag, which looked like it cost about a million yen more than her classmate's onto the bag holder attached to her desk and ran her palms over the smooth wooden surface of the desk. By this time Tanaka-san had gone back to his lecture, completely aware that his students' full attention had been diverted to the new star instead of him. Kimiko was busy with her notes and Yame sat there, head propped in her hand, doodling away on the corner of her notebook page.
Brushing her stringy bangs out of her face, Mae ignored the class as she turned slightly in her seat and focused her attention on the redhead seated behind her. Feeling someone staring at her, Yame looked up and her cheeks flushed as the blonde smiled cutely. "Looks like we're neighbors…which one is you? Souma or Yazu?" She asked softly and feeling flustered, Yame could barely articulate words. Why had talking gotten so hard? Was she actually star struck? That was impossible! She had no idea who Maeda Kiyoshi was but her class did and from what she had heard this morning this girl was a huge star in Japan and maybe several other countries!
"Er…S-Souma…Ayame Souma." Yame squeaked and smiling broadly, Mae nodded as she tilted her head cutely to the side, causing her perfectly straight strawberry blonde hair to sway to that side and the few short stringy stands she considered as her bang also slipped sideways. "Well…it's a pleasure meeting you…Ayame Souma; I hope that we'll be great friends!" She exclaimed her cheeks tinting pink as Yame's did the same and with one last smile, the blonde turned slowly around in her seat and tuned into the lecture. Staring at Mae's small back for a few seconds, Yame reverted back to her first position, cheek resting on her palm, elbow propped on her desk and a bored expression plastered to her face, she continued doodling in her book; her conversation with Mae only moments before replaying in her memory. Unconsciously the redhead started humming happily to herself, her previous exhaustion escaping her at the moment.
A smug smirk tugged at the corners of Maeda's lips. Twirling a strand of blonde hair around her thin index finger, she crossed her ankles under the desk. Leaning forward, Mae paid no attention to the lecture because it meant nothing to her she was too busy calculating just how she'd befriend the ever friendly Ayame Souma and just how she would infiltrate the Guardians. The Egg in her bag; a black egg with flames dancing around it shook slightly as Mae chanced a glance over her shoulder and watched as Yame doodled before she tapped her fingers against the desk and stared out the window. Head jerking upwards, Hikari stared blankly at nothing in particular, had she just felt the presence of another chara—besides herself, Tokono and Ai? But who could have a chara in here and…why was this the first time she was sensing it?
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There you go! Clearly the longest chapter I've ever written EVER! Nah I'm just kidding with you all…trust me next chapter—you meet the other Guardian members again…no lie and if I am lying then I'll do the monkey dance *grins evilly* not gonna happen so they WILL be in the next one…once again thanks for reading and I'll be back in approximately 2.5 hundred years with an update! Ja~