Chapter III

Of shadows and …ice lollies?

Another day approaching, the sunlight streamed through the windows, Kotori laid still on her bed, waiting patiently for the medics to finish while they examined her. She had long since known now that it was better to cooperate, knowing if she didn't the knights would restrain her.

Staring out her bedroom window, Kotori sighed, bored. She knew this routine well by now, it was sleep, eat and oh and guess what more sleep she thought sarcastically.

Sleep, that's all the medics wanted her to do now, claiming that if she did so, she would heal quicker, and would be as right as rain in no time, yeah thought Kotori pretending to be overjoyed. Her thoughts were interrupted and she was brought back to reality by Bessi.

"Well, it seems you've recovered fully from the illness, Kotori…you're free to go" said Bessi, with something akin to amusement and she knew what Kotori would be doing when she left this room.

"What! You're serious" replied Kotori astounded and for one moment felt afraid that they may only be joking.

A chuckle escaped the elderly medic, and she sensed Kotori's uncertainty, then with a curt nod at Kotori she stood and said "Yes, Kotori, I'm serious" then left the room closing door behind her.

"Yippee!" Kotori screamed, causing all the medics in the corridor to chuckle, and she wasted no time in getting out of bed and grabbing her clothes and sword and headed straight for the bathroom.

Once dressed, she stepped out of her bedroom for the first time in many weeks, without needing permission and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she breathed the fresh air. Opening them again, a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and her lips turned into a devilish smile. Yes, indeed it was time to join her friends again, and get some serious training done, and she ran the length of the corridor and somersaulted off the edge, the medics screaming Kotori's name as she fell down three levels to the ground.

Her hand reaching out, Kotori grabbed the banner that Hitomi had used previously to escape the medics and she slid down till her feet touch the ground. Waving back up at the medics with a toothy grin, resembling a five year old, Kotori ran out the tower with all the speed she could muster to her destination, the library!

Encountering no one on her way, Kotori slowed down considerably when she reached the library not wanting to look suspicious, and she glided in through the door, grinning like the idiot she was.

Looking round, she saw only a few of the gummi's occupied the library, so careful not to be seen, she sneaked away, and into the restricted section. Cautious, she stayed alert not wishing to be caught in the restricted area by one of the Councillors and she passed several bookcases until she came to the one she wanted.

Looking sideways to be extra sure that she was alone, she reached out her hand, and lightly her fingers traced along the spines of the books, until they stopped at the one she wanted.

Her grin if possible widened, and she pulled it off the shelf, and held it in her hands, then walked over to her dark secluded corner in the shadows, sat down and opened the book and began reading from where she left off.

Several hours later, dinner had come and gone, Ginni walked down the corridors worried. He had been up to Kotori's room early that morning in hope to escort her to breakfast and hopefully if luck was with him, train with her, but it seemed that she had been too eager to leave her rooms as soon as possible, not surprising when she had spent two months confided to her bedroom. Respecting her wishes, he had left to perform his knightly duties, but then he didn't see her at dinner either and it was beginning to concern him.

Stealthy creeping around in the shadows about the castle, his eyes full of rage and vengeance, Sir Timmi kept a close lookout to what was happening. He was determined not to let anything get in his way, to make Hitomi his.

His hand on the wall, his eyes squinting in the dark, he crept along, unknown to anyone that he was there, constantly looking sideways and behind his shoulder to make sure nobody was following, or see him for that matter.

Then something caught his eye out of the corner. A young gummi in the corner sat on the floor, book in hand, her face and fur charcoal black, from where he stood, yet knew somehow that it was a chestnut brown, then taking in her raven black hair which, fell to her waist, he knew it was Kotori.

Clearly showing his surprise, for he knew Kotori was a fighter and a prankster, and always loved to cause mischief he never in a million years thought he would see Kotori in the library, reading a book and actually studying for he knew that Kotori hated it. It would seem that even after all these years he had known, she never ceased to surprise him.

Looking closely, and careful not to give himself away, since this was Kotori, he read the title of the book she held, and his eye widened slightly when he saw it, he pulled back curious to why she would be reading such a book. Observing her for a few moments, he smiled cruelly, then continued on in the shadows.

Kotori's head snapped up from the book and her eyes searched the room frantically, a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach and she felt she was being watched. Standing up from her place on the floor she closed the book with a sudden snap, and she quickly placed it on the shelf again, she didn't want to see again. What she had read disturbed and frightened her, and with someone watching her only added to it, and she vowed while leaving the library she wouldn't read that book again.

Stumbling out of the library, she stood in the corridor thinking of what she should do, when her stomach growled.

"Well" Kotori laughed nervously "Guess the decision been made for me. Kitchen it is then" she said then headed off in that direction.

Reaching the kitchen in record time, she popped her head round the door, and beamed when she saw it was empty. Good, no one to bother me thought Kotori happily, and she grabbed several bowls, and some milk and sugar.

"Now time to getter work" she chirped then set about putting in the ingredients.

Time flew by, and before they knew it two hours had passed, but one gummi did not take it well, and he pent his frustration on the wall, grimacing as his fist connecting with the wall. He had been released from duty for a while now, and still he hadn't seen Kotori, where had that girl, no woman got to.

Stomping off in a huff, he headed off in the direction of the Great Hall, where he knew the Councillors would be at this time of day, instead of in their usual tower.

So frustrated was he, that he didn't notice a certain dark haired angel, at first when he banged open the door, until he felt something shatter, a few inches from his face. Surprised he spun round, his eyes landing on what looked like frozen milk on a stick, on the floor, and his eyes slowly travelled up the floor, up the table, then finally settled on his angel.

Kotori stared at him, between shocked and mortification at what she had just done and wished that the floor would just open up a hole and swallow her up. She had been happily licking away at her new invention of an ice lolly when it got stuck to her tongue, she tried to get it to come loose, when it eventually did, went flying through the air and smacked just mere inches away from his face, and now as she stared at him, she could feel her face become hot, and knew she was blushing.

Quickly shutting her mouth, as not to look like a codfish, she stood and walked round the table, and towards the door, intending to go, when she stood beside him, she looked into his eyes.

He sucked in his breath, and saw her stare into his eyes, and opened his mouth about to say something when she fled the room, without once looking back.

TBC…