Lost Stage: Soul Ignorance
By Jyoohan
Phase 005 – Around the Mountain, We will Go
0701 Hours – April 4, 2011
Azumano Track Field – Can't wait to meet you
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Few girls tried to hide their smiles.
Riku stood up annoyed from her friends constant questioning. "Yes, I said I'm fine." Some of the girls giggled. "What is wrong with all of you?" Riku stared at the track team all looking away and glancing at her.
"They said Dark was at your house, didn't you talk to him or something? Ask him out?" Riku flushed in anger at the thought of being near Dark.
"Why would I want to ask that pervert to go out with me?" Riku turned around and headed to the locker room.
"We're sorry! We didn't mean to get you mad!" The captain of the Track team tried to get Riku to come back.
"Forget it! I'm skipping after school practice, too!" Riku disappeared around the corner.
"Well I don't blame her." The captain giggled with the rest of the team.
Meanwhile, Riku quickly changed out of her P.E. uniform while mumbling to herself. "I can't believe my own friends would ask me such stupid things." Riku slammed her locker and began to head towards her homeroom.
"They really need to see that Dark guy for who he really is. Who does he think he is? Coming into people's homes and... oh." Riku grumbled walking down the hallway. "But..." Riku looked at her left hand. 'What is this thing? And why does it have my name on it?" Riku played with the ring and made another fruitless attempt to take the ring off.
Riku didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming quickly towards her. "Ah!" Riku fell on the cold floor, rubbing her bottom feeling it getting a bit sore. "Hey! Why don't' you watch where-." Riku stopped mid-sentence seeing Daisuke rubbing his head. Apparently, his head went straight into the wall. Poor wall has a dent, too.
"Oh, um... Harada-san. Good Morning." Daisuke laughed nervously.
"Niwa-kun?" Riku felt her body feeling very tense.
0716 Hours – April 4, 2011
Daisuke and Riku's Homeroom – A happy field trip... yeah right!
"So, why were you in such a hurry?" Riku sat on the windowsill next to Daisuke's desk. "And doesn't your side supposed to still hurt?" Riku thought about the injury.
"Oh that? I'm alright really, I feel all better now." Daisuke patted the spot where he supposedly had few broken ribs. 'It seems changing bodies has its advantages.' Daisuke thought to himself.
'You bet it is.' Dark hummed.
"I can't believe you could heal that fast." Riku was a bit curious seeing him healthy after that bad fall. "But, I'm glad... that you feel better now." Riku voice went to a whisper but Daisuke still heard her.
"Thanks, Harada-san." Daisuke smiled but stopped feeling his bag jumping.
"Huh? What was that?" Riku stared at Daisuke's bag curiously.
"Ah... well, can you keep a secret?" Daisuke smiled shyly.
Riku turned her face trying to hide her blushing face. 'Why am I acting like this?' Riku stared outside and saw a few dark clouds coming. "Sure, I can keep a secret." Riku waited to hear something, but didn't hear a word... until.
"Kyu!" Riku jumped feeling something soft and furry land on her lap.
"Ah, Wizu! What are you doing here?" Riku played with the fluffy little rabbit.
"He snuck inside my bag again. So that's why I panicked and sorta ran into you. Sorry about that." Daisuke scratched his head.
Riku shook her head. "It's alright." Riku smiled softly.
Daisuke turned his head to look at Riku. She was looking at him with a pretty smile. Bu-bump. 'Ah...' Daisuke suddenly felt something like a jolt through his entire body. "Wait... I can't be, not here." Daisuke suddenly stood up and began to walk out of the classroom.
"Ni-Niwa-kun?" Riku got off the windowsill.
"I'm sorry, but I just remembered something! I'll be back!" Daisuke said as his footsteps faded.
Few minutes passed and Riku decided it was best to hide Wizu until the rest of the class came in. "Now you hide in here until Daisuke comes back, okay?" Riku put Wizu in Daisuke's desk.
"Kyu!" Riku hoped that Wizu was staying put.
She waited a while longer and some of her classmates began to come in. It was almost time to start class, but still Daisuke didn't come back.
"Come on Daisuke! You know you want it!" Saehara came in with Daisuke in a chokehold over Saehara's shoulder with Sekimoto trying to help Daisuke.
"I don't want the picture, Sa-aagh!" Daisuke choked.
"Stop it! You're really choking!" Sekimoto didn't know how to stop Saehara without him breaking Daisuke's neck.
Daisuke took a big gasp for air when Saehara finally let go of him. "That hurt Saehara!"
"Okay everyone! Get in your seats! I got great news for everyone!" The teacher entered the classroom with great, yet unusual, enthusiasm and impatience.
"Hey... why are you looking at me like that?" Saehara began to sweat seeing Riku glaring at him.
"Saehara-kun, please sit down so I can make my announcement." The teacher commanded. "Please." Or should I say requested. Saehara quickly took his seat while making sure if Riku was still throwing dagger at him through her eyes. "What is up with the older one?" Saehara began to sweat.
"Okay everyone, I have a special news. The school has given us a chance to have a field trip next week!"
Crack! Outside, it began to rain like it hasn't rained for years.
1449 Hours – April 4, 2011
Azumano School Storage Basement – This is Work?!
Riku sighed seeing the chaos erupting in the school basement. The teacher leaves for a few minutes, students wreck havoc in the immediate vicinity.
"You cannot defeat me! Cause I'm The Great Destroyer! Ah!" One of the students blocked an attack with a mop stick from a broomstick.
"The Great Destroyer? More like The Goat Destroyer! Haha!" The students began their mock fights.
Riku turned to see girls huddled in small groups here and there talking and most likely gossiping.
"Hey Riku!" A girl called. "Come on!" The girl waved her to come over. Riku reluctantly obeyed seeing it's her team captain. "Sorry about this morning, but as you can see we couldn't help ourselves." Few of the girls giggled.
"Yeah, well... it seems somehow I got dragged back into school to work." The girls laughed.
"Okay everyone, enough jacking school property and put everything back!" A teacher entered the room.
"Hey, isn't that the art teacher?"
"Yeah, I heard he was pretty cool."
"Really? He seems pretty crabby."
The teacher smiled hearing what all the students were saying. "So you guys wouldn't mind if I was crabby? Or should I be cool with you all?" All the students began to sweat and going for the "cool" teacher.
"Alright, quiet down. I brought some of my students over to help out. So let's get the stuff out of here." Everyone said "yes" and began to move boxes and assorted items for the school.
"Riku are you sure you can carry that?" One of Riku's friends looked worried.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Riku took the box, feeling slightly heavy.
"Okay everyone, be very careful not to slip. The rain made the steps slippery alright?" The teacher began walking up the steps.
"Man... look at all this rain." One of the boys sighed. From the basement entrance, everyone had to make a run for cover.
"I should have left for home earlier." Saehara sighed.
"Stop complaining and work already." Riku quickly walked through the rain with the boxes in her arms. "Ah, this is so cold." Riku shivered. She finally made it inside one of the buildings, but felt the boxes get lighter.
"I can take them from here." Riku thought that voice was familiar. "Niwa-kun?"
Daisuke already had the boxes in his grasps. "I'll take them so don't worry about it." Daisuke turned and walked down the hallway.
"Hey, wait! That's my job!" Before Riku can stop him.
"Daisuke!!!" A yellow blur suddenly tackled Daisuke with the boxes falling open. "Oh Daisuke! I looked everywhere for you! Come! Let's play!" Mio stuck her tongue out with a cute face.
"Ah! The uniforms!" Riku sighed seeing shirts and pants covering the hallway.
"What's going on here?" The art teacher came in with few students behind him.
"Oh hello there!" Mio waved.
"Niwa-san, Harada-san, please clean up the mess while I help our guest." The teacher dragged Mio away with the trail of students following.
"What a mess." Daisuke couldn't believe the timing Mio had.
"I guess we should just put them back in the box." Riku began picking up shirts. 'Why is she always over Niwa-kun like that?' Riku thought to herself.
'I wish she could leave me alone for a while.' Daisuke thought.
"Yeah, what did you do to go after you like that?" Riku stuffed the shirts back into the boxes. "Hm? Niwa-kun?"
Daisuke was frozen for a second. "Wha...?" Daisuke had surprise written all over his face.
Riku looked dumbfounded at Daisuke's sudden behavior. "Did I miss something?"
"No, no! Never mind! We better get this cleaned up before the teacher comes back." Daisuke turned his attention to cleaning the hallway of shorts. Riku looked at him wondering what just happened.
1922 Hours – April 4, 2011
Niwa Residence – A Soggy Field Trip
"Oh, a field trip to the mountains?" Towa looked excited and jealous with great big puppy eyes with stars flashing in front of her face.
"Hm... maybe you can show off some of your survival skills. Eh, Daisuke?" Gramps chuckled. "Maybe you could impress, you know who." Gramps took a nice satisfying sip of his favorite green tea.
"It's been raining for the entire day, I don't think this trip will be safe." Daisuke said this as he ate his dinner.
"You may be right, but you should try to enjoy it." Kosuke set his chopsticks down. "You can think of this as a small vacation." Kosuke smiled at his son.
"I guess you're right... dad. I should try to enjoy it." Daisuke played with his food.
"Dai-chan, hurry and eat up. You need to get ready." Emiko's smile looked suspicious. "We need to get you all packed and ready!"
"Mom? But the trips in a week!" Daisuke sat surprised.
"You can never be extra prepared!" Emiko left the dining room. "I'll get everything ready! Don't you worry Daisuke!"
Kosuke wondered what her energetic wife would have in store for their special son.
"I had something special prepared for a survival trip. A mother can't be extra prepared!" Emiko began her parade march to the basement.
"Special? Survival? Mom!" Daisuke dropped his head on the table.
"Don't worry Dai-chan, you 'will' thank me for this very soon." Daisuke looked into his mother's eyes and saw she meant every single word.
Daisuke sighed, but not out of annoyance, because he knew she was right. "Thanks, mom."
Down few blocks in a small mansion, two identical sisters also have their own thoughts on this trip.
"A trip to the mountains in this weather." Risa groaned looking at the dark cloudy skies just outside of her window door. "Hm... it would be a miracle if I can meet Dark again." Risa sighed like it was the end of the world.
"Cut that out Risa and pack your things already!" Riku threw a pillow at Risa.
"Hey, can't you see I'm depressed?" Risa pouted.
"Pout all you like but it's not like mom and dad will allow you to stay home while the entire class is on a trip." Riku took a stack of shirts and put it in a good-sized traveling suitcase.
"No! That was my plan!" Risa quickly covered her mouth like she uttered a curse.
"What...?" Riku looked at her sister strangely.
"Nothing, I was just talking nonsense." Risa blushed.
Riku sighed. "Start packing." Riku had said it very bluntly.
"Yes ma'am." Risa walked back to her room, closing the door behind her.
"She can be such a baby." Riku took a stack of pants and neatly packed it into her suitcase. "There, I'm all set finally." With a quick click, Riku set her luggage down next to her bed. "A bit heavy but at least it'll do perfectly."
"Riku! Risa! Are you done packing?" A mature feminine voice called from downstairs.
"Yes mom! I'm finished!" Riku shouted down the hall.
"Good! Risa? Are you finished yet?" Riku and Risa's mother called.
"Um... yes! I'm almost done!" Risa shouted nervously. "Jeez, I can't believe she's making us pack our stuff this early!" Risa complained. Riku giggled hearing her sister's moans and groans, crying for help.
"Well I got nothing else to do." Riku thought over this week's plans. Because of the field trip, schoolwork loads almost vanished. Riku smiled knowing she can relax tonight and the only thing to bother is a hot meal and a bath.
"Eh... it sure is raining a lot." Riku stood up and walked up to her window. "I hope this trip turns out to be okay."
0945 Hours – April 11, 2011
Azumano Bus Terminal, Front Gate – I'm leeaaving on the next bus...
Rain pitter-pattered on the bus station's roof as a class of kids waited for their bus headed toward the mountains. With boredom hanging heavily in the air, the open-minded 14 year olds wait for their exciting trip to the mountain.
"And then, the little girl dressed in pure white would come to you... humming a little song." Sekimoto gathered a few of his fellow classmates with a little story. "Everything becomes quiet when she's on her way to her victims. All you can hear is the humming." Few of the girls that were listening were already covering their eyes.
"What does the little girl sing?" Someone asked.
"You may laugh now, but I swear you'll be paralyzed when you hear it." Sekimoto let his classmates get ready for his answer. "Pop-goes-the-weasel." Everyone begins to laugh.
"What a cock of bull-." Before Saehara can finish.
"Shut your trap. Someone really has to fix your filthy mouth, you know that?" Sekimoto interrupted.
"Well maybe you'd like to give a try in this dirty mouth." Saehara said this with a vein marks floating over his head.
"Hey everyone, come look at this! Hurry!" Someone called the entire class to the bus station's front doors.
"Whoa... who's that?" Someone pointed outside were a figure is walking slowly away from a parked car now beginning to drive away.
"Is that guy skipping town or something?" A girl said curiously.
"Oh, look at that bag! Maybe he's some killer in disguise!" Saehara brought his camera out. "Front page news! I'll have my greatness realized!"
"He's almost here." Risa watched the figure walk up the small steps.
'What are they so excited about?' Riku tilted her head thinking who this might be.
"The guy's coming in." Someone hushed everyone.
The figure walked into the foyer of the station. The figure had a black trench coat with a hood hiding most of his face and a large duffle bag hanging on his shoulder. The figure looked to the right and slowly turned to the left and back.
'Is that... red hair?' Riku squinted seeing some hair stick out.
"Yo!" Everyone began to gape wondering if someone knew this person.
"Daisuke?" Riku recognized the voice.
"Oh, Good Morning Harada-san." The hooded figure hung the hood back revealing Daisuke.
"Oh my God. Daisuke?" Some of the girls began to circle him, getting a good look at his outfit.
"My front page story, gone with the winged angels." Saehara walked away sadly.
"Yo, Daisuke. What is up with the new look and greeting?" Sekimoto greeted his friend.
"Um... yo, Sekimoto." Daisuke took off his coat.
"Jeez... but you look good in black." As Sekimoto said this, few classmates were pointing and whispering about Daisuke.
"Well mom said since this trip would get dirty, I should wear mostly black clothing." Daisuke looked at himself. A dark rose red shirt, black cargo pants with black boots, and a black feather pendant around his neck.
"Now that I think about it... doesn't he sort of... look like you know who?" Someone whispered.
"Him? He can't be him." Someone denied the possibility.
"Well why not?" The girls argued.
"He's not tall enough." Risa suddenly dropped into the little heated argument.
"Eh, Risa is right. Daisuke too short to be-." Three hands covered a girl's mouth from uttering a particular name.
"Hey, maybe Daisuke would love to know what these curious girls are talking about." Saehara popped his rubberneck in.
"Eh... it's Saehara. Anyways now back to real business." The girls began to give Saehara the cold shoulder.
"Amazing!" Sekimoto was wearing the trench coat. "It's waterproof, has a miner's light attached to the hood, form fitting, nice and warm, multiple hidden pockets, and... a Swiss army knife? Where did you get this?"
Daisuke began to sweat seeing Sekimoto getting hyper over the trench coat. "Calm down Sekimoto, can I have it back now?"
"Okay everyone! Get all your belongings together! The bus is here." The teacher over excitedly gave this announcement.
Everyone's chatters began to lessen as the class begins to pick up all their belongings and lining up at the door.
Daisuke got his special coat back on. "Well I'm happy mom was prepared this time. I never thought this kind of weather will feel so nice since I got this." Daisuke said this as he put it on.
"Hey! Mister Grim Reaper! Let's go!" Saehara was calling Daisuke.
"I'm coming." Daisuke heaved his bag over his shoulder.
It was raining hard but not too hard. The class ran to the bus trying to avoid the rain. There was a man in a rain jacket putting all the students things in the cargo area of the bus.
"Ah man, this sucks." A girl grumbled as she fell into her seat.
"Oh... my boots are muddy." Mio found a seat. She was wearing some more clothing than usual for this trip. "Oh, Daisuke!" Her eyes caught him coming into the bus. "Come sit with me Daisuke!" Mio waved trying to get his attention but.
"Hello, is this seat taken?" Saehara sat next to a disgruntled Mio.
'Thank you Saehara.' Daisuke thought to himself. 'But where to sit?' Daisuke made his way down the rows of bus seats already occupied by students. Daisuke kept walking seeing no seats available.
"Riku... I don't want to sit here." Risa whined in the back of the bus.
"Then why did you follow me?" Riku sat irritated.
"Well I didn't know you would come here." Risa puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"Go find another seat then, jeez." Riku tried to get comfortable. Still tired because she couldn't get any sleep lately.
"I'll do that." Risa took her things and walked up the rows. "Hey, Daisuke." When Risa said this, Riku suddenly felt a jolt in her stomach.
'My heart... why is it racing...?' Riku suddenly felt nervous, unable to finish her thought.
"Good morning Harada-san. Is there a seat back there?" Daisuke asked politely.
"Yeah, there's one I was sitting in. You can take it." Risa smiled friendly as Daisuke let her pass him.
"Finally..." Daisuke found the seat. "Oh, Harada-san. Is it alright if I sit here?"
"Yeah, it's alright." Riku stared out the window.
"Thanks." Daisuke put his bag on the shelf above the seats. "Man, it's raining a lot." Daisuke glanced out the window seeing nothing else beyond the bus station.
'Rain...' Riku suddenly felt a picture just flash for a second in her mind. "Rain." Riku whispered to herself.
"Okay! Everyone is here right?" The teacher roll-called. Everyone said 'yes' in unison.
"Right, to the mountains we'll go!" With that said, the bus creaked forward.
Creeaaak-POP!!!
"Aaaaah!"
"Everything is alright!" The bus driver huffed.
Few hours have passed, roughly 2 or 3 hours. Some of the students were sound asleep, but our focus is on a particular two riding silently in the back.
Riku felt her eyes were heavy. It was probably noon, but the constant rain was lulling her to sleep. But she also didn't forget someone was next to her.
Daisuke was little more than awake. A thought suddenly occurred to him a while ago. Changing bodies really helped him heal. Maybe whenever he hurts himself, he can change into Dark for a moment to heal. Or he just thought that could work, if the need arise.
'Huh?' Daisuke suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.
"Ah, I'm sorry Niwa-kun. I..." Riku blushed. 'I can't believe I just nodded off like that.'
"It's alright." Daisuke smiled and looked out the window. "You can almost see the mountains."
Riku turned her head to see dark shadows that were the mountain's shapes. 'It kind of looks eerie.' Riku thought.
"It does." Daisuke whispered so lightly Riku didn't hear.
Riku felt her eyes about to close. She didn't know, but she fell asleep right then and there with her head falling comfortably on Daisuke's shoulder.
"Harada...-san?" Daisuke looked at Riku to see her suddenly sound asleep like some of his other classmates. He smiled looking into her sleeping face.
Riku had a last thought when she took her last breath in. 'I don't know why, but I feel... nostalgic.'
1611 Hours – April 11, 2011
Haru-Sora, Natural Preserve – In The Rain
"Daisuke!" A younger looking Riku shouted towards a redheaded boy.
"Riku! Come on! Let's get under here." Daisuke, who looks younger also, crawled under a large cat shaped house in the playground.
"Ugh, so cold." Riku shivered sitting on the sandy ground.
Daisuke wiped away a bit of the water on her face. "It'll be alright, but... it is raining a lot." Just outside the little cat shaped house, rain was pouring with rain gutters near by pouring rainwater vigorously.
"I'm scared." Riku curled up into a ball.
"Don't worry, I'm here with you, okay?" Daisuke sat down next to Riku, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
"Thank you Daisuke, for being with me." Riku used Daisuke's shoulder as a pillow.
"Harada-san." Riku could hear someone familiar. "Harada-san, time to wake up."
'Wake... up?' Riku felt everything around her disappear into a snow white then turned black. "Where... am I?"
"We've arrived at the camp." The voice sounded so close to her.
Riku took a deep breath smelling a certain scent. It was the same smell that made her feel nostalgic. She opened her eyes, everything a blur for a moment and focusing. "A dream?" Riku felt her face was on something. She sat up and turned to see Daisuke staring at her.
"N-N-Niwa-kun?" Riku blushed guessing right what she had been doing for the last half of the trip. Riku scooted up flat against the window... as much as possible in the seat.
"Calm down Harada-san." Daisuke began to sweat.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep like that." Riku apologized.
"It's fine Harada-san. Don't worry about it." Daisuke didn't know why she was apologizing, and Riku was wondering why she was apologizing herself.
"Okay everyone, we're finally here." The teacher gazed out of the bus window seeing the main cabin and a sign with the name, Haru-Sora. Spring Skies.
The bus drove in front of the main cabin. Students hurried out retrieving their belongings. "Ah, why do we have to go on a trip like this?" Girls squealed trying to get out of the rain.
"Ah man, this really sucks." Saehara moaned, soaking wet. Saehara and Sekimoto turned their heads to a particular person who was warm and dry.
"What?" Daisuke took a step back seeing his friends glaring at him. "I didn't do anything!" Daisuke began to sweat in nervousness.
"Okay everyone, find your name on the list to find out where your rooms are." The teacher slinked away to who knows where.
Students grumbled as they waited in line to see where they would be sleeping in.
"Ah? 6 people in the same room?" Takeshi couldn't believe it.
"Well this is obviously a camp. About 10 people room under the same roof." Satoshi said calmly. Takeshi gritted his teeth in annoyance with a vein pulsing.
"Man, I take back what I said about this trip... cause it's the sh-." Sekimoto slapped Takeshi in the back of the head.
"Shut up! Watch your mouth you idiot." Sekimoto couldn't believe how close Takeshi walked on the edge.
"Well, we should try to make the best of it right?" Half the boys looked at Daisuke like he was crazy or something. "C-come on guys." Daisuke laughed uneasily.
Daisuke walked quietly with his 'roommates' on this little field trip. Daisuke could see the house he and his fellow friends would be sleeping in for the next 4 days. The minute they got in, chaos would blush seeing what these boys would be doing.
In another place, we could see Harada Riku bored with the girls in her little 'Inner Circle'. Riku tried to cover the gossiping girls behind her talking about an infamous thief.
"You have pictures of him?" Risa blushed at the thought of seeing photos of her immortal love and desire.
"Yeah, I have a small album dedicated to him!" A fellow female classmate brought a scrapbook filled with... well all kinds of things relating to phantom thief Dark.
"Ah, this is the day when he first came out! I fell in love with him right then and there." Risa cooed and the other girls followed, nodding their heads.
Riku felt sick looking at them. "Are you guys actually going to spend the entire night talking about that pervert?"
"Hey! Dark-san is not a pervert! He's the perfect man!" Everyone, except Riku, nodded her head.
"Right... I'll be getting some air... a lot of it cause I'm suffocating in here." Riku whispered the last part to herself.
Riku closed the door of the cabin she was bunked in. A small pathway with a thatched roof was made, all converging on the main cabin. Riku walked aimlessly with nothing to do.
'I need to get out of here.'
"Yeah." Riku whispered to herself, staring at her feet. 'They're intolerable.'
'Intolerable isn't enough to describe it.'
'Maybe.' Riku smiled, closing her eyes for a moment.
'For sure.'
Riku looked up, turned her head seeing nobody. "... Was I... talking to myself?" Riku began to have cold sweat. "I must be..." Riku came back to the lobby. She walked up to the front desk to see the logbook still opened. She read the names down the list and stopped at a particular name.
Slam!!!
"Ah!" Riku jumped.
"Can I help you?" The desk clerk leered at Riku.
"No! I was just looking to see... where some of my uh... c-classmates where." Riku tried to calm her racing heart.
"I see." The clerks intense stare softened a bit. "I have to be here when you want to see it, understood?" Riku nodded. "Good, now is there still something you'd like to know?"
"No! I'm fine." Riku walked away slowly and out the door. "Jeez, what's that guys problem." Riku mumbled.
Riku sighed looking at the rain falling and falling like it'll stay like this forever. She walked down the small pathway wherever it may lead her, the pitter-patter of the rain blending away in the background.
"Yeah, that one's alright." Riku turned her head to see someone carrying a large bag.
"You sure you'll be alright with that?"
"Yeah I'll be fine. Don't worry." Daisuke put the hood over his hood from his trench coat. "Thanks again."
Riku looked around her seeing nobody. 'What is he up to?' Riku wondered as she followed him... discreetly.
"You know they were loud." Riku jumped suddenly hearing Daisuke somewhat shout. "Please, don't make me go back there." Riku wouldn't dare look and see if Daisuke was talking to himself or someone she didn't know was there. "Fine, but I'm still going to do it." Riku peeked her eye out of the corner, seeing Daisuke disappear among some bushes and trees.
"I can't follow him." Riku looked up into the sky, wishing the rain would stop for a moment. "Maybe they have an umbrella or rain coat... or something." Riku turned and ran back to the main cabin.
1832 Hours – April 11, 2011
Haru-Sora – Secret Spot
"Hey, Daisuke. Let's go back already." Dark said in boredom.
"One more hour please, I just got comfortable." Daisuke relaxed in the tent he quickly made and wasn't too bad. The leaves under the tent made the inside nice and soft. The material of the tent itself kept the people inside cool and dry. Daisuke looked at his watch, a little past eight thirty.
"Man this is boring. Can't there be a legendary ghost in the mountains or some kind of cataclysmic event that will made this trip interesting?" Dark grumbled to himself.
"Cataclysmic?" Daisuke chuckled now knowing how bored Dark was.
"Niwa-kun?"
"Who's there?" Daisuke shouted in surprise.
"... It's... Riku."
"Harada-san?" Daisuke got up and opened the tent door seeing Riku standing in the rain with an umbrella. "What are you doing here?" Daisuke stared, confused.
"Can I please come in?"
"Huh? Oh right!" Riku stepped inside the tent leaving her umbrella outside. "Harada-san... um... why are you, what are you doing here?" Daisuke couldn't speak being baffled.
Riku suddenly remembered Risa and the girls in the cabin. "I... needed to get out. How about you? Why are you here with a tent?"
Daisuke suddenly remembered Saehara and Sekimoto pulling out an entire backpack full of candy. "I needed to get out also." Daisuke laughed nervously.
"Well, you made it a pretty nice place." Riku sat down. "Hey, what about Wizu?"
"Oh him? My grandpa is taking care of him. And besides, he wouldn't want to come anyways."
"Hm? Why's that?"
"He hates water." Riku began to laugh hearing this. "I'm serious. I told you remember? Wizu hates getting wet."
"Yeah, I remember. But still it's kind of funny cause the poor thing would have been miserable here."
"Yeah, you're right." Daisuke had lay down in the tent. "It kind of lulls you doesn't it?" Riku turned her head wondering what he meant.
"The rain, it sounds nice doesn't it?" Daisuke looked up staring into Riku's eyes. "My grandpa told me a story once. I was still a little kid, but I remember it very well." Riku sat quietly, listening to Daisuke's voice.
"Long time ago in a far country, there lived a hunter. One day when he went out to hunting, it stormed very hard that day and so the hunter looked for shelter. He found a cave, but found something already there."
"This isn't some scary story right?" Riku felt suspicious.
"No, it isn't actually."
"Okay, keep going." Riku wondered what kind of story Daisuke would tell.
"Anyways, the hunter found an injured deer in the cave with him. He thought coming out here wasn't all that bad since he found something to bring back. But when the hunter got closer the deer pleaded with him."
"Pleaded?"
"Yeah, pleaded. I guess I forgot to tell you this is a children story." Daisuke laughed.
"You? Know children stories?" Riku looked at him, urging him to continue.
Daisuke nodded and continued. "The deer told the hunter, he would tell him a really big secret. The hunter was curious and decided that he wanted to know, but in exchange the hunter would spare the deer. The deer told the hunter of a small spring not too far away. There, maidens from the sky would come down and bathe there."
'Maidens from the sky?' Riku giggled
"Maidens from the sky, the hunter was baffled hearing this, but for some reason trusted the deer. Few days later, the hunter found the spring and remembered two things the deer told him before he left. The robe of the maidens gives them flight so hide the robes and if the hunter were to have children with them, hide the robe until the maiden has 4 children."
"Why four children?"
"You'll see," Daisuke smiled, "and so the hunter crept carefully, closer and closer. He soon heard the sound of water being moved by something. The hunter brushed away some branches to see a woman bathing just like the deer told him. The hunter was amazed, not by the deer's truth, but by this woman's beauty."
Daisuke paused for a second. "And to make a long story shorter. The hunter stole the robes and tricked the beautiful woman to marry him."
"What kind of story is that?" Riku tried to be angry but laughed.
"But I'll get the ending right," Daisuke coughed trying to hold back his laughter, "So the happy hunter became the husband of the beautiful woman and both loved each other very much. They had three children and the fourth one was to come. But the hunter made a grave mistake one day. The hunter decided that it'd be fine to give the robe now while the fourth child was still in the woman's womb. The woman had a flurry of emotions seeing her robe again, but sadly she had to leave. The hunter began to panic. The deer said that it would be fine to give the robe back after the fourth child."
"Wait... then it occurred to him. The child was still in the belly of the woman. One morning, the hunter sadly watched as his wife took his children to the city in the sky. One children under each arm and the third cradled between the woman's legs and they all floated upward disappearing into the clouds, and the hunter never saw them again."
Daisuke wondered what Riku felt about the story but couldn't see her face. "Riku?"
"That..."
"That?" Daisuke felt confused for a moment.
"That's a sad story." Riku looked out the small tent window.
"Yeah, but I guess you don't really understand when your that little."
Riku nodded, agreeing with him. She heard some stories like this but never knew what they really meant until now. Riku looked down and looked at her watch. "Ah!!! I got to get back to my room!"
Daisuke suddenly remembered he had to get back to his also. "See you tomorrow Harada-san!"
"Bye Niwa-kun!" Both ran back to their rooms through the torrent rain.
0900 Hours – April 13, 2011
Haru-Sora, Rec. Room – Start the day with a refreshing, adrenalin-inducing, hair-raising, near-death, lung imploding, and some-more-crazy-stuff free-fall!
"Oh..." Daisuke grumbled, sitting down on a chair and watching Saehara being brutally defeated by Hiwatari in ping-pong. Daisuke missed breakfast.
"Curses! You're cheating! I know it! I'll get you this time!" Saehara served but hit the net. "Aw, Da-!"
Sekimoto shoved Saehara's ping-pong paddle into his mouth. "There's an adult just over there, you idiot. Watch your filthy mouth. I can't believe I worry about you."
"Why you little!" Saehara proceeded to choke Sekimoto while Hiwatari looked blankly at them, also saying 'anyone man enough to challenge me?'
'Why didn't nobody wake me up? I missed breakfast.' Daisuke grumbled.
'The early bird takes the worm you know Daisuke.' Dark was in la-la-land.
'Dark? So how are you?'
'So-so, I was tempted to change back while you were sleeping, and maybe even take a peep in the girl's rooms.' Daisuke blushed hearing Dark talk.
'You wouldn't... right?' Daisuke began to sweat.
'You never know... and maybe get a look at... which one was it again? Ah yes, Harada Riku. Maybe I should take a chance to meet her.' Daisuke stood involuntarily.
'Don't you dare Dark!' Daisuke didn't know why he just acted the way he did. 'What is wrong with me?' Daisuke walked out of the rec. room to get some air. "I... I almost changed." Daisuke tried to calm his heart.
"Good morning Niwa-kun!"
Daisuke jumped. 'Oh... it's only Risa.' Daisuke thought it was someone else. "Good morning Harada-san."
"Good morning Niwa-kun." Riku came right behind Risa.
Daisuke suddenly felt his face feeling funny. 'What wrong Daisuke? Did I say something a little... embarrassing while back?' Dark prodded deeper and deeper into Daisuke's soft spot. 'I wonder what she would look like sleeping peacefully in her bed.' Dark brought up a memory he didn't want to remember, not now, not here.
"Good morning Harada-san. I have to go." Daisuke quickly walked pass them.
"Wait, Niwa-kun?" Riku tried to stop him, but Daisuke disappeared.
"He's acting a bit odd." Risa hummed. "Oh well! Wow! Hiwatari-san is playing ping-pong." Hiwatari spiked the small plastic ball, taking another win.
"Come on, this is my first time with the paddle." Hiwatari said this with no emotions.
"He's so cool!" Some of the girls squealed.
"Hello Class!" The teacher came in dragging Daisuke along. "You don't want to miss the announcement." Daisuke walked back inside.
"Okay, we're finally going to take that hike the mountain!" The whole room groaned. "And we're all going to like it right?" The teacher growled.
"Yes ma'am!" The class began to sweat.
The class lazily got ready to make their happy hike up the mountain. The air was nice, small crystalline droplet of water on the leaves and the class huffing and puffing as the walk down the paved path.
"This is like a slave drive." Some complained.
"Saehara? What are you doing?" Sekimoto stared at his friend.
"I'm taking random photo shots for the school to see why they should send us to the beach and not on some mountain hike." Sekimoto blinked for a second. Did Saehara think of something cool? Amazing.
"Wow! The view isn't so bad!" Some of the guys stood on top of a tree looking down from the path they came.
"Hey look! I think I can see our room!"
"Ah look at those! They're so pretty."
"Riku come on look! There's a rabbit!"
Everyone soon reached a rest stop. It wasn't as bad if you have a little optimism. People chatted with each other talking about this and that.
"Daisuke come on over here!" Sekimoto called his friend to the edge of cliff where a rapid raged from the rain earlier. "Quite a site huh?" Daisuke nodded.
"Risa!" Riku chased Risa who wouldn't stop moving here and there. Seeing everything.
"Oh, the river is so big." Risa stopped at the edge leaning a bit over the guard railing.
"Risa! Stop that already." Little bits of rock fell from where Risa stood.
"Riku look, there's a tree!" Risa shouted with excitement seeing a tree being swept away by the river.
"Is it okay for them to be doing that?"
Daisuke heard a crack. Not a loud one, but something was breaking. 'Could the rain done something?' Daisuke thought to himself. "Hey, maybe we shouldn't be so near the cliff guys."
"Aaah!" Daisuke turned hearing Risa scream.
"Risa! What did you do?" The floor beneath the twins began to crumble.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Hey! Get out of there! Quick!" One of the counselors shouted.
"Oh my—"Riku felt the ground buckle and feeling herself fall.
Riku shut her eyes tightly waiting to feel some kind of pain. "Huh? I'm not dead?" Riku looked up to see Risa still on the railing, hanging on for her life.
"Riku!"
Riku looked up to see someone had grabbed her shirt. "Good Catch kid." One of the counselors got Risa from the railing that still stood with no floor.
"Come on, get her out."
"I'm trying!" Riku recognized that voice.
"Daisuke?" Riku felt herself being slowly lifted higher and higher.
"Hurry up man! Me and Saehara can't hold on to your legs forever!" Sekimoto grunted.
Crack.
"Get out of there now!"
"Crap!" Saehara cursed seeing a large crack next to his feet. "This can't be happening to a reporter!"
The floor gave way. The Counselors grabbed Saehara and Sekimoto before they were pulled in with Daisuke and Riku.
"Aaaaaa—"Riku stopped screaming feeling herself stop, not feeling the icy cold water of the rapids. "N-Niwa-kun?" Daisuke was hanging onto tree growing by the Cliffside.
Crunch.
A 'dead' tree that 'was' growing by the Cliffside. "You've got to be joking." Daisuke couldn't believe the luck he had today. "First breakfast, now this."
Riku looked at him strangely.
"G-get a rope or anything!" Daisuke's teacher shouted.
Crrrraacck—Kersplash!
"Riku!" Risa screamed in horror seeing her sister and Daisuke splash into the raging rapids.
"Harada-san! Where are you?" Daisuke looked around unable to find her.
"Dai—ke!"
Daisuke turned seeing a hand sinking and dived underwater.
At the guardrail, the class watched as Daisuke and Riku were swept down the river. "Get some people down their searching the river." Someone shouted and few men ran quickly.
"What am I going to do? I can't face their parents. I can't face anyone." The teacher began to panic. "C-calm down teacher, they'll be alright? Okay?" Some of the girls were trying to keep the teacher from freaking out.
"You can take them down river where there's a waterfall."
"A Waterfall?!?!?!" The Teacher shouted in utter panic.
"D-don't worry ma'am! It's only a small one! Couldn't hurt a rabbit if it tried." The Counselor began to sweat.
"So this is what they meant by bring some swimming stuff?"
Suddenly the rain began to softly.
1741 Hours – April 13, 2011
Cave by the River – Survival... sounds dramatic!
"Ugh..." Daisuke crawled up from the river with someone under his arm. "Harada-san? Are you alright?"
Riku coughed. "Yeah, cough I think so."
Daisuke looked around, it was getting cold. They needed a place to get out of the rain. "Come on. We just need to move a little bit." Daisuke helped her up and walked to a near by cave.
Daisuke was surprised to find it very dry. "You can sit here." Riku sat down quickly feeling tired. Riku suddenly heard a loud groan sound. Daisuke blushed.
Riku began to giggle remembering what Daisuke said before they fell. "You should have woken up earlier to eat Niwa-kun."
"Um... yeah." Daisuke held his griping stomach.
Riku suddenly remembered. "Lucky this didn't get carried away." Riku took her backpack and pulled something out in a plastic bag. "Hope the river didn't destroy it." Riku handed Daisuke what looked like a sandwich.
Daisuke opened it and to see it was fine. "Thanks, Harada-san."
"Huh?" Riku suddenly felt her heart jump. "Y-your welcome." Riku felt her blood going into her face.
Daisuke finished the sandwich and stood up next to the cave entrance. "Hard to believe it was just clear a while ago."
"Achoo!"
"?" Daisuke looked at Riku.
"A...Achoo!" Riku tried to hold it in but couldn't. Riku suddenly felt something warm covering her.
"This will keep you warm."
"It's dry." Riku covered herself tightly trying to get warm. "Niwa-kun?"
"Yes, Harada-san?"
"How is this thing dry? We fell into the river."
Daisuke smiled awkwardly remembering what his mother told him. "This is very special okay? Use it to get close to someone!" Daisuke couldn't believe his mom meant this. "My family gave it to me as a special present."
"Oh..."
Daisuke suddenly went digging in his bag for something. Riku stared wondering what he was doing. Daisuke pulled a coil of cord out, tying it from one wall to another in the small cave.
"What are you doing?" Riku was confused.
"Hanging my clothes." Daisuke quickly took of his shirt making Riku jump.
'W-w-w-w-wha-wha-what's he doing?' Riku felt her heart racing.
Daisuke hanged his shirt on the wire and took out some clothes from his bag. "Here." Riku sat stiff as a board. "You can borrow this, you should change out of those wet clothes.
"Y-yeah." Riku couldn't calm her heart. When she looked up, Daisuke was already changed. 'He's fast...' But a thought struck her. She has to change in a cave... alone... with... Daisuke?
"You should change before you catch a cold."
"Mumble mumble."
"Huh?" Daisuke understand a word.
"Mumble--n't l--mumble."
"What?"
"Don't Look!!!!"
After some long embarrassing minutes, both were silent in the cave, listening to the rain. You would hear some drips from the clothes that were hanging on the cord.
"They must be worried."
Riku nodded. "Our teacher must be panicking after seeing us fall in the river like that."
"Yeah, good thing you sister is safe though." Riku felt something. "I guess she was lucky, hanging onto the railing like that."
'What is this I'm feeling?' Riku thought to herself.
"Harada-san should be worried about you too, right?"
'Stop talking about Risa.' Riku didn't even know she was feeling... jealous? Riku kept silent. She didn't like the way she was feeling. She didn't even know why she was feeling like this.
"I wonder what they'll say when they see us."
Riku only had one person in her mind, her twin sister. Always being so close to him and friendly to him. Even when they were still kids, that day at the sandbox.
"Niwa-kun Look! I made a sand angel!"
"Niwa-kun! Can you help me with this?"
"Will you help me with the chores Niwa-kun?"
Riku suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. "Harada-san? Are you alright?" Riku looked at him with a tear ready to fall. "H-Harada-san?"
Riku jumped up and ran out of the cave into rain.
"Harada-san? Wait!" Riku ran, Daisuke voice fading behind her.
It was getting dark. The sun was already behind the mountains and stars peeking out slightly. "Why did I runaway?" Riku asked herself as she kept running past the trees and soon hearing a small roar of the river. Wait... a small roar?
Riku stopped, thinking to herself quickly. Just a moment ago, the river was raging from the rain yesterday and today it's raining hard so...
'Daisuke.' Riku slowly turned to look up the river. She could hear the roar of water getting louder and louder. She stepped back feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on its ends.
'Daisuke...'
Riku see the water now, gushing down the narrow path heading towards her.
'Daisuke! Help me!'
Riku suddenly felt herself wrapped in darkness. She held her breath think she was in the water waiting to hit a rock or a tree under the water. But...
'Warm?' Riku turned her head a bit and looked down to see muddy water crashing against a tree trunk.
"Harada-san." Riku felt it now, the arm around her waist and her arms wrapped around someone's neck.
"Niwa-kun?" Riku didn't think how he came or why he came. She only thought... that he was there for her.
But something else bothered Daisuke. "I heard her calling. Calling my name."
To Be Continued...
Disclaimer: For a lack of a better Disclaimer, I will steal D.N. Angel from... uh... runs to get D.N. Angel manga "Yukiru Sugisaki"!!! So for now, it's not mine.
Much Sweat and Blood was given from the author take make this chapter possible... well maybe not blood, but definitely sweat.
Hello you all in California!!! Boy do I miss my island! And gee I wish I can see some hot Asian girls but I can't!!!
Phase 005 is now completed for all you people on my waiting list.
Now don't forget to leave an idea in my "reader's idea box" cause you never know! I might use your idea for my next chapter cause I have SERIOUS Writer's BLOCK!!
Why else would it take me this long to write a 22-page chapter? Well except playing games and reading manga... heh-heh. Imagining some readers with weapons in front of the computer monitor okay! Not a happy thought!
Anyways! I'll give my regards to a few lucky readers randomly chosen by me!!!
The psychotic man from the island of Guam!!! Guess I'm just happy I finally finished this. On to my special reviewers!!!
Unnamed: I give you the peace sign right back! That's the only reason I picked you... to give the peace sign right back! Here catch! (V.)
Beefy Baka: Why thank you so much! Uh... can't think of something to say... Well you can see the rings at work I guess. Oh! Thanks for adding me to your favorites list!
Tsurarastorm: Yay! I have someone after my life! I feel like I have such value... er... for myself. Don't listen to me cause I'm probably crazier than you.
Dins: Hey! How are you? Lets get the oil, gasoline, and any other flammable substance for Risa! Okay I'm joking. Throws many volatile substance in the dumpster and explodes. But Risa is a bit of a... never mind... I can't find a nice word for her... Grr.
Roxworld: Come to my funeral when it's winter. I don't know how I'm going to survive out here in this cold harsh world. ... mind... is blank... man I'm spaced out. Ha-ha! Sorry for the crappy um... recognition... thing... corner... ugh. Brain melting.
Okay! I'm finally finished with this. Now if you'll excuse me. I have to go register my classes for college! Ugh... just want to make me sing this song: "Life's gonna suck when you grow up, when you grow up, when you grow up. Life's gonna suck when you grow up, it sucks pretty bad right now!"
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