A/n: Writing Himawari is hard! She's too happy. smacks her
Chapter 2: Reappear
Doumeki was busy with archery during dinner, so even though he had asked Watanuki to prepare lunch, at lunchtime he was absent. So after school Himawari had offered to take it to him, of course… he wasn't one to let Himawari be alone with Doumeki! The two were sat on the bleachers watching Doumeki shoot. Himawari was a little distracting, leaping up every so often to scream
"KEEP IT UP DOUMEKI-KUN!" causing Doumeki to miss several shots and Watanuki to pout a little. However he was more distracted by someone or something else. Stood behind Doumeki, behind the protection fence, was the cute and sweet little girl he had met yesterday. As Doumeki finished she followed him to the bleachers, sitting between Watanuki and Doumeki she smiled softly, kicking her legs gently.
"Hey, why're you following him around weren't you tailing me yesterday?" Watanuki was somewhat frustrated to know the little girl's attentions had switched so suddenly.
"So you know who she is?" Doumeki asked, taking his bento from Watanuki without a thank you.
"She's so cute!" Himawari said, "I like your dolly." She pointed at the doll.
"Ahhh! Himawari-chan would make such a good mother!" Watanuki chirped, going into his love-love mode. As he began to float off he was brought sharply back down by Doumeki pulling on his sleeve. "WHAT!" he barked, angry at his premature grounding.
"Oi… you know who she is?"
"Well… no. she just followed me to Yuuko-san's shop yesterday." The bespectacled boy scratched the back of his head hopelessly and stared at the small child.
Between the ages of 8 and 10, today in a pale yellow sundress, she looked innocent enough, her eyes were a little creepy, very forceful, they seemed to stare right through whomever she looked at, a blue, but an intense blue, similar to Watanuki's original.
"You didn't tell me your name yesterday little one." He said, sitting down again. The girl said nothing.
"Watanuki." Doumeki said firmly, and bluntly. "Bad things follow you around."
"I know, namely YOU!" Watanuki spat viciously. "But… if you can see her she's not a spirit." He laughed nervously, having not wanted to consider that conclusion. "Himawari-chan can see her too."
"We've been able to see SOME of the things." Himawari mused.
"But she certainly doesn't seem bad." Watanuki mused, tilting his head a little, to try get a 'feel' for the girl. She mimicked him, cocking her head slightly and surveying him with equal interest.
"Not bad…. Just weird." Doumeki furrowed his brow. At this the little girl stood up indignantly and began throwing some kind of hissy fit, seemingly offended by Doumeki calling her weird, he blatantly ignored her. Watanuki failed to understand.
"Wait… you mean like Maru, Moro and Mokona?" Doumeki had never met Maru and Moro so just blinked.
"Who're you calling weird Watanuki like April Fool!" Said a voice from his bag. Mokona popped out. Watanuki tried to hide it from the little girl's view, but she'd already seen. She reached forward and patted Mokona's blue jewel gently, entirely unaffected, and seemingly over her silent tirade at Doumeki.
"Ah! You're supposed to stay at the shop!" Watanuki panicked, flapping, as he was prone to do in circumstances such as this one.
"Yuuko said I had to watch you." Mokona chirped hopping into the little girl's lap, she stroked it lovingly.
"I don't need watching!" Watanuki growled. Himawari giggled, exchanging a glance with Doumeki that quite clearly said 'yes he does' "And why isn't she bothered?"
"I guess for the same reason I wasn't, Mokona is cute." Mokona stuck its tongue out at the boys, teasingly.
"Himawari likes ME better she says Mokona is cute." It chirped
"SHUT UP DUST BUNNY! I WILL KICK YOU ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SHOP!" The little girl held her hand to her mouth and smiled broadly.
"She's been following me all day." Informed Doumeki.
"They let her in lesson?" Watanuki asked looking slightly amazed.
"No, she followed me to school, then waited outside until I showed up for archery." He said through a mouthful of rice.
"Don't you have school?" Himawari asked gently. The small girl blushed. "Are you shy? What's your name?"
"She's not shy…" Watanuki mused, remembering Yuuko's words
"She can't talk." Doumeki said bluntly.
"What?" Both Watanuki and Himawari looked taken aback by this sudden and abrupt statement.
"Idiot, it took you that long to figure it out, you really are an April Fool!" Mokona chirped. Watanuki made to strangle the black creature (uhm… no neck…) but the small girl nodded, in agreement with Doumeki.
"How did you know she couldn't talk Doumeki-kun? You're so smart!" Himawari grinned , rubbing salt into Watanuki's emotional wound.
"It's pretty obvious." He shrugged. "Don't forget I want Eel Eggs tomorrow." He added as a afterthought with another mouthful of rice.
"WHO ARE YOU TO MAKE DEMANDS!" Demanded Watanuki raising his fist and shaking it as though trying to swat a fly somewhere in the very vague area of Doumeki.
"Watanuki-kun and Doumeki-kun are such good friends." Clapped Himawari, nodding at the girl as if telling her. Watanuki nearly fell over with the shock, how could his beloved think they were close friends? Doumeki eyed the small girl suspiciously, his eyes full of distrust then, with a caution few had ever witness from the archer, handed her a rice ball. She blushed furiously and lowered her gaze taking it with a small nod. She nibbled like a mouse, delicately and femininely, possessing a grace unlike most 8 year olds.
"Well she eats…" Watanuki mused.
"So does Mokona." Mokona chirped. Watanuki glared. "Oh! Mokona nearly forgot! Yuuko sent a message."
"What'd she say?" Doumeki asked.
"She says you absolutely HAVE to be at the shop by 5 o clock! Sharp!" Mokona's voice was stern as it repeated Yuuko's orders. Watanuki fell over.
"IT'S 4:30 NOW!" He yelled in a panic. "WHAT WILL SHE DO TO ME IF I'M LATE?"
Doumeki slung his bag over his shoulder casually.
"I'll walk you." He grunted. No sooner had the two boys stood up than Watanuki felt a tug on his sleeve. Blue eyes stared up at him, and even the stoic giant was marginally moved by her innocent demeanour. "You… want to come too?" He asked her.
"But… she can't come in the shop… Ah Himawari-chan do you want to come?" Watanuki asked hurriedly, not wanting her to feel left out.
"I actually have some studying to do, but I'll see you later. Bye bye!" she hurried off. The four made their way to Yuuko's shop, Watanuki hurrying due to his panicky disposition. The small girl struggled to keep up with the boys' long legs, she held Mokona tightly. However when they rounded the corner, Yuuko was stood outside the shop grinning, she didn't seem at all phased by the two tag alongs, as though she had expected them. 'Which,' Watanuki thought bitterly 'she probably had.'
"5:01. You're late." The witch taunted
"BY ONE MINUTE!" Watanuki cried despairingly, he knew there would be repercussions.
"As punishment you have to cook for us!" Yuuko cheered. "Hallo Doumeki-kun!" Doumeki inclined his head as a greeting, not really one for casual conversation, Yuuko knew he was only there for Watanuki.
"What but… I always cook…" Obviously the bespectacled boy was confused. Mokona jumped on his head as Yuuko produced a basket from seemingly nowhere
"We're all going to have lunch in the park!"
"What the… I didn't agree to this!" Sweatdropped Watanuki, knowing he had no choice.
"Come now! I have sake to drink!" As Yuuko lead the way, Watanuki vaguely wondered how appropriate it was to drink sake infront of a child so young. The little girl in question, seemingly lost without Mokona grasped at Watanuki's hand desperately. She appeared to be clinging to him like a small sister to a big brother, and Watanuki couldn't help but smile at the thought, they DID look a little alike… a little.
The air was still as they ate… well, Doumeki ate, Yuuko drank, and Watanuki cooked. The girl chased Mokona playfully, darting in and out of the trees, laughing silently.
"Is she human?" Doumeki asked bluntly. Yuuko smiled mysteriously.
"The child? She's human." She sipped her sake inelegantly.
"Is she dangerous?" The seer asked nervously. Yuuko giggled.
"Watanuki is scared of a child." She teased. "What does Doumeki-kun think of his big brave friend now?" The girl sat down on the picnic blanket and Watanuki handed her a plate. She blushed nervously but accepted it. "Now, as it so happens I know this girl's family." Yuuko sipped her drink again and surveyed the boys, before patting the young child on her head. She didn't seem abashed at all by the notion, of a strange alcoholic cosplaying witch touching her
"You couldn't have mentioned that earlier?"
"Quiet Watanuki." She ushered. "She's not of this era… Her godmother is a permanent customer of mine, the girl's house was accidentally set on fire sometime last year, and, although nobody was injured, she's not spoken a word since that day."
"Is… it okay to tell us all this?" Watanuki asked the girl, feeling very invasive. She nodded slowly but sighed, as though utterly fed up with this theory.
"So she doesn't speak out of shock?" Suggested Doumeki.
"Whereas you don't speak because you're too thick to string a sentence together." Watanuki grumbled.
"That makes no sense."
"Some think it's due to shock…" Yuuko interupted. "6 whole months of silence." She smirked and twirled her glass between her fingers in a way that clearly said she knew something else. "But there are entities in this world that can break the chains of speech…" Yuuko glanced at the girl who smiled in response, as though happy with this conclusion.
"We're being roped into another mission, aren't we?" Watanuki moaned. "WHY DO I NEVER HAVE A CHOICE IN THESE THINGS AND DON'T YOU DARE SAY HITSUZEN!" He screamed standing up suddenly and pummelling an air wall with his fists. Doumeki watched silently, the girl smiled a little wider, and giggled without sound
"She's been sent here for a reason, her father was VERY reluctant to let her go back through time, especially as she had to go only with her godmother to this dimension…" Yuuko grinned. "I believe your godmother's words were 'he threw a hissy fit until he cried'." She smirked, placing a finger to her cheek as she spoke. "Watanuki, I'm assuming your memory span admits Syaoran-kun." Yes, Syaoran was the boy who had shown up at Yuuko's shop one day, from another dimension, clutching as half dead princess and wishing that he had the power to save her. The story was touching, but irrelevant.
"What does he have to do with anything?" He asked bewilderedly. Doumeki continued to eat, sharing his food with the little girl, who accepted it without hesitation…. The girl could eat! After getting over her initial 'introduction' she stole food from Doumeki's plate as she wanted it, he didn't object, as he was prone to picking aswell. For a little girl she seemed to be able to out-eat Doumeki. Yuuko turned her attention to them.
"My that's a cute dolly." She said, stapling her fingers and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT." Watanuki complained, however he knew the battle was already lost as the girl was now proudly showing off her doll. Now he could see it better, Watanuki noted it really was raggedy, it was very old and slightly grubby, its clothes were threadbare and its hair messy, it looked worn with love. Though it looked familiar, somehow.
The evening faded into night, and the girl had fallen asleep with her head in Doumeki's lap. The archer pretended to ignore her, but occasionally shot her a small, very protective, almost smile. Woah… Doumeki smiling? It was slightly endearing.
"I'll take her to her home." Yuuko said simply, nudging her awake, she looked slightly bewildered momentarily and Watanuki helped her to her feet. "I don't suppose I have to remind you two of this but you MUST protect those you love most, always." her voice was very serious. The small girl yawned, then hurried off after Yuuko into the darkness.
A/n: Anyone who's worked out who or what the little girl is don't mention it in a review, PM me your guesses but don't spoil it for others.