GROUP HUG. Why? Because this is my first tenth chapter up on FFnet EVER! Who knew I could stick with a project so long? XD Oh, and someone asked me to update on the 26th of February as their birthday present. I forget who. But anyways, I know this is a few days earlier than you expected, but hey. You don't mind that it's early TOO much, do you? ;D
The Gate Amidst the Ivy
Chapter Ten
(Papa, please! Please, let me help you!
Sakura, you know you can't. Please, just enjoy your life. Have fun. Smile, smile that beautiful smile of yours, Sakura. Nothing would make your dear Papa happier…
No, I have to! I can't watch you waste away like this, Papa. I can't I can't I can't I can't!
Anguished eyes, holding far more pain than the disease had ever caused. Sakura, you grew up much too fast, my darling. I am so—so sorry—
What on earth do you mean, Papa?)
Sakura woke up at noon the next day to the annoyingly insistent sun, her back stiff from sleeping in the chair. Ino lay on the bed in the Blue Room, and sometime during the night, after the healing, Sakura vaguely recalled pulling up an oversized chair next to the prone girl to observe her while she slept. She must have nodded off eventually, the healing having left her more exhausted than she'd thought. Sakura could almost envy the restful sleep Ino was under, her body healing and recuperating. Sakura herself felt as though she'd run ten miles, and the sore back from her awkward position during the night wasn't helping the feeling.
Staring at Ino's peaceful, oblivious features (The shadows—the shadows—they're chasing—), Sakura placed her hand gently on Ino's slightly clammy forehead. Her hand emanated a soft green glow as she did the cursory check of vitals all healers learned the first day of their education. Ino's heartbeat was within average limits, though it could stand to be a bit stronger. There was still some belladonna in her body, though her blood's antibodies were doing a fine job of fighting it off. Her brain activity was normal, if slightly spiked, indicating nightmares or particularly lucid dreams. Ino's inner body temperature was slightly lower than normal, though that was only to be expected after having so many drugs pumped into her. There seemed to be some damage to her liver, but that was only to be expected as well, and her body would be able to repair the damage within a few days. Sakura decided not to waste precious energy healing it, though she made a mental note to restrict Ino from any brandies for a week or so until her liver healed itself.
A few torn muscles from Ino's convulsions earlier were all that really needed to be healed (—her mouth open in a soundless scream—). With a sharp burst of energy, Sakura re-knit the frayed muscles. She was left feeling like she'd run up a flight of stairs for a few seconds, but the feeling quickly passed.
Satisfied that Ino was as well as anyone could expect to be the day after being poisoned, Sakura rose from her chair, wincing as her back gave several cracks. For a moment she debated whether to use more energy healing her sore muscles as well, but decided it was an unnecessary wastage of energy. She walked around Ino's bed, across the room, and drew the curtains half-closed, making the room dark enough to sleep comfortably in, but still bright enough to read and write in.
Sakura patted her wig back in place, which had slipped during her slumber. With Ino still sleeping, Sakura walked back across the room and locked the door. After testing the handle to make sure the door locked properly, Sakura sighed in relief and pulled her wig off. The back of her neck was sweaty from the extra heat, and she wondered vaguely whether she should just save herself the trouble and buy some hair dye. With her new handmaiden's wages, she could afford to spend money on such frivolous conveniences, unlike when she worked at Castle Konoha. Or maybe I shouldn't, she thought dully. There's no point after all, is there?
She looked down at her hands, clutching the wig tighter. There was no point, was there? She'd worn the wig due to her mother's warnings. There had been whispers that Prince Sasuke despised strange hair colors, whispers which had passed on to the employers, so that they would have refused to hire a pink-haired maid… But he'd shown quite decisively that one night that he didn't care much at all about her hair color, save for a passing curiosity. And who else knew her at the castle? Ayame, of course, but that was it. To the other handmaidens, she was just an inconspicuous face, never to be noticed except to be scorned. Who would deign to look twice at a lowly commoner like her, after all? And, well, she wouldn't be a handmaiden for much longer anyways, not if she was being moved to the Green Room. He was planning on introducing her to the court, to the fine noble ladies, such as he had with Ino. In a way, it would benefit her if she no longer wore the wig. Who would ever accept a former handmaiden as a lady? Compared to that alternative, it would be much easier for the ladies to accept an unknown, even if that too would be difficult, if not impossible, for the other ladies…
But the wig was a part of her. She was naked without it. Her mother had saved and saved and saved to buy a wig as well-made as hers. It was the last thing, the only thing she had of her mother…
There was a knock on the door of Ino's room. "Coming!" called Sakura, smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress and quickly stuffing her wig on her head. Sakura unlocked the door.
"Yes?" asked Sakura stiffly, awkwardly, noticing that it was Ayame on the other side of the door. Besides the doctor now, Ayame was the only one who knew of her healing abilities. She couldn't help but feel awkward in the taller, slimmer girl's presence.
Ayame stared around the Blue Room with eyes like daggers, and Sakura shifted uncomfortably before realizing that she ought not show a potential enemy any sign of weakness.
"Why weren't you in the Green Room? I was looking for you," the other girl told Sakura icily.
Sakura raised her chin. Something about Ayame always rubbed her the wrong way, always caused her to bristle. "I was taking care of the Lady Ino, as you have obviously realized."
"Yes, of course." Ayame paused again, glancing around the Blue Room, drinking the sight of it in almost hungrily. Sakura realized that even for a relatively well-off merchant's daughter like her, the luxury of the castle was awe-inspiring as well.
Feeling a surprising burst of sympathy for the unlikeable girl, Sakura prodded, "What did you need me for?"
Ayame turned her sharp, uncomfortable gaze to Sakura, and Sakura felt as though she were see-through. "His Royal Majesty and His Most Gracious Excellency request your presence in the Throne Room immediately."
Sakura snorted, a decidedly unladylike sound. Was Ayame… joking? What an odd sort of joke… "Of course, Ayame. What did you really need me for?"
Lightning fast, Ayame's hand shot out towards Sakura's face. For an instant Sakura wondered whether Ayame was planning on slapping her and then considered why Ayame would even want to slap her in the first place, before her hand caught up with her thoughts. She raised her right hand to catch Ayame's, to stop the expected slap in its tracks, but instead Ayame's hand continued onward to grab at her hair, grasping at it. The older girl didn't quite manage to pull the wig off, but revealed enough of Sakura's pink hair to make her true hair color obvious.
Sakura's sea-green eyes widened and she dropped her right hand from Ayame's wrist, even as Ayame's eyes, so doe-like, so shallow, so piercing, narrowed. The black-haired woman pulled the wig off fully and Sakura did not resist, so all that was left behind was Sakura's mussed pink hair.
"So it's true," whispered Ayame, under her breath, almost inaudible. She straightened again and said in an official, impassive voice, "His Gracious Majesty Prince Sasuke also asked me specifically to tell you to remove your wig before coming."
Sakura was stiff, feeling both cold and hot. What right did he have to reveal her secret, to make her decision for her? Who did he think he was? "Give me back my wig," she told Ayame dangerously. She would wear the wig to the meeting just to spite him, just to show him that he couldn't order her about like he did with so many others—but then she remembered who he actually was. He was Prince Sasuke, Crown Prince, next-in-line to the throne should anything happen to King Itachi. And King Itachi himself was the ruler of Konoha, dangerous, never to be trifled with. How could she even consider disobeying either of them?
(Why—what did you do that for?
Pink hair, Sakura?
P-pink…
And then, dawning horror, as she noticed her hair felt suspiciously light—)
"No," Ayame said steadfastly.
"I won't wear it to the meeting," compromised Sakura. "But it's the only thing I have left of my mother."
"No," insisted Ayame.
"Why?"
Ayame looked down at Sakura, ever superior, ever sneering. "Such scandalous possessions should never be found in the presence of a future lady of the court."
"Please," insisted Sakura, ignoring her niggling wonder at exactly why Ayame knew of her future at the main castle. "Please. I'll hide it away. But just—give it to me. Give it to me!" She hated herself for begging Ayame like this.
(Please, Mama! I really want that dress! Give it to me! Give it to me, please!
No, Sakura! We can't afford such luxuries!)
"I'll dispose of it myself," plowed on Ayame, ignoring Sakura. "Consider this a favor that you ought remember. Besides, Haruno, it is not becoming of a lady to beg."
Why was Ayame being so needlessly cruel? Couldn't she understand that the wig was the only thing Sakura had of her mother, so far away from here in her village?
"You knew something about the poisoning, didn't you?" accused Sakura desperately, casting about randomly.
Ayame, who had already started walking off, turned around and fixed Sakura with a look of utmost scorn. "What on earth are you talking about? You're being ridiculous."
It was the perfect denial. It had the ideal mix of disgust and pitying disdain. But it was too perfect. There was none of the surprise that should have been present if the accusation truly was that ridiculous. Sakura latched onto it, onto the fact that it was so suspiciously perfect.
"Really, Ayame? Is that why you asked to learn the extent of my healing skills so soon before Ino and the Lady Hideki were poisoned? You overplayed your hand. Who was it that poisoned both of them? Was it you, jealous of the Lady Hideki? Or were you jealous that Ino, a previously unknown commoner, was being introduced to the court and you weren't? Did you get cold feet, which is why you wanted to know if I could help? Or is it a plot of Prince Sasuke's, to test me? I know you didn't want to go through with this, Ayame. That's why you tried to warn me earlier, wasn't it, by asking me those questions about my healing? Give me back my wig, Ayame, and I swear I won't report this to—to the authorities." Sakura realized even before she finished that she was grasping at straws, bluffing. What proof did she have? And if it had been Prince Sasuke, what authority in the land could help her?
Ayame's features twisted in anger and scorn yet again. "You think you are the center of the world, don't you? Well, let me tell you now, Sakura, you aren't. There's things in this castle that don't have anything to do with you, alright? And I will tell you now there isn't an authority in the entire world that would believe your ridiculous accusations. Prince Sasuke has far more important things to worry about than the comings and goings of some maids like you and I. And I would have no motivation to poison my Lady Hideki. Without her, I lose my pathway into the castle. I'd have thought even someone like you would realize that. And perhaps I was jealous of the Lady Ino at first, but I realized long before that breakfast that she was a nobody. Perhaps she's slept with some powerful man, perhaps she's somehow caught the ear of someone with a little influence, but she's not someone I would be jealous of!"
Sakura stepped closer, narrowing her green eyes, grasping on to the fact that Ayame, in her anger, had forgotten to give an outright denial. That meant her accusation had some basis in fact, right? "There is something going on though, isn't there, Ayame?" Her eyes dared Ayame to deny her.
Ayame sneered and put the wig into her pocket. "I told you to call me Fumiko. Are you half-deaf as well as dumb? And don't be late to your meeting. Their Royal Excellencies will not be kept waiting."
(Thank you, Fumiko.
Please, call me by my first name, Ayame.)
She turned sharply on her heel and walked away, leaving Sakura behind. With stinging eyes, Sakura turned back to the peacefully slumbering Ino, feeling like the main castle was less a fairytale palace and more a gilded prison.
Sakura awkwardly smoothed down a nonexistent wrinkle in Ino's powder-blue dress. She had borrowed it from Ino's dresser, and was certain that the still-sleeping girl wouldn't mind. After all, none of her own dresses were fancy enough to go see the king in. Even this, one of Ino's best dresses, wasn't fancy enough either. And it fit around her awkwardly, a bit too loose at the bust, slightly too tight at the waist, just a bit too long so that it dragged on the ground, gathering dirt. But Sakura was glad that these little imperfections were barely noticeable. Prince Sasuke might think he could order her around, and he probably could, but damned if she'd embarrass herself while she was at it.
She walked purposefully to the Throne Room, making her way through the vast, wide halls, losing her path several times and finding it again. Sakura refused to ask the other ladies for directions—what better way of announcing she was new and unfamiliar, after all? They still gave her strange looks, sometimes disdainful, but left her mostly alone, convinced by her meaningful stride that she had some important business to complete. Sakura herself wished she was half as confident as she looked. She wished she was wearing her wig. It felt like she was exposed without it…
Distracting herself, Sakura went over what she knew of these powerful nobles. She'd heard rumors about King Itachi, of course. There was no one in Konoha who hadn't. He'd been the heir apparent to the throne, renowned throughout the land for his genius and military prowess. He became commander of Konoha's forces at an almost impossibly young age, thirteen, and only a few months later was sent to his first war by his father, then the king, to put down a rebellion in Sand Country. The former Crown Prince Itachi had returned a changed man, and rumors were rampant that he'd been forced to kill innocent civilians during his journey. Either way, Itachi became cold and numb, and though he was never outright cruel, the people knew better than to disobey him. Soon enough, those Uchihas who could have possibly had any claims for the throne dropped dead one by one through freak accidents or undiagnosed illnesses, all save for Itachi's little brother Sasuke, who had risen to the power of commander after Itachi became king. Whispers abounded that King Itachi had had them assassinated, or poisoned them, or murdered them, and Sakura had to agree that their deaths had all been a little too convenient to be coincidental. And she had been called to visit a man as dangerous as this…
(Mama! Did you hear? Today King Fugaku has died of a stroke! General Itachi is going to be king!
Who cares?
Mama! He's less than half your age, yet he rules the whole country! Isn't that just amazing?
Amazing, Sakura? He'll be amazing once he does something for us poor, for once. In the meantime, he's just yet another power-hungry king, albeit one younger than most…)
She stopped in front of the magnificent carved-wood doors of the Throne Room, easily three stories high, and took a deep breath, looking at the liveried butler. "Please inform His Royal Majesty King Itachi and His Most Gracious Excellency Prince Sasuke that"—Miss Haruno or the Lady Haruno? she thought frantically; was she still considered a handmaiden, or was she a lady now that she had been moved to the Green Room?—"that the Lady Haruno is to see them," she decided finally.
"Oh, yes!" cried the butler cheerily, turning around so that Sakura could see his orange swirly-masked face, and suddenly it occurred to Sakura that the man might not be a butler after all. "Tobi will do so!" The man practically leaked with poorly-concealed enthusiasm, strange since he was wearing a mask, and Sakura could hardly understand why anyone would be so excited about a simple task.
"I—good sir—are you—you are not a butler—?" stammered Sakura, disconcerted. She realized, depressed, that she was already out of sorts, and she hadn't even been introduced to King Itachi and Prince Sasuke yet.
Tobi, supposedly, bounced on the balls of his feet. "Who is the pretty lady Haruno with hair like cotton candy?" he asked her brightly.
Flushing deeply, all the more aware of the absence of her ever-present wig, Sakura stood up straighter and introduced officially, "I am the Lady Sakura Haruno. His Royal Majesty and His Most Gracious Excellency should be expecting me," she emphasized to him.
Tobi nodded happily. "Tobi is the Duke Tobi! It is very nice to meet you, cotton-candy-hair!"
Sakura stifled a gasp and curtsied deeply. "I apologize—I thought you were a—" she flushed even brighter, unable to continue. How could she have thought a duke was a butler? The Duke Tobi's… eccentricities, thought that word was a rather mild term, were well-known. She should have recognized him by the orange mask at least!
"Tobi will introduce cotton-candy now!" he informed her excitedly. He gave the doors a small nudge, and Sakura watched in wonder as they swung open. She wondered if he was stronger than he looked or if the doors' hinges were simply well-oiled.
The Throne Room was the largest room in the main castle, more a miniature palace than it was a mere room. It was stark and stone, gray and cold, and the only windows were squares cut into the stone walls. The Throne Room was easily five stories high and far wider, and at its very end sat King Itachi. His throne was little more than a block of stone with no back, far more impressive in its simple austerity than a thousand embroidered chairs. More effectively than anything, the deeply uncomfortable throne, for it was so simple it was simply regal, represented the burden of leadership. On his right side sat Prince Sasuke; on his left sat a man Sakura knew must be Duke Orochimaru, though she had never seen him before.
She focused on Duke Orochimaru first. He had long, sleek, black hair that fell around his face like a girl's, and pale, sickly, almost green skin that obviously did not see the light very often. She assumed he was a scholar, to have skin so pale, but even the most studious scholar should not have such almost-translucent skin. Her healer instincts itched to have a look at the Duke, to find out what exactly was wrong with him—because there was definitely something wrong with him, though the more Sakura looked, the more certain she was that it was not physical but rather mental. Most striking about him, though, more striking than his pale skin or long black hair, were his pale, tiger-gold eyes. And were they slitted, almost, or was that just a trick of the dim light here in the Throne Room? He was like slightly sour milk, decided Sakura, expired but not quite obviously disgusting yet.
Sitting next to him, on the throne, was the King Itachi himself. He too had long hair, almost feminine, but it was tied back with a simple band. His eyes were red and blank, with deep bags. Sakura had heard that he was somewhere in his early twenties, but at that moment, he looked far, far older. She could tell from his slightly unfocused gaze that he was beginning to suffer from the effects of blindness, though he hid it well, so well that only a highly trained healer such as her could have picked it up. But he could have been carved from stone for all the warmth in him. His features were perfectly blank, unmoving. He could not even be considered cold; he was so empty. Happiness, joy, intrigue, anger, those Sakura could understand. But this perfect numbness was something she had never encountered and it unsettled her. Some primal instinct leftover from the days her ancestors lived in trees warned her to run far, as far away from this man as possible.
Sakura almost felt a feeling of relaxation when her eyes landed on Sasuke. As confusing as he was, as dark, he was something familiar. He too was cold, but it was a deliberate cold, none of the effortless uncaring of his older brother Itachi. He suppressed his emotions, whereas it seemed King Itachi had none. Whereas Itachi's eyes reflected nothing at all, Sasuke's reflected darkness—and at least darkness was something. At least Sasuke was human. She stared deep into his obsidian eyes and refused to blush, knowing it would be childish of her to be embarrassed by a simple kiss in a dark garden. Right? Ladies her age were supposed to be experienced in such matters, weren't they?
"Cotton-candy-hair is Lady Haruno!" introduced Tobi from beside her with a childish delight. Sakura, momentarily distracted, wondered if his simplicity was the result of an addled mind or was simply feigned, and decided she envied him for his optimism either way.
Prince Sasuke inclined his head slightly in reaction, while King Itachi stared at her—no, not at her, through her, as though she were a glass window. Ayame had a similar skill, but comparing her to King Itachi was like comparing a snowball to a snowstorm. Sakura shivered and couldn't repress it.
"Tobi is bored," complained the Duke Tobi. "Tobi is going to leave now to find fun somewhere else!"
Sakura gave him a truly worried stare as he skipped off. It couldn't be healthy to be so childish, could it? Insanity was generally never a magically treatable condition, but she could at least use her powers to check if there were any chemical imbalances or brain activity anomalies in his brain…
"We understand there was an attempt on the life of the Lady Ino Yamanaka," began Duke Orochimaru from up on his pedestal. His speech was slightly sibilant, almost reminiscent of a snake speaking. Sakura suppressed another shiver.
"Y-yes," stammered Sakura, her voice breaking slightly. She coughed, flushing embarrassedly, and continued, "Doctor Hiku of the castle informed me that there were belladonna berries disguised as blueberries, and also ground-up strychnine in the sugar. The Lady Ino digested an almost lethal amount of the belladonna berries but none of the strychnine, and the Lady Hideki consumed some of the strychnine and belladonna, though neither of them in lethal doses." She paused and realized that Duke Orochimaru had implied that the attempt had been on Ino's life and no one else's. "Beg pardon, Majesties, but—how are you so certain the attempt was only on the Lady Ino's life?"
Duke Orochimaru gave a superior smirk, and Sakura wanted to shudder. There was something genuinely disgusting about him. "Who else would it be?" he asked rhetorically. "The Lady Hideki has already informed us she has no enemies. Yet the Lady Ino is an entirely new addition to the court. Presumably some jealous lady felt threatened and decided to poison her."
But if it was just some jealous lady, why are the three most important people in the country taking an interest in it? Sakura wondered privately, and from her lack of response, she knew that the other three knew what she was thinking as well. She stared at Duke Orochimaru, not even daring to challenge King Itachi or Prince Sasuke. He stared back at her, and Sakura conceded, unwillingly, "Very good, Your Majesties. Was there anything you wished to learn of the incident?"
"Of course," hissed Duke Orochimaru amusedly, scornfully. "Where did you learn to heal?"
"From my old village. We had a local healer, and she took me under her wing."
"Where did you learn such a difficult healing technique?"
Feigning ignorance, Sakura asked, "It's difficult?"
"Dr. Hiku assures us it was so."
She felt a flash of betrayed anger at Dr. Hiku for breaking his promise not to tell anyone of her healing, but then realized she was being foolish. Who would dare deny these three men? It would be illogical and unfair of her to blame him, though she was disappointed, she admitted to herself. "Perhaps to non-magical humans it may seem difficult. But it's really quite easy if you have the sufficient magic and a patient tutor," she lied outright
Duke Orochimaru nodded, satisfied. Sakura let out a little exhale of breath.
"Did you notice any suspicious activity on the day of the poisoning?" continued Duke Orochimaru.
"No. Should I have? Ayame, a fellow handmaiden, came and fetched me that morning. We made our way to the kitchens together, where the cook gave us the planned meal. We arrived at the Sunset Parlor, where we saw the Lady Ino and the Lady Hideki deep in conversation. We set down the meal and waited; that was when the Lady Ino and the Lady Hideki began displaying signs of poisoning. I made use of my healing experience the delay the effects of the poison whilst Ayame ran to get the doctor; once Dr. Hiku arrived, he injected both the Lady Ino and the Lady Hideki with morphine to counteract the effects of the belladonna."
"And you are sure that is all that happened?"
"Perfectly so."
"Why did you come here to the main castle?"
Sakura stiffened and looked for the first time at King Itachi and Prince Sasuke. Was she being… interrogated? Did they think her Ino's attempted murderer? Both of the Uchihas looked over her impassively, so similar yet so different.
"My father was sick and needed money to pay for his care. My mother managed to secure employment for me at Castle Konoha. There, I met the Lady Ino, before she was introduced to court. We were very close friends. When she found that she was to be summoned to the castle, she immediately told me and asked if I would come along as her handmaiden. I, of course, accepted, and here I am."
"If you, as you claim, have been trained in the healing arts, why do you need money to support your sick father?"
Ignoring the customary stab of pain whenever she thought of her father, Sakura explained, "He has a terminal illness. Neither magic nor manmade cures can help him. The most we can do is prolong his life, and his medical expenses are difficult to shoulder."
Duke Orochimaru smiled wide. He enjoyed suffering, realized Sakura. He enjoyed basking in it and hearing of it and living it. Or, rather, not just living it, but living it through the descriptions of others. It excited him the way drugs or lust or money excited others. At that realization, Sakura truly did shudder.
"And did you feel… jealous that the Lady Ino was to be introduced to court and you were not?" continued Duke Orochimaru, still smiling.
(Oh, look, Ino, behaving like a lady already, even though you'll never truly be one, no matter how hard you try!)
Sakura frowned at him before smoothing her features out. "I would never do anything of the kind which you are insinuating. For years, Ino has been my closest friend and confidante. When she was to be made a lady, I was nothing but happy for her. And if you may not have noticed, I myself have been made a lady as well, by decree of His Most Gracious Excellency Prince Sasuke—though I have no idea why—and as such, I have no reason to be jealous of Ino."
There was a ringing silence, and Sakura's palms began to sweat as she realized her impertinence.
She flinched when Sasuke let out a soft chuckle, breaking her gaze from Orochimaru's to stare at him. He wasn't quite smiling, but he was amused nonetheless.
"Explain, little brother," said King Itachi curtly, and Sakura was struck by the power in those three words. His voice was deep, husky from disuse, but utterly compelling. It seemed that a silvery voice was a characteristic of all Uchihas.
"Of course," said Sasuke smoothly. "You see, the Lady Haruno is my Bonded."
(He's not just any man, Sakura. He's my Bonded.)
Um, yeah. So more Sasuke! I realized that I need to add more Sasuke. Oh, and people have been asking about Itachi. Well, here he is… along with our favorite little snake friend, of course!
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I would like to take this moment to rant. Warning, spoilers ahead. If you haven't read the latest Naruto chapters yet, I would advise that you just skip this paragraph. Anyways, MANGA!SASUKE IS STUPID. STUPID. STUPID LIKE A PIECE OF CHEWING GUM CAN HAVE A MORE THOUGHTFUL AND COHERENT CONVERSATION ON THE MEANING OF LIFE THAN HE CAN. Also, Manga!Sakura needs to grow a backbone. She was so kickass back in the beginning of Shippuden, when she totally pwned Sasori, but now she's like this whimpering fangirl… AGAIN. TWICE. TWICE SHE FAILS TO DELIVER WHEN SHE MEETS SASUKE. TWICE IN A ROW HE'S DONE THIS TO US SAKURA FANS. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO US, KISHIMOTO?
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I wanted to say something. I forget what. I think it had to do with a plot hole that I noticed. Maybe. Ugh. I hate it when I forget what I wanted to say…
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This chapter hasn't been edited at all. So there's probably buttloads of continuity errors/typos/etc. Sorry! I just wanted to get it up for you guys. xD If I notice enough errors, I'll probably go back through, proofread, and upload an updated version later, so check back in the next couple of days. Maybe. If I don't get swamped with math.
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I'm hoping to reach 400 reviews with this update! I only need like 26 reviews for that, which I'm sure you guys can all accomplish easily if you work as a team, right? ;D
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Either way, ILY GUYS! You are the ones that inspire me after a long hard day of school to write out a new chapter for this story. SECOND GROUP HUG PWEASE?
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published 2.20.2010
not edited