Disclaimer: I do not own anything all rights belong to Takeshi Konomi.
Here it is...it took me a while, but here it is. You get to see the gang minus one prince and a new OC character.
This pressure. This abnormal pressure.
Sakuno has never felt anything like it; it feels as if a pride of lions is staring down a weakened zebra. The poor creature! Sakuno thought as re-runs on the discovery channel played in her mind of the circle of life. It was only natural, things eat or be eaten the basics of life, but it was too sad for Sakuno to care.
The scene is different inside the sushi restaurant ran by Taka's dad, but the feelings are the same as the hunt of lions and zebra, Sakuno being the film crew with no choice but to watch. The only problem was the zebra seemed so unsuspecting of the fate it was about to meet at the moment.
Rai seemed to be happy as a clam eating the sushi at the shop, sitting close to Sakuno with out a care in the world all the while Tezuka, Inui, Fuji, Oishi, Eiji, Taka. Momo and Kaidoh sent waves of displeasure towards him. Some more than others of course from what could be told by their faces. Sakuno could only try to shrink away from this atmosphere, but with no avail, Rai was trying to chat with everyone only leading to embarrass Sakuno. He wanted to know who they were and what they liked things like that, and he was observing their reactions closely, his eyes gleaming.
The others answered his questions like they would answer to any other person but with a strange spark in their eyes when they finished.
"So, I guess you guys are really close to Sakuno." Rai said with a small smile.
"Yes, nya!" Kikumaru said with a grin
"Why yes." Fuji commented while the others gave a nod.
"That's good, and when do you think that started?" Rai asked as his eyes narrowed.
"What do mean?" Oishi asked a bit confused
"Yeah, I'm not sure what you mean by that either." Taka said while tilting his head a bit a giving a sheepish smile.
Rai looked around the room for a moment before giving them a smirk.
"I mean, when did you become close to Sakuno?" He asked.
"Huh?" Eiji said in confusion.
"Since middle school, I believe." Fuji said.
"That's it, I'm sure of it." Oishi commented
"What does that have to do with anything?" Momo asked.
"Hehe, just wondering." He said softly.
"It's a strange thing to wonder." Inui commented.
"I guess I'm just different." Rai said as his gaze was set on Tezuka who was sitting quietly, and stoically as usual. He was looking at him with a curious gaze, and didn't leave his sight until Sakuno caught his attention.
She seemed to have started to fiddle with the hem of her dress, and her face hung low.
"Eh, you okay?" He asked.
"A-ah yes." She said looking up at him then down.
"Sakuno nya. You look nervous about something!" Eji said as he went over and sat beside Sakuno even when Oishi told him to sit back down.
"O-oh no…It's okay." She said her voice growing fainter by each word.
"Hm! You must be excited to see everyone nya!" Eiji said while giving her a pat on the head. Sakuno looked at him for a moment and gave a small smile.
"Yes." She said with a happier tone.
"We're glad to see you too." Eiji said with a smile.
"Yes, it has been a while." Fuji said.
"Have you been eating well?" Oishi asked.
"Y-yes sempai." Sakuno said.
"You know how important it is, right!" Momo said with a smile.
"Fat ass." Kaidoh muttered loud enough for Momo to hear.
"What?" Momo turned to him and said dangerously.
"You deaf, idiot?" Kaidoh said.
"You bastard!" Momo roared and the two started to fight.
"Ah, what a refreshing bunch of people we have here." Rai said while holding up his hand and gesturing towards the two.
He then excused himself and walked outside for some air, and Tezuka did the same thing a couple seconds later.
(Rai and Tezuka)
Tezuka walked outside and saw Rai leaning on the side of the neighboring building.
"She is really sweet, right?" Rai questioned as Tezuka walked closer.
"A good natured person who would never harm anyone, correct?" He continued.
"So why let it get this far?"
"She kept it hidden from us." Tezuka answered.
"Couldn't you tell she was unhappy?" He countered.
"In a way, but we thought that she was just getting over it. We thought it would just blow over soon, and that she didn't want our sympathy." Tezuka said.
"Of course, she's not the kind of girl who would want to trouble others especially friends with her feelings." He said sharply.
"You act as if you've known her as long as I have." Tezuka said.
"Hmm, you have a point, but I'm trying to help her unlike you her "close friends". Rai said with a huff.
"Is this what you came here to do?" Tezuka questioned.
Rai turned around and took a deep breathe of air before looking back at Tezuka.
"Look, I'm not here to start trouble. You see…" He paused and ran his fingers through his hair.
"The school, it's not normal." He explained.
Tezuka said nothing finding the statement rather obvious.
With a groan Rai tried to explain further. "The school, isn't right, the people running it, they are border line insane. Sakuno won't be safe there, not just mentally, but her being as a whole."
"I've looked into it, and all the teachers have great credentials, and have spotless records." Tezuka said.
"So you do care?" Rai asked turning to face him completely.
There was only silence.
"You know anyone with the means can easily destroy any information they don't want given to the public, they can be faking it, I bet my life on it." Rai said a bit forcefully.
Tezuka was silent, and Rai let out a frustrated sigh.
He had no choice but to come out with it. " Sakuno's life may be in danger in that school, some students have already gone missing too." He looked at Tezuka sharply and walked back inside leaving Tezuka to his thoughts.
"If he doesn't get the message now, then he truly is the biggest idiot on earth." Rai thought before he put on a smile and ate with everyone else.
It was a beautiful morning as Sakuno was getting ready to leave for school with a somewhat happy air around her. Sumire noticed that Sakuno's mood had changed remarkably, and she could only let out a sigh and turn off the T.V.
"Sakuno? May I ask you something?" Sumire started as Sakuno waited for her toast.
"Ah…y-yes." Sakuno said as her shy demeanor showed itself again, and it seemed to happen only when Sumire talked to her.
"Uh…never mind, just do well in school today." She said to her.
Sakuno blinked a few times and looked at her for a moment confused.
"Y-yes." She said softly and with that she left, and went on her way to school.
She had not idea what was making her grandmother act so oddly, maybe it was something she saw on the news earlier, because she saw that Sumire was looking at it with a rather surprised look. The volume was turned down so she couldn't hear right, but from what she did hear it was a murder of a mother and child being pushed off a cliff. It was a sad thing, but Sakuno didn't think that it would make her grandmother act so weird.
Walking inside the school Sakuno saw that all the classrooms were empty and barely anyone was outside, she new she was a bit early but she gave cushion time incase she got lost. Walking outside she looked to see if she could find Rai or maybe if Miku was back from her sick leave. To her dismay the only recognizable person was the red head girl with the diva attitude.
"U-Usagi-s-sama?" Sakuno said as she approached her quietly, she knew that she should try to at least introduce herself to her properly.
"I'm in no mood!" Was her curt reply.
She seemed to be holding a handkerchief by her face and patting her cheeks delicately as if she were crying.
"Usagi-sama, w-what's wrong?" Sakuno asked kneeling down beside her bewildered by the situation.
"What's wrong? What's wrong!? I don't feel well, my heart aches for the loss of my good friend." She said dramatically.
"Oh…I'm s-sorry to hear that." Sakuno said trying to comfort her.
"I guess I'm taking this the hardest out of all the students here!" She yelled getting her umbrella opening it and running away as Sakuno tried to ask her what she meant by all that.
"What has gotten into everyone?"
Sakuno sat down and rubbed her temple for a moment and taking a quick breathe of air to ease her mind. After a moment she then crossed her arms and closed her eyes to piece together the clues.
One: A child and Mother were murdered.
Two: The child most have gone here.
"Maybe it was…no…no that's impossible, that wouldn't happen in a million years." Sakuno thought as she tried to relax her racing mind.
Her breathing began growing rapid and she closed her eyes tightly for what seemed liked hours until she heard the crunch of foot steps over twigs and leaves.
Sakuno shook off her panic attack and looked over to where the sound was coming from to see a beautiful girl with raven blue hair and bright hazel eyes walking past her mumbling something about a set up.
"Um…" Sakuno said softly while outstretching a hand, knowing all too well that her weak noises were not going to be heard. The girl stopped then walked back still seemingly muttering until she stood in front of Sakuno.
"What is it?" The girl asked with a smooth voice.
"Ah…I was…"
"Who are you?" She asked before Sakuno could continue.
"Oh, I'm…"
"It seems somewhat rude that you just bother a stranger don't you think?"
"Ah…w-well yes, I'm sorry."
"Who are you?" she asked again leaning in closer.
"R-Ryuuzaki Sakuno!" Sakuno said in a hurry.
"My, I'm right here, and just so you know I have pretty sharp hearing abilities so no need to screech."
"S-screech?" Sakuno hasn't heard her outburst being called that before.
"hmm, yes that noise you make when you try to sound louder."
"R-right, I'm sorry." Sakuno said with a sweat drop.
"Please call me Nana. My full name is not important, and what is it you need? I was trying to solve the murder case earlier before you interrupted."
"Solve the murder case? Are you a detective?" Sakuno asked impressed by this sudden information.
"No, but I will be when I grow up, you see the murder of the Yanami family was called a double murder but there is no way it can even be close to that."
"Eh?" A red flag popped up in Sakuno's mind.
"You see the bodies were tortured two separate ways, and disposed of in the same place, but if you were to look at the markings of their bodies in the photographs you can see that the mother was drugged and thrown and the child underwent a struggle. Also the fact that the age and decay of the flesh and the amount of eaten out organs were different concludes they were thrown at a different time, a few days gap between each other." Nana said in a bored tone almost making the description incoherent.
"Stop…p-please stop…" Sakuno said as her eyes began to water, and the thought and the grotesque imagines in her mind began to flash by.
Nana looked at her then slapped her own head in disgust.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories of your friend, I knew her too, but sometimes I lose all human feelings when I talk like that. I do this all the time; I just can't stop myself when I'm on a roll no matter who I hurt."
"F-friend? She came here and was my friend? Yanami?" Sakuno stood up and stared at Nana for a moment.
"Mi- ku?"
"Hm…Didn't you know?" Came her monotone reply.
I like to give characters certain abilities that are human and cool. Basically for Nana she is smart and has amazing hearing abilities.
She can hear coversations in other rooms perfectly clear from the middle desk she sits in. She always picks the perfectly middle desk to sit in, and she is usually the first one to class.
Rai as shown can see things/people almost through walls(not really). Basically if you put him on the top of a 5 story building and ask him to tell you what he sees, he'll give you a very accurate dispcription. The eye color, hair color, gender, race, clothing you name it. Any stains they spilt...all that jazz.
Usagi will have an ability not that special but it will be interesting.
-Thanks to those who read and review.