Yosh! Chapter 4's in! Ahh, anyone fancy a game of hide and seek? Without spoiling too much, read on!
Tsubameminoru: Thanks for the reviews and your ongoing reading of my story. Means a lot! And, yeps, the craziness has only just begun.
And to the anonymous reviewer, thanks too! Haha, ya, suppie and his...it's sugar high-ness XD
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Basically, thanks so much. Do keep reviewing. Do, do, do, review! I would appreciate em very much.
Disclaimer: I own none of those fantastic people created by Clamp and Yuu Watase...what I do own is my own group of wacky, grumpy and silly kids. XD
Chapter IV
The first week of school breezed by and Saturday arrived with no gong to awaken them from their slumber. Not many students wake up early except for the Junior III and Senior V students who had extra classes on Saturdays.
That Saturday was also the day for the first years to hand in their forms for their chosen choice classes. Room 1369 was extremely quiet for only two students were up: Hariette and Alexis.
"Don't forget the forms," whispered Hariette.
"Oh yeah! Hurry, let's go!" replied Alexis as she grabbed their forms from the "study table".
"I got them," Alexis whispered and hurried to the door. She opened the door so fast that she accidentally knocked her toes with it.
She gasped in pain and held her foot, trying to rub the pain away. Hariette hurriedly shushed her and pushed her out of the room with one hand closing the door. In her haste, the wind slammed it. The two friends stared at the door in shock. They looked at each other with a pained look. Hariette whispered shrilly to Alexis," You go."
The black haired girl shook her head. Suddenly, they heard footsteps inside the room. Hariette grabbed Alexis' hand and they ran away to breakfast.
"My toes hurt," wailed Alexis.
"Well, who asked you to be so clumsy?" asked Hariette without a care for her friend's painful toes.
They had reached the Eating Room with the smell of cinnamon to welcome their Saturday morning. Most of their seniors who had extra classes had already left. There were only a handful of students sitting around, enjoying their first weekend. Breakfast was served buffet-style. There was a wide selection, from cereals to porridge to omelettes. There was two kitchen staff helping at the buffet table.
"Te! Alexis!" called a voice near the buffet table.
It was Plont. And Caederye.
They went over to their table. Plont invited them to sit with them. "Good morning," said Alexis with a cheery smile.
She dumped her file onto the table and stubbed her toes again against the bench's leg. "Oww, oww, oww," she gasped.
"My left foot now, oww," moaned Alexis as she sat on the bench.
"At least it's even up now," replied Hariette with a sympathetic grin. "Since you're so injured now, do you want me to get your breakfast?" she offered.
"You won't know what I would want," said Alexis. "Let me help you."
She hopped to the buffet table, which luckily was very near, with her right foot. She smiled at the lady at the table and started telling her the way she wanted her omelettes to be. Hariette left her be and turned to Plont and Caederye.
"Have you guys passed up your forms?" asked Hariette.
"Amiboshi went to do it," replied Plont as he buttered his pancakes.
"Got it!" interrupted Alexis with two plates. "The lady said she'll give us the eggs when she's done cooking with them."
"How much are you eating?" Hariette asked in disbelief.
"Not much," replied Alexis without noticing the expression on her friend's face. "Alright, which one do you want? Porridge or cereal?"
"And you got us eggs?" asked Hariette. They can't eat that much.
Alexis smiled at her. "Omelettes."
As though the cook was obeying her command, she turned up with two plates of sizzling omelettes. Alexis thanked her with a smile. Hariette rolled her eyes in fear. "I can't eat this much."
Suddenly, Alexis stood up. "What is it?" asked her blond friend.
Alexis gasped. She stared into the distance and all was quiet from her with her friends all-staring at her. Then, Alexis turned to Hariette. "I forgot about the drinks."
Hariette breathed a sigh of relief. "Is that it? I'll get them. Sit," she ordered.
Alexis didn't like to start without her friend so she sat silently. Plont was digging in to his pancakes and Caederye had not spoken a word since they arrived. Then again, Caederye had been even more glum and grumpy after their first day of classes. "So, where's Amiboshi?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"He went to hand in the forms," replied Plont.
Hariette arrived with a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice. She ordered Alexis to drink the juice. "You can take the cereal."
"What did you two choose?" asked Hariette with much interest.
"Well, I'm taking Agriculture, Geography, Business and Merchantsry," replied Plont.
"Great! I'm taking Geography too! Along with Arts and Design, and Divination," exclaimed Hariette.
"That's wonderful, maybe we'll be in the same class. So you like those Divination stuff?" asked Plont.
"It's quite interesting. What are you taking, Caederye?" asked Hariette very politely.
"Smithery, Ancient Language and Medicine," he grunted in reply.
"That's what I'm taking!" cried Alexis excitedly. Her smile turned to a timid laugh when he glared at her. "Well, only Ancient Language," she said with a weak laugh and quickly went back to cereal.
Plont laughed. Really, Caederye shouldn't be so mean. "What are the other two?" asked Plont.
"Music, Arts and Design."
For the rest of their breakfast, Caederye didn't speak much and neither did Alexis. Hariette and Plont had a lot of things to talk about; that was for sure. They laughed and they shared their opinions. Soon, Caerie and Elle joined them. Elle was rather grumpy.
"Someone sure was noisy this morning," she said with a hint of annoyance. "All the noises woke me up earlier than I had planned." She was hinting. She wanted to know who the culprit was.
Alexis looked away guiltily and her eyes fell upon the file she had brought. It contained all their forms. She quickly excused herself, mumbling about going to hand in the forms. Elle ignored her and crossed her arms at Hariette who also looked a little guilty.
"It's you, isn't it?" asked Elle menacingly.
Hariette shook her head a little too fast. "So, it is you!" accused Elle, her eyes full of fury.
"No!" cried Hariette.
Caerie and Plont laughed at the pair. Caerie glanced at her brother. So far, Eriol was still very much alive but she knew her brother was infuriated. She was very close to her brother compared with the twins. He was slow to forgive but he had a kind heart. She sighed as she stared at her glass of juice. If only he would let go like how she did.
The group of friends were now continuing their discussions of their chosen choice classes. Apparently, Elle had signed up for Music, Arts and Design and Medicine. Two of them were the same as what Ally had taken. She, herself, was taking Law, Astronomy and Divination. Plont was telling them what he was taking. Then, Amiboshi entered. He asked where Alexis was. He nodded when he was given an answer. Then, he went to the buffet table to get something to eat.
Caerie continued to think. Her brother had been very silent since that night with the Emperor and the Prince. Caerie didn't think it was right to be angry with Eriol. Eriol seemed to be a very friendly and a kind-hearted person. They were in the same team and she didn't think he was a cruel person. She was rather disappointed. She had hoped that coming to the academy after they had been accepted would be something good for her brother. But it had made things worse. She knew her brother had a lot of things in his mind but he would not confide to anyone. If only he had a special friend. Someone who wasn't family, someone who wasn't Plont, someone who wasn't part of the officials or the Knights. She sighed. Was there even anyone who could open his heart?
The place was very dark and there was a tall and pale lady seated in a red, velvet armchair in front of a pond. It wasn't the usual ponds one would see at the park. Two girls with pale hair stood by her side each. The place was in ruins. There were bricks scattered across the floor and there were some pillars that had fallen on top of each other. There was no window and there seemed to be no door. There was no one else but the lady and the two children. The children had no expression. They stared out, not really looking at anything. The ceiling was very high and there were old paintings on the wall. The paintings were faded and some of the canvas had been ripped apart. Some were just empty golden frames, some the paint had chipped off. A large bookshelf had been put at the side. Scrolls were spread here and there. Parchments and quills also donned the floor. The ground was hard and they looked scratched. Footsteps could be heard above the ceiling but the witch made no move. Footsteps could, of course be heard from there. If she couldn't hear any, that'd not be normal.
The pond was playing a scene for the witch to watch. It was interesting to her. It was something she had been watching ever since the term had started. She watched it everyday. She was watching them. She waved her hand and the scene vanished, making the pond to look crystal clear. There was a little fish swimming in it and a shrimp. She liked the pond to look nice. Besides, it gives the place a good feng shui despite the state of its surroundings. She stood up from her seat. She was wearing a long black robe but something was missing. The two girls handed her a chopstick. She took it gratefully and stuck it into some strands of her hair bunched together.
She walked around the place amongst the strewn scrolls, parchments, quills, books and the bricks. Finally she stopped. She bent down and picked up a dusty and torn tome. She blew the dust off it. She opened it gently and very carefully. It was old and the papers in it were crisp and easily ripped if she wasn't careful. She smiled a mysterious smile. It was going well. Everything, well the important things were happening as it had been foretold. The time was approaching but all is not complete. They are not ready. She tossed the tome to the back. She could always find it again. The prophecy the King had been told was wrong and a lie. The Oracle lied. The witch smiled. It was the price the Oracle had paid. In exchange of a wish. Too bad, the Oracle had forgotten most of the prophecy. It was nothing the witch could have done then. It was not the witch's fault.
Hariette, Elle, Caerie and Plont had nothing to do that day. It was a Saturday but they were bored. They talked and they joked but they longed for something more, like an adventure. So, they ventured around the academy, inside and outside. They started with the grounds first. There, the four gazed outside the gates. Beyond the black grill gates, they saw that the market was busy and full of chattering. They were only allowed to visit the village on Sundays. When it became too sunny, they went inside to explore. Almost the whole day, they did not meet Alexis or Amiboshi or even Caederye. There was not a sight of them. Even at lunch. After lunch, it began to rain.
Noticing some of the students' boredom, Fye planned a game for all of them. Hide and seek. There was only one rule: They were not allowed to hide in the rooms or on the grounds, only in the halls. Not many participated. Hariette, Elle, Caerie and Plont however, agreed. Some of the teachers participated too but it was mostly the Team Masters and Mistresses who joined in. The first years had now come to the conclusion that the teachers who are a Master or Mistress are the ones who are more jovial. Or at least more participating. Mr. Kurogane, for one was not a jovial one. No one had ever seen him smile. He only laughed sometimes at the mage's silliness. Laughter of mockery.
Only ten students and seven teachers participated in the game. The five Team Masters and Mistresses, Chichiri and Hotohori. The seeker was Hotohori.
So far, none of the new students had any idea what Hotohori actually teaches except for Caerie, Caederye and Eriol. As he counted to a hundred, the sixteen other hurried to find a hiding place. Kurogane grumpily walked away from Hotohori and stopped a few feet away. He went to stand next to an ancient bronze statue. Coincidentally, his clothing was of the same colour. Fye went to stand next to him. "Go away!" whispered Kurogane.
Fye gave him a crying face and went away to find a better hiding place. There were many artefacts in the manor, be it chests or vases or even statues. It was like a museum. Tomoyo stood behind the counting Hotohori, smiling. She had a plan up her sleeve.
"…Ninety-nine, one hundred," counted Hotohori over his long black hair.
He turned around to find Tomoyo smiling up at him with a black box. In our world, it is known as a camcorder. In that world, it is known as a contraption among the many other contraptions brought by Yuuko-san. However, this particular contraption belongs to Tomoyo herself. She brought it along from her world when she had been hired by the Headmistress. Nobody knew about it of course, that in fact not all the teachers there were from their world. No, they don't even know that there was such a thing as other worlds. Only the staff knew. Excluding the kitchen staff and miscellaneous.
Hotohori smiled. "I found you. Now you must help me find the others. You are my prisoner."
She replied with a smile, "Sure thing." And with that, she stuck her eye into a small hole of the black contraption.
Hotohori walked on, passing the frowning Kurogane and his bronze friend. Tomoyo stopped before the frowning stature. She smiled. Kurogane couldn't help but smiled back. There were rumours amongst their seniors that Kurogane actually had something for Tomoyo. Only a few people knew why but only one holds the secret in the academy. That person is Fye D. Flowright. Like Tomoyo and a few others, Kuro-poo is also from another world. He came from a place called country of Japan. A different Japan than the one we know. Kurogane was the Head Ninja there under the ruling of Princess Tomoyo whom he serves. That Princess Tomoyo and this very Tomoyo looked exactly alike. There was one difference. Princess Tomoyo had no interest with black contraptions but then again she had never seen one.
Kurogane quickly returned to his scowling face when Hotohori retraced his steps back to Tomoyo. He stared at the statue, not noticing Kurogane. He smiled and patted Tomoyo's shoulder. "I know what you're thinking but it's not Kurogane. Kurogane's more…gloomy looking."
Tomoyo stifled a laugh and hurried to join the Emperor. Kurogane's stature softened as they left. "Should've dump myself in a box…" he said grumpily.
The four friends separated with partners as they searched for a hiding place. Plont immediately grabbed Hariette, leaving Caerie and Elle. Plont and Te had no idea where to hide. They came to a place where a tall and wide statue was placed. It had a tag, like how it was in museums. It read "Tugu Kebangsaan Malaysia". It had three soldiers with a flag. The two teenagers did not stare at it long enough to notice any other details. They quickly went behind it and sat on the cool marble floor.
"Okay, coast is clear. What happens if we don't get found and no one tells us the game's over?" asked Hariette as she tied her long golden locks.
"We…win the game?"
Hariette laughed. "True but I don't want to wait here all day."
They sighed. "Who knew a Saturday could be so boring," said Hariette.
Caerie stared at Plont as he grabbed Hariette and ran to hide. She had thought he would have taken her instead. They played hide and seek when they were little.
Elle called to Caerie from a hallway. "C'mon. Hurry, Caerie!"
They passed many doors but knew they couldn't hide there. Finally, they met a tapestry that showed the sun and the moon. They were talking and arguing when Caerie and Elle drew the tapestry away and found a hidden space at the back of it. They pulled it back to hide them and sat. The space was a very good hiding place they had to admit it. They didn't think there was something hidden beneath the tapestry and they doubt the seeker would find them there.
Caerie leant against the cold wall, wondering why Plont had not taken her. Plont was growing more distant with her as they grew older.
"Hey, you look rather sad. You okay?" asked Elle worriedly.
Caerie smile reassuringly. "I'm fine. Just thinking."
There was silence. "Elle?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think status matters? In terms of friendship or relationships?"
"Not really. Not for those."
"Somehow, women think differently, huh?"
"That, I agree with you."
Suddenly, they heard a voice and footsteps. "Well, now we have only six more to look for. I'm getting good at this."
It was Hotohori. They took a chance and peeked through the tapestry. The other ten players had been caught. Nuriko and Tasuki seemed to be arguing. "I told you to find your own hiding place. You made me lose," cried Nuriko.
"I found it first," argued Tasuki.
"I so wanted to win the prize. Fye showed me. I want it," wailed Nuriko. She tugged Tasuki's sleeve sulkily.
"I'm sorry, okay. It's no big deal, right?" replied Tasuki as he tried to unhook Nuriko's fingers from his sleeve.
She burst into tears. "You made me lose! I want it!"
Tasuki was afraid of Nuriko when she cried. He tried to quieten her. "Well maybe Fye has another one. Yes?"
Soon, their voices faded away as they moved onwards. It really was a good hiding place. Six more people had yet to be found. They noticed that Fye, Mr. Kurogane, Te and Plont were not among Hotohori's prisoners.
"We're good!" said Elle with a grin as they slapped hi fives with each other.
Later, much later, Fye found the remaining five people. Hotohori did not manage to find Fye but Fye found him. And so, with a little bit of magic, skill and knowledge of the school's area, he found them all. Apparently, the prize could not be divided among so many people so they got chocolates instead. Nuriko rejoiced at this. So did Tasuki because it meant the end of Nuriko's complains to him. There was still some more time till dinner. Most of the students returned to their rooms to spend their remaining time.
When Te, Elle and Caerie opened the door to Room 1369, they were rather worried. Alexis was not there. It was strange to have not seen her almost the whole day. But the one who was most worried was Amiboshi. He knew the reason for her silence.
It was dinnertime. Caederye had finally turned up. He walked through the doors of the Eating Room and looked for a table to sit. He spotted Eriol sitting with Elle. So far that day he had managed to avoid contact with anyone. He wanted to keep it that way. He wanted to be alone.
Just then, Caerie entered the hall with Hariette. She pulled him to where Elle was sitting, to where Eriol was sitting. Caederye was enraged with his sister's action. He pushed his sister's arms away and strode out of the hall, ignoring his sister's calls.
Eriol immediately stood up from his sister and ran after him. He stopped the fuming teenager at the door. "Please. I can shift to another table. I'm sorry. Maybe we can talk about things," persuaded the bluish haired boy.
Caederye's face was venomous. He has had his last straw. He cannot talk. He cannot be calm and he cannot be rational. "No need," he replied, his mouth thinned.
With that said, he walked away. At the Main Hall, he was stopped once again by someone. His patience had a limit. But the lady had never offended him so he tried to be as polite as possible. It is the lady who had served at the buffet table this morning, he noticed. She looked relieved at the sight of him and she was carrying a large paper bag. "Good evening."
He nodded in greeting. "Is your name Caederye?" she asked.
He nodded again though he was curious that she was looking for him. She gave a sigh of relief, "I've been looking for you."
"Why?" he asked.
"My name's Helde. I wanted to thank you for your patience with my mother the other day. I apologize for the inconvenience then," she said guiltily.
"That old woman was your mother?" he asked in disbelief.
Helde smiled in agreement. "These are for you. My mother made them for you," she said as she pulled out another crumpled paper bag from the bigger one she was carrying.
"Thanks…" he replied. He wondered what the old woman made for him and why.
"Oh. Do you know Alexis? She was with you that day helping my mother, right?" she enquired.
He nodded again. "Do you mind passing this to her? It's something my mother promised her, apparently," she said as she gave him the other bag. It was very heavy. "I'd find her myself but I have to get back to work and my mother insisted that I pass them to you two today."
"Thank you," he said as he held the bags.
"No, thank you."
She left him standing at the Main Hall with the two gifts. He was not going back to the Eating Room. Besides, he had lost his appetite. He needed some fresh air. With the two bags, he opened the Main Doors out to the grounds.
Caederye walked around for a while with the weight of the bags. Alexis' bag clinked with every movement he made. It was a full moon that night and its ray of light with the streetlights from the village lit the grounds luminously; A mix of white and orange lights. He walked to the back of the manor where he had discovered a small gate leading to the beach early that morning. Perhaps the sound of the crashing waves would ease him. When he reached there, however, his beach was already occupied.
The beach was sandy and it had many trees, mostly coconut trees. The trees hid the small gate making the beach a secret getaway for the students who found it and for others who knew it. Not many of the students knew about the gateway. They hear the ocean but they never saw it. Its only entrance was that small gate.
The beach that could be seen from the window in the Eating Room was the one they could see outside. Its only entrance was from outside, from one of the paths leading to the village.
A girl was occupying Caederye's wanted privacy on the beach. She sat on the sand with her knees raised and her toes buried in the sand. She wore baggy cotton pants and a simple loose shirt. They were made for comfort. Her slippers had been tossed aside next to a collection of beautiful seashells and a stack of coconuts. She had been there for a while. The crashing of the waves of the rocks brought silent winds to shore. The breeze blew through her black hair and the moonlight shined out the purple streaks. The girl was staring out to the sea. The moonlight illuminated the oceans with streaks of its radiance here and there.
Caederye seemed relaxed at the picture. Yet he was surprised for her presence there. This was not a scene he pictured Alexis would be in. He decided to join her. After all, they can share the privacy of his beach.
The teenager cleared his throat and threw the bags onto the sand. Alexis jumped at the sudden noise and turned. Caederye ignored her reaction and sat down next to her. He took his bag and gave the other to Alexis. "It's from the old woman that we helped that day," he said as he opened his bag to discover a knitted white turtleneck sweater with a zip in front.
He did not look at her but from the corner of his eye, he saw her rub her eyes with the back of her hand. She had been holding a flute. She put it next to her and opened the bag. She laughed a bit and shook her head. Then there was silence between them.
Alexis sniffed and turned to face him. She smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked with an annoyed look.
"For bringing this to me," she replied. She opened the bag again and laughed.
"I didn't come here to give it to you," he said with a cold voice.
"I know that."
She was silent again. She hummed a tune as she strokes her flute. She smiled but there were tears shining in her eyes as well. Alexis had decided to sing that song for the Xmas Ball. Elle had agreed to help her and she was less fearful. She closed her eyes as she imagined the song. She sang the words in her heart. It brought back many memories to her.
Caederye saw a different side of her that night. He cleared his throat again. "What did she give you anyway?"
She laughed. "Milk."
He stared at her. "I'm not kidding. She didn't break her promise," she said as she pulled out three bottles of milk. Each was labelled: Cow milk, goat's milk and camel milk. He couldn't help but laughed with her.
"I'm definitely going to get strong bones now," giggled Alexis.
"So, how come you're not at dinner?" she asked.
Caederye immediately got angry again. "Why aren't you?" he asked angrily.
She sensed his anger and was afraid it was her fault again. "I wanted to be alone…" she replied timidly.
They grew silent again. "You didn't go for lunch either," Alexis finally said.
"How do you know?" he asked gruffly. He was losing his patience again but it wasn't because of Alexis. An image of Eriol and his father was floating inside his head.
"I saw you from the roof. You were in Fye's garden."
He turned, bewildered. "You were on the roof?" he repeated.
She nodded. Then, he couldn't contain his anger anymore. His emotions just exploded. He let out all that was in his mind. "Why? Why do they let Perrierns into the school? Why? Why must I sit at his table? Why must I not hate him? I hate him! I hate his bloody kingdom for everything it's done! It's his fault!" he shouted out. His voice echoed out to the ocean.
He breathed heavily. "Why?" he asked again in a whisper. His knees gave way and he kneeled. He bent down and slammed the sandy ground with his fist. A tear trickled down from his eye to the sand. "I hate them all…" he whispered again.
The trees rustled as if they agreed with him. Finally, Alexis spoke. She knelt next to him. She patted his back and whispered," I understand…"
"No you don't!" he shouted as he slapped her hand away.
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" she argued as she looked at the ocean. Then, she told him her story.
"Tomorrow is my parents' wedding anniversary…if they were still alive, that is. That's why I wanted to be alone. Being born on an island, I find the ocean and its winds, soothing. The waves can be full of anger and yet it can be calm and peaceful."
"Every year they would celebrate the occasion and they would bring us along even though it was their special day. I remember the last year we celebrated it was the most wonderful one. We went down to the beach, had a picnic dinner with all our favourite foods. There were fireworks and with a little bit of magic, we altered it to write messages in the air. Father even brought a bagful of rose petals. We sprinkled them on everyone we met on the beach and in the streets. But that was a long time ago."
"One day, my parents took us to Myrie, south of Symphonia for a holiday. But then, soldiers started appearing from everywhere. Many soldiers. They attacked everyone. People were screaming, children were crying and everyone was running. Some men fought against them. My father once served as a Knight and my mother was a Healer. There was blood everywhere and bodies that was so still. My father asked us to run and not look back. My mother said that it was their duty to save the villagers. She urged for us to run and find a safe place to hide. I refused and she pushed us. I ran and ran with his little hand in mine. Then, an arrow shot him and blood was all over his small body. I carried him and hid in the bushes. The blood wouldn't stop."
"Then, I saw our parents. My mother was healing a man and Father was in combat with a General. I saw a soldier about to slash my mother but she didn't run. The man's wound was closing. She couldn't run. To protect her, he killed the soldier but the General was quick. In a flash, I saw my parents murdered in front of my eyes. There was no one who could help us. Everyone else was fighting. I cried out. It was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I hated myself for it and I still do. I was six."
"The thing is, I hated my parents for leaving us, I hated the late King for not providing enough protection for his people. I admit I offended the late King's name almost everyday. I didn't understand why my parents could just ask us to run and not even care what would become of us."
"Most of the other kids at least have one parent left by their side but I lost my entire family that day. I couldn't forgive them; I couldn't forgive myself. You wouldn't either, if you were me."
"Still, wounds heal. A few months after the Great War, I met an old woman. She and her husband had lost their son in the War. The son had taken his father's duty instead because he didn't want his old man to get injured. She told me something really, really sad. She said, "Parents don't bury their children, they're not suppose to." It made me realize that I still have my friends and the people at the island. There are still so many people who loves me, though we're not of the same blood, we're still like family. The old woman lost everything. She is old but she is also alone with her husband with no one to help them both."
"We have to be proud of the people who lost their lives just so we could have a future. What they did was noble and we should respect them. We have to be thankful. They may be gone and we cannot see them but they will always be in our hearts and the memories will always remain. Our loved ones are only truly gone if you forget them."
Alexis took a breath, her eyes, though teary did not leave the sight of the ocean. "The past is behind and the future is in front of you, in your hands. Which path you choose is your decision."
Caederye sat next to her, absorbing what she had said. She too had suffered a loss like his. Unlike her parents, his father was the King and it was a King's duty, a King's responsibility to protect his people. He really should be proud because his father was not a coward and his father thought of his people and of his family.
"Eriol did not start the War. We should not be prejudiced against a person for what he is but we should see him for who he is," said Alexis.
Caederye wiped his tears away. "You better not say a word about me crying. I wasn't. I was just acting."
"I wouldn't because you didn't shed a tear. I was."
"And I still hate you," he said with the same coldness from the first day they met.
"And I didn't think that'd change," she replied with a smile.
Even so, he was more calmed after hearing her words. It made sense but that didn't mean he was going to be friendly to Eriol or anybody else. He preferred to be alone and without friends. It was that day that Caederye finally forgave his parents for who he was and for who they were. There was something missing though.
"You mentioned an "us" and a "him". Who is the other?" asked Caederye hoarsely.
"My little brother. He was only five," she said and with that, she shut her eyes slowly. The glistening tears finally coursed down her cheeks.
The next morning was a Sunday and it was the day that everyone was most anxious of. It was going to be their first day out of the academy. There were many things to do outside. However, no one was more anxious to leave than Alexis and Amiboshi. They were meeting Suboshi at the market.
"Hurry, hurry!" cried Amiboshi excitedly with a little hop.
"Relax, he's probably late anyway," answered Alexis.
Amiboshi was practically like running away from them with his speed. "Who are we meeting again?" asked Hariette.
"Suboshi. He's Ami's twin brother. He came here with us but he decided to join the army instead," said Alexis.
It was just Hariette, Elle, Alexis, Eriol and Amiboshi walking at the market. Caerie and Caederye with Plont lived in Aien so they had gone to visit home. They were supposed to meet again a few hours later. Beneath an oak tree was a tall young man with dirty blond hair. He leant against the old tree, waiting.
"Suboshi!" called a voice similar to his.
He turned around to see his brother, his twin brother. He smiled. "You're late," he complained. there supposed to meet again a few hours later. . walking at the market. s of. arents for who he is and for who they are.
"Well, it's…umm…Ally's fault," said Amiboshi guiltily.
Alexis was dumbfounded. "What?" she cried.
"Nice try, Ami," said Suboshi with a smirk.
Suboshi was introduced to the group and they went to visit the fisherman and his wife. Unfortunately, they were not at home. A fellow fisherman told them that the couple had gone travelling. With their plans changed, the group of friends strolled round the market.
The market was rather noisy. The air was filled with the yelling of prices from the stores and the clucking of chickens. In addition to that was the mooing of a few cows. The market did not just offer poultry and fishes. There were many other nice stores like the stationary shop. There was also the armoury. A small jewellery shop had been set next to it and it sold many trinkets, charms and ornaments. They were beautiful but rather expensive. There was one thing that caught the girls' eyes and was something they could afford: A black string with a silver fish bone. The next shop they visited was the local pet shop. It was nearing the time to meet Caerie and the others but Alexis and Elle were debating on whether to buy a pet or not. In the end, Suboshi and Eriol left them to meet with the other three first.
At the Wakalyy Café, Suboshi and Eriol chose a table that was nearest to the beach. A few minutes later, Caerie, Caederye and Plont arrived. Eriol waved to attract their attention. Caederye scowled at his presence and muttered to them about having to collect something. Caerie did not believe him but her brother assured her he was not finding a way out. Plont greeted Suboshi. "Hallo Amiboshi. Where have you guys been today? Where's your brother?"
Suboshi and Eriol stifled a laugh. Suboshi did not deny his mistaken identity and Eriol played along. Even Caerie did not realize who Suboshi was and so the two sat with them there, not realizing the mistake.
At the pet shop, Elle had finally decided to buy a puppy. She paid for the small creature and cuddled it in her arms. It was feeling sleepy so it did not struggle. Even Hariette decided to purchase a pet, not having one before. She was afraid of dogs though she admitted they were adorable. She got herself a cat. Alexis was the one with a problem. She wanted the horse. She had set her eyes on it when she first saw it. The owner of the shop repeated that the horse had already been bought. She did not believe him.
A boy interrupted their argument when he called the man from the back of the shop. Alexis frowned in frustration. "Why don't you just get another horse? Or you can get another animal…" persuaded Elle.
"But...oh I don't know…" she said grumpily.
"Alexis?" asked a voice.
It was Caederye. "That's my name," she replied sulkily.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked Amiboshi in disgust.
"Nothing, really. She met a friend here but apparently someone already bought it," replied Amiboshi with a small smile.
A whinny was heard with the clip clop of hoofs from behind Caederye. "Here you go, sir. Nice doing business with you," thanked the man as he handed the reins of the horse to Caederye.
Alexis was stunned. "You bought my horse??" she asked angrily.
He smirked. "Technically, this horse is mine because I paid for him already."
She just stared at him hostilely. The horse whinnied at the two. It nuzzled Alexis to comfort her. She patted him in return, smiling at the horse. It was a pure white horse with a long mane and tail with beautiful hazel eyes. Caederye grunted. He thrust the reins to her. She stared. "You can have him. For double the price," he said with a smirk.
She smiled and thanked him profusely. Elle looked at him curiously. Caederye was never nice. What he was doing was nice. "Are you ill?" she asked in disbelief.
"No. I just don't want anything that she likes," he replied with a deeper frown.
The horse nuzzled him his gratitude. He liked the girl more. "You can ride him if you wish," Alexis told him.
"If I wish. You're still paying me double anyhow."
"Dang!" she muttered under her breath.
The new arrival of Hariette and the others with animals surprised Caerie and Plont. As for Caederye, he tried to hide his surprise that there were two Amiboshis. Suboshi laughed. Finally all was explained and they had lunch. Caederye stared daggers at Eriol but the Perriern was not disturbed. Eriol was a very rational person; he believed that it'd take time for Caederye to accept him.
Over their assorted meals, they discussed the comings and goings of the school and the army. Suboshi had the juiciest bit to tell. He wanted to warn them. He whispered to them to listen.
"There's word at the army camp. Very interesting news," whispered Suboshi.
They questioned him and he obliged. "Word is two royalties have been enrolled into the same academy you're in. This year, so they should be in the same year as you. What do you think?"
Caederye and Caerie glanced at each other. Plont was worried too but he pretended to look interested. Eriol knew whom they were but he wasn't going to tell. It was a secret. Plont asked," How do they know?"
"Some of the guards came over the other day and started telling us about the palace and all," replied Suboshi as he munched on a chip.
"Well, whether they're royalty or not, does it matter? We shouldn't judge them," said Elle.
"Exactly. I suppose it's better that it's a secret. Otherwise they'd never know who their real friends are," added Hariette.
"Besides, what are the chances we'd know any of them?" asked Amiboshi with a laugh.
Exactly. What were the chances? The subject was soon forgotten and they spoke of more jovial things. The puppy started to stir and the cat was stretching its limb. They needed some exercise. The three animals gambolled on the sand, becoming fast friends.
A/N: This chapter contains much randomness and the subjects they take are just confusing. Haha, but i needed to write this to clear up some stuff. Comments and reviews please!!! Thank you! Arigatou!
Next chapter: MokonaS make an appearance. And the school organizes a Sport's Day sorta thing! Keep reading! Thanks! XD