Chapter 14

Hikari's POV

I remember that for a couple of days, I'd had a nagging feeling that'd I'd done something I shouldn't have that day. Or said something… And the band-aid on Shinji's mouth made sure that feeling never disappeared. It wasn't until he finally decided to take it off that it turned into a passing thought. Although Reiji had congratulated me in making Shinji put on a band-aid since age six.

Sometimes, though, my eyes would suddenly wander to his lips. An unnatural habit, I hoped, that no one noticed. I tried to avoid him more and more, uncomfortable feeling or not. I'd just become too conscious of him. It seemed as though he could see right through me with his stare and it made me shiver when we made direct eye-contact.

I knew that at some point I'd have to face him, but the only way I face people is head-on. And I wasn't quite ready to do that yet.

Homeroom was all about the class trip (it was called "class trip" even when all senior year was going.) and as much as I wanted to go, everyone in class was getting mixed up with a honeymoon and an educational stay.

"I want to go to Sonoo Town!" I heard one girl exclaim, "It'd be so romantic!" I swallowed the urge to yell something totally undignified at her.

"Yosuga City has so many great hotels!" Some player yelled from the back of the room. This patience game was getting harder and harder.

I could tell the teacher was getting nervous.

"Nomose City would be the best place for swimmers like me." Kasumi stated nonchalantly. I had no problem with Nomose City except the fact that it was too marshy for it's own good. As a passing thought, I'd thought of Kotobuki City, thinking about my relatives there, but the only educational thing there was the broadcasting station. Plus, I knew one person who really wouldn't appreciate what the "City of Joy" offered.

"I'm fine with any place as long as they have great food." Satoshi said, no trace of a joke anywhere on his face.

"I've always wanted to go to Hakutai City." Haruka said wonderingly.

I actually liked the idea of Hakutai. At least everybody would be way too bored to do anything with each other.

I waited impatiently with my hand up in the air. At least someone in this group should be dignified to do that. I wobbled my leg up and down as my impatience grew and when I couldn't hold it anymore, I slammed my hands down on my desk so hard that it wobbled and screamed, "HAKUTAI CITY!" Everyone in the room went quiet and I made sure no one would say anything as I glared at all my classmates in the room. Well, at least almost all of them.

The teacher, so relieved that order had come to his classroom for once, ate it up right away. "Ah… The city where history lives! An excellent choice."

I knew the only problem we'd probably have was transportation. Hakutai City wasn't exactly one train ride away.

Everything went the same for the rest of the week. We never really got anything done in homeroom because everybody (including the teacher) was too occupied with how we'd get to Hakutai. In the end, Haruka, along with some suggestions from a certain unusual hair-colored boy, (hint hint) decided which routes we'd take.

"So we'll follow Route 215 then follow Route 210 until we hit Kannagi Town. We'll eat some, and after that, we'll take Route 11, change buses after hiking Mt. Tengan, keep taking Route 11 until reaching Hakutai City." I was amazed that Haruka said this all in one breath. Although it was going to be expensive, I knew the teacher thought it was worth it, knowing that we'd pass however many relics as old as him.

We were scheduled to leave in one week and everyone was going crazy.

There were lot's of hustling as everyone tried to scrape up enough money to be able to go. I wasn't one of those people, my mom, hearing about the trip, sent me enough money to stay there for a month or something, even though we were only staying there for about a few days. When I gave her a call, demanding to know what she was doing giving me this much money, she just told me to go have fun.

I was packing at the last minute, being the procrastinator I am, and was folding any clothing warm enough to take with me on the trip. I packed as much necessities I could remember, deciding I'd put Mom's money to good use and buy anything I forgot over at Hakutai.

I knew that we'd be leaving early in the morning so we could make it to Kannagi by lunch, but I didn't really feel like sleeping. I wasn't really someone that was zombie-like in the morning if I didn't get at least 10 hours of sleep or something anyways. I'd just be extremely grouchy.

So I was up to about 12 doing random stuff on my laptop. Nothing bad or anything. If I think really hard I think I make out a bit of Solitaire.

I'm sure everyone could see the dark aura hanging around my head as I loaded into the bus with my stuff.

"What happened to you?" Kasumi asked in an outraged voice. Or something close to that. "Couldn't sleep." I said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Don't worry." Haruka teased, "Boys and Girls have different rooms." I shot her a glare that went unnoticed as the teachers started calling role. I nearly missed my name, almost going to sleep, but I figured I had enough time going to Kannagi Town. The name had been nagging at the back of my head ever since we had mentioned it, but I had dismissed it, thinking it was one of those facts that you never forget from you history book or something.

I opened my eyes, startled, when the buses starting moving out one by one and found that Haruka had slid into the seat next to me while Kasumi sat with Satoshi. I think they were the only boy and girl sitting side by side not making faces at each other. Well, at least not the lovey-dovey kind.

As I was just about to drift off again, Haruka shook me awake and whined, "Don't fall asleeeep! I'm so bored!" I sighed. It was just Haruka, not being able to not talk to someone. Anyone!

"This trip is going to be so great!" She squealed. It was also just like her to get in over her head about some history city. "I've never been to Hakutai City before!" She went on, "Everyone in my family has already decided on what they want! And there's supposed to be some ancient, mysterious statue! I can't wait!"

Ugh… My head.

I put on a feeble smile and nodded, pretending to agree with her.

I was dosing off, pretending to listen to Haruka go on about the famous museum there or something when the couple behind us scoffed.

"What?" I snapped. My hostility didn't seem to have any affect on them.

"The only reason we didn't object to Hakutai was because of the Old Chateau." The boy said. Next to me, Haruka gasped. "I know that place!" She exclaimed, "Why would anyone want to go there?" "Well, it's the perfect place to do the "Courage Test" isn't it?" The girl answered.

I rolled my eyes.

It was just like 17 year olds these days (you know, the undignified ones) to get worked up about some haunted playground or something.

"Isn't it in that really creepy woods next to Hakutai?" the girl in front of asked.

"Hakutai Forest," Haruka corrected, "and it's not very far from the exit, you just have to go through some shrubs and bushes, and you're there."

"My cousin went there at midnight once!" Someone called in the front, "He said a little girl covered in blood ran straight at him with an ax!"

"That's not true! My friend said that it was just a dusty old mansion with dusty, old furniture, nothing out of the ordinary." "What the- none of those are true, my brother said that a man in the kitchen tried to cut off his head!"

People were squabbling left and right, and I had enough of this.

"SHUT UP!!" I screamed in a voice I didn't recognize as mine.

The bus went deadly silent and after a small bit of silence everyone went back to their own businesses, and I heard nothing about another haunted mansion as I dozed off to sleep.

XxXxXx

I awoke to the scent of food.

"Whas that?" I asked in a groggy voice.

"Well, we're at Kannagi Town now, and everyone's eating." A very familiar know-it-all voice responded. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?" I asked, raising my head up. "Don't worry, we brought you the same thing as everyone else." Satoshi murmured unhappily.

I reached out for whatever Haruka was giving me, unwrapped it and sniffed. It was food alright, wasn't very appetizing.

"What is it?" I asked disdainfully.

"A sandwich." Kasumi answered, eating it without complaint as she was taught to do.

"Sandwich? Why'd you bring me this?" I asked.

"There was nothing else." Satoshi complained. "Nothing else?" I asked him in disbelief. "You've got to understand Hikari," Haruka explained, "Kannagi Town is super small, not really much of a restaurant here. Kannagi Town is more of a get away for senior citizens."

"You know," Kasumi scoffed, "The ones that've lost all their teeth."

After I ate my sandwich (with some hesitation, I might add) the teacher, who seemed so excited that it looked like he was that close to wetting his pants, told us he wanted to show us something educational, and fulfilling.

Yay…

So we march off the bus and we're taken to practically the middle of the small town, which seemed like a crater hole as I looked down into it.

I raised my eyebrows as Haruka squealed at the tiny sight of the small shrine smack dab in the middle. "Isn't it cute?" She asked, tugging on my sleeve. It looked like an ordinary shrine to me. Though, I have to admit, it seemed like a little kiddy playground where children played 'house' or something.

But that wasn't what amazed me about Kannagi Town. Actually, it was what was beyond the shrine. It seemed like an excavation sight of some sort, but it couldn't be if it was a tourist attraction. Archaeologists were pretty strict about the whole people thing.

"What is that?" I asked breathlessly as I heard Satoshi let out a low whistle of impression.

"Archaeologists found etchings inside that cave." Haruka explained (of course), "They think it was some types of god the people from way back worshipped." "Except, they don't seem to look human." Kasumi added. "When did you brush up on your history?" I asked her. She looked taken aback. "It was for an important test actually." She explained.

"So what, they looked like cat faces with human bodies or something?" Satoshi asked. "No, stupid." Kasumi retorted, "They look like little critters, with long tails. They actually look pretty cute."

We were finally led inside where the teacher, still looking close to wetting himself, explained to us what the pictures inside might mean.

I was barely listening as I closely observed them.

Kasumi was right, indeed they were cute, but I couldn't help but shiver as I noticed something out of place about this place. Unworldly some might describe it. But I dismissed it and went on looking at the pictures.

One was blue, one pink (or it might have been red, the colors were faded), and the other yellow. They all had a jewel in their head and two tails. And what was it they were floating out of. Lakes or something?

Either way, it was all very mysterious.

I looked around, trying to ignore the glare of the pictures (only two of them as the yellow one it's eyes closed).

I didn't know exactly what I was searching for, but perhaps my subconscious did, because my eyes landed on Shinji.

I wanted myself to look away and scolded myself when I didn't. Thankfully, the teacher called us out before he noticed me and I was able to unstuck my eyes from him as Kasumi started up a conversation with me.

I was almost to the bus when I caught someone sneaking away from the group. I turned my head slightly, so I might get a better look at him only to find it was Shinji. It was almost scary how I could seem to spot him from a mile away.

The line for the bus was shrinking rather quickly and I wasn't able to see who Shinji was talking to. I was sitting in my seat, straining to get a better look when I found out he was just talking to an old woman.

She seemed to be talking to him fondly, and Shinji wouldn't go searching for her is he didn't know her, so I guessed that she was someone he knew.

Finally, she patted his back and waved her hand, urging him to go now. He did a quick, polite bow and headed for the bus.

I quickly sat back down as he came onto the bus and shrugged my shoulders a few time, the posture I was in having been fairly uncomfortable.

I wondered who exactly it was he had been talking to.

The buses started up again, and with Haruka animatedly talking straight into my ear, I couldn't do anything but give up on the thought.

"Next is Mt. Tengan." Kasumi said blankly, "Land. It's not my thing." "That's weird." Satoshi scoffed, "You're here; breathing and walking. Anyone would guess it was your thing."

Kasumi made a face at him for which he gladly returned.

I rolled my eyes at both of them and made a comment about their immature behavior at which they both returned with a face on a whole different level. Haruka laughed.

It went on like this for an hour or so until we reached this Mt. Tengan.

Sure I knew about it. Everyone at Tobari City could see it. I was sure you could see it from any point on this continent, it was so huge.

"We have to hike this?" I asked, gulping.

"We're not hiking the whole thing, silly." Haruka giggled, "We're just crossing through the inside so we can get across quicker." "What'd they do? Blow a hole through it?" Satoshi asked.

It seemed as though she was ready to answer, but something stopped her. "I'm not quite sure, actually." She said. "Holy crap!" Kasumi exclaimed, "Seriously?"

I saw the teacher twitch his head in our direction, but I guess he was too tired to do anything about her.

Haruka scowled.

"I don't know everything Kasumi." She sniffed, "It's not like I'm a walking encyclopedia."

Satoshi, Kasumi, me and even many others around us snorted at that, but she didn't seem to notice, being the dense person she was.

It wasn't like I hated exercise or was too lazy. I was just afraid of the bags I'd have to carry. I imagined the pitch, black darkness and me dropping something, grabbing down to reach something, then taking something slimy instead and shivered.

I looked at the huge bag just waiting to be slung over me and started sweating.

This was going to be one long hike.

We started out in a line two-by-two, but later as we neared the entrance to the cave it turned into a mob, not that I was surprised. I wondered how long it'd take to hike through the biggest mountain in the region.

Some guides at the front yelled out instructions (thought I was too far away to hear them clearly), and soon we were streaming in. Some girls were clinging onto their boyfriends (I guess) pretending to be scared in a squealing voice.

"I'm scared of the dark!"

I rolled my eyes.

A little while later, we were in.

I could barely see a thing and the only source of light was the light of the flashlight that one of the guides were holding.

I tried to push up to the front, trying to get a better look at the cave. Satoshi and Haruka were a little ahead of us. The animate chatter of the people around us echoed around the whole cave, making it seem like there was a ton more people than there really was. (Although we already had a ton of people)

"I'm hungry!" Satoshi complained.

Even with all the noise, I could catch his whines from a mile.

"Ugh!" I heard Kasumi next to me say, "Then take some of these!"

She threw a packet of something toward his voice.

I heard a thud as it hit something.

Then, all hell went loose.

The light suddenly went off and what little vision I could see was gone. People were shoving and screaming from all directions and I could feel another headache coming on.

I could hear the tour guides, trying to calm everyone down.

What good they were doing.

I wasn't exactly stupid, but I was starting to get desperate with all the shoving going on. So I tried to feel my way away from the crowd. I just kept walking forward (wherever that was), pushing and shoving back as I went.

"Move!" I screamed as one stubborn student would not get out of my way.

I nearly fell as he succumbed to my command. At least, until someone grabbed me before I hit the ground.

"You watch where you're going." Said a vaguely familiar voice.

Or not.

I groaned.

"What's happened up there?" He asked. (I should think you already know by now.)

"I don't know!" I said, "Someone up there dropped the light." "Idiots." He murmured.

I heard some rustling noises as he took off his backpack and searched for something. I resisted the urge to tap my foot as I had no right to do so, but it was all I could do keep myself standing. The panic was not going down anytime soon.

Those idiotic guides should at least have an extra flashlight or maybe if lots of people crossed through here, they could put up torches or something medieval like that.

"Oof." I let out as someone from behind walked into me. And not so much as a 'sorry' where have manners gone these days?

I landed right on top of Shinji, who, about to lose his balance grabbed onto the nearest thing (me), and somehow, we managed not to fall to the floor. Though, I heard something clatter beside my foot and roll away.

"Well, that's just great." He growled, "Perfect. Now look what you did." I let out a breath of disbelief. "What I've done? I didn't do anything!"

"Well, what are we supposed to do now? He hissed.

"Search for it?" I offered. "We can't do that." He said, "Our fingers would get trampled."

Somewhere up front, a light went back on and I let out a breath of relief.

Kasumi pushed toward us spotted me and said, "There you are! Look, they found their flash- what are you two doing?"

What?

I stumbled back as I noticed Shinji was still holding onto me, and suppressing a blush, I murmured, "Thanks." and started heading to the front of the mob. (Who had stopped screaming and shoving to my relief.)

"What happened?" I asked Kasumi.

"Heh heh." She let out nervously, "It seems as though I missed Satoshi when I threw the packet and it hit the back of the guide's head."

I looked at her like that was the stupidest thing we'd ever heard. 'Cause, it kind of was.

Well. Good to say that we made it out of Mt. Tengan without anymore unfortunate accidents and annoyances. Though the pathetic excuses the guide was trying to say was kind of distracting.

The sun was going down as we walked out of the cave-like mountain and I could swear all the students let out a breath of relief.

"Yes, well. On we go." The teacher said nervously. His comfort of being outside under the wide, open sky obviously shown.

For the first thirty minutes on our way to Hakutai, everyone talked about what happened in Mt. Tengan.

Exactly!

Nothing happened in Mt. Tengan.

Like I said, those undignified teens these days. They can turn anything into a horror film.

For an hour or so, though, my head was filled with facts about Hakutai Haruka was spitting out. History, museums, statues, more history; it was starting to get tiring. But out of kindness, I smiled and nodded as she went on and on.

The rest of the ride resulted in sleeping. Probably tired from all the commotion in the mountain today, we were all sleeping like a baby. Even all the other students in the bus. There was nothing but silence (with the exception of a few rustles and snores); it was heaven.

But, unfortunately (or maybe not) Haruka shook me awake for what seemed like minutes after I fell asleep, telling me that we were there. I really couldn't have cared less, but then again, it might be a little beneficial. What with all the adoration Haruka gave it, I could at least sight-see a bit.

Wow.

I mean, it wasn't city beautiful like it was in Yosuga or back home. But it had a warm, cozy kind of feeling.

I could see the red-topped hospitals and a huge museum even beyond that. The statue at the distant right, looming and scary in the dark. We passed by a bicycle shop on the way. Tons of them shining in all different colors even though there was no sun.

I had to smile at the small town feeling in a quite big city. It was like a hidden spice.

We were in Hakutai City!

AN. Yes, yes. Bad Kahmelion! You haven't updated in soooooo long! Well, I'm sorry. (And not sarcastically) But I've been extremely busy. Especially since my science teacher is a total drill sergeant and my English teacher is driving me mad! I have a holocaust oral report due Monday, but I'm taking time out of that to finish checking on this. I've actually had it for a while now, but it still stinks like bean curd. (Or something like that) Anyways… My resources kind of shut down on me during the end of this chapter, so I had type everything with the resources I did know, which isn't much. I'm trying to clear this up, but this isn't a world filled with Pokemon. Well, it's the Pokemon world, just no Pokemon. Because I've added the statue of Palkia/Dialga and included the whole Azelf, Uxie, and Mespirit. But they're counted more as legends. I don't know if you understand that, but oh well. Oh, and next time I put up and Author's Note, I usually delete them and replace them with a chapter, so I advise not to review on an Author's Note or else you won't be able to review on the chapter. But since I got a decent amount of reviews on the last Author's Note, I don't really want to replace it with the chapter, 'cause then you can't tell me your opinion on it. (Though you could PM me…) Oh, and I was going to type this chapter full of embarassments, but I didn't want to go overboard, so I guess it's the next chapter... Anyways… Happy reading!

-Kahmelion