Seiya strode across the deep green grass, Taiki at her side. The park was plenty full of groups of people playing, several people reading or engaged in some other solitary activity, and a few couples. Someone from most every group greeted Seiya and Taiki as they passed, many of them asking Seiya to join their team. Seiya turned them down gently with promises for the future. Finally she and Taiki found a quiet spot to sit.

The trees with flowing limbs swayed gently, their shadows reflecting the almost hypnotic motion. They set themselves down in the shade, Seiya spreading out the blanket that they had brought with them. Taiki thanked her as she tucked her skirt neatly under her and sat. Seiya joined her, placing the basket of food in between them. As she set up the meal, a conglomeration of meats and bread and fruit, the brown haired girl pulled a small item from her school bag.

"Is that it?" Seiya nodded to it. In answer there arose a hologram, maps of stars moving in a rotation in front of them. Seiya temporarily forgot the food and stared openly. Taiki pressed buttons on the small metal oval that lay in the palm of her hand and the image shifted to their solar system. There at the center was the bright blue star, five planets visible and a sixth too far off the side of the hologram to see. The closest was red and volatile; the second engulfed in a swirling mass of darkness; the third, a vibrant teal and green; the fourth, a lifeless red with contrasting pale clouds; the fifth, dark green with several black patches. The sixth, Seiya had learned, was little more than a huge rock floating in the sky. It was used as a military base and nothing more to the best of her knowledge.

Seiya shifted, her curiosity again overtaking her as she stared at the planets in her system. Taiki had agreed to help Seiya learn more about her mystery girl, Yaten Shita, and as always she had come through. She had somehow convinced her astronomy teacher to allow her to borrow the mini-projector. There were times when Seiya wished that she were as smart and adored by teachers as Taiki. But then that wouldn't be half as much fun as always getting on their nerves.

"So where is this Shita?" Seiya asked, eyeing the third planet. She was pretty familiar with the neighboring communities, and had some degree of knowledge of the ones beyond her sector. But Shita was a place she had never heard of.

Much to her surprise, Taiki focused on the fourth planet. At first Seiya thought she had made a mistake but the image was following Taiki's commands precisely. It descended through the atmosphere, onto a desolate range of dusty red rocks. As far as Seiya could see, there was no form of life.

Seiya stared at Taiki with a look of confusion. Taiki shrugged one eyebrow up. "You really don't know anything about Kavaar do you?"

A dark head of hair shook innocently.

Taiki sighed. She began, "Shita is covered in a concentrated layer of nitrogen. The atmosphere contains significant levels of oxygen as well, but because the nitrogen is lighter than the oxygen it rises to the surface. Thus the only part of the planet with breathable areas is underground."

Blue eyes, dark with concentration, blinked several times. "Oh!" Seiya cried, her finger flying up into the air to emphasize her point. "So the people live underground!"

Taiki gave her a worried look for a second and then pushed up her glasses. "Precisely. Of course there are bases above ground as well; a few interplanetary transports, and some mining fields--especially towards the south. But all of the major cities are located in the caverns below." The scene faded and a series of images appeared, depicting the underground culture. Multi-leveled cities were carved out of the rock below, passageways following the natural formation of the earth. There were great markets between cites, groups of people trading in such crowded spaces that it made Seiya uncomfortable just to look at them. Though intrigued, Seiya tore her eyes away to look at her friend.

"Why would someone switch homes so drastically? Especially at this age."

A pair of chestnut brows furrowed. Taiki lifted her hand to her chin in thought. "I don't know. Of course Kou is renowned for its schools, but most who transfer for that reason do so in their earliest years of childhood. Rarely would one get the chance before entrance into their career field. It does seem unusual..."

"Oy! Taiki! Seiya!!" The two turned in time to dodge an energy ball which passed in between them. Their friend Aje ran up to them, breathless and smiling.

"Ah, sorry you two! I missed that last pass. How are ya?"

Both women responded appropriately, Taiki tucking the device away into her school bag.

"Good! So you will be up for a game of juuball?"

Taiki waved her hands in front of her. "Count me out," she said, settling back against the tree to watch. Aje turned his gaze on Seiya.

"Come on Seiya, just one game."

"Ah, maybe not today. The next time I see you, though..."

"That's what you said that last time." The redhead latched on to Seiya's arm. "Seiyaaaaa, please join our team! How can you not play one game of juuball when the weather is so improved?"

"Ai!" Seiya cried as she was lifted to her feet. Aje pushed a long stick into her hands and gave her a slap on the back. "Good to have you," he commended, running to retrieve the glowing blue ball. Seiya turned back to Taiki.

"Don't look at me to fix this," Taiki said as a mother would to her child, but Seiya noticed the grin that she tried to hide.

"This first one is for you," Seiya said with a wink as she shed her short-sleeved jacket and ran out onto the field.

An hour and twenty minutes later she dropped down next to her friend. Taiki had a book open in front of her and her glasses covered her face but Seiya felt her glance. "One game?" Taiki asked with a hint of amusement. Seiya turned back to her and laughed, lines of perspiration sliding down her face and arms and every other patch of open skin.

"Play with us!" she pleaded, grabbing Taiki with wet palms. The other girl looked repulsed. "You're only young once." Taiki was unimpressed. "Besides, Kisha has to go to class. We're one person short on the other team."

"Why don't you sit out then? Make it nine versus nine."

"Because!!!! Then it wouldn't be called juuball," Seiya reasoned as if it were the most logical explanation in the world. She tugged again at her arm but Taiki shrugged it away.

"UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She growled at the world in general and fell backwards onto the blanket, arms splayed out on either side. The afternoon sun peeked through the trees, stinging Seiya's eyes. She turned her head to avoid it and her eyes went wide.

"Hmm--Seiya!?" Taiki cried after her when she leapt up at once and ran.

Seiya reached the girl in two seconds flat, her hands on her hips as she tried to regain her breath. At her presence Yaten looked up, startled out of a daydream unknown to the dark haired girl. "What are you doing?" she asked the panting woman in front of her.

Miraculously Seiya managed to choke out a few words. "Saw... you... thought... maybe... wanted… play... juuball." Seiya indicated behind her. Yaten looked over the taller girl's shoulder at the group of teens--male and female--standing and chatting. Seiya saw a look of disdain pass through her eyes and her hope dimmed.

"No, I don't like sports," the girl stated neutrally and made to go by her.

"Wait just a second!" She grabbed onto the girl's wrist and cool emerald eyes fell to where their skin made contact. Seiya released her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine! I mean, just don't do it again…" The girl turned away to hide her expression. Seiya was so focused on her that she did not even realize the small crowd that had gathered around her.

"Who's this?" several people began to ask about the new girl.

"Look at her hair—and her eyes!"

"But can she play?"

Aje stepped in front of the girl and looked her over critically, while she looked ready to claw his eyes out if he got too close. "Hmm…" he mused, tapping his chin. "Ever played juuball before?" Before she could answer he said, "No matter if you haven't. We can teach you. Okay here's the deal: the object of the game is to pass the juuball to each other and then toss it into the net. Ten players to a team. The score is calculated by how many consecutive passes to your own team have been made before the goal. So let's say it gets passed to four people and score; that would be forty points, ten times the number of passes. And if you pass it to all ten players before scoring you get a hundred point bonus. A thousand points wins the game."

He pushed a stick into her hands, a bowl-like object attached to one end. "This is your passing stick. You catch the juuball with the end of it. Like so—" He demonstrated with a tall skinny blond boy in the grade above them. "Got it now?"

"I—I didn't say I would play."

"AH!!!!!!! SEIYA!! She's as stubborn as you!" His face was absolutely glowing as he pulled her onto the field. "Let's hope she can play as well," he said with a wink.

For a frustrating fifteen minutes Yaten did nothing but hang in the background, looking all the while like she was trying to find an escape. Seiya kept turning back to watch her even as she chased the ball back and forth across the field. She was so distracted that she missed two very easy passes, earning her scorns from her teammates. Never did she play so badly.

Seiya suddenly devised a plan. She called out and her teammate immediately passed the ball to her but she stopped and began running in the opposite direction.

"Hey! What's she doing?!"

The dark haired girl ignored the cries of her team and ran straight toward Yaten who looked at her fearfully, not knowing what to expect. When Seiya was close enough that she could almost reach out to her with her stick she yelled "Catch!" and tossed the juuball to the smaller girl. Yaten caught it on impulse and Seiya felt a wave of triumph.

The other eighteen players were rushing toward them. "What are you doing?!? She's on the other team!??!" Aje yelled in disbelief. Seiya had a feeling she would be losing some of her popularity from this but it didn't really matter to her. In fact, she was almost to the point where she would rather be unknown and unbothered like this girl than always so in demand as she was. So really, she had nothing to lose.

"Now toss it back to your team," she instructed just as the others reached them. If it hadn't been for the horde of people rushing toward her Yaten may have just dropped the ball on the ground and walked away. But she barely had a chance to react before they were on her, and instinctively she threw it up to the nearest person on her team.

The girl caught it and carried it right past her, along with the crowd. Only Seiya remained, looking at Yaten who stood frozen on the spot. She wondered if maybe it hadn't been such a good plan after all. Her knuckles over her stick were pale as her hair, and she looked as though she was shaking slightly.

Seiya approached her cautiously, but when she nearly touched her the girl swung around toward her and smacked her hand away. Her eyes burned up at Seiya with fear and rage. "What did you think you were doing?" she asked angrily. Seiya took a step back.

"I…thought it would get you to play," she said nervously. Seiya was never nervous, never but with this girl. Something about her made Seiya forget how to be the cool, untroubled person everyone saw her as.

"You can't force me to do what I don't want to!" Yaten fumed. Seiya's defenses kicked in.

"It's just a game!" she shouted back with equal volume.

Yaten threw the stick down at her feet and marched off angrily. Her departure caused a wave of gasps from both teams and all other onlookers. Seiya frowned as she watched the girl get smaller and smaller. She felt Taiki's presence at her side.

"You've offended her again."

"Thanks for the update," Seiya shot. "What am I going to do about her?" she asked rhetorically.

"Well," Taiki began, "approaching her obviously hasn't worked. Perhaps you should consider leaving her alone?"

Seiya sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat. "You're right, I know. It's just…" How could she explain it? It was inexplicable, the way she was drawn to her. Almost like—like what Yaten herself had said, about the stars calling to her. That was how she felt. Something about the girl made Seiya need to be around her, need to know her more.

"I think I'll go back to my dorm." She had been speaking only to Taiki but at her announcement a wave of protests broke from the juuballers. Seiya had forgotten all about them. She quickly waved her hands and smiled at the lot of them; "No no, don't worry. I'll come back to play with you tomorrow." She made a quick exit then, before they would force her to stay.

Taiki followed at her side as they reentered the school, taking the least crowded route possible. Finally they arrived at the room they shared.

Seiya made to go inside but her friend stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Taiki's violet eyes were clouded with concern. "You will be alright? You should try not to let the things that girl says get to you. She's a troubled person, I can tell, and she's just taking it out on you."

Indigo eyes dropped to the floor and the dark haired girl nodded. Her hand rested on the sensor lock. "I think I'm going to sleep a bit. All that juuball wore me down."

"You want to be alone." Taiki saw right through her words, as usual. "That's fine, but don't forget Seiya, I'm here for you when you need me."

Now Seiya looked up her friend and smiled, the beginning of tears forming in her eyes. "Thanks Taiki!" she said, and threw her arms around the girl. Taiki seemed startled for a second but then hugged her back. Seiya was grateful to have such a wonderful person in her life. Taiki was more than just a brainy student; she was a loving, caring girl who Seiya was blessed enough to know.

Minutes later Seiya lay back on her bed, thinking over the day's events. Taiki was usually—well, always, as a matter of fact—right, whether it be a problem in theoretical physics or simply being able to judge other people. But even geniuses sometimes guessed wrong. Seiya sensed nothing sinister about this girl. Troubled, yes (as Taiki had said), but a bad person? Seiya didn't think so.

She bit the nail of her thumb, an old habit which she only did when she was concentrating. She stared up at her ceiling, a collage of flowers, vines and exotic plants. And then it occurred to her.

As soon as the idea arose, a grin appeared on her face. This time there would be no way for Yaten to back out, even if she wanted to. And Seiya was certain that she could charm her way into the girl's affections. She had made the mistake before of being the girl's opponent.

Now she was going to be her partner.

a/n: "juu" 10