CHAPTER 2:
Hikari woke up with a nervous feeling in her stomach. It took a while before she realized that it was because of the reaping today. The students would just have to go to the reaping, then go home if they were not picked. Everyone from ages 12-18 going to Rikkai was supposed to fit in that auditorium. Really? How?
"I guess…I should get dressed." Hikari said, getting out of bed. She got ready and ate breakfast quickly. She was just coming out of her house when Airi-chan went up to her.
"How are you?" she asked.
"Nervous." Hikari admitted. "You?"
"Same." said Airi-chan. "We should get going. We're going to be late otherwise."
"Hey; do we have to watch the reaping from all the other schools?" asked Hikari as they walked.
"I think so. The tributes get a list of the other tributes. The government is going to make sure we watch everything, so we'll…I don't know how to explain it, but you get my point, right?" asked Airi-chan.
"I know what you mean. I hate this, but there isn't much we can do about it. At least this is the only bad think the government has really done so far. It's not like they're doing anything else bad." said Hikari.
"I guess that's good, but if the Trial of Fire doesn't end up like how they want it, bad things will happen." said Airi-chan. "You know, they do control everything in the Trial of Fire, but they can't control the tribute's actions. That could lead to something bad."
"That makes sense. It's creepy how they can control everything that happens." said Hikari.
"Yeah. I feel sad for all the young people; they have to grow up so quickly. Their childhood is supposed to be good." said Airi-chan. Hikari looked at her.
"We're still young. This time of our lives is supposed to be good too. We're also in a bad position." she said.
"I know." Airi-chan said softly.
Marui fidgeted as he turned to look for his brothers behind him. They all had to stay in their grades, but Marui promised to look out for his brothers. However much Marui might not show it, he really did love his brothers. They're family, after all. Niou also had a younger brother, but he knew Masaru could take care of himself for this part. Of course, Niou would volunteer if his brother got picked. He also did care for his brother. A government official walked to one of the large bowls on the stage. Marui figured that one of them was for the girls and the other for the boys.
"Ladies first." said the woman. She reached into the bowl and shuffled the names around before picked one out. She unfolded it slowly.
"Satou Hikari."
A collective gasp went up from around Hikari. Ayame and Airi-chan both put their hands on her arms. She gently shook them off and smiled at them. They just stared back at her.
"Don't." Hikari said quietly to Ayame, who looked like she was about to speak. She closed her mouth. Airi-chan looked like she was about to cry.
"Satou Hikari? Come up, please." said the woman. Hikari closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before walking to the stage.
"She was the one I saw yesterday." Marui muttered to himself. He felt bad for her. She didn't look like the calculating sort, and she didn't look like the type to use a weapon. But you couldn't judge someone based on their looks.
"Now for the boys." said the woman, reaching into the other bowl. Hikari stood near the girls side unsurely. The woman pulled out a name, and, once again, opened it slowly.
"Marui Daichi." she said. Niou looked over at Marui, who was standing in shock. He saw his brother step out of line, leaving his twin brother, Taichi, staring after him. Before Taichi could speak, Marui stepped out of line.
"Don't say anything, Taichi!" he yelled. Everyone looked at him. As the guards stepped up towards Marui, he yelled, "I volunteer!" Whispers erupted around them.
"Well, come on up here, then." said the woman. Marui stepped towards Daichi, and Taichi ran out to meet him. Marui hugged them both. They were shaking.
"Don't worry. I'll see you in a little bit, I think they allow you to see the ones you're close to. Tell mom and dad to come. Maybe the guards will do that anyways." said Marui. Then he stood up and went to the stage.
"Bunta! Don't!" yelled Daichi and Taichi. Guards stepped up to take them away from the auditorium. Marui stepped onto stage.
"A volunteer…what's your name?" asked the woman.
"Marui Bunta." said Marui.
"Good, good. Now, shake hands!" said the woman, stepping back so Hikari and Marui could shake hands. Hikari and Marui just looked at each other. Then Hikari stuck out her hand and Marui took it for a second. It felt as cold as ice. If Marui had held onto her hand for a little longer, he would have felt her trembling.
"Let the first annual Trial of Fire begin!"
The guards on the stage escorted them out of the auditorium and to one of the classrooms nearby.
"Wait here." they told Marui and Hikari. "Your family and close friends will see you here. Then we will take you to the train station." Then they left the room. Marui and Hikari sat in silence until a brown haired woman and a man who had Hikari's eyes burst in. The woman hugged Hikari. They were obviously Hikari's parents.
"I can't believe this happened." said her mom. Just as Hikari was about to reply, Marui's parents and twin brothers burst in. Daichi and Taichi attached themselves to his waist. Nomally, they aren't so emotional, but this is different. Marui probably wouldn't come back alive. Normally, his parents weren't so worried about him either, as they were so amazed at his genius brother, but again, this was different.
"Bunta, come back." said his mother, hugging him. His dad hugged him too.
"Be smart. I know you can be." said his father shakily. He didn't know it, but these words gave Marui hope. Hope that if he came back, his parents would pay attention to him again and say that he was a genius again. As they let go, Daichi and Taichi hugged him even tighter.
"You have to come back. Then we can play with Nerf guns again." said Daichi.
"And eat brownies like we always do." said Taichi. Marui smiled and ruffled their hair.
"Course I'll come back. Don't eat too much when I'm gone. Leave some for me." he said. They nodded, then were forced out of the room, along with Hikari's parents. He didn't tell his brothers that if he did come back, he would be changed. He would never be the same again. Suddenly, the whole tennis team came in. Right behind them, the light haired girl and another girl ran in and hugged Hikari. Akaya threw himself at Marui, sobbing.
"You can win, can't you?" he asked.
"I'm a genius, remember?" said Marui, grinning. Akaya nodded. Jackal was next.
"Be careful, Marui. I'm not there to help." he said.
"I know. I can be smart, you know." said Marui. Briefly, Marui remembered all the times he spent with Jackal and wondered if there would be any more. He turned to Niou. Niou was his best friend, and they understood each other more than anyone. Niou didn't have to say anything. Messages were conveyed with their eyes.
"Don't die out there." he said, smirking. Marui gave him a little nod.
"I won't. Daichi and Taichi…" Marui tried to tell him to take care of them, but he couldn't say the words.
"I will." said Niou.
"Make alliances, Marui-kun. They could help more than you know." said Yagyuu.
"I would give you data about things you might need to know, but there is no time. Just do your best." said Yanagi, because he actually had the ability to talk without using percents.
"Remember that you must be fire sometimes; and then you must be ice. Change will happen quickly." said Sanada. Marui didn't really understand that, but he assumed he would eventually. "We will be watching. We will help you as much as we can." Luckily, people at home had the ability to grant gifts. They did have to pay, and prices were high, but it was possible to help. Marui turned to Yukimura, who looked unusually angry that something like this had happened and he had no way to stop it.
"Remember; we are Rikkai. We will never lose, no matter what. You will come back to us."
"You have to come back." said Ayame.
"I'll try." said Hikari.
"Try isn't good enough." said Ayame.
"But it's the most I can do." Hikari said softly.
"Doesn't matter. You will come back." said Ayame.
"And I know you can do it. You're smart. You'll figure it out." said Airi-chan.
"I will. Thank you for being my friends." said Hikari.
"Don't—" said Ayame. She was going to say "Don't talk like that." but she couldn't get the words out.
"Just in case." said Hikari. And they said no more until the guards came to take them away. A little while later, the guards came back.
"Come with us to the train." said one of them. Marui and Hikari were pushed through the school and to a car which took them to the train station.
"The government officials will meet you in there." said one of the guards, then they left. Marui and Hikari walked onto the train.
"Why are there no windows?" asked Marui.
"They probably don't want us to know where we're going. I'm guessing Tokyo." said Hikari, shrugging.
"You are right about why we don't have windows." said the government official who had reaped their names, stepping out of the shadows. Hikari jumped.
"How did you-" started Hikari.
"I am known for my stealth." said the woman. "Now, let's go to the dining car and I will tell you what you need to know."
"This trip will take a few hours-approximately 3. We will reach the area at 1:00. You may eat whatever you like, and your rooms are over there." said the woman, pointing to a nearby hallway. "When we get there, you have the choice of training for a while, or you can explore and rest. It will be a nice place. Here is the list of the other tributes." The woman pushed a sheet of paper towards them and stood up. "I'm going to my room. Ask anyone for assistance." As she walked away, Hikari pulled the paper towards her, scanning the list of tributes. Her eyes stopped at one of the Tokyo tributes.
"I know her." she said, pointing to a name under the Seigaku division. The name read "Watanabe Sayuri". "I know some others too because of tennis. I assume you do too." she said.
"How do you know them through tennis?" asked Marui.
"I watch the games. I like watching." said Hikari. She pushed the list towards him and went over to the sweet foods. Marui looked at the list and recognized some of the names.
"Fuji…he's the genius, but this is Fuji Yuuta. Isn't that his brother?" he asked.
"Yeah. He's pretty protective of him. Not this time, apparently." said Hikari.
"How do you know that?" asked Marui.
"That girl tribute-she's one of my best friends. She's friends with Fuji. That's how I know." said Hikari.
"Oh." said Marui. "I should eat as much as I can. I doubt there'll be sweet stuff in the Trial."
"Oh, right, you're that sweets and bubblegum guy." said Hikari. "I like sweet things too, but I don't play a sport to make up for it. I'm going to my room to see what it's like. You should too."
"Look at your room?" asked Marui. Hikari gave him an are-you-dumb? look.
"No, genius, I meant yours." she said.