Ch 11: A Starry Eyed Encounter.¹

Coal :*pops out of a portal*

Hello my readers!

Dark:(surprised) Coal? What are you doing here?

Coal: Hi Dark-kun!

*Hugs him*

I'm just here to talk about the new chapter.

Dark:* Confused but rolls with it*

Coal: Well, originally, the first part of chappie 11 was much different. I decided to change it and make it funnier and I also changed the middle a bit to help the serious and funny tones blend together better.

Luca:(around the corner) Hey Sakura, did you hear something?

Coal: Oh no! I can't let them see me! Dark-kun, hide me!

*Hides behind him*

Dark:*backs up so she's pressed against the wall and hidden from view.*

Luca:*walks in with Sakura*

Oh, hey Dark-san. We thought we heard something in here.

Dark: Just me I guess.

Sakura: Oh, okay then.

*Both walk away*

Coal:*grabs Dark's shoulder.*

Dark: Hmm?

Coal:(muffled) Dark! Need air! Now!

Dark: Sorry!

*Steps away from her*

Coal: *Catches her breath*
Anyway, on to the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.
*Jumps into portal and disappears.*

Dark: (blinks) The hell...?

It all started with a chance encounter with Emiko. Kosuke and I were walking down the hallway chatting when she scurried past.

"Now where could that Crocodile have gone?" She mumbled to herself.

Kosuke and I froze and stood there stunned as she darted off around the corner. Very slowly, we turned and looked at each other.

"You don't think...?" Kosuke asked me, his eyes wide.

"This is Emiko we're talking about!" I replied.

We ran like bats out of hell to try and save Daisuke from what ever hair-brained training Emiko had come up with this time.

"Quiet. I think I hear something." I whispered and we pressed our selves against the wall. At the moment, Kosuke and I were both outfitted in armor, I in Kurogane's and Kosukes from the treasure room. We were also wielding longswords. I would have used Kurogane's but I knew he would kill me if I as much as touched it.

I heard the rustle again, as though something was moving down the hall.

"On three." I whispered.

"One...two...Grahh!"

We yelled and jumped around the corner, ready to fight the scaly beast.

Towa stood there and gave us a "WTF?" look, holding a basket full of clothes. We sighed in disappointment and hung our heads. She shuffled past us, clearly trying to figure out if we'd been drinking. We then continued our search, sneaking along the numerous halls.
"Wait. What is that?" I asked, stopping for a second time.

We listen carefully and soon a far off noise broke the silence.

"Huuu!"

We gasped as Fai's whistling was followed by a deep growl.

"We gotta help him!" I cried, and we took off. We could hear Fai running and shouting ahead of us but we could never catch sight of him.

"This way!" Kosuke shouted, yanking me into another hallway.

"We can cut them off!"

We continued running and heard Fai coming towards us.

"Now!" I shouted as we rounded the corner and leaped.

I realized our horrible mistake in midair. Fai and Kurogane stared at us in surprise, both a bit ruffled from running, Kurogane holding his sword. We smashed into them sending us all into a jumbled pile on the ground. I sat up with a groan, attempting to decipher where I was. Kurogane's armor was a little big on me and the head piece had slid down over my eyes.

"Kid?"

The rumbling voice came from somewhere under me, clueing at that I might be sitting on top of the source.

"Um, yes Kuro-sama?" I replied, pushing up the head piece to see him glaring at me.

"Why are you wearing my armor?" He asked.

"Um, for crocodile hunting?" I answered sheepishly.

He sighed in aspiration, before shoving me off him.

"Everyone in this place is crazy." He mumbled, walking away.

Kosuke and I sighed, our heads drooping. We failed to notice Emiko as she creped by and peaked under a hall table.

"Ah ha!" she shouted triumphantly.

"Here he is!"

Kosuke and I squeaked in fright and whirled around to find Emiko... holding a stuffed animal.

"...Emiko, what's that?" Kosuke asked his jaw hanging.

"A gift. The birthday of my friend's son is coming up, and I'd misplaced it." She replied.

"Wait. So the thing you've been looking for all morning, was a plushy?"

"Yep." She said with a grin and we both did anime style collapses.

We tugged back to Daisukes room to put the armor away and were meet with a strange sight. We found two Daisukes.

"No! It's 'Daisuke'." One said to the other.

"Daisuki ²!" The other cried in a childish voice, jumping on the first to hug him. It was then that I realized that it must be Wiz. I smiled and began to remove Kuro-pon's armor, watching as Daisuke struggled to pry him off.

"Wiz's skills have really improved. You two look like twin brothers." Kosuke said with a laugh.

Upon hearing "brothers", my smile slowly faded. Silently, I walked out onto Daisukes balcony and jumped up on the turret.

I sat down, tucking my knees up under my chin and fished my locket out from under my shirt. It was a small hollow oval of metal with a blue crystal hanging from the bottom. I flicked it open and gazed at the picture inside. It showed me and a blond-haired boy, both of us grinning. I was peeking over his shoulder, my arms wrapped around his neck.

I continued to stare at the image and soon I felt tears running down my cheeks.

Suddenly, I heard some one coming up the ladder and I quickly wiped them away.

"Hey Luca-chan." Fai said as his head popped up over the edge.

"Hi Fai." I replied, trying to hide my puffy red eyes as he came and sat next to me.

"Who's that guy in the picture with you? Is he your boyfriend?" Fai teased, pointing at the still open locket.

"FAI!" I gasped accusingly, but the anger quickly faded.

"He's... my older brother."

"Oh. You know, now that I think about it, won't your parents be worried that you're gone?"

"Probable. If they were alive that is."

"What?"

"Our parents died when Elliot and I were both young. We lived together and he practically raised me. Until six years ago..."

I drifted off but a look from Fai urged me to continue.

"There was a large river near our house. I always enjoyed playing on the cliffs above it. One day, part of the cliff crumbled and I fell into the river. Elliot dove in after me. He managed to grab me, but the river was full of sharp rocks. That's were I got this."

I gently touched the spot where my scar began and I heard Fai gasp.

"I'm a thief Fai. I always have my guard up, even when I'm asleep." I said, giving him a sad smile. I had known about that night the entire time³.

"Elliot died of blood lose on the riverbank. He gave me his necklace just before he died. It's a part of a set. The other is mine."

I gently touched the other locket, this one decorated with a green crystal.

"After that, I had to become a thief to survive. It's fun at times and it keeps me fit, but still. If it wasn't for me, Elliot would still be alive."

"It's not your fault. He chose to save you, even though he knew he might die in the process."

"I know. But still. I just wish I could see him one more time."

Fai sighed then looked up and gasped.

"Oh, wow!"

I followed his gaze and the breath caught in my throat.

The sky above us was ablaze. The constellations were clear as day, each star burning like a flame. Suddenly, as shooting star streaked by, followed by another and another, until we were caught in the middle of a meteor storm.

"I used to do this same thing with Elliot." I said softly.

The stars began to slow and eventually stopped.

The two of us just sat there and looked at the sky for a few minutes until Sakura's voice broke the silence.

"Luca-san! Fai-san! Dinner's ready!"

"Thank you Sakura." Fai called back, standing up.

"Let's go, Luca-chan." He said, extending a hand to help me up.

"Okay, Fai-kun." I replied, taking it.

*(?'s P.O.V.)*

Yukko and I sat at the edge of her pond, our glasses and a sake bottle sitting nearby. We gazed at an image of Luca and Fai in the water.

"I just wish I could see him one more time." Luca said, the water bubbling from her words.

"Well, you heard her Yukko." I said with a grin, flicking a strand of my curly brown hair over my shoulder.

"How's about we grant her wish?"

Yukko: Watanuki!

Watanuki: (Sighs) Yes, Yukko?

Yukko and ?: We need more sake!

Moru: More sake!

Maru: More sake!

Watanuki: Would you stop drinking!

Yukko: Just get it!

Watanuki: (stomps off.)

?: Please review and ask. Flames will be used to heat hell (4).

1: This is actually the name of a level in Sly Copper 2: Band of Thieves. I thought it sounded like a good name for the chappie.

2: This basically means "I really like you" or "I love you". So you can see why Daisuke really wouldn't want Wiz mixing the two words up.

3: If you don't know what she's talking about, go back and read chapter 3.

4: This is something from my best friend Kage-no-Koji's Kingdom Hearts story "Orly?". I'm actually Colleen in the story.