Hey! New chapter! :) YEY!
Pucca: Hey, Rashel!
Me: Eh.. Yeah?
Pucca: We have a surprise for you...
Me: Oh god. What have you lot done?
Ching: Can't we do anything without you believing its going to be disaster?
Me: ... No. No, you cannot.
Garu: *Sigh* Can we just start?
Abyo: Everyone ready?
*Everyone beings to sing*
Pucca: Happy birthday to you!
Ching: Happy birthday to you!
Akihiko: Happy birthday dear Rashel...
Garu&Abyo: Happy birthday to you! (_) (_)
Me: ... O_O...
*Silence*
Me: ... You guys! (TT_TT) *Runs for hugs*
The song came to an end and the children stopped bouncing around waiting for the next song to come on. Akihiko smiled at Lin, who blushing absently fixed her pink dress.
"Do-Do you want to get a drink?" Lin asked sheepishly. Even though Akihiko didn't want to dance with anyone but Pucca he still enjoyed dancing with Lin. Pucca! Akihiko remembered. I said only one dance, Akihiko thought as he looked around for a glimpse of a scarlet red dress. Lin fidgeted, crumpling her dresses material slightly in her hands as she gazed at Akihiko. Akihiko looked back at Lin to tell her he had to go search for Pucca and that he would dance with her after Fang interrupted.
"So the dashing prince has found another beautiful maiden to claim for his own," he stated smiling at the two children.
"Oniichan!" Lin whined.
Fang frowned at his little sister, "You watch too much anime in Japanese..."
Akihiko looked at Fang accusingly. "Where's Pucca? I only said one song!"
Fang blinked at Akihiko, "She's dancing with Garu."
Akihiko's face dropped. He was never going to get another dance now that Garu had shown up.
"Why don't you go and search for them? Go and protect your maiden from other men," Fang winked. He came over wanting to tease Akihiko but he didn't want to see the kid sad and mopey.
Akihiko perked and gave an enthusiastic, "Yeah!" He was about to run off into the crowd but he suddenly remembered Lin. He turned to her to see her sad expression. "I'll be right back." He shifted on his feet, quickly leaning in to plant a kiss on Lin's cheek, before running off leaving behind Lin with a sweet blush taking over her petite face. Fang watched the boy run off, a smirk pulling at his lips as he gave a glance at his little sister.
Where did Pucca go? Akihiko thought as he weaved around people. Akihiko tripped around a couple, who seemed to be arguing who was leading the dance, and bumped into someone.
A girl cried out as she was pushed by Akihiko. She whirled around ready to shout at what she thought was an molesting creep but when she saw Akihiko she leaned over to steady the boy. "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"
The man that the girl was dancing with kneeled besides Akihiko, "Are you okay little guy?" Akihiko nodded before having a idea. They weren't from this town, and if they were they were new comers so they wouldn't know who he was.
"Have you seen my mommy? The birthday girl? People call her Pucca. I've lost her," Akihiko sniffed as he forced tears to brim like a young child could.
The girl sympathetically hugged Akihiko, "Shh, it's okay. We'll find your mommy."
The man besides her scratched the back of his neck. "I'm pretty sure I saw a young man take her into the forest." Seeing Akihiko's face he quickly added, "I'm sure she's just having a polite chat with him. I bet she will be right back."
The girl cover her mouth to cover her shock at the idea of a mother of a young child has gone off into the forest with a man to do unthinkable things while her child was looking for her. "Which way did she go?" Akihiko urged the man. The man pointed towards the darkness of the forest.
"That way but- Hey, wait. Young man, wait!" he called after Akihiko but Akihiko had already taken off in the direction he was given determined he would find Pucca. Garu can't have her all to himself, Akihiko growled in his head. He had seen Pucca upset over that ninja called Garu too many times to allow him to just whisk her away like this.
Akihiko disappeared into the darkness, the dark smothering his small figure. All the while, oblivious to Akihiko, a secondary shadow followed the boy like a jungle cat stalking its prey.
Back at the party the man that had given the directions to the small boy looked at his partner.
"Isn't the birthday girl meant to be eighteen today?" The girl nodded.
"What a disgusting tramp! That poor boy," she stared after Akihiko, angry and sympathetic at once.
"What are girls turning out like today?" the man sighed as he lead his partner towards the bar. They were both going to get hammered to forget this whole ordeal, he thought.
...
"Where are you taking me Garu?" Pucca muttered, her eyes closed as she enjoyed being close to him, and she would be lying if part of her enjoyment was because her legs were feeling much better. Well, they weren't hurting as much.
"It's a surprise," Gaur's voice rumbled through his chest to Pucca's ear. She sighed, suddenly tired. "Don't fall asleep now," Garu warned but his voice was warm and Pucca was sure he was smiling down at her but she was too tired to open her eyes.
She didn't reply, her breathing becoming more even. Minutes went past as they continued to walk. The further they got into the forest the more tired Pucca became. To her surprise, even though she had no idea where they were let alone where they were going, she felt no fear in her heart.
Gaur stopped and looked down at the girl in his arms. She was so close to drifting off to sleep that he hated to wake her. "Pucca?" he soothingly asked. "Pucca, darling, we're here." Pucca pride her eyes open. Darling? Her heart leaped as Garu gently set her onto her feet. She wavered, legs throbbing, eyes sleepy. She yawned and when she opened her eyes again she saw something truly beautiful.
The full moon casted silver light that was reflected upon the crystal blue water of the sea, the moon identically mirrored on the calm waters surface. The grass on the small cliff, that was extremely close to the forest's edge, would have been a lush green in the sun but the light from the moon gave it a dark blue tinted shade. Pucca then noticed that right before them was a pink picnic blanket, that she had gave Garu for a Christmas present a few years ago, and upon that was a small wicker basket with a thin table clothe covering the top.
"Oh, Garu," Pucca whispered to the gentle breeze. Garu walked to stand before her to offer his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
Pucca laughed at his formality, "But there's no music." Her protest fell upon deaf ears as Garu slowly smiled at her, capturing her heart in his already outstretched palm.
Pucca, covering her reaction to his perfect smile, took Garu's hand and allowed herself to be drawn close. She looked into Garu's glistening eyes and rolled her own as he began to lead. He set their movements at a slow pace, both hands on Pucca's hips while her hands were on his shoulders.
"Listen to the music around us," Garu spoke quietly and Pucca closed her eyes to listen to the silence, repressing the urge to roll her eyes at him again. Then she heard it.
The waves softly lapping at the cliffs rock face below, the wind making the trees whistle faintly, the beating of Garu's heart humming underneath her fingers offering a partner in her once lonely duet. The sounds merged into what sounded like music and Garu watched as a small smile settled onto Pucca's lips.
Pucca opened her eyes to look at Garu sceptically, "Since when was Garu, head of the Ninja training school, a romantic?"
Garu grinned. He shrugged and looked up towards the moon. The moonlight made his black hair look navy blue with silver streaks; his handsome face alight with life, his eyes dark with passion and danger. Pucca couldn't help but stare. Why are you doing all this to me? She pleaded for an answer. Why act distant then do something so sweet like this?
Garu caught Pucca's gaze and smirked. "Would you like a drink?" Pucca nodded as she dropped her gaze. Pucca sat on the blanket, trying to smother the gimps that escaped her as she bent her legs. Garu sat next to her and pulled the table cloth back revealing a bottle of champagne, two wine glasses and sandwiches. Garu poured out the wine and passed Pucca a glass which she gratefully took a sip of. "Do you want a sandwich?" Garu offered almost embarrassed. Why did I make sandwiches? He scolded himself. It's at night and she has a whole variety of food back at the party made by her uncles who were amazing in the kitchen, why would she want one of his crummy cheap-
"Yes please."
Surprised, Garu offered the plate and Pucca delicately picked up one. "Didn't you eat anything back at the party?"
Pucca shook her head as she took a big bite of the sandwich. She was starving and she hadn't even noticed till she swallowed her first bite. "No, I got cornered by people whenever I tried to go somewhere. I barely was able to finish my first drink." Garu shook his head.
"You should have just walked by them and went to the food," he joked. He knew Pucca would never ignore anyone. She didn't even ignore the new comer with the blonde hair. Fang. Garu thought about when he saw them dancing together, so close, so at ease, so comfortable with each other. Garu glared at his glass of wine.
"Can I have another one please?"
Garu looked at her blankly. She giggled."
Can I have another sandwich?"
"Of cause," he placed the plate in front of her and watched as she attacked it viciously. After her fifth sandwich Pucca looked at Garu apologetically. "Wow, you were really hungry, huh?" he said as he looked at the almost empty plate.
"Erm... Yeah. I'm sorry. I guess I should have had something before I left Ching's..." Speaking of Ching. "Garu?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did Ching and Abyo give me an thumbs up before we left?"
Garu's eyes opened wide for a second before he composed himself. Idiots, he sighed. "I had kind of... Ah..."
Pucca took another sip of her wine enjoying watching Garu struggle for words. Pucca gasped as she crawled to the edge of the cliff. Multicoloured fish. Thousands of them were swimming around, making their colours sparkle and illuminate the waters with colours. Their colours seemed to glow from out of the waters making the colours flicker across Pucca's face. Garu watched peacefully. She looks like a goddess… Pucca looked back, catching Garu's eye, with a look for childish wonder. So happy. Garu gulped and dropped his head so the fly away hairs that had escaped his small ponytail at the nape of his neck would conceal his flushed face. Pucca looked back at the elegant dance that was happening in the waters below.
Garu cleared his throat. "Pucca…"
"Yes?" She leaned back from the edge of the cliff and looked back at him questionably.
Garu rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit that Pucca tilted her head at. Why was he so nervous? "Come here." Pucca crawled back to sit at the edge of the blanket. "The reason Ching and Abyo… The reason I brought you here… The reason I…" He looked up at her, searching in her face for the words he desperately couldn't find alone. He sighed and looked down at his fisted hand. Pucca shuffled a little closer and laid her hand over his.
"What?"
Garu peaked up at her before he turned his fisted hand up towards her palm that lay over him and unclenched his hand. Something warm settled between their palms, its heat burning their skin. Pucca stared into Garu's eyes scared. What..?
Garu gently placed his other hand over Pucca's and turned their hands so the object was lying in Pucca's palm. Taking a deep breath, Garu withdrew his hands and watched as the girl he loved looked down at his heart she now held. Her eyes grew wide and they flashed up at him in confusion. "Garu!" She exclaimed. Pucca didn't know how to react. She felt her heart stutter, her hands twitch and her eyes brim. "What… What is the meaning of this?" She finally cried. Why did he have to do this to her? Was he playing a cruel trick on her?
"Pucca?" Garu hadn't been expecting that reaction. A flat out no maybe, or a can I have time to think about it? Not an accusation for something he didn't understand.
"Are you being serious?" Pucca calmly asked, way too calmly.
Garu stayed silent for a moment, "Yes."
Pucca gave a shuddery breath. She lightly stroked the silver band, the small diamond glistening with its own light, the carved words Mon coeur est a vous. Pucca's French was a little rusty, having only done a few classes when she was younger when Garu had taken a trip around the world to complete a challenge, but she could read that it said my heart is yours.
"Really?" Her voice was small.
Without hesitation, "Till death do us part."
Pucca choked back her tears. Garu… "I-"
"I wouldn't do that if I was you dude."
Pucca's body turned to stone where as Garu's was up and moving with sudden adrenaline. That voice… Chills broke over Pucca's skin as she slowly allowed her eyes to travel up towards the dark forest. A shadow within the dark shifted as it looked down at Pucca as if she was nothing but a toy.
"I mean, who would want a girl who has already been pleasured by another?" the voice spoke like slick, sticky honey over rusted nails.
"Who are you?" Garu growled.
"Why don't you ask your beloved over there? She and I have been very intimate in the past day or so." Garu didn't twitch, didn't look behind to see the horror dawn on Pucca's face. No… No! Please, no! She begged as her body shuddered.
"What-"
"Oh, so you haven't told anyone." The voice interrupted. "Ashamed that you enjoyed such an encounter with an older man?"
Garu snapped as he went to spring at the figure but was stopped with a single movement from the figure. "Ah, hah, ahhh… I wouldn't if I were you. We wouldn't want any harm to come to this child now… Would we?" It taunted.
Pucca wanted to be swallowed by the dark ocean of her mind than see what was happening before her. Pucca looked at the small child clutched at the back on the neck with a long sharp knife held to its throat, terror screaming from its wide eyes.
"Akihiko!" Pucca hadn't noticed she had screamed the little boy's name but when she saw the boy kick and his scared eyes flicker to her, crying for help.
"Pucca-che!" The knife pressed closer to the boy's tender throat, stilling him. Scared tears began to silently fall down Akihiko's flushed cheeks as he shook from terror. Not this… Anything but this, Pucca whispered in despair.
No! Not Akihiko! O_O
Garu: What are you saying? You wrote it!
Me: I know but... but... Shut up.
Ching: Erm... Okay... At least we're getting close to the end.
Me: Yeah, that's right. I won't have this hanging over my head when I'm meant to be studying ^_^
Pucca: How is that going by the way?
Me: I'm being swamped in work but I- Hey! Akihiko, get the hell down from there!
Akihiko: No way. If I'm up here the story can't continue. I refuse to be killed because-
Pucca: Akihiko, come down! You'll get hurt.
Me: I don't care about that. I swear if you damage that equipment I will bloody-
Garu: Don't scare the kid.
Me: Shut up. If you aren't helping then you have no say.
Garu: ... Whatever.
Me: Akihiko, come down right now. *Sighs* If you do I'll get you an icecream.
Akihiko: I was told never to go with people who offer sweets.
Me: Weird child. If someone offered me sweets I would have snapped their hands off at your age =^_^=
Garu: I'm surprised you weren't kidnapped- Wait. Never mind.
Me: What?
Garu: Nothing.
Me: No. What?
Garu: Fine. I just think that if you were kidnapped you would be returned with a cash refund within the hour.
Me: O_O... ^x^ Hehe, yeah.
Pucca: Please leave a review!
Ching: It may convince Akihiko to come down *Looks worriedly up at the boy*
Me: Or to save our equipment or we won't be able to get another chapter out ;)