Chapter 3: Gypsy, Shine

The Gypsy Capital, an abandoned remote area of the kingdom that is a safe haven for all gypsys. Due to it being abandoned by the kingdom for so long, no one other then the gypsys knows what it looks like inside, for all the commoners and even the guards are too afraid to enter. Everyone thinks the gypsys are conniving, dangerous beings, but in reality they're not. Sure some can be a bit, mischievous, but other then that they are kind people. Anyway, because people find them so dangerous and no ones ever been inside, they don't exactly know how many gypsys lie beyond the stone arch.

"Seimei we shouldn't be here." Mikado warned her friend. They were curently infront of the abandoned part of the kingdom, known as 'The Gypsy Capital'.

"Calm down, it's not like we're going in."

"You expect me to take your word?"

Seimei smiled at her, she knew him all to well. But he was serious about not going in. If he were to want to enter The Gypsy Captal he wouldn't want to drag Mikado along with him, for she had been through enough with her parents and all.

"Seimei im serious."

"I just want to look around then we'll leave."

Mikado looked around. All she saw was the gravel floor, wooden crates, the stone arch and a few pitch black alley ways.

'Look around? Look around for what there's nothing here.'

*Woosh*Scream*

They both turned to the direction of the sound followed by laughter. Seimei grabbed his friend and crouched behind some creates. Out of an alley way appeared three gypsy girls, laughing.

"Do it again!" One chimed, tugging on the littlest one's arm.

"Okay!" She lit a match with her thumbs and grabbed her bottle.

"No she should not!" The eldest looking one ripped the bottle from her hand. "Do you want her to burn the whole kingdom down!?"

"There's room out here! She's doing just fine!" The other tried to sound serious, but failed by not holding back her laughter. Back in the alley way when she had done it, due to the small space, she had almost set all of them on fire.

"Ahhh no." She turned the bottle upside down and allowed the liquid to spill out, the other girl fell to her knees and her hands were in the wasted sake.

"You... Y-you wasted it."

"Oh get over it Bambi!" She walked over to the youngest one in there group. "Meko, dont ever be like Bambi okay? She's not a roll model."

The little one smiled "Okay Koda."

"YOU WASTED IT! Ahh!" She whined. "Wait! What do you mean im no roll model!?" She popped back up with her hands on her hips.

Koda shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Seimei and Mikado sat there watching as two of the girls began arguing.

Meko. She looked around seven. Her black blue hair was a messy bob cut, bangs choppy and hanging in her eyes, her ears were slightly bigger and fluffier then normal and her tail was long and fluffy. She was wearing a short bright blue kimono that she allowed to hang by her elbows showing her black tank top and she had a blue jewel hanging off the tip of her neko ear, causing it to fall to the side in a cute manner.

Bambi. She was around twelve. She had brown eyes, long brown hair tied in a braid, she wore a short red dress like thing that tied around her neck and exposed her back, along with a dead abstract tree made out of small dimonds glued to her back! Her ears were plastered to the side of her head as she yelled and her dress covered her short tail.

Koda. She looked about fourteen maybe fifthteen and she didn't have her ears. Her long wavy hair was bleach blonde, practicly white! Her eyes were grey and her clothing was unseen by a hooded cape.

"Here just take these!" She yelled and gave them both there own hooded cape.

Seimei and Mikado came out of hidding after they left.

"I wonder why there hiding themselfs?" she asked.

"They probebly did it for safty. I mean look at the way they dressed."

"Why would they dress like that then?"

Seimei shrugged, who knew why gypsys did alot of things. He turned, looking at the stone arch.

"Those three came out of an alley way."

...

Inside the kingdom's castle came a cheerful scream.

"Kouya Look!" A short haired blonde girl jumped onto an already occupied bed. "I already have are day planned out for the festival tomorrow!"

Said occupant groaned as she sat up. "Yamato, why do you always get so excided?" She rubbed her eyes of sleep.

"Because." She reached over to the nightstand, picking up a pair of glasses. "The festival is an exciting thing!" She said as she placed the glasses on the other.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome! Now about the festival-"

"Yamato you know I don't like the festival." She stated as she got up and went to her wardrobe.

"You don't like anything festive." She pouted.

She started shuffling through her clothes. "I just don't like anything gypsy related." Yamato stared at her. "They're nothing but fools and thieves." She took a casual looking outfit off a hanger and out the wardrobe.

"Granted some are, but you're labeling them all for ones mistake." She watched as her friend went behind the door to change.

"All gypsys want is money."

Yamato's face saddened. "That's not all gypsys want."

Kouya walked over to her bed were friend still sat. "Really what else would they want?"

Yamato smiled, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Love." Her smile became more devious as she seen her friend blush. "Most gypsys don't even know thats what they really want. Thats why when they're in love they're so clueless." She kissed her cheek, then her jaw and now she was leaving butterfly kissing along her neck.

*BAM* Her door flew open.

"Kouya I have you seen- WHAT ARE TWO DOING!"

"Nothing Nagisa." Kouya blushed as she pulled at the collar of her shirt.

Yamato plopped herself back on the bed and giggled. "Right nothing" She smiled.

"What were you saying?" Kouya looked at Nagisa.

"I was going to ask you if you've seen Yamato." She turned towards the girl, who smiled sweetly at her and waved. "And obviously you have. I need to talk to you, now."

Yamato and Kouya looked at each other. "Um, okay." She got off the bed and waved her friend off as she and Nagisa left the room.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked as they were down the hall.

Nagisa looked at the golden bangles that covered a fouth of the girl's forearms. She looked back to wards her eyes. "Our 'highness'" She used air quotes. "Said that he saw you leaving the castle, out to the kingdom." She waited for her to react or respond, after receiving none she continued. "He wanted to talk to you about it, but I told him that I would instead." Still no reaction or response. "Say something Yamato!" She snapped.

"There's nothing to say, I didn't do anything."

"So you didn't leave the castle."

"No, I did."

"Why!?"

"I, I was bored."

"My sister used to leave the castle late at night, and she'd give me that same excuse. And we all know what happened to her."

Yamato placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nagisa, Im sorry."

"Drop it." She pushed her hand away, looking at her bangles once more. "You shouldn't get involved with them Yamato. All they do is ruin things." She walked away.

Yamato looked at her bangles and shook'em little, smiling at the sound. She cradle her wrist, hugging it to her chest. Her smile faded.

...

"Please Nisei!" Ritsuka begged the lounging gypsy.

"No" The older gypsy repeated. "You shouldn't have procrastinated your dance chibi and now that you have, you'll have to deal with the consequences." He smiled.

"But you've done nothing either!"

Nisei smirked as he sat up and faced the little neko. "Do you remember what told you about me and dancing?"

"... That you'll dance however you damn well please?"

"Well yes, but thats not what I was talking about. I dance how it is. I don't practice and I don't plan it. If I did it wouldn't be free, it wouldn't be fun and it wouldn't be fun to watch, understand?"

"So, you just make it up as you go along?"

"Yes." He chimed, lounging back against the stairs.

Ritsuka sat a couple steps lower from Nisei, ears and tail drooping.

"I can't do that though..." he sounded hurt as if disappointed in himself.

"Which is why they'll always cheer my name over yours." Nisei smirked at Loveless. His sullen look bothered him. He rolled his eyes. "Just let go Loveless." Ritsuka turned towards the sound of his name. "When you dance there is just you, let go of your inhibitions and just be free." He spoke nonchalantly.

"..."

"You worry to much about pleasing others." He smacked the back of his head.

"Hey." Ritsuka pouted, Nisei smiled.

Rolling his eyes Ritsuka wondered about tomorrow. The festival was tomorrow, The Festival of Fools and ever since Kio made the announcment everyone had been practicing and preparing. Everyone except Kio, Nisei and himself. Even Chouma had been practicing! She had told them that she would have a surprise for everyone there tomorrow and the only one who knew what she was planning was Nisei and there youngest working gypsy, Meko. Ritsuka couldn't help but wonder what she would want with a disappearing dancer and a future fire breather, everyone was wondering what she had planned.

In fact everyone was surprised when she said she was participating. Ever since five years ago when she was sixteen and the guards broke her foot all she would ever do was watch, but now she was going to be a part of the show! That made Ritsuka smile for the former dancer. The king and the guards tried to hurt her in the worst way possibly, stopping her from dancing, but she didn't let it effect her, she became a hand walker and now tomorrow she was going to show them that her fire and colors still shine.