Author's Note: Oh no! it was only when QueenyLeAcH gave me her review that I realized that I actually uploaded the unedited version of the chapter in my flashdrive! Holy cow! I couldn't bother to check it since I was in a hurry to update it by Monday last week so by now I've already replaced it with the real and cleaner chapter from my computer. Gah, forgive my carelessness! I'm really really sorry! =.=
Title: A Tale of Timeless Love
Disclaimer: Im'ma starting getting tired of this part 'ya know? Why dontcha just try 'an sue me aight? Then I can laugh and spit at 'yo face when 'ya fail miserably. (I suck at 'gangsta' lingo, haha I don't even know where the apostrophes are supposed to go or if I'm even using the right abbreviations of the words. Forgive my incompetency. ;DD)
-OoO-
Chapter 9 Falling Piece By Piece
"Reiji, have you seen Yaya? I can't find her anywhere in the mansion." Kukai asked as he entered Souma Reiji's personal quarters. Sitting idly by the large wooden table, was Reiji and Daichi playing a leisure game of go*. Daichi's forehead was creased with concentration as he stared at the board while Reiji wore a perfect mask of serenity.
Reiji's room was illuminated by only a single candle floating above the table they were seated at, Kukai knew it was Daichi's doing. In the corner of the room, he could see a neat and orderly canopy bed and shelves covering every inch of the granite wall. Reiji's room was still the same as ever, not that he had expected anything to change.
Reiji slowly looked up from the board. He gave Kukai a casual smile before he gazed back to the board and said, "I believe she is at the Royal Palace as of now."
"What would she be doing there?" Kukai asked, surprised. He had not been informed of such an arrangement – but then again, it was Yaya after all.
"Well, a little while ago she was complaining about how there was nothing to do here in the mansion and I suggested her to get herself acquainted with the Princess's aide." He said idly as he placed a white piece on the board.
"Let me guess," Kukai gave a long suffering sigh, "she simply stormed off without any warning and did exactly what you said."
Daichi seemed wholly uninterested in their conversation and only chose to focus on his game with Reiji. He placed a black piece on the board and Kukai thought the wooden board would spontaneously combust with the intensity of his stare – and Kukai knew very well how possible that was with Daichi.
"Correct!" he smiled as he placed another piece on the board, subsequently making Daichi groan out loud.
"You are conniving, Reiji." Daichi said darkly, crossing his arms in frustration. Kukai sneaked a glance at the board and saw that Reiji had prevented Daichi from making any move that would not result with his complete victory.
"Would you like to switch to a game of poker then?" he suggested mildly but Daichi immediately shook his head vehemently.
"I'm not foolish enough to play to your strengths, Reiji." Daichi huffed and Reiji chuckled.
"Then, feel free to choose our next game." Reiji replied easily before he turned back to Kukai and saw his puzzled expression.
"Reiji," Kukai addressed him quite seriously.
"Yes?"
"This would be the Yaya's first time in the Royal Palace, am I correct?" he asked meaningfully and Reiji gave a nod, understanding the whole sentence that was supposed to follow his question.
"Do not fret. I have a back-up plan." Reiji reassured him, but Kukai cocked a brow at him. That was a characteristic tone of Reiji's… and usually whenever he used it, it never meant anything good for Kukai. He looked at Reiji warily before voicing out his question.
"Which is –?" he asked carefully, having a good idea of his reply to his question.
"You." He said cheerfully and Kukai gave a sigh.
"I knew it." Kukai muttered loud enough for Reiji to hear.
"Then you should not have asked." Reiji replied evenly as he tucked at stray lock of his long black hair behind his ear.
Kukai spotted the dark circles under his eyes and noted that he should remind Yaya to urge Reiji to sleep more. Lately, he looked like the only thing he had been living on was a diet of sleepless nights and tea; Kukai could even see that he had gotten slightly thinner again. Reiji was really too rash when it came to his duties.
"Well, you never know with someone as capricious as you." Kukai said dully, despite his thoughts. All of a sudden, Daichi proclaimed something in an optimistic and somewhat haughty voice.
"Alright! I've decided! We're playing shogi* next!" he announced decisively and Reiji gave a patronizing smile.
Ah, Kukai thought to himself, has that fool not learned at all? There is no possible way to beat Reiji in any tactical game. He looked at Reiji's expression and saw the sly glint in his eyes; Kukai was about to speak up to save some of Daichi's dignity but did otherwise, he decided that Daichi needed to learn some things the hard way.
"Okay. Shall I retrieve the board and pieces or will you do it on your own?" Reiji asked good-naturedly and Kukai gave another sigh as he saw Daichi contemplate. Daichi, as usual, did not bother considering Reiji's social standing. Most people would have immediately volunteered to retrieve it themselves without a second of hesitation.
Ah, but why should he bother anyway? Kukai thought, it was a known fact that he was not part of his and Reiji's world.
"I'll retrieve it." He volunteered before he slid open the door once more.
"You could just summon it, Kukai." Daichi proposed audibly, speaking to him for the first time since he had arrived. Kukai gave Daichi a sideways glance and glimpsed through the corner of his eye that Reiji was looking at him with an air of interest.
"I don't see the need for the use of magic in something as trivial as this." He said flatly and just as he was about to slide the door shut again, Reiji addressed him.
"You are free to leave whenever you wish, Kukai. I give you full permission to leave the mansion. Do as you will, I leave Yaya in your hands today." He said pleasantly and Kukai's eyes widened at his words.
He turned back to see Reiji looking at him directly. Seeing the firmness in Reiji's green eyes so similar to his, Kukai slowly nodded and quitted the room.
Quietly, he walked down the hall and barely glanced at his surroundings. He never really liked this place, nor did he feel any special attachment to it. If it weren't for Reiji, he would probably never have even entered it on his own free will.
The oppressive air of the mansion continued to strangle him as he strode along the corridor. He was about to make a quick turn when something suddenly rammed against the back of his head and made him lose his balance. He fell to the floor and landed on his knees.
"Hmph, that's what you get for acting a pompous brat." Daichi said, completely unashamed of what he had done. Kukai collected himself and stood up faster than Daichi could anticipate. He grabbed the floating little boy and kept him latched within his fist.
"I wasn't trying to show off! I just spoke what was on my mind." He said a bit menacingly and Daichi narrowed his eyes at him. Before he realized it, his sleeve had caught fire and Kukai tore it off to prevent any burns.
Daichi floated high up by the ceiling and looked down at Kukai.
"You are still too green to act like a full-fledged onmyouji, Kukai." Daichi said tersely as he crossed his arms.
"I know," Kukai snapped as he adjusted his servant robes. "Anyway, why did you follow me?" he asked on a calmer note as he gazed up at him.
"It's my job to babysit you." Daichi said proudly.
"It's the other way around, shortie." Kukai shot back as he ran a hand through his hair and walked into a storage room, Daichi trailing along behind him.
"You dare call a guardian deity shortie?" Daichi said indignantly as he aimed a flying kick at Kukai which missed spectacularly as he kneeled down and pulled out a shogi board from the bottom of a large wooden cabinet.
"I am a creature revered by the onmyouji since ancient times! If it wasn't for me, you'd never have a place in this world!" Daichi said curtly and Kukai quietly stood up. He tucked the board under his arm and carried the pouch containing the shogi pieces.
"Yes. I suppose that would be the case," Kukai agreed and turned to Daichi with an expressionless face. "But there is no point in you telling me that now. I've been hearing that since the day you and I were born." He added darkly and Daichi glided nearer to him cautiously.
"Ku – " Daichi began to say, but he was interrupted by Kukai flicking his forehead strong enough to send him flying about a foot away from his previous position.
Kukai grinned triumphantly and said, "Gotcha." He smiled mischievously and Daichi looked at him disbelievingly. He purposely floated out of Kukai's arm length and narrowed his eyes at him.
"Your shrewdness is the only thing that makes up for your horrible magic wielding." He said in a rebuking tone. Kukai shrugged his shoulders as he exited the storage room and headed back towards Reiji's quarters.
"I prefer you call it, my guile in the battlefield." Kukai replied with a grin.
"With a head as big as yours, there is no way you will ever reach the level of Abe no Seimei."
"I have no interest in surpassing him or anything of that sort." Kukai replied easily.
"But you do realize that if you achieved his level of power you could easily change the ways of the Souma family. You could even possibly bring this whole country under your control." Daichi said seriously and Kukai paused for a moment. He took a deep breath before saying, "Must I repeat myself? I have no interest in it, Daichi."
"But interest has nothing to do with duty, Kukai." Daichi protested. "If Kaidou ordered you to destroy Reiji's family… you would have no choice but to obey." His last sentence was barely a whisper but Kukai had heard it nonetheless.
"Kaidou-aniki would not dare." He replied confidently, "He is aware of the fact that I am going to take over the family someday. It's family tradition. He's just my place-holder for now but one day – I will definitely be Head." He added with a bit of sadness which Daichi noticed.
"Do you regret being born?" Daichi questioned and Kukai knew that it directly translated to Do you regret having your fate tied with mine?
"You know, if it were not for Reiji, my freedom would have only limited me to this place and the Royal Palace. But because Reiji had been created in this world, the burden had lessened tremendously. I do not regret anything. Maybe if I had not met you, I would have lived a happier life – but I would not have met Reiji." Kukai slowed his pace to a stop and faced Daichi.
"I have already thought about this a long time ago, Daichi. It is because of you that even when I was born with the Mark, I was never alone. You were always there – as annoying as that was." He said the last sentence a little playfully and his words slowly registered in Daichi's mind.
He gave a sad smile – a smile that revealed his centuries of experience and misery. Kukai held out his hand. Daichi slowly floated towards it and landed on his palm lightly.
"I will be fine, Daichi. Stop lamenting over the past. I will carry the burden you entrusted me till the day I die."
And just like always, Kukai settled Daichi on his right shoulder and moved forward. His back straight, conveying the true strength possessed by those thin shoulders and his head held high together with his companion. Only looking forward and only seeing the future.
-OoO-
Both of them walked forward at a leisure pace along the Palace stone pathways. Yaya was looking left and right with childish wonder in her eyes that Amu did not expect from one of her age and profession. Seeing her look so awestruck by everything made Amu think of Ami back home. If she ever came to the Royal Palace, she would have the same sparkle in her eyes as this girl who walked beside her.
"Ne, Amu-chan, Amu-chan." Yaya said, calling for her attention.
"Yes?" she answered faintly, her sister's smiling image still fresh in her mind.
"Do you like it here in the Palace?"
"Not particularly." Amu answered without really thinking and after a moment, she realized how her tone implied her dissatisfaction. She calmed her nerves and squared her shoulders discreetly.
"Why not? It's so spacious and fresh and pretty! I would love to live here!"
Ah, Amu thought, what ignorance. She had no idea of how much worse the Royal Palace was, in comparison to a mere Minister's household.
"I simply do not feel any special attachment to this place, but it is indeed a very beautiful place." She agreed without any emotion.
That was how Amu truly felt about the Royal Palace. She accepted that it was a breath taking place since the first time she had entered it. There was nothing that tied her to this place, only a sense of duty kept her here – a sense of duty to her sister and to a certain stubborn Princess.
Yaya looked at her sideways with a puzzled expression.
"Why do you talk like that?" she asked suddenly with curious eyes.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You talk like… a machine. Monotone and unemotional. It's almost like your every word is scripted." She said with a small frown.
"This is how I usually act." Amu replied a bit stiffly. That was the first time anyone had ever called her a machine and she wasn't sure whether to be flattered or offended by Yaya's words.
A machine? Maybe that would suit her in a sense, Amu thought.
Yaya's eyes widened at her reply. "Then are you a humanoid machine? Maybe you are actually from the future! Wah, amazing!" she said in absolute awe of the idea.
Without meaning to, a laugh escaped Amu's lips. Amu surprised herself by the small giggle that had come from her own mouth. She shot a glance at Yaya and saw her staring at her with her mouth gaping.
"You laughed! Machine's aren't supposed to laugh!" she huffed while pointing a finger at Amu and placing her other hand on her hips. Amu was not sure what her posture implied, was it chastising? Or was it blaming?
Amu's brows furrowed together and a complex smile formed on her lips. She could not distinguish the thought processes of this girl at all.
"Is that so? Then what do you suppose humanoid machines should feel?" she asked, humoring the young girl's outrageous idea.
"Nothing! Machines are not permitted to feel anything. They do not feel sadness, happiness, anxiety, anger or frustration. Only humans can feel emotions because they were made to feel all of them." She answered in a tone that Amu assumed was supposed to be matter-of-factly to Yaya, but only sounded like she was boasting to other people.
Slowly, her last sentence made something click inside Amu.
Only humans can feel emotions because they were made to feel all of them.
Was that what had been plaguing her all this while? Her…humanity? Amu wondered to herself.
Suddenly, the perfect solution to her problem appeared before her.
Emotions were the cause of all her troubles. If so, she would just have to resist all of those troublesome emotions.
Become a machine.
That would be the solution to her problems. She would feel all of her emotions but it would not affect her in the least. It sounded impossible but Amu decided she would make it possible.
Yaya suddenly stood in her path and narrowed her eyes at her.
"Amu-chan, why do you keep ignoring me?" she questioned heatedly as she stomped her foot in a very Ami-like manner. Amu resisted the urge to laugh once more.
"Ah, forgive me. I have a lot of things on my mind at the moment. What was it you were saying, Yuiki-san?" she apologized sincerely.
Yaya pouted like a child and turned away from her sharply. "I'm not telling." She announced with a scowl.
"Is that so? Then, shall we proceed with our walk?" Amu suggested, easily avoiding a childish argument from breaking out. Amu was thankful that she had perfected the skill of handling children because of having a little sister; she knew this was the most suitable reply to not aggravate her further.
Yaya shot her a furtive glance. "You really don't want to know?" she asked sheepishly, her scowl disappearing from her face.
Just as she had expected, Amu thought triumphantly.
"Enlighten me." Amu replied, hiding an exultant smile. Yaya slowly turned towards her with a thoughtful expression.
"I was asking what age you were." She repeated slowly, probably trying to make sure Amu was listening properly this time.
"I am 14." Amu replied promptly.
"Then you are older than me!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Because you're older, I implore you to call me something other than Yuiki-san." She said and she added a tone of distaste to the way Amu currently addressed her.
"Then – " she was about to consent to what she had allowed herself with Nadeshiko and Tadase when a voice the appearance of someone interrupted her.
"Ah, Kairi-san." Amu greeted cordially, turning to face the somewhat flushed face of Sanjo Kairi.
"Ahh! The nosy megane!" Yaya cried out, backing away and hiding behind Amu. Kairi paused at her voice, straightened himself and kept a poker face as he addressed Yaya.
"Ah, Yuiki Yaya-san. It is a pleasure to see you once more." Despite his cool façade, Amu could clearly hear the heavy sarcasm in Kairi's voice. She noted the red mark on his forehead and it made her wonder what really happened between the two of them.
"Are you going to scold Yaya again?" Yaya asked pointedly with a scowl. "You must have been following Yaya all this time!" she accused and Amu saw a vein bulge in Kairi's temples. If he was annoyed, it was only given away by the tension in his lips.
"I'm afraid to disappoint you but I must say that I have more important errands to attend to other than taking care of one lost little girl." He said flatly, expertly keeping the bite from his tone.
Yaya pouted at him. "Prove it." she challenged and Kairi's eyes flashed a tad dangerously. Amu wondered if she should intervene but it seemed like it would have been an insult to Kairi if she did. Instead, she chose to watch their exchange silently and wondered if Kairi knew how to deal with one such as Yaya.
"Forgive me. I do not have much time to waste. I have to locate someone." He replied and Amu knew that the last sentence was directed at her even though he was looking at Yaya.
"Liar!" Yaya burst out.
Kairi ignored her exclamation and instead, replied, "I must take my leave now," he turned to Amu and said, "I trust you can handle her by yourself?"
Amu nodded in reply to his question and Yaya looked indignant at being ignored. Kairi swiftly left at Amu's reply and Yaya frowned at his receding figure.
"How rude!" she huffed, moving from behind Amu and crossing her arms.
"On the contrary, he was being as polite as he could manage." Amu replied good-naturedly. "Anyway, regarding the manner in which I should address you – will Yaya-san suffice? That is as much as I can consent to." Amu steered the conversation back to where she felt it should be and Yaya visibly perked up at the change of subject.
"Okay," she said happily with a wide grin and Amu gave a small smile of her own.
She was such a simple person, being happy with just that. It struck Amu just how similar Yaya was to Ami and it made her feel a pang of longing to see her little sister. Without realizing it, she had reached out and petted Yaya's head gently.
Yaya gazed up at her curiously, "I changed my mind. You can't possibly be a machine, Amu-chan." She said decisively and Amu was surprised. Had she not declared her to be so just a moment ago?
"Why the change of heart?" Amu asked softly, pulling away her hand and tilting her head sideways.
"You can't possibly be a machine because you're so warm."
Her reply caught Amu off guard and left her speechless.
Yaya reached out for Amu's hand and pressed it against her face. She closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them and said, "It doesn't matter if you are a machine or a human anyway, because you are still my friend." She murmured audibly before she beamed at Amu.
Amu lowered her eyes and bit her lip. She could not be taken in by this girl; she had already resolved to make herself a machine.
You're so warm.
It's a lie, Amu chanted to herself, someone like me couldn't possibly be warm.
She denied the words fervently inside her mind. She could only be a machine – she did not deserve to be human.
"Amu-chan," Yaya called her name in an urgent tone, "Amu-chan, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly and it was then that Amu realized the tears streaming down her face. Amu pressed her fingers against her cheek and felt the uncharacteristic dampness.
"Ah," she said in recognition. She wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her robe and avoided looking at Yaya. "Please excuse me. I… I must leave. The entrance is past that building in front of us; turn left there at the intersection and just continue along the path. You'll know that you're near the exit when you see a row of baby oak trees and you will spot the entrance gate immediately. I must take my leave now, Yaya-san." She said hastily, making sure she gave clear instructions despite her need to escape.
Before Yaya could reply, Amu dashed away without reserve. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes once more and she took refuge in the nearest building she saw.
The Royal Temple – unaware that what awaited her there would change make her perfect mask crack in a way that was irreversible.
-OoO-
Utau had finally finished arranging the performance with Fujisaki Nadeshiko and she sat in the library, going over the score sheet of the song she was going to sing at the Acquaintance Dinner. She gave a sigh and thought about it for the first time today.
The Acquaintance Dinner.
When the Royal Family would meet the Souma Family, her engagement would be one step closer to being finalized. When Kazuomi had asked her if she had any objections after she had met Souma Reiji, she had not said anything and he had taken it as a negative.
The next thing she knew, he and her mother had already arranged an Acquaintance Dinner in which she would be performing together with Fujisaki Nadeshiko. In truth, Utau did not know how to react to such news. She noted the slight fear in Kazuomi and Souko's eyes when they addressed her nowadays; it made her wonder if they would begin to truly fear her existence.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. It would be better if they had hated her, rather than fear her. Hate and love were separated by such a thin line.
Ikuto.
She wanted to see him so badly. She wanted to know what he thought about all of this. He had been the one who had told her to decide for herself, but everything had suddenly gone out of control when Kukai had appeared before her.
She had been dead set on declining the engagement – but Kukai had been there. Souma Reiji was tied to Kukai with a bond that was unknown to her, that may be the reason why she had not declined the engagement.
If she was hesitant about agreeing to the engagement, her only chance to decline would be before the Acquaintance Dinner, because all of it would be unalterable after.
She looked back down at the music sheet.
What was she doing really?
She understood the weight of her decision but she could not bring herself to produce a clear answer. There were just too many things that clouded her reasoning.
Ikuto and Kukai two of the main factors.
When she had least expected it, someone she knew appeared before her.
"Wah, it's the Princess!" a young boyish voice exclaimed from below her and when she refocused on the music sheet on the table, she found a small green haired boy standing on it.
"Daichi!" she burst out. She blinked a few times, hoping it wasn't just a dream.
"Heya." Daichi greeted with a smile. He placed both of his hands behind his head and looked behind him where Utau saw a familiar silhouette.
If Daichi was here, that meant –
"Ah, sorry to intrude." Kukai's voice resounded inside the quiet library. Utau's head snapped up in attention as Kukai appeared in the servant clothes she thought unsuited to him.
"Good afternoon, Tsukiyomi Utau-san or is it your Highness today?" He greeted with a graceful bow.
Utau stared at him disbelievingly, trying to determine whether she was hallucinating. When he straightened himself, Utau saw herself reflected in his bright green orbs. Her reflection showed a girl who was shaken and she immediately blanked her expression.
"Kukai." Was all she said in reply and Kukai cocked a brow at her. He gave a small frown as he moved closer, leaned forward and examined her face.
"What is the matter this time?" he asked seriously, his gaze piercing through her.
"I'm lost." She answered flatly, not knowing what else to say. She was still thrown back by his sudden appearance.
Kukai saw the music sheet Daichi stood on and he looked back at her before he said, "It's alright. Just start from the beginning. I may not know anything about music but I won't let you get lost. If you make a mistake, I'll just find you again."
Utau knew that he had misunderstood her, but what was this feeling of relief that spread through her body?
She looked at the auburn-haired boy in front and she gave a smile which surprised even Kukai.
"Okay."
"I'll listen as much as you want. Ah, but I'll I still have to search for someone –" he began to say when Daichi suddenly flew upwards and floated directly in front of Kukai's face.
"Leave it to me! I'll find her. You take your time with the Princess." He said with eyes that conveyed the message Trust me. Kukai nodded with a grateful smile.
"Alright. Don't let me down." Kukai said in a purposely haughty voice.
"Speak for yourself." Daichi shot back with a grin before he disappeared on the spot.
"He –" Utau began to say but Kukai waved off her worries as he cut her off swiftly.
"Always does that. Shall we begin then? Lucky. I get to listen to the voice that nobles pay a fortune to listen to for free." He said, taking control of the conversation so easily.
"It's not for free." Utau declared and Kukai's eyes widened. "You're paying for it by helping me practice." She pointed out and Kukai laughed as he leaned against the edge of the table.
"Is that so?" he challenged as he closed his eyes. Utau could see his long lashes through the corner of her eye and she resisted the urge to reach out to pet his hair. Instead, she began to hum the tune of the song before she sang the lyrics.
Kukai jumped when she had begun to really sing and it would be a lie if he said that he was not immediately captivated by her voice. He listened more intently and he was further captured by her song.
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game
Too late for second guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap
It's time to try defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me down
(Defying Gravity by someone I forgot :D)
Utau stopped there and looked at Kukai who seemed to be trembling. Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked at Utau with sparkling eyes. He slammed his palm against the table, surprising Utau.
"Unbelievable." He murmured, "It was not an exaggeration when they said you could mesmerize anyone with your voice." He added in a tone full of awe as he gazed down at her, his green eyes almost smoldering.
Utau gave an amused smile at the childish way he marvelled at her. She giggled and Kukai, realizing how foolish he must have looked blushed in a very endearing way. Seeing her expression, an impish look crossed Kukai's face.
He gave a formal bow and ran a hand through his hair as he said, "I mean, that was a spectacular performance Utau-sama. Any other singer would pale in comparison to you. Your voice alone has captured my heart." He repeated cheesy romance novel lines in what Utau assumed was a suave elder man's voice. Her control had broken then and she began to laugh without reserve.
Kukai grinned triumphantly before he joined her. When the two of them had settled down, he gave a satisfied smile.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked.
It was then that Utau had realized that he had been trying to cheer her up, she flushed at the realization. Once again, he had comforted her and she hadn't even realized.
"Much better." She answered embarrassedly and he gave a grin that made her heart squeeze a little.
"That's good."
"Do you always comfort women like this?" Utau asked playfully and Kukai gave a mischievous grin.
"All the time." He replied swiftly and Utau narrowed her eyes at him.
"Really?" she asked sharply.
She was not able to tell if he was joking or not. It did not seem at all likely but then she could not dismiss the small part of her that said it could be just as he says. But then, the image of a playboy just did not equate to the image of a smiling Kukai just now.
He seemed too… innocent? But then again, for an innocent boy, he held far too many secrets.
"I'm kidding. You're the only woman I've ever comforted." He admitted sheepishly with a tinge of pink on his cheeks. Utau found herself embarrassed by his revelation.
She was spared the chance to reply by the sudden appearance of Daichi. She had almost yelped when he had popped up on Kukai's shoulder out of nowhere.
"Found her. She's waiting for you by the Entrace Gate. She wants to go home already and she says to hurry up or else she'll tell on you." He said with an amused smile.
Kukai gave a sigh and looked at Utau.
"Before you leave, is it alright for me to ask who she is?" Utau asked, trying not to sound too interested in this mystery girl. She had a vague idea though, of who she was – but she did not know her relationship with Kukai.
"She is Reiji's aide. She came over to play with your aide a little while ago and I'm supposed to fetch her. Well, I must take my leave now Utau." He took another bow and turned. Before he exited the room, he said, "It was a nice experience meeting you today, Utau-hime. I had the honor of having you smile for me alone."
Utau blushed at his words and resisted the urge to call him back – maybe to scold him but she would only use it as an excuse to spend more time with him. She hated admitting it, but Kukai felt like the closest thing to a real friend.
And she didn't dislike the idea of spending more and more time in his presence.
-OoO-
"Don't touch me!" Amu shrieked as she slapped away Ikuto's outstretched hand. "For-forgive me. I would much prefer you refrain from touching me." she managed before she bit her lip. She wanted to run away but Ikuto had her cornered in the Temple.
It had been a mistake to enter the Temple and forgetting that Kairi had been looking for Ikuto when they had crossed paths. She wholly regretted her impulsive actions as she stood a few meters from Ikuto.
She kept her gaze lowered and Ikuto remained silent since he had seen her crying as she stumbled into the Temple. The tension in the air was heavy and Amu resisted the urge to simply rush past him by force. She could feel her hands trembling and suddenly her head jerked upwards.
Ikuto's cool fingers registered against her cheeks and Amu struggled against his touch that felt like scorching iron against her skin.
"NO!" she cried out as she shut her eyes, trying to shake away his hands and pushing him away with hands.
Ikuto's voice that was barely a whisper but it penetrated through all of the protests raging inside her mind.
"Is this her? The person you are trying so desperately to hide?" he murmured and Amu could clearly hear the intensity of his voice.
Everything about him abruptly began pouring into her conscience as rapidly as an approaching storm.
His scent… the sound of his breathing…. the warmth of his breath… the rise and fall of his chest… all of it was strangely vivid behind Amu's tightly shut eyes. She shook her head and covered her ears with her hands, wanting to shut out everything.
Ikuto pried them away easily as if he was merely picking up a piece of paper. He bound her wrists together with one of his hands and still, Amu continued to thrash about.
"What are you so terrified of, Amu?" Amu could hear the tone of pleading in his voice and she felt a tremor inside her.
Her head began to throb like mad and her legs buckled beneath her.
"No. Not now. Please not now." She whispered desperately as she clutched her head. Ikuto knelt in front of her and enveloped her in his arms. Amu continued to rock backward and forward, like a child trying to banish scary thoughts.
"It's okay. I'm here." Ikuto said softly, pressing his lips against her hair.
Unfamiliar blurry images flashed in Amu's mind. A smiling pink-haired girl holding hands with a man and woman she did not recognize. Blowing birthday candles while surrounded by piles of presents. Carrying a blond baby in her arms while beaming at an older lady – Amu was looking at all of them through a hazy film.
Her head ached painfully and she felt nauseous. Ikuto's arms felt like mere weights to her. Warmth or coldness – she felt nothing.
It was the same way she had felt when she had woken up in front of the ash remains of what used to be her home. Once again, the emptiness overwhelmed her and she shut her eyes while tears fell from her closed eyelids. Slowly, Ikuto's gentle voice broke through her mental barrier.
"I'm here, Amu. I'll stay by your side until you tell me in that commanding voice of yours to let go of you. Everything will be alright." He continued to whisper words of those sorts in her ears.
They were all lies. She thought as she edged closer to sweet respite.
Amu knew they were, because nothing would ever be alright in her life ever again. But despite this, she felt a sense of relief settle upon her – relief mixed with a bit of warmth. Finally, sleep overtook her and she fell, hearing only Ikuto's voice in the last second of her awareness.
-OoO-
Ah, cruel reality! It seems I won't be getting my wish granted but well, that's life! :D Anyway, I finally passed the 50th mark for reviews! O.M.G! It might not be a hundred, but it's the first time I reached that number so I'm just really happy! I am literally jumping with joy, haha. All of a sudden there was a surge of reviews and I must thank you all so much. –bows head formally but still grinning like an idiot– :"
This chapter is dedicated to kitty.0 who was such a wonderful person to review all of the chapters until the latest one. She just made my day when I opened my mail for the first time just
Haha, I've decided to make this a new segment of my bizarre endnotes!
SPECIAL NOTES FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE 3
QueenyLeAcH: I am so sorry for those grammatical blunders! : I have to confess to you that my real weakness in writing has always been punctuation marks and prepositions so I must thank you lots for helping me with that. :) I hope that this chapter doesn't annoy you like the last one.
AmutoForever: Ahh, your reviews never fail to motivate me! Haha, I kind of had a feeling my 100 reviews thing wouldn't work but it's worth a try. I just wanted to see how far I could get within three weeks at most and all of a sudden I'm about to reach 60 already. :D as always, thank you for reviewing! I would love it if you reviewed this one too. ^.^
Kiyonora: Yep, I've seen your profile and I just grinned like mad thing when I saw my story in the number one spot. I hope you like this chapter, review it okay? I'll be waiting!
Kitty.0: thank you so much for making my day. :)) I hope you review this one too. ^.^ I would have been happy if you just left one review but who knew you would leave me eight! O.O
That should be all for now since I'm too tired to think of anything else to say… ah wait, there's still those note thingies. (grumbles since is currently sleep deprived because of typing the chapter)
*go – that game with round black and white pieces, you know like the anime Hikaru no Go which is totally awesome even though I have no idea what goes on during the game. :DD
*shogi – Japanese chess. The game that Shikamaru from Naruto always played together with Asuma before he died. I've tried it and it's really interesting! Except the fact that I kept forgetting which piece was which when I first played it.
^.^ Well, you might already know what they are but I put them here just in case.
NOW I really don't have anything more to say but SEE YOU SOON!