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Chapter 8
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Pirika didn't really know what to say now. Anna was smiling down happily at her son, but Pirika was in her own unhappy world. That moment had showed her all she needed to know. Ren was normally pleased to see her smile, but this time he had walked away. Seeing her happy with a baby was something he didn't like. Why else would he have left like he did?
"Pirika," Anna called softly, pulling the girl from her stupor. Shaking her head Pirika looked up. Anna was watching her closely, reminding her again of how attentive the blonde was. It was as if she knew exactly what was going on in her jumbled head. "If you have seen anything since you have come back you should see how much Ren cares for you. There is nothing he wouldn't do for you."
Pirika looked down, not comforted by her words. Maybe Ren would do almost anything for her, but she didn't want to make him. It wasn't just about what he would do, it was about them wanting the same things. She wouldn't give Ren up for anything in the world, but she was still a little sad.
Giving herself a forceful shake she decided to move on. There were so many more memories she wanted to walk through. Anna must have known she was ready to move on because she spoke. "Manta should be around here somewhere if you want to see him next. He wanted to hang out with Yoh tonight and they had no plans of going out."
With a smile Pirika moved forward and placed a gentle hand on Hana's head before leaving Anna with a slight bow.
Finding Manta wouldn't be hard since the men's voices could be heard laughing from upstairs. She followed the sound, hoping she wouldn't be interrupting and Yoh wouldn't mind giving them a moment.
It turned out she had nothing to worry about because as soon as they saw her Yoh gave a huge smile and got to his feet. "I';m going to head down to get a snack," he said, leaving without Pirika saying a word.
Like always Manta didn't seem to be in a rush. He just sat there watching curiously as she opened her book and looked from him to some of the pictures on the page. Nothing was said between the pair before Pirika felt herself slip away from the room they were in.
#
Of all the times for Ren to be gone, why now? Of all the times for Sensei to assign an assignment like this!
It was lucky Horohoro had to work today because Pirika was a crying mess by the time she got home. Although Horohoro had heard Ren helped her with homework he had no idea of how bad it had been or how close Pirika had been to truly flunking out. He would be disappointed in her and she would do anything to avoid that now.
Although she didn't want to, Pirika ran right to the phone in the apartment and called his number. She had been told only to use it in when it was an emergency, but she thought this might qualify.
"Speak quickly I do not have much time for this."
"R-Ren I need help. The stupid computer class. Sensei assigned a project worth most of our grade and we have only a week to do it."
She heard Ren curse softly. "He gave it this early?" he muttered.
"Did you know about this?" she asked angrily.
Ren hissed softly. He was dealing with enough without adding in her tone. "As I stated, he has never given this assignment so early in the semester. It is normally one of the last tasks."
"It doesn't matter when it is given!" she cried. "I could never complete this on my own. You know how I hate computers."
"Stop babbling and let me think," Ren ordered. Although his words were cold, his voice had softened. It let her calm enough that she could give him the time that he wanted. "I have an idea," he told her after a minute or two. "I need to make a call or two, then I will call you back. Alright?"
Pirika nodded, forgetting he couldn't see her.
"Pirika," he prompted.
"Y-yes," she finally responded. "I'll wait right here."
Hanging up the phone Pirika let herself slide to the floor. She was almost in a daze as she waited. It wasn't clear how much time had passed when she launched at the ringing phone. "Hello?"
"Listen carefully. I have only two minutes to speak." Hearing no response he continued. "I have found someone to help you with this. They will meet you at my apartment in an hour. Use my computer. It's sitting by the bed, you know where."
"Who is coming? Who did you call?" Pirika asked desperately.
"Pirika that does not matter," he told her. "As long as you complete this we will go out for sushi when I get back."
His words did cause her pause. Ren didn't like sushi. Pirika loved sushi. Him taking her out for fish was special. This was his way of calming her. This was his olive branch. "Thank you Ren-kun," she whispered before she heard a click at the other end.
Ren told her to be at his apartment in an hour. Giving herself half an hour for the walk she was left with a little less than 30 minutes to get ready. After her crying her priority was a shower, so she rushed off to get started.
She was a few minutes early when she turned the key and walked into the other apartment she knew so well. It was a lot nicer than the ones the siblings shared, but that was just Ren.
Pirika headed to the bedroom to grab Ren's computer. It wasn't even his main computer. He kept that with him at all times. This was only his back up. Well one of his back ups. The man had a half dozen computers at least.
This might not have been his main computer, but it was still better than anything the school had to offer. While getting the device, Pirika noticed the money he left on the bed table.
Pirika wasn't normally keen on accepting his money, but she hadn't eaten much today. She had gotten her assignment just before lunch and so she had barely nibbled. After school she had called Ren and rushed over here. There hadn't been a real chance to eat.
Giving a sigh she grabbed some of the cash. Once her tutor, whoever that was, got here they could order something to be delivered.
Here a knock on the door Pirika hurried out. Her mouth dropped open when she opened the door to see Manta standing there with a smile.
"Ren didn't tell you I was coming did he?" Manta asked with a laugh.
Pirika shook her head trying to find her voice. "Why are you here?" she asked as he headed past her and began setting his things up on the table.
Manta looked back at her oddly. "I'm here to help you with your assignment," he said as if it was obvious.
"No I mean why would you help?" she asked. Despite her confusion Pirika had moved to Manta's side at the table and began opening Ren's computer. "I expected Ren would have to pay someone to come help me."
He laughed. "You aren't that hard to be around Pirika," he assured her.
"There must be better ways to spend your time. You run your own company!"
"If you want me to leave I will," he offered.
Pirika put her hands up desperately. "Don't go!" she rushed.
Manta smiled. He had been expecting her reaction. "Then we should get started."
Pirika was about to sit down when the pair heard a rumble from her stomach. A flush covered her cheeks and she looked away. "Sorry. I haven't eaten anything today."
"Homework will be easier if you have something in your stomach," he told her kindly.
Pirika looked at the spotless kitchen. "Ren doesn't keep food here, but I can order something. Is pizza okay with you?"
Manta shrugged. "Get whatever you want. I'm not picky."
Pirika relaxed. She didn't know why, but Manta's calm manner put her at ease. A small smile appeared on her face as she went over to the phone to call for food. As soon as she hung up she was able to sit by the computers and the pair began.
#
It hadn't been possible to get the whole project done in one night. Also there was work Pirika needed to do that Manta didn't need to sit and watch. The pair decided that they would meet again Sunday afternoon, giving her a day and a half to do the work by herself.
When Manta looked over the work he had to admit he was impressed. It was far from perfect, but given Pirika's skill with computers he had been expecting worse. She would certainly pass. That was all Ren, or Pirika, had asked for.
"You umm, you aren't going to tell my brother about this, are you?" Pirika asked nervously as Manta began to pack up.
Manta looked over at her with pity. "You're really worried about him finding out, huh?"
Pirika looked down ashamed. "He would be so disappointed if he knew."
"Pirika," Manta explained gently. "I'm sure he noticed you aren't good in school. The rest of us noticed and he knows you better than we do."
"It was bad," she whispered. "Worse than anyone knew."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Pirika looked the little man up and down. She decided to trust him. He had come here to help her at a moments notice. As far as she knew Ren hadn't needed to offer him anything. What could he have offered? Ren's go to bribe was money but since Manta owned his own business that wouldn't mean much to him. "Let's make a deal," she told him. "I'll tell you about it if you tell me why you are doing this."
Manta just shrugged and nodded. He was going to get a lot more out of this than she was, but she had offered the deal.
"That is why Ren and I started spending time together," she explained. "He found out I was about to be removed from school. He said I could either work with him to make my grades better or he would tell Onii-chan. That was the middle of last year. We met everyday to work on my homework. He was so patient," her words drifted off as she thought back. "If it wasn't for Ren-kun I would have dropped out."
Manta was shocked. He had no idea Pirika had fallen so far behind, or how she managed to hide it from her brother and the rest of them. Only Ren had noticed? He decided he would need to watch the pair of them together a little more. Ren's attention implied he had been focused on the bluenette quite intently for some time.
"Now you tell me what he offered you to get you here," Pirika prompted, having decided the silence had become uncomfortable, at least to her.
Now Manta smiled. "Ren didn't offer me anything," he told her simply.
Pirika frowned, a little confused. "Then why did you come?"
"Ren called me at work and said he needed a favor. He never asks for anything so I knew it had to be important. Then he explained that he wasn't here to help you with the big computer assignment. He asked if I would come here to help you. I agreed, finishing up at the office before coming here."
"But why would you-?"
Manta laughed, she wasn't getting this. Getting to his feet he went to the door. It was getting late and they both needed to get home. "He didn't offer me anything Pirika. I was happy to help you." She was standing there stunned, her mouth hanging open a little. "If you need help again feel free to call me yourself. I left my number on the table in case you don't have it." Nothing more was said as he walked out and shut the door behind him.
#
Pirika used the next dinner time as a chance to observe everyone. Sitting around the table was the whole group. Usually they only got together once a year around Christmas, but they were all here now.
Yoh was at the head of the table with Anna off to his left. Between them was little Hana eating with his fingers. On that same side was Faust with Eliza, followed by Ryu and Manta. To Yoh's left was Lyserg, Choco, Horohoro and Tamao, holding hands under the table, Pirika was at her brothers side with Ren beside her as well.
Pirika went over them all one by one. Yoh she had spent time with already, same with Anna, and Hana. Eliza would always be grouped in with Faust and she had been through his pages first. Manta had been done this morning, leaving just Ryu on that side of the table. On the other side Pirika had spent time with both Ren and her brother. Tamao, Lyserg, and Choco were left.
That was four people whose memories still needed to be gone over. As much as she wanted to just get it all over with so she could feel like she wasn't missing anything, she wasn't strong enough. Ren had noticed the toll the memories were taking on her, and it was only getting worse with time. In a rush to get it all done she was not allowing herself enough rest. She needed to start giving herself time. She needed to prioritize.
Lyserg and Choco should come first. They had already taken weeks out of their lives for her and they would need to get back to things quickly. Pirika was angry she hadn't thought of this earlier! Everyone knew how she was going around, both Yoh and Manta had mentioned it. They might be waiting for her.
She had inconvenienced them enough. Like it or not she needed to push herself.
If she could get them both done tonight they could get on with their lives in the morning. It would need to be done carefully. If Ren got wind of what she had in mind he would put his foot down.
As if the spirits heard her his phone went off just as everyone was leaving the table. It was only a text, but it was enough to give her a chance to slip away.
Grabbing her book she decided to tackle what she feared might be the most difficult first.
#
Pirika found Lyserg in his room with the door open. Knocking on the door frame she waited until he beckoned her in. She had to admit, going through her scrap book she had discovered a problem relating to Lyserg. "I don't really have any pictures of you," she told him sadly, unsure what to think.
Lyserg led her over to sit on the bed giving her a kind smile. "I'm not surprised," he admitted easily. Looking down at the page she was open to he saw a single side, but the only pictures he was in were group pictures from Christmases past.
"Why?" she asked.
Lyserg kept his easy smile, flipping through the other pages slowly, seeing what she had of who. "Well, look at Chocolove," he reasoned. "He lives so far away it isn't possible for him to be around much. Even getting here once a year is a challenge at times. The only reason you have many pictures of him is because he was on the same team as your brother during the tournament. I was with the X-Laws by the time you joined your brother. After the tournament I returned to England and worked on starting a detective agency. Until that was up and running I didn't want to leave very often or for very long. I only started coming frequently a year or two ago."
"But if you have been coming for the last few years why don't I have any recent pictures of you even? You are in these two," she pointed at two group pictures. "I have a few pictures of the others from these visits. Why wouldn't I have taken any of you?"
Lyserg gave a little smile and a sigh. She wasn't going to let this go. "I'm not proud of some of the things I did as an X-Law. Yoh forgave me and happily allowed me to come back. Others were less welcoming."
"I don't understand," Pirika told him. "I can't imagine anyone being anything but nice and open with you."
"They all are," Lyserg agreed. "Most of us have received second chances from Yoh. No one here is going to be anything but friendly, including me.
Trust however is harder to get, for some even more than others."
Pirika was frowning. "I would have trusted you," she said softly.
Now Lyserg laughed. "Of course you would have," he told her, leaning back and looking at the ceiling. "Your easy going brother wasn't a problem either."
"Then what?-"
"Ren," Lyserg answered easily. "By the time I started coming around more frequently the two of you were together, or at the very least he was interested. He was protective of you. Out of everyone, Ren trusts me the least. He never forgave me for turning my back on everyone to join Jeanne. He will always be afraid my priorities will change."
"Oh I bet he isn't as cold as you think," Pirika tried to tell him.
He laughed deeply this time. "While that is possible, I doubt it. Even so, a fight with Ren is something I would not relish, so I'd like to avoid it if at all possible."
Pirika frowned and tried to remember something, anything about the man beside her.
#
Getting out of the hot spring felt amazing. It was so nice, especially when it was used as a precursor to Ren taking her out. Pirika had been about to head back to her apartment when she heard an unfamiliar laugh. Looking up the stairs she saw Yoh and another man laughing. Yoh clapped him on the back and continued toward his room, where Hana could be heard fussing. The other man continued down the stairs towards her.
He was about half way down when it hit her. The green hair was the same, but the green eyes had grown sharp. His face had grown long over the years, but still, standing right there, taller than her by at least a foot was, "Lyserg?"
The disbelief was evident in her voice, as shown by the way he smiled down at her. "Pirika," he acknowledged with a nod.
"What are you doing here? I mean, I haven't seen you since the fights."
Placing his hand gently on her back, Lyserg guided her towards the empty living room and the pair sat on the couch. "It's my first trip to Japan," he told her. "After the competition I went back to England. I was determined to get the detective business I always wanted up and running. Also, like a lot of the others, I needed a little time to myself, to go home and think about everything that had happened."
"And everything that had been done?" a voice growled from the doorway.
A smile lit Pirika's face as she turned to see the man standing there. Lyserg didn't respond as well. Years had deepened the voice, but he still had his suspicions as to the speaker. Looking up he confirmed his thoughts. Standing there, glaring, was Ren.
Ren's eyes never met Pirika's as he spoke to her. "Unless you want to change our plans you need to get home. You can't go for sushi dressed like that and if it gets much later we won't make our reservation."
Had she been thinking about it she might have questioned the anger he showed, or the fact that there was nothing special enough about tonight that warranted him sitting through sushi. It was also the first mention he had made of reservations. Normally he told her if there was a specific deadline she needed to meet, especially knowing she wanted to visit the hot spring first. Ren's trick worked however. Pirika jumped to her feet and ran to his side.
"I'll grab my things quick," she promised. "Then we can stop by the apartment on the way to the restaurant."
The moment she was out of the room Ren moved forward. "I will give you one warning," his words were soft and hissed, but Lyserg heard them just fine, "and only one. You stay away from her."
Not wanting a fight Lyserg raised his hands in surrender without saying a word.
Satisfied, Ren backed out of the room and followed after Pirika, accepting the fact that he would need to sit through a meal of fish. Still, it was worth it if it made his point. Hopefully Lyserg wouldn't cause any problems.
#
Coming out of this memory was different. Instead of things slowly getting clearer they just became fuzzier.
Lyserg watched as Pirika's far off expression went to one of pain. He watched as her eyes rolled back into the back of her head and her body went limp.
"Ren!" he shouted as he caught her. "Horohoro!" he called, thinking of her brother as mostly an afterthought.
Footsteps could be heard thudding down the hall. Ren was first in, not that Lyserg was surprised. He hadn't been exaggerating when he said the man was protective of Pirika. Crazy older brother wasn't much farther behind.
The pair them had this down. If Lyserg wasn't concerned he would have been impressed. Horohoro went to grab his sister while Ren got up in Lyserg's face.
"What did you do to her?" he asked angrily.
"I did nothing!" Lyserg promised in a hurry. "She came in with her book. We just talked for a little while before she started to remember something."
"Couldn't you tell she was exhausted?" Ren snapped. "She has been pushing herself too hard to remember everything. You never should have let her do this!"
"What was I supposed to have done?" Lyserg asked angrily.
"You could have-" Ren started but was cut off by Horohoro.
"She's coming around," the Ainu said roughly.
Pirika gave a little groan and her eyes opened a little.
Now that he was looking Lyserg could see what Ren meant. She hid it behind her smiles and laughs, but Pirika was paler than when Ren had first brought her back if that was possible. She also had large bags under her eyes.
"You were right Lyserg," she whispered, her voice a little horse. Everyone looked down at her curiously. "Ren doesn't like you."
He couldn't help it. Lyserg let out another full laugh. Even Horohoro could be heard giving a small chuckle.
Ren glared back at all of them. "Amusing yourself are you?" he hissed angrily.
"Relax Ren," Pirika eased in a calming voice. Horohoro helped her to her feet and she took a few steps towards him.
"Yelling isn't going to help right now dude," Horohoro told him. "Pirika needs rest."
Ren glared at the Brit, but turned to the siblings none the less.
"I'll go lay down after I see Choco," she told them.
"Oh not a chance in Hell," Ren told her. "Had I known you were coming here I wouldn't have allowed that much."
"Don't you tell me what to do Ren-kun!" Pirika snapped angrily. "All these people have been stuck here because of my stupidity. I will not be the reason they are stuck here any longer."
"Pirika no," Horohoro said firmly. "You need rest. If anyone wanted to leave they could have. You making yourself sick isn't going to help anyone."
Glaring at both of them Pirika spun on her heel and went to leave the room. When she headed in the direction on Choco's room instead of her own Ren gave a little growl.
She had taken only a few steps by the time Ren caught her. Without even warning her he threw her over his shoulder and headed the other direction.
"Put me down!" she shrieked. "Onii-chan do something."
Horohoro just watched the pair shaking his head.
"I really didn't mean to cause her any distress," Lyserg assured him.
Horohoro nodded. "I know you didn't," he said, sighing deeply. "They both blame themselves," he explained.
Lyserg was curious. What were they blaming themselves for exactly? And how did normally dense Horohoro notice it. "Why do you think-?" he asked, not fully finishing his thoughts. "How did you see-?"
Now when Horohoro looked over it was with a smile. That normal cheesy grin. "I know both of them; probably better than anyone else here. She blames herself for getting tricked by Hao. She thinks everyone would be doing their own thing if it wasn't for her. Ren feels like it is his fault she got taken. He was so quick to think his father had taken Pirika, he must have known the bastard wouldn't have approved. I never understood why he was going to bring her over there. They both wanted it though so I wouldn't stop him. Now he is kicking himself for it."
"What are you going to do?" Lyserg asked curiously.
"I don't know," Horohoro responded, talking mostly to himself. With a sigh he walked out. He did know what he was going to do next, but not in the long run.
#
Horohoro could hear the fighting when he got to the door. At his side Chocolove looked nervous. "Ha ha. Maybe I should come back later," he suggested.
Horohoro snickered. "Not going to chicken out now are you?" he asked. Like Lyserg, Choco and most of the others, wanted to stay on the safe side of Ren's temper whenever possible.
Not giving him a chance to run off Horo knocked on the door and walked in. Inside Pirika and Ren were standing on opposite sides of the room both seething.
"Pirika, you lay down on the bed and you can talk to Choco."
"Oh I don't think so," Ren snapped.
Horohoro turned his gaze to Ren, his eyes wearing a serious look not frequently seen on the joker. "You and I need to talk." Horohoro didn't give Ren much of choice because he grabbed the man's arm and all but dragged him out.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Ren hissed.
Horohoro wasn't overly concerned by his friends aggression. Only Pirika, and maybe Yoh, saw through the act more than Horohoro did. "Chill out dude. A fight with you isn't going to make thing easier for anyone."
"Putting her through all this isn't going to help her!" he seethed.
Horohoro sighed. This might get ugly, but Ren needed to chill. "You know Pirika as well as I do," Horohoro told him.
"You don't need to tell me that."
"That means you know she can be stubborn. Trying to stop her from doing this isn't going to help her. All she is going to do is fight. If we let her do this on our terms, with her resting, everyone wins," Horohoro explained calmly.
"No one wins! She is exhausted. She needs sleep not to be reliving a full eighteen years!" Ren snapped.
Horohoro raised a brow, a smile on his face. "Even you can't stop her Ren, neither of us can. We never have been able to."
Ren wanted to yell at him, tell him that she would rest if it killed him, but Ren knew he was right. She would keep herself awake until Ren needed to use the bathroom or sleep and rush off at that point. That would just keep her awake and alert looking for her chance. "Fine, but this is it for today. Any more memories can wait until tomorrow."
"Yes," Horohoro agreed. "I don't think she will fight that either. Chocolove and Lyserg both crossed the world for her. She wants them to get back to their lives. Everyone else here can come and go as they please and she can still get her memories. At most she will wait a week or two, or maybe she would go to see them, but it wouldn't be a big deal either way. It's Lyserg and Choco she feels she is hurting the most."
Ren growled softly before spinning around heading back to Pirika's room. Glancing down the hall Horohoro saw him standing right outside the room, probably waiting until Choco came out to go back in. Hopefully both of them could rest a little at this point.
#
Giving an awkward smile Choco looked across the room at Pirika. She was standing there giving him a small smile in return, but he didn't miss the fact that she was leaning against the wall to keep herself up.
Leaping forward he took her arm and led her towards the bed. "It might be a good idea if you lay down," he advised.
Pirika gave him a half hearted glare. "Does Ren have everyone that scared?"
Giving a nervous laugh Choco avoided the question. "Your brother made me promise you would lay down before I let you remember anything."
Even if she wanted to, Pirika didn't have enough energy to fight him, so she accepted his help and crawled under the covers, glad she hadn't bothered to change out of her sweats at any point today. They were comfy and she had no intention of leaving so why bother. It wasn't like anyone would blame her for that after everything.
By the time she got settled Choco was starting to look really uncomfortable. Pirika laughed a little. "Bring me that book," she instructed.
Pleased that he would be doing something and not thinking of how angry Ren had looked he hurried to obey. Once he handed the book over to her he sat on the floor beside the bed. Not only would Ren fully lose it if he walked in to see Choco sitting on the bed beside Pirika, but given his large stature he wouldn't have fit anyway.
"Are you ready?" Pirika asked, drawing his attention.
Noticing her exhausted tone he decided to ask his own question. "Are you sure you are up for this?"
Giving a soft laugh she opened the book and let her gaze choose a picture that had been taken by one of the others mere hours after her brother had her accident.
#
Pirika watched Faust walk away and she could do nothing but fall to her knees and sob. No matter what the doctor said, she couldn't believe he was safe until she saw him herself. She was only semi aware as the others wandered off to give her the space she needed. Eventually she cried herself out, though she was unsure how long had passed. At that point she felt numb. Her eyes were locked on the closed door that hid her hurting brother from her.
Someone sat at her side, but Pirika didn't know who it was until a dark hand touched her arm and she heard a familiar, nervous laugh. "It's going to be okay Pirika," he told her. Pirika barely heard his words, let alone was she moved by them. "How about I tell you some jokes to cheer you up?" Choco looked down at Pirika beside him, but she was staring forward as if she hadn't heard him. "Okay well," he muttered to himself. Really he had nothing to lose and so much to gain. Pirika was the one that always laughed at his jokes when the others were ready to murder him. He wanted to help her now.
"What did the red light say to the green light?" he asked her, expecting the silence he received. "Don't look at me I'm changing!" He got his whole body into the act, hiding himself behind his hands as he squealed out the answer. Opening one eye he watched her carefully. He was waiting for her to slowly smile and laugh, but the minutes past and she remained still and silent. Sighing he continued. "Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!"
#
"Why do bananas wear sunscreen? Because they peel!" He had been at this for hours, putting his heart and soul into it and Pirika was just as still and terrified as she was when he started. Each joke that she ignored, each laugh that he was hoping for but never heard pushed him forward.
After a pause, waiting for her to get it before he moved on to his next joke. "What did the horse say when he fell? I've fallen and I can't giddy up." More silence. Choco had to admit he was running out of material. "Why did the moon rock taste better than the earth rock? Because it's a little meteor." Another pause. She was really making him work for this. "Why did the dinosaur cross the road? Because the chicken joke hadn't been invented yet!"
Fifty seconds, sixty. Choco had been about to speak again when the corner of her lips curled up. Another few seconds and her wonderful laughter filled the air. "What did the worker at the rubber band factory say when he lost his job?" he asked now that he had finally broken through. "Oh snap!" More laughter.
It was music to his ears and everything he had ever wanted. Suddenly Pirika's laughs turned to sobs and she leaned her head on Choco's shoulder. Looking behind them he saw Yoh and a few of the others peeking out from their motel. He had been worried they would be angry he had made her cry, but they all wore sad smiles. It seemed they liked this better. Putting an arm over her shoulder Choco let her cry herself out.
#
Horohoro kept his eye on Ren as he waited in the hall. He was antsy and displeased, that was clear. His teeth were gritted and his foot was tapping. Those golden eyes were darting up and down the hall yet not really taking anything in.
After what probably felt like forever to the Tao the bedroom door opened and Choco came out. It was amusing, given the size Choco had grown to and Ren's small stature, but Choco took one glance at the shorter man and hurried off, not even meeting his eye. Horohoro was pretty sure that if he hadn't led the other man past Ren, he never would have gotten to see Pirika today, and not just because Pirika looked dead on her feet. Ren looked ready to kill and no one wanted to get on the wrong side of his temper, especially after how he responded when Pirika first went missing.
One thing Horohoro noticed was that, despite his fear, Choco still trusted him. The three of them had been on the same team in the tournament and so, despite the rage in Ren's eyes, Choco knew he wouldn't take a cheap shot while his back was turned. This allowed him to get away faster since he could turn and run rather than just walk backwards nervously.
Ren waited until the other man had disappeared down the stairs before he headed into the room. He couldn't help but glare at Pirika as he shut the door.
She looked worse than before if that was even possible. The bags under her eyes were darker and the normal healthy shine of her skin was so gone he wondered if it would ever return. Those blue eyes, utterly exhausted and barely able to stay open moved to him.
"Don't be angry," she pleaded softly.
Ren just snorted. She knew damn well that he was angry and those three words weren't going to magically make it vanish. Glancing down at her again he got frustrated. Maybe her words didn't curb his anger, but the way she looked so small and vulnerable did. "It doesn't matter now," he snapped, a little softer than he had planned. "Right now you need sleep. We can discuss your bratty stubbornness once you wake up."
Pirika gave a little smile, though it took a lot of effort. She reached out a hand, summoning Ren over. He rolled his eyes and huffed, but seeing the way one corner of his lip curled up a little she ignored it. When he sat by her side she sighed. His hand moved into her hair, stroking gently. It seemed almost instantaneous that her breathing slowed and her eyes closed. Ren was determined not to leave her side for as long as she could sleep for. She needed the rest and he couldn't risk her waking and having more nightmares if he left. Not to mention her idea of rested enough for more memories was likely different than his and she might decide to try and move to the next person if he wasn't there standing guard.
#
Pirika opened her eyes and had to admit she felt ridiculously better. Not that she was going to admit it to either Ren or her brother however. That was a pat on the back they did not need. They were certain to notice, but she wasn't going to say it out loud.
Her first clue that she had been sleeping quite a while was Ren. He was still on the bed beside her, but he had fallen asleep sitting there. With his restraint it could have taken hours for him to get that tired.
She wasn't surprised he was still here. He wouldn't have risked her going looking for any more memories yet. As angry as Pirika wanted to be about that, she had to admit he was right. She couldn't have gone on much longer. Despite already being in bed when she experienced her memory with Choco it still drained her. It took longer than usual for her to come back to the present, and when she did she was so lightheaded she would have fallen had she been upright. As it was Choco had put a hand on her arm worried, so she must have looked pretty bad. Of course he might have been so afraid of Ren that even her blinking would have worried him.
She looked over at Ren frustrated. She knew he was only worried about her, but she had more important things to do than worry about herself right now.
Luckily, with only two people left to visit she finally felt she could take a short break.
It was tricky, but she managed to slide off the bed without disturbing Ren. At least she thought she had. As soon as she changed her shirt she turned for the door but caught Ren glaring at her.
"When did you start watching me?" she asked uncomfortably, feeling the heat coming up into her cheeks.
A smirk crossed his lips and he raised a brow. "That is your concern right now?" he asked. "Seeing your bare back is far from new to me."
Pirika glared over, the blush on her face getting stronger.
The humor left Ren's expression as he met her eye again. "Where were you going?"
"Down to the kitchen," she said simply. "I'm starving."
Ren watched her carefully, keeping her gaze until he finally nodded. He didn't think she was lying to him. It wasn't normally a hard thing to see since she was so poor at it. Of course she could fool some people like gullible Tamao, or trusting Yoh, but never him. "I should go to."
Pirika rolled her eyes. She was sure him being hungry was only half the reason for the escort, but she said nothing. She just followed him down to the kitchen where lunch was being prepared.
Lunch was nice, with everyone there and having a good time. No one singled her out or mentioned that she had collapsed earlier, or that she and Ren had been absent from breakfast. Something tugged at her memory making her think this is always how it was. She loved it.
Pirika didn't really talk during the meal, though she heard Ren and her brother speak. She enjoyed watching. In fact she didn't say anything until she and Ren were back upstairs.
"So," he said, his tone cool. "Who is left and what are you planning?"
She smiled up at him. "I thought you wanted to talk about my stubbornness today," she mused.
Ren rolled his eyes. "You are a brat." His words might have stung but for the fondness in his tone. Instead her smile grew. "As irritating as I find it I fear there is little I can do to change it."
"I love you Ren-kun," she told him with a little giggle.
"You were telling me your plans?" he said, ignoring her except for the hint of a smirk on his lips.
"Tamao and Ryu are left. I have spent some time with everybody else." She paused, but Ren didn't speak. "I was thinking I would go to Ryu first. I should get him this afternoon because he will probably go on a night ride tonight. Tamao should be easy to find at any point. My brother has been spending most of his time with her."
Ren nodded. Not expecting him to say anything more she turned and headed for the door hoping to track down Ryu quickly. His voice made her pause just before she stepped into the hall. "Be careful Piri," he warned softly. "Don't push yourself so hard you pass out again."
Pirika looked back at him with a gentle smile. "I promise," she said softly. His care for her warmed her. She was seeing it more now than she remembered.
If she had to guess, she would say that her vanishing had affected him greatly, not that he would want to admit it.
Not really knowing where anyone was she decided to start with the last place she had seen everyone, which had been the kitchen. Surprisingly both of the people she wanted to see were there. They sounded like they were discussing dinner plans, not an uncommon thing given the two of them split most of the cooking chores for the onsen. They looked up as she came in and smiled at her.
"Did you want to talk to one of us?" Tamao asked.
Pirika nodded. "Both of you actually." Letting her book fall open in her arms she found herself already on the page she had made for Ryu. Lifting it up and showing it to him she asked. "Would you like to go first?"
"Of course my Queen," he said happily.
Both women rolled their eyes as she took the seat beside him. He had yet to find his true queen, as he called her, so he had started calling all of the regular women at the his Queen. It had irritated some of the men at first, well mostly Ren, but the girls thought it was in good fun so they let it go.
Looking down at her book she let her fingers drift over the pictures until one jumped out at her. Ryu was standing near his bike with his back to her looking up at the stars.
#
Pirika was furious. Ren had been going to pick her up from school, but when classes finished Pirika had gone to her locker and found a note taped to it.
Stupid Tao Yuan had insisted on Ren coming home, so like always, Ren had abandoned everything they had planned and went rushing back.
Pirika didn't really want to go home, since Horohoro hadn't shown up she was guessing Ren had run off after doing nothing more than scrawling her a quick note. Her brother wasn't expecting her for hours, and if he saw her in this state it wouldn't help anyone. Chances are he would side with Ren, as he had been recently, and that would just set Pirika off further. Her temper didn't need a boost right now.
She continued walking aimlessly, trying to hold her angry tears in check. Hours had passed without her realizing it. All she knew was the angry, hateful thoughts rolling around her mind.
Letting out a partially restrained scream she kicked a rock hard, flinching back when it rebounded off the brick wall and hit the side of her leg.
Somehow it settled her, the sharp sting from reality. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to settle herself. When she looked back upon the world she became concerned. She was not in a good part of town.
Although she had Mem, so her safety wasn't a huge risk, it was possible she could be overwhelmed and injured. Even if it was something she could handle, a fight would be loud, risk damaging innocents, and would escalate tensions between the resident shamans and the locals. They walked a fine line as it was and disputes, even if she was simply protecting herself, could send humans after the Asakura's and the rest of them with torches and pitchforks.
Because she didn't come here much, she didn't really know her way around. She would need to move carefully. It was getting dark, so she fell back into the shadows and started heading in the direction she hoped would quickly take her home.
Pirika was only part of the way back when she cursed herself. She never should have ended up here. Voices were getting closer. Crude, loud, laughing voices. Halfway down this road there was no place she could hide and the men were getting closer. Before she could make a decision she saw seven large guys turn the corner.
It took only moments for one of them to notice her and elbow another, whispering and pointing her out.
She called her ghost softly, causing him to appear at her side. He had been there the whole time, but seeing him was calming to her. Running wouldn't do much good when she didn't know where she was going, and some of these guys looked fast, so Pirika allowed them to get close and ultimately surround her.
"Just what do we have here?" one of the men asked happily. "Pretty little thing like you shouldn't be out here all alone."
"But I'm never alone," Pirika told them with a smile and a giggle, hoping to frighten them off.
It didn't work. The man must not have understood because he turned to one of the other guys and shrugged before continuing as if she hadn't spoken.
"Why don't you come with us men," he suggested. "We'll help you out."
Naive as she was, Pirika didn't believe him for a moment. There was a hint of evil in his eyes, and his smile was like something from a nightmare. "Actually I was just on my way home," she told them, trying to keep a sad smile on her face and not show her concern. Her last hope of this going well ended when his lips turned down and he glared at her. She could feel the other men take a step in.
Pirika opened her hand and summoned Mem, accepting that she would have to do this with simple Spirit Unity. She wasn't in the habit of bringing weapons to school so she was unarmed for this fight; well as unarmed as someone with her talent could be.
"Don't make me do this," she pleaded as they took a step forward. It was a true last ditch attempt. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Oh we won't be the ones hurting sweets, you will," one of them insisted, grabbing her arm.
In the end no one was right. Just as Pirika moved to scratch him with her claw like nails a roar broke through the night causing everyone to turn and look down the street.
The bright headlight obscured the face of the motorcycle rider approaching them, but Pirika felt her heart soar when she saw that familiar pompadour.
As the wheels screeched to a stop the men backed away, unnerved by the closeness of the vehicle. Pirika had no such fear. Despite the bike halting less than two feet from her she kept her footing.
"It seems you are giving my young friend here a hard time," Ryu said.
These men may not have known Pirika, but they sure seemed to know Ryu. She heard the curses whispered among them. "Is she with him?" "Fuck, does that mean she is a freak too?" There was plenty more said, but Pirika ignored it all. The moment Ryu motioned her forward she lunged for the side car.
She was barely seated when the engine revved and the bike shot off the line, gravel spraying up and pelting the men as they left them behind.
Pirika tried a few times to speak to but her voice was drowned out by the engine and rush of the wind. Soon she realized it would need to wait until they stopped. Really she didn't know what to say anyway.
Things started to look familiar, but Ryu didn't stop. He drove past the apartment, and even the city lights before he slowed.
Once they got to a gas station outside of town he finally stopped. Rather than speak to her he simply got off the bike and walked away, acting as if he were simply stretching. Pirika waited only a moment before following. Clearly he wanted to talk or he would have driven her home or to the onsen even. As she walked up to his side she did note that he had allowed her to come to him. Ren and her brother would not have been so understanding and patient.
"Thank you Ryu," she said gently as she stopped beside him. "I'm not sure how that would have ended had you not shown up." Rather than face him in her embarrassment she just looked up at the stars. She saw him glance down at her curiously but ignored it.
"A queen should be careful of her surroundings," he advised.
Pirika sighed. "I know. I was just upset and not paying attention to where I was going. By the time I started thinking again it was too late and I was already lost." Silence descended over them again. Pirika was pleased. She didn't feel judged for her stupid actions. It was a nice feeling she wasn't used to. "What were you doing there?" she asked suddenly. That part of town wasn't somewhere he belonged either.
"Some of my fellow Dead Enders were having some issues with another gang and I thought I should have a few words with them."
"Did you have a chance to speak to them?" she asked curiously, finally looking up at him.
Ryu looked down at her with an amused smile. "I suspect that they got the picture without words."
Pirika then realized how he managed to find her. It had been thanks to the Spirits that the man who stopped her were the same men that Ryu had been looking for. Finding her at that same location was nothing but fate.
"Thank you again." The conversation was coming to an end and she knew it. As they headed back to the bike Pirika had one more thing to say. It felt wrong to ask for anything after what he had done, but she really needed it. "Please," she begged softly. "Don't tell my brother about this."
Now Ryu looked down with a huge smile. "And Short pants?" he asked.
Pirika shivered thinking of how her protective boyfriend would respond to the knowledge of her wandering around in that part of the city. She could all but hear his rage. "And definitely don't tell Ren."
She heard him chuckle as he nodded. "You're secret is safe with me. Just remember, a queen must always be careful."
Pirika smiled, her first real smile of the night. "I will Ryu. Thank you."
As soon as her words were finished the motorcycle revved its engine and they roared off, heading back into town for the siblings apartment.
#
When the memory faded and Pirika found herself sitting beside Ryu again she smiled up at him. "You never did tell anyone about that night did you."
"I believe if I had you would have been made well aware of it," he said with a wry smile. He was right too. No matter how much time had passed both her brother and her boyfriend would have confronted her about being so foolish.
One thing had been nagging at her since that night. She had fully expected to be cornered by one or both of the men in the following days. What she couldn't understand was why he had kept it a secret. "Why did you never tell them?" she asked.
Ryu leaned back in the chair as if remembering himself. "I did not think you would repeat such a mistake. You had looked so afraid when I rode up I expected you wouldn't forget that moment."
Pirika gave a little shiver remembering the way the men had looked at her. "I did remember," she said softly. "I was happy to never see any of them again.
Well," irritation covered her features, "I remembered until this mess," she muttered angrily.
Ryu just shrugged. "You remembered for as long as it mattered," he told her.
She didn't know if he had been planning on saying more or not, but Tamao came back into the kitchen at that moment with a piece of paper in hand.
"I have the shopping list for tonight if you two are finished," she said.
After getting a nod from Pirika Ryu got to his feet and took the list. Giving both women a wave he promised to be back soon and walked out.
Tamao sat down in the seat he had vacated and Pirika noticed a crease between her brow. Something must be worrying the pink haired seer.
Had she noticed it a few days ago she might not have realized something wasn't right, but even without the memories of each person she was remembering more and more all the time. She certainly remembered enough to know her friend usually had a much more relaxed look on her face.
"Is something wrong?" she asked concerned.
Suddenly the look of worry turned to a look of guilt. "Nothing," Tamao insisted.
Pirika just frowned at her and waited. Something was wrong and she wanted to know what.
Before long Tamao sighed. "I don't understand why you didn't come to me earlier," she mumbled, her hurt evident. "We were close. Why wouldn't you want to remember me earlier."
Finally understanding Pirika gave a bright smile. "But I already had memories of you," she explained. "You were in some of my memories with Ren and Horohoro. I remembered you being there for my last birthday and catching you with my brother." Pirika paused for a moment, considering her friend. "Are we good now?" she asked.
Tamao laughed happily. "Yeah," she promised. "Now do what you need to do."
Pirika looked down and was drawn to one picture she had taken without anyones knowledge. The scene she had witnessed had brought tears to her eyes as she had lifted her camera and snapped a picture of her brother embracing the pink haired seer.
#
Horohoro had gotten back from work less than an hour ago and had all but stumbled his way to his room before collapsing on his mattress, asleep in moments.
Pirika gave a sad smile as she peered into the room. He had gotten up at four or five to start on his homework, went to school, and from there went straight to work. By the time he got home it was so late he was exhausted beyond reason. This happened a few times a week and Pirika hated it. This was why she had wanted to drop out. Things were getting better for her with Ren helping, but that didn't make things any easier for her brother. Giving a sigh she had closed the curtains and shut his door, hoping he could get a few hours of sleep.
Now there was a knock on the door and Pirika raced for it. If she could get there before he woke he could get more needed rest.
Opening the door she saw Tamao standing there. "Is your brother here?" she asked.
Glancing back at the closed door down the hall Pirika nodded. "Yeah, but he really needs his sleep."
"I know," she said with a gentle smile. "Don't wake him. He had been going to take me out tonight but he never showed up. I wanted to be sure that everything was alright."
"Tamao?" a deep, sleepy voice questioned from behind the bluenette.
"Go back to sleep," the seer said to the man. "I just came to check on you."
Horohoro groaned and moved forward. "I forgot we had plans."
Sensing a talk coming Pirika slipped away and headed to her room. Still, she was curious so she kept her door open so she could eavesdrop as her brother continued speaking. She was also able to angle herself to see a the pair of them a little as well.
"They had someone call in today and they asked me to cover the shift. I wanted the hours so bad I didn't even think about what day it was."
"It's fine," Tamao promised, her smile never wavering.
"No it isn't," Horohoro insisted, his tone showing anger for the first time. "You deserve better than this Tamao, better than me. You shouldn't have to wait at home for hours wondering why you were stood up and if everything is okay. You should move on; find someone who can treat you right."
"Stop. I deserve what makes me happy, and that is you."
Pirika peeked out, wondering how her brother was taking this. Although she couldn't see his face the slump of his shoulders told her how he was hurting right now. Despite Tamao's reassurances he wasn't letting this go quite yet or he would be less defeated. "Another man can make you happy. All you have to do is let them. For that you have to leave me. You can't stick around. This could last for years."
"I will happily wait for you forever if that is what it takes. I've seen a future for us and I wouldn't risk that for anything."
Horohoro must have realized he wasn't going to get through to her because he took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. Pirika just barely heard him whisper "I love you."
The memory just started to fade when Tamao returned the sentiment. Before the first memory had faded she found herself still in the past, though months later.
#
Pirika approached the apartment door carefully. She fully expected a fight. Since she and Ren had fallen asleep at his apartment the pair of them had slowly gotten less careful of her curfew. It wasn't uncommon for Ren to bring her home twenty or thirty minutes after Horohoro demanded she be in. Pirika didn't mind to much because she loved spending time with Ren, and she suspected Ren was pleased with the idea because he knew it would irritate Horohoro.
Tonight was different however. They had gone to a movie that ended the same time as her curfew. Had she gone straight home it wouldn't have been too big of an issue, but she didn't. The movie had been terrifying and Pirika had clung to Ren for the duration. Afterward she was still frightened and didn't really want to head back, so she talked Ren into bringing her out for a sweet late night treat. After that they had stopped at her favorite park and he pushed her on the swings for a little while. By the time going home occurred to her she was hours late. Her brother would be furious.
Her hand was on the knob when she heard a pair of voices from within.
"You need to calm down," a soothing voice said.
"What do you mean calm down?" she heard her brother snap. "Anything could have happened to her!"
"Nothing happened to her," the first voice said as Pirika slipped into the apartment. "She is with Ren. You can't think he would let anything happen to her."
"Well no but," Horohoro muttered.
"No buts," Tamao insisted. Looking over his shoulder she smiled. "Ren is always going to bring her home safe. See?"
"I'm sorry Onii-chan," Pirika said gently as he spun around.
His eyes grew as he pulled her into his arms. "Piri, you're okay. I was so worried about you."
"Everything is fine," she assured him. "Ren has to leave for a couple weeks and I wasn't ready for him to go yet."
"Damn it Piri," Horo cursed softly, his grip tightening.
Pirika saw Tamao smiling at the pair of them. 'Thank you' Pirika mouthed to her friend. Tamao just laughed and nodded, watching happily.
#
Finally the present cleared around her, but things were still a little blurry as she tried to focus on Tamao sitting on the chair beside her. "You were always so good to my brother," she said softly as she felt herself start to wobble a little.
"You need to rest," Tamao said having just realized how she must still be feeling. Without a word to her friend she called in Ren, knowing he would get her back upstairs. Hopefully he wouldn't be too angry with her.
#
