Lizards have to be the easiest pets to take care of. I mean, not even fish are easier in my opinion. The most you have to do is change their water when it goes bad or runs out. You only have to feed them once a week, as well. There's also the added bonus of it being fun to watch them eat. Yes, their cage does have to be cleaned, but the process is relatively simple compared to cleaning a fish tank. I guess African dwarf frogs are pretty easy, too. Change the bamboo when and if it rots, feed them twice a week, and refill the water on great occasion. And that bamboo part only applies if there's bamboo in the tank. They're two pets I'd highly recommend to anyone. I'd also highly recommend guinea pigs over hamsters, but they're a bit more difficult to care for.
That rant was completely unrelated to anything. Anyway, read away.
The first thing I notice is that the bed is unusually warm. I crack open one of my eyes, meeting the paleness of flesh. I jerk upright, words not coming out. Hikaru and Kaoru sleep beside me, each facing me with an arm draped over my lap. For a moment, I can't help but marvel about how identical they are even in sleep, but then I drag myself back into reality. What the hell are they doing in my bed? And why are they not wearing shirts?
The one on my right removes his arm, reaching up groggily to rub his eyes. "You 'wake, Mari?" Judging by the slightly higher voice, that one is Kaoru.
"WHY ARE YOU IN MY BED?" As soon as the words leave my mouth, I clap a hand over it. Too late, I've woken up the children. A few of them simply roll over, but most of them recognize my voice and have sat up to see what's happening. After all, I never yell like that. Hikaru copies his brother's actions from seconds earlier, rubbing his eyes. Lowering my voice, I hiss, "Explain this! Now!"
"You had a nightmare," Kaoru moans, closing his eyes again.
"You were the one who wouldn't let go of us."
The events from last night flood back to me all at once, and I'm nearly again seized with the fright. Kicking off the sheets, I crawl to the foot of the bed to get up without climbing over either of the twins. I slip on my mud stained shoes, hanging my head and letting my hair hide the blush creeping up my cheeks. I really did hold onto them for dear life, didn't I? And everyone saw what state I was in last night. That tall figure who had lit the candle had been Mother. The only other person that tall would have been either Kyoya or Mori, and Mori doesn't sleep with us. According to Honey, he sleep in a tree. Kyoya wouldn't have bothered to get up. That means I'll have to deal with Mother's anxious nagging this morning.
I fly down the stairs so I don't have to hear the half awake curiosity the children express about my behavior. Mother is waiting at the table, Noni laying by her feet. When I stop at the bottom of the staircase, he glances up at me without so much as a tail wag. He must've been worried, too. I'm sure he wanted to come find me, but he isn't allowed upstairs.
"Mari-"
"I'm going to Umehito's," I cut her off. "I'll take Noni with me, so don't worry about me being alone." I clap my hand against my thigh, calling him to his feet. I rush to the pantry and grab an apple from one of the shelves for breakfast, holding it in my mouth as I throw on my ragged cloak. Crunching a bite out of it, I take it back in my hand and hasten my pace to the door.
"Mari!"
I ignore her, checking to be sure Noni is following before opening the front door. "I'll be back for the mid-day meal!" I promise, letting the door swing closed behind me. As soon as it shuts, I stop and let out a long sigh, putting my head in my hands. The apple pressing against my forehead doesn't bother me at all. As soon as I lower my hands, I pass the fruit to Noni. I really don't have much of an appetite.
The husky accepts my kindness enthusiastically, munching it down in less than a minute. He, like us, is accustomed to going without food every now and again, although he goes without more often. An extra apple I won't eat isn't going to do him any harm. I scratch his head, my feet falling back into the routine of walking.
Umehito likely didn't have everything prepared when he got the prickly grassvines from yesterday, so today's the day he'll probably make the protective barrier. I might as well do what I can to help him. He at least didn't have to witness the scene I caused last night, and I doubt the whispers have had time enough to spread to him. I really need some time to think about it all, away from prying eyes. Me, not letting the twins leave my bed, that terrible feeling that threatened to consume me….I need to absorb it all. I don't know what to think.
Now that I think about it, wasn't there something before that? Before the darkness tried to swallow me whole, didn't something happen? I remember….a feeling of anger? Why was I angry? I've felt irritated plenty, when the children won't listen or the prices for cloth are too high, but anger is a rare emotion for me. Mr. Eto brings it out of me, yes, but that doesn't seem right. It wasn't him in my dream. It was a person, I'm certain of that. I was angry at someone, not something. Who, though?
I shudder, giving up. Why am I even trying to remember this? That nightmare was upsetting enough. I don't need to go and call back scraps I can't remember and scare myself. I'm sure it wasn't important.
Snarling startles me back into the present. I turn to see Noni, ears flattened back and tail between his legs. His hair bristles and he bares his teeth, glaring ahead. I follow his gaze and find a lovely woman facing us. Seeing the dog, she stops, looking from it to me. Her sleek copper hair shines gold in the morning rays, but it's her eyes that captivate me. The startling bright blue gives the impression of clarity, as beautiful and as chilled as ice. She wears a floor length, pale pink dress outlined with red. It hugs her curves unnervingly tightly, the neckline dropping lower than modest. Her sleeves consist of a light and see-through material that matches the pink of the rest of her outfit. A glittering red gem attached to a chain hangs around her neck, proud as if it were crafted for her and her alone.
"Your dog," even her voice has an elegant ring to it, "seems quite troublesome."
I snap from my trance. "Oh, I assure you he's usually docile! I don't know what's gotten into him!" I whack him in the side. "Noni! Stop it!" He doesn't relax his aggressive stance, not a single muscle.
"Perhaps you can help me," the woman remarks, tilting her head in interest. "I came here looking for a young girl named Mari Kishi. Might you know where I could find her?"
Me? What could she possibly want with me? "Um, I'm Mari. Is there something you wanted?" She examines me, analyzing me with her eyes from head to toe. I return the look, except with a little more uncertainty. She looks rich, possibly even royalty. Her clothes are of top quality, far surpassing the homemade dress I wear, and that gem around her neck...I can't even fathom how much it must be worth.
Finally, she smiles at me. "My name is Eclair. Mr. Eto has sent me to fetch you."
"Excuse me?" Mr. Eto? He sent this woman? I must have heard her wrong, right? She extends her hand to me.
"Are you going to make this easy and come with me, or will you resist?" she asks. For some reason, the gentle expression on her face seems misplaced. And then there's Noni, who still regards her as an enemy. Finally getting the message, I raise my guard. There's obviously something wrong with this woman.
"I have somewhere to be," I venture cautiously. "I have to get going, or I'll be late. Come on, Noni."
All of the sudden her expression warps into a glare and Noni yelps, falling onto his back legs. I kneel by his side as he wheezes, trying in vain to catch his breath.
"What're you doing to him!" I cry, hugging him to me. "Stop it!"
"I was hoping you'd resist." Her eyes sparkle with intentions I can't make out, but her gaze sends shivers through me nonetheless. She raises her hand towards me again, this time pointing.
Instinctively, I bury my head in Noni's fur and send a a sharp bolt of heat in her direction. When I hear her hiss, I dare to peek up at her. A small fire has sprouted on the skirt of her magnificent dress, but it's only there for a moment. She waves her hand over it and it extinguishes, only singed cloth left in its wake.
"Is that all you can do?" she mocks, her dignified air having never faltered. "He said you were a witch, but he never mentioned that you were this weak." She frowns. "This'll be an easy job."
"Job?"
"Easy?"
To my relief, Hikaru and Kaoru slip between me and Eclair. Thankfully, they're also fully clothed this time. They face away from me, meeting her challenge head on. She studies them as she had studied me, a look of surprise settling over her features. As her focus shifts, Noni relaxes in my arms, drained.
"I stand corrected," she muses. "Perhaps this will be interesting, after all."
"I don't want to see you again," I growl, meeting her eyes from behind the twins. "If you dare show your face to me one more time, those ashes on your dress won't be the only mar I give you."
She glances between the three of us, assessing her chance of winning. Then, without a word, she turns and walks away. We watch her until she's out of sight, tense. As soon as I can no longer see her, I collapse against Noni, which probably isn't the best idea considering what condition he's in. I release a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding in, smoothing down his ruffled fur.
Hikaru and Kaoru come and sit by me, giving me room to breathe but staying close enough for comfort. When I finally muster the strength to sit up without Noni's assistance, I'm pulled roughly towards them. Unprepared, I practically fall onto Hikaru's chest. I try to push myself up, but Kaoru throws his arms around me from behind, sandwiching me between them.
I don't bother to try escaping, allowing them to just hold me. Besides, they're warm. I curl my hands in my lap and let my eyes close, truly relaxing for the first time this morning. My breathing evens, my heart calming and syncing with theirs. Even with their reptilian blood, their hearts beat just as slow as a human's, and their skin is just as warm, if not a touch warmer.
"Thank you," I breathe out, eyes fluttering open. "I'm alright now." Hikaru releases me first, his brother following soon after. I stand first and hold my hands out to them to help them up. Neither of them smile. "Uh, about last night...I'm sorry about that."
"It wasn't your fault," they wave off.
"But," Kaoru continues alone, "what did you dream about?"
The impressions of foreign emotions flare up again, and I stiffen. "I can't remember," I half lie. The only things I can recall are the feelings I got from whatever happened. I have no images, or any figments of an idea of what I saw. The twins obviously don't believe me, though.
"That's one hell of a dream to forget about," Hikaru shakes his head, skeptical.
"Anyway, I promise it won't happen again." I turn my back to them, about to head off in the direction of Umehito's, but hesitate. What if that witch, Eclair, is that shadow he mentioned before? A barrier won't do any good if the danger is already within the village. Should I head back to the orphanage? Eclair didn't know where to find me, so she might not know about it yet, but if she asks around it won't take her long to discover. Even with the magical beings there right now, I don't know how powerful any of them are. I mean, a tree nymph against a witch? The victory there is pretty obvious. I have no actual knowledge as to the power of unicorns, only that they seem to amplify a witch's powers if they're a familiar, and I can't imagine Honey fighting anyone. He's just a foal, after all. And although elves have incredible physical ability, that doesn't count for much against magic. Yeah, I should probably go home.
I turn on my heel and march through the middle of the twins, destination decided. "I'm sure Umehito can manage on his own, now that I think about it," I excuse myself. Even so, I grimace at the thought of all the questions I'm bound to be bombarded with when I arrive home.
So, Eclair has arrived. She seemed perfect for the role of the villain witch. Unlike in the anime, she knows nothing about Tamaki. Her primary interest lies with the dragon at this point, although she may not know they're dragons yet. She simply sensed the danger from them and noticed that they weren't human. She must have decided she wasn't prepared to fight them yet. She will definitely be back, as I'm sure you already guessed. She's not the type to let her presence be forgotten. And oh, I have two dominant story idea for my nest fanfiction, but I'm torn as to which to use. I myself am leaning towards the FMA idea, but I've had a few people want a Death Note story. I have a poll up for it, among with a few other animes I think I could get creative with. Feel free to take a look.
Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!