Well then, I'm back from me trip. Fresh ideas decided to follow me back as well... hmm... Slightly adult language in one part in this one, no big deal though really... .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. Rising of Shadows "The only assumption you should ever make is that you shouldn't make assumptions." unknown source .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. It was now one day before Hatoko would depart on her trip to the island of Gibraltar. Final preparations were being made in a number of places. Icchan was busy wrapping up a study of the water around the suspected area of the fallen island, and Shuuko was assisting with this process where possible. Sai and Kaede had already packed their bags and were staying with Hatoko at Shuuko's residence. When Shuuko heard of the two teenage girls wanting to come along as well, she gladly accepted. A dark sky had descended over the whole of Tokyo City. It hung so slow, Hatoko got the feeling the sea was trying to protect her and Misaki, blowing a thick mist over the land. "Hmm... Very dark clouds. Rain?" Kaede asked, feeling a bit inquisitive as she leaned towards Sai. Sai only looked at Hatoko. "Seems like the sea is preparing for our departure..." Hatoko said, but Misaki found reason to speak at that moment. "My doing..." Misaki whispered, and the three girls looked at the Misaki-chan doll on Hatoko's shoulder. "Anyone... Against us... These clouds... Will..." Misaki's voice ended abruptly, and Hatoko finished it for her. "These clouds are prepared to strike them down. It has happened once, it will happen again if need be." Hatoko explained softly, and remembering the fall of the teacher at the school grounds, she went to hug Kaede. "These storms, the rumor is, killed the teacher at your school. Did Misaki-sama do that?" Sai asked with little apparent emotion. "Yes, Misaki summoned them to protect me." Hatoko responded, and her eyes moistened at the thought of the incident. The blood spilling effortlessly onto the concrete, and the pieces of a shattered skull at her feet... it was a scar that would remain for some time. "The sight of it was horrible." "I am glad Misaki-sama was there for you," Sai added, "The sight of death is not a good sight." Sai looked towards Kaede. Kaede put her arms around Hatoko. "I was with my younger sister when she died." "Sai-san... Let's take Hatoko-chan for a walk outside." Kaede suggested, and Sai nodded. Hatoko looked up at the older girls and smiled slightly. The air carried a minor chill, but curiously little wind. Hatoko and Sai walked down the side of the street, Kaede in the middle holding both their hands, and feeling quite special at that. No people could be seen on the street, and few cars rolled along the darkened asphalt, as if the people suspected another chaotic storm to strike down another individual. "Misaki won't let it rain or hail unless we are in danger, so if it turns out someone is trying to trouble us, a little bit of water will be the least of our worries." Hatoko explained. Misaki-chan rested on her shoulder, wings closed, but discreetly turning her head to look for trouble. "Hatoko-chan, it seems that after this excursion and you revive Misaki-sama, you and her will be granted immortality and a permanent power to change and create water, storms, and seas. What do you think of this?" Sai asked, quite out of the blue. It was several moments before Hatoko could say anything as she pondered the question. "I do not know what to expect, really. However, I do realize, that if me and Misaki are immortal... There will be a point in time when we will have lost all of our current friends." Hatoko replied, the thought streaking despair across her face. "You will have Misaki-sama, won't you?" Kaede asked. Hatoko nodded. "It is true that I will always be next to Misaki, and it is true that I could not have wished for anything better, but... It is also true that there are many people on this world that are important to me, and who are mortal, like you two... I cannot even begin to imagine a world without you two, walking with you through the hallways of the arena, or eating sandwiches on grassy hills after matches... I suppose it is the way it must be though." Hatoko replied sadly. "Oogata-san, that strange guy from Angel Layer Company that is always sticking noodles up his nose, read from a book that Plato, and quite possibly the person we are visiting, believed that for every positive effect or feeling, there will be an equally powerful negative effect or feeling in order to balance them both. Plato said that the universe will constantly try to maintain balance among these things." "So you're saying, your immortality is paid for in emotional pain as your old friends die from age?" Sai asked. "That seems to make sense, doesn't it?" Hatoko replied quietly. "I do want to find a way to over come it though, I want to be able to be with my friends forever." The group of girls turned a corner, and the sight of Shuuko's house was lost. Hatoko looked back, only to see a shadowy figure watching them from across the street. Hatoko stopped moving and turned. Sai and Kaede quickly realized this and turned to look at the figure. It began to run towards a hedge along side the road that Hatoko walked on, and she called desperately to Misaki. "Misaki, that person! They are getting closer!" Hatoko exclaimed. She pulled Sai and Kaede away from the hedge, stepping backwards. Another shadow raced after the first, and the rain began to pour. A rustle could be heard in the bushes to the left, and a shadow emerged. A hailstone slammed into their back almost immediately, and the figure was dashed to the ground. Another rustle in the foliage, and two female shadows emerged, one chasing the other until the first, who was faster, jumped into a car that could not be seen and drove way. Hatoko turned to look at the victim of the hail, horror spreading across her face. Short, black hair, dripping wet. Dirty white clothing. No, a uniform... It was Kotarou. Hatoko turned away. "No... Not... Ko..." Hatoko begun, "I... Don't want to believe..." "Kotarou-kun is not... Against... Us..." Misaki started. "Hatoko-chan... Help..." Hatoko, hearing Misaki's sweet voice call her name, turned to look at her fallen brother. He was looking at her, a slight smile on his face, and noticeably in pain. "So, that is the way it is... Hatoko, Why wasn't I allowed to know? Why wasnt..." Kotarou asked, before a cough racked his throat, after which he continued. "Why wasn't I allowed to know?" "Are you okay, Kotarou?" Hatoko asked desperately. "Why?" Kotarou repeated. "Am I, a good friend of Misaki-san's, not allowed to know when she is killed and mysteriously transferred into a doll? When she and my sister are prompted to set out on a dangerous journey?" Hatoko remained silent, staring at her brother, not know what to think. He had done something very foolish, following her, risking death at Misaki's own hands. "Kotarou-chan... It was my decision." Misaki stated, somewhat forcefully. "I did not... did not want for you... to get involved..." Kotarou stared at the doll on Hatoko's shoulder. The rain mysteriously bounced off of an invisible force field around the angel. Kotarou watched it closely for a few moments longer, only to see it spread its wings and fly to within a few inches of his face, and land gracefully. "Why?" he asked again. "Dangerous..." Misaki replied simply. "But, you are letting Sai-san, and Kaede-san." Kotarou argued. Sai and Kaede stood silently a dozen feet away. Hatoko looked at Misaki-chan and her brother, not moving either. "They... Understand... Us..." "Kotarou, Sai and Kaede understand our relationship, and they understand pain and loneliness in similar ways that me and Misaki do. With that understanding comes the correct wisdom necessary to bring Misaki back. And then, here you are, stalking us, thinking you want to get involved without knowing anything of the sorts." Hatoko explained, getting angry now, "Do you even understand the critical nature of this whole thing? Misaki will be gone forever if we fail. Her loneliness will kill her soul, and then it will kill me because I can no longer survive without her." "But..." Kotarou started, a desperate voice escaping him. "Idiot!" Hatoko cried out, tears escaping her eyes, and sheets of rain falling. "It is Misaki that chooses who goes right now. I trust her decision, and even though you're my brother, that won't stop me from following her, the most important thing in the world to me. If it came to it, I would kill you before letting Misaki die." Hatoko looked down at her feet. "Misaki is more valuable then anything in this world, to me. Kotarou, you are no longer the person I turn to for help, don't you realize this?" Tamayo peeked around the corner of the shrubbery as Kotarou dropped his head at his sister's words. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Kotarou!?" Tamayo yelled at him, coming over and helping him up. Kotarou, who didn't realize Tamayo was there in the first place, was shocked out of his senses now. He looked towards his girlfriend. "What are you doing following me?" Kotarou replied loudly, rubbing his back where the ice struck him. "Following you? I saw you sneaking around in the bushes, and then saw this woman going for you with this knife or something. I chased her down only to find that she was going after Hatoko-chan, who was hidden from my sight by the shrubs at the time. I ran over to beat her up, and she ran off, saying some crazy thing or other like 'Devil child, don't defend those that are unnatural. Let them rot into the soil!'" Tamayo explained, only to shock Hatoko, along with Sai and Kaede. "That woman, who is she?" Kaede asked cautiously. "No clue," Tamayo responded, and she turned back to Kotarou. "As for you, why in the world did you jump out of the bushes at Hatoko-chan?" Kotarou blushed slightly. "Umm... Well... I sorta tripped..." Kotarou looked at the ground grimacing. "Although... Now that I think of it... What did I trip on?" He looked back, only to find a puddle of water where he had emerged from the hedge. There was nothing blocking the way near the ground, however. "Whatever, Kotarou, we are going home to clean you up." Tamayo turned back to Hatoko. "I realize that there is something very important to you and Misakachi happening right now, and that it is your affair even if I am a friend. I'm sorry if Kotarou or myself frightened you, Hatoko-chan, as well as Sai-san, Kaede-san." Tamayo apologized. "It's okay, Tamayo-chan, unplanned things happen." Hatoko replied, and Kaede nodded. "We are all okay, just a bit excited I guess. No worries, okay?" Kaede added sweetly. "Oh! Here, the woman dropped this when I nailed her in the back with my elbow..." Tamayo handed Hatoko a silver black dagger. Hatoko took it carefully, and Tamayo parted for her house, dragging Kotarou behind. Hatoko dropped her hands to her sides, and walked over to pickup Misaki-chan with her free hand. "That... Is the one..." Misaki whispered. "The one? The dagger used to kill you?" Hatoko asked quietly. Misaki-chan nodded. "And... The Woman... The Do'er." Misaki replied. Hatoko grimaced. "Let's go home now, Hatoko-chan." Sai said, and she picked the small girl up in her arms. "Let's go home." .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. The door shut, and the three soaking wet girls made their way to Misaki's bedroom, where Sai gently put Hatoko onto her feet. She took the dripping dagger from her hand, and placed it on the small desk in the corner. Hatoko spoke nothing, still regathering herself after the incident. She hated having to speak to her brother so harshly, but he nearly got himself killed for his idiotic antics. Again, Hatoko remembered what dangers they were dealing with. "Hatoko-chan, why don't you take a bath?" Kaede suggested, and Hatoko nodded silently. Taking her hand, Kaede walked Hatoko to the bathroom. Misaki-chan flew slowly behind them. "I know you're wishing Misaki-sama was here, but right now it is not possible. However, if you need anything, me and Sai-san are always available." Kaede explained, and Hatoko nodded. They entered the bathroom and Misaki-chan flew over to the bathtub and turned on the water. Kaede helped Hatoko remove her wet clothing, and made her way to the door. "Kaede-san..." Hatoko whispered, and the older girl turned around. "Please, stay with me. I want you to stay with me... Someone to talk to. I would talk to Misaki, but it requires much concentration of hers to speak to me normally, and I don't want to pressure her. I don't want her worrying about me right now. She trusts you, you know." "Okay, anything, for you and Misaki-sama, like I said." Kaede set the wet clothes on the floor and went to assist Hatoko into the water. In a few minutes, the tub was full, and Misaki-chan turned off the faucet. The angel floated on her wings over to Kaede's shoulder and sat down. Hatoko closed her eyes, and let her body slip under the surface of the water completely. Kaede moved to help her head up, but Misaki-chan flew to face her directly and put up her hand. "Hatoko-chan... Breathe water..." Misaki explained, and Kaede nodded, resting her hands on her knees as she sat down. "Oh, that is right..." Kaede replied, watching the small child rest under the water. Misaki had shared a memory with her, a nice memory that made her dozy, and Hatoko was now drifting of to sleep. "Kaede-san... Wish to see... What Hatoko-chan sees?" Misaki asked, and Kaede nodded. "If you want to share, I'd love to see it." Kaede replied, and her eyes closed almost suddenly, and a memory overtook her senses. ... The soft sunlight filtered through sparse clouds overhead, and a warm breeze drifted along the sandy beach. Hatoko lay next to Misaki on a blanket under the shade of a beach tree. The sound of crashing waves could be heard off in the distance. No one was around but the two girls. Eyes closed, they spoke softly to each other in whispers. Words of love, and dedication. Filling words that feed the spirit and quenched the soul. Many words, and it did not stop. They merely continued. Hatoko had wrapped her arms around Misaki, and Misaki had her arms wrapped around Hatoko. Their heads were very close, and every time they spoke, their soft lips brushed. ... Misaki let Kaede out of the memory after a few minutes, but kept Hatoko under the warm recollections as she slept soundly under the surface of the bath water. "To think, that people of your age, could share something like this... It is astounding. Plus you two are cute." Kaede smiled. "Hold onto that memory for a long time, Misaki-sama. When you are lonely, think of it, and remind yourself that you will have it again soon." Sai entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She looked at Hatoko, interest showing on her face as she watched the small girl defy death. "She asked me to stay," Kaede explained, and Sai nodded, sitting next to her. She wrapped an arm around the smaller girl's waist and pulled her close. "It is alright, we are all together. Tomorrow we leave. Once the trip starts, we do not know what will come of it. We should enjoy this time together to the best of our abilities. We do not know who will be returning, especially since we have some mad woman after Hatoko-chan." Sai replied. .o.o.o.o.o.o.o. Author's Notes: Yay, it be done. Me happy. Next chapter coming soon! Revised August 14th, 2004 .o. Munkii
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