Embracing Love Through Time

Chapter 4: Fallings

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A collective whirlwind, of icicles, sent him hurling back at least twenty feet; stopped only by a risen wall of ice. He was now on his hands and knees, his clothes torn revealing slits of bloody flesh.

The yeti-like youma slowly approached one step at a time. It resembled a combination of creatures that resided in cold environments. Ram like horns, stuck from the side of its head, its large body covered in polar bear-like fur. Its teeth stained, and rotten, but sharp nonetheless. Its eyes glowered eerily, in hunger, hunger for blood, for flesh.

From the ground, he looked up bemusedly. The depths of his eyes spoke volumes of confidence and promise of a quick and painful death for the ugly beast. He wiped the blood that trickled from a barely visible wound off his left cheek. His lips curved into a lopsided grin, as he stood his ground, “Now that, that’s out of your system, answer my question, youma!” he demanded, wanting to give the thing one more chance before he’d have to take things into his own hands, not to mention sounding way cooler than any of those sappy heroes in that ancient stack of comics he read growing up.

The youma growled, glaring at the pathetic human standing in front of him. The brat spoke as if he were a weakling and not a survivor of the now ruined Dark Kingdom. The youma raised three more walls to prevent its prey from leaving, with intent of doing the world a favor by killing the disrespectful brat.

“Have it your way, I’ll find him, with or without your assistance,” he pulled on his sleeve revealing, an odd bronze watch, “Let’s test my new toy,” he grinned, as he tapped a tiny blue button. A flash of staggering blue light engulfed the young man, as he was equipped with a navy metal colored chest plate, accompanied with bronze and purple shoulder pads. A silver sword appeared in his left hand. The bottom half of his face now covered by a bronze mask. He stood, one hand pointing the sword at the youma, as the other leisurely hung by his side, waiting for the youma to attack first.

The youma charged at the young man, vowing to drink his blood for belittling it. The man barely dodged the onslaught but managed to sweep at the youma’s arm with his sword, causing it to ooze out its green blood. He mildly cursed himself, for being preoccupied with a cool and laid back pose, and not paying attention to the damn monster. If the old man saw him now, he’d never hear the end of it. Angrier than before, the youma threw several more blasts of icicles at him.

“Damn,” he cursed as he dodged the continuous onslaught of icicles, “How the hell does he make it seem so easy?” he silently wondered.

As he dodged the last hurdle of icicles, the youma tackled him from behind, pinning him to the ground. He’d dropped his sword in the process. The youma held his head in its hairy arms, threatening to rip it right off.

He knew coming back here would be dangerous, that he’d constantly be up against creeps by far stronger than this nincompoop. Dammit, this was only a low ranking youma, it didn’t even qualify to fight against the senshi the first time around, when they were just amateurs and here he was struggling for his life against it.

All his effort would have gone to waste, if he died here, now. For one, the future will remain the same, he’d die meaninglessly. No one would know or even grieve over his death. He’d die some nameless hero wannabe. He didn’t even come up with a cool alias yet. Then it hit him.

Flashback

He had her pinned down in almost the exact manner, minus the head snapping thing. “Now promise, you won’t attack me, once I release,” he warned.

“Get off of me you creep, do you have any idea who I am?” she exclaimed, angrily.

“No. Who?” he asked, playfully; leaning down to have a good look at her face. Her eyes were enchanting, her left eye, a deep violet, her right, a stirring sapphire. Her hair mirrored the depths of the night sky. A dimple, deeply embedded in both her cheeks, smiling at him, as her mouth cursed and swore at him.

He sat above her wrists, allowing her wrist very little movement. She managed to grip his cloak tightly. She pushed herself forward, causing him to stumble front, and applied just enough force in the tip of her foot, as she back kicked him causing him to stumble forward even more, resulting in him falling flat on his face, freeing herself.

End Flashback

He grinned, he had to remember to thank her again next time they met. He tried bending his leg back. He was able to just touch the youma. He grinned, as he pushed forward, catching the youma by surprise, and kicked him lightly, causing the youma to stumble forward, and release his face.

Within seconds, he was on top of the youma, his sword piercing through its stomach. The youma howled in pain, and struggled for freedom, but he pinned it to the ground with his sword.

It seemed like eternity before the youma stopped yelping in pain, and ceased its struggling. He stood deathly still, as the youma drew its last breath, and died. He sighed as he drew his sword from the youma, and stepped away from the corpse, wiping the sickly green blood from the blade.

He felt the ground shift from underneath him. The solid ground, didn’t feel as solid now. He wondered if there was something underneath the surface, or lack of. The youma’s countless missed attacks must’ve weakened whatever supported the surface. With every step he took, he felt the ground give a little more. He stopped walking, and peered around at the four icy walls. He was trapped, and the ground was going to fall in at any second. “Great, just great…” he mumbled, as the ground fell in at that moment.

---

Serena sat up instantaneously, gasping for air, gripping the closest thing to her, being Raye, the girls had pushed the futons together last night, her breaths heavy. Her hand placed over her rapidly beating heart.

Raye immediately awoke startled she turned to see her princess, sitting up looking completely zoned out. Concerned, washed over Raye’s early morning bitterness, she placed a comforting hand on her princess, “Rena, You okay?”

It took another few seconds for Serena to realize that she was in Raye’s room, and her friend was calling her.

Raye called her friend for the fourth time, but still no reply, she was seriously considering slapping the girl out of her reverie.

Lita groggily sat up, staring around the room, wanting to smash whatever it was that was making all the noise, into a million pieces, one look at Serena, shattered that thought. “Serena, honey, what’s wrong?” her voice, tender, and motherly now.

Mina and Amy were already awake, but in the kitchen going over today’s action plan.

“Weird…” Serena mumbled. “I swear I was just falling now.” She turned to look at Raye. “Have you ever dreamt that you were falling? I was falling, but I wasn’t falling. It was me but it wasn’t me. But I was falling,” she tried explaining to the best of her ability.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a dream,” Raye said brushing back a strand of Serena’s hair, was in a tangle of disarray. “Dreams like that have no real significance, unless it’s reoccurring. It’s just a random imbalance, between reality and the dream.”

“Are you okay?” Lita asked. “You’ve been zoning out a lot lately, more than usual.”

“You know me, just another case of paranoia. I can’t sit still, without worrying when the next enemy will attack. I just can’t believe that it’s over, until the big freeze,” Serena replied.

“We all worry about that Sere,” Mina enters with Amy, with what seems to be breakfast.

“Breakfast, courtesy of chef Mina,” Ami smiled, at the burnt eggs, and soggy toast.

Lita smiled weakly, “Mina, you shouldn’t have.”

Mina placed the tray of food down on the table, and went to sit beside Serena. She took her hands in her own, “Our future will be different from Rini’s. They may say that the threats are over for now, but we should be cautious of threats. That’s why we’re taking action today,” Mina explained. “But even with threats lurking under every bed, in every classroom, we need to live each day to the fullest. There is a crystal Tokyo in the future. You will be queen, take advantage of your freedom now. Be a star, be a chef, be a doctor, be a singer-song writer, be what you want before duty completely engulfs your life,” she explained.

“’Sides Rena, haven’t you always whined about wanting to live a peaceful teenage life?” Raye asked. “You have it now. Why are you complaining?”

Serena shrugged. “I know it should be over and we have peace, but something seems to be missing,” she tried to explain the uneasiness that’s been plaguing her.

“When life gives you money spend it, when it gives you bills pay it, make due, Sere, make due,” Mina suggested.

“What Mina means is go with the flow,” Lita interpreted.

“Yes, go with the wave, flow with the river,” Mina chanted, demonstrating wave movements with her arms.

All the girls laughed at Mina’s crazy antic.

“Now, who’s the lucky individual who gets to taste chef Mina’s speciality!” Mina exclaimed, clapping her hands together, gazing at her pals with stars in her eyes.

“I must tend to my temple chores, if I want to go to your party tonight,” Raye answered in what they knew as her ‘priestess tone’. She was already in her red and white priestess robe and walking gracefully out of the room.

“I’ve tried it Mina,” Amy reminded. “I was your victim—I mean test subject five minutes ago.” She too was heading out the door, “I have to go over this plan of yours to ensure it falls in properly.”

Lita was pulling on her track pants and sweater, “Early morning jog, someone’s gotta work to keep this bod fit,” Lita said with a wink, “Wouldn’t want the boys to flock over you instead do I?”

Mina pouted as she turned to the bottomless pit, aka Serena, fixating her most manipulative face, only to find her princess slumbering. “It’s not that bad!” Mina pouted. She spooned a piece of the soggy eggs onto a burnt toast, took a bite, and dramatically acted out a scene of a slow tormenting death, for no one in particular. “Why me?” she groaned.

---

“Mornin’ sunshine!” Jaden enters the kitchen, yawning and swinging his arms about stretching. He plopped down on a chair across from Darien, who was busily reading the newspaper and sipping his coffee.

“Its noon Jade,” Darien absent mindedly corrected. “Breakfast ended hours ago.”

Jaden ignored Darien, and turned Nate was poking around near the stove. “Where’s my breakfast woman!” he declared, jokingly, slamming the table lightly, and throwing Nathan the apron that hung off the chair beside him.

Nate caught the apron crushing it in his right hand. “How’s about you run down to the market and pick up some grub for breakfast, huh sweet heart?”

“What? You mean there’s no food at all?” Jaden asked. He got up and personally checked the very vacant fridge. “What about the pizza from last night?”

“Kev ate it,” Darien answered. “There were two pieces left, but he apparently sharing isn’t in his vocabulary. He ate it right in front of me, and then the cocky bastard had the nerve to order me to make him coffee.”

“You jerks were only going to save me two pieces?” Jaden exclaimed. He hadn’t eaten any. He passed out the night before due to his extensive training.

“Actually Zach, being the intelligent one stashed the two away for his own breakfast, it’s just Kevin got to it first.” Nathan explained.

“But if you want you can go on believing that we’re such great friends, and went through all that trouble of saving our dear old pal Jade, two whole slices of pizza, but the rouge Kevin, the filthy bastard, ate it. I’m sure the two of you duking it out would pose as excellent entertainment for tonight,” Zach added, as he appeared at the doorway, grinning cheekily.

Jaden glared at his pal, “Me beating the crap out of you would be equally as entertaining.”

“Boys, boys, boys,” Darien cleared his throat as he folded his newspaper, “I don’t see what the big fuss is all about. Why don’t we just go out to eat?” Darien pulled a little golden plastic card from his breast pocket that read, ‘Kevin Stone.’

“Where’d you get that? I didn’t even know Kevin had one of those,” Jaden exclaimed, taking the card, to inspect it carefully. Everyone knew how stingy Kevin was.

“Bunking with a guy for so long, you tend to learn things, example, he hides all his valuables inside his teddy,” Darien grinned.

“Teddy…”

“Teddy?”

“Yes, we’ve already established that, Kevin stone has a teddy,” Darien declared trying to keep a straight face.

“Where is the dear old lad?” Nathan asked.

---

“He went out, said he had to pick up a few things, and get a feel for the area,” Darien answered. “He’s been gone all morning, probably won’t be back anytime soon.”

The four men grinned mischievously at each other, and raced into Kevin’s room.

DING DONG

DING DONG

DING DONG

The chimes of the two story house echoed. In front of the house the five young girls stood earnestly. They waited a minute or two, and then rung the door bell again.

DING DONG

DING DONG

DING DONG

“What’s taking so long!” Raye exclaimed irately. “Is this even the right place?”

“Should be,” Amy answered, checking her mini Mercury computer again.

Serena was going to ring the doorbell again, when they heard movement from inside. Serena placed her head against the door, she heard a loud splash, a hoard of laughter, and someone running towards the door.

“Kev, you gotta see what these idiots did to your—” the door opened. Mina and Serena had there ears against the door, now came cheek to cheek against a very wet chest. They looked up and saw a grinning Jaden, wriggling his eye browns at them.

The blondes just smiled weakly and waved up at him.

Jaden placed both his arms around the two young girls, “What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you ladies?” he asked, his eyes lingering over Raye’s form.

Raye angrily shoved him away from Mina and Serena, “Stupid creep!”

Jaden chuckled at her assault, as he fumbled back into the house, still grinning at Raye, running his hand through his soaked blond locks and yelled into the house, “False alarm! Darien your girl’s here!”

They heard a loud crash, some cussing, and a lot of fumbling about.

The girls gazed into the dark house, all wondering the same thing. What the hell is going on in there?

“Well aren’t you going to invite us in?” Raye asked, her eyes shifting around, trying not to stare at Jaden, who was soaked to the skin. His shirt clinging onto his very well built form.

Jaden pushed the door open wide and welcomed the girls in, “Welcome to my castle. Make yourself at home,” he said leading the way. “The guys are sorting out some things in Kevin’s room right now.” He showed them into the large living room, where they sat on the couches.

“I’d offer you girls refreshments but the jerkwad Zach forgot to go to the market last night, something about a headache.” Jaden tried to make small talk.

The girls sat admiring the huge room around them.

“Wow this party’s going to be great,” Mina silently rejoiced.

“Excuse me?” Jaden asked, catching only the last part. “great?”

Amy and Lita jabbed her with their elbows.

“It must be great living in such a spacious house,” Mina chirped with false merriment.

Jaden was keeping his eyes on Raye, whose eyes shifted madly whenever his eyes met hers. “Like what you see don’t you sweet heart?” he asked, pulling off his shirt.

Raye’s face flushed, “What the hell are you doing!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet, her fists clenched.

“Excited aren’t we?” he laughed, seeing the girls, including Raye turning beat red.

Raye turned towards the wall to hide her embarrassment. The others followed suit by shifting their gaze away from the very appealing sight of a bare chest Jaden.

Jaden began striding towards her, until he nearly had her cornered against the wall, he reached out, almost as if to touch her.

It wasn’t until he was standing inches from her did, she feel his presence. She turned around startled. “What do you…what are you…” she stuttered.

The girls thought they had fallen into a trap, and were one step away from transforming.

“You’ll what?” Jaden cooed. He pulled away and chuckled bemusedly, as he reached for a door knob, “I’m just trying to get to my room. To change. You don’t mind do you? As much as I would like to stand here and pose for you all day, I don’t think it’s worth catching phenomena.” He laughed heartily again.

Raye flushed even more, if possible, “Then get with it then!” she exclaimed.

“Alright, if you’ll excuse me…” he opened the door to the basement and left the girls, only to poke his head out two seconds later, “You’re welcome to join me if you like,” he teased.

Raye kicked the door, as it closed on his face.

“Oww!” he cried.

Raye couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

“God, I swear I was going to henshin if he somewhat laid a finger on you,” Lita exclaimed, with a sigh of relief.

Raye hid her smile, and replaced it with a frown, “Jerk…” she mumbled plopping herself beside Amy.

No sooner had Jaden gone, did Darien, Nathan and Zach enter laughing amongst themselves.

“DARIEN!” Serena exclaimed, jumping up to great him.

Darien embraced her lovingly, “Serena, what are you doing here?”

“Well, the girls and I, got to talking last night,” Serena began, clinging onto him, arms wrapped around his neck, “We thought it’d be absolutely delightful for us to spend an entire day devoted to getting to know your new friends. We wanna hear all about how you all met.”

Darien understood what she meant, the girls have decided on a full scale interrogation of his friends. There was no ifs, ands or buts about it.

“So we hope you’re all hungry, cause we are. We’re going to the Crown, and you guys are paying,” Serena smiled pointing at Nathan and Zach.

“Starved,” Nathan answered, rubbing his very empty stomach. “I can eat three cows.”

Jaden finally came back up, he’d caught the end of the conversation. “Of course we, as gentlemen, must pay for all costs of today’s excursion. Why stop at just grabbing a bite to eat. Let’s go to all the main attractions, and to the shopping district!” he declared as he waved Kevin’s gold card in the air.

“Jade I think that’s going a little too far…” Zach warned.

Jaden scoffed, “I’m not afraid of Kevin. He can go suck a banana for all I care. What’s worse an angry Kevin, or a hoard of hungry girls?”

“Zachy boy, you know better then to even try knocking some sense into Jaden’s thick old skull. The lunatic can make sense of the most unreasonable, no matter how stupid or idiotic it is,” Nephrite reminded Zach, who hung his head in defeat.

“Yes, just nod and smile,” Darien laughed.

“In the end, just remember it was all ‘his’ fault, ‘he’ started it.” Nephrite added with a heart-filled chuckle.

“Sure, turn me into the scape goat you losers.”

All of a sudden, nothing else mattered to Nathan, not Jaden’s twisted sensibility, nor the fact that he and the guys may not live to see tomorrow, once Kevin realizes what they’ve done, all that mattered was her smile.

It finally occurred to him, that sitting less than two meters away from him was the delectable Lita, whose emerald orbs glowered with joyful mirth. He strode over to Lita, his eyes focused solely on her, completely ignoring the audience in the room. He took her hand in his, and kissed her velvet like skin. “I could’ve only dreamed…hoped…prayed to be able to be enchanted by your beauty once again.”

Lita blushed furiously, “We’ve only met just yesterday. What’s this about only dreaming and praying and hoping to…see me again?”

Nathan smiled charmingly at her. He still had her palm securely locked within his. “The stars must be in my favor, to have sent such a beautiful woman into my home, offering her guidance and wisdom in my time of need, in this estrange land. To think, not only share a meal with such a lovely woman, I have the opportunity to spend an entire day with you.”

Lita could feel Mina nudging her excitedly, she wanted to turn and slap her for being so childish, but couldn’t bare to ruin the moment, to tare away from his creamy chocolate filled eyes. She never wanted to look away.

“Alright cut the lubby dubby bullshit, Nate,” Jaden laughed slapping the back of his back. “Let’s get a move on before Kev gets back.”

“Looks like mister high and mighty is scared,” Raye laughed.

“Of course he is, getting beaten to a bloody pulp two days in a row ain’t something anybody with or without any sense looks forward to,” Darien answered.

The others laughed while Jaden sulked.

Nathan was one step from jumping Jaden and giving him the beating he was asking for, but refrained from doing so, as he saw the daggers Lita was glaring at the sulking fool. It did nothing but amused him. She looked deathly attractive before she would pounce for the kill.

With one powerful tug Nate pulled Lita to her feet, placing one hand on the small of her back, while the other secured her hand in his. “Shall we?” he asked

The promise of death forgotten, Lita followed him.

“Let’s go muffin!” Serena exclaimed, tugging Darien after Lita and Nathan.

“Well ladies,” Zach said curtly, “I guess we should be following, shan’t we?”

“We shan’t,” Mina answered chirpily, marching on ahead, not before she turned to her two other friends and winked mischievously at them.

Amy shook her head exasperatedly, 6 out of 10 times, the things Mina says make no sense.

Zach looked at Amy, who two seconds ago, was standing beside Mina. Now she was alone, while Jaden was antagonizing her friend, Raye. “Miss Mizuno,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Mr. Green,” Amy responded politely. “How’s your head injury?” she asked, out of both curiosity and obligation.

Zach chuckled nervously, as he rubbed his bruised head. “Oh that? I forgot all about that,” he fibbed. Actually, seeing her concern did make him forget all about that nasty little headache.

“My ass he forgot, he wouldn’t stop complaining all night. ‘Oh, how many times did Miss Mizuno hit me? What did she hit me with?’ blah blah blah,” Jaden tried mimicking his pal. “I got a headache just listening to the idiot whine.”

Amy blushed, and hid her face downcast, thinking, “I hit you once with a textbook. Lita was the one who impounded your head with a paper weight, and she was the one who caused you to bump your head that other time.”

“Quit your belly aching, are you men or bickering pregnant women?” Raye exclaimed. “You two are worst than Serena!”

“You mean, they’re worst than you and Serena,” Amy teased good naturedly, she couldn’t help but add her two cents.

Raye gasped. Shocked. “Amy!” Raye exclaimed, in almost a whining tone. “My dear, sweet Amy, you…you’ve turned into another Me-Mina!” she was going to say me, but forced out Mina instead.

Amy laughed softly. “Now, that that’s out of our system to lunch!”

Raye pouted.

Amy linked her arm to Raye’s and dragged her out.

Zach and Jaden stared at each other and chuckled. These were interesting girls, very interesting. The blonds followed the girls out.

---

Crown Arcade

The entire group sat in the far back corner of the crown arcade. With Andrew’s consent the guys pushed two tables together. Naturally, the girls sat across from their designated targets, but no one minded, not even Raye.

Everyone was in pairs, laughing gaily with one another. Mina jumped from conversation to conversation. She flirted with every guy there, but not for long. She felt out of place, alone. Every thing and everyone seemed right. She felt it. This, was right. It fitted. But Mina felt alone. She was surrounded by eight other people, five of her closest friends, and three very interesting, and humorous guys. But Mina never felt more alone then at that very moment.

“I’ll go help Andrew with the drinks, don’t get too jealous Lita,” Mina winked, at her love sick friend, but Lita was too engrossed in conversation with Nathan.

“What was that?” Lita asked, briefly turning away from Nathan.

“Doesn’t Andrew look exceptionally handsome today?” Mina asked nudging her friend.

“Ya, sure,” Lita answered, then turned back to Nathan. “So tell me, how was it to grow up on a ranch?”

“Well, I can’t say that I had the best childhood. Sure growing up around the horses were great and all, but I was an only child, it got lonely,” Nathan began.

Mina sighed as she headed off towards the front counter, where Andrew just finished placing all the drinks and milkshakes onto one tray. “Need any help Andrew?” she asked, in her usual sing-song voice.

“No, it’s alright Mina, I’ve got it,” Andrew answered. “It is my job you know,” he flashed her, his oh so sweet smile. “So what’s wrong Mina? You look lonely.” He’s known her for so long. He knows when she feels down.

“No. Why should I be lonely?” Mina asked, gazing longingly back at her group of friends and their significant…targets. She reached up and grabbed a shake from the tray.

“Seems like the girls and Darien’s friends are hitting it off, you seemed left as the third wheel,” Andrew answered.

Mina just giggled, as she finished off the milkshake, in record time, “Oh my gosh!” Mina exclaimed. “I just remembered, I promised my neighbor that I’d take her to the circus today!”

“The circus is in town?” Andrew asked, raising his eye brows.

Mina nodded. She pulled her hands together and begged, “Would you be a dear and tell the girls I had to run. Please?”

Andrew nodded.

Mina cheered, jumped up and hugged him, then sped out of the Crown Arcade, only to come speeding back in, stuffing a note into Andrew’s hands, and sped off again. The note read:

Come to this address 123 ABC Rd 7:00 tonight. We’re throwing a welcome home party for Darien, and welcome to Japan party for the guys. Tell everyone you know. See you then.

xoxo,

Mina

---

“I had this beautiful white stallion, named Zeus. In the summer, I’d use to sattle old Zeus up and ride into the dessert and just camp out under the stars, and watch, watch the skies change, night after night,” Nathan told the story of his childhood.

“Sounds so romantic, like one of those handsome romance heroes,” Lita sighed, her eyes glazed with a dreamy expression.

Nathan was too absorbed in her emerald orbs to notice anything else.

“Milkshakes!” Andrew announced cheerily, as he set milkshakes down in front of the crew. “Vanilla for Amy, Chocolate for Serena and Lita, and Strawberry for Raye,” he set one in front of each girl.

“Thanks Andrew,” Serena exclaimed, before she attacked her shake.

“Drew, this is Nathan, Jaden, and Zach, they’re friends of mine from the States,” Darien introduced. “Guys this is Andrew, the guy I told you about.”

Andrew nodded with his usually friendly smile, “Pleasure to meet you guys.”

“Finally I meet the infamous Andrew, is it true that if we’re friends we get free drinks?” Jaden asked jokingly, as he shook Andrew’s hand.

Andrew cocked his eyebrow, and laughed heartily. “Funny guy,” he turned to Darien.,

Darien shrugged.

Jaden grinned cheekily, “Well I try…”

“Message from Mina,” Andrew turned to Serena. “Something’s come up, something about her kid neighbor and the circus,” he explained.

“She’s gone already?” Serena asked.

Andrew shrugged, “She didn’t want to be the third wheel,” he answered. “See you guys later alright?” he said with a wink.

“Why would Mina feel like the third wheel?” Serena asked.

“Forget her,” Raye sighed, sipping her milkshake. “So Dare, how did you meet this goofball?” she asked glaring at Jaden, as he slide back into the booth across from her.

Jaden grinned, “I ran him over with a bike,” he answered thinking she was talking to him. “It was for one of those charity races, and I was going to win right, and out pops this idiot, carrying more than his weight’s worth of groceries, right, so I swerve out of the way, and there’s some lady walking her Shih Tzu, I swerve again and the idiot’s pops up again, there now, like suddenly, realizing that there’s a bike race trail goin’ by, so I brake, collide into him and bam next thing I know I’m in some hospital room my right leg busted, bunking with the idiot.”

“Wasn’t Darien the one with the broken leg?” Nathan asked.

“You broke your leg?” Serena exclaimed, glomping onto his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me? Where does it hurt?”

“It was over a year ago,” Darien answered. “It’s all good, see my leg still works.” Serena frowned. He should’ve told her. She was clearly upset. She had tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Darien took her hand in his, “I didn’t want you to worry.”

Jaden frowned, “You sure, I swear I broke something too,” he pondered, rubbing his chin.

“No, you just knocked your noggin, was out for half a day. You insisted that you had a concussion,” Zach answered. “You went around the hospital in a wheel chair, and faked blindness for a few days, trying to sucker the nurse aids to give you a sponge bath.”

“You ended up groping Zach too,” Darien laughed. He looked at Serena, “See Jade, had on these goofy looking sun glasses, and was rolling around in the wheelchair, being the imbecile that he is, even with the sunglasses, he rolled around with his eyes closed. So he rolls into our room, rolls behind Zach, and starts feeling him up.”

Zach hung his head low, “I’ve never felt more violate in my entire life,” he pretended to sob.

“Dude, the guy has long blond hair I thought he was some hot blond nurse, there to give me my daily sponge bath!” Jaden argued, trying to defend himself, but ended up making a bigger fool out of himself.

“And how did Darien know Zach?” Amy asked.

“Well apparently, his dorm is two dorms away from mine, we were in all the same classes, we even volunteered at the same hospital, its just we never met until that one night Darien came into the emergency room with a wailing, delusional Nathan,” Zach began.

“I was not wailing!” Nathan exclaimed. “Nor was I delusional!”

“Come on some guy in a black tux, was stalking you, and threw a rose at you? If that’s not delusional, then I don’t know what is,” Zach laughed aloud.

“Some guy in a tux threw roses at you?” Lita asked, glancing at Darien, who was smiling meekly at the group.

“You believe me right?” he asked with those adorable puppy dog eyes.

“…and you were wailing because?” Jaden grinned, loving the next part.

“Like I said, he threw roses at me!” Nathan declared. “Roses! With thorns! Thorns on Roses! Roses with thorns on them! What kind of freak goes around in a tuxedo throwing roses at random people?”

“Tuxedo…” Serena was going to answer, ‘Tuxedo Mask does, but at youmas.’

“Continue,” Amy urged Zach to continue, not able to hide her bemused smile.

“As I was saying before Nathan rudely interrupted me with his wailing. So Darien comes in with Nathan, wailing and delusional. When Darien saw me he turned pale, he dropped Nate on the floor and swung at me. I fully saw it coming, so ducked, but unfortunately he hit Margie, the head nurse. Tiny little thing, poor gal sported a red nose for an entire week. Good thing she didn’t press charges or kicked Dare out of the volunteer program. She’s a kind old dame. So after that night it was let bygones be bygones, I guess, he just came up to me one day and apologized,” Zach explained.

“You hit a defenseless old woman?” Raye exclaimed.

Darien shrugged, and laughed nervously.

“And how did you say you met Nathan?” Lita asked.

“I’ll explain this,” Darien insisted. “I was lonely one night, and Kevin was out doing god knows what. So I wander into a nearby pub. I’m sitting there enjoying the baseball game, and all of a sudden the waiter sends me a ‘sex on the beach’.”

Both Serena and Lita gasp.

“It’s a drink,” Raye assured Serena.

“Why did he send you a drink?” Lita asked.

“Nate, just broke up with his girlfriend, he was a little drunk and was trying to pick up the girl on the other side of the bar, just the bar tender sent it to Darien by accident,” Jaden explained.

“ So when I asked the bar tender, he shrugs and points to the corner, and there was Nate, sitting there smiling at me. At first I was freaked out, he was looking at me and grinning. I smiled weakly, and nodded a thanks, finished the drink and left. I wandered around a bit, and I pass by some ally, and there Nate was on the floor buried underneath a bunch of roses,” he feigned a laugh. “So I took him to the hospital, hoping against hope that he didn’t try anything funny with me.”

“And so ya, after that incident with the bike, we all met up, and these guys can’t live without me,” Jaden grinned.

“How about Kun…that Kevin guy? How did you meet him?” Serena asked curiously.

“Kev, well he was the roommate they never told me about,” Darien answered. “The first night back at the uni, in my dorm, there’s some guy in there. He introduces himself as my roomie, and that’s it. We hung out and stuff. Very mysterious, but that’s just the way he is, really. Likes keeping to himself.”

“But he’s a good guy,” Jaden said. “Real cheap tight ass, but good guy. He’s always watching our backs. He’s a guy I’m glad to say that he’s my ally, and not my enemy.”

Darien smiled, then he felt it. A sudden dread, he couldn’t breath, but it was only for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Serena asked concern washed over her features.

Darien shook his head. “I’m okay.”

---

He opened his eyes all was dark, he was engulfed in darkness, and coldness. Gazing up, in the distant he can see a smallest speck of light. “Must’ve fallen in from there,” he mumbled to himself, as he searched his person, for a torch, a flash light, any source of light of any kind. He settled for his little five second light on his digital watch.

Exploring the long dark and endless tunnels, cavern after to cavern, for hours on end, until the darkness engulfed his whole being. He didn’t when or how, but he had fallen into another hole, but the fall seemed endless. At one point he felt as if he were floating, and a warm energy was guiding him away…away from the darkness. The energy soothed his aching muscles and wavering nerves, lulling him into a deep and senseless sleep.

---

Mina stood in front of the large two story home, grinning cheekily, one of the guys had left a window on the second floor, at the side of the house open. Climbing on the fence that divided the guys yard from their neighbours, Mina barely managed to leap from the fence to the window. The window itself was awfully small. She lacked grip on the window sill, and struggled to throw herself and her trusty hand bag, now full of party goodies, and many other things, through the window. Breaking an entry was truly different from jumping from roof to roof and chasing youma to and fro.

Once inside the home, she searched the entire second floor, only able to find Darien’s belongings in one room and a library in another, the other three rooms on the floor were bare.

Curiousity got the best of her, remembering when they first arrived at the house Jaden thought they were Kevin, and how the guys acted so mysterious and idiotically earlier, she knew something was off. There must’ve been some top secret…thing…going on in that room at the far back of the house.

Mina cautiously made her way towards ‘the room’, being aware of any potential dangers and booby traps they might have set. Maybe this was all a ploy and really behind those doors were millions and millions of youma ready to invade Tokyo.

Mina, slowly turned the doorknob, and swung the door to Kevin’s room open, a bucket of water poured all over her, soaking her to the skin. “Great,” she muttered as she entered the room. Everything was in disarray. Clothes all over the floor, drawers unclosed It was a mess. A complete pigsty. It was worst than Andrew’s apartment. She carefully made her way through the mess, it was almost like hopscotch. She dropped her orange bag by the door, to make hoping about easier.

There was one area, clear of all things and objects. In front of the closet. It was as if it were calling to her to open the door. That many hidden secrets lay behind that door. As soon as Mina opened the door something came swinging out attacking her, hitting her smack on the face. She wrestled for few moments until she sent it flying half way across the room. Mina stood there staring at the little brown object, laying face down, with a little red ribbon tied around its neck.

She picked it up, it was an adorable little teddy bear, wearing swimming trunks that are initialed JB, wearing sunglasses, there was a note attached to its stomach with a pin, ‘payback for eating my pizza!’ The poor little thing’s injury, its right arm was missing. She caressed the missing limb, as a photo fell out. It was an old family picture. There was a mother, a little girl and a little boy, with the most beautiful lavender eyes she’s ever seen, holding onto that very teddy bear. She smiled, seeing the wide grin on the boy’s face.

Then she heard a deep male voice.

“I’m back!” ring throughout the household.

Mina panicked. “Oh no I’m going to jail!” she exclaimed. In distress she shoved the picture into her pocket dropped the bear and found a place to hide. She gazed at the opened closet, the top shelf was emptied except for a few wooly blankets. She climbed into the closet on the highest shelf, and tried her best to blend in.

No sooner had she hid did someone enter the room. She could hear him breathing, and by the sound of his breathing and the way he carried himself about the room, she could tell he was outraged. Curious, for not hearing any noise or cursing yet, she peeked out and saw ‘the sexy surfer dude man,’ from the day before crouched over holding the tiny little bear in one hand, gently caressing it with the other.

He stood and strode around the room searching for something, teddy bear still gripped tightly in his palm. He checked the floor of the closet, completely missing Mina, who hid on the top shelf, praying not to be found. He strode around the room again anxiously, and then paused. He opened the screen door that led to the pool deck, he peered into the water and saw the sun reflected off some metal object. He carefully placed the bear on a patio chair and jumped into the pool without hesitation.

Mina had no idea what he was up to. She peeked her head out a bit more from the woolly blankets, to see what he was doing. He popped out of the water in all his glory, his white dress shirt clung to his very well built body, Mina used all her will power to refrain from giggling with glee, at the sight of the delicious maleness in front of her.

She hid her head again as he reentered, bear in one hand and metal box in another. The box had a lock on it. He placed both on his desk and left the room. Mina waited, itching to get out and stretch her limbs a bit. But time forbid her from doing so.

Kevin reenters with a tiny but sharp little saw. He started working on cutting off the lock. It took mere minutes but to Mina it seemed like an eternity. Kevin opened the box and found the teddy’s arm in it.

He took out the arm and placed it beside the bear, and stared at it. How was he to fix this? Even if he did know how to sow, where would he get needle and thread. He glanced around his disastrous room and frowned. Then he saw it, the orange bag, sitting right beside the door. He scanned the room again but ever so much more carefully, but picked up on nothing. He grabbed the bag and started searching through it, finding balloons, flyers for a party, pin the tail on the donkey, twister: travel sized, girlie accessories, and needle and thread.

He took the thread and needle and sat down at the desk again, for a good fifteen minutes trying to thread the damn needle. Mina again poked her head out to watch Kevin. Every time he looked up and around, as if ready to give up, Mina would hide again, and he would go back to trying.

Finally Kevin caught sight of something conspicuous, ever since when had those wooly blankets have eyes. He crept towards the closet and with one swift movement tugged the blanket down, along with Mina with it, who by now was wrapped tightly around it. He caught Mina in his arms bridal style.

His eyes staring coldly at the girl in his arms, while Mina remained deathly still in his arms, not daring to look up into his questioning lavender orbs. She much preferred leaning into his chest.

“What are you doing here?” Kevin asked accusingly. Though from the evidence bag he just found, he had a vague idea.

Mina finally looked up at him and smiled weakly, giggling softly. “You mind?” she asked referring to him still holding her so intimately.

Kevin reluctantly set her down.

“Well you see, the thing is…” she fumbled with her skirt, trying to straighten it as much as possible, she was still damped and in the process of drying.

Kevin stared at her expectantly.

Mina didn’t know where to begin. She thought he thought that she was responsible for the amputated teddy.

“You know breaking an entry is illegal right?” he asked.

“I’m not!” Mina argued. “We’re throwing you a welcome to Japan party!”

“I heard no mention of a party,” Kevin replied.

“It’s a housewarming party. You can’t do anything without a housewarming party!” Mina insisted.

“Really? And what pray-tell were you doing hiding in my closet?” he interrogated.

“Checking for monsters,” she answered. “They’re kind of a pest in Japan. They can be anywhere and anything. For a great party our party needs to be monster free.” She just answered randomly. It was sort of the truth. Her mission was to snoop around the house, and find clues of negaverse ploys and negatrash, and monsters. She glanced around and saw her bag on the table, “Who said you can go through a girl’s bag?” she exclaimed.

“Same person who said you can break into a person’s house,” he answered.

Mina stood in front of the table and picked up the needle and thread and started sowing the arm back onto the teddy, “You’re a grown man and still playing with teddy’s?” she asked.

“What are you doing?” Kevin exclaimed wanting to grab the bear away from Mina.

Mina turned away and continued fixing it, “I feel bad for you, seeing you struggly like that broke my bubble,” she answered.

“I broke your what?”

Mina ignored him and continued stitching it back up, as Kevin watched.

He watched as Mina handled the bear with utmost care, almost like the night before when she bandaged up his wound. He looked at his arm, reminiscing the feel of her touch, her care…

“There all done,” she showed him the bear gaily. “The booboo’s all fixed Mr. Teddy,” she kissed the teddy’s arm, turned to hand it to Kevin.

Kevin gazed at her. At the moment he felt ridiculously jealous of his teddy, she never kissed his boo boo last night, why did she kiss the bears?

He reached out and held the bear and her palms close to his chest while his other hand brushed away the damp strands of her hair that clung onto her face, and kissed her.

Mina froze. A sense of familiarity flushed over her, almost like déjà vu, but so much sweeter, so much more, so much better.

---

Wow this chapter took forever hehe…I blame procrastination, exams, hwk…laziness, n lack of inspiration...birthdays…boys…friends….n ya…hehe This chapter was goin to be longer but then its long enuff for now hehehe…dude 20 pages n still theres no party yet…hehee….my excuse…I’m workin out the kinks in my story? Hehe

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