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Nikholas "elf" F. Toledo 
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Disclaimer: Rayearth is the property of Clamp. BTW, they also happen to 
            own X1999 and Tokyo Babylon, whose characters played cameo 
            roles in this fic. 
	 
	 	This is all Mokona's doing. (Pupuupuupupu!) 
		It made a wish and this is what happened...

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                       Through The Looking Glass

                               Chapter 1
                         A Life Less Ordinary

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	The bacon strips spit and sizzled in the hot skillet as its 
mouth-watering aroma permeated the small kitchen. The cook pushed them 
to the side to let the oil drip. He then reached for an egg from the 
carton and expertly cracked it over the skillet using one hand.

	"Do you really have to wear that?" The man sitting at the dining 
table asked. He pushed his rectangular glasses up his nose and glared 
reprovingly at his brother's apron. It was a frilly peach number with 
the words 'KISS THE COOK' emblazoned in bold red letters across it. 

	"But of course. I don't want oil spattering all over my uniform," 
the younger man replied with a snort.

	The man shook his head dejectedly before turning his attention 
back to the business section of his morning paper.

	He was handsome in an austere way. His fall of straight black 
hair reached almost to his waist. It framed a face that was quite 
arresting with its sharp angles and smooth planes. His lean form was 
garbed in a white uwagi and black hakama.

	The clock chimed - one, two, three... seven times.

	The man sipped his coffee before lifting his blue-violet gaze 
from the newsprint. Leaning sideways on his chair, he scanned the 
staircase that led to the upstairs bedrooms.

	"Eagle, what's keeping your sister?" His voice held no trace of 
annoyance, just pure curiosity.

	"I dunno. Wish she'd hurry up, though. I don't intend to spend 
the first period balancing water buckets in the hallway," Eagle 
replied, placing a steaming plate heaped with bacon and eggs on the 
table. 

	Eagle Shido was known to be a regular 'water boy' back in junior 
high. Monday mornings, more often than not, found him balancing water 
buckets in the hallways instead attending his first period class. But 
the Fates had finally smiled down on him, and for that he was glad. He 
hadn't done the bucket routine since he started high school two years 
ago. 

	_And there's NO way I'm doing the bucket routine ever again._ 
Eagle smirked to himself. 

	Looking at the two men, one could hardly guess that they were 
actually siblings. Eagle was almost a complete opposite of his brother, 
in personality as well as in appearance. The older man exuded a 
commanding aura of quiet reserve, while Eagle was more approachable 
with his easy smile and quick humor. His fair hair was cut short and 
his eyes were hazel; people often said that he inherited their mother's 
fair coloring.

	Eagle placed his sister's packed lunch on the table and tucked 
his lunch inside his knapsack. Just then, a fifteen-year-old redhead 
blustered into the kitchen, her long plait bouncing against her back. 

	She was wearing a dark blue blouse with long sleeves, its white 
sailor collar accented with red piping. The matching white pleated 
skirt ended just a tad shy above her knees. 

	"Good morning, Zagato-niisama." She greeted the man at the table 
with a quick kiss on the cheek.

	Zagato's stoic features instantly melted into an indulgent smile. 
He brushed a kiss on his sister's head while she was busy buttering a 
piece of toast. She was already halfway through it when she reached for 
the pitcher and poured herself a tall glass of orange juice.

	"It's 'bout time you got here, Hikaru."

	The girl turned to watch her fair-haired brother pull off his 
favorite apron with an impatient tug. She washed down the rest of her 
toast with a huge gulp of juice and ran up to him with a hug.

	"And good morning to you, too," she said, giving him an orange-
flavored smack on the lips. 

	Eagle stared down at his kid sister's 500-watt smile and knew 
that he was a goner. There was no way he could possibly stay angry with 
her when she pulls out the heavy 'kawaii' artillery. Fact is, the 
brothers adored their sister to distraction. What drove him crazy was 
that she had them wrapped around her little finger without her knowing 
it!

	He walked toward the small cabinet beside the staircase and 
retrieved two pairs of rollerblades.

	"Sit down," indicating the chair beside her. He immediately went 
to work, strapping her feet into the skates while she was busy 
finishing her breakfast. "There you go." He said, after plunking the 
helmet over her head.

	"Ouch! Hey, take it easy - that hurts!" 

	Eagle kissed the top of her helmet then grinned, "Sorry," looking 
not the least bit repentant. His sister glowered back. He was already 
strapping on his elbow pads when Hikaru threw him his knapsack.

	"C'mon, slowpoke. We're gonna be late!" she teased, filching 
another piece of toast from the platter. She was already following 
Eagle out the door when someone jerked her back. 

	"What..." She frowned back at Zagato's smug expression. He was 
holding a brown paper bag in one hand and the strap of her knapsack in 
the other.

	"Here," he opened her knapsack and placed the paper bag inside, 
"you almost forgot your lunch again," and zipped her bag closed.

	"That wasn't the only thing I forgot," she said sheepishly and 
beckoned him to lean closer to give him a hug. "Bye, Niisama - and 
thanks." 

* * *

	"Hey, wait up!" Hikaru cried when she finally caught up with her 
brother. "I'm sorry I missed breakfast again," she apologized, gliding 
beside him as she munched on the piece of toast.

	"Heck, it's your loss." Eagle watched his sister wolf down the 
rest of the toast, "Heaven forbid that our favorite sister goes 
hungry." 

	"Hah, I'm your ONLY sister, dummy." She held on to him, making 
him support her entire weight...

	"Oh, no, you don't!" Eagle knew exactly what she meant to do 
next. Hikaru crouched low - the moment they rounded the curve, she 
pulled herself forward using Eagle's momentum to boost her speed. Eagle 
made a grab for her arm but she was too fast for him. 

	"Whooaaa!" He ended up groping air instead, "Oooh, shit!" Eagle 
flapped his arms, bending forward then backward, trying to regain his 
balance. He teetered dangerously, turning his legs this way and that as 
he desperately tried to keep himself from falling flat on his face. 

	"What's that, your rollerblade version of the Funky Chicken!?" 
Hikaru clutched her middle and almost doubled over, laughing. "Better 
switch back to pedaling, Eagle," she taunted, making zigzag patterns on 
the road while skating backwards. "You're no match against me on 
blades!" 

	She turned around and picked up more speed, loving the early 
morning wind blowing against her face. After making sure that she had 
put a considerable distance between them, Hikaru finally decided to 
relax and enjoy the scenery. She straightened up and started skating in 
wide circles with her arms spread outward. The sakura trees were in 
full bloom, their pink blossoms drifted around her, locked in an 
endless waltz. "So, beautiful- huh?" She felt someone tugging at her 
pigtail. 

	"Sightseeing?" Eagle playfully chucked her under the chin before 
leaving her to eat his dust. "Last one to reach the school gate is a 
rotten egg!"

	"Hey!" Hikaru shouted and tried to put on some more speed. If she 
could get even with him before they go downhill, she was sure to beat 
him to the finish line.

	Eagle turned to see her pulling abreast with him. The crest of 
the hill came into view as they rounded the curve. She turned to flash 
him a grin, then crouched low as they sped downhill...

* * *

	A metallic green Nissan Cefiro screeched to a halt in front of 
the school gate. Two girls stepped out of the car. The older of the two 
looked quite shaken and had to lean on her companion for support.

	"Are you sure you're all right, Kuu?" The younger of the two 
peered at her sister from behind her wire-rimmed glasses with concern.

	"I'm fine, really," she stressed, looking straight at a pair of 
intelligent leaf-green eyes, whose color was similar to her own. 

	They both turned to check the school's clock tower: seven-fifty. 
The girls sighed, their green eyes mirroring identical expressions of 
relief.

	The car's driver window rolled down. A beautiful golden-haired 
woman poked her head out. She, too, noted the time and smiled.

	"My, It seems we made it with ten minutes to spare," the woman 
replied with quiet pride.

	"Thank you for driving us to school today, Emi. We would've been 
late if it weren't for your suici- ah, strategic driving," Kuu replied, 
ignoring the reproving look her younger sister sent her way. 

	"Anything for my sisters," she said, checking the slim gold watch 
strapped on her delicate wrist. "Well, I'd better get going. I don't 
want to be late, myself, you know." 

	"I seriously doubt," Kuu said, thinking of their eldest sister's 
flagrant disregard for speed limits and her attempt to break the sound 
barrier that morning. 

 	"Bye, Oneechan," the youngest replied, hugging Emi through the 
car window. "And, please, drive carefully," she added, her green eyes 
clouded with concern.

	"Oh, Fuu, you always did worry too much," Emi chided, her clear 
blue eyes, unlike those of her sister's, were sparkling with delight. 

	She waved goodbye and pulled the car into a screeching reverse. 
She sped off down the road, leaving black skid marks on the asphalt and 
scattering terrorized pedestrians in her wake. Fuu and Kuu simply stood 
there with big sweatdrops beside their heads.    

	"Fuu, remind me never to get into a car with Emi behind the 
wheel," Kuu berated herself as they walked toward the quadrangle for 
the morning's ceremonies. "What was I thinking when I asked her to 
drive us to school?"

	"That you cannot be late for your first day here in Ryudo," Fuu 
reasoned, "considering that the term started almost a month ago." 

	"It wasn't my fault, I got hospitalized," Kuu protested.

	"Well, don't worry, you'll be able to catch up. I asked Hikaru 
for a favor, and she was more than willing to help." 

	"Hikaru? What's she got to do with me catching up on my lessons?"

	Just then, they heard someone calling out their names. The two 
sisters stopped and turned around to see a blue-haired girl walking up 
to them. She carried herself with the confidence and elegant grace of a 
model.

	"Hey, you two. Wait up!"

	"Hello, Umi. Nice to see you again," Kuu greeted her with a hug. 

	She was ever thankful to Fuu for bringing Umi along during her 
hospital visits. Umi pulled her out of her self-induced depression in 
no time flat. She cajoled, bribed and even bullied her to get well. 

	"Well, I, for one, am glad to see you out of that hospital bed."

	"Same here."

	"You aren't pining away for that guy, are you?" Umi gave her a 
calculating look.

	"No. Not any more, thanks to your pep talks," Kuu replied.

	"Trust me, a jerk like that isn't worth having an ulcer over."

	"I couldn't agree more," Fuu seconded with a decisive nod of her 
head.

	"By the way, was that Emi I saw driving the green Cefiro?"

	"Yes, that was her," Fuu smilingly confirmed.

	"I knew that car looked familiar. My dad almost had a heart 
attack when he saw that trick Emi pulled back at the railroad 
crossing." Umi smiled slyly, "Jeez, where'd she learn to drive like 
that?"

	"It's a talent. Believe me, not everyone have what it takes to 
overtake a train and beat it at the crossing without even batting a 
eyelash," Kuu answered.

	"Hey, there's Hikaru." Fuu waved at the small redhead with a tall 
fair-haired guy in tow.

	"Who's that with her? Her boyfriend?" Kuu asked, giving the guy a 
thorough appraisal. "Hmmm... not bad, he's cute." Her eyes widened when 
the guy turned to face them. "I mean reeeally cute."

	Umi burst out giggling while Fuu beamed.

	"Wha... what? What'd I say wrong?"

	"Kuu-chan, that's Hikaru's brother, Eagle."

	Kuu blushed. "But I thought she only had one."

	"Actually, she has three. Eagle-sempai's the third."

   	"Oh." It was all Kuu could say before Hikaru and her brother 
joined their little group. Eagle had one arm draped across Hikaru's 
shoulders and was smiling down fondly at her while they argued.

	"I would've won if that car hadn't been-"

	"Oh, Eagle, just admit it," she said, playfully elbowing him in 
the ribs, "You couldn't beat me even if you decided to skate on all 
fours!"

	"Ohayo, Eagle-sempai," Umi and Fuu greeted in unison.

	"Ohayo," he returned.

	"Ahrmm..." Hikaru noisily cleared her throat.

	"Oh, yeah. Morning to you, too, Hikaru," Umi greeted her absently 
before turning her attention back to Eagle. "So, how's your morning?" 
Umi continued.

	"Okay, I guess. The high point so far was when we were almost run 
down by a manic driver in a green car."

	The two sisters gulped convulsively and turned a becoming shade 
of red in embarrassment.

	"Really?"

	"Uhh-huh. With the way that person was driving, it'll be safer to 
be IN the car than to be a high risk potential victim ON the sidewalk."

	"Aren't you exaggerating a bit, Eagle-sempai? Surely Emi doesn't 
drive that bad."

	"Yeah, right. You should've seen..." Eagle suddenly did a double 
take at Umi, "WHAT! You mean that was EMI!!!" Then he turned to look at 
Fuu. "Emi... as in blond, beautiful Emi, your sister!?"

	"Hai," Fuu and Kuu timidly answered.

	<Gulp.> "Eh... he... heh. I... ah..." Eagle was starting to find 
that his necktie also doubled as a hangman's noose at the moment. 
"Sorry 'bout that. I mean, maybe she was just... you know, in a great 
hurry to..."

	"Look, you really don't have to apologize. We all know how my 
sister drives," Kuu interrupted, effectively letting Eagle off the 
hook.

	"Huh?" Eagle was dumbfounded for a moment. His gaze fastened on 
the tall girl with long light brown hair, then switched to Fuu. Both 
had the same startling green eyes. "You're sisters? I thought you only 
had one, Fuu."

	"Where have I heard that question before... Well, surprise, 
surprise! Apparently, she has two," Umi said.

	Hikaru, on the other hand, hastily began with the introductions, 
"Kuu, I'd like you to meet my brother, Eagle. He's a high school junior 
and, according to Fuu, he also happens to be a classmate of yours."

	"Oh, how... nice," Kuu replied.

	"Hey, you're new here, aren't you?" Eagle asked.

	"Yes, I just transferred this term. I used to go to an all-girls 
private school."

	"Hmm... you'd better behave yourself around her, Eagle-sempai," 
Umi added with a sly wink.

	Fuu and Hikaru glared at Umi. Eagle and Kuu simply chose to 
ignore the comment.

	"This is your first day in school, right?"

	Kuu nodded sheepishly, fearing his next question. 
 
	"Almost a month's worth of lectures..." Eagle said almost to 
himself. Then his face brightened up with good humor and determination, 
"don't worry, I'll help you catch up with the lessons. By the way, 
welcome to Ryudo."

	"Thank you, Eagle. I really appreciate your help," Kuu bowed.

	"Heck, it's nothing," Eagle blushed in embarrassment as he 
brushed her formality aside. "I would suggest we talk about setting up 
a schedule for tutori-"

	"Uh, sorry to interrupt. I think this morning's ceremony is about 
to start. You two better head to your side of the quadrangle." Umi 
pointed out, "This area happens to belong to us junior high."

	"Right. See ya later, sis," Eagle said, ruffling Hikaru's hair 
before grasping Kuu's elbow, "C'mon, Kuu, time to leave the kiddies 
behind."

	"KIDDIES!!!" The three girls cried in irritation. Eagle obviously 
had the last word. He was already winding his way, with Kuu in tow, 
toward the east end of the quad, where his classmates were lined up.

* * *

	The flag ceremony went on as usual, nothing spectacular about 
that. Then came to the point when the emcee told everyone to stay in 
line for the principal's announcement - and that was when all hell 
broke loose.

	Almost half of the entire high school female population rushed 
toward the front of the stage and started cheering. Purple ribbons and 
confetti were being waved and thrown around. Suddenly, three heavily 
built men in yellow T-shirts took their posts at the front edge of the 
crowd to keep the female horde from scrambling up the stage.

	"Don't you just hate Monday mornings?" A black-haired guy with 
serious gold-flecked eyes asked to no one in particular as he was 
violently jostled out of the way by the mob.

	"Yeah, my girlfriend gets to dump me every Monday for HIM. Good 
thing it only happens once a week." This coming from a senior who had a 
pair of red shades resting on his unruly shock of dark brown hair. He 
looked at the usually quiet young man beside him, "Consider yourself 
lucky, Kamui. Kotori's very faithful to you."

	"Man, that trick never fails to amaze me..." another guy said, 
looking completely awed as two girls simultaneously pulled out a banner 
from nothing more than thin air. "How'd the hell do they do it?!"

	"Trust me, we are eternally doomed to wonder about it," a young 
man with impossibly emerald green eyes, replied with a sigh.

	"Right you are, dear brother," his identical twin sister pitched 
in with a grin, "It's way beyond your feeble male comprehension, simply 
because it's a GIRL thing." This, of course, earned her a grim look, 
not only from her twin, but from her male classmates as well.

	"It's just not fair!" a male voice wailed.

	"Who the hell ever said it was?!" came his companion's irate 
reply.

	A tall lavender-haired man stepped onto the stage and walked up 
to the podium. The crowd went berserk, girls went screaming mad, waving 
their ribbons and their banners frantically. They were shouting his 
name at the top of their lungs with a rhythmic beat that was laden with 
hero worship.

	"Clef! Clef! Clef! Cleeeef!"

	He was no more than eighteen years of age, but his serious blue 
eyes spoke of a wisdom far beyond his years. The man tapped the mike to 
check the sound then loudly cleared his throat. The entire mob went 
miraculously silent, waiting for him to speak.

	"Good morning, everyone. As we all know, it's already been a year 
since I took over the position as principal of Ryudo High School. First 
of all, I would like to thank the faculty and especially the student 
body for their support..."

	Everyone started cheering at this point and even the guys started 
clapping as well. There was no doubt that Principal Clef Doushii was 
the best principal Ryudo had ever had. Fondly called Clef by his 
faculty and Principal Clef by the students, no one calls him Mr. 
Doushii - that name was reserved for Clef's father, who also happened 
to own Ryudo High School.

	Clef had supported not only the pursuit for academic excellence, 
but the sports and arts as well. In one year, he was able to bring 
about major changes and upgrading throughout the entire school. His 
hard work paid off when Ryudo was listed as one of the top ten high 
schools in the country and also among those to have the most number of 
seniors to pass the college entrance exam.

  	"As we all know, not everyone in the administration was 
optimistic, at first. Some had their doubts and some were even 
violently opposed to the idea of me handling Ryudo."

	The entire high school student body booed. Everyone knew that the 
biggest rival that Principal Clef had in the administration was his own 
cousin. Both the faculty and the students referred to her as the Black 
Witch, but none dared to call her that in her face - except maybe 
Principal Clef, of course.

	"Down with the Black Bitch!" Umi rallied, waving her fist in the 
air, getting a loud cheer from those around her.

	"Uh... Umi, wasn't that supposed to be 'Black Witch'? As in 
'witch', not 'bitch'?" Hikaru asked.

	"Umi, that was a bad word, wasn't it?!" Fuu cried, placing a hand 
over her lips. She looked so utterly scandalized and disapproving that 
Umi quickly relented.

	"Uh... yeah, it was. Look, I'm really sorry, Fuu. Guess I just 
got carried away."

	"Hey, quiet over there! We can't hear a thing he's saying," a 
girl complained from behind them.

	"Weelll, excuuuuse me!" Umi turned around, her eyes flashing, 
ready to indulge in a little verbal warfare.

	Luckily, Fuu was able clap a hand on her mouth while Hikaru 
wrapped both arms around her. Umi tried to put up a struggle, but her 
friends held fast. A shouting match first thing Monday morning was not 
exactly the best way to start the week.

	"Sorry," Fuu and Hikaru apologized to the girl. Both sighed in 
relief when the girl finally left them alone and went back in line.

	"Promise us you won't try to get even and we'll let you go," Fuu 
firmly demanded.

	Umi nodded her head.

	"... that you won't flay her alive with your tongue-lashing..." 
Hikaru added.

	Umi once again nodded.

	"... and you will try very hard to control your volatile temper!" 
the two said in chorus.

	Umi wrestled free from their restraining grasp and straightened 
her collar. "Alright, already!" she screamed.

	Everyone in line put their forefingers against their lips and 
hushed her. Umi whipped around and coolly arched a delicate eyebrow at 
them, "Well?" giving them the arctic freeze. 

	Of course, none of them dared. Everyone was suddenly too busy 
avoiding her eyes or gulping down their panic. After a half-minute of 
pregnant silence, Umi smiled. "Good, I'm glad we all understand each 
other."

	Hikaru and Fuu could only shake their heads in dejection. Umi was 
nothing short of an expert when it came to intimidation. Her great 
looks and high-class breeding alone were enough to make some of their 
classmates squirm - what more if she deliberately set out to cut 
someone dead in public?

	Umi tried on focus her attention back to what their principal was 
saying, but found that she had completely lost interest. Her eyes 
wandered toward the tall guy standing two lines away from her. He was 
too busy fidgeting with his tie to notice her scrutiny.

	_There's a good chance the poor guy could actually end up 
strangling himself with it,_ Umi thought to herself.

	She couldn't see his eyes - his rich fall of brown hair hid it 
from view. Then, as though he heard her thoughts, he combed back his 
hair with one hand and lifted a pair of dark green eyes in her 
direction. Umi quickly looked away - she lifted her chin in spite of 
the blush crawling up her neck, turning her cheeks a bright pink.

	"You okay, Umi?"

	"Huh?" she blinked, "I... ah, I'm perfectly fine."

	"You sure?" Hikaru drew her brows together and peered up at her, 
"Well, you look a little flushed just a moment ago."

	"Must be the heat," Umi quickly lied, fanning herself with her 
hand. "Jeez, hope he gets over with his speech soon. I'm starting to 
melt under this sun."

* * *

	The assembly was finally dispersed and everyone headed for their 
first period class. Umi and Fuu were walking side-by-side, with Hikaru 
slightly behind them. Fuu shifted the books she was carrying in her 
arms and spared her friend a troubled look.

	"What?" Umi asked.

	"Do you think that it was a wise move to throw Kuu and Eagle 
together? I mean, she just broke up with her boyfriend and-"

	"And who also happens to be a big jerk," Umi finished for her, 
"Well, good riddance to bad garbage. Kuu is way too good for that 
creep."

	"Yes. But do you honestly think that she's ready for this?"

	"What's wrong with having a great guy like Eagle for a friend?"

	"I know how these match-making schemes of yours work, Umi. You 
wouldn't be content with them just being friends."

	"Okay, okay. But I still believe that Eagle-sempai and Kuu were 
made for each other." Umi stopped in her tracks and struck a dramatic 
pose. "How could I possibly go wrong? He's the most handsome, most 
charismatic, most debonair, gentlemanly..."

	"Are you sure we're talking about my brother here?" Hikaru cut 
in.

	"Are you sure you don't want to throw yourself at him instead of 
my sister?" Fuu asked.

	"Nah, I like him, but there's simply no chemistry." Umi sighed. 
"Know what I mean?"
  
	"No, I don't." Just then, Fuu noticed they were one girl short in 
their group. "Hey, where's Hikaru?"

	"Over there." Umi pointed at Hikaru's retreating back. Their 
redheaded friend was running down the corridor, dodging students in her 
way.

	"Hey, Hikaru! Where you going?!" Umi cried.

	"Go on without me - I'll just catch up with you guys later."

	"What? But we're..." Umi paused when she realized who Hikaru was 
running to, "Oh, I see. C'mon, Fuu, let's go."

	"Uh, excuse me, coming through..." Hikaru squeezed between two 
male seniors, "Oops, sorry 'bout that," and almost stumbled into a girl 
before she finally caught up with him. "Hey, Lantis! Wait!"

	A tall dark-haired man immediately stopped walking in the middle 
of the hallway. He surveyed the mass of humanity streaming past him for 
a certain redhead who just called out his name.

	"Hikaru." He took hold of her arm and led her to stand beside the 
wall.

	"Hi! Whew... good thing you tower over almost everyone else." She 
gulped in some air, "That made it easier for me to see you," then broke 
into a coughing fit.

	"Hey, easy..." the man said, while rubbing her back, "there, you 
okay now?"

	Hikaru nodded and stared up at her brother Lantis. He and Zagato 
had almost the same features. People could easily mistake them for 
twins, if it hadn't been for their hair length. Lantis kept his hair 
short at the back, but a bit longer up front, where his bangs framed 
blue-violet eyes identical to Zagato's.

	She was equally close to Eagle and to Lantis. Eagle may be her 
confidant, but it was Lantis who she considered her guardian angel. 
Now, all she had left was her confidant, since her 'guardian angel' 
moved out of the house about a month ago and decided to stay in the 
school dorm instead.

	"How's everything at home?" he asked.

	"Could be better if you were there, too," she said, trying to 
hide the resentment in her voice.

	_Oh, man. Here we go again..._ Lantis thought to himself.

	"Hikaru," he placed his hand on her shoulder and bent down to 
bring her gaze in level with his, "I have to stay here at the dorm 
because it'd be easier for me to review for the upcoming college 
entrance exams."

	"I'm also getting ready for my high school entrance exams next 
year. How come I get to stay at home and you don't?"

	"You don't understand. It's not the same thing." He sighed.

	"Yes, it is," she insisted belligerently, "Tell me the truth - 
did you and Niisama argue? Is that why you were booted out of the 
house?"

	"What?! Who told you that?!" he asked sharply.

	"No one. Well, is it true?"

	"No," Lantis stated in a tone that brooked no argument. "Look, 
it's better for me to stay here, since we have easy access to the 
library. Besides, it's hard enough with Eagle taking care of the house 
and cooking for the three of you. I'll just be a burden since I'm too 
busy to help around this time."

	Hikaru let out a pent-up sigh. She never did win an argument with 
him. She must've been kidding herself when she thought that she could 
actually change his mind.

	"Okay, you win. I get your point," she mumbled.

	Lantis looked at her bent head and let out a sigh of his own. He 
reached out to touch her hair but she abruptly angled her head away 
from his outstretched hand. He never knew that such a simple gesture 
could hurt so much. His hand fell to his side and clenched into a fist. 
The pain in his chest grew with each silent second that ticked by.

	"The least you could do was come over for the weekends," she 
finally whispered. "I missed you. It's just not the same when one of us 
ain't around. I mean, we're family, right?"

	The pain lessened somewhat. This time, she didn't move away when 
he held out his hand. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll be home this Saturday 
and every weekend after that. Okay?"

	Hikaru bit her lip then nodded, "Sure."

	"Here, give me your bag. I'll walk you to class."

* * *

	The little exchange between the two didn't go unnoticed. A young 
man wearing a white cap was idly flipping a 50-yen coin. His curious 
brown eyes followed the couple's progress down the hallway.

	"Pssst. Zazu, are they gone?"

	"Yup. The coast is clear, Geo - you can come out now."

	A handsome, well-built guy stepped out of the men's room and 
warily scanned the nearly deserted hallways. Everyone was now heading 
for their class.

	"Hey, Geo, who's that cute chick Lantis was talking to?" Zazu 
nodded towards the redhead, "Ain't she a bit too young for him?"

	"That's his sister, you dork!" Geo replied, tipping the younger 
man's cap off his head and slapping it against his chest. "A word of 
caution, Zazu - don't let Lantis hear you calling his little sister a 
'chick', unless you plan to graduate high school in a casket."

	They were an odd pair, these two. Zazu was a seventeen-year-old 
senior student who was rather short for his age. He had already been 
accelerated twice and was likely to graduate with honors by the end of 
the year. The tall, handsome man walking next to him was the school's 
basketball star. Geo, also a senior, was one of the most popular guys 
around, not only because of his moves on the court, but because of his 
good looks as well.

	They had been roommates in the school dorm since junior high. In 
spite of their vast difference in personality, they treated each other 
like brothers.

	"I never knew Lantis had a sister. Besides, she doesn't look 
anything like him."

	"Well, neither does Eagle," Geo absently pointed out, still 
checking to make sure that there wasn't anyone following them.

	Zazu abruptly stopped, causing Geo to bump into him and almost 
toppling them over.

	"Geo! Will you stop looking behind your back every five seconds!"

	"Sorry... hey, you actually kept count?"

	Zazu glared up at him. "Are you expecting your groupies to jump 
on you from every dark corner!"

	"Yes."

	"Arrrgh! Will you stop being so goddamn paranoid!" Zazu tore at 
his hair in frustration.

	"Can you blame me? Fifteen minutes after I broke up with my ex-
girlfriend this morning and they were all over me!"

	"There goes your one week of romance," Zazu muttered, _and there 
goes my one week of peace and quiet._

	"We got into the relationship for all the wrong reasons," Geo 
rubbed his neck, "it's better this way...I think." 

	"Geo, the girl had an IQ somewhere between a brick and a house 
plant." Zazu smirked. "You're better off with a pet parrot."

	Geo shook his head, "Boy, you couldn't be more wrong - Tatra's 
actually pretty smart and she's nothing like her scheming twin sister."

	"Yeah, right." He flippantly replied then decided to change the 
subject, "What did you say her name was again? Lantis' sister I mean."

	"Hikaru, Hikaru Shido."
 
	"Hmmm... Hikaru," Zazu savored her name as it rolled off his 
tongue, "her name means 'light'. It suits her perfectly."

	"Heck, you'd still say it's perfect even if her name was 
'Tallulah'!"

	"C'mon, Geo, quit foolin' around! Whaddya know about her?" Zazu 
jerked his tie 'til he finally gave in.

	"Okay, okay! Hmm... from what I heard, Hikaru is graduating 
junior high this year. She practices kendo at their dojo and is also a 
part of the school's gymnastics team."

	"That's all?" Disappointment clearly showed in Zazu's face, then 
he suddenly brightened up, "By the way, what's her height?"

	"You're taller than her, okay!? Happy now?" then he smugly added, 
"So what, if she happened to be the only fifteen-year-old girl in this 
school who's smaller than you? That's hardly enough reason for you to 
go after her, right?"

	"Ha-ha, very funny. Could we just leave my height outta this?" 
Zazu fumed. He couldn't believe that Geo was turning traitor on him, 
just because he was showing interest in Lantis and Eagle's sister.

	"Forget it, Zazu - she's the youngest, not to mention the only, 
girl among the Shido siblings. The word 'overprotective' doesn't even 
begin to describe the situation."

	"Some friend you are," Zazu mumbled before his attention shifted 
to something behind Geo. For a moment, Zazu simply gaped, then whistled 
under his breath.

	"Looks like our fair-haired Romeo has done it again. Man, check 
out that babe Eagle's walking to class with!"

	"Zazu, that's no way to refer to a..." Geo was struck dumb when 
his eyes clapped on the most angelic face he'd ever seen. Her long wavy 
hair was the color of coffee laden with cream. Her green eyes reminded 
him of leaves sprinkled with dewdrops just after a spring shower. Her 
smile was... Geo shook his head as if to pull himself out of a trance, 
"Must've got it bad, pal, you're starting to spout bad poetry," he 
muttered disgustingly to himself.

	Geo had to clear his throat twice before he could mutter a stale 
comment for the benefit of Zazu's ears. "She's not bad."

	"Are you nuts?! She's got to be one of the loveliest..."

	"She just ain't my type," he shrugged.

	"Oh yeah, I just remembered. Your tastes run along the one-brain-
cell variety."

	"How many times do I have to tell you - Tatra is NOT a dummy!" 

	"Whatever. At least Eagle has some class - HE doesn't go for 
brain-dead bimbos."

      "Meaning I do?" he growled, lifting Zazu by the collar until the 
toes of his black leather shoes barely touched the floor.

	Zazu even dared to give him a lopsided grin, looking not the 
least bit intimidated by his friend's massive bulk or his scare 
tactics. "Hey, man. If the shoe fits."

* * *

	It was late in the afternoon. Students were already heading out 
to the school grounds. Classes were over and only a few people could be 
found loitering along the hallways.

	Hikaru hummed a lively tune under her breath as her footsteps 
echoed down the deserted corridor. She entered the Bio lab and quietly 
shut the door behind her. She placed her knapsack on one of the lab 
tables and walked up to the cages where the rabbits were kept.

	"Hi, you guys. Missed me?" she murmured while reaching out 
through the small door to pet a soft furry white head. "Ohh, Shiro, 
you're sooo cute!" Another rabbit, this one with brown patches, 
scampered up to nudge her hand with its cold nose. "Chairo, you're 
always begging for attention." She giggled, tweaking its long brown 
ears.

	"Here, I got something for you guys," she excitedly whispered 
while taking out a small packet containing carrot cubes from her skirt 
pocket. She was happily feeding the two when her gaze fell on the gray 
rabbit who was sitting on one corner of the cage. She placed some 
carrots before it, but it made no move to eat any.

	"What's wrong, Nezumi?" She lightly ran her fingers over its body 
and noticed that it was shivering. "You don't look well, little fella. 
I think..." Hikaru didn't get to finish when a hand suddenly descended 
on her shoulder, causing her to turn around. She came face to face with 
a young man holding up a huge syringe with a nasty-looking injection 
needle.

	Hikaru took a deep breath and screamed.

	"Hey, Hikaru. Stop! It's just me!" The young man held one hand 
over his ear and started waving around the needle in front of her face 
in panic.

	"Ascot-sempai! Stop waving that thing at me!" she shrieked.

	"I... ah, what thing?" he asked, then saw the injection needle, 
"Eeep! ... ah, sorry 'bout that," and immediately placed the menacing 
article on the counter.

	"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She took several deep breaths 
to calm her nerves before sending him an inquiring glance. "It's a 
Monday, right? I'm supposed to be the one to feed the rabbits today. 
What are you doing here?"

	"Miss Presea told me to give Nezumi a shot for his fever. She 
would've done it herself, except she was already late for their faculty 
meeting."

	"So she sent you down, instead," Hikaru said as she watched Ascot 
bring the gray rabbit out of the cage.

	"Yup. Hikaru, will you hold him still for a moment?" He pushed 
the plunger until a small drop of liquid appeared at the tip of the 
needle.

	"Oh, God. I can't look." She tightly shut her eyes but continued 
to stroke the rabbit's head, offering what little comfort she can give 
to the creature.

	After administering the shot, Ascot looked at her cringing 
expression and laughed. If one didn't know any better, they'd think 
that he was giving the shot to HER instead of the rabbit. "Hikaru, 
you're such a baby."

	"I am not!" she retorted, her eyes still closed. "Besides, who'd 
want to see you poking that nasty-looking needle into this cute little 
bunny?"

	"Well, it's safe to open your eyes now."

	"Don't worry, Nezumi, you'll be okay come morning," Hikaru 
murmured to the rabbit as she cuddled it close. She placed him in a 
separate cage and tweaked his ears before bolting the small door. "You 
have to stay here, though, just to make sure that the others don't get 
sick, too."

	"C'mon, Hikaru. Let's go."

	"Okay."

	Ascot held the door open for her. After that, he flicked off the 
lights and locked the door. He placed the key in his shirt pocket and 
then noticed Hikaru staring at his tie.

	"Sempai, your tie isn't knotted properly," she said, reaching out 
to fix his lousy handiwork.

	"Don't bother," he answered, "it's been that way the entire day," 
then took off the detestable dark blue tie. "Besides, classes ended 
thirty minutes ago."

	Just then, they heard footfalls echoing around the corner.

	"Hikaru!" Umi called out; she rounded the corner and caught a 
glimpse of her friend standing near the door of the Bio lab. "Hikaru, I 
knew I'd find you here. Your bro..." Umi's voice deserted her the 
moment her blue eyes collided with a pair of dark green ones.

	_It's him!_

	The guy from the flag ceremony this morning was standing beside 
Hikaru, clutching the silk tie in his hands. His expression showed that 
he was just as surprised to see her. Umi finally managed to put on a 
smile and walked up to them.

	"I... ah, think I have to go now." Ascot muttered, turning 
around.

	"Oh, hello, Umi." Hikaru grabbed hold of Ascot's shirt to make 
sure that he didn't get away. He was trapped and had no choice but to 
face the inevitable. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Ascot is a 
high school freshman. He just transferred this year and his sister, 
Miss Caldina, is the new Econ teacher in the high school faculty 
department."

	"Hi, I'm Umi Ryuzaki. I happen to be one of Hikaru's best friends 
and her classmate, as well," Umi charmingly said as she held out her 
hand.

	"Hello, n-nice to, uh, meet you, Miss Ryuzaki," Ascot muttered as 
he enfolded her delicate hand in his clammy grasp.

	Umi tried not to let her disappointment show when he quickly let 
go of her hand. "Please, call me Umi," she said, bringing her hands 
behind her back, "So, tell me, how did you meet Hikaru?"

	"At the flag ceremony..." he started, then caught Hikaru's 
stifled giggle before encountering Umi's blushing look. "No! What I 
meant was at the lab... uh, there were hamsters and Miss Presea came 
along... then she, uh..."

	"It was almost three weeks ago - remember when I was taking care 
of those hamsters in the high school Bio lab as well?" Hikaru asked Umi 
before continuing. "Miss Presea brought Ascot-sempai along and told me 
that she finally found someone to look after the hamsters - making my 
job easier, now that I only have to look after the rabbits in this 
lab."

	"Oh, I remember that one. You were pretty miffed about losing 
YOUR hamsters to me." Ascot grinned. "But we eventually worked it out. 
I get to spend Mondays and Thursdays with the hamsters while she gets 
to be with them for the remaining three schooldays."

	"That's nice," Umi lamely commented, feeling a trifle out of 
place and a little envious of their camaraderie. "Oh, by the way, Eagle 
is waiting for you at the gym."

	"Okay. Bye, Ascot-sempai. Guess I'll just see you tomorrow, 
then."

	"Let me walk you girls to the gym. Besides, I'm heading there 
myself," Ascot shyly offered.

	"You are?" Umi curiously asked, "Why?"

	"I'm meeting someone there, too."

	"Someone special - I... ah, mean, important?" Umi crossed her 
fingers behind her back and prayed for him to say no.

	"Well, yeah. You could say that."

	"Oh."

* * *

	A young man was running down the deserted hallways, his hurried 
footfalls breaking the vast silence. He shifted his knapsack higher on 
his shoulder and tucked his left arm closer to his side. A cast made of 
foam padding and strong plastic extended from below his elbow to cover 
a part of his left hand. He was wearing a big grin on his face.

	"This is great, after the doctor removes the cast this afternoon, 
I'll be able to play ball again! Now, if only I made the team..."

	The soft strains of the piano caused him to stop in his tracks. 
It was coming from inside the music hall. The song was a dreamy, 
haunting melody that called out to him. The door was ajar, allowing him 
to peer inside the semi-dark room. His amber eyes furtively rested on 
the girl sitting on the piano bench. The windows offered a view of the 
sunset outside, casting her delicate profile in shadow.

	The music rippled through him, each note vibrating along his 
nerve endings. He wanted to see her - and with that thought in mind, he 
decided to sneak inside the room. He slowly opened the door wider, 
careful not make a sound. Unfortunately, his plastic cast managed to 
bang against the doorknob. The music immediately halted, followed by a 
tense silence.

	"Who's there?" a timid feminine voice asked.

	He inched back behind the door and into the hallway once again. 
Holding his breath, he chanced another peek. She was looking intently 
at the door. He was sure she couldn't see him, the hallway was just too 
dark. Seemingly content that no one was around, she finally went back 
to the piano and began to play another haunting sonata.

	He turned away from the door and walked down the deserted 
hallway.

	It wasn't his intention to spook her or anything, he just wanted 
to hear her play. For a moment, he stopped walking and sent a wavering 
glance at the door of the music hall.

	"Nah, she'd probably freak out or mistake me for a hoodlum," he 
murmured knowingly as his fingers traced the scars on his face that 
resulted from a car crash two months ago.

	A regretful sigh echoed against the walls. He hardly realized 
that it was his own. Shifting his knapsack once again, he straightened 
his shoulders and walked out of the building.

* * *

	"Ninety-one, ninety-two..."

	Ascot, still dressed in his uniform, was lying on his bed, idly 
tossing a basketball in a series of practice shots against the wall. He 
winced slightly as he felt his shoulder muscles began to protest. He'd 
been doing this exercise since he came back from the gym that 
afternoon.

	"Man, I'm bored." He caught the ball, placed it on his chest and 
stared morosely at the ceiling. "I should've gone along with Eagle-
sempai and the girls to the Akashokudo. Keeping company with two cute 
girls is definitely preferable to being stuck here in the dorm."

	_Besides, it would give me a viable excuse to be with Umi._

	Ascot smiled at the thought. Yes, it will be a great opportunity 
to get to know Miss Ryuzaki. And, later, if he could muster enough 
courage, he'd ask for her phone number and call-

	"... back to Earth, man."

	A balled-up towel hit him square in the face, instantly jerking 
him out of his reverie. He got up and glared at the green-haired 
culprit who was presently laughing his head off near the doorway.

	"Ferio, you..." Ascot growled.

	"Sorry, man. I, hehehe... HAHAHAHAHA... I just couldn't help 
it!!!" Ascot glowered some more - he obviously could see THAT for 
himself.

	Ferio continued, "I've been watching you sitting there for almost 
five minutes, staring into space with that weird look on your face."

	"Can it, man."

	"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like a lovesick 
swain!"

	Ascot, who was now royally pissed off, threw the ball at Ferio - 
but he was in for a surprise when Ferio caught it with his left hand.

	"Hey, you finally had the cast taken off! How's your arm?"

	"Good as new." Ferio held up the cast, "Makes a pretty cool 
memorabilia," then pointed at the scar that ran across his cheek. 
"almost as good as this one, don't you think so?"

	"Not quite. Toss it over."

	"What? The ball or the cast?"

	"The cast."

	"Here ya go."

	Ascot caught the cast, he reached for a neon green marker and 
wrote on the small blank space amidst the numerous 'get well' greetings 
scribbled there.

	"Here, catch," he said, tossing the cast back at his friend. At 
the same time, Ferio threw the ball at him. It ended up in an exchange 
with Ferio holding the cast and Ascot with the basketball.

	Ferio's face broke into a huge grin after he silently read 
Ascot's short note.

	"I made the team... hot damn... I made the team!!!" He threw the 
cast on the bed and started jumping around, punching the air in pure 
exhilaration. "YES!"

	Ascot understood his friend's happiness. Convincing the Coach to 
let Ferio enter the try-outs, with his left arm in a cast, was like 
reasoning with a thick-headed mule - good thing his big sister was 
there to do the sweet-talking. Still, it was a fair deal. All Ferio 
needed was a chance to show them how good he was on the court. 
Everything else after that was entirely the Coach's decision.

	"So, mind telling me why you weren't at the briefing at the gym 
this afternoon?"

	Ferio's mood instantly took a nosedive.

	"I... hmm," Ferio racked his brain for an excuse. He couldn't 
possibly tell him that he got sidetracked because he was busy spying on 
some girl playing the piano in the music hall.

	"Not to worry, I happened to come up with a believable alibi and 
told Coach Lafarga you'll be reporting for practice this Wednesday, 
instead."

	"Thanks, man. I owe you one."

	"Nope, you owe me two. I'm keeping tabs on it." Ascot replied 
smugly as he bounce-passed the ball to Ferio. "Who knows? I might be 
calling in a favor anytime soon."

	Ferio heard a knock and stepped to the right side of the door as 
it opened, he didn't see the ball coming his way.

	"Hi, I'm... aaaack!" Zazu's smile was instantly replaced with 
terror as he stared at a basketball heading in a direct collision 
course with his face. He flinched, bracing himself for the pain...

	<Pak!>

	"Ooouch!!!" Zazu screamed.

	Silence.

	He peeled open one eye, then the other. He felt his face and was 
amazed that it wasn't sore. The green-haired guy near the door was 
holding the basketball in his hands, giving him a complacent look. The 
other guy on the bed simply gaped at him.

	"I, ah, sorry 'bout that," Zazu said, his brow knotted into a 
frown as he eyed the two...

	_Hey wait, these guys aren't seniors!_ Zazu looked at the number 
tag on his key then checked the number on the door. It read 207 - the 
two matched.

	"Hey, kid. You alright?" This, coming from the brown-haired guy 
who was now peering down at him with genuine concern.

	"Are you by any chance lost, Ack?" The green-haired boy asked, 
trying hard to stifle a laugh. "The junior high boarding rooms are 
located at the west wing of the dorm."

	_The nerve of this punk! Does this dork actually think that HE 
was a junior high?!_ Zazu simmered in anger.

	"Ferio, stop picking on him," the other boy said reprovingly.

	"Well, he said his name was Ack," Ferio shrugged.

	"Excuse me. Sorry, wrong room," Zazu muttered under his breath, 
pocketing his key. He pulled at his bags and started dragging them down 
the hallway.

* * *

	Geo was on the floor, tinkering with his motorcycle. The vintage 
Harley-Davidson Electra Glide was his pride and joy. His face was 
sweaty and smeared with grease, but he didn't seem to mind as he sat 
there whistling Mozart's 40th Symphony while working. He was in the 
process of replacing the front tire of his bike when Lantis entered the 
room carrying a bottle of mineral water and a chocolate bar.

	"The guys next door just pulled up the price - 5000 yen, if 
you're willing to get back together with your ex-girlfriend."

	"No way, dammit. Man, don't they ever give up!" Geo growled in 
exasperation.

	"I guess not. Can't blame them, they're only protecting their 
'future prospects'." Lantis lifted one corner of his lips in wry 
amusement. It was the closest thing to a smile Geo ever saw him managed 
in the last three years they've known each other.

	Lantis kicked off his shoes and settled on the bed. He reached 
for his calculus textbook and started thumbing through it while taking 
a long draught of the sweet cool water.

	"Geez, I'm parched. Can I have a sip of that mineral water?"

	"Sure." He screwed the cap back on and tossed the bottle to Geo.

	"Thanks," Geo lifted the bottle to his lips and drank half of the 
water. "Ahhh... that was great."

	Lantis peeled the wrapper off a Milky Way bar, he was about to 
sink his teeth into the luscious chocolatey morsel when Geo spoke 
again.

	"That looks awfully good, can I have some of that chocolate?"

	Lantis heaved a defeated sigh. _Who was he to stand between Geo's 
sweet tooth and a chocolate bar?_

	He gave the Milky Way bar one last look before wrapping it up 
again and grudgingly tossing it to his friend, "Here, it's yours."

	"Hey, thanks! You really are a great friend. This happened to be 
my favorite, too." Geo grinned.

	Lantis watched in bored silence as Geo demolished the chocolate 
bar in ten seconds flat.

	"Can I ask you a personal question?" Geo asked, licking the bits 
of chocolate fudge off the wrapper.

	"No."

	"O-kay. But I'll ask you anyway," totally unaffected by Lantis' 
flat-out refusal.

	Lantis shook his head. The guy was amazing - he just robbed him 
of his snack, and now he wanted to rob him of his privacy as well! 
Heck, so what else is new? Geo's been doing that since they've become 
classmates back in first-year high school.

	"Pop quiz: What will you do if some shmuck went and courted your 
sister?"

	Geo watched Lantis carefully, taking in every nuance of movement 
on his face that would betray his emotions. It wasn't easy, the guy 
could give rocks some lessons on silence. A muscle jumped to life on 
Lantis' jaw, a telltale sign that his words actually had quite a 
destructive effect on his friend's self-control. He gave Geo a look 
that could freeze Hell over.

	"Whoever he is, tell him to -"

	Lantis never got to finish - Zazu suddenly barged into their room 
dragging his travelling bags with him. The seventeen-year-old boy 
genius was cursing graphically, and rather fluently, in three different 
languages.

	"Ever thought of knocking first before barging in?" Geo scowled, 
"I think your folks forgot to pack you some manners when they sent you 
back here in Ryudo!"

	"Oh, by the way - the guys right across the hall just went into a 
'joint venture' with your next door neighbors," Zazu paused to watch 
Geo's scowl do the impossible and darkened a few shades more. "The 
price just doubled - 10,000 yen and they'll even shoulder your 
chocolate addiction for the rest of the year. That is IF you'll get 
back together with your ex."

 	"Arrrrgh!" Geo got up and stomped towards the door, "I just have 
had enough of this!" He stepped out on the corridor and shouted at the 
top of his lungs.

	"Listen, you morons! One more attempt at bribery and I swear I'll 
hit on all the cute girls you've all been panting after!" Geo 
threatened, "And don't think, even for one second, that I don't know 
who they are. I'll have Zazu make a list!"

	"Way to go, Geo! Spoken like a true Casanova!" Zazu sarcastically 
cheered, clapping his hands as Geo entered the room once again, "Thank 
you, for taking sixty years off my life."	

	"Shut up, Zazu. Those blokes wouldn't lay a finger on you, not 
while I'm around."

	"So, does this means you'll let me bunk in with you guys for the 
night?"

	"No," the two replied in unison.

	"Ah, c'mon, guys. Just for one night, until I fix this mix-up 
with the room they gave me."

	"Zazu, where do you intend to sleep, on the floor? Look around 
you, man, this isn't a room... it's a utility closet!"

	"Well, you'd have more room if you'd just park that chrome 
monstrosity of yours in the garage." Zazu pointed at Geo's motorcycle.

	"What, so that you could sneak downstairs, hot-wire it and take 
it for a joy ride?! No way!" Geo shot back.

	"Wait a minute, what mix-up? I thought they give you a three-
person room. Those rooms are way better than this dump," Lantis said.

	"Weeell... they did," Zazu replied, taking in the cramped space, 
or rather what little there was of it. "And it's definitely more 
spacious than this 'shoebox' of yours-"

	"Hey, watch it. No one gets to insult OUR room but us," Geo 
warned.

	"But those imbeciles at the Dorm Manager's Office assigned me a 
room on the freshmen wing!"

	Geo scratched his head, "So, what's the problem with that?" 

	Zazu turned to Lantis and whispered, "Is he dense or what?" He 
then grabbed Geo's shirt and shouted, "It means that I'll be bunking 
with freshies for my last year here in Ryudo!!!"

	"Heck, that's not my fault - I wasn't the one who was late in 
submitting my room request to the office."

	"Hah! A lot of good that did you." Zazu glanced around the room 
in distaste, "Check out this rat hole!"

	"Well, at least I'm not stuck with a bunch of greenhorns for 
roommates."

	Zazu stretched his mouth wide with his forefingers and stuck out 
his tongue. "Bluduh-bluduh-bluduh..."

	"Why, you little..." Geo growled as he started to get up.

	"Stop." Lantis need not raise his voice, his authoritative tone 
alone was enough to stop their bickering.

 	"Okay, Zazu. Spit it out, what did your roommates say?" Lantis 
asked.

	Zazu took his fingers out of his mouth and looked away. Geo 
frowned, obviously bothered by his friend's troubled silence.

	"Zazu?" Geo saw him wipe his nose with his shirtsleeve and 
sniffed. "What's wrong?"

	"Whaaaaaahh!" Zazu broke down and glomped on Geo's shirt. He 
started crying hysterically. Tears gushed out of his eyes like a 
fountain, soaking Geo's shirtfront. Geo awkwardly tried to comfort his 
friend, looking at Lantis for help.

	"They actually thought that I was a junior high!" Zazu muttered 
as he noisily blew his nose on the red bandanna Geo thrust at him. "And 
some green-haired bozo even gave me directions on how to get to the 
junior's dorm!"

	Lantis face-faulted, a sweatdrop appearing beside his head. He 
was about to comment when the receptionist on the front desk called for 
him:

	"Paging Lantis Shido. Lantis Shido, your brother Eagle is on the 
phone for you."

	"Later, you guys." He waved and left the room.

	"Don't worry, buddy," Geo patted Zazu's back, a devious smile 
spreading across his handsome face, "What do you say? Let's pay these 
new roommates of yours a little visit..."

* * *

	"Nothing beats Akashokudo's tonkatsu!" Hikaru said, rubbing her 
tummy with a contented sigh.

	"Nope. I still think their tempura's the best," Umi argued as she 
leaned her head against Eagle's shoulder, "Don't you think so, Eagle-
sempai?"

	"I think I'm broke," he replied, showing them his empty wallet. 
He was settled between the two girls in the lush leather backseat of 
Umi's Black Mercedes.

	The girls started giggling at his forlorn expression. Umi had 
insisted on giving them a ride home after Eagle had treated her, 
Hikaru, Fuu and Kuu for a snack at the Akashokudo, the favorite hangout 
of Ryudo's high school students.

	"Go on, laugh! This is the last time I'm gonna let you two girls 
goon me into paying for your food trips."

	Umi snickered at his threat. That was the same thing he said the 
last time he treated them out - and that was last month, when they 
celebrated their first week back in school.

	"What do you think of Kuu-chan, Eagle-sempai?"

	"She's sweet, quiet, smart..." Eagle rubbed his chin, "Hmmm... 
and pretty." _Just like her sisters--a typical Ho'oji,_ he added 
silently.

	"How'd she do in her first day in class?"

	"She still has a lot of catching up to do. We've scheduled the 
first tutorial this Saturday at her place. Socially..." Eagle smiled, 
remembering Kuu's slightly harassed expression during lunchtime when 
his male classmates started flocking around her, offering their lunch. 
"Let's just say, she'd have to take a little getting use to all the 
attention."

	"If the attention we're talking about is anything like Tarta's 
venomous glare back at the diner, she's in big trouble." Umi pointed 
out.

	Eagle's good humor suddenly went sour at the mention of his 
'arch-enemy's' name. Tarta was definitely a piece of work, a snotty 
prima donna with a 'world dominatrix' complex. She believed that 
everyone could be bought at the right price - a concept she applied 
every election period for the past five years, which, unfortunately, 
hasn't failed her yet.

	"Uh, did I just said something wrong?"

	"Tarta and I, we were our own disagreeable selves once again and 
Kuu... well, she got dragged into the firing line."

	"What were you two arguing about this time?" Hikaru asked.
	
	"Tarta wanted to revive The Geo Metro fans club the moment she 
found out that Geo broke up with her sister, Tatra, this morning." 
Eagle crossed his arms on his chest, "I told her to forget it."

	"So? What's that got to do with Kuu?"

	"Tarta tried to recruit her."

	"And what did Kuu-chan say?"

	"She said that she didn't have any intention of chasing after 
some dumb jock," Eagle started laughing, "You should've seen their 
faces, they couldn't believe that the new girl would insult their most 
revered heartthrob."

	"And I'll bet Tarta wanted to flay her alive right on the spot," 
Umi said.

	"Looks like it's open season on Geo-sempai again!" Hikaru threw 
in her two-yen's worth.

	"Half of the male high school population wanted to kill Geo for 
breaking up with Tatra. Last I heard from Lantis, Geo was being bribed 
by his dormmates to get back together with his ex and to stay with her 
for the whole year."

	"I'll bet those jerks just couldn't wait for him to graduate and 
go off to college," Umi fumed.

	"Eagle, what do you plan to do with Kuu-chan's problem?" Hikaru 
quickly changed the topic. She felt uncomfortable talking about 
graduation. It was an unwanted reminder that Lantis would be heading 
off to college himself, since he, too, was a senior like Geo.

	"Nothing."

	"Nothing!" Umi's azure eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you crazy! 
This is Tarta we're talking about! She wouldn't let this pass just like 
that." Umi snapped her fingers; "She'd want to get even."

	"Don't you think my brother knows that?" Hikaru said, "He played 
a trick on Tarta once, back in junior high, and she still hasn't 
forgiven him."

	"And what exactly did you do, Eagle-sempai?"

	"Hoisted her gym shorts up the flag pole in front of the boys' 
dorm," Eagle replied, straight-faced.

	"You didn't!" Umi gasped.

	"Sure did!"

	"But... why?!"

	"I should've won the class elections for president and she 
cheated." Eagle flashed Umi a wry grin, "And you know me, I never get 
angry - I get even."

	"Still, you're not leaving Kuu to Tarta's mercy, are you?"

	"Umi, you're forgetting something: Kuu's a Ho'oji. The sun rises, 
the sun sets, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions may plague Japan, but 
nothing bad ever happens to a Ho'oji." Eagle smiled at his own 
exaggeration, which, in all honesty, wasn't exactly that far off the 
mark, either. "If the chaotic forces of nature can't touch them, what 
are the chances of a petty revenge orchestrated by an equally petty 
bitch do to her?"

	"Besides, why do you think Emi's still alive despite her 
driving?"

	Umi nodded in all seriousness, "You got a point there."

* * *

	The soft strains of X Japan's 'Forever Love' drifted from 
component's CD player in the living room. Zagato Shido sniffled back 
the pathetic tears that were threatening to break free. He tried, oh 
how he tried, but it was like preventing the Great Deluge itself. At 
the song's refrain, the dam of his restraint broke and tears streamed 
down his cheeks like rivers of sorrow.

	Eagle entered the kitchen, took one look at his brother and said:

	"Peel the onions over running water, Niisama. That way you can 
spare yourself the melodrama every time you decide to prepare dinner."

	"... is it too much to ask for a little respect around here?" 
Zagato grumbled to himself. Nevertheless, he walked toward the kitchen 
sink and decided to follow his brother's sound advice.

	"Oh, by the way. Your ladylove almost ran us down this morning on 
our way to school."

	"My WHAT?!"

	"Emi," Eagle said, waiting for Zagato to deny it.

	"But her driver's license was revoked last week" was all his 
brother said. 

	Eagle just shrugged and left the kitchen. He smiled, thinking of 
what Hikaru's reaction would be when he finally tells her about this 
new development.

	Zagato picked up the phone and dialed a number, a genial voice 
answered the phone at the second ring.

	"Hello, Ho'oji Residence."

	"May I speak to Emeraude please?" He sat on a stool in front of 
the kitchen counter, cradling the phone against his neck. He took a 
paring knife and started peeling some carrots.

	"Hello, Emi." His voice softened to a caress, "So how was your 
day?" He smiled, loving the sound of her voice as she told him about 
the joy of driving her own car again after a week of taking the bus to 
work.

	_This is going to be much harder than I thought._

	His smile now faltering when he realized just how difficult it 
was going to be convincing Emi to give up her beloved Cefiro. Unknown 
to him, Hikaru and Eagle were huddled together, eavesdropping behind 
the kitchen door.

	"I missed you... it's been two days, fourteen hours and..." He 
looked down at his watch, "seven minutes since I last held you."

	Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise, "Since when did Zagato and Emi 
mmrph--" Eagle clamped his hand over her mouth, holding his forefinger 
against his lips.

	Zagato thrilled to hear Emi's crystal clear laughter at the other 
end of the line, "So, what do you say if I drive you to work tomorrow 
morning?"

	Eagle had to swallow back a snicker, "Smooth. Real smooth, bro." 
Opening the door a crack to peer inside, he saw his brother swallow 
with great difficulty.

	"Who would've ever thought that Niisama would turn into a nervous 
wreck when faced with Emi's infamous driving?" Hikaru whispered beside 
Eagle.

	"You want me to drive your car?" He started, "Honey, wouldn't it 
be more practical if we take my car instead?" After a few seconds he 
finally relented, "Okay, okay... fine with me." Zagato decided to quit 
while he was ahead, "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then... right, seven 
A.M. I'll be there. Bye, Sweetcakes... no, you put it down first."

	"Sweetcakes?" Hikaru mouthed at Eagle who was tearfully gnawing 
at the wooden doorframe to keep himself from laughing.

	Zagato heard the phone click at the other end of the line after 
Emi said her good-byes. It was only then that he heard a scratching 
sound from the doorway.

	"Why don't we put the phone down together, at the same time? On 
the count of three..." Zagato continued speaking as he gently set the 
handle on the cradle and stealthily edged toward the kitchen door. 
"One..." he held onto the doorknob, "two..." then jerked the door wide 
open, "three." He watched with smug satisfaction as his two nosy 
siblings fell to the floor with a thud.

	"Uh, hmmm... Hi, Niisama!" Hikaru squeaked - she was pinned down 
by his weight on the floor. "Eagle, move over. I can't breathe!"

	"Sorry, sis." Eagle stood and pulled her up with him. He 
exchanged looks with his sister, and luckily she was quick to pick up 
on it.

	"Bye, Niisama!" She ran up to her room before their eldest 
brother had any chance to reprimand her.

	"Oh, by the way - just make sure your eyes stay on road and your 
hands on the steering wheel," Eagle babbled as he inched his way out of 
the kitchen.

	Zagato shook his head and lifted his eyes imploringly to the 
ceiling, "Tell me! What have I've done to deserve this!!!"

	And, as if on cue, Eagle poked his around the kitchen doorway, a 
leer gracing his otherwise angelic face.
 
	"And, one more thing, no unscheduled stops on dark, deserted 
highways, okay?"

	"Eagle!!!"

	                    - end of chapter 1 -

=======================================================================
Whew! I finally got to finish the first chapter. I started this series 
imply because R&T was getting too dark for me, I've been toying with 
the idea for months but was just too lazy to write it down. 

And now for the following people...

Nomad : It seems that everyone got to edit this thing except for you -
	  and to think that we plotted this one out over the phone.

Scriv : THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!! And what a wonderful fault it is. 
        Thanks, man - Now I have 2 series to finish, instead of one.
	  
Switch: The best way to brainstorm on a fic is over a pizza. Thanks.
	     	
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