By Akuma-chan
Note: This story is a "What If . . . " story, with the what-if being "What if Cye had been born a girl?" All the events that took place in the thirty- nine episodes of the television series (since that is all this poor, deprived author has seen) took place exactly as they did--though perhaps the petty squabbles between Cye and Kento were slightly different. Only three changes have been made: (1) the rooms: Riyo and Rowen, Sage and Kento (horrors!), and Cye by herself. (2) Cye and Kento have been betrothed since childhood by parental arrangement. (3) Cye's name--it's Sei. I don't care what you think, about it, either.
Kento slipped quietly out of the room he shared with Sage. It was very early--about five thirty or so. He frowned irritably at the door when he closed it; Sage had cleaned up again and Kento could no longer find his things. He shook off his annoyance and tip-toed down the hallway.
<Maybe I should just marry Sei. It'd make Pop happy, and I bet she wouldn't always be movin' my stuff around!> Kento made a face. <Then again, it's not that desperate. It'd mean way too many fights with Sei to convince her to marry me before we both hit twenty-one.> He sighed and opened the door before him. He slipped quietly inside.
The room was fairly neat. Kento rolled his eyes. <Then again, maybe she would be cleaning constantly.> He shook the shoulder of the figure on the bed.
A red-gold head popped out from under the thick quilt. Sei blinked open her sea-blue eyes and glared sleepily at Kento. "Kento, what the hell are you doing here? God, the sun isn't even up yet!"
"I'm hungry," Kento complained softly. "I want some waffles."
"Then go pull out some Eggos. I'm not getting up before nine today!" Sei adamantly pulled the covers up over her ears.
"Come on, Sei! Please?" Kento begged. Sei groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.
"No!" she said, her voice muffled. "Buzz off, Kento!"
"Why not!?" Kento demanded. Sei's pillow suddenly hit him on the shoulder. He stumbled back, surprised. Sei sat up, her frilly nightgown wrinkled from sleep.
"Because, you jerk, I--don't-- feel--like--it!" she ground out. "Now get out of my room, or I'll start screaming and let you explain it all to Miya!"
"Fine, then!" Kento sulked. Sei laid back down, curling up under the covers. She was almost asleep again by the time Kento got to the door. "Tomboy," he muttered at her.
"You always say that when you loose the argument. I don't care whether it's true or not, so you're not hurting my feelings. Now get out!" For the last two words, Sei lifted her head and glared. Kento pouted and left. Sei went back to sleep.
<Much better!> Sei thought when she woke a second time. She stretched leisurely and sat up. <That jerk Kento! Trying to get me up at the crap of dawn just to cook for him! Thank God Mom didn't let Mr. Huang pressure us into marrying ASAP!> Sei smiled suddenly. <Still, it's nice to be appreciated.>
Sei dressed quickly in her favorite jeans and hooded sweatshirt. She slipped her feet into her slippers and went downstairs.
The guys were already gathered in the dining room, wolfing down breakfast. Sei rolled her eyes. She glanced at Miya and saw immediately that the customary morning squabbles between the guys were not going to be appreciated. A look that combined irritation and pain--probably from cramps--was set on Miya's face. Sei doubted the others noticed.
"Hey, Sage, what's with this moving my comic books around all the time!? I can't find the one I was reading!"
Sage rolled his eyes. "Since you've read them all eight times anyway, what does it matter? And if you'd put them away when you're done with them--"
"Knock it off, you guys! You have this same argument every morning!" Ryo sighed. "Look, Rowen and I have talked about it, and pending Miya's approval, we're going to rearrange things a little. We'll put Rowen and Sage together, and Kento, you'll be in my room."
"I'd rather be in Sei's," Kento muttered.
"Fat chance, Buster!" Sei said, buttering a muffin. She glanced at Sage, who had a suspicious gleam in his eyes. "Same goes for you, pal."
"Who said you were gonna be staying, anyway?"
"I sleep with a baseball bat in my pillowcase--remember?" Sei said pointedly. Kento glowered.
"No wonder you look like shit first thing in the morning!"
"I do not!" Sei gasped indignantly.
"Knock it off, you two. You squabble worse than Ranma and Akane!" Rowen said. He was, apparantly, an aficionado of RanmaĞ.
Sei sniffed. "I'm much better looking than Akane--and Kento doesn't turn into a guy when you splash him with hot water."
"Hey!" Kento yelled. "What's that supposed to mean!?" Sei just smirked.
"So, Miya, is it okay? If we switch rooms, I mean?" Ryo said over the exchange.
"Why ask me? You've got it all planned out, anyway!" Miya said snippily. Ryo blinked, hurt.
"Well, Jeeze, Miya, it's your house!"
"How observant of you!" Miya stood and huffed out of the room. The four guys stared after her, bewildered. Ryo started to follow.
"No, Ryo, I'll go." Sei smiled. "You picked the wrong time of month for this. Right now, she just needs somebody to agree that all men are pigs." Sei slanted a sly look at Kento. Then, she looked at Rowen, who opened his mouth to speak. "Don't even say it, Rowen. I know what's coming, and I don't want to hear anything about Ryoga or P-chan!" Rowen shrugged, and Sei followed Miya.
Sei hummed quietly as she worked in the garden. She'd managed to calm Miya down, even offering something stronger than Miya had for the cramps. Miya was laying down for a nap, and the four guys were treading very carefully. Rowen had had the foresight to send Kento with Ulley and White Blaze; that trio didn't understand "quiet."
"Ah, such a lovely sight!" a deep voice sighed. A pained look flashed across Sei's face. She straightened and turned.
"Hello, Sehkmet," she said, resigned. Sehkmet stood before her, clad in jeans and a sweater. He held something behind his back. Sei held out a dainty hand imperatively. "Give me the fish, Sehkmet."
Sehkmet handed her the plastic bag. Three large goldfish swam in contented circles. Sei sighed. She went into the shed and picked up a large circular fishbowl. She picked up a knife and, setting the bag firmly in the bowl, cut open the top. The fish swam frantically for a moment. Sei dabbled her fingers in the water, and they calmed. "Sehkmet, you can't replace all those fish you killed. There's just no way you can do it. And I'm not interested in you. Get--" She spun, holding the knife pointed at Sehkmet. "Your hands off me!"
"But, my dear, dear Sei-- "
"I am not your dear anything!" Sei yelled. "I don't even like you! God, what did I do to deserve this!?" she demanded of the uncaring sky. She stormed out of the shed and headed for the house. Sehkmet followed.
"Please, Sei, have pity on me! I know you must care!"
"I care that you won't leave me alone!" Sei shouted. "I'm so tired of your coming here and trying to bribe me and flirt with me! It's just not going to work! And you know what else? It's really rather pathetic! For Gods' sake, why don't you try to pick up some girl in Toyama!? You might actually have some success there, because you certainly won't here!"
"What's all the shouting about?" Sage asked as he appeared at the top of the stairs. He took one look at Sehkmet and crossed his arms. "Are you pestering Sei again?"
"Mind your own business, Sage!" Sehkmet snapped. "Sei and I were getting on just fine!"
"Ooooooooooh!!!!!!!!" Sei managed. Her fists were balled up at her sides, and she looked ready to bite.
"Calm down, Sei. Just calm down. Miya's not going to appreciate it if you destroy her dining room," Sage said hastily. Sei's sea-blue eyes flashed angrily at him. Sehkmet took a hasty step back.
"Uh, I think I'll be going now. K-kayura said she had something for me to do in the Netherworld. Bye!" He vanished, eyes as wide as saucers. Sei closed her eyes and tried to reign in her temper. Sage watched fearfully.
Then, Sei began to laugh. She laughed so hard she collapsed to the floor. Ryo and Rowen came in and looked down at her, puzzled. "What's so funny?" Ryo asked.
"Sehkmet just left," Sage said. Suddenly, he couldn't seem to keep a straight face. "The look on his f-face w-when he went . . . " Sage started laughing. Sei, who had been beginning to recover, went off anew at this.
"So, Sei, I hear that snake Sehkmet stopped by today," Kento said, scowling. He shoveled his dinner into his mouth as usual. Sei laughed.
"'Snake.' How appropriate! Yeah, he stopped by, pestering me as usual." She rolled her eyes expressively. "He brought more fish."
"That's about the only thing you'll take from him," Ryo said. "You've turned down flowers, candy, poetry-- "
"I don't want the fish to die," Sei interrupted. Her eyes turned flinty.
"He's one of the good guys now, remember?" Sage said. "And he's gone on you! I doubt he'd kill the fish."
"Just shut up, Sage!" Sei snapped. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to talk about Sehkmet anymore, is that clear?" She glared around the table. Her friends nodded, not meeting her eyes. This was one of the few subjects she was touchy about.
"Thank you for making dinner tonight, Sei," Miya said. Her nap--and Sei's medication--had cleared up her temper quite nicely. Sei smiled.
"No problem, Miya. So are we still on for town tomorrow?"
"Well . . . " Miya frowned. "I suppose. I need a distraction right about now."
"Can I come?" Kento piped up. Sei turned a superior look on him.
"Sure, Kento. We need a pack mule."
"Nevmind," Kento said quickly. His friends hid their grins poorly. "Uh, you gonna finish that?"
Sei sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, Kento, you can have it. Pig," she teased. Kento ignored her and ate what remained of her dinner. "You're going to have room for dessert, right?"
"'Sha!"
"Dumb question, Sei," Rowen said, laughing. "Kento always has room for more."
"Tell me about it--!"
Sei stopped and looked in a store window. She sighed wistfully. "Boy, I wish I had the figure to wear that," she said. The gown was very slinky and very low-cut. Sei smiled slyly. "I bet it would make Kento's eyes pop right out of his head!"
"Not to mention Ryo's, Rowen's, and Sage's," Miya said, smiling. "But where would you wear it?"
"Didn't you get an invitation to the Moonlight Ball next week?" Sei asked. She dug in her purse and pulled out a gold-embossed invitation.
"Oh, that's right!" Miya said, snapping her fingers. "I'd forgotten. And I'll be back to normal by then," she said, touching her stomach lightly. "Let's go inside."
"But, Miya, I really don't--!" Sei was dragged into the very expensive dress shop. About half an hour later, both girls emerged, carrying heavy bags. "I'm really not sure about this, Miya," Sei said doubtfully. "It shows an awful lot of skin. I'm kind of worried it will fall down on me."
"Oh, come on, Sei, don't you want to impress Kento?" Miya laughed. "Now, we're going to need shoes, and cosmetics, and lingerie . . . "
Sei blushed. "What for? No one's going to see it!"
"Why, Sei! Are you sure?" Miya teased. "Not even Kento?" Sei's blush deepened.
"Miya!" she wailed. "That's not funny!" Miya merely chuckled. "Would you stop teasing me like that!?"
"Well, we'll still need to buy it. These dresses won't look right with the wrong things under them. You don't have to show them to anyone if you don't want."
"Oh, all right," Sei sighed. "If it'll make you happy . . ."
Sei and Miya returned from having their hair done the day of the Moonlight Ball. Miya's hair was glossy and soft, full of fat curls. It had been drawn up in a braided crown, with those curls spilling down to frame her face a neck. Sei, on the other hand, had her hair pulled up in a sleek French twist, with only a few finger curls around her face. Both were stunning.
"Well--" said Miya.
"What do you think?" Sei finished. Both girls smiled and turned, showing off their hair. The response was singularly dull. "My, such enthusiasm!" Sei said sarcastically.
"Oh, Sei, your hair is so gorgeous!" Kento gushed, his eyes ingeniously wide. He reached up with one hand.
Sei blocked both attacks. "If you dare mess up my hair, I'll never forgive you!" she vowed. Kento frowned.
"Say, isn't that what you said just before I ripped the head off your doll when we were seven?"
"Baka!" Sei screamed. Kento ducked instinctively. "That was my favorite doll!" She narrowed her eyes at Kento's ill-concealed smirk. "Of course, I forgave you as soon as you gave me this locket," she purred. She smiled and pulled out a gold heart-shaped locket.
Kento flushed as Ryo, Rowen, and Sage stared at him, unholy glee in their eyes. Ryo leaned casually on Kento's shoulder and waved one hand airily. "So, Mr. I-can't-buy-her-jewelry-I- wouldn't-know-what-to-get . . . " he drawled.
"You've got a romantic streak, after all," Sage finished, grinning.
"Did you put pictures in it first, Kento?" Rowen asked slyly.
Sei laughed. "Well, I'm just glad the Warlords aren't here. Then you'd really be in for it, Kento. And we'd have to explain why they can't come with us tonight." Sei frowned at the flicker of alarm that passed over her friends' faces. "What?" she asked in dread.
"Uh, Sage, you did it. You explain," Ryo said.
"Me!?" Sage squawked. "It was Rowen's idea!"
"Now, just hold on a sec--!" Rowen protested.
"You didn't!" Sei gasped. "Sage, how could you!?"
"You invited the Warlords to the Moonlight Ball!?" Miya screeched. "The invitations--"
"Uh, actually, Miya, we've all got invitations--including the Warlords. Sage has some contacts . . . "
"Oh, thanks a lot, Ryo!"
"Hey, it wasn't my idea to invite all four of them! Rowen just wanted you to get one for Kayura!"
"Ryo!" Rowen protested, blushing furiously.
"Oh, stop it! Stop it, all of you!" Sei glared impartially. Kento looked wounded; Sei ignored him. "I don't care whose fault it is--you've just ruined my evening!" She stormed out of the room, followed closely by Miya, who was in full agreement.
"Oh, thanks a lot!" Kento said. "I didn't have anything to do with it, and now you guys have gone and got me in trouble!"
"Since you're constantly in trouble, anyway, Kento, what's the difference?" Sage said. The four-way free-for- all continued.
"Come on, Sei," Miya admonished. "You spent all that money on a dress and on your hair--you can't just back out now!"
"Watch me!" Sei responded. She reached up to pull out the pins in her hair. Kayura caught her wrists. "Leggo!"
"Absolutely not," Kayura replied. "If I have to, I'll dress you myself. And don't say I can't," she added as Sei started to protest. "I could whip any three Ronins or Warlords, and I still can, if I have to. Now, are you going to put the dress on?"
Sei glared. "Fine, then," she sniffed finally. Kayura released her wrists, and Sei stalked off to change.
Downstairs, the seven men sat around the living room, bored. They all wore tuxes--all black, except for Ryo, whose was white--with their favorite colors for cummerbund and bow tie.
"We're ready!" Miya called from the dining room. The guys rose.
"Finally!" Cale muttered. They all trooped dutifully into the dining room--and stopped.
Miya wore a pale pink gown with an A-line skirt, very low-cut V-shaped neckline, and butterfly sleeves. A collar of "pink ice" and gold encircled her throat, with matching earrings and bracelet gracing her ears and wrist. She stood sideways, leaning against the rail, about halfway up.
Kayura stood two steps up, leaning against the wall. She wore a cream satin gown with an off-the-shoulders bodice, elbow gloves, and a bouffant skirt longer in the back than the front. Her hair was drawn gently back with a wide gold baret and softly curled at the ends, with a few finger curls around her face and gold dangles in her ears.
Sei stood at the top of the stairs, blushing prettily. As soon as she'd dressed, she'd lost all her anger. The satin sweetheart-line bodice hugged her generous figure to the hip, where a soft, semi-translucent silk circle skirt swept to the floor. She wore full-length white gloves, and her locket hung on a narrow ribbon the exact same shade of pale blue as her gown Sapphires glittered in her ears, and diamonds flashed on her wrist.
Dais snapped a picture and tucked his camera back in his pocket. Cale and Sage rolled their eyes. Dais shrugged at them.
The girls came down the stairs. Ryo offered Miya a white orchid corsage. She gasped with pleasure and pinned it to her bodice. Ryo watched closely while trying to seem as if he weren't.
Rowen swallowed heavily and shyly offered Kayura a corsage. She blinked, surprised; she hadn't expected a corsage from anyone. She looked down to see a spray of cherry blossoms nestled in ferns and baby's-breath. "Rowen, it's lovely!" she exclaimed as she slipped it on her wrist. Sage and Dais stifled snickers at Rowen's foolish grin.
Kento took both of Sei's hands and looked her over appreciatively. She blushed and looked away, a smile playing at her lips. "Not bad," Kento murmured. "You clean up real pretty."
Sei gasped indignantly. Kento grinned fondly at her, and she laughed softly. "I'm not going to fight with you tonight, Kento," she said.
"Good," Kento replied, a warm glow in his eyes. Sei blushed and looked down. "Here." Kento offered Sei a small plastic box. She took it and opened it.
"Oh, Kento!" She lifted out a stunningly beautiful corsage of bluebells and mountain lilies. Her fingers trembled as she pinned it to her bodice, and her eyes were suspiciously moist as she embraced Kento. "You remembered!"
"That bluebells are your favorites?" Kento said. "Or that mountain lilies are the first flowers you ever planted?"
"Both!" Sei hugged Kento again and kissed his cheek. He grinned at her, a grin almost as foolish as Rowen's, and offered her his arm.
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Let's!" she replied. All ten of them headed for the cars sitting out front. The guys had sprung for a pair of stretch limos; the ladies were impressed.
White Blaze rumbled as he watched them go, content. He padded up to Ulley's room, just in time to see the boy scurry in and jump into his bed. The tiger settled on the floor at the foot of the bed, the best baby-sitter there was.
The Moonlight Ball was held at the top of the tallest building in Toyama. The building was all glass, from the ground on up, and it had just opened. The top floor, a twenty-foot-high room that had to be at least a hundred feet to a side, was a restaurant called simply, "Moonlight." Appropriately, their grand-opening gala was called "The Moonlight Ball."
The Koji household had been invited because Miya's grandfather had invested heavily in the building before his death. Miya expected to see a hefty return on that investment. She wondered how Sage had gotten invitations for the Warlords.
It was simple. Sage's uncle--his mother's brother--was the maitre'd. He had also been part of the committee that decided who to invite. A few artful hints, a mention of Miya as their friends, and presto! Gold-embossed invitations.
They were just now presenting those invitations to Sage's uncle. "Hello, Sage. Ah, Miss Koji!" the golden-haired man said, his silver eyes lighting up. He bowed deeply to her. "We've been waiting eagerly for your arrival. Kozue, please take over my duties while I escort Miss Koji and her party to their seats."
"Yes, sir," a dainty young lady said. She stepped forward to take her superior's place. Sage cast a lingering glance at her.
"She's taken, Sage," the man said. "Check the ring on her finger. Anyway, staff aren't allowed to flirt with the clients."
"Sure, Uncle Jon," Sage said, shrugging. "And I'm sure I'll find someone else here." He scanned the brightly-clad crowd critically.
"There are a number of single girls coming," Jon admitted. He grinned. "Ah, here we are. The best table in the house." The huge round table had ten seats around it. It also had the most wonderful view of the city, and out across the ocean. Sei gasped, awed.
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
"Uh, yeah," Kento said. He seated himself with his back to the window. Sei frowned at him.
"I want to sit where I can see the view!"
"Then sit on the other side of the table," Kento said mulishly. Sei pouted.
"Fine, then, I will." She took a seat beside Sage. Sehkmet quickly sat down on her other side. She rolled her eyes, but made no protest.
"Come on, Rowen," Kayura said, laughter in her voice. Rowen stood staring out the window, enthralled. He didn't even hear Kayura.
"It's almost like there's no glass there," Rowen murmured to himself. Kayura tugged on his arm, and he glanced down. "Huh? What?"
"Come on! You can stare out the window later. Come sit down for now." Kayura and Rowen were the last ones to sit. Their friends had thoughtfully left open two seats next to each other, with a very good view of the city. Kayura sighed and rolled her eyes. "Now we won't get his attention for the rest of the evening. I think 'Moonlight' has a permanent, steady customer," she teased. Rowen sighed and rested his head on one hand, eyes directed skyward. His friends all laughed.
Kento covertly watched Sei flirting with Sage and Sehkmet. He frowned to himself. After a while, he put down his fork and knife and stood. "C'mon, Sei," he said abruptly. "Let's dance."
Sehkmet glared daggers at him. Sei rose, blushing, and accompanied Kento to the dance floor. Her fingers trembled slightly as she felt all the gazes upon her. Kento slipped his arm around her waist, and they started to dance. They were a surprisingly elegant pair.
"My, Kento, are you sure you're feeling all right? I usually have to drag you out on the dance floor by the hair!" Sei teased brightly. Kento just grunted.
"You've been flirting with Sehkmet all evening," he accused suddenly. Sei frowned.
"If you'd sat beside me-- "
"I don't like heights. You know that, Sei," Kento said. "And I was the one who sat down first."
Sei sighed. "You're right," she admitted. "It's just that I like looking at the ocean, and you can see so far from up here . . . "
"I noticed," Kento said with a grimace. "Next time we come--and I'm sure we will--sit next to me, okay? And quit flirting with Sehkmet!"
"I've been pretending it was you all evening," Sei said gravely. Kento stared at her, color suspiciously high. She stuck her tongue out just a little, grinning. "Gotcha!"
"Why you--! I'll swing you into one of the ferns!"
"That's it. It's my turn to lead." Sei giggled when Kento glared at her.
"Don't be so obvious about it, Sehkmet," Dais said quietly. Sehkmet flashed a glare at him. "Get over her. She'll never be yours, anyway."
"No!" Sehkmet said, knocking Dais' hand off his shoulder. "I will never believe that!"
"You have to," Dais insisted. "It's the truth. She's Kento's and always has been. Stop obsessing and find something else to fill your time." <I did,> he thought, glancing wistfully at Kayura and Rowen, who were laughing together as they walked off the dance floor. He'd known Kayura was in love with Rowen since she'd seen him fighting so hard to save Ryo. He only wished he'd made a move sooner.
"Hey," a soft female voice said from behind him. "You dropped this." Dais turned to see a pretty young lady, perhaps all of fifteen years old, holding his camera. He took it from her and laid it on the table.
"Thank you," he said. "I would have missed that." He looked the girl over with his good eye. "Now, what's a pretty young thing like you doing standing on the sidelines like this?"
"Oh, I can't dance," the girl said, blushing shyly.
"Of course you can," Dais said. "What's your name?"
"I-iyo," she said.
"I'm Dais, Iyo. Now that we know who we are, why don't we dance?"
"But--!" Iyo found herself drawn out onto the dance floor and into a pair of strong arms. For the rest of the evening, Dais stayed with her, flirting mildly.
There was no way, of course, that they could all fit into one limo. They hadn't on the way in, they couldn't on the way back. So they split it five and five. In one car were Rowen and Kayura, Cale, Sehkmet, and Sage. In the other were Sei and Kento, Miya and Ryo, and Dais.
Sei was fast asleep. Her head was buried in Kento's shoulder, and she had one arm flung across his hips. Kento snored away comfortably, his head tilted against the door and one arm around Sei's waist. On Sei's other side, Dais watched, amused.
"She's going to be pretty embarrassed when she wakes up," Ryo observed, grinning. He sat next to Miya, facing backwards. Miya was right one the verge of following Sei's example.
"And he is going to have a cramp in his neck," she yawned. She couldn't keep her eyes open and she leaned against Ryo without even thinking. Dais chuckled at the look on Ryo's face--a cross between total shock and total delight.
Ryo glared at him briefly. "So, who was that you were spending all evening with?"
"Her name's Iyo," Dais shrugged. "Iyo Kinutani."
"Isn't she a little young for you?" Ryo asked, grinning. He lifted his free hand in a shrug. The other curled protectively around Miya's waist. "After all, you are over four hundred years old, and she's--what, sixteen?"
"Fifteen," Dais responded. "And so what if I am? It hasn't slowed me down any!"
Ryo opened his mouth to respond when suddenly the limo screeched to a halt. Sei was thrown to the floor, her hair coming loose, and Kento was pulled down on top of her. Sei blushed furiously. "Get off me!" she wailed.
"Jeeze, sorry!" Kento complained. "What the hell is going on!?"
"I dunno, Kento," Ryo said. The car suddenly tilted up and fell on its side. The three men protected the ladies as best the could. Then, all five of them scrambled out the door that was facing up.
The other limo lay on its side, too. Kayura waved at them, to indicate everyone was okay. The two drivers stood gibbering in panic near their respective cars.
"Something's about to happen," Sage said suddenly. Rowen glanced at him and started to respond when a pair of Dynasty gates appeared before them.
The doors swung open and maniacal laughter poured out . . .
Reality Bites Teaser:
"What the hell . . . ? Talpa! How can that be!?" Ryo shouted. The winds were heavy, obscuring his words. The rain beat heavily down on them from a sudden cloudburst.
"We killed him!" Sei shrieked.
"Wrong, Torrent!" Talpa's voice said. "Thanks to Wildfire, I still live!"