The title translates to 'White Fantasy'
*....* denotes italics
/..../ denotes thoughts
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PART ONE Lightning crackled above their heads as they stood atop the tall building. They stood, clustered together, waiting. Omi sighed and shook his head. "Something bad is going to happen," he repeated for the umpteenth time that day. The other three boys turned on him, glaring. He shut his mouth and looked meekly away. "So you came after all." They looked up to see four figures approaching them. Schuldich took the lead, walking jauntily with his hands in his pockets. Behind him trailed the other three members of Schwarz, Crawford last, looking troubled. Aya stepped forward, brandishing his katana. "We came," he said, swinging his sword wildly. "Now tell us what you promised!" Schuldich began to laugh and Nagi joined him. "Fools," said the young boy. He stepped to the front, holding his hand out in front of him. "You think we'd actually keep our promise?" Ken laughed, clenching his fist to bring forth the knives that were impaled on his glove. "We're not that stupid, Schwarz. We came prepared." “Pity,” Schuldich smirked. “Guess we’ll just have to hurt you.” Thunder boomed above them and the wind howled about them. Unconsciously, Omi crept closer to Ken, who stood closest to him. "I have a bad feeling," he whispered to himself. They all felt the increase in electrical activity on top of the building. WeiB backed off, as did Schwarz from the middle of the building, where the charge was building up. "Look out!" Who cried it, no one knew. They all saw the long bolt of lightning that snaked out of the sky and struck the middle of the building. All were blinded and thrown to the ground from the force of the bolt. Rain started to drip from the sky. The boys from Schwarz sat up from where they had been thrown. Schuldich walked over to the smoking crater where the bolt had struck. Nagi looked across the gap, to find that WeiB was no longer there. "They've run," Nagi said dispassionately. "They disappeared," Crawford corrected. The others looked at him. He cradled his chin in his hand. "So *that's* what the vision meant..." All four turned to look at the place where WeiB had stood, so close to the point of impact. The wind whipped around them, the only four in sight on top of the building. ~~~~ DAY ONE Yoji was the first to sit up. He gasped for breath, sweat running down his body, as if he had just waken from a nightmare. He looked at his shaking hands, and then clenched them. /Steady Kudou,/ he thought. /Schwarz must have been part of the dream./ He stood up and looked around. His jaw dropped open in surprise. /Some dream,/ his dry inner voice replied. He stood in a small clearing, a grassy glade in the middle of a forest. Trees surrounded the little patch of grass, hemming him in. The only way in or out was a small dirt path, well trod by the looks of it that ran through the clearing. Yoji shook his head violently. /Dream, right?/ Hadn't he just been fighting Schwarz? /Or was that part of a dream, too?/ He ran his hands over his body to make sure that nothing had been damaged. He frowned, wondering when he had changed his clothes. /You didn't change them yourself,/ the voice replied in his head. He no longer wore his assassin coat. Instead, he sported a pair of form-fitting pants, leather by the feel of them. He ran his hands over his chest, feeling the leather vest that covered him. It had no sleeves to allow free range with his arms. Sticking one hand in his pants pocket and dragging the other through his hair, he idly wondered why he was decked out in dark gray. /Dark gray is the true color of night,/ answered the voice in his head. Yoji frowned and flicked his shades (he was glad *those* were still there) farther up on his nose. He looked around the small glade, noticing that his other companions were sprawled on the grass, also wearing new clothes. Yoji sat himself down beneath a tree to wait for the others to wake. A pack sat next to him, and he ruffled his hand through it. Something thin and long and familiar touched his fingers and he pulled it out. His eyes widening in joy, he quickly searched around for a light that he could put to his cigarette. Instead of a lighter, he found flint and tinder. He looked at it strangely before tossing it back into the pack, content to just hold the cigarette in his mouth. Aya was the next to wake. He quickly attempted to scramble to his feet, his hands searching for his katana. Instead, he tripped over the long robes he wore, his hands grasping a staff he held. He knelt there, his violet eyes wide as his gaze roamed the clearing he lay in. Dropping the staff, he hiked up his robes to his knees and stood. "Where...?" he asked, as he spotted Yoji. Yoji shrugged. "Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine." He yawned, putting his hands behind his head. Aya dropped his robes back around his ankles. His hands searched for his katana. He felt naked in this strange world without it. Was someone playing a joke on them? And why, confound it!, was he wearing these strange robes? /Red robes to mark a mage,/ came a faint voice in his mind. He tilted his head and looked around. No one. That had definitely come from him. /Mage?/ he wondered. He looked down at himself more fully. He wore dark red robes that reached down to the ground. Around his waist was a leather belt that held innumerable pouches. Hanging from a few of the pouches were colorful feathers and charms made of glass beads and small animal bones. /What...?/ he was about to ask. /Spell components,/ answered the voice. Aya shook his head. At his feet, lay a neatly folded cloak of the same dark red. Lying atop this was the staff he had held earlier. It was tall, make of thick, dark, nondescript wood. At the top, a taloned claw held a crystal ball. Aya crouched back down on the ground. "What's... happening?" he wondered aloud. Yoji looked at him over his shades. "Weren't we just fighting Schwarz?" Yoji's eyes widened. "You remember that too?" He let out a big sigh and smiled. "And here I thought I was the only one who remembered that." Aya sat down in deep thought, unconsciously bringing the staff to sit across his knees. "I remember being called out to fight them. And there was the lightning bolt, and then..." "Nothing," Yoji finished for him. "Or rather, this." He gestured about him. Aya nodded. "Where do you suppose we are?" "I have no clue." Aya plucked at his robes. "And what's with this weird get-up?" Yoji looked down at himself. "I have no clue. I have this little voice in my mind that tells me that I'm a thief." Aya looked up sharply, his violet eyes narrowing. "Mine has told me that I'm a mage..." Yoji raised an eyebrow. "Mage, huh? So we're dealing with a magical world." He sighed, rolling the cigarette across his mouth. "And all I want is a light to calm my nerves," he muttered. Before he could think clearly, Aya was up and across the clearing, kneeling in front of Yoji. He spoke a few spidery words in a language they had never heard, and a small flame appeared on the tip of Aya's index finger. He held it up to the cigarette in Yoji's mouth, lighting it. And then the flame died, and they were left staring at each other in surprise. "What the...?" Yoji exclaimed, scrambling away from Aya. "What the hell was that?!" Aya sat back on his haunches. He looked thoughtful. "I feel as if... I've done that before." Yoji took a long drag on his cigarette, closing his eyes as he felt the much needed nicotine rush through him. "Yeah," he replied, puffing out the smoke. "It does feel... familiar." Aya returned to his staff and cloak. His violet eyes roamed over the other two members of WeiB, still lying unconscious on the grass. Ken lay in an uncomfortable position, dressed in full armor. He glittered in the sunlight like a gem. He snored loudly as he lay there, oblivious to everything. Omi lay near Ken. He was dressed in bright blue leggings, a dirty white tunic with a blue vest over that. Near him, lay a shorter staff of plain, unadorned wood. "Tell me, Yoji," Aya suddenly said. Yoji looked up, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head. "Did you ever read fantasy novels?" "Fantasy?" Yoji grinned. "You mean those cheap romances? Naw. I don't need tips from them!" Aya's eyes narrowed. "No, you fool! I mean fantasy books! The ones where knights roam the land to fight dragons, and magic users cast great spells... Those kinds of books?" Yoji scratched his head. "Kinda like King Arthur, huh? No, I never read those." Aya frowned and sighed. "Too bad. Knowledge like that might help us get through this world." Yoji sat up, taking the cigarette from his mouth. "Aya, what in the world are you talking about? This is probably just some dream that Schuldich put us into. You know how he controls minds." Aya shook his head. "No. This is different. Schuldich couldn't control all four of us at the same time." They lapsed into a silence, waiting for the other two to finally awaken. A clanking sound let them know that Ken had finally awakened. He cursed loudly as he tried struggling to his feet. Aya and Yoji watched him, each unwilling to get to their feet to help the boy up. Ken finally succeeded in rolling onto his belly, and from there, standing up. He stood, and the armor almost dragged him back down. "Damn!" Ken exclaimed. He looked himself over. "What the hell happened?" he asked, looking around at Yoji and Aya. Yoji sighed. "At least we only have to hear that once more." Aya picked up his staff and absently ran his hands up and down its length. "From what we've been able to gather, I've concluded that we've been transported to a fantasy world." Ken looked around, licking his lips. "Fantasy world? Like one of those cheap romances?" He put his hands on his hips, ringing like bells gone haywire. "I suppose that since I'm the knight, I'll get all the girls this time, Yoji!" Yoji sighed and pulled his sunglasses back onto his nose. "Wake me when you get through to his brain," he said, closing his eyes and leaning back against the tree. Aya sighed. "Not that kind of fantasy novel, idiot. I'm talking about the ones with knights, dragons, and magic users. Goblins, trolls, and imps." "Ohhh," Ken said in understanding. He ran his hands over his armor. "Do you suppose there's a way out of this?" Aya's eyes narrowed. The fool didn't care where he was. He waved his hand in resignation and curled himself around his staff, closing his eyes. He didn't answer Ken. Ken looked at the sword strapped to his left hip. He grinned. /Cool!/ he thought. /I get to be a knight!/ /Mercenary,/ a voice in his head corrected him. Ken shrugged. Either way, it was cool. He wondered briefly if he'd be able to fight a dragon, or some other awesome creature. He looked at the sword that was strapped to his left hip. He felt the pommel, his hand resting on it securely, like it had always been at his side. He put his left hand on the pommel and tried to pull the sword out. He frowned. How did the heroes do it in the movies? Wasn't it supposed to just slide out? Yoji was watching him from behind his tinted glasses. He smirked to himself, watching Ken try to pull his sword out. He almost laughed out loud as Ken tried to free it with the hand that was on the same side as the sword. Ken didn't know anything about fantasy worlds, apparently. Ken tried his other hand. The sword slid out smoothly with a sharp, metallic hiss. The weight was unexpected, and it threw Ken off balance. The sword bent his wrist backwards, burying the sharp point in the dirt, right next to Aya. Aya lifted his head. "Fool!" he hissed. Ken dropped the sword, letting it clank dully on the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. "Ahh, sorry Aya!" He picked up the sword and dragged it away. "I wasn’t trying to hurt you or anything." Aya's eyes narrowed at Ken and he was about to reply sharply. A movement out of the corner of his eye stopped him. Omi had sat up, running his hand through his golden locks. He looked around, his sapphire blue eyes glittering with the sunshine. His face reflected the wonder he felt in his heart. "Wow! Where are we?" "And, once more," Yoji sighed. Aya stood and moved his belongings away from Ken. "From all that we've seen, I've been led to the conclusion that we've been transported to a fantasy world." "Fantasy?" Omi's eyes widened. "You mean like...?" "No!" Yoji snapped. The other three glanced at him in surprise. "No," he repeated, "Not like those cheap romances." Omi looked innocent. "Oh, Yoji. Your mind is always going off to think about girls." The three blinked in surprise. "I meant to say, like those worlds where there are knights and dragons and magic, right?" Aya sighed in relief. "Yes, Omi. Exactly that kind of world." He looked around. "Judging from our appearances, it is easy to figure out what we are." Omi pointed to Ken. "He's a mercenary, right?" "Hey!" Ken said. He dropped his sword again. He grinned, flushing slightly. "Yeah, Omi. You're right." Omi pointed to Aya. "You're a mage, huh?" Aya bowed slightly, his red robes sweeping about him. "You are correct." Omi smiled, bowing his head in response to Aya. /This is fun,/ he thought. /They really went all out to impress me./ /This isn't a game,/ said a voice in his head. He chose to ignore it at the moment, turning his large blue eyes on Yoji. "And Yoji is..." He stopped, his eyes looking Yoji up and down. "Hmm..." Yoji was about to open his mouth, but Omi held up a hand. "No, don't tell me!" He scrambled across the ground, grabbing Yoji's pack away from him. He dumped the contents on the ground. Clothes, cigarettes, a small box of tools. "A thief!" Omi cried happily. He held up the box of tools. "These are lock picking tools!" Yoji clapped his hands, loudly and slowly. "Good job for the brainiac. Now figure out a way to get us home." "Home?" Omi blinked in confusion. "Isn't this a game you guys are playing?" Aya shook his head. "You know us better than that, Omi. We're not playing. Somehow, during out battle with Schwarz, we were transported to this location. We don't know where we are, but I suspect that we're on another world altogether. Things like magic just don't exist on our world." Omi laughed. "Oh, Aya! You're telling me that you can really use magic?" Yoji nodded vigorously. "You betcha! He made a flame come out of his finger!" Ken looked with wide eyes at Aya. "You did that?" Aya sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes." "Aya!" Omi exclaimed. The boy stumbled to his feet, coming close to Aya. He reached up and pulled on the newly grown ponytail that stuck off of Aya's head. "Your hair!" They all looked in surprise at the shock of red hair that trailed down Aya's back. Aya idly pushed one of his long ear tails behind his ear. "Hmm," he mused. "Things are strange here." "You said it," Yoji agreed. Omi sat back down. He tugged on his little blue vest. /Matches my eyes,/ he thought. At the moment, he liked thinking of these little things, instead of the dilemma they were in. He frowned. Something didn't feel right. He felt... different. He stood up and looked around him. Nothing looked different. "Hey," he called to the others. They looked at him. "Is there something different about me?" The others shook their heads. "Nothing that I can see," Ken remarked. Omi shook his head. Must be his imagination. He stooped to pick up his staff. It stood a few inches taller than him. He gripped it tightly. It felt right, his hand going to rest in the groove that was made for his hand. Thinking, he began to pace back and forth across the clearing. "So," he began, thinking aloud. "We're in a different world now. How we got here, we don't know." "Must have had something to do with that lightning bolt," Ken piped up. He slid his sword back into its sheath, and eased his bulk to the ground. Omi nodded. "Yes. And now we're stuck in this world. We should try to find a town around here. At least there we can get some information. I think that's what we should do first. After we learn more about this world, we'll figure out what to do." Aya nodded. "Sounds like a good plan." Ken nodded, running his gauntleted finger through the grass. "I'm game." They turned. "Yoji?" Yoji was watching Omi walk back and forth across the grass. His eyes were narrowed in deep thought. Omi stopped and put his hands on his hips in exasperation. "Yoji! Are you in or not?" he asked. Yoji frowned darkly. He pulled another cigarette out and placed it in his mouth. "Um, Omi. I think I found out what's different about you." Omi's eyes widened. "What is it, Yoji?" Yoji shrugged, chewing lightly on the cigarette in his mouth. "You might want to check your chest." Aya and Ken turned to look blankly at Omi. Omi, frowning, pulled the neck of his shirt out and glanced down. His eyes widened in shock and he quickly looked up at Yoji. "Yoji, I...!" Yoji nodded. "I could see it in your walk." Omi stared in shock at Yoji. "I... I can't be...!" His eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted dead away. Ken crawled over and looked at the blond boy that sprawled on the grass. "What's the problem?" he asked. Aya turned to Yoji. "What is it?" He was irritated that he had missed something. Yoji shrugged. He walked over to Aya, holding out his cigarette. "Light," he requested. Aya obliged him with a flame. Ken fell back, his eyes as wide as saucers. "You just... There was... Your finger...," he stuttered. Yoji took a deep drag on his new cigarette. "Get used to it," he said. "Anyway." "What is wrong with Omi?" Yoji shrugged, smiling slightly. "I wouldn't say anything's 'wrong'. He's just different. Or should I say... she." Aya's violet eyes narrowed as he looked from Yoji to the sprawled Omi. "You mean...?" he gasped. He hurried over to Omi's form, holding his robes up from the ground. He knelt beside the figure. "Yup," Yoji replied, watching with cool eyes. "When we were transported here, Omi was turned into a girl." Ken scrambled back from Aya. His frightened eyes ran from Aya to Omi. "What's... What's going on here? This is just a big joke, right?" he asked fearfully. Aya looked up, his violet eyes dark and serious as he looked at Ken. "No, Ken. This is all real." A crash sounded as Ken fainted, collapsing onto the forest floor. ~~~~ PART TWO The four of them walked down the path, which soon broadened out into a full-blown road. Yoji walked silently, his feet making no sound. Ken was just the opposite, crashing around like a boar. Omi led the way, her staff thumping down with each step. She walked fast. She was angry. Aya trailed her, walking at a more comfortable pace. His staff came down softly in the dirt, and he leaned upon it. Following him were Yoji and Ken. Yoji had his pack casually slung over his shoulder while he rolled an unlit cigarette around in his mouth. "See?" he pointed. "See the way her hips move? Obviously the walk of a girl." Ken nodded, his eyes wide with understanding. "I see now!" Omi turned around, her face flushing furiously. "Shut up! I can hear you, you know!" She turned back around when they started to laugh. It was true though. Yoji had noticed the way she walked, the sway of her hips. Omi ground her teeth together. When she had pulled open the front of her tunic, she had seen a female chest, wrapped in a binding cloth. She was small enough to still pass for a boy, though. Her voice was still the same, the huskiness of a child that could be either male or female. Of all the figures and forms she could have taken, Omi had to become a girl! She clenched her fist and tried to hold back the angry tears that came to her eyes. She had always been mistaken for a girl back home in Tokyo. Was this just more punishment, more humiliation? Yoji and Ken's laughter still bit at her ears. Ken made some crude joke at her expense. Gripping her staff tightly, she bowed her head and took off at a run down the road. "Now look what you made her do," Yoji complained. Aya turned, his violet eyes flashing. "*Must* you tease her? Omi's gone through enough already! Mistaken as a girl at home, turned into a girl here, and now you make fun of her." Yoji held up his hands and brushed past the mage. Ken, flushing, looked ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Aya," he apologized. Aya stabbed a finger up the road. It bent sharply, and they could no longer see Omi. "You'll apologize to *her*." Ken lowered his head and walked side by side with the angry man. Yoji strolled about in front of them. Suddenly, cutting through the air, was a high-pitched scream. "Omi!" Yoji called, breaking into a run. Ken and Aya followed suit. The rounded the bend. A large, dirty thug of a man stood holding Omi's arms behind her back. Another man, equally as dirty but skinny and weasel-like, pawed through her pack. The three boys stopped. Omi's frantic blue eyes caught sight of them. "Help me! Aya, Yoji! Ken! Help me!" Yoji fumbled for the dagger at his waist. Ken drew his broadsword, this time with more skill. It balanced easily in his hand. He gripped the hilt with two hands, holding the point low as he advanced. "Let her go," Ken commanded. Yoji flanked him on his right. Aya stood behind, holding his staff at the ready. One hand searched his pouches for the right spell component. The large man laughed. He nudged his companion with his foot. "Hurry up and find something valuable in there." The skinny man looked up, his sharp eyes narrowing. "There's nothing here," he whispered. The man holding Omi shook her. "Come on! Don't you have anything of value?" The shaking brought forth a necklace that had been kept hidden under her tunic. The silver chain dangled around her neck, with a small silver cross attached to it. "That'll fetch a nice price," the skinny man said, licking his lips. "Ken!" Omi called, seeing the warrior advance. "Oh, Ken! Hurry!" Ken halted a few feet away from the bandits. "Leave the girl and her pack, or I'll punish you." Yoji rolled his eyes. "You're getting too into this," he whispered to himself. The large man holding Omi just laughed. "You can't hurt us little boy. You're even holding your sword wrong!" Ken looked down at his sword, blushing furiously. It was true though. Had he of swung at the man, he would have only hit with the flat of his blade. Ken, noticing this, tried to bluff his way out. "Of course I'm holding it like this!" he called. "I'm a generous person. Let the girl go, and leave her pack, and I won't have to hurt you." Yoji glanced at the boy, and almost laughed. Ken didn’t look very scary. He sheathed his dagger and stood. "Yeah!" he called. "You wouldn't want to be hurt by the dreaded, uh..." Aya covered for him. "Dreaded Soccer Ken!" he cried. "And his pet dragon, Talon!" Yoji turned around, his hands on his hips. "Aya, that's the stupidest thing...," he was saying, when suddenly a dragon appeared behind Ken. Yoji, paling, lost his balance and sat down hard on the ground, staring at the dragon in disbelief. The dragon, with gleaming red scales, hovered behind Ken. Ken didn't seem to notice the dragon. He was slowly turning his blade in his hands so that if he did have to swing it, it would cut through flesh instead of smacking against it. Wings unfurled from the dragon's back, casting great shadows over the bandits. Omi stared, wide-eyed at the dragon. She didn't know if it was better to be in company with the bandits or her friends. Before she could decide though, the large man dropped her and rushed off towards the woods. The skinny man, after a moment's hesitation, followed, fleeing quickly. Ken, laughing, planted his sword tip-down in the earth. He walked over and helped Omi to her feet. "You all right?" he asked. Omi nodded, gathering her pack. "Yes. But, Ken..." "Hmm?" "When did you get the dragon?" Ken laughed. "Dragon? I don't have a dragon. Obviously, I looked so scary that I frightened them off." Omi shook her head, pointing behind Ken. "No, I think that scared them off." Ken turned and almost leaped out of his armor. A huge, red dragon sat there in the middle of the path. He quickly grabbed his sword and held it up. His hands shook with fear as he tried to steady his blade. Omi stood behind Ken, looking over his shoulder, more in interest than fear. Yoji still cowered on the ground at the dragon's feet. Laughing, which was extremely odd for him, Aya walked directly *through* the dragon. The other three stared at him as if he had gone mad. Aya waved his staff once, and the dragon disappeared. The other three could barely keep their jaws from hitting the ground. "Aya...," Ken gasped, sinking to the ground, letting his blade topple out of his hands. Aya smiled, an eerie expression on his face. "Yes?" Yoji ran over to Aya, grabbing him by the front of his red robes. "Damnit! Don't ever do that without telling us first! Warn us at least!" Omi sat down next to Ken. "What exactly happened?" she asked. Aya shrugged Yoji off and adjusted his robes. "I cast an illusion of a dragon. It came out quite nicely, in my opinion. And to think that I've never even seen a dragon, to boot." Yoji stood, his arms crossed over his chest and a sour look on his face. "Dreaded Soccer Ken, indeed." Aya laughed shortly. "What else would you call him? I couldn't think up anything else." Omi leaned against Ken wearily. "I don't think my nerves can handle this world." Ken sighed. "You said it." ~~~~ PART THREE "You know," Yoji said, as they strolled down the path. "This almost seems... well, familiar." Aya walked beside him. He nodded. "I know what you mean. I feel as if I've done some of this before. The magic..." Aya looked at his hand before clenching it. "The power was very familiar." Yoji glanced side-ways at Aya, but didn't comment. /It’s that magic that's changing him,/ he thought. Since they had landed in this world, Aya's personality had slowly changed. He wasn't as cold and quiet. That had been proven when he had laughed, *laughed*, after casting the illusion of the dragon. Yoji shook his head and pushed his sunglasses up on his nose. Things could only get weirder. He smiled at the two in front of him. Omi and Ken walked along some feet in front of the two older men. They laughed loudly at some joke Ken had told. They fell into a companionable silence as they walked down the sun-dappled path. Ken reached up absently and pulled a blossom from a tree. The weather was warm, and it was obvious by the new growth everywhere that it was springtime. He looked at the pink flower that he held. He was about to toss it over his shoulder when he saw Omi out of the corner of his eye. Laughing a bit nervously, he held the flower out to her. "For you, Omi," he said, his cheeks flushing a bit. Omi's blue eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Oh, Ken!" she exclaimed softly, taking the blossom from his hand and nestling it between her palms. She smiled happily at Ken, her own cheeks blushing. "Thank you Ken!" Ken rubbed the back of his neck nervously while smiling. He felt so corny, and he knew he probably looked it too. "Ahh," he said without thinking. "It's just that its beauty matched your own." Omi's eyes widened again, this time in shock. Her cheeks blushed darker, and she directed her gaze to the flower. /He doesn't know, does he?/ she asked herself nervously. /No, he hasn't seen it yet,/ replied the soft, silky voice in her head. Omi glanced up at Ken quickly. He was looking at the road ahead. She sighed softly to herself. It had always been like this. Ken would say something on the spur of the moment, never any real thought behind it. But it meant so much to Omi. Ken's careless comments played with her emotions, and sent them spinning. Even when she had been in her original, male body she had felt these feelings for Ken stirring within her. She... *liked* Ken. She knew it was wrong though, for a boy to love a boy. But she couldn't help it! And Ken's carelessness, his naive manner... it was sweeter to Omi than any candy could be. She tucked the blossom into her hair. Maybe... Maybe this time she'd have a chance. She was a girl now, and Ken was a boy. /It might work, right?/ she asked herself. No one answered her. Ken laughed joyfully. Omi looked up. In front of them, a swarm of butterflies rose up on colorful wings. Each a tiny stained glass window, they fluttered across the path, right in front of Omi and Ken. Laughing, Ken grabbed Omi's hand and dragged her into the swarm. "They like you!" he cried, pointing to the butterflies that alighted on Omi's head and shoulders. "They're beautiful!" Omi sighed, looking in wonderment around her. She looked at Ken and saw his childlike happiness. He squeezed her hand; they were still holding hands. Omi smiled back at Ken. /This may be my only chance,/ she thought as she stepped closer to Ken. Ken threw his arm around her in friendly way. /I'm going to use it wisely./ ~~~~ Ken trudged along. The afternoon sun was hot. His armor was heavy. The metal dug into him in several uncomfortable places. The added chain mail was also cumbersome. He felt weighted down. And the sun made him sweat. And trapped in that armor, he couldn't escape his own fierce smell. Knowing this, the others tactfully walked upwind of him. "Are we ever going to reach a town?" Ken whined. He scratched again at his neck where the chain mail irritated his skin and the collar of his breastplate dug into him. Yoji turned, putting his hands on his hips. "Just shut up, okay? We're tired of hearing you complain. We'll reach a town when we reach one! We can't make one come to us!" "But I'm hungry!" Ken wailed. "And I can't walk another step!" Aya whirled, opening his mouth, about to lash out at Ken. Omi quickly put her hand on Aya's arm. "Hey, Aya. I'm hungry too. Maybe we could stop for awhile?" Her big blue eyes looked hopefully up at Aya. Aya sighed. "I *suppose* we could stop for a bit..." He sounded reluctant to stop and rest. Yoji had been scouting ahead, but now they heard him shout. He bounded up the trail back towards them waving his arms wildly. Aya turned, readying his staff for hand-to-hand combat fighting. Yoji ran up to them and skidded to a halt, leaning over to catch his breath. "Don't... stop now! There's a town... over the ridge!" Ken bolted to his feet. "A town?" he asked, hardly daring to believe. Yoji pointed to the sky. Grey tendrils of smoke wafted up into the afternoon sky. "Those are the fires of a town," he explained, catching his breath. "I saw rooftops, too." Ken, even though he was wearing full metal plate armor, plus chain mail and several swords and daggers, broke into a full run as he raced down the path. Behind him ran Omi, who had a hard time catching up to the racing warrior. Yoji stood with his hands on his hips. Aya stood quietly beside him. Aya arched a fine eyebrow over a violet eye. "Can't walk another step, huh?" ~~~~ PART FOUR Ken and Omi were sitting on the grass next to the signpost for the town. Talaith was a town of several hundred residents, a town known for its share of wealthy merchants. The streets, paved with white stone, were clean from waste, and the people who rushed to and fro were friendly. Even the town's name, Talaith, had meaning. Talaith, the jewel in the king’s crown, was referring to the large bazaar and market place that was always open. Nowhere else in the world was there a market like Talaith's. Yoji looked the houses over as they traveled down the wide main avenue. The houses were all clean cut and brightly painted, evidence of continual work. He smiled, rubbing his hands together. "I'm sure I could pick *something* up here," he said, a gleam coming into his eyes. Omi frowned. "You won't steal anything! We're like guests in this world! You'd better behave like one!" Yoji stuck his lower lip out, his eyes doing a good impression of Omi's when the blond boy was sad. "Aww, Omi! I'm a thief after all! Forbidding me to steal will just make me want to do it more!" Ken laughed, putting a hand on Omi's shoulder. "You might as well give it up, Omittchi. He'll do it anyway." Omi sighed, more concerned with Ken's hand on her shoulder than with Yoji now. "I suppose so," she said absently. "Say," Yoji remarked. "Where's Aya?" The three looked about. Aya wasn't in the immediate area. Omi walked back the way they came. She was about to tell the other two to split up to search when Aya turned the corner and walked up to them. He pointed up the street. "The inn's this way," was all he said before stalking off. Yoji frowned after the man. "And he's back to the Aya we knew." He threw up his hands and turned to follow. "I swear, I don't understand that man!" They stopped outside the inn. Ken advanced to the door, but Aya called him back. "We're here now, Aya," Ken complained. "Let us go in!" Aya's eyes narrowed. "And how are we going to pay for this? We don't even know what the currency is here, and we don't even know if we have it!" Yoji reached into his pack and pulled out a few small pouches. "Mm, found these earlier," he said, jingling one. They heard the clank of coins inside. "They're all different though." He looked away, towards the part of town where the voices were loudest, obviously the Great Market. He licked his lips in anticipation. "If you'll give me an hour, I can tell you what currency is used here." Omi put her hands on her hips in frustration. "Yoji," she warned. "Fine," said Aya, cutting her off. "Be back in a hour, sharp. We're all tired and want to rest." Yoji grinned, pulling his shades down on his nose. "Trust me," he said in such a way that none of the three especially wanted to trust him. "I'll be back with information for you." He threw his pack over his shoulder and waltzed away nonchalantly. Ken turned back to regard the inn. "Well, the least we could do is go in for a drink," he suggested, looking hopefully at Aya. Aya sighed, tugging on an ear tail. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "It will do us good to rest." They pushed open the heavy wooden door and were greeted by a rush of cool air. They stepped in quickly to get out of the hot afternoon sun. The place inside was dark in a cool way. The man behind the bar glanced up at them briefly before going back to rubbing at a mug with a spotless rag. The three stood there in the entranceway, a little unsure. The room was long and narrow, stretching out for a full sixty yards in front of them. The room was littered with oaken tables and their bench seats. The long, polished bar took up one side of the room. Opposite the bar, on the left side of the room, a staircase led up, presumably to the rooms that the inn rented out. The floor of the tavern was laid with cobblestones that retained their coolness, giving the room its chill feeling. But after the hot, sticky air outside, this coldness was refreshing. They walked across the floor, intent on a table near the fire pit in the center of the room. The fire was kept small to prevent it from giving off any unnecessary heat. Ken clanked loudly across the cobblestones, and he flushed in embarrassment. None of the other patrons of the inn seemed to notice. There were about two handfuls of people in the tavern, and they took no notice of the three new visitors. The reached a table and sat down. Aya felt compelled to draw the hood of his red robes up over his head, giving him a creepy appearance, Omi thought. They sat in silence, each absently toying with one of their new possessions. "You want something?" They looked up in surprise. A young, buxom girl stood next to their table, standing between Ken and Aya. Ken glanced up, his eyes wide, his face flushing. She had wavy, dark brown hair, cut irregularly so that some of it curled coyly around her face, while the other half trailed straight down her back. Her green eyes were set amongst the paleness of her face. She wore a low-cut, highly hemmed dress that she filled out nicely. /She's so pretty,/ Ken thought, but then, he wasn't looking at her face. Seeing his look, Omi calmly kicked Ken in the leg, in a place where his armor didn't cover. Ken cursed loudly, shooting daggers at the calm blond girl. "We'll have... um... ale, is it?" Omi stumbled. She blushed. What *do* they serve in taverns, anyway? "Wine," Aya said softly. The girl looked at Aya with a curious look of fear, and nodded slowly. "I'll be back with it," she said. She swayed off, and Ken watched with wide eyes the way her hips moved. He promptly received another kick from Omi. "Geeze!" he said, trying to kick Omi back. She deftly avoided his metal shod foot. "What's your problem anyway? It's like you’re jealous, or something!" Omi's eyes went wide, and her face flushed with anger. Without thinking, she reached over and slapped Ken full across the face. "Damn!" he howled. He looked at Omi with hurt eyes. "What was that for?" "Hmph," was all Omi would say to him. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back on him. "Omi!" Ken wailed. A man at the bar laughed and nudged his partner. "I see ol' Cordelia has gotten between another couple!" His friend, plainly drunk, burst out in hysterical laughter. Omi flushed darkly after over hearing this. "We're not a couple," she muttered. Her blue eyes, gone dark with embarrassment and anger, followed the serving girl around the room. /What has she got that I don't have?/ she asked herself angrily. /Just because her chest is a bit bigger, and she wears a short skirt.../ She glanced over her shoulder at Ken. He stared off into space, his chin resting in his hand. She timidly bit her lower lip. /Maybe if I wore a short skirt.../ The serving girl came back with their mugs and slapped them on the table. She warily eyed Aya, and opened her mouth to say something. Thinking better of it, she rushed off without a word. Ken watched her go longingly. "They sure don't make women like that in Tokyo," he commented. Omi turned around to face him, her eyes meeting his. "Ken," she said softly, emotion in her voice. Ken looked up curiously. "Omi?" he questioned. Omi squeezed her eyes tight and forced a smile. "Ahh, nothing!" She smiled, a bit more relaxed now. "I'm sorry for hitting you," she said. He smiled back at her, reaching out a hand to ruffle her hair. "Ahh, it's okay." Time passed slowly in the cool inn. The three didn't have much to talk about. Aya didn't say much unless he was directly addressed. Suddenly, the door to the tavern burst open. Yoji stood there, posing for moment to let his magnificence sink in. He strolled casually in, winking cheekily at the barmaid. "Never fear, your Yoji dear is here!" he said, gracefully sitting down at their table. Omi looked at Ken, her eyes wide. "I don't have a 'Yoji dear', do I?" Ken shook his head, his eyes equally as innocent. "I don't think so. I know *I* don't." Yoji frowned, swiping Omi's full drink and taking a gulp of the ale. "Yeah, yeah. Say what you will." He reached into a pocket and threw one of the small pouches on the table. "Here's the currency for this place." Aya's eyes narrowed as he picked up the pouch. "It didn't seem this heavy when you first showed it to us," he remarked. Omi fixed Yoji with a disapproving gaze. Yoji shrugged and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, well, one does what one must. At least it'll pay for a room for a few days." The serving girl hurried over to them. "Excuse me," she said, a slight flush creeping over her cheeks as Aya fixed her with a gaze. "I didn't mean to over hear, but I heard that you are looking for a room?" Aya's violet eyes were hard as they looked at her. It set the girl to shifting nervously under his scrutinizing gaze. "We desire lodgings, yes. I suppose that this facility provides just that?" The girl forced a smile that faltered. She kept glancing nervously at Aya. "Why, um, yes. We do have rooms open, if you'd like to rent them. Twenty rupees a night." Aya stood, smoothing out his red robes. The others followed suit, gathering their belongings. "Then book two rooms..." "Whoa now Aya!" Yoji stepped in front of the red robed man, putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back a few paces. Aya's eyes glinted dangerously. He slapped Yoji's hand away. "Don't touch me," he hissed. "We don't have the money to book two rooms," Yoji whispered. "If we did that, we'd be all out of money in two days!" Aya frowned, a crease marring his forehead. He didn't like the thought of sharing a room with three other individuals, one being a girl. He sighed. It couldn't be helped. He pushed past Yoji and walked up to the girl. She had been making shy eye contact with Ken, who was puffed up so large that he needed to be popped. Omi hovered behind him like a dark thundercloud, ready to lash out like lightning. The reappearance of Aya distracted the serving girl from Ken. "One room," he commanded. He opened the pouch and drew forth the money needed. The girl rushed away to the counter, depositing the money and grabbing a key. She held it shyly out to Aya, who snatched it from her grasp. "It's on the second floor, third door from the end on the right," she told them, pointing at the stairs. Aya floated up the stairs in his red robes, never looking back at the girl. Omi pushed a giddy Ken up the stairs. Ken tried to smile back at the girl, waving his hand. Omi promptly smacked him once more. Yoji shook his head and followed them. He tossed a hand over his shoulder. "Thanks," he murmured. The girl leaned on the bar, looking at the steps long after they were gone. /A mage,/ she thought, her eyes narrowing. /Why did he have to come here?/ ~~~~ PART FIVE They reached the room, and immediately they all threw themselves down in the cramped space. Yoji and Omi immediately claimed the two beds by throwing themselves on them. Aya slumped in the only chair. Ken fell to the floor, sounding like a bull in a bell shop. They sat in blessed silence, listening to the fading sounds of Ken's armor. No one moved and no one made a sound. They must have sat there for what seemed like an hour before Aya finally moved. He heaved himself out of his chair, leaning heavily on his staff. "Get up," he said, nudging Yoji with the metal shod tip of his staff. Yoji rolled over onto his back and looked at Aya with narrowed eyes. "Make me," he said. Aya sighed, thumping his staff back onto the ground. "Get up. We're going to get something to eat." Yoji waved a hand at Aya. "No thanks. I already ate." "How nice," Aya said in an acid voice. He bowed slightly, gesturing at the door. "Then perhaps you'd show me the way." Yoji yawned, pointing at Ken. "Take Ken, or Omi." "Ken's armor is giving me a headache, and I don't want him clanging around in the market place. As for Omi, she's going to stay here and help Ken get that metal contraption off. That leaves only you." Yoji heaved himself to his feet, grabbing his pack. "Fine, fine." "We'll be back," Aya said as he closed the door behind him. Omi lay on the bed on her stomach. She hadn't responded once since she had laid down. Ken sat with his back against the bed she lay in. He looked at her nervously. "Omi?" he asked quietly, afraid to break the silence if she was sleeping. "Hmm?" came the sleepy reply. "Were you sleeping?" Omi pushed herself up on her arms. She smiled down at Ken, her face tired looking. "No, I hadn't fallen asleep yet." Ken smiled up at her, reached up to ruffle her hair with a gauntleted hand. "I'm glad you hadn't fallen asleep. Will you help me take this armor off?" Omi sat on the edge of the bed. She frowned slightly, remembering what had happened downstairs in the tavern. Ken didn't notice, as he had already stood up with his back to her. "What was wrong with you before?" Ken asked. He looked back curiously at Omi. He smiled. "It’s almost like you were jealous." Omi looked up, her eyes wide as her face flushed. "Jealous?" she asked, laughing nervously. She knelt next to Ken, beginning to fiddle with his leg greaves. "Don't be silly." He smiled down at her, a warm smile filled with friendship that he felt for the girl next to him. "I'm glad," he said, reaching down and placing a hand on her head. "I think you're much prettier than her anyway." Omi looked up in surprise. Her cheeks flushed alarmingly. Did he know? Did he feel the same way? He smiled, his eyes closed, in a naive way. Omi sighed. No, he didn't feel the way she did. He was just commenting, like a child, to make her feel better. She smiled to herself as she went back to prying off his leg armor. It didn't matter if he loved her or not. They'd always be friends. Omi had even considered Ken his brother until he began to have deeper feelings for the boy. But it didn't matter, she tried to convince herself. She had his love, even if it was a little misplaced. Ken looked down in surprise. "Omi?" he asked, kneeling next to her. "What's wrong? You're crying!" He struggled with his gauntlets, succeeding in pulling them off. He clasped Omi's face in his hands. "What's wrong?" he repeated. Omi smiled, trying to wipe away the tears that kept coming to her eyes. "Its nothing, Ken," she said. She laughed slightly. "They just won't stop." Ken began stroking away the tears with his own fingers. "Don't cry, little Omittchi. I don't want you to be sad. Is something wrong? Are you thinking of home?" Omi shook her head, leaning her face into Ken's gentle hands. "No. I'm just... flattered that you called me pretty...," she whispered. Ken smiled, reaching out to stroke her bangs off her forehead. "Of course you are, Omittchi. You have a pure, angelic beauty that the girl downstairs didn't have. You're much prettier than her." Omi smiled, closing her eyes to hide the pain there. /I'm just his sister,/ she thought, /Just like how I was once his brother. He'll never love me like I want him to./ She laughed, pushing Ken away playfully. "You stink." Ken flushed in embarrassment. "Let's get that armor off you." ~~~~ Yoji tossed the bag from hand to hand as they walked up the stairs. "Really, Aya," Yoji was complaining. "I still think we were cheated!" Aya sighed, tugging on one of his ear tails. "We were!" Yoji kept it up. "This little food for so much coin! Now I haven't been here long, but I think I know when we're being cheated..." He stopped as a loud clang came from inside their room. Aya and Yoji exchanged glances. Aya took the package and quickly stuffed it under his robes, readying his staff for fighting. Yoji drew his short sword and put his hand on the door. Aya nodded to him Throwing open the door, Yoji leapt in, followed by Aya. They crouched in fighting positions until they realized that there was nothing to fight. Ken lay on his back on the floor. The only piece of armor he wore was his breastplate and shoulder guards. Only, his shoulder guards were on the wrong way, sticking out over his chest instead of his shoulders. Omi lay sprawled on top of the warrior, her hands tangled in the shoulder guard that she had tried to remove. Her face, centimeters away from Ken's, was flushed bright red. Aya ran a hand through his hair, thumping his staff down loudly. "What happened?" he asked with a sigh. Ken flushed, trying to sit up with Omi on top of him. Omi wiggled her hands and finally removed them, scrambling off of Ken. "Well," Omi began. "I was trying to get his shoulder guard off. It wouldn't come off, so I thought I'd try twisting it. I twisted it, it slipped suddenly and trapped my hands. The force of my push caused Ken to fall over..." She flushed bright red, more interested in the way her foot scuffed the ground than anything else. Yoji kicked at the pile of armor that lay on the floor. "What are we going to do with this?" Ken lifted the shoulder plates over his head, followed by his breastplate. "Um, the voice in my head tells me that I was going to sell it." Yoji sighed, slumping down on the bed. /Voices in our heads,/ he snorted to himself. /We must be crazy./ "Thank God for that! I couldn't stand having you around in that awful metal again! Not only the sound, but the smell!" Yoji waved a hand in front of his face. "Really, Ken! Go find a river or something to bathe in!"