Entirely for Anisa the Shu-chan
And well today is
shuichified 's birthdaaaaaaay!!!
I'm sorry we couldn't have the hang out thing work out today but I'm sure you must be having lot of fun with your family and friends. You are after all now 18 years old. I don't remember being excited at that thought when it was mine but whatever floats your sampan. Last year the gang managed to arrange the meet-up at Pyramid with you running to and fro your classes and even Val and Ping were there. But no worries, each year is a different day and so a different way of celebrating. As is tradition, or so I find it since it's been the same for the last two years, I thought I should write you something for your birthday present; something that I hardly do nowadays. I'm currently financially unstable to get you anything so I hope me writing is good enough or at least satisfactory enough. The problem then is … what on earth do I write you? I read through the last fic I wrote and am completely stumped. I keep saying I'd write Chapter 13 but as you would know, it's already lost its appeal, both to its readers and the writer herself but…try I would. So here goes…
Rye: You're only trying to write now?!
Ally: Maa, maa, at least the day's not over, ne? *grins*
Rae: I'm completely stumped and suffering from writer's block. *sigh*
Rye: Not to mention you've completely forgotten all about us!
Ally: *gasp* That's not true! Rae's always thinking about us!!!
Rye: Yea? Look we use to call her 'Au Au' don't we? Now she's gone off to be 'Rae'.
Rae: You know…you can still call me that! Ish.
Elle: And like how come it's always those two that get to be in the intro before the story starts?
Hariette: It's called favouritism. See, her entire story has the theme 'favouritism'.
Shuichi: *sniff* Shu has a REAL boyfriend now...*sniff* I'm not needed.
Rye: WHY THE HELL ARE ALL OF YOU HERE!? GET LOST!!! OUT!!!!!
Title: [SPECIAL] - Shu's 18th Birthday
Word Count: approx. 3461 words
Started writing at: 14:02
Finished at: 18:07
Disclaimer: All characters owned by me except for Pearce.
Completely unedited save for colours and other fancy additionals.
ONLY FOR ANISA
☆☆☆
Characters to appear (in alphabetical order):
1) Alex
2) Alexis
3) Aji I & II
4) Caederye
5) Caerie
6) Elle
7) Flames
8) Hariette
9) Pearce
10) Plont
11) Rheo
12) Shuichi
13) Tonia
14) Xero
Special Appearance by the author: Au Au/Rae
☆☆☆
The night sky was a dark canvas without the accompaniment of its usual clusters of stars and the crescent moon. A gloomy building sat as it had always had at the far end of Aien's marketplace; the Academy was once the most prestigious institution of its kind in its era of birth but time, though the clock continues to tick, had stopped its effects from aging the place. The sea had frozen in its waves, the trees with its flowers were still though the wind continues to blow through the silent town. The Great Clock built on the tallest tower of the local castle was giving off hints of glow as the second hand slowly ticks away towards twelve midnight. And then, the clock face burst into a yellow light, the black numbers and the hands of the clock rimmed in the darkest black glow broke the spell of Time. It rang, for the first time in many months, the Great Clock rang once more. Its thunderous bells sounded from the castle all the way till the ends of the oceans and to the kingdoms of even more faraway lands.
A pair of yellow eyes flashed open and a smile spread across the Witch's face. Symphonia is awaken once more.
☆☆☆
"Wake up! Elle, wake up!" cried an annoying voice, breaking the comfortable sleep the said girl was wrapped in.
"What is it?" mumbled the auburn haired girl sleepily. The Sandman had given her the biggest blast of his charm as she struggled to shake herself awake.
"It's morning! Oh my gosh, Elle! Symphonia is revived!" replied the same girl in her excessive excitement.
"It's true, Elle. The spell is broken," came another voice, this one was layered with monotones.
She got up, rubbing her eyes and combing her hair with her fingers. A flash of morning light blinded her vision as she heard the curtains violently pulled open. Elle managed to force her eyes open and a tall girl with blond curls standing by the side of her door frame came into vision. "Te!" she cried.
"Long time no see, Elle," replied Hariette with a smile.
"Te, Te, look! There are birds outside Elle's window!" exclaimed the first voice she had heard.
"Ally!" called Elle, her head snapping towards the other girl who, by the way she was positioned on the window, looked like she would topple off any moment.
"Ooo, Rye!!! Gooood morning!" sang the girl called Ally from outside the window.
"You're going to fall off, Ally," cautioned Elle, pushing her comforter off her legs.
"Well, let her," answered Hariette as a long finger carefully gave the third girl a push and before Elle could stop her, Alexis had fallen out of the window. A loud cry was heard and an almost non-audible groan.
"Hariette!" cried Elle as she rushed to her window.
Below her lay Alexis, cushioned from her fall by the First Prince of Symphonia, Caederye. "You idiot," groaned the Prince.
"I killed Rye!!! Oh my God!!! I killed the Prince! Help!!!" cried Alexis as she quickly got off the green-eyed teenager.
"I'm not dead yet, you idiot! You're not that heavy!"
Alexis stopped mid-second before choking the Prince with her arms tightly knitted around his neck, "You're saying I'm not that fat!!! Yaaaay!!!"
"Simple-minded, isn't she?" chuckled Hariette next to Elle.
"You planned that," replied Elle, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"For a good cause. Besides, it's a good way to celebrate our awakening."
☆☆☆
"Is everyone here already?" asked Hariette, tying her hair into a neat bun.
"I think there's still three more," answered Xero, ticking the attendance sheet.
"Why do you even have an attendance sheet?" she asked again impatiently.
"Because."
She waited for the rest of the answer but it seemed that was it. She heaved a sigh in annoyance. That's exactly like that guy's irritating attitude. She looked around the Music Room and the people hanging about. Everyone seemed excited to see each other again after such a long time. They had been sleeping for far too long. In the corner where the piano was sat Alexis and Caederye on the piano bench with the wavy-haired girl randomly playing notes on the instrument while the Prince merely continues reading his book as if it was just another boring day. Caerie and Elle was sitting near them, chatting animatedly about the last events that had happened before the spell had hit their world. On the other side of Xero, the self-proclaimed 'Leader of the Treasured Children' were his best friend, Rheo along with the other two 'Treasures', Toni and Flames. And another guy. Completely frustrated she exclaimed loudly, "てゆうか さ, どえして ピヤス が ここ に?!"
Everyone in the room turned and stared at her. Elle merely replied, " I think the bigger question here isn't about Pearce but you speaking in Japanese. Broken Japanese too."
Hariette blushed in embarrassment as she shrugged. Before any further attention could be lavished upon her sudden outburst, the door flung open to reveal Plont with three other guys who were all of different sizes - he was as resourceful as ever in finding people. "I found them!" announced the young man.
"Ah! Fantastic! We can begin then. Stop whimpering, the three of you!" snapped Elle harshly.
"B-b-but...Akira isn't here!!! There's no point in living anymore!!! The children will not persevere without their stunning mother either!!!" sobbed Aji I with an already very damp handkerchief.
"Where did you find them?" whispered Caerie as Plont went over to sit next to her.
"Him? Hanging from the school's flag pole..."
The Princess gasped.
"...with the string tied around his wrists," continued Plont.
"The two of you never did have children, Aji I," explained Xero patiently.
The shorter and yet elder Aji brother stopped short before plunging into an even louder sobbing chant, "That's worse now! My Kira-cake and I lost our our love symbols! Oh my poor Ajira an Ajiki!"
Hariette sighed, "だから ..."
She stopped again before anyone could realize what she was saying. "Why on earth is every word coming out of my mouth in Japanese?!" she wondered in silence before a hiccup escaped her mouth.
"And me! And me!!! Ask me! Ask me why I don't want to live either?!" sobbed the second Aji brother.
Before Caerie could ask Plont the same question she had posed earlier, "Digging a ten foot grave using Professor Fye's vegetable garden," answered the older boy automatically with a smile.
Elle heaved a sigh. The whole room must be filled with the entire company's sighs there. "Why do you not want to live either?" asked the assassin dully.
The biggest drops of tears they had ever seen released itself from Aji's grey-ish eyes as he went on to explain in a speed that's even incomparable to the fastest train in the world. (Hariette: *hic* 新幹線/しんかんせん ? ) All the gang could make out from his abrupt speech were the keywords 'Jae', 'disappeared' and 'nowhere to be found'.
For the first time since they had entered the room, Caederye spoke. "But aren't there other eye-candies around for you to goggle at like a gorilla?" he asked with piercing green eyes, a hint that he found Aji II's reasons to commit suicide to be the dumbest ever to forgo life.
Aji II stopped blinking, or rather what everyone was more happy about was that he stopped crying, and stared at Caederye with puppy eyes…and sniffed and then launched another, if not worse, shrill word vomit of his, "YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! OMG! RYEEEE~ YOU CARE FOR ME!!! I ALWAYS KNEW YOU HAD THE BIIIIIGGEST CRUSH ON--"
It seems the Prince's patience for stupidity, in his dictionary, had ran out. "My bag!!!" cried Ally.
The aforesaid belonging of his fiancee had been thrown across the room and was stopped by Aji II's face with a loud thud. "I'll buy you a new one," replied Caederye as he held her hand and continued reading his book.
Rheo blinked. "What on earth did you put inside your bag, Ally?" she asked.
"Erm...lots of carrots and a few bag of oats...we were going to go feed Cream Puff after this," laughed Alexis weakly.
No one asked further. They knew it was Ally's usual sillyness to pack that loud of an amount to feed a horse. Silence filled the room for a few minutes as they looked at each other awkwardly, save for Rye.
"Ne, don't you think it's a bit different without the other gang here?" asked Alexis timidly.
"Yea, you're right...like if something like that had happened to Aji II..." began Caerie.
"Akira would have thrown a fit of horror and fussed over him..." continued Plont.
Xero laughed, "And then Aji I would have profusely proclaimed it was him she was fussing over."
Pearce added with a chuckle, "And Shu would probably have thrown knives at Aji II for even talking about Jae."
"And then Pink and Soogie would be trying to calm down everyone from fighting with insults and whatnot," said Elle, her eyes unblinking as each person's mind was reminded of the memories they used to share at the Academy.
"Speaking of Shu..." started Flames when a common thought struck in each person's mind there.
The gloomiest person there who had neither spoken a word nor made a movement since his slumped arrival was none other than Shuichi. His clean face had a look of despair and his blue-green eyes no longer twinkle with cheekiness as it used to. "シュイチ *hic*?" called Hariette.
Silence.
"I heard…she got a real boyfriend back home already…" croaked the senior, his eyes still staring fixed at the floor.
"まあ...ね... ." answered Alexis slowly.
"Wha-" started Caerie again.
"Oh him? He was just in his room," answered Plont again.
"What is he? Psychic?" thought Caerie in amazement.
Silence. And then, everyone sighed yet again.
☆☆☆
"It was good to see you again, Yuuko-san," said an anonymous girl with a smile, offering a hand.
The Dimensional Witch only returned another one of her rare all-knowing and warm smile. "And I should be saying that," she replied, ignoring the hand with a hug instead. "I have many other dimensions to run but this is after all something different and sacred for you and them."
" まあ...ね... " came the reply.
☆☆☆
As the gang continued getting lost in their thoughts, while Rye still reading his book though not a page had been turned since the discussion, the sound of footsteps starts to break into their minds. It gradually got louder and the echoes throughout the empty hallway rings back into the Music Room. And then it stopped.
A knock.
"C-come in," stuttered Elle.
The door opened and…"Au Au!!!" gasped everyone, jumping from their seats (except for Shuichi).
"Oh my god! What's she doing here!?!?" cried Pearce.
"Yo!" she called out cheerfully to the gang with a peace sign.
Alexis got up immediately - Rye had released his grasp on her hand - and rushed over to her side. "You're here, Rae!" exclaimed Alexis, her lavender eyes shining with joy as she gave the older girl a bear hug.
"Rae?" chorused the group.
" まあ ...Au Au's good too. It's who I am anyhow," she replied with a smile to Ally who had held her hand tightly as they stood side by side.
Caederye stared at Au Au with soft green eyes, which was a privilege only to the special few. "So, there is a reason as to why we were awaken," he said.
The tall newcomer nodded. "Can't you guess?"
Shuichi's head lifted. "It's Shu's 18th birthday, the 20th of April," he answered.
Au Au nodded. "そう! "
"So…that means we're going to go back to being dead corpses after today?" asked Tonia bluntly with an uncaring expression.
Flames gave a chuckle, "No, Toni. We're just go back to sleep! Like Sleeping Beauty!"
"Ooooo, I LOVE THAT STORY! It was so touching and brave, you know that dragon…" added Pearce in excitement.
"I know!!! It was like...my aim to be like that!" replied Flames.
"Rae's not finished yet!" interrupted Alexis.
Au Au giggled. "Thank you, Ally."
"You know…I've been wondering *hic*…" began Hariette, the brightness in her blue eyes standing out despite her blond hair, "how come Ally is still here when the rest is gone?"
Elle realized where this was going. "That's true. Most of the others have already left from this world…Alexis had always been a mirror self of you here…"
Rye immediately answered, a tint of anger arising in his voice, "I won't have her leave, Hariette."
Alexis gave a small smile, her grasp on Au Au's hand tightened. "Rye…" she whispered, the lavender and green eyes met, lost in staring at each other.
Au Au took a breath and not looking at them said, "Because I didn't allow that. Without Alexis, and in fact, without you, Hariette and Elle, this whole world would not have existed."
They look at each other, puzzled. "Each part and puzzle of this place, every person that you have met here were created because of the existence of the each other you have. If you don't know it yet, Te, Elle, the both of you are also mirror selves of someone from my world."
"But Akira, Shu, Pink and Soogie…are who they are in their own world. We can continue on here because we belong in here and not out there," added Alexis.
No one knew how to respond. "The story's unfinished, Rae," said Rye, breaking the silence.
"I know that," she replied with a smile. "But today, if you had valued the times each of you had spent together, I hope we could do something for Shu…since it's the day that she was born into any world."
"And and we thought it'd be nice if we included the other three members as well!" continued Alexis.
"Ally, Au Au, can the two of you please stop continuing each other sentences?" snapped an irritated Elle.
The two of them laughed. Ne, I think only the two of us are the most alike in here compared with Elle and Hariette with their mirrors, came Alexis' voice passing by Au Au's mind. そう...ね...
Within minutes, coloured papers had been passed around with a variety of coloured markers and pens and whatever art supplies they could find. BANG! Aji I had kicked open the door with more art supplies in his small hands, "Guys! I found more artsy stuff!!!!!"
"Oh no, you don't! That's Shu's!!! She'll want them when she gets back!!!" cried Shuichi as he ran after the smaller guy.
☆☆☆
"じゃあ...いてきます!" said Au Au, with a bag full of the birthday cards the gang had made for the missing four.
"You'll come back, right?" asked Rye, standing in front of Au Au.
"まあ...ね," came the uncertain reply.
Rye gave a small laugh. "The two of you are too alike."
"What will happen to us?" asked Rheo.
"I'll be back to wake you guys up again. Don't worry."
"Well, that's what you keep saying," replied Xero.
"But I'll wait for ya, Au Au!" cheered a smiling Flames.
"We all will," added another newcomer.
"Alex!" cried everyone in unison.
"I just woke up," explained the younger boy sheepishly.
"Ally, come. She needs to go," coaxed Rye gently as he reached out for Alexis' hands.
"I'll see you all soon," said Au Au with a smile.
☆
(a real-life drawing of a cat and the following message in black ink)
Hey Shu,
Hairpee Berfdei tooo ewe! WHAHAHA! YOU'RE GETTING OLDER~~~!!! But never mind lar, getting old is a privilege. How else can you get wrinkles?
Love,
The Most Intelligent Elle
☆
(made with lots of colour pens and glitter and colour papers stuck here and there)
Dearest Shu,
Happy 18th Birthday to you! You've gotten as beautiful and as smart as ever. I'm very honoured to have you as my friend. Because it's your birthday, I'm obliged to shower you with compliments...even if they are lies. LOL. Anything to make you happy.
Lots of love,
Hariette
☆
(written with lots of colour pens and stickers with random doodles here and there)
Hi Shu!!! ★
Happy 18th Birthday! My greeting's the same as Au Au actually but because everyone around was making one so I thought I'll just make onetoo! Erm...may all your dreams come true...PLEASE PLEASE EAT! And...PLEASE PLEASE SLEEP! Oh oh and you must SMILE, KAAAAY?!REMEMBER YOU KNOW!? BE HAPPY!!!
★★★
Love ya,
Ally
☆
(written with blue ink)
Shu.
Happy Birthday. Yay. You forgot mine last year and you claimed you don't know me. I hope you know who I am by now.
Antonia/Tonia/Toni.
☆
(every colour imaginable and made with 7 different colour papers)
HALLO SHU-CHAN!!!
MY NAME IS FLAMES! AND I'M LIKE BROTHERS WITH PEARCE! HE'S A FUN GUY!
♪HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ♪HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ♪HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAY TO SHU-CHAAAN~♪
♪HAAAAAPPEEEE BIIIIIRTHDAAAAY TO YOUUUU~~~~~♪
*cue for claps please* CLAP CLAP CLAP! XD
THE AMAZING FLAMES!
☆
(made on a pink slip of paper and tinged with scented cologne and tied to a red rose)
Hey there babe,
I think the two of us has yet to interact much but believe me when I say I will overcome even the Dimensional Witch just so the two of us can be together. I believe in the power of love. Do give me your number, okay? Au Au wouldn't do it. I bet she told you I'm like such a flirt but really, I'm not. So if you got the time, maybe we could go catch a movie or something. Here's my email: xeroxx00@treasuredchildren.com.symp
Oh and Happy Birthday, pretty.
You're of legal age now. ^__^
❤ Xero
☆
(simple and attached is a daisy)
Good day Shuichi,
How are you? I hope you're well. Happy Birthday and may you have a wondrous day with lots of good food and nice presents spent with your loved ones. Time is something that should be valued. I would know best. So anyways, happy birthday.
Yours truly,
Orario/Rheo
☆
(in bright red colours with red glitter)
SHU-CHAN. PLEASE BRING JAE BACK WHEN YOU COME BACK. OR JUST MAIL HIM TO ME! I WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM.
THE HANDSOME AJI II
☆
(rolled up into a scroll with a ribbon with cursive handwritings inside)
To the fair lady known as Shuichi the girl,
Please tell Kira-cake I will invent a dimension traveling machine to meet her. Tell her not to cry and that the kids are well. I will stay strong for her sake and we will reunite once again.
(a cop mohor of the Mafia Gang and a signature by Aji I)
☆
(on a cute piece of stationery paper with chibi drawings and written in pink ink)
Dear Shu,
Happy Birthday. I hope you had a great one. Work hard and your dreams will soon succeed into action.
Yours sincerely,
The Princess of Symphonia,
Caerie daughter of the late King Aion
☆
(on a piece of yellow paper and neat handwriting in blue ink)
Dear Shu,
Happy 18th Birthday. Another year older, another year wiser. I've attached a copy of my newfound recipe to make chocolate brownies. I hope you like them. Everyone enjoyed it when I made them for Caerie's birthday last year. Be a good girl, okay? =)
Plont.
☆
(on a black piece of paper written in silver ink)
Shu.
Happy Birthday. Be happy.
Caederye.
☆
To my dearest Shu-chan,
How are you? I hope you're doing well. No matter what troubles you face, I want you to know that everyone here will continue to support you. We may only exist in the written world of Au Au but even so, we all like your presence. All four of you. Although the real world is a lot tougher than the world in which you come in and out of here, that's also the real place where love, family and friends are. Do persevere and stay strong. Don't let anyone hurt you but I'm sure no one would dare with that power of intimidation of yours. Keeping things short, Happy Birthday, Shu-chan. I love you.
Your precious Dewdrop
☆
(on a scribbled scrap piece of coloured paper)
ShuHAPPYBIRTHDAYAlex.P.S.Sorrywasinarushtodothis.kthx.Byebye.
☆THE END☆
☆Reira`☆
shuichified 's birthdaaaaaaay!!!
I'm sorry we couldn't have the hang out thing work out today but I'm sure you must be having lot of fun with your family and friends. You are after all now 18 years old. I don't remember being excited at that thought when it was mine but whatever floats your sampan. Last year the gang managed to arrange the meet-up at Pyramid with you running to and fro your classes and even Val and Ping were there. But no worries, each year is a different day and so a different way of celebrating. As is tradition, or so I find it since it's been the same for the last two years, I thought I should write you something for your birthday present; something that I hardly do nowadays. I'm currently financially unstable to get you anything so I hope me writing is good enough or at least satisfactory enough. The problem then is … what on earth do I write you? I read through the last fic I wrote and am completely stumped. I keep saying I'd write Chapter 13 but as you would know, it's already lost its appeal, both to its readers and the writer herself but…try I would. So here goes…
Rye: You're only trying to write now?!
Ally: Maa, maa, at least the day's not over, ne? *grins*
Rae: I'm completely stumped and suffering from writer's block. *sigh*
Rye: Not to mention you've completely forgotten all about us!
Ally: *gasp* That's not true! Rae's always thinking about us!!!
Rye: Yea? Look we use to call her 'Au Au' don't we? Now she's gone off to be 'Rae'.
Rae: You know…you can still call me that! Ish.
Elle: And like how come it's always those two that get to be in the intro before the story starts?
Hariette: It's called favouritism. See, her entire story has the theme 'favouritism'.
Shuichi: *sniff* Shu has a REAL boyfriend now...*sniff* I'm not needed.
Rye: WHY THE HELL ARE ALL OF YOU HERE!? GET LOST!!! OUT!!!!!
Title: [SPECIAL] - Shu's 18th Birthday
Word Count: approx. 3461 words
Started writing at: 14:02
Finished at: 18:07
Disclaimer: All characters owned by me except for Pearce.
Completely unedited save for colours and other fancy additionals.
ONLY FOR ANISA
☆☆☆
Characters to appear (in alphabetical order):
1) Alex
2) Alexis
3) Aji I & II
4) Caederye
5) Caerie
6) Elle
7) Flames
8) Hariette
9) Pearce
10) Plont
11) Rheo
12) Shuichi
13) Tonia
14) Xero
Special Appearance by the author: Au Au/Rae
☆☆☆
The night sky was a dark canvas without the accompaniment of its usual clusters of stars and the crescent moon. A gloomy building sat as it had always had at the far end of Aien's marketplace; the Academy was once the most prestigious institution of its kind in its era of birth but time, though the clock continues to tick, had stopped its effects from aging the place. The sea had frozen in its waves, the trees with its flowers were still though the wind continues to blow through the silent town. The Great Clock built on the tallest tower of the local castle was giving off hints of glow as the second hand slowly ticks away towards twelve midnight. And then, the clock face burst into a yellow light, the black numbers and the hands of the clock rimmed in the darkest black glow broke the spell of Time. It rang, for the first time in many months, the Great Clock rang once more. Its thunderous bells sounded from the castle all the way till the ends of the oceans and to the kingdoms of even more faraway lands.
A pair of yellow eyes flashed open and a smile spread across the Witch's face. Symphonia is awaken once more.
☆☆☆
"Wake up! Elle, wake up!" cried an annoying voice, breaking the comfortable sleep the said girl was wrapped in.
"What is it?" mumbled the auburn haired girl sleepily. The Sandman had given her the biggest blast of his charm as she struggled to shake herself awake.
"It's morning! Oh my gosh, Elle! Symphonia is revived!" replied the same girl in her excessive excitement.
"It's true, Elle. The spell is broken," came another voice, this one was layered with monotones.
She got up, rubbing her eyes and combing her hair with her fingers. A flash of morning light blinded her vision as she heard the curtains violently pulled open. Elle managed to force her eyes open and a tall girl with blond curls standing by the side of her door frame came into vision. "Te!" she cried.
"Long time no see, Elle," replied Hariette with a smile.
"Te, Te, look! There are birds outside Elle's window!" exclaimed the first voice she had heard.
"Ally!" called Elle, her head snapping towards the other girl who, by the way she was positioned on the window, looked like she would topple off any moment.
"Ooo, Rye!!! Gooood morning!" sang the girl called Ally from outside the window.
"You're going to fall off, Ally," cautioned Elle, pushing her comforter off her legs.
"Well, let her," answered Hariette as a long finger carefully gave the third girl a push and before Elle could stop her, Alexis had fallen out of the window. A loud cry was heard and an almost non-audible groan.
"Hariette!" cried Elle as she rushed to her window.
Below her lay Alexis, cushioned from her fall by the First Prince of Symphonia, Caederye. "You idiot," groaned the Prince.
"I killed Rye!!! Oh my God!!! I killed the Prince! Help!!!" cried Alexis as she quickly got off the green-eyed teenager.
"I'm not dead yet, you idiot! You're not that heavy!"
Alexis stopped mid-second before choking the Prince with her arms tightly knitted around his neck, "You're saying I'm not that fat!!! Yaaaay!!!"
"Simple-minded, isn't she?" chuckled Hariette next to Elle.
"You planned that," replied Elle, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"For a good cause. Besides, it's a good way to celebrate our awakening."
☆☆☆
"Is everyone here already?" asked Hariette, tying her hair into a neat bun.
"I think there's still three more," answered Xero, ticking the attendance sheet.
"Why do you even have an attendance sheet?" she asked again impatiently.
"Because."
She waited for the rest of the answer but it seemed that was it. She heaved a sigh in annoyance. That's exactly like that guy's irritating attitude. She looked around the Music Room and the people hanging about. Everyone seemed excited to see each other again after such a long time. They had been sleeping for far too long. In the corner where the piano was sat Alexis and Caederye on the piano bench with the wavy-haired girl randomly playing notes on the instrument while the Prince merely continues reading his book as if it was just another boring day. Caerie and Elle was sitting near them, chatting animatedly about the last events that had happened before the spell had hit their world. On the other side of Xero, the self-proclaimed 'Leader of the Treasured Children' were his best friend, Rheo along with the other two 'Treasures', Toni and Flames. And another guy. Completely frustrated she exclaimed loudly, "てゆうか さ, どえして ピヤス が ここ に?!"
Everyone in the room turned and stared at her. Elle merely replied, " I think the bigger question here isn't about Pearce but you speaking in Japanese. Broken Japanese too."
Hariette blushed in embarrassment as she shrugged. Before any further attention could be lavished upon her sudden outburst, the door flung open to reveal Plont with three other guys who were all of different sizes - he was as resourceful as ever in finding people. "I found them!" announced the young man.
"Ah! Fantastic! We can begin then. Stop whimpering, the three of you!" snapped Elle harshly.
"B-b-but...Akira isn't here!!! There's no point in living anymore!!! The children will not persevere without their stunning mother either!!!" sobbed Aji I with an already very damp handkerchief.
"Where did you find them?" whispered Caerie as Plont went over to sit next to her.
"Him? Hanging from the school's flag pole..."
The Princess gasped.
"...with the string tied around his wrists," continued Plont.
"The two of you never did have children, Aji I," explained Xero patiently.
The shorter and yet elder Aji brother stopped short before plunging into an even louder sobbing chant, "That's worse now! My Kira-cake and I lost our our love symbols! Oh my poor Ajira an Ajiki!"
Hariette sighed, "だから ..."
She stopped again before anyone could realize what she was saying. "Why on earth is every word coming out of my mouth in Japanese?!" she wondered in silence before a hiccup escaped her mouth.
"And me! And me!!! Ask me! Ask me why I don't want to live either?!" sobbed the second Aji brother.
Before Caerie could ask Plont the same question she had posed earlier, "Digging a ten foot grave using Professor Fye's vegetable garden," answered the older boy automatically with a smile.
Elle heaved a sigh. The whole room must be filled with the entire company's sighs there. "Why do you not want to live either?" asked the assassin dully.
The biggest drops of tears they had ever seen released itself from Aji's grey-ish eyes as he went on to explain in a speed that's even incomparable to the fastest train in the world. (Hariette: *hic* 新幹線/しんかんせん ? ) All the gang could make out from his abrupt speech were the keywords 'Jae', 'disappeared' and 'nowhere to be found'.
For the first time since they had entered the room, Caederye spoke. "But aren't there other eye-candies around for you to goggle at like a gorilla?" he asked with piercing green eyes, a hint that he found Aji II's reasons to commit suicide to be the dumbest ever to forgo life.
Aji II stopped blinking, or rather what everyone was more happy about was that he stopped crying, and stared at Caederye with puppy eyes…and sniffed and then launched another, if not worse, shrill word vomit of his, "YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! OMG! RYEEEE~ YOU CARE FOR ME!!! I ALWAYS KNEW YOU HAD THE BIIIIIGGEST CRUSH ON--"
It seems the Prince's patience for stupidity, in his dictionary, had ran out. "My bag!!!" cried Ally.
The aforesaid belonging of his fiancee had been thrown across the room and was stopped by Aji II's face with a loud thud. "I'll buy you a new one," replied Caederye as he held her hand and continued reading his book.
Rheo blinked. "What on earth did you put inside your bag, Ally?" she asked.
"Erm...lots of carrots and a few bag of oats...we were going to go feed Cream Puff after this," laughed Alexis weakly.
No one asked further. They knew it was Ally's usual sillyness to pack that loud of an amount to feed a horse. Silence filled the room for a few minutes as they looked at each other awkwardly, save for Rye.
"Ne, don't you think it's a bit different without the other gang here?" asked Alexis timidly.
"Yea, you're right...like if something like that had happened to Aji II..." began Caerie.
"Akira would have thrown a fit of horror and fussed over him..." continued Plont.
Xero laughed, "And then Aji I would have profusely proclaimed it was him she was fussing over."
Pearce added with a chuckle, "And Shu would probably have thrown knives at Aji II for even talking about Jae."
"And then Pink and Soogie would be trying to calm down everyone from fighting with insults and whatnot," said Elle, her eyes unblinking as each person's mind was reminded of the memories they used to share at the Academy.
"Speaking of Shu..." started Flames when a common thought struck in each person's mind there.
The gloomiest person there who had neither spoken a word nor made a movement since his slumped arrival was none other than Shuichi. His clean face had a look of despair and his blue-green eyes no longer twinkle with cheekiness as it used to. "シュイチ *hic*?" called Hariette.
Silence.
"I heard…she got a real boyfriend back home already…" croaked the senior, his eyes still staring fixed at the floor.
"まあ...ね... ." answered Alexis slowly.
"Wha-" started Caerie again.
"Oh him? He was just in his room," answered Plont again.
"What is he? Psychic?" thought Caerie in amazement.
Silence. And then, everyone sighed yet again.
☆☆☆
"It was good to see you again, Yuuko-san," said an anonymous girl with a smile, offering a hand.
The Dimensional Witch only returned another one of her rare all-knowing and warm smile. "And I should be saying that," she replied, ignoring the hand with a hug instead. "I have many other dimensions to run but this is after all something different and sacred for you and them."
" まあ...ね... " came the reply.
☆☆☆
As the gang continued getting lost in their thoughts, while Rye still reading his book though not a page had been turned since the discussion, the sound of footsteps starts to break into their minds. It gradually got louder and the echoes throughout the empty hallway rings back into the Music Room. And then it stopped.
A knock.
"C-come in," stuttered Elle.
The door opened and…"Au Au!!!" gasped everyone, jumping from their seats (except for Shuichi).
"Oh my god! What's she doing here!?!?" cried Pearce.
"Yo!" she called out cheerfully to the gang with a peace sign.
Alexis got up immediately - Rye had released his grasp on her hand - and rushed over to her side. "You're here, Rae!" exclaimed Alexis, her lavender eyes shining with joy as she gave the older girl a bear hug.
"Rae?" chorused the group.
" まあ ...Au Au's good too. It's who I am anyhow," she replied with a smile to Ally who had held her hand tightly as they stood side by side.
Caederye stared at Au Au with soft green eyes, which was a privilege only to the special few. "So, there is a reason as to why we were awaken," he said.
The tall newcomer nodded. "Can't you guess?"
Shuichi's head lifted. "It's Shu's 18th birthday, the 20th of April," he answered.
Au Au nodded. "そう! "
"So…that means we're going to go back to being dead corpses after today?" asked Tonia bluntly with an uncaring expression.
Flames gave a chuckle, "No, Toni. We're just go back to sleep! Like Sleeping Beauty!"
"Ooooo, I LOVE THAT STORY! It was so touching and brave, you know that dragon…" added Pearce in excitement.
"I know!!! It was like...my aim to be like that!" replied Flames.
"Rae's not finished yet!" interrupted Alexis.
Au Au giggled. "Thank you, Ally."
"You know…I've been wondering *hic*…" began Hariette, the brightness in her blue eyes standing out despite her blond hair, "how come Ally is still here when the rest is gone?"
Elle realized where this was going. "That's true. Most of the others have already left from this world…Alexis had always been a mirror self of you here…"
Rye immediately answered, a tint of anger arising in his voice, "I won't have her leave, Hariette."
Alexis gave a small smile, her grasp on Au Au's hand tightened. "Rye…" she whispered, the lavender and green eyes met, lost in staring at each other.
Au Au took a breath and not looking at them said, "Because I didn't allow that. Without Alexis, and in fact, without you, Hariette and Elle, this whole world would not have existed."
They look at each other, puzzled. "Each part and puzzle of this place, every person that you have met here were created because of the existence of the each other you have. If you don't know it yet, Te, Elle, the both of you are also mirror selves of someone from my world."
"But Akira, Shu, Pink and Soogie…are who they are in their own world. We can continue on here because we belong in here and not out there," added Alexis.
No one knew how to respond. "The story's unfinished, Rae," said Rye, breaking the silence.
"I know that," she replied with a smile. "But today, if you had valued the times each of you had spent together, I hope we could do something for Shu…since it's the day that she was born into any world."
"And and we thought it'd be nice if we included the other three members as well!" continued Alexis.
"Ally, Au Au, can the two of you please stop continuing each other sentences?" snapped an irritated Elle.
The two of them laughed. Ne, I think only the two of us are the most alike in here compared with Elle and Hariette with their mirrors, came Alexis' voice passing by Au Au's mind. そう...ね...
Within minutes, coloured papers had been passed around with a variety of coloured markers and pens and whatever art supplies they could find. BANG! Aji I had kicked open the door with more art supplies in his small hands, "Guys! I found more artsy stuff!!!!!"
"Oh no, you don't! That's Shu's!!! She'll want them when she gets back!!!" cried Shuichi as he ran after the smaller guy.
☆☆☆
"じゃあ...いてきます!" said Au Au, with a bag full of the birthday cards the gang had made for the missing four.
"You'll come back, right?" asked Rye, standing in front of Au Au.
"まあ...ね," came the uncertain reply.
Rye gave a small laugh. "The two of you are too alike."
"What will happen to us?" asked Rheo.
"I'll be back to wake you guys up again. Don't worry."
"Well, that's what you keep saying," replied Xero.
"But I'll wait for ya, Au Au!" cheered a smiling Flames.
"We all will," added another newcomer.
"Alex!" cried everyone in unison.
"I just woke up," explained the younger boy sheepishly.
"Ally, come. She needs to go," coaxed Rye gently as he reached out for Alexis' hands.
"I'll see you all soon," said Au Au with a smile.
☆
(a real-life drawing of a cat and the following message in black ink)
Hey Shu,
Hairpee Berfdei tooo ewe! WHAHAHA! YOU'RE GETTING OLDER~~~!!! But never mind lar, getting old is a privilege. How else can you get wrinkles?
Love,
The Most Intelligent Elle
☆
(made with lots of colour pens and glitter and colour papers stuck here and there)
Dearest Shu,
Happy 18th Birthday to you! You've gotten as beautiful and as smart as ever. I'm very honoured to have you as my friend. Because it's your birthday, I'm obliged to shower you with compliments...even if they are lies. LOL. Anything to make you happy.
Lots of love,
Hariette
☆
(written with lots of colour pens and stickers with random doodles here and there)
Hi Shu!!! ★
Happy 18th Birthday! My greeting's the same as Au Au actually but because everyone around was making one so I thought I'll just make onetoo! Erm...may all your dreams come true...PLEASE PLEASE EAT! And...PLEASE PLEASE SLEEP! Oh oh and you must SMILE, KAAAAY?!REMEMBER YOU KNOW!? BE HAPPY!!!
★★★
Love ya,
Ally
☆
(written with blue ink)
Shu.
Happy Birthday. Yay. You forgot mine last year and you claimed you don't know me. I hope you know who I am by now.
Antonia/Tonia/Toni.
☆
(every colour imaginable and made with 7 different colour papers)
HALLO SHU-CHAN!!!
MY NAME IS FLAMES! AND I'M LIKE BROTHERS WITH PEARCE! HE'S A FUN GUY!
♪HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ♪HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ♪HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAY TO SHU-CHAAAN~♪
♪HAAAAAPPEEEE BIIIIIRTHDAAAAY TO YOUUUU~~~~~♪
*cue for claps please* CLAP CLAP CLAP! XD
THE AMAZING FLAMES!
☆
(made on a pink slip of paper and tinged with scented cologne and tied to a red rose)
Hey there babe,
I think the two of us has yet to interact much but believe me when I say I will overcome even the Dimensional Witch just so the two of us can be together. I believe in the power of love. Do give me your number, okay? Au Au wouldn't do it. I bet she told you I'm like such a flirt but really, I'm not. So if you got the time, maybe we could go catch a movie or something. Here's my email: xeroxx00@treasuredchildren.com.symp
Oh and Happy Birthday, pretty.
You're of legal age now. ^__^
❤ Xero
☆
(simple and attached is a daisy)
Good day Shuichi,
How are you? I hope you're well. Happy Birthday and may you have a wondrous day with lots of good food and nice presents spent with your loved ones. Time is something that should be valued. I would know best. So anyways, happy birthday.
Yours truly,
Orario/Rheo
☆
(in bright red colours with red glitter)
SHU-CHAN. PLEASE BRING JAE BACK WHEN YOU COME BACK. OR JUST MAIL HIM TO ME! I WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM.
THE HANDSOME AJI II
☆
(rolled up into a scroll with a ribbon with cursive handwritings inside)
To the fair lady known as Shuichi the girl,
Please tell Kira-cake I will invent a dimension traveling machine to meet her. Tell her not to cry and that the kids are well. I will stay strong for her sake and we will reunite once again.
(a cop mohor of the Mafia Gang and a signature by Aji I)
☆
(on a cute piece of stationery paper with chibi drawings and written in pink ink)
Dear Shu,
Happy Birthday. I hope you had a great one. Work hard and your dreams will soon succeed into action.
Yours sincerely,
The Princess of Symphonia,
Caerie daughter of the late King Aion
☆
(on a piece of yellow paper and neat handwriting in blue ink)
Dear Shu,
Happy 18th Birthday. Another year older, another year wiser. I've attached a copy of my newfound recipe to make chocolate brownies. I hope you like them. Everyone enjoyed it when I made them for Caerie's birthday last year. Be a good girl, okay? =)
Plont.
☆
(on a black piece of paper written in silver ink)
Shu.
Happy Birthday. Be happy.
Caederye.
☆
To my dearest Shu-chan,
How are you? I hope you're doing well. No matter what troubles you face, I want you to know that everyone here will continue to support you. We may only exist in the written world of Au Au but even so, we all like your presence. All four of you. Although the real world is a lot tougher than the world in which you come in and out of here, that's also the real place where love, family and friends are. Do persevere and stay strong. Don't let anyone hurt you but I'm sure no one would dare with that power of intimidation of yours. Keeping things short, Happy Birthday, Shu-chan. I love you.
Your precious Dewdrop
☆
(on a scribbled scrap piece of coloured paper)
ShuHAPPYBIRTHDAYAlex.P.S.Sorrywasinarushtodothis.kthx.Byebye.
☆THE END☆
☆Reira`☆