• ÿChapter 2ÿ

    “Pleeeeeeeeeease!” Tsunami pestered Megumi, following her down the hallway. “Please, please, please, please, please-y, please!”
    “NO,” Megumi shouted, entering her room and slamming the paper door behind her. “I have to practice my penmanship, just as you do! Speaking of which, why aren’t you practicing your penmanship!”
    “Because I have to show you something!” Tsunami moaned, resting her forehead on the doorframe. “So very important it is, my dear sister!”
    “I’ve told you—I cannot heal animals! I’m training to help humans!” Megumi shouted, her voice muffled.
    “That’s what I need help with!” Tsunami rolled her eyes. “If you don’t come, the boy is going to die.”
    “What boy?”
    “The hot one bleeding to death without your help,” Tsunami rolled her eyes again.
    The door slid open again and Megumi strolled out, medical kit in hand. “Let’s go!”

    ÿ “He was here but a moment ago,” Tsunami scratched her head. Megumi scowled.
    “Just my luck—the so-called ‘injured boy’ was naught but a figment of imagination!” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Very cunning, Tsunami.”
    “I not am cunning,” Tsunami gasped. “Well, I am, but purposely not!”
    “Then where’s the boy?”
    “Oh, there are you!” smiled Tsunami, squatting down and peering under the rotting tree trunk. The boy frowned from under the tree. “What you are doing there?”
    “Hiding from you,” the boy sighed.
    “Why that is?”
    “’Cause you’re crazy,” he replied.
    “Aw, thanks!” Tsunami giggled, causing the boy to roll his eyes. “Now come out so my sister can heal your wounds!”
    “…No.”
    Megumi leaned over as far as she could without dirtying her kimono. “Why don’t you come to the palace? The treatment they can give is much more advanced than any I can give you.”
    “No.”
    Megumi sighed in frustration at the insolent teen.
    Tsunami spoke up, her light-heartedness not deterred. “Then I shall just have to drag out you.”
    She got onto her knees in front of his hiding spot and reached under to grab him, but he squirmed deeper into his nook. Unfortunately for him, her arms were quite long. She wrapped her strong hands around his leg and proceeded to pull him out, struggling and squirming.
    “Unhand me!” he growled. “I’m heavily armed!”
    “No, not you are,” laughed Tsunami. “I already disproved that.”
    With a grunt, he managed to kick her off and he jumped up, obviously pained, and drew a short knife from his pocket. “I won’t hesitate!”
    Megumi gasped and pulled Tsunami by her arm backwards. “We don’t want any trouble, sir…”
    “He won’t give us trouble,” Tsunami assured her.
    “You don’t know that,” Megumi whispered fiercely. “He’s brandishing a knife!”
    “I can see it in his eyes,” Tsunami sighed absently. “Can’t you?”
    “Yeah,” Megumi agreed. “I can see all that feral ness in his eyes!”
    “Not feral ness,” Tsunami argued. “Uncertainty.”
    Tsunami shook Megumi’s hand off and walked up to the boy. She gently moved aside the knife, and he dropped it. “Won’t you please allow us to help you?”
    The boy’s lips twitched and he suddenly collapsed, shaking in violent convulsions.
    “Move!” Megumi ordered, pushing Tsunami aside. She held the boy down until he stopped, then lifted up his shirt to view the wound. “How horrible…” she sighed.
    The wound was quite wide and deep, as if he were stabbed then pulled it out at an angle. It still oozed blood past the dried, black blood that caked the opening of the wound. His breaths came in shallow gasps.
    “Help me get him to the palace,” Megumi said, pressing a clean cloth down on the wound. “This is too much for one such as myself.”

    ÿ The boy slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on a soft bed in a dimly lit room. The walls were painted majestic red, and elegant tapestries hung where ever he looked.
    “Ah! Awake you are!” Tsunami grinned, suddenly popping out from his side.
    He started, but then rolled his eyes and relaxed once he saw it was her. “Where am I?” he murmured.
    “At the palace,” Tsunami said.
    He closed his eyes.
    “So, what’s your name?” Tsunami asked.
    The boy didn’t reply.
    “I won’t go away until I have a name.”
    “Riku.”
    “Where are you from?”
    “You said you would go away!” Riku snarled, eyes opening only to glare at the girl.
    “I lied. Where are you from? From what land do you hail, Sir Riku?” Tsunami laughed. “Oh, wait—I haven’t told you my name. Tsunami I am.”
    “That’s a weird name.”
    “Yes,” she agreed, “Yes, it is. But you see, I was born when that giant tsunami struck. So, yeah.”
    “That sucks. Must be a horrible birthday party,” Riku sighed.
    “I don’t have birthday parties,” Tsunami said. “The servants and my sister wish me a happy year on that day, but that’s about it. My parents are not actually that fond of me.”
    “They’re not?” Riku asked, genuinely surprised. “But you’re royalty.”
    “I suppose so,” Tsunami shrugged. “But this is not about me; it’s about you!”
    “Ugh,” moaned Riku. “Can’t you just leave me in peace?”
    “Why you are so afraid of my questions?” Tsunami demanded. “It’s better speaking to me than my father!”
    “Your father is coming?!” Riku gasped. He jumped up in a panick, then realized that he wore no clothing. He dove back into the bed and pulled the covers back over his body, flushing.
    Tsunami was not fazed. “Nice,” she giggled, causing him to flush even redder. He looked away.
    He muttered something that Tsunami could not hear.
    “What?” she asked.
    “I said, is there any…thing for me to wear,” Riku repeated louder, utterly embarrased.
    “Um.”
    “Why me?” Riku whimpered in shame.