The three girls all glanced down at their birthmarks, and then looked back up to Keiji as if he were crazy.
Keiji: Okay, listen. It was in this book that I read…
Amaya: A book?
She rolled her eyes.
Amaya: Men and their fantasies…
Keiji: No, hey, it said that there are three beautiful women on Hitomi that…
Takara: So we’re beautiful, are we?
She twirled her finger around a lock of golden-blonde hair until Amaya elbowed her in the back to stop.
Keiji: Ehem. …That possess the ability to create a map to the treasure of all treasures: The Treasure of Sakeme.
Amaya: Well, you’ve got the town pick-pocket, the daughter of a commoner, and the princess. No mapmakers here.
Keiji: No, not like that! The power is in the diamond.
Yume: I don’t see any diamond…
She ran her finger over the metallic mark, feeling only sleek, cold metal.
Keiji: Well, they don’t appear until you’re together.
Amaya: We are together.
Takara: Maybe they’re broken?
She began tapping her birthmark repeatedly and eccentrically, as if trying to slowly burrow into her own arm.
Keiji: Well, maybe you have to…
Amaya: Listen, Skippy. There is no way that this little plan of yours is going to work. Do you think it’s really that possible that we have diamonds burrowed in our wrists?
Yume: And do you really find it necessary to kidnap us just to test your little theory?
Keiji: I just thought it’d be worth a try… After all, we were going to let you go as soon as we got the map.
Takara: Sorry! No maps here. Can we go home, now?
Keiji: I…but…
Akio: K-Keiji? Is it safe?
A muffled voice leaked in from the hallway, sounding meek and terrified of what laid on the other side, even though they were just girls.
Keiji: Yeah.
The door slowly opened, revealing two scared faces, both staring at the girls which they abducted. Mokoto drew his katana again, shifting his glance from the girls to Keiji as he walked into the room and pointed his blade at the three damsels.
Mokoto: Hey, looks like the ball’s back on our side of the court, now.
The three girls stepped away from the sword and backed into the corner of the room.
Yume: We told you, we can’t help you!
Keiji: Mokoto, they really don’t know.
Mokoto: Well I’ve got an idea.
He gazed at his blade with a maniacal glint in his eyes.
Mokoto: Maybe we have to get the diamonds out of there, first.
Yume and Takara cowered in the corner as Amaya stood slightly closer to the man. She wasn’t scared of what he would do to her.
Amaya: I don’t think so.
Mokoto: Oh yeah? It’s worth a shot if you ask me…
He quickly jumped toward her, took her wrist into his hand, and began to drag her off, despite her cries and struggling.
Yume and Takara: AMAYA!
Amaya’s two new companions rushed to her other wrist and tried to pull her back in their direction, but as soon as they made contact with her skin, a bright, white, flash of light was emitted from each of their birthmarks. Mokoto and the two other boys all stepped away in awe, curious to what would come next.
Amaya: What the…?
Yume: Oh my…
Takara: AHH!
The youngest of the three collapsed to her knees in agony as she clutched her wrist and cried out.
Amaya suddenly hissed and backed up against the wall, clutching her wrist as well as the pain seared from her birthmark.
Yume: Ah…ow…oh…mm...
Yume whimpered in-between quick, heavy breaths as she sat down on the bed, then fell to her side and squeezed her wrist tightly, as if the pressure would make the sharp throbbing subside.
Keiji: Princess!
He was about to dash to the girl’s side, but Mokoto’s arm held him back.
Mokoto: Just wait. It’ll be over, soon.
Keiji: I don’t care!
He shoved the boy’s arm away and ran to Yume, who still lay on the bed, writhing in pain. Akio followed his lead and ran to Takara, who was now crying.
Akio: Um… Y’alright?
Takara: D-does it-t l-look like I’m a-alright?
Her voice was shaky due to the sobs.
Akio: Well I…
Takara: J-just go a-away, ok-kay?
Akio: But…
Takara: LEAVE!
Akio: Okay. Okay. Leaving. Right now…
He quickly backed away from the girl who apparently didn’t need his help.
Amaya continued to hiss, her face and body tense as she leaned against the wall. Slowly she slid down until she landed on her rear with her knees to her chest as she still gripped her arm.
Mokoto: The pain will be gone shortly.
Amaya: How do you know?
She inquired with an apprehensive face and a groan.
Mokoto: Well, the pain is only there because the diamond is breaking through the skin, taking the place of the birthmark. Once it comes through, it won’t hurt anymore.
Amaya: Well how do you know it’ll be shortly?
Mokoto: I don’t. You’ll just have to trust me, I s’pose.
Amaya: How am I supposed to trust you? You kidnapped me! I don’t think there’s any use in trying to redeem yourself!
Mokoto: Suit yourself.
He turned and left, leaving the girl to writhe in pain by her lonesome, as she preferred, obviously.
Keiji: Princess, are you okay?
She continued to breathe roughly and quickly, moaning and whimpering between the breaths as Keiji approached. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead and her eyes were shut tight.
Yume: It…It hurts…
Keiji: It’s alright… It’s almost over…
He put his hand on top of hers, causing her to open her eyes and look back into those aqua blue ones before her: the same eyes she had seen after sharing her first kiss with him earlier in the night.
Keiji: It’s alright…
She continued to look into his eyes… They were almost hypnotizing. They were so perfectly blue, just as the colors of the sea. She couldn’t take her gaze away from them. And before she knew it, the pain was gone. Her heavy breathing subsided, the sweat seemed to evaporate. She felt as though nothing had happened.
Keiji: Are you okay?
Yume finally looked away from his eyes and sat up, pretending as though nothing really had happened.
Yume: I…I’m fine.
Keiji: I’m glad. How’s your wrist?
She pulled her left hand away from her right and saw fragments of the birthmark scattered over her hand. And where that birthmark once lied was now a clear, beautiful, perfectly-cut, pink diamond sitting in her wrist.
Yume: Oh my…
She gazed at the gem as it twinkled in the starlight.
Takara: Am I crazy, or is there really a diamond in my wrist?
She held her hand out in front of her face, staring at it like she was trying to make it disappear by magic.
Amaya glanced over to Keiji after staring silently at her deep violet diamond for about a minute and a half.
Amaya: Okay. We’ll hear you out.
Keiji stepped away from Yume with a smile to face Amaya.
Keiji: Great! Lemme just find the page… Akio! Light a lamp, please?
He made his way over to a dresser on the other side of the room and took a large book into his hands as his friend struck a match on the wall then directed it to the lamp by the door.
Takara: You haven’t memorized this whole thing yet? You’d think…
Keiji: Honestly, I never thought things would get this far.
He was flipping the pages like crazy until he stopped at the page headed with the three beautiful diamonds.
Keiji: Ah. Here we are. “Three beautiful women…” “…Island of Hitomi…” “…Diamonds beneath birthmarks…” “…Appear after the three girls make contact…”
Takara: I thought you didn’t know how the diamonds were supposed to appear?
Keiji: Hey, I needed to take this plan one part at a time. And with all of your screaming and attacking with brooms and all, I didn’t exactly get a chance to revisit my book!
He returned his gaze to the text after giving Takara a flat, frustrated expression.
Keiji: Hm… All it says is, “One last touch and the rest will be explained.”
Amaya: Explained, how? We’re clueless, don’t you get it?
Keiji: Heh. You ain’t the only one.
Yume: One last touch? Does that mean that we need to touch hands again?
Keiji: I’d say it’s a good start.
Takara shook her head at the idea.
Takara: Last time I touched someone’s hand, I had unbearable pain for five minutes!
Yume: Takara, how about we just try it. If nothing happens, we can go back home and pretend like nothing happened. How’s that sound?
The young blonde girl sighed and whined, but then finally shut her eyes tight and put her hand out in front of her.
Takara: If this hurts again, I’m gonna punch that guy in the face.
Keiji: Hey now… That’s not…!
Amaya: Hmph. You deserve it, anyway.
Amaya stepped out in front of Takara and placed her hand on top of the younger girl’s. Finally Yume approached them and did the same, closing her eyes as to hide them from terrible sights, were they to occur.
The three diamonds began to glow brightly, a strong wind filling the room where the girls stood, sending waves of blonde, black, and red hair swirling through the air as the beams of light shot round in circles. All three girls had expressions of pure fear and anticipation on their faces, anxious and scared to see what was to come out of this.
Finally the wind began to subside, the lights growing brighter and brighter as they gathered over the girls’ hands, compacting into a glowing orb, then dispersing with a pop, leaving an image of a tiny, winged creature.
Hana: Haha! Yes! Wonderful wonderful wonderful!
She was a small fairy with a teeny violet dress and short, violet hair that bobbed about when she moved. Her wings were light blue with eyes that matched and glowed bright enough to light an entire continent. Her purple hair was decorated with light blue carnations and her neck adorned a pendant: a pendant with a blue diamond identical to those in the three girls’ wrists.
Hana: It’s been so long! Oh goodness, it’s great to be meeting all of you!
Her voice was high and squeaky as she flew in a circular direction, shaking the hands of the girls in front of her.
Hana: I think it’s been a hundred years since the diamonds were united last… Heh…wow…people sure have lost interest in adventure... Anyway! So glad you guys have decided to continue with this tradition!
Every human in the room was silent. They all just stared at the thing, which continued to buzz and flit about the room, having the time of its life as it talked at the speed of sound.
Hana: Why’s it so quiet?
Keiji: What…what are you?
Hana: I’m Hana! The Diamond’s guardian? What, you don’t know who I am?
Everyone but the fairy shook their heads.
Hana: Oh wow. Hmph. Humans.
She flipped her short, straight hair over her shoulder with a conceited look.
Hana: I’m here to give you guys your map! Y’know, to the treasure…?
Akio: Treasure! Right. I know that part.
He nodded with a huge smile on his face.
Hana: Hmph. Men. All they ever want is the darn treasure…
She hesitantly snapped her fingers and summoned a map out of thin air. With a wave of her hand, it made its way over to Akio, who took it into his arms with wide eyes.
Akio: HOW DID YOU…!?!
Hana: Magic. It’s all over the place in the second realm. Get used to it.
Keiji: Second realm?
Hana: It’s where the treasure is! Read the map! My goodness, girls! Do you have to deal with these boneheads ALL THE TIME?
Yume: Actually, we’ve only just met them…
Hana: Kidnapped?
Amaya: Yup.
Hana: Things haven’t changed…
She shook her head shamefully.
Hana: Well, I should at least give you girls something to wear. If you’re going to be traveling with these guys, you won’t want to be in your skimpy little pajamas the whole time.
She snapped her fingers again and with a puff of smoke, the girls were all three dressed in their own perfectly-fitting gown. Takara was in a bright orange gown with a short, frilly skirt topped with a golden translucent skirt that hung from the back and dangled to her ankles. Amaya wore a longer, one-layered, deep purple dress that split down the left side and was replaced by yet another translucent, but dark blue skirt that had the same feel to it as Takara’s. Yume’s gown was light pink and very short, but with a longer, white translucent skirt that wrapped around the whole back of the dress.
Amaya: Hmph… Not bad…
Yume: Wow…this is really pretty…
Takara: Hah! I look hot!
Hana: Oh yes. I’ve got style.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder again with a smile.
Hana: Let’s see…anything else? Map, outfits, powers…Powers! Right!
With one last snap of her tiny fingers, the three girls began to glow white, giving them the appearances of ghosts for a few moments, before the glow subsided and all that was left were the bodies of three normal girls.
Hana: I’ve just unlocked your powers. Now all three of you have telepathy, telekinesis, and each of you can have different visions. The pink diamond gives visions of the past, the orange gives visions of the present, and the purple gives visions of the future.
All three girls stared at the creature like she was crazy.
Hana: You’ll know what I mean. Well, anyway, this is where I take off.
She gave a cute little wave and a sweet smile.
Hana: Good luck!
With that, she snapped her fingers one last time and vanished in another pop of smoke.
Akio: What…just…happened…?
Mokoto: I have no clue…
Keiji: You’ve got me, here.
Amaya: So… So there really is a treasure?
Yume: And we have…powers?
Takara: Hehe.
She giggled as she spun around, letting her skirt flow in the breeze.
Takara: Don’t I look hot?
-PREVIEW!-
Mikona: Puu! I'm here to help Starlite give a preview for her next chapter!
Well, things have finally been cleared up...kind of... But now what's gonna happen to the girls. Now that they know there's tresure involved, I doubt they're gonna just go without resisting.
Next time on Beyond the Horizon: "I Don't Think So!"
Mikona can't wait!
Mikona: Puu! I'm here to help Starlite give a preview for her next chapter!
Well, things have finally been cleared up...kind of... But now what's gonna happen to the girls. Now that they know there's tresure involved, I doubt they're gonna just go without resisting.
Next time on Beyond the Horizon: "I Don't Think So!"
Mikona can't wait!
Okay. Get ready to laugh at me. I tried to draw Takara >.< I'll draw Yume and Amaya when I get a chance (i'm not even going to attempt drawing the guys.) So yeah. Here's my cruddy pic sweatdrop
