• Yumi Nereza Keiko
    (19) Leads


    "Not bad of an idea, brother." I smiled, holding onto Lunars' reins as we walked to a suitable clearing. Kilunar handed me Shadows' reins, stepping to the center of the clearing.
    "I kind of hate it; it's hurting the Earth a lot, for me to do this." He sighed.
    "Ask her permission; it'll ease your mind." I stroked Lunars' long and sleek nose. He smiled his thanks, and I didn't watch.
    He tapped my shoulder moments later, pointing a thumb at the area behind us. I spun around.
    See, it was nightfall right now, and his idea was to create a solid illusion - a kind of illusion that looked real, and that could be used. Since we needed a place to rest, we figured an isolated place where we could use our powers as we pleased was perfect. Henceforth why we are here in the first place.
    I smiled, ruffling his hair like a little kid, just to tick him off. He glared at me.
    "Great job," I said, still ruffling his hair. He tackled me to the ground.
    "Hey!" I glared at him, but couldn't keep it up, so I just burst out laughing. He tickled my sides, while keeping me pinned down.
    They're acting like children. I heard one of the horses sigh, but it was purposfully thrown at us. He and I both had the same reaction; we both stuck out our tongues at them, then he kept tickling me.
    "I-I-I surr-surrender!" I said, hysterical.
    "Well, I don't." He grinned a somewhat Vampireish smile, which just made me laugh some more. I saw the horses go to a grassy patch nearby - Shadow pushed on the back of his master as he passed - which made Kilunar fall on top of me - he had been standing on his knees at my thighs.
    He lifted himself with his hands so he could better glare at his horse, his cheeks slightly flushed.
    He started to push himself up, though I stopped him by clasping my hands on his forearms.
    "Wait." I said. He looked at me, an eyebrow arched.
    Grinning, I tackled him and pinned him to the ground.
    "Hah, I win." I smiled like an idiot, keeping my hands on his forearms. I sat on his stomach, his eyes were still wide with surprise.
    "Aha, I see you have skills." He commented in a funny accent. I laughed at that.
    "Yes," I said in the same accent. "I do."
    He got to his feet in a blur, crouching by the small river.
    "Don't you dare do it." I said in a mocking dark voice. He did dare, of course.
    My wet hair fell into my eyes, so I pushed it behind my pointed ears. I ran fast, jumping onto his back. He fell down facefirst into the grass.
    I rolled off him and lay beside, panting for breath. He did the same after turning himself around.
    "You realize we're acting like children?" He asked, laughing.
    "If we don't once in a while, how could we ever keep in touch with our childhood?" I asked sarcastically.
    He stuck out his tongue at me sitting up.
    "We should tie them up before they run off - they can be devious." He stared at the horses.
    Who? us? They asked innocently. We would never.
    "I'll believe it when pigs fly in frozen hades." I stuck out my tongue at them, standing up and dripping wet. I shook out my hair and held out my hand for him to get up. With a smile he pulled himself up. We tied them up to a tree nearby, and I went in the materialized house to dry my hair.


    I hung the clothes over the metal bar along the long wall, then used the hairdryer to dry my hair. I had materialized one of my pajamas in placement of the Mortal world clothes. It was a white silk tank top and white silk bottom. Very simple, really, and some fluffy pink slippers. I'd always wanted some, but never had the time to get some. The village I'd lived in didn't sell some, anyways.
    I stepped out, passing the towel on my hair. I hung it on a chair, then walked into the living area.
    "Hey, I'm back." I smiled. He turned around from the window and looked at me, his eyes widening.
    "Looks bad, doesn't it?" I sighed.
    He walked to stand in front of me, the emotions radiating off of him were a large mixture.
    "No, you're perfect." He looked at me questionately. "Never thought I'd hear you say that. You don't strike me as the fussy type."
    "I guess I'm a normal girl at heart." I grinned, scratching at a small greyish stain on the tank top of my pajama.
    "It's near midnight; we should get some rest for tomorrow. We need a plan."
    I nodded, stretching my arms out in front of me and yawning.
    "You take the room, I'll sleep here." He smiled, stroking my cheek.
    "You sure?" I asked. He nodded with a smile.
    "Go get some rest, my Queen."
    I stuck out my tongue at him, but went into the nice bedroom. I flopped down onto the bed.
    I was out before my head hit the pillow.


    I sat up in a fast jerk, looking at the palms of my hands.
    "No blood. Just a dream." I sighed. "There was so much blood..."
    I put on the slippers and tiptoed out of the room, walking to where he slept.
    He looked very much at peace while he slept, I felt bad for wanting to wake him up.
    But I also knew I wouldn't be able to get to sleep, not after the events of today. And I didn't want to see the blood anymore.
    "Brother..." I whispered, shaking his shoulder slightly. His eye twitched, and opened. The blue of it was dazzling in the dark of the night.
    "What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up and scratching his head. I sat beside him.
    "I keep remembering it."
    He hugged me, stroking my hair. It felt nice.
    "You can't sleep, can you." He stated. I shook my head.
    "Come with me." He helped me to my feet, walking with me and sitting on the bed. He waited untill I got back in.
    "What was the dream?" He asked, stroking my cheek.
    "There was only blood. Everywhere." I sighed. "Don't go."
    He lay beside me, his arms around my waist.
    "Get to sleep." He said softly, sweetly. "Nothing bad will happen ever again, I promise."
    I smiled, closing my eyes and drifting.
    "Thank you." I said before I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


    Something stroked my cheek in a steady, gentle rythm. My eyes twitched and slowly opened.
    "Good morning, sleepyhead." He said in a hushed whisper, kissing me. Before he could pull away, I held him there for another minute.
    "Did I sleep long?" I asked.
    "About eight hours."
    I smiled, sitting up. I passed a hand through my hair.
    "Bedhead." I groaned.
    "It looks nice on you." He smiled, watching me as I combed it at the mirror.
    "You always say that."
    "Or should I say you always make it look better?" He asked, standing up and walking to stand behind me. He wound his arms around my waist, placing his head on my shoulder.
    "Hey, Kilunar?" I asked, looking at him with my neck craned.
    "Hm?" He had his eyes closed.
    "You seem... different."
    He shrugged.
    "It's true. You seem... like you've matured a bit since I first met you."
    He kept his eyes closed, but he smiled.
    "Maybe it's because of you." He ran his finger down my spine, sending shivers up it. I spun around in his arms so that I faced him. He kept his head on my shoulder, his finger drawing patterns on my back. "Hm..."
    I put his hands on my waist instead - he was giving me a lot of shivers - and made him look at me.
    His blue eyes kept me frozen in place. They weren't hostile, not at all. Just... different than what I expected.
    He sat me on the dresser behind me, smiling.
    "You know what?" He asked, looking at me in a way that kept me speechless.
    "Hm?" I asked in a whisper.
    "I'm glad, in a way, that Mother let you grow up with your cousin. Who knows how you might have been if you'd grown up in the castle?" He stroked my hair with one hand, trailing it to my waist and back. His other stayed at my waist.
    "I don't know." I smiled, imagining it. "It might not have turned out like this."
    "Having a Soulmate for a twin sister sure is something, huh." He closed his eyes, trapping my lips with his.
    He gave me something to think about, I'll tell you that. Though it melted in seconds.
    Yeah, he was different than when I'd first met him. That's good. At first he was a little more than obnoxious.


    "What did you first think of me when Mother brought me into the room?" I asked. I was sitting on his lap, eating cereal. He ate as well. I don't know why, but things felt a little different.
    "Hm..." He thought a moment. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
    "I thought I knew you from somewhere," he said after some time. "And I also thought how you reminded me of Mother in your stance, how you walk and your actions. You intrigued me."
    I smiled.
    "And you?" He asked.
    "To be honest," I said through a mouthful, then swallowed. "You looked a little obnoxious. Though you also looked kind and friendly, and I wanted to get to know you."
    "Obnoxious?" He asked with an eyebrow arched.
    "Sorry..." I avoided his gaze. "You looked a little in over yourself. But after knowing you for a day, it went up in smokes."
    "It's true, I was obnoxious. I thought only of myself." He shook his head angrily.
    "Don't be mad at yourself." I kissed him. He held me there firmly with a hand behind my head. His other hand pressed against my back.
    He licked my bottom lip, then just stayed that way. His hand at my back went to the trim of my silk tank top - I was still in my pajamas - and he played with it with his fingers. He lifted it enough to touch the skin at the bottom of my back.
    I broke the kiss, looking at him in the eyes. He stared back, a gentle fire burning in them.
    "Guess what." I whispered. As I spoke, our lips whispered against one another.
    "Hm?"
    "Love you, my King." I said with a smile playing at the corners of my mouth.