Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ A Dragon's Call ❯ The Carnival ( Chapter 7 )

AN: Warnings - slight angst, not too much. And sap!!!!!

Chapter Seven: The Carnival

The next morning, Jonathan woke to bright sunlight on his face. He groaned, turning his head away from the bright light. Snuggling against the warmth next to him, he sighed softly. Something tickled his nose and he sighed, opening his eyes to see what was so annoying.

His brother lay in his arms, his head resting on his twin's shoulder. Joshua's hair was what was irritating his nose so much. He smiled, brushing the locks of hair from his brother's face. He loved to watch his brother sleep. Joshua had a serene, peaceful look on his face as he slept. It reminded him of an angel.

Brushing a hand gently over his twin's face, Jonathan inched out of bed gently. His brother mewed in protest at the loss of warmth next to his. Jonathan smiled, running his fingers over his twin's cheeks. The motion quieted the younger twin, sending him into a deep sleep once more.

Taking out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, he slipped quietly into the bathroom. Closing and locking the door (more out of habit then anything else), he turned the hot water on. Stepping into the shower, he sighed contentedly. The hot water pounding on his bare skin felt heavenly.

Picking up a bar of soap, he lathered it, washing himself. It felt wonderful, this cleaning. He smiled to himself, realizing he was cleansing his soul as well. He had always been afraid to act on his emotions in regards to his brother. But now that they both had, he felt clean, whole again.

Grabbing the shampoo bottle, he poured a liberal amount into his hand. Washing his hair, he breathed in the wonderful smell. Rinsing his hair, Jonathan turned the water off and grabbed a towel. Drying himself off, he put his clothes on as he towel dried his hair. Unlocking the door, he walked into the kitchen barefoot.

Humming to himself, he pulled out items from the refrigerator and cupboards, placing them on the island counter in the kitchen. Pulling a butcher knife from a drawer, he started to cut up items in preparation of the omelet he was going to make. He paid no attention as the sound of someone entering the kitchen invaded his senses.

Rachel stood in the doorway, watching Jonathan make breakfast. She had no intention of eating anything he made. Her eyes darkened as she remembered the night before. "Satan has taken hold of you..."

"Mother. Stop. Now before you force me to do something you'll regret." Jonathan growled, never looking up from his dicing. "If what me and Joshua is evil and will send me to Hell, then so be it. What you've done to me is far worse. Now leave before I forget you are my mother." He looked up, his eyes hard with hatred.

She stepped back, not accustomed to seeing such a look on her eldest. She opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it. Stepping back, she left him. She would bide her time. They would screw up and she would be there to see it.

* * *

The San Marcos Carnival was in full swing. Vendors dotted the landscape, their booths set up and waiting for business. Coin toss, pellet gun shooting, you name it they had it. It was one of the largest carnivals on the west coast. What made this carnival unique, however, was The Pier. The Pier, as all the locals called it, spanned the length of five basketball courts.

It was really a mini amusement park, The Pier. A Ferris Wheel able to hold at least fifty people was at the end. At night, with the lights on, you could see the ocean glimmer like sapphires. In the center of the pier was a roller coaster. It was one of the last, old wooden coasters in the United States. But the majority of the visitors visited the various shops and restaurants that dotted the pier. You could find just about anything, it was so diverse.

Towards the back, there was even an old ballroom. It had been converted, however. It now housed a large and ornately decorated carousel. Mirrors lined the walls, flickering lights on the ceiling. There weren't many people that visited this attraction, as it was isolated and quiet.

Tarek yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. He had agreed to meet the others here after work. In order to support himself, he had had to get a job as well as going to school. So he worked at the carnival, as an attendant at the Ferris Wheel. It was an easy job, requiring not much attention on his part.

Stifling another yawn, he looked around. Reykia and Anthony were due to arrive any minute. As were Nicholas and the others. Nicholas wasn't sure he'd be able to convince their mom to let Christopher come, but he said he'd try. The others were anxious to introduce themselves. Damien Lacroix, or Chichiri as Tarek knew him, was the local minister.

The last member of their group, Mitsukake, had been reborn as Michael Moxley. Tarek had heard of him, as he was the Biology teacher for the local high school. He also served as the school nurse, which didn't surprise Tarek at all.

He sighed, looking around absently. He wished they'd hurry up. His shift was almost over.

"MIAKA!!!"

"Eeep!"

Yui Hongo grinned, watching her best friend look sheepishly at her brother. The Yuuki's were arguing (yet again) about food. Or rather, about Miaka swiping Keisuke's cotton candy.

Miaka, her eyes wide and cheeks bulging with the fluffy candy, swallowed. "Gomen ne, oniichan! I'm just so..."

"Hungry. Yeah I know." Keisuke rolled his eyes at his sister. "Honestly Miaka! All you had to do was ask! I'd have bought you some more!"

"Gomen..."

Chuckling, Yui turned her head to watch the people around them. This was t heir first trip to America. You hadn't expected things to be so diverse. People of all nationalities and colors mingled amongst each other.

Shaking her head, she turned back to her friends. She blinked, looking around. "Tetsuya...Keisuke...where's Miaka?"

The two friends spun, turning their gazes from the alcohol stand in front of them. "Nani?!"

Keisuke cursed, looking around frantically. "Where is that little ditz?! She knows she doesn't understand English that well! She's gonna get lost!"

Placing a hand on Keisuke's shoulder, Tetsuya shook his head. "You know her. Besides, she knows enough to get by. She'll be okay. Come on. We can look around for her, ne?!!"

Keisuke growled, but after a nod from Yui, agreed.

* * *

Detecting the smell of hot dogs and chili fries, Miaka had skipped ahead of her friends. Her nose and stomach were demanding immediate attention. Finding the vendor, she purchased two hot dogs and an order of chili fries. Devouring the dogs, she turned. "Oniichan..."

She blinked. Where were they? 'I didn't think I'd gone that far...' Shaking her head, she popped a fry into her mouth as she walked from the vendor. They'd find each other later, she was sure. Marveling at everything around her, she smiled sadly. The only thing missing was...Tamahome.

Her thoughts never strayed from him for long. Her heart was still too full of love for him. It was impossible for her to forget him for long. Thinking of him now, a tear slid down her cheek.

Looking down at the food in her hands, she sniffed. She missed him so much. It was wonderful having Yui back, but she had hoped Suzaku would allow her to have both of them.

Walking past various vendors, she stared in awe at all the games and rides that surrounded her. She'd never seen anything like this before in her life. She stopped at coin toss, watching the various people come up and try and win a stuffed animal. Most of them were couples, the man throwing to try and win his ladylove a prize.

Miaka turned away not able to watch them anymore. It all brought back her own pain. 'Why did I go away from them? Now I'll never find them in this mess.' Sighing, she trudged down the avenues of the carnival, feeling more and more depressed.

Coming to a stop, she leaned against the fence of a popular ride, the Ferris wheel. There was no one in line at this time, mainly due to the fact the attendant wasn't around. 'Must be on his break or something.'

Sighing sadly, she watched the ride turn, her head moving in a circular pattern, following the wheel.

"Your head will fall off if you keep doing that."

"Eeep!" Miaka flushed, looking down as she turned around. "I'm sorry! I didn't..."

The young man behind her never heard the rest of her words. Tarek stared at the flushed face of the young woman and smiled. She was so sweet. Reminded him of...

He frowned, looking down at her more closely. The darkness of the area contributed to his inability to see her properly. Reaching out with a trembling hand, he lifted her chin, raising her face to the light.

A gasp escaped his lips and he felt tears in his eyes. It couldn't be true..."Miaka?"

Miaka blinked, still flustered. At the sound of her name, she frowned and looked up. How did this guy know her name?

She too gasped, staring up at the stranger, who wasn't. Her hand reached out to touch his cheek, unable to believe her eyes. "Tamahome..."

"Miaka!" Tarek pulled her into his arms, crushing her body against his. He felt his tears flow freely, finally finding the one he had been searching for. It had been so long, he had almost forgotten what she looked like.

A quiet sob escaped her, as Miaka held him to her tightly. All of the pain from the past seemed to evaporate in his arms. They were together, once again. And nothing would keep them apart, she would make sure of it.