Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl Who Didn't Believe ❯ The Heart's Anguish ( Chapter 35 )

The Girl Who Didn't Believe

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the FY characters. They belong to Yuu Watase. I do own Kitten and Sable though. I also disclaim the poem that I have somewhere in the middle of this chapter. I had extracted it out from the manga, Saiyuki Reload 2. It belongs to Kazuya Minekura. I added it in because I thought that it kinda fitted Saki's feelings in that part of the chapter.

`…' = thoughts

//…// = telepathic conversation

########## = at another place

^^^^^^^^^^ = recall

********** = dream sequence

@@@@@@@@@@ = mirror projection

A little translation here…

Ami no baka----stupid bitch

That's all, minna-san!! Enjoy!!

Chapter 35-The Heart's Anguish

"Chichiri will not have to kill Sable, and we do not have to kill Chichiri," The blue-haired girl stared hard at Saki, before dropping the catch. "provided that Sable and I return to our own world and never step foot into the Universe of the Four Gods ever again."

The elementals gaped at Kitten.

"Are you serious?" Akai asked finally, breaking the stunned silence.

"Actually that might work, you know." Aoi pondered thoughtfully. "Provided that we smooth out some itty bitty details."

"You mean `itty bitty details' like the fact that the girls still have Genbu's challenge to fulfill and that Kitten still has the deal with our Seiryu-sama going on?" Haiiro commented dryly.

Aoi sighed.

"I don't think that now is the time for sarcasm, Haiiro."

"Yeah, Haiiro." Akai rolled his eyes. "You should use that brain of yours for some more beneficial feats."

"So, Saki-san." Kitten interrupted quietly. "What do you think?"

"I know what I think," Tasuki interrupted rudely. "The answer is no. I won't let you go back. What kind of half-cocked solution is that anyway?"

Kitten frowned slightly at her koi, and reluctantly, the redhead subsided.

"So, Saki-san, is my solution possible to consider?"

"No Kit, don't. Your plan will affect the relationship between yourself and Tasuki." That was Sable; she had wearily stood up and was slowly approaching her friend.

The blue-haired girl merely shook her head at her friend.

"Sable no baka. Do you honestly think that Tasuki and I would be able to maintain our relationship like nothing has happened when both our best friends are suffering so?" Turning amethyst eyes at the redhead seishi, Kitten shook her head sadly.

TELEPATHIC CONVERSATION

Come on, Tasuki. Quit sulking already. You know as well as I do that both of us won't be happy together if we have to sacrifice our friends' happiness or worse, lives just to remain a couple. And don't you give me the crap that you don't care. I know that you do. Your loyalty to your friends and your impeccable sense of honor was what attracted me to you in the first place.

TELEPATHIC CONVERSATION

Tasuki looked pained. Indeed, torn between his loyalty towards his best friend and the love of his life, he was not sure what to do. For a long moment, he looked as if he was waging an internal battle against himself, and honor was winning, as usual. At last, with despairing eyes, he nodded grimly to the blue-haired girl. Kitten was right; both of them would not be able to take the guilt for being selfish and not helping their friends.

TELEPATHIC CONVERSATION

Demo Kit, there must be some other way. There must be. After all that we have been through, I refuse to believe that this is the way that it is going to end. But for now, I just have to agree to this stupid plan of yours. But I swear that I will find another way to overcome this equally stupid challenge. Damn it, when I die and finally meet Byakko, I will strangle him for forcing me to make such a difficult choice. Stupid tiger of Sairo…

TELEPATHIC CONVERSATION

Kitten sweatdropped at her koi's thoughts, but smiled inwardly. She was very glad that Tasuki was finally accepting the idea. She knew that the solution was not a really good one, but at least they had something to work on now.

"Yeah, Sable." Tasuki muttered. He broke eye contact with Kitten; not trusting himself to even look at her. "The most important thing now is to help the two of you. Other things can wait."

"Demo…" Sable wanted to tell Kitten and Tasuki that they need not have to go all out to help her and Chichiri, but Kitten stopped her before she could say it.

"Daijoubu, Sab." The blue-haired girl put on a brave smile. It had hurt a lot when the redhead had turned away from her, but she knew that Tasuki was not trying purposely to hurt her; it was also a sore moment for him.

"It is not as if we are going to leave right away. We still have to plan and find ways to make this solution possible. Tasuki and I…" Unbeknownst to Kitten, her expressive amethyst eyes darkened with sadness, and only Sable was near enough to see it. "Tasuki and I would still have some time together."

Thus said, Kitten approached Tasuki and tentatively brushed her hand against his. Sure enough, the redhead reciprocated by catching hold of the said hand and holding on tightly to it. Warmed by the gesture, Kitten squeezed his tightly before relaxing.

Saki stared at couple. Just because of friendship, they are prepared to let go of their only chance at love. Saki did not understand why anyone would do something like that. They love each other very much, didn't they? Struck by a sense of curiosity and a twinge of something a keen to envy, the white-haired half-goddess decided to try her best to help them out.

"Their unselfish actions had surprised you too, huh?" Saki turned to see Seiryu's Elementals regarding her with amusement.

Warily, the goddess merely stared at Haiiro, who had spoken earlier.

"And makes you yearn to be a part of them." Akai seconded.

"You are not the only one." Aoi smiled gently.

"The three of you went against Seiryu just for these mortals." Saki commented softly. Tasuki, Sable and Kitten were still immersed in their own private conversation.

"Are they worth this betrayal?"

The white-haired girl was shocked when the trio agreed without hesitation.

"Yes, they are worth it, Saki. And something tells me that you are going to join the club very soon." Akai remarked cheerfully.

`What the hell is going on here?' Saki thought wildly. `Are the three of them being fed with kodoku or something?' The Elementals whom she had known before they undertook Seiryu's challenge were never this trusting. They weren't even big on friendship and loyalty. But the Guardians now…

They have changed.

Saki did not know that she had said those words aloud until Aoi nodded.

"Now, Saki. I know that this is very unbelievable to you. I bet that you think that we are either crazy or being force-fed some mind-altering drugs. Both are not the case, I assure you." Aoi looked to his fellow elemental masters for agreement. "And furthermore, isn't change supposed to be good? Without change, won't life be boring?"

Still, Saki was speechless.

`Now when had they become so full of their own thoughts and ideas? In the past, they would just follow Seiryu's commands. Whatever the dragon tells them, they would do it. Saki used to think that the Elemental trio was nothing but Seiryu's puppets.'

It seemed that she was wrong.

This time, Akai bristled, and Aoi smiled a tad embarrassedly, and Saki knew that she had blurted her thoughts out again.

"Anou…were we that bad last time?"

Akai puffed up even more when the goddess shrugged offhandedly.

Goddess or no goddess, she sure as hell is too honest for her own good!

"Gomen." Saki apologized to her friends sincerely. "I did not mean to be insulting. I was just surprised, that's all."

"I was surprised too, at first." Haiiro confessed quietly. "Surprised, but pleased."

"Pleased?" The white-haired girl echoed.

"Yeah, I suppose I am too, come to think of it." Akai remarked.

"Naze?" Saki was confused.

"You ask why?" Aoi was secretly amused again.

"Because; thanks to the examples of our new friends here; we have finally gathered the courage to decide and do things for ourselves, and not just because of some orders from the ranks above. We have done it, Saki." As one, the trio answered the half-goddess.

"When is it going to be your turn? You can't hide forever. You are your own person, Saki. When are you going to emerge from the shadows of your father?"

`When is it going to be…my turn?'

The answer was right in front of her.

Now.

##########

POEM

Be it…

…the wings that grants one freedom of flight

The hand that gathers grains…

No sacrifice's too great for sweet release…

The heart from its shackled chains…

POEM

##########

Now.

All of a sudden, Saki was struck by the huge ramifications of what she had just decided to do.

Sweet kami, she is going to listen to the elementals and help the girls.

And in the process…betray her father.

`If I am going to betray otou-sama,' The child of Byakko asked herself. "then why is it that I find that I do not care at all?'

"Saki-san?" Kitten called out softly. "Anou…so what now?"

Disturbed from her thoughts, the girl turned eerie golden eyes to stare at the blue-haired girl.

"Leaving the Universe of the Four Gods might be a great idea, but it is only a temporary solution."

"What do you mean?" Kitten asked.

Saki was interrupted before she could answer.

"Don't be stupid. Do you honestly think that the curse of the shibo no kusuri could be so easily averted?"

Everyone stiffened and turned to the source of that voice.

##########

In the realms of the gods…

"Whoa…did you see that, Seiryu? Did you, did you?"

Said dragon refrained from rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Yes, Suzaku. I saw it." Then lowering his voice, the god muttered. "It is rather amazing that I got to see anything considering that YOU were hogging the mirror to yourself the entire time."

"Huh? What?"

"Iie, betsune." Seiryu wondered how on earth he got stuck here sharing a mirror with Suzaku, of all the people.

"I can't believe that Ki-chan is gonna help me!!"

Ki-chan indeed.

The girl was, in Seiryu's opinion, too old to be regarded as a child anymore. After all, she is, what, one hundred year old already? In fact, it was all thanks to Suzaku's embarrassing nickname for their niece that Saki seldom came over to visit nowadays. Not that he would fault the girl. Seiryu snorted.

Ki-chan indeed.

"Yeah, me too. Cannot believe that you are calling Saki Ki-chan that is."

"What's wrong with that?" The phoenix frowned. "I see nothing wrong with an endearment for my niece."

"Iie, Suzie, you are wrong. `Ki-chan' is not an endearment; it is an embarrassment."

Sure enough, Suzaku puffed up in indignation. But as quick as he was to anger, he was also as quick to get over it. After all, he had to learn to get over his anger quickly due to his strange affliction for changing into an infant if too enraged. Either that or find someone, namely a certain god of Kutou, to spend his anger on. Seiryu stared as his volatile brother calmed down.

"Hey, Suzaku."

"Nani?" Said god grumped.

"I may not be an expert on matters of the heart as you do, birdie, but I do understand the art of emotional manipulation."

"Oh, and am I supposed to be enlightened by this bit of outdated information?" Sharp sapphire blue eyes regarded clear red ones as Seiryu ignored Suzaku's jibes.

"And I know for a fact that most parents would be more than ready to disown children whom had betrayed them."

Silence.

Then…

"So?"

"What do you mean by `so'?!! I thought that you were concerned for Saki?" The dragon could not believe what he had just heard. "What kind of `God of love' are you?"

"Hey, if Ki-chan is willing to offer her help, I sure as heck am not going to turn it down!! After all, I need all the help that I can get; seeing that you, Byakko and Genbu are all against me!!" The phoenix defended himself huffily. "Besides, if Byakko really disowns Ki-chan, then I shall adopt her! I think that I can make her happier than Byakko can anyway. Wait a minute…"

Suzaku looked amused then; as if he had some leverage over Seiryu. Which he did not have. Not ever. Not in this lifetime. Nuh-uh. Never. Seiryu glared hard at his aniki.

"What's so funny?"

"If I do not know you well," Suzaku stalked nearer to his brother. "Which I do, unfortunately for you; I would say that you are worried for Ki-chan!!"

Again, Seiryu barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His crowing brother is certainly as dense as a certain redhead seishi of his sometimes.

"How…very observant of you, aniki." The god of Kutou replied with barely veiled sarcasm. "And here I was, thinking that you are trying very hard to patch up the relationship between Byakko and his daughter."

"Well," Suzaku announced loftily. "You are right."

"Right? By all means please enlightenment me. How can Byakko disowning Saki help in pulling them closer together; you answer me."

"Anou…Come to think of it, I haven't work out the actual details yet." Suzaku remarked happily. "But I will be sure to inform you first thing when I get it all planned out."

Seiryu looked incredulous.

"You mean you have not planned anything out yet?" Being a big believer on preparation and strategies, the dragon was aghast that Suzaku was running around without a plan.

"Uh…nope?"

Seiryu turned literally blue. Suzaku could see that Seiryu was preparing to launch one of his `Importance of Planning' speeches. He sighed. If there was one thing imperfect about the impeccable, perfect Seiryu, it is that the dragon is a major control freak. Even when they were young, Seiryu was already keeping planners and the likes of such. There was one thing that Suzaku could say; Seiryu was one boring kid.

"Before you are going to start, aniki, I would have to ask you to stop. You know that I always start to zone out when you start your speeches." Suzaku waved his hand slightly.

"Shit, how did my seishi ever lost to your half-cooked ones, I wonder?" Seiryu managed at last.

"Honestly, if you wanted to know," The phoenix answered. "I never planned anything for my seishi. Throughout the entire happenings, I just sat aside and watched them."

"I don't believe you. How could you even win me if you enter the battle unprepared?"

"Because unlike war, which could be easily won by detailed preparation and strategy," Suzaku smiled; and Seiryu was struck suddenly by how wise his younger brother looked at that moment. "Love cannot be planned. It is unexpected; you can only follow it with your instincts, and see where it leads you to in the end. It is a blind ride all the way; that's what makes it so exciting."

"I still don't see how everything is going to work out right."

Suzaku heaved an aggrieved sigh. Well, what did he expect? That Seiryu could be so easily converted into not being a control-freak with just a few sentences? Fat hope. The phoenix reckoned that he would have to work harder on relaxing his stiff and unbending brother.

"Won't it be boring if we planned everything for Saki and Byakko? And if it is planned, then it is not love. Furthermore, if father and daughter care for each other enough, then everything would turn out to be fine in the end. It is always like that, isn't it? Love always prevails. Besides, I think that separating them has the `absence makes the heart grow fonder' appeal."

"Are you sure?" Seiryu was dubious.

"Affirmative." Suzaku confirmed seriously. "The instincts of a God of Love."

The dragon stared at Suzaku. When did annoying chicken became so wise and all-knowing and confident all of a sudden?

"Of course, that is the excuse that I give everyone who thinks that I am not fulfilling my duties." Suzaku commented cheerfully, all semblance of seriousness gone. "Even if it fails, Ki-chan would still make me a good daughter."

Major sweatdrop.

He must be mad. Whatever had made him even think that Suzaku has became wise? He should have known; chicken would always be chicken.

Brainless.

Trust Suzaku to apply the `make the best of everything' attitude in the wrong place.

Hey…wait a moment…

Good daughter?

Not fulfilling duties?

"EXCUSE?!!"

##########

"Don't be stupid. Do you honestly think that the curse of the shibo no kusuri could be so easily averted?"

Everyone stiffened and turned to the source of that voice.

"Chiri…"A veinpop appeared on Tasuki's forehead. "Just because you are my friend doesn't mean that I won't `Rekka Shi`en' you to oblivion, so shut up and quit rubbing more salt into my wounds already."

The blue-haired seishi ignored his friend's grumbling. Still hog-tied and left in a corner, Chichiri posed no threat to anyone.

"But I stand correct. Do you think that the shibo no kusuri could be so easily averted? If Tamahome can leave the Universe of the Four Gods for the miko Miaka, so can I. It is just a matter of time and luck. But trust me," Chichiri stared hard at Sable. "I will fulfill what I set out to do."

"Yeah. Normally, we would not mind you following Sable to the other world. But your reason for going there is entirely wrong!!" Kitten muttered.

The seishi in question shrugged.

"I will say this once, and never again; there is no cure for the shibo no kusuri. As long as it is in my blood, I will do anything to kill the girl." Turning to the elementals, Chichiri continued.

"My apologies for not greeting you guys properly earlier on." Everyone was disconcerted when Chichiri was behaving like his usual self. "I was…preoccupied."

Akai snorted.

"Preoccupied killing your friends, huh? Poor thing, it must be hell of a busy job."

Again, Chichiri ignored the jibe.

"I take it that three of you would not be releasing your bonds on me anytime soon?"

"Seeing that keeping you restrained has made you calm down a lot…try not in this century." The silver-haired elemental replied. "In fact, it occurred to me that keeping you tied up had made you almost sane. Almost."

"Are you back to normal already then, Chichiri?" Cautiously, Kitten approached the immobile man.

Blood red eye regarded her with sardonic amusement.

"What do you think?"

"Anou…maybe not yet." The blue-haired girl stopped advancing towards Chichiri. The Chichiri whom she was looking at now was almost exactly the same as the old one, only that this Chichiri seemed more…sarcastic, and edgy. "Are you…are you still going after Sab?"

At the mere mention of Sable's name, the change in Chichiri's expression was so sudden that it left the group stunned.

"Do not speak of her name in my presence!!" Keeping hate-filled scarlet eye pinned to Sable's forest green ones at all times, the blue-haired seishi hissed. "You all very well knew that had I not been restrained by you immortals, I would have destroyed the bitch long ago!!"

Sable paled. The animosity…that she was seeing in his eyes was something that the girl had never expected to witness in her entire life. Anguished, the brunette watched helplessly as Chichiri struggled furiously against his bonds.

Tasuki could not take it anymore. The fact that such foul words were coming out from the mouth of his best friend was unacceptable to him. Striding to the bound man, the redhead seishi took a shoulder into each hand and shook Chichiri. Hard.

"Come on, Chiri!! Wake up!! This is not you; you would never say things like this." Tasuki looked disbelieving, and hurt. "What happened to your promise to Kamui? What happened to protecting Sable with your life? Wake up!!"

But Chichiri was blind and deaf to his friend's pleas. Bloodlust tainting his vision red, he did not see anything except for his artificial revulsion for Sable.

It was pandemonium, and Aoi and Saki were probably the only ones who had seen Sable's distraught figure. Quickly, the water elemental saw fit to react to the brunette's distress.

"Chichiri, you will control yourself now, or I will be forced to drug you again!!" Obviously, the sharply issued threat went quickly into the seishi's head like nothing can, and Chichiri calmed down a little.

Saki went over to Sable.

"Daijoubu ka?"

Pale, the girl nodded shakily.

"H…hai."

"Are you sure?" Akai asked this time. "Cause you don't look too good to me."

"I am alright."

Chichiri sneered.

"You won't be the moment I am out of this predicament, ami no baka."

Tasuki thumped his fan lightly over the head of the blue-haired seishi.

"Watch your words, Chiri. Amongst the two of us, only I can swear; you aren't supposed to."

Everyone sweatdropped. Who set THAT rule?

"Do you really hate me that much, Chichiri?"

Everyone stiffened as Sable, despite the fact that the blue-haired seishi would kill her as soon as given the chance, approached Chichiri fearlessly.

Said seishi refused to reply and instead, kept his eye mutinously at Sable's neck, where his finger imprints were still glaringly red and obvious.

"Whatever you are thinking of doing now, Sable, don't." Kitten intercepted her friend's path easily. "Remember that Chichiri is under the shibo no kusuri influence. Whatever that he says or do now, he would regret when he finally fights off the drug."

"Yeah, Sable." Tasuki approached the girl too, and he looked sympathetic. "Don't do anything that will give Chiri anymore to regret later."

The brunette did not look too happy to be stopped by her friends, but after she forcefully reminded herself that they were on her side and acting for her good, although that still remains to be seen, Sable finally relaxed and nodded wearily.

"Do what you want; I don't think that I care anymore." She turned away tiredly.

Worried by Sable's sudden listlessness, Tasuki and Kitten exchanged anxious looks with the Elementals.

Saki shook her head.

"It's alright. I think that Sable-san just needs some time to accept everything."

Kitten looked after the retreating back of her friend longingly. She wished that she could help, but knew that whatever that she say or do now would not help the brunette at all. Tasuki squeezed her shoulder slightly; a silent show of support and the blue-haired girl leaned into her koi's arms.

"There is only so much that we can do, sacrifice. The rest is up to her and Chiri."

Kitten nodded quietly.

##########

`There are so many things on my mind. What should I do now? What can I do to help him?'

The thoughts raced through Sable's already confused mind like an out-of-control freight train. She walked out of the inn at a rapid speed, the need to clear her mind overriding everything else.

What to do?

Sable pondered long and hard over that question.

If she and Kitten returned to their own world, then what about Tasuki? Sable had not missed the longing looks that they had sent each other, however discreet they were being. No friends of hers should ever sacrifice love just to help her out. Furthermore, Kitten never had a relationship back in their world, and Tasuki was the only one who had broke through all her emotional walls and barriers. The brunette highly doubted that Kitten would ever find another love like that again if they just returned back to their own world. Those two were literally a match made in heaven; and Sable would be a horrible friend to be the cause of their breakup.

Furthermore, as Chichiri had pointed out; even if the girls had returned to their world, the shibo no kusuri would still not be dispelled. It really is just a matter of luck and chance before the blue-haired seishi find a way to get to their universe and execute the orders of the influence drug. Sable could not see herself living that way; always worried and tensed up for the rest of her life; wondering if the day she is living would the day that she dies under the hand of the man whom she loves at first sight.

Another thing was that Sable felt partly responsible for Chichiri's present predicament. Had she not been obsessed with Fushigi Yuugi and the blue-haired seishi in the first place, then it would not have invoked a negative reaction from Kitten, and the girls would never have stepped step foot in the Universe of the Four Gods, and Chichiri and Tasuki would have been able to live out the rest of their lives in peace, not worrying about and entwined in the girls' problems. The brunette knew that she would never be in peace with her conscience if she just left this world as it is now, especially with Chichiri still like this. She had to fix this mess that she had created, no matter what is the cost.

`In short,' Sable's mind whispered softly. `Kitten's idea would never work. The only way to deal with this problem is not to hide, but to face it straight on, because no matter how fast you run, the past would catch up with you one day. It is just a matter of time.'

"And I wouldn't want to run anyway." The brunette said softly to herself. "I would never hide from you, Chichiri, no matter what."

`Chichiri…' At that thought, an image of the Suzaku seishi appeared in Sable's mind, and that Chichiri was the one she had always known deep inside her heart. The one she had fallen in love with. Maskless and smiling his gentle smile, he held out his hand to her, beckoning for her to be by his side forever.

But things have changed now, and Sable knew that she would most probably never see him look at her that way ever again.

RECALL

"I AM Chichiri, and now, hand over Sable or I will kill all of you."

"Do not speak of her name in my presence!! You all very well knew that had I not been restrained by you immortals, I would have destroyed the bitch long ago!!"

"You won't be the moment I am out of this predicament, ami no baka."

"Shi ne."

RECALL

All the memories of the past few hours flew through her head, replaying themselves again and again. Unbidden, tears leaked out from forest-green eyes. The brunette stopped walking and collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Chichiri…" Sable wept silently; with tears waterfalling off her alabaster cheeks and dripping pitifully off her chin. "I want you back. I can't take this anymore. Your hatred, your animosity. I will do anything to get you back."

Tear-drenched green eyes sharpened in steely determination. "I will do anything to get you back." Sable repeated those words forcefully.

Did her friends really think that life would be worth living if Chichiri would hate her for life? Did they really think that she would continue living her life to the fullest, all the while knowing that she was in actuality the only barrier that separates this shibo no kusuri-induced Chichiri from the real one?

If they really think that was the case, then they were in for a big surprise. Mechanically, Sable reached her hands up to her face to clean away all her tears and fix her appearance. When that was done, the girl got to her feet slowly.

Sable did not fear death; in fact, she felt that it might be sweet release compared to all the suffering that she had endured the past few hours.

`Dying to save a loved one isn't that bad a reason to go see your Maker. Furthermore, I have no one to grieve for me back home, being an orphan and all. There are no obligations tying me down to the mortal realm.'

Sable closed her eyes, at peace with her decision. Finally, all the confusion had cleared.

`At least I can rest in peace, knowing that Chichiri is freed. This is all for the best. They say that life is like a stage, and everyone must play their part. So must I, it seems.'

Thus assured, her thoughts unscrambled, the brunette took a deep, calming breath, and headed back towards the inn.

It was time for her closing act.

Firstly, there is one thing that I have to say. GOMEN NASAI!! I am really, really, sorry!! Fancy me telling you all that I will update at least once a week and not fulfilling my promise for the past two or so chapters!! paws_bells no baka!! *hits head against computer screen* Itai…gomen ne, minna-san…you all got to blame it on this WB of mine. (It's cleared now, so don't you worry that much!!) I hope that you understand my predicament.

Another unfortunate thing is that, for the sake of myself and each and everyone one of you, I would like to inform all readers that from this chapter on, I would update only once every two weeks. However, on the rare occasion that I am overflowing with ideas, I might upload twice or even thrice in the span of said two weeks. Nevertheless, please do not expect miracles like THAT to happen all the time. ^^ I do not have the time and also have not molded the ideas that are floating in my head to my liking at this moment. You see, school is starting in one day's time and I do not think that I would have the time nor energy for once a week uploads. Please understand. Thanks for all your support. I really appreciate them. All of you may rest assured that I will NOT leave this story hanging. I will see TGWDB to the very end, so don't you all worry!! I won't dare disappoint my faithful, loyal readers like that, will I? *winks playfully*

Lastly, I do hope that this chapter is not too boring; I wrote over 5000 words instead of the normal 3000/4000 words as an apology and also as a peace offering to you guys.^^;;; Whoo-hoo, Sable is finally showing some backbone!! Lol. Really, really hope that this chappie is not too angsty too. I suck at angst, so tell me what you think if you will. -_-;;;

Well fellas, after this long after-note, you know the drill!! Read from you soon, and until next time, folks!!