Chapter 10

Kenji sat glaring at the floor, he hadn’t even blinked in about five minutes, Nanako was sure of it.  She didn’t quite know why this had upset him so much, well okay, maybe that was obvious, but there was nothing he could do about it and so no reason to stay annoyed.

Nezaki hadn’t wanted her to tell him.  He had said they should just slip away without saying a word and not worry about what he thought.  Now he sat on the arm of the cream cushioned chair, his lilac tail flicking back and forth in agitation and his blond bangs across his face so she couldn’t see his expression.

If this carried on she would scream.  If they didn’t like each other there was nothing she could do about it, but they could at least try to be civil for her sake.  Of course, with these two, that may be asking just a little more than they were capable of.

“So…” she looked over at Nezaki wondering how annoyed he was, “when do we go and what do I have to do?”

Nezaki’s tail stopped its agitated pattern and dropped limply to his side.  His hand went to his neck, where it clutched around the coin hung there.  Lilac-blue eyes flashed up at her between silken honey-blond hair.  He looked sad, almost upset, he didn’t look annoyed at all.

“Are you alright?” she stood to go to him but Kenji grabbed her wrist and stayed her, “Kenji?  What are you doing?”

“Look at him,” Kenji sounded a little worried, “how can you trust him?  I don’t believe this, why do you just believe everything he says?  Multiple dimensions my butt!”

She had to admit it did sound rather strange.  Why did she believe him?  She didn’t even know him really and he wanted to take her away alone.  No, he had saved her life at the risk of his own and what wouldn’t she believe now, after all she’d seen?

“Lemme go Kenji,” she wrenched her arm from his grip, “I trust you don’t I?”

“But… but you’ve known me since we were… well as far as I can remember and you’ve known him… what?  About a week?” he did have a point but that just wasn’t the way she felt and right now all she did have were her instincts.

“Are you alright?” she went over to Nezaki and brushed a strand of blond hair from in front of his eyes.

“Fine,” he sat up a little against the back of the chair, “it will just be weird to go home after all these years and as for when, well you decide that.”

There’s no time like the present, what do I need?” if she was going to do it she had better do it now, before she lost her nerve.

“Nothing, it wouldn’t help you anyway.  Is he coming?” it was a genuine question with no malice involved and she had to wonder what was in this dimension to distract him so much.

“Of course I am!  Do you think I’m going to let you take Nanako to some other dimension by yourself?” he wasn’t going to be left behind.

“What do I do?” Nanako wondered why exactly she was doing this, she didn’t know she was going really, or who she was going to help besides a white haired prince.

“Sit on the floor next to me and you, Kenji, if you’re coming,” Kenji scoffed and seated himself cross-legged on the carpet.

Nanako sat next to Kenji and watched as Nezaki settled himself between them.  He tugged at the coin hung round his neck and slipped it over his head.  Wrapping his hand round it, he closed his eyes and mouthed a few words in a language Nanako didn’t understand.  As she watched the coin began to glow; a soft yellow light at first, which turned to a brighter gold light as the seconds slipped by.

Suddenly the world tipped.  Nanako didn’t feel like she would fall, in fact, she felt as if she was rooted to the spot.  The world span in a whirl of colours and flashes as she tipped from side to side but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.  She couldn’t actually see anyone else but she could still make out the gold light as the coin continued to shine and presumed Nezaki still had hold of it.

The light faded as she watched it, then winked out, but before she had time to do more than register it she was pitched forward her knees hitting something solid and then her hands.

Something wrapped around her waist and hauled her to her feet before she fell any further.  It was Nezaki’s tail she noticed as she glanced down.  As she did so it also occurred to her that the grass she stood on was pale blue.  Looking up she noticed the sky was red, the sun being the only thing which hadn’t changed colour.

Some plants nearby shone like gold and a strange purple boulder rose a few yards away to meet the sky.

Kenji looked uninterested but Nezaki was looking around with a glow in his eyes that did more than suggest he was glad to be home.

It was so peaceful here, making it hard to believe she could be in any danger and Nezaki didn’t seem concerned in the slightest.  In fact, it was the first time she had seen him completely relaxed.

“You said I would be in more danger once we got here but I can’t see how anything bad can come from anywhere so beautiful,” she looked around again at the glowing colours of the place and felt like she was safe here.

“Yes,” his lilac eyes were shining brighter than she’d ever seen them, “you will be, but not here.  This is a holy place and it’s exactly the same as I remember it.  It’s been nearly one hundred years since I’ve been here as well.”

Nanako could see why it was a holy place, and why Nezaki was so pleased to be back here.  In fact, the place was so relaxing she just wanted to stay.  Even Kenji looked happy; he was glancing around with wide eyes and smiling sweetly at the strange colours and pleasant feel of the place.

Nanako lay down on her back and closed her eyes.  She wondered briefly if it was disrespectful to fall asleep here.  Nezaki didn’t stop her though and soon she drifted off into a blissful sleep, the mood of the entire place calming her nerves so she was completely relaxed and happy to doze.