Chapter 5 By: *who else?* Siona!

Ooh, first kiss! *giggles* This should prove to be an interesting chapter, neh? I wonder what the other gods’ll think of this new love...LET'S GO SEE!

Atarashii moaned. She sat up, and then suddenly remembered the events of last night. Swinging her head to side to side, she observed the room. Minami was nowhere to be seen. “Oh, come on. Like you expected him, a god, to be hanging out in your room!” She got up and put on a pair of faded bellbottom jeans with a black tube top. It was then she noticed the small blue note on her dresser. “What’s this?” She picked it up and was surprised to see it was from Minami! It read: Dear Atarashii, I am glad that you feel this way about me. I would like to see you again. I have something I am sure you would like to see. Please come to my palace. And keep this between us, if you will. ~Minami Atarashii stared at the letter for a long time, then sighed and sunk to the floor. “He likes me...he really likes me...” Suddenly, a pounding was heard on the door. It was Taihen. “Hey, Atarashii! You comin’ out or what? Our lessons start today!” Atarashii jumped back up, hitting her head on the edge of the dresser. “Ow! Uh, coming!” She opened the door and raced after Taihen and Judaiko, who were further down the hall. “Guys, wait up! I have to tell you something!” The older women stopped and Atarashii showed them the letter from Minami and told them what happened last night as they walked towards their classes.

“Ugh, my eyes hurt.” Judaiko complained. “I hope I never see another crystal ball for the rest of my life!” “Agreed.” Atarashii sighed. “So, do you think I should go to Minami’s palace? I mean, we just me a few days ago.” Taihen shook her head. “I don’t think he means THAT. I think he just wants to show you something of his. Like a garden or something.” Judaiko nodded. “You should take him something!” Taihen said, “Like cookies!” Atarashii grinned. “Yeah! Great idea!” She wrapped her arms round her friends’ waists. “You guys are the best!” Judaiko smiled mischievously. “Ain’t it the truth? Let’s go make us some cookies! We can make some for Kibby and Kaiobit too and I have the perfect cutter for them!”

“Lips?” “Lips.” The trio were trying their hand at cooking and they had finally found out what shape Judaiko’s cutter was; lips. “Judaiko, I can’t take them lips! Can you imagine what they’d think?!” Judaiko shrugged. “I think he’d like them. They are cookies and no one can resist cookies!” Taihen smirked. “You’d know, that’s practically all you eat! The only difference is the type of cookie you eat!” Judaiko said, “Yeah, so?” The other two sighed. “She needs more help than we can give her.” The timer went off with a ding. Atarashii jumped up. “They’re done!” She put on an oven mitt and carefully pulled out the cookie sheet. “Well, they don’t look that bad, Atarashii.” Taihen commented. “What don’t look that bad?” The girls jumped and saw Nishi Kaioshin. Atarashii put a hand on her chest. “Oh, Nishi, it’s just you! I thought you were...never mind.” Nishi’s eyebrow went up and she folded her arms; something that always happened when she knew you were lying. “You though I was who?” Taihen leaned over to Atarashii and said, “Should we tell her?” The eyebrow arched even more. Atarashii sighed and said, “I think we have no choice.”

Note: If you totally disprove of Nishi/Higashi, well you had better stop reading right now or deal with it.

“So you’re in love with gods, and you’re not sure how to tell them and you think the others will be mad at you because you’re just mortals?” All three nodded. “That’s the story.” Nishi said nothing and the minutes passed by. Suddenly, Nishi started to softly giggle, then began to roar with laughter. Atarashii blushed madly and yelled, “Nishi! Excuse me, but I don’t think it’s funny!” The goddess finally got a hold of herself and said, “Oh, I apologize. I did not mean to laugh, really! It’s just...I know how you feel.” Judaiko’s eyes widened. “You in love with a mortal?” Nishi shook her head. “No, actually...he’s...” All the girls leaned forward. “He’s Higashi, the Eastern God.” Taihen asked, “Really?” Nishi blushed and nodded. “Ever since we met, I’ve felt a special bond between us.” She held her hand out. “If you don’t tell him, I won’t tell on you either.” Atarashii smiled, relieved that her and her friends’ secrets were safe. Putting their hands on top of Nishi’s, they said together, “Deal!”

“It’s a good thing the Kaioshins’ palaces aren’t very far from each other.” Atarashii mumbled. It was later that day, almost evening, when Atarashii had finally worked up the courage to go to Minami’s home. She held in her hands a small bag of lip cookies. The bag was small because Nishi and Judaiko had thought it best if they inspected the cookies before giving them to Minami and had eaten almost half the batch. As Atarashii walked up the hill, Minami’s estate came into view. It was about the same as Nishi’s, but sapphire reigned instead of diamonds. She walked over to the main entrance. She was about to go inside when two servants blocked her path. “No one comes in here without an invitation or Minami Kaioshin’s approval. “But...but I do have an invitation!” Atarashii dug around her pant pockets and all she found was lint. Great, she had left the note at home. “I do! Really, Minami invited me to come over!” “And so I did.” A hand suddenly came to rest on Atarashii’s shoulder. She turned around and saw Minami. The guards bowed slightly and said, “Forgive us sir, we did not know she was a guest.” Minami smiled that smile and Atarashii felt her nervous feelings disappear. “That is alright. Let us by.” The guardsmen stepped aside and Minami showed Atarashii around. Atarashii looked around the main room. A winding flight of stairs led up to the second floor. Up the steps was a blue silk carpet with fringed yellow edges. The floor was white and so clear that Atarashii could see her face in it. Next to the stairway was a white door. The walls were also white, so you could barely see it. Remembering her gift, she held up the bag of sweets. “I heard you’re a fan of cookies, so I made you some!” Minami smiled and Atarashii could not help but smile too. “Why, thank you. How thoughtful.” He peered inside and his eyes widened. Pointing to the bag, he said, “Lips?” “Believe me, it was all Judaiko’s idea!” “I should have known. That friend of yours is always up to trouble. She’s quite the prankster!” Minami opened the door and said, “Come right in!” Atarashii walked out the door and gasped. There was an enourmous garden! It held flowers, bushes, and trees she had never dreamed of. A path of blue tile led to the center. In the very heart of the garden, there was a small well. The well was actually very simple. The roof was of plain wood, and the well itself of concrete. Four green poles held up the roof. Atarashii found it odd that something so...normal would be in a place like this. “Ichi made that well.” Atarashii jumped at the sound of Minami’s voice. He smiled and said, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to frighten you.” Looking back at the well, he said again, “Ichi made that well, when I was but an apprentice to the former Minami no Kaioshin. For some reason, my predecessor sealed off the door, telling me never to open it until I was a god. This is the first time I have ever shown it to someone.” Atarashii was proud of the fact no one in centuries had seen it save her and Minami. Now it seemed much more than a garden to her. She looked at the well again, and felt drawn to it somehow. Like it was calling her name. She walked slowly over to the well, kneeling on the brim. The water was so clear, untainted and pure. She could see no bottom. Atarashii wondered how far down it went. “Iiiichiiii...” A soft voice whispered from the well. Atarashii’s instincts were to pull away, but the calm water captivated her eyes. She couldn’t see her reflection, but she did see a dark haired woman looking up at her. “Iiiichiiii...” Atarashii’s eyes became glassy, her pupils disappearing. She began to lean forward, yearning to hear that beautiful voice again. “Iiiichiiii...” Minami realized Atarashii was going to fall into the well and ran forward to stop her. Grabbing her shoulders and shaking her gently as he could, he said, “Atarashii! Atarashii, snap out of it! Wake up!” Atarashii gasped and her eyes became normal again. Looking up at Minami, she said, “Oh, sorry! I kinda zoned out there for a sec. Didn’t mean to scare ya!” She began to stand up, but slipped and fell butt-first into the water. Minami looked down at her and said, “Are you all right?” Atarashii’s head popped out of the water. “I think so, but oh no! My clothes, I’m completely soaked!” Minami smiled that smile and reached down for the girl. Grabbing her by the arm, he carefully pulled her out of the well and set her on the ground. Wiping her hair out of her eyes, Atarashii said, “Thank you for bringing me here, but I think I should go back to Nishi’s palace and change before I get sick.” Minami nodded and said, “I’ll take you there myself, if you like.” Suddenly Atarashii did not feel so cold. “Sure, I would love that!” They walked hand in hand outside and flew towards Nishi’s estate. Though the breeze chilled her to the bone, Atarashii was almost glad she had fallen into the water. No one was in sight as the pair landed in front of the main door. Atarashii tried to work up the guts to say what she thought. Should she kiss him, no it was too soon. Hug him? Was even that allowed? “Atarashii?” The girl snapped her head up to the god’s voice. “Yes, Minami?” He crouched down, holding her chin in the palm of his hand. “I love you, do you know that?” Blushing, Atarashii nodded slightly. “Yes, I do. I...I love you too, Minami.” She closed her eyes as they fell into a deep kiss. Taking it a step further, Atarashii tried to make their tongues intertwine. She reached her arms around his neck and Minami lifted her off the ground. Wrapping her legs around his broad chest, Atarashii prayed the moment would last forever. She no longer cared who saw, all that mattered was staying with Minami. Kissing passionately for a few minutes, they said nothing. Minami finally broke the kiss, gasping for air. He set Atarashii back down and said, “I...I should get back to my palace now.” Atarashii nodded and walked inside. “Okay, goodbye then.” “You are welcome anytime you want, you know.” “I know. I’ll see you tomorrow then. See ya.” “Goodbye.” At this, Minami took to the air as Atarashii walked to her room, both thinking about the past moment that seemed so long ago. Walking inside her room, she went over to her closet, picking out a pair of lavender PJ’s. She took a quick shower and got dressed. She looked at the mirror, brushing her hair free of the tangles. After finishing that, she walked into her bedroom and flopped onto the bed, closing her eyes in contentment. “So?” “BAH!” Atarashii leaped up in surprise, only to find Judaiko, Nishi, and Taihen in the doorway. Sitting back down on the bed, she said, “Oh, it’s you guys. What do you want?” Taihen smiled and said, “We want to know how your date with Minami went! Duh!” Judaiko sat beside Atarashii and wrapped her arm round the teen’s shoulders. “Yeah, give us ALL the details!” Atarashii blushed and said, “Oh, okay. Well, Minami liked the cookies-“ “Ha! Told ya so!” Glaring at Judaiko, Atarashii began again. “Minami like the cookies. He showed me around a garden of his, then he and I flew back here and we...we...” All the women looked forward. “You what?” Atarashii squeaked, “We kissed on the balcony under the setting sun!” Taihen sighed romantically. “I’m glad you found someone special, I know how that feels!” Judaiko’s eyes practically popped out of her head, which always happened when she got excited. “You’ve kissed Kaiobit?” Taihen blushed so deeply, she was turning purple, and nodded. “When I sent him the cookies and we were reading LOTR *Lord OF The Rings, dumb nuts* when we kissed. It was so good, I didn’t ever want to stop!” Atarashii nodded in agreement. “That’s how I feel too!” Turning to Nishi and Judaiko, she asked, “Have you guys kissed Higashi or Kibito yet?” Judaiko beamed with pride. “Yep, caught him off guard, right on the lips. He was kinda mad at first, but then he finally admitted it was nice and kissed me again!” Then she giggled madly. “Nishi, how bout you and Higashi?” Nishi sighed. “Yes, but I think he’s too scared of what the others would think too admit his feelings in public, and so am I. We only kiss in private.” Atarashii felt sorry for the goddess. “I’m sorry, Nishi. That’s too bad. Maybe we should all declare our love to our men! In public and everything!” Judaiko’s eyes popped out again. “Ya think so?” Atarashii stood up, her fists clenched. “Yeah! We shouldn’t have to hide our true feelings!” Judaiko stood up too. “You go, girlfriend! Taihen, Nishi, ya in or out?” The other two nodded in agreement. “Alrighty then! Ladies, we’re going to...the dance!”

“The pendants round your necks can change into your staffs. In addition, on command, they turn into swords, bows and arrows, anything you want them to become. Taihen, you try first.” It was the next day. The girls were having their lessons with Dai. The god sat on a folding chair, doughnut in hand, while the girls sat on the ground. They were learning more about their necklaces. Taihen stood up and took off her pendant of fire, holding it in front of her. “Taihen, simply concentrate on what you want your pendant to become. It’s just a matter of mind power. Start with something small. A rose, perhaps. Taihen nodded and fixed her mind on a yellow rose. The pendant began to float on its own, glowing red. It began to twist and turn, finally becoming a rose, as yellow as gold. The others applauded as Taihen sat back down on the grass. Dai said, “Good job, Taihen. That was great for a first try!” Turning to Judaiko, he said, “Why don’t you go now?” Judaiko nodded and stood up. Keeping Dai’s hints in mind, she concentrated on a bow. The tear pendant began to change form like Taihen’s, stretching out tip to tip. When it had finished, it had become a slender bow with a perfect string attached. Dai smiled. The girls were improving even more rapidly than The Three themselves had. Could they possibly be...even more powerful than their predecessors? “My turn now, Dai?” The deity snapped back to reality. “Yes, Atarashii. Go ahead.” Atarashii got up off of her knees. She held her cherry blossom necklace in front of her, wondering what she should ask it to do. A thought came to her. She turned her thoughts to Ichi’s staff, though she had seen only a few pictures of the goddess and her staff. The pendant started to glow with purple light, but the light suddenly became white. It shook hard and Atarashii could feel the power. A blinding flash filled the sky and Atarashii and the others were blinded by its brightness. Atarashii blinked a few times as the light resided then gasped. Dai was equally stunned. “I-Ichi’s staff and clothes....” The pink staff floated through the air, coming to a stop in Atarashii’s hands. The teen noticed she had on different clothes. She was wearing the exact same outfit as Ichi did in the portraits. Dai fell off his chair in shock. “You...you made Ichi’s staff appear! You have really come far in your studies, Atarashii!” Atarashii could not help but smile. “Ya think so? I bet Taihen and Judaiko can do it too!” The other two leaped up and said together, “Yeah, we can do that!” Holding the pendants in the air, Judaiko and Taihen concentrated on the images of San and Ni’s staffs. Another flash filled the air, and sure enough, San and Ni’s staffs rested in the hands of Judaiko and Taihen. Moreover, like Atarashii, their clothes had changed as well. Dai was astounded, barely able to say, “You have done it. You can control the power of The Three! You are ready to become Guardians at last!” Atarashii waved her hand in the air. “Um, Dai, could I ask you something?” “Go ahead.” “I was, uh, wondering if we could...maybe...” “What?” “Maybe have a dance like on Earth?” Dai was confused. “Why would you want that?” Judaiko stepped forward and said, “Well, we were all runaways, as you know sir, and never got to go to a dance or such. We would really appreciate if we could have a dance tonight!” Taihen joined in. “Yeah, we were too busy finding our next meal to do anything like that. Please, Dai no Kaioshin?” Dai could feel his heart melt for the girls. “Well, it’s short notice, but sure! I think we should have the very first dance on Kaioshin-kai tonight!” The girls squealed with delight and hugged the chubby god best they could. Atarashii smiled. Now she could tell the world her feelings for Minami, even it was just a handful of deities.

Meanwhile, deep down in the well, a woman with flowing black hair looked up and smiled. She was alone, no one else to be seen. “At last, Ichi has returned to set me free...

” ~ Cool, a dance! I wonder what the girls’ll wear? Wait, I’m the writer, I can make them go naked if I want! *cackles* But wait, who is this mysterious woman and why is she talking about Ichi? Oh, anyhow, tune in for the next chapter of “Atarashii’s Kooky Love”! ~Siona.
Go to Chapter 6!