Yume Ja Nai Yo
Chapter 6
by Ashna

Welcome to the world of stupid Ashna! I need to get up early tomorrow so what do I do? Download a video at 1:00 in the morning. So I'm writing this chapter while I wait for it to finish! Sigh, stupid me. Here's chapter six!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Takeru woke slowly feeling just a bit light-headed. He felt as if he'd been through a major defensive magic work out with Yamato again. He opened his eyes to see a sleeping Daisuke lying beside him. His mind felt fogged and he tried to remember what happened. He thought back, trying to remember where he'd stopped thinking quite right.

*I passed out and slipped right into dreaming.*

He could remember strong arms around him and a violet/indigo light holding him away from a black, cold abyss. He had tried to stay within the here and now but nothing had been within his control.

*Ken saved me. He used his magic, which he hasn't even trained, and kept me alive.*

He sent out a wordless thought of thanks though Ken could not hear him. Then he noticed something else was different than normal. Something was feeding him a thin line of energy that swept through his system and healed the places injured by the poison. He noticed immediately that it came to him through his link with Daisuke.

*He must have sent for help.*

But he didn't need the flow of energy anymore and he gently closed it off, admiring the subtle touch of whoever set the spell. Daisuke's hand gently gripped his and he smiled at his friend fondly. Not in any rush to get up, Takeru waited for Daisuke to wake up. He didn't need to go anywhere now that the threat to the village was gone. Besides, they hadn't slept in a bed for weeks now. It was nice sleeping on a warm, soft, clean surface compared to the cold, hard, dirty ground.

It was a while before Daisuke's eyes fluttered opened and looked back at him. Daisuke blinked a few times before he broke out into a huge grin. Then Takeru's arms were full of Daisuke as the boy launched himself at the blonde.

"YOU'RE OKAY!!!" He yelled happily right in Takeru's ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine... But I might not be if you don't get off, I can't breath." Takeru laughed giving Daisuke a brief squeeze back.

Daisuke bounced back sheepishly and Takeru chuckled a bit before making to sit up. More difficult than he thought. He was still weak from the poison and needed Daisuke's help to sit up. Daisuke pulled him up and Takeru grinned.

"Well, I'm not fully recovered but I suppose it's better then before." He laughed at himself.

He didn't like feeling this weak and wanted it to go away but he knew he'd have to take it easy.

"Hikari said once you woke up to make you eat." Daisuke said climbing off the bed.

"Hikari?" Takeru asked confused as he managed to pull his legs to the side of the bed.

"Yeah, she's the healer chick who came and helped. She's real cute too!" Daisuke babbled as he helped Takeru to his feet.

He pulled up on his arms and Takeru swayed unable to find his balance. He almost fell before Daisuke put a steadying arm around his waist. Nodding his thanks, he let Daisuke help him stay up. He blushed a bit embarrassed at being so dependent on someone just to walk. His stomach kept growling and his bladder felt full to burst so he endured the humiliation. After dealing with the necessary Daisuke lead him towards the common room down the hall. Daisuke sat him down at the nearest table and went off to find a waitress.

Takeru sat happily, his legs feeling fairly wobbly. Sighing, he sat back and looked around at the occupants of the main room. It was about noon so the place was fairly full, workers taking a break, some farmers who lived close enough to stop by during their lunch break. Most were ignoring his presence, some were giving him fearful glances before looking away again. Few looked at him with simple curiosity and fewer still with hate, Takeru preferred the former.

Daisuke came back with a serving girl. He was carrying most of the food while she carried only one mug of cider. She seemed slightly bemused while Daisuke chatted with her endlessly. He stopped once he came within talking distance of the table.

"Hey Takeru! They got stew today and peasant. Since I didn't know what you wanted I got both. Whatever you don't want I'll eat. This is Carrie and whenever we want something we're supposed to flag her down." Daisuke said putting down a bowl of stew and a plate with some meat and bread on it.

"Thank you, Carrie." Takeru said with a nod.

She blushed, set down the mug and walked away quickly looking a bit frightened. Sighing, Takeru turned to decide what to eat and found Daisuke already digging into the peasant.

"Hey, I thought I got to pick?" Takeru said in a injured tone.

"You took too long," he said paused only a second before stuffing his face again.

Shaking his head, Takeru didn't argue and grabbed the bowl of stew. He didn't shove the food into his mouth quite as quickly as Daisuke did, but he certainly didn't pause until it was done. Just as they were finishing up a young girl in the robes of the priestesses of light walked up to their table. She was pretty in a mousy way, brown hair, chestnut brown eyes and a sweet smile. Daisuke grinned widely the minute he saw her.

"Hey Hikari! He's up again!" He called out making several people at nearby tables give him a rude look.

"Hello Daisuke." She smiled obviously amused by his loud behavior.

"And hello to you too Takeru. I do hope you're feeling better." She said sitting down beside him.

"I am. Thank you for coming when Daisuke called." Takeru answered her.

"Who could ignore the plea he gave? You have a very loyal assistant Takeru. You're very lucky in that." Hikari smiled making Daisuke blush several shades of red.

Takeru just smiled in response. She chatted with them for a while bringing news from the south of the kingdom where she'd been working before traveling north. She was soft spoken but very bright and friendly. Daisuke was making calf eyes at her the entire time she was there. Takeru was very hard put not to laugh.

"Well, since you've made a full recovery or will with a few more days rest I should get back to what I was doing before Daisuke called. I had an assignment I was working on, gathering rare herbs and other such healing matters. It was a pleasure meeting you both." With that she left.

Takeru went back to working his way through another serving of the stew while Daisuke sighed. Takeru looked up at him in amusement. He was staring after Hikari with a lovesick expression on his face, chin resting on his palm.

"She's kinda something else isn't she?" Daisuke said in a dreamy tone.

"I suppose..." Takeru muttered looking back at his stew.

"I mean she's so nice and really pretty too." Daisuke sighed.

"True." He answered still not looking up.

"I've never really met anyone that cute who wasn't completely conceited. But she's so humble and pretty." Daisuke was seriously sounding pathetic now.

"You've said that already." Takeru said snickering.

Daisuke managed to tear his gaze away from his daydream to give Takeru a dirty glare.

"And just what is your problem? SO what if I think she's cute?" Daisuke said managing to sound injured.

"Oh, nothing much... But Daisuke, do you know what the white robes she wears mean?" Takeru said chuckling.

"Nooo. Why, should I?" Daisuke said looking confused.

"They mean she's not a sorceress but a priestess." Takeru answered keeping his answers short just to torture Daisuke.

"Yeah, okay so?" Daisuke said looking a bit angry now.

"Well, different colored robes mean different things. Blue is a secluded priestess who doesn't leave the convent, green is for a vow of silence, black is for the high priestesses and well..." Takeru paused.

"Yeah, yeah what does white mean?"

"White robes mean that the priestess has taken a vow of celibacy. " Takeru said calmly waiting for Daisuke's response.

"WHAT!!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" He wailed dropping his head onto the tabletop.

Takeru started laughing as Daisuke pounded the table with his fist. The other people in the inn were watching in alarm not quite sure what was going on.

"That is so not fair! Why should the world be deprived of such a cute girl? Why should I be deprived of such a cute girl?"

Takeru just laughed at his friend thinking the entire situation was too funny.

"Poor Daisuke, all that flirting gone to waste."

"YES!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, that chapter was just there because. I had to have the thing with Daisuke and Hikari though. It was one thing that stayed constant through every plot rewrite.
Hikari = Completely unobtainable.
Sigh, poor Daisuke. Anyway peeps hope you liked! For those reading on Tarnished Wings since you're getting this IN mid August, I'm releasing this fic sloooooowly on ff.net. A chapter a week or there about, maybe more. I'm cruel aren't I?