As soon as Tokiya got home Genie pounced on her. “Where have you been!”

“Out.” Tokiya muttered.

“Don’t you know that your tryouts are in one hour!”

“I forgot!” Tokiya ran towards the door and left.

Genie blinked.

Tokiya came back into the apartment. “Er, do you have the address?”

*************************************************************************

Tokiya entered the dome where the qualifications were being held. Luckily for her, they were held at the school.

“NAATTTSSSUUUMMII!!”

“What….”

Akiko grabbed on to Tokiya’s neck and shook it hard. “You moron, we can’t win this without you here!”

“But it’s just the tryouts……”

“It leaves an impression for the actual thing! Everyone knows that”

“Forgive me for not being so knowledgeable about cheerleading as you are oh intelligent slut of …… ah!” Akiko jumped on top of her and started to beat her up

“Stop calling me that!”

“Make me!”

The match was in full swing now.

“CAT FIIIGHHHT” Masashi called out to the other boys in the team. Not only did the Samurai team flock to the scene but also other males inside the large dome.

Just then Coach Sato arrived as Mikagami demonstrated her famous kick. In fact, since Akiko had moved away Sato also FELT the kick.
**************************************************************************

“ Hundred and one, hundred and two…keep moving.” Sato munched on some chips

“Tired…” Akiko panted.

Tokiya lay down on the floor. This time she agreed with Akiko. “No more sit-ups,” she protested.

“Now you are listening just because you are tired too…”

“Get off my back!!!”

Sato nodded and went to call Kimberly and inform her about the situation.
 
After a while Kimberly arrived with Fuuko by her side.

Tokiya and Akiko got up, both glaring at each other.

“See, they can’t work together at all.” Kimberly grumbled.

Fuuko frowned. “I gotta do it”

“Okay. I’ll leave it to you then.”

Tokiya sighed and lifted her hair from her face. “You have got foundation, right?”

Akiko looked at her. “Why?”

“For the black and blue bruises.”

*SLAP* *SLAP*

************************************************************************

Akiko opened her compact mirror and inspected her jaw.

“It’s turning purple now”

“Fuuko has the ability to leave you with different shades.” Tokiya sat down while Yanagi put a bandage on her cheek.

The pale girl (oh by the way her name is Gin) tossed plastic packets to Akiko and Tokiya.

“What’s this?”

“Your costume, I had to design them since the other one split after Coach Sato joined.” Gin replied sitting down next to them

“So tell me what da yah guys think? I worked really hard on them!”

Yanagi opened up Tokiya’s packet and became white upon seeing it.

“Daijobu?” Tokiya asked.

She said nothing, but sat still.

Tokiya managed to pry the outfit from Yanagi’s fingers and froze (no pun intended) herself.

The top was black in color with a red ‘S’ placed on the chest area, and it was practically skin tight. While the skirt wasn’t far off itself, around the waist there was a black band. The skirt was red in color with the hem being black. Tokiya had never ever seen a skirt so short before. Let alone wear it. However, the best was yet to come.

“ Butterfly knee socks!”

“Aren’t they soooo cute!” Gin smiled.

“Natsumi-san why are you looking at me like that?”
***************************************************************************

“LOOKIN’ GOOD IN THAT SKIRT MIKAGAMI!!!”

“Baka … sea monkey wait till I get my hands on you,” Tokiya growled, trying to keep in pace with the routine and think murderous thoughts at the same time.

“Okay, go over to the back stage to get ready for our number!” Kimberly called out, feeling quite comfortable in the costume.

The music began signaling for everyone to run on the stage.

“Let’s go!” Masashi smiled.

“*CAMPIONE!!!” the several voices from the speakers blared.

Gin and Akiko were the first to enter the stage making cartwheels. The rest followed in pairs. Tokiya was with Masashi.

The group moved flawlessly from triangle positions to diamond shaped ones.

“Ready?” Masashi mouthed.

Tokiya nodded and Masashi lifted Tokiya up high. The other boys and stronger girls did the same to their flyers in perfect harmony. The way the flyers’ bodies turned before reaching the desired height was amazing.

“Dream team from across the land,” the singer sang.

Tokiya grinned while dancing to the beat; she was kind of enjoying this.

“Here we gooooooooooooo!!!!” was the final line in the song.

The pyramid was formed, to end the routine.

“Yeahhhhhhhhh!” The dome erupted in applause.

Recca and Domon were busy whistling.

Koganei waved a small flag which had the letter ‘M’ on it.

Fuuko jumped up and down with pom poms

Kagerou smiled as she watched the scene from her crystal ball in the Hanabishi’s residence. She was about to cut off the transmission until she saw something else. More like someone else.

“Iie, it can’t be!”  She had spotted Masashi.

But how could it be someone else? The same red eyes, the same jet-black hair, not to mention that dragon tattoo on the right arm.

She immediately tried to reach the Hokage as fast as she could.
*************************************************************************

The squad darted backstage.

“We did it!!!!!!” Masashi went and hugged Tokiya.

Suddenly when Tokiya realized what was going on she stiffened.

“Gomen.” Masashi said moving away from her blushing.

“It’s alright,” Tokiya smiled “I didn’t mind it.”

Since Tokiya had come to a decision to open up she decided it was okay. Plus, after all they had done together she did not find him annoying any more.

“Say, I am really thirsty. I want to get a soda, wanna come with me?”

“Sure.” Tokiya followed the red eyed boy.
*****************************************************************

 
The crowd watched the scene intently. Kagerou tried to push through all the people.

‘A really big fight must be going on, I hope it’s nothing serious,’ she wondered

Akiko narrowed her eyes. “Give it up, Hanabishi.”

“Ha, you wish.”

Yanagi wrung her hands together. This was making her nervous.

Fuuko who was kneeling down in front of the two said nothing, she didn’t know what to expect.

Gin interrupted. “Listen, things are getting really out of hand here….you two should stop.”

“No way! I never give up on a fight!” Recca barked

“I have no intention of ending it now either,” Akiko replied.

Ganko bit a nail. “Is everything going to be alright?”

“Everything is under control” Fuuko reassured her.

And now for the final blow.

“Four ‘fives’.”

“Bluff.” Akiko grinned.

“Aiiiiiiiieeeeeee how did you know, I kept my  face so straight!” the stern faced ninja suddenly became teary eyed.

“Because you didn’t have any fives before, how the hell did you get four!”

“That’s cheating!”

“It’s called a good memory” Akiko stuck her tongue out at Recca.

By this time, Kage Houshi had arrived. She just stood there with a large sweatdrop rolling down the back of her head.

“Hey mom! What are you doing here?”

“There is something very important that I have to tell all of you”
**************************************************************************

Masashi sat back at the bench with Tokiya and sipped from his can. At this time Tokiya noticed his right arm.

“A particular clan has this kind of tattoo.” Tokiya pointed out.

The teenager with black hair faced the Ensui wielder. “Ah, so you are aware of the *Kin family?”

“You are a member of that family!” The Kin family was one of the oldest existing ninja clans in Japan.
They were not active anymore, but their work was very notable. Most of them were now successful businessmen. All of them had this dragon symbol twirling around their arm. Rumors had spread that the family could call flames like the sea monkey’s family. But it was definitely certain that they possessed a madougu similar to the Ensui.

“So, did you inherit it?” Masashi asked.

“Inherit what?” Tokiya asked.

“I know about the dark waters sword that the Mikagami family holds.”

“H-hai.” There was no point denying it now.

Masashi nodded and took out a garnet colored dagger.

Tokiya looked at it with interest.

“Madugo, Rekka converter, forgive me … my Japanese is not too good”

Masashi took out a cigarette lighter and lit it, the flame drew it self towards the dagger forming a thin needle.

“It can also form itself as in other shapes such as the demon claw, but the only flaw is that it feeds on a lot of fire, which is not, as you know, always available”.

“So you make do with small things like this lighter, just like this blade?”

“Exactly.”

Masashi inched closer towards Tokiya but she moved away. Noticing this Masashi sighed and backed off.

“Natsumi-san, can I tell you something?”

“I guess so.”

“I have no attraction towards women.” Tokiya raised an eyebrow

“Gay…”

“Nah, actually nothing its really hard to describe though, sure I think you look cute but that is like anybody else would think male or female.  But the truth is that you are really different from other people I have met and that’s why I like you…as a friend.”

“Do I remind you of someone?” That was the case for Tokiya, so he was just assuming it here.

“You kind of do.”

Masashi revealed a picture from his jacket. It was a photo of two children: a girl leaning against a boy’s shoulder.

“This boy kind of looks like you,” Tokiya noticed.

“That is my older brother *Yukio and this is my sister *Hoshi.”

The girl was very pretty, like a female version of Masashi. Pretty red eyes and raven black hair passing down her hips. Yukio had light brown hair, which framed his face and matching light brown eyes. Yukio was smiling widely for the camera while Hoshi wore no expression.

“She reminds me of you, cold, yet actually not so bad when you get to know her.” Masashi grinned.

Tokiya grinned back. And leaned in closer to Masashi.

Just then Fuuko burst in panting like a mad dog.

“Fuuko?”

“AHHHH WAIIITTT DON’T KISSSS HIMMMMM!!!!” Fuuko went and punched Masashi in to the sky.

“Fuuko! What are you doing??” Tokiya yelled.

“Mi-chan, this guy is an enemy!” Fuuko said. A chibi Masashi flew in the background and landed on top of the soda machine headfirst.

The rest of the Hokage had also appeared.

“Fuuko-san! Didn’t you hear the end of my conversation!” Kage Houshi said covering her mouth

“No, I missed it…why?”

“Hoshi-san might be good.”

“Oh….oops”

Tokiya pushed past her and ran to Masashi “are you alright!”

“Kookaburra sits in an old gum treeeee counting all the monkeys he can seeeee, stop kookaburra stoooop that’s not a monkey that’s just me…” Masashi sang before blacking out.
***************************************************************************
 

They managed to drag Masashi into the classroom, where they wouldn’t be disturbed for a while.

“SAMUARAI X! The Kyoto arc episodes!” Domon put the cassette into the V.C.R

“First of all, why did Fuuko K.O Masashi? Second why do you call him Hoshi? And most important of all Fuuko, why in the world did you think I was going to kiss him!” Tokiya pressed an ice pack on the latter’s forehead.

Fuuko looked at Koganei.

Koganei looked at Domon.

Domon didn’t pass the look he was distracted by the television.

“Moron, focus on the situation!”

“Sorry.” Domon passed the look on to Recca.

“Eh Mikagami I think mom would be the best explaining the first two.” Recca scratched his hair.
 

Kage Houshi went over to Masashi. “He is not really who he seems to be. In fact his real name is Hoshi”

“But that’s a girl’s name.”

“Yes, I feel that Satan may have made the same agreement with her.”

“What makes you think that?”

Kage Houshi sighed before continuing. “Two years ago I ran across the Kin family as they had sent Hoshi to assassinate me.  It is a shame that they are no longer on the Hokage’s side. As I was saying, Hoshi had done many deeds, but killing wasn’t one of them. She could not let herself do it and my life was spared. The irony is that she couldn’t kill me even if she went through it.”

Fuuko and Tokiya picked up Masashi (a.k.a Hoshi) to take her to the nurse.

Kage Houshi paused “I can never forget her, no matter what form she is in.”

Recca sat down “So another person put to test.” he glared at the television.

“Can’t you turn that off!”

“I can’t” Domon wailed.

“What do you mean you can’t!!!!!!”

“It’s stuck!”

Recca’s eyes widened when he looked out the window. “It’s raining … That means that assembly will be held in ……”

The school bell rang, and the students entered the classroom.
*************************************************************************
“On this day something very tragic occurred,” the teacher murmured. He was forced to make the speech to his appointed class. Indeed a very boring task as everyone was already asleep.

“Baka deshi!”

Recca immediately woke up. “You called me, sensei?”

He adjusted his glasses. “Umm no … as I was saying, on this day ……”

“Kenshhhiinnnnnnnnn…” Kaoru’s voice rang through the classroom.

Fuuko grabbed the remote control and lowered the sound.

“My, one of my students has a big fan” the teacher looked back at his textbook.
 
Things went by smoothly for the next hour but then Fuuko accidentally dropped the remote and it fell down on Recca’s seat. Unaware of the situation Recca leaned back and managed to increase the volume to about 99%.

Fuuko: @@

“Since you are all here already, take down this homework assignment.”

“For tomorrow?” Gin groaned.

“Yes.” he answered firmly.

“EEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Kenshin managed to let out one of his famous battle cries. Strange music also followed.

A sweat drop formed on the teacher’s forehead “A-alright n-no homework for tomorrow and in fact…no homework for this whole year … GOODBYE!” The confused and scared sensei collected his few belongings and disappeared from the classroom.

Whole Class: “………”

**********************************************************************

Masashi opened his eyes.

“You are up.” Tokiya said coldly from the far corner.

“Itai…your friends really can pack a punch”

“Actually you crashed into the soda machine, HOSHI.”

There was a sudden silence.

Hoshi sat back down. “So you know who I am,” he said slowly.

“Hn, like I a give a damn, see you…most preferably never.” Tokiya spun on her heel to leave.

“Go ahead run, that’s the best thing you seem to do!” Hoshi remarked curtly.

Tokiya stopped walking and turned her neck to glare at him. “Excuse me?”

“You know exactly what I mean! Aren’t you glad that you are now able to go back into your shell?”

Tokiya wanted to slap him. “You have no idea what I went through! The pain I suffered all these years!”

“I do know, Tokiya Mikagami!”

“So what? You know who I am. Everyone is aware of the bitter tragedy of my life anyhow!”

“Yeah and I bet you use this excuse that you don’t want to lose another person you loved so you keep this blocked-off personality. Truth is, you don’t know how to love again!”

Tokiya was too shocked to speak.

“I hit a nerve didn’t I? Well the best is yet to come. My brother Yukio…he died trying to protect you!”

She gasped, and grabbed her head. “No…”

A tear slid down Hoshi’s cheek. “Even though I was six years old I remember it so clearly. Your beloved sensei sent orders out to kill Mifyu Mikagami. Yukio wouldn’t have it because he loved your sister too much.”

Hoshi started to choke. “Though he discovered the plans through our family connections, he wasn’t able to foil their plans, but he did save your life. They had no desire to follow your sensei’s plan, their original plan was to kill you too and keep the ensui for themselves, but since you screamed, they had to get out of there as quickly as they could.”

Tokiya sank to his knees. “Yes… it was the first and last time I ever heard myself scream like that…”

“After the police left, they walked back to your house, which you had refused to leave. I spied on my brother. He was keeping watch on you. Those men had come and…and he was not strong enough to hold all of them back!” She burst out into sobs. “See! So don’t tell me that I have no idea what you went through! I suffered myself!”

“I’m sorry,” Tokiya uttered.

“I should be the one apologizing.”

They turned away for a while.

Tokiya’s eyes widened “H-Hoshi l-look your body!”

Hoshi looked up at the mirror and jumped back. Masashi was no longer standing there, A gorgeous girl was standing there instead.

“You are back!” Tokiya went and hugged her.

“Tokiyyaaaa! You are also back!!” sure enough there was a male form standing there in Yanagi’s dress.

Tokiya laughed. They both looked at each other and hugged.

“I just love touching moments.” Satan sniffed.

Tokiya and Hoshi glared “what do you want?” Mikagami growled.

“You shouldn’t be so angry, Tokiya-san. I am the one who changed you back. See, here is the deal.”

“No more deals.” Hoshi spat.

“Oh, but you are going to love this one. See, you can keep these bodies and I will not trouble you anymore - under one condition…. You fight my team and myself in an one on one. You can have as many members as you like. Winner, well…. If you are the winner you can go back to your normal life. How does that sound?”

“Fine with me!” Tokiya challenged.

“I’m in.”

“Oh goody, see you then. Ciao!” He blew an unwanted kiss and disappeared.

The door swung open and Fuuko, Recca and Domon entered.

Seeing Fuuko, Hoshi hid behind Tokiya.

“Uhhh I guess we were interrupting something…” Recca chuckled nervously, both men dashed out.

“Mi-chan, I didn’t think you were the kind to try out new stuff!” Fuuko giggled and followed them.

“What the…” Tokiya noticed he was wearing a dress while Hoshi was wearing a man’s outfit.

“COME BACK HERE YOU PERVERTED FOOLSSS!!!!” Tokiya and Hoshi ran after them.