A game of Chess [Open]

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi stepped in behind Tomoyo and stopped, gawking at the surprising state of the bedroom. He had no idea how eccentric Tomo was but this was a big surprise to him. He really couldn't see how she would be able to sleep here. Yet, he was soon brought about when he saw the female in the room already. He didn't know her but he didn't mind her face at all. He would say she resembled Tomoyo, but only because she suddenly called Tomoyo mom. Arashi then looked at Tomoyo and back to the female who feigned being upset.

Uhhh... okay then...

Tomoyo's daughter... I think that one is Cielle the rest of them don't really stay by Tomoyo's side.

And you know this how?

I stayed in hell a long while kid. Gossip travels well here.

Ranmyaku streaked past Arashi's frozen self and into the wonderland room. She leaped onto the grass and made her shoes dissipate. She frolicked about and seemed to loose herself in the scenery. She ran from flower to flower and smelled the wild fragrances. She twirled about and then leaped in front of Arashi.

"Loosen up Arashi-kun. Look's like we get to attend the baby shower sooner then we thought." Ranmyaku said with a giggle.

And let me down a fuckin bottle of vodka you selfish prick

"Fine fine... I'm just... well not so sure we walked into the right room at the moment."

He smiled and turned to Tomoyo

You better be lucky I feel nice today you little prima fuckin donna

"Let's have a party then!"

Then he turned to the stranger and bowed lightly.

"Hi, I'm Mishiranu Arashi. It's nice to meet you"

[Sanada Tomo]

Before she had the chance to look at the light that bathed her daughter, she began to cry. All of the pictures, the room being tranformed...all of it...all of it was so thoughtful...

And she hadn't even told Cielle that she was having a child.

Tomoyo, for the first time in a very, very long time, broke down in tears of joy, kneeling onto the carpet and crying into her hands. "A...A ba-by show-er...?" her words were broken by sobs and sniffs, but they were audible and she knew that her daughter would know how much she appreciated all of her effort.

She couldn't believe that she was being this way in front of guests, but at the same time, she couldn't help it. She was so susceptible to emotions, and she hadn't seen her daughter in such a long time...

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle still smiled, taking the time to bow to Arashi elegantly and say, "I'm Cielle Blanche," she said kindly, curtsying as she did so. He was rather cute, and for the first time she could say she was around a male who was her age. It made her giggle.

His companion, however, worried her. She looked cute and cuddly, but usually such packages did not harbor good contents. However, if her mother had given her permission to enter her home, then she must have either trusted the girl or her guardian, so she did not allow herself to be bothered by it.

"Who is the lovely lady next to you?" she asked, crossing to other side of the room where her mother knealt, crying. It was sad...

"Please, don't cry. I'm your baby shower present..." she said, stroking her mother's long, white hair. She could still see that in a way Tomo was still mourning the loss of her other children, and it pained her to see Tomoyo faking her happiness even while she was pregnant...

"I'll be here, to help you take care of your new baby...didn't you miss me while I was gone? And you have guests--you can't just break down in front of them...smile for me, momma..."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi smiled at the graceful bow of the female that called herself Cielle. It was pleasant to see such a spirited face his age. He wouldn't pass this chance up. He wasn't sure what to say, but he didn't much mind. Though, he turned to see a crying Tomoyo. He was shocked to say the least by the fact that the great Tomo was in tears. He froze and was again passed by the glowing sprite who pirouetted her way to Tomoyo's side and knelt down to give her a compassionate hug.

"It's a happy moment Tomo-chama. Come one. Stand up and give us a smile. Pwease?"

The cute little sprite succeeded in making even Arashi smile, though he was unsure how it would affect the other two. The face she made was pure sweetness and her heart seemed to be actually caring at the moment. The sincerity that Arashi felt was a surprise to him. He still stood still though, he didn't exactly understand action to be taken in this situation. He wasn't the consoling type, and he couldn't fake it. He was more nervous about trying then anything.
He was just hoping Tomoyo cheered up quickly.

[Sanada Tomo]

With all of these people urging her to smile, she couldn't help but to look up with a smile as the two girls beside her--even though she was still crying a little. The whole room--it just brought back a lot of memories, some of them not pleasant in nature. However, she wouldn't let that get the best of her.

Using her daughter's shoulders as leverage to pull herself up, Tomoyo managed to get back on her feet.

Wiping the tears from her eyes once she gained her balance, she said, making her way to the hill that used to be her bed to settle down somewhere comfy, "Thank you for this pleasant surprise. Am I to assume that you brought me a present? I wish that Ren were here..."

Indeed. Where was her husband?

"Symphony," she said, and the girl clad in dark clothes materialized. "Please, find my husband and alert him of Cielle's arrival."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi was pleased to see Tomoyo smile again and felt himself grin.Ranmyaku trounced off to sniff flowers again and Arashi walked to the nearest wall and sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. he looked around the room to the various pictures and sighed. He was happy to be here, in the peaceful room of his mentor. Tomoyo had become a role model to Arashi, not a great person to model yourself after but it was her that he wanted to surpass. There was only that that he knew for know. One day he would be as powerful as the King of hell. He wondered what it would require for him to gain more power then he had. Though, he was distracted from all this at the second sighting of the cute female he'd yet to get to know.

"Hey Tomoyo. I will give you one wish for your special day. Anything you want, and I swear I won't twist it."

He said in an honest and heartfelt offer. He knew that there was risk for anyone wishing things of a Djinni but he hoped she trusted him to be fair about it. he couldn't do any harm to her with a single wish, and he knew she could tell that he wasn't lying. Ranmyaku decided to glomp him the moment he finished his sentence though, knocking him on his side with her on top of him. She bit his ear and hopped away gleefully only to grab Cielle's hand.

"Dance with me?!

[Cielle Blanche]

Figuring that this boy here was a young Djinni from his offer, Cielle smiled. There was one particular thing that Cielle figured her mother would ask for. She would have to talk to her about it later, because she knew that there wasn't anything that she would wish for without thinking about it.

At the same timing as her thoughts, the neko-girl made her way over to her and asked Cielle to dance with her. Cielle did so, grasping both of the girl's hands and whirling around, petals from flower growing in the grass covering the room swirling around her.

Even though the world was turning around and around in her eyes, she asked the two visitors, "How did you two come to know mama?"

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi sat back to his original position and watched as the woman danced with his sprite. The sight was far more gorgeous then he could have expected. The sweet little neko gal and her partner seemed to be dancing magically as the flowers whirled about them. He sat awestruck for the moment and the whole of his mind went mildly blank. He tilted his head lightly to the side and watched, not hearing what was said to him. He was already attracted to Cielle by her looks and graceful dance only entranced him.

Arashi. She wants to know how you met Tomoyo. Pay attention you horny runt.

Arashi smiled and acted as if he had merely been thinking about how best to word himself. In all honesty he didn't know how to explain it. It was simple... but the day he met Tomoyo the first time was so strange. He was picked up like a stray and "convinced" to accompany her back to hell. Though, he guess the simple things were best to lead the tale. He took barely a few seconds pause between her question and his answer to think of this.

"Well I met Tomoyo in a bar in the mortal realm. And this is Ranmyaku's first time meeting her in person... or something like that..."

He added the last bit when he remembered the wild chaos unleashed in the room he'd been given. Ranmyaku had taken over then and met Tomoyo in a way then too hadn't she? A lot has changed since then though... She's actually a cute sprite after all.

[Sanada Tomo]

"That sounds like me," Tomoyo said, smiling at her daughter, "Picking up strays like I always do. At least, that's what Rei calls it."

She gave her daughter a thoughtful look, and she said, "I know exactly what I want." She looked at Arashi, knowing through her racial ability that he was telling the truth and that there was nothing to worry about. And she would entrust him with her most precious dream. She was worried, just a bit, that he wouldn't be able to make such a thing come true, but the other side to that theory was that if such a thing was impossible, then things couldn't get any worse--they'd stay exactly the same as they were.

Meeting eyes with her daughter, she tried to silently communicate what she was going to wish for.

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle knew what that look meant... and she subconsciously stopped dancing, pulling Ranmyaku close to her--too close to her, actually--to make sure that she didn't keep going and fall.

Her mother really was going to make that wish. It had been years since her mother had even brought him up as a subject, and now she was going to trust a Djinni with it?

She sighed. He must have been one hell of a Djinni or she must have figured that she had nothing to lose with this wish...

"Momma, really...?" she asked, Ranmyaku's face still close to hers.

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi had looked at Tomoyo as she remarked on his statement and smirked at her reference of strays. He had felt that that was what he was but he didn't worry so much now. Instead he noticed the shared look of mother and daughter after she'd looked to him. Apparently whatever she wanted wasn't such a light wish. He was sure that he had the ability to grant her nearly anything she could, or would ask of him. Arashi was pretty confident that his racial abilities were powerful enough, even if he had personally never done anything too massive.

"So... You know what you want already?"

Arashi went from Tomoyo's glance to her daughters stare and felt his blood rising a bit at what he was seeing.

Ranmyaku had been dancing happily with Cielle until the dance was halted and she was suddenly pulled in close. Too close to be called friendly, Ranmyaku felt Cielle's body against hers and gave a small sound of shock and embarrassment. The half moaned purr seemed to be unintentional which surprised even Ranmyaku. The sprite was unsure of what to do, she didn't feel comfortable and she was now as red as she could get. She didn't even pay attention to what was being discussed around her.

Cielle... umm... yo.. you're too close...

Ranmyaku said in a basically inaudible attempt to gain Cielle's attention. Her lips merely an inch from Cielle's she was blushing bright and her heart was beating fast.

Why is this woman so close to me DAMMIT!
And what the hell are you gawking at? Do something!

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle pulled back from Ranmyaku suddenly, having not noticed that in her efforts to keep her from falling there wasn't too much space between them. There was a blush on Ranmyaku's face and she sheepishly apologized for her uncomfortable state. What her mother had said to her, however, had stopped her in her tracks, and now Arashi, as his mother called him, seemed to be waiting eagerly for a wish that she wasn't too sure could be granted for her mother. By anyone.

Placing a hand on Ranmyaku's shoulder, she said, "Excuse me," and bowed in further apology.

[Yamazaki Ren]

"Tomo, Symphony said you wanted..." Ren trailed off and blinked as he walked to the doorway of the room he was pretty damn sure used to be his wife's bedroom. "Er...Are you doing some redecorating or something, kouhai?"

Instead of the stately affair that the majority of their...affair, had been conducted in, the room had been transformed into a field with wildflowers growing here and there. He barely recognized the magical signature and turned to his step-daughter, holding his questioning of her in consideration of the shocked expression on her face and switched gears.

"I suppose it would be too late for me to catch up on what's happened so far...but I can guess it has something to do with these two." He gestured to Arashi and the being that Cielle held in her arms, if not a little awkwardly. "So go on, with what you were asking Cielle-kun and I'll wait for the answer with everyone else." He suggested crossing the room to plant himself (a/n: Gomen ne! Bad Pun!) next to his wife on the hill that he was pretty sure used to be her bed.

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo couldn't believe the amount of pressure that fell atop her when Ren entered the room. Of all moments, it had to be this one that he intruded upon. She almost jumped, baby and all, when he sat next to her, and she didn't know what to do. However, there was a good enough chance that Arashi wasn't powerful enough to grant her wish, so she supposed that, as Ren's wife, it was an issue that they could settle later...

Tomoyo cleared her throat, convinced that it would make her feel better about the situation and get rid of her doubts. It didn't.

"Ah, Ren-koi, he was actually speaking to me. My daughter was good enough to throw me a baby shower for the baby--a Human custom--and Arashi as my gift offered me a wish, no strings attached..." It was something that she knew was a limited opportunity. For a moment, she thought to wish to claim her daughters again, all three of them, so that they could all live together in peace with her husband. But she didn't think that was what she deserved. Chiyo took her children away for a reason, and she didn't think that she deserved to have it come true. No, that would be too selfish. She wouldn't ask for that.

"Arashi...I wish that I could spend one day, without unwanted distractions or interruptions...with...with my soulmate, and I want him to know who I am..."

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi watched the flustered sprite stumble nervously from Cielle and take a few breaths to regain her composure. Arashi himself had been distracted by the arrival of the blond guy from the bath. He walked in with the same look that was to be expected from such a dramatic room. Ranmyaku found her balance again and started back to dancing, her dance just as energetic as before. Arashi had forgotten who Ren was already, so he just stared blankly a moment before giving Tomoyo his full attention once more. His first big wish... he was getting excited and unable to wait for her to speak.

Don't you think you should great her husband properly?

Her husband... oh.. this guy is Ren right? Damn... I forgot.

Ranmyaku smirked thinking that Arashi should have at least tried to remember Ren. Though, his first impression of the guy wasn't so great. Arashi had thought he was soft but it was pretty rude to have forgotten him. Arashi merely listened as he said something about what Cielle was asking for. Tomoyo corrected him and made her wish, and Arashi froze for a second. She wanted a day with her soulmate, uninterrupted and basically perfect. Which meant he would need to locate a reincarnated soul and refresh the man's memories.

Then, Arashi looked over to Ren and broke out into laughter. It may not exactly be the time, but he couldn't help himself. The situation had just gotten a lot more interesting. He knew that he would possibly fail the wish, or at least blotch it up a little. He was only 17, and it was his first big wish. His father had a few of them in his memories but he himself was going to be attempting a first. Ranmyaku had stopped dancing at the voicing of the wish and walked up beside Arashi. Arashi stopped laughing and looked up at Ranmyaku.

"Well, in that case it was nice meeting you Tomoyo-chama"

Ranmyaku gave a last sweet smiled as she kneeled and leaned on his shoulder. Then she bit into his neck roughly, digging into his flesh deeply. Arashi winced and the blood flowed, but abnormally. The blood flowed in a stream that covered only Ranmyaku, and then her body dissolved into a mass of blood. The large quantity of blood suddenly rushed into the bite wound. Arashi stood after the whirling torrent of blood forced it's way into his neck, a trickle of blood ran down his neck. The blood singed his shirt slightly and he took a breath, his white wings turned black and seemed to burst into a nearly black haze.

"That's your wish Tomoyo? Then I will do everything in my power to do what you ask of me."

[Cielle Blanche]

The mood of the room suddenly plummeted, and Cielle wasn't sure how Ren was going to take things. He had a penchant, her momma had told him, of being someone who was a bit...too passive about things. Cielle was sure that Ren thought he was doing his best by not being upset by his wife's nature, but his apathetic disposition combined with his lack of care and attention almost made her wish that she had gotten to know him more before encouraging her mother to propose to him.

She sighed, wondering what sort of "understanding" reaction he would give this time. She looked at her mother, knowing that she would have to spend some time with her later. She would have to have her talk about what was going on between them these days...

[Mishiranu Arashi]

Arashi smiled and looked at Cielle, the unconsciously spread the shadowy hazer that were his wings and then let the foggy chaos fall around him. He decreased the potency of the chaos in his wings naturally now so he didn't have too worry about killing his clothes. He was surprised that Ranmyaku hadn't caused anyone to cringe in her re-assimilation to his body. He would rather have done it more delicately, the rushing blood had caused him to feel light headed for a moment. He looked over to the husband and wife combination on the bed and decided the wish should wait a bit. He would have to save up a good bit of energy to succeed. Not to mention he should probably complete one last little mission first.

"If you don't mind Tomoyo, I'll have to take about a week to prepare for your request. I'm not all too sure I have the energy needed at the moment. So for now let's just finish the party, as it would be a waste to leave now right?"

He smiled and turned to Cielle, extending his hand to her with a light bow.

"Would you dance with me now?"

His smile was genuine and charming, just as he wanted it to be. He had picked up a knack for faces in his soul collection journey these last few months. Now he was pretty sure he was able to at least convince her to dance.

Oh you're such a dork

[Yamazaki Ren]

"Arashi...I wish that I could spend one day, without unwanted distractions or interruptions...with...with my soulmate, and I want him to know who I am..."

Ren struggled to identify his exact emotional reaction to the matter that had been brought up. Of course, shock/pain/awe/betrayal was at the top of the list but being the rational person he prided himself on being, he also knew that at this point it probably served him right and was something that Tomo deserved anyway in the long run, especially after having to deal with his issues for the better part of a millenium (he ignored the little voice in the back of his head that screamed about her being the one to seduce him and that she knew what she was getting into.)

He settled for silence and a frustrated frown while he struggled with his expected reaction, the one he wanted to give, and the one that would be appropriate for the situation.

Given that all three were somewhat at odds with each other, it was safe to say that he was struggling a fair bit. Apathy in the first, Indiscriminate Rage and Jealousy in the second and Muted Understanding in the third.

"Say he does find him," he began, almost involuntarily and shocking himself at the lack of control he seemed to have in himself at the moment as Option Two reared it's head. "Say Arashi-kun is able to restore his memories and you get to spend one perfect day together." He'd been avoided Tomo's gaze until he could figure out what to say in the matter but since his body seemed to have made up it's mind for him, he locked on, narrowing his eyes. "Is one day going to be enough for you?"

They'd broached the situation before but never to the extent of it actually being reality. Better late than never though, he supposed.

[Sanada Tomo]

Tomoyo was expecting silence from her husband, not the extreme frown, nor his question about the issue. However, even those reactions made her happy. They let her know that he actually cared enough about her to have a reaction at all, rather than the silence or indifference that her decisions usually incurred as they pertained to him.

He asked her if one day would be enough, and she smiled, tears building in her eyes.

"It will have to be." While I want nothing more than to be with him... she thought, but decided not to say, being considerate to her husband. "While I want to make up for the time that we lost in our past life, I also understand the responsibilities that I have now. I had my opportunity to be with him for a lifetime--and I made my decision then. I am in this life now, with you, with my children, with my child on the way. No matter how tempting he is to me, it is not worth deserting what I have now...especially if I must use magic to make him remember me. It was not meant to be."

If he sought me out...would it be different? She asked herself. The answer was decidedly yes, but she wasn't going to say that out loud, either.

"I think one day will be enough."

[Yamazaki Ren]

The implication that she was 'setting' couldn't have been clearer if she'd screamed it at the top of her lungs then spread flyers about it through every realm in heaven, hell and the mortal dimensions. Everyone in that room knew it and Ren knew, that she knew that as well.

She just wouldn't come out and say it and that was possibly the part that infuriated Ren more than the fact that the implication held.

He wouldn't fly off the handle though, he wouldn't give Tomo nor Rokujou (who was cheering for Tomo to make Ren's life a living hell so he would have the opportunity to escape) the satisfaction of seeing him loose what little control he still had over his emotions.

He felt a familiar searing feeling in his arm and he jumped, startled, but schooled his featured into an even deeper frown as he concentrated on the torrent of communications going through his head.

"Don't angst about it, you're being ridiculous." his eyes rolled upward to the ceiling. Even though the fifth layer was technically not above the seventh, he still felt as though it expressed the direction in which his attention had been taken, should Tomo inquire about it as he tried to shut his sister up and simulataneously participate in the convorsation in this layer.

It was the definition of being caught between a rock and hard place all over again.

"If that's what she wants then who am I to stand in her way?" There was a resounding sigh that rattled around in his head before the connection was cut just as quickly as it had been initiated and left Ren just as startled.

He blinked to get his bearings again, frown back in place when he had.

"...You could always have Setsuna look him up. I'm sure she owes you some kind of favor. Then you could just use your wish to make him remember if he hasn't already. I mean," And he knew he was going overboard and that he would likely regret saying it but he really couldn't stop himself now that he was on a roll. "Wouldn't you be happier with someone you loved? Someone who wouldn't let his own issues get in the way of treating you how you deserved to be treated but rather someone who could devote every second of their life to waiting on you hand and foot." He knew he was going overboard so he purposely looked away, concentraing on the blades of grass that he gripped in his fists, self-control shattering more and more with each word.

"...If you're unhappy just tell me so. If you would rather just devote your time to trying to find him then...don't put yourself in a situation that will cause you to suffer for consideration about my feelings. I'm not such a selfish person that I'll deny you what you really want for something I want..."

Ultimately, Ren wasn't altogether sure where any of this was comming from. The mortal phrase 'word-vomit' came immeadiately to mind and he cursed himself for not have a better handle on himself in a situation like this. For not forseeing that this might happen. Stupid of him really, and here he was paying for it...