Old Promises and New Beginnings
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Yuyu Hakusho › Crossovers
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Category:
Yuyu Hakusho › Crossovers
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
2,252
Reviews:
40
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own YuYu Hakusho, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Prologue: Old Promises
Old Promises and New Beginnings
Prologue: Old Promises
I don’t own Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon- just hundreds of dollars worth of anime.
cillaxox: I’m writing this fic at the request of JovianWolfGirl. She asked me to do a YYH/SM crossover. My only hope is that I don’t screw it up, because that would be awfully embarrassing.
A/N: This chapter is a prologue. It takes place when Kuwabara, Makoto and Minako are children. The ages are as follows:
Kuwabara- 11 yrs. old
Matoko- 10 yrs. old
Mina- 10 yrs. old
________________________________________________________________________
~At an amusement park in Tokyo~
Kuwabara Kazuma was beyond ecstatic. Today was the day that his school visited the new amusement park. The only reason he was able to go on the trip was, because he had behaved at school for two weeks. It took all his will power and then some to be on his best behavior. His parents were so proud of him they doubled his allowance, ensuring the boy that he would have lots of money to spend.
Somewhere along the way he got separated from his group, probably because he didn’t want to walk with them in the first place. He wandered around by himself playing games and eating food. He was considering going on one of the rides when he heard a commotion. He went in search of the noise to see what was happening. He found it around the corner.
“You’re just a stupid girl!”
“Why are you acting like a boy?”
“I’m not acting like a boy!” A girl with short chestnut hair and large forest green eyes shouted, “And I’m not stupid!”
A group of three boys had her circled and were taunting her. One boy, who was the obvious leader, stepped in front of her and shoved her. “Just cause you’re tall that don’t make you tough.”
“Don’t push me again,” the young girl warned.
“What are you gonna do?” The leader gave her another shove. “I asked you a-”
The brown haired girl socked him in his stomach. The boy fell to his knees and clutched his abdomen in pain. He whined, “What kinda of freak are you?!”
“I’m not a freak!”
The injured boy yelled to his lackeys, “Get her!”
The other two boys moved hesitantly towards the girl. She drew her fists up and stood her ground. The tall brunette seemed determined not to give in to the boys. The two of them took half-hearted swings at her that she easily blocked.
Kuwabara had seen as much as he could stand. He stormed over to the group of bullies and thundered, “What’s going on?!” The carrot-top, who stood several inches taller than the other boys, had his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. Even at his young age he was quite the imposing figure.
The leader of the group questioned, “What’s it to you?”
Kuwabara walked over to the girl and stood protectively in front of her. “She’s my girlfriend.”
All three boys exclaimed in unison, “Girlfriend?!”
“Why would you want a girl that tall,” one of the boys asked in disbelief.
Kuwabara placed his arm over the girl’s shoulders and pretended not to notice the way they stiffened under his touch. “I like tall girls. You got a problem with that?” The carrot-top boy held up a fist and shook it in front of all three of the bullies’ faces.
“No we don’t!” The troublemaker’s ran and weren’t seen again.
“Are you okay?”
The girl knocked Kuwabara's arm off and said, “I didn’t need your help.”
“It was three on one.”
“I could’ve taken them.”
“But you’re just a girl!”
She pushed up her shirtsleeves and made a fist. “So what if I am? I can still kick your butt!”
“I’m sorry, I was just trying to help.”
The girl felt bad for treating him in such an ungrateful manner. “Thanks.”
“My dad always told me to help pretty girls who are in trouble.”
“You think I’m pretty…but I’m too tall.”
“I’m tall too, so we fit together. Besides after the way you punched that guy you can protect me if they come back.”
The girl giggled sweetly. “I’m Kino. Who are you?”
“Kuwabara Kazuma.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Thanks. Hey you wanna go on a ride?”
“Uhmm, okay.”
“Great! Come on, there’s an awesome roller coaster this way.”
Kuwabara grabbed her hand and ran off, pulling her behind him. Makoto smiled at the back of the boy’s head. She thought he was really nice and not just because he had saved her. She held Kuwabara's hand tighter and he looked back at her smiling brightly.
‘Kuwabara Kazuma,’ she thought to herself, ‘I’ll never forget you.’
They spent the next two hours exploring the amusement park. They went on several of the rides and Kuwabara won a green baseball hat at the Ring Toss stand.
“I have to go back soon. It’s almost time for my class to meet,” Makoto said in a sad voice.
“Already? But we’re having fun.”
“Yeah I know.”
Kuwabara spotted one of those instant photo booths that decorate every amusement park. “Before you go let’s take some pictures together.”
“Okay!”
The two kids piled into the cramped booth. The first three photos were wasted making funny faces, but on the fourth one Kuwabara placed his arm Matoko shoulders and stole a kiss from her cheek. The last photo captured the young girl slapping the brazen boy.
As they got out of the booth he apologized profusely. Matoko begrudgingly accepted his apologies. When the photos were ejected the girl picked them and blushed as she saw the fourth photo. She handed the strip of pictures to Kuwabara, but he tucked her small hand around them.
“You keep them.”
She asked in hurt voice, “Don’t you want to remember me?”
“I won’t forget my future wife.”
“Huh?”
“When we grow up I’m gonna marry you Kino.”
“You want to marry me?”
Kuwabara nodded his head and smiled at the girl. “When you turn eighteen years old we’ll get married, I promise.”
Makoto eyed the boy as if he was talking in tongues. “You’re crazy Kuwabara.”
“Will you marry me?”
The girl smiled bashfully as she considered the proposal. “What if I meet somebody else?”
“You won’t find anybody better than me,” Kuwabara stated confidently.
“Okay, I guess I’ll marry you.”
“All right!” He held out the green hat he won earlier. “This is for you.” He placed it on top of her head. “You look cool in it.”
“Thank you.” She looked around then quickly sneaked a kiss from the boy. She murmured in a soft voice, “I know we’ll meet again.”
Kuwabara lightly fingered his cheek; he had a dazed look on his face. “Yeah.”
“I’ll never forget you.”
“Me either.”
Makoto quickly turned around and ran off before he could see the tears in her eyes. She wasn’t exactly sad, but she was crying anyways. For the first time she had met a boy that liked her height and was nice to her. She stopped running and looked over her shoulder. She saw that he was still there watching her. Her tears dried instantly when she saw him waving at her, she returned the wave then resumed running. Her young heart leapt as she thought about the kindhearted boy. She was happy that she would be marrying him.
Kuwabara watched until Makoto disappeared into the crowd. He wondered what he would do now that she was gone. His class wasn’t leaving for another four hours and it looked like he would be spending the time alone.
He went off in search of something else to do. As he was walking he heard someone yell, “Hey you!”
At first he ignored the voice, thinking it couldn’t possibly be addressing him.
“I’m talking to you!”
Kuwabara stopped walking, but didn’t turn around.
“You in the black shirt with the orange hair! I know you can hear me.”
The boy spun around. “What do you want?! I’m-”
His words were lost the moment he saw who was talking to him. It was a young girl wearing a blue and white checked sundress. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was held in a ponytail by a big red ribbon and baby blue eyes. He thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
“Where are you going?” the girl asked.
Kuwabara opened his mouth to speak, but his voice still hadn’t returned.
“Can I go with you?”
He nodded his head numbly and began walking again.
“Wait for me!” The girl ran to catch up to him. “My name is Aino Minako.
What’s yours?”
Although it took him several moments he managed to tell her his name.
“It’s nice to meet you Kuwabara.”
The pair walked together silently. The girl didn’t take her eyes off the boy next to her. She smiled at him constantly.
Kuwabara grew nervous under the observation. He was also confused, because in his short eleven years a pretty girl had never paid this kind of attention to him before. Thinking that she was trying to trick him he asked suspiciously, “Why are you walking with me?”
The blonde blushed shyly. “I’m lost.”
Kuwabara nearly fell over when he heard that. “You’re lost!”
“Yep. I saw how you helped that other girl earlier and thought you might help me out too.”
“Have you been following me?!”
The girl blushed again only this time it was a darker shade of red and covered most of her face. “Maybe just a little.”
“I thought you wanted to walk with me because you liked me.”
“I do like you and I’ll like you even more if you can help me find my teacher.”
“Yeah sure.”
Minako latched onto Kuwabara's arm. “Thank you so much! I guess you really can tell a book by its table of contents.”
“Huh?”
“You haven’t heard that expression before? You need some more culture in your life.”
Kuwabara tried pulling his arm away from the girl. “I have heard it, just not the way you said it.”
“Then you must have been hearing it wrong.”
“Where was the last place you saw your teacher?”
“Over by the Merry-Go-Round”
“Then let’s start looking over there first. How did you get separated?”
“This stupid boy pulled my ribbon out of my hair. The wind blew it out his hand and I had to chase after it. When I finally found caught it I went back to the carousel, but my class was gone. I tried looking for them, but I couldn’t find them.”
“That sucks.”
“It’s all because of this ribbon.” Minako tugged at the red bow. “My mom makes me wear them. I don’t like them at all.”
“I think it’s pretty.”
“Really?”
“Yeah it looks nice on you.”
The girl tightened her bow and made sure it was in place. “Thank you.”
When they reached the Merry-Go-Round Minako said she didn’t see her teacher. Kuwabara told her, “We should probably wait here. I bet they’ll come back here once they realize you’re missing.”
“But what if they don’t come back? It’s already been two hours. I’ll have to live at the amusement park!”
“Don’t worry they’ll be back.” He awkwardly patted her back. “Cheer up.”
“You’re so nice Kuwabara.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go for a ride while we’re waiting.”
“I’m not going on that sissy ride!”
“It’s not a sissy ride.”
Kuwabara pointed a pink horse. “I’m not riding this.”
Minako rolled her eyes. “There are other horses you can ride. See this one is yellow and there’s a blue one. You can even sit in a carriage.”
The boy looked at the horses and carriage his new friend had mentioned. All them were pastel colors that he felt sure would label him a girl. He was about to beg the girl not to make him get on the Merry-Go-Round when he saw the hopeful look on her face. He caved in and said, “All right I’ll go.”
Minako selected a white horse with a yellow mane. Kuwabara hopped on the black horse that was next to it. The carousel gave a jerk as it slowly began moving. The ride gradually picked up speed. The horses bobbed up and down giving the illusion of actually galloping. A gentle wind blew Minako's hair and the sun glinted off the golden strands. She smiled from ear to ear as she rode the horse.
Kuwabara found the young girl fascinating. Even though she was lost she still acted as if she didn’t have any worries. He watched from the corner of his eye as the girl clapped excitedly and giggled every time her horse went up in the air. Her easygoing attitude was contagious. He too was soon caught up in the excitement of the ride.
After going for three rides in a row both children tired of the horses. They stood next to the ride about ten minutes before both of them said, “I’m bored!”
They looked at each other and laughed. Kuwabara asked his companion, “What do you wanna do?”
Minako pointed at a game stand. “Will you win me a prize?”
Kuwabara look back and forth between the stand and carousel, they won’t too far apart. He decided that they would be able to spot Minako’s teacher if she went anywhere near the ride. “I can try to win you something.”
The cheerful blonde grabbed the taller boy’s arm and led him towards the stand. “You’re so sweet!”
When they reached the stand Minako asked the vendor, “What does he have to do to win me that teddy bear?” She pointed at tan colored bear with a red ribbon tied around its neck.
The grizzled looking vendor pointed at the wall behind him, which was covered in balloons. “You see these? All your little boyfriend has to do is bust three balloons in a row.”
Kuwabara told the man, “I’m not her boyfriend.”
Both the vendor and Minako ignored the boy’s outburst. The young blonde questioned, “How is he supposed to bust them?”
The game operator held up a handful of darts. “You give me some money and I’ll give you some darts.”
Minako looked at Kuwabara expectantly. When he didn’t respond she told him, “Pay him.”
The boy grumbled, but still reached in his pocket and removed a few crumpled bills. The old man made a big production of counting the money before handing over five darts. He sat down on his stool and waited for the boy to lose. Before he was even sitting down ten seconds he heard five balloons pop one right after the other.
“Wow that was great! But you only had to bust three.”
“I wanted my money’s worth.”
The game operator stared at Kuwabara for a few moments.
“Where’s my prize?” Minako demanded.
The man finally got off his stool and reached for a teddy bear. He placed his hand on a bear without even looking to see what it looked like.
“She said she wanted the one with the red ribbon,” Kuwabara corrected.
The vendor mumbled something under his breath, but gave the boy the right prize.
Kuwabara handed the stuffed animal to Minako. “Here you go.”
The girl hugged the bear tightly. “It's so cute!”
The two children walked away from the game booth, neither one of them knew where they should go next. In the distance Kuwabara saw the Ferris Wheel spinning in all its majesty. He wanted to go for a ride on it, but he had to think about Minako first.
“Do you want to ride it?”
“Huh?”
The girl pointed at the Ferris wheel. “We can ride it if you want.”
Kuwabara shook his head sadly. “No, we have to wait for your teacher.”
“I think it’ll be okay. We may even be able to spot her from the top of the ride.”
The carrot-top rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That might work.”
Minako started running in the direction of the Ferris Wheel. “Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
The children had to wait in line for fifteen minutes to get a seat on the ride. The ride operator strapped them in and commented that they made a cute couple. Minako smiled proudly at the remark while Kuwabara turned beet red.
As the Ferris Wheel made its first circle the pair watched their surroundings with wide eyes. After the loop was finished Minako lost interest in the view. She found that she much preferred the one next to her. She looked at the boy that had volunteered to help reunite her with her teacher. She thought that he must have a really good heart and she liked that about him.
The blonde tapped the carrot-top’s shoulder. When he looked at her she told him, “I like you and when I grow up I’m gonna marry you.”
Kuwabara, forgetting that he said the same thing a few hours ago, paled at the girl’s words. “I can’t marry you!”
“Why not?”
“I-I-I just can’t,” the boy stammered.
“Don’t you like me?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then you can marry me.”
“I need to think about it.”
The girl considered his response. “You have to let me know before we go.”
“It’s a deal,” the boy agreed.
They made a total of six rounds before the ride finally came to a stop. Kuwabara helped Minako down off the seat. The girl marveled at the boy’s gentlemanly actions.
“What should we do now?” Minako asked.
The boy pretended to think it over. “I think we should take pictures…so I can remember my fiancée.”
The girl squealed excitedly. “We’re going to get married!”
“Not right now, but later on.”
“When?”
“I guess when you graduate from high school.”
Minako counted on her fingers. “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Eight years, but that’s forever!”
Kuwabara shrugged his shoulders. “That’s the way it’s gotta be.”
The blonde let out a defeated sigh. “I’ll wait.”
“Let’s go take pictures now.”
They raced off to the nearest photo booth. Inside the small space Minako clung to Kuwabara's neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. At first the boy didn’t know how to respond to the girl’s actions. After the first two pictures were taken he finally reciprocated the affectionate hug, wrapping an arm around the girl’s shoulders. Both children smiled happily for the three remaining photos.
While Minako waited for the photos to develop Kuwabara spent the last of his money to buy a soda for them to share. They sat on a bench next to the Merry-Go-Round and waited for Minako's teacher. The pair talked excitedly for two hours, but after that they both became exhausted from the waiting and the heat.
The young girl looked around the amusement park with sad eyes; it no longer held the whimsy it did earlier. She wiped away a tear. “I think they really did forget about me.”
“Don’t say that, they’ll come for you.”
“No they won’t.” The girl turned her tear filled eyes on Kuwabara. “You won’t forget me will you?”
“No. I told you I would help you find your teacher and I’m gonna do it. No matter how long it takes. I promise I’ll be there for you Minako.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Sure I do. You’re my fiancée, right?”
Minako wiped more tears away. “I am.”
Kuwabara was about to comfort the girl some more, but he heard a voice yelling. He turned and saw a strange woman waving at his companion.
“Aino!” A short plump woman with curly black hair came running over to where the two children sat. “I thought I would never find you!
A group of children gathered around the blonde girl and commenced with teasing her. She laughed most of it off, some how she even managed to poke fun at herself.
Kuwabara stood off to the side watching. He had helped Minako find her class just as he promised. He turned to leave, but a hand tugged on the back of his shirt. He turned around and saw the blonde eyeing him with a big smile.
“Thank you Kuwabara. You’re my hero, just like in the fairy tales.”
The carrot-top boy blushed at the compliment. He wasn’t used to having a cute girl gush over him the way this one was. “It was nothing.”
Minako’s teacher addressed him. “You’re being too modest young man. Where’s your teacher? I want to commend her for having such a courteous student.”
Kuwabara scratched the back of his head nervously. “Uhmm…”
“Kuwabara Kazuma!”
The young boy jumped as he heard his name being yelled. He spun around and saw the source of the banshee shriek. “Oh no!”
It was none other than his teacher, the one he had been avoiding all day. The woman was tall and skinny with long brown hair and a liberal coating of makeup. Her features were twisted into a frightening scowl. “I turn my back for one second and you slip away! I swear you’re nothing but a delinquent in training.”
“But ma’am I was just…”
Kuwabara's teacher grabbed him by his collar and began dragging him away. “No excuses! When we get back to the school I’m calling your parents.”
The boy resigned himself to his fate and followed his teacher. No matter what his punishment was he felt that it would be worth it after all the fun he had today.
“Wait please!”
Both teacher and student turned around to see Minako running after them. When the girl caught up with them she handed Kuwabara a short strip of paper. She told him in a firm voice, “Don’t forget me Kuwabara and you better remember your promise.”
The boy looked at what was in his hand. It was two of the photos of him and Minako. “I won’t forget.”
“Promise me.”
“Fine I promise.”
The girl smiled happily. She lowered her eyes and whispered, “I promise I won’t forget about you either.”
Before the boy could respond his teacher pulled on his arm. “That’s enough. We have to leave now or else we’ll miss the bus. Say good-bye to your friend.”
“Bye Aino.”
“Good-bye Kuwabara.”
Minako watched as the carrot-top was led away by his teacher. Once he was out of sight she ran back to her class, so that she didn’t get separated again. She fell in step with her friends and half listened as they told her about their day. Her attention was focused on her left index finger. A little red bow was tied around the tip of the digit. It wouldn’t be until later that she learned what the bow meant.
________________________________________________________________________
cillaxox: *cringes* So how was it? I know the proposal thing is a little farfetched, but please work with me.
Prologue: Old Promises
I don’t own Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon- just hundreds of dollars worth of anime.
cillaxox: I’m writing this fic at the request of JovianWolfGirl. She asked me to do a YYH/SM crossover. My only hope is that I don’t screw it up, because that would be awfully embarrassing.
A/N: This chapter is a prologue. It takes place when Kuwabara, Makoto and Minako are children. The ages are as follows:
Kuwabara- 11 yrs. old
Matoko- 10 yrs. old
Mina- 10 yrs. old
________________________________________________________________________
~At an amusement park in Tokyo~
Kuwabara Kazuma was beyond ecstatic. Today was the day that his school visited the new amusement park. The only reason he was able to go on the trip was, because he had behaved at school for two weeks. It took all his will power and then some to be on his best behavior. His parents were so proud of him they doubled his allowance, ensuring the boy that he would have lots of money to spend.
Somewhere along the way he got separated from his group, probably because he didn’t want to walk with them in the first place. He wandered around by himself playing games and eating food. He was considering going on one of the rides when he heard a commotion. He went in search of the noise to see what was happening. He found it around the corner.
“You’re just a stupid girl!”
“Why are you acting like a boy?”
“I’m not acting like a boy!” A girl with short chestnut hair and large forest green eyes shouted, “And I’m not stupid!”
A group of three boys had her circled and were taunting her. One boy, who was the obvious leader, stepped in front of her and shoved her. “Just cause you’re tall that don’t make you tough.”
“Don’t push me again,” the young girl warned.
“What are you gonna do?” The leader gave her another shove. “I asked you a-”
The brown haired girl socked him in his stomach. The boy fell to his knees and clutched his abdomen in pain. He whined, “What kinda of freak are you?!”
“I’m not a freak!”
The injured boy yelled to his lackeys, “Get her!”
The other two boys moved hesitantly towards the girl. She drew her fists up and stood her ground. The tall brunette seemed determined not to give in to the boys. The two of them took half-hearted swings at her that she easily blocked.
Kuwabara had seen as much as he could stand. He stormed over to the group of bullies and thundered, “What’s going on?!” The carrot-top, who stood several inches taller than the other boys, had his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. Even at his young age he was quite the imposing figure.
The leader of the group questioned, “What’s it to you?”
Kuwabara walked over to the girl and stood protectively in front of her. “She’s my girlfriend.”
All three boys exclaimed in unison, “Girlfriend?!”
“Why would you want a girl that tall,” one of the boys asked in disbelief.
Kuwabara placed his arm over the girl’s shoulders and pretended not to notice the way they stiffened under his touch. “I like tall girls. You got a problem with that?” The carrot-top boy held up a fist and shook it in front of all three of the bullies’ faces.
“No we don’t!” The troublemaker’s ran and weren’t seen again.
“Are you okay?”
The girl knocked Kuwabara's arm off and said, “I didn’t need your help.”
“It was three on one.”
“I could’ve taken them.”
“But you’re just a girl!”
She pushed up her shirtsleeves and made a fist. “So what if I am? I can still kick your butt!”
“I’m sorry, I was just trying to help.”
The girl felt bad for treating him in such an ungrateful manner. “Thanks.”
“My dad always told me to help pretty girls who are in trouble.”
“You think I’m pretty…but I’m too tall.”
“I’m tall too, so we fit together. Besides after the way you punched that guy you can protect me if they come back.”
The girl giggled sweetly. “I’m Kino. Who are you?”
“Kuwabara Kazuma.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Thanks. Hey you wanna go on a ride?”
“Uhmm, okay.”
“Great! Come on, there’s an awesome roller coaster this way.”
Kuwabara grabbed her hand and ran off, pulling her behind him. Makoto smiled at the back of the boy’s head. She thought he was really nice and not just because he had saved her. She held Kuwabara's hand tighter and he looked back at her smiling brightly.
‘Kuwabara Kazuma,’ she thought to herself, ‘I’ll never forget you.’
They spent the next two hours exploring the amusement park. They went on several of the rides and Kuwabara won a green baseball hat at the Ring Toss stand.
“I have to go back soon. It’s almost time for my class to meet,” Makoto said in a sad voice.
“Already? But we’re having fun.”
“Yeah I know.”
Kuwabara spotted one of those instant photo booths that decorate every amusement park. “Before you go let’s take some pictures together.”
“Okay!”
The two kids piled into the cramped booth. The first three photos were wasted making funny faces, but on the fourth one Kuwabara placed his arm Matoko shoulders and stole a kiss from her cheek. The last photo captured the young girl slapping the brazen boy.
As they got out of the booth he apologized profusely. Matoko begrudgingly accepted his apologies. When the photos were ejected the girl picked them and blushed as she saw the fourth photo. She handed the strip of pictures to Kuwabara, but he tucked her small hand around them.
“You keep them.”
She asked in hurt voice, “Don’t you want to remember me?”
“I won’t forget my future wife.”
“Huh?”
“When we grow up I’m gonna marry you Kino.”
“You want to marry me?”
Kuwabara nodded his head and smiled at the girl. “When you turn eighteen years old we’ll get married, I promise.”
Makoto eyed the boy as if he was talking in tongues. “You’re crazy Kuwabara.”
“Will you marry me?”
The girl smiled bashfully as she considered the proposal. “What if I meet somebody else?”
“You won’t find anybody better than me,” Kuwabara stated confidently.
“Okay, I guess I’ll marry you.”
“All right!” He held out the green hat he won earlier. “This is for you.” He placed it on top of her head. “You look cool in it.”
“Thank you.” She looked around then quickly sneaked a kiss from the boy. She murmured in a soft voice, “I know we’ll meet again.”
Kuwabara lightly fingered his cheek; he had a dazed look on his face. “Yeah.”
“I’ll never forget you.”
“Me either.”
Makoto quickly turned around and ran off before he could see the tears in her eyes. She wasn’t exactly sad, but she was crying anyways. For the first time she had met a boy that liked her height and was nice to her. She stopped running and looked over her shoulder. She saw that he was still there watching her. Her tears dried instantly when she saw him waving at her, she returned the wave then resumed running. Her young heart leapt as she thought about the kindhearted boy. She was happy that she would be marrying him.
Kuwabara watched until Makoto disappeared into the crowd. He wondered what he would do now that she was gone. His class wasn’t leaving for another four hours and it looked like he would be spending the time alone.
He went off in search of something else to do. As he was walking he heard someone yell, “Hey you!”
At first he ignored the voice, thinking it couldn’t possibly be addressing him.
“I’m talking to you!”
Kuwabara stopped walking, but didn’t turn around.
“You in the black shirt with the orange hair! I know you can hear me.”
The boy spun around. “What do you want?! I’m-”
His words were lost the moment he saw who was talking to him. It was a young girl wearing a blue and white checked sundress. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was held in a ponytail by a big red ribbon and baby blue eyes. He thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
“Where are you going?” the girl asked.
Kuwabara opened his mouth to speak, but his voice still hadn’t returned.
“Can I go with you?”
He nodded his head numbly and began walking again.
“Wait for me!” The girl ran to catch up to him. “My name is Aino Minako.
What’s yours?”
Although it took him several moments he managed to tell her his name.
“It’s nice to meet you Kuwabara.”
The pair walked together silently. The girl didn’t take her eyes off the boy next to her. She smiled at him constantly.
Kuwabara grew nervous under the observation. He was also confused, because in his short eleven years a pretty girl had never paid this kind of attention to him before. Thinking that she was trying to trick him he asked suspiciously, “Why are you walking with me?”
The blonde blushed shyly. “I’m lost.”
Kuwabara nearly fell over when he heard that. “You’re lost!”
“Yep. I saw how you helped that other girl earlier and thought you might help me out too.”
“Have you been following me?!”
The girl blushed again only this time it was a darker shade of red and covered most of her face. “Maybe just a little.”
“I thought you wanted to walk with me because you liked me.”
“I do like you and I’ll like you even more if you can help me find my teacher.”
“Yeah sure.”
Minako latched onto Kuwabara's arm. “Thank you so much! I guess you really can tell a book by its table of contents.”
“Huh?”
“You haven’t heard that expression before? You need some more culture in your life.”
Kuwabara tried pulling his arm away from the girl. “I have heard it, just not the way you said it.”
“Then you must have been hearing it wrong.”
“Where was the last place you saw your teacher?”
“Over by the Merry-Go-Round”
“Then let’s start looking over there first. How did you get separated?”
“This stupid boy pulled my ribbon out of my hair. The wind blew it out his hand and I had to chase after it. When I finally found caught it I went back to the carousel, but my class was gone. I tried looking for them, but I couldn’t find them.”
“That sucks.”
“It’s all because of this ribbon.” Minako tugged at the red bow. “My mom makes me wear them. I don’t like them at all.”
“I think it’s pretty.”
“Really?”
“Yeah it looks nice on you.”
The girl tightened her bow and made sure it was in place. “Thank you.”
When they reached the Merry-Go-Round Minako said she didn’t see her teacher. Kuwabara told her, “We should probably wait here. I bet they’ll come back here once they realize you’re missing.”
“But what if they don’t come back? It’s already been two hours. I’ll have to live at the amusement park!”
“Don’t worry they’ll be back.” He awkwardly patted her back. “Cheer up.”
“You’re so nice Kuwabara.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go for a ride while we’re waiting.”
“I’m not going on that sissy ride!”
“It’s not a sissy ride.”
Kuwabara pointed a pink horse. “I’m not riding this.”
Minako rolled her eyes. “There are other horses you can ride. See this one is yellow and there’s a blue one. You can even sit in a carriage.”
The boy looked at the horses and carriage his new friend had mentioned. All them were pastel colors that he felt sure would label him a girl. He was about to beg the girl not to make him get on the Merry-Go-Round when he saw the hopeful look on her face. He caved in and said, “All right I’ll go.”
Minako selected a white horse with a yellow mane. Kuwabara hopped on the black horse that was next to it. The carousel gave a jerk as it slowly began moving. The ride gradually picked up speed. The horses bobbed up and down giving the illusion of actually galloping. A gentle wind blew Minako's hair and the sun glinted off the golden strands. She smiled from ear to ear as she rode the horse.
Kuwabara found the young girl fascinating. Even though she was lost she still acted as if she didn’t have any worries. He watched from the corner of his eye as the girl clapped excitedly and giggled every time her horse went up in the air. Her easygoing attitude was contagious. He too was soon caught up in the excitement of the ride.
After going for three rides in a row both children tired of the horses. They stood next to the ride about ten minutes before both of them said, “I’m bored!”
They looked at each other and laughed. Kuwabara asked his companion, “What do you wanna do?”
Minako pointed at a game stand. “Will you win me a prize?”
Kuwabara look back and forth between the stand and carousel, they won’t too far apart. He decided that they would be able to spot Minako’s teacher if she went anywhere near the ride. “I can try to win you something.”
The cheerful blonde grabbed the taller boy’s arm and led him towards the stand. “You’re so sweet!”
When they reached the stand Minako asked the vendor, “What does he have to do to win me that teddy bear?” She pointed at tan colored bear with a red ribbon tied around its neck.
The grizzled looking vendor pointed at the wall behind him, which was covered in balloons. “You see these? All your little boyfriend has to do is bust three balloons in a row.”
Kuwabara told the man, “I’m not her boyfriend.”
Both the vendor and Minako ignored the boy’s outburst. The young blonde questioned, “How is he supposed to bust them?”
The game operator held up a handful of darts. “You give me some money and I’ll give you some darts.”
Minako looked at Kuwabara expectantly. When he didn’t respond she told him, “Pay him.”
The boy grumbled, but still reached in his pocket and removed a few crumpled bills. The old man made a big production of counting the money before handing over five darts. He sat down on his stool and waited for the boy to lose. Before he was even sitting down ten seconds he heard five balloons pop one right after the other.
“Wow that was great! But you only had to bust three.”
“I wanted my money’s worth.”
The game operator stared at Kuwabara for a few moments.
“Where’s my prize?” Minako demanded.
The man finally got off his stool and reached for a teddy bear. He placed his hand on a bear without even looking to see what it looked like.
“She said she wanted the one with the red ribbon,” Kuwabara corrected.
The vendor mumbled something under his breath, but gave the boy the right prize.
Kuwabara handed the stuffed animal to Minako. “Here you go.”
The girl hugged the bear tightly. “It's so cute!”
The two children walked away from the game booth, neither one of them knew where they should go next. In the distance Kuwabara saw the Ferris Wheel spinning in all its majesty. He wanted to go for a ride on it, but he had to think about Minako first.
“Do you want to ride it?”
“Huh?”
The girl pointed at the Ferris wheel. “We can ride it if you want.”
Kuwabara shook his head sadly. “No, we have to wait for your teacher.”
“I think it’ll be okay. We may even be able to spot her from the top of the ride.”
The carrot-top rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That might work.”
Minako started running in the direction of the Ferris Wheel. “Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
The children had to wait in line for fifteen minutes to get a seat on the ride. The ride operator strapped them in and commented that they made a cute couple. Minako smiled proudly at the remark while Kuwabara turned beet red.
As the Ferris Wheel made its first circle the pair watched their surroundings with wide eyes. After the loop was finished Minako lost interest in the view. She found that she much preferred the one next to her. She looked at the boy that had volunteered to help reunite her with her teacher. She thought that he must have a really good heart and she liked that about him.
The blonde tapped the carrot-top’s shoulder. When he looked at her she told him, “I like you and when I grow up I’m gonna marry you.”
Kuwabara, forgetting that he said the same thing a few hours ago, paled at the girl’s words. “I can’t marry you!”
“Why not?”
“I-I-I just can’t,” the boy stammered.
“Don’t you like me?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then you can marry me.”
“I need to think about it.”
The girl considered his response. “You have to let me know before we go.”
“It’s a deal,” the boy agreed.
They made a total of six rounds before the ride finally came to a stop. Kuwabara helped Minako down off the seat. The girl marveled at the boy’s gentlemanly actions.
“What should we do now?” Minako asked.
The boy pretended to think it over. “I think we should take pictures…so I can remember my fiancée.”
The girl squealed excitedly. “We’re going to get married!”
“Not right now, but later on.”
“When?”
“I guess when you graduate from high school.”
Minako counted on her fingers. “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Eight years, but that’s forever!”
Kuwabara shrugged his shoulders. “That’s the way it’s gotta be.”
The blonde let out a defeated sigh. “I’ll wait.”
“Let’s go take pictures now.”
They raced off to the nearest photo booth. Inside the small space Minako clung to Kuwabara's neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. At first the boy didn’t know how to respond to the girl’s actions. After the first two pictures were taken he finally reciprocated the affectionate hug, wrapping an arm around the girl’s shoulders. Both children smiled happily for the three remaining photos.
While Minako waited for the photos to develop Kuwabara spent the last of his money to buy a soda for them to share. They sat on a bench next to the Merry-Go-Round and waited for Minako's teacher. The pair talked excitedly for two hours, but after that they both became exhausted from the waiting and the heat.
The young girl looked around the amusement park with sad eyes; it no longer held the whimsy it did earlier. She wiped away a tear. “I think they really did forget about me.”
“Don’t say that, they’ll come for you.”
“No they won’t.” The girl turned her tear filled eyes on Kuwabara. “You won’t forget me will you?”
“No. I told you I would help you find your teacher and I’m gonna do it. No matter how long it takes. I promise I’ll be there for you Minako.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Sure I do. You’re my fiancée, right?”
Minako wiped more tears away. “I am.”
Kuwabara was about to comfort the girl some more, but he heard a voice yelling. He turned and saw a strange woman waving at his companion.
“Aino!” A short plump woman with curly black hair came running over to where the two children sat. “I thought I would never find you!
A group of children gathered around the blonde girl and commenced with teasing her. She laughed most of it off, some how she even managed to poke fun at herself.
Kuwabara stood off to the side watching. He had helped Minako find her class just as he promised. He turned to leave, but a hand tugged on the back of his shirt. He turned around and saw the blonde eyeing him with a big smile.
“Thank you Kuwabara. You’re my hero, just like in the fairy tales.”
The carrot-top boy blushed at the compliment. He wasn’t used to having a cute girl gush over him the way this one was. “It was nothing.”
Minako’s teacher addressed him. “You’re being too modest young man. Where’s your teacher? I want to commend her for having such a courteous student.”
Kuwabara scratched the back of his head nervously. “Uhmm…”
“Kuwabara Kazuma!”
The young boy jumped as he heard his name being yelled. He spun around and saw the source of the banshee shriek. “Oh no!”
It was none other than his teacher, the one he had been avoiding all day. The woman was tall and skinny with long brown hair and a liberal coating of makeup. Her features were twisted into a frightening scowl. “I turn my back for one second and you slip away! I swear you’re nothing but a delinquent in training.”
“But ma’am I was just…”
Kuwabara's teacher grabbed him by his collar and began dragging him away. “No excuses! When we get back to the school I’m calling your parents.”
The boy resigned himself to his fate and followed his teacher. No matter what his punishment was he felt that it would be worth it after all the fun he had today.
“Wait please!”
Both teacher and student turned around to see Minako running after them. When the girl caught up with them she handed Kuwabara a short strip of paper. She told him in a firm voice, “Don’t forget me Kuwabara and you better remember your promise.”
The boy looked at what was in his hand. It was two of the photos of him and Minako. “I won’t forget.”
“Promise me.”
“Fine I promise.”
The girl smiled happily. She lowered her eyes and whispered, “I promise I won’t forget about you either.”
Before the boy could respond his teacher pulled on his arm. “That’s enough. We have to leave now or else we’ll miss the bus. Say good-bye to your friend.”
“Bye Aino.”
“Good-bye Kuwabara.”
Minako watched as the carrot-top was led away by his teacher. Once he was out of sight she ran back to her class, so that she didn’t get separated again. She fell in step with her friends and half listened as they told her about their day. Her attention was focused on her left index finger. A little red bow was tied around the tip of the digit. It wouldn’t be until later that she learned what the bow meant.
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cillaxox: *cringes* So how was it? I know the proposal thing is a little farfetched, but please work with me.