New...chapter...*is dead*

Chapter Twelve - Into the Sun

Sho did not reach the Emerald City as fast as lightning, which was probably for the best.

Kyoko sat in the poppies, staring up into the clouds where Kanae's voice had been booming from just a few minutes earlier. Behind her, the lion, the tin man, and the scarecrow watched with concern.

"What should we do?" Ogata asked Yashiro nervously. The tin man glanced at Ren. The scarecrow did not return the look, but walked over to the girl still sitting in the flowers.

"Mogami-san, we should keep moving," Ren said calmly. He held a hand out to assist her.

"All right..." Kyoko said listlessly. She stood up without help and dusted herself off. Ren withdrew his hand without a word, but stood by the girl as she collected herself. They quietly walked to where the others were waiting. Kyoko seemed subdued; Ren's expression was grim.

Flowers don't just appear, Ren thought. Who's behind this? Was it that witch?

Thinking about Sho made Ren feel frustrated. He was silent as the group started on their way once more, thinking about their encounter with the Witch and the ominous words he had left behind.

What did he mean, 'Good luck with the Wizard'? Ren thought.

Meanwhile, Yashiro and Ogata were doing their best to raise Kyoko's spirits.

"Your friend must like you a lot if she was so upset to see you with someone else," Yashiro was saying, a bright, cheerful smile on his face.

"That's how it usually goes," Ogata added, his tail between his paws again.

"Really?" Kyoko asked, looking at the tin man.

Seeing a glimmer of hope in her expression, Yashiro nodded enthusiastically and went on, "Of course! Lots of people get moody when they're jealous of somebody else!" Yashiro said. He could not help but think of Ren as he spoke. He cast a glance at the scarecrow, who was walking apart from the others. Kyoko and Ogata looked that way also, not sure what Yashiro was staring at.

Ren could feel them looking his way. He stared fixedly ahead and paid the other three no notice.

Yashiro felt disappointed. He made a face. Had Ren really not heard him?

But then the tin man was struck by an idea. A wonderful, awful idea. His face spread in a grin. He leaned close to Kyoko and whispered just loud enough for Ren to hear, "Kyoko-chan, doesn't Ren seem a little out of sorts?"

Ren looked up, staring suspiciously at the tin man.

"Eh?" Kyoko said. The lion looked at the others, confused.

Kyoko glanced in the scarecrow's direction. Ren quickly turned away. Surprised, Kyoko looked back at Yashiro.

"You think so?" she asked.

Yashiro nodded furiously, his face a picture of benevolent concern. Behind him, Ogata frowned and tugged at his tail, looking very much like he wanted to ask what was going on, but too interested in the proceedings to risk an interruption.

"See the way he won't look at any of us? It's like he's upset about something," Yashiro whispered suggestively. Hearing this, Ren steeled himself against the inevitable torment.

Who is he supposed to be helping? Ren thought.

Kyoko looked at the scarecrow again. He pretended he didn't see her looking. It was very hard when she peered at him with that anxious expression.

Frowning, Kyoko carefully examined Ren's features. He was always composed, but something seemed wrong. There was a certain set in his jaw, a subtle furrow in his brow, a slight narrowing of his eyes...and, as she watched, a sudden quirk about his mouth.

It was all Ren could do to keep a straight face. To his relief, Kyoko soon turned away and asked Yashiro nervously, "What do you think could be wrong?"

The tin man was carefully considering what to say next.

"Well, I can't be sure, but..." Yashiro said vaguely. The girl and the lion watched him with rapt attention.

"What is it, Yashiro-san?" Kyoko asked anxiously.

"I think it's the way you said there was no meaning behind your meeting earlier, Kyoko-chan," Yashiro whispered, this time too low for anyone but Kyoko and himself to hear. He looked at the girl and saw she was staring at him in horror. Satisfied that his words had had an impact, the tin man went on, "He probably thinks you don't appreciate him."

Kyoko whipped around to look at the scarecrow. This time she caught Ren looking her way. Ren had just enough time to cast a stern glance at the tin man before he was forced to meet Kyoko's eye.

"Yes, Mogami-san?" Ren said, forcing himself to sound calm.

"Tsu-" Kyoko began, but she stopped.

"Whatever you have to say, it can't be anything too horrible, Mogami-san," Ren said encouragingly.

Kyoko looked at him for a moment with an earnest expression. Wondering what it could mean, Ren waited for her reply. Behind Kyoko, the tin man and the lion were watching with interest.

Finally, Kyoko said, "I realized just now...Yashiro-san said...when I said before, about us meeting at random..." Kyoko faltered, not hearing the sound of Ren's heart cracking. Fortunately, she continued, "When I said that, it was very inconsiderate of me. You've come all this way just to help me, and for me to say something so...so..."

"There's no need to be so hard on yourself," Ren interrupted. "It was a random meeting, as you said. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

He smiled very warmly at her then. Kyoko looked at him and felt heat rise in her face. Yashiro and Ogata, looking on, were also affected.

"What are they saying?" Ogata asked shyly, holding his tail in front of his face. Yashiro said nothing; this was more than he had hoped for.

"Of course not!" Kyoko said. "I'm very lucky to have met all of you!"

"So there's nothing to apologize for," Ren said. He glanced over Kyoko's head and saw the lion and the tin man quickly begin to act as if they hadn't been listening. He ignored them and turned back to Kyoko.

"I couldn't have gotten this far without you, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said quietly. "I'm very glad to have met you."

Ren heard her and was silent. He felt so light that he thought he might fly away on the breeze. Feeling self-conscious, he looked away down the road and caught sight of something.

"Mogami-san, look," Ren said.

Kyoko, as well as Yashiro and Ogata, glanced to where Ren was looking.

"Ah!" Kyoko cried.

There on the horizon stood an outcrop of shimmering green towers. The spires glittered in the sun and cast an emerald haze over the land below them.

"Is it the Emerald City?" Kyoko asked excitedly.

Before anyone could answer, there arose voices, like a chorus, from nowhere:

You're out of the woods
You're out of the dark
You're out of the night

Everyone looked around, puzzled. The voices went on:

Step into the sun
Step into the light
Keep straight ahead for...

A sudden burst of light, like the first rays of sunrise, rose and made a halo around the distant towers.

...The most glorious place!

The voices faded, but the light remained. The group stared at the display.

"What was that?" Yashiro asked.

The others looked at him.

"A greeting of some sort?" Ogata suggested.

"Kind of flashy...what kind of person would think up a thing like that?"

They looked at Ren, who was watching the light bounce dazzlingly off the towers with an expression that showed he was not impressed. Realizing they were staring at him, Ren turned and addressed them:

"Is this a good idea after all?" the scarecrow asked somberly. "We can't turn back after this."

The trio before him pondered his words, but no one seemed to know quite what to think. The boys looked at Kyoko. She did not notice them; she was lost in her thoughts, her face drawn.

Suddenly, a change came over the girl. She turned to the others.

"No matter how weird it is, I have to go! If Moko-san's still watching, I can't let her down!" Kyoko said with fervor.

They stared at her. Kyoko watched them, her excitement clear in her eyes. There was something infectious in her look. The boys glanced at each other, looking sheepish, and then turned to Kyoko.

"Well, if you're sure, there's no doubt we'll come with you," Yashiro said.

They set off once more. Kyoko was determined, Ogata somewhat scared, Yashiro curious, and Ren a little concerned about what they were walking into.

When he looked at Kyoko, however, he felt his anxieties lessen. Her expression was fierce, but there was something happy in it, too. He recognized the enthusiasm that overtook her whenever she met with some new difficulty. Anyone looking at her could not help but feel excited too.

He recalled her words from earlier, and the shy way she'd said them.

I couldn't have gotten this far without you, Tsuruga-san. I'm very glad to have met you.

He turned to look down the road, his heart soaring, and felt that he could take on any manner of witches, wizards, and stalker trees if it meant he could stay by her side.

Sorry for the delay! The normal life-is-busy, something-came-up excuses apply, but I'm glad to say I'll have enough time to work on my stories now. The good news about the long wait is that I have the next few chapters almost ready to post.
I felt Ren needed a bit of a boost. I may have been a little too hard on him in the previous chapters, what with lighting him on fire and everything else. It's just so fun to mess with him..
Thanks for waiting for this chapter! More updates soon!