"aaah yes, I remember the smell of our maids cookies, they were delicious, mine smelled like that to some extend, well for a while before they started smelling awefully brunt" she admnitted laughing

She looked through the window at the sky "Look, It's clearing up!" she pointed at where some of the clouds had parted, revealing a dark blue sky. She hadn't realized it had already become dark, the stars looked bright and beautifull at the places where they could be seen

Stanley could not help but laugh at this as well. When it was mentioned the sky was clearing up, he looked over and smiled broadly. "Well what do you know..." he pondered. "No matter how stormy it gets, no matter how violent the thunder... the skies shall always clear..." he mused to himself.

Checking upon the cookies a short time after this, he decided they were done and pulled them out. "We have to let them cool," he said, looking back towards the windows. "You see, we weathered the storm," he added, giving a light wink of encouragement. "And you know... after the rain always comes the most beautiful of glistening sights..." He added, his eyes half closed in thought. The way the sun shined down upon the still wet plants... it was a sort of magic all of its own. That, anyways, was what he thought.

(( sorry I was so busy lately ^^' haven't beenm able to go on for more than a half hout the past days :S))

"Yumi nodded and looked at the cookies "Do we have to wait? I can deal with burning my tongue you know" she joked. "Let's show Eleven these, I'm not sure, but she seemes to me the kind of person that likes cookies" she said looking at their creation. when she looked outside she saw that it was indeed beautifull, everything was wet and shining and the sky looked wonderfull.

((Oh thats alright, no worries at all! ))

Stanley laughed at this, shaking his head. "Yes we must," he replied. "I'm afraid I am all too uncertain how to do first-aid on a tongue!" At the idea of showing of to Eleven he nodded. Pondering to himself a moment, he pulled out a set of heat resistant gloves and picked up the tray.

"Okay okay, the smell is killing me! Lets get tis eaten quickly... to the living room!" He led the way, tray of cookies in hand.

In the front room, Eleven had been playing with the muses still with them. However, as the cookies were brought in everyone's heads all poked up at once. Next thing Stanley knew, a hoard of muses all tackled him at once!

"You guys better get a cookie while you can!" he said, as several muses were even licking Stanley's face as well. "Haha! That tickles guys! Meeep!"

Yumi sat next to Eleven and was quite amused by the attack of the muses. "They have quite the strenght for small beings like that don't they?" she asked, giggling a bit. she managed to grab a cookie before they were all gone and found out they were indeed delicious

"You should open a bakery or something Stanley" she joked "Make cookies fir the entire kingdom, you'd really get famous I bet!" she said laughing. she grabbed a ribbon and bound her hair up, it was annoying her so mcuh, layed down, legs in the air like she always did. "So what now? I mean, when Stanleys done with the muses"

A little hesitant considering the squirming mass of muses, Eleven somehow managed to stick her hand in and grab a cookie as well. She took a bite, and her face lit up. "Wow, you guys did REALLY good on these!" she commented, resisting the urge to swallow the cookie whole. Must savor...

Stanley laughed at this. "Me? Nah, It's just a hobby of mine," he argued, before laughing again as his face was being assaulted by little tongues and wagging tails. Eleven giggled as well, taking a seat and watching in amusement.

"Good question!" she replied, pondering. "We just had snacks... hmmmm... perhaps we should practice again? What time is it anyways?" she asked, curious.

"Teehee! Guys, a little help here!" Stanley called, before giving up and lying out flat on the floor. Several of the muses found places on his belly, one on his head, a few beside him, but most were curling up to take a nap now they had ate their cookies. Eleven couldn;t help but smile at the adorable scene. Those muses... they really did adore him didn't they?

"another practice sounds good to me" Yumi said before turning toward the scene that was called adration by muses. "I don't know, Eleven, do we have mercy on him or not? I mean, i think he doesn't need any help" she said with a grin on her face. "Are you comfortable there Stanley?" she asked, still grinning. It really was mcuh of an adorable sight, andthe muses were so cute. Plus she really felt like letting Stanley get tormented a little more there.

she looked outside again, the wet on the grass and trees made a really good view, it almost looked like the entire world sparkled. She would love to go outside again and enjoy the scents of wet grass and the rain that had just fallen down. She only hoped that the thunder hadn't damaged anything

"I don't know...." Eleven said, in contemplation. She grinned broadly, wishing she could draw or paint a picture of this moment in time. And these muses were so happy too... and she could tell Stanley was. He had a warm look to him that said so, even if he didn't admit it.

"It is all rather cute..." Stanley laughed then, lookig over towards the girls and muses alike.

"Hey, if you guys how some mercy I'll lead you to my special spot outside," he promised, giving a light wink.

"Special spot?" Eleven asked, curious.

"Yeah..." Stanley replied, grinning a slight. "But first you guys need to help me out here a bit!" he added, laughing lightly. The muse that was on his belly started to knead his stomach in response, ad though it planned on going nowhere!

"Hhmmm special spot huh? But would it be worth it? that's the question" she siad still teasing, but then decided to show him some mercy, she didn't know if the muses would listen to her, but it was always worth giving a shot right? If you never try you never gain anything

Yumi clapped her hands "Come on now everyone, let's give Stanley some space" she said in a strics but still kind voice, a voice she had learned to control thanks to her little cousin

((sorry for the lenght ^^' a little writers block right there))

((Thats okay, they cant all be novels eh? :P People would start loosing fingers that way!))

"It would, promise!" Stanley replied, before sneezing as one of the muse's long tails tickled his nose.

Thankfully, to his relief, they all listened to Yume. Some could be heard groaning, a few gave a final lick, before letting Stanley free. The ma sat up, his hair licked in several spots and wild, his clothing ruffled, and looking like he had been mauled by wild dogs! But nope, that wasn't the case of course. He was... simply being loved upon a bit too much!

He tried to ruffle his hair back into place, but it came back a bit wet with muse spit. Shaking his head, he decided to give up with an amused smirk. Eleven meanwhile, was laughing quite hard. It was, after all, a funny sight to see. poor Stanley didn't have cowlicks in his hair, but muselicks!

He got up then, grinning a slight. "Come on, I'll take you guys to the spot," he said, his gaze however still drifting up towards his messed up hair!

Yumi laughed, and laughed, and laughed. It was such a funny singt/ She grabbed her stomch as it began to ache from laughing. "You're.... so... messed... up..right now" she managed to say, still laughing. "Sorry..." she said, as the laughing slowly ebbed away, she was still laughing on the inside, and a bit on the ouside, but most of it had stopped.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she put her hands on her hips "Show us you're little secret place then" she demanded, but soon laughed again

((true, I wish i could write a novel adn get famous and rich though, would be fun :] ))

Stanley looked towards the two laughing girls, and found himself laughing lightly as well. "It is pretty bad isn't it?" he asked with a resigned sigh.

He looked towards Obi, who was perched on his shoulder and laughing as well. "As soon as you guys have enough breath regained to walk, I will," he replied, before laughing once more as he led the way out of the house. He led them through the forest, down paths that it seemed only one person had walked through. Through tall grasses, bushes until finally they seemed to reach a clearing. There one could see a massive lake, surrounded by weeping willow trees.

And nearby, there was a cave as well. He led them towards the cave, where a small bit of light shined in from above. But the walls... the walls had geodes inside, crystals, causing the entire cave to be accented with random patterns of various light and colors. It was really breathtaking actually...

((Teehee, yes it would! I actually wrote a 300 page novel once, back in middle school o.O))

((Uuuhm sorry again -embarressed- who could know fruits basket could be so addictive ^.^' ))

"uwaaaah" Yumi hurried over tot he wall where she gently touched a crystal, it felt solid and like it was very tough. "This is beautiful" she said gasping again as she touched the sharp end of another crystal, and then went over the surface of a smooth one. she kept touching the crystals, facinated by them. when she looked at the opening of the cave, she saaw it was getting late. 'One more day, one more day and then it's time' she wondered how Kerik was doing, surrounded by what he knew were enemies.

She got lost in thgouht, what if she had to stand up against the people she had always seen as comrades? She would be devistated, she probably wouldn't be able to handle it. But thank god she wasn't forced to stand up against her friends, no, she was fighting for them, and she was going to win, she knew it!

((I knew! I own like, 19 manga books for the series :P))

Stanley watched her reaction to the cave, smiling. "Yep, I figured you girls just might enjoy this place as much as me..." he said with a sigh, running a hand over one of the spots in the wall. There was a drawing in the crystal here, a crude drawing... but one nonetheless. It was a drawing of himself as a kid, that the king had done. A pretty good likeness as well, this used to be their old hangout.

'Tomorrow... I'll free you...' he thought to himself, resigned, hopeful.

Eleven meanwhile took in all of the colors with wide eyes, amazed at the sheer scope of it all!

* * * * *

Kerik, meanwhile, watched the night sky from his room. It was a slight unnerving treading these halls now, knowing what he did. However... he had to. He had a job to do, and an honorable one at that.

'Hope the new day finds thee well...' he thought towards the group, closing his eyes. He knew he would be fighting against those he had lived with, and not everyone would survive. but if they accomplished their goal... then it would all be worth it.

It would... it would be worth his own pain.