* EiGhTeEn * My New Friend

It's easy to make friends.

When we were at the airport, Tai was whining about separating from us. Shylo kept telling me he was regretting suggesting he go without me. "He doesn't like leaving his twin sister!" Shylo whispered to me with a smile. I gave both of them a hug and wished them good luck. Then we parted ways.

Once we were on the airplane, Kei and Koki had me sit between them, while Eeris sat with Steve and Dan. Kei and Koki were talking calmly about stuff, while I zoned out and eventually fell asleep. Soon enough, I was shaken awake by the two, and we headed outside to see the Tsunami region in person.
"Wow!! It's so cool!" I exclaimed then looked at the two twin boys barely looking amused. "You guys don't care?"
"It's coming . . . just wait for it . . . " Kei said, stretching then looking at a nearby tall building. "Ooh! Shiny!"
"I've already been here before," Koki replied, reading a pamphlet.
. . .
"I feel so out of place!" Steve exclaimed as he walked out of the airport with Dan and Eeris. "We're the out-of-place trio! We have blond in our hair," Steve signified to Dan and Eeris.
Eeris looked around with awe, and Dan obviously had been here also by his expression. They did seem out of place. Everyone in the crowds around us had black or really dark brown hair. Suddenly there was an argument between two of the locals. They were shouting away in their language then stormed away from each other.
"What were they saying? Never mind that, what were they speaking?!" Steve asked with confusion all over his face.
"It's the Tsunami language," Dan stated obviously.
"That doesn't help me. What was it called in the past?"
"The past?" I asked.
"Yeah, before the Mega War," Steve replied, waving his hand.
"Ah, it was called 'Japanese' before the war," Koki replied.
"Oh, interesting," I said, looking at everyone rushing around us. Out of the crowd I caught sight of the oddest thing, a bleach blond boy walking calmly through the crowd. He obviously wasn't from around here. For a split second, it seemed like he grinned at me, but I think my mind was fooling me as he disappeared. Suddenly two boys, probably slightly older than me, walked over with smiles.
"Kon'nichiwa!!" one said.
The other said something that sounded like a question, but I could not understand him.
With confusion, I looked at them and said, "Sorry, I don't understand" in their language. That was about the extent of my Tsunami language.
Koki stepped in front of me and replied to them in Japanese with some anger in his tone. The only word I could understand was "boyfriend."
They looked at Koki and walked away with angry sighs.
Koki looked at me and stated, "They were flirting with you, if you wanted to know."
"Um, Thanks," I replied with sarcasm. "I didn't know you spoke Tsunami tongue."
"I had to learn it, and Kei knows enough, too," was all he replied with before walking away.
Kei came over and said to follow Koki. Koki led us to a hotel and checked us in. He handed Steve and me each a key then said, holding his own key up, "Three rooms."
We went to our rooms and unpacked our things, then we met up in Koki and Kei's room. All four guys were already in and talking when Eeris and I walked in.
"I'm telling you, there's going to be no hotel fun without Tai here," Kei said, smiling.
"We can still wrestle," Koki answered with the same smile. "Dan and Steve can join in, too!"
"Oh, no, I am not into wrestling, I prefer poker," Steve said nonchalantly.
"That's for old people," Kei teased.
"It seems you will be my new target for pranks, Sir Kei," Steve gave Kei a sly glare.
Kei gulped.
"I know everything about you, boy, so you better watch out."
I giggled.
"Hey, Dan, do you know if Rio has a 'ninja'?" Eeris asked, while it was silent.
"A ninja? Not that I've heard or seen. We never know though, maybe he has a secret companion, that ninja," Dan answered thoughtfully. "You didn't see his face or anything?"
"Nope, he had a mask on," I answered, sitting on the floor by Eeris.
"I heard Koki say, that he attacked you then later chased Tai around, right?"
"Yeah, he threw me across the room! Then I stabbed him."
"Hm, I can't see anything adding up . . . "
"All right, we need our strategy for the battles coming up," Steve ordered. "And I suggest you boys do not wrestle, so you're all up and uninjured for the upcoming battles."
"Yeah-yeah," the three answered glumly.
"Dan and Koki, tell us about the base."
Dan and Koki gave their explanations, and each gave their ideas for the battle plans. After they finished, everyone looked to me for my thoughts. I stared at them then realized what they were looking at me for. "I think we should have Dan, Eeris, and Steve deal with the outside guards, while Kei, Koki, and I deal with Rio," I gave my opinion. There were mumbles of approval, but Dan grimaced.
"I think Eeris should stay here," he said, pointing to her.
She stood up and glared at him. "I am not weak, you know?! I can fight just as well as you, so stop acting like I can't do anything!" she shouted, while poking him in the chest repeatedly.
"Fine! Do what you want!" Dan shouted back and stormed out to his own hotel room.
Steve whistled, and Eeris left for our room. "I think my cute little Dan has fallen in love!" Steve faked a sob. "He'll most likely be keeping a protective eye on her during the battle!" Steve clapped his hands together with a smile. "Now, I guess that's the plan then? Are we fulfilling it tomorrow?"
"Yes, let's go out to eat now," I said with a smile.

We went out to eat at a nice little restaurant. After eating, we went to an arcade then to a karaoke place. We had fun dancing and singing, and eventually we headed back to the hotel rooms. Eeris and I fell onto our beds, exhausted.
"That was fun! Too bad Tai and Shylo didn't get to come," I said calmly.
"Yeah, I've never had so much fun before!" Eeris exclaimed.
"Trust me, you'll have lots more once this is over," I replied, looking at her with a grin.
She grinned back.
A short pause.
"So . . . Dan told me you were in a car crash long ago. Do you remember any of that?" I asked, trying to get her to talk about herself.
She looked up with little surprise. "Yes, only one moment," she answered.
"What was that?"
"I felt pain. My vision was blurred with red, and when I awoke, I heard Dan asking, 'Hey, are you awake? Are you okay?'"
"Where were you, when you awoke?" I questioned on.
"In a hospital."
"Was Rio there at that time?"
"No, It was just Dan. He told me that he saved me from the car and took me to the hospital."
"Well, that's odd. Dan said Rio found you in the car crash," I said, thinking about what Dan said.
Eeris giggled. "Dan's too shy to talk about his heroics. He only told me about it, because I asked."
"So how long ago did he save you?"
"Um," she counted in her head, "about a year, I guess."
"Oh, wow. Soooo . . . " I said, losing all possible ideas of conversation.
"So?" she asked with a tilt to her head.
Quickly a question Shylo would typically ask people came to mind, "Do you like Dan after all this time?"
Eeris looked baffled.
Bingo, I thought as if baffling people was my hobby. Well, it was fun.
"I . . . don't know."
"Just admit it. You joined with us, because Dan was with us," I said with a smirk.
She looked up and saw my smirk. Then she smiled faintly. "I guess you can read people easily, hm?" she asked with a blush.
"Only girls are easy to read. I'm not very good at reading guys. I can only read Tai, because he's my twin brother," I said, lying on my back and watching the ceiling.
"I can read guys, and I can tell that Koki is so jealous of you and Kei," she said, while I glanced over to see her smirking this time.
I chuckled, "You're funny, I like you."
"We should totally hang out more after all this." She gave off a friendly smile then.
I smiled back. "Fantastic."

Author's Note

A major battle is approaching!!!!!