I’m sorry it’s taken me a while to put the rest of this up, but it’s all finished. I just have to remember to update once in a while. Thanks for reading! Please R&R! I hope you enjoy…and If after you finish reading you have any ideas for the sequel I am currently writing, let me know.^_^

“That thing is your sister?” Chloe asked.

“Hey!” Rei protested.

“Unfortunately,” Takmet sighed. He then gently peeled genie’s arm from around his neck. “I really wish you would not have done that,” he muttered to Sasaki as he passed her, retrieving the dropped bottle from the sand. “Back in, Rei.” Takmet held the bottle out to his floating sister.

“I don’t think so! I’ve been gone for five years and all you want is to see me back in that trap? I almost didn’t recognize you, you’ve grown so much,” she surveyed him approvingly. “How old does that make you now?” She tilted her head, trying to think. “Eighteen?”

“Nineteen,” Takmet corrected her. “And you haven’t aged at all. Now back in the bottle.” When he was focused on something he wasn’t going to let his slippery sister get the best of him.

“I’m not leaving until she makes her wishes,” Rei pointed back at Sasaki. Doing so forced Takmet to look at her and his eyes stuck there momentarily, then he caught himself and turned back to Rei. She had noticed the pause when he looked at Sasaki but she didn’t know what to make of it.

“She does not need your wishes, Rei,” he answered, sure of himself. She looked back at the girl who had opened her bottle, then at her friends.

“I can’t get over the fact that she’s a genie...” Chloe trailed off.

Rei noticed the dark-blue haired girl staring nervously at the space between her lagging tail and the ground. “Oh, does this bother you?” Rei asked innocently. She floated to the ground and feet materialized from her previously insubstantial lower body. This made her several inches shorter than Takmet, which looked odd, mostly because she had been floating above his head the whole time.

“Woah,” Mandi said simply.

Rei now looked up to her much younger brother. “It’s in my contract!” She pointed a finger in his face. “I can’t leave until she makes her wishes.”

Sasaki noticed that Takmet and his sister looked a lot alike. Black hair, fairly tall, and Rei even had her hair almost as short as his. What baffled her was how in the world he had a genie as a sister.

Takmet sighed. Sasaki’s heart jumped at the sound for some unknown reason and he started to speak. “Rei...”

Sasaki cut him off. “Takmet...” He looked up at her, slight surprise on his face, and then she noticed what he had. She had never said his name out loud before. The name was oddly familiar on her lips but she continued, meeting his eyes. “You don’t have to be so hard on her. She can’t be that bad. Maybe she’ll be able to help us.”

Rei turned between both Sasaki and her brother and a grin spread onto her face. “Does that “us” mean what I think it means?” she asked mischievously.

“That’s not what I meant,” Sasaki turned her face away. Takmet’s face was turning a light red as well, trying not to strangle Rei by the neck.

“Oh, so there is an “us”,” Rei concluded, smiling. “But that’s not what you meant.” She glanced between Sasaki and Takmet, taking in the answer to her question. She grinned wider. Oh, this is going to be great! It’s been years since I teased anyone mercilessly... Suddenly Rei wondered what had happened to the girl Takmet had liked so much before she disappeared. “Takmet?” Rei cocked her head at her brother. “What ever happened to Kehsat?”

The reaction she got out of him was not one she expected. Takmet snapped his head around at her, surprise, anger, then pain flashing through his eyes. His hands clenched at his sides. “She’s gone,” he gritted through his teeth.

Rei was taken aback. That was not the brother she left five years ago. He had grown up. “What?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself, please,” he said quietly, a little too aloof for Rei now. She was totally confused.

The four future girls exchanged glances, figuring she had hit a very sensitive subject. Sasaki watched him carefully, sensing what this person Rei mentioned had been to him.

His memories flooded back at the sound of her name. The dancing, her laughter, her long black hair..... He shook his head. She was gone now. Memories still came to him randomly, even after two and a half years. Even more so in the last couple days. Some things Sasaki did reminded him of her, and his smiles then had quietly turned to sad and static expressions. Those were times when he doubted what seemed to be forming between himself and Sasaki, never thinking he could be so happy again. What had happened? Why hadn’t he been there to save her? “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I did not mean to be rude.” He said this to no one in particular.

Sasaki decided to bring the original strain of conversation up, since this one seemed to be trying Takmet’s patience. “ Us as in my friends and I,” Sasaki explained, looking at Rei.

Rei looked at her for a moment, then getting the purpose of the sudden switch she shook her head to unconfuse herself. “Right. That’s what I was getting at all along,” she nodded.

Sasaki glanced at Takmet, who seemed to be hiding all those memories Rei had stirred up. Then she asked, “Could you send us home?”

That question caught Takmet’s attention and he looked up at Sasaki and then at Rei. His heart twisted in anticipation. “It depends on where you’re from,” Rei shrugged.

“The future,” Ami put in.

“No way! I don’t do that time travel stuff. I always end up landing the person a couple of millennia off the mark.” Rei shook her head violently.

Takmet sighed. “That’s Rei for you.” He had seemingly recovered and Rei decided he was teasing material again, but before she could get a word out, Chloe made a smug remark.

“Some genie you are.”

Rei appeared in her face. “Hey, I’m only three hundred years old. I’m just a kid, so can you give me a break?”

“Three hundred?” Mandi asked astounded. “You don’t look a day over twenty.”

“Don’t flatter me,” Rei smiled, waving a hand at Mandi. Then she disappeared again and reappeared behind Sasaki, sitting her elbows across Sasaki’s shoulders. “Any other ideas?” Rei suddenly felt something very strong in Sasaki and she backed off. “Um, Takmet? I think there’s something you should know about your girlfriend.”

“She is not my girlfriend,” Takmet sighed.

“She’s got an extremely powerful spell cast on her.”

“I knew that already,” Takmet replied, annoyed at the mere mention of that infernal thing.

“How?”

He wordlessly held his hand out to Sasaki who mirrored his move. They repelled each other even though they had well over a foot to spare before their hands touched. The electric forces activated, causing only mild discomfort compared to the tremendous force from before.

“Oh, that’s what it’s for!” Rei said, comprehension spreading across her features.

“Do you think...,” Sasaki hesitated for a moment, then continued her thought, “...maybe you could break it?“

Takmet looked shocked. He hadn’t thought of that.

“I can try my best,” Rei said happily, extending her arms with her fingers linked and cracking her knuckles.

Takmet sighed yet again. This was inevitably going to be an interesting fiasco. His sister did not have all of the experience she needed to perform such a complicated task. But he figured that at least she wasn’t so inexperienced as to hurt anyone in the process.

Rei gestured several times, mumbling as she hovered in front of Sasaki. The mystic words seemed to unwind Sasaki’s soul, and suddenly they contracted, sending intense pain through her body. She fell to her knees, then to the hot sand, hugging her shoulders and letting out a cry as she curled up in pain.

Takmet instantly was by her side, or at least as close as he could get. “What’s wrong, Sasaki?” When she didn’t answer he turned to Rei. “What’s happening? What are you doing to her?”

“Trying to break the containment spell,” Rei mumbled though her gritted teeth. Sweat beads were forming on her forehead, wrinkled in concentration.

Sasaki huddled against the hot grains of sand, gritting her teeth, curled up in a ball and hugging her shoulders as if to keep herself from ripping apart. She let out another painful cry.

“I can’t break it,” Rei said suddenly. “It’s connected to her life energy. If I break it, she dies.” Rei put her hands down as she said this, releasing Sasaki from the wracking pain and leaving her shivering on the desert floor. Mandi knelt beside her and propped her head up on her lap.

“You okay?” Mandi asked softly. Sasaki’s eyes were full of pain and disappointment, but those telltale flashes disappeared when Mandi looked at her again.

“I’m still alive,” Sasaki said, forcing a smile as her convulsions slowed.

“What a sneaky trick,” Ami commented.

Takmet leaned over Mandi’s shoulder, viewing Sasaki’s painful condition. Her eyes were strangely clear of emotion as he looked at her, and he tried not to let his own feelings show too much. But his voice failed in that regard. “Are you all right?” The question came out with more worry then he had intended.

“I’m fine,” Sasaki replied. Why is it that I have been saying that a lot lately? she asked herself. She sat up slowly but still hugged her shoulders as a convulsion quivered through her body.

“Damn it all!” Rei swore. “I know only two people who could have possibly made such an intricate spell. And I think one you probably already know.” Rei crossed her arms in frustration. “I’m really sorry. I already suspect how you feel about each other, but there’s no way to break that spell short of killing yourself.”

“It was....just a suggestion, really,” Sasaki answered, staring at the sand.

Chloe put her hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll find a way to get around this.”

Sasaki looked up at her, smiling. “Thanks, Chloe. ”

Mandi focused on Rei. “You said you know who did this?”

“You probably wouldn’t recognize his name. He no doubt changed it, but I’ll tell you when I see him.” Rei flashed a smile at Takmet. “Is it time to go home yet?”

“You are not coming with us,” he stated as he glared up at his sister.

“There’s that “us” again,” Rei commented, rubbing her chin. “Too bad, little brother. She needs her wishes, and until she makes them, you’re stuck with me.” Rei grinned.

Sasaki was standing, albeit shakily, and she leaned on Mandi for support. “I’m famished and filthy. I definitely think we should get back.” She smiled weakly but the suggestion was full of all the cheerful energy she could muster. Takmet wondered at how she did it.

“There’s an oasis not far from here, if you wish to clean up some. It has a spring you could bathe in,” Takmet pointed out. “And your friends as well.”

“What about you?” Sasaki asked.

“I can wait until we return to the palace. It’s not a problem.”

“Sounds great,” she said happily, letting Mandi go. She turned to her friends. “You guys coming?”

Mandi studied Sasaki’s expression for a while. “No, we can wait. You go relax for a while.”

A flicker of gratefulness passed across Sasaki’s eyes but disappeared just as quickly. “All right. Be back soon.” She turned toward the oasis, the trees barely showing over the fallen arches, and set off without looking back.

* * *

The lush foliage of the oasis trapped what little moisture was present in the air of the desert, also giving shade to Sasaki’s sun baked skin. She found the spring easily and she undressed. She washed her clothes as well as herself in the clear water, enjoying the reviving coolness of the spring.

She was disappointed. Her hope dashed because of what Rei had said. She wouldn’t be able to touch Takmet her whole life, if she stayed. And then she wouldn’t be there to even savor what touch she might get after she was dead. The high school girl felt a tear edge to the corner of her eye and blinked it away. Letting her hair down, she submerged in the water, allowing tears she seldom shed be washed away as they came and venting her frustration to the surrounding coolness.

She surfaced slowly, hesitantly, like she might want to stay under water and....No, I can’t feel sorry for myself now. I’ve got obligations here. She thought of her friends and knew she couldn’t leave them. And she couldn’t leave Takmet. Perhaps Fate would give them a break.

After an interminable silence, the foliage behind her rustled slightly, sparking her instinct to defend herself as she whirled and held out her hand, attack ready. Takmet appeared from the shadows.

“It’s me,” he said, halting when he saw the pulsing energy in her hand.

“Takmet!” Sasaki cried in surprise, extinguishing the attack. She sank further into the water and turned away, crossing her arms over herself. “What are you doing here?” she asked over her shoulder.

“We are about ready to leave...,” he started.

“Okay, I’ll get out. Is that all?” she asked, still hugging her own shoulders as she spoke, still facing the other side of the pool.

“No, I....,” he hesitated, a fleeting thought of Kehsat stopping him there. Then it was as if the memories set some part of him free, and he took that as a sign to continue. “I want to tell you something else as well. “

She looked over her shoulder, face questioning his hesitation.

She shouldn’t have done that, because he momentarily forgot what he was going to say. For an instant, the sun reflected off the beads of water on her shoulders and in her hair, just at the right angle to create a sort of halo, with the ripples in the water adding a heavenly effect. Then it was gone. He regrouped his scattered thoughts. She looked a little worried now, his hesitation causing some alarm.

“I...Sasaki....I do not know why I feel this way, but you have captured me, intentionally or not.” She stared at him in mild shock. “I suppose I did not want to admit that I could develop such strong feelings for someone in only three days, but I do now.” He gazed at her solemnly. “I admit it to you.” He could not believe he was doing this. He knew she had some feelings for him, or she would never have asked for the spell to be removed. But he was afraid he was taking a chance of scaring her off by coming out so straight forward.

Her expression was unchanged for several seconds, as if taking in what he just said. Then, just barely, he caught what he thought was a glimmer of joy and relief in her eyes. “I feel the same way,” she answered. It was his turn to be relieved. “I think I always have, even before I got here.”

“Before?” Takmet asked, not understanding.

“Yeah, strangely enough.” His confused silence told her to go on. Reaching for her clothes was Takmet’s signal to turn around, and she got out of the water. Hearing the shift in the water was enough to tempt him to glance over his shoulder, but that was all, only tempting. She continued talking as she dressed. “There’s a guy in my--- my friends’ time who basically is you. He’s probably extremely worried and confused right now since four of the students are missing from the camp, and I can imagine what kind of speech he’s getting from our teacher.” She smiled to herself. “Anyway, I started feeling it there, when I met him and looked into his eyes, something there told me I should know him. But it was you I was supposed to know.”

“Should you not be more attracted to him, if you are from that time?” He waited anxiously for her answer.

She smiled. “No. One- It’s you I’m supposed to be attracted to. And two- That’s because I’m not from that time,” she explained as she rang her hair out.

He turned around. “Not from....Then when are you from?” He waited for her answer patiently as she finished putting her hair up.

“Here,” she said simply, without turning to him.

“Here?” He echoed her answer softly.