Her Flowers:

Plot: 5-year old Kaori Kujyou and her father have a big day as they go visit their family somewhere special…

Rating: K+

Kaori is an original character. I do not own Kamichama Karin or Kamichama Karin Chu.


::: Her Flowers :::

"Kaori," The thirty-year old blonde-haired man walked into his daughter's bedroom. It was around 9:30, and the sun was shining dazzling beams through the bedroom window. There she was, curled up under her light green sheets. You could see some pieces of her blonde, wavy hair coming up from underneath the blankets. "Kaori, it's time to wake up."

He sat beside his daughter and gently placed his hand on her forehead. After waiting a few seconds, she finally responded by grumbling. He felt a bit bad for disturbing her sweet dreams, but they had a big day ahead of them. It was best to get her up now.

"Daddy?" Her voice whispered in slight confusion.

"Kaori, it's time to get up." He smiled. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

"Mm-hm." She mumbled, stretching her arms out, her blonde hair all astray. "Are we doin' somethin' today?"

"Yes." He nodded. He walked over to Kaori's dresser and grabbed a white dress, a light blue cardigan, and a blue cap to match with it. This was Kaori's favorite outfit.

"What are we gonna do today, daddy?" Kaori asked, taking off her pink pajamas.

"First, we're going to go to the flower shop to get some pretty flowers, and then we're going to meet up with Grandpa and everyone." He said, putting the white dress over her petite body.

"Where's mommy?" Kaori wondered. He never mentioned his wife in the picture.

"She's at work, sweetie. She won't be able to come today." He responded. Kaori's face saddened a bit, but after he put on her cardigan, her face lit up like starlight.

"Do I look pretty?" She asked.

"You always do, Kaori-chan." He smiled, kissing her on the head before placing her cap on top. It drooped over her head a bit before she arranged it. Her emerald green eyes blinked a few times before she grinned widely, giggling. He had to giggle to as she followed him out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, where they had breakfast. They had some waffles with strawberries and cream. Kaori chugged down glasses of her milk (her favorite drink) and was getting more and more excited about this big day.

"Daddy, they should make up milk with strawberries in it! That would be so good!" Kaori said, ready to begin an experiment. She took a strawberry and had it overtop of her glass of milk.

"Kaori, it's already been made. And it would taste bad if you put it in there." He stated, finishing up his filling breakfast. She made a small "oh" before placing her strawberry back on her plate.

"You almost done, kiddo?"

"Yeah. It was very yummy." She smiled, leaping off of her chair and walking over to the door. "Are we gonna go now?"

"Yeah. We're going to take a walk to the flower shop, and then take the train to a special place." He smiled. Her eyes sparkled in enthusiasm and stimulation. She was ready to go.

………

It was a nice autumn day. It wasn't chilly, but it wasn't warm enough to wear short-sleeves. Kaori's cardigan kept her nice and cozy as the autumn breeze rushed through her wavy hair. She took her father's hand and they began walking on the sidewalk.

"At preschool, my friend Sayaka says that after fall it's winter! I love winter!" Kaori exclaimed.

"You really love winter, don't you?"

"Yeah! I also love spring and summer and fall, too!"

"So, you like all seasons?"

"Hmm…no, just winter, spring, summer and fall. That's it." Kaori said.

"Those are all the seasons, Kaori-chan." He laughed.

They continued to have adorable conversations like these for a while as they continued walking on the sidewalk. Passerby's saw how cute she was and would always smile and wave. Kaori wasn't shy like most children were, and she enthusiastically waved back. They kept walking until they arrived at the flower shop. He pushed open the door, which cause a bell to chime. Kaori walked in and noticed how warm the place was.

"Daddy, why is it hot in here?"

"To keep the flowers pretty. If it gets too cold, then the flowers will wilt." He explained. She nodded her head and walked around, looking at the various types.

"They're all so pretty." She said to herself, softly stroking one of the petals of one.

"Ah, welcome! How may I help you today, sir?" The clerk finally came out of the backroom and saw Kaori's father standing in front of the counter.

"Yes, we're just here to purchase a bouquet of flowers." He said to the clerk.

"Ah, yes. Any specific flowers you would like in your bouquet, sir?"

"May I see some of the sample bouquets? It can give me some ideas."

"Of course. Right this way, sir." The clerk showed him to the backroom.

"Come on Kaori."

"Okay!" Kaori called out from one corner of the store. He heard her tiny footsteps come nearer and nearer until she finally appeared at the front counter. "Wait up!" She followed her dad into the backroom, where the cashier showed them many flowers in large bouquets.

"These are all the top-rated samples. You may pick whichever ones you like." The clerk said.

"Thank you." Kaori's father smiled and nodded. Kaori took her father's hand as they walked down the aisle of bouquets. The fragrance wafted into her nostrils and it smelled fresh and elegant.

"This must be what a princess smells like, daddy." Kaori smiled. "It's so pretty." He smiled at her simile and he finally stopped and stared at one bouquet. It had red and yellow roses with some white chrysanthemums.

"I'll take this one." He said to the clerk.

"Oh, good choice. That'll be 700 yen, sir." The cashier said. Kaori's father was grabbing the money from his wallet while Kaori was sniffing all of the flowers. Some made her sneeze, but she kept sniffing them. They just smelled so good. "And," The cashier grabbed a daisy from one of the nearest bouquets. "A flower for you." He put the daisy behind her ear. Kaori smiled at the daisy.

"Thank you, sir! It's pretty! I like it!" Kaori squealed in delight.

"I'm glad that you like it." The clerk grinned happily. Kaori's father gave the clerk his money and the clerk put it in the cash register. "You folks have a good day, okay?"

"We will. Thank you." He said, grabbing his daughter's hand as he held the bouquet in his other hand.

"Thank you very much!" Kaori said. The clerk waved as they left the shop. "These are pretty flowers, daddy!"

"They sure are." He smiled.

"Are we gonna get on the train now?"

"That's right. It won't be too long of a trip." He said as they got near to the station.

"So Grandpa's gonna be there?" Kaori asked.

"Yep. And a lot of others, too."

"Yay! I'm so happy!" Kaori giggled, stroking the daisy behind her pale ear.

As they got their tickets, they boarded onto the train. It wasn't packed with people, and they found seats with a clear window. After waiting a few minutes, the doors closed on the train and it began to move. Kaori stared out the window and watched the scenery go by as her father watched her. She didn't take her eyes off of the beautiful scenery until the train stopped about twenty minutes. They got off, where Kaori saw someone very familiar.

"Grandpa!" She ran up and hugged an old man, around fifty or sixty years old, with a cane in his hands. He smiled pleasantly as the little girl ran up and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"There's my little Kaori." He grinned, patting her on the head.

"Daddy and I bought flowers! Aren't they pretty?" Kaori pointed at her father, walking up with the bouquet in his hands.

"Ah, so you did." Grandpa's face softened a bit. "And how are you, my son?"

"I'm fine." Kaori's father smiled at his father. "You're looking pretty good, dad."

"My leg has been getting better. I actually might get rid of this darn cane, too."

"We'll see about that."

"Grandpa, where's everybody else?" Kaori questioned.

"We're going to meet them up somewhere. I was asked to pick you guys and drive you guys there." Grandpa stated.

"You didn't have to do that, dad."

"Driving is nothing. It's perfectly fine." Grandpa smiled. "Ready to go, Kaori?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Grandpa led Kaori and her father to his car. She got in the backseat and held onto the bouquet as her father sat in the passenger seat, Grandpa taking the wheel. They began driving. Kaori stared at the pretty flowers and smelled the faint, sweet aroma wafting softly from them.

"How long has it been?"

"Eight years."

"Time flies by so quickly, huh?"

"Yes. Yes it does."

Kaori glanced out the window, where she noticed that they were driving up a large hill. The sun shone brightly at the top and the sky was crystal clear.

"This is such a pretty spot for a picnic!" Kaori exclaimed. Grandpa chuckled merrily at his granddaughter's words. After a few more minutes of driving up the hill, the car stopped. Grandpa got out of the car and Kaori's father helped her get out of the backseat.

"Thanks for holding onto the bouquet, Kaori." He smiled. She nodded happily.

"Everyone's this way." Grandpa showed Kaori and her father a cobbled path. He took his daughter's hand and they walked the path. It wasn't a long walk, and it was very relaxing. A breeze went by here and there during the walk, and after a few minutes, Kaori saw people waving from a distance.

Her family.

"It's everyone!" Kaori smiled, running up to greet her family members.

"Hello Kaori." An older woman, around Grandpa's age, gave Kaori a hug.

"Auntie!" Kaori said. "I missed you!"

"Me too, Kaori, me too." Auntie stroked the girl's hair. "Oh, you have a daisy in your hair. How pretty."

"Thanks!"

"Hey there." Kaori's father approached Auntie.

"Oh, you look so handsome." Auntie smiled. She then noticed the bouquet in his hands. "You didn't have to do that, really."

"I had to do something." He gave a soft grin.

"Come, Kaori. This way. Everyone else is over here. They're all waiting." Auntie said. Kaori nodded her hand and followed her dad, Grandpa, and Auntie. They continued walking over to where everyone else was. She saw aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends in a big crowd.

"It's good to see you."

"How've you been doing?"

"What a nice bouquet."

Kaori was surrounded by her family asking questions and saying many greetings…but everything hushed down once her Grandpa began to speak.

"Hello family and friends."

"Hello." Everyone responded.

"We are here to celebrate…a celebration of remembering. These memories are never ever lost. We all shall remember."

Kaori was confused. Remember what? A celebration of remembering? What memories?

"Come, Kaori." Her father took her hand and led her up to the front of the crowd of family and family friends. There was something standing a few feet in front of her, no taller than her. It was like a big, smooth rock. As she peered closer at it, she saw the details carved into it:

KARIN HANAZONO KUJYOU

Loving mother, wife, and dearest friend.

"Karin Hanazono Kujyou was a different girl when we were young," Grandpa said. "She would always jump to conclusions, be energetic, and treat her friends with respect. She didn't have a true family, but she found one. She controlled many powers…and not just through a ring. She had a strong, powerful heart. Inside that heart was jam-packed with dearest friends and memories that she would never forget. Eight years ago, that heart stopped beating. That doesn't mean that she is fully dead. Her body might've died, but her soul and spirit shall live on forever. This day, we remember her after her passing. We will never forget her, like how she never forgot about us." Everyone nodded their heads. Kaori looked up and saw some tears in Auntie's eyes, and even in some other people's, too. Her father took her by the hand closer up to the gravestone and he placed the bouquet in front of it.

"Daddy, who was Karin?" Kaori asked.

"She was your grandmother." He responded.

"My Grandma?"

"That's right. You never got to meet her. She died three years before you were born."

"That's…that's so sad." Kaori looked down at the stone. "These flowers are for her?"

"Yes. These are her flowers."

"My son," Grandpa touched his shoulder. "You all right?"

"Yeah, dad. I know you miss her, too."

"She was my wife, Suzune." Grandpa Kazune said to his son. "But let's not be sad on this day. We shall remember happy things about Karin."

"Yeah. You're right." Suzune smiled. He looked down at his beautiful daughter. "Kaori, everyone's going to have a nice lunch now. Let's eat." Kaori looked up at her dad.

"Yeah! I'm hungry!" Kaori stood up. "Did Auntie Himeka make her yummy riceballs?"

"I think I did." Auntie Himeka held up a basket.

"C'mon, everyone! Let's eat!" Everyone smiled at Kaori's enthusiasm. They decided to have the picnic lunch beneath a large, shady tree. As they walked over, Kaori stopped and turned around to look at the gravestone one last time. She walked up to it. Taking out the daisy behind her ear, she placed it on top of the bouquet. "Grandma…this is for you."

"Come on, Kaori!" Grandpa called. Kaori nodded her head.

"I love you." She said before running over to eat with her family and her father. And, somehow, Kaori felt a warmth in her heart while she sat with her family. And somehow, she knew that her Grandma was with her.

The End.

I was tearing up when I wrote this! I just thought of this today, and here it is. I hope you all liked it!

-da Panda