Summary: It has been 5 years since Haruko and Mamimi left. Naota has just been trying to live his life.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but life goes on.

Never Trust the Sky

Naota stood alone, silently by the misty river. It had been five years since Haruko left and he still thought about her, every second, of every day. He looked at the sour drink in is hand, closed his eyes, and thought of Mamimi. He still missed her as well. Naota just wished everything would go back to normal. He chuckled to himself when he realized that being with Haruko and Mamimi could never be considered 'normal', but it was what he wanted and what he missed. 'Why?' He asked himself. 'Why do I have to think about them all the time? Why do I have to miss Haruko so much? Why are there so many reminders of her left? Why won't my mind just let me forget?' He turned his attention back to the sour drink again. "There's only half left," He said aloud. "Well, that's not right." He threw his head back and gulped down the rest. He looked at the can one last time, threw it in the river, and watched it slowly float away. "Why can't I do that?" He asked. "I'm just as empty. Why can't I just float away? Why can't I leave?"

"Because we still need you Naota." Naota jumped at the familiar voice. He turned and sighed.

"Oh, it's just you."

"Wow, I feel loved." She said sarcastically.

"I wonder why." He retorted.

"When did you become so cold?"

He thought to himself. 'When my heart lost the one thing it could ever love.' "I haven't changed." He said. "When did you get here Ninamori?"

"Just now." She pointed to the truck on the side of the road. The horn honked. His other friends were waiting for him. "We're here to give you a ride to school." She smiled and reached for his hand.

"I'm going to walk." She frowned as he pulled away.

"One day your going to be late." He shrugged. "Ok, suit your self but it kinda looks like rain." He looked down and smiled.

"Piece of advice?" He asked.

"Sure."

"Never trust the sky." She shook her head and walked away.

After they drove away Naota turned around and started to talk even though no one was there.

"You can come out now." There was no response. "I know you've been following me for about two days now, so come out." Just then the tall bushes started to rustle and a little brown kitten came out and walked to him. Naota looked down at it dumbfounded. It looked up and meowed at him. " I don't have any food." The kitten looked at him, turned around, and ran back into the bushes. Naota just stared. The bushes rustled again and a larger figure started to emerge. His eyes widened in disbelief when he started to recognize the figure.

"I wasn't sure what I should say." The voice said quietly.

Naota just stood there, thinking that this had to be a dream.

She spoke even more quietly. "So, chief, what you been up to?"

"Is it really you?" He asked. "Are you really here?"

"Yup, and . . ." She looked herself up and down, then smiled. "yup."

Naota walked toward her slowly and started to get teary-eyed. "Why did you leave?" He wrapped his arms around her and hung on for dear life. "Why did you leave me?" He asked again.

"I had to." Was all she said, then she returned his embrace.

"Mamimi . . . " He trailed off too close to tears.

They stood like that for a few minutes, wrapped in each others arms. For the first time in five years, they each felt something that resembled happiness. Mamimi pulled away from him and looked him in his eyes.

"Only one, chief." She said simply.

"What?"

"I've only been following you for one day." She smiled and hugged him again.

"Why were you following me?" He asked.

She laughed and said, "I wasn't the only one," She turned around and the kitten came up to Naota and circled his legs purring. "I think she likes you." They sat down on the grass and she rested her head on his shoulder, while playing with the kitten in her lap. They sat like that for about ten minutes before Naota finally spoke.

"Mamimi?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you come back? I mean, you got to leave, so why would you-" He was cut off by her mournful voice.

"My mom, she . . . she . . . " Mamimi hung her head, trailing off, unable to finish her sentence.

"Yeah, I heard but I thought your family was going to America, because of your dad."

"We are but I had to pick up a few things here and settle some unfinished business."

"Oh. So you're not going to stay?"

"No."

"But you're going to come back, right?" She didn't answer. "You're not leaving me again, are you? I missed you so much. I just want things to go back to the way they were." She stood up and dusted off her pants.

"You're late for school." She said, disregarding his last statement.

"Forget that, damn it!"

"School's important, trust me, I should know."

"Stop it Mamimi! Answer me! You're not coming back are you?"

"No."

"Then why would you come back at all?"

"I told you, I have unfinished business."

"Fine then. Leave. I don't care, I don't need you!" With that said, he stood up and started to walk away.

"Where are you going chief?" He stopped with his back to her and his head hanging down.

"I'm late for school." Just then he heard the soft crackling of grass. "And don't you think about following me again!" He lifted his head and turned around saying, "Hey, why were you following me in the first place?" but she was gone. Only the little cat was left sitting in the grass looking up at him. "What do you want?" The kitten meowed. He shrugged his shoulders and headed off to school. The kitten followed close behind him.

He walked into his classroom and everyone stared at him. "Do you have a pass Nandaba?" His teacher asked. Naota handed him his slip and sat down at his desk. He just looked to the front, not blinking, not even acknowledging his friends.

"Naota. Hey . . . Naota." Whispered Ninamori. Naota turned his head and gave her a blank expression. "I told you would be late one day." She grinned but receiving no response it quickly faded. "What's wrong Naota?"

"Shit!" He said slamming his fist on the desk. The class stopped and looked at him.

"Naota?" Said Ninamori. He turned to her and smiled.

"I'm an idiot," He stood up at his desk and started hitting his head with his palm repeatedly. He yelled, "Damn it!" as he ran out the classroom.

"Naota. Naota wait up!" Yelled Ninamori as she saw him exit the building. When she got outside, she saw him standing there waiting for her with a cat sitting next to him. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I will be." He said happily. He began to turn away when Ninamori spoke.

"Naota . . . ?"

"Yeah?"

She looked down toward the ground deciding not to say what she really wanted to. "What's with the cat?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," He said as he smiled and turned away. "Bye!" He yelled as he began to run.

She watched the cat run after him and whispered to herself. "Bye. I love you." She then walked back into the building.

:LATER THAT NIGHT:

Naota was standing at the bridge leaning over the rail. He was smoking the same kind of cigaret Mamimi used to smoke. Mamimi walked up beside him, picked up the kitten, and leaned her back against the rail. "Those things will kill you, you know."

"Yeah, I know." He said as he took another puff. He waited a minute before speaking again. "I looked for you all day." He said solemnly. "I left school and searched. I went to my house, your old house. The burned down school and I came here a few times." He smiled and said, "I even went to our spot by the river and the old Medical Mechanica plant. I looked and looked, until I remembered that-"

"I always find you." She said cutting in.

"Yeah."

They were quiet for a few minuets until Mamimi started speaking again.

"The first thing I noticed about you was how tall you got."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That just shows me how much you've grown . . . inside and out." She thought for a minute and spoke again. "You know, when I came to back two days ago I read my Horoscope. It said: 'Don't expect anything out of the ordinary.' And I thought 'Ok. I'll just get what I came for and I won't have to confront Naota.' But then there was this kitten and I started to follow it. I don't know why, I just did. Then I realized that it was following you. That's out of the ordinary. Right?"

Naota smiled to himself and said, "That's why I never trust the sky."

"No, it's not" She said simply. She put the kitten down and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you stop? Why did you continue to follow me?" He asked bringing up the earlier subject.

"Honestly?" She asked. He nodded. She smiled and said. "I wanted a good picture. One I could keep. I told you Chief, I had unfinished business."

"Oh." Was all he could manage. Mamimi stood up straight and watched the passing cars. Naota looked at her, took one last puff of his cigaret, and flicked it off the bridge. He turned around and saw her walking away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"It's time for me to leave."

"Already?" He asked and she just nodded. He caught up with her and they began to walk together.

She stopped and said, "Do you want to know why you really don't trust the sky?"

"Sure." He said not seeing her point.

"It's because every time you look up, you don't see Haruko." Naota just stood there not sure what to say. She looked at him and started to shuffle around in her bag. He stood there realizing what she said was true, when a bright light flashed in his eyes. She lowered her camera and said, "I got my picture Chief." He watched as she smiled and moved slowly out of sight. He picked up the kitten and walked home.

:TWO DAYS LATER:

Naota, Ninamori, Masashi, and Gaku are standing outside the school. "Hey, Naota what do you want to do today?" Asked Ninamori.

"Nothing, really. I think I'm just going to go home." Ninamori frowned. "But maybe tomorrow." He said happily.

Ninamori smiled. "What's gotten into you?" She said.

He picked up his cat and began to walk away, smiling to himself. Ninamori watched him fondly, then called out to him. "Naota, did you start picking up strays off the street?" He stopped and turned around.

"No." He said calmly. "This one's special."

"Did you name it yet?" He thought for a second, really considering his answer.

"Yeah." He said finally. "Her name is Sameji." He placed the kitten on the ground and then walked away as it followed.

"Hey why did he name it after that kiss-kiss girl?" Asked Gaku.

Ninamori frowned and said, "I really don't know."

Naota was walking on the bridge going home when he heard something. The sound of an engin that was very familiar to his ears. He looked in the distance and saw a yellow Vespa speeding down the road. His eyes enlarged in horror as he saw the Vespa drive onto three cars in front of it and use them as a ramp. Naota watched as it flew up into the sky. As it soared right over his head, he looked up and saw Haruko.

The Vespa landed about thirty feet away from him and swerved around. She drove up to him and stopped. Taking off her helmet, she shook out her hair, and her golden eyes stared into his brown ones. She smiled and said, "How ya been Takkun?"

Well, there you have it. My first fanfic ever. I would really like to know what you think, so please review. You can say what I did wrong, what I could do better, or if I shouldn't ever do it again. If you think I should continue with the story or try to make it more unique, say so. Constructive criticism is welcome. Please, NO FLAMES! Thanks.