"Our Love Everlasting" by Ai Yuukan
Chapter 1
Kathryn whimpered as the tenth couple walked by, hand in hand, blushing with love for each other. It just wasn't fair.
"Aaahh." Lilian sighed, echoing her sister's sentiments, only more resigned. Kathryn sighed herself and looked over at her sisters sitting with her on the park bench. All of them looked downright miserable, as they should be. Kathryn was seventeen, and she had never had a boyfriend in her life! Well, so had her sisters, but she privately thought her disappointment ran deeper than theirs. It was Valentine's Day, and she didn't even have a bloody crush! She was pathetic. And all of a sudden, she felt old. She was the second eldest sister and without a love life. She was starting to become an old maid! She shuddered at the thought. Nothing could be more horrible.
And she was attractive enough, she supposed. Sure, she didn't have Lilian's elegant beauty, Vivien's generous curves, and Samantha's cuteness, but she had.. had.. nothing. Kathryn's face resembled a grumpy toad's as she realized she had nothing to be proud of except her blond hair. Weren't blonds supposed to have all the fun? Well, at least she knew she couldn't trust rumours anymore. And they had used to be so dependable.. She didn't have a boyfriend. And why didn't she? Because she couldn't help but love arguing, and was just plain weird. She was a geek. Toadstools.
"Hey, don't look so down." Lilian said brightly. Kathryn pouted in answer to that. She had every right to look down! Lilian didn't have a problem with looking pretty! She was the one with silvery hair and sea- blue eyes. She didn't have Kathryn's bushy blond hair and eyes the unattractive color of pavement.
And Vivien! She looked like an Irish goddess with her red-gold curls and violet eyes. Violet eyes! Why did she have to be the one with uninteresting eye color? Kathryn slumped in self-pity.
And Samantha! She looked so cute with her round face and large eyes. Decent, nice guys were always drawn to her. But they always steered clear of her like they would the plague. Toadstools. "We're single, we're crushless, we're miserable." She mumbled distastefully.
Lilian smiled. "That's not true, Kathryn. We have plenty of crushes!"
Vivien snorted for her. "Yeah, and the closest we can get to them is by pressing our faces up to the screen. Anime crushes don't count."
The youngest sister, a pretty girl with light brown hair and soft green eyes, shook her head, amused. "But if they did, we'd be pretty shameless."
Kathryn couldn't help but chuckle deeply at that. Her mood began to lift. Lilian thought of something. "Hey, do you all want to call Miaka?"
Kathryn's mood lifted even more. Yuuki Miaka and her friends were all penpals with the Smith sisters, and they all got along swell!
Kathryn suddenly looked thoughtful. "Hey. remember when father said we could pick a place to vacation this year? Why don't we go to Japan? And finally meet Miaka and her friends?"
Everyone brightened at the idea. Lilian was the only one who looked hesitant. She twirled silver strands of hair with her fingers. "I think we should ask Miaka if it's all right, first. Don't you think?"
Kathryn beamed. "I can't wait to meet Keisuke!" She exclaimed. She smiled wryly when everyone laughed. They all knew she loved to talk with Keisuke and purposely rile him. Kathryn sighed. Well, that was what made her interesting. It was what made her stand out. Lilian had her elegant beauty and sophisticated mind, Vivien had her fiery and interesting nature, and Samantha had her cuteness and her smarts. Samantha, the girl with light brown hair and green eyes, dimpled. "I can't wait to meet Taka and Tetsuya!" She smiled. "They're so sweet about Yui and Miaka! Maybe they'll introduce me to their friends who are just as sweet!" She said hopefully.
Vivien chuckled. "I hope Miaka eats as much as she says she does. I could use a new eating partner." Her stomach growled at the thought of food.
Everyone laughed. Lilian smiled. "Yui's very smart. I need a good study partner. All of you don't know zilch about astronomy!"
Samantha giggled. "Well, you don't have any musical aptitude whatsoever."
Vivien grinned. "You eat like a bird!"
Kathryn smiled. "And you hate reading!" So did everyone, she reminded herself.
Lilian laughed. "Well, we all agree, we all need a partner. So should we call Miaka tonight?"
Kathryn smiled. 'Why not call her now? It's the right time." She suggested hopefully.
Lilian frowned. "I am not using up all my minutes!" Kathryn's face fell.
"Aw, come on!" Everyone pleaded. "Please?" Lilian sighed.
"Fine! But that means you're buying me more minutes!"
"We promise!" Her sisters chirped.
Lilian smiled. "But I only have Yui's number."
Vivien smiled. "I have Miaka's number!" She handed her address book to her sister cheerfully. She flipped over to Miaka's name and number.
"Are you sure it's the right time?" Lilian wanted to be sure.
"We're sure!"
"Dinner!" Lilian's father called out.
Kathryn looked up briefly from her book. "I'll be there in a few!" She called back. Her attention returned to her book. She was reading a pocket-book, a romance novel, and her hearts sighed with wistfulness. Echoing her heart's sigh, Kathryn dog-eared her book and stashed it under her bed with all the rest of her romance novel. She got up from the bed and tucked the blanket down to hide them. Wouldn't want her sisters finding them. She would never live it down. Kathryn, school weirdo, and impassioned fantasy-guru, reading historical romance novels that talked of fine, fine, muscled heroes and extremely lucky and attractive heroines. Kathryn sighed. She didn't understand it herself, but she could help but savor the moment she read of the mutual confessions of love between the heroes and their heroines. It was just so.. beautiful.
Kathryn stood and slipped into her furry bunny slippers. Walking towards the door, she paused when she caught herself in her mirror. Slowly, she turned.. and sighed. She looked like a frump. Definitely unworthy of romance novel heroine-status. She touched her mirror's surface and her eyes saddened. Who would ever love her? She longed for storybook love, but she knew she could never be one of the heroines she always read about. No one ever noticed her, much less love her. But maybe.. someday.. someone could accidentally fall in love with her, like the heroes occasionally did with the heroines. But she turned away and wiped away a tear with the sleeve of her striped pajamas. Who was she kidding?
Samantha walked into the kitchen, perusing a new music book. "Uncle? Did this come in the mail today?"
"Mm-hm." The uncle was busy trying to keep Vivien away from the food. "Vivi! Set the table first!"
Vivien frowned at that. "Uncle, don't call me Vivi!" She said, exasperated. "It sounds like a dog's name!"
Lilian walked into the kitchen and smiled when she heard her sister. "Now, now, Vivi. don't think like that."
Kathryn came into the kitchen, new romance book in hand. She had had it covered with newspaper so her sisters' wouldn't suspect. She grinned. "She's right, you know. Vivi does sound a lot like Fifi."
"Kate!" Vivien was frowning, but her eyes twinkled. She turned back to her uncle. "Hey, we've decided where to go for vacation already, uncle."
Her uncle only paused momentarily as he ladled the tomato sauce over the plates of spaghetti. "Oh? Where?"
Vivien's eyes were sparkling. "Japan! We want to see Miaka and her friends."
Her uncle did pause for a moment longer before he reached to place the large, scrumptious-looking meatballs on each plate. "Oh, really?" Washing his hands, he sighed. "I'm sorry girls, but something's come up."
Kathryn's eyes widened. "What?"
"I have. business. in the east. I'm afraid I can't join you on your vacation." He stuck a piece of parsley on each plate and two thick loaves of Italian bread to complete the tantalizing picture. Vivien drooled.
"Oh?" Kathryn sighed sadly then shrugged. "Oh, well. We'll bring you back a souvenir, then, father." Hey, maybe without a chaperone, she'd get lucky? Then her eyes dimmed. Very bloody likely.
Lilian sighed wearily. "This will be our first time traveling alone, dad. Are you sure you can't come?"
Lilian's father's eyes were shadowed. "It just. came up. This deal. is very important."
Samantha nodded with understanding. "Of course it is, uncle. We understand."
She smiled cheerfully. "Can we eat dinner now?" She begged her father and foster siblings, a plaintive note in her voice. "My stomach's crying for nourishment, here!"
Everyone looked at each other for a moment before laughing at Vivien's. Vivien smiled. The tension evaporated. "Oh, fine." Lilian said chuckling, reaching for the plates to set on the table.
Vivien smiled cheerfully. "Yay!"
"The Smith sisters are coming over next week! That's great!" Taka exclaimed.
Tetsuya nodded. "They're great! Samantha's a great listener."
Yui, for some reason, blushed. Miaka nodded enthusiastically. "And Vivien and I like to eat the same food! It's so cool!" She eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Yui smiled. "And Lilian's smart. You can't find too many people like her nowadays."
Everyone frowned at Yui when she said that. Yui giggled. "Well, it's true! How about you, Keisuke? Don't you think it's great?"
"Your penpals are great, maybe, but Kathryn's a pain." Miaka's brother grumbled, ill-naturedly.
Miaka laughed. "Yesterday, Kathryn said she bet Keisuke looks like a dog." Her eyes twinkled. With great difficulty, he resisted the urge to twist her arm until she begged for mercy. He still couldn't believe how Miaka had managed to get an eyeful of his chat with Kathryn yesterday. And he was the only one who wasn't looking forward to meeting this particular Smith sister. Well.. maybe he was a little bit curious, he finally admitted to himself.
Taka laughed. "She sounds great!"
Keisuke glared at Miaka's boyfriend. "Well, I bet she looks like a goose." He mumbled, irritated. He bet she did, too.
Yui sighed. "It's good we found such good penpals like them. They've been a great help. getting us over." Yui couldn't continue.
Miaka nodded sadly. "Yeah." She felt tears rise in her eyes at the thought of Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Hotohori. A couple of months after the final battle with Nakago, Miaka had found Vivien on the internet as an email-penpal and had grown to be real friends with the American girl. Vivien had introduced her sisters to Miaka and her friends online, and now all of them had one of the Smith sisters as their penpal. She had told Vivian a lot of things. and she had also told her about the book. Miaka grew uneasy thinking what her friends would say if they had found out about it.
Yui looked down at her tea. Lilian had helped her get over the deaths of her own seishi, and her self-loathing. She had told Lilian everything. and Lilian had believed her. She couldn't wait to meet her. She dreaded the thought of any of her friends knowing what she had done.
Keisuke grimly remembered an argument he had once had with Kathryn. She had insulted his masculinity and in a burst of temper, he had blurted out what had happened to his sister by means of defending himself. Softening, he also remembered that Kathryn had believed him and what followed had been one of their rare truces of that time. He would never tell his friends what he had done.
Taka had immediately sensed a kindred spirit in Samantha and with little argument from Tetsuya, he had also told her of his adventures in the book as the Suzaku seishi Tamahome. Samantha had believed them and even in her quiet moments, offered a word of comfort to ease his pain at losing his fellow seishi. Taka and Tetsuya had agreed not to ever tell the others of their secret.
Giggling, two nyan-nyans disappeared in a poof of pink smoke in the friends' kitchen.
Kathryn waited anxiously in the waiting area with Vivien and Samantha. She had broken out in a cold sweat. What if Keisuke didn't like her? She had been surprised enough when he hadn't broken their penpal-ship when they had first started communicating, but what if he saw her and rejected her on sight? She knew she looked horrible; she had slept in the plane and her hair looked like a bird's nest. And her clothes were wrinkled and weird- looking. When weren't they weird-looking? But she dearly hoped that despite all this, he wouldn't reject her too quickly. Lilian dragged Vivien's last suitcase out from the claiming area and was panting by the time she reached the waiting area where her sisters were waiting comfortably in their seats. "Are they here yet?" She asked cheerfully.
Vivien looked up at her sister, smiling. "No, not yet, but Miaka- chan called and they said they'd be here in a few minutes." Lilian nodded. "Well, they're not that late." She muttered to herself.
Kathryn had heard her. She chuckled. "Nervous?" She asked, rubbing her hands on her pants.
Lilian shook her head. "Don't be silly."
Samantha nodded, convinced. "She's nervous."
"No, I'm not!" Lilian snapped.
"You're wrong, Sammy: she's petrified." Vivien said wryly.
Lilian scowled at her sister. "Well, for all you know Japanese people have this tendency to look upon foreigners with disdain. Of course, I'm nervous!" She exclaimed.
Vivien couldn't believe it. She rolled her eyes. "And we're supposed to care? For goodness' sake, Lily, we're Americans. Americans don't care what everyone says about us. For all we know, they could be admiring us for our boldness and individuality." She said confidently.
Kathryn nodded. "You said it, Vivi." Even if she was always self- degrading, she had to agree to Vivien's declaration. It had brightened her considerably. She was an American. And proud to be one.
Samantha said softly, "Besides, do you really think our penpals are like that? I don't think Taka and Tetsuya would think like that."
Vivien nodded. "Exactly. We got along fine with our penpals via the internet, so what should be the difference face-to-face." She said, hoping she was right.
"Speak for yourself, Vivi. Keisuke's probably furious that I'm here, anyway. He doesn't respond well to my argumentative nature." Kathryn mumbled disheartened.
"Ooh, do you think that's them?" Samantha stood up and began waving to a group of people headed their way.
"How do you know it's them?"
"I don't know. I just hope it's them."
"Great." Lilian grumbled.
"Oh, it is them! Aren't I lucky? They're waving back. at least four of them are."
Kathryn grinned for her sisters, but inside she was melting with disappointment. "I bet Keisuke's the one keeping his hand down."
"That's them?" Keisuke gaped. "Are you sure?" No freaking way!
Miaka looked slyly across at her brother. "Pretty much. Why?" She wondered at the horrified look on his face.
"They're not supposed to look like that!" Well, everyone except Kathryn, at the least!
Yui chuckled. "Why not?"
"They're beautiful! All of them are horribly beautiful!" He was aghast at the sight.
"I think he was expecting Kathryn to be the ugly one." Tetsuya mumbled to Taka. Taka chuckled.
"Hi!" Vivien jumped up and went to greet their friends. Her red- gold curls bounced and her violet eyes sparkled. She looked at Yui and Miaka for a moment before grinning and pointing at Miaka. Her buns looked like meatballs. "You're Miaka, right?"
Miaka squealed happily, her eyes shining. "Bingo!" Miaka eyed Vivien's curls incredulously. They looked like macaroni. Yum. Her stomach grumbled.
Vivien's eyes were sparkling. "Yay!" Her stomach growled. She blushed. Then she heard Miaka's own stomach. Vivien and Miaka's face broke into grins.
Tetsuya and Taka went to the gentle-looking girl with brown hair and green eyes. "You're Samantha, right?" Tetsuya ventured.
Samantha smiled prettily. "Yes, I am. You're Tetsuya?" She said in perfect Japanese.
Keisuke stared at Lilian and Kathryn, trying to tell who was his penpal. The only problem was: he couldn't tell who was the uglier. Kathryn was bound to be the uglier, he had wagered. He was stumped.
Yui chuckled. She went to Lilian. "You're Lilian, right? You look like you have more intelligence than your sisters." She explained.
Lilian smiled. "Yes, I'm Lilian. This should be interesting."
Keisuke stared at Kathryn. "You're K-Kathryn?" Damn it, but she was gorgeous. Her shining blond hair and silvery eyes were devastating! The realization of her beauty felt like a punch in the gut.
Kathryn grinned. "Hai! And you're Keisuke? Okay, I was wrong, you don't look like a dog. much." She quipped, also in perfect Japanese.
Keisuke relaxed and smiled. Yep, it was definitely Kathryn. Strange, her comment didn't sound as insulting as it did online. Maybe it had something to do with her smile. He hadn't pictured her as smiling when they chatted online. "Thank you. You're not as ugly as I thought you would be."
Kathryn chuckled. "You expected a hag?" Well, of course he had known she was seventeen..
"Exactly." So disgustingly honest.
"At least forty?" She was being ridiculous, she knew.
"You read my mind." He was hilarious.
Kathryn couldn't help it and laughed. "This is so funny! I wish you could have seen your face when you saw me! I wish I had had a camera!" She felt so relieved. Maybe he wouldn't hate her after all.
Keisuke laughed, feeling much at ease with his new friend.
Three nyan-nyans giggled as they poofed out of view.
"And.. checkmate!" Keisuke laughed triumphantly as he leaned back in his chair.
Kathryn gasped and narrowed her eyes at the chessboard. "No way!" Finally, she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "No fair.." She whimpered.
Keisuke chuckled. "Just admit it, Kate. This isn't your game."
"Neither is it yours. Did you already forget we're tied? I won just as many games as you did!"
Keisuke shrugged. "But I won this last round."
Kathryn frowned. "Who says this is the last round?"
"I say so. Besides, I hate chess." Keisuke confessed.
Kathryn grinned. "That explains it. I hate chess, too. No wonder you're so bad at it."
Keisuke scowled mockingly at Kathryn. If she had said that online, he would have taken grievous offense, but seeing her smile as she insulted him, he didn't feel the slightest bit offended. "Yeah right. Well, I won, so that means you're paying for lunch."
"Lunch?" Kathryn frowned as she looked at her watch. "It's noon already?"
Keisuke grinned. "Yep. Where do you wanna go?"
Kathryn shrugged. "The nearest MacDonald's would be fine."
Keisuke arched a brow. "Let's go to Kentucky's. I'm in the mood for chicken."
Kathryn snorted as she pushed her chair back and stood up. "Well, too bad. We're getting Big Macs."
Keisuke frowned. "Chicken."
"Big Macs."
Keisuke shook his head. "Burgers are messy."
Kathryn arched a brow. "Chicken's greasy."
They both glared at each other before grinning. "I wondered when we were getting around to this." Keisuke said, chuckling.
Kathryn laughed. "It's about time we started arguing." She agreed. "So, let's compromise. How about treating our sweet tooth, and let's go to Dunkin' Donuts?" She suggested.
Keisuke made a face. "Nah. I'm feeling for ice cream."
"Doughnuts."
"Ice Cream."
Kathryn sniffed. "Ice cream's too cold."
Keisuke rolled his eyes. "That's like saying doughnuts are too round. We're getting ice cream."
"Doughnuts." Kathryn stubbornly argued.
"Ice cream."
"Doughnuts." Kathryn maintained. She could go on like this all day.
"Ice cream's good." Kathryn said as she ate up the last of her cone.
"This isn't all that bad." Keisuke admitted as he ate up the last of his doughnut. He hadn't know how it happened, but within ten minutes, he had gotten sick of saying ice cream and had suddenly gotten the craving for doughnuts. Apparently, it had been the same with Kathryn. And so they had gotten different sweet-tooth lunches, and now they were strolling down the pavement like old friends.
Kathryn suddenly stopped and looked at an ominous-looking building in front of her. "Keisuke.. is this?.."
Keisuke looked up at the library and his eyes grew shadowed. "Yeah, it is. This is the library."
"This is where Miaka..?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." Kathryn couldn't help but stare. "Do you still go here?"
Keisuke sighed. "Not if I can help it. Whenever I'm here, I keep on getting reminded how much danger Miaka went through in the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. I was.. powerless.."
And he didn't like feeling powerless. Kathryn knew what he was feeling and almost smiled. Men. They constantly liked being in a position of power. Typical.. but touching. "You couldn't do anything, Keisuke." She said gently. "If you could have been able, I know you would have jumped in there right after Miaka."
Keisuke looked at Kathryn strangely. It was strange.. hearing that from her. She almost sounded.. female.
"Keisuke! Kathryn!" Miaka yelled out to them suddenly. She ran down to them from the library steps.
"Miaka?" Keisuke frowned. "What's wrong?"
Miaka was breathless with fear and panic. "It's Lilian and Vivian! They've disappeared!"
"Nani?!"
"Where are they?" Kathryn demanded worriedly.
Miaka was pale with shock. "I think they're in the book! Yui said they were in the library, but when Lilian went to put back a book, she never came back. She went inside the book! And I was just walking with Vivien when Yui-chan called me to tell me what happened to Lilian when Vivien just disappeared. There was this red flash.."
"Red flash? Suzaku's light?" Kathryn was shocked.
Miaka sputtered. "Suzaku? You know about him?!"
"Where's Samantha?" Keisuke demanded impatiently from his sister.
Miaka's face was as white as a sheet. "I think she's okay.. I called Tetsuya and Taka a few minutes ago and she's still with them.. Keisuke.. what could be wrong in the book now?"
Our words are getting erased by the minute. You must hurry.
Kathryn jumped. Who was that?! "Who are you?" She looked around but saw no one.
"Who's who?" Keisuke asked, frowning.
It's been too long, my daughter.
Kathryn paled. That voice.. "Daddy?" She whispered weakly. Keisuke's cell-phone rang. "What?!" He snapped into the receiver. Daughter, return home. Come home, my daughter. Kathryn felt faint. ".. Daddy?"
"Kathryn! What's wrong?" Miaka asked worriedly.
"What do you mean Samantha's disappeared?! How is that possible?!"
I'm missed you so much, Katie. Please, come home.
Kathryn's eyes misted over. "Daddy..? Where are you?"
I'm here.. will you come home?
Kathryn knew it was her father's voice that spoke to her. Years of longing rushed over her in a wave. She felt herself trembling.. Miaka's face blurred in front of her. "Daddy.. how.."
Please.. come home, my daughter.
Kathryn felt herself falling. "Daddy..? Daddy.."
Katie, please.. answer me.
Tears filled Kathryn's eyes. "Daddy.. I.." Emotions she had thoughts she had cast aside years ago filled her heart once more. "Daddy.. I.."
"Kathryn!"
"Kate!" The voices were fading away.
"I.."
Yes, Katie?
A tear flowed down Kathryn's cheek. "Daddy.. I.. wanna go home.."
"Kate!"
"Kathryn!"
Keisuke and Miaka watched in horror as their friend fell through the pavement.
Chapter 1
Kathryn whimpered as the tenth couple walked by, hand in hand, blushing with love for each other. It just wasn't fair.
"Aaahh." Lilian sighed, echoing her sister's sentiments, only more resigned. Kathryn sighed herself and looked over at her sisters sitting with her on the park bench. All of them looked downright miserable, as they should be. Kathryn was seventeen, and she had never had a boyfriend in her life! Well, so had her sisters, but she privately thought her disappointment ran deeper than theirs. It was Valentine's Day, and she didn't even have a bloody crush! She was pathetic. And all of a sudden, she felt old. She was the second eldest sister and without a love life. She was starting to become an old maid! She shuddered at the thought. Nothing could be more horrible.
And she was attractive enough, she supposed. Sure, she didn't have Lilian's elegant beauty, Vivien's generous curves, and Samantha's cuteness, but she had.. had.. nothing. Kathryn's face resembled a grumpy toad's as she realized she had nothing to be proud of except her blond hair. Weren't blonds supposed to have all the fun? Well, at least she knew she couldn't trust rumours anymore. And they had used to be so dependable.. She didn't have a boyfriend. And why didn't she? Because she couldn't help but love arguing, and was just plain weird. She was a geek. Toadstools.
"Hey, don't look so down." Lilian said brightly. Kathryn pouted in answer to that. She had every right to look down! Lilian didn't have a problem with looking pretty! She was the one with silvery hair and sea- blue eyes. She didn't have Kathryn's bushy blond hair and eyes the unattractive color of pavement.
And Vivien! She looked like an Irish goddess with her red-gold curls and violet eyes. Violet eyes! Why did she have to be the one with uninteresting eye color? Kathryn slumped in self-pity.
And Samantha! She looked so cute with her round face and large eyes. Decent, nice guys were always drawn to her. But they always steered clear of her like they would the plague. Toadstools. "We're single, we're crushless, we're miserable." She mumbled distastefully.
Lilian smiled. "That's not true, Kathryn. We have plenty of crushes!"
Vivien snorted for her. "Yeah, and the closest we can get to them is by pressing our faces up to the screen. Anime crushes don't count."
The youngest sister, a pretty girl with light brown hair and soft green eyes, shook her head, amused. "But if they did, we'd be pretty shameless."
Kathryn couldn't help but chuckle deeply at that. Her mood began to lift. Lilian thought of something. "Hey, do you all want to call Miaka?"
Kathryn's mood lifted even more. Yuuki Miaka and her friends were all penpals with the Smith sisters, and they all got along swell!
Kathryn suddenly looked thoughtful. "Hey. remember when father said we could pick a place to vacation this year? Why don't we go to Japan? And finally meet Miaka and her friends?"
Everyone brightened at the idea. Lilian was the only one who looked hesitant. She twirled silver strands of hair with her fingers. "I think we should ask Miaka if it's all right, first. Don't you think?"
Kathryn beamed. "I can't wait to meet Keisuke!" She exclaimed. She smiled wryly when everyone laughed. They all knew she loved to talk with Keisuke and purposely rile him. Kathryn sighed. Well, that was what made her interesting. It was what made her stand out. Lilian had her elegant beauty and sophisticated mind, Vivien had her fiery and interesting nature, and Samantha had her cuteness and her smarts. Samantha, the girl with light brown hair and green eyes, dimpled. "I can't wait to meet Taka and Tetsuya!" She smiled. "They're so sweet about Yui and Miaka! Maybe they'll introduce me to their friends who are just as sweet!" She said hopefully.
Vivien chuckled. "I hope Miaka eats as much as she says she does. I could use a new eating partner." Her stomach growled at the thought of food.
Everyone laughed. Lilian smiled. "Yui's very smart. I need a good study partner. All of you don't know zilch about astronomy!"
Samantha giggled. "Well, you don't have any musical aptitude whatsoever."
Vivien grinned. "You eat like a bird!"
Kathryn smiled. "And you hate reading!" So did everyone, she reminded herself.
Lilian laughed. "Well, we all agree, we all need a partner. So should we call Miaka tonight?"
Kathryn smiled. 'Why not call her now? It's the right time." She suggested hopefully.
Lilian frowned. "I am not using up all my minutes!" Kathryn's face fell.
"Aw, come on!" Everyone pleaded. "Please?" Lilian sighed.
"Fine! But that means you're buying me more minutes!"
"We promise!" Her sisters chirped.
Lilian smiled. "But I only have Yui's number."
Vivien smiled. "I have Miaka's number!" She handed her address book to her sister cheerfully. She flipped over to Miaka's name and number.
"Are you sure it's the right time?" Lilian wanted to be sure.
"We're sure!"
"Dinner!" Lilian's father called out.
Kathryn looked up briefly from her book. "I'll be there in a few!" She called back. Her attention returned to her book. She was reading a pocket-book, a romance novel, and her hearts sighed with wistfulness. Echoing her heart's sigh, Kathryn dog-eared her book and stashed it under her bed with all the rest of her romance novel. She got up from the bed and tucked the blanket down to hide them. Wouldn't want her sisters finding them. She would never live it down. Kathryn, school weirdo, and impassioned fantasy-guru, reading historical romance novels that talked of fine, fine, muscled heroes and extremely lucky and attractive heroines. Kathryn sighed. She didn't understand it herself, but she could help but savor the moment she read of the mutual confessions of love between the heroes and their heroines. It was just so.. beautiful.
Kathryn stood and slipped into her furry bunny slippers. Walking towards the door, she paused when she caught herself in her mirror. Slowly, she turned.. and sighed. She looked like a frump. Definitely unworthy of romance novel heroine-status. She touched her mirror's surface and her eyes saddened. Who would ever love her? She longed for storybook love, but she knew she could never be one of the heroines she always read about. No one ever noticed her, much less love her. But maybe.. someday.. someone could accidentally fall in love with her, like the heroes occasionally did with the heroines. But she turned away and wiped away a tear with the sleeve of her striped pajamas. Who was she kidding?
Samantha walked into the kitchen, perusing a new music book. "Uncle? Did this come in the mail today?"
"Mm-hm." The uncle was busy trying to keep Vivien away from the food. "Vivi! Set the table first!"
Vivien frowned at that. "Uncle, don't call me Vivi!" She said, exasperated. "It sounds like a dog's name!"
Lilian walked into the kitchen and smiled when she heard her sister. "Now, now, Vivi. don't think like that."
Kathryn came into the kitchen, new romance book in hand. She had had it covered with newspaper so her sisters' wouldn't suspect. She grinned. "She's right, you know. Vivi does sound a lot like Fifi."
"Kate!" Vivien was frowning, but her eyes twinkled. She turned back to her uncle. "Hey, we've decided where to go for vacation already, uncle."
Her uncle only paused momentarily as he ladled the tomato sauce over the plates of spaghetti. "Oh? Where?"
Vivien's eyes were sparkling. "Japan! We want to see Miaka and her friends."
Her uncle did pause for a moment longer before he reached to place the large, scrumptious-looking meatballs on each plate. "Oh, really?" Washing his hands, he sighed. "I'm sorry girls, but something's come up."
Kathryn's eyes widened. "What?"
"I have. business. in the east. I'm afraid I can't join you on your vacation." He stuck a piece of parsley on each plate and two thick loaves of Italian bread to complete the tantalizing picture. Vivien drooled.
"Oh?" Kathryn sighed sadly then shrugged. "Oh, well. We'll bring you back a souvenir, then, father." Hey, maybe without a chaperone, she'd get lucky? Then her eyes dimmed. Very bloody likely.
Lilian sighed wearily. "This will be our first time traveling alone, dad. Are you sure you can't come?"
Lilian's father's eyes were shadowed. "It just. came up. This deal. is very important."
Samantha nodded with understanding. "Of course it is, uncle. We understand."
She smiled cheerfully. "Can we eat dinner now?" She begged her father and foster siblings, a plaintive note in her voice. "My stomach's crying for nourishment, here!"
Everyone looked at each other for a moment before laughing at Vivien's. Vivien smiled. The tension evaporated. "Oh, fine." Lilian said chuckling, reaching for the plates to set on the table.
Vivien smiled cheerfully. "Yay!"
"The Smith sisters are coming over next week! That's great!" Taka exclaimed.
Tetsuya nodded. "They're great! Samantha's a great listener."
Yui, for some reason, blushed. Miaka nodded enthusiastically. "And Vivien and I like to eat the same food! It's so cool!" She eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Yui smiled. "And Lilian's smart. You can't find too many people like her nowadays."
Everyone frowned at Yui when she said that. Yui giggled. "Well, it's true! How about you, Keisuke? Don't you think it's great?"
"Your penpals are great, maybe, but Kathryn's a pain." Miaka's brother grumbled, ill-naturedly.
Miaka laughed. "Yesterday, Kathryn said she bet Keisuke looks like a dog." Her eyes twinkled. With great difficulty, he resisted the urge to twist her arm until she begged for mercy. He still couldn't believe how Miaka had managed to get an eyeful of his chat with Kathryn yesterday. And he was the only one who wasn't looking forward to meeting this particular Smith sister. Well.. maybe he was a little bit curious, he finally admitted to himself.
Taka laughed. "She sounds great!"
Keisuke glared at Miaka's boyfriend. "Well, I bet she looks like a goose." He mumbled, irritated. He bet she did, too.
Yui sighed. "It's good we found such good penpals like them. They've been a great help. getting us over." Yui couldn't continue.
Miaka nodded sadly. "Yeah." She felt tears rise in her eyes at the thought of Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Hotohori. A couple of months after the final battle with Nakago, Miaka had found Vivien on the internet as an email-penpal and had grown to be real friends with the American girl. Vivien had introduced her sisters to Miaka and her friends online, and now all of them had one of the Smith sisters as their penpal. She had told Vivian a lot of things. and she had also told her about the book. Miaka grew uneasy thinking what her friends would say if they had found out about it.
Yui looked down at her tea. Lilian had helped her get over the deaths of her own seishi, and her self-loathing. She had told Lilian everything. and Lilian had believed her. She couldn't wait to meet her. She dreaded the thought of any of her friends knowing what she had done.
Keisuke grimly remembered an argument he had once had with Kathryn. She had insulted his masculinity and in a burst of temper, he had blurted out what had happened to his sister by means of defending himself. Softening, he also remembered that Kathryn had believed him and what followed had been one of their rare truces of that time. He would never tell his friends what he had done.
Taka had immediately sensed a kindred spirit in Samantha and with little argument from Tetsuya, he had also told her of his adventures in the book as the Suzaku seishi Tamahome. Samantha had believed them and even in her quiet moments, offered a word of comfort to ease his pain at losing his fellow seishi. Taka and Tetsuya had agreed not to ever tell the others of their secret.
Giggling, two nyan-nyans disappeared in a poof of pink smoke in the friends' kitchen.
Kathryn waited anxiously in the waiting area with Vivien and Samantha. She had broken out in a cold sweat. What if Keisuke didn't like her? She had been surprised enough when he hadn't broken their penpal-ship when they had first started communicating, but what if he saw her and rejected her on sight? She knew she looked horrible; she had slept in the plane and her hair looked like a bird's nest. And her clothes were wrinkled and weird- looking. When weren't they weird-looking? But she dearly hoped that despite all this, he wouldn't reject her too quickly. Lilian dragged Vivien's last suitcase out from the claiming area and was panting by the time she reached the waiting area where her sisters were waiting comfortably in their seats. "Are they here yet?" She asked cheerfully.
Vivien looked up at her sister, smiling. "No, not yet, but Miaka- chan called and they said they'd be here in a few minutes." Lilian nodded. "Well, they're not that late." She muttered to herself.
Kathryn had heard her. She chuckled. "Nervous?" She asked, rubbing her hands on her pants.
Lilian shook her head. "Don't be silly."
Samantha nodded, convinced. "She's nervous."
"No, I'm not!" Lilian snapped.
"You're wrong, Sammy: she's petrified." Vivien said wryly.
Lilian scowled at her sister. "Well, for all you know Japanese people have this tendency to look upon foreigners with disdain. Of course, I'm nervous!" She exclaimed.
Vivien couldn't believe it. She rolled her eyes. "And we're supposed to care? For goodness' sake, Lily, we're Americans. Americans don't care what everyone says about us. For all we know, they could be admiring us for our boldness and individuality." She said confidently.
Kathryn nodded. "You said it, Vivi." Even if she was always self- degrading, she had to agree to Vivien's declaration. It had brightened her considerably. She was an American. And proud to be one.
Samantha said softly, "Besides, do you really think our penpals are like that? I don't think Taka and Tetsuya would think like that."
Vivien nodded. "Exactly. We got along fine with our penpals via the internet, so what should be the difference face-to-face." She said, hoping she was right.
"Speak for yourself, Vivi. Keisuke's probably furious that I'm here, anyway. He doesn't respond well to my argumentative nature." Kathryn mumbled disheartened.
"Ooh, do you think that's them?" Samantha stood up and began waving to a group of people headed their way.
"How do you know it's them?"
"I don't know. I just hope it's them."
"Great." Lilian grumbled.
"Oh, it is them! Aren't I lucky? They're waving back. at least four of them are."
Kathryn grinned for her sisters, but inside she was melting with disappointment. "I bet Keisuke's the one keeping his hand down."
"That's them?" Keisuke gaped. "Are you sure?" No freaking way!
Miaka looked slyly across at her brother. "Pretty much. Why?" She wondered at the horrified look on his face.
"They're not supposed to look like that!" Well, everyone except Kathryn, at the least!
Yui chuckled. "Why not?"
"They're beautiful! All of them are horribly beautiful!" He was aghast at the sight.
"I think he was expecting Kathryn to be the ugly one." Tetsuya mumbled to Taka. Taka chuckled.
"Hi!" Vivien jumped up and went to greet their friends. Her red- gold curls bounced and her violet eyes sparkled. She looked at Yui and Miaka for a moment before grinning and pointing at Miaka. Her buns looked like meatballs. "You're Miaka, right?"
Miaka squealed happily, her eyes shining. "Bingo!" Miaka eyed Vivien's curls incredulously. They looked like macaroni. Yum. Her stomach grumbled.
Vivien's eyes were sparkling. "Yay!" Her stomach growled. She blushed. Then she heard Miaka's own stomach. Vivien and Miaka's face broke into grins.
Tetsuya and Taka went to the gentle-looking girl with brown hair and green eyes. "You're Samantha, right?" Tetsuya ventured.
Samantha smiled prettily. "Yes, I am. You're Tetsuya?" She said in perfect Japanese.
Keisuke stared at Lilian and Kathryn, trying to tell who was his penpal. The only problem was: he couldn't tell who was the uglier. Kathryn was bound to be the uglier, he had wagered. He was stumped.
Yui chuckled. She went to Lilian. "You're Lilian, right? You look like you have more intelligence than your sisters." She explained.
Lilian smiled. "Yes, I'm Lilian. This should be interesting."
Keisuke stared at Kathryn. "You're K-Kathryn?" Damn it, but she was gorgeous. Her shining blond hair and silvery eyes were devastating! The realization of her beauty felt like a punch in the gut.
Kathryn grinned. "Hai! And you're Keisuke? Okay, I was wrong, you don't look like a dog. much." She quipped, also in perfect Japanese.
Keisuke relaxed and smiled. Yep, it was definitely Kathryn. Strange, her comment didn't sound as insulting as it did online. Maybe it had something to do with her smile. He hadn't pictured her as smiling when they chatted online. "Thank you. You're not as ugly as I thought you would be."
Kathryn chuckled. "You expected a hag?" Well, of course he had known she was seventeen..
"Exactly." So disgustingly honest.
"At least forty?" She was being ridiculous, she knew.
"You read my mind." He was hilarious.
Kathryn couldn't help it and laughed. "This is so funny! I wish you could have seen your face when you saw me! I wish I had had a camera!" She felt so relieved. Maybe he wouldn't hate her after all.
Keisuke laughed, feeling much at ease with his new friend.
Three nyan-nyans giggled as they poofed out of view.
"And.. checkmate!" Keisuke laughed triumphantly as he leaned back in his chair.
Kathryn gasped and narrowed her eyes at the chessboard. "No way!" Finally, she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "No fair.." She whimpered.
Keisuke chuckled. "Just admit it, Kate. This isn't your game."
"Neither is it yours. Did you already forget we're tied? I won just as many games as you did!"
Keisuke shrugged. "But I won this last round."
Kathryn frowned. "Who says this is the last round?"
"I say so. Besides, I hate chess." Keisuke confessed.
Kathryn grinned. "That explains it. I hate chess, too. No wonder you're so bad at it."
Keisuke scowled mockingly at Kathryn. If she had said that online, he would have taken grievous offense, but seeing her smile as she insulted him, he didn't feel the slightest bit offended. "Yeah right. Well, I won, so that means you're paying for lunch."
"Lunch?" Kathryn frowned as she looked at her watch. "It's noon already?"
Keisuke grinned. "Yep. Where do you wanna go?"
Kathryn shrugged. "The nearest MacDonald's would be fine."
Keisuke arched a brow. "Let's go to Kentucky's. I'm in the mood for chicken."
Kathryn snorted as she pushed her chair back and stood up. "Well, too bad. We're getting Big Macs."
Keisuke frowned. "Chicken."
"Big Macs."
Keisuke shook his head. "Burgers are messy."
Kathryn arched a brow. "Chicken's greasy."
They both glared at each other before grinning. "I wondered when we were getting around to this." Keisuke said, chuckling.
Kathryn laughed. "It's about time we started arguing." She agreed. "So, let's compromise. How about treating our sweet tooth, and let's go to Dunkin' Donuts?" She suggested.
Keisuke made a face. "Nah. I'm feeling for ice cream."
"Doughnuts."
"Ice Cream."
Kathryn sniffed. "Ice cream's too cold."
Keisuke rolled his eyes. "That's like saying doughnuts are too round. We're getting ice cream."
"Doughnuts." Kathryn stubbornly argued.
"Ice cream."
"Doughnuts." Kathryn maintained. She could go on like this all day.
"Ice cream's good." Kathryn said as she ate up the last of her cone.
"This isn't all that bad." Keisuke admitted as he ate up the last of his doughnut. He hadn't know how it happened, but within ten minutes, he had gotten sick of saying ice cream and had suddenly gotten the craving for doughnuts. Apparently, it had been the same with Kathryn. And so they had gotten different sweet-tooth lunches, and now they were strolling down the pavement like old friends.
Kathryn suddenly stopped and looked at an ominous-looking building in front of her. "Keisuke.. is this?.."
Keisuke looked up at the library and his eyes grew shadowed. "Yeah, it is. This is the library."
"This is where Miaka..?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." Kathryn couldn't help but stare. "Do you still go here?"
Keisuke sighed. "Not if I can help it. Whenever I'm here, I keep on getting reminded how much danger Miaka went through in the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. I was.. powerless.."
And he didn't like feeling powerless. Kathryn knew what he was feeling and almost smiled. Men. They constantly liked being in a position of power. Typical.. but touching. "You couldn't do anything, Keisuke." She said gently. "If you could have been able, I know you would have jumped in there right after Miaka."
Keisuke looked at Kathryn strangely. It was strange.. hearing that from her. She almost sounded.. female.
"Keisuke! Kathryn!" Miaka yelled out to them suddenly. She ran down to them from the library steps.
"Miaka?" Keisuke frowned. "What's wrong?"
Miaka was breathless with fear and panic. "It's Lilian and Vivian! They've disappeared!"
"Nani?!"
"Where are they?" Kathryn demanded worriedly.
Miaka was pale with shock. "I think they're in the book! Yui said they were in the library, but when Lilian went to put back a book, she never came back. She went inside the book! And I was just walking with Vivien when Yui-chan called me to tell me what happened to Lilian when Vivien just disappeared. There was this red flash.."
"Red flash? Suzaku's light?" Kathryn was shocked.
Miaka sputtered. "Suzaku? You know about him?!"
"Where's Samantha?" Keisuke demanded impatiently from his sister.
Miaka's face was as white as a sheet. "I think she's okay.. I called Tetsuya and Taka a few minutes ago and she's still with them.. Keisuke.. what could be wrong in the book now?"
Our words are getting erased by the minute. You must hurry.
Kathryn jumped. Who was that?! "Who are you?" She looked around but saw no one.
"Who's who?" Keisuke asked, frowning.
It's been too long, my daughter.
Kathryn paled. That voice.. "Daddy?" She whispered weakly. Keisuke's cell-phone rang. "What?!" He snapped into the receiver. Daughter, return home. Come home, my daughter. Kathryn felt faint. ".. Daddy?"
"Kathryn! What's wrong?" Miaka asked worriedly.
"What do you mean Samantha's disappeared?! How is that possible?!"
I'm missed you so much, Katie. Please, come home.
Kathryn's eyes misted over. "Daddy..? Where are you?"
I'm here.. will you come home?
Kathryn knew it was her father's voice that spoke to her. Years of longing rushed over her in a wave. She felt herself trembling.. Miaka's face blurred in front of her. "Daddy.. how.."
Please.. come home, my daughter.
Kathryn felt herself falling. "Daddy..? Daddy.."
Katie, please.. answer me.
Tears filled Kathryn's eyes. "Daddy.. I.." Emotions she had thoughts she had cast aside years ago filled her heart once more. "Daddy.. I.."
"Kathryn!"
"Kate!" The voices were fading away.
"I.."
Yes, Katie?
A tear flowed down Kathryn's cheek. "Daddy.. I.. wanna go home.."
"Kate!"
"Kathryn!"
Keisuke and Miaka watched in horror as their friend fell through the pavement.