A/N: Sorry this one will be a bit sad. I wrote this when I was upset, seeing as someone close to me was dying as I was stuck at home with nothing to do, but inspiration to write a chapter somehow found me. It's also not that long, so sorry. But still. This is a oneshot based on my story 'Skiing, Death Threats, and Love'.

--Michy

The grounds of Hyoutei High were sparkling with the bright sunshine from the sky, the grass green, and the many smiling faces all around. People were walking around, happy, smiling with no problem in the world, other than a test, or quiz, or practice they were late for. Nothing seemed like it could ruin their day.

Well, most of them anyway. One girl was different. One girl was standing outside of the school, halfway between the tennis courts and the music room. Her hair was blowing in the slight wind, her eyes wide and teary, her phone just barely held to her ear. Her body was rigidly straight, looking as if it could crumble at any minute, which, given her situation, it very well could. Her lips were parted in a slight gasp, and her eyes were glassy, showing that she was not paying any attention to her surroundings. She looked as if she were a porceline statue, unable to move or bend, until she fell to her knees and punched the ground. Tears flew down her cheeks, and short gasps of breath were accompanied by sobs.

A few minutes later, she was curled against the wall of the school, head burried in her arms which crossed on her knees. Her body shook with tears and exhaustion, yet she didn't get up. She didn't want to move. She wanted her boyfriend. She wanted her cousin, who should have been there to pick her up soon. She wanted her aunt and uncle, her crazy grandfather. She wanted her grandmother...she wanted her grandmother to be alright again....

"RIYANA!" She barely registered the familiar voice, suddenly laced with suprise, shock, and worry. She did, however, recognize the arms that wove around her and pulled her into a firm, yet familiar hold. Keigo's.

She turned and immediately hugged him, clutching to his chest. "K-Keigo!!" She cried, burrying her face into the cobalt-eyed boy's shoulder. He hugged her tighter, holding her close so that she wouldn't feel disconnected from his embrace. "S-She..."

Keigo shushed her, "Shh..I know...Tezuka called, he wanted me to bring you myself. He isn't feeling up to it." He stood up, bringing her with him while holding on to her. She glanced up, hazel eyes looking into his cobalt eyes for reassurance. For some hint that this was not happening to her. That her life was not falling to pieces before her very own eyes.

She shook her head and hugged him tight, holding on to him as if he would disappear should she release him of her hold. Keigo sighed, and placed his head atop her own, kissing her forehead softly. He wasn't used to comforting the girl. She was always a strong hearted girl. Looking at her now, it would be impossible to tell, but she was.

He rubbed her back, hearing her sobs and sniffles, and feeling her tremble against him in despair. He remembered the look in her eyes that he had seen moments ago. A look he had never seen in those hazel orbs he knew so well. A look he never wanted to see again.

Her face was red and blotched, her eyes puffy and pink, her nose matching that of Rudolph's. Her lip had trembled, shaking unknowingly. She didn't even seem to notice. Her eyes had been pouring into his, looking for reassurance, for reassurance he did not have to give her. He didn't know the pain she was feeling, hadn't felt it firsthand. Not at all had he felt it. Ever.

He just stroked her back, ran his fingers through her hair, kissed her forehead, and whispered 'it's going to be alright's in her ears. He wanted her to feel better. He wanted his girlfriend back. He wanted the strong, independent, firey spirited girl that he had fell in love with. Not the broken, sad, lost spirited girl he was holding in his arms. But there was nothing he could do. Even the strong girls get lost sometimes.

"Keigo..."She whispered, almost a half-hour of crying into his chest later. He pulled back slightly to see her face, brushing the strands of hair sticking to her face back, so that he could see the puffy hazel eyes the brunette adorned. "Can we...go see her now?" She asked, her voice soft and lost. He nodded, and held her hand as he pulled her toward his waiting limo, though not before he grabbed their schoolbags aswell.

"Riyana...Oh, dear, it's good to see you." Riyana nodded silently, squeezing onto the hand of the woman on the white bed before her. The woman smiled, brushing away a few strands of hair stuck to the girl's face. She smiled weakly once again, and squeezed back, reassuring what she couldn't reassure.

"Kina...." Riyana whispered the name, relishing that she could talk to her at least one more time. The old lady sighed, rubbing her thumb across the back of Riyana's hand. "I'll...I'll miss you.." Riyana finally murmured the words that had so wanted to escape their confinement.

Kinate Kuriyoma let out a small, weak chuckle, sqeezing Riyana's hand. "Oh, Riyana... I'll miss you too. You were so much like the daughter I hadn't gotten to raise..." At this Riyana let out a small chuckle, knowing that the old woman was like a grandmother to her. "Running around the house in your little pajamas with the stars on them, singing to your hearts content, and talking about boys and wondering how they had cooties and girls didn't." Riyana blushed, glad that Keigo had stayed outside the room to give her some privacy with the emerald eyed woman on the bed infront of her, though she did allow a small smile to grace her lips.

Kinate let out a small chuckle, running her other hand across Riyana's face, relishing in the sight of the girl she had taken such good care of for so long. Riyana ran her own free hand through the silver hair cupping Kinate's weak face. She removed it though, and held the old woman's hand to her face tighter, loving that she was still there. That she was still there to talk to her, and hug her, and talk to her.

"And look at you now. A grown lady in your Hyoutei uniform, silently blushing at the past memories we've shared, nothing like the hyper loudmouth I helped to raise," Riyana would have pouted if the circumstances were different, but instead she just smiled a bit at the joke, "And with a boyfriend, and probably contaminated with a million cooties." She chuckled lightly at that, enjoying teasing her young companion. Riyana smiled, a few tears leaking from her eyes and onto the woman's hands. She sent her a weak, but mischevious look. "Now, send him in. I want to have a talk with him, as your father can't." Riyana let out a small laugh, and nodded.

She turned to the door softly calling out his name, knowing he was waiting at the door for her anyway. "Keigo." A few seconds later, the door opened, and he peaked in, being ushered in by his girlfriend's waving hand. He walked over and held tight to her free hand, the one that had previously been holding tight to the woman's hand on her face, which was now at her side.

"So you're this Keigo boy she's told me so much about." Keigo nodded, silent and patient. "Just so that you know, just so we're clear... if you hurt her, I'll come back from my grave to haunt you. I'm not afraid to. Really." Riyana let out a small laugh, and a smile graced both her's and Keigo's lips.

"I know now where you get your threats, Riyana." Keigo chuckled, smiling at the old woman. "And I would never dream of hurting her, Kuriyoma-sama." Kinate nodded.

"Better not." At that moment, the door burst open and Ukyou ran in. "Ah, Ukyou-chan, I presume?" The young girl flushed red, bowing low in apology.

"Sorry, I heard, and rushed in without thinking. So sorry!" She apologized. Kinate laughed.

"Nonsense. I'm happy to meet two of the people my dear Riyana talks so highly of." Ukyou flushed just lightly now, and smiled, nodding.

Riyana smiled, "Well, you get to see Ukyou how she always is." She glanced at Keigo, giggling at bit at his seriousness and silentness. "Keigo's usually more talkative though." Kinata laughed again, tears comming to her eyes.

"Oh, dear, I'll be watching over you always, so I'll see how he is usually soon enough." She chuckled, wincing a bit though. She forced a smile, her breathing becomming a bit labored. Riyana's eyes instantly filled with salty tears, and Ukyou's sheepish smile disappeared, her eyes doing the same as Riyana's. Keigo himself pursed his lips softly, squeezing as tightly to Riyana's hand as he could, because he knew she would need it.

"I'll miss you, sweetheart. I'll tell your parents you said hello. And remember all that I've told you." Kinate wheezed, beginning to loose her consciousness.

"I'll miss you too, Kinate! I will remember, and tell dad I'm going to kill him when I get up there, alright?" Kinate laughed a bit, nodding. "I...I love you, Kina-baa-chan." Kinate's eyes filled with tears.

"I love you too, Riyana-chan." And with a last squeeze of the brunette's hand, the old woman passed from that world to the next. Riyana bit her lip as the tears flowed silently down her cheeks, but let out a small smile when she noticed that Kinate had passed with a smile and happy tears in her eyes. And Riyana knew that was exactly how Kinate had always wished she would pass. At least her passing wish had been granted.

A few days later, Riyana looked up to the clear blue sky, sighing. She had finally come out of her room again the day before, and explained to Keigo exactly who the old woman was. He learned more about her in that explanation, more about her parents and her past, than he ever had.

Truth was, Kinate Kuriyoma had been Riyana's nanny from the age of two and up until she had turned twelve, which was when she had started living with her cousin. Her parents had always been quite busy, but spent every extra moment they could with Riyana. Unlike most parents and daughters, they got along well. Only few fights occured, and mostly over stupid little things. Kinate, however, watched her while her parents were away. And that was practically everyday, so it was as if Kinate were her grandmother, or even much-older sister.

When her parents had passed, Riyana had moved in with her aunt, uncle, and grandfather, and Kunimitsu of course. So she hadn't seen Kinate in a while, though she often took time to go up and visit her when she was near Tokyo.

Thus, obviously, when Riyana got the call that Kinate was in the hospital, sick and dying, she had been emotionally unstable, while still on the grounds of Hyoutei. The brown haired girl would miss her should-be-grandmother, but she knew that Kinate was watching over her anyway, and that the old woman was always in her heart.

Riyana wrapped her fingers tight around the locket resting on her neck. It was gold in color, with 'Ai' written on the front in cursive, scrowling letters. There were flowers in a heart around the middle front of the heart shaped locket, encasing the word on the front. Inside the locket were two pictures. On the left was a picture of a much younger Kinate, with long blonde hair that was just getting it's first few grey hairs, and her emerald eyes sparkling brightly. On the other side was a picture of a five year old Riyana, short brown hair tied up in two pigtails, a big grin on her face, with her big hazel eyes sparling even brighter than the counter-part picture's.

She smiled as she felt Keigo's arms encircle her waist, and she smiled at him, hugging his arms tightly as he was hugging her from behind. She looked to the sky. Everything would be alright. She just knew it.

A/N: Told you it was sad. :[ I wasn't feeling very happy, and so I couldn't write a fluffy, lovey-dovey story. But hopefully this will tie you over until I am in the mood to again. Anyway, I wrote more about her past in it, so that should be okay. I still have yet to tell you what happened to her parents though, ne?

--Michy