I've become inspired. Here I am all inspired. Thank you for sticking with me and favoriting this, and me, even months after I stop posting. Dedication. You has it. Enjoy :D

If the night came, I didn't feel it.

Remember the time we thought we were new?

That time we thought we were found?

That was simply because I found you.

When I got home all full of glee, my mother didn't waste a second before ripping it away from me.

"What exactly do you see in her, Chikane?"

"Hello to you, too."

"I thought you'd gotten over that little blonde ruffian years ago."

"A ruffian? You're showing your age, mother." I responded cooly, and her jaw fell in horror.

"You'd dare speak to me that way? I'm your mother!"

I snorted. "Yeah, and you're doing a fine job with that. Keep it up." I was angry that she tried to take away the wonder of the night I had, and that's what prevented me from biting my tongue around her this time. She called my sweet Himeko a ruffian! Of all things! I tried to walk away but she caught my arm and spun me to face her.

"I am not old." She hissed, staring me dead in the eyes. She needed to make sure I knew that, first and foremost. "You are also not allowed to see that girl anymore. I forbid it."

I put my hand on top of hers and removed it from my arm gently. It was quiet for a second, and I had to count to ten before allowing myself to speak. "Look," I began, "I take a lot from you. I'm part of your social scene. I'm a straight A honor student. I've played in concerts all over this country to impress all the wives of the businessmen Dad knows. I've won countless trophies and titles in tennis. I go to every ball you throw and dance with every money hungry socialite you push my way. You know I do all that. You know I do it just to keep you happy."

Mai stood there, eyes unblinking. I continued.

"So why don't you let me have some light of my own in my life? This girl you hate so much, for no reason, is the only source of warmth in my heart. For God's sake, I wish you could understand what this means to me." She just looked at me. "But of course, you don't. I'm not surprised, but I'm not carrying out this 'order'. I'll continue to do everything you ask, but I will never let you take her from me."

I turned and made my way up the stairs, and her eyes followed me the whole way up. If she had something to say, it wasn't going to come out tonight, at least not to me, and it was best to just leave her to think about it.

Mai swallowed the tight little ball of fury that had formed in her throat, and it dropped down into her stomach where it ignited into full on rage. She stormed off into the kitchen, each forceful step clacking against the stone floor, and when she didn't find who she wanted, she stormed into the Maids' quarters and flung open every single door until she found poor Otoha, on break, sleeping sweetly in her feather bed.

"Otoha, wake UP!" Mai snapped, giving the leg of the bed a swift kick. Otoha woke with a gasp and before she could ask what was wrong, found herself being dragged of the room and onto the patio.

Mai had collected herself after her outburst, and all the maids inside were whispering amongst themselves, and sat across from Otoha at the table. The innocent maid kept quiet, mostly out of fear, and waited for the woman to speak.

"I remember when I used to smoke those long cigarettes when I lived in Paris. That was years before Chikane was born, you know. Roka and I traveled all across France, then, when we were first married. We'd spend our days in the museums and he'd take me out to the most beautiful restaurants. We'd watch the stars fall from the sky on our apartment patio, and smoke our long cigarettes, which is why we bought a house like this in the first place."

Otoha just nodded, not knowing how to respond to her lady's words.

"Chikane was the light of Roka's life, and still is. And I loved her too, but I couldn't help but think something had been taken from me the second she was born."

"Your cigarettes, lady? Please don't tell me miss has started smoking!"

"No, Otoha, she's tampering with something much more dangerous. Tell me, you remember that girl from down the street, don't you? The little blonde."

"Miss Kurusugawa. I remember her, yes. She stopped by today after school, and it took me by surprise."

"I felt the same when I found she had come back, Otoha. Do you think it's wrong of me to dislike her so, after all these years?"

Otoha didn't understand why Mai seemed to hate Himeko, especially when she made Chikane so happy and she never did anything wrong. "You have your reasons, I'm sure, my lady."

Mai chuckled and looked out into the trees. "I suppose you're right." A few moments passed before she spoke again. "And I'm not old."

I floated into my room and fell onto my bed, not realizing how exhausted I was from the excitement of the day. Once I shut my eyes, it all became a whirlwhind in my head of speeches and actions and Kaede's laughter and it all buzzed inside my brain so loud, I thought I was going to faint. I opened my eyes again and it was spring, all around me. I was walking along the courtyard of school, until I found Himeko balancing along the rim of the fountain. I felt the familiar rush of anxiety and happiness flow into my chest, and I ran up to her. She smiled at me, so brightly, and offered me her hand and we just kept circling the fountain together.

We just kept circling the fountain together. Every time I turned my head to look off in another direction, I found myself staring at the same scene I tried to look away from. Not knowing what was going on, I called up to her, and she didn't look at me. I kept calling and calling and she wouldn't answer me so I tried to break away from her. The second my hand left hers, she crumbled away and I was left there, staring at the grey pile that had been a girl a moment before.

I fell through the earth in the next moment, somehow, and was at my mother's vanity, this time not able to move. My arms and legs were tied back and I could hear Otoha sobbing and apologizing behind me. Panic spread in my system and I tried to yank my arms free of the cables, but every pull caused them to tighten up and dig even more into my wrists. I was completely trapped there.

Someone's hands touched my hair and ran their fingers through it, and the vanity mirror only revealed that whoever this was behind me had delicate fingers, and a love for elegant, black clothing.

Then I woke up. I didn't scream and I wasn't drenched in sweat. I felt weird, like I was half dead, and I laid in my bed for a while to think through my funk. I didn't think about my dream at all, or even life, I think, but instead I was reaching for memories I couldn't grasp. I felt like something monumental had happened that I completely forgot about, and the more I searched for it in my head, the more it slipped away and I forgot what I was looking for altogether.

The sky was in overcast that morning at 6. That didn't help anything in my head. I stood out on the balcony and looked down onto the street and saw Kaede jogging, looking different than he had all those years ago. His stomach was bobbling back and forth, and there were no dogs at his side. He skidded to a stop and bent over to catch his breath, and I had to look away.

Some things are supposed to stay the same. I know it's been years and I know he's not in shape anymore, but my dream wasn't coming true like I had hoped. I had these crystal memories all glittering away in my head, and I couldn't let them go, not even small ones like Kaede taking a morning run.

My mother wasn't at breakfast, and Otoha looked apologetic, but also relieved. On my way out, I hugged her without a word, and left her startled at the front door. I felt like the world was wrong and something compelled me to show her that kindness, like it was the last opportunity I had to. On the ride to school, I still couldn't shake it. I wish I had just gone back to sleep to wake up with a different attitude. Maybe, just this once, I could skip first period and hide out somewhere to sleep..

Deep inside, I know I'm really carefree. I could nap all day and not think twice about all the work or people I had waiting for me. When I snuck into the auditorium to take a nap on the couch onstage, I felt like I had done it every day of my life. I didn't fall asleep easily, because that damn bell was going off again, but once I did, I was out all first period. I only woke up because people came barging into the room, loudly, and once they saw me they all squealed with delight.

And then began the chanting of Miya-sama. My life.

A blonde stepped out from the crowd and smirked at me. "Well, sleepyhead, thank you for leaving me in first period all alone." Himeko winked and the crowd stepped back and began whispering harshly. She ignored them and walked over to me and cupped my face with her hand. "This looks so much better, though. Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

How could she be so oblivious to all the snarls of the spitting animals behind her? It was like we were alone when she talked to me, or when she touched me. She made the world disappear.

"I conked out right when I got home, actually," I said sheepishly. "I just felt weird. You know when you wake up and you just feel weird? That's what happened so I gave myself another shot and took a nap here. It worked a lot better this time."

Himeko giggled. "Now why's that?"

"Isn't it obvious? This time I woke up to you."

She blushed and looked away for a second, and I beamed. "You're such a smooth talker, Chikane."

"I really don't know how that happened."