The whole room was filled with extremely awkward silence. Katanlia stared up at Kite from where she sat, still holding onto Hart's shoulders.

"I'm not taking a filthy Barian with me back to Earth," Kite said, glaring at Katanlia. Hart gasped and threw his arms around her, still staring at his older brother with a concerned face.

"Don't you dare call Kat a filthy Barian! She's very clean. Besides, she's my best friend. I'm not going back home without her Kite."

"But Hart..."

"No buts. You either say Kat can come, or you leave me here with her."

Katanlia was shocked. She blinked, then looked Hart in the eyes and stared at him.

"Hart...do you mean that? You really don't want me to go?"

"Of course not Kat." Hart leaped on Katanlia in an affectionate hug. He snuggled up against her, then shut his eyes and didn't dare to let go of her. Everyone was beyond shocked. They couldn't understand how Hart would be the caring one in a situation like this one. It was strange.

But, it was adorable too. Hart's grip tightened around Katanlia. The blue and brown-haired girl changed to her human form and smiled. Katanlia, now Kat again, looked up at Kite with innocent cat-green eyes. She lifted Hart up and held him, then walked over to Kite and looked up at him.

"It's alright if you don't want me back, Kite," Kat said. She set Hart down, then kissed him on the forehead before standing back up. Kite watched as Kat turned, then began to walk away. In a quiet tone, Hart let out a whimper. Yuma, Alit and Astral stared as she continued to go, not looking back even once.

But she did freeze when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Kat, wait."

Now Kat did turn around. She stared, then yelped when Kite grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up. The girl blinked with confusion, then smiled. "Does this mean you do want me to come back, hmmm?" she asked. Kite smiled, then nodded.

"Yes, I do. If Hart doesn't want you gone, then I suppose I don't either."

"Do you...mean that? Like, really mean that?"

"Of course I do!"

"Well that's sorta hard to believe. I mean honestly, you stabbed me with a knife."

Kite felt himself blushing. He looked away shamefully, obviously regretful of what he did. Kat smiled, then forced him to look back at her. She didn't hesitate to stand a little higher and kiss him in the lips, either.

"Oh my god," Alit said, staring at the scene before him. Yuma's jaw dropped, as did Hart's, as they stared intently. Astral was stunned as well. He thought Kat would never forgive Kite for what he did to her.

Kat slowly pulled away. She stared at Kite with sympathetic cat-green eyes, then smiled and pounced on him in a hug. The blond and teal-haired was wide-eyed in shock. He wasn't sure how to react. Hart, on the other hand, walked up and yanked on Kat's shirt sleeve as he smiled. She turned around, then gasped. The Pikachu backpack she loved so dearly was clutched gently in his small, pale hands. Kat smiled and took it from him for a second, then handed it back. At first, Hart was confused. So was everyone else. When Kat began to laugh, though, it clicked in some of their minds.

"I want you to have that Hart. That way, if something ever does happen to me, you'll have something to remember me by." Kat smiled again upon seeing Hart's face light up with happiness. He looked down, then grinned and slid it on his shoulders. Kat giggled and adjusted the straps a bit, then nodded when she was satisfied with her work. "There we go. Should fit fine now."

"Thank you Kat! Thank you!" Hart squealed, jumping on Kat in another hug. She yelped in joy and lifted the blue-haired, then turned and smiled when Kite walked up to her side. No words needed to be said to know he was ready to go back to Earth. Kat nodded, then opened a portal. Of course, Yuma and Astral were the first to run through. Hart managed to scramble free and trailed after them with Kite. A small giggle came from Kat as she turned to Alit.

"So, what do you plan on doing now?"

"I dunno Katanlia. Can't stay here, I'd get killed! But I can't exactly stay on Earth either..."

"Oh bull. You can so come to Earth and stay there." Kat grabbed Alit by the wrist and smiled, then dragged him through the portal. On the other side, she crashed onto the couch in a lazy fashion, right next to Kite and Hart. Everyone stared at each other for a second before watching Yuma rush off. Typical of him. Kat smiled. Though she had to go back to school being know as a Barian now, she didn't mind.

As long as her friends were still on her side, she didn't care.

XxXxXxXx

"Oh my gosh..."

"Kat came back?"

"Whoa what happened to her arm?!"

"She's got some nerve walking around here."

Kat heard all sorts of things as she walked the halls of her school. She hadn't seen anyone that she could trust yet. Beginning to think they weren't going to show up, Kat picked up the pace and raced around the corner.

But when she smacked into him, she was more happy than she'd ever been.

"Yuma! Oh god I'm sorry." Kat stood and helped Yuma to do the same. They brushed themselves off, then ran away to get to their next class on time.

"So, has anyone given you strange looks yet?" Yuma asked. Kat shot him a glare, causing him to jump back a bit and leave the subject alone. Obviously, people had given her strange looks. The whole entire school knew she was a Barian! Why wouldn't they give her those looks?

BANG! Kat and Yuma went flying into one another as the hit the wall of their classroom. Tori and Cathy started to giggle. Typical of those two to get tangled together when rushing in. What wasn't typical, however, was the fact they were actually on time today.

"There really is a first time for everything, isn't there?" Cathy asked, staring right at Yuma. He stuck his tongue out, causing the entire class to burst out laughing. Kat rolled her eyes and stood up, then took her seat and looked around. All eyes were on her. The blue and brown-haired felt herself blushing in total embarrassment as she lay her head on the desk.

"Well well well. Looks like Barian Girl decided to show up, did she?"

Kat jolted up in shock. She couldn't believe it. Flip. Great, so now one of her closest friends was picking on her. That was all she needed. Slowly, Kat folded her arms on her desk and lay her head on them. "Shut up, Flip," she said in a muffled tone.

"What's that? Couldn't hear you. Maybe it's because you have no mouth to talk with!"

Now the whole class erupted in laughter. Kat felt the tears welling in her eyes. Yuma and the others were too stunned to do anything. They wanted to help, Cathy especially, but they were frozen in their spots by shock.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

Everyone's head turned. Kat glanced up, then went wide-eyed. There, in the doorway, stood Alit. He ran down the stairs, tripping over one of the chairs but still coming to Kat's side, and put a hand on her shoulder. Alit turned and looked around at everyone. "What is the matter with you guys? So what if Kat's a Barian? Big whoop! Get over it! She's not going to hurt you. Neither am I. Well, mostly anyway." He glared at Flip, who just stuck his tongue out. Alit walked over and grabbed the shot brunette by the front of his shirt collar, then hoisted him into the air for a moment before tossing him onto the nearest desk.

"You'll probably get detention for that," Kat said, turning to face Alit all the way now. He turned and shrugged. Not like he cared. As long as Kat was okay, he didn't care what kind of trouble he got himself into.

"Whatever. You're happy now. So am I."

Kat felt herself smiling. She turned to see Yuma walk over, followed by Tori, Cathy, Bronk, Shark, and Caswell. They smiled right back at her. Kat softened her gaze, then pulled out her sketchbook and tore one of the pictures out. She placed it in the front of her binder for decoration, then looked up at the others. The picture of them all she'd been working on since summer brake of the previous year was finally complete. She'd even added Alit there just for the heck of it, along with Kite and Hart. (They hadn't followed them all to the beach)

"There we go. A symbol of our friendship," Kat said, staring at everyone. They nodded and crowded around her desk when the bell rang, then watched as Kat smiled.

Finally, she knew of a place she didn't have to be evil, and yet she could still call home.

END